★Hippos In Tanks
NYC, Hell 3:00 AM
James Ferraro takes inspiration from "the things I see" in his 'NYC, Hell 3:AM' dystopia. The follow-up to 'Sushi' is a wry reflection of his locale, "a surreal psychological sculpture of American decay and confusion" evoking imagery of "rats, metal landscape, toxic water, junkie friends, HIV billboards, evil news, luxury and unbound wealth, exclusivity, facelifts, romance, insane police presence and lonely people... all against the sinister vastness of Manhattan's alienating skyline." Of course…
Forever
A record of pastoral psychedelia, swirling texture, & unforgettable vocal strains, combining both synth landscapes & pop architecture to create an unfolding sense of yearning. Her voice weaves in & out of brethren synth & guitar timbres, unfolding over time outlined by minimal drum machine pulse, creating tape-saturated pop gems & ominous moments of synth shimmer that recall both dream pop & industrial urgency.
Body EP
You either loved or hated Autre Ne Veut's electrifying 2010 album for Olde English Spelling Bee, and we loved it - as we made abundantly clear at the time. Since its release, ANV has been reasonably quiet, most recently seen turning up on Mordant Music's Variables II 12"; but he's been putting his time to good use it seems, crafting this killer four-track EP for Hippos In Tanks. 'Sweetheart' finds our man warbling and whining in that unmistakable multi-tracked falsetto of his, against a r…
Far Side Virtual
RESTOCKED, last copies around - The Wire's Releases of the Year!!!!!!James Ferraro paints a 21st century still life on his debut album for Hippos In Tanks. The record is called Far Side Virtual. Each song, a melodious reflection of the moment now, comes shrink-wrapped in HD fidelity as glossy as a 2012 Toyota Prius. Ferraro's muse is some enigmatic modern metropolis, where the streets are as slick as i-Pads, and where the symphonies ring with Macbook message alerts. Through the steam risi…