Pia Fraus -Nature Heart Software
Label: Seksound Record Label (Estonia)
Released On: 20.01.2016
Seksound is proud to announce the vinyl reissue of Estonian shoegaze forefathers Pia Fraus’ legendary album “Nature Heart Software”, celebrating its 10th anniversary. The album was Pia Fraus’ first to be released under the label Seksound, the cradle of Estonian indie music. Until then, Pia Fraus’ music had been distributed by Clairerecords in the States and Vinyl Junkie Recordings in Japan, gathering therefore more fans abroad than in their homeland. It is not surprising then that the album met warmer response there than in Estonia, and was described as explorative, unconventionally experimental in this genre, hovering somewhere in the lightness of dreampop and the darker sides. Thus, “Nature Heart Software” may be found at the honourable 27th place in the Sounds Better With Reverb blog best shoegaze albums list. The years following the release of “Nature Heart Software” turned to be busiest for Pia Fraus in their concert schedule. The band shared the stage with Animal Collective in Tallinn, with Ulrich Schnauss in London, and gave a number of concerts in Scandinavia and neighbouring countries. Two of the album’s tracks have also been moulded into videos: “Japanese Heart Software” by Paul Kuimet and “Feeling is New” by Antti Hakli. The remastered edition, limited to 444 vinyls will be available from April, but advance orders may be place here already from January.
Order limited CD or Black Vinyl on the Seksound Bandcamp Page
Review by Estellarosa:
Pia Fraus have managed to create a totally unique sound by being the perfect blend of two of my other favourite indie bands and combining their influences of shoegaze, electronics and krautrock: I hear My Bloody Valentine jamming with Stereolab, hanging out, and becoming friends! Adding, of course, their own unique, warm chords and the divine, childlike-innocent voice of Eve Komp, they are/were, in short: a match made in heaven.
On this by now “shoegaze classic album”, the influence of MBV ( Isn’t Anything era) is mostly heard on tracks like the amazing “Day week or Season” (spiced with a “swerve-drive”), and the metal waltz “Teenage Girl” that bombards us with warpy guitars a la Loveless and unpredictable time signatures. “Super Time Knowing Gentleman” is a layered pedal soundscape, also heavily reminiscent of the aforementioned album. The influence of indie heroes Stereolab are prominent on the more bubbly electronic poptracks like “You know there are people living in the country” and “No Borders“.
Less citations are detected on the strongest tracks on this album. “Come to Me” is fragile and crisp like first snow: something precious and awe-inspiring but, sadly, of a fleeting nature. “Feeling is New“, like its “twin-Spring-Sister“, has that unfathomable, shimmering aura that makes it a great soundtrack to my dreams. Unforgettable!
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