Recent Music Heroes

5/22/2017

Tarred Brigade – HoneyMoon (2008)

Free Music Archive

Psych-rock
Weird folk
Americana
Free folk
DIY
Lo-fi
New Weird America
Psych-folk
Drone folk
Epic
Chamber folk
Blues

Comment: it makes no surprise altogether Tarred Brigade comes out from Baltimore, Maryland, USA because of representing either a second or a third wave of the New Weird America movement. For instance, all of us used to recognise the fact Animal Collective came initially out from this city though musically Tarred Brigade is a bit different, a bit more countryfied case. It is recorded on a 4-track recorder being rustic and majestic at the same time, being abrasive and hypnotic at the same time, being bucolic and solemn simultaneously. Its droning earnest halation being frequently mixed up with psychedelic templates may remind more of such combos as Espers, Six Organs Of Admittance, and Children Of The Drone (the last one is an improvisational combo from Exeter, UK). For sure, additionally to the aforementioned folk element there are also up certain indie facets and the downright Americana tradition. On the other side, at I Fear An Eclipse the listener can figure out a combo to be influenced by a British act called Penguin Cafe Orchestra. The only (format-based) problem is about the amount of the tracks represented over there. In my folder there are up 6 tracks in comparison to the amount of 4-tracks at Free Music Heroes (it is devoid of such compositions as Haunting the Majesties!, and My Jewish Blues). It might be these are the hidden ones while one is downloading the release. Outstanding issue in any cases.

Blamstrain – Kavel EP (2002)

Thinner

Dub-house
Electronic music
Ambient dub
Dubstep
Hauntology
Abstract
Ambient techno

Comment: Blamstrain is a Finnish producer whose 31 minutes being laid out at the legendary German imprint Thinner are something truly divine and mentally overwhelming. Something truly fascinating which must be heard. The words are too weak to transmit the flow of impressions coming out of it. All of that used to happen 15 years ago when Blamstrain was a young, 16 year-old guy. More profoundly, it happened in 2002 when dubstep as a style was not officially recognised and Hyperdub as an imprint was not established yet but there were certainly some artists who were going ahead of its time. For sure, you can hear slowed-down subwoofer frequencies dominating and driving glitched-out and microscopic noise blended vinyl-alike hiss and crackle-tinged terrains which stand there as on its own and on the other side it is also the fine background for fragmented yet bittersweet melodies as if a channel for the listener who would like to go back in time to visit sweet places and beloved periods (especially at Kuluntalahti). Hence the artist does have the similarities with The Caretaker, and on the other side, some ambient moments remind of Mille Plateaux related stuff like being produced by his compatriot Vladislav Delay, and Gas. By listening to it you do not think of people as the kind of clever swines (or some swines are clever than others – by paraphrasing Moz who does have birthday today). All I want to say it just one word – classic. Must own and listen to it.