Graz Composers Orchestra Meets Claudia Döffinger – Monochrome

The big band of the talented Graz composers ensemble plays here the wonderful album Monochrome, which is everything but. It is filled with counterpoints, battling themes, and solos to give you chills. The album was released in January, but it’s never too late to enjoy a perfectly ripe fruit. One of the highlights of jazz and big band music of 2018 already!

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Evil Genius – Experiments on Human Subjects

Los Angeles’ Evil Genius trio is a guitar-tuba-drums team playing rocking jazz with a few avant-garde and experimental tendencies. There’s a bunch of math rock influences, noise rock, and sometimes funk! It’s really cool to hear the tuba being such a frontline instrument here. It’s a fun and interesting album!

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Robert J. Zimmer? – Robert J. Zimmer?

The question of who or what is Robert J. Zimmer inherent to this artist and album is irrelevant. However, the answer, in musical form, is highly interesting. This Chicago experimental rock septet plays with an almost jazz ensemble-like lineup made up of a little brass and woodwinds section on top of drums, guitar, and piano. The result is an interesting progressive rock album with an unusual instrumentalisation!

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Chris Pitsiokos Unit – Silver Bullet in the Autumn of Your Years

New York saxophonist Chris Pitsiokos recently released this amazing album, aided by five other highly talented musicians. This gem of modern avant-garde jazz will probably make you gnaw your teeth here and there, and that’s what I love about it. It’s really odd, and it sounds really fresh while staying potently abrasive. This one deserves your time!

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Sudan Archives – Sink

I don’t think I can put into words just how much I like Sudan Archives. Ever since their 2017 self-titled release, I’ve been invested in it. The project consists of a lone violinist with many effect pedals and electronic instruments who creates avant-garde soul songs that are heartfelt and inspiring. Sink is powerful and beautiful.

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Christophe Monniot & Le Grand Orchestre du Tricot – Jericho sinfonia

Jericho sinfonia, the Symphony of Jericho, almost feels like a long and complex spell conjured to bring down the walls of the sacred city. Through spoken excerpts (in French) and a multitude of avant-garde jazz compositions, the album conveys a story that is not clear from the start, but that gets clearer as it goes, until the eventual climax and end of everything. That album was fascinating!

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Ingrina – Etter lys

I am new to the project of Ingrina, but I am glad to tell you about it. This French post-metal crew plays a sludgy brand of hardcore-tinged post-metal with airy vocals that populate the back seat of the songs. This adds to the atmosphere-building qualities of the record, which is, let me rephrase, amazing! Get on it!

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C0mputer – C.0.M.P.U.T.E.R.: Consequences of Mass Production under the Entertainment Regime

This Philadelphia female-fronted lo-fi mathcore band already had caught my attention with their last EP, but this new release is even better. Their sound is quite unique and eccentric, which is always fun to hear, and it makes the band that much more memorable. Definitely a curiosity worth listening to!

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Dischordia – Binge/Purge

I wasn’t very fond of the band’s previous effort, but their new dingle (double single?), showcasing the long compositions “Binge” and “Purge”, got a much different reaction from me. I like it, and the band’s dissonant, progressive death metal sound. I can’t say I recall much or any of their previous music, but I can vouch for this one. Check it out!