#21

Dylan Ettinger – Lion of Judah 7'

Containing two synthed out, neu-no-wave, slow burners, this is one fucking nice slab of wax. The reverb is cranked up on the mic and drums, which works beautifully with the meandering synth. There's a whole futuristic, sci-fi feeling to the music that you just gotta dig. Worth scoping out if you want something off the beaten track.

Not Not Fun Records


Fractal Skulls – II c32

Fractal Skulls fill out the A side with two tracks of laid back, psychedelic ambient. I especially like the one track with the organ in it. On the B we get a monstrous slab of minimalist drone and a short, beat driven electronic piece. A decent mix of sounds here, but aimed toward those who like their ambient music based around a percussive rhythm.

Reverb Worship


Lust for Youth – Solar Flare c40

While not my usual fare, I'm digging Lust For Youth. A mixture of 80's industrial, grimy synthpop, and darkwave, Solar Flare is surprisingly minimalistic and lofi. Analog keyboards, distorted guitars, mumbled vocals, and simplistic electronic percussion combine to make a gritty, dark sound. There are a few songs where things get a little dancey, but I honestly didn't mind it; which is unusual for me. Solar Flare isn't going to be the thing for everyone, but I ended up enjoying it a lot.

Järtecknet


Swamp Horse – Winter Ghost c20

Swamp Horse has produced a rather impressive and disconcerting little release. Winter Ghost kicks off with pulses of static-driven noise and sawtooth waves battling it out over a background of menacing ambient music. On the flip is a blend of nocturnal field recordings, gurgling electronics, and distant chanting. A complex and densely layered piece, it takes a multitude of listens to fully grasp and appreciate what's going on here.

Handmade Birds Records


Winter Ritual – Between Light c30

Totally got fooled by the name; popped this in expecting synthy soundscapes and got my eardrums pummeled. Fluctuating between harsh drone and rumbling ambient, Winter Ritual manages to skillfully craft a sinister, mechanized atmosphere with Between Light. It's like, you find an abandoned petrochemical factory, but for some reason the juice is flowing and the machines are still operating. It's creepy as shit, but that's what makes it so cool.

905 Tapes

#20

Carter Mullin/Calypso Borealis – Parotia Mold/Xelium c42

Carter Mullin kicks things off with a single track of laid back guitar sounds. Real nice and mellow, the kind of thing that you wanna just doze off too. On the flip, found sounds and electronics are woven together by Calypso Borealis to create bleak and forlorn songs. Makes you feel like you're all alone, on vast, windswept saltflat.

House of Sun Tapes


Garrincha & The Stolen Elk – We Were Wyoming c20

Venturing away from their drone oriented sound on Black Sambo/White Mamba, Garrincha & The Stolen Elk have gone head first into avant-garde jazz and noise rock territory. No wave, maybe? Fuck labeling it, this is some wild stuff. While I think I enjoyed the sound on their first release a little more, I'm still loving what's on here. I'd tell you to go snag a copy, but I'm fairly certain it's long sold out. Sucks to be you.

Stubbed Records


Highmass – Ecnaegnev c30

Don't be fooled into thinking that eastern Europe has a monopoly on terribly recorded, one man, black metal outfits. Lurking among the moonshine stills and dilapidated barns of Kentucky is the lofi grimness of Highmass. Connoisseurs of this style will laud Ecnaegnev; it's raw, evil, and filled with the ubiquitous tape hiss associated with black metal projects that record demos in their parent's basement. I really wasn't too keen on this initially, but it's grown on me some the more I've listened too it.

Husk Records


i AM esper/Saturn From Essence – Inside Vast Space cd-r

Space is the place, and both these bands are here to make sure you know that. i AM esper starts things off with two tracks of guitar driven ambient; the first drenches you with rays of cosmic goodness, while the second leaves a sense of foreboding. Saturn From Essence rounds things out with a creepy synthed out solar soundscape. Ignore the Prime Directive and do whatever it takes to snag a copy.

Salamander Lane Productions


Old Razor – Demo 2010 c60

I was ready to chuck this demo about 30 seconds into the first track. Terrifying lofi thrash with the drums programmed on a shitty Yamaha keyboard. For whatever reason I decided to keep listening and the following track was a sleek, pro sounding chunk of slow, death metal infused thrash. Ok, didn't see that coming. This is followed by three more tracks of blackened thrash. Seems like Old Razor really hits their stride with these last tracks; really grimy, rough sounding thrash. I can't really recommend this demo cause it's all over the place in just five tracks and because that first track is a musical abortion, but I'm interested to hear what Old Razor pumps out in the future.

Metal Throne Productions


Permafrost – Nibiru Arrival 3” cd-r

From the infinite, cold depths of space comes Permafrost with three tracks of menacing ambient music. There's a whole doomsday, ancient astronaut vibe flowing throughout the ep that makes it spooky as fuck . Rad stuff.

Invisible Eye Productions


redrighthand – they sang and chanted for hours, then the locked in hundreds set themselves ablaze cd

This is going to crush you. I don't care how 'into' sludge you are, or how many Crowbar and Buzzov*en albums you have gathering dust on the cd wrack; you're not going to be prepared for how monstrous redrighthand is. Finally released after being recorded the better part of a decade ago, this has stood the test of time and then some. In an age of dudes in v-neck shirts claiming Mastodon is sludge, this is sorely needed.

At War With False Noise


Shingles – White Out c30

This sounds like the sort of music you'd hear drifting from the hut of Sheelba of the Eyeless Face. Intricately arranged soundscapes with drone sensibilities, White Out is enticing and mysterious. You know you need a copy.

905 Tapes


V.A. - Pacific Support c75

A benefit compilation for Japan consisting of 13 electronic musicians, there's a little something here for everyone. Most of the stuff falls into the nebulous genre of 'experimental music', but there's also some noise, glitch, and ambient. My particular favorites are the harsh dronescape of The North Sea, the piano driven, glitched out idm of Rene Hell, and the spacey beats of Panabrite. Good music for a good cause.

Draft Records