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

Raw Moans + LAY BAC beko_70 (Beko DSL)

There is a fine joint release by LAC BAC and Raw Moans, the kind of one-man-bands, coming from Austin and San Diego, USA, respectively. More detailly, two tracks by both sides, used to be quite similar to each other, however, it can be drawn the gap between them. Raw Moans is up here, to reflect upon minimal, dreamy floating, though, doing it that way which will show up the devoid or at least restraint of his feelings. It is mainly a blend of hazy monotonic chord array and loose motorik rhythms. LAC BAC does play up disco house-drenched, heavy-filtered bedroom visions similar to Ariel Pink`s early doings, on the other side, the second track Ralf Goes Out is based upon a highly down-pitched cadence to offer the platform for Jsef Calamusa`s murky voice to be appeared everywhere.

All in all, it might be seemed as a following example riding on the chillwave and witch house hype, yet, undoubtedly it is a split masterfully composed and played out.

Listen to it here

9.0

[Artists] Crookram

Crookram
Bankrupt Recordings
Budabeats
Lastfm

[Old but important] Dog Bite The Yellow Springs EP (Rack & Ruin)

There was the year 2008, and two EP`s (The Owls And Eyes; The Yellow Springs) were released by Phil Jones aka Dog Bite from Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The first named issue was combined through lo-fi approach with looped samples of voice and strumming guitar chords holding up the subtle layering in that way. In principle, on The Yellow Spring, a 5-track issue, Jones proceeded the same act, yet excellently completed it, on the other way, having made difference as well by adding some new corners and flanks - tanpura drone sounds in the kick-off track Black Tie, and world music/tribal music-inflected Nameless Names. Aside the guitar strummings and fluctuant vocal layers as the main elements of EP`s sonic backbone it is fringed by suggestive electronics and effects. No doubt, though this EP was recorded and completed in the wake of Panda Bear`s Person Pitch being published approximately 18 months earlier, the release has its very own dynamic, touch and value. In a word, let`s make the distinction between those records, thereby giving a chance for you and this so far overlooked pearl of New Weird America/New Americana.

Listen to it here

[Artists] S.o.m.a

Sinewave
Myspace
Lastfm

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] Th.e.n.d

Mixgalaxy Records
Acustronica
Myspace
Lastfm

Crookram Through Windows (Budabeats/Bankrupt)

Yesterday as a whole day was quite nervous, nothwithstanding (or because of) I had crammed up lots of guitar-based and machine-created releases into and overhead my head. On the other side, at the very ending of the day Crookram`s sophomore issue being recorded after 2008`s 19/76 (in the meantime, the joint EP Escape by Crookram and Sagesse was issued as well) offered vital change at a different point of view. 19 tracks of less than 53-minute duration by the Netherlands-based musician are crisscrossed via cinematic samples obviously derived from the Mediterranean culture room, more concretely, reminiscent the workouts by the likes of Caravelli, Mauriat, and Morricone, being finely accomplished by funky fusion-infused bass lines, hip-hop echoes, which, sometimes, will turn into Stereolab-alike electronic indie tunes via nailon-stringed bass gears, subtly overfloating orchestrated proceedings and vibraphone-embellished frames. Moreover, it is an idiosyncratic chilled out electronic pop where, for instance, ukulele`s (sample-approved) appearance can be happened in the same picture with sampledelic electronic hoverings and otherworldly charged chants. The album Through Windows, one of the favouritest of 2010, is released on the records Budabeats and Bankrupt, respectively.

Listen to it here

9.4

genus inkasso with interests and penalty (True Call)

By listening to genus inkasso`s 4-track issue, however, my first impression was turned into the next question forms - did I have any idea of it being either a kind of mocking shot to the face of any types of experimental music peers or was it just a relaxing act, offering some satisfaction for the creator? Why did I have the questions and hesitations to be surfaced for? Was it a sheer expression of sonic metaphysics by directing a scraggy finger toward the scale of relativeness, maybe even referring to the end of pop music? What does it mean "interests and penalty" in this context actually? Should I be aware of it at all? Might it be the most genuine sound act ever heard? Nothing special, it is just for some irritations to be evoked.

4 tracks of bumfuzzling, lopsided chromatic areas, consisting of unlimited metallic manipulations and noise-soaken stabs, having lots of dodges aside wrapped in by the embodiment of digital boogies, shitloads of angular, abrasive elements, madly dadaistic repetitions, experiments with gibbering paces, inbetween bleak chamber repercussions and dark ambient-like flash of lights find some moments for to come in. In a word, this is a conception where all elements are mightly loaded with unrestricted chaotic potent running alongside an linear array while conjuring the associations having even no little possibility for place and time because of permanent change chains drifting upon the order through different fractals and levels. In fact, it is so intense that the regularity/beauty can glimpse at times only.

Listen to it here

8.4

[Artists] Mon Insomnie

Beko DSL
Bandcamp
Lastfm