new albums by World Brain & Andreya Casablanca, new vinyl + tape, new shop

Intro

_{Hello from Berlin, where temperatures are dropping by the second—literally and figuratively. I hope you’re doing okay out there. Sometimes, making and sharing music feels almost pointless with everything happening around us. I know music can be comforting, but I also believe we need to be more political and active—things don’t change on their own. I won’t go deeper into politics here (unless you want me to), but it feels wrong to ignore that we’re living in tough times, with hardly anything positive on the horizon.}

_{If you’re super lazy and just want to dive into our new music, click here for our Spotify playlist.}

_{As always I feel like I wait too long to send these out. Even though it’s a small label, a lot has been happening, if you don’t mind being updated more regularly, maybe follow us on Instagram or join our Telegram channel.}

<sub>But in short: we released World Brain's long-awaited second album, Andreya Casablanca’s debut album, a deluxe edition of Martha Rose’s album, a new single by Meagre Martin and a new video by Discovery Zone. We’ve also switched our web shop to Shopify. Stick around until the end of this newsletter for a discount code you can use on your next order. Cool?

That’s the intro for now, thanks for reading this far.</sub>

World Brain - Open Source is out now

<sub>Five years after his iconic debut, World Brain has finally released his follow-up album, “Open Source”. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever heard—truly.

Bandcamp Editorial just described the album as “Dreamlike pop music that drifts along on a bed of keys, soft and cloud-like”</sub>

🎧 Listen & Buy
📀 Bandcamp
🎨 Buy ltd. color vinyl on Rough Trade
💿 Buy Vinyl

_{WORLD BRAIN last graced us with a solo release with 2019’s Peer 2 Peer. As its name suggests, that album explored the promise and perils of universal connectivity via quirked-up songwriting and instrumental psychedelia. His new release, Open Source, deepens this internal and external journey. Bursting beyond the four walls of ‘bedroom pop’ and reflecting a move from Berlin to Paris—where much of the album was recorded—and on to Brussels, the album has a jazzy, cinematic scope (as on the Brubeck-inspired march “Fromage collatéral,”) enveloping the listener in a cosmic-pastoral audiosphere.
There are still many tones that evoke the software sounds of decades past (the exemplar here is “cAPTCHA,” whose virtual marimba and vocalese suggest a breathless, Exotica-inspired introduction .mov for the information superhighway) but the palette has become richer and more organic, lead by the woodwinds which play a major role throughout, with flute provided by labelmate Martha Rose. (On the aforementioned “cAPTCHA” one also hears the world-class whistling talents of the incomparable Molly Lewis.)
Yet the single most noticeable new element may be the use of WORLD BRAIN's native French, sung by his sister Noémie on “Ville fleurie” and the gorgeous, fluttering “Minute papillion” (the title an idiomatic injunction to slow down!) WORLD BRAIN initially wrote these lyrics in English, but felt something wasn’t quite right, only realizing what was off when he heard them sung in another language. That spirit of discovery – of finding a new spark in returning home – suffuses Open Source. It invites us to play, beckons us to relax, reminds us to find serenity amidst the churn of the present: minute papillon, dans le tourbillon.}

Andreya Casablanca - See More Glass

_{Known as half of the garage rock duo Gurr, Andreya Casablanca has returned with her debut solo album, “See More Glass” - available now in a limited orange cassette edition.}

🎧 Listen & Buy
📀 Bandcamp
📼 Buy Tape

_{Sometimes you need a break, you need to get away from it all, to refocus and find your own authentic voice once again. This is what Andreya Casablanca needed to do after releasing two critically acclaimed records with her band Gurr and touring the world. Refocus, try to see the world and your life from different perspectives. Maybe open different doors and look through different windows. See More Glass.}

_{With her solo debut, Andreya Casablanca created her own world in ten songs and it marks a departure from the soundscapes she created in the past. While not shedding her more rock-oriented roots, Casablanca embraces a shift towards a more genre fluid, pop-influenced sound that manages to be at once inclusive as well as being inventive and challenging – in the very best way.} 

_{Take Trapped in Space, where Casablanca fuses her sweetest singing voice with 80’s inspired guitars and synths, powerful bass and drums, and lyrics about projecting one’s personal anxieties upon a romantic interest. Haven’t we all been there? Or there’s Children with its references to Alex Cameron’s brand of deadpan performance. Or the dreamy, yet distorted guitars on Dreamin, painting the picture of a surf rock song gone on a bender, sometime in the mid-90’s, and ending up on the greatest stadium stage. Fittingly, Casablanca describes a sense of falling for a new idea, be it a romantic interest, or a new path in life.} 

_{Working on See More Glass indeed felt like taking a new path in life, Casablanca explains: “this has been the first time I created music all on my own“ – before, she had always been a part of a band. “It was a time for self-discovery, reinvention, and being alone, being by myself.“ Inspired by artists such as Tirzah, Grimes and others who started out by simply using tools like Apple’s Garage Band or Logic to create their own productions, she also let her own perfectionism go. “I listened to ‘Art Angels’, and I don’t even like it that much – but its weirdness and playfulness gave me the confidence I needed to just give it a try and do my own thing”, she remembers. Together with producers and engineers such as Robbie Moore and Philipp Janzen (of Von Spar and Die Sterne) they brought her vision over the finish line. On her very own terms.}

_{The creative self-discovery came hand in hand with a period of intense self-reflection, which has influenced the songwriting deeply: observations on dating (“Oh my god, I’m such a teenager“, she says laughing), and meditations about mental health, and the struggles and challenges that come with beginnings and endings in life. On one of See More Glass’ most pivotal tracks, Lose Somebody, Casablanca takes an honest and painful look at her own ambition and how it can turn against oneself – and creates a path forward, out of the depths of hyper productivity, burnout, and depression.} 

_{See More Glass is a confident, mature, fully-formed, yet playful, creative and enigmatic artistic statement that is so much more than simply a solo debut. Andrea Casablanca isn’t afraid to show her vulnerabilities, and showcases the strength that lies within this openness. With timeless songs, set to become favourites for a long time, Andreya Casablanca forges a new path for herself. And we’ll follow along happily.}

Martha Rose - Close to Close Deluxe Edition

_{In September, Martha Rose released a Deluxe Edition of "Close to Close” with three new tracks: “Heart Still Beats 4 U (E/T Proto House Remix),” “Reflective Hands,” and a French version of “Bleu.”}

🎧 Listen & Buy
📀 Bandcamp
💿 Buy Vinyl
📹 YouTube (Heart Still Beats 4 U)

_{Drifting off into a sunlit meadow, Martha Rose creates a dreamlike, nostalgic world with her debut album Close to Close. The music exudes a mystical simplicity, blending a cheeky lightness with the weight of loss and alienation. Crafted during the lockdown with producer ET in Neukölln, the album features vintage drum machines, Yamaha keyboards, and organic recordings, drawing from traditional ballads and inspirations like Daniel Johnston and Kate Bush.}

_{The record explores themes of romance, introspection, and vulnerability, with tracks such as "Chin Up" and "Never Love Enough" offering tender reflections on love and rejection. The standout track, "Heart Still Beats 4 U," blends subtlety with a disco edge, capturing the essence of longing on a glittering dance floor. Close to Close is a soft yet confident debut, showcasing Martha Rose's artistic vision and emotional depth.}

Meagre Martin - Never Thought

_{On September 5th, your favorite Berlin indie band Meagre Martin released a new single, “Never Thought.” Meanwhile, their debut album Gut Punch just turned one year old!}

_{Word is, even more new music is on the way.}

🎧 Listen & Buy
📀 Bandcamp

_{“Never Thought" questions how well we know the people in our lives, and how our security in them can still be shaken even after years of knowing them. The chords and melodies encircle and repeat, much like the rumination of thoughts in our heads.}

Discovery Zone New Video + Exclusive 3D Audio Listening Session

_{Fresh off a US tour with Crumb and a European tour, Discovery Zone’s latest video, Operating System™, is here! Taken from her second album Quantum Web (released on Mansions and Millions + RVNG Intl. in March), this animation dives into a digital dreamscape—exploring the mysteries behind the screen. Animation by Pacôme Henry.
In other news: Back by popular demand! Experience Discovery Zone’s "Library Copy: Do Not Remove"—an immersive 3D audio journey, previously played only once. This exclusive session brings you the Ambisonic Masterfile in 8.1.5 surround sound with live video projections by Cinema.AV, plus a Q&A with Discovery Zone and engineer Andrew Rahman.}

📍 Where: Spatial Media Lab e.V., Berlin-Weißensee
🕒 When: Sat, Nov 23rd, 2024, 17:00-19:00
🎟️ Tickets: First session sold out—23 spots left for the second event!

New Web Shop

_{Not exactly groundbreaking news, but we’ve switched our web shop to Shopify to make international orders easier! As a thank you for reading, enjoy a 10% discount with the code newsletter10 on your next purchase.}

🛒 Mansions and Millions Web Shop

Tour Dates

_{Andreya Casablanca}

<sub>12.11.24 DE Cologne - Club Volta * - Tickets
13.11.24 NL Groningen - Vera * - Tickets
14.11.24 DE Hamburg - Knust * - Tickets
15.11.24 DE Leipzig - TransCentury Update - Tickets 
19.11.24 DE Berlin - Columbia Theater * - Tickets
20.11.24 DE Munich - Ampere * - Tickets 
29.11.24 FR Paris - Les Femmes S’en Mêlent - Tickets 
* w/ Public Service Broadcasting
29.01.25 DE Mainz - Schon Schön - Tickets
30.01.25 DE Stuttgart - Merlin - Tickets
31.01.25 DE Nürnberg - Club Stereo - Tickets 
15.02.25 CH Baden - One Of A Million Festival</sub>

_{Discovery Zone}

_{14.11.24 DE Leipzig - Transcentury Update Festival - Tickets
23.11.24 DE Berlin - Spatial album listening session - Tickets} 

<sub>Luis Ake

19.11.24 DE Hannover - LUX
20.11.24 DE Bremen - KRISE
22.11.24 DE Bielefeld - Movie
23.11.24 DE Dresden - Beatpol
24.11.24 DE Leipzig - NAUMANNs im Felsenkeller
25.11.24 DE Köln - Gebäude 9
26.11.24 DE Berlin - Bi Nuu
28.11.24 CH Zürich - Dynamo Werk21
29.11.24 CH Bern - ISC Club</sub>

_{Meagre Martin}

_{28.11.24 DE Leipzig - UT Connewitz (Detektor.fm Geburtstag)
31.05.25 DE Essen - Treibhaus Festival}

Thank you.

_{That’s it for now! If you made it this far, we adore you.}

Love you!