Marriages

Product Description
Marc Hellner’s name may be familiar as one half of revered Chicagoan audio-visual artists Pulseprogramming, or as a touring member of Windy City regulars L’Altra. A prolific musician with a latent fondness for ‘real’ instruments to match the dexterous digital manipulations of his regular combo, Marriages - ironically given the title - is effectively Hellner’s debut solo longplayer; an outlet for the aforementioned compositional overload but also a thoroughly focused collection that consistently errs toward intimate beauty.

In fact, the title is hardly ironic, as Hellner’s modus operandi involves the discreet deployment of collaborators; using smart, likeminded local talents to help decant his vision into an album that’s constantly alluring, often breathtaking, but never predictable. Among the luminaries involved here are Tortoise percussionist John Herndon, Cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm (Boxhead Ensemble), double bassist Josh Abrams (Town & Country) and sound designer/programmers Joshua Eustis and Charles Cooper – aka Telefon Tel Aviv. The latter also produced the record, helping Hellner marshal the numerous players and diverse sound sources into a winningly homogenous whole.

Raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Marc Hellner was a youthful Anglophone fan of the Smiths along with various British shoegazing types and, most tellingly with regards to Marriages, art bands such as Talk Talk and Blue Nile which possessed that rare alchemical knack of matching the sonically esoteric with the emotionally direct. A move to rainy Portland, Oregon coincided with the discovery of classical minimalism and works by the likes of, Arvo Part, Steve Reich and Howard Skempton – influences that have impacted subtly but significantly on Marriages. Hellner later moved to Chicago and the rest is leftfield musical history.

All of which makes Marriages a veritable thoroughbred of a solo record. An album that interleaves recognizable pop structures with delicate ambient passages, all of it warmly coloured by string arrangements and the sentient presence of live musicians, lending a warm lucidity to Hellner’s typically meticulous soundscapes. The result is music of longing and quiet spaces—imaginary love songs crafted from disparate sources, but with an undeniably singular voice.

Marriages – made in heaven.

Tracks:

Handshaking
Both of Use
Mine Is Made Of
Last Chances
Nonsense & Happiness
You the Picture
Overpasses
Asleep on the Wing
Orphea

Average customer rating:

Marriages
Marc Hellner
Manufacturer: Peacefrog
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

IDM | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Electronic Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Electronica | Dance & DJ | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Dance & DJ | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0009UVBKO
Release Date: 2005-10-04

Tracks:

Handshaking
Both of Use
Mine is Made of
Last Chances
Nonsense and Happiness
You the Picture
Overpasses
Asleep on the Wing
Orphea

Album Description

Marc Hellner's name may be familiar as one half of revered Chicagoan audio-visual artists Pulseprogramming, or as a touring member of Windy City regulars L'Altra. A prolific musician with a latent fondness for `real' instruments to match the dexterous digital manipulations of his regular combo, Marriages - ironically given the title - is effectively Hellner's debut solo longplayer; an outlet for the aforementioned compositional overload but also a thoroughly focused collection that consistently errs toward intimate beauty.

In fact, the title is hardly ironic, as Hellner's modus operandi involves the discreet deployment of collaborators; using smart, likeminded local talents to help decant his vision into an album that's constantly alluring, often breathtaking, but never predictable. Among the luminaries involved here are Tortoise percussionist John Herndon, Cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm (Boxhead Ensemble), double bassist Josh Abrams (Town & Country) and sound designer/programmers Joshua Eustis and Charles Cooper - aka Telefon Tel Aviv. The latter also produced the record, helping Hellner marshal the numerous players and diverse sound sources into a winningly homogenous whole.

Raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Marc Hellner was a youthful Anglophone fan of the Smiths along with various British shoegazing types and, most tellingly with regards to Marriages, art bands such as Talk Talk and Blue Nile which possessed that rare alchemical knack of matching the sonically esoteric with the emotionally direct. A move to rainy Portland, Oregon coincided with the discovery of classical minimalism and works by the likes of, Arvo Part, Steve Reich and Howard Skempton - influences that have impacted subtly but significantly on Marriages. Hellner later moved to Chicago and the rest is leftfield musical history.

All of which makes Marriages a veritable thoroughbred of a solo record. An album that interleaves recognizable pop structures with delicate ambient passages, all of it warmly coloured by string arrangements and the sentient presence of live musicians, lending a warm lucidity to Hellner's typically meticulous soundscapes. The result is music of longing and quiet spaces—imaginary love songs crafted from disparate sources, but with an undeniably singular voice.

Marriages - made in heaven.

Births, Marriages and Deaths
Average customer rating:
Births, Marriages and Deaths
Tiger Lillies
Manufacturer: Tiger
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Experimental Rock | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0002YY1PE
Release Date: 1994-01-01

Tracks:

Boatman
Hell
Normal
Heroin and Cocaine
Prision House Blues
Jacky
Despite
Autumn Leaves
Lager Lout
Open Your Legs
Down and Out
Tears
Her Room
Flowers
War
Obscene
You're World
Sense of Sentiment
Wake Up
Repulsion
Sodsville
Bones
Circle Line
Haunting Me
Lily Marlene

Product Description

------25 tracks---- 1. 2:54 Boatman 2. 2:20 Hell 3. 3:18 Normal 4. 2:07 Heroin & Cocaine 5. 1:45 Prison House Blues 6. 4:07 Jacky 7. 2:37 Despite 8. 3:09 Autumn Leaves 9. 2:28 Lager Lout 10. 2:02 Open Your Legs 11. 3:03 Down & Out 12. 2:43 Tears 13. 2:15 Her Room 14. 4:50 The Flowers 15. 2:09 War 16. 2:58 Obscene 17. 1:42 You're World 18. 2:58 Sense of Sentiment 19. 1:51 Wake Up 20. 1:19 Repulsion 21. 2:17 Sodsville 22. 2:43 Bones 23. 3:47 Circle Line 24. 3:05 Haunting Me 25. 1:27 Lily Marlene

Average customer rating:

I'm So Glad He Gave Me You
Denise R. Greene
Manufacturer: Denise R. Greene
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000CADIGQ
Release Date: 2004-01-01