Elisa Luu - Ebbrezza (2011)

Laverna

8.5

/Experimental electronica, Art-pop, Indietronica, Ambient, Electronic pop/

Comment: This is Elisabetta Luciani aka Elisa Luu`s follow-up to her masterpiece The time of waiting (2010, La bèl), though, at the time her ambitions are more lopsided toward fluttering electronic-based approach, deliberately convulsive ambient experiments or slightly subdued or introspective feelings brought forth through dreamy electric pianos, rather than exultant indietronica and experimental fusion, respectively. Only the kick-off H1 (feat. Giulio Maresca) hints at her previous habits regarding indie(tronic) sound more detailly. In any cases, those 4 tracks do make out a fine synergy.

Catherine Corelli - Through The Gehenna (2010)

Jamendo

8.5

/Rap, Symphonic metal, Classical music, Metal rap, Power metal, Goth, Glam rock, Ethnic, Crossover/

Comment: An obsessive rap style meets symphonic metal`s riffs and operatic singing meet bombastic glam appearances. Yet, it might be the main line of the album only. Indeed, herein can be detected for some oriental-infused psychedelic lines and piano-driven broken beats and electronic shufflings too. My favorite track is Snow where Corelli`s manner is used to be more restrainted than usual and her voice is induced to drown into dream-alike introspection (retrospection?). A solidly accomplished workout by the artist who has released more than 10 issues during last years.

Clinker - Candy Says (Velvet Underground)

Plusplus - Evils (2011)

La bèl
Lastfm

9.2

/Alt-folk, Folktronica, Baroque folk, Chamber folk, Psychedelic, Dark folk, Neofolk, Post-folk, Avant-folk, Art-folk, New Weird Europe/

Comment: In fact, every new issue under the La bèl label is being a big event to date, though this time the label has "failed" in its attempts to stay for a kind of label concerning only on hallmarks from Italy. Of course, this restriction would be ridiculous on its own, especially if to regard a long-time lapse henceforward. However, Plusplus is Adam Radmall coming from the Foggy Albion and shuffling diverse chords, harmonies and moods into a burgeoning output conventionally considered as a sort of (instrumental) folk sound. Yet, there can be heard lots of intrepid dodges toward electronic patterns, ambient-based textures, apocalyptic (folk) tendencies, baroque-esque progressions, darkwave-ish reflexions, bucolic psychedelic tissues and concrete sound snippets sorrounding all of it. By the speculative side, however, you can imagine the possible ideological platform at Evils in a way as if the 60`s folk psychedelia meets Darkwood meets Daniel Figgis meets Penguin Cafe Orchestra. All in all, this album (of 11 tracks) shall have to be listened to lots of time while being the grower by its nature. It is a highly mesmerizing issue indeed.

Talbot - EOS

Rùnar Magnusson - Vacu Sessions 13 (2011)

Vacu Sessions

8.7

/Abstract, Avant-electronica, Glitch-tronica, Experimental electronica, Conceptual,Post-Psychedelic electronica, Experimentalism/

Comment: This is a track of 26 minutes divided into 6 parts by the Icelandic electronic music legend Rùnar Magnusson. Initially those tracks were arranged for the theater piece The Saviour (2007). This set veers from "fault-induced", permanently repeated electronic patterns to subtly droning organ sessions which particularly makes up a near-psychedelic sense. Besides those slightly pop-alike approaches, however, there are rigidly experimentalism-centered pieces and abstract glitch crackles as well.

Light Leak - Graduation EP (2011)

Bandcamp
Lastfm

8.5

/Chillwave, Electronic pop, Post-pop, Dream pop, Glo-fi/

Comment: This is the sophomore release by Henrik Stelter, a 17-year old German-based chillwave/glo-fi producer. Being continuously instrumental, indeed, this is an instance of the old European eleganz und dekadenz. A fine follow-up to his great debut album Thoughts of Mirth (2010).

Mushroom's Patience - Weird Monsters (2011)

Atro-Fact

8.4

/Electronic pop, Post-punk, Experimental pop, New Age, Art-rock, Dark pop, Progressive/

Comment: Dither Craf aka Raffaele Cerroni delivers a bunch of sphere-filled electronic sounds and New Age-like flute sections apparently drenched with rock/post-punk attitude and darkwave-ish experimentalism, which subsequent classification might be a bit problematic. The favorite of mine is Morel (remixed) - (The spirit of the mountain) which reminds me of The Cure`s Picture Of You. Still, by its main attention it is more close to Durutti Column.

The Sunshine Family - The Sunshine Family (2004)

Hippocamp

8.8

/Experimental electronica, Cinematic, Chillout, Downtempo, Nu jazz/

Comment: The Manchester-based label Hippocamp had been active since 2003, before deciding to finish off their duties in 2009. They released circa 200 albums during this 6-year time lapse, much of them yet waiting to be discovered in the future. There is one, 5-track issue which does flutter between the velvet-covered chords of cinematic (nu jazz) tunes and rhythm-backed ambient (downtempo) numbers. In the ending track can be heard even some funky jazz flowings and undefinable recordings from a distance. At the most time the whole is used to hack around lazily thereby making itself out as a pleasant laid-back output.

Ecovillage - Beko_80 (2011)

Beko DSL

9.3

/Ambient, Post-rock, Dream pop, Chamber rock, Post-rock, Organic electronica, Musique concrete, Progressive/

Comment: Emil Holmström and Peter Wikström aka the Swedish duo Ecovillage started out in 2006 and since it having been blending dreamy soundscapes consisting of chamber rock/post-rock, shoegaze, ambient, organic electronica, found sounds. Of course, they are not being an example of arty-farty artists, being skillful on driving out of beatific progressions, bringing forth of diverse segments and managing them seamlessly fall into each other.