Helsinki Snow

In 1996, Jan St. Werner launched his Lithops alias. Having already found an audience as half of the acclaimed Mouse on Mars duo, Lithops gave him some room for experimenting with static, silence, pings, and lots of noise. Although some of Lithops’ output is incomprehensible, much of it sounds like broken telephones ringing from the other room or an intercom gone haywire or a jack-in-the-box floating through the outer reaches of space – and music that so readily lends itself to simile isn’t a bad thing. These tracks meander and sputter while maintaining a remarkably plush and organic tone, although one can’t escape the image of lonely machines playing to an empty room. 1998′s Uni Umit long-player is the most focused of the bunch and there’s been a lot of Lithops activity lately: 2008′s energetic album out on Sonig called Mound Magnet Pt. 2 Elevations Above Sea Level and the upcoming Ye Violes on Thrill Jockey. Buy it here. 

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Lithops – Untitled 4
from Uni Umit. Sonig, 1998

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Maybe it’s all the cold and grey lately, but The Sight Below’s Glider is quickly becoming a favorite. Taking several chapters from the Gas playbook, The Sight Below unfurls the same swirly chords and tape hiss across a barren kickdrum floor – yet whereas Wolfgang Voigt’s Gas tracks often physically overwhelm the listener with their glacial wall-of-sound grandeur, The Sight Below follows a more subdued direction with warm tones, rich melodies, and the occasional woodblocks and guitar strums. These are subtle differences, yet they promise good things to come and it’s always heartening to hear a classic sound improved upon. Buy Glider here. 

The Sight Below – No Place For Us
from No Place For Us. Ghostly International, 2008 
Ghostly International is generously offering a free download of The Sight Below’s first release – get the rest of the No Place For Us EP here.