Enough with rustic, hand-hewn cabins in the woods of Michigan’s scenic and scarily-isolated Upper Peninsula. (No offense, UPers. I am scared of everything, especially time alone in nature with myself.) The new cool “indie” place to record an album isn’t just one boring ol’ place with no TV, lots of beer, and scary coyotes outside. In fact, the new cool “indie” place to record your hot ticket debut album isn’t just one place at all; it’s lots of places, and one of them is Cambodia! L.A.-based Matthew Hemerlein, the voice and multi-instrumentalist behind Lo-Fang, recorded his debut, Blue Film, in a Maryland farmhouse (yes, natch), “hotels and studios in Cambodia” (WHAT), merry olde London, England (bitch, please), Connie Britton-vehicle Nashville, and the legendary Capitol Records Studios in Los Angeles (Whatever, I drive past this every day. WHATEVER sooooo not bothered). This guy! This guy, TAKE ME WITH YOU NEXT TIME YOU RECORD AN ALBUM ON SEVERAL CONTINENTS, THIS GUY.
And now Mr. Lo-Fang Guy himself is the latest addition to the always epic 4AD roster. Blue Film is scheduled for an early 2014 release, but if you want to soak in the chamber-pop-meets-R&B-while-jetsetting-between-nations vibe of Lo-Fang a little sooner, well, then, you’re in luck! Because 4AD is releasing a limited 12-inch “double A-side single” (HOW DOES THIS WORK) of tracks “88” and “Boris” on October 8. Beware leprechauns, pirates, and all other keepers of rare treasures! Double A-side limited 12” singles are the “Oops, All Berries” of the record-collecting world.
• Lo-Fang: http://lo-fang.com
• 4AD: http://4ad.com