[Artists] Poodlepay Arkestra

BFW Recordings
Myspace
Lastfm

Bosques de mi Mente Otoño (Clinical Archives/CRLM Office)

The Spanish artist Bosques de mi Mente (translated as Forests of my mind) is being one of those one-man projects having got huge response under Clinical Archives, CRLM Office, and Jamendo. Since 2007, as a "home artist" therein, he has released 5 albums to date. His music is spotted mainly upon the piano-based modern classic backbone, fringed at times by strong found sound and post-rock influences.

Otoño is a record with the longitude of more than 100 minutes of 27 tracks relied entirely upon live improvisations, recorded during 6 days of the fall of 2010. Aside the silence as impossible conversation (as it was sung by Malcolm Mooney of CAN by-and-by) there are intimate yet affective, mainly minor piano chords, spoken word snippets and wide-range samples (from baby babbles and adult people clashes to elderly individuals` memories), musique concrete-drenched flickers and some violins by Sergio Trujillo, all in all filling in your listening times with the restraint sense and playing up the sparse environment over you, thereby offering a sole realm for thinking of your thoughts and planning your future deeds. Of course, some more radical turns and dodges are up here to be driven into huge impact (Berceuse Macabre) All is rolling on in a silent and minimal way, indeed. It might not be Bosques` best notch but a very solid one nevertheless.

Listen to it here

8.8

Muhr Her Fall Themes (Bandcamp)

The Montrèal-based musician Vincent Fugère can be considered a webaudio legend, having released countless albums under his aliases during the last 12 years. Indeed, aside as Muhr, he has also used such aliases as Koei, Vizion, Kaminari Synthesis, A Few Days Until Never Again, and Life As A Tree and managed 2 records - Apegenine and Camomille. By having been heavy-drifted above the realms of subtle electronica, drone, ambient, post-rock, and modern classical/chamber music Fugère has been a part of the conscience of his hometown`s famous experimental scene. More concretely, the albums like Drames Et Précipies (2006, Zymogen), Poussière (2007, Serein), Anthèmes pour les Regrets (2008, 12rec), and Farewell Anthology (2009, Soft Phase) can be labelled as pure gold by conjured stunning accents based upon the meandering on and between the area of elemental appearance of the nature and invisible closeness to the civilization. So if someone is really into the sound of Hauschka, Daniel Maze, Bosques de mi Mente, GY!BE, Max Richter, Sylvain Chauveau, The Sight Below, Fugère`s soundscapes may complete the kind of array for you.

In fact, after Farewell Anthology the quebecois has had serious hesitations either to continue or to make the final closure as Muhr, but fortunately decided to trundle on with his new numbers. At Her Fall Themes are represented 10 tracks of minor, piano-based insights stepping over to the more brighter voyages directed over to imaginary landscapes being sometimes seasoned with march-infused cadences are beautiful appearances which, in principle, may be stayed for the last examples regarding his creation so far.

Listen to it here

8.8

Alexander Martovsky Libidolove, Mortidowar (Foundamental Network)

A young, 23 year-old musician from Minsk, Belarus, Alexander Martovsky has been active throughout the ending year, having issued no more or less albums than 3. The album Libidolove, Mortidowar, after his previous workouts M42, and Keep Quiet, Everybody Is Sleeping, reflects upon his skillfully aesthetical and professional aspirations, and it might be, still searchings for certain realms to get landed somewhere for having a possibility to be settle down into a mould for his personal future. Actually the last intention may not make much difference at all, as a final result being ideally reached off in principle and represented as one of the best notches in 2010. In a more concrete way, there are 14 tracks building up a exhilarating whole between lush shoegaze-filled soundscape, mesmerizing poptronica and post-rock-ish blowups, minor symphonic arrangements a la Ennio Morricone, and rigid/austere electronic music experiments, subtle IDM-cadenced opalescence and malignant drum and bass-based motorik whips, and for much more, and for much more. All in all, it reminds of 2010`s superb works of Monokle & Galun (In Frame), and Foxes in Fiction (Swung from The Branches). No doubt, listening to the tracks like You, and Heaven, what should it be described for? Would this album predict Martovsky`s position as a further experimental rock star or, on the other hand, shows up the overally screwed-up substance of pop business?

Listen to it here

10.0

TakeMeToTheMorgue! Oblivion EP (Torn Flesh)

I have wondered for myself for a while that the web-based music has had inverted outputs regarding its charts somehow. First off, at the top of download rates can be seen some curiosities and non-musical phenomenons (The Conet Project - Recordings of Shortwave Numbers; Wakka Chikka Wakka Chikka: Porn Music For The Masses). Besides it, some labels (Clinical Archives; Torn Flesh Records) concerned on the most lateral scenes off the pop music centre have reached off a thousands of download rates per day, which apparently does mirror for the crowds of experimental music-oriented lads and gals to be veiled behind the Internet music. By the way, this tendency is closely related to a hype relied upon the drag/witch house/crunk shoegaze/screwgaze movement, which uprising trajectory had initially been a matter of the blogosphere only.

Indeed, Torn Flesh Records is a label with increasingly growing discography, which spot is basically focused on bellicose dark/black/grind/noise, on the first place, and electronic overthrows applicated to it, on the other side. In fact, Jessie Martin aka Ylnez Payne aka TakeMeToTheMorgue! from Stuart, Virginia, vis à vis with the label does have a bit different reference set, delivering its touch on (modern/neo) classical music-inflected shots (15 tracks). By its fundamental aspect, of course, it is buried into dark and funeral - still slow-paced rhythms are sometimes stopped to be accessed to the ground, segued seamlessly into lethargic sleep to get have lots of plays with shadows and roaming between the visible and invisible in Nowhere Land, or on the other way, having fast run for noise-near peaks and raging low bass tectonics.

Listen to it here

8.5

[Artists] Alexander Martovsky

Foundamental Network
Sgustok Net
Lastfm

Oathless Standing Where Our Paths Shall Meet (Hawk Moon)

For sure, the British have been having a proud tradition of ambient music veered from the conceptions of Brian Eno and David Toop to the later and recent works by the Caretaker, Cousin Silas, Phillip Wilkerson and Simon Housley. Simon Housley is a young musician from Stoke-on-Tent having been releasing music since 2007. His first tracks were played out as spacey neofolk/chamber folk-drenched pieces, which soon evolved into a more melancholic space music approach, completed strongly with the ingredients of modern classical/symphonic progressions and dark ambient/dystopbient, and infused layers of musique concrete as well. Besides an array of singles, however, Housley has self-released three albums being as an obligatory task for every serious ambient music lover to be listened here and now. Those issues are Seen Through Reflection, Lambent Amber Winds, and Zephyr.

No doubt, his new release of 8 tracks continues to move along those aforementioned ambient characteristics. In principle, it is slow, minimal yet extensive, and hypnotic based upon the phase changing-alike methodology. Though it is an austere sonic example it does evoke a lot of emotions, for instance, extraditing the sense of still life, as if foretelling us about the forthcoming cold and snowy winter. In fact, the season is arrived exactly in such kind of embodiment and the emotion is mightily up here to be became much more dinstinct. Vis à vis with Housley`s previous releases it does seem to be a bit more solemn yet remaining its status as a somehow joyous oeuvre, though.

Listen to it here

9.1

Alessio Ballerini Blanc (Zymogen)

The privilege, the pleasure is mine... . Zymogen is back with its new notch, Alessio Ballerini`s brand new heavy album Blanc. The coverprint with a snowy mountain peak...what is it up here to be referred actually? As it is obviously known "Blanc" does mean as "white" in French, so is it possible to have somehow a reference to the highest peak in the Europe? Why not, though in fact, the album concerns on climate changes regarding the melting of the ice sheets of Greenland. 5 tracks are appeared here to be sounded really warm and comfortable, though, it is full of ghosts and ghouls, which, however, are not used to be frightening occurences. The whole one might be reminiscent of borealic space of Tim Hecker, endlessly snowy landscapes, chaotically swirling airy vectors and silent whirls of the storm. Here you can relax for listening to hiss-infused mini-orchestrations, electro-acoustic trash-y clangors, minimally sounding piano loaded modern classical pieces. Could you imagine that a kind of (beatific) shit and a piece of beauty are rolling alongside to get finally joint together, and as a result, delivering a hallmark about an exhilarating sound example in the end of 2010. By the way, Ballerini is helped by Canenero, Gianni Pavan, and Christian Fennesz (indeed, by this famous österreicher Fennesz).

Listen to it here

9.4

[Concert] A Silver Mt Zion Live at La Sala Rossa on 2005-06-16 (Archive.org)

A Silver Mt. Zion (and its various titles), a band from Montrèal, is probably the best known act which is grown out or related somehow to Godspeed You! Black Emperor (formerly as Godspeed You Black Emperor!) and is the most involved band via its members (Efrim Menuck, Thierry Amar, Sophie Trudeau) as well. In fact, the aforementioned musicians have been influential collaborators not only on the post-rock scene but also related to alt-folk and indie circles in the North America during last 10 years at least. However, after GY!BE was going on hiatus, therefore the prime privilege was delegated over to ASMZ. If to compare differences between two bands, in the first place, it is the using of vocals, and the soundscape of ASMZ is inclined more to psych-oriented numbers, and indie music as well. For an argue, it seems a bit slower, having been involved in classical music-based arrangements (eminent cello and violin undercurrents), and via Menuck`s gratingly lamenting and sometimes euphorical vocal manner as well. All of those elements are to be heard in an excellent way on this live session also, recorded at La Sala Rossa in their hometown in 2005. Inbetween the songs you can be a witness for the interactivity between Menuck and audience and jocularities regarding "dudes", iPod and Coldplay, and birdfeeders as well. My cue toward indie music wasn`t arbitrary because of Menuck`s euphorical and lament manner (sometimes simultaneously) and the exploiting of chamber music devices and elements so you are getting to see more the link between ASMZ and Arcade Fire (moreover, they have more common through of recruiting the same musicians, and using the Constellation-related studio Hotel2Tango too).

Listen to it here

Blezna Árbole (Alg-a)

The soundtrack of my day comes from Asturia, Spain. Blezna is an experimental sound project, inspired by asturian forests and those trees. Behind it is Juanjo Palacios who took care of soundscapes recordings, virtual instruments, plugins, sample manipulations, composition, process, photography and graphic design. Indeed, it is not wrong to be named it as a kind of the-one-man-orchestra, because this does not consist only of vivid and intense snapshots among the trees, where you can predominantly hear the cracks of burning wood, and at a time the rustling of rain which will be overtaken by lighter and darker soundscapes which by this side will be developed into funeral neoclassical orchestrations and even martial-alike undertows. Such a kind of adduction of neutral-minded field recordings and epic classical music developments is not common at all. By its approach Palacios´ work does remind a bit of another spanish composer Bosques De Mi Mente. What else could I add that those brisk eight tracks constitute a sequent top-notch in the long array of the 2010 best releases.

Listen to it here

9.5

[Artists] Difondo

Difondo
La bèl
Myspace
Lastfm

Alex Alexandroff Anxiety(Piano album) (Jamendo)

Ukraina artist Alex Alexandroff (tal on ka kõrvalprojekt Resistance) on viimase aasta jooksul meilboksi järjekindlalt teadetega pommitanud. Reeglina on see muusiku uute singlitega seotud olnud. Tõsi, eelmise aasta lõpust pärineb ka album "Tranquillity" (Jamendo), kus ta mängis instrumentaalset kitarrimuusikat post-rock`ilikku kokkupuutepunkti otsides.

Nüüd on järg klaverimuusikasse jõudnud. 4 lugu (kogupikkus 10.13) ei äratanud esimestel ja pealiskaudsetel kuulamistel erilist huvi (muusikat ei tohiks tõepoolest taustaks kuulamise põhjal hinnata). Keskendununa hakkasin üllitise voorusi tajuma ning neid üha juurde leidma. Eile varahommikul aknast välja vaadates ning õrna lumevaipa murul nähes tajusin, et seesugune muusika ongi vaikeluliste olupiltide helindamiseks loodud. Minimalistlik, melanhoolne, samas jõuduandev ning ergastav. Meetod on tõepoolest minimeeritud - kas üksikud piaanoakordid üksteisele samal ja lähiastmestikul järgnemas või siis arpedžode abil õhku tõusmas. Üllitise pealkiri siiski ei ole "õigustatud". Ängi(stust) see õnneks ei tekita, seesugune õrnalt melanhoolne tüünus võib paljude kuulajate jaoks täiesti normaalse hingelise seisundi peegeldajaks osutuda. Teisalt ka mustvalget ning kontuure ähmastavat kaanepilti ei väsi vaatamast. Mis iganes, kuid tulevikus tahaks küll ukrainlaselt mõnd täispikka üllitist kuulda.

Kuula albumit siit

8.6

Jacques de Villiers More Wind For Lonely Suburbs EP (2010, Jacques de Villiers)

Jacques de Villiers on käesoleval aastal oma teise üllitisega tagasi. Muusik, kelle helikeelt võib võrrelda Tim Hecker`i digitaalkrabinatest seestunud boreaalkosmosega aastaid 6-8 tagasi. Sarnaselt Montrèal`ile puhuvad ka Kaplinnas külmad tuuled ning sajab palju lund. Lisaks elavad seal läheduses ka pingviinid. 24-aastase aafriklase aasta alul ilmunud "Sleepsongs"-i (hinne: 8.9) hõllandustele on lisandunud uued dimensioonid, asi on käändunud veelgi rohkem ebamaiseks ning unistuslikuks. Žanriliselt tähendab see keskendumist üksikute piaanoakordide ruumis laialihajumisele ja sulni mikromüra süvahoovustele; kadunud on drone- ja shoegaze-varjundid, lihtsalt kinemaatiline ja emotiivselt plahvatuslik helipilt on lahti rullumas. Teisisõnu, seda võib vaadelda ka kui harmooniate ja müra piiride seiklemist, segunemist ja hägustumist. Aga jah, siin on kõigest 3 lugu: Oceanic Preamble, Written For You After You Left Us ning Wednesday, 18 July 1945 (A Perfect Winter's Day).

Kuula albumit siit

9.6

Multi-Panel Train Times For Sway (No-Source)

Utrecht`ist pärit Ludo Maas läheneb 2004. aastal salvestatud, kuid muusikatööstuse radaritele nähtamatuks jäänud albumil folkmuusikale tervistavalt nihestatud ülekandega, andes nimetet žanrile uue mõõtme ja vitaalsuse. Tõsi see on, et noore hollandlase muusikat iseloomustab tabavalt multipaneelsuse mõiste, andes seeläbi võimaluse kokkupuutepunktidele ning ohtratele vihjetele.

13-looline album on täidetud meloodikalaadsetest progressioonidest, drone-liinidest, shoegaze`i mikroskoopilistest fookustest, strummivatest akustilistest kitarridest, minimalistlikust elektroonikast ja IDM-rütmikast, lehmakellaindie`st ning lo-fi-laadsest koendist. Vahetevahel paisuvad osad mini- ja kvaasisümfooniateks, teinekord sumbub helijoon kestvasse hillitsetusse (kuigi see on kaunis sumbumine). Eriliselt märkimisväärt on modernklassika ja ambient`i vahele paigutuvad sünkjalt tüüned osised. Omaette väärtus on Maas`i värelev ja varjuküllane vokaalmaneer, kaasates vahetevahel ka amsterdamlanna Pien Feith`i (sooloEP "The Wilderness Sound" aastast 2007, samuti osaline ansamblites The Very Sexuals ning Neonbelle) - kelle vokaal justkui pärineks tänapäeva Põhja-Ameerika eksperimentaalfolgi traditsioonist -, pakkudes suuri momente. Keskmise inditroonilise muusika anonüümsusest kontrastselt eeskujulikum üllitis.

Kuula albumit siit

9.3

Alex Schaaf Radiohead's Kid A : Re​-​imagined (Bandcamp)

Kui kõigi-aegade edetabeleid koostatakse, siis Radiohead on alati kenasti platsis. Seda kahe albumiga ennekõike - "Ok Computer"-i ja "Kid A"-ga. Muusikakriitikute küsimus on pigem selles, et kas London`i pundi taiesed paigutada esimesele kohale või mitte. "Ok Computer" oli ilusate lauludega eksperimentaalne britpopp (Briti indieroki kuldaastast 1997, loe: Spiritualized`i, Blur`i, Primal Scream`i, The Verve´i, Stereolab´i, The Charlatans´i, Supergrass`i, Oasis`e jpt albumid), kuid "Kid A" märkis nullindate kohalolu, britpopi sümboolset surma ning totaalpopi esilekerkimist (millega oli samuti võimalik kõvasti raha kokku kühveldada). Radiohead on selles mõttes kahtlemata õnnelik punt, vaatamata sellele, kui palju ka Thom Yorke ei manaks õnnetuid poose ning obsessiivseid grimasse esile. Kuigi mäletan, et "Ok Computer" kõlas samuti esimesel kuulamisel nagu futumuusika, oli "Kid A" innovatiivne pilotaaž rockbändide seas ekstraklassi märkiv, mida pidi üsna palju seedima, et emotiivne sentiment tehnoloogilise tulevärgi vahelt kätte saada, mistõttu mõjus ehk isegi depressiivsemana kui eelkäija.

Samuti on Radiohead tõmmatud fookusesse, kui asi on omandanud tõlgendamise või mash-up-mõõtmed. Briti legendit on ennegi klassikalises võtmes kaverdatud, kuid newyorklase Alex Schaaf`i (tuntud ka Yellow Ostrich`i kehastusena) üllitise teeb eriliseks just rõhuasetus "Kid A"-le. (Kindlasti peitub põhjus ka 10 aasta tähtpäevas). 10 lugu, kuigi erinevas järjekorras kui originaalalbumil. 2 piaanot, 2 viiulit, 2 tšellot pluss 6 lauljat (bass, tenor, 2 alti ja 2 sopranit). Emotsioone on minimeeritud, eepiline jahedus on esile tõstetud. Võiks küsida, et mis järgmiseks - kas Radiohead `ist tehakse rockooper? (Kihlvedusid võib sõlmima hakata). Eeldused on igatahes olemas - seda tõestab ka käesolev reliis. Lemmik on rangelt kasin tõlgendus How To Disappear Completely-ist ning Idioteque-i tõlgitsusversioon töötab samuti nagu alati (ka ülejäänu on tasemel). Siin ongi mõtlemiskoht muusikutele-heliloojatele - andke oma kuldloomingule erinevad arranžeeringud, erinevad tõlgendused ning erinevad vormid (mitte alati ei tehta seda teie eest ära). Ei ole mõtet oma ressurssi raisata.

Kuula albumit siit

8.5

Min-Y-Llan/Bagpipe Whiskey The West Coast (Kift Flipper)

Wales`i muusikast rääkides tulevad ennekõike meelde kaks folgipõhjaga eksperimentaalset indie-ansamblit (Gorky`s Zygotic Mynci, Super Furry Animals), paar edetabeleid vallutanud rühmitust (Manic Street Preachers, Catatonia), paar uue aja ansamblit (Los Campesinos, Joy Formidable) ning üks karmima kõlaga punt (Feeder). Suurbritannia mõistes on kaguosa kahtlemata perifeeria - teistsuguse kultuurilisuse kants -, mis on siirdanud olulist ning (teise)tähenduslikku Briti popmaastikusse.

Verisulis plaadifirma Kift Flipper`i kolmas reliis on kahasse kirjutatud label`i kahe esimese üllitise autori - Min-Y-Llan`i ja Bagpipe Whiskey`i -, väidetavalt Pembrokeshire`i krahvkonna parimate technoratsanike poolt. Hip-hop-räppi ning "läänekallast" siit eest ei leia, kuid tulemuseks on 10-looline igati korralik ja mitmekülgne teos, mis avab programmeeritud kitarrimuusika/folktroonika, dünaamilise technopõrke, ämbiendi, downtempo ning moodsa klassika uksi. Nurgelised rütmid, kriipivad keel- ja pseudokeelpillid, nobedalt lippavad klaveriakordid, eepilised orkestratsioonid jpm moodustavad orgaanilise terviku (isegi sel juhul, kui need moodustavad teineteise suhtes ontliku järjestuse). Korraliku viimistluse, ideede eeskujuliku realiseerimise ning sentimentaalse lainetuse kombinatsioon on alati kõrgeid punkte väärinud.

Kuula albumit siit

8.8

[Artistid] Bosques de mi Mente

Bosques de mi Mente
Jamendo
CRLM Office
Clinical Archives
Myspace
Lastfm

[Artistid] Alexander Piterskiy

Alexander Piterskiy/Bandcamp
Myspace
Lastfm

Difondo Habitat (La bèl)

Itaallastel on plaadifirma Zymogen kõrvale kerkinud teine kvaliteetleibel nimega La bèl. Järjekorras kuues reliis ei künna enam eksperimentaalse indie ja post-rock`i laialivalguvatel piiridel, vaid on hõivanud midagi uut.

Sergio Camedda, Giampaolo Campus ning Giuseppe Casu on Lõuna-Itaalia kolmik, kes on keskendunud muusika- ja konkreethelide tämbrilisuse uurimisele. Kaheksa elektroakustilist improvisatsiooni - mille keskmes on mõiste "levila"/habitat/ - tekivad eraldatud helidest-kontseptsioonidest, mis iseendasse suletusest sõltumata siirduvad ning lisavad oma panuse üldisesse helipilti. Inimolend on paratamatult ümbritsetud keskkonnast, mistõttu käesolevat teost esitletaksegi kui ideaalset nägemust inimese olemuslikust seosest teda ümbritsevaga. Kõik mikrokontseptsioonid on esitatud võrdse intensiivsusega, milles on kord jazz-elemente, kord elektroonikat ja spoken word`i, kord klassikalise muusika ja konkreethelide mustreid. Kõiki träkke ühendavaks osaks on tumedaküllasus ning helikeele pingestatus-kriipivus, mis jätab sellest mulje kui mõnest tuleviku ooperi helindist.

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9.2

[Vana ning oluline] Flymodus Milky Seas (either/OAR)

Duo Håvard Volden´i ja Martin Taxt`i 5-looline album ei ole salvestatud-produtseeritud stuudioseinte vahel, vaid hoopis üles võetud Henie Onstad Art Center`is Bærum`s (Norra) eelmisel aastal. Volden musitseerib 12-keelelisel kitarril ja elektroonikal ning Taxt tuubal. Kas üllitise tiitel õigustab ennast? Digitaalset merekohinat simuleerivat heli on siin tõesti kuulda. Elektroakustiline kammerlikkus kohtub elektroonika, jazz`iliku improvisatsioonilisuse-teemaarenduste ning vaikusega. Konkreetsemalt tähendab see teritava elektroonilise helikeele, tuuba improte ja drone-lainetuse ning üksikutest kitarriakordidest pikitud vaikuse-vaibumise vaheldumist või simultaanset-polüfoonilist progressiooni. Eriliselt huvipakkuv lähenemine ilmneb loos Undertow, kus tuubaga improviseeritakse nii nagu mõni avangardjazzist läheneb trompetile. Kokkuvõttes võib nentida, et tegemist on teosega, mis sobitub iga meeleolu ning hetkega.

Kuula albumit siit