Sketches For AlbinosCamped out somewhere in deepest, iciest Iceland Sketches for Albinos (aka Matthew Collings) makes music from the ends of the earth.
I guess it all began with adventuring with tapes and things I had no idea how to do, but having a itch to scratch and a gap in my mind record collection that had to be filled.The first albinos release was 2006’s eponymous 6 track ep, which is due to be digitally re-released in July on Imoto Records. A preview video for 'Routine' is available below
As with each SfA project, the results pretty much defied definition. From the broken beats and tremor quakes of ‘Kids with no Energy’ to the clattering warmth of ‘Routine’ Sketches kept you guessing from first to last.
Following on from the ep is ten track album 'Red'. The first Sketches release on Imoto, it is, as you’d expect, intently evocative. Switching continually between moments of sweet hearted stillness on debut single Daniel Likes Birds to the awestruck mong tone of opener The Hustler. 'Red' is available on itunes, bleep.com, tune tribe and rhapsody.
Hot on the tracks of 'Red' is '.that city is a liar', released by Ropeadope Digital. A nine track mini-album compiled at the same time as 'Red', and a huge and diverse listen: '.Not since listening to Godspeed You Black Emperor have we heard spoken word used so perfectly underneath a gentle bed of acoustic music. What we also like about this record is how certain tracks seemingly broadcast images into our minds. Anna Karina is such a song. Despite clocking in at 88 seconds, it is a one-instrument song full of bliss and prettiness. Imagine a scene in a film where some kind of heartache has happened. Drop all the dialogue as two characters go to make-up; with this song in the background it is the perfect song to fit the image. If not a film then we could ramble off more places where this song could be used.(Hecklerspray.com)
'Born from a process of "making tapes and attempting to record with things [he] didn't understand, .that city is a liar comes off as a sort of photo album, or sketchbook if you will. Each track is a momentary snapshot, lasting only long enough to capture the most salient feature within its field of vision. These are fleeting moments, unrefined and emotive -- leftover breeze at the end of a storm.with his balance of the sweet against the discordant, the mood is simply more primordial than primal.(Jambands.com)
Sketches also produced a stunning version of Sinatra’ s ‘Let It Snow’ for Izumi’s ‘It’s Not Like Christmas’ album, which was named 'Record of the Week' by The Sunday Times and Daily Mail in the UK, amongst other accolades
thanks for everyone for all their support, comments and inspiration
(forget about the future, these times are such a mess, tune out the past and just say yes - Sonic Youth)
New release from Sketches for Albinos:
'days of being wild and kind'
nothings66 records
released AUGUST 18TH 2010
days of being wild and kindsketches for albinos
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Previous releases from Sketches for Albinos:
listen to 'red',
redsketches for albinos
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listen to ' .that city is a liar'
.that city is a liarsketches for albinos
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Available from:
bandcamp
emusic
bleep
itunes
. on a par with anything that the mighty Sigur Ros have released.(Rawkstar.net)
Like a fine piece of literature, …That City Is A Liar should be shared and passed onto as many people as possible. Its sheer warmth and beauty will move anyone who has ever had a flicker of emotion (Hecklerspray.com).
Songs like pale deep-sea creatures, float through an embryonic soup. Muffled, they bend into bulbous shapes. We’re stunned (Brighton Source Magazine).
Utterly unique, Sketches has all the musical adventure of John Mcentire, Tortoise or Kevin Shields without sounding a bit like any of them (Imoto Records Press Blog).
video for 'Routine', from the debut albinos EP
live footage from a gig at the holy trinity church, leeds, uk, dec 15th 07:
CHEROKEE:
LET IT SNOW:
You can read an interview with Sketches, about music, visualisation, synesthesia and the making of the 'routine' video here:
www.toolfarm.com
