| Keith Canisius — Beautiful Sharks (2012) |
Keith Canisius — Beautiful Sharks
Born: Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Album release: November 20, 2012
Record Label: Saint Marie / SMR020
Duration: 47:10
Tracks:
01. Interesting Corners (3:46)
02. LSD (3:03)
03. Juno (3:47)
04. Eddy Merckx (3:57)
05. Home By Five (4:06)
06. Save The Sharks (5:10)
07. Where Did You Go All These Years (4:24)
08. The Great White Shark (3:23)
09. Riot (4:19)
10. Whole Century (1:40)
11. Don't Go Inner Doubt (3:33)
12. Beach On My Mind (3:20)
13. Beautiful Sharks (2:48)
Members:
• Keith Canisius (producer, songwriter)
In concert w/ The Holy Dreamers:
• Anders Haaning (drums, vocals)
• Christian Mathiesen (guitar, vocals)
• Christian Blæhr (guitar, bass, synth)
• Keith Canisius (guitar, vocals)
Bio:
• One half of danish shoegaze duo Rumskib, Keith Canisius released his first solo album Ferris wheel makeout in Spring 2008, where the My Blood Valentine and Curve's influences have been mixed with a more electro/ambient style.
Keith Canisius, American born (Cambridge MASS.) living in Copenhagen Denmark is determined to create beautiful, mood elevating, dreamy pop music sometimes with an explosive edge other times with a smooth and tender bedroom Stubbornly he’s been practicing and learning how to produce his music on his own, putting out records every year since.
• Keith Canisius hates and loves genres so much, that he has decided not to worry about them anymore and just make whatever music he wants. After releasing 4 albums an Ep and attending various remix and compilation albums in 4 years, Keith Canisius is starting to wake up from a long dream where this time it’s our high is sounds like an interesting transition to a new one. Self–taught musician and producer, which quit high school music and guitar lesson early on, because he hated the rules and systems forced upon him. In his work anything goes if it makes you let go.
• Keith Canisius is the only guy in Denmark creating this kind of music whatever fenre or style it’s called Chill wave, dream wave/pop, Shoegaze. His new album is slightly out of genre reach.
Website: http://keithcanisius.com / Label: http://www.saintmarierecords.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/keithcanisius
Reservé agent: Anders Büchert (Denmark Only) // Smash!Bang!Pow!; , tlf. +45 20 30 48 06
Description:
• 2012 album from American–born Dane and Dream Pop maestro Keith Canisius (Rumskib, Shortwave Broadcaster). Beautiful Sharks is an album heavily inspired by the story and mission of Sea Shepherd, first discovered in the documentary, Sharkwater. The unique moods, daft guitars and sensible melodies Canisius is known for creating are here, but served more upfront and rocky than ever before.
• Call it an obsession of sorts, but Keith Canisius seems to have a predilection for all things associated with the sea, whether they be living or otherwise. Last year's compilation of recordings amassed between 2006 and 2009 — itself entitled The Oceanic Voyage — included ditties by the name of 'Boat Ride' and 'Ocean Colors'. Second long player Waves meanwhile (you can see where this is going...) included the likes of 'Diving Day', 'Ocean Ocean', 'We Used To Live On An Island' and 'Remember The Lake' among its number. Go back even further to Canisius' first long player Ferris Wheel Makeout and you'll find an ambient number called 'The Sea Me Feel Me' opens proceedings. Little wonder then that his fourth long player and first for Texan independent label Saint Marie Records takes the form of a concept album centered around one of the most dangerous, sea-dwelling creatures known to man.
• Inspired by the film 'Sharkwater', a Canadian documentary made in 2006 whereby the Washington–based Sea Shark Conservation Society confront shark hunters in Central and Southern America. Beautiful Sharks is Canisius' personal ode to the great white shark and its numerous counterparts. Having put out a five–track EP The Great White Shark at the end of 2011, it was only natural that its successor would be a fully–fledged album further documenting the shark's harrowing fight against extinction.
• Consisting of 13 pieces in total, Beautiful Sharks is a dreamy, occasionally uplifting collection that defies classification from the tedious perspective of musical genres. While not a million miles away from his past recordings or indeed those of former suitors Rumskib, there's enough variation here to ensure Canisius avoids falling into any trap designed purely for the purpose of pigeonholing his wares. Sometimes veering off into electronic pastures Antony Gonzalez and Ulrich Schnauss call home, every now and then offering a pop sheen not that dissimilar to Howard Jones or Thomas Dolby before ending up back at the reverb–heavy guitar bursts which characterized his earliest works, Canisius isn't so much a solo artist, but more a one–man orchestra capable of bedazzling even the most seasoned of listeners.
• Opener 'Interesting Corners' harks back to the wondrous chamber pop of old school Scandinavian bands like The Wannadies. Introducing itself by way of a celebratory fanfare before Canisius takes centre stage vocally, it sets the scene for what follows in dramatic fashion. Meanwhile 'LSD', one of three songs included from aforementioned The Great White Shark takes euphoric electronica to levels of Before The Dawn Heals Us dizziness. 'Juno' follows a similar trajectory, as does chilled out lament 'Save The Sharks'.
• It's when Canisius releases the shackles and aims for the pop jugular that Beautiful Sharks really stands out from the crowd. 'Eddy Merckx' mixes radio–friendly hooks with a psychedelic twist while 'The Great White Shark' could be The Cure as fronted by Carly Simon, Canisius' vocal flirting between ambiguous falsetto and menacing growl at the flick of a switch. 'Beach On My Mind', the third cut from last year's EP melts a distorted keyboard melody into swooning statements of laconic intent ("Nothing is wrong" swears its creator at one point).
• Granted, some of its 13 tracks may seem a little overcooked in places, but overall, Beautiful Sharks takes a fastidiously controversial subject and turns it into an aurally pleasurable exercise without dwelling too much on sentimentality.
Keith Canisius 7 / 10 (http://drownedinsound.com)
| Keith Canisius — Beautiful Sharks (2012) |
Born: Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Album release: November 20, 2012
Record Label: Saint Marie / SMR020
Duration: 47:10
Tracks:
01. Interesting Corners (3:46)
02. LSD (3:03)
03. Juno (3:47)
04. Eddy Merckx (3:57)
05. Home By Five (4:06)
06. Save The Sharks (5:10)
07. Where Did You Go All These Years (4:24)
08. The Great White Shark (3:23)
09. Riot (4:19)
10. Whole Century (1:40)
11. Don't Go Inner Doubt (3:33)
12. Beach On My Mind (3:20)
13. Beautiful Sharks (2:48)
Members:
• Keith Canisius (producer, songwriter)
In concert w/ The Holy Dreamers:
• Anders Haaning (drums, vocals)
• Christian Mathiesen (guitar, vocals)
• Christian Blæhr (guitar, bass, synth)
• Keith Canisius (guitar, vocals)
Bio:
• One half of danish shoegaze duo Rumskib, Keith Canisius released his first solo album Ferris wheel makeout in Spring 2008, where the My Blood Valentine and Curve's influences have been mixed with a more electro/ambient style.
Keith Canisius, American born (Cambridge MASS.) living in Copenhagen Denmark is determined to create beautiful, mood elevating, dreamy pop music sometimes with an explosive edge other times with a smooth and tender bedroom Stubbornly he’s been practicing and learning how to produce his music on his own, putting out records every year since.
• Keith Canisius hates and loves genres so much, that he has decided not to worry about them anymore and just make whatever music he wants. After releasing 4 albums an Ep and attending various remix and compilation albums in 4 years, Keith Canisius is starting to wake up from a long dream where this time it’s our high is sounds like an interesting transition to a new one. Self–taught musician and producer, which quit high school music and guitar lesson early on, because he hated the rules and systems forced upon him. In his work anything goes if it makes you let go.
• Keith Canisius is the only guy in Denmark creating this kind of music whatever fenre or style it’s called Chill wave, dream wave/pop, Shoegaze. His new album is slightly out of genre reach.
Website: http://keithcanisius.com / Label: http://www.saintmarierecords.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/keithcanisius
Reservé agent: Anders Büchert (Denmark Only) // Smash!Bang!Pow!; , tlf. +45 20 30 48 06
Description:
• 2012 album from American–born Dane and Dream Pop maestro Keith Canisius (Rumskib, Shortwave Broadcaster). Beautiful Sharks is an album heavily inspired by the story and mission of Sea Shepherd, first discovered in the documentary, Sharkwater. The unique moods, daft guitars and sensible melodies Canisius is known for creating are here, but served more upfront and rocky than ever before.
• Call it an obsession of sorts, but Keith Canisius seems to have a predilection for all things associated with the sea, whether they be living or otherwise. Last year's compilation of recordings amassed between 2006 and 2009 — itself entitled The Oceanic Voyage — included ditties by the name of 'Boat Ride' and 'Ocean Colors'. Second long player Waves meanwhile (you can see where this is going...) included the likes of 'Diving Day', 'Ocean Ocean', 'We Used To Live On An Island' and 'Remember The Lake' among its number. Go back even further to Canisius' first long player Ferris Wheel Makeout and you'll find an ambient number called 'The Sea Me Feel Me' opens proceedings. Little wonder then that his fourth long player and first for Texan independent label Saint Marie Records takes the form of a concept album centered around one of the most dangerous, sea-dwelling creatures known to man.
• Inspired by the film 'Sharkwater', a Canadian documentary made in 2006 whereby the Washington–based Sea Shark Conservation Society confront shark hunters in Central and Southern America. Beautiful Sharks is Canisius' personal ode to the great white shark and its numerous counterparts. Having put out a five–track EP The Great White Shark at the end of 2011, it was only natural that its successor would be a fully–fledged album further documenting the shark's harrowing fight against extinction.
• Consisting of 13 pieces in total, Beautiful Sharks is a dreamy, occasionally uplifting collection that defies classification from the tedious perspective of musical genres. While not a million miles away from his past recordings or indeed those of former suitors Rumskib, there's enough variation here to ensure Canisius avoids falling into any trap designed purely for the purpose of pigeonholing his wares. Sometimes veering off into electronic pastures Antony Gonzalez and Ulrich Schnauss call home, every now and then offering a pop sheen not that dissimilar to Howard Jones or Thomas Dolby before ending up back at the reverb–heavy guitar bursts which characterized his earliest works, Canisius isn't so much a solo artist, but more a one–man orchestra capable of bedazzling even the most seasoned of listeners.
• Opener 'Interesting Corners' harks back to the wondrous chamber pop of old school Scandinavian bands like The Wannadies. Introducing itself by way of a celebratory fanfare before Canisius takes centre stage vocally, it sets the scene for what follows in dramatic fashion. Meanwhile 'LSD', one of three songs included from aforementioned The Great White Shark takes euphoric electronica to levels of Before The Dawn Heals Us dizziness. 'Juno' follows a similar trajectory, as does chilled out lament 'Save The Sharks'.
• It's when Canisius releases the shackles and aims for the pop jugular that Beautiful Sharks really stands out from the crowd. 'Eddy Merckx' mixes radio–friendly hooks with a psychedelic twist while 'The Great White Shark' could be The Cure as fronted by Carly Simon, Canisius' vocal flirting between ambiguous falsetto and menacing growl at the flick of a switch. 'Beach On My Mind', the third cut from last year's EP melts a distorted keyboard melody into swooning statements of laconic intent ("Nothing is wrong" swears its creator at one point).
• Granted, some of its 13 tracks may seem a little overcooked in places, but overall, Beautiful Sharks takes a fastidiously controversial subject and turns it into an aurally pleasurable exercise without dwelling too much on sentimentality.
Keith Canisius 7 / 10 (http://drownedinsound.com)