Birthmark

At least 4 different bands / acts share this name: 1) Birthmark is Nate Kinsella of the Joan of Arc collective gone solo. 2) Birthmark is a dream pop band from Athens, Greece. Initially formed in 2001 under the name Cuore Nero. 3) A hardcore act from Banská Bystrica (Slovakia). 4) An experimental band from Brighton, East Sussex, England 1.) Under the appellation Birthmark, Nate Kinsella has embraced restraint in spite of the compositional boundlessness typically borne by musical virtuosity. On his debut album The Layer, the inventive and often byzantine drum set/Wurlitzer style he developed over the past four years in the band Make Believe is all but absent, revealing a quiet and uncanny tension of minimalist focus. And while Kinsella performed all of the music on The Layer, recalling his multi-instrumental duties in the band Joan of Arc, the listener is more awestruck by the attention to integration and score than by a whirlwind of prowess. The Layer represents an effort that began over eight years ago with the song "Flightless Bird," which was originally written for a friend's unfinished film project. Over time, the songs transitioned through amorphous forms until their ideal structures were achieved, further revealing The Layer to be a product of discreet process. In fact, two sharply contrasting songs on The Layer "A Solitary Angle on the Confinement of Doom" and "The Layer" started as the same tune, and the piano throughout was recorded in Minnesota over two consecutive Christmas vacations. While the recording of the album spans four years and numerous locations, it is bound by an elegant and earthy lyrical form that is telling of Kinsella's ardent atheism and wonder at the natural world. The Layer further bears witness to his growth as a recording engineer, which ostensibly began with his former band decembers architects' only LP and progressed to collaborating on multiple recordings by Joan of Arc, Sharks and Seals, Owen, and most recently the soundtrack to Tim Kinsella's debut film, Orchard Vale. As Birthmark, Nate Kinsella's The Layer is a remarkable album that rewards both the casual and attentive listener alike. The release of The Layer is set for December 2007 on 'record label' in the US, Coraille and Dunix in Europe, and Iscollagecollective in Japan. A European tour will follow in the winter. (from label coraille.com) http://www.myspace.com/birthmarkincomputer 2) Birthmark were formed in 2002 in Athens, Greece. After forming a solid sound, the band went on to performing live gigs, playing with several bands and constantly rehearsing new material. Soon they were recognized as an important asset of Athens' underground rock scene, having a distinctive sound and an intense on-scene presence. In 2005, after wining the first prize at a music contest they got an album deal with V2 records. Their first LP album, ”Product of black days” was recorded, mixed and produced by the band itself and could be described as alternative-progressive rock. It was released in 2007 by V2 records and was sold out getting positive feedback from both the critics and the audience. Birthmark have performed live with Nina Nastasia, Iron Butterfly, Holly Golightly, Diorama and others, as well as many important greek bands. In 2012, Birthmark released their second full-length album, under the title "Boogeyman", bringing loads of innovative ideas, shaped as a new dynamic quintet. "Boogeyman" sports 10 original alternative rock compositions characterized by a shadowy but groovy sound and a cover of Massive Attack's "Safe From Harm" interpreted in Birthmark's musical style. At the same time, the band starts a new project, called "Birthmark iPad sessions". New compositions, featuring the substitution of drums with on the fly-processed with an iPad beats and analog synths, form an electronica-oriented sound maintaining rock elements and presenting a different perspective of Birthmark. During 2012 Elias, felt the need to expand his, and the band's musical field so he went on to learn more about music technology and electronic music production so he also started using electronic sounds and prerecorded beats in the songs. He urged the band to move to a new direction. Argyris started using synthesizers and also started blending electronic sounds in the mixes of their new studio material. Jacob 's influences were also very experimental so the band started to dissosiate from their previous alternative rock sound and felt the need to do something more electronic. At the same time, after the departure of Kostis, who didn't feel this new sound represented him as an artist, Konstantinos Peyos an innovative artist and skilled guitarist, was asked to join Birthmark, by Adamantine and Jacob who had worked with him before in a past project called Murder Mystery Ensemble. They had been impressed by his ability to think outside the box. Konstantinos brought creativity, inspiration and a new vision which helped the other members develop a new sound, something they had already started doing the previous years. The band's 3rd LP album "Subtract" was released by The Sound Of Everything in January 30 2015. Birthmark official home-page: http://www.birthmarkmusic.com Read more on Last.fm. 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