Category: Synthpop

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Lynhood - Septembre

ambient / experimental / shoegaze

Atypeek

Lynhood is the solo project for French bassist Chloé Della Valle, founder of the Grenoble label. Lynhood is also a very interesting take on ambient, drones, noise pop and shoegaze. Armed with a bass guitar, her dreamy voice and a loop station, Lynhood creates textured pop songs with a gritty edge. That now results in this four track ep which at times is extremely melancholic. While opener 'Tree' is a gentle tune, 'White Emperor' is a tremendous tearjerker, gloomy and deeply introvert. In all, this ep is not an easy pill to swallow but certainly one worth the effort. It's simply another interesting take on drones and ambient. Try it out...

Duality - Archeology

metalcore / metal

French metal act Duality come up with a complex but immersive take on progressive metal and metalcore, a genre I'm not always a big fan of. However, the three songs on this ep are laced with oriental influences, unusual vocal lines and tantalizing electronics, which make this thing a lot better than I expected. The songs are quite slow but still contain heaps of energy and grinding riffs. My personal favorite on this ep is 'Osiris', an intense piece of work that will often surprise the listener. I suggest you check it out, musical surprises are always a good thing as they open your mind for new things.

Never Train - Dnar

hard rock

Inverse Records

They call it "street rock", but I think the term "hard rock" will fit the band very well. I mean, uptempo rockers with a dirty edge and plenty of power, both in the riffs and in the vocals, that spells hard rock in my book. Never Train, a band from Finland, does nothing really new but they did record three highly convincing pieces of good old fashioned rock 'n roll. There is a little bit of Skid Row in here, a dash of Ramones and even a touch of Guns 'n Roses. So this just can't go wrong. Opener 'First We Live' is my favorite. 'Hope In Youth' is a rocking dance floor filler and closer 'Dnar' is simply an uplifting piece of old school hard rock. You might need this...

Dominique Charpentier - L'attente

classical / ambient

The email that contained this ep, also contained the words "It's a piano solo album", which is probably the truest thing I have ever read. On this ep, there is a piano and ten massively experienced fingers who gently help the instrument reveal its dreams. The five short pieces on this ep are soothing and minimal classical pieces that can lighten up every day. I don't care what genre you usually listen to, dear reader, but I strongly urge you to purchase this album. Music like this should be in everybody's collection. Everybody needs moments like these, moments to meditate and look into their own soul. This album can help you with that...

Vautour - Vautour

drum & bass / industrial metal

With the energy of a metal album, French electronic act Vautour comes up with six massively energetic pieces of industrial music. Fans of Chase & Status or Pendulum will undoubtedly embrace this thing. There are references towards hardcore techno, dubstep, drum & bass and breakbeats but also towards rock and metal, be it a highly electronic form If you ever see a moshpit forming during a drum & bass gig, it will probably be while Vautour is playing live. In all, this debut is an interesting piece of work, one which will definitely get your dancing boots on. I can see good things happening for this act in the future.

Moonlight Prophecy - Eternal Oblivion

progressive / thrash metal

Philadelphia's Moonlight Prophecy is a Progressive, Thrash and Neoclassical Metal project from multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Lawrence Wallace, and that is pretty much all you need to know before getting your hands on this stunning ep. Mostly instrumental, this three-track is loaded with shredding riffs, epic guitar solos and a massive drum sound, all coming with a gloomy atmosphere. People have said that this compares to Nevermore meets Testament and I'm not going to disagree with that. Fans of epic, technical and immersive metal can easily trust this project to deliver the goods. So yep, recommended as hell, this one...

Era 9 - Warrior

nu metal

Soundcloud

This single by Montreal based rock band Era 9 is a very nice appetizer for their upcoming album (planned to be released in May). This song seemingly blends influences from Linkin Park, Paramore, Lacuna Coil and even Skrillex and throws them into one immersive piece of music. The result is a possible hard rock charts hit, a song that would do perfectly well as a Wrestlemania tune, for example. So yes, it's worth to check this out. I'm already curious for the upcoming full-length and if you're into anything that smells like nu metal, you should too...

Electric Floor - Fader

synthpop / new wave

Vipchoyo Sound Factory

With elements from indie rock, new wave and synth pop, this trio politely invites you to the dancefloor, especially if you are a fan of Echo & The Bunnymen, Psychedelic Furs, The Cure, Human League and so on. These five tracks seem to come directly from the eighties but will just as well please fans of modern day indie rock. Opener 'Bluedive' and the gloomy 'Borderland' are my favorites on this five track but all the songs are worth your attention. So yes, for a nostalgia trip, this is definitely a highly recommended ep and to be frank, I'd rather go see these guys on stage than Depeche Mode.

Headless Horseman - 47009

techno / industrial

Speaking about invitations to the dancefloor, this one is something for the discotheques and dance festivals around the globe. Headless Horseman delivered a four track ep, loaded with beats and eerie soundscapes. Yet, instead of the regular 4/4 beats, this act gives the whole thing an industrial touch, reminding me of acts like Imminent, Sonar, Morgenstern or Synapscape. The opener, 'Widow's Peak' is my favorite here, along with the Scorn-like dark dub track 'The Day She Vanished'. So yeppers, for a techno record, this is a bloody good one, one that will find the way to my playlists quite often from now on.

Lonely The Brave - Diamond Days

alternative rock

website

British band Lonely The Brave delivered a nice four track ep, named 'Diamond Days'. On this ep, the band comes up with small rock anthems, seemingly influenced by alternative rock, indie and post rock. Opener and title track 'Diamond Days' is a possible fan favorite, an intelligent rock anthem that would fit perfectly well in today's alternative rock community. 'Two Heads' is a bit heavier and 'Collider' is another awesome anthem. The ep closes with a nice version of 'The Rat', originally recorded by The Walkmen. In all, this ep might not be earth shattering but it's definitely a nice addition to your collection.

Misto - Infinite Mirrors

post rock

Redefining Darkness Records

This debut ep by Italian one-man post rock act Misto has been released last year but it only reached us a short while ago. Usually, when that happens, the release ends up in the pile of albums-we-don't-have-time-for but this time I'd like to make an exception. Why? Well, this is a very nice six-track ep, containing some gentle post rock tunes. This certainly is one of those ep that would perfectly fit in your massive post-rock playlists, there where Explosions, Godspeed, Mogwai, Caspian and Astronaut also roam. So go ahead, download these tunes help me in hoping that Misto will form a band and tour soon...

Grave Plague - The Infected Crypts

death metal

Give Praise Records

On to the extremes then, courtesy of American death metal horde Grave Plague. Their sole goal is to resurrect the old school version of death metal and on this two-track ep they do exactly that. With a sound that reminds me of something between Dismember and At The Gates, this quintet blasts two ferocious slabs of vintage death metal through my speakers at a very high paste. The whole thing is quite short but powerful enough to demolish a small suburb. So if you're into grinding riffs, sick grunts and pulverising tempos, this one should have a spot in your collection. Period.

HaatE - Crystal : Farewell

dark ambient / black metal

Italian black ambient act HaatE returns with a mesmerizing and hypnotic ep, one that has everything it needs to be a solid reference to this dark and mysterious genre. Although mostly rooted in dark ambient, there are elements from black metal and the whole post-black/rock scene. The end result is a sonic journey that never disappoints, never gets stale and continuously contains this cold, eerie and haunting atmosphere. I can only recommend this thing to all you dark souls out there. For people like you, this music is comforting and calm while it's dark and scary for others. Great work, a must-have.

Kolfskop - Cambozola Superster

experimental rock

The weirdest ep in this edition of Brieviews comes from Belgian trio Kolfskop. These guys from Ghent once had an idea about how music should sound, threw that overboard and started experimenting, influenced by Zappa, Waits, Beefheart and Primus. Now, they come up with this strange ep, one that has the words "avant-garde" written all over it. Nonetheless, this thing comes highly recommended because it's something you just don't hear very often anymore. Oh, and it's all in Dutch, but don't let that stop you. After all, plenty of Belgians are musical geniuses as well as completely mad.

Eli van Pike - Herzschlag

gothic / industrial metal

Darksign Music

A German-American cooperation, deeply rooted in the dark industrial metal scene, that has got to be interesting. And it is, certainly for fans of bands like ASP, Oomph, Wolfsheim and so on. This single contains the gothic rock song 'Herzschlag' and a bunch of EBM/industrial/future pop remixes. Personally, I would have preferred one or two other songs on this single, just to add a touch of variation, but nonetheless, this is an interesting example of today's gothic scene. So I guess the choice is yours, and I strongly suggest checking this single out. If you like it, why not get the whole album?

Fork / Göttemia - Indre Enfold

punk

Kraftpest

Fork

Göttemia

And we end this edition of Brieviews with two bands from the Norwegian punk underground, bands that have been playing live and touring for years and became quite good friends. Fork comes up with two energetic punk songs, nudging towards alternative and noise rock but still raunchy enough to please hardcore punks. Göttemia adds three aggressive punk tunes to the mix, perfectly capable of getting that mosh pit started. Both acts seem to do exactly what they want, which obviously is in perfect punk tradition. So, punk of all ages, check this out. You'll love it.

Snake Heart Society – Exist and Exit

18/3/2017

synth pop

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Exist and Exit is the debut album of American-based electronic/ synthpop duo Snake Heart Society, released in March 10. With ten tracks – Snake Heart, I See Fire,
Silence, The Dream, Tonight, You Fall Down, They Don't Want You, Shadows, The Other Side and Where are you now – Exist and Exit really absorbed well the greatest 80’s influences – and apparently, more obscure, but nonetheless interesting references too –, in all of its vehement and inconspicuous versatility. Although you will hardly be impressed by them, this album is a well flavored pop virtuosity, despite a handful of inexpressive harmonies highlighted in irrelevant musical passages, that compromises more sinuous melodies here and there.

If you are used to 80’s synth or electro pop, you will hardly feel enthusiastic while listening to this album, since, essentially, Snake Heart Society hasn’t presented anything new. Nonetheless, they have potential to attract younger audiences, and they are competent in creating good and decent harmonies, in the old-fashioned style of the genre. They certainly have developed their own sonority, since they didn’t sound generic, although in some brief moments they certainly remind Depeche Mode a little.

Exist and Exit manages to be a good, decent, even splendid album, without a doubt. Although I reassert the fact that this record is far away from being considered a masterpiece or an impeccable debut, there is almost a total absence of major flaws either. And the duo certainly has enough talent, competence and dedication to promote a great and more visceral revival of the genre. They really have a formidable musical sensibility, and great potential to make stunning records in the future. My favorite song in the record was the first, Snake Heart, undoubtedly.

While Exist and Exit could have been a better record, it certainly reveals extensive and exciting musical possibilities. With influences – apparently – ranging from Soft Cell to Daft Punk – and I will not name the most obvious ones, of course –, Snake Heart Society has showed meticulous consistency, an intelligent musical intuition, a great sense of timing and a certain level of subtle authenticity in their curious debut. Like I’ve pointed out above, this record would hardly impress an enthusiastic veteran of the genre, but they do elaborate interesting rhythms that rejuvenates the synthpop atmosphere quite extensively. Exist and Exit certainly can be classified as a very good album. But they have talent and creativity to do better than this.

Wagner

Lazerpunk! – Nightcrawler

19/12/2016

electronic / synthpop / darkwave

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Nightcrawler is the most recent release by Hungarian electronic music artist Lazerpunk! One hour long, the album has fourteen tracks – as to know, The Message, Virtual Reality, Level One, Worldeater, Miami Mafia, Million Dollar Baby, Warrior, Radio Towers, Night Sky, This Is Not The End, Stardrifter, Nightcrawler, Endgame and The Fading Memories Of Summer And You – that reveals itself to be a very unusual and bizarre piece of electronica. With an intriguing, but exceedingly eccentric mixture of several subgenres, like dark, retro and futurewave, as well as synthwave, amongst others, Nightcrawler relies on too much generic and formulaic electronica devices, becoming a somewhat noisy album, for dealing with so many styles, doing in fact little to aggregate intelligent elements to this generally unfavorable and very conspicuous musical panel of melting electronic subgenres.

Don’t get me wrong. Nightcrawler is not a bad album, but it’s not memorable either. Only if you are a very ardent enthusiast of noisy electronica, you will like this record. Extremely exasperating all the way through, some of its tracks can work in night clubs, but only a handful of them. Some beautiful melodies do emerge along the way, but its principles, in general, are too slow or beaten up to please an audience, and the listener rapidly grows tired of so much sharp and superficial sonorous uniformity, throughout a musical anatomy that inevitably gets excessively monotonous, and ostensibly repetitive.

There are little elements to describe positively about this album. If you think of it as specifically designed to attend a narrowed niche of electronica, then this work really becomes better understood, and you extract more sense out of it, vividly and functionally. Otherwise, it is just another work full of synth notes and noises, that makes you grow tired – at best, at worst, you die of boredom – while listening to it.

This musician is really skilled and talented in what he does. Nonetheless, he does not challenge himself on a satisfactory basis on this album. He keeps his abilities guarded in a comfort zone, and never leaves. Aside some bright moments, and a handful of good tracks, this album will hardly prove itself to be worthwhile to anyone, unless you are one of those people who can be described as an exception, that fit in the specific niche, upon which Nightcrawler is meticulously inserted.

Wagner

Scandroid – Scandroid

28/11/2016

electronic / darkwave /synthpop

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Scandroid is the eponymous self-titled debut album of an electronic cyberpunk darkwave/ retro wave/ synth wave one-man musical project, led by an artist known only as Klayton, based on the United States, responsible also for the projects Celldweller and Circle of Dust. With fifteen tracks – being them 2517, Salvation Code, Aphelion, Shout, Destination Unknown, Connection, Datastream, Empty Streets, Awakening With You, Atom & E.E.V, Neo-Tokyo, Pro-bots & Robophobes, Eden, Singularity and Eden (Waveshaper Remix), the album was released on November 11, together with another one, that is only an instrumental version.

With a brilliant futuristic techno style of electronica, Scandroid can be best described as the perfect marriage between Daft Punk and mind.in.a.box. Its debut album, without a doubt, is one of the best things that I have ever heard in my entire life within the genre. With a powerful force of its own, filled grace, amazing rhythms, and catchy melodic twists, Scandroid certainly is the future of electronica. With a gracious, but lucid influence of 80’s pop, the artist in question really absorbed all the right things, in what concerns the musical influences from the past. With the fourth track – Shout – being an electronic version for the notorious Tears for Fears classical hit, this album is literally a masterpiece: no flaws, no boring moments, no nostalgia freaking styled tracks. Scandroid is the most beautiful electronica masterpiece that you will ever hear in your life. It’s such a powerful album that it’s impossible to become tired of it. Beautiful, poetic, filled with escalating rhythms and hallucinating melodies that travel through the magical rainbows of a hopeful philosophy of sensibility and love, Scandroid is one of the best albums of 2016, one of the best albums of the decade, and certainly one of the best albums ever made in the history of electronica, as a genre, and as a sonorous expression of art.

A marvelous and perfect album, like I had never heard before, with equally disturbing ascendant moments filled with rapture, and an indescribable energy that encompasses the songs from the beginning until the end, such amazing masterpiece deserves all the recognition it could get, from the moment it was released.

Fantastic, imperially suggestive, permeated with a happiness that engulfs the rhythms in a melodic dissonance that dwells from a distance, this album literally made me speechless. Beautiful beyond any description, Scandroid is a marvelous masterpiece, that will define something new in your heart, as well as shape and rearrange through another perspective your musical taste. A wonderful work of art, bound by a universe of glowing light, this is a musical experience like you have never heard. Superb, powerful, unique, with a high level of delusional excellence and majestic artistry, this is definitely the album of a lifetime. A wonderful paradise for the ears, to say the least!

Wagner

Brieviews part 16

20/11/2016

We have t-shirts. We know you have some too, but they're not the same.

Mök - Kamikaze Slug

black metal / crust punk

Spotify

Sometimes strange thoughts appear in my mind. This time the sentence: "blackened crust punk played by people who can actually play their instruments" popped-up halfway through the second song. With chainsaw-guitars, eerie vocals, grunts and brutally dynamic drums these guys actually created a stunning piece of work. Darkthrone or Mayhem come to mind but also extreme hardcore punk of bands like Amebix. The well-played and quite varied combination of both styles make this a raunchy and filthy delight to listen to, perfectly suited to squatted building parties and grungy underground venues. Recommended stuff...

Malacoda - Ritual Aeterna

symphonic metal

Hailing from Canada, symphonic metal horde Malacoda comes up with a dark, horror inspired ep. These sixs track are loaded with immersive tempos, excellent guitar play and plenty of keyboard sounds. The end result reminds me of something between Dimmu Borgir, Nightfall, Moonspell and Kamelot, which obviously means that this music is epic as hell. My favorite track is 'I Got A Letter' but there's a lot of gothic goodness to be found on this thing. Fans of dark melodic metal surely can't go wrong with this. There's plenty of variation, tonnes of atmosphere and enough energy to keep you rocking...

Venkman - Thunder Thief // Some Rainbows

funk / alternative

soundcloud

Right, time to explore something completely different for a while, which takes us all the way to this English act and their uplifting funk. I reviewed their work before (read) so I was curious about these two songs. With good reason too. This is stuff for world music festivals and sunlit family events. 'Thunder Thief' has a warm and dynamic sound, possibly inspired by traditional African music. The second song, 'Some Rainbows' is my favorite of the two. It brings a touch of indie rock, a dash of ska and loads of soul together to create something you just have to dance to. This goes right into may day-to-day playlist.

Rodney Cromwell - Fax Message Breakup

synthpop / electronic

Time to put on our dancing boots and enjoy some gloomy dancefloor fillers. This ep apparently was inspired by the infamous break-up between Phil Collins and his second wife but don't let that confuse you. The title track is a Depeche Mode meets OMD meets Pet Shop Boys track which will definitely cause some ass-shaking. I also really dig the Cure inspired guitar line in this one. The remixes range from strange disco to even stranger techno tunes but are nonetheless quite joyful tunes to light up your Sunday blues. The vocals say "I can't do this anymore", but I personally hope he'll do this more often...

Dead High Wire - Satellite State Brain Drain

post punk / alternative / indie

Kinky Star

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure to introduce these guys on our website (read) and now they return with a brand new ep. This new release contains four tracks and showcases the evolution of the band. Opener 'The Germans' for example reminds me of acts like Cabaret Voltaire. while 'Defectors' is a damn immersive rocker. 'The Grey Zone' and 'Chains' punk things up a bit but still remain loyal to the whole post punk and indie atmosphere. I specifically like the first two tracks. Somehow they feel like they have the power to attract a lot of new fans. But rest assured, this whole ep is a prime example of energy being put to good use. Awesome ep.

Flayed - XI Million

hard rock

Kaotoxin

Hell yeah, my favorite French rockers return with a new ep, one that once again blasts with energy and adrenaline. What you get on this ep is exactly what you would expect from a band like Flayed: heavy blues-infused rock 'n roll with rough vocals and that always awesome Hammond organ. If you're into everything between Deep Purple, AC/DC and Black Crowes, you should get your hands on this gem. The opener and title track 'XI Million' remains my favorite but I'm sure that these five fine tunes will blast through my speakers a lot from now on. Oh, and there's a smashing version of CCR's 'Fortunate Son' on this one too.

Maira - Maira

black metal / shoegaze

I never really understood the whole "blackgaze" thing. Ok, the bands blend shoegaze with black metal but the genre still sounds like black metal to me, perhaps a bit more psychedelic but still. That is, until these guys from Austria showed up in my inbox. On their debut ep, they actually manage to shatter my doubt about this genre. While these two songs are still infused with a decent dose of black metal, Maira comes up with clean vocals and, well, actual shoegaze and post rock. The result is somewhat surprising but nonetheless highly interesting. I will keep an eye our for these guys, and I suggest you do the very same thing.

Killer 4 - Killer 4

grunge / alternative rock / punk

Those Italians sure know how to rock, and Killer 4 are here to prove exactly that. With their sleazy blend of grunge and stoner rock, dressed in a filthy punk attitude, these guys want to rock your socks off. For me, this really is a nice throwback into the nineties where the guitars were distorted, the vocals were raspy and the drums blasted the whole thing forward with a lot of energy. There are five songs on this ep, all guaranteeing a wicked and wild rock 'n roll party. You take care of the booze and the girls and Killer 4 will take care of the raunchy soundtrack for your nineties themed debauchery.

Nick Noro - Vietnamm

rock

The frontman for American metal/hardcore band Survival comes up with an interesting piece of rock music. Although the music doesn't seem to be very complicated, it's not easy to place this in a certain category. I hear flashes of English punk rock, some influences from bands like Sisters Of Mercy, Killing Joke, or The Damned. There are samples and electronics, but most of all, there is sheer energy and some damn immersive pieces of kick-ass rock music. The whole comes with a tremendous in-your-face attitude which makes this ep quite irresistible for fans of pure and uncompromised rock music.

Birthday Kicks/Screaming Dead Balloons - Tonight at Vault Relics

post punk / alternative rock

Vault Relics

Birthday Kicks

Screaming Dead Balloons

Speaking about in-your-face rock music, here's a nice 7" for your listening pleasure. Side A features Greek fuzz-rockers and their immersive version of 'She Talks To Rainbows' (originally a Ramones song). Of course, in this case the original will always remain better but this sure is one damn good version. Side B brings the gloomy post punk from fellow countrymen Screaming Dead Balloons. This is my favorite of the two, combining lingering guitars with noise rock and a hint of psychedelic rock. So yeah, I'd say "check it out", it's a nice addition to your already impressive collection.

Chanvre - Valkyrie Mecanique

alternative rock / noise rock

By now, we at Merchants Of Air know France as a country with headstrong musicians doing their thing, regardless of trends or genres. Take this trio for example. They're armed with guitars, bass, drums and a bunch of effect pedals so you might expect quite anything. Yet, even then your expectation might be wrong. Once you press play, you'll be engulfed in a whirlpool of noise rock, post punk, psychedelic rock, sludge, math rock and sheer weirdness, all accompagnied by French vocals. The result is a strange but nonetheless enjoyable ep that just might get you dancing or banging your head. The choice is yours...

Dark Clarity - Dark Clarity

hard rock / heavy metal

Dark Clarity is a melodic rock band from Finland. Although they formed back in 2008, several line-up changes slowed down the growth of the band, only now resulting in a first release. Judging from the songs here, those setbacks didn't stop them from becoming a heavy rocking band with an eye for epic heavy metal. My favorite song here is the uptempo 'False God' which even reminds me a bit of Helloween. Other bands that come to mind, include Manowar, Iron Maiden, Gravedigger and Saxon. Not a bad set of names to be compared with. I hope their line-up now remains solid so they can start conquering the metal scene...

Anal Trump - That Makes Me Smart

grindcore

With Travis Ryan of Cattle Decapitation on vocals, San Diego grindcore outfit Anal Trump comes up with a short and vicious assault. The longest song on this album is eighteen seconds long and I had to listen four times while writing this thing. So yes, this is sick, gore grindcore in perfect Anal Cunt / Napalm Death tradition. It comes with a lot of shit that someone named Donald Trump has been spewing out, like 'I'd Date My Daughter', 'Build That Wall' and 'Breastfeeding Is Gay'. So if you miss Seth Putnam, hate Donald Trump, think music should be torturous and have no problem with the fact that downloading this release will last longer than actually playing it, you need this.

Morbid Panzer - Only The Total Death

black metal / thrash metal

Into Dungeons

Since we're dwelling in the putrid extremes of the metal scene, here's a brutal piece of blackened thrash metal for to add to vulgar little pleasures. German horde Morbid Panzer comes up with two songs that will tear your ears off your head. Grinding guitars, pounding drums and screams from the deepest pits of hell will surround you and you will bang your head uncontrollably. The ep reminds me of those old black metal albums from acts like Mayhem, Impaled Nazarene or Darkthrone. So fans of everything other people might find disgusting, get your hands on this brutal gem. You know you want to.

Cancer - Terminal

black metal

Right, let's go even deeper into the sound of utter despair and haunting imagery. Our infernal search for the sickest, grimmest and downright terrifying music now brings us to Australian horde Cancer. The band consists of members of Deadspace and Inquinamentum, so I reckon there has been a lot of experience in these musical regions. Musically, this five-track ep is one of the creepiest depressive black metal releases I've heard in awhile. Fierce, primitive and crushing black metal, accompagnied by frightful howls will definitely reappear in your nightmares. This is only suited for seasoned black metal adepts, that's for sure.

Harmonic Generator - Skull

punk / alternative rock

Hurray, here is part 3 of Harmonic Generator's 'Heart, Flesh, Skull & Bones' tetralogy. Once again, these Frenchmen throw a bunch of high-energy punk rock songs in our faces. They borrow elements from old school hard rock, noise rock and every other guitar-based energy producing genre and turn the whole thing into a rock 'n roll party you can't resist. Opener 'Dreams & Tears' is my favorite on this ep but I suggest every fan of alternative rock music to check this out. And while you're at it, get your hands on the others as well and join me in waiting for the final act in this rock-opera.

Shroud Eater/Dead Hand - Split

doom / sludge

Southern Druid Records

Shroud Eater

Dead Hand

We end this edition of Brieviews with a crushing steamroller in the form of a 7" by two bands from the American stoner doom scene. Shroud Eater kicks off with an immersive piece of music, driving on monolithic riffs and strong vocals. Fans of acts like Yob, Elder and Conan will be absolutely thrilled with this track. Dead Hand drags the whole thing deeper into the noisy sludge scene but their track is equally immersive and enjoyable, if you're into eardrum-ripping guitars. This track also contains a beautiful psychedelic passages, which only adds to the overall quality of this release. Doomers, you know what to do!!!

Serge

Perpacity - Arise

7/10/2016

synthpop / electronic

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Wow, synth pop on Merchants Of Air? That's something you don't see every day. But yes, we have opened the dark dancefloor and we're ready to get all melancholic and groovy. So get your black clothes, your nail polish and lace up your boots. You know why we're here. We came to dance, probably with tears in our eyes but that's ok. It's perfectly fine to move around on one tile and be all nostalgic for the glory years of this genre.

Perpacity is a duo comprised of Ian Harling and Martin Nyrup, who reside in Bristol (UK) and Copenhagen (Denmark) respectively. Together, they deliver pretty much a tribute to synth pop, reminiscent of acts like Depeche Mode, Erasure, De/Vision and Wolfsheim. The majority of this album could easily have been made in the eighties and filled dancefloors everywhere. Yet, here and there a modern electronic sound comes shining through.

The album opens with an intro, named 'In The Beginning' and right after that, we're in synthpop heavy, nothing more, nothing less. Songs like '9725', 'Arise' and 'Sundown', as most others bathe in these vintage soundscapes and minimal but effective beats. The only exception is 'Eternal ft Nordik Fire' which is based on folk and issues violin and guitar solos, resembling the works of Mike Oldfield.

The overall atmosphere is bittersweet and melancholic. You can either dance or just dream away with these blissful melodies and often easy to sing along vocal lines. Although, I wouldn't be surprised if halfway through 'Distant Shore' you start singing "Cry-y-y-y-ing, over you". Somehow, this song sounds like an electronic adaptation of Roy Orbison's classic. Nonetheless, synthpop lovers, you need this record. It'll be a welcome addition to your collection, I promise.

Serge

Introflirt - Temporary Heaven

12/8/2016

synth pop / electronics

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Synth pop isn't something that often occurs on Merchants Of Air. In fact, this is only the third album in that genre we try to write something about. For me, synth pop has always been quite an anonymous genre, with songs played at new wave parties to keep the people dancing. I don't know many bands. Quite frankly, I always left the dancefloor when they started playing Depeche Mode. Don't ask me why, but I can't stand Depeche Mode. Luckily, there's way more to synth pop than them and often quite there's some enjoyable stuff too.

Introflirt is a duo from Oakland, California, specialized in synthpop, although they like to call it "croon wave". With this second album, they try to secure their spot in that scene, and quite rightfully too. What I hear on this album is classic, or vintage, synth pop, often reminding me of Depeche Mode but - luckily - also of acts like And One, Soft Cell, Kraftwerk, The Human League and many others. It's hip-shaking, rather cheesy but joyous music, perfectly suited for the barely lit dancefloor.

There are plenty of dancefloor fillers on this album, including 'Precious Thread' and 'Not Like Mine' but my absolute favorite is 'Frozen Lace', which drives on a downtempo but solid beat and features quite a gloomy sound. For me, this song stands out between the colorful and lively electronic anthems on this album. Let's just call that "personal taste". Another honorary mention goes to closer and title track 'Temporary Heaven', which has absolutely nothing to do with today's music scene. I can't believe this song is not on any of those 'synth pop smash hits' albums. It should be.

So yes, synth pop. I mentioned it many times and there's absolutely nothing more I can add to this review without writing those two words over and over again. Back to the eighties, and highly recommended for anyone who's waiting for the next Depeche Mode album. One of my friends actually is waiting for that one, but I'm sure this one will leave him just as happy and satisfied...

Serge

Ummagma - Frequency

31/10/2015

dreampop / shoegaze / synthpop

Raphalite Records

One thing I can't resist in music, how strange this might sound for someone who usually reviews quite heavy stuff, is fragility. Since founding this website, I discovered several acts and artists creating dreamy electronic shoegaze with female vocals and I'm almost always sold immediately. Today, I'd like to add Ummagma to that list. Floating somewhere between synthpop, ambient pop and electronic post-rock, this Canadian-Ukranian duo sounds extremely promising.

This ep contains five new songs plus three remixes for the beautufil and highly danceable 'Lama' (somewhere betwxeen Joy Division and The Human League). The names of the remixers are quite interesting: Robin Guthrie (Cocteau Twins), Malcolm Holmes (OMD) and Lights That Change. Those names prove that Ummagma already has made some impact in the world of electronic music and with good reason too. I really like all the versions of 'Lama' but let's go into the other tracks as well.

'Orion' is a fragile, electronic piece of work, gently and dreamy. It's sounds a bit like a dreampop lullaby, beautifully sung by Shauna. In fact, that song inspired me to do the 'fragility' intro of this review. 'Winter Tale' sounds a bit like Massive Attack meets Boards Of Canada meets Austra, which is a stunning combination to be honest. 'Galacticon' delves a bit deeper into ancient synth history and somehow reminds me of the very early days of Kraftwerk or Klaus Schulze. 'Ocean Girl' is an odd, folky tune and a decent closer for this ep.

So yes, Ummagma bight become one of the acts to keep an eye out for in the near future. I can defintitely see them touring with big acts, from the trip-hop giant Massive Attack to shoegaze deities Slowdive. I can also see Ummagma gain many followers everytime they play. I wouldn't even be surprised if 'Lama' becomes a huge hit, both in the alterative as in the popular scenes.

Serge

Wood Bois - Sex Playlist

31/8/2015

synthpop

By now, most of our readers should know that I have absolutely zero problems with blatantly switching genres. So you shouldn't be surprised that I've selected something without brutal guitars and blasting drums for my second writing of the day. In stead, we're going to have a little dance and have a good laugh while we're enjoying ourselves. After all, it's the final day of the summer vacation in Belgium and that should be celebrated.

Wood Bois is a humourous synthpop trio from Buffalo, New York (US). They claim to be beautiful and strong men but I'm not going to judge that. I'll just focus on the music, as usual. This four track e.p. seems to be a decent representation of what these guys are capable of: old school new wave electronics, brought with a indie attitude. Besides, the vocals are quite good as well, at one point even reminded me of Robert Smith (The Cure, for those who didn't know).

So yes, this is the stuff that can light up any Cure vs Depeche Mode party. Yes, these exist. I have no idea why but they too. Play 'Razor Scooterz' or 'Can You Feel It? (No)' on those parties and the dancefloor will easily be filled. Even with that eighties rap passage on the latter one. Remember Weird Al Yankovic's 'Will The Real Slim Shady Please Shut Up?'? Yep, you're very close to what Wood Bois does.

It's all in good fun and the music is very enjoyable, certainly 'Meth Girl', which drives on a electronic dub tempo. However, I'm not sure if this is a good playlist for certain bedroom activities, hinted in the title of the e.p. I think we'd be laughing more than having intercourse. On the other hand, laughing doesn't give you SOAs and it doesn't make people pregnant. Maybe after all, this e.p. is a decent contraceptive...

Serge