Blogiarhiiv

1/21/2016

Testemolde – Hidroxila (2015)




  • Stoner rock
  • Trash metal
  • Alternative rock
  • Crossover
  • Post-metal
  • Shoegaze

Comment: by listening to the first piece (JDSL) of this 3-track issue one could hear something of rough rock and roll played with a properly metal music approach. On the other side, Geezer adds some chosen shoegaze/space rock elements dispensed properly with more key changes to the mix thereby chiming slightly more psychedelic and thereby providing the stoner rock pathway to trudge. The final notch Testemolde is based on a rough metal riff supported by massive drum slams and galvanized guitar synergy. The accomplished point of the issue is that it succeeds to hold the line between alternative rock and metal music and to erase it now and then when it is necessary of avoiding of being played and getting perceived one-dimensionally. Well done. The notch is a part of the Brazilian alt-rock/shoegaze/dream pop/post-metal imprint Sinewave. 

Barriere, García, Gris - Chamber Music (2011)




  • Improvised music
  • Avant-garde
  • Micronoise
  • Sound-art
  • Experimentalism
  • Microtonal
  • Non-music
  • Abstract
  • Electro-acoustic


Comment: when did you listen to the sound of your refrigerator recently? Have you ever consciously done it? This 18-track improvised issue of electronic sounds is not about your sensual, intimate life, it might be about your everyday life surrounded by machines in your home. One could hear squeaks, thumps,crackles and slightly abrasive noises coming out from different corners and walls and tiny slots for your pleasure, at least I hope so. Technically it is a collaboration of three musicians who make difference by creating a soundscape you don not used to notice in your ordinary life. Of course, those sounds are amplified and thereby more nuanced and directed than surrounding sounds usually used to be and because of that one will pay more attention to them. Obviously it is a session of improvised music and because of that is a little bit more than just listening to an average session of electro-acoustic music. Secondly, I have always felt to be enthralled by the aesthetic of the so-called "errors" (the sharp sounds of snapping noises). The issue is a part of the discography of Chicago, US-based imprint pan y rosas discos which in turn is a lille yet important part of the profile of the city`s experimental music.               

1/19/2016

[Teaser of the day] Daäna - Hindu Kush


  • Trance pop
  • Electronic pop
  • Dance pop
  • Poptronica

Artist: Daäna
Release: Little Animals
Year: 2014


Takeshi Kagamifuchi – Kvant (2010)




  • Glitch techno
  • Avant-techno
  • Tech-house
  • Experimental electronica
  • Abstract techno
  • Industrial techno
  • IDM
  • Minimal techno
  • Experimental techno

Comment: the Japanese musician Takeshi Kagamifuchi`s 5-track issue might have different aspects with regard to experimental electronic and techno music. First of all, it seems he created the outing by exploiting debris-alike bits and sounds like hisses, microscopic noises, static, crackles, signals, glitches. These sounds would be very dead by standing alone and without giving it revivified boost or organizing it in a certain, expressive direction. In general, Kagamifuchi`s sound could be called techno though it does lack the common very nature with style called techno. The Japanese musician`s accent is not related to dance-appealed vibes but rather exploring the inner life of the aforementioned elements which seems to live their life on their own. Secondly, the album could be understood as a platform for exploring relations between the aforementioned sonic details and natures of different kind. Furthermore, the soundscape which might seem starkly austere at first glance could be remarkably more high-spirited and alive then superficial mainstream pop act of being deflated from essential ideas. Thirdly, one could grasp there is subtle border if at all between the so-called established sounds and “errors” (I mean crazed sounds). The only exception is a track called Uni which reveals its affinity toward house ideas though this should be grasped in an abstract, indirect way. In a word, the result is an outstanding insight into techno music. Unfortunately the album which was issued under Hz-Records does not exist anymore so I decided to upload it again. Indeed, it is a rare issue.  

1/18/2016

[Teaser of the day] StatueOfDiveo - Nobody Wants A Broken Window


  • Electronic pop
  • R`n`B
  • Indietronica
  • Art pop
  • Space pop
  • Dream pop
  • Alternative pop
  • Organic electronica

Artist: StatueOfDiveo
Release: Spaceman 
Label: Jamendo
Year. 2014

Trois-Collines – Trois-Collines (2011)




  • Avant-pop
  • Electro pop
  • Experimental pop
  • Americana
  • Electro-funk
  • Art pop
  • Electro-clash
  • Leftfield

Comment: this is a lovely yet challenging leftfield pop example of involving disparate sonic shards and tendencies either ready to ignore each other or ready to clash with one another to be synthesised seamlessly into the one composition. It launches with eerie, slightly outstretched sounds which used to wobble and flicker around by adding stepwise some chords of glockenspiel and reversed sounds to the mix. One of the central pieces is frolicky electro-funk/electro-clash issue Bananes saturèes which is extraordinary because of embracing an uncharacteristically high-pitched singing/chanting mode in the mix. Another one is wondrous You Have The Cool which chimes like a drunken Lambchop where Americana chops are intermixed with some improvised music chips. Later on, those woolly-headed ideas will continue through muffled yet warped arrangements and stylistic mutations which are truly mind-boggling altogether. It is an excellent sort of wonky pop for sure. The issue is a part of an intriguing French imprint Midinette Records.

1/17/2016

[Teaser of the day] Cousin Silas - Whitefield Pits


  • Soundscape
  • Ambient
  • Post-rock
  • New Age

Artist: Cousin Silas
Label: Acustronica
Year: 2011

Gholas – Poisoning The Airwaves (2011)




  • Screamo
  • No Wave
  • Technical metal
  • Trash metal
  • Sludge metal
  • Doom metal
  • Noise metal
  • Avant-metal

Comment: Gholas is a New Jersey-based quartet whose second issue is replete with different kind of metal tinged elements so played with such energy and desperate attitude that one could freely mosh his/her caps off. More profoundly, if Gholas` music were just bare noodling with guitar noises and thumping drums then the influence of them would have been remarkably diminished. Their sound is organized chaos with hints at repeated, recognized patterns within dense noise and power while revealing their uncompromising nature to follow their primal scream and wild nature of law. The singer of the group is brilliant because of acting like a crackbrained person who is ready to annihilate all in front of his eyes. One could be quite sure metal music is not only source altogether for the combo to dig out such sort of pulsating energy and then pour it out in thousands of torrents. More profoundly, one must not forget the group comes from the area being known due to the innovative noise and art music approach of No Wave. Gholas` music is a metal music counterpart of the movement. It would be simply the best to draw contrasts while having their gig at such a slacker event as the Grammy Award used to be, for instance. This excellent, 8-track issue burns and kicks you out from your ordinary, drowsy life. 

1/16/2016

[Teaser of the day] Chancius - Pliers Donar


  • Indie rock
  • Experimental pop
  • Alternative pop
  • Art rock

Artist: Chancius
Release: Bando
Label: Jamendo
Year. 2015

Alternative links:

[Teaser of the day] A Tiny Window - untitled 3 (02/01/16)


  • Improvised music
  • Drone folk
  • Psychedelic folk
  • Art folk
  • New Weird Britain
  • Experimental folk
  • Avant-folk
  • Live session
  • Space folk
  • Folktronica

Artist: A Tiny Window
Year: 2016

Gorowski - The Gorowski Archives: Previously Unreleased Tuneage from the Archives 2005-2015 (2015)




  • Electronic dance music
  • Post-disco
  • Alternative dance
  • Breakbeat
  • Big beat
  • Electronic pop
  • Tech-house
  • Nu jazz
  • Electro pop
  • Psychedelic pop
  • Acid jazz
  • House pop
  • Acid house

Comment: the Netherlands-based WM Recordings has been one of the dwelling places for many mind-boggling artists. Marco Kalnenek`s headed imprint`s placard “where music is different” is absolutely relevant accommodating such artists as Roy “Chicky” Arad (the Israeli Eurovision song contest`s competitor in 2000), Jared C. Balogh, The Hathaway Family Plot, Chenard Walcker, Spheriot, Brunk, Keshco, and Phil Reavis among many other artists. Indeed, Marco Kalnenek had been involved in doings of another outstanding imprint, called Comfort Stand Recordings being a home place for such underground luminaries as Big City Orchestra, Dan deacon, and R Stevie Moore so one could say he cannot distinguish between solid and inferior bum. Gorowski`s miscellany of 15 composition embraces compositions being produced in a span of 10 year activity. Musically one could distinguish between different accents – from indie dance/acid house oriented frequencies to more electro and big beat oriented dance propulsions which now and then used to clash in one and the same track. Furthermore, tracks like Rush By Meadow, and Styley used to run on nu jazz-y vibes thereby implying a remarkably more intimate association within the piece. Hipster`s Call is a sublime indication of electronic dance music and post-disco which should have poisoned contemporary charts. Skipping To Hazana is soaked with elegantly negligent psychedelic ripples. Rhubarb is a more club dance oriented track because of drifting somewhere between house, techno, and breakbeat oscillations. Stargate Pumpkin is another mesmerizing composition which does have huge pop potential due to the shift between acoustic and electronic pop being overloaded by frantic energy. On the whole, one could perceive different phases in decent developing and moving on aesthetically. 

Guruzsmás - Fordítsd ki a szűrödet! (2015)




  • Sludge rock
  • Math rock
  • Balkan music
  • Surf rock
  • Doo mrock
  • Art rock
  • Crossover
  • World music
  • Experimental rock

Comment: if you are going to listen to this Hungary-based combo`s 9-notch just for one time it is obviously not enough to get proper vibration and grasp the sophisticated nature of the album. For instance, the trio`s outing starts off and finishes up with startling, roughly designed flute improvisations where one can see powerful pillars of synergy coming out of few yet craftily played instruments. It could be said the Guruzsmàs is obviously influenced by Balkan music motives though masterfully intermixing it with sludge and doom rock elements which in turn are often subjected to math rock algorithms (for instance, Nyitás a Kozmosz felé - Opening to the Cosmos). The favourite of mine is Misirlou because a sort of surf rock played with frenetic energy and a lot of key changes of involving ethnic motives. In a nutshell, it is a refreshing listening session where any clatter of the drums and bold vibe of the bass guitar and flicker of the guitar is thoroughly analysed and then thrown out into the feral blend. The listener is the object on the field there to perceive elemental power of the human aesthetic.

1/15/2016

[Teaser of the day] Ike Harold - Lost


  • Post-dubstep
  • Broken beats
  • Glitch-hop
  • Future garage

Artist: Ike Harold
Release: Blue EP
Year: 2012

Dimaension X – Plagues of Aegyptus (2015)




  • Doom metal
  • Post-metal
  • Dark ambient
  • Hard rock
  • Electronic
  • Crossover

Comment: throughout this morning I have cogitated pessimistic thoughts about crippled human nature while listening to this 61-minute issue. Indeed, I have had a vulgar telephone conversation with one human being full of shit, obsessive anger and waste of time. The only redemption I have got it is through this ominously trudging guitar walls, heavily ponding drums and threatening vocal lines and orchestrated synth panoramas above. Indeed, it is a sort of outing where aesthetical calculations are preferred to annihilate the existence of flea-bitten mainstream crap while one is listening to it. Because of that the artist`s purpose is to provide frank emotions to the listener. I hope that the era of the so-called grand music artists will be over soon and thereby providing no quasi-philosophy to their audience by speaking out from an authority position. Why should we need to get messages from very bare caricatures? Instead of it please listen to this 10-track composition and do not give a damn to the world. 

1/13/2016

[Teaser of the day] Pureape - I Need The Sun


  • Electro pop
  • Electro-indie
  • Alternative dance
  • Alternative pop
  • Dance rock
  • Psychedelic pop
  • Acid pop

Artist: Pureape
Release: Speed Up
Label: Alpinechic
Year: 2004

Goto80 and the Uwe Schenk Band – The Ferret Show (2012)




  • Chiptune
  • Conceptual
  • Yacht pop
  • Electronica
  • Cool jazz
  • Avant-pop
  • Nu jazz
  • Mood music
  • Regatta pop
  • Leftfield pop
  • Live session
  • Crossover

Comment: Goto80 is the Swede Anders Carlsson who is a prominent musician in the chiptune/demoscene/track music/nintendocore compartments who started making music in his early years already (in 1992). On the other side, I have got no information about Uwe Schenk Band but being related to the recent issue only. I have some doubts that the aforementioned band is Carlsson`s phantom, imaginative combo to deviate from his usual musical doings and stylistic preferences (those tracker music elements are either more hidden or just absent or just developed into next, post-chiptune electronic music). In fact, it was just the imagination of mine although in reality Goto80`s music was re-arranged by four musicians in live thereby providing an innovative concept for orchestrated music and chiptune breaks to get together. Indeed, one could listen to a moody mishmash of cool jazz progressions, effortlessly sailing regatta pop and yacht rock motives. However, in the final track Volksing Ferretismico the listener could enjoy odds and ends of chiptune shards getting some impulses into the exuberant, carnival-alike crescendos and eargasmic climaxes. On the whole, the result is an astonishing whole of demonstrating Anders Carlsson`s versatility and craftiness to create something quite different from his usual practice decently. The issue is a part of UpitUp Records which allows one to enter into a rich source of many great albums.

1/12/2016

[Teaser of the day] FLVKE - Have Doubted You



  • Deep house
  • Club dance
  • Mood music
  • Progressive house

Artist: FLVKE
Release: Along With You
Year: 2015

Mr Zu - Lunar Trip EP (2010)




  • Progressive trance
  • Deep techno
  • Remix
  • Dub techno
  • Trance dub

Comment: the opening track Floating Away does reveal the artist`s intention to search for balance of drifting between soothing dub vibes and trance music inflected synthesised frequencies. The same tendency will continue at Into The Darkness. However, Expedition is a composition of different sort which used to trudge through deeply designed vapour and hypnotic techno rhythms pushing the whole forward in an effortless way. Slownoise`s remix of the track adds more dub stylized echoes and delays to the mix and a more hyper-realist and clear-cut horizon surfaces to the ground. In a nutshell, the title justifies the album`s content. Indeed, it is an astonishing listening session. The issue is a part of the discography of Loud And Clear.    

1/10/2016

[Teaser of the day] FrankJavCee - Future Funk Made Today



  • Breaks
  • Funk
  • Seapunk
  • Mood music
  • Vaporwave
  • Leftfield pop

Artist: FrankJavCee
Label: Bandcamp/self-released
Year: 2015

rin la – Normality Brings Out The Normality In Me (2014)




  • Hip-hop
  • Witch house
  • Rap
  • Dark ambient
  • Experimentalism
  • Avant-hop
  • Leftfield
  • Micronoise
  • Drag house
  • Urban music

Comment: rin la is an Estonian classically educated musician (if I could remember for clearly then he studied the guitar as an instrument) who is dwelling In Vienna, Austria at the moment. By the way, he is not only in the family of him who is related to the music. For instance, her sister Alina Ostrova is well-known in many indie music circles as a member of Hype Williams under the pseudonym of Inga Copeland. In 2014 he had been especially active by issuing three outings in all. NBOTNIM was the last one then, however, reflecting properly upon profound investigation and development of hip-hop/rap music by him. Indeed, one could hear noise fuelled and ominous ambient horizons and hovering dub swaths above his silent, stuttering chanting which might remember of Tricky`s approach to recite verses. For sure, it is innovative because of craftily incorporating exquisite witch house and drag house shards and threatening vibes into the body. Musically it is a distinctive and idiosyncratic hip-hop example which has much more to say than an average gangsta rap instance. Moreover, rin la certainly chimes better than most hip-hop acts worldwide. By similar artists with similar venturous approach from Estonia I recommend to listen to Simon Ace`s Oberon (2013, Bandcamp). 

1/09/2016

[Teaser of the day] Life Like Thunderstorms - Deeply Lucid


  • Post-classical
  • Avant-garde
  • Improvised music
  • Downbeat
  • Experimentalism
  • Chamber music

Release: Awkward Balance
Year: 2015

Schaua – Get Happy (2013)




  • Indietronica
  • Electro pop
  • Chiptune
  • Post-punk
  • Neokrautrock
  • Alternative dance
  • Electro-indie
  • Synth-rock
  • 8-bit
  • Acid pop

Comment: one thing I could not understand in 2015 was the hype of Tame Impala`s Currents. I can approve Kevin Parker is a pre-eminent musician of a new generation but his brand new one was thoroughly bothersome except the first side (A-side) of the vinyl release which consisted of truly awesome songs. However, since the B-side on Kevin Parker`s vocal was immersed in sugary vocal harmonies and musically it did not make sense at all. It was like keeping run on one and the same pace with repeated, predictable turns and therefore finally burning out all the oxygen in the listener`s brain. In fact, I tried to re-position myself as a listener but eventually I could not listen to it even as an adjusted case of muzak anymore. Indeed, I have listened to it for four times so far and apparently trying to listen to it a couple of times yet. If it will not work on me in the future either I really hope to get 30 euros back from Interscope/Fiction/Universal Records. Schaua`s Get Happy though it had not been issued in 2015 sounds stylistically similarly yet musically it a much better case. It starts off with a light-hearted synth pop notch with some (pop) house music influences (effects coming through filters). Later on, this one-man-project reflects more upon acid/pop and indie electronic tendencies being sprinkled with (neo)krautrock legacy (for instance, KC, Guest). Because of that the artist can be put into one compartment with such neokrautrock legends as Pluramon, Mina, To Rococo Rot, Kreidler, Mouse On Mars, Tarwater, Notwist, and Lali Puna. At Guest the listener can perceive subtle chiptune/tracker music/8-bit music progressions with regard to the harmonic side. At Alright Now one could discern Mark E Smith and The Fall`s influences with regard to chesty repeating of the title and pulsating drums and a galvanized bass thread, respectively. All in all, it is emotionally and aesthetically boggling.

1/08/2016

[Teaser of the day] Alejandro Remeseiro - 5


  • Organic electronica
  • Ambient
  • Conceptual
  • Experimentalism
  • Soundscape
  • Avant-garde
  • Dark ambient
  • Musique concrète

Release: Storm
Label: Nostress
Year: 2014

Unthunk – Big Boots (2013)




  • Alternative rock
  • Indie rock
  • Experimental rock

Comment: there is not much to write about this issue because of providing a couple of short-running pieces only (Big Boots, Spiny Urchin). The single side (Big Boots) is a simplistic one having spot on the repeating phrase “big boots” and bold bass driven beats and some sonic effects coming through and around the structure. Spiny Urchin is a remarkably more flowing one without vocal interventions and bubbly dance rhythms conjured up by the baritone guitar. It could be said despite its austere nature and minimal changes in chords the issue begins to grow after many listening times while the listener is able to discover nuances within the sound. The title track is like an exercise of minimal music for “natural” instruments.

1/07/2016

[Teaser of the day] Mauro Donati - Frenk Stokwud


  • Electronica
  • Mood music
  • Synthwave
Artist: Mauro Donati
Release: Response EP
Label: Ephedrina 
Year: 2015

[Teaser of the day] Sloppy Seconds - Broken-Faced/Blue-Eyed



  • Indie pop
  • Twee pop
  • Alternative pop

Release: EP
Label: Bandcamp/Self-released
Year: 2015

Outbred - Morda (2015)




  • Mathcore
  • Screamo
  • Trash metal

Comment: Outbred is an angry Polish mathcore/trash metal combo whose 3-piece issue Morda is saturated with math-tempered rhythms and painful chanting and screaming. As much as I know Russian and given that Polish is also one of the Slavic languages “Morda” does supposedly mean “face” being expressed in an impolite way. Given that it conveys emotions we are experiencing by meeting inferior, arrogant human beings who used to think of themselves very positively and frequently humiliating other ones to scrape their own self-esteem and create useless imago around them. Frequently these creatures are such sort of who if they will die tomorrow for instance have nothing but leaving behind bare shitty odour and lease-purchase for a motor car. Indeed, like the Morrissey once sung while being the singer in the Smiths at Heaven Knows I`m Miserable Now. In my life/Why do I smile/At people who I'd much rather kick in the eye. Outbred`s music is also outstanding to support these lines.  

Makoto Tanaka - The fluttering we Original Soundtrack (2015)




  • Chamber music
  • Folktronica
  • Modern classical
  • Post-pop
  • Conceptual
  • Soundtrack

Comment: as the title hints at the Japanese musician Makoto Tanaka`s 6-track issue is a soundtrack for Yu Katsumata`s documentary film called The Fluttering We which is about rehearsal to public performance. The issue is a short-running glimpse through majestic chord progressions sprinkled with soothing piano chords, some electronic undercurrents, and beautiful orchestrations which used to emerge behind the horizon and brush over the soundscape.

1/06/2016

[Teaser of the day] Robert Farrugia - Ambient Sketc#3


  • Soundscape
  • Ambient
  • Modern classical
  • Crossover

Release: Mist EP
Label: Petroglyph
Year: 2016

UNDÆ! 2012




  • Noise
  • Experimentalism
  • Drone
  • Microtonal
  • Abstract
  • Organic electronica
  • Experimental electronica
  • Avant-garde
  • Electro-acoustic
  • Psycho-acoustic

Comment: it is a grandeur miscellany of 14 pieces with a total amount of 107 minutes. The concept´s choice is to explore electronic and acoustic elements in one joint thread. Of course, frequently it goes beyond the aforementioned borders (for instance, providing spot more on drone, ambient and even rhythmic noise music) and this kind of exaggeration is fairly welcome. On the other side, the genre of electro-acoustic music is huge enough to wind quite differently from one brim to another. Some audible examples are abstract and restrained insights, some used to swell and go across exuberant pathways. At times the artists represented over there exploit concrete music samples to convey a more human-close touch to their compositions. There are up such artists as Thom Blum, Donika Rudi, Nicola Monopoli, Josè Luis Maire, Frank Ekeberg, Clèment Parmentier, [zygote], Gordon Delap, Gintas K., Lidia Zielinska, Nichola Scrutton, Christian Banasik, and Vanessa Sorce-Lèvesque. The compilation is a part of Thrmnphone. 

1/05/2016

[Teaser of the day] Randy Spike - Singular Grape Waves



  • Improvised noise
  • Avant-garde
  • Space rock
  • Minimalism
  • No Wave
  • Psych-rock
  • Experimentalism
  • Noise rock
  • Leftfield

Artist: Randy Spike
Label: Bandcamp/Self-released
Year: 2016

MonoCulture – Lawn World EP (2005)




  • Glitchtronica
  • Indietronica
  • Crossover
  • Modern classical 
  • Organic electronica
  • Lo-fi
  • Experimental electronica
  • Folktronica
  • Musique concrète

Comment: MonoCulture provides an issue of describing quite expressively audible Zeitgeist regarding modern music in the first half/mid of 00s. The listener can perceive an exquisite amalgamation of modern/post-classical, folk, lo-fi, concrete music and glitched-out and experimental electronic snippets. By perceptive side it chimes in a lurking way throughout the course and because of it this makes difference of utmost extent. On the other side, because of having a common part with many genres yet being neither one nor another style while making difference regarding the idiosyncratic side of the release. Even its temporary naivety is likeably appealing. In a nutshell, the result is impressive in its picturesque shifts within the different compartments. 

1/04/2016

[Teaser of the day] Boats - Henny Guts



  • Hip-hop
  • Wonky
  • Grime
  • Experimental hip-hop
  • Aquacrunk
  • Street bass

Artist: Boats
Release: Squiggle
Label: Saturate!
Year: 2015

The Womb – Joni`s Weird Chords (2015)




  • Singer-songwriter
  • Indie
  • Electronic pop
  • Alternative pop
  • Soul pop
  • Funk
  • Post-britpop

Comment: The Womb is Alan Driscoll, the singer-songwriter of English heritage who is living in Melbourne, Australia recently. He has issued a raft of albums and compilations (more than 20 issues in all) under his own imprint Danielle Records (some of the them have been issued in liaison with the Swedish imprint 23 Seconds) since 1998. At Joni`s Weird Chords lyrical side he is speaking about women/mistresses/sex partners, alcohol, drugs thereby depicting the vicious life course of one person. Musically as usual he likes to sing in a slightly oppressed, half-singing, half-chanting way which at times is backed up by soulful female voices (Cameron Pikò, Regina Eylward-Pikò, and Claire Jeddou) and sublime funk rhythms, austere yet convincing indie touch and suggestive soul pop arrangements. The cover print is highly appealing due to an erotically depicted female person and fish stocking and leather gloves and on the contrary conveying hidden persona through a campy element of disguise. If have never heard The Womb`s music and searching for some comparison points and have previously experienced some amiableness against Jarvis Cocker (Pulp), and Nick Currie (Momus) then you should give it a try. On the whole, although it might not be the best issue by Alan Driscoll, it provides a corroborant listening experience to your soul and mind. It is one of the albums in the list of pre-eminent issues out of 2015.

1/03/2016

[Teaser of the day] Ruben Atmos - Acid Room 3


  • Experimental techno
  • Acid techno
  • Dub techno
  • Tech-electro

Artist: Ruben Atmos
Release: Acid Room
Label: MNMN
Year: 2015


Okinawa Lifestyle – Underwater (2011)




  • Chillwave
  • Electro-indie
  • Alternative dance
  • Shoegazetronica
  • Alternative pop
  • Indie pop
  • Glo-fi
  • Indie dance
  • Synth funk
  • Mood music
  • Chilltronica


Comment: I could remember for that I was quite surprised many years ago by the fact of Okinawa Lifestyle coming out of Tbilisi, Georgia which was then for not being an ordinary place for emerging modern pop/indie bands and got recognized worldwide. Although the duo of was not the first echelon of the so-called chillwave movement they got enough positive feedback being played at lastfm by many listeners weekly. Indeed, the movement was established on the elements of indie/dream pop, house, funk, and alternative dance music though music groups which used to blossom with the compartment used to differ on the nexus of being either more dance-appealed or immersed in to conjure up hazy, thoroughly picturesque sonorous landscapes (for instance, Memoryhouse). I have heard even such a theory that it was grown out of the elements of mainstream music to encapsulate for further development and then arrive at the mainstream level again. It might be true by the latter point ( I can`t agree with the mainstream reference) if to consider that such bands as Toro Y Moi, Neon Indian, Washed Out, Memoryhouse, Youth Lagoon, Ducktails, Tycho, Teen Daze gathered popularity and even contracts by well-known indie labels. Of course, the starting point was boosted by the activists within blogspots and wordpress and there were at least a couple of great imprints for to push newborn groups forward (Arcade Sounds, and Beko DSL). However, the duo of David Datunashvili Gigi Jikia has released a bunch of issues during the two years of which Underwater is their last output. Similarly to their previous issues their sound used to straddle either on body-provoking funk, eelctro and house touched frequencies or searching for more spacey corners to set down. Emotionally it is movable and aesthetically it is interesting to listen to, either being immersed in nostalgic insight or without to be. However, there is one exception either. Green Wand of which is set apart thanks to majestic shoegazer pointed guitars and slightly jagged drums beside them. All these compositions have been drawn out in the way to denote them as leading-edge. For instance, one must listen to Girls Annoy Boys (feat. Alie Lavoie). It is fairly bewildering indeed. By my opinion, Okinawa Lifestyle should have deserved a patch within the first chillwave echelon.                                     


1/02/2016

[Teaser of the day] Wixel - Snowsparks


  • Indietronica
  • Duyster
  • Drone pop
  • Epic
  • Glitch
  • Indie pop
  • Post-rock
  • Dream pop
  • Alternative pop
  • Organcore

Artist: Wixel
Release
Label: Electrobel
Year: 2003

Taman Nada - Taman Nada EP (2014)




  • Indie folk
  • Folk rock
  •  Folk indie
  • Indonesian pop

Comment: if to run around in Internet and searching for netlabels then you might stumble upon such conglomerate of imprints as Indonesian Netlabel Union. The idea to establish such a sort of nationwide bond seems to be appealing. Furthermore, Indonesia is one of those Asian countries of having the decent indie scene and in general does have an awe-awakening musical legacy regarding both pop music and ethnic/world music. One of the notches is SUB/SIDE in the imprint`s compound and Taman Nada`s self-titled three track issue is a part of its discography. It starts off with whistling to evolve into clear-cut, light-hearted pop music which at times seems to be as crystalline as branch water. Indeed, it is devoid of crackbrained threads, tumbling strains and stoned outbursts however, in spite of it the result is impressive due to predominant vocal lead which is accompanied by sparse instrumentation due to neat guitar fingering – especially at the opening piece Fase. However, this track and Marilah Mari do provide the best harmony solution of which could be found over there. Musically they can be considered a part of the well-acclaimed indie folk/folk rock scene being so popular nowadays thanks to such combos as Mumford & Sons, Angus & Julia Stone, Ben Howard, and Fleet Foxes. All the songs are sung in Indonesian (or at least in a local native language). Let`s grab music from there. 

1/01/2016

[Teaser of the day] Frozen Geese - The Coleopterous Charm


  • Space rock
  • Electronic
  • Avant-rock
  • Experimental rock
  • Minimalism
  • Drone rock
  • Trance rock
  • Psych-rock

Artist: Frozen Geese
Release: The Starseed
Label: Vanity Case
Year: 2010

Some best albums in 2015

Comment: the year of 2015 is over and the one of 2016 started to make first steps. The previous year was as prolific as the earlier ones used to be. My personal intention has been for years not to deliberately concentrate on issues at a time. Because of that my list does represent only a microscopic part of what could have been. A huge amount of albums from the year 2015 wait to get listening times. Most of these albums are up for free download. On account of it I am going to permanently complete this list in future. Happy new year 2016!

Mercury Rev “The Light In You”
Mart Avi “Humanista”
The Hathaway Family Plot "Spare Time"
Natural Snow Buildings “Night Country”
The Fucked Up Beat “Europa”
The Fucked Up Beat “(hope! Our Drones Sent From Heaven)”  
Alessio Ballerini “Beautiful Ground”
Hanetration “Acid Reflux EP”
Aires & Rui. P. Andrade “Pânico-Ambiente”
Philip Johnson “0714”
Tont “Rändurvaim”
Japanese Large “Superpositioned”
Joxfield ProjeX, Cotton Casino “Casino Royal”
Godspeed You! Black Emperor “Asunder, Sweet, and Other Distress”
Death Grips “Fashion Week”
Terrible Terrible “Get The New Computer”
Millions “Line In The Sky”
Aaron Yabrov “Tonmuseum”
Outer Gods “Ascend Unto The Seventh Throne”
St Cheatersburg “How To Lose Your Value on The Heterosexual Market”
Lee Noble “Un Look”
Day of the Triangle “Salvia Sundays”
Day of the Triangle “Chair Conspiracy”
Simon Waldram “Inside Out EP”
Jan Grünfeld “Music For Plants”
Massimo Ruberti “Armstrong”
Hanetration “Waldsterben”
ある一日。文月だいご
Dadala “With Brass-Lines”
Orrorin Daydream “A Distant Veil”
Diropel “Yhnpivtr”
The Fucked Up Beat “Europa II”
Paris Angels “Eclipse”
Gamardah Fungus “Hidden By The Leaves”
This Lonely Crowd “Meraki”
Kroma “Prince of the City”
Cagey House “Sometimes Always Never”
Juçara Marçal & Cadu Tenório “Anganga                 

The Hathaway Family Plot – Spare Time (2015)




  • Post-industrial
  • Crossover
  • Noise
  • Singer-songwriter
  • Art pop
  • Modern classical
  • Avant-garde
  • Experimentalism

Comment: I guess it might even be better to have no words about this miscellany of 15 tracks altogether. It would just be better to silently absorb all those innumerable vagaries into your restless soul thereby getting moving resonance toward the outside world which is thoroughly depraved and rotten because the human being as a species has either no inner will or bigger plan for to leap to a next, qualitatively higher level. The world is governed by the masters of none and in our (Western) media and societies inferior topics used to predominate over essential ones (climate changes, arising problems with heavily polluted environment, fossil fuel based stagnation). Kevin McFadden aka The Hathaway Plot`s purpose is to hint at these problems in a more and less direct way. More profoundly, he has stated against late-industrial capitalism, consumer culture, and music-as-commodity. Another facet is his music which talks in an indirect way through stark threads within THFP and even in his standalone tracks could be many universes to be discerned. Spare Time is as crackbrained as hell. If it is produced with rage then this rage must have been repressed and subsequently channelized into these movable pieces. The whole embarks on like a revelation impending doom through stepwise accelerated drone threads within the ambient dominated environment. Later on, McFadden starts off to pose as singer-songwriter though doing it in a very unusual way. Those calm compositional explorations are starkly “disturbed” by nervous twitches and painful pinches which in turn are even more amplified by sheer noise blankets. At times it may remind of some of the The Swans`s desolate compositions though the link between these artists is fortunately quite faint. On the other side, one could draw some parallels to another excellent issue coming out of 2015, Mart Avi`s Humanista which is also an uncompromisingly straightforward one of exploiting unabashedly avant-garde elements in a pop structure. Ideologically both artists tempt to de(con)struct pop volumes as reflections of the real-life deviated surrounding. It is crucial McFadden is able to sustain the aforementioned aesthetical and emotional peak throughout the course. I have listened to it for three times in a row at least while upholding excitement and feeling no boredom at all. It is one of the most pre-eminent issues in 2015 for sure. Given that THFP`s previous issues are great as well so it could be foretold that new issues are going to reach new sceptical adherents to its own list.

12/31/2015

Recent Music Heroes Mixtape #15 (31.12.2015)





1) LFC – A Little Jazz For Your Ass (2013, KeyFuckaroo)  

2) Lezet – Rain (2014, Accumulation)

3) Covered Faces – Abandoned Dogma (feat. Jessica from White Violet Tremors) (2011, Lobiep EP)

4) Gnouli Monsters – Crazy/These Days (2008, Hi)

5) Glander – Variation c2 (2010, Variations)

6) baaskaT – Schizo (2015, Beat Tape 3 (EP))

7) stakka – Snowball (2004, Alone EP)

8) Mart Avi – Tuvalu (A Song of Longing) (2015, Humanista)

9) The Easton Ellises – Stay (2014, Nightwavs)

10) German Error Message – Oh, Excavator (2010, ToCarry Alongside)

11) Japanese Large – Maybe Never (2015, Superpositioned)

12) Juçara Marçal & Cadu Tenório – Canto III (2015, Anganga)

13) Noisesurfer – Paint Forms (2012, ADSL)

14) St Cheatersburg – How To Lose Your Value On The Heterosexual Market (2015, How To Lose Your Value On The HeterosexualMarket)

15) The Fucked up Beat – Regret! (2015, (hope!Our Drones Sent From Heaven))

16) Bone Conductors – Bermuda (2008, Twitches

[Teaser of the day] Mimicry - Mistakes

  • Alternative pop
  • Electronic pop
  • Electroclash
  • Electro-indie
  • Alternative dance
  • Synth-pop

Artist: Mimicry
Release: Mistakes (single)
Label: Bandcamp/Self-released
Year: 2013

External World - External World (2006)




  • Improvised music
  • New Weird Britain
  • Free folk
  • Dada music
  • Freeformfreakout
  • Anti-folk
  • Experimentalism
  • Primitive music
  • Weird folk
  • Avant-garde
  • Psychedelic

Comment: it is not the first and apparently will not be the last entry of a combo related to such labels as Cozy Home Records, Daydream Generation, and Quixodelic Records. All the three can be considered as staples within the realm of home recorded ingenious music which frequently tend to stay beyond definitive stylistic terms. External World is the duo of Judy Shimmin and Rob Levy whose 15-notch issue is released from conventional pop music threads of utmost extent. I guess someone might think it is negative album on account of just wanting purposefully to counteract to the mainstream music. Such sort of statement would be probably wrong because the result is somehow cohesive and convincing despite of providing a shitloads of wired progressions and wild turns and frantic dodges. More concretely, it involves tickled dialogues in words, mind-boggling interactions between guitar playing, trance-y ethnic drumming and amusing synchronised vocal deliveries pouring out of both channels simultaneously. And all of these elements seem to be surfaced at ease. The starting point is not important here as it is not the ending spot either – between the listener could discern much free energy and delight of cooperation coming out of those relatively short-running pieces. The more you listen to it the more you could behold folk-based structure behind it. Firstly one might discern chaos fuelled fractals which then stepwise begin to disappear to hold place for more “logical” indications. In fact, the aforementioned improvised pieces and lovely freakouts do variegate with emotively and aesthetically restrained guitar twangs (Early Hours) or one could enjoy calm moments where the birds are singing, cicadas are chirping, some leaves fall spirally down accompanied by faint drumming. It sounds like a nice afternoon on Sunday somewhere in the backyard. By lyrical side, it is similarly imaginative and freely tripping as the sonic concept (for instance, We Must Go). In a word, listen to it to get permitted to enter into a difference making portal.