- Space music
- Ambient techno
- Experimental techno
- Deep techno
- Kosmische Musik
10/15/2014
Shamane – Hypercamp (2013)
/Ambient techno, Vaporwave,
Seapunk, Industrial techno, Experimental techno/
Comment: Shamane`s 10-track issue provides a
dense mix of experimental and industrial-tinged techno rhyhms harking back to
the legacy of Autechre and Throbbing Gristle and on the other side providing
more contemporary oneiric progressions in the style of vaporwave and seapunk,
though, at a more buried level. In true, at times these synth layers used to
evolve into remarkably gloomy atmospheric outputs or using a less emotional
language. Although the album is rhythm-based it is not a sort of dance music by
its nature at all – it is insistently experimental and explorative and
emphatically bit oriented and on the other side it used to talk to us a little
tongue-in-cheek (for instance, involving some “ironic” sounds being slightly
disjointed out of the context). All in all, the result is thought-provoking and
challenging.
Mikaere - Ending To Beginning (2014)
/Tech-house, House, Club
dance, Deep house, Modern classical, Downtempo/
Comment: in Germany
residing Canadian Michael Petit aka Mikaere is a talented guy to produce catchy
and hypnotic house-inflected tracks with soulful vocal sampling and fabulous laidback
feeling. It creates a cosy, homelike atmosphere with regard to exploiting vinyl-alike
crackles and hypnotically bouncing beats beneath. However, Mikaere`s issue is
not an instance of true-bred house grooves because of adding heavier downtempo-alike
frequencies into the mix. Me and You
is the exception due to delving into another world where a piano chord driven
motive and progressions within it are superimposed to subtle hums and subdued
hisses thereby reminding something coming out of the modern classical
pigeonhole. In a nutshell, the outing is to the nines.
Jankenpopp - Zombie Media (2013)
/Chiptune, Nintendocore, Hip-hop,
8-bit, Breakcore, Tracker music, Noise, Chipbreak, Robot pop, Bitpop, Electro
pop/
Comment: although tracker
music/8-bit/chiptune was one of the first genres in music conjured with
computers it is still actual and up-to-date after 25-30 years either. Jankenpopp`s
4-track issue is a protuberant exemplar of it – the result is a droid-alike one
where machines have been set up in a way to rap and perform their angular
dancing movements in a hectic way. However, they will be evolving into autarkic
state stepwise revealing their cutting-edge tendencies to bestow noise impulses
and disintegrated electro debris to the pot. Of course, the extra point comes
with adding some humorous aspects to the whole. In a nutshell, the outlet is
amusing, still human-friendly (or not yet misanthropic) and challenging to get
infatuated and switch on the repeat button. Timeless stuff.
10/14/2014
Recent Music Heroes Mixtape #12 (15.10.2014)
1) Bessemerr – Errore di Coincidenza (2009, Happy Puppy)
http://members.shaw.ca/happypuppyrecords/hpr032_bessemerr.html
2) Delphine Measroch – Quand Le Crapaud Somnole, Les Limaces Dansent...(2006, Ekumen)
2) Delphine Measroch – Quand Le Crapaud Somnole, Les Limaces Dansent...(2006, Ekumen)
https://archive.org/details/ekumen2006
4) Kuh Lida - Eversinceu (2013, Self-released)
3) Ada Rave Cuarteto – Tomatelo con Soda (2011, Pan y Rosas Discos, Free Music Archive)
http://www.panyrosasdiscos.net/pyr042-ada-rave-cuarteto-la-continuidad/
http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ada_Rave_Cuarteto/La_Continuidad/
http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ada_Rave_Cuarteto/La_Continuidad/
4) Kuh Lida - Eversinceu (2013, Self-released)
6) No Zu – (Coburg) (Mystical (2011, New Weird Australia, Free Music Archive)
http://newweirdaustralia.bandcamp.com/album/new-age-ep
http://freemusicarchive.org/music/No_Zu/New_Age_EP/
http://freemusicarchive.org/music/No_Zu/New_Age_EP/
7) Oskar Hallbert - 5 (Look Its Kama Aina In My Garden) (2009, Zymogen)
http://www.zymogen.net/releases/zym023/
http://www.last.fm/music/Oskar+Hallbert/1123581321345589
8) Inverness – Room In Twilight (2010, Psicotropicodelia/Jamendo, Bandcamp)
http://www.psicotropicodelia.com/
https://www.jamendo.com/en/list/a78130/somewhere-i-can-hear-my-heart-beating
http://inverness.bandcamp.com/album/somewhere-i-can-hear-my-heart-beating
http://www.last.fm/music/Oskar+Hallbert/1123581321345589
8) Inverness – Room In Twilight (2010, Psicotropicodelia/Jamendo, Bandcamp)
http://www.psicotropicodelia.com/
https://www.jamendo.com/en/list/a78130/somewhere-i-can-hear-my-heart-beating
http://inverness.bandcamp.com/album/somewhere-i-can-hear-my-heart-beating
9) Lynlee – The Taste Of Rainy Dawn (2013, Haze)
10) The Vèvè Seashore – The Cherry Dream (10 Tage Hasch) (2011, Dying For Bad Music)
11) Дин Блант -6.шесть (2013, Afisha)
[Teaser of the day] The Mules - Shock Ya
- Post-punk
- Art rock
- Acid rock
- Alternative rock
- Experimental indie
- Dance rock
- Electro-rock
[Teaser of the day] Event Horizon - The Last Sunset
- Post-rock
- Art rock
- Alternative rock
- Progressive rock
- Acid rock
Lycia – Fifth Sun (2010)
/Ethereal Wave, Shoegaze, Epic,
Darkgaze, Alternative pop, Goth, Dark Wave, Dream pop/
Comment: My first impact
with Lycia`s sound happened in 2004 and it was love at the first sight. I had
listened to somehow similar music before it (for instance, Slowdive) but Tempe,
Arizona-based collective`s sound was more special and spellbinding because of
being so organically draped in gloomy veils and velvety curtains. Indeed, Lycia
represents disturbed dreams and hyper realistic beings who have nothing to do
the human being`s produced idiocy and evilness. Stylistically Mike Van Portfleet-headed
combo was a link between ethereal wave and shoegazer`s enterprise. This 8-track
album continues the same pathway and being as impressive as their previous albums
– it is called the experience. In true, it might be it is a little bit more straightforward
than their previous albums but it is not the case. Mike Van Portfleet is not
singing on it anymore – all the singing duties are commissioned to her husband
Tara Vanflower.
Jan Helsing – Sünnipäev (2014)
/Shoegaze, Alternative pop,
Indie rock, Dream pop/
Comment: Undoubtedly Jan
Helsing`s debut album Kajalood is
one of my favourite albums in 2014 (issued on the Estonian main indie label Seksound).
Sünnipäev (Birthday) is a main hit
track from it. There are represented two versions of it, one of them is the instrumental
one and another is with singing. I shall have to confess, I am deeply felt in
love with Kärt Ojavee`s beautiful voice and Jan Kaus` wise lyrics about love,
hope and openness for the world. By the way, behind Jan Helsing hide themselves
five middle aged gentlemen who did constitute such musical group as Dreamphish
in the 90s, an outstanding indie combo. They recruit guest vocalists for
different songs, most of them are female ones.
Super Besse - Musique Pour Les Filles* (2014)
/Post-punk, Dance rock, Coldwave,
Alternative dance, Electro-indie, New Wave, Krautrock/
Comment: By seeing firstly
Super Besse at the great Latvian Positivus festival this year I was astonished
by the singer hyperactivity of being involved in dancing activity and frenzy
singing. And the audience in the pavilion did dance along with them. They come
from Minsk, Belarus, sing in Russian and being obviously influenced by Joy Division, Krautrock,
and indie dance aesthetics. They are not the first band of Slavic heritage who
likes to exploit such kind of combination. Obviously the most well-known
ensemble is Motorama from Russia. However, authenticity is not the most
important thing worldwide at the moment – still catchy melodies and wondrous
melodies are around to warm the soul of listeners.
10/12/2014
[Teaser of the day] Stray Dogg - Time (feat. Devendra Banhart)
- Indie folk
- Dream folk
- Folk indie
- Americana
- Alt-folk
Ada Rave Cuarteto – La Continuidad (2011)
/Jazz, Improvised music, Bebop,
Downbeat, Free jazz, Experimentalism/
Comment: the Argentinian Ada Rave Cuarteto`s
10-track issue does have predisposition to drift between mild downbeat chord
progressions and smoothly produced bebop numbers and on the other side toward more
tumultuous, thudding free jazz torrents. Having shift between silence and
noise. The tumultuous element can be divided into two parts – it can be depicted
as a dynamic enterprise of manipulating with only acoustic instruments in a
frenzied way or having more static and quiet, even an obsessive viewpoint upon it.
Although following their own impulses and aesthetic convictions the quartet`s
playing technique is obviously a designation toward such cutting edge jazz
musicians as Theolonius Monk, Anthony Braxton, Eric Dolphy, John Zorn and
Ornette Coleman. All in all, the result is thought-provoking and moody.
Juan MP - Sabado En Polvo (2013)
/Techno, House, Tech-house,
Downstep/
Comment: Juan López aka Juan MP is an artist
from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico who is the co-owner of the label Melodic Art Records
and being related to Kreativa Records. Sabado
En Polvo includes 4 tracks of techno and house spliced rhythms. The nature
of the issue varies from brisk and sparkly paces to some rather laidback and
soothing undertakings. However, the opening track Sabado De Domingo deviates stylistically from the whole of
representing rather downstep music. Calzada
de Armonia is the protuberant frequency on it – profoundly hypnotic and
suggestive at the same time. In a word, the issue provides a decent listening
experience.
Kuh Lida – Ball It Out Back It Up (2013)
/Hip-hop, Breakcore,
Sampledelic, Experimental-hop, House pop, Electro-pop, Electro-hop, Breaks,
Mood music/
Comment: the only shortage related to this
6-track issue is its shortness. Musically the Chicagoan Myles Emmons` issue is
fabulous blend of experimental hip-hop sounds, sampledelic craftsmanship and
sunshiny samples. The artist gets obviously inspiration from different places
and eras harking back to Parliament/Funkadelic-alike effortless progressions
regarding the groove and on the other side paying attention to Flying Lotus
ability to create microscopic but otherworldly catchy sonic models, and of
course the issue includes some Detroit electro and Chicago house influences and
even neurotic Death Grips-alike hip-hop spasms throughout. It is similar to
another American producer Christian Montoya aka Miami Slice`s latest issue Brooklyn 2 Brooklyn relative to his
highly dance-appealed and cheerful pop blended progressions. All in all, in the
first place it is a soundtrack for the listener who has been devoid of a strike
of serotonin for a while. It is an efficacious cure indeed.
10/10/2014
Jowell Ghanter – Phu Jowells (2012)
/Experimental electronica, World fusion, Avant-electronica, Glitchtronica, Minimalism, Primitivism/
Comment: in spite of
providing a vast amount of minutes (120) to convey the concept Richmond,
UK-based Jowell Ghanter`s approach is quite easy to delineate. It sounds like
sonic experiments by some electronic pioneers approximately 5-6 decades ago.
More profoundly, the artist`s sound seems to be quite obsessive because of
focusing upon the explorations of particular sonic motes and broadening the
concept step by step in a linear and minimal way. There are no rhythms in the
usual sense of the word – the rhythm-alike facets used to rely on underlying
repetitions and ragged structure differences. All of that used to result in angular,
noise-soaked primitive electronic outputs, filled with frank enthusiasm and
protuberant desire to create something truly idiosyncratic and different,
however, undermining our ideas with regard to a beautiful electronic music
approach. It can say the artist`s aspiration will be fulfilled in that sense. The
only exception is the track Elephant
Camel where the artist expands its borders by incorporating the fringes of
world music into the mix. In a nutshell, this 12-notch issue is suggestive in
mimicking a particular nostalgic period in the history of electronic music.
Milliseconde Topographie - Paperasses Èparses (2006)
/Glitch electronica, Musique
concrète, Avant-folk, New Weird Canada, Drone folk, Modern classical, Glitch
folk, Sound art, Experimental folk, Epic, Post-folk, Chamber folk, Folktronica,
Electro-acoustic/
Comment: Milliseconde
Topographie is the collaboration act between Montrèal residing musicians
Nicolas Bernier and Delphine Measroch whose 2-track issue is a sublime instance
of borderline folk music due profound dodges into glitch-y electronic
explorations, and cello drones, providing chamber music inspired beauty and offering
many flirtatious moments with concrete sound washes and electro-acoustic effects.
Despite the duo`s musical complexity and segmentation in a formal sense the
whole is adeptly structured and organically spliced. Furthermore, natural
segmentation and ramification does not hinder them to wind up truly
picturesque, even sublime moments. On the other side, the Bernier-Measroch`s clockwork
can be seen by a more “ugly” aspect as a folk exemplar with some irksome “errors”
and “disruptions”. The issue will be ended up by a barrel organ based soothing
melody. All in all, the result is challenging and drenched with solace at the
same time.
Ghost Orbs – Magie Noire (2010)
/New Weird America, Psych-folk,
Garage rock, Psychedelic rock, Crossover, Alternative rock, DIY, Free folk/
Comment: Ghost Orbs is a
collective from Brooklyn, New York, USA and Magie Noire seems to be their only glimpse so far. Although their
10-track release has a 13-minute length only the release is remarkable due to
its unusual blend of ecstatic free folk twangs and dizzy garage rock elements.
Undoubtedly the group draws inspiration from blues music, especially being as a
template to add more power into the sonic pot. Indeed, it oozes out vast power
at any key and provides an innumerable bunch of chord changes in addition to
it. Howling singing as a main component on it does change into nervous and spastic
expression sometimes thereby assuring a dynamic impulse throughout the whole.
Another main facet on it is an enjoyable interaction between tinny, cellophane-alike
guitar sounds and highly rampant drumming. The result is enjoyable and worth to
be repeated.
10/09/2014
Aairria - The Abyss (2014)
/Dark ambient, Abstract, Minimalism,
Experimentalism, Ambient drone, Avant-garde, Soundscapes, Microtonal/
Comment: approximately 2
weeks ago Aairria released a brand new one, Phonography Archive 02 under his own Rain Netlabel. However, Abyss
was his previous release consisting of sole, 55-minute composition (the
subtitle of it is Wrenching Nostalgia).
The concept embarks on with some silence which soon will be interrupted by ghostly
echoes and bleak reverberations which later will be slightly accelerated or sustained
with vibrant frequencies here and there. Indeed, the soundscape of it is truly profound
and imaginative. In spite of its temporary intense nature the result has been
managed in a way to afford for the listener to get relaxed and find out the way
into its very core. Because of being highly imaginative the issue can be
considered interactive either. More concretely, the listener can imagine the
ghosts and witches dwelling somewhere in between Earth and Hell, ghouls residing
in caves and other threatening underground voids contents. Otherwise the
listener can perceive painful feels by remembering good old days passed by and
never supposed to be come back.
ki††y c▲t – Hold On (2011)
/Witch house, Witch wave,
Trianglecore, Remix, Sampledelic, Drag house, Experimental electronica,
Leftfield/
Comment: actually there is up quite little information
about this artist but it is a one-man-project from Russia. Musically he is a
proud representative of the so-called witch house/drag house movement. More
profoundly, the style does mean crosses and triangles represented in artists`
names, song and album titles. At times all of that is indecipherable or
problematically discernible. Musically it is infiltrated with gloomy synth
sounds similar to dark ambient profiles and semi-slamming, mid-tempo rhythms. Hold On is an outstanding issue thanks
to catchy solutions in harmonies and in conveying majestic progressions over
permanently changeable cadences. The album contains many “hit songs” (at least,
having potential for it) – One Day
Teapression, Take Me Away, Midnight
Car, March of Not Very Dead, Try▲ngel. By the way, the album will be
ended up by a remix of Try▲ngel. In a
word, the result is a classy album worth to be remembered and listened.
fydhws - The Sound (four movements in the key of D) (2014)
/Space rock, Post-metal, Doom
metal, Avant-rock, Post-rock, Epic, Experimental rock, Psych-rock, Epic, Conceptual/
Comment: fydhws is a fine example of the flourishing Macedonian underground scene
during the last five years. He is an experimentalist who has issued a lot of
albums by himself or in collaboration with other musicians. His soundscape used
to be guitar-centered, however, at times it might be more abstract and minimal,
at times more blossoming depending on a release. The recent issue of containing
4-long-track compositions is about to provide spaced-out, even dreamy guitar
sounds and stunningly majestic crescendos within it. His sonic patterns are
intriguing varying from repetitive, obsessive sonic tumult to more panoramic
undulations. It is an up-to-date issue of nowadays progressive rock music
because of incessantly drifting between the compartments of space rock, post-metal,
post-rock and psych-rock. This time all the sound is presented in the key of D.
All in all, fydhws` recent and foregoing oeuvre is an example of music being
simultaneously heavy and wondrous, however, affording to splice suggestive
explorations and outbursts with underlying technical proficiency. One of the
albums in 2014.
10/06/2014
[Teaser of the day] N0 C0p5 C0rp0r4+10n - Loops de Ódio
- Cyber punk
- Alternative
- Industrial rock
- Electro-punk
- Leftfield
[Teaser of the day] DasKapital - Manifesto Dos Enfermos
- Leftfield
- Art rock
- Psychedelic rock
- Experimental pop
- Electronic pop
- Synth rock
guitarsisyo – Life Is Dictionary (2014)
/Folktronica, Indietronica, Crossover,
Electro funk, Cowbell indie, Glitch folk, Alternative pop, Poptronica,
Electronic pop, Mood music, Synth pop/
Comment: the Japanese
project`s musical groundwork is based on acoustic guitar-based chord
progressions and grainy electronic rhythms mixed results therefore creating a
sense of refreshing aura and picturesque slides moving in front of your eyes.
At times the general grid is acoustic though predominantly it used to provide
an electronic shift and have a synthetic pitch (i.e containing more synth-based
hooks and gears – for instance, at kh_y
guitars are totally jettisoned in favour of electronics/keyboards thereby
resulting in a crafty funk and synth pop merged exemplar). Furthermore, it is
not an ordinary folktronic album with regard to another uncanny inclination
toward fusion/jazz rock grooves here and there. Another unusual example is a
track, kl_gp_, revealing the
project`s buried love for house music and electro funk. In a nutshell, it is a
fabulous outlet in any cases.
Klaten – Klaten (2011)
/Electro pop, Breakcore,
Modern classical, Hi-NRG, Trap, Kitsch, Glitch electro, Alternative dance,
Sampledelic, Experimental electro/
Comment: Klaten`s self-titled issue is about searching
for balance between suggestive harmonies and rhythmic structures keen to
experiments and new outputs. Repetitive, even slightly obsessive broken beats,
galvanized cadence tops, glitch-y noise washes and acidic harmonies on the top
used to get propulsive impulses from Detroit and Cologne. However, Klaten likes
to experiment with disparate kind of sounds at the first sight. For instance, Le Globo is embellished with classical
music samples thus providing a more baroque edge to the whole. It is produced
in an adept way, however, revealing also a humorous aspect within it. The opening track Connes Sequences is an example of infantile kitsch-y-glitch-y
splice. Mirlifore does expose a
catchy disco hook, and The Bends is a
dizzy micro-sample based jazz and big band oldie`s crossover. And so forth and
so forth. Especially the second half of this 12-track issue is a frantic
cerebral party. The Paris-based author himself classifies the sound as
choupi-core. Anyway, by watching the listening times at Lastfm it can say
Klaten`s music waits to be discovered and properly estimated. Having a little
more than 1,000 times afforded by the listeners over there is a bare fact of
being underrated shamefully. By the way, the album was the first notch in the
discography of Darling Dada, a French experimental but eclectic record
label.
Jack Hertz- Night Songs (2013)
/Ambient, Space music,
Soundscapes, Kosmische Musik/
Comment: the title of this
7-notch album is vivid in one sense – it is certainly about night, though,
these compositions are far more than just bare ditties on the other side. More
concretely, Hertz has created profound insights and visions with the assistance
of sublime sonic perceptions and lingering frequencies of accelerating them
into semi-culminations to depict unlimited outer space or at least higher
layers within the atmosphere of Earth. However, at times Hertz sounds in a
serene way as if all are being performed somehow in a hyper realistic environment.
Of course, his spherical manner could be considered a contemporary counterpart
to the 70`s Kosmische Musik and a bit later New Age-y concepts. The album can
be compared with Scott Lawlor`s The
Absence of Light Contains The Shadow of Loss (2004) recently reviewed at
Recent Music Heroes which was produced in a similar way, though, being more
drenched with human-centred psychic motes and feels. It is supposed to be
listened while the day changes into midnight and the ghosts will appear and
have full sway. Actually it is not true because this sound is beyond time and
having no references to certain hours and minutes.
10/03/2014
[Teaser of the day] Iduvigik - Unenäoaeg
- New Weird Estonia
- Free folk
- DIY
- Ambient folk
- Singer-songwriter
- Avant-folk
- Lo-fi
- Weird folk
- Experimental folk
- Musique concrète
- Dream folk
[Teaser of the day] Computer at Sea - Spiders in the Moat
- Avant-pop
- Leftfield
- Electronic pop
- 8-bit
- Chiptune
Kiorda Däkin - 3 (2008)
/Electronic pop, New Age, Ambient pop, Mood music/
Comment: Kiorda Däkin`s New Age/ambient pop issue is a sum of restrained chord spotted progressions and more glide-induced insights. They are either integrated into each other or just following to each other. The release could be considered a contemporary instance of New Age music adorned with overdriving sonic effects, quasi-organic electronica flickers and subtle programmed rhythms below. Last but not least - do not forget visit the site of 1Bit Wonder, a now sadly defunct netlabel having a huge impact in the 00s.
Tramuc And Darius - Rebirth Of Time (2014)
/Improvised music. Piano
music, Downbeat, Experimentalism, Free jazz, Cool jazz, Electro-acoustic/
Comment: this album coming in at the length of
33 minutes is a nervous, convulsive one due to its contrasty facets brought
forth relentlessly in series. More profoundly, quiet cool jazz caress and
downbeat-alike stasis for humble souls are varied with boisterous piano,
trombone and cello induced interactions which sometimes are spiced up with
expressive glockenspiel-based adornments, electro-acoustic snaps and murky
electronic fabric (for instance, dark ambient hovers are presented at Black Hole Mystery). It can be concluded
it is a fine exemplar of experimental jazz adeptly depicting the time`s two
sides – stasis and change. The album is part of the discography of Pan Y Rosas
Discos, a record label dedicated to improvisations/jazz and art/experimental
music.
Enbilulugugal - The TAURO Sessions '09 (2013)
/Harsh noise, Black metal,
Avant-garde, Brutal metal, Black noise, Non-music, Technical metal, Noisecore, Psycho-acoustic/
Comment: the listener can be very sure this miscellany is not about pop musicat all,
more concretely, being located somewhere in the periphery of metal and
powerviolent music. If you have made acquaintance with the so-called Japanese
noise music then this band might resemble the likes of Hanatarashi and
Gerogerigegege, for instance. Similarly to the combo`s sonorous impact the
4-track issue is also impressive graphically – all bars indicating frequencies are
at the height and the oscillation line is permanently quadrangularly shaped.
Indeed, all is starkly amplified over here – some hardcore rock/punk roots are
channelized into demented psyched-out outbursts, math rock premises are
overthrown to get wrapped up in blackened metal rabidity and noise music
straitjacket. In a word, it must be heard before to believe (in) it –
overwhelming by any means.
Kukl – The Eye (1984)
/Post-punk, Avant-rock, Art
punk, No Wave, Gothic rock, Improvised music, Experimental rock/
Comment: Kukl`s The Eye is undoubtedly one the most
outstanding post-punk albums throughout the music history due to balancing
excellently between cutting edge-y song-writing, gloomy harmonies and stylistic
transitions. It is inspired by various styles and avant-garde groups, at times
veering into free jazz, improvised music, and even pagan folk-inspired snippets.
The only apparent element represented on the album predicting the birth of the
Sugarcubes is singing dialogue between Björk and Einar Örn, More concretely,
Björk`s vehement singing and declamation is outstanding and spellbinding,
revealing hints at her later glorious solo career. By the way, the first notes
of Open the Window and Let the Spirit Fly
Free seem to be a base for the British indie rock combo House Of Love`s
excellent hit Shine On (1990,
Creation). The album was inspired by the French philosopher George Bataille`s The Eye which depicts sexually
perverse and uncannily behavioural adventures of a young French couple within a
violent context. In a nutshell, this 9-track issue which was issued 30 years ago sounds refreshingly today either - remarkably better than an average combo whose sound could be classified as "post-punk".
Scott Lawlor - The Absence of Light Contains The Shadow of Loss (2014)
/Dark ambient, Minimal,
Drone, Dystopbient, Neoclassical, Microtonal, Ambient drone/
Comment: throughout
these 71 minutes will happen quite less due to Scott Lawlor`s keenness to truly
minimal aesthetics based on slightly gloomy progressions within ambient and
drone music compartment. At times the scape is embellished with some
half-orchestrations and buried crescendos. By conceptual side the whole is
soaked with heavy matter of darkness and mourning. For instance, very
characteristic are all the titles of this 4-track giant - A Gradual Descent Into the Chamber of Darkness, A Dream of Beauty is an Illusion in a Life
of Loss, Beauty is Found in
Melancholy, Cathedral of Pain and
Grief . The compositions laid
out in the middle rely on cathedral organ created sequences. Stylistically it
used to sway somewhere in between neoclassical, drone and ambient music doing
it in a slow mode. In a nutshell, there are only a couple of possibilities for
the listener – it is either depressive and psychically teasing or beatific in
its stark grief and overwhelmingly striking melancholy.
ikul-a - Harmony Of Suffer (2012)
/Breaks, Hip-hop, Minimal
techno, Deep techno, Electro-hop, Leftfield, Minimal electro/
Comment: behind this
project and creation of a handful of instrumental pieces is such legend as Pasquale
Maassen whose music consists of gritty and rigid rhythm spliced algorithms
drenched with hypnotic motives and austere samples. Although the surface of
Maassen`s paces is grainy the core of it includes dimension of barely perceivable,
minimal changes thereby amplifying a highly catchy touch on it and adding an
experimental edge to it. Maassen`s aesthetics is certainly influenced by
glorious Detroit techno and electro scenes due to its repetitive patterns and
laconic locution. Finally – let`s repeat the cliché once again – less is more.
Nothing is fifth wheel on it. The more you listen to it the more it seduces
you. It just must be in your computer!
9/29/2014
Kent State/At The Heart Of The World (2012)
/Psychedelia, Fuzz pop, No
Wave, Alternative rock, Avant-rock, Experimental rock, Rhythmic noise, Black
metal/
Comment: this album includes 2 issues by two different musical groups, the
first of them providing exulting psych-pop and fine fuzz pop numbers. Indeed, it
is a way of how one proper rock band should sound being influenced by sweet and
tears of black blues guys. Although Kent State`s aesthetics is otherworldly beautiful
it seem rather be influenced by gloomy locations worldwide, for instance, Death
Valley, which locates quite close to their home city Los Angeles (though I can
remember for the band`s frontman Nicholas Vance is/was closely bound to
Baltimore either). At The Heart Of The World reveals something fairly gorgonizing
because of changing those aforementioned spherical guitar harmonies for truly silly,
angular noise structures full of violent screaming and abrasive feeling of
angst. To perceive contrast by outpacing the borderline between those groups is
inevitable. More profoundly, it is a tight mix of rhythmical noises, No Wave
aesthetics and extreme metal facets. By kindred souls it can be compared with
Black Dice, for instance. This split release is highly recommended!
Morceaux d'Ekumen / Pieces of Ekumen (2006)
/Avant-garde,
Electro-acoustic, Crossover, Acousmatics, Post-rock, Experimental electronica, Glitchtronica,
Folktronica, Organic electronica/
Cldscp – Menso Freakfolk (2010)
/Lo-fi, Freak folk, New
Weird Argentina, Cover, DIY, Primitronica, Toytronica, Weird folk, Trip-hop,
Free folk/
Comment: as the title expressively
suggests this 8-track issue is about freakiness and folk music, however, these
nouns and adjectives are closely related to each other. Additionally, the Argentinian-based
duo`s music used to incorporate yet many stylistic elements to create the
crunchy outcome. Andy and Leopo used to exploit a wide array of more or less
conventional instruments and concepts which extend from the utilisation of accordions,
ukuleles, basses, Casio Tonebank-series synths to toys, beat-boxing, abraded
electronica and few 8-bit music/video game snippets, and concrete music samples.
Very likeable is Leopo`s singing filled with gentle flickers and vulnerable
flutters. Beneath layers produced with the aforementioned instruments do throb skiddy
trip-hop paces. Unchained Melody is a
cover of Presley`s most famous song. By kindred souls the duo`s music can be
compared with the sonic aesthetics of the sisters Cassady. The result is
childish yet spiritedly conveyed.
9/27/2014
[Teaser of the day] DJ Quest - Time Off
- Digital soul
- Club dance
- Acid jazz
- Chill out
- Sampledelic
- Mood music
- Breaks
[Teaser of the day] Chenard Walcker - Ma Wa Nu Dogbe Me
- Plunderphonics
- Sampledelic
- Psychedelic
- Soul
- Afrofuturism
- World music
- Funk
- Alternative dance
Simone Schirru / Federico Eterno - Around Three Minutes Long Short-movie Songs (2013)
/Free jazz, Cool jazz, Modal
jazz, Film noir, Improvised noise, Experimentalism, Improvised music/
Comment: this collaboration
by two musicians of Italian heritage is all about an exquisite experience of
sloshing through jazz-y swamps. Indeed, the 30-minute session issued under the
wing of Moscow-based experimental records Clinical Archives used to show up
Shirru and Eterno`s continuous skilfulness to drift between scant
instrumentation and jaunty improvisation-filled snippets, still life-esque cool
jazz and more tumultuous modal jazz and free
jazz propulsion forces (especially demonstrated in a series of Videomenata). Furthermore, even curious
approach to (improvised) noise music is presented there now and then. Of
course, as the title suggest the listener cannot underestimate the importance
of recent concept – more concretely, it is film noir-esque and sneaky rather
than joyous and superficially diverting by its nature.
Vortex Rex – Live At OCCII (2012)
/Psychedelia, Alternative
rock, Post-punk, Live session, Indie rock, Experimental pop/
Comment: this handful of
pieces is an episode from the club night at Le Club Suburbia in Amsterdam in 11th
of March, 2008. In addition to Vortex Rex the night was filled with the likes of Adolf Butler, and Japanther (at least the event was conveyed on
the bill in this way). The Vienna, Austrian trio`s gig was furnished with vast
energy-loaded guitars, prominent acid-drenched keyboards and some flickering
electronics filling the background role for the singer`s manifesting singing reminiscent
a little bit Mark E Smith`s hacking appearance. On the other side, it does not mean that Vortex Rex is a copy of The Fall (Vortex Rex is more spaced-out, more acute through their convulsive dodges and propulsions). The gig scenario was based on
intense chord changes varied with more laid-back extensions in time, however,
concretely depending on the tracks. In a word, it was interesting first meeting
with this combo.
Wood Spider – Decadence (2014)
/Freak folk, Weird folk, New
Weird America, Indie folk, Psych-folk, Balkan folk, World music/
Comment: it is
problematic if not impossible to punctually categorise Decadence because of being immersed in providing a shitloads of hints,
reflections and tendencies. The NY residing Wood Spider`s music can be
classified into the New Weird America pigeonhole, however, the sextet`s music
used to be a little bit deviated considering an average example from the
movement. The main element to make difference on it is a fervent accordion
amongst the other instruments thereby adding Parisian street sounds and Balkan
folk facets to their soundscape. Additionally, dizzy gipsy-alike singing keeps another
interstice within it. However, the aforementioned elements are channelized in their own context and presented in a twisted,
burlesque mood. Although their aesthetics chimes mundanely it seems to be far
more than just the capacity of their premises. Indeed, their approach is too
artsy just to be a mere pub folk group. Fairly sympathetic are melancholic accordion-based
drones meanwhile counterbalancing a carnival-alike ambience. At such moments
Wood Spider`s chamber aesthetics come quite close to the likes of Beirut, Bark Cat Bark and
The Retuses, for instance. Overall, imagine as if Animal Collective performing at
a poppy Balkan music festival. It might be readily the band is laughing at it
all. Let`s live up to it!
9/25/2014
Recent Music Heroes Mixtape #11 (26.09.2014)
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