Arp: The Soft Wave (out now)

You can buy the CD and LP here

When ARP’s In Light came out in late 2007, it stood out, marrying an eye–catching prismatic pop art/New Age aesthetic with glowing exercises in coastal analog synth minimalism, appealing to fans of Krautrock, avant pop, cosmic, Balaeric, drone, and those generally inclined towards minimalism. The artwork (with hand–drawn neon text by artist Tauba Auerbach) simultaneously evoked Ed Ruscha, Harmonia’s Deluxe and the otherworldly sunset in Eric Rohmer’s film The Green Ray.

In the intervening years, Alexis Georgopoulos, the man behind the music, hasn’t stood still. After all, this is someone who’s released 10 albums and as many singles in various incarnations over the past 7 years on labels such as DFA, RVNG INTL, Troubleman Unlimited, Lo, Rong, Type, Root Strata,Eskimo, and Deitch Projects, to name a few.
Recorded as Georgopoulos relocated from San Francisco to New York, The Soft Wave is expansive in scope, unfolding like a collection of short stories or filmic vignettes, each piece building upon the other. Whereas In Light was made with only vintage analog synthesizers, The Soft Wave incorporates guitars, piano, flute, and Ebows to create a dense brocade of sound. Georgopoulos even steps up to the mic for the gorgeous centerpiece “From A Balcony Overlooking The Sea”, calling to mind classic John Cale and Brian Eno along the way. Though Georgopoulos still has a knack for creating environments in which you want to recline, hammock–style, he’s also peppered The Soft Wave with soft blasts of blissed–out fuzz. Recorded to 2–inch tape, it’s warm glow and blown–out formalism will undoubtedly appeal to a broad, sophisticated range of tastes.
Leading up to the release of The Soft Wave, Georgopoulos composed his first score for modern dance in Replica, a duet between Merce Cunningham andTrisha Brown dancers, which debuted at New York’s New Museum. He played a live score to artist Doug Aitken’s film Migration at 303 Gallery (New York), participated in the Boredoms-curated 8.8.08 88-drummer extravaganza in Los Angeles, and remixed Lindstrøm. His music was featured in directorGary Hurstwit’s film Objectified. He also made music in Q&A (formerly Expanding Head Band), his new DFA project with partner Quinn Luke, and his band The Alps released two albums III & Le Voyage (Type) to critical acclaim. ARP shared bills with Cluster on the coast of Big Sur, Sonic Boom, White Rainbow, Four Tet, Lucky Dragons, Growing, and Wooden Ships, among others. The track “Potentialities” from In Light was recently featured on James Holden’s DJ KICKS. Most recently, he released FRKWYS Volume III, a collaborative album with minimalist composer Anthony Moore, as part of RVNG’s new FRKWYS series. The duo recently performed with a string section as part of New York City’s Wordless Music Festival.

The 12-inch single Pastoral Symphony will be released in August and will feature remixes by Swedish luminaries Studio (Information), Carl Craig chumEtienne Jaumet (Domino) and Mauve Deep, the alias of visual artist Keegan Mchargue (Metro Pictures).

The Soft Wave tracklisting:
01   Pastoral Symphony: I. Dominoes II. Infinity Room
02   White Light
03   Alfa (Dusted)
04   Catch Wave
05   High Life
06   Grapefruit
07   Summer Girl
08   From A Balcony Overlooking The Sea
09   Silver Clouds

THE PRESS ABOUT IN LIGHT:

“Georgopoulos has a very specific vibe in mind for Arp, and he uses whatever works; though a small, simple record on the one hand, In Light, on its own terms, is a big success. The sort of thing I hope becomes a trend in electronic music.” – Pitchfork

“Arp’s no-overdub/analog-gear approach to electronic music and his solemn devotion to less-is-more composition ensure that In Light emits a sun-dappled warmth, evoking an eternal dawn of optimism.” – XLR8R

“A pristine, organic electronic journey through vintage arts past. . . a piercingly beautiful series of tracks that seamlessly wed nature with machine” – Filter

“There’s been a resurgence of arty ambient music on the West Coast lately, with groups like Arp, White Rainbow, and Lucky Dragons foregrounding pastoral synths and loops. Georgopoulos (aka ARP) has been a tastemaker.” — Flavorpill

“Contagious . . . Cosmic Dream Pop.” – Anthem

“Shimmering. 9/10″ – Vice

“Top 20 Underground Albums of the Year” – Uncut