c0ld l▲k3 - Lanceton Ice Factory, Magic Hour (2011)

Parafago

7.7

/Witch house, Drag, Experimental electronica, Avant-garde, Weird pop, Plunderphonics/

Comment: In fact, for all of those people who have erlier made acquaintance with c0ld l▲k3`s oeuvres the recent issue makes up some surprise though. It sounds like a skeletonal approach of witch house-alike madness. A bleak, abrasive soundscape, which seems to be running on digital hisses and dust, does make strongly sense. Yet, within it there are some lightest moments as well. For example, Robocop makes itself out as a fine instance of afrofuturistic/voodoo funk mongrel. Or Detroit 9000, which does have strong references toward the seminal scenes of Detroit club music.

The Heather - HOLIDAY 0061 (2011)

Holiday Records

8.2

/Indie pop, Neokrautrock, Electronic, Baroque pop, Glo-fi, Poptronica/

Having nothing more to add but this is a catchy, balanced, well-grown indie pop on its own. The second track Like There`s Now Tomorrow is a case of neokrautrock having a decent pop melodic hooks, the lead-off notch Why Do You Laugh, on the other side, is relied upon crumbly focused poptronica.

The Macadamia Brothers - Tiger Sauce (2009)

Bandcamp
Lastfm

8.4

/Indie folk, Folk indie, Alt-folk, Singer-songwriter, Experimental folk/

Comment: Actually I want and can still remember for those days when Scott Milligan aka The Macadamia Brothers recorded for the now defunct Rack & Ruin Records, sounding like a torch bearer for the New Weird Canada movement. Whatever, this 9-track album is less involved in ecstatic states of songwriting, yet there are some sparkling indie folk/alt-folk moments by set out for us.

pequena fiera! - hello,cupid

Ugol Ratmanova - Oregon (2011)

Clinical Archives

6.5

/Sound-art, Noise, Live recording, Improvised music, Experimentalism, Avant-garde, Electro-acoustic, Illbient, Industrial/

Comment: Digital sound processing in nowadays situation can be considered as a sword with two razors. Some musicians are able to take advantage of it, the other not. However, Sergey Kniazkov and Igor Orlov could reach this challenge out partially. There can be detected for some patterns-aspirations behind the duo`s doings, yet the most part of the soundscape has lacked clear-cut arrangements on timbres, thereby mostly sounding as an array of chords just following to each other, or an instance of into one-pressed audible bunch anyway. Only Muddie Venture and Recession Whisk can make some difference from the residual part.

Flyafter - Today I`m With You (2011)

23 Seconds

8.8

/Experimental indie, Poptronica, Chillwave, Lo-fi, Glo-fi, Electronic pop, Electro-indie, Leftfield/

Comment: This is the second album by this 4-pieced Indonesian ensemble under the Swedish 23 Seconds label. Similarly to their previous, self-titled issue the recent one is filled in with astonishing growings and transitions, more detailly, operating with traditional indie pop impetus and blissful horizons of chillwave/poptronica/glo-fi music, all in all, creating a kind of irresistible touch for ardent indie people. In a more technical language does it mean the change drifts toward a spot on drum machines, sequencers and synths. By the way, you can take the first EP and add it over to this one, thereafter getting a proper LP and more listen times. But it is just a hypothesis.

Victory VIII - Vermont (2011)

Holiday Records

9.0

/Poptronica, Electronic pop, Bedroom pop, DIY, Lo-fi, Glo-fi, Chillwave, Avant-pop, Experimental indie/

Comment: Victory VIII in his well-known quality. This time lo-fi-esque rhythm sources meet introspective and even melancholic layerings above it reminiscent of Morricone-esque sadness (actually I have no idea why I have met so many groups during last weeks resembling heavily the Italian film score maestro). As he said this is an attempt to make a soundtrack to a National Geographic magazine about New England. Also, he wishes he was dead.

Holytigress - Oh Joann (2011)

Holytigress
Bandcamp

8.6

/Dream folk, Alt-folk, Singer-songwriter, Demo, Covers/

Comment: Based in Paradise Hills, Holytigress is a dream pop/slowcore project headed on by the songwriter Joshua Saposnekoo, who has said he is used to create his songs in his mom’s apartment. Herein are four songs - two of them are the covers of golden classic`s tracks, - made just by the man, his guitar, colourful voice, having much of shivering, hazy space around them. Though very simple by its main line, it contains a bunch of captivating moments here. And it makes really sense.

Muhmood - Electrification Of Udmurtia

TakeMeToTheMorgue! - This Dark Virus (2011)

Torn Flesh

8.8

/Dark ambient, Neoclassical, Drone, Modern classical, Classical, Dystopbient, Freeformfreakout, Non music, Minimal, Experimentalism, Abstract, Dark wave, Illbient, Martial, Avant-garde, Synth industrial/

In the same way as Jessie Martin aka Ylnez Payne`s previous, the debut album Oblivion EP (2010) used to be, indeed, the sophomore notch is a very brooding release as well. Actually it is even more articulated and channelized into a mighty form, obviously affording for itself vanguard-ish elements of sound processing and off-kilter sonic formations. What does it mean "serious" in the context of this set of 14 (plus 4) tracks? Firstly, it is an annihilator of your highest (i.e ecstatic feelings), on the other side - in the formal sense - it is an impressive drifting between dark ambient, obscure drone, film noir, dark wave, subdued cybercore, electronically mutilated messages, martial techno and beat-based mayhems and neoclassical orchestrations. Moreover, Payne cleverly takes advantage of not using the hermetical approach of sound recording, yet having no side-effects to be sounded somehow vulnerable. By the way, about those off-kilter sonic formations though? For instance, Beauty Inspired By Darkness (ft. Ricky Revenge) which is a silent, minor key-moulded piano track having a bunch of sinister progressions in the backdrop or Eternal Nightmares For Passive Dreamers which relies on hardly minimal, darkscape-driven developments.