FREE DOWNLOAD – “Voices”, the first single from the album Awakening (due in April 2012): A pounding kick and effected rhythmic samples that constantly change throughout the course of the song. Vocal samples and layered organic drums build to a peaceful yet dark interpretation of electronic music.

Awakening will be first available via Bandcamp April 2012. Look for more tracks (and free downloads) on soundcloud and visit the electronic music producer‘s website for updates.

The album’s genres can be tough to pinpoint but Awakening definitely has a dark, electro-techno-industrial sound. The tracks wouldn’t be considered ‘dance floor anthems’ by any means, though most of the tracks have deep, pounding beats with undeniable techno roots. Awakening also pans into stretches of ambient, hip hop and electronica.

“The creation of the album truly was an awakening for me. Not necessarily with the production of the music, but with myself, life and who I am really. I experienced some major changes from the pre to post production of the album and I think those changes are reflected in the music.“

This morning, the sun is slowly rolling out of bed to wash over the cold ground from our volatile winter. Tea Leigh out of Boston releases another lo-fi folk treat through her soundcloud page. You can find a dozen gems on there. On this one titled “Left Behind” its particularly sad. She sings about death potential, and suggests not to give up. We all are better served to believe in love, and faith, and companionship. As she has in the past, Tea reveals the beauty of the little things,”love is like a school yard, you dared me to do it” she sings on “Left Behind.” I couldn’t agree more, I remember those days running free without the worry and responsibility. Good Morning to you all. This one goes well with the calm relaxing view outside your window, with a dark brew carrying through the house. Well done lady.

I awake to a pop and immediately think a gunshot in the not so far off distance. It’s pitch black and cold. Flakes of light snow flurry around me. I feel the dampness as they melt on my face yet cannot feel their cold. My fingers and hands sting trembling uncontrollably. I cannot feel them as I touch my face and arms. I raise my head and notice I lie between a wooden fence and a building that seems to create a tunnel to the outside world. I’m completely lost yet have a deep pit in my stomach that I’ve been here before. My vision is blurred and my eyes continuously go in and out of focus. I hardly make out distant shapes as white trails from snowflakes seem to hang indefinitely. My heart drops as a wave of panic consumes. I hear a faint siren in the distance.

I make it to my feet, light headed, leaning to the fence as the blood rushes through my body. I can feel the warmth of the blood travel from my face. My instinct is to run but I can hardly pick my feet out of the snow. My bones are lead as my legs move dragging my feet. My throat feels crushed and my mouth dry with an overwhelming metallic taste. The siren is growing closer.

I break my way into the opening of the tunnel flooded with lights from an overwhelming structure. The only thing familiar is a fresh, white blanket of snow. I turn to get away from the structure, the sirens, the gun. I can hardly hold my head trying to gain a footing on where I am, where I should be going. Footprints in the snow give me a sense of direction, a sense of hope. I follow the tracks using every ounce of strength to lift my head and make my way out. Suddenly I’m faced with two bright, perfectly round, entrancing circles beyond the wall. I can’t help but drag my body closer, desperate to escape into the unknown. I cannot evade these two bright eyes gleaming in the distance, coxing me closer into the darkness. The sirens are nearly here.

Teaser video for the new techno industrial album entitled Awakening from BlakeAndrew. Video features the tracks “Reconnaissance” and “The War Within” off the album. The album is due for release in April 2012 and will first be available exclusively through Bandcamp. Tracks will be available to stream soon on Soundcloud as well as a few free downloads. Visit the website for updates.

You can also check out the first Awakening album teaser video featuring “Deepening”

Adam Stolz has been doing his thing for over a decade. And his new live mix from the Electronic Music Festival in Kona, Hawaii doesn’t disappoint. After listing to it twice this morning, its literally one of those “every track is dope” mixes. A constant hook, with continual hard not to dance to bass lines. I’ve know Adam for almost as long as he’s been at this, and like his new live Mix, he always brings the hot shit.

Adam is inches away from releasing more new tracks, and celebrating the opening of a brand new label called AUTEM in collaboration with a variety of super talents from around the world. Cheers!

” New Chicago based label, Autem Audio, is the brainchild collaboration of five friends: GVK, Sarp Yilmaz, DJ Da, Adam Stolz and Hearthug. All of them internationally acknowledged artists in their own right they have each enjoyed great success on different labels, now they join forces to establish a new fresh platform to release their own music with soul and passion. The concepts behind Autem are to develop each artists individuality and help push them creatively to new levels while still keeping the sound dance friendly with an underground spirit. The focus and attitude will be driven by a backing of quality production and researched sounds, while keeping the feel deep and yet also with a sense of humor. The Autem camp takes pride in their work and wants listeners to enjoy their productions, especially if that means losing it on the dance floor with smiles on their faces.”

In the months to come we’ll be doing an interview with Adam to discuss his career as an Electronic Music Producer, and DJ, along with the goings on with the new label.

Visiting Houses have released their remix of The Cyclist track “An Abyss Part 1″ This is the bands first release of material under the name. We have to point out who they are because frankly they have dedicated their lives to all things Indie, or better yet DIY. The project is from Liz and Dwight Pavlovic, undoubtedly a wonderful couple whose creative dedications find them starting a new magazine/webiste called Decoder, with long time friend and originator of the now defunct Get Off The Coast music blog, Jheri Evans. Its really a perfect union of artistry, which creates a massive amount of content on a daily basis. When they are not covering indie acts, the three sign bands to their popular Tape Label, Crash Symbols. The Pavlovic’s also own and operate Fig + Fox, a freelance design company that has in recent months, released some amazing cover art for bands and music projects around the world. Later this year we’ll learn all about their endeavors with a lengthy interview, and a artist mix that will be part of our series on iTunes. For now lets focus on their first musical release under the moniker Visiting Houses.

Visiting Houses “An Abyss Part 1 (Visiting Houses’ Creamed Corn Remix)” Off The Cyclists Remix Album by Twilight_Frequencies

Their Creamed Corn remix is filled with shades of dawn, or the stroll through an indifferent revelation about what to do next. This is a song you might find resting somewhere, nestled within the in between. When listening to the tune, which is nothing if not a tad bit on the scary side, you do find some flutters of hope, even if they come wrapped in angst. In a weird way its an epic struggle to find your way through, to find something other than, to find something. I have had many days like this one, the fog and misty ambience of nature that implies a greater good, but the lack of know how to find it. Think about all the lines that cross around you in life. The plants that grow or die, the water running from the rain, the rock slide in your main entrance. This song is impressive for a first release, not because of how much is going on musically (its quite minimal), but how much comes through the way in which they deliver it. On this one, Visiting Houses paint cinematic pictures for you to ruminate on.

The remix is off the new release on Crash Symbols called Rending Brass, The Cyclist Remixes. Its a nine track album you can download for free, or purchase the limited edition tape for five bones -  A dynamite deal indeed!

Teaser video for the new album entitled “Awakening” from BlakeAndrew. Video features the track “Deepening” off the album. The techno, electro, industrial album is due for release in April 2012 and will first be available exclusively through Bandcamp. Tracks will be available to stream soon on Soundcloud as well as a few free downloads. Visit the website for updates.

Electronic music producer BlakeAndrew is releasing his debut album and at least one track off the album will be available as a free download. Leading up to the release of the album, entitled Awakening, one track will be leaked each week on BlakeAndrew’s Soundcloud page. The album is scheduled for release in early April 2012. Some tracks will be available as free downloads on Soundcloud and Bandcamp, where the album will first be available exclusively. To inaugurate the album, BlakeAndrew also has a freshly designed website and free desktop and mobile wallpaper downloads. Genres for the album can be tough to pinpoint but Awakening definitely has a dark, electro-techno-industrial sound. Awakening also pans into stretches of ambient, hip hop and electronica. Read the entire press release.

BlakeAndrew Awakening Tracklist

1. Awakening
2. Reconnaissance
3. The War Within
4. Cryptic Tale
5. Deepening
6. Can’t Find a Way
7. Interpretations
8. Voices

We recently reported that the techno record collective Sandwell District has called it quits. They have released a statement clarifying the reasons for the end.

“We stopped Sandwell District the same way we started it — through intuition. It’s what anyone with a passion or half a brain would have done. It will never get old. No one will be able to impose their clean values on it. We will all continue to work together. Nothing has changed but everthing has shifted. It was a glorious death, not a mercy killing, as is so often the case in these situations.” (Via FACT)

There’s a certain charm to this band, a care free yet dedicated act whose music reminds me of something out of a romantic coming of age tale, where the couple is running through the city trying to find one another. Tomahawk of Praise LP/CD January 17, 2012 on Fork & Spoon Records!

Those Lavender Whales – Growth in Question from Lunch & Recess on Vimeo.

Sandwell District has called it quits. The techno record label / collective from the likes of Regis, Function, Silent Servent and Female has apparently decided to go into a new direction and possibly cease to release music all together. Beatportal and FACT have also recently reported on the matter.

On December 30th, 2011 Sandwell District first posted on their Tumblr account there would be a new Sandwell District release from Rrose out soon. The same day they also posted the following message (below) which stats that “regular audio communications from Sandwell District will cease.” Which sounds about as mysterious as their regular audio communications… Sounds to me like they are taking a break to see WhereNext? Maybe they’ll release something here or there or book some live events or some of the core members will part and something new will emerge. The label seemingly started to take a different path after the release of their full length album Feed Forward with a new (yet still mysteriously unknown) addition to the roster, Rrose. You could also sense the implosion of the collective from this recent Wire article. To top off on December 31th, 2011 they made a new Sandwell District mix tape available for free download.

R.I.P Sandwell District 2005-2011