post rock

Glasgow is a place of shadows it seems when one listens to Mogwai. A lot of minor tuning and immense Wall of Sound-like buildings ready to collapse at any given moment. Listening to VASA one might get a very different impression, one of joyful, youthful euphoria driving up the walls for all the sheer emotions. Nevertheless, both bands perform post-rock songs, one cannot deny that. 

But where Mogwai tend to search for long, complex structures with repetitiveness as one major focus, VASA is taking the quick detour through the universe of crescendos and “construct and collapse”. They never take hostages on the way, but they also do not kill anyone standing in the way. There is something quite punk-ish about their musical approach which can be noticed in the oftentimes uptempo numbers that they hand out on their sophomore full-length “Heroics”, the first release in four years and fourth in total. 

The way they structure their songs is simple at first glance, short, feisty outbursts of melody, brimful of quick shots at Weezer-like bubblegum-punk (without lyrics, of course), but when listening to it in full-concentration mode with the headphones on, it becomes clear that there are many subtle layers within the arrangements which shows that the quartet will definitely have a lot to do replicating these songs on stage. That little something are the chaos-constructing side-shots, guitar licks, quick stop and go’s on the drums or some snappy little keyboard-like quirky thing, which jump from left to right catching the attention of the listener so that one often forgets to listen to everything. 

At the same time, there is a concept behind the record – it resembles a triptych about the stages of life, progressing from childhood to adolescence and adult life. Noticeable is that in those different cocktails of joy and melancholy, always the same two ingredients, but three very different drinks in themselves. 

What is mind-boggling about “Heroics” is that it shows a band seemingly at the peak of their creativity and at the same time promising even more on the outline of the horizon. No one knows where VASA will end but this record is already a release not to be forgotten. And who knows, Mogwai also only started with “Young Team”. Cheers to Glasgow’s new phenom!


Thorsten

psychedelic / progressive

bandcamp

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

post rock

Allow me to start yet another review by writing about the weather. Today is a day with strong winds, heavy rains and potential flying objects such as roof tiles, tree branches and dumb people's garbage bags. So, best thing to do today is stay inside and enjoy some gloomy music while watching the havoc outside.

In fact, Thorsten told me about this album. "Serge, this is something for you," he wrote, "you'll love it." He knows I have a thing for post rock and all things atmospheric, so I decided to check it out during the worst weather of the year, so far. And guess, what, Thorsten was right. I love this.

Besides is a post rock band from Poland, formed in 2011. Since then, they have been paving themselves an ever widening path in the post rock scene, including a gig at Dunk! Festival in 2018. And that is exactly where I would place this band again, but I think most readers will have already expected that. After all, whenever I hear decent to excellent post rock, I think of the worlds most friendliest festival and let my mind wonder off to those three days of sheer bliss, like a pretaste of heaven. Anyway, back to this album, which coincidentally also feels like sheer bliss, if you're a fan of post rock.

What Besides delivers on 'Bystanders' is nothing short of pure bred post rock, one promising intro and eight potential post rock classics. That intro is amazing and quite anthemic for a two minutes lasting track. Yet, what follows then is a blast. 'Ich Bin Wieder Da!'. The title heralds big things to come and it is not lying. This track is one to drown in, one of those seemingly endless anthems that make this genre so interesting. Meniscus comes to mind, and so do several other vintage post rock bands, but most of all, this is Besides at their best.

After absorbing some heavy tracks like 'For Hanna' and 'Miners', I suddenly realize that this is the arena-rock version of post rock. I mean, put this in front of thousands of people at Camp Nou (Barcelona's football stadion where among others U2 and Bruce Springsteen have already performed) and they will all be in awe, continuously. Unfortunately, that is never going to happen because this genre simple isn't big enough for Camp Nou. Oh well, perhaps most of this music is best to be enjoyed in the intimate setting of a local festival anyway.

'Kids' might be the one to lure in the doubters. This track contains playfulness, atmosphere and energy. It's also quite varied for a five minutes lasting track. Yet, I think my personal favorite is 'Last Lullaby'. It opens kinda gloomy and eerie, like the soundtrack for a haunting horror movie. Then the song evolves into a strings-driven anthem with vague influences from dark jazz before eventually coming out with the distorted guitars and the epic atmosphere. Damn, this is good, but I guess you've already guessed that by now.

What else is there to say about this (near-) masterpiece. Besides managed to deliver a fan favorite, a potential end-year list candidate and an instant classic in the post rock scene. If anyone ever asks you what post rock is, you might as well give them this album instead of all the classics from Explosions, Mono, Caspian and so on. This is vintage stuff. 'Bystanders' definitely deserves a spot in your already vast collection, no doubt about that.


​Serge

post rock

When studying literature (or any source of art, that is) at university one always faces several ways of interpreting a piece of art: Biographical (putting it into the context of the artist’s whole oeuvre and life), Genre-related (comparing it to other works from the same genre), work-immanent (only looking it the piece of art itself), gender-related, historical, political and so on. 

If a release like the first full-length my Massachusetts-based sextet Caspian in more than five years is announced, huge waves are bound to be stirred up – and man, they were stirred up, as soon as they announced it and then quickly followed with the first single “Flowers of Light”. So, maybe it is a good idea to look at such a release by taking the first three approaches to measuring it

Doing so, we can say that Caspian are…
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… still a unique band within their genre because their “Explosions” are not like an “Emperor” enraged by “Circles” of “Mono”-schematics with a foreseeable final eruption of sheer force and will; they are still the most introvert of the big names in the post-rock realms, akin to maybe GY!BE if you want a comparison. (By the way, using the allusions above is not intended to take anything away from the magnificence of the bands alluded to). Listen to the small but highly effective use of the vibraphone in “Onsra” – that shows the quiet nature of the band quite well.

… maybe the post-rock band most willing to incorporate lyrics and real vocals into their sound, something they have done before and that is very nicely re-visited with Kyle Durfey’s guest vocals on “Nostalgist”: in no way an unwelcome thing as they show the band’s calm indie-rock appeal in a very natural way. On the other side, Caspian are also open to new things in their sound-universe, as the electronic parts in “Flowers of Light” show. 

… able to write songs that are like chapters to an uplifting book about a positive future. The songs of “On Circles” can give hope when needed. This, however, does not mean that the band is unable to flex their muscles and give us some riffs – hear the shredding and the hard bass of “Collapser” – but even if the song is heavy in nature there can still be some guitar lines in major-tuning so that it’s not like the world is collapsing over us, no we are walking through fire towards the extinguisher named future.  

… back finally and in great shape thanks be to God.


Thorsten

post rock

Wait, this album wasn't reviewed on Merchants Of Air yet? Then why does it sound so familiar? Those were my first thoughts when I started playing 'Intill' by Swedish post rockers Feed Me To The Waves. I could sweat I at least started writing about it, or not?

So I started checking the website. Nothing. I looked through my drafts. Nothing. Perhaps I was going mad. It felt like I had heard 'Patterns In Static' plenty of times before. Same for 'Within Reach'. But after much research and consideration, I realized that this really was the first time.


Then I started thinking: "is that a good thing or a bad thing". I mean, this album sounds like I've heard it before, so you might conclude that it has nothing new to add to the post rock scene. On the other hand, this is what makes a festival like Dunk so interesting: bands like Feed Me To The Waves, delivering excellent traditional post rock. That's where I discovered them and that's where this album takes me back. Eventually, I decided that 'Intill' was simply and excellent post rock album, written and performed by a seasoned band.

The aforementioned tracks are great examples of that conclusion. I like the jazziness of 'Patterns In Static', a bit like when Bohren Und Der Club Of Gore would try their hand on vintage post rock, so to speak. But there is much more than that to be found on 'Intill'. For instance the vivacious title track. Almost ten minutes of immersive post rock, coming at you with a somewhat grating sound between the dreamy passages. This is one of those songs that tell you: "Feed Me To The Waves" belongs to the list of classics, right in the footsteps of the Mogwais, Caspians and Explosions of this world.

I think it's a good thing that this album sounds so fresh yet so familiar. I can give this album to anyone who wants to get acquainted with post rock. It has all the right ingredients to be convincing. Atmosphere, compelling guitar work, strong rhythms... Everything. If that person does not like it, post rock will simply not be his type of music. It's that simple. The ten minutes of "Are You Having Trouble Breathing?" are enough to decide if one will become a fan of the genre or not. In my case, it's a definite win. 

So, on the downside: 'Instill' will not change the direction of post rock. It's nothing you have not heard before. However. Neither was the second Explosions In Sky album, so let's not whine about that. Truth is, Feed Me To The Waves slowly perfect their trade, and with that they make the whole genre a bit stronger. 'Intill' is an instant classic, to be placed among all your favorites and to be enjoyed for many years to come. I love this album and I hope to see them again soon, somewhere on a stage, handing out amazing eargasms.


​Serge

ambient / post rock

bandcamp

When I started this website some five years ago, one of the first things I noticed were the one man post rock bands. It seemed like every town around this planet had its own weird loner making atmospheric tunes on his bedroom. Many of them had become quite good at it, too. Yet, throughout the years those one man acts seemed to  have vanished, or at least disappeared from our attention span. Of course, many other things happened here at Merchants Of Air but I started to miss them, even though I was not really aware of that. What I'm trying to say here, is: I feel like this album brings me back to the early days of Merchants Of Air, where we supported even the loneliest of talents.

Almøst Silent is G.Teixeira, residing in France and successfully locking himself up in a Parisian room to create a gentle mix between down tempo, ambient and post rock. 'Swamp Tales' is a lengthy album, containing fourteen tracks, including a few intermezzos ("Fills & Gaps"). It all begins with 'Black Moose', which calmly lures you into the world of Almøst Silent. That world is one of rest and  friendliness. Nothing on this album is heavy or intense ('Curse Of Relationship' being the perfect counterexample of that statement). Instead, Almøst Silent mainly goes for a warm and comforting sound. With (mostly) programmed drums and soothing soundscapes, Teixeira creates a meandering foundation to paint guitar loops and piano riffs.

In the opening paragraph I mentioned something about some of these acts being really good at what they do. Well, Almøst Silent certainly belongs in that category. Once again, I can see this music enchant the audience in the forest at Dunk! Fest, should Teixeira decide to bring a band or find a way to perform this beautiful music live. 'So Low', for example, is such a sweet tune, perfectly capable of sending people on their way to a beautiful daydream. I don't know if that is every going to happen, but we can only hope, can we?

Another aspect I really dig, besides the excellent performance of vintage post rock, are the guitar licks. Here and there, as in the brilliant 'Leaving Jupiter Is Not An Option', these guitars bring something progressive rock-ish to the mix. These also showcase the splendid storytelling qualities of Almøst Silent. A Swarm Of The Sun comes to mind, mainly because of the way these songs build-up. I guess that's a huge compliment. 'Swamp Water' is truly worthy of that comparison and one of my favorites on this album.

'Because That's A Glitched One' comes up with the Boards Of Canada-esque beats, arguably the most electronic sounding of them all on this album. They guide an array of guitar-scapes and keys, turning it into another favorite of mine. But, I guess, that's mostly because this album is just so easy to become enthusiastic about. Almøst Silent delivered something worthwhile, a solid statement of how well one-man post rock bands can actually become. 'Swamp Tales' is a great album, one that many post rock and downtempo fans alike might appreciate.


​Serge
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drone / ambient

German electronic post-rock pioneers Collapse under the Empire have a brilliant 4-LP retrospective on Moment of Collapse Records. The compilation is the regular kind of anthology with some b-sides (for example the brilliant “Spark”), remixes (“Sacrifice”) and new tracks. Those are the new single “Beyond Us” opening the first LP with a brilliant combination of a harsh riff with electronica sounding like an instrumental remix to an undiscovered punkish Depeche Mode track. “Everything Disappears” is like a Latin-style percussion underneath a beautiful and uplifting piano motif with a spiraling guitar line in the background; the third new track is “Anomaly” sees a stomping beat and a spherical ambient space. Of course, some hardcore fans will already know basically all the tracks but the packaging and the beauty of those four vinyls are definitely a reason to purchase this one – especially newcomers to the band might be interested in this one as it is a perfect “entrance” into the realm of this defining post-rock band!

punk / hardcore / screamo

Loma Prieta are back! After a break of more than four years, the quartet from XYZ is back and kicking. Their first 7” after their hiatus is published via Deathwish Inc. and features the two tracks “Continuum” and “Fate”. The first one starts like a sped-up version of the Buzzcocks’ “Ever fallen in Love” before it turns into a Loma Prieta-style post-punk version of Screamo. “Fate” might be even a bit more impressive as it sounds like a mix of Fugazi and the Pixies. As usual, the lyrics are what makes this band great, as they oscillate nicely between clearliness and abstraction, compare the line "Drugs and God the same distractions / Lay on the dirty floor and stare at the ceiling, like it was a planetarium dome" – the last portion trying to explain where the universe comes from while the first one seems to purvey the idea that drugs (to loosen you up from questioning to much) and God (to overlay your sensibleness with believe) give us two different experiences of the universe above us; what a brilliant concoction. Once again, Loma Prieta are back!

progressive metal

Sometimes the meal cooked with simple but high-level quality ingredients is much better than one with a lot of different ones. Try a classical Carbonara, without cream or anything the like. With Grant the Sun’s new EP it is similar. One might argue that due to the people involved already have quite a standing in the musical community, especially Frederik from Meshuggah who is featured here on the bass, but there is more to this 18-minute, four-song EP; the songs are spreading a certain heaviness with the guitars even reminding one of some djent-ish style kick-riffing and the bass supporting it. The songs are somewhere between math-rock and prog-core with lots of heavy riffs and some very interesting vocal samples interspersed to give the release an even better flavor. One can chew on those songs really long because there are a lot of small details to discover, for example the brilliant tempi changes. However, one can also digest this album in a laid back manner as everything flows exquisitely together forming one huge, ass-kicking harmony of intelligent prog-core.

post rock

Cologne-based threepiece Von Mises self-released their first EP at the end of November and it shows an interesting sign of life for a local newcomer. They might have listened to a lot of Russian Circles and Pelican because there are definitely traces of it in their sound-verse, especially the use of a heavy kicking bass combined with a knack for simple but effective breaks to let the song take in some fresh air before it sets in again. The band might make use of their synth a bit more to include some of these refreshing little ditties that makes, for example, “Universe” such a unique track or the structures and layers of “Dxdt” more complex than one would expect from a young band. The guys from the Rhine should pursue this combination more strongly and they are bound to gain a larger audience. Not just for die-hard fans of post-rock, also for those who are searching for a fresh tune to kickstart their day.

black metal

Judging a book by its cover can bring wonderful experiences like buying a record you never would just because the cover is so shining that you are immediately drawn to it. Or the name of a band that simply wants you to like it (Yes, I look at you We Butter the Bread with Butter!). Certain song titles are just so good that you love the track without listening to it (see Death by Stereo’s “No Cuts No Buts No Coconuts”). With Tragedy in Hope it was the same with me, I loved the name of the band – so nihilistic – and I thought the title of the EP was pretty proud. When listening to this new outfit from Russia’s thriving black metal scene, but admittedly I was wrong. The songs are not the problem for they are solid black metal structures and moods, after the intro I liked it a lot. And then the vocals set in and, well, the vocals are the flaw in the construct. With a different vocalist or a change of style, maybe even a different approach, for example going instrumental, this might become a relevant act. This way it isn’t, at least not for me, and that means nothing.

post rock / progressive rock

Writing a review for a fellow is not the easiest thing – what shall one say? What can one say? How objectively do I judge the record? Well, in the case with Home Brewed Universe’s new record it is quite easy. My only criticism would be the drum sound as it’s not as emotional as before but very clean and crisp. All the other bits about this record are really interesting. The mastermind behind HBH has tried to capture a soundtrack to a fictitious story of the Time Thief who is able to prolong his own life by stealing time from other people and who even is able to travel through time but who is forgotten by all he knew. The music to the interesting story is very focused on the riff and thus it is very different from Arka’s previous outputs, when he focused on layering bit over bit. Now the audience is faced with a lot of strong, prog-metal-like riffs that dominate the sound and drive the songs through all different kinds of stages. This review for a friend’s work was easy as the release itself is very easily accessible and still interesting enough to keep the audience listening. 


​Thorsten

post rock / sludge

Anonymous band collective from England releases a concept album about a dead African elephant that an old Nazi tried to bring back to life but that was then rescued by a female shaman who has her own plans for the creature. Whaaat?! Yeah, it sounds like the story of a crossover between Hellboy and Raiders of the Lost Ark – one never knows how seriously the collective takes its music. But one must admit that it is catching and one has heard worse stories to base a record on.

Bull Elephant from London do an interesting mix of post-rock and sludge with some death metal-tinges to portray the savage nature of the creature. It is a mix that sometimes really surprises with a lot of coherence, however there are some moments – especially the high-pitched clean vocals – that makes the author of this review wonder, if they really wanted to sound like an 80s hair metal band. It’s not as if the singer is incapable of doing that, it just sounds too cheesy and takes away from the band’s seriousness. But wait – maybe that is exactly what this shall be?!

The concept is hilarious, the music is really good, sometimes doomy, sometimes fast, quite often pretty and posty with clean licks and the drums are really driving and energetic. The vocals alternate between 70s proto metal, the glam vocals mentioned before and some death grunts. They have a knack for making those seven songs spanning 38 minutes really worthwhile and entertaining.

One definite flaw is the typo used for the otherwise really excellent artbook – it’s barely readable, but maybe that’s due to the electronic press kit. An album that will amuse you with its savages attacks, its own take on the stories of old that we loved on the big screen, its hilarious portrayal of the Nazis trying to embrace anything remotely occult. If you want your music serious and thoughtful, then do not follow this record, if you like it with an ironic twist – then this will put a smile upon your face. 


​Thorsten

post rock

anxiety is the debut album of Russian post rock project waiting for the wind, released in November 15. A very concise musical effort — only thirty-three minutes long —, the record has seven tracks: 1) Predestination (Intro); 2) Signal's not getting here; 3) Dust of other cities; 4) Through the stratosphere; 5) ...and light will go out forever; 6) Compressive void; 7) Scattered in space; a simple, but fantastic record, with exceedingly beautiful harmonies, anxiety reveals a mature, sober and technically competent artist, in full accordance with its deeply graceful sonorous proposal. Alongside a very personal musical style, effusevely dynamic, expressive, colorful, and to a certain extent, belligerent, the musician behind waiting for the wind delivers with a cohesive degree of sagacious rapture a very clean, diluted and poetic sound, whose graceful conjuncture of qualities make the album a sensational sensitive experience. 

Despite the fact that the album is very short, the level of beauty and originality displayed in the work is exceptionally magnificent, for a debut. Clearly, this is the work of a proficient and experienced artist, that knows exactly in which direction he wants to take his creativity and what he must do to achieve his artistic goals. With a deeply authorial sound — and a marvelous technical sensibility —, anxiety reveals itself to be an excellent masterpiece, from start to finish, that deserves to be fully praised by all enthusiasts of the genre.

The melodies, in general, are simple, but also masterfully crafted. They flow easily throughout the sound, and from the very beginning — with the exceptionally brief, but wonderfully serene and majestic first track Predestination (Intro) —, the artist delivers gracefully consistent and expansive bridges of melancholy, that works splendidly over a monumental galaxy of sentimental vitalities, whose sound incorporates a dense, but lurid expression of introspective solitude.     

A very exceptional album, that has everything to impress and to delight post rock enthusiasts everywhere, anxiety, by waiting for the wind, is a magnificent and unexpected debut. With a splendid style, and a wonderfully cohesive musicality — whose structure reinvigorates as much as respects the general principles of the genre —, this majestic record has no faults nor negative aspects whatsoever. Perfect in style, development, sonority and displaying graceful harmonies entirely compatible with the density of its own lugubrious nature, with a length that leaves the listener wanting more, anxiety is a sensational state of the art work, that deserves to be a massive success in the underground community.


Wagner

post rock/ progressive rock / alternative rock

The Shape Of Things To Come is an album released in November 16, by progressive rock project No Sudden Moves, from Melbourne, Australia. A very concise musical effort, the record is just over thirty-six minutes long. With eight tracks — 1) The Shape Of Things To Come; 2) Cause And Effect; 3) Stroll On; 4) First Contact; 5) Nothing's Easy; 6) The Space Between; 7) This Is The Life; 8) I Wander; — The Shape Of Things To Come is a sensationally beautiful album, despite the fact that it does not bring any extravagant innovation into the forefront of the genre. Nevertheless, the record display phenomenal virtues, that deserves to be highlighted. Its light, clean and well-diluted sound is harmonically cohesive, exceptionally vivid and radically authorial, at least to a certain level. 

The style of the artist is technically consistent and displays a respectable degree of proficiency; as a matter of fact, each track possesses its own singular qualities. The serene poetic densities of the third track, Stroll On, and the oblique tonalities of the fifth track, Nothing's Easy — whose melodies ultimately converts into a moderately progressive tune —, exhibit a thoughtful and efficient eclecticism, that over the course of the entire album, demonstrates in a very undisputed fashion that the artist is quite secure even in an expressive range of musical territories, though he never leaves the genre, knowing how to explore lucidly, and how to add especial flavors, even to the assiduously traditional diagrams conceived by the wonderful mosaic that his spectacular style invariably becomes. 

With a sensible and serene sonorous disposition, that eagerly projects over the diffusive lines of its melodies the dense elements of its own introspective horizon of dispersive and abstract creativity, the music exhibited on this work — despite the extensive use of elements that make the sonority, to a certain degree, quite predictable —, is also surprisingly versatile and distinct, because the artist already in the beginning displays his ability to explore wisely and profusely the most diverse conjuncture of tonalities, resonances and harmonies, within the expansive dimensional context of his restless and proverbial style. 

There's no doubt that the overall sound displayed by the artist is profoundly sensible and original. With a serene, but at the same time colorful gracefulness, the artist conceives a world of sound so dehydrated and detached — whose unimaginable beauty stands beyond the horizon of its own soul —, that the fantastic tranquility crafted by the music creates a renitent splendor, that floats endlessly towards the everlasting poetic nature of its wonderfully sensitive and delightful melodies. 

Despite the fact that — in a general evaluation — the music displayed by this artist is quite simple, The Shape Of Things To Come reveals itself as a majestically unique and very audacious work of art, whose most virtuous elements come from its subtle authorial ambitions, that at first doesn't stand out, but slowly expand to all sonorous spaces, like the sunlight, that slowly illuminates the whole morning. With primarily organic compositions that exalt the full vigor of its elegant beauty, this album is a remarkable milestone of ambient rock music, that deserves to be fully appreciated, and above of all, recognized by the graceful uniqueness, the authorial sensibilities and the splendorous consistency of its versatile and dynamic musicality.


Wagner