Thursday, March 17, 2011

Kodak to Graph: "I Keep Holding On"

It's impossible for us to think of Kodak to Graph's music without using metaphor, perhaps because of his name, which harmonizes so well with his cuts that we can only think of them as time-beaten snapshots. Kodak to Graph is the stage name of Pensacola, Florida's Michael Maleki, whose musical leaps--within a few short months--have been both breathtaking and unexpected. "I Keep Holding On" calls on the post-Burial taste for ghostly, down-the-hallway vocals, but veers suddenly into an almost J-Dilla-like territory with the infectious sample from the Jackson 5's "I'll Be There." That's not to say Kodak to Graph is a pastiche of the two in any way--of course, with all artists, there are resemblances, but Maleki commits to a nostalgic take on tropical sounds that is scarce in this steel drum world we live in today:  

I Keep Holding On by Kodak to Graph

"Diet Pills," another excellent, intelligently-constructed track, comes to us via his free December 2010 self-release, Darts--it also marks an extreme shift from his earlier release, Malayer Feet Make Beach Hands, which featured an electronic post-rock sound that, while also quite good, is somewhat eclipsed by the gorgeous, by-the-water half-light of his most recent works, including the very breezy, "ayandeh".

Diet Pills by Kodak to Graph

ayandeh by Kodak to Graph

Visit Kodak to Graph on Myspace; scope out his Soundcloud.

Feature: Keep Shelly in Athens

Keep Shelly in Athens made its first blissful mark on our frequencies sometime last summer, and since then, amidst a great shower of remixes and original material, this Balaeric clan of magic-makers have held an unforeseeably potent sway on our headphones. Not that they need more touting--physical copies of their releases are selling out, as they should be--but Keep Shelly in Athens has a unique dreamscape of a sound that is so singularly satisfying that it can't go without note on this humble blog. Self-described as "downtempo/ electronica," tracks from the Athenians' In Love with Dusk 12" EP (Forest Family Records, U.S.) began circulating around the blogosphere in mid-June; cuts like "Cremona Memories" and "Running Out of You" could be heard beaming sweet waves of ecstasy out of speakers everywhere:

Cremona Memories by Keep Shelly in Athens

Running Out Of You by Keep Shelly in Athens



Hot on those heels was their excellent mixtape for Warmer Climes, a half hour plus of nocturnal serenades interspersed with the sounds of celebration drifting in from a  beach party.

Warmer Climes Mixtape #278 tracklist:

1. Chicane- Overture
2. Star Slinger- Elizabeth Fraser
3. Memoryhouse- Heirloom
4. Zola Jesus- Trust Me
5. Balam Acab- See Birds
6. SLEEP OVER- Outer Limits
7. Prize- Rumours
8. Body Language- You Can
9. CSD vs. Toro y Moi- Teach Me How to Dougie
10.Keep Shelly in Athens- Running Out of You



Their most recent release, Hauntin' Me (Transparent Records, U.K.), came out in late February, with an accompanying video. A slow building, romantic storm that carries us into the odd euphoria that being love-haunted can induce, "Hauntin' Me" lives up to its name without a doubt. Don't miss "Song to Cheer You Up," either:

Keep Shelly in Athens - Hauntin' Me by Keep Shelly in Athens

Keep Shelly in Athens - Song To Cheer You Up by TransparentRecs



Like most electronic-leaning acts with strong original material, Keep Shelly in Athens do a good deal of remixing, and they've been remixed themselves by a parade of accomplished bedfellows. The following are just a few of our favorites from both the remixed and remixing categories:

Solar Bears - Cub (Keep Shelly in Athens remix) by Keep Shelly in Athens

Porcelain Raft - Tip Of Your Tongue (Keep Shelly in Athens remix) by Keep Shelly in Athens


Keep Shelly In Athens - Running Out Of You (Memory Tapes Remix)

Visit Keep Shelly in Athens on their myspace, peruse their Blogspot, twat them on Twitter, scope them out on Soundcloud. We'll be hounding them, and we think you should too.
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...