New Album from Julianna Barwick on Dead Oceans

May 16th, 2013 , by

Big changes are afoot for Asthmatic Kitty alumna Julianna Barwick, who is moving forward with the release of a new record on a new record label.  Nepenthe, the follow-up to 2011’s highly acclaimed The Magic Place, will be released this summer on the prestigious independent label Dead Oceans, already home to such diverse artists as Frog Eyes, Califone, and Akron/Family.

Nepenthe marks a departure for Barwick in more ways than one.  Like her concert performances, driven by live loops and effects, The Magic Place created complex, layered harmonies primarily using Barwick’s voice, with almost no instrumental accompaniment.  A Brooklyn native raised in the South, Barwick named the album for a tree in the back pasture of the Louisiana farm where she grew up, and recorded it in her figurative backyard, at a Brooklyn rehearsal space.

With Nepenthe, the process was radically different.  For her latest effort, named after a mythical potion for forgetting one’s sorrows, Barwick recorded in the dramatic landscape of Mosfellsbær, Iceland, at the Sundlaugin recording studios established by Sigur Rós.

Alex Somers, the band’s producer as well as half of the duo Jónsi & Alex with his partner, Sigur Rós singer Jón Þór Birgisson, produced and engineered the new disc, while other luminaries of the Icelandic scene contributed their performing talents.  Performers from múm and the string quartet turned multi-instrumentalist ensemble Amiina contributed to the record, along with a whole choir of local young women.

Nepenthe is scheduled for an August 2013 release, eagerly anticipated by critics and fans alike, as well as by her friends at Asthmatic Kitty Records.

[youtube width=”542″ height=”305″]http://youtu.be/cTuxswB_Rew[/youtube]

Announcing OMBRE: Helado Negro + Julianna Barwick

June 7th, 2012 , by

A beautiful thing happened when Helado Negro and Julianna Barwick first met: they got to know each other. The result, a collaborative band, OMBRE, and a brand-new full-length record, Believe You Me out on August 21st.

OMBRE has released their first single, entitled “Cara Falsa,” and it brilliantly showcases the ambient and programmed electronic side of this record, with a synthy space jam of pure oscillating ascendance,

What else can we expect from Believe You Me? Its ten tracks are very much the sound of two solo artists, each bringing a distinctive style, vibe, and voice to the mix. Recorded as the newly acquainted pair were just becoming friends, OMBRE shows Barwick’s clear, high harmonies and church choir sensibilities meld well with Helado Negro’s rustic-Latin-psyche-folk meets big-city-blockparty.

We’re excited to bring it to you come August. Until then, enjoy “Cara Falsa” below.

JULIANNA BARWICK 2011 ROUNDUP

January 13th, 2012 , by

 We’re going back over our releases from last year and trying to pack a year’s worth of happenings into one post. Here are our thoughts on Julianna Barwick’s The Magic Place. Before we get started, you should know that Julianna Barwick is touring Australia starting this Saturday. She’ll be at several festivals, including the Sugar Mountain Festival, […]

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INTRODUCING THE MATRIMONY REMIXES FROM JULIANNA BARWICK

October 4th, 2011 , by

 It’s been a few months since we released Julianna Barwick’s acclaimed The Magic Place, but it didn’t take long for Julianna to find some people to rethink the album. The Matrimony Remixes takes two tracks from The Magic Place and puts them into the hands of good friends.

Julianna crossed paths with Philadelphia-based Diplo while both working on remixes of Radiohead’s “Reckoner,” and he teams up with producer Lunice to provide some deep sea beats to “Vow.” Roberto Lange, Brooklyn neighbor to Barwick, and label-mate, takes “Vow” into the inner space of clouds. Long-time Barwick friend Bryan Doring of Alias Pail drumbreaks “Prizewinning.” And Brooklyn/Boston-based sisters of the cosmos Prince Rama close out the EP by escorting the same song into an aural Eden.

You can buy the EP on iTunes here, or via Bandcamp here. Listen below.

#THISWEEKEND

June 3rd, 2011 , by

Via our Twitter feed, a suggestion for what you should do this weekend (if you're in Istanbul):
#THISWEEKEND Sat: Julianna Barwick, Istanbul @ Arkaoda.

JULIANNA BARWICK COLLABORATES WITH IKUE MORI

May 21st, 2011 , by

RVNG INTL. is releasing FRKWYS VOL. 6 on 12" vinyl in a few weeks, and it includes four pieces composed and performed by our own Julianna Barwick, and Ikue Mori of DNA as part of a month-long installation at White Columns gallery, New York, NY. 

For the installation, a particle-board cubicle was custom constructed and placed at the center of the Project Space. The cubicle wall separated Julianna and Ikue to their respective seated work stations, while web cams captured the musicians at work / play. They became interactive projections manipulated by video artist Erik Mika, illuminating this exercise in simulated engagement. 
 
You can see videos and hear music from the installation, or preorder the 12", here, or stream a cut below. 
 
Julianna is currently on tour in Europe (details here), and she'll be at several festivals over the course of the summer, including Pitchfork, Hopscotch, and Gorilla vs. Bear.


JULIANNA MINI-TOURS WEST COAST

March 23rd, 2011 , by

Today Julianna Barwick kicked off a short but sweet mini-tour across the West Coast. She opened tonight in San Francisco, and will be in Portland on Thursday, Seattle on Friday, and Vancouver on Saturday. 
 
Pitchfork gave Julianna Barwick's recently released album, The Magic Place, it's prized Best New Music moniker. Esquire called her performance at SXSW "a religious experience" (no easy feat at SXSW!). You can watch NPR's "Tiny SXSW Concert" with Julianna above. 
 
Details on the tour are here. You can buy and stream The Magic Place here.

ALIAS PAIL REMIXES JULIANNA BARWICK

March 3rd, 2011 , by

Last week, we released Julianna Barwick's The Magic Place. New York production magicmakers Alias Pail went straight to work and remixed "Prizewinning" with some drums and impressive stop-and-starts. Very nice stuff.

You can listen to the remix on Pitchfork (who gave it Best New Music last week) right here.

JULIANNA BARWICK TOURS [FREE MP3]

January 7th, 2011 , by

 
Julianna Barwick’s headlining tour with the Ghost of the Saber Tooth Tiger featuring Sean Lennon started a couple days ago. For the second half of the tour, Barwick will open for Sharon Von Etten. See those dates here. They may well be near you.
 
Barwick's new album, The Magic Place, comes out in late February. She will likely play songs from that album on this tour but we offer no guarantees save one: the show you attend will be well worth your time. In fact, you may find it quite amazing. 


“The Magic Place” (Download)

JULIANNA WELCOMES YOU TO THE MAGIC PLACE

December 2nd, 2010 , by

We are very pleased to announce Julianna Barwick's Asthmatic Kitty Records debut, The Magic Place. This nine-piece full-length album of magic and solace, bursting joy and healing tones is set to release on February 22, 2011.

Read more about the album here.

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