Pleq

Based in Katowice, Poland; Pleq has developed his highly-synthetic competencies through a series of dis-reality attempts, monastery supervision and a romantic way of handling peer pressure. His motives in sound resemble an abandoned ironworks garage during the industrial revolution, where melancholy is paired with harmonies of magnetizing structure. Pleq's initial exposure began with a weekly residency at Elektro Klub, a nationally recognized sanctuary for circuit-fitted audience. Pleq, (Bartosz Dziadosz) is an ingenious experimental project, is showing his talent on his album called "The fallen love". Every track is well thought creation of very organic sounding electronica. It is very nice and deeply layered with glitchy patterns of clicks and warm synthetics. Vocal lines and voice cuts pop-up from time to time to lift these tracks to even a more warm happening to listen to. How cold his home country can be during wintertime, the more warmth he brings with every track that is deployed on this album. Pleq's music is the final answer to understanding social obedience trough sound. superb !

Enjoy

Pleq - The Fallen Love

Label: vu-us
Catalog#: VU-US015
Country: Belgium
Released: 2009
Genre: Electronic
Style: Glitch, IDM, Ambient, Modern Classical

Tracklisting:

1 Fragment In My Life
2 Red Dog (feat. hiiro tent)
3 The Butterfly
4 Goodbye Nedai
5 Snow Story
6 Aspect Of Life
7 Do You Remember Your Dreams
8 Poems
9 Meet The Shark (feat. Magnitophono)
10 Pleq Is Dead
11 I Hear Her At The Door Now
12 The Seed (feat. Segue)
13 Don't Leave Me
14 The Fallen Love

Take

Take (Pooh Bah) brings to the stage his alter ego Thomas 2000. "The Dirty Decibels of Thomas Two Thousand" is a fat eight tracked 12" EP featuring refined, detailed artwork by Kutmah (Dublab) and an unbelievable remix by Dimlite (Sonar Kolletiv). Take gets heavier on the beats, vocals and sampling and strikes a less serious tone with his Thomas 2000 alter ego. "The Dirty Decibels of Thomas Two Thousand" is a laid back and fun record. He has has one of the liveliest sounds in new leftfield hiphop and experimental beats. Whether it's like on his album "Earthtones & Concrete", cohesive and composed, or in the more lighthearted manner of this Thomas 2000, his music always seems to come together in the most natural way... Take featured on "Twin Earth Atlantic", Eat Concrete's second full length released earlier this year and ever since there's been talk of further collaboration. We're happy to announce that "The Dirty Decibels..." is preceding a full length by Take coming out later this year (2008).

Take - The Dirty Decibels Of Thomas Two Thousand

Enjoy.

Label: Eat Concrete
Catalog#: EAT-DIG-008
Country: Netherlands
Released: 15 Jan 2009
Genre: Electronic, Hip Hop
Style: Instrumental, Hip Hop, Experimental

Tracklisting:

1 Intro
2 Make Believe
3 Lie-Twerx
4 After Words
5 All Around
6 Fall In Love Again
7 Sugar Flower
8 Speak Low
9 Make Believe (Dimlite's Unbelievable Re-Make)

Fabio Orsi

Audio For Lovers is a profoundly emotive double album. It sings with a pristine clarity, the musical medium transmitting feeling and atmosphere with a distilled purity. This is music straight from the heart, and indeed at times the album transcends all artistic form and becomes like a direct and untranslated expressive transmission. The first disc presents a slew of tracks, each a vignette of a particular mode of love in its polymorphic pathos. Curiously, every track is 1:40, 6:24 or 8:00 long, and the symmetries this produces are marvellous, ranging from short auditory haikus to more verdant and luxurious sound paintings. The music is dominated by slowly-unfolding synths, pads, organs, drones and the like; Orsi deploys deep banks and drifts of sound. Curiously, the effect is not so much to evoke atmosphere or a sense of horizon as such arrangements often do; rather the music plugs straight into the brain so that an emotional kinaesthesia is induced. Interwoven with the keys are some of the most subtle and delicately played pianos, guitars and basses I think I have every heard. Orsi relies heavily on repetition to draw the moment into maximal fullness and his subtle compositions draw us into different moods and atmospheres with grace. The theme might be love, but Orsi conveys great depth and, stained with the salt of suffering, the music never teeters into sentimentality or schmaltz. He weaves complex affective tapestries, knitting together different feelings with attentive and gentle brilliance. There is a profound joy running through this disc, but it is tempered by shadow and the result is unalloyed emotional apotheosis. Disc two presents only four tracks, though their combined duration is still about an hour. This disc is more heavily synth driven and ambient; while disc one generally maintains slow tempos and minimal structures, disc two really opens out and is perhaps a little less disciplined in this respect. The track titles are perfect illustrations of the experiences of the songs; “2 or 3 Moments in 1 Day”, for example, truly instils one’s spirit with the pensive existential weather of being human and alive. That said I did prefer disc one; I feel that thematically it is a little more coherent and compositionally the additional discipline enables it to pack more into less. Honestly, though, if this album only comprised disc two I would still really like, even if the deeper magic is on disc one.

Fabio Orsi - Audio For Lovers

Label: Last Visible Dog
Catalog#: LVD128-129
Country: US
Released: Sep 2008
Genre: Electronic, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Abstract, Drone, Experimental, Minimal, Ambient

Enjoy!

Disc One

01 Yesterday Love
02 Rising Love
03 Secret Love
04 Pure Love
05 Lost Love
06 Young Love
07 Tender Love
08 Last Love
09 Shining Love
10 Tomorrow Love

Disc Two

01 2or 3 Moments in 1 Day
02 The Psychedelic Power Of Bubbles (You And Me)
03 Before Long, Before Anyone, The Stars Will Be Walls In My Mind
04 Last Dream Lost Carefully

Off Land

Blue Narration is Off Land's 7th release since the project's inception back in 2004. Tim Dwyer, who is the man behind Off Land, has been quoted saying that Stars of the Lid, Woob and Selected Ambient Works II era Aphex Twin are inspirations for Blue Narration. We also hear some Namlook and Biosphoere in there too but Blue Narration is not a mere amalgam and reproduction exercise. Each influence, technique and theme seem to seamlessly melt into the next by way of Dwyers dusty production. It's time you tried listening off the map. Go Off Land...

Off Land - Blue Narration

Enjoy

Label: En:peg Digital
Catalog#: EN42
Country: Canada
Released: 15 Dec 2008
Genre: Electronic
Style: Drone, Ambient

Tracklisting:

1 Fog (7:38)
2 Contrail (5:54)
3 Kites (6:34)
4 It's Him (8:40)
5 Mid Point (4:31)
6 Cactus (10:46)
7 Tall Building (5:40)
8 Stray (7:31)
9 Marriage (8:15)
10 Off Spring (5:00)

Molly Berg + Stephen Vitiello

Followers of electronic music should already be acquainted with the distinguished output of musician and sound artist Stephen Vitiello. His work has previously been published via labels such as Sub Rosa, while sound installations have been exhibited at the Whitney Biennial. Add to this collaborations with Machinefabriek and Lawrence English and Vitiello's CV reads very nicely indeed. Molly Berg comes from a very different background, having previously appeared on recordings by Cracker and Magnolia Electric Co. songwriter Jason Molina. The two Virginia-based artists came together for a soundtrack project commissioned by Brazilian video artist Eder Santos, whose video portrait of a lonely, zoo-dwelling gorilla (named Idi Amin) was the starting point. Although only a three-minute piece was required of the duo, they improvised their way through forty minutes of guitar, clarinet, vocals, field recording and electronics, the results of which then became the basis for this charming and beguiling album. The sound field on The Gorilla Variations carries an enormous amount of depth, with each piece representing a finely tuned balance of instrumentation, processing and sounds from the natural world. Above all else this is an approachably musical album, casting electroacoustics in a wholly accessible light - the pieces each take their different instrumental focuses and delve into collaged composition, playing melody against acousmatic timbre for a sonically gratifying intertwining of song structure and soundscape. Highly recommended.

Molly Berg + Stephen Vitiello - The Gorilla Variations

Enjoy: Part 1, Part 2

Label: 12k
Catalog#: 12k2013
Country: US
Released: Apr 2009
Genre: Electronic
Style: Abstract, Minimal, Ambient

Tracklisting:

1 Gorilla/Variation 1 (For Éder Santos)
2 Kora
3 Variation 2
4 E- VA
5 Variation 3
6 Geese
7 Variation 4
8 Horns/End
9 Variation 5
10 Dogs/Last Clarinet

Harold Budd & Clive Wright

Harold Budd, the so-called “Godfather of Ambient Music”, is squelching any rumors of his retirement as he keeps releasing records, this time hooking up with former Cock Robin guitarist Clive Wright. Together they have fashioned a peaceful musical excursion that explores the inner spaces of ambient bliss. As expected from someone considered to have helped found a genre, A Song For Lost Blossoms is not a typical ambient release by any means. These artists take a few chances by including a couple of live tracks, one even has some audience applause at the end, and a title track that includes a spoken word poetry reading recited by the author, Anna LaCazio. But these don’t take anything away from this CD being an excellently pleasing and ambient aural experience. In fact they serve as an attention grabber since the soothing soundscapes often compel the listener to drift through various levels of consciousness while still being aware of their surroundings. Like a musical daydream. The union of these two musicians is like a match made in heaven as Budd’s sublimely treated keyboard tones meld seamlessly with Wright’s heavily-reverbed, shimmering guitar washes. Their imaginations and compositional skills coalesce into waves of meditative, hypnotic and majestic harmonies, with serene and subtly shifting sonic textures that include vibrant tonal swells among a peaceful backdrop of sounds. The slumberous timbres ebb and flow in a delicate electronic soundscape while glissando guitar accents flutter overhead. In fact the appeal here lies in the way the tangible, Frippertronic-like passages and the surreal, soothing backgrounds are intertwined in such perfect balance that these tracks can be either actively listened to with attention at higher volumes or enjoyed at lower volumes while straddling the line between awake and asleep. But either way, A Song For Lost Blossoms shouldn’t be missed. Candylion contrasts previous work, A Song for Lost Blossoms, in that it is more thoughtful and structured. Still, it constantly surprises the listener with a fresh collage of aural landscapes and moods. Sometimes it evokes the feeling of a traditional Japanese piece, or the mood of a gentile, 60s, British film, or a Renaissance cathedral with cloisters reverberating a choral ensemble. Harold Budd and Clive Wright use new colors to paint Canylion's soundscapes: Harp, strings and even drums. If A Song for Lost Blossoms reminds listeners familiar with Harold Budd's previous works of his collaboration with Brian Eno, then Candylion may serve as a continuation of the spirit of Avalon Sutra; warm, glistening, meditative and alive. Art beautiful Art! Harold Budd is recognized as "The Godfather of Ambient Music". His works are the cornerstones of the modern minimal and ambient canon. Clive Wright is a founding member of the platinum selling pop/rock band Cock Robin and has worked as writer, producer and guitarist with Human Drama, Tears for Fears members, Montell Jordan, The Black Eyed Peas and Peter Gabriel.

Harold Budd & Clive Wright - Candylion

Enjoy

Label: Darla
Catalog#: DRL221
Country: US
Released: May 26 May 2009
Genre: Electronic
Style: New Age, Ambient

Tracklist:

1. Sunday After the War (3:52)
2. Exit Plan (Perfume) (3:21)
3. On Ships That Sail Away (3:37)
4. Eaux d'Artifice (6:06)
5. Beautiful Intruder (5:01)
6. Candylion (5:42)
7. Ribbons Everywhere (3:35)
8. The Bells (5:25)
9. She Slipped Through the Door (5:13)
10. Mlle. Ice (4:29)
11. Orange Portal (3:38)
12. In the Midst of Life (2:15)

Harold Budd & Clive Wright - A Song For Lost Blossoms

Enjoy

Label: Darla
Catalog#: DRL198
Country: US
Released: 07 Oct 2008
Genre: Electronic
Style: New Age, Ambient

Tracklist:

1 Pensive Aphrodite (32:15)
2 A Song For Lost Blossoms (4:39)
3 Forever Hold My Breath (9:51)
4 At This Moment (6:44)
5 Of Many Mirrors (4:22)
6 The Saint Of Whispers (9:45)
7 Blind Flowers (7:02)

Porn Sword Tobacco

This is the fourth album by Sweden's Henrik Jonsson aka Porn Sword Tobacco. Recorded in the legendary Silence studios with long-time collaborators Patrick and Tommi, Everything Is Music To The Ear came into existence largely without planning or calculation, without much thinking nor hard work -- often improvised on the spot, even the melodies on the characteristic piano that Jonsson claims he never learned to play. He has played in bands before, also releasing a number of records ranging from a leftfield electro EP to two solo albums of laidback electronic dub. Most crucial, however, were his 4 years of travelling across the world as a stage musician for a popular electronic project, playing for numerous audiences on all continents, from Japan to Zambia -- a unique school of music, but also of life, and an experience that nourished a determination to pursue what's really important. In his early years, he swapped violin lessons for a Roland Space Echo, listened to audio plays at the local library, and to his parents' colorful record collection -- The Beach Boys, Eno, Kraftwerk -- this is what forms Porn Sword Tobacco. It's a project that takes a decidedly naive and unabashedly nostalgic position, exploring a dreamy escapism that is undiluted and personal. Porn Sword Tobacco's songs, seemingly field recordings in nightly landscapes of musical sounds, are equally far from ambient and from pop, from retro avant-rock or any other genre. Jonsson hones his songs until they work as loops, or long, rhythmic figures with the heartbeat of classic and modern deep house and electro. Possibly inspired by his relocation to Berlin in 2007, Everything Is Music To The Ear is a statement -- an evolving world of comforting dreams crystallized into comforting audio, exquisitely easy and refined, yet new and unique.

Porn Sword Tobacco - Everything Is Music To The Ear

Enjoy!

Label: City Centre Offices
Catalog#: CCO044CD
Country: Germany
Released: 2009
Genre: Dreamtronic
Style: Modern Classical, IDM, Ambient

Tracklisting:

01. Welcome
02. En Ny Morgon
03. I Love Riding My Bicycle
04. Sjöbodarna Står Tomma Över Jul
05. Havet Är Ärligt
06. Spectrum Campfire
07. Thats Roadrageous!
08. The Lavalife
09. 2 Windows Down
10. Casual Claude
11. Den Kalla Handen
12. Cave 4b-50 Clicks Northwest
13. My Week In Zambia
14. Hõsten Som Sprang Nõr Och Vart Den Ville
15. From Plural To Singular
16. Goodbye