Jeff Gburek returns to these pages presenting an album featuring himself improvising on his mandolin. The album is sparse and very well recorded. The clarity really helps one to focus on the sounds emanating from his weapon of choice. Think of a mix between experimental music, jazz, a horror soundtrack, and your friend musing.
I stumbled across Sumner McKane on a Reddit post recently, and decided to give this album a listen. It’s a nice combination of instrumental AOR rock, post-rock, and prog tinged slightly with a few psychedelic elements hear and there. Easy listening.
“The Last American Poet” Shane Beck collaborates with Japanese experimental composer mora-tau for an album of spoken-word-laden soundscapes.
Gold has made an appearance on the blog before and left a great impression, reminding me that noise can still be a valuable genre. His latest release is more wall-of-feedback sound, but rather than something horrid and abrasive, this has a more natural feel to it, like an immense wave of water crashing down on rocks. Powerful, but with an organic element to it that I appreciate.
Thanks to Marcos Valle doing a bit of cleanup in his home, Far Out Recordings proudly present a 7-inch single of a track Marcos and the late Leon Ware worked on in Los Angeles during the 1980s. Here’s the back story, courtesy of Marcos’ Bandcamp site: “In 1979, together in an LA Studio, Valle and Ware recorded a demo which would remain unfinished for 44 years, as Valle recalls: “This demo tape Leon and I recorded… I found the tape on a shelf in my house, it must have been there for over forty years! I showed it to Daniel…
Avant-jazz trombonist Ryan Keberle collaborates with fellow New Yorkers Frank Woeste (piano) and Vincent Courtois (cello) on an exploration of new jazz influenced partially by the legendary Lili Boulanger, a favorite of my great-grandmother’s. From Ryan’s Bandcamp site: “The music of this album is inspired in various ways by the seminal French composer, Lili Boulanger, and her astoundingly beautiful music. Lili Boulanger’s musical accomplishments have yet to receive the universal celebration they deserve and this album looks to highlight her deeply compelling and inspiring music. Special thanks to Villa Albertine, French American Cultural Exchange Foundation, The French Ministry of Culture,…
We have a rescued gem courtesy of the impeccable Right Tempo! record label out of Italy, and it covers late period Chet Baker in fine form. From the release’s Bandcamp site: “«”Chet on Poetry” is not his last record, but indeed it differs from the others and it is the best and the most charming one. Chet was in a good shape in Rome, in those Winter days, and he had the right partners. […] All those who took part in this memorable session should be praised extensively. However, space allows to mention only Nicola Stilo, flute, piano and guitar…
Many honorable composers of note were fascinated by radio static, and as someone who owned a shortwave radio in my youth, I happily admit to having the same fascination with such crunchy sound. Our friend Jeff Gburek uses radio sounds for his latest release. From his Bandcamp site: “This album combines a recent sequence of Shortwave radio capture performances from late April (tracks 1 – 11) and two VLF recordings from the X class solar flare and geomagnetic storm day May 11. Inspired to put this album out quickly after hearing what seemed to be a call for newly recorded…
Absolute respect to the estimable Ernesto Diaz-Infante for telling me about this noble cause. Foxy Digitalis has a nearly 3o-year track record, first as a xeroxed zine, and the in its current digital incarnatiom, of reviewing what I would rate as the absolute best of non-mainstream music. This compilation, featuring Ernesto, Lawrence English, Yann Novak, zàke, Stephen Vitiello and a number of names who are new to me, but no less impressive, have contributed tracks for the purpose of helping to keep Foxy Digitalis up and running. Do consider a donation. The magazine, as I hope is the case with…
Amor Celestial is the latest album by Bay Area guitar improviser Ernesto Diaz-Infante, release on Rambutan Records out of New York. The album reminds me of waves gently crashing into the rock of the Pacific Coastline, ebbing and flowing as clouds of feedback surround each bend of the strings. From the release’s Bandcamp site: “San Francisco-based Ernesto Diaz-Infante brings his complete mastery and open exploration of the electric guitar to Tape Drift. It’s an honor to present this deeply focused and heavy work from someone who has dedicated so many years to fearless sonic experimentation and improvisation. The cover art…