Mr. Maps

Brisbane Instrumental Rock Ensemble. var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-21918324-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })();

[nonsemble]

SPACESHIP EARTH INITIATING LAUNCH SEQUENCE

We are releasing our next EP, entitled Spaceship Earth, on March 24 via Bigo and Twigetti.

This one has been a long time in the making. 3 years of development and over a year of production, distilled into 5 songs that we can’t wait for you to hear.

Unlike our previous instrumental releases, Spaceship Earth is a collection of songs with words – a song cycle, perhaps – underpinned by typically Nonsemble-esque detailed chamber arrangements. We’ve enlisted some of our friends whose voices we are in love with to sing these songs for us.

You can stream the track Somnambulists, and pre-order your copy from bandcamp right now.

We can’t let you hear the rest of it just yet, but here’s what it looks like:

01. Trucksea featuring Dean McGrath (Hungry Kids of Hungary, ROLLS BAYCE) 02. Unkind featuring Amela Duheric (Malo Zima, Amela) 03. Bricks featuring Shem Allen (Skinny Jean) 04. Sovereign Murders featuring Cameron Bower (Big Dead) 05. Somnambulists featuring Mel Tickle (Little Scout, Pynes) and Shem Allen)

We owe an enormous thank you to many people for helping us pull this thing together, and doubtless we will issue many thank yous in the in months to come. But for now, we’d just like to express some serious appreciation to Jim Perkins and the crew at Bigo and Twigetti for their hard work, to Shaun Moriarty (rumoko) for his glorious artwork, to our friends Dean, Amela, Shem, Cam and Mel, whose amazing voices truly set these songs alight, and to Tom Green, UQ Music, and Steve Bartlett for their valuable help in the production process.

[loflyrecordings-blog]

Sunday!

[mr-maps-blog]

Those Boards Don't Work on Water - available on limited edition 7": http://loflyrecords.bandcamp.com

[mr-maps-blog]

We are playing our first show in about 9 months! Please come!

[nonsemble]

Nonsemble presents “Practical Mechanics” Independent Chamber Group Nonsemble draw post-rock and underground influences into classical compositional craft, launching their debut release Practical Mechanics on June 7 at The Box, West End. Nonsemble is a chamber group which draws on eclectic musical influences to fill a space somewhere between the conservatoire and the underground. It tips its hat equally to Mogwai and Stravinsky; to Flying Lotus and Steve Reich. Formed in 2012 by composer Chris Perren (of Mr. Maps, lofly/hangar), Nonsemble features some of Brisbane’s most talented instrumentalists, including Hik Sugimoto on percussion, Sam Mitchell, on piano, Flora Wong and Sam Andrews on violin, Kieran Welch on viola, and Briony Luttrell on Cello. In the short time since their inception the ensemble have performed at Restrung Festival at Brisbane Powerhouse with top classical and new music ensembles such as Ensemble Offspring and Syzygy, and at Harvest Festival 2012 alongside acts such as Beck, Sigur Ros and Grizzly Bear. Their forthcoming release, Practical Mechanics is an ode to technological optimism, and playfully explores the belief that science can solve all human problems. The titles and text excerpts are taken from the tattered pages of vintage issues of Practical Mechanics Magazine, a home science and technology magazine published between 1933 and 1963.  The 25-minute work sprawls across 5 movements, as driving mechanical rhythms evoke the constant and steady engine of progress, and lush melodic strings allude to a human heart behind the machine. Practical Mechanics is a culmination of composer Chris Perren’s 15 years of writing music in noisy post-rock and math-rock bands, solitary computer isolation, and formal composition training, and embodies the refinement of a unique compositional voice. It was recorded at UQ’s Nickson Room, one of Brisbane’s most renowned acoustic spaces, and engineered and produced by members of the ensemble. It will be released through the lofly recording collective. On June 7 Nonsemble play Practical Mechanics in full accompanied by hypnotic visuals, along with a selection of other works. They are supported by genre-defying multi-instrumentalist Kathryn McKee, and ambient wizard Sadglint. Nonsemble - Practical Mechanics Launch Friday, 7 June at The Box 29 Vulture St, West End, Brisbane. Doors at 7pm, entry $15 Tix: http://nonsemble.bandcamp.com/album/practical-mechanics For more info please email [email protected] To buy tickets or pre-order the release, go to http://nonsemble.bandcamp.com/album/practical-mechanics

[mr-maps-blog]

New Project featuring Chris and Briony from Mr. Maps!

[loflyrecordings-blog]

This Saturday - the beginning of a new era of monthly Hangar shows!

[mr-maps-blog]

Three very exciting bands. Bring ten bucks and some booze.

[mr-maps-blog]

We Are Supporting the Mighty Tortoise on Friday!

After Jac played his final show with us, we had intended to take a little break to work things out and see where the Maps machine would take us next, if anywhere.

But as it turns out, the Maps machine goes where the wind takes it, and in this particular instance the wind has taken us to the opening spot for one of greatest inspirations, TORTOISE. To be asked to play this show was a real honour, and we just couldn't turn it down.

So we've pulled it back together for this awesome opportunity, and recruited the supremely talented Sam Mitchell on drums to bring the live show back to life.

If you're interested in mesmerising and nuanced music that sounds like the future, come see Tortoise at the Zoo this Friday night. We'll be there playing tunes from 8:30pm, followed by Margins and of course Tortoise. 

Get tickets and details here.

[loflyrecordings-blog]

Hangar the Radar #1 - 14th September  CHARGE GROUP (syd) THE RATIONAL ACADEMY !NO GRAVES! AIRPORT (DJ set) MI_KE (visuals) $20 - tix from http://bit.ly/Qo0vLI fb event: http://www.facebook.com/events/133369546807489/   Hangar the Radar #2 - 21st September  MOSMAN ALDER TINY SPIDERS MINDS RESTREAM (DJ set) $15 - tix from: http://bit.ly/RAPmhK fb event: http://www.facebook.com/events/279761598794409/ Out the Back, Metro Arts, Alleyway, 109 Edward Street, Brisbane For press enquiries, interviews, music, etc, email [email protected]

[mr-maps-blog]

We love Charge Group. And Mosman. And lofly/hangar. And pretty much everyone involved with these two shows. Come along if you can, it'll be fun!

[mr-maps-blog]

http://www.facebook.com/events/191535510973910/

[mr-maps-blog]

FB Event | Tickets

[mr-maps-blog]

This Thursday.

[mr-maps-blog]

A 7" and a Tour and Other News of Note

This could be the last hurrah, friends. Our incredible drummer and friend Jac Hicks is going to head overseas in August, so the days are numbered for the Mr. Maps lineup as we know it. We do have hopes and plans to keep Mr. Maps rolling in some form, but we hope you'll come and join us for the next few shows in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne (see dates below), as it looks like the Mr. Maps live show will soon become a rarity.

But its not all bad news, because we have new things to show you!

You may know our good friends Hunz. Headed by Brisbane super-guru of everything, Hans van Vliet, Hunz has been playing a polished and emotive brand of live electronic rock since 2006. This year we've had the honour of teaming up with Hunz on a new release, and it's on its way very soon. 

The Hunz / Mr. Maps Split 7" will be two awesome singles on a collectable clear vinyl 7", with artwork by Hunz and a bunch of digital bonus tracks in tow.

You can pre-order it now!

On one side you'll find our track "Those Boards Don't Work on Water". It's abstract and lush, with sharp moments of punkness poking through a psychedelic wash.

The track emerged atop some killer keys riffs that Mitch brought into rehearsal one night, that ended in a memorable moment of pens, paper, and calculators to figure out the maths of just how we were going to play this thing. It came together in a more collaborative way than most of our previous stuff, which is perhaps what makes it unique.

We recorded it "live" at The Docking Station Studios with Steve Bartlett, and Andrew did most of the mixing with input from Briony and the rest of us. 

On the flipside is Hunz' rollicking Owl Highway, which was originally composed for the Penny Time Soundtrack, but as with everything Hunz does, relentless perfectionism ensured its status as a killer track in its own right.

So to show this thing off, we are heading down the east coast in July and August, on what we are calling the "Boards Tour" ("Mr. Maps' These Boards Don't Work On Water Split 7" With Hunz Tour" just doesn't roll off the tongue in the same way). 

It will most likely be your last chance to see Jac in full swing - so please come along.

And now... dates!

Sydney: Thursday July 5 @ FBi Social, w/Collarbones (fb) Friday July 6 @ Sabotage Club Night (fb)

Brisbane Friday July 20 @ Judith Wright Centre, w/Hunz Saturday August 11 @ Tym's Guitar's (in-store - all-ages)

Melbourne Thursday August 2 @ T.B.C. Friday August 3 @ Gasometer w/Hazards of Swimming Naked (fb)

[mr-maps-blog]

Here's a remix we did for the new lofly/feral media collaboration, Strain of Origin II. It's a truly awesome release, and it's FREE! Go get it!

[mr-maps-blog]

A nice little video of Jac doing his thing in the studio... and a sneak peak of what we've been recording!

[mr-maps-blog]

March = Free Bits / Free Ships

Hi friends, 

  We've been working pretty hard to pull some new material together and we're planning to announce an exciting new release very soon!

  In the meantime though, we wanted to give you all a chance to catch up on our back catalogue, perhaps even share it with your friends, enemies and in-laws. So we are making it all free. Yes, free to download in mp3 format. 

  If that's not quite enough love, we are also offering free shipping on all orders through our bandcamp or the lofly store for the whole month of March. Even international. So if you've been tossing up the idea of snaffling one of those limited edition Wire Empire LPs, it's pretty much your lucky day. 

  Get all the goods here: mr-maps.bandcamp.com

  Generous, eh? If you're in Queensland you can thank us in person this weekend as we support sleepmakeswaves at Miami Shark Bar (Gold Coast) on Friday, and at the Jubilee (Brisbane) on Saturday. More about that here.

  Hold tight, more exciting news to come!

  Mr. Maps

[mr-maps-blog]

Our first shows back for the year! We have new songs - come and see whether or not we can play them yet.

March 2, Miami Shark bar Gold Coast sleepmakeswaves, Mr. Maps, the Matador, theseashallnothavethem Facebook event & details

March 3, Jubilee Hotel Brisbane sleepmakeswaves, Mr. Maps, Solkyri, Screens Facebook event & details

[mr-maps-blog]

Here it is. Wire Empire on white vinyl and an accompanying CD of remixes. The first batch have already been shipped to our pozible supporters, so if you are one of the many wonderful friends who pledged to help make this happen, your goodies are on the way. Thank you! For everyone else, the rest of the super limited run is available to order via the Mr. Maps Bandcamp page. Don't miss out! In other news, in the obligatory flourish of end of year lists and rankings, Wire Empire has wound up at #40 on the Mess and Noise critics' poll, Tennis Party has ranked #24 on 4zzz's hot 100 tracks of the year, and various other Mr. Maps bits are scattered through the various staff lists of Rave & Time Off Magazine. So a big thank you is owed to those journos and critics who've had our back over the years! Regardless of your belief of the importance of December 25th, we hope you had a mighty fine day, and may this mark the beginning of an exceptionally good year.