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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 |
keeping
an 'i' open
the star tonight 02/10/03 by jeremy daniel
cape town muso ross campbell - best known for his work with urban creep, then fetish, and now benguela - has set up open record, a label which is quickly becoming associated with the interface between music, design and art.
open record
maintains a highly impressive internet profile. but how inttegral is
the web to his vision of the label as a whole?
"i think more and more the web and email are becoming the means
by which open record and a lot of other small labels are doing business,"
campbell says. "from seeking and being sent info, to hearing sound
clips and buying music, and finding international distribution partners,
it's all online and it needs to be slick and fast."
what material
does he see as being ideal for the open record label?
"music that is inspiring, innovative, conscious of it's influences.
that would make it the three 'i's."
that sounds
awe-inspiring, but surely a cautious voice within wonders about the
profit margin. in an age when even major labels struggle to make a profit,
how can a small south african indie survive?
campbell says it can be viable if you keep everything small, don't use
the same channels for production and don't draw a salary.
it is clear
from the cover art on each album that this is a cherished aspect of
the label.
says campbell: "i love music, art and design and wanted to bring
the three things together: i comissioned local artists to give the sleeves
a more human and local feel. we comissioned charisse gardiner to paint
the benguela cover from a photo by natalie payne, and we used brendon
bussy's own artwork for his cover. the other two were designs by jacqui
stecher. i wanted the open record logo not to impose itself, and so
the embossed texture, as opposed to something graphic, worked well."
can we
crack the international market with some of these releases. are people
out there buying?
"most definitely," says campbell. "i think particularly
the europeans are very open to experimental sounds from around the world
and i don't think they would have heard anything quite like this."
on his future plans, he says: "our next release is derek gripper's solo eight-string guitar album investigating cape sounds, and it's very beautiful. that's launching on october 28 at the baxter theatre. and james webb is working on his first album for possible release early next year, and there are a couple of other exciting possibilities."
sui - benguela
this double album by benguela is something of a revelation. it's moody,
intense, unique and passionate. it's also a great recording of a live
performance. this is territory that benguela have made there own and
they do it damn well. the only problem is that when everything is new
and improvised, then is everything really new? this three piece group
have perfected improvisation to the point where you wonder if it is
improvisation or just a sort-of-open-ended formula. but it is groovy,
wild and wonderful.
sagtevlei
- alex van heerden & derek gripper
an axotic, endearing album that captures magnificently the hot, wide
open spaces where it was born. this is organic music, using strange
and powerful instrumentation. accordion, koi-san mouthbow, viola, double
bass and cello all make an appearance, creating a fragrant, delicate
tapestry. van heerden's trumpet rings through through it, drawing obvious
comparisons to some of miles davis's playing on sketches of spain.
this is an awesome album for those who have open minds, and is unlikely
to be like anything you've heard before.
ek is legio
- enkeleen
this is an extremely innovative, expansive release for those who like
their music distinctly left of centre. from the wild imagination of
ian watson and featuring members of the underrated blackmilk, this is
polished and original electronica. it's quite difficult to describe:
at times drum 'n bass, at others electro/industrial jazz. do i sound
cold? i am. enkeleen has sacrificed listenability for originality, and
anything approaching melody has been gooied in the blender and blitzed.
diesel
geiger - brendon bussy
heavy on concept and a little bit light on sheer music, this album just
passes by somewhat. built up and layered primarily through captured
sounds - human, animal, and atmospheric - with an accompaniment of violins,
piano and electronics, it achieves its moments, most notably on the
tracks mnemonic and trans oranje tatoo. otherwise
it feels slightly arbitrary. there are lots of great ideas here, and
strong atmosphere, but altogether it's not really a cohesive, engaging
whole.
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open
01 enkeleen ek is legio full details buy online |
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open
02 alex van heerden & derek gripper sagtevlei full details buy online |
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open
03 brendon bussy diesel geiger full details buy online |
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open
04 benguela sui full details buy online |
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open
05 derek gripper blomdoorns full details buy online |
ARTISTS |
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alex
van heerden |
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all content © open record cc.
all rights reserved.
CONTACT
ross campbell
iliketea@iafrica.com
cape town
south africa
distributed
in south africa by
kurse music distribution
contact alastair
tel: +27 21 424 1959
fax: +27 21 424 4051 alastair@kursemusic.co.za
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