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[ RELEASES - 'TINY MAGNETIC PETS' ] |
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Press Release:
Artist: Tiny Magnetic Pets
Album: 'Return Of The Tiny Magnetic Pets'
Release Date: 8th May 2009
Cat. No.: PSY 030
Distribution: Arabesque UK www.arab.co.uk / EMD Ireland / Darla USA
Press Info: Keith Downey psychonavigation@gmail.com
Magnetic Fields Forever...
Psychonavigation Records' next release is from talented musicians Tiny Magnetic Pets. Named after the collectable Japanese toys, Tiny Magnetic Pets are: Paula Gilmer: Vocals, & Synthesizers & Seán Quinn: Synthesizer, Mellotron & Guitar.
Vocalist Paula Gilmer honed her energetic live performance as a direct result of sharing the stage with The Prodigy.
"Watching Keith Flint ignite the crowds at The Point was an epiphany. This is what fronting a live electronic band is all about and I knew at that moment this is what I wanted to do".
A former BMG Records artist, Gilmer had previously been in a band with Mark Sheehan of The Script & her tracks are included on various Ministry of Sound compilations.
Seán Quinn was signed to Brian Eno/Roxy Music's label EG Records. While making an album for EG Quinn discovered the Mellotron that had been hired by the studio was none other than the one used by The Beatles on Strawberry Fields. Thus began his love affair with vintage instruments. He has worked with System 7 main man and Charlatans producer Steve Hillage and was the creative driving force behind Electric Penguins who's album 'Goodbye From The Electric Penguins' received critical acclaim the world over particularly in Ireland where the band were nominated for the '2FM Hope' Meteor Music Award 2007. This carried through to the US where the album was picked up by various radio stations in particular KCRW where it was played extensively by Nic Harcourt, Chris Douridas & Anne Litt.
Sharing a fascination for classic albums of the late 70's / early 80's such as Bowie's 'Berlin Trilogy', Gary Numan's 'Pleasure Principle' & Kraftwerk's 'Computer World' the band recorded their debut album 'Return Of The Tiny Magnetic Pets' working within the limitations of 70's studio technology – No computers were used just two Moogs, a Mellotron, Vox organ & guitars. The end result is an impressive blend of melodic invention & musicianship – all instruments & vocals were performed live.
From the opening 'Tempelhof' with it's insistent Krautrock groove to the closer 'Geraniums' where Paula's vocal fades into space, 'Return Of The Tiny Magnetic Pets' is a continuous musical trip which is already gaining comparisons with Air, Stereolab, Pink Floyd, Kraftwerk, Goldfrapp etc.
Lyrically, the themes are of losing one's sense of self & longing for a simpler time - emotional time travel. 'Girl In A White Dress' in particular deals with a desire to reconnect with one's "carefree self".
Tiny Magnetic Pets will be playing live in Ireland over the coming months. Keep an eye out for live gigs & sessions / interviews on radio & TV. Next live show: Roisin Dubh, Galway, May 1st with Halfset.
For all the latest information on the band go to myspace.com/tinymagneticpets
Reviews:
SUNDAY BUSINESS POST June 7, 2009
Irish electronica has down the years tended to suffer from the same basic lack of credibility as Italian hip-hop and German reggae (a hangover from the total domination of our music scene by leather-trousered rock since U2 became huge in the mid-1980s). Certainly, you'd be hard pushed to think of more than a handful of worthwhile records within the genre to come out of this country. Well, here’s one – and it's not merely worthwhile, but among the most impressive releases of the year so far, Irish or otherwise.
Steeped in oozingly plangent Moog, Mellotron and Vox organs, Return Of The Tiny Magnetic Pets takes its cues from mid-period Kraftwerk, the serene melancholia of Saint Etienne and the deceptively placid instrumentals on side two of David Bowie's Low (opening track Tempelhof is another nod to Bowie’s Berlin period, named after the city's airport). Cosmodrome is a sublime piece of fantastically gooey synth-splurge, while the gentle metronomic ticking and chocolate-box melody of A Faraway Sea call to mind Air circa Moon Safari.
The duo have their darker moments, such as the Portishead-meets-Spiritualized drone of Spaced, but the vast majority of the record is suffused in an air of inexorable, pulsing tranquility. It’s a great listen, and hopefully far from being a one-off.
**** (4/5)
- Jonathan O'Brien
EVENING ECHO REVIEW June 4, 2009
They are back and they are as psychedeliced-out as ever with this experimental album laden with killer sounds and retro arrangements. If there is one gripe it’s this – the summer’s here and we are all beginning to wind down and de-stress and like all those who blazed the electronica path before them, this takes a bit of time and a bit of brain-engaging to really get into. But with nods to legends such as Air, Stereolab, Pink Floyd, Kraftwerk and Goldfrapp, it’s one of those albums you just got to keep playing once you get a feel for it. The duo from France, Air have done much to keep the spirit of the genre alive. So if the sunny weather goes away don’t worry, you can immerse yourself in this one.
***** (5/5)
ROAD RECORDS REVIEW - May 2009
Tiny Magnetic Pets are a new electronic synth pop outfit based around the songwriting skills of Irish pair Paula Gilmer and Sean Quinn. This is their debut release for Irish label Psychonavigation, home to RSAG amongst others. Sean Quinn is one of the main songwriters in Electric Penguins whilst Gilmer has released tracks on the Ministry Of Sound label along with being a former member of a band with Mark Sheehan from the Script. The band recorded this album entirely live in the studio using tons of old analog equipment.
The resulting album falls somewhere between the classic electronic sounds of Kraftwerk and pulsating eighties electro pop. It’s a beautifully melodic collection of laid back electronic pop sounds with a bit of everything from Stereolab to Goldfrapp in here.
RTE 2FM
"That is just gorgeous!" (Girl In A White Dress)
- Dan Hegarty
THE STAR - 29th April
PLAYING THE MAGNETIC FIELD
"Most electro acts these days are mining the 80s for their synth pop poses, but Irish duo Tiny Magnetic Pets are delving further back along the Autobahn with their krautrock-inspired compositions. Sean Quinn and Paula Gilmer have just completed their debut album 'Return Of The Tiny Magnetic Pets' and the official launch is in Whelan's in Dublin on May 7th.
Composed entirely on vintage analogue Moogs, Mellotron and Vox organs, the ambitious album is already being compared with the likes of STEREOLAB, KRAFTWERK and AIR.
Stunning
All instrumentation and vocals were recorded live, so expect a stunning performance from the duo at the album launch - and they’re playing the Roisin Dubh in Galway this Friday, May 1st, with HALFSET.
The debut album is released on May 22nd, but if you can't wait, check them out live or have a sneak MySpace peek."
HOT PRESS
"Paula Gilmer & Seán Quinn's 12 track collection blends influences such as Eno, Krautrock, Goldfrapp & Massive Attack into a refreshingly fragile soundtrack for summer 2009.
The sense of musical adventure combined with Gilmer's tender vocal delivery on tracks such as the infectious single 'Girl In A White Dress' make this a definite contender for the Irish album of 2009".
- Mark Kavanagh
IRISH TIMES
"Paula Gilmer and Sean Quinn's new rig-out combines Krautrock grooves, 1970s electronica and oddball pop hooks".
- Jim Carroll
METRO NEWSPAPER (DUBLIN) 11th June
'Debut Choice'
An atmosphere of dull worthiness has always permeated Irish electronica. Though there's lots to admire about artists such as Si Schroeder and Halfset, the uncomfortable truth is that, even at their most beguiling, the majority of laptop tinkerers in this country are only a few beats away from sending you into peaceful doze. Happily, no such accusations can be rested at the door of Tiny Magnetic Pets, a hook-up between vocalist Paula Gilmer (who shared stage time with Prodigy and The Script) and Sean Quinn (not the insurance guru obviously - he previously recorded as Electric Penguins).
From the swooshing melody of opener Tempelhof to the sugar-plumb twinkle of single Girl In A White Dress, here is a homegrown electronica LP with a difference: you can actually imagine people dancing to it at a club or singing along to it on the radio, rather than simply playing it in the background as they brood in their bed-sits.
Then again, to be strictly accurate, it isn't an electronic album - whilst the ambiance is pure Kraftwerk circa 1978, the project was actually put together live, using retro Moog synths, a mellotron, vox organ and guitar. But who wants to get hung up on details? Return Of...has bundles of heart and soul - and that, ultimately, is all that really counts.
**** (4/5)
- Eamon de Paor
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Track
Previews:
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01
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Temperhof | Listen | |
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02
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I Was't Here | Listen | |
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03
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See What I See | Listen | |
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04
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Boom Boom Boom | Listen | |
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05
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Control Me | Listen | |
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06
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A Faraway Sea | Listen | |
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07
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Cosmodrome | Listen | |
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08
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Girl In A White Dress | Listen | |
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09
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Spinning | Listen | |
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10
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And Each Star I Pass... | Listen | |
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11
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Spaced | Listen | |
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12
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Geraniums | Listen | |