• Music

    Lauri-Dag Tüür – Waves Of Silent Whispers

    July 1, 2022 - By 

    Lauri-Dag Tüür appeared on my previous blog in 2020 with what I believe was his debut album, and he’s gotten better since.  This album clocks in at a bit over 40 minutes, and it’s one of the better examples of Kosmische Musik I’ve heard in some time done by a modern composer.  The album is spacious and roomy, and takes a leisurely pace winding and unwinding while it travels around the universe, reminding me of artists like the late Klaus Schulze, Robert Rich, and in parts, fellow Estonian Sven Grünberg and his project, Mess.

  • Music

    Cousin Silas – Variations On A Theme Of Winter

    June 29, 2022 - By 

    First, a debt of thanks goes to my friend, the “Last American Poet,” Shane Beck, for reminding me what a sublime album this is from Cousin Silas, who was a friend of my previous blog, and an artist whose work I respect immensely.  This album is filled with wispy rhythms that let you relax and get lost in thought, something like melding George Winston with the Durutti Column, but with more of an edge to it.  Our dear Cousin delivers yet again.

  • Music

    Of Sun And Rain – The Flutter of Wings

    June 1, 2022 - By 

    Starry Earth is a record label out of the United Kingdom offering lo-fi electronic artists with stunningly beautiful minimalist artwork and packaging, releasing cassettes as well as digital downloads. Of Sun And Rain were of particular interest, as the music is hauntingly sparse and engaging.

  • Music

    Digre – The Way of a Pilgrim

    April 24, 2022 - By 

    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 them sound like fascinating people doing an interesting project and will be shared on the holiest of days in the Orthodox calendar.  May your day be calm and peaceful.

  • Music

    Steve Roach & Vir Unis – Body Electric

    April 8, 2022 - By 

    Originally released in 1999, this album by American composers and ambient music legends Steve Roach and John Strate-Hootman (operating here as Vir Unis) combine tribal electronic music with what was then erroneously called New Age music.  From the release’s Bandcamp site: “Steve Roach and Vir Unis combine different rhythmic sensibilities and undeniable soundscapes in an alchemical reaction, creating an aural sensation that is surreal, hallucinogenic, but still organically human. Body Electric is a welcomed edition to the borderless world of new electronic music; this album is a zenith in bio-electronic body music, an evolutionary spark, a focused, high-energy trip of…

  • Music

    Various Artists – Shaytoon Records: Sounds from the Iranian Ultraverse

    April 7, 2022 - By 

    Shaytoon Records has released a compilation introducing some of the finest minimal techno coming out of Iran these days.  The label is based in New York, but the bands come, more or less, from the motherland, though America’s Persian diaspora is well-represented. The beats are rather icy and cold, reminding me of acts like Front Line Assembly and Delerium, though bearing a more mellow hue.  These acts are definitely worth exploring.