#42

Afterlife/Dry Valleys – Split c39

Good vibes all around on this sweet little cassette. Afterlife kicks things off and fills up their side with a polyphonic synth burner. Cosmic pulsations drift over hypnotic drones to produce the most scintillating of soundscapes. On the B, Dry Valleys serves up three meditative electronic pieces. Very minimal and relaxing, it's the type of ambient where you lay back and drift away. Why don't you have a copy of this yet?

sacred phrases

Alaskan/Co-Pilot – Split 12"

Being a native Houstonian, I can authoritatively tell you the music scene here sucks. So, when I found out this  incredible  vinyl split was released by a local label and included a local band, I was shocked. Canada's Alaskan is up first with a massive track of progressive sludge with distant, growled vocals; the track has an intense foreboding ambiance. On the flip is Houston's Co-Pilot with a slab of masterfully crafted instrumental post-metal. Everything about this is fuckin rad, go get your hands on a copy.

The Treaty Oak Collective

Cogs and Sprockets – Town That Dreaded Sundown c9

I really haven't listened to much noisecore over the past few years. Somewhere along the line I just got tired of untalented “musicians” trying to be more offensive than Anal Cunt. So, when I popped Town That Dreaded Sundown into the cassette player, I was fucking blown away. It's loud, chaotic, & brutal stuff that's well played and lacking any of the bullshit. At 13 songs in just under 4 minutes, it pulverizes you and leaves you wanting more. If you're at all into noisecore, you need a copy of this.

Hurts To Hear

Nostalgia – A 512 devil music Vol. 2 cdr

Huh, this is a strange one here. The first two tracks are industrial metal, the sort of thing that was big back in the mid '90s. Sounds pretty ok, just not a style of music I'm really into. With each subsequent track, the industrial element fades and Nostalgia moves toward a more traditional black metal sound, but there's always an undertone present. Decent enough album here, but definitely not what I expected from a band labeled as dsbm.

Bosque Produções

#41

Black Velvet Stereo – Metal Rain Machine c40

As good as Black Velvet Stereo's earlier Iron Trees was, Metal Rain Machine is even better. The sound is more layered and nuanced then the earlier release; masterfully combining desolate ambient soundscapes, foreboding drones, and synthesizer pulsations into some stellar electronic music. This is essential listening material, right here.

sacred phrases

Imperial Topaz – Imperial c24

Imperial Topaz falls pretty far outside of my usual listening repertoire. Playing shimmering pop tunes, it was a gamble for me to snag a copy, but it ended up paying off. With delicate, airy female vocals, fuzzy guitars, and even an occasional sax, I'm loving everything Imperial has to offer. Not the thing everyone's gonna dig, but I certainly do. Pop this in the cassette player, sit back, and enjoy the summer.

Tranquility Tapes

Mt. Tjhris/Fallen Axe – Split c55

This split gets kicked off with seven tracks of quiet, psychedelic synth action from Mt. Tjhris. I'm digging what I hear, but the recording is nearly inaudible in a few places and suffers from some tape hiss in others. On the flip is Fallen Axe with a side long piece of guitar experimentation. Rad stuff. Even with the sound issue, I think Mt. Tjhris is my favorite of the two. Check this out if you wanna scope some sweet tunes from two solid electronic acts.

Jozik Records

Samantha Glass – Midnight Arrival c30

Somehow or another this slipped through the cracks and I'm only managing to review it now. Better late than never, especially considering how fuckin' amazing Midnight Arrivals is. Playing really dark, mysterious krautrock stuff, Samantha Glass is the soundtrack to the apathetic occult rituals of bored, teenage suburbanites. And it's awesome. Unfortunately, I believe the physical copies of this are gone, but you can buy the digital version, which will hold you over until the full length lp is out later this year.

Not Not Fun Records