Viul & Benoît Pioulard – Konec

A Strangely Isolated Place provides us with a fine pairing. From the label’s Bandcamp site:

“With an immediate arresting aesthetic, grounded in saturation, decay and distortion, tracks such as ‘Returning Clear Voice’ or ‘Flaxen’ reflect some of the duo’s more textured work – a hazy mist of life unknown in a city’s uncharted times. Konec’s storyful and engrossing moments come with a confident posture, such as the unforgettable bellowing of ‘Catalune’ or ‘Construction Worker Smoke Cycle’ or the swirling, haunting ‘Canon’. “

[Video] New Order – Substance

As today is my 52nd birthday, I thought I would take a walk down memory lane.  Today is also the 35th anniversary of New Order’s first major collection album called Substance, which was released on this day in 1987.  As it turns out, it was the first compact disc I ever bought, and though I don’t own it anymore, I have my digital copy to remind me of how excited I was (and still am) hearing this album.

Malaaz – Lélé / Malaazé

This 7-inch two-track single is pure funky joy to listen to!  Malaaz were a band out of Reunion Island, of all places, and is considered to be a solid funk gem.  The backstory of the band is here, at their label, Babani Records’ Bandcamp site:

“Malaaz was initiated by Patrick Donat, who is described as a pioneer and major contributor of the Electric Maloya scene, this fusion of island traditional music and western instrumentation in the mid 70s. 
He was joined by Franck Raholison and Del Rabenja, creating this powerful band of exceptional musicians from Réunion Island and Madagascar.

Lélé is a jazzy/ soul track with a twist of Indian Ocean groove and is a fitting testament to the fusion of sounds of different worlds.

Maalazé is a killer psychedelic soul-funk gem supporting sensational Malagasy vocals transporting you to the Indian Ocean.”

John Wall – [Computer​]​-​[​Piano] Part II

John Wall is Australia’s foremost experimental music composer.  I had lost track of him many years ago, but it’s good to see that he is still composing bold music.  From his Bandcamp site:

“As with the previous Computer-Piano release these three compositions consist of piano recordings (that are not subject to any computer manipulations) and computer manufactured sounds that were built around the (analogue) piano of [Computer]-[Piano] part II and [Computer]-[Piano] part II Variation 1.

The objective (as before with Computer-Piano ) was to create a work that combined the analogue and digital into an aesthetically convincing structured work.

The solo piano piece is included because I felt its “shaping”, duration and contrasting nature worked well with the two more intense pieces.”

Various Artists – Nyarlathotep – A Tribute To Howard Phillips Lovecraft

Eighth Tower Records never disappoints!  Each compilation they put out is so well put-together that the themes fit the subject material perfectly!  This one is, of course, no exception.  It is a paean to H. P. Lovecraft, perhaps America’s foremost horror and science-fiction writers.  At least to my taste, Lovecraft is second only to Edgar Allan Poe.

The comp features artists like Kirlian Camera, Gerstein and T.A.C., so rest assured that the quality is exceptional.

Baložu Pilni Pagalmi – Māris Šverns – Būt ceļā

Baložu Pilni Pagalmi are a Latvian post-rock/folk band out of the capita city of Riga.  What’s most interesting about this 37 minute-plus track is that it covers not only the genres mentioned, but it would be comfortable listed as an alternative/indie release.  I like the fact that there is a story embedded in this album, even if I am unable to understand Latvian.  I look forward to learning more about the band.

Alsarah & the Nubatones – Soukura EP

This disc from Nubian pop songstress Alsarah & the Nubatones is a revelation in terms of East African music, the part of the continent which produces less aggressive, more sultry and sensuous music.

The Soukura EP is filled with more time changes than a noodly prog rock album, and this makes sense, since Sudanese music is full of gorgeous instrumentation and time signatures.  From the release’s Bandcamp site:

“The original song “Soukura” is a small taste of her upcoming album Silt (out on 3/11) and gets a signature deep and entrancing Ancestral Soul remix by African house legend Boddhi Satva . Perennial Wonderwheel favorite The Spy From Cairo gives “Nuba Noutou” a dubby dancehall re-rub, and label head Nickodemus takes “Rennat” into late night house territory with his remix, letting only the slightest of vocals come through and build tension until the final moments of the tune.”

Heelhooks – Oh Man What a Dream

We have an unsolicited gem today, folks!  This live EP by Heelhooks clocks in at around 15 minutes, and the music is aggressive laptop sound deconstruction put together by the London-based duo of Hans Lo (Unk) and Rob Shields (Sunplus).  The lads describe their sound way better than I can:

“Initially starting as a pure noise project, Shields and Lo instead decided to change their approach in 2021 with a cleaner, sharper production using modular synthesis and realtime laptop processing. With a blend of scattered drums, deconstructed dance genres like deep house and techno, and samples ranging from body horror films and Hong Kong pop, the results of their improvised sessions are a series of abstract collages that ride the line between ambience and dissonance, serene and unsettling.”

It’s a strange little release, this one, straddling left-field music, IDM, post-concrete and experimental wrapped into a sharp and tidy package.