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The Holy Kiss are a trio out of the San Francisco area who specialize in grimy blues based rock, filtered through a bit of a Nick Cave vibe. So it makes sense that a label named after a Birthday Party song have decided to lend their name to this release.
Every time I read anything about this band, it seems like much is made about their goofy name, as opposed to the musical content of their recordings. So, yes it is a silly name, but at least it's not one you're likely to forget. Quote Shakespeare's "what's in a name" blah blah blah, and let's get to the music.
La Double Absence is the perfectly balanced mix of eastern world music, electronics ‘n’ beats, jazz and the avant-garde. High with intricate, tuneful and moody instrumental and vocal detail, been atmospheric, fresh and exotic and at the same time very memorable and approachable.
Poly.Sci.187 is surprisingly rewarding for several reasons, firstly it’s an Anticon instrumental release that is consistent and entertaining through out, and a lot of their instrumental attempts in the past have been very mixed, to put it mildly. Secondly for those not in the know Mansbestfriend is Sole’s DIY project, which has always been very much a hit and miss affair, compared with his own named releases.
It easy to hear why Cold spring decided to re-release this edgy and pitch black death Industrial album from 1993, As it’s surprisingly undated and conjures up one hell of a dark vicious and blackly majestic atmosphere.
Roughly Six Twilights, a project by A Weather's Aaron Gerber, can be situated in the same 'digi-acoustic' section where Function resides. Six Twilights is more consistent in style though, think indie/folk digitally manipulated into ambient textures.
The extensive list of personnel on The Secret Miracle Fountain holds but a few somewhat famous names: Lakshmi Shankar, Ryan Teague and Stuart Dempster. Main man Matt Nicholson has been working on this album all over the world you'll find the reflection of that modus operandi in the diversity in sound.
Mourner is a grim often beautiful, jagged and tuneful mix of folk, indie, post-rock, black metal and the avant-grade. At times coming off with the inventive ear of a bizarre Scott walker led black metal/folk project, at others moving with morose,mischievous and deeply hurt spirit of Syd Barrett.
Endless Coast brings together two very different and distinct noise worlds into a on mass collaboration. We have the da da, jazz, improvised rock, aged dialogue and corrupted easy listening noise vibes of USA's Smegma, whom lock their sound into Norway’s Jazkamer’s more atmospheric and often guitar based take on noise.
Proof of powers brings together four new compositions from California noise maker and Misanthropic Agenda label owner Gerritt. It finds him mixing noise textures and sound elements in an interesting and often quite organic sounding way.
Yamaguchi is an excise in shrink wrapped audio dread and paranoid, with the three tracks here building up an suffocating mix of improvised dwellings and barely moving but deeply unsettling and uncomfortable aduio air.
CD-R technology has undoubtedly made it much easier for indepent musicians to offer to their music to the public. It offers possibilities for instant gratification and spontaniety, since the music can be released almost immediately after it's recorded.
In the process of making Surviving Death bandleader Bill Brovold suffered no less than five heartattacks in one year. Way too young and healthy but coming dangerously close to an untimely end of his life Brovold amazingly survived and managed to finish Surviving Death. Thinking up a title of an instrumental album doesn't seem all that difficult anymore.
Monologue is guitarist Takeshi Nishimoto first solo album, though he’s travelled the world playing with many fine musicians. The album is a brilliant mixture of accomplished, yet tuneful and emotional instrumental guitar playing that mixes together classical, jazz, blues and folk forms.
Imagine if you took a good cup full of Badly Drawn boy, a pinch of The beach boys,an handful of folk/country, an Handful of indie, a good squirt of quirky and sometimes retro electronica & throw into a tumble dryer together and after about 30 minutes fast spin cycle you’d get Napoleon IIIrd.
With all the Hues of The rainbow finds the Starving Weirdos offering up some of their most noisy and disorientating material yet, really dropping the listening into a very strange drone and harmonic mixed world that echo’s of tones and elements of our own world, but it most definitely in a world of it’s own.
Icons for a New Religion is this UK project's first non-cdr release that tries its damnest to conjure up effective, mainly beatbound, dark and creepy electronica. But sadly it comes off a little hit and miss going from good to mediocre electronica by numbers.
Zophorus finds Merzbow following on the trend of the more guitar based psychedelic fuzzscapes of this year Coma Berenices, but ironing most of the more melodic and soundtrack elements & replacing them with almost speed metal/come punk sheen and a few welcome nods back his past along the way too.
Il Portale is the audio equivalent of a rather stomach churning and surreal Snuff/ sex movie with bizarre ritual edges. With the odd stab at grimy atmospherics and touches of pitch black humour throw in.
Sangre Cavallum play a dense and often heady mix of neo classical, neo folk, prog/ post rock, world music,with soundtrack/ ambient touches.This is this Portuguese project 3rd Album if you include their Collaboration with Allerseelen from early this year.
It’s always rewarding to encounter a new genre or style of music and this compilation offers a looking glass into the world of fantasy/ Roll Playing music, which I know brings to mind either awful new ageneses or dated synthesizer music played by people in troll masks. Thankful this is neither of those, instead it’s an epic and varied collection of grand scores for films or adventures yet to be had.
George Thomas and the Owls' Concert for Two Bicycles starts off with a whispery tune called A Man on a Galloping Horse. It's more of a loping sound than a galloping one, and the remainder of the album follows suit, for the most part.
This project name is rather ltd in its scope and appeal which is a pity as there’s much more going on here than simply doom or jazz. There’s eqreal amount of modern classical, apocalyptic cinematics, dark deep space prog, murky dread filled and fearful improvising.
This is Swod’s secound album that brings together melodic and emotional piano playing with subtle electronic elements, bass and percussion- all into quite a unique, refreshing and beautiful manner.