Bedroom Community Archive

Top 20 albums of 2020 as selfies + Top 150 playlist

In lieu of our usual collage, here are our 20 favorite albums of 2020 with their cover artwork recreated as selfies at home during lockdown. Follows a 10 hour playlist curated from our 150 favorite records of the year (including a couple EPs), available on Spotify, Deezer or YouTube, with the full list down below.

Hope you might find at least a couple hidden gems to add to your own favorites. Enjoy the music, and follow us on either streaming platform for more playlists, and on Instagram @albumcovergirl for more recreated covers of iconic albums, old and new, and regular content on new music releases.


Covers of the top 20 albums of 2020 revisited as lockdown selfportraits by Albumcovergirl / ©GoodMorninCaptn

Covers of the top 20 albums of 2020 revisited as lockdown selfportraits by Albumcovergirl / ©GoodMorninCaptn

Or stream / watch the playlist via YouTube, with videos whenever available

All links in the list below directly point towards the respective album page on Bandcamp when available, or the label or artist official online store, so that you can easily stream, download or order them to support the artists. (only first 100 links added for now; remaining 50 to be progressively completed within the coming days)

  1. Fiona AppleFetch the Bolt Cutters (Epic Records, US)
  2. Lyra PramukFountain (Bedroom Community, US / DE)
  3. EartheaterPhoenix: Flames Are Dew Upon My Skin (PAN, US)
  4. Thanya IyerKind (Topshelf Records, CA)
  5. Perfume GeniusSet My Heart On Fire Immediately (Matador, US)
  6. TorresSilver Tongue (Merge Records, US)
  7. Adrianne LenkerSongs + Instrumentals (4AD, US)
  8. Moses SumneyGræ (Jagjaguwar, US)
  9. Johanna WarrenChaotic Good (Wax Nine / Carpark Records, US)
  10. Douglas DareMilkteeth (Erased Tapes, UK)
  11. Lido PimientaMiss Colombia (Anti- Records, CO / CA)
  12. TenciMy Heart is an Open Field (Keeled Scales, US)
  13. SevdalizaShabrang (Twisted Elegance, IR / NL)
  14. Hania RaniHome (Gondwana Records, PL)
  15. Zebra KatzLess Is Moor (ZFK Records, US)
  16. Kelly Lee OwensInner Song (Smalltown Supersound, UK)
  17. NnamdïBrat (Sooper Records, US)
  18. Phoebe BridgersPunisher (Dead Oceans, US)
  19. Dana GavanskiYesterday Is Gone (Full Time Hobby / Ba Da Bing!, CA)
  20. Sufjan StevensThe Ascension (Asthmatic Kitty, US)
  21. Becca MancariThe Greatest Part (Captured Tracks, US)
  22. Jessie WareWhat’s Your Pleasure? (Virgin EMI, UK)
  23. ObongjayarWhich Way Is Forward? (EP) (September, UK / NG)
  24. Half WaifThe Caretaker (Anti- Records, US)
  25. AnjimileGiver Taker (Father/Daughter Records, US)
  26. Thao & The Get Down Stay DownTemple (Ribbon Music, US)
  27. ActivityUnmask Whoever (Western Vinyl, US)
  28. JFDRNew Dreams (White Sun Recording / Krunk, IS)
  29. Dua SalehRosetta (EP) (Against Giants, US)
  30. LA PriestGene (Domino Records, UK)
  31. A Grape DopeArthur King Presents A Grape Dope: Backyard Bangers (Dangerbird Records, US)
  32. AlgiersThere Is No Year (Matador, US)
  33. Wye OakNo Horizon (EP) (Merge Records, US)
  34. Porridge RadioEvery Bad (Secretly Canadian, UK)
  35. Squirrel FlowerI Was Born Swimming (Polyvinyl Records / Full Time Hobby, US)
  36. JockstrapWicked City (EP) (Warp Records, UK)
  37. Keeley ForsythDebris (The Leaf Label, UK)
  38. Ana RoxanneBecause of a Flower (Kranky, US)
  39. Frances QuinlanLikewise (Saddle Creek, US)
  40. Owen PallettIsland (Domino Records, CA)
  41. Mourning [A] BLKStarThe Cycle (Don Giovanni Records, US)
  42. OhmmeFantasize Your Ghost (Joyful Noise Recordings, US)
  43. Zola MennenöhLonging for Belonging (Figureight Records, DE / DK)
  44. Other LivesFor Their Love (ATO Records, US)
  45. HachikuI’ll Probably Be Asleep (Milk! Records / Marathon Artists, AUS)
  46. Kate NVRoom For The Moon (RVNG Intl., RU)
  47. Fleet FoxesShore (Anti- Records, US)
  48. Dmitry EvgrafovSurrender (130701 / FatCat Records, RU)
  49. The Cool GreenhouseThe Cool Greenhouse (Melodic Records, UK)
  50. Wax ChattelsClot (Captured Tracks, NZ)
  51. LåpsleyThrough Water (XL Recordings, UK)
  52. Sylvan EssoFree Love (Loma Vista Recordings, US)
  53. Ela MinusActs Of Rebellion (Domino Records, CO / US)
  54. Kaitlyn Aurelia SmithThe Mosaic of Transformation (Ghostly International, US)
  55. Ian William CraigRed Sun Through Smoke (130701 / FatCat Records, CA)
  56. Jeff ParkerSuite for Max Brown (International Anthem, US)
  57. JónsiShiver (Krunk, IS)
  58. Princess ThailandAnd We Shine (À Tant Rêver Du Roi, FR)
  59. Hazel EnglishWake Up! (Polyvinyl Records, US / AUS)
  60. Land of TalkIndistinct Conversations (Saddle Creek, CA)
  61. ArcaKiCk i (XL Recordings, VZ)
  62. Helena DelandSomeone New (Luminelle Recordings, CA)
  63. Henriette Sennenvaldt (from Under Byen)Something Wonderful (Paper Bag Records, DK)
  64. Gabriel Garzón-MontanoAgüita (Jagjaguwar, US / CO)
  65. SamiaThe Baby (Grand Jury, US)
  66. Amnesia ScannerTearless (PAN, FI / DE)
  67. Yves TumorHeaven to a Tortured Mind (Warp Records, UK)
  68. AustraHiRUDiN (Domino Records / Pink Fizz Recordings, CA)
  69. DeradoorianFind the Sun (Anti- Records, US)
  70. Dominique AVie étrange (Cinq 7 / Wagram, FR)
  71. WestermanYour Hero Is Not Dead (Partisan Records, UK)
  72. Soccer MommyColor Theory (Loma Vista Recordings, US)
  73. LomeldaHannah (Double Double Whammy, US)
  74. Ben Lukas BoysenMirage (Erased Tapes, DE)
  75. GhostpoetI Grow Tired But Dare Not Fall Asleep (Again) ([PIAS], UK)
  76. WoodsStrange To Explain (Woodsist, US)
  77. Mary LattimoreSilver Ladders (Ghostly International, US)
  78. Cyril CyrilYallah Mickey Mouse (Born Bad Records, CH)
  79. Aoife Nessa FrancesLand of No Junction (Basin Rock, IE)
  80. Rina SawayamaSawayama (Dirty Hit, JP / UK)
  81. Dua LipaFuture Nostalgia (Warner Records, UK)
  82. Ben SeretanYouth Pastoral (Whatever’s Clever, US)
  83. InventionsContinuous Portrait (Temporary Residence Ltd., US)
  84. MAITABest Wishes (Kill Rock Stars, US)
  85. Nils BechFoolish Heart (Self-released, NO)
  86. Agnes ObelMyopia (Deutsche Grammophon, DK)
  87. Laura MarlingSong For Our Daughter (Chrysalis Records Limited / Partisan Records, UK)
  88. Rob MazurekExploding Star Orchestra’s Dimensional Stardust (International Anthem / Nonesuch Records, US)
  89. RoneRoom With A View (Infiné, FR)
  90. SonikkuJoyful Death (Bella Union, UK)
  91. Róisín MurphyRóisín Machine (Loaded Records / Skint, IE)
  92. Lorenzo SenniScacco Matto (Warp Records, IT)
  93. Nadia ReidOut Of My Province (Spacebomb Records, NZ)
  94. Reb FountainReb Fountain (Flying Nun Records, NZ)
  95. IsletEyelet (Fire Records, UK)
  96. Fontaines D.C.A Hero’s Death (Partisan Records, IE)
  97. Yes BasketballGoodbye Basketball (Les Disques Normal / À Tant Rêver du Roi, FR)
  98. Kyrie KristmansonLady Lightly (Iki records, CA)
  99. MelkbellyPITH (Wax Nine / Carpark Records, US)
  100. Sorry925 (Domino Records, UK)
  101. JunglepussyJP4 (Jagjaguwar, US)
  102. TunngTunng Presents… Dead Club (Full Time Hobby, UK)
  103. This Is the KitOff Off On (Rough Trade Records, UK)
  104. Madeline KenneySucker’s Lunch (Carpark Records, US)
  105. Nicole AtkinsItalian Ice (Single Lock Records, US)
  106. Luka KuplowskyStardust (Mama Bird Recording Co. / Next Door Records, CA)
  107. Julien GascL’Appel de la Forêt (Born Bad Records, FR)
  108. Jaye JaylePrisyn (Sargent House, US)
  109. AārpPropaganda (Infiné, FR)
  110. AmaaraeThe Angel You Don’t Know (Sad Saints Angry Angels, GHA / US)
  111. SaultUntitled (Black Is) (Forever Living Originals, UK)
  112. Told SlantPoint the Flashlight and Walk (Double Double Whammy, US)
  113. The Soft Pink TruthShall We Go On Sinning So That Grace May Increase? (Thrill Jockey, US)
  114. YelleL’Ère du Verseau (Recreation Center, FR)
  115. GeorgiaSeeking Thrills (Domino Records, UK)
  116. LAAKEO (Somaa / Mercury Records, FR)
  117. Empress OfI’m Your Empress Of (Terrible, US)
  118. Garage BlondeRage nue (La Discrète Music, FR)
  119. RVGFeral (Fire Records, AUS)
  120. KidbugKidbug (Joyful Noise Recordings, US)
  121. MoaningUneasy Laughter (Sub Pop, US)
  122. Lo-FangNear Other Worlds (Ocean Cloud Records, US / PT)
  123. CabaneGrande est la maison (Cabane Records, BE)
  124. MockeParle, grand canard (Objet Disque, FR)
  125. SkeletonsIf the Cat Come Back (Shinkoyo, US)
  126. LomaDon’t Shy Away (Sub Pop, US)
  127. HjaltalínHjaltalín (Self-released, IS)
  128. Sam PrekopComma (Thrill Jockey, US)
  129. ZerohBLQLYTE (Leaving Records, US)
  130. Soundwalk Collective with Patti SmithPeradam (featuring Anoushka Shankar, Tenzin Choegyal, and Charlotte Gainsbourg) (Bella Union, US)
  131. Oiseaux-TempêteTlamess (Sortilège) O.S.T. (Sub Rosa, FR)
  132. Brigitte FontaineTerre Neuve (Verycords, FR)
  133. Jehnny BethTo Love Is To Live (20L07 LLC, FR)
  134. MottronGiants ([PIAS], FR)
  135. Monolithe NoirMoira (Kowtow Records, FR)
  136. Régina DeminaHystérie&! (Kwaidan Records, FR)
  137. NaeemStartisha (37d03d, US)
  138. Rico NastyNightmare Vacation (Atlantic Records / Sugar Trap, US)
  139. Megan Thee StallionGood News (300 Entertainment, US)
  140. Jonah MutonoGerg (EQT Recordings, UGA / US)
  141. Leifur JamesAngel in Disguise (Night Time Stories, UK)
  142. Kety FuscoDazed (Sugar srl, CH)
  143. Brigid Mae PowerHead Above The Water (Fire Records, IE)
  144. Allysen CalleryGhost Folk (Cosirecords Schallplatten, US)
  145. Andy ShaufThe Neon Skyline (Anti- Records, CA)
  146. Lee Ranaldo & Raül RefreeNames Of North End Women (Mute Records, US / SP)
  147. Hen OgleddFree Humans (Weird World, UK)
  148. Sonic BoomAll Things Being Equal (Carpark Records, UK)
  149. PantayoPantayo (Telephone Explosion, CA)
  150. Thor & Friends3 & 4 (Joyful Noise Recordings, US)
  151. Greg FoxContact (RVNG Intl., US)

Let me know the albums I have missed from your personal tops, and please come back in 10 hours after you’ve listened to the whole playlist to tell me which new albums you are digging ;-) In the meantime:

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Puzzle Muteson, Rach Three & Thomas Mery’s Paris home gig

PUZZLE MUTESON, RACH THREE & THOMAS MERY will be visiting us for a home gig in Paris, on Saturday, May 21, at 7:30pm. We are very excited and honored to welcome those 3 outstanding singers-songwriters, all of whom are releasing records this Spring which you should definitely look out for. Please send us an e-mail to be added to the guest list if you would like to join: salon(AT)goodmornincaptn.com

Puzzle Muteson, Rach Three, Thomas Mery passent au salon le 21 mai 2011

PUZZLE MUTESON (UK, Bedroom Community)

Newly signed to Iceland’s Bedroom Community, Puzzle Muteson is an enigmatic songwriter from the Isle of Wight, rendering his music in a tremulous tenor over a finely spun web of fingerpicked guitar. After obsessively listening to his raw tapes, Valgeir Sigurðsson and Nico Muhly nurtured the songs that now inhabit his debut recording, titled En Garde. The album will be released on June 6 in Europe, and June 7 worldwide.

RACH THREE (FR)

Rach Three is a folk/ambient project from Paris with a raw and delicate rib. Depending on the time and weather, Rach Three’s guitar and voice intertwine with an occasional clarinet, trumpet, singing saw, drums and piano. His first record “3 songs for Claire +2” has just been released last month.

THOMAS MERY (FR, Own Records)

On “Les couleurs, les ombres“, his second solo album out May 31st on Own records, Thomas Mery keeps exploring the paths of his latest EP, again with a little help from his former Purr mates (Jérôme Lorichon, now in The Berg Sans Nipple, and Stéphane Bouvier, now touring with Yann Tiersen and Nestor Is Bianca). Now mainly singing in his native French, Thomas deconstructs the codes of folk music and chanson, filters everyday-life impulses through the more volatile matter of dreams, creating songs that allow the daring listener to penetrate an intimate and singular world, where Nick Drake and Dominique A meet Tarkovski and Antonioni.

Visit the event page on Facebook for “Puzzle Muteson, Rach Three & Thomas Mery passent au salon le 21 mai
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2010 – Top 9

GoodMorninCaptn - Top 2010 - Have One On Me, Retold, All Is Falling, Church With No Magic, Until The Point Of Hushed Support, Constellations, The Calcination Of Scout Niblett, All Delighted People EP, I See The SignAND HERE FINALLY COME OUR FAVORITE 9 RECORDS OF 2010… MANY OF WHICH ARE NICELY ORCHESTRATED, SOME PURELY INSTRUMENTAL AND A FEW OTHERS WITH NOTABLE VOICES; SOME GREAT ALBUMS TO FALL ASLEEP TO AND A FEW MORE ENERGIZING ONES TO FUEL OUR MORNINGS… HOPEFULLY YOU’LL LIKE THEM AS MUCH AS WE DO; HOPEFULLY WE WON’T REGRET ALL THE RECORDS WHICH WE HAD TO OMIT, OR FORGOT, OR HADN’T HAD THE CHANCE TO LISTEN TO IN TIME… HOPEFULLY 2011 WILL BE FILLED WITH JUST AS MUCH INSPIRING MUSIC. IN THE MEANTIME, DON’T HESITATE TO SHARE (here or there) WHAT YOU HAVE LISTENED TO OVER AND OVER IN 2010.

Sam Amidon - I See The SignSufjan Stevens - All Delighted People EPThe Calcination - Of Scout Niblett

9) SAM AMIDON – “I See The Sign” (Bedroom Community)

Sam marries ageless folk songs to the avant-garde arrangements of label mate Nico Muhly, unveiling unexpected beauty.

8) SUFJAN STEVENS – “All Delighted People EP” (Asthmatic Kitty)

2010 has delighted fans of Sufjan with no less than 2 great new records: the rambling The Age of Adz, and a so-called hour-long “EP”, slightly more focused, but just as grand and luxurious.

7) SCOUT NIBLETT – “The Calcination of Scout Niblett” (Drag City)

Raw rock-and-roll songs to burn your heart down.

Listen to title-track “The Calcination Of Scout Niblett“:

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Read our review of The Calcination of Scout Niblett.

Balmorhea -ConstellationsGreg Haines - Until The Point Of Hushed SupportPVT - Church With No Magic6) BALMORHEA – “Constellations” (Western Vinyl)

Balmorhea’s compositions got more subtle, welcoming doses of pleasurable silence, and we’ve enjoyed this gentle evolution a lot.

Listen to “Bowsprit“, from “Constellations“:

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5) GREG HAINES – “Until the Point of Hushed Support” (Sonic Pieces)

Strings, church organ, piano, percussions and electronics turn into black magic in the hands of the young and gifted English composer.

Marc’s Descent by Greg Haines

Listen to Until The Point Of Hushed Support on Spotify.

4) PVT – “Church With No Magic” (Warp)

Although the addition of vocals to the Australian trio’s formula may have puzzled a few early fans, it has instilled a touch of immediacy to their music which more than made up for the lost vowels in the band’s name. “Pivot – vowels + vocals = PVT” may have been a winning equation indeed.

PVT – “Window“, directed by Clemens Habicht

Listen to Church With No Magic on Spotify.

James Blackshaw - All Is FallingNest - RetoldJoanna Newsom - Have One On Me3) JAMES BLACKSHAW – “All is Falling” (Young God Records)

Inspired with his new 12-string electric guitar, James Blackshaw has built a more orchestrated suite, which spins and spins, and speaks and sticks to our inner self.

Listen to “Part 7 (edit)“, from “All Is Falling“:

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Listen to All Is Falling on Spotify.

2) NEST – “Retold” (Serein)

Bare landscapes; quiet and haunting.

Retold by Nest

Listen to Retold on Spotify.

Read our review here.

1) JOANNA NEWSOM – “Have One on Me” (Drag City)

With her fingers running across magic strings (and keys, occasionally), and her voice flying high over lengthy compositions, Joanna keeps seducing crowds (and stuffed animals) with a triple LP, which for many towered high above 2010.

Joanna’s magic shall be experienced through analogical means only (i.e. sorry, no official song or video available online).

Read and listen to our top #30 to #19, and top #18 to #10.

New Year’s Eve Label Interview: Erased Tapes Records

Erased Tapes Records - 2009 > 2010 New Year's Eve label interviewWHILE WE DISCOVERED ERASED TAPES RECORDS THIS YEAR THANKS TO PETER BRODERICK AND ÓLAFUR ARNALDS RELEASES, THIS EXCITING YOUNG LABEL IS ALREADY PREPARING TO CELEBRATE ITS 3RD ANNIVERSARY. BASED IN LONDON, ERASED TAPES HAVE FOUND AN AESTHETIC ON THEIR OWN, SIGNING ARTISTS FROM BERLIN TO PORTLAND, FROM NEO-CLASICAL TO POST-ROCK AND SOULFUL ELECTRONICS, BRIDGING INNOVATIVE CONTEMPLATIVE MUSICS TO CONTEMPORARY DANCE AND VISUAL ARTISTS. LABEL FOUNDER ROBERT RATHS IS PRESENTING US THE ERASED TAPES FRIENDS AND EXTENDED FAMILY, AS THE FIRST ENTRY IN OUR SERIES OF LABEL INTERVIEWS FOR THE NEW YEAR.

A) Which records released in 2009 do you wish you had released on Erased Tapes?

Robert: I am not quite sure. Maybe there just wasn’t any other record that I wish I had put out in 2009? No, that can’t be, can it? Or maybe I was just too busy to pay enough attention to any other records out there? Well, if so, then that’s alright. It’s the timeless records that last and that we can discover years after any sort of hype or flavour of the week nonsense.

Nils Frahm - The Bells (Erased Tapes)The only album that hit me so much I could not sleep without playing it at night, I could not eat without it in the morning and I could not work without it during the day was Nils Frahm’s “The Bells“. I count myself very lucky that it had only just been released in Europe at the time and I was able to sign it for the UK and North America, because I could not imagine Erased Tapes without it anymore.

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Nils Frahm – “Said And Done” from “The Bells(Erased Tapes)

Efterklang - Performing Parades (Rumraket/Leaf Label)Of course there were other great releases in 2009. For instance, I really enjoyed our good friends Efterklang & The Danish National Chamber Orchestra – “Performing Parades“. Partly because I was involved in getting them the Barbican show with Britten Sinfonia by telling the right people about this idea of performing their 2007 album with a live orchestra, which this record of course reminds me of. But also because it just sounds so much richer than the original recording, which I really did not think was possible until I heard it.

Then there is this new wave of psychedelic releases from the States, especially New York, which I enjoyed a lot all year. Songs like Animal Collective’s “My Girls” or Dan Deacon’s “Snookered” make me happy every time I hear them. Same thing with the latest Dirty Projectors album.

B) Which artist you wish you had signed will you keep an ear on in 2010?

Efterklang - Magic Chairs (4AD, Feb. 2010)Robert: EFTERKLANG. What I’ve heard of their new album called “Magic Chairs” so far sounded really fresh – more pop and at the same time rawer than their previous material. Think Paul Simon’s “Graceland” played by an army of the most natural and dedicated musicians I know.

Owen Palett - HeartlandOWEN PALLETT. Since I first saw Owen perform his violin with his loop station accompanied by his boyish voice whispering or shouting obscure poetry, I knew I would not rest until I’ve dragged everyone I know to his shows to experience the same. In January 2010 he will release his upcoming album “Heartland“, the first under his real name since he decided to no longer release under his moniker “Final Fantasy. As a friend I wish for him and his music to finally reach a larger audience as he is one of the most gifted and hardest working musicians I know.

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Owen Pallett – “Lewis Takes Action” from “Heartland” (Domino)

Nico Muhly (detail from Speaks Volume covert art)NICO MUHLY. Nico is the only person that makes me feel slow. He is also the only person I am actually worried about. Why? Because he is Nico Muhly, the busiest composer around but also a dear friend of mine and I don’t want to see him having a burn-out. Since I know him he has taken on a new project every week or so. The National, Grizzly Bear, Courtney Love, Pet Shop Boys, Elton John… The list is endless. Then there is his own solo recordings, touring and he is writing his first opera for the English National Opera planned to premiere in 2011. And yet he’d find the time to show his pretty face on cooking programs, write essay-sized blogs and reviews about hair, food and art that will now really interest you – all on a daily basis. Basically, it’s hard not to be obsessed with Nico. Last time I stayed at his apartment in Manhattan he was working on some string arrangements for Jónsi (Sigur Rós)’s debut solo album “Go“. He is a man pouring with energy and creativity – enough to power the whole of China Town and make his house cats cook their own fish à la carte.

C) What are you the most proud of for Erased Tapes in 2009?

Olafur Arnalds - Found SongsRobert: Everything. 2009 has been our best year so far in so many ways; it’s been so exciting! Signing Nils Frahm and Peter Broderick to the label meant the world to me. It felt so natural.

I am also especially proud of the way we worked the Found Songs” project and all the beautiful things that have come out of it. The way Ólafur Arnalds managed to finish a song per day for a whole week and how I had to set my alarm to remember uploading and linking each track every evening whilst on tour. It was such a crazy week! I loved the way fans were involved in creating the cover artwork via Flickr and how it inspired Esteban Diácono, a young visual talent from Buenos Aires, to create this astonishing particle animation video for “Ljósið. It was so exciting to see the free low-res version receiving over 200.000 downloads and the video over 500.000 views within only a few weeks time… All the amazing feedback from fans and critics all around the world has given us so much hope really.

Olafur Arnalds - Dyad 1909 (Erased Tapes)Peter Broderick - Music For Falling From TreesThen of course the release of two rather remarkable contemporary dance scores: first there was Peter Broderick’s score “Music For Falling From Trees” for Adrienne Hart’s piece in spring, then the collaboration we initiated between Óli and our choreographer friend Wayne McGregor for “Dyad 1909” in autumn 2009.

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Ólafur Arnalds – “Til Enda” from “Dyad 1909” (Erased Tapes)

It makes me very proud to hear from so many people how they discovered contemporary dance through our music and the other way around, how the dance world discovered our music through the performances. It was also great to hear how many people thought this was Peter’s most distinguished work to date. I was so moved when his sister Heather and the Efterklang guys told me they thought so too. There is nothing more I could have hoped to achieve with these two projects.


Peter Broderick – Music for Falling From Trees (video trailer)

Rival Consoles IOBut of course I am just as proud and happy about the albums we released with all the other acts this year. There are so many different forms of happiness I find in their music. Rival Consoles gives me energy every day anew. There must be something in my genes or in my heartbeat that synchs especially well with his tracks.

I’m very proud of all the touring Codes In The Clouds did in 2009. They used up all their holidays and really made an effort to play as many concerts, in-store shows and radio sessions as possible throughout the UK, Ireland and Europe mainland. There were actually so many live performances in 2009 that made me proud of what we’ve got going – it would take ages to list them all.

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Codes In The Clouds – “Don’t Go Awash In This Digital Landscape” from “Paper Canyon” (Erased Tapes)

It feels so good to see Erased Tapes becoming more and more of a family. Being the “first born” on the label, Ryan aka Rival Consoles has, is and will always be special to me. He recently moved to London and now lives 5 minutes down the road, which is wonderful as we can meet pretty much every day now. Also Ólafur is visiting us in London more often. Now everyone actually realises the benefits of being on the same label – of being there for each other as artists and friends.

In general I am very happy about what we have created together this year. It’s almost as if there were no compromises needed – on neither side. It was all about sitting in the same boat, finding new currents for music and taking the same risk in doing so.

D) What are the label’s challenges for 2010?

Erased Tapes Collection IIRobert: 2010 will of course see a lot of great new challenges in form of “difficult” second albums, tours, label nights and special projects. We are also working on a brand new website (http://erasedtapes.com) to be launched in time for the official worldwide release of “Erased Tapes Collection II” on February 1 to celebrate our 3rd anniversary. People can download a free low-res version of the compilation by visiting http://ddc.erasedtapes.com and typing in “MY-FREE-ERATP020″ together with their email address.

I am currently working on a very exciting visual concept for the next Rival Consoles album. The music Ryan is making for it is sounding more organic and very cinematic. Also Peter and me skyped the other day and came up with a great concept for his next record on Erased Tapes. Ólafur Arnads just finished mixing Album 2, Codes In The Clouds are writing and Nils Frahm will be concentrating on touring with Balmorhea in spring and Peter Broderick in late 2010.

I don’t want to give away too much, mainly because I tend to change my mind a gazillion times before things are set in stone. It’s all part of the process. It’s pure chaos to begin with – like a puzzle. But once I found two little pieces that match and make sense together things are falling into place bit by bit. I don’t like planning things too tightly. I need enough room to still be flexible and to be able to surprise people – including myself. I hope to be able to surprise you in 2010. That’s my biggest challenge.

You can follow Erased Tapes Records on twitter.com/erasedtapes to be kept up-to-date.

… And please stay tuned to GoodMorninCaptn.com for further label interviews in the coming days.

Ben Frost Grabs You “By The Throat”

Ben Frost By The ThroatAn Australian-born producer and founding member of the Icelandic label Bedroom Community along with Nico Muhly and Valgeir Sigurðsson, Ben Frost releases his 4th full length, “By The Throat”.

The follower to 2007’s “Theory of Machines” features performances by musicians as diverse as Amiina, The Arcade Fire’s drummer Jeremy Gara, Swedish grindcore band Crowpath, and label mate and hip composer Nico Muhly, losely disseminated through its 11 pieces. And the result is at least as surprising as those contributors themselves. With ambiences ranging from the abstract beats of Ryoji Ikeda to a gothic version of Murcof’s “Versailles Sessions”, the freezing soundscapes of Set Fire To Flames or a much richer, more cerebral turn on Fuck Buttons‘ noisy electronic drones, “By The Throat” synthetizes many seemingly incompatible genres in a dark modern chamber music, which stands on its own and is both challenging and emotionally powerful.

Ben Frost explores people’s deepest fears with this score to a heavily twisted mind. “By The Throat” is loaded with murderers (”Killshot”), wolves and vampires (”The Carpathians”), implores help of superior forces (”O God Protect Me”), but only receives intervention from Ghostbusters’ Peter Venkman (”Peter Venkman Pt. 1 & 2″, though the tracks themselves recel less humor than their title).

Choirs, concrete samples, bowed and scratched strings, piano, brass and hints of heavy guitars layer into this nightmarish soundtrack, as the danger comes closer, sneaking into your home (”Through The Glass Of The Roof”), into your own body (”Through The Roof Of Your Mouth”), perverting your view of the world (”Through The Mouth Of Your Eye”). As a matter of fact, you eventually cannot but surrender to Ben’s innovative music when it grabs you by the throat, surrounding you in an explosion of sound fractals, of which one can barely tell if they come from your own mind or from a frightening yet mesmerizing environment.

Bedroom Community’s WHALE WATCHING TOUR will feature the label’s complete band roster (Sam Amidon, Ben Frost, Nico Muhly, and Valgeir Sigurðsson); a great opportunity to catch those outstanding artists live if you’re close to one of the below European cities this November.

November 3, 2009: Centre Escorxador, Elche (Alicante), Spain, 9:30 PM, €5.
November 4, 2009: Museo MARCO de Vigo, Spain, 8:30 PM, €10.
November 5, 2009: Teatro Maria Matos, Lisbon, Portugal, 9:45 PM, €12.
November 6, 2009: La Casa Encendida, Madrid, Spain, 8 PM, €3.
November 8, 2009: AB, Brussels, Belgium, 4 PM, €12.
November 9, 2009: Effenaar, Eindhoven, The Netherlands, 7:30 PM, €15.
November 10, 2009: UT Connewitz, Leipzig, Germany, 8 PM.
November 11, 2009: Stadtgarten Concerthall, Köln, Germany, 8 PM, €12-15.
November 12, 2009: Huset i Magstraede, Copenhagen, Denmark, 8 PM.