Erik Gronwall - Bad Bones (Red Splatter Vinyl) - VINYL LP

Hamerkop is a pair of Baltimore-based soundnerds Annabel Alpers, the composer, singer andinstrumentalist formerly of New Zealand's Bachelorette, and Adam Cooke, a Baltimorean drummer/audio engineer with credits that include BeachHouse, Wye Oak and Future Islands. Together,they have created a song-cycle that contrasts theoften-mundane (yet often satisfying) everyday worldwith that of the idealized, longed-for fantasy, tofind the spaces in between these things, the placewhere we all feel good about our existence.Hamerkop's debut, Remote, started as an exploration of the sonic beauty in Alpers' collectionof field recordings from her homeland and travelsaround the world. Looped and sampled, they became a set of instrumental sounds oftheir own, and when played live in a multiple-speaker, surround-sound experience, theireffect was transporting. The finished album blends these expansive sounds in chorallayers of synths and vocals, with a kaleidoscopic, almost psychedelic quality, all of itanchored by Cooke's Kraut-minimal drumming.Remote is a natural progression from the criminally-underrated Bachelorette catalog-seeking catharsis through the contextualizing of personal texts into rich songscapes,using the chill of synth-pop to mask the fallible human soul hidden behind it. Far awayfrom her native New Zealand with a new life and family in America, Annabel strove tofind elements of her old identity in new environs, building songs out of sonic scrapsfrom remote places, as if she were sewing a blanket in which to wrap them all. As sheputs it, InchHome for me is in two places, and it's been causing a lot of creative tensionbecause I wish I could be in both places at once.InchThe songs of Remote find depth and dimension via a rich tapestry of voices, foundsounds and classic pop melodies, as constant synapse triggering from unexpectedangles and algorithms reveals, by chance and d

Swedish post-punk outfit Makthaverskan return with their highly anticipated fifth album, featuring the focus track Wonat Wait. Propelled by driving guitars, it channels the urgency of breaking free and taking back control. Makthaverskan have earned praise for their fiery live shows and are known for their blend of jangly dream pop, emotional intensity, and Maja Milneras unmistakable voice. aœthin but strong, hitting a violent edge as easily as the flick of a butterfly knifeaa (Pitchfork).

Bones Gold Opaque Vinyl incl. Bonus Tracks) InchBorderlandInch is the first Amorphis album produced in collaboration with Danish producer Jacob Hansen. Before that, we had made three amazing records at Jens Bogren's studio. During the planning phase of the project, we strongly felt that it was time to explore something new and see what working with a different producer might bring to the table. - Amorphis has a very distinctive sound and our own way of making music. Having six strong personalities in the band naturally brings it's own challenges to the production process, especially for the producer. Jacob was chosen for a couple of key reasons he has worked with an impressively diverse range of artists, and he's an incredibly calm, creative, and idea-driven producer. Once again, the lyrics were written by Pekka Kainulainen, and the album artwork is by Dutch artist Marald Van Haasteren. Pekka Kainulainen describes the themes and topics of the album as follows InchThe generations that came before us, our ancestors, also had to face death and destruction. Honoring the mythologies of mankind, as well as the listeners of Amorphis, I wrote lyrics that hopefully convey some of the humility and strength that mankind has always depended on.Inch - Esa Holopainen