Check out this wonderful review of Iretsu’s new single ‘Sexy, No?’ at the excellent Phantom Channel zine. And if you haven’t already don’t forget to download the single for free from the Hidden Shoal Store!
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
Hidden Shoal Recordings today announced the release of ‘Sexy, No?’ by Portland-based avant-pop quartet Iretsu, the second single to be lifted from their latest album Fang.
Iretsu know how to duck and weave like maestros, and their new single ‘Sexy, No?’ is a fleet-footed marvel. The track oozes funk-addled confidence as it struts forward, layering harmonised guitars with Ryan Cross’s inimitable vocals, all driven by an unstoppable rhythm section. ‘Sexy, No?’ is one of those tracks that gets under your skin like a musical virus, leaving you humming its melody and sidestepping to its stomping beats long after the final note fades.
‘Sexy, No?’ is taken from Iretsu’s latest opus, Fang. Iretsu set out to write and record a playful, diverse yet accessible album – and they’ve nailed it, with Fang full to the brim with intention and energy. Written in four improv sessions and then broken apart and rebuilt, these songs bounce off each other in compelling directions, revealing addictive new pop dimensions with each spin.
“Iretsu’s sound—one that’s vital, confusing and, in a rare change-up for these predictable days, unexpected—is still totally modern. Its latest full-length, Fang, proves that we all should have been paying more attention all these years” – Local Cut on Fang
‘Sexy, No?’ is available now for free download from the Hidden Shoal Store. Fang is out now through Hidden Shoal, distributed via n5mailorder. Read a full press release here.
To coincide with the label’s 5th birthday celebrations, Hidden Shoal is proud to announce the release of the latest installment in its free downloadable sampler album series. Hydrozoa compiles 18 singles released over the last 18 months and lovingly sequences them into an epic journey. The album is divided into two sides, each a distinct listening experience in its own right – or, if you choose to digest the album in its entirety, it’s a graduated ride from the ambient and minimal all the way through to the widescreen and guitar-fuelled. Whichever way you slice it, Hydrozoa is a compelling creature.
Featuring Antonymes, Boxharp, City of Satellites, Elisa Luu, Hotels, Iretsu, Jumpel, Liam Singer, Markus Mehr, Mukaizake, My Majestic Star, Rich Bennett, Salli Lunn, Slow Dancing Society, Stray Ghost, Toby Richardson, Umpire and Wes Willenbring, Hydrozoa touches all the bases that make the Hidden Shoal roster unique, and massages them into a broad-ranging and utterly engaging whole. The release accompanied by a pdf booklet containing stunning artwork by Hidden Shoal’s Stuart Medley.
Download the sampler here.
