Send "Keep Shelly in Athens " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Pitchfork |
 You'd be forgiven for thinking Planet Mu is all about twitchy, high-tempo music these days, given prominent albums from Machinedrum and Kuedo, not to mention their ongoing documentation of the Chicago footwork sound that influences those artists. But over the past two years, the English label has placed just as much stock into warmed-over and vaguely nostalgic sounds, riffing off of chillwave and hypnagogic pop but dressing it all up in beat-oriented structures compatible with the UK bass dialogue that Planet Mu otherwise engages with. Artists like Boxcutter, Solar Bears, Oriol, Tropics, and even FaltyDL have all swum down this lukewarm stream of lazy watercolor, and the label ends one of its best years ever with its first release by Greek duo Keep Shelly in Athens.Making their first appearance on Mu with a remix of fellow dream-popper Tropics, the lead track off of their first solo EP is also a remix. If this move seems a little disingenuous at first-- is their own material just not up to snuff?-- it's easy to understand why once you actually play the thing. Solar Bears' original "Cub" was one of their album's more wandering pieces, three minutes of spidery guitar and mellotron, vaguely medieval in its execution. But in Keep Shelly in Athens' hands, it's an achingly poignant quiet-stormer. Unravelling and pitch-bending that guitar riff to queasy extremes, the duo pushes a staggered beat underneath it, along with its usual assortment of wafting vocal samples. Once the drop hits, it pushes forward with a surprising momentum: Spiraling down a vortex of intense color, "Cub" is a misty rush of twinkling synths and adult-contemporary vocals molded into wordless but heart-tugging shapes....full text |
| Silentradio |
| In keeping with its string of synth-pop releases throughout 2011, Planet Mu presents Keep Shelly In Athens. Unfortunately, there isn’t much information I can give you about the duo. My research produced few answers, but I can confirm that there are two of them, the singer, Sarah, is a very pretty lady and together they make awe-inspiring music. The EP features three original works and a remix of Solar Bears’ ‘Cub’. The remix is a long drawn, finely-sculpted re-interpretation from the pair, combining orchestral chords, sparkling keys, soul driven deep bass and echoed psychadelic guitars spinning out into space. Lovely stuff. ‘The Chains’ comes next providing deep insight into what the pair is all about. Arpeggio keys lead the way into those beautiful vocals; Sarah sings with a depth and passion that many attempt but few attain. Sparse drums keep it all in frame, and when that bass drops the reverb is powerful enough to rattle the keys as I type. The track grows with each bar, working itself into an exploding crescendo of an ending. This is a really powerful and moving track. First on the flip is ‘Campus Martius’. Shuddering, spluttering drums stagger forwards until those keys break through, take us by the hand, and guide us through the confusion. Gentle synths rise and fall between the serenity and chaos pulling the two together to create a perfect balance. Vocal slices lightly dust the top and fall into a simple but beautiful melody, but it’s those keys that stick in my mind, taking me somewhere else all together…where nothing else matters. Outstanding stuff! Finally, ‘Struggle With Yourself’ rounds up the EP. Chainsawed distortion tares into a bass line, while mellow guitar strums pitter in and out of range and are compounded by atmospheric pads that cushion Sarah’s extra terrestrial vocals....full text |
| Shallowrave |
| Greek synth experimentalists Keep Shelly In Athens have caused quite a splash of late, with hype from Pitchfork and The Fader among others. On December 5 they drop their first release-proper on Planet Mu, after a fantastic remix of Mouves by Tropics, earlier this year. The new EP is a 4-track 12" release featuring their majestic, Italo-influenced remix of 'Cub' by Solar Bears, plus three new tracks. Vocalist Sarah's beautiful melodies are drenched in (but never obscured by) reverb and FX, while the bands multi-layered synths and stuttering electronic percussion keep subtle, minimal time....full text |
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