Amiina, Seoul

Iceland, 2006.

Amiina always have a way of blowing my mind.

Playlist:

1. Seoul
2. Ugla
3. Ammaelis

Link.

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Valgeir Sigurðsson, Ekvílibríum

Iceland, 2007.

Valgeir Sigurðsson is an Icelandic record producer, mixer, composer, engineer and musician. Ekvílibríum is his debut album released in 2007. Notable appearances on the album include Bonnie 'Prince' Billy and Dawn McCarthy, who contribute vocals, along with Nico Muhly, who appears in half of the tracks playing different keyboard instruments. Drummer Samuli Kosminen from fellow Icelandic band múm also makes a guest appearance.

Playlist:

1. A Symetry
2. Evolution of Waters
3. Focal Point
4. Baby Architect
5. After Four
6. Winter Sleep
7. Equilibrium Is Restored
8. Before Nine
9. Kin
10. Lungs, for Merrilee

Link.

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Ólafur Arnalds, Dyad 1909

Iceland, 2009.

This is an OST of some kind, but I don't really know what. In any case, this is amazing - and Brotsjor is one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard.

Playlist:

1. …og lengra
2. 3326
3. Brotsjor
4. Fra upphafi
5. Lokaou augunum (Dyad 1909 version)
6. Til enda
7. Vio vorum sma… (Dyad 1909 version)


Link.

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The Mayan Factor, 44

US, 2005.

The Mayan Factor is a progressive rock group located at Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

The Mayan Factor have a very ethnic sound, using atmospheric percussion, mellow guitars, and various keyboard samples and tribal bass, reminiscent of Clann Zú at times. They are extremely melodic, with a very intense and heavy feel. They are somewhere in between progressive rock, folk, indie and alternative rock.

Terrible album cover, though.


Playlist:

1. To Kill a Priest
2. Terrorist
3. Propaganda
4. Hopi Elders
5. Ventrilaquist
6. Gosia
7. Yesterday's Son
8. Bondage
9. A Red Gone Blue
10. Jack Nicholson
11. Recon
12. Self Storage

Link.

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Wildbirds & Peacedrums, Rivers

Sweden, 2010

Rivers is the latest album by this overwhelming duo, which comprises their last 2 EPs, Retina & Iris. Language is leaving me.


Playlist:

1. Bleed Like There Was No Other Flood
2. Tiny Boles In This World
3. Under Land and Over Sea
4. Fight For Me
5. Peeling Off the Layers
6. The Wave
7. The Drop
8. The Course
9. The Lake
10. The Well

Link.

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Dog Fashion Disco, Adultery

US, 2006

This is to complete my previous post - to everyone who had never heard of Dog Fashion Disco. Shame on you. Their music is a fusion of metal, hardcore, jazz and lounge. This is a concept album, telling the story of a man who starts going insane after getting involved in a story of murder and rape.

Playlist:
1. The Uninvited Guest
2. The Sacrifice of Miss Rose Covington
3. Silent Film
4. Sweet Insanity
5. Desert Grave
6. Moonlight City Drive
7. Private Eye
8. The Darkest Days
9. Dead Virgins Don't Sing
10. The Hitchhiker
11. 100 Suicides
12. Adultery
13. Mature Audiences Only

Link.

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Polkadot Cadaver, Purgatory Dance Party

US, 2007

Polkadot Cadaver emerged from the ashes of Dog Fashion Disco. The amazing vocals provided by Todd Smith are reminiscent of Mike Patton's. Highly recommended for fans of Fantômas and more progressive-oriented stuff like 3 (also DFD, obviously). On a side note, gotta love the not-so-hidden message at the end of the album.

Playlist:
1. Haunted Holiday
2. A Wolf In Jesus Skin
3. Purgatory Dance Party
4. Deathwish
5. Phantom Limb
6. Long Strange Trip to Paradise
7. Bring Me the Head of Andy Warhol
8. Chloroform Girl
9. What's the Worst Thing That Could Happen?
10. Brainwash
11. Pure Bedlam for Halfbreeds
12. Sole Survivor

Link.

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Gae Bolg & The Church Of Fand, John Barleycorn Must Die

France, 2000

Amazing, amazing, amazing martial-folk/apocalyptic band created by Eric Roger of "Sol Invictus" fame. Extremely compelling, amazingly orchestrated and with beautiful melodies this is truly compelling stuff, even for the ones who aren´t very keen on this kind of music. Fans of Dead Can Dance, Of The Wand And The Moon will eat this up.


Playlist:

1. Montsegur
2. La Marche Des Morts
3. Procession Nocturne
4. Jean Grain D´orge Doit Mourir
5. Le Jeudi Saint
6. Bruniquel
7. Le Gibet
8. Larmes De Sang

Link.

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James Blackshaw, All Is Falling

UK, 2010

James Blackshaw is one of my favourite musicians of his generation. With just 29 years old, he´s already created some truly breathtaking albums, "The Cloud Of Unknowing" (2007) and "The Glass Bead Game" (2009). "All Is Falling" is his most recent work, continuing and expanding his work on the 12-string guitar (this is his first work using an electric guitar, 12-string of course) and also expanding his pallette regarding the use of a variety of classical instrumentation (violins, piano, horns, etc.) giving his work a more neo-classical feel than usual. Amazing stuff as always.


Playlist:

1. Part 1
2. Part 2
3. Part 3
4. Part 4
5. Part 5
6. Part 6
7. Part 7
8. Part 8

Link.

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The Tallest Man on Earth, The Wild Hunt

Sweden, 2010

The Tallest Man On Earth is the artistic moniker of Dalarna-native Kristian Mattson, a talented songwriter with a soulful yet edgy voice, tour companion of Bon Iver and such. And The Wild Hunt is soulful alike, filled with beauty and meaning.
Sing along, and you'll know for sure what I mean; it'll resound.


Playlist:

1. The Wild Hunt
2. Burden Of Tomorrow
3. Troubles Will Be Gone
4. You're Going Back
5. The Drying Of The Lawns
6. King Of Spain
7. Love Is All
8. Thousand Ways
9. A Lion's Heart
10. Kids On The Run

Link.

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Kvelertak, Self-titled

Norway, 2010.

Kvelertak shamelessly draw inspiration from every corner of something that could fit into their idea of good hard-hitting and catchy rock’n’roll. Regardless of genre, but always truthful to the basic idea of the band; good songs performed with the tongue-in-cheek attitude of their punk-rock pioneers. Unlike the majority of heavier bands they sing in their native language – adding even more character to their already unique sound.

Playlist:

1. Ulvetid
2. Mjød
3. Fossegrim
4. Blodtørst
5. Offernatt
6. Sjøhyenar (Havets Herrer)
7. Sultans of Satan
8. Nekroskop
9. Liktorn
10. Ordsmedar av Rang
11. Utrydd dei Svake

Link.

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Current 93, Baalstorm, Sing Omega

UK, 2010
Baalstorm, Sing Omega is the new album from David Tibet´s long running apocalyptic folk project Current 93. It´s also my favourite work by them.


Playlist:

1. I Dreamt I Was Aeon
2. With Flowers In The Garden Of Fires
3. December 1971
4. Baalstorm! Baalstorm
5. Passenger Aleph In Name
6. Tanks Of Flies
7. The Nudes Lift Shields For War
8. Night! Death! Storm! Omega!
9. I Dance Narcoleptic

Link.

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Keiji Haino & Pan Sonic, In The Studio

Finland/Japan, 2010

Monstruous collaboration between two of the leading projects within the realm of analog and digital manipulation of soundscapes and extreme noise. In this work Mika Vainio a.k.a. Pan Sonic delves into a more beat-based approach than most of his usual work while Keiji Haino offers us his extremely fuzzy, loud and psychadelic guitar and some weird vocal delivery.

Playlist:

1. So Many Things I Have Yet To Say
2. If I Could Incarnate This Feeling Would You Consider It A Creation
3. Imperious Doppelganger of Tears, Playing Catch With Objectivity That Evades Ultimate Responsability
4. I Wonder If We Have Become Wiser Than Gods By Making Worse What Already Is
5. This Trembling, No Longer Seems To Be The Axis At The Center
6. As Far As The Left Goes, It Is Starting To Look Red What About The Right, I Wonder What Colour it Will Be
7. In The Hollow Created Between The Eyebrows, What Offering Would Be Most Appropriate
8. Without A Doubt, An Attestation Written From That Time, Will No Longer Have Effect, Because The Wound Has Widened So Much
9. I Have Embedded It Approximately 2 Minutes And 7 Seconds Into The 4th Song, In Order To Return Here Whenever I Wish
10. Perhaps There Is No Need To Return
11. Preparation Is Unnecessary From This Point On, Leave Me

Link.

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Noël Akchoté, Alike Joseph

France, 2000

Akchoté is a French guitarist, mostly active in improvisational free jazz & experimental music. Alike Joseph is part of the Joseph trilogy published and released by the defunct Rectangle label and is mainly focused on ambient noise produced with nothing but a guitar and an amplifier, being very well balanced and executed. It is purifying.


Playlist:

1. 3
2. Two
3. 1
4. 00

Link.

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