Aidan Baker - I Will Always And Forever Hold You In My Heart And Mind

Label: Small Doses
Released: 2007
Style: Ambient, Drone

"This is a stunning new full-length solo work from the man behind Nadja and Arc. A 51 minute work of shimmering, pulsating drone broken into twelve parts (one for each word of the title) that come together to form a seemless, wordless narrative." - Label

Tracklisting:

1 I (5:37)
2 Will (5:30)
3 Always (2:49)
4 And (3:20)
5 Forever (3:33)
6 Hold (7:09)
7 You (7:04)
8 In (2:04)
9 My (5:03)
10 Heart (6:10)
11 And (2:19)
12 Mind (1:15)

Link

Bowery Electric - Beat

Label: Kranky
Released: 1996
Style: Abstract, Experimental

"Back in the mid 90s it seemed almost impossible to escape from the break beat. From hip hop to trip hop to rave and then into seemingly every other style on the planet the sampled break was filtering its way into music everywhere, even the humble post rock genre. Bowery Electric were a US post rock act but interestingly had a strong leaning towards hip hop production and most obviously the beats which gave them a sound like no other act around. With the noisy harmonic guitar textures of Windy and Carl or My Bloody Valentine and the sort of half-tempo beat loops you'd more likely expect to find on DJ Shadow's 'Endtroducing' they helped the genre take a sharp left turn and with 'Beat' created something of a milestone for the scene. Championed by everyone from The Wire to The Melody Maker of all people 'Beat' was a much more influential record than you'd think, and hearing it now over ten years later I can make pretty clear links between this album and for instance the work of Ulrich Schnauss or M83. You see a shoegaze/electronic crossover had already been approached by Bowery Electric, they just maybe never achieved the sort of popularity they deserved - but listen to 'Empty Words' and you'll see exactly what I mean. With bendy, echoing guitar chords and vocals to rival the haunting tones of even Julee Cruise this is a record that stays with you long after it has ended, and if you've never heard it you should take a listen without delay. An essential part of the Kranky catalogue!" - Boomkat

Tracklisting:

1 Beat (7:16)
2 Empty Words (3:45)
3 Without Stopping (5:13)
4 Under The Sun (3:32)
5 Fear Of Flying (5:39)
6 Looped (2:39)
7 Black Light (6:53)
8 Inside Out (7:19)
9 Coming Down (4:38)
10 Postscript (16:41)

Link

Lawrence English - Kiri No Oto

Label: Touch
Released: 2008
Style: Abstract, Field Recording, Ambient

"The Japanese phrase 'Kiri No Oto' loosely translates to the 'sound of fog' or 'sound of mist'. In many ways it's a collection that meditates on the sense of displacement and distortion that occurs in environments which undergo extreme mists, snowstorms and sea sprays. In the same way that visual objects loose their perspective, form and shape in these environments, the sound components that make up Kiri No Oto are not quite as they first might appear. Utilising a range of divergent mixing techniques, analog filtering and 'harmonic' distortion, Kiri No Oto offers an expansive sound space in which the listener must choose to position themselves. Focus, like that in a fog, is in a constant state of flux as elements are brought into and out of perspective. The first in a series of records employing this technique, Kiri No Oto explores the richness in the frequencies that are usually associated with extremes of volume and through this process the recordings position 'the ear' itself as 'another layer of auditory fog' as it begins to distort and alter the sounds it comes in contact with." - Label

Tracklisting:

1 Organs Lost At Sea (4:42)
2 Soft Fuse (6:52)
3 White Spray (5:08)
4 Waves Sheer Light (5:23)
5 Commentary (4:30)
6 Allay (5:21)
7 Figure's Lone Static (7:26)
8 Oamura (3:49)

Link

808 State - Quadrastate

Label: Rephlex
Released: 2008
Style: Acid House

"My word it's so good to hear this album again. Seems like a lifetime ago, but once upon a time 808 State had a top 10 hit with "Pacific State", a track that would spawn a million imitators and more or less define the whole Acid House scene that was slowly inventing itself back in 88/89. Anyway, "Pacific State" opens this classic album and instantly takes you back to those heady days just after the second Summer of Love. The band's rare debut single, "Let Yourself Go / Deepville is included here, together with some other previously-unreleased alternate versions and outtakes. Its the first time ever that the tracks have been released on CD and the entire project has been lovingly remastered, to the customary Rephlex high standards. An absolute classic." - Boomkat

Tracklisting:

1 Pacific State (6:28)
2 106 (0:43)
3 State Ritual (6:09)
4 Disco State (5:12)
5 Fire Cracker (4:51)
6 State To State (5:45)
7 Let Yourself Go (303 Mix) (6:03)
8 Deepville (7:26)
9 808 State vs. Zenarchy - Got It Huh (4:18)
10 Techclock (2:17)
11 In Yolk (6:56)
12 State Ritual Scam (6:00)
13 Let Yourself Go (D50 Mix) (4:50)

Link

Benoît Pioulard - Précis

Label: Kranky
Released: 2006
Style: Abstract, Experimental, Neofolk

"A multi-instrumentalist with an insatiable palette, Pioulard bases most of his songs on treated acoustic guitars and honeyed vocals, backed by carefully layered bells, bass, dulcimer, old tape samples, field recordings and myriad other sources. These sounds, though sculpted roughly into pop songs, have their own delicate patterns of ebb and flow, distortion and disappearance. From the sunny refrain of "Triggering Back" to the descent of nighttime chills on "Needle & Thread", Precis sighs in time with the seasons. It's an album about him, her, and you; it's an exaltation of the ways these things end." - Label

Tracklisting:

1 La Guerre De Sept Ans (3:08)
2 Together & Down (3:08)
3 Ext. Leslie Park (2:42)
4 Triggering Back (2:30)
5 Moth Wings (1:16)
6 Alan & Dawn (2:51)
7 Corpus Chant (1:43)
8 Palimend (3:04)
9 Coup De Foudre (1:31)
10 Hirondelle (2:22)
11 Needle & Thread (2:42)
12 R Coloring (0:40)
13 Sous La Plage (2:59)
14 Patter (2:58)
15 Ash Into The Sky (3:18)

Link

Gel-Sol - Unifactor

Label: Upstairs Recordings
Released: 2007
Style: Downtempo, Experimental, Ambient

"The artwork of Seattle transplant Gel-Sol’s recent album depicts a visualisation of sound in nature. Fittingly, you might describe Unifactor as an aural picture of life itself. Trippy, eh? “Open Her” sets the tone with a plunderphonic lesson in today’s technologically obsessed culture. Coming down like an after school special getting war-torn youth accustomed to air raids and tactical training through the town square, the album comes off too cheeky to be preachy. Take it from Star Trek’s Bones: “Look at those poor creatures, they’ve been blasted into oblivion!” “Propulsion” is an updated take on Floyd’s “On the Run,” sewing sampled snippets from media broadcasts through the audacious blipping of the psychedelic landmark, revamped with killer breaks. “On a Clear Night You Can Still See The Answer” implies that dub is the secret, with the traditionally syncopated guitar that barely clips the horizon for just a moment around midnight. “Slowjob” is the kicker, though, where a soothing feminine voice prepares the listener for hypnotisation, counting down to one and anticipated calm. The listener naturally expects a deep sonic montage to ensue, and boy does it ever. Clever enough for some to miss, stupid enough to really satisfy." - Exclaim Magazine

Tracklisting:

1 Open Her (3:37)
2 Brontosaur Yu (6:48)
3 Propulsion (4:55)
4 On A Clear Night You Can See The Answer (7:25)
5 Slowjob (6:49)
6 Cool Sweet Awesome Yay! (5:57)
7 3c273 (4:00)
8 Mother Never Known (6:59)
9 Ohne Schläge (5:16)
10 Saying Goodbye Is Never Easy (7:26)
11 Unifactor (8:15)

Link

Andrew Thomas - Fearsome Jewel

Label: Kompakt
Released: 2003
Style: Ambient

"Latest Pop Ambient winner from the side of the Kompakt stable that turns the lights off and soakes itself in a world of ethereal spaces, echoing memories and the sort of aural aesthetics that made the likes of Mike Ink’s Gas project and Thomas Koner so irresistable at the end of the last century. Andrew Thomas hails from the influential New Zealand school, which gave the world works from the excellent Signer on homegrown label Involve and US Car Park, amongst other delicately spun ambience. Andrew has grown entranced with the whole Cologne Pop Ambient scene, and this lovely release is filled with soft breezes and gauzey filmic influence, coloured by the tender moods of someone like Ulf Lohmann, but equally free to offer his own inputs. Gorgeous." - Boomkat

Tracklisting:

1 ...1 (1:59)
2 ...2 (4:36)
3 ...3 (4:27)
4 ...4 (4:24)
5 ...5 (3:44)
6 ...6 (0:43)
7 ...7 (3:30)
8 ...8 (1:48)
9 ...9 (8:37)
10 ...10 (1:13)

Link

Geiom - Island Noise

Label: Berkane Sol
Released: 2007
Style: Dubstep

"Making good use of his extensive musical vocabulary and broad interest in just about as many musical styles as you could bring to mind, Kamal Joory here delivers his latest full-length, and the first for his very own Berkane Sol imprint. As opposed to most of his dubstep brethren, Geiom's musical legacy is loosely rooted in IDM and his releases for the Neo Ouija label, alongside the more organic, hybrid compositions together with Morgan Caney for their excellent "Magic Radios" album. After a period of dormancy, Joory brought the Geiom moniker back to life last year, with a new-found interest in Dubstep. As the sales notes describe perfectly well there's a "tropical melancholy" at the heart of this album, and the melodies at the core of each of these tracks are in the classic Geiom vein - emotive and layered. Drawing as much inspiration from Delia Derbyshire as he does from Kode 9, Geiom enriches his sound sources with a keen willingness to diversify and evolve through each of the 12 tracks here, from the slightly John Carpenter-esque eeriness of the aptly titled "Futurerustic", to the Persian halfstep of the excellent "Farski". In a year that dubstep albums seem to have finally come into their own, Geiom's "Island Noise" is the most organic and possibly the least conventional offering you'll pick up this year, and a timely return to the fray from this clearly talented producer. Recommended." - Boomkat

Tracklisting:

1 Island Noise (4:51)
2 Canopy Desire (5:05)
3 Hydropine (5:16)
4 Six Times Seven (5:29)
5 Everlasting (5:32)
6 Futurerustic (5:33)
7 Farski (4:37)
8 Safety Patterns (5:11)
9 Getaline (5:25)
10 Cardoza (5:18)
11 Inbuilt Chaos (5:06)
12 Pheli Nazir (5:07)

Link

Susumu Yokota - Laputa

Label: Skintone
Released: 2003
Style: Experimental, Ambient, Downtempo

"Internationally reknowned japanese producer Susumu Yokota releases his new album “Laputa” via his own Skintone imprint. Laputa‚ follows on from the themes explored on the hugely acclaimed ambient/electronic albums “Sakura”, “The Boy and The Tree” and “Grinning Cat”. As with previous releases on Skintone (released on THE LEAF LABEL in the UK), Yokota’s new album combines layers of sonic ambience with fragmented rhythmic and melodic patterns. He manages to create an otherworldly, richly textured, organic muiscal experience that flits effortlessly between the spheres of live instrumentation, found sound and electronic music in a way few other producers can match. A beautifully crafted album that doesn’t descend to cliché, absorbing a wealth of sound that makes for perfect, rich, evocative soundscaping. Excellent." - Boomkat

Tracklisting:

1 Rising Sun (4:47)
2 Lost Ring (3:42)
3 Gong Gong Gong (4:25)
4 Iconic Air (4:52)
5 Light Of The Sun (4:08)
6 Grey Piano (1:12)
7 23 Degrees Dream (3:00)
8 Hidden Love (3:50)
9 Trip Eden (4:48)
10 True Story (2:52)
11 Dragon Place (3:51)
12 I Am Flying (3:42)
13 Dizzy Echo (2:19)
14 Heart By Heart (4:04)
15 Hyper On Hyper (4:04)

Link

Tetsu Inoue - Inland

Label: Fax +49-69/450464
Released: 2007
Style: Ambient

"Inland", the new solo album by Tetsu Inoue, is a very personal and unique collection of sound compositions, created in Woodstock, where the natural landscape inspired the Japanese artist to leave his conceptional working method and made him turn towards his initial creation, the minimalistic meditative ambient music, in a completely new manner. Delicate soundscapes and floating tone compositions seem to wander about, appearing to touch each other, they finally disapear in the distance like a breeze, to leave a blissful feeling of warmth and a gentle gleam."Inland" is the perception of beauty. It tracks the majesty hidden beneath the veneer of ordinary existence and invites you to experience the harmony of nature in perfect synergy. Dive right in and ponder the notion that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts . . ." - Label

Tracklisting:

1 Mini Moon (6:22)
2 Tree And Me (5:10)
3 Zen (5:33)
4 Kaze (7:26)
5 Peak (6:32)
6 Symphony H2O (6:53)
7 Wabi (7:05)
8 Overlook (12:12)

Link

The Future Sound Of London - Environments

Label: fsoldigital.com
Released: 2007
Style: Abstract, Experimental, Ambient

"TIME TO TRIP OUT again. 2 parts loads you through darkness and light - through jungles and cities from outer space to inner space - pure FSOL gold." - fsoldigital.com

Tracklisting:

1 Part 1 (27:56)
2 Part 2 (21:14)

Link

Christ. - Metamorphic Reproduction Miracle

Label: Benbecula
Released: 2003
Style: IDM, Downtempo

"The history of the scottish artist Christ has been surrounded by genuine hearsay and much speculation since his appearance on the benbecula sampler "music volume two" in august 2001. What followed was a slew of press speculation about his origins and his musical background in Scotland, as well as a gradual frenzy of anticipation for his debut EP "Pylonesque". Following critical acclaim for the release of the EP and some very special live shows culminating in a headline slot at Japan's metamorphose festival on mount Fuji in front of 20,000 people and a live appearance at this year's Sonar festival, Christ set off to work on his massively anticapted debut album : "Metamorphic Reproduction Miracle". Completed in february 2003, it's obvious that his recording style has matured and evolved beyond the confines of his well-known background. Where "pylonesque" was an EP containing "hits" in their own right, "Metamorphic..." is an intricate jigsaw of styles and textures which combine to form a perfect whole. The album introduces new concepts to the repertoire: "ray breakout" is a mechanical onslaught of the senses, the opening vocal giving you fair warning "please stand by!". Further expansion in style is evident in the sci-fi film soundtrack "medulla oblongata", the heavily filtered "odds evens and primates" or the beautifully pleasing up-tempo "mk naomi". Throughout, Christ. maintains his unique fusion of simple but timeless melodic structures, overlaid with gritty percussion: "skylab one", "a giant bird" and "eezeebreez" being perfect examples of his unique approach. A truly classic album, fans of Boards of Canada or richly layered evocative electronic music of any kind will have discovered a new masterpiece to add to their collection. Fabulous." - Boomkat

Tracklisting:

1 Lazy Daisy Meadow (2:55)
2 Dianoes Nouveau (5:02)
3 Eezeebreez (5:46)
4 Medulla Oblongata (1:15)
5 Odds, Evens And Primates (5:04)
6 Sunart (1:51)
7 Fantastic Light (6:07)
8 Always To Play (2:02)
9 Mk Naomi (4:13)
10 Skylab One (3:22)
11 Pylonesque (Broken Mix) (3:46)
12 A Giant Bird (2:45)
13 Ray Breakout (4:08)
14 School Is Not Compulsory (5:20)

Link

2562 - Aerial

Label: Tectonic
Released: 2008
Style: Techno, Dubstep

"Over a succession of rhythm melting vinyl releases for Tectonic, SubSolo and Philpot, Dave Huismans has asserted himself as the leading practitioner of forward thinking dancefloor motions currently in operation. Under the' Dogdaze, A Made Up Sound and his revered 2562 moniker Huismans has shocked the now merged techno and dubstep fraternities with a brilliantly consistent stream of bare bones riddims encompassing brittle 2-step, lurching techno and bass driven dub with a fractured brokenbeat aesthetic that sounds quite unlike anything else being produced today. Aerial is Huismans' massively anticipated debut album and contains some of the most deadly material produced under his 2562 guise, formed into a coherent statement of ten tracks set to detonate headphoness and Soundsystems around the world this summer. This CD edition pulls together four tracks previously dispatched over the course of three individual 12"s released in the last year, plus six sparkling fresh productions primed to dub the world into submission. The set skanks into view with 'Redux' plumbing the depths of a breezing downtempo dub cut in the finest Rhythm & Sound styles, and clearing the airspace for the snaking syncopations of 'Morvern'. From here there's a run of tracks culled from recent releases, ready to educate unblessed ears with some bass stepping sanctification, but the real treats for those who've been paying close attention come in the form of the stunning 'Basin dub' composed from delicate blue chords and a double-timed rhythmic intuition that couldn't have come from anyone else, followed by the equally crushing 'Greyscale', realisng many a technoXdubstep nerd's wet dream with a sacred stylistic blend of Burial, Basic Channel and T++ that leaves us floored. Finally another new effort 'The times' signs off the album with some moody and expansive dub chords whipped into spectral plumes over a coma-slow riddim that brings us full circle and ready for repeat. This album follows in the massively revered tradition of dub experimentation and rhythm science laid down in the lineage stretching from Lee Perry through King Tubby, Scientist, Steve Gurley, Dillinja, Photek, Rhythm & Sound, Kode 9 and Burial, so all we can say is that if any of those names have remotely affected you in any way you really need to check this album out. Without doubt one of the albums of the year - absolutely mighty."

Tracklisting:

1 Redux (4:42)
2 Morvern (4:52)
3 Moog Dub (4:37)
4 Channel Two (5:28)
5 Techno Dread (5:32)
6 Basin Dub (4:53)
7 Greyscale (5:04)
8 Enforcers (5:49)
9 Kameleon (5:35)
10 The Times (4:44)

Link

DMX Krew - Many Worlds (The Collapse Of The Wave Function Volume 4)

Label: Rephlex
Released: 2005
Style: Electro, IDM

"This is the fourth release in synth-pop Londoner DMX Krew's (Edward Upton, Ed DMX, Computor Rockers, EDMX) The Collapse Of The Wave Function series, an exploration of the Copenhagen Interpretation of Quantum Physics. Regular DMX Krew electro synth-pop dance trax morph into something profound, universal and slanted. From the sounds of the Eventide Harmoniser (the first digital effects unit) to the righteous yet drowsy funk of analogue synths, this series reveals a deeper, more considered side to DMX Krew's production, featuring quirkier dancefloor fillers. Collapse of the wave function: think electro/techno with hints of ambience, throw in some grime, some braindance, and you've just about grasped the theory." - Forced Exposure

Tracklisting:

1 Reverse Tachyon Beam
2 Meridian 1212
3 Monolith
4 Spinal Implants
5 Synchrotron Blue
6 Fallen Kings Track
7 Mars Memory
8 The Monsignor
9 The Pleasure Zone

Link

Lukid - Onandon

Label: Werk Discs
Released: 2007
Style: Abstract, IDM, Hip Hop

"Astonishing debut album here that will slay you if you're a lover of the blunted beat constructions of Madlib, Dabrye, Flying Lotus, Kaman Leung, Dr Who Dat?, Timbaland and the like!!!* Whilst most teenagers are content to see out their days playing Xbox, annoying their parents and ruining tightly scripted photo-opportunities with the Tory leadership (no rash stereotypes here then...), Lukid's debut album proves just how potently creative the years between 12 and 20 can be when given the right conduit to bloom. A Sarf London lad, Lukid makes the kind of Rubik's cube compositions that twist in a broad spectrum of elements to create hip-hop founded electronics that relish the use of dust-encrusted loops, lazer-tag beats and sea-sick rhythms. Landing somewhere between Dabrye, Theo Parrish and BOC, 'Onandon' is drenched in the sound of a youth spent hunched over a sampler - crafting the kind of intricately plotted instrumentals that unfold with textured detail, yet never hurry their slow-burn predilection. Opening through the frosted-glass head-nodder of 'A Smart Girl', Lukid immediately asserts a laid back ambience to proceedings that seems neither contrived nor lazy - instead recalling the gravelly disposition of early DJ Shadow, or recent sample plunderer Dr. Who Dat? Moving on from this dusty-groove intro, next to the plate is 'Piano Nono'; wherein a less ADD Prefuse is invoked, as a gorgeous piano melody trickle around a misfiring beat and twinkly exterior for maximum impact, before 'Wake Up' glides into view atop optimism flecked soundscapes, bleeping fidgets and shuffling rhythms. The results are supine. Recalling the likes of Kid Loco (sans the cloying whimsy), tracks like 'The Now', 'Fela' and 'Western Swing' all nod their way past with grace, sample dexterity and a ton of panache - pitching Lukid well away from the weary baggy jeans and bong brigade. Displaying his youthful exuberance most fully on the stalled beats of 'Isis', fractured glass of 'Wonder Years' and the gorgeous curtain-call of 'Light Up', Lukid has produced an album that is mature, complex and (most importantly) a damn good listen." - Boomkat

Tracklisting:

1 A Smart Girl (2:38)
2 Piano Nono (4:17)
3 Wake Up (5:47)
4 The Now (4:49)
5 Isis (5:27)
6 Onandon (3:32)
7 Western Swing (4:07)
8 Fela (4:19)
9 Wonder Years (4:23)
10 Light Up (4:05)

Link

Christ. - Pylonesque EP

Label: Benbecula
Released: 2002
Style: Leftfield, IDM, Downtempo, Ambient

"Not long after Music Volume Two was released Christ. had already started work on his first major EP. From memory it seemed only weeks when he first produced the master cd that was to become Pylonesque. Constructed using very basic beats and live synth work, the melodies that immediately emerged are arguably his most powerful to date, when taking into the account the simplicity of his set up at that time. To then go on and sell 2 to 3 thousand copies is almost unheard of for a debut EP in the struggling market of electronica on a relatively unknown indie label such as Benbecula. Of particular note is the title track and the mesmerising "Absolom (For Lucy)", with the repeated intro phrase seemingly going on for bars and bars before the powerful key change, I still get lost in it. Along with the popular live favourite "Perlandine Friday", one could settle for these three tracks alone. However the others are by no means fillers and the EP flows beautifully as a whole. I cannot imagine anyone with a remote interest in electronica not having this record - period." - Label

Tracklisting:

1 Dream Of The Endless (5:31)
2 Arctica (1:43)
3 Spengly Bengly (4:48)
4 Pylonesque (3:13)
5 Fantastic Light (6:08)
6 Perlandine Friday (5:03)
7 Absolom (For Lucy) (6:21)

Link

Emanuele Errante - Migrations

Label: Apegenine
Released: 2006
Style: Ambient

"Migrations, Emanuele Errante's debut album, is a perfect choice to inaugurate Apegenine's Chapitre, a series dedicated to ambient music, field recordings, and modern composition. Migrations' eight electro-acoustic settings are soothing, multi-layered fields of loops that sit naturally alongside the similarly pretty recordings of Marsen Jules, Gas, and Kompakt's Pop Ambient installments. Errante's wide-ranging instrumental palette adds contrast with the harp plucks and strums that dominate “Rugiada” followed by the strings and piano of “Nubes.” “Calabria,” with its surging waves, Gas-styled strings, and repeating piano ping, is as moodily atmospheric as the fog-drenched moors of Wuthering Heights, while “Wheels” is equally motorik and hazy, as its layers blur into a repeating mass that vaguely resembles Reich's Music For Eighteen Musicians. The words contemplative, ruminative, and serene come to mind while listening to this accomplished collection of lulling ambiance." - Textura

Tracklisting:

1 Rugiada (6:52)
2 Nubes (3:13)
3 Wheels (4:23)
4 Sogno (3:52)
5 Calabria (6:21)
6 Migrations (3:02)
7 Terra (6:11)
8 Waltzing Chiara (3:16)

Link

Seefeel - Polyfusia

Label: Astralwerks
Released: 1994
Style: Abstract, IDM, Shoegazer, Ambient

Mark Clifford (Disjecta, Woodenspoon) combines two earlier Seefeel EPs for domestic re-release on the Astralwerks label. First are four tracks from More Like Space, followed by five more from Pure, Impure. The latter (and slightly more interesting) EP is put mostly in the hands of Clifford's peers, recruiting the remixing and engineering talent of Mark Van Hoen (Locust), Sine Bubble, and Richard James (Aphex Twin), who contributes two very respectful and similar-sounding mixes to the track "Time to Find Me" (both his "AFX Fast Mix" and "AFX Slow Mix" are must-haves for collectors). All in all, Polyfusia is one of the group's more guitar-oriented albums, though still heavily garnished with atonal keyboard ambience and minimalist loops, due in equal parts to Clifford's own aesthetics and the reworkings on the latter half of the CD. Sometimes the minimal and repetitive elements of the tracks test the listener's patience, but it's one of the things that sets it apart from other bands in the same genre. Seefeel trusts that the sound is interesting enough as is, without cramming too much into each measure. It breathes steadily enough; it's music for a dream you can't understand yet, but you know it means something important." - All Music Guide

Tracklisting:

1 More Like Space (8:45)
2 Time To Find Me (Come Inside) (5:07)
3 Come Alive (5:06)
4 Blue Easy Sleep (4:42)
5 Plainsong (7:02)
6 Moodswing (5:45)
7 Minky Starshine (10:43)
8 Time To Find Me (AFX Fast Mix) (7:35)
9 Time To Find Me (AFX Slow Mix) (9:33)
10 Plainsong (Sine Bubble Embossed Dub) (8:46)

Link

Zelienople - Pajama Avenue

Label: Loose Thread Recordings
Released: 2002
Style: Experimental, Post-Rock, Jazz

"Although Zelienople might now be best known for their basement psychedelic jams, all crunching guitars and floorboard-rockin' free drumming, they actually started as something slightly different altogether. 'Pajama Avenue' was the band's first album and originally surfaced back in 2002, and showed the band to have much more of a leaning towards 'Spirit of Eden'-era Talk Talk, Bark Psychosis and early Verve (when they were good). This is no bad thing in my book, and the album stands as not only a reminder where the band came from but also as a stunning piece of work in its own right containing enough classic Zelienople moments to surely win over fans who have only recently discovered them. The first thing you notice from the gorgeous opening track 'It's Hard to Steal Cars' is the use of gently reverberating synthesizers, something which sets the mood perfectly - a shimmering navel-gazing ambience punctuated by Mike Weis's tight percussion and brought to life by Matt Christensen's breathy vocals. This is carried into the second track 'Chase Scene' that brings the bass guitar into the fore, yet keeps the mood intact with the whole track sounding as if it was recorded in a reverb chamber, giving a dream-like quality which becomes synonymous with the record itself. Elsewhere we get the Slowdive-esque 'Back to Dangerous' (possibly the most ineffably beautiful track the band have ever made?) and the anthemic title track 'Pajama Avenue' and you realise that back in 2002 Zelienople made an album of pure unashamed pop. While now they might now be associated with the wyrd folk/avant psyche scene more than necessarily the pop world, it's easy when you hear this album to work out how they reached the grimy heights of 'His/Hers' and 'Pajama Avenue' stands as a hugely impressive debut and should really be heard by far more people than it has been already. Huge recommendation and an essential purchase!" - Boomkat

Tracklisting:

1 It's Hard To Steal Cars (4:15)
2 Chase Scene (3:49)
3 Friendly With The Father (3:47)
4 Back To Dangerous (3:52)
5 You Got Shot Down (5:36)
6 Pajama Avenue (3:14)
7 Christmas (3:37)
8 Please To Police (5:07)
9 Untitled (5:04)

Link

The Orb - Okie Dokie It's The Orb On Kompakt

Label: Kompakt
Released: 2005
Style: Dub, Tech House, Ambient

"The Orb are perpetually tagged with the somewhat dubious accolade of being the "originators of Chill-Out and Ambient House", an appelation that could drive lesser men to drink. Seeminlgly intent on drawing a line in the sand, 'Okie Dokie It's The Orb On Kompakt' even sticks the label name up in lights to stress their more hard-boiled prediliction; a side that is firmly manifested in the first half of the album. Opening with 'Komplikation', The Orb (and we're guessing Fehlmann's magic touch has been dragged to the fore) serve up dubby fingered tech which is characterised by their hypnotic stance; a sound which leaks traight into the strangely Depheche Mode-influenced 'Lunik TM'. Featuring Schneider TM, The Orb then glam up for 'Captain Korma', draft in some rubbery-bass on 'Cool Harbour' before ushering in the more hushed environs of the album's latter half through 'Traumvogel'. Using cascading melodies and chiming digital bobbins, The Orb then reassert their place in the annals of downtempo music through the aforementioned 'Traumvogel', the borderline found-sound quesiness of 'Kompagna (Zandic Mix)' and level-bleached soundscapes of 'Falkenbruck'. All this from a band who collaborated" - Boomkat

Tracklisting:

1 Komplikation (3:55)
2 Lunik TM (5:50)
3 Ripples (5:51)
4 Captain Korma (4:13)
5 Kan Kan (4:43)
6 Rolo (2:36)
7 Beatitude (2:43)
8 Cool Harbour (5:11)
9 Traumvogel (6:24)
10 Because/Before (Sibirische Musik) (4:40)
11 Tin Kan (4:31)
12 Kompagna (Zandic Mix) (3:53)
13 Falkenbrück (3:29)
14 Snowbow (2:16)

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Julien Neto - Le Fumeur De Ciel

Label: Type
Released: 2005
Style: Modern Classical, Ambient, Minimal

"Propelled by a tireless Gallic melancholy, this is a work which confronts tragic loss with an unflinching honesty. Each track is underpinned by deep memories and dried tears. Sketch takes Neto's signature flute sound and adds sweeping strings and a lightly plucked harp that trips over the already heart wrenching melodies. The atmospheres which Neto carves are the most striking aspect of his music. With samples, rough tape edits and disintegrated synthesized sounds he can manipulate imaginary worlds. This is when we have to go back to Keats, and in the same way that a poem looks to the reader's imagination to complete the experience, so Neto does the same.

Fans of Colleen, Susumu Yokota, Sylvain Chaveau and Max Richter are sure to find solace in these peaceful and measured electro acoustic compositions. " - Label

Tracklisting:

1 I (One) (3:20)
2 Sketch (4:05)
3 VI (4:14)
4 IV (Keats) (4:29)
5 Musicbox (2:59)
6 Voy (4:47)
7 V (Rivers) (4:58)
8 Questionable Things (5:11)
9 III (4:36)
10 Farewell (4:37)

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Tim Hecker - Atlas

Label: Audraglint Recordings
Released: 2007
Style: Abstract, Experimental, Ambient

"Phrases like "sold out at source", "ultra limited" and "vinyl only" seem to be cropping up more and more often around these parts, and here comes yet another painfully necessary purchase. Who said January was quiet in the business? It's hard to know what to say about Tim Hecker that you won't already know. Afterall, it can't be that long since we were raving on about his Norberg live CD-R for Room40, but Atlas marks a real advancement in Hecker's musical evolution. While much of the Montreal-based soundsculptor's recent output has delved further and further into nebulous, plume-like noise - riddled with droning undercurrents, Atlas features a far more emphatic use of real instruments. The distortion and haze is still very much a part of Hecker's modus operandi, but spouts of melody erupt from this music's molten core. Chiming passages of electric guitar feature prevalently throughout 'Atlas One', while on the B-side, 'Atlas Two' begins with the kind of exquisitely filtered ambience you'd hear from Boards Of Canada at the height of their powers. Buried in there somewhere is a quivering mass of piano that slowly irons itself out into an expanse of glowing tonal sumptuousness, only to die out gracefully, evaporating into a rasping static. Gorgeous music - Essential Purchase!" - Boomkat

Tracklisting:

1 Atlas One (10:19)
2 Atlas Two (11:24)

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Manual with Jess Kahr - The North Shore

Label: Darla Records
Released: 2004
Style: Ambient

"Jonas Munk’s much-loved Manual project has reached it’s most mature and understated form with “The North Shore” - a truly engrossing collection of ambient pieces in the finest traditions of Brian Eno’s most important work or Harold Budd and The Cocteau Twins awesome “Moon and the Melodies” album. Having explored a more overtly sweet sound for his two excellent Morr Music album’s and work for Static Caravan, Munk’s collaboration here with fellow Limp band-member Jess Kahr dives deep into an ocean of warm tones and beatless harmonies. Rich with understated melody and layers of sparkling sound, each of the 7 pieces here moves on from the next, overflowing with echoes of distant bells, hushed voices and endlessly expanding weaves of vast strings and tones. “The North Shore” omits the shoegazey guitar and beats we've heard on manual’s previous work, instead opting for a more restrained encounter with music of the heart. Lovely." - Boomkat

Tracklisting:

1 Always Alone (7:57)
2 1986 (5:27)
3 Dawn Changes Everything (6:46)
4 Eleda (5:10)
5 Burn (9:53)
6 Ica (5:28)
7 It's Night On Planet Earth... And We Are Alive (5:08)

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Kerrier District - Kerrier District

Label: Rephlex
Released: 2004
Style: House, Disco

"Luke Vibert pulls out the cheeky titles and grooved up disco vibes for his latest long player on Rephlex. Coming a few months after his ‘Yoseph’ debut album for Warp, ‘Kerrier District’ finds Luke in vibrant form, 10 tracks complete with bubbling basslines, subtle and sweet vocal samples and some classic analog action. Named after a district in Cornwall where Luke and pals grew up he parodies the Metro Area explosion by delivering an album of original disco classics for the 21st century. Opening with ‘Lets Dance And Freak’ a vocal spaced out disco number with vintage ‘party time’ samples and pogo-ing disco tom drums Luke fetches the track up to date with his monstrous 303 bassline that cements the track as a killer. With all manner of samples and noises appearing it continues in classic Vibert form, content, groove and a damn good understanding of Disco is the perfect combination. ‘Illogan’ heads straight for the Dan Hartman (Take That?) school of disco with its ‘Relight My Fire’ melody stabbing away, but Luke keeps it deep with a swooping funk bassline and wah wah guitar samples running in sync. On to “New York” which is just rampant hedonistic action from Luke as he visits the Big Apple with his 70’s synths and finger clicking drums, delving into a feelgood mood for the spaced out strings and horn like chord stabs that deliver an ace groove. ‘Disco Bus’ is a perfect chick tune, ass shuffling bass joins the padding 4/4 with vibes echoing around the beat, a cheesy sounding piano stabbing out a brilliant psuedo Italo melody and the fundamental vocal snippets that add the vintage feel, brilliant stuff. A class album from Vibert that shows as with every other genre he’s touched he can pull it off and here he evokes a classic era and fetches it right up to date. Killer." - Boomkat

1 Let's Dance And Freak (5:08)
2 Silhouettes (6:42)
3 Illogan (7:14)
4 Disclix (5:27)
5 Disco Bus (6:49)
6 New York (7:10)
7 Yesco (6:30)
8 Negresco (5:38)
9 Wide Vice (6:41)
10 Squaredance (4:49)

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Susumu Yokota - The Boy And The Tree

Label: Leaf
Released: 2002
Style: Downtempo, Ambient

"Susumu returns to his beatless musical magic fresh from jamming it with Phillip Glass, anything Afx can do..... 'The Boy and The Tree' offers a wider soundscape to that of the incredible 'Sakura', 'Grinning Cat' and 'Magic Thread' - featuring a world of hypnotic exotic instrumentations all sequenced into Susumu's lushed out compositional skills. Spiritual, graceful, hypnotic, rhythmic and calming. Think Alice Coltrane, Steve Reich, Brian Eno and you can also compare this to Thomas Newman's mesmerising score to the film 'American Beauty'. 'The Boy and The Tree' is in my top 10 album of year list for sure. Licensed from Japanese label Skintone specially for Leaf and issued exclusively here on vinyl as well as CD. Lovely." - Boomkat

Tracklisting:

1 The Colour Of Pomegranates (5:13)
2 Live Echo (5:31)
3 Fairy Link (4:33)
4 Grass, Tree And Stone (4:39)
5 Secret Garden (6:10)
6 Rose Necklace (2:44)
7 Beans (1:20)
8 Plateau On Plateau (5:50)
9 Red Swan (4:27)
10 Thread Leads To Heaven (3:42)
11 Future Tiger (5:26)
12 Blood And Snow (5:01)

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Equinox - Acid Rain V.I.P.

Label: Planet Mu
Released: 2006
Style: Drum n Bass, Jungle

"Planet Mu spew forth another batch of the tough stuff, this time an updated Breakage V.I.P version of the drumfunk classic 'acid rain', originally released on inperspective records a few years back. The original is tweaked and beefed into a turbulent display of breakbeat science ripe for experimentation, falling somewhere between the intricate technicality of Paradox and the brute force of Bizzy B's more hardcore works. 'Do you understand me' runs some classic teksteppin' breaks through an array of filters and DSP FX for some disorientating rollidge while 'Forgiving' goes for the dictionary definition of drumfunk with a taut selection of deliciously treated breaks battling for rhythmic supremacy whilst the bum end attempts to exploit any weaknesses in your speakers. A fine selection of forward thinking drum and bass from one its most respected practitioners. Checkkity friggin check." - Boomkat

Tracklisting:

1 Acid Rain V.I.P. (Breakage Final Chapter Mix) (9:00)
2 Breakestra Ting (7:16)
3 Do You Understand Me? (8:48)
4 Forgiving (6:02)

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Deaf Center - Pale Ravine

Label: Type Records
Released: 2005
Style: Modern Classical, Ambient

"With the astounding quality of releases that have appeared on Type recently, it would be easy to become blasé over their output. Deaf Center shake you from any such complacency - delivering here a record that will be extremely hard to beat as album of the year for 2005. Apparently inspired by "old silent 8mm film reels and historical architecture", the Norwegian duo of Erik Skodvin and Otto Totland have produced a lambent debut that recalls the likes of William Basinski (particularly the 'Disintegration Loops' indebted 'Lobby'), Marsen Jules and Harold Budd. Over layers of warmly battered aural sediment, Deaf Center build the kind of vista-expanding, piano tinged music that has you thinking you're in your very own film. Manifesting itself in the stravaig and epic iciness of 'Thread', or the etiolated Nyman piano of 'White Lake', Deaf Center have a seemingly bottomless supply of aural dignity and pathos on which to draw. Other highlights include the tense strings and snatched choirs of 'Stone Beacon', the thrumming piano of 'Loft' and the soaring orchestral pomp of 'Thunder Night'. Just incredible music." - Boomkat

Tracklisting:

1 Lobby (3:01)
2 Thread (3:39)
3 White Lake (6:35)
4 Path To Lucy (4:54)
5 Stone Beacon (3:29)
6 Weir (6:34)
7 Loft (4:15)
8 Thunder Night (4:28)
9 Lamp Mien (3:58)
10 The Clearing (4:13)
11 Fog Animal (4:24)
12 Eloy (2:15)

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Tom Burbank - Famous First Words

Label: Planet Mu
Released: 2006
Style: IDM, Downtempo, Experimental, Instrumental Hip Hop

"Alongside the likes of Kyler and The Kilimanjaro Dark Jazz Ensemble, Tom Burbank further extends the Planet Mu remit beyond the perceived boundaries of its splenetic catalogue - with 'Famous First Words' a glitchy river of melodic hip-hop and electronic intricacies. Very much a contemporary of Prefuse 73, Burbank's sound relies heavily on the slippage that occurs deep within the digital heart when all is not right; lending 'Famous Last Words' a moody and melancholic edge that marks him out from the usual cut-up merchants. Kicking off with 'Fragile', the usual tick-list of elements are undoubtedly present (juddery beats, bursts of electronics, disrupted emissions) - yet whilst others have seen the surface as all important, Burbank ensures a real depth exists that sees him happily ranked alongside the likes of edIT and Prefuse. From here, 'Knuckles' is brashly regimented in it's gun-fire of crumpled tronics, 'Stay One' goes straight for the widescreen jugular with watercolour soundscapes of some beauty, whilst 'Tha Chop' sees the acoustic and machine living in perfect harmony. Closing with the sun-bleached strings and Air-esque atmospherics of 'Riding Off', Burbank has delivered a blissfully simple debut that doesn't need to show off to get its point across." - Boomkat

Tracklisting:

1 Fragile (3:12)
2 Knuckles (3:57)
3 Stay One (3:57)
4 Gnats (4:11)
5 Baghdad Mood (5:06)
6 Tha Chop (5:00)
7 Cracked (3:54)
8 Blabber Mouth (3:58)
9 Slab (3:56)
10 Dot (4:28)
11 Juno Rhapsody (5:35)
12 Riding Off (5:01)

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Massonix - Subtracks

Label: Skam
Released: 2006
Style: IDM, Abstract, Electro, Experimental

"I think it's safe to say that Graham Massey's legendary status is now assured - not only was he part of crucial techno pioneers 808 State, he managed to turn his hand to countless production efforts, most notably for Bjork on 'Army of Me' which to these ears still stands as one of her finest moments. A long time coming (after years of occasional live shows), this is the debut Massonix release and has been much anticipated by all those who've witnessed Massey's killer live sessions. Apparently the melodies and rhythms were dragged from recordings of these sporadic live sets and then reworked into fully realised tracks, so we end up with the perfect retrospective of ten years of Massey's most intriguing work. From the cover you've probably already worked out that the theme is somewhat sub-aquatic, and that sentiment translates more than appropriately to the Drexciyan treats on offer here. Rolling step-sequenced percussion and buzzing analogue synthesizers make up the majority of the works and bring back memories of a day when techno was anything but minimal. This is music that simply revels in its sense of melody, with hooks aplenty and emotive bass-lines guaranteed to cause havoc on the dancefloor. Just flip over to 'Sargasso' with its chunky electro rhythms and wobbly synths; the track builds up menacingly before hitting you with gigantic arpeggiated bliss and descending into total abstraction. Elsewhere we have the almost Radiophonic workshop bliss of 'Deep Saline Green', or the staid rhythmic warehouse vibes of 'March of the Triton Titans'. The best is saved until last though, and the album finishes on two absolute stormers - the jubilant emotive electro classic 'El Rey De Rey' and the 10 minute ambient epic 'Pulsars'. If you fancy delving into some truly classic electronic music, from a time when electronic music didn't just mean random laptop experimentation and pointless plug-in over-use then look no further, Graham Massey is back. Highly Recommended." - Boomkat

Tracklisting:

1 Port Silat (Off Port Silat) (4:14)
2 Sargasso (Horse Latitudes, Giant Kelp) (3:32)
3 Debussa (Undersea Danube) (3:36)
4 Despina Farfisa (Continental Ridge) (2:48)
5 Gold Coast (Pro Bumba Colony, Sea Caves) (5:15)
6 Deep Saline Green (Light Conductor 45 Fathoms) (1:47)
7 March Of The Triton Titans (Rubber, Canvas And Lead) (4:33)
8 Forests Of Crespo (Kelp Forest Range) (5:27)
9 Boonadawn - (The Mackerel, The Sampan And The Marlin) (5:27)
10 Diamond Dance (4ths, Heavy Water) (3:57)
11 The Subatlantian (Black Smokers) (6:01)
12 El Rey De Ray (Warm Gulf Water Rising) (4:39)
13 Pulsars (Deep Ocean Basin To Jodrell Bank) (10:30)

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808 State - Utd. State 90

Label: Tommy Boy Music
Released: 1990
Style: Acid, Techno

"By the time the residual sweet swirl of Disco and the harder edge of Chicago House had dribbled its way into England via New York and Europe's booming rave scene, "Acid House" was born. At a record shop somewhere in Manchester, a group of future Acid House pioneers (Martin Price, Graham Massey and Gerald Simpson) formed 808 State. The group's first domestic release, Utd. State 90, was a drastically-revised version of their 1989 album 90. The hit "Pacific" (here in three incarnations) is the album's standout track, its slinky, synthesized sax and tropical chirps laid on a bed of percussive electronic beats. The album shifts moods quickly yet seamlessly, from the poppy, lyric-driven "Magical Dream" to the industrial edge of "Kinky National" and the epic grind of "Cübik." Utd. State 90 even enters Ambient territory with "Sunrise," a track in which 808's impact on artists like Moby is beyond palpable." - Slant Magazine

Tracklisting:

1 Pacific 202 (5:43)
2 Boneyween (6:09)
3 Ancodia (5:12)
4 Kinky National (3:58)
5 Cobra Bora (5:47)
6 Cübik (3:36
7 Magical Dream (3:52)
8 808080808 (4:20)
9 Revenge Of The Girlie Men (4:16)
10 Donkey Doctor (5:24)
11 Sunrise (6:33)
12 State To State (5:50)
13 Pacific 212 (6:49)
14 Pacific 718 (5:46)

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