Bryyn - Crossing State Lines (2011)

Jamendo
Lastfm
Wikipedia

9.3

/Singer-songwriter, Indie folk, Alt-folk, Folktronica, Folk indie, Experimental folk, Art-pop, Experimental indie/

Comment: Bryn Martin who was previously known as Pinkle is a prolific American vagabond who relocated over to Lausanne, Switzerland some years ago. He grew up being influenced by some conceptual rock bands like Trans Am, and Tortoise, and by more pop-inclined artists like Wes Montgomery, Beck, and Nirvana. If to describe this 11-track issue, however, first of all, it is a pop album deserving to be written with the initials. The release is filled in with impressive turns and sublime free falls extending from cagey folk-based approach to electronic effect-laden singer-songwriter-ism to the half-orchestrated splendour. Anyway, you can perceive the similar characteristics with Sufjan Stevens, Dan Masquelier, Sondre Lerche, Bon Iver, Stereolab, The Smiths, and even Blur. Finally, I am very convinced that Coffee in Tokyo is one of the best songs in 2011.

Yachar - Caleuche (2011)

Jamendo

9.1

/Classical, Neoclassical, Epic, Musique concrète, Martial, Avant-garde/

Comment: Yachar, a producer from Valencia, Catalonia, Spain is back with his brand new one. 17-minute composition comprises different elements veering out from sunshiny orchestrations, light-hearted vowel layers, and more and less murky concrete-based undercurrents (it embarks on with the sublime hooter sounds of a barge and will end up with the hollering of seagulls) and martial drumming to electronic explosions and chamber pop undulation. Once more, this sonic odyssey is really worth to be reprised for many times again and again.

Possimiste - Filably

Flamingo - Superpalm (2011)

Bad Panda
Lastfm

9.1

/Electronic pop, Glo-fi, Chillwave, Lo-fi, Ambient techno, Hypnagogic pop, Avant-pop/

Comment: Flamingo is a producer from Rome, Italy offering up an uplifting mix of ambient techno/kosmische chill-out electronica and chillwave-ish indie pop. The 5-track EP starts out with the self-titled track which gets very near to the Orb-esque beatific ambient techno contemplation a la Toxygene (from within the album Orblivion, 1997, Island Records) and the last track Bat Country will do it in the similar manner either. The other tracks in-between are more contemplative in their blissed-out frames and retrodelic hypnagogic gyration (reminding of the 80`s fusion-loaded synth/electro rock bands, and contemporary acts like Ariel Pink, and Eureka Brown), and primitive lo-fi sequences. Ultimately, it is a pleasant listening.

NOW - Sudden Bursts/Normal Breaths (2011)

Clinical Archives

9.0

/No Wave, Avant-pop, Noise rock, Dance rock, Drone pop, Electronic pop, Avant-garde, Krautrock, Experimental, Improvised music, Experimental indie, Art pop, Electro pop/

Comment: here are represented 24 tracks together, which in turn are divided into 2 parts. However, the common picture of the album is convincing thanks to the trio`s innovative but consistent approach by mixing up restraint drone pop montages, guggling electronica and static electro, lofty kraut dynamics, obscure British post-punk tradition, noiseful rock, and whimsical No Wave progressions with some hints at dadaistic tones and hooks. Indeed, the group does have its own idiosyncratic formula, which seems to be coming out into an incessant yet seamless fight between the improvised vapour and determined structures. As it is said at Clinical Archives, it is nowadays experimental pop (which can borrow capably from the past, analyze it and add its own thread to it).

Blossom - Blue Balloons

B.R.O. - Proxima Centauri Remixed EP (2011)

so far unknown records
B.R.O.

9.4

/Remixes, Cinematic, Trip-hop, Nu jazz, Fusion/

Comment: here are 6 tracks, two of them are original ones created by the Polish duo B.R.O. (Konrad & Jakub Zamojski) and the rest of them are remixed by Remy LBO, Graham O`Brien, Graf Cratedigger, and Wladyslaw Komendarek. However, all those notches are made up without sparing time and resources in production. Mostly lush, dark blue-infiltrated rhythms are seamlessly interwoven with the epic touch of topmost cosmic layers to offer for the listener the sort of transcendent experience.

Opusvertigo - Tales of the wood - part II - Revenge (2011)

Jamendo

8.6

/Film noir, Electronic pop, Neoclassical, Classical, Conceptual/

Comment: this 6-minute single is the second part of Tales of the wood. However, it does embark on with a layer of droning, slightly wavy orchestration-laden sound which gets developed into a more synthetic and dashing approach with the demonstration of a sharp contrast between thudding synth sequences and acute forays of orchestrated samples.

The Hatsune Mikus - Go Manchester!!! (2011)

Canata
Lastfm

9.5

/Dream pop, Baggy, Shoegaze, Madchester, Dance rock, Alternative pop/rock, J-pop, Indie pop/

Comment: I have always been into such groups as Happy Mondays, The Soup Dragons, Darkside, Flowered Up, Northside, The Mock Turtles, The Wordsmiths and other such kind of groups who used to fuse indie guitars with dance-appealed beats. By listening to this 5-track issue I can only perceive very strong bittersweet feeling because of including elements which do build up an enthralling whole. Japanese female vocal driven songs are backed up by suggestive wah guitars, beatific mandolin chords and amusing orchestrations, and loose drum pads. Onwards, the result can be measured in astonishing harmonies and melodies either. In fact, the album`s title should have named as Go Madchester!!! (just a little joke!). However, imagine as if Happy Mondays were met with Richard Hawley, and Asobi Seksu, and Flipper`s Guitar, and Ride. One of the pop albums in 2011.

goto80 - Ter4