There is no better way to tell the story of this gorgeous and lovingly remastered release by Akiko Yano than to let our dear friends at Wewantsounds to explain it for themselves: “Wewantsounds is proud to continue its Akiko Yano reissue series with the release of the singer’s third studio Continue Reading
Electronic
María Cristina Kasem – Obras – (2006 / 2017)
Friends and readers, thank you for indulging your scribe a well-needed rest after 1,000 days of activity. We relaunch with one of the most gorgeous electroacoustic recordings I’ve come across in a while. María Cristina Kasem is a composer and violinist from Argentina who has an extensive body of work Continue Reading
Wolfgang Gsell – Soundscapes of the Rain
German composer Wolfgang Gsell passed away in 2017 at the age of 61, but he left an amazing body of work that could be favorably compared to electronic music from Germany, especially the Berlin School which produced acts like Klaus Schulze and Tangerine Dream. He was also a collaborator with Continue Reading
Evgeny Masloboev – Clay. Thirteen Contemplations on Matter
Clay is the topic of the latest Fancy Records release by composer Evgeny Masloboev. The topic, as described by the artist, is a fascinating one, tied in with some incredible contemporary classical music. From the Fancy Records Bandcamp site: “Clay is a living mystic. This is the ever-dancing childhood of Continue Reading
Filalete – Be Enything
Filalete are a project released on the estimable Borenail Records, who specialize in weirder, more neglected scenes like witchhouse, vaporwave and the like. The band produces a really pleasant sweeping sort of ambient, easy to drown your thoughts in. My favorite track was Sweet Nectar, which manages to balance electronic Continue Reading
Various Artists – Ecuatoriana – El Universo Paralelo de Polibio Mayorga 1969-1981 (Analog Africa No.37)
Analog Africa, one of my favorite reissue labels, is going well above its mission of reissuing African treasures and is now delving deep into the music mines of South America – in this case, Ecuador. Polibio Mayorga was a hit-writing machine during the early days of Ecuadorian rock, but he Continue Reading
Roedelius – Archive Essence 1973-1978
Though the birthday was absolutely dour, I managed to cheer myself up with a release of experiments done by Hans-Joachim Roedelius, the beloved magus of ambient music. These were sketches, apparently, that he would record, analyze, and then turn into new ideas. Comfortable listening.
Jettenbach – Extracts from The Diary of Mars
Our friends at Jettenbach, a fascinating project from England, have prepared for us a Martian travelogue. The concept sounds like something taken directly from a sci-fi movie, dialog and all, and it’s quite an interesting thing to hear. The music drifts from floating experimental ambient to hard-beat. This shifts genres Continue Reading
Robert Scott Thompson – Placid
Robert Scott Thompson, the ambient music alchemist, has released several new albums recently, but I wanted to start with Placid, a rather chilling work that references works by the maestros (Steve Roach, Robert Rich, Klaus Schulze), a touch of Warszawa-period Brian Eno/David Bowie, and his own more musical compositional bent.
Domenique Dumont – People on Sunday
I came across a “composer” (really, a duo) based in Riga, Latvia called Domenique Dumont. The pair consist of Latvian multi-instrumentalist and producer Arturs Liepins and vocalist, ethnomusicologist Anete Stuce, and they have produced a shimmering, gentle piece of electronic music. From the release’s Bandcamp site: “People On Sunday is Continue Reading