Cyclic Bits: The Raymond Scott Variations (2010)

Chinstrap
Free Music Archive

9.3

/Experimental electronica, Remixes, Avant-electronica, Exotica pop, Space age pop, Sampledelic/

Comment: a host of nowadays innovative electronic musicians are remixing the tracks of a legendary cutting edge electronic musician (who can be compared with Desmond Leslie, Bebe & Loius Barron, Mort Garson, Bruce Haack, and Delia Derbyshire). Here are represented Satanicpornocultshop, Tracky Birthday, Fireworks Ensemble, Ego Plum, DJPE, Orionza, Vernon Lenoir, Felix Kubin and other ones. All in all, the remixes of the musicians ring out really exotic and intricate, having an irresistible smell of the first decades after World War II. More detailly, all those proto-synths, tape manipulations, pitch bending, rough bits and analogue sound make highly sense.

Zoo - Atrox (2011)

Ducks

9.1

/Industrial techno, Avant-techno, Experimental techno, Lo-fi, Dystopic, Bubblegum/
Comment: Zoo (Marko-Luka Zubčić) is an artist working primarily in sound and theatre. His main interests used to revolve around blue disintegration, vulgar editing and romances outside networks. He tends to call his music "kitchen rave", even though it encompasses a diversity of genres. His composing process mostly consists of recorded sounds and found sounds, as well as dusty digital glitches and dance-rhythm-machines memorabillia, mashed into a bleak glitter of perspiration. He is interested primarily in beat economy, researching new tensions between a kick and a handclap, and tries to make places with his music. His discography consists of Curfew Disco (a sonic movie), Pile (collection of collaborations), Puke, and Atrox (a mothership), as well as work with Zloom, and Szilo. He is musically currently working on his next album, as well as next albums of the mentioned bands, and as a producer of Sara and probably some other new Ducks Records (Rijeka-based label) stars. He lives in Rijeka as a student and a part-time theatre director. Let`s have some words about his 5-track album. It does consist mainly of rough locomotive-like rhythms, which is varied with bubblegum-ish beats and dystopic ambience above it. It is very far away from this hermetically produced bloody mainstream dance sound. More concretely, if you are intended to get just about clear-cut picture in front of your eyes, it can be seen as making adrift between the early Cabaret Voltaire, Locust, and Techno Animal. Great work indeed.

Turn Off Your Television - Turn Off Your Television (2011)

TOYT
Bandcamp

8.8

/Alt-folk, Alt-country, Indie folk, Folk indie/

Comment: a nice set of chiming folk and country songs by a new trio from Malmö, Sweden. The group is already compared to The Avett Brothers, Sparklehorse, Band Of Horses, and Grandaddy. By my side I would add The Wind Whistles, and Jay Bennett as well. More concretely, you can imagine guitar-driven acoustic folk pop which is seamlessly embellished with the whiffs of harmonica and slight psychedelia now and then. However, some tracks are bigger than others (Never Rusting Symphony; The Days We have Today). I am sure TOYT does have big pop potential for the next years.

The Hirundu - Cinnamon Hill (Lost Hirundu vol​.​3) (2011)

The Hirundu
Pitch & Putt

Bandcamp
Lastfm

9.4

/Alternative, Avant-garde, Leftfield, Electronic pop, Psych-pop, Sampledelic, DIY, Weird pop, Avant-pop, Experimentalism, Singer-songwriter, New Weird Europe, Psychedelia, Crossover/

Comment: firstly I discovered The Hirundu (formed in 1987) 3 years ago and still having opinion about John Crewdson-headed combo as one of the craziest combos worldwide. If someone would dare to entitle it as the most frenzied one under the God`s sight I would probably agree with him/her. At least the British one for sure. Crewdson himself as a band leader can be compared to much of Mark E Smith`s doings, though, in a more nihilistic way. In fact, every Hirundu`s issue is an universe on its own, including the elements of indie rock, avant-garde, experimental electronic, dada experiments, industrial, acute psychedelia, radiophonic art, cut and paste/sampledelic aesthetics, club dance, DIY, lo-fi, and countless elements more to exist separately or in interwoven ways. Crewdson made Ariel Pink-like music before Ariel himself had the chance to realize his timeless pop ideas. While it might be that Crewdson did not have any idea about R Stevie Moore`s explorations, he is having some similarities with the US legend sometimes. And you can compare it with Speculativism, another highly eccentric singer-songwriter from the Foggy Albion.
Believe me this 14-track album lives up to your expectations, veering from hazy, gloomy electronic rock to atmospheric incantations to catchy symphonies to catchy guitar twanging to acid-fried drone electro to spaghetti electro blues to mariachi surf rock to unidentified cathartic explorations above your contained imaginations. Indeed, this time the album as a whole is established to follow more melodies and harmonies, though, in the Hirundu`s own idiosyncratic way. All in all, I have got a free-spirited experience again. Vitally certifiable. I am going to search for the Hirundu`s old publications once again. Thank you, Johnny.

222 - Friendly Fire

Kyoto Connection - The First Voyage (2006/2010)

Kyoto Connection
Jamendo
Lastfm

9.0

/Chilltronica, Art pop, Downtempo, World music, Electronic pop, Synth pop, Alternative pop, New Age/

Comment: Kyoto Connection is a quartet from Argentina, interweaving synthesized harmonies with bracing melodies running incessantly over the listener`s head. Natural instruments are finely balanced with electronic devices and small machines. The band obviously gets huge inspiration and signs from the 80`s synth pop, world fusion, new age, and electronic pop a la Pet Shop Boys. At times it does enter into more contemporary, dream pop-like milieus. On the other side, as you already know there is a big difference between new age and new age, chill out and chill out music. And KC makes difference for their own advantage for sure. Furthermore, KC`s sound used to appeal everywhere - to bigger crowds and more requiring circuits. By any means, Kyoto Connection is one of the best combos settled down at Jamendo.

Tim Chaplin - Honesty (2011)

Bandcamp

9.3

/Art folk, New Weird Europe, Experimental folk, Psych-folk, Avant-folk, Baroque folk, Singer-songwriter, Alt-folk/

Comment: Tim Chaplin aka Luminous is one of those unsung art rockers/indie experimentalists waiting to get more appreciated for they deserve by full right. He started already it the end of 90`s, since having created uncompromising ditties and idiosyncratic compositions. He is also part of Factory Kids (with Christina Marie). These 12 songs are settled in the billowy junkyard of cracks and hisses creating a contrasty folder for twanging guitars and zestful vocal lines. All what was described is just a hint at the dominating template. He is supported by many collaborators, who used to play theremin, Hammond organ, and different kinds of strings. Pertaining of that Chaplin is the sort of genius it is showcased through such songs as So She Says, and Your Top Ten (the last one resembles a little of Have You Seen Her Lately, the Pulp`s classic one.

tHÖAm - Eye shadow (2011)

Nowaki Music

9.0

/Downtempo, Ambient, Experimental electronica, Chill out, Modern classical, Crossover/

Comment: in principle, it is a pleasant shift between racous beat-induced (from downtempo to more aggressive, breakbeat-like developments) appearances and more atmospherically/and hauntingly designed bows. Indeed, being in such a crossbreed-ish situation the artist`s sound used to evoke and delete memory snippets from your very consciousness. At times it reaches the highest parametres of beauty (Opaque). Of course, this 13-track album is a quite demanding one needing more for profound listening times. If to regard the possible kindred souls of tHÖÄm, however, I recommend listen to the likes of Mank, ElectricWest, David Schomber, Naono. However, you can perceive some similarities with James Leyland Kirby`s oeuvres as well.

Paolo Pavan & Pasqualino Ubaldini - Second (Live)

Random Article - Valley Sessions 'Unwebbed', May-July 2011 (2011)

Archive.org

9.0

/Psych-folk, Improvised music, Experimental folk, New Weird Europe, Trance folk/

Comment: 13 tracks for saz, bass, violin, voice and percussion, recorded at a cottage in the Broad Oak Valley, near Canterbury (UK) during May-July 2011. Behind these honestly cultivated acoustic improvisations are Tom, Miriam, Matthew, and assisted by Paul (playing drums sometimes), related to the Exeter-based Children Of The Drone collective and its subsidiaries (in principle, it is quite hard to draw the distinction line between them). This session is highly warbling and vitally organic in its magical hypnotism. By the way, all the titles are chosen accidentally. The Valley Session as usual - it has been their brand of quality.