Damian Valles - Count(r)ies

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4...according to our Ant on Fri 13 Nov, 2009.

I've not heard of Damien Valles before but I think we're gonna be hearing a lot more of him from my first impressions of his new CD on Under The Spire. You would file his new CD Count(r)ies under the electroacoustic banner with the contents being in the floaty bracket. Drifty guitars with some electronic tinkering are filling my ears very nicely. I'm quite reminded of Yellow 6 on occasion here but it's perhaps more ambient. There's some lush tracks on the album (it's about 52 mins long) and it's proper calming down after a hectic day here! It's certainly one of the best ambient things I've heard in a while (and we hear a lot as well!). The chap is Canadian and I suspect this would be an excellent soundtrack to some sparse Canadian countryside. Alas I'm in Armley and the dogs walk around in pairs here.... 100 copies only in one of their brown cardboard foldy things. Lovely!

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Damian Valles is a musician and sound artist currently living in rural Ontario, Canada. Although he has a number of releases under different monikers and as a member of various bands, 'Count(r)ies' is the first using his given name. This change not only signifies a shift in sound, but redefines the approach and presentation of his music. Where his previous work, primarily under the name Greater Explosives, was purely "electronic" in production, his recent compositions focus on live instrumentation to create ambient, textural sound collages that evoke his surroundings. The pieces that make up 'Count(r)ies' were recorded and assembled in various places and stages during Valles' exodus from the big city to a small farming community in Eastern Ontario. They highlight the slower-pace, quietness, and peacefulness found in the vast countryside; while simultaneously amplify the tension, darkness, and loneliness found in unfamiliar places.

Released in ink stamped, embossed and hand numbered Arigato Pak in an edition of 100 copies.

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