WATCH: Hinako Omori – ‘cyanotype memories’

A mood-lifting soundscape that offers listeners a moment of respite in an uncertain world, London-based artist and composer Hinako Omori has shared her latest single ‘cyanotype memories’. Taken from her upcoming album, stillness, softness…, which is set for release via Houndstooth on 27th October, the track is an ode to surrendering yourself to the unknown and finding peace within that process.

Following on from her recent single ‘foundation’, on ‘cyanotype memories’ Omori continues to trust her instincts and channel them into a more contemporary, song-based structure. Whilst her new efforts retain the wonderful soothing and enigmatic qualities of the tracks that formed her debut album, …a journey (which featured on Get In Her Ears’ Albums Of 2022 list) they expand and showcase her songwriting talents further. Guided by her wonderfully clear, gentle vocals, on ‘cyanotype memories’ Omori is “a careful observer among the chaos”, exploring the altering states of emotion and the often turbulent pace of life through her hypnotic synths and evocative beats.

“Synths really do respond to how you’re feeling,” Omori offers. “There have been times where I’ve felt stressed and my synth would go out of tune. I took it to a repair place once, thinking that something was wrong with it, but it was fine; I think it was to do with my energy levels. So when I sit down and write something, whatever comes out is relevant to how I feel in that moment because the synthesiser is responding to it. The music really becomes a map of my emotions.” Commenting on ‘cyanotype memories’, she explains: “[it’s] about reconnecting and returning to our inner stillness, and surrendering to the unknown. We ultimately don’t have control over how anything external might pan out, but when we trust our inner compass things seem to be revealed to us in the most beautiful and unexpected way.”

Paying attention to the physiological effects of music is something that’s deeply important to Omori. She blends her wonderfully heightened awareness of this alongside beautiful aesthetics, with cyanotope printing being a strong inspiration for this track and the accompanying photography and artwork for her new album. “I was fascinated by the idea of cyanotype printing,” she continues, “the act of placing an object on paper, and exposing it to UV light – the longer the object is focused under the light, a stronger or more detailed image can form on the paper. I thought there was a similarity in focusing and redirecting our thoughts to create new neural pathways in our brains, with the repetition of these thoughts creating stronger paths.”

This idea is explored further in the beautifully shot accompanying video for the track. Directed by Thomas Harrington Rawle & Cathal Mckeon and featuring contemporary dancer Chihiro Kawasaki, the monochrome visuals are a stunning blend of shadows and silhouettes, with Kawasaki improvising her movements in the lights which were programmed live by Richard Brade.

Watch the video for ‘cyanotype memories’ below.

Hinako Omori will be playing a headline show at London’s ICA on December 2nd
Tickets are available here

Follow Hinako Omori on bandcamp, Spotify, Instagram, Twitter & Facebook

Photo credit: Luca Bailey

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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TRACK PREMIERE: Ich Bin Finn – ‘Summer Girlfriend’

A sultry, grunge-infused ode to the rush of feelings that come with a new found seasonal crush, London-based rockers Ich bin Finn have shared their latest single ‘Summer Girlfriend’. Taken from their upcoming album, Breakfast Pizza, which is set for release via Roadkill Records on 11th August, the track is a sweet celebration of the transient nature of summer infatuation.

Formed of Finn D’Albert (guitar, vocals), Kim Watson (bass, backing vocals) and Mike Brown (drums, recorder, backing vocals), Ich bin Finn are a proud, vehemently DIY band. The trio enjoy working together and alongside their friends to create their playful, garage rock sounds, and their latest single ‘Summer Girlfriend’ is no different. The track’s artwork features Mike’s son, Wilfred, and the album which it’s lifted from was mixed and mastered by close friend of the band Tom le Beau Morley.

As the title suggests, ‘Summer Girlfriend’ is all about the precious new days of dating someone when the summertime finally kicks in. With their snaking riffs and relatable lyrics, Ich Bin Finn explore the sweet behaviours we indulge in, from eating ice cream together, to showing affection by softly applying sun cream to each others skin. This tender, sentimental mood underscores many of the tracks on the band’s upcoming album, Breakfast Pizza.

“These songs have an optimism and poetic vulnerability about them,” bassist Kim explains. “From lonely post break-up reflections, to a sense of new found freedom to venture out, dive in and explore new romantic possibilities.” Kim and her wife Angie created the artwork for the album together too, further emphasising the love and passion that has gone into the band’s new project.

“It’s all about treading that tightrope between freedom and loneliness,” guitarist and vocalist Finn adds. “Pizza for breakfast? Freedom. Pizza for every meal? Loneliness.” However you view these things, we’re sure that Ich Bin Finn will have a song on Breakfast Pizza that will resonate with you.

Listen to ‘Summer Girlfriend’ below.

 

Follow Ich Bin Finn on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter (X), Instagram & Facebook

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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GUIDE & PLAYLIST: ArcTanGent Festival 2023

Event: ArcTanGent Festival

Where: Fernhill Farm, Bristol, England

When: Thursday 17th – Sunday 20th August 2023

Ticket Info:
3 day ticket: £190.50

Full ticket info and options (including day tickets & VIP packages) are available on DICE

General Info:
We’ve been keeping tabs on independent alternative festival ArcTanGent for a few years now, and their 2023 line-up looks better than ever! Described by Metal Hammer Magazine as “a haven of progressive music across the spectrum of all things heavy,” the festival aims to showcase an eclectic array of artists and bands across five alternating stages.

Things kick off early on Wednesday 16th August with special guest performances from a diverse range of upcoming alternative artists, but the official line-up starts on Thursday 17th August. There’s also a silent disco on each night from 11pm-3am.

Who’s Playing: Check out the full line-up here

There are so many excellent bands playing at ArcTanGent this year, it’s hard to pick favourites! As you all know, at Get In Her Ears, we focus on female, non-binary and LGBTQ+ talent, so beneath the official line-up poster below, there are some in depth recommendations about bands who we have championed via our website, Soho Radio show or live nights in recent years.

We have no doubt that these artists will put on a phenomenal show too: HEALTH, Devin Townsend, Russian Circles, SWANS, CONVERGE, Spurv, Deafheaven, PETBRICK, A Burial At Sea, Loathe and Birds In Row. You can get to know them all better by listening to our accompanying Spotify Playlist at the end of this feature.

BRUTUS

This heavy trio from Belgium will definitely be a festival highlight. We spoke to Brutus’ drummer and vocalist Stefanie Mannaerts ahead of the release of the band’s third album, Unison Life, back in 2022 and she spoke eloquently about the sheer determination that went into creating their strongest record to date. We also caught Brutus’ live at The Garage in London on their UK tour later that year, and they blew us away with their thunderous, triumphant, self-possessed sound. We overheard someone refer to Stefanie as “Bjork on drums,” which we think is an immense compliment. Read our full interview with her here.

CLT DRP

It feels cliche to say it, but Brighton trio CLT DRP (pronounced ‘clit drip’) are a band that need to be seen live to be fully appreciated. Blending punk vocals with wild, idiosyncratic guitar FX and phenomenal drumming; Annie, Scott and Daphne have an unparalleled energy when performing on stage together. We got caught up in the mosh pit for one of their four(!) sets at The Great Escape Festival in May, and we’ve only just recovered from it. We can’t wait to hear their upcoming album, Nothing Clever, Just Feelings, in full when it’s released in September.

STRAIGHT GIRL

This Leeds-based electronic artist is responsible for the first ever stage invasion at a Get In Her Ears gig! if that’s not incentive enough to turn up early for their DJ set on Wednesday, we don’t know what is? They filled the room with candid, chaotic queer joy and fierce synth-driven noise when they headlined for us at The Shacklewell Arms in East London in July. Checkout out some excellent pics that photographer Cassie Barnard took of them here.

TOKKY HORROR 

We still haven’t seen the formidable TOKKY HORROR play live, but we’re sure their wild blend of punk, rave and dance music will be a sensational experience not to be missed. We spoke to producer Zee earlier this year about the band’s latest EP, KAPPACORE, and the their ethos of making space in music for marginalised folks and making the mosh a safe and inclusive place. Read the full piece here.

ROLO TOMASSI

After almost two decades of playing together, Sheffield-based five-piece Rolo Tomassi have a distinctive sound that keeps their fans coming back for more. We caught them live at Camden’s Electric Ballroom in February, and we were dazzled by Eva Korman’s elastic vocal range, which was made all the more potent by the crystalline, visceral walls of sound her bandmates conjured.

We were also deeply impressed by their support act; genre-defying, Phoenix-based four-piece Holy Fawn. They have a collective intuition for balancing perfectly timed, blissfully noisy drop-ins alongside more shadowy, majestic sounds. This state of emotional flux is something the band captured on their recent album Dimensional Bleed, and it’s one that translates beautifully in a live setting.

NEW TALENT

These artists are completely new to us, but we recommend you check them out too:

GGGOLDDD, Chinese Football, Cultdreams, Svalbard, Bones Of Minerva, Pupil Slicer, LOS SARA FONTAN, Mountain Caller, Other Half, Parachute For Gordo, Heilung, Liturgy, Ashenspire, Lack The Low, Lys Morke, Witchsorrow, The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die, The Callous Daoboys, fakeyourdeath, Naut, Every Hell and Thought Forms.

For more information visit the ArcTanGent official website

Check out our ArcTanGent Playlist below, led by tracks from some of the female & non-binary talent playing the festival this year!

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LISTEN: ALT BLK ERA – ‘Misfits: SOLAR’

Combining jagged electronics and racing beats with their raging lyrics to create another alternative statement of self autonomy, genre-defying sister duo ALT BLK ERA have shared their latest single ‘Misfits: SOLAR’. Taken from their upcoming EP, Freak Show, which is set for release on 1st September, the track is a frenzied anthem fuelled by the band’s antagonistic, youthful spirit.

Formed of sisters Nyrobi and Chaya, ALT BLK ERA create tenacious alternative tunes designed to showcase their vivid personalities. Inspired by the likes of Ho99o9, Nova Twins, Hacktivist, The Prodigy and Billie Eilish, they blur the boundaries of pop punk, nu-metal, rap and electronic music to form their riotous sounds.

Refusing to be pigeonholed, the pair explore and vent their frustrations about life through their music, with latest single ‘Misfits: SOLAR’ flowing in this vein. Unapologetic until the last breath, the track is a vehement warning to those who stand in ALT BLK ERA’s way: “If you treat us wrong / we won’t hold our tongues”. With their raucous dual vocals, the duo continue to reinforce their narrative of independence and celebrate their alternative outlook, pushing back against the haters and the gatekeepers.

ALT BLK ERA have a busy summer of live performances ahead of them. Fresh from playing Glastonbury Festival and supporting STRAIGHT GIRL for our GIHE July gig at The Shacklewell Arms (check out some amazing photos from the night here) they’ll be playing Reading & Leeds festivals at the end of August, as well as two headline shows in London and Nottingham in September. Full dates and details below.

Listen to ‘Misfits: SOLAR’ here:

ALT BLK ERA UK Tour Dates 2023
Aug 25th – Reading Festival
Aug 26th – Leeds Festival
Sep 13th – The Grace, London (Headline Show)
Sep 16th – Beta, Nottingham (Headline Show)

Follow ALT BLK ERA on bandcamp, Spotify, Tik Tok, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Photo Credit: Fabrice Gagos

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment