ROPE,INC. FULL LENGTH OUT IN MARCH ON SECOND SHIMMY RECORDS.
This collection of 11 songs composed by MATT MENOVCIK and produced by
KRAMER are brutally quiet and perfectly presented; a deftly assembled marriage of
70’s-era Eno and BECK at his very best.The ultra-eroticism of MENOVCIK’s vocal
performances forms the bedrock of this collaboration,focused and drawn to a series
of subtle points by Shimmy-Disc founder KRAMER’s production genius. Although
remembrances of NEU and Joy Division will pepper the listeners experience upon
first hearing the often graphic soundpoems found in ROPE, INC.’s haunting debut
full-length release, one finds a haunting originality in both voice and production, and
a freshness that holds true and honest through repeated listens.With Matt recording
his electric piano, vocals and loops in Seattle, and Kramer adding arrangements,
instrumentation and some of his most stunning guitar work at his studio in Florida,
SONGS OF LOVE & WAR will keep listeners attention rigid long past bedtime.
KRAMER
Kramer, is a musician, composer, performer, record producer and founder of the
NYC record label Shimmy-Disc. He was a member of such diverse musical entities
as Butthole Surfers, Shockabilly, B.A.L.L., Bongwater, Half Japanese,The Fugs. He also
performed regularly with John Zorn and other improvising musicians of New York
City’s “Downtown scene” of the 1980s. His most notable work as a producer has
been with bands such as Galaxie 500, Low , Half Japanese, Gwar, King Missile,Alice
Donut,Will Oldham’s Palace Songs, Daniel Johnston, and the hit single for Quentin
Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, Urge Overkill’s “Girl,You’ll Be A Woman Soon”.
MATT MENOVCIK
Matt Menovcik is the songwriter, guitarist and singer for Seattle based band SAETA
as well as the bass player for pop-punk band Ms. Led. Menovcik is also half of the
collaboration known as ROPE, INC. with renowned producer, Kramer. The Duo’s
first ep,“Is That All?”, was released in September of 2006 on Fish The Cat Records,
which is run by Menovcik and Lesli Wood. Menovcik is a self-taught musician/
composer from Detroit, Michigan, who now resides in Seattle,Washington. He plays
piano,guitar,accordion,percussion,and bass and has been composing music for over
twenty years.
TRACK LISTING:
BELIEVE
PROMISE
STRANGE
HOLD
BECOME
ESCAPE
CIRCUMSTANCE
STAY
WRONG
UNKNOWN
BEGIN
For further information contact:
Diane Podolak, Publicist
myspace.com/dp_publicrelations
www.allegro-music.com • www.naildistribution.com
PRESS:
Seattle Times
May 18, 2007
Rope, Inc.
He's not nearly as famous as Gibbard, but Matt Menovcik just might be as talented, though in a strange, nonmainstream way.
While Saeta remains Menovcik's spooky main band, he has launched something called Rope, Inc. It has electronic and spacey edges, a shimmering setting for his deep, pained voice.
The other half of Rope, Inc. is the brilliant producer Kramer, who collaborated with the singer to put out an EP released last fall and now an album called "Songs of Love & War." Kramer was a member of bands such as Butthole Surfers and Half Japanese, and produced notable works from Galaxie 500, Low and Daniel Johnston. (As well as the Urge Overkill/Pulp Fiction version of "Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon.")
"I recorded my parts for the album [voice, keyboards, programming] at my apartment, which I call Fish The Cat Studios," Menovcik explained, via e-mail. "I then sent the files I created to Kramer in Florida, and he added his parts at his studio, Noise Miami, and mixed and mastered it there.
"Kramer really produced and arranged a lot of the songs on this album. He also added a lot of the instrumentation and had his wife, who I've never met, lend her vocal talents to several of the tracks."
Menovcik met Kramer when he was sending around Saeta's second album. Kramer also produced a new Saeta album, "which will be coming out in Italy in early 2008 and we will be touring over there to support that. I haven't yet figured out what I want to do with the album domestically yet."
Kramer won't be there, but Menovcik performs Rope, Inc. songs at Café Venus at 9 p.m. Sunday ($6).
Tom Scanlon
AIDING AND ABETTING
ISSUE 284
Rope, Inc.
Songs of Love and War
(Second Shimmy)
http://www.aidabet.com/issues/284/284reviews.html
There really is a Kramer sound. It's not so much a particular way of
twisting the knobs as it is marrying a feel to the songs involved.
Kramer
has always managed to mutate his style to fit his subjects, and the
results
become even more interesting when he joins up with the outfit in
question.
And so Matt Menovcik writes the songs, plays the keyboards and sings,
while
Kramer produces, plays guitar and whatever else is necessary. Though
often
enough these songs do pretty well with just voice, keyboard implement,
beats
and guitar.
The sound is vaguely dreary, I suppose, but nonetheless possessing a
sort of
untouchable beauty. There's a real ache to the sound on this album. It
really brings out the quiet desperation of Menovcik's songs.
The more I hear from Rope, Inc., the more I like what I hear. There's
just
not enough room here for me to give all the reasons why.
Contact:
Second Shimmy
www: www.secondshimmy.com
BABY SUE MAGAZINE - April 2007
http://www.lmnop.com/2007-April-LMNOP-Reviews.html#anchor66199
Rope, Inc. - Songs of Love & War (CD, Second-Shimmy, Pop)
Rope, Inc. is Matt Menovcik (who was previously in the band Saeta) and
notorious producer Kramer. Songs of Love & War is a collection of
subtle
dub-influenced electronic pop. These thoughtful, personal, moody songs
are
delivered with appropriate restraint...incorporating some very simple
yet
beautiful keyboards. Manovcik has a slightly raspy almost hushed voice
that
works very well with this sort of music. Kramer's acute attention to
details
gives the music the heart and soul it deserves. This is probably a bit
too
subdued and provocative to become the most popular download of the
month...but positive word-of-mouth about this project is bound to
spread
which will give it the exposure it so obviously deserves... (Rating:
4+++++)
AIDING AND ABETTING ISSUE 278
Rope, Inc. Is That All? EP (Fish the Cat)
Matt Mencovik and Kramer (yes, that Kramer) noodle around five songs penned by Mencovik. Those expecting truly strange fare will be disappointed. These are often pretty, sometimes delicate songs that are almost perfectly presented. There must have been a lot of cutting and pasting, but the sound is wonderfully organic. The album title is fitting; I think most folks would like to hear a whole lot more.
ALL MUSIC GUIDE
ROPE, INC - SONGS OF LOVE AND WAR
Review by Alex Henderson
Songs of Love and War has been described as a combination of Beck and
'70s-era Brian Eno, and that is not an inaccurate description of the
ambient-minded alternative pop/rock/art rock that Rope, Inc. provides
on this 2007 release. But there are other influences as well on Songs of
Love and War, which is the duo's first full-length album - influences that
include Kraftwerk, David Bowie (especially the Bowie/Eno collaborations
that gave us Low, Heroes and Lodger in the late '70s), Roxy Music, Pink
Floyd and '80s new wave groups like Joy Division, Spandau Ballet and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. But none of those influences are people that Rope, Inc. (an American group with a very European sound) go out of their way to emulate; this duo has an attractive personality of its own, and that personality is very unassuming. Songs of Love and War is
electronica-oriented pop/rock and art rock that never rocks; rather, it
floats and does so in a way that is spacey, atmospheric and sometimes
ethereal. At times, Rope, Inc.'s melodies are sweetly good-natured
("Become," "Believe," "Promise"), and other times, their melodies can
be darkly haunting ("Unknown," "Begin," "Strange," "Wrong"). But either
way, vocalist/songwriter/musician Matt Menovcik and producer/musician Kramer (who comprise Rope, Inc.) never beat listeners over the head to get their emotional points across. Again, the word "unassuming" is applicable
throughout Songs of Love and War, which is slightly uneven but has more
ups than downs and is worth obtaining.
Seattle Sound - May 2007
Between singing lead vocals for Seattle trio Saeta nd playing bass for pop-punk outfit, Ms. Led, Matt Menovcik forms half of the shadowy, looping ROPE, INC.. On the duo's second album, Menovcik lays down electric piano and the gravelly vocals that haunt the album here in Seattle, while renowned producer Kramer (Low, Gwar, Pulp Fiction's "Girl You'll Be A Woman Soon"" rcorded his own guitar work and arrangements in Florida. The result: a wandering dream-sequence of a record evocative of Beck, circa Sea Change. While most of the songs lean towards the sublime and ghostly, Songs of Love & War is saved from being dull or gloomy by its glittering piano work (notably in "Become"), the occasional catchy beat ("Hold") and above all, Menovcik's abrasive and spectral vocals throughout.
-Erin Thompson
POPMATTERS MAGAZINE
MAY 7, 2007
Rope, Inc., Songs of Love & War (Second Shimmy)
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/shorttakes/
The tandem of Matt Menovcik and Kramer has created this rather
abstract,
ambient, and interesting collection of songs. Not quite electronica,
but
with enough textures to make songs such as "Believe" come to life
rather
quickly. Think of Moby circa "Porcelain", or perhaps a more obscure
band
like No-Man, and you'll get the idea. In fact, the music is so seamless
one
doesn't even notice that "Promise" has begun, another charming,
reflective
tune. That doesn't mean everything turns to gold here, with "Strange"
being
a strange affair resembling a b-side from Nine Inch Nails. However,
Rope,
Inc. comes back to life with the Depeche Mode-ish "Hold". Another
strong
effort is the hushed duet during "Escape", bringing to mind Dido
fronting
Portishead. The often raspy delivery might be an acquired taste for
some,
but "Circumstance" and the carnival-tinged "Stay" are well worth it.
Even
the eerie, haunting "Unknown", with its Gregorian-like hues that evoke
memories of Enigma, is a keeper. 7 OUT OF 10 STARS
RADIO STATIONS PLAYING ROPE, INC:
KWCW - Walla Walla, Washington
WWVU-FM - West Virginia
KDHX - ST. LOUIS MS
We are finally ready to start promoting my 'I Surrender' single with my album, 'Ella Trip' coming right after -yey!! What d'ya think to the video teaser?
NICKY CLICK CANADIAN TOUR DATES !!!!! 10/23- the supermarket/toronto 10/24-venus envy/ottawa 10/26 7:10 pm dykes on mykes radio interview! montreaL 10.28.09 the fat femme mafia presents-nickyclick! toronto 10.30.09 fagggityy ass fridays! montreal all shows with special guest nikki slikk
Olde skozey fetisch performance newly posted @ YouTube. It was the first ever Noise Pancakes at Pubis Noir (in San Francisco's Mission District). There were three audience members in attendance.
Available on the DVD-R: Brutal Sound Effects Volume 1
Medes is the solo project of producer AJ Cookson. Known for his remix work under alter-ego Forma (tKatKa, Death From Above 1979, The Knife, Matthew Rozeik, Score One For Safety), and formerly as the frontman for the explosive band The Montauk Projekt (“…some kind of locked on noise-bastard two-piece” – Organ Magazine), AJ has been a regular contributor to 100m collective projects since the label’s inception and has collaborated with many of the collective’s acts. He now delivers this outstanding and long awaited debut solo collection.
Charles Dickens began pasting labels on blaking pots. The tragedy of his first love penetrated the depths of his soul, and converted him into one of the world's truly great authors. That tragedy produced, first, David Copperfield, then a succession of other works that made this a richer and better world for all who read his books. Dissappointment over love affairs, generally has the effect of driving men to drink, and women to ruin; and this because most people never never learn the art of transmuting their strongest emotions into dreams of a constructive nature.
For the first Nerve release of 2009, we're very proud to present the debut EP from Copenhagen's Jean Doe.
It's drum n bass tinged with detroit techno and deep house, from the glitchy beats of the title track to deep rolling vibes on "Nuance" and "Fibre" before fellow Copenhagen based producer Pyro joins him for the epic and uplifting "Ambitions in A Minor".
There will be an MP-3 of the original song, plus individual .wav files for each track of Pro-tools. The .wav files are new recordings and will not match the Mp-3 exactly. We did this specifically for this project. The Mp-3 is just a reference.
CLICK ON the IDisk PUBLIC FOLDER on the homepage. DOWNLOAD the tracks and use anything you want for your mix. When your mix is finished, contact the Rodeo on this page to receive instructions for forwarding your final mix. We won't pay you any money for your mix, but we will put the GOOD, BAD, AND UGLY up on this page. Your work may also appear on a future release of the best mixes from this project.
Hi, just wanted to let you know that I..ve released my first album "Pretty Boys and Ugly Girls". You can listen to some of the songs on my profile and also order it from amazon.de :-) All the best Agnes
Buy now at CDBABY.COM
Online!
