lo bit landscapes

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Words & Music by Marissa Nadler

nihiti – for ostland is due 5/27/2012, lo bit landscapes LBL009LP.

As long time lovers of Aquarius Records, it’s nice to be loved back.

Viktor Timofeev – GIVE HEALTH999

Viktor Timofeev is probably better known as a visual artist, this NYC resident hails from Latvia, and has been making a name for himself in the art world, but he also counts himself a member of electro synth-wave downer poppers Nihiti (whose new surprisingly folky ep is reviewed elsewhere on this week’s list) and painted the very distinctive cover of the first Nihiti, his solo record is something totally removed from Nihiti, both the electronic and the folkier versions, on his own, he instead traffics in expanses of layered drones, and looped riffage, of atmospheres and ambience, but active ambience, with sounds blurred and tangled, rhythmic without actual rhythms, the label drops names like Stars Of The Lid, SUNNO))) and Godspeed, and we do definitely hear elements of all of those, it’s droney and dirgey and haunting and almost classical sounding in places, but the tracks are super varied, while retaining an oblique cohesiveness, the opener is all dirgey blackened atmospherics, reminding us a little of Blackwolfgoat, looped and layered riffage, lurching and stuttering but super hypnotic, ultra lo-fi, muddy and murky, but the sort of thing we would have been into seeing fill up both sides of the record. The second track is totally different, instead it’s lush and shimmery, a dreamlike dronescape laced with streaks of feedback and a haunting distorted melody that runs throughout. The final track on the A side begins with field recordings, birds and running water, all beneath a series of warped and woozy tape experiments, lush chordal swells, repetitive and mantra-like, finally transforming into an almost orchestral looped industrial outro.

The flipside is separated into three tracks, but they seem to be woven into one sidelong epic, a cinematic symphonic landscape of drone and melody that almost sounds like a black metal Arvo Part, droney and dirgery and dramatic, sinister and ominous, the vibe menacing and super intense, the sort of track that broods malevolently, but is totally hypnotic and mesmerizing, the whole side is like a sonic black hole, the listener immersed in the dense deep blackness, until the last few minutes, where the track finishes off with a strange bloopy almost new wavey sounding outro.

Definitely recommended for fans of dark drones and droney darkness, and for sure has us wanting to hear more sounds, and see more art from Timofeev.

NIHITI – Faced With Splendor

This is record number two from NYC electro synth-wave downer poppers Nihiti, who as we mentioned in our review of their first record, are infamous for their tripped out light heavy live shows, and who traffic in a sound equal parts witch house, big beat electronica and home brewed electronic experimentalism, which is what we were expecting from this new ep, but in fact, the band have offered up something totally different, and in fact, totally acoustic. No electronics, no beats, no glitches or buzzes, instead, it’s all acoustic guitars, strings, even trombones, and vocals, real songs, darkly folky and at times sort of psychedelic, definitely poppy, and in a way, they almost sound like the more song based tracks from the first Nihiti record, arranged for acoustic guitar and violin. Almost.
So fans of that first records, it’s not a lock that this will be your cup of tea too, but it is pretty great, folky, but still a bit gloomy, the vocals are fantastic, lush intricate harmonies, slipping from croon to falsetto and back again, dark and dramatic, moody and moving, a little seventies British acid folk, a little bit modern psych folk, the strings soar and sing, adding tension and drama, the vocals and guitar often playing off each other, the B side gets a little bit waltzy for a track, the violin so mournful and melancholy, sounding very gypsy-ish, but it quickly returns to something more psychedelic strum. Cool stuff and a nice surprise for sure. Guardedly recommended for fans of the first record, but heck, we dug that and we’re digging this too.

As part of the “You Are Free” opening.

WUK Event Link

KUNSTHALLE EXNERGASSE
ab 16.00 Uhr (fortlaufend):
Stephen Neidich, I Fucking Hate Laundry
Jan Christensen & Anders Fjøsne,
N0th1n6 1$ f0r Fr€€, M0th€r Fuck€r$

WUK GROSSER SAAL
19.00 Uhr, Performance:
Erik Bünger: The Third Man
ab 21.00 Uhr: Performances & Konzerte:
Andy Graydon, Untitled (plate tectonics)
Viktor Timofeev
Tobias Bernstrup
Nihiti
Jeremy Shaw (DJ Set)

Donnerstag, 6. Oktober 2011

KUNSTHALLE EXNERGASSE
19.00 Uhr, Performance:
Delia Gonzalez, In Remembrance

WUK FOYER
20.00 Uhr, Performance:
Bryan Zanisnik, Dissociative Pastry and Stone

WUK GROSSER SAAL
ab 21.00 Uhr, Konzerte von:
From the Department of Bad Moods (David Levine/
Viktor Timofeev/Daniel Kingery/ Joe Dilworth)
Bryce Hackford
Heatsick FM
The Surveyor (DJ Set)

And at LEAP Gallery, Berlin on 8/8.

Tiny Mix Tapes:

Previously on TMT, we saw Nihiti remixing Strand of Oaks to great effect. Pinko Morning, from the forthcoming Faced With Splendor EP, explodes that wandering remix into tiny pieces and carefully reconstructs them into a lean folk song. Everything seems brightly lit and in focus here. From the song’s natural evolution with varied acoustic instrumentation to the careful melody, nothing is out of place. Look out for a change of pace when Nihiti returns to electronics next year on the Ostland LP.

Some Kind of Awesome:

Nihiti have changed direction for the upcoming release Faced With Splendour. Instead of continuing with the electronic soundscapes and beats fans had gotten used to, they entered the studio with nothing but songs, acoustic instruments the results will raise the hairs on the back of your neck a little. Featuring a slow building acoustic verse before gentle rolling off the cliff into the unknown “Pinko Morning” just keeps giving all the while keeping you guessing as to what’s around the corner. Let this stripped back and bare track share its vulnerability with you.

Pinko Morning also appeared in this mix from French mag MagicRPM and this mix from Le Choix.