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.

And of course our US and international fans should continue to head to our wonderful distributor n5mailorder for Hidden Shoal CD titles.

In 2009, Hidden Shoal continued to release stunning music from around the world, including debut Hidden Shoal albums from Hotels, HC-B, Tarcutta, Sleeping Me, City Of Satellites and Elisa Luu, sophomore albums from Jumpel and Wes Willenbring, a third album from Sankt Otten, and EPs from Stray Ghost and Down Review (a new collaboration between Arc Lab’s Medard Fischer and Near The Parenthesis’ Tim Arndt).

2009 was also notable for the release of our compilation album A Million Square Miles, a project endeavouring to showcase Western Australian talent to the US (the titular million square miles). After more than three years of sharing independent music far and wide, A Million Square Miles represented a key facet of the Hidden Shoal Recordings story. The album brings together a pair of tracks from each of the then eight WA-based artists on the Hidden Shoal roster: Mukaizake, Apricot Rail, Fall Electric, Glassacre, Toby Richardson, My Majestic Star, The Slow Beings and Tangled Star.

2009 also saw Hidden Shoal join forces with The Caribbean and Scott Solter in a single EP. This not only began a special relationship with the wonderful The Caribbean and created an ongoing avenue for them to release some of their more experimental offerings, but it also began the label’s relationship with Scott Solter, which eventually led us to Boxharp (Scott Solter and Wendy Allen).

HSR046:   Jumpel Deuxieme Bureau
HSR047:   Hotels Where Hearts Go Broke
HSR048:   HC-B Soundcheck For A Missing Movie
HSR049:   The Caribbean Scott Solter Re-Populates The Caribbean EP
HSR050:   Sleeping Me Cradlesongs
HSR051:   Tarcutta Tarcutta
HSR052:   Tangled Star That Time EP
HSR053:   Apricot Rail Apricot Rail
HSR054:   Down Review From Here, For Anyone EP
HSR055:   Sankt Otten Morgen Wieder Lustig
HSR056:   Elisa Luu Chromatic Sigh
HSR057:   Various artists A Million Square Miles
HSR058:   Wes Willenbring Close, But Not Too Close
HSR059:   Stray Ghost Each Paradise Is A Lost Paradise EP
HSR060:   Mukaizake Unknown Knowns
HSR061:   City Of Satellites Machine Is My Animal

In 2007, Hidden Shoal pushed onward with a ridiculously full release schedule and tons of new signings. The label continued its expansion internationally with 2007 seeing releases from a diverse and beautiful spectrum of artists based in Germany (Sankt Otten and Jumpel), France (Beautiful Lunar Landscape), the US (Slow Dancing Society, The Hero Cycle, Iretsu, Wes Willenbring, Monocle), Belgium (Colour Kane) and Japan (Cheekbone, The Retail Sectors).

Locally, 2007 saw releases from ambient duo Moongoat, a new album from Chris Mason and an EP under his My Majestic Star moniker, plus an EP from Melbourne instrumental quartet Bury The Sound (with HSR’s Tim Clarke on guitar).

In May 2007 we were proud to celebrate our first birthday with the release of the second volume in our free download compilation series, The Garden of Forking Paths. And if that wasn’t enough, we saw out the end of the year with the release of a third compilation, Limit of Maps, rounding up tracks from the second half of 2007 and also featuring a sneak preview of a few 2008 releases, too.

However, perhaps the crowning achievement of a busy year was being named one of Textura’s 10 favourite labels of 2007. The feeling’s mutual – Textura is easily one of our favourite music sites. To be just one year in and be acknowledged like that felt like quite an honour.

HSR013:   Moongoat Moongoat EP
HSR014:   My Majestic Star Fining EP
HSR015:   Sankt Otten Wir Koennen Ja Freunde Bleiben
HSR016:   The Hero Cycle Lakes and Ponds EP
HSR017:   Colour Kane A Taste Of
HSR018:   Wes Willenbring Somewhere Someone Else
HSR019:   Various artists The Garden of Forking Paths
HSR020:   Bury The Sound Autumn Magnets EP
HSR021:   Chris Mason Restless
HSR022:   Jumpel Samuel Jason Lies on the Beach
HSR023:   Cheekbone Yesterday EP
HSR024:   Beautiful Lunar Landscape Alone in this Dark Romantic Night EP
HSR025:   Iretsu The Moon and Stars Remain in the Morning Sky
HSR026:   Slow Dancing Society The Slow and Steady Winter
HSR027:   Monocle Outer Sunset
HSR028:   The Retail Sectors Foregone Conclusion
HSR029:   Sankt Otten Wunder Gibt Es Immer Wieder
HSR030:   Various artists Limit of Maps

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.

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.

Markus Mehr – Hubble Markus Mehr – Hubble

Meanwhile Willenbring’s latest masterpiece Close, But Not To Close continues to receive US radio love. This time WVKR’s  wonderful ambient radio show Secret Music has the album in at number 4 on their current top 20 list. Check the show’s blog here.

Wes Willenbring – The Burrow Wes Willenbring – The Burrow

Wes Willenbring – Oh Most Wes Willenbring – Oh Most

Wes Willenbring – Oh Most Wes Willenbring – Oh Most

Sankt Otten – Lustig, lustig, demain encore lustig Sankt Otten – Lustig, Lustig, Demain Encore Lustig

Willenbring’s recent full length Close, But Not Too Close is out now through Hidden Shoal Recordings. Preview in full and purchase at the Hidden Shoal Store.

Wes Willenbring – Oh Most Wes Willenbring – Oh Most

Wes Willenbring – Oh Most Wes Willenbring – Oh Most

Wes Willenbring – Oh Most Wes Willenbring – Oh Most 

Elisa Luu – The Garden Elisa Luu – The Garden

Wes Willenbring – ‘Oh Most’  Wes Willenbring – ‘Oh Most’

Wes Willenbring – In A Quiet Dark Room Wes Willenbring – In A Quiet Dark Room

Wes Willenbring – Correspondence Wes Willenbring – Correspondence

Wes Willenbring – In a Quiet Dark Room Wes Willenbring – In a Quiet Dark Room

Crushed and Reminded takes the listener on a multi-dimensional sonic rollercoaster ride, showcasing tracks from recent 2009 HSR releases. Moving from bitcrushed remixes through cinematic instrumental rock to deliciously mellow ambient electronica, Crushed and Reminded shines a new light across the breadth and depth of the Hidden Shoal landscape.

It includes stunning songs from 11 Hidden Shoal artists and bands: The Caribbean, HC-B, Sankt Otten, Hotels, Down Review, Tangled Star, Apricot Rail, Tarcutta, Sleeping Me, Elisa Luu and Jumpel. Dip in, then explore each artist’s album and EP releases to experience their full splendour.

“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” – Post Rock Community review of Limit of Maps, volume 3 in the free sampler album series.

Crushed and Reminded is available for free download from the Hidden Shoal Store, along with volumes 1 to 4.

Wes Willenberg – Oh, Most Wes Willenberg – Oh, Most

Close, But Not Too Close sees Willenbring develop on the gorgeous palette of tones explored on acclaimed debut Somewhere, Someone Else. As with Willenbring’s debut, Close, But Not Too Close is all about time in both it’s broadest and most discrete sense. There is a deliberation present in it’s composition that makes for a level of engagement far beyond any easy notion of what ambient music is or should be.

The album opens with the elegiac organ drones of ‘I’m Looking Forward To Your Funeral’, immediately setting the scene for this shadow filled, introspective, eight-song opus. The track showcases Willenbring’s masterful balance of passage and destination. The wonderfully received single ‘Oh, Most’ is submerged in icy washes of guitar, under which piano and bass meet in a rhythmic valium struggle. A plaintive cyclical piano line leads ‘My Ghostly Fingers’ before being joined by vacillating Mellotron flute lines as if Satie had fallen to dream. The classical guitar lines in ‘The Burrow’ literally dig into your subconscious, from where a warm yet unearthly Mellotron acts as a kind of embrocation. ‘For All The Strays’ would have sounded perfectly at home on Willenbring’s debut with it’s dry, pure electric guitar tones, delicately placed piano chords in the foreground and smears of drone threatening in the distance. This bridging of melody and texture, of form and formlessness, time and time again draws the listener into territory that is at once unknown yet intimately familiar – a place that is as marked by notions of transformation as it is by melancholy.

“Absolutely gorgeous. Dreamy dark meandering melancholia for fans of Stars Of The Lid, Eluvium, Dead Texan, Tim Hecker, Godspeed and other purveyors of darkly dramatic, abstract moody minimalism” – Aquarius Records on Somewhere Someone Else

Close, But Not Too Close is now available on CD and in all digital formats (including lossless). The CD is distributed through n5Mailorder in the US, Asia and Europe and through Hidden Shoal Distribution in Australia. Check the Hidden Shoal Store for all availability info. Read a full press release here.

Wes Willenbring – The Burrow  Wes Willenbring – The Burrow

Wes Willenbring – Oh Most  Wes Willenbring – Oh Most

The album opens with the elegiac organ drones of ‘I’m Looking Forward To Your Funeral’, immediately setting the scene for this shadow filled, introspective, eight-song opus. The track showcases Willenbring’s masterful balance of passage and destination. The wonderfully received single ‘Oh, Most’ is submerged in icy washes of guitar, under which piano and bass meet in a rhythmic valium struggle. A plaintive cyclical piano line leads ‘My Ghostly Fingers’ before being joined by vacillating Mellotron flute lines as if Satie had fallen to dream. The classical guitar lines in ‘The Burrow’ literally dig into your subconscious, from where a warm yet unearthly Mellotron acts as a kind of embrocation. ‘For All The Strays’ would have sounded perfectly at home on Willenbring’s debut with it’s dry, pure electric guitar tones, delicately placed piano chords in the foreground and smears of drone threatening in the distance. This bridging of melody and texture, of form and formlessness, time and time again draws the listener into territory that is at once unknown yet intimately familiar – a place that is as marked by notions of transformation as it is by melancholy.

“Absolutely gorgeous. Dreamy dark meandering melancholia for fans of Stars Of The Lid, Eluvium, Dead Texan, Tim Hecker, Godspeed and other purveyors of darkly dramatic, abstract moody minimalism” – Aquarius Records on Somewhere Someone Else

Close, But Not Too Close is now available in digital format from the Hidden Shoal Store and all good third-party digital music stores (iTunes, eMusic, Amazon, LaLa, Bandcamp etc). The album will see its official CD release on the 12th of November. Read a full press release here.

Wes Willenbring – My Ghostly Fingers  Wes Willenbring – My Ghostly Fingers

HSL comprises the constantly growing catalogue of over 600 tracks from the critically acclaimed Hidden Shoal Recordings music label. This wonderful selection of music covers a broad spectrum of sounds and styles, from filmic ambient instrumentals through to inventive indie rock and beyond. HSL provides a unique one-stop licensing source, handling both the master and sync rights.

If you’d like to be kept up to date with all HSL news, please join our mailing list or keep an eye on the pre-launch HSL website.

‘Oh, Most’ sees Willenbring develop on the gorgeous palette of tones explored on his debut album Somewhere Someone Else. The track is submerged in icy washes of guitar, under which piano and bass meet in a rhythmic valium struggle. As with Willenbring’s best work ‘Oh, Most’ is all about time in both its broadest and most discrete sense. There is a deliberation present in its composition that makes for a level of engagement far beyond any easy notion of ambient music.

“Absolutely gorgeous. Dreamy dark meandering melancholia for fans of Stars Of The Lid, Eluvium, Dead Texan, Tim Hecker, Godspeed and other purveyors of darkly dramatic, abstract moody minimalism” – Aquarius Records on Somewhere Someone Else

‘Oh, Most’ is taken from the upcoming Wes Willenbring eight-song opus Close, But Not Too Close. The track is available for free download from the Hidden Shoal Store until the official CD release of Close, But Not Too Close on November 12th, 2009. Fans will be able to get an early taste of the album when it is digitally pre-released on October 20th.

Read a full press release here.

Wes Willenbring – Oh, Most  Wes Willenbring – Oh, Most

Of course the wonderful n5Mailorder in the US continues to distribute (wholesale and retail) Hidden Shoal releases to the US, Europe and Asia. And if digital is you thing then head to the Hidden Shoal Store to buy direct or hit any major digital retailer and you’ll find the full catalogue available.

Enjoy!

Plus, if you sign up to the Hidden Shoal mailing list this month, you’ll be in for a special surprise in the last week of birthday celebrations. All subscribers will get a free digital album voucher for use in the HSR Store. So if you’re not already on the mailing list then sign up here and we’ll send details out to all subscribers at the end of the month.

“Finding Hidden Shoal Recordings could rightly claim to be in the top 10 best things that ever happened to me, such is the quality and diversity of their roster”– Boring Machine Disturbs Sleep

“they continually showcase new, innovative artists to the masses” —The Silent Ballet

“This generation’s 4AD” – New York radio host and promoter DJ Mojo

The label will host a birthday bash at the Velvet Lounge in Mt Lawley, Perth on the 13th of May. Special guest DJs will be spinning sets curated from the Hidden Shoal catalogue, including previews of some exciting upcoming releases. There will be giveaways, CDs available, and a bevy of local HSR artists to touch! The evening will also feature a special performance by the wonderful pairing of Tristen Parr (Fall Electric, Schvendes) and Stina Thomas (Fall Electric, Stina).

During May the label will be running a number of promotions, including CD giveaways and HSR Store vouchers, as well as in conjunction with a number of other music sites and radio stations. Mailing list subscribers will be in for an extra special range of treats so be sure to sign up and get ready for the goods. All details will be revealed during the month, so stay tuned!

Read a full press release here.

Deluxa is run by the very cool Kristen Stocks who plays in the wonderful NYC outfit Luxa. The store sells a fantastic range of vintage and retro clothing, home wares, and furniture along with its boutique music section. Now that’s a much nicer way to shop for music!

Check the Deluxa website for more details.

Fall Electric – He Told Me So  Fall Electric – He Told Me So

East-West Section is like a knife with ears – an audible slice through Hidden Shoal’s 2008 releases. But no blood! We’ve stitched these killer tracks into a brand new tapestry… From the delicate ambient murmur of RL/VL to the avant-pop mastery of Iretsu; the lush lounge-jazz of Rich Bennett to the sublime ambient rock of City Of Satellites; the charming electro-pop of Ghost In The Water to the addictive indie-rock of Fall Electric and The Slow Beings; and acclaimed Hidden Shoal mainstays My Majestic Star, Sankt Otten and Slow Dancing Society. This is an irresistible showcase of the breadth and depth of the Hidden Shoal catalogue.

“Hidden Shoal Recordings is on a mission. The Australian label is busy enhancing minds, widening musical consciousness, opening ears, and taking us beyond the sometimes all too comfortably familiar” – Blogcritics

“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” – Post Rock Community review of Limit Of Maps, volume 3 in the free sampler album series

East-West Section is now available for free digital download from the HSR Store. Read a full press release here.

We can also announce a very special closing set from experimental electronic acousmatitians Enargeia. The duo will perform “Hidden Shoal Redux”, a Stockhausen inspired Hymnen to the HSR sound using their colleagues own recordings as source material for an exploration in sonic chaos.

The party is also the celebration of the release of the new volume in our free sampler album series, East-West Section, which will be available for free download on the night. To anyone attending, bring along your thumb drive or USB stick to be the first to download the album! East-West Section will then be available through the HSR Store.

This event will be suitably HUGE! Be there or become the rhomboid you always feared you might.

The next wave of albums to be available at the n5MD store in the coming weeks will include Sankt Otten’s Wunden Gibt Es Immer Wieder,  Slow Dancing Society’s The Sound of Lights When Dim and The Slow and Steady Winter, and Ghost In The Water’s Tooth. In time, all new Hidden Shoal releases will be available through n5MD, as well as selections from the back catalogue.

Head to the n5MD store now and check it all out.

Be sure to listen in to what is sure to be a luscious sonic adventure tomorrow night and also check out the rest of Fluid Radio’s awesome programming.

Slow Dancing Society – A Warm Glow Slow Dancing Society – A Warm Glow

In other related news the Hidden Shoal Recordings online store (HSR Store) has seen a series of new features added this week. The store has been upgraded to handle the aforementioned CD sales with The Slow Beings christening the shelves with their CD release of We Know Why The Earth Moves out today. The store also has a new “accountless” purchasing option that allows customers to purchase without needing to create a store account (payment is made via credit card or Paypal account all through Paypal secure servers). Last but not least the label has initiated a series of “back catalogue specials” where monthly selections from the back catalogue will be available in high quality digital format at up to 40% off normal price. What are you waiting for?

Wayne Harriss – Anymore Wayne Harriss – Anymore

BreakThru Radio
“BTR is the Internet’s voice of the world’s best independent music, where DJs take music personally… ‘Music for music lovers’ is BTR’s motto, and one that their DJs take very seriously. In a world where independent music is becoming more and more accessible, the need for select sources to filter the best is a necessity… BTR offers listeners access to unknown artists throughout the world, with a daily audience that includes more than a dozen countries. The site has garnered over 80 million listeners in its first year with its unique on-demand musical programming and focus on the best new independent music worldwide.”

DJ Mojo
“A force in the independent music scene for over four decades, BTR is thrilled to have his exquisite taste and expertise… DJ Mojo has spent the majority of his life in Brooklyn, NY heavily inundated in the local music scene. He has worked the doors of many of the city’s hottest venues, and written for such publications as Spin and Slash, and played in the UK electro-noise band Whitehouse, as well as being in the original lineup of Swans… Maximum Music airs every Tuesday on BTR featuring a wide array of music as eclectic and impressive as DJ Mojo himself… Mojo has found friendships with some of the musical greats such as Bowie and Iggy Pop, and the Beastie Boys even wrote a song about him.”

A prestigious showcase indeed! Don’t forget to check it out by streaming the show on BTR on Tuesday June 10th.

Included in the titles available at Amazon MP3 is the recently released avante pop masterpiece “The Moon and Stars Remain in the Morning Sky” by Portlands Iretsu, the stunning sophomore album “The Slow and Steady Winter” by US ambient artist Slow Dancing Society and the astonishing indie bliss rock that is “Alone in this Dark Romantic Night” by French trip rock outfit Beautiful Lunar Landscape.