Blog: Hidden Shoal Recordings

Excerpt: "The guys of Umpire are obviously working with a motif: the lyrics, musicality, even the album cover — featuring a wide blue sky and open field — of Now We're Active all are driven by a sense of expansiveness. The group uses echoistic qualities, minimal but well-placed drums and pointed song titles ("The Canyon" is a literal example) to convey a sense of the natural, the wide and serene. Each track sounds polished and extremely well crafted yet incredibly sincere, primarily due to the soaring, evocative quality of the vocals. Now We're Active has an astounding sense of progression. Somewhat repetitively employing [...]

Ecerpt: "After being introduced to Jumpel and his brilliant album 'Europa' my invasion of the Hidden Shoal back catalogue has stepped up a gear. Turns out Hidden Shoal are one of those record labels that has the ability to fill an entire weekend with blissful headphone listening, and Slow Dancing Society is just one of the many artists that make-up a superb roster of ambient musicians. Washington based artist Drew Sullivan creates a multitude of different approaches to ambient music. You'll find post-rock inspired pieces awash with layered and reverberant guitars, light and melody, similar to Robin Guthrie and Winterlight and some deep [...]

Excerpt: "... Jo Dürbeck aka Jumpel, found inspiration from time travelling around Europe which has materialised into a very special album, where each track represents a different city, feeling and stage of the journey. "Like many journeys, Europa begins with speculation and tentative steps. In 'Arles' and 'Bern', the delicate pattering of subtle rhythms is counterbalanced with delicate melodic figures, like light reflecting off water. " Taking different approaches throughout, 'Europa' transcends into a multitude of feelings and ultimately a true sense of change and progression is apparent, until a beautiful vocal hits in 'Edinburgh', lighting up an already sublime album. I have [...]

Apricot Rail's spellbinding new single ' Surry Hills ' see's its official live launch this Saturday night at The Bakery in Perth. Superb support comes from newly formed supergroup The Long Lost Brothers, obscure pop wonderlanders the Andrew Sinclair and The Ritual Band and exciting newcomers Runner. Check out all the details on the the Facebook event page and miss it at your peril! Also be sure to tune in to RTRFM Friday morning (Perth time) where the band (well two of them) will be interviewed by the lovely Peter Barr ahead fo [...]

Umpire's outrageously great debut album is getting lots of deserved love including some excellent charting in its early days at radio in the US and also a bunch of glowing reviews (more on the latter soon). The album has been nestled in the official CMJ Top 30 charts at KMNR, KRNU, KWVA, WHFR, WMCX, WRBC, WSHC, KRUA and KTSW. This is still early days and these are just the ones we've got reporting on so far. More I say! Cyclones Into Sunshowers by Umpire

Hidden Shoal Recordings today announced the release of 'Mirror Girl (Scott Solter Remix)' , taken from the forthcoming album A Frame of Reference by Danish spectral noise-rock quartet Salli Lunn. In-demand producer, musician and remixer extraordinaire Scott Solter, well known for working with bands as diverse as Superchunk, St Vincent, Neon Indian, Pattern is Movement and Boxharp , has worked his magic with Salli Lunn's 'Mirror Girl'. Solter's remix pares back the original's spidery postpunk guitars to bring a lurching industrial rhythm section to the fore. [...]

Excerpt: "...a mixture of heavily processed guitars, field recordings, and manipulated voices (provided by Wendy Allen) comparable to Brian Eno. Seven songs run seamlessly together, each inhaling and exhaling tone after tone... landscape imagery comes to mind in every song, making listening to this record not so like hearing a story as taking a journey." Pitchfork

Excerpt: "If you can imagine the pure abstraction of middle C, without the intermediation of breath or fingers touching strings or any effort at all, that's essentially the sound of One River." Dusted

Hidden Shoal Recordings is proud to announce the release of the new freely downloadable single ' Surry Hills ' by Perth-based multi-instrumental pop sextet Apricot Rail . The single follows on from their highly praised self-titled debut album of 2009. "Imagine the ethereal pop of early Múm, the whimsy of Sigur Rós' more optimistic moments, and (occasionally) the emotional edge of The Twilight Sad. This is consummate indie post-rock laced with Australiana, and well worth checking out. " - Rave Magazine [...]

Hidden Shoal Recordings is proud to announce the US/International release of debut album Now We're Active by Perth's widescreen indie-rock craftsmen Umpire following on from the album's Australian release last month. On Now We're Active , Umpire combine sprawling indie-rock sounds with reflective melancholy, expertly wielding massive sun-drenched melodies, serpentine guitar parts and soaring vocals to spectacular effect. From lead single 'Green Light District' through the chiming guitar surge of 'The Canyon' to gorgeous finale 'Cyclones Into Sunshowers', Now We're Active is a stunning release, as [...]

Umpire's amazing debut full length Now We're Active has started to hit US radio ahead of this week's US/international release. The album is one of WLUR's "Best of the Week" rotation adds! Stream the album in full and download the first single 'Green Light District' for free here . US and international (ie. no Australians!) can grab the cd from n5mailorder .

Here's another glowing review for Liam Singer 's new single 'Words Make The Master' . The ever wonderful Nils Hay has written the track up over at his great blog ReviewedMusic . Check it out here and download the track here .

Check out another glowing review for Liam Singer in Mebourne's Beat Magazine. His latest single, 'Words Make The Master' was reviewed in last week's edition and followed loving reviews of his previous two singles. The track is available now for free download from the Hidden Shoal store .

Excerpt: "Perth has had a strong history of Pop bands.... The latest in the pop lineage is Umpire whose members have history in bands such as Adam said Galore, O, Mukaizake and they've just released their debut album "Now We're Active" on Hidden Shoal. The album contains all the trademarks of a good pop release with a major factor in it's sound is the crystal clear production of bassist Simon Struthers work at Forensic Audio. Strong melodies, darting in guitars, strong hooks and enough grit to provide an enjoyable listen.... The label press release that comes with the promo I received mentions [...]

Excerpt: "Since formation as a studio-based trio back in 2006, Perth's Umpire have honed their sound over a couple of EPs, added a drummer and released their debut album Now We're Active. They make self-described 'wide-screen indie rock' and both their sound and choice of titles perpetuates this sense of vast open spaces. The Canyon typifies this sound; gently building guitar and drum lines unfurl around Geoff Symon's vocals, which in turn conjures thick, bass-driven riffs. While full of crescendos and sudden drop-offs, the band inhabit, rather than dominate the soundscapes they create. Restrained production and performance give the record's quieter moments [...]

We're pleased to announce that a range of Hidden Shoal CD releases are now available for online purchase by Australian customers directly through the Hidden Shoal store . Even better all CD purchases include an immediate MP3 download of the release and shipping is free! Currently available titles include CD's by Umpire, Wes Willenbring, Slow Dancing Society, Markus Mehr, Liam Singer, Iretsu, Sankt Otten, Salli Lunn, My Majestic Star, Mukaizake, Jumpel, City of Satellites, Boxharp, Apricot Rail and Antonymes with more added soon. Be quick as we're getting very near sold out status for a number of [...]

More lovely US charting action for Hidden Shoal artists. This time Antonymes stunning new release The Licence to Interpret Dreams is holding down number 25 on Portlands KBOO CMJ Top 30 airplay chart. If you haven't witnessed the sheer immersion of this album you can remedy all that right here .

The recent Slow Dancing Society re-issues are continuing to chart in the US with both The Sound of Lights When Dim and The Slow and Steady Winter in this week's top 30 at KZSU as well as holding the number 2 and 4 spot respectively in the Classical/Experimental top 10. Then over at New York's WNYU The Sound of Lights When Dim is sitting at 22 in the top 30 chart. And we will be announcing the release [...]

Umpire's epic debut album Now We're Active has quite appropriately been garnering some wonderful reviews and press since its Australian release a few weeks back. Check out what folks had to say at these fine blogs and zines - Delusions of Adequacy , Twiceremoved , ReviewedMusic , The Underground of Happiness , The Vine , Rave Magazine and theres plenty more on the way. Not to mention the Australian radio love the album has been getting across community stations and JJJ. The album will see [...]

Hidden Shoal Recordings is excited to announce the release of the new freely downloadable single 'Words Make the Master' by Brooklyn-based chamber-pop experimentalist Liam Singer. 'Words Make the Master' contains all the ingredients that make Liam Singer's music so utterly beautiful and unique. Singer's melancholic piano and vocal interweave with the heavenly backing vocals of Boxharp's Wendy Allen. The gently interlocking parts create a deliciously lulling atmosphere for the first half, before the song heightens in intensity and canters towards a rousing [...]