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Ludoviq - The Homecoming

12/12/2018

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pop / soul / funk
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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

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Brieviews 54

25/11/2018

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Syrinx - There Is Distance Between Us

drone / ambient
Sombre Soniks
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It feels so good to see English trio Syrinx return. Sombre Soniks releases their first album since 2011 and it's a gem. 'There Is A Distance Between Us' is one long sonic meditation, fifty nine minutes long. It opens with slowly meandering drones and soundscapes, quiet, at times impending. Calmly, a whole story develops, carried by mysterious sounds and eerie atmospheres. I guess it's safe to compare this album to artists like Troum, Vidna Obmana or Rapoon: gloomy ambient soundscapes best to be enjoyed with eyes closed and mind open. This certainly is a nice comeback.

Mule Skinner – Airstrike 

death metal / grindcore
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Formed in 1990, Mule Skinner is a death/grindcore band from New Orleans USA.  Airstrike is their comeback album, twenty three years after their debut Abuse. Their heavy neck breaking underground grindcore works addictive. Time has passed but the sound of Mule Skinner is still crushing skulls and bones. Deep venomous vocals and high speed riffs blowing even your wall paper away. The bass tunes have a very important contribution in this recording. Airstrike is an album with evincive grindcore. Thirteen songs of blasting power. Highly recommended to fans of Terrorizer and the early Brutal Truth.

Stone Wired – Habitual Discomfort

death industrial / dark ambient
Exabyss Records
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Stone Wired is a project of Mortum (Gyorgy Turoczy), released on his own Underground Death Ambient Label From Hungary, but active in the USA. The sinister deep industrial sounds work like a suffocation machine. Stone Wired explores the boundaries of dark ritual music. Harsh electronics are used to make the listener aware of the habitual discomforts of life. The artist has already released dozens of tapes and cdr’s. He creates sounds and noise with other aliases like Human Vault and Odour Sonour too. If you like dark and obscure underground electronics, Stone Wired will be your perfect guide.

I Am Waiting For You Last Summer - Together

post rock / ambient / electronic
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Russian act I Am Waiting For You Last Summer is one of those bands who explore genre boundaries without limitations. Loved and respected by electronic, ambient, downtempo, post-rock and alternative pop communities, these Russians have played over 200 shows allover Europe, including Dunk! Now they come with a sweet and enjoyable three-track EP, 'Together'. The three songs are short but they will warm up your day and bring a smile to your face with their. It's Explosions meets Plaid or Mogwai meets Boards Of Canada but most of all it's gentle, soothing music that deserves a place in your collection.

Brad Couture - Strung - Vol. I

ambient / classical
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Brad Couture delivers another beautiful breather in a rough and busy world. For that, he only needs a piano and a tiny bit of electronics. The two songs on 'Strung Vol.1' are short minimalistic piano pieces, 'Pleiades' and 'Radial', coming with a strong feeling of melancholy. It's easy to imagine vast wintry landscapes or scenes with broken-heart people while listening to this music. If you are a fan of cinematic ambient and slow piano melodies, you don't want to miss out on this one. Put these two tunes in your winter-playlist and the darkest of seasons will shine a little brighter this year.

Comatose Vigil A.K. - Evangelium Nihil

funeral doom
Non Serviam Records
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Seven years after 'Fuimus, non Sumus...', funeral doom trio Comatose Vigil A.K. return with a new album. 'Evangelium Nihil' contains four tracks, four monolithic pieces of funeral doom metal, containing all the ingredients that make this genre so attractive. Slow, torpid music, driving on droning guitars, sluggish drums and deep growls. Fans of the band and fans of Esoteric, Evoken, Shape Of Despair and so on can easily trust Comatose Vigil A.K. to deliver the sonic burial they crave so much. This album is a walk in the darkest and deadliest labyrinths of the human soul, one which every funeral doomster will adore.

Dxvxdxd Sxlf - Of Wolves & Men

gothic rock / alternative / metal
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Dxvxdxd Sxlf (read, Divided Self) is a French band with a lot of symbolism and a lot of influences, from literature about madness and insanity to dark rock bands like Moonspell, IAMX and Deftones. Their first effort is a four track (+ four unplugged versions) EP which is quite hard to comprehend. Opener Under The Gaze Of Christ' seems influenced by gothic metal and melodic black metal but suffers from rather unfitting vocals. These vocals perform better, more powerful on the groovy doom/post track 'Dreamer On Ecstasy' and the gothrocker 'The Path'. In all, this is an interesting EP, not a smasher but a nice introduction to a band that is still finding a solid sound.

Shelther - When Comes The Flee

drone / ambient / folk
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Here we go again, a drone/ambient release by a member of one of Belgium's many (sludge) metal bands, something that almost always sounds interesting. Shelter is the solo project from Lethvm's drummer Antoine Matthys. With 'When Comes the Flee' he delivers a one-track EP, lasting over thirty minutes and bathing in atmosphere. Armed with a guitars and a bunch of effects, Shelher steps into the same forest where Ashtoreth, Stratosphere, Syndrome and CHVE wander. Opening with folkish guitar plucks, this track grows, evolves and narrates, beautifully honoring this tradition of Belgian drone ambient. Brilliant piece, highly recommended!

Temple Music - Εποχές Vol. II

dark ambient 
Sombre Soniks
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Alan Trench returns with two new pieces of sonic meditation, good for a total of over forty minutes of droning soundscapes and cosmic ambient. 'Summer Dominoes' is a lengthy sound exploration, evolving in an almost unstable manner. Minimalism certainly is the keyword here, even the term 'I-Dose' comes to mind. This is music to meditate to, thus perhaps my favorite of the two. Track two, 'Laughing In The Tower' is more complex, darker and also noisier. Here, haunting voices appear, along with vague melodies and eerie soundscapes. Yet, if you want your music to narrate strange adventures, you need this one.

Hey Life - Masquerade

alternative rock / funk rock
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What would happen if Jamiroquai and Queens Of The Stone Age crawl into a studio? Well, French rockers Hey Life might come close to that. One part of the band is hooked on alternative rock while the others have the funk floating through their veins. The result is this uplifting five-track EP, loaded with energetic rock songs for the whole family to enjoy. It's not every day that Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pulp, Rage Against The Machine ànd Michael Jackson come to mind when I listen to an album. For some reason, these songs are infectious and sheer fun. Dancing is recommended, smiling is obligatory. 

Rosalyn - Single Mother

indie / dreampop
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Rosalyn was born right after the release of  'Heiligenstadt', The View Electrical’s sophomore album. Vocalist Frédéric Aellen wanted to create something more intimate and acoustic so he locked himself up with a guitar and a laptop. The result is a four-track EP, moving into the regions of dreampop, slow/sadcore and indie pop. In a way, the songs here are bittersweet pop songs, powerful enough to entertain people in front of a stage but intimate enough to guide emotions in a lonely bedroom. My favorite here is the piano version of 'Rusty' but I'm sure many people will adore these melodies.

I Hate Models - Spreading Plague 

industrial / electronic
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Let's finish this set of Brieviews with something completely different. It might look like a death metal album but don't get I Hate Models wrong: this is nutkicking industrial hardcore techno, or something like that. I guess you can compare this to Horrorist meeting Combichrist making it perfect for acid rave-caves and gothic industrial parties alike. Hell, even rhythmic noise freaks can get their much needed shots of electronic aggression. The single comes with a remix and an extra track, 'Martial Order'. So put on your dancing boots and stomp the night away.



​Serge (2 & 3 by Patsker)
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