1/01/2011
Happy New Year
In fact, the 2010 year was a year which really delighted me by an endless array of really good music. Indeed, the most of the reviewed releases were high-rated or even very high-rated by me, yet, all the points given were profoundly calculated out (every exemplar was listened to at least 2 times, usually 5-6 times, for). To get have to set my steps further, it is even more embarrasing if to think about how much albums weren`t allowed to get upon my ears. This is reason why I understood finally it does not make any sense to chart my list of the albums of 2010. And on the other side, it will probably take circa 3-4 years onward to complete a comparably proper list of the best of 2010. For the next 2-3 weeks I am going to continue with the overviews for the albums of 2010. In any cases, first of all, thanks to all the musicians. You made superb job. God bless You. Happy New Year.
Hong Kong In The 60s Places (Bandcamp)
Hong Kong In The 60s is a London-based trio, lined up by Mei Yau Kan (vocal, guitar, keys), Christopher Greenberg (vocal, guitar, keys), and Tim Scullion (vocals, guitars, keys). Their 8-track sophomore Places EP - the follow-up to the Willow Pattern Songs EP (2009, Proper Songs) is full of mesmerizing, chillout/easy listening-soaked shards, dominantly loaded with the space age pop and exotica pop sensibility. Indeed, they are deeply get involved in mighty psychedelic grooves to draw upon kinds of moods and shades popularized by Jean-Jacques Perrey, Gershon Kingsley, Mort Garson, and the Barrons approximately 4 decades ago. As you have figured out yet, indeed, a set of simplistic and robust yet catchy, a bit dreadful, altogether full-blown, synth-based melodies-harmonies and burbling cadences can be expected for. Almostly, though. One of the two exceptions is A Bad Night Out which is into the exploiting of vintage-looking, downbeat-drenched Latin rhythms (of course, mingling it with electronic effects). The second feature is Disintegration The Advisory Circle Reshape, as the title admits, it is not their own creative output, playing out a notch of contemporary indie electronica/indietronica/poptronica/glo-fi. By the way, the release name of this Sean O`Hagan-afforded group is obviously used to be a hint at their vast scale of their nowadays and previous residing places/countries (The UK, Hong Kong, Brazil, Japan, Spain, Africa). In a nutshell, without some exceptions, as it is noticed above, it is an excellent quasi-retrospective/retrogard-ish outlook.
Listen to it here
9.8
Atlas Sound Bedroom Databank Vol. 2 (Atlas Sound)
This release is my personal favorite exemplar of the 4-part Bedroom Databank series. 16 tracks do show up a crafty balance between strumming, guitar-relied pop and computer-processed electronic experiments, or thirdly, a mix of both which, more detailly, reminds on its fluctuant approach of Deerhunter`s Weird Era Cont. (2007, Kranky). No doubt, Bradford Cox is a hero between so-called established, commercial music and free webaudio world. Moreover, his special juxtaposition to those realms does not even make so much sense as much of his workouts under the moniker Atlas Sound and Deerhunter-related deeds which can be considered as one of the most essential hallmarks on contemporary indie music. Obviously his later profilic approach occurred in letting out music from his old tapes might closely be related to his health condition. By having managed to push down more musical fingerprints over into the present, past, and forthcoming future, by this point of view, his action may have a metaphysical and religious background. As I noticed above the album is a fluctuant integration of both electronics and natural strings realized off into a warble, merry-go-round-alike whole, being at times folk-ish, the second time blues-infected, on the other hand, the last track Here Come The Trains is an embarassing cosmic blues-y, krautrock-heeled notch.
Listen to it here
9.2
12/30/2010
Wyrm In The Hills, The Cities (Bandcamp)
Actually quite much is changed since Wyrm`s previous, 2-track release We Cannot Hear The Stars (2010). Indeed, the US-based project has abandoned their minimal, low-frequencied noise vibrations (The Unknown Is Infinity), and secondly, partly, electronic-infused post-rock concept (We Cannot Hear The Stars). Or the way round, a new, also 2-track album can be dealt with as the sequel and progression of the last named track on We Cannot Hear The Stars, making out difference in more epic, static guitar-riffed appearances. More concretely, the wide, potent-buzzing basic layer is fringed by a few elements, for instance, loosely pulsating rhythms at times, moreover, which are almost unheardable and at the closure of the issue seem to be just the set of vibrations of the album`s integrated, seamless parts. Notwithstanding its radical drone/drone doom/drone metal/drone doom metal husk, and regarding its almost invariable, almost endlessly emitting drone-based soundscape, indeed, by the very minimalism-esque type of conceptual approach it has managed to get into much bigger joint area with minimal music composers like La Monte Young, Terry Riley, and even Steve Reich, rather than ordinary metal bands. No doubt, Wyrm`s issue has very pragmatic sense and field of application - it is might be directed for individuals who are searching up for help to fix up his/her minds. Indeed, it is a very relaxing trip into the infinity.
Listen to it here
8.9
12/29/2010
[Compilation] Totokoko Christmas Compilation (Totokoko)
Here is a compilation of 19 tracks from Japan, though, more concretely, if to check out for the names, not all the artists are the Japanese heritage by their roots. For instance, Ryan Cohen, who offers opportunity to Ron Sexsmith`s Maybe This Christmas. This is a compilation which is dedicated to the Christmas (as the Christmas present with music, drawings/illustrations/photos and one video by the Totokoko label) showcasing a vast array of diverse indie spheres, veering from restrained keyboards-driven indie pop and folktronica/fingepicked guitar pop wrapped in by glockenspiel chords and accidental concrete music sounds to more shibuya-kei-touched dynamic outputs, chamber-alike infused progressions, lo-fi-inflected sonic backbones, creeping, capella-near notches and some instrumental, piano-relied "interludes". The only exception is the closure track Wallpaper of the Soul by Kraffa which is used to be a 100 percent-electronic one being deep(ly) techno(-)reflected and even slightly dubstep-hued. The favorites of mine are [.que]`s Silver Light, Wool Strings`s Sleep Green, and AMERICAN GREEN`s The Clock Tower And The Fountain, and Ibuki Yushi`s Noel Readying Experience.
All in all, in fact, it may be seem at times that the compilation is not pretended to be upon the highest aesthetical level because of the natural restriction of conceptual thing on its own, on the other side, it is filled with heartful touches for the biggest red-letter day and quiet times.
Listen to it here
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