Elika by Stephen Yang

There are many who believe that music has a healing view. Listening to the initial notes of the opening track from the debut album by Mis+ress ‘The History Of Fishes‘, one couldn’t agree more. It’s like opening the gates of heaven, and get lost to its circular ‘trippyness’. And in a strange way, it reminds me of the immaculate 1997’s indie flick “Dream With The Fishes“, starring David Arquette; Its optimism, haziness and watery imagery… Brian Wenckebach, of  Brooklyn shoegaze darlings Elika and experimental electronica outfit Thee Koukouvaya, goes solo on Mis + ress and the outcome sounds wonderful.

Needless to say that Last Day Deaf, is proud of “opening the gates to heaven”, at least for 157 seconds. Hurry up…

Press Release

Somewherecold Records has announced the latest addition to its blossoming collection of dreampop, nugaze and ambient offerings with the forthcoming debut album from Mis+ress. Modestly titled ‘S/T’, this 10-track offering is quite remarkable, oscillating between the atmospheric opaque reverie of such bands as Land Observations, the mysterious edge of Michael Brook and Daniel Lanois, and fantastic imagined music boxes for grown-ups.

MIS+RESS is the solo project of musician, artist, mixing and mastering engineer, father and educator Brian Wenckebach, who is perhaps best known as a member of Brooklyn shoegaze darlings Elika and experimental electronica outfit Thee Koukouvaya. He has worked with a number of established artists and labels including Showtime Television Networks, Polyvinyl Records, Ulrich Schnauss, Asobi Seksu, Noveller, Thisquietarmy, Dead Leaf Echo and Nadja, and also re-mastered Blind Mr. Jones‘ classic album ‘Tatooine’.

Wenckebach first began recording music to analog tape in 1995 and, by the end of the decade, had started to move towards computer sequencing.  The Durutti Column, Land Observations, Daniel Lanois and Harold Budd number among his musical influences, along with Loscil, Nils Frahm, William Basinski, Noveller, Rafael Anton Irisarri, Susumu Yokota, and Tim Hecker.

 misress_album_cover

A long-term professional used to the comforts of his work with Electric Blue Studios, this album marks a departure from the studio setting. It was recorded with an electric guitar and four effects pedals in his sister-in-law’s childhood bedroom in Toms River, New Jersey.

Rather than relying solely on atmosphere and texture, MIS+RESS creates songs with genuine emotional content. They are clever and intricate, dreamy yet broken. They paint a sonic canvas full of gorgeous landscapes, littered with machines languishing in obsolescence. This debut album evokes memories of a past/future you didn’t/won’t have. This is post ambient, instrumental guitar. No frills and no hiding.

This Mis+ress album will be exclusively made available as limited editions through Somewherecold Records, with only 100 copies available on CD and 50 on cassette. They are available for pre-order now via the label’s Bandcamp.

CREDITS

Guitar + Processing: Brian Wenckebach

Mixed + Mastered by Brian Wenckebach at Electric Blue Studios

Art + Design by Thomas B. Martin

TRACK LIST

  1. The History of Fishes
  2. Nested Infinities
  3. OBAFGKM
  4. Derealization
  5. The Great Dying
  6. Eligible Receiver
  7. No More Parties
  8. Mr. Bikinis
  9. The Absolute Territory
  10. Main Sequence Phase