Flora - Trip (2010)

Dissonant

9.4

/Sludge, Doom, Post-metal, Psychedelic, Avant-metal, Experimental metal, Drone metal/

Comment: For instance, similarly to Nadja, Sunn O))), and Talbot, to their soulmates, Flora is a duo consisting of zero nowhere (guitars) and fdj (electronics, samples). They represent three long-running tracks (from 12 minutes to 16 minutes) laying out a mesmerizing sludge/doom/drone mix which is decorated with incessantly overdriving synths/electronics. Its seems to be static, yet, not being this way actually (or having the opposite sites simultaneously). I don`t symphatize with the claims by those intellectual solipsists who tend to insist on that Mozart`s and Beethoven`s symphonies and their otherwise styled musical works were the one and only (as if the Rolling Stones (or Fauna) is less moral (?), for example). (Or the way round, Mozart or Beethoven`s music would have been an instance of black metal in the recent context). Trip is one of the most righteous answers to them. Indeed, is is another tremendous discovery of mine behing Wreck And Reference`s album Black Cassette in the realm of metal music.

Ebola - Brodmann Area (2008)

Acroplane
Lastfm

9.2

/Grime, Electro, Ambient, Avant-garde, Crossover, Experimental electronica, Industrial techno, Experimental electro/

Comment: Ben Hudson aka DJ Psylage (also known from a group, called Baconhead – with Paul Bowyer) comes from Devon, UK. Before this 6-pieced issue, however, he released music of diverse styles on such labels as Mutant Spider, Wrong Music, Sublight, and Proboscus. Similarly to his previous issues the dominantly instrumental Brodmann Area does have lots of cues to a loads of different styles, offering splashing industrial techno/and electro beats, grime-drenched dystopic-ness, slap-up tekno overthrows, digital glitch and eerily hollow ambient shades and much more worth to be discovered from this classic patchwork. The EP should not be misunderstood – this is not intended to be issued for dance floors, instead of it for your peripheric brain cells. Furthermore, by its ideological point, it is rather a hint at old school music for sure.

Claro De Luna - Quedarse

Steffaloo - My Heart Beats (2010)

Bandcamp

8.4

/Minimal, Electronic pop, Free folk, Experimental pop, Singer-songwriter/

Comment: Steffaloo is a musican from Los Angeles, USA who has issued some singles, one EP and one LP (and collaborated with Blackbird Blackbird, for instance). This mere one and half minute long single is pulled out through slight, autotuned vowel experiments and restraint slo-mo bounces subtly surrounding it. Is it either folk, electronic music or...? However, as a soul mate she go with iron like nylon, and Meredith Monk in the same scope but a little from different directions.

Edvenjah - Still in Germany (2008)

Kreislauf

9.0

/Downtempo, Techno, Neoclassical, Crossover, Darkwave, Psytrance, Tekno/

Comment: Sultry, gurgitating techno sequences (in true, which frequently evolves into tekno/and psytrance rhythm frequencies) are variegated with serious, sometimes dark-hued/martial synth progressions-orchestrations in the background; and mingled seamlessly with mesmerizing, atmospheric layers embellished with floating, elliptical paces around it. Furthermore, it makes sense through an diverse row veering from stomping sci-fi rhythms to corroded, lo-fi-inflected beats. Indeed, the 5-track album seems to have acquired the meaning of a buffer zone between the neoclassical music, downtempo, and intellectual techno. A rare yet delectable appearance.

Dreams - Simple Steps EP (2010)

Bandcamp

9.5

/Baggy, Dance rock, Alternative pop/rock, Indie dance, Alternative dance, Madchester, Indie rock/

Comment: this 4-pieced set from Portugal seems to have borrowed its roots from the scene of 90`s baggy/dance rock/madchester (reminding evidently of Primal Scream, Wordsmiths, Flowered Up, and Happy Mondays). Indeed, these roughly sounding, massively stomping beats and hispid, organically flaming vocal manners and abrasive guitar walls ring out really retrodelic whilst Dreams and those abovementioned bands used to make much more sense than nowadays peaky, way-too-much produced rave rock examples (!!!; Klaxons; Bloc Party etc). All in all, I got sentimental and excited and feel myself really fluttered. I recommend to search for old indie compilations on vinyl and listen to Clinker`s self-titled album and Abstract Green`s Romeo Echo Victor (Deluxe).

Joxfield ProjeX - Electric Apple

BeachesBeach - FourFour (2011)

Bandcamp

8.7

/Poptronica, Chillwave, Glo-fi, Sampledelica, Electronic pop, Tropicalia pop/

Comment: The title "BeachesBeach" sounds witty, isn`t? However, it might be visualized as a transcendent shore to be designed to collect such kind of pop tendencies oozing from the scenes of glo-fi/tropicalia pop. Indeed, sublime tropical beats are overlapped with beatific vowels and warm electronica. Last but not least - catchy crossings are genuine part of BB`s soundscape. The use of sample-only techniques used to hint at some similarities having in common with Phaseone and, Rimar - Columbus-based producers.

Cornucopia - Vacu Sessions 16 (2011)

Vacu Sessions

9.3

/Experimental electronica, Abstract, Avant-electronica, Drone, Noise, Experimentalism/

Comment: Portugal-based Vacu Sessions functions to issue innovative mixes and compositions by different artists all around the world. This composition (symphony?) consists of 7 tracks within 59 minutes, employing opposing visions of sound (fluttering, noiseful snippets and thundering bass sequences are set out against dream-filled droning and subtly haunting electronica; clear-cut sounds versus infiltrated progressions). It might be even more important while lots of powerful energy used to seep from the potent form.

A Flat Noise - Hollow EP (2011)

Dystopiaq
A Flat Noise
Lastfm

7.6

/Alternative, Electro-rock, Electronic, Remixes, Lo-fi, Dark pop, Shoegaze/

Comment: This 4-pieced EP embarks on in an electro-drenched, orchestrated rock mould. Thereafter it continues running back and forth on sultry electro segments in its very marrow. Lazily stomping beats, austere amount of guitar chords and hazy electronic progressions in the background are up here to set out a quite heavily opening whole. The last track Hospital (2009) searches timidly for shoegaze realms, yet, succeeding in creating process of dream-alike milieus surrounding pleasantly a listener. The favorite of mine is Hollow (A1X Remix) which constitutes an underlay of dynamical, catchy beats. By the way, the project comes from Ecuador.

The Wind Whistles - Turtle

Enzo Carlino - the wood of the mists and other tales (2008)

Jamendo

8.8

/Soundtrack, Classical music, Mood music, Orchestrated music, Chill out/

Comment: An epic drift between jubilant, heartbreaking harmonies and kitsch-y, synth-programmed beats (indeed, it is very nicely balanced - without sticking out like a sore thumb). Mostly all of that is created in dominating minor key reminding strongly of Ennio Morricone`s monumental tunes. Powerful orchestrated sounds stick out like the philosophy written in chords instead of bare, deteriorating words. The heart-throb of mine is The Marvellous Voyage of Captain Knob which originally was composed as Concerto for oboe, theremin, electronic and orchestra.

Uton - Taivaan Joka Kolossa (2008/2011)

OM HA SVA HA KSHA MA LA VA RA YAM

Free Music Archive

8.6

/Noise, Psych-music, Improvised music, Experimentalism, Avant-folk, Avant-garde/

Comment: Uton is a nom de plume for Jani Hirvonen who is known as an ambassador of the Finnish avant-folk/psych-folk/psychedelic folk/electro folk generalized as "forest folk". Here are represented 15 tracks veering from rough freeform improvisations to psych-ish and nihilistic noiseful overthrows. First of all, the album reminds of Vierivä Viiksiportieeri`s vehement, open-aired works and Kemialliset Ystävät`s crawling, layered metaphysics (if to speak in the context of the Finnish folk scene).

Sally Paradise - Virtual 7" No. 8 (2011)

EverythingIsChemical

9.0

/Chillwave, Glo-fi, Shoegaze, Avant-pop, Experimental pop, DIY, Lo-fi, Electronic/

Comment: Montrèal is not only the birthplace of ice hockey and home city for Canadiens but also a cultural and musical metropolis for the rest of the world which has offered a loads of musical collectives like Bran Van 3000, Arcade Fire, Tim Hecker, Muhr, Gino Soccio, Akufen, Martin Tetreault, GY!BE (and its subsidiaries) etc. No doubt, Montrèal does have the potent lo-fi/DIY scene nowadays (listen to Hobo Cult`s compilations, for instance) and Sally Paradise is one of those discerning butterflies from there. Here are represented three tracks, which used to extend from bombastic chillwave superflight to lo-fi experimental pop and bubbling dada-near avant-pop. The first track Robert Smith On The Beach pays tribute to the Cure by name (as Robert Smith used to esteem MBV`s Loveless) ringing out like a spoiled yet majestic shoegaze instance. By the way, SP released a new album, called Aouu! at Bandcamp.

Primitive Noyes - Hetch Hetchy

Tribe Of Astronauts – Magic Water, Magic Ice (2011)

Inside

9.4

/Dark ambient, Minimal, Soundscapes, Ambient drone, Modern classical, Dystopbient, Experimentalism/

Comment: Just one track. Some seconds over 21 minutes. The basic carcasses and minutiae of improvised and arranged music are juxtaposed to each other. Indeed, this is a huge soundscape extending over (modern) classical and droning plateaus and trash-filled electronic wastelands (in outer space, in the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, in abandoned territories somewhere). Lots of phase and timbre changes, some nervous system shaking throb sequences. Serious-faced and dark-hued. Compare it to the sounds by Taiga, and Caustic Reverie (TheForgotten).

Saito Koji - Luck (2011)

Resting Bell

9.5

/Ambient, Ambient drone, Shoegazetronica, Microtonal, Minimalism, Experimental electronica, Guitar ambient/

Comment: 3-track album by a Japanese experimental musician, Saito Koji, which used to murmur in a minimal yet highly emotive way. Light-hearted synth droning is laced with deluging organic touch and chirpy guitar-based soothing. Fundamental repetitions, more or less elliptically shaped rhythm patterns-loops, beatific reflet exemplified permanently therein are up to standard. Moreover, the issue seems to be the kind of grower. However, if the ending track were speeded up twice as much, it would have chimed as a hallmark of shoegaze music, in principle. In fact, it applies to the other tracks and recent moment either. It sticks out like a warped version of Slowdive`s sound, yet, having existence of full value on its own. A mesmerizing phenomenon indeed.

On Returning - Dresses & Dreams (2011)

Jamendo

8.8

/Post-punk, Britpop, Synth pop, Crossover, New Wave, Alternative pop/rock/

Comment: Similarly to Swedish compatriots The Search`s retrospective issue Silverslut 1999-2002 (especially the first half of the compilation) reviewed the other day On Returning`s release is attuned to roll in a similar, post-punk-ish way. More concretely, rigid yet vivid bass lines, galvanic guitars, leafy synths in the background are configurated in a way to make up both in energy and synergy. Yet, there can be found out two tracks at least which make acquaintance with more synth pop structures and ambiences, on the other hand, acquiring britpop-ish feeling getting close to the Lightning Seeds-alike pop easiness.

Nina Me - After Seven Years Love

Burning Bright - Freesmiles (2011)

Black Lantern Music

9.0

/Hip-hop, Urban music, Crossover, Blues, Bossa nova, Rap, Raggamuffin/

Comment: Burning Bright is a duo (Salem Anders & Tickle) from Edinburgh, Scotland. Their 4-pieced EP constitutes a synergical mix of scratch-based dizziness, ragga(muffin) infiltrations, bossa nova-inflected nylon strings, galvanized blues`n`hop (a la some hybrid tracks by John Spencer Blues Explosion). The last track sounds similarly to Chenard Walcker`s plunderphonic repertoire. Indeed, it is joyous and highly enjoyable hip-hop.

Monster Rally - Palm Reader (2010)

Bandcamp

9.4

/Exotica pop, Chillwave, Glo-fi, Latin pop, Avant-pop, Experimental pop/

Comment: This is a relatively unsung musical project from Columbus which at times is tagged as "chillwave" and "glo-fi". However, its crucial aesthetical point is focused upon exptic pop-tinged progressions and irresistible sampledelic craftiness (compare it to the works by Cagey House, Ergo Phizmiz, Chenard Walcker, and People Like Us, for instance). Altogether, it is summery pop which used to chime in an ancient and modern way simultaneously. For example, are you able to figure out is the date of those examples of Latin-tinged pop coming either from 1930 or 2130?

The Search – The Silverslut 2000-2002 (2011)

Af-Musik
Jamendo

8.6

/Britpop, Post-punk, New Wave, Alternative pop/rock, Synth rock, Electro-rock/

Comment: This is a 35-track issue of solid rock music from Uppsala, Sweden. In fact, the album consists of 6 EP`s released in 1999-2002, during the first period of the project. Especially the first half of miscellany is vry delicious, showcasing its appeal toward the influences of 80`s dance rock, synth pop/rock, new wave, and post-punk. The second half is up to bring some Britpop and folk-ish influences into the mix. The Search`s obvious influences veer from The Cure and Comsat Angels and Smashing Pumpkins to Suede and Belle & Sebastian and Kent. Altogether, discover and afford a handful of great songs for yourself.

Allison Crowe - Silence

Sobaki Kachalova - Gryazniye Botinki (2011)

Clinical Archives

8.4

/Art-pop, Indie pop, Alternative pop/rock, Bubblegum pop/

Comment: If to speak about the recent Sobaki Kachalova`s album and the starting point of indie tradition in Russia/and the former Soviet Union we cannot be without making the reference toward the early period of Kino, Viktor Tsoi`s headed band chimed between uncompromising Smiths-esque “ballads” and pouncing post-punk-ish rhythms. Both bands were truesome pop juggernauts by both sides of the Iron Curtain. Here is a set of 10 songs where catchy guitar chords and summery strums and guitar overdrives are sometimes intervened with sheer brass attacks and artistic slo-mo bubblegum pop. Simple but suggestive.

Bing Satellites - Summer Night (2009)

BFW Recordings

9.4

/Ambient, Soundscape, Progressive, Shoegazetronica, Epic, Synth pop, Crossover, Ambient dub, Psyambient/

Comment: This 7-pieced set is a peculiar and wondrous issue by a profilic musician and label founder (BFW Recordings) from Manchester, UK. First of all, therein can be detected for a wide smorgasboard of styles and tendencies, veering from bubbling ambient dub/psyambient and shoegazetronica to cinematic, sometimes bleak synth-induced soundscapes and melancholic quasi-modern classical approach and angrily gazing synth progressions. Regarding his previous experiments, however, the most odd track is Indigo, which used to be an instance of cosmic prog/fusion (with those barking bass interventions). By the way, the last track does have the longitude of 80 minutes (it starts out as melancholic and epic as a steam ship coming slowly out from the fog down the river).

Tobias Faar - Hidden Locations (2011)

Brusio

8.9

/Minimal, Soundscapes, Dark ambient, Noir, Dystopbient, Sound art/

Comment: The first of those 5 tracks does embark on with bleak, minimal skrees (of grasshoppers?) and bouncing stereo effects and barely “visible” burning around it (back to the nature, isn`t?). However, later all of that gets evolved into a more elemental maelstrom, incorporating more lush ambiences and vivid sonic effects and piano chords for its sake. Thudding and elliptical bass lines and shapes, malicious droning and strangling spasms and vast distances followed are the next characteristics of the album. Yet, inspite of a writhing bulk of sounds the whole brings to fruition itself as an example of B/W, noir-filled motion. Moreover, it could hold good as soundtrack for a sci-fi/horror movie.

Barbagallo - White (2011)

The Post Riot Era - On Zero Sum Living (2011)

Bandcamp
Lastfm

9.2

/Ambient, Post-rock, Guitar ambient, Minimal music, Crossover, Experimental rock/

Comment: The Post Riot Era is the project by Dean Hinds, a resident from Los Angeles. This 5-pieced set is a kind of tribute to post-rock music (yet not being a crescendo-loaded one, either) and ambient and minimal music. Slowly evoking guitar-based restraint hiss which is surrounded with bare electronics and extending soundscapes does grow organically into more clear-cut structures, moreover, letting no possibility for perception power to draw distinct borders between its particles. All in all, a sequential instance of the Californian avant-garde/experimental power.

Aamen - All Aamen tracks at /bc (2011)

Bandcamp

7.6

/Pop techno, Electro pop, Electronic pop, Lo-fi, Experimental electronica/

Comment: Made with crappy soundcard and hedfones... . This is a project from Estonia used to veer from blinking, joyous electro reflections and lo-fi pop techno to more aggressive, brooding electro-shooting and more artistic, semi-orchestrated snippets. All Aamen tracks at /bc is a follow-up (the compilation of previous tracks) to Diskoveri (2011, Trash Can Dance).

Fletcher Kaufman - House of Glass Dolls (2011)

Cakes & Tapes Hotfile
Lastfm

8.5

/Alt-folk, DIY, Lo-fi, Anti-folk, Electronic, Singer-songwriter/

Comment: Fletcher Kaufman is a singer-songwriter from USA and House of Glass Dolls is his debut album (in two versions). By listening and concluding it I can admit that Kaufman`s sound can be considered as one of those ones being part of DIY/anti-folk culture /CLLCT, for instance). Bare, rough guitar strums are accompanied with simple, barking cadences and at times female vocals in the background. On the other side, West Chron has strong electronic appeal with autotuned vocals, Grasping Love used to exploit Jewish motives. You can compare his sound with the oeuvres by Adrian Aardvark, and tinyfolk.

The Bilinda Butchers - This Love Is Fucking Right!

Sordid Dreams - Still Waiting EP (2011)

Bandcamp

9.3

/Psychedelia, Weird pop, Avant-pop, Crossover, Electronic, Avant-garde, Freeformfreakout/

Comment: Warped psychedelia meets heavily stomping beats, airy piano strums, noir-esque spasms, odd electronic-based developments, and dense metal roaring variegated with autotuned aspects (as just a stylistic element concluded for). Indeed, it sounds mostly as instrumental music. This Philly-based collective is already compared to Black Moth Super Rainbow - and they are actually right.

Stephan Leonard - Crown Heights (2007)

Luv Sound
Bandcamp

9.2

/Musique concrète, Microtonal, Microsound, Organic electronica, Sound-art, Experimentalism, Avant-garde/

Comment: The Berliner Stephan Leonard has released his music on tapes, Mp3s and CDr-s since the first half of 00s, and got involved in such collectives as JuliJuni, Leo Mars, and Plastic Doll. However, this one-track issue recorded in his Brooklyn apartment represents an experimental approach where burning microtonal progressions and skrees are accomplished with the organic minutiae of musique concrète, bare glitches and noisy blow-ups. Very interesting.

Sandro Marinoni - Borderline (2009)

Clinical Archives

9.0

/Bebop, Modal jazz, Free jazz, Live session, Hard bop, Improvised music, Cool jazz/

Comment: Borderline is Marinoni`s follow-up to Ten Little Songs under Clinical Archives (his is also known as part of Flames). His tenor saxophone play is clearly dominating - introducing soothing themes and conjuring up suggestive solos, which at times is intervened with bubbling and whistling, twirlingly running electronics by Stefano Roncarolo). These 9 songs represented here veer from bepop and hard bop to free improvisation/free jazz and cool jazz. By any means, these 41 minutes are really worth to give it a try.

Bed. - ame_to_wonder.ep (2011)

Totokoko

9.7

/Folktronica, Ambient, Organic electronica, Avant-folk, Dream folk, Post-pop, Experimental folk, Toytronica/

Comment: Having no distinct preference of this 11-pieced whole`s general impression, however, should it be categorized either "electronica" or "(indie) pop"/"folk music"? This can be dissected as similar as whenever you were lost in thought regarding the sound by the Icelandic elfin combo mùm. Lots of feyness is played up here via naive glockenspiel/clockwork toy-relied snippets, slow melodica-based shifts and excellent chiming guitar approach as well. Moreover, such kind of sound is the brand one for Totokoko label, a Japan-based records. All is very fine on it, from the very start to the closure point, though, my special tracks are fourth (heartbreaking harmonies!) and tenth (otherworldly soothing minimal ambientas if coming from a remote, aluminium-coated wasteland) in the song list, respectively. Thank you, Daisuke.

Romantic States - The Fourth

Pollux - Crucial (2011)

Sirona-Records

8.8

/Drum and bass, Illbient, Conceptual, Dystopbient, Avant-industrial, Big beat, Remixes, Avant-garde/

Comment: This 4-pieced remix album comes from France. Here are remixed Godspeed You! Black Emperor`s The Dead Flag Blues - showcasing it as an instance to be adrift on a vista of industrial-filled dystopic ambient/illbient. Moonengineer`s All In Your Hands starts out with slightly diffusive big beat pounding and solemn church organs running this way off into the next one. Indeed, Boards Of Canada`s Corsair gets a drum and bass (actually dream and bass)-dominated coat wrapped in a little more amplified solemnity. µ-ziq`s Fall Of Antioch continues principially in similar vein, yet getting designed through more tense, rumbling rhythmic sequences.

Aux.Out - Read Quickly (2011)

Bandcamp
Lastfm

9.3

/Slowcore, Post-rock, Experimental rock, Shoegaze, DIY, Dreamgaze, Indie rock, Experimental indie, Lo-fi, Singer-songwriter/

Comment: There is possibility to consider the music history as an array of imaginable connections made up of contributions from young, talented musicians. Garrett Mombourquette is a 17-years-old sound maker from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada who has recorded a handful of albums during a pair of last years. However, his sound can be considered shoegaze/slowcore/experimental rock-influenced singer-songwriter-ism. Here are 8 tracks which are finely accented through slowly ascending orchestrated ambiences, merely buried vocal lines, strongly emphasized guitar fingerpicks and coiling wondrous harmonic loopholes. In any cases, you can find out a wide spectre of sounds besides (marching rhythms, progressions on noise and electronics). A superb result indeed.

Boca Chica - ePop016 (2011)

Eardrums Pop
Lastfm

9.2

/Alt-folk, Baroque pop, Alt-country, Indie folk, Experimental indie, Folk indie, Chamber pop, Indie pop, Cover/

Comment: This is a stunning, 3-pieced set of folk/US-based roots-inflected (for instance, country and folk music) indie pop by a quintet from Pittsburgh. Simple but recognizable, emotive but considered. Strumming guitar lines do flutter going up as the orchestrated progressions at times. Especially outstanding notch is Afternoon Tea, appeared in a subtle synergy consisting of wringed, guitar-based echo effects and whimsical chamber progressions. The last track is You`re the Blues, a cover version of the song of Nik & the Central Plains.

Call Me On The Allophone - Nite Train (2011)

pan y rosas discos

9.0

/Avant-folk, Experimental folk, Chamber music, Slowcore, New Weird America, Improvised music, Weird folk, Psych-folk, Alternative/

Comment: This is a split album by two crazy gals with guitars from USA. Call Me On The Allophone is a nom de plum of Kendra Calhoun who used to torture and wring her guitar, started out on "broken", angular guitar chords which step by step get evolved into a broader vista accomplished with tense, elemental hiss skrees behind it. Anyway, it creates the sense as if the whole were played up in an angular channel somewhere. The more the Walk On Wine comes to its finishing point the more bewilderness it used to show up. The second track by Teaadora picks up a more singer-songwriter-based approach dripping it with vowels (singing?), having acquired a very low level-based shift surrounded by highly stuttering, elemental noise. The last track is the collaboration of both at a festival taking on queasily improvised schemes where the influence lines between folk and electro-acoustic-ness and improvised music and high-registered singing will be clouded away.

Southern Shores - Bonfire

Southern Shores - Bonfire from jordan beard on Vimeo.

[Compilation] Theory Of Everything (2011)

I Heart Noise
Bandcamp

8.5

/Post-rock, Electronic pop, Electro-indie, Hardcore, Art-pop, Experimental pop/

Comment: This is one of those numerous compilations issued under the I Heart Noise umbrella. However, there are represented 4 tracks by the same copious set of artists. Phone Home`s Meds starts out as a loosely tinkling, reggae-hued beats will evolve into resplendent harmonic patterns. Telethon`s OwNixGolly is the heart-throb of mine on it. Fantastic gear amongst the surrounding nettlesome sonic shit. Indeed, it should be one of the electro-rock templates for all of us. Ted Bundy`s Volkswagen`s (what the heck!) Whorehopper is a heavily moshing, riff-loaded hardcore/metal-reflected rock. Old World Vulture`s Benny is more inflected toward instrumental post-rock where silentfulness is variegated with galvanized post-rock riffs. A good yet uncomprehensive overview of the artists under IHN. Obviously you have already figured out what to do next.

Tabar - Hugs EP (2010)

Tabar
Mediafire
Lastfm

9.1

/Indie pop, Art-rock, Experimental indie, Alternative pop/rock, Math rock/

Comment: Tabar is a quartet from Midlands, UK, offering a handful of songs, more concretely, wherein mouthwatering, artistic indie tendencies are at times adjoined by figurative math rock influences. Indeed, stunning choruses, catchy chord transitions, sublime synth soothing, angular full-clad guitar shapes make up their debut EP highly promising.

Martin Back - Unstable Rotation Centers (2010)

PandaFuzz

8.9

/Avant-garde, Minimal, Microtonal, Noise, Sound-art, Electro-acoustic, Acousmatics, Drone, Experimentalism, Avant-electronica, Avant-jazz/

Comment: This is an advanced, 4-pieced achievement by Martin Back who used to explore the very extremities of conceptual electronic music. In true, his sound can not be considered "usual electronica" at all, because in the opening track he pushes forward on buzzing, drone-inflected progression at times a bit slowed down, sometimes a bit speeded up. Indeed, there can be detected for quite restraint, minimal approach. On the other side, one of those long-running tracks - the third track - is designed for to blur the borders between electro-acoustic music and experiment-prone jazz music. The second track is a true-bred instance of an abstract buzzscape applying for to get the greatest amount of gloss on the album. The closure notch takes on a menacing, digital noise-backed somersets. As a consequence, the whole is a efficacious and accomplished.

Max Tannone - Ghostfunk (2011)

Max Tannone
Lastfm

8.8

/Mash-up, Cut and paste, Plunderphonics, Crossover, Hip-hop, Psychedelic rock, Afrofuturism, Afrofunk/

Comment: This is Max Tannone`s eighth album (during a span of 3 years, since 2009) this time being the godfather for a 10-set hodgepodge consisting of Ghostface Killah`s hip-hop rhymes and afrofunk/afrofuturistic rhythms and funk-based psychedelic grooves. However, you have no reason to doubt in his abilities and legacy. All those sequences collated here are intended to realize in solid impact and synergy.

Tabar - Hugs

Doug Sharp - Boogafoo Music (2011)

Itsu jitsu
Lastfm

9.4

/Avant-garde, Proto-electronica, Primitronica, Psychedelic, Experimentalism, Weird, Conceptual, Sonic effects, Avant-electronica/

Comment: Similarly to Gary Wilson and R Stevie Moore, as the musicians advanced in age, Doug Sharp- a 59-years-old man living like an eremite in a remote cabin in Wisconsin - is up to his sonic deeds, indeed, justifying his name completely. As the kind of truesome avant-gardist having created under his proper name he is also known as part of Zilch Spacecraft Network (in liaison with his daughter Margaret). This classical set/legacy of 13 tracks were created in 1974 via a bunch of phase and pitch effects on a Moog modular synthesizer. In fact, this is an unique appearance of the legendary electronic keyboard showcasing the borders, but also the possibilities and advantages of the analogue sound. Additionally, I recommend listen to Hannah M.G Shapero`s My name is Marietta Cashman (2009, justnotnormal). In conclusion, as an appeal to all dear music critics, please add these two experimentalists into a new list of musicians whenever you are ready to re-write the electronic music history once again.

Craig Chordman - Beacon Of Dreams (2011)

Jamendo

8.7

/Indie, Chill out, Mood music, Poptronica, Easy listening/

Comment: Craig Chordman is an instrumental musician from the Foggy Albion. This is his seventh single over here at Jamendo, which is created through beatific indie progressions, within it can be perceived for chillout-ish, at times even chillwave-ish milieus and developments. All those soothing flutes and chiming strings are delectably up to. Such sort of single is to be succeeded in the final part of any kind of melodramatic film undubiously.

Nameless Dancers - End Of Night (2011)

45RPM-RECORDS
Nameless Dancers
Lastfm

9.0

/Easy listening, Chill out, Bossa nova, Lounge, Smooth jazz, Crossover/

Comment: First of all, I can remember for the excellent lounge album Morning Touches (2011, Bump Foot)... . Nameless Dancers is the project by Evgenij Kharitonov aka EugeneKha (a very profilic musician, poet and art activist-curator from Moscow), Konstantin Guro, and Olga Astra. Indeed, End Of Night continues in the same ideological and aesthetical vein as Morning Touches used to shift for. However, the Russian trio takes on a colourful patchwork of diverse styles running on easy listening mode. Indeed, it makes up some tricks with jazz music, a drawer of easy listening a la Bruno Nicolai`s more light-hearted tracks, intricate visions on bossa nova and chill out sound.

Fanny + Alexander - Espida de credo

Erik Nilsson - Recollage (2011)

Luxus Arctica

9.3

/Folktronica, Modern classical, Chamber folk, Art-pop, Dream folk, Electronic, Psych-blues, Avant-folk, Organic electronica, Baroque folk, Avant-folk, Experimentalism/

Comment: Erik Nilsson`s album starts out with an obscure but majestic snippet as if were brought forth from GYBE!-like space somewhere, which soon will be followed by glitch-pieced micro rhythms and folktronic overthrows being surrounded by modern classical shadows around it. In fact, the following tracks will continue running on the similar template, at times adding some glockenspiel embellishments and more and less bouncing cadences. During its course permanently changing guitar timbres and chord sequences are getting close to flamenco and psych-blues guitars, Some tracks on it used to remind in its breathtaking of Oskar Hallbert`s touch or gillicuddy`s experimentalism. For instance, the last two notches are genuinely odd experiments with elliptical loops on electro-acoustic and psych-folk mode.

The Bilinda Butchers - Regret, Love, Guilt, Dreams (2011)

Bandcamp
Lastfm

9.8

/Shoegazetronica, Dreamwave, Hypnagogic pop, Dream pop, Chillwave, Post-pop, Electronic pop, Glo-fi, Experimental indie/

Comment: In any cases, The Bilinda Butchers` album was very expected for. The first experience of mine related somehow to the duo`s music was their single under the Beko DSL wherein they mesmerizingly covered the Panic At The Disco`s track This Love Is Fucking Right!. The other part of it, Tulips, is represented on this 6-pieced set as well. However, the San Franciscans` recognizable sound - consisting of strumming guitars and chillwave-ish synthetic layers - reflects upon itself as one of the most masterful progressions in the vein of MBV`s Loveless. Moreover, as Kevin Shields used to warp guitar sounds and pitch buried vocal lines, Michal & Adam used to bend particles into sublime chords and sexy moods surrounding dreamily a listener`s ears, however, balancing craftily between the old and new tradition. One of the albums of 2011 for sure. The closest relative to them? Memoryhouse, of course.

Iszen - Informal EP (2011)

Vermella

8.7

/Experimental electronica, IDM, Downtempo, Experimental electro, Glitch techno/

Comment: Iszen is a musician by the southern side of the American continent, obviously from Argentina, however, who is prone to offer originally touched vibrant IDM/mellow electronica-driven music which is variegated with slo-mo/downbeat undercurrents and rusty, cut-up glitch-esque beats (the last characteristic is distinctive at Fuerzas Teluricas). De la mano gets at least half of its inspiration beyond the borders of electronic music, however, incorporating baroque-esque layers wrapped up in a kind of electronic-mashed production. It rings out like Skipper (1995), a oeuvre by Daniel Figgis.

Gramatik - So Much For Love

Alland Byallo - Club Soda & Salt (2004)

Epsilonlab

9.7

/Dub-tech, Tech-house, Deep house, Electro-house, Avant-funk/

Comment: Alland Bryant Byallo aka Hall Monitor, is a DJ producer and label owner from California, issued his debut, 4-tracked piece in 2004 on Epsilonlab (most of the publications on this label should be recognized as classic ones today). This EP does have 2 dimensions on its own - the first of them consists of deep tech-house, shimmery electro-house, and at times dub-tech, which, at the second stage used to seamlessly expand into an instance of irresistible funk and techno disco streaming - it can be mentioned as a predecessor of the tunes of nowadays future funk. By the way, the starting track Good Touch is remixed by Éloi Brunelle.

Wreck And Reference - Black Cassette (2011)

Bandcamp
Lastfm

9.7

/Avant-metal, Psych-metal, Experimental metal, Lo-fi, Doom, Psychedelia, Post-rock, Crossover, Avant-rock, Epic/

Comment: This is a very appearance of frenzied, tortured metal music. Actually I am not able to acquire a clear-cut idea about its ideological standpoint and source - more concretely, is it either an offspring from the GYBE!/A Silver Mt Zion-like otherworldly abrasive obscureness or springing up from experimental metal? Or is it a child of the psychedelic, Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd? More importantly, all those 6 progressions are filled in with mesmerizing energy and cleaving aesthetics, stomping and being destructive at every moment and for every rock and metal genre. But after the agreement that it is a kind of metal-based occurrence the album can be considered the best metal album in 2011 so far.

Chris Forsyth + The Paranoid Cat Band - Live on WFMU's The Long Rally with Scott McDowell 3/18/11 (2011)

Free Music Archive

9.2

/Psychedelia, Drone rock, Improvised music, Avant-rock, Rockabilly, Crossover, Trance rock, Experimental rock/

Comment: This is a set of 3 improvised, long-running jam units by Chris Forsyth and 4 of his fellow musicians. Altogether, you can call it just trance rock, for instance. The first, 20-minutes notch involves the similarities with Spaceman 3, and Spiritualized through artistic guitar playing (relied on elusive arpeggios and repetitions and such kind of "dry" chord progressions reminiscent of the string magic by John Fahey) accompanied by Don Bruno`s incessant phase changes of organ`s droning. The second track might be considered as a modified, more experiment-appealed version of Blur`s Tender. The third notch mixes up sheer psychedelia with free form rock and distinctive undercurrents of rockabilly. Indeed, the whole seems to be rational that is the reason of why it is impressively accomplished.

Wouter Bruys - Semur-en-Auxois

Infirm Individual - The Green Incident (2010)

Infirm Individual
Mediafire

9.4

/Experimental electronica, Electronic pop, 8-bit, Primitronica, IDM, Tracker music/

Comment: These 4 tracks are the representatives of catchy, uplifting electronic music by a profilic artist from Germany. His idiosyncratically original soundscape is simply irresistible relied on the maze of 8-bit, IDM, and melodico-tronica. No doubt, this is one of the most eminent 8-bit/tracker music/chiptune-based sounds I have ever heard. The first track The Steampunk-Brothers Arrival rings out as if an easily gliding attempt by the Orb in the second half of 90s. He has sticked voice samples by Terence McKenna into the whole thereby exalting the niveau of a cute-o-meter.

Marc Broude - Medicine (2009)

Mediafire
Lastfm

9.6

/Dark ambient, Sound art, Dystopbient, Spoken word, Psycho-acoustic, Avant-garde, Illbient, Avant-industrial, Soundscapes, Avant-jazz, Experimentalism/

Comment: Marc Broude`s (born in 1984) outputs can be considered as one of those hallmarks in the crossing point of illbient, industrial and (dark) ambient music without any doubt. At those 7 tracks over 42 minutes you can feel dense, clinical sense of dystopic ambience played up by means of Tibetan bowls, electric guitars, drums, violin, piano, acoustic guitar, didgeridoo, electronics and many other devices. (There can not be forgotten the influences by Big City Orchestra, and Coil either). But not only - at times it sounds like an instance of free improvised jazz madman. The closure track Muerte incorporates refined rushes based on a Western-like harmonica and subdued chords of a guitar.

Anubi - Perdition Is My Queen EP (2011)

42 Records/24

8.9

/Art-rock, Alternative pop/rock, Psychedelic, Indie pop/

Comment: It is quite difficult to generalize this 4-pieced issue - it chimes as rock`n`roll as The Fall and The Brian Jonestown Massacre used to have done. During most of its course it showcases quite straightforward sonic spine with some exceptional dashes of psychedelia and galvanically artistic minutiae (using violins and organs for it) dipping out its power from the extremities of the pop scene and melting it into an "understandable" form of art.

Diablo Swing Orchestra - Velvet Embracer

The Vaselines: Live at Primavera Sound Festival 5/28/2009 (2009)

Free Music Archive

9.0

/Jangle pop, Alternative pop/rock, Indie pop, Twee pop/

Comment: The Vaselines is a Scottish duo consisting of Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee firstly being surfaced in 80s (1986-1990) as part of then twee/jangle pop scene. Quite paradoxically, they got some fame as one of the favorite bands by all our beloved Kurt Cobain (by the way, Nirvana covered three of their songs). This gig was recorded at the famous Primavera festival including their best songs represented over here (Molly`s Lips; Jesus Does Not Want Me A Sunbeam; Slushy; Sex Sux, You Think You`re A Man; Oliver Twisted etc). Honestly, I have long awaited for the revival of those seemingly simple yet catchy infiltrated guitar strums and joyous even groovy drum patterns of 80`s guitar bands. This is a honest example of indie`n`roll.

Gennaro Molino – Dub Land (2011)

Deepindub

9.5

/Dub, Tech-dub, Electronic dub, Minimal techno/

Comment: Undubiously Molino aka Dubbemo`s new, 4-track EP rocks your dub-coloured socks off. More punctually, your tech-dub-striped socks off. The first track Orion is the most atmospherical, hypno-stepped appearance on it (or should I say - the most contemplative - on it?). All the album is really enjoyable by the side of drifting refinely between the washes of ambience and soothing beats, however, reminiscent of the outputs by Basic Channel, a Berlin-based legendary duo, and the British ambient dub/techno legend the Orb either. Yet, Molino does have its own way, and it is really great. Believe me this guy from Naples is a wizard.

Various Artists - Sampler 2011 (2011)

rx:tx

9.0

/Dub, Dubtronica, Electronic pop, Electro pop, Robo pop, Experimental electronica/

Comment: This is a set of 13 tracks by the rx:tx records which has promoted Slovenian (new) electronic music for the last ten years. The first tracks of the compilation does have its spot on dub(-related) music reflecting it through more and less hypnotical points of view (in true, the first track, Dpek`s I Go Sunshine has usurped chillwave-ish gleam). However, the residual part will subside into more electro(nic) approach offering memorable moments from robot-and sex-appealed pop (Wanda & Nova deViator) and 8-bit/electro/atmospheric pop (Jovan) to a flickering electronic gliding (8Bitch) and oddly immersed orchestrations (Errorist) and majestic, spherically soothing shifts (AgoTela). However, the last tracks used to search for dub influences once again. A tough miscellany indeed.

Bark Cat Bark - Mathilde`s First Waltz