Cinchel - glitch.dump (2010)

Bandcamp

8.8

/Glitch noise, Glitch, Noise, Microtonal, Avant-garde, Experimentalism, Sound-art, Repetitronica, Experimental electronica, Crossover, Sound-art, Abstract/

Comment: Cinchel is a musician from Chicago, Illinois, USA and glitch.dump is his sophomore album after Drone.Dump and before friday.destruction and practice.dump, respectively. As you can assume from these titles, his music is heftily experimental, exploiting diverse concepts and sonic narratives on his workouts. However, 7-track glitch.dump is filled with a speck of glitch, microscopic tonality, static or dynamical sonic effects, rhythms, hardly audible (micro) rhythms, subtle noise (more or less minimal) and much more. Indeed, Cinchel does have an astute ear to create inspite of a sparse number of (signal-alike) particles vigorously emotive soundscapes (which at times do ring out truly eargasmic), remaining compelling throughout the course. Most of the time it seems to be likely a ghost from the past, from those times when the pioneers of electronic music embarked on with their experiments. Highly recommended.

Mumble Mumble Mumble - Blank (2011)

Brlog

8.7

/Doom drone, Avant-metal, Crossover, Post-metal, Experimentalism, Electro-acoustic, Trance metal, Psych-music/

Comment: This is the sophomore release by a duo from Turin, having 11 tracks within 18 minutes only. Besides the abbreviation of the tracks (compare it to 8 notches within 21 minutes) they have changed their soundscape into more restraint, using basically a subdued bass guitar-drums interplay. In a more concrete way, thuddling bass incantations and the using of the drum plates are impressively variegated with onyx-hued electronics and barely audible moaning in-between of it. Indeed, in comparison with their self-titled debut album, the whole seems to be a more convincing, running mainly on doom drone slightly embellished with a sort of electro-acoustic veil around of it. Sometimes it reaches with its slowness and suggestive treated electronics and vast synergy the very boundaries of trance/exorcized music.

Various Artists – Dub Tentacles Vol.3 (2011)

Fresh Poulp

8.7

/Dub, Electro-dub, World music, Tribal music, Crossover, Big-beat/

Comment: This is a compilation of 13 tracks, by various artists who do come from different countries (Malta, Croatia, Canada, Uk, Italy, Poland, France). Fresh Poulp is known as a label promoting ardently the vibes of dub music, this time dub is rung in with diverse styles (big-beat, ethnic/tribal music of the Middle East, electro). Some of them are instrumental, some of them are harmonica-led. Altogether, it is a solid miscellany indeed. The feature track of mine is Ackboo`s Holy Mount Zion (feat. Steve Steppa).

Waverine - Blinded By The Sun (2011)

Faturenet Recordings

8.7

/Synth pop, Acid pop, Electro pop, New Wave, Electronic pop/

Comment: Waverine is a producer from Gelderland, the Netherlands who released his seventh album so far. He already started off with sonic deeds in the mid of 90`s being then known as aegis, though. However, the recent Waverine is a catchy flow of electronic pop and synth pop (and some breakbeats), offering lots of gears and hooks in the songs with huge potential. If you would be interested in principal acknowledgement of is he either an old school dude or not, I would prefer the first possibility. Not only new wave but also some post-punk-ish glimpses and Kraftwerk-lighted shards can be found from this field. Moreover, one striking ballad wrapped up into a dark-hued veil is represented here. The issue is made in liaison with the poet Daniel Gilbert, who has written most of the lyrics. My heart-throb is Heat, which is a depth-reaching electro-driven ass.

Snorkel - Dead Skin

Louie & The Ocean – …With Eyes To Sea EP (2011)

Webbed Hand

7.2

/Electronic pop, Downtempo, Ethereal, Chillout, Pomp pop/

Comment: At times I used to think that downtempo-ish music unlike most of the other genres tends deliberately to pitch on the ideal, otherworldly solution (spherical solutions). Ethereal, even angelic soundscapes, relaxing beat sequences, shimmering sound effects being likely to the focused release herein. By my experience, at times it might seem to be feasible, yet most of the times obviously not. Too bombastic, too predictable, too slushy, too bleak, too camp. Thereby it is at odds with the kind of chillwave/glo-fi sound, which used to base on similar initial particles, for instance. At times this France-based project seems to be aware of those threats having managed to hold yourselves back, sometimes actually not. The kick-off track No Friends, No Problem showcases itself as the most intriguing one via its samples being seemingly out of context, serene synth warbles and not-too-dreamy cadences.

Adam & Alma - Adam`s Universe

Adam's Universe - Adam & Alma from Adam & Alma on Vimeo.

Kraffa - Short Note From Time (2010)

Totokokolabel

8.9

/Folktronica, Post-rock, Laptop-folk, Indietronica, Dream folk, Experimental folk, Cowbell indie, Experimental indie/

Comment: This 4-track comes from Thailand, behind Kraffa is Norrasak Ramasute, who used to design form and function in complete harmony. In any cases, he has masterfully succeeded his doings on the recent issue as well - silence is laced with impetuous changes, jiggling drum programmings are set under dream-alike harmonies, bucolic near-nature narratives are replaced with lucid post-rock-ish breaks- and vice versa. All is finely balanced and elaborated, resembling of the other outputs under the Totokoko, and La bèl label either.

diecidicembre - diecidicembre (2011)

Acustronica
Lastfm

9.0

/Guitar ambient, Sound art, Microtonal, Avant-garde, New age, Experimentalism, Ambient, Laptop-folk, Drone, Avant-electronica/

Comment: By a 38-year-old resident from Bari, Italy, offering 5 long-running guitar experiments in the vein of sound art. It embarks on by leaping out from the silence and conjuring up many tones, half-tones and wraith-like imaginations. You can detect some unusual elements within this totally experimental area - for instance, flamenco-tinged guitar fingerpickings next to the pitched experiments or new age-loaded synth sounds and progressive rock-hued developments in some tracks. However, all is beautiful on it.

brunk - a simple guide (2010)

WM Recordings

Bandcamp 

Lastfm

8.8

Indietronica, Lo-fi, DIY, Experimental indie, Post-rock, Funk rock, Experimental rock, Avant-rock/ 

Comment: As brunk, indeed Bert van der Berghe`s impassion used to be creating angular beat schemes under guitar pattern-backed soundscapes or making up the profound soundscapes of ambient music (Winter EP). However, this is an issue of his old tracks wherein next to the indietronic approaches, sample-enriched math-alike progressions, DIY-based workouts can be met somersaulting funk rock and electro-rock and highly charged guitar outputs either. Powerful and totally convincing.

Younnat - His Name Is Radar (2010)

Bump Foot
Lastfm

9.2

/Easy listening, Electronic pop, Psychedelic, Sampledelic, Breakbeat, Mood music, Chill out/

Comment: Music is my radar, maybe you can remember for this way titled track by Blur from 2000? Or does it have a hint at Warren Defever`s salient project on the other side? No problems because of Oleg Serdyuk aka Younnat`s music has been my torch during the last weeks. Likely to his previous workouts (Duct; Radiovision), however it used to be the highly uplifting bumping throughout its course, toying with mesmerizing synth harmonies and melancholically retrodelic motives and propulsive paces (from tranquil electronic beats to high-energized stomping breakbeats) off to create a crafty template for the easy listening scene.

The Widowers - Record Store Day Exclusive (2011)

Bandcamp

9.0

/Art-rock, Experimental rock, Noise rock, Avant-rock, Angst-rock/

Comment: This 2-track issue is written and performed by Don Logan, and this is The Widowers` fourth release after 2 LP`s and one split in liaison with German Error Message. Impressive art rock-based notches are filled with subdued full-throttle roaring or angst-loaded and void-filled imprecation, cadence variety, noisy yet deliberately channelized guitar stabs, orchestrated backdrops, charged feedbacks, and some blues-y chords, all of the set reminding of the finest moments by Sonic Youth in the 80`s. Indeed, those are just a bit the pop songs.

Anonymous Coward – Anonymous Coward LP (2011)

Nekura Kid
Archive.org

8.6

/J-pop, Drum and bass, IDM, Breakbeat, Electronic pop, Shibuya-kei, Indie pop/

Comment: This is electronic pop basically embellished with drum and bass cadences, IDM and bubblegum rhythms all of which is supplemented with indie pop attitude (the last one can be perceived indirectly) in the very idiosyncratic vein of J-pop. This is subtly easy and careless music, indeed very listenable one even if does not cover your own life. This 14-track album is released on a new Japanese label, Nekura Kid Records, embarked on 2011. In this way, lots of J-initials indeed.

Adelyn Rose - Adelyn Rose EP (2010)

Bandcamp

8.7

/Dream folk, Alt-folk, New Weird America, Singer-songwriter/

Comment: Astonishing three songs by a gal from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, USA. It chimes dreamy like a ghost from the 70`s folk scene somewhere, reminiscent of Vashti Bunyan or Karen Dalton and by its minimalist (sparse) approach the American Primitivism movement.

Deep Breath (Zengineers Remix)

Zvukolom (2011)

Lom

8.6

/New Weird Slovakia, Psych-folk, Sound-art, Avant-garde, Experimentalism, Electro-acoustic, Psycho-acoustic/

Comment: This is a miscellany of 14 tracks from Slovakia, veering from psych-folk and murky sonic appearances ( I am not able to give it another name) to the abstract progressions of electro-acoustic enterprises (drifting between white, black, and grey-ish shadows), from very silentful to electrically charged soundscapes. If you are intended to wrap up the whole one, it can just be named as New Weird Slovakia (you can figure out lots of similarities with other countries, for instance, Australia`s respective one). It might be right to consider it even more than music because of growing from an entropic level to the controlled stage of sound.

Doc Deem -Tight Tight (2011)

Tres Catorce
Lastfm

8.4

/Abstract electronica, Electro, Experimental electronica, Noise, Crossover, Experimentalism, Breakbeat, Darkwave, Techno, Synth noir/

Comment: Doc Deem started off his deeds in 2000, having issued a handful of albums so far. The recent output includes many breaks and harmonies, veering from electro, breakbeat and techno to almost laid back electronica and EBM-like arrangements, or on the other side, having pleasant crossovers of them. However, it is not only thought for hard-heartened gearheads but having some contemplative, even dark-hued tracks either (Elsmere), or offering near-abstract repetitive loop-based buzz monsters developed into a kind of techno hypnotism (Risen Is Already Enough), or a beat-backed, finely orchestrated darkwave undertake (The Previously Electrified Key), or a noise-infused lo-fi-tronic experiment (Fli). Actually lots of noise developments can be found from here. In a nutshell, a long-running experience does recoup.

Wings Of An Angel - Satsangs In The Dark (2011)

ParaLucid

8.7

/Darkwave, Avant-garde, Spoken world, Improvised music, World music, Mysticism/

Comment: Behind this project is Felix Kaplan, a musician from Israel, who presents his antagonism against the truth of gurus, educated specialists, artists and other warts who used to think they are most competent of deciding what must be right or wrong in this world. However, by listening to the current issue, I shall have to admit it continues the profound mysticism-veiled tradition of his previous album Requiem For An Anonymous Genius (The Breath Of Life, Carnal Annihilation And Miraculous Resurrection Of The Job Of Art). Sung or spoken in Hebrew, English and Russian, it is quite hard to understand should it be the opus in the praise of human being or not. By being and burning in hell is it the ban of him/her or not? The God is dead (is it?). All those mesmerizing verbal outputs are accomplished with the diverse scale of sonic structures (world music, improvised music, New Age, slowly breaking sounds, minimalism etc).

LAKE R▲DIO - Delta (2011)

Bandcamp

8.7

/Witch house, Drag house, Glo-fi, Chillwave, Avant-electronica, Synth noir/

Comment: This 4-track is created by Caden Moore from Chicago for whom it is the fourth release under this pseudonym. There can be looked for shitloads of blissful synth glimpses/and captivating electronic sections, amongst it can be perceived for mutilated effects (pitched-down sounds), autotuned vocals, and heavily pounding catchy machine-like rhythms. Outside of it, I could guess, this will be showed off lots of triangles, crosses, low-end synths, and drum machines. By the stylistical side it can be considered a bumper between witch house/drag house (or trianglecore - as described at the artist`s Bandcamp page) and chillwave/glo-fi, i.e containing details from the both compartments. On the other side, the third track does depict a danceable vision of the drag house music - it is an exorbitantly swinging example indeed.

Inverness - Illuminaciones (2010)

Archive.org

7.8

/Alternative pop/rock, Drone rock, Pomp rock, Psychedelic, Shoegaze/

Comment: A quartet from Chile (not to be confused with the same-titled groups from Brazil and the USA, respectively) playing up massive (even bombastic) alternative rock carcasses with some elements of shoegaze and psychedelia. Most of the tracks are guided by guitars, and the residual notches are the keyboard-based ones (at the time of droning organs accompanied with long vocal chords, however, it resembles strongly of Sigur Ros). All the tracks are sung in Spanish. Subsequently, although well-elaborated notches on its own, way too much sugar contain some parts of the Illuminaciones at times.

Ataque Escampe - no Planeta Furancho

Utrovortu - Byt' kak myshi-polevki (2011)

Clinical Archives

9.3

/Avant-rock, Krautrock, Improvisation, Free jazz, Conceptual, Dark pop, Singer-songwriter, Experimentalism, Experimental rock, Avant-garde/

Comment: This interdisciplinary collective coming from Saint Petersburg (Sankt Peterburg), from the northern capital city of Russia was previously known as The Pigeons and the Insane Porridgemakers (having issued albums on Clinical Archives as well). However, they used to be previously very insane, making out an impressive patchwork of diverse styles. In principle, all is built on borderless improvisation, veering from experimental pop and freely floating krautrock a la Faust (the first contemporary indie band of the world) to free jazz and bucolic singer-songwriter-ism and just dark-hued pop (even darkwave). Moreover, some explorations within electro-indie/synth rock and space rock and free jazz and dense sonic effect compartments are also carried out herein. In the second part of the issue can be detected for the rhythm experimentation on the Casio Tonebank synths (cheap but very effective keyboards) either. In a nutshell, the Byt' kak myshi-polevki embodies a finely balanced yet very intriguing album. Actually this is all what we can expect from the music, isn`t?

Blood Ruby - Recent Songs (2011)

 

Jamendo

  

 9.4

 /Shoegaze, Dream pop, Art-rock, Alternative rock, Dark pop, Ethereal, Epic/

Comment: Honestly, I could not resist to this album coming from New Haven, USA evoking so much pleasant memories in my mind. Initially being released in 2006/and 2007 the Recent Songs comes over to keep refreshing different traditions, more concretely, living up to the mellow dream pop and shoegaze scenes, and ethereal pop and symphonic metal tradition (in true, the last named one used to be allowed mainly through mezzo-drenched or operatic style-ish vocal lines at times). The band started off in 2001, and having been line-upped by Cynthia Conrad, Margaret Browning, and Thomas Wall. Indeed, all the set of 7 tracks by the trio is filled in with monumental sounds resembling of Cocteau Twins, Love Spirals Downwards, Autumn`s Grey Solace, even Beth Gibbons & Portishead at Remains of the Day, Jane Siberry, and many other artists. Yet, in total sum it is essentially idiosyncratic phenomenon on its own, thereby finding a compartment in my heart.

Nihil Limit - Drifting EP (2011)

17 Sons
Jamendo

8.6

/Minimal techno, Electro, Electro pop/

Comment: First of all, a meticolously adequate description can be borrowed from the 17 Sons` website. /...made by drifted machines producing linear, techno grooves with impulsive modulated sounds/. Indeed, it sounds like a vulnerable Krafwerk-esque template in the 21th century based on minimal layering, more profoundly, on the sequencer-evoked beats with moderately dosed but at times progressing electro torrents in it. As once Karl Bartos said in his interview to the Estonian newspaper Postimees that people should more listen to the Beatles than nowadays minimal techno (reportedly overwhelmingly prevailing in Berlin) because the former lacks of melodies (to be remembered every band needs to have it as Kraftwerk once had it). Regarding the Nihil Limit`s sound, indeed it is being devoid of having melodies in the classical perspective (and apparently cannot be remebered either), yet, the whole is embellished with harmonic halo oozing from the rhythm structures (and coming still close to Kraftwerk`s sensitive robots). In a nutshell, although having no vision about this quite profilic artist`s previous workouts, the recent issue (of 5 tracks) makes hugely sense now and here.

Pretty Swans - Burning Love (2011)

Miriam Kaukosalo - It's The Tooth (2011)

Bakery Allstars inc

8.8

/Electro-rock, Indie pop, Singer-songwriter, Experimental indie, Primitive pop, Lo-fi, DIY/

Comment: Although having no idea and knowledge about who Miriam Kaukosalo is, her short-running release is a gem for sure. Only the 5-track set within less than 10 minutes, Kaukosalo shows off DIY-based uncrompromising pop power where can be perceived proto electronic indie with heavy reverberation and propulsive rhythms (Culver City) a la The Silver Apples, or catchy harmony-loaded vocals moving on alongside primitivistic paces (Bolla), or an astonishing indie ballad (D.A.M.P) with some really straightforward (even filthy) sentences and intentions. All in all, it is probably Kaukosalo`s vista about punk rock.

Nuthre - Bloops for Alice (2007)

No Type

7.7

/Avant-garde, Primitive pop, Experimentalism, Downbeat, Sound collage, Electro-acoustic/

Comment: This release was issued more than 4 years ago on the Canadian experimental label No Type. Jeff Morton, an artist, used to exploit comparatively few elements to carry out his enterprise. At most times the whole sounds like a downbeat shake with reversed effects, thudding beat nuggets and electronic tails in it. At its extremities, anyway, it can be considered way too provocative, using the hisses coming out of the digital sound processing or being slowed down to form into a primitive piano-driven chord building, for instance.

Buben – Beat’N'Hoper (2011)

Haze
Lastfm

8.4

/Experimental electronica, Breakbeat, Sound collage, Hip-hop, Experimentalism/

Comment: Beat box sounds, hip-hop scratches, diverse break(-beat)s - all of which is forged into a seamless whole by the ultimatively profilic legend Vladislav Buben from Belarus. Six crafty outputs with pleasant vibes indeed. Throughout the course Buben do not allow to forget about the joyous attitude of the album. For instance, an example of moaning zombie-like techno or easy latin music themes amongst the rhythms.

Sandro Marinoni - Don Baltasar (2011)

Clinical Archives

8.6

/Jazz, Improvised music, New age, World music, Chillout, Experimentalism, Crossover/

Comment: Sandro Marinoni is a flute, saxophone and trombone player from Italy who has been active for a pair of decades (embarked on as a member in different groups), having been especially active during the last 3 years. Upon arrived at the umbrella of the Clinical Archives label again, he offers us a delicate submission of new age, laid-back soothings, ethnic music explorations, cool jazz and modal jazz-based snippets, atmospheric near-ambient progressions, and whimsical electronic shapes (being separated or mixed up with each other). By splashing in the midst of such classically trained experimentalists, however, it is very hard to find out the distinctive line between improvised sound and determined music. On the other side, yet, it does not make any difference at all.

Nasienie - Blackwood EP (2011)

Webbed Hand
Lastfm

8.2

/Ambient folk, Ambient, Minimal, Soundscape/

Comment: this 3-track issue comes over to folk-tinged mainlines (spiced up with dark-hued waves), and vast-scale atmospheric pannels rippling on sparse, ellipse-stretched loops. In a nutshell, all the logic of the release is subordinated to repetition.

Meczûp - Hanging from the Purgatory's Pendulum (2010)

BFW Recordings
Lastfm

8.6

/Hauntology, Ambient, Avant-garde, Experimentalism, Conceptual, Drone, Minimal/

Comment: Howling and haunting... . What is that? An monolithic slab of theremin-induced sounds which at the time of closer investigations will be decomposed into the countless particles of (dark) mood situations? Indeed, the whole issue is made out of using this ancient, legendary electronic instrument. The album is created in Istanbul, maybe that is the reason why it used to sound a bit oriental at times. However, Cihan Gülbudak`s workout has reached the borders of drone, avant-electronica, ambient, and even orchestrated music, thereby re-locating these genre-related expectations and initial sense/meaning of them.

Battle Flags - Color Engine (2010)

Jamendo
Battle Flags
Lastfm

9.2

/Post-psychedelic electronica, Baroque pop, New Weird America, Poptronica, Free folk/

Comment: Behind this militant pseudonym hides himself Jack Budd, a resident from Richmond, Virginia, from the city which is well-knowingly an important location regarding the experimental rock/post-rock scene all around the world. In true, through this project Budd is not directly related to the post-rock movement of his home city, having engaged spot to direct it upon the two recent traditions - psychedelic/and post-psychedelic folk sound a la - surprise, surprise! - Animal Collective, and one baroque pop instance a la Sufjan Stevens (those wistfully chiming brass sets/orchestrations in the best sense), and nowadays poptronica (which is however strongly influenced by those two aforementioned artists). Approximately 10 years ago when Animal Collective started off its doings such kind of sound used to be pure avant-garde, now it is changed into a clear-cut pop case - into a pleasant pop case, though.

Memoryhouse - Lately (Deuxième)

This Lonely Crowd – Some Kind of Pareidolia (2011)

Sinewave

7.7

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

Comment: This Lonely Crowd has been an astonishing quintet from Brazil who has made up much dizzy energy (via strong emphasis on the power pop and shoegaze-ish angle), or being involved in more dream-charged contemplations, respectively. However, the recent issue tries to cross those two extremities, though, affording less entropy with captivating X-factors altogether - if to compare it to Entangled Chaos, or especially to an endless moment everyday all the time. Moreover, the second part of the Some kind of Pareidolia is obviously more impressive than the first set of tracks, showcasing more clear-cut elaborations, figurative language, directed power and found synergy - or the other way around - just being avoided to be sticked in intransitive chasing and incoherent jamming. Despite of some deficits, however, it can be considered a kind of pleasurable release indeed.

Port80 - Lundenburger (2010)

Jamendo

8.5

/Techno, Tekno, Trance, Noise, Experimental techno, Psychedelic dance, Crossover/

Comment: Port80 aka Unterschwellige Einheit aka Sivitz is an artist from the Czech Republic who at the recent publication used to play terse capsule trance and trance-induced intellectual techno (or the way round). Indeed, it is not a sort of simplistic or superficial rhythm music appearance, being coloured with deepness and well-balanced details and undercurrents. At times brooding, at times more light-hearted. In any cases, all of which were hugely senseless if in-between the diverse sound pannels there cannot be detected for any dose of synergy. At the closure of this 8-track issue can be found out even some impressive noise attacks (apparently I stay to miss them).

Lowlands - Beko_85 (2011)

Beko DSL
Bandcamp
Lastfm

8.6

/Alternative rock, Indie, Jangle pop, Post-punk, Fuzz rock/

Comment: Behind Lowlands is Tobias Brockie (aka Rhinoceros Brave) from Wellington, the New Zealand. This 3-track issue is about windy jangle pop with some influences of post-punk and fuzzed-out/feedback-backed guitar gears (plus some bombastic progressions). The tracks are running from fast paces to slow tempo-ness. Simple but masterfully treated.

Gongue - Blurred (2011)

Dracula Horse
Bandcamp

8.8

/New Weird Europe, DIY, Anti-folk, Experimental folk, Avant-folk, Alt-folk/

Comment: Dracula Horse is first of all known as the home label for Coolrunnings, though it does offer little corners for the other artists, including The Foggy Albion-relied Gongue either. What references does Gongue`s sound have exactly? It is profoundly made with the attitude of the nowadays DIY patchwork-ism - simple anti-folk-ish guitar strums (and more complex alt-folk adventures) are variegated with no-so-light electronic slopes (which at times do chime as if the examples coming from the Kraftwerk`s albums (particularly from Radio-Activity), dance funk and weird pop moments (electro-acoustic overthrows, "unstable" sonic snippets-effects). Indeed, it is the issue which is made out with obvious care and dedication.

Mobdividual - Movement V Live

Spheruleus - Forgotten Outland (2011)

Resting Bell

9.2

/Ambient, Drone folk, Dream folk, Minimal, Found sound, Field Recording, Sound-art/

Comment: By having the course on slowly rolling and progressing snippets, behind those subtly manipulated sounds dedicated to the wastelands in your soul is the British grand master Harry Towell (also known as Audio Gourmet, and Eyes Flutter Beneath) who has released over 15 issues (under such labels as Earth Mantra, Test Tube, Audio Gourmet, Under The Spire) in a last few years. This is a case based on three tracks where atmospheric sounds are mixed up with contemplative string chords, slightly heardable found sound-relied cracks, subsequently, all those parts are wrapped up in intimate synergy. Especially mesmerizing is listen to it while the sun goes down. Very often this otherworldly concept of drone-folk-ish enterprise resembles of the French legends Natural Snow Buildings.

Monster Rally - Coral LP (2011)

Bandcamp

8.9

/Sampledelic, Exotic pop, Electronic pop, Avant-pop, Post-pop, Tropical pop, Glo-fi, Chillwave, Easy listening/

Comment: No doubt, the name of Monster Rally is probably quite well-known in the friendships of nowadays music, especially amongst the glo-fi/chillwave music admirers. A handful of releases having been issued by Moster Rally so far. The first two tracks are strongly in the vein of Stereolab, however, a little later the other influences starting to come out too. Step by step, indeed, there can be figured out the fact that this project may be more toward the past, or placing itself out as a retrofuturistic combo. In detail, it runs in front of you like set of exotic glimpses on the sampledelic method. And doing it really joyfully out (some samples laid here can be classified as a genuine classic spot. For instance, the tracks like Cuban Velvet, and A Voice/Big Sur)

Blues for spacegirl – Arezzo (2011)

Blues for spacegirl
Bandcamp
Lastfm

9.4

/Dark ambient, Dystopbient, Soundscape, Drone, Ambient noise, Ambient drone, Minimal, Epic/

Comment: Profound, dense, wide - all in all, it is very expressive indeed. Only in this way could the Belgian musician`s album be described for. Moreover, during a three year lapse he has released 6 albums, and it is one of the most suggestive of them, for sure. In fact, this one-track one (29 minutes) is an extended version of the Fibroma split EP`s closure track. By the formal side he used to push a listener into a seemingly bottomless labyrinth of dark ambient, drone, and ambient. Lots of abstract yet beatless (vibrating) rhythms come directly from the structures of the tracks, all the higher spheres are filled in with the flashes of angels and demons at times. It might be that this one is worth even for some higher rates, still let`s hold those points for his future albums. By the way, the outer sleeve is really magnificient either.

Henrik Josè - Pinpointing The Problem

Woodworkings - Goodbye Homes (2011)

 

Futurerecordings 

 

 10.0

/Post-rock, Ambient, Experimental rock, Chamber rock, Minimal, Epic, Instrumental, Modern classical, Soundscape, Ambient noise/ 

Comment: Oh, it sounds so huge...so vast...so... . In a more profound way, this case is about an exhilaratingly infiltrated blend of ambient, modern classical, post-rock-ish fringes, silentful dream-hued noise, filled in with the sense of entropy which will have modified into mesmerizing, melancholic beauty. There can be sensed for listenable and unheardable, for real entities and ghosts either. Goodbye Homes embarks on by the zero point from nowhere, getting an impulse to grow and blossom and finally to get succumbed unheedingly. Like the life story of a person. By listening to the last track I almost started off crying... . In fact, it is not the first and only case by Woodworkings to make out for the issues with the maximum-point rate. And Futurerecodings is previously one of the peaks amongst the labels all around the world.

Hox Vox - Il Cavallo Spaiato (2011)

Hox Vox
Bandcamp
Jamendo
Lastfm

8.6

/Avant-prog, Classical, RIO, Experimental rock, Jazz, Fusion, Avant-garde, Experimentalism, Progressive/

Comment: Gianluca Missero`s (aka Hox Vox aka Turbogrind Terrorizers) new album is really worth to listen to. Actually every recent step by his side needs to be looked back to the way passed along already. The Venice resident has been one of the stalwarts of the nowadays RIO/ avant-prog movement, while being theoretically predictable at this methodical point, however, he has managed to bend his follow-ups into sufficient progressions via off-kilter electronics, changing the metres, adding new patterns and elements. This time the previously known structures are densely laced with drum and bass rhythms and other breaks, fusion, jazz standards, spoken word interventions, samples from the stadium and streets. By the stylistical smorgasboard it can seem unkempt and destructed, yet, on the other side all the developments are apparently strictly controlled. In a word, while being stubbornly mind-evoking and a little contradictive by its speculative aspect, however, this does not flavour the practical side at all. Indeed, it is the sign of a great master.

Moses Luster and the Hollywood Lights - I`m The Lion (2011)

Bandcamp

9.0

/Singer-songwriter, Baroque folk, Alternative pop, Electronic, Dark pop, Noir pop/

Comment: Moses Luster is a musician from USA, who previously used to be a touring musician (and the gigs in the casinos as well). However, his recent album (consists of 12 tracks) is an impressive set of dark pop/noir numbers, which is supplemented with crazy synths, dizzy orchestrations, lone pianos, crescending ridges, female voice-backed notches, and densely hitting drums. At times his voice gets to fall nuts, variegated with suggestive falsettos and crooner characteristics, cabaret-tinged half- and full tones, angrily conveyed narrated parts of his (past) life. Indeed, it is not problem for him to be resigned and angry simultaneously. Luster is already compared to Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Nick Cave, (and Scott Walker by my side), yet, his sound has lots of junctures with Beirut, Cat Bark Cat, Jens Lekman and other contemporary baroque/chamber folk artists. However, I Won`t Stray and Some Day (a kind of the ballad) are one of the best single glimpses from 2011. I just discovered the release can be classified as the kind of grower.

Damn Robot! - Hunang Skrímsli (2011)

Megaupload
Hawk Moon
Lastfm

8.8

/Post-rock, Electronic pop, Experimentalism, Sound collage, Cut and paste, Weird, Avant-garde/

Comment: Obviously there is more than just one way to find out proper possibilities for translating this sound into minds and words, though. Despite of it, however, it seems to me that the spinal c(h)ord of this album is somewhat related to a post-rock-ish endeavour (probably because of being most frequently represented here) mixed up with fluttering electronic progressions and some unconventional solutions. More profoundly, confronting mellow and harsh, acute and indirect, radio tunings, schizoid samples, rapidly changing sonic episodes, robot pop vocal lines, however, it might be that the conclusion of circumstances happened here all the way allows it to get direction and impetus for. My favorite notch from there is No Slack, But Luckily The Seats Go Back reminiscent of Be There, the collaboration track by Ian Brown with Unkle in 1999. Uhh, beautiful and redemptive.

Fuji Kureta - See-through (2011)

23 Seconds
Lastfm

9.0

/Electronic pop, Club dance, Experimental electronica, Trip-hop/

Comment: Fuji Kureta is a duo from Istanbul, formed in August 2008. This time the singer Deniz Öztürk and the composer Sahin Kureta take on innovative electronic pop in which Björk-like songwriting shadows can widely be recognized (searching for junctures between electronic pop and more experimental approach). Or making a couple of bows to Kraftwerk (What If). In a more direct way, there can be heard for angular beats, drabbling glockenspiel-esque formations, multiply crossbreeded rhythms, trip-hop spasms, dream-tinged vocal lines, some club dance glimpses and much more. By the way, those 8 songs are recorded in French and English respectively. An accomplished workout indeed.

Frozen Geese - The Starseed (2010)

Free Music Archive
Vanity Case
Lastfm

8.7

/Space rock, Improvised music, Krautrock, Avant-rock, Psychedelia, Psych-rock, Experimental rock/

Comment: Frozen Geese is a duo from Leeds, UK making up an exhilarating mix of acid-fried psychedelic carcasses, full-scale space rock, psyched-out grey areas, and structured krautrock hypnotism. The last part of the album is a little clamed down, having even some parallels with near-folk sound. Indeed, the connection between Dave Lazonby and Graham Baily works out really well, searching for the balance between improvised sound (chopped spoken word lines, hauting synth effects) and determined sound collages, however, figuring out such soul mates as Ester Poland, Joxfield ProjeX, Kospel Zeithorn, Acid Mothers Temple, and Faust.

fydhws - 1234+1 levo desno (left right)

Astma - there will be a McDonald's (2010)

Zeromoon
Free Music Archive

9.4

/Industrial rock, Avant-garde, Experimental, Improvised music, Psych-rock, Noise rock, Non-music, Experimental rock/

Comment: Alexei Borisov has obviously been one of the most eminent and well-known names after Sergey Kuryokhin in and outside Russia (and in the area of the former Soviet Union as well) regarding any kind of cutting edge music. Previously known by his participations in different groups and his profound workouts in electronic music, however, his recent workouts for few late years are more closely related to a poet, namely to Alexei Rafiev, and co-musician Olga Nosova. The last named one is involved as the gearhead and vocalist in the Moscow noise band Motherfathers. The album is quite huge consisting of 20 tracks, however, representing a propulsive endeavour taking on innovative industrial rock attacks and noise-core overthrows. More detailly, through those very dense improvised scapes dominantly can be perceived some influences by Einstuerzende Neubauten (exactly the early era of the Berlin legends) and even voice patterns similar in a way to the manifestations of the Fall`s consciousness Mark E Smith. Indeed, on the basis of this delightful appearance of noise (rock) and endless energy can be said that Borisov arrived at his roots again.

Lullatone - Elevator Music (2011)

Bandcamp
Lastfm

8.8

/Toytronica, Folktronica, Organic electronica, Child music, Electronic pop, Indietronica, Primitive pop/

Comment: Obviously Lullatone do not need a thorough introduction at the moment anymore. Being active since the first half of 00`s the Seymours became involved in making of intiguing mellow electronica-based sculptures spiced up with naivistic approach. Similarly to the past, the recent release is mostly a calm blend of indie and folk and electronica, as if were created with toys and unconventional music instruments. Conceptually the issue bears a practical purpose for listening to while driving in the elevator. At times those naivistic melodies and joyous gears remind of those cartoons of Czechoslovakia (the Mole Krtek; Štaflik a Špagetka etc) by the 60`s-70`s watched in childhood. Really charming and cute indeed. So let`s call it just cutetronica.

Tree Hopping - The Beat Beat (2010)

Mediafire
Bandcamp
Lastfm

9.0

/New Weird America, Free folk, Tropical pop, DIY, Psychedelic, Poptronica, Avant-pop/

Comment: Gabriel Berrios is a youngster from Gainesville, Florida, USA representing some innovative directions in the New Weird America movement. Basically it is an instance of sample-relied pop mixing up magnificient pop minutiae with each other within high-tempered act of creation. In detail, densely pitched tropical/latin pop elements are drawn on jubilant choruses, synergically pounding drums, and slightly gnarling synths. On the other side, there can be perceived nowadays lo-fi/DIY aesthetics as well. The energy coming forth from those sonic blocks, it is impossible to convey it further through the words indeed.

Younnat - Radiovision (2008)

Kahvi
Lastfm

9.2

/Psychedelic, Easy listening, Chillout, Sampledelic, Electronic pop, Electro-rock, Poptronica/

Comment: Radiovision is the sophomore issue by the Ukrainian artist Oleg Serdyuk who used to fuse diverse intersections and sonic influences on the album. However, this can be considered a classic one which is compiled of catchy bubblegum-ish rhythms, reed organs, sythesized loops, all in all, making hugely mood and perception. Serdyuk uses to exploit hiss samples of Manu Chao`s radio tuning, Solovyov-Sedoi`s classic Moscow Nights, and the Latvian electro-disco rock legends Zodiac (indeed, which awaits to be more discovered by the Western block people) which at its most frenzied moments resembles of Messer für Frau Müller. An intrinsic beauty which suggests Radiovision is much better than Eurovision.

Bing Satellites - Little Waves (2011)

Bing Satellites

8.7

/Shoegazetronica, Organic electronica, Electronic pop, Chillout, Ambient, Downtempo, Kosmische musik, Soundscape/

Comment: Manchester has had much virtues to offer to. The Smiths, The Fall, Joy Division, some acid rock ravers like Happy Mondays and the first period The Charlatans. Furthermore, the labels like Hippocamp or BFW Recordings, the last of the abovementioned is headed by a guy known as Bing Satellites, who used to practice fusing ambient sound with shoegaze touch and downtempo synthetic-ness. This 4-track album is spatial, filled with cosmic rays, organic soundscapes, silentful chillout vibes and endlessly soothing fluctuation, all of which is based on a range of sounds veering from the microscopic particles to epic developments. A very pleasant experience.

三毛猫ホームレス - KANEKURE EP (2011)

Maltine

8.0

/Shibuya-kei, Funk fusion, Indie pop, J-pop, Easy listening, Electronic pop/

Comment: A 3-track issue filled in with a mix of dance music and indie attitude of Japanese heritage. There can be detected for shibuya-kei-esque synergy, unwieldy yet catchy synthesized progressions, heavily stomping cadences, funk-y fusions, and easy listening visions. First of all thought for enjoying rather than dancing on the dancefloor.

Meeting Of Important People - Quit Music (2011)

Authentik Artists
Bandcamp

7.0

/Alternative pop/rock, Indie, Grunge/

Comment: Although this Pittsburgh-based trio is considered a representative of the garage rock movement, the last issue reflects only some weak flashes toward it. And the conception of the issue (10 tracks within 29 minutes) are up here to afford a somewhat hazy hint at it. Some loud yet varnished guitar riffs do not allow an exit over to this promised area. In any cases, way too ordinary and bombastic indie pop strums with one explorative trip to the compartment of grunge explosion. At times it seems to be a kind of patchwork made out of the minutiae of The Darkness and Keane respectively. All in all, lacking enough charisma and spark except the ending track Country Wife which does have more treated and planned structure.

Sabrepulse - Wanting

Coolrunnings - Dracula Is Only The Beginning (2011)

Dracula Horse
Bandcamp

8.2

/Psychedelia, Avant-pop, Experimental indie, Poptronica, Alternative pop, Glo-fi, Art-rock/

Comment: Knoxvillian quartet Coolrunnings is back after the great EP Babies Forever which was one of the peak albums in 2010. In fact, it can be considered the group`s first proper LP. In principle, they continue keeping on their current aesthetical tradition offering strong drifts toward Animal Collective-esque exulting psychedelia and Arcade Fire-like straightness in songwriting. This time their songwriting is way too restrainted and less shimmering, though, proffering some really great moments either (Megalomania; Burnout).

Apskaft Presents: 21st Century Schizoid Men (2011)

Bandcamp

8.0

/Avant-garde, Covers, Conceptual, Experimental rock, DIY, Progressive, Experimentalism, RIO, Avant-prog, Experimental electronica/

Comment: Apskaft is used to be a platform for DIY musicians basically with clear-out vanguard-ish orientation. The collective has mainly publicized compilations. At times these miscellanies do have a reference toward some artists or songs. However, the recent compilation relies on King Crimson`s 21st Century Schizoid Man, offering 1o diverse versions on it, veering from frenzied RIO to noise-inflected lo-fi electronics and from reggae sounds to chaotic (near-) dance experiments.