Nice words from Boomkat on Traena:

“Træna’ is Le Petit Garçon’s impeccable debut release; one long and compelling side of tundra Techno pushed across a vast expanse of distant shoegaze guitars and awe-inspiring ambient synth harmonics by a churning, ice-breaking bass cleft”, according to the nice people at Boomkat.

You should of course make sure you order the vinyl from there, here.

Meanwhile, in London, Fail, a.k.a. Sheikh Ahmed, names Traena in his top 10 12″ for 2011.

Read it here.

Mount Washington release their first single, Lisboa, from their eagerly awaited, self-titled album this Friday.

To coincide with the release the finishing touches are being put on a video directed by Bernard Wedig.

The band will be touring Germany, Austria and Switzerland from 22nd of February through to the 1st of April.

You can still try it before you buy below.

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#4. Our very own Ørjan, A&R at Breaking Olympic Records.

BEST ALBUMS

1. Mogwai – Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Wil

Why? “Post post rock spiser post rock til frokost. De gamle er fortsatt sprekest. Vocoder, synth og bassgitar, som i bass-gitar”, says Ørjan, which according to Google in English is:  ”Post post-rock post-rock to eat breakfast. The old is still vigorous. Vocoder,synthesizers and bass guitar, as bass guitar”.

2. Biosphere – N-Plant
3. Mathieu Santos – Massachusetts 201
4. Bombay Bicycle Club – A Different Kind Of Fix
5. Beach Fossils – What a Pleasure

BEST TRACKS

1. Bill Callahan – America!

2. Mogwai – George Square Tatcher Death Party

3. Fjorden Baby! – Himmelen

#3: Matthias Heiderich. Our favourite photographer and the man behind covers for Lagoonbird and Mount Washington amongst others. Also makes nice music under the name massju. He really hated the idea of just three tracks, so he also made some more recommendations for us.

BEST ALBUMS                                                                

1. Secret Cities – Strange Hearts
2. Tim Hecker – Ravedeath 1972
3. Ezekiel Honig – Folding in on Itself
4. Sandwell District – Feed Forward
5. Zomby – Dedication

BEST TRACKS

1. John Maus – Quantum Leap

2. Steve Hauschildt – Music for a MoirÈ Pattern

3. Grimes – Vanessa

Some other favourites:

Sandwell District – Falling the same Way (Regis Mix)
Four Tet – Locked
Hatchback – The Violet Sequence
BLOUSE – Time Travel
Du Nord – Sunset
Le RÈvÈlateur – Receiving Images
Ezekiel Honig – Drafting Foresight

#2 Rudi Hallaisen. Half of the duo Pistol & Bart and half of Sivert Høyems beat section. Pistol & Barts awaited debut album is due next year. Meanwhile, Rudi has enjoyed this in 2011:

BEST ALBUMS                                                     

1. Jay Z & Kanye West – Watch the Throne

Kanye West har på mange måter blitt en noe ufrivillig morsom figur med sin ekstreme selvhøytidelighet, avbrytelser under prisutdelinger og som den eneste i verden som ikke forstår verdens morsomste vits (Do you like fishsticks?). Likevel er det ikke til å stikke under en stol at samutgivelsen han har gjort med Jay Z og en bransjeelite av gjesteartister er en ren maktdemonstrasjon, uansett om man liker hiphop eller ikke.

2. Radiohead – King of Limbs
3. Bon Iver – Bon Iver
4. Wilco – The Whole Love
5. Sivert Høyem – Long Slow Distance

BEST TRACKS

1. Veronica Maggio – Jag kommer

2. PJ Harvey – Let England Shake

3. Le petit Garcon – Træna (Biosphere remix)

We have of course asked our artists and associates for the top albums and tracks of the year.

Nr 1: Christian Hollingsæter, aka Le Petit Garcon:

BEST ALBUMS

1. Jenny Hval – Viscera

“To me, one of the top 10 Norwegian albums ever”, eller på norsk:”Når man som instrumentalist også gidder å sette seg ned for å lese hennes tekster blir man frelst. Kast alle pretensiøse låteskrivere på bålet og selg platene deres på bensinstasjoner rundt om i landet. Ser ingen som kan toppe dette albumet”.

2. Biosphere – N-Plants
3. Radiohead – King of Limbs
4. Kode 9 & the Spaceape – Black Sun
5. Beirut – The Rip Tide – POMP

BEST TRACKS

1. Todd Terje – Ragysh

2. Le Peit Garçon – Traena (Biosphere Remix)

3. Marcel Dettmann – Translation One

Washington have changed their name to Mount Washington and have just given a preview of their forthcoming single Lisboa, out on Glitterhouse January 13th. Listen to it here on their Soundcloud or scroll down.

Lisboa the first single from the self-titled album to be released February 10th via Glitterhouse. The album was recorded and produced in Berlin and Toronto this summer.

The band are touring Europe this spring in support of the  album. Their continually growing amount of tour-dates can be found here.

The lovely art work is courtesy of Matthias Heiderich. Find his excellent work on his website.

Also, if you want to support Washington for their German, Austrian and Swiss dates, check out Glitterhouse’s contest. You can listen to bands and even enter yourselves here.

MOUNT WASHINGTON – LISBOA:

Lovely live-set from Le Petit Garcon:

And also a nice little track:

Get it while you can at the brilliant hardwax.

A live date in Berlin set to be confirmed for Thursday 23rd of June, adding to the already confirmed date in Cologne at the CO/Pop festival on the 24th.

Happy days.