Martin Back - Unstable Rotation Centers (2010)

PandaFuzz

8.9

/Avant-garde, Minimal, Microtonal, Noise, Sound-art, Electro-acoustic, Acousmatics, Drone, Experimentalism, Avant-electronica, Avant-jazz/

Comment: This is an advanced, 4-pieced achievement by Martin Back who used to explore the very extremities of conceptual electronic music. In true, his sound can not be considered "usual electronica" at all, because in the opening track he pushes forward on buzzing, drone-inflected progression at times a bit slowed down, sometimes a bit speeded up. Indeed, there can be detected for quite restraint, minimal approach. On the other side, one of those long-running tracks - the third track - is designed for to blur the borders between electro-acoustic music and experiment-prone jazz music. The second track is a true-bred instance of an abstract buzzscape applying for to get the greatest amount of gloss on the album. The closure notch takes on a menacing, digital noise-backed somersets. As a consequence, the whole is a efficacious and accomplished.

Max Tannone - Ghostfunk (2011)

Max Tannone
Lastfm

8.8

/Mash-up, Cut and paste, Plunderphonics, Crossover, Hip-hop, Psychedelic rock, Afrofuturism, Afrofunk/

Comment: This is Max Tannone`s eighth album (during a span of 3 years, since 2009) this time being the godfather for a 10-set hodgepodge consisting of Ghostface Killah`s hip-hop rhymes and afrofunk/afrofuturistic rhythms and funk-based psychedelic grooves. However, you have no reason to doubt in his abilities and legacy. All those sequences collated here are intended to realize in solid impact and synergy.

Tabar - Hugs

Doug Sharp - Boogafoo Music (2011)

Itsu jitsu
Lastfm

9.4

/Avant-garde, Proto-electronica, Primitronica, Psychedelic, Experimentalism, Weird, Conceptual, Sonic effects, Avant-electronica/

Comment: Similarly to Gary Wilson and R Stevie Moore, as the musicians advanced in age, Doug Sharp- a 59-years-old man living like an eremite in a remote cabin in Wisconsin - is up to his sonic deeds, indeed, justifying his name completely. As the kind of truesome avant-gardist having created under his proper name he is also known as part of Zilch Spacecraft Network (in liaison with his daughter Margaret). This classical set/legacy of 13 tracks were created in 1974 via a bunch of phase and pitch effects on a Moog modular synthesizer. In fact, this is an unique appearance of the legendary electronic keyboard showcasing the borders, but also the possibilities and advantages of the analogue sound. Additionally, I recommend listen to Hannah M.G Shapero`s My name is Marietta Cashman (2009, justnotnormal). In conclusion, as an appeal to all dear music critics, please add these two experimentalists into a new list of musicians whenever you are ready to re-write the electronic music history once again.

Craig Chordman - Beacon Of Dreams (2011)

Jamendo

8.7

/Indie, Chill out, Mood music, Poptronica, Easy listening/

Comment: Craig Chordman is an instrumental musician from the Foggy Albion. This is his seventh single over here at Jamendo, which is created through beatific indie progressions, within it can be perceived for chillout-ish, at times even chillwave-ish milieus and developments. All those soothing flutes and chiming strings are delectably up to. Such sort of single is to be succeeded in the final part of any kind of melodramatic film undubiously.

Nameless Dancers - End Of Night (2011)

45RPM-RECORDS
Nameless Dancers
Lastfm

9.0

/Easy listening, Chill out, Bossa nova, Lounge, Smooth jazz, Crossover/

Comment: First of all, I can remember for the excellent lounge album Morning Touches (2011, Bump Foot)... . Nameless Dancers is the project by Evgenij Kharitonov aka EugeneKha (a very profilic musician, poet and art activist-curator from Moscow), Konstantin Guro, and Olga Astra. Indeed, End Of Night continues in the same ideological and aesthetical vein as Morning Touches used to shift for. However, the Russian trio takes on a colourful patchwork of diverse styles running on easy listening mode. Indeed, it makes up some tricks with jazz music, a drawer of easy listening a la Bruno Nicolai`s more light-hearted tracks, intricate visions on bossa nova and chill out sound.

Fanny + Alexander - Espida de credo

Erik Nilsson - Recollage (2011)

Luxus Arctica

9.3

/Folktronica, Modern classical, Chamber folk, Art-pop, Dream folk, Electronic, Psych-blues, Avant-folk, Organic electronica, Baroque folk, Avant-folk, Experimentalism/

Comment: Erik Nilsson`s album starts out with an obscure but majestic snippet as if were brought forth from GYBE!-like space somewhere, which soon will be followed by glitch-pieced micro rhythms and folktronic overthrows being surrounded by modern classical shadows around it. In fact, the following tracks will continue running on the similar template, at times adding some glockenspiel embellishments and more and less bouncing cadences. During its course permanently changing guitar timbres and chord sequences are getting close to flamenco and psych-blues guitars, Some tracks on it used to remind in its breathtaking of Oskar Hallbert`s touch or gillicuddy`s experimentalism. For instance, the last two notches are genuinely odd experiments with elliptical loops on electro-acoustic and psych-folk mode.

The Bilinda Butchers - Regret, Love, Guilt, Dreams (2011)

Bandcamp
Lastfm

9.8

/Shoegazetronica, Dreamwave, Hypnagogic pop, Dream pop, Chillwave, Post-pop, Electronic pop, Glo-fi, Experimental indie/

Comment: In any cases, The Bilinda Butchers` album was very expected for. The first experience of mine related somehow to the duo`s music was their single under the Beko DSL wherein they mesmerizingly covered the Panic At The Disco`s track This Love Is Fucking Right!. The other part of it, Tulips, is represented on this 6-pieced set as well. However, the San Franciscans` recognizable sound - consisting of strumming guitars and chillwave-ish synthetic layers - reflects upon itself as one of the most masterful progressions in the vein of MBV`s Loveless. Moreover, as Kevin Shields used to warp guitar sounds and pitch buried vocal lines, Michal & Adam used to bend particles into sublime chords and sexy moods surrounding dreamily a listener`s ears, however, balancing craftily between the old and new tradition. One of the albums of 2011 for sure. The closest relative to them? Memoryhouse, of course.

Iszen - Informal EP (2011)

Vermella

8.7

/Experimental electronica, IDM, Downtempo, Experimental electro, Glitch techno/

Comment: Iszen is a musician by the southern side of the American continent, obviously from Argentina, however, who is prone to offer originally touched vibrant IDM/mellow electronica-driven music which is variegated with slo-mo/downbeat undercurrents and rusty, cut-up glitch-esque beats (the last characteristic is distinctive at Fuerzas Teluricas). De la mano gets at least half of its inspiration beyond the borders of electronic music, however, incorporating baroque-esque layers wrapped up in a kind of electronic-mashed production. It rings out like Skipper (1995), a oeuvre by Daniel Figgis.