Chris Sabucco – Divided Falls (2017)

2419 Record Label

• Singer-songwriter 
• Pop

Comment: I did not expect such sort of music being released on the Netherlands-based imprint 2419 Record Label. My earlier experiences with the imprint were related to more experimental angles and structures but this one started off with a straightforward, flamboyant song which continues to go the same vein where doleful singing is backed up by the plucking of acoustic guitar, and slightly orchestrated vowels all of that a bit resembling Robert Smith. Like a very light, unplugged version of The Cure. Way too bombastic and transparent while providing no X-factor for a more sniffy listener. Nice ditties for the AOR station though.

Troy Spencer – Phase 6 (2016)

2419 Record Label

• Cool jazz 
• Modal jazz 
• Improvised music 
• Avant-garde 
• Experimentalism 
• Fusion 
• World fusion

Comment: I am being very lucky because of listening to an outing from the discography of the Netherlands-based imprint 2419 Record Label and at the same time feeling sadness about the label's inability to maintain its website. Unfortunately at Archive.org you can find out some very huge aggregates of sonic files just pigeonholed by genres. For instance, to get one slab a music enthusiast must download a huge volume while it may be choking up his/her computer. Hopefully any album will be set aside over there sometime. In truth, 2419 Record Label has been releasing amazing music in many years like the recent outing used to prove it. More profoundly, this set of 10 compositions embraces lots of chord changes and dodges in mood yet it is way too less to say much enough about it. At times it used to happen to chime in a spasmodic and enraptured way while based on the short fuse of free jazz. Musically it may resemble Miles Davis from the end of the 60s, and at the beginning of the 70s filled in with enormous energy while straddling the border between soothing and wild, between more traditional and vanguard, between sane and mind-provoking. Between cool jazz, and modal complexity. On the other hand, we have to understand the whole as a contemporary release of involving more facade and fads. For instance, one can hear the more steep precipices and angular chords of math/technical rock and even some picturesque Balkan gypsy motives now and then. In a word, it is the fabulous listening session.

Dr Perceptron – Pan Opticon (2016)

2419 Record Label

• Electronic music 
• Ambient trance
• Chillout 
• Psybient 
• Psychedelic music 
• Alternative 
• Art music 
• Chilltronica 
• Ambient pop 
• Mood music

Comment: the 8-track Pan Opticon by Edmonton, Canada-based producer Dr Perceptron provides a pleasant journey across softened pads of contemporary electronic music being allegedly influenced by such electronic music/Krautrock juggernauts as Kraftwerk, and Tangerine Dream. It used to meander and wind in such a way to cause vertigo and heady mood slipping between arcade-shaped constructions and towering racks. Just watch the cover print of it by assuming right much about the soundscape – it involves a spectrum of dayglo colours being slightly blurred and dispersed. Emotionally it used to flutter incessantly coming in and going out from the epicentre because of being highly volatile and ethereal. Additionally to psybient/psytrance vibes one could perceive Balearic house vibes. Although this great issue is a part of the discography of 2419 Records this could readily be a notch in the list of Ektoplazm, an important platform for psytrance/psybient music.

Captains Of Sea And War – Captains Of Sea And War (2016)

2419 Record Label

Bandcamp

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

Comment: it is always great pleasure to arrive at the discography of the Nethelands-based imprint 2419 Record Label due to the quality and diversity of aesthetics. In fact, you will never know what is the next turn in sound you while picking up on the discography nonetheless the issues are described with some hinting tags. For instance, the last outings being reviewed at Recent Music Heroes Basnie`s Les Pays-Bas (2008) was a haunting yet stupefying blend of spoken words, electronic music, post-classical progressions, tango, found sounds, drone pop, which in turn was imbued with a retro-futurist sensation. Tunnelbird`s Hohner Sessions (2015) takes up on blues influenced psychedelic garage rock with hints at raga and acid rock. However, with regard to the first named issue the recent issue is a starkly disparate case because of getting a booty by riding on the guitars and drums which at times are complemented by by hoarse, tortured, and softened vocals by the occasions and recherché keyboard stumbles. More profoundly, those eight alternative rock and post-rock and art rock drenched numbers from Barcelona, Catalonia used to swing between loud and lofty riffs and more restrained strums being at times converted into a blissful still life. By the way, the release will be finished off by a mellow acoustic ballad. In a word, the collaboration by Gerard Gual, Jose Martinez, David Montón and Àlex Garcia places it into a column of other solid releases of 2419 Record Label.  

Tunnelbirds – The Horner Sessions (2015)

2419 Record Label
Bandcamp

• Psych-rock 
• Raga rock 
• Alternative rock 
• Garage rock 
• Indie rock  
• Acid rock 
• Blues rock 
• Lo-fi

Comment: first of all, it seems to me that Beer Bottle Blues is the most rocking issue throughout this 10-notch issue. It reveals the combo to be at their most acidic and dynamic. The other tracks might be more restrained, at times veering into the intonation of sordid blear-eyed blues/boozy rock (at Today I Lost My Job), at times making up more raga tinged incantations, at times just jolting and rattling through fluttering wah-wah guitar effects and linear chord manipulations being at times stretched out, being at times pitched-up therefore creating a psychedelic effect. At times it does not reach a magical effect, especially at the time of more acoustic moments, but mostly it succeeds and acts upon the listener. Especially in such tracks as I Don`t See It In You, and Dark Side. Minute Songs exploits some grunge-y riffs but fortunately it evades the borders of grunge music by straddling on a blackened layer of blues rock. Given that you shall have to listen to it to decide whether is it your cup of tea or not. For me it is a cup of coffee. Tunnelbirds is a combo from Utrecht, The Netherlands and the issue is a part of the discography of 2419 Record Label. 

Basnie – Les Pays-Bas (2008)

2419 Record Label

• Sampledelic 
• Modern classical 
• Avant-garde 
• Tango 
• Drone pop 
• Film noir
• Experimentalism 
• Electronic music
• Musique concrète 
• Art music 
• Spoken word 
• Sound collage 
• Post-classical 
• Organcore 
• Mood music 
• Easy listening

Comment: first of all, it is very sweet to see such an irresistibly created retrodelic cover quite intentionally depicting those futuristic ideas related to electronic music and krautrock and progressive rock. The aesthetic of Kraftwerk, for instance. On the other side, by watching this marvellous one it predicts something special for the listener. This bunch of 17 compositions starts off with Tango Para No Balair, which is a cinematic, even ghastly insight while representing different music styles in an one piece as well (nu jazz, plunderphonics, tango noir, easy listening). Given that cinematic aspect with the mechanic sound of a film camera in the background it is not surprising at all because behind the project is the Dutchman Bas Niemans, who is being expert at doing videos. Because of that, it is not wondrous at all how he succeeded in establishing an album of having so many colours, edges, penumbras and full shadows. But I am wondering how he is being musically so talented to create something like this. This sonic scope of him is truly wide ranging from ghastly tango and plangent harmonium-led drone pop/organcore vignettes and Parisian street music to overwhelming electronic progressions and spoken word-infused situations somewhere in the midst of carnival or on noisy street or in crowd. In spite of offering up the undulating fold of images with poignant knots the issue is seamlessly wholesome. By kindred souls there can be drawn parallels upon the likes of Oskar Hallbert, Yann Tiersen, Bark Cat Bark, Penguin Café Orchestra. In a word, it is a mind-boggling juggernaut from the past. The outing is a part of the discogrpahy of an Utrecht, the Netherlands-based imprint 2419 Record Label.                           

Geysers - Makemake (2016)

2419 Record Label

• Indietronica 
• Alternative dance 
• Synth pop 
• Dream pop 
• Alternative pop 
• Indie dance 
• Indie pop 
• Art pop 
• Ambient pop 
• Indie-soul

Comment: Geysers is the one-man-project of Alexander van der Linden whose 8-track issue is a dreamy indie and electronic blended issue, which probably 15 years ago could have been labelled as a new sort of dance music to be emerged. However, electronic music embraces an important part within the nowadays indie artist's aesthetic therefore understanding of the genre borders has been changed in the middle of music reviewers. The recent issue involves synthesisers only with intriguing yet moody undercurrents (catchy orchestrated swathes and rainbow-coloured carcasses). Furthermore, one track is followed by the other ones without disruptions between them. In a way, one does listen to one very long track as a party set. It is very likeable to enjoy those soulful vocal hovers at top of all of that (for instance, at Borders, and Kaleido Star). Let's dance because of having such a classy issue and because Morrissey is having birthday today (Kevin Shields did have it yesterday). Happy birthday! The issue is a mote of the excellent Netherlands-based imprint 2419 Records. At the moment it's one of the most important issues being released in 2016.

ÆTHER GENERATOR – GHETTO PLASMA BLASTER (2014)

2419 Record

/Experimental electronica, Abstract, Minimal dub, Avant-garde, Kraut-techno, Drone, Microtonal/

Comment: I do not know what exactly does it mean “ghetto plasma blaster” regarding its functionality and purpose. However, musically it is an impressive set of 10 tracks composed of droning noises, low bass frequencies, bass-heavy rhythms and spaced-out electronic chaos often amplified by dub music-like reverberations and echoes bringing forth some very deep sound layers from the bottom. These elements constitute different combinations within the compartment of electronic music. At times there are up more light-hearted moods supported by glockenspiel chords (888 Stone Steps To The Top). Barry Leaman and Steve Meltzer have done good job because all the aforementioned elements are craftily interwoven with each other and thereby providing no gaps for boredom and nonsense. Although the issue has been released in 2014 it could have been a part of emerging electronic music scene for some decades ago due to its timeless touch and dexterity and unconnectedness to human related aspects. The release is a piece of the discography of an interesting and diverse music label, called 2419 Record Label.

The Vs – The Vs (2013)

2419 Record Label

/Americana, Alt-folk, Indie folk, Folk indie, Alternative rock, Psychedelic rock/

Comment: although all these 10 songs are written and produced by Simon Sixsmith at Black Box Studios, Utrecht, Netherlands the whole chimes like it were created rather by an American musician. It is mainly based on Americana music (having hints at country, folk, blues rock). Maybe the only exceptions are Dynamite where the trio exploits readily acid drenched organs in composing the song; the enchanting Let's Tear It Up Some seems to be proper for some southern gothic TV series. Overall, it is not surprising at all because three guys behind the musical group took a road-trip across the United State before fulfilling the release. The issue is written while staying in motels or driving the car. The result is a bunch of chirpily sounding guitar-strummed ditties.     

Black Gold 360, DJ Fontana ‎– Roasted & Filtered - DJ Fontana Remixes (2009)

2419 Record Label

/Glitchtronica, Big beat, Alternative dance, Remix, Improvised music, Cinematic, Downtempo, Free jazz, Nu Jazz/

Comment: 2419 Record is an intriguing label because of providing very diverse musical examples and alternatives in its vast discography. For instance, this 8-track issue stretches out sonorous tentacles in various directions – from exuberant orchestrated and chopped funky rhythms and suggestive ethnic instrument-based undercurrents and laidback jazzy soothers to clearly cinematic nu/acid jazz propulsions and glitched-out rhythm structures and tumultuous free jazz explorations. Furthermore, the album frequently chimes like a mash-up experiment saturated from energy coming out of quite different slots and peripheries. Indeed, it is a refreshing and punching one for your pleasure.     

Dr Perceptron - Installation (2014)

2419 Record Label

• Psybient
• Electronic pop
• World fusion
• Acid
• Psytrance
•  Kosmische Musik
• Chilltronica
• Mood music

Outstanding tracks:

In Transit

Catharsis (For Namlook)

Ideology (For Col)

...So I Said To Him

Dia Del Mercado - Seven Years Of Dirt (Instrumentals) (2012/2013)

2419 Record Label

Bandcamp

• Baroque pop
• Chamber pop
• Saccharine underground
• Americana
• Art pop
• Alt-folk
• Cinematic
• Mood music

Outstanding tracks:

Rain and Fire - part 1 - The Town

Rain and Fire - part 2 - The Forest

Dance Od Unanswered Longing

Town Of Crumbling Walls

NODe - Tragic Technology Inc.(2013)

2419 Record Label

• Alternative pop/rock
• Electro-rock
• Dance rock
• Electro funk
• Alternative dance
• Remixes
• Electro pop
• Electronic pop