The second full length album from Northern Valentine since the 2008 debut on Silber Records... Fin de siecle
is composed of music spanning the existence and alternating members of the collective, since 1998.
The music has maintained a carefree, drifting style represented on previous releases; blending
some early studio improvisations like Sink/Rise and The White Mountains with live improvisations,
Black Rose and Fin de siecle, which were handpicked from live performances.
Mark S. Tucker [Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange] describes this album as..."slow, languorous waves of overlapping tones and progressions
that narcotize, invoking a deep sense of catharsis, of subtle release of worldly tensions. At times drear and foggy, then
suffused and radiant...meditational in the best notion...a map of inner worlds and the vastness of the inky gulf, an ether to drift off into.
If you fall asleep while listening, you're going to have some interesting dreams, but you'll also miss subtle happenstances fading in and out of each composition.
Click the icons below to buy a physical copy or download through CD Baby or iTunes.
Tracklisting:
Rue dAuseil (6:16)
Black Rose (4:24)
Thousand Eyes (7:14)
Sink / Rise (2:18)
Fin de siecle (14:12) The White Mountains (4:06) [low-fi MP3]
Release (7:15)
The Distance Brings Us Closer // CD + iTunes //
[$12.00 ($14.00 international) - CD / $9.99 - iTunes]
The most globally known Northern Valentine album to date...it features improvised, dark drones and gentle noises drifting over a 48 minute psychedelic journey,
in collaboration with Ben Fleury-Steiner.
Jeff Penczak [Foxy Digitalis] writes of this album..."[it] delivers a sense of floating in space or a communion with nature where the listener is enveloped in clouds of billowing sonics.
The imagination can run wild creating images to accompany this ambient soundtrack...In sum, an awesomely hypnotic listening experience."
Tracklisting:
Born Yesterday (15:19)
Dies Solis (6:29) Dimanche (8:24)
Escaping Light (6:20)
Already Gone (8:59)
Rusted Gates (Volume 1), "Leopard's Mouth"
// CD & CD-R [OUT OF PRINT] // FREE DOWNLOAD // click picture to redirect to Bandcamp
This is the first release in the field recording series, known as "Rusted Gates", which was launched in 2005.
It features material recorded from 2004-2005, in hallways, closets, freezers, elevators and other found spaces within an abandoned sanitarium.
It is a combination of soundscapes and sound art that became the soundtrack to the Northern Valentine film "Leopard's Mouth", which was created four years
after the original recording, and debuted as a live audio-visual performance, in 2009 at Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Though the physical copies of this recording are out of print, the "deluxe" Bandcamp download edition of this recording comes with
20 screen production stills, "behind the scenes" photos from the making of the Leopard's Mouth recording and film, and a video excerpt
of a 5 minute segment of the song "Leopard's Mouth", as it was performed at Eastern State Penitentiary, during the Philly Fringe Festival.
Tracklisting:
Broken Connections (1:08)
Distant Ships (7:41)
Leopard's Blues (1:58)
Water, Like a Knife (3:28)
Whispering Reverse (The Descent) (5:17)
Afternoon Tea (1:27)
Signal Fire (7:19)
Machines Are Crying (5:37)
The Desert Mile (3:18)
Leopard's Mouth (12:53)
Medication (1:28)
16 Days (0:07)
Holding Us Together (6:30)
Leopard's Mouth - Trailer
Trailer for Leopard's Mouth...Philly Fringe Festival / September 2009:
This Ep is a companion recording to the 2012 Northern Valentine album, Fin de siecle.
It features an older song, Ribbons, which is an incredibly sublime improvised moment that was recorded on battery powered gear during a massive storm that knocked out
power for a few days, and two pieces that have been major themes of 2010-2011 Northern Valentine performances; including a version of the song Night Bloom
which was culled from several performances, and the drifting epic Last Train, 3 AM, which was improvised and recorded live at the Pocono Skies Festival in 2010.
Tracklisting:
Ribbons (4:35)
Night Bloom (9:59)
Last Train, 3:00 AM (19:53)
The Lying Eyes of the Moth // 3" CD-R // DOWNLOAD //
[$5.00 - 3" CD-R / $3.33 - D/L] click picture to redirect to Bandcamp
This EP is made up of a 20 minute piece of layered and looped guitar, and is part of the Drone/Drift
series released by the Texan independent record label, Lo Bango Sound.
The few remaining physical copies of this recording are available as a limited edition 3" CD-R at live Northern Valentine performances.
It can also be purchased digitally through Lo Bango Sound and Bandcamp.
Stars Whisper // FREE DOWNLOAD // click picture to redirect to Bandcamp
This ep features three live, improvised songs recorded in Philadelphia, shortly after the release of The Distance Brings Us Closer.
It continues to develop ambient sounds and explorations of modern psychedelia through blissed-out guitars, keyboards used as percussion, long ringing bass notes,
samples stretched beyond their limits, disassembled wind instruments, electronic toys, pellets, shells, and other electro-acoustic elements.
George Parsons [Dream Magazine] describes the three pieces of this ep as...
"Chilly spacious distance with random muted industrial movements in dense fog. full & shrouded in supernatural mystery.
Cold empathic visions of the beginnings & endings of the universe. Subtly warm reassurances of far away factories humming with artificial life. Ice as far as the eye can see, the wind murmurs like ghosts".
Northern Valentine and P.D. Wilder // iTunes //
[$9.99 - iTunes] click picture to redirect to iTunes
In 2008, Ned Raggett [AllMusic / Billboard] reviewed this disc, made up of collaborations from two 2007 performances, and two solo works from NV and PD respectively:
"This self-titled release is more of a duo effort in the end...only Northern Valentine's core figure Robert Brown appears from that band; he and Wilder each contribute two solo pieces plus two full collaborations.
Brown's solo works start the disc, with "Animals of the Dead" suggesting early Aphex Twin at his most serene but still tuneful, a core melody providing the gentle base. "Solar Wind" is less remarkable in comparison, a moody enough collage of buried rhythms and zones.
As for the two joint efforts, "Untitled #1" attractively meshes what almost sounds like a rhythmic bird call with softly cascading feedback sprawl, delicate rather than crushing, while "Untitled #2" is minimal to the extreme, a nearly subharmonic blend of the quietest of pulses and slippery, shadowy tones and clipped crackle that slowly rise in volume as the track continues.
On the whole, the disc is captivating for those inclined to the approach."
Tracklisting:
Animals of the Dead [NV] (12:30)
Solar Wind [NV] (4:30)
Untitled #1 [NV+PD] (12:20)
Untitled #2 [NV+PD] (21:50)
AMX Actic [PD] (4:30)
Ballet [PD] (12:30)
Clear Field // FREE DOWNLOAD // click picture to redirect to archive.org
In August of 2008 Brian John Mitchell of Remora, Nicholas Slaton of slicnaton and Robert Brown of Northern Valentine collaborated on what has come to be known as the Clear Field recordings.
Nicholas and Brian were in the studio working on a series of film recordings when, while on tour, Robert stopped in for an impromptu session,
with Mitchell and Brown on guitars and Slaton engineering while playing bass and electronics...several house of music were recorded.
The Clear Field recordings are a unique combination of elements of all three projects.
You hear the loops and aggression of Remora, the shimmering, glacial guitars of Northern Valentine, and the orchestrated glitch and deep bass tones of slicnaton.
While hearing all three individual musicians, it still is clearly a collaboration of the three rather than one of the projects with two special guests; it is a unique sound of its own.
Thousand-Faced Moon has an underwater ambient sound, with a build of tension and pressure as a capsized ship sinks.
Curiosity Makes You Irresponsible is the noisiest track, sounding a bit like listening to a Brian Eno album while navigating a war field.
Slightly Quicker Rotation goes from glitchy loops to guitar improvisation to a darkwave groove and into aggressive ambient before working itself and the whole album back down.
close/r // CD //
[$16 - CD (Import)] click picture to redirect to Editions6
Jon Attwood, aka Yellow6, came up with this collaboration concept...to sustain the same chord progression over an entire disc,
with guest performers adding parts to different segments along the way. Robert Brown, from Northern Valentine, is included in a segment of
the third performance on this album.
The CD comes in a rubber stamped, recycled gatefold card sleeve with 4 page insert in a limited edition of 300 copies,
only available by mail order through Editions6 and from selected stores.
Tracklisting:
close/r one (29:40)
fraser mcgowan / rhodes and tape delay
david newlyn / piano
close/r two (26:37)
absent without leave / e-bow, reverse guitar
konntinent / voice and guitar
kevin hufnagel / guitar
stafraenn hakon / beats, guitar, bass, rhodes
scott sinfield / drums, synth, guitar glitches
close/r three (18:42)
winterlight / guitar, keyboards, beats
northern valentine / voice and guitar
aurore picavet / voices
compilations
Dreamland Recordings Presents: Around
// FREE DOWNLOAD // click picture to redirect to Bandcamp
Around is a compilation from Australian label, Dreamland Recordings, and it features 37 new and unreleased
songs from international artists.
Tracklisting includes music from:
Luke Sutherland (Mogwai), Landing, Lawrence Chandler (Bowery Electric), Keith Levene (PiL),
A Death Cinematic, Yellow6, and more, including the Northern Valentine song, The Rift
Animal Rescue, Volume 2
// CD // DOWNLOAD //
[$11.99 - CD / $8.99 - D/L / $0.99 - MP3 Single] click picture to redirect to Reverbnation / Patetico Recordings
Animal Rescue, Volume 2, is a Patetico Recordings compilation that raises money to benefit animals in need,
and community rescue organizations, through http://globalanimal.org.
Tracklisting, over the two volumes, includes music from:
A Place To Bury Strangers, Psiconautas, Electric Mailine, Ten Million Miles, Highspire, Solar Temple Suicides,
and many more, including the Northern Valentine song, Rue dAuseil
Rue dAuseil (6:16)
Gone in 60 Seconds - I Heart Noise Compilation
// FREE DOWNLOAD // click picture to redirect to Bandcamp
This compilation is made up of a 36 songs, each approximately 1 minute in length.
It is available as a free download through I Heart Noise and Bandcamp, and features music from all over the world.
Tracklisting includes music from:
Harvey Girls, Remora, Dead Leaf Echo, Drone Forest, and more, including the Northern Valentine song,
Grey Eminence
Winterizing - A Silber Christmas Compilation
// FREE DOWNLOAD // click picture to redirect to archive.org
The Silber Records 2008 Christmas compilation...featuring 26 tracks of Norwegian folk, indie ambient, shoegaze,
aggressive ambient and electro-acoustic music.
Tracklisting includes music from:
Hotel Hotel, Andrew Weathers, Goddakk, Moodring, Remora, Moral Crayfish, and many more, including the Northern Valentine
song, Present Past
White Silber - A Cold Slow Xmas
// FREE DOWNLOAD // click picture to redirect to archive.org
The Silber Records 2009 Christmas compilation...featuring 25 tracks representing the Silber Records roster and
the 919Noise scene; covering noise, beats, slowcore, found sounds, guitar walls, and occasionally things that could pass for rock and roll.
Tracklisting includes music from:
Aarktica, Charles Atlas, Andrew Weathers, This Quiet Army, Carta, Yellow6 and many more, including the Northern Valentine
song, The White Mountains
10 minute clip of a version of the Northern Valentine song Night Bloom, filmed by a fan.
Northern Valentine and P.D. Wilder - (Live)
Below is footage from an improvised recording between Robert from Northern Valentine
and P.D. Wilder from Hotel Hotel. This was filmed at The Khyber (Philadelphia)
on June 2nd, 2009.
Northern Valentine - (Live @ Eastern State Penitentiary - 2009)
Below is an excerpt of northern valentine
performing their live soundtrack to their film "Leopard's Mouth" at historic Eastern State Penitentiary (Philadelphia)
on September 5th, 2009.
Leopard's Mouth - Trailer
Here is the trailer for the Northern Valentine film, Leopard's Mouth, which debuted at the Philly Fringe
Festival in September 2009. Read after the trailer for more information on the film.
2009 Philly Fringe Festival Performances
Northern Valentine presents
"Rusted Gates, Volume 1 - Leopard's Mouth"
a multimedia performance of film, music and sound art
Saturday, September 5, 2009 Saturday, September 12, 2009
In September 2009, Northern Valentine debuted their first multimedia performance, entitled "Rusted Gates,
Volume 1 - Leopard's Mouth", as part of the 2009 Philly Fringe Festival.
The performance consisted of an original film (appropriately titled "Leopard's Mouth") that they produced,
and original, improvisational music and sound art, which they performed as a live soundtrack for the film.
Eastern State Penitentiary hosted the first performance on Saturday, September 5th, 2009 at 8:30 pm, and
The First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia hosted two performances in their small chapel on Saturday, September 12th, 2009, at 5:30 pm and 8:30 pm.
"Leopard's Mouth" is the first film by the collective and it is a companion piece for their album of
the same title, which was re-released by Ben Fleury-Steiner on Gears of Sand Recordings in 2008.
The story focuses on a young man, named Leopard, who is committed to a sanitarium.
Leopard sinks deeper into his surroundings and comes to embrace his new environment, where he becomes
interested in a young nurse at the facility. He delves deep into his mind, where he creates a more
favorable reality that, at first, offers an escape, but soon turns against him as the
world outside his mind keeps seeping into his fantasy. The film chronicles the journey through Leopard's
delusions and reality as he struggles to regain purpose and meaning.
