• Music

    Ambient Folklore – Bestiary

    The Bulgarian band Ambient Folklore have a new album out, and it surpasses any neofolk/dark-folk album I’ve heard over the past two years.  The sounds on this record are heavy and foreboding, made more so by very prominent hurdy-gurdy expertly played by Petar Delchev.  It sounds as if mid-period Death In June discovered Balkan music and incorporated local instruments into their sound, but with better recording production.  A gorgeous album.

  • Music

    Various Artists – Touch: Isolation

    Touch Records introduced many experimental and post-industrial music fans to some of the most crucial artists of the past 40 years or so.  This compilation originally came as 28 single tracks which were available via subscription only, but since that option was shut down, the label thankfully compiled these tracks into one album.

  • Music

    Los Robbins – La maravilla musical de Honduras

    Spain’s legendary Munster Records introduces the world outside of Central America to Los Robbins!  From the Bandcamp site: “Los Robbins revolutionized the Central America music scene with their mix of rocksteady, ballad, flamenco and surf music. Ten songs recorded between 1967 and 1970, reissued for the first time.”

  • Music

    Scott Lawler – Somewhere in Time (Reinterpreted)

    I don’t remember Somewhere in Time as being a classic movie, but the film was enjoyable and starred Christopher Reeve (of Superman fame) and Jane Seymour.  It’s fun to hear a much darker take of the soundtrack coming from composer Scott Lawler.  This would have made the film a much more emotionally gloomy affair.

  • Music

    WaJazz: Japanese Jazz Spectacle Vol.I – Deep, Heavy and Beautiful Jazz from Japan 1968-1984 – The Nippon Columbia Masters – Selected by Yusuke Ogawa (Universounds)

    From the Wajazz Series Bandcamp page: “Universounds, HMV Record Shop and 180g team up for an exceptional release: from blazing hard bop to free jazz, to introspective saxophone solos and massive big band sounds, renowned Japanese jazz expert Yusuke Ogawa presents an essential 14 track collection of “WaJazz” music taken from the Nippon Columbia vaults. Featuring Jiro Inagaki, Minoru Muraoka, Hiroshi Suzuki, Hozan Yamamoto, Count Buffalo, Takeshi Inomata, and much more!”

  • Music

    Serge Geyzel – It’s Cancelled

    One of my good friends presented this breakbeat treasure to me a couple days ago.  It’s published in Spain, and here are some notes from their Bandcamp site: “With his latest EP, It’s Cancelled, featuring diffused electronics on the A-Side and menacing drum infestations on the B-Side, Serge Geyzel keeps pounding beats and bass into oblivion. Adepta Editions expertly compiles these recordings onto vinyl and digital media, emphasizing timeless limited editions. While “Take Your Time And Be Mine” deftly walks the line between Plaid-infused melodics and Clark’s shuffling rhythms, “Before the Silence Came” features fuzzy electrical sound fields that eventually…

  • Music

    Alfa Mist – Two For Mistake

    In honor of getting the chance to see the band this evening here in Beijing, I share with you a recent EP by London-based nu-jazz band Alfa Mist.  It turns out that they put on a hell of a performance to a packed crowd, mainly of locals.  It was one of the best shows I’ve been to in some time now.