Expand your taste in music. Based in Beijing, China.
Hiemis are a project out of Spain, not exactly a mecca (yet) for dark ambient bands or dungeon synth, but this album is wonderfully bleak and enveloping. It has the feel of a lo-fi Spanish or Italian horror soundtrack, but with a lot of warmth to it. Eerie, of course, but accessible.
More wonderful news from friends! CPL-Music will be releasing a folk album of Irish Americana by The Henry Girls. From the label’s press release:
“The three McLaughlin sisters, Karen, Lorna, and Joleen, once again prove on their seventh studio album “A Time To Grow” that they belong to the leading folk ensembles of the Emerald Isle with heavenly, multi-part harmony vocals and their fresh, modern approach. The musicians aren’t fond of sticking to old conventions: they have a lot of fun crossing genre boundaries, charmingly flirting with pop, bluegrass, and Americana sounds, all while keeping a keen eye on the rich Irish folk tradition. By the way, the sisters count Clannad and the Beach Boys among their major artistic influences!
With “Not Your Fight,” the Henry Girls have recorded one of the most powerful songs on the new album. In this track, the musicians collaborate with singer Ríognach Conolly, recently crowned “Folk Singer Of The Year” by the BBC. The song originated from a collaboration between Karen and Ríoghnach during their time as “Artists in Residence” at the Nerve Centre in Derry. “Not Your Fight” is a poignant message for all those who helplessly witness the world being torn apart by incessant conflicts and violence. The single serves as a reminder of the shared human experience and our ability for compassion and understanding in a world often marked by discord, according to the Henry Girls.
“A Time To Grow” was produced by the renowned producer Tommy McLaughlin. “Collaborating with Tommy McLaughlin was a transformative experience for us,” says Karen of The Henry Girls. “This album reflects our growth as musicians and our desire to make music that inspires people and resonates on a deep emotional level.””
Only the track above is available for hearing at the moment, but the album will be released on March 24th, so mark your calendars.
From our incredible friends at Wewantsounds, we have another scorching compilation of Japanese jazz-funk. From the label’s Bandcamp site:
“Following the success of the ‘Tokyo Glow’ compilation, Wewantsounds once again teams up with Japanese Tokyo-based DJ Notoya to dig the rich Electric Bird catalogue and come with a versatile selection of sunny Jazz-Funk gems recorded between 1978 and 1987 for the label. A tasty selection featuring Yasuaki Shimizu, Toshiyuki Honda and Mikio Masuda, together with a few American musicians such as Ronnie Foster and Bobby Lyle. Most tracks make their debut outside of Japan and the album has been designed by Optigram/Manuel Sepulveda and is annotated by DJ Notoya. Audio newly remastered in Tokyo by King Records.”
Wewantsounds continue to put out scintillating slabs of music that deserves to never be forgotten. Expect the full release to come out March 15th of this year.
Words fail to describe the beauty of this release, even if it is an acidic beauty. Harae are a band run by beloved friends, and both innovative musicians in their own right. Combined, however, they have made magic, especially if you like a harsh wall of noise cascading over you like molten steel in an industrial factory. The vocals are frightening, which works seamlessly with the music. It’s a harsh but rewarding listen. I cannot wait to hear more from them!
For those of you who prefer a hard copy of the release, you can order a mini-CDR edition from 999 CUTS by clicking here.
You can click on Bandcamp, Instagram and Facebook to follow the band’s exploits.
Neither Merzbow nor Meat Beat Manifesto will need no introduction to connoisseurs of either Industrial music or the sound that made Wax Trax! Records famous. I never, in my wildest dreams, thought that these two would join forces for an album, and, miracle of miracles, their styles actually work well together.
From the World Famous Records Bandcamp Site:
“Dive into the exhilarating era of Japan’s electronic dance music scene from the mid ’80s to the mid ’90s with Japan Vibrations Vol. 1. The hand-picked collection by DJ and musical storyteller Alex from Tokyopays homage to the trailblazers and innovators who shaped the landscape.
[…]
Experience the vibrations of pioneers Haruomi Hosono, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Yasuaki Shimizu. Of culture-shaping forces Hiroshi Fujiwara, Kan Takagi, Susumu Yokota, Silent Poets, Mondo Grosso and Kyoto Jazz Massive. And of new-generation artists CMJK (C.T. Scan), Mind Design, Okihide, and Hiroshi Watanabe. The evolution of a scene, a moment, presented with the progression of a DJ set.
[…]
Japan Vibrations Vol. 1 will transport listeners in time to energetic nights at Japan’s legendary club venues and delight with a spirited journey of musical discovery and reflection.“
From Samo Salamon’s Bandcamp site:
“An amazing trio, I love both of these players so much. I have had the privilege to play and tour with Bob in trio with Arild Andersen and he has been one of my heroes for year. Absolute blast on stage, always!!!! I have learned so much from him. Vasil, my brother from the South, has been one of my favorite pianists. We spent a beautiful week together on a workshop in Novo Mesto as mentors and I’m so happy we were able to do this one with Bob. So happy about the album, very unique and different from what I have done in the past. Hope you will like it!”
Yet another treasure by the Slovenian guitarist! Samo pairs up with Serbian pianist and keyboardist Vasil Hadžimanov and American drummer Ra-Kalam Bob Moses in a smooth, eerie work.
The legendary Lustmord has a new album which releases on March 15, 2024. Judging by the one track currently available to sample, this will be a creepy, heavy album with all the horror of watching a Bosch painting melt while on acid. This will be that deep.
Dragonflies In The Garden is one of the many aliases of Brazilian artist IO. This project concentrates on a shoegaze-meets-post-punk sound, sounding like the Durutti Column and Tuxedomoon blending in a minimalist way.
Boston’s Skyjelly are a bit of a revelation for me. They sound like a post-punk band infused with the power of Krautrock bands like Faust or the British trio This Heat. One of the best of the year so far!