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

shoegaze / dreampop

stoner rock

electronic / ambient

Avian

post rock

black metal / hardcore

heavy jazz / noise rock

alternative rock

doom metal

heavy metal

power metal / heavy metal

hardcore / progressive

symphonic meal / gothic meal

techno

alternative / singer-songwriter

death metal / thrash metal

Serge

dream pop

jazz / krautrock / post rock

electronic / idm

techno

rock / experimental

stoner / doom

psychedelic doom

black metal / doom / thrash

thrash metal

metalcore

drone / ambient / psychedelic

folk / rock

thrash metal

punk / hardcore

post rock / psychedelic / progressive

electronic / trance / techno / psytrance

Biijah Records

The Myth Of The Cave is the most recent album by Hallupsynagogic, released by Biijah Records, on November 20. With five tracks – being them From Caveman to Alchemist Part I, From Caveman to Alchemist Part II, Ghost Valley, Goblin's Cavern and Hipnagogic Purple (Vs Polybius), The Myth Of The Cave is a trance electronic music album, with an effervescent psychedelic vibe and twist. 

Playing all around with the most entertaining elements of trance music, The Myth Of The Cave has vibrantly skilled and spiraled upbeat harmonies, all perfectly inserted in a very eccentric layer of intelligent rhythms, that remains somewhat constant throughout the whole album. With a distinct playfulness that characterizes ostensibly the spirit of a very basic trance, these five tracks on The Myth Of The Cave really pushes to the limit the basic elements of the genre, relying on a more fully formed traditional design to uplift the development of the rhythms.

Although this feature can be appreciated as a restrict quality, on the other hand, it represents a very compounding weakness, since no innovation is presented here, and the album eventually turns out to the just another trance record, that relies on a “same old” model of work. Although the five tracks presented here are not bad at all, they’re also far away of having some significance. Generated by the central axis of the propelling musical device which comes to subsidize the basic outline of the genre, what we really have in The Myth Of The Cave is a very good, decent trance music album, that is incapable of going beyond that. This means that, completely destitute of an impulsive energy and a groundbreaking originality, this album will never achieve a great result. While I reiterate the fact that this album is, indeed, a very good work, its normality and uniformity can’t accomplish too much. Even the more ardent enthusiasts of the genre will feel bored after listening to this album only a handful of times. 

A good trance music album, that doesn’t explore the vitality of its potential, or the amplitude of the genre per se, The Myth Of The Cave is a very good work, but, unfortunately it stops there. Completely incapable of going further on the path of limitless musical possibilities, exploration and exhilaration, this album is destined to lose itself in the road to sameness. In the meanwhile, you can certainly listen to it, and enjoy, at least to a certain degree. Sooner or later, you will inevitably forget about it. You can be positive about that.       



​Wagner

psychedelic trance / goa / electronic

A Trance compilation released by Californian label Goa Records, and compiled by electronic music legends Moonstar, also known by his more popular nom de plume Ovnimoon, from Chile, and DJ Rhino, from Greece, the double album contains eighteen of the most energized and furious tracks ever created in Trance music, on virtually all subgenres, from Goa to Neo and Progressive, amongst many others.

Divided in two cd’s, the first one has the following tracks: Rules of Levitation, by PsyBuddy, Physical Effort, by Dee, Vaisnava, by Analog Minds, Supernova, by GalactrixX, D.N.A, by Solar Waves, Ancient Tales, by Yar Zaa, Bounty Hunter, by Barby, Luminous Void, by Recursion Loop and Sweet Bitches, by Electit. The second CD has the following track list: Lost In Time, by Trickster, Attraction, by Spectro Senses, Polos, by Sinergia, Living The Dream, by Xamek, Misdirection, by tinY, Revelation, by The Unknown, Ghost of Nebula, by Goa Luni, Outer Space In My Mind, by Lectro Spektral Daze and Silent Sweeper (Cactus Arising Remix), by Omnivox.

A great compilation that reunites the most refined and distilled tracks ever produced on the genre, this exhilarating selection of songs certainly supplies an enormous niche within the Trance music scene. While this genre is primarily characterized by an harmonic noisy repetition, it appeals mostly to a very specific audience, working splendidly in live concerts and electronic music festivals. But, of course, if you are an enthusiast of the genre, obviously you can appreciate a great compilation like this one also at the comfort of your own house.

Characterized primarily by a uniformity that satisfies the listener by inserting him in a very familiar confluence of pronounced shattering sounds, these Trance tracks, that amazingly explores all of its different subgenres, reveals in detail the stylistic zone of harmonies upon which the path of its cohesive dynamics is centered. With the tonalities of the rhythms being constant, most of them converge to a very coherent stance, that summarizes altogether the sonorous principles upon which the genre relies on. However, with each track being approximately seven minutes long, you have to be a very enthusiastic fan of the genre, to be proud of such a collection of sounds. 

With a firm and visible pattern of evaluation that circles the harmony, making the sound intrinsic to its own melody resurface below the lurid challenges of a sphere that breaks the boundaries between antagonistic cadences, most tracks in this compilation are really centered upon a perfect match that counterbalances melody and resonance, revering time loops that shifts the breaks between continuity and bilateral noise. 


While I cannot say I’m particularly attracted to Trance music, this compilation really sounded astonishing to me. Beautiful, transcendental, expansive and true to the genre, enthusiasts of Trance music certainly have a lot of motives to celebrate. While I haven’t found any bad track that in my opinion should be tackled out, this compilation really outstood itself for its cohesion, coherence and beauty, celebrating the genre as a whole, without forgetting its most elusive elements, nor neglecting its diverse subgenres. While maybe I could possibly point it out as a prospective fault the excessively long duration of each track, I know that this is peculiar to this type of music, given the fact that Trance is a genre especially fit for live performances, as its popularity can be properly seen and evaluated at the prominence of the genre in the dance music scene worldwide, and electronic music festivals.                     

Undoubtedly a very good compilation, Fresh Horizons of Goa v2, with tracks appropriately selected by two authorities on the scene – artists Moonstar and Rhino – definitely can be considered among the best ever created on the genre. Even people who are not familiar with Trance music will feel amused listening to it, working also as a great introduction to the genre. Certainly, imposes respect, and deserves to make history, having enough strength on its axis to reach its audience with power and impact.  


​Wagner

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

bandcamp

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

I don't know, experimental jazz techno noise?

Since I experienced Dead Neanderthals at Incubate a few years ago, I've been trying to follow whatever these guys are doing. I admit, I can't keep up with everything but I do my very best. So when I saw that name on the sticker attached to the album, I didn't hesitate. I ripped the plastic off the digipac, fed the cd to my cd player and turned up the volume. Before I realized, I was dancing my ass off and the patients from the plastic surgery hospital across the street were looking and laughing at me. Needless to say, I cannot dance but I will repeat these spastic movements every time I hear this music again.

This album is a collaboration between heavy jazz combo Dead Neanderthals and Dutch psychic house act Drvg Cvltvre. It contains one track, which is a thirty-five minutes lasting dance track, driving on a solid beat and containing loads of soundscapes and tiny variations. It's an immersive jamsession with techno beats, drones, saxophone and guitars, guaranteed to get your butt moving. Unfortunately, there is little else to say about this release, apart from the fact that it's a massive psychedelic and hypnotic trip that you definitely should try out. I hope that this release is followed by a few live performances real soon. I'm absolutely positive that it will get entire audiences in a deep state of trance.


​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...

electronic / techno / experimental

Well, this is a bit of a surprise. Since it's Sunday, I wanted to start my writing session with a nice, relaxed ambient album. So I loaded this little ep into my media player. After all, I've heard Benjamin Finger's previous albums, and although they had a pretty experimental approach, I usually categorized them under 'ambient'. This time however, instead of relaxing, I've started a little house party in my living room.

In a previous review for this Norwegian composer, I uttered the phrase "this is either uptempo ambient or techno-trance without beats". Well, here come the beats, and they bring a very playful approach to Finger's oeuvre. Now, don't expect this to be stale techno or boring house music. There are still loads of soundscapes, melodic elements and even some repetitive jazz passages. The experimental nature of the music still prevails, that's for sure.

The ep reminds me a bit of acts like Psychick Warriors Ov Gaia, Zen Paradox or Gas and that's a tremendous compliment. Even though I never really was into dance music, I own and enjoy some of these people's records and I certainly enjoy this ep. Now I want to go to a summer festival where Benjamin Finger plays these tunes, and I'll sure as hell be dancing to the beat. I'll meet you on the dancefloor...


​Serge 

electronics / techno / experimental

It's quite a nice days today and somehow I feel like playing something more joyful than the stuff I usually review for this webzine.  No, now I want something that can put a smile on my face, maybe even something that can make me dance a little bit.  You might not know it, but once in a while I allow my body to make rhythmic spastic movements which resemble dancing.  Don't worry, you'll never see it.  Dancing is restricted to the living room and the kitchen.

Anyway, let's talk about this album for a while because it's fantastic.  Jon Sheffield is an electronic music producer from Columbia, Missouri.  Besides that, he seems to be a stubborn experimentalist who doesn't care about genre restrictions or classifications whatsoever.  However, I have to classify this for this webzine, so here we go.  What we hear on 'Springboards' is a great blend of experimental electronics, ranging from ambient over old school industrial EBM to trip-hop and electroclash with a little bit of IDM, chiptunes and techno thrown into the mix.  Happy now?

The album opens with 'Sally', which mainly functions as intro and shows some of the elements we'll hear on the rest of the album, namely synths and beats.  'What's A Battle' then comes up with strange samples of children's voices and a quite happy sounding melody.  At this time the tempo is still pretty slow but somehow you get the feeling that's about to change soon.  In a certain way, we're still warming up, this is still an intro.

'Amber' opens with acoustic guitars and modest, clean vocals.  At this point I'm actually starting to wonder where Jon Sheffield is going to with this.  Then the song turns into an Autechre-inspired piece of IDM, before going back to the ballad-feel, combined with strange sounds and melodies.  This is a very alienating song, that's for sure.  'Avocado' isn't any less weird by the way, but it's dance-able weirdness, reminding me of some 8-bit and experimental noise album I've listened to a few years ago.

So does 'Chasing Birds' but this great track reminds me of something else as well.  I guess Mr. Sheffield has been listening to acts like Cabaret Voltaire and Crash Course In Science a lot.  This is the kind of old school industrial I really dig, and we're not done there.  'Retour' brings more analog beats driven insanity and 'Two Meds' digs a bit into the world of dark ambient.  Since we reviewed every song so far, let's just continue in that fashion.

The most radio-friendly, and even summer-hit capacity, song is 'Cranky Graig'.  Graig doesn't sound cranky at all but is an uplifting dance song with some old school happy hardcore vocals.  Let's just call this 'Merchants Of Air's Summer-hit of the year', shall we?  Because we're going to plunge into darkness again with the next one, which is my favorite.  'It's the End of the World' is a gloomy dark dance floor hitter in the vein of people like Tommi Stumpff or Fad Gadget.

'This Martian Cap' returns with electronic ballad atmosphere that made 'Amber' a nice song.  'Amber II' is another otherworldly dance tune and closer 'Feelningz' returns the dark electro approach, making it another one of my favorites on this album.  Yes, I like dark music but I also like the other songs on this album.  In fact, this album has been playing a lot in the past few days.  It's currently my 'happy' album and I'm sure I'm going to play it a lot more from now on.



Serge

Usually we don't really write about EDM releases, mainly because none of us have a background in house, techno and trance music.  They do enter our mailbox though and I often check them out to see if there's anything I can write about them.  Yet, still a lot of them get lost in the huge pile of reviews we still have to go through.  However, once in a while a release pops up that grabs my attention and inspiration comes when I start listening.  So I decide to write about it and see where it will lead us.

In this case, it leads us to some caves at the borders of Belgium and The Netherlands.  These caves have been the scenery for illegal dance parties for decades and it looks like they still are.  I've been to some of those parties, or raves, in the past and it was magical, an experience I will never forget.  Dutch DJ SHLTR draws his inspiration from these strange nights and turns it into highly atmospheric dance music.

There's three tracks on this e.p., each of them driving on continuous analog beats and minimal percussion.  Over these basic elements an array of drones and soundscapes float quite freely, creating a dreamlike sound that has the power to get a lot of people on their feet.  The tracks really sound like little journeys through space and remind me of acts like Gas (Wolfgang Voigt).  

Somehow, it seems like this music was created especially to play at those illegal cave parties.  The wideness of the sound on this e.p. is perfect for the mystical acoustics of these underground dwellings and I'm sure they will add a touch of magic to those nights. Moreover, this music is a decent variation of the stuff I usually listen to, so I'm going to listen to it again and maybe dance a little bit in my man-cave...


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Anagram

As I mentioned in a previous review, I'm not really a EDM-connoisseur but that won't stop me from writing reviews for dance music.  Being a rock and metal fan never stopped me from shaking my ass to new beat, house and techno in the late eighties and nineties (yes, I am that old), so why would it now?  Music is music and music with passion is worthwhile.

Sinfol is one of the label-owners of the fresh, Amsterdam (NL) based Anagram label.  The label concentrates on releasing quality modern dance music with an open mind and a high dancefloor calibre.  With Intra, Sinfol succeeds in describing his label without (many) words.  This 12" is a perfect example of what Anagram stands for.

Intra contains for dance-anthems which range from ambient over acid to dub techno, all with a quite minimalistic approach and a steady focus on the dancefloor.  Hints of melody and far away soundscapes give the songs a unique and beautiful sound. My favourite track is the mysterious and trancy 'Crystalline' with vocals by Barbara Ford.  This song is a dream of a dance track, highly enjoyable on any volume.  

The other tracks have a similar dreamy atmosphere, driving on coninuous beats and thudding bassline.  I don't know if 'thudding' is a word but if you listen to the bass, you'll realize it's a perfect word to describe it.  Intra is an excellent dance e.p. with enough variation to keep the listener entertained and dancing.  Nice stuff...


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bandcamp

Pssst, do you want to go to a weird party?  It's going to be fun, just get in my van and we're on our way.  Don't worry, nothing bad will happen, we really are in for some fun.  It will be something
unlike you have ever experienced, I promise you.  We'll be dancing and laughing and dancing some more, all night long.  Come on, get in.

Rest assured, dear readers, I do not own a van and I certainly don't go driving downtown to pick up people for some weird parties.  I just made that previous paragraph up while I was making a croque-monsieur and listening to this AAAA album.  The part about 'fun' was true however. This is a fun album, filled with wicked beats, lo-fi dance music and almost ancient electronics.

The music on this album can best be described as experimental electronic dance music.  It doesn't have the ever evolving modern sound of most techno releases these days.  Instead, it drives on sixties and seventies synth sounds and an electroclash feel.  With my limited knowledge of modern dance music, I'd put this somewhere between Little Computer People and Black Dice.

Title track 'Shiva Watts' is a pretty uptempo dance track that flirts with nineties techno but maintains a minimal approach.  'Blackfish', one of my favourites on this album, is a nice piece of
elektro that nudges towards Krafwerk.  The latter often comes to mind by the way, just like ambient synth wizards like Klaus Schulze.  Again, a minimal version.

But we're not done yet.  You can hear a lot of different influences on this album. There's some
eighties hip-hop to be found on Shiva Watts, mainly in the beats on 'Vocall 300', a nice hip shaker of a song.  'SH Crush' and 'Pet Grief' even remind me of old EBM acts like Fad Gadget or Cabaret Voltaire.  The combination of all these elements, makes Shiva Watts an amazingly versatile album with some great tracks.

AAAA is one of those people who deliver a different perspective on dance music.  This is electronic music well worth checking out and well worth giving it a shot when you get the chance to see this live.  No doubt this will be a performance to remember, mainly because you never thought it was possible to do this live in a convincing way...


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Wolfskuil Records

More dance music?  Well, yes, why not?  It's a rainy sunday and we got nothing else to do today.  So we thought it would be a good idea to annoy the neighbours with some beats.  Later today, when the neighbours are rehearsing their awefully sung jazz music, I'll play some black metal but now we dance.

Eric Cloutier lives in Detroit, Michigan (US) where he makes house and techno music.  Raxeira is his latest e.p., released by Dutch label Wolfkuil Records.  With my limited knowledge of techno music, it's quite difficult to place this in the vast world of electronic dance music.  

'Raxeira' and the remix by Donato Dozzy are quite minimal dance tunes, driving on analog beats and often nervous percussion and synths.  This nervous feel is also present in the second track, 'Palimpsest'.  Yet, it gives the whole a touch of late-night after party energy which is pretty awesome.

So yes, this is a very decent e.p., perfectly suited for dancefloors allover the world.  Beats like these will get any party started...


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Ressort Imprint
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Now I know, Merchants Of Air is not really known for techno and dance related articles.  In fact, we rarely encounter electronic dance music here.  For some reason, we mainly review rock and metal releases.  However, that doesn't mean we don't appreciate a good dance-tune once in a while.  Well, at least I do, I don't really know about the rest of our crew.  I'm not an expert in these genres, since I usually encounter techno on festivals where it constists of anonymous beats, spinned by overpayed dj's.  Anyway, we recently received this release by Array Access and I decided to give it a shot.

Array Access is a German producer who has been making beats since 2010.  His latest output, Variations, is released on a new label, Ressort Imprint.  This label claims to specialize in quality dancefloor music, and with this release they seem to fulfill that promise.  Variations is loaded with rough techno beats, some very minimal melodic aspects and a lot of energy.

There's two tracks, two remixes and a hard hitting bonus track (digital only) on this 12".  While 'Variation 1' and its remix by Evigt Mörker reminded me of Xingu Hill (back in the days), the other tracks incorporate some ambient synths to enhance a trancy atmosphere.  'Variation 2' is my favourite track, mainly because of that dreamy feel. Eomac remixed this track into a gloomy nineties dance song.

So you see, I can appreaciate some decent EDM sometimes and I can definitely appreciate this e.p.  This is stuff for the dancefloor. Who knows, when I encounter Variations in a dancehall on a festival, I might be able to put a name on it and start shaking my butt off.



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