From the Vivid Site:
The surprise breakthrough of Sydney based electronic trio Seekae has seen them come a long way since their initial bedroom experiments, spending the past year performing across Australia, UK and Japan, including an appearance at last year’s Graphic Festival at Sydney Opera House. Initially perceived as an anomaly within Sydney’s guitar-centric music scene, the group’s singular take on IDM, hip-hop, indie pop and ambient post-rock has resulted in a powerful and spontaneous live show, placing added emphasis on the low end element of their two critically acclaimed albums. Now filling the stage with everything from drum machines, synthesizers and samplers to melodicas, guitars, drums and glockenspiel, Seekae have long surpassed their initial goal of marrying their two passions, playing instruments and video games. Now set for an exclusive performance in the Opera Theatre, Vivid LIVE will showcase a band quickly making their mark on the world stage.

more here: http://vividlive.sydneyoperahouse.com/#seekae

Vivid also had Sydney club GOODGOD create a lineup for a special VIVID LIVE night at the Opera House.
Rice is nice artists Donny Benét and Straight Arrows are featured on the bill alongside a host of other local legends.

more here: http://vividlive.sydneyoperahouse.com/#good-danceteria

Rice Is Nice are extremely proud to announce the signing of The Laurels. One of Australia’s most exciting acts will release their debut album in the second half of 2012.

The Laurels are a four-piece from Sydney who create warm psychedelic shoegaze bliss.

Following the release of their highly acclaimed debut EP Mesozoic last year they were nominated for ‘Best New Talent’ in The Age EG Awards, were finalists in the ‘Best Live Music Act’ in the FBi SMAC Awards and came in at #4 in the Mess + Noise Readers Poll for ‘Best Live Act’.

Known for their mind-blowing live show, The Laurels have shared stages and tours with the likes of The Black Angels, Wooden Shjips, Swervedriver, Low, Tame Impala, Dead Meadow and A Place To Bury Strangers to name but a few. They have played Boogie Fest, Sydney Festival and BIGSOUND, and singer/guitarist Luke O’Farrell and drummer Kate Wilson graced the stage of the Sydney Opera House earlier this year as part of Nick Zinner’s very special 41 Strings project.

Following a very busy 12 months, The Laurels have been working with producer extraordinaire Liam Judson (Cloud Control, Belles Will Ring) to create sonic gold with their debut album and we could not be more excited to be releasing it this year.

Within this news item lies a gift!

We give you the gift of a FREE DOWNLOAD of the band’s first single Tidal Wave. You can download it from the soundcloud player below.

Check out the ‘Straight to YouTube’ clip below.

The band will be hitting the road with POND this month, including their first ever shows in Perth. Be sure to see them in all of their glory on the dates below:

Thu April 19th – THE STANDARD, SYDNEY TICKETS

Sat April 28th – BAKERY, PERTH TICKETS

PRAISE FOR THE LAURELS’ MESOZOIC EP:

THE AGE: ★★★★- ”We RARELY review EPs here, unless it’s one we think you need to really know about…The Laurels are one of the most compelling bands around right now.”

THE BRAG: ★★★★ ½ Indie Album Of The Week: ”Spectacular”

THE THOUSANDS: ”The Laurels have produced one of the standout Australian EP’s of the year”

DRUM MEDIA: ”Probably the best live band in Sydney…. What The Laurels are doing is special. There’s no better way to express it”

TIME OUT SYDNEY: “Sydney’s premier purveyors of atmospheric shoegaze.”

MORE ON THE LAURELS AT:
soundcloud.com/thee-laurels | facebook.com/theelaurels

We are thrilled, thank you Cloudies – you will be thanking them and Richard In Your Mind too when you hear this bangin treaty.

Convenient Face Hinge [kuhn-veen-yuhnt feys /hinj]

noun
1. Mouth or hole in one’s face.

2. Mechanism enabling one’s mouth or hole in face to be cleaved open and the contents be spilt onto a plate or other designated surface for examination.

3. Spiritual portal for self-awareness.

Example sentences
1. She stuffed all of the vegetables into her convenient face hinge.

2. He delved deep into his convenient face hinge to overcome his fear of public speaking.

Convenient Face Hinge is a curious, exciting and devious single from Shady Lane’s upcomg album Built Guilt. The single is influenced by the desire to take life by the balls and twist until the juices flow, and about wanting to know exactly what’s going inside our strange, mirky, ambiguous brains.

The most obvious elememnt in the recording process is the vocals which were done through a little twitter speaker picked up from an op shop. That’s what makes them all thin as though sung through an empty toilet roll.

Shady Lane mastermind, Jordy Lane says he couldn’t resist putting extra splurty synth squiggles over the top. “It just made the whole thing sound even more ridiculous and at times reminds me of horses neighing”.

Album ‘BUILT GUILT’ out May 18th 2012

2011 was an exceptional year for Seekae. +Dome was released across the US, UK, Australian & Japan, sold out tours of Australia and extensive international touring, garnering the attention of many new fans and followers the world over.

In the first of many 2012 developments the band are excited to announce the release of their +Dome Deluxe Edition.

+Dome showcased a band laboring over every sound and song with meticulous detail, from sub bass heavy rollers to intricate guitar riddled interludes, Seekae displayed their developed palate through a long player that was rhythm orientated and at the same time self-reflecting.

In March 2012, the record will be re-released by Rice Is Nice & Popfrenzy Records in Aus/UK/US with 3 bonus tracks, single ‘Sir’ which premiered on the LA TIMES to rave reviews and the tracks ‘Altise Lament’ and ‘Face Facts’ which were both featured on the Japan only version of +Dome released through P-Vine Records.

The US will see a special digital only mini EP consisting of ‘Sir’, ‘Face Facts’ and ‘Altise Lament’.

In addition to the release we have a clip filmed and directed by Dean Lever documenting Seekae’s 2011 tour of Japan. Dean’s photos also fill the pages of the ‘+Dome Deluxe Edition’ Booklet. You can check out the film here.

We are excited to bring you this special limited deluxe edition and look forward to another engaging year for Seekae.

Out March 23 on Rice Is Nice / Popfrenzy Records.

For more information please contact Julia Wilson – julia@riceisnice.net
Distributed by Inertia (Aus/NZ) State 51 (UK) Red Eye (USA) P-Vine (Japan)

- – -

MOJO Magazine ★★★★ Electronic Album of the Month
“sharp-edged, glacial, organic electronica”

HERALD SUN
“+DOME transcends everything before and everything after it.”

LA TIMES EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE OF NEW SINGLE “SIR”
“Their brand of electronic is Arcadian, full of gentle glitches and ethereal atmosphere”

RESIDENT ADVISOR ★★★★/5
“Equal parts rock, hip-hop and experimental, it’s one of the most interesting records of the year thus far.”

ROLLING STONE
“+DOME is a serpentine journey that will leave you feeling refreshed, not spent.“

THE FADER
‘It’s a risky move to throw all your emotions at the wall like Seekae do when “Mingus” blooms into
something gorgeous and open, but they pull it off.’

THE BRAG ★★★★
‘The true beauty in their sound is found in its resplendent intimacy and careful detail.

UNCUT Magazine
‘Opener “Go” is a pshychotic merry-go-round of detuned guitars and cymbals.’

LA MUSIC BLOG
‘Every song on +DOME is an adventure… The trio from Down Under took me up over the Sepulveda Pass every day this past week in a magical daze.’

THE FLY ★★★★
“Whether it’s the fact that Seekae are a band not a man or whether they’re just a bit better, we’re not sure, but ‘+DOME’ glitches and crackles warmly with a far more human heart than most.”

LA MUSIC BLOG
Top Ten Avante Garde Releases of 2011

XYZ Magazine
‘Seekae do for ambient Electronica what Mylo’s Destroy Rock & Roll did for Dance…’

INVERTED AUDIO
‘+DOME depicts a far more ambitious vision of the future than any other Australian act has ever attempted…’

7.5/10 BOWLEGS
‘+DOME grows stronger with every listen, and its creators should be applauded for attempting such an ambitious record – and lauded for succeeding in pulling it off.’

INTHEMIX
‘From upbeat tracks with house pianos and organs, to choppy, industrial electronic sounds, Seekae’s adventurous production is boundary-pushing and unconventional.’

SONIC ROUTER
‘+DOME is a lot of things at once; from drone to click-step, synth chug to thug hip hop and soundtrack epic…but the real magic is in the way they tackle every electronic part with the same verve as they do the organic instrumentation.

SUB RADAR
‘All in all, an absolutely lush record. 8.5/10.’

Seekae Japan 2011 from Dean Lever on Vimeo.