Time Off - Dance Singles
25th June 2009
Fragile, frail UK-ish post-rock is the genre that, never having found full favour, never really dies either. On ‘Moon in the Sea’, which opens The Spook, amorphous synthesiser drones, widescreen 80s drums, spindly Durutti Column guitar and wispy forlorn female librarian vocals do their morose thing with a flair and intensity that could come straight from Bark Psychosis circa 1994 (or Piano Magic circa 1999, or… but I digress). There’s a fair amount of mediocre material in this vein; City of Satellites rise above the stodgy middle ground by virtue of the music’s crystalline sharpness, which suggests a musical sophistication belied by the relative sparseness of their approach. The rest of this three-track EP contains just enough variation (opalescent synth arpeggios and baleful post-punk bass on ‘Sleeping Disgrace’; amorphous shoe gazer blur on the title track) to suggest that they could become very good indeed. I hope they bring more hand percussion next time.
Luckybuster
23rd March 2009
Today we feature a track from City of Satellites, “a band of two people from two Australian cities” as described on their last.fm page. This washes over you in a slight nod to post rock. Yet as the song goes on, the vocals give “Sleeping Disgrace” that slight whispy edge that slightly gets it away from that genre. Even later still the synth kicks in too then really get away from those ideas. It’s akin to something delicate yet sweeping the listener away at the same time.
I caught onto this hidden gem via Hidden Shoal Recordings (no weird wordplay intended there). A great little label based in Perth who bring out some very underrated artists in the indie field that really do get overlooked. Go download some of their free samplers while you are there and check out their catalogue while you’re at it.
Cyclic Defrost Magazine
17th February 2009
City of Satellites expansive Moon in the Sea opens their debut EP The Spook, chime and synth otherworldly mood setting opening into melodic guitar themes, stripped back minimal drumming style, highly wrought synthesizer dressing and the will-o’-the-wisp vocals. At once a form of dreamlike pop with darker undertones it holds all the hallmarks of well wrought emotive post rock landscapes. City of Satellites can at times have a sense of the romantic and melodramatic about its effect and styling but the arena for these emotions is part of the attraction.
It is a long distance project between Adelaide and Sydney by Jarrod Manuel (vocals, guitars, synthesizers) and Thomas Diakomichalis (drums, synthesizers,programming) respectively. Distance being culturally non specific the music released in Perth and well received in North America. Eschewing time as well, Sleeping Disgrace conjures up ghosts of 80’s guitar melancholia wrapped up in backwards guitar loops, drones, clever effects and programming, driving the form clearly into a present setting. Closing The Spook is the title track containing a more sonically full tapestry, achieving atmospheric effect and sound wall, sensory and emotive thrall.
WRSU-FM
10th February 2009 - Issue 1091
The Spook EP #24 in WRSU-FM's Radio 200 Top 30
Last week in Issue 1091 City of Satellites were #24 in New Jersey's WRSU-FM's Radio 200 Top 30 CMJ chart, in such company as Bruce Springsteen, The Killers, Franz Ferdinand, Morrissey, Bon Iver, Ida Maria, Death Cab for Cutie, Miles Davis, and more.
Drum Media Sydney
27th January 2009
Dim the lights, light the incense, pour yourself a glass of white wine and allow yourself to float away as this duo - a singer, guitarist and synth player from Adelaide, a drummer, programmer and synth player from Sydney - takes you on a languorous cruise through some downbeat, moonlit, stonergaze place inside your mind. There’s no hurry, just three contemplative tunes, with the shortest clocking in at just less than seven and a half minutes. Jarrod Manuel’s brief, whispered, abstract vocal passages work here more like bridges between adjoining sound/dreamscapes.
Drum Media Perth
22nd January 2009
Single of the Week
You know when you catch a faint smell of something that totally spins you out and reminds you of something you haven’t though about since you were six, completely changing your day? City of Satellites have synthesised this feeling into music. The Adelaide/Sydney duo’s debut EP plays out like a strange adventure through an exotic foreign city - without the implied pretentiousness. Opening track ‘Moon in the Sea’ carries faint traces of shoegaze heroes M83 and My Bloody Valentine, with faint, androgynous vocals drifting in and out of clarity over a dreamy soundscape. Though only three (long) tracks in length, The Spook is an emotionally exhausting and incredibly satisfying little trip.
Textura
31st December 2008
Slow Dancing Society (Priest Lake Circa ‘88, #42 album)
My top pick for 2008 would have to be City of Satellites' The Spook EP by my fellow label-mates over at the lovely Hidden Shoal Recordings. I came across their music by happenstance one day and it just floored me and I told Cam at Hidden Shoal about them and that they needed to be heard. Really great melodies that embodied all of the great stuff about the '80s with a warm feeling that gives it a contemporary feel. Creepy sounding vocals that have a soothing quality to them. Simply beautiful music.
Leonard's Lair
21st December 2008
City of Satellites are an Australian-based duo who have created a richly-layered debut to unite the worlds of dreampop and ambient rock. Despite containing a mere three tracks, the twenty-two minutes contained within this release show commendable depth, emotion and high production values.
‘Moon in the Sea’ begins with a densely-constructed introduction of drums, bass and synths, which soon allow Jarrod Manuel’s whispered vocals to make themselves known. Like the rest of the EP, there’s nothing immediate about this song but it becomes more involving after each listen. ‘Sleeping Disgrace’ uses a slow and deliberate rhythm with its languid guitar offering a fine counterpoint to Manuel’s falsetto, rather like a post-rock Scritti Politti. There’s even time for a couple of synth solos that border on prog rock but otherwise City of Satellites retain an understated approach to songwriting. Finally, the EP’s title track shoots off into space with a gorgeous arrangement of uplifting guitars and effects. It’s the track which most openly reveals their shoegazing influences the but it’s also a song that seeks to embrace the future rather than churn up the past.
Although they are clearly a band with their own sound, the nearest comparison I can think of are Breathless. Like that British band, City of Satellites create meticulously-constructed songs of mystery and drama and this is a brilliant start to their career.
Luna Kafé
12th December 2008
Here's another fine title for Luna Kafé: "Moon In The Sea" by Aussie post-rock/dream-pop twosome City Of Satellites. "Moon In The Sea" is a single culled from their debut EP The Spookreleased a couple of weeks ago.
City Of Satellites (COS) perform atmospheric music with an eerie twist. They play with the spacey and mystic, making a dreamy, slowly gliding expression.The twosome do fine, and "Moon In The Sea" sort of delivers what its title promises. I see a moon reflection way off the coast line.
Promising, very promising.
Losing Today
11th December 2008
City of Satellites ‘The Spook’ (Hidden Shoal Recordings).
Much to our legendary laziness, general day long apathy and dare we say humbled embarrassment we’ve been getting hit by email updates from the Perth, Australia based imprint Hidden Shoal for some time now and on those occasions have always tuned in briefly to see what they’re currently up to, liked it, made a mental note to re-visit a little later for a more detailed stay with a view to review and then haplessly forgot, though that said we have made brief overtures in their general direction in these pages but not to the extent that they’ve richly deserved. So this not being the New Year and us not being one for one for resolutions decided to make a - er - early New Year’s resolution, that being we will in future be mindful to come clean with our promises with regard to Hidden Shoal. So first up in this new found resolution policy towards Hidden Shoal is a rather nifty debut three track EP from City of Satellites. A Sydney based duo compromising of Jarrod Manuel and Thomas Diakomichalis, City of Satellites craft out beautifully mellowing starry eyed dream weaving post rock sculptures that are delicately dimpled with shoe gaze and mid 80’s goth / 4AD styled dialects and lushly tendered with sweetly amorphous ambient trance lines, opening cut ’moon in the sea’ is particularly sugared so, sounding at times like a distant cousin of Ecstasy of Saint Theresa being cosmically fused with ‘Tin Drum‘ era Japan, the mood reclining, fragile and ethereally demurring. The seductively hollowing ’Sleeping Disgrace’ tweaks on the heart strings a little firmer, introspective and bruised, this lulling lunatic slice orbiting post rock noodling sparseness unfurls as though like a forlorn Labradford being played at 45 instead of 33 whilst liltingly braided by trickling thaw like key swirls and Jarrod’s (according to the press release) achingly melting feminine vocals. All said and though it’s the parting cut that seals the set, maybe it’s the dry iced cinematic tethered cavernous swathes that endow ’the spook’ with its lush defence surrendering sensibilities, all at once expansive and celestial, majestic and statue-esque that to these ears evoke some disarming frost tipped orbital manoeuvre being instigated by Chapterhouse and Slowdive. A gem.
Quarterlifeparty
3rd December 2008
Ok, maybe that’s a bit of a reach, but the mood of this song, off City Of Satellites’ debut EP The Spook, reminds me of that moody 80’s vibe that M83 had going on in Saturday’s=Youth. For a first EP it’s not bad for the aussie band at all.
Below I’ve posted “Sleeping Disgrace” which kind of has a Mew vibe to it as well. This song isn’t bad, but if you really wanna hear the gem from the EP, check out the single “Moon In The Sea” on their Myspace page. You can buy the 3-song EP here for a whopping $3.50.
I Am The Crime
25th November 2008
Australian label Hidden Shoal have revealed yet another stunning piece of work in the form of City Of Satellites‘ debut EP “The Spook”. Though very ethereal and dreamy, City of Satellites are also quite melodic which I find to be a nice change amongst the sometimes far too abstract post-rock available these days.
The opening track and single “Moon In The Sea” is the highlight but the two remaining songs, “Sleeping in Disgrace” and “The Spook” are just as gorgeous. Consisting of an eerie dreamscape of spooky synths, weeping guitars and singer Jarrod’s frail but beautiful voice, this is definitely worthy of your attention.