Saito Koji - Luck (2011)

Resting Bell

9.5

/Ambient, Ambient drone, Shoegazetronica, Microtonal, Minimalism, Experimental electronica, Guitar ambient/

Comment: 3-track album by a Japanese experimental musician, Saito Koji, which used to murmur in a minimal yet highly emotive way. Light-hearted synth droning is laced with deluging organic touch and chirpy guitar-based soothing. Fundamental repetitions, more or less elliptically shaped rhythm patterns-loops, beatific reflet exemplified permanently therein are up to standard. Moreover, the issue seems to be the kind of grower. However, if the ending track were speeded up twice as much, it would have chimed as a hallmark of shoegaze music, in principle. In fact, it applies to the other tracks and recent moment either. It sticks out like a warped version of Slowdive`s sound, yet, having existence of full value on its own. A mesmerizing phenomenon indeed.

On Returning - Dresses & Dreams (2011)

Jamendo

8.8

/Post-punk, Britpop, Synth pop, Crossover, New Wave, Alternative pop/rock/

Comment: Similarly to Swedish compatriots The Search`s retrospective issue Silverslut 1999-2002 (especially the first half of the compilation) reviewed the other day On Returning`s release is attuned to roll in a similar, post-punk-ish way. More concretely, rigid yet vivid bass lines, galvanic guitars, leafy synths in the background are configurated in a way to make up both in energy and synergy. Yet, there can be found out two tracks at least which make acquaintance with more synth pop structures and ambiences, on the other hand, acquiring britpop-ish feeling getting close to the Lightning Seeds-alike pop easiness.

Nina Me - After Seven Years Love

Burning Bright - Freesmiles (2011)

Black Lantern Music

9.0

/Hip-hop, Urban music, Crossover, Blues, Bossa nova, Rap, Raggamuffin/

Comment: Burning Bright is a duo (Salem Anders & Tickle) from Edinburgh, Scotland. Their 4-pieced EP constitutes a synergical mix of scratch-based dizziness, ragga(muffin) infiltrations, bossa nova-inflected nylon strings, galvanized blues`n`hop (a la some hybrid tracks by John Spencer Blues Explosion). The last track sounds similarly to Chenard Walcker`s plunderphonic repertoire. Indeed, it is joyous and highly enjoyable hip-hop.

Monster Rally - Palm Reader (2010)

Bandcamp

9.4

/Exotica pop, Chillwave, Glo-fi, Latin pop, Avant-pop, Experimental pop/

Comment: This is a relatively unsung musical project from Columbus which at times is tagged as "chillwave" and "glo-fi". However, its crucial aesthetical point is focused upon exptic pop-tinged progressions and irresistible sampledelic craftiness (compare it to the works by Cagey House, Ergo Phizmiz, Chenard Walcker, and People Like Us, for instance). Altogether, it is summery pop which used to chime in an ancient and modern way simultaneously. For example, are you able to figure out is the date of those examples of Latin-tinged pop coming either from 1930 or 2130?

The Search – The Silverslut 2000-2002 (2011)

Af-Musik
Jamendo

8.6

/Britpop, Post-punk, New Wave, Alternative pop/rock, Synth rock, Electro-rock/

Comment: This is a 35-track issue of solid rock music from Uppsala, Sweden. In fact, the album consists of 6 EP`s released in 1999-2002, during the first period of the project. Especially the first half of miscellany is vry delicious, showcasing its appeal toward the influences of 80`s dance rock, synth pop/rock, new wave, and post-punk. The second half is up to bring some Britpop and folk-ish influences into the mix. The Search`s obvious influences veer from The Cure and Comsat Angels and Smashing Pumpkins to Suede and Belle & Sebastian and Kent. Altogether, discover and afford a handful of great songs for yourself.

Allison Crowe - Silence

Sobaki Kachalova - Gryazniye Botinki (2011)

Clinical Archives

8.4

/Art-pop, Indie pop, Alternative pop/rock, Bubblegum pop/

Comment: If to speak about the recent Sobaki Kachalova`s album and the starting point of indie tradition in Russia/and the former Soviet Union we cannot be without making the reference toward the early period of Kino, Viktor Tsoi`s headed band chimed between uncompromising Smiths-esque “ballads” and pouncing post-punk-ish rhythms. Both bands were truesome pop juggernauts by both sides of the Iron Curtain. Here is a set of 10 songs where catchy guitar chords and summery strums and guitar overdrives are sometimes intervened with sheer brass attacks and artistic slo-mo bubblegum pop. Simple but suggestive.

Bing Satellites - Summer Night (2009)

BFW Recordings

9.4

/Ambient, Soundscape, Progressive, Shoegazetronica, Epic, Synth pop, Crossover, Ambient dub, Psyambient/

Comment: This 7-pieced set is a peculiar and wondrous issue by a profilic musician and label founder (BFW Recordings) from Manchester, UK. First of all, therein can be detected for a wide smorgasboard of styles and tendencies, veering from bubbling ambient dub/psyambient and shoegazetronica to cinematic, sometimes bleak synth-induced soundscapes and melancholic quasi-modern classical approach and angrily gazing synth progressions. Regarding his previous experiments, however, the most odd track is Indigo, which used to be an instance of cosmic prog/fusion (with those barking bass interventions). By the way, the last track does have the longitude of 80 minutes (it starts out as melancholic and epic as a steam ship coming slowly out from the fog down the river).

Tobias Faar - Hidden Locations (2011)

Brusio

8.9

/Minimal, Soundscapes, Dark ambient, Noir, Dystopbient, Sound art/

Comment: The first of those 5 tracks does embark on with bleak, minimal skrees (of grasshoppers?) and bouncing stereo effects and barely “visible” burning around it (back to the nature, isn`t?). However, later all of that gets evolved into a more elemental maelstrom, incorporating more lush ambiences and vivid sonic effects and piano chords for its sake. Thudding and elliptical bass lines and shapes, malicious droning and strangling spasms and vast distances followed are the next characteristics of the album. Yet, inspite of a writhing bulk of sounds the whole brings to fruition itself as an example of B/W, noir-filled motion. Moreover, it could hold good as soundtrack for a sci-fi/horror movie.