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Two New Records From New York City
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| streakrecords, a new indie label just started in nyc, announces 2 new releases:
1) An EP called 'Sexy" by studio62. The music is
a new genre we call "lounge-eclectic" but you might call it
down-tempo, lounge, or chill. Tower records lists it under dance/trip
hop. It's on the mellow/moody
side and works best during the early cocktail hours (their next
release, now in the works, will move later into the evening).
It's written using loops, samples and grooves but more
melodically based. We think this gives this music a broader
appeal and has crossover potential from Kooky Kollege Kids to
open minded commercial pop/jazz dj's. Women seem to react very
positively to this music. It's all instrumental. Total running
time is just under 15 minutes for all four tunes. Studio62 will
have to remain anonymous right now, but it's safe to say the
musician(s) involved have attained success "in the biz"
elsewhere. It's priced very reasonably (yeah, we think the cost of cd's is too high, too). You can buy it at www.CDBaby.com/studio62,
http://www.towerrecords.com/product.aspx?pfid=3001630. Or direct from
us using Paypal - please contact for details.
2) A full length CD titled "Almost Up To The Sky" by composer
Michael Remsen. This would be classified as dark ambient, ambient,
moern new age. Tower Records lists it under trance. Never heard of
him? That's 'cause this is his debut album. This music we like to call "Urban Bliss". None of
those new age bells and harps here. It's a bit dark, but it will
make you think. It's all synth music using classical composing
techniques--theme and variation, etc. Most of the record is
based on three note idioms. This CD is priced reasonably. You can buy
it at www.CDBaby.com/remsen, http://www.towerrecords.com/product.aspx?pfid=2998232. Or direct from
us using Paypal - please contact for details.
Total running time is just under 36 minutes.
There's a blurb farther down that delves more deeply into the
music of each if you've got the time to dig it.
Thanks so much for getting this far.
Sexy
1) Sexy. This it the title cut from the record. Easily the most
accessible. It has somewhat of an R&B feel but with more of an
edge. Also, the arrangement is a bit different - tremolo guitar,
dudek? Mmm, could be cool. There are three basic melodic
elements that keep trying to get together, and finally do at the
end. It's all held together with a Rhodes loop that runs
throughout. The bass is cool, too. Best of all, it just grooves.
2) Summer This tune is the spacy child - airy and distorted. It
uses a linear approach to tune making. After an intro of
electronic blats, clicks and whirrs, there are just two sections
- A followed by B - but never back to A. The twist is that the
melody we hear floating over A is repeated in B - i.e. same
melody, different harmony. It's kind of a cute trick and keeps
the ear moving along. We add another twist at the end in that
the harmony of the B section is played the same against itself
forward and reverse, like a palindrome. There is actually a
vocal to this tune that will be added as a remix on a future
record. It goes on about eight bars too long but this is helpful
to remixers and crossfading DJ types.
3) (Cool Guy) This Is What I Like Who doesn't want to have a
tune with parentheses in the title! It's a happy little ditty
with a dance beat. Lot's of syncopation, too. It has a kind of
frolic to it. This tune takes concepts from the first and second
tunes and mixes those concepts together: we have contrapuntal
lines that are separate up front and finally recur together at
the end; there's an A and B section but they follow a more
traditional role - verse-bridge-verse.
4) G Hey whassup with the one letter name? It's open to
interpretation. This is the most sensuous of the collection.
Smooth and moody. Here we start to mess with your sense of
"where's the beat?" A silky opening statement restated right
away to introduce the rest of the band (they all take a stab at
it) is followed by a five chord pattern and a six note melodic
loop held together with a two note bass line. The ear is
entertained searching for beat one. It keeps shifting along -
one becomes two becomes three, etc. Somehow you don't get too
lost and just wind up following the sensual path that is "G."
There's also some of the unusual instrumentation concepts from
"Sexy."
Almost Up To The Sky
You might want to turn down your bass a bit. Almost all of this
is a three note variation. Some listener's have said this
"doesn't sound like normal" music. Another comment was "...it
sounds other worldly, like it's from outer space..." and lastly
"...I can't relax it makes me want to listen to it, please put
something else on.." (we don't make this stuff up)! I think this
music asks the question: What if we ignored time signature,
tempo, even key signature, at least part of or most of the time,
can we still engage the listener? It seems to be working on this
record. Somehow you keep following along not caring or even
noticing those elements are missing. Here's a list of the cuts
with a few highlighted to ease you in to the feel.
1) Zee part 1 - Slow, somewhat eerie
2) Zee part 2 - A faster variation of Part 1
3) Carnivale A - An abstraction of the samba band passing
4) St. Thomas - Percussion and organ go other worldly
5) See Say You - Quarter tone melodies over traditional/non-traditional harmony
6) Ulan Bator - More perciussive adventures
7) Anabel - Mellow and romantic
8) Delia - Abstract electronic soundscape
9) Carnivale B - Another take on the passing samba band
10) Angels - Theme with retrograde and inverted variation, ponderous middle section
11) Mediation - Three notes in variation
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