Category Archives: Mini-Review

Monthly Recommendations: June 2019

by Dæv Tremblay

Andys Skordis – In… Se… (Insitu)

The contemporary Gamelan scene is undergoing a surprising flourishing, thanks in no small part to Insitu Recordings, which have been promoting and releasing many artists from many styles, from the more traditional to the more experimental. Andys Skordis‘s Gamelan opera In… Se… is definitely of the latter. The Cypriot composer’s newest work clocks in at almost two hours, and it’s a complete operatic composition with libretto and performance that is totally immersed in Gamelan and Western traditions. If you’re looking for something completely different, this is right there for you.

Read more.

… Read more

Some Became Hollow Tubes, Nick Mazzarella Trio, A Half with Tinnitus, Makeunder, Tiger Swallow Tail, and Present/Whereas

by Dæv Tremblay

Some Became Hollow Tubes – Keep It in the Ground (Gizeh)

Nothing seems better fitting than Gizeh’s own slogan flying above this album on Bandcamp: “The Noise of Harmony & the Harmony of Noise”. Indeed, Some Became Hollow Tubes‘s music feels at time like background noise—droning sounds for extended periods of time with few if any change with each successive repetition—yet it does so harmoniously (that term is used in its literal definition: there is harmony, but few would consider it qualitatively harmonious). The guitar-effects-synths and drums duo builds up immense atmospheres eerier than post-rock’s more massive examples … Read more

Bonniesongs, Black Midi, Ensamble Peripecia, Broken Fall, Alexander Noice, and Dreare

by Dæv Tremblay

Bonniesongs – Energetic Mind (Small Pond)

Bonniesongs already released some hot fire in the past, but her latest effort, Energetic Mind comes on top of it all. The Sydney-based singer and multi-instrumentalist showcases her newest compositions, and they are truly fabulous. The style she’s working in I would describe as “indie folk”, but it has more depth than a mere two words, and ties you into venomous pop melodies, complex layered instrumentation, and a whole lot of atmosphere. Just listen to the single “Barbara” for a prime example of what I’m trying to convey, here. The album comes out in … Read more

Weekly Release Dump

by Dæv Tremblay

Friday, 14 June

Anat Cohen Tentet – Triple Helix (jazz fusion)

New York, New York
On Anzic

Baroness – Gold & Grey (stoner metal)

Savannah, Georgia
On Relapse

The Biology of Plants – Volume 2 (nu jazz)

Brisbane, Australia
On Art as Catharsis

Claire Rousay – Aerophobia (free improv)

San Antonio, Texas
On Astral Spirits

Duett – Version [EP] (synthwave)

London, UK

… Read more

Stavros Gasparatos, The Pneumatic Transit, Gordon Beeferman, Kenta Shimakawa, and Park Jiha

by Dæv Tremblay

Σταύρος Γασπαράτος (Stavros Gasparátos) – Rage Park (Inner Ear)

Greek composer Σταύρος Γασπαράτος (Stavros Gasparátos) recently released Rage Park, an electro-classical album exploring rage and stillness, and how the two can be very close to one another. The music is also accompanied by a video trilogy, which you can watch above. The album does a great job of mixing classical music, mostly in the form of soundtrack music but also exploring more contemporary styles, and electronic music elements. The album is very dynamic and can be as contemplative as cathartically violent.

The Pneumatic Transit – Chordae tendineae

The project … Read more