Presque Papegaai -- Dusty Dawn (2023)

Higher Living/Bandcamp

Neokrautrock/Indietronica/Post-rock/Electronic/Art rock/Drone pop/Psychedelic/Avant-pop/Motorik/Avant-funk

Presque Papegaai 6-loolise pooletunnise albumi ühes loos rõhutatakse korduvalt, et "all is up to you". Praegu arutatakse laiemalt, et mis saab Iisraeli-Hamasi konfliktist -- et kellel on õigus? Kogu see inimlik moraal ei maksa tegelikkuses mitte midagi, kuna kõik taandub ausale looduslikule printsiibile -- tugevam võtab oma; ning tugevam on see, kes on nii isiklikus plaanis kui kogukonna-rahvana rohkem vaeva näinud-tööd teinud. Selle eelduseks omakorda on, et on põhimõtted ja usk, millele truuks jäämise nimel nähakse vaeva. Kellel tugevama printsiip meelest on läinud, vaadaku loodusfilme kiskjatest -- nad on osavad tänu miljonite aastate jooksul arendatud oskustele. See ei ole ainult instinkt, vaid ka tarkus ja kavalus. Laiem tarkus seisneb näiteks selles, et end kui tapamasinat tuleb ohjeldada -- ei saa ega tohi tappa lõbu pärast -- looduslikud eeldused nõuavad uut kõhutäit mõne aja pärast. Kui on vaja, siis tuleb teha koostööd. Arusaadav, et verbaalne pool on osa strateegiast ning omaette majandusharu, ent tugevad näevad seda läbi ja ei lase ennast segada. Ka muusikas on pinnale jäänud pigem need, kes oma asja on arendanud ja moevooludele kui sügavale faktorile trääsa näidanud. Kui rääkida kaasaegse indimuusika olulisematest artistidest, siis üheks on kindlasti Michael Rother'i-Klaus Dinger'i duo. Isegi väga konkreetse Neu! loo -- "Isi" -- võib välja tuua, millele kaasaegne elektroonilise kaldega postrokk ja indielektroonika toetuvad. Stereolab, Broadcast, The American Analog Set, The Dylan Group, The Mercury Program, Ladytron, Hood, Tortoise, Ruhr'i piirkonna uuslaine. Lisaksin veel ka Mouse On Mars'i ja Boards Of Canada. Ka käesolevas teoses kõneleb kõik eelpoolmainitu -- siin on täpselt väljamõõdetud motoorset funk'i, mis ühtaegu tekitab ja pühitseb kui eneseküllane üksus. Kitarrid, süntesaatorid ja trummid tekitavad eri kombinatsioone, erineva tugevusega gravitatsiooni ning pinnavirvendust. Energia ei lähe sellest helikerast kaduma, vaid formeerub ümber. Kõik see kandub üle kuulaja vaimsele ja füüsilisele tasandile vibreerima.

8.5 (8.0-9.0)

Mccandless – Surprisingly Coherent (2013)

Higher Living

/Post-rock, Indie rock, Alternative rock, Soft rock, Duyster/

Comment: although this handful of pieces starts off like a colourless, mediocre guitar issue the Brussels-based duo embarks on to develop slowly by adding new layers and motives into iterative guitar gears. At times it chimes like a daydreaming combo who has no hurry and obligation to move on somewhere. They just enjoy recent moments and being in creation. One could hear glockenspiel chords to accompany guitars and at Twirls synths will take a lead to conjure up more soft rock-alike milieu, however being intersected with soaring post-rock guitar keys. Ultimately it could be said it is a solid output which deserves its title. The issue is a part of the discography of Higher Living Records. 

Max Fotheringham – Perikope (2013)

Higher Living

Archive.org

/Indie rock, Post-rock, Jazz rock, Slowcore, Ambient pop, Indietronica, Indie folk, Alternative rock, Art rock, Singer-songwriter, Folk indie/

Comment: Perikope was bundled 25 months after then Belgium-residing musician Max Fotheringham`s debut issue In All Amber (Higher Living Records). By listening to the first half of the album silent chugging might remind of A Sea And Cake`s subtle aesthetics of being somewhere between sublime indie pop and restrained post-rock and jazz rock progressions where electronic undercurrents are a little pushed backwards but still clearly presented in the blend. On the other side, we should not underestimate the influence of the so-called Duyster movement (De Portables, Styrofoam, Wixel, The Go Find, Sweek etc) in Belgium (where artists played indie music with strong influences by way of electronica, IDM and post-rock). Thirdly, the release is obviously inspired by dreamy slowcore artists (Galaxy 500, Arab Strap, Barzin, True Widow) either because MF apparently likes silence more than noise. Of course, Fotheringham`s outing might be more bedroom studio oriented because of having revealed more warming clumsiness by left and right side. However, later on, some more diverse and drowsy compositions become to appear – from piano driven ambient pop where one can perceive the artist to express soulful emotions through his voice and accentuation. At times he exploits found sounds to fill in the album with more space and intimate corners. Later on, Max Fotheringham left Belgium and arrived at Australia to form a new project entitled Amber Isles. This 10-track silent yet lightsome issue is a part of the Higher Living Records.