It's the Supersound

Cascadia is another name for the Pacific Northwestern region of the United States of America. Its meaning goes beyond the geographical borders around British Columbia, Oregon, and Washington. It is a state of mind partially shaped by the long rainy seasons and beautiful sunny summers, the people who love the environment and natural world with liberal political beliefs that often go ignored in Washington, DC.

Loscil, the moniker for Scott Morgan from Vancouver, BC makes ambient electroacoustic music that includes field recordings from his city that embodies the Cascadian spirit. He captures the sound of rain falling in his backyard as a backdrop and inspiration for the music on his fifth release Endless Falls due this 1st of March on Kranky. The release will be formatted on a double LP or available on CD. The vinyl version has two bonus tracks not available on the CD.

Endless Falls is a beautiful, moody, and moving release from start to finish. I find myself forced to escape the distractions of the world around me and fall deeply into my inner space as the reflective interplay of gorgeous tones and gentle rhythms reverberate in my head and tug on memories that make my heart ache.Kranky and Loscil have been kind enough to share 2 tracks from the upcoming release. Please do yourself a favor and purchase the whole album. Each song is a capsule of delicate beauty.

Loscil- Dub For Cascadia

Loscil- Lake Orchard

Loscil Endless Falls Track Listing:

1. Endless Falls
2. Estaurine
3. Shallow Water Blackout
4. Dub For Cascadia
5. Fern and Robin
6. Lake Orchard
7. Showers of Ink
8. Graupel (vinyl only)
9. Kinematics (vinyl only)
10. The Making of Grief Point

Moment Sound is a record label dedicated to music inspired by 80s Chicago house and the classic and essential sounds vintage synthesizer music. Chicago based musicians Joshua Kleckner, Garo Tokat, and Slava Balasanov run the label as well as contribute to it’s content. They have a 12″ scheduled to be released in March. Preview the album and Pre-Order here.Slava gave us permission to post a track from the release for you to enjoy. Please check out the other songs on the preview and put in a pre-order for this tasteful and timeless 12”. If you live in the Windy City you can see them every first Sunday of the month at Rodan for a party called Living Sundays and Every Wednesday at Morseland for a party called Heartbeats.

Dreaming Tiger from slava b on Vimeo.

Slava- Anything

Oh my!  It’s been too long since I’ve posted anything on Disco Workout! I’ve been busy, I promise!  While I was away, I got a chance to see a dozen of great Portland bands earlier this month including Glass Candy at a local all ages electronic mini fest called Super Fresh put on by the Supernature superstars.  It was an awesome 2 day event with 12 hours of awesome underground electronic entertainment.  I am so proud of my city for it’s talent and sense of community.  I want to write about all the bands I saw, but we’ll see if I find the time!

I do want to tell you about May Ling, who make romantic electronic pop that will fill you heart like a lovely flowering firecracker in the empty and silent sky.  I am especially moved by the Ceephax Acid Crew Remix of “Jamaican Panda” because singer Alberta Poon’s lovely wishing well voice stand out majestically from the delicate tonal backdrop Ceephax created.  May Ling have an album on the way and a ton of remixes available for free download at High Scores and Records. Go get em and check out the other releases on the label. Lots of good music there that you want to know about!  

May Ling- Jamaican Panda (Ceephax Acid Crew Remix)

BLUEBRAIN – Royal Blue (Extended) – Music Video from BLUEBRAIN on Vimeo.

This beautiful music video for Bluebrain’s Royal Blue by Robert Hodgin came in through the Disco Workout mailbag today. It is an image soothing movement and color in cosmic shapes and coldblooded forms. Royal Blue reminds me a great deal of Peter Gabriel with that similar fluid dreamlike voice and densely layered percussion and melody. Bluebrain are brothers Ryan and Hays Holladay of Washington, DC. They have released an EP titled Cult Following and will release their debut LP Soft Power in February 2010. They have a big free show coming up in NYC this Thursday, December 17th at Monkey Town. Doors at 7:30pm. Get there early NYC!

Bluebrain- The Herdsman

RELATED POSTS:

AWESOME NEW SUN RA TRIBUTE VIDEO FOR TELONIUS’ “DISCO TEC”

Mistral Moon

Keep Me In My Plane video

Before leaving for San Francisco from Portland today with Mike and Stacy of Starlight & Magic and Ian Hicks of Soft Metals to attend the SF Beats In Space Holiday Party at Triple Crown, I got a chance to speak with A. Zabriskie about his upcoming performance at BIS this Friday. This will be A Zabriskie’s first manifestation since he went on hiatus from the Cult of the Midnight Sun party at Ascension. JG Wilkes of the world famous party Optimo in Glasgow will headline this edition of BIS with support from live disco group 40 Thieves (Rong Music, Smash Hit Music, Co).I was able to get some background information on the very mysterious A. Zabriskie and am proud to announce he’s cooked up a Disco Workout exclusive DJ mix titled Pleasure Together which includes the first public appearance of an A. Zabriskie edit. Download the zip file to embark on this 45 minute journey through sound to the psychedelic world of A. Zabriskie. The track listing included in the zip file.

http://mdy-pdx.com/azab/PLEASURETOGETHER.zip

A. Zabriskie- Pleasure Together DJ mix

A.Zabriskie was raised in the back of a souvenir shop in Death Valley, California. Forced indoors by the harsh heat each summer, Zabriskie killed time peeling through the record collection of his adoptive medicine man-turned-shop clerk father, often messing with the speed of the records and playing along to the rhythms with whatever was handy. Fast forward to adulthood: After a few years learning to deejay in the dives of Las Vegas, Zabriskie moved to Portland, Oregon, and took up residence at the ubiquitous afterhours danceclub, Ascension, with his late-night Cult of the Midnight Sun- a midnight-to-dawn trip through spacey disco, tweaked prog and broken funk.

Before the club (and the Cult) went on hiatus, Zabriskie played alongside guests like JD Twitch (of Optimo) and Prins Thomas. Equally at home with the acid-dipped cosmic disco, contemporary house, and transcendent psych, prog and disco records of yesteryear, A.Zabriskie is now in the studio cooking up a batch of bent edits and strange sounds. Zabriskie is also an occasional contributor to Monorailpdx.com, a musicblog. Expect more mixes, production work, and continued contributions to Monorailpdx.com’s blog from A.Z in 2010, as well as a return of the Cult of the Midnight Sun.

The ever growing list of up-and-coming dream/chill-wave artists this year has been warming my heart. Neon Indian, Washed Out, CFCF, Memory Tapes and now Toro y Moi.
Toro y Moi is the solo project of The Heist and The Accomplice lead singer Chaz Bundick. Essentially if you dig any of the above artists, you’ll fall for these tracks.

MP3: Toro Y Moi- Blessa
MP3: Toro Y Moi – Low Shoulder

I came in a bit late with Bear In Heaven I admit. Formerly sporting School Of Seven Bells’ James Elliot, the band now stands as a four piece and their new album, ‘Beast Rest Forth Mouth’, is fantastic. Full of dreamy, epic synth landscapes.

MP3: Bear In Heaven – Lovesick Teenagers
MP3: Bear In Heaven – You Do You

In my previous post I reviewed the new MyMy EP which features Emika as a vocalist.  She must be a busy girl because just a couple of minutes ago a track from her new and debut release, an EP titled Drop the Other showed up in my inbox. Emika’s unique blend of soulful and mysterious R&B singing paired with a cutting edge Berlin sound has earned her the comparison of “Aaliyah meets Modeselektor”. The single “Drop The Other” with remixes out digitally in January on Ninja Tune.

Visit Ninja Tune to get a free download of the Scuba Vulpine remix of “Drop the Other”.

 
My My’s new EP Price Tag  released on Aus Music  includes four new dubby techno tracks featuring guest vocalist Emika .  Emika’s voice adds an enchanting element of female sensuality and after-dark mystery to these warm and sensual songs.  Price Tag is a romantic four to the floor breathy song about desire and attraction.  I expect romance to ensue when this track hits the ears of club-goers.  Lights Go Down  has a delicately understated Spanish or Middle Eastern style melody infused with a subdued bassline groove and an anxious techno beat that soundtracks well any secret, intimate, precious moment one might have beneath the shroud of low lights.  Emika’s hypnotic vocals work like a snake-charmer on this sexy track.

 —–Tracklist—– 
A1 Price Tag
A2 Lights Go Down
B1 Price Tag (Appleblim & Komonazmuk Remix)
Digital Only: Price Tag (Sideshow Remix)  

preview the EP here

Telonius‘ new music video cuts up amazing footage from the afrofuturistic Sun Ra videos. Check out this color saturated, psychedelic vision!

Sun Ra’s “Space is the Place” video from 1974 is a 5:00 minute psychedelic time-traveling vacation.

Watch Sun Ra - Space Is the Place - 1974.avi in Entertainment  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com