-=- 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. ---==--==---