I must admit, Post-Rock music does very little for me these days. Gone is the feeling of the anything goes, exciting music replaced by an apathy of idenikit groups who plunder the same quiet/loud format that an all reality is an anathema to Simon Reynolds original freeform experimentation in a non-rock format outline. Those acts who rehash the same riffs, climaxes and dynamics have rendered this once flowing scene stagnant. Just one of the many reasons I seek solace in Ambient and Drone music.

Not the best introduction to Nic Bommarito, an artist who does indeed perform under the Post-Rock banner, but I felt the need to get that off my chest! 12Rec don’t usually put their name to bland music and that proves to be the case too on Bommarito’s ‘Harp Fragments‘. Yes this release is instrumental and yes it also follows a formula which it doesn’t deviate from much, but there is something heart-warming about it. Bommarito’s musicianship and arrangements are highly-accomplished or, for want of a better word, proffesional. The melodies are sweet and saccahrine and the folky instrumental touches (harps and violia) adds an extra dimension to his music.

At some of its most epic moments, such as ‘Casino Waltz’, I swear I could see an vague outline of Mogwai through the dry ice and strobe lighting. Perhaps that is in my mind, but when I close my eyes I hear similarities. Bommarito doesn’t plagiarise of course, but I get the impression he’s fond of Braithwaite & co.

Still, I can think of over 100+ acts who really should take a leaf from Bommarito’s blossoming songbook. This is how you create an instrumental album that keeps your audience hooked from start to finish. You don’t have to copy your favourite Explosions in the Sky moment after all. As Bommarito shows, you have options.

Harp Fragments

We can’t really start a blog centering on creative commons music without mentioning 12Rec, a netlabel that has been a leading light for several years now. Having passed the 50 release mark not so long ago, this provides an oppurtunity to look at one of their most outstanding finds.

Crepusculum is the virtuosic work of Londoner Fred Baty, a prodigious musician with an eye-catching acoustic guitar style. ‘Sky Diaries’ is predominantly an instrumental record , but such an insignificant statement would not do this Ep justice, the guitar work here is multi-textured and insanely melodic. Vague points of refrence here would include Album Leaf, but again there’s too much happening to simply pigeonhole. We would suggest that fans of the folktronic movement, think Origamibiro for starters, simply check this album out immediately.

Sky Diaries

Here are some more photos of our netlabel corner at the  Pop Up music fair in Leipzig.

The sweet boys behind the desk are our dear friends and Netlabel-romeos from Aaahh Records (make sure to check their brandnew release by “The Wind Whistles”) . Thanks for the great weekend guys! Some more Pop Up pictures can be found via Flickr.

Probably best to watch this one in HD – I don’t actually have an HD camera, but you can barely see anything otherwise!

This is a really old tune from my first EP that I’ve been working on so I can play it live, and I figured it’d be fun to try and do a video of all three guitar parts. Some sloppiness here and there, including one mammoth screw-up, but other than that I’m pretty happy with how it came out!

[direktklink]

das dazugehoerige album soll dann demnaechst auf 12rec erscheinen.

[via 12rec blog]

Our favourite Netaudio DJ Christian Grasse broadcasted this battle “Goliath against Goliath” via campus radio Bielefeld on the 4. or March, 2009. Now you can grab the show as a single MP3! Hear the giants of Netaudio Pop clash.

The Poni Republic vs 12rec. @ Popmoderne
[direktlink | .mp3/60:16min/80mb]

Jasmin – “Rote Sonne” 12REC
About – “Think Niles Drink” THE PONI REPUBLIC
The Great Mundane – “Unpacking The Day” w/ Fuellsand 12REC
Gloom – “Gash” THE PONI REPUBLIC
Rob Hunter – “Spill” 12REC
Yellow Yesterday – “Sunday Song” THE PONI REPUBLIC
allthatfall – “Miranda July” 12REC
Silverstone – “Why” THE PONI REPUBLIC
Milhaven – “New Orleans” 12REC
Anthna – “Loving Raw Bands…” THE PONI REPUBLIC
Werner Kitzmüller – “Saliva” w/ Alexandr Vatagin 12REC
Hi Lucy! – “Smoke With Bears” THE PONI REPUBLIC
David Schweighart – “Prager Lovesong I” 12REC
Heartbeeps – “Hat & Gloves & Scarf” THE PONI REPUBLIC
The Sleeping Tree – “Ninth Leaf” 12REC
Hey Chica! – “Curse the Space” THE PONI REPUBLIC
Protestant Work Ethic – “Set Out To Take On” 12REC

fell – i need you to stop needing the love that we made together
[release: 12rec051]
[direktdownload | .mp3/04:18min/8,5mb]
lizenz: creative commons

A Sea Biscuit’s Life from Bruno Vellutini on Vimeo.

Cute! Nice! This little video was filmed and cut by Bruno Vellutini aka Nelas who also did the artwork for my “Underwater Is A Place To Be Alone” mixtape… I think it’s pretty awesome to see how seamless scientific information, music and these wonderful video recordings go together. Downright affecting. And a good excuse to dig out the My First Trumpet album “Frerk” once again!
[via 12rec]

my first trumpet – autonarkose
[release: aer009]
[direktdownload | .mp3/04:04min/7,5mb]
lizenz: creative commons 2.0

Jasmin – Koeln from Sven Swift on Vimeo.

This is the video for the song “Köln” from the second EP of Munic-based postrockers Jasmin. The EP was release number #26 and is an awesome listen.
[via 12rec]

jasmin – koeln
[release: 12rec027]
[direktdownload | .mp3/09:00min/12mb]
lizenz: creative commons 2.5

adcBicycle is Matt Chisholm from Ottawa, Canada. Matt had an EP on Kikapu (RIP) back in 2006 which was on heavy rotation in my player. After finishing his new album one year later, Matt decided not to release it. He got in contact with a bunch of artists he is friends with or fan of, asking them to revisionize his tunes. We are proud to publish this versatile compilation album of boundless and blissful Pop music!

he can jog – palms
[release: 12rec051]
[direktdownload | .mp3/05:08min/10mb]
lizenz: creative commons 3.0

Hey there, we have some news:
We finally got the 12rec.050 stickers delivered, so it´s time for some real life promotion, yay!

So if you want to help us spreading the good news about our ‘discoversary‘, beautify your hometown or just impress your friends with exclusive 12rec. schwag, let us know and we will provide some of the hot stuff to you.

And just to let you know, our production and distribution division in the person of our big boss & ceo aka Sven Swift is on holiday these days. So in the next days myself, SimSullen will be in charge. But don´t panic! I´ll try my best not to break anything.

ist wohl mal wieder nen weilchen her das ich hier reingeschreiben habe… sowas aber auch. aber es muss mal wieder ein bischen was verkündet werden, hilft ja alles nix. also ersteinmal:

das von meinem werten kollegen (insider munkeln: chef) sven swift und mir betriebene netlabel 12rec.net ist 50 geworden. also jetzt in releases gerechnet, in jahren sind´s demnächst vier. und wie man das so macht bei jubiläen macht man mal was besonderes. in unserem fall entschieden wir uns für eine compilation mit exklusivem material aktueller und zukünftiger 12rec. künstler. ist jetzt vielleicht nicht die bahnbrechend revolutionäre idee, aber eine musikalische standortbestimmung erscheint zu diesem anlaß schon durchaus sinnvoll. außerdem gab es auch von anfang an die idee, die compilation ‘anständig’ pressen zu lassen und in industriell gefertigte digipaks zu verpacken. die ‘normalen’ releases gibt es ja bei uns als cd-r in handgefertigter verpackung und wenn in jeder cd so viel herzblut und handarbeit steckt hat man schon skrupel sie in größeren mengen zu promotionzwecken zu verschicken in dem wissen, daß die hälfte davon in redaktionsmülleimern landet. desweiteren ist es ja auch ganz schön einen schicken labelüberblick zu haben den man, bei der frage ‘was man denn so macht’, dem gegenüber in die hand drücken kann.

jetzt muss man aber auch mal, apropros ehre wem ehre ge… und lorbeeren an… und fremden federn und dem ganzen zeug, ganz klar sagen: den monate währenden organisatorischen aufwand bei dem projekt hatte sven und auch die künstlerischen ehren der trackzusammenstellung und dramaturgie gebühren ganz klar ihm! und es gibt durchaus leute die völlig zurecht behaupten, daß das ergebnis dieser anstrengungen von “ganz großem können und musikalischem verständnis” zeugen.

naja, jedenfalls ist es jetzt da unser release #050 …tataaa:

einen gewissen stolz können wir wohl kaum verbergen. 50… das klingt schon nach was, da fängt die bedeutung des plattendealer- und musikjournalistenterms ‘backkatalog’ so langsam an zu greifen.
ich habe übrigens von den 50 releases nicht mal ne hand voll als greifbare tonträger hier bei mir zu hause rumstehen. schon irgendwie bitter. vielleicht kann sven beizeiten mal ein foto von dem cd stapel der bisherigen releases machen… sieht bestimmt schick aus.

wie schon erwähnt liegt die jubiläumscompilation als gepresste cd im schicken digipac vor und kann zu gewohnten 12rec. schleuderpreisen incl. porto & verpackung hier geordert werden. und wer mir kurzfristig per screenshot beweisen kann, daß er alle verfügbaren 12rec. releases in der mp3 version auf seiner festplatte hat bekommt von mir eine cd gratis!

die fotos auf denen das coverartwork basiert sind übrigens von dem großartigen multitasking genie und weltenbummler stephane obadia der 2005 bereits als rob steady auf 12rec. released hat und in seinen fotografischen arbeiten wie kaum ein anderer die wahre schönheit und erhabenheit im, für den ‘normalen’ betrachter, nüchternen und langweiligen alltag findet. also tausend dank und allen respekt an stephane und natürlich den betelligten künstlern, die mit ihren beiträgen nicht nur diese compilation sondern das ganze label tragen und generell der grund sind warum wir den ganzen quatsch überhaupt machen.

nicht zuletzt möchte ich noch all den bloggern, journalisten, bloggenden journalisten, podcastern und radioleuten danken die uns helfen die ganze tolle musik in die virtuelle und die etwas realere welt hinauszutragen. stellvertretend hier noch einige reaktionen auf die 12rec.050

Interview bei phlow-magazine.com
lobhudelei bei der metawelle
review im numblog.de
artikel bei intro.de

edit 1: für ruhrpöttler mit onlineshoppingphobie oder freunden des stilvollen einkaufsbummels: die oben erwähnte compilation ist jetzt, neben allerlei anderen wohlgestalteten devotionalien für den großstadtromantiker von welt, auch im feinen heimatdesign laden in dortmund erhältlich.

edit 2: die sticker zur platte sind jetzut auch angekommen! wer seine regionalen lieblingstrendspots verschönern will möge sich melden.

edit 3: in den kommentaren zur lobhudelei bei der metawelle (siehe oben) entwickelt sich unter umständen gerade eine interessante diskussion zu szeneverwurstelungen und selbstrefrentialität.

As 12rec. will celebrate it’s fourth birthday this year, approximately four generations of musicians released their works with us. Hermelin, this wonderful Rock band from Hanover, Germany, came across your way as a 2nd wave 12rec.-act. Remember their “Split LP” (12rec.030) with Cologne Noiserockers Junique Fois Pi? It’s the kids, hell yeah. In 2008, Hermelin show up with their full-length debut album. We’re happy to support the band and bring forth their new album for free download and CD purchase.
—
Hermelin didn’t change their style too much. The music on the actually self-titled LP is a dense mixture of Post- and Indierock, instrumental end to end, with shining melodies and a good amount of fuzz. Appropriate in production, “Hermelin” enables you to enjoy the full range of the band’s interplay, their dendritic guitar melodies over warm Postpunk bass-lines and straightforward drums.

In direct comparison to the second true bred Postrock-act at 12rec., Milhaven, Hermelin are less dreamy or ethereal. Hermelin rock harder. And their composition might need a second try to reveal all secrets. But if you check ‘Pliant Fur’, ‘May 91313′, the sonic re-make of ‘Nova Police’ or the sluggish fuzz-monster ‘Mellow F. S.’, you’ll probably agree that Hermelin are worth every second of (repeated) listen.

The “Hermelin” LP is online for free download and available on CD. The band pressed 300 copies and crafted the sleeves on their own. Hurry to the shop and order your copy! Or check the Hermelin website for live dates and buy the album directly from the band.

Looking for organic Ambient music, Neuf Meuf’s “It’s Cold In Space“, released back in 2006 as a cooperation project with Serein Netlabel, is one of the finest records you can get. Short after, Neuf Meuf aka Rok Vrbancic told me about the new band project he just joined: Automassage. Vrbancic teamed up with his Slovenian buddy Samo Ismajlovic and Gottfried Krienzer from Graz (active in Code Inconnu and under the name of Kauders). Accomplished by Markus “Maex” Sworcik of Hella Comet on drums soon after, the band recorded their debut “The Ambience Between Your Ears Is Noise”. At 12rec., you can download an exclusive EP-selection from their full-length CD. The digipak CD is published by God Bless This Mess (SLO) and Chamfu Nocords (AT).

The “Ambience EP” is a furry little beast. Automassage fuse abrasive instrumental Rock music with elements of Ambient and Avant-Garde. The crackling guitar sound of Code Inconnu ain’t far, still Automassage add a their two cents of Psychedelica. Opening track ‘Vortex Diva’ sounds a bit like Jazzrockers Slon for the middle part but develops in noisy guitars towards the end. The loop-like guitars at ‘Alice’ bring forth an idea of Folklore, slighty permutated and processed. Here, Vrbancic’s synth textures are unmistakeable (the vocals are his, too). Another consuming tune is ‘Ert’. The song is based on a simple bass pulse played in the back of diffuse field recordings. Layers of aquatic guitars, synthesizer and trumpet make ‘Ert’ swell with gloomy noise. Last track ‘Crepinje’ is a slow motion waltz with Ismajlovic’s shy violin, a Hawaiian guitar interlude and blissful distortion in the end. Beautiful fall of curtain, indeed.

sichtbeton – in staedten
[release: 12rec010]
[direktdownload | .mp3/02:17min/3,3mb]
lizenz: creative commons 2.0

es gibt mal wieder freie musik mit dazugehoerigem musikvideo. mir erschliesst sich zwar im moment nicht warum das video zur musik einen anderen titel hat als die musik selbst. aber sei’s drum. jasmin’s “ep01″ ist sowohl auf 12rec als auch auf rote sonne erschienen und beinhaltet neben den 3 musiktracks auch ein video.
gluecklicherweise befindet sich das video auch auf youtube, so dass ich dieses auch bequem hier embedden kann.

jasmin – longing for moments of objectivity

quicktime-version des videos
[direktdownload .mov/04:09min/21mb]

jasmin – vielleicht
[release: 12rec011]
[direktdownload | .mp3/03:46min/5,4mb]
lizenz: creative commons 2.0

Download Whole directory

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originally uploaded by SimSullen.

zwei a4 seiten bildbearbeitung fertig… ein hoch auf photoshop lightroom, sonst würd ich übermorgen noch hier sitzen. für heute feierabend… ach nee, 12rec. verlangt mein zutun.

heute gibt’s mal ein kleines “double feature”, d.h. ein stueck freie musik zum runterladen (.mp3) und video von einem anderen song zum anschauen – aber beides von der gleichen band.
milhaven, 4 jungs aus bochum, machen richtig super gitarrenmusik (manche wuerden post-rock dazu sagen), dies jedoch meist nicht in den ueblichen 3 bis 4 minuten versionen, sondern mit richtig laenge. “clean room” dauert 15min, “barnabas” etwas ueber 8min. dadurch kann sich die ganze sache richtig schoen aufbauen und bis zu einem exzessiven hoehepunkt hochpushen. das wird den otto-normal-radiohoerer vielleicht etwas abschrecken und auch einiges abverlangen aber es lohnt sich. die jungs machen grossartige instrumentale, gitarrenmusik.

milhaven – clean room
[release: 12rec035]
[direktdownload | .mp3/15:36min/22,5mb]
lizenz: creative commons 2.5

video:
milhaven – barnabas (live)

Plutei are born in the seawater. They represent a specific life stage (larva) of some marine invertebrates, the Echinoderms. Most of them are less than 1mm long, so tiny that inertial forces are dominated by viscous forces of the water. Just imagine if air was honey and we had to go for a walk… Plutei can swim and feed in this environment using their long arms and cilia. However, Plutei are ephemeral. They swim (and eat) for weeks or maybe months, before something else takes place. Currents can take them really far away from the place they were born. Millions of Plutei are born at once. How many would survive? How many would be thousands of miles away? How many would get proper food and not be eaten? Plutei carry the tissue of adults inside them. The food they eat, goes to adult tissues. In the end, the adult in formation takes over the larval body and the Pluteus is gone.

Plutei are part of the ocean’s hidden life. Organisms we can’t see easily, but that certainly got in between our toes when walking along the beach, or were swallowed during a swim… Its crazy and different “life” inspired the first compilation of songs from ccnelas.org, The Pluteus Trip. Download and listen, hope you like it! Go to the compilation page or continue below.

Download ZIP file (~114 MB)

1. Autonarkose (4:05) | My First Trumpet – Frerk

2. Jello Television (1:22) | Scrambled Mache – Music for People Who Don’t Like Music

3. Peregum (4:58) | AXIAL – Senóide

4. Woman beat box (1:32) | Jade – Analogic

5. Goof (4:12) | Binärpilot – Defrag

6. Beyond The Moon (7:26) | FeldFunker – Beyond The Moon

7. Orbital Movement (6:19) | Frank Molder – Come With Me

8. indélédébile (3:32) | LEGO – indélédébile

9. Don’t walk on the grass ! (4:26) | kaapad – TANGRAM

10. bewusst sein (4:56) | henri.petterson – part of me

11. Appointment (5:31) | Monokle – Ideas Aloud

12. Black Box (5:58) | Lunar – Hybrid Awaken

13. Clouds Fly As I Smile (4:15) | SaReGaMa – 4D Reality

14. Another One (4:56) | Windpearl – I love you a bit…

15. Semi-Atomic Breeze (3:20) | Salmonraptor – Chronic Underestimation

16. Particule (4:28) | Silence – L’autre endroit

please report any problems to me!

My First Trumpet - Frerk

mp3s zip file

I first listened to Frerk after reading Wundertunes nice comments about it. The songs stuck into my mind. I specially like how elements fit together and lead you throughout the song. In the same way as an inspired speech clears up a point of view.

Celebrating the tenth release of aerotone and the third year of 12rec, these netlabels decided to collaborate releasing a special CDr-edition of Frerk (also blogged here).

Ok, don’t miss these songs…!

We enjoy the fact that we have artists from all over the world in our back catalogue. Still it’s a nice thing to be back with a couple of releases from people we personally know and met recently. Autumn 2007 starts with an album that draws a line from the shores of Hamburg to the Ruhr Area, ending up at the feet of the Alps in Munich. To celebrate our third year and the tenth release at Aerotone Netlabel, we prepared a very nice collaboration CDr for you: say hi to My First Trumpet!

The album “Frerk” my Kevin Hamann’s Indiepop-outlet My First Trumpet isn’t actually new. The LP was released at Aerotone a few weeks ago. Kevin is a professional musician that gained a lot of attention with his smart Beatpop-moniker Click Click Decker. Due to the fact that he’s touring a lot and people seem to dig his eclectic My First Trumpet-album, we thought it might be a cool idea to re-release “Frerk” as a strictly limited CDr-edition for fans to lay their hands on. Here it is, manually numbered and packed with two delicious bonus tracks.

The album is absolutely astonishing. Kevin is a man with an undoubtedly feel for melodies and striking Pop sensibility. The LP is made of 14 scribbled songs, none of them processed more than necessary. Clever Indiepop-tracks like “Digital Contact”, “Eat Some Beaf Chief”, “Max B.” and “Dipl. Link” work at first try and last for weeks. One-man band Hamann plays guitars, drums, synthesizers, glockenspiel and one hundred instruments more. Tracks “Happy Plingi” or “Muerz” show up with a poppy Post Rock-approach, not unlike Mice Parade. Other tunes will make you think of the Postal Service or New York City’s Ratatat. Hmmm…

The CDr is limited to 100 copies! It contains the brand new boni “Im Wald” and “Halbe Liter”. Kevin will sell the CDs at his concerts, but the only chance to get them online is here. The delightful artwork was crafted by Aerotone top-designer meedchen. The sleeves look fantastic! Only to celebrate this album, Sven Swift recently thought of a new kind of package. Place your orders.

========================================================

Frerk @ 12rec.net
Frerk @ aerotone.net (hit this link for direct download)

========================================================

so, noch einmal nachtschicht, dann gehts morgen früh in die hauptstadt. erstmal gibts touristenprogramm mit filippo von zymogen und ab freitag dann hierhin:

ich bin schon wirklich gespannt, was da so los sein wird und welche
diskussionen sich dann (hoffentlich) ergeben.  man wird sehen…

mehr gibt´s dann demnächst - auf diesem kanal!

zur ehrenrettung, originally uploaded by SimSullen.

…wirklich, der inhalt ist wesentlich schöner!

—- 
Mit einem Mobiltelefon von Sony Ericsson gesendet