A brief announcement for any interested parties: White Denim has just released the latest record by Tin Man, Scared. It’s a 12″ LP, comprised of eight new and exclusive tracks totaling over 37 minutes of music. The record is limited to 550 copies.

For those unfamiliar, Tin Man is the project of Johannes Auvinen, a producer/vocalist who divides his time between Los Angeles and Austria. Under the Tin Man name, Auvinen has given us classic Acid-house techno, long-form analog drone and most recently, a unique hybrid of dub techno, ambient atmospheres and synth-pop, guided by his unsettlingly cool vocals that arrive like a calm whisper over your shoulder. Like previous efforts Wasteland and Cool Wave, Scared is a smooth and sensual affair, as comforting as it is creepy in Tin Man’s lonely and futuristic world. If you’ve found most techno to be too emotionless, or wish the current crop of minimal synth artists knew how to craft deep, engaging electronic music, I highly recommend checking out Tin Man. Rather than list similar artists (no specific comparison really does him justice anyway), please check out the title track here: Tin Man “Scared”

If you’re interested in purchasing a copy, it’s available for $10.00 postage-paid in the US and $18.00 postage-paid elsewhere, and it can be ordered directly from the White Denim website via PayPal. For wholesale inquiries or other questions, shoot an email to whitedenim AT gmail DOT com.

Here at Yellow Green Red, I don’t just critique records, I occasionally release them, too. The associated label is White Denim. for those who aren’t familiar (founded 2001, not to be confused with the band of the same name), and I figured it wouldn’t be too inappropriate to announce White Denim’s new releases on YGR for any interested parties. May your Google Reader pardon the spam.

The Native Cats are a duo from Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. They play a minimalist style of post-punk - vocals, bass guitar, drum machine, and the occasional keyboard. Their White Denim release is a two-song 7″ single limited to 370 copies. It’s recorded in hi-fi, without fuzz or feedback, which provides an intimate feel and allows the listener to understand the lyrics, which are consistently a treat. I hear Young Marble Giants, Arab Strap, Joy Division, maybe some Eddy Current Suppression Ring too, although none of those comparisons really explain what they’re doing. Check it out for yourself - you can download the a-side of the single, free of charge, here: The Native Cats “Catspaw”

If you’re interested in purchasing a copy, it’s available for $5.00 postage-paid in the US, and it can be ordered directly from the White Denim website via PayPal. For international orders and wholesale rates, shoot an email to whitedenim AT gmail DOT com.