Sky Technology & Nova Fractal – Versus (2011)

Ektoplazm

8.8

/Trance, Psychedelic electronica, Psyambient, Psytrance, Crossover, Remixes/

Comment: Dmitriy Kolosovskiy aka Sky Technology meets and mixes Nova Fractal (Renato Brnić), and the way round. The second track Dark Energy is made in liaison, and seems to be the best result there. All the sound goes on at the crossroad of psychedelia, trance, ambient, and outer space undercurrents. Actually this split/collaborative issue is a grower, more concretely, with each listening time you are allowed to discover more segments and magic from within.

Kluge - Grazuole (2009/2011)

Pocket Fields

Bandcamp

9.6

/Dark ambient, Minimalism, Noise, Musique concrète, Field recordings, Experimentalism, Ambient noise, Ambient drone, Drone/

Comment: No doubt, St Peterburg, Russia-based Kluge is one of the most eminent noiseniks/drone musicians through its very impressive fringe area developments and crushing accents nowadays (inspite of being not celebrated yet). Here is one, 40-minute issue (at Bandcamp it is divided into 2 compositions, though) which functions to get evolved into dark ambient patterns at times, into persuasive minimalism sometimes. Mostly all of that strives to conjure up an elusive, delicate pathway between drone and noise. Moreover, he/she uses a cogent practice, more concretely, mixing up artificial knittings with organic soundscapes. (By the way, using non-musical artifacts to make up soundscapes).

Jason Corder - Microcosmos (2004)

Thinner

9.4

/Dub house, Fusion, Electro house, Bubblegum house, Tech-house, Deep house, Cinematic/

Comment: First of all, it is an excellent album for your body and soul, for your lower part and for your upper part by a guy from Lexington, Kentucky who is also known by his dense ambient soundscapes. Actually I don`t have idea why it seems to me that old house music issues will be improving during time course. It veers from slightly neurotic electro house and stuttering tech progressions to bouncing bubblegum disco(theque), from cinematic dance fusion to such numbers having its shift into depth and paying its tribute to dub. This 10-track album was issued on the legendary Thinner label in 2004. Obligatory for sure!

Suzie Zuzek - Oh It`s a pity

Personal Finance - Chump Change (2011)

Bandcamp

9.3

/Psychedelic rock, Art rock, Alternative pop/rock, Funk rock, Blues, Dance rock, Crossover/

Comment: This 5-track issue is not chump at all. The quintet comes out from Boston, Massachussets, offering a way of how solid rock music should be presented for. However, the issue is a highly loaded set of groove-ish art pop and psychedelic pop overthrows, at times reminiscent of The Nits (the first track Pigs On The Prowl especially), Talking Heads, and even The Fall every now and then. Yet, the album is far away from being a cheap rip-off on its own. More detailly, I very like Patrick Orr`s bigheaded vocal manner, bumping guitar gears, and organ-driven acidity. The last track Japan is a sublime flirtation with blues rock.

Renzu - Robogirl In Love (2011)

Renzu
Lastfm

9.4

/IDM, Experimental electronica, Anime sound, J-pop, Electronic pop, Crossover/

Comment: Robogirl In Love is an idiosyncratic stance of electronic pop/IDM music by Sean Bires, a musician from Chicago, Illinois. He issued his first release Synthi in 2004. However, RIL is his ninth album, revealing bouncing, anime pop-influenced warbling. Highly attractive, highly accomplished. And shamefully underrated.

Stephen Walter - Monocline (2007)

Zymogen
Lastfm

9.2

/IDM, Ambient, Experimental electronica, Modern classical, Minimal, Avant-electronica, Musique concrète, Ambient techno/

Comment: there is a big difference between IDM and IDM, ambient and ambient, respectively. Some of the musical projects are deliberately tweaked in the vein of these styles, some of them are accidentally related to them. Stephen Walter`s album is obviously the last case, which is a huge experimentation act ultimately. At times it veers out toward the examples of large-scale ambient, at times reflects upon a sort of beat-induced ethereal sound shimmered right and left. Some explorations are posed on tuning a radio, sine waves and concrete sounds. At times it is drenched in piano music in a weird way. In a nutshell, the 8-track album is a classic one which will celebrate the 5th year anniversary in January.

8bit bEtty - Music Video #1

Friction! - That Dusty Old Couch (2011)

Bakery Allstars Inc.

9.1

/Alt-folk, Art pop, Indie pop, Chamber folk, Electronic pop, Folk indie, Experimental indie, Indie folk, Singer-songwriter/

Comment: Seven highly artistical pop songs by Pierre Björklund, a Malmo-based resident, veering from intimate, chamber folk-ish spatial fingerpicking to sublimely droning indie pop appearances, from bouncy electro psychedelia to restraint, introspective singer-songwriter-ism and so-called cowbell indie. At times his aesthetics can be compared to Alan Driscoll`s (The Womb) craftiness. However, it was his first album on (and the starting issue at all for) Bakery Allstars Inc., one of the best indie labels worldwide. Lots of excellent songs are available around there.

Dronjo kept by 4 - Delta (2011)

MiMi

9.2

/Alternative pop/rock, Shoegaze, J-pop, Funk rock, Fuzz rock/

Comment: Hi, lads and guys! Believe me Jun Usuda`s own musical outlook rocks you out and off, pulls you in and pushes you out. Catchy, chiming guitar gears and hooks are up here to be synchronized with suggestive vocal appearances. All those 11 tracks are powerfully galvanized, more concretely, in a mix of the Western and Japanese guitar music tradition. Stove and Snow, and Sunset Children are convincing hints toward more dance-appealed (funk) rock music. In a nutshell, for fans of J-pop, Talking Heads, Flipper`s Guitar, Yo La Tengo, Cosmicdust, Isn`t Anything-era My Bloody Valentine.