LATEST RELEASE
FELIX LABAND
CATALOGUE
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following on from his two previous critically acclaimed albums, 'dark days exit' reflects felix’s forays into classical instrumentation whilst still audibly remaining true to his unique style, walking a thin line between lush and disconcerting beat scapes. felix describes it as his first “true album”, where he feels the music represents his vision alone. the result is a truly beautiful electronica album, mixed and arranged with absolute genius – each track has distinct character, never slipping into the wallpaper monotony of current lounge fodder. TRACKS: dark days exit is available on itunes worldwide (compost records release) PRESS
QUOTES: "an inspired and deep album of esoteric kindness and warm technology" - peter kruder / g-stone "miss teardrop is a sublime brill supertune.. sneaking carefully into your ears and remaining there for a long long time... excellent" - richard dorfmeister "stunning album" - laurent garnier "dark days exit’s all-round unabashed loveliness could possibly convert even the most misanthropic marilyn manson fan" – bbc collective’s paul clarke "it has the dark sparkle of air`s `moon safari`, random trippy flashes of pink floyd´s earlier sounds, and if david lynch had based `twin peaks` in cape town´s city bowl, then this would work as the soundtrack." - sa / rockdigest "he's clearly an architect, a visionary, and his ongoing musical creations bear testament to this. his tunes — a collection of collages, textures interwoven with lucid melodies and twisted, yet simple, beats — stand tall in an industry which all too often rewards the followers rather than the innovators." - stephen timm / iafrica.com "laband's music reminds one of modern classical composers like reich and glass, leftfield electronica artists like boards of canada, aphex twin and the audio pranksters at ninja tune. it is head music which makes your foot tap. it is delicate, yet earthily funky.." xxxxx charles leonard 48 hours "the latest offering from mr laband is a real alice in wonderland soundtrack; surreal but wonderful. ..a melodic overture of good sounds with an off-beat melancholy which reminds me of autumn." - cape etc "though both laband's previous albums were superb in every respect, they pale in comparison to his new masterpiece - an album so far removed from the usual electronic fodder that it is impossible to categorise. most great albums are." - jon craig canavan / SL magazine "the soundtrack for sensitive people's lives - very recommendable." - martin gretschmann / the notwist / console “sometimes dark and sinister, always a little melancholy, infused with a retro hipness that is entirely cocktail inspiring. felix´s greatest quality must be his use of space – the music breathes with space around the beats, fresh fresh fresh. infinitely listenable, especially outdoors.“ - world online “an insane swirling ambient dub glitch freak show.“ - dazed & confused magazine “the album is a warm space of melody and rhythm that lets you move through colours of nostalgia and déjá vu with endless possibilities of hearing something new.“ - philippa cameron “laband´s superbly-layerd, multi-tiered soundscapes are tantalizingly tranquil and intriguingly unique – they amble like ambient and slip into the bloodstream like liquid lsd.“ - rage.co.za “...if you have too less money to travel to south africa, no problem, just listen to “dark days exit“ and close your eyes...“ - nat queen cool / sounds good inc. “kraftwerks´s autobahn might have been a prelude but this is the omega! fur sure!” - helene ramos galagarza “the new album takes felix's music deeper than before. 'whistling in tongues' is a hypnotic tune perfect for late-night driving.“ - ennio styles |
cd: dark days exit
when felix laband released his epic debut thin shoes in june in march 2001 there was a tangible buzz in the ozone layer. in felix, south africa had found a unique new electronica voice. there were quirky beats, playful cocktail lounge yearnings and inventive, sometimes kwaito-edged acid jazzy vibes, but undercutting it all was also something far more menacing, sinuous, and darkly beautiful.
now the man at the forefront of this burgioning scene has a new album due out on the open record label in october 2004. titled dark days exit, this is felix laband’s third release, following on from his two previous critically acclaimed albums on african dope records. it reflects felix’s forays into classical instrumentation whilst still audibly remaining true to his unique style that always walks the thin red line between lush and disconcerting beat scapes.
felix describes it as his first “true album”, where he feels the music represents his vision alone. the result is a truly beautiful electronica album, mixed and arranged with absolute genius – each track has distinct character, never slipping into the wallpaper monotony of current lounge fodder.
originally hailing from pietermaritzburg (wedged somewhere in the pastoral, rolling green hills of kwazulu natal), felix experimented with punk bands and computer animation before discovering pc based music, moving to cape town, and releasing thin shoes in june on african dope in 2001. the success of the album's uniquely whimsical atmospheric chillbeat style catapulted felix into the sa music limelight, and he has rapidly become south africa’s premier electronic musician.
felix explains, “i think it could be called downbeat, emotive electronica. the whole album has been a gradual process. i'm into so much stuff and i always get quite influenced by what i'm listening to, but that changes every few months. this album has been quite a journey. when i first started i was into a lot of world music and trip-hoppy stuff like kid loco. more recently i've been getting into electronic stuff, but at the same time i'm really into classical music. i don't really listen to one specific genre of music at all. this album is just a reflection of all sorts of ideas that i've got.”
in 2002 he followed up with the provocative 4/4 down the stairs, with outrageous pink fold-out packaging and a more sinister undertone to the exquisitely crafted soundscaped beats. the album was hailed as a “masterpiece of electro”, cementing his reputation locally, while consolidating his international status.
as felix told uk magazine dazed & confused, “that south africa is a land of weird contrasts definitely comes through in the music. i'm not shy to throw things around. a lot of european stuff is quite formulaic, people stick to a certain sound and a specific way of doing things. i try and throw that out the window."
felix's albums brought him to the attention of the media production industries and he's composed music for some of sa's biggest tv ads and licensed tracks to foreign ads and labels like return to the source, peacelounge and cinque etoiles. he's also featured on numerous compilations, has a number of 12" vinyl excursions under his belt and some beautiful, edgy videos. felix has toured europe extensively and played at some very impressive festivals including south africa’s oppikoppi and splashy fen, the pukkelpop festival in holland and the wax c-lounge event in prague.
DISCOGRAPHY:
thin shoes in june (african dope, 2001)
4/4 down the stairs (african dope, 2002)
dark days exit (open record, 2005)
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CONTACT
ross campbell
iliketea@iafrica.com
cape town
south africa
distributed
in south africa by
kurse music distribution
contact alastair
tel: 021 424 1959 alastair@kursemusic.co.za