Nero – The Uncertain Orchestra (2005)

Hippocamp

• Techno 
• Electro pop 
• Alternative pop/dance 
• Electronic pop 
• Synth-pop
• Dance pop 
• Art pop

/Oh Manchester so much to answer for/. Arvake ära, kellelt ja mis laulust see fraas pärineb. Kuigi laul vihjas ühele sadistlikule perioodile – lastetapjatele; ning Moz manas sellest perversse kujutluspildi –, tulevad selle fraasiga ennekõike meelde MES ja The Fall, Tony Wilson ja Factory Records, Joy Division, Durutti Column, Madchester; ja iseenesest mõista The Smiths ka! Aga sealt pärineb ka paar olulist netileibelit nagu BFW Recordings ja Hippocamp. Viimatinimetatu oli ilmselt olulisem, kuna oli viljakam ning äestas välja seal, kuhu meinstriim hiljem jõudis – õigupoolest tahtis jõuda. Jutt käib ennekõike nullindate esimesest poolest ning klubimuusika ja popi puhvriala loomisest. Kuigi tehes seda loomulikumalt ja efektiivsemalt kui tänapäeva muusika pasatööstus. Rämedalt piinlik on vaadata tänapäeva artistide imagoloogilist poolt – pärdikud kujutavad ette, et on tulnukad või? Võlts silmavaade ning jobu kehahoiak – oi ma'i või! Nero oli keiser, kes viiuldas katusel, kui Rooma põles. Nero oli kõvem muusik muuseas kui nood eelpoolmainitet olendid. Tänapäeva Nero mängib muusikat, kus elektroonika otsib väljapääsu rütmi ja bluusi ning soul'i portide kaudu. Aga elektroonika on siin analooglopsakas, olles happehausi ja -tehno sohipoeg. Samas on see produktsioonilt piisavalt tuhm ja räpane, et kohitsetud sagedus(t)ega Ableton apnoepopist olla kaugel-kaugel.

Veem – My Friend The Voice (2005)

Hippocamp

• Electronic music 
• Ambient 
• Synthwave 
• Alternative
• Indietronica 
• Ambient pop

Comment: by depending on a listener this 8-track issue might sound either making a lot to happen or being just minimally built up. For sure, there are up a bunch of sonic elements that enrich the whole palette of the recording, which in general used to base on ambient pop/space pop structure it kind of just cruises throughout the course. With regard to the album’s title one could hear (the human being’s) voice, though, being represented in a small amount. At Wormhole the artist exploits guitar chords to lay down more natural sensations in the recording. The aforementioned sonic elements establish contrast against the slowly moving cloudy ambient undulations. Ultimately at the end of the release after some listening times on loop you could recognize it is a decent issue being issued on Manchester-based imprint Hippocamp 11 years ago.         

Scrubber Fox - Food In The Bins EP (2004)

Hippocamp

Archive.org

• Breakcore
• Electro
• Glitch-hop
• Bhangra
• Crossover
• Experimental electronica
• Illbient
• Tekno
• Urban music

Comment: Behind the nom de plume hides himself Wigan, The United Kingdom-based Gary Naylor who classifies himself as a musician, sound designer, performance artist, A/V artist and DJ. He is also being known as a member in a group called Sadistic Foxician. In a word, he seems to be ein tolles Junge as Germans used to say. It is undoubtedly obvious that Food In The Bins EP is a challenging listening even 12 years later at the point the issue was firstly released. More profoundly, it is all about warped, glitched-out hip-hop aesthetic, frantically mutilated and broken rhythms in the vein of electro and tekno frequencies and there are also up intense bhangra vibes and vowel endeavours. Although it seems to be a highly playful one it is frequnetly imbued with omnious illbient vapor and ill-omened sonic shades as if foresseing impending doom (it is more clearly perceivable at Shit On My Twat). The most important thing about it all is all of that to be the powerful platform for synergistic emergence of a modern urban sound which is not weak, fake or something adverse and inferior. Furthermore, it is much greater than the sum of its parts. In a word, this handful of pieces as a whole should be considered as a classic one. Without hesitation for doing it. Check out for his other issues at Hippocamp, and Bandcamp either.

Dubsy Asylum ‎– Lo Sono EP (2005)

Hippocamp

Archive.org

• Electro pop
• Electronic pop
• EBM
• Alternative pop
• Ambient pop
• Industrial electro
• Electro-indie
• Acid pop
• Alternative dance
• Dark electro
• Leftfield pop

Comment: it has always been great delight to go back to the discography of the Manchester, UK-based Hippocamp of which list contains a bunch of gems. Indeed, Manchester is being the home city of many crossover groups between electronica, alternative dance and guitar driven music. The only bad habit by the imprint is not to release the coverprints of albums. Dubsy Asylum`s 6-track issue is the sort of. It is an instance of great electro/electronic pop, however, having not forgotten its indie and art pop roots. It could be said it is an example of indie music either. Even more – the artist explores the interface between the aforesaid genres in a more profound way thereby it could be considered as a cutting-edge artist. For instance, Something for The Oldies chimes like a chill-out composition where the light-hearted guitar chords constitute fabulous patterns with overdriven acid synth whiffs and shuffling drum brushing. It is followed by l' infacto which is an astonishing cut-up electro propulsion with acid pop synapses and tumultuous rhythm changes. The issue is finished off by a blissful glimpse called Morte e Sorto which shows up fondness for subtle ambient pop and post-classical music thereby slightly reminding of a mid-period Kraftwerk (Ralf & Florian), for instance. Moreover, these 23 minutes (almost 24 minutes in total) involve many audible dark shards which would be an integral part of a quintessential industrial, EBM, and dark electro combo. In a nutshell, the outing is a pre-eminent shift between the approaches of electro, indie and experimental music. 

Drgs - A Load Of Old Drgs (2009)

Hippocamp

9.3

/Hip-hop, Electronic pop, Sampledelic, Sound collage, Chill out/ 

Comment: undoubtedly Hippocamp, the Manchester-based records can be labelled as cult label. Indeed, from within its discographic depth the listener can pull out many gems and hidden qualities. However, the particular, 4-track issue is one of them. In the first place it does reveal itself as being exulting and chill at the same time delivering the appearance of gargantuan rainbows and elemental torrents mixed up with sunny glimpses and transparent clouds. I would like to call the whole as a blended example of emotive electronica.

The Sunshine Family - The Sunshine Family (2004)

Hippocamp

8.8

/Experimental electronica, Cinematic, Chillout, Downtempo, Nu jazz/

Comment: The Manchester-based label Hippocamp had been active since 2003, before deciding to finish off their duties in 2009. They released circa 200 albums during this 6-year time lapse, much of them yet waiting to be discovered in the future. There is one, 5-track issue which does flutter between the velvet-covered chords of cinematic (nu jazz) tunes and rhythm-backed ambient (downtempo) numbers. In the ending track can be heard even some funky jazz flowings and undefinable recordings from a distance. At the most time the whole is used to hack around lazily thereby making itself out as a pleasant laid-back output.

[Old but important] 8bit Betty Too Bleep To Blop (Hippocamp)

If to check out for the legendary Manchesterian label Hippocamp`s (being on hiatus at the moment) download rates at Archive.org you can see Bryan Teoh`s album Too Bleep To Blop sharing bravely the second place with more than 40 000 times (not included the other download sites and servers to this sum). Vox populi vox dei, as it is used to say nowadays. Although five years have already passed since the release date, however, Teoh`s magic powder have been very refreshing up today yet. 7 tracks, based prinicipially on the numbers of chiptune/8-bit/chipbreak/tracker music, being part of this (those) genre (genres), within it recent computer music was started off approximately two and a half decades ago, and maintained previously (cult) popularity to date as well. Teoh is obviously one of the most ardent musicians I have had the privilege to listen to. Indeed, ablaze breakcore rhythms, subtle pace changes, great harmonic sweetness coming forth through autotuned vocals and elements of lollipop and shibuya-kei - even more else, the echoes of indie/shoegaze music can be heard therein. The American's ante is performed on the covering of 8bit`s very technical nature with a lot of emotions and life sense. If to mention all of those extraordinary tracks like And I Know That You're Happy (Ballad of the Lonesome Spaceboy), Reading Rainbow, Nikoma's Theme (Extended Mix) Spooky Loop, the Green Kangaroo, Blast Off!, it might be viewed as a tautological array because Too Bleep To Blop consists actually of 7 tracks only. Teoh`s comeback with his new releases would be very recommended in any case.

Listen to it here

[Vana ning oluline] 8bit Betty Too Bleep To Blop (Hippocamp)

Kui vaadata hiljuti hingusele läinud legendaarse Manchester`i label`i Hippocamp allalaadimisreitinguid Archive.org-is, siis teisel kohal troonib Bryan Teoh`i album "Too Bleep To Blop" rohkem kui 40 000 allalaadimiskorraga (arvestamata juurde teisi jagamiskeskkondi). Vox populi vox dei. Kuigi 5 aastat on möödunud üllitamishetkest, kõlab ameeriklase muusika aegumatult ka tänapäeval. 7 lugu, mis baseeruvad chiptune/8-bit/chipbreaktracker music-numbritel (muusika, mille kohta korüfee Kusnets kasutab väljendit "plurtsbiit"- jätke meelde!). Žanr, millega umbes kaks ja pool dekaadi tagasi algas kompuutrimuusika, on populaarne olnud tänaseni. Teoh kuulub kahtlemata träkkermuusikute säravaimasse plejaadi. Rõõmuküllased breakcore-rütmistikud, sulnid, samas kruttivad motiivid, psühhedeelia, autotuunitud vokaalid, lollipop ja shibuya-kei, isegi indie- ja shoegaze`i mõjusid võib siit-sealt kuulda. Ameeriklase teene seisneb selles, et suudab nimetatud stiili(de) väga tehnitsistliku iseloomu emotsioonide (ja eluga) täita. Koorekihi moodustavad And I Know That You're Happy (Ballad of the Lonesome Spaceboy), Reading Rainbow, Nikoma's Theme (Extended Mix), Spooky Loop, Green Kangaroo, Blast Off!. Tõepoolest, suhteliselt tautoloogiline osutamise üritus, kui arvestada tõika, et album koosneb 7 träkist. Väga ootaks Teoh`i uute üllitistega tagasi.

Kuula albumit siit

[Artistid] 8bit Betty

8bit Betty
Hippocamp
Hippocamp/Archive.org
Lastfm