The Police Box: Hidden Door 3 (The Police Box 19)
Another belter featuring acts performing at the second Hidden Door multi-arts festival of 2010. It was a pleasure choosing the line-up, and this 10 is the icing on an already very sweet cake.
Putsch
Pooch
Serious-minded dancefloor banger this, not without hints of Moloko and Blondie as well as that sped up high Bachian synthy stuff that dubstep and techno share a fondness for. Hidden Door is proud to have you!
Black Dark, White Light (feat. Barry Peak)
SkiBunny
Composure of production not unlike Danananakroyd's Text Adventure project (see Teenage Lust channel), this develops into a brooding synth-drenched Cure-tinged pop gem from Belfast's favourite bunnies, now returned to native Scotland (...better for skiing)
Cold Flesh
The Wintergreens
Intense yet danceable lo-fi post-rock from newcomers The Wintergreens, with vocal production and melody reminiscent of Black Box Recorder. Intense stuff, uniquely able to the eclectic Hidden Door 2 compilation together.
Tale of the Winter Kids
Dead Boy Robotics
This track's established influences, such as Joy Division, and clear osmosis from new local acts, such as Over The Wall and Meursault, are beautifully united by its impressive to the point of hackleraising melody. Animal Collective on a cold Scottish day.
May Day
The Foundling Wheel
'The birds aren't singing, they're laughing at you'. Edinburgh's master at chaos versus order, sweet versus sour, noise versus harmony. The power of The Foundling Wheel is in not trying to unite the two, but to leave them be, freely alongside eachother.
My Lung
Jo Mango
Pared down percussive intrumentation and intimate lyrics lead to a spirit-lifting break from the day here, akin to the minimalist pop of Stina Nordenstam. A good taste of Jo's stuff in advance of the new album (produced by Adem apparently!).
Eastern Sun
Yusuf Azak
We think we are right in saying we released Yusuf before his current label discovered him, so it makes us proud to see his work move from lo-fi demo to produced work, courtesy of Yusuf's album-making endeavour with the venerable Song, By Toad label.
Sugar Bowl
Open Swimmer
Confident lyric, excellent instrumentation and backing harmonies, interestingly syncopated melodic rhythm, great use of pause in the chorus, and sound effects too, make this lo-fi release unusually texture-rich.
Oil & Lacquer
Bear Bones
Trumpet, accordion and a French Horn join heartfelt melody expanding the personal focus of this one into a joyous crowd-embracing ballad. Ahhh.
Mermaid
The Social Services
Male vocal this time leads to strong comparison with Beirut. Another soulful but more mournful melody from The Social Services, from their EP.
More about this bundle
It's been a pleasure choosing the line-up, and this 10 is the icing on an already very sweet cake.
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