Browse by Label: TYPE (UK)

Artist:	KHONNOR
Title:	Burning Palace
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	7"
Price:	$6.50
Catalog #:	T7PE 001EP

After the runaway success of Handwriting just over a year ago, the Vermont wonderkind makes his long awaited next move, kicking off a collectible 7" series from the Type label. The A side is "Burning Palace," a hip-hop tempo electronic pop anthem. The flip side is a far more melancholic effort and takes distorted vintage Khonnor pads and loops and layers over a twisted but tear-inducing vocal part destined to melt the hearts of Swedish ladies the world over. A great way to start the 7" series and a perfect next step from Khonnor before his eagerly-anticipated sophomore album.

Artist:	MACHINEFABRIEK
Title:	Lenteliedjes
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	7"
Price:	$6.50
Catalog #:	T7PE 003EP

Dutch musician Rutger Zuydervelt put together a 7" and instead of opting for the old classic of one track per side, he coughed up eight one minute tracks; a selection of love songs for the springtime. Odd? Definitely. "Er Op Uit" starts things off with some gorgeous melodica tinkering, "Blij Blij Blij" is led by handclaps, and "Fiets En Langs De Dijk" is an airy floating synth melody played over looping toy drum machine sounds. And that's just a taste of things to come. Machinefabriek puts the love back into electronic music.

Artist:	SVARTE GREINER
Title:	Depardieu
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	7"
Price:	$6.50
Catalog #:	T7PE 005EP

Erik K. Skodvin returns in his murky solo guise Svarte Greiner, with two tracks of crumbling cinematic degradation. One part absurd theatre and one part haunting melancholia, Skodvin takes countless recordings -- stones, wood, water or leaves and layers them over and over each other to leave us with skittering atmospherics and abrasive noise, under which he embeds droning organ sounds or discordant guitar strums. This is devastating acoustic doom, as he explores in his album Knive. Comparable to the edgy soundtracks of Angelo Badalamenti or even the noise-flecked distortion of Machinefabriek.

Artist:	XELA
Title:	Bobble Hats In Summer/Danse Macabre
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	7"
Price:	$6.50
Catalog #:	T7PE 006EP

John Xela is one of Type's label founders. It was always going to irritate vinyl completists that the track "Bobble Hats in Summer" was cruelly left off the vinyl version of For Frosty Mornings and Summer Nights -- so he generously plonked it on a 7" along with "Danse Macabre" (another vinyl exclusive) for your listening pleasure. Lovingly re-mastered and cut by those legends at Dubplates and Mastering until both moody, crystalline tracks absolutely sparkle. One of Xela's finest moments finally gets the treatment it deserves.

Artist:	MOKIRA
Title:	The Bum That Will Bring Us Together
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	7"
Price:	$6.50
Catalog #:	T7PE 010EP

"It has been almost four years since the release of Album, so it's fitting that Andreas Tilliander returns to Type with a contribution to the ongoing 7" series. And what a contribution -- these two tracks show Tilliander's transition from digital to analogue as he casts off the digital demons of his past to craft two tape recorded shoegazing epics which revel in glacial Scandinavian beauty. Like Sigur Ros as realised by Basic Channel or My Bloody Valentine piped through decomposing, hotwired synthesizers this is an uncompromising blend of styles, but has a grounding in good old fashioned melancholic pop, even down to the Smiths-referencing track titles. While the bubbling ambient dub and glitchy minimalism of his previous work might now be all but an echo, the sentiment and skill is still present throughout and when Tilliander strikes the guitar triumphantly on 'I Was her My 15th 1995' all misgivings are thrown out of an open window. This is Mokira re-wired and re-imagined for 2007."

Artist:	TARENTEL
Title:	Home Ruckus: Double-Sided Air
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	7"
Price:	$6.50
Catalog #:	T7PE 011EP

Home Ruckus: Double-Sided Air is the latest emission from San Francisco's shape-shifting post-post rockers, Tarentel. With references to the clattering percussion of Chris Corsano, the droning ambience of Mirror or Stars of the Lid and the hefty improv of Sunburned Hand of the Man, the band have found a fresh voice. Made up of two tracks, both part of one all-encompassing whole, these are home-recorded gems. Strictly limited to 500 copies, this is the perfect follow-up to the band's long-sold out Home Ruckus LP on the Root Strata label. Cosmic.

Artist:	SKALLANDER
Title:	Future Life Remixes
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	7"
Price:	$6.50
Catalog #:	T7PE 013EP

The duo of guitarist/vocalist Matthew Mitchell and producer Bevan Smith (aka Signer) present their release in Type's 7" series. In response to the upcoming self-titled album, they both decided to remix the track "Future Life" under their own solo guise. Bevan takes the track back to an almost skeletal form then builds new melodies and new vocals to create a bizarre, crumbled-up psychedelic monster. Flip over and we are introduced to Matthew Mitchell's Muriel Tsains project who, through a woozy gauze of glockenspiel and reversed guitars, re-wires the track into five minutes of dream-pop bliss. This is the perfect introduction to Skallander.

Artist:	DEAF CENTER
Title:	Vintage Well
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	7"
Price:	$11.00
Catalog #:	T7PE 015EP

Strictly limited to 400 copies, hand-stamped 7". Deaf Center is Norway's Erik Skodvin and Otto Totland. "Vintage Well" sounds like Bernard Herrmann's classic soundtrack to Taxi Driver, enriched with layered elements reminiscent of Angelo Badalamenti, Arvo P�rt, Ry Cooder, and Alberto Iglesias. "Ashes" layers strings to form a harrowing mass of cathartic tension, while "Close" introduces a shimmering piano to send you into a daydream retreat. One of the most collectable and precious releases of the year. Limited remaining stock...

Artist:	TEAGUE, RYAN
Title:	Six Preludes
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	TYEP 002CD

"Residing in Cambridge, UK Ryan Teague has grown up with classical music. Learning classical guitar from an early age, and also becoming proficient in clarinet and a number of other obscure instruments, it was not long before Teague tried his hand at composing. However the trappings of standard classical composition were not of any interest to him, and he had already discovered the wide world of electronic music and experimental rock. Taking hold of Arvo Part with one hand and Biosphere with the other, Teague has gone on to create a record that crosses boundaries without ever resorting to genre stereotypes. He has managed to forge a record which sounds both timeless and startlingly fresh. It would be right to compare Six Preludes to the work of Steve Reich or John Adams, as there are clearly similarities, yet Teague takes his sound to another place entirely. Sitting more closely with the more contemporary ECM catalogue and with artists such as Arve Henriksen or Marsen Jules, this is a marriage of classical and electronic rather than a mere experiment. Ryan Teague has begun a deep excavation into an exciting sound, and it is our hope that he continues to do so."

Artist:	VALEO, RJ
Title:	September
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	TYPE 001CD

"At last, one of the most eagerly anticipated, most talked about labels launches, and its with a certified killer full length from New York's RJ Valeo. Brought to you by the brains behind Neo Ouija's Xela, half of CCO's Yasume, graphic designer Stef Lewandowski and promoters of the finest electronic nights in the UK, de:Fault, Type looks set to become one of the hottest imprints of 2004. Inspired by the deepest of bass, warmest melodies and the subtleties of rhythm, Type promises to establish the midlands as a center for musical excellence. After formative work for Thomas Knak's super Hobby Industries label, Valeo can really extend himself to fill the long playing format, bringing together beautiful, abstract, cinematic washes and intricate, delicate rhythms for a genre tipping experience. A must for fans of crystalline melodic-electronic experimentations. Crank this up on a big system and just feel the bass."

Artist:	MOKIRA
Title:	Album
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	TYPE 002CD

"The return of the mighty Andreas Tilliander, presenting his Ambient Masterpiece. After single handedly creating the 'clip hop' scene with his first Mokira album for the peerless Raster Noton's Static series a couple years back, for his third album under this name, Andreas has disregarded beats altogether, creating his deepest and most involving work yet. Up to now. Album is the first purchase of the year for anyone following ambient minimal music and yet there's even more brittle, rarer pleasures for the intrepid listener. Losing the need for track titles, Andreas creates a flowing organic dubby float, teeming with life like a freshwater stream. The album enjoys roughly two cycles, the first half is fuller more melodic but still deliciously minimal. Echoes of voice in the first are thrown into stark relief deep into the emotional and cathartic second phase of this immense album. Like maybe an updated electronic raga, this album's structure surprises in each moment. The tug of the undulating basslines here are tempered by an array of melodic interest, left to seem almost effortless. Blessed with an emotional tone, any sense of digital interference is settled into a rhythmic, gradual, unfolding beauty. Early in this seven part album this presents an entire world of melody hanging poised above an understated rhythm of eloquent granular stutter. Protected almost by a solitary, other worldy hand shaker, a reflective dub cycle on keys with a whisper of vocal harmonics. By the conclusion its great to hear the reduced dubwise swelling motion of the closing piece, the sound of digital creation gently subsiding."

Artist:	KHONNOR
Title:	Handwriting
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	TYPE 003CD

"Khonnor is a 17-year-old wonderboy from smalltown Vermont, USA -- who has somehow managed to craft the most startling singer-songwriter debut we've heard in years. With an uncanny maturity and a gleefully rebellious lack of regard for generic restraint, Connor Kirby-Long has taken influence from the disruptions and considered melodic dimensions of outsider heroes like Christian Fennesz, Jim O'Rourke, Sonic Youth and even The Smiths.....all in between dodging maths class and fitting in his homework. Handwriting shows both reverie and intense originality. Khonnor makes music with a rare, endearing naivety - combining a dark sense of humor with a keen, uncynical eye. Everyone has weathered similar experiences, but Khonnor documents his with startling originality and finesse. Dreamlike digitally manipulated guitar noise and wavering synths form the foundation for most of the tracks, as Khonnor frankly and openly charts the ups and downs of teenage love, pocket change and lost hazy nights. 'Megan's Present' breathes with a kind of plangent optimism, which may remind some of the finest moments in Mercury Rev's back catalogue. In a year when electronic music has been encroaching on the sensibilities of pop world, where indie-electronic albums are no longer an oddity, Khonnor's music offers something different. The punk rock attitude, the fresh and heartfelt emotion, the unhidden fragility and anticlimaxes of adolescence."

Artist:	LOGREYBEAM
Title:	It's All Just Another Aspect of Mannerism
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	TYPE 004CD

"It's All Just Another Aspect Of Mannerism is the first full length release from Los Angeles based Logreybeam, aka Gabriel Morley. Having spent many years studying music at the prestigious Cal Arts Academy, Morley has taken his training in modern classical composition and turned it on its head. Instead of merely sampling the instruments he has so painstakingly learned, he re-synthesizes, filters and destroys them until scant traces remain on the resulting sound recordings. Every track starts with a sound base, whether it be piano, strings or percussion, only a hint of the original source is left. All we hear are tones, trapped reverberations, the sounds that we are taught to ignore. The album opens in typically classical style, with the sounds of a laptop orchestra tuning their samples on 'Premonition'. This sets the tone of the record perfectly as it drifts seamlessly from Xenakis-influenced electrical drones into the cold, precise digital manipulations explored previously by artists such as Carsten Nicolai. It stops for breath mid-way with 'Beetelguise', a wonderful reinterpretation of Danny Elfman's influential theme, proving that there is room for a wry smile in the po-faced world of the avant garde. As the album draws to a satisfying close with the mysterious 'Untitled' we are treated to a piece of field recording, delicately manipulated to brush the senses rather than barrage them with information. This kind of subtlety is rarely achieved, yet Gabriel Morley manages effortlessly."

Artist:	NETO, JULIEN
Title:	Le Fumeur de Ciel
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	LP
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	TYPE 006LP

LP version; CD version was released in 2005. This is the debut full-length release from Paris' Julien Neto. Each track on Le Fumeur de Ciel is a verse, which is part of a much larger piece, much like the poems of Keats, whom Neto uses as an inspiration, finding a kindred spirit in his deep and moving romanticism. This effortless gravitas is explored cautiously on "V (Rivers)," where sweeping strings and distant piano form the basis of an epic and moving track. Fans of Colleen, Susumu Yokota, Sylvain Chaveau and Max Richter are sure to find solace in these peaceful and measured electro-acoustic compositions.

Artist:	SANSO-XTRO
Title:	Sentimentalist
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	TYPE 007CD

Debut release on the super quality conscious Type label, and one of the most impressive digital sound assemblages heard in 2005 so far.



       "Melissa Agate is no newcomer to the music scene, exposed very early in life as the drummer of Australian avant rock outfit Sindog Jellyroll. Since then she has refined her style and perfected what we believe and know to be a truly personal sound. Drawing influences from her antipodean background and also from a life-changing move to British shores, Sentimentalist is a deeply reflective and unashamedly visual album. Finding herself discontented with the trappings of the rock genre, it was not long before Agate discovered electronic music and began to experiment with as many different instruments as she could manage to acquire. From acoustic guitar and ukulele to traditional bells and kalimba, anything at hand was added to the rich soundscape of her creative vision. In doing this, Melissa has created something truly original. By purposefully taking sounds which inspired her and allowed her to visualize the rich memories she had stored in her mind, she has forged a work which is accessible but quite difficult to define in genre. Agate's influences are as far reaching as her musical ambition, and she takes well informed references from avant jazz, blues and experimental electronic works. Moments of Sentimentalist project hazy echoes of Robert Johnson, before colliding with the sublime analogue chic of Stereolab or Broadcast. Elsewhere, skeletal outlines of Opiate and perhaps M�m drift into angular rhythmical sounds explored recently by Supersilent and Radian. Yet rather than try and emulate another artist, instead Agate takes ideas to add to her ever changing musical ideal. It is her goal to produce an honest sound, something that is true to her soul, and she succeeds magnificently."

Artist:	MIDAIRCONDO
Title:	Shopping For Images
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	TYPE 008CD

"midaircondo are a Swedish trio (Lisa Nordstr�m, Lisen Rylander and Malin Dahlstr�m) fusing highly visual performance with improvised live electroacoustic music. These three gifted musicians realized during a knitting session that that they all had a similar urge to experiment with sound and widen their musical range. The three developed their unique sound through improvised jam sessions using saxophone, flute, vocals, laptops and samplers. By further incorporating a plethora of unusual instruments and abstract recorded sounds, their jam sessions developed into structured and coherent improvisations. Before long midaircondo were on stage, and these experimental live methods became the basis of their live sound. The live element became the core of the band, something unusual in modern electronic music. Whereas most acts have to struggle to translate an electronic home-studio sound into live performance, midaircondo had to work out how to mix their powerful live dynamic down to an album. Shopping For Images is a purified essence of this vibrant energy, and while tailored for the studio, it still retains the live improvised quality which makes midaircondo so unique."

Artist:	SICKOAKES
Title:	Seawards
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	TYPE 010CD

This is the long-awaited debut release from Sickoakes. Harking from the vodka-drenched tundra of Sweden, Sickoakes are a fluid six-piece (sometimes there's four...) who make sprawling cascades of orchestral post-rock which appears to be accruing glowing adjectives, like moths to a flame. Sickoakes have been leaking CD-Rs for years now, and there has been a bubbling interest in their next move. Massaging disparate elements into a delicious, cohesive whole, Seawards manages to evoke the ocean and its belligerent mood-swings to perfection; opening with the tender "Driftwood" and closing an hour later with the malignantly euphoric "Leonine." While ostentatiously labeled post-rock, Sickoakes do not adhere to the clipped wing schematic that has so come to blight the genre; eschewing the quiet-loud-quiet-loud-quiet approach for a richly textured and profoundly moving journey that earns its accolades rather than attempting to Xerox those of others. Sharing a twilight disposition with label-mates Deaf Center, crossed with the effervescent genius of Mogwai - "Driftwood" ushers you in through delicate piano and an achingly poignant melody which brings to mind the less sun-blushed output of Ennio Morricone, while "Taking The Stairs Instead Of The Elevator" roams brusquely into view with an odd (yet compelling) combination of British folk, chiming guitars, spaghetti horns and staccato rhythms. The result? Genre-defying. Elsewhere, "Oceans On Hold" reclaims a killer guitar part and lets it spiral skywards amongst breathlessly rendered instrumentation and AM samples. "Missiles And Mammals" transports you to a starry-eyed retreat through lashings of snow capped strings, while the truly epic "Wedding Rings & Bullets In The Same Golden Shrine (Part I & II)" cements Sickoakes' position alongside Explosions in the Sky and Mogwai as purveyors of un-cut, grade-A aural necromancy. In other words, this is just about as good as it gets.."

Artist:	HELIOS
Title:	Eingya
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	TYPE 011CD

This is US-based Keith Kenniff's second full-length release as Helios, following his incredible alias Goldmund album, Corduroy Road. Eingya is very different from his work as Goldmund, as it incorporates not only his piano playing, but his delicate touch on guitar, drums and his masterful electronic production. It is an album of wordless songs, eleven carefully measured movements, each holding inside it an entire movie's worth of emotion. Beginning the album on a high with the pastoral beauty of "Bless This Morning Year," we witness a showcase of what Kenniff does best; heartbreaking guitar and piano melodies punctuated by crumbling beats and backed by the most atmospheric synthesizer sounds this side of Eno's "Apollo." Moving on, we are treated to the appetizing "Halving The Compass," which blends subtle field recording with piano melodies so beautiful they could be compared to Virginia Astley or Harold Budd. This is followed by the album's clear highlight -- "Dragonfly Across An Ancient Land;" an unsurpassable folk guitar piece with a decomposing percussive background and the sort of melodies that would turn evil tyrants into weeping babies. This is an album which could as easily appeal to fans of Nick Drake as well as Boards of Canada or even early Air; this truly has something for everyone. To put it simply -- it's gorgeous.

Artist:	HELIOS
Title:	Eingya
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	LP
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	TYPE 011LP

Special limited-edition vinyl version released by popular demand. This is US-based Keith Kenniff's second full-length release as Helios, following his incredible alias Goldmund album, Corduroy Road. Eingya is very different from his work as Goldmund, as it incorporates not only his piano playing, but his delicate touch on guitar, drums and his masterful electronic production. It is an album of wordless songs, eleven carefully measured movements, each holding inside it an entire movie's worth of emotion. This is an album which could as easily appeal to fans of Nick Drake as well as Boards of Canada or even early Air; this truly has something for everyone.

Artist:	NORTH SEA AND RAMESES III, THE
Title:	Night of the Ankou
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	TYPE 012CD

Night of the Ankou is an immense collaboration between London-based psychedelic-ambient three piece Rameses III and Tulsa's finest free folk rebel, Brad Rose aka The North Sea. Rose might be better known as the brains behind Digitalis, a multi-media wyrd folk empire acting as a CD-R label, magazine, book publisher and full-blown label, but it is his own musical compositions that remain at the core of whatever he turns his hand to. As with many overseas collaborations these days, the two acts have never actually met in person -- instead they worked by re-moulding each others' tracks, working their own ideas into the skeletons of that of the other, and the result is mesmerizing. The opener "Death of the Ankou" is a hypnotic journey into the instrumental ambience explored by such acts as Popol Vuh or Stars of the Lid, yet adds a sense of cinematic adventure which could be compared to Type's very own Deaf Center. We are transported quite promptly into a spiritual world of water, bamboo, beauty and restraint which is simultaneously calming and beguiling. The second piece, entitled "Night Blossoms Written in Sanskrit" is different; the ambience is filled out by echoing guitar, and the mood goes from peaceful and spiritual to truly triumphant. It would even be possible to compare this track to the later work of Slowdive -- it has that same blissful, life-affirming quality which makes you remember why you loved music in the first place. The disc is polished off by a remix from the Type Records boss himself Xela, and pulls together the ideas explored in the first two tracks, adding elements of his own signature production. Drones and bowed guitar squeals are spread densely over light percussion, harp and otherworldly sounds to produce something unusual but hugely enjoyable. This may be Type's first foray into the weird world of psychedelic folk music, but given the deep ambience and mysterious cinematic beauty of Night of the Ankou, it is a match made in heaven.

Artist:	MOUNTAINEER
Title:	When The Air Is Bright They Shine
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	TYPE 014CD

This is Hamburg-based Henning Wandhoff's third release as Mountaineer. After the release of his first album Sunny Day, Wandhoff began to itch for collaborators, especially in taking his epic songs into the live environment. After a few years and a few lineup changes he was eventually left with the crack team of Katja Raine, Fiona Mckenzie, Anna Bertermann and Alexander Rischer. When the Air is Bright They Shine harkens to the classic LPs of the late '60s and '70s; 35-40 minutes, ten tracks, every track perfectly realized and the album holding together without filler. Back in those days, there were none of those modern devices used to trick people into thinking they have something a little more worthy than it really is... just pure pop music. He wanted to recreate this, but not make something knowingly retro -- instead, he assembled his album with ten songs that embodied the philosophies of those classic albums without actually mimicking them. The result are leftfield pop gems, ranging in influence from decades of essential music. The album opens with "A Town Called Ivanhoe" -- the track has the best elements of Jim O'Rourke, Kings of Convenience or Jose Gonzalez, while managing to inject its own special bossa charm which carries across the whole album. When we reach "Eliza (A Day for Every Hour)," it's clear Wandhoff has a deft skill in pop songwriting -- this is a track that wouldn't sound out of place on any self-respecting radio show, but what's more it's actually credible, too. As Wandhoff's soft vocals trip and tread over brushed drums and slide guitar it's simply impossible not to fall in love with the music. In cynical times like these it has never been more appropriate to deliver an honest album of great music, music that makes you feel good to be alive. When The Air Is Bright They Shine is exactly that, and its unforgettable sun-drenched moods will take you all the way to paradise and back again.

Artist:	TEAGUE, RYAN
Title:	Coins & Crosses
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	TYPE 015CD

Based in Cambridge, England, Ryan Teague is a composer who actively seeks to fuse the elements of electronic and acoustic music, and this is his debut full-length release. After releasing the critically-acclaimed Six Preludes EP on Type Records in 2005, eyes were looking to see where he would take his sound next. He enlisted the help of a full orchestra; the renowned Cambridge Philharmonic with conductor Tim Redmond, as well as harpist Rhodri Davies who is best known for his work with the Cinematic Orchestra. Working with these key elements, Teague had the chance to compose without the limitations usually set on electronic composers and has ended up producing something truly timeless. Opening with the short introduction piece "Introit," the album quickly moves up a gear with the eponymous "Coins and Crosses," a fabulous representation of Teague's intense production skill and Rhodri Davies' peerless harp-work. The result comes across like Alice Coltrane blended seamlessly with Steve Reich and is one of the high points of the record, perfectly realizing Teague's grand vision. On producing the album, Teague noted that his primary influences were early sacred music and mysticism, but instead of moving towards the obvious dark mystery associated with these subjects he has interpreted them as moving, emotional and affirmative. The entirely orchestral "Fantasia for Strings" is a moving epic which would not sound out of place juxtaposed with the cinematic imagery of Kieslowski or Bergman. Although he is equally at home blending electronic elements with orchestral sounds, "Fantasia" shows he has exactly what it takes to compose competently without the aid of electronics whatsoever. As the album draws to a satisfying close with the rousing harp-led "Rounds," you realize that you have been taken on a grand voyage. Each track tells a different part of an epic story taking you though waves of passionate energy and emotion, and like all the best films, you will want to go through that journey time and time again.

Artist:	SVARTE GREINER
Title:	Knive
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	TYPE 016CD

Hailing from the damp, blood-caked shores of Norway, it is only natural that Erik K. Skodvin (better known as one half of Deaf Center) would be beckoned toward the dark side. As we all know, Norway is the most evil country in the north of Europe; they invented black metal and have a liberal government that actually works -- there's got to be something wrong. It was only a matter of time before Skodvin felt the call of his pagan ancestors and smelted Knive, a dusty anthology of surreal and doom-laden paeans to the ancient ones. The troubled artist was set on his ashen path after a fated trip into the winding forests of rural Norway, during which he was shaken into exploring the darkest caverns of his mind to explain the bizarre forces that were making themselves known to him. He was spoken to by spiritual entities only rarely seen and set on a path of experimentation with the new influences flooding into his brain. Instead of revelling in pain and suffering though, Skodvin looked to the skewed world of the Dadaists feeling that their bug-eyed outlook would meld perfectly with his odes to the inky lords of Norwegian caliginosity, and the result is nine tracks of menacing abstraction and surreal, nauseating horror. The album opens with "The Boat Was My Friend"; a distorted guitar drone that rings out into the atmosphere as crows bellow overhead and before you realize it a cello fades up in accompaniment and a shadowy female voice utters strange wordless chants. Before long we hear the sound of a saw ripping through that which we would prefer not to imagine on "Easy On The Bones" and a gruesome character is revealed. When we finally reach the end, on "Final Sleep," we are treated to the album's most memorable moment -- an operatic vocal which soars atop Angelo Badalamenti-influenced organs, seeping into your veins as it winds the album to a close. Skodvin has constructed a delirious collection of disorientating surrealism, an audio movie, re-enacting the most sadistic and most bone-chilling moments from your preferred tales of horror. Make sure all sharp implements are locked away and listen at your peril!

Artist:	XELA
Title:	The Dead Sea
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	TYPE 018CD

This is the third full-length release from Manchester-based Xela (John Twells), and his first release on his own Type label imprint. Showing an astonishing evolution in sound from early releases such as For Frosty Mornings and Summer Nights and Tangled Wool, through to the ink-blot atmospherics of The Dead Sea, what originated in the clinical environs of digitalis was gradually eroded by thickly-hued instrumentation and sublime arrangements. Featuring a fantastically macabre set of illustrated cover art from Matthew Woodson (www.ghostco.org), The Dead Sea is Xela's ode to all things maritime -- with the album's thematic thread detailing a doomed ocean voyage that meets an abrupt end amongst a swarm of malignant zombies. Drawing on the work of 1970s horror directors (Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci and George Romero, et al.) and their respective soundtracks, The Dead Sea pays a considerable debt to the likes of Goblin or Fabio Frizzi -- albeit frayed with a bloodied disposition that reveals a love of Earth, Circle and Wolf Eyes. Nowhere near as oppressive as this description could have you believe, Xela also exposes a deep seam of kaleidoscopic folk amongst his collection, with generous nods going to the freewheeling antics of labels such as Fonal and The Jewelled Antler Collective. Opening through the lace-curtained drone of "The Gate," Xela presents a cold-water batch of foggy soundscapes that briefly part to reveal some insistent percussion. Next up are the heat-haze melodies of "Linseed" and its tender coalition of acoustic shards and mealy rhythms, before a Victorian music box is exposed to some virulently thrumming necromancy on "Drunk On Salt Water." From here Xela continues to coax both light and dark from a diverse palate of instruments ranging in style from the throbbing, Theremin-heavy electronics of "Creeping Flesh" and the tarnished grandeur of "Savage Ritual," through to the seething distortion of "Humid At Dusk" and the nervous shimmer of "Briefly Seen." Horrifically good!

Artist:	NORTH SEA, THE
Title:	Exquisite Idols
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	TYPE 021CD

This is the first official solo full-length release from Tulsa's The North Sea (Brad Rose). Rose is easily one of the free-folk movement's busiest exponents, splitting his time between running the Digitalis and Foxglove labels, the Foxy Digitalis webzine and writing his own music under a variety of different monikers with a host of collaborators. Somehow, he has found the time to craft Exquisite Idols, which elegantly follows a hugely acclaimed collaboration with UK's Rameses III, Night of the Ankou. However, whereas Night of the Ankou explored both acts' occasional leanings towards ambience and drone, Exquisite Idols shows Rose digging deep into the dusty vaults of his American heritage and drumming up an album dripping with blues, folk and free experimentation. This is folk music as played from a snow-drift in Tulsa, in a Midwest wasteland or a forgotten forest drenched in moonlight. It is personal, secluded and almost lonely, but Rose never allows the melancholy to take over. From the jubilant opening crackles of "Eternal Birds" right up until the rockin' stomp of "Feather-Cloaked Silver Priestess," there is the distinct feeling that although this might be labeled free folk, there's a barn somewhere full of like-minded drunkards waiting eagerly to get dancing on them there hay-bales. Just flip to the rip-roaring folk stomp of "Take It From Me Brother Moses," take a swig of moonshine and let your feet do the talking. Exquisite Idols is an album steeped in tradition, yet its greatness comes from Rose's ability to absorb other cultures so easily -- there are traces of Indian traditional music, Greek music and more, all hidden within the cacophony of banjo, guitar and clanging percussion. This is what sets him apart from his contemporaries and makes his music so absorbing.

Artist:	LETTERS LETTERS
Title:	Letters Letters
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	TYPE 022CD

This is the debut album from Montreal/Chicago trio Letters Letters, a band made up of veteran electronic music producer Mitchell Akiyama, singer Jenna Robertson and producer/singer Tony Boggs. Mitchell Akiyama has been an active part of the music scene for some time now as a solo artist, label boss and collaborator with various other musicians, most notably with Boggs (as D�sormais) and Robertson (as Avia Gardener), but this is the first time the three musicians have put their heads together and created something which absolutely defies their earlier work. Turning electronic music and post-rock on its head, Letters Letters instead decided to look to the early '80s. With broken synthesizers, fizzled-out drum machines and the usual arsenal of guitars and overdriven amplifiers, they managed to figure out a perfect pop formula. Taking the usual hooks and choruses and feeding them through a mire of grimy effects, they ended up with something flickering and desperately neon-colored. Music for day-glo wrist bands and basement parties, this is a fresh take on the DIY lo-fi scene, and even if the whole fanzine culture has broken down, making way for blogs and webzines, it doesn't mean we have to lose touch with the grittier side of life. Touching on themes as diverse as sex, drugs and the all-important unicorn scene in Blade Runner, there shouldn't be any reason not to usher Letters Letters into your life immediately.

Artist:	LETTERS LETTERS
Title:	Letters Letters
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	LP
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	TYPE 022LP

LP version. This is the debut album from Montreal/Chicago trio Letters Letters, a band made up of veteran electronic music producer Mitchell Akiyama, singer Jenna Robertson and producer/singer Tony Boggs. Turning electronic music and post-rock on its head, Letters Letters instead decided to look to the early '80s. With broken synthesizers, fizzled-out drum machines and the usual arsenal of guitars and overdriven amplifiers, they managed to figure out a perfect pop formula.

Artist:	SKALLANDER
Title:	Skallander
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	TYPE 023CD

This is the first official international debut by Skallander, the duo of Bevan Smith (better known as Signer) and Matthew Mitchell. Skallander have had two albums out already, though scant few copies made it out of their home country of New Zealand (where they have received almost universal praise), but now the oddly monikered pair are ready to have their sound lavished upon the world at large. Mitchell and Smith have been playing together since their teens in various bands, and Mitchell's well-trained finger-picking could be heard on Signer's recent tours, so this third album feels like the two musicians have an almost spiritual link. Taking cues from the golden age of rock music, when songwriting was just as important as musicianship -- Skallander is an album which should appeal to those of us desperate to hear great, memorable songs. Utilizing Mitchell's virtuoso instrumental skills and haunting vocals and pitting them against Smith's veteran mixing desk trickery, the result is an album that sounds both incredibly new and yet retains the classic structure of your favorite '70s LPs. With nods to early Pink Floyd, Neil Young and more recently, Jose Gonzales and Kings Of Convenience, this is a deep and beautiful record which revels in the enjoyment of music itself. Like an invitingly mysterious book, this album will have you trapped in its hazy beauty for many months to come; we can't imagine a better forest to be lost in.

Artist:	SKALLANDER
Title:	Skallander
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	LP
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	TYPE 023LP

LP version. This is the first official international debut by Skallander, the duo of Bevan Smith (better known as Signer) and Matthew Mitchell. Taking cues from the golden age of rock music, when songwriting was just as important as musicianship -- Skallander is an album which should appeal to those of us desperate to hear great, memorable songs. Utilizing Mitchell's virtuoso instrumental skills and haunting vocals and pitting them against Smith's veteran mixing desk trickery, the result is an album that sounds both incredibly new and yet retains the classic structure of your favorite '70s LPs. With nods to early Pink Floyd, Neil Young and more recently, Jose Gonzales and Kings Of Convenience, this is a deep and beautiful record which revels in the enjoyment of music itself.

Artist:	ZELIENOPLE
Title:	His/Hers
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	TYPE 024CD

Zelienople (named after a borough in Pennsylvania) is the moniker of Chicago-based musicians Matt Christensen (guitar/vocals), Mike Weis (percussion) and Brian Harding (guitar/clarinet) and between them, in a desolate suburban basement, they have come up with a record of pure psych-rock sludge. Now on their fifth album, the band has struck upon their finest moment yet, honing their skills to create something singular and utterly unique. There is certainly no shortage of acts willing to throw down waves of experimental guitar noise and clattering percussion, but with the benefit of focus and experience, Zelienople sound like something totally out of time and almost impossible to place. Residing in a hazy drunken world in-between slow-core pioneers Low, psych-folk outsiders Charalambides, Japanese overlords Boris and Dead Man-era Neil Young, His/Hers is a faded photograph of rock music past, yet still manages to keep a firm footing in the present. Guitars echo like disappearing ghosts and vocals moan and wail mercilessly while percussion bubbles up in glorious waterlogged waves. Fusing the warring factions of blues, noise, metal, folk and jazz, the trio has made as breathtaking a psychedelic album as you're likely to find. This is an album made for listening, for enjoying and sinking into, an album that is made as an illicit treat for the discerning music fans among us. Grab hold and step aboard, Zelienople are just about ready to take you on a universal journey into the subconscious, and it's gonna be quite some ride.

Artist:	BRODERICK, PETER
Title:	Float
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	TYPE 027CD

This is the debut full-length release from Oregon's Peter Broderick. In the last few years, the world has seen its fair share of musicians give up the trusty guitar in favor of the piano, the banjo and even the French horn, but rarely do we find a musician who seems so perfectly suited to any and every instrument he cares to try. Float is the ideal showcase for Broderick's well-honed instrumental talents, blending his love of folk music, classical music and good old-fashioned indie-pop. After the release of his Docile EP on cult Swedish label Kning Disk, there was no doubting his piano playing skills, but here we see the piano joined by violins, cello, drums, banjo, guitar, vocals and so much more, resulting in a dense and varied collection of tracks. An easy comparison might be Efterklang, the Danish band who Peter currently performs with, but Float could just as easily be linked to the work of Max Richter, Sylvain Chauveau and the Portland, Oregon scene which birthed him. Float is an album which has a definite narrative -- a fan of film and film soundtracks, Peter decided early on to make an album which was not simply a collection of random tracks. Themes appear and reappear, motifs signal different acts and characters, sometimes in the shape of instruments themselves, dropping in and out as if through some thick French cigarette smoke. Even the titles of the tracks tell a story, and as you listen to the album, subconsciously you follow a captivating broad narrative arc that links each piece together. This is thoughtful, carefully-constructed, significant new music from a young talent who is quickly catching on fire.

Artist:	HELIOS
Title:	Ayres
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$12.50
Catalog #:	TYPE 028CD

It hasn't been long since Keith Kenniff's gorgeous collection of gauzy, cinematic sound-poems, Eingya slipped into the consciousness. In a short space of time, the Boston-based multi-instrumentalist has become awash with acclaim and been invited to perform numerous live dates around Europe, something which gave life and inspiration to this latest collection of work. Those who managed to catch him on the most recent tour will already be aware that Keith has just taken up his most breathtaking instrument yet -- his voice, and Ayres is his first exploration of this new-found talent. Eingya managed with the simplest of means to show just how crushing Keith's songwriting was, but here he pieces together five gorgeous "songs" and one inspired cover with devastating results. Combining his many musical loves, Keith manages somehow to bring in the warring elements of indie-pop, experimental electronics, folk and world music, resulting in a sound which is distinctly his own; these might be songs in the traditional sense, but there's little traditional about the way they have been produced. Decaying synthesizer sounds trip up over carefully strummed guitars and expertly carved percussion -- take opening track "A Rising Wind," which is maybe the most effortless display of Keith's talents; this is a slow burning epic, beginning with the simplest of sound-palettes and growing into a jubilant dream-pop masterpiece. Elsewhere, standout track "The Obeisant Vine" blends the hazy nostalgic electronics of Brian Eno with the songwriting heart of The Innocence Mission, leaving you gasping for more. By the time the mini-album ends with a cover of "In Heaven," that song from David Lynch's seminal Eraserhead, you realize you have spent half an hour in Helios' world, and it's a world you'll want to escape to again and again.

Artist:	HELIOS
Title:	Ayres
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	LP
Price:	$12.50
Catalog #:	TYPE 028LP

LP version. It hasn't been long since Keith Kenniff's gorgeous collection of gauzy, cinematic sound-poems, Eingya slipped into the consciousness. In a short space of time, the Boston-based multi-instrumentalist has become awash with acclaim and been invited to perform numerous live dates around Europe, something which gave life and inspiration to this latest collection of work. Those who managed to catch him on the most recent tour will already be aware that Keith has just taken up his most breathtaking instrument yet -- his voice, and Ayres is his first exploration of this new-found talent. Eingya managed with the simplest of means to show just how crushing Keith's songwriting was, but here he pieces together five gorgeous "songs" and one inspired cover with devastating results. Combining his many musical loves, Keith manages somehow to bring in the warring elements of indie-pop, experimental electronics, folk and world music, resulting in a sound which is distinctly his own; these might be songs in the traditional sense, but there's little traditional about the way they have been produced. Decaying synthesizer sounds trip up over carefully strummed guitars and expertly carved percussion -- take opening track "A Rising Wind," which is maybe the most effortless display of Keith's talents; this is a slow burning epic, beginning with the simplest of sound-palettes and growing into a jubilant dream-pop masterpiece. Elsewhere, standout track "The Obeisant Vine" blends the hazy nostalgic electronics of Brian Eno with the songwriting heart of The Innocence Mission, leaving you gasping for more. By the time the mini-album ends with a cover of "In Heaven," that song from David Lynch's seminal Eraserhead, you realize you have spent half an hour in Helios' world, and it's a world you'll want to escape to again and again.

Artist:	MARTIN & MACHINEFABRIEK, AARON
Title:	Cello Recycling/Cello Drowning
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	TYPE 029CD

The Netherlands' Rutger Zuydervelt (Machinefabriek) and American multi-instrumentalist Aaron Martin present their first-ever collaboration. Zuydervelt is somewhat prolific; his steady flow of super-limited edition 3" CD-Rs seem to slip out relentlessly month after month, and Martin has one full-length album to his name so far. Between them, the duo has come up with a project that is far more than the sum of its parts. The Cello Recycling project was originally commissioned for use in an art gallery; Zuydervelt took cello improvisations from Aaron Martin and built them into the slow-burning post-ambient monster that is "Cello Recycling." The second track takes Martin's original piece, morphed by Rutger, and then once again distorted, where the original piece is drowned in a bath of murky water, submerging it in all different directions it has never before drifted. The two pieces together are perfectly complimentary, showing two sides of a tarnished coin -- one giving us pent-up emotion, fizzing and shuffling awkwardly until it explodes majestically, the other giving us a peaceful reflection as seen through the eyes of a serial killer who has just completed his final gift to the world. An inventive and incredibly beautiful look at the cello as an instrument and noise-making tool; this is an absolute must for fans of post-classical music, the droning beauty of Stars of the Lid or even the moody post-rock of Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Moody, kinetic and hugely enjoyable stuff, this needs to be played loud and absorbed totally.

Artist:	MARTIN & MACHINEFABRIEK, AARON
Title:	Cello Recycling/Cello Drowning
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	10"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	TYPE 029EP

10" vinyl version. The Netherlands' Rutger Zuydervelt (Machinefabriek) and American multi-instrumentalist Aaron Martin present their first-ever collaboration. Zuydervelt is somewhat prolific; his steady flow of super-limited edition 3" CD-Rs seem to slip out relentlessly month after month, and Martin has one full-length album to his name so far. Between them, the duo has come up with a project that is far more than the sum of its parts. The Cello Recycling project was originally commissioned for use in an art gallery; Zuydervelt took cello improvisations from Aaron Martin and built them into the slow-burning post-ambient monster that is "Cello Recycling." The second track takes Martin's original piece, morphed by Rutger, and then once again distorted, where the original piece is drowned in a bath of murky water, submerging it in all different directions it has never before drifted. The two pieces together are perfectly complimentary, showing two sides of a tarnished coin -- one giving us pent-up emotion, fizzing and shuffling awkwardly until it explodes majestically, the other giving us a peaceful reflection as seen through the eyes of a serial killer who has just completed his final gift to the world. An inventive and incredibly beautiful look at the cello as an instrument and noise-making tool; this is an absolute must for fans of post-classical music, the droning beauty of Stars of the Lid or even the moody post-rock of Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Moody, kinetic and hugely enjoyable stuff, this needs to be played loud and absorbed totally.

Artist:	CHAUVEAU, SYLVAIN
Title:	S.
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$12.50
Catalog #:	TYPE 030CD

This is the long-awaited sixth release for French composer and electro-acoustic producer, Sylvain Chauveau, and his first release for the Type label. Since his 2000 debut Le Livre Noir Du Capitalisme, Chauveau has been a pioneering figure in the world of modern classical/electronic music. This status has seen him inhabit the same creative space as Max Richter, J�hann J�hannsson and Ryan Teague, and Type welcomes him to their label and community, beginning with the issue of this brand new mini-album. S. sees Chauveau taking a daring new direction since his last record, moving away from the haunting strings and piano work of his best known works and temporarily stepping into the world of minimal electroacoustics, using the guitar as a focal point. The first track, "Composition 8," probably best illustrates this move with its expertly processed prepared guitar drones, layered together to create a menacing piece of bass-heavy ambience and growling doom, perhaps even comparable to experimental metal pioneers, Earth at their most esoteric. This piece is expertly balanced, however, against the second track, simply titled "P.," in which Chauveau returns momentarily to caressing the ivories, but using the notes (and the space between the notes) to dictate something far more minimal and far more related to the brooding drone of the opening piece. Elsewhere we hear Chauveau's take on glacial digital minimalism with the epic electronic piece "E/R" and more delicate piano experimentations before we are brought to a satisfying and subtle close with the gritty, slow-burning ambience of "A_." All in all, this is possibly the most thoughtful and unusual selection of tracks Chauveau has ever set his name to: give them time and they are sure to reveal their immense depths.

Artist:	CHAUVEAU, SYLVAIN
Title:	S.
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	10"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	TYPE 030EP

10" vinyl version to accompany the long-awaited sixth release for French composer and electro-acoustic producer, Sylvain Chauveau. Since his 2000 debut Le Livre Noir Du Capitalisme, Chauveau has been a pioneering figure in the world of modern classical/electronic music. This status has seen him inhabit the same creative space as Max Richter, J�hann J�hannsson and Ryan Teague, and Type welcomes him to their label and community, beginning with the issue of this brand new mini-album. S. sees Chauveau taking a daring new direction since his last record, moving away from the haunting strings and piano work of his best known works and temporarily stepping into the world of minimal electroacoustics, using the guitar as a focal point.

Artist:	CHAUVEAU, SYLVAIN
Title:	Nuage
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	TYPE 034CD

Nuage is the seventh release from French composer Sylvain Chauveau -- his second for the Type label. He last surfaced with S., a short-form record exploring his more electro-acoustic leanings, but this record, which collects his recent scores for two films by S�bastian Betbeder, sees the composer returning to the sound he explored so successfully on FatCat's Un Autre D�cembre. With a hand-picked group of players on piano, viola, violin and with Sylvain himself on electric guitar, the music roots itself in the traditions of great film scoring. There are definite nods to Krzysztof Kieslowski's composer Zbigniew Preisner in the deep sense of emotion and melancholy, and Chauveau strips his pieces down to the bare minimum of what might be needed, ridding himself of orchestral excess or meaningless sentimentality. Short motifs rise and fall, tangling their way through the album, appearing and re-appearing subtly and beautifully. Even without the visual accompaniment, you begin to imagine just what the films may have held, what may or may not have happened; love, loss, deceit and nostalgia. There are clear stylistic links to the work of fellow contemporary composer Max Richter, not least with the scope and quality of the recordings and Nuage should delight those who enjoy Chauveau's romantic side. The album has eschewed any academic experimentation and revels in a haunting simplicity, and for those of us hanging on Chauveau's every movement, the decision couldn't be more welcome. Maybe the track which sums up the album most is the centerpiece and longest track, "Fly Like A Horse," which, interestingly, is the only track not to utilize the classical players. With electric guitar and light electronics, Chauveau creates a mood and a texture while sounding completely different from the rest of the album, summing it up completely -- deeply moving and incredibly memorable.

Artist:	CHAUVEAU, SYLVAIN
Title:	Nuage
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	LP
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	TYPE 034LP

LP version, strictly limited to 500 copies. Nuage is the seventh release from French composer Sylvain Chauveau -- his second for the Type label. He last surfaced with S., a short-form record exploring his more electro-acoustic leanings, but this record, which collects his recent scores for two films by S�bastian Betbeder, sees the composer returning to the sound he explored so successfully on FatCat's Un Autre D�cembre. With a hand-picked group of players on piano, viola, violin and with Sylvain himself on electric guitar, the music roots itself in the traditions of great film scoring. There are definite nods to Krzysztof Kieslowski's composer Zbigniew Preisner in the deep sense of emotion and melancholy, and Chauveau strips his pieces down to the bare minimum of what might be needed, ridding himself of orchestral excess or meaningless sentimentality. Short motifs rise and fall, tangling their way through the album, appearing and re-appearing subtly and beautifully. Even without the visual accompaniment, you begin to imagine just what the films may have held, what may or may not have happened; love, loss, deceit and nostalgia. There are clear stylistic links to the work of fellow contemporary composer Max Richter, not least with the scope and quality of the recordings and Nuage should delight those who enjoy Chauveau's romantic side. The album has eschewed any academic experimentation and revels in a haunting simplicity, and for those of us hanging on Chauveau's every movement, the decision couldn't be more welcome. Maybe the track which sums up the album most is the centerpiece and longest track, "Fly Like A Horse," which, interestingly, is the only track not to utilize the classical players. With electric guitar and light electronics, Chauveau creates a mood and a texture while sounding completely different from the rest of the album, summing it up completel