Together, the Exile on Mainstream bands and staff, operate much like a huge family of oddballs and kindred spirits. The label is known for releasing "heavy music", much of which is steeped in traditions of Metal or Doom, but the diversity of the catalog is also a trademark of the label. Blisstrain is the perfect evidence of this multi-faceted approach. A Whisper In The Noise constructs beautiful melodies, relying as heavily on voice as orchestral sounds to evoke a somber and mysterious world. End of Level Boss is a shit-kicking riff machine with heavy prog influence, particularly of the Voivod ilk. Beehoover is a duo of bass and drums and vocals, who explore Doom, Jazz, Krautrock, and other Avant Rock modalities within their stripped down configuration. We Insist! is a fascinating and unique French rock unit led by Etienne Gaillochet, as drummer and main vocalist. With a horn section, singing drummer, and odd time changes, We Insist! is completely one of a kind. DŸSE is a two headed monster, a guitar and drum and vocal duo who rage thru their sets with the intensity of Lightning Bolt, with their own East German vibe. The Blisstrain tour featured many onstage collaborations and cross pollinations of these fine bands.

The full Exile On Mainstream catalog will be available thru the Monkeyclaus digital download store. Currently Monkeyclaus has all but a few titles in the store. The rest are somewhere in a cargo plane over the Atlantic? Coming soon. And keep your eyes open for Blisstrain 2009.

text by Matthew Clark

Diario is the Leipzig, Germany instrumental trio whose sounds have been stirring souls on their home turf for quite a while. They are intimately involved with Leipzig's fine Conne Island venue and the local scene in general, as thusly have opened for many world-famous acts who are drawn towards the exuberance of that scene. Recently, Diario's tours outside of Eastern Germany have brought them magnified and expanded love from far-away lands. The Diario approach is unpretentious and from the heart. What that yields is something wholly special and unique. Imagine being amazing while just going about things in the most non-chalant way.

Diario Interview
Diario Interview Audio

Diario is two Jan's and a Gunar. Jan Roth is a wickedly innovative bassist who approaches the instrument with a fresh perspective on what bass could be. Jan Barich is an on-point drummer with a tremendous sense of melody. His laptop manipulations help fill out the Diario sound, as they have shifted from a trio to quartet and back to a trio over the recent years. Gunar Laabs approaches the guitar in a similarly fresh manner as Roth although his work is more angular whereas the bass is usually flowing.

Their most recent album, "Things in the Mirror Appear Closer Than They Are" is a stellar work of instrumental post-rock. It is smooth and listenable while retaining the edge and danciness that is evident in their live shows. The track "Coins Coins Coins" featured below is an undenyable ass-shaker. This record shows where collective Kraut-precision meets creative epiphany in 2006 and it will tickle your chakras.

The members of Diario have been close friends since their teen years in the days of the communist GDR. One Jan was bound for glory as a swimmer, and the other Jan a waterpolo superstar. Instead they found music and found themselves frequenting a squat, creating music and exploring teenage vices. The bond of their friendship is evident in their music. They have grown and evolved with the times. Since 2001 they have been releasing records as Diario through Leipzig's own eclectic powerhouse Velocity Sounds. Please enjoy the exclusive Monkeyclaus interview with both Jans and the Gunar. This interview was interestingly enough conducted in the shadows of an enormous bust of Karl Marx in Chemnitz, Germany in May 2006.

Coins Coins Coins
Coins Audio

diario's website

diario's myspace

velocity sounds records

Watch Ostinato play live at club "Bliksem" in Den Helder, Netherlands May 2006.
Scroll to the bottom of this page to listen to the song Latitude by Ostinato.

"Chasing The Form", the new third album from Ostinato, is nothing short of huge. It has just been released by the Borkheide, Germany label Exile On Mainstream Records (EOM022). With 7 tracks, totalling 49 minutes, Ostinato manifest orchestras of the emotive, orchestras of the ethereal, orchestras of the dance of life and death. Washes of accomplished, encyclopedic ambient guitar and keen, anchoring magnetic bass combine with powerhouse, foundational, freak-flag drumming. Get ready, because in "Rock & Roll Heaven, you know they've got a Hell of a band".

Ostinato is Matthew R. Clark (drums and percussion), David P. Hennessy (guitars, pedals, and vocals), and Jeremy Arn Ramirez
(bass and vocals). This DC/Virginia-based band have been together now for almost 10 years and have released two previous albums,
1998's self-released "Unusable Signal" and 2004's "Left Too Far Behind"
(Exile On Mainstream Records EOM14).

So what is chasing the form ? What are monkey gestures ? What is the art of vanishing ? What is the goal of all believers ? It is intense majestic bitersweet drone. It is resonant mounting hallucinatory layering. It is lush atmospheric enervating tension. It is far out,
yet it is straightforward. It allows one to either chillout or rockout.
It is in your face and it is as far behind you as ancient mineral sediment. Nice one.

Some reviewers have gone so far as to say that "Chasing The Form" charts the territory between "melancholy uberpoignant softness to boiling unrest". Or, and I super-like this comment, it's even been likened to Winsor McCay - that's "Little Nemo In Slumberland" for those of you not up on early 1900's graphic art.

Live, Ostinato come on like a loud and mysterious wailing banshee filtered through a massive wind tunnel of mathematically-fueled power series. Live they will show you.

Ostinato have played extensively in Europe -- Austria, Belguim, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, as well as Croatia. The band explains. "This year has us on the road for two full months touring. A tour of Europe and one of the United States. Currently we are aiming on increasing our presence in North America and dreaming of the day we head off to tour Japan".

After you've "kissed the sky" with Hendrix, why not re-touch the Heavens with Ostinato.

Ostinato is currently distributed worldwide by Southern Records
Visit The Ostinato Website

FALL UNITED STATES TOUR DATES

Sep 14 2006 10:00P
Club Sandwich w/ worn in red Harrisonburg, VA

Sep 15 2006 9:00P
Hollywood Grille w/glorious co. Richmond, VA

Sep 17 2006 9:00P
Flying Anvil w/dead elephant bicycle/neptune/dark meat Greensboro, NC

Sep 18 2006 8:00P
El Nuevo w/on the take Asheville, NC

Sep 20 2006 8:00P
The Pilot Light w/Ex-Lion Tamer Knoxville, TN

Sep 21 2006 9:00P
Caledonia Lounge Athens, GA

Sep 22 2006 8:00P
Neutral Grounds New Orleans, LA

Sep 23 2006 8:00P
Trophy's w/Red Leaves/My Education Austin, TX

Sep 25 2006 8:00P
Sound Pony Tulsa, OK

Sep 26 2006 8:00P
Replay Lounge Lawrence, KS

Sep 27 2006 8:00P
Vaudeville Mews Des Moines, IA

Sep 28 2006 8:00P
Big V's St Paul, MN

Sep 29 2006 8:00P
Courtyard Cafe Urbana, IL

Oct 1 2006 8:00P
Hospital Bloomington, IN

Oct 3 2006 8:00P
Cake Shop New York City, NY

Oct 4 2006 8:00P
Empty Cup Syracuse, NY

Oct 5 2006 8:00P
Bennington College w/animal hospital Bennington, VT

Oct 6 2006 9:00P
House Party w/ The Wayward, Amoroso & Piles Allston, MA

Official Band Website

Ostinato At MySpace