Barbara Panther?

I can't find any more info on the City Slang site, though. Celling, where'd you find out about her signing and upcoming record?

Okay, apparently Barbara Panther's album is supposed to come out this spring, and it will feature collaboration(s) with Matthew Herbert, at least according to his site... I guess that's cool? Hopefully it'll have some stuff with Burnt Friedman too. She's having a gig here in Helsinki on April 1st, I'll report back if I go there.

Oh yeah, and "Snake" by Acid Washed with her on vocals is totally hot and steamy, and not Björkish at all:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UinDlWERBHI

Looks the BP album is finally coming out this April, a year later than it was supposed to:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004GLDNV2/ref=oss_product

Empire, the EP she released last autumn was quite good, so I have high expectations for the album...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tk0P-rYb7W4

IMO "Empire" is not the best of her new tunes, but a good song and an amazing video anyway.

I would've kinda expected more enthusiasm for Barbara Panther... It seems her kind of music is right up the ILM alley, but maybe she's too unknown in here?

The album finally came out this week, and there's a new video for "Moonlightpeople":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPObpVHDQ9k&feature=player_embedded

IMO this one is clearly a better song that "Empire", quite poppy compared to her previous output.

I still haven't received my copy of the album, but I can't wait for it to drop to my letterbox.

That is a good song, like it a lot. This album is on Spotify so I'll certainly give it a spin.

ILM is fickle, sometimes it really takes a "controversial" review on Pitchfork or one of its own resident popstars or reviewerstars to rep for something before anyone pays it any attention. (Even if it's just the attention of ornery gits coming in to grumble "I don't understand why this is getting so much attention!")

Your obligatory "she's a bit quirky, this one" Guarniad article:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/may/07/barbara-panther-matthew-herbert

In which she uses the term "modern electronic baroque music" which is a thing that there should really be a rolling thread for maybe.

In fairness, that's better than "she's a bit quirky this one" articles usually are, and in fairness she gives the writer a lot to work with. Definitely interested in hearing this one.

Sorry, I feel bad for translating my enthusiasm into "jaded ILX speak."

I thought she seemed very well spoken and interesting in the interview, like she gave the interviewer a lot more than he could cram into his wordcount.

I've listened to this about three times in a row and it is both bewildering and dizzying but does manage that trick of pulling you into this intriguing world she sets up. There's a lot of lovely cooing beds of closely enmeshed vocals and chants over the beats-and-bass that you don't really hear the first time because the lead vocals are so engaging.

I finally got my copy of the album, and after a few spins I'm mostly loving it! There's a couple of tracks that don't sound particularly brilliant, but most of the album is quite immersive and hypnotic. I love how both the vocals and beats are constantly on the verge of breaking into more avant spheres, but they always fall back into the pop mold. Like Kate said, there are lots of things going on beyond the surface "song" level, so it feels like repeat listens will be rewarded with this album. But at the moment I'm loving the energy and immediacy of "Unchained" the most.

My only disappointment is that Panther didn't collaborate with Burnt Friedman here, as I'd hoped. I can see how producing the whole album with Herbert makes it more cohesive, but I would've loved to hear more stuff like "Machine in the Ghost". Maybe on the next Friedman album?

This album still sounds pretty hot, repeated listenings haven't reduced its power. Pretty much the only thing I don't like about it is that the songs are so short (almost all of them are 3 or 4 minutes), would've liked to hear some more of electronic tweakery like the cut-up vocals in the beginning of the first song. Maybe there'll be some remixes later on though?

This is pretty good, and I don't usually like Herbert productions.

I'm not super familiar with Herbert, but to me this feels like a "proper" solo album, in that even though there are various bits and pieces that sound clearly like Herbert (the cut-up vocals in the first tune, for example), you always feel it's Panther who's running the show, from the beginning to the end.

This is a fine, fine album. Played Rise Up when DJing before an Oxbow show recently and two people came up and asked who it was (this usually never happens).

Is she the same person as 'Mistress Barbara' who appears on this track? Sounds very similar.

She did make a point in interviews of stating that the whole album was already completely written before Herbert got involved. So I suspect his role as "producer" was more like the rockist definition of "guy who puts the finishing production touches on everything" rather than the usual dance sense of "guy who does all the music start to finish and whacks a singer on top."

Probably, yeah. The album sleeve credits her and Herbert as co-producers on every track.

It's not his contribution I'm questioning really but I don't generally like his whole sound. Also, annoying and gimmicky. But it certainly feels like 'her' album in the way that a Bjork album does regardless of whether she's working with Mark Bell or Matmos or whoever.

Discovered "Moonlightpeople" from people repping for it on the EOY campaigning thread - gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous. Wouldn't have guessed Herbert was involved from the production, heh.

So sad I wasn't in this thread from the beginning.

Ha, I actually nommed "Moonlightpeople" in the 2010 ILM end-of-year poll too (it was on BP's digital EP that came out in autumn 2010), but maybe this year it'll finally get its due? Though IMO "Dizzy" from the album is even better.

Eh, sorry, I meant "Unchained", which is clearly the best tune she's ever done. Though "Dizzy" is very pretty too.

Glad this thread got revived. This is one of those records I heard last year and thought, "this is going to be a big deal." And then it wasn't.

Yeah, I was kinda expecting the album get a lot more critical acclaim than it did. You'd think BP's combination of fierce artsiness and underlying popist sensibility would be like manna for the critics?

It was manna for me. Between hearing it and making my ballot (just a matter of weeks), it became my #2.

Huh, she did a cover of the Talking Heads' "Once In A Lifetime" w/Kid606 in 2010 (link).

really enjoying this, my favorite of the eoy-nomination new discoveries.

Tuomas, you did a great of repping for her job getting your nominations in so quick. As soon as I heard the two songs you nominated I ordered the album. I've played it loads over the last few weeks and ending up putting it in my top ten.

Along with the tracks that have been mentioned, Last Dance is one of my favourites.

This album remains awesome, I'm glad that she's finally seeing some ILX appreciation. (I've kind of listened to it so much this year that I'm a bit burned out on it, but it's definitely AOTY territory for me.)

Where did Barbara Panther go? Her fb page was most recently updated just last month, but it seems all she's been doing lately is dj gigs. ;_;

I played this again last month, wonderful record

https://soundcloud.com/barbara-panther-804037132

Finally some new music! Quite a nice tune, though maybe kinda tweer than what'd you'd expect from her?

Yes!

https://soundcloud.com/barbara-panther-804037132/strange-fruit

It's what it says it is.

https://soundcloud.com/beapanther/feminine-1

New tune, this sounds pretty awesome! The lyrics are quite something, dunno if I fully agree with this Earth Mother stuff, but I love how unabashedly idealistic she is.

And how her singing style on this tune reflects that.

It'd be nice to get a proper record from her again, not just a tune on Soundcloud once a year or so.

It'd be nice to get a proper record from her again, not just a tune on Soundcloud once a year or so.

yay! https://open.spotify.com/album/6DJlhwLF6EowqY6tCvct8Z?si=zEH5UguUQQewrw2zZbZt_A

Full album out now.

Oh whoops, I guess that's what the link directly above was to.

...and another!

https://matthewherbert.bandcamp.com/album/muramuke/

Full blown Herbert collab. It's pretty great!

hey this is really fucking good