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Maps & Atlases at Festsaal

People keep calling these guys a math rock band, but the connection between the genre label and their actual sound is tenuous, at best. The confusion is easy to understand though, there is a complexity throughout the tunes, and the arrangements are both delicate and compelling, there’s notes of neo-folk and psych, as well as being at times a little experimental, but at the end of the day, it really does all come together within a definate pop package. Maps & Atlases are a progressive pop band if nothing else, putting them in the same vein as classic bands such as King Crimson or Peter Gabriel’s Genesis. Which is a very good and worthwhile thing. to work at. Here’s a track:

Maps & Atlases – Solid Ground

With the new album from Maps & Atlases, Perch Patchwork, in stores in the arse end of June just gone, you can expect that when they hit the stage at Festsaal we’re going to be treated to a demo of the new material. With a lot of bands that would be somewhere between a-bit-concerning to really-quite-shitty, after all, the phrase “their old stuff is better than the new stuff” isn’t a cliche for no reason, but the new album is good, really good, so you and I should be looking forward to it all. As if you weren’t already anyway.

Gig Details

Ninja Tune XX at Astra Kulturhaus

Celebrating the rich and varied 20 years of the Ninja Tunes label, the Ninja Tunes XX Tour hits Berlin with a massive lineup of forward thinking electronica, hip hop and future-jazz artists.

Allow us to illustrate through moving picture:

…and allow us to illustrate through song:

Cinematic Orchestra – To Build A Home

Andreya Triana – ‘Lost Where I Belong’ (Flying Lotus Preview Edit)

Gig Details

  • Artist: NINJATUNE XX
  • Date: Friday, September 24th 2010
  • Time: 8:00pm
  • Venue: Astra Kulturhaus
  • Address: Revaler Str. 99 10245
  • Admission: 28.80+
  • Buy tickets
  • Notes: Google Translate from German: Ninjatune Weekender 20 Anniversary of the label Ninjatune LineUp: feat Part I: FR 24.09.2010 @ Astra, doors: 20h Ninjatune XX. The Cinematic Orchestra, Andreya Triana / Fink / Bonobo – live trio, + SPECIAL GUEST originally founded by Coldcut label Ninja Tune has grown over the last 20 years one of the best addresses in the genre-VIK Beat Forging, Electro, Downund Breakbeats through to hip-hop and new jazz, developed. Founded by Jason Swinscoe band The Cinematic Orchestrazaehlt undoubtedly one of the contemporary jazz highlights of the past ten years. To spearhead the neo-folk and singer / songwriter movement heard in recent years, the triple head band Finkum Saenger Fin Greenall, whose voice through bone and bone goes. His latest album “Sort Of Revolution” is arranged moves between minimalist and laid-back groovy neo-folk songs added to soulful pieces. Perhaps the biggest artist of the Ninja Tune’s Bonobo camps, the positioning on recently with his fourth album, “Black Sands” to the next jump. Whether or Brazilian flair reminiscent of Chinese art films – the complexity of its production and the subtlety with which it is achieved is pretty amazing. On his first single “The Keeper”, he was vocally supported by the talented Andreya, who after her debut single “Lost Where I Belong brought out” end of August, their first album. icon Part II: 25.09.2010 @, doors: 23:30 Ninjatune XX feat. The Bug + Flowdan, Dj Food, King Canniball, Bonobo ‘Dj Set’ The Bug plus MC, DJ Food, Bonobo King Cannibal and give to our “Ninja Tune XX Weekend
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Wild Palms at Comet Club

British indie pop as taken a bit of a back seat recently in favour of all this New York hipster shit, but to be honest, US bands try too hard. As a metric: American bands only celebrate success when they’ve sold a million records and done an endorsement deal with a trouser company. A British band is happy enough with getting on the cover of NME and playing enough pub gigs to stave off starting at the steel mill where all their dads work (but not the drummer’s, he’s dead from an accident).

Wild Palms are a British band who, while perhaps not contracted or duty bound to ever work in a dockside steel mill, are definately worth your attention, bouncy angst pop with just enough new-wave to keep the nostalgists at bay. You’ll find them playing at Comet Club on the 23rd of September, playing their small repertoir of hits with special attention paid to their standout single:

Wild Palms – Over Time

Gig Details

  • Artist: WILD PALMS
  • Date: Thursday, September 23rd 2010
  • Time: 9:00pm
  • Venue: Comet Club
  • Address: Falckensteinstr. 47, 10997
  • Admission: 11.70+
  • Buy tickets
  • Notes: Google Translate from German: Although it is the Wild Palms only been about a year, the young London: Hi quartet already big waves. Just recently they were made to One Little Indian Records under contract, as they are already in the studio with Gareth Jones, who produced, among other things, Grizzly Bear, Interpol and Depeche Mode. The British press is celebrating the recent Singleveroffentlichungen loudly, in September, will see the release of the debut album. Singer Lou Hill says about the new material to the NME: “The stuff we are writing now is a complete departure from anything scratchy or angular – it’s warm and it’s expansive.” The Wild Palms, influenced, among others, TV on the Radio, Sonic Youth and New Order Report, in itself, open a new chapter in the history of post-rock – “Wild Palms could be the start of a whole new mixtape. ‘NME’::
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This Will Destroy You at Magnet

Texas post-rock group This Will Destroy You might be a bit slow in getting their new album out, the one that was finished in January this year and still doesn’t have  a release date, but what they lack in forward momentum in that department, they certainly make up for in touring stamina. 54 dates across the U.S. and Europe, starting beginning of august and stretching to the middle of October. What does that level of travelling do to a person? Do you even remain a person? Do you become some kind of fetid half beast that lives by absorbing sunlight and licking moisture from the eyeballs of young groupies? Do you even require nutrients at all, your god-like rock&roll intensity having reached such a peak to make a 54 show tour physically possible? Scary stuff.

The gig is at Magnet club.

Here’s part one of a two track single just released called Moving on the Edges of Things:

This Will Destroy You – Woven Tears

Gig Details

The Chap at Festsaal

London experimental pop outfit the Chap make it to Berlin for a spot of gigging at Festsaal.

Famous not only for a stage show that often features exploding violins and cellos, and how we’ve all so very often wanted to blow up a cello, but also a very decent back catalogue of five albums going back to 2003. The newest one from them, Well Done Europe, came out last May and got a very reasonable review from Pitchfork, gaining a 7.7 (but they also thought the appalling new album from Arcade Fire was worth 8.6, they’re very bad recommenders).

A single from them, clip inclusive:

Gig Details

  • Artist: The Chap
  • Date: Wednesday, September 22nd 2010
  • Time: 8:30pm
  • Venue: Festsaal Kreuzberg
  • Address: Skalitzer Straße 130, 10999
  • Admission: 12.00+
  • Buy tickets
  • Notes: Google Translate from German: THE CHAP support: James Hobrecht Mafia &; Zircon THE CHAP new album: ‘Well Done Europe’ ‘Lo Recordings Duncan Keith – bottles, drums, vocals Ghikas Panos – bass, computer, drums, guitar, iPhone, violin, vocals Claire Hope – keyboards , Berit Immig vocals – keyboards, vocals John of Weizsaecker – baking tray, bass, cello, computer, guitar, vocals www.lorecordings.com www.thechap.org www.myspace.com / thechap www.thechap.org / discography zircon Berlin Allstar Band herb with people of Chrome Hoof, Kissogram, … www.joedilworth.com James Hobrecht Mafia Ricki Raiser – git voc, Jan Engelmann – git Simon Raiser – bass, vocals Henrik Drewes – git, voc Christoph Raiser – dr, voc www.myspace.com / www jameshobrechtmafia www.jameshobrechtmafia.de/ . thechap.org www.thechap.org::
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Circle at Bang Bang Club

A Finnish prog-metal four piece? In my Bang Bang? It’s more common than you think!

An ever changing lineup through a massive catalogue of releases since their formation in 1991, Circle make it to Berlin for a show in Bang Bang Club supported by [Project] Transmit, for one big night of live loop experimentalism. If there’s a gig this year that you bring a joint to, then this should be that concert. Not that you need drugs to enjoy music, it’s just that sometimes music needs drugs to enjoy you.

Here’s a track from Circle, a cover of Syd Barrett’s Rats:

Circle – Rats

…as well as something a bit more indicative of them:

Circle – We Must Breathe

And a number from [Project] Transmit, just since we think they’re really fun:

Gig Details

PVT (Pivot) at Magnet Club

Signed to the slightly infamous Warp label, Sydney kids PVT (formerly Pivot) make it to Berlin for a night of glitch electronica post-pop antics.

The brand new album from them, Church With No Magic, was released early August this year in Australia with an international release expected soon, if not already by the time you read this. Here’s the clip for the first single, Window:

If you enjoyed that track at all and wanted to hear more from the PVT people, head to the website where they give you the MP3 for free in exchange for your  email address. Which I’m sure they use only for good purposes.

The new album follows on from their last album, their first international release, the very awesome O Soundtrack My Heart. I mention this only for your benefit. It’s important to know since the track In The Blood comes from this album and In The Blood is adorned by, what I would say is, the greatest film clip ever to grace late night television. Check it out:

Blood and puppetry, together at last.

Gig Details

  • Artist: PVT
  • Date: Monday, September 20th 2010
  • Time: 9:00pm
  • Venue: Magnet Club
  • Address: Falckensteinstraße 48, 10997
  • Admission: 13,90
  • Buy tickets
  • Notes: Google Translate from German: Pivot PVT hot now and a new album, they have brought with us. Church With No Magic is, the good record that should prove to us that the band is not afraid of a new beginning. The dark and expansive sound laps over into vast, melancholy Expemerimental pop, a fusion of rock and synth sounds with great melodies and driving rhythms. The powerful live shows the Australians are pretty famous, it can even change anything missing vowels.
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Forest Fire at Comet Club

Brooklyn four piece Forest Fire tour their new album Survival, bringing the new show to Berlin for a night at Comet Club.

From the myspazz on the new album:

“For me, this thing is a document of stylistic integrity that felt very important to all of us at the time,” says Thresher. But Survival also houses a feeling of blatant disregard, one that unabashedly nods to the rich and historic landscape of American punk rock. The tracks are littered with out-of-tune horns, vibrant bursts of guitar and layers of screeching electronics. Nathan Delffs’ frantic guitar work threads throughout dark and carefully executed harmonies by the likes of Sharon Van Etten, Myisha Battle and Nick Delffs (Shaky Hands). Ghostly synthesizers, arresting vocals and loose percussion are woven together under the glimmering production values of Adam Spittler. Thresher’s lyrics also require a close listen; while brief, they remain consistently purposeful and sincere.”

Basically what they’re trying to say is that it’s drugged out neo-folk with some experimental electronica thrown  in for fun. Which is an interesting concoction and certainly the sort of thing that the NY scene is on fire with at the moment, and this is probably one of the better examples. Worth a look.

Their blog is kind of fun also: http://www.unrealitywoman.blogspot.com/

Gig Details

The Depreciation Guild at Bang Bang Club

Two of the touring artists attached to The Pains Of Being Pure Of Heart make it here to Berlin sporting their own project, The Depreciation Guild, giving a run to the material from their latest album, Spirit Youth, out June this year.

Contributing to their early 90’s indie electronica sound (thinking Single Gun Theory right now as I’m listening to TDG’s new stuff) is their using a modified nintendo console as instrumentation, bringing in an 8-bit sound that gives the tracks that vintage feel. Their first release, the Nautilus EP (2006) was released through prominent chip-tunes label 8BitPeoples. The Depreciation Guild are a band with history and pedigree and artistic integrity and vision. The are worth your time.

Here’s a track taken from the new album from them, Spirit Youth, their second LP:

The Depreciation Guild – My Chariot

Gig Details

Wintersleep at Lido

Canadian troupe Wintersleep are a difficult beast to pin down. Living somewhere in the void between band and art collective, producing material swinging from anthemic shoegaze to bouncy indie rock, always with terrific synth lines and rock drum flourishes.  The new album from them, New Inheritors, came out earlier this year to a very warm reception and it’s on the back of the new material that they make it here as part of their massive European/US/Canada tour.

Here’s the title track from the new album, for you to listen to and enjoy:

Wintersleep – New Inheritors

…and if you dug that, you can check out the whole album for free, streaming from their website: http://www.wintersleep.com/

Gig Details

  • Artist: Wintersleep
  • Date: Thursday, September 16th 2010
  • Time: 9:00pm
  • Venue: Lido
  • Address: Cuvrystraße 7, 10997
  • Admission: 15,40
  • Buy tickets
  • Notes: Google Translate from German: Paul Murphy, founding member and songwriter, is fascinated by the band as Zwolfjaehriger his older brother and calls with friends in the 90 years to life Wintersleep. Until their self-debut album, it should still take until 2003. Here are two more albums in 2005 and 2007, which are in Europe, however, published only later. Since the last album, Welcome To The Night Sky ‘Winter Sleep toured all over the world, received in their home an award for, Best New Band’ and denied concerts with the White Lies, the editor and Maccabees. They played over 200 shows and this process they found the time to write songs for her album, released in May 2010, New Inheritors’. With its beautiful dark, melodic and dynamic rock songs they are in spring 2010 on an extended tour, which she has led for three dates in Germany.
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