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CD
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TR 282CD
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The Northwest of the United States: home to The Soft Hills. For the music fan, the area has always been a wellspring of pure joy. Punk was invented there in the 1960s (The Wailers, The Sonics), Jimi Hendrix was born there, K Records, one of the most influential indie labels of all time, was baptized there, then came Sub Pop, Mudhoney, Nirvana. But where there is light, there is shadow. So excellent is the music that has emerged to conquer the world from Seattle, Olympia, et cetera -- and so dreary the weather. Rain and more rain. It can dampen your spirit and damage your health. This painful experience is all too well known to Garrett Hobba, songwriter, singer, guitarist, and mastermind of The Soft Hills. Soaked through from continuous precipitation, his room began to molder, with the result that Hobba fell seriously ill. After several hospital stays brought no relief, Hobba gathered his belongings and headed down to Southern California for a few months of recuperation, a change that can be heard on the new record. Departure convinces through contrasts that can be clearly linked to the different geographical conditions: the harmonies and colors of Southern California on one side, and the dark, monochromatic light of a rainy day in Seattle on the other. Golden light here, then shadows. A kind of sad euphoria. On Departure Hobba disposes entirely of the Americana leanings which have characterized the previous albums, allowing European influences to become more apparent. These include Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, Brian Eno, and the Factory Sound of the early '80s, which might be due to the fact that Hobba started to write the songs during a several-month stay in Europe. The instrumentarium was supplemented by Mellotron, Moog, Hammond B3 and a Rhodes piano. Departure is a monolith of an album, an album of contrasts -- unlike its predecessors, yet unmistakably The Soft Hills. Hobba is simply an excellent songwriter and his voice unmistakable. The album was mixed in London by no less than Abbey Road veteran Guy Massey (Spiritualized, The Beatles, Manic Street Preachers). So what is the best way to listen to Departure? Hobba: "The best situation is probably to listen to the album on vinyl with headphones alone in the dark or lying on your back next to your best friend with a good stereo and a bottle of opium."
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LP+CD
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TR 282LP
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LP version. Includes a CD copy of the album. The Northwest of the United States: home to The Soft Hills. For the music fan, the area has always been a wellspring of pure joy. Punk was invented there in the 1960s (The Wailers, The Sonics), Jimi Hendrix was born there, K Records, one of the most influential indie labels of all time, was baptized there, then came Sub Pop, Mudhoney, Nirvana. But where there is light, there is shadow. So excellent is the music that has emerged to conquer the world from Seattle, Olympia, et cetera -- and so dreary the weather. Rain and more rain. It can dampen your spirit and damage your health. This painful experience is all too well known to Garrett Hobba, songwriter, singer, guitarist, and mastermind of The Soft Hills. Soaked through from continuous precipitation, his room began to molder, with the result that Hobba fell seriously ill. After several hospital stays brought no relief, Hobba gathered his belongings and headed down to Southern California for a few months of recuperation, a change that can be heard on the new record. Departure convinces through contrasts that can be clearly linked to the different geographical conditions: the harmonies and colors of Southern California on one side, and the dark, monochromatic light of a rainy day in Seattle on the other. Golden light here, then shadows. A kind of sad euphoria. On Departure Hobba disposes entirely of the Americana leanings which have characterized the previous albums, allowing European influences to become more apparent. These include Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, Brian Eno, and the Factory Sound of the early '80s, which might be due to the fact that Hobba started to write the songs during a several-month stay in Europe. The instrumentarium was supplemented by Mellotron, Moog, Hammond B3 and a Rhodes piano. Departure is a monolith of an album, an album of contrasts -- unlike its predecessors, yet unmistakably The Soft Hills. Hobba is simply an excellent songwriter and his voice unmistakable. The album was mixed in London by no less than Abbey Road veteran Guy Massey (Spiritualized, The Beatles, Manic Street Preachers). So what is the best way to listen to Departure? Hobba: "The best situation is probably to listen to the album on vinyl with headphones alone in the dark or lying on your back next to your best friend with a good stereo and a bottle of opium."
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CD
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TR 248CD
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Birdmen time-travellers, a tale of an unhappy girl named Louise, the story of a schizophrenic banned from paradise, celestial radio, oceanic dream therapy, reflections on death, a letter to the moon, madness, and euphoria. The Soft Hills' new album, Chromatisms, features 10 new songs that explore these subjects and other ruminations on the human relationship with the unconscious and the emotional. Seattle indie group The Soft Hills were formed in 2007 by singer-songwriter Garrett Hobba. The current line-up consists of Hobba on guitar and vocals, Randall Skrasek on drums and Moog, Matthew Brown on lap steel and guitar, and Brett Massa on bass and vocals. With an appreciation for experimentation and harmony, their songs draw from a wide range of influences from folk to psychedelic to ambient, drawing on literary influences, and incorporating experiences from dreams and visions. The Soft Hills released their debut album The Bird is Coming Down to Earth (TR 227CD/LP) on Tapete Records in January 2012, which was followed by a European tour in May. Their new record Chromatisms is a study in contrasts -- of light and shadow, yin and yang, birth and death. The album combines the delicate immediacy of folk with the power and majesty of post-rock, arrangements that nod to the classic era of '60s rock while looking forward with intertwining synths where beautiful harmonies sit on top of layers of feedback, and lyrics dig deep into the unconscious, trying to make sense of the magical and the real, the place between madness and euphoria. Compositionally, the band utilizes a diverse palette of colors, blending together reverbed guitars with Moog textures, fuzzy riffs with Mellotrons, lyrical bass lines against thunderous drums and delicate lap steel weaving around vocals to create lush collages of sound. The music reveals a band in transfiguration, a group moving towards darker realms of sonic and lyrical exploration. The record was mixed by Erik Blood and produced by Matthew Brown.
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LP+CD
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TR 248LP
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LP version. Includes a CD of the album. Birdmen time-travellers, a tale of an unhappy girl named Louise, the story of a schizophrenic banned from paradise, celestial radio, oceanic dream therapy, reflections on death, a letter to the moon, madness, and euphoria. The Soft Hills' new album, Chromatisms, features 10 new songs that explore these subjects and other ruminations on the human relationship with the unconscious and the emotional. Seattle indie group The Soft Hills were formed in 2007 by singer-songwriter Garrett Hobba. The current line-up consists of Hobba on guitar and vocals, Randall Skrasek on drums and Moog, Matthew Brown on lap steel and guitar, and Brett Massa on bass and vocals. With an appreciation for experimentation and harmony, their songs draw from a wide range of influences from folk to psychedelic to ambient, drawing on literary influences, and incorporating experiences from dreams and visions. The Soft Hills released their debut album The Bird is Coming Down to Earth (TR 227CD/LP) on Tapete Records in January 2012, which was followed by a European tour in May. Their new record Chromatisms is a study in contrasts -- of light and shadow, yin and yang, birth and death. The album combines the delicate immediacy of folk with the power and majesty of post-rock, arrangements that nod to the classic era of '60s rock while looking forward with intertwining synths where beautiful harmonies sit on top of layers of feedback, and lyrics dig deep into the unconscious, trying to make sense of the magical and the real, the place between madness and euphoria. Compositionally, the band utilizes a diverse palette of colors, blending together reverbed guitars with Moog textures, fuzzy riffs with Mellotrons, lyrical bass lines against thunderous drums and delicate lap steel weaving around vocals to create lush collages of sound. The music reveals a band in transfiguration, a group moving towards darker realms of sonic and lyrical exploration. The record was mixed by Erik Blood and produced by Matthew Brown.
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CD
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TR 227CD
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The Soft Hills are the musical adventure of Garrett Hobba, Brittan Drake, Randall Skrasek, and Brett Massa. A Seattle band with an appreciation for experimentation and harmony, their songs draw from a wide range of influences from folk to psychedelic to ambient, drawing on literary influences and incorporating experiences from dreams and visions. To listen to The Soft Hills' music is like wandering through a magical landscape where horse-like creatures run wild across velveteen fields and mythological birds soar under melancholy clouds. It is the band's love for space, melody, and sonic exploration that shines through their compositions. With a growing sense of recognition, The Soft Hills find themselves developing a focused and crafted sound, and playing major venues across the U.S. In order to create a deeper, mind-altering experience for the audience, the band incorporates visual art into their live performance, projecting surreal images interspersed with live video. The band's unique blend of vocal harmonies, reverb-heavy guitars, synth textures and visuals has made their show a rare spectacle pleasing both to the eye and ear. During the winter of 2011, the band went into the studio to record their new album, The Bird Is Coming Down To Earth, with producer Matt Brown (Trespassers William, Memphis, Lucinda Williams). Working with Matt proved to be a fruitful and enlightening experience. He helped the band capture the naturalness and spontaneity of each song, allowing them to blossom into strange, mysterious animals. The album features 10 new tracks and explores themes such as death, chaos, rebirth, sadness for things lost, and takes the listener on a journey back to a time of childhood wonder. People might hear influences from artists like Neil Young, Sigur Rós, and Grizzly Bear. The record was mixed by Erik Blood (Moondoggies, Shabazz Palaces).
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LP+CD
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TR 227LP
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LP version. The Soft Hills are the musical adventure of Garrett Hobba, Brittan Drake, Randall Skrasek, and Brett Massa. A Seattle band with an appreciation for experimentation and harmony, their songs draw from a wide range of influences from folk to psychedelic to ambient, drawing on literary influences and incorporating experiences from dreams and visions. To listen to The Soft Hills' music is like wandering through a magical landscape where horse-like creatures run wild across velveteen fields and mythological birds soar under melancholy clouds. It is the band's love for space, melody, and sonic exploration that shines through their compositions. With a growing sense of recognition, The Soft Hills find themselves developing a focused and crafted sound, and playing major venues across the U.S. In order to create a deeper, mind-altering experience for the audience, the band incorporates visual art into their live performance, projecting surreal images interspersed with live video. The band's unique blend of vocal harmonies, reverb-heavy guitars, synth textures and visuals has made their show a rare spectacle pleasing both to the eye and ear. During the winter of 2011, the band went into the studio to record their new album, The Bird Is Coming Down To Earth, with producer Matt Brown (Trespassers William, Memphis, Lucinda Williams). Working with Matt proved to be a fruitful and enlightening experience. He helped the band capture the naturalness and spontaneity of each song, allowing them to blossom into strange, mysterious animals. The album features 10 new tracks and explores themes such as death, chaos, rebirth, sadness for things lost, and takes the listener on a journey back to a time of childhood wonder. People might hear influences from artists like Neil Young, Sigur Rós, and Grizzly Bear. The record was mixed by Erik Blood (Moondoggies, Shabazz Palaces). Includes a CD version of the entire album.
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