French electroacoustic composer Lionel Marchetti makes absolutely mind-blowing soundscapes made out of percussion and found sounds, which is impressive enough. However, in this 20-minute piece done in collaboration with vocalist hamaYôko, he puts a level of eeriness that will be extremely engaging to fans of avant-garde music.
France
Maria Teriaeva – Sayan – Savoie
“Maria Teriaeva is a Siberian-born, Paris-based musician and composer. She uses the Buchla modular synthesizer as a framework for her music combining it with acoustic instruments and voice,” so says her bio on Bandcamp. She has become quite a revelation to me, as her music is some of the must Continue Reading
Soft Machine – Høvikodden 1971
Canterbury jazz-rock legends Soft Machine need little introduction, but this release might. This release comes from a Norwegian gig the band played, and though the master tapes aren’t absolutely pristine, the sound, for a live recording, is quite good. “Soft Machine’s two concerts at the Henie-Onstad Art Center near Oslo, Continue Reading
Christophe Bailleau – Insight and Vision
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
Al-Qasar – Uncovered
What an astounding follow-up! We had the pleasure of reviewing Al-Qasar’s work in 2022, but this sophomore release (at least as far as we know) is a compilation of covers including Depeche Mode’s seminal classic Personal Jesus. From the band’s Bandcamp site: “With this second full length, Al-Qasar consolidate their Continue Reading
AGDISTIZ – Audaus Minor
Our friends at Kalamine Records introduce us to AGDISTIZ, a band who, if my memory serves me right, is from Romania. The drones here are sumptuous, like listening to a warm, thick drone during days when the cold is becoming crisper. Really a pleasant release if you can handle a Continue Reading
Philippe Petit – Passing Thru…
It’s been a good while since I heard anything from Philippe Petit. He is usually spot-on with his production, playing a variety of electronic instruments (think Buchla) and piano. This is experimental music with a soul and a sense of humor.
E-Clark Cornell – (S Sontag
The magnificent Kalamine Records introduces us to yet another astounding ambient music composer, E-Clark Cornell. As his Bandcamp site says, this is music “…that celebrates the Intellectual, and intelligence in making Art.”
Cocoon – You’ve Arrived
For those of you old enough to remember the seminal French cold-wave band Clair Obscur, this album relates. From Cocoon’s Bandcamp site: “Cocoon is Christophe Demarthe’s project. It continues Clair Obscur’s attempt to shift the frameworks of performance and reception, using the means of electronic music, video and performance.”
Brume – Reality Is Not Enough
I am proud to say I have been a fan of Brume, Christian Renou‘s nom-de-guerre, for well over 30 years now. He was one of the first experimental musicians who captured my ears, and through all the formats he ever published (including DAT, which I would love to see made Continue Reading