Shazamers' Blog

This year the influential label Warp Records has got a lot to celebrate. 2010 marks its 20th anniversary and, for the first time, one of their artists broke the top 10 in Billboard’s official US album charts. Brooklyn’s Grizzly Bear jumped from the blogosphere to widespread acclaim with their third studio album ‘Veckatimest’, rapturously received by critics and audiences alike. It was the icing on the birthday cake for twenty years of impeccable work, bringing the more adventurous reaches of cutting edge electronic to the world.

A complete overview of its catalogue was recently released on the Warp20 box set and a series of different compilations – covering the stable’s best moments, some unreleased treasures from its vaults and a collection of covers in which the most representative artists on its roaster pay tribute to their favorite labelmates. And the celebrations continue with an ongoing worldwide schedule of multi-format events, showing the different fields –music, film and artwork- in which the label has left its seal during all these years.

A series of films can be currently streamed at the Babelgum website. The most recent of them -see video above- is a 30 minute live selection of their current artists; filmed at the label’s anniversary event in New York, mixed with animations and interviews. Artists in order of appearance are: Jamie Lidell, Born Ruffians, !!!, Hudson Mohawke, Pivot, Clark, The Hundred In The Hands, Flying Lotus and Battles.

The next on the series will be filmed when Warp20 returns home with a couple of dates in London: on December the 4th, Warp Films will be holding some screenings, installations and a late night party. Details of which will be announced soon. The following day, an all-night gig at London’s Coronet Theatre will bring a selection of past and current talent to our city. The line up goes as follows:

Battles (offering the first taste of their new material)
Broadcast
Flying Lotus
Plaid (Live ‘Classics’ Show)
Nightmares on Wax
Nice Nice
Rustie
Jackson
Mira Calix
Strictly Kev (DJ Food) : Blech20
Winston Hazell (Forgemasters)
Warp DJs

A special commemorative CD ‘2010′, previewing the artists Warp records will be releasing in the new year will be given away with every ticket purchase. The record will include tracks by Flying Lotus, Rustie, The Hundred In The Hands, Hudson Mohawke, De Tropix, Nice Nice, Bibio, Gonjasufi and more.

Tickets are vailable online from Bleep, plus physical tickets can be bought instore at Rough Trade East (Brick Lane) and Phonica (Soho) in London

Roberto Gonzalez Gigs/ Events, News battles, broadcast, Grizzly Bear, plaid, warp 20

Grizzly Bear – Two Weeks (Warp)

The influential electronic label Warp Records has got a lot to celebrate these days. Right on time for the label’s 20th anniversary, Warp can also add to its history the achievement of breaking into the top 10 of the US album charts for the first time. Oddly enough, the honour belongs to one of its few non-electronic artists, Brooklyn alternative pop-folksters Grizzly Bear. Specializing in multilayered vocal harmonies and delicate mostly acoustic instrumentation, Grizzly Bear are a direct contrast to much of Warp’s roster that includes twisted electronic pioneers such as Aphex Twin and LFO. ‘Veckatimest’, the band’s third album, was received with widespread acclaim hailing Grizzly Bear as one of America’s indie musical forces. The album’s first official single, ‘Two Weeks’, is the closest to a summer hit they have ever created thanks to its laidback pace, pleasant falsetto chorus and ‘Who-haa’ vocals. Added to this, the band’s penchant for remixes reaches a new high with French master Fred Falke wrapping ‘Two weeks’ in breezy keyboard riffs and a mid-tempo rhythm that somehow evokes Norway’s Eighties icons, A-ha!

Grizzly Bear – Two Weeks (Fred Falke Remix)

Stephen Titmus News, Tag Of The Day Fred Falke, Grizzly Bear