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10"
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HFN 100EP
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10" white color vinyl. A new release this winter marks a landmark moment in an important musical story. Way back in 2009, the label hfn was born in Hamburg, and made its introduction to the world with the release of the Trentemøller compilation Harbour Boat Trips 01: Copenhagen (HFN 001CD). Founder Tobias Lampe wanted to start a label that was broader in scope than his previous, more electronic-focused projects, and the compilation provided the perfect opportunity to launch one. In the ten years since, the label has survived the whirlpool waters of the early 21st century's constantly changing music industry, and released everything from pop to art-punk, with artists ranging from New York to the Faroe Islands. Now, they're about to put out their 100th release. Fittingly, given the label's focus on new and innovative music, and the historic aspect of the release, hfn100 sees one of hfn's best songs of 2019 put into the hands of the man it all started with, Anders Trentemøller. His Danish compatriots Blaue Blume's new album Bell Of Wool (HFN 099LP) is one of hfn's standout releases from 2019, and so hfn100 sees Trentemøller remix one of that record's standout tracks, the fragile, but soaring "Lovable". In Blaue Blume's original, "Lovable" is an airy, tormented song, a gossamer-delicate composition that carefully stitches together layers and layers of shining synths that gradually build up and up into a peak, before crashing into a subtle beat, a musical journey that mirrors vocalist Jonas Smith's trip from anguish to numbness. Whereas the original's music sounds woven together from light, Trentemøller takes it into darker territory. He hooks the song to a harsh, sparse beat leaving Smith's vocals bare and isolated in the burnt-out, dystopic musical landscape he creates. Trentemøller mirrors the original's careful building up, adding new elements to fill in the song's sound, before it collapses into a tough, noir disco groove. It's a perfectly realized remix -- Trentemøller keeps the original song's skeleton and soul, but fills in the space with sonic touches that could be no one else's but his. Ultimately, it's a fitting song for hfn's hundredth release.
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LP
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HFN 099LP
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Blaue Blume are a Danish alternative art pop band with a deep connection to the romanticism of the early '80s UK scene. Referencing artists such as Talk Talk, The Smiths, and Cocteau Twins, it's clear their influences are with the more sensitive, magical aspects of music -- and the eternal questions of love, life and death. Following two singles (Lovable and Vanilla) the album Bell Of Wool is finally released. It's suitably enchanting from start to finish. Two themes dominate Blaue Blume's new album Bell Of Wool; darkness and adventure. With the record mostly made before singer Jonas Smith slipped into a depressive episode, the album's lyrics and moods draw pictures of the darkness, anxiety and tension that would mark Smith's depression. Sonically, the album sounds a distance away from anything they've done before. Indie and electro pop and rock are out, and instead the album is crafted from soft, glowing synthscapes, dawns and skies transformed into sounds. Even on hints of their older work, like on the acoustics of "Rain Rain", the synthwork comes into the picture and swells the song into something bigger and more majestic. Opener "Swimmer" introduces the listener to the softness and subtlety of the new sound, whereas songs like "Morgensol" and "Bombard" show the band at its biggest, evoking something more grand.
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10"
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HFN 070EP
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The Copenhagen based pop wonders Blaue Blume return with Sobs. "Macabre" -- "a happy song about being afraid of dying" -- is a whimsical, misty electronic pop song with an anthemic edge and unexpected twists and turns. "Ebony" presents an epic gentleness, beautifully crafted with a nod to '80s power ballads, yet perfectly contemporary. "Mayhem" takes a more electronic direction, with an intricate arpeggiated guitar and a clever drum groove providing the backing for an emotive vocal. "Haven't You" brings the EP to a close, a beautiful lament, perfectly layering guitar, synth bass, shuffling drums, and an exquisite, melancholic vocal.
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