Spiral Circus

Cynic, Carbon-Based Anatomy

2011-11-23T22:20:00.004Z

U.S.A., 2011

Following up on the last post (that was a prog-metal one), we have the recently released EP from Cynic.
Highlights on this one: they dropped the growly vocals, focusing on Masvidal's trembly but melodious and emotional vocals with a more reduced but pleasing pitch-shift here and there. Amazing work from the three founding members, counting on Reinert's beautiful musicality on drums, delicious timbre from Malone on the bass, and Masvidal's great guitar work, sipping on jazz and whatnot.
Apart from the minor fact that a couple of the songs are re-hashes from previous sideproject Æon Spoke, this is a delightful release.

Playlist:
1. Amidst The Coals
2. Carbon-Based Anatomy
3. Bija!
4. Box Up My Bones
5. Elves Beam Out
6. Hieroglyph

Link.

Arch/Matheos, Sympathetic Resonance

2011-11-14T21:26:00.006Z

U.S.A. 2011

IMO, an excellent release from Fates Warning founders, guitarist Jim Matheos and vocalist John Arch. Matheos' unmatched ability to balance excellent riffs with an unexuberant technicity along with Arch's great musical positioning and vocals harmonies, make this album reek of early FW releases – though with a better sonic production – and a very unsurprisingly cohesive one at that.
Expect nothing less than great tracks out of this record – fair share of repetitiveness included –, having in mind the personnel included: Matheos, Arch, Joey Vera and Bobby Jarzombek.

Playlist:
1. Neurotically Wired
2. Midnight Serenade
3. Stained Glass Sky
4. On The Fence
5. Any Given Day (Strangers Like Me)
6. Incense And Myrrh

Link.

(end of) hiatus

2011-10-25T00:21:00.004+01:00

First post in a long while. A reason for this is that, personally, I've been dealing with several issues that demand time – such as dissertation research and teaching –, as I imagine my fellow bloggers from SC have too. I hope I can liven up this blog as much as I can, as the opportunities to do so arrive.
Also, I won't be able to guarantee posts from my colleagues, so I apologize if my posts and tastes don't correspond exactly to the standard you've been accustomed to, from this same blog. However, the variety of genres will be maintained, as much as possible.

I also hope that the few followers which still have us in their radar understand this shift in focus.
In my following posts I'll try and be succinct – even though the frequency of posting may be sometimes scarce –, synthetic about the information or links and, as much as can be, more personal.

For now, I thank you if you're reading this and still care.
Warmth

Digitalism, I Love You Dude

2011-06-30T18:48:00.008+01:00

Germany, 2011

I'd unconsciously waited for this for a bit so I wasn't expecting when it came out.
Thumping and driving, this sophomore album: I was very surprised with the maturing of this electro "dance punk" duo — in terms of both sound and musicality — as I hadn't really loved Idealism except for "Anything New".
I Love You Dude is a great album, cohesive and fun to listen to. Sometimes a rare combination as it obviously tells a musical story, akin to Daft Punk's Discovery. Their concept of social critique and imagery in their music evokes gets you to feel both bright and dark moods (sometimes in the same song) and, come on...
...what basslines.

Playlist:

1. Stratosphere
2. 2 Hearts
3. Circles
4. Blitz
5. Forrest Gump
6. Reeperbahn
7. Antibiotics
8. Just Gazin'
9. Miami Showdown

Link.

Cream, Disraeli Gears

2011-06-18T02:22:00.006+01:00

U.S.A., 1967

Disraeli Gears (funny thing about the name of the album, if you don't know already, wikipedia is your friend) is a breakthrough album for a vast majority of musical elements that later came to define what rock would be from then on. One of the first albums the wah wah pedal was used on – about that, check the Cry Baby documentary also –, specifically in "Tales of Brave Ulysses", and which includes the rock classic "Sunshine Of Your Love".
A very good psychedelic listening experience, a cohesive (as much as possible) opus that has earned its place as one of the great albums in rock history.

Playlist:

1. Strange Brew
2. Sunshine of Your Love
3. World of Pain
4. Dance the Night Away
5. Blue Condition
6. Tales of Brave Ulysses
7. SWLABR
8. We're Going Wrong
9. Outside Woman Blues
10. Take It Back
11. Mother's Lament

Link.

Riverside, Memories In My Head EP

2011-06-03T14:31:00.002+01:00

Poland, 2011

Drifting away from their latest release, Riverside seems to target the fans who missed their earliest materials. This EP expresses their spacious nostalgic flavor along with a spiritual feel from the front-man Mariusz’s side project "Lunatic Soul".

Playlist:

1. Goodbye Sweet Innocence
2. Living In The Past
3. Forgotten Land

Link.

Miracle, Fluid Window

2011-05-31T18:14:00.000+01:00

US, 2011.

Steve Moore (Zombi, Earth, Titan, Gianni Rossi, Lovelock) + Daniel O'Sullivan (Sunn O))), Guapo, Æthenor, Ulver, Mothlite, Miasma & the Carousel of Headless Horses) = Miracle.

Playlist:

1. The Visitor
2. Sunshine Hall
3. Wild Nights
4. Sunstar
5. Breathe

Link.

Umberto, Prophecy of the Black Widow

2011-05-21T11:50:00.000+01:00

US, 2010.

If Zombi and Justice had a child and the child played videogames. Just awesome.

Playlist:

1. Temple Room
2. The Psychic
3. Red Dawn
4. Widow Of The Web
5. Black Candles
6. Night Stalking
7. Someone Chasing Someone Through A House
8. Everything Is Going To Be Okay

Link.

Vessels, Helioscope

2011-05-06T16:51:00.000+01:00

England, 2011.

Vessels is a post-rock band from Leeds, formed in September 2005.

Playlist:

1. Monoform
2. The Trap
3. Recur
4. Later Than You Think
5. Meatman, Piano Tuner, Prostitute
6. Art/Choke
7. Heal
8. All Our Ends
9. Spun Infinite

Link.

Mamiffer, Mare Decendrii

2011-05-05T19:18:00.000+01:00

US, 2011.

Simply awesome.

Mamiffer is Faith Coloccia, a Seattle-based pianist, and Aaron Turner from Isis, Jodis, Lotus Eaters, as well as a collective of other song-weavers and visionaries.

Playlist:

1. As Freedom Rings
2. We Speak in the Dark
3. Blanket Made of Ash
4. Eating Our Bodies
5. Iron Water

Link.
Buy it.

DeVotchKa, 100 Lovers

2011-04-03T13:12:00.002+01:00

US, 2011.

DeVotchKa is a four-piece multi-instrumental and vocal ensemble that fuses Romani, Greek, Slavic, Bolero, Mariachi music with American punk and folk roots. This is their latest release. Playlist:

1. The Alley
2. All the Sand in all the Sea
3. One Hundred other Lovers
4. The Common Good
5. Interlude 1
6. The Man From San Sebastian
7. Exhaustible
8. Interlude 2
9. Bad Luck Heels
10. Ruthless
11. Contrabanda
12. Sunshine

Link.

FEN, Epoch

2011-03-19T14:52:00.000Z

England, 2011.

FEN are a recently created project from Eastern England that blends black metal, post-rock and shoegaze. Their debut, "The Malediction Fields", was an amazing and absolutely overwhelming album for me. Of course expectations were high enough for "Epoch"... Overall, it's a good atmospheric album, definitely worth a listen, even though not as memorable as its predecessor.

Playlist:

1. Epoch
2. Ghosts of the Flood
3. Of Wilderness and Ruin
4. The Gibbet Elms
5. Carrier of Echoes
6. Half-Light Eternal
7. A Warning Solace
8. Ashbringer

Link.

Gallowbraid, Ashen Eidolon

2011-03-13T02:45:00.001Z

US, 2010.

Another steal from soundweave, but this stuff is so damn good. This EP is like a mix of Agalloch and Wolves In The Throne Room... or something along those lines. See? This is why I don't write the descriptions myself.

Playlist:

1. Ashen Eidolon
2. Autumn I
3. Oaken And Aspen
4. Autumn II

Link.

Grails, Deep Politics

2011-03-11T20:00:00.000Z

US, 2011.

According to a press release, "The eight-song set was conceived during the band's longest-ever gestation period between albums, a fact immediately reflected in the increased compositional depth, intensified use of fetishistic cut-and-paste production techniques (akin to those employed by RZA and MF Doom), and the striking inclusion of lush string arrangements (courtesy of acclaimed composer Timba Harris)."

The resulting sound is described as containing "the indelible stamp of '70s Italian film scores and obscure occult/fringe library music, cultivating an immersive environment that inspires both an eternal sense of longing and an impending sense of dread."

Playlist:

1. Future Primitive
2. All The Colors Of The Dark
3. Corridors Of Power
4. Deep Politics
5. Daughters Of Bilitis
6. Almost Grew My Hair
7. I Led Three Lives
8. Deep Snow

Link.

Long Distance Calling, Self-titled

2011-03-10T19:49:00.000Z

Germany, 2011.

“We are just a tiny part of the ever growing universe. It's the important third album, so we decided to call the album Long Distance Calling as a statement.”

Playlist:

1. Into The Black Wide Open
2. The Figrin D'an Boogie
3. Invisible Giants
4. Timebends
5. Arecibo (Long Distance Calling)
6. Middleville
7. Beyond The Void

Link.

Vanessa Van Basten, Closer To The Small/Dark/Door

2011-02-24T15:32:00.000Z

Italy, 2010.

"Vanessa Van Basten is a duo from Genoa, Italy with many guests and contributors from the alternative and extreme Italian underground. They make slow, heavy, metaphysic instrumental music. Formed in 2004. Their influences are the cosmic psychedelia, industrial rock like Swans or Godflesh, Neurot & Hydrahead catalog.

The music can still be described as heavy post-rock, but Vanessa Van Basten is nowadays a lot more than just that. A strongly emotional sonic magma absorbs and metabolizes different sonic influences, from the introspective metalcore of Jesu and Neurosis to the experimental metal drones of Sunn O))), from Lycia and Slowdive melancholy-driven soundscapes to the psychedelic and spacey atmospheres of Klaus Schulze to the cinematic melodies of Morricone and Badalamenti. And there you have Vanessa Van Basten."

I can't really be bothered to describe the album or the band in my own words, but this is awesome.

Playlist:

1. Porzellangasse
2. Putana
3. L'Uomo Che Comprava Il Tempo
4. Fuck The Best, Take The Rest
5. Domio '95
6. La Selva Dell'Orba
7. Scolopendra
8. Untitled
9. L'Affetto Non Serve

Link.

Seabear, The Ghost That Carried Us Away

2011-02-21T17:39:00.001Z

Iceland, 2007.

Seabear is an experimental/folk band from Reykjavík, Iceland. Their music is subdued and mellow folk pop, with hints of piano, violin, acoustic guitar and atmospheric vocals, all carefully squeezed through a lo-fi filter.

Playlist:

1. Good Morning Scarecrow
2. Cat Piano
3. Libraries
4. Hospital Bed
5. Hands Remember
6. I Sing I Swim
7. Owl Waltz
8. Arms
9. Sailors Blue
10. Lost Watch
11. Summer Bird Diamond
12. Seashell

Link.

Earth, Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light I

2011-02-20T12:50:00.000Z

US, 2011.

"Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light I is the sixth full-length studio album by the band Earth, released on Southern Lord Records. Cello is introduced as a new instrument, along with the usual ones being used since the album Hex. Dylan Carlson describes the album as more melodic and riff oriented. The second part of the album (described as being more spontaneous than this one) will also be release in 2011."

On a side note, I love this cover.

Playlist:

1. Old Black
2. Father Midnight
3. Descent to the Zenith
4. Hell's Winter
5. Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light I

Link.

L'Altra, Telepathic

2011-02-13T00:00:00.003Z

US, 2010.

L’Altra is the stormy collaboration of singer-guitarist Joseph Desler Costa and singer-keyboardist Lindsay Anderson.

Coming out of their respective corners, the duo have composed and recorded their fourth studio album, Telepathic. The songs, initially crafted apart by the two artists in separate locations, come together as a swirling and beautifully unified whole.

Playlist:

1. Dark Corners I
2. Nothing Can Tear It Apart
3. Big Air Kiss
4. Boys
5. When the Ships Sinks
6. Black Wind
7. Either Was the Other's Mine
8. Winter Loves Summer Sun
9. This Bruise
10. Telepathic
11. Dark Corners II

Link.

notify this.

2011-02-11T21:05:00.003Z

Just thought of saying: Got kind of sick of DMCA notifications.

I'm not going to repost Steve Reich's Double Sextet / 2x5 — or my top 5 of 2010, for that matter — in respect for the health of this blog.
Maybe someday someone(s) will realize the futility of this and stop the persecution. It's not going to be so soon, though.

This is not protecting the artists, or anyone other than capitalism.
Thank you.

Olivia Pedroli, The Den

2011-02-03T19:43:00.000Z

Switzerland, 2010.

"This third album, at the crossroads between classical, folk and experimental music, was released on September 27th, 2010 under the musician’s real name, Olivia Pedroli. It shows the evolution of her compositions and voice towards more personal and enchanting horizons."

Classically trained Olivia Pedroli was born in Switzerland. "The Den", which was produced by Valgeir Sigurðsson, combines Olivia's enchanting voice with the most beautiful experimental folk compositions.

Playlist:

1. Bow
2. The Day
3. A Path
4. To Be You
5. Raise Erase
6. You Caught Me
7. I Play
8. Stay
9. House
10. Silent Emily

Link.

Jesu, Christmas EP

2011-01-30T17:40:00.001Z

Wales, 2010.

"Jesu's sound is heavily layered and textured, drawing from and incorporating an eclectic mix of influences, ranging from ambient music, post-metal and drone doom, to shoegazing, downtempo and industrial music. Broadrick himself has made it known that he does not consider Jesu to fall into any of these categories and that he has been intentionally writing what he considers to be coherent and structured pop songs."

Playlist:

1. Christmas
2. Christmas (Pale Sketcher Remix)
3. Christmas (FINAL Remix)

Link.

Apparat Organ Quartet, Pólýfónía

2011-01-22T13:05:00.000Z

Iceland, 2010.

"Apparat Organ Quartet is a 5 piece band: 4 organists and 1 drummer. Their music is sometimes described as “Machine Rock and Roll" but the standard definition of their sound is “Organ Quartet Music", a completely new genre."

The truth is, words cannot describe how awesome this music is. A crossover between nintendocore and Kraftwerk on acids. I strongly recommend this album.

Playlist:

1. Babbage
2. Cargo Frakt
3. Konami
4. Pólýnesía
5. Pentatróník
6. Macht Parat den Apparat
7. Síríus Alfa
8. 123 Forever
9. Söngur Geimunglingsins

Link.

Clint Mansell, Black Swan Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

2011-01-16T18:31:00.000Z

England, 2010.

Mansell was introduced to film scoring when director Darren Aronofsky hired him to score his debut film, π. And scoring Aronofsky's movies is all he's been pretty much doing ever since.

"Black Swan" revolves around a Swan Lake production by a ballet company. As a result, the soundtrack is heavily influenced by Tchaikovsky's ballet, sometimes even including variations of the original music. This is really amazing stuff.

Playlist:

1. Nina's Dream
2. Mother Me
3. The New Season
4. A Room of Her Own
5. A New Swan Queen
6. Lose Yourself
7. Cruel Mistress
8. Power, Seduction, Cries
9. The Double
10. Opposites Attract
11. Night of Terror
12. Stumbled Beginnings...
13. It's My Time
14. A Swan Is Born
15. Perfection
16. A Swan Song (for Nina)

Link.

kaneda's top 10 of 2010

2011-01-12T00:27:00.001Z

Unlike my fellow bloggers, and while i agree that 2010 wasn´t the beat all end all year for music, still there were some pretty amazing album releases. Here´s my top-10 for 2010:

10. Brandt Brauer Frick, You Make Me Real

Released: December, Germany

Ambient techno with a huge organic feel to it and a high emphasis on piano, jagged percussion , weird rhythmic structures and improvisation.

9. Gonjasufi, A Sufi And A Killer

Released: March, US

Coming straight from the all-mighty "Warp Records" and produced by the magic fingers of "The Gaslamp Killer", Gonjasufi´s first album took the music world by storm with his enormous mix of styles and flavours all wrapped up on a "Flying Lotus" kind of musical envelope while being able to sound entirely unique. Truly wonderfull music.

8. Panopticon, On The Subject Of Mortality

Released: November, US

The brightest of all the "usbm" records that came out in 2010 (and there were some stellar ones), the solo moniker of Austin Lundr continues to prove that when it comes to convey absolutely beautiful melodies (the "bluegrass" moments in here, nham!) with the feeling of absolute despair, he is one of the best. Although the lo-fi production may turn some heads, do not stray away from this record. To give a redundant representation of Panopticon´s sound, think Wolves In The Throne Room by the way of Katatonia and Alcest.

7. The NULLL Collective, De Monstris

Released: June, Belgium/US

Dark opressive spacey atmosphere, drum tempos that flow between a snail like pace to a cybergrind drum-machine, vocals that came from the darkest pits of hell buried between a wall of sound. The NULLL Collective debut album "De Montris" throws the "Doom" genre to another new level of perception. This album´s truly a sensorial experience, better listened at night gazing into the blackness of the space.

6. Bardo Pond, Bardo Pond

Released: December, US

I love Bardo Pond, and i love their new album. It´s nice to see them kinda putting all their monstrous reverb and psychadelic vein a little bit aside thus making all their sound more "clear". Still, "Cracker Wrist" is a model when it comes to true "sludge" and standouts like"The Stars Behind" and "Sleeping" figure between the most beautiful tracks that i heard from 2010.

5. Pan Galactic Straw Boss, Reverberator

Release: November, US

A very young three piece from Norfolk "PGSB" play a blend of post-rock and noise and they play it with such maturity, cohesiveness and passion that seem that they´ve been doing this for years. I may seem overly enthusiastic about these guys, but they are truly amazing and, if they continue to sound like this, the time for them to be one of the driving forces of american post-rock is not too far ahead.

4. Deathspell Omega, Paracletus

Release: November, France

The much awaited final chapter of the "metaphysical" trilogy focusing on the relatioship of Man with God and The Devil is chaotic, angular, dark and ugly as it always is with them, but on "Paracletus" DsO pushed, just a little bit, back on the impenetrable chaos of drums and never-ending riffage, giving some time for the listener to breathe. The result is a brilliant album, one more from this prophets of hell.

3. Chelsea Wolfe, Apokalypsis

Release: December, US

OH MY GOD, this record! "Apokalypsis" is one of two albums released in 2010 by Chelsea Wolfe (the other being "The Grime And The Glow") and while i enjoy the former, i end up liking "Apokalypsis" a little bit more because of it´s amazing production, i mean this thing growls with menace, relishes on the thickness of the low end and it all sounds so crisp, that when i realize that this album comes from someone who released her two first albums this year, my mind boggles.

Musically she plays dark-folk, think Marissa Nadler with the ferocity of Rose Kemp permeated with a menacing black-metal atmosphere.

As a side note, her cover of Burzum´s "Black Spell Of Destruction" is nothing short of amazing!

2. Brian Mcbride, The Effective Disconnect

Release: October, US

Being one of the halfs of ambient/drone heavywights "Stars Of The Lid" Brian Mcbride crafted a beautiful, delicate, soul-reaching album that is sure to put anyone on a daydreaming state. Was there anything else to expect apart from absolute magnificence? I think not.

1. A Forest Of Stars, Opportunistic Thieves of Sping

Release: June, UK

I already posted this album in here and at the time i stated that it was my favourite album of 2010. My feelings still haven´t changed regarding this album, it is an absolute masterpiece and everyone should listen to this. It´s as simple as that.

kollaps' top 10 of 2010

2011-01-09T16:52:00.003Z

2009 was an incredible year for album releases. 2010... not so much.

Perhaps that is a slightly egoistic statement, but I felt that there just weren't that many memorable albums this year. Nevertheless, here are the few ones worth mentioning:

#10 - Agalloch: Marrow of the Spirit

November 2010, United States.

Combining the traditional elements of black metal, folk and post-rock altogether, Agalloch created yet another epic, dark and atmospheric masterpiece.

#9 - 65daysofstatic: We Were Exploding Anyway

April 2010, England.

"The band intersperses heavy, progressive, guitar-driven instrumental sections with both idm-esque programmed and live drums." This album, however, moved away from post-rock sounds and into elaborate electronics.

#8 - Arcade Fire: The Suburbs

August 2010, Canada.

I hadn't liked an Arcade Fire album this much since their debut, "Funeral". "The Suburbs" brings out a rockier and more layered sound than previous albums.

#7 - Efterklang: Magic Chairs

February 2010, Denmark.

"Magic Chairs" is Efterklang's most pop-oriented release yet. Whilst its compositions are admittedly less intricate than in previous releases, the album is filled with exquisite and alluring moments.

#6 - Caribou: Swim

April 2010, Canada.

Caribou is the stage name of Daniel Victor Snaith, a mathematician as well as musician. "Swim" was my first introduction to Caribou, but immediately got me hooked.

#5 - Amiina: Puzzle

September 2010, Iceland.

Amiina's second full-length album was definitely one of my most played records this year. "Puzzle" combines electronics with absolutely perfect chamber instrumentation.

#4 - Alcest: Écailles de Lune

March 2010, France.

A great successor to "Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde". A melancholic album that fuses black metal with shoegaze in a fantasy wonderland setting.

#3 - Kvelertak: Kvelertak

June 2010, Norway.

This was a pleasant surprise. Kvelertak's eponymous debut album introduced me to a genre I wasn't entirely acquainted with: black 'n' roll.

#2 - Les Discrets: Septembre et Ses Dernières Pensées

March 2010, France.

Catapulted by fellow French band Alcest, Les Discrets released their absolutely amazing debut in 2010. "Septembre et Ses Dernières Pensées" is a mix of shoegaze, post-rock and black metal that takes you to a surreal place filled with furry, whimsical creatures.

#1 - Crippled Black Phoenix: I, Vigilante

September 2010, England.

Hands down my most acclaimed album of 2010 and the driving force behind me wanting to do a 2010's Top 10. If you still haven't listened to this album, I urge you to do it now.

Tombs, Winter Hours

2011-01-06T18:09:00.005Z

US, 2009

Tombs is a sludge/post-metal band hailing from Brooklyn, NY.

Playlist:

1. Gossamer
2. Golden Eyes
3. Beneath the Toxic Jungle
4. The Great Silence
5. Story of a Room
6. The Divide
7. Merrimack
8. Filled With Secrets
9. Seven Stars the Angel of Death
10. Old Dominion

Link.

Amplifier, Amplifier

2010-12-20T21:56:00.003Z

UK, 2004

Amplifier are a three-piece progressive/alternative rock ensemble. Sel Balamir, Matt Brobin and Neil Mahony make music with guitars, drums and bass.

Playlist:

1. Motorhead
2. Airborne
3. Panzer
4. Old Movies
5. Post Acid Youth
6. Neon
7. On/Off
8. The Consultancy
9. One Great Summer
10. UFOs

Link.

Aranis, Songs From Mirage

2010-12-12T00:00:00.007Z

Belgium, 2010.

Aranis is a Flemish septet, playing music across the borders of classical, folk and (post-)rock. This is their third release.

Playlist:

1. Ouverture
2. Fresia
3. Chamber Rock
4. Reprise
5. Lullaby
6. Airesym
7. Aynu
8. Lever In Plakjes
9. Jelimena
10. Keria
11. Out Ama
12. Enjuminenna
13. Ilah
14. Finale

Link.

Cocoon, Where The Oceans End

2010-12-08T00:00:00.004Z

France, 2010.

Cocoon is a two-piece French band formed in 2006 by Mark Daumail (born 1984, composition, lead vocals, acoustic guitar, ukelele, banjo, beatbox, etc.) and Morgane Imbeaud (born 1987, vocal harmonies, keyboards, arrangements). Their sound is a mix of dream pop and new folk, and they sing entirely in English.

This is a bit different from what I usually listen to, but I'm completely enthralled.

Playlist:

1. Sushi
2. Comets
3. Dee Doo
4. Yum Yum
5. Mother
6. Oh My God
7. Super Powers
8. Cathedral
9. I Will Be Gone
10. Dolphins
11. Baby Seal
12. In My Boat

Líam, Journey... Two Years and a Fragment

2010-12-06T19:04:00.005Z

Germany, 2008

Líam is a band hailing from the German state of Nordrhein-Westfalen, founded by M. Bochnig in early 2007. Although the band is usually labelled as post-rock, it contains some black metal elements, making it a candidate for the post-black metal genre.

Playlist:

1. Born
2. Wide
3. A Decision
4. Air
5. Out
6. Debris
7. Etienne
8. Particles

L ink .

Lunatic Soul, Lunatic Soul II

2010-12-04T00:00:00.002Z

Poland, 2010.

Lunatic Soul is the solo project of Mariusz Duda, vocalist and bassist of Riverside. In stark contrast to his main outfit, Lunatic Soul contains no electric guitars at all and can be best described as a mix of ambient and progressive elements - Duda himself calls the sound “oriental-alternative”.

This is the second album, released on October 25, 2010, and is a continuation of the sound established on the debut.

Playlist:

1. The In-Between Kingdom
2. Otherwhere
3. Suspended In Whiteness
4. Asoulum
5. Limbo
6. Escape from ParadIce
7. Transition
8. Gravestone Hill
9. Wanderings

Link.

The Ocean, Anthropocentric

2010-11-28T00:00:00.001Z

Germany, 2010.

The Ocean Collective (usually referred to as “The Ocean”) is an experimental metal band from Berlin, Germany. Their work combines elements of modern hardcore and technical metal with classical music and electronic soundscapes. The band often describes its sound as “ambient soundtrack doomrock”.

"Anthropocentric" is the second of a two album series released in 2010, following "Heliocentric".

Playlist:

1. Anthropocentric
2. The Grand Inquisitor I: Karamazov Baseness
3. She Was the Universe
4. For He That Wavereth…
5. The Grand Inquisitor II: Roots & Locusts
6. The Grand Inquisitor III: A Tiny Grain of Faith
7. Sewers of the Soul
8. Wille Zum Untergang
9. Heaven TV
10. The Almightiness Contradiction

Link.

Renaud Garcia-Fons, Oriental Bass

2010-11-27T18:49:00.006Z

France, 1997

This is what acoustics classes do to me. Garcia-Fons' music is overwhelming: inciding primarily on a jazz language – and this album being no exception – it is at most times ethnically-influenced and takes up a character of journey due to its themes and their development. The title by itself, helps understanding what elements will figure; handclapping as well as Eastern European and Northern African drumming combined with mediterranean orchestrations with are involving and beatifully played by this gifted composer and double bass player. And watch out for the bowed parts.

Playlist:

1. Oriental Bass
2. San Juan
3. Goodjinns
4. Oryssa
5. Ghâzali
6. Jullundur
7. Hommage à Ostâd
8. Bajo Andalúz
9. Jam Bulería
10. Djâni

Link.

Maserati, Pyramid Of The Sun

2010-11-17T00:00:00.000Z

US, 2010.

"Knowing what Maserati have been through during Pyramid of the Sun's creation makes it hard to consider the album on its musical merits alone. A year ago, they lost drummer Gerard Fuchs in an elevator-shaft accident. They were already working on Pyramid, and that gives the resulting LP a double shot of gravitas as one of Fuchs's final recordings and also a tribute to him."

Playlist:

1. Who Can Find the Beast?
2. Pyramid of the Sun
3. We Got the System to Fight the System
4. They'll No More Suffer From Hunger
5. Ruins
6. They'll No More Suffer From Thirst
7. Oaxaca
8. Bye M’Friend, Goodbye

Link.

Agalloch, Marrow Of The Spirit

2010-11-09T00:00:00.011Z

US, 2010.

Four years after "Ashes Against The Grain", Agalloch have finally released their much anticipated follow-up. Combining black metal, folk and post-rock altogether, Agalloch create yet another epic, dark and atmospheric masterpiece that may require a few listens to sink in completely.

Playlist:

1. They Escaped the Weight of Darkness
2. Into the Painted Grey
3. The Watcher's Monolith
4. Black Lake Nidstång
5. Ghosts of the Midwinter Fires
6. To Drown

Link.

Virus, Carheart

2010-11-06T19:11:00.004Z

Norway, 2004

Virus are Carl-Michael Eide (Czral), Einar Sjurso (Esso) and Petter Berntsen (Plenum), all former Ved Buens Ende members. Signed to Norway's Jester Records, Virus compose avant-garde metal.

Playlist:

1 - Something Furry This Way Comes
2 - Carheart
3 - Queen of the High-Ace
4 - Road
5 - Gum, Meet, Mother
6 - Dogs With Wheels
7 - It's All Gone Weird
8 - Kennel Crash Recovery
9 - Hustler
10 - Bandit
11 - Be Elevator

Link.

RQTN, Decades And Decisions

2010-11-06T00:00:00.000Z

France, 2010.

RQTN is the solo musical project of the young french producer Mathieu Artu. His music is a subtle mix between classical music and modern influences such as new-wave, post-rock and pop music.

Playlist:

1. 1928 - A Birth Among Others
2. 1942 - A Struggle In The Haze
3. 1955 - A Shelter For Lovers
4. 1970 - A Gaze Towards The Lighthouse
5. 1982 - A Dawn To Remember
6. 1986 - A Son To Concede All
7. 1997 - A Block In Town
8. 2003 - A Motionless Frozen State (ft. Antoine Ollivier)
9. 2010 - A New Decade

Link.

Gazpacho, Missa Atropos

2010-11-01T00:00:00.001Z

Norway, 2010.

Another conceptual album by Gazpacho.

"Gazpacho envisaged a story of a man who cuts all ties to the world and moves to a lighthouse to write a mass for Atropos and to taste true solitude. The title is also a wordplay on misanthropy which supposedly plays a part in the concept as well. The album tells the story of what happens inside his head and includes three of his attempts to write the mass as well as the final Missa Atropos."

To be honest, this album hasn't moved me like their two previous releases, but maybe it's just a matter of time.

Playlist: 1. Mass For Atropos I
2. Defense Mechanism
3. I Was Never Here
4. Snail
5. River
6. Mass For Atropos II
7. Missa Atropos
8. She´s Awake
9. Vera
10. Will to Live
11. Mass for Atropos III
12. Splendid Isolation
13. An Audience

Link.

UNKLE, War Stories

2010-10-29T17:46:00.004+01:00

UK, 2007

UNKLE are James Lavelle and Tim Goldsworthy. The London-based duo creates trip-hop and electronic music. Josh Homme, Gavin Clark and The Duke Spirit were some of the artists invited to provide vocals for this record.

Playlist:

1. Intro
2. Chemistry.
3. Hold My Hand
4. Restless (feat. Josh Homme)
5. Keys to the Kingdom (feat. Gavin Clark)
6. Price You Pay
7. Burn My Shadow
8. May Day (feat. The Duke Spirit)
9. Persons & Machinery (feat. Autolux)
10. Twilight (feat. 3D)
11. Morning Rage
12. Lawless
13. Broken (feat. Gavin Clark)
14. When Things Explode (feat. Ian Astbury)

Link.

The Lounge Lizards, Queen of All Ears

2010-10-26T14:15:00.003+01:00

U.S., 1998

I really didn't know about John Lurie – or The Lounge Lizards for that matter – until a few days ago on a bus ride where this friend showed me some tracks off of this record. I stood amazed; great rhythmic/melodic constructions and such harmonies that left me staggered.
On the other hand, it is (not just) jazz – whatever that might mean to you – but music which I'm sure you'll find, at the very least, amusing.

Playlist:

1. The First and Royal Queen
2. The Birds Near Her House
3. Scary Children
4. She Drove Me Mad
5. Queen Of All Ears
6. Monsters Over Bangkok
7. Three Crowns of Wood
8. John Zorn's S&M Circus
9. Yak
10. Queen Reprise

Link.

Cyann & Ben, Happy Like An Autumn Tree

2010-10-17T00:00:00.002+01:00

France, 2005.

Cyann & Ben is a French post-rock band formed in 2001. Their sound is not a usual post-rock sound. They have a warm and mellow, almost pop-like sound and they have electronic influences too.

This album impressed me because it sounds completely different from everything else I've been listening to. It's very mellow and folkish, but can get psychedelic at times too. I really recommend it.

Playlist:

1. Circle
2. (Silences and Little Melodies for...)
3. Gone To Waste
4. Close To Discovery
5. A Moment Nowhere
6. (Tide)
7. Summer
8. Obsessing And Screaming Voice In A Shell

Link.

Amiina, Puzzle

2010-10-16T00:00:00.008+01:00

Iceland, 2010.

"The songs on Puzzle are more rhythmically rugged than Amiina's previous work and feature heavier use of electronics. Amiina's long-standing fondness for zero-g melodies and open-minded instrumentation, however, continues."

Playlist:

1. Ásinn
2. Over And Again
3. What Are We Waiting For?
4. Púsl
5. In The Sun
6. Mambó
7. Sicsak
8. Thoka

Link.

Maybeshewill, To The Skies From A Hillside

2010-10-11T00:00:00.004+01:00

England, 2010.

Maybeshewill are an instrumental band from Leicester, UK. Maybeshewill’s music is characterised by the use of electronic elements alongside more traditional ‘rock’ instrumentation. The band’s music is also littered with references to film and popular culture. This is their latest EP.

Playlist:

1. To the Skies From a Hillside
2. Спутник-2
3. To The Skies From A Hillside (The Party Mushroom Remix)

Link.

...And The Earth Swarmed With Them, The Fading Voice Of The Old Era Speaks To Us, But Where Are The Ears Left To Hear It?

2010-10-10T00:00:00.008+01:00

England, 2010.

…And The Earth Swarmed With Them is the project of Mitchell Johns & Kat Stanbridge.

They were recently joined in the studio by Ted Parsons (Jesu, Godflesh & Ex-Swans member) for their latest EP “The Fading Voice Of The Old Era Speaks To Us, But Where Are The Ears Left To Hear It?”.

Playlist:

1. Everyone Will Fade
2. As We Drove...
3. Always Looking Backwards (For Those Without Eyes)
4. The Slow Decay Had Already Begun

Link.

Sey Hollo, Self-titled

2010-10-09T00:00:00.000+01:00

Sweden, 2010.

Sey Hollo is the solo-project of Sebastian Larsson from Sweden and the debut album was released in the late summer of 2010. Sey Hollo plays instrumental post-rock based on rusty guitars and tramp organs. Friends of Sey Hollo describe it as "poor man's post-rock" with a heavy, yet beautiful, sound. Sey Hollo's music is inspired by everything from punk to post-rock to politics.

Playlist:

1. Dependistas
2. Eighty Five Percent
3. Thank You Very Much
4. The Sleepy Taxpayer
5. Neo-Future (Let Them Wait)
6. A Toxic Toast To Broken Promises
7. B My Friend 4 Ever

Link.

Crippled Black Phoenix, I, Vigilante

2010-10-05T00:00:00.001+01:00

England, 2010.

Where do I even begin to describe this? One would think that "The Resurrectionists" and "Night Raider" would be impossible to top, but CBP prove us wrong. "I, Vigilante" is nothing short of a masterpiece, and "Of A Lifetime" (which is a Journey cover, by the way) might just be my favourite song right now.

They don't tour much, but don't hesitate to see these guys live if you have the chance. Not only are they amazing musicians, they are also the coolest guys I've ever met.

Playlist:

1. Troublemaker
2. We Forgotten Who We Are
3. Fantastic Justice
4. Bastogne Blues
5. Of a Lifetime
6. Burning Bridges (Hidden Track)

Link.

Amiina, Seoul

2010-09-21T00:00:00.003+01:00

Iceland, 2006.

Amiina always have a way of blowing my mind.

Playlist:

1. Seoul
2. Ugla
3. Ammaelis

Link.

Valgeir Sigurðsson, Ekvílibríum

2010-09-20T00:00:00.000+01:00

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.

Ólafur Arnalds, Dyad 1909

2010-09-19T00:00:00.000+01:00

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.

The Mayan Factor, 44

2010-09-18T00:00:00.000+01:00

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.

Wildbirds & Peacedrums, Rivers

2010-09-17T00:00:00.002+01:00

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.

Dog Fashion Disco, Adultery

2010-09-16T00:18:00.003+01:00

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.

Polkadot Cadaver, Purgatory Dance Party

2010-09-16T00:01:00.006+01:00

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.

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

2010-09-13T00:04:00.007+01:00

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.

James Blackshaw, All Is Falling

2010-09-12T23:26:00.004+01:00

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.

The Tallest Man on Earth, The Wild Hunt

2010-09-12T07:44:00.004+01:00

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.

Kvelertak, Self-titled

2010-09-10T00:00:00.003+01:00

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.

Current 93, Baalstorm, Sing Omega

2010-09-06T13:01:00.007+01:00

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.

Keiji Haino & Pan Sonic, In The Studio

2010-09-06T12:10:00.014+01:00

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.

Noël Akchoté, Alike Joseph

2010-09-04T06:38:00.004+01:00

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.

Final, Reading All the Right Signals Wrong

2010-08-31T00:00:00.000+01:00

England, 2009

Final is a project by Justin K. Broadrick, frontman of Jesu and Godflesh, ongoing since his formative years.
Reading All the Right Signals Wrong is very well conceived – and, in many aspects, an obvious product of personal growth – and expands itself into a texture-weaving driven kind of sound that will at times be cinematic and at others heavy and pounding turbulent.

Playlist:

1. Right Signal
2. Wrong Signal
3. Stop At Red
4. Green

Link.

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Acme Plus

2010-08-30T00:00:00.003+01:00

U.S.A., 2003

Yesterday at my favourite bar I heard this album playing. Their blend of many things that obviously include blues, alternative rock (with remnants of punk) and music genres based mainly on the pentatonic scale, left me simply amazed. Not having yet been confronted with JSBX earlier, my ignorance was blatant; These outtakes from the original Acme from 1998 are nothing short of world-rocking.

Playlist:

1. Wait a Minute
2. Get Down Lover
3. Confused
4. Magical Colors (31 Flavors)
5. Not Yet
6. Get Old
7. Bacon
8. Blue Green Olgs [Remix]
9. Heavy [Remix]
10. Lap Dance
11. Right Place, Wrong Time
12. Leave Me Alone So I Can Rock Again
13. Soul Trance
14. Electricity
15. New Year
16. Chowder
17. T.A.T.B. [For The Saints and Sinners Remix]
18. Hell
19. I Wanna Make It All Right (Zebra Ranch)
20. Radio Advert for Acme [Bonus]

Link.

Clann Zú, Rua

2010-08-29T00:00:00.001+01:00

Australia, 2003.

Rua is the first full length album by Irish-Australian band Clann Zú. The album contains themes of resistance and desperation. The songs are sung mainly in English, though there is some use of Irish Gaelic. The production gives the songs a heavily layered sound, with prominent use of violin tracks and Declan de Barra's emotive voice.

Playlist:

1. Words For Snow
2. Five Thousand More
3. Hope This Day
4. All That You've Ever Known
5. Everyday
6. All the People Now
7. Rí Rá
8. Lights Below
9. Crashing to the Floor
10. You're Listening to a Dead Man Speak

Link.

Nachtmystium, Addicts: Black Meddle Part II

2010-08-26T00:00:00.003+01:00

US, 2010.

Nachtmystium is a psychedelic metal band from Illinois, formed in 1999, that has featured members from other american black metal acts such as Weltmacht, Krieg, and Judas Iscariot. This is their latest album.

Playlist:

1. Addicts
2. Blood Trance Fusion
3. Cry For Help
4. The End Is Eternal
5. Every Last Drop
6. High On Hate
7. Nightfall
8. No Funeral
9. Ruined Life Continuum
10. Then Fires

Link.

Grouper, Hold.Sick

2010-08-24T14:58:00.005+01:00

US, 2010

Grouper is the solo project of Liz Harris. Throught the years, Liz released 3 full-lenght and a vast number of splits, ep´s, 7" and 12" under the moniker of Grouper.

"Hold.Sick" is her latest 7" and it continues and expands the usual Grouper sound, ambient wrapped within thick layers of gently strummed guitar reverb, hush vocals and a deeply profound and dreamy atmosphere that is constantly on the verge of falling into a nightmare.

OH, the guitar tone on the track "Hold" is simply beautiful *.* .

Playlist:

1. Hold

2. Sick

Link.

Fredrik, Trilogi

2010-08-21T00:00:00.006+01:00

Sweden, 2010.

Fredrik, a songwriter/sound artist duo from southern part of Sweden, embodies some of the finest Scandinavian experimental pop aesthetics: captivating melodies, rich layered arrangements and complicated charming instrumentation evoking the sound of Sigur Rós and Efterklang. Without overloading the compositions, Fredrik builds layer upon layer of atmospheric, melodically overpowering and somewhat mystical soundscapes.

Playlist:

1. Vinterbarn
2. Milo
3. Holm
4. Densistafabriken
5. Vanmyren
6. Ava
7. Flax
8. Under Vattenverket
9. Ner
10. Tretusenvioler
11. Viskra
12. Locked In The Basement
13. Omberg

Link.

Boris & Ian Astbury, BXI

2010-08-16T23:23:00.006+01:00

Japan/US, 2010

An unlikely collaboration between a band that needs no introduction, the Japanese mavericks Boris, and a vocalist that also needs no welcoming card, Ian Astbury the crooner of the band The Cult.
BXI is a 4 track ep, with three original songs and a cover of The Cult´s song "Rain" sang by Boris guitarist Wata, showcasing Boris and Astbury on their most rocking mode, providing a work that is a must listen for fans of either projects.

Playlist:

1. Teeth And Claws
2. We Are Witches
3. Rain
4. Magickal Child

Link.

Es, Kesämaan Lapset

2010-08-15T00:00:00.004+01:00

Finland, 2009.

Es (Sami Sänpäkkilä) is the founder of the Finnish underground record label, Fonal Records. His music explains pretty much what most of Fonal Records’ music is about: experimenting with sounds, bound together by free-folk ambient and occasional huge drones.

Playlist:

1. Ennen oli huonommin
2. Kesä ja hymyilevät huulet
3. Säteet sun sielusta
4. Kesämaan lapset
5. Haamut sun sydämestä

Link.

A Forest Of Stars, Opportunistic Thieves Of Spring

2010-08-14T15:24:00.009+01:00

UK, 2010

A Forest Of Stars are a British 5 piece (live they metamorphose into a 8 piece!) that play avant-garde black metal. This is their sophomore album, successor of the brilliant 2008 album "The Corpse Of Rebirth". Like their first release, "Opportunistic Thieves Of Spring" is a conceptual album, basically telling the story of the first "attempted communion with incorporeal beings" which ended up in disaster.
With this simple premise A Forest Of Stars crafted one of the most, if not the most, unique black-metal albums I´ve ever heard, tapping into a million different genres (neo-classical, progressive, ambient, thrash, black-metal, folk) and using a vast array of instruments (beside your standard instruments, hurdy-gurdy´s, synths, piano, violin, trumpet, flute and others can be heard on the album) to create a truly cohesive and, as i said before, unique whole that stands out as, in my opinion, the best album of the year. A true masterpiece.

Playlist:
1. Chapter One: Sorrow´s Impetus
2. Chapter Two: Raven´s Eye View
3. Chapter Three: Summertide´s Approach
4. Chapter Four: Thunder´s Cannonade
5. Chapter Five: Stafire´s Memory
6. Chapter Six: Delay´s Progression

Link.

Empyrium, Where At Night The Wood Grouse Plays

2010-08-13T11:04:00.008+01:00

Germany, 1999.

Empyrium were a german Doom/Neofolk collective that spaned the years of 1994 through 2003. This is their third album, a fully acoustic and minimalist approach to the doom genre, played only through nylon guitars, vocals and a sporadic use of flute and some martial-like drums. Fans of Ulver´s "Kveldssanger" will eat this up.

Playlist:

1. Where At Night The Wood Grouse Plays
2. Dying Brokenhearted
3. The Shepherd And The Maiden Ghost
4. The Sad Song Of The Wind
5. Wehmut
6. A Pastoral Theme
7. Abendrot
8. Many Moons Ago.....
9. When Shadows Grow Longer

Link.

Misuse, Self-titled

2010-08-10T00:00:00.004+01:00

Greece, 2008.

Before you completely dismiss this album as yet another generic post-rock band, you should know that this is actually quite impressive stuff.

Playlist:

1. Desecid
2. Made: Genesis
3. Made: Flat Line Evolution
4. Made: Loss in Action
5. Progyria
6. Amanzi
7. While it Lasts
8. Way to the Seashore

Link.

Álfheimr, These Songs We Sing Will Fade to Silence

2010-08-09T00:00:00.013+01:00

US, 2009.

Álfheimr is the one-person post-rock project formed in Portland, Oregon in 2008 by Madison Asche. Álfheimr’s first release was “These Songs We Sing Will Fade to Silence".

Playlist:

1. Wasted Time, Part One- The Moon Says ‘I Love You’
2. Each Day We Pass is Borrowed Time
3. It Shouldn’t Have Mattered
4. The Remnants of Our Shattered Lives Collide Like Glass on Glass
5. Hypnos & Thanatos (Breathing In, Breathing Out)
6. The Slow Approach to Midnight
7. Asleep and Falling There; Dead and Dying
8. Wasted Time, Part Two- You Will Look Back On Every Second You Have Wasted. You Will Never Be Prepared to Face This

Link.

Hammock, Chasing After Shadows... Living With The Ghosts

2010-08-08T00:00:00.013+01:00

US, 2010.

Hammock is the ambient/post-rock project of composers Marc Byrd and Andrew Thompson. Their latest work, Chasing After Shadows…Living with the Ghosts was released in May 2010. A majority of Hammock’s music is ambient instrumental, save for a few tracks that feature haunting ethereal vocals. Hammock is all about the guitars—the band’s sound is “sleepier” than the brash, often obvious crescendos of their post-rocker cousins, reminiscent of 80’s Brian Eno.

Playlist:

1. The Backward Step
2. Tristia
3. Little Fly/Mouchette
4. Breathturn
5. In the Nothing of a Night
6. Andalusia
7. The Whole Catastrophe
8. The World We Knew As Children
9. Dust Is the Devil's Snow
10. How Can I Make You Remember Me?
11. You Lost the Starlight in Your Eyes
12. Something Other Than Remaining

Link.

Kaada, Junkyard Nostalgias

2010-08-07T00:00:00.009+01:00

Norway, 2009.

John Erik Kaada (born July 28, 1975) is a musical artist and composer from Stavanger, Norway. Junkyard Nostalgias is his latest work.

Playlist:

1. A day and a night and a day
2. Truth serum
3. Ode to the old flesh
4. Hammering down the nails
5. dragging an ox
6. Marja Dalia, The Polska Bogini
7. Broken Horse Restaurant
8. Late bloomer Gipsiara
9. The Hermetic Bird
10. All the things that grow old and pass away
11. We salute you, polish working man

Link.

Civil Civic, 1 + Run Overdrive/ Fuck Youth

2010-08-06T00:00:00.002+01:00

UK, 2010

Civil Civic is a band formed by Aaron Cupples and Ben Green. The magnificent distortion you'll find on the guitars will carry you to spaces close to the ones you reach with bands like Sonic Youth or My Bloody Valentine. This is amazing. Believe me.

Playlist:

1:
1 - Less Unless
2 - Baghdad Break
3 - C27
4 - E8-4AH
5 - Stacks ON

Run Overdrive/Fuck Youth:
1 - Run Overdrive
2 - Fuck Youth
Link.

Riff Cannon, Mercury Mountain

2010-08-05T00:00:00.012+01:00

US, 2009.

Riff Cannon are a 4 piece stoner/sludge/fuzz/space/doom/heavy rock band from Boston whose influences include Sabbath, Torche, Led Zeppelin, Boris, Melvins, Goatsnake, Pentagram, Electric Wizard, etc. “Mercury Mountain” is their debut album and only release so far.

I swear this is the last album I steal from soundweave... for now.

Playlist:

1. Into the Unknown
2. Casting Shadows
3. The Oracle
4. Remember to Die
5. Road to Pompeii
6. Mercury Mountain
7. See Me Fall
8. At the Hall

Link.

Voice Of The Seven Thunders, Self-titled

2010-08-04T00:00:00.012+01:00

UK, 2010.

“A sprawling, largely instrumental affair with many threads: Eastern-tinged psychedelia, hazy, pastoral folk and dusty desert blues. And they are expertly combined, with cantering acoustic guitars and propulsive grooves preventing the sound from ever lapsing into proggy torpor.”

Playlist:

1. Open Lighted Doorway
2. Kommune
3. Out of the Smoke
4. Third Transition
5. The Burning Mountain
6. Dry Leaves
7. Dalälven
8. Cylinders
9. Set Fire to the Forest
10. Disappearances

Link.

Woodsman, Collages

2010-08-03T00:00:00.014+01:00

US, 2009.

Another gem found in soundweave.

"From the green forests of Denver comes the debut album from Woodsman, an instrumental quartet with roots in nature, post-rock of the mid-‘90s Tortoise/Cerberus Shoal/A Minor Forest variety, and a sense of epic grandeur that ties the whole thing together. Killer from nose to nuts, with 19-minute monster “Mothershift” taking top honors; it reminds us that one ton of feathers is just as crushing as one ton of lead, if properly positioned."

Buy it here.

Playlist:

1. Bow and Arrow
2. Dikembe Mutombo
3. Shutterlag
4. Spirit Stone
5. Sunglass
6. It's Mossy
7. Mothershift

Link.

Jessica Bailiff, Old Things

2010-08-01T00:00:00.002+01:00

US, 2007.

Jessica Bailiff is an American singer-songwriter from Toledo, Ohio. Her music is largely classified as slowcore, although it contains elements of post-rock. It is essentially a droning, experimental style of slow-tempo music which coalesces textured, blurry and surreal sounds with immersed vocals.

Playlist:

1. Your Sounds Make Patterns In My Eyes
2. Helpless
3. Warren
4. Shadow
5. Crush (Version 2)
6. Amethyst Depression
7. Maybe Tomorrow
8. Let Time Breathe
9. Nicholson Square 2
10. For April

Link.

Hanne Hukkelberg, Blood From a Stone

2010-07-31T00:00:00.001+01:00

Norway, 2010

"For her third full-length, Hukkelberg decided to head north instead of south. A lot farther north, in fact, on the tiny Norwegian island of Senja, located some 180 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Living in such isolation would have one assuming the resulting album would be one of stark intimacy,(…) the songs themselves turn out to be some of Hukkelberg's most extroverted work to date."

Playlist:
1. Midnight Sun Dream
2. Blood From a Stone
3. Bandy Riddles
4. No Mascara Tears
5. Seventeen
6. Salt Of The Earth
7. No One But Yourself
8. In Here / Out Here
9. Crack
10. Bygd Til By

Link.

Cynic, Re-Traced

2010-07-30T00:00:00.010+01:00

US, 2010.

Cynic's latest EP, Re-Traced, features four reinterpretations from their album Traced In Air as well as one original song. A very interesting retake on old material.

Playlist:

1. Space
2. Evolutionary
3. King
4. Integral
5. Wheels Within Wheels

Link.

Eyvind Kang, Virginal Co-ordinates

2010-07-29T00:00:00.000+01:00

US, 2004

«Kang’s work is difficult to classify, but can broadly be seen as a classical approach to jazz music with punk, ambient, and traditional folk influences. However, each of his solo efforts is almost in a different genre. Kang has also worked with musicians including Mike Patton, John Zorn, Trey Spruance, Tim Young, Marc Ribot and Beck, supporting the latter during a 2000 tour of Japan. In addition, he has been a guest musician on many albums, including Bill Frisell’s Quartet (1994), Secret Chiefs 3’s Book M and playing the viola on five of Laura Veirs’ albums.»

Playlist:

1. Go In a Good Way to a Better Place
2. I Am the Dead
3. Doorway to the Sun
4. Occultum Lapidem
5. Harbour of the Nade
6. Virginal Co-ordinates
7. Sidi Bou Said
8. Innocent Eye, Crystal See
9. Marriage of Days

Link.

Portland Cello Project, The Thao & Justin Power Sessions

2010-07-28T00:00:00.013+01:00

US, 2009.

The Portland Cello Project is an “indie cello orchestra”, that is to say the combination of a group of classically trained cellists with different musicians and vocalists of the Portland indie scene. This album is the collaboration of the band with Thao (from Thao with The Get Down Stay Down) and Justin Power.

Playlist:

1. The Lamb
2. Beat (Health, Life And Fire) (Featuring Thao)
3. Cut The Rope (Featuring Justin Power)
4. Mouth For War
5. Tallymarks (Featuring Thao)
6. Por Una Cabeza
7. Violet (Featuring Thao)
8. Hungry Liars (Featuring Justin Power)
9. Geography (Featuring Thao)
10. Seeds May Fall (Featuring Justin Power)
11. Turkish Wine
12. Travel (Featuring Justin Power)

Link.

Bark Cat Bark, Á Lífi

2010-07-27T00:00:00.011+01:00

France, 2009.

Bark Cat Bark is the music project of multi-instrumentalist Josh Todd from Paris, France. His music is recognized by its use of a large variety of instruments usually in minimalist compositions, often with a touch of either European classical music or French folk music but has also included in his music; Post-rock, Balkan, Drone, Tropicália, Electronica & Latin Jazz.

Playlist:

1. Verona
2. Lac Pavin
3. Galatia
4. Iceland
5. Hóp
6. Père Lachaise
7. Intervalle
8. Á Lífi
9. Palermo a Larino

Link.

Electric Wizard, Witchcult Today

2010-07-25T15:24:00.006+01:00

UK, 2007

Electric Wizard are a legendary stoner/doom metal band from Dorset, England. Witchcult Today is their sixth studio album.

Playlist:

1. Witchcult Today
2. Dunwich
3. Satanic Rites of Drugula
4. Raptus
5. The Chosen Few
6. Torquemada '71
7. Black Magic Rituals & Perversions
8. Saturnine

Link.

Matryoshka, Zatracenie

2010-07-24T00:00:00.009+01:00

Japan, 2007.

Matryoshka is a Tokyo, Japan based band consisting of the track maker Sen and the female vocalist Calu. Their music is a mix of post-rock, shoegaze, ambient, electronic and modern classical.

Playlist:

1. Sink Into The Sin
2. Slowsnow
3. Evening Gleam Between Cloud
4. Viridian
5. My Funeral Rehearsal
6. Tyrant's Miniature Garden
7. Anesthetic
8. Ezekiel
9. Beyond
10. February Lifesaver

Link.

Bo Becker, Of Vistula

2010-07-23T00:00:00.008+01:00

US, 2010.

I don't know much about Bo Becker, but fans of Eluvium and Jacaszek will surely enjoy this album.

Playlist:

1. Morning
2. Pylon
3. Dream of the Red Chamber
4. Ikon
5. Of Vistula
6. In Human Endeavors
7. Fourth of July
8. The Power of Atom

Link.

Cecilia::Eyes, Here Dead We Lie

2010-07-21T00:00:00.013+01:00

Belgium, 2010.

Founded in Autumn 2004, Cecilia::Eyes is a subtle mixture of instrumental and dark music, with a taste for slow and noisy tunes.

Playlist:

1. Like Wolves
2. For The Fallen
3. Anthem For Doomed Youth
4. Four Lost Soldiers
5. The Departure
6. Fifty Years Under The Tent
7. No Prayers, No Bells, No Homeland
8. Death For Treason

Link.

Al Di Meola, Elegant Gypsy

2010-07-19T00:00:00.004+01:00

U.S., 1977

Al Di Meola is one of the most acclaimed guitar virtuosos alive, and Elegant Gypsy is a fine essay on latin/flamenco's fusion with lots of jazz and rock seasoning. Feels somewhat refreshing, even in spite of its age.

Playlist:

1. Flight Over Rio
2. Midnight Tango
3. Mediterranean Sundance
4. Race With Devil On Spanish Highway
5. Lady Of Rome, Sister Of Brazil
6. Elegant Gypsy Suite

Link.

Mono & World's End Girlfriend, Palmless Prayer / Mass Murder Refrain

2010-07-18T00:00:00.007+01:00

Japan, 2006.

A collaboration between instrumental post-rock band Mono and fellow Tokyo native and modern electronic composer World’s End Girlfriend

In 2006 they released Palmless Prayer / Mass Murder Refrain, a five-part sojourn of neoclassical grace and luminescence that defies lazy categorization. As dark as the bottom of the ocean and nearly as otherworldly, “Palmless” finds Mono inhabiting a magical world previously only hinted at in their most orchestral compositions.

Playlist:

1. [untitled 1]
2. [untitled 2]
3. [untitled 3]
4. [untitled 4]
5. [untitled 5]

Link.

When The Clouds, The Longed-For Season

2010-07-17T00:00:00.008+01:00

Italy, 2009.

When the Clouds is the recording project of artist and producer Francesco Galano. In 2007 he began working on several songs blending electronic elements with acoustic instruments creating a sound with extraordinary emotional impact. The songs are characterised by the use of acoustic instruments such as rhodes piano guitar, bass guitar, strings, mellotron, glockespiel and diamonic fluctuating along with a complicated structure of concrete sounds, glitch and noises that make up the rhythmic/percussive structure of the music. In 2009 he signed a deal with Drifting Falling for his debut EP “The Longed-For Season” a six track tapestry that reveals more and more of itself with each listen. Equal parts restraint, masterfully crafted tension and euphoric release that will leave listeners lost in thought.

Playlist:

1. The Dawn and the Embrace
2. Rise On
3. Flooding River
4. November Song
5. The Place Where This Path Leads
6. The House of Sleep

Link.

Mike Patton, Mondo Cane

2010-07-16T00:00:00.004+01:00

US, 2010.

"2010 release from the Faith No More vocalist, an Italian language rock-meets orchestra hybrid. Recorded at a series of European performances including an outdoor concert in a Northern Italian piazza, this album features traditional Italian Pop songs as well as a rendition of Ennio Morricone’s ‘Deep Down’. Patton worked with a 30-piece orchestra and choir to create the uniquely new Mondo Cane sound."

So goddamn awesome.

Playlist:

1. Il Cielo In Una Stanza
2. Che Notte!
3. Ore d'Amore
4. Deep Down
5. Quello Che Conta
6. Urlo Negro
7. Scalinatella
8. L'Uomo Che Non Sapeva Amare
9. 20 Km Al Giorno
10. Ti Offro Da Bere
11. Senza Fine

Link.

Okabe / Ishihama / Hoashi / Nishimura, NieR Gestalt & RepliCant Soundtrack

2010-07-15T00:00:00.000+01:00

Japan, 2010

I got recommended this soundtrack from a friend of mine and even though I felt reticent about this one, the choral works and orchestration had me convinced immediately. Apart from that, the songs are sung in a variety of languages, such as French, Japanese, English and Gaelic, though some people speculate a few of them are sung in a fictional language. It is a predominantly vocal soundtrack and even though it's not the most superb thing I've had the opportunity to listen it is, quite fairly, very good and beautiful.

Playlist:

Disc One
1. Snow in Summer
2. Hills of Radiant Wind
3. The Incomplete Stone
4. Blu-bird
5. Cold Steel Coffin
6. Grandma
7. Song of the Ancients / Devola
8. The Wretched Automatons
9. City of Commerce
10. Song of the Ancients / Popola
11. The Prestigious Mask
12. Temple of Drifting Sands
13. Gods Bound by Rules
14. The Ultimate Weapon
15. Deep Crimson Foe
16. Dispossession / Piano Ver.
17. Dispossession / Strings Ver.
18. Dispossession / Pluck Ver.
19. Dispossession / Music Box Ver.
20. Yonah / Piano Ver.
21. Yonah / Strings Ver.
22. Yonah / Pluck Ver. 1
23. Yonah / Pluck Ver. 2

Disc Two
1. The Dark Colossus Destroys All
2. Song of the Ancients / Hollow Dreams
3. Kaine / Salvation
4. Kaine / Escape
5. His Dream
6. This Dream
7. Repose
8. The Lost Forest
9. Song of the Ancients / Fate
10. Shadowlord's Castle / Memory
11. Dance of the Evanescent
12. Shadowlord's Castle / Roar
13. Emil / Karma
14. Emil / Sacrifice
15. Shadowlord
16. Ashes of Dreams / New
17. Ashes of Dreams / Nouveau
18. Ashes of Dreams / Nuadhaich
19. Ashes of Dreams / Aratanaru
20. Shadowlord - White-note remix

Link. (Disc 1)
Link. (Disc 2)

Rosetta, A Determinism Of Morality

2010-07-14T00:00:00.007+01:00

US, 2010.

"Philadelphia quartet Rosetta push the boundaries between metal, progressive rock, post-rock, space rock, and hardcore punk, employing an experimental songwriting technique filled with chaos and atmospherics. Their sounds range from Pink Floydian progressive rock sonic layering to walls of pure static ambience to crushing, sweeping sludgey riffage."

Playlist:

1. Ayil
2. Je N'en Connais Pas la Fin
3. Blue Day for Croatoa
4. Release
5. Revolve
6. Renew
7. A Determinism of Morality

Link.

Toundra, II

2010-07-13T00:00:00.005+01:00

Spain, 2010.

"Toundra is a band from Madrid, Spain emerged in 2007, as phoenix, from disappeared ones Nacen De Las Cenizas, who left a great (good) taste in mouth among national hardcore followers, despite the brief of his career. In this case, the new creature has decided to dispense vocals and provides us with an entirely instrumental sound where guitars, bass and drums take on the entire role."

Playlist:

1. Tchod
2. Magreb
3. Zanzíbar
4. Völand
5. Danubio / Danube
6. Koschei
7. Bizancio / Byzantium

Link.

Glowworm, The Coachlight Woods

2010-07-12T00:00:00.010+01:00

US, 2008.

Glowworm is a chamber rock/electronica band from Portland started by Kevin Davis with the help of Jesse Robert W. in 2006. The Coachlight Woods is Glowworm’s first full length LP.

Playlist:

1. Periphescence
2. Contrails
3. The Captive
4. Lux
5. Nightshores
6. Cracks in the Desert Sea of St. George
7. Lith
8. Into the Woods
9. Glow Scraped From the Earth

Link.

Kira Kira, Our Map To The Monster Olympics

2010-07-11T00:00:00.008+01:00

Iceland, 2008.

"Our Map to the Monster Olympics is a twisting, sometimes terrifying, often glorious and touching kaleidoscope of a record. Swarms of fragmented voices mouth melodies through home made microphones while contact-miced Kalimbas fight for breath in seas of beautifully damaged technicolour, granulated shotgun beats fire from sniper positions in foreboding atmospheres- AND YET armies of glockenspiels, brass and casios remind us that everything will, in fact, be ok."

Playlist:

1. Sjarmaland Intro
2. Melur Sjarmur
3. Ágústskot
4. Gremlin Holiday
5. Happahrolfur Salhsu
6. Bless
7. Langti Burtu Bua Vinir
8. One Eyed Waltz
9. Beach Box Disasters
10. Hjartafanturrin Skrajafur

Link.

French Teen Idol, Enlightened False Consciousness

2010-07-10T00:00:00.002+01:00

Italy, 2007.

French Teen Idol is an instrumental solo-project run by the Roman artist Andrea Di Carlo. An elegant mix of post-rock and electronic influences, French Teen Idol’s music provides the listener with cinematic landscapes, dramatic crescendos and striking vocal samples.

Playlist:

1. The Following Takes Place Between 0’00” And 57’30”
2. The Longest Night
3. Memento
4. Departure
5. The Fleeting Beauty Of A Butterfly
6. Compromise Your (He)Art
7. Ode To A Departing Friend
8. Enlightened False Consciousness
9. Stay
10. Rebirth

Link.

C!ties, Self-titled EP

2010-07-09T00:00:00.004+01:00

Ireland, 2008.

Cities is an instrumental band from Ennis, Ireland, formed in 2007. In November 2008, they released their first EP, which was entirely self-produced, and can be downloaded for free at their website.

Playlist:

1. 4+1=5
2. 15728
3. Dive Dive Dive!
4. !
5. Satellites
6. SuperMassiveBlckHls.rmx

Link.