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Kuvatud on postitused sildiga blocSonic. Kuva kõik postitused
Kuvatud on postitused sildiga blocSonic. Kuva kõik postitused

9/26/2024

CM aka Creative -- Classic Material, Vol. 5 (2024)



blocSonic/Bandcamp

  • Hip-hop 
  • Rap 
  • Urban music 
  • Soul 
  • Sampledelic 
  • R'n'B
  • Boom rap 

Räppmuusika puhul on esmatähtsad põhjad -- juhul kui sõnaline pool on tugev, aga teine pool nõrk, siis tulemus oleks vähem nauditavam kui ümberpööratult. Sõnad on ka olulised, aga kui paljud kuulajatest seda tegelikkuses kuulavad (seda enam, et platonlikku või hegellikku sügavust sealt niikuinii esile ei kerki) -- eriti kui on tegu võõrkeelse tekstiga (mis sageli on arusaamatu kohalik släng) -- biidid-helid seevastu ei valeta. Need kas raputavad või jooksevad mööda külgi maha. Muidugi, vokaali esitamise pool on oluline, mida võib lugeda instrumendiks, ning seetõttu kitsalt helindi osaks (räpis iseäranis). CM'l on 15-loolisel taiesel palju külalisesinejaid, mistõttu erinevad tahud etlemises on kenasti esindatud. Muusikaliselt ei ole paha -- gängsta kohtub kergete tuuleiilide, soulmuusika ja R'n'B'ga. Karmidel meestel on ka pehmem külg -- eeldatavalt karmidel meestel, kuna tahtnuks heliliselt kuulda karmimat produktsiooni (natuke rohkemates lugudes kui "Everybody Do It", "Iron Mic Titans", "Runnin' Rebelz). Aga sämplid-orkestreeringud loovad mõnusa vaibi, milles päikesejänkud ringi hüppavad ning päevavargad pärnapuu all murul aega surnuks löövad. USA plaadifirma blocSonic on selle korraliku albumi väljaandja.

7/10/2022

Moki Mcfly – Aether (2022)



  • Hip-hop 
  • Cinematic 
  • Breaks 
  • Sampledelic 
  • Chilltronica 
  • Nu jazz 
  • Ambient pop 
  • Acid jazz 
  • Electronic 

Ütleks kohe kokkuvõtvalt selle 14-loolise teose kohta seda, et miinimumprogramm on artistil kenasti täidetud – meeleolu genereerimise ülesanne kinolinalike sämplite ja hoogsate rütmidega on õnnestunud. Ehk liigagi sujuvalt – kui teisendada tervik üksikosadeks ning uuesti üksikosad laduda tervikuks, siis midagi kaduma ei lähe. Ka midagi juurde ei lisandu. Liides osakeste ja terviku elik sisendi ja väljundi vahel funktsioneerib laitmatult. Nullide ja ühtede järjestamine kalkulatsioonis ei eelda analoogloogilist kihistuste kõrvuti olemist ja sobitamist, mistõttu pingestust ei peakski eeldama. Aga ideaalis võiks näha higi, verd ja pisaraid peegeldumas loomingulises protsessis. Pinget sämplite ja rütmide põimumises, mis käesoleval juhul on teineteisest turvalisse kaugusse sätitud. Kõik kulgeb sünkroonis nagu filmisämplite ja rütmimustrite välinäitus digitaalgravitatsioonilises väljas. Muusika võiks pretendeerida näimaks miski muu, kui digitaalvundament sätestab. Tulistada nullide ja ühtedega alusmüüri auklikumaks ja pahklikumaks. Teisalt silmates albumi pealkirja tuleb silmas pidada autori kavatsust maalida helidega valgust – eeterlikkus ja ruumilisus (kui meedium) esindavad selgust ja korrapära, konkreetseid suhteid ja prognoositavaid mustreid. Valgus ei ole siin eesmärk omaette, Eet(e)ri kui valgusjumaluse ülesanne on kõigele valgust heita ning kõikjal varjud eemaldada. Sämplivalik on väga hea, eriti murdjaloos "Fuerza de resistencia etnica". Teine tõeline takjas on "Sakada Insurekta", mis elustab Miles'i elektrilise pärandi (ikka Davis'e, mitte Robert'i – rahu kummagi hingele!). Miles'i 60ndate tüünus omakorda peegeldub nii mõneski teises loos. No on küll hea asi! Aiva kasvab  ja kasvab see blocSonic-nimelise plaadifirma hoolealune. 

8.0 (7.0-9.0)

6/17/2022

Various Artists – netBloc Vol. 53: Bang, Plunk, Squelch & Thump (2020)



  • Electronic pop 
  • Rap blues 
  • Smooth jazz 
  • Big beat
  • Soft rock
  • Robot pop
  • Sampledelic 
  • Electro pop 
  • Post-disco 
  • Art rock 
  • Sophisti-pop 

Kogumikalbumitega (vist oleks parem kasutada väljendit “kogumiküllitis”, “kogumik”) on see peavalu, et kriitikutel tuleb võtta hindamiseks teatud eelhoiak. Eeldades, et kogumik(üllitis) peaks peegeldama nii plaadifirma muusikalist läbilõiget kui ka meelelahutuslikku aspekti (lõdvendades lipsusõlme võrreldes pärisalbumitega), siis kogumikke on vist suht mõttetu (tõsiselt) arvustada. Neid võib mõneti võrrelda tähtede mänguga, mille MVP valimine ei oma mingit tähtsust kevadel selgitatava meistri osas. Kaudselt võib see osutada teatud jõujoontele, ent ei midagi rohkemat. Teisalt eksisteerivad üksnes kogumikele orienteerunud plaadifirmad, mis löövad kriteeriumite valikul pildi sassi; nõudes karmi, st samuti võimalikult objektiivset lähenemist arvustamisel. Ameerika netileibel blocSonic on välja toonud 12-loolise üllitise, peegeldades institutsiooni laia stilistilist paletti ja kvaliteetset maitsekust. Ei manustata seljankat samaaegselt jäätisega, vaid ikka järgemööda; ei uhuta sašlõkki mõõdutundetult “peediga”, vaid ikka lonkshaaval hää õllega alla. Muusikaliselt – nagu juba ülalpool žanri loetelust selgub – on tegu elektroonilistest algoritmidest juhitud popmuusikaga ning teisalt ei ole kõrvale jäetud kunstiline kitarredega helindatud pop- ja rokkmuuusika. On ka räppbluusi, juustust ent täiesti kugistatavat mahejätsu ja esoteerilisemat flirti sämplite ja rütmidega. Lood on koherentsed, piisavalt huvitavad ja nauditavad. Siin on esindatud järgmised artistid: Digital Gnosis, Kang, Muddy Belle, Andrew Rose, Wooden Cabin, Strand Child, Close Counters, Tropo, CLOUDWARMER, The Peaks and Valleys, Fields Ohio ja Ruby Watson.

8.0 (7.0-8.5)

11/13/2020

Spiedkiks – A Pompous Whimsy Peak (2020)



  • Easy listening 
  • Rap
  • Chilltronica 
  • Electronic music 
  • Hip-hop 
  • Cinematic 
  • Sampledelic
 
Theodor Adorno väitis, et muusikas on määrava tähtsusega rütm, ja ainult rütm. Adorno ei elanud piisavalt, nägemaks näiteks diskomuusika esilekerkimist. Ehk arvanuks ta teisiti orkestreeritud garneeringute valguses, mis kokku andis ekstaatilise kogupaugu. Rütm küll, aga mitte ainult – rütm vajab satureerimist, ja ergastatakse biiti millegi erinevaga ehk meloodia ja harmooniatega. Ja vastupidi. Kuidas ja mis vahekorras muusik helipildi kokku sulatab, sõltub tema arusaamadest, põhjendustest ja suvast. Hea tehno- ja haussmuusika puhul ei piisa ainult rütmist – rütm reeglina defineerib küll stiili kui fenomeni, aga kütkestavus, haaravus, headus – mis iganes positiivne epiteet – ei sõltu ainult sellest. On muusikalisi žanreid – nt droonmuusika ja ämbient –, kus rütm võib olla või mitte olla, st ei ole substantsiaalne. Valner Valme kirjutisest ajalehes Sirp võib oletada, et Adorno valis selektiivselt muusikalisi näiteid, st elevandiluutornist võis paista suht vähe ja ahtalt. Ma ei hakka teda süüdistama selles, et ta ei kuulanud omi minimaalse rütmiosaga kaasaegseid üllitisi, mis kinolina kaudu isegi massidesse ulatusid, nt elektroonilise muusika pioneeride Bebe ja Louis Barron'i saundträkki filmile "The Forbidden Planet" (1956) (põhimõtteliselt oli tegu tunneleid või suuri torusid läbiva ämbient(muusikaga)); rääkimata haruldasemast, rütmi samuti sporaadiliselt sisaldavast elektronmuusikast (Tod Dockstader, Vladimir Ussachevsky). Ka exotica ja space age pop`i suurkujude Martin Denny ja Les Baxter`i jaoks – kes müüsid 50ndatel miljoneid albumeid –  oli rütm loomulik, samas mitte alati defineeriv joon.  Juhul kui Adorno oleks oma põhieeldusele truuks jäänud, siis ilmselt välistanuks mainitet üllitise muusika lahtrist (aga see lisanuks veelgi probleemsust). Mis olnuks diametraalselt vastandlik temast kümmekond aastat noorema John Cage'i väitega, et kõik on muusika. Cage'i väide on saanud domineerivaks – seda nii tänapäevale kui filosoofide noorpõlveaja heliloomingule pilku tagasi heites (nt plaadifirma Sub Rosa elektroonilise ja müramuusika üllitatud antoloogiad, milledel leiduv nii mõnigi helinäide pärineb Adorno sünnile eelnenud ajast (1903)). Kuulates Saksa artisti Spiedkiks'i 11-loolist hõllandust mõtlen, et kas seesugune helge-mitmepalgeline ja kunst-kunsti-pärast üllitis, mida lähimate kuude jooksul kuulab võib-olla sadakond melomaani, lülitab meid kuidagi tasa ja tekitab ühiskondlikku võõrandumist? Muusikasse kui fenomeni on niikuinii sisse kodeeritud mingisugune võõrandumise ja põlguse algoritm, ent see kahtlemata on positiivse iseloomuga, aidates säilitada distantsi ja kriitilist meelt ning hoides ülal taju mitmekesisust, vastandudes sellisena ühiskonna standardiseerimisele. Sealhulgas ka adornomarksistlikele stampidele ja meelevaldsele üldistamisele vastu seistes. Maailm on tema arusaamadest liiga kaugele liikunud, allumaks sellele ilma anakronistlikku ja groteskset irvet manamata. Pigem nietzschelik positiivne nihilism, paljastades inimloomu ja inimgruppide nõrkusi – eelnevalt "põrkudes vastu põhja", loob a priori paremad eeldused totalitarismist ja hullusest eemaldumiseks. Ja sellest tulenevalt ka ratsionaalsema(d) eelduse(d) (pop)muusika tegevus- ja loomisloogika mõistmiseks-mõtestamiseks. Samas hullus peaks jääma loomisakti loomulikuks osaks (väljapaistva loomingu puhul ilmselt ongi), vastasel korral tuleb taas rääkida totalitarismist. 

3/05/2020

Moki Mcfly – Silom (2018)

  • Hip-hop 
  • Sampledelic 
  • Urban music 
  • Cinematic 
  • Trip-hop 
  • Ethnotronica 
  • Psychedelic 
  • Lo-fi 
  • DIY 
  • Mood music 
  • Easy listening 
  • World fusion

Comment: this 14-notch release being a part of the discography of blocSonic Records is a mesh of instrumental hip-hop rhythms and cinematic orchestrated beats. There are represented other sort of cadences as well, at Tuk Tuk Dub one can hear the churning of surf guitars; at Chang's a psychedelic organ gear and a weak Far East flavour comes to the surface. Aesthetically it is imbued with lo-fi and DIY attitude. Furthermore, in many tracks an exquisite ethnic music touch is added to the mix. All in all, a listener can hear a blissful mix of the aforementioned elements and a wondrous vibe running throughout the whole course. Great.

6/12/2019

Cutside – In Orbit EP (2019)




  • Acid jazz 
  • Hip-hop 
  • Funk rock 
  • Breaks 
  • Mood music 
  • Sampledelic 
  • Nu jazz

Comment: if you ask who would pretend to be the last musician who did start a distinguished hype I would say Steven Allison aka Flying Lotus (a member in the lineage of Alice and John Coltrane) whose relevant twitches from different styles of the past to be efficiently treated within his laptop arrangements as the fare of his musicianship embarked an enduring following. Cutside is an artist from Russia whose 4-notch outing is spiked with relaxing nu jazz incantations, psychedelic acid grooves and much more. For instance, The Last Days is a soaring funk fusion example based on a bit abrasive guitar glissandos. The counterpoint and at the same time the result of these different primordial sounds is mood which comes out as the synergistic essence by starting live its own life. Those discrete whiffs of wind instruments and plucked strings hold up somehow a cosmic yet intimate and warm feel. In the sense (by its circular comprehension and succeeded accomplishment) it is a perfect result. Beyond that categorization it could be interpreted as an album on its own and as a dynamic sound collage. The spellbinding outing is a bit in the discography of an imprint, blocSonic.

2/01/2019

C da 76er – Out Of Necessity (2018)




  • Hip-hop 
  • Lo-fi 
  • Rap 
  • Sampledelic 
  • Remix 
  • Urban music 
  • Trip-hop

Comment: it is a huge, 41-track 2 disc-compilation by a Baltimore, US-based artist CM aka Creative Radio who can be considered a resident on an imprint called blocSonic due to a shitloads of releases and collaborative acts by him over there. Under the recent name C da 76er it is his debut outing. Despite of providing 41 tracks in total it clocks in an 80 minute because most of the compositions are considered just snippets. On the other side, a listener probably is not tempted to tear off any single track from the whole. Mostly it is an instrumental case though his instrumental spectre used to extend over many styles and phenomena though the main staple is pinpointed on hip-hop/rap. These snippets are usually entitled due to the instrument or attitude being predominant within the course. Lyrics are mostly over there to convey his ideas about producing the music (for instance, by employing a Casio keyboard). Since Flying Lotus appeared on the music scene (especially with Cosmogramma (2010, Warp)) (experimental) hip-hop got popularized otherwise than before and has been changed significantly. Lots of skiddy lo-fi and DIY aesthetics-ridden elements are mingled within the whole. All in all, the whole is interesting though it is not as favourable as his issues under the nom de plume Creative (Radio) because it is like listening and seeing a kitchen side to produce music. The final product used to be more interesting than just listening to the middle, instrumental parts of it. A bit of skeleton-alike.

11/11/2017

Viktor Van River – Triumph of Unconscious (2017)



  • Sampledelic 
  • Hip-hop 
  • Breaks 
  • Urban music 
  • Rap 
  • Chilltronica 
  • Mood music 
  • Trip-hop 
  • Ambient pop

Comment: this swarm of 10 tracks cannot be considered a triumph of unconsciousness only, it is a triumph of music, it is a triumph of voluptuous listening sensations. While listening to it I watched a football match from the TV on mute and the play seemed to be even more attractive. It seemed to be consisting of dynamics while being framed by the nature of still life. That's cool. It chimes partly like the upload of a Moon Safari yet it is a different case eventually due to conveying cosmic electro impulses to the listener`s head. It is an example of very up-to-date pop music which is not going to age in the future. The ending track Word is a decent bow toward Tricky and his Pre-Millenium Tension (1996). Undoubtedly it has been one of the most enchanting issues in 2017 so far and beyond that not being the first entrance by an excellent imprint, blocSonic being added to the list. Viktor Van River is the one-man-project of Viktor Chuprin from Kazakhstan (by the way, it is an immensely better way spending your time rather than watching loathing Borat).

7/26/2017

Simple CUT – Stay (2016)


  • Electro pop 
  • Alternative pop 
  • Dance pop
  • Remixes 
  • Electronic pop 
  • Synth pop

Comment: the last two issues of blocSonic being commented on Recent Music Heroes were rap/hip-hop related (Graphic Antics` What Does It Mean?, and Headsnack`s Alternative Facts) but this one being preceded to them is coming from Russia and stylistically it is a blend of synth-pop, indie pop, and electro pop. Of course, what kind of segment is more pre-dominant than other ones it depends on a certain track. Either hovering synthesised orchestrations are backed up by thudding drum beats or the sugary yet earnest lyrics is subjugated to the autotune effect or heavily chopped-up it depends on a certain composition. It is a solid love balladry for a contemporary AOR. Additionally, listen to the project`s other issues as well (In Your Arms, All About You).

7/18/2017

Headsnack – Alternative Facts EP (2017)


  • Hip-hop 
  • Remixes 
  • Rap 
  • Urban music 
  • Electronic music

Comment: Alternative facts are something related to the term "post-truth" being emerged out after the last presidential run in the USA. Of course, it is primarily being used against Donald Trump though its practice could have harked back to the beginning of political practice I guess. In other words, some governors tend to be authoritarians, many of them are governed by bureaucracy and financial power though faking out as if the representatives of their nation. I have no exact idea is it either inspired by Donald Trump or about making politics or democracy they pretend for in general but it is said in a very critical way anyway. By my side, the media is totally fucked up and the best way to handle this is just to ignore it. It is filled in with propaganda and half-truths, the so-called alternative facts. Some of the visionaries like Stephen Hawking, and Elon Musk are talking either of rubbish things or annoying trivialities of which you did know before or topics which are clearly unreachable or hypotheses which cannot be verified. You are sleeping you do not want to believe. This 11-notch consists mainly of remakes and remixes of Alternative Facts, the first two of them are instrumental ones (at least in my music player) and some tracks do have a little in common with hip-hop and rap (that`s OK in the face of monotonousness). For example, Google Knows (both versions). The outing is a part of the discography of blocSonic. Behind the project is New York-based Regenerated Headpiece.

6/05/2017

Graphic Antics – What Does It Mean? (2017)



  • Hip-hop 
  • Rap 
  • Urban music 
  • Experimental hip-hop
  • Dream hop

Comment: hip-hop music can be represented in different forms and with disparate intentions. Fortunately we are living today while even mainstream hip-hop is truly intriguing, the recent situation within the urban music is obviously much better than it was 10 years and 20 years ago. Boring gangsta rap is deceased and Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar are producing music which could have been considered a representative of underground hip-hop many years ago. Of course, there have been existed artists whose intention to produce avant-garde music is to use hip-hop music as an instrument for it. For instance, Death Grips, and Dälek are such a sort of artists. Or Flying Lotus whose purpose has been to produce a moody sound. The conglomeration of Ant The Symbol, and Graphic Melee aka Graphic Antics' 14-track outing is a fabulous whole, a fabulous platform to cross the aforementioned tendencies and facets into a coherent whole. It is a truly convincing rapping with dynamic sampling sets where spicy and arrogant attitudes are variegated with more shadowy and cinematic glimpses where one can discern yearning and even pain. Let's call it dream-hop as a style and as a result. The issue is a bit in the discography of blocSonic. A best issue in 2017 so far.

8/19/2014

VYVCH - She's Not Home EP (2014)



  • Alternative pop
  • Shoegazetronica
  • Mood music
  • Trip-hop
  • Witch house
  • Alternative dance

Comment: actually I felt myself to be in a quandary while listening to this short-running album for the first time. Is it a witch house album embellished with spectral, shoegaze-y guitar hooks, glowering dance-appealed rhythms and exotica pop-alike orchestrations? Or is it just an up-to-date chill-out issue created by curious producers? Furthermore, is it more Seefeel inspired or on the contrary Salem spawned? Never mind. Despite discordant elements presented at the first view the outcome is a cozy fire. At last do make difference the likes of She`s Not Home, Smoking On The Shore, Something's Goin' To Happen.     

10/20/2013

The Womb - Origami Swan (2013)



  • Electronic pop
  • Art pop
  • Downtempo
  • Leftfield
  • Alternative pop
  • Funk
  • Ambient pop
  • Experimental indie
  • Ambient
  • Trip hop
  • Darkwave
Outstanding tracks:
Origami Swan
Silencio Eterno
L.B.N.I.A.S.W
Home Planet
Sleepyhead

3/21/2012

Joey Ripps - For The Minute (2011)


blocSonic
Free Music Archive
Lastfm

9.2

/Urban music, Hip-hop, Rap/


Comment
: there are up 6 notches which are about hip-hop and rap through and through. Intense yet gritty mc-ing is backed up with more or less sultry backdrops, more or less undulating synth floatations- samples and soul and funky-soaked vibes. In a word, Joey Ribbs demonstrates his proficiency to select and manage the samples.