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// Letters to YVYNYL //
Magnetic Poetry + smolalienbaby - Ty Menya Ne Znaesh
/ I’ve covered this Russian band’s work a bunch before and I’ve always been interested in how it has evolved and changed. Oksana and Dima have always kept me ahead of the curve with the crazy political climate on their end of the world, and I’m glad they’ve always kept a wry smile.
Hi dear Mark!!!
How are you? We are ok trying not to be depressed every day about Putin winning the election yet again. Our immigration is still in process and I have a feeling we will be soon running off the burning ship…
Wanted to share some news - we made an ultimate pop banger with our lovely friend Victoria aka smolalienbaby (ex vivenxo, I saw you follow her on Instagram too). The song is in Russian and is inspired by Russian pop music of the 2000′s.
I am writing this on the day of Putin’s 4th inauguration – and watching the country falling into more regress and isolation. Somehow I feel really privileged having a good job, fun places to spend my money at, access to travel and internet, good health and ability to make my art – the things that should be basic in 2018, but somehow they are not if you’re in Russia. The constant feeling like all that can be taken from you by one stroke on official paper, that corrupt police can knock on your door and take you away on fake pretenses – that what really differs Russia from any other western country (given that the things are crap pretty much everywhere now).
Just last week we had peaceful demonstrations – not riots – with beautiful young people holding banners against Putin – some of them haven’t even lived under another government - and they were violently taken down by armed police troops following numerous trials and sentences against these peaceful protesters who came out to the streets just to show that they disagree as it is allowed by constitution.
Lately, we have the highest rate of people immigrating and most of them are educated and talented but desperate people that just can’t stand the cruelty and injustice of this corrupt system we call a state. It is all very sad, I wouldn’t want to leave my parents and home country, endure all the difficulties of relocation but it’s the one way for me to feel safe and secure.
I hear people saying that culture thrives in isolation – but in 2018 the only way for a culture to develop is in global exchange. There’s a lot of attention to everything going on in Russia right now culturally – like music, fashion etc – but in my opinion – it’s global media that made it the trend. Otherwise, it would all stay in underground like it was in Soviet-era when we were truly isolated and got buried there for some people to discover it years later and admit how cool and unusual it was back then!
I hope it will never happen this way, I don’t want Russia to stay in the outskirts of the global world and forever be this underestimated, unusual, crazy, weird thing that makes other world condescend to what we all do like it’s coming from some cave.
I made an English translation of the track for your readers:
No you don’t know me
Lose me like a thought
Even thou I’m yours
No you don’t hear me
You hate me quietly
Even thou I’m yours
You hold me by the hand
But all tenderness is dead
Even thou I’m yours
You will let me go
Sadness in my heart will grow
Even thou I’m yours
All the things that I say
You won’t hear anyway
Like looking in the mirror
But seeing only yourself
I will open the doors
And let you in
I’ll regret it again
Even thou I’m yours
Even thou I’m yours
xo
Oksana
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premiere: Tokyo Driftwood - No Soap, Radio
premiere: Young Hunting - Lawd
/ Swinging, sweet, swells on a brand new track from Gold Robot Records.
Previously: “Maze”
premiere: Metropoly - You Were Right
Dear Mark,
My partner in music Ben (synths, beats, production) and I (Julian, vocals, synths, beats) have been working together for over 10 years now. It’s always been in the background while we engage in our careers and professional pursuits (Ben is a doctor, and I work in real estate development), but it never seems to go away.
I just came across your blog/website/world recently, was inspired by your energy, and wanted to reach out. It’s an interesting time for us because the music we make has perpetually been almost finished, but something feels like this time is different. We’ve gone through a few name changes (our previous incarnation Lovesport, got a tiny amount of press before fizzling out) various fits and starts, and here we are.
Not sure what your favorite influences are, but thought it might give you an idea of what to expect. Think Phil Collins meets Teddy Riley. Or a groovier Junior Boys. Or our running joke that we’re aiming to be a modern-day Hall & Oates.
While we started working on music together in NYC, we’ve been based in different cities for the last few years. I’m in Brooklyn, and Ben’s been in Tel Aviv, and now Philly. A long-distance musical relationship if you will, where we each work on different parts of the song and pass it back and forth. Every few months we’ll get together and sort of jam and a lot of our best material starts from those sessions. We’re also looking forward to playing live for the first time this year, working out the right format combining live drum machines and a couple analog synths.
Before playing together, Ben performed around NYC as Charlie, and I performed a bit as Newark. I also played with a psychedelic rock band called Corbu for a couple years. Our previous incarnation, Lovesport, saw some interest through remixes of the Rapture, and a collaboration with Kris Menace. However, when we adopted Metropoly a few months ago, we wanted to shed all our previous baggage and start fresh. Perhaps it was a bit of a mental refresh for us as well, as we’re extremely proud of the new material and wanted it to stand on its own.
Best,
Julian (and Ben)
premiere: Doctor Nod - DYWYBIMF?
/ Kale Ogle’s note to me says what we all want today: “Some brief sunshine & springtime feels for your winter’s day. The songs were recorded over a weekend with no real intention of doing anything but enjoying myself in my bedroom. Afterwards, to my surprise, I found the songs very charming; the innocence and purity of the experience came thru and left me feeling like a bubbly baby. So I had them mastered and threw a collage at it and here we are! It would be an honor and pleasure if you would have a listen and consider premiering.”
Don’t miss some of his fine illustration work while you listen.
premiere: Coffee - K
/ Here’s a sticky track, let’s call it a shot of espresso, served with mini songs with a one letter title and a hook a minute long.
premiere: Coby Miller - Little Brother, Little Sister
/ Coby told me: “I previously released an album under the name “Seagoat.” this album i am releasing under my own name. a lot happened in my life over the past few years. a divorce, a death, dating for the first time in a long time, and big moves. by the end of this year i felt like i had gone through a massive transitional period, and now it was time to move on from all the chaos.”
premiere: Fern - Absentee
/ Been a little while since I’ve heard from this fantastic darkwave band. Based in Sydney, they’ve been working on a clutch of songs and I’m happy to have another gem to share with you. “Picture us in the open sea…”
premiere: Adam Lempel - Run (Disconnected)
premiere: Old Smile - No Reason
/ I know that you’ve been looking for some new slow n’ sexy summer songs, so allow me to introduce you to my friend Tom Herman‘s featured video for his outstanding record that top-notch indie outfit Two Syllable Records. This whole album is exquisite, tempered with easy waves and washes of sunset strips. To know that it’s come from one man’s heart excites me to no end. You’ll thank me when you get the whole record and keep it spinning during the melting heat.
premiere: Old S Resort - Melt Me Down
/ Second lil’ beauty I’ve posted from this Oslo based artist Simen Sognen.
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