Blogiarhiiv

12/01/2010

Oathless Standing Where Our Paths Shall Meet (Hawk Moon)


For sure, the British have been having a proud tradition of ambient music veered from the conceptions of Brian Eno and David Toop to the later and recent works by the Caretaker, Cousin Silas, Phillip Wilkerson and Simon Housley. Simon Housley is a young musician from Stoke-on-Tent having been releasing music since 2007. His first tracks were played out as spacey neofolk/chamber folk-drenched pieces, which soon evolved into a more melancholic space music approach, completed strongly with the ingredients of modern classical/symphonic progressions and dark ambient/dystopbient, and infused layers of musique concrete as well. Besides an array of singles, however, Housley has self-released three albums being as an obligatory task for every serious ambient music lover to be listened here and now. Those issues are Seen Through Reflection, Lambent Amber Winds, and Zephyr.

No doubt, his new release of 8 tracks continues to move along those aforementioned ambient characteristics. In principle, it is slow, minimal yet extensive, and hypnotic based upon the phase changing-alike methodology. Though it is an austere sonic example it does evoke a lot of emotions, for instance, extraditing the sense of still life, as if foretelling us about the forthcoming cold and snowy winter. In fact, the season is arrived exactly in such kind of embodiment and the emotion is mightily up here to be became much more dinstinct. Vis à vis with Housley`s previous releases it does seem to be a bit more solemn yet remaining its status as a somehow joyous oeuvre, though.

Listen to it here

9.1

Vincent Lillis The Singularity (Rack & Ruin)


The last album of the Rack & Ruin being overviewed on this blog was Teacups` Song about Yarn, an off-kilter blend of magnificient chamber pop/baroque pop and abrasive chiptune beats. Thereafter my spot has drifted away from the doings of the label involuntarily and unfortunately. Now it is time to come back again, and hopefully having no possibilities for further apologizes anymore.

The irishman Vincent Lillis is an extraordinary young musician, having released his third album in two years already. His previous albums Purple Magpie, and Neb Nub offered a off-the-wall blend of artistic guitar music with a kind of alternative dance appeal. You could hear The Fall-esque skidding bass strokes, Ian Brown`s electronic touch, kinds of inbalanced and unfixed somber backdrops, even some world music elements which altogether was being perceived a bit arty-farty in some sense. In any cases, it did need quite much attention to hold up your concentration to be fixed upon this.

The Singularity seems to be his most mature release (read it: purposefully channelized one) to date. The opening Mind Your Mind is a loud cacophonous track with heavy drum breakbeats, gorgeous bass pulsatings, and a funny sunbeam-named looping synth effect, all in all it recalls Primal Scream`s the 90`s second half/00`s beginning (albums Vanishing Point; Xtrmntr). However, the following tracks continue to drive on similar way in principle, besides it recruiting tabla drums, dynamic bass lines, spacey vocal chants, programmed beats, also finding the support from the 70`s post-punk movement as well. The tightness of ambience under and around the conception is an interesting matter to follow, for instance, discovering some underpressure-overpressure fluctuations at times. Consequently the result underlying spiderwebbing mesh work seems to function per excellence. Indeed, an solid alternative dance/madchester/baggy set evoking pleasant memories of good old times. A nostalgic slap, in fact.

Listen to it here

9.3

Dark Souls Day X-Lives (Af-Music/Jamendo)


I have listened to the Thessalonikian (Greek) band Dark Souls Day`s debut album X-Lives for a while having really been enjoying it. On the first place, because of being stilistically categorized as gothic/dark rock its topics and characteristics are inevitably common to the abovementioned genres consisting of dark-sided lyrics, low-key guitar chords and extended riffs, exhilarating combinations of post-punk-esque rigid bass and full-packed drum cadences, and dark-shrouded synth figures. Besides it, Nikos`s lead vocal (reminiscent of Peter Steele) is thoroughly resignated but not only driving on monotonous gears and wheels though, offering enough key changes and dark-spirited variations. Secondly, when the roles will be inverted for the sake of Pepi`s singing times then the accents will be getting up otherwise, finding out closeness to hardcore-alike indie/alternative rock (The Breeders, The Pixies, Dinosaur Jr etc). No doubt, you can hear a watershed having drawn alongside the borders of post-punk and alternative rock, the 70`s ending/80`s beginning and the 80`s second half/90`s beginning. Yet, it has no disturbing effects. Outspoken in advance, the album is fulfilled with great numbers, though, the special favorite of mine is epic Electrify, one of the best songs of 2010 on an album being one of the finest examples in the gothic/post-punk area during last years.

Listen to it here

9.3

11/30/2010

Felipe Casey Cardona Casio Nightlife (Noise Horror)


Having a speak about Felipe Casey Cardona`s 4-track cassette single Casio Nightlife it is not realistic to ignore a nowadays musical situation, this kind of which was rooted by Ariel Pink`s low-tech doings in the middle of the 00`s having attracted so many attention and (re-)launched a new home recording wave, developed mostly into chillwave/glo-fi/stargaze, or witch house/drag/haunted house music nowadays, which relies on a blend of the roughness of the do-it-yourself aesthetics and dream-alikeness of the bedroom music. However, the situation is greatly changed to date and the greatest of them (Ariel Pink, Devendra Banhart, Wavves) are being signed up by well-known labels, moreover, the aforementioned artists have managed to move on toward the centre of pop music, though.

Cardona takes his path in a direct and downright way. Low-end synths and noir-alike vocal sequences with some sense of violet-y colorings are ready to be instantly thrown to the forefront from the very start to the end. The opening and self-titled track seems to be a tribute to the erotic music, on the other way, the finishing Subjective Paradoxical Argument is a deep inner space noir. Two tracks in between do conjure naivistic synth chords and merely discernible distorted backcloth, by having the singing in English and in Spanish. In fact, he does prevalently drift in a lucid and high spirited mood, yet, in the ending phase his conception is used to seem a little bit monotonous and weary. But he is a talented guy anyway. Lets wait what will the sophomore issue bring with.

Listen to it here

7.7

[Old but important] 8bit Betty Too Bleep To Blop (Hippocamp)


If to check out for the legendary Manchesterian label Hippocamp`s (being on hiatus at the moment) download rates at Archive.org you can see Bryan Teoh`s album Too Bleep To Blop sharing bravely the second place with more than 40 000 times (not included the other download sites and servers to this sum). Vox populi vox dei, as it is used to say nowadays. Although five years have already passed since the release date, however, Teoh`s magic powder have been very refreshing up today yet. 7 tracks, based prinicipially on the numbers of chiptune/8-bit/chipbreak/tracker music, being part of this (those) genre (genres), within it recent computer music was started off approximately two and a half decades ago, and maintained previously (cult) popularity to date as well. Teoh is obviously one of the most ardent musicians I have had the privilege to listen to. Indeed, ablaze breakcore rhythms, subtle pace changes, great harmonic sweetness coming forth through autotuned vocals and elements of lollipop and shibuya-kei - even more else, the echoes of indie/shoegaze music can be heard therein. The American's ante is performed on the covering of 8bit`s very technical nature with a lot of emotions and life sense. If to mention all of those extraordinary tracks like And I Know That You're Happy (Ballad of the Lonesome Spaceboy), Reading Rainbow, Nikoma's Theme (Extended Mix) Spooky Loop, the Green Kangaroo, Blast Off!, it might be viewed as a tautological array because Too Bleep To Blop consists actually of 7 tracks only. Teoh`s comeback with his new releases would be very recommended in any case.

Listen to it here

[Old but important] Replicast The Wallstreet Compound (Obliq/Cryptophonics)


Replicast, Colorado-based octet`s (one of the persons behind it is Eric Allen, also known as a member of The Apples In Stereo) sophomore album, being released in the end of the previous year, reveals the next steps after the debut album Replicast-X. The follow-up, consisting of 9 tracks is full of mixed music (recorded in live and made without overdubs), i.e krautrock-esque hazy jams (remembering CAN`s early period loosely-leaded session sonority), tingling guitar glides, meditative rhythm sections, extending guitar riffs, eager experimentations with drum kits, and all of it is hardwired to a caustic soup of psychedelic Oberheim synthesizers. In a nutshell, this is a huge improvisation set, except Radio Nippon sounding like a tribute to Sonic Youth, though. The whole is mostly instrumental, hovering between outer space and earth, spinning up a lot of every kind of dust on variable sonic elements. No doubt, it may at times be seem as a bit inbalanced or swaying plateau, however, not because of being somehow imperfect, instead of it rather searching for new sonic possibilities through dense interplay of certain instruments, thereafter changing them and finding out for new combinations with others.

Listen to it here

11/29/2010

[Old but important] Single Bullet Theory SBT: 1977-1980 (Artifacts/yclept/FMA)


I really love the 70`s music because of not only I was born then (being a part of it 5 weeks, though). It was time when music found itself through very different tendencies and appearances, forming up into decent mainstream pop, innovative crossover areas and shitload branches of blasting avant-garde styles. But it also remained as a decade for a lot of music to be discovered nowadays yet.

Undoubtedly, Single Bullet Theory was such a kind of ensemble from Richmond, Virginia. The band was established on the ruin of the likes of Big Naptar, Grossbreed, and X-Breed, being influenced by garage rock and punk currents, and getting even some highlight glimpses by having shared the stage with Ramones, Patti Smith, and Talking Heads, and found out its way onto MTV, and Billboard chart.

Frank Daniel, Dennis Madigan and Michael Maurice Garrett (along with their soundman Z plus some guest musicians) do offer a solid set of 11 tracks, sounding at times as a soft (or half-soft) version of Talking Heads through its bubblegummish bass hooks and vivacious cadences, and on the other hand, getting very close to new wave/synth pop bands through its distinct synth wisps and gears. Thirdly, you can perceive the influences of fusion and progressive rock (for example, some similarities with King Crimson), and tricky soft rock issues with strong southern rock influences. Or just a kind of entertainment pop rock is proudly represented here. The especially favorite examples of mine are Das Madchen, Miss Two Knives, There is the Boy, and Rock Around the Apocalypse. So listen to it and let`s figure out your favorite figures from this honest and very strong album.

Listen to it here

[Artists] rngmnn

rngmnn
1798
Enoughrecords
Supersupersuper
Grundruck
Lastfm

11/27/2010

Tiny Fireflies ePop005 (Eardrums Pop)


By concerning on every kind of single labels around us I have mostly referred to Beko DSL, yet, there are other akin records as well, definitely enough worth to pay much attention. For instance, the likes of Club 7, Bad Panda, and Eardrums Pop are the names to be rememebered in the first place.

In fact, the last named record was previously known by its sizable indie pop compilations (13 compilations in total), having acquired a kind of magnificient quality the better you are hardly able to find out from somewhere else (indeed, your obligation is just to listen to those ones!). However, the last notches of its discography are exclusively the matter of singles, having a geographical stretch from Indonesia to The United Kingdom, from Finland to the United States. By stilistical approach it might be compared to the sounds of the legendary The Slumberland Records, and The Best Kept Secrets. Indeed, mellow indie pop, consisting of jangle pop and twee pop shadows, yet, having a nowadays touch via poptronic elements.

The Fireflies`s 3-tracks single set is the first missive, signifying the departure from the array of compilations. A duo (Leslie and Kristine) comes from Chicago, having been sharing their duties at Very Truly Yours, and proceeding their solo projects (Tiny Microphone; Fireflies) as well. One of those beatific tracks is a cover of Skeeter Davis` hit The End Of The World, inspired by Claude Longinet`s interpretation of it, and another (Holding Pattern) exploits a sample by Serge Gainsbourg`s La Horse. As it is said yet, it sounds really beatific reminiscent of chillwave oozings and sighs, getting quite close to Memoryhouse (Kristine`s hyper dreamy timbre and vocal manner turns/ascents tend to be similar to Denise Nouvion). On the other hand, a kind of slow(core) movement with the help of drum machines and cathedral-alike organs conveys a decent cue toward Beach House, though. Or hinting at the beautiful coverprint (by Minkee) could have it be named as "lovewave" instead of? A great music, no doubt.

Listen to it here

9.4

[Artists] Etrethn

Tavern Eightieth
Myspace
Lastfm

11/26/2010

Atlas Sound Bedroom Databank Vol. 1 (Atlas Sound)


Nowadays (experimental) indie music golden boy Bradford Cox is back again. No doubt, he was one of those remarkable newcomers - besides the tandem Avey Tare-Panda Bear, and Ariel Pink - whose conception poisoned profoundly the understandings of music lovers throughout the previous decade. At first, with Deerhunter, as the singer of the Atlanta-based quintet (now quartet), he has been evolving a blend of art-rock, noise rock, space pop/ambient, and shoegaze, all wrapped up in expansively psychedelic ambience. As Atlas Sound, his one-man-band, he is used to exploit the most of the abovementioned stylistic elements while showed up more electronic and laptop-based approach as well. By the way, besides the extraordinarily lank look he is also known by his exclusive songwriting method via stream-of-consciousness.

During last years he has released a lot of concert outtakes and bedroom demo recordings of the both projects via his/Deerhunter blog. Bedroom Databank Vol. 1 compiled of 11 tracks is the last appearance in the array (in Wikipedia has already mentioned the numerical follow-ups to the Bedroom Databank). The album is stilistically a wide-scale one, extending from minimally bleeping laptop-based lo-fi electronics, and Stereolab-esque light-filled synthetic pop to harmonica-leaded introvert alt-folk/indie folk songs (though it is mostly managed to be fulfilled with every kind of electronic effects). However, by my opinion, Lanterns is an outstanding ambient track, encircled by ticking icy-tinged IDM-beats. Really profound and sensitive, remembering a bit of Pulp`s Seductive Barry. There are also two covers represented here to get coated into new appearances (Bob Dylan`s This Wheel`s On Fire; Kurt Vile`s Freak Train).

Listen to it here

8.6

[Artists] Dark Souls Day

Afmusic
Jamendo
Bandcamp
Archive.org
Myspace

Lastfm

11/25/2010

Fescal Endorphin (1798)


This year has been busy for Fescal, a British native residing in the South Korea at the moment, having previously released some issues under Black Square (Omnia), and Bypass (Lethal Industry) AD 2010.

However, endorphin is in effect a good substance for one`s brain to lift up the mood and give a firm push for a subject`s further movings and actions. The essential question is, should it always be designed into a variegated output or might it be the matter of sparseness as well? Regarding an example of Fescal`s new one, I can admit that the last named possibility has also a solid perspective, though. 7 tracks consisting of sparse layers of ambient, throbbing microtextures, subtle tape hiss-based ingredients and darkwave-esque harmonies. Even a half-way inbetween ambient and krautrock-alike touch are conjured here (Sheep Dip), and the glass bead game of Door Cinema (with the assistance of loops, droning microsounds, and musique concrete). Indeed, by its mood the sonority of the whole at times does consist strange (dystopic) impulses of an isolated place somewhere. Here the writer says that the best tracks are the two last ones (Waltzing Nature; Frozen Time) and the first one (Hollow Spirit), finding out and acquiring mightily epic point of views.

It to estimate the album from the ideal perspective of ambient and experimental music, the result is getting proportionally close to the final end.

Listen to it here

9.3

Alessio Ballerini Blanc (Zymogen)


The privilege, the pleasure is mine... . Zymogen is back with its new notch, Alessio Ballerini`s brand new heavy album Blanc. The coverprint with a snowy mountain peak...what is it up here to be referred actually? As it is obviously known "Blanc" does mean as "white" in French, so is it possible to have somehow a reference to the highest peak in the Europe? Why not, though in fact, the album concerns on climate changes regarding the melting of the ice sheets of Greenland. 5 tracks are appeared here to be sounded really warm and comfortable, though, it is full of ghosts and ghouls, which, however, are not used to be frightening occurences. The whole one might be reminiscent of borealic space of Tim Hecker, endlessly snowy landscapes, chaotically swirling airy vectors and silent whirls of the storm. Here you can relax for listening to hiss-infused mini-orchestrations, electro-acoustic trash-y clangors, minimally sounding piano loaded modern classical pieces. Could you imagine that a kind of (beatific) shit and a piece of beauty are rolling alongside to get finally joint together, and as a result, delivering a hallmark about an exhilarating sound example in the end of 2010. By the way, Ballerini is helped by Canenero, Gianni Pavan, and Christian Fennesz (indeed, by this famous österreicher Fennesz).

Listen to it here

9.4

11/23/2010

[Compilation] Beko DSL Beko_Fla (Beko DSL)


In fact, there is not much time passed by when I reviewed Bekos DSL`s compilation box_3 being dedicated to witch house/drag/haunted house/screwgaze/crunk shoegaze. It is another compilation, however, also subnamed as A Beko/Free Loving Anarchists Collab concerning profoundly on shoegaze, lo-fi, fuzz pop, dream pop, and post punk-influenced sound from one area/scene (Houston, Texas). Indeed, this miscellany can be dealt with as a fine indie stuff for nowadays people being seriously annoyed by the mediocrity and unvariedness of ordinary music examples. 8 tracks by projects like Rape Faction, Lois Magic, Pink Playground, Young Henry, The KVB, Virgo Rising, Wicked Crafts, Sacred Place do draft solid harmonies and catchy pace notches. The favorite numbers of mine are The KVB`s Into The Night which is an experimental drive on the level of DIY via pulsating trance-alike synth drones, and Joy Division-esque coolness; and Virgo Rising`s To Deal Without It based upon reminiscence of a track by My Bloody Valentine (find it yourself out, I guess) through a memorable synth repetition and spaced-out milieu.

Listen to it here

[Artists] Addis Abbeba/Аддис Абеба








Addis Abbeba/Аддис Абеба
Lastfm

11/22/2010

Model Warships Capsules (Bandcamp)


No doubt, Leeds-based Michael Waters is an idiosyncratic singer-songwriter, who has issued 4 releases during last 2 years under the likes of Tavern Eightieth, BeatIsMurder, and Bandcamp. For an argue, concerning on his abundant experiences and possibly much collected know-how in various experimental ensembles (Perfect Writing; Shi Toys; Syuzhet; The Amber Sleep; Cedar Trees), it should not make a big heck of his (sub)conscious expressions and stylistic palette. Indeed, it is eccentrically diverse on each of his issues, stretching out to form kinds of striking wholes consisting of wide-rangely used plaintive and sometimes dirge-alike vocal manners encompassed by noise and hiss-infused guitar strummings, which is enriched with glockenspiel snippets, electronics and stereo effects. Finding out his nichè in drifting between the ways of silence and noise, calmness and unrest, dream-alikeness and horribleness Waters` music is compared to such defiant pop acts as Xiu Xiu, Frog Eyes, Belong, Sufjan Stevens, and Martin Grech. By my side I would add the metal-slapping adoreness of Einstuerzende Neubauten, and dream folk-esque invertedness of Pipher, and Barbagallo.

The whole array of the abovementioned elements are proudly represented on Capsules too, though, some new elements are up here for Waters` weird conception to be completed. For instance, through electro-cadenced undercurrents and metallic abrasiveness are brought forth some new grinning facies. No doubt, Model Warship is one of the most powerful representatives in the New Weird Europe movement nowadays.

Listen to it here

9.4

[Artists] Skittle Alley

Club 7
Anorak Records
Series Two Records
Myspace
Lastfm

[Compilation] Artificios 3 (Sincro)


The Argentinian label/experimental electronic music platform Sincro is back after for a while. It is their third compilation consisting of musicians coming from Argentina, Peru, and Spain (Catalonia). Asolaar, GUM, Ivliss, Juan Dub Silva, Mezzo, and Omar Lavalle are the names up there to get set up with an excellent smorgasboard of industrial/noise-infused repetitive cadences, the abstract abysses of noir-esque soundscapes, microtonal/monotonal manipulations, rough audio processing, and the blaze-framed pavements of pulsating glitchtronics. Although you can hear some similarities with the nihilistic approach of the 70/80`s industrial music, the borealic senseless of Pan Sonic, or the frightening neuroticness of Suicide, it is an universe regulated by its own rules. In fact, while it is an impressive compilation, you shall have to listen to its two precedessors as well.

Listen to it here

11/21/2010

The Arctic Flow Club 7 003 (Club 7)


Supposedly everyone who is got deeply digged into the discography of the Holiday Records is not surprised at all to hear about such a name as the Arctic Flow, behind it is Brian Hancheck, a profilic musician from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Approximately a half year ago he released a pair of singles under Beko DSL as well. However, now it is proper time for another single label Club 7. Hancheck`s soundscape is profoundly dreamy and floating, consisting mainly of subtle indie pop numbers with certain shoegaze influences. On the other way, it could be described as shoegaze music without massive touch of abrasive guitars and psychedelic entering into a chaotic inner world, instead of it used to be reserved for nicely suffusing guitar chords driving over the middle layers of the sound. Though, it can be sounded psychedelic as well. First of all, if you are in to dedicate your time to such British indie luminaries as Slowdive, Ride, and Chapterhouse (especially the last named one) or have listened to music released under the label Slumberland, this release of 2 tracks (Sentiments and Artifacts; King of the Flood) is thought for you.

Listen to it here

8.9

[Artists] Modern Warships

Model Warships/Bandcamp
Tavern Eightieth
BeatIsMurder
Myspace
Lastfm

11/20/2010

Plantae Pinguin (Qulture Production)


Plantae comes from Izhevsk, the Udmurtian Republic, the Russian Federation, having previously released the albums Feld, and Distance under the likes of Datenbits, and 8081, respectively. Pinguin does offer 7 tracks within 35 minutes. On the site of Qulture Production, on the record site, the album is being described as "minimal toy techno", "acoustic", and "IDM". No, doubt, any kind of experiments with toytronica, with its mellow sense of fluctuant harmonic crests has been quite popular in those days, giving some different touches and angles of views to our weary listening experiences to be changed, at least a little. In addition to it, however, it can be mentioned to have a cute cartoon-esque coverprint and all the track names are titled in German (Wanderung; Entspannung, Schwimmen; Niedergang etc). However, regarding penguins (or pinguins as a kind therefore showing up its deviation in reference to the IDM-based conceptions), such an infantile soundscape, and folktronic-infused album, it is impossible not to see a connection between Plantae`s recent issue and the minimal approach of Penguin Cafe Orchestra (Pinguin is used to express itself especially on this mode in the beginning of the album). No doubt, all of those samples of unconventional instruments imbued with synthetic cadences do construct an organic whole here. A solid work indeed.

Listen to it here

9.0

[Artists] Fescal


1798
Bypass

Black Square
Fescal/Bandcamp
Lastfm

11/19/2010

Friendship Home (Friendship)


The easiest way to describe the Australian Nic Brown`s release would be to put it into a mould being set up somewhere between Panda Bear`s (Noah Lennox) solo works and chillwave-ish point of view. (By the way, one track, being one of the most mellow ones is named Noah_Frienship and Friendship Bands). 11 tracks are tensely fulfilled by pitched or reversed vocals, repeated chords, programmed glockenspiels, half-loaded orchestrations, synth effects, fingerpicked guitar echoes, and epic harmonies as well. On the other side, its methodology is sometimes used to be based upon loose and primitivistic approach which can be admitted as its best at Sexy Bones, or idiosyncratically brassy soulful tunes (Hip). Obviously Optim 2 is a quintessential example of having respectively built up on lo-fi and nicely tuned harmonies. This album might have been a top notch if the balance had more keened to involve more melodies and harmonies into its whole. Lethargically characterized sonic patterns are not for to be the best case for Brown`s music, though.

Listen to it here

8.4

[Artists] Illnathix

Illnathix
Qulture Production
Nihilistic Droid
Shkart
TRASHFUCK NET/Records
Punk Ist Pop
Amduscias

Skrow! Media
Mind Noise Disintegration
Sarutra`s Music

Joxfield ProjeX Numbers & Letters (Clinical Archives)


Yet one year ago the Swedish pop music seemed to have strongly been associated with the sound of fields, sunshine and colourful flowers. You even know, such beautiful and safe, yet masterful and well-produced conceptions which fulfilled the task of muzak in the certain way. (The muzak as music is such a kind of listening object which is used to be predictable, i.e, keeping to live its own life from the very start without needing much attention and reasoning anymore). However, all my premisses were changed since I heard Joxfield ProjeX, by Yan and Oax leaded ensemble which showed up really deep and ungraspable point of view.

In fact, there has been a lot of albums within a year: Bits And Pieces# 1-13; Picnic; Virtual Dreams & Realities; Shimmering Mah No 1; Phantastique; and recently, Oddities And Rarities 2005-2010. No one of them were failed. Moreover, all the aspects of serious and intellectual-minded rock music were profoundly investigated on the aforementioned issues: from the progressive rock to the open-minded and over-the-edge-pouring space rock, ambient techno and kosmische musik conceptions.

A new one is compiled of 24 tracks (or 3 CD sets), including cooperation snippets of such luminaries as Pat Mastoletto, Geoff Leigh, and Kenji Siratori among other guests. It might be seem in comparison with the duo`s previous works it does sound more free jazz-y, incorporating the elements of pompous electro-rock/baggy-ish breakbeats, in Japanese spoken word, dream-loaded and hazy flute improvisations, ragga-rhythms and tanpura-sitar drones. However, it is obviously the first time when a release by their side seems to be a bit loose (or extrovert as it is already said), sometimes "uncomposed", based mainly on free improvised jams, or on the other side, sinking into the mould of avant-prog bottom. On the last third of the album, however, it smashes its head spot getting intensely to haze its boundaries and breaking on the other side. Though my top notch and recommendation is previously Oddities And Rarities 2005-2010, yet, those 24 tracks are very important part to get completed the whole regarding Joxfield ProjeX`s sound and conception. The whole picture of them became even more indistinct. And it is excellent, of course. By a Joker`s point of view indeed.

Listen to it here

9.2

Sun-inside Speed Beauty (Section27)


The Ukrainian project`s first track is named as Transparency Palm which might semantically have a reference to Faust`s first, so-called X-ray album, and the album title might referentially be related to krautrock style in a bit broader sense as well, though its surrealistic and shimmeringly sounding approach is more keen to hauntologic and sampledelic outputs rather than come to over for manipulating with motorik and hypnotic conceptions. Indeed, 13 tracks consisting of weird low-end synth effects, have been played out via high-key sonic patterns, though mainly on the lo-fi mode, remembering strongly of Cagey House, and Manuel Buerger sometimes. In fact, weird can be perceived without the weirdest ones. For example, Tragic Ceiling has been brought forth through mystical spiritual music, respectively to the Russian orthodox tradition. This track could be associated with the collaboration acts of Alexei Rafiev and Alexei Borissov (two albums under Clinical Archives).

Listen to it here

8.3

11/16/2010

Beko Beko_box3 (Beko DSL)


To speak tongue in-the-cheek of the style "witch house" it may seem to be sounded like the gothic people/dark wavers` chillwave music. No doubt, between the aforementioned styles are obvious similarities (the use of low-end synths, the exploitation of the DIY-aesthetics), while their main difference is drawn by the using of noir-loaded soundscapes/hauntology, and peripheric sonic experiments. The style, by the way, under which categorized bands, at least some of them, love to use different symbols (especially the different way-shaped crosses) in their names, though the most well-known of them, for instance, the likes of Salem, Modern Witch, and oOoOO are restricted in the borders of alphabetical signs yet. However, the label Beko DSL is always used to pretend finding out new bands and styles-subgenres, but their turn toward witch house/drag/haunted house seems to be their first notch, though. This release, consisting of three boxes, and 6 ensembles (Mater Suspiria Vision; d3thplaY; High Park; Residual Prophecy; ZON; lll^◊^lll, can be considered as a fine kind of overview-offering compilation. In any case, a good introduction to the new hype.

Listen to it here

11/15/2010

This Lonely Crowd Entangled Chaos (Velvet Blue)


Hooray! Tweedledum, Tweedledee, Humpty Dumpty, Red Queen, and Jabberwock are proudly back. The expectations toward their sophomore release are really high because of their debut album An Endless Moment Eveyday All the Time (2010, Sinewave) being madly energic and artistic through shoegaze- and post-grunge guitars, reminiscent of vocally Billy Corgan`s manner from Smashing Pumpkins. A salient mix of dream pop and power pop.

A new release, new coverprint, new direction, new measures. First of all, Humpty Dumpty don`t search anymore for Corgan-esque abrasiveness in his vocal manner, feeling more soft, murmuring, and dreamy - and often doing it in the cooperation with Red Queen. In fact, the vocal part is diminished, too, and the sound is properly arranged - without the dominance of chaos-driveness, the collapses of mayhems, crazily intense key changes, and driving-in and driving-off effects. Instead of powerful guitars there are rather airy guitars to be represented in consisting of dreamy even lethargic soundscapes, which subtle movement is sometimes "disturbed" by massive brown noise-alike exorced keys of guitars throwing up elemental hooks of the AEMEATT. Yet once time, in comparison with the first album the song structures are more transparent and predictable, thereby being a bit less attractive, though. In conjuction with it the release seems to be too short (4 tracks) also for playing out their transboundary conception in the complete way. But by measured on the absolute scale, it is a solid work, though. And the quintet`s coverprints are still one of the best, too, conveying the spirit of golden age shoegaze music to this day. An eye is resting while watching it.

Listen to it here

8.8

11/14/2010

Head In Body Not So Empty EP (KLaNGundKRaCH)


Head In Body, the Czech-based project`s new EP sounds most time like a tribute to Suicide, a legendary no wave band from the USA. More specifically, it sounds as the album of a kind of variations dedicated to Vega & Rev`s creepy (anti-)hit Frankie`s Teardrop. Sonically it does mean that certain elements are nicely represented here - psychotic, chopped, and through delay-channelized mutated vocal effects bring forth themselves as the dominating pannel of the sound. On the other side, the EP build up a bit difference, succeeding keep moving elsewhere. And the different elements do base upon the experiments of profoundly low bass drones and brown noise crackles to have brought on the other side, and driving in the wake of Pan Sonic. Anyway, in a good shape balanced ominous album.

Listen to it here

8.8

[Old but important] Negativity Life Is A Dead End (Negativity)


For a while, I have listened to some albums of Negativity leaded by Julien
Jandera from Drusenheim, France offering his poisonous ideas related to
his hating feels regarding life and human kind (actually the coverprint being designed with a hanged man could say it all). 9 tracks of the 12th album, considered as his most brutal ones, consist of angry and ruffle guitar riff waves while biting and grinding vocal lines are in the first place, though, which altogether will make up a lot of synergic trash and black metal monumentums. In fact, although it might sometimes be seemed a bit loose, it may be defined as black metal on the DIY-mode, but it does not sound in the boring way anyway. Moreover, Jandera is probably not a man used to find excuses for deviating from his main line, concerning on one synth interlude, and the finishing track is wrapped in by drone doom madness. Profoundly drone, burningly doom.

Listen to it here

11/09/2010

SLUTEVER Sorry I`m Not Sorry (Bandcamp)


By speaking of contemporary girl power in music, you can not bypass The Slits, a British band which sounded as the female counterpart to the Public Image Limited (or was it the other way round, though), blending intensely punk, dub, and dance rhythms. In addition to it not much weeks have passed by since their frontwoman Ari Up (Arianne Foster) was passed away.

The legend is gone, but certain sonic patterns and traditions are left behind. One example of such artistical and rebellious bands is definitely Slutever, a duo from Philadelphia. Nicole Gagliardi, and Rachel Snyder has already won the attention of the press and had a couple of gigs with the Best Coast, and Cults. Behind the music the more surprising fact is that the rest of their life do consist of watching TV (because of reflecting the American Dream at the rate of 90%), and school attendance.

Why their 6 tracks album is used to be a significant one? In the first place, redoubtably rough sonic linearity (noisy guitars, garage sound (in fact, recorded in a bathroom and bedrooms), shrill vocals, whistling feedback, permanent energic overdrive; secondly, the lyrics reflecting the carelessness, selfishness, lack of love, but also searching for it and avoiding of it and the longing for dirty teenage sex. This kind of sound is used to be tagged as shitgaze/shi-fi, and the first part of the word is referred as well. My favorite track is So Prone, with dreamy background and cellophanic guitar sound. This is a kind of release which especially will decorate your first half of a day.

Listen to it here

8.8

Monokle & Galun In Frame (12rec)


Vladislav Kudryatsev & Aleksandr Kumach aka the Arkhangelsk-based combo Monokle`s third album Tesaurus (under Id.eology) was one of the best albums of 2009. Now Kumach has left the band and Kudryatsev is joined by a former beatboxnik and otherwise versatile artist Sergey Galunenko aka Galun and the result does seem even in better way to be sound. 12 tracks give testimony of prominent examples of songwriting, balancing between post-rock, poptronica, chillout, downtempo, indie rock. It is used to be continually dense, and warm, and mostly it is so intensely loaded with dreams that the soundscape does seem a bit lazy in the good manner sounding up very nostalgic and relaxing to my ears, conjuring up gratifying listening memories from the past by approximately 10-12 years ago. The tracks like Crossed Fingers, and Means are reminiscent of the manner by Brendan Perry, and the beatific times when I spent the most of my time in the bibliothek of the Tartu University for listening to Dead Can Dance among others. Regarding the next track (Justalite) I shall have to ask you do you remember Louis Armstrong`s great track We Have all the Time in the World for one of the James Bond-related soundtrack? (It was also covered by My Bloody Valentine). Regarding the motive of this track you can see really close similarity with it. Get At Will remembers one of the toughest work, being grew up from the Estonian underground scene Bizarre`s sophomore album Cafe de Flor (1996, Forwards), especially the track Airs Of Arabia with otherworldly chanting female voice and shoegazers` atmospheric guitar swayings. In a nutshell, one of the best works of the 2010.

Listen to it here

9.8

11/08/2010

[Artists] 100percentelectric

100percentelectric/Jamendo
Reverbnation
Lastfm

Phillip Wilkerson Daybook EP (BFW Recordings)


As his first name used to be unusual the englishman Phillip Wilkerson is an important and special name among sonic experimentalists and soundscapers. He has released shitloads of albums during last five years, under such labels like Bypass, Resting Bell, Earth Mantra, Amorphos Music, Justnotnormal, and BFW Recordings as well.

4 tracks released in the start of 2010 are used to sound in a very broad way, involving in epic and warm-sounding choppiness, sometimes it can be distant and anonymous, and even "sexy" would be a correct adjective. Probably the tags as "dreamscape" or "subtle soundfields" are the most proper characteristics to describe the essence of the release. No doubt, the coverprint which illustrates a kind of colourful sphereness does convey the stand of the EP in an excellent way. Wilkerson`s quality is here to be proven again. A great masterpiece.

Listen to it here

9.5

Sky Event Sky Event (pan y rosas sitio)


2 musicians, Hathaway Hester (cello, little instruments), and Keith Helt (guitar, little instruments), are influenced equally by modern out and avant composition as well as contemporary Chicago creative music. As it is said, their soundscape is full of plinks, plucks and percussive slaps surrounded by abrasive chamber and electro-acoustic ambiences. At the half time it sounds really austere and rigorous, the first and third track do reflect more delightful approach. In fact, I can´t give it utterly positive agreement because sometimes it seems obvious that involving in the creative process do offer much more fun than the very output for listeners.

Listen to it here

7.5

11/06/2010

[Concert] A Silver Mt Zion Live at La Sala Rossa on 2005-06-16 (Archive.org)


A Silver Mt. Zion (and its various titles), a band from Montrèal, is probably the best known act which is grown out or related somehow to Godspeed You! Black Emperor (formerly as Godspeed You Black Emperor!) and is the most involved band via its members (Efrim Menuck, Thierry Amar, Sophie Trudeau) as well. In fact, the aforementioned musicians have been influential collaborators not only on the post-rock scene but also related to alt-folk and indie circles in the North America during last 10 years at least. However, after GY!BE was going on hiatus, therefore the prime privilege was delegated over to ASMZ. If to compare differences between two bands, in the first place, it is the using of vocals, and the soundscape of ASMZ is inclined more to psych-oriented numbers, and indie music as well. For an argue, it seems a bit slower, having been involved in classical music-based arrangements (eminent cello and violin undercurrents), and via Menuck`s gratingly lamenting and sometimes euphorical vocal manner as well. All of those elements are to be heard in an excellent way on this live session also, recorded at La Sala Rossa in their hometown in 2005. Inbetween the songs you can be a witness for the interactivity between Menuck and audience and jocularities regarding "dudes", iPod and Coldplay, and birdfeeders as well. My cue toward indie music wasn`t arbitrary because of Menuck`s euphorical and lament manner (sometimes simultaneously) and the exploiting of chamber music devices and elements so you are getting to see more the link between ASMZ and Arcade Fire (moreover, they have more common through of recruiting the same musicians, and using the Constellation-related studio Hotel2Tango too).

Listen to it here

11/05/2010

Blezna Árbole (Alg-a)


The soundtrack of my day comes from Asturia, Spain. Blezna is an experimental sound project, inspired by asturian forests and those trees. Behind it is Juanjo Palacios who took care of soundscapes recordings, virtual instruments, plugins, sample manipulations, composition, process, photography and graphic design. Indeed, it is not wrong to be named it as a kind of the-one-man-orchestra, because this does not consist only of vivid and intense snapshots among the trees, where you can predominantly hear the cracks of burning wood, and at a time the rustling of rain which will be overtaken by lighter and darker soundscapes which by this side will be developed into funeral neoclassical orchestrations and even martial-alike undertows. Such a kind of adduction of neutral-minded field recordings and epic classical music developments is not common at all. By its approach Palacios´ work does remind a bit of another spanish composer Bosques De Mi Mente. What else could I add that those brisk eight tracks constitute a sequent top-notch in the long array of the 2010 best releases.

Listen to it here

9.5

[Artists] Citizen Flagpole


Citizen Flagpole/Bandcamp
Myspace
Lastfm

Manuel Buerger The Midi Opera (Shalom Salon)


No doubt, Manuel Buerger`s The Midi Opera is a thankworthy output, dedicated to the midi file format, which has been boycotted by the predominant part of computer users. However, played on an inbuilt synthesizer of a computer Buerger does offer 15 short tracks of a very short longitude, going their way through a lot of peculiar sonic details reminiscent of space age pop tunes back to the 60`s and 70`s. Played up in a fine mode you can be caught driving on a route of weird sample flushes, high-pitched chords, roughly sounding caustic swirls, sublime glockenspiel combinations, in a primitivistic way conjured bubblegum funk and trance beats. Moreover, it might even be considered a bit mocking regarding different styles and currents (for instance, some prog-rock-esque eagerness at Tuburalbells). Though built up in a rough way, it does sound lushly because of being squeezed into a polyphonic result, being caught between format and nostalgia. For an argue, compared to his contemporaries his work gets the spot really close to Dave Keifer`s (aka Cagey House) compositions, though, Keifer is used to exploit more haunting samples. In a short, it is a funny and serotonine-pumping work, being a pro-flag for the midi format for sure.

Listen to it here

9.1

[Artists] Low-fi


Low-fi
Myspace

11/04/2010

...And The Earth Swarmed With Them The Fading Voice Of The Old Era Speaks To Us, But Where Are The Ears Left To Hear It? (Hawk Moon/Bandcamp)


The long-named bands with even longer album titles are used to be having a reference to... . To what exactly, I mean, actually?

The four-track debut release, not including their demo issue approximately 6 months ago, by the Essex-based band, consisting of Mitchell G. Johns (guitars, bass, keyboard), Ted Parsons (drums), Kat Stanbridge (vocals), Chrysa T (vocals), Jeff Ball (violin). Quartet`s high-chorded guitar pieces, solid channelizing into sublime sonic upturns and crescendos, middle-paced and low-paced tempos, obligatory march rhythms, and in-chamber noir-drifting ambiences; indeed, after broody low-key shuffles around there it is going to have epic turns into instrumental trance-evoking soundscapes. Infinite drifts inbetween silence and noise, (as one of the main concepts of music is used to be), inbetween ascents and slowdowns. In short, the array is not surprising if you are used to get involved in post-rock tradition, though, there are some unexpected moments hitting against your experience and premiss-swamped networks. For instance, using the female vocalis not an usual pattern, moreover, in the ending track The Slow Decay Had Already Begun Kat Stanbridge has embodied into a role of a soprano fury directing the band`s conception across on the other side, being rather placed closer to the likes of symphonic metal acts (for instance, Diablo Swing Orchestra, and Nightwish) than the epicness of instrumental (post-) rock music. By the way, the album is fringed by some peripheric pop luminaries: In addition to Ted Parsons (Jesu, Godflesh, ex-Swans) behind the drums, the album is mixed by Justin Broadrick, and mastered by James Plotkin. In a nutshell, even it might be seemed a bit decayed it is a strong work yet. Take your time out and concern on it.

Listen to it here

8.4

Inverness Somewhere I Can Hear My Heart Beating (Psicotropicodelia/Jamendo)


The southern side of the American continent is and has been full of great artists, and Inverness is undoubtedly one of the best entries I am being honoured to listening to.

Four friends from Sao Paulo are there to push their idiosyncratic conception forward - Lucas de Almeida (voice, guitar, sampler), Marcio Barcha (drums), Mateus Perito (voice, guitar, sampler), and Flávio Fraschetti (bass) are joined together to create the experimental rock band Inverness. The name comes from a dream, a successive theme in the group's work.

However, four organic instruments (voice, guitars, bass, drums) plus samplers do constitute up a very reminiscent instrumental array of My Bloody Valentine, though, their intention is inclined to be going in a bit different directions. Besides lush noise outbursts, strumming beauty of guitars and fabulous cinematic orchestrations you can hear shitloads of different influences via intense sampling synthesis - from hazy sunshine pop and doo wop-infused easy listening and techno vibes to psychedelia and sub-ethnic music numbers (involving in new age-y flute passages and weird vocal manners). If you are not satisfied yet searching for some solid ground, to find out some examples, I maintain you to make some steps toward The Avalanches, and The Guillemots as well. 10 tracks full of fucking greatness indeed, being one of the best killers of the 2010 so far. Obrigado, lads!

Listen to it here

10.0

11/03/2010

Caustic Reverie Remainders (Jamendo)


Have you ever listened to a least one of the fiveteen albums by Bryn Schurman (also know as TheForgotten)? I meant just an one time at least? In fact, Remainders is not an album on its own terms though, being compiled of different tracks having had no locus on the previous albums. In fact, Schurman would be called as the king of metallic drone music, whose monotonic soundscapes and minimal sonic conceptions are paradoxically fulfilled with a lot of warmth and powerfully conclusive feelings. It seems like a logical follow-up to the tradition of minimal composers for nowadays. Or you can imagine it as if La Monte Young or Angus Maclise would have sat behind a computer board and building up some new frontiers within borrowed borealic aesthetics of Tim Hecker. Yet might there be any adjectives to describe the whole in a better way? "Caustic reverie", it would be an obvious answer, though. A lot of impacts are associated with it - the nothern lights shimmers, elemental dust-coloured iceness, epic sub-classical approach, creeping microtonal dirges and subtle hiss-inclinedness. No doubt, it could be thought or illustrated out in other ways also, speaking out the very pictures-evoking soundscapes, or even a new kind of metaphysics (no contradictions between the sounds being contrasted up against the history of human thought and word). It also does sound as a pessimistic approach not being ready yet and probably never to believe in the positivism of technical progressions which is felt into a bumpy nightmare being paralyzed by remote breathes and oncoming steps of malignant robots ready to march on to have a part of destroying the human being as a species for tomorrow. The music of this kind with ambient drone feeling bound up with a pessimistic emotive declination I am used to tag it as "dystopbient".

Listen to it here

9.5

11/02/2010

Ballpen The dreams trilogy (La bèl)


In recent years, among others, I am used to get deeply involved in music of some Italian labels having stylistically been offering different yet conceptually cutting-edge outputs. More specifically, every release under Barbie Noja, Chew-Z, Kill Mommy, Zymogen, and La bèl is an unexpected one and really worth to give a try. In fact, concerning specifically on in Italy residing projects I have discovered such ones like The Last Meredina, Nicola Ratti, con_cetta, Christian Alati, Barbagallo, The Japanese Gum, Menion, Elisa Luu, Difondo. By the side, speaking about the music from the Apennine Peninsula in a more general way, it would be a kind of crime not to mention the likes of Hox Vox, Ornitology, Les Dix-Huit Secondes, The reason is clear - because all of these aforementioned bands have put on their very own mentality to some Anglo-American influences. However, it seems so that there are two geographical peripheries in Europe which are really rich by their innovative music - Finland (their powerful avant-garde folk experimentations, so-called forest folk) and Italy. In the context, no chance to get over by Kraftwerk - Eleganz und Dekadenz Europa endlos

Actually the array will be completed with adding of Ballpen, the project of Alessandro Coronas, conjuring up really interesting and intimate dream-alike soundscapes. (And other billions of strange and funny combinations of the puzzle-pieces of my life - as he says himself) 11 tracks do search for their place and borders hovering between folk music, cowbell indie, sub-IDM beats, chamber music, dream pop, child music, even the classical approach of minimal, sometimes really minimal sonic palette (which is not suprising because of Coronas` conservatory-related background). Of course, the easiest way to chart the whole it would be tagged as "folktronic music", and indeed, this is correct on its own - at least partly. For example, fabulous tracks Anna Lisa goes to bed, and The magazine dream. On the other hand, all of those slowly progressing chamber music lines built up to half-evolved crescendos, intimate sonic insights and introspections, a lot of key changes, subtle minimal electronic and glitch-y ghosts-infused undercurrents are up for to eliminate stylistic walls around its concept and allowing to bring forth a lot of transcendental feelings for a subject. Listening to this I can remember (or it is remembered by) for some soul mates - Oscar Hallbert (Sweden), and Thuoom (Finland). Altogether, a great composition indeed.

Listen to it here

9.7

11/01/2010

[Artists] Difondo


Difondo
La bèl
Myspace
Lastfm

d.Forma mecanica de fluidos (Format Noise)


Format Noise is such a kind of label which has not been very keen to issue a lot of music. Thereby some albums having released per a year are really expected for. A lot of (good) artists I have discovered for my great pleasure are often be found from here. No doubt, d.Forma (from the USA) is a pro-sided project as well, with a long tenure yet, having released its first outbursts in the first side of the 00`s.

6 tracks, having their drive through noise-infused industrial and EBM beats. Experimenting with various pace speed changes-effects, on different levels of uncompromising hard beat intenseness, d.structed and nihilistic electronic structures and gloomy neoclassical ambiences behind it do make up a lot of impressions from the start to the very last seconds. The favorites of mine are the starting track Eight, and Mine. In a nutshell, this is the music on the ground of pop periphery while it is enjoyable enough.

Listen to it here

8.7

[Old but important] Children Of The Drone Compilation no. 8 (COTD)


In fact, the Exeter-based musical group of 10-20 members should be a legendary one, not only having some cult reputation among dedicated music lovers. COTD is through its line-up closely related to the other collectives and projects as well (for instance, A Tiny Window; Ail Fionn; Dongas The Tribe). Their soundscape is involved in hypnotic jam sessions, impressive pictures of art-y folk music, having the closeness to natural and organic soundscape and depthness inbetween and beyond the layers, playing up a lot of meditative psychedelic circuits, thereby constituting up as powerful uniqueness and intelligent variety finally. The array of Exetrians` instruments is similarly impressive one, including the music-oriented instruments, and artifacts as well. However, if you take some time to getting enjoyed them you shall have to reserve a couple of hours, because the most of sessions are up there into this tendency. And the UK-based collective is not limited to the sound conception only - I strongly recommend to you to visit their site and read their argumented views about many phenomena and manifestations (including music business). Let`s them speak and you'll definitely get some (self-) reflection.

Unlike the most of their experiments these are not usually filled in very surreal, darksided feedbacks and echo effects which by the side are injected with gorgeous mystical attitude. But it is the case of Compilation 8. You can meet some free form improvisations, electro-acoustic ambiences, and psychedelic sonic conceptions. And indeed, over a long period some low-end (and shamelessly undervalued) electronic keyboards and electronics/sampling units have been exploited. If Kemialliset Ystävät`s frontman Jan Anderzèn expressed once devout hope that his music would be in certain way to be related to the outer space having its very goal in this way while it can be said that obviously by Matthew Watkins` curated band sounds into the universe for sure. A seemingly simple journey on the one hand, it expresses a static (or in a minimal way sounding) sonic trance on the other hand, within the borders of the high-level articulatedness the progressions of sonic algorithms are getting even more visible with coming to the end. In fact, it does not create any kind of tensions or frictions while flowing into transcendental meditations. In a more concrete way, through comparisons, here is a link of kinship with Six Organs Of Admittance, and Spiritualized to be found, although, in a much deeper embodiment. An astonishingly deep stuff.

Listen to it here

10/29/2010

Microcobra Micropopcorn in our heads (XLR)


Microcobra is a 8-bit/chiptune activist-musician from Tallinn, Estonia who had previously released three albums under the labels such as Qulture Production, RUSZUD, and Drill. Micropopcorn in our heads is released under the Estonian label XLR and shows up his affinity toward retrodelic music and old game consoles, also being very keen to samples of such kind of tracks having their origin date from the 90`s or the Soviet era. However, you can sight of drifts having a fuelled drive through smart, camp-y and sometimes slippery taste as well. But it is not the matter in the first place actually - his progressions toward agressive rhythms including some flirt with jungle-paced feeling resulting up in some good impressions (8 Serdec (Telliskivi Hard Mix) ). In fact, though, in the ending part I get a bit of tired riding on it. No doubt, his first release Please, play with me (2008, RUSZUD) is used to sound as his best one continually.

Listen to it here

7.4