Author Archives: Dæv Tremblay

Monthly Recommendations: January 2019

by Dæv Tremblay

New Thread Quartet – Plastic Facts (New Focus Recordings)

Contemporary classical music doesn’t get enough spotlight here (and I vow to change that). Let’s start with New York-based New Thread Quartet, a saxophone tetraphony playing pieces that are, at times, utterly terrifying and powerful; at other times contemplative, meandering, or intriguing. Each track is from a different composer, but they all shine equally on this record.

Review.

Richmond Avant-Improv Collective – Multiplicity (Thirsty Leaves Music)

Known more succinctly as RAIC, the Richmond Avant-Improv Collective is an ensemble made of a great number of musicians. Correspondingly, they also create music from

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Weekly Release Dump

by Dæv Tremblay

Saturday, 19 January

Tonus – Ear Duration (free jazz)

London, UK

Brian! (Quartet) – Minimum Donation [EP] (experimental rock, avant-garde jazz)

Ithaca, New York

Sunday, 20

Call Us Колос (Kolos) – На связи (Na svjazi) [EP] (post-rock)

Saint Petersburg, Russia

Kelp – Exterior (experimental jazz)

Fukuoka, Japan

Kevin Blanke – In Remembrance of Things That Never Were (avant-garde jazz)

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Best Rock of 2018

by Dæv Tremblay

Best Avant-Prog: Piniol – Bran coucou (Dur et Doux)

The merger of French bands Poil and Ni into the entity known as Piniol delivers exactly what I’m looking for in avant-prog: mathematically proficient, musically dense, and making something utterly novel. Bran coucou is to the genre what Bisbâyé is for metal. If you haven’t already, do yourself the pleasure of listening to this album. Oh, and while you’re here, take a listen at the honourable mentions below; they’re all equally fantastic!

Honourable Mentions

Shatner’s Bassoon – Disco Erosion (Wasp Millionaire Records)

Troot – Constance and the Waiting (Tim Root Music)… Read more

EXCLUSIVE SONG PREMIERE: Smogma – “Free Smog”

by Dæv Tremblay

Smogma is an experimental project from two members of different groups in Arizona. On their debut album, Abracasmogma, the duo casts prepared guitar and an unidentified sound sculpture, as well as a range of other instruments, into the void, creating an otherworldly experience. You can already go on their Bandcamp page to witness and experience “The Black Smog and the Sinner Lady”, but today I—in conjunction with Arachnidiscs Recordings—bring you the second track: “Free Smog”.

Abracasmogma is one step ahead of free improvisation. It adds to the mix elements of musique concrète and lowercase, as well as noise and … Read more