Mirocaw – Phytophthora Ramorum

This release is undoubtedly one of the spookiest of the year. Mirocaw hails from Moscow, Russia, and their music can be best described as eerie and unsettling. It evokes that feeling you get when walking through a dark swamp, sensing that something is watching you, intent on your destruction. It’s Continue Reading

Slava Lobanov & Peter Shalamov – Garden of Flowing Streams

From the Slawic Group’s Bandcamp site: “The debut jazz recording by the duo of Slava Lobanov (of Fuzziliers, Juice Oh Yeah, Pereuchyot, the Flash Fever) and young pianist Peter Shalamov, who met in Istanbul where they relocated to after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, is inspired predominantly by iconic recordings Continue Reading

Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra / Saulius Sondeckis / St. Petersburg Camerata / Alexander Titov – Dmitri Shostakovich: The Gadfly Suite, Op. 97A I Georgy Sviridov: Snowstorm

From the Essential Classics Bandcamp site: “This album is dedicated to two masterpieces of Russian film music. It is also a reminiscence to Saulius Sondeckis, one of the figureheads of the former Soviet Union chamber music scene, who died last year, and to Georgy Sviridov, whose 20th anniversary of death Continue Reading

Oduchu – Nostalgia

From the band’s promo material: “Unlike many other Tuvan bands rooted strictly in tradition, ODUCHU embraces a broader musical landscape. “For us, melody is the heart of the music,” says Chingis, who not only composes and arranges most of their songs but is also a trained sound engineer and producer, Continue Reading

Roz Vitalis – Dedication to BigNick

Roz Vitalis is a progressive rock band known for their exceptional technical skills on their instruments. However, they truly shine when they exercise restraint. Their music incorporates elements of Rock-In-Opposition, avant-prog, and a touch of arena rock, resulting in a brilliant album. The “BigNick” referred to is their producer, Nikolai Bogaichuk, who Continue Reading

Ceget – Sïbïzƣï

Ceget is an artist from Karachay-Cherkessia in the Russian Caucasus region.  The sounds produced on this short but pleasantly recorded album come from the Sïbïzƣï, a flute native to the region.  The composer’s style for these tracks take on elements of ambient and experimental music, but are not harsh listening Continue Reading

OBUKHOVAUDIO – Sphärenlicht

Even down to the cover art (which looked like it would have been a fine one for a 1970’s period Klaus Schulze), it seems Obukhovaudio (a.k.a. Alexander Obukhov) has a knack for making an album that encapsulates the genre of electronic music, the Berlin School, that he loves dearly.  Fine Continue Reading