|
7 / 8 / 08 /// SPECTRAL MORNINGS GO BOWLING
Spectral Mornings will be performing a set this Friday night at the Clique Bowling Lanes on Stocking Avenue in Grand Rapids, along with the musical enigma known as Wicker Basket. The show should start at around 7 or 8 pm or so. Strike etc.
6 / 1 / 08 /// FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS.
Spectral Mornings will be performing at the Grand Rapids Festival of the Arts at 11am this Saturday morning on the Clock Stage downtown. Yes, it's early, but that won't stop us...
Thanks to everyone who came out to the DAAC for the Spectral show last Saturday. It was quite a night.
5 / 15 / 08 /// LIVE SHOWS + FLICKR
After many weeks toiling away in the studio, Spectral Mornings are finally going to play a couple of shows:
Saturday, May 24 at the DAAC, downtown Grand Rapids, 7pm
-- with Geographers, Lauren Elle, and Oyster Thieves
Saturday, June 7 at the Grand Rapids Festival of the Arts, 11am
-- with a lot of other people
We've also set up a Square Root Records Flickr account. Right now it includes an archive of a few dozen of our old concert posters, as well as a pool of SQR-related photos, which we'll be adding to whenever the mood strikes us. Check it out here.
5 / 5 / 08 /// SPRING RAIN
As you may be aware, Spectral Mornings have been working away in the studio in recent months, reshaping their sound into something approaching bionic pop, as it were. Well, we've recently revamped the Spectral Mornings website, appropriately located at www.spectralmornings.com. There you can hear one of the band's new tracks, entitled Spring Rain, and see some other stuff. You can download the new song from the band's MySpace page.
You can also see Spectral Mornings perform at the DAAC in Grand Rapids on May 24 with Geographers, Lauren Elle, and the Oyster Thieves. Spectral Mornings will also be performing at the Grand Rapids Festival of the Arts at the perfectly respectable time of 11am on Saturday, June 7.
4 / 29 / 08 /// SQR010 - SITZMASCHINE
Square Root Records are proud to present the release of the Sitzmaschine EP by timwarrenmusic. This is Tim's first recording for Square Root, and we're very happy to welcome him to our little corner of the world. We'll be hearing more from this artist over the coming year, and Sitzmaschine serves as a wide-ranging introduction to his musical interests. You can download the individual tracks below, or you can download the whole album as a zip file with artwork by clicking here.
1. ARD
2. Headlights Above the Frozen Lake
3. Big Thrill
4. tar
5. Mitch Piano
6. Guiltch
7. (Machine for Sitting)
The EP's seven tracks cover a large territory, beginning with the layered synths and percussion of "ARD," continuing through the atmospherics of "Headlights Above the Frozen Lake" and "tar," and concluding with the eight-minute "(Machine for Sitting)," which encompasses both rough glitchy soundscapes and soothing electronics, providing the EP with a cathartic finale.
So, download the music, give it a listen, and celebrate Square Root's tenth release with us. If you like it, we have CD copies available for purchase, featuring packaging made by Tim himself. Just send us an e-mail.
4 / 24 / 08 /// TIMWARRENMUSIC
We're pleased to report that we've added a new member to the Square Root family - Tim Warren, who records both by himself as timwarrenmusic and as a member of Tokyo Morose. We're going to be releasing his first EP, entitled Sitzmaschine, next Tuesday, April 29.
The EP features seven varied instrumental tracks, ranging from glitchy beatscapes to atmospheric pieces, touching on a little bit of synth pop along the way. We're extremely proud to note that this will be SQR010, our tenth release. Who would have thought ...
4 / 19 / 08 /// DOWNLOAD SQUARE ROOT'S OLD ALBUMS
We have a little treat for you today - you can now download Square Root's first three records for free, all of which were previously only available on CD. This includes the Catalog compilation from 2005, the Chauceworth Aif's Impress/Depress EP, and another exclusive EP from the Chauceworth Aif entitled Conifer Rock. You can download the individual tracks from the list over to the right, or you can download each album as a zip file, including artwork, by clicking on the corresponding links:
SQR001 - The Catalog Compilation
SQR002 - The Chauceworth Aif - Impress/Depress
SQR004 - The Chauceworth Aif - Conifer Rock
The Catalog compilation was our first foray into the fascinating world of record distribution. It features two tracks from each artist affiliated with Square Root Records: The Chauceworth Aif, Centre, Spectral Mornings, Thirty (over) Thousand, Cantilever, A Ferret Named Polo, and Padreg Jageillon. It's hard to believe that this album is almost three years old now. It provides quite an interesting look into where our artists began and how their work has changed and evolved since. For example, the two Spectral Mornings songs on the album are early incarnations of waht you can now find on their most recent EP, which was recorded in 2007.
The Chauceworth Aif now records under the name Conifer Rock, and, if you've been following our recent releases, you should be familiar with his current work. You can see how it started with the Impress/Depress EP, originally released in November 2005. The album is full of exquisitely precise electronic creations, ranging from the pitch-shifted choirs of "BoyGirlParty" to the finely-crafted percussion and bass of "Trisect." The EP also includes three remixes of the song "Trophy Wives" by Cantilever and the two members of A Ferret Named Polo.
You can follow the Aif's musical narrative with the Conifer Rock EP, which has never been widely available until now. In fact, it originally existed as a hand-illustrated CD, of which only a handfful were in existence. This EP contains the infamous crowd favorite "Droid in a Void," as well as softer, more acoustic pieces like "3-D Goggle Spring Windshield," which foreshadowed the Aif's eventual sonic progression as he moved into more organic territory upon adopting "Conifer Rock" as his new recording pseudonym.
As always, you can buy actual physical copies of these albums on CD, if you are so inclined (and hopefully someone still is). For now, download and give em a listen.
  
4 / 1 / 08 /// SQR009 - MEMORY LOSS
We are proud to present the release of a brand new EP from Cantilever, Memory Loss. This album features seven new recordings, completed over the past six months.
1. Confrontation
2. Mirrored Surface
3. Off Grid
4. Reversals
5. Endless Gardens
6. Things That Come Back
7. Cardboard Box
This body of work began with some instrumental, digital-sounding synth experiments, but that original sound transformed into something much harder to categorize. Tracks like "Endless Gardens" showcase the original synth work, while others like "Mirrored Surface" hint at new directions. The finished EP incorporates a combination of electronic sounds and some strikingly acoustic instrumentation. The songs run the gamut in terms of arrangement, from the short synth-pop meets euphoric folk of "Off Grid" to the dirge-like closure of "Cardboard Box."
Take a moment to download the EP, give it a listen, and tell us what you think. You can download the seven tracks individually, or you can download a zip file of the entire album, which includes artwork files so you can print the album cover and an 11 x 17 poster.
As usual, you can download all our music for free, or, if you'd prefer a physical copy, you can contact us at info@squarerootmusic.com and get a CD for a small fee.
Thanks.
3 / 30 / 08 /// NEW MUSIC FROM CANTILEVER
We're excited to announce a new Square Root record slated for release this Tuesday - the Memory Loss EP by Cantilever. This set of seven new songs began as an experiment to create a digital, synth-based work, and over the course of its creation it morphed into something else entirely. Give it a listen on Tuesday and see for yourself.
3 / 25/ 08 /// SQR008 - WOOD CREAKS, BELLOW SIGHS, & UNIONIZED HAMMER STRIKES
Square Root Records are proud to present the release of a brand new EP by Conifer Rock, entitled Wood Creaks, Bellow Sighs, & Unionized Hammer Strikes. You can download mp3s of the five tracks individually by using the links below, or you can download a zipped file of the entire album by clicking here.
1. Frederick Nidifer
2. #46 Travelogue
3. Learned Page Turner
4. Slowdance Bufferzone
5. Bookends
The EP as a whole is a rather low-key, analog affair, which marks quite a departure from the Conifer Rock/Chauceworth Aif material that you may be used to, as well as quite a departure from Square Root's normal output. Change is good, we always say. Conifer Rock stepped away from the grid on this album, and the result is intimate collection of piano pieces and folkish song structures. It's all summed up by the EP's title, really.
So, download it, take a listen, and tell us what you think.
myspace.com/coniferrock
info@squarerootmusic.com
3 / 22 / 08 /// NEW MUSIC THIS WEEK FROM CONIFER ROCK
As the short film on the previous page may have told you, we have a new EP by Conifer Rock ready for release this week. Entitled Wood Creaks, Bellow Sighs, & Unionized Hammer Strikes, the EP features five intimate new recordings, focusing on low-tech, analog equipment and simple, song-based arrangements. The album will be available for download from this very website on Tuesday, March 25.
3 / 10 / 08 /// A PLEASANT SURPRISE
If you point yer internet browsers towards andrasklang.com today, you'll find a little piece of music called MiracleBaby available for download. This EP was created by Trevor out of Spectral Mornings / Conifer Rock and Sean out of AFNP / Andras over this past weekend, and it presents quite an enjoyable listen, even if we do say so ourselves. Download a zip file here.
3 / 5 / 08 /// A NICE SHORT FILM FOR YOU
Hello. We recently put on a house show in western Michigan, which included performances by a number of Square Root artists and affiliates. Our friend Sean Patrick from andrasklang has put together a short film documenting the night's festivities, and we advise you to wander over to his website and take a look.
We'd also like to alert your attention to the fact that we'll be releasing two new EPs in the next couple of weeks: a new one from Conifer Rock, and a new one from Cantilever.
1 / 23 / 08 /// NEW MUSIC!
First of all, happy new year to everyone. This year we hope to release more new music for your listening pleasure, along with a few other surprises. To start the year off, we've got a new piece of instrumental music from Conifer Rock, entitled Frederick Nidifer, which you can download from his Myspace page. This new track is taken from a forthcoming Conifer Rock EP that presents quite an interesting departure from his previous work, focusing heavily on acoustic guitar, piano, and analog tape loops. Stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks....
12 / 24 / 07 /// THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN THE WORLD
Thank you.
10 / 29 / 07 /// HERE'S SOME MUSIC FROM ANDRAS ///
SInce the fine fellows at andrasklang.com have put our new EPs (see below) up for download on their website, we thought we'd return the favor and give you some of their music. Click below to download two of their recent albums, Loop I and The Light has Fallen Through the Hills. They're set up as zipped folders with all of the songs inside, as well as some artwork.
Loop I - This is a compilation featuring reworked snippets of pieces that Sean and Eric have recorded for various other albums and EPs that they've done. There's a little bit of everything on here.
The Light has Fallen Through the Hills - As Sean explains, "eric and i sat down one afternoon and recorded this little ep of guitar noises and synth whirrings."
10 / 26 / 07 /// SQR006 + SQR007 AVAILABLE NOW ///
As promised, we have a nice present for you today in the form of two new EPs. You can download mp3s by using the links below, or the links over on the right. Since some of the files are quite large, we've shown their files sizes so you know what you'll be getting. We hope you enjoy listening - feel free to give us feedback at info@squarerootmusic.com.
SQR006 / CANTILEVER - MINA
1. Mina
2. Ice Wall
3. The Great Escape
First is Mina, a three-track EP by Cantilever. This is sort of a single, as the first track (Mina) is taken from a full-length Cantilever album entitled Sudden Silence, which will see the light of day at some point in the future. The other two tracks are B-sides, if you will. We like to think that the three tracks work together as a rumination of sorts on themes like personal connections and free will against a vaguely apocalyptic backdrop, which are concepts that the Sudden Silence album explores further.
The three tracks are full of Cantilever's usual sonic wankery, as well as collaborations with a few other Square Root artists. The first track features a rather breath-taking multilayered saxophone performance by Pat Yagiela, and the song "Ice Wall" has live drums by Trevor Edmonds (of Conifer Rock) that were chopped up and generally messed with to create a wall of noise.
Vocals play a key part in all three tracks, which is something that Cantilever has only really started working with recently. We hope you like his new music.
SQR007 / CONIFER ROCK - SHOW ME SOME HEART
1. Show Me Some Heart
2. Cloud's Spit
Our second offering today is a brand new two-track EP by Conifer Rock, who, until recently, recorded under the name Chauceworth Aif. Conifer has been one of Square Root's most prolific artists -- our second CD release was his Impress/Depress EP back in November, 2005. That CD was a rather austere, electronic affair. His music has taken a somewhat different direction over the past two years, however, and the Show Me Some Heart EP is a striking representation of where he is now.
The first track is a raucous, disjointed number in the grand tradition of krautrock and post-punk, with bass guitars and noise all over the place. Just as arresting as his old Aif favorites Droid in a Void and Trophy Wives but entirely different in technique, this track grabs you and won't let go, even if we do say so ourselves. The follow-up track, "Cloud's Spit," is a more somber piece, featuring cello, trumpet, and vocals.
So, we hope you enjoy these new pieces from Square Root - drop us a line and let us know what you think.
9 / 12 / 07 /// CONIFER ROCK ///
A few bits of news today - first of all, Trevor has changed the name of his musical endeavor from the Chauceworth Aif to Conifer Rock. As he explains on his myspace blog:
"Why would I do this? Well, I guess I've become disillusioned with the name and it not really meaning anything outside of an hour long band name brainstorming session some 6 years ago. This is by no means really all that groundbreaking, but I just think this name will work better for what I do. First off, I just like it better (that is no excuse in the design world, but here anything flies). Secondly, what kind of music do I make? More or less, it is just a permuation of popular rock tunesmithery, really. Am I really throwing anyone for a loop? No. And I just flat out love conifers. Sure, I love seeing a massive red maple in late October in Michigan and a sassafrass amongst the coastal dunes of Lake Michigan is nothing short of the former, but cedars, pines, spruces, and hemlocks (especially) bow my heart strings..."
Trevor's Chauceworth Aif EP, Impress/Depress, was released in November 2005, and can still be purchased directly from Square Root Records for five dollars using the link on the right. Meanwhile, Trevor's new Conifer Rock music will be revealed in a few weeks, when we put his brand new two-track EP up for download.
In other news, Chad from Spectral Mornings / Centre recently posted an essay he wrote about music sleeve design on his website, chadmckinney.com. In the essay, written in 2004, he compares the work of Peter Saville and Neville Brody, two of his significant visual influences. An excerpt:
"It is believed by some that by leaving out any text based information on the cover, Peter Saville was trying to make the work more synonymous with art. (Wilson 29) This is a strong point on which work by Peter Saville and work by Neville Brody differ greatly. Saville’s work almost has more of a designer’s touch while Brody’s work, often in stark contrast, seems to have been formed from a painterly approach."
Finally, Sean and Eric's entire Andras discography is now available for download from andrasklang.com for free, including a new EP comprised of tape experiments.
9 / 7 / 07 /// MUSIC FROM ANDRAS ///
Our friends at andrasklang.com are in the process of putting their discography up on their site for download. At the moment you can listen to three EPs by Sean Patrick, all of which contain some enjoyable ambient moments and other little bleeps and bloops.
Obviously putting music up on the Internet is nothing new, but the whole idea of it is pretty exciting to us at the moment. We've always thought of Square Root as being primarily occupied with physical albums, and, while the physicality of a CD or a vinyl record is still very important, we've become somewhat obsessed with the possibility of downloads. There aren't any "rules" involved regarding album length, for example - now it's much more feasible for one of our musicians to create a two-song EP and make it available to you, for example.
9 / 5 / 07 /// SQR005 - SPECTRAL MORNINGS EP AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD ///
We're happy to present a brand new EP from Spectral Mornings, available right here for free download. The EP consists of three tracks, which you can download by clicking on the links below, or by clicking on the links to the right. You can also download a zip file of the entire EP, including artwork, by clicking here. Incidentally, whenever new material is available for download, you'll see it over on the right.
1. Robot Group
2. Gridlock
3. I Have Lost Everything
This EP is the first release from Spectral Mornings since 2005. In that time, they've added a third member to the band and have spent the past year in the studio, reworking their sound and giving it a more dynamic, band-based presence. This three-track EP is an illustration of their new direction. We've given it the Square Root catalog number SQR005.
Older versions of "Robot Group" and "Gridlock" were released on the Square Root label compilation Catalog in 2005. For those of you who may be familiar with those recordings, the new versions on this EP offer a fresh perspective on old favorites. For example, "Robot Group" now features an unexpected freak-out section with Chad McKinney on drums and Trevor Edmonds on fuzz bass. And, while the original version of "Gridlock" was a rather pristine, digital affair, the new version is a bit more murky and layered, with a bloopy new bass line and some nice little production tricks.
The third track, "I Have Lost Everything," is the band's newest song, featuring vocals for the very first time, along with lush synth arrangements and layered drum programming.
Each band member created a different cover for the EP, which you can see below. Physical copies of the EP feature hand-printed artwork, which you obviously won't have if you download the music. So, if you'd like to get your hands on a physical copy of the EP on CD, e-mail us at info@squarerootmusic.com and we can work something out, probably for a small fee.
So, if you are so inclined, download the tracks and enjoy! Spectral Mornings are currently working on a full-length album, but this EP will hopefully tide you over until then. Look for more downloadable Square Root music in the near future.
9 / 2 / 07 /// DESIGN ///
As you might be aware, both Chad McKinney and Dan Streeting of Spectral Mornings are graphic designers, and, if you are so inclined, you can take a look at chadmckinney.com and streetingdesign.com to see their work. Chad's site also features a blog, in which he talks about his own work and whatever else seems to be interesting to him, whether it's design-related or not. Recently, he posted a list of his twenty favorite album cover designs.
I brought this up because most of the musicians affiliated with Square Root Records are involved in visual art and design to some degree. One of the reasons we were interested in starting a record label in the first place was that it would provide us with an opportunity to create something with a cohesive visual identity. Maybe I'll post some of the poster work we've done in the past on this site, as a kind of archive.
8 / 30 / 07 /// SQUARE ROOT ONLINE ///
We've decided to make this site a bit more free-form, and turn it into a blog of sorts. That way you can more easily keep up with our musical adventures and see whatever else we happen to be thinking about. You could say we were inspired by our friends Sean and Eric from A Ferret Named Polo, who run andrasklang.com, a site that we obsessively look at for updates.
You may have noticed that it's been almost two years since we released a record, which was the Impress/Depress EP by the Chauceworth Aif. There are many reasons for this, but we want to change our somewhat glacial release schedule and actually bring you some new music on a more regular basis. That's one of the main things we're going to use this website for, so look out for new music to be posted for your downloading pleasure. We want to return to releasing recorded music soon, too, but for now the internet seems like the best way to get our work out there.
So, expect to see a bit more activity in this corner of the internet from now on. If you have any ideas, opinions, or questions, feel free to contact us at info@squarerootmusic.com. |
