• Music

    Lucho Bermudez y su Orquesta – The Coastal Invasion

    October 2, 2022 - By 

    The ever-stunning Radio Martiko out of Belgium release an amazing collection of cumbia from Colombia’s greatest export, Lucho Bermudez.  From the label’s Bandcamp release site: Bermudez was a key figure who modernised the tropical music of Colombia’s Caribbean coast. At the beginning of the 20th century, this music was largely looked down on. Bermudez changed all that by injecting a modern, jazzy big band sound to the Afro-Colombian sounds from his native region. The infectious Afro-Amerindian dance rhythms of Lucho Bermudez y su Orquesta took over the elite nightclubs of Bogota and Medellin and from there, his music spread all…

  • Music

    Wickerbird – The Sea Weaver

    October 1, 2022 - By 

    Though our friends at Lost Tribe Sound have chosen to release this album on November 22, 7 weeks away from today’s date, I thought it wise to hip you, my friends and readers, on an album you’ll surely find to be a treasure. From the label’s press release: Lost Tribe Sound is happy to announce a new album and artist joining the roster from Washington State based songwriter, Wickerbird. We’ve been closely following Wickerbird’s output for many years. It’s a bear-hugging type of sound that needs to be heard. Wickerbird is the atmospheric dream-folk project of Blake Cowan, started in the…

  • Music

    Various Artists – Dracula – Music Inspired By The Bram Stoker’s Novel

    September 30, 2022 - By 

    Our dear friends at Eighth Tower Records never cease to surprise us with their choices for topics.  This compilation, featuring the legendary Rapoon along with a slew of new artists, is dedicated to the novel that launched the career of Bram Stoker and make vampires alluring among the public well before movies exploded their importance in the public consciousness. From the release’s website: To celebrate this modern myth Eighth Tower has called musicians from various countries and asked them their musical interpretation of the Dracula myth. Either gloomy soundscapes or electroacoustic compositions, all the pieces are inspired by chapters, scenes,…

  • Film & Television - Music

    Gabor Csupo – Blue Yonder For Pluto

    September 29, 2022 - By 

    I have the pleasure of sharing an album of electronic music composed by my friend and old boss, Gabor Csupo (of Klasky-Csupo fame).  As well as being an animation legend, he’s a rather fine electronic music composer in the vein of groups like Tangerine Dream, Holger Czukay’s solo work, or a more sunny Brian Eno.  This album has more of a ‘soundtrack’ feel to it, and it serves as a paean to the loss of Pluto, his beloved dog (may his memory be eternal).  As a dog owner, I understand the pain, and the disc is a touching tribute to…

  • Music

    Wings Of An Angel – Hieronymus Bosch’s Belated Revenge Comes On Like Thunder And Shakes Us Asunder

    September 28, 2022 - By 

    Despite the horribly long song and album titles, Wings Of An Angel is an ambient music machine, pumping out quality ambient music almost daily.  This is the album that caught my attention recently, and the tracks are long, droning tracks that float on clouds.  Despite the frequency of output, WOAA maintain great quality in their music.

  • Music

    Siavash Amini & Eugene Thacker – Songs for Sad Poets

    September 26, 2022 - By 

    Siavash Amini, an Iranian sound artist and composer, collaborates on this album with author and poet Eugene Thacker on Songs for Sad Poets, though I hear no vocals on this disc.  What is on offer, however, are incredibly bleak soundscapes that range from engaging dark ambient music which settles well in headphones to abrasive post-Industrial music which tears at the eardrums in a most pleasant way.  From the pair’s Bandcamp site for this release: The collection of eight pieces draws its inspiration from the legacy of the so-called cursed poets (»poètes maudits«) as well as the German-language tradition of song…

  • Music

    György Kurtág – Signs, Games and Messages (mode230)

    September 25, 2022 - By 

    Yesterday, I had the pleasure of going out to the picturesque town of Szentendre, about 35 minutes outside of Budapest, with my girlfriend and some fine old friends.  I expected a nice trip, and instead, we not only have that but we were treated to seeing several galleries, bookstores, and a performance space which featured graphic artist Yorgos Tzortzoglu, a local artist of Greek descent.  His exhibit featured scores from Hungarian composer György Kurtág, and lo and behold, he was in attendance!  Though he is 96 now, Kurtág looked in pretty good condition, and had a smile on his face…

  • Music

    MAiKA – Balkannibalism

    September 24, 2022 - By 

    In a land of amazing bands and ensembles, MAiKA have managed to forcefully grab my attention.  While they call themselves an alternative dance-punk band, there’s so much more to the music.  The energy is amazing, the voices cut right through you in a way that most indie music can’t, and the fact that they combine brass band music with punk gives the music an authentic, punchy feel. From their Bandcamp site: “From the perspective (both musical and visual) of MAiKA, Balkan is an absurd mix of contrasts: religion and tradition combined with modern technology, natural beauty with destructive politics, mud with…

  • Music

    Inkswel & Colonel Red – Holders Of The Sun, Vol. 1

    September 23, 2022 - By 

    Inkswel & Colonel Red hail from Australia and the United Kingdom respectively, but have been writing music together for over 10 years.  They blend a pretty heady mix of funk, soul, hip-hop and a touch of acid jazz in their stew, and the tracks on this upcoming dish are both enjoyable listening to deep music fans and those looking for more radio-friendly pop hooks.  The track Save Ya Self is the jewel of the album, being a timeless percussion-heavy dance track that would get people moving no matter the year. For those of you who need an introduction to both…