Demetrio Stratos was an Egyptian-born Greek who lived in Italy and served as the frontman and vocalist of the legendary progressive rock band Area, as well as a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and music researcher. Mellow Label Productions, a venerable Italian record label, has produced a tribute to his work.
Vocals
Antonina Nowacka – Lamunan
Somewhere between the angelic and experimental lies the vocal work of Antonina Nowacka. From her Bandcamp site, and it’s quite a good read: “Forged alone in a cave on the island of Java, and recorded in a fortress in Poland, Antonina Nowacka’s “Lamunan” is an intimate exploration of a mysterious Continue Reading
Lionel Marchetti & hamaYôko / Yôko Higashi – U chu Jin (les êtres en dehors de la Terre)
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.
Hatis Noit – Aura
Compared to the human voice, everything else is mimicry. Hatis Noit is an Japanese artist working out of London whose experimental vocal works compare favorably to artists like Laurie Anderson and the ever-wonderful Anna Homler. It’s a strangely soothing listen.
Jolanda Moletta – Full Moon Session
Jolanda Moletta is an Berlin-based experimental vocalist who used to sing for the group She Owl. This album features her gently eerie, comforting vocals and not much else. To add to such glorious tones would be a crime. Her voice is delightful as is.
Cathrine Legardh, Sigurdur Flosason – Stilhed & Storm
Nordic jazz tends to be very warm in my experience. This collection of original tunes by Danish singer Cathrine Legardh and her sparring partner on this album, alto saxophonist Sigurður Flosason, make an album with songs of love, live and even dogs. It’s a mellow listen, something hotter than cool Continue Reading
Various Artists – Fly, Fly, You Hardened Arrow: Round Dance Songs of “Polish” Old Believers from Altai
The now-legendary Antonovka Records have done astounding work documenting music from Russia’s myriad of ethnic communities. This one is from the so-called “Polish” Old Believers in the Altai region. From the label’s Bandcamp site: “The ancestors of the Altai “Polish” Old Believers were peasants of the Vetka-Starodub territory of the Continue Reading
Youmna Saba – Arb’een (40)
Lebanese singer and oudist Youmna Saba offers up 40, an album of experimental music, but not in the way you think. From her Bandcamp site: “”Arb‘een (40)” is a solo experiment in songwriting, challenging narrative structures and proposing alternative readings of time and continuity. It is rendered by use of Continue Reading
The Crossing – Carols after a Plague
I knew nothing about the band The Crossing, but after seeing that a composition by drummer Tyshawn Sorey was featured, I thought it prudent to listen to that track and then to the whole album. It is, unsurprisingly, a gorgeous, if dissonant, listening experience. From The Crossing’s Bandcamp site: “Throughout Continue Reading
Ialoni – 50 Georgian Song (50 ქართული სიმღერა)
Ialoni are a female traditional music ensemble hailing from Georgia, and they offer on this album, as the title implies, 50 tracks of absolutely stunning renditions of folk material. A keeper.