Luscious New Dream Pop from Kramies

Oct. 19, 2011 - PRLog -- Denver, Colorado; Perth, Western Australia; 19 October 2011. Hidden Shoal Recordings is proud to announce the release of new single ‘Coal Miners Executive Club’ by Dutch-American singer-songwriter Kramies, taken from his forthcoming EP The European.

Fusing masterful songwriting with electronics and atmospherics, ‘Coal Miners Executive Club’ is an emotionally resonant vortex of swooning pop that simply demands repeat listens. Built around an absolutely heartbreaking chord progression on synthesizer, the song is carried skyward as layers and layers of instruments build and build, Kramies’ voice all the while intoning a timeless melody.

“Perhaps the best thing about Kramies’ music, aside from its ability to create an otherworldly escape for the listener, is the fact that he can actually sing. While most indie/experimental artists drown themselves out in a sea of lo-fi, Kramies’ vocal presence is stellar.” – Digital Music Press

Kramies Windt began writing songs at the age of 14 after buying his first synth, acoustic guitar and four-track cassette recorder at an estate sale in his home town of Cleveland, Ohio. Even though he was never really exposed to any music other than old Dutch Christmas records his family had lying around when he was a kid, their haunting sound would shape the direction of his future songwriting.

From the age of 16 Kramies started forming bands, playing  in the underground music scene from Ohio to Chicago. Come the late ’90s, Kramies had developed his own sound and with his band went on to open for Spiritualized, Grandaddy, Yo La Tengo, Calexico, Stereolab, Dirty Three and Red House Painters.
Come 2004, Kramies decided to focus on writing and recording in the studio, and began working with producer and engineer Todd Tobias (Guided By Voices, Robert Pollard) and guitarist David Paolucci. Working with Todd and David, Kramies released two wonderful albums: Golden Like A New Thing (ACM, 2008) and Castle of Ghosts (ACM, 2010).

In 2010 Kramies began writing the songs for The European EP, his first Hidden Shoal release, in his coat closet in Colorado. The songs were demoed on four-track, painting a vivid sonic picture of the direction the release would take, drawing on the haunting old-world imagery he loved so much as a kid. The demos were sent to David Paolucci to start working on guitar parts in Ohio. Kramies then toured Ireland, playing old pubs and small concert halls, which brought new ideas and layers to the songs. The European EP was recorded in June and July 2011 with Todd Tobias, with prominent, swirling guitar work from Dave Paolucci.

‘Coal Miners Executive Club’ is available for free download from the Hidden Shoal Store. It is taken from the forthcoming The European EP, which is released on 22 November in digital format as well as a numbered  limited edition of 100 CD postcards.

Hidden Shoal Recordings is an Australia-based independent music label that has earned a reputation for releasing exciting and engaging new independent music that is not bound by genre or style. Hidden Shoal Recordings has been chosen as one of Textura’s favourite labels and has been dubbed “This generation’s 4AD” by prominent New York radio host DJ Mojo.

Label Site: http://music.hiddenshoal.com
Label Store: http://agora.hiddenshoal.com
Kramies: http://www.myspace.com/kramies

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Hidden Shoal Recordings is an Australia-based music label that has earned a reputation for releasing engaging new music that is not bound by genre or style. The label has been dubbed “This generation’s 4AD” by prominent New York radio host DJ Mojo.