Kyst - Cotton Touch

Ever since I stumbled upon the gem that is Indigo Tree, I decided to dive head first into the Polish folk/freak-folk scene. I must say that I'm impressed with the quality of a lot of these artists and it baffles me how some of them aren't household names in the States yet. One such band is the Norwegian/Polish band Kyst. Consisting of Tobiasz Biliński and Adam Byczkowski, they've released an ep, album and run their own record label all while being under the age of 20. If that doesn't make the average person feel lazy and unambitious I don't know what will.

Cotton Touch starts off with the amply titled "Climb Over", a slow build up of a guitar, drums and eventual violin that crescendos at the perfect time. It's a fantastic opener, nothing too long or pretentious, yet a wonderful nod to classic post-rock artists. "Complain/Cheer" has an almost live feel to it, very reminiscent of some of the quieter Akron/Family songs as it perfectly mixes the erratic with the subdued. This wonderful mixture continues for the remainder of the album as it's textured with bits of the Microphones and Grizzly Bear(I'm talking Horn of Plenty, not that Yellow House or Veckatimest bullshit) showing through every so often. The album finishes with the fantastic instrumental outro "Summer Love" that will leave you with your eyes closed, head bopping and a smile on your face.

I have fallen in love with this record and I can't wait to see what they will come up with next. If you enjoy meticulously crafted songs full of texture and warmth, you are going to adore this record.

Cotton Touch

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Emeralds - Solar Bridge

Emeralds is one of those drone artists that absolutely smother you with 10+ releases a year. Seriously, it's kind of ridiculous. I am usually put off by talented bands that overwhelm listeners with albums upon albums. I have listened to maybe a third of what Emeralds has released, (like 8 albums/eps) and haven't been disappointed yet. Emeralds caught some attention with one of their five releases last year, What Happened. And though it was well deserved, to me, it didn't even come close to my favorite of theirs.

Solar Bridge is a half hour of electronic drone that rises and rises until it finds an altitude it likes and cruises. It doesn't try anything fancy, or destroy the vibe it creates. Solar Bridge oozes at the same rate it does during its intro, climax, and outro. The simplicity here is what makes Solar Bridge great. Highly recommended to fans of Nadja, Windows and Walls-ish Grouper, Natural Snow Buildings... or anyone needing a kick-start to a love of drone music.

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DoF - A Year In Waiting

Long ago before your fancy torrents and music blogs were the norm, we used an archaic technology known as p2p. During this earlier time there were quite a few shitty p2p programs(kazaa, limewire, emule etc...) out there, most of which gave you horrible rips, shitty quality and at the least, viruses. Out of this sea horridness came a simple and amazing program called soulseek. What this wonderful little program did was mix the file sharing of those aforementioned programs, with a more social, safe and welcoming environment. The ability to make rooms, chat with people, see their share lists and download/trade as you wished. I mention this program because it's not only completely shaped my musical taste, it also allowed me to meet incredible people and find music I would never have listened to elsewhere. DoF is one of those artists.

Unbeknownst to most people, Brian Hulick has been making music for almost a decade. His six releases range from Marsen Jules-like ambient landscapes to an electro-folk very reminiscent of earlier Bibio. He seems to evolve with each new release and continues to surprise and impress me each time.

A Year in Waiting is a collection of twelve tracks, each named after a month of the year. January starts off with a quiet distant tone that is gradually accompanied by soft keys as if you were just waking up from a winter slumber, rubbing your eyes and trying to remember what day it is. Eventually the song weaves into a soft glitchy cloud that softly envelopes you and remains until the very end of the record. From the cold and sluggish February to the vibrant and joyful July and even the optimistic and wonderful December, each track seems to perfectly embody the month that it was named after.

DoF is an artist I've been very selfish about over the years. He's always been someone I've listened to and enjoyed immensely, but rarely talked about or recommended to others. Brian is one hell of a musician and if you enjoy anything remotely ambient, glitchy or hell, even electronic, you need to give this guy a listen.

DoF - A Year In Waiting

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Kingfisherg - The Heartspray

I decided to take a break from posting new(er) releases and feature one of my personal favourites.

Hailing from Belgium, François Boulanger records under the name Kingfisherg. His music could best be described as laid back IDM, very reminiscent of artists such as Wixel, d_rradio, DoF and aMute. Songs get pieced together with soft keys, spoken word, synthesizers, beats and strings and slowly evolve into a more complex being, reaching its peak and disintegrating down the other side. Songs range from the more upbeat "Apple Act", full of hand claps, infectious beats and a simple guitar; to the cold and desolate piano driven "February's Dawn".

Even though the entire album is over in just about 26 minutes, it's the type of release you will want to leave on repeat for hours at a time. No matter what mood I am in I can sit back and enjoy this record. Unbelievably overlooked, this is an absolute must listen if you are a fan of ambient or IDM in general.

Kingfisherg - The Heartspray

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Arturo en el Barco

For the past five years Angélica Negrón has been creating wonderful music under the name Arturo en el Barco. With a piano, violin and glitchy electronic soundscapes, she crafted one of my favourite releases of 2005. Unfortunately for her, 2005 was a fantastic year for electronic/ambient releases and she was for the most part ignored by the music sites and reviewers in general. Now that she is part of an ensemble I am hoping the strong live performances will finally garner some much needed exposure for her.

This is lo-fi ambient at its best, simply beautiful in every way. If you enjoy Helios, aMute, The Boats, Porn Sword Tobacco or Marsen Jules you will certainly enjoy this.

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The Type Records Appreciation Post

I absolutely adore Type Records. John Twells and Stef Lewandowski have an incredible track record and easily the highest quality collection of artists/albums I have seen on any label. It's rare that there is a bad release from this label and is the main reason I keep buying their records. Here are a few of my favourites from this outstanding label. Click on the album title for the download link.

Goldmund - Cordurouy Road

"As Goldmund, Kenniff has disregarded the electronic elements of his music almost entirely in favour of just a piano, a microphone and occasionally a guitar. ‘Corduroy Road’ is thirteen tracks of pure recording, the sound of the piano being opened and the feet on the pedals, the sound of fingers pressing lovingly onto the keys. This is a record of rare and unusual beauty, so shocking and yet unpretentious in its simplicity. When the guitar does emerge from beside the delicately touched piano, it serves as a balancing point for the record. Weaving in and out of the melodies, it adds another layer to what is already incredibly moving music."

Sylvain Chauveau - Nuage

"With a hand-picked group of players on piano, viola, violin and with Sylvain himself on electric guitar the music roots itself in the traditions of great film scoring. There are defnite nods to Krzysztof Kieslowski’s composer Zbigniew Preisner in the deep sense of emotion and melancholy, and Chauveau strips his pieces down to the bare minimum of what might be needed, ridding himself of orchestral excess or meaningless sentimentality. Thus short motifs rise and fall, tangling their way through the album, appearing and re-appearing subtly and beautifully."

Xela - The Dead Sea

"‘The Dead Sea’ is Xela’s ode to all things maritime – with the album’s thematic thread detailing a doomed ocean voyage that meets an abrupt end amongst a swarm of malignant zombies. Drawing on the work of 1970’s horror directors (Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci and George Romero et al.) and their respective soundtracks, ‘The Dead Sea’ pays a considerable debt to the likes of Goblin or Fabio Frizzi – albeit frayed with a bloodied disposition that reveals a love of Earth, Circle and Wolf Eyes. Nowhere near as oppressive as this description could have you believe, Xela also exposes a deep seam of kaleidoscopic folk amongst his collection, with generous nods going to the freewheeling antics of labels such as Fonal and The Jewelled Antler Collective."

Peter Broderick - Float

"'Float’ is an album which has a definite narrative – a fan of film soundtracks and the films themselves Peter decided early on to make an album which was not simply a collection of random tracks. Rather we hear themes appear and re-appear, motifs to signal the different acts of the record and characters, sometimes in the shape of instruments themselves dropping in and out as if through some thick French cigarette smoke. Even the titles of the tracks themselves could tell a story and as you listen to the album, as subconsciously you follow the broad lines which link each piece together."

Deaf Center - Pale Ravine

"Inspired by old silent 8mm film reels, the historical architecture around them and the call of the alluring Norwegian landscape, the duo set out armed with microphones to record whatever they could to capture these feelings. Sounds from battered old records, cash registers, broken machines and a half-dead piano were all blended into the mix to add a warm, homely depth to the recordings. These sounds are most evident in the track ‘Loft’, where knocks and wooden creaks give an almost claustrophobic feel to the music. Again on ‘The Clearing’ a subtle field recording gives the track a rich and involving background and helps build up the mysterious aura before launching a skewed 1930s circus-waltz.

One of the most stand-out influences on ‘Pale Ravine’ is theatre, or at least the romance of all things theatrical. Not so much theatre in all its pretentious excesses, but the childhood apprehensiveness and the sinister undercurrents. From the muffled ticket booth ambience of ‘Lobby’ to the solemn dance of ‘White Lake’ it all appears draped in thick billowing velvet. The dense narrative technique the duo employs is almost like a reverse to a silent film and the soundtrack is provided to be accompanied by the imaginative visuals of the listener.

‘Pale Ravine’ is an album which again manages to blend elements of classical music with electronic music, yet there is something decidedly different which sets it apart from the competition. While there are elements that can be compared with contemporaries such as Max Richter, Marsen Jules or Ryan Teague – Deaf Center is altogether more other-worldly, darker and ultimately very rewarding."

Logreybeam - It's All Just Another Aspect of Mannerism

"Morley is better known as one half of electronica act ‘Yasume’. His gritty percussive structures helped carry their album ‘Where We’re From The Birds Sing A Pretty Song’ to great critical acclaim in 2003. It comes as quite a surprise then that in his debut solo record Morley dispenses with percussion almost entirely to make a record of drifting, crystalline beauty. He considers this as a far more personal work than Yasume, which was more of an outlet for his ADD induced beat creation skills. It is when working by himself he feels he can express his love of musique concrete and abstract sound design.

The album opens in typically classical style, with the sounds of a laptop orchestra tuning their samples on ‘Premonition’. This sets the tone of the record perfectly as it drifts seamlessly from Xenakis-influenced electrical drones into the cold, precise digital manipulations explored previously by artists such as Carsten Nicolai. It stops for breath mid-way through with ‘Beetelguise’, a wonderful reinterpretation of Danny Elfman’s influential theme, proving that there is room for a wry smile in the po-faced world of the avante garde.

As the album draws to a satisfying close with the mysterious ‘Untitled’ we are treated to a piece of field recording, delicately manipulated to brush the senses rather than barrage them with information. This kind of subtlety is rarely achieved, yet Gabriel Morley manages effortlessly. Such simple yet involving beauty comes around far too infrequently, which is what makes ’It’s All Just Another Aspect Of Mannerism’ such an essential work."

Emery Reel - ...For And Acted Upon Through Diversions

"Another supreme release from Resonant, this time round diverting their attention momentarily from the icy log-cabin planes of Iceland and heading west towards Nashville, Tennessee for a sublime quiet/loud post-rock session with Emery Reel. “.....For And Acted Upon Through Diversions” was originally released on the fledgling “First Flight” imprint but has been licensed here by Resonant with much care and attention to detail. The packaging owes much to the Constellation pedigree – dye-cut cardboard slipcase and multi-layered artwork, a good signpost for the shimmering cocophany of instrumentation to be found within. One for fans of Mogwai, Godspeed, Do Make Say Think etc.... Highly Recommended!"

One of my absolute favourite albums, this gem from 2002 seemed to slip under everyone's radar. This is an album I always go back to and recommend to anyone who will listen. If you are a fan of anything remotely related to post-rock you should give this a spin. Fucking gorgeous from beginning to end.

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Brian Harnetty & Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Silent City

The past few years Will Oldham has released quite a few allbums, none of which were very memorable to me. Long gone were his vulnerable crackling voice and sorrowful lyrics in exchange for a much more polished and upbeat sound. I guess I miss the old Will and was hoping he'd release something that would remind me of his earlier works. Thankfully, with the help of Brian Harnetty, that Will we have grown to miss is back.

Harnetty crafts a wonderful soundscape of natural ambient sounds, field recordings and historic records to craft a haunting and wonderful world in which Oldham's fragile vocals mix perfectly with. I am slowly working my way through Brian's other recordings and loving every second of it.

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Blindfold

This is one of my personal favourite albums and I would really like to see it get some more accolades. Blindfold is a solo project of Biggi Hilmarsson, current member of the Icelandic band Ampop. Released on the now defunct but incredible Resonant label in 2004, this record has the perfect mix of warm, glitchy ambient with a quiet guitar and fragile vocals. If you are looking for something to just lay back and enjoy no matter what the weather or your mood is, this is the album for you.

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Richard Skelton - Marking Time

This is Richard's first release under his own name and easily his finest work to date. With a gentle piano, a quiet guitar and bowed strings he crafts seven incredible tales that completely envelope you and melt away any inhibitions you may have. Each track feels as though it will fall apart any moment and you hope that it will just last a little longer. For fans of Max Richter, Sylvain Chauveau, Goldmund and Hauschka this is an absolute must listen.

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Julien Neto - Le Fumeur De Ciel

"Parisian Julien Neto has been an active member of the music scene for some time with releases on various labels under various monikers, so it comes as a surprise then that this is his debut album. However, Neto has taken his time in producing this record, and it shows very clearly that this is not merely a random collection of tracks but a fully realized work. Like a poem, each track is a verse, and part of a much larger piece. The literary connection does not stop here, Neto based part of the record on the poems of Keats finding a kindred spirit in his deep and moving romanticism. This effortless gravitas is explored cautiously on ‘IV’, where sweeping strings and distant piano form the basis of an epic and moving track. The title of the record is somewhat fitting as the album is enswathed by curls of cinematic smoke. Think Twin Peaks as blue light illuminates the dry ice around Julee Cruise on centre stage, or the thick French cigarette smoke drifting from Rachel’s mouth in Blade Runner and you’re close. Yet what makes ‘Le Fumeur De Ciel’ so beautifully inviting is its delicate naivety. There is something of timeless theatrics about the record, hazy childhood memories of half-sinister puppetry and enjoyably menacing shadows. Propelled by a tireless Gallic melancholy, this is a work which confronts tragic loss with an unflinching honesty. Each track is underpinned by deep memories and dried tears. ‘Sketch’ takes Neto’s signature flute sound and adds sweeping strings and a lightly plucked harp that trips over the already heart wrenching melodies. The atmospheres which Neto carves are the most striking aspect of his music. With samples, rough tape edits and disintegrated synthesized sounds he can manipulate imaginary worlds. This is when we have to go back to Keats, and in the same way that a poem looks to the reader’s imagination to complete the experience, so Neto does the same.

Fans of Colleen, Susumu Yokota, Sylvain Chaveau and Max Richter are sure to find solace in these peaceful and measured electro acoustic compositions."

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alva noto + ryuichi sakamoto - insen

This is neo-classical minimalism at its absolute finest. A perfect blend of a fragile piano with a subtle and often hypnotizing electronic beat. Together they form a record that seems to breath, as if it was alive and begging to be heard. This album is pure bliss from beginning to end.

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I'm Not a Gun - We Think As Instruments

This is one of my favourite releases by Jon Tejada and Takeshi Nikimoto. They blend a perfect mixture of ambient electronic with a subdued post-rock sound. A must-have for fans of Porn Sword Tobacco, Epic45 or The Remote Viewer.

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