Muhr - Everything Is Ok, We're Still Standing (2011)

Camomille

8.8

/Post-rock, Modern classical, Ambient, Drone, Chamber music, Avant-garde/

Comment: Two tracks by the Montrèal-based legend Vincent Fugère for whom Muhr used to be just one of his many musical practices. Yet, the abovementioned nom du plume used to be the most well-known of them so far. Threatening drones, epic alternations in tones, shimmering string-relied magic, soundtrack-alike orchestrations, slowly evoking and progressing soundscapes in light and dark. All in all, a sequent masterpiece by Muhr.

Keijo & Uton - Alun Ääniä (2009/2011)

Om Ha Sva Ha Ksha Ma La Va Ra Yam
Free Music Archive

8.5

/Forest folk, Free folk, Psych-folk, Avant-folk, Experimental folk, Drone folk, Improvised music, Psychedelia, Krautrock, New Weird Finland, New Weird Europe/

Comment: The Finnish underground folk does have much to say for all of us. For instance, Laulu Laakson Kukista (2008, Fonal) was the best album of 00`s or Kemialliset Ystävät`s album Ullakkopalo (Fonal) was one of the best album of 2010. However, Keijo Virtanen and Jani Hirvonen, two legends from the Finnish psych-folk/forest folk scene representing their stream of sub-consciousness, i.e potent vision via shamanic rhythm sections, off-kilter blues chords, psychedelic bottomlessness and shivering krautrock-esque mysticism. Improvised jam sessions which are built on repetitive loops, quasi-ethnic drumming, at times reverb-loaded singing, restrainted yet electrified strings and droning hiss. And as customary to the forest folk scene the reflections through silence are proudly represented here. A great event indeed.

Giggs - Universos EP (2011)

Monofònicos

8.6

/House, Club dance, Downbeat, Tech-house, Remixes, Dub-house/

Comment: This release from Medellin (Colombia) makes up much sympathy over you. Being embellished with confident cadences of tech-house and dub-house, brooding mid-tempo and at times minimal slow-tempo beats, Universos EP seems to be masterfully variegated and balanced in any cases. It reminds of those listening times of radio shows in the evenings in ending part of the 90`s. Half of the tracks are original, half of them are remixes. Indeed, it is genuine satifactory in its rhythm connections and mood interactions.

From.Oceans.To.Autumn - The Flood​/​The Fall (2011)

Bandcamp

8.7

/Post-metal, Shoegaze, Post-rock, Ambient rock, Epic, Stonergaze, Crossover, Experimental metal, Experimental rock/

Comment: Brandon Helms and Allen Knight (previously known from Autumn Is Forever). Two men with a guitar, bass and sampling techniques from Charlotte, North Carolina, playing out a mesmerizing blend of post-metal, shoegaze/stonergaze, post-rock and ambient on this 2-track EP. A bunch of energy and vibrations via aesthetical temperance on the heavy scale of sound. Just give it a listen and let it deluge over you.

Karmafish - Life Support (2011)

Jamendo

8.2

/Alternative rock, Grunge rock, Hard rock, Noise rock, Progressive rock, Jangle pop/

Comment: Not a bad effort at all... . A sort of sonic patchwork. It kicks off with stop-and-go rock and roll, which will be followed by the kind of brooding contemplation (you can see at that even some similarities with the glorious British folk music), lots of grunge guitar tones, noisy riffs. Actually prog-rock and hard rock mentality is touched therein either. The last tracks, especially Supernatural reminds of Mozzer`s solo efforts (with some slight influences of Madchester/baggy drums). On the other side, A Perfect View is a charming entry into the light-hearted jangle pop world of 80`s (compare it to the Bodines, for instance). All in all, a spoonful more synergy and glossiness to be added to it yet and the album would have been a genuine masterpiece.

Electric Landscapes of Rebellion - Electric Landscapes with Pigs & Piano (2011)

Petcord

8.5

/Sound art, Electro-acoustics, Found sound, Acousmatics, Experimental electronica, Microtonal, Musique concrète, Avant-garde/

Comment: ELoR is a Spanish duo consisting of Antony Maubert and Edith Alonso which started off in 2007. The recent album compiled of 4 long-running tracks is but a little more than an array of digital hisses and crackles. It is an example of digital metaphysics, a kind of aiming at re-creating a new system incorporating the elements of musique concréte, noise, microsounds, (modern) classical. Moreover, those minimally sounding stretched sounds (before developing into noise) do chime impressively haunting. Or some lone piano chords are laced with the voice of pigs. More generally, it is a crossroad between electro-acoustics/acousmatics, digital sound processing, and sound art.

Beats Antique - Collide (2008)

Bandcamp

8.4

/World music, Ethnic music, Ethnotronica, Remixes/

Comment: This album of 13 tracks is composed and arranged by Sidecar Tommy and David Satori who used to play many instruments on it. However, they are helped by many contributors who play more or less ethnic instruments. Indeed, here can be met upright electronic beats which are mixed up with shitloads of developments on diverse motives - veering from gypsy/Balkan music to the Middle East-centered warbles. Catchy and joyous.