psychedelic / progressive

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Sunday afternoon, half of the country is closed, the other half remains inside, hiding from the Corona-virus which is threatening society as we know it. Outside it's cold and windy, although the sun tries to pierce through the clouds. Here in my living room it's warm and comfortable, a good time to get working on another bunch of reviews. And what better way to kick things off than with this complex yet captivating piece of work by Seikai, the progressive ambient act by Anthony Pandolfino and Samuel Groat. Although, "progressive ambient" might not be the correct words to describe this music as there is a lot more to be found here. Let's see if I can guide you through.

Seikai are known for their spacey electronics and space rock jams but for 'IV' they focus on a wide array of instrumentation, letting their respective sounds roam freely. That way, the album somewhat feels like a set of jazz improvisations which slowly turn into psychedelic jam sessions, a bit like if Tangerine Dream had a jam session with Ozric Tentacles during a starlit night on a beach in Goa, something like that. There are elements of krautrock, the pulsating bass of psychill, the playfulness of jam band guitars and the atmosphere of old science fiction movies. All of that is created by synths, (slide-)guitars and even a melodica. It's been a while since I've heard that thing in a recording.

I think my favorite track here is 'Galaxahatchie', which seems to drive on a throbbing eighties bassline. There is something gloomy about the whole thing, which immediately reminds me of old soundtracks. Besides, all four tracks here are quite long improvisations and all of them are well worthy of a decent listening session, especially of a daft Sunday like this one. Check it out, you'd be pleasantly surprised. Even post rock fanatics will appreciate a track like 'Starlit Trail'. In fact, this whole album, and thus the band, could prove to be an interesting addition to many post rock festivals, just saying. Anyway, 'IV' is a beautiful album, narrative and adventurous but also comfortable to listen to, and that is all that matters now...


Serge

avant-garde / drone / experimental

Not that long ago, I was at Dunk Festival, reminiscing about the origin of their much loved forest stage. Along with a few festival buddies, I remembered the very first gig in that forest, even before it became a real stage. It was Canadian drone/ambient powerhouse Thisquietarmy and his massive soundscapes. It was pretty amazing, too. 
Years have gone by and Eric Quach has not been at Dunk ever since. So I guess it's time to give him another shot next year. After all, he's got plenty of stuff in his repertoire. He can come alone, or with a full band or in the company of Aidan Girt (Godspeed You! Black Emperor). The latter would be simply baffling.

Some Became Hollow Tubes is the name of their mutual project. Eric on guitars and synths. Aidan blasting away on the drums. With 'Keep It In The Ground', they delivered a stunning piece of work, one that you will have to listen to several times and at several different volumes. The album contains six tracks, opening a bit hesitant with 'Red Eyes or Bleeding from the Nose or Mouth'. This track gradually evolves and somewhere in the middle of the thirteen minutes lasting sonic assault, the music has slowly put its droning tentacles in your brain. By the end, this is no longer Eric and Aidan, but a well-attuned act and a force to be reckoned with. 

There is one act that often comes to mind when I listen to most of these tracks: Yodok III, or maybe better, The Void Of Expansion. Track two, 'Do Not Run Away or Hide Sick People' could be a track from one of Eric's other projects: Hypnodrone Ensemble. Further down the road, Aidan Baker and his Caudal trio come to mind and - obviously - here and there elements from Godspeed You! Black Emperor come shining through. But, I don't feel like Some Became Hollow Tubes is a band influenced by all these, I think it's pretty much the other way around. Let's just call it an amalgamation of two exceptional talents.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of this album is the sheer amount of variation. I mentioned a few different acts, and when I did that, 'Another Bad Subplot About a Boy's Search for his Father' was just starting. With this tune, I'm even being reminded of Ashtoreth for a little while, before the drums come out and turn the whole thing into a jazzy drone tune. My favorite track is 'Dog Faced Propulsion', perhaps the most dramatic and pulsating track on this brilliant album. I think the message is clear here. If you're into drones & drums, kraut & psychedelic, ambient & percussion, you need this album. You'll need to pre-order quickly, too. These will sell quickly...


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krautrock / psychedelic rock / post rock

The Insektlife Cycle is no stranger to Merchants Of Air. This instrumental rock band from Manila has been featured a few times in the past several years. In 2015 I was quite amazed by their post rock influenced music, especially since the band members have a history in death metal and mathcore.

So that was rather surprising but perhaps even more remarkable: the band is already evolving away from the post rock scene. With 'Temple Of The Soul', this quartet jams itself into the world of krautrock and psychedelic anthemization (if that is a word).

The four lengthy tracks on this album have been recorded during a 150 minutes lasting jam session and recorded live on a four track cassette player. With that, it might be rather normal to be catapulted back into the sixties and seventies. Pretty much everything on this record breathes that vintage air, from the cover to the elaborate guitar solos and the overall sound quality. So no, this is no longer a post rock band, this is a psychedelic jam act that will rock your socks off if you're into this kind of stuff.

The music on the record has been cut from the original tape recording, which is quite noticeable in opener 'Unmentioned Motions'. This track does not feature an intro or anything, it just starts rocking rather suddenly. From the very beginning the drums and bass guitar provide a steady foundation over which the guitar players seem to enjoy absolute freedom. 'Sonic Sermons' is my personal favorite, mostly because of its doomy blues feel. Title track 'Temple of Our Soul' would make a neat sixties movie soundtrack.

The closer is up to you to discover. If you are a fan of long jam sessions, inspired by everything between Hendrix and Hawkwind and Pink Floyd, this album deserves a shot. Perhaps it needs some time to grow on you, but once inside, you'll never want to get out of there.


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psychedelic rock / space rock

With a bandname inspired by an enigmatic gemstone and a geographic history of shamanic activities, this band from Altai, Russia, Sonora Sunrise delivers a mystic and enjoyable album. Altai in Siberia is a sacred land of ancient mountains which are said to be still keeping the secrets of ancient shamanic rites.
Sonora Sunrise's music is inspired by these landscapes and atmospheres. 'The Route Through The Canyon' is a partially improvised album, recorded over the course of a few days with extra recordings and vocals done afterwards. This gives the whole thing an organic jam-feel and a nice sense of unpredictability.

Musically, the band borrows elements from ambient, stoner rock, krautrock and psychedelic rock. Opener 'Ancient Stones (Sundown)' is a short ambient improv with vocals that remind me of some Massive Attack songs. Later on, in songs like 'Welcome To The Sandland' and 'Unexpected Trip' the influences nudge more towards space and psychedelic rock icons like Hawkwind, Pink Floyd, Gong or Ash Ra Tempel. Armed with guitars, drums and rare, vintage synthesizers from the Soviet era, these musicians paint an amazing musical picture of their mysterious surroundings, and I absolutely love that.

In today's psychedelic rock scene, Sonora Sunrise definitely deserves a place in between albums by Caudal, Hypnodrone Ensemble, Vibravoid and Øresund Space Collective, all well oiled jam-machines, capable of taking their listeners on an elaborate trip through time and space. I'm not going into a song by song description but 'Poison' is a brilliant piece of work. If I have to pick a favorite, it will probably be this one. This certainly is a must-have for fans of seemingly neverending psychedelic rock, no doubt about that.

The sounds of those vintage synths give the band that extra edge that might be needed to stand out in a massive pool of psych rock bands. Everything else is as classic and convincing as the first space/krautrock albums that have been made. If you are fan of immersive guitar solos, gently pulsating rhythm sections and amazing musicianship, you do not want to miss out on this one. Hurry up and get your hands on a copy. There are only 300 copies made and I am bloody happy with mine.


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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....


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krautrock / psychedelic rock

In the category "albums to look forward to", this new Hypnodrone Ensemble full-length reached the very top. I have been a fan of this Aidan Baker/Eric Quach project since their first effort 'The Shape Of Space' so when 'Plays Orchestral Favorites' came in, I immediately monopolized the Merchants Of Air inbox. 

The album contains five tracks, with 'Orbital Pertubation' being my personal favorite. This massively immersive track is a thirteen minutes lasting trip through soul, time and space, pretty much the best piece of music ever produced by this nine-piece band.

But let's go over the personnel first because there are some massively interesting names here. Obviously, there are Aidan Baker (Nadja, Caudal) and Eric Quach (Thisquietarmy). Then there are the drummers: David Dunnett, Jérémie Mortier (Alice in the Cities, Nearest Gas Station) and Felipe Salazar (Caudal). They seem perfectly aligned with one another and with the two frontmen, so to speak. Finally there are the  the contributions of Simon Goff (Molecular, Bee And Flower) on violin, Duchamp on baritone guitar, Felix-Florian Tödtloff (ex-Sun Worship) on bass, and Diego Ferri (Alice In The Cities) on synths. 

Although split up in five tracks, the album can easily be enjoyed as a continuous whole. Opener 'Serial Staging' repeats the previous sound of Hynodrone Ensemble, which mostly resembles krautrock. After a while it gently makes place for the amazing 'Orbital Pertubation', a track which brings even Godspeed! You Black Emperor to mind. The violin plays a strong role in that reference, something I can easily appreciate. 'Restabilization' then seems to grab back to the old fashion sounds,driving on a groovy bassline and calmly lingering on.

'Monotransitive' feels heavier than the other tracks. It's not mixed in with the previous track, as most of the album is but it opens part two in a strong and somewhat impending manner. Here,the whole band seems to have borrowed elements from Aidan's Nadja project but also from Dirk Serries' FearFallsBurning. This is perhaps the least easy-digestible track on the album but a seasoned drone/ambient/kraut/psych fan will definitely embrace this dramatic tune. In the end, 'Pulsations in the Hypnosphere' finished the album in style, with some good old fashioned krautrock.

The verdict? I can't think of anything to criticize this album with. It's simply the next incarnation of a cooperative band, further exploring their sound and possibilities.  Perhaps I can say it's too short or that the album title is a bit weird but that won't harm my opinion in any way. 'Plays Orchestral Favorites' is an energetic and immersive masterpiece, if I may use that word. So all I can say is; pre-order the hell out of it before they're all sold out and join me in hoping for a tour soon. This I have to see live...


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post punk / new wave / goth rock

Heading from Bristol, Naut decided to ignore all current trends and to look back to the dark eighties. Now, this five-piece comes with a baffling debut EP, containing five pitch black goth rock tunes. Influences from bands like Sisters Of Mercy and Killing Joke run rampant and come with the overwhelming energy of post punk acts like The Jesus and Mary Chain. Song like opener 'Disintegration' and 'I'm Here' are destined to fill dark dancefloors everywhere. My personal favorite here is closer 'XVI'. It makes me curious and hungry for more, but for now I'm sure that this EP will be an excellent addition to every post punk / goth rock collection. 

doom / sludge

Sheffield doom mongers Kurokuma return with a two track EP, based on the Dope Rider strip from High Times in the 70s. The artwork comes from Paul Kirchner, the creator of the strip. The music is another slab of severe psychotic sludge doom, five and eight minutes long. Part 1 also showcases something industrial, reflected by repetitive, almost methodical drums. Part 2 simply continues to slow but brutal pummeling. Fans of bands like Conan, Dopethrone and Yob can easily trust Kurokuma to deliver the monolithic riffs and fierce vocals they crave so much. So if you want your sludge metal as destructive as a wrecking ball, this EP should do.

post-metal / doom / alternative rock

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Several months after the release of 'Serrated', Dutch heavy rockers An Evening With Knives unleash three songs that did not make the album because of the limited space on the vinyl. Yet, these songs were to important for the band to be ignored. Opener and title track 'Fade Out' deals with the death of Marco’s father due to Alzheimer disease. It's a long, heavy and cathartic lamentation, showcasing the darkest side of this band. The other two songs follow that example, be it a bit shorter. They all walk a similar path as the songs on 'Serrated', and thus would also fit perfectly into every sludge, doom and grunge collection. These guys are growing steadily, that's for sure.

electronic / ambient / experimental

An alienating two track EP that will leave you confused and entangled, that is what Soho Rezanejad delivers. Subtle electronics, minimalist drones, gloomy soundscapes and her vocals come together in two lengthy modern day folk songs. I can't help but think about a mix between Zola Jesus and Diamanda Galas, be it a bit less creepy than the latter. Yet, there is emotion, there is fear, mourning, wonder and hope in these two tracks. There is a mystifying atmosphere, one that borrows elements from dark ambient. Yet, above all perhaps, this is a unique piece of work, reminding me of an act like Dark Ensemble. Recommended only for eternally wandering souls.

post rock / post metal / stoner / sludge

In today's post rock scene, new bands pop up like mushrooms. Würzburg residents The Man Within are one of those newcomers. Mostly, that first effort comes with a low production and a careful introduction in what the band really is capable of. Yet, here that results in a full-blown post metal album with seven outstanding tracks. Most of them, including 'Mount Santo', my favorite 'Institution' (that rolling bass is hot!!!) and the massive 'Limitless' can easily entertain audiences far and wide. Although firmly rooted in the post-scene, elements from sludge metal, psychedelic rock and stoner rock are never far away. A great introduction, now let's hope they can confirm this in the near future.

dark ambient

The new brainchild of Nachtzeit, the man behind ambient dark metal project Lustre, comes up with an interesting dark ambient album. Although playful at time, this album takes us back to the mysterious  and dark age of the Norse gods. Early in 'Drömmarna' acts like Mortiis (on Cold Meat Industry) and Wongraven come to mind. Synths, soundscapes and dreamy melodies guide the listening on a musical tour of medieval Europe, so it seems, highlighting in 'Löftet' and 'Tårarn'. Strangely, the title track 'Hädanfärden' has an X-Files OST feeling about it, which isn't bad, on the contrary. Fans of old school medieval dark ambient can easily appreciate this album.

alternative rock / hard rock / grunge

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Belgian hard rock duo Breakfast At Midnight proves that two is enough to create heaps of noise. On this debut EP they blast seven tracks through our speakers, beginning with the heavy rocking 'Kidi Coke'. From then on, the rock doesn't seem to stop. Inspired by anything between Tool, Queens Of The Stone Age and Stone Temple Pilots, these two feed an everlasting fire. Most tracks drive on sheer energy but in 'What I'm To Say' and in '1813', the band delves deeply into the Pearl Jam version of grunge rock. Here, the vocals are excellent and clean while the other tunes contain heaps of aggressive screams. Not that I mind, this is pure rock 'n roll: raw, rough and heavy.

black metal / death metal

Grab onto something now because Ukrainian trio Goatsperm is about to unload a hellish, chaotic and vulgar EP, loaded with orthodox black/death metal. 'Voice In The Womb' contains three tracks, each one being a pummeling piece of extreme metal, as dark as Satan's butthole but with an ambient breather here and there. Somehow, this trio manages to combine atmospheric passages with sheer metallic terror, something that might indeed make a lot of banging heads turn their way in the near future.  Besides, 'Into The Deep Waters Of Catacombs' is one of the fiercest black metal tunes I've heard this year. If you're a self-respecting extremist, you need this.

krautrock / shoegaze / punk

What would have happened if Ramones used My Bloody Valentine's guitar effects? What would a punk rock cover album of Neu! songs sound like? Well, Finnish six piece Teksti-TV 666 might have a decent answer for you. 'Aidattu Tulevaisuus' delivers six high-octane krautrock tunes with the raw energy of punk and the immersive nature of shoegaze. I admit, it is something different from the usual slabs of rock 'n roll that appear here but 'Turbo-Mondeo' and 'Aidattu tulevaisuus' can easily get your behind shaking. My favorite here is the somewhat slower 'Rauhankone', which might be described as a down-to-earth space rock track. Recommended? Hell yeah!

ambient / electronic / experimental

Hailing from Porto, Vitor Joaquim is a sound sculptor and visual artist, active around the strange borders between soothing ambient and otherworldly noise. This new album, 'Impermanence' contains seven tracks, revolving around repetitive soundscapes, almost subconscious loops and immersive musical textures. Here and there vocals samples have been added to increase the narrative nature of the music. That, along with the minimal soundscapes, makes the title track my favorite here but I'm sure that every fan of decent ambient music can appreciate these sounds. Obviously, this comes highly recommended.

ambient / drone / experimental / noise

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An even more noisy and experimental variation on ambient sounds comes from Han, a project by Vitor Joaquim and Emidio Buchinho. This album revolves around live improvisation and real time processing, which results in something severely unusual and highly experimental. Yet, behind the gritty freestyle on the guitar, beautiful ambient loops lurk. These seven tracks are weird, immersive in one way, yet restrained and peculiar. Somehow this album feels like the early days of drone experimentation, when artists were exploring the other possibilities of their instruments. In all, this is an interesting release to dive into, but only for experienced avant gardists...

Serge

ambient / experimental / noise

Krysalisound

doom / sludge metal

experimental / avant garde

drone / electronic / ambient

hardcore / crust / black metal

psychedelic rock / stoner rock

indie / alternative rock / psychedelic rock

dream pop / trip hop

dark ambient / neoclassical / dark jazz

krautrock / psychedelic rock

death metal / deathcore

rock

groove metal

Serge

krautrock / psychedelic rock / garage rock

It's hot in Belgium. Everybody is covered in sweat and the sun burns people's skin. Under a clear sky, with only a few clouds to be found, the city is suffering from the smog coming out of the exhaust pipe of the countless of diesel cars on the highway. People carry on their daily tasks, weary and out of breath. I see them walking in the streets, dragging themselves along the pavement, barely able to see what happens on their smartphones. In here, the center of my living room, a mild breeze is blowing. There is ice-tea, or other refreshments. There is also the music by German psych rockers Vibravoid, transforming my speakers into time machines. Summer is coming.

The music transforms my living room into a sixties or early seventies festival meadow. Instead of bright daylight, it is now dark, late at night but still warm. On the stage and on a few screens surrounding the area there are plasma projections. There is feedback, fuzz and noise coming out of the speakers, followed by immersive rock music. People are dancing, drinking, smiling. I bet some of them are stoned out of their mind, but hey, it's the sixties. Everything is allowed in here. Look, there is even a couple getting in on...

Fantasy can be a fun thing but fact is, I can perfectly envision all these happenings while I listen to Vibravoid. On 'Vibrations From The Cosmic Void', the band once again wildly elaborates on old school psychedelic rock, kraut- and garage rock. Opening with the gritty rock tune 'Vibrations From The Cosmic Void Part II', this album takes you along everything that was fantastic about those decades. Personally, I prefer the long tracks, like the massively immersive 'Melodies Of The Stars'. These feel like enormous jam sessions, floating three feet above the ground.

Of course, Vibravoid has been featured here before, not that long ago. I remember me complaining about the band's mission to "revive a dead genre", something I simply don't believe in. However, I won't complain this time. Reviving or not, dead genre or not, this album is a brilliant piece of work, destined to overtake big stages a psychedelic festivals. There's plenty of those nowadays so I really hope I soon get the chance to see these plasma projections and hear this mind altering music.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to travel through time and space on the tones of 'The Intergalactical Playground'...


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krautrock / psychedelic 

psychedelic rock / krautrock / neo folk

doom / blues

techno

electronic / darkwave

shoegaze

death metal

ambient / downtempo / post rock

death metal / power metal

americana / alternative rock / indie

bandcamp

stoner metal