Two Lane Phonebooth – Twisted Rebar (2008)

Two Lane Phonebooth

• Alternative rock 
• Indie rock 
• Art rock 
• Avant-rock 
• Experimental rock 
• Avant-prog 
• RIO 
• Techno rock 
• Yacht pop
• Electronic 
• DIY

Comment: I guess it happened a bit more than 10 years ago when I had discovered that artist at Lastfm. I like the artist's laconic outlook by sharing his music through his own website (8 albums in total). Even the most sustainable music platforms like Bandcamp, and Soundcloud are put aside. Because of that it can be said TLP is a genuine indie artist by his attitude and format but not in that way only. By listening to this 14-notch release one can hear cutting-edge touch in the music. Basically it is a cohesive, galvanised rock sound based on guitars, drums and electronic keyboards. As the title hints at the issue it is twisted but fortunately it is not an avant-garde for its own sake. Yeah, it embraces uncanny samples, loops, some tracks like Loud Boat, and You The Serpents Made with offbeat, a bit jazzy glimpses as if something coming out from between yacht pop and Frank Zappa. Rumbling Platform is more Zappa than Zappa himself used to be. Amazing avant-prog/noise rock. All You Need Is Blood is an excellent example of integrated techno rock. Obviously it is tautological to add all the tracks are created with a tongue-in-cheek attitude. By contemporaneous artists I would like to compare the artist with Ariel Pink, similarly to the Californian DIY legend I hear those timeless laid-back sparkles in the music. It would sound a bit in a freaky way but this sound would have been ideal for a recent Ariel Pink. What else could be added but listen to this singular one and the other seven ones as well. Simply great.

Open Work Stocking – Intrude into the Grey Slush (2008)

Enoughrecords

Jamendo

Free Music Archive

Archive.org

• IDM 
• Electronic music 
• Alternative 
• Epic 
• Experimental electro 
• Ambient noise 
• Experimental techno 
• Kraut-electro 
• Kraut-techno 
• Alternative dance 
• Art music

Comment: Open Work Stocking is the Russian producer Anton Tatarinov and this 6-cut issue is his debut release under the Portuguese imprint Enoughrecords. Quite much has changed since the year of 2008 yet it is a very solid result full of gentle melodies and lofty progressions while employing the sharp sounds of noises, glitches, unnerving pulsating electronic rhythms. Intellectually merging together the Detroit-based techno and electro tradition and Cologne and Dusseldorf-based IDM/techno/neokrautrock legacy to pop out somewhere in Russia. Additionally, it is keenly a dance-appealed case and those lightweight orchestrations remind of Arthur Russell. Ultimately I am going to say – it is absolutely stunning being perfectly balanced between the experimentally sophisticated and emotively full-fledged one. It must have towered as an IDM classic.

Sensorama 19-81 – Retrato un desconocido (2008)

Archive.org

Bandcamp

• Art rock 
• Indie rock 
• Alternative rock 
• Progressive rock 
• Epic 
• Avant-prog 
• Avant-rock 
• Electronic 
• Experimental rock

Comment: Sensorama 19-81 is the project of the Chilean musician Rafael Casanova whose 12-track issue is a mellifluous love affair of indie/alternative rock with art and progressive rock chips. More profoundly, it does conjure up lots of lofty developments and uncanny sonic explorations from exuberant chamber music panning and elaborate and almost frenetic spoken word snippets to more familiar rock structures. However, as usual, being bound with one another those weird aspects used fortunately to be predominant and to be remembered. And if the familiar ones will appear then these moments are multilayered and profound enough to provide captivating sensations. Indeed, I have to praise the artist for producing such vivid and flourishing soundscapes. Once the term progressive rock was a depreciatory one especially being condemned by many punks. However, this patchwork by attitude is more punk than most punk albums, especially today when many punk ensembles are the kind of caricature just having a bit in common with the genuine ideas of the subgenre. All in all, it is fascinating.

Daniel Maze – Red After Image (2008)

Serein

• Ambient 
• Experimental electronica 
• Dub techno
• Epic  
• Electronic music 
• Glitchtronica 
• Ambient dub 
• Dreamwave
• Micronoise

Comment: as we know ambient as a musical style or as a part of a conglomeration of styles may be very beautiful and epic and profound even if being distracted by microscopic noises and glitches. In fact, such Canadian artists as Tim Hecker, and Scott Morgan aka Loscil have demonstrated that eloquently. The same can be said about a third representative from within the country, Daniel Maze. Red After Image which was released in 2008 takes on ambient music in a very alchemistic way with intention to produce emotive music. However, it is a main premise to produce a nice ambient outing. His family name Maze does denote the word labyrinth otherwise, and this bunch of 10 compositions is complex and highly enjoyable simultaneously. The tracks used to veer away from introverted electro-acoustic minutiae and faint microscopic squalls to serene dreamwave-esque insights to thick ambient and dub infused outlets. Those epic moments galore chime almost like symphonic vignettes. In spite of the different appearances the listener cannot perceive the feeling of different styles to square off with each other. All is either seamlessly intertwined with one another or followed by one another. There is up the definitive whole. In fact, ten years ago there was nobody talking about the label dreamwave but there it hovers around on the issue. Indeed, tracks like The Chiefs Are Folding used to be played on the indie shows now. As I said before it contains a bunch of 10 tracks but there is no need to differentiate one track from another. All is sticked together organically and seamlessly. The stunning one is a part of the discography of Serein.

Pam – Ah! (2008)

Petite&Jolie

• Indietronica 
• Electronic music 
• Primitronica 
• Alternative 
• Lo-fi
• Toytronica 
• Ambient pop 
• IDM

Comment: one will have a glass of water, one will have a glass of wine, one will have a half hour with Pam's Ah! These are ways of how to cope with daily trivialities, and even worse, with banalities. These 8 tracks are something outside of your usual listening experience because it is mostly composed of loose rusty bits, clockwork-alike erroneous bits and crackling noises as if coming from an abandoned toy factory. You could feel huge sadness while comparing the past and the miserable present status of the building. Furthermore, because it was issued under Petite&Jolie in 2008 it arouses bittersweet memories and partly because of that connecting the past with the present. The rest of the sonic appearance is remarkably more tranquil and bound to silence. It is also an example of the fact the time does have tendency to pass by extremely fast. In this case there is no need to invent the time machine to transport back in time. Just take a rest and listen to it.

Kaneel – La Pink Note (2008)

Petite & Jolie

Bandcamp

• IDM 
• Synth-pop 
• Electronic music 
• Indietronica 
• Alternative 
• Glitch pop

Comment: by listening to this 6-notch release it is like entering into a time shuttle and journeying back in time for 18 years. Back to the era of which was predominated by such labels as Mille Plateaux, and Morr Music which were being platforms for releasing indie-drenched electronic music (otherwise it would loosely be named acidic artsy synth-pop). Later on, there were netlabels which started to appear for such kind of music (the likes of Aerotone, Poni Republic, Error! Lo-Fi, 12rec, Petite & Jolie, No-Source). The release comes out of the umbrella of Petite & Jolie by providing crispy glitch-imbued rhythmic sections to back up subtle melodic progressions, and vice versa. Emotionally it flips in and out on a border of laid back atmosphere and intensified, even obsessive insight. Indeed, it brings playful dynamics and propulsive tension into the blend. The final part Au Revoir Pt 2 imitates adeptly Parisian street music melodies thereafter putting them under an algorithmic application of electronic music for to provide a proper farewell. That's the point of it. In a word, it a nice and nostalgic contemplation for a contemporary listener. So let's crank up the engine and embark on the journey.

Jupiter Makes Me Scream – Tuesday Morning Huricane EP (2008)

Enough

Bump Foot

Free Music Archive

Jamendo

• Post-rock 
• Art rock 
• Alternative rock
• Crossover 
• Electro-indie
• Experimental rock
• Ambient rock 
• Synth-rock

Comment: my first impression was it is an arty-farty issue while hearing superficial piano chords moving in front of the scale. In fact, those piano chords were not so superficial and many more layers would be get added to the mix. So ultimately it can be admitted it is very far away of being superficial and simplistic. Karolis Burzinskas who is behind the project adds craftily not only emotively accentuated piano chords and orchestrated templates to the mix but also manipulates with synth-based and funky cadences here and there. For instance, at Sunshine Radio it evokes memories about such Soviet synth-led combos as the Latvian Zodiac (it is still a favourite of mine), and the Lituanian Argo. Of course, If you wish you could also draw parallels upon such post-rock luminaries as God Is An Astronaut, and Bark Psychosis but it is indispensable anyway. As well as those thoughtful and picturesque extended piano chords and orchestrations remind of a late Talk Talk at This Girl. However, Karolis Burzinskas` handful of tracks is an ennobling outing where different kind of shifts between the styles and tempos pitch a game. And the cover print is truly heart-breaking. The release is a part of the discography of Portuguese imprint Enoughrecords, and also a part of the discography of Japanese imprint Bump Foot.

c'est pu l'temps gras – commencez bien la drogue (2008)

Les Diks Qui Sautent

• Dada music 
• Primitive music 
• Avant-garde 
• Experimental pop 
• Freeformfreakout 
• Psychedelic 
• Lo-fi 
• DIY 
• Crossover 
• Spoken word 
• Electro pop 
• Comedy music 
• Outsider pop 
• Toytronica

Comment: undoubtedly music which is based on fun and a primitive base may paradoxically be more serious than seriously intended music. Of course, it might be the case of proper adjectives but this set of 12 compositions is a frantic example of disparate elements which starts off with the sound of a cheap second-hand synthesiser, however, later incorporating strings and freaky singing to the mix. biche is an example of motorik electro rock though it did start off with the buffoonish mantra and continuing with a spoken word snippet and some concrete sounds here and there. Do I perceive it in a schizoid way? No, I do not. Johnny Bigoudi is a seminal crossroad for heavy beats and droning synths to get harmonized in a poignant way. All the lyrics are sung in French except the one phrase /like Sonic Youth/ at Trou. Indeed, I also like Sonic Youth though not so much as… . Or like Sonic Youth. This whole is not like Sonic Youth though. In spite of this enormous miscellany the whole will not water down and being convincing due to revealing its coherent nature ultimately (it is paradoxical, isn`t?). Many tracks within involve psychedelic layers with acidic organs and toy-like electronic sounds. The issue is a part of the discography of such a label as Les Diks Qui Sautent (065).

Noteherder & McCloud – The Tail (2008)

WM Recordings

Archive.org

• Free jazz 
• Improvised music 
• Avant-garde 
• Experimentalism 
• Modal jazz 
• Live session 
• Electronic music 
• Leftfield

Comment: I am very glad to back again at WM Recordings, the imprint which has introduced me to many interesting artists like brunk, Chenard Walcker, Roy "Chicky" Arad, Keshco, Phil Reavis, Jared C. Balogh, The Hathaway Family Plot and many others. Beyond that the roster embraces such luminaries as the godfather of the home recording R Stevie Moore, and Russian dadaist sound collage and surf pop mixed madness Messer Chups. Undoubtedly The Tail is a highly complicated and mind-provoking one composed of three different live gigs by the two experienced musicians wherein you can enjoy many parallel running compartments based on the playing of a soprano saxophone, and on the other side it is undermined by poignant synthesiser-based bubbling and effects making an impact on a fastidious listener. And I am probably the demanding reviewer. And if you want to get a solid review of how to play the soprano saxophone in an intriguing way then this issue is for you. Synthesiser is a remarkably more broad instrument or it can even be considered a platform, however, this issue provides a little yet intriguing bit of it. It certainly touches on sonic qualities which remind me of electronic krautrock artists as Konrad Schnitzler, and Asmus Tietchens. Use The Desk Lamp is the favourite of mine because it is absolutely fascinating in its overwhelming tempo and energy. For me, it is jazz punk. In a word, the result is great.

Nuclear Biologist Rocket Surgeons – Better Music Through Research (2008)

Nuclear Biologist Rocket Surgeons

• Avant-prog 
• Experimental rock 
• Art rock 
• RIO 
• Dada music 
• Improvised music 
• Zeuhl 
• Progressive rock 
• Leftfield

Comment: this handful of tracks is a frantic result by its compositions, concept and completion. First of all, the most startling effect is that theoretical premises and notes were translated directly into music by employing a special customised programme for it. Musically it chimes like a sequence to a legendary French combo, Magma. An innumerable swarm of turns and dodges throughout the course are clearly remarkable for the listener's pleasure. It can be considered roughly schizoid if it were something but music. And of course, it used to be overwhelmingly playful and amusing giving no fuck to serious cocks. For instance, those overtly bombastic orchestrations and highly pathetic operatic singing cannot be something but done with tongue-in-cheek attitude. Unfortunately the combo dissolved and it is their only issue. You must pay attention to this proggy beast. You have no choice anymore while reading the overview of this divine comedy. But unfortunately being without the cover print (it exists at the site of the release, though).

Roger Haddad – 27 White Miles (2008)

Rack And Ruin

• Noise 
• Avant-garde 
• Experimentalism 
• Microtonal 
• Drone 
• Leftfield 
• Non-music 
• Minimalism 
• Ambient noise

Comment: noise as a genre is considered as the counterpoint to the music. Undoubtedly there has been a set of strategies. One of the purposes of the noiseniks is to undermine the role of pop music through conquering the area by taking it over. Given that there must be attributes belonging also to the (pop) music. For instance, melodies and harmonies. By talking about such artists as Glenn Branca, and My Bloody Valentine you can agree about the fact their inner power and verve was adeptly bound to something larger-than-life. Truly melodic, truly epic something which used to be bigger than life. At some point even better than dreams in fact. Because it used to be witty as well. The same strategy seems to be the base for this 3-notch outing by Roger Haddad whose music is very loud and resonant yet involving majestic climaxes even if it is minimally running through microscopic changes and colours in timbre. Noise can be negative and noise can be positive. The first of them is clearly pointed to destroy the structure of something, the other pigeonhole is to represent something on its own. On the issue there are represented both of the categorisations. The release is a part of the discography of Rack And Ruin for this 3-notch outing by Roger Haddad whose music is very loud and resonant yet involving majestic climaxes even if it is minimally running through microscopic changes and colours in timbre. Noise can be negative and noise can be positive. The first of them is clearly pointed to destroy the structure of something, the other pigeonhole is to represent something on its own. On the issue there are represented both of the categorisations. The release is a part of the discography of Rack And Ruin (rr023).

Antena – Signos En El Viento (2008)

Gorriòn De Miga

Bandcamp

• Post-rock 
• Ambient rock 
• Art rock 
• Electronic music 
• Indietronica 
• Epic 
• Drone pop 
• Organcore 
• Acid rock

Comment: it is a quite peculiar feel to go back in time with purpose to review an issue you have not listened to it before. For instance, this 8-track composition was initially released in 2008 and though you have not experienced it before it somehow brings forth painful memories from the past. In fact, it reminds me of those lucky times you had been experiencing then which are ceased to exist today. In a word, it reminds me of the fragility of life and that all used to change permanently around us. The nature of the album is doleful and longing and it is the obvious reason of my complaint. The effect and consequence of it is one has to go on with his/her life to be able to reflect upon the recent time as a lucky span of time. It is always very glad to watch back in time when grass was more green and sky was cloudless. The artist comes out of Argentina and this album is a fabulous shift between epic post-rock, lysergic indie electronic and enchanting drone pop/organcore. Because of providing picturesque, slightly orchestrated and emotionally evocative chords it is a fairly proper issue to depict and convey the nature of autumn. Behind that one man project is Julio Yicarean, the talented man whose (obviously debut) album was released under such a great yet still underrated imprint, Gorriòn De Miga. Gem by any standards.

Neil Scrivin – Twenty Years On Ben Nevis (2008)

Rack And Ruin

Fonolith

• Ambient 
• Drone 
• DIY 
• Electronic music 
• Lo-fi 
• Dreamwave 
• Drone pop 
• Organcore 
• Mood music

Comment: just discovered that Blackpool musician Neil Scrivin`s both albums Twenty Years On Ben Nevis, and Tomorrow`s World are uploaded at Bandcamp, both of them are remastered and are available in tape format being now closely related to such Blackpudlian imprint as Fonolith. However, my intention is to review it as a bit in the discography of Rack &Ruin Records, a record label reflecting upon an interesting microscopic sonic space at the end of the 00s, and the beginning of the 10s. Rack & Ruin Records had been heading by the Englishman Dean Birkett from 2008 to 2011 whose taste was DIY friendly while experiment orienting. There was up enough noisy indie, peculiar folk-based issues, clumsy lo-fi and bedroom masterminds, warped electronic and deranged ambient-alike stuff. If to name only some artists I would like to denote such artists as Gnomefoam, starstarstar, Tropical Australian Stinger Research Unit, Zgress, Chad Golda, Patrick Hussey, If The People Were Paper, Tyson Brinacombe, Hipster Youth, Dog Bite, Cody England, Gnouli Monsters, Vincent Lillis, The Macadamia Brothers, Lean Horse Marathon, Frost Faire, dessktop, Andy`s Airport Of Love, Chimney Fish. This album of 14 compositions which will clock in at a 35 minute is a sublime drift within droning ambient coated electronic music where the listener can perceive dreamwave-tinged seeds to appear. It is almost (indie) pop music but I have to emphasise the word almost. It is being always admirable if electronic music is produced in dreamy mode (to do it one hs to surpass the mechanical, machine-drenched nature of it). In fact, such sort of sound would mostly get popularized some years ago after the recent release thanks to such artists as Oneothrix Point Never, M Gedded Gengras, Steven Hauschildt. All of that is the contemporary counterpart of Kosmische Musik where adorable vibrations and otherworldly beatific drones are followed by one another or superimposed on eath other. While listening to it you do not need nothing else for your fortune. It sounds like going backwards the past you could find the future from it waiting for you. Originally it was released in 2007 yet at Rack & Ruin it was released one year later.  

NL 2X COMP – A SELECTION OF NANOLOOP 2 TRACKS (2008)

CatchyNameRecords

• Bitpop 
• Chiptune 
• Acid electro 
• Electronic music 
• Nintendocore
• Electro house 
• Electro pop 
• Alternative dance 
• Tracker music 
• Conceptual 
• Electro

Comment: given that the description of chiptune/bitpop/nintendocore/tracker music is based on crashing and crawling rough bits being mostly related to rhythm I guessed I could hear classic chiptune music from the recent 13-notch issue. It is partly so because there are the crashin-crawlin` beats but mostly it chimes differently. More profoundly, the concept of the miscellany is based on Nanoloop 2, the advance gameboy program. It might be the reason can be dug out from there because of being a bit more advanced, developed platform than the previous ones and thereby reminding more of contemporary electronic music. Obviously rbtr`s Yourdogbitme is the only classical one represented over there in its thoroughgoing simplicity and roughness. However, even if I excepted something different to hear I am not disappointed at all because the result is intriguing and intricate full of good, better and even better examples. From minimally designed electro and straightforwardly acid oriented electro pop and sheer electro disco/house grooves (for instance, Tetris Hold`em`s fabulous Behaviour House, and Marcus Rafferty`s The Electron Theory as fabulous as well) and fast-speed galloping to cut-up electro undercurrents and incisive glacial-alike glistening in timbre and sonic effect drenched improvisations. The compilation is released by such label as CatchyNameRecords, and there are up such artists as Rhinostrich, rbtr, Tetris Hold`em, CatchyNameMusic, Marcus Rafferty, Little-Scale, LoBit, and 8bit-Meta. Great compilation. Everlasting.

Tarred Brigade – HoneyMoon (2008)

Free Music Archive

• Psych-rock 
• Weird folk 
• Americana 
• Free folk 
• DIY 
• Lo-fi 
• New Weird America 
• Psych-folk 
• Drone folk 
• Epic 
• Chamber folk 
• Blues

Comment: it makes no surprise altogether Tarred Brigade comes out from Baltimore, Maryland, USA because of representing either a second or a third wave of the New Weird America movement. For instance, all of us used to recognise the fact Animal Collective came initially out from this city though musically Tarred Brigade is a bit different, a bit more countryfied case. It is recorded on a 4-track recorder being rustic and majestic at the same time, being abrasive and hypnotic at the same time, being bucolic and solemn simultaneously. Its droning earnest halation being frequently mixed up with psychedelic templates may remind more of such combos as Espers, Six Organs Of Admittance, and Children Of The Drone (the last one is an improvisational combo from Exeter, UK). For sure, additionally to the aforementioned folk element there are also up certain indie facets and the downright Americana tradition. On the other side, at I Fear An Eclipse the listener can figure out a combo to be influenced by a British act called Penguin Cafe Orchestra. The only (format-based) problem is about the amount of the tracks represented over there. In my folder there are up 6 tracks in comparison to the amount of 4-tracks at Free Music Heroes (it is devoid of such compositions as Haunting the Majesties!, and My Jewish Blues). It might be these are the hidden ones while one is downloading the release. Outstanding issue in any cases.

Nieva Sobre Dioses – Ecos de Otros Mundos Sospechad (2008)

Gorriòn de Miga

• Electronic music 
• Kosmische Musik 
• Alternative 
• Synthwave 
• Darkwave 
• Industrial electro

Comment: these 46 minutes are up there to disclose a stunning issue based on masterful synth-based works filled in with poignant rhythmic turns, sublime harmonic progressions while being saturated with murky timbres. As the result it seems to be enduring and majestic because all these 6 compositions seem to be seamlessly followed by one another. However, it does not mean at all it lacks enough elements to be intriguing and thought-provoking. Musically it could be tagged as an instance of synthwave and Kosmische Musik while being baptized by a dark ambient/darkwave priest. It chimes like a living, autarkic universe of whom breathing can be perceived in all directions of the universe. Emotionally one can discern slightly repulsive loneliness/nothingness being subordinated by immanent mastery. This universe is embraced by another universe called Gorriòn de Miga Records.

Azevedo Silva – Autista (2008)

Bandcamp

Free Music Archive

Archive.org

• Indie folk 
• Singer-songwriter 
• Alt-folk 
• Folk indie
• Art rock 
• Fado

Comment: Azevedo Silva is a 34-year old troubadour from Lisboa, Portugal and it is his third issue being issued 8 years ago. At Bandcamp one can find out 8 albums in total. All these songs are in Portuguese and because of having no knowledge in this language I have the only chance to concentrate on sounds and harmonic and melodic aspects. All the concept used to focus on smouldering guitar play (even if it contains more acute and incisive dodges) with soulful singing being accompanied by some becalmed rhythms, affecting glockenspiel chords, spatial sonic and reversed effects, and some compelling arpeggios here and there. Although it does not contain much effects while being embedded within a calm cast those effects makes more difference because of it. For me, it is a quite genuine listening session because this Portuguese version of indie folk music does mean poignant guitar chords being intermingled with some fado undercurrents. Let`s call it a Portuguese version of Americana to draw parallels with bands over the Atlantic Ocean. In a word, it is a very fine listening time. 

Jackpoote – Jackpoote LP (2008)

XS

• Improvised music 
• Avant-garde 
• Psychedelic music 
• Lo-fi 
• DIY 
• Experimentalism 
• Freeformfreakout

Comment: I guess it had happened approximately 6-7 years ago when I was listening to Xarope's sound quite frequently. Later on, the artist would be lost on my radar unfortunately. It is even more surprising because the artist's free range aesthetic and artsy approach is fairly appealing. For example, listen to this 13-notch of psychedelic music, melodica based improvisations, uncanny and rough chants which are studded with some concrete music slots and frantic drumming here and there to afford you an entry into a purgatorial DIY world. Recently the most of pop music is lead by totally controlled beats of digital kind and vocoder-drenched vocals so I do not have any idea is the result of this sort of music actually good or a little inferior on its own. At least it is obviously common and mostly derivative and unoriginal. So yeah, listen to Xarope's music as a counterpoint to it. It redeems you for sure. It is something being produced by a forest Jesus. By listening to the first composition Ethanol it is something truly stoned and jackass, it broadens one's perception and diminishes his/her burden of stress. It is absolutely free and freeing through his shouts and shrieking. He is accompanied by 11 musicians and a bunch of more and less conventional instruments (horns, flutes, didgeridoos, darbuka, djambe, low fi untuned crappy sounding viola, double bass, tuba). In a nutshell, take care of you through this issue (a part of the discography XS Records). 

Francisco Pinto – Boo Boo (2008)

Pueblo Nuevo

• Indietronica 
• Alternative pop 
• Indie pop 
• Electro pop 
• Shoegazetronica 
• Electronic pop 
• Synth rock 
• Dream pop 
• Electro-indie 
• Synth pop 
• Acid pop

Comment: let’s continue to make acquaintance with the discography of the Chilean imprint Pueblo Nuevo. Recently I commented on a quite brand new one, Guerra & Rammsy`s Torque EP from the year of 2016 of which core was concentrated on a house vibe with hints at electro and techno. Francisco Pinto`s magnum opus, 19-track originates from the year of 2008 and is a different case because of apparently loving poppy electronic music and indie evenly. Indeed, it is a sublime drift between shimmery guitars in the vein of dream pop and shoegaze on occasion, acidic keyboards and drum machine-led rigid yet catchy beats. For instance, listen to Metropolis, one of the most catchy composition within the whole. The same could be said about URL. However, the whole album is filled with ditties arousing your senses and sensations. Maldita Marisol is a bold electro pop example with rollicking yet intense synthesizers. El Arco de las Cosas starts off with sublime Cocteau Twins-esque loops and reverberations. In a word, it is a great issue and could freely be used as a visit card to get acquainted with the Chilean indie music. It is not a surprising fact altogether the southern hemisphere of American continent has also been a prolific terrain for new and intriguing guitar-based crossovers for a while. 

Hermelin – Hermelin (2008)

12rec.

Bandcamp

• Post-rock 
• Alternative rock 
• Indie rock 
• Power pop 
• Epic
• Experimental rock 
• Art rock

Comment: once one previous indie man and later house music and jungle promoter called the post-rock musicians as representatives of the so-called normcore. His statement was made with the purpose to hint at the normality and conventionality of the aforementioned style. By listening to this 9-notch issue by Hannover-based combo Hermelin one could perceive opposite sensations. At times it could sound as a post-rock example in ages, at times it is full of interesting sounds and tumultuous dodges. However, to understand its full value it should be taken back to 2008 when post-rock was still a full-fledged style with inspiring idealism and immense inner burning. The more I am listening to it the more I have to admit to disagreement with the aforementioned indie man about the normality of the style even if it is a little bit worn by time and changes in our understanding. Honestly, the problem is hidden within us but not in music. What is the goal of music in overall? To provide a solid rhythmic accompaniment aligned with the sturdy melody line. That is accomplished over there. In a nutshell, get involved in this forceful tour de force with exquisite pastel hues. It says more than the guys with low self-esteem. The fascinating issue is a part of the discography of 12rec. .