FEN, Epoch

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.

more...

Gallowbraid, Ashen Eidolon

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.

more...

Grails, Deep Politics

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.

more...

Long Distance Calling, Self-titled

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.

more...

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

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.

more...

Seabear, The Ghost That Carried Us Away

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.

more...

Earth, Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light I

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.

more...

L'Altra, Telepathic

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.

more...

notify this.

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.

more...

Olivia Pedroli, The Den

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.

more...

Jesu, Christmas EP

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.

more...

Apparat Organ Quartet, Pólýfónía

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.

more...