New Releases: Dou Wei, Peng Tan, Supermarket, SUBS

Springtime comes bringing the goods – some great new additons to your 2014 music library including the latest new age opus from the one and only Dou Wei, an ambient-fueled electronic trip from veterans Supermarket, a SUBS tribute album, and the complete remix package from Peng Tan. Lend me your ears!!!

Sticking with the realm of electronica, I stumbled across this beaut of an album – the latest from veteran electronic group Supermarket, a band who have been around since 1997. Why did I always assume they were some cheesy indie pop outfit? Well my lost, cause I’m quite intrigued by their newest album, Blackeclipse, whose ten tracks are coded simply by the letter M and its accompanying number. A lot of subtle musical choices here, giving the album an ambient, almost experimental playfulness. The vocals may not always hit their mark, but with most songs pressing way beyond the six-minute mark, it’s easy to get roped into the album’s devilish systematic groove. Dude, Strawberry May 2^nd just got a lot more interesting – give the record a listen over here.

Next we have the latest opus from new age maestro Dou Wei who last time we saw had a fifty-minute Buddhist metal freakout. He returns this time with the more restrained and meditative, though equally dense ‘one track album’ Horoscope, which has him joining forces with Zifeng on flute and Moxi Zishi on poet duties, two talented prolific folks in their own right. I’m not going to bother trying to wrap my head around this too much – all I can say is this thing would be glorious on acid. Heck, my entire morning took on a whole different meaning whilst playing this in the background. There’s some serious enlightenment going on here. Listen to it here and grab it over at Indie Music Store already (or cough here cough).

Remember those Peng Tan remixes I’ve been pimping out since last December – well as I suspected they’re gone ahead and compiled all those sexy little remixes into one mega remix album absurdly entitled Peng Tan + Electron Talent Game Project. And gotta say, flows a lot better over twelve tracks with some really nifty interpretations of the indie folk artists’ work (which I’m not really a fan of in the first place) – particularly Gavintoo, CNdY and Wei Wei’s cuts. Some nice retro sounds swirling about in there – give it spin over here.

Alright, so the SUBS have been crazy busy – after the release of their latest yoU aRe yoU, the band has recruited the one and only Josh Feola (of pangbianr, SmartBeijing, Charm – dude gets around) to hit the skins and looks like he’s having a blast. To prove the wealth of respect SUBS has garnered over the years, the band has released a tribute album entitled Nice To Meet You, Too! which compiles thirteen international bands interpretations of the bands most famous songs. Gnarly. As with all covers, they’re hit or miss with my favorite being Robert Post’s take on Postlube, Mirramaze’s violin-riddled take on ‘Ship’s Log’, and the Greenland Whalefishers’ goofy fun reimagining of ‘We Won’t Have To Wait Someday’. But about, I’m more in awe of the collective Western SUBS love. Respect, indeed. Grab it over at Indie Music Store. Oh, SUBS play Strawberry May 2^nd, and MIDI May 3^rd.