Ben Frost
By the Throat
Bedroom Collective (Digital)
Formerly from Melbourne, Australia, composer Ben Frost now makes his home in Reykjavik, Iceland. Just shy of thirty, Frost has already had a wide ranging career. He’s played in Glenn Branca-inspired guitar ensembles, collaborated with the likes of Nico Muhly and Jeremy Gara (of Arcade Fire), and remixed Björk.
His latest recording, By the Throat, combines confrontational avant sonics with the patient sculpting of more ambient artists. Frost enlists a number of artists in the cause: Gara, Muhly, Icelandic string quartet Amiina, and Swedish metal band Crowpath all make appearances on recording. As one can imagine, the surface changes widely, sometimes violently. Hushed, breathy vocals are juxtaposed with screams. Animal sounds – lions’ roars and the multifaceted language of killer whales – are pitted against electronic percussion and synthesizer-laden ostinati. Supple strings give way to sepulchral bass sonorities – worthy to test many a subwoofer. The resultant music is fractured, disquieting, and often quite powerful.
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At our house, By the Throat proved to be the perfect soundtrack to chill the bones and over-stimulate the imagination on Halloween.
New Yorkers who’d like to experience the intensity of Frost’s vision live can attend performances of his work Mortal Engine at the Brooklyn Academy of Music this December.
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Posted by Christian Carey in Brooklyn, File Under?, Iceland, Indie, MP3, NYC, Soundcheck, Thrill Jockey, Uncategorized, Video, WNYC, YouTube, pop, post-punk
“Tik†by Lokai is being used in a film by Gerald Zahn. A view from a single window in Iceland, the movie chronicles a day when those far north get nearly 24 hours of sunlight. The band’s album Transition is slated for release on 18 August.
Video: “Tikâ€
Meanwhile, Double Dagger is touring up a storm in support of their album More. They recently released a video for “Vivre Sans Temps Mort.â€
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MAKE YOUR OWN FIERY FURNACES VIDEO!
WNYC’s Soundcheck is holding a video contest starring none other than Brooklyn’s rock sibling duo, The Fiery Furnaces. On June 23rd, Eleanor and Matthew Friedberger released their first single “The End is Near” from their new album “I’m Going Away” out on July 21st and now YOU get to try and make a video for the song. You can download the track now, right here.
You can use any video editing program of your choice and you have until August 31st to create your masterpiece. The winning director will appear live on the show with Cordero and The Fiery Furnaces in September.
There are but a few simple requirements to submit your video. Start by uploading your video to YouTube, then visit the Soundcheck Video Contest YouTube group page and click on “Join This Group”. Once you have joined, click “Add Videos”. Select the box next to your Fiery Furnaces video and click the “Add to Group” button, and that’s it, you’ve done it. Be sure to include your contact information in either your YouTube profile or video description so you can be reached upon your win.
You have until August 31st to submit all entries. Good luck!
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Emiliana Torrini
Me and Armini
 
 Emiliana Torrini’s voice bears more than a passing resemblance to fellow Icelandic singer Björk’s instrument; particularly in full throttle in its upper register. It’s not surprising that Torrini substituted for Björk in the soundtrack for The Two Towers. And while comparisons between the two artists needn’t end at vocal signatures – they both have explored electronica in their arrangements for instance – Torrini has carved out a distinct musical identity for herself.
Her latest CD, Me and Armini, reintroduces a vigorous mixture of electronic elements and robust rhythms; materials she downplayed in her previous album, the stripped-down Fisherman’s Woman. But her voice more often serves as a calming force buffeted by these walls of sound – witness her captivating, understatedly cool delivery amidst the rocking accompaniment of “Gun.†The title track employs zesty reggae rhythms alongside a sultry vocal. Torrini returns to a primarily acoustic palette for “Big Jumps,†a catchy alt-pop single with a vocalize hook that dares you to not sing along.
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