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Kuvatud on postitused sildiga Indietronica. Kuva kõik postitused
Kuvatud on postitused sildiga Indietronica. Kuva kõik postitused

1/29/2011

[Compilation] VV.AA. - Rock Against Mommies vol. I: Attack Of The Space Mommies (Kill Mommy)


Don`t be afraid of the Sicily-based label Kill Mommy Records` slogan which suggests that this is a label for homemade rock`n`roll for amateurs. In fact, this so-called amateur-ish music has its powerful output and subtle sense of feeling which often overweights lots of examples regarding so-called established (indie) music. Here are 25 tracks represented showcasing a retrospective cut about the label`s active period during the last 2 years including such artists like Vanny Zero, Nowhere Boy Simon, The Last Merendina, The Big Wireman, Thee Undead Big Blues Shit, With Bubble In The Jungle, Dead Bugs, Ryan Patrick, Cafè Bakunin, Stereo Moon, The Brazierlights In The Window, Johnny Hoodoo, Vaqueros Paganos, Quint Baker, Jim Guittard, Ana Threat, My Pal Dragon, Plakonik Projekt, Thedirtycoast, Therese De Genova, Jon E. Erkkila, Sbirros, Gone Fishing, Mumble Mumble Mumble, and Billcarson. In a more concrete way, here can be heard such kind of music which veers from crackly blues and rockabilly madness to sophisticated alt-folk/folk indie/weird folk experiments and catchy indietronic jams, from psychedelic garage shootings and schizoid strummings to new wave and austere, roots-influenced string music from straightforward grrl riot punk to rough, even exorcized bass gears of psych-rock. The geographical range is also ultramundane: from Italy to USA, from Canada to Scotland, from Argentina to France, from Brazil to New Zealand, from Austria to Denmark. One cover can also be found from here:Nancy & Frank Sinatra`s Something Stupid by Vaqueros Paganos.

Listen to it here

1/15/2011

[Compilation] Various Artists - 23 Evergreens Vol.2 (23 Seconds)


The Gothenburg-based label 23 Seconds has been a crisscrosser of different indie styles or at least strongly indie-infused electronic pop genres for some years. Here represented 23 tracks released inbetween 2008-2010 do offer a proper overview about the backbone of the label. No doubt, the selection compiled by H Johan Lundin and Jesper Larsson is decent enough reflecting upon some exceptions as well - hip-hop (Dynamo 414; Conspiracy of Mind) and trance-induced bubblegum rave (Clone DJ) and post-metal (The Big Sleep In Search Of Hades). The other artists include Henrik Josè, Azoora, Jenifer Avila, Shampoo Tears, Azeda Booth, Adam & Alma, Ixtlan, Danish Daycare, Cosmic Spring, The Womb, Azoora, Can`t Stop The Daggers, and Emerald Park.

Listen to it here

1/06/2011

Pinkle House Plants (Aaahh)


Let`s still continue with some handsome sounds from Chicago (the previous time was dedicated to the (post-)psychedelic experimentalism-drenched ensemble Crouching_World) this time it is focused upon the singer-songwriter Bryn Martin aka Pinkle`s follow-up to the Invertible (2009, self-released/Jamendo) and shitloads of albums previously released on Jamendo. Beside it he is used to upload and show up his works in progress and a bunch of completed songs on his home page.

By studying himself in Lausanne, Switzerland, Europe the 13-track album House Plants is released under the German-based label Aaahh Records, obviously not incidentally though, as Martin`s music is getting really close to the mid-European indietronic/folktronic tradition. The restraint acoustic guitar/ukulele loops are mingled together with his soulful, half-filtered vocals and mostly sublime electronica (using legendary electric/electronic keyboards like the Mini Moog synth and the Farfisa organ among the vast array of acoustic instruments), sometimes letting come forth some abrupt sonority as well, by this way, reminding of Beck (Alibi). In general, it can be resumed up to be more album-oriented music.

In conclusion, by supposing him as a kind of simple (not simplistic at all, though) and gentle musician as a person on his own, in any cases, his music is really worth to get a try to letting you to be thrown away from disturbingly surrounding accidental noise over to the middle of grass and flowers.

Listen to it here

8.9

1/01/2011

Hong Kong In The 60s Places (Bandcamp)


Hong Kong In The 60s is a London-based trio, lined up by Mei Yau Kan (vocal, guitar, keys), Christopher Greenberg (vocal, guitar, keys), and Tim Scullion (vocals, guitars, keys). Their 8-track sophomore Places EP - the follow-up to the Willow Pattern Songs EP (2009, Proper Songs) is full of mesmerizing, chillout/easy listening-soaked shards, dominantly loaded with the space age pop and exotica pop sensibility. Indeed, they are deeply get involved in mighty psychedelic grooves to draw upon kinds of moods and shades popularized by Jean-Jacques Perrey, Gershon Kingsley, Mort Garson, and the Barrons approximately 4 decades ago. As you have figured out yet, indeed, a set of simplistic and robust yet catchy, a bit dreadful, altogether full-blown, synth-based melodies-harmonies and burbling cadences can be expected for. Almostly, though. One of the two exceptions is A Bad Night Out which is into the exploiting of vintage-looking, downbeat-drenched Latin rhythms (of course, mingling it with electronic effects). The second feature is Disintegration The Advisory Circle Reshape, as the title admits, it is not their own creative output, playing out a notch of contemporary indie electronica/indietronica/poptronica/glo-fi. By the way, the release name of this Sean O`Hagan-afforded group is obviously used to be a hint at their vast scale of their nowadays and previous residing places/countries (The UK, Hong Kong, Brazil, Japan, Spain, Africa). In a nutshell, without some exceptions, as it is noticed above, it is an excellent quasi-retrospective/retrogard-ish outlook.

Listen to it here

9.8

12/29/2010

[Compilation] Totokoko Christmas Compilation (Totokoko)


Here is a compilation of 19 tracks from Japan, though, more concretely, if to check out for the names, not all the artists are the Japanese heritage by their roots. For instance, Ryan Cohen, who offers opportunity to Ron Sexsmith`s Maybe This Christmas. This is a compilation which is dedicated to the Christmas (as the Christmas present with music, drawings/illustrations/photos and one video by the Totokoko label) showcasing a vast array of diverse indie spheres, veering from restrained keyboards-driven indie pop and folktronica/fingepicked guitar pop wrapped in by glockenspiel chords and accidental concrete music sounds to more shibuya-kei-touched dynamic outputs, chamber-alike infused progressions, lo-fi-inflected sonic backbones, creeping, capella-near notches and some instrumental, piano-relied "interludes". The only exception is the closure track Wallpaper of the Soul by Kraffa which is used to be a 100 percent-electronic one being deep(ly) techno(-)reflected and even slightly dubstep-hued. The favorites of mine are [.que]`s Silver Light, Wool Strings`s Sleep Green, and AMERICAN GREEN`s The Clock Tower And The Fountain, and Ibuki Yushi`s Noel Readying Experience.

All in all, in fact, it may be seem at times that the compilation is not pretended to be upon the highest aesthetical level because of the natural restriction of conceptual thing on its own, on the other side, it is filled with heartful touches for the biggest red-letter day and quiet times.

Listen to it here

12/14/2010

I Have A Box Bunnies (Fwonk)


This 6-track set of a debut album consists of a subtle net of indietronica/poptronica, caustic electronic pop, fusion, downtempo and post-rock as well, having its roots apparently set in the synthetic approach of obscure bands in the 70`s, of kosmische musik, more detailly, drifting between rock-esque sensitivity and ambient music, respectively. So it is placed between soothing and dynamic, between static and trippy, having mainly based upon extended guitar chords, unarticulated but epic vocal segments, cluster-laid rhythm sections (sometimes march-angled) and airy or shimmering synth wisps coiling up into the upper dimensions at times. In a kind of weird way, it can be considered either austere or lush at the same time. In a nutshell, if you are used to be a sympathizer of GY!BE, Air, Monokle, or God Is An Astronaut, this album is up here to be directed for you.

Listen t it here

9.2

11/19/2010

Friendship Home (Friendship)


The easiest way to describe the Australian Nic Brown`s release would be to put it into a mould being set up somewhere between Panda Bear`s (Noah Lennox) solo works and chillwave-ish point of view. (By the way, one track, being one of the most mellow ones is named Noah_Frienship and Friendship Bands). 11 tracks are tensely fulfilled by pitched or reversed vocals, repeated chords, programmed glockenspiels, half-loaded orchestrations, synth effects, fingerpicked guitar echoes, and epic harmonies as well. On the other side, its methodology is sometimes used to be based upon loose and primitivistic approach which can be admitted as its best at Sexy Bones, or idiosyncratically brassy soulful tunes (Hip). Obviously Optim 2 is a quintessential example of having respectively built up on lo-fi and nicely tuned harmonies. This album might have been a top notch if the balance had more keened to involve more melodies and harmonies into its whole. Lethargically characterized sonic patterns are not for to be the best case for Brown`s music, though.

Listen to it here

8.4

11/09/2010

Monokle & Galun In Frame (12rec)


Vladislav Kudryatsev & Aleksandr Kumach aka the Arkhangelsk-based combo Monokle`s third album Tesaurus (under Id.eology) was one of the best albums of 2009. Now Kumach has left the band and Kudryatsev is joined by a former beatboxnik and otherwise versatile artist Sergey Galunenko aka Galun and the result does seem even in better way to be sound. 12 tracks give testimony of prominent examples of songwriting, balancing between post-rock, poptronica, chillout, downtempo, indie rock. It is used to be continually dense, and warm, and mostly it is so intensely loaded with dreams that the soundscape does seem a bit lazy in the good manner sounding up very nostalgic and relaxing to my ears, conjuring up gratifying listening memories from the past by approximately 10-12 years ago. The tracks like Crossed Fingers, and Means are reminiscent of the manner by Brendan Perry, and the beatific times when I spent the most of my time in the bibliothek of the Tartu University for listening to Dead Can Dance among others. Regarding the next track (Justalite) I shall have to ask you do you remember Louis Armstrong`s great track We Have all the Time in the World for one of the James Bond-related soundtrack? (It was also covered by My Bloody Valentine). Regarding the motive of this track you can see really close similarity with it. Get At Will remembers one of the toughest work, being grew up from the Estonian underground scene Bizarre`s sophomore album Cafe de Flor (1996, Forwards), especially the track Airs Of Arabia with otherworldly chanting female voice and shoegazers` atmospheric guitar swayings. In a nutshell, one of the best works of the 2010.

Listen to it here

9.8

11/02/2010

Ballpen The dreams trilogy (La bèl)


In recent years, among others, I am used to get deeply involved in music of some Italian labels having stylistically been offering different yet conceptually cutting-edge outputs. More specifically, every release under Barbie Noja, Chew-Z, Kill Mommy, Zymogen, and La bèl is an unexpected one and really worth to give a try. In fact, concerning specifically on in Italy residing projects I have discovered such ones like The Last Meredina, Nicola Ratti, con_cetta, Christian Alati, Barbagallo, The Japanese Gum, Menion, Elisa Luu, Difondo. By the side, speaking about the music from the Apennine Peninsula in a more general way, it would be a kind of crime not to mention the likes of Hox Vox, Ornitology, Les Dix-Huit Secondes, The reason is clear - because all of these aforementioned bands have put on their very own mentality to some Anglo-American influences. However, it seems so that there are two geographical peripheries in Europe which are really rich by their innovative music - Finland (their powerful avant-garde folk experimentations, so-called forest folk) and Italy. In the context, no chance to get over by Kraftwerk - Eleganz und Dekadenz Europa endlos

Actually the array will be completed with adding of Ballpen, the project of Alessandro Coronas, conjuring up really interesting and intimate dream-alike soundscapes. (And other billions of strange and funny combinations of the puzzle-pieces of my life - as he says himself) 11 tracks do search for their place and borders hovering between folk music, cowbell indie, sub-IDM beats, chamber music, dream pop, child music, even the classical approach of minimal, sometimes really minimal sonic palette (which is not suprising because of Coronas` conservatory-related background). Of course, the easiest way to chart the whole it would be tagged as "folktronic music", and indeed, this is correct on its own - at least partly. For example, fabulous tracks Anna Lisa goes to bed, and The magazine dream. On the other hand, all of those slowly progressing chamber music lines built up to half-evolved crescendos, intimate sonic insights and introspections, a lot of key changes, subtle minimal electronic and glitch-y ghosts-infused undercurrents are up for to eliminate stylistic walls around its concept and allowing to bring forth a lot of transcendental feelings for a subject. Listening to this I can remember (or it is remembered by) for some soul mates - Oscar Hallbert (Sweden), and Thuoom (Finland). Altogether, a great composition indeed.

Listen to it here

9.7

10/26/2010

The Papertiger Sound Everything Matters (Auteur Recordings)


Dan Gelder ja Kerstin Wilson (aka Ker) on naasnud neljaloolise EP`ga. Nagu ikka, teevad nad sulnist popmuusikat, milles kõnelevad sulnid üleminekud, orgaanilised progressioonid pluss värviküllane erksus. Avalugu Atlas üllatab viiulikäiguga, instrumendiga, mida varem nende loomingus kohanud ei ole. Slowdivelikult strummivad ning õrna overdrive`iga rulluvad kitarrid on juba varasemast tuttav element. Can`t see why on link shoegaze`i ja New Order`i vahel, võttes jalad tatsuma ning viies indie-muusika kuldpäevi meenutama. Lõpulugu we`re modern recordists on atmosfääriline heiastus, kus pulbitseva hillitsetuse tagant näib kohe-kohe shoegaze-sein lahti pääsevat. Ometi seda ei juhtu, ning see ei pruugi ka halb olla. Igatahes see töötab. Kuid paradoksaalsel kombel ei jää nimilugu millegi poolest kõrva. Või tuleks ka edaspidi reliisid tiiteldada eeldatavalt nõrgima träki järgi, et kuidagigi sellele positiivset valgust heita?

Kuula albumit siit

9.0

10/11/2010

Multi-Panel Train Times For Sway (No-Source)


Utrecht`ist pärit Ludo Maas läheneb 2004. aastal salvestatud, kuid muusikatööstuse radaritele nähtamatuks jäänud albumil folkmuusikale tervistavalt nihestatud ülekandega, andes nimetet žanrile uue mõõtme ja vitaalsuse. Tõsi see on, et noore hollandlase muusikat iseloomustab tabavalt multipaneelsuse mõiste, andes seeläbi võimaluse kokkupuutepunktidele ning ohtratele vihjetele.

13-looline album on täidetud meloodikalaadsetest progressioonidest, drone-liinidest, shoegaze`i mikroskoopilistest fookustest, strummivatest akustilistest kitarridest, minimalistlikust elektroonikast ja IDM-rütmikast, lehmakellaindie`st ning lo-fi-laadsest koendist. Vahetevahel paisuvad osad mini- ja kvaasisümfooniateks, teinekord sumbub helijoon kestvasse hillitsetusse (kuigi see on kaunis sumbumine). Eriliselt märkimisväärt on modernklassika ja ambient`i vahele paigutuvad sünkjalt tüüned osised. Omaette väärtus on Maas`i värelev ja varjuküllane vokaalmaneer, kaasates vahetevahel ka amsterdamlanna Pien Feith`i (sooloEP "The Wilderness Sound" aastast 2007, samuti osaline ansamblites The Very Sexuals ning Neonbelle) - kelle vokaal justkui pärineks tänapäeva Põhja-Ameerika eksperimentaalfolgi traditsioonist -, pakkudes suuri momente. Keskmise inditroonilise muusika anonüümsusest kontrastselt eeskujulikum üllitis.

Kuula albumit siit

9.3

9/18/2010

[Vana ning oluline] 7oi Lost under a pile (7oi)


Kas teile meeldib Islandi muusika? Juhtumisi meeldib. Nimetet saare muusikaga on olnud nõndamoodi, et nende tuntuimad popsaadikud on teinud kõrgkunstilist popmuusikat, mis paradoksaalsel kombel leidis laialdast vastukaja paljudes sootsiumites üle ilma. Kas põhjus oli nende kunstiline üleolek teiste maade artistidest? Üks tegur oli kahtlemata Björk - tuntuim ning ilmselt ka meisterlikeim neist kõigist -, teine aspekt võis kurioosumi aktsepteeritavuses peituda. Isepäise muusika mudeli vaikimisi jaatamine ning testimine popmuusika jäigas ning staatilises maailmas (enne Interneti iseenesestmõistetavat kohalolu). Kolmandaks eksootilisuse otsimine turvalisest kohast - läänemaailmast. Praeguseks hetkeks on palju muutunud ning üleilmses globaalkülas on Islandi artistid pelgalt ühed teiste seas. Palju kaugemate maade eksootilisus ning ka tavapärasus on saanud meie elu sagedaseks kaasnähuks.

7oi ei ole kindlasti tuntud artist, kuigi tegutsenud juba kümme aastat ning üllitanud omal käel 6-7 albumit (arv oleneb sellest, kas otsustaja arvestab (nullinda) albumi nimega "0" sisse või mitte). Käesolev album oli salvestatud 2004. aastal suveonnis, mängitud sisse looduslikus eraldatuses paari nädala jooksul. See on ka seletus sellele, miks "Lost under a pile" kõlab ehk veidi naturaalsemalt ja naturalistlikumalt kui islandlase eelnev (islandikeelset tiitlit kandev) üllitis. (Tõsi, täitsa esiotsa muusika oli märksa selgemalt mõjutatud Aphex Twin`i ja Autechre`i loomingust). Venitatud helielemendid, miniorkestratsioonid, orgaaniline elektroonika, nukilised rütmikäigud, manipuleeritud vokaalsämplid, instrumentaalmuusika, kellamäng, introspektiivne kitarritinistamine - nagu ikka seesugune muusika, mida kirjeldatakse žanrimõistete "folktroonika" ja "inditroonika" kaudu. Ometi suudab 7oi end märksa rohkem välja sirutada. Kuigi kummastavate efektidega täidetud sulnis meloodikaelektroonika siin-seal läheneb mùm`i loomingule, suudab 7oi omapära säilitada. Eripära on põhjamaine - siit miilab palju õhku, tüünust ning suvist kargust. That`s a Wrong Opinion ja The Outlines Of The Distant Hills Are Clearly Discernable eristuvad teistest vastavalt agressiivsemate rütmide ja kriipivate sündisaundidega, ning robopopefektidega - luues üleva kontrastefekti. Ning loomulikult ka It’s OK, I Didn’t Feel Like Eating That Anyway võimsa viipega haldjaorkestratsioonid. Väga broo kuulamine.

Kuula albumit siit

8/19/2010

Flyafter Flyafter EP (23 Seconds)


Jakarta kolmiku 4-loolist EP`d kuulates ei jää üle muud kui konstateerida, et järjekordne kauniilmeline ning ajastutruudusest pakatav indiereliis on ilmavalgust näinud (püüdmata seejuures kuidagi irooniline olla). Tänapäevane indie tähendab reeglina pendeldamist akustilise ja elektroonilise helikeele vahel (rõhuasetusega viimase suunas), second-hand`ist soetatud süntekatega nurgeliste helimustrite mängimise kaudu DIY-kultuurile truuduse vandumist ning viimistletud produktsiooniga established popi vundamenti murendades. Keskmisest poploost on siinsed taiesed poolteise minuti jagu pikemad - naiivnaljakas sünteetiline helikeel avardub ning omandab "kredibiilsuse" sametiste sündiorkestreeringute/shoegaze-refräänide ning unistuslikkusest täidetud väljavenitatud vokaali toel. Ning uskuge mind, Indoneesia pealinna indieskeenest leiaksite teisigi suurepäraseid punte.

Kuula albumit siit

9.0

8/18/2010

Jilk Fractured Fulfillment (Bit-Phalanx)


Bristol`i projekti kolmas EP on reliisitud London`i plaadifirma Bit-Phalanx`i all, mis muuseas on tihedalt seotud legendaarse indie label`iga One Little Indian. 6 träkki - mis keskenduvad une- ja teadvusetuseseisunditele - on igati väärt seesuguste seoste kaunistamiseks. Helikontseptsioon, kus kitarrid on sämpliteks lammutatud ning elektroonilistele manipulatsioonidele allutatud, provotseerides kuulajat vastandelementidega silmitsiseismise ning seejärel rahustades orgaaniliseks tervikuks vaibumise kaudu - nurgelised glitch-troonika mustrid ning mürarohkuse genereerimine sulandub sulnite orkestratsioonide ning elektroonikaga, kuhu on meisterlikult põimitud elemente nii musique concrete´ist kui nüüdismuusikast. Artist, kelle lähisugulasteks on nii mùm kui Four Tet, kuigi hetkel teeb Jilk mõlemale kindlalt silmad ette. Enesekindel- ja teadlik oopus.

Kuula albumit siit

9.6

8/12/2010

Elisa Luu The time of waiting (La bèl)


Kui room(a)lanna Elisabetta Luciani alustas oma muusikalist karjääri "Floating Sounds" EP-ga (plaadifirma Phantom Channel) 2008. aastal, siis võis kohe aimu saada, et esile on kerkimas suur self-made-woman sooloartist, kes afektiivset külge ja innovatiivset tehnilist pagast originaalselt segades-rakendades suudab vastassugupoolega sammu käia või neist isegi ees olla, mida - poliitilist korrektsust kõrvale heites - ei juhtu kuigi sageli (meenuvad ainult Jessica Bailiff, Maja Ratkje ja Hanne Adam aka adamned.age). (Loomulikult on ka olemas uusi suundi demonstreerivaid naiskollektiive - nt Anahita, Knitted Abyss ja Pocahaunted). "Floating Sounds" EP kasvas aasta hiljem üle albumiks "Chromatic Sigh" (plaadifirma The Hidden Shoal), mis vähemalt ühes webzine`s valiti 2009. aasta 100 parima albumi sekka. Kui keegi ka esitanuks selle parimaks, siis vaevalt oleks vastuväiteid suvatsetud leida.

Tõesti, Luciani helikeelt iseloomustab imetabane sensitiivsus - et mitte öelda afektiseisunditesse suikumine ja neist ärkamine - sfäärilise elektroonika, klassitsismi, helikunsti, drone`i ja eksperimentaalroki varjundite kaudu. Kui laenata ühte pealkirja tema kauamängivalt, siis võiks seda ka haldjate ruumirokiks nimetada.

Uus, 5-looline EP toob esile uusi toone - avalugu r735 on sulnis tervik post-rock-kangastustest, musique concrete`ist ning happelisest psühhedeeliast/indietronica-rütmidest. Kuid see, mis seejärel hakkab juhtuma, võtab pehmelt öeldes sõnatuks. Elektrooniline lummus paisub sümfooniliseks illusiooniks, ülenedes sakraalseks hümniks. Vaevalt et lõikavad kitarririfid siin-seal enam popkriitikute intellektuaalsetesse skeemidesse mahuvad, kuivõrd keelpillide funktsioon on järsult teisenenud. On see siis kitarri kui peenisepikenduse- või ersatsiga vehkimine, kui seksuaalse frustratsiooni maandamine, kui seksuaalsetele ihadele allumine ah? Naisterahvas lööb need skeemid sassi... . (Mis mõtet on raisata oma aega neile muusikariitikutele, kes kasutavad vanu seletusmudeleid, olles võimetud uut situatsiooni adekvaatselt aduma?) Kuigi ka Elisabetta Luciani allub ihadele, jääb selle suunitlus ilmselgelt traditsioonilisest rock-kehandist väljapoole. Tõsi, ka daam ise pole jälgede segamisega kitsi olnud. Kuidas tuleks lõpulugu Piano 5-1 mõista-haarata? Kui palju on sellel õigupoolest klaverimuusikaga pistmist - kui jätta välja esimesed 30 sekundit -, kui see kõlab nagu noir/space-beat/jazz rock, - kui Death In Vegas remiksiks Spiritualized`i?

Kuula albumit siit

10.0