Spiral Circus: May 2009

Friday, 29 May 2009

The Gathering, The West Pole

Netherlands, 2009.

When Anneke van Giersbergen left in 2007, I thought The Gathering's music would be resigned to monotony. I was fortunately wrong as their ninth album demonstrates that they can still produce an interesting and atmospheric alternative rock. In addition, Silje Wergeland's melodic voice is surprisingly delightful.

Playlist:

1. When Trust Becomes Sound
2. Treasure
3. All You Are

4. The West Pole
5. No Bird Call
6. Capital Of Nowhere
7. You Promised Me A Symphony
8. Pale Traces
9. No One Spoke
10. A Constant Run

Link.

Monday, 25 May 2009

maudlin of the Well, Part the Second

US, 2009.

Part the Second is maudlin of the Well's fourth album, entirely funded by fan donations and released online on May 14 free of charge. The band reunited to record it following a five year break. The album maintains motW's essentially avant-garde/progressive composition, though it seems to be more instrument-oriented, especially violin-based, than their previous work. Highly recommended.

Playlist:

1. Excerpt from 6,000,000,000,000 Miles Before the First, or, the Revisitation of the Blue Ghost

2. Another Excerpt: Keep Light Near You, Even When Dying
3. Rose Quartz Turning to Glass
4. Clover Garland Island
5. Laboratories of the Invisible World (Rollerskating the Cosmic Palmistric Postborder)

Link.

Sunday, 24 May 2009

Mike Oldfield, Tubular Bells

England, 1973.

Tubular Bells is Mike Oldfield's groundbreaking album from 1973, becoming one of the greatest references in progressive rock. It is considered to be the first rock album to incorporate elements of classical composition, particularly the use of repetition with subtle variations in the minimalist style as pioneered by composers such as Philip Glass, Steve Reich and LaMonte Young, although these influences were filtered through rock sensibilities.

"There is nothing wrong with repetition so long as it is something worth repeating.”

Playlist:

1. Tubular Bells, Part 1

2. Tubular Bells, Part 2

Link.

Saturday, 23 May 2009

pg.lost, Yes I Am EP

Sweden, 2007

“Yes I Am”, the debut EP.
It’s obvious that pg.lost bear their influences boldly on their sleeve, and therefore, deeply and unashamedly root them in the music they compose. The plodding, repetitive nature of “The Kind Heart of Langion” is particularly reminiscent of the style featured in Explosions in the Sky’s “Earth is not a Cold Dead Place”, whilst the slowly building climax in “Yes I Am” could fit perfectly into a Godspeed You! Black Emperor track.

Playlist:

1. Yes I Am
2. Kardusen
3. Fartyget
4. …
5. The Kind Heart Of Lanigon

Link.

Wednesday, 20 May 2009

Black Math Horseman, Wyllt

US, 2009

Black Math Horseman is a four-piece band from Los Angeles, CA. They combine the best elements of progressive, doom and stoner with a great female voice. This amazing album was produced by Scott Reeder of Kyuss.

Playlist:

1 - Tyrant

2 - Deerslayer

3 - A Barren Cause
4 - Origin of Savagery
5 - Torment of the Metals

6 - Bird Of All Faiths And None \ Bell From Madrone

Link.

Kattoo, Places

Germany, 2004.

Places is the debut album of German electronic artist Kattoo. This is a minimalist musical project, ranging over ambient and IDM influences.

Playlist:

1. Place1
2. Place2
3. Place3
4. Place4
5. Place5

6. Place6
7. Place7
8. Place8

9. Place9
10. Place10
11. Place11
12. Re-Place7 (rmx by Flaque)

Link.

Monday, 18 May 2009

Philip Glass, Koyaanisqatsi

U.S., 1983

Koyaanisqatsi is the structural musical piece companion to the 1982 film from Godfrey Reggio, a great documentary – the first of the Qatsi trilogy.
The word Koyaanisqatsi is a Hopi term for:

– 1. crazy life; 2. life in turmoil; 3. life out of balance; 4. life disintegrating; 5. a state of life that calls for another way of living;

And although any 2-minute google search will tell you all of this, it will probably also slightly mention the deeply moving – dense, quiet, tense and some other adjectives – nature of both Reggio's and Glass' opus.

I do recommend the whole experience.

Playlist:

1. Koyaanisqatsi
2. Organic

3. Cloudscape
4. Resource

5. Vessels
6. Pruit Igoe

7. The Grid
8. Prophecies

Link.

Saturday, 16 May 2009

Porcupine Tree, Insignificance

United Kingdom, 1997,

A combination of B-sides and demos make for interesting listening for fans of Porcupine Tree, who will appreciate the early versions of some of "Signify's" songs as well as originals not heard anywhere else.

Playlist:

1. Wake as Gun 1 (3:25)
2. Hallogallo / Signify (6:58)
3. Waiting (6:52)
4. Smiling Not Smiling (3:42)
5. Wake as Gun 2 (3:48)
6. Neural Rust (5:53)
7. Sever Tomorrow (6:05)
8. Door to the River (4:20)
9. Insignificance (5:02)
10. Nine Cats [acoustic version] (4:05)

Link.

Friday, 15 May 2009

Riverside, Anno Domini High Definition

Poland, 2009.

Anno Domini High Definition is the fourth full length studio album by progressive rock band Riverside. The album will be officially released on June. The band has stated that it will be the most energetic and rocking release of their discography thus far.

Playlist:

1. Hyperactive
2. Driven to Destruction
3. Egoist Hedonist
1. Different?
2. Hedonist Party
3. Straw Man Dance
4. Left Out
5. Hybrid Times

Link.

Tuesday, 12 May 2009

Group Bombino, Guitars from Agadez, Vol. 2

Niger/USA, 2009

With North African guitarist Omara Mochtar, a.k.a. Bombino, currently on the run from repressive government forces in Niger, this debut album of his acoustic and electric playing in the Tuareg style remains the lone document of his mastery. And what an incandescent display! Between the handclaps of "Tenere" and "Imuhar," one can even make out camels grunting their approval on the acoustic first side. The second, recorded live, features raw, stomping grooves ("Boghassa") and a closer ("Eronafene Tihoussayene") that works toward a trance-inducing dervish of chords and rebel yells.

Playlist:

A1. Tenere

A2. Imuhar

A3. Kamoutalia

A4. Amidinine

B1. Boghassa

B2. Imouhare

B3. Issitchilane

B4. Kamu Telyat

B5. Eronafene Tihoussayene

Link.

Sunday, 10 May 2009

65daysofstatic, Escape From New York

UK, 2009

I recommend you to buy this one because of the band documentary. Everything was recorded live while they were on tour with The Cure. Also, this was named after a John Carpenter film.

Playlist:

1 - Drove Through Ghosts To Get Here

2 - No Use Crying Over (Some Techno)
3 - Retreat! Retreat!

4 - Await Rescue
5 - Fix The Sky A Little
6 - 65 Doesn't Understand You
7 - Primer
8 - Radio Protector
9 - Four Score And (Some Drum'n'Bass)
10 - A Failsafe

Link.

Saturday, 9 May 2009

Buried Inside, Spoils of Failure

Canada, 2009

I haven't had time to dig into this yet, but based on their previous effort, Chronoclast, this should be promising.

Playlist:

01 - I
02 - II
03 - III
04 - IV
05 - V
06 - VI
07 - VII
08 - VIII

Link.

Friday, 8 May 2009

The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble, Mutations EP

Netherlands, 2009

Dark, ethereal soundtracks for silent movies. Very reminiscent of some of Ulver's more electronic experimentations.

Playlist:

01 - Caos Calmo
02 - Munchen
03 - Serpents
04 - Twisted Horizons
05 - Shadows
06 - Symmetry of 6's
07 - Horns of King David
08 - Avian Lung

Link.

Wednesday, 6 May 2009

Billy Cobham, Spectrum

US/Panama, 1973

Bitches Brew might have defined the genre, but Spectrum is still considered by many as the pinnacle of jazz fusion building on the unique melting pot of rhythms developed during Mahavishnu Orchestra.

Playlist:

01 - Quadrant 4
02 - Searching for the Right Door / Spectrum
03 - Anxiety / Taurian Matador
04 - Stratus
05 - To the Women in My Life / Le Lis
06 - Snoopy's Search / Red Baron

Link.

Vanessa Van Basten, Psygnosis

Italy, 2009

Italian post-rock with a heavy emphasis on rocking, Psygnosis is as addictive as it is short.

Playlist:

01 - Tutto avanti all'indietro
02 - Psygnosis

Link.

Tuesday, 5 May 2009

iLiKETRAiNS, Elegies To Lessons Learnt

England, 2007.

iLiKETRAiNS are an alternative (with traces of post-rock) band from Leeds, England. Elegies to Lessons Learnt is their first studio album, released in October 2007. Curiously enough, many of the songs cover historical events, which the band are especially interested in.

Playlist:

1. We All Fall Down

2. Twenty Five Sins
3. The Deception

4. Voice of Reason
5. Death of an Idealist
6. Remnants of an Army
7. We Go Hunting
8. Come Over
9. Spencer Perceval
10. Epiphany
11. Death is the End

Link.

Monday, 4 May 2009

Leech, The Stolen View

Switzerland, 2007

Nicely developing post-rock album with a good range of soundscapes going from calm ambiences to sometimes heavy-mooded (and/or) pulsating chordal harmonies. It's the third LP from the band. They have somewhat clever titles for their work as well.

Playlist:

1. Silent State Optimizer
2. The Man With The Hammer

3. Ziipfe
4. Inspiral
5. I Was Reversed
6. Totem & Tabu

Link.

Friday, 1 May 2009

Eluveitie, Spirit

Switzerland, 2006.

This is the first full-length album of celtic folk metal, Eluveitie. They use traditional Swiss and Celtic instruments alongside electric guitars and drums, which they combine with melodic death metal influences.

Playlist:

1. Spirit
2. Uis Elveti

3. Your Gaulish War
4. Of Fire, Wind & Wisdom
5. Aidû
6. The Song of Life
7. Tegernakô
8. Siraxta
9. The Dance of Victory

10. The Endless Knot

11. Andro

Link.

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