Ryonkt – Sea (2007)

Noise-Joy

• Drone 
• Abstract 
• Minimalism 
• Avant-garde 
• Ambient 
• Epic 
• Electronic music 
• Ambient drone

Comment: Ryonkt is a Sapporo, Japan-based Ryo Nakata born in 1984. He is being known due to his tenures to such imprints as Audiotalaia, Resting Bell, Dog Eared Records, Hibernate, Noise-Joy, Smallfish, Experimedia and some other ones. I have recently listened to some shows having spot on contemporaneous alternative pop/rock/indie/electronic music but I have to admit most of it chimes like listening to infantile poppy nonsense because it is so dull, sterile, predictable and hollow. By employing technological richness without spawned with poignant ideas. Ryonkt`s Sea sounds like a weirdly flourishing symphony, serious music if to juxtapose it with aforementioned ones. The one and only genuine stuff comes mostly through Bandcamp, web-labels, and underground labels today. Nuff said, however. I am not wondering anymore why the sales under the gigantic imprints drop down and at Bandcamp it will be rising up. These 928 seconds are indeed a contemporary counterpart of symphonic music through those descending and epically ascending droning oscillations which at times become freezing at one point like a refined reflection of still life. Doubly refined. In classical sense, it is tuneless yet there are somehow magnetising elements or inner synergy between sonic particles of the drone to conjure up a similarly overcoming and uplifting feeling. The mesmerising issue is a part of the discography of Noise-Joy.

Gozne – Fin del Tiempo (2017)

Pueblo Nuevo

• Kraut-techno 
• Motorik 
• Minimal techno 
• Electronic music 
• Techno pop 
• Ambient 
• Deep techno 
• Electro-acoustic 
• Drone

Comment: these 8 tracks clocking in at a 46 minute are set up to provide an example of techno music at the artist`s own disposal. The main instrument is a thick bass line which is arranged in different forms and through different frequencies. It reminds of the era when Kraftwerk intended to shift from guitars, a flute, an organ and the drums mixed experimental rock format into an overtly synthetic apparition (by denoting such outings as Ralf und Florian (1973), and Autobahn (1974)). Undoubtedly Gozne`s motorik impresses me because if you have grown up or at a time rejected other styles by listening to Faust, Neu!, and early Kraftwerk this profound motorik trace is put deeply into your perception. It is not only hypnotic, it is transcendental because it is seminal all the time - in other words - it is ahead of its time. It is proud, it is reluctant, it is self-confident because its value is distinctly delineated in the history of pop music. And as you can see by the recent case the influence continues to grow further. Of course, while talking about and trying to understand the contemporaneous filter should be added in between to get a proper comprehension. At Fin del Tiempo the listener can hear different variations of it – stubborn techno pop at EL FIN (Ez. 7.2); TIERRA NUEVA (Ap. 21.1) is the most disorienting composition within it due to those squeaking-squealing concrete sounds as if coming outside your headphones, from the street or as if someone is ringing the doorbell of your apartment. So I took away the headphones to make difference… . Secondly, it is an exuberant, undulatory ambient track and because of it being distinctive from the rest. In truth, the opening track EL HADES (Ap. 20.14) is quite similar thanks to those high-pitched yet lone electronic chords atop space-y droning. By its form it is rather an example of electro-acoustic music. This impressive brace of tracks is a part of the discography of Pueblo Nuevo. Both of them are the Chilean ones.

Jessica Worms – R I S E (2017)

Death Roots Syndicate

• Punk rock 
• Art punk
• Speed metal 
• Hardcore

Comment: Jessica Worms is not a physical woman in reality because behind it are two men, Gregory Debaco (voice, guitars), and Lincoln Tomazzoni (the drums) who demonstrate one quite ideal way of how punk should be interpreted and showcased. In truth, there is a woman on the sleeve but it is the embodiment of the devil. Lots of key chords, powerful yet vivid guitar riffs, low frequencies, and intense drumming, and all the aforementioned elements are channelized adeptly into a synergistic whole. The permanent whirlpool around the listener's brain. The 6-track album was recorded in Brazil under the Brazilian imprint Contrabandeando Discos and the US-based imprint Death Roots Syndicate. The Stooges, Motörhead are those introducing ghosts at the threshold. The really surprising and exceptional track is the starting one, Pipeline (Jaguara Thunders Versão), thought for the surfboarding people in the first place. All in all, it is an honest, convincing and creditable record, I guess an additional value may be gotten from a live session.

EE7A - Immunity

Smany – Kotoba (2017)

Bunkai-Kei

• Art pop 
• Synth-pop 
• J-pop 
• Post-pop 
• Experimental pop 
• Electronic pop 
• Hip-hop 
• Post-classical
• Singer-songwriter 
• Urban music 
• Rap 
• Modern classical 
• Dream pop

Comment: by listening to this 8-track issue I just was thinking of how this electronic release could have been tagged 20 years ago, for instance? I guess it could have been labeled “electronic”, “techno” and probably devoid of “pop” suffix. From the 90s to the 10s a huge amount of water has flowed to the sea, much has changed around us and now such sort of sophisticated music is certainly within blood stream of poppy music. In fact, the Japanese artist's sound is bottomless due to an immense amount of elements arising from the bottom at a time and constituting interesting sonorous and stylistic combinations with one another. Fortunately Smany is adept in preserving the balance between the technical and melodic and harmonic side by buliding up a coherent and interactive configuration. At Echo she collaborates with rappers-MCs called himeshi & TPSOUND. The listener can hear a massive guitar-based background while in front of it being adorned with subtle tabla rhythms and floaty piano chords in one composition. At Emigre one can hear another wall of sound in the background. That`s soul-carved, that`s epic! Her voice is filled in with sweet dreams and aching for something intangible. At times she employs concrete sounds around her atmospheric singing. The results are enchanting. All in all, all is perfect, all is mind-arousing, all is overwhelming. This magnificent issue is a part of the discography of Bunkai-Kei, which is a favourite imprint of ours.

Tripnectar – The World Is Yours (2017)

MNMN

Archive.org

• Electronic music 
• Chillstep 
• Alternative  
• Chilltronica 
• Sampledelic 
• Trap 
• Dubstep

Comment: Tripnectar is a producer from a small town from Siberia, Russia and The World Is Yours gets a third place chronologically in the list of four releases so far. The 9-notch outing consists of relaxing beats even if some more acute frequencies and angular patterns are incorporated into it, and truly atmospheric layers filled in with synthesised orchestrations, tectonic dubstep inflected bass thudding and slowly rotating phrases and reverberant effects toward the rhythmic backbone. At Left-Right the listener can hear more outlined trap cadences injecting more life to the whole. One of the favourite pieces of mine is South thanks to the murky, scurrilous monologue from a movie and a wonky rhythm to keep shuffling thereafter. All in all, Tripnectar is on the right track. The solid release is a part of the discography of MNMN Records, a Russian imprint.

Lately Kind of Yeah – Galaxie Depression (2017)

Vulpiano

Bandcamp

• Ambient rock 
• Art rock 
• Alternative 
• Minimalism 
• Experimental rock 
• Avant-rock 
• Post-rock

Comment: first of all, this 7-track issue comes out from the US-based imprint Vulpiano Records and contains a couple of long-running compositions (for instance, Resonanz, and Erinnerung reach the mark of 20-minute, Adaptieren even more, clocking in at a 31-minute). Secondly, Vulpiano Records is a home record for some albums by the France-based Natural Snow Buildings, one of the most outstanding artists within the experimental folk/post-folk/New Weird movement. Galaxie Depression does have some common threads with Aldebaran, The Night Country, and The Alpha Centauri due to its minimally changing approach through long progressions while being imbued with spatial instrumental incantations. In true, Lately Kind Of Yeah`s music runs in the vein of (post-)rock music, that`s the main difference. Although it says something there are up many additional elements either. The artist likes to improvise on the guitar by cranking up the volume and crafting intriguing zig-zag-alike patterns and crackling effects as if playing it through a broken amplifier on the instrument. The instrumental incantations are interspersed with enchantingly iterative cycles, wide guitar bows and even ear-deafening outbursts. By listening to Resonanz it is an example of eargasmic music. All the titles are in German and referencing to the nature of a certain track. In a word, there are up fabulous 95 minutes.

Nick R 61 – .tochka (2017)

Fusion

Archive.org

• Big beat 
• Avant-hop 
• Experimentalism 
• Electronic music 
• Alternative 
• Industrial hip-hop 
• Leftfield

Comment: Nick R 61 is a prolific artist from Russia who has been heading an imprint, Fusion Records for years as well (a huge part of the discography is covered by his own releases). As similar as the title of the records suggests his music is also a platform to mingle different impulses with one another. For better or worse, it might be .tochka (Dot in English) is the most challenging issue of him by widening his legacy with the tectonic squalls of bouncing rhythms, industrial-inspired sonic effects, swirling currents of microscopic noises and scruffy ambiances. Yet it may freely be my illusion because Nick R 61 has been criss-crossing from dub and raggamuffin to glitched-out electronica and techno and hip-hop to drill and bass and breakbeat cadences. Furthermore, it needs a tremendous effort and an immense amount of time to get a solid overview about his oeuvre. All of that embodied in a set of four tracks results in an exciting crossover experience. Without a doubt there cannot be denied an influence of The Death Grips and Dälek on it but on the other side the artist adds his previous spiritual undercurrents to the 12-minute blend. At times one can feel as if shifting between the jungle, and an urban area, between the blossoming freedom and an oppressive, artificial system which is called the civilization. Superb.

la corporación – rerum novarum (2017)

pan y rosas discos

Free Music Archive

• Improvised music 
• Electro-acoustic 
• Electronic music 
• Experimentalism 
• Live

Comment: this set of 5 compositions is the demonstration of female power by Amanda Irarrazabal, Cecilia López, and Cecilia Quinteros who play a synthesizer, a double bass, and a cello, respectively. In fact, this handful of tracks could be considered one lengthy track as well because the theme and formal appearances are the same. Formally throughout a 31-minute it chimes like the big shriek of a rusty door moving from one side to the other one. At times those short atonal splashes and shrieks will progress into drones. It does have a bit ivory tower effect upon me due to having drawn-out encapsulated and buried moves while providing a few progressions and a monochromatic timbre only. I could imagine if it was heard by the bourgeoisie most of them would consider it as weird, and irrational yet having been performed in a buttoned-up place they would think of it as put up for them and thereafter forget it by going home. It was recorded live on August 24, 2017 at Cuatro Tres, Buenos Aires, Argentina. The issue is a bit in the discography of pan y rosas discos.

Masato Abe – Author (2017)

Elementperspective

Free Music Archive

• Post-rock 
• Modern classical 
• Art music 
• Ambient 
• Epic 
• Post-classical 
• Crossover 
• Piano music 
• Contemporary classical

Comment: In fact, in the previous year I decided not to send my review about the best albums to a public magazine because it should be the closed case. Yet it is ridiculous to expect to have a good review about the albums having been published during an annual span. If there is any possibility to represent it dynamically (via Internet) then do it. Let's consider this excellent Tokyo, Japan-based Masato Abe`s Author (also known from the duo Swan Kid Sue). I have been listening to it for hours today and there is no doubt it should be added to the list of the best albums 2017. It is the case. More profoundly, it is as easy as feather, it is as heavy as honey, it is as dreamy as your most dreamy reveries. This 8-track adept colossus does not distinguish the borders between contemporary classical, and majestic, chamber-tinged rock swathes. At times the course is amended by vocal glimpses, concrete sounds, and sublime piano tenures. All is floating slowly over your fragile soul and affected mind. There is no hurry and a listener should not rush. If you are listening to it this whole makes impact on you anyway. All is blossoming and inevitably wrapping around you. Like me too. Just hear at Small Window Shows So Many Delight those effortlessly rolling violins and charming orchestrations to make up your blissful Sunday. The release is a bit in the discography of elementperspective. So it can be said the case is Japanese wholly.

Luca Calcagno – La Pioggia Rinfresca L’Estate (2017)

In Your Ears

• Indie pop/rock 
• Alternative pop/rock 
• Pomp pop 
• Pop rock

Comment: it is nice to be back at the discography of an Italian imprint, In Your Ears Netlabel (for instance, I can remember such a great release as Drunkeninstrumentcorporation`s Always The Same 10 Fucking Songs (2016). Luca Calcagno is a self-taught musician who is working in a music store. There are represented a couple of tracks, the first of them, the self-titled track is a straightforward, deeply ploughing guitar-based composition without any adornments and magniloquent overstatements. OK, the whole adornment is embraced by the key changes on the guitar. It is an example of AOR and regarding the emotions it is more suppressed in comparison to the subsequent track. It is a decelerated chamber/soul/pop rock example with bombastic sweeps on the guitar and full-fledged fringes on synths. It is a rock balladry without growing into disgraceful sensations and embarrassing feels. All the lyrics are sung in Italian.

The Womb – Heavy Ghosts (2017)

The Womb

Free Music Archive

• Singer-songwriter 
• Alternative pop 
• Indie pop 
• Art pop 
• DIY 
• Synth-pop 
• Ambient pop 
• Bedroom pop

Comment: the Englishman Alan Driscoll used to have been having always something to say although the song theme do rotate around one and the same – sex. Of course, he is artist and all the theme is coated with the curtains and veils to reflect upon the seedy light from behind it. More profoundly, one can discern drive, expectations, yarns, pain and pleasure coming from within the 10-notch whole. Its ideological side is punctuated by Driscoll's compelling singing and storytelling and the guitars and synths mixed background. It should be added, at times a female affected loon can be mapped out from songs as a warning example of how a male can lose himself as the purpose on his own. One should keep going on instead of dealing with one's regrets. I like heroes but real heroes are a bit thugs. Western Civilization is a bit poisoned by having been insinuated the sense of guilt and at the same time fostering the human being to be an apex predator to survive. These contradictory, schizoid tendencies do enervate the human race. Indeed, with regard to his discography Alan Driscoll has kept to a narrow territory to have an incisive spot on it with purpose to magnify it to the highest standard. He was born in the beginning of the 80s so his teenage years were partly amended by Britpop artists (because one of his self-issued releases was entitled Britpop), I guess by Jarvis Cocker's voyeuristic and sexually lurking themes, and by willful maverick Nick Currie aka Momus. All of that makes sense to me though there are up a couple of stark exceptions like Flirting on Your Deathbed which mirrors an irreconcilable state of mind by a dying man backed up by singing manner almost pushed to tears. The final track Every Little Tree Must Fall is the musically totally disparate case - it is a darkened, a bit low resolution ambient venture with speech samples and guitar-based echoes developing and slowly moving across the space.

getdizzzy – Long Normal Dream (2017)

Etched Traumas

Etched Traumas

• Improvised music 
• Avant-garde 
• Electronic music 
• Experimentalism 
• Crossover 
• Downbeat 

Comment: undoubtedly it is very problematic to categorize this issue. Furthermore, after the first round of listening I did have problems to identify it somehow because of having so many stylistic references within it, and because of changing permanently throughout the course. I guess the most proper tags to pigeonhole it might be such generic tags as electronic music, and experimental music, improvised music. By listening to such a track as Unfortunate the case will be even more complicated because the beat represented over there can ideologically be considered a thread from hip-hop music but in reality it is more a downbeat case. Walkwalk is an example of psyched-out electro-free jazz. It is not surprising at all with regard to the fact he comes out of Chicago, Illinois, USA which has been a fertile platform for amalgamation and flourishing of different styles, from improvised music, post-rock, to free jazz. The issue is a bit in the discography of Etched Traumas.

AAVV – The Other Sound Of The Light (2017)

Ephedrina

Anti-Demos-Cracia

Jamendo

• Electronic music 
• Breaks 
• Space disco 
• Kosmische Musik 
• Alternative
• Disco-rock 
• Electro pop
• House
• Downtempo 
• Deep techno 
• Kraut-techno 
• Glitch-electro

Comment: this is a joint miscellany of 12 tracks by Ephedrina Records, an imprint from Italy, and Anti-Demos-Cracia, an imprint from Portugal. There are represented such artists as Mutaform, CRPTC, Fingerflood, Hypercube, Electric Dreamers, Hist, Overdrive, We Hate All These Liberals, Guta Project, Hesskhè Yadalanah, Errors Alternados, and Orquestra Popular De Paio Pires. I guess most of these names may be unknown to you, however, being an ardent follower of the imprints then you should have made acquaintance with the artists. Let`s have some thread about the compilation which will be clocked in at a 54 minute (indeed, it is an accepted longitude for a compilation). Undoubtedly it is a variegated issue with flourishing accents and exuberant shades. At times it is rhythmically obsessive just consisting of different rhythmic combinations to following one another or establishing new mutations within the rhythmic matrix. Some tracks are broadened with progressions toward atmospheric spheres and extracting an enchanting quintessence from synthesiser. All in all, I could not mention any weak track within the whole so I have to admit it to be a classy, mandatory compilation. Get it, support it.

Dunai – Illdot0 (2017)

Humanworkshop

• Breaks 
• Alternative dance 
• Post-IDM 
• Hip-hop 
• Nu jazz
• Crossover
• Digifunk 
• Indietronica 
• Ambient pop 
• Rap 
• Remix

Comment: this set of 7 tracks (clocking in at a 33-minute) composed by a Russian artist, Alexei Kalinkin is a fine blend of crystalline rhythms, warped synth manipulations somewhere in the middle and spacey synthesised orchestrations atop. More profoundly, those rhythms are fragile running in the vein of post-IDM, and digitalized funk progressions. Undoubtedly the album has no remote distance with specific spokes from indie electronic, hazy electronic jazz/nu jazz/acid jazz and ambient pop either. Even if you do not have a direct reference to it you could perceive it indirectly being laid behind the aforementioned styles. Indeed, many kinds of rhythmic variations are mobilized and activated over there resulting in a sublime flow. There are up a couple of remixes either – one of them is a remix on Atomar Sense (Leisure-B`s remix) by adding a hip-hop component to the blend, the second one is Julian Winter`s remix on Clever. The solid issue is a part in the roster of Humanworkshop.

The Line Of Apollo – The Line Of Apollo EP (2017)

Bonimedia

• Punk rock 
• Emo 
• Alternative rock 
• Power pop

Comment: The Line Of Apollo is a combo from Russia whose handful of tracks is all but post-rock as mistakenly described at their Bonimedia Site. Come on, dear people, it is not an example of post-rock by seeing it at any angle being available. It does have nothing in common either with such bands as Mono or Stereolab which in turn are very diverse by its nature in comparison with one another. However, the particular one is a solid example of post-hardcore and emo rock and especially power pop which by lyrics is induced by unhappy love and harking back to memories (which is a kind of obsession on its own). Given that the songs are sung by male voice (in Russian) I have to admit most men used to idealize their (previous) relationships though there is actually no reason to do it. 

Fingerflood – Beats And Stabs And Kick In Four (2017)

Ephedrina

Noisybeat

Sucu Music

• Dub techno 
• Electronic music 
• IDM 
• Crossover 
• Remix 
• Breaks 
• Ambient trance 
• Psybient 
• Dubtronica

Comment: it is an overhaul of dub music and its possibilities to establish new (crossover) forms with electro, electronic music in general, world music and psychedelic segmentations. At times it is more deconstructed into disparate pieces thereof resulting in deranged yet tickling developments. For instance, electronic effects are juxtaposed to soothing ambient layers and caressing bouncy rhythms. Behind the project is an Italian producer, Gaetano Fontanazza whose 6-notch issue is a joint release between such imprints as Noisybeat, Ephedrina, and Sucu Music.

Valhearst – Souvenir EP (2017)

Bandcamp

• Lo-fi 
• Art music 
• Drone pop 
• New Weird France 
• Ambient 
• Avant-garde 
• Improvised music 
• Ambient 
• Electronic 
• Experimentalism 
• DIY 
• Drone 
• Krautrock 
• Kosmische Musik

Comment: behind the project is Pascaline Raphaëlle whose 5-track issue is quite disparate in its stylistic variety and length. It starts off with a silent electro-acoustic composition based on repeated sounds, guitar-based chords and effects, microscopic noises and hisses, and Pascaline`s chants atop. It can be considered an example of slowed-down, deconstructive post-punk. On the other side, it resembles those free folk/weird folk/freak folk numbers in a decade back where some artists from a new generation of folk musicians watched toward the forest and nature and therefore organic sounds. Indeed, one is listening to music which chimes as if recorded with the microphone from a distance (especially at Waterlidl). Nowhere is a very short, 1-minute yet the only rhythmic improvisation. The narrative will be changing in the last two compositions while introducing ambient and droning sounds into the mix. More profoundly, you can find out similarities with artists by Not Not Fun, Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream, and her French compatriot Eléonore Hauguel a.k.a. Ellah a. Thaun. In a word, the strong issue.

Koti & Thee Immigrants – The Relaxing Sounds From Tinsley Prison (2012/2017)

Death Roots Syndicate

Bandcamp

Fon-Fon

• World music 
• Acid pop 
• Mood music 
• Psychedelic 
• Alternative pop 
• Psychobilly 
• World fusion 
• Art pop

Comment: we are listening to an album from Brazil under the fantastic California, US-based imprint Death Roots Syndicate. Koti & Thee Immigrants´ 10 track issue was initially released under Fon-Fon Records approximately five and a half years ago so it is quite surprising yet welcome to hear it under an imprint which has used to release issues being dark and gothic (yet playful and artsy). The Relaxing Sounds From Tinsley Prison is predominantly a psychedelic case with fluid dusty organ lines and suggestive singing. There is up a song called Gipsy Man with hints at the life of Romani people so could I presume these 33 minutes are about the life of the ethnicity with some dodges into other culture`s layers either? All this Balkan and Gypsy music influenced music has been a mainstream for more than 10 years largely thanks to motion pictures by Emil Kusturica. By listening to the final instrumental track Tinsley House Tea Time you can admit the collective`s tongue-in-cheek attitude with regard to Music Hall-alike buffoonish loosely sequenced rhythms and the acidic organ and Tiki Music drenched improvistation which funny facet can be generalized over the course.  The more I listen to it the more I hear similarities with Juan Naveira aka Mr Juan aka Juanitos aka Limbo Deluxe aka Miss Emma. That's hugely important especially for a starting weekend. In a word, this album is strongly recommended for all those music lovers who enjoy an artsy challenge and a moody aspect within one bound.

Igniael – Blossom (Core Edition) (2017)

Khannomusic Studios

Bandcamp

• Electronic music 
• Ambient pop 
• Crossover
• Field recording 
• New Age 
• Organic electronica
• Musique concrète 
• Art pop

Comment: Iñaki Barrocal aka Igniael is a musician from Andorra, a very small country (467,6 km²) nearby Spain where the Catalan language is the official language. With regard to the artist`s name I can assume he may be a Basque by his own nationality. However, all the songs represented over there are predominantly sung in English. Yeah, the course of 10 tracks is atmospheric, mostly light-hearted and spiritual (predominantly induced by choral singing and emotive chants) though at times one can hear more murky tones and glimpses in his soundscape as if entering into some of the catacombs in Southern Europe by feeling the ephemeral span of a human being. The Grim Reaper and his scythe are doing their work properly but it should not be surprising at all because the balance between life and death must exist. On the other side, given that those sounds of water flowing and chirping the birds and the particular singing one can imagine by attending a place nearby a (bit heretic) monastery being deviated by the strict Catholic canon. Barrocal`s mystical approach reminds me a bit of the Italian legend Alio Die`s spiritual ambient landscapes. Such sort of music I guess could be a poppy example within the circuit of dark folk/neoclassical/dark wave followers. The enchanting issue is a part of the discography of Khannonmusic Studios.