Years of Rice & Salt – Service Bell (2009)

Futurerecordings

• Alternative rock 
• Post-rock 
• Folk indie 
• Americana 
• Ambient rock 
• Epic 
• Mood music 
• Alt-country 
• Indie folk

Comment: I guess if you were alleged about a band called Years of Rice & Salt you would have arisen some doubts about the combo unless you are a fan of MasterChef or something like that. In fact, I had some of them before listening to this 4-track issue. However, this is a downrightly trustful one where pastel guitar chords are emotionally loaded to drive down and up the slope of a picturesque hill. By listening to (Rearranging)Deckchairs one could perceive fabulous violin-driven arrangements, which are soothing and spicy at the same time. Ultimately you can perceive the album as a moody and ambient – though in an unusual sense – one played in the vein of acoustic post-rock and Americana style. At Plankton those soaring guitar riffs are complemented by mind-boggling singing. At Splendid Isolation the track embarks on with a blissful insight, and then stepwise will progress into Americana music, which beauty is hard to describe. You just shall have to hear it! The talk of mine has been about the idyllic outing, in fact, the ensemble’s announce is about describing a shipwreck. Consequently there must have been intriguing tension within the whole. The more you listen to it the more you get aware of its greatness. This pre-eminent issue is a part of the discography of Californian, US-based imprint Futurerecordings (great one for sure – it provides shelter for such great artists as Sunlight Ascending, Woodworkings, The Tumbled Sea, Darger and many other ones).              

[Teaser of the day] Royalt - I`m Feeling Worse

MiMi

• Techno pop
• Alternative dance
• Electronic music
• Synth funk

Artist: Royalt

Release: Just Because

Label: MiMi

Year: 2015

[Teaser of the day] AllunderAge - I Don`t Really Care

• Punk rock
• Hard rock
• Hair rock

Artist: AllunderAge

Release: No Jokes...No Funny Stuff

Label: White Russian Records

Year: 2005

[Teaser of the day] Nasty Milk - Te Jodes

• Hardcore punk
• Trash punk
• Punk rock

Artist: Nasty Milk

Release: Nasty Milk

Label: Self-released/Bandcamp

Year: 2015

Hanging Freud – Motherland (2016)

Myhand.Thanx

Bandcamp

• Shoegaze 
• Indie folk
• Indie dance
• Post-punk 
• Alternative dance 
• Art rock
• Darkwave 
• Electronic 
• Experimental rock 
• Alternative pop/rock 
• Indie pop/rock 
• Space rock

Comment: My first impression with the music of Hanging Freud was in connection with their album Sunken on the Brazilian record label Sinewave and French imprint Myhand.Thanx Records The duo of Paula Borges, and Jonathan Perez made me immediately excited because of craftily merging an exciting feel of songwriting in the vein of experimental rock, shoegaze and space rock. Later on I had listened to the Sao Paulo, Brazil-based duo`s two first issues Hanging Freud (2005), and Continental EP (2007) as well, which maybe were slightly more straightforward yet excellent releases without any doubt. In November 2015 Borges/Perez issued the fourth issue No Body Allowed. This time their 6-notch issue chimes somewhere between paganism and medieval music influenced indie folk/rock and on the other side it is spacey indie, post-punk, poignant electronic music and shoegaze tinged alternative rock. In comparison to the duo’s first albums the issue is partly more dance-appealed, and remarkably more electronic. The outing involves great mind-blowing tracks like Lost Children, Centuries, and The South. By kindred souls there can be drawn parallels with such artists as Espers, My Bloody Valentine (in some tracks the influence of Loveless is perceivable though being interpreted indirectly, in the duo’s own way), Anahita, Lycia, and Siouxsie and the Banshees. However, despite hinting at more recognised artists it does not mean Hanging Freud does lack its own idiosyncratic touch. The instrumentation of the album and the singing of Paula Borges are masterfully balanced and do complement each other thereby resulting in as an excellent issue. The duo's touch is flowing freely being saturated with otherworldly reveries and insights from a psychotic abyss. The harmonies and sonic effects fall seamlessly together. I cannot be wrong by stating that Hanging Freud is one of the most underrated artists worldwide during the last ten years. But I really hope the things will be changed and the current issue will find its place in lists of the best releases in 2016. At least at Recent Music Heroes the notch is guaranteed.  

Tostador – Moon (2016)

Truco

Bandcamp

• Ambient 
• Soundscapes 
• Avant-garde 
• Space music 
• Illbient 
• Ambient noise 
• Experimentalism

Comment: As the main title alleges this issue is about Moon, the dear satellite of Earth. All the titles of tracks are just numbered, which in turn could freely be a matter of imagination as if describing a detailed preparation to fly and land on there. In connection with the topic I recommend listen to Massimo Ruberti's astounding release Armstrong (2015, Nostress). Given that it is not surprising at all that the issue consists of spacey sounds. However, those sounds are not lame ones but instead of it convey exquisite impulses coming out of those undulating frequencies. Soothing soundscapes are variegated with more abrasive, even white noise-y layers and steely snippets. It could be said the issue arouses the listener to feel some sort of interplanetary alienation. The issue is a part of the discography of Lima, Peru-based imprint Truco Records.

Micron – Architecture (2007)

Proc-records

• Minimal techno 
• DIY 
• Lo-fi

Comment: the US-based Micron's 5-track issue chimes like it had been produced on the Android-based Walk Band application being elegantly primitive and appealingly rough. However, timely it was not possible because the issue was disclosed in 2007 before the era of smartphones started off. Furthermore, the artist exploits a quite linear way to produce rhythms. Otherwise it could be said it is a case of minimal techno music. It is saturated with slight changes regarding the beat rate and the relation and combination between thumping bass kicks and hi-hat and other drums with higher timbres. A distinctive thread of the issue is a DIY feel throughout the course. Last but not least - the issue was recorded mono. What else could I add to the item – indeed, the lo-fi men began produce techno music. The issue is the 15th in the discography of Proc-records.