Recent Music Heroes

Comment: Beeches of Madame Ess`s 12-track issue is a thought-provoking issue both by its sounds and concept. It was recorded while the Pennsylvania, US-based quintet was travelling to arrive at Nova Scotia, Canada. They recorded while staying at various campsites in Bangor Maine, Cheticamp, and Blomidon. All the soundscape which consists of freaked-out yet heartfelt lo-fi folk and indie compositions, warped electronic appearances (especially The Gather of Sticks) and some field recordings were created by using acoustic and electric instruments and battery powered synthesizers. The issue was created even as there had been the highlight of the so-called New Weird America movement since the first half of the 00s. These ditties are expertly conceived surfacing the pristine nature of a natural world where is left no place for the temporal categories but pure beauty of nature seems to overwhelm all what used to be inside it and around it. However, at Flora And Fauna slowed-down, slightly murky electric guitar progressions do tingle one`s pure sensations to have emerged previously from elemental sounds. Evening of Bliss might remind of early experiments by Animal Collective though the Beeches of Madame Ess`s experiment is more incisive in its obvious primitivism which reminds of an old-fashioned computer game or something. It cannot be wrong to say the amalgamation of natural sounds and artificial sounds provide invigorated impulses to the whole. The outing was initially released in 2007 and a year later on Rack And Ruin (it is catalogued as rrr096 in the discography of the label) which had been a definitive imprint within the webaudio world from 2008 to 2011.

3/11/2016

Sounds and images from Spain (2010)

Top-40

Musique concrète
Field recordings
Found sounds
Conceptual
Non-music
Sound collage

Comment: this is a subsequent virtual journey around the world regarding the imprint top-40`s audio-visual teleportative series Sounds and images from… . The recent issue of three parts is based on the recordings from Malaga, Dilar, San Jose, Tenerife, Lanzarote, and Fuerteventura. The field recordings are recorded by Vadim Ugryumov. In general, the issue does not surprise because the sounds represented over there do coincide virtually with other ones based on the same concept of necessity. For instance, there are up the snippets of street sounds (the sounds of bypassing motorcycles, for instance), the chirping of cicadas, speech snippets. In a word, the mechanical sounds are either set against or interwoven with the organic, natural ones. However, the most striking characteristic are recordings of the covers of some rock and roll classics. In a nutshell, given that it embraces a bunch of different, intriguing sounds the result is captivating.

Shearwater 2016-02-06 Mercury Lounge NYC (2016)

Nyctaper

Indie rock/pop
Alternative pop/rock
Art rock
Live
Experimental rock
Americana
Psychedelic rock
Cover

Comment: Shearwater performed this gig on the sixth of February, 2016 at Mercury Lounge NYC which was virtually a promotion act of Jonathan Meiburg-led combo`s brand new one Jet Plane and Oxbow having embraced obvious hints at adverse side effects on nature by the human being`s activity. Indeed, I like the musicians who have been having both responsibility and courage to spit it out despite the so-called political correctness superimposed by some politicians and businessmen with purpose to cover up their own slippery decisions and activities. Musically it is an organic shift between alternative/indie pop/rock, Americana and art rock with some hints toward ambient/drone/electronic music. Of course, Jonathan Meiburg`s sorrowful singing style is a main component within the ensemble`s music and also throughout the gig. The most experimental new song is obviously Stray Light at Clouds Hill where the last mentioned elements are neatly represented for. Additionally, there are represented three compositions from the band`s previous albums and a cover of David Bowie`s Look Back In Anger. Very good.

Muhr – Lucas Arc (2013)

Laverna

Post-rock
Experimental rock
Avant-rock
Modern classical
Electronic music
Epic
Cinematic

Comment: Vincent Fugère aka Muhr comes out from a place where the guitar-induced music means a lot. More profoundly, he has based out from Montrèal, Quebec, Canada. There is up a wide spectrum of guitar groups who play it in an unconventional way as it is on the recent 4-track issue. Beyond that he had been the head figure of the fascinating experimental music label Camomille Music, an imprint for modern classical, post-rock, ambient and experimental and electronic music. For sure, Muhr is a talented musician and producer whose outlet involves a bunch of mind-blowing constructed parts, heroic thematic developments and synergic streaks. For instance, he exploits guitars and mandolins juxtaposed against warped electronic undercurrents to conjure up experimental yet highly appealing results at Lucas Arc Part 2. The same could be said about the rest of the pieces where the epic of overdriven guitars, delicate electro-acoustic scintillas, reversed chords will surface a beatific level to dignify one`s soul and mind. Furthermore, something of this sort could be a soundtrack for any motion picture with fairly lofty content. This sonic gem must be heard and gotten.

3/08/2016

[Teaser of the day] Beatslaughter - Bliss

Phonocake

Experimental techno
IDM
Ambient techno
Dark ambient
Experimental electronica
Post-classical

Artist: Beatslaughter

Release: Serenity EP

Label: Phonocake

Year: 2012

Unicorn Hole – Some Songs (2014)

Torn Flesh

Kitty On Fire

Cybergrind
Electro-metal
Midicore
Harsh metal
Electronic
Ambient

Comment: this album could be called as a conceptual one as for progressive rock because of surfacing compositions with the same names though differing with regard to have the different parts within the 8-track course. On the other side, the first seven tracks all do have the same length – just one minute to run. Musically it is not progressive rock though rather being mechanically produced metal music being internally tagged as midicore. Indeed, it draws on machine-alike rhythms, anxiety loaded vocals, and electronic harmonic above the rhythms which in total could a little remind of chiptune/8-bit/tracker music. However, the ending composition You Could Have A Leg In One Hand And A Brerb In The Other is the case to turn all upside down – it is a fairly blissful glimpse by conjuring up the pictures from ambient music which could have some similarities with a late period Talk Talk, and some compositions of Durutti Column, for instance. The issue is a solid joint effort under such prolific and established labels as Torn Flesh Records and Kitty On Fire.

3/07/2016

[Teaser of the day] Kurushimi - Amanojaku

Improvised music
Experimental metal
Free jazz
Avant-metal
Improvised noise
Psych-metal
Crossover
Jazz-metal
Fusion

Artist: Kurushimi

Release: Kurushimi

Label: Art As Catharsis

Year: 2016

Alyiann - Gravity Escalation (2011)

Sirona-Records

Chillstep
Chill out
Dubstep
Mood music
Electro
Electronica

Comment: there are up a couple of tracks which will clock in at an eight minute created by Warsaw, Poland-based artist Alyiann. In principle, it is a chill-out, moody album in spite of manipulating with dubstep and electro rhythms . The self-titled piece is led by a marvellous motif which feeds back both the bold rhythms and firework around the issue. It reminds of something very strongly but I am not able to remember it at the moment. Another track called How To Obey launches off with more restrained synthesised chords which will evolve into a melancholic, even nostalgic insight of electronic music. The issue is a part of the discography of Sirona-Records which is led by Pollux aka Arnaud Barbe.

3/06/2016

[Teaser of the day] Fiocz - Perchloric Acid

Glitch techno
Tech-electro
Experimental electronica
Micronoise

Artist: Fiocz

Release: Dyssomnias

Label: Elegirl

Year: 2012

Dubsy Asylum ‎– Lo Sono EP (2005)

Hippocamp

Archive.org

Electro pop
Electronic pop
EBM
Alternative pop
Ambient pop
Industrial electro
Electro-indie
Acid pop
Alternative dance
Dark electro
Leftfield pop

Comment: it has always been great delight to go back to the discography of the Manchester, UK-based Hippocamp of which list contains a bunch of gems. Indeed, Manchester is being the home city of many crossover groups between electronica, alternative dance and guitar driven music. The only bad habit by the imprint is not to release the coverprints of albums. Dubsy Asylum`s 6-track issue is the sort of. It is an instance of great electro/electronic pop, however, having not forgotten its indie and art pop roots. It could be said it is an example of indie music either. Even more – the artist explores the interface between the aforesaid genres in a more profound way thereby it could be considered as a cutting-edge artist. For instance, Something for The Oldies chimes like a chill-out composition where the light-hearted guitar chords constitute fabulous patterns with overdriven acid synth whiffs and shuffling drum brushing. It is followed by l' infacto which is an astonishing cut-up electro propulsion with acid pop synapses and tumultuous rhythm changes. The issue is finished off by a blissful glimpse called Morte e Sorto which shows up fondness for subtle ambient pop and post-classical music thereby slightly reminding of a mid-period Kraftwerk (Ralf & Florian), for instance. Moreover, these 23 minutes (almost 24 minutes in total) involve many audible dark shards which would be an integral part of a quintessential industrial, EBM, and dark electro combo. In a nutshell, the outing is a pre-eminent shift between the approaches of electro, indie and experimental music.

3/05/2016

[Teaser of the day] ((THORLOCK)) - Grateful Death

Torn Flesh

Metal
Trash metal
Hard rock
Stoner rock
Musique concrète

Artist: ((THORLOCK))

Release: Louder Than Stupidity

Label: Torn Flesh

Year: 2016

Alternative links:

Bandcamp

Monster Jinx - ORFANATO Quintanilha Rock 2015 (2015)

Monster Jinx

Hip-hop
World music
Breaks
Rap
Ethnotronica
Urban music

Comment: artists under the Portugal-based imprint Monster Jinx have expressed their feelings by using electronically processed rhythms, nu/acid jazz and hip-hop aesthetic. The current 3-track issue is produced by such artists as Taseh, dgtldrmr, NO FUTURE, DarkSunn and Ghost Wavvves and does stylistically adrift across the terrains of hip-hop and world music (the influences of ethnic music coming out from the Middle East and Celtic cultural area). Peregrino is the exception because of being predominant hip-hop outing by its nature in comparison to the rest of the two tracks where coherent hip-hop energy surfaces due to enchanting chanting and looping electronics flitting in around in a captivating way. One is sure the music could be a decent candidate to be added to the list of WOMAD, for instance. All in all, the result is an intriguing listening.

3/04/2016

[Teaser of the day] Robotic Salmon - 53 Minutes Ahead

Storage Unit

IDM
New Age
Experimental techno
Crossover
Experimental electronica

Artist: Robotic Salmon

Release: Imiquimod

Label: Storage Unit

Year: 2015

Allinn – Lahtise küünlaga püssirohukeldris (2015)

Bandcamp

Post-rock
Experimental electronica
Breakbeat
Post-industrial
Remix
Noise
Ambient techno
Avant-garde
Leftfield
Psycho-acoustic
Doom rock
Alternative rock

Comment: there are up 13 compositions from different Estonian artists who used to remix another Estonian musical group Allinn. However, it is not simple task to at all to set out to catch the mystical nature of the ensemble whose aesthetic used to drift somewhere between gloomy industrial, sublime noises, exquisite electronic music and experimental rock alike buildings. The miscellany is wide-ranging by veering from slowed-down doom tinged post-rock vibes and densely produced guitar led noise walls to tricky electronica and voice sprinkled sonic shamanism to DIY noise explorations to aggressively hanging broken beats with alien-alike echoes and overwhelmingly resounding ambient techno frequencies by having ill-omened seeds within it to sonorous psyched-out declarations. All in all, the result fulfills the expectations what I had before the first listening. There are up such artists as EDASI, Pinktool, Oudeis, Tont, Tamhiis, Izhorian, Poon, Aamen, Wolfredt, Fuluf, Mang Ont, c.o.u.g.h, and Gee. Many of these artists are being coincidentally related to Tallinn, Estonian underground label Trash Can Dance in a more or less extent. The result is solid and winning over. Additionally one should listen to Allinn`s self-titled album from 2013 which was a simply marvellous one.

3/03/2016

[Teaser of the day] Forever Grey - Wounds And Scars

Post-punk
Gothic rock
Coldwave
Art punk
Alternative rock
Darkwave

Artist: Forever Grey

Release: September Ice

Label: Bandcamp/Self-released

Year: 2015

Sun Devoured Earth - The Sunshine Always Fades (2011)

Bandcamp

Mediafire

Ethereal Wave
Alternative rock
Shoegaze
Dream pop
Gothic rock
Post-rock
Darkwave
Epic

Comment: firstly, I have no hesitation at all while I am going to start to listen to any of the outings by the Latvian one-man project Sun Devoured Earth. Vadim`s music does have many hints at throughout this 14-notch album. It used to range from powerful, gloomy shoegaze and dream pop tinged guitar-based noise walls to more restrained, dark wave-ish incantations, however, being fulfilled with vital, sustainable energy. All these shifts used to realize in a seamless way where one track or mood is followed by other ones to build up something otherworldly and beatific. Although one could hear some similarities with such combos as Lycia, My Bloody Valentine, Galaxie 500, Slowdive, Cocteau Twins, Autumn`s Grey Solace, Love Spirals Downwards the result is unique due to its pristine fragmentation and idiosyncratic dreamed-out climaxes. Although the main motif of the issue is relatively dark-hued it paradoxically provides a breeze of optimism for you to amend your miserable, hopeless life in the middle of human being`s vanity. In this case let`s tell about it as an appealing, irresistible misanthropic example. For me, Sun Devoured Earth has been the favourite combo of me from Latvia, the southern neighbouring country of Estonia.

3/02/2016

[Teaser of the day] Amit Buium - Landscapes

Alternative pop/rock
Dream pop
Shoegazetronica
Indietronica
Fusion/Jazz rock
Singer-songwriter
Electronic
Crossover

Artist: Amit Buium

Release: Void

Label: Bandcamp/Self-released

Year: 2016

Hoodie Woody Freaky - Story Of The Early Days (2011)

Acustronica

Hip-hop
Indietronica
Alternative pop
Indie pop
DIY
Electronic pop

Comment: by listening to this short, 4-track issue by an Indonesian trio with a funny name this album could have been produced as one 11-track issue, for instance. Indeed, it could have been just one possibility. More profoundly, the issue draws on light-hearted guitar twangs, blithesome singing and beatbox induced rhythm sections. However, all the aforesaid elements are built up in the way to be angular while being juxtaposed against each other. The result is simple and straightforwardly understandable in its simplicity. Let`s say it is just entertaining. Because of that the outing represents one of the pop clichés with regard to the Far East and South Asia pop music scenes. In the universal sense, the issue is consistent and solid due to developing one sonic topic profoundly and thoroughly. Get it now.

3/01/2016

[Teaser of the day] The Dreams - Power Of Signs

Indie rock
No Wave
Alternative pop
Post-punk
Garage rock
Noise pop
Art punk
Acid rock
Neo-psychedelia
Avant-rock
Experimental rock

Artist: The Dreams

Release: Morbido

Label: Bandcamp/Self-released

Year: 2012

Crew54 & CientifiQ - Slap Rapz (2010)

Bandcamp

Hip-hop
Soul-hop
Rap
Urban music

Comment: Crew54 is a Texas-based duo consisting of G-christ, and M.O.S who at this time are supported by CientifiQ. The 10-track issue is an impeccable amalgamation of soulful and cinematic samples and an incessant torrent of rhymes and bouncy rhythms. The issue consists of the seamlessly bound details where any element does have a role to fulfil. By the way, they hint at the racial segregation which still exists in the US society in spite of being depicted as a relict problem in some propagandist Hollywood and TV series. Indeed, I push for to read the sociology based studies, for instance Gale Encyclopedia Of Sociology rather than just watching those truth warping motion pictures alone. On the other side, I might be wrong because of having no grasp to understand that there are up possible sketches of ideal world in the future to be depicted. However, For The People ft. CientifiQ, and We Make It Hard are such marvellous tracks over the place where everything is floating cinematically at the highest extent. This is a perfect, ideal sound. Furthermore, there are no slack pieces up at all. Life could be peachy and rewarding thanks to mind-blowing music.

2/29/2016

[Teaser of the day] Fernanda Martinez - Ausencia

Bestiar

Indie folk
Alt-folk
Alternative pop/rock
Folk indie
Singer-songwriter

Artist: Fernanda Martinez

Release: Cha Cha Cha

Label: Bestiar

Year: 2009

[Teaser of the day] H Stewart - Tongues

Clinical Archives

Abstract
Experimental electronica
Avant-garde
Minimalism
Darkwave
Experimentalism

Artist: H Stewart

Release: Fevered And Childless

Label: Clinical Archives

Year: 2008

[Teaser of the day] Aseptic Void - Eyes

Free Music Archive

Dark ambient
Illbient
Experimentalism
Abstract
Avant-garde
Minimalism
Soundscape

Artist: Aseptic Void

Release: Carnal

Label: Vulpiano

Year: 2013

Alternative links:

Archive.org

Bandcamp

[Teaser of the day] Warping Fukuoka - De Las Bolas Al Ombligo

Noise pop
Primitive pop
Leftfield
No Wave
Avant-garde
Experimentalism

Artist: Warping Fukuoka

Release: La Mano

Label: Self-released/Bandcamp

Year: 2016

[Teaser of the day] Lectro Spektral Daze - Rave Drugs

Ektoplazm

Psychedelic trance
Rave music
Electronic music
Goa trance
Club dance

Artist: Lectro Spektral Daze

Release: Full Fractal Vision

Label: Neogoa/Ektoplazm

Year: 2016

Satanoise – No Music For The Films (2016)

Malware

Sound collage
Hauntology
Ambient
Cover
Vaporwave
Sampledelic
Musique concrète
Soundscape
Seapunk
Radiophonic art
Experimentalism
Avant-garde

Comment: this 7-track issue of 17 minutes only could be tagged as an imaginative soundtrack of a motion picture which is imbued with wondrous and beatific sounds and sonic collages where any sound does mean actually more than one could perceive at the first glimpse. There are up a bunch of eerie symphonies and hiss and microscopic noise drenched passages which used to go by to entertain you in a ghastly way. Moreover, the artist wields the sounds of musique concrete and radiophonic art to create disorder in. At times Satanoise`s aesthetic coul be considered an glimpse of ambient music though it is a distorted one with hints at seapunk and vaporwave and hauntology, for instance. The issue is ended up by a cover of the Suicide`s classic Ghost Rider which is an exclusive choice relative to the context to bring to fruition. The great release is a part of a very exciting Brazilian label, Malware.

Ryan Cohen - Under the Lilac Sky (2010)

Totokoko

Bandcamp

Ambient pop
Indie folk
Modern classical
Epic
Post-pop
Folk indie
Art pop

Comment: the Japanese imprint Totokoko is a platform for sharing music which could mainly be categorized as “indietronica”, “folktronica”, “toytronica”, “modern classical”. The latter one of the styles is the pre-dominating part of Ryan Cohen`s issue Under the Lilac Sky. Indeed, those 9 compositions are intimate insights based on appealing piano chords and minor yet attention-getting sonic effects around it. At times the elements are more ambient soaked, at times more silence attracted, at times just passing by to visualize their paths in an effortless way. However, the last couple of pieces (I Want You to Know I'm Around, Now I Know For Sure (live ver) ) are the lyric-centred indie folk ones. The favourite of mine is Transmission which is an ambient pop terrain with lofty orchestrations to flit in around now and then. Another favourite of mine is Wintersleep to depict a picturesque landscape while the snow is falling and the faeries are dancing over there. All in all, the result is a solid, fulfilled one with visceral hold.

2/28/2016

Glacier Frost – Cosmic Warfare Annihilation (2015)

Viridian

Speed metal
Death metal
Grindcore
Psychedelic
Experimental rock
Space rock
Experimental metal

Comment: In fact, the title punctuates poignantly the content of this 12-track issue by Canadian combo Glacier Frost. Indeed, those progressions based on tumultuous and skittering guitar chords and expressive overdrives and intensive and monotonous drumming in the backing will create the feeling of spaced-out music relied on massive, destructive instrumental workout. The listener could experience of how death metal and grindcore and speed metal gears used to interlace with psychedelic echoes. Furthermore, some compositions are imbued with more keyboard sounds and some spoken word samples where the harsher undertakings are abandoned in favour of more unconventional developments. For instance, by considering tracks called To Abduct a Monarch and Underneath Lunar Light sound almost like chill-out compositions with regard to the rest of notches. In a nutshell, the result is impressive due to its powerful approach and striking aesthetics. The issue is a part of the discography of Viridian Records.

Aires - Fantasma (2015)

Bad Panda

Bandcamp

Ambient drone
Drone
Epic
Ambient
Dark ambient
Experimentalism
Avant-garde
Ambient noise
Microtonal
Minimalism

Comment: Portugal-based Vitor Bruno Pereia aka Aires & Rui. P. Andrade`s Pânico-Ambiente was one of the top notches in the previous year where picturesque sonic landscapes were seamlessly interwoven with subtle white noise elements which ultimately appeared to be an idiosyncratic top notch. In fact, Aires continues to explore the direction within this 3-piece issue, however, by adding some new growing elements and tones to the blend. For instance, he exploits some robot-soaked sounds at Fantasma I, and manipulates with ominous vibes at Fantasma III thereby entering into the area of dark ambient (although the first two-three minutes are put down to a subtle electro-acoustic manipulation). All these elements used to spring up gradually as if a minimal music record with a specifically winding thread and point. Although the issue is pre-dominantly guitar driven the guitars are not a purpose on its own but just being an instrument which are subjugated to be sublimely manipulated and warped. The issue is a part of the discography of Bad Panda Records. In a nutshell, the result is a solid follow-up to Pânico-Ambiente.

2/27/2016

Brother Saturn - Tales Of Space Exploration 35-42 (2016)

We Are All Ghosts

Ethereal Wave
Modern classical
Post-rock
Experimental rock
Ambient rock
Abstract
Soundscape
Avant-rock
Epic

Comment: this is another issue in the series of Tales Of Space Exploration by an artist, Drew Miller aka Brother Saturn who continues to explore the ongoing themes of travel, desolation, home and loneliness. However, musically it is startling of how music could be so enthrallingly epic and beautiful that one could not find proper words to describe it for. At least I have some problems to deal with it. More profoundly, its beauty seems to be extended to the point where most of the whole`s chords chime in a minimal, and thereafter abstract way. Lower chords of the guitar are variegated with higher, more theme-leading, majestic ones by an electronic keyboard which in turn consist of light repetitions, slowed down progressions and lone accessory chords. For instance, by listening to I`ve Never Felt This Before chimes like a revelation being pristine and picturesque at the same time. At the time when the winter still continues to show its features while being slightly weakened by some sublime threads of the spring it sounds like an example of seasonal music. By its intimate yet cohesive construction it reminds me slightly of Pan American`s opus Quiet City (2004, Kranky), and Labradford`s music in general. In spite of clocking in at a 82 minute one could not find tired of it at all. Furthermore, thereafter you are very ready to find out Drew Miller`s previous issues, especially those of being a part of the aforesaid series. At the moment it is my most favourite issue being released in 2016 so far. The issue is a part of the discography of We Are All Ghosts.

2/24/2016

[Teaser of the day] Art Sonic - Something in the Air

No-Source

Indietronica
Indie pop/rock
Acid pop
Organic electronica
Electro-indie
Musique concrète
Synth rock

Artist: Art Sonic

Release: Roadside Sketches

Label: No-Source/Acustronica

Year: 2012

Thee Outside – Deaf Disco (1997/2010)

Year Zero

Drum and bass
Jungle
Experimental
Alternative dance
Breaks

Comment: this issue of 12 tracks was initially released in 1997 whereas the British music scene was virtually shook by a wave of Britpop which started off sometime in the mid of the 90s and on the other side there was up the club dance scene of drum and bass, jungle, speed garage and house music of becoming more apparent on the mainstream ground. Indeed, these styles of dance music come to provide something refreshing for more demanding music lovers. On the other side, some of those artists whose music had had a remarkable influence on the aforementioned styles decided to stand off or set their steps otherwise to continue stubbornly their very own idiosyncratic path. Such true pioneers as Aphex Twin, Mike Paradinas-led projects, Dryft, Luke Vibert, Venetian Snares, Squarepusher would go underground again. Thee Outside`s music in connection with artistic and aesthetic approach did have a similar, wide-ranging behaviour with regard to going beyond the boundaries of dnb/jungle music in a curious yet sapid way. Musically the artist used to loan from other adjacent styles yet exploiting deviant sonic effects in a great amount to the compound which appeared to be relatively uncommon then. All those details are accentuated and amplified in a truly poignant way. Although the nature of Deaf Disco is exquisitely experimental it might be as one of the most accessible notches in the discography of Year Zero. Let`s enjoy the dexterity of British people to generate poppy sounds for our pleasure. You should take time to concentrate and behave in the way it is repeated in a rhyme at Empty Mind - /empty your mind of all thoughts and distractions/you`ll lose yourself to become the music/.

2/23/2016

[Teaser of the day] Sora Shima - Monsoon

Archaic Horizon

Post-rock
Space rock
Experimental rock
Ambient rock
Guitar ambient
Epic
Avant-rock

Artist: Sora Shima

Release: Distancing EP

Label: Archaic Horizon

Year: 2007

Pink Priest – beko_31 (2010)

Beko DSL

Bandcamp

Dreamwave
Leftfield
Avant-garde
Drone
Ambient
Hypnagogic pop
Glo-fi
Micronoise
Chillwave

Comment: recently my mind and soul was psyched by an Estonian indie show, Nestor & Morna at Raadio 2 where Siim Nestor played a song by The Dreams, the French duo who has appeared for many times in the discography of an imprint called Beko DSL. Indeed, I got reason to go back in time while I had listened to the label`s music for much more than I used to do recently. In any cases, one should do it again and again. There were up many groups and one-man projects in the label`s list who gained in popularity later. For instance, Death And Vanilla, Memoryhouse, Cankun, Dirty Beaches, Raw Thrills. On the other side, at the end of the 00s and in the beginning of the 10s there were up many styles which become to appear to influence indie scenes worldwide and even mainstream music worldwide. More profoundly, I do consider such styles as chillwave/hypnagogic pop and witch house/drag house in the first place. Indeed, myspace as a music platform to rev up the artists to gain fame has eventually resulted successfully for The Arctic Monkeys only. A new generation of artists then believed more in music blogs, small record labels (Woodsist, Not Not Fun, Patient Sounds, CLLCT, Beko DSL, Rack And Ruin) and music distribution by their own. The Bandcamp would appear soon. The US-musician Cody Watson aka Pink Priest is one of such sort of artists whose music used to drift between and across the aforementioned styles. The first platform of him is certainly the sort of music recorded in home and probably in his bedroom, and on the other side his outright dreamed-out and slowed down music used to refer toward escaped moods where dreams are built up to be bigger than life. In fact, it is to be much bigger than your fucking, ordinary life. It is quite puzzling to imagine where would be the home place of his music, where would it be to settle down. Obviously it is not a cosy place because those warped vocals, gentle waves of droning and slightly solemn yet somehow ill-omened sonic threads give no support for any pop-oriented point. You are left alone altogether and while listening to it for more and more you are not going to long for it. Instead of it, Sleepyhead, and Get Haunted will grow faster on you than you would have expected it. It is for the fans of Sun Araw, Lee Noble, Ducktails, M Geddes Gengras. Of course, get other issues of Cody watson via Bandcamp for yourself.

2/22/2016

[Teaser of the day] Miquel Parera Jaques - anx07-04

ComputerMusicNeix

Experimental electronica
Avant-electronica
Abstract
Minimalism

Artist: Miquel Parera Jaques

Release: anx07

Label: ComputerMusicNeix

Year: 2005

Randy Spike – Trans Sister Radio (2016)

Bandcamp

Avant-garde
Experimentalism
Guitar ambient
Noise
Non-music
Space rock
Noise rock
No Wave
Leftfield
Drone
Experimental rock
Avant-rock

Comment: Randy Spike is a poet, painter, and musician from Long Island, New York whose uncompromising, staggering issue used to run in the vein of the mentality of the No Wave movement, an outgrowth of innovative rock music whose forerunners were Andy Warhol, and The Velvet Underground and its members side projects (Angus Maclise, Lou Reed, John Cale). What Have You Learned? is the most long-running and mind-boggling composition at Trans Sister Radio (indeed, the word “sister” in this context may denote “Sister Ray”, one of the most radical benchmarks in the holdings of The Velvet Underground) imbued with slightly buried monochromic, metallic-tinged noise eruptions being backed up by spoken word threads and spectral samples of the sacred music. Finally it rings out like a harrowing instance of symphonic music which could be compared with the doings of Glenn Branca, for instance. Could it be tagged “grey noise”, for instance? It is a frantic, dada-alike appearance saturated with overwhelming emotions such as anger, desperation, anxiety, and eventually resignation to some extent. The other two tracks are more noise rock-oriented wherein Randy Spike exploits more conventional patterns and vamps in an unconventional, writhing way to variegate his formidable result. At moments the listener can perceive elements from the minimal music, at other times his music harks back to the drone music and the Theatre of Eternal Music. Singular Gape Waves is a sublime progression due to the amplifying, sinuous effect of the bass thudding which ultimately chimes like sinister ambient music. Who dares to say thereafter that noise music is not sexy altogether? In a word, it could be said the recent year started off with a big bang.

2/21/2016

[Teaser of the day] Frenklah - Shinkansen

Dusted Wax Kingdom

Psychedelic
Breaks
Nu jazz
Sampledelic
Cinematic
Trip-hop
Hip-hop
Alternative

Artist: Frenklah

Release: Tokyotape EP

Label: Dusted Wax Kingdom

Year: 2016

Jane Siberry – Shushan the Palace: Hymns of Earth (2003)

Bandcamp

Christmas songs
Art pop
Covers
Chamber music
Orchestrated music
Conceptual

Comment: it happened actually some days ago when I mentioned the Canadian meritorious singer Jane Siberry (born in 1957) as one of possible influences of such new and very interesting artist as Eva Neves Pereira aka Rarareruri whose soundscape is innovative in her mind-boggling crossing of disparate and earlier fringe era styles such as glitched-out minimal electronica, glo-fi, ambient pop. However, Jane Siberry has been active for many decades whereas having released a battery of albums. It is the Canadian`s third Christmas-themed release, following 1994's Count Your Blessings, a live concert she performed with Holly Cole, Rebecca Jenkins, Mary Margaret O'Hara and Victoria Williams, and 1997's Child: Music for the Christmas Season. In 2003 she interpreted several Christmas liturgical hymns by classical composers like G. F, Händel/C, Jennes; J. S, Bach/S, Franck; F. Mendelssohn/J. F Von Bunsen; F, Layritz/J. C, Mattes/K, Spaeth; G. Holst/C. Rossetti; E, Poston; J, Rist/J, Schop. Although the Christmas time is already long behind the artist`s music arouse solemn and purgative feeling to the listener`s soul. Orchestrations behind her evocative singing are duly arranged having no excessive, bombastic broadening which frequently could sound in a feigned way. It could be said the bunch of Jane Siberry`s Christmas song would freely be up there to chime on the 24^th and 25^thof december.

2/19/2016

[Teaser of the day] |sistra| - Love is a Verve

BFW Recordings

Indie pop/rock
Alternative pop/rock
Dance rock
Indie dance
Alternative dance

Artist: |sistra|

Release: All My Friends Were Dead

Label: BFW Recordings

Year: 2011

Klangstorm - Live at The Custard Factory on 1998-05-14 (1998)

Archive.org

Krautrock
Fusion
Improvised music
Funk rock
Live session
Ambient
Psychedelic rock
Jazz rock
Experimental rock
Space rock

Comment: the Klangstorm`s 32-minute gig at The Custard Factory in Birmingham, United Kingdom almost 18 years ago (it was the heyday of Britpop then over there) starts off with an vignette of ambient music which soon will erupt into a bass, drums and guitar induced propulsive soundscape. Indeed, the bass guitar used to thud properly and the drums add additional rhythm power to it, the solo guitar used to lead the improvised parts throughout the course. Indeed, there are up a lot of key changes and tempo changes which provide volatile nature to the whole. Furthermore, at a 14 minute all the aforesaid elements used to collapse into an airy, ambient interlude by synths which are accompanied by mercurial guitar flows and more serious, monotone bass chords beneath. All of that eventually results in the funky jam thereby reminding of a mid-period of the Teutonic legends CAN. Indeed, Robbie Wood`s guitar playing resembles Michael Karoli`s one conveying different patterns through frantic changes in chords and chilled out incantations. In a nutshell, the whole is an enjoyable jam being the first in a series of the quintet`s sessions at The Custard Factory. It has a historical value for sure.

2/18/2016

[Teaser of the day] Daemon Rising - Decimate the Heavens

Stillborn Twins

Death metal
Grindcore
Technical metal

Artist: Daemon Rising

Release: Daemon Rising

Label: Stillborn Twins

Year: 2016

The Strange Story of Joseph Schenck - S/T (2010)

Inglorious Ocean

Post-rock
Indietronica
Alternative
Cowbell indie
Ambient
Electronic music
Experimental rock
Mood music
Art rock

Comment: the last issue of an imprint called Inglorious Ocean which got letter space at Recent Music Heroes was Sub Noir`s Reflex, an issue of made up of influences of IDM, indie electronica, and concrete sounds. This issue seems to be quite similar in some respect though providing more post-rock allusions to the 4-track blend. However, it does not mean it is a somehow guitar dominated, crescendo directed experiment. Instead of it one is drawn into a Tortoise/Mice Parade/The Dylan Group-influenced terrain of minimalism, progressive rock, art music, electronic music, and indie rock/indietronica. The Bruxelles, Belgium based artist`s music used to relentlessly drift within those styles and boundaries as if being hurried up to create possibly many combinations and textures altogether in a certain amount of time. In spite of it the issue`s course used to meander in a slow and tranquilized mode which are at times accentuated with syllables and words and concrete sounds . Guitars are deftly combined with electronica or used to run alone previously being prepared or processed. With regard to the cover print it could be admitted the greyish tone is predominating over there. In a nutshell, I recommend to listen to other issues under Inglorious Ocean additionally because I have found no issues so far being somehow disappointed to my mind. Manual dexterity meets beauty meets calmness.

[Teaser of the day] Reef Frequent - Struggle for Air/Drifting Away

Avant-rock
Post-rock
Electro-rock
Experimental rock
Dub
Electronic music

Artist: Reef Frequent

Release: Afterlife

Label: Bloody Carpet

Year: 2016

[Teaser of the day] Mart Avi - Tuvalu (A Song of Longing)

Post-pop
Avant-pop
Art pop
Baroque pop
Singer-songwriter
Electronic
Techno pop
Chamber pop
Ambient pop

Artist: Mart Avi

Release: Humanista

Label: Bandcamp/Self-released

Year: 2015

The RedEyes – The RedEyes (2011)

Interplanetary Floral Star

Avant-rock
Noise rock
DIY
Experimental rock
Industrial music
Experimentalism
Dada music
Lo-fi
Avant-garde

Comment: the first chords of the self-titled issue of the trio of Ed Landis, Ross Martin, and Eric Hunter Bruno reveal that it is recorded as a self-indulgent production. Indeed, it embarks on with hand clapping at Doctor Janikowski as if actors coming up to the stage. Later on, the frantic canard of guitar induced sounds is ready to penetrate through tiny slots of the listener`s brain. Indeed, the concept is thoroughly experimental and mind-boggling – the reversed lo-fi guitars are up to create invigorated background for buried vocal deliveries which at times are variegated with drowsy ambient electronics and programmed beats. It might remind of early releases of the Fall (for instance, Perverted By Language), The Residents, old school industrial/post-punk acts like Cabaret Voltaire, Clock DVA. Especially Banana Compost Phase #4 used to run in the vein of the last mentioned style. More profoundly, it is ticklingly nihilistic and dada induced anti-pop piece. The final piece High Gain exploits shimmery guitar chords and explosive noise dynamites to create tension and contrast inside the track throughout the course. The issue is a part of the discography of a label with the uncanny name, Interplanetary Floral Star.

Rarareruri – Wet Pillow Syndrome (2015)

MiMi

Bandcamp

Electronic pop
Art pop
Ambient pop
Glitch pop
Avant-pop
Glo-fi
Experimental pop
Singer-songwriter

Comment: Eva Neves Pereira aka Rarareruri`s 15-track issue used to trudge across different pathways of contemporary pop music which is about to loan from everywhere – from rough underground to exquisite mainstream. However, there is no possibility to do it otherwise. It is quite impossible to invent new kind of sonic borders to operate within. There is no potency to do it due to physical and temporal constraints which wrap up our human life. However, Rarareuri is a poignant artist with her own touch which is extracted from glitched-out pop, IDM, freely played synths and loosely programmed rhythms. She is an artist who is searching relentlessly for balance between experimentation and pop format – for instance, let`s listen to I love everyone; I mean... Mankind, I love mankind and Could've, Should've, Would've (I Kinda Did) you could enjoy the pop ditties coming back from charts of the future. By kindred souls there can be drawn parallels with the likes of Grimes, Possimiste, Jayne Lakissova, Julia Holter, Iris, Kate Bush, Jane Siberry.

2/16/2016

[Teaser of the day] The Hathaway Family Plot - An Easy Winter (Instrumental)

Modern classical
Post-classical
Post-rock
Epic
Avant-garde
Acousmatic music
Experimentalism
Experimental electronica

Artist: The Hathaway Family Plot

Release: The Easy Winter Instrumentals EP

Label: Bandcamp/Self-released

Year: 2016

Der Zirkus brennt – A Heap of Broken Images (2015)

Archive.org

Free Music Archive

Bandcamp

Post-rock
Post-classical
Chamber music
Mood music
Modern classical
Piano music
Ambient
Crossover
Art music

Comment: these nine images are about piano based music where the mostly restrained chords used to simmer from track to track with some tectonic dodges into guitar induced noises. Much such sort of will be happened at Spy From The Void, Star Smugglers, and Wilhelmina where unknown ghosts will enter into the nature of the tracks in a knock-down way. On the other side, Days Before Winter for instance embraces very exactly the mood due to the title. It is fairly picturesque due to lonely chords and emphasized space between them. There are up exquisite cool jazz vibes meeting an austere chamber ambiance. It could be said the trio of Dario Mambro, Marco Di Vita, and Federico Bernacchi tries to relentlessly search for the balance by interlacing moody music with artsy advancements. In a word, one will get calmed down and then get excited and thereby living up to the listener`s expectations. At times the trio`s sound chimes like a subtle breeze coming from nowhere to accumulate and gain in artistic and aesthetical terms. That`s a fulfilling formula for creating music for sure. By kindred souls the issue could be compared with such artists as Max Richter, Bosques De Mi Mente, Hauschka, Nils Frahm, Ólafur Arnalds, Lubomyr Melnyk.

2/15/2016

[Teaser of the day] Yo La Tengo - Friday I`m In Love [The Cure]

Soundcloud

Indie pop/rock
Cover
Dream pop
Alternative pop/rock

Artist: Yo La Tengo

Release: Yo La Tengo: October 10, 2015 Kings Theatre

Label: Nyctaper

Year: 2015

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