Hidden Shoal Recordings today announced the release of the album Chagrin by Belfast-based electronic composer RL/VL.

Presenting an impeccably crafted minimalism and focus married to an ineffable sense of human frailty, Chagrin unfolds like the stories of ageless artefacts buried in the earth, still covered in the dirt that was once their home, brimming with micro-histories and rootless memories. Painstakingly layered from a vast array of analogue synths, tape machines, old cassettes and toys, Chagrin’s beauty lies in the fact that no sound is too small, no detail too elusive. This is ambient electronica of staggering emotive power.

“a hovering, floating, soothing piece of art” – Luna Kafe on single ‘Kweens’

Featuring the stunning single ‘Kweens’, Chagrin extends a long line of critically acclaimed ambient and instrumental releases available through Hidden Shoal Recordings, including classic works by Slow Dancing Society, Sankt Otten, Wes Willenbring and Cheekbone.

Chagrin is now available through Hidden Shoal Recordings in both CD and digital format. All availability and third-party distribution information can be found at the HSR Store, where the album can also be streamed in full.

A full press release can be read here.

RL/VL - Kweens  RL/VL - Kweens

Limit Of Maps, the latest volume of our free sampler albums series, has just received a glowing review on the German Post Rock Community site: “a gripping, adventurous and touching journey across their catalogue of ambient, shoegaze, post rock and indie rock releases. The perfect introduction for the artists and bands, or alternatively, the perfect sampler for those who cannot decide which of these fantastic bands to pay attention to at the moment.”

The next installment, featuring tracks from recent and forthcoming releases, will be available very soon, so stay tuned for more news…

Excerpt: “Although not as heavy or metal-leaning as Black Mountain, there’s a certain stoner pop feeling on the opener ‘I Waste the Sea’ with more muscle and brawn tossed in halfway through. Meanwhile, the airy, spacey ‘People Leave Heaven’ also shines quite nicely with its subtle nod to The Smiths. Perhaps the first real highlight is the strong, powerful nugget ‘Nil By Rote’. The band’s knack for crafting brilliant melodies is also apparent on ‘Yoshkar-ola Song’… the record returns to life with a delicate but delicious title track, resembling Explosions In the Sky.”

PopMatters

The Slow Beings’ debut album We Know Why The Earth Moves has just been reviewed on the excellent PopMatters site. Visit PopMatters to read the review in full, or visit the Slowbies’ reviews section for an excerpt.

The Slow Beings Nil By Rote The Slow Beings - Nil By Rote