jgrzinich – time’s arrow landing (1998/2009)

Maaheli
Lastfm

9.7

/Abstract, Found sound, Drone, Ambient, Musique concrete, Ambient drone, Sound-art, Experimentalism, Non-music, Acousmatic, Avant-garde, Experimentalism, Microtonal, Minimalism/

Comment: John Grzinich comes from USA, though, having shared the residing place between his native country and Estonia during the last years respectively. However, besides being a builder of amplified piano wire instruments he is known as an avid music enthusiast, theorist-philosopher, sound-artist and the organizer of different installations and workshops.

This set of 4 long-running tracks has managed to running on ambient approach, concrete sound-relied fibrillatings and elementally droning hiss-backed sonic tissues (generated with an old sine wave compressor), however, either being lopsided toward different parts or being "pliable" enough to be overgrown into each other at times. All in all, the release seems to be searching for a transitional area between the nature and machines, however, cleansing a listener`s mood and bringing into order his/her thoughts.

Native Bells - Lost in the Sky (2011)

CLLCT
Bandcamp
Mediafire

9.2

/Avant-garde, Doo wop, No Wave, Psychedelia, New Weird America, Acousmatic, Sampledelic, Cut and paste, Experimentalism, Sound collage, Avant-electronica/

Comment: Native Bells (by listening to it, however, I have a permanent temptation to name it as Native Belle) is a New York-based project having played out one of the most refreshing albums of the year 2011 to date. They have managed to specialize in concept records and extended plays making out Faust-esque rhythm structures, Free Design-hued doo wop and a capella choppiness, careless jazz overthrows, carnival whirls and curves, cock-eyed pace outbursts, vanguard electronica/experiments with sine waves, lush ethno/sampledelica notches, in a nutshell juxtaposing all the stuff off somewhere against Animal Collective and Gang Gang Dance and krautrock and plunderphonics and BBC Radiophonic Workshop and the No Wave tradition. People let`s dance.

The Satellite Eye - Animal (2009)

Bandcamp
Lastfm

8.7

/Alt-folk, Indie folk, Folk indie, Singer-songwriter/

Comment: This is the 4-track leadoff EP by the singer-songwriter Bryan Dalle Molle introducing some fine themes of folk music augmented by indie-alike attributs. Suggestive guitar grounds are accompanied by slightly noisy or sunshiny progressions and tapping sounds. Mostly the whole is used to be restrainted, sometimes exploding into a floating wide-scaled choruses veering from introspective minor key outlook to mirthy appearances. The favorite of mine is Consequent through its jubilant rolling. All in all, it is a simple yet effusive effort which was recorded in Molle`s basement.

Federsen - Gravity Mass Weight

Multi-Panel - Retain Mist (2011)

No-Source
Lastfm

9.2

/Folktronica, Electronic, Indietronica, Experimental indie, Indie pop/

Comment: This is Ludo Maas`s fourth release and his second for the No-Source label. However, similarly to his previous workouts the Dutch is not dispensed with limber and mesmerizing electronic-infused folk and indie tunes which sometime sprout, having the growth and subsequently evolving into an orchestrated form of the beauty which being segmented with full- and half-tones and variegated with mirthy and murky shades. And assisted by Pien Feith, of course.

Phillip Wilkerson - New Smyrna (2008)

Clinical Archives

9.5

/Ambient, Downtempo, IDM, Experimental electronica, Minimal electronica, Avant-electronica/

Comment: The US-based producer/musician Phillip Wilkerson started off his recording career in the ending part of 2005 since it being very profilic, i.e having issued more than 10 releases during this short-running timespan. However, this production of 12 tracks refects upon vigorous progressive music ideas within the realm of ambient- and IDM-based experiments. Most of the tracks are used to be long-running ones, toying with minimalist changes, austere grooves and repeated patterns, which at times will develop into full-scaled hypnotic treats. Moreover, it is really tense and gets growing to the point where it is problematic to distinguish the "real" sounds from the manipulations of your consciousness. A high-qualified output indeed.

Teepee - Morals (Deluxe Edition) (2011)

Bandcamp
Lastfm

9.2

/Avant-garde, Psych-music, Avant-rock, Lo-fi, New Weird America, Psychedelia, Experimentalism, Post-psychedelic electronica, DIY, Drone/

Comment: Behind Teepee is in Miami residing Eric Lopez-Zareno who swings behind electric guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals, drum machines, and flutes. Lopez-Zareon`s sound can be considered as a part of the New Weird America movement, though, if this way it would be a peripherical side of this movement. Besides it there can be detected for tough lo-fi attitude (and pop inside it in the vein of R Stevie Moore), psyched-out rock, tape manipulations and delay- and reverb-drunken experiments, reserved psychedelia, atmospherical lineages and droning sound loops. All in all, it is a kind of nowadays vanguard music having apparent appeal toward pop-induced realms. Zeitgeist music, what else could it be regarded for?

How To Destroy Angels - The Space in Between

Chenard Walcker - Haut Le Coeur (2002/2006)

Free Sample Zone

9.2

/Mash-up, Plunderphonics, Avant-garde, Crossover, Sound collage, Samplecore, Sampledelic, Cut and paste/

Comment: Chenard Walcker was a French artist, thinker, visionary and fervent protagonist for the copyleft movement. He had basically been active in the first half of 00`s before he was diagnosed with the serious health condition. More detailly, he created a blog named Free Sample Zone and having had approximately 30-40 albums on his own account. In fact, a true legend in any cases and one heroes of mine.

This album contains of 18 tracks within 71 minutes, lifting its core from the Gregorian chants, old school soul music, rumbling pace shufflings, film score samples, easy listening, hip-hop, psychedelia, near-ethnic/ethno-pop and much more to be chopped up and re-conceptualized into a new form. Actually any of his tracks would freely be a subject for the quizzes with the purpose to figure out all of those hints coming forth from the concrete track.

brunk - Winter EP (2009)

Resting Bell
Lastfm

9.5

/Ambient, Ambient rock, Post-rock, Musique concrete, Found sound, Epic, Experimental rock, Experimentalism, Microtonal/

Comment: brunk is Bert Vanden Berghe, a DIY homerecording musician and sound artist from Ghent, Flanders, Belgium. Besides involving in various less and more pop-induced groups, however, by his solo enterprises he is known as noisenik (Passive Cable Theory) and as improvisational artist (invertebrata) and as cutting edge musician (brunk) either. However, this release being issued for Resting Bell in the second half of 2009 reflects upon his desires toward more atmospherical point of view (ambient folk/ambient rock/spherical angles-edges of post-rock, concrete sound-infused epic bars). Moreover, those stretched guitar chords which can be found from here at times do evoke similar perceptions to the Labradford, or microtonal, otherworldly pulsating overgrowths into the kind of still life are getting very close to Pan American. All in all, it is a powerful 4-track miracle indeed.

Os Ovni - Beko _81 (2011)

Beko DSL
Lastfm

8.5

/Lo-fi, DIY, Primitronica, Experimental pop, Post-pop, Covers/

Comment: Os Ovni is a duo from Austin, Texas, USA paying a fine tribute to Trish Keenan (1968-2011)/Broadcast (You Can Fall) and Kraftwerk (Radioactivity).

Musket - Musket EP (2011)

Bandcamp

9.4

/Dance punk, Dance rock, Alternative pop, Post-punk, No wave, New wave/

Comment: A period embracing the ending part of 70`s and the first years of 80`s was apparently one of the most interesting periods in the music history, more detailly, as punk-influenced youngsters on the either side of the Atlantic searched densely for innovative crossovers mixing punk skeletons with avant-garde, electronics, dance rhythms and much more. Musket, a combo from Lisboa in obviously influenced by those dynamical, bubblegum-ish bass loops-driven dance vibes and lofty vocal manners of post-punk, reminiscent of Gang Of Four and ESG. Indeed, this 4-track issue makes greatly itself out, so is is our obligation to discover this group and its roots for yourselves.

Human Elephant - Owner Without A Dog EP (2010)

Umor Rex

8.7

/Post-punk, Goth rock, Psychedelia, Dark pop, Singer-songwriter, Experimental pop/

Comment: In comparison with John Edward Donald`s previous work, however, some new influence lines can be admitted. For instance, dark folk influences are mainly replaced with post-punk/gothic and introspective psychedelia. So you can compare it freely with Joy Division and The Doors respectively. Indeed, it is an impressive journey into the past evoking lots of memories from your subconsciousness.

Deadman - Cerebral Frontier (2010)

Umor Rex

9.3

/Experimental folk, Indie folk, Folk indie, Eletronic, Folk noir, Alt-folk, Drone folk, Avant-folk, Baroque folk/

Comment: The Belfast-based musician Jason Mills aka Deadman`s 6-track submission does include oozing-droning folk chords and minimally designed fingerpicked folk formats and whistling careless pop and more or less murky experimental folk/indie pop and orchestrated folk appearances and near-dance occurences and some air-filled attacks from the outer space. Produced by David Baxter aka Filaria. Indeed, it is a near-brilliant workout/or an obscure one as it was used to say in past times.

Azoora - Tension

All Black Everything - Rapt Withal (2011)

Bandcamp

9.0

/Drone, Avant-garde, Noise, Psych-music, Electro-acoustic, Microtonal, Psycho-acoustic, Experimentalism, Acousmatic, Minimalism/

Comment: All Black Everything is back again with a brand new issue after the two excellent releases Gentle Floor, and Revenge Body, respectively. As ordinary as it is used to be by his side, some new tracks to be added with an obsessive concern upon tonality, form, and manipulated moods, embedded more in the tradition of early electronic pioneers (Pierre Schaeffer; Morton Subotnick, La Monte Young), rather than showcasing nowadays approaches regarding the sound.

PJ001 - transmission #01 (2011)

Pjoew

8.7

/IDM, Electronic pop, Indietronica, Drum and bass/

Comment: This is the first and the last issue under Pjoew to date. This is a compilation of 13 tracks based mainly upon spacious IDM-lines and burbling synth-driven electronic pop cores and at times guitar chord-dominated electronic indie as well. However, there are some exceptions as well. For instance, CruizeOfFiction`s Contrail is a subtle drum and bass/dream and bass, or HyeVolture`s Hye walkure, part 1: you're armed (...and your sick shit) resembles somehow those sounds made by Radiohead upon the Kid A. And a kind of shrilling lo-fi electronica made by Olkin Donder (Total Tendencies). Anyway, my favorite is Teebo`s The sound of 1000 growing trees which makes huge sense with slightly psychedelic synth shreds and crescending space around it. A strong output indeed.

Jetman Jet Team - Unfinished Album (2011)

Bandcamp

8.8

/Shoegaze, Fuzz pop, Dream pop, Psych-rock, Alternative pop, Trance rock/

Comment: After a two year hiatus, the former members of The Pop Eccentric Brenan Chambers, Miguel Diaz, Tyler James, and Quin Dickinson have returned, added singer Alisa Dickinson to the line-up, and become Jetman Jet Team. However, this is the debut issue by the Seattle-based group delivering a solid set of shoegaze/newgaze strivings. It might be the strongest notch from this 3-track release is Albatross which is filled in with blissed-out harmonies, up-and-down gears, reminding strongly of Pia Fraus. On the other side, the last track Corrosive merits its name blending Kevin Shields-alike mumbling lullabies with metallic reverbs and trance rock-relied ambience.

Elisa Luu - Ebbrezza (2011)

Laverna

8.5

/Experimental electronica, Art-pop, Indietronica, Ambient, Electronic pop/

Comment: This is Elisabetta Luciani aka Elisa Luu`s follow-up to her masterpiece The time of waiting (2010, La bèl), though, at the time her ambitions are more lopsided toward fluttering electronic-based approach, deliberately convulsive ambient experiments or slightly subdued or introspective feelings brought forth through dreamy electric pianos, rather than exultant indietronica and experimental fusion, respectively. Only the kick-off H1 (feat. Giulio Maresca) hints at her previous habits regarding indie(tronic) sound more detailly. In any cases, those 4 tracks do make out a fine synergy.

Catherine Corelli - Through The Gehenna (2010)

Jamendo

8.5

/Rap, Symphonic metal, Classical music, Metal rap, Power metal, Goth, Glam rock, Ethnic, Crossover/

Comment: An obsessive rap style meets symphonic metal`s riffs and operatic singing meet bombastic glam appearances. Yet, it might be the main line of the album only. Indeed, herein can be detected for some oriental-infused psychedelic lines and piano-driven broken beats and electronic shufflings too. My favorite track is Snow where Corelli`s manner is used to be more restrainted than usual and her voice is induced to drown into dream-alike introspection (retrospection?). A solidly accomplished workout by the artist who has released more than 10 issues during last years.

Clinker - Candy Says (Velvet Underground)

Plusplus - Evils (2011)

La bèl
Lastfm

9.2

/Alt-folk, Folktronica, Baroque folk, Chamber folk, Psychedelic, Dark folk, Neofolk, Post-folk, Avant-folk, Art-folk, New Weird Europe/

Comment: In fact, every new issue under the La bèl label is being a big event to date, though this time the label has "failed" in its attempts to stay for a kind of label concerning only on hallmarks from Italy. Of course, this restriction would be ridiculous on its own, especially if to regard a long-time lapse henceforward. However, Plusplus is Adam Radmall coming from the Foggy Albion and shuffling diverse chords, harmonies and moods into a burgeoning output conventionally considered as a sort of (instrumental) folk sound. Yet, there can be heard lots of intrepid dodges toward electronic patterns, ambient-based textures, apocalyptic (folk) tendencies, baroque-esque progressions, darkwave-ish reflexions, bucolic psychedelic tissues and concrete sound snippets sorrounding all of it. By the speculative side, however, you can imagine the possible ideological platform at Evils in a way as if the 60`s folk psychedelia meets Darkwood meets Daniel Figgis meets Penguin Cafe Orchestra. All in all, this album (of 11 tracks) shall have to be listened to lots of time while being the grower by its nature. It is a highly mesmerizing issue indeed.

Talbot - EOS

Rùnar Magnusson - Vacu Sessions 13 (2011)

Vacu Sessions

8.7

/Abstract, Avant-electronica, Glitch-tronica, Experimental electronica, Conceptual,Post-Psychedelic electronica, Experimentalism/

Comment: This is a track of 26 minutes divided into 6 parts by the Icelandic electronic music legend Rùnar Magnusson. Initially those tracks were arranged for the theater piece The Saviour (2007). This set veers from "fault-induced", permanently repeated electronic patterns to subtly droning organ sessions which particularly makes up a near-psychedelic sense. Besides those slightly pop-alike approaches, however, there are rigidly experimentalism-centered pieces and abstract glitch crackles as well.

Light Leak - Graduation EP (2011)

Bandcamp
Lastfm

8.5

/Chillwave, Electronic pop, Post-pop, Dream pop, Glo-fi/

Comment: This is the sophomore release by Henrik Stelter, a 17-year old German-based chillwave/glo-fi producer. Being continuously instrumental, indeed, this is an instance of the old European eleganz und dekadenz. A fine follow-up to his great debut album Thoughts of Mirth (2010).

Mushroom's Patience - Weird Monsters (2011)

Atro-Fact

8.4

/Electronic pop, Post-punk, Experimental pop, New Age, Art-rock, Dark pop, Progressive/

Comment: Dither Craf aka Raffaele Cerroni delivers a bunch of sphere-filled electronic sounds and New Age-like flute sections apparently drenched with rock/post-punk attitude and darkwave-ish experimentalism, which subsequent classification might be a bit problematic. The favorite of mine is Morel (remixed) - (The spirit of the mountain) which reminds me of The Cure`s Picture Of You. Still, by its main attention it is more close to Durutti Column.

The Sunshine Family - The Sunshine Family (2004)

Hippocamp

8.8

/Experimental electronica, Cinematic, Chillout, Downtempo, Nu jazz/

Comment: The Manchester-based label Hippocamp had been active since 2003, before deciding to finish off their duties in 2009. They released circa 200 albums during this 6-year time lapse, much of them yet waiting to be discovered in the future. There is one, 5-track issue which does flutter between the velvet-covered chords of cinematic (nu jazz) tunes and rhythm-backed ambient (downtempo) numbers. In the ending track can be heard even some funky jazz flowings and undefinable recordings from a distance. At the most time the whole is used to hack around lazily thereby making itself out as a pleasant laid-back output.

Ecovillage - Beko_80 (2011)

Beko DSL

9.3

/Ambient, Post-rock, Dream pop, Chamber rock, Post-rock, Organic electronica, Musique concrete, Progressive/

Comment: Emil Holmström and Peter Wikström aka the Swedish duo Ecovillage started out in 2006 and since it having been blending dreamy soundscapes consisting of chamber rock/post-rock, shoegaze, ambient, organic electronica, found sounds. Of course, they are not being an example of arty-farty artists, being skillful on driving out of beatific progressions, bringing forth of diverse segments and managing them seamlessly fall into each other.

Simon Bird - Simon Bird Sampler (2011)

Simon Bird

9.0

/Avant-garde, Avant-rock, Experimental electronica, Electronic, Neo-psychedelia/

Comment: A DIY-musician from Dublin, Ireland, having re-edited some song versions from his previous EPs. Indeed, here are availabled 4 tracks only, all of which are used to come forth through massive bass stompings, circling synth chords, electronic insertions, epic progressions, abrasive guitar riffs and something else, in a nutshell, coming quite close to such experimental electronic rock acts as Fuck Buttons, Black Dice, and Battles.

WMRI - Voices Of Space (2006/2009)

Jamendo
Lastfm

8.4

/Electronic pop, Kosmische musik, Cosmic pop, Synth pop, Robopop, Progressive/

Comment: This 15-track notch comes from Moscow, Russia, reflecting upon fine configurations of spacious synth tunes, electronic pop, robopop (Kraftwerk`s Radioactivity), more concretely, blasting out torrents of unleashed high-chord synths a la Tangerine Dream and krautrock-esque developments (Can`s Tape Kebab).

Sosos - Abigail (2006)

Bandcamp
Sosos

8.6

/Indie folk, Alt-folk, Psychedelic folk, Folk indie, Chamber folk/

Comment: This is a fine set of calm-sensed and impetus-driven tracks respectively based on folk tunes yet because of its adjacent elements it is not quite ordinary songwriting though. Sosos is a 5-pieced US-group which uses variable elements to enrich their soundscape, more detailly, using psychedelic keyboard passages, gospel-tuned backdrops, and orchestrated, baroque-esque progressions. Thereby the album can be considered as an instance of roots music adapted over to the borders of nowadays situation. Quite similar to Wilco indeed.

EDASI - Die Lügenrächer

The Dark Side of the Moon - The 8-bit Album (2011)

Pterodactyl Squad

8.2

/Chiptune, 8-bit, Conceptual, Experimental electronica, Console music, Tracker music/

Comment: So now it is done. The Pink Floyd`s classic album Dark Side Of The Moon in the full format is covered by chiptune artists like Bit_Rat, Khades, Videogame Orchestra, Echosignal and many others. More concretely, the music on this release was created using sounds from various old games consoles including the Sega Mega Drive and Nintendo Game Boy. By depending on the special sonic characteristics of chiptune sounds, however, the cover versions do sound more rigid and austere, though, on the other side, it has more acid-filled/psychedelic angle in comparison with original ones. An interesting try nevertheless.

Dmitriy Rodionov Experience - Learn To Keep Silence From Trees (2009)

Circlesandlines

9.0

/Experimentalism, Ambient, Avant-garde, Dark ambient, Musique concrete, Avant-industrial, Ambient drone/

Comment: Different subgenres of ambient meet drone meets sound effects-samples (pounding metal, hazy moaning, reverbed metallic sounds, avant-electronics) meets concrete sounds, all of this is forged off by the Russian experimental musician-guitarist Dmitriy Rodionov. Of course, difference on the stylistic level could not have made out any sense if there were no interesting patterns (looping sounds, repeated motives, differentiated guitar playings) and tensity at all. Especially great momentums can be found out at Transformator. On the contrary, this would be a lopsided recommentation regarding the greatness of the whole album.

Our Ceasing Voice - The Inevitable Fall

Hox Vox - The Wanderer (2011)

Hox Vox

Jamendo
Bandcamp
Lastfm

9.1

/Progressive rock, Avant-prog, Sound collage, Crossover, Avant-garde, Jazz, Latin music/

Comment: Gianluca Missero, a prog-head from Venice, embarks on The Wanderer from an ironic point of view - with samplings by Iggy Pop`s Passenger pouring it over with sound effects and a speech line. Upon it the clear-cut cuttings and sudden starts of progressive rock chords and rhythmic revel will be brought forth, including the details from latin rhythms, funky bass thudding, jazz-hued interventions and electronic undercurrents. A hectic business as usual. Just 5 tracks, yet much enough for a spectacular ambience to be evoked and marvelled. Although the whole is aesthetically multi-layered, it is seamlessly elaborated and subsequently accomplished indeed.

Mirabilia - Sümpaatiline õudus EP (2011)

Bandcamp

9.6

/Experimental indie, Psychedelia, Singer-songwriter, Art-pop, Indie pop, Psychedelia, Leftfield, Space pop, Krautrock, Avant-pop, Indie folk/

Comment: Dallas was a cult combo from Tallinn, Estonia, and was considered as one of the most prominent Estonian (if not the most well-known) indie pop names in the ending part of 90`s (they released the last and self-released output Delay Lama in 2003, though, after being on hiatus for some years before it. By the way, some days ago were their seminal albums Raj Kapoor/Sleeper`s Entertainer re-issued under Seksound). The band which was apparently influenced by Stereolab, blending indie rock tunes with bossa circulations, fairy-alike orchestrated progressions, psychedelic electronica, some dance vibes, all in all, making it out as a beatific pop group anyway. However, Holger Loodus, their leader, made comeback with the project Mirabilia in the mid of 00`s, having released the album Log In Eye (Seksound). In any cases, the follow-up Sümpaatiline õudus EP is a 4-track issue being named after and using the text of Charles Baudelaire`s Horreur Symphatique as well. He is assisted by the members of now or previously existed acts like Galaktlan Project, Kismabande, Chance, and Sinine, all in all, playing out a very solid set, indeed demonstrating himself as an exciting singer-songwriter, who incorporates besides "usual" indie guitar sections the elements of dynamical psychedelia, catchy alt-folk, krautrock-esque experimentalism, variable sound effects and space contexts. Indeed, it may resemble Dallas at times, yet it is an obvious leap upon the next level.

Pablo Akaros - Unis par les cliks (2006)

Edensonic
Archive.org

8.0

/Tekno, Techno, Club dance, Remix, Minimal, Progressive, Minimal/

Comment: A 4-track brainchild of this profilic Spanish-based club music gearhead reflects upon those dodges and beat manipulations so characteristic to the middle period of 00`s. However, it is an example of bouncing yet minimally fluttering, repeated shapes-relied techno-tekno blended sets, which is intersected by progressing, acid-filled synth brooding at times (Mikro Punto). On the other side, though, it is an insertion into more elemental and warped, spaciously blasting avant-techno realms, for instance through the Catkin Bay Remix of the track Mikro Punto by Jesse Somfay.

Dockta Valkus - Infobomb EP (2010)

Neferiu Records
Dockta Valkus
Bandcamp
Lastfm

8.7

/Experimental, Hip-hop, Avant-garde, Psychedelic/

Comment: After his high-acclaimed debut issue SKYBASE (2008) Dockta Valkus is back with his 6 new tracks within 16 minutes, making collaboration with Mighty Vega whose hectic MC-ing makes potently sense in front of a background built on outer space-looking samples, mystically profound, abyss-arrived bass beats, all in all, making the EP out as a remote species from the chart-appealing rap music, moreover, embodying as a kind of ideal hip-hop paces on its own.

Dark van Galaxy - Ekania (2011)

Tunguska Electronic music Society - Tunguska Chillout Grooves vol. 3 (Lilith & Selena)

Jamendo

7.7

/Electronic pop, Psyambient, Chillout, Psytrance, New Age, Downtempo/

Comment: This compilation consists of two albums (Lilith; Selena), having the total length more than 2 hours. I love ARGONIKA`s track Do You Hear, which makes difference with a fine robot pop. Or Alexander V. Mogilco (feat. JAMA)`s soul notch tuned New Age-drenched mix. In the most part, however, it is a kind of middle-tempo swaying on soothing and burbling synths and synthesized flute passages. By the way, the beautiful coverprint as well.

Random Article - Valley Sessions, January-February 2011 (2011)

Archive.org

/Drone folk, Improvised music, Jam session, Live recording, Experimental folk, Psychedelic folk/

8.5

Comment: It has always been a big pleasure to listen to the Exeter-based improvisational folk groups, mainly concentrated on around a band named as Children Of The Drone. Here is a set of 20 songs, relied upon meditative, improvised raga tunes, restrainted drone folk, played upon bass, violin, vocal improvisations and occasional bouzouki and percussion interventions (tablas) plus burning chestnut logs recorded at a cottage in the Broad Oak valley, near Canterbury (UK), January-February 2011.

Digi G'Alessio - The Cinar Session (2010)

Bedroom Research
Free Music Archive
Bandcamp

/Electro, Club dance, Breakbeat, Sound collage, Lo-fi/

7.6

Comment: This is a Cristiano Crisci`s set of 6 tracks having basically drifts between dirty, lo-fi-esque electro paces and brooding breakbeats, being spiced up with speech samples, old school video game music-alike snippets, MC-ing, and even haunting, near-noise reverbs and undercurrents at times.

Plusplus - Tip Toes

The Crayons - The Only Real Place (2010)

Totokoko

8.7

/Electro-indie, Electronic, Lo-fi, Dance rock, Art-rock, DIY, Alternative pop, Remix, Cover/

Comment: The American duo The Crayons made their first appearance with the album Raised by BestFriends (2009) on the Rack & Ruin label. However, now the duo is an artist under the Japanese label Totokoko showcasing their solid abilities to write catchy electro-backed rock tunes, for instance, Finding a Black Hole is a mesmerizing track which should have been stuck by the whole indie pop blogosphere. Through the tracks like Mr Bug, and Summer Camp With The Crayons they made a big bow toward the mister R Stevie Moore. The ending part of the album is reserved for a heavily effect-loaded remix (helped by ADK) and in live made cover (of Sam & Valley`s track) respectively.

Music For Your Plants - Tour Peru (2011)

Yachar - MUSA (2011)

Jamendo

8.8

/Classical, Neoclassical, Instrumental, Chamber music, Baroque music/

Comment: This is a short-running issue of only 21 minutes by Yachar from Valencia, Catalonia, Spain. Lots of changes on timbres, moods and milieus will be conjured up within it, based mainly on classical and at times neoclassical themes, however, at times getting involved in flaring arrangements, yet the other time round being covered with melancholic or even threatening core. Especially captivating outputs are Invierno por venir, and Eres hoi aquí showcasing Yachar`s ability to manage off orchestral music-based setups into hovering film score notches.

Blackbird Blackbird - Halo (2011)

Bandcamp

/Chillwave, Glo-fi, Experimental indie, Shoegazetronica, Dream pop, Lo-fi, Electronic pop/

8.2

Comment: Blackbird Blackbird (previously known as Bye Bye Blackbird - at the time of releasing his music under the Arcade Sound Ltd label yet) is the solo-project of 23-year old vocalist/producer Mike Maramag, being one of the most prominent heroes in the nowadays chillwave/glo-fi scene. Here are 17 tracks compiled of B-sides and previously unreleased songs. Unlike many other chillwave/glo-fi artists he is more keenly used to wade through shoegaze-infected landscapes too. No doubt, by listening to it you can detect for some of the feats with mighty hit potential. For instance, Fly (feat. Steffaloo) which is one of the three most beautiful tracks heard AD 2011.

Lavalsa - Lavalsa (2011)

Sinewave

8.5

/Shoegaze, Indie rock, Alternative rock, Psychedelic, Noise pop, Power pop/

Comment: A simply rocking shoegaze- and power pop influenced 4-track album by a Brazilian quartet under Sinewave, the label which has delivered some great albums (i.e Hangin Freud`s Sunken; This Lonely Crowd`s An Endless Moment Everyday All The Time, and Entangled Chaos; Loomer`s Coward Soul, for instance). Behind Lavalsa`s concept can be apprehended lots of swayings between silentful leadoffs and noiseful, near-epic outbursts, joyous playings on dissonants and consonants, in a more concrete way, you can perceive influences veering from Sonic Youth-hued guitar stumblings and My Bloody Valentine-like chord alchemy to slightly psychedelic Smashing Pumpkins-esque powerful hooks, catchy ascendings and organic calmings.

Sturqen - Pertal

c0ld l▲k3 - Lanceton Ice Factory, Magic Hour (2011)

Parafago

7.7

/Witch house, Drag, Experimental electronica, Avant-garde, Weird pop, Plunderphonics/

Comment: In fact, for all of those people who have erlier made acquaintance with c0ld l▲k3`s oeuvres the recent issue makes up some surprise though. It sounds like a skeletonal approach of witch house-alike madness. A bleak, abrasive soundscape, which seems to be running on digital hisses and dust, does make strongly sense. Yet, within it there are some lightest moments as well. For example, Robocop makes itself out as a fine instance of afrofuturistic/voodoo funk mongrel. Or Detroit 9000, which does have strong references toward the seminal scenes of Detroit club music.

The Heather - HOLIDAY 0061 (2011)

Holiday Records

8.2

/Indie pop, Neokrautrock, Electronic, Baroque pop, Glo-fi, Poptronica/

Having nothing more to add but this is a catchy, balanced, well-grown indie pop on its own. The second track Like There`s Now Tomorrow is a case of neokrautrock having a decent pop melodic hooks, the lead-off notch Why Do You Laugh, on the other side, is relied upon crumbly focused poptronica.

The Macadamia Brothers - Tiger Sauce (2009)

Bandcamp
Lastfm

8.4

/Indie folk, Folk indie, Alt-folk, Singer-songwriter, Experimental folk/

Comment: Actually I want and can still remember for those days when Scott Milligan aka The Macadamia Brothers recorded for the now defunct Rack & Ruin Records, sounding like a torch bearer for the New Weird Canada movement. Whatever, this 9-track album is less involved in ecstatic states of songwriting, yet there are some sparkling indie folk/alt-folk moments by set out for us.

pequena fiera! - hello,cupid

Ugol Ratmanova - Oregon (2011)

Clinical Archives

6.5

/Sound-art, Noise, Live recording, Improvised music, Experimentalism, Avant-garde, Electro-acoustic, Illbient, Industrial/

Comment: Digital sound processing in nowadays situation can be considered as a sword with two razors. Some musicians are able to take advantage of it, the other not. However, Sergey Kniazkov and Igor Orlov could reach this challenge out partially. There can be detected for some patterns-aspirations behind the duo`s doings, yet the most part of the soundscape has lacked clear-cut arrangements on timbres, thereby mostly sounding as an array of chords just following to each other, or an instance of into one-pressed audible bunch anyway. Only Muddie Venture and Recession Whisk can make some difference from the residual part.

Flyafter - Today I`m With You (2011)

23 Seconds

8.8

/Experimental indie, Poptronica, Chillwave, Lo-fi, Glo-fi, Electronic pop, Electro-indie, Leftfield/

Comment: This is the second album by this 4-pieced Indonesian ensemble under the Swedish 23 Seconds label. Similarly to their previous, self-titled issue the recent one is filled in with astonishing growings and transitions, more detailly, operating with traditional indie pop impetus and blissful horizons of chillwave/poptronica/glo-fi music, all in all, creating a kind of irresistible touch for ardent indie people. In a more technical language does it mean the change drifts toward a spot on drum machines, sequencers and synths. By the way, you can take the first EP and add it over to this one, thereafter getting a proper LP and more listen times. But it is just a hypothesis.

Victory VIII - Vermont (2011)

Holiday Records

9.0

/Poptronica, Electronic pop, Bedroom pop, DIY, Lo-fi, Glo-fi, Chillwave, Avant-pop, Experimental indie/

Comment: Victory VIII in his well-known quality. This time lo-fi-esque rhythm sources meet introspective and even melancholic layerings above it reminiscent of Morricone-esque sadness (actually I have no idea why I have met so many groups during last weeks resembling heavily the Italian film score maestro). As he said this is an attempt to make a soundtrack to a National Geographic magazine about New England. Also, he wishes he was dead.

Holytigress - Oh Joann (2011)

Holytigress
Bandcamp

8.6

/Dream folk, Alt-folk, Singer-songwriter, Demo, Covers/

Comment: Based in Paradise Hills, Holytigress is a dream pop/slowcore project headed on by the songwriter Joshua Saposnekoo, who has said he is used to create his songs in his mom’s apartment. Herein are four songs - two of them are the covers of golden classic`s tracks, - made just by the man, his guitar, colourful voice, having much of shivering, hazy space around them. Though very simple by its main line, it contains a bunch of captivating moments here. And it makes really sense.

Muhmood - Electrification Of Udmurtia

TakeMeToTheMorgue! - This Dark Virus (2011)

Torn Flesh

8.8

/Dark ambient, Neoclassical, Drone, Modern classical, Classical, Dystopbient, Freeformfreakout, Non music, Minimal, Experimentalism, Abstract, Dark wave, Illbient, Martial, Avant-garde, Synth industrial/

In the same way as Jessie Martin aka Ylnez Payne`s previous, the debut album Oblivion EP (2010) used to be, indeed, the sophomore notch is a very brooding release as well. Actually it is even more articulated and channelized into a mighty form, obviously affording for itself vanguard-ish elements of sound processing and off-kilter sonic formations. What does it mean "serious" in the context of this set of 14 (plus 4) tracks? Firstly, it is an annihilator of your highest (i.e ecstatic feelings), on the other side - in the formal sense - it is an impressive drifting between dark ambient, obscure drone, film noir, dark wave, subdued cybercore, electronically mutilated messages, martial techno and beat-based mayhems and neoclassical orchestrations. Moreover, Payne cleverly takes advantage of not using the hermetical approach of sound recording, yet having no side-effects to be sounded somehow vulnerable. By the way, about those off-kilter sonic formations though? For instance, Beauty Inspired By Darkness (ft. Ricky Revenge) which is a silent, minor key-moulded piano track having a bunch of sinister progressions in the backdrop or Eternal Nightmares For Passive Dreamers which relies on hardly minimal, darkscape-driven developments.

Pequeña Fiera! - Mountains were monsters (2010)

Error! Lo-fi

9.0

/Indie pop, Indietronica, Alternative pop, Electronic, Poptronica, New Weird Europe, Post-folk, Post-pop, Dream pop/

Comment: Thanks to such artists like Animal Collective, Atlas Sound, The Grizzly Bear, and The Dirty Projectors the kind of ecstatic pop has gained more popularity amongst ordinary music buyers and reached quite high places in pop charts. Error! Lo-fi is a Spanish-based label under which have a lot of bands found its output to the world. However, the basic core is concentrated upon mellow indie pop/ indietronic/ folktronic/ toytronic music. However, Pequeña Fiera! is one of the most profilic and eminential notches among this umbrella, anyway, deserving its position rightly. A set of 6 tracks is full of ecstatically pursuing guitar-strumming, dream-alike vocal lines (at times reminiscent of Jón “Jónsi” Þór Birgisson from Sigur Ros) and synth- and glockenspiel-drenched indie pop. It is mesmerizing how those different layers within it will be melt into each other.

Greendjohn - Loophole (2011)

Jamendo

8.8

/Film score, Classical, Soundtrack, Orchestrated music, Conceptual/

Comment: This is the third album (or soundtrack - it would be the more proper classification for such kind of music) by a musician residing in Belgium. Indeed, this sounds like an imaginable soundtrack for a very epic film. More concretely, fast key changes, bombastic orchestrations and even progressions into choir-alike spaces and ominous, martial-hued music vary with decreasings into a near-silence introspection or gliding down into a sort of still life. As a skillful creator, he is very well aware of those emotive elements he is used to operate with - for example, Morricone-esque playings on feminine high vocal registers and flute samples. No doubt, the flowing of serotonine will be activated in your brain while listening to it.

Old Age - Lutsen (2011)

Bandcamp

8.0

/Ambient, Experimentalism, Avant-electronica, Minimal, Ambient drone, Sound-art, Microtonal, Kosmische musik/

Comment: Three tracks. The first track is a soothing, slightly pulsating flowing embellished by some metallic progressions and having nearly epic tendencies within it. The second track is a case of flickering electronica whereas there could be detected for similarities on technical approach with seminal electronic musicians a la Conrad Schnitzler. The third one creates experience through limber drifts over jagged soundscapes, over decreasing and increasing ridges respectively.