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viewing 1 To 4 of 4 items
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10"
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UGD 014EP
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"On For Annette, singer-songwriter ronja summons forth a certain unbridgeable void within our existence and the acceptance of the deafening silence that comes with it. Weaving the strands of her previous release something about us with multiple openings towards more abstract territory, this five-track EP marks her debut under the forward-thinking Unguarded label, astutely situating her music well beyond the confines of the genre. The opening track 'Nothing Makes Me Feel' beckons the listener into a discreet moment amid the early light of dawn, commencing with an up-close acoustic guitar, soon to be graced by ronja's hushed voice, softly whispering, as if to avoid waking someone near. 'Just Once,' with its weeping waltz, is about losing one's place in the world, about choosing the imaginary over the real. Behind the strummed chords hides a soft dither of sine tones that attempts to fill the gap that cannot be filled, only to transform into quavering distortion ever after. Where language may falter, ronja turns to choral-like instrumental pieces ('Light' and 'Grass from Below'), characterized by her distinctive and multi-layered flute arrangements. The absence of words here allows for a sensible stage of introspection, a fleeting and diaphanous pause, forging a passage to a more hopeful outlook. Yet, these pieces are not isolated; hints of fluttering air and cavernous depths are subtly alluded to in the earlier, more song-based tracks. In just under 18 minutes running time, the theme of loss, or the anticipation of its arrival, lingers solemnly before transcending intermediate states in 'Almost There.' Admirers of the dreamgaze band Roomer, which made waves in and around the Berlin music scene this past year, might detect faint resemblances. Nonetheless, ronja -- a pivotal presence in said band -- unveils a distinct effort here, striking subdued but enticing tones, a foreshadowing of what is yet to come from this luminary artist." --Luka Aron
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2LP
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UGD 009LP
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Petra Hermanova and Unguarded announce In Death's Eyes, the debut solo LP under the artist's own name. This LP features nine tracks utilizing folk and sacred musical technique and instrumentation which drift between song and heavy distorted drones. In a disciplined display of beauty, pain, and astute musicianship, Hermanova brings forth a notable accomplishment of an album. In Death's Eyes confronts death from start to finish with a rare fervor that leaves one feeling it was utterly necessary for Hermanova to produce -- to survive. The transcendent impulse, or the influence of religious music, bears heavily on Hermanova's compositions in her choir arrangements, but is most apparent in her use of pipe organ. Having written organ parts for a significant portion of the record, she sought out the renowned organist Denny Wilke to record with her in the Merseburg Cathedral. Captivated by Wilke's profound skill as a player and knowledge of the Ladegast organ, Hermanova invited him to collaborate on In Death's Eyes, where he delivers an impressive improvisation. Like Hermanova's lyrics, the artwork, conceptualized by Enes Guc and Evelyn Bencicova, is riddled with symbolism and allusion.
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CD
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UGD 002CD
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You're Trouble is an avant-garde electronic pop album about questioning and locating a sense of self in a disorienting, breaking environment of dissolving certainty which grows increasingly chaotic, about dysmorphic dissatisfaction, becoming disillusioned and alienated. It seeks to juxtapose beauty, serenity and vigor with instability, ugliness, chaos, and crisis, expressing itself fluidly without genre or otherwise boundaries. A kind of sinister, anxious but still forward-pushing and at times positive and hot-blooded empowering energy can be felt that wants to urge the listener not to give up but to try and take courage and take control of the troubles and fears in their life. The tone is sometimes reflective, sometimes confronting. The album navigates fairly abstract musical territory, cathartic abrasiveness, heavy and unrelenting sounds of post-club music and noise fused with stretches of pop music, never settling down or resting for long, constantly breaking up and re-assembling itself. Between chaos and form, it's finding relief in imperfection and the in-between. As such the music is ambivalent and is equal parts some kind of crisis club music as well as introspective reflection. Features Dilery La Perra and Jungstötter.
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LP
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UGD 002LP
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LP version. You're Trouble is an avant-garde electronic pop album about questioning and locating a sense of self in a disorienting, breaking environment of dissolving certainty which grows increasingly chaotic, about dysmorphic dissatisfaction, becoming disillusioned and alienated. It seeks to juxtapose beauty, serenity and vigor with instability, ugliness, chaos, and crisis, expressing itself fluidly without genre or otherwise boundaries. A kind of sinister, anxious but still forward-pushing and at times positive and hot-blooded empowering energy can be felt that wants to urge the listener not to give up but to try and take courage and take control of the troubles and fears in their life. The tone is sometimes reflective, sometimes confronting. The album navigates fairly abstract musical territory, cathartic abrasiveness, heavy and unrelenting sounds of post-club music and noise fused with stretches of pop music, never settling down or resting for long, constantly breaking up and re-assembling itself. Between chaos and form, it's finding relief in imperfection and the in-between. As such the music is ambivalent and is equal parts some kind of crisis club music as well as introspective reflection. Features Dilery La Perra and Jungstötter.
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