#46

156 – Frontyard/Backyard c42

I'm not quite sure if the 156 fits the definition of musique concrète, so I'll use the more generic 'sound collage'. It's not really a genre I'm particularly interested in and the truth is I snagged this tape not knowing what I'd find on it. I was down in Fort Lauderdale digging though the local section of an indie record store when I stumbled upon Frontyard/Backyard. I didn't know anything about the project or the label, but the man behind 156, Adel Souto, is a name I recognize. For those unaware, Mr. Souto used to publish the Feast of Fear and Hate zine (remember when people did paper zines?), which I read voraciously back in high school. Anyhow, this is a collection of field recordings and musical-ish sounds created with tools, metal scraps, and whatever else, that have been interwoven. As I said before, this type of stuff doesn't really pique my interest, but I did find the album to be strangely hypnotic. Listening to it in a noisy, metropolitan area, Frontyard/Backyard didn't blend in, but rather stood out as a different, but similar, set of sound. I found myself trancing out in a strange place in between what was the white noise of the city and the music from 156. Does that make any sense? Anyhow, if you're into unusual sound collages and experimental field recordings, check this out.

Acid Casualty Productions 

Dragon Turtle and Eric de Jesus – The Second Summer of Love/The Leaves on the Trees were Green with Youth 7"

I feel like this is one of those 'good idea in theory' type of things that doesn't manage to pan out in reality. You've got a spoken word dude reading over a band's music; sounds interesting. The main problem is that the vocal levels are botched and Eric de Jesus sounds staticy and muted, especially on The Leaves... side. On top of that, de Jesus' prose doesn't particularly appeal to me; it's not bad or anything, just not my deal. I did find myself enjoying Dragon Turtle's kinda shoegaze-y, mellow math-rock; but that wasn't enough to save this ep. I wanted to like this, but it left me rather underwhelmed.

La Société Expéditionnaire

Lunar Miasma – Managing The Dream c28

If you've been jonesing for some synch action, Lunar Miasma has got what you need. This rad little tape kicks off with a massive track of shimmering electronics. All crystal visions and tigers floating in space, you know? The next track takes it down a notch, with this mysterious, low key vibe going. On the flip there's another impressive piece of sci-fi sounding weirdness and finally a calm journey delving deep into the id. Managing The Dream is an astral burner, a soundtrack for the unconscious mind.

Tranquility Tapes

 Rose Cross – Rose Cross 7"

I'm not big into either punk or garage rock, but I'm finding myself digging this ep. Rose Cross plays short songs of fuzzy punk rock about ghosts, the apocalypse, and relationships. The really stand out aspect about Rose Cross is the shout/sung female vocals, which gives the band a particularly unique sound. I'm diggin' it, go snag a copy.  

Drugged Conscience Records

#45

Force Fed Life – Reminiscent Nostalgia cd-r

Billed as “depressive black metal,” a more accurate description of Force Fed Life would be “repetitive guitar riffs and incoherent mumbling”. The first half of the Reminiscent Nostalgia's four tracks consist of an acoustic guitar and a dude whispering about pain or something, while the final half is an electric guitar and laughable black metal style vocals. To top it all off, the last track is an agonizing 14 minutes long. No thanks.

Smell the Stench

Fossils From the Sun – Blood '08 c38

Blood '08 begins with a sidelong jam of barley audible rhythmic pulsations, glitchy vocalizations, and, towards the end, some metallic sine waves. Not a promising start for the album. On the flip things are slightly more interesting, but really the three tracks there are just variations of what you heard before. It feels like Fossils From the Sun has the potential, but it just never manifests. All and all? Meh.   

//cae-sur-a//

i AM esper – Sun & Moon: Between Dimensions cd-r

Damn, this is a massive slab of drone right here. Broken up between “day music” and “night music”, the sun portion is strummed guitar riffs that have been looped and layered creating tracks that slowly unfold, while the moon half utilizes low note reverberations for melancholy pieces. With each song clocking in at around 10 minutes, by the time Sun & Moon: Between Dimensions concludes one can't help but feel overwhelmed and engulfed in an ocean of sound. While the cd-r version has sold out, you can buy a digital copy from i AM esper's bandcamp or wait for one of the two cassette reissues. Either way, just make sure you get you hands on a copy of this.    

Vomit Bucket Productions

Northern Forest/Pandemonium – Là où la Nature Reflète Sa Majesté cd-r

This split gets kicked off with four tracks from Northern Forest of mixed synth action and nature recordings, with a bit of black metal for good measure. These are decent enough, but I've heard better stuff from Northern Forest. The album is rounded out by an impressive track of drone from France's Pandemonium. Consisting of looped ritualistic chanting, electronic rumblings, and an unknown stringed instrument, it's completely mesmerizing. Worth checking out if drone and dark ambient is your game.

Bosque Produções

Pan – Pan c60

Pan's a tough nut to crack. The songs here range from chaotic electronic soundscapes to folksy, pop psychedelics and a fair share of things in between. I find myself more drawn toward the psych tracks than the sound collage & electronic antics, but to each their own. Pretty impressive that such a diverse array of music was created with just a synthesizer, electric guitar, and vocals. For whatever reason, I feel a little out of my element with this one. I'm liking Pan, but it's not the thing for everybody. If you dig odd birds, Pan will be right up your alley.

Haute Magie

#44

The Hare and The Moon – The Grey Malkin c41

I'm not particularly well versed in folk music and what's in my record collection is all stuff from this side of the Atlantic. So, I had a little trepidation about snagging a copy of The Grey Malkin, unsure as to how much I'd like contemporary British folk. It turns out that fear was completely unfounded; The Hare and The Moon is fucking incredible. Dark, doomy, and vaguely psychedelic, I'm loving everything about this album. The ghostly female vocals are the icing on the cake, creating a completely forlorn and haunting ambiance. This is one of those releases that no amount of my babbling will do it justice, you've got to hear it for yourself. Highly recommended.  

Haute Magie

i AM esper/Synkretismos Mutare – Astral Dream of Nature's Ashes cd-r

You get used to split albums having each artist's tracks grouped by themselves, so to hear them juxtaposed like they are on Astral Dream of Nature's Ashes shakes you up a bit. Add to this i AM esper is guitar driven drone, while Synkretismos Mutare crafts bass & beat heavy soundscapes and you've got the recipe for some interesting sonic interplay. Top notch drone from two impressive acts, presented in a way that keeps you on your toes...Why haven't you snagged a copy yet?

Bosque Produções

Obscurer – Shining Arbors cd-r

So, I can't really decide if I'm on board or not with Obscurer. A single track that is broken down into three movements, Shining Arbors is a strange beast. Wailing theremins, undulating electronics, distant guitars, and spectral vocalizations mingle together to create an album in a constant state of flux. Where Obscurer is going, who knows? You're just along for the ride. There's no way to just passively listen to this, as it demands your undivided attention. Like I said, I'm not sure about Shining Arbors, but if you like things a little more unusual, it'll be right up your alley.  

House of Alchemy

Occult Vomit – Anti-Human Devotion c90

Playing “black n' roll,” Occult Vomit is raw, blackened thrash style stuff, with the addition of southern fried, 70's rock guitar riffs and a lot of that buzzsaw bass sound. I'm honestly less than impressed with Anti-Human Devotion, but maybe I'm just not kvlt enough. It's not terrible or anything, but the album starts to drag and the songs begin to sound interchangeable with one another. It is what it is, and if you're a fanatic for thrash-y black metal, you'll dig it.   

Smell the Stench

Panopticon – Kentucky lp x2

Wait...Appalachian black metal? Yeap, thou it's not quite what you might be expecting. Kentucky is split pretty evenly between tracks of atmospheric black metal and bluegrass. So, if you were hoping for banjos and fiddles in your black metal, you're out of luck. About as folksy as the black metal stuff gets is the inclusion of some flute action. I actually found myself liking bluegrass songs the best, though the black metal tracks were highly enjoyable as well. Honestly, this isn't an album for everybody. In fact, I suspect many people will actively dislike it, but whatever, I can't get enough of it.

Handmade Birds Records

Twin Polygamists/Pacific Mausoleum – Split c8

This little split kicks off with a sidelong burner of mechanized drone and rhythmic pulsations from Twin Polygamists. It's dark and menacing with kind of a space-y feel, like the soundtrack to exploring a mysteriously abandoned spaceship adrift in the Kuiper belt. On the flip Pacific Mausoleum lets loose with a track of soft, rumbling electronics that suddenly morphs into low frequency squeals. Not bad, but it doesn't really stack up against the Twin Polygamists track.   

A Beard of Snails

#43

1%er – Tomorrow Will be Worse c32

A live recording consisting of a malfunctioning synthesizer, tape noise, and what I assume is someone dragging around heavy furniture (there are a lot of *thuds* and scraping noises), Tomorrow Will be Worse is a colossal yawn inducer. I get the feeling that 1%er consists of arty types who would just argue that I can't appreciate their creation and entirely missed the “metamorphosis of sound” on the album. Nah, I got it dudes; it started off with a bunch of blip sounds and ended with rumbling noises. Freakin' sonic wizards, right here...

Green Records and Tapes

Black Velvet Stereo – Destroy This Town cd-r

I can't tell you how long I've been waiting for Black Velvet Stereo to release a full length album. BVS has quickly risen to be one of my favorite groups and Destroy This Town does not disappoint. The dark, harsher drones of Iron Trees are not as prevalent here, with most of the tracks being crisp ambient waves that evolved out of Metal Rain Machine. It's incredible. There's a massive sci-fi vibe throughout the album, like it's the soundtrack to a Philip K. Dick novel. Unfortunately physical copies of this were limited to some ridiculously small number like 15 or 20, but luckily for you Black Velvet Stereo has made the album available digitally on it's bandcamp. This is a must have.

A Beard of Snails

Nyx – Obnubilato Incesto Semen cd-r

Damn, Obnubilato Incesto Semen is going to plow into you like a bulldozer. Playing fast, thrashy black metal, I'm digging what Nyx has to offer. Surprisingly, they incorporate the occasional melodic breakdown in a song or two, but it actually works really well, adding some complexity to their sound. The skilled level of musicianship and good production makes this feel like a professional label album rather then a demo release. Keep an eye out for these guys, I have a feeling they're gonna be making a name for themselves real fast.

Bosque Produções

Pizza Hi-Five/Powercup – Split 10'' 

Fuck yeeeees! First up is Pizza Hi-Five who rip through 12 tracks of blistering grindcore. I wont play the “reminded me a little Agathocles” card, but there's definitely some mincecore influence in there. I'm diggin everything about Pizza Hi-Five, right down to the song that has goofball hand clap solos. On the flip is Powercup, who is apparently all about power tools, home improvement, and contractors. Yea, like all 13 of their songs mention those topics. Their sound is a little more simplistic, straight forward style of grind, but it's just as fast and sick. You like grind? Then why haven't you snagged a copy of this already?

Hurts To Hear

#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

#40

Bob Blaize · Jeph Jerman · Travis Johnson – Sky Bells c60

As you've probably already inferred from the title, bells play a central role here on Sky Bells. However, you can't just chalk this up as a percussion album. A collaboration between three improvisational musicians, this album is a melange of bells, drums, flutes, synthesizers, and field recordings that manage to coalesce into impressive sidelong jams. The A side is a real gem, starting off in a drifting, ethereal mood that gradually builds up into a massive sonic wave that washes over you. The flip is a little less cohesive, sounding like several separate songs loosely connected together, but it's still an enjoyable piece. Totally worth scoping out if you're into improvisational stuff or vaguely psychedelic, experimental music.

Avant Archive


Detainee – Vital Organs c23

Simply put, Detainee is a 16-bit electronic wrecking machine. I'd say Vital Organs could be the love child of a Sega Genesis and Kraftwerk, but that wouldn't be doing the album justice. Really rad stuff going on here with the slickest retro electronic vibe I've heard in a long while. Yea, you totally fuckin' need this.

Field Hymns


Devin Dart – Mint Spring Silver c40

Space age tomfoolery, that's what Mr. Dart is up to with Mint Spring Silver. These futuristic sounding, improvisational electronic jams are all about relaxing and having fun. Forget all the synth soundtracks to cosmic transcendental meditation, this is where it's at. Check it out, dudes...

Scissor Tail Editions


Dylan Ettinger – Lifetime of Romance cd

Woah, bit of a change in direction here from Ettinger's earlier Lion of Judah single and Pattern Recursion cassette. Not that this makes Lifetime of Romance bad, by any means; just that I wasn't expecting what the album had in store. Unlike earlier releases, the tracks here have a more traditional synthpop vibe going, with just a hint of dark, 80's industrial feel. But, there's still a lot of stuff that comes out of left field and catches you off guard, like the sax on the track 'Maude'. Like I said, not what I was expecting, but I'm totally digging it.

Not Not Fun Records


Epocha Tristesse/Lethal – Suicidal Dreams cd

I've been a fan of Epocha Tristesse since I heard their demo a while back and was psyched to finally get some new stuff by them. With an 18 minute long track of slow dsbm, they don't disappoint. The massive track is set up with interludes of field recordings of rain and storms, which adds nicely to the feeling of melancholy. Lethal round out the cd with two tracks of fast and raw depressive black metal. I'm especially liking Lethal's vocals, which sound like a maniac's shrieking. Definitely worth checking out Suicidal Dreams if you're into black metal.

Runestein Records


Steve Kenney – Dawn Window c20

A collection of two live tracks, this is some seriously dark and menacing drone. The A side is composed of electrical pulses which surge and recede. On the B things are a little more harsh and piercing. Rad stuff.

Imminent Frequencies