Giggs - Universos EP (2011)

Monofònicos

8.6

/House, Club dance, Downbeat, Tech-house, Remixes, Dub-house/

Comment: This release from Medellin (Colombia) makes up much sympathy over you. Being embellished with confident cadences of tech-house and dub-house, brooding mid-tempo and at times minimal slow-tempo beats, Universos EP seems to be masterfully variegated and balanced in any cases. It reminds of those listening times of radio shows in the evenings in ending part of the 90`s. Half of the tracks are original, half of them are remixes. Indeed, it is genuine satifactory in its rhythm connections and mood interactions.

From.Oceans.To.Autumn - The Flood​/​The Fall (2011)

Bandcamp

8.7

/Post-metal, Shoegaze, Post-rock, Ambient rock, Epic, Stonergaze, Crossover, Experimental metal, Experimental rock/

Comment: Brandon Helms and Allen Knight (previously known from Autumn Is Forever). Two men with a guitar, bass and sampling techniques from Charlotte, North Carolina, playing out a mesmerizing blend of post-metal, shoegaze/stonergaze, post-rock and ambient on this 2-track EP. A bunch of energy and vibrations via aesthetical temperance on the heavy scale of sound. Just give it a listen and let it deluge over you.

Karmafish - Life Support (2011)

Jamendo

8.2

/Alternative rock, Grunge rock, Hard rock, Noise rock, Progressive rock, Jangle pop/

Comment: Not a bad effort at all... . A sort of sonic patchwork. It kicks off with stop-and-go rock and roll, which will be followed by the kind of brooding contemplation (you can see at that even some similarities with the glorious British folk music), lots of grunge guitar tones, noisy riffs. Actually prog-rock and hard rock mentality is touched therein either. The last tracks, especially Supernatural reminds of Mozzer`s solo efforts (with some slight influences of Madchester/baggy drums). On the other side, A Perfect View is a charming entry into the light-hearted jangle pop world of 80`s (compare it to the Bodines, for instance). All in all, a spoonful more synergy and glossiness to be added to it yet and the album would have been a genuine masterpiece.

Electric Landscapes of Rebellion - Electric Landscapes with Pigs & Piano (2011)

Petcord

8.5

/Sound art, Electro-acoustics, Found sound, Acousmatics, Experimental electronica, Microtonal, Musique concrète, Avant-garde/

Comment: ELoR is a Spanish duo consisting of Antony Maubert and Edith Alonso which started off in 2007. The recent album compiled of 4 long-running tracks is but a little more than an array of digital hisses and crackles. It is an example of digital metaphysics, a kind of aiming at re-creating a new system incorporating the elements of musique concréte, noise, microsounds, (modern) classical. Moreover, those minimally sounding stretched sounds (before developing into noise) do chime impressively haunting. Or some lone piano chords are laced with the voice of pigs. More generally, it is a crossroad between electro-acoustics/acousmatics, digital sound processing, and sound art.

Beats Antique - Collide (2008)

Bandcamp

8.4

/World music, Ethnic music, Ethnotronica, Remixes/

Comment: This album of 13 tracks is composed and arranged by Sidecar Tommy and David Satori who used to play many instruments on it. However, they are helped by many contributors who play more or less ethnic instruments. Indeed, here can be met upright electronic beats which are mixed up with shitloads of developments on diverse motives - veering from gypsy/Balkan music to the Middle East-centered warbles. Catchy and joyous.

Bwedge - Shrunken Head (2011)

Bandcamp
Mediafire

8.8

/New Weird America, Tropical pop, Free folk, Psychedelic pop, Alternative pop/

Comment: Such kind of sound was firstly evoked by Avey Tare & Panda Bear circa 10 years ago. It was then named as free folk, freak folk, New Weird America or a bit some way else (probably the biggest musical revolution during my life time). However, all things will be changing in time and space - so such sort of sound is re-named as tropical pop nowadays. The most important aspect at it is to see the connection between those abovementioned styles. More concretely, pleasantly bouncing rhythms, exultant voice lines, psychedelic conversation between synths and guitars. By the way, Shrunken Head is a very good album by one 19-year-old guy from the USA.

Muepetmo – Depression, Desperation, Emotional Pressure, Physical Pain, Anxiety, Financial Difficulties or Other Undesirable Situations (2010)

Psicotropicodelia
Jamendo

8.5

/Film noir, Classical, Experimentalism, Noise, Acousmatics, Crossover, Avant-garde, Electro-acoustic, Weird, Chamber music, Psych-music/

Comment: This is a release by a guy from Brazil made through some more or less weird-inflected points of view. Played up through harpsichords, harmonics, pianos, and clavichords. Indeed, it almost sounds like old music/baroque-relied classical music if someone were not able to have focus on noiseful snippets, reversed and heavy reverb-loaded sonic effects. It sounds almost "normal" though it is not "normal" at all. By the way, what does it mean "normal" at all? The issue must reflect upon hard life of the musicians in Brazil.

Nils Quak - On Sinking (2011)

Rural Colours
Bandcamp

9.2

/Ambient, Ambient noise, Shoegazetronica, Minimal, Experimental electronica, Dark ambient, Soundscapes/

Comment: Nils Quak is a musician from Cologne, Germany. By coming from the home city of the CAN, indeed it is such a fact which definitely does make difference. Yet, inspite of positive bias the 34-year-old Teuton`s soundscape makes vastly out on its own. In fact, at times it can even be compared to the sound of the legendary krautrockers, for instance, at Forever Fading throughout which one can perceive for some similar ambient-based vibrations and epic washes with Animal Waves (on Saw Delight, 1977). On the other side, it can be compared to Slowdive, Bowery Electric, and Bing Satellites as well. The kick-off track Please Let Me Rest is set into an "unstable" environment and thereby illuminated with borealic white heat. The second track A Rusting Down continues principially the same array of sounds, yet having acquired some minimal changes through a little more murky tonality in addition to fingerpicked guitars in the background. There Will Be No Harm is a contemplative vision brought forth via barely ringing glitch-like clinks and tremendously minimized flux of sonic particles. Altogether, a solid workout in the realm of experimental ambient music.

The Stereomovers - Waiting

Los Fusilados - Los Fusilados (2010)

Los Fusilados

8.6

/Agit-punk, Anarcho-punk, Punk rock, Psychobilly, Garage rock, Experimental rock, Blues rock, Spoken word/

Comment: This 16-track release is an example of truesomely exorcized agit-punk coming from Chile, from the South America, from a continent, which used to be one of the most revolutionary places all around the world during the last six decades at least. Indeed, the album seems to be presented without any compromises and courtesies, sung or manifested in Spanish either. The soundscape is filled with dizzy psychobilly and blues rock undercurrents, providing lots of key and pace changes within it. Unlikely to the punk music, they used to exploit the kind of snippets played up with harmonicas, making restraint sound-art and "covering" (i.e replaying/sampling) electronic dance music and Grease for once.

The Easton Ellises - EP One (2011)

Enough Records
Lastfm

9.0

/Nu rave, Alternative dance, Alternative rock, Indie dance, Electro-rock, Synth rock/

Comment: Alexandre Dionne aka Alex D and Simon Roy, a couple of residents from Montrèal, Quebec, were previously known as The Stereomovers (2000-2010) mixing up rock music with danceable beats. Moreover, beyond of it, before or in the meantime of the group`s activities they have practised sonic enterprises based on punk rock, trance beats and house music. Whatsoever, as a proof to their huge experience-based past the duo continues with their amalgamative manipulations on rock and very seesawing rhythms. Indeed, this 5-track issue is a crafty blend of sequencer-backed beats and hooks, high-energized nu rave aspirations and intoxicating harmonies. E-rock, as Alex & Simon have themselves described their sound. Although I am not used to be an idle proponent of the nowadays dance music, EP One makes really hugely sense. Good job, dudes.

Greenland Is Melting - Our Hearts are Gold, Our Grass is Blue (2011)

Greenland Is Melting
Bandcamp

8.5

/Bluegrass, Alt-country, Folk, Crossover, Southern music, Punk folk/

Comment: This is a trio from Gainesville, Florida, consisting of Karl Seltzer, Will Dueease, and Shaun Pereira. They mainly do play a upbeat folk/country music with some influences of punk, vaudevillian appearances, bluegrass, and brass music. All is played on a variety of diverse instruments like banjo, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, pedal steel, harmonica, trumpet, bass drum and fiddle. The lyrics represented here do tend to carry more or less careless attitude upon the bittersweet minutiae of life (talking about lingering, finding themselves shelter around here and there, the heaviness of being sober etc). In a nutshell, this is a romantic publication played out in the vein of the Southern music tradition. A honest soundscape indeed.

Wladysław Komendarek - Chronowizor (2011)

NoEcho

9.8

/Progressive, Kosmische Musik, Synth music, Astral dance, Progressive rock, Electronica, Improvised music, Chillout, Fusion, Easy listening/

Comment: Władysław Komendarek (born 1948) can be named as the Polish Edgar Froese (I really hope he does not mind about my statement), who started off as the keyboard player in the line-up of Polish symphonic rock/progressive rock combo Exodus for almost four decades ago. Upon the termination of the group`s activities in 1983, however he has frequently been referred as one of the leading Polish electronic musicians thereafter. On some pictures, he looks out like a crazy hippie behind the wide board of the analogue equipment (Moog synths). Though, not only his outlook used to be welcome - his attitude toward the music is integral, lush and ravishing. Lots of uplifting cosmic synth overthrows, electro/synth rock gears, progressive rock, astral dance music (somewhat similar to deep house, for instance), electronic fusion, near-soundtrack appearances. Regarding his professionalism, this whole of 9 tracks ( most of the tracks are long-running ones) is craftily arranged which in a more concrete sense thought does have a clear-cut vision and complete accomplishment. I think for everyone coming from the Soviet block, indeed such kind of soundscape does conjure up many hazy but good memories stemmed mainly from the sci-fi and youth films. Yet, first of all, it is a gem by the standards of progressive music/krautrock/fusion.

Plusplus - Broken Boiler

Yall - GUM single (2011)

Mediafire
Lastfm

8.7

/Punk rock, Noise rock, Blues rock, Art-punk, Crust punk/

Comment: Yesterday I got this submission by this US-based collective... . I like their frenzy energy and the dense noodling on guitars and drums channelized into the form of crust punk/noise rock or something in-between of that. It rings out as if a jam session coming directly forth from a rehearsal room. Only 2 short-running tracks are represented here - the first of them, GUM, kicks off as a blues-coated one, which soon will be dropped into the hell-ish chase "embellished" with overlapping sound shit in the backdrop in the ending part. The second track um gets embodied as mesmerizing through the catchy repetition of a elliptically shaped drum gear. All in all, it is an example how one somewhat style-related punk rock should be templated for - very destructive, wonky and rotten, getting inverted in its madness. Indeed, it is is not a love song.

Chevalier Avant Garde - Selectronic from Montreal (2011)

Beko DSL

8.6

/Post-psychedelic electronica, Electro-indie, Electro-rock, Glo-fi, Lo-fi, Experimental indie, DIY/

Comment: Dimitri sings and Filip plays the guitar... . A duo from Montrèal, Quebec, Canada, providing a pair of songs which are obviously influenced by the nowadays chillwave/glo-fi aesthetics and the first attempts in the realm of electronic rock/indie like The Silver Apples by the end of 60`s either. The 2-headed single starts off with Toy, which is sustained by heavily bounding, high-frequencied sequence machines (the recent beat music, isn`t?) which later, in the second track Sixteen Candles, will be converted into the sort of mid-tempo, a little drowsy sound. But thumbs up anyway. It might freely be possible that the duo will be famous in 2012, for instance.

The New Mystikal Troubadours - Second Spring (2011)

Free Music Archive
Mt6

9.7

/Psych-folk, Trance rock, Experimental indie, Drone folk, Psychedelia, Avant-rock, Avant-folk, New Weird America, Free folk/

Comment: Second Spring is the duo Dave Gibson (Agrarians) & Matt Perzinski (Bad Liquor Pond)`s sophomore outing (after the self-titled debut album in 2009). Anyway, such kind of psychedelic (folk) music makes most of the times subtly out. No doubt, the duo is able to straddle diverse elements into a seamless blend of psychedelia, drone folk, and psych-folk. But you can get intoxicated on guitar strums and halo-like washes within and around it. In true, experimental folk seems to be their most but not just only realm to get steps into it. At times it reminds of the trance rock incantations by wizards like Jason Pierce (Spacemen 3; Spiritualized) and Peter Kember aka Sonic Boom (Spacemen 3; Experimental Audio Research; Spectrum) or warblely exorcized indie folk songs a la Animal Collective or contemplative drone folk groups like Children Of The Drone, and Natural Snow Buildings. In a nutshell, this is a highly synergic set of 12 tracks and it can be considered a manifesto for beauty in music and universally either. One of the best albums during 2011 so far - by this shamelessly underrated group.

F.S.Blumm/Lucrecia Dalt – Cuatro Covers (2011)

La bèl

9.3

/Folktronica, Cowbell indie, Avant-folk, Krautrock, Experimental folk, Chamber folk, Dream folk/

Comment: This collaborative act between F.S Blumm and Lucrecia Dalt is just more than mesmerizing - it is quite hard to search for a more proper sentence to describe the result. One`s can detect for elaborated guitar chords, semi-tones and fully fragmented light, adjacent to the organic electronic imprecation which is brought forth through repetitive loops (moreover, acquiring even krautrock-ish characteristics at times) and gently rising progressions, all of that reaching out from the subtle glockenspiel touches to noiseful guitar explorations, from quasi-orchestrated developments to drowsy fingerpicked magic. In a nutshell, a subsequent folk-related instance under the La bèl label.

Fescal - Into The Atmosphere (2011)

Test Tube
Lastfm

9.5

/Drone, Minimalism, Avant-garde, Dark ambient, Epic, Microtonal, Sound art, Soundscapes/

Comment: Fescal, a UK-born but now in the South Korea residing musician provides an astonishing set of 5 tracks relied on the profound explorations of droning soundscapes. Indeed, it is quite hard to realize out where reality could be distinguished from possible fictive vistas. As Fescal`s brand used to be to date, all is enveloped with a tight mass of tape hisses, making all the content ring out really subtle and organic. If to try to convert the recent impression into rock music and to find out the equivalent for it, however, it might be considered dream pop, for instance. In any cases, such kind of dreamscapes cannot be transcended upon the frames of time and space. It is rather a kind of mental level, though.

Mobyl - The Pact EP (2011)

17 Sons
Jamendo
Lastfm

8.5

/Minimal techno, Tech-house, Avant-techno, Experimental techno, Bubblegum techno/

Comment: As we know very well one of the intentions by the French-based label 17 Sons used to be releasing catchy techno music among other genres. However, I really get involved in listening to this 4-track EP, which is a crossroad of Autechre-like intellectual techno (dynamic breaks seem to be a bit corroded and angular) and bubblegum-mish yo-yo-tech-house appearances. There can be perceived for propulsive up-and-down filtered cadences, drilling machine-like grooves, swelling-squealing sonic effects. Less is more - this would be a motto of the issue. It almost sounds like someone`s life observed through the spectrum of a stroboscope.

Good Dangers - Brasilia

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.