Hidden Shoal Recordings » Iretsu Reviews

Iretsu ‘Sexy, No?’ – Phantom Channel

Jamie — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 22:56:33 +0000

Excerpt: “Iretsu are a band that sound like no other, with a theatrical bent that underpins their clever math-pop + anything goes style. They’re a band with boundless energy, to the point where you don’t quite know what to expect. It seems there’s always something new on the horizon when this Portland, Oregon quartet is around. It’s as if they have tapped into a 4th dimension of pop, one which us mere mortals cannot see. ‘Sexy, No?’ is their new (free download) single, lifted from last year’s excellent ‘Fang’ LP and released by the consistently great Australian imprint Hidden Shoal (more on them soon). It’s a funky number anchored by a throbbing, forthright bass line and bongo-infused percussion, which leaves the guitar free to create some interesting, exuberant sounds amidst the layered vocals. It’s another feather in the cap for the peerless Iretsu, a band that continually proves to be as eclectic as they come. Such eclecticism doesn’t detract from the overall quality of the song either, there’s no needless noodling, Iretsu don’t need to flex their instrumental prowess. Instead, ‘Sexy, No?’ is delivered in a succinct, infectious and delightful fashion.”

Phantom Channel

Iretsu ‘Fang’ – Reviewed Music

Jamie — Mon, 30 May 2011 03:12:47 +0000

Excerpt: “I am perhaps a bit late to the party – given that Portland Oregon quartet Iretsu launched their album, Fang, late last year. However, with their second single, ‘Sexy, No?’ a recent release, I think it best to look at the track in the context of the album that it was recorded as part of. Provocative, in both title and bassline, Sexy, No? slouches and swaggers in a fashion that – despite the group’s avant-pop reputation is a little reminiscent of Franz Ferdinand’s Ulysses. That’s not to call it derivative, there’s too much nuance here for it to ever be a balls-to-the-wall pop song. However, the insistent bass riff and accompanying electric guitar hooks certainly leave this tune standing as one of the punchiest and most accessible of the 14 on the album…. Iretsu acquit themselves across a range of styles; the dreamy waltz of Sleep, sparsely arranged with whistles, tambourine and deep semi-spoken vocals is a gentle folk lullaby. Meanwhile, Ha Ra is reminiscent of a slightly-reserved Of Montreal; confident vocals, simple rhythm section and a smirking air that feels like it conceals an inside joke…. If you want Iretsu the indie pop band, the singles are the best place to start; however, if you’re after a more varied tapestry, Fang covers quite a lot of ground. The avant-everything label should probably be taken with a grain of salt, but even so, there is an abundance of genre-bending talent within the group and lovers of the eclectic will probably find plenty here to sink their teeth into.”

Reviewed Music

Iretsu “Fang” – Local Cut

tim — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 22:50:40 +0000

Excerpt: “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... Few bands work with space as well as Iretsu: Songs like the short instrumental ‘Swells’ and the circular ‘Sleep’ are given ample room to breathe, stretch and stumble along to a satisfying ending. Fang is not a bombastic record, but rather one that slowly grows on you after repeated listens… Fang isn’t meant for anyone looking for instant gratification or ‘the next big thing’… Of everything on Fang, ‘Humbuzzer’ is the easiest thing to latch on to, but it’s just one of many treasures available if you’re willing to give the band time to settle in. Iretsu obviously took awhile to make something it was proud of. The resulting record demands—and deserves—the same patience out of its listeners.”

Local Cut

Iretsu “Fang” – Oregon Music News

tim — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 22:47:01 +0000

Excerpt: “Fang is equal parts swelling atmospherics and jagged melodies… The title track builds slowly over chiming glockenspiel and simmering synthesizers. When ‘Fang’ finally arrives it has the mathy pop of Pinback– angular, funky guitar lines and call-and-response vocals. ‘Humbuzzer’ is full out post-punk, driving drums and droning noise that feels too short at 2:31. But Iretsu is just at home playing with space and sound. ‘Kiddo’ and ‘Swell’ are contemplative, airy, keyboard-driven pieces. ‘Sleep’ is a mellow, spaghetti-western waltz complete with bass backing vocals and whistling. Fang is an intent and cohesive record for Iretsu. It’s been a six years since they first released a full length, and the time has suited them well.”

Oregon Music News

Iretsu “Fang” – Portland Mercury

tim — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 22:43:33 +0000

“Iretsu’s new album was written in four improvised sessions, but Fang isn’t a quartet of burly, extended compositions. Rather, it’s a string of 14 brief, interconnected songs, which bear pop hooks over an experimental foundation. Electric piano and guitar drive the majority of the tracks, and Iretsu harness full-throttle rock on ‘Humbuzzer,’ with slice-and-dice guitar riffs and a relentless drumbeat. Elsewhere, ‘Sexy, No?’ flirts with a funk strut, ‘Hey You’ makes use of found dialogue by a woman who sounds like Jane Fonda, and the title of ‘Nuclear Whistles’ is more or less what it sounds like—high-pitched drones whooshing before a guitar riff drives it into the following track, ‘Waves.’ Iretsu has evolved capably over the past eight years, embracing a number of guises. With Fang, they’ve made some of their most approachable material yet, balancing it perfectly with some of the weirder shades in their palette.”

Portland Mercury

Hidden Shoal Treated by Shalgrenzen

Jamie — Mon, 03 May 2010 08:44:45 +0000

Late last week German blog Shalgrenzen indulged in our catalog. Releasing a bunch of mini reviews from a few of our artists, including reviews on recent releases from the likes of Boxharp, Iretsu and Markus Mehr and also taking a step back to last year looking at Hotels with Where Hearts Go Broke. Each review was beautifully treated take a read here or for those who aren’t fluent read the (roughly translated) except here.

Hidden Shoal ‘Mini Reviews’ – Shallgrenzen

Jamie — Mon, 03 May 2010 08:42:55 +0000

Excerpt: “The Australian indie label with a focus on ambient, instrumental post-rock and has a publication frequency, constant as a metronome….

Humbuzzer is the first single from the forthcoming album “Catch” (from) the band Iretsu. I had heard (little) so far by the Quartet of Portland…. “Catch” is already the third album and the music is of poor parents. These parents are, as so often, the most sustainable and fruitful music era, namely the good old 80s. (Iretsu’s Music) goes between the poles of Experimental indie pop and driving post-punk New Wave, the clear direction for the here and now.

The Australian label picks out the (from the) world little-known music pearls to match the portfolio. Among other things, Markus Mehr, a native of Germany multi-instrumentalist who has determined a lot Klaus Schulz and Tangerine Dream records are in the closet. Atmospheric, flat and sounds that waft…. Soon, the album Lava from which comes the song Hubble.

The American duo Boxharp from North Carolina is that to much snappier and exhilarating. Light footed by Wendy Allen and Scott Solter’s minimalism, electronic and pop together, their music sounds like (the) bell-like voice of spring mixed with dancing snowflakes on a sunny winter day. Good humor is a must. The song The Green is (available for) free, the eponymous album is (to be) released soon. We also recommend the Loam Arcane EP, which was released a few weeks ago as a purely digital publication…. the duo was praised in the end by David Bowie himself.

Quite (a) different sound (is boasted) from Seattle’s Hotels. It is a rather strange mixture of Wave, Shoegaze, and surf music. Surf music, this strange phenomenon of crazy long believed dead, hawaiihemdiger instrumental guitar music from California. While one can not really (define) Hotels give their mixture a dark, thrilling note. Lo-Fi and Film Noir are the keywords. The music of Hotels, (is a) soundtrack for a thriller in black and white. Released last year via Hidden Shoal album Where Hearts Go Broke.”

Iretsu ‘Humbuzzer’ – You Ain’t No Picasso

Jamie — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 05:02:27 +0000

Excerpt: “Yesterday I knew nothing about the existence of Iretsu. Today I’m anxiously awaiting May 27, when I can hear the rest of their new album. This track reminds me of how music used to sound when I was 18 and everything was new to me… it just sounds fresh compared to most of the things I’ve been hearing for a while”

You Ain’t No Picasso

Iretsu “Name Our Numbers, Numbers” – Portland Mercury

tim — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 04:12:45 +0000

“Listening to Iretsu initially seems like a pleasant exercise, like jogging around a particularly scenic pond. You’ll get your heart rate up and burn off some calories; you might even be able to clear your mind and approach a Zen-like state of clarity. But the twinkling, percussive sound of Iretsu has more going on beneath the surface. Soon your sneakers will begin running of their own accord and trails of your sweat will leave psychedelic swirls across your skin. The band’s recent Name Our Numbers, Numbers EP, out on Australia’s Hidden Shoal label, is a trilogy of multipart songs driven by electric piano. While it’s heady with experiments and shifting moods, it covers a broad array of varied terrain while maintaining a clean, almost clinical sound. Like an I.M. Pei structure, Iretsu is functional, progressive, and exhilarating to inhabit.”

Portland Mercury

Iretsu “Name Our Numbers, Numbers” – Drum Media

Hidden Shoal Recordings — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 01:33:27 +0000

Excerpt: “For those who haven’t visited Portland, Oregon seems like a town of musical wonder, with indie pop and experimental success stories living in artistic harmony. With diverse instrumentation gliding through different moods, Iretsu have a distinctly pop approach to post-rock. Glistening beauty shines on a backdrop of fast paced drumming only to morph out of nowhere into soft vocals, then again into a keys-based pop ride that takes a few steps left before dissolving into a beautifully lush mesh.”

Drum Media

Iretsu “Name Our Numbers, Numbers” – Delusions of Adequacy

tim — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 03:41:41 +0000

Excerpt: “Like its name, Iretsu’s music is complex and hard to define. It is a Portland-based band that sounds as if it has been making music for 10+ years. The group’s melodies are refined, the songs are bursting at the seams with ideas, the craftsmanship is impressive and most importantly, their combined offerings are outstanding. Name our Numbers, Numbers is evidence of an accomplished band and this EP is everyone’s chance to jump on before the bandwagon is gassed, cleaned and speeding down the Indie superhighway…”Delusions of Adequacy

Iretsu “Name Our Numbers, Numbers” – Local Cut

tim — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 03:38:26 +0000

Excerpt: “Making quirky, structurally complex avant-pop in the style of Menomena or a less ornate Broken Social Scene, local three piece Iretsu manages something quite special—persuaded me to hit repeat after a week spent listening to way too many bands… With so many songs gradually building toward epic heights, it’s refreshing to hear someone actually scale back and let a song breathe for once. Chamber pop can often be pretty heavy stuff, something that you can’t really digest on one listen, but Iretsu has made something immensely listenable. It takes a bit of time to adjust to its world, but once you do, you might never look back.”

Local Cut

Iretsu “Name Our Numbers, Numbers” – Luna Kafe

tim — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 03:33:40 +0000

Excerpt: “Iretsu’s debut album was a great mind-blower, a blasting little collection of playful art-pop gems… Yet again Iretsu prove they’re splendid, magic pop-heads. ‘Name…’ is a frantic, energetic, happy-go-lucky sort of feel-food pop song, and it makes me assure myself to yet again put on their album. This is perfect music for dancing when the sun is shining, or when the rain starts pouring, or if there’s a cold wind breezing up. Delicious stuff. Again, Arcade Fire, move over and let Iretsu through!”

Luna Kafe

Iretsu “Name Our Numbers, Numbers” – Angry Ape

tim — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 05:46:36 +0000

“If you haven’t yet checked out Iretsu, then this is your chance to hop on the bandwagon before this Portland-based trio really take off. Currently operating in a completely different stratosphere to any other band on this planet, such is the originality of the avant-pop troupe’s sound, ‘Name Our Numbers, Numbers’ carries the Angry Ape seal of approval. Recalling the likes of Sonic Youth, Talking Heads and Arcade Fire, this track follows their debut masterpiece The Moon and Stars Remain in the Morning Sky, which featured everything from theatrical singalongs, Morricone-esque soundscaping and schizophrenic angular pop… Highly recommended.”

Angry Ape

Iretsu “The Moon and Stars Remain in the Morning Sky” – PopMatters

tim — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 05:17:33 +0000

Excerpt: “In the world where indie folkies Iretsu dwell, long and winding instrumental passages are nothing to be afraid of nor are they something to be endured to get to the substance of a song… Melding such gorgeous, exploratory passages with the ethereal male/female harmonies of Arcade Fire and a sedate indie rock aesthetic, the band’s sound is dreamy and hard to resist. Excellent tunes like “Bad Secretary”, “Funnel”, “Clear View” and “Led Bat” are engaging and poignant both in instant flashes and gradually as a whole… Once it makes its way into your playlist, your brain, your life, this is the type of album that’s hard to set aside.”

PopMatters

Iretsu “The Moon and Stars Remain in the Morning Sky” – Sonic Frontiers

tim — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 23:24:32 +0000

Excerpt: “Iretsu retain their own identity throughout this record–an identity that enables them to sound like no other band on this planet… Each track on The Moon… is different and such eclecticism shouldn’t be sniffed at. It’s one of the many factors that makes this record so appealing… the majority of tracks here are excellent, from the theatrical sing-along stomp of “Higher and Higher” to the driving angular pop of “The Shore”… The Moon… is wonderful. Hidden Shoal has unearthed a gem from the masses of dirt and has seemingly saved this record from the annals of the lost classic. I do not use the word classic lightly, but Iretsu deserve it for their sheer originality and invention. It would have been a crying shame had this record been known to only a select few, but Hidden Shoal have put paid to that. This record is a must… for any self-respecting music fan.”

Sonic Frontiers

Iretsu “The Moon and Stars Remain in the Morning Sky” – Luna Kafe

tim — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 03:06:33 +0000

Excerpt: “The Moon And Stars Remain In The Morning Sky has the chance to become one of the debut albums of the year… Arcade Fire has been dropped as a reference, except that Iretsu have got a more loungy, jazzy feel to their music. They’re also more into some electronic, experimental stuff. Elegant chamber pop and exciting indie pop, neat arrangements, a fine mix of male/female vocals, strings, banjos, etc. “Avant-everything”, as they’ve been labelled. A fine balance of experimental and more ‘regular’ pop it is. This could be the right album for all the disappointed Arcade Fire fans who got turned off by their second album. A great album that is growing during every new spin.”

Luna Kafe

Iretsu “The Moon and Stars Remain in the Morning Sky” – Delusions of Adequacy

tim — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 05:58:58 +0000

Excerpt: “the group’s seemingly limitless creativity shows at every turn on this sparkling new album… These multi-instrumentalists take risks and ‘experimental’ doesn’t seem to accurately describe the diversity within Iretsu’s music. All in all, this album from Hidden Shoal Recordings is an absolute gem. Each song delivers something new, whether it’s in the instrumentation, vocals, or lyrics… somewhat random elements come together beautifully, and Iretsu’s willingness to take risks and do what they like is exactly what keeps the band so fascinating… Strange as it may be at times, the complexity and eclectic mix of tracks solidify Iretsu as a band that rivals even the likes of Broken Social Scene for musical daring. Which, if you find that not be your cup of tea, is still worth a listen; this album has something for everyone.”
Delusions of Adequacy

Iretsu “Mitlaufer” – Willamette Weekly

tim — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 03:27:12 +0000

Excerpt: “Lounge? Yep. Prog-rock? Aplenty. Krautrock? Sure… a frequently brilliant, frequently insane collection of musical scenes.”

Willamette Weekly