Stellarscope

Sup, fellas!


About one of tonight's post (yep, there will be more later, just hold on!), I'll let the mentor of the project, Tom Lugo, I'm talking about speark for himself first:






"Shishi ?? (Imperial Guardian Lion) , an indiepop group formed in 2012 in the suburbs of Philadelphia.They blend stylish beats, pop synths, shoegaze guitars to create a refreshing and unique approach to indiepop songwriting".


Sounds good, huh? But it is even better than I've imagined! ShiShi just have one single, the fresh-newborn "Nick of Time", which you can listen right below in the bandcamp link. They (Tom and Jamie, the last one being responsable for the vox) follow a very electronic Shoegaze-esque Dream Pop approach, which relate them to some recent acts like Screen Vinyl Image as much as old school classic people in the vein of Black Tambourine, Cocteau Twins (yep, I hear some strong echoes coming from the beloveth Garlands era) and even New Order! I'm not what you call a great fan of this electronic approach in Indie, Shoegaze and etc. music, but these guys have really caught my eye (and ear drums!), and otally deserve a few minutes of your attention! ;)


- Lovers who are seekers

Following up on our most recent review of yet another musical marriage, we now focus on Tom and Jamie have produced this love project, for which we have the pleasure to review today. Shishi has presented the world their first single “Nick of Time”. Tom Lugo is also a well-established personality in the shoegaze indie pop world, as the founder of Patetico Recordings, a small Philadelphia-based indie record label, and from having founded and been involved in numerous musical projects related to shoegaze, noise and independent music in general. Now, with Shishi, he has embraced a new musical project with his wife Jamie, which represents a successful attempt to create pop songs with a distinct noise vibe happening at the same time.

Despues de nuestra mas reciente reseña, seguimos con otro matrimonio musical, ahora enfocados en Tom y Jamie quienes han dado vida a este hermoso proyecto, que tenemos el gusto de presentarles hoy. Shisi ha lanzado hace poco su primer single "Nick of Time". Tom Lugo es ya toda un personalidad en el mundo del shoegaze y el indie-pop, como fundador de Patetico Recordings, y por haber sido parte de de innumerables proyectos musicales relacionados con el shoegaze, el noise y la musica independiente en general. Ahora, con Shishi ha comenzado una nueva aventura musical junto a su esposa,en el cual logran crear una mezcla entre la sensibilidad de las canciones pop pero fusionado con sonidos noise.


With their first single "Nick of Time", which is almost 4 minutes long, Tom and Jamie have brewed up a tasteful potpourri of everything they wanted to achieve, with all their musical influences blended in a pop song with elements of shoegaze, noise and dance. The result is strong and simple, you can feel all the musical elements in every second of the song, in a careful balance between Jamie's pop-oriented voice and the noisy guitars and synths. With this as a basic core, all the other musical elements fit perfectly and Shishi realizes itself – this makes for a nice pop song that could be enjoyed by noise fans as well.

Con su primer singles " Nick of Time" y con apenas 4 minutos de duracion, Tom y Jamie han creado una excelente mezcla de todo lo que querian hacer musicalmente, con todas sus influencias musicales mezcladas en una cancion pop con elementos de shoegaze, noise y dance. El resultado es bastante consistente. puedes sentir todos los elementos musicales en cada segundo de la cancion, en un equilibrio entre la dulce voz de Jamie y las guitarras y sintetizadores ruidosos. Con todo esto como centro, todos los otros elementos musicales se acoplan perfectamente y Shishi logra su cometido- crear una cancion pop que puede ser disfrutada por los amantes del noise tambien.

- Musica Media

Is Tom Lugo one of the busiest men in Philadelphia’s indie world? What with fronting Stellarscope, other projects on his own Panophonic label and now the Electro Pop duo Shishi, alongside organising festivals in the US and elsewhere plus running his martial arts school, you might think he would barely have time to draw breath of an evening but he somehow found sufficient time in his hectic schedules to share a few ideas and thoughts with DOA.

Shishi ?? – is a indiepop husband and wife group formed in 2012 in Clifton Heights, PA (a southwest suburb of Philadelphia). They blend stylish beats, pop synths, shoegaze guitars, and female vocals to create a refreshing and unique approach to indiepop songwriting.

Shishi is:
Jamie Lugo – Vocals
Tom Lugo- Everything else

This is Jamie’s first musical venture and her first time recording.

Tom Lugo has been involved in the underground music scene since the 90s. He is the guitarist, vocalist, and band leader of Philadelphia’s grunge-shoegaze- indie rock band Stellarscope. He has also released many under his solo project Panophonic. In addition he has a left of dial electropop project with SPC ECO guitarist Joey Levenson under the name SUPER TOYS. Last year the members of Stellarscope started another project named Drowning Dreams, which is more groove oriented rock, and they should have an EP by the fall.

He owns the label Patetico Recordings, which he started to promote underground artists from all over the globe. He has also been responsible for the Popnoise Festivals in Philadelphia, Puerto Rico, NYC, DC, Baltimore, and more. They have plans of making a Popnoise Fest happen in Sao Paolo Brazil in the next year.

How and why did you create the project? Also, there’s certainly a defined Panophonic sound that each of your projects seem to share, how is this achieved?

My goal was to create more accessible music than what I had written and recorded before. I wanted to blend elements of dance music (dubstep, hip hop, etc), indiepop, and shoegaze sounds. I didn’t want to sing on its so, I approached my wife, Jamie Lugo, to lend her vocals to it as we had discussed working a project together for some time.

I chose the name ShiShi because it symbolizes the duality of yin and yan, male and female, heaven and earth. Guardians and protectors of what is housed inside.

The influences for ShiShi are drawn from bands like MGMT, Matt and Kim, The Ting Tings, Grouplove, Screen Vinyl Image, The Sky Drops, SPC ECO, A*Star, New Order, Bauhaus, etc

For Nick of Time, Tom used a 1956 Les Paul Goldtop reissue and a 1980s Fender Jazzmaster running through several modified and custom distortion pedals including hand crafted signature edition Death by Audio “Sound of God” fuzz made by A Place to Bury Stranger’s Oliver Ackerman, a Yamaha Magic Stomp, and a Boss DD3 all going through a Rocktron Velocity 2 X 8 amplifier. The beats were created on Fruity Loops and the keys were done organically with a Korg Trinitron.

About Stellarscope and Panophonic, why do you think you make music and what other bands inspire you?

With Stellarscope I try to convey more angst and the various influences of each band member which ranges through the entire scope of psychedelic rock music from the 60s to present times.
Panophonic has been, for many years, my avenue to express what I cannot with Stellarscope.

Music is in my veins, I can’t see myself not doing it… I fell in love with music and performing since the first time I sang, at age 4, at a Sunday service for my mum’s church. I get inspired by everyday living, the experiences and lessons contained within. Everything to me is music… the engines of idle vehicles stuck in traffic, the birds singing, the signal of electrical wires, etc. If it makes a sound I identify with it. I have been involved in the scene for quite sometime and have made many friends throughout the years, and though I listen to a plethora of bands, and my music collection fills an entire room of my house, I tend to gravitate towards the bands I network with like A Place to Bury Strangers, Screen Vinyl Image, Music for Headphones, Bloody Knives, Spell 336, Ceremony, SPC ECO, Resplandor, Un.Real, Her Vanished Grace, Dead Leaf Echo, Aerofall, Asalto al parquet zoologico, and trust me we can go on for days…lol

The most memorable gigs have been playing CBGBs a ton of times, the Popnoise & Walls of sound Festivals because we had some many of the best underground bands from around the globe perform, and the Phoenixville Firebird Festival, because the atmosphere is totally wicked with over 10,000 people attending plus we get to play while our friends of the The Playing Mantis spin fire.

What would you say your ambitions are for Shishi?

Developing a solid fan base has always been my main objective, not for the money but to get the music creations heard. I have been pretty humbled by the reception that ShiShi has been receiving in such a short span of time an - Delusions of Adequacy

Deep throbbing, drubbing , darkly dramatic, melodramatic electronica employing stock, mesmerising, musical phrases and sounds, trancey rappe
d...vocals, floating in maelstrom of sci-fi, spin dry space time, distorted by alien interference ,sonorous repeated beats skipping an eighties organ heartbeat, to spiral out of time. Rescued from another era, perhaps not quite in the ‘nick of time’, but even light years late, no longer futuristic, still exerts a fascination on me. - Mud Kiss Zine

I could never be a music journalist. I have a soul, for one thing (cue the boom, tish from the drum kit). I’m lacking the temperament, the ego, the required self-discipline. I don’t enjoy my prose all hacked apart by semi-literate sub-editors, whilst I’m generally underwhelmed when in the company of musicians – far more enamoured by the sounds they conjure than any traits of personality exhibited in the free, after-show bar (a horrible, sweeping statement, I know; blame a youth misspent – a certain level of extraneous exposure).

You’ll of course be well-versed in the common cliché re: those who write about music are failed musicians (see also: any critic and their chosen, target medium). This belies the fact that word construction for public consumption is a specific discipline in itself. Care, convention and panache are mandatory – not exactly my strengths, but ingredients nonetheless required to grip the reader, to convey that sense of energy behind why we’re all such music geeks.

Which leads me to another facet of music journalism that’s easy to dismiss as unworthy or unbecoming; the humble review. That balance between subjective ennui and objective analysis. A false setting, for the relationship between listener and song or listener and album requires nurture. Effort. Time in which to ferment – riffing with words when new to the subject matter is like attempting to encapsulate a relationship after a first date. Music reviews are the language of cliché and connivance; far more credible when given space to gestate.

In short, music appraisals should exclusively feature songs from 1997 until further notice.

Which is why I rarely review new material. Also, if I’m not listening to albums from a certain year in the 1980's then I’m struggling to write an article all about albums from a certain year in the 1980's – and if I’m not doing that, I’m drunk in a ditch or ditched in a drunk or allowing the constant trickle of unsolicited mp3s that us music bloggers accrue to become a small lake. I always try to sit down with headphones – swimming trunks and goggles on – but good intentions have never been my style. Perhaps they should be, when tracks as intriguing and enticing as the example below the words floats untouched in my inbox. ‘Anything for You’ is courtesy of Philadelphia duo ShiShi – and in my finest reviewer’s parlance, this is shoegaze exotica. A little rough around the edges, but endearingly so, finely balanced textures buttressed up against one of those vocals sentimental fools like me can’t resist. The only problem is I now need this on vinyl… and I don’t look hot in swimming trunks.

ShiShi / Anything For You

ShiShi, on Patetico Recordings, live here

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La última aventura sonora de Tom Lugo (Patetico Recordings) la protagoniza junto con su esposa: Jamie Lugo. Ambos son los responsables de “ShiShi (?? (Imperial Guardian Lion) is a indiepop group formed in 2012 in the suburbs of Philadelphia.They blend stylish beats, pop synths, shoegaze guitars to create a refreshing and unique approach to indiepop songwriting” (Facebook).
ShiShi mantiene ese cruce algo bastardo entre Shoegaze y sintetizadores que podríamos glosar en una banda como Garbage (evidentemente, los antiguos Garbage, no los reencarnados en este 2012) o para ser más coetáneos, con gentes como Magic Wands.
El Ep de debut para este nuevo proyecto de Lugo, un inquieto personaje inquieto de la escena musical de Philadelphia, se llama Close to You.

- The Jangle Box

English translation:
Tom Lugo is the head of the pathetic Recordings, one of the most active labels for those who like shoegaze and dream pop . He is also ahead of the great Stellarscope, which we talked about here . You can hear more seal on Bandcamp page .

Now, along with his wife, Jamie Lugo, recently formed the SHISHI , double-family home in Philadelphia, Esteites. She sings, everything he touches (synthesizers, guitars, electronic drums)

The first work of the duo, "Close To You", was released on September 18, 2012. Somewhat resembles the X-Mal Deutschland, but with more guitars accelerated (hear "Nick Of Time").

There are four tracks and two videos of them already have, "Bliss" and "Anything For You" (see below).

It's a very cool project from a guy - a family - relentless (Pilar, the couple's daughter, star of the video "Anything For You").

The only caveat is that phonetically, the name in Portuguese becomes a joke ready.

One. Nick Of Time
2. Anything For You
3. Bliss
4. Just Like Flowers

- Floga Se (Brazil)

ShiShi is something of an apposite name for the haze-pop duo of husband and wife, Philadelphia USA, based pairing of Jamie Lugo (Vocals) and Tom Lugo (Everything else). Tom is already well known to readers of the website with his band Stellarscope and his label Panaphonic.


ShiShi
Rustling like leaves in autumn ShiShi deliver a sound that has the listener reaching for volume up controls as a fusion of haze wends its way across the room. The material is rooted in an electronic shoegaze, but the topping on the cake is the mesmerizing vocal delivery by Jamie, who is just dipping her toe into recorded music for the first time. The use of loops and heavy fuzz generates an engaging out-put which is a garage repost to the clean lines of Electro-pop and it marks an interesting variation.

Pulling in a diversity of influences there is a danger that this could have emerged as an unintelligible mash-up but, far from it, we find ourselves in a new listening space which is to my ears, a great alliteration of Ambient and Electro-pop with the calming lines of after-party danceable rhythms, combined with an underlying main-party energy all of which is packaged in a superbly crafted haze of echo.

With an EP – Close To You – which was released on the 19th September 2012, I hope ShiShi keep the on this, is an interesting variation which has the possibility of engaging a global audience and as Jamie gains confidence and experience, so the sound has the potential to develop.

- Indie Bands Blog

ShiShi - So Close To You EP
EP review by KevW




And there we were thinking the glut of boyfriend and girlfriend/husband and wife couples in dreampop had passed. Philadelphia pair ShiShi are a little harder-edged than Cults, Summer Camp, Tennis, Exitmusic and so on, and on debut EP 'So Close To You' they embrace shoegaze and beats with more bite than the rest, and instead of taking their cue from 60s girl-groups, these guys have their roots buried in the 1980s and come from a far less cutsie place. It's telling that the first sound we hear is the sizeable industrial beat that drives the harsh, barbed-wire sonics of 'Nick Of Time', a song that shares much ground with The Big Pink's debut album. When we do get an obvious love song such as 'Anything For You', the passion is so warped by the sharp, almost snarling vocals and discord that it comes across as being angry in tone, which could well be the point, the two emotions can often go hand in hand.

On 'Bliss' the ticking electronic beats are taken from the synth-pop movement but the rest of the song harks back to alternative girl-fronted groups like The Go Go's or early Fuzzbox had they embraced the electronic advances being pioneered in continental Europe. It's possibly the lightest track on the EP but the snappy singing and twisted production suggest that nightmare-pop could be the most accurate description for the noise these guys make, however sweet the lyrics may be. 'Just Like Flowers' again has you wondering how The Big Pink got it so wrong on that second album. If they'd ventured further down this route they'd doubtless have picked up more praise. But when there are people like ShiShi around to making EPs like this then who needs them anyway? This mix of industrial, dreamy, scuzzy and lo-fi sounds fills the gap just fine - The Sound of Confusion

The Deli Philly Scene features ShiShi: Below is the fuzzy, dream pop first single called “Nick of Time” from the recently formed duo Shishi.
- The Deli Philly Scene

"Shishi, or ? ?? in the original Chinese is an element present in cinoforme Chinese temples with magical powers and ability to repel demons and spirits also harbor beneficial. Adhering to this mythology as a counterpoint, Tom Lugo and his wife Jamie bring us the first single from this new project which gradually gained evidence. The sound of “Nick Of Time” perfectly conveys the union between elements synth pop beats and catchy at the same time a clear evocation of the influences and introspective shoegazer guitars loaded in Lugo. Finally, a song that opens the door for another venture that is going to happen from the creative mind responsible for such gems as Stellarscope and Panophonic, and owner of independent label Pathetic Recordings. Straight from the suburbs of Philadelphia here further evidence of allied experience in marriage to the union only has to add music. " - Ride into the sound

Tom Lugo is just one of those people worthy of admiration of every kind, and serves as an inspiration to anyone who believes in dreams and in itself, is the fact that the fan is TBTCI stated this phenomenal guy, not only for the work ahead of Stellarscope called equity as well as his alter ego Panophonic, not content with that, Tom decided to join musically beside his wife Jamie and we have enjoyed with ShiShi, a mix of dubstep, new wave, dreampop, shoegazer and darkwave, game won, starting with Tom, but what impresses debut in Nick of Time is Jamie, she literally steals the show in a tense and chaotic interpretation, already one of the songs of the year.

Logically TBTCI together with Tom and Jamie pitched an interview to better know the intentions of the couple and that couple!!

Continue to the interview here http://www.theblogthatcelebratesitself.blogspot.com.br/2012/07/the-perfect-kiss-with-shishi-interview.html

- The blog that celebrates itself

Shishi es un nuevo proyecto recién salido del horno, formado en Filadelfia por Tom Lugo y su esposa Jamie.

Sus influencias musicales oscilan en bandas como New Order, MGMT, y Screen Vinyl Image, entre otras, y con esta escuela se han presentado a la escena subterránea alternativa como una interesante y fina propuesta que logra fusionar al indie-electro pop en un ambiente gótico, con atmósferas shoegazing creadas por guitarras a-la Psychocandy.

Así lo plasman en su primer tema de título “Nick Of Time” que pretende ser el antesala de lo que se convertirá en su primer EP, planeado para ver la luz en el próximo mes de Septiembre vía Patetico Records; una producción que promete estar llena de sintetizadores, cajas de sonido y guitarras entrelazados en un clima frío, oscuro y con ruido, mucho ruido.

Para los fanáticos de The Raveonettes, New Order y Black Tambourine, prepárense para escuchar la combinación perfecta de las tres:

- Sound and Vision- Mexico

MUSICS RADIO Features Shishi :
Below is the fuzzy, dream pop first single called “Nick of Time” from the recently formed duo Shishi. The project is comprised of husband and wife combo Jamie (vocals) and Tom (instrumentals) Lugo.

Nick of Time by Shishi https://www.facebook.com/pages/ShiShi/257449944356585 ttp://musicsradio.com/index/?s=shishi - Musics Radio

Stellarscope: Reverberations (Patetico Recordings/Enraptured/Endorphins Records, 2005)


We recently reviewed Wasted Time, an EP from Philly’s Stellarscope, noting that the Slowdive-inspired music hinted at a band full of promise. However solid Wasted Time was, though, it could not prepare us for Stellarscope’s next release, hot on the heels of their EP. With their full-length Reverberations, Stellarscope takes a giant leap forward in sonic exploration and songwriting, and in the end create a compelling musical experience that will appeal to fans of the shoegaze/dreampop subgenre.


The most noticeable difference in Stellarscope’s approach to music that appears on Reverberations is a new focus on using electronics in favour of live drums. And, while simply infusing one’s music with drum machines may seemingly do little to alter a band’s music, the experiment no doubt influenced the way Stellarscope wrote and recorded this CD. For instance, the songwriting on Reverberations seems generally tighter and more focussed than on Wasted Time. In addition, the band relinquishes their noisy assault on the eardrums and dissonant chord structures in favour of more balanced (and slightly more accessible at times) sound usage and more accessible songwriting. Overall, Reverberations simply sounds more musical, and more pleasing to the ears, whole retaining a heavy experimental vibe to the recording.


Reverberations opens up with the eerie, “Alma”. Sung entirely in Spanish with Tommy Lugo’s distinctive and passionate vocals, “Alma” right away introduces the listener to Stellarscope’s new musical ethos. A light electronic beat and subtle electronic bass line gives forward motion to what is essentially a drone/atmospheric song. A cloud of hazy sound, constructed by what seems to be a blend of heavily affected guitars and keys, cradle Lugo’s emotional vocals. The beat finally dissolves, leaving a couple of minutes of drone sounds that eventually fade away. “Dominio”, with its psychedelic sounds, lazy electronic beat, and layered vocals, lead the listener into a dreamy state of mind. Though the song is minimalist in terms of the density of the sounds used, the band smartly uses their sounds to convey a mood of depth. The catchy “Universe” follows, and is a great example of the tighter songwriting that Stellarscope has employed for Reverberations. The song’s main melody shines over a tight electronic beat, soft atmospherics, spoken word samples, and an almost rock-sounding instrumental refrain. The song is memorable, as the melody (and overall vibe) lingers on in the listener’s mind. Perhaps the key song of Reverberations is “The Rapture”. Featuring a slow, druggy tempo, random and strange keyboard and guitar sounds, a foreboding melody, and one of the few songs to actually feature live drums, “The Rapture” has “signature song” written all over it. With unnerving lyrics such as, “it is time to flee from me”, and Lugo’s wrenchingly emotional vocals, “The Rapture” is as disquieting as it is beautiful. Following this song, the more comforting instrumental “Circle Are None” plays, with its gentle keyboard parts and blooping light electronics. “She Said: It Is” delivers the band’s fastest song of Reverberations, and the electronic approach to the song give it an almost 80’s synth-pop feel at times. That’s not to say that the shoegaze atmospherics are cast aside on “She Said: It Is”, because the song displays an impressive array of hazy sounds, including a buried guitar solo that is beautifully played until the song’s fractured conclusion. Yet another song that somehow blends intriguing songwriting with heavy atmospherics is “Close to Home”. This song utilizes space generously, allowing the various guitar lines, vocal melodies, keyboard parts, and electronic samples to intertwine and play off of each other. As a result, “Close to Home” sounds reminiscent of a “post-rock” song (slightly resembling Bark Psychosis) than a shoegaze song. Yet, the band pulls off the experiment maserfully. Another instrumental song, “It Is Time…” features an upfront electronic beat, a simple melody played by layers of guitar, and odd sounds warbling in and out of the haze. Finally, the tightly-written “Lost Inside” blends psychedelic guitar lines with a relentless light electronic beat while Lugo sails his vocals pensively over the music.


The end result of Reverberations is a moody and absorbing collection of songs that will appeal to lovers of shoegaze, dreampop, psychedelia, and atmospheric recordings. The experiment of utilizing electronic beats and other novel sounds while retaining some of the previous shoegaze-sound the band was known for has paid off quite handsomely for Stellarscope, as Reverberations is a unique-sounding project with few weak moments and a lot of very strong ones. Reverberations confirms what fans of Stellarscope already knew: that this band is capable of creating inventive and fantastic music. And, with their ambit - SomewhereCold

Stellarscope Reverberations


The extraordinarily prolific Tommy Lugo has recorded no less than 9 albums under one guise or another. Stellarscope is his shoegazing pseudonym but despite the high work-rate it shows no signs of a flagging talent. In fact, just the opposite, 'Reverberations' is a clear development in songwriting following on from 2004's 'Fingerpaint The Colour Of Sound'. Whereas previously Lugo opperated in the Spiritualized/Ride margins of FX-rock, the space-rock has been replaced by spaces which means the music is allowed to breathe. All the qualities are there in first song 'Alma' as the fragments of guitar noise disappear into vapour trails. The slowed-down drums and ambient sounds of 'Dominio' are on a par with Breathless' 'Blue Moon' recordings whilst the sampled voices and chilled-out tune of 'Universe' completes a cracking start to the album. Further on, the beauty of a Cocteau Twins instrumental is captured on 'Circles Are None'. Another example of why the shoegazing scene is alive and as well as ever. – Leonard’s Lair

Score: 4 stars out of 5

Also Recommended:
Breathless - Blue Moon
Highspire - Your Everything
Slipstream - Transcendental
Stellarscope - Fingerpaint The Colour Of Sound
Various Artists - Audio Wonderland - Bedroom Ambience 3



- Leonard's Lair

Stellarscope - 'This Is Who We Are' (Pateticorecords)
I sometimes wonder why people go to all the trouble of making and recording, then releasing music. Is it my ever advancing sense of cynicism or am I detecting what I can only describe as 'ulterior motives' more often than I did in 2002 or 2008? Bands and solo performers doing things for what can seem as less than the right reasons; releasing pent-up neuroses that are best kept in the discussion group, as a side project related to something much less entertaining or even interesting, taking a dig at someone they fell out with at college 15 years ago, or just because they had the money and didn't know what else to do with it. So I am today very in much in the mood for something a bit real: music that sounds as if its performers are at least interested in what they are doing, let alone inspired and enthusiastic. Step forward, as if by some remarkable coincidence, Stellarscope.

First track 'En El Principo' opens with a screech of feedback and bursts into a remarkable combination of ethereal guitar histrionics and gutter-punch energies, which at over 5 minutes in length, you might wonder how the Philadelphian trio plan to sustain their grindingly anthemic ambience across the full track let alone the entire album, and there are two things Stellarscope do which, while they aren't stunningly original in their own right, are hugely effective when combined: the first is repetitive guitar patterns boosted with an array of effects; sustain and delay counterbalancing competing frequencies. The second is the lo-fi production, all 10 tracks sounding as if they'd been bashed out in someone's garden shed onto a 4 track reel to reel tape during the course of the same grimly overcast summer aftenoon in 1983, and this determinedly back-to-stereo approach provides Stellarscope's sonic symphonies with an edgy backdrop that recalls the second BRMC album, or even a very early Cure demo session. That none of this sounds either nostalgic or even whatever that word 'retro' means is testament to the skill and commitment of Stellarscope themselves, and 'This Is Who We Are' is simultaneously a minor masterpiece of reverberating psychedelia, and a thrill ride of a garage punk inspired guitar album.
http://www.reverbnation.com/stellarscope

http://www.tastyfanzine.org.uk/albums94jan10.htm#Stellarscope - JG

Stellarscope have recently released their new LP, This is who we are, which takes the listener on a tour of the world of experimental sonic rock, that is the stomping ground of Stellarscope.


Stellarscope This is Who We Are
Opening with Ready to blow, which has the drums and heavy guitar reverb, of a classic Rock anthem. The band adds a layer of keyboard to generate a sense of outer-space. I was reminded somwhat of Hawkwinds’- Silvermachine, as the track develops to a fuzz-back guitar virtuoso, as the drums incessantly keep the track moving forward.

The superb, Just Like Flowers, ripped me out of the kicked back opening couple of numbers. The three and a half minutes of high energy rock blasts the album in to a new gear.

So Blind, with the picked guitar notes landed me safely back on a new planet with its calming dreamy keyboard and creatively blurred resonance.

En el Principio, has the band in great form, as the reverbed vocal of Tom Lugo, is accompanied by Bob Forman maintaining a cymbal laden veil, with the bass lines of Rob DeFlaviis clearing a path through the mist.

The 8th Realm, finds Stellarscope demonstrating their ability to feed various moods in to one track, as heavy rock riffs are combined with the ethereal high pitch of a guitar and a magical mix of keyboard.

And so we land back on planet earth with the instrumental Queremos Paz, a fine end to the album with the message of peace and end to conflict, as we hear the dulcet tones of Bush in a broadcast message drowned out by the power of music, as the song fades out to We want peace – Queremos Paz.

The 10 tracks on the LP have been selected well and the sense of a storyline runs through This is who we are *. I was left with an overall impression of an exploration, some places friendly others chaotic, as Stellarscope took me on a voyage of discovery round the galaxy.
http://www.indiebandsblog.com/indie-bands-blog-round-up/new-releases/stellarscope-this-is-who-we-are - Tim Whalen

Stillborn Zine review of Fingerpaint The Colour of Sound

Hey, calm! what has happened? which disc have I put in? "Fingerpaint the
colour of Sound" by Stellarscope of a such Tommy Lugo.. eh? and
who are they? It would appeal to know some more about them but at
the moment I do not have time (I only know that Tommy is
also the mastermind behind the project Panophonic), indies plow-play and go
with a new turn of this "Fingerpaint the Colour of Sound".. of that
draft? boh!? probably They define himselves as shoegaze but I have never
understood that definition and for more Stellarscope play with the noise, the darkwave, with the postpunk, with the indie rock crucco and with post-rock (a particular Pò)..alla long
I can say decidedly that this job a very varied one and a winner.
The compositions are varied in between but it still feels all of its own, they can
also fregiarsi of the branding "Stellarscope" you will hear touches of Sonic Youth,
Slowdive, Joy Division and it points out to acid post-psychedelic aggression (Tomorrow is Now of is an example)... to tell the truth I also feel a Pò to us stoners indeed.. but "Fingerpaint the Colour of Sound" is not a disc that can be describedin 4 words, it is a disc that crosses 20 years of rock in 50 minutes, and to the fine ones it leaves a sign you. "Fingerpaint the
Colour of Sound" is a job that will perhaps pass a Pò in silence,unjustly, and it deserves your purchase for sure because it is truly one breath of fresh air in the panorama rock clones of the 2004...
http://www.stillborn-webzine.tk/

- Stillborn Magazine

stellarscope- “this is who we are” review by Merlin Prog (translation)

Rather alternative music from this trio who are experimenting with the large gold medal and constantly exploring new opportunities in the music’s infinite ocean of such. Philadelphiabaserte Stellarscope blends sonic madness, as some call it, with space pop sensibility. The result is often quite catchy music but with a subtle soreness. The dark under tones that at times is quite melancholy makes it all worth listening to. Sometimes the music is intrusive and rolled uncomfortably against one, sometimes the rich and soft, while other times it is self-searching and introspection. In short, dynamic and fresh music, and you never know where this musical bunny jump for the terrible mess of a metaphor with both the explanatory and humorous aspect intact! In the past decade, the band released several albums, and is constantly on the quest to renew and develop. Let us at once establish that Stellarscope is one of those bands that run their own race in without squint much to others. At Stellarscope is the inspired and enthusiastic is almost a spinal cord reflex, and it enjoys good listener! In the need of course not this mean that the music is good, but the large vinyl disc as it helps with real and genuine musical pleasure. Just listen to “Just Like Flower” in all its high-octane glory, and with it the sense of melody guide! Or what about the dreamy “So Blind” with all their creativity and balanced and appropriately and quiet keyboards parties nicely flavored with blurred echo. The band also entertains us with various guitar motifs repeated, and that in itself is not so exciting. What spices up the concept so that it will be interesting is an arsenal of effects. Effects that delay, maintain, and too many second stunts between the different frequencies of the explanation gives some sense? The most important is that this really is resilient and interesting to listen to, and we are the band’s lo-fi production that! Very, very proven, this is ten tracks that sounds like it comes from an accidental recording on a four track affair in a random basement. In sum then, this gives us an album with a high nostalgia factor, a reflective album where garasjepunkens attitude is strong. The record is definitely a hi-fi enthusiast’s worst nightmare, but for those who like psychedelic guitar music inspired fried in today’s filter and Stellarscope their creativity, this is a work of note. Although the guitar is the main instrument that is not the band off the road to let keyboardene have put some of the atmosphere. On “Ready To Blow” is the layer upon layer of keyboards that create a great outer space feeling. Before then smashed it with a rather rough rockhymne where the drums and guitar recall Hawkwind’s music to a certain extent. Towards the end there will be a reasonable fuzz loaded but also a gitarvirtuositet who are greedy good. “This Is Who We Are” is NOK most a disc for those who like the psychedelic and experimental, and many from the group of music fans will NOK really love this album. We think there is much exciting here, and find that this album has a lot of good music and of course a lot of creativity to offer.-Ulf @ Merlin Prog - Ulf @ Merlin Prog

No Brains Zine review of FINGERPAINT THE COLOUR OF SOUND

STELLARSCOPE "FINGERPAINT THE COLOUR OF SOUND" CD, 2003
Stellarscope are really nice surprise. "Fingerpaint The Colour Of Sound" is beautiful dreamy psych post punk album. They call it "ethereal post rock", but if I have to describe their music n few words, to me it sounds like psychedelic Joy Division with some Loop, Spacemen 3 and very early Dead Can Dance influences. Still, Stellarscope are different and original. I like their changes from loud and noisy parts into dreamy and psychedelic sphere. Singer has really great vocal that goes perfectly with noisy and psychedelic guitar sounds. They also have some similarity with early Can. There are 13 songs and it's almost impossible to pick out favorites. It's getting late while I'm writing this review and this is perfect after midnight music, great CD before you go to dreamland.- No Brains Zine http://www.nobrainszine.com/reviews94.htm

- No Brains Magazine

Stoner Rock Chick Review of Stellarscope's "Something Delicious EP"

Band: Stellarscope
Album: Something Delicious E.P.
Label: Allison Records
Release Date: N/A
Reviewed by: Kevin Kapala
Posted: Mar 18, 2004


I’ve been listening to so much of the HEAVY for so long that this CD was somewhat of a treat … a bit of a break from the norm for me. The sound on Stellarscope’s three song E.P. is reminiscent of mid-sixties psych rock. If I had to make a comparison, I would say Baby Woodrose mixed with The Stone Roses crossed by astral sound washes.

The first song is straight 60’s Brit psych rock replete with heavy Dallas Arbiter Fuzzface fuzz in the right channel that offsets the clean jangle in the left. It took me awhile to get it, but the dynamic works here … making the track more interesting to listen to.

On song two, Stellarscope shows the Polyphonic Spree a thing or two in the vocal department… without being overbearing as their white robed brethren. The vocal work here is outstanding. The track is laden with lush, multiple vocal tracks that weave in and out from each other … nothing less than trippy.

Song three is quite dreamy and my least favorite. It reminds me too much of the horn-rimmed glasses crowd sitting around sipping lattes and nodding their beret topped heads in appreciation on a Tuesday night at Borders … all the members seem to be trying a little too hard here and it’s just not my bag. Furthermore, song number three has digital ‘skipping’ and would drive one nuts if you were a bit 'out of yer head'.

However, this E.P. delivers the goods. As for my personal opinion, give me more of the first two songs on a long-player and you have the makings of a rather unique album … the soundtrack to a breezy, lazy summer day with stars in your hair. For a three piece, these cats surely make a lot of sweet noise. They are purveyors of the psych rock of yesteryear. Dig it.

http://www.stonerrockchick.com/cdreviews/reviewDisplay.php?reviewID=458&type=new

- Stoner Rock Chick Zine

Lofi Magazine's review of Stellarscope's "Something Delicious EP"

Stellarscope
Something Delicious EP
2003 pateticorecordings/alison records

When we started LOFi a few months ago (almost half a year ago now) we did a lot of debating about the role our zine would play in the local music scene. On one hand there are lots of good bands that could use the publicity we may or may not be able to provide them. On the other hand there is a very limited audience in Philly for original music. Tommy Lugo, Stellarscope’s front man, clearly shares these sentiments,
“Philadelphia has been the cover capital of the world for several years... there are more cover bands in this city than any other US city combined and most of the clubs cater to the cover bands. Sad but true.” After receiving Stellarscope’s “Something Delicious” EP things may not be so sad for Lugo and his compatriots.

It’s often difficult for the inexperienced musician to realize the importance of noise in music. The real world is a messy and chaotic place. Our struggle as human beings revolves almost entirely around our attempt to organize and classify the deluge of random data we are exposed to every second into something useful. For this reason the music that touches us the most and seems the most real is often the least structured.

Stellarscope makes use of this idea by suffusing the album with just enough noise to reveal the chaos that inheres in this reality while maintaining the overall melodic and structural elements of each track. The EP paints a dreary image of love lost and dreams dissolved. This is just the type of music I expect to hear from a city David Lynch once called, “the sickest, most corrupt, decaying, fear-ridden city imaginable.”

The muddy production (perhaps unintentionally) compliments these themes as guitars bleed into vocals and the drums devolve into white noise. Like a poorly focused photograph, the production adds atmosphere and intrigue to the album, forcing the listener to consider both the process and provenance of each song. Borrowing from vocalists like Thom Yorke of Radiohead, Lugo ’s voice is sparse yet dramatic. The vocal tracks are set back in the mix, compelling us to consider the crises of a world gone awry, rather than the personal plight of a songwriter.

Overall, this EP came as a surprise to me. I expected to be getting a lot of CDs from metal and goth acts when I asked for demos from local bands. At times I wished Stellarscope had taken bigger risks with their composition, and instrumentation but it often takes a while for bands to develop a unique sound that works. Stellarscope is certainly doing their part to combat the banality that abounds in the local music scene, and I definitely look forward to hearing more from them in the near future.


- Justin Thibault- Lofi Magazine

http://www.lofimag.com/reviews/reviewstemp.php?rev=sscope.html&idn=14



- LoFi Magazine

Shmat Records Review of Stellarscope's Fingerpaint the Colour of Sound

Stellarscope
Fingerpaint the Colour of Sound (CD)

Every once in awhile a band comes along that is not content with merely taking what they can get from their music scene, but who put all their efforts into creating something exciting and inviting everyone along for the ride. Stellarscope have been instrumental in creating a positive buzz for the pop scene back in the Philadelphia/East Coast area, with founder/vocalist/guitarist Tommy Lugo organising the well-received Alison Records tour in '03, and constantly setting up shows for touring indie bands of various popularity. Always prolific (Tommy also has a solo project called Panophonic and reckons he recorded roughly 8-10 albums worth of material last year alone), "Fingerpaint the Colour of Sound" is their first proper album on a label and is an excellent insight to an exciting band really hitting a their creative stride.

Opening with the beautiful "All for", you are immediately whisked away to a place where sleepy Saturday mornings come with soundtracks by the Durutti Column and are struck by two things: melody and vocals. Whether it's to hide a multitude of sins, shite lyrics, or painfully thin voices (or all of the above), the heavily reverbed, Slowdive approach to vocals more often than not kills whatever passion drove them in the first place. The vocals here are prominently mixed and easy on the effects, giving the lyrics and their delivery the room and definition they are deserving of. The true strength of Stellarscope, however, is in their melodic dynamics - a sure sign of a good live band. "Of lost grace" and "Something delicious" are a lethal 1-2 punch in the middle of the album, with the latter having the effect of sticking your head out of the car window at about 90 miles an hour whilst drunk on the freedom of youth. "What u r..." is a beautiful, spaced out trip-hop song somewhere between Global Communication and "A Storm in Heaven"-era Verve, and adds a nice balance to the powerful newgaze anthems before it. The album's closing songs, "Let me feel..." and "Eterna Nada", are epic slabs of bliss, starting slowly and building up to tense and climactic endings.

It is obvious a lot of effort went into making this such an interesting record to listen to. The tracklist is well paced and the album is recorded & mixed well, none of which matters without good songs which, fortunately, Stellarscope seem to have in spades. While this album is highly enjoyable and highly recommended, I can't help but think that the best of Stellarscope is yet to come. - RP Shmat Records

- Shmat Records