This is what IDM is: playful but experimental. Great little album.
IST IST – Light A Bigger Fire
Post-punk goth rock vibes.
MEUTE – EMPOR
Brass and percussions playing something that feels like electronic music. Let’s call it acoustic techno. Nod to Brandt Brauer Frick, but with stronger focus on the brass section. I’d love to hear this played live.
Polynation – Igneous
Electronic music ranging from cinematic ambient through mid-tempo moody melodic beats to dance floor grooves for small sidesteps. They are fellow artists from the same roster as Weval, so that.
It’s kinda ridiculous that I don’t have a good genre definition for this kind of music. I always feel it hard to put a label on it, although it’s clearly a thing.
Eivør – Enn
Dream pop meets nordic folk.
Tribulation – Sub Rosa In Æternum
This band started from death metal and from album to album steered sideways to finally arrive to this absolute classic goth metal sound represented on this last record. The throaty, harsh vocals from their past add an interesting flavor while the clean, deep voiced goth singing arrived to accompany it. I wouldn’t have their previous record on replay, but this one hits home. It’s a set of beautiful dark songs overall.
Murcof – The Etna Sessions
It’s like the ambient soundtrack of a classic space opera. It’s majestic and grand.
Jamie xx – In Waves
This is a really amazing record, beautiful tracks from start to finish. I haven’t been a Jamie xx fan, but this converts me. It makes me realize he’s one of those guys, like Chemical Brothers, Crystal Method, Orbital, and so on. It’s electronic overground music of the best kind.
Trentemøller – Dreamweaver
It really is a dreamy, ethereal album. It’s new age, dream pop, and some occasional post-punk mixed in. I was surprised to get this from Trentemøller, but it was a good surprise, it’s a lovely record.
Lady Blackbird – Slang Spirituals
Feels to go from the first album‘s jazz sound towards mainstream pop territory. It has some strong hooks, and also some rather quiet, singer-songwriter type songs. I liked more jazz better, but this is still a fine record. Random: Like a Woman is such a great soundtrack song, I could image it played to pieces in movies. The album cover is terrible though, that’s a pity.