Röyksopp, The Understanding

Norway, 2005.

Röyksopp are a chill-out/ambient music duo based in Bergen. They create amazing electronic music with trip-hop and pop elements (Only This Moment is an incredible hit single) that fans of Air and Massive Attack will appreciate.

Playlist:

1. Triumphant
2. Only This Moment
3. 49 Percent
4. Sombre Detune
5. Follow My Ruin
6. Beautiful Day Without You
7. What Else Is There
8. Circuit Breaker
9. Alpha Male
10. Someone Like Me
11. Dead To The World
12. Tristesse Globale

Link.

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:Of the Wand & the Moon:, Midnight Will

Denmark, 2000.

This will complete a trilogy of doom folk posts (alongside Sol Invictus and Tenhi). A project of Kim Larsen (ex-Saturnus), :Of the Wand & the Moon: steers towards darker ambient soundscapes. This was one of his first EPs under this moniker.

Playlist:

01 - Midnight Will
02 - A Mass
03 - Brace Your Self
04 - Winter Veil
05 - A Dirge

Link (MassMirror).

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The Amber Light, Goodbye To Dusk - Farewell To Dawn

Germany, 2004.

The Amber Light are considered to be the new hope for german progressive rock. Mixing many different elements, these guys create an atmospheric art rock with dreamy pop melodies. Their first record simply reminds us of Porcupine Tree, Sigur Rós and Radiohead all in one.

Playlist:

1. New Atlantis
2. Tartaros
3. Devil Song
4. Gangsters
5. The Drowning Man In My Hands
6. Hide Inside
7. Clock Hands Heart
8. New Day

Link (MassMirror).

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Yann Tiersen & Shannon Wright, Pale White

France/U.S., 2004.

Yann Tiersen is a french minimalistic composer, Shannon Wright is an american indie singer. The convergence of both musicians created a wonderfully powerful, piano-based record. This work was entirely written, composed and recorded in twenty days.

Playlist:

1. No Mercy For She
2. Dragon Fly
3. Sound The Bell
4. Something To Live For
5. Dried Sea
6. While You Sleep
7. Ode To A Friend
8. Ways To Make You See
9. Callous Sun
10. Pale White

Link (MassMirror).

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Sol Invictus, In the Rain

UK, released in 1995

English band fronted by Tony Wakeford and pioneered much of the neofolk sound. This album seems to be tagged as apocalyptic folk and understandably so, focusing on death and loss. Check it out if you enjoyed Tenhi.

Playlist:

01. Europa in the Rain I
02. Stay
03. Believe Me
04. Down the Years
05. In the Rain
06. Fall Like Rain
07. Oh What Fun
08. An English Garden
09. The World Shrugged
10. In Days to Come
11. Europa in the Rain II


Link (MassMirror).

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Rishloo, Terras Fames

US, released in 2004.

This is the first album of the Seattle-based band that sounds like a mixture of Dredg and Tool, without actually being bad. Even though I find Eidolon easier to sink in, this work is also an amazing piece of hard progressive rock.

Playlist:

1. Romance Of A Dead Kingdom
2. The Passage
3. Blitz
4. Harlequin
5. Seven Rings Left
6. The Water Is Fine
7. Lovely Room
8. Fenris
9. Narcissist Code
10. Illumination
11. Terras
12. Fames

Link.

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The Gathering, A Noise Severe

Live in Chile, 2007

This live cd documents the final tour of The Gathering as most people knew them, with Anneke van Giersbergen on vocals. Unlike the previous live release, 2005's A Sound Relief, The Gathering's heavier side feature prominently throughout the entire concert, with a tracklist spanning most of their career.

Playlist:

CD 1 Download (MassMirror).

1. Shortest Day
2. In Between
3. Liberty Bell
4. Probably Built In The 50's
5. Even The Spirits Are Afraid
6. Saturnine
7. Monsters
8. Alone
9. A Noise Severe
10. Leaves
11. Eléanor
12. In Motion #I

CD 2 Download (MassMirror).

1. Waking Hour
2. On Most Surfaces
3. Strange Machines
4. Adrenaline
5. Third Chance
6. Black Light District
7. Travel

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Danny Cavanagh, A Place To Be

UK, 2004
Danny Cavanagh's (Anathema) only solo record thus far is a tribute to Nick Drake, composed entirely of covers. A folksy, minimal album that was very much overlooked due to limited publicity/distribution. If you happen to be able to check out Danny's current solo tour, don't miss it.


Playlist:

1. Cello Song
2. One of These Things First
3. Place to Be
4. Road
5. Rider on the Wheel
6. Black Eyed Dog
7. River Man
8. Clothes of Sand
9. Fly
10. Northern Sky
11. From the Morning

Link (MassMirror).

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66 posts in 66 days

In that time we managed almost four thousand visits, which is more than we expected, mostly because we didn't know what to expect. Thanks are due to our main referers: naupyrata, bolachasgratis and liralisergica for sending us most of our visitors. Feel free to browse our back catalog / add us to your rss feed / spread the word / send us money. Hopefully that last one was subliminal.

**Edit: actually, it's closer to nine thousand visits. Forgot to update google analytics to include all records.. At the current rate we're getting about four thousand visits a month.

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