drone

White Bears of Norway is a side project of The Rational Academy. Taking their name from an early Rational Academy compilation track, the group played a few improvised shows throughout Australia and Japan in 2009 before settling down in 2010 to focus on establishing the group as a stand alone entity. This new project aims to find middle ground between improvised experimental music, Bleak Folk, Black Metal and elements of Pop music.

Wooden Shjips is a vital and refreshingly inspired quartet from San Francisco playing loud rock ‘n’ roll in a style heavily influenced by the experimentalism of psychedelia, classical minimalism and garage rock excess. Started as an experiment in rhythmic primitivism and group improvisation, the current lineup brings a more structured rock approach to its performances, utilizing a traditional lineup of drums (Omar Ahsanuddin), bass (Dusty Jermier), organ (Nash Whalen), guitar (Erik “Ripley” Johnson) and vocals.

Louisiana-bred, Brooklyn-based recording artist Julianna Barwick crafts ethereal, largely wordless soundscapes, all of which are built around multiple loops and layers of her angelic voice. Barwick, who credits a rural, church choir upbringing for her unique sound, begins most tracks with a single phrase or refrain, then uses a loop station and the occasional piano or percussive instrument to build the song into a swirling mass of lush, ambient folk.

Melbourne band who mainline German electro-punk styles (DAF/Cluster/Kraftwerk) and melt them down with subterranean Americana that draws on the nightmare sound of early Suicide, the eschatological tapes and drum machine style of the first incarnation of Destroy All Monsters et al. Captured Tracks calls it “’74 Germany + ’79 Sheffield + ’09 Australia”.