sketches for albinos profile picture

sketches for albinos

one summer doth not an albino make...

About Me

Sketches For Albinos
Camped out somewhere in deepest, iciest Iceland Sketches for Albinos (aka Matthew Collings) makes music from the ends of the earth.
I guess it all began with adventuring with tapes and things I had no idea how to do, but having a itch to scratch and a gap in my mind record collection that had to be filled...The first albinos release was 2006’s eponymous 6 track ep, which is due to be digitally re-released in July on Imoto Records. A preview video for ’Routine’ is available below
As with each SfA project, the results pretty much defied definition. From the broken beats and tremor quakes of ‘Kids with no Energy’ to the clattering warmth of ‘Routine’ Sketches kept you guessing from first to last.
Following on from the ep is ten track album ’Red’. The first Sketches release on Imoto, it is, as you’d expect, intently evocative. Switching continually between moments of sweet hearted stillness on debut single Daniel Likes Birds to the awestruck mong tone of opener The Hustler. ’Red’ is available on itunes, bleep.com, tune tribe and rhapsody.
Hot on the tracks of ’Red’ is ’...that city is a liar’, released by Ropeadope Digital. A nine track mini-album compiled at the same time as ’Red’, and a huge and diverse listen: ’...Not since listening to Godspeed You Black Emperor have we heard spoken word used so perfectly underneath a gentle bed of acoustic music. What we also like about this record is how certain tracks seemingly broadcast images into our minds. Anna Karina is such a song. Despite clocking in at 88 seconds, it is a one-instrument song full of bliss and prettiness. Imagine a scene in a film where some kind of heartache has happened. Drop all the dialogue as two characters go to make-up; with this song in the background it is the perfect song to fit the image. If not a film then we could ramble off more places where this song could be used...(Hecklerspray.com)
’Born from a process of "making tapes and attempting to record with things [he] didn’t understand, ...that city is a liar comes off as a sort of photo album, or sketchbook if you will. Each track is a momentary snapshot, lasting only long enough to capture the most salient feature within its field of vision. These are fleeting moments, unrefined and emotive -- leftover breeze at the end of a storm...with his balance of the sweet against the discordant, the mood is simply more primordial than primal...(Jambands.com)
’...that city is a liar’ can be purchased direct from Ropeadope digital here: ropeadope store
or from itunes, emusic and snocap, straight from this profile.
Sketches also produced a stunning version of Sinatra’ s ‘Let It Snow’ for Izumi’s ‘It’s Not Like Christmas’ album, which was named ’Record of the Week’ by The Sunday Times and Daily Mail in the UK, amongst other accolades
Another review of Sketches for Albinos ’Red’ debut full-length lp, www.rawkstar.netThe debut albinos ep is released on cd by Girlfriend Records, which can be purchased at wwselectadisc.co.uk, and search for sketches for albinos.
I also have two tracks on the fantastic beautiful amazing online art magazine, www.milkshakechocolate.net
thanks for everyone for all their support, comments and inspiration
(forget about the future, these times are such a mess, tune out the past and just say yes - Sonic Youth)
www.imotorecords.com
video for ’Routine’, from the debut albinos EP, soon to be re-released by Imoto records
live footage from a gig at the holy trinity church, leeds, uk, dec 15th 07:
CHEROKEE:
LET IT SNOW:
You can read an interview with Sketches, about music, visualisation, synesthesia and the making of the ’routine’ video here: www.toolfarm.com
Like a fine piece of literature, …That City Is A Liar should be shared and passed onto as many people as possible. Its sheer warmth and beauty will move anyone who has ever had a flicker of emotion (Hecklerspray.com).
... on a par with anything that the mighty Sigur Ros have released...(Rawkstar.net)
Songs like pale deep-sea creatures, float through an embryonic soup. Muffled, they bend into bulbous shapes. We’re stunned (Brighton Source Magazine).
Utterly unique, Sketches has all the musical adventure of John Mcentire, Tortoise or Kevin Shields without sounding a bit like any of them (Imoto Records Press Blog).
SKETCHES FOR ALBINOS: BACK CATALOGUE
’...that city is a liar’ (Digital download only)
Available from
itunes
emusic
www.bleep.com
’Red’ (Digital download only)
Available from
itunes
emusic
www.bleep.com
Sketches for Albinos EP (CD)
Available from
gizeh records store

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 11/14/2005
Band Website: imotorecords.com
Band Members:
Influences: my bloody valentine,sigur rós, david lynch, autechre, gyorgy ligeti, godspeed, rhys chatham, glenn branca, boards of canada, brian wilson, bela tarr, sonic youth, mark rothko, john adams, reflections in the tjorn, mr ben frost, amusement parks on fire, sounds in churches when i was a sweet sweet choirboy.....
Sounds Like:
Record Label: girlfriend records, imoto records, ropeadope
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

live in brixton

live in brixton tonight at the semiconductor all dayerbrixton jamm, 261 brixton road... come on downlive with live guitarists. rocking away...thanks matt
Posted by sketches for albinos on Sun, 27 Jul 2008 05:49:00 PST

new tracks and a promising future

heydi heyi have added two new tracks on the profile...they are both demos of what will be part of a record that should be made in iceland on bedroom community records this autumn and winter (ben frost...
Posted by sketches for albinos on Fri, 04 Jul 2008 01:30:00 PST

tour summer uk

dear allfirst of all a big thanks to all of you who came out to kaffibarinn on friday night to witness the latest performance of ben frost's awe inspiring '6 guitars'. and for those of you who do to k...
Posted by sketches for albinos on Sun, 25 May 2008 12:00:00 PST

hecklerspray.coms  big tip for 2008

thanks to hecklerspray for the big compliment of being their 'big tip for 2008'...read the whole article below:Hecklerspray; stuff we liked in 2007 (matthew laidlow)Simple things please the simplest o...
Posted by sketches for albinos on Sat, 16 Feb 2008 10:45:00 PST

manchester retro bar review no.2

: The Drebin :: Sketches For Albinos :: Escalade :: Spokes ::17 December 2007 / Retro Bar / ManchesterBy Cath AubergineOne of the most exciting newcomers to the Manchester live circuit in 2007 has bee...
Posted by sketches for albinos on Sat, 16 Feb 2008 10:40:00 PST

live videos from the holy trinity church

i've just uploaded some of the gig at the holy trinity church on dec 15th 07, in leeds...thanks to forest of sound for setting up the gig!hope you enjoy the videos and a glimpse of the albinos live sh...
Posted by sketches for albinos on Sat, 26 Jan 2008 03:42:00 PST

early albinos ep now available from gizeh online store

the first ever albinos release, the 6 track untitled ep released on girlfriend records in 2005 is now available from the gizeh online store...there are very few copies left of it now, so grab them whi...
Posted by sketches for albinos on Sun, 13 Jan 2008 05:34:00 PST

manchester tour review

Here is an excellent review of the recent albinos gig at the retro bar in manchester on dec17th 07. thanks to sean for that one!Sketches for Albinos + Spokes + (and another band who shall remain namel...
Posted by sketches for albinos on Sun, 13 Jan 2008 04:48:00 PST

subba-cultcha review

a fresh review for '...that city is a liar' from the kind folks at subba-cultcha!cheers!http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_al bum.php?id=6554
Posted by sketches for albinos on Sun, 02 Dec 2007 07:50:00 PST

ambient interviews

i just did an interview with www.theambientinterviews.blogspot.comit was a good one, and thanks for ally for doing it. i think it exlains the whole albinos idea pretty wellcheck it out if you fancy ve...
Posted by sketches for albinos on Fri, 23 Nov 2007 12:18:00 PST