Recent Music Heroes

11/14/2018

Zis0ky – Into The Abyss (2018)

Sun Department

Hi-Tech
Psytrance
Electronic music
Darkpsy

Comment: in fact, I have had few contacts with such styles as darkpsy, and hi-tech the music of an artist called Zis0ky is described for. There is represented a bunch of three compositions of which rhythmic frequencies extend to 180 to 190 bpm. It is very fast and tectonic like the gabber style or an accelerated jungle example, however, being imbued with slight psychedelic vines around the rhythmic backbone. In fact, the artist employs and treats vocal samples from TV series (at Brain Trip). Into The Abyss is the debut issue by John-Michael Heck AKA Tranonica and being released on Sun Department Records, and Ektoplazm as the biggest platform for psytrance, psybient, Goa trance etc.

Aigar Vals – End Game (2018)

Bandcamp

Shoegazetronica
Synthwave
Post-punk
Alternative rock
Ethereal wave
Epic
Dream pop
Indie
DIY
Art pop/rock
Crossover

Comment: Aigar Vals is known as the drummer from such Estonian dance-appealed indie groups as Badass Yuki, and Junk Riot. End Game is his debut album some weeks before his band mate from Badass Yuki Mart Avi would release his fourth solo outing OtherWorld. 8-notch outing is an intriguing drift between cinematic synthesised developments and epic panoramas – oh yeah, it is so beautiful! - and on the other side, it is more about undulating yet warped electronic shoegaze. Let's say – it is an example of unconventional shoegaze. Indeed, I would like to avoid the term nugaze because nugaze used to relate to something superficial and volatile and secondary in my mind. Most of those bands are produced and channelized into a very similar product. All those guitars, drums, and synths are packaged tightly into a sparkling yet empty box. One can feel lo-fi and DIY-tinged (at times elegantly awkward) attitude within the whole by adding an extra charge to it. Additionally there are up bold bass lines, stomping piano chords and heavy drum fringes here and there thereby drawing parallels upon the electronic post-punk/synthwave scene. Thirdly, those decelerated a bit murky soundscapes remind a bit of such ethereal wave juggernauts as Lycia, Autumn's Grey Solace, and Love Spirals Downwards. All those unforgettable halcyon hours spent behind heavy curtains sometime in the past. However, in the context of Estonian music it is absolutely singular, absolutely extraordinary. I like it very very very much. The issue is a part of the discography of Estonian underground (mostly) tape imprint Trash Can Dance (best regards to Trash as well!).

ZeeKat – it Hertz EP (2018)

Bonimedia

Alternative rock
Indie rock
Art rock
Fusion
Electronic
Post-rock
Jazz rock
Progressive rock
Psychedelic rock
Improvised music
Sampledelic
Ambient rock
Yacht rock

Comment: behind these eight compositions is the Polish artist Lukasz Padzik whose music is built on atmospheric synthesisers which used to rotate around vivid, frequently fusion-tinged guitars. The aforementioned pillars are variegated with vocal samples, interesting sampled and short wave radio induced minutiae, and treated electronic effects. The whole starts off with 2AM which is based on exuberant synthesiser slides, wide range progressive and jazz rock guitar framing and suggestive samples all the elements used to merge with each other. In fact, it is an excellent start for an album to develop into new and invigorating directions thereafter. Lukasz Padzik likes to stay within the borders to set out a more impressive picture, to get maximally festive and cinematic feeling from within it. At times those prog/fusion guitars are tuned into a more laid-back, yacht rock form. The fascinating release is a part of the discography of Bonimedia.