Altered Zones

Patricia Hall from Soft Metals says:
"These songs are spacey and free-form, which may seem out of character for us, but we wanted to share some of the inspiration for the hints of psychedelia that we incorporate into our recordings. This mix would be best enjoyed in the early hours of a summer morning while lying in a dew-covered meadow gazing at the approach of dawn."

Mix: Soft Metals

01 The Psychic Stewardess: "E.S.P. Training Center"
02 Chris Carter: "Walkabout"
03 Something Completely Different: "Poly 800 Sequence 1 Song"
04 Ceramic Hello: "A Grey Man"
05 Cluster: "Marzipan"
06 Between: "Devotion"
07 Jon Hassell & Brian Eno: "Charm (Over Burundi Cloud)"
08 Conrad Schnitzler: "Ballet Statique"
09 Duet Emmo: "Heart of Hearts"
10 Art Ensemble of Chicago feat. Brigitte Fontaine: "Le Goudron"
11 Bruce Gilbert: "Eline Cout Ii"
12 Zdenek Liska: "Aquatic Babicak"

Stream Soft Metals LP on Altered Zones, and grab a copy from Captured Tracks

Portland's Soft Metals have been kicking around since 2009, making synth pop for strobing dancefloors and dark, dank bedrooms across the country. And though this self-titled LP is being peddled by Mr. Blank Dogs' Captured Tracks label, the record isn't as rooted in brooding cold wave as you might think; your hips will shake to Soft Metals' flashes of techno, house, and early industrial. Slick, smooth, icy, and cool, this debut LP is one you won't want to miss. --Ric Leichtung, Altered Zones

Soft Metals: Soft Metals

Captured Tracks drops Soft Metals next week

Just after last year's The Cold World Melts, Portlandian duo Soft Metals have announced their follow-up full-length with Captured Tracks. The first track that dropped from the upcoming self-titled LP, "Psychic Diving," twists gracefully through the atmosphere like an icicle traveling through the cosmos, passing planets, black holes, and solar flares on its journey to the unknown. --Ric Leichtung, Altered Zones

MP3: Soft Metals: "Psychic Driving"

Soft Metals drops July 19 from Captured Tracks

Electronic duo Soft Metals bring their acid wash to "Click Shaw" by fellow Portland act Reporter. Previously an icy piece of throbbing synth-wave, "Click Shaw" becomes an odyssey through a panoply of dance music-- from the feverish edges of disco through the birth of house and the sprouting of synth-punk, then up to Chicago and across the Atlantic. Thick slabs of synth anchor Alberta's breathless vocals as the arpeggiators warm up in the background and the valiant 4/4 beat struggles to find a foothold amidst the onrushing bassline. All squelchy bliss. (via 20 Jazz Funk Greats)

MP3: Reporter: "Click Shaw (Soft Metals Remix)"

Both bands released debut albums in August: Reporter on Holocene; Soft Metals on Captured Tracks