Memory keeper. Mostly music and movies, plus some series and video games. Obscure darkness meets pop culture glow.
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.
It’s a long record (2+ hours), varied electronic music, from techno to trance to bass music, from mid to high tempo. It’s like someone emptied the drawer and poured it into an album.
Industrial electro-punk, eclectic as it should be. This vibe and zest brings me joy, makes me smile. I’d love to see this band live.
Just a couple of months ago I wrote I hope Zeal & Ardor doesn’t sleep on their signature style of “soul metal” and keeps evolving, growing, exploring further. And here it is. The new record has dropped and it’s nothing in line with their previous albums, and that is absolutely the best thing that could have happened to this band. It’s also a great feeling to read the same sentiment echoed over this record’s Bandcamp page from other people, too. It’s rare that a band can innovate and keep innovating so much, and their fan base taking the course with them and supporting their journey.
As for the record itself, I honestly don’t really know what to write or how to articulate my thoughts, rather. It’s fourteen tracks, which is a lot, and there’s an immense diversity. From calm but creepy lullaby, through massive metal road rage, to their usual beats and pulse but with bits of electronics now, ambient outtake with synths, and hard rock banger hits—it is a lot. I will need many more listening of this to digest properly, but I know I love it. Now I kinda feel like I’ll like the individual songs better than the album as a cohesive unit, just because it’s so non-cohesive and not in a conceptual way. Anyways, let’s try and articulate these feelings again in a few months’ time. Until then, I’ll just keep listening.
These guys are churning out new albums like a factory, and what’s socking is that none of these records feel like coming from a conveyor belt. This one’s on the darker side, introvert slow to mid tempo techno, some fine IDM noises, some industrial touch, some nice synths. It’s very well crafted electronic music.
IDM slow-tempo electronics.
Drone shoegaze post-rock psy-jazz, the eerie singing is an interesting touch. Reminds me of Kilimanjaro and Bohren.
Cinematic ambient, like straight from a movie. After listening to his latest EP (Polyform), I went back and listened to his entire catalogue back and forth a few times. Easy to get sucked in and it’s another kind of backdrop that helps me focus. It would be great to see more long form albums from him.
I don’t want to belittle Alva Noto’s amazing art to “work music” but his albums are definitely my best aid in focusing recently. Other than that, this one is yet another fantastic ambient record. Part meditative drone, part nuanced and finessed rhythmic noise.
Angry punk guys playing hard rock. Like someone coming from a hc punk background but evolved and built through the years, playing something more well-crafted today but keeping that punk zest. Especially the singer, I can hear him biting into the mic.