Shocking Pinks

17th September marks the release of Shocking Pinks (aka Nick Harte)’s self-titled debut album. Essentially a remastered merging of Nick’s two previous albums - originally released on legendary New Zealand label Flying Nun - the reworking has produced a record that is a more concise statement, and one that DFA are proud to be putting out worldwide.

Brought up in the sparsely populated South Island New Zealand, Nick was rooted into the emerging local music scene that saw seminal bands like The Bats and The Verlaines become global successes. His teenage years were soundtracked by these local heroes, but redefined forever when his mother bought him a copy of My Bloody Valentine’s ‘Loveless’. It was the beginning of a love affair with music that has seen Nick write and release 3 albums (one with a band, the other two on his own), as well as drumming on the forthcoming album from Sub Pop band The Brunettes.

The DFA had followed Nick’s career since his first album and were early in recognizing a kindred aesthetic. They began working with Nick to bring his work to a larger worldwide audience. The impending release of the self-titled debut for DFA - a 17-track album clocking in at a precise 45 minutes - is to be preceded by either a 12” or 7” single every three to four weeks leading up to the album release in mid September 2007. It’s a record packed with hazy melodies, lo-fi drones and beats, and contains some of the most heartbreakingly melodic and melancholic songs, as well as some of the moodiest and difficult (but ultimately rewarding) sounds you’ll hear all year.

The b-sides will feature many new tracks, as well as remixes from Deerhunter, The Glimmers, Arkitype, and Eluvium. The debut video is for the single “End of the World” is directed by Richard Bell, best known for producing several decades worth of Anton Corbijn’s music videos and feature films for the likes of Depeche Mode, U2, Joy Division, Nirvana and dozens of others. The next single and video will be for “Emily”, to be shot in New York and directed by Benjamin Dickinson (LCD Soundsystem, The Rapture, !!!, The Juan Maclean).