Category: Quick Picks

Environment, by Liuos

Quick Picks

Environment is a new Dub-Techno EP by producer Liuos, out now on the wonderful Cold Tear Records!

The EP itself is a lovely little listen. The 4 lengthy songs are the perfect balance of warmth and chill – with soothing pads flowing behind pulsing cool kicks. Much in the tradition of the rest of Cold Tear’s discography, the techno is incredibly atmospheric.

Allowing yourself to become hypnotized by the rhythm can lead to another listening experience that is equally as enjoyable – peeling back the dub techno layers to soak in the pure atmospheric ambience that each track is built atop of.

Environment is a great addition to any Dub-Techno playlist or collection, it’s also a great place to start for those new to the genre thanks to it’s pure nature and digestible runtime. Support the artist and the label by getting the digital edition today from Bandcamp!

WOLFEP064, by Retromigration

Quick Picks

WOLFEP064 is a 6-track Jazz-House project by Amsterdam-based Retromigration, released by Wolf Music Records UK.

This EP is perfect Feel-Good Friday sounds – dancing between retro house shuffles and hip-hop boom baps. High groove-ability meets extremely high re-playability. Packed with mellow energy, perfect for drives to the beach or perhaps a little pregame session. Classy and classic house music with a healthy dose of sunshine.

Slide over to Bandcamp to pick up the 12″ Record or stream/purchase the digital!

Flying in the Sky, by BROKEN KIDZ

Quick Picks

Flying in the Sky is an experimental post-vaporwave album by BROKEN KIDZ (aka VDMR) presented by the good folks over at Engram Recordings.

The album is a beautiful swirl of psychedelic downtempo beats lathered in vaporwave inspiration. Thick with reverberation – Flying in the Sky takes the listener on a hazy, blissed-out journey – complete with in flight cocktails and complimentary entertainment!

Spanning 12 tracks, the album is a nice long listen with lots of creativity to get lost in. BROKEN KIDZ does a great job of meditating on each tracks nuances, allowing room for lots of riffs and concepts to breath. Tracks like Cross Faded are a magnificent shoegaze expedition in a gigantic geode encrusted cavern. The sound is a lovely balance between popular vaporwave tropes and experimental electronic influences, with flavors of harsh noise and grunge peeking through the layers. The droning vocals add a distinct touch to the style, injecting sensations of post-rock and drugged up punkers.

All in all it’s a nice release, definitely worth a listen or three. For fans of the more experimental side of vaporwave. You can listen and download now via Engram Recordings bandcamp page!

Watershed, by Dao De Noize

Quick Picks

Watershed by Dao De Noize is a contemplative and brooding ambient project presented by Wormhole World Records.

The 5 tracks are lengthy and expansive, conveying potent feelings and visuals throughout the playtime. Amidst the avant-garde synth work lurks an ominous energy that is sprawling yet not rushed. Stylistically speaking, the album occupies a space in between atmospheric ambient and soft industrial. Mellow enough to be relaxing but imbued with deep emotions that lend to the darkness and a sense of urgency.

Watershed explores some longform concepts as well, including the 5th and final track which clocks in at a whopping 32 minutes. These longer tracks allow Dao De Noize to really find foothold in the sounds, slowly churning and evolving as time ticks on. Macrostudies in ambient-techno and fuzzy radio waves gliding across the landscape.

For fans of Dark Ambient and Industrial, Watershed will be a deeply satisfying experience and likely will be on rotation for several years thanks to both its listenability and ability to challenge the listener. Watershed was created by Ukrainian artist Artem Pismenetskii aka Dao De Noize – all proceeds will be donated to Ukrainian support charities. While the CD is sold out already, we can still enjoy the digital edition via Wormhole Worlds Bandcamp Page.

TREETRAX VOLUME ONE

Quick Picks

We are incredibly proud and excited to announce a brand new compilation series in collaboration with our label branch WEBELOTRAX RECORDS – we present to you TreeTrax Volume One!

18 Producers and Artists gathered together to create and experiment for this project. We encouraged all participants to not worry about genre but to focus on exploring their own creative essence. The result is broad, bold and impressive to say the least.

The track list explores the more gritty and eclectic side of underground electronic music – pinballing between floating ambience to distorted groove in a most satisfying way.

We hope this collection of songs is inspiring, perhaps a little challenging, because that’s how the underground flourishes. Please explore and support all the participating artists directly!

snow day ep, by hyacinth.

Quick Picks

Snow day ep by hyacinth is a relaxed downtempo trip-hop project with a touch of post-vaporwave lofi looping vibes.

Rooted in experimental bedroom beat-making energy, the 9 track ep swirls through samples, riffs and grooves with an effortless sense of style. The dusty boom-bap percussion layered with warped jazzy samples take me back to 2008, evoking feelings of Madlib and Boards of Canada.

This little beat tape packs a lot of heart and creative energy into its relatively short playtime – it won my heart over and I found myself playing it on repeat. Perfect for mellow mornings with a warm cup of coffee.

You can support the artist and pick up the release for ONLY 2 BUCKS via their self operated label peradam tapes.

Beyond the Starbox [Deluxe Edition], by Jake Stevenson

Quick Picks

Dreamy dissonance and celestial chimes from this stellar re-release by Jake Stevenson presented by Legendary Entertainment.

Beyond the Starbox is a intriguing and satisfying little album that captures fuzzy feelings of nostalgia with a healthy spoonful of existential dread. Lathered and rinsed in retro video game vibes, I often felt like I was exploring some polygonal landscape before clipping into a bizarre hidden zone. The comforting yet haunting aura of drifting pianos and hazy distorted synthesizers evokes some pretty potent emotions, packing a whole lot of emotion into the gently dissonant soundscapes.

The second half of the project is a full-album remix by Second Sight – offering yet another angle to view this bizarre world. Quite a unique concept which definitely adds to the charm and playability of this album.

The project is officially available on Cassette now as well as digital editions via Bandcamp.

dusk eater, by krzyzis

Quick Picks

Whimsical yet melancholy ambient explorations from Canadian producer krzyzis – dusk eater is a pleasant long-form 7 track album of nostalgic soundscapes.

The central element of this release is pressure and tension. Each track forms around a drone backbone, eventually spurring into more abstract and avant-garde directions. Sudden harmonic dissonance, the occasional plucking of strings, a distant siren crying – all swirling together to create a sound that is somehow both relaxing and exciting.

There is something very grounded about this project as well. I am not sure what it is, but it harkens back to the days of Windham Hill albums – ambient with a purpose and a deep emotion associated with it. Perhaps its the ‘movement’ within each piece – krzyzis does a wonderful job not allowing drone/ambient to become stale or stagnant.

This one is good for mellow late nights or as the perfect soundtrack for whatever book you are currently reading! The album is available now digitally via the artists Bandcamp page.

Limnociclo, by Druida

Quick Picks

New experimental sounds from the Vivarium Recordings camp!

Limnociclo by Druida is a marvelous experience of sonic exploration – successfully weaving together threads of lofi chiptunes, long lost casio loops and an atmosphere of thick smoke.

I am always a big fan of electroacoustic experimentation, so Limnociclo ended up being a deeply satisfying experience for me. Druida masterfully layers very intimate pluckings and tappings with urgent bass and frothing pads of dissonance. The result is a surreal and soundtrack-esque experience.

Tracks like Forma really caught my attention, fusing together reggaeton and post-vaporwave into a downtempo groove. Or Nowhere FM – where the true experimentality of the project is given space to breathe and flourish.

I could go on about how the rhythmic shredding massages my brain, how the project is mixed so masterfully that you can almost taste the local climate, or how flawlessly the album glides between genres and tones. To put it simply, you need to hear it to understand, and I highly recommend this one.

You can stream and download the project now from Vivarium Recordings bandcamp page.

Synergy, by Isamesu

Quick Picks

Synergy is a 4 track EP of radically luscious soundscapes and gritty experimental techno created by Isamesu and presented by Illegal Alien Records.

This release really drew me in – gripping my attention with fierce determination. This is psychedelic ambient music that has been soaked in absinthe and distortion for a fortnight. Fusing together ambient mentality with techno urgency, Isamesu communicates a feeling of futuristic antiquity with their layers of frothing percussion and otherworldly synths. The sounds provoke you to contemplate – encouraging the listener to stand on their toes and scan the horizon, hunted and haunted.

Truly energetic and unique, throw this one on for big cyberpunk vibes and archaic inspiration. Available now digitally or on cassette via the label’s Bandcamp page.