I can’t think of too many pairings better than ethereal music’s leading chanteuse, Lisa Gerrard, working with the Kosmische Music / Berlin School master Klaus Schulze. This is as good as you can imagine. The album is a three-CD set that was recorded live, meshing Gerrard’s hypnotic vocals with Schulze’s Continue Reading
Ethereal
Clem Leek – Rest
Clem Leek’s music is beautiful in its simplicity. It sounds like something you would hear in a TV soundtrack or even a travel documentary. There is a post-rock and modern classical element to his work. Accessible and elegant.
F.P. & The Doubling Riders – Doublings & Silences Vol. I
I discovered this album by F.P. & The Doubling Riders in the 1990s, and I struggled to classify it. While it had an ethereal quality, it shared similarities with bands like Tuxedomoon. I loved the album, but unfortunately, I lost it a few years ago. Thankfully, it has now been Continue Reading
Bethnal Greener – Πεδίο
Bethnal Greener is a band from Greece who do an admirable job of blending a mid-70’s-era Pink Floyd sound with vocals that would fit better in the post-punk/Bauhaus medium. Relaxed music meant to trip out to.
Charlotte&Magic – Always A Secret
What a great find this is! Charlotte Cegara manages to blend touches of Siouxsie & The Banshees with Kate Bush’s earlier vocal acrobatics. She’s going to be worth exploring further, I’m sure.
Orthodox Outcast – Bright Sadness
I never expected to encounter a band of devout Christians like Orthodox Outcast, whose sound evokes the demo tapes of early New Order, the Cocteau Twins, or a much more stripped-down version of the Human League. However, I was pleasantly surprised. This is my surprise of the year.
Cuélebre – Oinos
Cuélebre is a band that creates a sound blending world music, folk, medieval music, and a hint of progressive rock with darkwave influences. Their name is derived from a mythical dragon in Asturian culture, which has Celtic roots. This music will appeal to fans of Dead Can Dance, Qntal, Sopor Continue Reading
Dust Of Time – The Waking Hours
Greek composer Manolis Fasoulakis (Dust Of Time) joins with the Last American Poet, Shane Beck for an album which deftly combines Fasoulakis’ ethereal sonic landscapes with the haunting poetry of Beck. If you are into bands like Dead Can Dance, Lycia, Zahmia Lehmanni-era SPK or bands of this caliber, The Continue Reading
Matryoshka – Laideronnette
Matryoshka are a band from Japan who play a nearly heartbreaking version of post-rock topped with gentle, almost drowned-out vocals. This adds to the character of the record. It’s one of the saddest albums I’ve heard in a while, but achingly so.
Mira – Mira
From the good souls over at Projekt Records: “Mira were a dream pop/shoegaze band from Tallahassee, Florida, formed in 1996 featuring vocalist Regina Sosinski, guitarist Tom Parker, bassist Max Fresen and drummer Alan Donaldson, with second guitarist Mark Davidson. After releasing several EPs on their own Tesseract label, the band Continue Reading