Brand new ethereal dark ambient from Sulkdrugs – presented by Illuminated Paths.
Pure Evil Bliss houses a collection of glowing-yet-gritty ambient songs forged in the fires of terrifying emotion. The duo dives deep into the recesses of the human mind, reaching in and grabbing serious moods and feelings to flip into potent samples. Radios struggle to find a station, instead succumbing to fuzzy aetherwave static. Mysterious choirs sing gently beyond the fog.
Sometimes hopeful, occasionally melancholy, and not nearly as dark as the album name suggests – Pure Evil Bliss is truly a blissful experience in bedroom ambient. Perfect soundtrack for a contemplative, balmy summer night.
You can purchase the Cassette via Illuminated Paths or enjoy the album on your favorite streaming platform.
Magnificently expressive artistic indie rock from the mind of Californian NOAH KWID.
Childhood is a little tape with big dreams and beautiful ideas housed in a quaint collection of 4 songs. Soaked in a soft and intimate essence – as if sitting in your friends garage with the door open during a light rainstorm, listening to a band practice in the corner as you roll your spliff.
The songs are tasteful construction of sparse yet clever vocals, hearty guitar and intriguing horns. The use of woodwinds and flutes is a welcome addition to the sonic palette, adding a unique depth to the tracks. The unique artistic expressiveness would make David Byrne proud – ultimately boiling down to a very wholesome and honest experience.
The tape is only 4 tracks long, however that becomes deceptive once you press play. Each track lives in it’s own world – bedroom microcosms of emotions and human energy, expressed in pure electro-acoustic waves. For all the pretentious flourishes I am using in this article it’s quite a down-to-earth listen.
The project is available on cassette as well as digital edition via the artists bandcamp page!
From the Inner Ocean Records Lofi Snack Series comes this lovely little EP by beatmaker Tabi – Foggy Nights.
The 3-track bedroom beat project is a groovy little package – dusty beats laced with sweet, melancholy emotion. A little bit worn and crackly like all good chillhop is, these tunes will be at home in any number of “Late Night Study” playlists, and that’s a good thing! I have a personal affinity for little guitar riffs like the ones used in the title track Foggy Nights, lingering in my head for days after listening.
Of course the small EP leaves us wanting more – I have personally given these three tracks over a dozen plays each, simply because the project is so replay-able. Though this is Tabi‘s first release on Inner Ocean, let’s hope we get more from this mellow producer. I personally would not mind a thick beat-tape of these songs, maybe even a cassette drop!
You can pick up the EP today from Inner Ocean’s Bandcamp Page – with a $60 Dollar Subscription getting you all the Lofi Snack Series as they drop along with the rest of their amazing catalog and other sweet perks!
From New York Jazz-Hop Duo CLOUDWARMER comes this lovely long-playing beat tape – LoFi Beats.
Self released at the beginning of May, 2022 – LoFi Beats lives up to its namesake, packing 16 dusty instrumentals into its hefty runtime. The sounds themselves are classic yet diverse – we hear the duo seamlessly blend orchestral passages with chopped drums and foggy horns. Put simply, the bass booms and the beat slaps!
I feel transported back in time to the heyday of beatstrumentals on Soundcloud and Bandcamp – the late 2000’s saw a rabid flourishing of lofi, crusty boom-bap beat tapes from the likes of Boom Baptist, All These Fingers and Gloam. I have a personal affinity for this type of beat tape – sleek samples paired with classic percussion patterns, stirring together to create a relaxing yet nostalgic mood.
Even better about this release – the mad lads decided to unleash these puppies under a Creative Commons license – making these little beats PERFECT bumpers for your next YouTube project or even potential for remixing! We have to give love and respect to anyone who unleashes music in this most creative manner.
Grab the beat-tape now via CLOUDWARMERS Bandcamp page – be sure to explore the rest of CLOUDWARMERS excellent projects while you’re over there.
Sharp and witty new underground techno from producer and label namesake Trium Circulorum – returning to us this time with a fuzzy-yet-banging cassette release in LESS – an epic 90 minute techno tape housing a masterclass in underground dancefloor stylistics and hazy yet intense atmospheric soundscapes.
LESS carries some heavy weight with it, from the instrumentation to the mixing to the track-lengths, with the very shortest track clocking in at 8 minutes and 48 seconds. The scale is massive yet once you hit play and the BPM kicks in, you will find the tape flying by in a coasting frenzy.
The energy does not let up from Side A to Side B – though the production does see some small variation especially in tracks like HEART – which jumps in and out of the traditional four-to-the-flour kicks and a off kilter two step pattern for a nicely welcome mid project mixup. Or the heavily experimental synthesizers in HOPE which sound like a distressed brass choir simultaneously escaping a reaper yet tuning up their instruments at the same time!
There is a certain wholesome lo-fi-ness to the release, basking in its less than EDM quality resulting in a soupy yet satisfying blur. The Gaussian fade helps to ease the harsher sounds entry onto the scene – while solidifying a warm spot for the deeper side of the spectrum. Fuzzy booms pound away as synths shred and dance furiously atop the foundation that’s been set.
I haven’t heard this one on tape yet – but I can only assume the analog adaptation will do even more wonders to the mix, adding even more layers of hazy warmth and warbled personality to the tracks. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up, or at the very least give it a play or three via the digital edition! Both are available via Bandcamp
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!
Thumb & Kid Vol. 1 is a tight and tasty little beat-tape created by EmptyBrother7 and MJC, presented by FilthyBroke Recordings.
The tape is packed with dusty and delicious beats, with lots of treats packed into the 20 minute runtime. Often the tracks draw from diverse sonic palette, combining elements of lofi chillhop, boom-bap, old school hip hop and psychedelia in a smooth yet raw blend. Tracks like Soul in LoFi are spectacularly produced with warm and fuzzy vibes. Finishing off with a timeless sounding track Riders Of The Night featuring some great guitar sounds.
The project is out now on Bandcamp and streaming platforms!
Brought to us by Submarine Broadcasting Company – Clear Muted Sine Recovery is quite an interesting project, and a fun listen!
Following the mission statement of “the intention of being played quietly“, the sounds have a unique wholesomeness to them. Almost how music created for old video games can instill a sense of claustrophobia – the mix focusing on cramming sounds densely onto a tiny cartridge, only to be looped as background music to a greater adventure.
Within the soft tones and wandering song structure lies some brilliant lo-fi psychedelic sounds. Simply put, it’s non-jazz noodling in the best possible way.
I adore electronic music when it sheds all semblance of structure – shifting the spotlight onto other aspects of the sound. This album accomplishes this and THEN SOME. I found myself doing the opposite of the suggestion advice of listening quietly, instead opting to crank up the sounds in my nicest pair of headphones – soaking in each individual tone and synth patch.
Clear Muted Sine Recovery is an excellent exploration in outsider ambient and experimental electronics – focusing on a soft yet unique palette of sounds. The resulting listening experience is quite thoughtful and sometimes meditative. Dark enough to encourage wandering thoughts, but not enough to feel brooding or manic.
Audible Life Stream is a new full-length album from multidisciplinary musician and artist Synkretic, brought to us by Megatape Records.
ALS is a brave yet playful collection of tracks. Embracing experimental electronic exploration, the sounds swirl from distorted acid breaks into lofi ambience with acrobatic ease.
Tracks like Nach Jahreziet embrace this lush majestic side like a cozy hug. The rest of the album tends to settle into a nook somewhere between chiptune footwork and progressive trip-hop.
Hinting at braindance with a subtle energy that seems to be bubbling, waiting to explode – Synkretic does a magnificent job keeping things under control, like a surfer taming a rogue wave.
Even at its most chaotic – ALS manages to be incredibly listenable. Quite an impressive accomplishment when utilizing so many unique rhythms and progressions. Structure can easily break down into unmanageable and tangled walls of noise, but what we hear here is true controlled chaos.
Big recommendation on this one – if you agree, do a deep dive on Synkretic to enjoy other creations, both visual and musical. The record is out now both digitally and on Cassette.
Intriguing electro-acoustic experiments from avant-garde outfit Tunnel Speeches.
This debut collaboration is a very interesting listen – weaving it’s way between lofi beats, plunderphonic ambience and post-rock.
The interaction between Drums and Guitar are molded together with the help of strangely satisfying samples and atmospherics. Dissonant at times, in the best way possible.
Gritty choppy percussion sits as the foundation for these tracks – stretched over 11 improvisational jams – Tunnel Speeches are not shy with mixing styles together with quite a pleasing outcome. Avant jazz collides with dark ambient and lo-fi hip hop.
Overall it’s a great listen that’s had me coming back again and again – lucky for us it’s available on Cassette tape for now! Snag it or the digital version from the official Bandcamp page today.
Eternity Tree 