Sounds of Sputnik - New Born

Sounds of Sputnik is the brainchild of Roma Kalitkin, a solo artist previously known for his work with Sputnik-Vostok and Berlin-Bombay.
Wielding influences as diverse as Hammock and Jesu, Kalitkin has worked with a distinguished array of collaborators to produce Sound of Sputnik's debut LP, New Born. Featuring drum work from Graham Bonner (Swervedriver/Brian Jonestown Massacre) and remixes from the likes of Malcolm Holmes (OMD) and Fran Ashcroft (Damon Albarn), New Born is an ambitious project and an evident labour of love.

Significantly, a key ally in the creative process were Ukrainian shoegazers, Ummagma. Acknowledged by both songwriting and production credits, New Born boasts the now-familiar vocals of Shauna McLarnon as well as the studio wizardry of partner-in-crime Alexander Kretov. The end result is a euphoric mix of jubilant dream pop and elegant electronica.

Whilst New Born is released across digital platforms on August 25th, those of us who prefer a physical format will need to be quick to ensure their copy. A limited run of CDs is planned, but preordering before July 15th is essential to guarantee a pressing.

Like what you hear? Then show some love and preorder via Bandcamp, here.

Slowness - How To Keep From Falling Off A Mountain

Last month saw the welcome return of San Francisco four-piece, Slowness. The group's second LP How To Keep From Falling Off A Mountain features studio credits for Monte Vallier (best known for production work with The Soft Moon & Weekend) and Kramer (Low & Galaxie 500) and sees a more conceptual approach to record making with the album split between a clutch of warmly crafted pop songs and a largely experimental suite of untitled tracks that evolve from the same psychedelic raga. 

Opening with the cosmic folk of Mountain, How To Keep From Falling... showcases the neo-60s shimmer that's come to define the work of founder members Julie Lynn and Geoffrey Scott. It's a template that works exquisitely and one typified by the melodious jangle of Division and the brilliant motorik daydream of Illuminate.

But not content with an orthodox opening trilogy, it's at this point that Slowness move into more explorative territory. Using the sunshine groove of Anon, Part I as a launch pad, the band loop a serene chant over infectious bass hooks to deliver a four minute trip of languid psych funk. Hot on its heels comes Part II, a sumptuous cut of otherworldly shoegaze, recalling Souvlaki era Slowdive; whilst the third and final quarters weave strands of hypnotic guitar into an intoxicating, brooding climax.

Happily, all four parts are reunited for album closer Anon (A Requiem in Four Parts), which segues its constituent quartet into an epic, eighteen-minute opus.

How To Keep From Falling Off A Mountain is available for download from Bandcamp. The band also has a presence on Facebook and an official website.

Voluptuous Panic - Fall Away

Voluptuous Panic are rapidly carving a reputation as one of the most stylish guitar bands to emerge on the shoegaze scene. Now, with a clutch of demos already posted to their Soundcloud page, the trans-Atlantic two-piece have unveiled an exquisite brace of tracks through Bandcamp.

Topping the bill is Fall Away, a gilt-edged slice of dream pop that conjures comparisons with Souvlaki-era Slowdive and the ambient works of Robin Guthrie. Set amidst a perfect storm of washed out guitars, the swooning vocals of Gretchen DeVault add elegance and fragility through a soul-searching refrain of "What can I do?..."

Fall Away is backed up by Between The Stars, a piano-led exploration of interplanetary love, coupling DeVault's own vocals with the baritone brood of  key collaborator Brian J Bowe. It's a genuinely affecting record, and is complemented beautifully by the lush string arrangements of producer, Alexx Kretov.

Fall Away is available to purchase digitally through Bandcamp, whilst you can learn more about Voluptuous Panic from the band's official website.

Tashaki Miyaki - Cool Runnings

Cool Runnings is the first new material in almost a year from LA shoegazers, Tashaki Miyaki.

The single (available as a limited edition 7" or three-track digital download) follows on from 2013's self-titled EP with more sun-soaked psych-pop. Only this time - where once a rawness and crackle resided - lush production delivers layers of warmth, as delicate strings mingle with trademark haze and jangling guitar lines.

As a band who made their name from a series of extraordinary covers (read 2012's unmissable Under Cover) it's little surprise to see Cool Runnings backed up by another rework. This time Chris Bell gets the Miyaki treatment as There Was A Light pulses to power-pop piano riffs and swooning guitar hooks.

It's a brilliant brace of new material and bodes well ahead of a much anticipated album release, rumoured for later this year.

To celebrate the release of Cool Runnings, the band will be performing a headline show at The Church on York on March 21. The show will feature a special screening of Cool Runnings' accompanying video, directed by Juan Iglesias.

Lilies On Mars - Dot To Dot

Signed to Saint Marie Records and championed by the likes of Simon Raymonde (Bella Union chief and one-time Cocteau Twin), Lilies On Mars have made a stirring return to the world of dream pop.

Dot-To-Dot is the band's first full-length album to be given a worldwide release and boasts an absorbing sound that flits between abstract experimentation and exquisite electro-pop.

Featuring the singles Dream of Bees (released digitally through Bandcamp) and Oceanic Landscape - a collaboration with Italian songwriter Franco Battiato - Dot To Dot achieves elegance and intimacy amidst polished production.

From the delicate dream pop of Sugar Is Gone to the stark opening bars of See You Sun, Lilies on Mars segue introspection with candor to offer a record that threatens brittle fragility but ultimately delivers an all-consuming warmth.

Comparisons will be sought, and whilst references emerge in the form of Cranes and Beach House it would be churlish to not acknowledge a band that sit very much in their own mold - a fact enhanced by the varied instrumentation on show - as an array of synthesisers jostle amongst vintage organs and a blend of live and digital drum loops.

And whilst there are guitars here too (borne witness by the swooning, ambient fuzz of So Far America), perhaps the most effective tool at the group's disposal is the immersive vocal talent of bandleaders Lisa Masia and Marina Cristofalo. For it is their hushed refrain that gives such depth and rarity to this wonderful record.

Dot To Dot is released today through Saint Marie Records, whilst digital copies can be found at Bandcamp.

Roku Music - Collider

Next month sees the release of the self-titled debut album from Brisbane's Roku Music. Released through Australian indie Sonic Masala, the record promises to give the band some much deserved exposure following a brace of digital releases and a limited run of cassette EPs.

Whilst originally formed as a two-piece (through core members Donovan Miller & Innez Tulloch), Roku Music now boasts a line-up five strong, bolstering a sound rich in the shoegaze aesthetic of hushed vocals and layered fuzz.

Ahead of the album launch, the band released Collider in late January, offering the first glimpse of new material since 2013's Primitive EP - and it's a little bit special.

Lykanthea x Savage Sister - Sundrowned

As a classically trained vocalist in the (traditional Indian) style of Carnatic music, there was always going to be something of the exotic in the songcraft of Lykanthea. But as a recent collaboration with fellow Chicago dream poppers, Savage Sister, shows - in this case, the exotic stretches to the otherwordly.

Spread across four tracks, new EP Sundrowned is a melting pot of rich atmospherics and delicate electronica, showcasing the instrumental alchemy of co-writer Michael Tenzer.

Launched amidst a backdrop of cavernous synths, opening track Glass Orchids displays both the fragility and the beauty of Lykanthea's immersive call, before stand-out track Naked brings heart-stopping warmth and a moment of genuine ambient indulgence.

The tempo is raised briefly as Orphan Child offers fractured memories of Cocteau Twins elegance, before closing track Diving nestles lush keyboards amongst fluttering percussion for a final reminder of the artistry at work.

Sundrowned is available digitally as a name-your-price download through Lykanthea's Bandcamp page.

Nugazer's Favourites For 2014

Whistlejacket

Whistlejacket grew in prominence throughout 2013, posting a clutch of slacker-psych uploads to Soundcloud and impressing with a string of live shows throughout the English Capital. Having already lent their sounds to Fuzz Club's second Reverb Conspiracy installment and been name-checked by the likes of Faris Badwan, 2014 looks a year of huge promise for the London five-piece.

The Cherry Wave

Glasgow's The Cherry Wave featured on these pages previously when contributing a track to Lamppost Records' excellent Under The Wildflowers sampler. But it was the group's debut EP, Blush, that perhaps garnered the most excitement throughout 2013. Riding a wave of blistering post-gaze reverb, The Cherry Wave offer one of the most credible and exciting incarnations of contemporary shoegaze.

Parlour

Championed by Drowned in Sound (they even headlined the DiS Christmas party, following in the footsteps of the likes of Bloc Party and The Cribs) and captivating gig goers throughout 2013, Parlour offer a brand of mesmeric dream pop that sits somewhere between Lush & The Velvet Underground. Whilst little of their output is freely available of the web (just two tracks adorn their Soundcloud page), 2014 promises to be a year of greater exposure and even greater music.

Trans

One suspects it's only a matter of time before the world wakes up to Trans. Boasting The Yummy Furs' Jackie McKeown alongside a bona fide 90's guitar hero in Bernard Butler (Suede), the improv' led five piece already have an appearance at the Liverpool Psych Fest & a four track EP (Red) under their belt through Rough Trade.

Venera 4

France's Venera 4, graced these pages back in October with a review of the brilliant 'Haunted Summer'. With two outstanding EPs under their belt and a growing online following, the Parisian four-piece returned in December with Winter Sessions, reworking sections of their back catalogue into lush, acoustic dream pop.

Great Ytene

Part explorative, part explosive, Great Ytene are perhaps the most experimental name on this list, producing a melodic brand of psych pop that isn't afraid to dip its toes into the fuzzier elements of shoegaze. Having been picked up by Marshall Teller who released debut 7" Happy Scenes earlier in the year, the band enjoyed further exposure when UK broadsheet The Guardian chose them as 'band of the day' back in August.

The Fauns - Lights

It's remarkable to think that four years has passed since The Fauns first evoked a misty-eyed nostalgia with the release of their sparkling, self-titled debut album. A homage to noisepop past, The Fauns captured the spirit of 1991 through fragile psychedelia and uplifting melody.

But if the wait has been long enough to generate a nostalgia of its own, the arrival of much anticipated follow-up, Lights, can finally be greeted with no little cheer.

From uptempo urgency (Let's Go) to spectral spacepop (Seven Hours), the Bristol five-piece have built a breathless collection of instant dreampop classics. No more so than in title track Lights, where Alison Garner's beatific whisper is pierced by glittering, lazer-guided guitar hooks.

And whilst the tempo rises for Ease Down and In Flames, there are moments of delicacy too. 4am offers sleepless intimacy whilst the instrumental Rise proves an absorbing interlude. Bookended by the expectant drone of Point Zero and the tender Give Me Your Love, Lights is as bewitching as it is brooding - a dazzling slice of contemporary shoegaze.

Lights gets a physical release on 2nd December through Invada Records. You can pre-order on CD and vinyl through Invada's website, whilst downloads and advance streams can be heard on Bandcamp.

Secrets of the Third Planet - Lost in Reverie

For Nugazer - just recently at least - it seems all roads lead east... Recent submissions from Ummagma and Foreign Television have highlighted a growing clutch of artists from Russia and its neighbouring states with a shared shoegaze dynamic and a blossoming global appeal.

It makes sense then, to once again set the controls to the heart of Moscow and take a retrospective look at one of 2011's most engaging EPs - Lost in Reverie, by Secrets of the Third Planet (S3P).

As the brainchild of Eugene Frankevich, S3P initially began life as a DIY solo project before expanding into the big-sound five-piece we recognise today. A brace of early releases (2007's self-titled EP & 2010 long-player Day Night) preceded Lost in Reverie as the band honed both sound and direction.

Exploring electronic influences and embracing reverb-laden melodies, Lost in Reverie also saw the introduction of vocalist Dasha Weo, whose dazzling contribution to Диафильм sits as a highlight of their back catalogue. Weo's swooning vocals add crystalline beauty to an astonishing, euphoric cut of adrenaline dream-pop.

There's diversity here too. Snarling acid loops drive the hypnotic electro-glare of Tonight, whilst opening track Still imagines Tangerine Dream wielding a pair of Fender Jaguars.

At the heart of the EP sits the breakbeat ambiance of Дыши, whilst we conclude with the synth-heavy charm of Autumn Song and another chance for Weo to shine in E-A (Lost in Reverie).

Lost in Reverie is a brilliant record and a tantalising glimpse of what the future may hold. With new S3P material scheduled for a Spring 2014 release, it surely won't be long before we all look east once again.

Ummagma - Rotation

Over the course of the past year, Ummagma has derived a reputation as one of the more eclectic and adventurous members of the shoegaze family.

A brace of digital releases (2012's Antigravity and Ummagma) pinpoint a passion for dream-pop - but a firm reluctance to sit shackled by formula. Combining vibrant guitar noise with deft electronica, the Ukraine-based duo has picked up a loyal online following and now looked poised for even greater things in 2014 with a series of releases on German label, Emerald & Doreen.

As a precursor to that, Emerald & Doreen are releasing a double A-side single championing two of Ummagma's finest moments to date - Rotation and Live & Let Die.

Available from December 9th, Rotation fires waves of dark synth over a breakbeat pulse, whilst Live & Let Die explores the DIY discord of skewed shoegaze. To complete the package there's even a video - and a treat it is too; check it out, below.

Miniatures - Anybody Silent

Anybody Silent is the latest track to be unveiled by Melbourne-based shoegazers, Miniatures. It's the first we've heard of the band since 2012's eponymously-titled debut EP, and it's a sparkling return to form.

Steeped in the influence of bliss-pop veterans, Cocteau Twins and MBV, Anybody Silent sees Annemarie Duff's soaring vocals punctuate
a cosmic wall of sound, rich in pedals and FX interplay.

The track is available as a 'name your price' download through Bandcamp, or - if you're feeling particularly sociable - you can write nice things on their Facebook wall.

Modern Charms - Modern Charms

San Francisco's Modern Charms debut release is a sparkling 6-track EP, bristling with style, energy and no little craft. Fusing polished shoegaze (Someday) with notable references to Brit-pop (Epsilon) and 90s indie (Silver Lanterns), the California three-piece make edgy but accessible sunshine guitar pop.

Central to Modern Charms' appeal are the delicate vocals of singer Inna Kurikova, whose candy-coated melodies soar above the guitar-fueled distortion of band-mates Mark Palm and Blaine Patrick.

It's a heady mix and a vibrant formula, best evidenced by the reverb-jangle of Falling Sun or the spellbinding opener When We Get There - featured below.

Modern Charms' eponymous EP is available to download digitally through the group's Bandcamp page. Alternatively, if the rush of 90s guitar pop has left you feeling especially nostalgic, you can even buy it on cassette.

Foreign Television - Youthless

Earlier this week, Bandcamp announced five-year profits of over $50m for recording artists publishing music through its site. It's a remarkable haul and testament to the success of a platform that directly promotes independent producers and DIY artists, the world over.

One of the primary joys of exploring Bandcamp is the listener's ability to unearth those unexpected gems that simply wouldn't have seen the light of day half a decade ago. One such gem is Welsh-born, Moscow-based producer Francis Allen. Under the alias of Foreign Television, Allen weaves together one of the most understated but engaging records of the year in Youthless - an elegant mosaic of ambient synths and lo-fi acoustics.

With a sound that drifts somewhere between Mark Kozelek and Chad Valley, Youthless is minimalist in essence, yet subtle textures and delicate melodies fill tracks with genuine warmth and depth.

For the time-being at least, Youthless is available on a 'name you price' download. Meanwhile, you can sample a track, Longlights, below.

Appendixes - Neon Green Fear

Neon Green Fear is the new single from Portland's Appendixes. Released on 7" and available as a digital download through the group's Bandcamp page, Neon Green Fear weaves hushed dream pop through unfussy percussion to create an intimate, almost festive slice of lo-fi psychedelia.

Backed by the brooding reverb of slowcore b-side Four Leaf Clover, Appendixes have delivered a compelling couplet that bodes well for a band with just one previous release; 2012's four-track EP, False Color.

The band are touring the US throughout October and November and there's still time to catch them at venues in Oregon, Washington and California.

Nights - whisper

whisper is the debut album from Cleveland shoegazers, Nights. Fuelled by a heady mix of reverb, soaring vocals and foggy FX, whisper blurs the boundaries between alternative rock (Sunshine), power pop (Mouthful of Sand) and shimmering nugaze (Walkaway).

Recorded over the past twelve months at Lava Room and Whiteout Audio in their home city, whisper showcases a band as comfortable with ambience as they are aggression - one moment drifting on the delicate drone of In The Garden; the next charging into the pummel and snarl of Glow.

But as moods change, one thing remains a constant; the spellbinding vocals of singer Jenna Fournier. Sitting somewhere between the elegance of Liz Fraser and the empyreal Alison Shaw, Fournier adds genuine sparkle to a record full of charm and power.

With a September release scheduled by Japanese label, 2670 Records, you can also stream or purchase whisper through the group's Bandcamp and merch pages.

Twin Oaks - Gravity (Vucari Remix)

Vucari is the alias of Nick James, an ambient producer hailing from Plymouth, MA.

Describing his work as "an outlet for my brain" James has slowly pieced together a catalogue of impressive downtempo electronica, available through his Soundcloud page.

Tracks such as Silently, Hope Endures and the mesmeric Wet Snow are hallmarked by featherlite percussion and a rush of delicate synths to produce blissed-out escapist etherea.

But it's Vucari's most recent work, a collaboration with Los Angeles folk pairing Twin Oaks, which has perhaps garnered the most attention. Indeed, the Vucari remix of Gravity - originally a melodic acoustic piece - has been transformed into a soaring chillwave imprint. Inviting comparisons with contemporaries such as Sun Glitters and Blackbird Blackbird; it's a masterclass in towering, electronic dream pop.

For the time being, Gravity is available for free download here. To discover more about Twin Oaks, visit their official website or Facebook pages.

Drowner - You're Beautiful, I Forgive You

August 13th sees the release of You're Beautiful, I Forgive You, the long-awaited debut album from Nugazer favourites, Drowner.

Following on from 2012's self-titled EP (a record that saw some serious love on these pages) You're Beautiful... sees the band return to familiar territory with twelve tracks of effortless dream pop decadence.

Recognisable, yet unique, Drowner's sound merges the hazy spin of Cocteau Twins bliss pop (Glow) with the pedal-heavy punch of classic-era Cure (On Bright Days).

It's a breathless mix, rarely more evidenced than in stand-out track Stay With Me (featured below) and the delicate brooding of Not There. Songs that draw heavily on the album's themes of loss and forgiveness.

Elsewhere, the atmospheric charge of Mirror shimmers in the wake of Anna Bouchard's transcendent vocals, whilst the breakbreak melancholy of You is peppered with waspish guitars and reverberating piano stabs.

You're Beautiful I Forgive You is a fine record and an impressive debut. Released through Saint Marie Records, the album is available to stream or download from Saint Marie's Bandcamp page.

Driftwood Drones - Magnolia Manor

Formed in the early part of 2009, Sydney's Driftwood Drones produced just one six-track EP; 2012's mesmerising Magnolia Manor.

Drawing on the band's love of swirling 60s psychedelia and fuzzy-edged garage rock, Magnolia Manor stands out as one the best shoegaze EPs of recent years.

From the raw scuzz of Kyoti (Think Tamaryn meets The Clams) to the echo sprawl of opening track Flying Colours, it's an EP rich in both songcraft and atmospherics.

Whilst the band now seem content to pursue other musical avenues (most notably guitarist/vocalist Matt Wilkinson's hugely promising Day Ravies project) Nugazer felt it was worth reflecting on a genuinely great record. A slow burner, whose embers continue to glow.

Hush Delirium - The Taster LP

Art and music - those most promiscuous of bedfellows - are at it again; only this time the copulating couple are moaning just a little bit louder... And the sound's bloody well reverberating.

For this is free-love of a sonic nature. This is psychedelic, this is experimental, this is Hush Delirium.

The brainchild of abstract artist Simon Welford, Hush Delirium is a project harnessing music for artistic inspiration. Featuring (largely instrumental) submissions from the likes of Mark Gardener (Ride), Dean Garcia (SPC ECO, Curve) and Adam Franklin (Swervedriver), Welford intends to create visual works stimulated by the sounds at his disposal. With plans for international exhibitions and live performances, it's a bold project - and one not immune to setbacks. Only last week it was announced that November's inaugural event in Denmark would have to be postponed, frustrating contributors and enthusiasts alike.

But the first chapter in this yet-untold story was not to be denied a happy ending, for earlier today Hush Delirium unveiled a digital download showcasing some of the musical submissions Welford will be working with.

Boasting the understated brilliance of She (contributed by Chatham Rise), the stuttering drone of Her Vanished Grace's Cloud's 7 and a neo-garage piledriver from The Cult of Dom Keller (Ghost in My Head), this is a taster every bit as abstract as the work it's intended to inspire. It's an eclectic mix, demonstrable by the leap from sometime Stone Rose Aziz Ibrahim's ethnically-charged slide guitar (Heaven's Rain) to the programmed drums of A*Star's resonating Spider Chorus. Elswehere, Jaq Gallier provides a crackling bedrock and some sumptious dream pop on the delightful Wild is The Wind.

These are clearly early days for Hush Delirium, but already the signs are hugely exciting. With a potentially limitless pool of musicians and a visual element yet to be unleashed on the public, anticipation justifiably grows.

To get your free download of the Taster LP, or to purchase some teasing prints of Welford's artwork, head to Hush Delirium's Bandcamp page.