Saxophonist Trygve Seim is well known to fans of the ECM Records sound, but I did not know he worked with other labels, such as Grappa Records, to produce a gorgeous disc full of Christmas music in the Nordic style. Sumptuous listening.
Music
picnic – picnic
I am going to assume that picnic hails from Australia, as this is where their record label, Dais Art, is based. The album has a cinematic, drone-laden feel, but rather than being foreboding, it’s a very warm-sounding album. Imagine music to swim in warm waters to. Quite pleasant!
VLMV – Flora & Fauna
VLMV comes from Great Britain, where he (they?) was, like everyone during these days, heavily affected by the cursed lockdown. This album, ethereal to its core, is the soundtrack to his coming back out to the world.
Various Artists – Ruptured Sessions Vol. 1: Live at Radio Lebanon
Ruptured Sessions has produced a compilation of Lebanese folk and blues. Considering the horror happening in the region, hearing mournful folk and blues music seems appropriate. May God save Lebanon from evil.
Geräusche von Hallesches Ufer – Golden Peaches of the Sun
Geräusche von Hallesches Ufer hail from Poznań, Poland, and have a sound that is as bleak as Current 93 at their most experimental touched off with a Kosmische Musik vibe. Quite a profound listen for those into wyrd-psych music.
KABRA – The Return of the Cambrian Period
KABRA are another discovery from the near-flawless Reverse Alignment Records out of Sweden associated with our friends at Unexplained Sounds Group, themselves possessing exquisite taste when it comes to dark ambient and drone music. We know nothing about them (him, her?) except for the music, but what music it is! Continue Reading
Orbit Service – Leave For Good
Orbit Service is a side project of Randall Frazier and Erik Drost of the Legendary Pink Dots. This music is a bit less apocalyptic folk in nature, and has more of a dark, drony, psychedelic rock vibe to it. The recording is sublime, and the instruments (at least the acoustic Continue Reading
Conal Ó Gráda – Anú Abú
A happy St. Patrick’s Day to my friends and readers. I won’t post any cheesy folk-rock to spare your ears. Instead, I offer some proper traditional music from the Emerald Isle courtesy of a fine flautist, Conal Ó Gráda.
Oksana Linde – Travesías
From Buh Records’ Bandcamp site: “Venezuelan composer Oksana Linde presents Travesías, her second album released by Buh Records, featuring pieces created between 1986 and 1994 in her private studio in San Antonio de Los Altos, Venezuela. These compositions belong to the same creative period as the works included in her Continue Reading
Nightshade – Wired (2025 Remaster)
Though I’m not the greatest fan of metal music (with a few legendary exceptions), Switzerland’s Nightshade plays metal at full throttle. This album is 25 years old now, and the drum tracks, already brutal sounding, were reprogrammed using AI. Interesting, and given the quality of thundering loudness of the sound, Continue Reading