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Though this is deceptively entitled vol one this is the third release connected to Rafael Toral's space project which finds him once more creating a distinctive sound which is best described as space bound improv jazz electronics. Think a less sterile, looser, quirky and human take on Frank zappa's latter day Synclavier compositions and your half way there.
Blackout Beach is essentially a solo project by Carey Mercer, who some readers will know from his band Frog Eyes, a Vancouver based outfit. Frog Eyes music is borderline spastic, a wide-eyed multi-directional backdrop for Mercer's wordy, hyper-literate lyrics. The man on his own is similar in some ways to his parent band, but diverges in other instances.
This is the third album from unsettling Scottish mood making duo Human Greed and it finds them bring to life a disturbing and creepy yet at times beautiful sonic rumination on childhood, the place between demented dreams and semi-wakefulness and a very English take on dread.
La Ira de Dios are a Peruvian band with a penchant for some of the heaviest, most punked out space rock to come down the pike in recent memory. The band is known for their extended jams, but Cosmos Kaos Destruction changes direction, opting for a shorter, more concise tunes. I could lazily refer to their music as "stoner rock" because of some similarities to forebears from Hawkwind to early Monster Magnet, but that wouldn't be giving the band their just due.
Brad Barr is best known as the guitarist and vocalist for the the Slip, who began as a jam band, and later transformed into an indie rock band. The Fall Apartment: Instrumental Guitar presents a different side of Barr to folks accustomed to his electric guitar riffing. The fact that this is on the highly esteemed Tompkins Square label gives you a hint that this is an acoustic guitar album, since that is what they deal in pretty much exclusively. And considering the breadth of different musicians on the label, there's a consistence quality-wise which sits well above the bar.
Jailbirds is the third album by Greek bourn sound artist and mood setter Thanasis Kaproulias & it that finds him offering up two lengthy- but utterly engrossing tracks that mix together field recordings, drone matter and emotional charged noise texturing.
Live in Japan finds a mixture of tracks that take in Kylie Minoise heady and creative live noise attack and quirky Japanese TV / field recordings cut-ups giving one the feeling of a noise tour travelogue really.
Free Ringtones! attempts to both sonically and visually shocking and extreme, but more often than it not comes off been ham-fisted, juvenile and amateurishly pained.
Here sonic eccentric and Legendary Pink Dots band leader returns for a second volume of his Dream Logik songs, which on the whole is lot more consisting, rewarding and compelling than the first volume.
Earthless are a jam band of sorts, who borrow heavily from heavy Japanese Psych along the lines of the Flower Travellin' Band (with no vocals), mixed with the heavier side of Krautrock. Add Hawkwind into the mix in relation to the band's "cosmic" side, and you're partway there. The band has the lineup of a standard power trio. Drummer Mario Rubalcaba previously did time as the drummer for Hot Snakes, The Black Heart Procession, Rocket From the Crypt (under the alias of Ruby Mars) and Clikatat Ikatowi. As if that's not enough, he was also a member of skateboard pioneer Tony Alva's pro-team. Bassist Mike Eginton and guitarist Isaiah Mitchell make up the rest of the band.
Glory Fckn Sun is a collaboration between PseudoArcana label boss Anthony Milton, Ben Spiers and Simon O'Rorke. The label description says the band was ”formed in 2003 as a conduit for intense ritualistic sonic exploration" and that "Vision Scorched collects together one studio track and two live pieces. These range through long form rumbling distorted deep space explorations (complete with supernova and the odd blackhole), intense yet ethereal harsh noise to close with a droning metaphysical raga-esque paean to the great cosmic inevitable of the collapse of the sun, And of light itself." How you can hope to intimate the destruction of the solar sytem through improvised noise is beyond me, but the band certainly makes a pretty good go at achieving said goal.
Ensemble Economique is the new project from Brian Pyle one half of strange, haunted and audio acid tinged soundscape makers The Straving weirdoes. And through No GPs is still very strange and deeply atmospheric this is quite a departure from the SW expansive and dense sound.
Kappe is the second full length release by Norse electronic meets acoustic doom project Svarte Greiner and like the first album it’s another lightless and unforgiving journey in bleak atmospherics.
Robert Millis is member of Climax Golden Twins, collector of 78rpm records and maker of fieldrecordings. What's considered his first solo-album Leaf Music, Drunks, Distant Drums was a collection of the latter, made in South-East Asia.
Somehow it's a bit sad that the internet—even though far from devoid of its own kind of myths—pretty much ruins any attempt at storytelling or anonymity as an artistic expression. People want to know the 'truth' rather than just go with an interesting story and step outside daily reality for a while.
Hodosan three long tracks are made up of bombarding, bone shaking and violent live drum work-outs that are complex, brutal & offten improvised. And weaved in and out of the near constant drum attacks are singed, boiled and burnt noise scapes.
Alchemical Playschool finds field recordings from around India and Indian music twang meeting the psychedelic electronics and general post industrial oddness of The Legendary Pink Dots muisc.
Cometary orbital Drive is another fine and rewarding example of Acid mother Temples distinctive and one-off sound. With this time around things staying very tied into a spaced Kraut rock type groove, but with the usual quirky and at times bizarre elements and sonic progressions thrown in too.
The House of Flesh once more finds David Reed & his Luasa Raelon project pulling the listener into sinister & dread filled continents of sonic fear. With maybe things going a little more noisy then his last release on Snip Snip records 07's Season of the Witch; but this is still prime death industrial meets blacked ambience of the highest and most horrifying order.
On two 180 grams slabs of vinyl, in a limited edition of 250, comes the first part of a trilogy. The bandname doesn't give away much about the sound of this British threepiece. With the album's title your thoughts tend to go in the direction of something sci-fi.
Future Islands specialize in wonky,often dense yet criminal additive brand of off-kilter 80’s retro pop meets post punk crunch ‘n’ grime. Think a more active, up-beat and positive take on the kind of thing John Maus has been doing over the last few of years. But Future Islands are far from a copy of Maus work; this their debut(after an 7 inch and a few self releases) is an wonderful self assured, well played and distinctive slice of retro wonderful-ness.
This is a 12 inch vinyl split between the organic and clattering noise meets ambience of Hum of the Druid and Fire in the Head's industrialized sample heavy drone and often muffled beat bound attacks.
The San Francisco based duo of Tipsy have been making their own brand of often sampled and turntable based lounge meets beats since 1996; Buzz is their fourth album and first on Mike Patton’s Ipecac label.
Animal Hospital is a one-man project by Kevin Micka, whose music is created using guitars, a room full of effects and electronics. By today's standards, that set-up doesn't sound all that unusual, and of course, it isn't really. But Micka doesn't take the expected route when it comes to the music, and that makes Memory a worthwhile listen. Most of the album is quiet and introspective, but rather than simply creating an atmosphere, there are some actual tunes to grab your attention. You may have to listen intently to find them at times, but they're there. The guitar is frequently very recognisable, meaning it sounds like a guitar, and the effects are used to color the music, rather than hide the artist's shortcomings. Micka is all over the place, style-wise, and despite this fact Memory is cohesive. It was assembled with care over a period of three years, and each segment dovetails nicely with the next. One suspects that a lot of material was left on the cutting room floor, with only the best of the best saved for the listener.