2011 is almost over and 2012 is knocking on the door like a life insurance salesman at the apocalypse (I’ll work on that one). To end the year with some lovin and fantastic music we are having a huge sale over at the Hidden Shoal Store. Over 20 CD & digital releases are on sale from artists such as Slow Dancing Society, Sankt Otten, Markus Mehr, City of Satellites, Apricot Rail, Umpire, Wes Willenbring, Hotels, Rich Bennett, Liam Singer and Salli Lunn to name but a few. All CD purchases include free shipping and an immediate mp3 album download and as special bonus for our wonderful fans, every CD purchase will recieve a free bonus copy of the Hidden Shoal various artists CD A Million Square Miles.

It’s a total win-win so head to the Hidden Shoal Store and check the specials on the front page. The sale ends on the 1st of Jan 2012 and some CD stock is very limited so do be quick.

As part of our 5th birthday celebrations, during the month of May we’ll be looking back at the history of Hidden Shoal, year by year, casting some light on artists and releases that may have been overlooked. For one week, all releases covered below will be available from the Hidden Shoal Store with a 35% discount. Flavoursome!

2008 saw the release of a fresh new raft of superb albums and EPs, including those by new signings The Slow Beings, Fall Electric and City Of Satellites from Australia, Ghost In The Water and Rich Bennett from the USA, and RL/VL from Ireland. HSR stalwarts Tangled Star, Toby Richardson, My Majestic Star, Iretsu, Slow Dancing Society and Sankt Otten all followed up with some of their most critically acclaimed work. And at the end of the year we released compilation album East–West Section, volume four in our free download series.

As acclaim for our artists spread internationally, we were delighted to hear that prominent New York radio host DJ Mojo dubbed the label “this generation’s 4AD”. As huge fans of the classic label, this was a massive and humbling compliment.

HSR031:   Tangled Star Our Man In Eden Hill EP
HSR032:   Toby Richardson Evergreen
HSR033:   Ghost In The Water Tooth
HSR034:   The Slow Beings We Know Why The Earth Moves
HSR035:   Iretsu Name Our Numbers, Numbers EP
HSR036:   Slow Dancing Society Priest Lake Circa ’88
HSR037:   My Majestic Star Too Late, The Day
HSR038:   Rich Bennett Music For Underwater Supermarkets
HSR039:   Sankt Otten Eine Kleine Traurigkeit
HSR040:   RL/VL Chagrin
HSR041:   Fall Electric Measure And Step
HSR042:   City Of Satellites The Spook EP
HSR043:   Sankt Otten Tiefgang EP
HSR044:   Ghost In The Water Cardinal Red EP
HSR045:   Various artists East–West Section

Throughout the month of May 2011, Hidden Shoal Recordings is celebrating its fifth birthday. The celebrations kick off on Friday 6 May with the release of its latest free sampler album, Hydrozoa, which compiles 18 singles released over the last 18 months. Other delicious surprises will be revealed in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for more info.

Since starting up in Perth, Western Australia in 2006, Hidden Shoal has developed an enviable roster of genre-defying global and local recording artists. With 40+ acts from 10+ different countries ranging from the gorgeous neo-classical/minimal ambient of Antonymes through to the genius space-pop of Hotels and beyond the visionary team at Hidden Shoal continues to play an integral role in promoting exciting new independent music.

Awesome Perth label and general doers of musical good Love Is My Velocity have set up a Pop-Up local music store as part of the WAMI Festival. In the words of the good LIMV folk,

“For the first time, LIMV present a pop-up local music shop to promote Perth’s hardworking independent labels. Come by 54 Lake Street (opposite the Elephant & Wheelbarrow) browse through a great range of CDs, records, vinyl, t-shirts, merchandise and related products. Stock is sourced from a thriving community of local labels, including Meupe, Hidden Shoal, Walking Horse Records, Badminton Bandit, Owls, Heartless Robot and Jarrah Records. The goods of the independent Perth bands and musicians are also represented. For local music lovers this will be the place to score hard-to-find wares and new special edition merchandise. For those newbies it’s the perfect introduction to a wealth of WA music.”

Hidden Shoal has also provided some freebies as if there wasn’t already enough incentive to wrap yourself in the splendour that is Perth music. Perth peeps should get their collective asses down to the store at 54 Lake St from Wednesday 19 May to Sunday 23 May between 11am and 9pm. Besides the store LIMV have also set up the Takeaway Tunes Temporary Recording Studio where a bunch of amazing Perth bands and artists will record tracks that will be uploaded to the LIMV site for free download. You can even stare the band out as they try to concentrate during the sessions (staring contests not endorsed bu Hidden Shoal)! Check times and details here.