Monday, April 16, 2012

Pyramids with Nadja - s/t (2009) (FLAC)


Artist: Pyramids with Nadja
Album: Self-titled
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: 27 Oct 2009
Genre: Drone, Doom, Ethereal, Shoegaze, Ambient
Label: Hydra Head Records
Size: 309 MB

This is just plain awesome...
Producing machines Nadja have really benefited from their work with Pyramids.
This is a lot more shoegazy than most of their material, that usually features down-tuned guitars and a drummachine in very low tempo - just as the tag "drone" would suggest, if you feel like using one.

The most obvious difference is the following though:
You'll find echoing, Thom Yorkesque vocals, that made me think of Slowdive's Albatross, floating like haze amidst endless outburst of heavy, distorted walls; uptempo beats and somewhat of a structure to a larger extent throughout the record.

Especially the last piece, "An Angel Was Heard to Cry Over the City of Rome" has a surprisingly driving beat, basically blast beats as we know them from black metal compositions.
This piece also features spoken, distorted words - Nadja going transcendental metal! ;)




Jojo Mayer's Nerve - Ep1 / Ep2 / Ep3 (2010/2011) (FLAC)



Artist: Nerve
Album: Ep1, Ep2, Ep3
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: 2010-2011
Genre: Electronic, Dubstep, Jungle
Label: Self-Released
Size: 314 MB

Drums: Jojo Mayer
Bass: John Davis
Keys: Takuya Nakamura
 + Roli Mosimann: real time audio deconstruction


Since I already posted Three Trapped Tigers, I decided to share another kick-ass live band with you: NERVE.
I suppose most of you have heard the name Jojo Mayer before - among drummers he's said to be the best.

He's famous for his ability to play the rhythms of programmed jungle drum 'n' bass music on acoustic drums, terming this technique "reverse engineering", a phrase borrowed from computing. He executes this approach using various methods such as the Heel-toe bass drum technique, the Moeller stroke, and the "pull-out" or "push-pull" accent which takes the beat on the rebound. Using these techniques, he can play beats at astonishing speeds.
Fortunately he's not the kind of virtuoso that needs to show off his skills desperately, but on the contrary - channels every part of his skill into the way he fits into to the piece.

Nerve originally started out in the late 90s as an improvisational live-project in the NYC clubs, usually in collaboration with mcs and djs.
At that time material for the LP "Prohibited Beats" came together.

It was a decade later that they decided to attempt to translate the live experience into studio recordings. (both Prohibited Beats and the Eps that is)
In fact those recordings are LIVE RECORDINGS and are also partly IMPROVISED.
This is one hell of a tight band and I assure you that they will kick your ass seriously.

If they ever play in your city, I urge you not to hesitate.





BUY!!

Back!

First of all, sorry for being away for so long, I had to fix a couple of issues.
Amongst them: security concerns, technical problems and so on. The good news is: there's a lot to come now! Sitting on half a terrabyte of music that I would love to share with you.
If there are any requests, don't hesitate to let me know!
Yours truly
INTERSTELLΛR NΘISE

Thursday, March 8, 2012

AMOUR & DISCIPLINE

First of all, please excuse the long time that kept this blog silent.
But with the lauch of AMOUR & DISCIPLINE tomorrow, it's time to break that silence.
I highly encourage you to check out this project that I will be part of too and hope for your full support.

Here's the short version of the manifest from Olivié's mail:

AMOUR & DISCIPLINE - SHORT, REDUCTIVE AND INCOMPLETE MANIFESTO FOR THOSE IN A HURRY

How much does a band earn when you’re sharing their music with a friend, or when you're using P2P or direct download services to get it?
Well, ok, zero.
But how much does a band earn when you buy a 10$ CD in a store ?
1.2 dollar.
How much does a band earn when you buy a 0.99 song on Itunes ?
15 cents.
How much does a band earn when you listen to a song one hundred times on Spotify ?
0.5$.
Most of the time, no matter how you listen to music, the artist gets very little financial support. Of course, these are average figures regarding both indie and major label artists ; some manage to get better deals, others get worse (if you're signed on a major label, you'll propably get zero from sales: majors give an advance to record the album, and you won't earn anything until it is repaid. Very few artists recoup this advance). 
In recent years, technology has made music shift from scarce goods to infinite goods : once the original is made, it takes zero marginal cost to make a digital copy and distribute it. All the music in the world is available for (almost) nothing, and less and less people are buying physical records. Global Non-Commercial Culture Sharing is now a reality – which, don't get us wrong, is simply great -, but the problem of decently funding artistic creation remains.
But Why?
  • a lot of people want to maintain old centralized models of distribution, creating artificial scarcity on infinite goods, and pretending global culture sharing never happened
  • big entertainment corporations keep laying down the law
  • many middlemen are still involved. Some of them are valuable (independent labels), some have to be questioned
So, why not directly support those who create music and those who really help to produce it?
Amour & Discipline is a non-profit DIY organization establishing a donation platform where people can donate to ANY independent band or label in the universe (to cover our costs, we decided that those using A&D will simply choose if and how much they want to give us). A&D project is not about charity, but Gift Economy. It is not about guilt, but common decency.
Of course, good ways to support bands/labels already exist (buying stuff directly from them, for example) and crucial ideas still have to be tested, but we think A&D can be a useful step to promote two fundamental and inseparable points :
  1. Non-Commercial Culture Sharing is essential and legitimate
  2. We can and we must find new ways to support independent authors and producers, so the aforementioned fact won’t cast them in the sewers where they will starve alone
We want A&D's initiative to rest on the very people it intends to support. Thus A&D also includes a collective ad-free webzine written by all kinds of people contributing to the shiny world of underground/indie cultures (bands, labels and activists such as d.i.y promoters, venues, webzines...). A&D is NOT a place dedicated to music download, but a place to support artists/labels. The only music available will be found in the webzine, willingly shared by the artists themselves.
Finally, we don't want to promote Gift Economy only on our website, so we hope to be linked on a lot of other webzines/blogs to remind people they can support music this way.
We think the combination of coercive (i.e. governments) and mercantile (i.e. corporations) tactics should certainly not be the only ones driving the legislation, distribution, and financing of culture. On the contrary, we believe the present situation urges us to invent new alternative strategies.

Some bands/labels/webzines contributing to A&D Webzine :
Action Beat, Aguirre Records, Anders Hana (Moha!, Ultralyd...), Amen Dunes, Astral Social Club, Autumn Records, Ben Greenberg (Zs, Hubble, The Men), Ben McOsker (Load records), Brad Rose (Digitalis), Bruno Dorella (Bar la Muerte records, OvO...), Carla Bozulich, Chris Corsano, Chora, Clint Simonson (De Stijl records), Dan Deacon, Daniel Francis Doyle, Datashock, Dean Spunt (No Age, Post Present Medium), Deerhoof, Dirty Beaches, Doru Mihail and other Cookshop dudes, Dustin Wong, Dwight & Brian (Get Off The Coast / Secret Decoder), Efrim Manuel Menuck (Godspeedyoublackemperor/A Silver Mt Zion/Constellation), Ela Orleans, Eli Keszler, EMA, Ensemble Economique, Father Murphy, Gangpol und Mit, Giuseppe Ielasi, Golden Cup/ 8 MM Records, Hoquets, Jakub Adamek (Weed Temple), Japanther, Jeffrey lewis, Jon Hency (Bathetic records), Julian Lynch, Justice Yeldham, Kemialliset Ystävät, Lightning Bolt, Liars, Marc Richter (Dekorder), Marvin, Mount Eerie, Nicholas Short (ex-Ruby Scoops), Orange Milk records, Our Brother The Native, Patrick Flegel (Women), Peter Nicholson (One Ensemble) Pheromoans, Pica Disk, Pierre Bastien, Pink Reason, Pneu, Prince Rama, Ramona Cordova, Rob Hayler (Radio Free Midwich), Rusty Santos (The Present), Scout Niblett, Sculpture, Senufo Editions, Shadow Grounds, Shawn Reed (Wet hair/Night People), Singing Knives, Sole, Sore Eros, Spencer Clark, Stonerobixxx, Stranded Horse, Sun Araw, Sunburned Hand, Tape Drift Records, Teenage Teardrops, The Ex, The Rebel, Tonstartssbandht, Troglosound, Tune Yards, Upset the Rythm, Volcano the bear, Xiu Xiu...

Read the full manifesto here: AMOUR & DISCIPLINE


Since we are already touching the subject I´d like to link some great articles.

Steve Albini's article about major labels, which dates back to the early 90ies:
The Problem With Music
 
Andrew Dubber on piracy:
Should I Be Worried About Piracy? 


We speak out for the idea of "Sharing is Caring" and the opinion that media, music specifically, should be available to everyone - and the internet facilitated our effort to achieve global availability.
That music giants discourage such an attempt is pretty obvious - their push for ACTA shows even more that their fight against sharing, "piracy" in their words, clearly isn't fought for their artists but for the greedy majors themselves.
This all starts with the use of the word "piracy", which is already improper.
Piracy in our context is
"the unauthorized use or reproduction of copyrighted or patented material".
When sharing music you don´t reproduce it. You leave it untouched.


I think this image circulated for a while now, but I believe it's pretty fitting..
To sum it up: sharing music doesn't hurt anybody - on the contrary especially for little known it's much more of an opportunity to gain audience. And that is why we do it.
Yours truly
INTERSTELLΛR NΘISE

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Animal Collective - ODDSAC (2010)


Director: Danny Perez
Producer: Gary Hustwit
Music: Animal Collective (Josh Dibb, Noah Lennox, David Portner, Brian Weitz)
Cinematography: Ryan Samul
Editor: Danny Perez
Distributor: Swiss Dots
Released: January 26, 2010 (Sundance)
Running time: 53 minutes Size: 3 GB


Time for something different now.
This Animal Collective visual album, directed by Danny Perez who has been performing live projections with musicians such as Black Dice and Panda Bear.

They will not release a separate sound-track since the video and audio "are intended to be seen and heard in tandem."(hence the term "visual album")
Also it's only going to be released as a DVD.

I suggest you read the interview with Danny Perez over at the The Creator's Project.



Personally I sometimes I couldn't help but feel reminded of Gaspar Noé's "Enter The Void" - speaking of the quick editing.
Out of stock.
Anyway..enjoy!

Boards Of Canada - In A Beautiful Place Out In The Country (2000) (FLAC)


Artist: Boards Of Canada
Album: Music Has The Right To Children
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: 2000
Genre: Electronic, IDM, Downtempo, Ambient
Label: Warp, Music70
Size: 130 MB

This an awesomely epic EP that hold I very dear.
Especially the second track "Amo Bishop Roden" is a masterpiece in it's own right.
Calm, dreamy and the perfect tonal extrapolation of "Music Has The Right To Children".

This record works on me the same way as Tim Hecker's "An Imaginary Country" does:
I either imagine myself driving through a cold, snowy, quiet city, or I in fact AM on my way through the city - usually with public transport.
And when I do, everything seems so completely out of place. Everything, everybody just floats by, like a time lapse video.
Listening to "Amo Bishop Roden", you're caught in the timeless stream of sound - it is so far away from the vicissitude around you, the fast pace of life. You instinctivly begin to question all this without even knowing why, but you're sure that something definately is wrong. Maybe because you feel reminded of the carefree when you were little and how there was no such thing like deadlines.

At least that's the way how I feel.
Maybe you'll experience a similar sentiment while savouring this gem.

Have a look at this:


BUY!

Boards Of Canada - Music Has The Right To Children (1998) (FLAC)


Artist: Boards Of Canada
Album: Music Has The Right To Children
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: 1998
Genre: Electronic, IDM, Downtempo, Ambient
Label: Warp, Skam
Size: 350 MB

So I decided to share this classic with you.
I´ve been thinking about wether or not I should write somewhat of a review about this and I still don't quite know.
While I do have my own opinion on this album and I do not praise pitchfork as the ultimate index for what is good music and what isn't, I do agree with this particular review. Forwarding without it gnawing at my conscience.

READ.

I understand this album isn't for everyone as it's "nostalgic" references root in the 70ies - samples of educational videos and commercials, that is.

My favourite: Sixtyten.

BUY!

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Peter Evans Quintet - Ghosts (2011) (FLAC)


Artist: Peter Evans Quintet
Album: Ghosts
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: March, 2011
Genre: Avantgarde Jazz, Electroacoustic, Post-Bop
Label: More Is More Records
Size: 411 MB

Lineup
Peter Evans: Trumpet
Carlos Horns: Piano
Tom Blancarte: Bass
Jim Black: Drums
Sam Pluta: Live processing

Young American trumpetist (or is it trumpeter?) Peter Evans gathered a group of gifted musicians to create a distinctive sound mixing Bop with modern elements realized by Pluta's live processing. The opener ...One to Ninety-Two already introduces those shifts in styles starting with hard bop and moving into more free jazzy territories throughout the song. One moment you might feel like dancing and a heartbeat later the music takes unpredictable paths. This works fine thanks to the great use of live processing creating several layers of Evan's trumpet playing. But the musicianship beside Evan's great playing is not to be neglected. The rythm section stops and starts, changes pace, Carlos Horns takes over when Evans drops out. It's the collective and the innovative live processing making Ghosts my favourite jazz album of 2011. Don't miss this!

Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport (2009) (FLAC)


Artist: Fuck Buttons
Album: Tarot Sport
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: August 21, 2009
Genre: Electronic, Drone, Noise, Soundscapes
Label: ATP Recordings
Size: 431 MB

Ok, first of all, this is probably one of the most intense live experiences I ever had. A constant bass knocking out your conscious perception, taking your mind somewhere to space. An additional kick that makes your nose itch and your intestines shake. A continously more dense wall of sound(-scapes) that ultimately makes you fall completely into a mesmerised state.
They are like a more accessible, shoegazy version of Black Dice on downers..

Well whatever it is - I'm still lacking proper words to describe this stream of awesomeness - this definately is the perfect music to have sex to.

Just like their live-performances, all the pieces on this record are coherent, a subtle transition being all you'll notice.
Trying to find decent live-videos I realised that you can't display a Fuck Buttons concert that way. It's impossible. Why? It's a physical experience. That eventually can evolve into somewhat of a out-of-body experience - in...specific cases, given the corresponding amount of..inspiration, I suppose.
Listening to Fuck Buttons on your stereo does have a similar effect though - especially if played on a decent volume - so make sure you have your eyes closed.

BUY!

On - Something That Has Form And Something That Does Not (2010) (FLAC)



Artist: On (Sylvain Chauveau, Steven Hess), Fennesz
Album: Something That Has Form And Something That Does Not
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: July 26, 2010
Genre: Ambient, Drone, Soundscapes
Label: Type
Size: 237 MB

So this is indeed something I found intriguing and original, when I first heard about it.
On, consisting of French composer/producer Sylvain Chauveau and Chicago-based percussionist Steven Hess, approach their music in a rather unconventional way: at first improvisations are recorded in a studio and are then given to a guest musician who is to "rework" their music. That doesn't mean that he is simply remixing it but more putting it in and out of context, arranging it, adding to it, practically forging a record from the components given to him.
This isn't completely unheard of, of course, since .O.rang had been experimenting with a very similar idea when recording "Herds Of Instinct", especially when it comes to putting the recorded material out of context and making it part of something completely different.
At their last record "Your Naked Ghost Comes Back At Night" this task was taken over by Helge Sten alias Deathprod. This time it's - my beloved - Fennesz.

The result comprises drony soundscapes, gently added white noise here and there and a slowly evolving cacophony that merges into repetitive, hypnotic patterns. Fennesz' fingerprint is pretty obvious, yet the record doesn't feel like another one of his, but indeed more like countless musical textures filtered through Fennesz' mind.

This album isn't an easy listen at first, especially with the feedback-fueled opening.
If you take your time though you might find this actually quite enjoyable - personally I liked the homonymous "Something That Has Form And Something That Does Not".

Find Type's comment here.
I must admit I don't think I could put this in better words than the label itself - only more personal, subjective.


 
BUY!
 
By the way, the vynil comes as an awesome white press whose format is just perfect for that kind of cover artwork.

Ben Frost & Daníel Bjarnason - SÓLARIS (2011) (FLAC)


Artist: Ben Frost, Daníel Bjarnason
Album: SÓLARIS
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: November 11, 2011
Genre: Modern Classical, Ambient
Label: Bedroom Community
Size: 195 MB

"We have no need for other worlds. We need mirrors. We don't know what to do with other worlds. A single world, our own, suffices us; but we can't accept it for what it is."

Poland's Unsound Festival commissioned Ben Frost and Daníel Bjarnason to create a new piece of music inspired by Andre Tarkovsky’s 1972 Solaris - of which the original novel was written by Polish author Stanislaw Lem - as 2011 marked the novel's 50th anniversary.
The piece then has been performed live by Frost, Bjarnason and Krakow’s 28-piece Sinfonietta Cracovia - intensified with visual manipulations of the original by Frost's mentor Brian Eno and Nick Robertson.
I'm truly grateful I had the opportunity to witness this..let me call it.."happening" myself.



SÓLARIS imaginates the spooky silence, the loneliness in space of the science fiction-dystopia as a man-machine-sound, an eerie blend of Bjarnason's classical arrangement and Frost's numbing minimalism.

Combining the warmth of a string orchestra with prepared piano and waves of guitar, for "Solaris", they took Melodyne, (music software designed to improve music and pitch), and "turned it against itself and encouraged it to misbehave." --> source
I don't feel I should tell you much more about what this record sounds like, but instead you should take a listen - probably while watching the film on mute.

BUY!

Friday, February 10, 2012

ZA! - Megaflow (2011) (FLAC)


Artist: ZA!
Album: Megaflow
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: March 25, 2011
Genre: Experimental, Afronoise, World, Math-Rock
Label:  Acuarela Discos, Discorporate Records
Size: 109 MB

So this is another band that has been released over at Discorporate Records, like Broken.Heart.Collector..
It´s also been released at Acuarela, since they´re originating from Spain.

This is a very interesting project that consists of weird, happy, hippiesque seemingly meaningless vocal loops, math-rockiesque intervalls and rythms mixed with african beats and low-frequency stoner-riffs.
If you´re patient, you might actually really enjoy this!
When the guitar kicks in at 2:05 in "Calonge Terrassa, Kalon-Jah! Tewra-ssah!" the songs becomes just..DOPE.

Bandcamp:
"A traveling circus from Barcelona. Two guys and a dozen instruments.

ZA! are: PAPA DUPAU (guitar, trumpet, kalimba, perc, voc) and SPAZZFRICA EHD (dr, perc, keys, fx, clarinet, voc)

This multilayer supersonic-orchestra combines African beats, noise, math rock, vocal-loops, free jazz, analogue electronics, sounds from the shepherds of Tuva, Balinese polyrhythms, Mauritanian trip hop, Dadaism, distortion, dance and drones – “POST WORLDMUSIC” may be the name of this danceable hybrid.

ZA! – that means countless shows on the highest energetic level, including international festivals (SXSW, Primavera Sound, Sonar Festival), art performances, tours in UK, USA, Spain, Portugal and Germany. They played with noisebands (Lightning Bolt, ZU, Yellow Swans), rockbands (El Guincho, Delorean, Agent Robbons, Mark Eitzel) or freejazz artists (Peter Brötzmann, Paal Nilssen Love), because they love sharing stages with other musicians and creating new music altogether. PAPA DUPAU and SPAZZFRICA EHD have performed improvised and unique shows along with DAMO SUZUKI (Can), Angel Deradoorian (DIRTY PROJECTORS), Les Aus or Nisei. When the audience didn’t stare stunned at the stage or had their faces clenched in joy, they just danced. Live the ZA!-protagonists are connected through their music, they become one body. The physical is neither surface nor underground – it is scope, structure and instrument. A perfect balance between control of gestures and uncontrolled emotions.

The two Catalans have released two albums so far – their last genre blending record “Macumba o Muerte” (Acuarela) was rated as one of the best albums of the century by ROCKDELUX, the main Spanish indie magazine, and was awarded by the “Spanish Independent Label Union”. ZA!’s third album MEGAFLOW will be released by DISCORPORATE RECORDS, Acuarela and Gandula."

An incredible live band.
Sadly I only found a few videos that don´t do them justice:




But I highly urge you to look for live performances at Primavera for instance.

This is only the free Release, not the full album.
The full album comes with the Vynil, I suppose.



GET FREE RELEASE
 

Xiu Xiu vs. Grouper - Creepshow (2006) (FLAC)


Artist: Xiu Xiu, Grouper
Album: Creepshow
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: 2006
Genre: Ambient, Drone
Label: States Rights Records, Slender Means Society
Size: 132 MB

Take Grouper's timeless realm of eery soundscapes and add severe tearfulness from Xiu Xiu's i-hate-myself-days.
The title is a reference to Creepshow, a horror anthology film.
Harris wrote on her MySpace page: "We both had immense terror of terror films when we were children and was in lathe of these feelings that we explored the subjects of the record."

BUY!


PS: 700 views in two days, wow, thank you guys!

Thursday, February 9, 2012

SPECIAL BROADCAST FROM THE MILKY WAY

Just letting you know that we´ll be using split archives and LinkSave.in from now on.
I know this might slow down the process, but as the amount of readers is increasing pretty quickly, we have to take certain security measures.
And after all, we all want the files to remain active, right?

Visitor pass is the same as the one you´re familiar with.
End of transmission.

Alice Coltrane - Journey in Satchidananda (1971) (FLAC)


Artist: Alice Coltrane
Album: Journey in Satchidananda
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: 1971
Genre: Avantgarde Jazz, Hindustani Classical Music, World
Label: Impulse!
Size: 271,6 MB

"The compositions here are wildly open and droning figures built on whole tones and minor modes. Pharao Sanders' playing on the title cut, "Shiva-Loka," and "Isis and Osiris" is gloriously restrained and melodic. Coltrane's harp playing, too, is an element of tonal expansion as much as it is a modal and melodic device. With the drone factor supplied either by the tamboura or the oud, the elongation of line and extended duration of intervallic exploration is wondrous.
Truly, this is a remarkable album, and necessary for anyone interested in the development of modal and experimental jazz. It's also remarkably accessible."
- allmusic

Great album to lose consciousness to. You may be familiar to the sound of the album (or rather the harp) since it found it's way into Flying Lotus' work. Brilliant!

BUY!!!!

Kayo Dot - Coyote (2010) (FLAC)


Artist: Kayo Dot
Album: Coyote
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: April 20, 2010
Genre: Avantgarde, Experimental, Prog Rock
Label: Hydra Head
Size: 231 MB

Wiki:
"Coyote is the fourth studio album by Kayo Dot, released April 20 on Hydra Head. The album was written, according to frontman Toby Driver, as a single, narrative-driven, long-form composition written with story and text provided by a close, terminally-ill friend of the band, Yuko Sueta, in the final stage of her life. Coyote was once again engineered by Randall Dunn (Sunn O))), Earth, Six Organs of Admittance, Wolves in the Throne Room) in Seattle, Washington, forging a new genre of "goth fusion" which combines elements of early Cure, Faith and the Muse, and Bauhaus with Herbie Hancock's psychedelic album, Sextant, and Scott Walker's recent album, The Drift. The lyrics and story were constructed with deliberate melodrama to pay homage as well to the intended gothic vibe, expressing the protagonist's loneliness and longing to be in a better place, and her journey through her own personal looking-glass through a hallucinatory world of fear and wonder."

A much calmer album of awesome Kayo Dot.

 BUY!

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Ground-Zero - Consume Red (1997) (FLAC)




Artist: Ground Zero
Album: Consume Red
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: January 15, 1997
Genre: Electronia, Experimental, Noise, Free Jazz, Rock
Label: Creativeman Disc., ReR Megacorp

Size: 441,6 MB

"Consume Red might be second to Scott Walker's The Drift for most intense listening experience ever. Continuing "The Drift" comparison, aesthetically only, its what Ground Zero does with space contrasted again the noise and buildup that makes this record so intense. It doesn't bludgeon your face off, it just makes your knuckles go white. Its certainly a draining experience, as the more it goes on, the more you wonder what's next. This is "The Night of the Hunter" rebirthed in musical form."
- Simeon88

Yap, this shit is INTENSE. The first 15 minutes might be a bit repetitive/exhausting, but it's worth it. This album will kick you out of space.

You should probably buy it

Walker's The Drift and some other Otomo Yoshihide (sort of Ground Zero's brain) will probably appear on this blog as well.

ALL HAIL NIEÖLS

I´d like you to welcome our new contributor Nieöls, who will enrich us with all kinds of obsure shit.
Glad to have you here!

Monday, February 6, 2012

Three Trapped Tigers - Route One Or Die (2011) (FLAC)




Artist: Three Trapped Tigers
Album: Route One Or Die
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: May 30, 2011
Genre: Electronica, Math Rock, Experimental, Noise-Rock
Label: Blood And Biscuits
Size: 285 MB

After three ep's, this is the debut lp by the truly awesome english Three Trapped Tigers  - and is definately one of the strongest debuts I´ve heard in a long time.
The band started out as an improvisational duo that eventually became a trio and made it´s name as an impressive live act.

Soundwise they generally sound like Aphex Twin and Venetian Snares met up with a less dubstep/jungle-oriented young Jojo Mayer and a drummachine.
Unlike their early they add...BIG FAT RIFFS THAT MAKE YOU WANT TO DESTROY YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD.

IDM takes turns with breakneck-beats and aggressive noisy walls. And still never sounds out of place, every movement sounds likes the logical conclusion.
You should definately get your hands at this.




Concert from 2008 (!)


BUY THIS!!!!



They´re also going to rerelease remastered versions of their ep's as can be read (and ordered) at their page.

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez & Lydia Lunch (2007) (FLAC)




Artist: Omar Rodriguez-Lopez & Lydia Lunch
Album: Self-Titled
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: October 8, 2007
Genre: Fusion, Spoken Word, Prog-rock
Label: Willie Anderson Recordings, Rodriguez Lopez Productions

Size: 177 MB

"Omar Rodriguez Lopez & Lydia Lunch is a collaboration between Omar Rodriguez Lopez Group and spoken word artist Lydia Lunch. The EP was released on October 8, 2007 in Europe.
Rodriguez-Lopez had been a fan of Lydia's work and invited her to the All Tomorrow's Parties Festival when The Mars Volta curated it in December 2005. The meeting eventually resulted in their first recorded collaboration with the intention to record more in the future.
The music was recorded in Amsterdam and New York and Lydia's vocals were recorded at her own studio in Barcelona.
Cover design is by Sonny Kay. The symbols on the two buckets on the cover are Arabic coca-cola labels."

Omar's sexy prog-rock music combined with Lunch's nihilistic monologues is just pure sex. (strange sex though)

BUY THAT SHIT!

Aidan Baker & Tim Hecker - Fantasma Parastasie (2008) (FLAC)




Artist: Aidan Baker & Tim Hecker
Album: Fantasma Parastasie
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: October 14,  2008
Genre: Abstract, Drone, Noise, Ambient
Label: Alien8 Recordings
Size: 205 MB

Alien8:
"Fantasma Parastasie sees the pairing of Aidan Baker, of the Ambient Doom band Nadja, and Tim Hecker, two of Canada’s brightest musicians in the world of abstract electronic music."

Not quite as calm as I´d expected this album to sound like - it felt like it was neither Hecker's nor Baker's touch that could be heard. What we hear instead are noisier landscapes that slowly disintegrate.

BUY!

The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble - Mutations EP




Artist: The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble
Album: Mutations EP
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: 2009
Genre: Electronic, Experimental, Futurejazz
Label: Ad Noiseam
Size: 200 MB

Ad Noiseam:

"A bridge between their first album on Planet Mu and the forthcoming second one on Ad Noiseam, the "Mutations EP" is The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble's coming of age. Profound and organic but dark and impressive, it is a perfect rendition of the ensemble's live shows and the proof that there is still something fresh to be done at the meeting point of post-rock, jazz and drones. A deeply emotional and original trip."

At the moment my favourite piece of theirs.

BUY!!

Saturday, February 4, 2012

The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble - Here be Dragons (2009) FLAC




Artist: The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble
Album: Here be Dragons
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: 2009
Genre: Electronic, Downtempo, Futurejazz
Label: Ad Noiseam
Size: 245 MB

Ad Noiseam:

"For their second full length album, The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble set their sails towards uncharted territories and unveiled a new symbiosis of warm electronica and dusky yet clear acoustic instrumentation. Familiar yet unsettling, varied yet coherent, dark yet warm, the highly detailled maps of "Here Be Dragons" form TKDE's most personal and crafted release, a mesmerising combination of traditional and modern sounds, and a highly rewarding album."

Second that.


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The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble - The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble(2006) (FLAC)




Artist: The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Orchestra
Album: Self-Titled
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: 2006
Genre: Electronic, Downtempo, Futurejazz
Lable: Planet Mu
Size: 327 MB

Debut longplayer...ultra chill.


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Maische - Brand (1992) (FLAC)




Artist: Maische
Album: Brand
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: 1992
Genre: Math-Rock, Art-Rock
Label: Ixthuluh

Size: 222 MB

This was Fennesz first project. Math-rock band Maische.

Baritonsaxophon, Altosaxophon - Max Nagl
Bass - Harald Adrian
Drums, Vocals, Speech - Siegfried Schmid
Guitar, Vocals, Samples - Christian Fennesz

Simply put, it´s an interesting listen you definately should give a shot, if you´re care to find out more about Fennesz work.
Enjoy!

Tim Hecker - Harmony In Ultraviolet (2006) (FLAC)




Artist: Tim Hecker
Album: Harmony In Ultraviolet
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: 2006
Genre: Abstract, Ambient
Label: Kranky
Size: 291 MB


BUY!

Oneohtrix Point Never - Rifts (2009) (FLAC)




Artist:Oneohtrix Point Never
Album: Rifts
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: 2009
Genre: New Age, Drone, Noise, Experimental, Ambient
Label: No Fun Productions
Size:  729 MB

The 'Rifts' trilogy comprises of the first three full length records - Betrayed in the Octagon, Zones Without People, and Russian Mind as well as selections from rare and out of print cassette and CD-R releases, with recordings spanning as far back as 2003. Fully re-mastered for digital audio.

Chosen by Animal Collective to perform at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival that it curated in May 2011.


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Kayo Dot - Blue Lambency Downward (2009) (FLAC)





Artist: Kayo Dot
Album: Blue Lambency Downward
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: 2009
Genre: Avantgarde-Metal, Post-modern Classical, Post-metal
Label: Hydra Head 
Size:  239 MB


BUY!

Kayo Dot - Dowsing Anemone With Copper Tongue (2006) (FLAC)





Artist: Kayo Dot
Album: Choirs Of The Eyes
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: 2006
Genre: Avantgarde-Metal, Post-modern Classical, Post-metal
Label: Robotic Empire
Size:  330 MB

Best release 2006?


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Kayo Dot - Choirs Of The Eye (2003) (FLAC)






Artist: Kayo Dot
Album: Choirs Of The Eye
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: 2003
Genre: Avantgarde-Metal, Post-modern Classical Music, Post-metal
Label: Tzadik

Size:  320 MB

That other review took too much time already..so here´s what you need to know:
Kayot Dot's  first release, a yet quite maudlin of the Well-esque approach. Hallucinatory, lucid dream astral composition..
Quite aggressive, enjoy.



BUY!

Broken.Heart.Collector - s/t (2011) (FLAC)




Artist: Broken.Heart.Collector
Album: Self-titled
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: 2011
Genre: Experimental, Free Improvisation, Noise, Jazz
Label: Interstellar Records, Rock Is Hell, Discorporate Records

Size: 320MB

Maja Osojnik - vox, bass recorder, gadgets
Susanna Gartmayer - bass clarinet, contra alto clarinet
Derhunt - e-bass, vox
Raumschiff Engelmayr - e-guitar, vox
DDKern - drums, percussion

Looks like I finally won´t come around somewhat of a "review".
Well it´s going to be much less of a review but more of a plain info output.

What we have here is nothing less than an Austrian underground-supergroup consisting of members of noise-rock trio BULBUL (Raumschiff Engelmayr, Derhunt, DDKern), Maja Osojnik ((Rdeča Raketa, Maja Osojnik Band) and Susanna Gartmayr.

Bulbul is a pretty well known noiserock-outfit that has been around for slightly more than 10 years now. Drummer DDKern is known from various projects, notable Fuckhead and KernQuehenberger - and by the by is easily one of the best live drummers I´ve ever seen. Anyway.

Usually when people state that a specific band totally defies genres, this is usually not quite the truth. With Broken.Heart.Collector this is definately not the case. You truly can´t push them into any scheme.
With most of the members sporting influences ranging from free jazz to noise improvisations as well as any hard hitting style their output is as diverse as can be.
Drony soundscapes, jazzy rythms, math-rockesque beats, noisy walls, psychedelic realms, danceable kicks, there´s everything.
Maja vocals can be a salivating crunching, a black-metalesque grunting or frigid like a bird's chanting. Her lyrics are..sometimes reflective, sometimes surrealistic.

The whole album has been recorded as a live-recording in little more than one week.
To me it is one of the most rewarding albums of this year and I can only recommend to you to check out this incredibly tight (live-)band.

Favourite track: Another One Bites The Dust. ;)
Released at Interstellar Records, a label one or the other album here will be coming from too

BUY VYNIL AT ROCKISHELL

BUY CD AT DISCORPORATE RECORDS

DIGITAL RELEASE AT BANDCAMP

Chelsea Wolfe - Apokalypsis (2011) (FLAC)




Artist: Chelsea Wolfe
Album: Ἀποκάλυfafψις
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: 2011
Genre: Drone, Folk
Lable: Pendu Sound
Size: 206 MB



This is one epic combination of drony, low-frequency music and angelic vocals...doom-folk?

Favourite track (you might recognise the beginning..)



Expect a little "poseur".

U.S. concert stalkers stay tuned, she´s touring with Wolves In The Throneroom and Black Heart Procession at the moment!

Isis - Panopticon (2004) (FLAC)




Artist: Isis
Album: Panopticon
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: 2004
Genre: Post-Metal, Post-Rock
Label: Ipecac Recordings, Robotic Empire
Size: 635 MB

Clean vocals, more post-rock, less sludge.

Enjoy!

Isis - Oceanic (2002) (FLAC)




Artist: Isis
Album: Oceanic
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: 2001
Genre: Post-Metal, Sludge, Post-Rock
Label: Ipecac Recordings
Size: 495 MB

Hitting harder, more ambient, more post-rock. The pioneers of post-metal. Any questions?

Isis - SGNL>05 (2001) (FLAC)




Artist: Isis
Album: SGNL>05
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: 2001
Genre: Post-Metal, Sludge
Label: Tortuga, Neurot Recordings
Size: 328 MB

Follow up of Celestial.

"Celestial and SGNL>05 reintroduce the control tower and female character themes; specifically, a central "mother" tower ("Celestial (The Tower)", "Divine Mother"), which is built ("Constructing Towers"), decayed ("Deconstructing Towers"), and finally crumbles ("Divine Mother (The Tower Crumbles)" which isn't featured until their SGNL>05 EP). As well, the SGNL theme is introduced ("SGNL>01" through "SGNL>05 (Final Transmission)"), and the mosquito (Mosquito Control) is linked through the artwork on both releases."

Mhhhh...

Isis - Celestial (2000) (FLAC)




Artist: Isis
Album: Celestial
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: 2001
Genre: Post-Metal, Sludge
Label: Escape Artist Records, Hydra Head/Conspiracy Records

Size: 519 MB

Isis' first full-length.

Wiki:

"Celestial and SGNL>05 reintroduce the control tower and female character themes; specifically, a central "mother" tower ("Celestial (The Tower)", "Divine Mother"), which is built ("Constructing Towers"), decayed ("Deconstructing Towers"), and finally crumbles ("Divine Mother (The Tower Crumbles)" which isn't featured until their SGNL>05 EP). As well, the SGNL theme is introduced ("SGNL>01" through "SGNL>05 (Final Transmission)"), and the mosquito (Mosquito Control) is linked through the artwork on both releases."

Enjoy!

Fennesz - Black Sea (2008) (FLAC)




Artist: Fennesz
Album: Black Sea
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: 2008
Genre: Abstract, Drone, Ambient
Label: Commons, Touch
Size: 304 MB

Drony soundscapes from Austrian fella Fennesz.

Fennesz - Venice (2004) (FLAC)





Artist: Fennesz
Album: Venice
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: May 2004
Genre: Experimental, Ambient
Label: Digital Narcis Corporation, Touch

Size: 285 MB

Fennesz - Endless Summer (2006 Remaster) (FLAC)




Artist: Fennesz
Album: Endless Summer
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: 2001/2006 Remaster
Genre:  Glitch, Experimental, Ambient
Label: Mego/Editions Mego
Size: 309 MB

Mego Edition Remaster from 2006.

Fennesz - Hotel Paral.el (2008 Remaster) (FLAC)




Artist: Fennesz
Album: Hotel Paral.el
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: 1997/2008 Remaster
Genre:  Glitch, Noise, Experimental
Label: Mego/Editions Mego
Size: 349 MB

Fennesz first full album from 1997 down at Mego...let´s bow.

Editions Mego Remaster from 2007.

Colin Stetson - New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges (2011) (FLAC)




Artist: Colin Stetson
Album: New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: February 11, 2011
Genre:  Drone, Jazz, Avantgarde
Label: Constellation
Size: 241 MB

Follow up in the New History Warfare series.
Saw this guy live - and I can just say...DAMN.



LOOK. THEN CLOSE YOUR EYES AND JUST LISTEN.
BUY!
Enjoy.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Colin Stetson - New History Warfare Vol.1 (2009) (FLAC)




Artist: Colin Stetson
Album: New History Warfare Vol.1
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: 2009
Genre:  Experimental, Drone, Free Improvisation
Label: Aagoo Records
Size: 223 MB

First, but underrated part of the New History Warfare series.
Less drone, more impro!

Link in comments.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

William Basinski - Vivian & Ondine (2009) (FLAC)




Artist: William Basinski
Album: Vivian & Ondine
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: December 9, 2009
Genre:  Ambient
Label: 2062

Size: 158 MB

Enjoy..

Link in comments.

Most sorry!

My apologies to everyone glancing at this blog for putting out all those gems completely commentless, but at the moment I just don´t have the time to write thoughtful reviews..
I do hope to get back to them some time, but for the moment this will have to do.

Here´s a little gift to cheer you up:



If you have any requests, let me know!

William Basinski - 92982 (2009) (FLAC)




Artist: William Basinski
Album: 92982
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: March, 2003
Genre:  Ambient
Label: 2062
Size: 212 MB

If you´re familiar with Sir Basinski there is no need for any explanation.

Link in comments.

William Basinki - The Disintegration Loops I - IV (2002-2003) (FLAC)






Artist: William Basinski
Album: The Disintegration Loops
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: 2002-2003
Genre: Abstract, Ambient, Minimal
Label: 2062
Size: 1070 MB

After having left his recordings on tape to rot for more than 20 years, Basinski finally reused them..the result: a more and more distorted, minimalistic, epic loop, taking the listener to a journy far outside their body..
This may be interpreted as metaphor for men's life - hundreds and hundreds of the same loop over and over, slowly dissolving - wether you feel or not feel to see it that way is up to you.
Either way: enjoy!

BUY!

William Basinski - Melancholia (2003) (FLAC)




Artist: William Basinski
Album: Melancholia
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: 2003
Genre: Abstract, Ambient, Minimal
Label: 2062
Size: 150 MB

All I have to say is..enjoy this masterpiece..

Link in comments.

Tim Hecker - Ravedeath 1972 (2011) (FLAC)






Artist: Tim Hecker
Album: Ravedeath 1972
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: February 14, 2011
Genre: Electronic, Ambient
Label: Kranky
Size: 278 MB

Yet again the master strikes..



BUY!!


Link in comments.

Tim Hecker - Dropped Pianos (2011) (FLAC)






Artist: Tim Hecker
Album: Dropped Pianos
Quality: Lossless FLAC
Released: October 10, 2011
Genre: Electronic, Ambient
Label: Kranky
Size: 134 MB

The source material for Ravedeath 1972, piano driven sketches that had been recorded in 2010.



BUY!


Link in comments.