Beth McDonald -- Cold Weather Birding (2016)

Free Music Archive/Archive.org

• Lowercase 
• Ambient 
• Musique concrète 
• Drone 
• Abstract 
• Microtonal 
• Experimental electronica 
• Microsound 
• Field recording 
• Organic electronica

Kuigi see kahelooline pikkadest (mõlemad suti üle 10 minuti) lugudest koosnev taies on salvestatud kaheksa aastat tagasi, siis arusaamad kaasaja AI kasutamise valguses tunduvad hetkel natuke naljakad. Autor mainib, et teos on osaliselt (inimese) kontrollitud, teisalt ka masin ise genereerib helisid. Tänapäeval lubame masinal ise komponeerida -- just see ongi kõige huvitavam osa, kuidas masin etteantud infot tõlgendab. Just see, kuidas ta asjadest saab aru tihti pentsikul viisil, teebki asja huvitavaks. Ongi küsimus, et palju seda ikka arendada -- peakski jätma kolmveerandtoobiseks, et põnevaid vimkasid sisse viskaks. Sõnadega ei ole üldse mõtet jamada, kuivõrd heliline pilt selle järel madaldub suht labaseks popformaadiks (kasutan ise Suno't). Aga instrumentaalformaat žanrimõistetega mängimisel võib anda huvipakkuvaid tulemusi, tõepoolest.

Beth McDonald'i muusika vigiseb, kuivõrd helide minimalism on taandunud helilaine perifeeriasse -- piltlikult öeldes selle skelett kumab vastu. Abstraktne droonmuusika -- kui vaadelda linde Suure Järvistu kaldal külma ilmaga enne lume tulekut -- võib olla vägagi meeleoluloov. Kui laenata Tõnis Kahult, siis "tehnoloogiast koloniseeritud närvisüsteemiga" liikuda loodushelidesse -- lainete ja tuule valla. Aga ka siin jääb kahtlus -- äkki on tegu hoopis lindisahinaga, mida on võimendatud ja kompresseeritud (elik ekspluateeritud tööstusliku loogika alusel); vibreeriva ja viliseva pika noodiga see asi lõppeb. Mis asi see nüüd oli -- reaalsuse või irreaalsuse vallast? Kokkuvõtvalt soovitan kuulata ka teisi naisi eksperimentaalelektroonilises muusikas -- tulemused reeglina on huvitavamad meeste tehtust. Vihjed? Galina Goncharova, Eliane Radigue, Daphne Oram, Oksana Linde, Delia Derbyshire, Ruth White.

Hugo Jugy – Brain Sucks (2016)

Jamendo

Indie rock Post-rock DIY Alternative rock Slacker rock Cowbell indie Art rock Progressive pop Psychedelic Singer-songwriter

14 lugu muusikat 1990.aastal sündinud prantslaselt, keda tänapäeva terminoloogias saaks nimetada lõngusepopi esindajaks. Osaliselt on see õigustatud -- kui ta laulab; mõni esteetpea ütleks, et ta ei oska laulda (see on pigem kiitus -- lihtsalt ei huvita nende laulmisstandardid) --, teisalt on seal siukest mõnusat pastelset lehmakellaindit ning sulnist jätsumaiguga meelelahutuslikku postrokki, mis toob meelde John McEntire'i pühapäevaprojekti Sea And The Cake'i. On see siis madala ja kõrge vastandamine või ei, ent meeleolu loob ja hoiab uhkelt ülal küll. Aju-teema on talle ütlemata tähtis -- lisaks sellele albumile kannab üks tema üllitis pealkirja "Head Voices". Asja huvitavamaks tehes lisab Hugo viguriga kunst- ja progepoppi, mis tasapisi hakkab meenutama progekeigarit Kevin Ayers'it. Iga kuulamisega avanevad praod ja rullub valla kihte, ning koos sellega ka artisti sügavus ning meisterlikkus. Neetult hää asi. Lõunaeestlased ütleksid -- aju immõs!

Misha Panfilov – Kallaste Elektrooniline Muusika (2016)

Bandcamp

• Cosmic synth 
• Easy listening
• Electronic music 
• Ambient pop 
• Library music 
• Dreamwave 

Misha Panfilov`it võib Eesti muusikutest kahtlemata pidada kõige lähemal olevaks nn raamatukogumuusikale. Ega siis see ei peagi olema eesmärk omaette, ent juhatab melomaanidele otsa kätte. Antud neljalooline illustreerib helides ilmekalt helesinist kosmost, pastoraalset varahommikut, keskpäevasest päikeselõõsast tingitud hallutsinatsioone, tüüne suvepäeva päikeseloojangut ning Peipsi järve hiiglaslikku veepeeglit. Meeleolu valitseb, sellal kui artist liigub ühest punktist teise, teisest kolmandasse ning lõpp-punkti – kolmandast neljandasse. Üksnes algus- ja lõpuhetk on tajutavad, vahepealne moodustab tervikhelindi. Vahet ei ole, ehk lugudes seesmiselt on isegi rohkem variatsioone kui lugude vahelises võrdluses. Ajatu üllitis – sobis nii aastasse 2016, sobib aastasse 2022 ning ilmselgelt ka aastasse 2028 (või aastasse 2038). Muusikas on tajutav kerge mõrumagus maik man, kuna muusika on produtseeritud teises lookuses ja teistsuguses keskkonnas ehk Tallinnas. Kui oleksin Kallaste linnapea, siis esimese asjana teeksin ettepaneku muuta käesolev helind väikelinna ametlikuks helindiks. 

8.5 (8.0-9.5)

ANIMAL MACHINE – Trashing Drive Vegetation (2016)

Attenuation Circuit

• Noise 
• Psycho-acoustic 
• Avant-garde 
• Non-music 
• Improvised noise 
• Freeformfreakout 

Pulseerivad müraseinad vallutamas kuulaja kuulmekäike, hinge ja meeleolu. Haarates meelevaldselt kinni albumi avaloo pealkirjast viitab see ilmselt kunstlikule, kätega kokkuklopsitud iseloomule, andes edasi kiht-kihi haaval koostamise taaka. Kuigi jah, olgem ausad, raske on kindlaks määrata käesoleva neljaloolise (tõsi, minu kaustas on viis lugu) albumi algupärast impulssi – kas on tegu determineeritud heliloomingu või lõdvalt komponeeritud teosega. Ilmselt siis mõlemat – võiks eeldada üleval olevast tekstist. Käesoleva albumi kontekstis võib tõdeda, et müramuusika on intrigeeriv fenomen – ühelt poolt vormiliselt primitiivne ja destruktiivne, teisalt jälle tehniliselt meisterlik ja suunitletud. Viimane on oluline esimese aspekti usutavuse väljatoomiseks. Müramuusika agressiivsus on ajalooliselt igati humaanset tähendust omanud – esiisa Luigi Russolo matkis-mõnitas selle läbi sõja(masinate) koledust; destruktiivsust naeruvääristatakse, ning seeläbi lammutatakse. Puhtheliliselt võiks anda sellisele massiivsele helikeelele õigustuse, et looduses kindlasti leidub objekte, mis tekitavad sarnast heli – nt hiiglaslikud kosed Ameerikas ja Aafrikas, vulkaanid ja lumelaviinid. Müramuusika on pealtnäha vaba, ent nähtamatud piirid peituvad selleski. Ühelt poolt piirid ning teisalt nende piiride nähtamatus annavad asu nii seesmise jõule ja tähendusele kui ka petlikule veetlevusele. Popmuusika seevastu kätkeb endast totalitarismi algeid – produktsioonist ja turustusvõtetest kuni enda meeldivaks tegemise meelevaldsuseni. Attenuation Circuit on selle üllitanud.

7.5 (7.0-8.0)

Hinterheim – Tillage ! (2016)

Free Music Archive

Bandcamp

• Post-rock 
• Avant-rock 
• Experimental rock 
• Musique concrète 
• Art rock 

Oksitaania (Prantsusmaa poole jäävast piirkonnast) ühemehe postrokk-kombo üllitis koosneb kahest loost, mis algselt olid väikesetiraažilise (33 tk) kassettväljaande a- ja b-pool. Lugude pikkus ületab natuke kümmet minutit, paljastades muusikaliselt eepilised kitarrivalendikud, mis looklevad ja tõusevad. Siiski tekstuur on otsustav, pakkudes eriilmelisust – lisaks selgema kõla skaalale on kuulda ähmast õndsust, mis annab muusikaliselt õige knihvi. Kuulaja ja kitarrimassiivi vahele jääb virtuaalne distants, mis siiski kõlab kaugustes võimsalt ja natuke pahaendeliseltki. Artist ei tee saladust, et on mõjutatud mõjuvõimsa Montréal'i leibeli Constellation Records'i artistidest. Omalt poolt lisaksin artisti kaasmaalaste Natural Snow Buildings'i imetabased maastikud. Vaadates pilti Sylvain'i atribuutikast – jah, ainult elektrikitarr, kuid märkimisväärses koguses efektimasinaid, võib nentida, et maailm on artisti kätes ning kompromisse ei tehta. Eks kitarridest püütakse destilleerida optimaalne maksimum ning juurde lisatakse näputäis konkreethelisid tänavatelt ning lühikesi müraintervalle. Väga veenev kitarrimuusika, mis samaaegselt osutab nii ilmsele kui varjatule, nii käegakatsutavale kui haaramatule.

Joli-Joli – EP (2016)

Nowaki Music

• Krautrock 
• Yacht pop 
• Motorik 
• Easy listening 
• Synth-pop 
• Electronic 
• Ambient pop 
• Psychedelic 
• Space pop

Prantsuse eksperimentaal(pop)muusikaleibeli Nowaki Music all üllitatud suurepärane neljalooline EP, milles on loojuva päikese oranžkollakat helki, pildudes ebamaiseid varje merelaintele sellal kui vajudes aegamööda horisondi taha. See ongi peaasjalikult elektrooniline kosmosepopi varjundiga jahtpop, mis annab ajale mitmekordselt aeglustava käigu. Suurepärased süntesaatorihelid kuldavad kuulajat, pumbates kaduva päeva nostalgiat eespool taanduvast päikesest. Öko. Erandiks – samas eelpoolmainitud muusika vitaalseks kontrastiks – on ülimõjus motoorne psühhedeelia-krautkäiamine, mis ihub peeneks kõik, mis on sätitud selle rajale ("I Retrieved! Yourself!"). Iga päev. Iga kell. Iga minut.

Stefi del Cosmos – Stefi del Cosmos (2016/2019)

Death Roots Syndicate

Bandcamp

• Stoner rock 
• Psychedelic 
• Hard rock
• Rockabilly 
• Heavy psych 
• Grunge 
• Doom rock 

Argentiinlanna Stefi koos kahe abilisega (Lucas Kapovic, Pablo Genuardi) manamas raskema sammuga rokki sellel viieloolisel üllitisel, mille on oma kaitsva tiiva alla võtnud Death Roots Syndicate (esimest korda reliisiti 2016. aastal). Igati õnnestunud jõudemonstratsioon kitarridel – rifid, rifid ja rifid ning jõuline naisvokaal esiplaanil. Aga see on ühtlasi ka tagaplaan. Või siis tagaplaan üleüldse puudub. Eks meenuvad aeg-ajalt tuntud amatsoonid rokilavadelt nagu Shirley Manson, PJ Harvey ja Justine Frischmann Elastica eesotsas. Kohati lastakse muusikasse ka psühhedeelseid allhoovusi, kohati kõrbeliiva sõõrmetest sisse tuisata. Ühte äärmusesse jääb doom ja teises otsas on velvetine Americana, aga need on ajutised, mis kuigi kauaks püsima ei jää. Vahele ka rockabilly`t. Miski siin žanriliselt kaua ei püsi. Tõele au andes. On see siis grunge`i valem?  Hea asi, hästi mängitud ning produtseeritud. Vana kooli rokk noh. 

Pinballsound – Дирижабль (2016)

Bandcamp 

• Soviet wave
• Alternative pop 
• Soft rock 
• Indie pop 
• Synth-pop 
• Dance pop

Pinballsound's 8-track issue can be described under the characteristics of the so-called Soviet wave which in fact is a very loose tag stylistically, more it is just a discernible case. Otherwise it can be described an example of emotionally overloaded soft rock and synthetic pop in Slavic sauce. Getting partly inspiration from kitschy Soviet estrada pop and overall nostalgic milieu (all may seem more green and less problematic because the last decade of the USSR coincided with many musicians' childhood and for many Russians it seems to me personal welfare would worsen remarkably) and on the other side exploiting contemporary alternative pop trickery. Additionally there is also represented the romantics of space age.

Spectrum Control – Hunters At Cyber Dawn (2016)

Field Hymns

• Drone pop
• Organcore
• Indie pop
• Lo-fi
• Krautrock
• Experimental pop/rock
• Electronic
• Avant-pop/rock
• Psychedelic

Ameeriklase Dewey Mahood'i (Plankton Wat, Eternal Tapestry, Edibles) ühemeheprojekti Spectrum Control'i kümneloolist üllitist on kirjeldatud kui Galaxie 500 trummimasinaga, kui neelupõletikku põdevat Yo La Tengot maagiliste seente peal; kui mõnd Saksa punti, keda sa ei ole kuulnud, aga peaksid kindlasti kõrva peale panema. Teravmeelsusi sissejuhatavaks eineks küllalt, aga omalt poolt kirjeldaksin seda muusikat kui ühendavat lüli Ty Segall'i ja Moon Duo ning esimese otsa, sirgjoonelisest krautrokist ja kingapõrnitsemisest läbiimbunud Stereolab'i vahel. Ja nende bändide kaudu räägivad loomulikult Saksa rohkem- ja vähemelektroonilised rokkansamblid minevikust. Kuulates lugu Street Thunder lisanduvad Teutooni kaasaegsed (piiripealsed) krautrokkarid nagu Kreidler, Mouse On Mars, To Rococo Rot, Lali Puna. Muidugi tuleb valemisse lisada tee-seda-ise esteetika ja selle teenistusse rakendatud droonpopp ja lo-fi piiramatu mängulisus. Piiramatu mitte absoluutses, vaid tinglikus tähenduses; lõpmatute valikute seast konkreetsete helide väljavalimine ja nendega opereerimine. Siin on seda peent kidrade ja elektrooniliste klahvpillide vahelist sisse- ja väljalülitamist, aga Dewey Mahood teeb seda elegantselt jämedate helikudede vahendusel, milles on jõudu, sügavust ja dünaamikat. Rokib, rokib; rokib täiega. Tõsi, lugu nimega Terry Coltrane siseneb oma allasurutud hillitsetuses tänapäeva kosmiliste sündivõlurite manu (Daniel Lopatin, M Geddes Gengras, Steve Hauschildt). Suurepärase albumi on üllitanud plaadifirma Field Hymns.

Marco Lucchi – Se da lontano (2016)

Breathe Compilations

Bandcamp

• Modern classical 
• Microtonal 
• Post-classical 
• Ambient 
• Drone 
• Avant-garde 
• Experimentalism 
• Minimalism 
• Piano music 
• Ambient drone 
• Dark ambient

Comment: prolific Italian, Modena-residing musician Marco Lucchi's 5-notch outing is a bit different with one exception than some other albums I have heard by him so far. Of course, there is represented drone music, his profound minimalist approach inclined to reach profound, organic mysticism and otherworldly spirituality of dark ambient which is being characteristic to other Italian juggernauts like Ain Soph, Stefano Musso aka Alio Die, Gianluigi Gasparetti aka Oöphoi, and Lorenzo Montanà (just naming a few of the crowd) as well. Indeed, in some tracks like Shady and the title track spiritual dimensions are vamped up with the aid of vibrant drones being accomplished by immersive yet slightly awe-induced orchestrations as if walking around under the ground, in a catacomb somewhere in Southern Italy embraced by skulls, decay and the presence of centuries as an ennobling and frightening continuum. One can perceive the presence of Grim Reaper who represents both death and life, existence and disappearance (the counterparts can be evaluated and ennobled being placed side by side – there is no need to live forever, there is the need to be active/creative and contemplative and search for unity with the rest of Universe). At Psiche Abbandonata, the aforementioned exception, a listener can enjoy a skillful, expressive improvisation on an oboe by Paulo Chagas being accompanied on a sparse piano accompaniment by Matteo Marchisano-Adamo. The overwhelming, mind-broadening outing is a bit in the discography of the Mexican imprint Breathe Compilations.

Pogo – Weightless (2018)

Bandcamp

• Sampledelic 
• Plunderphonics 
• Avant-pop 
• Electronic pop 
• Shibuya-kei 
• Sound collage 
• Alternative dance

Comment: this 15-notch album is certainly a pure blessing in disguise. Its "disguised" nature comes out as twofold as a musical release and as an instance of plunderphonic music (the idea of employing other artist's music in the way to create something absolutely new and different). Given that a good plunderphonic album to be once properly produced it needs much exhaustive work to gather many fitting samples and sounds from a huge amount of cultural heritage. Musically the Australian artist Nick Bertke mixes up a fabulously lofty soundtrack of ennobling melodies and propulsive rhythms either on iterative manner or progressive mood (the uplifting cover print feeds also the fantasy of the nature of the release). Of course, there are up some sort of Japanese impressions in the vein of Shibuya-kei and atmospheric dance pop similar to the likes of Fantastic Plastic Machine, and Pizzicato 5. There are up a couple of tracks that could be added to possible ideal compilation of mine. For instance, Data & Picard, in the refrain it is repeated the phrase She-eere-Khaan, She-eere--Kha-aan in a truly blissful, mind-blowing way. With regard to catchiness the same can be said about a track entitled Trumpular (by sampling the recent president of the United States). The tiny parts constitute a big whole. Great sound, astonishing issue.

Natural Snow Buildings – Aldebaran (2016)

Vulpiano

Free Music Archive

Bandcamp

Archive.org

• Experimental folk 
• Free folk 
• Ambient 
• Drone folk 
• New Weird France 
• Avant-folk 
• Epic 
• Post-folk 
• Minimalism 
• Psych-folk 
• Ambient folk 
• Improvised music 
• Drone

Comment: I can remember for my first hearing about Aldebaran was related to a Soviet movie, The Mystery of the Third Planet (1981) being accompanied by a great electronic musical background of Aleksandr Zatsepin (which is now sought by many music lovers worldwide). Aldebaran is one of the most luminous stars in the Universe and it is something which inspired the enigmatic French duo of Mehdi Ameziane and Solange Gularte (being active as NSB since the end of the 90s) to create this 25-track magnum opus. Musically it is thoroughly hypnotic without any exceptions full of droning, intensified guitar and cello chords and lofty feedback-trodden reverberations in the course of almost six hours. A smouldering symphony as an output for something colossal and beautiful. Beyond all the sonorous sounds and faint effects (at times one hears a bagpipe, a melodica, a flute, electro-acoustic clanging, vowels and spoken words) one could discern the structure of songs used to rely on minimal ground through smooth shifts thereby providing a strong wondrous impact on a listener's perception and consciousness. In some sense, it is like a folk/drone version of vaporwave music due to strongly retrodelic, past anchored timbres at first sight yet nevertheless all the result seems to go ahead of our time, go ahead of us like very distant stellar objects do shine to us like being mixed up of reality and mysticism. The whole (sound) resonates physically and seemingly consciously through air. It is called cosmic om, isn't? The album inserts healing awe and purgative wonder to get distracted from surrounding crap and start feeling oneself again to be an integrated part of this tremendous solemn village. In some sense, unfortunately, the release is a bittersweet elegy to our malignant existence on Earth (the issue is finished off with an emblematically entitled track, The Drowned Church). The magnificent issue is a part of the discography of Vulpiano. Simply irresistible magical glimpse.

Marco Lucchi – Kosmische (2016)

Batenim

• Drone 
• Minimalism 
• Avant-garde 
• Experimentalism 
• Kosmische Musik 
• Ambient drone 
• Microtonal

Comment: this album consists of a couple of compositions by the prolific Modena-based, Italian artist Marco Lucchi. Yeah, (re)discover his albums through Bandcamp, and Archive.org! One of those tracks on Kosmische reaches a 65 minute, the other one does a 5 minute. In general, the outing is subjugated to minimal progressions and microscopic touches yet all the drones represented over there seem to be craftily spiritualised and purified from any possible excessive burden. Indeed, all is poignantly focused and magnified into new qualities. More profoundly, one can hear slightly vibrant cathedral-alike colours within the drones at times being embellished with faint reverberant voices as if the metaphor of fading memories. It is imbued with feelings being somehow ennobling and sad at the same time. It is like a rootless floating in Outer Space a billions of miles away from pillaged Earth because the human being was not able to change its economic course and first of all its devastating life style as the very reason of it. The music is dedicated to Florian Fricke (1944-2001), a Krautrock/Kosmische Musik juggernaut being the leader of Popol Vuh. The highly recommended outing is a part of the discography of Batenim.

Anabasis – Alexander (2016)

Østpreussen

Østpreussen

• Art music 
• Ambient 
• Avant-garde 
• Neoclassical 
• Drone 
• Dark ambient 
• Conceptual 
• Experimentalism 
• Ambient drone

Comment: this handful of tracks is dedicated to one of the greatest, Alexander the Great who similarly to other outstanding rulers and generals spilled blood to fasten his name in the annals of the history. In fact, as a person he was driven by inferior characteristics like low self-esteem and later megalomania, he probably hated everyone and everything, obviously the teachings and ethics by the greatest one Aristotle didn't reach him. The people around him were just pawns to fulfil his own ambitions. Conceptually the purpose of the Swedish musician Henri Summanen's purpose is to fantasise about the feelings Alexander felt in these crucial moments while occupying new countries, territories and civilizations. Musically it is an epic expression through the mix of ennobling droning and shimmery stringed instruments and reverberant applications behind the sound. One can hear extended chords being stretched over the drones thereby building up an impressive mystical milieu. Furthermore, variegated sunshiny and shadowy elements allow a propulsive, dynamical sensation which overwhelms the course. Inevitably it goes beyond the borders of the aforementioned styles by straddling on more technical (and less emotive) approaches like sound art and electro-acoustic music. The enchanting outing is a part of the discography of a Russian, Svetlogorsk-based imprint, Østpreussen.

Cousin Silas – Memories Of A Journey (2016)

Batenim

• Ambient 
• Soundscape 
• Microtonal 
• Drone 
• Minimalism 
• Avant-garde 
• Kosmische Musik 
• Experimentalism 
• Space music 
• Ambient rock 
• Ambient drone 
• Guitar ambient 
• Post-classical

Comment: the 60-year-old Englishman David Hughes aka Cousin Silas is being known as a guitarist who likes to create (and extend) soundscapes for wide and broad and profound. He has been a prolific artist whose number of works in frequency can only be compared with an Israeli artist, Wings Of An Angel. Despite the minimal nature of work his soundscapes seem to be filled in with an internal burning as if longing for something out of reach. One can move toward it yet one can never catch it. In a word, it is intimidating and appealing at the same time. Secondly, despite the minimal nature of work all the changes to have appeared during this long-running course conjure up tectonic changes in the listener's mood and imagination. Not only guitars have been managed to play tricks on a listener's mood and mind but also superficial dissonant flickers and beatific vibrations add a drift into another direction. At One Note it is not stylistically far away from such a genius as Robert Fripp. After such an issue it can be admitted the genius nature of David Hughes. By kindred souls it can also be drawn comparisons with such artists as Bing Satellites, Riccardo Cirani, Drew Miller aka Brother Saturn, Gaetano Fontanazza, Nick Nightingale, Stephen Briggs. This superb audio photograph is a part of the discography of the Batenim Netlabel.

i AM esper – My Withering Life (2012)

Fall Into Void Recs

• Post-rock 
• Art rock 
• Noise rock 
• Epic 
• Experimental rock 
• Avant-rock

Comment: the US-based artist's 4-notch outing is all about guitars, about clanging and shrieking yet elliptically running guitar patterns. The patterns used to repeat with a slight ambient touch. Of course, Justin Palmieri has been very prolific since 2009, since inception of the project so any minutiae and slightest details I guess is thoroughly developed and analysed. He uses clamorous noises and even melodic sequences atop other layers as if a (noise) poppy version of Glenn Branca's noise symphonies. Indeed, beauty can be perverse and ennobling at the same time – it is a radically indicative anthem for our recent miserable situation globally. Neither Trump nor the leftists can save us although there is up the brainless sort of messianism on both sides. There is no organic ideas and general consensus which could be promulgated within a society. There is no Jesus and Yeezus and will be no Jesus or Yeezus but just hunger and calamities can be seen to come in. All is torn apart. We are poisoning ourselves stepwise to death. Overpopulated Earth is the truly horrendous reality. At least at the same time we can listen to music and enjoy art like this. A party at the time of the plague.

Tracing Arcs – Waste Not, Want Not – Wasteland Remixes (2016)

23 Seconds

Jamendo

Archive.org

• Electronic music 
• Remixes 
• Alternative dance 
• Breaks 
• Art pop 
• Ambient pop 
• Space pop 
• Chilltronica 
• Easy listening

Comment: Tracing Arcs is a British duo consisting of Fran Kapelle (vocal/lyrics), and Paul H. Addie (synths/guitar/programming) who have been active since the 90s and released music on such imprints as iD.EOLOGY, Mixedmode, Dusted Wax Kingdom, 23 Seconds. It is interesting that their albums would be accompanied by remix outings and their excellent Wasteland (2014, 23 Seconds) is not the exception in the case. Wasteland is a sublime mix of Fran Kapelle's seductive singing and love theme-ridden incantations and differing styles ranging from velvety downtempo, slowly flickering nu jazz and cinematic trip-hop beats to more propulsive big beat and synth-rock impulses. Let's call it a decent example of art pop. However, Waste Not, Want Not provides a difference due to stylistically more stable format. It may musically be less immersive and more volatile thereby there can be drawn parallels upon the like of Saint Etienne, another British charming combo. It is more straightforward due to be more cadence oriented. On the other side, some modes and paces are slowed down and magnified to provide some monumental seconds and profound minutes for a music lover's sake. Sultry rhythms, spaced-out flanges and ennobling progressions as motives are there inseparably around. In a nutshell, the result of nine tracks is thoroughly enchanting.

Hamlet His Highness – For All & None (2016)

Foundamental

Archive.org

Bandcamp

• Space rock 
• Avant-rock 
• Psych-rock 
• Ambient rock 
• Post-rock 
• Chamber rock

Comment: recently I have unfortunately met a human being for whom I have done a huge favour to make headway in her professional life and general welfare but later I have discovered she is an emotionally stupid one (though intellectually she is rather smart) because she can not recognise positive and friendly (and just sexually neutral) attitude for her. Just talking with her is something you are stalked by searching possible "faults", it is something truly exhaustive by being attacked unexpectedly and by reason. Does she get satisfaction from it by saying negatively? Are she searching for a place under the Sun? A drama queen with inferiority complexes. The only way is to reject her as much as possible by having no word with her even while sitting nearby her. An unlucky girl though for whom I cannot feel no compassion. What could help against and for these people? It might be such sort of music represented by a Belarusian combo called Hamlet His Highness whose music played truly loud will introduce oblivion in one's soul. I would call it an example of improvised post-rock, at times it is an example of elliptically rotating space rock played by a couple of musicians. Lots of chord changes on electric guitars and all of that being amplified and panned by violin bows. Both spatially and emotively it is an exquisite instance. One's contracted soul will be expanded, healed again. As the title hints at it – for all and none (other possibilities/remedies are to listen to the Smiths or The Fall – I just bought 6-CD box The Fontana Years where MES provides poignant descriptions to us of how ridiculous we are. It gives always a heck).

Svann E. Langguth – Drei- Und Vierstimmige Interventionen & Polymorphe Vivisektion (2016)

Der Kleine Grüne Würfel

Archive.org

• Lo-fi 
• Improvised noise 
• Experimental rock 
• Electronic music 
• Experimentalism 
• DIY 
• Noise 
• Psycho-acoustic 
• Drone 
• Abstract 
• Avant-garde 
• Avant-rock

Comment: there is quite much to say about this 16-piece whole. In other words, one can write a solid review in alphabetic characters about it. The artist created the music on DIY modules built up by himself. It consists of two parts – three and four-voice interventions, and polymorphic vivisections. By its mood it is at times tumultuous due to intense noisy droning and whimsical glitched-out whirlpools, at times it used to fade away due to those oblivious guitar patterns being somewhere in the remote background. At times the aforementioned parts will fuse with one another or being the transgressive threshold for the other part. In fact, it is even more versatile than the full title of this album hints at it. It reminds me of my own musical doings while manipulating on my sampler Yamaha – by extracting sounds into very small units and moving them back and forth and searching for proper ones. In principle, it is nothing more or less than just (shape)shifting austere sonic waves and just bare signals to align them with one`s cerebral interface. Some magniloquent sort of improvised noise by its method and output. At times it chimes like a real, spirited embodiment of electricity (at QuadNand vierstimmig). By the way, I tagged the album partly as DIY, and lo-fi. Of course, it is the discussion point of considering any sort of electronic music as somehow lo-fi, or DIY. May it be a bit tautological? Pop-inflected music can be more clearly handled as hi-fi and lo-fi.  The overcoming outing is a part of the discography of Germany-based imprint Der Kleine Grüne Würfel.

Victor Jouk – Cosmic Voyager (2016)

Haze

Bandcamp

• Electronic music 
• Experimental electronica  
• Kosmische Musik
• Alternative 
• Kraut-electro 
• Minimal synth

Comment: Victor Jouk dreams of the same thing the human race has been dreaming from very far times. About conquering outer space which though seems to remain an unobtainable dream for us. Of course, music has been one of the best instruments to indulge in very deep fantasies. There are up even such terms as Kosmische Musik, space music to describe the relationship between our dream and a certain sort of music genre. The genre mentioned in the first place came from Germany being closely related to the so-called Krautrock which in general is being the umbrella term to embrace any sort of experimental music germs to have emerged from Germany from the end of the 60s and through the 70s. All of that was a direct output of the self-awareness of German youth. In the narrow sense, Krautrock makes reference to German experimental rock combos and artists like Neu!, CAN, Faust, Guru Guru, Amon Düül, Achim Reichel. This 6-notch release being released on a Belarusian imprint, Haze reflects upon our ambition through its cover print as something naive, hostile and ridiculous. Musically those blue dreams are bugged by some primitive and a bit abrasive electronic communicative smacks and hoarsely groovy sonic effects. The term "groovy" is not thought in the classical term of dance music. It is something which defies an easy way to be classified. Maybe the formula can be depicted kraut meets dyslexic electro meets smeared minimal synth meets fun meets even some orthodox academic approach. Aesthetically and by pleasure it is a very convincing result. By kindred souls there can be drawn parallels upon the likes of Konrad Schnitzler, and Asmus Tietchens. If you have an enough amount of money to spend then you could make a gift to Elon Musk under the magniloquent explanation Flight to Mars. It is as an analogue way of behaviour as to listen to Jared Leto and his company's unfledged sound.