• Music

    Eclectic Maybe Band – Bars Without Measures

    November 26, 2023 - By 

    With the exception of Christian Vander, I cannot think of too many people whose name would be so heavily associated with zeuhl and avant-progressive rock in general than Guy Segers.  The former bassist of the legendary Univers Zero has collected some of the finest names in avant and progressive rock to make an album loaded with wildly improvised music.  It’s an astounding, challenging release – one which no listener would ever get bored of.  Kudos to Discus Music for releasing this gem. The list of musicians should be enough to entice even the newest of zeuhl fans: Julie TIPPETTS (Vocals)…

  • Music

    Priori & Al Wootton – FLAW

    November 23, 2023 - By 

    I’ve been in search of good minimal techno since the subject came up with a colleague’s student (he has access to several brilliant students, present and former, whom I hope to feature here in the future).  Doing a bit of digging, this release by Priori and Al Wootton perked up my ears the most this evening.  Dark, beaty, and incredibly good for headphone listening.

  • Music

    Syriana – H​ā​rim

    October 21, 2023 - By 

    Syriana are an interesting project released by Real World Records.  Here’s the back story, courtesy of the label’s Bandcamp site: “In 2010 Syriana’s album The Road to Damascus presented a musical reflection by Nick Page & Bernard O’Neill of their take on the geopolitical landscape surrounding Syria at the time. Sadly their assertions that a third cold war was being initiated in that region were proved to be true and the conflict and upheaval that followed destroyed much of the rich cultural heritage of the region and dispersed millions of its people. Now in 2023 the new Syriana album 1325…

  • Music

    The Modern Jazz & Folk Ensemble – I’ve Got A Feeling (feat. Jacqui McShee)

    October 15, 2023 - By 

    Sean Khan has a sterling reputation working with jazz legends like Hermeto Pascoal, but the fact that he is pairing with Pentangle chanteuse Jacqui McShee makes this single from Acid Jazz Records crucial listening.  From the release’s Bandcamp site: “Earlier this year we announced The Modern Folk & Jazz Ensemble, led by saxophonist Sean Khan. Ahead of a special appearance at the London Jazz Festival on 16 November, we are releasing their first single ‘I’ve Got A Feeling’ on all digital platforms on 11 October. We’re very excited to be working with Sean on this project – one of our…

  • Music

    Victoria Wijeratne – Graces & Muses

    September 25, 2023 - By 

    Dragon’s Eye Recordings tends to put out high-quality modern classical and ambient music, and now, they are introducing the world to serious talent.  Take Victoria Wijeratne for instance.  Her background is in scoring music for film and television, and this is her first proper release.  It does a great job fusing almost clinical experimental music with a modern classical flair to it.

  • Music

    O Yuki Conjugate – A Tension of Opposites Vols 1 & 2

    September 19, 2023 - By 

    We had the pleasure of O Yuki Conjugate’s release earlier this year reviewing Volumes 3 & 4 of this series.  The old quote still holds: ““Two years after the first two volumes of A Tension of Opposites (ATOO) were issued OYC return to the form they created to house their looser more exploratory works. ATOO allows them to expand their musical horizons and release their music more expediently. The original ATOO was born out of 2020’s virus state where both OYC members were left working in isolation. Two types of music emerged spontaneously, and rather than try to combine them…

  • Music

    Yussef Dayes – Black Classical Music

    September 13, 2023 - By 

    Over the past 10 years or so, something incredible has been happening in London.  Jazz has come back into fashion, and has taken in influences from all over, be it hip hop or world music.  Yussef Dayes is, arguably, the leading light in this Nu Jazz movement.  This is his debut album after scores of incredible singles and remixes, and so far, the album is living up to the hype.

  • Music

    Philip Jeck & Chris Watson – Oxmardyke

    July 27, 2023 - By 

    There’s little I can say to introduce you to the work of Philip Jeck, the turntablist who passed away in March of 2022, nor would I with Chris Watson, the maestro of field recordings and one-time member of Cabaret Voltaire.  This release is a project that the gentlemen were working on before Jeck’s untimely passing.  From the Touch Records release Bandcamp site: “In 2017 I was recording along the north bank of the Humber estuary and one morning driving back from Faxfleet I was stopped at the Oxmardyke rail crossing. The gates were down. After setting up a microphone array…

  • Music

    Peter Gabriel – Live in Athens 1987

    July 3, 2023 - By 

    It’s incredibly nice to see Peter Gabriel release the bulk of his solo material on Bandcamp.  He even offers a subscription for rare tracks and remixes, most of which are perfectly okay.  This release was a pleasant surprise, as it was, I believe, once released as part of the So box set, but it sounds fine as a standalone disc.  The recording is during the peak of his creative powers, and the musicians working behind him in this tour (David Rhodes on guitar, Tony Levin on bass, David Sancious on keyboards and Manu Katché on drums) are as tight as…