-=- SHGZ -=-
* Shoegaze * Indie * Post-Rock * Grunge * Dream Pop * Psych-Rock * Ethereal *
ARTIST..: Astral
ALBUM...: The Secret Life Of Venus Beltran
GENRE...: Indie
STYLE...: Alternative, Dream pop, Electronica, Indie Pop, Psychedelic
STYLE...: Shoegaze, Ambient Rock, Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Post-punk
YEAR....: 2016
LABEL...: Astralmusic
COUNTRY.: USA
PLACE...: San Francisco, CA
FORMED..: 1999
ENCODER.: LAME 3.100 -V0
BITRATE.: 263 kbps avg
QUALITY.: 44.1kHz / Joint Stereo
SOURCE..: 3INCH CDREP
TRACKS..: 4
SIZE....: 28.22 MB
URL..: http://astralsf.bandcamp.com/album/the-secret-life-of-venus-beltran
- TRACKLIST
1 Stardust 3:23
2 The Deepest Sea 4:35
3 Here In Dreamland 3:52
4 Secrets Won't Wait 3:12
Total Playtime: 15:02
NOTICE: This is an OOP DIY EP that has been released with at least 3
different titles.
This release uses the title as it is shown on the CDR inlay as can be seen in
the proof.
It seems this was the first physical shared by Dave Han in 2016. (digital was
officially released in 2015)
Here the artist is Astral; album title is only "The Secret Life of Venus
Beltran"
And even though the physicals were first made available in 2016 the history
of the material goes back to 2003 according to Dave Han.
"Recorded direct to 2" analog tape at expressions recording institute,
emeryville, CA. This 4 song ep is a collection of songs initially written/
released under the venus beltran pseudo/ alter ego during the "orchids"
sessions period."
"Orchids" was released on January 1, 2004; thus the recording period for
Venus Beltran had to be at least in 2003 if not earlier.
https://astralsf.bandcamp.com/album/the-secret-life-of-venus-beltran
+++
Then came an official Astral physical available on vibraphonerecords with a
digital also released under this same title.
"astral presents the secret life of venus beltran" (Out Of Print) -
https://www.vibraphonerecords.com/artist-profile
https://www.discogs.com/release/9220934-Astral-Astral-Presents-The-Secret-Life-Of-Venus-Beltran
+++
Last but not least came the, I assume, final physical with intended artist
and complete other title: Venus Beltran - "Preludes, Etudes, and Quaaludes".
There are images on the Venus Beltran bandcamp page where you can see that
the physical is very similar to the original DIY CDR except that the title
written on the inlay is different and, on the front cover, the artist,
Venus Beltran is visible in the lower right corner. (Missing on the first DIY version.)
Other than these 2 differences the covers are identical.
https://venusbeltran.bandcamp.com/album/preludes-etudes-and-quaaludes
https://www.discogs.com/release/11113674-Venus-Beltran-Preludes-Etudes-And-Quaaludes
So, since there is a Potpourri of titles exisiting I am sticking to the
original title printed on the copy I have.
*
Astral's (aka Venus Beltran) 2016 follow-up EP to "Music for the End of the
World" (2012) features 4 new analog recordings. Two songs, Stardust and
Secrets Won't Wait, features guest keyboardist Zo Guthrie from The Razor
Skyline.
Venus Beltran is a solo, side- project from singer/guitarist, Dave Han of san
francisco-based Astral, with contributions from guest musicians; Serena
Joshi, Susie Kim, Chris Chan, Zo Guthrie, Tanya Kellehe.
"There's a sense of majesty and mystery to Astral's monumental soundscapes
that is actually quite rare among the current legion of American dreampop
bands."
- The Big Takeover
"...they're the essence of dream rock, stuck in the late 80s and playing
their reverbed hearts out."
- The Black and White Magazine
-=- SHGZ -=-
-=-=-==-=-=-
Dream Pop
is a subgenre of
alternative rock and neo-psychedelia
that emphasizes atmosphere and sonic texture as much as pop
melody. Common characteristics include breathy vocals, dense productions,
and effects such as reverb, echo, tremolo, and chorus. It often
overlaps with the related genre of shoegaze, and the
two genre terms have at times been
used interchangeably.
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