Grouper/City Center - "Split 7" "

Split 7"

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A. Grouper - False Horizon (4:22)
B. City Center - This Is How We See In The Dark (3:46)

Two new tracks featured here from both Grouper and City Center. On side A we have a Liz Harris continuing everything that was wonderful about Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill: haunting vocals, this time layered to greater effect, strumming, reverberated acoustic guitars and sweet, if not awfully morose, melodies. As I've said before, Grouper goes from strength to strength with every release and False Horizon is no exception.

With side B comes a refreshingly dense, dreamy number thick full of distant, beautiful vocals and lovely, reassuring nursery rhyme-esque instrumentation. It's lullaby-ish qualities are a welcome change from the often upsetting nature of Grouper's music. Jingling bells and papery percussion accompany swirling noises of somnambulant rhythm. I love this. I really, really do.

8.4/10



NB I'll be working on contacting City Center to aquire more of their music because it is simply stunning.

Stella Luna - "Stargazer"

Stargazer

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1. Change (6:35)
2. Stargazer (5:01)
3. Antares (8:19)
4. A Bridge To Nowhere (6:30)

When you're presented with an album entitled "Stargazer" by a band called Stella Luna, you begin to assume absolute knowledge of the artist, the music and the story. "Typical Shoegaze done typically" comes instantly to mind. What makes Stella Luna's 2002 EP special is that it isn't typical Shoegaze. Of course there are evident borrowed ideas but there isn't that overbearing sense of plagiarism that taints the majority of the bands and artists currently working in and around the Nugaze scene. It's refreshing. It's good! Swathes of rich riverberated walls of distorted guitars coupled with driving rhythms and steady, solid drumming are the key players within the 4 tracks on show. There is a strong sense of euphoria present too which caught me completely off gaurd instead of the usual ethereal, distant, almost cold feeling you'd expect from any other contemporary Dream Pop act.

Unfortunately, Stella Luna has since then fallen from this Earth and finding information on them or their follow up Full-length which was planned for late 2002 is more than difficult. At least we got a taster of their abilities and maybe we'll see an album in the future.

8.3/10

Sianspheric - "The Sound Of The Colour Of The Sun"

The Sound Of The Colour Of The Sun

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Sonic Unyon Records
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1. Audiophone (6:08)
2. To Myself (5:14)
3. Tous Les Soirs (4:49)
4. Childrenrunningthroughovergrowntallgrass (1:35)
5. QFD (5:59)
6. Radiodiffusion (6:46)
7. Slightly Less Sunshine (5:25)
8. Ending Is Better Than Mending (4:01)
9. So Blue (4:59)
10. Everything's A Wave (6:03)

This really is what the colour of the Sun would sound like. There's a warmth to this album that's prevalent throughout the quieter, calmer, cleaner moments of Dream Pop as well as in harsh and abrasive walls of distorted guitar, feedback and noise not that uncommon to Shoegaze. This really is a heavyweight in the World of Nugaze and modern Dream Pop. Ethereal enough to warrent recollection of Slowive and then at the drop of a hat, they're as sonically menacing as My Bloody Valentine with just as much rhythm and melody.

8.2/10

Grouper - "Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill"

Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill

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1. Disengaged (4:16)
2. Heavy Water/I'd Rather Be Sleeping (2:53)
3. Stuck (5:59)
4. When We Fall (2:07)
5. Traveling Through A Sea (4:23)
6. Fishing Bird (Empty Gutted In The Evening Breeze) (3:51)
7. Invisible (3:55)
8. I'm Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill (2:21)
9. A Cover Over (2:48)
10. Wind And Snow (4:30)
11. Tidal Wave (5:35)
12. We've All Gone To Sleep (3:03)

Wonderfully haunting and dreamy, Liz Harris' Grouper project goes from strength to strength in making great music. Here, unlike previous releases, she's upped the game (and the production values!) to produce a brand of Dream Pop worthy of a Cocteau Twins comparison. Although more drone orientated, parallels can be drawn with the older generation of Shoegazers with the muffled, indistinguishable vocals and reverberated, gentle acoustic guitar work. Probably the best record to come out last year. Liz Harris, I love you.

8.5/10