Review: Nearly a decade since the Swedish trio's last full-length Casino (2014), brothers Andreas and Johan Berthling, along with Tomas Hallonsten, ease back into the fold with Preludes, a five-track collection that reaffirms their mastery of delicate, genre-blurring soundscapes. Following the promising 'Refrains' 10" in 2023, this new release is a comforting reminder that Tape's signature blend of acoustic instrumentation and electronic processing remains as singular and stirring as ever, as they continue to weave hypnotic textures that feel both ethereal and earthy. 'Opener Lights Out' is a tender folk threnody where repeating guitar patterns create a meditative haze. 'Naukluft Plateau' drifts with ruminative piano over cascading tones, while the brief 'Golden Gain' mixes huffing harmonium and subtle electronic scrums. 'Tangential Thoughts' is quintessential Tape, a dreamy two-chord motif, rustling organ and delicate percussion all evoking wistful reveries. The closing track, 'On The Accordion Bus', sways with glitch-like textures and gentle rhythms, blurring the line between transit and reflection. There's a unique warmth to their balance of melody and abstraction here, reminiscent of Aphex Twin's ambient pop or Susumu Yokota's textural elegance. Praise indeed, but sometimes the quietest returns make the deepest impact.
Review: Two years on from their last outing, Tara Clerkin Trio return to World Of Echo for a new EP of distinctive leftfield meanderings somewhere between downtempo, folk, jazz and classic balladry. The Bristol band have been hotly tipped over the past couple of years as they've toured relentlessly and generally moved according to their own logic, and they remain wonderfully unique and hard to pigeon-hole. 'Marble Walls' is a gorgeous slice of sentimental balladry shot through with synth bass, while 'The Turning Ground' finds their delicate guitar lines soaring over buoyant breakbeat and dub siren splashes which call to mind the indie-rave-folk crossover charms of Ultramarine's Every Man And Woman Is A Star.
Review: TC.KYLIE x The Hourglass deliver a dynamic jazz fusion outing here that mixes up Hong Kong, Japanese, and British cultures in a top debut album. Jazz fusion pianist Kylie leads her band with great energy while playing keyboard and synth keytar that is a little reminiscent of Japanese jazz rock. Based in Hong Kong and London, she's inspired by Shaun Martin, Robert Glasper and Japanese acid jazz groups like Fox Capture Plan and Jabberloop and that shows in these sounds. They are bright, happy and uplifting with the majestic flute leads of 'Merry-go-round Of Life ' impossible not to fill you with excitement and joy.
Review: The Tetine trio started writing and composing together in the lockdowns of 2020 - no doubt observing all the arcane rules about hands, face and space as they did so. They have an intuitive style that now translates to this record which was written for cello, voice, piano, organ and electronics and was born as "a respiratory, meditative, and improvisatory piece of DIY tropical-mutant-punk "chamber music". They have succeeded in their mission to subvert here with plenty of subtle background sounds bleeding in from the nearby street as themes such as hearing loss, menopause, pollution and respiration all come up.
Review: Tokyo-based post/math-rock noodlers Toe have a habit of cleansing the palette of each subsequent full-length they release with a follow up EP. Just like 2005's debut album The Book About My Idle Plot On A Vague Anxiety was followed up with 2006's New Sentimentality EP, the group would return three years on from their stellar 2009 sophomore effort For Long Tomorrow with 2012's The Future Is Now. From the twinkling emo-inflected shoegazing noodles of 'Run For Word' to the more acoustic-driven psych-jazz of 'Ordinary Days', the four cuts purposefully meander and fuse differing elements from the band's arsenal whilst somehow increasing the dense technicality to absurd, near impenetrable levels.
Kimi No Tamenara Shineru Kanzenban (Super Zunzun mix) (2:51)
Review: Originally released in 2004 to a hot reception, this iconic soundtrack from the beloved Sega game Feel the Magic XY/XX features Tokoi's unforgettable blend of eclectic, funky and also smartly experimental compositions. The music complements the game's quirky, surreal themes with catchy rhythms and vibrant colours. This anniversary edition offers remastered tracks with enhanced sound quality so is a guaranteed nostalgic journey for longtime fans or a superb introduction to the brilliance of Tokoi's work for new ears.
Review: Best known as - but not restricted to being - the singer from 1970s prog behemoths Yes, Jon Anderson embarked on an American tour in 2023 after the universally (by the band at least) despised Union album. This time he was not backed not by his famous bandmates but by The Band Geeks, a bunch of musicians who meticulously recreated the music of the greats of the 1970s. "They sound just like the classic Yes of the seventies," he commented at the time, "the Yes that I know and love." Therefore this live collection sees him employing his distinctive, almost unfeasibly high and pure tones to a number of classics from the band's earliest days, with 'Starship Trooper', 'Your Move - I've Seen All Good People', 'Yours Is No Disgrace' and the ever triumphant 'Close To The Edge' among the list of undeniable crowd pleasers. It may be two decades on from these songs' initial inception, but Anderson and the aforementioned Geeks do a pretty good job of rolling back the clock here.
Review: Dream Division present their latest album Rose In The Garden Of Winter, a contemporary gothic disco undertaking of polished and still genre-various proportions. Echoing the stylistic ambitions of Bauhaus, but perhaps describably updating their sound for the modern ear, Dream Division offer a metamorphic record, able to shapeshift into a range of chiropteran forms: cinematic punk, dub, goth-disco, lounge, even interluding raga. Impressively, the personnel list on this record make up an intricate human nonagram, through the central vector on this ritual star is Tom McDowell, who handles synths, vocoder, production and songwriting and commands a puppeteer's control over various synthesists, sitar caressers and theremin cooers. Delightfully devilish throughout, A Rose... reminds of something between a lycanthropic, late 70s Mancunian punk blowout and a fanged Italo-disco bashment in which the sprinklers sprinkle blood on sight of a daywalker.
Review: Elephant9, renowned for their electrifying live performances, continues to impress with their upcoming double live album, Catching Fire, recorded during a remarkable 2017 concert in Oslo to celebrate Terje Rypdal's 70th birthday. This release, available on double vinyl through Rune Grammofon, adds to the band's impressive discography, which includes multiple studio albums and live recordings. Catching Fire shares a visceral energy reminiscent of classic live albums from Mahavishnu Orchestra, ELP, and King Crimson, combining moments of intense improvisation with serene interludes. The 22-minute opening track showcases Rypdal's distinctive, glacier-like melodic lines, demonstrating his mastery and unique approach. His synergy with Stale Storlokken, who has supported him for nearly 30 years, creates an inseparable musical dialogue, while the rhythm section of Torstein Lofthus and Nikolai Haengsle ensures a solid, dynamic foundation. With its careful mix aiming to capture the live concert experience, Catching Fire is poised to be a highlight for fans. The world of Norwegian jazz prog never sounded better.
Immersion & Thor Harris - "Just Close Your Eyes" (3:08)
Immersion & Thor Harris - "Rotations" (4:03)
Immersion & Thor Harris - "The House Of Thor" (2:35)
Immersion & Thor Harris - "In Snow" (4:16)
Immersion & Thor Harris - "At The Wizard's House" (5:39)
Immersion & Cubzoa - "I'm Barely Here" (5:14)
Immersion & Cubzoa - "In The Universe" (3:32)
Immersion & Cubzoa - "Other Ways" (5:14)
Immersion & Cubzoa - "Not About Me" (6:35)
Immersion & Cubzoa - "Neptune" (7:20)
Review: Immersion is the epitome of collaboration. Comprising Colin Newman, of legendary UK post punk outfit Wire, and his life partner Malka Spigel, the two first came together in 1985, former producing the latter's band, and have since fallen in love and combined creative forces countless times. Growing out of their Immersion project, a series of pop up gigs took place at the Rosehill, Brighton, with a cast of influential and cutting edge musicians getting involved. Songs were written and rehearsed before each show, and an album, Nanocluster Vol.1, soon materialised. Now we have the follow up. Disc one is centred on Thor Harris, percussion doyen of Swans, while the second half refocuses our attention on Cubzoa, AKA Jack Wolter of Penelope Isles, with Matt Schulz (Holy Fuck) also involved. The result is a psyche-tinged ride through swaggering indie, dream pop, chill, and surreal rock, nodding to names from Beta Band to King of Woolworths and beyond.
Review: Rhode Island post-metal avant-garde duo The Body have made a name for themselves due to their caustic maelstrom of harsh, brutalist experimentalism as well as their prolific output and collaborative nature, releasing collab albums with the likes of Full Of Hell, Thou, Uniform, and most recently, Dis Fig. Their latest endeavour sees the pair link up with another duo of musical extremity, Toronto, Canada's recently reformed industrial two-piece Intensive Care. Was I Good Enough? has been on the cards since the artists first began making plans as far back as 2018, trading, warping and ruining mutual sessions with layers of loops, distortion, samples and even dubs, constantly striving to find the ideal haunting balance between both of their sonically hideous, oppressive worlds. For all of our ears' sakes, they just might have succeeded.
Review: Recorded in 2021, The Road to Tibooburra marks The Winged Heels’ second album: an eclectic, inspired collection of Steve Kilbey’s songs, loosely converging in the middle of outback Australia. Originally conceived as a musical during Kilbey’s journey through the backblocks, four intense days in the studio later conceived an album as the mode of choice, whereafter the band would commit their signature fusion of pop-rock to ancient, medieval, and classical troubadour influences. Kilbey’s 12-string and vocals form the album’s core, with additional bass and electric guitar on select tracks; Gareth anchors much of the bass work, alongside classical and resonator guitar, while Roger provides keyboards and cello.
Review: Alan Sparhawk isn't one for large crowds or the showy side of fame, yet over the course of his career, his influence has expanded far beyond his low-key persona. As the frontman of Low, the band he founded in the early 90s in Duluth, Minnesota, Sparhawk's distinct style has permeated not just indie rock but also the broader sphere of music that prizes depth over spectacle. The hallmark of Sparhawk's songwriting is the austere, almost minimalist beauty he coaxes from the sparsest of arrangements. His approach to music is inextricable from his sense of placeiDuluth's biting winters, its isolationieverything about the environment feeds into the slow-moving intensity of Low's sound. Musically, the album moves through a variety of textures, from the folk-tinged melodies of 'Heaven' and 'Get Still' to the raw emotional power of 'Screaming Song' and 'Don't Take Your Light.' The latter is particularly stirring, with its swelling fiddles and cello lines, embodying the depth of feeling that pours out during the recording. There's a certain urgency to the musician immediacy that comes from being in a room full of people who understand what it means to create together. The track 'Stranger' is imbued with an intimate, communal spirit, while 'Torn & in Ashes' builds on layers of banjo and mandolin, giving it a rich, earthy feel. Even as the sounds shift, there's an underlying consistency in the raw honesty of Sparhawk's voice and the way the band responds to it. Overall, the record a sense of continuity, reminding us that music, when made with those closest to you, becomes a vessel for lasting memories and support.
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