Crouching_World Wasted Time (Bandcamp)

A Chicagoean quartet consisting of Jober, SNuffy, Paragus, Sabez, Kevin K, is ready to give out a follow-up (of 3 tracks) to their great debut issue Passed Out, which offered a refreshing touch to a kind of open-ended experimental music compiled of the burden of drone, noise, psychedelic, electro/psychoacoustic lines, effect-loaded voice and electronics (reminding of the early, academical music-based sonic experiments), altogether having brought forth a resonating, DIY-soaked blast. Surely the kind of overtly psychedelic, lo-fi-esque approach has always been pointed out in a fine way. This is an example by the post-psychedelic electronica-relied tradition, indeed. By beavering away on KORG Electribe MX, KORG microKORG, Manipulated Thumb Drum, MacBook, Guitar, mad pedals, microphone + vox, however, the sophomore release continues partly with the similar desires, on the other side, in the title named track its sound seems to be more clear, even blissful, channelized into a gazing, even trance rock-ish spot. Yet, such sorts of tendencies will be abandoned at Killing Time Pt. 2 which is played out with a more improvisatory outlook, fringed by abrasive, even nihilistic synth pulsatings and rough blasts. This album is obligatory for everyone who is involved in cutting edge-touched, improvisational music.

Listen to it here

9.2

Power und Beauty The Gnome EP (Peppermill)

Behind the Spokane-based, Washington, US-quartet Power und Beauty are four women (Anna Collins-Wakeman, Sarah Moyer, Karli Fairbanks, and Caroline Fowler) playing up an interesting, New Weird America-esque folk conception on 4 tracks by using more or less conventional musical instruments (a battery sustained second hand keyboard, tambourine, vegetable steamer(!), glockenspiel, accordion, guitars, tambourine, shakers), yet basically being actualized via at times magnificently glee vocal harmonies, conjuring sublime overtones as well, for instance at Author Of The Spring, the strongest notch on the issue, accompanied only by some sparse guitar fingerpickings. The opening track Beggars and Felons, on the other side, is a whimsical, accordion-backboned groove outlook, and the following one, Lavender, is a light run of fast-paced progression on the accordion, having made out the impression with the help of barely heardable yet affectively touching shaker shuffle on the backdrop. Peaches is a (more) synth-chorded, half-droned folk occurence. A fine workout indeed.

Listen to it here

8.7

[Artists] Fatal Injection

BPM Front
Space-Time Continuum/Altered Existence
Lastfm

Helado Negro Pasajero (Asthmatic Kitty)

Helado Negro is Roberto Carlos Lange, a musician from Florida being part of the famous Asthmatic Kitty roster. Those 8 tracks, only 2 of them are the kind of original songs, represented here are up to a mesmerizing mix of contemporary indie music influences and Lange`s Latin (Ecuadorian) roots. In addition to the Latin-based rhythms and catchy melodies he sings in Spanish at times being assisted by Isaac Lekach (voice, guitar), Julianna Barwick (voice), Jason Ajemian (banjo), Jacob Champagne Wick (Trumpet), Jamie Reeder (violin), Shannon Fields (clarinet, accordion). By filled in to be astonishingly suggestive, sometimes even down to heartbreaking, longing-infected baroque pop tunes which initially were intended to be a gift for Lange`s parents. In fact, all the set of minutiae do make the full range sense, particularly because of austere yet sublime electronic undercurrents. Besides covering the songs of Los Iracundos, Eduardo Mateo, Roberto Carlos, and Leo Dan, he gives a new and modern touch for Pink Floyd`s Goodbye Cruel World. All in all, this set is a great example of how sexy could the Latin music be played out actually. My heart is gone indeed.

Listen to it here

10.0

[Artists] Candle Light

Candle Light/Bandcamp
Lastfm

Tunguska Electronic Music Society Ellipsis II: Tundra.Ambient.Dreams. vol.2 (Jamendo)

The Moscow-based Tunguska Electronic Music Society (TMS) can be admitted as an umbrella organization which embraces lots of musicians, producers, dj's and composers, who work in a profilic way from the beginning of 2007 in "Tunguska Music" style. Moreover, TMS is also a net of network music distribution labels and a net of little bars and cafes. Its branches are known under such names as Tunguska Chillout Grooves, Tunguska Music Society, Tunguska Project, Tundra Ambient Dreams, Tayga Feeling, Transsyberian Express, Nikola Tesla Tribute, etc.

Before the listening to the Ellipsis II: Tundra.Ambient.Dreams. vol.2 I made acquaintance with the previous ones by the likes of Ellipsis II: Tunguska.Across.Sphere. vol.2, and Ellipsis II: Tunguska.Shaman.Vimana. vol.2, which were more dominated by chillout-esque electronic music being interchanged via smooth jazz themes and mindtouching, atmospheric-fried electronic approach, respectively.

However, the collective fills in the Tundra-titled album with a different point of view being kicked off proceeding in an epic mix of ambient, drone, ethnic drums, wherein Kosmische Musik-alike acid-hued synth swirls are permanently zipping over vast landscapes, which progression later involves the elements of space rock/space synth, unleashing the flow of metallic shards and fluttering, atmospheric sonic arrows over to the space around to be expanded and conquered. In principle, it does recruit a quite austere sonic statement, it is even minimally designed out, on the other side, it does not afford minimalism-close attacks for itself, offering enough propulsions and warbles on its own. Sometimes the whole does acquire peculiar dimensions via weird, even dystopic sonority as if those frogs and insects living in the futuristic, robot-dominated world, would have been mutanted via genetic changes, respectively resulting in croaking and chirping out mechanical sounds hardly discerned. Moreover, any signs about the presence of human being are long dismissed. Still at the closure some resurgent, chant-esque vocals will be appeared to get evolved into a few patterns, yet, getting no dominant reference within the soundscape. For the nature-based concrete soothings as forthcoming concrete sounds in the last tracks, however, are much more importance reserved.

In the conclusion, I really wish to express affectionate hope that the epicness is a universal chracteristic and hence allowing for the 13 tracks within 75 minutes to actualize great touches and milieus for any kind of listeners.

Listen to it here

9.4

[Artists] Alison Eales

Alison Eales
EardrumsPop
Lastfm

[Compilation] Between Two Waves – Vol. A (EardrumsPop)

As I said once, the Norwegian-based EardrumsPop has been one of the finest single and compilation records around the world to date. (Unfortunately the first compilations are being down for a while because of purposed to save space for future issues. I hope those will be uploaded somewhere else, at Archive.org or Bandcamp, for instance). The music under this label does proof out as a voice of nowadays and classical sensed indie conscience. More profoundly, it does veer from jangle, twee pop, dream pop, baroque pop and sunshine pop currents to poptronica and electronic pop, and shibuya-kei notches (lots of artists represented herein come from Japan). Yet, in principle, the indie pop under EardrumsPop is rather a retrospective appearance, for sure, having avoided to be a hype-centric one (which is also very important!), instead aspiring for great classical melodies and astonishing harmonies to shuffle seamlessly the (theoretical) gap between nowadays and the previous decades.

On Between Two Waves - Vol. A (released in April of 2010) are represented 14 tracks by the following artists like Boa Constrictor vs The Honeydrips, Baffin Island (The Very Most + The Hermit Crabs), Suspicious for the Winter (Casa Murilo + Like Spinning), Jacob Borshard and Cake on Cake, Starlight Recorder (Dylan Mondegreen + Alex Rinde (The Margarets)), Leaving Rio (Cineplexx + Onward, Chariots), Peacock Dreams (Shelby Sifers + Spirituals), Saturnalia (The Lost Cavalry + We Walk On Ice), Kubot (Martin Gustafsson (Boy Omega) + Martin Bergström (New Beginnings/Sin Närmiljö)), Early to Bed (Wisdom Tooth + Me And The Horse I Rode In On), En handvändning (Solander + Jerker Kaj), Johnny Favourite and the Exs (Johnny Favourite + little xs for eyes), Dizzie Bird (The Marble Man + Angela Aux), and Broken Motion (Paragraphs + Me And My Arrow). As it can be witnessed for, regarding the collection title and concerning on the artists`specific juxtaposition to each other, each song in principle consists of a blend of (at least) two artists or musicians (can it somehow be related to the abandoning of the kind of snooty eccentricity, though?). The miscellany is full of great songs, though, some of them are outstanding - Baffin Island (The Very Most + The Hermit Crabs)`s You Make Two Weeks Two Days which is a fine ukulele-based troubadour pop reminiscent of some workouts by Jens Lekman and Sondre Lerche; Jacob Borshard and Cake on Cake`s Summer Will Have Its Way is a Belle & Sebastian-esque warble; Leaving Rio (Cineplexx + Onward, Chariots)`s Vanish does involve delicious doo wop harmonies, sung the first half in English, and the ending side in Spanish, respectively.

Listen to it here

Happy New Year

In fact, the 2010 year was a year which really delighted me by an endless array of really good music. Indeed, the most of the reviewed releases were high-rated or even very high-rated by me, yet, all the points given were profoundly calculated out (every exemplar was listened to at least 2 times, usually 5-6 times, for). To get have to set my steps further, it is even more embarrasing if to think about how much albums weren`t allowed to get upon my ears. This is reason why I understood finally it does not make any sense to chart my list of the albums of 2010. And on the other side, it will probably take circa 3-4 years onward to complete a comparably proper list of the best of 2010. For the next 2-3 weeks I am going to continue with the overviews for the albums of 2010. In any cases, first of all, thanks to all the musicians. You made superb job. God bless You. Happy New Year.

[Artists] High Park

High Park
Soundcloud
Lastfm

Hong Kong In The 60s Places (Bandcamp)

Hong Kong In The 60s is a London-based trio, lined up by Mei Yau Kan (vocal, guitar, keys), Christopher Greenberg (vocal, guitar, keys), and Tim Scullion (vocals, guitars, keys). Their 8-track sophomore Places EP - the follow-up to the Willow Pattern Songs EP (2009, Proper Songs) is full of mesmerizing, chillout/easy listening-soaked shards, dominantly loaded with the space age pop and exotica pop sensibility. Indeed, they are deeply get involved in mighty psychedelic grooves to draw upon kinds of moods and shades popularized by Jean-Jacques Perrey, Gershon Kingsley, Mort Garson, and the Barrons approximately 4 decades ago. As you have figured out yet, indeed, a set of simplistic and robust yet catchy, a bit dreadful, altogether full-blown, synth-based melodies-harmonies and burbling cadences can be expected for. Almostly, though. One of the two exceptions is A Bad Night Out which is into the exploiting of vintage-looking, downbeat-drenched Latin rhythms (of course, mingling it with electronic effects). The second feature is Disintegration The Advisory Circle Reshape, as the title admits, it is not their own creative output, playing out a notch of contemporary indie electronica/indietronica/poptronica/glo-fi. By the way, the release name of this Sean O`Hagan-afforded group is obviously used to be a hint at their vast scale of their nowadays and previous residing places/countries (The UK, Hong Kong, Brazil, Japan, Spain, Africa). In a nutshell, without some exceptions, as it is noticed above, it is an excellent quasi-retrospective/retrogard-ish outlook.

Listen to it here

9.8

[Artists] Expendable Friend

Bandcamp
Upyourlegsforever
Myspace
Lastfm

Atlas Sound Bedroom Databank Vol. 2 (Atlas Sound)

This release is my personal favorite exemplar of the 4-part Bedroom Databank series. 16 tracks do show up a crafty balance between strumming, guitar-relied pop and computer-processed electronic experiments, or thirdly, a mix of both which, more detailly, reminds on its fluctuant approach of Deerhunter`s Weird Era Cont. (2007, Kranky). No doubt, Bradford Cox is a hero between so-called established, commercial music and free webaudio world. Moreover, his special juxtaposition to those realms does not even make so much sense as much of his workouts under the moniker Atlas Sound and Deerhunter-related deeds which can be considered as one of the most essential hallmarks on contemporary indie music. Obviously his later profilic approach occurred in letting out music from his old tapes might closely be related to his health condition. By having managed to push down more musical fingerprints over into the present, past, and forthcoming future, by this point of view, his action may have a metaphysical and religious background. As I noticed above the album is a fluctuant integration of both electronics and natural strings realized off into a warble, merry-go-round-alike whole, being at times folk-ish, the second time blues-infected, on the other hand, the last track Here Come The Trains is an embarassing cosmic blues-y, krautrock-heeled notch.

Listen to it here

9.2

[Artists] JAck FiDo

JAck FiDo
JAcK FiDo
Jamendo

Wyrm In The Hills, The Cities (Bandcamp)

Actually quite much is changed since Wyrm`s previous, 2-track release We Cannot Hear The Stars (2010). Indeed, the US-based project has abandoned their minimal, low-frequencied noise vibrations (The Unknown Is Infinity), and secondly, partly, electronic-infused post-rock concept (We Cannot Hear The Stars). Or the way round, a new, also 2-track album can be dealt with as the sequel and progression of the last named track on We Cannot Hear The Stars, making out difference in more epic, static guitar-riffed appearances. More concretely, the wide, potent-buzzing basic layer is fringed by a few elements, for instance, loosely pulsating rhythms at times, moreover, which are almost unheardable and at the closure of the issue seem to be just the set of vibrations of the album`s integrated, seamless parts. Notwithstanding its radical drone/drone doom/drone metal/drone doom metal husk, and regarding its almost invariable, almost endlessly emitting drone-based soundscape, indeed, by the very minimalism-esque type of conceptual approach it has managed to get into much bigger joint area with minimal music composers like La Monte Young, Terry Riley, and even Steve Reich, rather than ordinary metal bands. No doubt, Wyrm`s issue has very pragmatic sense and field of application - it is might be directed for individuals who are searching up for help to fix up his/her minds. Indeed, it is a very relaxing trip into the infinity.

Listen to it here

8.9

[Artists] Serifs

Serifs/Bandcamp
Asthmatic Kitty
Lastfm
Alfred Brown
John Valenti

[Artists] Electric Rainbow

ELECTRIC RAINBOW-ELECTRIC FLAVOUR

Electric Rainbow | Myspace Music Videos
Jamendo

ELECTRIC RAINBOW-THE STARTING POINT

Electric Rainbow | Myspace Music Videos
Myspace
Lastfm

[Compilation] Totokoko Christmas Compilation (Totokoko)

Here is a compilation of 19 tracks from Japan, though, more concretely, if to check out for the names, not all the artists are the Japanese heritage by their roots. For instance, Ryan Cohen, who offers opportunity to Ron Sexsmith`s Maybe This Christmas. This is a compilation which is dedicated to the Christmas (as the Christmas present with music, drawings/illustrations/photos and one video by the Totokoko label) showcasing a vast array of diverse indie spheres, veering from restrained keyboards-driven indie pop and folktronica/fingepicked guitar pop wrapped in by glockenspiel chords and accidental concrete music sounds to more shibuya-kei-touched dynamic outputs, chamber-alike infused progressions, lo-fi-inflected sonic backbones, creeping, capella-near notches and some instrumental, piano-relied "interludes". The only exception is the closure track Wallpaper of the Soul by Kraffa which is used to be a 100 percent-electronic one being deep(ly) techno(-)reflected and even slightly dubstep-hued. The favorites of mine are [.que]`s Silver Light, Wool Strings`s Sleep Green, and AMERICAN GREEN`s The Clock Tower And The Fountain, and Ibuki Yushi`s Noel Readying Experience.

All in all, in fact, it may be seem at times that the compilation is not pretended to be upon the highest aesthetical level because of the natural restriction of conceptual thing on its own, on the other side, it is filled with heartful touches for the biggest red-letter day and quiet times.

Listen to it here

[Artists] Time Columns

Time Columns/Bandcamp
Myspace
Lastfm

Spagetti Bolonnaise Disco1 (42 Records/Bandcamp)

Behind this cheesy name can be found a delicious whole of 6 notches, of psychedelic oriented songs obviously compiled of 60`s British music influences, on the first side, running on the more pop-oriented currents (The Beatles, The Byrds), and on the other side, on fusion/jazz rock-relied blasts (the Canterbury scene), and on the third side, chillout moods. However, an Italian quintet consisting of Elia Domeneghetti, Guido Bianchini, Andrea Mancin, Paolo Michelazzi, and Oliviero Farneti who sang in English, play up their "disco" concept in an excellent mode, operating with quasi march-like rhythms, colourful brass sections, smooth jazz parts, vibraphone-played shreds, vibrating electric organ snippets or overpouringly grooving, acid-filled synths (for instance, the ending track Dedicated to Wyatt but Wyatt Wasn`t Listening). In a nutshell, it can be said, indeed, the Italians do it better (it is a cliche, of course, having some pieces of truth inside it, though).

Listen to it here

9.1

Interview with Dave Keifer/Cagey House

I sent some questions over to the United States, to David Keifer aka Cagey House, a webaudio legend whose year of 2010 was dedicated to constructing lots of crafty issues apparently looked upon very purpose to be improved on his cut and paste/sound collage/plunderphonics/sampledelic/hauntology approach.


The year 2010 is coming soon to its very closure having been very profilic for you. More concretely, are you satisfied with your goals and those realizations in principle?

In general, I was pretty happy with what I came up with this year. There was a kind of density on the tracks I made in 2010 that hadn't been there previously. That's especially true of Flapper with Tuba and some of the tracks on Ratty Boo. The only thing I was kind of disappointed with was the spoken word parts on Stupid Grin. I had thought that coming up with texts would be really easy, but it's not. So if I'm going to continue in that direction, I'll have to work a lot harder than I thought I would. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Indeed, regarding your dense, alchemist-alike, even obviously tiresome way to explore the tracks, could you step backwards and analyze what were the basic differences and features of the issues?

Looking back, this year was about achieving a higher level of density - a kind of multi-voice critical mass. Up until around November of 2009, my main technique had been a kind of sequential collage. I'd make different tracks, then cut them up and string certain parts of them together, one after another. The Major Monk tracks and the B for Breakfast tracks are good examples of that. But then when I was finishing up Camping with Jimmie, which was one of the last things I made for Do the Magnet, I got to the point where I actually had two different tracks running at the same time - one in the left channel and one in the right. And it was a really cool effect. Then, without really thinking about it much, I just kind of threw myself into that kind of "everything at once" style of writing. Flapper with Tuba is really just an extended experiment in that. Each of those numbers started out as a little scrap of melody which I would keep dubbing back over itself - after some tinkering with voicings, and pitch and tempo. The cool thing is that, to me at least, they had a lot of emotional impact - they really took on a life of their own, and didn't sound just like experiments in technique. Through the rest of the year, I kept trying to expand that technique. And I started dubbing larger structures over themselves and over each other. For instance, instead of staring out with just a little bit of melody, I'd start out with more elaborated things, things that already had multiple parts to see how they would sound when played simultaneously with themselves, or some other multi-part thing. Most of the time the results were horrible, and I had to abandon them, but every now and then things got really interesting, and wild.

What could the melomans expect for the next year by you? What are your further doings to be planned out?

I have an album called June through the Window coming out on Weird and Wired in January. That one has lots of the really dense stuff on it. There's also lots more of that on an as-yet un-named album that I hope will be out on Just Not Normal later in the spring. That one also has some much simpler music on it as well. After that, I really don't know. My wife bought an ipod touch, and there's tons of music app for that. It would be fun to explore that - to be able to write away from a PC - to be able to write on the sofa, or even outdoors, that would be great! In any event, I'd like to really hone the emotional impact of what I do. A lot of the time I get hung up on method - I'd like to really start focusing on the buzz the music gives off.

Thanks a lot, David!

[Artists] Jean Dean

Myspace
Lastfm

[Old but important] Time Columns Sunriseinthesea EP (Bandcamp)

Time Column`s debut, the 5-track Sunriseinthesea EP (released on the 25th December of 2009 promptly after the ensemble`s first US-based tour had finished off) has already been looping at the non-stop regime for some hours in my headphones, and indeed, as for the whole set the better sorts of scents are brought forth after every following listen time. Two guys - Kenny Eaton and Jordan Miller - coming from Baltimore, Maryland, USA, exploiting guitars, keyboards, drums, and effect-sustained devices (moreover, Gibson Echoplex can be suggested as their third member) to conjure a mix of fusion/jazz rock, post-rock, math-rock, and classically layered progressive rock sound. No doubt, their interplay is an instrumental rock-relied synergic reflection, which does search for diverse chord compounds and complex, cadence-based realms, sometimes being "stuck" in restraint runs and even introspective hoverings, the another time, yet, blown up into the acceleration of synth-infused guitar grimaces, acquiring lots of panoramic flashlights to be brightened up and broadened into near-epic glider trips. Indeed, it is a solid example of intelligent rock music which can be enjoyed at the duo`s concert tour coming soon at the beginning of the January of 2011.

Listen to it here

Th.en.d Metaphors EP (Mixgalaxy)

The Berlin-based Norman Dauskardt aka Th.en.d has released two EPs to date. His first, the 3-track issue Schizophrenic Birth (2009, Acustronica) was composed in a seemingly loose way, yet, regarding some aesthetical intentions and sonic feats, it can be admitted now, those aspects of the sonority foresaw the future upon the next release(s). Beside overwhelming, lazy downtempo milieus, or more punctually, below the lustrous play of colours the motorik rhythms are pretending for the dominating position to be overtaken sometime. Moreover, though The Beatles and The Doors are referred as Dauskardt`s main influences, the krautrock-ish angle is the most evident characteristic on the new record. In any cases, it is not possible that a decent German-based experimental musician could somehow have had no idea about the glorious tradition and continuity of the Teutonic experimental rock scene. Buzz-injected, heavy-weighted in a psychedelic way, symphonic-inflected synth chords, austere yet dynamic metronome-drowned beats do play up a solid whole, first of all, reminding the doings of NEU!, and the soundscape of recent compatriots by the likes of Mina, Cidulator, Isolèe, and Lali Puna as well. If you wish call it as neokrautrock, or call it as post-disco, however, it is quite impossible to resist against the kind of mesmerizing, determined rhythm-based magic sound.

Listen to it here

9.3

[Artists] Channeller

Channeller
Myspace
Lastfm

A Sunny Day in Glasgow Autumn, Again (ASDIG)

Ben Daniels-headed Philadelphian sextet released the third album, as a total sum, having the longitude of 33 minutes on 11 tracks. Vis à vis with their previous, shoegaze-meets-doo wop album Ashes Grammar (2009) it is used to be a bit more straightforward shoegaze/atmospheric/electronic pop release, though, in principle, the basic elements for manipulating to get involved in new patterns are previously the same ones, featuring catchy harmonic walls, burbling keyboard surfaces, blissful, female-based vocal oozings, fuzz-infused guitars, and lo-fi-inflected, synth-driven, rough-formatted cadences at times. Aside 100/0 (Snowdays forever), which sounds as a shoddily nude tribute to Stereolab and Laetitia Sadier, it might be watched upon it as a possible go-ahead, even rock-ish format for the English-French combo. Yet, nowadays, when Stereolab might be considered as an ensemble without its proper place and time, reflecting via retrodelic memories upon the past time cliches only while ASDIG has much more to add for, because of having incorporated the influences by the poptronica/chillwave movement and vital shoegaze hooks as well.

Listen to it here

8.7

Jean Dean Steps (Jean Dean)

I have big pleasure and honour to announce the Tallinn-based ensemble Jean Dean released recently their debut single Steps and video for it at their Myspace page. Undoubtedly it is the day single (and obviously for the next days as well) of mine because of creating vast monumentums and evoking lots of nostalgic memories in my head and shaking strongly some of my soul`s inactivated edges and pouring over the imaginary borders, offering a flying platform for to get glidered from the snowy present toward the fairy tale-alike past to be drowned into great parallels applicated to Estonia and the United Kingdom as well. In any cases, Jean Dean is a quartet consisting of musicians known by their previous and parallel independent musical activities in various groups. Kene Vernik (song, guitar), Allan Pilter (guitar, synths, harmonica, electronics), Margit Korbe (synths, backing vocals), and Inga Nõlvak (bass, backing vocals) are intended to create suggestive, dream-filled (not catchy tunes in the first sense, though) soundscapes with crisscrossed guitar lines, velvet-infected noisy indie feedbacks, with lots ups and downs and key changes. If to come back to the above cued reference it reminds of apparently forgotten Estonian band 1983 (having been active in the first half of 90`s) and of course Lush ( their line-up consisted of 3 women and a man as well!), though, Jean Dean is used to be a bit more murky, a bit more dark-hued, more detailly, via mostly Kene Vernik`s lush, velvet-filled timbre. A perfect workout indeed. The nineties are coming back? It seems to be so at least...

Listen to it here

10.0

Muhr Her Fall Themes (Bandcamp)

The Montrèal-based musician Vincent Fugère can be considered a webaudio legend, having released countless albums under his aliases during the last 12 years. Indeed, aside as Muhr, he has also used such aliases as Koei, Vizion, Kaminari Synthesis, A Few Days Until Never Again, and Life As A Tree and managed 2 records - Apegenine and Camomille. By having been heavy-drifted above the realms of subtle electronica, drone, ambient, post-rock, and modern classical/chamber music Fugère has been a part of the conscience of his hometown`s famous experimental scene. More concretely, the albums like Drames Et Précipies (2006, Zymogen), Poussière (2007, Serein), Anthèmes pour les Regrets (2008, 12rec), and Farewell Anthology (2009, Soft Phase) can be labelled as pure gold by conjured stunning accents based upon the meandering on and between the area of elemental appearance of the nature and invisible closeness to the civilization. So if someone is really into the sound of Hauschka, Daniel Maze, Bosques de mi Mente, GY!BE, Max Richter, Sylvain Chauveau, The Sight Below, Fugère`s soundscapes may complete the kind of array for you.

In fact, after Farewell Anthology the quebecois has had serious hesitations either to continue or to make the final closure as Muhr, but fortunately decided to trundle on with his new numbers. At Her Fall Themes are represented 10 tracks of minor, piano-based insights stepping over to the more brighter voyages directed over to imaginary landscapes being sometimes seasoned with march-infused cadences are beautiful appearances which, in principle, may be stayed for the last examples regarding his creation so far.

Listen to it here

8.8

Alexander Martovsky Libidolove, Mortidowar (Foundamental Network)

A young, 23 year-old musician from Minsk, Belarus, Alexander Martovsky has been active throughout the ending year, having issued no more or less albums than 3. The album Libidolove, Mortidowar, after his previous workouts M42, and Keep Quiet, Everybody Is Sleeping, reflects upon his skillfully aesthetical and professional aspirations, and it might be, still searchings for certain realms to get landed somewhere for having a possibility to be settle down into a mould for his personal future. Actually the last intention may not make much difference at all, as a final result being ideally reached off in principle and represented as one of the best notches in 2010. In a more concrete way, there are 14 tracks building up a exhilarating whole between lush shoegaze-filled soundscape, mesmerizing poptronica and post-rock-ish blowups, minor symphonic arrangements a la Ennio Morricone, and rigid/austere electronic music experiments, subtle IDM-cadenced opalescence and malignant drum and bass-based motorik whips, and for much more, and for much more. All in all, it reminds of 2010`s superb works of Monokle & Galun (In Frame), and Foxes in Fiction (Swung from The Branches). No doubt, listening to the tracks like You, and Heaven, what should it be described for? Would this album predict Martovsky`s position as a further experimental rock star or, on the other hand, shows up the overally screwed-up substance of pop business?

Listen to it here

10.0

Raw Moans + LAY BAC beko_70 (Beko DSL)

There is a fine joint release by LAC BAC and Raw Moans, the kind of one-man-bands, coming from Austin and San Diego, USA, respectively. More detailly, two tracks by both sides, used to be quite similar to each other, however, it can be drawn the gap between them. Raw Moans is up here, to reflect upon minimal, dreamy floating, though, doing it that way which will show up the devoid or at least restraint of his feelings. It is mainly a blend of hazy monotonic chord array and loose motorik rhythms. LAC BAC does play up disco house-drenched, heavy-filtered bedroom visions similar to Ariel Pink`s early doings, on the other side, the second track Ralf Goes Out is based upon a highly down-pitched cadence to offer the platform for Jsef Calamusa`s murky voice to be appeared everywhere.

All in all, it might be seemed as a following example riding on the chillwave and witch house hype, yet, undoubtedly it is a split masterfully composed and played out.

Listen to it here

9.0

[Artists] Crookram

Crookram
Bankrupt Recordings
Budabeats
Lastfm

[Old but important] Dog Bite The Yellow Springs EP (Rack & Ruin)

There was the year 2008, and two EP`s (The Owls And Eyes; The Yellow Springs) were released by Phil Jones aka Dog Bite from Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The first named issue was combined through lo-fi approach with looped samples of voice and strumming guitar chords holding up the subtle layering in that way. In principle, on The Yellow Spring, a 5-track issue, Jones proceeded the same act, yet excellently completed it, on the other way, having made difference as well by adding some new corners and flanks - tanpura drone sounds in the kick-off track Black Tie, and world music/tribal music-inflected Nameless Names. Aside the guitar strummings and fluctuant vocal layers as the main elements of EP`s sonic backbone it is fringed by suggestive electronics and effects. No doubt, though this EP was recorded and completed in the wake of Panda Bear`s Person Pitch being published approximately 18 months earlier, the release has its very own dynamic, touch and value. In a word, let`s make the distinction between those records, thereby giving a chance for you and this so far overlooked pearl of New Weird America/New Americana.

Listen to it here

[Artists] S.o.m.a

Sinewave
Myspace
Lastfm

TakeMeToTheMorgue! Oblivion EP (Torn Flesh)

I have wondered for myself for a while that the web-based music has had inverted outputs regarding its charts somehow. First off, at the top of download rates can be seen some curiosities and non-musical phenomenons (The Conet Project - Recordings of Shortwave Numbers; Wakka Chikka Wakka Chikka: Porn Music For The Masses). Besides it, some labels (Clinical Archives; Torn Flesh Records) concerned on the most lateral scenes off the pop music centre have reached off a thousands of download rates per day, which apparently does mirror for the crowds of experimental music-oriented lads and gals to be veiled behind the Internet music. By the way, this tendency is closely related to a hype relied upon the drag/witch house/crunk shoegaze/screwgaze movement, which uprising trajectory had initially been a matter of the blogosphere only.

Indeed, Torn Flesh Records is a label with increasingly growing discography, which spot is basically focused on bellicose dark/black/grind/noise, on the first place, and electronic overthrows applicated to it, on the other side. In fact, Jessie Martin aka Ylnez Payne aka TakeMeToTheMorgue! from Stuart, Virginia, vis à vis with the label does have a bit different reference set, delivering its touch on (modern/neo) classical music-inflected shots (15 tracks). By its fundamental aspect, of course, it is buried into dark and funeral - still slow-paced rhythms are sometimes stopped to be accessed to the ground, segued seamlessly into lethargic sleep to get have lots of plays with shadows and roaming between the visible and invisible in Nowhere Land, or on the other way, having fast run for noise-near peaks and raging low bass tectonics.

Listen to it here

8.5

[Artists] Th.e.n.d

Mixgalaxy Records
Acustronica
Myspace
Lastfm

Crookram Through Windows (Budabeats/Bankrupt)

Yesterday as a whole day was quite nervous, nothwithstanding (or because of) I had crammed up lots of guitar-based and machine-created releases into and overhead my head. On the other side, at the very ending of the day Crookram`s sophomore issue being recorded after 2008`s 19/76 (in the meantime, the joint EP Escape by Crookram and Sagesse was issued as well) offered vital change at a different point of view. 19 tracks of less than 53-minute duration by the Netherlands-based musician are crisscrossed via cinematic samples obviously derived from the Mediterranean culture room, more concretely, reminiscent the workouts by the likes of Caravelli, Mauriat, and Morricone, being finely accomplished by funky fusion-infused bass lines, hip-hop echoes, which, sometimes, will turn into Stereolab-alike electronic indie tunes via nailon-stringed bass gears, subtly overfloating orchestrated proceedings and vibraphone-embellished frames. Moreover, it is an idiosyncratic chilled out electronic pop where, for instance, ukulele`s (sample-approved) appearance can be happened in the same picture with sampledelic electronic hoverings and otherworldly charged chants. The album Through Windows, one of the favouritest of 2010, is released on the records Budabeats and Bankrupt, respectively.

Listen to it here

9.4

genus inkasso with interests and penalty (True Call)

By listening to genus inkasso`s 4-track issue, however, my first impression was turned into the next question forms - did I have any idea of it being either a kind of mocking shot to the face of any types of experimental music peers or was it just a relaxing act, offering some satisfaction for the creator? Why did I have the questions and hesitations to be surfaced for? Was it a sheer expression of sonic metaphysics by directing a scraggy finger toward the scale of relativeness, maybe even referring to the end of pop music? What does it mean "interests and penalty" in this context actually? Should I be aware of it at all? Might it be the most genuine sound act ever heard? Nothing special, it is just for some irritations to be evoked.

4 tracks of bumfuzzling, lopsided chromatic areas, consisting of unlimited metallic manipulations and noise-soaken stabs, having lots of dodges aside wrapped in by the embodiment of digital boogies, shitloads of angular, abrasive elements, madly dadaistic repetitions, experiments with gibbering paces, inbetween bleak chamber repercussions and dark ambient-like flash of lights find some moments for to come in. In a word, this is a conception where all elements are mightly loaded with unrestricted chaotic potent running alongside an linear array while conjuring the associations having even no little possibility for place and time because of permanent change chains drifting upon the order through different fractals and levels. In fact, it is so intense that the regularity/beauty can glimpse at times only.

Listen to it here

8.4

[Artists] Mon Insomnie

Beko DSL
Bandcamp
Lastfm

Jay Bennett Kicking at the Perfumed Air (Rock Proper)

Jay Walter Bennett (1963-2009) was first of all known as a keyboard player in the line-up of Wilco during the years 1994-2001. He was dropped out from the band after the artistic-relied disagreements with the frontman Jeff Tweedy, and Jim O`Rourke who was being invited for producing and mixing Wilco`s fourth (and legendary) album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot finally issued in 2002. Thereafter Bennett released 6 solo albums reflecting upon his personal failures (department from the band, divorce) and disturbed touch because of having been sustained on painkillers (lacking the money for hip replacement surgery).

Vis à vis with his previous album Whatever Happened I Apologize (2007/2008), the 11-track brand new heavy Kicking at the Perfumed Air (mastered and recorded(?) 2007-2009) is more fulfilled with suggestive splendour, making it up through crafty variegated tunes, first off, offering energic and dynamic proceedings, on the other side, downdrifting into a melancholic alliance of sparse fingerpicked guitar and husky voice manner, or on the third side being brought forth via mid-tempo songs, based, as usual, upon alt-country/alt-folk tunes spiced up with lush organ blowups. Moreover, having managed to get in for a touch upon Bennett`s approach at the silence-noise and traditional/modern scale it does not make much difference in comparison with Wilco`s last issues in principle, having its experimental oasises in the middle of the American roots music-drenched desert. As Kicking at the Perfumed Air is filled with excellent tracks from the outset to this closure, it can proudly be admitted about the presence of the beautiful swan song by this great singer-songwriter.

Listen to it here

9.6

[Artists] Alexander Martovsky

Foundamental Network
Sgustok Net
Lastfm

[Old but important] Werewolves Dance Raincoat Dress (BNS Sessions)

I tried to analyze and find out for myself the main intention hidden behind the name of a US-based 5-piece ensemble, of course, in correlation with their multicoloured musical approach. It might be realized out that the title "Werewolf" is appropriate enough for reflecting upon the difference between the main core and lateral shreds of their musical conception, drifting between the mainstream and peripherical murky areas relied upon the nowadays and past experiences of (alternative) pop music. In a more concrete way, the 12-track album released at the end of 2009 does have a lot of references biased heavily toward the head-on psychedelic swayings of old school monsters (Vanilla Fudge; Manfred Mann, early Pink Floyd, ) and some later hypes (Kula Shaker), groovy drone-infused motorik rock a la Spacemen 3, Brian Jonestown Massacre and early Spiritualized, and Neu! as their precedessor, on the other way, their tie-up to the mainstream currents reminiscent at times of the likes of Franz Ferdinand, and Keane does build up a gleamy backbone based upon joyous guitar gears and distinct even manifesting/shouting vocal lines or hovering below the piano-based soulful soft-rock ideas. Last but not the least - I am really fascinated by the ending track House Of Anarchists which does satisfy my very need for Spiritualized and Bobby Gillespie`s apathetic fuck-off posture. All in all, Werewolves did play out via Dance Raincoat Dress a magnificient whole without any weak examples thereby being one of the most dynamic, completed rock releases you could find out from the the last years. As they have said at their home page that the only way to support revolution is to make your own.

Listen to it here

[Artists] Phaseone

Phaseone
Lefse Records
Myspace
Lastfm

Alex Winston The Basement Covers (Alex Winston)

Alex Winston is a young American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist with classically trained background having got much attention during last years performing with diverse range of artists at the different stages (Chuck Berry, Miranda Lambert, The Wreckers, Love Arcade, Electric Six, We Are The Fury, the Satin Peaches, Uncle Kracker, and more). Now he has released an 5-piece cover album, making out a refreshing coat for the chosen songs of Mumford & Sons, Teddy Bears, The Rolling Stones, Jack Penate, and Francis and the Lights. No doubt, her high-pitched timbre and artistical shuffling are up here to reveal her talented skills drifting ideologically very close to the New Weird America movement`s female figureheads like Joanna Newsom, the sisters Casady (CocoRosie), Danielle Stech-Homsy (Rio en Medio), Meg Baird (Espers; The Baird Sisters). As an ordinary characteristic regarding the NWA the soundscape is half-electronic, half-acoustic, conjuring innocently beatific even naivistic milieus via minimal-approved chord paintings. Indeed, enjoy it, it is really worth much attention to be paid for.

Listen to it here

9.5

[Artists] The Conet Project

Irdial
Archive.org
Lastfm

Cody England The Monotony Monopoly (Rack & Ruin)

First off, the description "Cody England from USA" met at the record site sounds very amusing way, isn`t? By this way, I can remember for that Dallas, the Estonian indie frontband by 90`s was also made fun of it the same way at times ("Dallas from Tallinn"). However, the Arkansas-based musician is described as "a part-time assistant librarian and a full time creative", which actually says much about his dedication to the creating process. He made his debut this year, having released two issues to date. The debut The Metal Band from Hamburger Land (an apparent reference to his previous employment) showcased his adoreness toward minimal songwriting approach with deeply lovelorn lyrics and taking on some bittersweet arrivings at memories. Yet, the conception of his opening album was a bit too fragile and loose, where the parts of it were set apart from each other, sounding sometimes as a set of the Christmas songs for the lo-fi crowd.

No doubt, the sophomore one is much better evolved into the impressive output, though, based upon the same instrumentation as the previous time. His music is played up with cheap yet magnificient effect-drenched Casio synths (I have at home an example of the first series, namely Casio Tonebank SA-1 bought for 300 EEK/ca 25 USD and being properly worked out during the last 10 years), and home organ GEM H-400 as well. His warm, dream-alike voice does make up lots of great resonances with mild organ drones and programmings on the slow-paced/middle-paced/fast-paced mode. Being sometimes serious, sometimes sad, and sometimes funny the only "weakness" is a fact the record is too short (5 tracks within circa 10 minutes). Searching for soul mates Cody England`s approach can be compared to the aesthetics of his home label Rack & Ruin the first place, though, which generalized sonority has lots of common roots with the bedroom music pioneering by The Russian Futurists and keyboard-drones-based-austereness-drowned-into-harmonies of Beach House as well. A strong workout, indeed.

Listen to it here

9.1

Interview with Thierry Massard

My interview is with Thierry Massard, an experimental sound creator/noisenik/netmusic activist/blogger from France, who shot his first albums at the outset of noise and industrial music history. Indeed, he do not appreciate anyhow he would be described as the musician, and I think I can actually understand him well as this realm of sonority is rather a matter of perception where usual understandings about music have no effect for. At the moment he has new stuff on preparation, such as the upcoming album: inconnu ("unknown" in French) for the suRRism phoenetics label which obviously will be released on the coming weeks; and had just released his very first "remix" for a tribute to the contemporary multimedia artist, Joël Hubaut for Dock(s) - an art revue.


When you started recording your first album?

Sübe Version was recorded during the summer 1979, in my parents garage (if you listen to it closely you can here some buses or trucks passing by in the street).

What kind of equipment did you exploit for the album to be recorded?

The equipment was more than rudimentary - a cheap electric guitar, a chamber of echo (an antiquity) some uncontrollable and strange pedals - some recordings of films sequences (mainly a film noir, but I do not remember the title … a b-movie) there was also an organ for children and a small radio (as amplifier for the guitar, voice, pedals).

Sübe Version was recorded directly on a monophonic cassette tape recorder I had paid 30 euros … and to do a kind of mix of all the sound sources - I just placed the tape recorder on the ground, in the middle of the garage and drawn some circles around, then I just placed the different sources to some relative distances to the microphone. Quite rough, isn't it?

The release as a 50 examples limited edition in the cassette format was done in autumn 1979 - these cassettes were not sold but just offered and sent to some people such as Cosey Fanny Tutti of Throbbing Gristle. This was also often used by the multimedia performer artist Joël Hubaut, in his performances. This first experience had partly some residual follows, a few tracks done between 1979 and 1982, then I stopped producing for over 25 years. This release may probably remained "secret" if I had talk about to my friends Fred Debief and Max Marlow who decided to release it, in 2008, on their netlabel Metropublik (now defunct) - following this reissue he also produced a Hands on Thierry Massard remixes version for Kreislauf, including 25 remixes by some of the major musicians of the netscene and I must say that I was really touched and fully honoured, imagine this forgotten thing - much than reworked by all these fabulous people (I really admire the work of many of the musicians present on it).

What groups were your most important influences at the time?

I must say that I'm not a "musician", before doing these first steps, I had just some experiences in early local punk bands, but at the time I was mainly fascinated by the early industrial scene, Throbbing Gristle of course, Chrome, the first singles of The Human League, Robert Rental, The Normal, or The Residents, Pere Ubu, Kraftwerk, early Devo things, Faust, Neu! and more generally the Krautrock and all the early punk scene.

Might it be possible looking for some philosophy behind your music?

This is difficult to talk about a philosophy behind my sounds, this was (is) more a kind of general attitude regarding our social environment, I always described myself as a "combative pessimistic".

In my personal case I can not talk of an evolution or "changes" for all over the years, because I stayed silentful during all this time listening to music as a regular music fan - my absolute passion for music became more "active" through my experience with the netaudio scene on coordinating two blogs from 2006 until 2009 - this deep interest for writing about music (as you) gave me a taste of "doing things" which grew and became some recent releases.

Let`s deliver us some description about your sophomore album?

Staircase & Corridors is precisely that kind of release which really comes and goes through some time strata - some of the primal stuff treated there come, yes, from analogic recordings of 1982 (and you can here me talking with my mother) some of these original recordings were filtred through an antic Wem chamber of echo, but always recorded with a low cost recorder easily & often satured - the sources come also from radio waves, and for the recent stuff (digital) from EvP (electronic voice phenomenas like for what what", and what² (a kind of remix) I'm also often working on very microscopic samples from here and there that I use to cook or mix like.

I really love the mild and lush timbre of your latest issues (jeudi 16 septembre...;...vendredi 4 juin 2010). Am I being right supposing for you are using computers and potent interfaces nowadays?

I'm only using audacity on my oldish PC as this is precisely the only program I understand and my computer is blowing out of breath as an ox - I'm also considering that I'm not concerned by the standards of music production - I like that rough way of my sounds - cut ups sometimes - noisy on several ways - as you can see I'm a sort of homing device person, looking after things and others, and mostly, I can not imagine and accept to be considered as a musician.

Thank you, Thierry.

[Artists] Werewolves

Werewolves
Archive.org
BNS Sessions
Myspace

Raindeer Raindeer EP (Bandcamp)

Raindeer does consist of three lads - Charlie Hughes (vocals, synth), Devin Byrnes (synth), and Beau Cole (guitar, bass) - coming from Baltimore, Maryland, a town being once home for Animal Collective. Vis à vis with Collective, besides the trio`s aesthetical heritage originating from similar (post-)psychedelic breeds and DIY-based conceptions and lo-fi-infused common ground their start, however, is not a less impressive opening at all compared to the very launch by Avey Tare-Panda Bear circa 10 years ago, more concretely, being soaked in a rousing mix of electronics and indie pop and subtly nudging at their boundaries and zones. Yet, those 6 tracks of the debut issue are remarkably more extrovert and pop-oriented encompassed by broad yet intelligent postures and caustic keyboard (under)currents, the kind of reminiscent of those played up by the English innovative pop group Space in the last years of the Britpop-era (the track The Green Lights), and MGMT as well. Of course, there can be found out some similarities with the later-era Animal Collective, which drove some obduarate Collective`s fans to despair (Dark Place). On the other side, fortunately, Raindeer is able to avoid this kind of ostentatious artistical shelves cranking out of emotions being anchored at a subject`s genuine sensitiveness. No doubt, the trio is able to master crafty pop numbers, for instance, the ending This Is My Last Transmission which at the outset is intentionally restrained to come off into a catchy even hysterical explosion.
A solid debut, indeed.

Listen to it here

9.2

[Artists] Cody England

Cody England/Bandcamp
Rack& Ruin Records
Myspace
Lastfm

Ghost Dance Elkan (Ghost Dance)

Ghost Dance (not to confuse it with the same-titled gothic rock band from England in the 80`s) is a two-piece ensemble from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Chris Corrao (guitar) and Tyler Taglieri (drums) play up a decent joint of math rock and noise rock with an intense touch of experimental rock. Being influenced by the likes of Tera Melos, Hella, Lightning Bolt, the duo`s 6-track debut release is managed to showcase seriously sheer and rough ornamentics of repeated motives driving mainly on up-and-down drifting abrasive guitar riffs embellished by more light-radiant, progressive rock-like keys, and at times massively hammering rhythm combinations too. Sometimes Ghost Dance`s soundscape is quite laconic by building up the way on arid chord bows and even drone-shaped glimpses. Sometimes all of that seems to be thoroughly composed, the another time quite loosely related, yet. All in all, it reminds of a kind of gestalt rock manifesto playing out in a mode of improvised, jazz-like music applying a vague control upon it. Undoubtedly it is a vital issue, yet, which circumscription needs lots of listen times for the access to be allowed.

Listen to it here

8.8

[Artists] Botanic Project

Myspace
Lastfm