psychedelic rock / space rock

I don't feel so good, probably flu or something. As a token of their empathy, my neighbors decided to start drilling holes in the wall again. Those fuckers have been doing that on a regular basis over the course of a year now. I have no idea what they're doing. Yet, I'm not the complaining type. I look for solutions. Luckily for me, there are two huge Magnat speakers and a mailbox full of awesome music to overrule the neighbours' noise. After all, it's easier to cope with a headache from loud music than a headache from drilling holes in the wall. So I downloaded this album by Deep Space Destructors, twisted the volume know and flew off into the galaxy.

Formed in 2011, Finnish space rock combo Deep Space Destructors have played gigs allover their country. They also released plenty of albums and EP's so far and it seems that their journey is far from over. Their latest effort, 'Visions From The Void' contains five tracks and comes in an interesting array of colored vinyls, plus  digital. So you have plenty to choose from, and if you're a space rock fan, I see absolutely no reason why you should not purchase this album.

This is one of those albums that feels like an EP, even though the average track length is over eight minutes. Inspired by acts like Hawkwind, Eloy, Camel and so on, these Fins come up with elaborate instrumental passages, along with some splendid vocal krautrock parts. That sound already highlights in opener 'Psyche Remade', a near perfect space rock song. Another absolute highlight is 'Tyhjyyden Mantra'. I just love the saxophone solo here.

Perhaps in today's scene, Deep Space Destructors could be compared with a mix of Monkey3, Caudal, Øresund Space Collective and Ozric Tentacles. Yet, as a song like 'Floating' proves, this music can easily stand its ground on any atmospheric music festival. I can easily imagine this band playing Dunk! festival and taking everyone on an epic journey, especially with that brilliant closer 'From The Void'.

So yeah, space rock from an intensely high quality, that is what you get here. You can even download the album for free, but I'd suggest you give these guys some credit and some digital cash. They deserve it. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to twist the volume knob some more and drill space rock holes through walls and skulls....


​Serge

ambient / post rock / jazz / psychedelic

Arka Sengupta is one of those composers who simply can't seem to find any rest. In August, he released 'Vacant Earth', a concept album about being the last person on earth. Now, only a few months later, he returns with another story, another concept album. This time the theme is a love story which "explores the bond between two travelers who have the ability to breach through space-time and travel throughout the multiverse." Built around a number of poetry verses (with an electronic voice, reminiscent of that of late Steven Hawking), this album shows a more experimental side of Mixtaped Monk, one that allows a wide array of musical styles to infiltrate and influence.

While most of the album revolves around ambient soundscapes, Mixtaped Monk often explores the regions of post rock. Now, he adds flashes of jazz, cosmic, classical and psychedelic music. Some of these tracks also show a love for the music of  synth gurus like Klaus Schulze which I definitely appreciate. 'In Between Universes' immediately comes up with that vivacious synth, which reaches a musical highlight in the gloomy ambient tune 'Temporal Anomalies'.

Now, Mixtaped Monk has been featured on this website plenty of times in the past. Each time the result was a positive review (something we're good at here). This one is no different, although I'm not necessarily a fan of the verses in between the music (although 'Firth Verse' is simply brilliant). Nonetheless, most of the tracks here tell me that Arka is getting better and better, both as a musician and as a storyteller.

As far as I'm concerned, tracks like 'The Desire To Return' may last a lot longer, just like the breathtaking speedy piano tune 'So Close Yet So Far'. But Arka can do whatever he wants, as long as he keeps delivering these atmospheric sounds on a regular basis. For real, I know he was good but he keeps on improving and he keeps on delivering pleasant surprises. See you in a few months, undoubtedly with another enigmatic concept album.


​Serge

pop / soul / funk

Earlier today, someone posted another variation on the infernally boring "They don't make good music anymore" meme. It was on 9Gag. I know, not necessarily thé website for musical advice but still, it somewhat enraged me. I see these memes pass by on a daily basis: people complaining about how music used to be awesome back in the days but sucks hard today. People like that are mostly just whining cunts who have nothing better to do than complain. Yet, I would respectfully urge them to turn off the radio and move over to places where musicians are still being talented and respected. That brings us back to Merchants Of Air, a website dedicated to talent, regardless of genre.

We don't often write about pop music here on Merchants Of Air but this time it's personal. Ludoviq was here a few days ago, sitting in the couch where my cat is now being high on catnip. We listened to his album because Ludoviq suffers from something many musicians do: he wants to hear how his music sounds on a wide variety of speakers. My Magnats proved to be excellent guinea pigs, showcasing the highs, the lows, the warmth and the emotions in these nine fine pop tunes. I was surprised by the sheer quality of Ludoviq's output so a review was definitely in the making.

Although 'The Homecoming' is his first solo album, Ludoviq is no stranger to the stage. He started at a young age, back then in a church choir. He formed the band Société Anonyme at seventeen and became a finalist in 'De Nieuwe Lichting' in 2017, a contest by Studio Brussel. He also performs with Antwerp based vocal group De Grungblavers. All that experience now comes together in a warm, summery frenzy of pop, rock, funk, reggae and soul. See, there is plenty of amazing pop music to be found, not even far away.

The album opens with the reggae ballad 'With You'. This tune breathes the same air as a romantic long walk on a Caribbean beach. It immediately lights up the room, much like Ludoviq's personality does. It's good to start an album with a catchy highlight like this one. Shortly after, 'The Circle' viciously attacks your dancing muscles, again in that warm, disarming nature. My stoned cat gives me a strange look as I shake my behind but I don't mind. This is infectious, funky and groovy. But there's more, 'The Wonderer' brings out the guitars and the good old fashioned rock 'n roll groove. 

What strikes me the most, is that a wide array of artists have already passed my mind, from Michael Jackson over The Police and Bob Marley to Talking Heads and Ozzy. Yes, Ozzy. Ludoviq can rock but he mostly loves to see people shake their hips. That versatility will certainly get people interested, or I hope. The one thing that is true about that earlier mentioned "no more good music these days" bullshit is the fact that most people today seem to prefer artificial, autotuned and soulless machine sounds. And that is not something Ludoviq delivers.

Backed by a horde of excellent musicians and vocalists, Ludoviq brings the warm glow of analog instruments to your speakers. Guitars, moog, piano, drums, bass, percussion, horns, nothing is spared and everything seems to be permitted. On 'So Sad' they all weep along, melancholic yet playful. This song shows the strength of Ludoviq vocal performance, just ask my goosebumps. Besides, if I don't hear many people hum parts of 'Manéa Rose Lullaby' next summer, I would be very disappointed. This is the stuff that should be on your radio station, not Lil Wh'Eva.

So anyway. This review is getting pretty long already and there are Brussels sprouts waiting to be cleaned so I'll round it up. This is a very strong album, one that deserves a lot of airplay in the near future. There is something timeless about some of these tunes. This album could have been made in the sixties, seventies or nineties (not the eighties, those were either dark and gothic or synthpoppy and weird) but it's made in this era, as a perfect counterweight to whatever Q-Music will shove down your throat. For decent pop music that can last for a long time, Ludoviq is your man.


​Serge

ambient / berlin school / kosmische

Belgian Neumusik

Ambient Nation 5 was officially released at the Belgian electronic music festival B-Wave in the beginning of December 2018,. The boss of Wool-E discs/Belgian Neumusik handed me the three CD box for a review.

With pleasure I wrote this moodily tale about the universe of the Belgian booming electronic music scene. As a big fan of the Ambient Nation series it will be very difficult to stay objective, but we will. (All previous releases have a special place on my CD shelf).

First a little word about Ambient Nation. A group of people wanted to promote electronic music in Belgium. They started the label Art For Ears and released the first edition in 1994! Shortly during the years after, number two and three was released. In 2014, Ambient Nation 4 gave birth after a very long period of silence. There was again a growing attention for the Belgian electronic music scene. The organizers of B-Wave, Cosmic Nights and Ambient Antwerp Festival gave the scene more oxygen during the last 8 years. The possibility to play and watch live performances had a very positive impact to the electronic music milieu In Belgium.

Three CD’s with 28 Belgian artists bring you a wide electronic musical journey. Some artists had already releases on international labels. Others are seeing the light after years working on their DIY stuff in dark dusty rooms. The CD’s black, gold and red contain a diverse approach in ideas and handling of the electronic tools, synths and other weird effect boxes. 
CD black: 

Synodic Wave, Rhea, Owann  and  Sensory++ serve peaceful and easy digestible ambient soundscapes. Their beautiful vibes bring sweet calmness in your speakers. Nisus on track four embraces the old school Berlin style sound. Zer0 れい known for his experimental  out of the box views, sounds ethereal with oriental influences. The darkest and most mysterious electronic track filled with obscurity is presented by Hoshin. By Senses takes us to the ritual side of ambient with tribal voices as the main theme of the song.  Pieter Vermeyen’s Tryggja is drowned in piano and field recordings and to my opinion with Hoshin’s Fault, the two most appealing tracks on the black CD.

CD gold: 
Active since 1977 and one of the oldest electronic music projects in Belgium, Age has the honor to start the gold CD.  Their timeless cosmic ambient is still up to date beside the detailed production of Light Arrows. A Brief Look Into The Past from Lounasan is a ‘Berlin Schulze’ track next to a non-conventional attitude and rhythmic beats. Time for some new age tunes with Alain Pierre who composed a track with many faces and variations. Frank Deboosere (our Belgian weatherman) plays light poppy new age and predicts us unstable weather with his tune Alfa 14. Sebastopol takes us back in time with slow old school synth melodies. Alienna, a female loner in the Belgian electronic music scene, shows her talents in a beautiful pulsing lounge track, The task Of Sisyphos Pt. 1. Dirk Serries, who moved away to minimalism  and quit producing ambient nowadays presents a floating guitar ambient track. Close your eyes and fly. Serge Devadder explores the world of soundscapes adding a deep bizarre space mood. Galactic Undergroud drops his ambient impressions of the first man in space with Sky Ripped. A stunning track from the live performance at Cosmic Nights 2018. The gold CD ends softly with the dreamy sounds of Sonmi451.

CD red: 
Nothing But Noise are the original founders of the legendary band Front 242 and play deep electronic music. This catchy mix between ambient and rhythmic Berlin style synths stands for colourful and creative sounds. Next to the bleeps and dots of Earthwave we enter the orbit of spacey atmospheres again. Syndromeda takes us to the deepest voids in vast space with interesting soundscapes and peaceful melodies. The fourth track on the red cd is Final Stage by Analogic Synthisme. Choral synths and modest rhythms are constructed in a smooth Berlin style. The two brothers of The Roswell Incident love to create gliding electronic sounds stuffed with effects and sequencers. Curious vibes are added layer by layer in the up tempo Berlin style story Broken Shadow by Karl Hefner & Hugh Lagerfeld. The strange electronic sounds of Aerodyn combined with the etheric vocals generate the most mystical and original track on this compilation. The psychedelic electronica of Onsturicheit is stubborn and original. This most experimental track, Het Irrationele Denken, shows controlled electronic ghostliness. Jovica Storer closes the compilation with a slow resume of all the sounds we have enjoyed. The track Sweet Mocha carries the message for the Ambient Nation 5 release like its tittle.
​
Ambient Nation 5 shows a dazzling array of Belgian artists and their talents. The compiler made sure that the attraction to listen, due to variation, never had a chance to fade away. The multiplicity of electronic sounds and soundscapes will poke many electronic music lovers. Several artists composed specially a unique track for this triple CD,  limited to 300 pieces. Hurry and grab this unique art for ears while you still can.
Patsker

post rock

Svarta Stugan, translated The Black Cottage, is a Swedish post-rock band from Gothenburg. With their debut album Islands/ Öar the band presents a journey into experimental rock. The music is very cinematic in approach, guiding us to an imaginary world of perplexity. Svarta Stugan is active since 2012 and has already released an EP Aspects of Our Future Selves in 2014.

There is a groovy interaction between guitar and electronic sounds building up strange weird melodies. Beautiful intervals colored with synths provide the songs with dynamic spheres. The guitar strings sound with charming easiness. Every song contains that returning peaceful but mysterious psychedelic feeling.  Sometimes it felt like we were trapped in a spaghetti western scene. 

This four member band plays post-rock like Mogwai and Explosions In The Sky. The themes of the tracks are worked out well and distribute a mood of strange surrealistic happenings. Islands/ Öar stays interesting from the beginning to the end. There is enough tension constructed in the melodies and soundscapes to avoid any monotony in the song structures.

Svarta Stugan’s experimental immersion surprised us. Their music exudes calmness and sounds peaceful but contains a lot of depth. This is an excellent piece of psychedelic (post) rock. The album will be available on LP and MC just like in the good old days of physical releases.


​Patsker

post rock / ambient rock / art rock / alternative

Birds Contending is an album released on November 23, by Chinese alternative rock group Zhaoze. With only one track – the eponymous Birds Contending – which lasts more than forty-three minutes, this surreal, intense and poetic epic symphony definitely showcases a special and monumental sound, that unravels a vastly different level of musical creativity, profoundly grounded in oblique, frugal and perceptive experimentalism, without fear to display a genuine and exceptional will to create something new, and entirely different. 

With a more protuberant and lenient delicacy, that combines classical Chinese instruments and traditional musical elements, the style of Zhaoze is organic and mostly natural, the melodies flow with the spiritual essence of its proverbial calmness and unbreakable serenity. With an exceptional, but meticulous technicality, though, that proves able to sustain a paradox that is fully aligned with more aggressive, but conversely downplayed sonorous layers, the formidable convergence they display of an ambient rock sound with a postclassical surreal sensitivity is exceedingly brilliant and emotional, being essentially genuine and quasi-minimalist in the structure of its inherent nature. 

They sound very enthusiastic – despite the calmness of their style –, and the continuous turnarounds Birds Contending do all the time keeps the music a constant inventive surprise, that keeps adding an excitement to their boundless creativity. A great lesson on music experimentation, this one-track album is a rapturous sonorous experience, that integrates with crafted, but imponderable sensibility the most marvelous elements of the group’s musical abilities, concerning synchronicity, sound refinement, elegant melodies, and a sophisticated musical layout. With a general basis that departs from a very consistent and thoroughly original sonorous premise, definitely Zhaoze undoubtedly proves they are a fantastic band, and Birds Contending should be considered the art rock album of the year. 

An epic one-track album that definitely displays marvelous musical excitement and a proverbial originality, Birds Contending is a surreal and groundbreaking sonorous experience. I have no doubt about their potential to be China’s greatest underground act in their genre of choice. Certainly, I became very anxious to discover what they are going to release in the future. 


​Wagner

post rock

Wanderers is an album released recently, on November 17, by German post rock group SOJUS3000. Beautifully primordial, elegant and quite sensitive, their style is simple and serene, but focused and consistent, abundant on exhilarant harmonies that aggregates a splendorous sonorous cohesion to their laboriously creative and meticulously calm nature. A relatively concise effort, Wanderers is forty-one minutes and fifteen seconds long, having only five tracks: Vostok, Terraformer, Prelude, Requiem and Wanderers. With a spontaneous vivacity that displays a somewhat restless and fugacious, but moderately expansive style, SOJUS3000 works in a very abrasive zone of contingence, where they have to highlight the most imperative and dense qualities of their music, to realign the stagnant propensities of their melodies.

With an interesting and peculiar dynamic, that revitalizes the organic sensibilities of their inherent creative structure, the general layout of the group’s music is abundantly effusive and somewhat dispersive, but unfortunately, this also has the undesired effect of making them sound a little too monotonous at times, as the calm layers of their music contemplate just a few major variations. Nevertheless, in a more general evaluation, this doesn’t compromise the beauty nor the quality of their music; they definitely know how to compose dense, sagacious and very idyllic atmospheres, that spread throughout the vastness of indefinite oceans of splendor the existential grace of profoundly vivacious and elusive harmonies.      

The album definitely has some highlights, though, like the song Requiem – whose marvelous waves of dissonant poetic graciousness wonders in the infinite sensorial vicinities of its own melancholic fantasy, floating through the imperial emptiness of a universe that revitalizes the sonorous continuity of an everlasting grief of interweaving melodic tonalities, completely sidelined with the essential uneasiness of the inherently afflictive rapture of the human soul. 

Despite some fabulous moments, though, Wanderers has some limitations, that makes this album a little predictable and redundant. But definitely, its qualities overshadows its deficiencies, deserving to be qualified – by a moderate perspective – as a minor exemplar of genuine artistry, a colorful mosaic of salutary and graceful textures, an exponentially good ordinary album, with some extraordinary moments. Nevertheless, be sure: this sober, vivacious and elemental work definitely is worthwhile of your time. 


 
Wagner

post rock

take great joy is an album by Australian post rock group hazards of swimming naked, released on November 16. Almost forty two minutes long, the record has eight tracks: there was never a right time, waiting for 5120, curtis, i don't know this road, sofðu unga ástin mín, a loose thread, this common thread and accept the mystery. Although the group mostly follows the basic trends of the genre – at least in some of its most volatile aspects –, with all the preponderant majesty of its conventional sonorous layout, they are able to elaborate and to execute interesting, flexible, texturized and very dynamic harmonies, that circulates indefinitely over the lurid axis of their musical pragmatism. The harmonies are diluted and then recomposed in very fluid and vivid tonalities, that redefine their own cyclic and pleasurable style of conscious splendor in a lucid organogram, that flows indefinitely over its own dilated panorama of impulsive vicissitudes, though in the extension of their more expansive and serene melodies it is possible to feel that the group appears to be more technical than emotional.    

With melancholic harmonies that feels more skeptical and cynical than innocent or dramatic, the group knows how to use time and slowness very efficiently, though more occasionally, they also attack furiously the grave surface of their music with tempestuous and abrasive melodies. With the soul of their abundant, but dispersive musical qualities effectively delineating each element of their cohesive sonorous devices, hazards of swimming naked discreetly dwells into a proficient, proverbial, graceful and unpredictable degree of versatility, navigating discreetly even into post-classical territory, expanding their sonorous and majestic elusiveness into a latent, but sensible splendor, that definitely makes their music a mosaic of subtle and perennial dissonances.  

The perfect soundtrack for an everlasting dream of imponderable sensitivities and unexpected consequences, take great joy – as precisely the name suggests – is an album upon which you can take great joy while listening to it, as your senses undoubtedly will travel to distant, but warm places, where a surreal, fugacious and vague reality will paint life with a more colorful and poetic vitality, with the exact tonalities upon which hazards of swimming naked impregnates their music. 

Despite the fact that the album is somewhat repetitive – at least to a certain extent – take great joy is a marvelous, flexible, genuine, vivacious and delightful sonorous experience. You can definitely feel a vibrant enthusiasm flowing all over you. Despite minor limitations, this album is a very elegant and satisfactory work of art. Mandatory, as a matter of fact, for enthusiasts of post rock. 


Wagner

experimental rock/ post metal / sludge metal

Ambiance is an album released in November 2, by Swiss experimental post metal trio Ølten. Forty minutes long, the record has eight tracks: Igelkott, Raus, Klark, Lied, Gover, Sludge, Popoutro and Pope. An interesting album, that presents to the audience a colorful, eccentric mixture of post metal and sludge with a varying degree of experimental tenacity, the music is elaborated in concentrated layers of consistent vitality and synergy, with continuous grooves of expansive densities, intrinsically worked over the lethal placidity of its exceedingly abrasive harmonies. 

The style of the group – despite its opaque premises –, is very flexible and cohesive. They engage in a salutary degree of experimentalism, without any fears, but without extremisms or exaggerations either. Moderate and proverbial to a certain extent, their melodies dilacerate its own rhythmic devices, flirting a little with repetitiveness, but they do it in a very dynamic and lucid fashion, never becoming monotonous nor tedious. The know how to genuinely provoke the organic fuel of their harmonies, and definitely knows how to maintain vivid the mostly ecstatic densities upon which their music is made. 

While Ambiance is not a fantastic nor fabulous album, it has major qualities that reveal – to a certain extent –, how original, audacious and inventive these skilled musicians really are. With embracing tonalities that circumnavigates their slow paced harmonies, working exponentially, beautifully and existentially with somber, but discreet elements that makes their music to be a little bit sinister and mysterious, but inadvertently fragile at the same time, Ølten knows how to transform music into a more surreal, dispersive and quintessential form of art. They are definitely a sensational band, whose stylized sound departs from a distinct, plural level of creativity.  

Despite all of their qualities, though, they definitely have to reinvigorate their music with more unpredictable components, something to make them sound more tempestuous and exhilarant. Nevertheless, they are definitely in the right direction – elaborating a sound of their own –, that doesn’t appeal to a particular genre. Ølten is an interesting group that deserves to be followed closely, and Ambiance is an intelligent and very nihilistic experimental ambient rock album, that oversees the gracious and sensible development of a genre, yet to be fully understood and defined. 



Wagner

stoner rock

When a registered mail with something physical falls into your letter box there is always the curiosity how it will sound and how we can write about it. Dirty Habits -Rule Us All- is Dreckneck’s second release. The band was founded in 2015, in a Dutch town near the German border. Their goal was to play solid rock music. After adding  a drummer, they could finally play and record some butt kicking songs in their small barn.

The trio produces fuzzy stoner rock. They start their first full length album with an instrumental track Route 69. It’ s groovy tunes give you immediately that rock ‘n roll vibe of forgotten and steaming rock bars. The guitars sound heavy and omnifarious. Harm, the guitar player who takes care of the vocals too, brings a bluesy touch to the songs. His voice sounds deep, not too rough and fit’s perfect with the music.

Still, this Cd gives us a strange feeling. We heard this all before, but the enthusiastic playing works like a weep. The music needs to grow and isn’t that easy to swallow. We heard Kyuss, Queens Of The Stone Age and several traditional heavy rock bands as influences. Dreckneck are persistent and brave to follow a style that is already sucked out to the bottom.

Variety is their strength. The drummer (Tinus) works his heart out and gives the album an extra dimension. Dreckneck succeeds to create a sleazy and dirty stoner sound without being boring. Roaring guitar riffs guided by catchy bass lines and on top that peachy voice. So take your time and listen to Dirty Habits -Rule Us All-. Feel what is needed to be felt: fuzzy, groovy, bluesy stoner rock with a perspective attitude. The Cd is available at their Bandcamp page as a limited edition. Dreckneck kicks ass!!


​Patsker