Kategoria: Ambient

Ihä - Estructuras De Aire, Colonias De Soplo

ambient / drone

bandcamp

Chilean drone/ambient band Ihä return with a beautiful new four track album. Much like their previous release, 'Esperanza', this one focuses on minimal but atmospheric soundscapes. The result is a soothing yet immersive piece of work, something fans of everything between Brian Eno and Barn Owl can certainly appreciate. Furthermore, people with a hectic life, people who just want to ease down and relax for a moment, should also give this stuff a chance. Play it loud enough, not too loud, close your eyes and let this talented act guide you through the wonderful world of Ihä.

Spankraght - Spankraght EP

industrial / metal / drum & bass

Antwerp is a crowded city. One day a metalhead and a drum & bass producer slammed into each other in one of our many record stores. Their respective Channel Zero and Netsky vinyl albums smashed into pieces and fell to the floor. Instead of fighting each other, they bought some gear and locked themselves in a rehearsal studio. Now they released a nice piece of crossover with a pounding five track EP. Heavy guitars meet electronic beats and synths in a whirlpool of musical energy. It's Pendulum meets Combichrist meets ... let's say Rammstein, or Metallica. Most of all, it's bloody awesome, although I have no idea how to both dance and bang my head at the same time...

August Rosenbaum - Rasa

classical

Tambourhinoceros

Back in November 2017 August Rosenbaum released 'Vista'. Now, as a little extra, he offers a six track EP, containing the stripped down foundations of that album, plus one brand new track, 'Milo'. What can I say about this EP? It's a man playing a piano, nothing more, nothing less. That alone makes this one of the most beautiful things to listening to, especially if that man is a talented and experienced composer. So, if you're into calm, soothing and blissful smile evoking piano music, this EP is an absolutely must have, nothing more, nothing less.

Show Aniki - The Deep Blue Sessions

metal

website

The EP by French hard rockers Show Aniki compiles four singles. Throughout the years, the band has suffered several line-up changes but that didn't seem to harm the energy. Influenced by everything between Metallica, Anthrax, Disturbed and Alice In Chains these guys deliver four solid and groovy rock tracks. This is perfect stuff for a hot summer afternoon on some big ass rock festival where the older generation of headbangers will often point at the stage and tell the youngsters how metal should be done. So yeah, this is edgy metal with a heavy yet melodic approach. Great stuff.

The Human Race Is Filth - Liberate

grindcore / crust

Right, that was nice metal and all but for true mental torment you'd have to turn toward this cute and friendly American duo. Thrif delivers their second set of chaotic grindcore pummeling, once again with the intensity of an atomic blast. Fans of bands like Dismember and Napalm Death will undoubtedly get a hardon from this stuff (I don't need photographic proof of that!!!). In eight tracks, mostly short blast of ferocious crust/grind, Thrif effortlessly destroys everything in their path, including your sanity, but who needs sanity when you can have grindcore, right?

Misantronics vs Mint Narcosis - EPI

ambient / techno

Misantronics

Mint Narcosis

Ambient and dance beats mix quite well together. Just look at acts like early Biosphere or Psychic Warriors Of Gaia. In that aspect, it's almost weird that ambient act Misantronics and his EDM alter ego Mint Narcosis only now release a cooperative EP. On 'EPI' you can find four tracks, three of them delving deep into the world of ambient techno and one coming up with some breaks. 'Dragon' and 'Kepler' showcase the calm but danceable side of this EP while 'Kuba' is an hypnotic, trance inducing dance track. 'Unwasted Years' is the odd one here, a gloomy IDM track with haunting soundscapes. Certainly to be continued.

The Room in the Wood - Magical Thinking

new wave / alternative rock

Somewhere between the gloomy sound of new wave and the uplifting energy of alternative rock, we find Liverpool residents The Room In The Wood. Think acoustic music with a strong, distinct voice. In the title track the band shows an infectious blend between Leonard Cohen, Wall Of Voodoo and The Lemonheads. Yeps, that's possible. Johnny Cash fans will undoubtedly appreciate 'Baba Yaga' while The Doors lovers will pick out 'Dragonfly' as their favorite. My personal favorite is the opener. It's a track that makes me curious about their other work. I'll check that soon, but for now, this is good enough.

Twilight - Trident Death Rattle

black metal

To be released on May 1st, this three track EP by legendary American black metal band Twilight, is perhaps one of the most epic blackened releases from that continent. These tracks, which feature Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore, are harsh, intense and chaotic songs. They showcase a massive sense of derangement and isolation. In fact, Opener 'This Road South' is currently one of my favorite black metal tracks. 'Weathered Flames' is a suffocating spiral of blackened nihilism and closer 'No Consequence' will haunt your dreams for decades to come. These are nightmares translated to music and I like that.

Corpsehammer - Perversión

black metal

Morbid Skull

Speaking about musical nightmares, allow me to plug this ugly little filth monger from Swedish extremists Corpsehammer. This EP is the third part in their EP trilogy, released by Morbid Skull. If you are a fan of old school black metal, and I mean old school in the form of ancient 'World Domination' compilations, this undoubtedly is your thing. In three tracks, plus an outro, Corpsehammer delivers a rancid, hardcore punk influenced approach to extreme metal, often at ferocious speeds. There's nothing pretty about this EP, on the exact contrary. This is the musical equivalent of crawling to mud and faeces, mixed with needles. Awesomeness...

Grim - Requiem

classical / post rock / jazz

Equally awesome but in a completely different way comes this new EP by Belgian trio Grim. This band from Leuven turns classical music into post rock anthems with a gloomy jazz feel. This release is based on Frédéric Chopin, more specifically his Préludes and Marche Funèbre. the result is a cinematic and somewhat intimate sounding blend of post rock and dark jazz, something I'm pleasantly surprised by. I can imagine enjoying this in a small and intimate live setting, like a living room or a salon. However, it would also fit perfectly on a festival like Dunk!. Anyhow, this is pretty cool and certainly recommended.

Mhönos - LXXXVII

drone doom

This album by French ritual drone doom act Mhönos is a massive and epic undertaking. In a way, this is pure catharsis, driving on monolithic riffs, deranged vocals and a crushing atmosphere. What I like most about this, is that the band allow the music to take all the time it needs to grow and evolve. Although slow, I can certainly sense a punk attitude here, mostly in the vocal performance. That reminds me of acts like Winter and coincidentally also Phantom Winter. Yet, the music also reminds me of noise acts like MZ412 and Brighter Death Now. So yeah, this is a brilliant piece of work and it comes highly recommended.

Zero Theorem - Ataraxis

hard rock / metal

website

Some people are waiting for the new Tool album, others hope Disturbed will release their new record soon and still others are still going heavy on the latest Five Finger Death Punch or Papa Roach. All those people should turn their ears towards Los Angeles based metal band Zero Theorem. This six track EP easily draws comparisons with the aforementioned bands. All these songs are infectious modern day metal songs, with exactly the right doses of aggression, melody, riffing and electronics. It's been a while since I have been excited about anything nu-metal related but this EP definitely does the trick.

Vampillia - Happiness Brought By Endless Sorrow

black metal / noise

Temple Of Torturous

Legendary Japanese "brutal orchestra" Vampilia returns with a four track ep that will undoubtedly blast you into mental oblivion. With a furiously raging blend of black metal, grindcore, drone, post rock and noise, this ten piece smashes all competition. Obviously, that shouldn't be a surprise since this act has been on every extreme experimentalists favorites list for years. Although short, these tracks represent massive anthems and come laced with guitars, drums, violins, piano, screams, grunts and whatnot. This is absolute madness, in the best sense of the word.

The Orchestra Of Mirrored Reflections - Narrow Escape

dark jazz

And to conclude, let me introduce you to one of my favorite dark jazz bands and their latest single. I have been following this orchestra for quite some time now and I'm always pleasantly surprised by their output. This time they deliver a long track that might as well become one of my favorites in the while genre. It's an eight minutes lasting and lingering piece of dark jazz with delayed bass, lazy drums and a free floating saxophone solo. In other words, this is perfect for a Sunday evening with wine and cigarettes, courtesy of The Orchestra Of Mirrored Reflections.

Serge

0 Comments

Brieviews 40

5/4/2018

we have some cool shirts, check 'm out and support Merchants Of Air

Objector - Social Intolerance

thrash metal

We kick off this edition of Brieviews with some ruthless Belgian thrash metal, courtesy of Objector. With this eight track EP, these guys pay homage to the glory days of the genre, and mostly to bands like Slayer, Kreator, Exodus and Destruction. After a brief intro, 'Life Denied' starts the merciless pummeling at an excruciating tempo and it doesn't stop until 'Vengeance (Will Be Mine)' fades away. For fans of old school thrash, this EP definitely is a must-have, you can't get closer to that overwhelming sound without blatantly copying your heroes. Objector is a welcome, fresh and raging name in the thrash scene, no doubt about that.

Chief Roberts - The Hopeless

stoner metal / sludge

This Belgian riffing-tsunami is not over yet because here is Antwerp combo Chief Roberts and their face punching EP 'The Hopeless'. On this EP, the band showcases a punishing mix of hardcore, sludge metal and stoner rock, coming at you with the intensity of a raging horde of rhinos. And if that's not enough, they also throw in some extreme influences to completely beat you down. I would recommend this EP to all sludge fans out there but I'm not it will be safe for them to listen to it. I mean, this is one of the most aggressive and violent sludge releases I have heard in a while. Bloody awesome one too.

RRRags - RRRags

psychedelic rock / stoner / blues

Ron Van Herpen, Rob Zim and Rob Martin had themselves a little jamsession in September 2017. They had so much fun playing together that decided to form a brand new band and RRRags was born. This power trio comes up with good old fashioned stoner blues, laced with psychedelic rock and a joyous jam-atmosphere. Fans of everything between Hawkwind and Grand Funk Railroad will undoubtedly love this six tracks. You can hardly go more old-school than blues crackers like 'Rag Machine' or psych-rockers like 'On With The Journey'. This is definitely something to look out for, especially live performances.

Hellstorm Of Flaming Nothingness - Sattva

drone / ambient

Time for a resting point with the first full-length of Belgian minimal drone engineer Hellstorm Of Flaming Nothingness. With Sattva, HOFN processed a rough year into seven deep droning meditations. As usual, the approach is minimal and dark, giving the whole thing an extremely introvert atmosphere. Yet, it also sounds otherworldly and comes with a sense of angst and hopelessness. So no, this is not a pleasurable album to listen to but it is a emotional one, one to listen to while you reflect on your life choices, your past actions and your future opportunities. There is light at the end of the tunnel but the tunnel is dark and insecure.

Forte Ruin - Rebuilding the Machinery

death metal / symphonic metal

Right, back to severe headbanging, this time with the return of Finnish melodic death metal sextet Forte Ruin. Their new EP shows a band that has evolved and grown since their 2015 effort, much to my delight. The influences from Dimmu Borgir, Children Of Bodom and Fear Factory are still there but now Forte Ruin has found their niche in the fierce but melodic corners of the metal scene. The result is a violent five track album, loaded with cutting edge riffing, atmospheric synths, intense screams and melodic clean vocals. This EP is a whirlwind of modern day metal, one every fan of the genre should check out.

Postcode - Dandelion Radio Session II

alternative rock

To celebrate their tenth birthday, Isle Of Man residents Postcode revised some of their older songs and turn them into a sweet live registration. On this five track EP you can find nice alternative rock tunes, inspired by acts like The Pixies, The Breeders and PJ Harvey. This definitely will bring a smile to the faces of nineties rockers. You can feel the joy of playing these songs live. My personal is the lingering 'Hope Makes the Stars Shine Brighter' but I'm quite positive that all of these tunes regularly appear in my alternative rock list from now on. I suggest you do the same and check out this highly enjoyable band.

Hypnodial - Aether Alcoves

ambient

Hailing from Palma De Mallorca, Hypnodial seems to be influence by everything ambient and downtempo related, from Brian Eno over The Orb to the harshness of Cold Meat Industry. Those influences reflect of this album too, even though the whole thing comes in a minimal and gloomy approach. With twelve tracks, ranging from gentle ambient tunes to downtempo electronics, this album is well varied and thus an excellent companion for daily listening. My favorite is the dubby ambient tune 'Old Café' but I'm damn sure that every ambient aficionado will easily appreciate this stuff.

Dead Neanderthals - Life

drone / noise / ambient

It looks like an eighties punk inspired thrash metal album but it comes from Dutch heavy jazz combo Dead Neanderthals and it sounds like a massive drone experiment. These guys never cease to amaze us. This time, the Dutch primitives decided to leave the drums and the sax at home. So what are left with? A thirty six minutes lasting psychedelic drone track, hypnotic, immersive and as minimal as Maggie De Block's sexlife. So yeah, it's a surprising Dead Neanderthals release but definitely one to add to your ever expanding drone-scape collection. I'm already curious about what they'll come up with next. Hip hop?

Hiemis - Nachtstücke

dark ambient

GH Records

If you're into deep, dark drones and eerie soundscapes, this album by Hiemis is right up your alley. The music has plenty of similarities with your favorite dark ambient acts, such as Raison D'Etre, Desiderii Marginis, In Slaughter Natives, Lustmord and Inade, to name a few. These are gloomy instrumental tales of ghosts, demons, dreams, visions and nightmares, both minimal and overwhelming at times. 'Die Jesuiterkirche in G' is my personal favorite but every fan of old Cold Meat Industry releases will undoubtedly appreciate these nocturnal soundscapes, no doubt about that. So check it out if you're one of those eternal dark souls...

Setaoc Mass - Solid Void

techno

SK Eleven

Every once in a while an electronic dance music release appears on our pages, and that solely means that I like it. I surely like this one, driving on heavy, hypnotic and repetitive beats and percussion while array of industrial inspired sounds continuously slap you in the face. Of course this is stuff for the nighttime dance floors, where artists like Marco Bailey love to roam but I'm sure that tracks like 'Light Falls' and 'Eurhythmic' will often blast through my speakers from now on. If you are not weary of some old school techno beats, you might as well check this one out, play it loud and get that party started. Why wouldn't you?

Meka Nism - The War Inside

symphonic metal / death metal

website

What would happen when you lock Arch Enemy and Lacuna Coil in the same room and force them to record an album? Well, you'd probably get something like Florida residents Meka Nism. Supported by skilled musicians, Ms. Meka delivers an impressive array of clean vocals, grunts and screams, sometimes melodic sometimes simply smashing your face against the wall. Behind her, the musicians deliver a solid truckload of modern day death metal riffs and licks, topping everything off with methodical drums. Stuff like this can easily set the big stages at metal festivals on fire, and maybe also blow the roof off your living room.

Severin - Safe Following Distance

electronic / experimental / breakcore

Petrol 80

This odd and unusual electronic dance music album will be revealed on April 20 but I can already tell you that it will be worthwhile. Somehow, Severin manages to throw heaps of dance tunes into the blender and come out with something exciting and unique. In a way, this stuff can build a bridge between house, techno, breakbeats and breakcore. This results in four in-your-face experimental electronic tracks which you can either try to dance to or go insane by. I guess the choice is yours. I mean, even Autechre doesn't often go this wild and bizarre. So obviously, this little thing comes highly recommended.

Serge

0 Comments

bvdub - A Different Definition of Love

5/4/2018

ambient

Dronarivm

Brock Van Wey returns with a brand new bvdub album and it's precisely what I needed after the pummeling death metal in my previous review. I got acquainted with this project in January of last year, when I wrote about his 'Yours Are Stories Of Sadness' album. I remember being exceptionally charmed by the effort, the stories and the sound, which now results in high expectations. I mean, the previous album still very often appears in my day-to-day playlist and, obviously, I now expect the same level of ambient-quality from 'A Different Definition Of Love'. I guess that's what happens when you're good, people expect better. It's called the 'Metallica syndrome'.

Anyway, enough about metal, let's dig into this beauty. Because yes, I can definitely say that it's a beauty. For starters, it's an ambient album, consisting of six lengthy tracks. That always sparks my interest. Then, there is this little play of words, alliterations and an acronym. Combine the first letter of each title and you get the word 'Forget'. However, I will not forget this, on the very contrary. This one is going right into that earlier mentioned playlist too. Why? Because it's another breathtaking effort, minimal and narrative, exactly the way I like it.

The tracks here are all over ten minutes long. They're dreamy, emotional and introvert. In a way, I can compare this to a light version of post-rock. The music swells, evolves and emerges, just as good post rock tunes to but they come in a minimal approach, with soundscapes and vague melodies gently floating in an out. If you want references, I can best compare this to a cooperation between Aidan Baker and Biosphere, perhaps. But I think it's best to just simply point out that this is another remarkable ambient album, one every fan of the genre should check out.

Serge

0 Comments

Brieviews 39

28/3/2018

These Brieviews have been written by Serge. If you like what you read here, be sure to check out his book, 'Cecilia's World'. It's about music, life and love.

Owl - Orion Fenix

doom / post metal

Zeitgeister

Owl, the solo project of Valborg frontman Christian Kolf, delivers an overwhelming piece of music. Post metal, ambient and doom meet and alternate in one massive track, clocking off at 22 minutes. The track was written and recorded in eighteen hours over three days, which definitely explains the organic flow of the whole thing. In a way, this track feels like a concept album, revolving around dark and haunting emotions. Calm ambient and modern classical passages make way for intense pieces of doom inspired metal and vice versa. For fans of decent narrative music, this is certainly a must-have, and that includes sludge metal aficionados.

Stonemule - Dystopian State

metal / hardcore

Polder Records

Speaking of sludge metal fans, they might as well throw their ears at these noise makers from Koksijde (Belgium). What Stonemule delivers is a massive blast of hardcore infused stoner metal, laced with grunge and doom and flirting with the extreme. How they do that? Well, first of all by a solid background of drums and bass, then by face melting riffing and finally by having three vocalists showing of their respective talents in singing, growling and screaming. The result is quite impressive, a blast of sheer energy. Eventually, they top it off with excellent musical skills by flashing some delicious solos. Nice work.

Ritual King - Earthrise

psychedelic rock / doom

When Planets Collide

Speaking of delicious guitar work, here is the new EP by English stoner rockers Ritual King. On 'Earthrise' they come up with three energetic songs. 'Ideology', 'Tides' and my personal favorite 'But Anyway' are uptempo psychedelic blues rock tunes that seem to come right from the early seventies. The jam-calibre is very high on these, making them all perfect candidates for live performances on sun lit (and probably smoke filled) music festivals. I wouldn't be surprised to see these guys appear on Desertfest, Up In Smokes and everything else stoner rock related in the near future.

Wykan - Solace

psychedelic / doom

A strange and bewildering piece of psychedelic doom metal, inspired by both old school doom and black metal, this debut by Canadian act Wykan is certainly something special. On one hand you get the classic riff worship, supported by methodical drums and clean vocals. Yet, on the other hand, there is that cold, eerie and vile atmosphere of extreme metal, enhanced by screams, growls and occult imagery. Needless to say perhaps but this EP is so varied that it almost sounds like a split-release. This is intriguing, to say the least and I am already extremely curious for what this act comes up with in the future.

Soft Science - Undone / I Don't Know Why I Love You

shoegaze / dream pop

Test Pattern Records

Hah, I doubted this single for exactly four seconds. I didn't know what to think about the jangling guitars at first, but then, when the rolling bass and the propelling drums came in, I became interested. Then the vocals of Katie Haley and I was sold. Now, Soft Science has a place in my shoegaze folder where it appears alongside acts like Belly, The Cranes and Slowdive. 'Undone' is my favorite here but 'I Don't Know Why I Love You' is in no way inferior. Both are energetic dreampop tunes, there is very little else to say about that. So get them, on April 6, if you're a shoegazer. Of not, check it out as well.

Maff - Melañiña

shoegaze

Then, where you're in a good shoegazing mood, you certainly have to give Chilean collective Maff a listen. I remember being rather impressed with their 2015 album. Now they return with a five track EP, blending shoegaze, dreampop, post rock and noise rock into another heap of delicious atmospheric rock tunes. In fact, opener 'Act 2' might soon prove to be one of my favorites in that genre. I love those howling, lingering guitars and that almost industrial beat. And then there are still four more awesome tunes to go. So yeps, shoegazers of all ages, you definitely need this one.

Nostalgist - Disaffection

post punk / new wave

Some more eighties inspired music comes from Seattle residents Nostalgist. Their music reflects the dark corners of that era, the one where The Cure, Killing Joke and Joy Division ruled. However, Nostalgist has also been listening to bands like Deftones and Alcest and they're not afraid to throw some distorted guitars into the mix. The result is a brilliant EP, containing six gloomy tracks which perfectly combine these two styles, or eras. Actually, I'm quite impressed by this effort. I didn't know this kind of awesomeness was still being made today. I'm sure that the old school goths will easily appreciate songs like 'Pendulums' and 'Present Tense'. Highly recommended !!!

Amusement Parks On Fire - All The New Ends

alternative rock / shoegaze

Saint Marie Records

English art rockers Amusement Parks On Fire return with a three-track EP which is as simple as it is brilliant. Opener 'All The New Ends' blends post rock with britpop as only the British can. 'Temporal Rinse' is a drone ambient creeper Godspeed! You Black Emperor wished they had recorded. Finally, 'Infernal Flame' picks you up and drags you to the dreampopping dancefloor where you will gaze at your shoes for what feels like hours and hours. To be honest, apart from the name I didn't really know these guys. Now I'm a fan. They only needed three songs to convince me, isn't that neat?

Grift - Vilsna Andars Boning

neofolk

Nordvis

Hailing from the lonesome woods of Scandinavia, Grift delivers two enigmatic neofolk songs. This Swedish poet/songwriter has been around since 2011 with several albums and a split-record with legendary act Drudkh.

On this two track, he comes up with two acoustic songs. I think fans of acts like Sol Invictus, Wardruna and Darkwood can easily appreciate these stripped down folk sounds. 'Bortom Berget' is my favorite on this two track, a solid neofolk track about nature and culture.

Giovanni Verga - Sylphic

experimental / ambient / noise

Unexplained Sounds

A more haunting and otherworldly musical view on solitude and loneliness comes from composer/experimentalist Giovanni Verga. With field recordings, no-input mixers and other kinds of sound manipulation, Verga created an alienating ambient adventure, on that delves deep into the avant garde. The line between music and incomprehensible noise is very thin. There are howling wolves, industrial soundscapes, vocal samples and mysterious drones but there are also tiny hints of melody. And obviously, there is this allover gloomy atmosphere which makes you imagine alien worlds and underground tales. Awesome

TRI:.OBYTE - STAR ⠃⠊⠗⠞⠓ KIC 8462852

ambient / noise / experimental

Speaking about sounds from alien worlds, this album certainly is an interesting one. With a mix of dark ambient, cosmic noise and tales about UFO sightings, this album takes you to new dimensions. I can easily see this music as the soundtrack for new episodes of the X-Files, or any other sci-fi series for that matter. Opener 'Some Kind Of Reflective' is haunting ambient gold and the rest of this record graciously follows it example, except maybe 'Visitation'. This one doesn't just take you to outer space, it places you right on the operation table in one of those abduction stories. This is a great release, certainly recommended.

Bloodkry - Dark Paradise

dark ambient / drone

Even more darkness comes from Finland, where Bloodkry reveals a new EP. 'Dark Paradise' contains four tracks, beginning with the hypnotic title track. I love the percussive elements in this one, it feels likes descending into an underground industrial complex. 'My Shelter' is a bit more friendly, melodic but also glitchy and unusual, like a post rock track that's falling asleep. 'Nowhere' is my favorite track here, a genuine dark ambient piece that brings many of the great names to mind. Closer 'Don't Forget Me' eventually comes up with repetitive industrial beats, along with hypnotic drones. Awesomeness.

Kloob - Remarkable Events

ambient / electronic

Dani Kloob has been making music for twenty years, from underground dance tunes to atmospheric ambient. With this album, he seems to investigate where ambient turns into dark ambient, balancing on the edge between the two. The result is an immersive ambient album, minimal but rich in both sound and atmosphere. 'Remarkable Events' is a perfect album to play late at night, warmly tucked in bed, reminiscing about your life. It will guide you into pleasant and adventurous dreams. I can't pick out a favorite track, because that's a hard thing to do with this kind of minimal music but rest assured, this is definitely worth your time.

Widow's Peak - Graceless

death metal

Right, time to blast some relentless death metal through my speakers. Here is Canadian horde Widow's Peak and their suffocating debut EP 'Graceless'. That title fits the load quite well. This thing is raunchy, filthy and gore, a blend of death metal, hard & grindcore, complete with deep growls, harsh screams and pig squeals. Fans of Aborted or Cattle Decapitation will undoubtedly get a hard-on from this stuff. I don't but I'm old, don't mind me. I know for sure that contemporary death metal, deathcore and metalcore fans will absolutely adore this. So, if you are one them, you'll have to check this out. Period!

Cult of Extinction - Black Nuclear Magick Attack

black metal

Sentient Ruin

We end this edition of Brieviews with one of the most menacing, unpredictable and chaotic releases I have heard in a while. German extremists Cult Of Extinction release a thunderous tape, loaded with a filthy and vulgar mix of death, black, grindcore and whatnot. Quite often driving on inhumanly fierce tempos, this four track aims for nothing less than your rotten soul itself. The result is a massive cesspool of noise, hammering and screams that will drain the last bit of hope for humanity out of your miserable life. I think I made myself clear. This comes highly recommended only to the most seasoned extreme metal heads out there.

Serge

0 Comments

Stratosphere - Collaborations 1 Special

24/3/2018

drone / ambient / post rock

Projekt Records

We don't always do specials but sometimes there is just a lot to write about an album. I don't really want to use the word 'special' but in a way I have to. This new album by Belgian post-rock-ambient act Stratosphere is something out of the ordinary. Not only because Stratosphere has been growing and evolving as an artist in the past few years but also because this full-length features several renowned artists. Stratosphere's urge for perfection seems to have taken the best out of most of them and in their turn they have taken Stratosphere's characteristic sound to new levels.

Instead of barking out a review, I decided to do things a little different this time. In this article I will be reviewing each piece, followed by a teaser and Stratosphere's own words. Ronald was so friendly to share his experiences on each of these collaborations. Each Sunday, he reveals another teaser, and from now on so will we. So be sure to return to this page regularly and find out the wonderful world that is 'Collaborations 1'.

Intro

One of the artists I have seen perform the most, is Belgian drone-ambient/post rock act Stratosphere. A few years ago, I reviewed his previous album, 'Rise', as well as several of his concerts following that release. Eventually, on Dunk! Festival, we got acquainted. We became facebook friends and we ended up chatting either online or in real life. At one point in that history Ronald discovered my own project, Misantronics. Today, I am incredibly honored to be a part of Stratosphere's new album. However, in that case, I guess a little disclaimer is due here.

This review is not the result of me being on it, even though our song 'Thrive' has become one of the best tracks I have ever been involved in. This review is here because 'Collaborations I' is a breathtaking album and a career defining piece of work. With a little help from his friends Stratosphere has reinvented himself. And to toot my own horn: I saw that coming.

Breaking down Barriers, Revealing the Unknown (Ashtoreth)

The album opens with 'Breaking down Barriers - Revealing the Unknown', an applicable title for this cooperation with Ashtoreth. Ashtoreth appeared to be the one to almost literally break down barriers and revealing the unknown in Stratosphere. Since those two have been playing together, Ronald transformed from a methodical music engineer to an almost fearless improviser. That evolution spawned an amazing piece of gloomy drone ambient, complete with Ashtoreth's shamanic vocal efforts. It's a perfect opener for a massively enjoyable album.

Stratosphere: This track was the first improvisation Stratosphere attempted. Thanks to the support of Peter Verwimp this track succeeded so well that the foundation for "Collaborations I" was laid. It is a collage of two improvisation sessions, which led to this opener.

Erratic Flow (Aidan Baker)

It's clear that I will be unable to pick a favorite tune here. Obviously each track has its own identity, depending on the featured artist. On 'Erratic Flow', Aidan Baker assists and as expected the track is a long winded piece of highly immersive guitar scapes. I love how they managed to add a sense of rhythm and something that resembles seagulls. Perhaps that is just my imagination but for me this track paints a calm blue ocean. I don't care if that sounds cliché.

Stratosphere: This track proves how well a fusion of the slow underlying flow of Stratosphere and the melodic input of Aidan Baker can work. Relaxing and disturbing at the same time, it is possible.

La Vallée de la Somme (Georgeson)

Here the incredible amount of variation starts opening up. Georgeson (Celestial Wolves guitar player) delivered a beautiful piano track on which Stratosphere installed an amount of soothing soundscapes. This would make a perfect intro for a gothic metal album, but it is also excellent post rock and if you add a female vocalist you'd have a perfect pop ballad. Remarkable.

Stratosphere: I was extremely surprised that Joris De Bolle delivered a piano track. What a perfect opportunity to complete the well-known Stratosphere sound with piano. This is probably the most listener friendly track on "Collaborations I"

Lesum (N (63))

One of the longest tracks on 'Collaborations 1' is an enigmatic improvisation with German guitar drone artist N. Here, you can sense the careful exploration of the the whole live-improvising experience. 'Lesum' has become a otherworldly and rather harsh piece of drone ambient with a narrative and adventurous undertone.

Stratosphere: Lesum is an onetake live improvisation recording, together with N. Never before Stratosphere had dared to do something like this. Again a scoop!

Thrive (Misantronics)

Right, this is where my work as a music journalist and my musical adventures meet. I'm incredibly proud of this track. I gave Stratosphere a bunch of electronic sequences and drums to play with and he turned them into a powerful post rock track, perhaps the heaviest tune on this album. I love these distorted guitars and the dreamy soundscapes.

Stratosphere: I already knew that Serge Timmers is a magician with words, but this track proves that he can also do it with sounds. Synths and electronic drums provided me with another big challenge, one I gladly accepted.

Within the Unintended (Distant Fires Burning)

Perhaps this track is the soothing counterweight to the heavy approach in the previous one. Here, guided by the calm bass guitar of Distant Fires Burning, Stratosphere allows his ambient soundscapes to freely ripple through the air. I like the jazzy approach of this track, it once again adds to the variation on 'Collaborations 1'.

Stratosphere: With minimal electronic percussion and a modulated bass guitar, Gert De Meester created the foundation for this track. Since it was very serene, it decided for Stratosphere to follow this flow to complete the most relaxing track from "Collaborations I".

Core (Dirk Serries)

Obviously, Dirk Serries needs no introduction. He is also no stranger to working with Stratosphere. They have released a cooperative album before, loaded with blissful ambient soundscapes. In that aspect, 'Core' is mostly a beautiful continuation of that friendship, a splendid track to induce some dreams about wintry landscapes.

Stratosphere: It can only be called an honor to cooperate with Dirk Serries again. This time, Stratosphere laid the foundation for a track which only Dirk Serries could so masterfully turn into the solid 'Core'.

Desolation (tour & drums) (Karen Willems)

Stratosphere: 'Desolation' appeared on Stratosphere's previous album 'Rise'. This track is one of my favorite live songs, it has been on my playlist for quite some time. Recently, this live experience became a new composition, supplemented with a live drum loop. None other than Karen Willems could, with her own style and her live drums, evolve this track.

Come back soon to hear the teaser

Until We Meet Again (Jesse Massant)

Something we didn't have on a Stratosphere record now suddenly appears: vocals. This highly enjoyable outro, which is a bit too short if you ask me, contains a nice spoken word track, plus some playful guitar plucks and soundscapes. This track shows that Stratosphere is not done experimenting, growing and evolving. I surely hope we meet again soon.

Stratosphere: The genius of Black Narcissus contacted Stratosphere a while ago, and it was soon clear that both were on the same wavelength. His basic track was short but so brilliant that Stratosphere only had to attach his well known sound.

Come back soon to hear the teaser

Conclusion: 'Collaborations 1' is a fantastic album, a well succeeded experiment that shows how magical musical cooperation can actually be. I'm sure that Stratosphere has learned a lot from recording this album and I'm sure he will showcase his new skills on stage very soon. I guess it's no surprise that this thing comes highly recommended, otherwise I wouldn't take the effort of writing such a lengthy special about it, right?

Serge

0 Comments

Dirk Serries - Epitaph

20/3/2018

ambient

Consouling Sounds

I wasn't going to write another review today. I had just decided to get dressed, get my sunglasses and go outside to photograph the early beginnings of spring. However, then this album suddenly came in. I wasn't expecting it. I knew that there was a Dirk Serries' 'Epitaph' event coming up (click here) but I had no idea that it was also going to be a 2LP/2CD release. I immediately downloaded the album while heating up another pancake. Then I knew, there was no way that I was going outside today. Today is Dirk Serries day, only occasionally interrupted by a quick smoke on my balcony and perhaps a few more of my delicious pancakes.

I think it was 1997 when I first discovered Dirk's music. A friend of mine had compiled a cassette for me, one with his favorite "calm" music. Back then, I didn't know that there was such a thing as ambient music. I was a metalhead and to me the genre we now know as ambient were merely album intros. I had one of those cassettes too, with intros and ambient passages from bands like Amorphis and My Dying Bride. However, the tape my friend gave me opened a whole new world. Dirk unknowingly opened that compilation with a Vidna Obmana track. He was followed by one from Brian Eno. I have been an ambient fan ever since.

Years passed and some Vidna Obmana albums became constants. I was a confused adolescent, not knowing which direction my life was heading into, but Vidna Obmana always managed to calm my nerves and ease my pain. I spend whole evenings listening to 'Tremor' or 'Memories Compiled'. I was devastated when I lost disc one of the latter. In fact, ever since the day I lost that disc, I have been taking exceptionally good care of my physical music collection. No more discs laying around, no more broken jewel cases, no more scratches, all thanks to Dirk Serries and his mesmerizing music.

Still fully moving in the world of metal and everything gothic-related, I moved to Antwerp in the first decade of this century. There, I discovered something new, live looping. It was a festival in the Arenberg theatre with acts like Premonition Factory, Darkroom, Aidan Baker and... Dirk Serries' Microphonics. Again, I had no idea, none whatsoever, that this was the same man that got me through emotional rough times several years before. I was enjoying his guitar drones in that small theatre in the back of the venue, and quite some times after too, since I immediately bought the album.

That was also the first time I met Dirk in person. I told him that I liked the music and I bought the album, something I probably do too much. The second time I met Dirk was at Incubate when I asked him if he knew where Sjaak (Premonition Factory) was. Sjaak was about to drive us home, which is why I was looking for him. The third time was at Dunk! festival. I was talking to Erik from Snoozecontrol. He introduced me to Dirk and to Ronald (Stratosphere). Dirk said: "oh, are you that guy from Merchants Of Air?" After my affirmative answer, he and Ronald quickly rushed off to get me an album to review.

In the years between, I often saw Dirk perform live. Mostly solo, but also with Fear Falls Burning, which is to this day one of the most impressive live performances I have ever seen. I have seen thousands of live performances but this was something I will never ever forget. That power, that atmosphere, unrivaled. At a more recent edition of Dunk! festival Dirk turned me into a jazz fan with another brilliant performance, this time with The Void Of Expansion. Soon after, he impressed me again, during a Yodok III gig at Trix. That gig pretty much kickstarted my book 'Cecilia's World', especially her adventures in the worlds of drone, ambient and jazz.

By now, I'm starting to realize that this article is a bit different from my usual reviews. I'm just doing what I always do, listen to an album and let the words write down themselves. That is how I work. That is how I write my books, my columns, even my old love letters have been written that way. I don't know if Dirk, or any musician for that matter, realized what an impact his work can have on a person. I guess that is the power of music. I guess that's what happens when you're continuously recording and releasing work for thirty years. You reach people, you touch people, you change people.

For me 'Epitaph' is a look back at those years as an adolescent trying to find his own identity and maybe for Dirk this album is something similar. He has been evolving from an ambient amateur to one of the most influential people in the entire genre and far beyond. 'Epitaph' sounds like the end but it also feels like a new beginning. Gates close and gates open. Today, we see Dirk hanging around with jazz musicians, pushing even that age old genre into new directions. That resulted in several 'New WAve Of Jazz' releases on Tonefloat. He might be the third most important Belgian in that scene, after Alphonse Sax and Toots Thielemans.

'Epitaph' is also a breathtaking ambient album, featuring ten enigmatic tracks. I can hear those thirty years in pretty much all of these tunes. I can see my young self dreaming about the future in 'Brittle Air Elegy'. I can feel the harshness of life in 'Alternation and Return'. I can sense the depressive end of those childhood dreams in 'And All The Murmur Fell'. I will definitely cherish this album. It is a perfect overview of what Dirk has been standing for all these years. At least, it represents his solo work, his minimal but immersive approach to soundscapes, drones and ambient.

What the future holds in store for Dirk Serries? I have absolutely no idea but I'm damn sure it will be interesting. First off, there will be this 'Epitaph' event, organized by Consouling Sounds, who will celebrate their tenth birthday already. On that event, Dirk will be performing with Yodok III, Fear Falls Burning, Scatterwound and Stratosphere. After that, Dirk will undoubtedly continue to push his mark on any musical direction he desires. In the meantime, I will make 'Epitaph' another constant in my day-to-day playlist and I suggest you do the same. This is a remarkable album from a massively talented artist.

Serge

0 Comments

Maurizio Abate - Standing Waters

20/3/2018

ambient / folk

Boring Machines

From crushing death metal riffs to calm acoustic guitar fingerpicking, we at Merchants Of Air like ourselves a bit of variation. I don't think that's really a surprise for most of our readers. Throughout the years we have been getting comments about the versatility in genres on this website. It seems like everything is possible here.

But enough about us, let's dive into these 'Standing Waters' by Italian guitarist Maurizio Abate, a soothing blend of folk and ambient with a minimal touch of drone and with a warm, comforting atmosphere. That is pretty much all I need right now.

The digital version on bandcamp opens with a track titled 'Teaser Track' while 'Odonata' opens the physical edition. Shortly after pressing play, on either one of these tracks by the way, I'm imagining a walk over an Italian beach on a warm summer evening while nearby a street musician is playing beautiful, romantic but melancholic tunes on his acoustic guitar. It alternates between blissful folk and mesmerizing ambient soundscapes.

'Shaping The Mud' is my absolute favorite here, an acoustic track that dares to look forward and issues influences from post-rock. It's followed by the lingering 'Nymphs Dance', which feels like a long solo jam session. That musician from the previous paragraph is now carefully experimenting, testing melodies and plucking techniques. I like that. Halfway through the track I'm already doubting if this should be my favorite instead of the previous track.

But I guess that doesn't matter. All that matters is that this album is filled with acoustic guitar goodness. 'Pond Mood' is another one of those inspiring pieces of music, one with an immersive sound and a nostalgic atmosphere. 'Standing/Crumbling' is yours to discover, dear reader, and I urge you to try it out. This is a beautiful album, one that digs right into the essence of music and right into your soul.

Serge

0 Comments

Goldmund - Occasus

17/3/2018

classical / ambient

I had a dream last night. I was playing the piano in an old jazz club, one that looked like the ones from twenties movies. There was a girl too, wearing a red dress. She was standing behind the microphone with her eyes closed. It all felt so natural. Playing this piano seemed so easy, that is why I knew it was only a dream. Yet, I tried to remember the melody, the order of the keys. I can actually play the piano a little bit so who knows, maybe one day I'll recreate the song from my dream and play it in an old jazz club. It would be nice but there are people who can do far greater things with this almost divine instrument, people like Keith Kenniff for example.

One half of Mint Julep and sole member of Helios, Keith Kenniff is no stranger to the world of ambient, post rock and modern classical music. Since 2001, Kenniff releases new work and tours the globe on a regular basis, with good reason too. He is one of those artists that can set the mood with only a touch on the keys. That is what he does on 'Occasus', the new Goldmund album, set to be released in April. With a minimal sound, balancing between classical music and electronic ambient, Kenniff gently turns your room into that old jazz club and I couldn't be happier about it.

'Occasus' contains fifteen tracks, all following the path of piano melodies and minimal ambient soundscapes. In that aspect, it is probably safe to say that Goldmund sails the same vast but calm waters as Olafur Arnalds, A Winged Victory For The Sullen and Max Richter. My favorite tracks here are 'Breaking', 'Circle' and the breathtaking ambient piece 'Terrarium' but I'm sure every fan of dreamy ambient can easily appreciate this. So, without further ado, I think it's time for you to go over to Goldmund's bandcamp page and pre-order this album. Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

Serge

0 Comments

Brieviews 38

14/3/2018

Mixtaped Monk - Northern Eye

post rock

Indian multi-instrumentalist Mixtaped Monk returns with a beautiful, melancholic and immersive EP, dedicated to a dear friend of his who is battling cancer. On this EP you will find four tracks, each one balancing on the edges between downtempo electronics, experimental ambient and post rock. As usual, with this talented young man, that results in nice, friendly but somewhat stubborn music that has the power to both get stuck in your head and serve as background music for a nice get together with friends. Obviously, I can only applaud these efforts, especially when they sound this professional and unique. Definitely recommended.

Onhou - Onhou

doom / sludge / psychedelic

We stay in the downtempo regions but move towards the extremes with Dutch horde Onhou and their self titled two-track EP. On this one, you will find two ten minutes lasting tracks, both being outstanding pieces of psychedelic drone doom. The whole thing sounds a bit like Conan or Yob on LSD, and I quite like that. The music is harsh, dark, aggressive and as immersive as quicksand. It's also slow, very, very slow, yet hints of melody and tonnes of atmosphere keep the the tracks interesting, not only for a good listen by for several listens in a row. This is a dark entity with a bright future.

My Secret Safe - Storytelling

metalcore

Hailing from France, My Secret Safe delivers solid metalcore, compleet with the djenting riffes and the brutal vocals. On the other hand, you might also see this as nu-metal on steroids. Either how, this EP features an awesome intro and five harsh and brutal metalcore tracks. Now, I'm not really a metalcore fan but I can definitely appreciate the melodic passages in songs like 'Disruptive' and 'The Cure'. For fans of the genre, this is a high quality must have, one that also proves that the use of electronics in metal is no longer frowned upon. So, extreme youngsters, this is a must-have.

Alaska Gold Rush - And The Sky Dives Again

folk / alternative rock

Formed around a guitar, a voice and a set of drums, Belgian duo Alaska Gold Rush are about to release an intriguing EP. They seem to be influenced by American folk music but also deliver a great dose of alternative rock. That results in acoustic rock songs that bring acts like Lemonheads, Buffalo Tom and The Posies to mind. The EP contains six tracks, each one a gem in its own term. Although the songs can be surprisingly heavy, they are also warm and emotional. So yeah, this might something interesting to discover.

Things That Aren't There - Slow Down

post rock / shoegaze

Spotify

Surfing on the waves of post rock, shoegaze and downtempo electronics, we find English duo Things That Aren't There. They could have chosen a better name because I couldn't find a bandcamp, soundcloud or facebook link to add to this brieview. However, I did find three amazing pieces of music in which slow, atmospheric music comes to life in a breathtaking way. Opener 'Slow Down' mostly takes on the electronic approach but 'Neon Cross' is a brilliant piece of post rock, one Mogwai wished they had written. This stuff really is great, perfect enough to send you over to Spotify and check it out...

Circus worlD - The Deceiver

alternative rock

For five good old fashioned alternative rock songs, we turn our attention to Circus WorlD and their brand new EP. Opening with the infectious song 'High', this EP brings us right back to the nineties and its raw but melodic garage rock sounds. What I like most about these songs is the dark rock edge that they seem to showcase. In one aspect, because of the guitars and drums, this brings me back to the alternative rock scene of the nineties but the vocals bring those awesome dark rock and new wave bands to mind. The opener is my favorite track, closely followed by the awesome 'Kill Their Sons'. Nice stuff, surely recommended.

The Divided Line - Paramnesia

progressive rock

This EP by Canadian progressive rock album The Divided Line suddenly went from "not bad" to "wow", halfway through opener 'Breathe'. I was a bit sceptical at first but then the mix of Tool, Deftones, Incubus and Russian Circles fully opened. Now I can't seem to get enough of this sound which somehow brings the progressive underground to the level of arena rock. In six songs, these Canadians clearly show their skills and talents as a modern day melodic rock band. They also never seem to lose their cool, never take things to the extreme and never tone down on quality. So if you're into progrock, you need this.

Adonai Atrophia - Metahistory

dark ambient

An immersive piece of dark, mystic ambient, courtesy of Bulgarian one man act Adonai Atrophia. While opener 'The Infinite She' gently lures you in, 'Al Awwal' brings out the haunting darkness and uneasy atmosphere that make dark ambient such a mesmerizing genre. From there the album easily maintains its grasp on the listener while guiding them along eerie soundscapes and fearsome percussion. The album contains eight tracks, with the harsh and intense 'Malah Ga-Mavet' being my favorite. Dark ambient aficionados can easily trust this release to deliver the angsty goods, I'm absolutely sure about that.

Barrel Blood - Midwinter live improvisation

experimental / avant garde / classical

Armed with violin, cello, their voices and an array of electronics, American quartet Barrel Blood brings strange but soothing experimental music. This EP contains three tracks, all improvised and recorded live. In all, you'll have over half an hour of musical experimentation that sounds both unusual and intriguing. There are hints of classical music, ambient, folk and avant garde but the whole still maintains a coherent and certainly narrative atmosphere. Fans of Godspeed You Black Emperor, Dark Ensemble or Kuro will definitely appreciate this music and I think even jazz fans will like it. Neat stuff!

Black Strike - 132

stoner rock / alternative / metal

Belgian alternative metalheads Black Strike have been listening to a wide array of heavy duty bands. Throughout this short but explosive three-track EP, all kinds of acts come to mind, including Alice In Chains, Channel Zero, Soundgarden, Kylesa , Monster Magnet and even Rage Against The Machine. Opener 'Rat' clearly draws the stoner rock card while 'Tiger' delivers some awesome rap metal. Closer 'Hunt' goes full grunge rock on our asses. So yeah, this is a surprisingly varied EP from a band I'd certainly like to hear more from in the near future.

Funeris - Baleful Astral Elements

funeral doom

Argentinian one man project Funeris delivers solid and sluggish funeral doom, seemingly inspired by the neverending vastness of the cosmos. On this album, he brings five lengthy tracks, plus one intro, with a deep, dark and massive sound, complete with deep growls. Fans of acts like Evoken, Until Death Overtakes Me and Shape Of Despair can easily trust Funeris to come up with the torpid and tormenting music they love so much. Personally, I love how the drums take this music to almost industrial levels, especially in my favorite track 'Through The Vast Cosmic Plains'. Funeral doom must-have!!!

Without Dreams - Funeral In The Infinity Of Cosmos

funeral doom / ambient

Don't go away yet because I found another funeral doom gem on that exact same bandcamp page. Without Dreams is a project that goes heavy on the ambient sounds but also comes up with the beloved distorted and droning guitars and the deep, guttural grunts. Here the tracks are even longer, all over twenty minutes, but they never seem to go stale. On the contrary, Without Dreams adds heaps of melody, piano and keyboard to the typical doom sound and I can only applaud that. So you'll have all of that and the usual depressive atmosphere. This really is funeral doom delight.

0 Comments

Hypnodrone Ensemble - Hunting Season Is Open!

8/3/2018

krautrock / drone / shoegaze