https://divisi62.bandcamp.com/album/malar Genre: Experimental Rating: 5/5 released on bandcamp January 5, 2022 Recently a few things have been coming out of Indonesia that’s likely to sit well with fans of western avant garde music. Developing an appreciation for Gamelan is a rite of passage for western music fans. Indonesians were working with complex microtonal percussive conceptsContinue reading “Malar by Uwalmassa”
Category Archives: experimental
…for double bass & prerecorded electronics by Daniel Barbiero
https://shopendtitles.bandcamp.com/album/for-double-bass-prerecorded-electronics Genre: Experimental Rating: 5/5 released on bandcamp March 22, 2022 Sometimes I really feel pressure to get the right words out there. I’m pressed for time this morning but I want to get this review out. Two and half listens in, I’m telling you this is one of those that’s going to… let’s sayContinue reading “…for double bass & prerecorded electronics by Daniel Barbiero”
The Emerald Figurines by Biliana Voutchkova – Michael Zerang
https://relativepitchrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-emerald-figurines Genre: Experimental Rating: 4/5 released on bandcamp March 4, 2022 Not my usual starting point but I love the album cover. Y’all, this is straight up hard boiled no bullshit austere as fuck not fucking around avant garde music. The difference between hit and miss with stuff is razor thin. I’m partial to theContinue reading “The Emerald Figurines by Biliana Voutchkova – Michael Zerang”
in the end we are all leaving by default.cfg
https://noproblemadigital.bandcamp.com/album/in-the-end-we-are-all-leaving Genre: Ambient Rating: 5/5 released on bandcamp March 15, 2022 It’s been a bit too long since I’ve heard a truly pioneering ambient release. And as much as I love aggressive music there’s something very special about music that successfully adds a large dose of the surreal in a peaceful way. It’s easy toContinue reading “in the end we are all leaving by default.cfg”
Wagtail by Julius Schwing
https://isthmus-music.bandcamp.com/album/wagtail Genre: Avant Garde Rating: 5/5 released on bandcamp March 4, 2022 This one really took me by surprise and grabbed me by the nuts. Maybe this is as obscure as I think it is or maybe by admitting this is my first contact will get me laughed out of the blogosphere. I hope it’sContinue reading “Wagtail by Julius Schwing”
Uzu Oto by Gurun Gurun
https://buhrecords.bandcamp.com/album/uzu-oto Genre: Experimental Rating: 4/5 released on bandcamp March 11, 2022 What we have right here is some deep dish experimental music. The bandcamp notes indicate they’ve been doing this for a while but as best as I can recall they have never reached my ears before. They successfully combine the hypnotic power of worldContinue reading “Uzu Oto by Gurun Gurun”
STUDY IN STILL LIFE by INCIPIENTIUM
https://idealrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/study-in-still-life Genre: Experimental Rating: 4/5 released on bandcamp March 10, 2022 Kall Savann AKA Incipientium has created one of those slow paced rumblers drone recordings. It lands somewhere in the jungles between what we’ve been calling drone lately and what we used to call industrial before the marriage to 808 State. To be clear there’sContinue reading “STUDY IN STILL LIFE by INCIPIENTIUM”
Ceramic Soul by Riuichi Daijo / Toshimaru Nakamura
https://rawtonkrecords.bandcamp.com/album/ceramic-soul Genre: Free Jazz Rating: 4/5 This seems like a solo guitar thing. After scanning my mind for a bit I decided that Stian Westerhus might be a good comparison to put you, my reader, in the general vicinity, and after thinking on it a bit I think, sure that’s fair. But on my secondContinue reading “Ceramic Soul by Riuichi Daijo / Toshimaru Nakamura”
Hilt by Rudolf Eb.er & Will Guthrie
https://willguthrie.bandcamp.com/album/hilt Genre: Experimental Rating: 4/5 released on bandcamp March 4, 2022 The percussion is the tension builder and the electronics exploits your stress and had me worried that I haven’t taken my blood pressure medicine. Maybe it’s everything else going and my late night glued to the bed listening but this one got under myContinue reading “Hilt by Rudolf Eb.er & Will Guthrie”
The endless endlessness of endlessness by Beachers
https://beachers.bandcamp.com/album/the-endless-endlessness-of-endlessness Genre: Experimental Rating: 4/5 released on bandcamp February 28, 2022 I have traveled a good deal in Concord; and everywhere, in shops, and offices, and fields, the inhabitants have appeared to me to be doing penance in a thousand remarkable ways. Henry David Thoreau, from Walden From Beachers’ bandcamp notes: The tracks reimagine routinesContinue reading “The endless endlessness of endlessness by Beachers”
SFAIRA by Werken
https://shopendtitles.bandcamp.com/album/sfaira Genre: Musique Concrete Rating: 5/5 released on bandcamp February 21, 2022 Listening to this got me to thinking about the evolution of electronic music and what’s been going on with the releases that have been hitting my bandcamp feed. Obviously, there’s no way to tell if what I’m observing is an actual pattern inContinue reading “SFAIRA by Werken”
They Don’t Know What I Go Through At Home by SpermaNoise / To Hell With Religion
https://implodingsounds.bandcamp.com/album/they-dont-know-what-i-go-through-at-home Genre: harsh noise / grindcore (split) Rating: 4/5 released on bandcamp February 12, 2022 My favorite and least favorite thing about this is the album cover reminiscent of the horrifying Dark Angel covers. I hope that poor girl never sees this. As their names would lead you to believe SpermaNoise are the harsh noiseContinue reading “They Don’t Know What I Go Through At Home by SpermaNoise / To Hell With Religion”
Muster by Beispiel
https://beispiel.bandcamp.com/album/muster Genre: Experimental Rating: 4/5 This one is kind of a retro-contemporary electronic release. Sorry for the ridiculous classification but it definitely conjures the early pioneers of electronic music in an austere way despite being improvisational. The duo successfully build on each other’s ideas and it’s a fun curious listen but thankfully never silly. There’sContinue reading “Muster by Beispiel”
Laceration Hazard by Laceration Hazard (Logan Perry And Nick Didkovsky)
https://loganperry.bandcamp.com/album/laceration-hazard Genre: Experimental Rating: 4/5 released on bandcamp January 7, 2022 LH is essentially an avant-garde keyboard / guitar improvisation. Both musicians are very aggressive and adventurous. There’s a touch of old school electro-acoustic and musique concrete about it but the guitar is often angrier than the early pioneers. Both musicians have a healthy senseContinue reading “Laceration Hazard by Laceration Hazard (Logan Perry And Nick Didkovsky)”
I <3 Art by The Lucid Intermission
https://thelucidintermission.bandcamp.com/album/i-3-art-2 Genre: Experimental Rating: 3/5 released on bandcamp February 2, 2022 I was tempted to classify this as post-punk. It’s not post-punk like Wire or Pere Ubu but like the psychedelic bad trip bands from the eighties like the Butthole Surfers or Tragic Mulatto. Or the Hell Cows or Stickdog or the Warlock Pinchers orContinue reading “I ❤ Art by The Lucid Intermission”
A BOY NAMED HEXD by 999 HEARTAKE SABILEYE
https://999heartakesabileye.bandcamp.com/album/a-boy-named-hexd Genre: Experimental Hip Hop Rating: 5/5 released on bandcamp January 1, 2022 Layers upon layers of absolute genius. The Slint homage album cover which was originally a nod to Mao. The song titles. The nod to the Refused nodding to Ornette. But oh my god the hooks! This thing is full of brilliant fiveContinue reading “A BOY NAMED HEXD by 999 HEARTAKE SABILEYE”
Dysphoria by Reece Thomas
https://reecethomas.bandcamp.com/album/dysphoria-2 Genre: Experimental Rating: 4/5 released on bandcamp January 28, 2022 Dysphoria is an abstract dissonant electronic release that’s dark ambient, drone, and noise adjacent but doesn’t fit comfortably into any of these categories. In her bandcamp notes she mentions an intense relationship with the sea. Like Thomas, at the time of this recording atContinue reading “Dysphoria by Reece Thomas”
零花 -Absolute Flower- by 剤電
https://disciplineproduction.bandcamp.com Genre: Experimental Rating: 5/5 released January 18, 2022 First off, this is incredible and beautiful and unlike anything I’ve heard before. It’s brilliant and definitely an AOTY pick. Second, I don’t quite know what else to say about it. The bandcamp notes mention prog and new age revival and I guess that’s helpful butContinue reading “零花 -Absolute Flower- by 剤電”
VOLUME III – SEPARATE REGINALDS by Thriftwicker Audio Society
https://thriftwickeraudiosociety.bandcamp.com/album/volume-iii-separate-reginalds Rating: 4/5 Genre: Experimental released on bandcamp November 14, 2021 This recorded is bookended with what I’m assuming are intentionally kitschy skits involving telephone humor. Humor in music is tricky business. TAS does it well, though. It’s not going to have you in stitches but it’s incorporated into the music wisely in a wayContinue reading “VOLUME III – SEPARATE REGINALDS by Thriftwicker Audio Society”
Send Me the Tunic of Early Morning Light by James Robert Foster
https://jamesfoster1.bandcamp.com/track/send-me-the-tunic-of-early-morning-light Genre: Experimental Rating: 5/5 released on bandcamp February 16, 2021 Send Me the Tunic of Early Morning Light is a single track release that clocks in at just under half an hour. If you feel like dark ambient and drone releases have become predictable and formulaic this is for you. It’s an aggressive experimentalContinue reading “Send Me the Tunic of Early Morning Light by James Robert Foster”
32892 by Porya Hatami
https://poryahatami.bandcamp.com/album/32892 Genre: Experimental Rating: 4/5 released on bandcamp December 28, 2021 Artful sonic landscaping by this Iranian sound technician. What do field recordings in 2021 spring from? Fever and loss perhaps? The hallucinogenic ambiguity of your earliest childhood memories? This is music that gives you the space to follow your consciousness as you make itContinue reading “32892 by Porya Hatami”
CYRE by Petteril
https://petteril.bandcamp.com/album/cyre Genre: Soft Experimental Rating: 4/5 released on bandcamp September 9, 2021 In my opinion, this isn’t exactly ambient or drone but rather experimental music that should appeal to fans of those genres. Petteril bases the music around abstract and ethereal yet in some sense melodic musical lines. Sorry for continuing to define this musicContinue reading “CYRE by Petteril”
Banjo With The Sound Of Its Own Making by Jacken Elswyth
https://fractalmeat.bandcamp.com/album/banjo-with-the-sound-of-its-own-making Genre: Experimental American Primitivism Rating: 5/5 Definitely an AOTY finalist. Banjo music from the point of view of the banjo. A look into the mind of a banjo. Field recording sounds and the sawing and deconstruction of the instrument along with the banjo played in four shape and seven shape systems. It’s the deepestContinue reading “Banjo With The Sound Of Its Own Making by Jacken Elswyth”
Mani Mani by Pierre Berthet & Rie Nakajima
https://kohlhaas.bandcamp.com/album/mani-mani Genre: Experimental Rating: 3/5 released on bandcamp October 23, 2021 This a pretty straightforward experimental release that should appeal to fans of the genre. It consists of one thirty-six minute track that creaks and cracks and drips and drops and whistles its way into our bony labyrinth. It’s not aggressively intrusive noise music soContinue reading “Mani Mani by Pierre Berthet & Rie Nakajima”
Stolen Lighters by Marsha Fisher
https://falt.bandcamp.com/album/stolen-lighters Genre: musique concrete Rating: 4/5 released on bandcamp October 4, 2021 Like free jazz this is a genre that has been defined since the 1960’s Here the composer chooses to avoid non sequitur collages. It’s a strange forest but there is a path through it. It’s a bit like Ussachevsky except mercifully slowed wayContinue reading “Stolen Lighters by Marsha Fisher”
Warmth Highest 