Tiny Fireflies vs Baffin Island (Across Oceans #1) - ePop031 (2013)

Eardrums Pop

• Conceptual
• Indie pop
• Alternative pop
• Jangle pop
• Psychedelic pop

Boyish/Daisyblue - Gentle Breeze EP (2012)

Canata
Lastfm 

9.2

/Alternative rock, Indie pop, Jangle pop, J-pop/

Comment: this is a sequent issue on a Japanese label, called Canata Records. In any cases, this 4-track issue created by two bands can be characterized by highly joyous guitar works reminiscent of a timespan having been between the mid-80s and the beginning of 90s when the indies made their first efforts. The whole is filled with blossoming guitar chords and suggestive vocal reveries (variegated with male and female vocals respectively) which sometimes is embellished with heavy keyboard-based works. There can be drawn parallels upon the likes of McCarthy, The Pastels, early Primal Scream, The Chameleons. The closing Summer Film track by Daisyblue resembles a little bit of Happy Mondays` Lazytis. In all, it is soo nostalgic and impressive!

Hydropneumothorax / Surgical Infection - Split (2010)

Dis-Organ-Ized

9.1

/Grindcore, Hardcore punk, Noise rock, Death metal, Crossover/

Comment: I am experiencing these two musical projects for the first time. They have hammered down 20 short-running tracks with the assistance massive, brutal guitar attacks, heavily punching percussion and suggestive moaning. Furthermore, the titles of their notches are worth to be checked out alluding to amputation, medical malpractice, chronic and malignant diseases etc. Stylistically and by its main accents the whole could be categorized as an instance of misanthropic grindcore-ish (hardcore) punk which involves the aspects of death metal and off-kilter samples (some orchestrated snippets, spoken word bits, silence). Though, fortunately I have not heard about medical malpractices here in Estonia, all what regards the soundscape of the split it is highly convincing and not ridiculous at all.

Nekrasov & Iversen - SPLIT SERIES #2 (2006)

Planear

9.5

/Sound-art, Electro-acoustic, Avant-electronica, Noise, Abstract electronica, Microtonal, Experimental electronica/

Comment: it is a mesmerizing experimental/avant/abstract electronica/sound art split by Moscas Nekrasov, and Jan-M Iversen. The narratives of both musicians consist of the seeds of ragged electronic and micronoise blended plateaus, senseless yet compelling signal throbs, and changing rhythm sequences, all of that is wrapped up by electro-acoustic ambiances. Altogether, the whole is an intricate and intriguing configuration issued on a cult Argentinian label called Planear in 2006. In a word, a classic one which needs to be polished from dust by listeners.

The Dreams+Delacave - Beko_99 (2011)

Beko DSL
Lastfm

9.2

/No Wave, Angst pop, Experimental indie, Lo-fi, Primitive pop, Dark pop, Avant-rock, Electronic pop/

Comment: it is nice to meet the Dreams again, a French duo taking on impassioned lo-fi approach blended with existential, moan-soaked singing. This time they are joined by another Gallian combo Delacave, offering up as similarly as the Dreams three tracks of glowering, angst-drenched drones, creepy guitars, haunting vocal lines and monotonous paces buried below it. On the other side, the last track Funeral Party reflects upon a more primitivistic shape.

Call Me On The Allophone - Nite Train (2011)

pan y rosas discos

9.0

/Avant-folk, Experimental folk, Chamber music, Slowcore, New Weird America, Improvised music, Weird folk, Psych-folk, Alternative/

Comment: This is a split album by two crazy gals with guitars from USA. Call Me On The Allophone is a nom de plum of Kendra Calhoun who used to torture and wring her guitar, started out on "broken", angular guitar chords which step by step get evolved into a broader vista accomplished with tense, elemental hiss skrees behind it. Anyway, it creates the sense as if the whole were played up in an angular channel somewhere. The more the Walk On Wine comes to its finishing point the more bewilderness it used to show up. The second track by Teaadora picks up a more singer-songwriter-based approach dripping it with vowels (singing?), having acquired a very low level-based shift surrounded by highly stuttering, elemental noise. The last track is the collaboration of both at a festival taking on queasily improvised schemes where the influence lines between folk and electro-acoustic-ness and improvised music and high-registered singing will be clouded away.

fydhws/bc ranger/Gravity's End - Split (2011)

Mediafire

9.3

/Post-rock, Experimental rock, Instrumental rock, Avant-rock, Epic/

Comment: This is a split album compiled of tracks by 3 talented artists. fydhws is a musician from Macedonia who used to develop one of the most intricate post-rock soundscapes worldwide at the moment. This might be described as an instance of instrumental rock music made up through the methodology based on sound art/sound modulation. On the other side, bc_ ranger (from Ukraine) and Gravity End`s (from Germany) play up more established yet excellent riff based epic rock sound borrowing from the realms of metal, musique concrète, and spoken word. However, all of those rich textures and majestic vibes are fulfilled with lots of good memories and endless melancholy. Beautiful.

Infirm Individual & AMZ (Split) - The Glorious Triforce (2011)

Infirm Individual

8.8

/Drum and bass, Jungle, IDM, Experimental electronica, 8-bit, Tracker music, Crossover, Techno/

Comment: This 13-track album is a split issue of the two artists who used to share their off-kilter but quite unique soundscape with the rest of the world. Indeed, they have a journey through the various landscapes of rhythm-based explorations. For instance, the opening track is an awesome bastard drifting between the Orb-esque ambient techno/dub and Panacea-like tough poundering of drum and bass/jungle. However, later the concept will have completed through the chiming IDM-hued techno, sharp and naive cuts of bitpop/tracker music, psychedelic soaring of electronica, and mainly through the troubled yet charming appeal of drum and bass/jungle sound. And as you have figured out it yet, there can be met a loads of shifts inbetween those aforementioned styles as well. A masterful accomplishment indeed.

Boletes - Hunnibug EP/Kites Overhead - In the Shadow of the Mountain EP (2010/2011)

No-Source

Forest Records
Bandcamp
Lastfm
Lastfm

8.4

/Dark folk, Folk noir, Alt-folk, Ambient folk, Singer-songwriter, Experimental indie, Post-rock/

Comment: This is a split compiled of two EP`s. Boletes is Roy Cornall from Scotland who plays up slightly flavoured noir-hued folk. More concretely, this is mainly about middle tempod guitar strummings which are fringed with reverb effects and synthesized walls and lots of changes. Kites Overheas is Gene Kondusky from Canada who showcases his abilitis in the realm of of post-rock-infused indie/folk pop, wherein are presented frizzy guitar drives, reversed sonic effects, pace progressions and repetitive elements, all in all, demonstrating dynamical transitions from acoustic pop notches over to electrified and more technical pop occurrence.

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

Alexander Kibanov/HZ Two sides of life (Justnotnormal)

“Two sides of life” on venelaste kahasse tehtud album. Aleksandr Kibanov`i diskograafiat ning muusikalist aktiviteeti uurides näib, et ta on kogu oma (noore) elu ainult muusikale pühendanud. Lõputu nimekiri soolo- ja split-reliisidest, koostööprojektidest (sh Aleksei Borissov`i ning Kenji Siratori`ga) ning kogumikest. Lisaks veel veab ta 4 plaadifirmat. Stilistiliselt ulatub mehe muusika eksperimentaalsest ämbiendist ja psühh(dada)pungist kuni harsh noise`i ning spoken word`ini. Julia Timofejeva aka HZ on ka tuntud kui Âûïü ning N|B|K.

Mõlemad osapooled pakuvad eriilmelist, samas teineteist täiendavat helikeelt. Aleksandr Kibanov eksperimenteerib valdavalt hillitsetud elektroonilise helikeelega, pakkudes tagurpidi kukerpallitavaid helisid, kellamängulikku rütmitiksumisi ning vaikseks keeratud abrassiivseid bassiseinu. Lugu Cycle of night kaugeneb eelnenud träkkidest, esindades atmosfäärilist ning tsillivat hoiakut - happeliste sündisaundidega murendatud psytronica/psychill/psybient. Lugu The end algab akustiliste keelpillide jõuliste näpetega, millega õige pea liitub kilav elektroonika, ning digitaalne mürakollaps lehvitab hüvastijätuks. See muusika meenutab mulle oma kõlalt osaliselt ühte 7-8 aasta eest kuuldud kogumikku, kus akadeemilise haridusega heliloojad lõid digitaalelektroonilisi taieseid, mida oli pelutav kuulata. Õnneks AK oskab helikeele steriliseerumist, toda vaimusilmas kangastuvat luitumist osavalt vältida-peita.

Julia Timofejeva helikeel on märksa lopsakam ning massiivsem. Loodushelidega vürtsitatud drone-pulseerimisele lisandub veel paar kihti, fraktaalid segunevad ning helisein valjeneb sugestiivseks ämbientmüraks (I`ll never make up). Seejärel kihid settivad, heli selgineb, ning muutub peaasjalikult ruumiliseks eksperimendiks - eepiliseks avardumiseks, rohesiniste horisontide poole liikumiseks. Subtle soundfields või dreamscape - nagu seesugust muusikat tavatsetakse sildistada (Anomaly). Loos Transparent World elimineeritakse emotiivne tahk, heli minimeeritakse. Kas õhk, mis teoreetiliselt ei kaotaks oma energiat, mis liiguks lõpmatult läbi metalltorude, kiiskaks samamoodi metalselt? Objekt laiuvas üksinduses. Timofejeva jätkab muljetavaldavalt - eelmise loo lõpp areneb minimalistlikuks ämbientoopuseks. Tegelikult tundub “ämbient” sõimusõnana seesuguse muusika kirjeldamiseks. David Toop ning Brian Eno näivad teisest maailmast pärinevat. See on pigem kirurgiline helikollaaž - kihtide liitmine kinnisideelise täpsuse ning pühendumusega. Helimaastik avardub, tuksleb ning põleb. Selles on nii Pan America`t meenutavat linnulennuvaatelist monumentumit kui ka Caustic Reverie`le omast düstoopset (sise)ruumiängi. Põlemine muutub kurjaendeliseks lõpuloos Puddle mind, mis võiks vabalt mõne ilmaruumilise, Alien-tüüpi ulmeõuduka helindiks olla.
Venelanna lood moodustavad vaieldamatult ühe parima (eksperimentaal)ämbiendi taiese, mida mul on au olnud kuulata. Albumi esimese osa eest 8.8, teise eest 10.0. Seega...

Kuula albumit siit

9.4