Italy’s Record Kicks has been releasing crime-funk, hip garage rock, deep soul, afro and boogaloo hits for 15 years so the label will be offering, as of May 15th, a compilation of some of their finest moments. Bands on this killer comp include The Tibbs, Calibro 35 and our favorite Continue Reading
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The Mossad – The Sleeping Dragon/’Stunt Queen’
The Mossad are a project out of Lansing, Michigan, which reminds me of a slower, dubbier, late-period Tackhead or even Gang of Four with less funk, but far rawer. I haven’t heard a sound this crunch since the late 1980s, so for music ability and nostalgia, I give this single Continue Reading
Valgeir Sigurðsson – Kvika
Icelandic composer Valgeir Sigurðsson is a classical composer who has developed into the country’s leading light in terms of modern classical music. From his Bandcamp site: “Valgeir has become a master of sound to get lost in. Through his layering of his collaborators’ instrumental and vocal parts and a nuanced Continue Reading
Adrian Copeland – If This Were My Body
Sublime. There’s no other word for it. If you enjoy modern classical music, especially by composers like Gorecki, Ligeti or Penderecki, Canadian composer Adrian Copeland has something here which will appeal to you, with long, mournful drones, sparse instrumentation, and a rough, melancholic feel to the tracks. Track 4, Heir Continue Reading
Nyokabi Kariuki – Peace Places: Kenyan Memories
When I hear the words Avant-garde in relation to contemporary classical music, I think normally of some me composers who pull out old, clichéd tropes. This release from Kenyan composer Nyokabi Kariuki is so stunningly weird that the album has given itself the right to be termed Avant-garde correctly.
Amine Mesnaoui & Labelle – African Prayers
What a strangely beautiful album… From the duo’s Bandcamp site: Berlin and Reunion based duo, Amine Mesnaoui and Labelle are set to release their debut album on revered London independent imprint Lo Recordings on the 1st of April 2022. ‘African Prayers’ is a collection of seven new compositions, which includes Continue Reading
Roz Vitalis – 20 Years – Alive and Well
Roz Vitalis are a progressive rock band out of St. Petersburg, Russia, who have wowed audiences worldwide by blending symphonic prog with slightly more avant-garde tendencies. The tracks here are recorded live, but don’t let that dissuade you from trying out this album. The sound is crisp and full, and Continue Reading
Chris Child & Micah Frank – Tape Pieces Vol. 3
Chris Child & Micah Frank are two incredible composers out of the New England area of the United States. From this particular release’s Bandcamp site: Tape Pieces Vol. 3 represents the final installment in the collaboration between composer/producer Chris Child (Kodomo) and sound artist Micah Frank. Volume 3 culminates in Continue Reading
John Patton – Soul Connection
Big John Patton was a legendary jazz keyboardist and master of the Hammond B-3 organ. This session, released by Nilva Records originally, was criminally hidden away, but thanks to Jazz Room Records, it’s getting not only a second life, but it’s led to a further appreciation of Patton’s abilities. A Continue Reading
Digre – The Way of a Pilgrim
Minimal synths, plinking and plonking keyboard, a gothic air, a mention of the Orthodox work The Way Of The Pilgrim, and dedicated to the memory of St. Olav the Holy Martyr-King – that was enough to perk my interest in the band Digre. The notes on their Bandcamp site makes Continue Reading