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Five years after his critically acclaimed debut album Throwback, Glenn Astro returns with his deeply personal album Homespun, releasing on Tartelet Records this October.

Marking a change in course from his first release on Tartelet Records, Glenn Astro is set to showcase his sophomore album Homespun, a testament to a visionary artist who has come into his own.

Made up of ten tracks spanning 45 minutes, the record twists and turns between electronic meditations, soulful vocals by Ajnascnet, and futuristic electro, carving out a world of spacey eclecticism that is as nostalgic as it is experimental.

“This album is in all facets different from the first one, which was a deliberate decision. No vintage sounds and references, no sampling, combined with futuristic sound design and song structures. Less obvious references, more everything else. I tried to keep it as current and intuitive as possible,” he says.

Known for his chunky beats and fuzzy textures, Glenn Astro was a key figure in the wave of MPC-heavy house music that spread like wildfire between 2013 and 2015. Since then, he has released on labels such as Ninja Tune and Apollo, leaving a distinctive signature on everything he touches.

But Glenn Astro has quietly been crafting a new sound for himself. Sometimes taking detours – morphing into his dark alter ego and experimenting with artist collaborations. The sound of Homespun is a culmination of several years of reflection and artistic development – however, the album itself was produced in less than three months.

“I set myself an ultimatum to finish the album within three months. If I didn’t make it, I’d have to rethink my career path and keep music as a hobby. If it wasn’t for this album I’d be selling home-assembled ballpoint pens now,” he says.

On the introspective first single and album title track “Homespun,” Ajnascent’s vocals lend a sincerity to the melancholic production. “It’s about the regret of not taking chances and giving in too much, but also about taking responsibility and being honest with yourself. Homespun is a nod to nostalgia and a desire for simplicity and prudence, being equally the culprit and the cure,” elaborates Ajnascent.

On “The Yancey,” an homage to J Dilla, Glenn Astro paints his vision of contemporary dance music with shimmering melodies, deep ambient soundscapes, and advanced drum programming. “Moreira” and “Look at You” feel like spaced-out electronic funk hybrids, while “Taking Care of Business” goes back to the future with Glenn Astro’s take on jungle. Other tracks such as “Mezzanine,” “Slow Poke Flange,” and “Viktor’s Meditation” provide the finest dubby electronics.

Out on September 16th, the first single “Homespun” comes accompanied by a video featuring the notorious Copenhagen-based graffiti artist and activist Spyo. The video provides a glimpse into a parallel, nonconformist society and subculture in the Danish capital, where urban exploring and daring quests for artistic fame is a way of life.

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The stars and their reflection on the sea still inspire Pellegrino and his live band Zodyaco. Their second LP 'Morphè' released on Early Sounds Recordings, is an ode to Naples as seen from Vesuvius. The ensemble that follows him through this musical journey has been enriched with new members for the continuous development of the label's distinctive Mediterranean sound; this marks a further step into the evolution of their Neapolitan melodic disco from the slopes of Vesuvius.

The sound and aesthetic metamorphosis of this second release, which gives the title to the LP [ the greek word "Morphé" ] is inspired by the conflicting scenarios of the Neapolitan metropolis; always caught up between the never ending and frenetic flow of its narrow alleys and the soothing relief of the sea, with the night as the backdrop that is not able to light it up its inner depths.

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Nowhere, Middle of is the debut solo LP by Michael Scott Dawson. The ambient album is built on soft, generative tones accompanied by recordings of old guitars, bicycles, cassettes, synths, public art and pianos.

In late 2017 Dawson suffered an unexpected bout of vertigo. For the better part of 18 months the thought of working on music felt impossible. Some days just the thought of listening to music felt impossible. As the symptoms started to recede, he rediscovered a love for close listening. Before long he had set up a makeshift studio at home and started work on what would become Nowhere, Middle of. Reflecting on the project, Dawson states “I knew I wanted to rely as much on scotch tape as a computer.”

As recording neared completion Dawson turned to a new source of inspiration. Rereading Oliver Sack’s Gratitude and a road trip to Canyonlands with his wife led him to revisiting the mixes with a renewed focus on quiet, space, and patience.
Nowhere, Middle of was mastered by Taylor Deupree

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Blue Divers are an experimental, instrumental group led by Alec Marshall (Hot Palms, Sui Zhen). Currently based in Thirroul, NSW, the project is named after the bushcare group in Marshall’s hometown of Towradgi. Made up of a rotating ensemble of players, Blue Divers is the fruition of numerous years of improvisation and experimentation in various live spaces and studio sessions around the country.

Their debut longplayer, Blue Divers, spawned out of time spent in isolation earlier this year. Encouraged by label head Joe Alexander to contribute to the Private Eyes series, Alec initially thought he was contributing a single to a compilation album. When realising a whole record was on the cards, Marshall scrounged whatever recording gear he had laying around - old tape recorders, a cheap interface, a microphone and his brother’s work laptop, and began recording as Covid lockdowns set in earlier this year.

Powered by his own limitations, Marshall invites us into his uplifting and at times insular world, a world that glistens like the salt-thickened air of the coastal regions where this music was created. The record is a series of ephemeral soundscapes that act as personal moments in time. Like a daydream, each song daintily weaves into another with ease. As a result, Blue Divers feels more like a mediation than a traditional album.

The intimacy in the record is highlighted by the subtle nuance of guitar that weaves through delicate piano playing and the warm sounds of tape saturation that carry each track. It is as if the listener is sitting on the bedroom floor, watching the band record - despite Alec and his collaborators Jordan Ireland (The Middle East), Ashley Bundang (Classic, Sui Zhen, Totally Mild) and Carla Oliver (Badskin) being forced to collaborate remotely via the internet. 

Credits
Alec Marshall: guitar, synth, organ, percussion, bass
Jordan Ireland: piano, sampler keyboard, flute
Ashley Bundang: synth (tracks 5, 6)
Carla Oliver: guitar (track 7)

All tracks recorded at home by the performers, except 'Bending', recorded by Jez Player. Mixed by Jordan Ireland. Mastered by Mikey Young.

Private Eyes #1

All tracks © ℗ 2020 Blue Divers, under exclusive license to Bedroom Suck Records. BSR - 091.

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Have you ever wondered what would happen if an ambient producer with a pop side project, picked up his guitar late at night and in a hypnagogic state started contemplating the cosmic fringes of folk & Americana? Here’s how it happened:

"There is this specific mood I get into sometimes late at night. Usually, there's a moderate amount of red wine involved, and I'll find myself looking out the window, not really thinking, just being there. Hollawood is a soundtrack to those nights.

During the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, I moved some gear from the studio I share with my wife into my daughter's room. Wanting to respect her space, I made do with my guitar, a sampler, and a few guitar pedals. That's what you're hearing. I hope you like it; I had a lot of fun making these tracks."

/Jörgen Kjellgren - Stockholm, August 2020

Feedback:
Andy Wilson (Ibiza Sonica) - "I’m also really enjoying the Hollawood ep , sits very nicely with the Raymond Richards LP on ESP and is great for poolside at Pikes and sunsets at La Torre."

Bill Brewster (DJ History) - "This is lovely, like a modern early Fleetwood Mac. Ta for sending."

About Jörgen:
Jörgen Kjellgren is a music maker and producer from Stockholm, Sweden, who has recently been garnering attention through his ambient releases on Past Inside the Present. He modestly describes his process as adventures (mostly accidents to be honest) in electronic music. Jörgen is also part of pop duo Little Boxes with Anna Vogel, and a free-range sound designer and songwriter.

Listen to some of his previous releases here: jorgenkjellgren.bandcamp.com   creditsreleased October 19, 2020

Music: Jörgen Kjellgren (soundcloud.com/jorgenkjellgren)
Mastering: Ian Hawgood (www.homenormal.com)
Photo: Lela Amparo (amparo.fm)