Deophobic Necrosis – Persecution (2016)

Torn Flesh

Bandcamp

• Death metal 
• Brutal metal 
• Grindcore 
• Goregrind 
• Crust punk

Comment: it is nice to be back again at Torn Flesh. Predominantly does it mean to experience something brutal and aggressive. The human being as a species is violent and for me as a fucking human being it is very suitable to float in a soup of death metal, grindcore, and crust punk (with verbal hints at killing, atrocities and other adverse things). Supposedly aggressiveness is closely related to the development of intelligence so for Western European people there is no chance to get survived while being exposed to the so-called soft values. With regard to it for almost every day we are exposed to bloody news about the collapse of Russia soon but such sort of news are profoundly fake. Do you believe in the collapse of a country who owns a huge territory with a fathomable amount of resources, whose population is high-spirited due to their religion and who don't give a heck to weird and weakening and frequently contrary impulses coming out of the Western side, and who own the optimal amount of aggressiveness to survive and develop further. That's called the evolution. The point of mine is that the Western world used to undermine itself from inside and through uncontrollable migration (which is caused by those who are elected by us due to wars being induced to get entrance to new resource fields. As you see it is a fucked-up closed circle). Actually Deophobic Necrosis hints at the conflict between Christians and Muslims thoughout the 16-track outing. Yeah, Deophobic Necrosis provides a vital and uncompromising whiff of energy which is needed to get out of a pink dream. You can also listen to it as an alleviating remedy to the closed circle hinted above.

PSK – Greatest Hits-Anarchy In The Indie (2016)

Ear Alert

Archive.org

• Indie rock 
• Alternative rock 
• Psych-rock 
• Avant-rock 
• Noise pop 
• Hardcore 
• Indie punk 
• Speed metal 
• Reggae 
• Ska 
• Acid rock 
• Space rock

Comment: I have mentioned a couple of articles about flourishing Indonesian music scenes recently. However, the information about the prolific Indonesian indie scene was earlier to be well known. Here it is one of those spicy examples. By considering the title of this 9-notch issue there are only two possibilities to come into fruition – if it is seriously thought then this may obviously be a dead born, dull crap. Or secondly it may be vamped up with tongue-in-cheek attitude where the aesthetic of an issue is turned over the top, into a frantic rush. Fortunately the latter description is the case. Straight blatant bashes with speed metal, hardcore punk, and noise pop bottoms are subverted by acidic, freely manipulated keyboards and a melodica (or melodica-alike instrument). In true, when the melodica takes the lead then the ragged psychedelia will change into a gentle reggae or ska number. The singing manner is truly groovy, from loud shouting and screaming to anxiety laden reciting and desperation tinged singing. By kindred souls there can be drawn parallels upon the likes of Motörhead, Hawkwind, Acid Mothers Temple, Atomic Butterfly, The Damned, The Fall. Ear Alert is the imprint behind this fascinating nuke.

Brice Catherin – Best Hits – Recent Works For Percussion Ensembles (2016)

Pan Y Rosas Discos

• Improvised music 
• Avant-garde 
• Experimentalism 
• Electro-acoustic 
• Live 
• Conceptual

Comment: this bunch of 5 compositions is not a usual way for defining his/her own oeuvre. Indeed, the French composer Brice Catherin's music is being far away from an average pop album, far away from an average pop jazz issue either. It is a tight improvisation by exploiting magnified cello chords, droning melodica spans, storytelling, windbells, intense drumming. The description can be attributed to the chronologically second part of the issue dedicated to Baubo, the mystical goddess of fertility and performed live by the Norwegian Pinquins in Oslo. The first part being inspired by a Russian composer of classical music, (Galina Ivanovna Ustvolskaya), rotates mentally and physically around one piano being played by three pianists and two percussion players though they use their voices as well (Ensemble Batida). Musically it is an affair between tumultuous progressions and sonic clusters and on the other side by silent, as if still life incantations. This is the fifth issue by Brice Catherin on Chicago, the US-based Pan Y Rosas Discos.

Vavabond – No-Brain Improv (2016)

Pan Y Rosas Discos

Free Music Archive

Bandcamp

• Improvised music 
• Avant-garde 
• Microtonal 
• Glitchtronica 
• Experimentalism 
• Electronic music 
• Abstract 
• Drone 
• Avant-electronica 
• Experimental electronica

Comment: this issue being released on Pan Y Rosas Discos is played by Li Qing, Liu Xinyu, and Adam Macgregor in an exhausted state of mind with intention to reject the purposeful work of mind and brain being switched off as much as possible behind it. It is a paradoxical case to come out as a somehow conceptual work because the concepts are the brain related only. As I have understood the audience was also absent-minded at the performance so for a distant listener it is a privilege to try the both variants. At the moment while listening to it in clear state of mind it is a quite extreme case as if partaking in a recycling process of noisy debris being cut into a thousands of pieces and thereafter organised into either fluffy or faintly drilling droning process. Does represent such a sort of "faulty", messy thing for inability of the body to exist without the brain? Could you perceive any traces of mental energy? Could you see/hear bare electrified impulses running between the synapses across the brain? At least in the beginning the listener can hear a little span of piano playing to be rejected very soon. However, the piano playing seems to be rational and structured. Maybe it was just added to accentuate the following glitched-out chaos. Yeah, it is intriguing in its conceptual and non-musical sense through the process of creating and abandoning at the same time. By its minimal, even defiantly microscopic/tonal approach it reminds of Kaffe Matthews' some works. What's next? After having listened to such a sort of austere yet mind-provoking format for many times in a row I am tempted to put on The Commodores' United LP.

Shea Bilè – Tzimtzum (2016)

Torn Flesh

Bandcamp

• Neoclassical 
• Spoken word 
• Hip-hop 
• Rap 
• Darkwave 
• Crossover 
• Neofolk 
• Apocalyptic folk

Comment: undoubtedly this 7-track issue is one of the most peculiar ones I have encountered within recent months. Given that the issue comes out of the imprint Torn Flesh Records hip-hop as a partial way to create music was a quite huge surprise. In truth, Shea Bilè represents his cryptic, diabolical yet somehow lofty lyrics by rapping and chanting intermittently. At times his side is accompanied by operatic female singing. The rest part of the formula is more conventional if it could be possible to say in this way – neoclassical ornaments and darkwave-esque carvings are up there to veil the whole with the more murky curtain. By listening to it one should admit that a human being is the biggest enemy to herself/himself. One searches for redemption to get rid of nothing. Yeah, it is our obligation to create values and comply our duties but there is a danger to get overstretched for the sake of Nothing.

Los Pilotos – The Process Of Learning (2016)

Pan Y Rosas Discos

Free Music Archive

• Krautrock 
• Psych-rock
• Electronic 
• Experimental rock 
• Avant-rock 
• Improvised music 
• Motorik

Comment: just discovered that the 4-notch outing was released exactly two years ago. Behind the project are three men, more profoundly, Eric Es, Alex Morales, and Keith Helt (I guess obviously the one and same person who sends announcements and information about coming brand new releases on Chicago-based imprint Pan Y Rosas Discos to your email address if you are subscribed at the site). They play guitars, the bass, the drums, and synths/electronic devices to produce a dizzy rock embodiment with incisive angle toward knee-deep psychedelia, and avant-garde/avant-rock. More detailedly, the combo employ many electronic manipulations and sampled spoken word cuts to create both disorienting and somehow lofty feeling as if tearing off the conventional social borders around them. They set themselves and the listeners free. All what we want to be is to be free. Scarf Of Hair is a stoned mix of speed metal and psychobilly. Lemmy would have been proud of it. One of the compositions, We Ooze In All Directions, can temporally be considered the central composition because it will have clocked at a 20 minute. However, musically it is an analogous yet exalting case. I like the trio's approach by crafting rehearsal room tinged raw sound (all that massively tectonic romp at the bottom and keyboard skronking atop). The mentioned track reminds of some anti-establishment bound rock compositions like Velvet Underground's Sister Ray, and Faust's Krautrock. It is followed by the self-titled track based on an electronically, filter-heavy and debris filled storytelling and the whole track as a disturbed composition in overall as if driven by a convulsive interplay between the closed and opened stereophonic channels. In a word, it is a truly overcoming, truly cutting-edge release even in terms of the era of postmodernism. What else could I add? The rest of the albums by Los Pilotos the listener could get from within the site of Pan Y Rosas Discos (and Free Music Archive) should also be listened to.

Thrust Pomp – Very Cool Party (2016)

20kbps

• Rave music 
• Electronic music 
• Hardstep

Comment: in some sense, this 4-notch outing sounds like a mocking caricature of such styles as rave, acid house, and acid techno. First of all, the set consists nominatively of such parts as Awesome Sex Party, Roaring Dirty Party, Extremely Nice Party, and Truly Marvellous Party. I recently watched a quite infantile, clichè-ridden, smartass citations-stuffed motion picture called Friends with Benefits (2011) and this issue would suitably have been a proper soundtrack for the film if Mila Kunis were replaced by some thematically relevant "actresses" like Erika B. or Simona V. and Justin Timberland could have much more fun in the alternative case. Heavily thumping rhythms are overdriven by electro progressions as if the depiction of a heavy... at different angles. More actions and less words. Less verbal onanism. The suggestively seedy release is produced by Vziel, and released on 20kbps imprint.

Fortadelis – Overdub Session [Jazzed Up] (2016)

Cyan Music

Jamendo

• Nu jazz 
• Italo disco 
• Electronic pop 
• Deep house 
• Yacht pop 
• Mood music 
• Synth fusion 
• Jazz house 
• Chilltronica 
• Remakes

Comment: it's great honour to share my listening experience of Croatian artist Fortadelis' issue Jazzed Up. Previously I did it about Stimulus which is also a marvellous listening experience. As the title suggests this 9-notch outing is about jazz...at least partly. Indeed, all the modern/nu/acid jazz facets are elegantly represented over there. Moreover, Fortadelis is a potent artist who needs no other artists to remix the tracks to give it an additional value but instead of it he creates by himself it by shifting from the electronically swinging jazz and serene synth fusion and yacht pop glimpses to more immersive areas like deep house based numbers. There is just one little but. All the tracks were originally created by German Marco Köller and Fortadelis would change them into more sultry and sunshiny flickers. All the time one can feel an overwhelming dynamic impulse which is the main driving and unifying power giving no chance to deviate from a listening course. All in all, if you need an uncompromising crossover issue of electronic jazz, moody reflections, and refined club dance, you should pick it up. A cut above being issued on such platform as Cyan Music, and Jamendo.

Mountain Cloth – The Pony (2016)

Bandcamp

• Alternative rock 
• Indie rock 
• Post-punk 
• Art rock 
• Noise pop

Comment: today Bandcamp is the best platform to find out the best recent music. I am disillusioned to find it from within major labels whose policy toward the artists has reportedly been disgusting and unnatural. Especially hypocritical used to be those aficionados who pretend to be independent. Bergen, Norway-based Mountain Cloth is one of such artists who showcase of how to cross guitars with sublime studio trickery regarding electronics and slightly bent songwriting. Their aesthetic reminds me of Echo & The Bunnymen a bit. By listening to their 4-notch outing it is like driving along sonic rollercoaster. From silent, immersive chords and artsy atmospheric synth and guitar mixed lofty developments to hirsute guitar outfits and incisive noisy outbursts. Furthermore, between the layers one can feel something which sets the music free. And it is a great value and virtue in this hopelessly fucked-up, quasi-technological world (we pretend to fly to Mars while having no real premises to do it). Instead of the miserable dreaming, just enjoy this decent rocking span.

Seedge – Assorted Selections (2016)

Bandcamp

• Breaks 
• Electronic music 
• Nu jazz 
• Easy listening 
• Mood music 
• Cinematic 
• Sampledelic 
• Acid jazz 
• Funk

Comment: Seedge is an artist from Montréal, Canada whose 11-track outing is a miscellany of predominantly baggy beats and cinematic progressive horizons atop demonstrating stylistically its dwelling place somewhere between nu jazz, sampledelic/sound collage, and easy listening though the listener can experience detours into psychedelic, funk and yacht pop/rock either. Beyond that music is embellished with some mind-blowing tricks from a recording session set. In general, the result is uplifting and provides an additional space for the listener. Nice work.

Arte Sacra Atelier – Piano (2016)

Kermesse

• Modern classical 
• Ambient drone 
• Post-classical 
• Art music 
• Ambient 
• Experimentalism 
• Avant-garde

Comment: the piano as an instrument has been often considered as the synonym of the classical music but for an average contemporary person classical music is obviously being considered as boring. Of course, it is a superficial approach because in the first place there is interesting music within the genre and secondly you can hear such artists as Nils Frahm, Hauschka, Lubomyr Melnyk, Max Richter who have given the piano a contemporary approach. Of course, the piano as an instrument alone is restricted but by adding to it some electronic extensions, and sonic effects and the result is generally great. Arte Sacra Atelier, an artist from San Antonio defines himself/herself more broadly, or at least beyond the borders of piano at his/her Bandcamp site (an Italian noise crooner). On the other side, though, the recent 5-track issue is entitled as Piano. However, the result is synthetic. A listener can hear experiments with lone piano chords being embraced by echo effects and wondrous ambience and on the other side there are represented massive ambient and drone quests. In a word, it is another great experimental work you can find out at Kermesse.

The Blessed Cassettes – Errors And Omissions (2016)

Reverse Engine

• Lo-fi 
• DIY 
• Alternative rock 
• Indie rock 
• Psych-rock 
• Electronic 
• Americana

Comment: the combo which were previously being known as The Litter come out of Houston, Texas, USA consisting of members of The Strangelet Disasters. Their 9-notch release is a tight mix of simplistic, even primitive chords and structure, rough harmonies and uncanny psychedelic sensitivity. First listening times of it may seem a bit inferior but the more you are listening to it the more you get the charm out of it. Especially good are those circling electronic/marimba progressions within the guitar noise thus reminding of such post-rock combos as The Dylan Group, and Tortoise but there are also up galvanised guitar-based dodges. And those hazy synth compartments as if coming out of the 80s yet chiming truly retro-futuristic and contemporary in a dreamy way (as if being produced by Daniel Lopatin, for instance). Although it is not an example of roots music it is somehow indirectly influenced by it so you can say it certainly comes out of the United States after hearing the first chords of it. The issue is a part of the discography of Reverse Engine.

The Shalfonts – Totem Power, Totem Life (2016)

Bandcamp

• Indie pop/rock 
• Alternative pop/rock 
• Art pop/rock 
• Post-rock 
• Drone pop 
• Jangle pop 
• Organcore

Comment: Birmingham, UK-based The Shalfonts have much to say because given that 25-notch issue otherwise it could be a merciless failure. These compositions are exquisite and witty drawing comparisons with ensembles of the C86 movement/jangle pop and on the other side there are up hints at the jazz influenced Chicago post-rock scene, especially to the like of Sea And The Cake. Indeed, a listener can perceive some kind of sophisticated easiness in The Shalfonts' music. With regard to the just written words The Shalfonts do create a coherent sonic bound between the USA, and Great Britain. Yet eventually I shall have to admit the US influence is even stronger and more remarkable. Strumming guitars are wrapped up by miscellaneous sonic effects and electronic sounds. Imagine it is a sort of jangle pop (or post-jangle pop) being influenced by an exquisite sort of jazz rock. It burrows its way through minimal changes and by adding a rewarding amount of new elements to the mix. I recommend listening to it because it is immensely more worth hearing rather than following some NHL team while these teams are as changeable as the brothels by its members. Do you think you are following Montrèal Canadiens, for instance? What sort of phenomenon do you follow exactly if the next season at least a third of the team is renewed? Is it worth to waste your time on nonsense? It is a crooked self-deception. The nowadays world is seriously fucked up. Only music does still have something worthy to say. The Shalfonts has also something worthy to say.

d'incise – Appalachian Anatolia (14th century) (2016)

INSUB.

• Improvised music 
• Avant-garde 
• Experimentalism 
• Art music
• Conceptual

Comment: by theoretical side, this issue is interesting to quest. What does it mean Appalachian Anatolia and how it harks back to the 14th century? And how it is relevant today? Furthermore, it consists of one, prolonged track played on guitar by Clara de Asis yet being modified by the Swiss electronic musician d'incise. If I had understood it in a proper way it can considered a collaborative issue though being collaborated separately. A second way to understand it is that d`incise modified the composition for electric guitar beforehand and de Asis played it. In fact, by reading a d`incise`s interview it can be assumed the second version is right. Musically it is a lengthy, 41-minute composition based on guitar induced progressions and discontinuations (which does mean silent spans in between). Yet silence is an invisible conversation as declaimed Malcolm Mooney in a song of CAN. It is also about arousing and fading, about being and no existence and tight relation between the two. The effect of such a sort of production is strongly purgative as if getting small devils out of your tortured soul (because the world around us seems to be sick in the way as it has never been before). Human being as a stupid animal rejects God and thinks of himself/herself that he/she is a God instead but the result is pitiful. All the time the same jokes, all the time the same mistakes? No no. In fact, these mistakes used to become even worse in time. Miserable. Give up life as a bad mistake. The release is a part of the discography of INSUB., previously known as Insubordinations, an imprint to have represented improvised music.

K4mmerer – Pixeled (2016)

Jamendo

• EDM 
• Electro pop 
• Electronic pop 
• Ambient pop 
• Dance pop 
• Post-disco 
• Hi-NRG

Comment: K4mmerer has been an unbelievably prolific artist since 2008 having released 36 issues on Jamendo. Pixeled is one of them amongst the whole drifting subtly between gentle ambient pop and more crispy electro pop and straightforward electronic dance music rhythms imbued with highly galvanized frequencies. Fortunately the listener can enjoy a more broad picture in comparison to the one described above so the result is multicoloured and effective ultimately. It makes highly sense. Mostly it is instrumental, at times the artist exploits found sounds (indeed, birds are chirping). It is a balanced drift between your dream centred sensations and body related impulses. I truly feel myself fascinated by those sublime jazzy progressions and irresistibly dreamy synthesised chords being followed by the aggressive beats at Faulty. In a word, it is a post disco album in the pre apocalyptic world. Given that it is an instance of prefix pop in a fascinating manner.

The Bordellos – Gary Glitter e.p (2016)

Bandcamp

• Alternative rock 
• Indie rock 
• Post-punk 
• Art punk 
• Experimental rock 
• Art rock 
• Alternative dance 
• DIY 
• Americana 
• Lo-fi

Comment: it is probably one of the most favourite releases by The Bordellos for me where the soaring dynamics through raw sounds and vivid dodges comes to the surface. It is like The Fall meets Faust in a way. Beaming galvanised guitars and subtle electronics are mingled with sassy vocals and singing manner. Furthermore, having been very characteristic to The Bordellos throughout the discography they used to add fragmented Americana influences to the mix. But not only – the whole Free Download Generation as a track chimes like a piss out Americana pickup on clumsy folk and awkward rockabilly. The most uncanny track is Disco Pants with the offbeat frequency in the rhythmic measure being accompanied by acidic electronics and gravity-free singing as if produced by the unforgettable Arthur Russell. I don`t even know is it either a dance track or an anti-dance statement. In a word, give a heck to it because it will transport you somewhere else from this nowadays overproduced and overloaded pop rock to some very roots of rock and punk music with its own idiosyncratic touch.

Random Forest – Panoramic (2016)

Bandcamp

• Post-rock 
• Epic 
• Art rock 
• Experimental rock 
• Ambient rock

Comment: post-rock is a style which cannot be understood in one certain way. First, post used to refer to something which comes after rock music yet still having something common with the previous phenomenon. It is the kind of ontological explanation. However, such combos as Stereolab, Broadcast, Slowdive's Pygmalion can be considered post-rock in that transgressive sense. Mostly post-rock is understood as guitar-based music which used to meander on symphonic guitar progressions frequently from the silent starting point to reach loud and majestic crescendos. Like a powerful male to provide multiple orgasms to a female. Indeed, post-rock as a style is a drift between divine and mundane. Furthermore, the categorisations cannot be presumed as clear-cut ones between the ones there supposed to fifty one grey shades of...whatever. Behind the London, UK-based combo Random Forest is the duo of Aaron Gilbert and David Walters (The Echelon Effect). David Walters aka The Echelon Effect has grown an impressive following to his project through the social media and first of all thanks to his wondrous music. In fact, Random Forest as a minor brother of it continues to trudge the same path of atmospheric and dreamy guitars, and electronic beats and suggestive effects. Indeed, these guitars clearly imply their power to dominate and emit beauty simultaneously while the electronics used to support it in an almost invisible way. It can even be compared to The Smiths at The Queen Is Dead (1986) when Johnny Marr added a sampler/synthesiser (denoted as The Hated Salford Ensemble and Orchestrazia Ardwick at Strangeways, Here We Come) to complement guitars with more orchestrated sounds. Or My Bloody Valentine would have been doing since the Glider EP (1990) to give MBV's sound the panoramic touch. In a word, the result is astounding which should be employed as a remedy for patients with low a serotonin level.

Multiple Personality 3 - ...donner I am...

Cuubik. – to James (2016)

Bandcamp

Trash Can Dance

• Indie pop/rock 
• Alternative pop/rock 
• Dream pop 
• Lo-fi 
• DIY 
• Psychedelic rock

Comment: in the 90s there had been the vital indie guitar pop/rock scene in Estonia full of urge and naivety. Probably the most well-known ensemble was Röövel Ööbik, the first combo coming out behind the Iron Curtain to had appeared in John Peel show and had their own session. However, there had been existed such combos as ÖÄK, 1983, Dallas, Dreamphish, Bizarre, The Chance, Afternooning Plague Family, Bimini, Borax, FM Violet, The Choice, Jim Arrow And The Anachrones. In the 00s most of the collectives ended their tenure and new combos were more professional and unfortunately boring and lacklustre. Cuubik. is a contemporary group yet their soundscape sounds very authentic in comparison with the aforementioned era. The members of the combo call their sound fake indie yet it disorienting description. It is an instance of indie/alternative pop/rock at its finest and genuine meaning. It is more than a little bit lo-fi and DIY, it is a little bit dreamy, it is a little bit psychedelic and even employing electronic and dance-appealed sounds at times. I feel myself truly fascinated while listening to these slightly drowsy yet highly enchanting compositions. Highly nostalgic and refreshing at the same time. I do not miss the 90s but I am always ready to rememebr it with a positive word. One can find out a couple of great tracks from within it (Philosophers, Mindgame Mastermind, You and You). You can get a shortened version of the album on tape as well being released on Trash Can Dance.

Drunkeninstrumentcorporation – Always The Same 10 Fucking Songs (2016)

In Your Ears

• Shoegaze 
• Alternative rock 
• Indie rock 
• Fuzz pop 
• Jangle pop 
• Noise pop

Comment: this 10-track issue clocking in at a 33 minute comes out of from Italy, from the deep Cuneo province in the southwest of the Piedmont region of Italy (nearby the border of France). It is the one-man-project of Marco Abbà whose purpose was to put up a fight against boredom by being imaginative and creative. What does it mean always the same 10 fucking songs? Could it be understood in the same way as the propositions as always having sex with the same woman, always doing the same job, any day visiting and posting the blog? By the way, it could be delightful if your understanding and well-being is closely related to it. In case if the aforementioned sources are bottomless are you still intended to abandon them? In fact, I have been listening to this set of fucking songs five times in a row. The more I listen to it the more appealing it seems to be. In fact, it is the merit of this “always the same”. Distorted galvanized guitars, jangly yet still galvanized guitars, lofty synth-based overdrives and poignant electronic sounds and programmed beats atop and at the bottom respectively and tight, coherent structures of songwriting. The listener could hear certain echoes of Bloody Valentine, Ride, Swervedriver and even more distant echoes of post-punk combos yet Drunkeninstrumentcorporation is not the same. The whole contains a couple of amazing compositions as The Attic, Sea Of Memories, Happy Like A Hurricane, and Blanket. The solid issue is a part of the discography of In Your Ears. Great success.