That dubstep thing, like ten years never happened.
The Bug – Fire
Derek Carr – Pursuit
My favorite type of focus music. Minimal techno, sometimes house, mid-tempo, some dub aesthetics, some tight beats, sunset moods. Respectfully sits in the background and enhances my attention when I need that extra kick for work. Also good for cruising around in a night city and some dinner conversations.
DARKSIDE – Spiral
First half of the record is amazing downtempo glitchy electronics with beautiful melodies and ethereal vocals. It shows both band members at their best, Dave Harrington and Nicolas Jarr sound like mixing up Apparat and Bonobo, especially on the more hook-heavy primary single track, The Limit. Then the second half of the record gradually goes into more indie influences, ambient jammings, and audibly auto-tuned vocals that I don’t appreciate. It’s a bummer but overall the album delivers some strong singles still.
Power Glove – 2043: Volume 1
Such cyberpunk. I love that it doesn’t sound retro in any way, it’s modern synthwave with some glitch flavor.
Wet Leg – Chaise Longue
It doesn’t get any more effortlessly cool than this. Fun, quirky alt rock that’s catchy like covid.
Sometimes you can think “but all the tunes have all been written already, so what new are we expecting” and then comes something like this, which just opens a complete new portal with three notes on the bass. I love when this happens, makes me keep going and listen to ten new records a day again.
VC-118A – Spiritual Machines
A blend of ambient and IDM with down-to-mid-tempo beats. First I registered this as some strange combination of psy chill atmosphere and glitchy sounds, then I figured there’s quite a bit of cyberpunk mood to it. I could imagine this to be a soundtrack of a neo-noir RPG game. Then I looked at the album title again… Riiiiight.
Rise Against – Nowhere Generation
When I wrote “good punk rock” for the latest Offspring record I was already thinking how I’ll make that right when I get to this album. Because I think Rise Against is an obviously more mature and serious punk rock band, but then again punk is definitely not the definition of anything serious. Anyhow, Rise Against is not the joker type, they are serious, political, and they play melodic hardcore—this is all right there on this one.
Murcof – The Alias Sessions
Deep dark cinematic ambient. Soundtrack for exploring a dead planet floating in airless dark void after a cataclismic event.
Flanger – Lollopy Dripper
I had a hard time decoding this record with its extremes ranging from experimental IDM to cool blue jazz. Just thinking about the aspect of this being some weirdly unique and altered jazz sound, gave me associations of The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble or even Brandt Brauer Frick. But this was something different still. And then I read this was a duo of Bernd Friedmann and Uwe Schmidt (Atom™) and it all clicked into place. It’s amazing how two artists can blend into one music in a way that you can see who brought what to the table so clearly.
In full honesty though, my favorite track here is Sweet Silence, which has no electrnics to it, but the film noir atmosphere is just irresistible.
Nu:Tone – Little Spaces
Nu:Tone and Hospital Records like it’s the turn of the millenium and we’re chillin’ to liquid drum and bass. Brings up so many memories from parties to friends. This album is a time trip for sure, but it also shows how great drum and bass is still done. I wonder though if this appeals to the current young generation or it’s just old people’s music.