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Jan 16 2013
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Electronic, Experimental, Metal, Review

Review: Black Boned Angel – The End

Black Boned Angel - The End

Here is the basic thing about a drone doom record, you can’t just listen to it. The ideal experience is really to feel it. This means listening to it at Significant Volumes, to the point where your bones vibrate and you’re perhaps being altered on a molecular level.

The importance of this level of volume is paramount with Black Boned Angel’s The End. Structured as three tracks of considerable length, listening to The End is akin to those pain rituals where you endure to a point and then transcend to a higher state. Drones will wash over you and break you down with their monotony, the next level breaks through. With the requisite volume though, you get a much clearer window into the more subtle dynamics that form an undercurrent for each track. There are tiny bits of beauty here, little twinkling stars between vast black gulfs of space. There is even a touch of what I’m interpreting to be whimsy, with what I’m interpreting to be theremin on the third movement. Touches like that really go a long way for me.

Out Feb 19th on Handmade Birds.

 

- Jayson

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Jan 11 2013
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Ambient, Electronic, Experimental, Pop, Post-rock

Pellets: Late Night Venture & Joe Evans

Late Night Venture – Pioneers of Spaceflight
Late Night Venture are a self-described post-rock/shoegaze outfit. I will say “sure” to that, because yeah-they are doing that kinda thing. You throw on Pioneers of Spaceflight, you’re going to here that “shimmering” guitar thing that all post-rock bands are obligated to do. What I dig about Pioneers of Spaceflight is that Late Night Venture are not afraid to do other things that are not that shimmering guitar tone or the whole bombast and crescendo thing. To be specific there are scoops of indie pop, almost Washing Machine-era Sonic Youth type moves, and singing! It can’t be post rock if there is falsetto. Really all of Pioneers… has a much more gentle tone than what you’d hear from the likes of Caspian, almost a late 90s indie rock feel to it. Goes a long way toward combating genre burnout. Good stuff.

Joe Evans – Affected Piano
You pretty much could never ever title an album better than Joe Evans titled Affected Piano if you wanted to name an album in a way that describes the music inside the best way possible. You could have also called it Piano Drone, if you wanted, but that would be too limiting. Starting with a piano tuned to a 19 note system and proceeding to to massively modify the resulting sounds to the point where they’re not recognizable as coming from a piano in any traditional sense. A lot of the dynamic of Affected Piano is shifting between moments of traditional recognition and passages of abstract modification. It’s an interesting dynamic and the whole of the album hovers around some strange emotional places.

- Jayson

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Jan 08 2013
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Electronic, Post-rock

Review: Offthesky – Through The Lines

Offthesky Through The Lines

I’m detecting a rising trend of including real instruments in electronic music. As of this writing I am personally pretty into it. In terms of what can be expressed with abstract sound, most artists hit a creative wall last year with music that was purely ethereal but frequently monotonous or directionless. In a lot of these reviews I’ve talked about how I find traditional instruments to be “grounding.” I think there is a well of emotional response that’s been conditioned in a lot of other more traditional music that’s readily accessible by adding even small flourishes of a recognizable sound – vocals, saxophone and violin in the case of Through The Lines. It’s the audio equivalent of symbolism in painting.

Two tracks, a recorded live performance. Through The Lines is a little darker than the last Offthesky album I reviewed. It’s not a ‘spooky’ darkness, it’s just like being somewhere pleasant where the lights are dim. The result is a more directly atmospheric sound that’s more evocative of memories and emotions than of a specific locality.  Two remix tracks round out Through The Lines. Both are enough of a deviation from the core Offthesky sound to be of interest, but not so different as to be not enjoyable.

Digital or limited edition CD on SEM Label

- Jayson

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Jan 01 2013
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Electronic

Review: Walltapper – Monaco

Walltapper - Monaco cover

Here is the one outstanding thing about Walltapper’s Monaco – the first track genuinely sounds joyous.

I think I’ve just taken one too many trips to the murky under/dreamworld when listening electronic music lately. That stuff is well and good and I enjoy it plenty but I’ve also no real desire to live my life solely in a symbolist painting or German expressionist film.

Listening to Monaco really is, for me, the equivalent of getting outside and doing something in the sun. It just feels good. It’s uplifting without being trite. What the secret is, is the attachment to the human element. This isn’t experimental electronic, it’s more of the electronic jazz, like what Wagon Christ in some respects. It’s the grounding in the human element, voice samples, piano, horn, that give Monaco it’s sunny qualities. Although it’s downright silly at times, Monaco has this near-constant 60s jazz vibe running throughout. I always like that kind of thing, because it reminds me there was an era before cynicism crushed every non-cynical response to anything out of everyone.

This is honestly something I feel we all need more of in our lives.

- Jayson

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Dec 20 2012
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Ambient, Electronic

Review: The Star Pillow – Fattore Ambientale

star pillow f a

The Star Pillow is a great name for band, for this band specifically because they actually kind of sound like it – in a very “I could easily imagine myself floating through the heavens on a cosmic voyage of infinite discovery as I listen to Fattore Ambientale” way.

The Star Pillow weave guitar, electronics and most prominently, piano and keyboard into subtle compositions. Purposefully written to have a strong narrative sense; it’s almost visual on Fattore Ambientale. The stand out quality to The Star Pillow’s sound how each song is grounded in a very delicate beauty. The piano & keyboards are the key here, their presence is what makes me think “drifting through the cosmos as the starts twinkle.”

Fattore Ambientale is a welcome break, something new in ambient music. Don’t skip this one. A beautiful way to ring out the year.

The Star Pillow Soundcloud

 

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Nov 30 2012
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Ambient, Electronic, Review

Review: Tours – Okay


Tours – Okay (EP). Young Latitudes, 2012.

About a year ago, I reviewed Tours’ previous EP, Stay. Stay was kind of a dreamy, slightly melancholy thing. On the follow up, Okay, Tours (AKA Dylan Sieh) has done gone in a different direction. Sure, he’s still got that chill wave vibe, but it all feels more concrete and more optimistic. In my previous review, I said that you wouldn’t be dancing to the music of Tours. On this EP, you just might.

The first track, “I Need U,” is very different from the stuff on the last EP. It’s very beat-driven, and it actually kind of reminds me of a sort of minimalist Daft Punk. There are layers here, but it’s subtle. Really, I could say the same for track 2, “Wet Luv.” After hearing these first 2 tracks, I would be confident in calling this EP an electronic-dance album.

Then, track 3 sulks in. If the last 2 tracks were minimalist Daft Punk, then “OKY” is minimalist Tours. Most of the song is just a kind of lazy drum and an almost inaudible piano, yet when I hear it, I picture some broken-hearted dude walking though the rain at night, clutching his coat to his chest to stay warm. I’m not sure if that’s what Sieh is going for, but it’s a pretty strong feeling that pours off of that one track.

The EP doesn’t end on that bad note, though. The final track, “Yrslf,” sounds not just happier, but somehow optimistic, like things are actually going to be “OKY” despite whatever you might feel during the previous track.

In just four tracks, Tours takes us through the emotional landscape of someone who has lost someone and is trying to be okay with it.

Tours’ EP OK is available on the Young Latitudes bandcamp page for whatever you want to pay (even free, if you wish).

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Nov 29 2012
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Ambient, Electronic, Experimental, Pop, Review

Review: Fiona Soe Paing – Tower of Babel EP

Fiona Soe Paing - Tower of Babel

Two years ago I reviewed Fiona Soe Paing’s Songs From No Man’s Land album. In that review I talked about the locative power of her music, which made me feel nostalgic for a place that I’ve never been and may never have existed at all.

The Tower of Babel EP has the same properties, but not the same characteristics.

The skeletal frames of  pop songs can be seen protruding through the mix here, but the music has an overall darker, more dissonant edge. The more reflective, contemplative sound from No Man’s Land is gone. In it’s place is a pseudo-sensuality that beckons and repels in equal measure. Like watching a snake slowly moving; you’re drawn to it’s movements but wary of it’s venom. The locative property remains strongly in effect. Really what I’m hearing are hit songs from a decaying future that’s a lot more impressive than where we are in it’s scope. This is the music I hear when reading Neuromancer or Virtual Light.

Daymoon Sun- from the Tower Of Babel EP – free download on Bandcamp from FionaSoePaing on Vimeo.

Well worth the time to explore.

- Jayson

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Nov 21 2012
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Ambient, Electronic, Experimental

Pellets: Be My Friend In Exile, Tape Loop Orchestra, Sujo + Sun Hammer

Be My Friend In Exile - Passive/NegativeBe My Friend In Exile – Passive/Negative

The audio equivalent of looking at a Mark Rothko painting. Deceptively simple drone, nuanced when focused upon. The soundtrack of standing in liminal space. Passive/Negative treats some familiar ground for it’s style, but it’s worth the time. More memorable in it’s quiet moments than it’s louder ones. I like you better when you’re less creepy, but I still like you.

 

 

 

Tape Loop Orchestra - In A Lonely PlaceTape Loop Orchestra – In A Lonely Place

It sure sounds like it, that it’s a lonely place. One of the things about this album for me was how the song titles made this more poignant. The three tracks that make up in a lonely place have a shimmering, analog edge that wavers between coldness and comfort. Not quite cinemambient, but getting there.

 

 

 

Sujo + Sun Hammer - FistulaSujo + Sun Hammer – Fistula

The press release for this album sold it as a drone-doom + glitchy electronic thing. Kinda. That’s what I say to that.  Or well, rather overly. Fistula doesn’t sound like someone took both of those genres, fully functional an complete on their own, and nailed them together. It sounds more like someone took the souls of those genres and nailed them together. Like if doom wasn’t about doom but the feeling of doom. If you live somewhere that has snowstorms you might have been in a whiteout. Fistula also sounds a lot like that.

 

 

- Jayson

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Oct 01 2012
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Ambient, Electronic, Experimental

Review: Hanetration – Torn Heat EP + Tenth Oar EP

Two for the price of one here.

Hanetration sound weird. This is me saying that, who generally tends to eat up weird sounding music in fairly regular doses. I am not saying that this is bad, not at all. I will say that it’s taken my many repeated listens to “get” the sound.

To describe that sound, I will use the phrase a ‘studied, crafted amateurishness’ which of course is means that it’s not really the least bit amateurish, it just sounds like it might be. While I’m trying to describe things, I’ll also coin the term ‘pseudo-drone.’ So what does that mean? It means basically on first listen, both Torn Heat and Tenth Oar sound “off.” Off as in asymmetrical, unbalanced, off as in the phrase “off in the head” perhaps. There is frequently a human or human-sounding element that is stretched and altered into the drone, rather than something that’s purely about tone shifts generated via instrumentation. On both EPs the sound seems to be wavering between overflowing the boundaries of established order within the track into a much more abstract space, only to establish a new level or order over time.

Both Torn Heat and Tenth Oar also sound sparse but lived in. There are only a few things happening in terms of total amounts of sound per track, but what is there gives the listener an excellent sense of “thereness” to each.

It took me repeated listens to gain an real appreciation of these tracks, but the fact that I was compelled to keep listening speaks volumes for the quality of the work. Having said that, this is the kind of ambient drone that requires at minimum an interest in the style and at best, having already acquired the taste for this kinda thing.

Hanetration

- Jayson

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Sep 19 2012
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Electronic, R & B, Singles, Soul

Singles: Pablo Nouvelle, Heart of Hearts, KOPPS

We will be getting on here, to varying degrees.


Heart of Hearts
Candling
Oh man, they didn’t write anything I can cop to write this review with… Ok… “Candling” has a dreamy pop thing going on, with a slightly creepy edge. It’s got a warm, fuzzy sound and is one of those songs that reminds me very strongly of something I can’t really remember. The processing on the vocals makes me think of that Dangermouse and Sparklehorse thing. It could really easily be a track off of that. That is cool with me, because I like that album a lot. “Candling” is not a song that I would skip to, but it’s not one I would skip over either. I would like to hear the rest of this, which is the job of the single, so right on then.


KOPPS
Bastard Baby
The main thing to know about “Bastard Baby”, more than anything about how it sounds is that it’s a single off an album titled Fuck Jams. That is really the biggest problem with the deal. I am not really sure anyone can match the expectations generated by titling their album Fuck Jams. Basically like I feel like I should be ready to get it on listening to this, not even ready but like feeling the need. It should move. So yeah, that album title badly colors my perception of this whole song. The song itself is what I would describe, as a professional reviewer, as hell of 80s retro. 8-bit style synths open the proceedings, followed closely by sax that manages to be evocative of late 80s dance hits and Skinemax flicks. That is this thing’s basic deal, ambitions album title aside, it’s an 80s “R n’ B” dance jam. It’s not at all a bad one at that, but like, yeah… Fuck Jams.

Pablo Nouvelle - You Do Me WrongPablo Nouvelle
True to Me
Ooohhhh man. This is the one. You should like soul. You just really should. I don’t know if we can be friends if you don’t. “True To Me” is like remember when DJ Shadow was big and he cut up some old soul songs-all smooth and sad at the same time and layered some beats over that? Remember how super good that was? Pablo Nouvelle is the guy who is doing music that sounds like that, without being overly DJ-y. In stark contrast to that KOPPS jam, this is the song makes me want to be tender with my woman. (If a had a woman. Want to be my woman?) I’ve listened to this song 20 times already. This is the jam. Pablo, do more and send it our way alright?

THE MADE THIS ONE PRIVATE. NO EMBED CODE. CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY.

- Jayson

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