Vacío Fuego by Gal Go is a cerebral EP from an artist who is clearly a huge contributing factor to King Krule's success. After a listen to this, his horn playing and tight rhythmic sensibilities are instantly recognizable from songs with incredible jazz-fusion breakdowns such as Dum Surfer. A lo-fi collection of song sketches, the majority of these tracks are not fully formed but still quite enjoyable due to the mood and absolutely amazing sound of this record. Ignacio Salvadores, the musician behind the Gal Go, creates such a vivid, smoky atmosphere on this EP that is very well represented by the cover art. A mix of influences and genres that generally results in flavorful indie-pop colored by fantastic saxophone, hypnagogic recording effects, and dreamy Spanish vocals, this is a delightful find.
0 Comments
What a record. I mean, c’mon, who saw this coming? Deerhunter has always been about its outrageous frontman Bradford Cox, quite deservedly so. At least, I presumed such. Cox is an exceptional talent with a larger than life, eccentric personality and striking appearance, so it figures that he gets all the attention. However, my opinion has slowly changed. Deerhunter, it turns out, contains much more talent than simply Cox. First, I discovered that for the recording of one of the best Deerhunter tracks, the hypnotizing Desire Lines, Cox was not present, with guitarist and singer (of Desire Lines) Locket Pundt receiving much of the credit for the astounding outro and song composition. Hell, I even read an interview where drummer and keyboardist Moses Archuleta, the creator of this record, claimed that he "Wally pipped" Deerhunter’s original drummer out of the gig! Said Archuleta, “One day after we’d been a band for about six months, the drummer didn’t show up to rehearsal. So, I just started playing the drums. I’d never actually sat at a kit, so I had no kit coordination. When I started playing caveman drums, it just worked.” Forgive me if I assumed that, ya know, Archuleta wasn’t exactly a huge influence on Deerhunter’s sound and output.
About this music – it is serene, wonderful, an excellently spaced microhouse record, for the most part, particularly the divine Nightmoves and the two lengthy cuts that make up the center of the album. Digging deeper into interviews with Archuleta, he once said (referencing Deerhunter's record Cryptograms) “I feel like I was the one really pushing for soundscapes and ambient effects.” Upon hearing this album, that sentence, especially in the context of Deerhunter’s catalogue, gave me such an appreciation for Archuleta as a musician. This record is all about beautiful soundscapes, case in point Bodymaker, a Slowdive-esque slice of dream-pop bliss. However, the track Moon Diagrams is an incredible pop song. The song is deliberate, pensive, and atmospheric. Archuleta’s voice sounds so naturally at place amidst such syrupy sonic textures. He reminds me of John Maus, George Clanton, and Michael Gira’s softer cuts in sound and delivery style, yet in a decidedly organic and soothing natural tone. Now, I know that Maus and Gira sound nothing alike, but that sort of combination is certainly quite alluring, no? The track is capped off by a swirling, melodic outro that left me rewinding to catch its brilliance once more. Even on a cut such as Blue Ring, the music goes far and beyond the typical microhouse stylings and textures. An easy rhythm forms the first half of the song, with luscious ambient synth pads guiding the listener down a subterranean velvet river, until it wonderfully morphs into an upbeat psychedelic disco song. Finally, who doesn’t love when the best track on a record is the closer? I certainly do. End of Heartache is a funky, marvelous dance cut that slips into a mellow instrumental passage before swinging back around for one more dopamine-releasing, life-affirming, euphoric chorus. I just want you to keep me around and never let me go Interviews with Moses Archuleta which quotes were pulled from- https://www.moderndrummer.com/article/august-2019-deerhunters-moses-archuleta/ https://mezzaninemusic.blogspot.com/2009/02/interview-with-deerhunter-drummer-moses.html A mind-bending odyssey of a record with huge energy and some of the most ferocious, luscious guitars around. The album oscillates between candy-coated, pink fluff dream pop brilliance and dynamic, vicious, howling psych-punk rippers. A visceral, enrapturing listen. Lead singer Katie Jane Garside has conviction, charisma, and bravado oozing from her pores, with a necromancer's voice howling out of a maelstrom. What a find this was, the most electric, gripping album I’ve heard yet this year.
The Weather Up There is a harrowing, spectacular jazz record with elements of spoken word and post-rock. This album ruined me emotionally, I was taken completely off guard. The spoken word elements are truly haunting, longing and pained. The beautiful but somber jazz-fusion backing band is tight, complementing the mood and theme of the record, truly fantastic music that would hold up well on its own. But when combined into this elegy of a sound-collage, it becomes something incredible. This record is about death. I have always considered death to be a tragedy to those left behind, those left having to mourn their loved one. This work of art is truly is in the spirit of that sentiment. Music with such emotional resonance is rare and ought to be treasured as a classic.
Dougie Poole’s Wideass Highway is one of the most eccentric, oddball, kaleidoscopic records I have ever heard. It is a pure and true representation of summer ennui, drawling along at a snail’s pace, shimmery folk-country magic. Dreamy, slow-paced, trippy, and heartfelt, Poole gives you a peek into his soul and relationships. A purely lysergic recording, this is music to enjoy the summer sunshine with those who mean the most to you. However, the psychedelia does not take precedence over the music. The songwriting is strong, emotional, and the arrangements are laid out in pristine fashion. The cover art is so fitting for the tunes. Poole, rocking tie-die and a cowboy hat, admiring nature. Somehow, the music transports you to that field, standing next to Poole, contemplating the cosmos, at peace with the world.
Blues is one of those satisfying records where the cover art matches the music to a tee. The murky yet vivid dark blue and purple aquatic landscape found on the cover is a perfect representation of the dense, opaque deep house music. The album sounds as if it was coming from speakers submerged a couple feet below the surface of a pool, the thumping bass distant. Just as on the cover, where a woman is faintly visible, the sultry female vocals are buried deep in the mix, low and surrealistic. These songs are accentuated by the light sprinkling of piano notes and chords ringing out, placed delicately and tastefully throughout the record. Like many deep house albums, this is more suited to a serene late night listen rather than a party or club.
Whale City by Warmduscher is a short, propulsive, garage punk record laced with traces of neo-psychedelia. The shouted vocals from frontman Clams Baker are distant but forceful, punctuated by the bass guitar laying down a thick disco-groove framework for the tracks. Parquet Courts instantly jumps to mind as reference point for this band. Spooky and dark spoken-word interludes string together an extremely cohesive and entertaining theme of nihilism and hard living while backing vocals are sang in bright pub-chant style cheers, effectively adding color and personality to the feedback-laden songs. I'm snapping up everything produced by Dan Carey coming out of the Speedy Wundergound label in London. Despite working with largely unknown artists, everything Carey touches seems to turn to gold, including Whale City.
A tribute to 80's synth-pop, this record by the group International Teachers of Pop is like cotton candy on a sticky summer day, filled with tremendous energy that repeats endlessly in your head after you stop listening. Throwing this on instantly triggers dopamine release. Cheap keyboards and what sound like tinny drum machines only add to the nostalgic feel, but do not take away from music due to the strength of songwriting, killer hooks, and amazing multi-tracked vocals that channel Madonna's Everybody. The pounding basslines are another strength of this album, giving the songs a disco groove. This band has great pop sensibilities, clearly having studied the catchiest hits of the past. While derivative and somewhat of a pastiche, the record is a keeper because good songs never go out of style.
This new single from Axel Boman is a sublime, enthralling slice of groovy dance music so warm and comfy that it feels like home. Although electronic, it feels organic and inviting. A dreamy sample sings out the mantra "I've been to the doctor, he says I'm alright" in the title track in a voice that seems human despite being laden with effects. This is house music that is melodious and coated in honey, with more focus on the sweet sound than the rhythm. The next song, Echoes of my Mind, spends nine minutes floating effortlessly in a surreal ambient soundscape, a repeated airy note surrounded by a serene fog of synths until that perfect sample reappears once more, fittingly filled with reverb and distant in the mix, to tie together the entire project smoothly.
A heady mix of skittering, programmed drums and serene ambient soundscapes make up the record Compro by Munich's Bryan Müller, who's moniker is Skee Mask. After a couple listens, the melodies floating in the background of the percussion patterns really start to stand out and become recognizable, showing that this is not just another IDM record, these songs could hold up without the drums. This is proven on various cuts such as the first song, Cerroverb, as well as Vli. These songs glide along untethered, laden with sonic details and spaced out immaculately. Meanwhile, on the run from Rev8617 to Dial 274, the music zooms along at a blistering pace, etching repeated patterns into the sound. Skee Mask continues Richard D. James' legacy with a pristine, updated version of electronic brain music.
|
Archives
|