Julianna Barwick – One Half (2013)

Until recently, Julianna Barwick’s music was made up almost entirely of Julianna Barwick herself. By looping and layering her voice, the Brooklyn-based artist creates compositions that shift and shimmer in a sea of harmonies, using her own voice as the key instrument. For her new album Nepenthe, however, Barwick has emerged from the bedroom. Instead of the hyper-intimate pieces found on her first records, Barwick traveled to Reykjavík to collaborate with producer Alex Somers, best known for his work with Jónsi and Sigur Rós. Bringing on local Icelandic musicians—including members of múm and Amiina—the two created an album even more lush and layered than Barwick’s previous work. [Source]



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Man Without Country – King Complex (2011)

Debut single King Complex is the first taster from forthcoming album Foe and indicative of Man Without Country’s ability to morph their source material into anthems when you least expect it, the track’s tinkling keyboard led intro exploding into a euphoric dancefloor chorus. Co-produced by MWC’s Tomas and Ryan, Foe was mixed by Ken Thomas – a coup for the band given his previous work with the likes of Sigur Ros and M83, two artists important to MWC’s aesthetic. The melody belies a darker sentiment behind the lyrics on King Complex – “You are a true parasite / And you’re the bane of my life” – Ryan concedes that “They are personal and bitter”. This contrast between melody and lyric is a common theme across their debut long player.