PJ Norman Spotify
Evernow
 
 
Evernow is the second full-length from artist/producer PJ Norman.
 
An English/Swiss transplant based now in New York City for ten years, Norman offers this sophomore set through the 100m Records label he co-founded in London, 2005. His contributions to a number of projects on the roster have included full lengths by tKatKa, Glass Rifle, Latchkey Lights, the drum and bass two-piece King Collider, and the electronic improvisation group Fates.
 
With this solo project Norman has diverged from his passion for collaboration by limiting the parameters around which the album was made, he explains:
 
"I started from scratch where I just tried to do everything, you know, drums, keys, the lot… see how close I could get to pulling it off."
 
The album was recorded over a period of 5 years in the 100m studio, Brooklyn, NY, by the artist. All instruments and production by PJ Norman, except track 1 synth sample by Carlsson (tKatKa), track 6 guitar sample processing by AJ Cookson (Forma/Necro Deathmort), track 8 violin Wesley Cabral.
 
Evernow encompasses a range of Norman's influences, including Glen Branca, Steely Dan, Bark Psychosis and Neu!
 
Released August 12, 2020 in digital format.
 
www.pjnorman.com
 
 
Latchkey Lights Spotify
Escape Clause
 
 
Latchkey Lights announce their late 2017 full-length, Escape Clause.
 
Latchkey Lights began when Shonda Robbins and Daniel Colby collaborated together over late night cocktails on a barely playable cheap acoustic guitar that someone had left for dead. After realizing that the composition of the music Colby was creating married perfectly with the blues-influenced Southern vocals and lyrics of Robbins, they decided to form a band.
 
Colby reached out to Loved Ones, Vapers guitarist B. David Walsh who he had met in the late 90's and collaborated with in their Jade Tree Records released project The Explosion. Juxtaposing this primal energy with another of his musical connections, Colby recruited bassist PJ Norman. The pair are comrades in post-punk outfit Glass Rifle, one of several projects on which they have co-created, released through Norman's 100m Records imprint. Rounding out the line-up is drummer-extraordinaire Peter Hilton, whose credentials include Nodzzz, Piano Movers and Tiger Dare.
 
In 2016 the 5-piece recorded and released their debut EP, Latchkey Lights, on 100m Records, which East Village Radio described as having a "very cool Au Pairs/X vibe". The band hope you enjoy it. After a string of dates in 2016, 2017 saw the band take to the stage as a 4-piece after Walsh's departure to honor commitments with The Explosion and Vapers. The band thrived in the added space, sharing stages with groups like Moles and Pissed Jeans. Latchkey Lights now announce their late 2017 full-length, Escape Clause.
 
Released December 13, 2017 in digital format.
 
www.latchkeylights.com
 
 
King Collider Spotify
6 Degrees
 
 
King Collider is a drum and bass spin-off of the 100m Records' outfits Glass Rifle and Latchkey Lights.
 
In this side project, Latchkey Lights' guitarist Dan Colby (formerly of Hydrahead's The Never Never and Jade Tree's The Explosion) resumes his Glass Rifle mantle on drums; and Glass Rifle guitarist, PJ Norman returns to his Latchkey Lights role on bass.
 
The duo's renditions take the DIY energy and aesthetic of Colby's Glass Rifle drum sound to different places. The scope expanded by Norman's FX heavy bass lines, the pair erupt from ambient soundscapes, through Krautrock references into hard, driven passages.
 
6 Degrees, the project's debut release was recorded live as a two-piece in 100m Records' studio in Brooklyn, NY, in 2015. Subsequent overdubs and arrangement was performed by the pair over the next two years between other projects. The results were then mixed and mastered by Norman, and are now released through 100m Records.
 
Released August 1, 2017 in digital format.
 
www.kingcollider.net
 
 
Latchkey Lights Spotify
 
 
Latchkey Lights, from Brooklyn, NY, draw from a vast array of literary and musical influences, marrying their collective experiences from different parts of the world. Drawing musically from early blues, punk, avant-garde, psychedelic, Brit, and classic rock, they weave them into something new, yet wholly familiar.
 
Latchkey Lights began when Shonda Robbins and Daniel Colby collaborated together over late night cocktails on a barely playable cheap acoustic guitar that someone had left for dead. After realizing that the composition of the music Colby was creating married perfectly with the blues-influenced Southern vocals and lyrics of Robbins, they decided to form a band.
 
Colby reached out to Loved Ones, Vapers guitarist B. David Walsh who he had met in the late 90's and collaborated with in their Jade Tree Records released project The Explosion. Juxtaposing this primal energy with another of his musical connections, Colby recruited bassist PJ Norman. The pair are comrades in post-punk outfit Glass Rifle, one of several projects on which they have co-created, released through Norman's 100m Records imprint. Rounding out the line-up is drummer-extraordinaire Peter Hilton, whose credentials include Nodzzz, Piano Movers and Tiger Dare.
 
Latchkey Lights' Tarantino-esque influences stand vividly apparent, having been compared to the Au Pairs, Heart and Danzig, if he was a woman and grew up in the south. And whilst reverential, their sound is undeniably fresh and immediate.
 
Released October 6, 2016 in digital format.
 
www.latchkeylights.com
 
 
PJ Norman Spotify
Light Breaks Focus
 
 
The product of a decade of work, Light Breaks Focus marks the debut full-length from artist/producer PJ Norman, a collection that began life in his native London, UK, in 2006.
 
During the record's creation, in 2008, he moved from London's east end to the Bowery in New York City. His apartment hallway was painted with the phrase, "Art is Action, Object is Artefact", the words of artist Arleen Schloss that would come to be a mantra summarizing how he felt about the possibility of music.
 
Growing up in Staines, UK, Norman's love for music was intense and he studied from a young age. After achieving grade 8 from the Royal College of Music in oboe he moved to central London to enrol at City University London in music science. There, under the tutorledge of Denis Smalley, himself a protégé of Olivier Messiaen, he discovered his passion for sound-concrète, North Indian classical and West African music, peppered with influences of Brecht, Artaud, Dada, and James Joyce.
 
Due to this immersion in various platforms of sound and thought, Norman was able to find his voice collaborating with a myriad of other musicians in the London indie scene. He became a founding member of bands Relapse Lucy, Manalishi, and Death By Sadie. During this time, fortuitous, chance meetings with producer Graham Sutton (Bark Psychosis) and guitar-noise improvisor Gary Smith encouraged him to become absorbed in the world of music production.
 
This first showing of songs from Norman is released through the 100m Records collective, of which he was a co-founder in 2005. Through the label he has curated and released full lengths by tKatKa, Relations, Soccer Mom and Glass Rifle, and the electronic improvisation band Fates. An active collaborator, he has been involved in many of the label's projects as both a producer and musician.
 
Light Breaks Focus was recorded in Brooklyn, NY, London, and Zurich, Switzerland, by Kris O'Connor and PJ Norman. All instruments and location recordings by PJ Norman, with guest drums by Claudio Strueby and Dan Colby. Produced, mixed and mastered by PJ Norman.
 
Released May 3, 2016 in digital format.
 
www.pjnorman.com
 
 
Glass Rifle Spotify
 
 
Glass Rifle are Americans Dan Colby, Ryan Francini, and British-born PJ Norman. The roots of the group lie in the Boston DIY punk scene where Colby and Francini first met. After serving in Hydrahead stalwarts The Huguenots and The Never Never, and Jade Tree Records' The Explosion, Colby formed The Cignal with Francini. In the mid '00s, after a well-received 7", The Cignal disbanded and both Francini and Colby moved to New York City. It was here, in 2009, that they met Norman and Italian, Filippo Strang.
 
After a spell of performances throughout New York, Strang returned to Rome to found the recording/mastering studio VDSS, leaving the band to regroup in a power trio format that pushed Norman's striking guitar work to the forefront. The departure also allowed for the intense Colby/Francini rhythm section to expand on the pair's longstanding musical connection with more vehemence.
 
In early 2010 tracking began on the first Glass Rifle recordings. The Foebic/Cutters single was recorded at Melody Lanes Recording Company in Brooklyn, New York. It was recorded and mixed as a joint effort between the band and Melody Lanes producer Jay Braun (Elliot Smith, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Cat Power). The results were then mastered at The Magic Shop, NYC, by Grammy award winning mastering engineer Warren Russell-Smith (Rolling Stones, Tim Buckley). The single was released digitally through 100m Records and was accompanied in true DIY style by a limited-edition run of 300 exquisitely letter-pressed, hand-numbered CDs, designed and printed by Letter From Brooklyn. Consequence of Sound labelled it, "Impossible to ignore", and Glasswerk, "Fiercely independent".
 
The following year, the song Foebic was used in the soundtrack of the film Love American Skin, directed by photographer Diana Scheunemann. Later in the year, Foebic was also included on the music sampler supporting Glass Rifle's appearance at the CMJ New Music conference. The group then reunited with the Foebic/Cutters production team in 2012 to produce a follow-up single, Castles/Blinking Glitter. Initially only a very limited physical release, it was re-released by 100m Records in 2014 with an accompanying music video directed by Diana Scheunemann.
 

2015 sees the release of the band's first full-length LP, the self-titled Glass Rifle, a collection that shows a maturing of the group's songwriting. Focusing more on melodic interplay and vocal delivery, and less on the full-force magnitude of their singles, this collection of songs still retain the impact and immediacy of their earlier works while exploring more subtle arrangements of their trademark velocity. Norman adds:
 
"We wanted to write ideas that were less adrenalin fuelled and a little more rock n roll… something that people could sing along with yet still gets their hearts pumping."
 
Aiming to really capture their sound as they heard it, and pushing their DIY ethic to the fullest, they brought the production process entirely in-house. The tracks were written, recorded and produced over a year by the trio in their Brooklyn studio, and then mixed by Norman. The final mixes were then sent to Strang for mastering at VDSS in Rome. The result is an entirely independent and self-produced collection of songs, representative of the band's potency and spontaneity.
 
Glass Rifle is available in digital format and will be followed by a limited-edition colored vinyl LP, once again lovingly designed and letter-pressed by Letter From Brooklyn. Physical vinyl copies will also include an exclusive 7 minute bonus track.
 
www.glassrifle.com
www.letterfrombrooklyn.com
www.vdssrecordingandmasteringonline.it
 
 
tKatKa Spotify
Tomorrow Knows Another
 
 
tKatKa (pronounced 'Te-Kat-Ker') is the collaboration between artists PJ Norman and Carlsson, co-founders of 100m Records. The group formed officially in London, UK, 2004, with their first single appearing on a compilation for the Glass Shrimp show on Resonance FM in early 2005. Later that year a white label of their track "Lazerslab" was broadcast by the influential BBC Radio 1 DJ Annie Nightingale,leading to an independent London label deal for their next two singles.
 
With these releases, tKatKa garnered radio-play from John Kennedy, James Zabiela and Nick Luscombe, as well as BBC Radio 1 DJ Mary Anne Hobbs, who affectionately characterizes tKatKa's sound as "Absolutely gorgeous".
 
Soon after, the duo created their own imprint, 100m Records, to release their well received debut album "tKatKa". This was closely followed by sophomore effort, "TerrorKnowledgeAction", featuring a re-interpretation of the Tom Hickox song "Grief Hijackers", of which Bearded Magazine said:
 
"Expect it to soundtrack a spooky art flick, but it won't because it's better than the film would be."
 
Fittingly, the 10th anniversary of 100m Records this year (2015) sees the release of tKatKa's third long player. Since their second album, the pair have both departed London; Carlsson to Copenhagen and Norman to New York. Despite the distance, they continued to work on compositions towards this third collection remotely, in rare occasions meeting to reconnect and refine. The resulting effort, "Tomorrow Knows Another" is a vast collage of ideas, some originating from their earliest demos and others completed entirely by email.
 
This distance afforded the luxury of recording samples and performances in a wide variety of locations; the forests of Sweden, the subways of New York, the streets of Copenhagen, warehouses in East London, the Royal Festival Hall, the lake in Zurich and the beach on Long Island. Utilizing this eclectic array of influences and soundscapes, the tracks were then finished, mixed and mastered at the 100m Records studio in DUMBO, Brooklyn.
 
 
100m Records Presents SUGARCUBE
 
 
SUGARCUBE, a singular venue, inflatable pop-up art structure, and heated lounge in the South Street Seaport, was curated by 100m Records. The interior design installation from acclaimed artist Mark Gagnon served as the backdrop to an unparalleled series of cultural events that included film screenings, rock concerts, record label showcases, DJ parties, workshops, classes and more.
 
As a world-renowned destination known for its iconic location, South Street Seaport was the extraordinary site for this cutting-edge art space and compelling event series. All the performances at Sugarcube were filmed and recorded by 100m Records.
 
CLICK HERE TO WATCH SUGARCUBE PERFORMANCES
 
Photo courtesy of David Vega
 
SUGARCUBE was made possible with the generous support of the Howard Hughes Corporation.
 
www.southstreetseaport.com
www.markgagnon.com
 
 
Lizzie and the Yes Men Spotify
 
 
"A meticulously layered and eventually sweeping road-trip... that builds into something really quite stunning. 4/5" Indie London
 
"A mini-epic, with frontwoman Lizzie Holdforth's plaintive vocal bringing drama to a minor-key, surf-inflected soundtrack." The Girls Are
 
After a series of infectious singles last year, London band Lizzie and the Yes Men release a self-titled EP of brand new songs.
 
A photograph titled 'Angel Woman' by Mexican photographer Graciela Iturbide and a long road trip through the American desert were the inspirations for this release. A record on which the band feels it has found its own sound, a sound that is never too far away from a dusty road, a bare landscape or a black and white cinema screen.
 
 
The Lizzie and the Yes Men EP was recorded at Vatican Studios, London and produced by Tom McFall (R.E.M, Bloc Party, Weezer).
 

www.facebook.com/LizzieandtheYesMen
soundcloud.com/lizzieandtheyesmen
 
 
 
Soccer Mom Spotify
 
 
“Soccer Mom have a jangle that weighs heavy, at times sneaking into the realm of post-rock, while their dreampop tendencies are too immersed in noise and impatience to float without direction. Whatever, it just fucking crushes.” Boston Phoenix
 
“Warm, loud, and fuzzy in all the right ways, Soccer Mom make music to submerge one’s brain into, just perfect guitar music to disappear into and never look back.” The Creative Intersection
 
Boston quartet Soccer Mom are proud to announce the release of their self-titled full-length album, out May 1st, 2014 on 100m Records. The album comes on the heels of their six-song EP You Are Not Going to Heaven (2011), and their two song single Brides/Canoe (2012), which both garnered critical praise. The band spent much of 2013 writing, recording, and playing live around the northeast, sharing the stage with such acts as Weekend, Whirr, Nothing, and Speedy Ortiz.
 
The record showcases the band’s continued exploration of textures and tones, expansive dynamics, and the delicate balance between discord and melody. The nine songs were recorded and mixed in May and June of 2013 at The Napoleon Complex in Somerville, MA, with engineer Shaun Curran. Several tracks feature vocals by Deborah Warfield (Swirlies).
 
Praise for Soccer Mom's Brides/Canoe single:
 
"Soccer Mom continue their quest for finding the plateau where walls of noise meet angularity, pop nous and a sliver of hope amongst the towering banalities of life. Brides/Canoe flows on their already sizable adulation of the shoegaze aesthetic, yet we see more of the severer, acerbic lashes that have helped the quartet differentiate itself from the ever-burgeoning pack. The key is in the melody, something that many other Shields acolytes are blinded to, and will only become more defined over time. Another solid stepping stone towards that much-feted first LP…" Sonic Masala
 
"With the somewhat naturalistic title Brides/Canoe, Soccer Mom has released an epic supernova, a two song CD single with 100m Records … and has continued honing thick experimental noise into lush, poignant pop. Soccer Mom continue to explore the possibilities of dissonance with layered overdriven guitar. They release any expectations and take you along for this surprising ride into epic pop places, delivering a sample of what's coming on their full length." QRO Magazine
 
soccermomboston.tumblr.com
 
 
Relations Spotify
Songbirds
 
 
"A variety of postpunk influences, the band make dark-hued but catchy, danceable pop." Brooklyn Vegan
 
"Relations create a friendship triad to translate human connections and parallels into the threads of an electric inflected sound." Sjimon Gompers, Impose Magazine
 
"Scorching, tight guitar lines sprinkled with synths over a fast-paced head-bouncing drum beat." My Old Kentucky Blog
 
"With tightly-wound synths and edgy guitars racing throughout, Take No Sides manages to keep things fun while pulsing with nervous energy." Fake Plastic Tunes
 
"Can we please hear these kind of upbeat dream jams in nightclubs? " ION Magazine
 
"Goodbyes is a bright electronic pop ditty... the accompanying video is a summery, vintage-looking affair." Alex Hudson, Exclaim!
 
Relations, the musical brain trust that is Michael Sanders, Terence Murren and Matthew Chokshi, has roots in a Modern Lovers cover band that Michael and Terence formed in high school in the 90's. Though the two remained close, each went their separate ways writing and performing music in various incarnations around New York and Boston (Officer May - Ace Fu Records, Abigail Warchild). Two years back, they began writing and rehearsing songs that would ultimately compromise their first, EP, "Relations", released in 2012 on 100m Records. The EP was described by the Deli as:
 
"Only steps away from the explosive 1980s wave of up-tempo self-loathing, old-time friends Terence Murren and Michael Sanders build - upon head-bopping offbeat rhythms and rolling bass lines - a fast-paced narrative, tinted with nostalgia and that effervescent angst of young love."
 
In the friends-as-family spirit that is Relations, Sanders and Murren collaborated with fellow Brooklynite, Matthew Chokshi on the video for "A Savage Way to Live". Soon after Chokshi began to attend rehearsals and brought new ideas and his sequencer to the table. A few practices and several tall cans of beer later, they invited him to join the group and began work on new material. The result of the now trio's hard work is the first Relations album length release, "Songbirds."
 
Chokshi has resumed his director's role with a new video for "Goodbyes", taken from the forthcoming release. Exclaim described the video as a "summery, vintage-looking affair" when they premiered it with their announcement of the album:
 
 
Songbirds departs from synth/drum machine/guitar/bass textures of the EP. They have expanded their sound by adding layers of live drums, sequences, additional synthesizers and dance beats. The songwriting focuses on finding beauty in the everyday grind and loss that is life and living. There's always a keen sense of nostalgia, but with a taste of hope for what would/could/should/will be. The end product is a refined, though not polished LP, recorded and produced at Rad Studios in Brooklyn by Josh Ascalon.
 
On the LP their immediate influences are apparent; Blur, the Lemonheads, PIL, Souxie and the Banshees, Unwound, New Order and the Jam… as well as contemporaries as broad as Beach Fossils, Lemonade, Deerhunter, Kurt Vile, Future Islands, Health, MIA, Twin Sister, Small Black and Liars.