ambient / experimental / shoegaze

metalcore / metal

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hard rock

classical / ambient

drum & bass / industrial metal

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progressive / thrash metal

nu metal

synthpop / new wave

techno / industrial

alternative rock

post rock

death metal

dark ambient / black metal

experimental rock

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gothic / industrial metal

punk

experimental / electronic / ambient / classical

I first discovered the wonderful and adventurous music of Jacaszek in a record store. 'Glimmer' and 'Catalogue des Arbres (feat. Kwartludium)' have been regularly played albums for years in this household. So when this new album was announced, I was immediately interested. However, like often happens with artists this talented and versatile, starting to write this review was a difficult task. So let's just begin by writing that this is an breathtaking piece of work.

For those not familiar with Michał Jacaszek: he is a Polish composer who combines electronically prepared sounds with acoustic instruments.  Over the years, he composed soundtracks and theatre music, plus a number of albums. His work blend classical music with experimental electronics and jazz. He knows little to no musical borders and continuously drags in seemingly strange influences. 

'Kwiaty' means flowers and in a way that is exactly what you get on this album; blooming pieces of music that look and feel familiar yet mysterious. The album was inspired by Michał Jacaszek’s discovery of an English anthology of metaphysical poetry from the 17th century by Robert Herrick, which to him — somehow-- sounded songlike when read out-loud. The album contains guest appearances by Hania Malarowska (Hanimal), Joasia Sobowiec-Jamioł and Natalia Grzebała.

The songs on this album are strange pop-ballads or jazz inspired classical pieces or electronically rearranged folk songs, regarding on how you feel about them. I hear influences from all these genres, including trip hop, dark jazz and the soundtracks to Tim Burton's movies or even Twin Peaks. There is a gloomy atmosphere, a mysterious feel but also musical ingenuity and beautiful vocals.  In short, this is Jacaszek at his very best.

Once again I refuse to pick a favorite track. I'm not even going to mention separate songs. I'm just going to recommend buying the album. Take the weekend off and enjoy 'Kwiaty' non-stop. Allow Jacaszek to guide you on an introvert but epic journey, one you will not regret. It will definitely be worth the effort. If you are into anything between Dead Can Dance, Bersarin Quartet and The Nightmare Before Christmas, you will easily get addicted to this thing...


​Serge

classical / ambient

I love how versatile and inspiring music can be. Half an hour ago, I was cleaning the house while some groovy death metal blasted through my speakers, which obviously provided me with plenty of energy. Right now, I'm in a completely different zone, a calm and relaxed one. Inspired by the always blissful sound of the piano, I'm now ready to write and chill down for a moment. So I guess I'll simply start writing the review and see where the whole thing takes me.

Nathan Shubert is a pianist, composer and keyboard player from Canada. According to his biography, he draws influences from Nils Frahm, Steve Reich, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Philip Glass and Erik Satie. So it will not be very surprising that we're dealing with a piano driven piece of music. The tracks on this album are quite minimal instrumentals, warm, gentle and somewhat romantic at times.

I mentioned a bunch of artists to compare this album with, but the most striking comparison actually comes from right inside this very house. I have a few musical neighbours, one playing trumpet and two pianists. On a regular basis, the sounds come through the walls and silently fill the room. They're not perfect, there is a tiny error to be found here and there, but they're human, warm and comforting. For me, they are some of the most beautiful sounds on this planet.

And that's exactly what this album does. Tracks like 'Chairs', 'Fencing' and 'Encampment' are so nice to listen to, even though they don't reach a technical precision. Most of the tunes are friendly explorations of the piano. They show a seemingly introvert musician in a respectful conversation with his instrument. Sometimes they're uptempo and uplifting, sometimes slow and narrative, but they are always immersive.

My favorites are the two (way too short) 'Aurora' pieces, which somehow serve as ambient interludes between the piano pieces. Closer 'Gaze' is another favorite by the way. However, I would indeed recommend this album to all fans of classical music and ambient. It's a warmly recommended addition to your collection. I'm going to add it to my day-to-day playlist and I suggest  you do the very same thing.


​Serge

alternative rock / grunge / nu-metal

post rock

Is the post rock genre already old enough to have an old-school scene? If so, French quartet Tölva could soon become a force to be reckoned with. Inspired by the greats, you know, Godspeed, You Russian, This Will Destroy the Explosions in Mogwai, that kind of stuff, Törva delivered a very strong debut ep with all the necessary elements to make it a strong competitor. The opener 'Poveglia' remains my favorite and I really enjoy the calm breather 'Puzzle' as well. The other two track? Well, they're equally loaded with beautiful soundscapes, a blissful atmosphere and all the emotions only decent post rock can deliver. This is a great, and highly recommended, debut.

alternative rock / grunge

See? I told you we were facing a nineties revival. It's hit France now too, and it hit it good. Leaving Passenger is an alternative rock band from Paris who are about to debut with this magnificent ep. Influenced by the likes of Hoobastank, Incubus, Linkin Park and Nickelback, these guys come up with some  strong and highly convincing songs., strangely enough reminding me of Tool and Deftones. 'Lies On The Floor' is a world class song, and definitely not the only one on this ep. I love the riffs, who show some stoner rock influences as well. But the coolest thing about this is the use of electronics to give the whole thing an extra touch, something glitchy often. This is a brilliant ep.

electronic / techno

Anomia

I had no idea what to expect from this 12" but the opening track 'Divulge' certainly got my attention. Glitchy ambient and otherworldly soundscapes filled the room, much to my delight. On 'Patterned' the techno beats arrive and I thought, "well, why not" and started shaking my ass a little. The music reminds me a bit of acts like Riou or Unit Moebius, two acts I quite like fro their experimental approach to electronic dance music. In that aspect, the title track might be my favorite but I like this whole ep, even the somewhat nineties inspired '500 Words'. So yeah, perhaps it's a good idea to check this out and do a little dance. It's a nice change from the stuff we usually listen to...

dark ambient

When French artist and writer Nihil asked Swedish one-man martial ambient act In Slaughter Natives to compose the soundtrack for his book, something very interesting happened. I don't know which is the darkest element of this experience: the music, the artwork or the short stories. Main theme is the search for identity of the main character, a man who accidentally awakes from the artificial lethargy everyone has been submerged into for ages. The amazingly detailed artwork mostly displays one desperate human being, face or eyes covered. The soundtrack only emphasizes the lonely and frightening atmosphere of the whole. In Slaughter Natives again delivers top-shelf dark ambient and martial industrial soundscapes. For fans of Puissance, Triarii, Raison d'Être but also recommended to anyone who's fed up with the muzak which comes gushing out of your radio...

electronic / dark ambient / industrial / noise

We're not done with crawling through utter darkness yet. In fact, we're going deeper down into a world where sounds are no longer natural, no longer bearable for the ordinary person. Fans of electronic drones, dark ambient and dark industrial noise on the other hand will have a blast with this album from French one-man project Sona Nyl. This album constantly balances on the edge between musicality and noise and quite often blatantly crossing over. The result is a captivating album, loaded with unidentified noises, creeping, crawling and repetitive enough to grind you into a deep and gloomy state of trance. This is something for fans of everything between ​Aghiatrias, Atrium Carceri and Atrax Morgue 

dark ambient / neo classical

Russian dark ambient and neoclassical project Astarium has been around for quite some time now, always delivering some strong and mysterious music. On this cooperation with Portuguese act Antiquus Scriptum that is no different. The eight tracks delivered by Astarium are once again representations of mystical worlds and times with beautiful arrangements and a eerie atmosphere. Antiquus Scriptum adds another set of strange songs, perhaps a bit more experimental and bizarre but nonetheless very interesting. There is something pagan, something medieval to this music and clearly something I can appreciate. This is an excellent split which you should check out if you're into ancient folk and gloomy musical bliss.

folk 

Aah, the beauty of being an introvert. It's so nice to dwell in someone's mind by exploring their music and that certainly is the case on this album by Canadian singer songwriter Clara Engel. Here and there aided by people like Aidan Baker, Armen Ra, Thor Harris and Siavash Amini, this woman delivers intimate but soulful folk songs with guitar, vocals and soundscapes or drones. The result is a pleasure to listen to, often even evoking a teardrop. For me, it's hard to compare this to other artists, because it's a realm I don't often visit. But that doesn't matter, all you need to know about this album is the captivating and immersive nature and the simply beautiful songs, loaded with emotions. Definitely recommended stuff.

classical

Dominique Charpentier is a multi-instrumentalist from France. He chose the piano for his first full-length album, his instrument of predilection. and you can immediately hear that this is one very talented fellow. He has also made soundtracks for films and video games in his home studio, and you can hear impressive orchestral compositions on his soundcloud page. The piano songs on Passages are breathtaking gems that remind of the works of Yann Tiersen and Ludovico Einaudi, two other self-made musicians and Carpentier's main influences. I'd say: go check this album out now!

doom

Once starting out as a blackened doom metal band, Swedish act Nangilima gradually evolved into the symphonic doom death combo they are today. Their new single, 'Shards Of Loss' contains two tracks which should every fan of Saturnus, Novembers Doom, My Dying Bride and Swallow the Sun tremble with excitement. Deep guttural growls and thick riffs are being accompagnied with piano and orchestral arrangements to create vast sonic journeys. Both songs are varied enough to remain interesting and lingering enough to maintain that always awesome doom metal bliss. See, this is why I love this genre so much. It comes from deep within and speaks directly to the darkest of souls.

black metal

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When an album title translates as "I hate life", you know you can expect something depressive and harsh. And yes, that's exactly what this Italian one-man act delivers. After an intro, hell breaks loose with harsh, minimal, mainly slow, gritty and primitive black metal, somehow reminding me of some of those ancient pioneers in the scene. Yet, the mid-tempo approach of songs like 'Primavera Depressa' has something post-punkish as well. 'Ricaduta' is probably my favorite track on this album, one that shows decent musical skills and a flair for a bleak atmosphere. I recommend this album to all fans of Nyktalgia, Nortt and Xasthur, or anyone who thinks life is something to be suffered, not enjoyed...

experimental / noise / improv

Cylinder Recordings

What happens when an experienced double bassist and a seasoned electronic experimentalist climb on stage together? Well, apparently you get something highly impressive that defies all categorization, like this twenty minutes lasting orgy of drones, soundscapes noises and hints of jazz. This release was recorded during a gig the two artists did in Rotterdam and damn it, it makes me regret not being there. In its digital form it's already impressive but my guess is that the concert itself has been intensely captivating and hypnotizing. Then again, that's something we're already used to with Machinefabriek, but still, this surely is something you need if you're into experimental ingenuity...

alternative rock / electronic / indie

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Hailing from France, Tomy Lobo doesn't seem to be interesting in doing this normally. The indie rock this act delivers, drives on modern electronic sounds but also seems to showcase a tremendous flair for the bombast of alternative rock. The result is a combination of everything you can hear on a decent alternative music radio station. You can dance to it, you can kneel-down and cry your eyes out to it or you can just shake your head in absolute approval. Personally, I prefer the latter but wouldn't mind dancing to gems like 'Night Prism' or the gloomy dubstep track 'Erase It All'. It's a bit like Oscar and the Wolf, but better. Way better. Check it out, you just might have found something new to expand your collection.

crust / screamo / post-hardcore / noise rock

Hailing from the beautiful country of Spain, but a bit more on the noisy spectrum of the musical industry, comes this raunchy and loud trio, Drei Affen and their untitled blast of sheer aggression. With a blend of screamo, noise rock and post-hardcore, this trio is out for nothing less than utter destruction and as far as I'm concerned, it works pretty well. I mean, listening to this ep already caused me to throw a hot cup of coffee at a mosquito and punish a pillow for its uncomfortable position. This music is intense, that's for damn sure, and I think it's not suitable for everyone. Yet, for fans of ruthless violence, this definitely comes highly recommend. I'm sure live shows by this trio will cause a lot of bruises and broken noses...

gothic metal / death metal / doom

We end this edition of Brieviews with two harsh doom songs with a gloomy, gothic atmosphere. German band Valborg has been compared to bands like Type O Negative, Celtic Frost and Triptykon and who am I to contradict that. Fans of these bands will certainly appreciate these massively immersive pieces of death doom but I still feel that Valborg has its own sound, somewhat industrial, somewhat dirty and vampiric. I'm sure Bela Lugosi would have loved the brilliant title track if he were still alive. Oh well, go ahead, check this out and join me in hoping that Valborg will come up with a stunning full-length and tour in the near future.

writers: Serge & Eline

ambient / modern classical

Rivers & Shores is the most recent release by Black Hill (the alias of musicformessier Czarnorgursky István), done in a very astounding partnership with heklAa (the alias of French musician Sébastien Touraton), where the guitar pieces (Black Hill) are the rivers, and their piano counterparts (heklAa) are the shores.

A very unusual album, it is composed of 8 songs, although there is 16 tracks. Each song is played on guitar, and then follows the same song, on a piano version, making an unusual, but very unfathomable, picturesque and unique expressionistic diagram of marvelous beauty, where each track has a beautiful composition, gracefully completed by a poetic counterpart, which you will find quite hard to translate in words, as they are so much capable to build unexpected dialogues between your emotions. And you will feel between the songs, as well as at the very own core of each one of them, that kind of genuine emotion that makes the music reflects the uneasiness required for a deep and sincere appreciation of the listener. 

Since every track is very short, each one of them makes you travel free through the groundbreaking notes of every song, since this peculiar and unusual change of guitar and piano gives you the feeling of flying between worlds of angelically delineated serenity, while at the same time gives to your spirit the astonishing peculiarities that only a carefully constructed masterpiece achieves with such a great, but measuredly crafted symbioses of instruments, creating in such beautiful and well delineated harmonies the groundwork that only great musicians are able to combine perfectly together. 

All in all, Rivers & Shores is another great and beautiful Black Hill album, with another great and solemn guest artist, heklAa. The marvelous and poetic beauty of such expressionistic pieces, that isolated from one another shares the greatness of impenetrable and subtle fragments, are greatly combined together to compose a carefree mosaic of dense artistic structure, that works heavenly as a tapestry of beautiful layers of sound, very unique even for such talented and incredibly skilled musicians. In fact, it is the kind of album that no words can describe. You have to listen to yourself to believe! Beautiful, astounding, magnificent. Destined to become an underground classic, with no other album being able for comparison yet.


​Wagner

score / classical

After his beautiful soundtrack for the film The Revenant (read our review), Japanese head-maestro Ryuichi Sakamoto returns with another score. This one however, is for the movie 'Nagasaki: Memories of My Son' (directed by Yôji Yamada). The film is solely made for the Japanese market so chances that people in Europe or America will see it are slim, so perhaps it's best to see this soundtrack as a full-length album.

The film is set in post-World War II Japan, where a mother mourns the death of her son who became a victim of the atomic bomb. The music, or at least most of it, feels somewhat alike. Apart from some flashes of noise, soundscapes and strange musical outbursts, this album beautifully depicts the mother's despair and her loneliness. The piano is the central element, here and there accompagnied by string instruments.

There are 28 songs and flashes of soundscapes on this album, eventually clocking off at an hour or so. It's everything you would expect from a mastermind like Sakamoto, who can show genius in the most minimalistic tunes. If you're a fan of his work, you definitely need to get your hands on this soundtrack. Same counts for fans of classical music and somewhat experimental ambient. This is a fascinating score.


​Serge

Intro: Not long ago, we published a massive amount of brieviews without giving a damn about genre restrictions. As you may already know, everything is welcome on Merchants Of Air and we do our very best to recommend some awesome stuff. That set of brieviews gained us a lot of positive reactions, more than enough to continue that tradition. So today I'd like to present another heap of brieview, ranging from all kinds of metal to classical music but also some dance floor fillers and straight in-your-face rock 'n roll. Enjoy...

rock / hard rock

Named after a street gang in the movie 'The Warriors (1979)', Spanish four-piece Lizzies come up with some good old fashioned rock 'n roll. These women have borrowed to in-your-face attitude of acts like The Ramones and combine it with vintage hard rock and heavy metal. The result is a heavy rocking album with strong songs, at times reminding me of early Iron Maiden or Judas Priest. The whole thing seems to go back to the early eighties, when metal was still in its childhood. My favorite track is the fierce 'Speed On The Road' but pretty much every song on this debut can easily get a party started. I hope we'll be hearing a lot from these ladies in the near future.

atmospheric black metal

Well, the album cover and the title pretty much say all you need to know about this two-track ep by German act Skognatt. This is a cold and harsh but highly atmospheric piece of depressive black metal, loaded with keyboard arrangements and folk elements. Both songs are slow and come with a decent amount of variation. Here and there I'm reminded of acts like Dimmu Borgir, Vinterriket, Summoning and Nortt, and even Samael comes to mind once in awhile. The lack of blast beats doesn't make these tracks any less intense. On the contrary, this is utter despair, bleakness and suicidal depression at its best. I know, that doesn't sound very positive, but then again, a black metal album is never supposed to sound positive.

hard rock / southern rock / stoner rock / grunge

Hailing from the deepest ranches of southern Finland, the rockers of Rattleplague come up with a pretty nasty ep. They blend southern rock with grunge and heavy party rock 'n roll, resulting in a drunken orgy of riffs, drums and harsh, mean vocals. The songs remind me of something between Alice In Chains, Motorhead and White Zombie, which obviously means "party time". Besides, for some reason I think Slayer has been on of Rattleplagues influences, but I could be wrong about that. Anyway, 'Drain' is a brilliant song,  'Parasite Brothel' drags Kuyss into the world of metal and 'Hollywood Diabolical' is what happens when Max Cavalera would join Motley Crue. You WILL party!!!

death metal

Whoever claims that Canadians are too nice, should listen to this murderous gem by technical specialists The Apex. With brutal yet technical death metal, incorporating elements from mathcore, this three track is a massive assault on your mental health. Bits of Meshuggah, flashes of Dillinger Escape Plan and hints of Fear Factory drag you down into a dark hole where they beat you senseless with unexpected hooks, skullgrinding riffs and whatnot. According to the biography, the vocalist suffers from a form of Neurogenic Stammering, which effects his speech so he's unable to carry on a normal conversation, but he can growl and scream like the best metal vocalist out there.

black metal

From one of the most dissonant and eerie quarters of the black metal scene, comes the new ep by Polish avant-garde act Misanthropic Rage. One massive, seventeen minutes lasting epos and two deranged and brutal piece of extreme metal, that's what you get on this little gem. The immense title track is a stunning and highly varied piece of music, one you easily lose yourself in if you're into the weird extremes. The other two aren't any less impressive by the way, and -obviously- they are excellent headbanging material. I hope this ep will be followed by a full-length and a tour in the near future because this act definitely is something today's black metal scene needs.

sludge / doom 

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the heaviest thing to ever be weighed as of 2015 was the Revolving Service Structure of launch pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Well, it's 2016 now and New Haven, CT residents Sea Of Bones are up for the challenge to create something heavier. Their contribution to this split is intensely dark, atmospheric, monolithic, fuzz-out and pitch black. Their colleagues from Ramlord smash another piece of thick sonic filth in our faces, which is equally impressive. Both tracks last about ten minutes, plenty of time to roll over their listener with a repetitive steamroller. If you like heavy, you must pre-order this split now!

sludge / doom / black metal

UK residents Kalloused call their music "noise-metal" and quite frankly, I think that's right on the spot. The stuff on this ep somewhat sounds like the metal version of harsh, repetitive noise, driving on a torpid tempo and thick, skull bashing riffs. Above all of that, the vocalist screams his lungs out in perfect blackened noise tradition. There are hints of hardcore but the majority of this album is intense, heavy and immersive sludge doom which is perfectly capable of driving a select audience into a pitch black state of trance. Perhaps one day I can be one of those audience members, but for now, I'll just use this ep as the ultimate soundtrack for all my aggressive activities...

black metal

Altere Records

The more things change, the more they stay the same. That certainly counts for this haunting compilation from Belgian blackened horde Ordo Omegae Absolutae. Although quite varied and including some dark ambient elements, the music on this album is fierce and often depressive old school black metal, driven by the collected negativity of the band members. The overall atmosphere is darker than you can possibly imagine. At times the somewhat musical black metal is overruled by uncontrollable noise. On other occasions, folky passages have been interlaced with the sheer brutality of the rest of the music. This is impressive stuff which every black metal fan needs to check out.

death metal / grindcore

Greek duo Hostage Of Fate doesn't seem to care about genres. In fact, their main influences are the extreme bands from the eighties and nineties, regardless whether they're death metal, thrash metal, speed metal or hardcore. All they want to do, is make aggressive and pissed-off music and in that they certainly succeeded. This album is loaded with metallic chaos, brutal vocals, spine shattering blast beats and brainfucking riffs. Yet, the whole thing feels extremely experimental, which is quite impressive if you think about how minimalistic the music really is. It's definitely something different, different from pretty much every death metal album I've heard...

electronic / industrial

Speaking about different albums, this ep certainly is something else. No guitars, just synths, drum machines and at times the guiding voice of Sasha Andrès (from the band Heliogabale). However, that does not mean that this is a soft piece of music, on the contrary. The songs on this album come very close to eighties electronic new wave acts like Suicide, The Klinik, Neon Judgement, Scorn.... Yet, it also has a very modern edge. 'Monster5', for example, is a brilliant approach to dubstep, brilliant enough to not be actual dubstep. There's also a bit of trip-hop, some ambient and some otherworldly melodies with church organs. What else could you need? This is an awesome ep.

ambient / classical

Sometimes we all need a little break, and I have the perfect ep for that. Tambour is Simon P. Castonguay, a pianist and composer from Montreal. On this ep, he treats us to some gentle tunes of sweet and brisk modern classical music. Aided by a string quartet, his piano melodies sound melancholic yet playful, like a safe haven in a violent world. If you are into the music of people like Olafur Arnalds, Sebastian Plano or Bersarin Quartett, you should definitely check out this little gem. The somewhat jazzy 'Sleepers' is my favorite track on this ep, probably because of the beautiful sound of the clarinet. 'Valse N.1' also brings a nostalgic smile to my face. Beautiful stuff...

electro / industrial

Time to get your dancing shoes and join me on the dark dance floor where French act Haxis invites us to shake our butts to his highly enjoyable fusion of synthpop and industrial. The songs on this ep drive on solid beats, electronic soundscapes and grinding distorted guitars. At times the whole thing sounds like Pet Shop Boys meets Die Krupps meets Daft Punk meets VNV Nation meets Project Pitchfork. The amount of energy coming off tracks like 'City Lights' ,'Glide' or 'Just Mad' is astounding and it's almost impossible to sit still on this stuff. I think I'm going to keep an eye on this act because I feel like this unique blend has a lot of potential to grow into something massive...

techno

Techno isn't something we usually write about on Merchants Of Air, but this ep is a smasher. Ok, I admit, I was already interested when I read that it will be released on Speedy J's label, someone who's musical evolution saved the face of dance music for me. But I must say, opening track 'Reign Of Terror' is a brilliant blend of atmospheric techno , psytrance and eerie acid while other tracks remind me of acts like Self-transforming Machine Elves, Xingu Hill and Unit Moebius. Yeah, I might not know that much about techno, but I do know what I like and this, this I do like, even though things can get a bit too repetitive for me at times. The ep closes with the great break-beat track 'Breaking Visions', my favorite I think

post rock / ambient

This American one-man act has a name that describes the songs on this album quite well. Mostly driving on programmed, electronic drums, these cinematic (mostly) instrumental songs gently fill the room. I can hear influences from ambient, from post-rock and from classical music. If you use your imagination, you can indeed see the programmed angels dancing in slow motion while you're drifting through the clouds on a warm night. I know, that  might sound a bit too poetic but this simply is a beautiful album, blending Boards Of Canada with Explosions In The Sky and Plaid with Godspeed You Black Emperor. As often, I'd like to see this live one day, but for now, I'll just enjoy these delightful tunes a few times more...

electronic / alternative dance

Of course this is Belgian, the land of Vive La Fête, Nid & Sancy, Praga Khan, Lords Of Acid, Front 242...Rumours are a band from Ghent, armed with a bunch of electronics and a massive knowledge about electronic dance music. The majority of this album is dance floor filling techno with a gritty, raunchy edge, perfectly suited for fans of The Knife or Liars. However, this acts throws in some cinematic elements as well as some blasts of chaotic industrial. You know, Atari Teenage Riot meets Björk or Zola Jesus meets Ambassador21, something like that. Oh well, just close your eyes and let the beats pummel you into a coma. I know I will...

neoclassical / ambient

Polar Seas Recordings

Sometimes, after going over a number of my reviews, people ask me, "how can you stand all that metal". After all, it is true that we review a lot of metal albums here on Merchants Of Air, even though it's far from the only genre we listen to. In fact, the percentage of ambient albums making our daily playlist is far bigger than other ones. The one I'm reviewing at this very moment, is one of them. When I listened to it for the first time, I immediately ripped it to FLACs and added it to my list. Besides that, in the past week or so, this album has been my "cool down" release after going through a heap of other stuff. So, to answer that question: with stuff like this in regular circulation, I can stand pretty much everything.

On this album, British composer David Newlyn treats us to minimal piano pieces, alternating with far stretched soundscapes and synthesiser passages. Furthermore, you can find some guitars, violins, fretless bass and field recordings, all gracefully blending into seven soothing tracks. It's tough to pick a favorite track, since I usually simply enjoy these albums as a whole. If I do have to make a choice, I'd probably go with the eerie 'Purist Notion', certainly since it's followed by the short and rather playful 'Fail These Days'. Or perhaps the dreamy closer 'I'll Walk Back Home', a track perfectly suited for actually walking back home, or anywhere for that matter.

Those three tracks pretty much make up the second half of the album, almost making me forget about the first four tunes. I can assure you that many ambient, minimal and piano fans out there will enjoy 'Whatever Changes' and the gentle 'Life At The Time' and the entire album, obviously. My suggestion is simple, check it out, give this album a shot. You won't be disappointed.


​Serge

modern classical

Ever since I heard 'Die Moldau', I've been hooked on classical music, along with a massive number of other musical styles. Unlike most people, I didn't know about classical music until I was twelve or so. In school, we had one hour of music class every week and that's where I heard that magnificent piece of music for the first time. My musical journeys haven't been the same since, and I'm still discovering beautiful works, created by piano and strings. 

Lviv, Ukraine resident Egor Grushin is actually one of my favorite present-day composers. Like several of his lesser known colleagues he surpasses well known ones like Olafur Arnalds, Sebastian Plano and Nils Frahm. Grushing would fit in quite well with that ensemble, certainly with a varied album like this one. Sometimes it's minimal and subdued, sometimes it's playful and joyous. It contains piano and strings, and a whole lot of talent.

After an intro, 'Essential' is exactly what the title predicts. This songs, and many others on this album, would fit perfectly on an 'Essential Classics' compilation, right in between the Mozarts, Beethovens, Händels and whonots. This is a joyous piece, a bit melancholic perhaps. Follower 'Summer' also doesn't disappoint. It sounds like a warm day in August, somewhere in the late eighteen hundreds or so.

Speaking about melancholy. The title track 'Once' really is a tearjerker and I write that in the best possible way. Remember that 'Essential Classics' compilation? Well, 'Once' deserves a spot too. It's followed by a waltz, aptly named 'Waltz'.  But I'm not going into a song-by-song on this one. You'll have to check out the other ones for yourself while I press the repeat-button and enjoy this graceful album a few times more... You should too


Serge

score / classical

Ok, one more before I go to sleep, but I've chosen something really special to end this writing session. Former Pop Will Eat Itself frontman Clint Mansell probably is no stranger to both music and movie lovers, having scored the soundtrack for Darren Aronofsky films such as Black Swan, Requiem For A Dream, The Fountain and Pi. This time, Mansell scores Ben Wheatley's 'High Rise', based on the terrifying 1975 novel by J. G. Ballard.

The first time I listened to this album was a few days ago. I was occupied with other tasks and the music merely served as a background noise reduction. However, it didn't take long before the music grabbed my attention. The orchestral opener 'Critical Mass' already did the trick, bringing me back to a time when I was forced to listen to classical music by my music teacher. Back then I hated it, later I started to appreciate it, now it often brings me to tears.

Like many classical pieces, this soundtrack communicates a heap of emotions, from fear and anxiety over depression to relief. The eerie 'The Circle Of Women' is as unsettling as it is beautiful, and so is the brilliant piece 'Built, Not For Man But For Man's Absence'. I've always experienced the sound of strings as reflections of solitude and loneliness and here too it perfectly illustrates that.

But there's more than calm, soothing pieces of music. 'Danger In The Streets Of The Sky' is a bombastic yet melodic piece, driving on pure tension. It's dark, it's fearsome, almost Wagneresque. I know, there is no such word as "Wagneresque" but you get the idea. There are also strange pieces of ambient music, like the moog synth piece 'Cine-Camera Cinema' or the macabre sounding closer 'Blood Garden'.

I'm so happy that I eventually got into classical music and ambient, otherwise I might have never been able to appreciate true musical genius. After listening to this soundtrack a few times, I'm quite sure that Mansell is an outstanding composer, creating inspiring pieces of music that will never bore. So it's no wonder that I recommend this album to every fan of classical music out there. This will be played here a lot from now on...


​Serge

classical / ambient / experimental

This is the first time that Scottish sound artist Tui (Orla Wren) and French guitarist Cyril Secq (Astrïd) make an album together, even though Cyril has already contributed to some of Tui's previous albums. They haven't recorded this album together physically; Cyril sent Tui various unreleased tunes to work with and the result sounds organic and dreamy yet the generally high-pitched sound effects keep you aware of possible danger lurking around the corner. 

Because Tui has quite a remarkable way of creating barbed electronic sound effects from field recordings of natural sources (insects, water, a breeze, ...), Branches takes you outside, far away from the city, where you'll find Cyril plucking peaceful and relaxed tunes on his acoustic guitar. Hidden in this forest of sounds are a piano, a harmonium, a violin and an organ, which blend perfectly with the experimental soundscapes.

The whole ripples relatively peacefully towards the finale, la 'Huitième Branche', where some quite unexpectedly heavy drones (which were forecasted in the 'Troisième Branche') complete the experience of having lingered in what must have been an out-of-this-world place. It's a place definitely worth checking out for yourself if you like (or want to try out) some experimental post-neoclassical ambient.


Eline

classical 

You know, with all the brutality, fuzz, violence, riffs and electronic beats (to name a few), running through my speakers on a daily basis, there is one thing that always seems to win. In my direct neighbourhood, some of the apartments surrounding mine to be specific, seems to be a piano. Whenever someone starts playing that thing, I often shut down my stereo and listen to the spontaneous sounds from behind the walls. 

So yes, I learned to love the piano, especially when someone with a lot of talent is cooperating with it. Yes, cooperating, sometimes I feel like every good piano piece is a duet between the instrument and the one touching the ivory. That certainly seems to be the case on this album. With the piano as central (and only) instrument, Italian composer Igor Longhi creates beautiful unsung songs, lullabies and imaginary landscapes.

What reviewers often do these days, is compare these piano pieces with modern day composers like Olafur Arnalds and Nils Frahm. However, my experience tells me that there is a lot more to these musicians and I'm often inclined to mention people like Chopin, Sibelius or, in this case, Wim Mertens. That certainly is the case with Igor Longhi, who seems to shun everything modern and delve deep into the gentle sound of his piano.

Sometimes the music is romantic, sometimes dramatic, sometimes playful, sometimes calm and subdued and sometimes extravert and immersive but there is always a touch of magic, as if the artist is merely the medium the piano needs to tell its stories. But you know, I could write down immense sentences about how brilliant this album is, or I can just sit back, relax and enjoy the beauty. I suggest you join me in doing the latter...


​Serge

classical

Self-made Ukrainian composer Egor Grushin posted a quote from Aristoteles on his facebook page, which translates as "Only music has the power to shape character. With music, you can teach yourself to develop the right feeling." Music has an immense power indeed over every human, regardless of their age or appearance. Maybe it communicates directly with our soul, or would it be because music is so good at evoking memories and moods? 

We hear Egor Grushin on piano through the album, sometimes accompanied by Roksolana Pakholkiv on cello, and Yaroslav Dzhus on bandura. I love the dynamics and warmth of the combination of these acoustic instruments, but the piano-only pieces to me are equally magical. There's a good balance on Dominicano because only in a few composition the other instruments are dominantly present.

After a listen or ten of this self-released 2014 album, it finally occurs to me that Egor Grushin transforms my mood constantly. The general atmosphere is melancholic and warm, but there's a whole rainbow of feelings to explore.  

Whenever I try to finish this review, track three, 'Vento Domani' takes my breath and words away, maybe because it reminds me of Chopin's 'Raindrop Prelude' so much. The atmosphere is equally sad, fragile yet hopeful. And then, 'Kalsemarsch' makes me forget all about this sadness and also throws me back in time. My memory doesn't succeed in fixing this link, but it was a rather obscure DIY neoclassical album that was all about The Lord Of The Rings and which had one track with the same rhythm and playfulness. So I'm mentally in a medieval fantasy world when I listen to this one, where the sun shines, we got some food in our bellies and the trolls are miles away so no one in our party pays attention to our badly healing wounds. 

Everywhere through the album there's tenderness, longing, love, grief, hope, celebration and more, often combined in each track. The emotional effect of this music is so intense that it's very hard to find words to describe it for a reviewing rookie like me. 

So if I managed to arouse your curiosity, don't hesitate to check Dominicano out. If you want more, you don't have to wait long because in June Grushin will release a new album. I think it's time for his life work to cross the Ukrainian borders so that the rest of the world can go check him out live. I'm pretty certain that you would remember the height of your gooseflesh forever...



Eline

classical / experimental / folk

I've been looking forward to this one. We saw Jozef Van Wissem perform live twice: just him and his lute which he wields in such a diverse and controlled manner like only an extremely passionate musician can. We bought his album The Joy That Never Ends, which contains the same kind of non-verbal beauty. Appearantly, this Dutch composer has made a lot more albums than I thought, often working together with artists like Jim Jarmusch and Tilda Swinton. Jozef has also written soundtracks for films and a video game during his now 16 year old musical career.  

Quite a surprise for us that his latest album comes with subtle electronics, samples and sometimes vocals, although there are purely instrumental tracks too. The general atmosphere is darker than the work I've heard, which is emphasized by the album cover and the titles. In general, Jozef plays slower, that's for sure, a bit harsher and I sense even more affliction then I saw on his face during his concerts. This might of course be interpretation of mine, maybe Jozef is a very happy person. But did you ever see a happy man holding a self-castigating device or inventing a song title like 'On the incomparable nobility of earthly suffering'? 

There's something unique about this gloomy atmosphere - should I call it post-gloomy? I have the slight impression that this is someone who went through a lot of crap, and at one point decided to spend the rest of his life on stuff that really makes sense. The lute and meditation for example. 

There's quite some variety between the songs, but they share the atmosphere described above. It's impossible for me to choose a favourite, neither is there one which I don't like as much as the others. Jozef uses his own spoken word on 'You can't remain here', 'Detachment' and 'The ecstacy of the golden cross' which came as quite a surprise at the first listen. And suddenly during this listening session, Serge and I asked each other: "Where do we know this voice from?" Yes, Zola Jesus. Nika sings as beautiful as ever on the track 'Ruins' and it blends perfectly with the music. You can also hear her shoegazing chants in the opening track 'To lose yourself forever is eternal happiness'. What a gem of a title. 


What a gem of an album.


​Eline

soundtrack / ambient

Sometimes I think my job on this planet is to bring and gratify a touch of friendliness onto this world. I live in a city where people are not being very nice to each other, something which has been bothering me for decades. So, whenever I encounter a friendly email from a modest musician, asking me politely if I would like to check out his newest release, the whole thing gets a certain charm and immediately raises my interest. So, Jakob, this one is for you, for being such a nice person.

Of course, that's not the only reason why I really wanted to check this out. The other reason was the music, obviously. It is the soundtrack for "Skörheten" (Fragility), a documentary movie, described as a "heartfelt and poetic depiction of a woman's struggle with depression and childhood traumas".  With a story like this, I would indeed expect a soundtrack with piano, soundscapes and an emotional atmosphere. And that is exactly what you get.

Although the piano seems to be the central element, this album is loaded with a blend of modern classical music and experimental ambient. Some of these pieces, mainly the ones where the piano is present, are deeply emotional pieces of music. Minimalism seems to be a keyword. There is not a note or touch too many and the whole breathes at atmosphere of solitude, loneliness and perhaps even hopelessness.

The latter certainly is present in some of the gloomy drone pieces on this album, where a gentle but continuous drone functions as the foundation for other instruments to thrive upon.  You can almost feel the emotion the protagonist of this story feels, you can almost place yourself in her place and cry her tears, feel her desire to step out of the destructive vicious circle. I haven't seen the film but I know for a fact that this music has the ability to make it a massive tearjerker.

In short, this started out as an act of friendliness in reply of a nice email and turned out to be such a beautiful and inspiring piece of work.  Music can indeed make or break a movie and this one certainly does the first.  If you are a fan of ambient, modern classical and emotional movie soundtrack, you should check this out. We're dealing with a tremendous talent here. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to cry for a few hours...


Serge

modern classical / ambient

After the previous sludge-metal assault, I really needed something to calm my nerves.  On those occasions, it's nice to see an email from Eilean Records coming in.  In the past months, this label has always managed to come up with something I really, really, really like and I don't think they will disappoint in the future.  In fact, Eilean is becoming synonymous with high quality ambient like ECM is synonymous with high quality jazz and Cold Meat Industry was synonymous with high quality...well, whatever CMI released.

Jason Van Wyk is a composer and producer from Cape Town, South Africa.  For this album, his second, he delves into the world of modern classical music.  Armed with piano, synths and electronics and aided by violin and cello players, he tries to immerse the listening into the elements, the calm atmosphere of an ocean, the inspiring appearance of stone, water or air. Does he succeed? Obviously, if not, Eilean Records wouldn't have released this beautiful piece of work.

It's very easy to compare this album to works of people like Olafur Arnalds, Nils Frahm or Sebastian Plano.  However, I feel like that doesn't honor this album as it should.  In fact, it's because of people like Jason Van Wyk that I've started to realize that Arnalds can be a bit too modern, electronic and cold for me, that Frahm is sometimes too experimental and that Plano might be a bit one sided.  

Don't get me wrong, I love those people's music. I spent countless of hours enjoying them.  It's just that I think I will enjoy the warm soundscapes and the fragile piano of Jason Van Wyk more. There's also plenty of variation, some pieces are minimal pieces of modern classical music, others, like 'Outset', my favorite, have a certain rhythm, reminding me of Tangerine Dream, for example. That variation gives the whole a nice flow, perhaps even something narrative.

Of course I recommend this album to everyone who loves ambient music and modern classical stuff, perhaps even to some new age adepts out there.  This is a warm, gentle and seductive album that will often appear in my playlists.  I can only advice you to check it out and let this gentle storm overtake you.  It's a soothing journey, I can promise you. 


​Serge

classical / score / ambient

Several months ago I got acquainted by German post-rock entity We Deserve This when I reviewed his 'Pacific' album (read review).   I really digged his quite heavy style and to be honest, I was expecting something similar.  Needless to say that I was quite surprised by how this new album turned out.  Halfway throughout the album, the first time I listened to this, I said to my wife: "why is he still trying to sell this as post-rock?"

Wow, that might sound like a pretty harsh question, no?  Well, it is not.  This is not a post-rock album, this is a modern classical album where piano and strings are being enhanced by electronic percussion and a beautiful atmosphere.  This stuff is aiming directly for the thrones of people like Olafur Arnalds and Bersarin Quartett and with the right people behind him, We Deserve This could be playing big jazz and ambient festivals soon.

Now, don't get me wrong.  This is definitely something that will please fans of Mono and Godspeed! You Black Emperor but I would never hesitate to recommend this to fans of Nils Frahm or Sebastian Plano or even Boards Of Canada.  With the piano as central element, a trip-hop resembling set of beats and loads of cinematic soundscapes, We Deserve This managed to create something that convincingly crosses the borders between genres.

My personal favorites here are 'Fusion', 'Triangle' and closer 'Welcome Dear Monument', but that's a tough decision to make.  In fact, I much more prefer to play the entire album, often a few times in a row. There is not a lot of difference between the tracks, which are all made out of similar elements, which makes it perfect for concept-listening.  Concept-listening is a technique where the album is becoming a part of everyday activities, blending in perfectly with whatever I do, and this album certainly is good enough to do that. 


Serge

classical / singer/songwriter

There comes a time in everybody's life when a person has to do things differently, tone down and take a step back from the bustle and racket from everyday life.  Over the years I've seen many musicians suddenly take on a different approach, usually minimalistic and serene.  Like the death metal drummer who suddenly rediscovered the piano at his grandmother's house and started playing it.  That man is now widely successful and praised for his work.  That man's name is Olafur Arnalds.

There's quite a similar story to be found on this album.  Exec is Troels Abrahamsen, most notable for being the vocalist for Danish electro-rock band Veto.  He too rediscovered the piano, a instrument he knew very well as a child.  Fascinated by the warm, analog sound of this instrument, he started working on new songs, featuring nothing but the piano and his distinct voice.  The result is this splendid album, a solo performance in the best possible way.

There's another Olafur Arnalds reference.  The songs on this album remind me a lot of some of the ones on 'For Now I Am Winter', more specifically the ones with vocals.  Both excel in creating an atmosphere of solittude and often complete loneliness.  But not necessarily in a bad way. It feels a bit like sitting near an open fire in the heart of winter, cozy and soothing.  It's both modest and emotional.

My advice? Well, fact is that Mr. Abrahamsen has a distinct voice which might take some getting used to at first.  However, it still is a strong voice with plenty of timbre and dynamics to carry this album to a high level.  I do recommend this album to any fan of his work in Veto and as a vocalist in Kölsch and Audion.  The album shows a different style, one that I like a lot.  I wouldn't be surprised if Exec shows up on some of Europe's jazz-festival stages this summer, or in large theater venues. 


Serge

modern classical / electronic

Classical music and modern day electronics, it's a passionate love story, filled with romance, beauty and emotions.  Some purists are clearly against such a love affair but even they can't deny that there are some amazing talents in this scene.  Well, purists can deny everything, that's true but let's not mind them.  Let's enjoy this fascinating album by Chicago based composer Shannon Hayden.

Hayden is a professionally  trained cellist who loves to bend the rules of the game a little bit.  Playing the cello since she was seven, she enrolled into the Yale School of Music at eighteen and worked with contemporary composers Ezra Laderman and David Lang.  However, she wanted to explore the range of her instrument and the possibilities it has when combined with electronics.

That exploration eventually resulted in this album, a collection of 'guerrilla classics'.  It opens with the mesmerizing song 'Vanished', which reminds me of acts like Banks or Austra, perhaps if they would work with Olafur Arnalds.  Imagine what magic that cooperation would bring forth.  Well, this is that kind of magic.  'Same' takes on a similar approach, be it darker, a bit more industrial related maybe but still hauntingly magical.

I really like the gloomy and moody sound of Shannon's music.  It has a warm but mythical atmosphere.  Yet, there are also a few odd surprises, like the folky, happy but a bit creepy 'Baggage'.  It's almost a country tune but accompanied by deep electronic percussion.  Then there's the very (too) short dark ambient 'Interlude', which is followed by another beautiful downtempo track 'Starshine'. 

Oh man, 'Starshine' is beautiful.  It reminds me a lot of Monophona.  It combines classical cello with downtempo ambient and atmospheric post-rock.  'Accelerator' is another surprising and somewhat bizarre track.  Comparing it to Zoviet France making an avant-garde classical piece wouldn't even be so far-fetched.  'Voices' brings back the dark ambient feel with its spooky sound and closer 'Silver Superstar' comes highly recommended for Apocalyptica fans (and Tangerine Dream fans too).

It's been awhile since I've turned a review into a song-by-song description.  I was actually planing on no longer doing that because I believe there are always some things the reader should discover for himself.  However, this album is so awe-inspiring that I had no choice but to mention each song separately.  So yes, I am going to recommend this album to any fans of gloomy, slow and emotional music.  Brilliant piece of work...


Serge

Classical / Experimental

One thing I've always admired in music is the strong tendency to survive and to blend with whatever is popular during certain eras.  Classical music has been around since the sixteenth century and is still massively popular.  It also mixes perfectly with other genres and certainly with electronics.  An excellent example is this album by Danish act CTM, which stands for Caecilie Trier Musik.

Caecile Trier is a composer, vocalist and cellist, active in the wonderful region between classical music and minimal electronics.  It's a world where people like Nils Frahm, Sebastian Plano and Olafur Arnalds also like to dwell, but in a different way.  On this album, the piano is not the main aspect, the song is.  The piano is present, along with a number of different instruments and electronics, but they all seem to serve on goal: making decent songs.

And decent these songs are (I know, that sounded like Yoda a bit).  These are quite dark pieces of music, often containing deep droning basses and minimal but effective electronic percussion and trippy beats.  They support the distinct voice of Caecile, which somehow reminds me of something between Tracy Chapman and Sade.  This voice gives the whole something warm, folk-related perhaps. 

This album certainly is something unique and there are some brilliant songs here, including 'The Way The Mouth Is A Mouth' and closer 'Escored/The Road'. The latter has something jazzy, which by the way is mildly present throughout the entire album.  So yes, I will recommend this to jazz fans, and to fans of classical influenced pop ballads.  Try it out, you'll be pleasantly surprised. I know I was...


Serge