Before I get to the promotional blurb on the website for Mahorka Records, I can give my thoughts on the album. Christophe Bailleau’s Insight and Vision crosses so many genres that one would think, based on the description, that the music would be unlistenable. Nothing could be further from the Continue Reading
Experimental
Various Artists – Staying: Leaving Records Aid to Artists Impacted by the Los Angeles Wildfires
2025 started with horrible fires in California. From Staying’s Bandcamp site: “Everything has changed, and it is changing still. The early days of 2025 (an already baleful year, vis-a-vis America’s darkening political horizon) have wrought heretofore unimaginable destruction in the land we now call Los Angeles. The wildfires that began Continue Reading
Carme López – Quintela
One of my people has done us proud! From Carme López’s Bandcamp site: “Quintela’, the debut album by Carme López, a performer, teacher and researcher of traditional oral music from Galicia, is a new experimental work for Galician bagpipe. Influenced by the approach of composers like Éliane Radigue or Pauline Continue Reading
Virus2020 – A Frog A Gun And A Sad Man
We have a new artist to introduce to you. Virus2020 is a project out of Sousse, Tunisia, and you can read more about his work here, courtesy of his release’s Bandcamp page: “Virus2020 is the solo project of Rami Harrabi, a Tunisian artist born in 1989 in Sousse (TN), enthralled Continue Reading
Lea Bertucci – Hold Music
Rather beautiful for drone, this one. Lea Bertucci is a composer based in New York and on this recording offered by Dinzu Artefacts (fellow Los Angelinos whom I hope are safe), she offers music that is meant to be infinite. From the label’s Bandcamp site: “Hold Music is a pair Continue Reading
Abul Mogard & Rafael Anton Irisarri – Live at Le Guess Who?
Abul Mogard and Rafael Anton Irisarri, from Italy and Spain respectively, are two of the most outstanding ambient music composers going today. They collaborate here on a live work that sounds so atmospheric as to be nearly holy, especially since it was performed at a church in Utrecht.
Passepartout Duo – Argot
My, this is a lovely release. Passepartout Duo manage to balance modern classical music with a minimal post-rock sound without the “rock” part. It’s exquisite listening, especially for those who like minimalist music. Think of Arvo Pärt collaborating with Sigur Rós, and this might give you an idea of what Continue Reading
Luneta Freedom Jazz Collective – Mga matang pumipikit sa langit
Welcome to 2025! Our first release is from the brilliant Bulgarian experimental music label Mahorka, and their latest offering is phenomenal. The Luneta Freedom Jazz Collective are from Manila, Philippines, and this is a strangely elegant release. My favorite track of the album, Ang itak ng kamalayan – Isang Ritual, Continue Reading
Barre Phillips – Ahoy!
The world of improvisational music lost one of its biggest icons a couple of days ago. Barre Phillips, a bassist known for his being adaptable to any style, passed away on December 28. He worked with legends like Jimmy Giuffre, Paul Bley, Archie Shepp, Peter Brötzmann (whom we also lost Continue Reading
Nick Sudnick – Opera of the Sixth Hour
Zga bandleader Nick Sudnick has been busy composing his Opera of the Hours series, and this installation might be his most creative yet. It has the passion of Rock-In-Opposition with a touch of Frank Zappa’s general weirdness. This is in keeping with what I remember of the old Soviet avant-garde Continue Reading