Amplifier, Amplifier

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.

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Aranis, Songs From Mirage

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.

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Cocoon, Where The Oceans End

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

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Líam, Journey... Two Years and a Fragment

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

Link.

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Lunatic Soul, Lunatic Soul II

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.

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The Ocean, Anthropocentric

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.

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Renaud Garcia-Fons, Oriental Bass

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.

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Maserati, Pyramid Of The Sun

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.

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Agalloch, Marrow Of The Spirit

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.

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Virus, Carheart

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.

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RQTN, Decades And Decisions

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.

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Gazpacho, Missa Atropos

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.

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UNKLE, War Stories

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.

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The Lounge Lizards, Queen of All Ears

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.

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Cyann & Ben, Happy Like An Autumn Tree

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.

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Amiina, Puzzle

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.

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Maybeshewill, To The Skies From A Hillside

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.

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...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?

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.

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