Electroacoustic Mexico 1960-2007 (2011)

Audition

9.2

/Conceptual, Electro-acoustic, Experimental electronica, Avant-garde, Experimentalism/

Comment: undoubtedly the music history is an exciting realm for any melomans to concern for. Indeed, any new compilation or discovered albums may release a new gambit for a new theoretical approach and concept. (The most well known are Sub Rosa`s anthologies of noise and electronic music). Here is an eligible legacy of 23 notches regarding the past of the Mexican electroacoustic music over the 4-5 decades. More detailly, such miscellanies are the clear-cut evidences of how electronic music has been developed, containing a loads of conceptual ideas (serialism, for instance), pitchbent textures and minimalism-induced phase changes, passionless sonic effects, ambiance-related bleak vistas and so on. And of course, lush appearances of analogue sounds. In any cases, take care of it.

Clinker - Stop!

Masske - Masske (2009)

Archive.org
Lastfm

9.0

/Post-rock, Post-metal, Stoner rock, Experimental rock, Art rock, Instrumental rock/

Comment: Masske (previously also known as Last Romantic) by the Englishman Dan Stone extend from crispy post-rock-ish steamrolling and massive post-metal-alike formations to more light-hearted fusion/jazz rock-esque gears. Similarly to Stone`s previous combo some of those 11 tracks do show off the inclination toward dance-appealed grooves and some of them living up to the creator`s name bucking along the stoner-dusted paths. By the way, he is a native of Exeter, a place for some great artists (Children Of The Drone and its subsidiaries; Speculativism). Great.

Bonfire Kids - We Are Telephone Friends (2009)

Holiday
Lastfm

9.3

/Alternative pop/rock, Shoegaze, Fuzz pop, Dream pop, Indie pop/

Comment: Bonfire Kids is an indie pop group from California whose mould is made up while standing firmly on the basis of DIY aesthetics, cellophanic guitar and mandolin-based magic dust. No doubt, there can be detected for the stature of The Smiths (which is previously the biggest indie band worldwide by far), Slumberland-related roster, and longing-tuned Slowdive. The album was issued on the Holiday Records, an indie pop records comparable to the likes of EardrumsPop, and Bubbletone Discos´Club 7. However, a wondrous effort by any means.

Surrent - Gadgug (2008)

Modicum Of Silence

9.2

/Guitar ambient, Ambient, Experimentalism, Avant-garde, Electro-acoustic, Improvised music, Acousmatics/

Comment: if you are made acquaintance with the albums on Modicum Of Silence, a label concerned on the music of the state of Ohio then you should know very well what could be expected from this issue. Indeed, tense guitar-based experimentation is surrounded by the sort of open-aired ambience permanently swelling and shrinking, adding and reducing the elements of lush noise, and electronica. Just one, 15-minute improvisation for the guitar, electronica, and the undulation of refreshing air is offered here all of that wrapped up by longing and melancholic feeling.

Sunlight Ascending - Diorama Dream

Colony - This Machine Never Sleeps (2007)

Archive.org
Bandcamp

9.3

/Experimental techno, Deep techno, Synth pop, Chill out/

Comment: a kind of the legacy of Kraftwerk surfaced in 2007 in Verona, Italy. Dreamy, glacial glow-alike blissful tracks yet including a little bit pessimistic echoes regarding human-related future. The robots may conquer and annihilate the mankind. On the other side, this album can be classified as glo-tech, i.e being a combination of pulsating New Wave/synth pop and crispy Warp-esque intellectual techno/kosmische techno. However, the influences by Kraftwerk are still relevant and the design of the coverprint is impressive.

Happiness In Aeroplanes - A History Of Water (2011)

Bandcamp

8.8

/Post-rock, Modern classical, Experimentalism, Experimental electronica, DIY, Lo-fi, Avant-garde, Experimental electronica, Chamber music/

Comment: behind this one-man project hides himself Eddie J Palmer from Brooklyn. The Brooklynite provides a set of 12 notches which used to vary on the large scale of pop music. While it follows DIY/lo-fi aesthetics (the soundscape is relatively rough and thus pleasantly vulnerable) these songs are not punk/indie pop-related ones. It is rather a sort of post-rock/modern classical/chamber music undermined with twisted electronic modalities below it. Palmer`s previous, considerably more electronic-soaked albums are replaced with more organic, nature-faced visions.

Our Bad: A Michael Jackson Tribute Compilation (2009)

CLLCT

8.4

/Covers, Conceptual, Singer-songwriter, Alternative pop, Alt-folk, Electronic/

Comment: all this caboodle what was going around the death of Michael Jackson recently was far away from being normal and forced to avoid reading the media. This 13-track miscellany was compiled during the legend`s lifetime. I`ll Be There, Billie Jean, We Are The World and other classic ones are covered here by iron like nylon, Patrick Ripoll, tinyfolk, shelby sifers, James Eric (and his side project garden on a trampoline) and other CLLCT-related eminent musicians.

Starfire Connective Sounds - They Call Her One Eye