Sipping some coffee this monday morning, having some wonderfully peaceful music swim around my head courtesy of Alexia Avina and her debut EP, Kind Forest.
Category: Reviews
dusk // dawn, by Spacedtime
dusk // dawn is the latest instrumental beat project from UK producer Spacedtime, a 10-track album released the 25th of July, 2014.
Controversial, by Luxury Elite
Treating myself to some quick goodies this morning, Controversial, the 3-track EP from Luxury Elite available via TAR
Our Season, by Lost Trail/Plains Druid
Good morning internet fiends and music lovers! Today I have some lovely sounds cascading towards me and my steaming cup of coffee; the latest split cassette release from Little League Records, OUR SEASON by Lost Trail and Plains Druid.
AIRLESS, by THE PAST
Spastic and melodic chopped chords warmly greet me at the front door of this record. I am met by beautifully arranged vocals, interesting instrumentation and overall psychedelic goodness. This morning I am listening to AIRLESS by group THE PAST, an 8 track record released by Montréal imprint Jeunesse Cosmique on May 13th, 2014.
V O L U M Ξ T R I X X, by DIY▲PYЯΛMID
Good morning internet! I am enjoying some deep web sounds this morning from none other than DIY▲PYЯΛMID, we have latest release from the Portland sound-constructor titled V O L U M Ξ T R I X X. Released May 19th 2014, it’s available via Illuminated Paths for cassette or digital download.
D E E P S P A A C E, by Stefan Christov
So I have been enjoying this album for the past couple weeks, it has become a G0-To listen in the car for long mellow drives as well as kicking around the crib if I want something groovy yet unobtrusive! D E E P S P A C E by Stefan Christov is a psychedelic beat tape with a variety of influences, swirling together to create a lengthy and lovely album.
D E E P S P A C E is a beefy tape, 15 tracks full of ideas! Each one peppered in their own way with delicate melodies squeezed from synthesizers and keys guided along by lazy 808’s. Some songs sport more energy than others, anthemic trap beats soaring above the clouds, whereas other tracks leave us with nothing but ambient stargazing (always a good thing)! Its great to hear producers tackle both, its all to easy to hide behind beats, or simply create soundscapes, but to create both and twine them together is a great task indeed! Stefan Christov proves his abilities with this release, each track maintaining a sense of surreal beauty no matter what the rhythmic backing.
Theres also some lovely sampling on here and some interesting takes on beats, twisting trap and boom-bap around to a steady pulse. Though it is abstract and experimental, it is all easy on the ears! All this makes D E E P S P A C E the perfect summer road-trip album for those late nights coming home or early mornings chasing the sun. It’s got great spacey vibes and you can grab it via bandcamp now and name your own price! Upon writing this I have also discovered Stefan has released another album in the meantime, so I will be listening to that soon! Until then, enjoy D E E P S P A C E…..
20XXビート, by WTCHDCTR
Tonight I am listening to some haunting and beautiful beats by WTCHDCTR, his latest EP titled “20XXビート” is 4 tracks of luscious and spaced out beats, soaked in reverb, dripping with style.
This project has a relaxed warmth to it that is quite pleasing to the ears. Swelling synthesizers rest behind the action in each song perfectly, creating quite the cosmic-soundscape to paint beats and melodies on top of. WTCHDCTR does this by means of intriguing vocal samples, tracks being motivated by trap style drums. There is minimal urgency in these tunes, and thats exactly what you want from something like this, perfect beats for a warm summer night. Slightly melancholy, whether by nostalgia or situation, only enhances the beauty.
The tracks maintain a fairly chill vibe, On My Mind being the obvious acception. However, even so the relaxed and spacey attitude is still there, in whispering synths paired with eerie vocal cuts. The deep bass lulls you inward, while the haunting melodies keep you hypnotized.
For what it is, “20XXビート” is a great little release. I feel like theres nothing I havent heard going on here, but in this instance it’s done so well! Though its only 4 tracks, you can pick this one up on Cassette via the bandcamp page. Also available for digital download, or stream it above! Whatever you do, enjoy!
SKY念仏, by Sanmi
Time for a brief recommendation! This is Sanmi. I discovered this producer some years ago on soundcloud, maybe late 2009, through his electronic noodling and waveshaping. The music he creates runs the spectrum from ambient noodling to deep house and electro. His latest EP from HZ Recordings titled “Diaspora” was a wonderful little piece of fantastic electronic tracks, and also a highly recommended listen!
His personal page coins himself as “Japan based experimentalist Kyo Yanagi describes his alter ego as an experimental unit since 1998. He uses algorithmic and process based electronic composition techniques, creating textures which fluctuate from warm and delicate to visceral and abrasive.” Which is the perfect description for his sonic creations. So his latest project SKY念仏 showed up in my feed, I was excited what I would be hearing!
Only 2 tracks, this EP is apparently an experiment in “Vocal work with bottles and rice”, which is abundantly clear upon the beginning of the first track! Pulsing full tones accompany steady shakers (I can only guess that this is where the bottles and rice comes into play!), layered with interesting vocal chanting. This is a great window into the mind of this producer, using such sparse and acoustic instrumentation, we see the style stripped down to the very base level. Within the instrumentation and natural rhythms of this release I can hear the direct connection to his sine-wave experiments and other electronic projects, feeling ties between the improvised melodies and slow growth formula.
All in all, its a strange and enjoyable little release for someone like me, and it can serve as a fantastic introduction to this producers material. If you are looking for something off the beatin’ path, look no further than Sanmi’s extensive catalog, you’ll be sure to find something you can enjoy!
Yacht Fire! by Marcus Eads
What a wonderful little project! This EP is 5 tracks recorded live to tape in April/May 2014. Marcus Eads is a musician and a songwriter, or more elegantly stated on his page, he is as “instrumental improvisationalist • bioacoustic field recordist • magnetic tape enthusiast • church youth director” , combining his interests and passions into fantastic works of sonic art.
“Yacht Fire!” is another in the series of brief EP’s put out by Marcus, several of these with a couple full-lengths have hit the web since late 2012, and the catalog continues to grow, both in size and style. This newest EP features a distinct new flavor throw into the usual crockpot of lo-fi americana noodling, a special spice perhaps! The instrumentation is more diverse than previous projects, including percussion tracks, sparse keys and vibes, as well as what I might guess is some sample sounds! Flavors of vapor and mallsoft inspiration drip from the tape on this one, slow and washed out grooves looping endlessly into a blissful oblivion….
As always, Marcus’s guitar improvisations prove to be a subtle highlight of the whole experience. It is simply easy to get lost in this playing, the nostalgic vibe in the tone and rhythms applied create a very delicious and addicting listening experience. I often find myself playing through these EP’s and albums two or three times, simply because it is so pleasing to the ears!
I must say, I am a fan of the traditional style usually applied to his releases, but Marcus managed to mix in the perfect amount of new ideas with tried and true foundation. It was great to hear things mixed up a bit, yet it seems like Marcus hasn’t missed a step. I look forward to more sonic exploration from this artist, as it is always a pleasure when it finds itself my way. Marcus Eads, Yacht Fire! A highly recommended listen!
Eternity Tree 