Plug: Undiscovered Treasure

In yet more Kwes related news, he's unearthed another gem for the second release on his Bokkle label.

This time around it's Brixton via Moscow's diamond in the rough Bella Wilde with her debut single - the double sided Note / Without You.

It's the first glimpse of a number of ethereal and intensly personal tracks that Bella and Kwes (production / co-writing) have worked on together, which came about through a mutual friend and a mutual love of naturalism in sound, and you can jump on that now via iTunes here or preview Without You right here...

Bella Wilde - Without You

Plug: Please Let Go

Erm... Hello? Is anyone there?

We're sorry that we've been so quiet recently as we've been crazy busy with other projects and party and bullshit. Oh, what's that? Of course we missed you too!

Anyway, I thought I'd bring things up to speed by catching up with the ghost of blog posts past and find out what's going on with our nearest and dearest.

First off, the disarmingly charming Danimal Kingdom released his debut single Vinyl Skipping Ever Backward / Through The Ice through the Slutty Fringe's love-child imprint Hot Pockets and can be heard in its entirety here:

Danimal Kingdom - Vinyl Skipping Ever Backward / Through The Ice


Featuring my second favourite Danimal track in Through The Ice (my first being Good As Gold), it's available from all good online and IRL shops.

Next up is the brooding loner that is Dave.I.D, who will release his debut album Response through his own Off The Uncertain Button imprint on !K7 Records on 13th June.

I've had the pleasure of hearing an advanced copy and it's just as heavy, pounding and darkly poppy as I'd hoped it would be after catching his impressive set at Brighton's Great Escape festival earlier in the month.

In typical celebratory fashion, here's a spectacularly acidic remix by The Horrors' synth man Tom Furse, it's an acquired taste.

Dave.I.D - Only Me I Can Save (Tom Furse of The Horrors Remix)

In Motion: Fine Lines

Breton - December (dir. bretonLABS)

Check out the fresh video for December, taken from their aforementioned Counter Balance EP on Hemlock Recordings. Whilst it's buffering, cop the 12" from Pure Groove or the digital package from 7Digital.

In Motion: No One Said

Dave.I.D - Only Me I Can Save (dir. Simon Owens)

We all know that I love a bit of Dave.I.D, so obviously I'm more than happy to share the news that he'll be releasing his Gangs EP on 31st January 2011, of which the above track is taken.

As usual it will be out on his own Off The Uncertain Button imprint, which has teamed up with K7! since his last release, and if you want to brave the current mind fuck that is Myspace you can hear the EP in its entirety here.

He'll also be performing some secret shows in London in the coming weeks as well as finishing up on preperations for his debut album.

Plug: As Long As You're Alive

My favourite multifaceted collective Breton have announced details of their third release.

Counter Balance EP will be released on 6th December through Untold's Hemlock Recordings and will be available both digitally and on vinyl.

I can't find any pre-order links for the moment but you can stream three tracks including the lead track below.



If that wets your whistle - you can hear the whole 5 track EP on Soundcloud here.

Plug: Inside Your Heart

There are two pieces of excellent news in one post tonight. The first being that Elan Tamara announces the release of her second EP on 28th October. The second is that it will be the first release on Kwes' label, Bokkle.

Shadows, a flowing progression from her debut Gold Fishes EP, is a vivid mixture of escapism and seeking beautiful simplicity even in life's most mundane events, summed up by Elan herself in Frog Song, "I don't want people to find me, in my world of imaginary."

Another continuation from Gold Fishes is that the inimitable Kwes is back behind the production desk throughout and just gets better with every release, be it as collaborator or flying solo, with his work on opener Tubes being a personal highlight of his output thus far.

Frog Song is available for your ears below and you can pre-order Shadows (along with Elan's incredible trademark Paisley artwork) now from Rough Trade here.

Elan Tamara - Frog Song (stream only)

In Motion: A Little Bit

Ghostpoet - Cash and Carry Me Home

I've been a fan of Ghostpoet for a couple of years now so it's a great feeling to see that he's now making some big moves.

After featuring on Micachu's Filthy Friends and Kwesachu mixtapes, his mug was all over Myspace last week and he's now signed to Giles Peterson's Brownswood Recordings.

His debut album Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam has just been announced and will be released February 2011 with the sweet video above, which broke on XLR8R last week, for his debut single Cash and Carry Me Home.

Good on you Obaro.

Plug: Creatures Of The Night

Tonight's double feature sees the return of two IT favourites with bestial monikers from last year, with the charismatic Wolf Gang set to release their full blown début single and pop charmer Danimal Kingdom also releasing his long awaited début single.

It's been a steady year for Wolf Gang and with a fully formed live band now in place and limited releases through Neon Gold and Hit Club in their back pocket, it's time to take things up a notch.

Lions In Cages will be their first major release through Atlantic and will be ripe for general consumption on 22nd November. However, it's floating around the blogs already and in case you've been asleep as much as me in the past couple of days, you can get it below.

Wolf Gang - Lions In Cages (YSI)



I'm genuinely ecstatic that Danimal Kingdom is finally set to release his debut single and double A side Vinyl Skipping Ever Backwards / Through The Ice next month, even more so that it's via the Slutty Fringe-backed Hot Pockets.

After instantly falling in love with his sense of whimsy and talent for conjuring the most mesmeric of hooks as he rose from the ashes of former band Bolt Action Five last year, all seemed to go quiet and I feared it might never develop as I'd hoped, but after a few changes behind the scenes - things seem to be back on track and I couldn't be more pleased.

Check out this little gem before the main attractions are unveiled next month, and why not jump on the mailing list and download it here.

Danimal Kingdom - Amputee Spirit

Plug: Add Fuel To The Fire

Not but three months on from his first appearance on these pages, and cerebral samplesmith Wise Blood returns with debut single SOLO (`4` CLAIRE).

A smooth sea change away from the gospel-flecked waters of the `+` EP to the choppier swells of stomping glam pop and crunching hip-hop, the multi-layered sonic collage sees Christopher Laufman on imperious form and release on the currently-killing-it Transparent Records this November.

More words of wisdom here via our Prize Bluds Jack and Sahil. Download below.

Wise Blood - SOLO (`4` CLAIRE) (YSI)

In Motion: Find Some Peace Of Mind

Get People - Odyssey (+ live visuals)

Get People have been... well, busy people... since we first exposed their persons about this place Back In The Day - TWICE - re-arranging some original arrangements on behalf of New Islands and The Good Natured, as well as re-tweaking their own OG slices with the able assistance of Paul Waller and embarking on shrouded-in-secrecy mini-tours.

Because I'm nice, and because when he's not hating on holidays or being emo even Carl has his moments, we're generously serving up a third Get People exclusive before Summer finally slits it's wrists and bleeds faded hopes of happiness all over Fall's reddening rug... wow, emo: so contagious.

Guns up then for the cheery mystery of Odyssey and it's bright brilliance; a breath of fresh air set to be exhaled/released on our bosom buddies Hit Club in October.

Plug: Everybody Shines

Wise Blood is the work of one Christopher Laufman. He currently resides in Pittsburgh, U.S.A and collects his cheques working at the local cemetery. He made some music not so long ago that I heard and fell in love with. The joy that bursts from its world of fucked-up fuzz and hypnotic production is the sound of a man seeing happiness despite the darkness around him, and is quite, quite beautiful.

Help yourself to B.I.G. E.G.O. below, then really help yourself and consume the other four tracks that comprise the ' + ' EP as soon as is humanly possible.

Everybody shines in different things. Believe.

Wise Blood - B.I.G. E.G.O. (YSI)

In Motion: Quintessential

Kwes. - In & Out The UK

I've simply no superaltives left to describe Kwes., so whilst I'm trying to figure out a way to express my love for the young man and not simultaneously repeat myself, you should cop his new No Need To Run EP through Young Turks here.

There's also the brand spanking video for In & Out The UK above, just in case you missed it on Dazed Digital last week.

I challenge you to see how long you can watch without blinking.

Plug: I Promise Not To Smile For You

The time has arrived ladies and gentlemen, for the long awaited debut EP from the twisted technician of sound Entrepreneurs.

Uv Been Robbed (Joking, But Not) is a glimpse in to the psyche of a man who's fit to burst with ideas. Be they tortured surrealist rants or bumpy distorted basslines, they are all tightly packed in to the five tracks like Sardines, or Mackerel depending on your preference, ready to explode given the slightest of touches.

The EP is available in digital form via Bandcamp here on a Pay-What-You-Like basis and as a limited 7' through Jehan of Shattered Satellite's new Stella Mortos label here. Each of the 300 vinyl comes with a lyrics sheet and the quickest off the mark will recieve an exclusive Super-Ego Beat CD produced by the man himself. G'waaaaan.

Entrepreneurs - Hunting Roger Rabbit (stream only)

In Motion: When The Crowd Say...

In what is a most fortunate and well-timed coincidence, there are three new motion pictures from three musical wonders unearthed and exposed on IT, now with a free download, a debut single and an EP release to boot.

To get the ball rolling, Kid Adrift has had quite the year (literally a year to the month) since we first introduced him to the online world. Since then he's picked up three new band members, played a whole host of festivals including The Great Escape and Glastonbury, signed to Island and he's now due to release his debut Oxytocin EP on July 12th.

Here's the video for lead song Oxytocin, directed by debutant High Contrast of Hospital Records fame.

Kid Adrift - Oxytocin

Next up is the lovely Dimbleby & Capper who, whilst in the midst of assembling a new team behind the scenes, and in stark but perhaps more effective contrast to the previous video, has gone DIY with the help of Sami Abusamra on directorial duties for one of my favourite tracks of hers, Want This.

If you're as much in love with her the track as I am, you can grab it free of charge from her blog here.

Dimbleby & Capper - Want This


Finally, and let's face it - they were never going to be outdone as the music videos they make for other artists are just as jaw-dropping as the music that they make themselves - Breton return with the video for previously posted track The Well.

The track is also featured on their Sharing Notes EP, which is set for release on July 5th. Said EP comes with quite possibly the best freebie since Frosties' Monsters Wrestlers In My Pocket... a build it yourself fully operational synth.

IT COMES WITH A FREE SYNTHESISER.

Anyway...

Breton - The Well

Hits The Spot: The Stars Are Not Real

I have no doubt that Entrepreneurs are one of the best new remixers on the block (as well as one of our WW2010 tips), but this time roles have been flip-reversed in that it's our beloved Radiant Dragon adding his own ethereal flare to the mix.

In its original form, Revenge Platter is a call to arms; a revolt against modern suburbia and all the oppression and suppression that comes with it.

That is, until RD relocates the setting to an interplanetary industrial hub of production-lines and machinery that's manned by enslaved spirits, whilst simultaneously exchanging Adam's angsty snarling vocal with their ghoulish pleas for release.

And just as if it were written in the stars, debut single Hunting Roger Rabbit is set to be released in late June through Jehan of Shattered Satellite's imprint Stella Mortos, followed by the hotly anticipated debut EP soon after.

Entrepreneurs - Revenge Platter (Radiant Dragon Remix) (YSI)

You can listen to the ghetto-fabulous original via Soundcloud here.

Plug: I Will Be Your Beat

Clock Opera - A Piece Of String (Promo)

It had been all too quiet on the Clock Opera front recently, far too quiet for my liking in fact, but all that changed with the unveiling of the superlatives-cannot-do-it-justice remix of Marina & The Diamonds re-release of I Am Not A Robot by our US pen pals Neon Gold on Monday (which can be found here) and released on 679 Recordings (purchase the high quality version here).

If there were any doubts left as to the level of the genius that Guy Connelly et al operate, they are about to be obliterated as Clock Opera are set to release my favourite track, the awe-inducing A Piece Of String through French label Maman Records on 7th June. Pre-order the 7' from Puregroove here.

To coincide with this, there are a number of upcoming live dates including Live At Leeds, Camden Crawl, Standon Calling and Stag And Dagger festivals, details and dates of which can be found on the Myspace.

Plug: Read Between The Lines

After being blogged back in March and receiving love from Steve Lamacq on Radio 1 and Tom Robinson at 6music, unsigned UK Hip Hop duo Surreal finally got around to self releasing their debut single Distance on Monday.

The paranoid lyrical delivery of Allen, interwoven between Rowkins' schizophrenic distorted basslines and melancholic guitar work, encapsulates their musical mantra of "all is not as it seems upon first glance" perfectly.

Head over to their Myspace or their Soundcloud to listen for yourself and you can purchase the single from Amazon here if you like what you hear.

Surreal - Crystal's Breath (YSI)

Competition: You're One Of Me, I'm One Of You

One of the most prolific and consistent independent labels that we have in the UK, the ever-generous Young & Lost Club have kindly donated not one but THREE bundles to for me give away.

Each bundle consists of:

1 x Everything Everything - My Keys, Your Boyfriend (7" Vinyl)
1 x Swanton Bombs - Doom (7" Vinyl)
1 x Magic Wands - Magic, Love and Dreams EP (12" Vinyl)
+ Badges

To be in with a chance of winning, please answer the following question:

Q: What is the name of the band on the Y&L Club release YALC0008?

To enter, please email illegaltendermagazine@gmail.com with the subject line YLC Competition, and include the correct answer as well as your full name and address.

The competition closes on Wednesday 24th November and the winners will be announced the following day. Good luck!

In Motion: Turquoise And Twisted

It's soon to be a busy time for pop maestro Joe Cross and the various musical outlets in which he is involved...

Kiss In Cities are set to release the previously blogged U R My Girl as a limited 7' and digital download through new label Seven Sevens on 14th December.

The spellbindingly fantastic Lauper-esque slice of pop will be backed up with brand new track Satellites as the b-side. You can pre-order the limited 7' from Pure Groove here.

Almost simultaneaously, Performance announce their return with this new video and free download via mailing list sign-up.

They've just put the finishing touches to the follow-up to (We Are) Peformance, and I'll let you know as and when I get the details on the release.

Exclusive: Briefcase Bomb

I recently caught up with Guy Connelly, the creative genius behind one of my favourite discoveries of 2009; Clock Opera.

You seem to have captured everyone's attention in the past couple of months since you first hit the internet, does it feel like everything is falling in to place nicely?
Yeah, since that fateful day, it's been mental. So busy that I've given up ambitions of joining the circus. The trapeze will have to wait and it's all your fault. A lot of people have come knocking, so that's been really nice. Still early days though, eh.

Your recording process and composition are a little on the unorthodox side, what inspired "Chop-Pop"?
I've always loved sampling and rearranging stuff. Dropping everything on the floor and having to put it together again.

Always loved Brion Gysin & William Burroughs chopping their words up & wanted to try it with music. I love looking for different ways of making things, I'm inspired by making mistakes & I like encouraging computers to make them too.

What's the thought process behind your brilliantly titled Clock Operations?
Rather than answering questions about who or what I'm into, I thought it would be fun to see what happened when my music came into contact with singers I love. Scott Walker's pretty much my favourite ever, so he was a natural first choice. Definitely gonna do more.

I'm constantly hearing good things about the live show, how's that coming together?
We're still not in double figures of shows yet, but it's getting better all the time. I don't lose my voice at every gig now. Got some amazing shows coming up too!

You're releasing your debut single soon right?
Yeah! White Noise 7" comes out on Pure Groove on Nov 16th. Alouette is the b-side, which we play at most gigs too.

So what's next for Clock Opera?
Huge amounts of excitement and drama are pretty much guaranteed. A couple of remixes, just done music for an amazing experimental short film which I'll chuck up sometime soon.

Lots of talks about the next single, probably February time. Ideas are tumbling out at the moment, so not sure what it's going to be yet, but I'll sure as hell let you know!

----------

If you're in or around London this week then you've no excuse not to see Clock Opera doing their thing.

Kicking off proceedings with an in-store at Pure Groove tomorrow night, they're also playing Levi's One to Watch supporting fellow IT favourites Marina & The Diamonds and Wolf Gang (if you're going to this, come say hi!) on Wednesday as well as Kill Em All on 20th Nov and Scandalism on 22nd.

For now, here's the exclusive download of White Noise.

Clock Opera - White Noise (YSI) EXCLUSIVE

Purchase the White Noise/Alouette 7' exclusively at Pure Groove here.