LISTEN: Glass Isle – ‘Pols d’Ombres’

Loosely translating as ‘Dust Of Shadows’, London-based Brazilian artist Zuleika AvTes aka Glass Isle casts a graceful gloom over her listeners on the captivating ‘Pols d’Ombres’. Possessing a lucid dream-like quality, the track is taken from her recent album, Vels d’Èter (‘Veils Of Ether’), which she released via Outer Reaches earlier this month.

By blending her delicate vocal loops with cell-tingling FX and gossamer-like drone sounds, Glass Isle has created a hypnotic rumination that becomes more potent each time it’s listened to. This is the same spellbinding affect her album Vels d’Èter offers. Across 20 tracks, all varying in length, Glass Isle takes listeners on a journey through mortality, and memory, dreams and ritual, solitude and transformation; all via the medium of field recordings captured in London & São Paulo, illuminating drone sounds, and her stirring, far-off vocals.

Described as “music of the ether…diverging through parks and passageways, hinterlands and undergrowth, apparitional visions of arboreal scenery, liminal avenues, and opalescent waterways,” Glass Isle’s sound is as intoxicating as it is elusive. Flickering between the shadows of this world and the realms of another, her music transports listeners through differing states of consciousness. Formed over many years, and now sewn together, Vels d’Èter is ready to illuminate the lives of other.

The album is available as a digital download and on limited edition clear C74 Cassette tape. The cassette includes a 28 page A6 Photography Booklet (160gsm paper/silk finish) and is housed in a Black Matt or Silver Matt Mylar Bag with an Outer Reaches Label Sticker. You can buy your copy here.

Listen to ‘Pols d’Ombres’ below.

 

Follow Glass Isle on bandcamp, YouTube, Twitter (X) & Instagram

Visit Glass Isle’s official website here

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Guest Blog: Tina Boonstra

Having received acclaim from the likes of Tom Robinson on BBC 6Music and BBC Introducing, London based artist Tina Boonstra has been charming our ears for the last few years with her shimmering folk-strewn melodies and raw, immersive emotion. Now, following the release of her latest album Circle back, start again., she is about to head off on a small European tour. However, it’s not just your average tour; she wanted to make her live shows as accessible and affordable as possible during this cost of living crisis. So, with her fans, she came up with a plan for enabling those with low/no income to be able to attend the events…

Here, Tina talks about her inspirations behind the new album and the idea of gathering funds for sponsored tickets for her gigs. Have a read, and make sure you listen to the stirring sounds of Circle back, start again. now!

When Sarah and Luke told us they were expecting a baby, we couldn’t be happier for them, they were one of our first close friends to have kids, and the excitement was written all over their faces. I saw Sarah just before Christmas, the baby would arrive in just a few months, and they still had so much to do. Three weeks later, we got a text from Luke. Sarah was in hospital, the baby had died. It was like watching a tornado rip through your next door neighbour’s house, while you stood next door unharmed. We were in shock, but they were in the wreckage.  

Nobody plans for heartbreak, and yet, there’s so much in our life that we just can’t plan for. In the end, that’s what my debut album Circle Back, start again is about. It’s stories of ordinary people navigating difficult circumstances; a retired nurse re-telling family trauma, an unexpected illness, a missing friend, a miscarriage, a broken relationship… 

We all go through hard times and that can make us feel so lonely. So, when it came to planning a tour for this album, I wanted to find a way to include more people in the performances. What if fans could sponsor tickets for people who’ve been through a tough time, or couldn’t afford a ticket? I put the idea to my fans and they responded with a resounding YES. 

My goal was to be able to sponsor 10% of the tickets. We achieved it in the first week; such an incredible result, and testament to the generosity of my fans. It’s not like coming to a concert will somehow magically fix anything, but I hope a gift like this could be one night where things are just a tiny bit easier – a tiny bit more bearable in a hard time. Anyone can apply for a sponsored ticket for themselves or for a friend by messaging me on my website.

I’m really excited about hitting the road with my band and playing these songs live in a room full of people! For me, this album is all about figuring out how to do life together. Learning how to share our sorrows and joys; our hopes and our heartbreak, our faith and also our doubts. And knowing that we’ve been able to include people who didn’t think they’d be able to come to a show like this will make it even more special. 

Massive thanks to Tina for telling us about her album and sponsored gig tickets! If you fancy catching her immersive live set, nab a ticket here or apply for a sponsored ticket by messaging her on her website! Dates below:

Saturday 7th October – Folklore Rooms, Brighton
Saturday 14th October – The Grace, London
Tuesday 17th October – Retro, Manchester

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ALBUM: ĠENN – ‘unum’

A dynamic, shape-shifting record inspired by feelings of otherness, Malta-via-Brighton art punks ĠENN have crafted an intricate narrative of multi-cultural experiences, personal anxieties and a powerful sense of togetherness on their debut album, unum. Released via their own label Liminal Collective, the record is an urgent, instinctive rumination on the band’s predominantly Maltese roots, how it feels to be an outsider and how the universal feeling of wanting to belong is more powerful than the overwhelming social, mental and political barriers that try to prevent this from occurring.

Co-produced by ĠENN, Gilla Band’s Dan Fox & Tom Hill and mastered by Katie Tavini, unum – which means “oneness, unity, a sense of being whole” in Latin – is influenced by a myriad of musical genres. Despite sharing the same Maltese roots, guitarist Janelle, bassist Leanne and vocalist Leona are inspired by a plethora or different styles, from post-punk and psych-rock, to freestyle and traditional Ghanaian folk music. Drummer Sofia was raised in Brighton with a love of jazz and blues music, but her Jamaican, Portuguese and British heritage offers another layer to ĠENN’s multifaceted sound.

From of the offset, unum is an ardent fusion of yearning and urgency. “Me and my body have a close relationship / yet I feel nothing like myself” confesses Leona on opener ‘Rohmeresse’, her hushed spoken-word contrasting against the track’s upbeat, chant-worthy motif of “I wanna stay in all day / I wanna sleep in all day, all day.” Evocative riffs and skittish percussion all lead up to an impressive display of her elastic vocal range in the latter part of the track, before everything culminates in a potent, explosive breakdown. ‘Rohmeresse’ showcases ĠENN’s abilities to melt complex, contradictory concepts and instrumentation into sophisticated, accessible sounds.

The chemistry between the band is best observed and appreciated when they’re playing live together, but on unum, Leona’s vocals truly command listeners attention. They are a vital force amidst the genre-blending skills of her bandmates, cutting through in all the right places. Whether she’s tackling the monotonous reality of a day job on the brooding ‘Days and Nights’, singing over swaggering riffs and saxophone on ‘Wild West’, or exploring creative and personal purgatory on the trip-hop inspired ‘A Muse (In Limbo)’, her ambiguous lyrics are heightened by her instinctive, dynamic vocal delivery.

This instinct is shared and showcased most vehemently on tracks ‘Calypso’, ‘A Reprise (That Girl)’ and ‘The Sister Of’. The first – named after the island Janelle’s Mother hails from – is a melodic, jazz-tinged symphony inspired by mythical mermaids and the language of Maltese poet and playwright Mario Azzopardi, the rhythms of which seep into the bloodstream. ‘A Reprise (That Girl)’ sees Leona spiral into feelings of self doubt and insecurity after watching heavily constructed versions of women’s lives online, intensified by incendiary riffs.

Arguably, it’s on ‘The Sister Of’ that the issues which inspired the creation of unum are pushed directly into the spotlight. ĠENN – who identify as majority queer people of colour – remain hopeful in sisterhood, despite the shadows of the Maltese Pro-Abortion movement and Pride protests stretching across the waters into their consciousness here in the UK. Whilst not addressed directly, these feelings of unease permeate ‘The Sister Of’, as Leona evokes visceral, fleshy imagery in her lyrics – “Pulsed by the wisdom that lies beneath your gum / blood glistens between your clenched teeth” – exploring the “alienation that bursts out of sight / agitation that brings through the light.” The track’s accompanying video, a short film by acclaimed Ukrainian director Kyryl Volovych, also reflects themes of disconnection and transience that come with being an immigrant in the post-Brexit landscape.

Ultimately, ĠENN’s debut album is a keenly observed statement of self-autonomy, and the often exhausting journey that comes with trying achieve to it. It’s a compelling, vital record that re-enforces the powerful bonds of friendship between its creators, whilst offering listeners a glimpse into a world of experiences they may not always be privy to; all underscored by formidable riffs and a formidable creative spirit.

Follow ĠENN on bandcamp, Spotify, Facebook, Twitter (X) & Instagram

Photo Credit: Jordan Core

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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NEW TRACK: Twin Rains – ‘Laws Of The Universe’

A sweeping, cinematic rumination on the impact our actions have after we’re gone, Toronto-based dream-pop band Twin Rains have shared their latest single, ‘Laws Of The Universe’. Following on from their previous release ‘You’re the Only One’, the track is a heady, swirling interpretation on personal legacy, inspired by a key episode of the hit TV show, Succession.

Formed of Jay Merrow, Christine Stoesser and live drummer Greg Smith, Twin Rains write, record and produce all of their own music. Signed to Rough Trade Publishing, the band create emotive, psych-tinged, synth-soaked sounds that have been licensed for use on TV shows and movies. Their potent blend of Christine’s soft vocals with noisy, distorted guitar sounds makes for immersive listening, and their latest track ‘Laws Of The Universe’ spotlights this songwriting skill. The single also marks the first time that Twin Rains have used strings on a track, performed by Toronto musician Jessica Deutsch.

“Inspiration can come from anywhere,” explains Christine about ‘Laws Of The Universe’. “The concept of this song was prompted by an episode of Succession, the one where Kendall speaks at his father’s funeral, saying basically: ‘Yeah we know he wasn’t a nice person—but look at what he accomplished.’ So one moment I’m watching TV and the next I’m in deep contemplation because I found this to be such a profound philosophical debate: what’s more important? Your life and how you treat the people and places in it, or your legacy?”

Contemplations like this have inspired many of the the tracks on Twin Rains’ new LP, which they have been busy working on. Look out for more details on the release in the near future.

Watch the video for ‘Laws Of The Universe’ below.

Follow Twin Rains on bandcamp, Spotify, Facebook, Twitter (X) & Instagram

Photo Credit: Shane Chiasson

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment