sailingstars 12inch
cv313 is the collaboration between Rod Modell and Stephen Hitchell (Intrusion, Variant) on the echospace detroit label. They’ve amassed some albums over the years together, but mostly in the minimal house/dub techno aesthetic. This is one of the few that they have released this year. Good stuff.
I Could Not Love You More
The music of Rameses III has progressed from a more experimental guitar dronework into an expanse of beautiful layers of ambience that is unparalleled with the rest of the Type Records roster. This is one of their finest releases.
Oppidan
This is the debut physical release for Access to Arasaka (he’s had many on web labels, which have pushed his name forth amongst circles of friends already). When it comes to this, I can only relate it to something I call neo-IDM considering we are in an age of electronic music that is more about dubstep and old ideas from the elder IDM and breakcore artists. This release, on Tympanik Audio, fits well with past releases like Subheim’s ‘Approach’ and Integral’s ‘Rise’. With this, like his ‘Metax’ release, you hear a strong Gridlock influence, but with his own flavor of atmospheric, yet dark backgrounds and prominent glitchy beats. If you’ve listened to his stuff in the past, you’ll hear something you’re used to…but if you haven’t, it’s a great retrospective of sound and you won’t be disappointed. Recommended.
Spanon
Ard bit has been around for a few years on a few compilations, but this is their breakthrough debut album on the Symbolic Interaction label. If you like the recent dubstep-type albums ‘Dubstoned’ by Funckarma, it’s about the only thing I could compare it to. Highly recommended by me.
Endings
The artist known as Remote_ (published on Meanwhile and U-cover in the past) introduces his more dancey/techno side mixed with the ever-present, yet background ambience. These 2 songs are very much the same, but fits very well in the smallfish labels 3″ cd repertoire. Buy it now.
Monochromes Volume 1
The Italian group, Tu M’, has been around for quite a few years now. Mostly experimenting with different styles of minimalism, experimental electronics and even IDM. On ‘Monochromes Volume 1′, they go more into an ambient/drone type territory. In fact, it’s the most ambient release by them to date. If you’re into Basinski’s ‘Disintegration Loops’, you’ll enjoy this. Out now on LINE (sublabel of 12k).
I Syv Sind
Here’s a release from 2008 that went COMPLETELY under the radar. Mike Sheridan’s ‘I Syv Sind’ mixes a little bit of the Raster-Noton glitch/sine wave aesthetic with IDM and a little Kompakt-esque techno.
PS…it amazes me that a 16 year old created this. I can’t wait to hear what Mike Sheridan has to offer for the future.
Birting
The music of Traject has always walked the line between IDM and completely experimental. With his 2004 release, ‘Strengir Hrynja’ he molded the two to create a stunning debut on Spezialmaterial. For a few years, many of his fans wondered if he would ever produce that sophomore album that seemed to always be in progress and never finished. In May of 2009, ‘Birting’ was released and these questions were answered.
‘Birting’ is a collection of songs that continue the dark space-like textures of the former, but follow in more of an experimental path. Now on Creative Space.
Tummaa
Sasu Ripatti has made a habit of making great electronic music the last decade under various names including Luomo, Sistol, Uusitalo and most notably, Vladislav Delay. His music under the 3 former are generally more techno oriented, while with his Vladislav output, you really don’t know what to expect. Generally ambient or experimental in nature, ‘Tummaa’ branches out from the previous releases and Delay incorporates live acoustic instruments to the minimal programming and may be his most inaccessible album to date. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. Joining him on this album are Lucio Capece (clarinet) and Craig Armstrong (piano). While being unique to his style, it seems to be more abstract or ‘out there’ than his other releases. Out in August on Leaf records.
Rising from the Ashes
The artist usually known as Greyhound on Hands Productions puts out his first album under the pseudonym, Syntech. The music on this release is synonymous with the Hands Productions sound: Rhythmic Noise meets Industrial atmospheres. Personally, I think it’s his best work to date.
