Silverstone – Time Will Heal (2006)

Poni Republic

/Indietronica, Glitch pop, IDM, Ambient pop, Alternative, Techno pop/

Comment: Leon, Mexico-based artist and local indie music activist Edgar Medina (also known from such projects as The Rigor Mortis Experience, Transistor, Alejandro Morse) whose 4-bar issue is a cute example of glitched-out pop music. More profoundly, it is a shift between ambient pop and indie electronica and glitch-y techno rhythms though the artist exploits concrete sounds to moisten the melting pot. In general, the harmonies used to build up slowly and the rhythms do break off in a seamless way. It is a fine example of how a nice notch of pop music can be drawn on more sophisticated sonic structures. The issue is a part of the discography of an excellent Venezuela-based lo-fi/DIY music label, The Poni Republic (a dwelling place for the likes of Nuuro, Bi-log, Anton, Bright Star Regulus, American Chamber Music, Anois, Elaine, joiejoiejoie, Sappho, Sunday Parlours, Tropitek, Todosantos etc).

A Century of Covers - Belle and Sebastian Tribute (2006)

The Breakfast Jumpers

/Cover, Twee pop, Indie pop, Jangle pop, Fuzz pop, Electro-indie, Conceptual, Alternative pop, Indie folk, Punk rock, Alt-folk/

Comment: indeed, it is a 20-track tribute album for Scottish combo Belle & Sebastian after their 10 years of activity and 7 long players. Given that it could be said it would be great honour for every band to have cult following over a relative short span of time. Stuart Murdoch led combo continued the tradition of The Smiths in a more folk inclined mode though the band`s another obvious influence is being legendary Arthur Lee and his combo Love from the 60s/70s. However, there are up such combos to do not give a damn – The Sad Snowman, Perturbazione, Austin Lace, BillieThe Vision &The Dancers, Canadians, Hell On Wheels, Mixtapes & Cellmates, John Wayne Shoot Me, Mr.60, Tokyo Overtones, Prague, Tom Willman, The Niro, Tall Poppies, Le Man Avec Lunettes, Kawaii, Against Lupa feat. The Buzz, Spring Sale!, and Bob Corn. Beyond the predominant light-hearted twee and jangle pop and folk blended layer there are up some exceptions either – for instance, Spring Sale!`s Get Me Away From Here, I`m Dying is a hirsute punk/pub rock version and Perturbazione do cover in Italian; Mixtapes & Cellmates` provides a spellbinding fuzz/noise pop version of Photo Jenny; John Wayne Shoot Me`s version of Waiting For The Moon To Rise makes up a journey due to a beguiling synth vamp, melody dodges and sensual female voice. The cover print also brings forth the dynamics being overwhelming on the miscellany. In a nutshell, it is a solid tribute issue to an eminent combo. Let`s swallow it. 

OCP – Atmos (2006)

Serein

Bandcamp

/Ambient dub. Abstract, Glitchtronica, Ambient techno, Glitch ambient/

Comment: by listening to this 5-track issue it can be admitted good music is timeless. Indeed, almost nine years has passed by the establishment of the release by Portuguese musician João Ricardo. His assumptions on dub, glitch electronica and ambient were to produce astonishing results. Mostly it is the slow amber based on glistening dub oscillations and subtle glitched-out shards filled up with emotional dust and easily spread sea mink. Maybe the finishing track Atmos Five used to differentiate from the rest of the issue with regard to a more thumping techno induced beat structure; and also Atmos Two which also exploits more prominent cadences though revealing a more abstract approach to the concept. I can readily imagine it does make difference while listening to it by falling asleep – it chimes like an anthem of the modern Sandman who plays hypnagogic beats instead of sprinkling sand in human being`s eyes. The album is a part of the discography of Serein.  

Pablie - Prelude To Anything Exactly Specific EP (2006)

Bandcamp

/Sampledelic, Breaks, Hip-hop, Nu jazz, Alternative, Mood music, Crossover/

Comment: Pablie`s 5-track issue characterizes a sort of nowadays sampledelic music very well – cinematic jazz-based progressions based on hazy electric piano and lofty synthesizer chords and cool trumpet whiffs, skiddy hip-hop rhythms and soulful vocal pieces and soothing vocal layers and barely audible concrete sounds coming out from the streets. Indeed, as the music artist himself suggests this EP might be a prelude to anything exactly specific. I think if Miles Davis were born many decades later than his real birthdate actually was, he would make a quite similar music, for instance. Pablie is a producer from Barcelona, Catalonia. Eventually it can be admitted the result is astonishingly dream-provoking animating the listener`s emaciated psyche.  

Irish – Manufactures (2006)

MinusN

/Experimental techno, Experimental electronica, Electro-acoustic, Glitchtronica/

Comment: Manufactures is a challenging and thought-provoking issue thanks to exploiting different sonic fabrics, sonorous colours and stylistic intentions to create something innovative and startling. More profoundly, Kengo Miyazaki uses electro-acoustic shuffles, minimal techno frequencies and smothering glitch electronics and noises – at times these sections are set apart from other ones, at times tightly interlaced with other ones. In any cases, the result fulfils its initial intention and premise. Despite intense exploitation of electronic sounds and edged electronics the whole used to sound in an emotive way.        

VA – Movin On (2006)

MinusN

Archive.org

/Glitchtronica, Experimental techno, Abstract electronica, Avant-electronica, Improvised music, Minimal techno/

Comment: although this miscellany of 14 compositions was released approximately 9 years ago the whole chimes truly impressive and refreshing today as well. The composition was a part of the discography of a record label, Minus-N which disseminated the seeds of experimental electronic music throughout the 00s. As previously said the result is outstanding because of revealing some best sides regarding experimental electronic and abstract/minimal techno compartment. Although the shape of these tracks might be seen as austere, desolate or bleak at the first glance the more you are ready to immerse in it the wider and warmer the content will seem to the listener. Indeed, it can be said the result is fairly appealing (not quite sexually appealing unless you are imagining to have sex with robots fed by high AC/DC voltage loaded cables). Eventually you can conclude the result is minimalist rather than somehow disadvantaged. In any cases, there are represented such artists as Claudia Bonarelli, .at/on, goem/fdw, The Suffragettes, Shalma, Lod, g_n44f, Motor, Masaya Sasaki, Andrey Kiritchenko, Pero, Salmon, Muffrare, Jos Smolders. The compilation is mandatory.

The Starry Tides - One Lit Window EP (2006)

Reverse Engine

FMA

Dave Merson Hess

Bandcamp

Lastfm

/Post-rock, Indietronica, Experimental rock, Mood music, Alternative rock, Art rock/

Comment:  The Starry Tides is the project of David Merson Hess who is also known as film music composer. It is a peculiar issue because of involving tracks being not longer than 3 minutes (the whole finishes off at 10.41). On the other side, it is a sort of post-rock music which tends to meander within many minutes from its starting point. Frequently guitar sounds are embellished with glitch electronic noises, vivid spoken samples (from the film scores?). By the way, the album is issued on his own record label Reverse Engine. In a word, the result is moody and revealing its abundant supply of fantasies.          

The Late Virginia Summers – TLVS (2006)

Redstarcommunity

Lastfm

/Lo-fi, Ambient, Cowbell indie, Drone rock, Post-rock, DIY, Live recording/

Comment: Redstarcommunity is a Swedish record label having been existing since 2001 and having the discography of 22 issues so far. TLVS was 11^th release which consisted of elemental crackled noises, graceful glockenspiel snippets, spaced-out drones, ambient music inspired reverberating soundscapes and improvised noodling here and there. Emotionally are outstanding those moments when epic guitar chords are put into delayed loops while being accompanied by sublime glockenspiel fabric and droning bold cello keys (Almost Asleep, Part One). You Are What Gets Me In Trouble was recorded in live at The Nanci Raygun in Richmond, USA. Grossly, it is a lo-fi sort of post-rock/experimental indie approach produced by Joe Morgan & Nathan McGlothlin.      

Chenard Walcker – The Pusher (2006)

Free Sample Zone

/Funk, World fusion, Soul, Afrofuturism, Psychedelic, Cut and paste, Art rock, Delta blues, Plunderphonics, Sound collage, Sampledelic, Experimentalism/

Comment: the French surrealist Chenard Walcker started off his music career in the beginning of the 00s additionally his visual collage projects. He had been very prolific during the next 4-5 years in producing music before he fell in diabetic coma. Most of his sound is produced under his own Free Sample Zone though some of them are being parts of the discography of WM Recordings, Comfort Stand, and Laboratoire Moderne. Musically he continued to solidify the tradition of plunderphonics and sample-based music (John Oswald, People Like Us, Pogo, Cagey House, Christian Marclay, Cassetteboy, The Evolution Music Committee, Ergo Phizmiz etc). The Pusher is built up on the black music tradition (mostly US-based but also suggestive of some Africa centred futuristic progressions) but also adding some volatile art/prog music whiffs and ecclesiastic Catholic singing into his melting pot. The result is seamlessly mesmeric, persuasive and may be introducing to discover the rest legacy of the French juggernaut.

Katatsumuri - BATRAH

Milliseconde Topographie - Paperasses Èparses (2006)

No Type

No Type

/Glitch electronica, Musique concrète, Avant-folk, New Weird Canada, Drone folk, Modern classical, Glitch folk, Sound art, Experimental folk, Epic, Post-folk, Chamber folk, Folktronica, Electro-acoustic/

Comment: Milliseconde Topographie is the collaboration act between Montrèal residing musicians Nicolas Bernier and Delphine Measroch whose 2-track issue is a sublime instance of borderline folk music due profound dodges into glitch-y electronic explorations, and cello drones, providing chamber music inspired beauty and offering many flirtatious moments with concrete sound washes and electro-acoustic effects. Despite the duo`s musical complexity and segmentation in a formal sense the whole is adeptly structured and organically spliced. Furthermore, natural segmentation and ramification does not hinder them to wind up truly picturesque, even sublime moments. On the other side, the Bernier-Measroch`s clockwork can be seen by a more “ugly” aspect as a folk exemplar with some irksome “errors” and “disruptions”. The issue will be ended up by a barrel organ based soothing melody. All in all, the result is challenging and drenched with solace at the same time.                      

Morceaux d'Ekumen / Pieces of Ekumen (2006)

Ekumen

/Avant-garde, Electro-acoustic, Crossover, Acousmatics, Post-rock, Experimental electronica, Glitchtronica, Folktronica, Organic electronica/

Comment: this exclusive 7-notch issue properly measures up to because of providing a sublime shift between electro-acoustic developments, folk-y dregs, borderline post-rock, glitch-y electronica and concrete music territories. The compilation demonstrates of how predominantly electronically produced music can be gentle, majestic and beatific affecting profoundly the listener`s heart and soul. The impact seems to be romantically soaked, however, following the idea of how could it be possible to bring forth more acuity in sonic details and in interactive relations. Moreover, it might be true that machines and electronic devices breathe and perceive on it. It is obvious that the total sum of it overcomes a sum of its particles and premises. There are represented such Quebec/French-Canadian artists as Milliseconde Topographie, 1 her(t)z, Urban9, Nicolas Bernier, Jacques Poulin-Denis, Jean-Francois Dessureault, and Delphine Measroch. Listen to it!

The Sugarcubes - 20th Anniversary Concert, Laugardalshöll (2006)

NYC Taper

• Alternative rock
• Indie pop
• Psychedelic rock
• Live recording

Comment: this monumental live gig includes 20 tracks within 84 minutes by the legendary Icelandic alternative group The Sugarcubes who was the first Icelandic group reached international acclaim from the island. The collective and Bjork`s solo career might indirectly open the way for other Icelandic groups either – Sigur Ros, mùm, Mugison, Amiina if to name just some combos among others. Although I am being Bjork`s fan for many years my experiences with The Sugarcubes have not been so pleasant and expected because of chiming a little bit monotonous and annoying in longer time spans. On the other side, Kukl was far more sympathetic thanks to their more avant-garde approach in music and concept. In true, in live they used to sound remarkably better mostly due to Bjork and Einar Örn Benediktsson`s erratic and tumultuous singing manner. The best moment is presented in midway – A Day Called Zero is a gravity-lost jazz-y wonder. 

Huron – Social Engines (2006)

Crazy-Language

Lastfm

• IDM
• Space techno
• Downtempo
• Avant-techno
• Experimental techno
• Deep techno

Comment: this 12-track issue was the starting point for the Berlin-based records Crazy- Language. Indeed, the choice was very successful due to hovering sublime atmosphere and mesmerized rhythm shuffles on the whole. Huron provides glacial ice-alike relaxing backgrounds variegated with more sophisticated rhythmic patterns, brooding panoramas, angular electronic overthrows and even robot pop-induced samples. In artist`s soundscape there can be perceived influences amounting to Autechre, Kraftwerk, Detroit techno scene, and then actual-IDM artists rather than the European club music scene. In a word, it is a fairly profound listening experience which is worth to be remembered and honoured with new listening times once again.           

Himmelkommando – Cerebromatika (2006)

Clinical Archives

• Abstract
• Experimentalism
• Avant-garde
• Drone
• Non-music
• Glitchtronica
• Post-industrial
• Noise
• Avant-electronica
• Sampledelic
• Illbient
• Dark ambient

Comment: these 7 tracks spread out over 35 minutes are positioned to be very far from the centres of pop music. More profoundly, it embraces straightforward, brutal and improvised noise dashes or more restrained but even more bleaks and malignant (post)industrial and experimental electronic/glitchtronic compositions. At times Himmelkommando´s music chimes like a blend of disparate sonic elements where one layer is managed to be more rhythmic, laidback or even beatific and another used to be clearly abrasive or ominous (for instance, Teletaxia, Alterego, Fantoplication, Water_Hemlock). At this point of view the album can be considered a classical example of noise music where obsessive but successfully accentuated interaction between silence and noise embrace the central point on it. In a word, it is an austere but compensatory experience.            

Children of the Drone – Falling Together (Compilation no.5) (2006)

FMA

Archive.org

• Psych-folk
• Improvised music
• Space folk
• Musique concrète
• Electro-acoustic
• Dream folk
• Avant-folk
• World music
• Experimental folk
• Free folk
• New Weird Britain

Comment: Children of the Drone is a coterie from Exeter, England whose music presentation way is to deliver it for free download - previously improvised in live. Their 14-track set is a sublime soundscape based on natural (ethnic) instruments-based arsenal and some electronics (synthesizer) full of solemn space-y reverberations and dreamy glimpses here and there. In principle the collective`s music can contingently be considered a part of the so-called New Weird movement, though, the set involves also their propensity to experiment within the confines of electro-acoustic, concrete music, jazz, world music and improvised music. By listening to them the listener can perceive unhurriedness to drift along. The favourite track of mine is The Lucid Dreamer because of having serious flirtation with noise music. In a word, the whole results in delivering of suggestive synergy. I recommend visit to COTD`s site and read about their way of looking at things (mostly at music and music industry, of course). 

Oto - Sketch #1 (2006)

Creation Centre

• Folktronica
• Folk indie
• Dream folk
• Post-folk
• Drone folk
• Indie folk
• Epic

Outstanding tracks:

Color

Room 

My Blue Plane

Elektrocell & Diagram - The Last Snowflake (2006)

Rain Music

9.4

/Ambient, Dark ambient, Soundscapes, Noise, Avant-garde, Experimental electronica/

Comment: this bulk of 7 tracks takes on less or more brooding ambient adventures filled in with bleak yet ghastly digitized disruptions or sublime electronic flickers and microtonal noises amd mystical spoken word explorations. Sometimes the music turns out to be an antigravitational example of sonic power. Contradictional in words, isn`t? The release is issued on an excellent French imprint, Rain Music.

Felix Building - Sans Nostalgie (2006)

Umor Rex

Lastfm 

9.4

/Indietronica, Post-rock, Experimentalism, Leftfield, Alternative, Electro-acoustic, Electronic pop/

Comment: this set of 6 tracks is a multi-faceted one comprising the angles of indie electronica, poppy yet whimsical electronic compositions, and more rushing, even abrasive endeavors and devouring propulsions (something like chiptune-alike stuff), however, all of that is seamlessly imbued with layers which can be described as "experimental" (containing the elements of electro-acoustic, restrained noise, mechanical post-rock each of them either stands alone or are interlaced with each other).  

Opiate - The Tree People (2006)

Miasmah

• Downtempo
• Breaks
• Electronica
• Esoteric
• Lo-fi