Aboombong - Anaphora (2012)

Bandcamp

Pen & Mallet

10.0

/Ambient, Spoken word, Minimalism, Avant-garde, Soundscapes, Experimentalism, Drone, Epic/        

Comment: JC Thorne`s music is being highly appreciated at Recent music Heroes, and any release of him used to be a big event. For instance, the issues of him, Amnemonic, and Asynchronic are undoubtedly top notches of the 10s. He is an artist whose music is problematic to classify, though, the prefix "post" is adequate. Post-ambient? Post-post-rock? Post-industrial? But it is not problem on its own, of course. However, Anaphora consists of one track (having length of a hour in total) starting off with the storytelling of an old man backed up by solemn cathedral drones, slightly galloping pulsations which later will be "interfered" with metallic clatter, vague noises, and mechanical glockenspiel chords (at least it could be interpreted in that way). It seems to be the state of rest rather than music. There may drawn some parallels upon the likes of Tim Hecker, GY!BE, Loscil, Pan American, but Thorne`s soundscape is yet truly idiosyncratic and original on its own. It is formidable and majestic through its otherworldly soundscapes, and profound ideas thereby becoming part of your minds and thoughts. Like music digged out from Plato, or Heraclitus`s ideas.

Miquel Parera Jaques - nxVacuity002 for Computer and Pipe Organ (2012)

ComputerMusicNeix

Free Music Archive

Lastfm

9.0

/Abstract electronica, Conceptual, Experimental electronica, Experimentalism, Avant- garde, Drone, Minimalism, Sound-art/

Comment: similarly to most instrument-based electronic music concepts the Catalan musician Jaques` 4-track set propels minimally, i.e consisting of rigid, static signal-alike frequencies and austere drones which in turn are variegated either rough bass-induced oscillations or vibrato effects at times. Furthermore, by talking of the use of a church organ it must be thought in an indirect sense. In general, the album run on in an abstract yet intriguing way. Indeed, less is more - it may narrate and be more confident than a representative of flamboyant pop music.

[Teaser of the day] Steve Grams - Getaway

Royalty-free music for professional licensing

[Teaser of the day] The Fractal Skulls - Shh (feat Moritz Leppers)

Jared Fairfield/Afraid - EMF (2012)

Bandcamp

Soundcloud

8.8

/Acid pop, New Age, Singer-songwriter, Psychedelic electronica, Electronic pop, Alternative, Alternative dance/

Comment: this batch of 11 tracks is a peculiar whole with very strong regard to predominating warped, electro-injected vocal yearning, New Age-induced sanctity, and synthesized dance bubbles. More concretely, if to listen to these elements separately there might be results quite conventional but altogether all these details used to result in heavy acidic queerness. Yet, there are represented more fluent outputs either - for instance, Tearing the Tongue (Afraid) is a cute, suggestive pop ditty. In a nutshell, Jared Fairfield can be considered a chemical singer-songwriter upon issuing this reminding a little bit of Tinyfolk`s Sic Semper Equis. Might it be the album do feature robots in charge of vocal delivery? However, this time he obviously makes music having robots in mind. But do not afraid of it.

Uncomfortable Cigarettes - The Playroom (2012)

Diavoletto

Bandcamp

9.3

/Grunge, Alternative rock, Raga, Chamber rock, Symphonic rock, Epic/ 

Comment: Uncomfortable Cigarettes is a quartet from Italy whose 6-track album is a spectacular blend of rock and classical music, i.e mixing up grungy guitar aesthetics and grinding vocal mannerism with picturesque, epic cello developments above it. Of course, because of nostalgic keys and moods there can be drawn parallels upon the unplugged performance by Nirvana for MTV on November 18, 1993 in New York. Furthermore, the combo`s more baroque-soaked moments resemble to doleful Penguin Cafe Orchestra (in an odd way). The last track Chicken Drumstick showcases a successful experiments with drone and raga-tinged music. In conclusion, the result is solid and majestic, however, not being a bombastic one in pejorative sense of the word at all.

Happy New Year!