Sam and the Sea – Evil Ghosts (EP Review)
There’s a haunting quality to the music of New York-based artist Sam and the Sea. On their debut EP, “Evil Ghosts,” they deliver seemingly gentle songs, but there is more happening under the initial surface of experimental folk and shoegazing indie, a type of heavy metal in disguise, like aContinue Reading
Joao Ceser – BRZ (EP Review)
Being able to find value in the regular is a precious gift. Poets need this skill, not just to help them give meaning to nature but to life. Someone who knows this is Italian producer Joao Ceser. It’s easy to envision the Brianza-based producer sitting in his studio atContinue Reading
Kalulu – Featuring (EP Review)
Rotterdam-based artist Marinka Stam established the musical project Kalulu in 2016. Since then, she has collaborated with other artists to make divine electronic pop that neither gets too commercial nor too obscure. Instead, Stam’s music bounces along with an alluringly intellectual gait, underpinned by thoughtful production and polished songwriting. HerContinue Reading
the soft form dissolves – Pattern Recognition (Album Review)
The recently released trailer for the Tetris movie led me down a wikihole where I landed upon “The Tetris Effect”. The Tetris effect is when you engage in a game for an extended period, and the logic of the game world follows you into the real one. So, for example,Continue Reading
Single Reviews: 17 February 2023: Kayam, Yew Haiku, Why Patterns?, Orchestre National Urbain, Jacques Bailhé
Photo by Alex Cooper Kayam – Omens alternative Berlin siblings Kayam have recently released their sophomore album “Omens”, and the titular first single from that album is an alluring introduction to an album of intimate and environmental alternative folk music. However, the group prefer to classify their music with theContinue Reading
Girondolini – Girondolini (Album Review)
Girondolini is a musical project by Vienna-based jazz-trained drummer July Skone. Formerly of the high-concept, in-your-face project Gudrun Von Laxenburg, Skone’s recent outing sees his impressive drumming style take a backseat to sample-based plunderphonics pulled off with quicksilver precision. Featuring a cast of collaborators, the self-titled debut album is aContinue Reading
The House Flies – Glimmer (EP Review)
With a tonic of indiscernible sounds, sultry bass lines, snappy percussion, colourful guitars, and hauntingly elusive vocals, The House Flies beguile the listener with their recent EP, Glimmer. The solo recording project of Murnau’s Alex Riggen, The House Flies delivers a gothic brand of alternative post-punk, obscuring emotionally led songsContinue Reading
C.M Jenkins – First Movements Along A Curve (Album Review)
For many people, the 1984 movie Amadeus is the first point of reference for the world of classical music, bringing a dramatic and character-fueled aspect to the otherwise intimidating wall of pretence and demanding music. The success of that movie is down to memorable scenes, one of which involves an emperor summarizingContinue Reading
Single Reviews: 7 February 2023: The Know, Plastiklova, June Rosewell, Shockpowder, Dexter Dine
Photo by Mathias Reding. The Know – Me indie Wife and husband duo The Know invite the listener into their sweet world of good vibrations and positive but thorough emotions on the recent single “Me”. Taken from their upcoming second EP, the song sees the group expound on their dreamyContinue Reading
Single Reviews: 3 February 2023: David Curington, Mylar, Chris Hyson, Andy Loebs
Photo by Grace Ho David Curington – Assured Listening Experience experimental The mystifying plunderphonics of Mancunian artist David Curington are spread across 26 minutes on the recent release “Assured Listening Experience”. Like Ronseal Quick Drying Woodstain, it does exactly what it says on the tin, assuring a wonderous, if notContinue Reading