RCRD LBL is an online record label releasing exclusive and completely free music from emerging and established artists. In addition to our in-house label, our network includes a roster of independent record labels offering free MP3 downloads and multimedia content. read more
Germany's Playhouse label (and their sister labels, Klang and Ongaku) is one of those labels we've always felt an affinty with. They are of the same "down with genre" ethos as us and also dance music neo-classicists in their hearts.
Their roster is some of the most character-driven and quality in the game. Checklist: Isolee, Alter Ego, Villalobos, Farben (Jan Jelenik), LoSoul, John Tejada, etc. We have both released records by disco king Daniel Wang and acid genius Hieroglyphic Being too. To us, Playhouse is like the Def Jam of dance music when they came out blazing with Public Enemy, LL, Slick Rick and the Beasties.
Here's a sunny remix of Osborne by Isolee, a collaboration between our artists on vinyl.
We are pretty psyched about our new free compilation. After a year of talking and brainstorming, Adult Swim were mighty gracious and let us do it up in our own style. 19 new songs at 320 kpbs DRM-free downloads from the label roster and some special guests we love like FLYamSAM (Flying Lotus and SAMIYAM), School Of Seven Bells, Milosh and Dark Party.
To celebrate, here's an exclusive remix of Michna's Triple Chrome Dipped which is featured in the Ghostly Swim video.
Michna is our newest signing. He's an NYC/Miami native and makes music that feels familiar but also somehow indescribable.
Christopher Willits and Stars of the Lid, two American leaders of beautiful and innovative music, explore 19 dates throughout the United States and Canada. The tour will visit a typical and non-traditional range of venues such as the Independent in San Francisco, the Masonic Temple in Montreal, The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and more. Christopher Willits, hot off his collaboration Ocean Fire with Ryuichi Sakamoto, will be performing new solo guitar work alongside videos he has created from his photography. SOTL will be accompanied by a string trio for the entire tour and Luke Savisky will project layered 16mm films.
In 2004, Willits' occupied the first half Ghostly's SMM Vol.2 with his sprawling “Breathe (in seven sections) ”, a seven-part extrapolation of the custom-made guitar sounds that have garnered him so much acclaim. The suite is now available on it's own and in it's entirety, here at RCRD LBL.
Christopher Willits + Stars of the Lid, North American dates:
4/14 Echoplex - Los Angeles, Ca.
4/15 The Independent - San Francisco, Ca.
4/17 Holocene - Portland, Or.
4/18 Triple Door - Seattle, Wa.
4/21 Southern Theatre - Minneapolis, Mn.
4/22 Staerkel Planetarium - Champaign, Il.
4/23 Sebring-lewis Concert Hall - Grinnell, Ia.
4/24 930 Listening Room - Louisville, Ky.
4/25 Warhol Museum - Pittsburgh, Pa.
4/26 Lakeshore Theatre - Chicago, Il.
4/27 Museum London - London, On.
4/28 Music Gallery - Toronto, On.
4/29 Memorial Masonic - Temple Montreal, Qc.
5/1 Museum Of Fine Arts - Boston, Ma.
5/2 Good Shepard Faith Church - New York City, Ny.
5/3 St Mary ’s Episcopal Church - Philadelphia, Pa.
5/4 Iota Club & Cafe - Washington, Dc.
5/5 Fine Arts Theatre - Asheville, Nc.
5/7 Ritz Theatre - Austin, Tx.
Our dance label Spectral Sound is proud home to some new artists and we couldn't be happier. First off is Kate Simko, who we've admired from afar for a while, but we finally joined forces to release the spankin' new She Said EP. Pitchfork calls the EP "her most muscular offering yet" and Ryan Elliott delivers a cool late night edit. The cover art is by Mike Cina of WeWorkForThem / TrueIsTrue fame and represents the dark beauty of these. We will be selling prints of these on our site soon, and in the meanwhile we have tees by WeYorkForThem in The Ghostly Store.
Look for live dates from Kate soon and be sure to check our her release at Beatport .
Written during the recording sessions for Asa Breed but previously unreleased, "Don't Go This Way" is now available, exclusively here at RCRD LBL.
One of the standout albums of 2007, Asa Breed is a brave vision, spanning electronic love songs and Detroit techno with a deep Southern lament in its belly.
"Dont Go This Way" is another enigmatic pop gem from Matthew with a hypnotic, almost tribal percussive stance, complete with disembodied falsettos swirling in and out over the deep, neatly compressed kick. Synth stabs pile onto each other building the suspense only to pull back- a sly and calculated anti-climax from an artist for whom tension has always been an instrument of choice.
Tadd Mullinix and Todd Osborn are longtime friends and partners in crime. The Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti duo is responsible for a slew remixes/collaborations for artists as diverse as Depeche Mode, Zero 7, DMX Krew and Flying Lotus.
As a duo, they are known to wreak havoc. As SK-1 & Soundmurder, creating ragga jungle for both their Rewind! label and Aphex Twin's Rephlex imprint, they've also been collaborating as TNT, spreading their blistering acid gospel on remixes and 12"s.
But both Mullinix and Osborn are emerging from their go-to aliases—Dabrye / James T. Cotton, and Osborne, respectively. Dabrye's Get Dirty EP which includes banging remixes from Flying Lotus and dubstep king Kode9 and features Doom, AG, Phat Kat and Jay Dee on MC duties, hits this week. Under the James T. Cotton alias, alongside his new maniacal house/techno work on the Cotton LP, Like No One. Osborne re-enters the spotlight with the Ruling EP- four dancefloor-ready house tracks to whet fans appetites for his forthcoming self-titled full-length "Osborne" in May.
Ghostly is proud to present this live recording of Cepia's performance as part of the Wordless Music series. Performed and recorded in the historic Good Faith Shepherd church in NYC, the live set was performed opening for Max Richter, known for The Blue Notebooks and for producing albums by Vashti Bunyan and The Twilight Sad, as part of Richter’s first U.S. concert appearance ever. Cepia performed variations of songs from Natura Morta and Brown as well unreleased tracks, available only on this live recording.
DOWNLOAD: Cepia - Live at the Wordless Music series
For just under a decade, Christoper Willits has played an important role in that part of our culture where experimental art and electronic music overlap. With more than 15 releases to his name, including 2006's Surf Boundaries for Ghostly, and notable collaborations with Matmos and Kid606 as well as with Brad Laner as The North Valley Subconscious Orchestra, Willits unique approach to harmony, composition and skillful guitar processing never fail to impress.
On Ocean Fire, a collaboration with the legendary Oscar-winning composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, a texturally and melodically dense album highlighting the improvisational strengths and mutual environmental concerns of both artists, Willits + Sakamoto continue to push boundaries- creating work not bound by any genre or precedent. Recorded live at Sakamoto's New York City studio Ocean FIre is a complex work created by two artists each drawing the other in to new sonic territories and expanding their respective crafts to create timely and uniquely beautiful music. More info at 12K Records.
We here at Ghostly were really into 2007. For a while. But now we're over it. Here's a quick glance back: Matthew Dear's release of Asa Breed and accompanying tour earns him much critical praise and lands him on a bunch of "Best of the year" lists, including Wire, Clash, Mojo and Mixmag as well as Pitchfork's top 100 tracks and staff lists and gets him an invite onto Hot Chip's Feb UK Tour. Kiln's Dusker, after a similarly warm critical reception, makes top 10 albums at Textura and after earning a hard won 8.2 rating from Pitchfork, Skeletons & TKOAC's Lucas comes in at #3 album of the year at Music Sucks (and top 10 at Donewaiting). Osborne makes Philip Sherburne's Year in Dance review with Outta Sight. Audion made lists, blew minds and killed thousands on dancefloors all over the world. In short, a great many nice things happened this year. But you already know that because you were there and you helped make them happen. Thank you and have a happy new year.
- Ghostly
DOWNLOAD: Here's a preview of our '08 starting lineup.
Dabrye | "Game Over" feat. Phat Kat and Jay Dee (J. Dilla), Flying Lotus Remix
From: Get Dirty EP , available Feb. 2008
Let's be honest, ok? Christmas songs usually suck. No one will ever outdo "Silent Night" and no one ever wants to hear "Jingle Bells" ever again. An interesting take on a Christmas themed song is like having a pleasant, stress-free holiday season: it almost never happens. There is something charming though when your favorite artist earnestly (or with some tongue-in-cheek bravado) tackles the subject, isn't there? Or actually makes a track you want to listen to after the holidays? And so we present Ghostly artists, alumni and friends of the label alike, doing their Christmas best for your listening pleasure, in three installments - please enjoy and have a happy holiday from Ghostly International.
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