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Brieviews 44

30/5/2018

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An Evening With Knives - Serrated

post-metal / doom / alternative rock
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"Dutch three-piece band jumps on post-metal bandwagon", that would be the most negative way to describe this album by An Evening With Knives. But that would also be a bit lazy. I mean, everything Tool and Amenra inspired is popular these days and thus many musicians give it a shot. In this case, the result is an interesting set of songs, slow, doomy, fuzzy, somewhat psychedelic and bloody intense. I'm sure that fans of the aforementioned bands will appreciate these guys, even though I think they yet have to reach their best possible sound. An interesting future might lay ahead for them.

Autger - God Kissing Carrion​

dark jazz / ambient / experimental / trip hop
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Russian one man act Autger returns with a new full-length, a personal story based on Dante's 'Inferno'. With a captivating mix of dark jazz, trip hop and what feels like ritual dark ambient, this album is something quite unique within the dark jazz world. The music here seems to come from a completely different dimension, even though that old "sax player under a bridge" atmosphere is still present. My advice? I urge everyone who is into strange, unusual and mostly electronic music to give this a shot. I bet you have never heard anything like this before. This definitely nudges the bizarre, and that's a good thing.
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Lamirāl - This EP Has No Name And It's Alright

hardcore
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Right, time for extremities, courtesy of Belgian hardcore combo Lamirāl. On this EP, they catapult six heavy rocking hardcore tunes to your face, stuffed with broken glass, needles, sulphuric acid and bile. The overall tempo is suffocating, the riffs feel like sounds from behind the gates of hell and if that vocalist stands in front of you, you have exactly six seconds left to live. So if you want your miserable life crushed by the sheer intensity of music, this EP is an absolute must have. This is about as intense as a concrete boot to the teeth...

Gray Dog - The Deal

acoustic blues
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Now I need something to calm down and relax a bit. This five track EP by Belarus/Poland duo Gray Dog. Their music is a mix of blues and southern rock, brought to you in a minimal, acoustic setting. The result is an interesting late night bonfire soundtrack, best to be consumed with a cold beer. By the way, the fact that this is acoustic music doesn't mean that it lacks power. 'Why Did You Fuck Me And Leave?", for example is a damn heavy tune. Fans of everything between Muddy Waters, Johnny Cash and Pearl Jam can easily appreciate this. My favorite? 'The Pray Of Hangover'.
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Paulie Jan - Yukio (A Brief Sonic Evocation)

dark ambient / noise
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Composed as a tribute to Japanese writer Y. Mishima, 'Yukio (A Brief Sonic Evocation)' by French act Paulie Jan is a gloomy, haunting and often remorseless dark ambient release. These are deep sonic introspections, arranged by eerie soundscapes, deep but slow beats and a fearsome atmosphere. At first, I found it hard to get into this music but gradually the whole thing grew on me like only the best dark ambient anthems actually do. Now I can't get enough of these noisy skincrawlers. My favorite remains opener 'Kimitake' with title track 'Yukio' being a brilliant second. Recommended stuff!!!

Lachrymose - The Unseen

doom / occult metal
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Hailing from Greece, Lachrymose delivers an occult driven version of female fronted melodic doom metal. With influences from bands like Moonspell, Paradise Lost and Avatarium, these Greeks dwell in a dark and almost operatic region of the doom metal scene. Besides, 'This Sickness' rocks like hell and is a definite fan favorite. In all, this might best be compared to a heavy metal version of Inkubus Sukkubus or a female fronted version of Lacrimosa perhaps. All I know is that this is pretty interesting, mainly because it isn't overwhelmed with bombastic symphonic elements. This is raw gothic doom!
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Disowning - Battle of Neverness

death metal
Xenocorp
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I don't often pick out death metal albums to review so when I do something special must be going on. On this EP by French combo Disowning I'm extremely impressed by the old school sound and the by the vocals. I hear elements from some of my favorite bands from back in the day, including Suffocation, Dying Fetus and Carcass, but mostly I hear those awesome growls over a punishing array of drums and riffs. Opener and title track 'Battle Of Neverness is a massive kick in the cojones and my personal favorite 'Inner Emptiness' doubles the torment. So, old school death metallers, I think you need this.

Gravecoven - Coughing Blood

black metal / doom / death metal
Gods Ov War
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Some more vicious torment comes from Californian duo Gravecoven and their aptly titled EP 'Coughing Blood'. On this EP you will find four eerie and fearsome blackened death/doom metal tracks, mostly coming at high speeds and with a gruesome atmosphere. Personally, I would categorize this under black metal, especially the chaotic, occult driven version. I mean, with songs like 'Furious Fires' and 'The Ecstasy Of Hatred' leading the way, the path is one of total annihilation and utter destruction. So yeah, this is a massive, chaotic and punishing EP that deserves a place in every extreme collection.
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Vandal Moon - Wild Insane 

post punk / synth pop
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Also hailing from California but residing in a whole different musical universe is synthpop duo Vandal Moon. If you love acts like The Human League, Modern English or the synth pop escapades by The Cure, you have to check out this album. Eighties synths, romantic themes and a new wave breathing guitar, everything you love about the gloomy eighties dancefloors is here. My personal favorite is 'Computer Love' but I'm sure that every old goth, new waver and synthpop adept can easily add this album to his collection. This truly is as close as it gets and comes highly recommended for blackdressers

Sense Fracture - In My Escape I look For A Weapon

breakcore / industrial
Haunter Records
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Still completely electronic but from a copletely different level comes this little gem. Haunter Records co- founder, DJ, producer and writer Francesco Birsa Alessandri delivers a mindblowing EP in which "unpredictability" is a keyword. With harsh electronic beats, uncategorizable noises and eerie samples Sense Fracture creates a unique sonic universe, inspired by dark ambient, industrial, noise and breakcore. The five tracks on this 12" are relentless, harsh and abrasive. They remind me of something between Author & Punisher and Bong-Ra. Recommended? Only if you get stand musical insanity.
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Richard James Simpson - Sweet Birds Of Youth

alternative rock / blues
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... or dare we call them the bitter-sweet birds of youth? On his debut album, a compilation of older and more recent work, American guitarist and singer Richard James Simpson collaborates with friends (Joey Burns, Dustin Boyer and Theo Welch). He kicks the listener back in time to their wonder years, where one day you feel like an adult in a child's body and the other day things are vice versa. The variety in musical styles reflects this unsteady period; the majority of the songs has a stingy bluesrock feel but there's also a fantastic shoegaze track, some haunting dark ambient, some post-neofolk, experimentality in the 
style of Tool and quite a bit of grunge - vocals that remind of Cobain included. So go buy this one if you appreciate something that refuses to fit into one box.

Nhung Nguyen – Oblivion

ambient / experimental
Pany Rosas Discos
And we finish this edition of brieviews with a one-track EP by experimentalist Nhung Nguyen. In this twelve minutes lasting track, Nhung Nguyen explores everything from ambient soundscapes and loops over field recordings and found objects to weird electronics and noise. Needless to say then perhaps, but this composition is a complex and mesmerizing sonic journey. Don't expect sweet and comforting ambient, much like the real world, this track is full of grittiness and strange elements. So, this comes highly recommended but only for seasoned ambient experimentalists. 
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Brieviews 42

24/4/2018

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Alberto Nemo - 6x0

ethereal / drone
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The name Alberto Nemo might ring a bell to Venetian Snares fans for whom he delivers vocal performances. With this record, the opera singer delves deep into the world of dark, esoteric ambient. Drones, soundscapes, a gothic atmosphere and the distinct operatic vocals create an estranging sound, somewhere between the gloomy experimentality of Coil and the ethereal orchestration of Elend. This EP contains six tracks, meant to be played backwards. You can hear that in the strange sound of the music but, if you're one of those dark, haunted souls, you can just as easily enjoy this album the normal way. 

Käki - Junk Loops 3

drone / ambient / experimental
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To some people, rubbish isn't always rubbish. To some people, scrap yards are instrument stores. This release by Käki (aka Junkyard Shaman) is the registration of a live performance, using junk, loops, soundscapes, samples and drones. The result is a brilliant mix between Master Musicians Of Bukkake, Einsturzende Neubauten and Raison D'Etre. In three long , repetitive and captivating tracks, Käki effortlessly takes the listener on an hypnotic trip. This is a perfect journey for a post apocalyptic movie about earth during a nuclear winter. Recommended? You bet. This is fantastic stuff.
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Alien Tantric Method - Intraverse

dark ambient / electronic
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Canadian dark ambient act Alien Tantric Method delivers a gloomy, cinematic and outer space inspired album, loaded with eerie soundscapes and cosmic noises. Immediately, IIVII comes to mind. Both acts seem to have a similar, highly electronic approach and both acts love adding repetitive percussion to their dark ambient sounds. Obviously, the result is something massively immersive. Here, that results in genre highlights like 'Awake' and the stomping 'Vortex' which drags both noise and EBM into the mix. Take it from me, this is one highly exciting release.

Rodney Cromwell - Rodney's English Disco

electronic / synth pop
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Right, time to put on our dancing shoes and step into our time machine for a sweet trip to the electronic eighties. Rodney Cromwell comes up with a melancholic EP, fronted by the synthpop cracker 'Comrades'. However, there is more to be found here. 'Barbed Wire' borrows influences from shoegaze and new wave. The joyful 'Technocrats' reminds me of German act And One while closer 'Dreamland' seems to revisit The Cure's synth years. In all, this is pleasant EP that totally reeks of the eighties. I don't mind and I know heaps of others don't mind either. So check it out, you'll be pleasantly surprised.
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Siete Catorce - Agnosia

electronic / experimental
Hypermedium
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Mexicali producer Siete Catorce delivers an experimental and unique approach to electronic dance music. Far away from trends, Catorce plays with quirky percussion, intrinsic soundscapes and futuristic atmosphere. On this EP that results in four wayward but energetic dance tunes, something between Autechre and Speedy J's 'A Shocking Hobby' album. This is no everyday techno music, on the exact contrary. This is the result of a years long exploration with beats, sounds and glitches. My personal favorite here is 'Susurro', a possible smash hit in a highly developed alien world. Neat! 

Superalma Project - Dystopian Children

drone / dark ambient
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Inspired by Dystopian literature (1984, Brave New World, Hunger Games), this project by Igor Almeida delivers an angsty and dark soundtrack, loaded with haunting soundscapes, eerie noises and impending percussion. At times acts like Deutsch Nepal, Coil or De Fabriek come to mind, which obviously places this release right into the avant garde ambient scene. The album closes with a track named 'Isn't Life Disappointing?' which clearly sets the tone for the whole thing. No, this is not a joyous piece of work, not at all, but it is a damn intriguing and captivating one, that's for sure. So check it out now.
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Teahouse Radio - Her Quiet Garden

drone / ambient
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Teahouse Radio is a brand new project by Pär Boström of Kammarheit and Cities Last Broadcast fame. With this project, Boström seems to explore the brighter side of ambient music, although the album still is gloomy and melancholic. The set-up is minimal, the drones and soundscapes are mild and the overall atmosphere is dreamy, as decent ambient music is intended to be. The album contains eleven tracks, each one and excellent and beautiful piece of work. This is definitely something for fans over everything between Brian Eno and Biosphere, which I guess says a lot about the overall quality.

Adeptus Mechanicus - No More Heartbeat

dark ambient
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Hailing from The Netherlands, Adeptus Mechanicus treats the listener to frightfully droning dark ambient tunes. According to the bandcamp page, the music is inspired by Yen Pox and Stratvm Terror, which might explain the industrial soundscapes and haunting atmosphere. The artist is also active in the world of hard-, dark- and speedcore and that too is audible in the intense nature of these three tracks. In fact, 'Mechanical Bringer Of Death' seems to embrace the harshness of those genres (without the beats) to create a monumental industrial noise track. I'm damn sure that all fans of dark, harsh ambient will absolutely adore this stuff. I know I do.
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Hezaliel - Paradise Lost

dark ambient
Eighth Tower Records
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We're crossing the border again to witness yet another brilliant dark ambient performance by one of our fellow countrymen. Belgian act Hezaliel seems to continue the dark, impending flow of some of the previously reviewed albums here. This album contains eight deeply droning piece of dark ambient music, all with an enigmatic and mystifying atmosphere. The monolithic 'They Darkened The Land Of The Nile' is my personal favorite but each of this tracks will end up in my ever expanding dark ambient playlist. I suggest you check it out and get your hands on this thing. It rarely gets better than this...

Visions & Phurpa - Monad

dark ambient
Cyclic Law
Visions
Phurpa
Celebrating its 100th release, Cyclic Law presents an exclusive collaboration between label head Frederic Arbour’s long standing project Visions and Russia’s enigmatic ritual formation, Phurpa, lead by Alexey Tegin. The result of this collaboration is a stunning and enigmatic dark ambient album in four chapters, showcasing the best possible combination of both seasoned acts. Fans can actually expect the usual elements: drones, soundscapes and haunted voices. Yet, that "usual" comes at a very high quality and an almost suffocating atmosphere. For fans of dark ambient, this is a definite must-have.
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AnD - AnD003

techno
And Music
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Manchester residents AnD are here to invite you to the dancefloor and then pound you into a pulp with their raw, heavy and chaotic analog techno tunes. This stuff is intense but pretty much irresistible for every fan of hard electronic dance music. Borrowing elements from Detroit techno, retro rave and industrial, this EP opens with the dazzling track 'Manchester'. 'Analogical' follows and quickly becomes my favorite here, one that reminds me of the boiler room at Pukkelpop. 'Prophecy' nudges more towards trance while closer 'Transit' is mostly noise with beats. Enjoyable? Fuck yasss!!!

Rebekah - My Heart Bleeds Black

techno
Mord
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More stomping techno, this time from Birmingham-born Berlin-based artist Rebekah. On this EP, or better, on this Double-EP, Rebekah delivers no less than nine dark and grinding techno tunes, driving on repetitive beats and enhanced by gloomy noise-scapes. The result is a massive assault on your dancing muscles, a neverending frenzy of dark, almost industrial techno. It's damn hard to pick a favorite track here and at some points I'm not sure that I can enjoy this music for a long time but I have to say that tracks like 'Halo Effect' and 'Empirical Cycle' are definite dancefloor killers.
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Bi-Hour - Regional Indifference

1/12/2017

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post punk / synth pop / avant garde
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This website seems to be making a name as a place for all things weird and unusual. That is perfectly fine with me. I mean, how else would an album from a duo in Tasmania reach us here in Berchem, half a world away? Coincidentally, I just bought a new record player and I wanted to give a good test ride.

But what a test ride it had become. From one amazement into another surprise, 'Regional Indifference' is something out of this place, something you won't hear very often. At the same time it's also something you will have to get used to but nonetheless, this is a fascinating release.

First things first. Bi-Hour consists of two childhood friends who grew up in what they call a "cultural backwater". Personally, I can understand that. I too come from a place where music and art were completely unknown and misunderstood phenomena. People rather went to the local football team or eat crappy meatballs at a cigarette smoke filled café. Some of them became serial killers, but that is a whole different story. I just moved to Antwerp where music, art and literature are buzzing and alive but I'm not sure if such a move is possible if you live in Tasmania.

The album is a concept album about living in such a cultural backwater and about how it would look if Hobart would suddenly become a thriving cultural city. With twenty songs, Bi-Hour deliver something out of the ordinary, something most journalist have called avant garde synthpop or post punk. Throughout songs like '​Name Drop Melbourne Locations to Sound Groovy', 'Impudence of Simplicity' and 'Warrior of Bureaumass' a heap of acts come to mind, including a mutant version of Pet Shop Boys or Depeche Mode, some Suicide, a hint of Throbbing Gristle, the outrageous Nick Cave of Birthday Party and even the eerie sound of dark industrial acts.

'6 x 4' does something with ambient and soundscapes while 'Fridge' invites you to the darkest of dancefloors. Suddenly Virgin Prunes come to mind too. 'Refrigerator' sounds like an ancient Nintendo game soundtrack and 'Janitor' comes up with sweet and cute synthpop. Then there is also the synthetic punk rocker 'All Work and No Facial Piercings Makes Jack a Dull Boy' which in terms of simplicity and roughness even bring Sex Pistols to mind, be it in an electronic version. It's actually just another of many odd tunes on a highly remarkable album. Obviously, I will recommend it to all you weird eighties fans out there. 


​Serge

 

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