Seikomart Japan presents us with this lovely long player from Diskette Park, Contempo. 22 tracks of lush washed-out Vaporwave that rides the mallsoft vibe quite well – offering a great balance of melody and texture. The album is quite cohesive, after playing this one top to bottom a few times, it’s something wonderful to experience as a whole piece. There’s definitely some stand out hits, but it’s best to just sit back and get lost in it….
Happy Monday music fans! Back with a fresh batch of recently released sonic goodness. Lots of great sounds coming out this past week from some favorite labels. Won’t bog you down with too much talk this time, dive in and enjoy the tunes!
Fragments, by default.cfg
Released by Bogus Collective and Eternal Vibes
Experimental / Post-Internet / Vaporwave
E C C O J O I N T S, by ｏ．ｓ．░ｃｌａｎ
Released by Illuminated Paths
Vaporwave / Hip Hop / Experimental
Tatlo, by Imelda Marcos
Released by Already Dead Tapes
Experimental / Prog / Math Rock
The Work of Morrow, by Jeffrey Holmes
Released by DMT Tapes FL
Beats / Lofi / Vaporwave
Generations, by Anarchist Mountains
Released by Lotano Series/Rhos! Records
Ambient / Experimental / Drone
The Grand Parade of Lifeless Packaging, by M.A.S.S.
Released by Tomorrow Entertainment Records
Avant Garde / Noise / Drone
Mary Jane, by Capitalist1991
Released by Bogus Collective
Vaporwave / Retro / Midiwave
Hello music lovers! It’s time for another FRESH BATCH of awesome underground music!
This week has proven to be ULTRA underground – with quite a few records and projects being “Self Released”. Seeing this trend got me thinking to myself – what really is the purpose of a record label these days? Certainly the role has changed in the past years and decades, leading many independent producers to push releases without any sort of Label backing. The self-release of projects is DIY to the core – and even if there isn’t a stated label presence, many of these releases are propelled forward by word of mouth and pure sonic interest.
So what does all this mean? What is the takeaway!? NOTHIN! Just a bunch of great music, so strap in and listen up folks, there’s gold in them-there hills!
Easy Listening, by Centrofovar
Self Released
Electropop / Lofi / Future Funk
Fondest Memory, by Rosentwig
Self Released
Chillwave / Electropop / Post-Vaporwave
改善策, by Jackswan Turner
Self Released
Atmospheric Beats / Experimental / Lofi
Romantic Walks to the Middle of Nowhere, by J_ade_
Self Released
Alternative Pop / R&B / Lofi
Mem Aleph, by Mukqs
Released by Jacktone Records
Techno / Atmospheric / Outsider House
DEMO., by Mr. Simpson
Released by Illuminated Paths
Experimental / Drone / Ambient
INSOMNIASONGZ, by CALI四TYPE
Released by Girly Girl Musik
Dark Ambient / Drone / Experimental
Micro Dub EP, by Malik Faquir
Released by Hello Strange
Dub / Techno / Ambient
Death Keeps Me Awake, by Distant Animals
Released by Engram Recordings
Experimental / Ambient / Noisescape
Suculenta, by Palm Era
Released by Ingrown Records
Lofi Beats / Outsider Techno / Experimental
From Vivarium Recordings comes a blissful and contemplative new release by Halogen Star titled Antimatter Mirror. A followup to Aprils Elysian Ascension – this 10 track project dances around the concepts of minimal ambient techno and vapordrone – never overstaying its welcome in any particular vibe.
There is quite the impressive subtlety in Halogen Stars music, making close and repeat listens incredible rewarding. Delicate synths and textures do their best to sneak past you the first time, revealing themselves and all their glory only to those who inspect close enough!
Emerald is the latest full-length project from electronic producer boycalledcrow. Had this one recommended a little while back and I have been thoroughly enjoying it ever since! It’s a playfully vibrant collection of tracks that evokes lofty feelings of magic cyber fantasy – at many times I felt the world around me was transforming into a N64 platformer.
There is a big video game vibe on this one – with melodic synths ringing over the tracks like wind chimes – buzzing bass guiding us around this strange new world. Subtle energy is also a big theme, with vibes and feelings flourishing rather than being smothered by overcompensation. Percussion is often sparse and merely a suggestion – rhythms and energies being delegated across the sonic spectrum.
I adore boycalledcrows wide spectrum of sounds – with acoustic instruments mingling flawlessly with lush electronics – it’s not electroacoustic but it definitely adds some premium texture and depth when in appears! The whole thing is very mellow, with a relaxed positive aesthetic and all around ease, making it wonderful for repeat listens.
The CD edition of the album is available via Wormhole World Records
After seriously enjoying SAD MANs release last month – UNTITLED ALBUM – I was very much looking forward to this smaller drop that was scheduled on his bandcamp to release June 3rd. What we’ve received is a beautiful 9-track “remix” project in which SAD MAN dives back into some select songs from his latest LP, revisiting the themes to provide entirely new interpretations!
As with his previous release, the songs dwell in the realm of true sonic exploration – where I felt his work was of a deconstructed nature, the vibe is even more potent on this latest project. The sounds more than ever appear to have been sliced out of the air, jumbled around on the floor, and crafted back together into some kind of mosaic masterpiece.
Lots of very satisfying sounds in here as well. I have found myself being lulled into a state of trust and relaxation, with wooden percussion rolling around me and buzzing squelching synths flying past my ears. This time around the Jazz vibes are bigger too – especially with tracks like “Ceep” which features some tender piano noodlings, or “Dog” which feels like an experimental open jazz session led by a slick pocket drummer on the kit.
Another highly recommended listen – digital edition is currently available for download via the artists Bandcamp page and is Pay what you Want! So don’t wait and grab yours today…
Hairs aBlazin’ Label brings us this lovely split-cassette project featuring TVVIN_PINEZ_M4LL & Δcid.rar . The vaporwave project has a loose concept to it, characterized by the eyes watching us from inside the album. The watchman has become lustful, and this is the soundtrack inside his thoughts… The music evokes thick feelings of nostalgia, longing, regret and hope.
Digital download is available via bandcamp as well as a Cassette available, edition of 24, so get em while you can! They look gorgeous with the red tape housed in a black case, and the artwork lending a VHS Tape vibe, digging it for sure and hopefully I can pick up a copy before they are all gone…
Memphis Dronegaze outfit Nonconnah are back to bless us with a small selection of B-Sides, or “Outtakes” as they cinematically refer to them, which were recorded between 2015-2018.
The resulting collection is a subtle and blissful gathering of sounds – with a general uplifting vibe to the work. As always there is a selection of other musicians enlisted to fill-out the sonic landscape, though most of the tracks seem to be produced by the core unit. Overall this one is quite nice, a relaxing little listen, and a pleasant surprise to see pop up in my feed today! Do yourself a favor and give it a spin – you can name your own price for the download via the artists Bandcamp page…
Experimental Electronic + Jazz musician SAD MAN presents us with an epic new release UNTITLED ALBUM, which dropped back at the beginning of May. This beefy 21 track epic is a true experiment in abstract electronics, with a heavy lean towards resonant glitches and deconstructed club sounds.
At times UNTITLED ALBUM steers into quite adventurous territories, adopting flavors from world music, IDM, glitch hop and more to create his own unique electronic flavor. The songs themselves are hearty meals, rarely dipping below 3 minutes in length, leaving plenty of time to explore sonic ideas and freely wander the landscape of sound.
SAD MAN music seems to lean heavily towards dissonant experimentation, with rhythms propelling the vibe forward at a steady tempo. Though the sounds used may not be stranger to club atmosphere, it is the way all the sounds are broken down – stripped to their essence, and repurposed in a way to tell an entirely different story. Grooves appear as quickly as they disappear – percussion being somewhat nebulous, sometimes held by some boom bap drums, other times being completely phased into crushed synths and chopped waveforms. A track can fly from footwork madness to lofi house vibes in a matter of moments, and yet it all works quite well, with SAD MAN never losing footing within each track.
On the whole, UNTITLED ALBUM is a damn good work of art. It’s a rewarding listen, the kind you enjoy time and time again, with and without headphones – at home, in the car, etc. Take it with you in life and see how it morphs the landscape around you – a premium vibe augmentation.
Really strong recommendation on this one – the best word I can use to describe the complete project is Therapeutic. Something about the nature of the sounds, the mystery of where each track leads, it all put me very much at ease. Even the sounds themselves – I often found myself feeling quite entranced, as if my mind was being massaged through the airwaves. Perhaps you will have the same experience, and I encourage you to give it a shot!
The album is available to stream and download via the artists Bandcamp page – as well as a Compact Disc edition (which I will likely pick up in the near future!). SAD MAN has a healthy discography on his bandcamp page too, and with a remix-album set to release tomorrow, anyone who enjoys ought to be excited…
Shamane back y’all! A proclamation stated on the releases bandcamp page – ultra extra is the latest full length project from prolific techno-weirdo Pop Culture Shamane! Lush with psychedelic electronic exploration and noodling, it is easy to get lost in this project. Dense textures wash over innocent melodies, all being propelled forward by deconstructed club grooves. It’s truly a satisfying listen from start-to-finish. The album has just been released via Ingrown Records, if you download via bandcamp you will receive a 27-page booklet of shamane rhymes “i can eat my slang” which is equally as twisted-brilliant. If you aren’t familiar with the work of Shamane NOW IS THE TIME!!
popularcultureshaman.com/
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Eternity Tree 