Hidden Shoal Recordings today announced the release of the new single ‘and having a reason why’ by Australian ambient-rock artist My Majestic Star, taken from the forthcoming sophomore album Too Late, The Day.

A twenty-first-century update of the sublime shoegaze sounds of Ride, My Majestic Star’s new single carries the listener across an expansive guitarscape with its distinctive bass-driven groove. ‘and having a reason why’ is a vertiginous wall of sound, suspended aloft with updrafts of delay and reverb and, for the first time on a My Majestic Star release, Chris Mason’s heavenly vocals. This is dance music for sleepwalkers and dreamers.

“My Majestic Star’s songs reach for the sky like all the best post-rock but you never get the sense he’s trying to blow your face off… Mason steers well clear of obvious influences. He manages to make music from relative isolation that like a lot of absolutely solo work tends towards the quiet and wounded… Ideas Are the Answer is optimistic from the title on down; this a record that respects and honors our melancholy without ever falling for the fallacy that it’s a permanent state of affairs” – Stylus Magazine on the debut My Majestic Star album Ideas Are The Answer

‘and having a reason why’ is now available from the Hidden Shoal Recordings Store. The single will be available for free download until the new My Majestic Star album Too Late, The Day is released on 26th August 2008.

Check out a full press release here and download the single here.

My Majestic Star – and having a reason why My Majestic Star – and having a reason why

Slow Dancing Society’s debut album The Sound of Lights When Dim and last year’s opus The Slow and Steady Winter are now available on CD from US distributor Tonevendor, with new album Priest Lake Circa ‘88 also available through Tonevendor in late August or early September. Or if high quality mp3s are your thing, all three of these superb albums are now available for download from the HSR Store.

Praise for ‘A Warm Glow‘ off Priest Lake Circa ‘88:
“a fine piece of what the Society’s music is about. It’s a slowly circling, gliding instrumental with a gentle touch of sea breeze, long drinks and fluffy clouds on the horizon” – Luna Kafe

Praise for The Slow and Steady Winter:
“superb sophomore effort by Washington-based Drew Sullivan… Frozen sheets of sound course through the epic ambient settings… which don’t so much showcase guitar virtuosity as they do lyrical beauty… Be sure to play the album loud in order to fully bask in its splendor” – Textura

Praise for The Sound of Lights When Dim:
“Music is all about moments like this. Moments when you are, unexpectedly, knocked over and stunned into submission by an album that has, quite literally, came from nowhere… The Sound of Lights When Dim is a deeply affecting, consistently excellent effort of stunning tranquility and beautiful ambience, that demands repeated listening” – Boring Machines Disturbs Sleep

Slow Dancing Society – Be There Slow Dancing Society – Be There

Hidden Shoal Recordings is proud to announce the signing of Perth based compelled acoustic space makers Fall Electric. The band features local music luminaries Andrew Ryan (adamsaidgalore), Tristen Parr (Schvendes), Pete Guazzelli (Gata Negra) and Stina Thomas (Stina).

“They’re the kind of musicians who together are capable of mesmerizing audiences into complete silence” - Drum Perth

“Like watching a Bull Fight, Fall Electric are able to stir the audience with frenetic pace and danger and leave them with a sense of calm and relief. Ole!” - Xpress Magazine

Hidden Shoal Recordings will release the band’s brilliant debut album Measure and Step on November 11th 2008 with the first single due out early October. The album was recorded with Casey Rice who has worked with the likes of The Dirty Three, Liz Fair, Tortoise, Stereolab and Grand Salvo.

Read a full press release here and check out more info on the band here.

Excerpt: “The Slow Beings are a fresh, new outfit from Australia. Their blend of pop, rock and fuzzy, funny punk is a nice change of pace that allows their music to soothe over you. With their debut, We Know Why the Earth Moves, they have accomplished a modest task: make an album that has equal parts indie and rock, that doesn’t sound cliché or bland… The Slow Beings are the kind of band that could break through onto the mainstream. They already control the hooks, melodies and riffs to compete with anyone. It’s a surprise that this album hasn’t been getting more attention because We Know Why the Earth Moves is a great listen. These Australian cats know how to make catchy music that works in many different ways and I only hope they continue to improve from here.”Delusions of Adequacy