Haiku Salut

[shaved head thrills]

I've listened to the new single everyday since the day I first heard it!

[shaved head thrills]

Reminds me so much of all my favorite moments from Múm's 'Yesterday Was Dramatic, Today Is OK'.

[Mr Bear]

Heard this on 6Music the other night. Really lovely, isn't it.

[ian]

This Skatterbrain review says it all about the Haiku album...it's really exciting to read a review that just understands so perfectly.


Gemma Wood, Sophie Barker, and Louise Croft are no strangers to unorthodox instrumentation—their playful use of a seemingly endless bag of classroom-like instruments in The Deirdres is what made that band so special in the first place. Fast forward a few years and we’ve got the beautiful Haiku Salut. The girls haven’t gotten rid of those tiny instruments, but they have tossed away the vocals in favor of an even bigger bag of tricks and more mysterious soundscapes. Think early Múm, Tenniscoats, and perhaps some of Lullatone’s more organic moments.

On Tricolore (set for release in March via the HDIF label!) they employ a miniature orchestra of loops, bloops, flutters, and buzzes to create one of the dreamiest records of the year. It’s worth many careful listens, and even kind of begs for it. The short compositions (the longest track on the record comes in at a modest 5:15) twist and turn in such unpredictable ways for their brief lifespans that you’re left trying to figure them out again and again—after 15+ listens now, the brilliant explosion of color on “No, You Say It” at the record’s close is still a wonderful surprise.

The record opens with “Say It” and closes with “No, You Say It” as if the almost 40 minutes in between occurred within the blink of an eye, held between two breaths of a conversation. Maybe that’s what you’d see if you magnified a few brief moments of thought: an infinite amount of shapes and colors moving about both chaotic and calm, but in perfect harmony. It’s the perfect fairytale soundtrack.

http://www.skatterbrain.org/post/41363226995

[linus]

word.

it's been a great lp to listen to in the trudge through the snow and ice to and from work. absolutely kills the monotony of that and takes me places (and not just to work and back). great great lp for listening to while going off to sleep, except you don't go off to sleep, you have to listen to it again and again, half adrift, the pictures it paints, the places you go.

it's taken me all the way back to listening to 'from gardens where we feel secure' (all that time ago) or a beautiful cross between 'baibaba bimba' by tenniscoats and 'promenade de schizophranes' by pascal commelade (maybe only in my head but, hey, I'm doing the musical maths here)... you'll hear all sorts yourself but ultimately it's haiku salut and they're genuinely fantastic in a quiet almost unassuming sort of a way.

I can't recommend this lp highly enough. every home should have at least one.

[shaved head thrills]

Such a beautiful and wonderful record. I cannot recommend it enough!

[ian]

Haiku Salut are doing a short tour in France and Belgium. I would love to see them in France...

2nd March
La Taverne des Gaulois, Saint Lauren Blangy, France

3rd March
Le Couleur Café, Arras, France

4th March
Chaff , Brussells, Belgium

5th March
Le Stakhanov, Nantes, France

7th March
Le Comedia, Lille, France

[crystalball]

Aw, good luck, lovelies.

The album is completely beautiful. I'm a bit smitten.

[islandhopper]

I wasn't convinced at first as it wasn't quite as immediate as the EP. It really rewards repeat listens though. Beautiful stuff!

[fika_recordings]

Picked this up from Ian yesterday and it's barely been off my record player since. Properly lovely album. Looks just the job too.

[ian]

Picked this up from Ian yesterday and it's barely been off my record player since. Properly lovely album. Looks just the job too.

Yes, Katie's artwork is wonderful. She's so talented. I love the way the album looks like it sounds.

We're streaming another song from the album here if you fancy hearing it...
https://soundcloud.com/hdif/haiku-salut-glockelbar

[nicolnicol]

I've avoided buying the album so far. Partly because of the monies, but I want to forget everything I remember from their set at the Lexington in January before I listen to it, and almost fall over with joy again. I'd heard their name around so many times and been told great things, but nothing about what they actually sounded like (always a good sign). Ian swears he put us on a bill together (or set up a playdate), but I'm sure I would remember that!
As I wandered into the Lexington, I was feeling a little sick of doods with guitarz. I think I kept prodding my friend who I was standing with and grinning.

[a layer of chips]

Amazebollocks, if short, review in The Guardian.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2013/ma ... NTCMP=SRCH

[ian]

This is lovely...

[heliolithic]

That's a beautiful video. Had managed to somehow avoid Haiku Salut until their set supporting Darren Hayman, I thought they were wonderful.

[everard]

bought the lp at rough trade this afternoon. it's great.

is the beautiful booklet digital-only, or did my copy come without one?

[ian]

It's digital only. We wanted to do something a little different to the regular CD with booklet, and having a booklet just online seemed quite exciting. Also it makes it equal for the vinyl and the CD, which felt important too. I love the way it's just floating up there...and you can have a look at it even if you haven't heard the music. A little piece of the Tricolore jigsaw...

[Barto]

Listening to the album on spotify, well, I'm not really used to music without vocals, but this is really good, it's one of those listenings that makes you forget about anything bad and makes you feel that the world is only full of good vibrations.

[ian]

Haiku have just been announced as the support for Lau's tour of churches and arts centres in November. There are some gorgeous sounding venues on this list...

13/11 Manchester - Central Methodist Hall
14/11 Pocklington - All Saints Church
15/11 Lincoln - Drill Hall
16/11 London - Blackheath Halls (Great Hall)
19/11 Leamington Spa - Royal Spa Centre
20/11 Salisbury - Arts Centre
21/11 Bexhill - De La Warr Pavillion
22/11 Canterbury - St Mary's Church
23/11 Bridport - Electric Palace
24/11 Lancaster - St John The Evangelist Church

[ian]

We're bringing the lamps show that Haiku did at Deda in Derby to London. It's on Saturday October 12th, at St John on Bethnal Green church. It's going to be quite something...the Deda show was really magical. Here's all the info...


Haiku Salut
Saturday October 12th
St John on Bethnal Green, 200 Cambridge Heath Road, London E2 9PA, 8pm

The London debut for Haiku Salut's spectacular lamps show, in which the trio are accompanied by a stage set of over twenty household lamps, which are programmed to flicker in time to the music. The band have done this show just once before, at their album launch party at Deda in Derby, and their performance that night was spellbinding, joyous, emotional and quite unique, like watching electronica come alive.

Tickets are £6 in advance and £7 on the door.
http://www.wegottickets.com/event/228812

Here's the lamps show in action in Derby:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PR4SBX1sgXs

The setting for the show is the beautiful St John on Bethnal Green, a grade one listed Anglican church which was designed by Sir John Sloane and built between 1826 and 1828. St John's has recently hosted performances by Ólafur Arnalds, Jesca Hoop and the London Bulgarian Choir, as well as art and photography exhibitions. It is also an active church, serving the local community. Although this is a large space, capacity is limited to 150, roughly equivalent to the Buffalo Bar.