Month: November 2021

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Muva – Yum Cháak

Mexico’s new music scene is criminally underrated, which is a shame considering the immense talent hidden there.  Yes, of course, we love boleros, the folk songs out of Veracruz and Yucatan, and the insanely good psychedelic music of the 1960s and 1970s, the Rock-In-Opposition of bands like Nazca, Decibel and Banda Elástica, all worthy listening.

Let us introduce you to a new group called Muva.  They evoke a cinematic aesthetic which combines atmospheres of many national cultures (think Scotland, Mali and Israel) surrounded by elements of rock, electronic, classical, tribal music and jazz improvisations.  It’s not quite any genre, but perhaps they are forging a unique path, because, outside of a rare few bands and labels, I rarely encounter such sounds.

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monobeat original – Rough Mixes

One of the true founding fathers of Krautrock, Zappi W. Diermaier, is still going at it with a new album slated to be released in December of 2021.  The tracks blend together the Krautrock Zappi is obviously known for, while adding psychedelic, progressive and even post-Industrial elements into the brew.  For what should be a rather brutal sounding mix of sounds, it’s actually makes for a hypnotic and lovely listening.  Much respect to our friends at áMARXE Records for releasing this record.

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Upupayāma – Upupayāma EP

From the Upupayāma Bandcamp site:

Upupayāma is the musical persona of Alessio Ferrari, an Italian multi-instrumentalist and songwriter who lives in a small mountain village above the city of Parma. In addition to playing guitar, bass, keyboards, and drums, Ferrari himself also incorporates a number of other instruments into his work, including sitar, erhu, transverse and wooden flutes, and a variety of percussion instruments.

This is a stunning debut by Upupayāma, whose take on psychedelic rock caught my attention. The album swims along nicely, reminding me of bands like Kikagaku Moyo. I hope they stay on this vein. It’s pleasantly heavy without being overwhelming.

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Rosie Turton – Expansions and Transformations: Part I & II

Rosie Turton came to my attention a while ago with her EP Rosie’s 5ive, which served as a stellar introduction to her work, but this latest album shows how incredibly expressive a trombone-led band can be.  So many players in London’s Nu-Jazz scene are leaving a mark that there will probably come a day when bands like Rosie’s and others operating today will be referenced in the same way fusion bands of the 1970s are.

Truly expansive, a full sound, and utterly engaging.  What a fine sophomore release.

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Hualun (花伦) – Wuhan Wuhan (武汉武汉)

It’s a shame that Hualun, and electronic music artist from Wuhan, China, has only one track available to peruse on his latest CD.  By the sound of it, the album is going to rival the slew of Japanese New Age reissues that have been coming out recently on various labels.  It’s a mish-mash of synths, cosmic vibes and a light, airy drone which was pleasing to my ears.  I await the full release, which is due on December 10, 2021.

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miserable.noise.club – Frost Confinement

miserable.noise.club is a collective of incredibly talented musicians based in Jordan, China and the US + other collaborators in East Asia and the Middle East.  The music they make is, by some miracle, a solid blend of experimental music, a paean to post-punk and lo-fi psychedelic rock.  It’s hazy enough to remind me of some of the great music coming out of New Zealand in the late 1990s revolving around luminaries such as Roy Montgomery or The Dead C.

Once the radio podcast begins, I have a feeling these folks will be featured heavily.  Very impressive.  Much respect to Abood Ashqar for telling me about this most fascinating project.

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Mong Tong 夢東 – 台灣謎景 Music from Taiwan Mystery

Mong Tong are one of the most profoundly interesting bands operating out of Taiwan these days, and their work would compare favorably to psychedelic giants like Ghost or even quieter aspects of Acid Mothers Temple.

From WV Sorcerer Productions’ Bandcamp site:

Mong Tong is brothers Hom Yu, Jiun Chi (they also play in ​Prairie WWWW​ 落差草原 WWWW & Dope Purple) and 仝. They listened to what they describe as “Dianziqin music 電子琴音樂” along with video game soundtracks, vintage Asian movie samples and psychedelic music. These inspirations combine with Taiwanese folklore and a love of conspiracy theories to form what they describe as “superstitious music”. Mong Tong means many things in Chinese, but the translation they choose to fit their music is “the east-side of dreams”.

A perfectly cosmic experience.

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Marika Politissa – All Parts Dark

Much respect to Mississippi Records out of Chicago, Illinois for releasing this magnificent artifact!

The back story is explained in great detail on the label’s Bandcamp site:

Marika “Politissa” Frantzeskopoulou was a Greek singer from Constantinople, reknowned for her precise, fluid and graceful performances and depth of feeling. Backed by some of the best musicians of the era on lyra, violin, oud, kanonaki and guitar, Marika’s repertoire and techniques drew from Byzantine and Ottoman musical traditions. She possessed an ability to devastate her audience through her expressions of grief, exile, and tragic love, running the gamut of cafe aman, torch songs, lilting and fragile odes to heartache, heavy Piraeus style rebetika, and ecstatic Near-Eastern climaxes, all with a visceral sense of atmosphere, emotion, and fatalism. Marika’s voice is complimented beautifully by her backing musicians, creating a pulsing acoustic foundation over which her voice soars with clarity and purpose.

The heritage of Constantinople’s vibrant music scene is lovingly captured on this download (sadly, the vinyl edition has long been sold out).

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Breizh Napoli – Démo

Two places I have been enamored with for at least half of my life are Brittany in France and Naples, perhaps my favorite Italian city.  Breizh Napoli, as the name clearly indicates, combines both Breton and Neapolitan music seamlessly.  This is a fine demo of choral music that brings out the best of both cultures, and it’s my hope that the band continues to mine this particular strain of folk music.

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Alexei Aigui & Arkady Marto – DA

This should be a breakout year for Alexei Aigui, who has released his fourth album of the year in collaboration with pianist Arkady Marto.

The album is absolutely sublime. Each track has a gentle touch, balancing violin and piano perfectly. The cornerstone of the album for me is this track, Nocturne No. 0:

It is a tango that would have made Ástor Piazzlla proud.

The whole album is engaging, and would have made for perfect music for a dramatic film (something Alexei has been making for several years now, with great success).

As I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, if you want to hear the music (or purchase it) in high-definition sound, consider going to Qobuz, where you can hear it at the best possible level.