Future Machines – Future Machines (math rock, avant-prog, glitch rock)

Here’s a release from an exciting new band taking a bold step forward within the idiom of math rock! This should be right up the alley of anyone hungry for bit-crushed madness and hyperactive rhythmic phrasing run amok! Stuttering, sputtering guitar melds perfectly with off-kilter drumming as the group embraces their weirdness and makes no apologies. A deliberate barely in control quality adds heaps to the intensity of the music and the uncertainty inflicted upon the listener as to where things might go. Disjointed grooves that punch hard and manifest as the irresistible urge to bob one’s head are immediately impactful, standing as a hallmark of the band’s unified approach. In compliment to the erratic rhythms, broken glitch textures are supremely satisfying, and thankfully in no shortage.

I imagine there’s a lot to look forward to from Future Machines, but after checking this release out, it may be a wise move to travel back in time to visit Matthew Fong‘s (guitar) and Chris Pruden‘s (bass synth) prior collaboration with similarly experimental math jazz trio Falcon Punch. Amazing stuff!

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Typical Sisters – Hungry Ghost (jazz, improvisation)

The simple trio of guitar, double bass, and kit drums provides us a very nice taste of modern jazz. One of my beefs with so much semi-composed composed music is the tendency of the improvised sections to become platforms for individual indulgence, but not here. Not by a long shot. This is a collective experience, and this music travels! You might find yourself briefly lulled to sleep with a foggy melody before taking a wrong turn down a sleazy back alley, for instance. The ability the trio possesses to evoke such strong atmospheres and imagery is remarkable. It’s an innate power of jazz (more than any other genre, I think), and it’s in full effect here, making for a nearly cinematic experience. Oh, and did I mention the rhythm section can really kick! I happily recommend to fans of traditional and experimental jazz alike!

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Parker Projection – EPII (math rock)

You know, at this point, it’s almost weird to hear math rock played by a band with guitars and bass! In this case, it affords us a more multi-layered and dynamic sound, something that lacks from many of the bands operating in the now traditional duo format. This three song flourish is a pleasant listen, for sure. The cleanliness of the performance and the production are clear as day. The instrumental interaction is stellar and, even as we pass through herky-jerky rhythmic happenings, every sound is defined and cohesive. In a genre that can seem saturated with a lot of ill-defined guitar noodling and a whole bunch of the same-old, this is a band who hold the potential to stand out from the herd. I look forward to hearing more from Parker Projection!