Hula Hooper - Good Morning Good Evening

Hula Hooper
Good Morning Good Evening
(04.2008, Creation Centre)
Verdict = A must have; terrifically gorgeous!

We here at FG have spoken highly of the wonderful Creation Centre label before, but for those who missed those appreciative remarks, the web based label have a penchant for releasing awesome EP sized music from all ranges of up and coming experimental artists. Their catalog is mostly light hearted and beautiful and always high quality. The most incredible part about it all is that their releases are free. That’s right, you can hop on over to creation-centre.com right now and download everything they’ve ever released. The first item on your list, however, must be Hula Hooper’s Good Morning Good Evening. Hooper’s four song release with Creation Centre last month may very well be my favourite of the whole lot (OK, lets just say it’s a tie with Miki Odagiri’s Fables). At the very least, the opening track, “Respiration 1,” with over 8 minutes of glowingly atmospheric vocal loops has to be my very favourite track from the label as well as one of my favourite songs so far for 2008. To quote the mini album description on the site: “lovely is an understatement.” And for only spanning 4 songs, Good Morning Good Evening is just about as dynamic as it gets, flowing from the opening ambience into a lilting summer jam “light” that simply can’t be played without transporting you to some tropical paradise. “Evening Song” flows wonderfully dreamlike, adding plush electronics and bells to Hooper’s melodious vocal croon. The album closes with, “Reach,” a breezy pop song and actual lyrics. Download this right now and inject your life with a potent shot of beauty and happiness, you’ll be glad you did.

-Mr. Thistle

Download Good Morning Good Evening

Pandatone - What Has Nature Done For Me Recently

Pandatone
What Has Nature Done For Me Recently EP
(11.2007, Creation Centre)
8.0/10

If you have followed FG for any unreasonable amount of time you will be well aware of our affection for the free, web only label Creation Centre who have provided us with some of the most amazing little EPs we have laid our ears on. Today, I discovered the most recent of their tremendous offerings with “lost songs” of Pandatone’s What Has Nature Done For Me Recently EP, and what an offering. The collection strays from the mostly instrumental glitch electronica that I am used to and lays out six slowish experimental pop songs akin (and I apologize for the reference) The Postal Service. Each track is laden with Pandatones audio expertise and flourishes in the simplicity of their melody and the complexity of their swollen synths. Aside from Pandatone’s own vocal input, the featured angel vocals of Michi on “Two Piece” are an absolutely show stopper. The EP also contains remixes of two of the tracks by Praveen and Tonetraeger, both of which I am unfamiliar, but both of which absolutely kill it (especially Praveen) in their rearrangements, creating wholly new experiences. The final track of the six featured follows a simple track of layered synths as they melt heavily into a short pool of bleeding sound. The entirety of the offering is amazing and will have you replaying ad infinitum. One of, if not thee best Creation Centre release yet.

-Mr. Thistle

Pandatone - What Has Nature Done For Me Recently EP (Download Zip File)

Miki Odagiri - Fables

Miki Odagiri
Fables EP
(08.2007, Creation Centre)
8.5/10

Releasing a veritable kaleidoscope of beautiful pop in 3 songs, Miki Odagiri's Fables is the best release from Creation Centre yet. An unassuming ramshackle of toy pianos, bells, glitch electronics and violin, with the brief appearance of Odagiri’s charming Japanese vocals; Fables is a humble beauty to behold. The opener, "Vapouring Rooms Right/Left" is jumbled, soft mix of elating melodies strung together like parade of leaves marching at the hands of some mystic wood sprites. The feel is similar to the meek glory of Shugo Tokumaru's debut. "Floweless Islands" hears Odargiri spout tiny lyrical poetry over a similar array of bright nooks and crannies filled with fuzzy dust and a quaint click and rumble of a beat. The conclusionary instrumental, "Hoarse Wind," wanders into some more mystical territory with an underwater keyboard line slashed with chimes, sparse clatter and an eventual brass and strings duet. There is absolutely no plausible excuse not to download this immediately.

-Mr. Thistle

Miki Odagiri – Fables EP (download as a zip file)

The Number - Small EP

The Number
Small EP
(2007, Creation Centre)
8.0/10

In comparison to some of the other EPs produced by the Creation Center, the title to The Number's contribution to the label can be a little misleading. In length it may just be the longest than any of the other selections they have released. The Number's Small EP is also not lacking for content in the length of their compositions. An instrumental affair, the songs on The Number's Small EP would probably fit well next the most recent Do Make Say Think album or anything on the Temporary Residence record label (Explosions in the Sky, Sonna, Cex). There is something about this batch of four songs that is magical. Like the soundtracking of a magical forest, The Number plays lifting, eccentric compositions that dance around with an army of deftly plucked strings. This is coupled with an optimism builds through the first three before dropping back into reality (or possibly worse) on the fourth track “You,” which defers optimism for claustrophobia. As a whole, The Number's Small EP is exceedingly worthy of the time necessary to download.

-Mr. Thistle

The Number - Morning Music Refills

DOWNLOAD the Small EP as zip file

Pandatone - The Outside and I EP

Pandatone
The Outside and I EP
(2007, Creation Centre)
7.0/10

Pandatone is an electronic (or folktronic, depending on your ability to stomach the genre title) artist that was actually my introduction to the Creation Centre label. On The Outside and I EP Panatone has crafted an group of recordings slightly more ambient and experimental than the recordings on his full length releases. Losing the structure captured by his previous releases beats, here Pandatone rides awkward, repeating guitar and piano motifs coupled with field recordings and electronic embellishments. Some of the tracks remind me of Colleen, creating slightly devious, slightly beautiful instrumental soundscapes. The EP follows four songs for under 12 minutes, and while not as immediately satisfying or repeatedly rewarding as some of his past work, the EP does cover ground that is attention worthy (and how couldn’t you pay attention when you can download it free?).

-Mr. Thistle

Pandatone - Not the Last Train

DOWNLOAD THe Outside and I EP as zip file

Oto - Sketch #1 EP

Oto
Sketch #1 EP
(2006, Creation Centre)
8.0/10

The remainder of this week’s review of free online EPs comes from the discovery of the magnificent Creation Centre label, focused solely on releasing music that can be freely downloaded. Oto’s Sketch #1 EP is the first of their now six releases and it couldn’t be a more beautiful start. Located in Japan, Oto embody a relaxed, yet technically adept group creating cinematic music with a flare not to dissimilar to Forest Gospel favourite Shugo Tokumaru. The EP spans 3 songs that clock in just below 14 minutes hugging two instrumental tracks around a light stepping folk one. The compositions remind me of one of those perfectly temperate evenings when the light is exactly between midday and midnight. Perfect porch weather type music. The Japanese vocals on "Color" are also incredibly beautiful and humbly charming. Makes you want look a little deeper in what is going on musically across the Pacific.

-Mr. Thistle

Oto - Color

Download Sketch #1 EP as zip file