Noise Machine – Disturbing Sensitive Ears (2013)

DreamNoise

• Noise 
• Avant-garde 
• Experimentalism 
• Non-music 
• Leftfield 
• Psychoacoustic

Comment: undoubtedly the relations between music and noise is a topic on its own. Firstly, how it should be categorised, is it a part of music or a deviation from it? One of the first noiseniks were Italians and they created their soundscapes to protest against the war and atrocities which ravaged Europe despite the lofty ideas and profound thought being predominant in science and philosophy in the first two decades. Noise music as a composed art of powerful, devastating sounds was an incisive sign reflecting on decayed and collapsed ideas regarding humanity. The Brazilian Noise Machine as a project started off in the mid-90s to create overwhelming soundscapes providing no mercy and grace. This 4-track outing is a mind-blowing ravage based on brownish noises, "erroneous" frequencies being thrown over the four soundscapes. Indeed, a listener is the subject to partake from these "errors" as a musical component. At times one can suspect is it alright with his/her stereo system or headphones. Is it a terrible mess for you? I really hope you will not perceive it in that way because of not being that shit altogether. Although it is not easy ride at all one can figure out many intriguing sounds, hisses, effects and eventually a whole behind it. It plays tricks on your sacred mind. The outing is a part of the discography of DreamNoise imprint.

Now – Pileofskyhighmiles (2013)

Clinical Archives

Bandcamp

• Indietronica 
• Alternative 
• Avant-pop 
• Space pop 
• Electronic 
• Post-rock 
• Drone pop 
• Organcore 
• Experimental pop 
• Art pop 
• Minimal Wave
• Leftfield pop 
• Avant-rock 
• DIY 
• Experimental rock

Comment: first of all, happy birthday (60th jubilee) and best wishes to Mark E. Smith, the core of the Fall and the legendary figure within the post-punk and alternative rock movement during the last four decades. He has been considered a bit misanthropic in his songwriting which is sobering with regard to the visions of futurologists and philosophers to alleviate desperation of the masses. For instance, I am very sceptical about Elon Musk's plan to organise first flights around the Moon in 2018. Of course, I can principally agree with the statement we have entered into the dèbut de siècle of biotechnological human being within the virtual world which arguably allows us to cross the borders of territories we have not reached yet. I think it is not going to happen in the near future of a couple of decades. I think music is the best rocket to make it happen in our fantasies. And postmodernism is still the cultural magnetic field we are not able to abandon because of being a stripe in our DNA. For instance, one way is to step backwards to approach Now, the 9-notch outing by NOW. Being released on a cult imprint, Clinical Archives, it is a fine drift between different styles similarly to the Fall. More profoundly, one can partake by moving from synth-heavy space pop to minimal post-rock numbers to droning avant-pop terrains. With It is something about a crossroad of how to match the motorik impulse of krautrock with downbeat tendencies. It might remind of an early Stereolab at the time of recording and issuing Mars Audiac Quintet (for instance, at I4Me, and A Good Natured Serpent) and a new wave of krautrockers from cities of the Ruhr area in Germany in the 90s and the 00s. Through it one can hear the influences of an early Kraftwerk, and Neu! (it does not surprise at all, isn`t?). On the other hand, at Lonely Chair you can perceive the influences of bedroom and lo-fi and DIY aesthetic as well. All in all, it is a top notch by any means. The trio from  the UK must have been an outstanding group because of having collaborated and shared the stage with such underground music juggernauts as Damo Suzuki, Faust, Circle, Tunng, Psapp, Rothko, Plaid, A Hawk And A Hacksaw among others.

Agnès Pe – Rob Herwig (2013)

MAV [0kbps]

• Avant-garde 
• Experimentalism 
• Freeformfreakout 
• Electronic music 
• DIY 
• Lo-fi 
• Improvised music 
• Lobit

Comment: this 9-notch issue will be finished off before it could embark on basically. Indeed, it consists of short snippets though full of different colours and stylistic dodges though the common line between the tracks is its inferior quality. For sure, it is a mind-provoking issue as if produced by a deranged madam who has gotten some sound panels of electronic music at her disposal to depict her seriously disturbed state of mind. She is freaked-out, she is psyched-out, she is maniac, she is angry and she tries to get the better of it by playing free jazz and improvised music on her own terms. At least she tries to do that because the result is remarkably more unsound and crazy. Thereafter I guess she feels herself a bit exalted and high-minded and calm. As the issue proves he does have success while representing something single and refreshing. Agnès Pe is an artist from Spain and the issue is a bit of the discography of the MAV [0kbps].

EX UAJ ZED – III (2013)

Bandcamp

• Punk rock 
• Alternative pop/rock 
• Brass pop 
• Post-punk 
• Dub rock 
• Ska

Comment: EX UAJ ZED is a Polish trio who plays eclectic yet rollicking punk with different twists. For instance, the opening Mało brakowało exploits a catchy riff being very close to one of the songs of the Manchester post-punk juggernaut The Fall. The way is enjoyable how they intermingle boisterous guitar, bass, drum-induced impulses to some brass instruments (saxophone, trombone) thereby make difference from many other punk bands because of boasting with hovering feel. For the orthodox punk fans the combo might sound way too merry and self-indulgent but for those who prefer more borderline music/post-punk/ska punk it could be a welcome fare. Zawsze jeszcze możesz is the most experimental track because of wafting into a dub-inflection with exquisite noisy seeds. All the songs are performed in Polish on this solid outing.

Ghost Arcade – 1997 EP (2013)

Diabetic Koala

Archive.org

• Post-witch house 
• Leftfield 
• Experimental electronica 
• Avant-garde
• Avant-garde
• Post-drag house 
• Electronic music 
• Alternative 
• Post-psychedelic electronica 
• Avant-rock 
• Post-industrial

Comment: this is my first entry into the discography of an immensely prolific US-based imprint,  Diabetic Koala and after listening to this 6-track 1997 [EP] by Ghost Arcade it could be said it was a fair success to deal with it. In front of your face and legs a wondrous sonic world is laid out. By the way, it might seem a little bit haphazard and chaotic stylistically, for instance, it embarks on with static noises and improvised guitar chords and later more overwhelming noise panning at Wake Up In The Dreams Of Another Dream. It is a quite outstanding issue with regard to the exploitation of the guitar rather than electronics being prevalent in the following pieces. It does have very much in common with the aesthetic of Glenn Branca. It is followed up by Unemployed Dub, which could be denoted as dub music though being saturated with ill-omened synthesized flickers and reverberant drum stomping. The next tracks will continue in a similar vein where the sound is amplified through heavy use of echoes, and stereophonic effects. At time it might seem quite cynical and sniggering due to drawing on austere yet shrill electronic jitters, for instance at Wht`s Tht Smll?. I would call it post-witch house/drag house music. It is a weird yet mind-blowing shit. The issue was followed by another EP called After Burner on the same record label. 

Tutan Come On – Tutan Come On (2013)

Bandcamp

• Hard rock 
• Doom rock 
• Trash metal 
• Hair metal 
• Hair rock

Comment: it might be problematic to say much words and columns about this 9-track issue because it seems to be rolling upwards and then downwards, then upwards, and then upwards the mountain's slope in a powerful key. On the other hand, it is an intriguing listening because one is thrown in the middle of a burbling whirlpool of lively vocals done in Basque, those heavily pummelling drums and sometimes doom-ish guitar induced colours and thumping basses. Indeed, it is quite unusual to listen to this campy hair metal tinged falsetto with those sooty drenched guitars at the same time. You know, there are up some topics like love, women, cars and sleek clothes represented excessively, i.e. resulting in kitsch. Indeed, it induces an amusing and thereof positive resonance within me. Fortunately the virtuosity by the band members did not kill fun within it. It chimes like a group of hair rockers from the 80s having accidentally found themselves in the time machine and landed in the 10s.

(Null_) – (Null_)EP (2013)

Hand Craft

• IDM 
• Organic electronica 
• Alternative 
• Indietronica 
• Primitive music 
• Glitchtronica 
• Art music 
• Post-classical

Comment: before listening to the recent issue I got caught up in listening to the Russian Messer Für Frau Müller`s Happy End Dead (1992), and the English post-punk legend The Fall`s Sinister Waltz (1985) on tapes, both of these issues could be considered cynical and misanthropic ones. In any cases, it influenced me enough to look at Null`s 5-track from a perspective of cynicism. More profoundly, the release is being without any words, and there are represented soothing piano chords, some blissful orchestrations and dreamy harmonies and lead motives. However, it is “ruined” with rugged glitched-out rhythms, clockwork and movie camera-alike pastoral sounds and almost tangible interactions between the stereo channels. At the moment I am representing the view from a perspective of a mainstream critic though I would rather prefer the recent issue coming out the mainstream scene. The only cynicism and laziness I cannot stand for with regard to the outing is that the guys behind this issue have not been able to manage the rest of the catalogue of Hand Craft. What the heck, is it really hard for you guys to upload it at Archive.org, for instance? It is a crime against the music, you know.

Syntech Vedeneev – Tonehammer EP (2013)

DAST Net Recordings

• Tech-house 
• Deep house 
• Remix 
• Minimal techno 
• Club dance

Comment: it starts off with the original mix of Tonehammer, which is tech-house by its style though it is getting even more sympathetic thanks to it the rhythm is syncopated with a funky propulsion. The following notch My House deserves its name because those lofty and hazy sensations coming out of the sound used to mingle and culminate in the deep house frequencies. The style is good enough to use it for yourself to fall asleep instead of eating sleeping pills. Fuck off the drugs! Music is the best remedy against any of kind of mental distress anyway! Its Party Time used to sway between the channels being more minimal and restrained in comparison to the previous ones. However, the first opinion of mine might be the disillusion because one can perceive a slowly winding rhythmic structure to be progressing and coming to fruition with the assistance of kick drums. It like the tension between the primitive and the sophisticated. That’s very catchy it could be said ultimately. The EP, which was issued on DAST Net Recordings three years ago is finished off by a Kratos` hazy remix of the title track. It is elegantly hazy because of exploiting more external sounds and vowel effects which make sweeping movements across the soundscape and adhere to the hypnotic cadence. In a nutshell, it creates the fascinating surrounding around the listener, I guess, in the face of different periods of the day. It is much better and more haunting one could expect before listening to the first chords.

Effendorf – Love Peace And Slavoj Zizek (2013)

TACHYON

• Alternative 
• Electronic pop 
• Electro pop 
• Primitive 
• Breakcore 
• Techno pop

Comment: I might be feeling myself a little bit disturbed by listening to this 5-track issue. Firstly, it is an electronic music album in false manner where the listener can be a part of deliberately added interfering elements and naïve synthesized passages and primitive electronic appearances. On the other side, it is a highly catchy one thereby eliciting thoughts about the talented musician behind it. Musically it is a smooth case because those sonic needles are put to the forefront and integrated into the whole at the same time. Although the issue is quite short-running the EP includes a bunch of interesting dodges and threads into different styles and effects. What would I say about the title? Love and peace are both very essential topics in the existence of the humankind but the humour is that glue which is an important ingredient to guarantee inner integrity of the phenomena. It is nice to find hints at Slavoj Zizek, which is obviously an ironic stab toward hipsters who naturally like to cite the hipsters` philosopher. By giving attention to the titles of the EP one gets convinced to be true. And as you have already figured out that the first sentence of mine with regard to be slightly disturbed was just a hypothesis about my inner sensations. Now I am feeling the hypothesis come to be true. I am happy with that. Hands up!          

nccptr – Antipodes (2013)

Drowning

• Post-metal 
• Drone metal 
• Doom metal 
• Drone doom metal 
• Avant-metal 
• Post-rock
• Electronic music 
• Epic
• Experimental metal

Comment: nccptr is an one-man-project with former metal music background from Portugal whose 27-minute opus is an instance of slowly droning metal and daringly loping post-rock interludes with unexpected interruptions and “errors”. By listening to it for the first time I checked out my music player to except erroneous bugs within it. However, this is still a case of faith. Given that I believe that the music playing system is ok and all is related to the album. Those “errors” are downrightly electronic and incisively sharp thereby remembering those that come from the tracker music scene and digital hardcore landscape. The purpose of the artist is to investigate disquietude and hopelessness with higher level of abstraction. Despite those tickling overthrows one could experience ennobling guitar progressions in a span of a couple of minutes, between the 19th and 21st minute, which is followed up by the climax of the final part through warped noises, crippled electronics and stereo effects and a powerful guitar noise outburst. At times one could perceive synaesthetic sensations as if listening to an colourful picture. All in all, the result is overwhelming and making highly sense. The issue is a part of the discography of Danny Kreutzfeldt-led imprint Drowning.      

Backyard – The Backyard EP (2013)

Mindblasting

Archive.org

• DIY 
• New Weird Indonesia 
• Free folk 
• Indie folk 
• Lo-fi 
• Drone folk 
• Folk indie 
• Weird folk 
• Art folk

Comment: First of all, I am wondering about the discrepancy between the heard gentle sonic progressions and the size of the Indonesian combo Backyard, which consists of five members who play different instruments. Otherwise I would have thought of it as an one-man project. The combo’s 4-notch issue chimes truly enchantingly at its cute interface of lo-fi, melodica-driven droning, and folk-ish evolvements. Additionally to those dropping glockenspiel chords and guitar keys and the aforementioned drones one could enjoy the singer’s singing in English being coated with the strong accent of one of those native languages. At times he is being accompanied by a female coo. That`s charming. Charming naivety. Just cast a glance at the cover print. One could readily imagine a group of people sitting a back of a house in the garden just drinking a kind of quality tea and chatting and in overall spending time effortlessly on a Sunday. On a sunshiny, happy Sunday. And listening to this handful of DIY inspired tracks, which conveys the precise, mind-provoking impetus to the world. It is not outsider art anymore. Stylistically it might be tagged in that way but substantially it is quite mainstream being hyped up by hipsters. That`s ok. The issue is out from the discography of such prolific label as Indonesian Mindblasting (from noise and post-metal to indie pop and alternative folk). To boost your mind.              

Lemur – Lemur (2013)

Enoughrecords

Free Music Archive

• Stoner rock 
• Alternative rock 
• Post-metal 
• Post-rock 
• Math rock 
• Technical metal 
• Experimental rock 
• Psychedelic rock

Comment: Lisbon, Portugal-based Lemur's 15-track record is long enough to provide many enchanting moments regardless of a quite confined stylistic array. Or maybe I misunderstood the extent of it. In general, it is post-rock though the artist is very keen to go beyond its borders as frequently as it is needed. It in turn depends on how to avoid being an average, even possibly boring post-rock artist. Lemur is successful in doing of it. For instance, monumental guitar, bass and drums interplay is frequently variegated with poignant violin arrangements, sensible glockenspiel chords, psychedelic keyboard interpolation (most remarkably at Widmannstätten). Once in a while the prevalent soundscape consisting of soaring guitars, bold bass lines and thumping drums is jettisoned in favour of rhythmically more high-strung math rock/technical metal/stoner rock/progression rock matrixes (at Cell's Cleavage, for example). One of the most favourite songs is Razor Lung wherein one could trace post-rock-ish instrumentation (at times one could discern even post-punk-ish glimpses) complemented with lofty violin gears reminding of easiness of Penguin Cafe Orchestra, for instance. Spikes and Nails on the other side is the demonstration of power through fast-changing guitar chords, massive overwhelming energy having its source somewhere between blackened and white matter. It is an unsteady madness, and it would be a crime to hold it steady. In a word, this 15-track issue is decorously and expertly played out enough to remind it for a long span of time. The release is a part of the catalogue of Portuguese record label Enough Records.

Cagey House – Stations Alive (2013)

Elegirl

• Post-classical
• Art music
• Electronic music
• Experimentalism
• Hauntology
• Sampledelic
• Avant-garde
• Experimental electronica
• Sound collage
• Psychedelic

Comment: Baltimore, Maryland, US-based resident Dave Keifer aka Cagey House has produced much music since 2005 under different netlabels of whom many still exist and some of them do not anymore. During his 11-year tenure it seems to me he has influenced many artists through his special experiments. For instance, most notably these threads could be heard on Oneothrix Point Never`s album R Plus Seven (2013, Warp) reminding very strongly of Keifer`s albums like 1902 (Bump Foot, 2009), and B For Breakfast (Bypass, 2010), for instance. The recent 7-notch issue was outed on under Japanese imprint Elegirl in 2013. He continues to strengthen his wondrous metaphysical world through sonic and stylistic permutations where warped yet delicate electronic movements are imbued with film noir dark tinged shades and ghastly seeds as if taking place in a remote, isolated place after the doom. It chimes like a miniaturised eerie motion plot which is expressed sonically. One of the ingredients of the formula are undoubtedly simmering psychedelic flickers which in turn are a consequence of improvised sounds. On the other side, many sounds are orchestrated in a way giving the whole a more dynamic and panoramic flow, of course, done on its own terms. Sometimes the aforementioned sonic motes are coated with gentle, exquisite drones which used to flow and hover atop to mesmerise the listener. It could be said Keifer takes on recognized elements of music yet changing it in his own way which eventually result in something very idiosyncratic and original. It could be assumed he takes on piano and classical music which ultimately comes out not being an ordinary example of the styles. It is something far more stylistically, it is somewhat more emotionally to provide much pleasure to the listener. Afford it for yourselves.                   

Coma Cinema – Posthumous Release (2013)

Orchid Tapes

• Singer-songwriter
• Indie pop/rock
• Alternative pop/rock
• Americana
• Chamber pop
• Art rock
• Baroque pop

Comment: I guess anyone of us has at least once brooded about which structural and aesthetic aspects of contemporary indie pop/rock and pop music in general would make sense enough to seduce new audience to its compartment. Given that an average modern indie/alternative combo`s album is a little exciting and quite predictable. By listening to Coma Cinema`s brand new one Posthumous Release I got partly answered to the question. More profoundly, orchestrated sounds in flux, exquisite electronic shades and penumbras which in turn used to dynamically magnify and invigorate, there are represented noisy guitar torrents variegated with melodic Americana incantations where the male vocal timbre is supported by female deliveries. However, this would not be enough to get accomplished because motley needs additional factor melted into an organic whole. This could be either catchy lead motive or mesmerizing harmony progression in the right place or a bunch of proper relationships between the elements to conjure up a synergistic sonic fist. Fortunately Mat Cothran caught it. This 11-track issue involves no notches which could somehow fall short. Furthermore, there are up a handful of compositions of being fair earworms (Satan Made a Mansion, White Trash VHS, Bailey Jay, Burn a Church, Lee (Columbine High Harmony). Of course, he has practised music much enough to get the recent result properly. Undoubtedly his former four issues (three albums plus one EP) were also good ones but this issue obliges. 

Blok - Самый Первый Альбом (2013)

Sirona-Records

• Pop punk
• Hip-hop
• Crossover
• Post-grunge
• Rap

Comment: this is unfortunately bothersome album throughout the 3-track issue which chimes like people with a grunge-y background decided to start a new beginning for themselves, this time with hip-hop explorations. All the songs are sung and chanted in Russian, providing plain, even cliché inclined approach to topics. Indeed, lyrically it does have not much appeal by just repeating already known, worn statements. By the promise of the tag it should have been “garage hip-hop” but it is not. No way. At times one could feel it was produced by teenage schoolmates who needed to express their anxiety through music, however, having no killing effect to realize it. Some refrains are truly disturbing because doing it by using pop/faux punk-y noise walls a la Blink 182, and Green Day because of lacking crispy and nihilistic seeds within it being so characteristic to genuine garage and punk music. In this case all is commonly predictable. Let`s hop their next issues will be produced more sophistically.

Muhr – Lucas Arc (2013)

Laverna

• Post-rock
• Experimental rock
• Avant-rock
• Modern classical
• Electronic music
• Epic
• Cinematic

Comment: Vincent Fugère aka Muhr comes out from a place where the guitar-induced music means a lot. More profoundly, he has based out from Montrèal, Quebec, Canada. There is up a wide spectrum of guitar groups who play it in an unconventional way as it is on the recent 4-track issue. Beyond that he had been the head figure of the fascinating experimental music label Camomille Music, an imprint for modern classical, post-rock, ambient and experimental and electronic music.  For sure, Muhr is a talented musician and producer whose outlet involves a bunch of mind-blowing constructed parts, heroic thematic developments and synergic streaks. For instance, he exploits guitars and mandolins juxtaposed against warped electronic undercurrents to conjure up experimental yet highly appealing results at Lucas Arc Part 2. The same could be said about the rest of the pieces where the epic of overdriven guitars, delicate electro-acoustic scintillas, reversed chords will surface a beatific level to dignify one`s soul and mind. Furthermore, something of this sort could be a soundtrack for any motion picture with fairly lofty content. This sonic gem must be heard and gotten.

Schaua – Get Happy (2013)

Laridae

Bandcamp

• Indietronica
• Electro pop
• Chiptune
• Post-punk
• Neokrautrock
• Alternative dance
• Electro-indie
• Synth-rock
• 8-bit
• Acid pop

Comment: one thing I could not understand in 2015 was the hype of Tame Impala`s Currents. I can approve Kevin Parker is a pre-eminent musician of a new generation but his brand new one was thoroughly bothersome except the first side (A-side) of the vinyl release which consisted of truly awesome songs. However, since the B-side on Kevin Parker`s vocal was immersed in sugary vocal harmonies and musically it did not make sense at all. It was like keeping run on one and the same pace with repeated, predictable turns and therefore finally burning out all the oxygen in the listener`s brain. In fact, I tried to re-position myself as a listener but eventually I could not listen to it even as an adjusted case of muzak anymore. Indeed, I have listened to it for four times so far and apparently trying to listen to it a couple of times yet. If it will not work on me in the future either I really hope to get 30 euros back from Interscope/Fiction/Universal Records. Schaua`s Get Happy though it had not been issued in 2015 sounds stylistically similarly yet musically it a much better case. It starts off with a light-hearted synth pop notch with some (pop) house music influences (effects coming through filters). Later on, this one-man-project reflects more upon acid/pop and indie electronic tendencies being sprinkled with (neo)krautrock legacy (for instance, KC, Guest). Because of that the artist can be put into one compartment with such neokrautrock legends as Pluramon, Mina, To Rococo Rot, Kreidler, Mouse On Mars, Tarwater, Notwist, and Lali Puna. At Guest the listener can perceive subtle chiptune/tracker music/8-bit music progressions with regard to the harmonic side. At Alright Now one could discern Mark E Smith and The Fall`s influences with regard to chesty repeating of the title and pulsating drums and a galvanized bass thread, respectively. All in all, it is emotionally and aesthetically boggling.

Unthunk – Big Boots (2013)

Free Music Archive

• Alternative rock
• Indie rock
• Experimental rock

Comment: there is not much to write about this issue because of providing a couple of short-running pieces only (Big Boots, Spiny Urchin). The single side (Big Boots) is a simplistic one having spot on the repeating phrase “big boots” and bold bass driven beats and some sonic effects coming through and around the structure. Spiny Urchin is a remarkably more flowing one without vocal interventions and bubbly dance rhythms conjured up by the baritone guitar. It could be said despite its austere nature and minimal changes in chords the issue begins to grow after many listening times while the listener is able to discover nuances within the sound. The title track is like an exercise of minimal music for “natural” instruments.

Mirror Lies - Mirror Lies

Keshco - Tyre Dirt