The Womb - Escapism (2011)

23 Seconds

The Womb
Lastfm

9.2

/Synth noir, Hip-hop, Experimental indie, Art pop, Crossover, Electronic pop, Dark pop, Angst pop, Ambient pop/

Comment: Alan Driscoll, one of the most intricate singer-songwriters today is back with his brand new heavy. He is known by his idiosyncratic dark-hued vocal manner which is sticked somehow with (white) hip-hop mannerism (extraordinarily in the closure track The Narrator). By speaking about his(?)/someone(?)/anyone`s (?) paranoias and obsessions, he uses lo-fi synthetic sound only to give rhythm and soul for the issue. In fact, Driscoll has added some new elements - for example, Strobelites does function as a hell-ish blend of downtempo and deep ambient. Especially monumental is We Swam Through The Sky, an amazing angst-filled vista. Really horrifying indeed. One of the best tracks in 2011 so far. Of course, while you can feel some difference between Escapism and a masterpiece, called Purity Test (also issued on 23 Seconds, 2011), his last issue is outstanding for sure. You can compare Driscoll (living in Melbourne, Australia now) with another British world traveler and free thinker, called Momus.

Juan Gamiz - Organo de Zadar (2008)

Thrmnphone

9.0

/Electro-acoustics, Musique concrète, Organic electronica, Acousmatics, Avant-garde, Experimentalism, Minimalism/

Comment: such music can be called as "organic growing" where roughly looping electro-acoustic music is crossed with concrete sounds/street noise. The reason why it seems to be so cogent and relaxing is quite simple - all of that is reduced to the algorithms of minimal music. The environments around the lonely looping gear are incessantly in change thus constituting the sense of permanent became. All in all, let`s celebrate this moment.

Computer Magic - The End of Time

Affable Noise & Luka Ueumura - Rehearsal Sounds (2011)

Bandcamp

9.1

/Guitar ambient, Ambient noise, Ambient rock, Experimental rock, Avant-garde/

Comment: monumental and massive guitar ambient/guitar noise/ambient noise outputs from Land of the Rising Sun. Potent guitar carcasses are at times decorated with arpeggio-backed warbles and fingerpicked strings, on the other side undermined with chaotically rolling electronics/and pitch bent effects below it, thus swelling and contracting the 7-track whole incessantly. Indeed, it can be classified as an example of uncompromising ambient exploration.

htrspltn – some mediavirus vol. 1 (2011)

Dystopiaq
Lastfm

9.2

/Sound collage, Experimental, Urban music, Plunderphonics, Sampledelic, Trip-hop, Hip-hop, Cinematic/

Comment: this 10-track decentration is an outstanding amalgamation in the realms of hip-hop and trip-hop music, sound collage and plunderphonics-induced world. Sublime infiltrated layers of cinematic pop, warped downbeat chords, haunting jazz-based detours, stabbing scratches, reversed bits and bites of world fusion, ethereal vowel experiments right and left do constitute your day for sure. All of that is wrapped up in obligatory crackling and hiss mist. It is insolent and alleviating at the same time. It could be described as an instance of demented Portishead, for instance. By the way, the album is created in Ulan-Ude, Eastern Siberia, Russia.

Various Artists - The Garden of Forking Paths (2007)

Hidden Shoal

9.3

/Post-rock, Ambient, Dream pop, Electronic pop, Experimental rock, Indie rock, Ambient rock, Indie pop/

Comment: only the best words can I have to describe the compilation that encompasses the music under the Hidden Shoal Records from the last quarter 2006 and first quarter 2007. The 9-track miscellany meets mostly at the crossroads of sublime post-rock, baggy beat-driven dream pop/electronica, elating indie pop/rock, ethereally washing drone experimentalism, endlessly swelling ambient music and brooding guitar-based experimentations. The Garden Of Forking Paths was the second collection in the array of 5 ones issued to date. Here are represented the tracks by Dilatazione, The Hero Cycle, Sankt Otten, Colour Kane, Moongoat, My Majestic Star, Wes Willenbring, Tangled Star, Slow Dancing Society.

Print(the)Seas - Coast (2009)

Bandcamp

9.2

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

Comment: intimate folk songs by Grant Monson, released back in 2009. Recorded at home. Simple but impressive 14 tracks are represented here which for much of the time turn out to be shivering and dropped in dreams. For instance, let`s enjoy Still Life In Motion, which figuratively hints at the album`s outreach and intention. Or on the other side, breathtaking post-rock-ish twanging and orchestrated arrangements at Subtitles. The album can be juxtaposed to Wilco`s and Elliott Smith`s ones. A gem indeed.

Smashing Pumpkins - Speed Kills

Cyclic Bits: The Raymond Scott Variations (2010)

Chinstrap
Free Music Archive

9.3

/Experimental electronica, Remixes, Avant-electronica, Exotica pop, Space age pop, Sampledelic/

Comment: a host of nowadays innovative electronic musicians are remixing the tracks of a legendary cutting edge electronic musician (who can be compared with Desmond Leslie, Bebe & Loius Barron, Mort Garson, Bruce Haack, and Delia Derbyshire). Here are represented Satanicpornocultshop, Tracky Birthday, Fireworks Ensemble, Ego Plum, DJPE, Orionza, Vernon Lenoir, Felix Kubin and other ones. All in all, the remixes of the musicians ring out really exotic and intricate, having an irresistible smell of the first decades after World War II. More detailly, all those proto-synths, tape manipulations, pitch bending, rough bits and analogue sound make highly sense.

Zoo - Atrox (2011)

Ducks

9.1

/Industrial techno, Avant-techno, Experimental techno, Lo-fi, Dystopic, Bubblegum/
Comment: Zoo (Marko-Luka Zubčić) is an artist working primarily in sound and theatre. His main interests used to revolve around blue disintegration, vulgar editing and romances outside networks. He tends to call his music "kitchen rave", even though it encompasses a diversity of genres. His composing process mostly consists of recorded sounds and found sounds, as well as dusty digital glitches and dance-rhythm-machines memorabillia, mashed into a bleak glitter of perspiration. He is interested primarily in beat economy, researching new tensions between a kick and a handclap, and tries to make places with his music. His discography consists of Curfew Disco (a sonic movie), Pile (collection of collaborations), Puke, and Atrox (a mothership), as well as work with Zloom, and Szilo. He is musically currently working on his next album, as well as next albums of the mentioned bands, and as a producer of Sara and probably some other new Ducks Records (Rijeka-based label) stars. He lives in Rijeka as a student and a part-time theatre director. Let`s have some words about his 5-track album. It does consist mainly of rough locomotive-like rhythms, which is varied with bubblegum-ish beats and dystopic ambience above it. It is very far away from this hermetically produced bloody mainstream dance sound. More concretely, if you are intended to get just about clear-cut picture in front of your eyes, it can be seen as making adrift between the early Cabaret Voltaire, Locust, and Techno Animal. Great work indeed.

Turn Off Your Television - Turn Off Your Television (2011)

TOYT
Bandcamp

8.8

/Alt-folk, Alt-country, Indie folk, Folk indie/

Comment: a nice set of chiming folk and country songs by a new trio from Malmö, Sweden. The group is already compared to The Avett Brothers, Sparklehorse, Band Of Horses, and Grandaddy. By my side I would add The Wind Whistles, and Jay Bennett as well. More concretely, you can imagine guitar-driven acoustic folk pop which is seamlessly embellished with the whiffs of harmonica and slight psychedelia now and then. However, some tracks are bigger than others (Never Rusting Symphony; The Days We have Today). I am sure TOYT does have big pop potential for the next years.

The Hirundu - Cinnamon Hill (Lost Hirundu vol​.​3) (2011)

The Hirundu
Pitch & Putt

Bandcamp
Lastfm

9.4

/Alternative, Avant-garde, Leftfield, Electronic pop, Psych-pop, Sampledelic, DIY, Weird pop, Avant-pop, Experimentalism, Singer-songwriter, New Weird Europe, Psychedelia, Crossover/

Comment: firstly I discovered The Hirundu (formed in 1987) 3 years ago and still having opinion about John Crewdson-headed combo as one of the craziest combos worldwide. If someone would dare to entitle it as the most frenzied one under the God`s sight I would probably agree with him/her. At least the British one for sure. Crewdson himself as a band leader can be compared to much of Mark E Smith`s doings, though, in a more nihilistic way. In fact, every Hirundu`s issue is an universe on its own, including the elements of indie rock, avant-garde, experimental electronic, dada experiments, industrial, acute psychedelia, radiophonic art, cut and paste/sampledelic aesthetics, club dance, DIY, lo-fi, and countless elements more to exist separately or in interwoven ways. Crewdson made Ariel Pink-like music before Ariel himself had the chance to realize his timeless pop ideas. While it might be that Crewdson did not have any idea about R Stevie Moore`s explorations, he is having some similarities with the US legend sometimes. And you can compare it with Speculativism, another highly eccentric singer-songwriter from the Foggy Albion.
Believe me this 14-track album lives up to your expectations, veering from hazy, gloomy electronic rock to atmospheric incantations to catchy symphonies to catchy guitar twanging to acid-fried drone electro to spaghetti electro blues to mariachi surf rock to unidentified cathartic explorations above your contained imaginations. Indeed, this time the album as a whole is established to follow more melodies and harmonies, though, in the Hirundu`s own idiosyncratic way. All in all, I have got a free-spirited experience again. Vitally certifiable. I am going to search for the Hirundu`s old publications once again. Thank you, Johnny.

222 - Friendly Fire

Kyoto Connection - The First Voyage (2006/2010)

Kyoto Connection
Jamendo
Lastfm

9.0

/Chilltronica, Art pop, Downtempo, World music, Electronic pop, Synth pop, Alternative pop, New Age/

Comment: Kyoto Connection is a quartet from Argentina, interweaving synthesized harmonies with bracing melodies running incessantly over the listener`s head. Natural instruments are finely balanced with electronic devices and small machines. The band obviously gets huge inspiration and signs from the 80`s synth pop, world fusion, new age, and electronic pop a la Pet Shop Boys. At times it does enter into more contemporary, dream pop-like milieus. On the other side, as you already know there is a big difference between new age and new age, chill out and chill out music. And KC makes difference for their own advantage for sure. Furthermore, KC`s sound used to appeal everywhere - to bigger crowds and more requiring circuits. By any means, Kyoto Connection is one of the best combos settled down at Jamendo.

Tim Chaplin - Honesty (2011)

Bandcamp

9.3

/Art folk, New Weird Europe, Experimental folk, Psych-folk, Avant-folk, Baroque folk, Singer-songwriter, Alt-folk/

Comment: Tim Chaplin aka Luminous is one of those unsung art rockers/indie experimentalists waiting to get more appreciated for they deserve by full right. He started already it the end of 90`s, since having created uncompromising ditties and idiosyncratic compositions. He is also part of Factory Kids (with Christina Marie). These 12 songs are settled in the billowy junkyard of cracks and hisses creating a contrasty folder for twanging guitars and zestful vocal lines. All what was described is just a hint at the dominating template. He is supported by many collaborators, who used to play theremin, Hammond organ, and different kinds of strings. Pertaining of that Chaplin is the sort of genius it is showcased through such songs as So She Says, and Your Top Ten (the last one resembles a little of Have You Seen Her Lately, the Pulp`s classic one.

tHÖAm - Eye shadow (2011)

Nowaki Music

9.0

/Downtempo, Ambient, Experimental electronica, Chill out, Modern classical, Crossover/

Comment: in principle, it is a pleasant shift between racous beat-induced (from downtempo to more aggressive, breakbeat-like developments) appearances and more atmospherically/and hauntingly designed bows. Indeed, being in such a crossbreed-ish situation the artist`s sound used to evoke and delete memory snippets from your very consciousness. At times it reaches the highest parametres of beauty (Opaque). Of course, this 13-track album is a quite demanding one needing more for profound listening times. If to regard the possible kindred souls of tHÖÄm, however, I recommend listen to the likes of Mank, ElectricWest, David Schomber, Naono. However, you can perceive some similarities with James Leyland Kirby`s oeuvres as well.

Paolo Pavan & Pasqualino Ubaldini - Second (Live)

Random Article - Valley Sessions 'Unwebbed', May-July 2011 (2011)

Archive.org

9.0

/Psych-folk, Improvised music, Experimental folk, New Weird Europe, Trance folk/

Comment: 13 tracks for saz, bass, violin, voice and percussion, recorded at a cottage in the Broad Oak Valley, near Canterbury (UK) during May-July 2011. Behind these honestly cultivated acoustic improvisations are Tom, Miriam, Matthew, and assisted by Paul (playing drums sometimes), related to the Exeter-based Children Of The Drone collective and its subsidiaries (in principle, it is quite hard to draw the distinction line between them). This session is highly warbling and vitally organic in its magical hypnotism. By the way, all the titles are chosen accidentally. The Valley Session as usual - it has been their brand of quality.

Crash City Saints - I'm Only Looking EP (2011)

Bandcamp

8.8

/Shoegaze, Alternative rock, Post-punk, Fuzz rock/

Comment: above all, this 3-track EP is up here to constitute shoegaze, shoegaze, and - once again - shoegaze-ish graphs. In fact, the first and third notch represent a clear-cut tribute to My Bloody Valentine, it might be the second track only is an instance of more mainstream-induced and post-punk-ish attempts (somewhere inbetween JAMC, and Franz Ferdinand). More concretely, massive guitar walls will evolve into quasi-orchestrated outputs. And this is really fine.

The Slides (2008)

Mimonot

8.7

/Blues rock, Pop punk, Alternative pop/rock, Post-punk/

Comment: By any means, this is an eminent alternative pop/rock album. Firstly, it is irresistibly loaded with the galvanized sauce of infiltrated post-punk and blues rock influences including lots of guitar-based high-bow hooks and elating changes in song structures, secondly it is sung in Russian. The lyrics of the EP are about the disillusionment of ideals, considering some existential approaches either. The Slides, a quartet comes out from Komsomolsk-on-Amur, a city locating in the Far East part of Russia (residing in Moscow now). By the way, a big part of musical groups publicated on the Mimonot label, does have their roots related to the Siberian cities.

EARLY TO BED & SCHLOCK! - WEATHERVANE (unrated)

EARLY TO BED & SCHLOCK! - WEATHERVANE (unrated) from EardrumsPop, the label on Vimeo.

Memotone – Bad Panda EP (2011)

Bad Panda
Free Music Archive
Lastfm

9.2

/Post-rock, Organic electronica, Experimental electronica, Art pop, Crossover, Sampledelic, Post-psychedelic, Experimental indie/

Comment: this 4-track EP offers a smorgasboard of synthesized breaks, colourful whiffs and instantaneous awakenings arching broadly over it (made up of chiming synths, piano snippets and circinately clanking xylophones). Recommended for fans of DJ Shadow, Four Tet, and Mice Parade. Music is made by William Yates, a solo perfomer/multi-instrumentalist from England being active since the mid of 00`s.

The Golf Sunshine Company - The Leper's Colony Has Drifted Away (2011)

Bandcamp

8.3

/Hip-hop, DIY, Lo-fi, Psych-hop, Avant-hop, Urban music/

Comment: a frenzied psych/lo-fi/hip-hop issue from Oregon, USA. It obviously seems to be a nihilistic, rusty, and abrasive, and amusing trip taken to come over to the unidentified realms of DIY. It is at times noodling, at times stuttering, at times being based on catchy loops and repetitions.

Richard There - If the world calls, please leave a message (2011)

Bandcamp
Lastfm

9.0

/Singer-songwriter, Dada music, Weird folk, Alt-folk, Spoken word, Experimentalism, Avant-folk, Neofolk/

Comment: no problems with locations. Richard comes from there, actually from There. Very simple indeed. As "simple" as his soundscape used to be. He is a part of the avant-garde group/movement Apskraft, representing proudly its off-the-kilter ideology and peripheral attitude. More concretely, he is an idiosyncratic singer-songwriter in his eccentrity, loving to bake from introspective fingerpicked acoustic folk to electronic buzz-laden guitar music to dada-ish spoken word snippets to experimental robo pop a la Kraftwerk to darkwave/neofolk a la Lycia or Death In June. In a more "usual" approach, his script reminds of the likes of Bill Callahan and John Fahey. Above all of that can be figured out for some off-the-kilter cover songs. In the first place, these are just some vague comparisons to be for. Do not forget about that!

Yutaka Hirasaka - Colors (2011)

Totokoko

8.8

/Folktronica, Organic electronica, Musique concrète, Experimental folk, Laptop folk/

Comment: a nice folktronic album from Japan. Reversed loops, melodica-relied snippets, half symphony-loaded backgrounds, and floating water around there. At times it will evolve into a highly lofty one (for instance the track number 6).

Voyageurs - Freak Cave (2011)

Free Music Archive
Bandcamp
Lastfm

9.0

/Psych-rock, Blues, Garage rock, Psychobilly, Alternative rock/

Comment: Voyageurs is a combo coming from Fayateville, Arizona, offering already their fourth album. Actually it is the vast quantity for the band embarked on in 2010. More concretely, Freak Cave is a highly synergic amalgamation of psych-rock and rock and roll, psychobilly and abrasive garage noodling, slight whiffs of space rock and blues. In comparison with their earlier albums it seems to be a bit less psychedelic and spatial, though. However, it is an eminent accomplishment indeed.

Cocolixe - A Day of Happiness

Cocolixe - A Day of Happiness from Cocolixe on Vimeo.

Big City Orchestra - Live at Anarchy Village 13 Part 2

[praw] - From The Valley To The Sea (2009)

Mine All Mine

9.3

/Ambient, Post-rock, Minimalism, Microsound, Drone, Ambient drone/

Comment: the yearning pulsations of austere ambient progressions, as if coming from very remote distances and vast plateaus, exerting huge leverage on the listener. However, less is more, a byword, applies very exactly to the case. All of that is housed into the 21-minute track. In addition to that I recommend to listen to the likes of .slept, Radere, docks, the late-period Slowdive, The Post Riot Era, and Loscil. By the way, now [praw] is known as John Praw, by the musician`s proper name.

Rec_Overflow - Grow_ep (2011)

Brusio

8.9

/Ambient dub, Dub-tech, Experimental electronica, Tech-house, Crossover, Club dance/

Comment: it is an interesting, 5-piece issue which starts out with thudding breaks embellished with the intricate guitar handling (shoegaze-ish guitar whiffs). The second track Wonky Hash shows up keeping pace with the Orb-alike atmospherical dub steps. Onwards can be detected there for the ragged conceptions of slightly murky gleaming dub, hypnotic tech-house, wonky techno, chopped-up electronica. This EP is thought for listening and for dancing thus showcasing all-round efficiency.

Satanic Butcher - Anti-Human Theory (2011)

Torn Flesh

9.2

/Brutal metal, Death metal, Deathcore, Brutal metal, Black metal, Hardcore punk/

Comment: this 11-track issue comes out from Mexico and is a sheer foray of brutal death metal which is mixed up with black metal and goregrind, and even hardcore punk-esque mist at times. By its artistical approach it is an impressive output, having lots bits of cogent angriness an frenetic despair. By the ideological standpoint Beast Butcher (the man behind the drum programming, vocals and guitars of the album) does rise up against the Western-sided hypocrisy and demagogy, material gulosity and moral decay. This is an instance of nowadays punk rock. Malcolm McLaren would have liked it.

Uppsala Solemne – A Fúria do Vento (2011)

Sinewave

9.3

/Sampledelic, Modern classical, Experimental electronica, IDM, Folktronica, Organic electronica, Experimentalism, Sound collage/

Comment: Cristiane Miranda and Leonardo Fleck aka Uppsala Solemne`s new EP proves to be a crafty cake - highly exhilarating in its diverse ways and swerves. More closely, there can be detected for IDM-esque impetus and imagery, elfin-induced folk incantations, trumpet-induced yearning passages/sampledelics/jazz-based delicate whiffs, vibraphone-driven organicness, all of that is seamlessly interwoven into a potent fist. Minor key-relied interludes on a piano used to evoke a thought about that Fleck`s Blanched-related post-rock approach is still in-flight. Indeed, it is a decent follow-up to Afecto EP.

Fescal - F*ck New York

Lyndsie Alguire - Suspended In Light (2011)

Camomille

Bandcamp

8.8

/Modern classical, Organic electronica, Experimental electronica, Chamber music, Musique concrète, Crossover, IDM/

Comment: lone piano-driven (modern) classical/chamber music chords (with arpeggiated arrays sometimes) are varied with IDM-cadences and turbulent, lopsided electronics. Moreover, Montrèal, Quebec-based composer Lyndsie Alguire`s 15-piece debut issue is nicely balanced between concrete and composed sounds, between synthetic and organic segments, shifting between "closed" and "opened" environments. First of all, it is recommended for the fans of Max Richter, Muhr, Non Dolet, Bosques de mi Mente, adamned.age. Of course, for those people either who just intend to listen to beautiful yet slightly melancholic music.

Bing Satellites - Twilight Sessions Volume Eight (2011)

Free Floating Music
Bandcamp

9.4

/Ambient, Shoegazetronica, Crossover, Modern classical, Soundscape, Minimal, Ambient drone/

Comment: wow, once again, you are not allowed to get disappointed of Brin Coleman aka Bing Satellites`s music, by a musician and label header (BFW Recordings) from Manchester, UK. It is related to spherical music, i.e from wavy, very large-scaled ambient-relied progressions to sublime shoegaze-ish infiltrations and rare modern classical-drenched instants. It pretends to be an instance of imperative beauty to be laid out everyhwere setting you free. It used to happen in this way when indie guys and gals are involved in experimental enterprises.

Cankun + Holy Strays - Beko_91 (2011)

Beko DSL
Lastfm

9.0

/Psychedelic, Post-psychedelic electronica, DIY, Hypnagogic, Lo-fi, Experimental indie, Avant-pop, Glo-fi, Bedroom pop, Electronic pop, Chillwave/

Comment: two Gallian artists-bedroom musicians do appear herein who have previously recorded on the legendary Not Not Fun label. The keywords are obviously zeitgeist and stylistic borderlessness in the bubble of lo-fi/DIY music.

Vladee Divacc - Technical Foul EP (2010)

Bandcamp
Lastfm

9.4

/Experimentalism, Noise, Psychedelia, Avant-garde, DIY, Freeformfreakout, Post-psychedelic electronica/

Comment: this EP is frenetic and great...by its concept and sounds, respectively. Being entitled after the legendary Yugoslavian/Serbian centre Vlade Divac, and all the song titles named after the NBA basketball heroes, it is not a rap/hip-hop issue at all (of course, you may have supposed it). However, undulating psychedelic noise makes there highly sense being fringed with spoken word samples and vowel experiments meanwhile. Burning feedbacks - it is just mesmerizing. It sounds like Animal Collective on glue. Yet, Christian Filardo (formerly known as Panda steps in chocolate; Orioles) used to call it as dunkwave. Why not? Definitely yes.

Autonomicon - Holy upper-intermediate holocaust quest failure

FuturNari - Another Unlikely Hero II (2011)

Pxl-Bot
Bandcamp

8.9

/Psychedelic electronica, Nintendocore, Chiptune, Acid, Chipbreak, Tracker, Bitpop, Experimental electronica/

Comment: this 5-track issue is a sequel to the New Zealand-relied FuturNari`s Another Unlikely Hero. It provides an acidic fuel for the hearts of robots, permanently gritty, and at times killingly catchy. It might be a sort of dance club in future, yet, having no idea where the future is supposed to be. In reality the console-drenched sounds are conquering the world. That`s all. Just enjoy it.

Takeshi Nakamura - Ordinary Days (2006)

Zymogen
Lastfm

8.7

/Experimental techno, Experimental electronica, Dystopbient, Glitchtronica, Abstract techno, Avant-electronica/

Comment: lots of murky glimmer, lots of devouring beats, lots of dystopic, industrial-inflected landscapes, lots of vibrant floatation and on the contrary filled in with chopped electronica, all of that established by Takeshi Nakamura, a Japanese electronic musician on the legendary Zymogen label. Thereby, more concretely, it seems to be part of the experimental techno scene, on the other side, it leaves itself to be quite remote of all, of any scenes. If to regard Nakamura`s dissipation into restraint moaning effects it can be considered a sort of zombie techno either. It is a quite depressive yet interesting album.

The Falling Floors - The Falling Floors (2008)

Daydream Generation/Quixodelic
CLLCT

8.8

/Psychedelia, Psychedelic folk, Folk rock, Indie folk, Folk indie/

Comment: The Falling Floors comes out from the Daydream Generation/Quixodelic Records block. Similarly to the Bloomington-based CLLCT, and the Exeter-based Children Of The Drone-related groups this foundation embodies the most free-spirited moments in pop music. However, Falling Floors plays nice psychedelia-infused pop folk where are presented sublime motives and harmonies, at times it takes on oriental (including drone folk instruments), at times conjuring 60`s hippie stuff. The last track rings out like a tribute to Procol Harum.

Daniel Maze + Dave Zeal – Blueprints For Insect Architecture (2011)

Test Tube

9.2

/Ambient, Experimental electronica, Hauntology, Dubstep, Noise, Crossover, Sampledelic/

Comment: it is quite hard to have a clear-cut definition pertaining of these 6 tracks, which are merely essential parts of Maze-Zeal`s second issue created in liaison with each other on Test Tube (a continuation to Small Airports EP). More profoundly, it is full of trash and hisses, delicate noiseful swerves, dubstep-like ghostly urban undulation, haunting jazz samples, penetrating electronic signals, all of that replaced sometimes with very floaty atmospheric layers to get the whole to be more variegated within its borders. In fact, all of that could be called as experimental ambient in corpore. Masterful!

Wonder Bear - Reverend

Wonder Bear - "Reverend" from Library Voices on Vimeo.

The Victory Park - False Silence (2010)

Radio Hand
Lastfm

9.3

/Post-punk, Alternative pop/rock, Shoegaze, Gothic, New Wave, Experimental indie/

Comment: the debut album by a trio coming from Moscow, Russia does reflect a quite similar effect to the likes of Franz Ferdinand and Interpol, however, their output imposes even more through its acute roughness. Their music is uncompromising, seemingly having no intention for such calculations as regarding the objects of utility, on the other hand, lacking also the annoying hermetics so usual to the studio walls and pertaining of the producers of kind of I-know-which-is-the right way-to-record. It is personal sort of anxiety and pessimism, which encourages these musicians to struggle on to battle their fights. Obviously it is inspired by post-punk and proto-indie forerunners (Joy Division, The Cure, The Chameleons, Durutti Column) which came about from the end of the 70`s and early 80`s. Infused with the verbal side sustained by the pessimistic philosophy of life, and obscure moods. Inspite of a sort darksidedness the guitar chords are played up with the help of the glare and dinstinct flash and overdriving riffs do conduct a trip sometimes even further, crossing the boundaries of post-punk, and coming over to the house of shoegaze music (a la Swervedriver); beyond that there is given importance to the neurotic drums and some pinch of electronics with the purpose to get pushed up this desired and obligatory dark appealing. A worth issue mentioned in by many bloggers from around the world.

Infirm Individual - I`m Not From Here (2011)

Pxl-Bot
Infirm Individual

9.0

/8-bit, Bitpop, Tracker music, Nintendocore, Crossover, Psychedelic electronica, Chiptune, Chipbreak/

Comment: if to regard for a line of delicate creative tradition in the realm of 8-bit electronica/bitpop/console music we cannot be without listening to the oeuvres by Infirm Individual, a young musician from Germany. Indeed, it is a top output by Evil Cee aka Healy Cee to date. It is highly psychedelic, using acidic patterns (autotuned vocals) and blissful grit to bury the sawtooth-shaped patterns beneath it. On the other side, at times it is highly atmospheric, ambient-alike, more profoundly, using the stylistical element as the ground for grindcore-ish vocal manner and shamanic overthrows. You can compare his deeds with such names as ashbrg, and 8bit bEtty, and Bliss, for instance.

Cagey House - Gnomic (2011)

Justnotnormal

8.8

/Sampledelic, Sound collage, Cut and paste, Plunderphonics, Hauntology, Weird pop, Art pop, DIY, Lo-fi/

Comment: the webaudio/netaudio legend Dave Keifer aka Cagey House (being active since the end of 90`s/the beginning of 00`s) makes a slight swerve from his previous, profoundly wraith-filled pop/art pop/intentional pop tradition, on the other side, coming relatively close to his first publications (Model City; Octopus Two). Roaming lo-fi motives are around there to involve shades drawn out from the vials of sampledelia, DIY, and hauntology. At times it is funny, sometimes gratingly melancholic. However, you get highly confused if you are intended to determine it off on the scale of time and space.

Yokandesh – Viva Como Queira (2011)

MixGalaxy

9.1

/Crossover, Jazz, Latin music, Hip-hop, Urban music, Baião, Samba, Pop rock, Easy listening/

Comment: Yokandesh is a musician (born in 1985) from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, who used to merge traditional Brazilian/South American beats and colours (samba, rock, baião, jazz, bossa) with fine hip-hop beats and rhymes. However, being up there to realize his ambitions in an excellent way. The average quality of this 18-track album is high thereby a handful of truly mesmerizing pop songs can be found out from there. Moreover, it involves much more than a common summery pop album.

Mc Cullah - A Mess These Days

Honeydrum - Dead In The West (2011)

Bandcamp

9.6

/Psych-rock, Krautrock, Noise, Avant-rock, Noise rock, Experimental rock, Psychedelia/

Comment: dear psych-heads all around the world. This 2-track single/EP is apparently thought for you. Especially Dead In The West, though low noise-inflected feedbacks and moaning vocal lines. The second one, Levitator, conjures up a dazzling sunshine, taking on a blend of quasi ethnic psychedelia and krautrock-ish phenomenon. A wonderful shit indeed, which makes you feel really free.

Holmes - Holmes EP (2011)

Holmes

7.4

/8-bit, Bitpop, Primitive pop, Experimental electronica, Tracker music, Electronic pop/

Comment: while it is an example of slow 8-bit electronic sound, it does not mean that is a kind of slow music a jot. There are represented 3 notches which showcase running on through acidic sonic tunnels, more detailly, taking on simplistic chord progressions and slightly abrasive throbbing. On the other side, it is without a large scope of colours and rhythm patterns making more sense for us. Indeed, the issue seems to be black and white, simple and unpretentious.

Squadra Omega - Tenebroso (2008)

Clinical Archives

9.2

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

Comment: Approximately one month ago I reviewed the Italian krautrock combo Squadra Omega`s album Rennes Le Chateau (2010, Vuoto). However, this one-track album was a follow-up to Tenebroso, issued on the legendary Russian label Clinical Archives on Christmas Eve in 2008. Similarly to RLC, it is a spatial, metronome-shaped improvised rock and roll-relied instance, filled in with blissed-out ridges and penetrating bottoms. Moreover, it is borderless in its absolutely psychedelic course. Yet, it makes some difference, more concretely, through a more straightforward approach, having no time for off-the-wall sonic knitting and effects. If to draw parallels upon a handful of kindred souls, however, you can enjoy Joxfield ProjeX, Frozen Geese, Replicast, and Faust (of course). By the way, OmegaMac used to exploit bzz bZz machine, and the coverprint is amazing.

The Cult Of Penn - Zenn Rabbit

Housewife - Galaxy Galaxy (2011)

Bandcamp

8.7

/Hip-hop, Instrumental, Sound collage, Avant-hop, Cut and paste, Sampledelic, Urban music/

Comment: this is Sydney-residing psych-head Hamish Duncan (also known as Sleep In) and his very version of hip-hop (or/and sound collage/cut and paste). Galaxy Galaxy is the first LP after 3 EP`s issued during the January, 2011. The whole is cooked ready for us without any vocal and spoken word snippets (just some vowel parts), presented through loads of diverse sample combinations and dynamical bass-relied mayhem. Impressive murky yet airy layers are laid out over to the background.

Guillotine Hairshaver – Miloque Kloque (2011)

Elegirl

9.0

/IDM, Experimental electronica, Primitronica, Glo-fi, DIY, Lo-fi, Ambient techno/

Comment: Another spectacular cake on the Japanese Elegirl Records. You can call it as experimental IDM, or a new sort of electronic approach, however, it prickles and tingles relentlessly, constituting the lopsided, at times clumsy patterns and sublime bows based on spherical layers and throbbing undercurrents. It obviously draws inspiration from the nowadays lo-fi/DIY/glo-fi aesthetics and a sort of easy listening and electronic music created many decades ago (you can perceive some similarities with Silver Apples, and even Suicide, for instance). Indeed, it outpaces the possible calculations and patterns of common electronic music writing.

GNs Compilation - Break Asymmetry (2011)

*export

9.3

/Trip-hop, Hip-hop, Sampledelic, Cinematic, Chilltronica, Downtempo, Urban music/

Comment: this is a great compilation of 17 tracks taking on in the vein of cinematic downtempo and gritty trip-hop, unconventional/experimental hip-hop, tricky nu jazz, exciting chilltronica (and apparently much more else), all of that made up through impressive colourful scopes (ancient/retrodelic samples, slowed down rhythms). Here are represented such artists as Quantifier, Maed, Ears, Nienvox, JazzClams, Thallus, B.R.O, Bandfx, Printempo, Crookram, Danny Bow, Niteffect, and Lupid Ocampo. It suits very well to be a part of the upcoming autumn.

Electric Rainbow - Good Morning To The World (2011)

Jamendo

8.5

/Alternative pop/rock/

Comment: Good Morning To The World is dedicated to those (mostly young) Spanish people who did dare to protest against the huge unemployment rate in their country and stand up for their civic rights, just sitting on the ground, yet, who where attacked by the police. All that happened in May, 2011. However, here are represented 10 solid pop rock tracks, thoughtful and calculated.

Lee Rosevere - Son Of Tegwar

Jim Guittard - Buried Underneath the American Dream

Sky Technology & Nova Fractal – Versus (2011)

Ektoplazm

8.8

/Trance, Psychedelic electronica, Psyambient, Psytrance, Crossover, Remixes/

Comment: Dmitriy Kolosovskiy aka Sky Technology meets and mixes Nova Fractal (Renato Brnić), and the way round. The second track Dark Energy is made in liaison, and seems to be the best result there. All the sound goes on at the crossroad of psychedelia, trance, ambient, and outer space undercurrents. Actually this split/collaborative issue is a grower, more concretely, with each listening time you are allowed to discover more segments and magic from within.

Kluge - Grazuole (2009/2011)

Pocket Fields

Bandcamp

9.6

/Dark ambient, Minimalism, Noise, Musique concrète, Field recordings, Experimentalism, Ambient noise, Ambient drone, Drone/

Comment: No doubt, St Peterburg, Russia-based Kluge is one of the most eminent noiseniks/drone musicians through its very impressive fringe area developments and crushing accents nowadays (inspite of being not celebrated yet). Here is one, 40-minute issue (at Bandcamp it is divided into 2 compositions, though) which functions to get evolved into dark ambient patterns at times, into persuasive minimalism sometimes. Mostly all of that strives to conjure up an elusive, delicate pathway between drone and noise. Moreover, he/she uses a cogent practice, more concretely, mixing up artificial knittings with organic soundscapes. (By the way, using non-musical artifacts to make up soundscapes).

Jason Corder - Microcosmos (2004)

Thinner

9.4

/Dub house, Fusion, Electro house, Bubblegum house, Tech-house, Deep house, Cinematic/

Comment: First of all, it is an excellent album for your body and soul, for your lower part and for your upper part by a guy from Lexington, Kentucky who is also known by his dense ambient soundscapes. Actually I don`t have idea why it seems to me that old house music issues will be improving during time course. It veers from slightly neurotic electro house and stuttering tech progressions to bouncing bubblegum disco(theque), from cinematic dance fusion to such numbers having its shift into depth and paying its tribute to dub. This 10-track album was issued on the legendary Thinner label in 2004. Obligatory for sure!

Suzie Zuzek - Oh It`s a pity

Personal Finance - Chump Change (2011)

Bandcamp

9.3

/Psychedelic rock, Art rock, Alternative pop/rock, Funk rock, Blues, Dance rock, Crossover/

Comment: This 5-track issue is not chump at all. The quintet comes out from Boston, Massachussets, offering a way of how solid rock music should be presented for. However, the issue is a highly loaded set of groove-ish art pop and psychedelic pop overthrows, at times reminiscent of The Nits (the first track Pigs On The Prowl especially), Talking Heads, and even The Fall every now and then. Yet, the album is far away from being a cheap rip-off on its own. More detailly, I very like Patrick Orr`s bigheaded vocal manner, bumping guitar gears, and organ-driven acidity. The last track Japan is a sublime flirtation with blues rock.

Renzu - Robogirl In Love (2011)

Renzu
Lastfm

9.4

/IDM, Experimental electronica, Anime sound, J-pop, Electronic pop, Crossover/

Comment: Robogirl In Love is an idiosyncratic stance of electronic pop/IDM music by Sean Bires, a musician from Chicago, Illinois. He issued his first release Synthi in 2004. However, RIL is his ninth album, revealing bouncing, anime pop-influenced warbling. Highly attractive, highly accomplished. And shamefully underrated.

Stephen Walter - Monocline (2007)

Zymogen
Lastfm

9.2

/IDM, Ambient, Experimental electronica, Modern classical, Minimal, Avant-electronica, Musique concrète, Ambient techno/

Comment: there is a big difference between IDM and IDM, ambient and ambient, respectively. Some of the musical projects are deliberately tweaked in the vein of these styles, some of them are accidentally related to them. Stephen Walter`s album is obviously the last case, which is a huge experimentation act ultimately. At times it veers out toward the examples of large-scale ambient, at times reflects upon a sort of beat-induced ethereal sound shimmered right and left. Some explorations are posed on tuning a radio, sine waves and concrete sounds. At times it is drenched in piano music in a weird way. In a nutshell, the 8-track album is a classic one which will celebrate the 5th year anniversary in January.

8bit bEtty - Music Video #1