Seams eases back into the world with a lush new symphony that apparently draws inspiration directly from the three months he spent living in Berlin this summer. Berlin being conducive to musical creativity? I’ve heard that one a few times before.

I’m not sure what the weather was like out there, but this feels like still late evening summer heat, where you perpetually turn the pillow over to find some respite while sounds of the night bubble in through open 5th storey windows, fearful of moving should it elicit a tidal wave of sweat. As such, “Hung Markets” is motionless and poised, threatening to spill over into something else, be that the bliss of sleep or a night of awkwardness trying to climb out of your own skin.

“Hung Markets” is the first track given away from the Tourist EP released sometime soon. Keep checking the boy’s Bandcamp, as he’s pretty 2.0 savvy.

DOWNLOAD: Seams – “Hung Markets”

(Photo: Emily Burtner)

Listen to a live set from Seams recorded at the the launch for his 12″ at Puregroove.

Seams Live @Puregroove 03/05/10 by seams

As you all know, Seams is celebrating the release of his now-sold-out debut 12″ Nightcycles with a free show at Puregroove on Monday 3rd May.

We can now announce that not only will he be joined by friends Shells (live) and Becoming Real (DJ), but also by very ‘special guest’ and recent touring partner Gold Panda, whom you may remember from Tough Love Is 4 last year.

It’s free entry and starts at 18:30. Stage times will be posted nearer the day. Follow this link to the Facebook event.

(Photo: Jess Gough)

Although it seems like it’s been out forever because the whole world has been getting excited about it, today we officially release the super limited 12″ 5 track white label pressing of Seams’ “Nightcycles”.

Since only 100 copies were actually made, they’re nearly all sold out, but if you’re quick you’ll be able to pick up one by clicking this link and exchanging money. You know the drill. It’s also available on all download services iTunes, Amazon et al.

What’s more, a lot of good people with loud voices have been putting their money where those loud voices come from and writing nice things about Seams. I’ve been so good as to list them below.

PRESS:

Pitchfork
Dazed Digital
Dazed and Confused
The Line of Best Fit
Pinglewood

Tough Love Records presents…

Seams – Nightcycles + rmxs – 12″ Launch Party
Monday 3rd May @ Puregroove Records

Seams (live)
Shells (live)
+ a very special guest (live)*

Becoming Real (DJ set)

18:30-23:00
FREE entry

Facebook event

Pre-order the Seams 12″ from here now (last few copies left of a run of 100):

* special guest announced week before. Actually genuinely special, believe…

<< PRE-ORDER HERE – LIMITED TO 100 COPIES >>

Huw Stephens and his team of real gold were good enough to invite us to be featured as ‘DIY Record Label of the Week’ on their show last night. Quite an honour.

Since we’re only telling you about this now, you will have likely missed Huw reading out my answers to their questions, and hearing them play William‘s “Dilettante” and “Nightcycles” by Seams. But because it’s not 1987 and we’re not still taping the radio for posterity, you can Listen Again (for 7 days at least – history gets shorter) by following the link below. We feature around about the 1hr 33mins 30 secs mark. Roughly speaking.

iPlayer link
Huw Stephens’ micro-site and show playlist

And one more thing, listen out for a Fair Ohs session to be recorded and aired in the next month or so. Not sure what they’re going to do, but I’m excited about the prospect of new songs.

(Photo: Matt Mullen)

It’s with pleasure that we’re able to announce the release of TLV036: Seams – Nightcycles + RMXS, on 26th April 2010. Issued as a 12″ white label, containing the near-8 minute original track “Nightcycles” and four accompanying remixes, it’s hand-printed and limited to just 100 copies. If you pre-order through our site, we’ll email you a code to download the songs as MP3s. As with the Becoming Real 12″, the short run means these will not be available for long.

Coinciding with the record release, Seams will be going out on tour with Gold Panda (he of BBC Sound 2010 and our 4th birthday party fame) in April, the dates listed below. For those unaware of their work, I’ve also provided some biog and links for the remixers, so you can acquaint yourself with their excellent jams.

LIVE DATES / TOUR WITH GOLD PANDA:

March:
16 – The Social – London

April:
13 – Bungalows and Bears – Sheffield w/Gold Panda & Dam Mantle
14 – Stereo – Glasgow w/Gold Panda & Dam Mantle
15 – Kings Manor – Newcastle w/Gold Panda & Dam Mantle
16 – Spanky Van Dykes – Nottingham w/Gold Panda & Dam Mantle
17 – Start The Bus – Bristol w/Gold Panda & Dam Mantle

WEBSITE
MYSPACE
PRE-ORDER

Tracklisting:
A1: “Nightcycles”
B1: “Nightcycles (Dam Mantle Rmx)”
B2: “Nightcycles (Shells Rmx)”
B3: “Nightcycles (Becoming Real Rmx)”
B4: “Nightcycles (d’Eon Rmx)”

DAM MANTLE

“Glasgow based Dam Mantle is as much Machine as it is Animal. It often finds itself stuck in a loop, where various points in time and various cultures meet and refract each other. This forms a regurgitation of ‘now’.”

SHELLS

Shells is from Bath and involves someone by the name of Khalid Rafique. This is all the information I have.

BECOMING REAL

“Becoming Real is half human, half vampire, one whole something else. Becoming Real is ghost step, on the haunted dancefloor, where footsteps remind him, baby, of you. Becoming Real is always on his way. Becoming Real is never quite there.”

d’Eon

“d’Eon is a producer and singer. He started recording his experiments with keyboards and sequencing onto cassette starting at the age of four. After spending his early childhood learning theory, harmony and counterpoint, d’Eon later quit academic music to learn traditional Iranian, Arabic, Turkish and Central Asian music. He spent some months in a Tibetan monastery in the Himalayas while studying the Tibetan lute. He now lives in Montreal and makes electronic dance music.”

Seams is the latest addition to the Tough Love family, whom some of you may have become acquainted with at the last Old Money. We’ll be providing more details on his forthcoming debut TLV release in the next week or so, but for now, here’s a simple biog and the requisite MySpace link >>> HERE

“Seams is 21 year old James Welch from the leafy suburbs of southern England. Spending his days interning at record labels across London and taking shifts at a local restaurant, Seams spends his nights making irrepressibly emotive electronica.

For some, Seams’ style of music is labelled that of Soundscape, for others it’s post-Dubstep, you might even try beatless House. In truth, it’s none of these. It is simply a reflection of James’ thoughts, moods and surroundings, and the resulting sound is Seams.

Following on from Seams’ self-recorded, self-released, pay-what-you-want debut album ‘A Juvenile Rush’ last year, comes his debut physical release ‘Nightcycles’. A beautiful 7 minute journey “inspired by the freedom of 3 a.m. bike rides on deserted roads, and constructed primarily of samples taken from a nineties Elliott Smith documentary”.

Tough Love Records presents…

OLD MONEY @The Stag’s Head, Dalston
Saturday 20th February

Radiant Dragon – 22:30
Dam Mantle – 21:45
Seams – 21:00

Tough Love DJs
Home.Under.Ground DJs
Becoming Real DJ

FREE entry
20:00-01:00

Thanks again, as always and forever, to Ralph Wilson for the poster.