SC Distributon

Saltland is the new project led by Montreal-based cellist Rebecca Foon (Esmerine, ex-Silver Mt. Zion), joined by Jamie Thompson (Unicorns, Esmerine) on miniature percussion, programming and signal processing.

I Thought It Was Us But It Was All Of Us is a beautifully restrained debut album that telescopes the directness and delicacy of Foon's compositional and vocal styles into lush, twilight atmospheres aglow with luminescent tendrils and flickering particles. Foon sings of childhood innocence lost, of serene utopic reveries and downcast dystopic horizons, and the search for soft, stoic strength in a darkening world, in most cases propelled by Thompson's handmade percussion and understated programming/processing.

The album's ambience also owes much to the work of Mark Lawson, the award-winning producer (Arcade Fire) who collaborated closely with Foon to record and mix these songs. With contributions from Laurel Sprengelmeyer and Jess Robertson (Little Scream), Mishka Stein (Patrick Watson), Colin Stetson (Bon Iver), Sarah Neufeld and Richard Reed Parry (Arcade Fire) among others, Saltland offers up an unassumingly immersive debut album of searching songs that blend several core influences into a distinctively naturalistic sound. Saltland stakes out a unique space where minimalism, shoegaze, dream-pop, coldwave, chamber music, drone and ambient/electronic coexist and coalesce.

The cover of Brooklyn-based Small Black's second LP, Limits of Desire, features a photo of a man and a woman embracing on either side of a ladder, completely naked, divided by its triangular arc. They're close, but they can't get any closer. It's a moving depiction of connectivity and interaction in the 21st century and it serves as a sort of source code for the record.

Limits of Desire is Small Black's most accomplished album yet. It's a crystalline realization of a sound they've been building toward since their self-titled EP in 2009. Now a full-time four piece, Josh Hayden Kolenik (keys, vocals), Ryan Heyner (guitar, keys, vocals), Juan Pieczanski (bass, guitar) and Jeff Curtin (drums, percussion), the band have moved way beyond the hazy home recorded sound of their previous releases toward a full-fledged, but still self-produced, clear approach. Where 2010?s New Chain was a lesson in maximalist pop, Limits of Desire finds the band trimming their sound to the essentials, yet hitting new and unexpected heights with the addition of live drums, electric guitar and trumpet to the existing Small Black palette. Tonally the songs sweep and glide over lush keys, bolstered by lyrics that illustrate the semi-abstract moments of lost opportunities and misread signs, hinted at by the cover image. The title track whirls softly, and channels luminaries Tears for Fears and The Blue Nile, anchored by Pieczanski's punchy bass as Kolenik sings: "Other lives droned/ far from the grass where I lay/ each eye stared out the opposite way." As much as the record is about looking for deeper connections, it's also about avoiding real life, if only for a moment?getting out of your own head just long enough to calm down and find perspective.

?Free At Dawn? and ?No Stranger? do what fans have come to love Small Black for, only better. They?re smart pop bangers tinged with a specific brand of melancholy that slowly build to night-affirming climaxes. While "Breathless? ups the tempo, over synth stabs, with lyrics that tackle apathy and uncertainty with catchy grace: "I'm standing in tomorrow's way/ future's fine/least it seems okay." It paints a concise portrait of a generation struggling with unlimited freedom and malaise.

The band builds on a rich history of synth pop by making a thoroughly modern album, on both the front and back end. One that seeks out cohesion, connection and calm in a world that won?t sit still. Limits of Desire doesn't attempt to provide any solutions, but coming to terms with not finding the answers feels infinitely more fruitful.

Includes Limits Of Desire on both compact disc and LP (on limited-edition white vinyl while supplies last), 17 x 22" glossy poster featuring the album artwork, and digital download code for the full album (as .zip file containing 320kbps mp3s), redeemable April 30th, 2013. First 200 orders will also receive a limited-edition 12 x 12" print with artist portraits of the band.

"Elite Excel" is the first listen to Stellar Om Source?s new album Joy One Mile. Furthering her sound further from the formless soundscapes of her earlier work by digging up the roots of NYC electro and Detroit techno, Christelle Gualdi's version of dance music remains unpredictable and inventive. Featuring a top-notch remix by recluse producer Kassem Mosse.

Available for the first time on vinyl, ?In the Golden Autumn? is a product of founding member Martin Newell and fellow kitchen porter, Martin Chapman. This is the first record in the ?Vol.2? batch of formerly cassette-only reissues that have been remastered for a long overdue vinyl release. This legendary lo-fi band, which continues to be highly influential as evident in the critical claim of the first three records from the band, released in spring of 2011.

Martin Newell, who formed the legendary lo-fi band Cleaners From Venus in the small town of Wivenhoe, England began work on ?In the GoldenAutumn? in the warm early spring of 1983. One of Newell?s chief problems at this time, apart from constant money shortages, was finding musical collaborators who shared his own skewed pop vision. The absolute opposite of a musical perfectionist, the founder Cleaner believed that great pop was to be had by doing things quickly, in slapdash fashion and by ?fumbling around in the dark in search of happy accidents.? Liner notes explaining the time and place are written by Newell himself, giving some insight into each song.

Remastered and available for the first time on vinyl, ?Under Wartime Conditions? is a product of Martin Newell collaborating with longtime friend and former Cleaner Lol Elliot. This is the second record in the ?Vol.2? batch of formerly cassette-only reissues from this legendary lo-fi band, which continues to be highly influential as evident in the critical claim of the first three records from the band, released in spring of 2011.

This is one of the many Cleaners from Venus formerly cassette only releases from founding member Martin Newell, who formed the legendary lo-fi band Cleaners From Venus met in the small town of Wivenhoe, southeast England began work on ?In the Golden Autumn? in the warm early spring of 1983. One of Newell?s chief problems at this time, apart from constant money shortages, was finding musical collaborators who shared his own skewed pop vision. The absolute opposite of a musical perfectionist, the founder Cleaner believed that great pop was to be had by doing things quickly, in slapdash fashion and by ?fumbling around in the dark in search of happy accidents.?

Remastered and available for the first time on vinyl, ?Songs for a Fallow Land? is a product of Martin Newell collaborating with longtime friend and former Cleaner Lol Elliot. This is the third record in the ?Vol.2? batch of formerly cassette-only reissues from this legendary lo-fi band, which continues to be highly influential as evident by the critical claim from the first three record from the band, released in spring of 2011. Originally self-released by Newell to the tune of ?If people want it, they?ll find it.?

This is one of the many Cleaners from Venus formerly cassette only releases from founding member Martin Newell, who formed the legendary lo-fi band Cleaners From Venus met in the small town of Wivenhoe, southeast England began work on ?In the Golden Autumn? in the warm early spring of 1983. One of Newell?s chief problems at this time, apart from constant money shortages, was finding musical collaborators who shared his own skewed pop vision. The absolute opposite of a musical perfectionist, the founder Cleaner believed that great pop was to be had by doing things quickly, in slapdash fashion and by ?fumbling around in the dark in search of happy accidents.?

This is a collection of previously unreleased songs from founding member of the legendary lo-fi band The Cleaners From Venus, Martin Newell, before, during and after his time with the band (1967-1985). Newell collected these songs from the forgotten nooks and crannies of his colorful musical background. This record is the first release from the band containing new songs from the time, since they disbanded in 1986. Liner notes unveil a personal glimpse into each song, written by Newell himself.

As the finishing piece to the ?Vol. 2? batch of formerly cassette-only releases from The Cleaners From Venus, the band?s cult continues to grow as a new generation discovers this influential band. This release comes off of critical claim from the first three records from the band, ?Vol. 1,? released in spring of 2011.

The legendary lo-fi band Cleaners from Venus formed in the small town of Wivenhoe, southeast England at the turn of 1980s by Martin Newell. The man, the myth, but to rock singer and part-time kitchen porter with a love of sunny 1960s pop music, punk rock and musical comedy. He never cared much for any kind of musical rule book and broke new ground with music that garnered a cult following and a highly-influential sound that continues to inspire. These 4 albums span the next chapter in the unveiling of the entire discography from the band (1981-1985). One album included here contains 12 unreleased songs, making it the first ?new release from the band in over 25 years, dubbed ?A Dawn Chorus: Early Cleaners and Beyond.??

This is a beautiful, 4xCD foldout wallet with booklet including album bios written by Newell himself and never-before-released photos.

What began as the extremely lo-fi two-piece of Elias Rønnenfelt (Iceage) and Loke Rahbek recording on 4-track has evolved into an experimental noise/ industrial/ techno pop quartet. On this album Vår utilize everything from acoustic guitar, power electronics, bass, trumpet, multi-tracked vocals, and various percussive instruments, to broken glass & sheet metal samples. No One Dances Quite Like My Brothers is a remarkable debut, an emotional rollercoaster of sorts which at times is profoundly uplifting, at times decidedly morose but remains unfailingly moving throughout.

?Empty Estate? is the follow-up EP to the critically acclaimed ?Nocturne?, which received several year-end accolades including album of the yearin Under The Radar and iTunes. The 7-song EP was recorded in Brooklyn at Gary?s Electric by Al Carlson in January.