#and haunted downtempo song

[spiralfucker]

Sorry to anyone at all (the two or three of you) that was hoping I’ll actually release music soon but I just got new headphones that make all of my mixes sound like absolute garbage so I WILL be doing all the EQing again, false animal fans stay strong

[bargainoriley]

Wish You Were Here (1975)

Here are my thoughts on the legendary album Wish You Were Here!

Disclaimer: I have already listened to this album, but haven’t heard it in a long time, so many of my thoughts here are after not listening to any of these songs in a while (which is almost the same as first time listening thoughts)

1. Shine On You Crazy Diamond Parts 1-5

The intro is already amazingly ethereal, gorgeous, and ominous. It reminds me of classical music. The synth makes this intro feel especially haunting and melancholy, already setting the tone of the song. Then the guitar kicks in with an absolutely divine and emotional solo! You can already feel how sad this song is. And then the absolutely iconic and powerful guitar riff kicks in!!! It always sounded like a diamond sparkling, in my opinion, because it sounds so watery, and the chimes add on to that feeling. And then the drums and bass kick in, making the song even better and more badass and devastating. This song honestly feels like a eulogy, with how sad it sounds and with the organ added in. The guitar solos here are also so good before the lyrics kick in (they’re very powerful and emotional). And then it becomes groovy and more downtempo, with the synth here being very lovely!! As well as the drums. And then the lyrics come in, making the song even more emotional. I think the “Black Holes” lyric here is very powerful, as are all the other lyrics in tribute to Syd. You can really hear the pain in Roger’s voice. Man, the lyrics here are so freaking depressing after knowing PF lore… The guitar riff here shortly after the first verse is so good as well. Also, Roger’s and David’s voices here are so lovely and good, especially with how emotionally they sing and harmonize here. The choruses and verses here are especially good. And then we get this absolutely powerful, sultry, and emotional sax solo. The arpeggio guitar riff here is also just so good. And then we get a tempo change, which makes the song really cool as well! (It reminds me of echoes a lot; in fact, this whole composition reminds me of echoes, but even more grand and melancholy.)

 

2. Welcome to the Machine

 The machine intro and transition are very very good and ominous! It sounds very futuristic and kind of like techno music. And then we get a lovely guitar contrasting these synths. Then we get very good and raspy singing from David (with divine background vocals from Roger, at least, I think)! Also, the synths and guitar combo here is so powerful and emotional!!! I love it. The lyrics about conformity and standing out against society here are also so powerful! (The machine here being a metaphor for society, I think.) The melody here is also just so powerful and absolutely incredible. The quick synth solos and riffs here are also so good and really sound ahead of their time! This song really sounds as if it could come out today. I also really like how cold and artificial they sound (as well as emotional, which is an interesting contrast; maybe the emotion is faked?), making this “welcome to the machine” feel very impersonal and depressing. And the choruses here are also just so lovely with Roger’s and David’s harmonies. And then it sounds like a person driving in their car to a party??? Huh, it almost sounds like Welcome to the Machine represents someone going to their soulless job and then going to a party afterward to escape their misery… I also like how this song could be about Syd as well, because of the lyrics about buying a guitar and dreaming of being a big star (well, at one point before Syd hated fame, of course, as we all know). This song surprised me with how good it was (didn’t listen to this song in a while).

 3. Have a Cigar

The intro here is just so groovy and sleazy! I love it and how it already tells a story and sets up an atmosphere! Also, the synths here are lovely as well!!! The guitar is especially good!! And then Roy Harper’s vocals come in! Which are very good! I love how he plays the character of a sleazy, money-hungry, and corrupt music manager and how he enunciates certain lyrics here, adding to the vibe and character of this song. The lyrics here are just amazing as well, with how they tell the story of a band trying to make it big and signing a contract. And then David’s really freaking good guitar solo kicks in!! The bass here is also just so good. The instrumentation of every song just feels so grand and full, even better than DSOTM. I also love the sudden shift to a radio station playing the song! Already setting up the next song... and showing how the band that is being talked about here in the lyrics that gets a hit on the radio is Pink Floyd themselves (as well as the lyrics “which one’s pink” as well, of course)! How self aware ;) I also like how this song could connect with the previous song about the band members abandoning their soulless jobs and going against the machine by being in a band (at least in my opinion).

 

4. Wish You Were Here

And then the absolutely iconic acoustic guitar intro kicks in, played on a 12-string!!  It’s very emotional and lovely-sounding. And then the rest of the band kicks in!!  Making the song sound even better and more powerful! I adore the mixing here, and every instrument here sounds freaking amazing! The lyrics here are so emotional and hard hitting as well, with the “souls in a fishbowl” verse being my favorite. I also love how powerful the choruses sound here. David’s voice is extremely lovely and vulnerable here! And the guitar improvisations are just so good as well, and David’s vocal scatting instead of a solo is also just so good at the end of the song. Ngl, I almost cried during this song because of how emotional it is…

 

5. Shine On You Crazy Diamond Parts 6-9

And then we get this very ominous wind transition to the next parts of SOYCD! It kind of reminds me of the transition from One of These Days to A Pillow of Winds from Meddle. The bass suddenly kicks in with the guitar, and the synth orchestra sounds very cool and ominous!!! Also very badass, tbh, and then the drums kick in! Making the song even groovier and more badass here! And the synth and keyboard solo here is just so good as well! The buildup here is just amazing!!! And then we get a groovy, freaking guitar solo here that leads to an amazing tempo change along with a keyboard solo in the background!! This part  honestly just goes so freaking hard; it’s amazing! Also love how high the guitar goes here, as if it was screaming in anguish!!! It really shows the guilt and anguish of how PF feels about how they treated Syd! And then we go back to the main part of this song again! The choruses just go so hard here as well!! The lyrics here are just so cool as well! I also love the reference to Wish You Were Here (steel breeze). The guitar arpeggio and keyboard solos here at the end are just so good as well!! Honestly the keyboard solos have to be my favorite part of the SOYCD composition. It just feels so groovy and sad… I don't know how they did that! I also love the funky and screaming guitar/synths here! I honestly like these parts of SOYCD much more than the first few parts… Maybe because the instrumental improvs here are much better here, imo. And then we go back to the intro to the first few parts, which sound much more melancholy here. The piano in this segment is very good and has a sad sound. The last part almost sounds like a melancholy waltz imo, and you can really feel the emotion of saying their last goodbyes here with these ending parts.  It's almost like a eulogy. And then the ending here has a reference to See Emily Play, making it an even sadder and bittersweet ending and tribute to Syd… If I wasn’t so focused on writing down my thoughts, I probably would’ve cried at this song (and more songs on this album in general).

 

In general, I absolutely adored this album! I definitely like this better than DSOTM, since every song here is just so grand and well done instrumentally and lyrically, with there being no filler (even more so than on DSOTM). I also just like how more emotional, powerful, and personal this album sounds in comparison to DSOTM. It almost made me cry… This album just also feels more digestible and cooler to me than DSOTM, and I like its futuristic sound a lot more than Dark Side’s sound. Not to mention that I absolutely adore every song on here, which is why I didn't mention a favorite song here since I think all songs here are equally amazing and perfect. Next time I'll listen to this, I'll probably be crying at all the songs (but I couldn't this time since I was focused on writing down my thoughts). This now has to be my favorite PF album, with Meddle coming in at a close second, and Dark Side being spot number 3. Next up is Animals, an album I’ve never heard before! I’m excited to see how that will turn out.

[giaffa]

Tolkien Playlists Masterpost

I made a lot of Tolkien related playlists on spotify during the last year to organise my music library, if anyone is interested here they are:

The Legendarium

From the Ainulindalë to the War of Wrath, with an extra mention of the Dagor Dagorath at the end to close the narrative (events in chronological order, mostly metal with some acoustic and ambient pieces)

Second and Third Age, from Numenor to the events of The Hobbit to the full lotr storyline (events in chronological order, mostly metal with some acoustic and ambient pieces)

From the Ainulindalë to the end of the Third Age (events in chronological order, instrumental classical and acoustic music only, including the movies soundtrack)

One Playlist To Rule Them All: a selection of my favourite Tolkien astists on spotify (mostly metal, tracks sorted by artist)

Chill Roadtrip AU: small selection of Tolkien themed chillhop and downtempo

Characters

Eärendil: mostly ambient metal and some acoustic tracks to journey through the stars

Thingol and Melian: Doriath ambient playlist, with some medieval and acoustic tracks, enchanted forest and fae court vibes

Aragorn: acoustic and metal songs for reclaimed kingdoms and long distance love stories

Tar-Miriel: slow and haunted vibes for the Downfall of Numenor, water and drowning themes

Legolas: soft acoustic and folk tracks, relaxing and nature themed with some sea longing vibes

Maglor: metal and acoustic songs for the poorest little meow meow

Fëanor: power metal only for the Spirit of Fire himself

Sauron: mainly black metal, playlist for evil necromancers only

Vibes only

Not strictly Tolkien related lyrics but if you need more vibes I can offer you these playlists:

Cuiviénen: ambient metal to wander under the starry skies

Dreamless Sleep: lullabies for the enchanted forest

Lugbúrz Lo-Fi: dungeon synth ambience for your tower dwellings

Mordor Metalfest: black metal for your evil festival needs

The Party goes on a Roadtrip: epic metal for your epic quest

Sword and Sorcery: ultra epic metal for your ultra epic quest

Songs of Enchantment: soft acoustic folk and fantasy songs to sing in a field

[birdgowrl]

mini vegas improv song: wonderland

mini orlando improv song: paper rings

junior vegas improv downtempo: daylight

junior vegas uptempo: anti hero

junior orlando improv downtempo: enchanted

junior orlando improv uptempo: bejeweled

teen vegas downtempo: haunted

teen vegas uptempo: karma

teen orlando downtempo: champange problems

teen orlando uptempo: vigilante shit

senior vegas downtempo: you’re in your own kid

senior vegas uptempo: mr perfectly fine

senior orlando downtempo: the archer

senior orlando uptempo: the story of us

[frankbedbroken]

frankcore july 2024 update !

we're already in the middle of the month lmfao i'm very not consistent with this. this month's batch is just straight up anything really. fair bit of electronic though not in the most frequently seen veins on these roundups, a bunch of Guitar Music, a couple of pop and r&b tracks here and there. you know the drill

in regards to the electronic section: there's two recognizable sections of the playlist this month, one for drum and bass tracks right at the end which is not precisely uncommon for me but there usually isn't this much, and another one for idm, which isn't the most common sight here as far as i remember. the first one happened because of me going through a rym list of liquid dnb tracks and i picked two of my favourites from that batch, both coming out on brazilian label innerground, one from its founder dj marky alongside xrs, and another from the relatively obscure producer (to me at least) pennygiles, but there were a lot of highlights outside of those, check it out here if you're interested. the two other tracks here fall into crossovers with pop and r&b, which is a genre intersection i'm always keeping track of; one curiously enough being influenced by bossa nova, by korean pop power duo sumin & slom, and the other merging minimal dnb, dancehall and r&b from akriila, an artist whose recent output has made me very excited to hear her soon-to-be-released debut album.

as for the idm side, you have the absolute legends boards of canada with an expectably mistfiying track from their watershed album music has the right to children, a track from caribou before he started using that moniker that fits neatly into the whole idm-downtempo hybrid sound of acts like the aforementioned boc, and a haunting yet enchanting track from emer and ugne uma that blends clinical, spacious idm production with ambient pop idioms.

the rest of the electronic picks of this month are mostly crossovers with pop and r&b. some of them are not (one of the new singles for sophie's upcoming posthumous album reads more as a straight four-to-the-floor tech tool, and axolotl by doon kanda is a now-nostalgic piece of witch house that also feels very dancefloor heavy surprisingly) but most of it absolutely does: the witch house infused trap grooves of today by tirzah, the art / ambient pop influenced by late 80s electronic and new age stylings of susumu hirasawa, smerz working within the parameters of deep house to deliver a disorienting, hazy and glitchy r&b track, yawning portal giving a carly rae jepsen deep cut (i wasn't familiar with it, at least) the ambient trance treatment and creating a heavenly and ethereal vibe, nick león and erika de casier delivering a surprising mix of dreamy r&b with trance idioms as well as brazilian funk and raptor house (!) rhythms, promising j-pop group f5ve making their best track to date with a track influenced by 90s hardcore and ddr soundtracks, and last but not least, no me molestes mas by holy girl! i debated whether i should've shouted this one out when she dropped the track on youtube but i ended up not doing so and waiting for it to finally be posted onto dsps, and thank god it did, easily one of my favourite tracks of the year and probably my favourite track released by an uruguayan artist altogether so far this year, a lovely piece of indietronica (reminded me personally of some of the work by max tundra, but i don't think that's really the inspiration behind it) with slightly snarky yet charming and earnest lyricism, just a very wholesome and comforting song imo.

speaking of uruguayan artists, though, and moving onto the Guitar Music section of the playlist, obelisco dropped what is likely to be the best uruguayan album of the year, i picked the balladesque midwest emo single plan perfecto for the list, but i could've also gone with the more classic hardcore sounds of their other single mundo paralelo, or the many heavy and aggressive post-hardcore showings like ojos or eco, or the other emo showing of the project in the form of the song fuego (any of those would've probably been better for the flow of the playlist also, but i'm stubborn lol), it is seriously a stellar record, exactly as impressive as i expected it to be, it's varied yet quite short so i feel like there's definitely a lot of replay value to be had with it, definitely recommend it.

other picks in this category include: fucking Steely Dan of all bands (i swear, this has been the year of me actually enjoying the stuff i've been dunking on for no reason and subsequently making a fool out of myself, woe is me!), very charming folk pop from big thief, which is an act that i haven't really paid much attention to because i feel like i wouldn't connect much with them but i guess i'll have to change that at some point, a continuation of the hardcore and emo patterns with a track from refused's seminal the shape of punk to come album as well as a cut from jimmy eat world's most lauded (deservedly so) album, and finally, a 12 minute ethereal post-rock / dream pop / baggy piece from mica levi which feels very enveloping and entrancing throughout.

and to wrap up, the tracks i haven't mentioned yet: beautiful, enchanting ambient pop / r&b from TWEAKS; a classic track from janet's classic album the velvet rope which i finally ended up getting to listen to in full and it's as good as i expected it to be; and the only hip hop related thing on the playlist this month, a cut from jawnino's very solid mixtape 40 from earlier on this year, which pays homage to classic grime production with more eccentric mc-ing as well as a welcome guest appearance from james massiah aka babyfather's dj escrow.

tube it!

[independentartistbuzz]

Julian Taylor Releases “Weighing Down,” Tender Ballad Taken from Forthcoming New Record, ‘Pathways’

4x JUNO Award nominated, Toronto based singer-songwriter Julian Taylor is sharing the first glimpse of his upcoming new album, Pathways, the downtempo yet empathetic “Weighing Down.” Pathways will be released on September 27th.

Following his recent critically acclaimed albums, 2020’s The Ridge and 2022’s Beyond The Reservoir, Taylor considers Pathways to be centered around finding one’s happiness. “It’s about trying to find a way to simplify our lives and look for what really matters and makes us feel at home within our own hearts, soul and mind,” he explains.

Taylor wrote “Weighing Down” during a time of overwhelm over the constant pressures we face in this world, as he also grappled with navigating the heaviness of some of his own life decisions and where they had led him.

Pedal steel guitar cries against the warmth of Taylor’s vocals, coupled with acoustic guitar and drums that are intentionally barely there. The song’s backing vocals are intended to make the recording sound “warm and connected to a haunting but optimistic place in the human psyche,” Taylor details.

[evergreen-music-grab-bag]

Music Diaries - 1/15/2023 to 1/21/2023

Apologies for the delay in posting, I've been busy with schoolwork so I have not been able to fully engage here. However, this will be posted now, and next week should be posted around Tuesday.

My Personal Favorites (in no ranked order) - All albums are available on Spotify and YouTube Music:

Cornelius - Fantasma || Another masterpiece of shoegaze coming from the man who popularized the genre in Japan. It's an incredibly eclectic record, with some tracks taking a sample-based approach, others orchestrated with strings, and others just being solid J-rock cuts. There's not really a way to predict where the album goes, but it doesn't lead to a lack of cohesiveness. This playful energy makes the album really engaging, and allows to show a range of versatility. The track I think come back to the most is Free Fall, a stripped back rock cut with slamming, punk-like aesthetic to it. It drives with this unending energy that can only be stopped with a vinyl stop.

Colloboh - Entity Relation || Though plenty of electronic producers have emerged in recent years, a sound I find pretty underrepresented is the new school of IDM. Colloboh is an emerging producer who I think is beginning to find his own ground within this sound. This record explores not just the digital sounds he has dealt with before, but other genres like house and dancehall. The meticulous production allows each drum to pop in the ear and echo or ring out tastefully, making each sound interacted with crisp and juicy. RPM+ stands out the most, not only due to being the track I'm most familiar with, but due its bleeping and blooping garage-like rhythm, each sound ringing out in the brain.

Container - Scramblers || Scramblers is an apt title for a record like this, due to its spontaneous nature. It mostly contains extremely distorted broken beats that go at a breakneck pace. Great use of glitch sounds makes each track squelch and groan maniacally, as if a regular track was dunked into corrosive acid before being played back. The changes in the beat are erratic, following dance structure, but due to the intensity it feels as if new parts are being dropped into the track, clawing out of the woodwork. Queaser stands out for the being the fastest, and having the most nonstandard rhythms. The contrast between the loud bass and percussion with the small clicks and beeps in the background create a hardcore experience.

Joe Meek & The Blue Men - I Hear a New World || That's right! Another synth pioneer. Never can have enough of these. This record does take a pretty unique approach though. Instead of being fully detached from popular music of the time, this record uses both country and rock and roll tropes of the time while adding synthesizers on top. As simple as it may sound, it works because of how minimal the arrangements are already, highlighting the quirks of each instrument and sound designed. Factoring the old school ambiance makes this record ethereally haunting. March of the Dribcots demonstrates this. Though the arrangement is light, the reverb on the drums, the old school pitching up, the surfy guitar.. it all adds to this uncanny in modern context energy.

Dorian Concept - What We Do For Others || This record exhibits a mix of jazztronica with ambient elements spread throughout. It keeps this digital, manmade vibe with it despite the looser arrangements, managing to both have an airtight groove and a laidback energy. The percussion can be thick and thin, the synths are piercing like in many an artpop song, but with the funky arrangement, it gives it a sidechain effect, that keeps me nodding along. These seemingly disparate elements come together to form this unique record. Turn Away is a perfect demonstration. Though the groove is more conventional for a downtempo, chilled out track, the sound palette plucks at the ears, more reminiscent of early hyperpop. It's a combination I'm surprised hasn't caught on as much.

Dummy - Mandatory Enjoyment || Made by an L.A. based experimental pop band, this record combines both indie rock tropes with the addition of sparse synth usage. Unlike other synth users, the synth mainly serves as a seasoning to each track rather than a strong component. This gives the rock instrumentals room to breathe and thrive. It almost serves as an inverse to a lot of these other records, taking most of its stock from rock. The opening two tracks Protostar and Fissured Ceramics, create a throughline for these elements to show. Protostar is a short ambient piece, having an organ-like synth warble slowly among choir like vocals. It then smoothly transitions into Fissured Ceramics, a mostly conventional rock song that serves as the first burst of energy after this cryptic introduction.

deem spencer - We Think We Alone || Experimental yet introspective bedroom pop. The sounds balance funky bass and electronic additions, shifting from one to the other very often throughout the tracklist. The vocal arrangements play with the beat pretty well, adding the melodic line as well as various harmonies to carry it along. The use of samples adds this grittiness as well that gives this record an interesting edge. The penultimate track, Mother Earth, exhibits this skill the most, with the hook "Why so scared of the basement" being repetitive, but with enough arrangements alongside the hook to let it resonate without much monotony that would normally be expected.

Daedalus - Righteous Fists of Harmony || This is actually the first returning artist for this blog, and fortunately I wasn't disappointed. Unlike the previous record I listened to, Daedalus takes a more prog-rock, orchestral approach. There are still traces of his industrial and electronic roots, but there are full on suites in here, alongside vocals and an overall grander and brighter tone. It shows versatility that these concepts are dealt with pretty well, and how his electronic work is blended in relatively cohesively. The orchestral parts really stand out on the outro, Fin De Siecle, showing a large string arrangement building as if it was an end of a black-and-white movie. The slight alterations of the mix let it sink in ethereally, adding tension slowly before letting it sink into the void, alongside the album itself.

Smoke City - Flying Away || Though this record begins fully engrossed in bossa nova, this record is actually within the genre of trip hop, the slow boom bap drops accompanying each track cementing this notion. The whole album is orchestral, lush, a satisfying feeling for the ears. Compared to the rest of the genre which I have heard, something about it feels so alive, oddly so. The track Mr. Gorgeous has the most vivaciousness, taking a laidback Latin rock rhythm and having the electronic effects serve as mostly texture and using the mix as a way to emphasize certain elements of the band. It's so slick yet so organic. I love this.

Parsley Sound - Parsley Sounds || This deep cut from the early 2000's is brought together by extremely atmospherically fulfilling guitar work, rendering it funky, light, fresh, natural, pretty breezy as well. At times, it manages to make the songs touch a part of my soul and that's something I cannot commend enough. The track Candlemice shows both this guitar work as well as masterful electronic and acoustic arrangements, bringing together a variety of elements which layer on each other in just the right way. The energy doesn't build too high, but it doesn't stay stagnant, the percussion slowly moving it along. Amazing stuff.

Honorable Mentions:

Adam Betts - Colossal Squid | The record shows a dimension of electronic-infused jazz that blasts in the ears. The drums would be the standout part, chugging along like a drumline or slamming like a heavy metal breakdown. Beyond this, the synths arrange to focus on the bass, cultivating this heavy, thick sound, allowing higher melodies to add embellishments on top.

ScubaZ - The Vanishing American Family | Though this seems to be an alternative record, its use of samples and breaks make it akin to plunderphonics many times, adding to its already unconventional spirit as shown through its vintage instrumentation. It's an incredible whimsical listen that fuses the best of Y2K big beat and indie rock. (Note: A few tracks of this album are unavailable on Spotify and YouTube)

Casino Versus Japan - Go Hawaii | This album teeters on the edge between being off-putting and industrial, and warm and calming. The percussion is muted, its sounds minimalistic by nature. This leaves room for the synth work, which, though upbeat, tends to play a much more ambient role than other albums I've listened to. The arrangement adds to this, crafting an easygoing yet analogesque listening experience.

Clinic - Internal Wrangler | Despite being made at the turn of the millenium, this album resembles more of an old-school garage rock album. The arrangements are underlined with this haunted feeling, perhaps due to the ghostly vocals interspersed throughout or even the borderline psychedelic guitar strumming. It leads to this spooky yet jaunty affair.

Panda Bear - A Day With the Homies | This project fuses indie bloghouse with a more experimental electronic edge. This is done mostly through the use of electronic percussion and thick basses, which are used in a variety of ways to change up the groove to something lighter than what would be depicted by the sound palette. The focus on percussion and sound design makes it so despite the lack of synths, a lot is being done sonically-wise.

Manman Sani - Unreleased Tapes 1981-1984 | Though there have been plenty of old synth projects on this blog, I have not listened to one originating from Africa. This composer, despite his distance from the main Moog scenes, managed to create a record that exceeded the average for me. The record is soft and warm, and though low fidelity remains pretty timeless.

The Cleaners From Venus - Songs for a Fallow Land | Though it appears to be a melancholic post-punk record, from its album art to its orchestration, the inspiration seems to be far more medieval. The arrangements, from the chords to the lyrics, give the atmosphere of reading from a worn storybook. Very unique.

Shira Small - The Line Of Time And The Plane Of Now | I'm not sure what broad category this would fit in. There are aspects of prog rock, jazz fusion, soul, and funk throughout. All are splendid, tied together by Shira's existential lyrics which adds a layer of transcendence. However, it is also quite joyful, giving it both a profound and childlike wonder.

Maria Chiara Argiro - Forest City | A record that takes jazz and matches it with a muted, electric sound palette. The drums instead of being raucous, pulse quietly, giving more of a dreamlike quality. Synths are prevalent, matching the muted feeling, with echoes to allow for the arrangement to harmonize with itself. Ambient yet brooding.

Throbbing Gristle - 20 Jazz Funk Greats | Industrial, electronic experiments that ended up becoming the precursor to modern dance music. A lot of it plays with ambience and odd sounds, almost a modern art piece. A bit of it shows glimpses of synthpop and house music. However, this is quite rare in comparison to more explicitly experimental pieces. Things are quite stripped back, but relatively polished.

Other Albums I Liked!

Lord Tusk - Communique EP

Arthur Russell - Calling Out Of Context

ESG - Come Away with ESG

Celine Gillain - Bad Woman

DRINKS - Hippo Lite

Anna Domino - East and West

Cramped Skunkman - Social Responsibilities

Oren Ambarchi - Hubris

Donzii - Mines

Balam Acab - See Birds

NINA - Classics

Pram - The Stars Are So Big The Earth Is So Small... Stay As You Are

This week had a lot of music involved, and though I am grateful it was a bit of a task to write this all cohesively. Either way, a lot of it was great, and I think it's worth it. I hope everyone has a great day !

[musicarenagh]

Bare Emotions Wrapped in Beats: A Review of "Without You" by Kapture Unapologetically bold and painfully honest, Kapture's latest single, "Without You," is a beacon of raw emotions crashed against a backdrop of an evocative downtempo hip hop groove. This assured musical piece takes listeners on an introspective journey that cuts to the core, examining the challenging but universal process of losing someone once believed indispensable. https://open.spotify.com/album/3W2rbK0GCNxBXnKfJfYcKH?si=999-H9VWRu-sC03i3RIkBA Kapture's sound — characterized by its ability to slip seamlessly between airy vibes and hard beats — calls to mind the best of the rap industry, not least reminiscent of trailblazers like Missy Elliott. However, "Without You" establishes the artist as a powerhouse in her own right in the constantly evolving hip hop landscape. The vocals command attention, etching an essence of vulnerability and strength simultaneously. This female rapper provides a masterclass in vocal delivery, her verses resonating with the ache of loss and the acceptance of solitude. She engages her listener with uncompromisingly confident lyrics that paint a vivid picture of love, loss, and the resilience that sprouts from such fertile emotional soil. Shrouding the listener in an ethereal world where deep lyrics and haunting melodies intertwine, Kapture leverages her razor-sharp wordplay and emotive rap articulation to make "Without You" an anthem that speaks to the heart, even as it makes heads bob in rhythm. Each beat pulsates in sync with the emotional undertones, driving home the message of the piece and improving its staying power long after the final note has faded into silence. Riding the Waves of Time with LTB’s “Rewind” "Without You" is more than a song; it's a heartfelt narrative of loss, amplified by sincere lyrics and engaging rhythms. This is not just Kapture seeking closure through self-expression; this is her extending a hand to listeners going through similar experiences, her voice reaching out through a shared rhythm of solitude and recovery. Beyond the song's emotional depth, the production encapsulates an auditory landscape that perfectly complements the overarching theme. The production is crisp yet subtle, never overpowering the vocals but greatly enhancing the overall listening experience. In conclusion, "Without You" is a triumph of emotive storytelling within the framework of hip hop. It reminds us of the beauty of music — its ability to connect, heal, and empower. As the final note dwindles, one can't help but feel a sense of profound connection and understanding – a testament to Kapture's ability to touch hearts with her music. Kapture's "Without You" isn't just a song, it's a riveting musical journey leaving a lasting imprint. It's okay to lose, break and rebuild. The underlying message? You're not alone — and that’s a testament to music's incredible power to unite and uplift. Follow Kapture on Website, Instagram.

[msmusicalmusings]

Need some fresh tracks to spice up your playlist?

You've got to check out Brody Brown's debut album, "The Kickback." It's a true showcase of his captivating artistry. One track that stands out is the mesmerizing "Eyes on Me," which has an incredible music video to match. Released on January 27, 2023, this song is available on all major streaming platforms.

Prepare to be hooked from the start with its haunting minor-key ambient synths and trippy vocal samples that create an eerie vibe. As Brody confidently steps up to the mic, he dives deep into the challenges and insecurities that come with success, seamlessly blending his singing and rapping skills. And when the beat drops, it's pure magic with a laid-back yet groovy downtempo 808 rhythm that sets the stage for his introspective storytelling.

Don't wait any longer—watch the amazing "Eyes on Me" music video right here:

[bulletholemagazine]

APRIL MUSIC FINDS

The essence of these types of posts is I'm going to talk about bands that aren't necessarily old enough to put in my "Dug Up From The Grave" ones, but definitely aren't recent enough to put in my New Releases posts too. Stuff thats about 5 years old at most but I think still deserves a mention. Here it goes.

1. Burst Synapse

I go absolutely ape for this kind of shit. Burst Synapse is a solo grindcore/industrial metal project with what sounds like a bit of mathcore thrown in? Either way it sounds abrasive and pissed as fuck and I'm here for it. Anything featured on the Big Money Cybergrind compilations is completely out of pocket, surprised people haven't caught onto it considering for how long it's been a thing. As I mentioned in the last post (read it if you haven't), this stuff is in the same ballpark as Hitbox, ergo early metalcore soaked in cybergrind and other harsh electronic genres, creating a heavy and experimental mess. That being said, the guy that runs this is an instagram twink. Doesn't get any better than that. Hope he releases something new soon, he's really carved out his own unique sound.

2. Yüth Forever

Isn't that literally how scottish people would say "youth forever"? These guys come from the Traitors sort of downtempo groovy as fuck school of deathcore, but they also have all the weird whammy wizardry that numetalcore bands do now. Their sound is pretty ahead of its time in terms of that, and it's even more satisfying considering how catchy their songs are. Seriously, this and their 2013 album are absolute JUICE. No offense to any of the newer bands that do this style, but I feel like Yüth Forever gets right what most of them get wrong - catchyness before production and absurd ass breakdowns. Almost all of their songs that I've listened to are extremely memorable and hooky and I think that's fundamentally missing from the current Darko US clone number #4023 type of stuff that's going on. Sad that they stopped releasing after 2016, if they continued going right now they would've been popping off and respected as innovators, alongside literally every Joshua Travis project.

3. Serling

Holy fucking shit. This is the culmination of almost 7 years of endless djent memes and absurdly low tuned deathcore. Serling is a mathcore duo with only a guitarist and drummer, and their gimmick (besides being tuned to bulldozer engine frequencies) is that all their music is based around the Twilight Zone. Adds a pretty haunting tinge to their writing if you ask me, although they'll probably eventually have to drop it since there's only so much you could say about one show. Regardless, their music is INSANE. It combines all the best tropes of deathcore and mathcore and it just becomes this insane and crushing sound. What especially helps is their vocalist's highs are extremely unique, in that they sound like cries for help more than anything else. It's really sick and harrowing when you listen the first time. These guys have influenced my own music a lot, I can only be excited for whatever next they put out.

Thanks for reading! Make sure to check out all three bands I mentioned if my corny ass descriptions interest you in them. Otherwise, I've got a video on the band Admiral Angry coming out soon on Youtube, and a Fellsilent cover I did for Nuclearsilo that's supposed to drop May 6th, after spamming amuse records support emails for a month since the first time it got denied release :((((. Gimme a follow if you liked any of this and want to see what else I'll be doing/have done, peace.

[luuurien]

Deserta - Every Moment, Everything You Need

(Dream Pop, Shoegaze, Synthpop)

Matthew Doty's sophomore album expands on the ethereal blend of synthpop and shoegaze cultivated on his 2020 debut, taking an already fantastic sound and managing to make it even stronger. Atop heavy, hazy layers of synthesizers and distorted guitars, Every Moment, Everything You Need is bliss incarnate, and with the help of live drummer James McAlister and producer/engineer Chris Coady, there's never a moment of dullness.

☆☆☆☆½

Though part of the post-rock band Saxon Shore and having his own project as Deserta, Los Angeles' Matthew Doty's main job is in healthcare as a nurse, and his music is directly informed from the stress and mental anguish that comes with it. His latest album, Every Moment, Everything You Need, comes out of his time recording music in the tiny bits of free time he got during the grueling and dangerous long hours of the surging early months of the pandemic, recording for only an hour or two a day in the two-bedroom apartment he shares with his partner and young child, and you can hear how much it was an escape from things for him in every churning guitar lead and swooning vocal performances, Every Moment... a magnificent time capsule of the anxiety and unease Doty and the world felt at the time. Going away with the fuzzy drum pads on his 2020 debut Black Aura My Sun and getting drummer James McAlister on these eight tracks, as well as getting production and engineering help from Chris Coady - whose done work for dream pop greats like Beach House, Slowdive and Blonde Redhead - the fullness and depth of Every Moment... is what allows Doty's music to hit so much harder than it ever has before, cascading and diffusing as he navigates feelings of hopelessness, fatigue, and his future through crushing shoegaze production and fluid song structures. With Coady's background as a producer for other bands within Deserta's musical sphere, Every Moment...'s sound benefits immensely from his role as an engineer and co-producer. These songs are huge and rapturous while still being well-produced and possessing the clarity and tonal variety to keep the album refreshing and gripping all throughout, even as the guitars are compressed thick and dense on the glimmering highlight Where Did You Go and synths are blended around rippling layers of distortion and pedal fuzz on the downtempo haunt It's All a Memory. It's this cohesion, along with the different ways Doty goes about creating his signature electronic/shoegaze crossovers, that lets Every Moment... act so beautifully as an outlet for his distress working in healthcare throughout the pandemic, the music both a way to release those emotions and a musical escape from them as the solemn ballad A World Without or the vicious walls of guitar in Goodbye Vista evoke a loneliness and serenity far removed from the fast-paced sorrow and burnout he was suffering through while making them. Doty's take on shoegaze has always been a creative one with its contemporary electronica leanings and willingness to play with more formless structures - likely influenced by his time in Saxon Shore - and when it all sounds as good as it does on Every Moment..., he's absolutely unstoppable, cranking out chilling song after chilling song that etch themselves into your memory for weeks after you've first heard them. I haven't been able to stop thinking about how the synth arpeggios and shimmering guitar leads swarm over the mix in the second half of Far From Over for weeks, and there's an unforgettable moment like that on every one of these eight songs. You can also feel the album's slow creation process in how Doty structures each of these songs, all around four to six minutes and never moving away from a midtempo groove, Every Moment...'s time as a creative salve in the interims between work and childcare for him now rendered in the final versions of these songs as vast and euphoric shoegaze expanses that unfurl over each of their extended runtimes. The one instance this doesn't work is on I'm So Tired, where the punchy backbeat and pop hook begin to slump over four minute and cause the song to lose its bite because of it, but otherwise Doty utilizes this extra space in his music wonderfully as Lost in the Weight's instrumentation rushes up towards you and gets pulled back into the dark like midnight ocean tides as he sings of holding onto hope in one of the most difficult times in his life ("There’s a way outside you’ll find / Patiently as time goes by") or It's All a Memory sucks you in with its mysterious aura and dark chord progression before blasting you in the face with a crescendo of guitars, synth arpeggios and drum fills, letting Every Moment... breathe in places more than its predecessor did while still making sure there's enough moments of pure ecstasy on each track to always make you fall under its trance. McAlister's drum work on the album also contributes immensely to Every Moment...'s ability to use tension and release to heighten the effect of all these songs, the emotional input a live drummer can have on the feeling of a song coming through as he speeds into the last bit of Far From Over with a furious double time groove, or sits more in the background of A World Without and lets the song act as a peaceful transition between the heavy duo of It's All a Memory and Goodbye Vista. Everything falls perfectly in place for Every Moment... to work on every level, and it's impossible not to be swept up into Doty's melancholy world. Every Moment, Everything You Need shows what Doty's creative take on shoegaze can do when given wide enough space to roam, trading the heavier technicolor of Black Aura My Sun for something more sensitive and introspective, those short moments of reprieve he got making these songs never taken for granted as he delicately surveys his emotional state through sharp and weighty music that makes an impact both emotionally and musically, doubling the size of its punch while never becoming overbearing because of it. It's a confident yet emotionally troubled album, Doty assured in the power his music holds while working through feelings of unease that feel near impossible to articulate through words alone, his music acting as a conduit for those feelings that's brilliant in its ability to translate the feelings of fear and loneliness during the pandemic through these unfathomably vast and lush shoegaze dreams. Every Moment, Everything You Need is the perfect companion anytime it feels like there's not enough space in your mind to contain all your emotions: Let Doty's music be your place to let them go, and these massive songs have all the space you need to form an unbreakable bond with them.

[shemakesmusic-uk]

Getting To Know...

Josie Pace.

Hailing from Detroit, Josie Pace is releasing her stunning 11 track album IV0X10V5 today. Josie Pace’s music represents a piece of her solitude. The blistering glow of downtempo post-industrial beats, electro-pop melodies and layered soundscapes are home to Josie’s captivating lyrics; she is a songwriter in the purest sense. The result is a pulsating sound that will haunt you with vulnerability while basking in Josie’s world of self-reflection and unapologetic rock and roll attitude that Detroit is legendary for.

​When musician and producer Ken Roberts saw an acoustic performance of Josie he was blown away. The raw and intimate performance captured the one thing all songwriters strive to achieve: believability. The two started working together with Josie’s songs as the foundation. As an accomplished guitar player, Josie moulds and refines her songs acoustically only to tear them apart and rebuild them with Roberts’ grinding synths, unique production style and the addition of Mark Damian’s live drums. Songs quickly formed into a unique sound that pulled from the likes of Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails yet contained a high art fashion swagger as if you just bumped into David Bowie at a Halston Party

We had a chat with Josie all about the album, her background. creative process and more. Read the Q&A below.

Hi Josie! How are you? What does a typical day look like for you at the moment?

"A typical day in the life of me? Well the most important part of my day (in my opinion) is making coffee! I always make a pot of coffee before I do anything else. My producer and bandmate, Ken Roberts, and I usually sit down for a few hours to go over and respond to emails for interviews, advertising, logistics of possible upcoming tours and shows etc. A lot of the clerical work we do right now is for the upcoming release of my first album titled IV0X10V5 (pronounced “noxious”).

"After all of the clerical work, recently, we have been getting ready for the album release party show in LA at Bar Sinister on Feb. 12th. So I pour another cup of coffee and we head over to the studio and set up all of our live gear for rehearsal. We tweak and nit pick every song to make sure that we are putting on the best show we possibly can. We work with light techs for our light show and make sure all of that is running smoothly. Right now we are in the process of switching to a new rack for all of our on stage gear to make it easier for travel on tours.

"I try to post to my socials a few times every day, to promote the album and to share with my fans what I am doing and see what they would like more of. Chatting with a few and sometimes going live at rehearsals to show them what I have been up to.

"After hours of rehearsing I like to try to get to the gym as often as I can to train for performing and work on stamina and breathing exercises. I make dinner which consists of a lot of ramen and salads and I do it all over again the next day."

For anyone discovering you here for the first time please give us a bit of background on your musical journey. Who/what have been the biggest influences on your electro-rock sound and aesthetic?

"I am fortunate to have grown up in a family that was into music from the start. My dad has an amazing singing voice and my mom was always playing Prince while dancing around the house as she cleans. I knew from very young what I wanted to do in my life. I was influenced a lot by what my parents would play on the radio. Some of my biggest influences are The Eagles, Styx, Phil Collins, Joan Jett, Prince and Pat Benatar. I have always been influenced by fashion as well and that plays a huge role in what I do, Alexander McQueen and Vivian Westwood designs were some of my favorites. Joan Jett and her style of female bad assery, Prince and his androgynous glam style and attitude of quiet genius and literal “prince of music” really impacted me and influenced my style. Throughout my school life I would consider myself a little emo/ scene kid. I loved listening to bands like Escape the Fate, My Chemical Romance, Hawthorne Heights, NIN and Paramore while still listening to the classics that I grew up on as a child. The range of different genres molded the way that I write songs and think about the structure of songs.

"Once I started working with Ken Roberts, he showed me bands like Revolting Cocks, KMFDM, Japan, Skinny Puppy a whole range of different bands I’d never heard. We kind of melded both of our styles and influences to created an electronic rock sound that when stripped down to me and my acoustic guitar, could pass as any genre. With the whole production of synths and live drums and my classic writing and melody style. I think we created something extremely unique and yet familiar."

You've released an abundance of awesome singles since 2017. And now you're releasing your debut album IV0X10V5. Why have you chosen now to put a full length out into the world and what does it mean to you? What do you hope fans/listeners take away from it?

"Once the pandemic hit us with lockdowns in 2020, it was a bit hard to create and release things. We weren’t playing any shows, I couldn’t even get into the studio for a few months. Ken and I had talked about releasing a full length album and we decided to put it together over the lockdown. We shot 4 music videos over the course of the lockdown so that almost every song chosen for the album has a video to release along with it. We worked so hard to created this first album, so many people put so much time and effort and creativity into the album and it is overwhelming to have so much support for it. This album means so much to me, it’s quite literally a dream come true. I’ve put my entire soul into this album, all of my feelings and desires and heartaches. I think what I would want people to take away from it is that, we are not alone. Everyone goes through insane up’s and downs, but If I could make someone feel less alone in all this, that would be amazing."

Please take us through your songwriting/creative process. What do you enjoy the most and what do you find the most challenging?

"When I write a new song, I like to let it come out whatever way it wants to. I always write on the acoustic guitar first. Usually playing a few different chord progressions until something I like sticks. Humming different melodies over the pattern, usually words just come to me and as they do I write them all down and record the session into my phone as well. It’s a bit hard to explain but I feel like when I write its sort of an out of body experience for me. It doesn’t ever feel like I’m really there, it’s almost like a dream state. But when I really get something going I can’t stop. Words come to me from whatever I feel, whatever I’ve subconsciously decided to write about. After that process is over and I have a song. I bring it to Ken, and we go through it line by line and transpose it into a synth rock mess of awesomeness. We go through tons of different synth sounds for hours and we have Mark Damian track drums for the song as well.

"The most challenging part for me is just starting, I struggle with doubts and fear of not having any songs left in me. No one wants to be a washed up dried out musician. I try to give every song a piece of my soul."

Finally, what else is next for you? Will you be touring the album?

"As I mentione before, I have a release party show at Bar Sinister in LA on February 12th, and a hometown Detroit album release listening party at Smalls in Hamtramck on February 25th. I am currently planning shows and tours to promote the album and I am hoping to get over to Europe to tour for it as well!

"I am already thinking about my second LP or EP to release if Covid restricts us from playing live."

[onestowatch]

‘The Life Of Pi’erre 5’ Proves Pi’erre Bourne Saved the Best Beats For Himself

Photo: Cian Moore

If you’re a music fan that likes to keep their ear to the ground, then you know why last week was a special day for hip-hop fans. While some may have been bumping Culture III or Polo G’s Hall Of Fame, many fans were rejoicing with the long-awaited release of The Life of Pi’erre 5, the latest project from producer powerhouse Pi’erre Bourne. Perhaps it is reductive to label him as a producer at this point in his career, as the Atlanta-via-South Carolina multi-hyphenate has been steadily been releasing his own music for the better part of the last decade.

To celebrate the TLOP5’s highly-anticipated release, Bourne also released “The Life of Pi'erre Documentary,” a brief window into the life of a 2016 Bourne—then largely unknown aside from those involved behind the scenes in hip-hop. It’s a sentimental and inspiring view into a frustrating time in Bourne’s life, a moment when his artistry had been recognized but not appreciated. 

Coincidentally, the documentary actually draws strong spiritual parallels to a little-known Kanye West record released 12 years prior, The College Dropout. “Ain't nobody expect Kanye to end up on top,” West raps on the album closer “Last Call.” “They expected that College Dropout to drop and then flop / Then maybe he stop savin' all the good beats for himself.”

These words reflect a haunting truth behind a struggle that few artists can understand, one that Bourne and West had found themselves in, albeit over a decade apart. The result of both rappers’ frustrations manifested similar results, as today Bourne stands as one of the most simultaneously established and up-and-coming acts in hip-hop today. With a diverse set of skills and a near-prodigal amount of talent behind the board, The Life of Pi’erre 5 serves as Bourne’s inauguration into hip-hop’s main stage.

The Life of Pi’erre 5 is a refreshingly new and inspired entry into a long-running series of mixtapes cultivated by the mastermind himself. Featuring guest appearances from Playboi Carti, Lil Uzi Vert, and Sharc, Bourne’s naturally charismatic style becomes amplified by his undeniable chemistry with his guest artists. Even though some tracks like “Switching Lanes” were leaked long before TLOP5’s release, within the context of the record they take a new form for both familiar and unfamiliar listeners alike.

Like the previous entry into this series of tapes, TLOP5 features a wide variety of styles, sounds, and aesthetics. Tracks like album singles “4U” and “Biology 101” are dreamy and melodic bangers that feature lofty synths, polished vocal performances, and hard-hitting percussion. While songs like “Amen” and “YNS” are relatively more downtempo than the rest of the cuts you’ll hear on this tape. Whether it is Bourne’s use of cultural references, affinity for vintage soundbites, or fixation with similes, there is something to be praised at every corner of TLOP5.

Above all, arguably the main virtue that The Life Of Pi’erre 5 offers is the opportunity to give an artist who has contributed so much to the culture his flowers. Bourne is responsible for crafting the breakout hits of many prominent hip-hop acts today, and without him, hip-hop’s cultural landscape would look entirely different. Though TLOP5 may not gravitate as heavily towards rap’s mainstream as some may prefer, it more than makes up for it with its risk-taking flows, innovative beats, and clever composition.

Listen to The Life Of Pi’erre 5 below:

[radramblog]

Radiohead Retrospective Part 8: Slowly we unfurl

Last week I compared The King of Limbs to Kid A, a reference I find completely natural. Both albums use significant electronic and ambient instrumentation, especially compared to the albums preceding them, and both feature stark, surreal imagery and lyricism. Kid A is a response to the band’s discomfort at getting huge, while The King of Limbs is a response to them deliberately getting much smaller after cutting ties with EMI/Parlophone.

I’m also pretty sure that comparison really pisses off a bunch of people who really like Kid A and really don’t care for The King of Limbs. And they’re entitled to their opinion, but they’re wrong. Album’s great.

Aside from potentially the spookiest cover of any Radiohead album, TKOL as it’s so abbreviated happens to be the shortest Radiohead album, clocking in at 8 songs and under 38 minutes (for reference, the longest one is Hail to the Thief at 14 songs/~57 minutes). It does not, however, seek to be wasting any of those minutes, despite the often looping nature of its songs, each drizzled in enough Stuff Going On that it feels much deeper than that short timeframe makes it seem.

That, or I just get lost in the groove.

While the comparison to Kid A is probably getting a bit old at this point, I think I’d like to reiterate it by comparing the opening seconds of Everything in its Right Place to that of TKOL’s opener, Bloom. EIIRP opens with this ultimately simple electronic line that feels cold and robotic, and while Bloom’s opening moments are still obviously electronic, they’re clearly made of something more lifelike. And by that, I mean it sounds a lot like a heavily edited, chopped, and looped piano line, one that folds itself into the very genuine percussion loops that follow. It’s a difference of tone, this life against the coldness of silica, even though the two are obviously both computer-made.

I don’t think Bloom truly comes into its own until that bassline comes in. Fortunately, it only takes like a minute for that to happen, with the incredibly ethereal and reverb-y vocals soon to follow. The bass is ultimately incredibly simple, but it adds such a grounding to the other instrumentation, those rapid, looping, high-pitched tracks that go on and on et cetera. And then you get about a two-thirds of the way in and the brass and strings come in that I had entirely forgotten about, but are so pretty, during the bridge (?), it’s genuinely quite lovely.

I wouldn’t call Bloom a banger, because it’s not that type of song. But at the same time, Bloom is a banger, basically.

By comparison, Morning Mr Magpie feels much more organic, in that more of the instrumentation being looped is acoustic/”real”. There’s a very delicate and deliberate guitar strum that the song is built around, with a similar but looser bassline meandering around in the background as it goes. MMM is much more built around the vocals than Bloom was (apparently the bass and vocals were the last things to be added to that track), more concrete images developed, and an actual verse/chorus/verse/chorus structure which feels a little strange on an album like this.

The instrumentation on this track feels anxious, the guitar and percussion reminding me of drumming my fingers on the table in impatience or nerves, but it’s so uncomfortable that it can’t get it perfectly rhythmic.

And frankly, this song does make me uncomfortable. You see, magpies in the UK have an association with thievery, collecting, and having an eye for shiny things. In Australia, magpies are associated with pecking people’s eyeballs out. So there’s a bit of a disconnect between countries and species is what I’m saying.

At some point I had decided that Little by Little was my favourite song on TKOL, and while I can’t really justify that, but I will (for now) stand by it. It’s got some excellent instrumentation- jingly background loops sounding like a machine, or even a bicycle, giving the track a sense of motion. Meanwhile, the bass is just absolutely killer, somehow both intricate and simple-sounding, notes that sound almost the same but aren’t quite. The lyrics are nursery-esque, with rhyming pairs and idioms aplenty. “Little by little by hook or by crook/I’m such a tease and you’re such a flirt” is a really fun couple of lines, even if they really don’t have the same meaning outside of context as they do inside.

Every time I think I’ve heard everything there is to hear in this song, there’s more to surprise me. The different guitar lines, the background noises, rising instrumental and sinking vocals. Underrated, methinks.

Track 4 is the shortest song of the shortest album, Feral. Not so much lyrics in this, as snippets of heavily edited vocalisations- they might say something, but you’re sure as hell not going to figure that out listening to it. The song is heavily percussion-driven, to the point where there are long spans of it where the looping drums are the only instrumentation actually present. More electronic white noise comes in later, getting louder and harsher, as the vocal snippets increase in frequency and variability, but there’s always those drums, keeping on keeping on.

Feral is kind of in an odd spot, frankly, because it is one of hose tracks that’s fine, it’s good¸ but I genuinely cannot imagine being in the mood to listen to it. It’s tightly wound, almost stressful, but what little is added on doesn’t especially cater to that mood. I think there’s some comparison to be made to The Gloaming, of all things, though I think I like that track better than this one.

The one single from the album is Lotus Flower, and if you haven’t watched that music video…fucking, do it? Thom is just iconic in this one, channeling memetic levels of weirdo-dance. Lotus Flower makes the best choice for single on this record, being both the most past-Radiohead-y, and the most traditional song-y track on the record, somehow. Thom’s falsetto is at its peak here, utterly gorgeous in performance and presentation, with loops on some of the held notes that in some cases only just reveal themselves as artificial.

This is not to discredit the instrumental, with the best Radiohead use of handclaps since 15 Step (to my knowledge, the previous iteration of this), an electronic instrumental that would probably make a much sadder song were it not for the vocals and the groovy bassline. Seriously, the bass makes this piece genuinely danceable, it’s incredible.

…man, look at him go.

Every time I hear Codex I think it’s the last song on the album, and I always have to remind myself, no, it’s not that short, come on. This slow, sad, piano ballad (?) echoes previous album closers while still feeling incredibly TKOL, its piano being reminiscent of Videotape, brass coming in like Life in a Glasshouse, and utterly down vocals akin to any number of Radiohead’s finest. Some of the lyrics are actually very reminiscent of Pyramid Song, imagery of, well, jumping into bodies of water, but as that track’s river was full of tragedy and memory, Codex’s clear lake is, apparently, clear and innocent.

I was thinking about that album-closer comment before I heard the section of the track that comes in at 3:35, with wavering strings that feel incredibly like Kid A, like Motion Picture Soundtrack and How to Disappear Completely.

I should probably stop comparing Codex to other Radiohead songs, though. It does stand on its own without those, a beautiful, melancholic song. It is incredibly chill, muted even, the kind of song to float in the water to, staring up at the stars. It’s down, but it’s not in pain, if that makes sense? Like, the vibe I get from it is of acceptance, and of moving past what’s holding one down- something you repeat in your head while you’re deep in the shit.

Wait that’s just How to Disappear Completely again, fuck.

Moving on, Give up the Ghost opens with, of all things, birdsongs. It’s actually an acoustic guitar ballad to pair with Codex’s piano ballad, multiple iterations of the instrument layered over each other in a natural but artificial soundscape. The vocals do the same, with the lead harmonising with a backing refrain of “don’t haunt me” to give this relatively gentle track a sense of desperation, almost (I’ve seen it written as “don’t hurt me” in some places but…come on, listen to it, also it is Give up the Ghost after all).

Give up the Ghost is another very chill track that you can just lean into and relax by. Even as it gets more complex and layered as it goes, with another background vocal layer edited in the background steadily getting fuzzed and less comprehendible, the song doesn’t stop being what it is. That acoustic line doesn’t stop vibing, the tempo doesn’t pick up, it is more than content to stay right where it is. And it’s a comfortable stop.

The album’s final track is Separator, and it is frankly one that I always forget. Despite being the actual track closer (sorry again, Codex), it doesn’t have that impact that tracks like Street Spirit (Fade Out) or A Wolf at the Door do. Ironically, this might make it the most fitting closer for The King of Limbs, considering the largely relaxed, ambient nature of the album.

There isn’t honestly that much to divulge about Separator that you wouldn’t have guessed from the album that precedes it. It’s got looping tracks, layered vocals, and this one really satisfying electronic note that hits every couple seconds that I quite like. About halfway through, a patently lovely guitar line comes in, one of the few I can definitively think of that are relatively downtempo but that I could still describe as “bright”. With all the stuff going on at once, the song does end up a bit of a mess at times, as these different elements that have been present in different pieces of the song blend together for a bit of an echoey jumble, but it does resolve itself before long. After that, the song and album’s final minute or so is surprisingly simple, with the track effectively picking the handful of lines it wants to hang on to, one of the vocal tracks and one of the ambient effects and one of the percussion lines, and lets them run their course, the album ending on an echo of the track that once was.

That completes The King of Limbs, an album named after a tree in England, by the way. It always bugs me when I see this one near the bottom of people’s tier lists, because it really just doesn’t miss. It’s the product of a band that’s been working and experimenting for two decades, and it really shows the fruits of that labour. It’s quite the band that can put out something like Bloom immediately after an album with tracks like Bodysnatchers and Jigsaw Falling Into Place, and have both work.

The King of Limbs was the last album that came out before I got into Radiohead, so naturally, I basically didn’t listen to it for several years. I kinda went piece by piece into their discography, and I hadn’t had it as heavily recommended to me as others. But it easily stands just as tall as those other albums, even if it’s technically a little shorter.

For the record, I haven’t decided if I’m going to cover TKOL RMX 1234567 yet. It is listed next to all the rest of them on any collection of their albums, and it’s a perfectly respectable piece of Radiohead canon, and I did want to cover all the non-main-album stuff at some point. On the other hand, it is just a remix album, I’ve kinda been going through the main stuff chronologically, and also I’ve never listened to it.

So basically, we’ll see! And you’ll see, next week, whether we go straight to A Moon Shaped Pool or deviate a bit for some capitalised numerical action.

[musicollage]

Dominic Miller. Absinthe, 2019. ECM 2614. (  Manu Katché )    ~  [ Album Review |     1) ECM Reviews  +  2) All About Jazz  +   3) London Jazz News ]

1) The title of Absinthe, Dominic Miller’s follow-up to his 2017 ECM debut, Silent Light, harks to the early French Impressionists, whose all-in dedication to art is a philosophical touchpoint for the guitarist. To carry on that spirit, he could hardly have asked for a more eclectic yet integrated band. Bandoneon player Santiago Arias brings a sense of cross-continental shift that makes the world just a little smaller; keyboardist Mike Lindup adds a sometimes-surreal vibe that’s equal parts cry from the past and message from the future; bassist Nicolas Fiszman is the soil to Miller’s sunlight; and drummer Manu Katché, a remarkable impressionist in his own right, is time incarnate.

With such a massive scale to be reckoned with in theory, one might expect the results to be overpowering, when in practice the melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic content is so evenly distributed between pans that by the end of each tune we’re left on an even keel from where we began. This is nowhere so true as on the opening title track, which spins a steady downtempo groove from the filaments of Miller’s solo introduction. The way his bandmates shuttle through the greater loom of the album’s concept is as intuitive as the compositions yearning for consummation. A certain feeling of inward travel continues in all that follows.

The quiet locomotion of “Mixed Blessing” and is as progressive as the tender “Christiana” is regressive, the geometrically inflected “Étude” as inviting as the open-ended charm of “Ombu,” the melancholy “Ténèbres” as dark as the transparent “Saint Vincent” is bright. The latter bears dedication to the late Cameroonian guitarist Vincent Nguini, a longtime collaborator with Paul Simon and something of a mentor for Miller. Even without such biographical details, these stories write themselves, unhidden, in real time. Binding their pages are shorter pieces, including the piano-rich “Verveine” and the haunting “La Petite Reine.” Into these we are afforded only fleeting glimpses, personal tesseracts whose potential for transfiguration can only be expressed in song. 

All of which makes “Bicyle” quintessential in the present milieu. Its pedaling motion is more than a metaphor; it’s an actualization of life’s unstoppable flow. For there, woven between each spoke like a playing card, memories fade into new experiences, squinting into the glare of a setting sun as the world curls into slumber.

2) Guitarist Dominic Miller's 2017 ECM debut Silent Light was a low key affair that focused on his solo classical guitar (plus a bit of light percussion). The sequel features a full quintet with a rhythm section. A bigger sound, but with a similar impressionistic flavor. Miller's liner notes make that visual art reference explicit: as a resident of the south of France he has become fascinated with the French Impressionist painters, admiring their artistic daring.

The album opens with the title tune: Miller's acoustic guitar and drummer Manu Katche's swirling cymbals set the scene for the entry of Santiago Arias' bandoneon, the primary melodic instrument in the music. It is a significant new timbral color in the ensemble, as well as a nod to the avowed Argentinian influence in Miller's music. "Mixed Blessing" includes a synthesizer solo from keyboardist Mike Lindup, a contrasting sound that is favored throughout the set; although on "Étude" his piano playing is a foundational element.

The spare, low rumbling drums and guitar of "La Petite Reine" recall the sound of Silent Light. "Étude" and "Ombu" step up the tempo a bit, and the latter gives the drums a highlighted role as active rhythmic accompaniment for the whole band: no doubt very satisfying for Katché fans who have been waiting to hear him cut loose. Closer "Saint Vincent" is an upbeat tune that features the whole band, with solos from Miller and Lindup (on piano).

Miller has an expanded musical concept to go with the larger band. The tunes are still compact statements, but make use of the instrumental forces for greater timbral contrast. And he is a generous band leader as well: while his guitar is at the center of the arrangements, all of the players are given a chance to shine. It will be interesting to see where he goes next.

3) Absinthe is Argentinian-born guitarist Dominic Miller’s second release for ECM and his fourteenth solo album. The list of recordings with other people, however, is immense. Even if his name is unfamiliar you have probably already heard him. He has played with Sting since The Soul Cages in 1991 and masses of other musicians along the way, from The Chieftains to Youssou N’Dour, via Tina Turner, Lesley Garrett, Sarah Jane Morris and Manu Dibango. Some of the musicians with whom he has recorded make up the new quintet for this album.

Absinthe is an airy, atmospheric set of compositions inspired by Miller’s love of the works of the Impressionist artists, many of whom painted in the South of France where he now lives. The title came to him first, apparently – many of the impressionists drank absinthe, that potent anise-based spirit favoured by bohemians known as “la fée verte”. In a recent interview with German news site DW.com, Miller expands on the title:

“For me it’s about being out of it. And over the last few years I’ve really been into French paintings and thinking about this history of the early 19th century and how Lautrec and Van Gogh and a lot of these guys were tripping on absinthe but still coming up with amazing work. And because they were such highly skilled artists they could come up with these really outrageous trippy concepts with colour.”

Miller put together a quintet sympathetic to his ideas and wrote the music with the “sonic palettes” of his chosen musicians in mind. First up is young Argentinian Santiago Arias who studied under Dino Saluzzi at the Conservatoire in Buenos Aires. He plays the bandoneon, that concertina-like instrument associated with Argentinian tango. His sound is pure and extremely melodic. The combination of Miller’s lyrical guitar with Arias’ lovely lines is delightful – they are the perfect foil for each other. The other three musicians have all played with Miller for years.

On keyboards is Englishman Mike Lindup, best known for his work with Level 42, but a regular performer with Miller, who played with Level 42 himself back in the 80s. Lindup’s is a third melodic voice with the guitar and bandoneon – he also adds delicate ethereal tones, almost theremin-like in places.

On bass is Belgian Nicolas Fiszman. He studied guitar with Philip Catherine, then changed to bass. He’s played with Miller since 2005, but has accompanied Johnny Halliday, Angelique Kidjo, and Charles Aznavour in his time. Miller describes his playing and intonation as having “the nobility of a great whale”, which is a lovely description and also, I think, fair enough. His subtle and discreet bass underpins the whole endeavour.

Miller describes French percussionist Manu Katché as “an artist on the drums, especially with his cymbal work where he is like a great painter”. His presence is everywhere on this recording, and his contribution adds colour, as well as texture to the pieces. Katché is well-known as a session musician – having played with almost everybody. He’s also an ECM veteran. Miller has recorded with Katché as part of his band, and he’s another long-serving member of Sting’s band, so they know each other musically very well.

It’s an unconventional combo, but it works well – the range of timbres and harmonies is extremely agreeable. There’s an Argentinian tinge to much of the music, though think Gotan Project, rather than Astor Piazzolla, as there is a groove through many of the tunes, not just from Katché’s inventive percussion but the rhythmic qualities of the ensemble playing. On an initial hearing the CD appeared light and easy, bar some disjunct improv in the track Ombu, but this is misleading. I think that the limpid clarity of the production (by Manfred Eicher himself), the pleasant atmosphere, the sweetness of tone and the downright prettiness of the guitar and bandoneon sound just gives that impression. As is often the case with music which can be perceived as light or suave, like bossa nova, for example, on a closer listen, the complexity of the composition and the beauty of the ensemble playing comes through.

From the first track Absinthe, where the bandoneon, after a precise harmonious intro, starts sliding about into little patches of dissonance, and the spectral notes from the synthesiser twist around against a backdrop of precise strings and strangely colourful cymbal sounds, the listener is entranced. By the final track, Saint Vincent (presumably a reference to Van Gogh rather than the countless catholic saints, or indeed the American singer/songwriter of the same name) the sonic palette has been fully explored. Miller’s guitar playing is wonderful throughout, lyrical, deft and harmonious. Saint Vincent builds in layers of colour and light to a Pat Metheny-esque crescendo and then disappears as if blown away by the mistral.

This record will appeal to Miller fans, to Sting fans, to existing fans of any of the other members of the band, and to new listeners who are already aficionados of ECM’s fine output of chamber music. As usual, I now want to hear this live, and indeed a grand promotional tour for Absinthe of Central and South America, and Northern Europe was planned. Sadly it has had to be cancelled for health reasons. Wishing Dominic Miller a speedy recovery.

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Bill & Ben - “Tha Fuzion” Harthouse 100 Song released in 1994. Compilation released in 1996. Techno

Bill & Ben were a versatile electronic duo from London. Their music, dating back to 1993 under the name Sonar Audio Research, consisted of techno, downtempo, trip hop, and ambient, all laced with a dose or hint of acid. In 1995, they landed on German electronic label Harthouse, a groundbreaking label that specialized in techno and trance. Bill & Ben would bring their own unique brand of production to the label until it closed its doors in '96.

Before landing on Harthouse though, Bill & Ben released a 12-inch in February of 1994 under their Sonar Audio Research moniker called Blunt. leading off that record's b-side  is a song called "Fusion," which would re-appear under a slightly different name, "Tha Fuzion," in 1996 on Harthouse's 100th label release, Harthouse 100.

Although "Tha Fuzion" doesn't come equipped with a 4/4 kickdrum like most other techno tracks do, it's still techno music through and through because of both its dark and malevolent sci-fi abrasiveness and the fact that the kickdrum still pounds hard. Really, it's a sparse piece of metallically liquid acid techno that presents itself in segmented stages. The first piece consists of the kickdrum, the hand claps, the stuttering snare that plays atop them both, and those liquid metal acid chitters. The second piece is a large, slowly squelching thing that I can only think to best describe as what a tractor beam sounds like, underlaid with rattling hi-hats and hand claps. The third stage is when these two pieces intertwine with each other to produce a tune that would be fit to be the theme for the Death Star if Star Wars was ever turned into some kind of techno musical. When the song hits those points in which those two separate segments weave themselves together, it's like some piece of ultra-darkness, like something that just naturally radiates a wicked, sinister evilness. It's darkness on top of darkness, both operating in harmony and in space. And kudos to Bill & Ben for crafting such futuristic nightmare fuel.

Dark and haunting mid-90s sci-fi techno from this skilled UK pair.