#Aarktica

[dustedmagazine]

Ian Mathers’ 2022: Are you with me even now?

For the third year in a row, Low are part of my reflection on the year that just happened. But this time I don’t want them to be. They didn’t put out a record, I didn’t see them play live (virtually or not) even once. I don’t really want to spend a ton of time going over Mimi Parker’s death and the reactions to it (including my own); I can say this is the one time ever in my life that mourning an artist whose work I love felt anything at all like mourning someone I actually knew. For at least a month I thought about it all the time, read about it constantly, watched and listened to everything I could get my hands on, talked about it often. It felt ridiculous and necessary. I don’t know what happens with my favorite band now; I mainly just hope her family and other loved ones are doing as ok as possible. One wonderful and horrible thing about the reactions is that they were both more numerous and more heartfelt than I would have guessed; up until a few years ago running into other fans of their work felt a lot more rare. 30 years into what I personally think stacks up as one of the greatest creative runs in all of popular music (I’ve been ringing the bell about Low doing better, more vital and interesting work than other bands [x] years into their career since… 2007’s The Great Destroyer at least), I’m glad that people were noticing what they did. The bittersweetness of that, that at least by the end Low were a lot more widely and deeply loved than I would have guessed... I hope she knew that too. How many artists have passed before they made their Double Negative and HEY WHAT? We can never really know the extent of what the world misses out on when someone dies.

Other than that horrible pall weighing down the end of the year, though, at least on the small scale 2022 was pretty good to me. The world in general continues to feel more and more fraught (here in Canada too!) and we’re still not properly dealing with a pandemic. With us being an immunocompromised household… when you see people talking about leaving behind the chronically ill, it absolutely includes those of us who, pre-COVID, nobody could tell weren’t “normal” or “healthy.” I did get to a very few shows this year, masked. But mostly this was a third year in a row of just… never going out or doing most of the things we used to do. Both my wife and I switched jobs to positions that are both much more satisfying and important to us and, not incidentally, quite a bit better paying. By the end of 2022 we’ve hit the first time in our adult lives where (despite how little it would take to knock us back down) we’re not experiencing constant financial stress.

I could have guessed this would change my relationship with music, but honestly, would have underestimated the degree to which that would be true. I’m happier with my writing this year, both frequency and end result, although there’s always more work to do on those fronts. And without feeling like I was trying very hard to do so, I somehow listened to 170 new LPs and EPs over the course of the year. And I found a lot to like, too: my 2022 playlist in Swinsian (which I tried out and then switched to when the Apple Music program started having weird glitches and hours of tech support couldn’t help at all) currently has a little over 1000 tracks in it, equaling over 3 days of music. There’s still a near-infinite amount of stuff out there I’ve never touched or even heard of. But more than ever, it feels like I covered my particularly bailiwick(s) as thoroughly as could be expected of someone who still has a day job and relatively normal life.

This increased volume of input doesn’t necessarily make me think 2022 was a better (or worse!) year for music than any other, but it does lead to a list of records that I feel more strongly about. There are plenty of good records I am keeping in full that just didn’t make it onto my list(s), especially since I’m sticking with a top 40 like I did in 2021. In years where I’ve ‘only’ managed to check out 80-90 records, even a top 20 often covers just about everything I’ve solidly enjoyed from the year. In 2022, 40 records isn’t even half of that group. It has made me reflect a bit on just how sustainable this all is — do I just keep accumulating dozens of records I love every year I’m here? How often am I going to go back to any of them? And sure enough, one thing all this new listening has done has drastically slowed progress on my now years-long effort to corral and organize my existing collection. But I do feel strongly enough about what I loved this year, both from existing favorites and acts totally new to me, that I’m probably just going to kick those cans a little further down the road. I’m also mulling over how, if at all, I want to change my listening in the new year, not least because one of the major ways I discover new things ended in 2022 (RIP, The Singles Jukebox).

As I’ve mentioned before in these roundups, I don’t necessarily feel like every year these days I have an “album of the year” (and am generally loathe to try and rank things). This year I can’t decide if I have one or two; Cloakroom’s Dissolution Wave was one of my most anticipated and ever since I first got the promo back in January, I’ve been listening to it very regularly. One of the things I like about music writing (at least the way I do it) is that it forces me to listen to records a lot more than I would even if I otherwise adore them, and at this point I have an almost Pavlovian joy reaction to the beginning of “Lost Meaning.” For a long time, it seemed like it stood alone for me, and I think it still does, but I need to give at least an honorable mention to Let’s Eat Grandma’s Two Ribbons. It didn’t have the immediate impact on me the Cloakroom did, even though that first half, especially, is immediately ingratiating. But over months I found myself going back to it more and more and in another year, I could easily see it having the unquestioned top spot. I’ve seen neither in most year-end stuff, which makes me a bit sad.

So here are the lists; my 40 favorite LPs, followed by 5 EPs, 5 reissues and/or compilations, 5 releases from Aidan Baker (which makes up not even half of the releases from his various projects!), and 20 ‘loose’ songs either from records I liked but who don’t make it into the main list, or where this song was really the only one I liked, or just ones that came out on their own. If all the little extra lists seem like cheating, well, they kind of are. But this was as narrowed down as I could get it. All of the lists are in alphabetical order, and for all but the songs list any links are to where I’ve written about them here at Dusted. For the songs, partly because so many of them do have music videos (and I love music videos), I’ve actually just provided a link to the song on YouTube should you be so moved. Last year I ended by saying I hoped we’d all continue to get better at taking care of ourselves and each other in 2022. On a micro level, I can say that did happen for us, and many of our loved ones. I hope as much as possible it did for you too, and we can all find the strength to keep at it in 2023.

40 LPs

Aarktica — We Will Find the Light

Alvvays — Blue Rev

Aoife O'Donovan — Age of Apathy

Beyoncé — RENAISSANCE

Billow Observatory — Stareside

Black Ox Orkestar — Everything Returns

The Body & OAA — Enemy of Love

Bruno Bavota & Chantal Acda — A Closer Distance

Carly Rae Jepsen — The Loneliest Time

Charli XCX — Crash

Chelsea Jade — Soft Spot

Cloakroom — Dissolution Wave

Earthless — Night Parade of One Hundred Demons

Eric Cheneaux — Say Laura

Esmerine — Everything Was Forever Until It Was No More

Ethel Cain — Preacher’s Daughter

Fujiya & Miyagi — Slight Variations

Hagop Tchaparian — Bolts

Hatchie — Giving the World Away

High Vis — Blending

Horsegirl — Versions of Modern Performance

Hot Chip — Freakout/Release

Jessica Moss — Galaxy Heart

Kali Malone — Living Torch

Let’s Eat Grandma — Two Ribbons

Locrian — New Catastrophism

Loop — Sonancy

loscil — The Sails p.1/p.2

Michael Beharie — Promise

Oneida — Success

Party Dozen — The Real Work

SASAMI — Squeeze

Spiritualized — Everything Was Beautiful

Szun Waves — Earth Patterns

Use Knife — The Shedding of Skin

Vince Staples — RAMONA PARK BROKE MY HEART

Water Damage — Repeater

Wet Leg — Wet Leg

Winged Wheel — No Island

Winter — What Kind of Blue Are You?

5 EPs

Gillian Stone — Spirit Photographs

Greet Death — New Low

Picastro — I’ve Never Met a Stranger

Sun’s Signature — Sun’s Signature

Trauma Ray — Transmissions

5 Reissues/Compilations

Broadcast — Maida Vale Sessions

Laddio Bolocko — '97​-​'99

Les Rallizes Dénudés —’77 LIVE

Prolapse — John Peel session 20.08.94/John Peel session 08.04.97

Wire — Not About to Die

5 Releases From Aidan Baker

Aidan Baker — The Evelyn Tables

Aidan Baker — Tenebrist

Baker Ja Lehtisalo — Crocodile Tears

Nadja — Labyrinthine

Nadja — Nalepa

20 More Songs

Animal Collective — “Prester John”

Boy Harsher ft Lucy - Cooper B. Handy — “Autonomy”

Caroline Polachek — “Billions”

Chappell Roan — “Casual”

Death Cab for Cutie — “I Won’t Give Up on You”

Diatom Deli — “False Alarm”

Duke Deuce ft GloRilla — “Just Say That”

Flume ft Caroline Polachek — “Sirens”

HAAi ft. Jon Hopkins — “Baby, We’re Ascending”

Ibibio Sound Machine — “Protection From Evil”

Miči & Sun-EL Musician — “Respond”

MUNA — “Anything But Me”

Porridge Radio — “Back to the Radio”

Spoon — “Wild”

Steve Lacy — “Bad Habit”

Storefront Church ft Phoebe Bridgers — “Words”

Stromae — “L’enfer”

Sudan Archives — “Selfish Soul”

Yeah Yeah Yeahs ft Perfume Genius — “Spitting Off the Edge of the World”

yeule — “Bites on My Neck”

Ian Mathers

[trevlad-sounds]

Apta - Sun Sun Apta 2020

Tross - Kumla Revisited The Overview Effect Höga Nord Rekords 2018

Pabellón Sintético - Amelie Pabellón Sintético 2015

Paul Ellis - Ocean Immersion Music for The Space Between Atoms Cyclical Dreams 2023

Aarktica - These Days Fail to Bring Me Near Morning One (2023 Remaster) Projekt Records 2001/2023

Monochrome Echo - I Can See the Stars Moonkeeper Reckoning Spun Out of Control 2022

4T Thieves - Under The Wall Nomad's Requiem 4T Thieves 2023

Move D - Beyond the Machine Kunststoff (Remastered) AVA RECORDS 1984/2016

Stone Anthem - Through the Looking Glass Between The Bliss Castles in Space 2023

Ginger Root - Having Fun Mahjong Room Acrophase Records 2018

The South Coast Synth Ensemble - Sports Men Modern Electronics Volume 1 Castles in Space 2023

UFO Club - Smoke And Fluff Runa EP Invisible, Inc 2021

Rickard Jäverling - Bruised Banana Album 4 Höga Nord Rekords 2020

Panama Fleets - Cocobolo Heart Around Alone Sparkwood Records 2022

DJ Dorrit - Moogie MO_ACID Jeff Bridges Móatún 7 2023

Kösmonaut - Jagged Gene Transgressive Transmissions Castles in Space 2022

Touch Sensitive - Perfume The 36th Level Future Classic 2019

JB Dunckel - Sex Ufo Carbon JN Dunckel 2022

Manual - Miraparque Memory and Matter- Selected Remixes, Rarities and Unreleased Tracks 2007-2014 Awkward Silence 2008

Virgo - The Creation Of Typology Landform Code Fantasy Enhancing 2020

Harmonious Thelonious - Afterhour Cheapo Sounds Bureau B 2023

Ogle - Stalactites Cascade Preston Capes 2022

Beyond Our Galaxy - The Arboria Institute Surface Analysis Cyclical Dreams 2022

Binaural Space - Old Fields of Lithium Spacetudes Too Binaural Space 2023

Onepointwo - Throbbing Motor Lifeforms Solstice '21 Subexotic Records 2021

Cautionary Guides - Hundred of Wirral A Cautionary Drive Around The Wirral Castles in Space 2023

Uncle Fido - They Admire the Stars Tipentap Sauntering Day Binaural Space 2023

Felix Laband - Borc Love The Soft White Hand Compost Records 2022

viñu-vinu - Space Echoes from Afar Mystery Circles 2018

Jesse - Astral Waters Fluids Höga Nord Rekords 2018

[visualtones]

Aarktica - In Sea Remixes

2010

[imathers]

Top 40: Aarktica — We Will Find the Light

So the first entry in my alphabetical “top 40″ list of albums is Aarktica’s We Will Find the Light, which does not have anything on YouTube (when possible I’m probably going to go with videos for these). Jon DeRosa has made a lot of music I’ve loved over the years, both as Aarktica and his own name and elsewhere. This is one of a few 2022 releases I still intend to write up, but haven’t been able to get to yet (might have this weekend if I did get sick in like three different ways). So I’ll save longer-form thoughts for that, but basically after returning in 2019 with Mareación, where he started really bringing elements from his other work into Aarktica, this new one is a really beautiful balance between song and ambience even more than some of my other favourite records of his. This song could be about lots of things, or lots of people, but from my first listen some part of me feels like his singing to some internal element (depression would be an easy answer, but I’m not sure it’s that clearcut). I think it’s very moving, the way I do the whole record.

[indietapes]

Aarktica - Sky Family (Ambient Rock)

🕑 1 min / Text: Adrian Release Date: May 05, 2023 Jon DeRosa aka Aarktica is no stranger to IndieTapes. A couple of months ago, we shared his beautiful ambient track 'Like Embers' with you, and his latest release, 'Sky Family' is another fantastic addition to our playlist. I really like the atmospheric, dreamy, and slightly dark guitar textures this 6-minute instrumental piece has to offer. If you dig it, feel free to listen to the full album 'Paeans' on Spotify. It's worth it! Arrangement: ★★★★★ | Production: ★★★★☆ | Energy: ★★★★★ | Melody: ★★★☆☆ |  Stream: https://open.spotify.com/track/27q4w4I7740dQJpBunftxg Follow: https://instagram.com/aarktica_official ✔️ Available on our Indie Playlist on Spotify.

[daggerzine]

MY FAVORITE RECORDS OF 2022 (all lists are in no particular order)

MY 20 FAVORITE RECORDS OF 2022

The Jeanines- Don’t Wait for a Sign (Slumberland)

Arts & Leisure- This Vast Illusion (self released)

Mick Trouble- It’s Mick Trouble’s Second LP! (Emotional Response)

Model Shop- Love Interest (Meritorio)

The Photocopies- Greatest Hits Volume 2 and Hopelessly Devoted (both self released)

Hammered Hulls- Careening (Dischord)  

Michael Head & the Red Elastic band- Dear Scott (Modern Sky UK)

The Reds Pinks and Purples- Summer at Land’s End

(Slumberland)  

Winged Wheel- No Island (12XU)

The Boys with the Perpetual Nervousness- The Third Wave of…  (Bobo Integral)  

Sick Thoughts- Heaven is No Fun (Total Punk)

Horsegirl- Versions of Modern Performance  (Matador)  

First Aid Kit- Palomino  (Columbia)

Dot Dash- Madman in the Rain (The Beautiful Music)

Superchunk- Wild Loneliness (Merge)

Ribbon Stage- Hit With The Most (Perennial/ K)

Artsick- Fingers Crossed (Slumberland)

Belle & Sebastian- A Bit of Previous (Matador)

Non Bruises- S/T (self released)

The Sadies- Colder Streams (Yep Roc)

HERE’S 20 MORE!

Panda Bear & Sonic Boom- Reset (Domino)

Papercuts- Past Life Regression (Slumberland)

Weak Signal- War and War (Colonel Records)

Librarians with Hickeys- Handclaps and Tambourines (Big Stir)

The Well Wishers- Blue Sky Sun (self released)

Armstrong- Happy Graffiti (The Beautiful Music)

The Reds Pinks and Purples- They Only Wanted Your Soul (Slumberland)  

Savak- Human Error/ Human Delight (Ernest Jenning)

Freezing Hands- It Was a Good Run (Dateland)

April March- In Cinerama (Omnivore)

Kids on a Crime Spree – Fall In Love Not In Line (Slumberland) 

Young Guv- III & IV  (Run for Cover Records)

U.S. Highball- A Parkhead Cross of the Mind (Lame-O)

Flowertown- Half Yesterday (Mt St Mtn)

Ex-Void- Bigger Than Before (Don Giovanni)

Tony Molina- In the Fade (Summer Shade)

Field School- When Summer Comes (Bobo Integral)

My Raining Stars- 89 Memories (Shelflife)

Kevin Robertson- Teaspoon of Time (Futureman)

Hater- Sincere (Fire)

…..AAAAAAAAND 10 MORE!

Almost Charlie- A Whisper in a World Too Loud (Words on Music)  

The Orchids- Dreaming Kind (Skep Wax) 

 Aarktica- We Will Find the Light (Darla)  

Extra Arms- What Is Even Happening Right Now? (Forge Again Records)

The Silent Boys- Sand To Pearls, Coal To Diamonds (Too Good to Be True Records)

The Smashing Times- Bloom (Meritorio)

The Bye Bye Blackbirds- August Lightning Complex (Double Potion Records)

The Beths- Expert in a Dying Field (Carpark)

Ghost Power- S/T (Duophonic)

Peter Astor- Time on Earth (Tapete)

I ALSO LIKED ALBUMS BY……Dazy, Eyelids, Desario, Hoodoo Gurus, Salt Lake Alley, Helen Love, Kramies, The Monochrome Set,  Anton Barbeau, Cozy Slippers, The Chesterfields, Rob Moss and Skintight Skin, Lewsberg, Richard X. Heyman, The Claudettes, Surf Piranhas, Kiwi Jr, Sault, Nervous Twitch, New Buck Biloxi, Heather Trost, Fine, Alien Nose Job, Kevin Morby, Ward White, Spiritualized , Click Beetles, Whimsical, Man’s Body, Wet Leg, The Minders,  Water Damage, Star Party, The Paranoid Style, Alvvays, Chronophage, Rolling Blackouts CF, The Happy Somethings, The Umbrella Puzzles, Zac Denton, Northern Portrait, Volebeats, Your Academy, Aluminum Group, Guy Capecelatro, Jon Spencer & the Hitmakers, The Trypes, Jeremy, etc. etc.

MY 10 FAVORITE REISSUES/COLLECTIONS of 2022  

Tall Dwarfs- Unravelled - 1981-2002 (Merge)

Broadcast- BBC Maida Vale Sessions (Warp)

Heavenly- Heavenly Vs Satan (Skep Wax)

Biff  Bang Pow! -Better Life: Complete Creations 1984-1991 (Cherry Red)

Go Sailor- S/T (Slumberland)

The Lucksmiths- Why That Doesn’t Surprise me and  Naturaliste (both Lost and Lonesome)

The Krayolas- Happy Go Lucky (Box Records)

The Flashing Lights- Where the Change Is (Murder)

The Muffs- Really Really Happy (Omnivore)

My Teenage Stride- Singles and B-sides (digital)

MY 15 FAVORITE EP’s OF 2022

The Chills- Scatterbrain Storm Outtakes (Fire)

Elk City- Above the Door (Magic City)

The 1981 - Polaroids EP (Dandy Boy)

The Persian Leaps- Machines for Living (Land Ski Records)

The Photocopies- Departure P (self released)

R.E. Seraphin- Swingshift EP (Dandy Boy/Mt St Mtn)

My Favorite- Tender is the Nightshift part 1 (HHBTM)

The Black Watch- The Neverland of Spoken Things (digital)

The Radio Field- Time Simple EP (Subjangle)

The Wends- It’s Here Where You Fall (Subjangle)  

Michael Beach- 2022 EP (Goner)

The Laughing Chimes- Zoo Ave (Slumberland)

My Raining Stars- The Life We planned (digital)

The Age of Colored Lizards (Perfect Smile (Sotron)  

Field School- Swainson’s Thrush (Small Craft Advisory)

The Lunar Towers- Hurry Up and Wait (Colorama Records)

[yorkcalling]

Discovery: Aarktica

Aarktica is an ambient/atmospheric project created by American composer Jon DeRosa, with Elegiac coming from his latest album Paeans. By Jane Howkins Elegiac is stunningly beautiful, featuring a slew of atmospheric style synths and strings in the background, as the track builds up over time. A slow guitar melody is added after a while, weaving its way in and out of the music in a lovely way.…

[noloveforned]

no love for ned is back on the holiday train after ten years! tune into wlur at 8pm tonight for four hours of holiday hits. we'll be rebroadcasting the 2012 holiday show at 8pm followed by two hours of new holiday hits at 10pm. if you miss it tonight, don't fear as they'll both re-air (in reverse order) next friday!

last week was the annual 'best of twenty year ago' show. over the course of four hours we heard from over sixty different records released in 2002. if you enjoyed the show, you can also check out the previous six retrospective shows spotlighting 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996 and 1995.

no love for ned on wlur – december 9th, 2022 from 8pm-midnight

artist // track // album // label evil wiener // koo koo // evil wiener presents billy sugarfix's lost gumdrop kingdom // smith level tullycraft // twee // beat surf fun // magic marker dressy bessy // there's a girl // sound go round // kindercore luna // lovedust // romantica // jetset spoon // the way we get by // kill the moonlight // merge the guild league // jet set... go! // private transport // matinée the national splits // afternoon was tight // the national splits // kittridge dear nora // on to september // the new year ep // magic marker darren hanlon // hiccups // hello stranger // candle belle and sebastian // scooby driver // storytelling // matador bikeride // fakin' amnesia // morning macumba // hidden agenda masters of the hemisphere // anything, anything // protest a dark anniversary // kindercore the sinking ships // out of key harmony // out of key harmony // darla track star // feet first // lion destroyed the whole world // better looking esg // it’s not me // step off // soul jazz yo la tengo // nuclear war (version two) // nuclear war ep // matador the blow // jet ski accidents // bonus album // k ugly casanova // things i don't remember // sharpen your teeth // sub pop vermont // ballad of larry bird // calling albany // kindercore matt pond pa // measure three // the green fury // polyvinyl azure ray // the new year // burn and shiver // warm electronic aarktica // nostalgia = distortion // or you could just go through your whole life and be happy anyway (bliss out, volume eighteen) // darla sigur rós // vaka // ( ) // mca múm // green green grass of tunnel // finally we are no one // fat cat the notwist // one with the freaks // neon golden // domino family fodder // tender words // tender words ep // dark beloved cloud flin flon // chicoutimi // chicoutimi ep // teenbeat the capricorns // the new sound // in the zone // paroxysm the apples in stereo // rainfall // velocity of sound // spinart the flaming lips // fight test // yoshimi battles the pink robots // warner bros. of montreal // jennifer louise // aldhils arboretum // kindercore jason anderson // astronaut, astronaut! // something/everything! // k sleater-kinney // oh! // one beat // kill rock stars rhett miller // this is what i do // the instigator // elektra guided by voices // back to the lake // universal truths and cycles // matador elvis costello // forty-five // when i was cruel // island brendan benson // you're quiet // lapalco // startime the arrogants // the distance between us // nobody's cool ep // shelflife cinerama // careless // torino // manifesto saturday looks good to me // diary // love will find you // whistletap acid house kings // sunday morning // mondays are like tuesdays and tuesdays are like wednesdays // labrador the brunettes // holding hands, feeding ducks // holding hands, feeding ducks // lil' chief mirah // cold cold water // advisory committee // k destroyer // this night // this night // merge june panic // see(ing) double // baby’s breadth // secretly canadian doleful lions // surfside motel // out like a lamb // parasol unbunny // swans are fainting // black strawberries // two-ton santa julie doiron // all their broken hearts // heart and crime // jagjaguwar jeffrey lewis // the chelsea hotel oral sex song // the last time i did acid i went insane // rough trade little wings // look at what the light did now // light green leaves // k lambchop // the daily growl // is a woman // merge beck // guess i'm doing fine // sea change // dgc johnny cash // hurt // american iv: the man comes around // american richard buckner // born into giving it up // impasse // overcoat songs: ohia // blue factory flame // didn’t it rain // secretly canadian the mendoza line // the triple bill of shame // lost in revelry // misra okkervil river // westfall // don't fall in love with everyone you see // jagjaguwar the mountain goats // the best ever death metal band in denton // all hail west texas // emperor jones dqe // i'm your girl // i'm your girl // dark beloved cloud swearing at motorists // this flag signals goodbye // this flag signals goodbye // secretly canadian low // in the drugs // trust // kranky

[burlveneer-music]

Black Tape For A Blue Girl - The Chaos Serpent - free single, two 1991 songs remade in trio format (synths, cello, vocal)

To thank the 260 backers that pledged $13,282 to help bring Black Tape For A Blue Girl's A CHAOS OF DESIRE reissue Kickstarter to life, the current 3-piece “Serpent” line-up releases this 2-song single with neoclassical reinterpretations of two songs from the 1991 album. The focus on strings and vocals reveals a new shine upon the dark existential beauty. These passionate tales inhabit a chaotic realm of memory, fear and desire confronting pained emotions. Bandleader and synthesist Sam Rosenthal is joined by Swedish cellist and experimental musician Henrik Meierkord and vocalist Jon DeRosa, the latter known for his projects Aarktica, Dead Leaves Rising & Pale Horse and Rider. With this line-up, their poetic and profound pathos has gracefully evolved to a minimalist trio — the subtle, dramatic interweaving of synth and strings is the ideal basis for Jon’s expressive, sorrowful voice. Blending darkwave, ambient and neoclassical, the unique character of this introspective and starkly compelling music seamlessly befits the lyrical despair. These two tracks are a captivatingly elegant addition to Black Tape For A Blue Girl's 36+ year discography. Cover art by Shaheen www.instagram.com/p/Bgd2mLyHPm9/

[philippageorgiou]

look like th' innocent flower ↠ a lady macbeth playlist

seven devils – florence + the machine // wallflower – agnes obel // child i will hurt you – crystal castles // werewolf – cat power // witches – daughter // you have cured a million ghosts – aarktica // simple death – chelsea wolfe // the curse – agnes obel // flickers – son lux // paint it, black – ciara // don’t look back – kissing cousins // become the beast – karliene // no rest for the wicked – lykke li // medusa – emma ruth rundle // fire in the water – feist // hurts like hell – fleurie // i follow rivers – marika hackman // special death – mirah // me and the devil – soap&skin // the seed – aurora // spot – jed kurzel // murder song – aurora // i am shell i am bone – gazelle twin // blood moon – saint sister // the lion and the wolf – thrice // september song – agnes obel

listen on spotify | image credit

[santmat]

Aarktica & Black Tape For A Blue Girl - "Eating Rose Petals"

[indietapes]

Aarktica - Like Embers (Indie Rock)

🕑 1 min / Text: Franklin B. Release Date: Sept. 30, 2022 'Like Embers' is a magnificent indie rock / ambient track by Jon DeRosa alias Aarktica. Honestly, this time it's pretty hard for me to describe the beauty of this fantastic instrumental arrangement. There's no rhythm, and I can't hear a clear structure, but the atmospheric guitars and the string layers melt perfectly together and create a unique soundscape. If you dig it, make sure to check out Aarktica's full album, 'We Will Find the Light' on Spotify or Bandcamp- 'Like Embers' is the opening track. Enjoy!  Production: ★★★★★ | Arrangement: ★★★★★ | Energy: ★★★★☆ | Melody: ★★★☆☆ |  Stream: https://open.spotify.com/track/2wXTGsDJOwvXKZn77gt29f Bandcamp: https://aarktica.bandcamp.com/album/we-will-find-the-light

✔️ Available on our Indie Playlist on Spotify.

[daggerzine]

Aarktica- We Will Find the Light (Darla)

Aarktica is music created by New Jersey native Jon DeRosa (now living in California). DeRosa has been involved in several musical projects over the years (and several different styles) including releasing music under his own name, but Aarktica has been his most consistent, beginning the project in 1999 (also, last year he added his vocals to a record by Sam Rosenthal’s Black Tape for a Blue Girl and it fit perfectly). 

For this new Aarktica record DeRosa explores ambient chamber pop and does a really beautiful job here. Half of the record is instrumentals while the one’s with vocals show DeRosa’s resonant, deep croon.  “Can’t Say I’ve Missed You”  is a gorgeous meditation while the instrumental “Celestial Transmission”: is more akin to something you might have heard on  Northern Picture Library record. (which is a-ok by me) and the orchestrated “Goodnight,” at six plus minutes with DeRosa’s vocals taking center stage might be my favorite on here. 

I wouldn’t have known if i hadn’t read it but, DeRosa covered two vocals songs know in shamanic circles, one by Portuguese songwriter Mariana Root and one by a Peruvian songwriter Artur Mena, as DeRosa himself has been involved in Shamanic/Somatic healing.

DeRosa also had help on the record from some notable folks including keyboardist Charles Newman  and cellist/violinist Henrik Meierkord. It’s an ambitious, layered and deeply moving record, one that you’re not likely hear anything like this year. It was definitely something that was out of my comfort zone and I’m really glad I did a deep dive into the record. At 11 songs in 58 minutes it’s a lot to take in but in doing so rewards will come. 

www.darla.com

www.aarktica.bandcamp.com