Cannot say much beyond what I’d expect from Alva Noto on the usual high standard.
Alva Noto – HYbr:ID I
Djrum – Portrait With Firewood
Nice to mention this record right after Tides as this is a great example for the same vibe but with originality that I felt lacking there. Nice atmospheres on the slow-to-mid tempo electronic axis with lots of live-sounding orchestration, even more Floex vibes, but the more complex drum patterns and the post-dubstep bassline aesthetics package it into something fresh and exciting. I really like that this is a moody record without the sadness aspect—it’s like watching rain through the window but with inspiration and wondering. Actually it’s also like a new take on nu jazz.
Sunda Arc – Tides
From ambient to mid-tempo, from moody electronics to modern classical. A debut record that sounds like a debut record: full of references and inspiration but I have yet to hear the dintinct voice of Sunda Arc. I can hear the blue electronics of Moderat, the piano play of Nils Frahm, also the clarinet comes with a Floex reference to me. Nice sounds overall, just needs more originality next time.
Eris Drew – Quivering In Time
Some fun moods and uplifting sounds on the house-breakbeat axis. It’s your afternoon stage music in a festival, which could either be the warm-up for the evening or the afterparty from the previous night.
F.S. Blumm & Nils Frahm – 2X1=4
It’s been a long long time since I last listened to a pure dub record. Not dubstep, not dub techno, but simply dub. And I came across this one and it delivers just that. Moody, wandering, lost in thoughts and walks in the rain.
Space Afrika – Honest Labour
So cinematic, so nostalgic. It’s like listening to the moody, calming score of something on a VHS tape. Ambient with some IDM noises and occasional voices. I make some loose spiritual connection between this one and Sound of the City vol. 3 – Berlin.
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.
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.
Murcof – The Alias Sessions
Deep dark cinematic ambient. Soundtrack for exploring a dead planet floating in airless dark void after a cataclismic event.