Anthems for Catharsis - Pre-order CD/LP/Digital

CD/LP:
http://thisquietarmy.storenvy.com/products/12744565-thisquietarmy-anthems-for-catharsis-cd-lp-pre-order

Digital:
https://thisquietarmy.bandcamp.com/album/anthems-for-catharsis

Preview:

THISQUIETARMY | ANTHEMS FOR CATHARSIS | 15.5.15

TEN TRAVEL MOMENTS OF 2014

I've been writing a lot lately as to archive some tour memories in a more concise way. A lot of people have been asking several questions about touring such as how I travel or if I have time to visit anything. In the past, I've done tours with other bands, sometimes with other solos, duos or trios, or with a band of 5-6 plus crew - 9 of us crammed in a van. However in 2014, I was definitely travelling a lot more solo. This is partly what these entries might be about, though they are not really meant to be the craziest surreal moments or anything like that. Just a few behind-the-scenes touring moments I felt like writing about, in chronological order.


2014.04.27 - CZECH REPUBLIC MCDONALDS WIFI

Driving on the autobahn at who knows what speed (for this one, I had a rented VW Polo from Europcar - might've gone up to 180 km/h for straight stretches when the roads weren't busy), on a 5-hour drive from Stuttgart to Prague. As soon as I passed the CZ border, my Western Europe map-loaded GPS went totally blind. That may not be a big deal if you have a European data plan for your smartphone but as a Canadian, my cellular data, 3G & data roaming were turned off as I wasn't going to pay 5$ per MB of data transfer just to arrive at destination. But to my surprise, there were frequent McDonalds on Czech highways, and you know what that means: free wifi. So I would often stop by for a McCafe (who knows where I managed to find Czech crowns - probably from the change of toll vignette purchase) to pre-load up maps (and the use of the phone's GPS locator) and/or print screen them as photos. I managed to arrive at the venue, Cafe V Lese, in Prague slightly late to worrisome promoters, but I had made it and the gig ended up being great. I repeated that experience for the Prague-Vienna & Vienna-Dresden drives the following days. Saved by McDonalds. 


2014.05.07 - THE MOSCOW-ST.PETERSBURG OVERNIGHT TRAIN

It's closing on midnight & I'm all packed up at Manifest, the venue I just played in Moscow. Vitaly, the promoter hands me the overnight train ticket to St. Petersburg and tells me that Leonardo from Third Rome (who opened for me), a Venezuelan expat & his Moscuvite wife will drive me the train station (in his small red Hungarian-plated car). They put me on the train and I managed to find space for all my luggage (guitar/pedals/etc.) in this tiny & packed 4-berth cabin. I get the upper sleeper bed, and I'm all tucked in & ready to doze off when this sketchy Russian dude arrives with a backpack full of vodka bottles (I mean, A LOT - like 20) and pleads me to switch cabin to be with his drinking buddy. I, of course, refused. But they both insisted and pleaded for the next 20 minutes, even took out their stash of Rubles and offered me bills as bribes. It was clear that they wouldn't be leaving me alone and that they would be drinking all night no matter what and that I would most likely be spending a very rough night in their company. So I got fed up and agreed with the condition that they had to bring all my luggage to this other cabin, find space for them and deal with the other people in that cabin because this would not go down easily (who knows how I got to communicate with non-English speaking Russian when the adrenaline kicks in). Another 20 minutes later, after a lot of arguments between them and the others, it was settled. Sure, the others looked at me as the troublemaker, but in the end, no one killed me in my sleep and they even offered me hot tea in the morning. I was also 100 roubles richer. 


2015.05-10 - THE DM BARR IN OLD TOWN TALLINN

Daniel from Plurals/Ecka Liena surprised me by showing up at my gig in Estonia as he happened to be in the neighboring country of Finland. I've never met him before, but we were in contact by email for a while, as I had released something of his on my micro-label. After a nice evening performing two different sets at Snakehouse, a venue near a warehouse by the train tracks where there were several practice spaces. Holden (the promoter), Daniel & I had apparently drank too much vodka because we pretty much passed out on the couches and woke up as the run rose, freezing. Later on, I went sightseeing in the Old Town and I randomly stumbled upon the infamous Depeche Mode Bar! I remember reading about it years ago, but totally forgot about its location, so it was an unexpected surprise. I went in with Daniel after meeting up with him for pancakes at Kompressor, and we basically just ordered a coffee just to hang out and absorb the absurdity and the surrealism of it all while wondering how could the guy working the bar stand hearing DM 24/7 throughout his shift. Everything about the bar screamed DM, from the menus with the song titles as mixed cocktails to the non-stop DM videos playing, to the decors, memorabilia, etc. That place has been around for 10+ years or so. A couple of weeks later into my tour, I met an Estonian in London and he explained to me that in the 90's, there was this subculture of "dressing up as Depeche mode" - that's how crazy this phenomenon was. So weird. 


2015.05-11/12 - BALTIC SEA FERRIES

People always ask me how I tour. It's never a simple answer. As a solo artist with 50 kg of gear and a lot of merch (vinyls are heavy), yet not needing to lug any big pieces of equipment such as amplifiers - all type of travel logistics can be considered if the planning is right. I still have to carry a heavy suitcase of pedals with my guitar & merch in another long bag and a backpack for personal stuff. Sometimes I rent cars - factoring in gas/mileage/tolls as well as the itinerary (full circle or ending in different countries), and sometimes I take the plane, the bus & the train if it's that is what's required for my next destination. From Tallinn-Estonia, I had to get to Stockholm-Sweden. So I looked into ferries. Turns out the direct Tallinn-Stockholm ferry via Tallink was more expensive than doing Tallinn-Helsinki, then Helsinki-Stockholm with the Viking Lines (pro tip: roundtrip cruises are cheaper than one-way tickets, so get that and ditch). Unfortunately, I didn't manage to find a gig in Helsinki, but after research, I managed to secure all my belonging in a couple of lockers at the ferry terminal (main issue: guitar length), as to explore the city for 6 hours before taking my overnight ferry to Stockholm. Since it was a Monday/Tuesday, the cruise wasn't packed with drunk party people but it was still odd to witness all the activities happening on the boat - the slot machines, the entertainment, the restaurants, the duty free shop. I had also upgraded my cabin to a single one for some Zs & peace of mind (so worth it after the Russian trains). In the morning, I went out on the deck to catch some breezes and there was another ferry on the horizon: it was the Tallink ship that has been immobilized and not running. It was stuck in the middle of the waters, with help coming their way. Suddenly I felt like I was part of the great steamboat race on the Mississippi river.


2014.05.15 - A DAY OFF IN THE NORWEGIAN COUNTRYSIDE

The Oslo show was not the best organized concert of that tour, long story short - the venue's booker went on a prolonged sick leave, the temporary replacement wasn't fully aware and also just left town, yada yada. On top of that, my three accommodation options fell through one after the other. In the end, some guy at the concert (who had some relation with the venue, but I can't recall - maybe the bf of this temp. person who had just left town) offered me a place to stay in his room, where he was squatting an apartment with his roommate. Also a girl friend of his had joined us as well because she had missed the last bus, but that was fine as we all got along. It's really not as bad as it sounds because it's Norway, where the #1 human development index scale somehow also applied to squats (ok not really, but in all seriousness, the room was much nicer than most non-squatted rooms I've stayed it on tour - plus i really just needed 6 hours of Z's). Anyway, the next day I met up with Michael, Caspian's norwegian soundman, with whom I spent 3 weeks crammed in a van on our 2012 tour. Before driving me to his place, he took me to Nesebled records, where used to be Helvete which was run by Mayhem's guitarist Euronymous in the early 90s, which as you may know from the documentary Until the Light Takes Us, played a crucial role in the development of Norwegian black metal scene, and is now considered as a black metal museum. An hour later we were deep in the countryside, sitting outside with the dogs, sipping homemade brews, just enjoying the fresh air and yummy Brunost brown cheese under the Scandinavian sunset at 11pm. The next morning, Kari drove me to the bus station in Oslo so that I could catch my bus to Malmö. We got stuck in traffic getting into the city as it was May 17th, Norway's National holiday, parades & festivities were being prepared. Luckily, the bus company took notice and delayed their departure until everyone was accounted for.


2014.05.21/10.27 - TWEAKING TOUR ITINERARY TO CATCH SLOWDIVE (TWICE) 

I always like to catch a concert or two while on tour. I've seen Low in Leuven, Swans in Istanbul, the Soft Moon in Amsterdam, Melt Banana in Berlin, a bunch of bands at Roadburn, etc. But when Slowdive announced the reunion with dates while I was on tour, I absolutely had to try to go. The tickets for the Village Underground show in London went on sale at 9am on Jan. 31st and I was wide awake in Montreal at 4am to snag tickets while the rest were sold out in 2 minutes. Don't ask me how I did it, it was pure luck. Or less traffic through my foreign IP. From that point on, I had 4 months re-route the booking of my tour and find a way to get an artist's certificate of sponsorship as to bring my gear into the UK without getting turned away. From my gig in Malmö, I took the train to Copenhagen airport and flew with SAS to London to then take the tube during rush hour with all my stuff, all the way to Bethnal Green to drop my stuff at my friend Freida's (who had just moved to London that same week) so that we could catch (what was supposed to be the first show of - they later added another show before this one making it the first instead) the Slowdive reunion. When they announced the Montreal show for October 27th, I also had to re-route my itinerary as I was coming back to Japan to play a few more shows in Belgium, Netherlands and Germany. So from the Gent show the 26th, I drove to CDG where I was catching my plane in Paris early afternoon to land in Montreal around 5pm. I still managed to take a shower and eat something to get there shortly after the doors opened. 


2014.09.19/20/21 - INCUBATE FESTIVAL

This will be short as I've also wrote a bit about it in my top ten gigs, but in those three days and with my busy schedule, I also managed to see Current 93, 65daysofstatic, Wovenhand, Bardo Pond, Silver Mt. Zion,This Will Destroy You, The Cosmic Dead, Goat, Sol Invictus, trepaneringsritualen, Bombino, Nordmann, Ortega, Sargeist and probably more I'm forgetting about. Great festival, which I'm glad I had found a way to spend the weekend at. Usually bands just pop in and out of the festival because of schedule/itinerary/logistical restrictions, so no matter how "cool" it is to have "shared" the bill with all those "great bands", it's not always as it seems. For example, if you are a touring band, on top of flights - you will be paying for daily van & backline rental, and so you probably can't afford a couple of days off for leisure if you are trying to at least break even. On a smaller scale (my solo one), that is also the difference between travelling by public transport (bus/train) and renting a car which determines a large part of your daily touring expenses. My car rental portion of my tours usually have less days off than my bus/train/ferry/plane portion of my itinerary, and more sightseeing is possible then.


2014.10.02/03/04 - THE ITALIAN FEASTS

It started in Massa, near La Spezia, where Paolo from The Star Pillow had set up a concert for us at his friend's studio. A home cooked meal was also prepared for us and the guests attending the concert. We had insalata, pasta, potatos and pappa al pomodoro. I stayed in Paolo's parents guesthouse (where my room had a wooden stove pizza oven) and the next morning I was invited by his parents and grandmother for lunch for fresh homemade pizza and fresh pasta. No one really spoke English but I could understand about 40% of what they were trying to communicate with me thanks to my French. But the beauty of that meal was that the tomato sauce was made fresh from the tomatoes in their garden, while the wine was from the local Tuscan winery next door and the mineral water was bottled at its source from the mountain on the horizon. The same day in Rome, I had a margherita pizza with a negroni before my concert, and the next day before leaving, Toni took me to this roman Osteria where we had roman delicacies such as cervelli fritti (fried brains), orecchiette with clams and fiori di zucca. The same afternoon, I had a rough drive in the spiraling mountains of Grosseto (Citröen C3 really aren't built for those), where I was received by Igor & Alessandro in their club in Santa Fiora. Again, a large choice of Tuscan delicacies made from an array of products such as liver, eggplants and too many to remember at this point. Those three days were just perfect, food-wise. And what's the point of touring/travelling if you are not going to have a taste of local and regional specialties.


2014.10.13 - EATING SUSHI IN THE FACE OF THE TYPHOON

There were many Japanese eating moments to pick from. Honestly, it was the best part of the tour. The food was great, from the first meeting with Archaique Smile & Tokyo Jupiter Records at the Izakaya in Kunitachi to the tempura soup I devoured in Akiharaba to Burger King's kuro (black) burger in Shibuya to authentic Okonomiyaki in the middle of nowhere near Tamba/Hyogo or the last ramen at Haneda airport - I had to pick the meal we had at this a famous restaurant in Kanazawa. Not only they were probably the best sushi I have ever tasted, but also because the threat of the typhoon was looming all over us for the whole first part of the tour. In Kanazawa was where our fate were to meet, and we had to drive back to Tokyo into the night and throughout the storm. As we were eating, we could see that the typhoon was approaching our location, it was starting to pour and the winds started to grow stronger. But how could we even worry when we were stuffing our faces through the thickest, juiciest slices of fresh quality fish?


2014.10.16 - RIDING ON A MOTORCYCLE IN TOKYO AT NIGHT

It was after a long day of solo sightseeing in Asakusa, Akihabara & Roppongi. I also had reserved a ticket to see Keiji Haino's Fushitusha alongside Melt Banana, Masonna & Violent Geisha, a "noise" show featured by the Red Bull Music Academy that was happening in Tokyo at the same time. I also bumped into Alex & Shub of Dirty Beaches at that show (I had met Shub in Montreal before), as they were in town for a performance the next day. However, I didn't have a place to sleep that night since I was staying at Kimi's house in Kunitachi, which requires taking the JR train from Shinjuku, which ends a little too early. So Kimi arranged a friend of his, Yosuke, to come meet me at the end of the concert. He came to pick me up on his motorcycle, to bring me to his place near Nippori, which was kinda on the other side of town, yet still in Tokyo (but hey, the population of this city is roughly the population of Canada, how's that for perspective). It was a half an hour ride past midnight through the bright lights of Tokyo, which reminded me of the opening scene of Akira, except that no one was trying to kill each other, and we stopped a couple of times at 7-11s on the way to pick up snacks & beers. But I have never witnessed getting so much visual urban information at that speed before, I remember seeing the cliché of the drunk business man passed out by the sidewalk with his briefcase outside of a fancy hotel, passing by the numerous maids cafés, going through a buddhist cemetery, while pretty much hanging for my life on the back of a bike.

TEN THISQUIETARMY GIGS OF 2014

From a very personal point of view. Don't be offended if the gig you have attended/played/set up is not there, it's probably #11.

2014.03.28 - Quebec City, Canada - Le Sous-sol du Cercle
Because even though I was already joined by heavy psych pop local band USA Out Of Vietnam twice before, the third time was definitely the charm and it had to happen outside of our hometown. We played near-flawless jam versions of two tracks off "Hex Mountains" as a 5-head hydra which including a disquiet army of 3 guitars/bass/drums. Yeah, it was pretty loud. And a hell lot of fun. It made me question the future of thisquietarmy as a strict solo live act for a while. But then I played the next 63 shows by myself (minus 4) because not having to ask the availability of 4 other people triumphs all in the long run. Once a loner, always a loner. https://thisquietarmy.bandcamp.com/album/thisquietarmy-out-of-vietnam-live-in-quebec-city

2014.04.26 - Stuttgart, DE - Contain’t
It was promoted as a secret show, in an area that was not exactly clear in terms of legality and purpose. But the city officials knows about it, and it's a controlled experimental urban environment where they transform containers into usable spaces to open up discussions about... well, that's not the point - I ended up played in a disused train wagon by an abandoned paper factory, with a huge sound system inside. It was pouring and it was wet, yet the claustrophobic wagon was packed & shaking in transe, and there was absolutely no escape. Unless you wanted to be soaked wet. Also played there again in September and we sold merch from the trunk of our van, classic. http://instagram.com/p/nRi5VdxEJo/

2014.05.02 - Berlin, DE - NK
The beginning of the Hypnodrone Ensemble. With Aidan Baker. It started from the idea of having a drummer for this show. Then two. Then three. And it became a real thing as the drummers were more than excited & proactive to rehearse within themselves. We arrived at the venue and we barely tried it out before performing a semi-improvised (fully for Aidan & myself, rehearsed for the drummers) 40-minute that turned into something beyond what anyone expected. By the same token later this year, we got a record out of it, an invitation to Incubate and Berlin studio recording session. http://vimeo.com/104395601

2014.05.06/07 - Moscow, RU - Manifest/St. Petersburg, RU - Da:da
I don't care how the shows went: I made it to Russia and I got out of there alive. 'Nuff said! No seriously, the shows were good and it was a pretty surreal experience for a cross-Atlantic Westerner but there are not enough words to describe it. I was also interviewed for tv100.ru (http://www.tv100.ru/news/erik-kvech-93144/) and got overdubbed in russian, so weird. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlk5wvE2cgQ

2014.05.09 - Riga, LV - Kanepes Kultural Centrs
A very surprising & enthusiastic attendance for this gig. And maybe it's because I had just gotten out of Russia by the overnight train a few hours before (hello, multiple border officials at 4am), but I was quite happy to be in a city that felt like it was putting a lot of effort and resources into being an up & coming destination in terms of arts, food & culture. And the Friday night vibe for an evening of experimental music was perfect. https://www.facebook.com/BeYourselfADentist/photos/a.635480936530992.1073741826.368730026539419/635481019864317/

2014.05.14 - Stockholm, SE - Fylkingen
I was long due to play in Stockholm, or rather it was a destination I had my eye for a while and it didn't disappoint. Fylkingen was a great spacious place to play - the huge quadraphonic sound and the giant screen made the perfect setting for a/v performances. And despite the vast room, the audience was sitting in a specifically concentrated shape making the performance perfectly intimate and grand at the same time. http://instagram.com/p/oJoSTGREJy/

2014.09.19/20/21 - Tilburg, NL - Paradox / Consouling
The Netherlands is probably the country with a frustrating ratio for me, in the sense that I have traveled through the most (to get to neighboring countries) and played the least. So when the opportunity came to play Incubate festival (10th edition), I had to make it work. For such a small town, this compact city has surprisingly more venues than most mid-size cities, and its geographical location and the country's awesome train services made it convenient to attract people from all over the country. The organization and the atmosphere of the festival was stellar, and the Consouling Store pop-up from Ghent added much to it, as a chill meet up & hang out place.https://www.flickr.com/photos/incubatetilburg/15120866150/

2014.10.03 - Rome, IT - Dalverme
Roma roma roma. Well, the opening act decided not to show up, so I took the opportunity to play two sets throughout the evening, which worked out for late comers* and for the passionate hot-blooded Romans who demanded more - as it happened with the first roman experience about a year prior when I had played a rare encore. There was also a bass amp available, which I took time to tweak as to boost up some frequencies to turn the set into something a bit more gritty and intense as that's what the atmosphere at Dalverme required that night. Always a pleasure.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3_iR46x0j4

2014.10.06 - Innsbruck, AT - Die Backerei
An great space that felt like an abandoned bakery kitchen work space. Actually, I think it was that exactly. The PA system and the space demanded a quieter type of set, as to use the most of the natural reverberation of the mix of ceramic tiles and concrete, as to fully wrap the sound throughout and gain full control of the minds & psyches. And for a Monday evening, the concert was well-attended and well-appreciated by all. https://www.facebook.com/skinonmarblebooking/photos/pb.644378548967646.-2207520000.1419977958./741466779258822/

2014.10.18 - Tokyo, JP - Warp Kichijoji
I could've picked Kyoto, the first show of the Japanese tour. But the final show in Tokyo, which sounded & felt better, makes as much sense, as a full circle. A circle or enso, in many sense, because it all happened from re-recording an updated best-of album as to present the current representation of the project to the Japanese market via Tokyo Jupiter Records, as well as the intent to play a classic TQA set, which I did in Kyoto, to then experiment with different things throughout the tour, and to end with a better performance of the so-called classic set in Tokyo as the final representation and the final remembrance in some way. It's all so very zen or something. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-63DJsdwt1o

Honorable mentions:

(2014.04.13) 32 Tattoo, Bern - a tattoo shop
http://instagram.com/p/mxls94REAQ/

(2014.04.14) Institut fur neu medien, Frankfurt - a conference room
http://instagram.com/p/m4vCaRxEAZ/

(2014.05.01) Westwerk, Leipzig - an ancient metal factory
http://instagram.com/p/nfixdHxEL8/

(2014.07.05) The Montreal Insectarium - an summer outdoor afternoon
http://instagram.com/p/sDz-MTxEKG/

(2014.12.20) Geary Lane, Toronto - a converted warehouse space
http://instagram.com/p/w2Tpt-xEEs/

A recap of THISQUIETARMY gigs in 2014

66 in 16 countries: Austria (2) Belgium (7) Canada (11) Czech Republic (1) France (7) Estonia (1) Germany (12) Italy (4) Japan (6) Latvia (1) Netherlands (5) Norway (1) Switzerland (2) Russia (2) Sweden (2) UK (2).

2014.01.17 - Montreal, Canada - Casa Del Popolo
2014.02.01 - Montreal, Canada - Turbohaus
2014.03.28 - Quebec City, Canada - Le Sous-sol du Cercle
2014.04.12 - Karlsruhe, DE @ Jubez / Dudefest
2014.04.13 - Bern, CH - 32 Tattoo
2014.04.14 - Lausanne, CH - La Crypte
2014.04.15 - Strasbourg, FR - 3 rue Sainte-Catherine
2014.04.16 - Frankfurt, DE - Institut Für Neu Medien
2014.04.17 - Reims, FR - Le Carreau
2014.04.18 - Paris, FR - Olympic Café
2014.04.19 - Ghent, BE - Consouling Store
2014.04.20 - Zottegem, BE - De Populier / Dunk! Festival
2014.04.21 - Lille, FR - La Malterie
2014.04.22 - Oberhausen, DE - Druckluft
2014.04.23 - Leiden, NL - Vrijplaats
2014.04.25 - Metz, FR - Les Trinitaires / Young Team Festival
2014.04.26 - Stuttgart, DE - Contain’t
2014.04.27 - Prague, CZ - Cafe V Lese
2014.04.28 - Vienna, AT - Rhiz
2014.04.29 - Dresden, DE - AZ Conni
2014.04.30 - Halle, DE - Reil 78
2014.05.01 - Leipzig, DE - Westwerk
2014.05.02 - Berlin, DE - NK
2014.05.06 - Moscow, RU - Manifest
2014.05.07 - St. Petersburg, RU - Da:da
2014.05.09 - Riga, LV - Kanepes Kultural Centrs
2014.05.10 - Tallinn, EE - Snakehouse
2014.05.14 - Stockholm, SE - Fylkingen
2014.05.15 - Oslo, NO - Cafe Mir
2014.05.17 - Malmo, SE - Borgen
2014.05.21 - Bristol, UK - Cafe Kino
2014.05.22 - London, UK - Power Lunches
2014.05.24 - Liege, BE - L’Escalier
2014.05.25 - Brussels, BE - LR6
2014.06.09 - Montreal, QC - L'Escogriffe
2014.06.21 - Montreal, QC - La Vitrola
2014.07.05 - Montreal, QC - L'Insectarium de Montréal
2014.07.20 - Montreal, QC - La Vitrola
2014.08.23 - Montreal, QC - L'Insectarium de Montréal
2014.08.24 - Montreal, QC - La Vitrola
2014.09.19 - Tilburg, NL - Paradox / Incubate Festival
2014.09.20 - Tilburg, NL - Paradox / Incubate Festival
2014.09.21 - Tilburg, NL - Consouling Store / Incubate Festival
2014.09.24 - Berlin, DE - Jägerklause
2014.09.26 - Bayreuth, DE - Glashaus
2014.09.27 - Stuttgart, DE - Contain't
2014.09.30 - Toulouse, FR - Les Pavillons Sauvages
2014.10.01 - Marseille, FR - L'Embobineuse
2014.10.02 - Massa, IT - Studio Radare
2014.10.03 - Rome, IT - Dalverme
2014.10.04 - Santa Fiora, IT - Il Club dell'olmo
2014.10.05 - Bologna, IT - Freakout Club
2014.10.06 - Innsbruck, AT - Die Backerei
2014.10.11 - Kyoto, JP - Socrates
2014.10.12 - Tamba, JP - Lasson
2014.10.13 - Kanazawa, JP - Social
2014.10.15 - Tokyo, JP - Art Space Buena Bar
2014.10.17 - Numazu, JP - Speak EZ
2014.10.18 - Tokyo, JP - Warp Kichijoji
2014.10.22 - Kortrijk, BE - CinePalace
2014.10.23 - Duisburg, DE - DJäzz
2014.10.24 - Heerlen, NL - Kunstencentrum Signe
2014.10.25 - Antwerp, BE - Music City
2014.10.26 - Ghent, BE - Kinky Star
2014.12.19 - Montreal, QC - Casa Del Popolo
2014.12.20 - Toronto, ON - Geary Lane

Thanks to all the promoters for having me, it means the world (literally) to get the opportunity to play in each of your venues & respective cities, every time. Also thank you to all the artists/bands I shared the stage with - for the sake of keeping this list short, those i played more than 3 shows together: Archaique Smile & Tokyo Jupiter Records, André Foisy of Locrian, Caudal & Nadja. Special mention to new & old friends I've met or crossed paths on the road, you all know who you are.

thisquietarmy - Europe Tour VI - Fall 2013

Hello from Barcelona!

Currently enjoying a couple of days before the beginning of my 6th European tour due to invitations to Amplifest in Porto, Ceremony of the Ascension in Antwerp & Moving Noises Festival in Bochum. A lot of first times such as Barcelona, Marseilles, Rome, Milan and revisiting some favorites like Paris, Lyon, Bruxelles, Genoa. Here are the dates - hope you can make it:

Oct. 16 - Barcelona, Spain @ Heliogabal w/ Steve GunnOct. 17 - Madrid, Spain @ Space Cadet w/ TBA
Oct. 18 - Lisbon, Portugal @ Sabotage Club w/ Ocelot Kid
Oct. 20 - Porto, Portugal @ Amplifest w/ Russian Circles, Chelsea Wolfe, Body/Head, Pharmakon etc.
Oct. 21 - Oviedo, Spain La Caja Negra w/ Oikos
Oct. 22 - Gijon, Spain @ Cafe Dam w/ Borealis
Oct. 23 - San Sebastian, Spain @ TBA
Oct. 24 - Bordeaux, France @ Heretic Club w/ AUN
Oct. 25 - Pau, France @ 19 rue Montpensier w/ AUN
Oct. 26 - Avignon, France @ Pub Z w/ AUN
Oct. 27 - Sumène, France @ À La Ferme Chez Olivier w/ AUN
Oct. 28 - Montpellier, France @ La Villa des Cent Regards w/ AUN
Oct. 29 - Marseille, France @ Le Casse-Tête w/ AUN
Oct. 30 - Lyon, France @ Le Sonic w/ AUN, fourthousandblackbirds
Oct. 31 - Lausanne, Switzerland @ La Crypte w/ AUN
Nov. 01 - Genoa, Italy @ Spazio Targa w/ AUN
Nov. 02 - Trento, Italy @ Campomarzio w/ AUN, Mai Mai Mai
Nov. 03 - San Zenone degli Ezzelini, Italy @ Punky Reggae Pub
Nov. 04 - Bologna, Italy @ Bar Modo Infoshop w/ AUN, Mai Mai Mai
Nov. 05 - Ancona, Italy @ Glue Bar w/ AUN, Mai Mai Mai
Nov. 06 - Rome, Italy @ Dalverme Circolo w/ Ubik
Nov. 08 - Milan, Italy @ Cox 18 w/ Destruction Unit
Nov. 09 - Paris, France @ La Cantine de Belleville w/ Kouma
Nov. 12 - Brussels, Belgium @ Magasin4 w/ Syndrome, Aksu
Nov. 14 - Antwerp, Belgium @ Ceremony of Ascension w/ Syndrome, Ashtoreth, J. Van Gullick, etc.
Nov. 15 - Liège, Belgium @ L'An Vert w/ Shazzula, Phil Maggi
Nov. 16 - Bochum, Germany @ Moving Noise Festival w/ A. Baker, D. Serries, Svarte Greiner, N, etc.

Please share the info within your network.
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/542324279180659/
Details & poster: http://www.thisquietarmy.com

Amplifest - Porto, Portugal - Oct. 19-20

Dark, dense and firmly rooted to the drone genre, Thisquietarmy’s music also manages to reference the shoegaze of My Bloody Valentine and the abstract sonic tapestries of Fennesz or Tim Hecker. Between a wide array of collaborative endeavours and an almost non-stopping touring schedule, the perpetually busy Canadian musician Eric Quach will stop by Amplifest for a show with his main solo project. Thisquietarmy’s live shows are largely improvisational and provide a massive sensorial impact that leaves a lasting impression on those who witness them.

Joining the already announced bands: Russian Circles, Chelsea Wolfe, Deafheaven, Year of No Light, Aluk Todolo, Uncle Acid & Deadbeats and more to be confirmed...

http://amplificasom.com/event/amplifest-2013/

https://www.facebook.com/events/604135086293322/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nipvh1pHPhE&feature=youtu.be

For Turkey & Brazil

THISQUIETARMY | BRAZIL TOUR 2013

Details here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/177625502395963/

24/05 - Sorocaba/SP @Urban Arts
26/05 - Itajaí/SC @ Señor Hostel
30/05 - Porto Alegre/RS @ Signos Pub
06/06 - Rio de Janeiro/RJ @ Audio Rebel
07/06 - Cabo Frio/RJ @ Teatro Municipal de Cabo Frio
08/09 - Juiz de Fora/MG @ Planet Music
09/06 - Nova Lima/MG
13/06 - Franca/SP @ Teatro de Bolso Orlando Dompieri
14/06 - São Carlos/SP @ GIG
15/06 - São José do Rio Preto/SP
20/06 - Pouso Alegre/MG
21/06 - Pindamonhangaba/SP @ Óbvio
22/06 - Bragança Paulista/SP @ Casa 30
23/06 - São Paulo/SP @ Centro Cultural São

++

Labirinto/thisquietarmy split record out on ConSouling, Dissenso & Pirate Ship Records:
http://www.dissensorecords.com/split/index.html

THISQUIETARMY | EUROPE TOUR V | APRIL 2013

THISQUIETARMY 
EUROPE TOUR V
SPRING 2013 

Sort of a vacation tour with a few gigs:

April 04 - Istanbul, Turkey @ Arkaoda
April 11 - Athens, Greece @ Six D.O.G.S. 
April 18 - Leverkusen, Germany @ KAW 
April 20 - Berlin, Germany @ Urban Spree 
April 22 - Berlin, Germany @ Bi Nuu 
April 24 - Gent, Belgium @ 019 
April 25 - Bruxelles, Belgium @ LR6 
April 26 - Bruges, Belgium @ Donkey Atelier 
April 27 - Béthencourt, France @ L'Auréole 
April 28 - Kortrijk, Belgium @ cinePalace 
April 29 - Antwerp, Belgium @ Palazzo

with:

11. Absent Without Leave

18. Labirinto 

20. Reliq

22. Maserati, Günter Schickert

24. Sequences, Jason Van Gulick

25. Barn Owl

26. Jason Van Gulick

27. Jason Van Gulick

28. Ashtoreth

29. Sequences, Ashtoreth

Venue info + tickets will be updated here: 

http://www.thisquietarmy.com/

Facebook RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/405900796171796/

Twitter / Instagram @thisquietarmy

Available for gigs on April 30 or May 1 in Belgium or Netherlands, if anyone can help: thisquietarmy@gmail.com

Aftermath + Setting Ashes 2xLP

AFTERMATH + SETTING ASHES [2xLP|DIGITAL] 

"Aftermath" was recorded in 2008-2009 and initially released on CD in 2010. At the time, the album was partially inspired and in respect to aesthetics by the works of German visual artist Anselm Kiefer: the imaginary setting takes place in the post-apocalyptic countryside and revolves around fallen angels as unexploded ordnances. In parallel, the compositions were also inspired by the sounds of crackling tubes and failing resistors captured from old vintage amplifiers during the recording process. Drones and melodies were built around these hissing sounds to create moods of tension and transitions from the remnants of destruction. These static interferences thus remained as important compositional elements, as if the whole themed-universe of the record stems from a faraway buzz, in which the dawn of a new era reveals itself. With "Aftermath", thisquietarmy manages to create the perfect light and heavy post-nuclear winter atmosphere, with a glimmer of hope appearing slowly like sun rays through massive clouds of dust. 

"Setting Ashes" is in some way a coda to "Aftermath" as it was recorded in 2009 from a live improvised performance during the creative process of "Aftermath". The context of this recording took place during a thisquietarmy-curated event called "Sunday Afternoon Drones" in a Montreal Mile-end café, which the decaying decor of a 1970's apothecary remained. Initially intended for an EP to be released shortly after "Aftermath", these recordings have never found their way out until now. They were dug up for this special 2LP vinyl re-issue on Denovali Records in 2013. 

http://www.denovali.com/thisquietarmy/

THISQUIETARMY | EUROTOUR IV - FALL 2012

Venue info & tickets: www.thisquietarmy.com

Poster photography by: www.meryemyildiz.com

Poster design by: www.ericquach.com

Additional info:

Resurgence press kit: http://denovali.com/press/PR_Thisquietarmy_Resurgence.zip

Press photos & rider:  www.thisquietarmy.com/press

Promo: www.denovali.com/booking 

See you out there!

Pre-orders Exorcisms LP on Denovali

Thick glossy covers + thick glossy printed inner sleeves. 180g vinyl, free mp3 download code (download includes bonus material!). This is bone+clear vinyl, limited to 150 pieces! Also available in black vinyl, limited to 200 pieces.

"In the fall of 2010, the New Harbours Music Series collective has invited Eric Quach to perform at the Christ's Church Cathedral, a 19th century historical building of architectural beauty in the center of the city of Hamilton, Canada. Without any preparation, he took the opportunity to record an improvised live set in front of an audience. Less than a year later, he returned for a second performance to complement his inceptive works. Mixed & edited as proper tracks during the winter & summer of 2012, both unique performances are respectfully presented on side A & B of a 12" vinyl.

Armed with his electric axe through a lethal arsenal of effect pedals & amplifiers, Quach brings out the demons by launching an ascent of drones into the throne. Once the uprise hits the cathedral walls, the propagating discord takes a life of their own and multiplies like evil spirits. As the struggle to tame and control them only make them grow louder and more powerful, the dark overwhelming waves of vibrations fill up the atmosphere like demonic clouds and come crashing down with an infernal intensity. Both side of the records present thisquietarmy's attempts to cast out the spiritual entities that he creates, from the possessed holy church. Not for the faint of heart. Between mid september and mid november 2012 for seven weeks on tour in europe (partly w/ Caspian and Year Of No Light)."

LISTEN

PRE-ORDER

thisquietarmy - Phantom Limbs CS

The first thisquietarmy cassette is out on Land of Decay (Locrian's label). 

It's called 'Phantom Limbs' and it was recorded between 'Aftermath' & 'Vessels' back in 2009. Everything was done - titles, artwork and photography by Meryem Yildiz. Somehow, with the delay of 'Aftermath' and with the new tracks that would make 'Vessels', the EP got shelved and was forgotten until earlier this year, and now resuscitated by Land of Decay.

Limited to 100 copies, grab it:

TQA: http://thisquietarmy.storenvy.com/products/417486-thisquietarmy-phantom-limbs-cs

LOD: http://www.landofdecay.bigcartel.com/product/lod-0-thisquietarmy

Suoni Per Il Popolo - June 21st, 2012

An evening of dark ambient/industrial/dronescapes - details:
http://www.villavillanola.com/suoni/june-21-monarch-theologian-aun-thisquietarmy-casa-del-popolo/

Chimeras

THISQUIETARMY "Chimeras" guitar-only cover.

All guitars performed, recorded & mixed by Eric Quach at TQA.HQ, Montreal - Winter 2012.

Originally recorded by Tim Hecker from the album Harmony in Ultraviolet (Kranky, 2006)

The track appears on the compilation "YOU'RE RELATED" Vol. 1: Montreal Artists Covering Montreal Artists" curated by CJLO 1690AM: http://www.cjlo.com/magazine/feature/youre-related-vol-1

Listen & buy here: http://cjlo1690am.bandcamp.com/album/cjlo-1690am-presents-youre-related-vol-1-montreal-artists-covering-montreal-artists

CUTV Fundraiser

Hey, so this is the rest of the merch that I brought back from my recent THISQUIETARMY Eurotour:

http://thisquietarmy.storenvy.com/collections/79377-cutv-fundraiser-rest-of-eurotour-iii

It includes a few copies of thisquietarmy - Resurgence 2xLP (3x), a couple of Year of No Light/thisquietarmy LP split (2x - I'll get more of these soon), the limited & signed thisquietarmy live tour CD (7x), the new Parallel Lines - Infinity CD (20x), the new thisquietarmy + Yellow6 - Death Valley 2xCD (6x), the 2nd pressing of the Ghidrah CDR (2x), thisquietarmy - Aftermath/Blackhaunter/Unconquered/Orange CDs (3-5x), thisquietarmy tote bags (8x) and only 3 new thisquietarmy t-shirts (S, S, XL).

To further the matter of awareness against police brutality (see this video i made: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJsG7ev454I), I've decided to donate all the profits (after costs) of the sale of these items to CUTV (Concordia University Television), which has been going on site to film and report every single protest in real time - you can tune in live, here: http://cutvmontreal.ca/

Last night, we have witnessed the police threaten their crew & attempt to break their camera more than once - it was appalling. The CUTV crew is doing an outstanding job in terms of exposing the realities of what is really happening at these protests. Again, whether you're for or against the reasons is a moot point - what we are currently witnessing is a police state spreading terror & oppression, following the totalitarian-like actions of our government by attacking our basic & fundamental rights. 

According to the surveys, the majority of the Quebec population is behind the government actions - sadly, it is not surprising at all considering that outside of these protests, the only way people (suburbans, citizens in the countryside or those who think they are not affected directly) are hearing about what's really happening is through highly-filtered channels & medias. They are not able to see beyond agitators, firestarters & broken windows - protesters are being viewed solely as troublemakers, which makes them dismiss the credibility of what the fight is really about. Like most, they are just sick & tired and want order restored at any cost. That's how they justify the motion of the anti-democratic Bill 78 and the use of police brutality against citizens that could be your kids, your friends, acquaintances, co-workers or members of your family. 

Through the lenses of CUTV, they can walk in the protesters' shoes and see what is really happening with their own eyes. If they can feel their anger & indignation, then maybe there'd be some hope that they could have a change of heart. This is why we need to help, promote & support CUTV, which spreads awareness: http://cutvmontreal.ca/ 

This fundraiser will last a few days (or until stocks last). Of course you can buy other non-rest-of-Eurotour-merch items in the store: https://thisquietarmy.storenvy.com/ at the same time - they could be included in the fundraiser as well. Also, if you're from the Montreal area - you can save on shipping costs & meet up in person of course (since some of the quantities are very limited, please still buy it through the store to reserve your item and i will reimburse the shipping fees).

If non of this merch stuff interests you, you can still make a donation directly to help CUTV maintain their live broadcast capabilities and continue to bring us the most viable on-ground coverage, here: http://cutvmontreal.ca/station/fundraising/live-broadcasts

Thanks in advance!

e.

Update on the CUTV (Concordia University Television) fundraiser: we raised a bit more than 200$ in profits, so i chipped in & donated 250$ in total. Thanks to everyone who purchased something during the last week! 

Montreal police brutality awareness video - thisquietarmy (A Call To Arms)

thisquietarmy - Eurotour III (spring 2012) video

Additional European dates - May 1-13

AUN + THISQUIETARMY - EUROPE TOUR 2012 + additional solo dates

+ additional solo thisquietarmy dates :

Sunday March 25th

SUNDAY - MARCH 25TH

Labirinto (touring from Brazil)
http://www.labirinto.mus.br/

Sweet Mother Logic
http://sweetmotherlogic.com/

Thisquietarmy
http://www.thisquietarmy.com/

Tickets: $8 advance/$10 doors

Doors: 8:30pm

Physical tickets are on sale at Casa del Popolo (http://www.casadelpopolo.com/), Cheap Thrills, L’Oblique, Phonopolis, and Atom Heart.

Buy tickets online!

From Destructure.org !

You can already pre-order this LP in white, clear or black for only 10 euro:
http://www.destructure.org/shop/year-of-no-light-thisquietarmy-collaboration-split-lp

YEAR OF NO LIGHT & THISQUIETARMY COLLABORATION LP

A release that we’ve been working on for months is about to finally see the light of the day. We’re very happy to be able to work again with long time friends from YEAR OF NO LIGHT on this project that also gave us the opportunity to work with a new friend Eric from THISQUIETARMY. This new piece of wax features one long new song from each band (approx 12 min each), you’ll also discover two collaborative songs that prove that these two bands were made to work together and share a record. The LP is at the pressing plant as we speak and will be up for preorders next week together with another new release (keep your cyber eyes opened). During the wait, enjoy the first image of the cover assembled by one of ours truly.

TQA021 - Aidan Baker & thisquietarmy - Eurotour 2011 3xCD (pre-order)

AIDAN BAKER & THISQUIETARMY

DOCUMENT: EUROTOUR 2011 - LIVE IN PARIS & LJUBLJANA

The long awaited 3xCD document from Aidan Baker & thisquietarmy's European tour in 2011 is finally available! This document should have been available sooner, but the magnitude of this project overcame several mutations. In the end, we wanted to present this document as a very limited box set with tons of goodies as to relate the tour experience as much as possible, and to be distributed directly into their hands of our closet fans. No middlemen & no promos for this one! Thus, we have chosen to release it through TQA Records (thisquietarmy's label) & Pirate Ship Records, with the exclusive distribution from Basses Fréquences & Broken Spine Productions (Aidan Baker's label). This document presents 3 live sets on 3 separate black-bottomed discs:

Disc 1 (silver) - Aidan Baker & thisquietarmy - Live in Paris (May 29th, 2011)
Disc 2 (white) - Aidan Baker - Live in Ljubljana (June 7th, 2011)
Disc 3 (black) - thisquietarmy - Live in Ljubljana (June 7th, 2011)

The Paris show was set up by Basses Fréquences, at the Village Label of the Villette Sonique festival for a collaboration between Aidan Baker & thisquietarmy, in which Aidan have decided to play the drums merely five minutes before the show started. Needless to say that this recording has captured an incredibly unique & spontaneous performance that was not rehearsed in any way, and that could never be reproduced again. The solo sets from the Ljubljana concert (set up by Rok Pregelj) were recorded at Menza Pri Koritu with the collaboration of the venue's soundman Marko Trsenjak. Aidan's set was completely improvised, while thisquietarmy's set incorporates some open-ended song structures from his latest releases mixed with several improvised segments.

Additionally, we have included a tour report, a tour diary (written by Eric Quach), 3 flyers from the Bochum (designed by Dimitrios Kaitsis), Paris (designed by Jerome Moncada) & Ljubljana (designed by Zoran Pungercar) show and an unique set of 6 photographs randomly picked from 100 photos taken during the tour by Eric Quach. All of these items fit inside an elegant white A7 envelope, on which was printed a photograph of Aidan Baker & thisquietarmy, taken the morning after the first show of the tour in Bochum, Germany by Cristobal Marquez (who also took the pictures for the front/back artwork cover).

The whole thing is enclosed inside a beautiful white DVD triple-case. Lastly, every case is decorated with an old and unique European stamp, and also includes a custom-made guitar pick embedded with Pirate Ship Records' & TQA Records' logos. Everything was designed, printed, cut and hand-assembled by Eric Quach, with the help of Jason Sykes.

Release date: Febuary 14th, 2012. Price: 25$

Pre-order between Febuary 7th & Febuary 13th to reserve your copy - specially priced at only 20$ + shipping, here: http://thisquietarmy.storenvy.com/products/256477-tqa021-aidan-baker-thisquietarmy-eurotour-2011-3xcd

Also available digitally here: http://tqarecords.bandcamp.com/album/tqa021-aidan-baker-thisquietarmy-document-eurotour-2011-live-in-paris-ljubljana

Preview:





######### UPDATE ##########

50 copies, SOLD OUT IN 8 HOURS via thisquietarmy/TQA RECORDS.

Please pick it up through Pirate Ship Records... they have about 10 copies left.
http://pirateshiprecords.storenvy.com/products/256766-aidan-baker-thisquietarmy-document-eurotour-2011-live-in-paris-ljubl

If it's sold out there, Aidan Baker will hopefully receive his copies for his EU tour next week with A-Sun Amissa.
Also, Basses Fréquences will carry a few copies next week as well.

Thanks a lot for all your enthusiasm!

e.

Drone your winter blues away...

CJLO 1690 AM proudly presents an evening of drone to help wash away the winter blues. The line up is made up of local Montreal talent and all proceeds will go towards Concordia's campus-community radio station.

THISQUIETARMY

http://www.thisquietarmy.com/

Echo Beach

http://echobeach.bandcamp.com/

Aim Low

http://aimlow.bandcamp.com/

Old Wyoming

http://oldwyoming.bandcamp.com/

$5 at the door. Doors at 9 pm.

This is a CJLO 1690 AM fundraiser.

Jackie & Judy's - 6512, Avenue du Parc (corner of Beaubien)

Adrian Aniol - Arrhythmia OST (TQA020, TQA Records)

TQA020 - ADRIAN ANIOL - ARRHYTHMIA OST

Artist: Adrian Aniol
Release: Arrhythmia OST
Release Date: January 12th, 2012
Format: Limited full-length CDR in a handmade deluxe packaging
Promo: tqarecords@gmail.com

We also prepared a press kit here, which includes the one-sheet, press photos & artwork:
http://thisquietarmy.com/records/press/TQA020/

The CD is currently available for pre-order with a 5-track preview:
http://thisquietarmy.storenvy.com/products/226222-tqa020-adrian-aniol-arrhythmia-ost-cdr


Details:

Adrian Anioł is a Polish composer & sound designer.

TQA Records is proud to present his "Arrhythmia OST", the follow-up to "It Falls Apart", his debut release on dark cult American label Utech Records (Locrian, Horseback, Nadja, Mamiffer, James Plotkin, Daniel Menche, etc.).

The score to the late James Hartley's film of the same title is a dark & mysterious journey filled with haunting subsonic ambiances and claustrophobic layers of frigid soundwaves. Ambient and minimal, yet emotionally charged with terrifying imaginative visuals, overbearing industrial atmospheres and loud startling percussive effects, Adrian Anioł has created an incredibly captivating and powerful film soundtrack.
Initially self-released digitally in March 2011, the record was slightly reworked & remixed by Adrian Anioł, mastered by Eric Quach (thisquietarmy) in November 2011 & released in January 2012 by TQA Records.

Adrian Anioł's "Arrhythmia OST" is TQA Records' 1st full-length physical release, which consists of a compelling black top & black bottom CDR, hand-stamped with black acrylic ink. The disc is placed on a hub inside a folded insert, which slides into a thick 80lb A7 grey printed envelope. The package also includes a set of 4 oversize 5x7" photographs and is strictly limited to 100 handmade & numbered copies.

++

Adrian Aniol - Arrhythmia OST (TQA020)

01. The Opening 02:27
02. Informis Pravitas 03:30
03. In A Darkened Room 04:47
04. Lament 02:11
05. Thoughts Become Noise 02:40
06. 3AM Revelations 02:50
07. The Others 04:20
08. The Permanence 01:49
09. Arrhythmia (In A Heartbeat) 02:11
10. In Black Twilights 02:55
11. The Way Of All Flesh 02:08
12. The Dark Night Of The Soul 03:03
13. Slowly Downward 04:55
14. In Control Of All Things 02:54
15. The Closing 06:05

This recording was made for a 38min independent movie "Arrhythmia" directed by James Hartley (September 13, 1979 - April 22, 2011). Please note that this album was recorded using low-end techniques with purpose.

Composed, arranged, written, performed, and produced by Adrian Anioł.
Saxophone performed by Russell Johnson.
Cello and strings performed by Paul Martin.
Arrhythmia was assembled and mixed by A. Anioł at Withinwithout Studios.
Soundtrack consultant: Dorota Rus.
Mastering: Eric Quach.
Art direction: 21grams inc.

Un après-midi ambiant (Lévis, 2011-12-11)

Some records I've listened to

Here are some records that caught my attention this year, in no particular order. By no means a complete list nor a reference, as there are quite a few records I still haven't had time to listen & explore, due to my busy music-making schedule - sometimes you just want to go back to old comfort records in-between creative sessions...

++

The Soft Moon - The Soft Moon (Captured Tracks)
Ringo Deathstarr - Colour Tripp/Sparkler (Sonic Unyon/Club AC30)
A Winged Victory For The Sullen (Erased Tapes/Kranky)
Tim Hecker - Ravedeath, 1972 (Kranky)
Low - C'Mon (Sub Pop)
Epic45 - Weathering (Make Mine Music)
Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die, But You  Will (Sub Pop)
Explosions - Take Care, Take Care, Take Care (Temporary Residence)
Earth - Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light 1 (Southern Lord)
Esmerine - La Lechuza (Constellation Records)
Birds of Passage - Without The World (Denovali)
Labirinto - Anatema (Dissenso)
The Haxan Cloak - The Haxan Cloak (Aurora Borealis)
Aun - Phantom Ghost (Denovali)
Le Révélateur - Fictions (Gneiss Things)
Talvihorros - Descent Into Delta (Hibernate)
Birds of Passage - Without The World (Denovali)
Liturgy - Aesthetica (Thrill Jockey)
Wolves In The Throne Room - Celestial Lineage (Southern Lord)
Timber Timbre - Creep On Creeping On (Arts and Crafts)
Duchess Says - In a Fung Day T! (Alien8)
Grails - Deep Politics (Temporary Residence)
Ensorcelor - Crucifuge (Media Tree)

++

Here are some records which I've heard a promo or early version in 2011, that I look forward to in 2012:

Adrian Aniol - Arrhythmia OST (TQA Records) 

Monarch - Omens (At A Loss Recordings) 

Elika - Always The Light (Saint Marie Records)