Review: Agata Melnikova is Sign Libra and in her utopian vision we are given 'Seas' of tranquility, serenity, knowledge and cleverness not Orwellian ministries of truth, love and plenty! With So much 'conceptronica', as it's being tagged these days, suggested to come from the social and political angst of many experimental electronic producers at the moment it's comforting to know there are still visions of peace to find. Sea To Sea, Sign Libra's second album, docks with RVNG Int'l and brings with it tales of a future exotica from the far east and beyond!
Review: Kate Shilosonova, otherwise known as Kate NV, is breaking through the mould as we speak. Her opening releases have been a revelation, particularly her debut LP for Orange Milk, a lovely synth-wave deviation called Binasu. She returns this week with her follow-up LP, FOR, which we had a preview EP for not too long ago. The vibe and aesthetic are more improvisational here, relying less on known formulas or tactics and, instead, allowing freedom and experimentation to enter her domain. In fact, there isn't much that is predictable about this album; the only way we can describe it is 'tropical', offering gentle waves of euphoria at every turn. Imagine the rainforest in the future, or in hyperspace, and you're one step closer to appreciating Kate NV's vision of rhythm.
Review: And just like that, the sublime RVNG Int'l come up with a solid beat of new hear, the sort of cosmic, outer-space stuff that really gets our juices flowing. It's newcomer Mikael Seifu with five songs, not tracks, that span the very edges of reality and structure - a sort of sonic wormhole with a lo-fi edge. From "The Protectors", through to "Soul Manifest" and "aaaa", this is pure music for the bedroom DJ, and it is bound to go down a storm with lovers of the subtly tropical, glitchy sonics heard on NTS radio shows such as Knee Deep, Pipe Down, and Reverie. A gorgeous slice of emotion and experimentation.
Review: Billed by the label that is releasing it as an "11 poem epic", First pushes Jamal Moss from noise-obsessed acid freak into jazz-frazzled modern day beatnik. Working with J.I.T.U. Ahn-Sahm-Buhl, Moss delivers a series of drum-heavy, sax-laden workouts like "Civilization That Is Dying", "Cybernetics Is An Old Science" and "Brain Damage". There are some echoes of Moss' 303 fixation on the evil bleeps and abstract techno of "Universe Is A Simulation", but the emphasis here is on freeform jazzy sounds; this is most audible on the odd flutes of "Cimetiere Des Innocents" and the jittery rhythms and Sun-Ra style complexity of "Root Of". If this is poetry, it's TS Elliot rather than Pam Ayers.
Review: Pink Skull's impressive 2011 album Psychic Warfare - a triumph of trippy electronica/alternative rock fusion - gets a welcome re-release. The original album - a thirteen-track assault on the senses that variously touches on krautrock, psychedelia, space rock, stoner pop, spacey electronica and industrial funk - is here accompanied by a swathe of bonus cuts. Of these, it's the 15-minute, deep space ambient epic "Geos" that really stands out, though the jangly, swirling instrumental "Sphinx Proof" is also impressive. The accompanying remixes are largely impressive, too, with Ray Mang's punk-disco dub of "Summer Reading", Worst Friend's hazy Balearic rework of "Human Hair Disco", and Brassica's thrillingly quirky revision of "Bee Noise" all hitting the spot.
Review: RVNG Intl's reissue series has been the jewel in the label's crown this year, with K Leimer's A Period of Review and Craig Leon's Nommos both offering killer retrospectives that put many other labels to shame. The third and final subject for this year is Ariel Kalma, a French-born musician who found inspiration in India's sacred music traditions on a trip to the country in the '70s. An artist whose minimalistic style is comparable to Terry Riley, La Monte Young, and Charlemagne Palestine, An Evolutionary Music (Original Recordings 1972 - 1979) collects unheard material from the artist's archives, and is essential listening for fans of psychedelic floatation tank sounds.
Review: RVNG Intl's FRKWYS series continues to bring together like-minded artists from the past and present for a series of immaculate collaborations. Here, veteran British blues-folk guitarist Mike Cooper - whose first album dropped back in 1969 - and new school guitar virtuoso Steve Gunn join forces for an album of glistening, Portugal-inspired downtempo sketches. Touching on Americana, blues, British folk, Balearica and the classical Spanish guitar stylings of Pierre Bensusan and Isaac Guillory, Cantos de Lisboa is an evocative and engaging set that simply ripples with sun-kissed beauty. Highlights are plentiful, from the glistening brilliance of "Saudade Do Santos-o-Velho", to the fuzzy, string-laden experimental lo-fi stylings of "Song for Charlie".
Review: It would be wrong to say that Seattle-based electronic explorer Kerry Leimer made his name in the late 1970s and early '80s, as few picked up on his work at the time. Of course, this may have something to do with the obscurity of his albums; he famously put out just a trickle of cassettes and LPs - mostly on his own Palace of Light imprint - during the period. Thankfully, RVNG are fans, and here present a 30-track archive of previously unheard material recorded in his home studio - mostly using tape-loops and cheap synthesizers - between 1975 and '83. For those interested in ambient, experimental electronica and new age, it should be essential listening, containing as it does thrillingly fuzzy but wonderfully melodic sketches influenced by Eno, Terry Riley, Steve Reich and acid-friend 1960s pop.
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