D Bayne - Meditations On Present Time [Luminescence Records 003 Promo]

Recently put on the circuit via the 2005-founded Luminescence Records is "Medidation On Present Time", the thid release on the label ever and also the third album with D Bayne involved who, over the course twelve tracks, fuses various Field Recordings mostly captured on long walks with layers of piano improvisations.  This works out pretty well sometimes as in "Metra Locomotive, Ravenswood Station" but sometimes does not at all as best seen in "The French Quarter" where spiritually performed vocals just clash with the unprocessed instrument instead of falling into place. Unfortunately, and despite the very nice packaging including an extra banderole, blanked out CD insertion slide in and fine photography booklet, it seems like the moments where things are not really falling into place outweigh the beauty that could've been lieing within the concept. But instead we'll find rather dissonant moments in tunes like "East Washington Street At Night" or - more often - opposing melodies resulting in a rather demanding, sometimes even exhausting und not necessarily pleasent listening experience. And although we're fans of a lot things demanding and dissonant this album's sometimes even Free Jazz-citing approach seems to be more strenuous and tiring than exciting or thrilling. Defo not our cup of tea. 

Tangtype - Trajet [Humpty Dumpty Records Promo]

Released on May 18th via the Brussels-based imprint Humpty Dumpty Records is "Trajet", the second full-length album of the 2004-born Tangtype project created by producer Jean-Francois Brohee and vocalist Julie Cambier. With nine tracks and approx. 42 minutes of runtime their sophomore longplay piece is presenting a fascinating crossover of Electronic Jazz abstractions, Spoken Words vs. dark, longing Artschool Pop, some more laid back Downbeat-influences as well as a few intense, apocalyptic segments, all carefully interwoven into a partly demanding and defo non-easy fabric of deep Pop (Not Pop) Noir that needs some time (and a few replays) to fully grow and unfold but might become a soothing companion for cold and melancholic winter nights of the future.

Peter Maybaum - Photonenweit [Raketenbasis Haberlandstrasse 012]

Shortly after the release of the label's cat.no. 011 Raketenbasis Haberlandstrasse is back with cat.no. 012 and another cassette-tape single debut. This time it's Peter Maybaum and his four track EP "Photonenweit", a clearly space- and sci-fi-influenced DIY exploration of raw (neo)kraut'y, synth-heaving Cosmic sounds with German lyrics referring to the experimental era of Ingenious Dilletantes, partly crossing over into NDW (a.k.a. German New Wave) and tripping kitsch layers, partly highly effective, electroid and dancefloor-mesmerizing like in "Neutronensturm". A truly spaced out journey on C15 cassette for all those loving their underground home recording, 4-track aesthetics right.

Continuum Sorge - Stutenbeschau [Starting To Pestalozzi 002]

Cassette tape singles are my new jam and so it's pretty amazing that the new release of German underground tape label Starting To Pestalozzi has been sitting in our P.O. box most recently. "Stutenbeschau" by Continuum Sorge, a limited C10 - yes, 10 minutes!- and lovely blue cassette serves the original title track and the so-called "Dub Mix" on the flip, with the original version being a kind of quirky hybrid between distorted Electronica drumming and cristalline,  warped, afx'ish synth melodies whilst the "Dub Mix" is on a classic lo-fi ItaloDisco tip, catering an unexepected and obviously bootlegged cut-up instrumental megamix for all real ItaloDisco lovers out there. Nice.

Jean Bach - Furuftuta's Theme

This... is a classic. And one of our favorite IDM tracks ever.

Sascha Müller feat. Nora W. - Feel My Love [Sascha Müller Music]

Scheduled for release later this summer is Sascha Müller's new single "Feel My Love" once again featuring Nora W. on vocal duties. Whilst the so-called Drum'n'Bass Mix explores oldskool'ish territories with a raw Atmospheric Jungle approach the DeepHouse Mix is somewhat crossing over between pumping Balearic House and what can be described as deep, dreamy early morning Trance for mediterranean terrace open airs. Seems like Mr. Müller is branching out to now territories more recently - watch out!

Mo' Horizons - The Banana Remixes [Agogo Records]

Four years after releasing their last longplay piece on Agogo Records, followed an extensive tour schedule which took them, and their Banana Soundsystem, all around the globe, Mo' Horizons are finally back with a new longplay format which is about to hit the stores in late March. And although it's not a classic album but more like a double remix joint featuring one full CD of remixes crafted for tracks of their "Mo' Horizons And The Banana Soundsystem" by high profile artists like Una Mas Trio, Omegaman, Renegades Of Jazz and others as well as a second CD jam-packed with Mo' Horizons remixes for producers like International Velvet, DJ Farrapo, Mustafa and more it's pretty obvious that all Mo'Horizons fan will be more than pleased to get their hands on this piece before their forthcoming full-on artist album with new tracks is about to drop somewhen in 2016. With the exotic Thriller Funk of "Jungle Affair *The Soul Session Remix" or Una Mas Trio's laid back, Dub-infused rework of "Make It Real", Flamingo Star's chilled instrumental relick for "Around Ya" or the killer Drum'n'Bass meets BigBeat meets South American brass rework of "Free And Easy" by Renegades Of Jazz on CD1 amongst others as well as the Tango-resembling Mo' Horizons refix of A.La.S feat Trio De Cajon's "Carnaval De Mi Barrio", the uplifting, yet floor filling CreoleHouse-remix built from Omegaman's "O'man Boogaloo" or - just to name a few - the Liquid Drum'n'Bass recut of The Soul Session's "Struggles & Blessings" featured on the second joint it's pretty obvious that the Mo' Horizons crew is having a pretty amazing time out there, rockin' dancefloors with their Banana Soundsystem. And you're invited to join the party!   

Neue Deutsche Mitte - Meinung [Raketenbasis Haberlandstrasse 011]

Recently released via the German underground label Raketenbasis Haberlandstrasse is "Meinung", the cassette-tape single debut of the freshly formed seven piece band project Neue Deutsche Mitte which is another obscure discovery from the deepest vaults of the countries DIY-scene. With four tracks and a total runtime of 17 minutes we see the Neue Deutsche Mitte discuss the lifestyle of the Austrian capital Vienna in "Wian", a strange mixture somewhat in between Falco and early 80s experimental Glam and introduce dialect-heavy, drummachine-led StalkerBilly to the well-puzzled audience in "I Hab Di Nimmer Ksen" on the A-side whilst the flipside ironically deals with political barroom cliches in the avantgarde rock'ish title track and even enters ArtSchool'ish PostPunk realms with "Hoffnung Für Europa" which translates as 'New Hope For Europe' with an implied '...after the Grexit'. Weirdness galore.

Dälek - From Filthy Tongue Of Gods And Griots [Ici D'Ailleurs 074 Promo]

This is the return of classic via Ici D'Ailleurs. Dälek's debut album "From Filthy Tongue Of Gods And Griots" that is still to be considered a masterpiece in Mutant- / Industrial HipHop has been re-released only recently and brings back only the best of memories related to a genre that never gained the attention it should've gained, provided fans and followers with epic underground shows that'll never be forgotten and introduced a new level of impact to the HipHop world, bringing previously unheard levels of bass as well as layers upon layers of heavy Noize amalgamated with often overwhelmingly huge, cinematic, orchestral melancholia to body and brain, creating a truly immersive musical experience. As we've been there and seen Dälek performing live on stage back in these days this is a full on recommendation to purchase this album - not only for obvious anthems like the opener "Spiritual Healing" or the Matador-released single track "Classical Homicide" but also for the hard hitting interlude excess "Heads" and the super intense, feedback-heavy 12 minutes long "Black Smoke Rises" that fuses Noize experimentalism and Spoken Words, creating a dark'ish soundtrack for a forthcoming apocalypse. Still extremely relevant, even 13 years after its original release, and a must have for all Dälek fans as this re-release features the previously unreleased bonus track "41 Shots" in its original and instrumental form, revealing a still heavyweight but more funky side of the group's work. Great!

Kerbside Collection - Trash Or Treasure [Legere Recordings Promo]

Two years after their also Legere Recordings-released debut album "Mind The Curb" it's about time for the Australian Jazz-Funk outfit Kerbside Collection to come up with their sophomore longplay piece in June. Entitled "Trash Or Treasure" the forthcoming album is defo more of a treasure to all those loving their music decent, laid back, with a bit of an Exotica-twist whilst crossing over into the lands of Easy Listening and not shying away from what once was branded as ClubPop by labels like Bungalow Records back in the nineties. With brilliant SpyFunk instrumentals like "Feather Duster" the Kerbside Collection is setting dancefloors in motion for sure, "Kojak The Frog" caters the needs of all those loving their beats dope and hefty, "Cypress" enters the realms of Psychedelia whilst the highly recommendable "Get A Wriggle On" crosses over between spacy Future Jazz, Bossa and Drum'n'Bass tempo - a perfect dancefloor weapon. More Future Jazz excellence mixed up with a bit of Americana is provided by "Slidin' ", the 5+ minutes long "Red Clay" leaves enough space for long, masterly crafted guitar improvisations and the final excursion into "Strawberry Fields" combines a kind of decent, live-played House groove with loads and loads of Jazz to a stunning effect. Nice one.

Jlin - Dark Energy [Planet µ Records 236 Promo]

We all love our Footwork and Juke stuff right that has been prominently introduced to European dancefloors via the sound of main male protagonists like DJ Rashad, RP Boo and the likes of. But little has been known so far about female producers in this field and Planet µ is about to change that with the debut album of Jlin entitled "Dark Energy" which has been put on the circuit in late March, 2015. Hailing from Gary, a city nearby Chicago, her musical vision brings a harder, harsher and way edgeier tone to the genre, best reflected by the mechanical "Guantanamo" that sounds like featuring beats generated from processing noises field-recorded in fully automated assembly lines, her possibly best-known tune "Erotic Heat" that might be best described as RoboJuke or the seductive slow-jam "Mansu Musa" also, like basically all tunes, featuring Jlin's trademark claps that seem to be slightly distorted and pitched towards the higher frequencies of the sonic spectrum. "Infrared (Bagua)" introduces a more aggressive, abstract and well-apocalyptic vibe in Juke that, especially referring to the harsh wobbling synths, has been previously unheard and the Egyptian sun god "Ra" also turns out be an enunciator of a forthcoming armageddon. The robotic "Expand" might be picked out as the most intense track on "Dark Energy", perfectly combining sci-fi atmospheres and rave-killing hover stabs, the kush-celebrating "So High" should be picked as next single for a reason and the final "Abnormal Restriction" is the musical equivalent to the phrase 'that escalated quickly'. Thrilling.

Biosphere / Deathprod - Stator [Touch 099]

Put on the circuit in late March was the 99th release - without any of the labels offshoots, that is - in the history of the legendary UK-based Touch imprint. Named "Stator", the album provides us with a split longplay piece crafted by two of the finest names hailing from the Norwegian electronic music  scene - Geir Jenssen, better known for being the man behind Ambient legend Biosphere and Helge Sten a.k.a. Deathprod. Together, with four tracks produced by Deathprod and three by Biosphere, they're exploring the warm, mostly organic and beatless realms of Deep Listening Music, creating a sonic environment highly recommended for headphone consumption although Biosphere's slightly tribalistic Ritual Ambient piece "Space Is Fizzy" might also well appeal to advanced dancefloors and surely will be referred to as stunning classic in future times whilst Deathprod's cold'ish closing tune "Optical" is a ten+ minutes masterpiece in terms of Drone / Death Ambient. Recommended.

Dr NoiseM - Studio Works 10 [Dr NoiseM Tapes]

If you love Noize and other experimental electronic music there's no chance you haven't heard the name Dr NoiseM yet as this mysterious guy has literally been churning out track after track, compilation tune after compilation tune and album after album within the past 24 months. Now he's back with the tenth issue of his "Studio Works" series and once again there's some dark, heavy shit for all those loving the more unpleasant side of the sonic spectrum. From ultradigital HarshNoize ("BassBoss") to haunting, sci-fi dronage with unsettling movements in the sub field of the spectrum ("Death Noise Field") via gristly soldering sounds ("Leptone") and mind-bogging water treatments ("No Love") Dr NoiseM once again covers the whole spectrum of sonic experimentalism and serves the most brutal explosion of Harsh IndustrialNoize with the ironically titled "No Noise Inside". The three parts of his series "Planet UT-3967-AT" seem to resemble the fragile results of modular synthesis often used in the scores of old sci-fi movies, providing us with a fascinating kind of outlandish beauty, the 16 minutes of "Spiderdog" take us on a journey to the abandoned lands of slowly evolving DeathAmbient strolled only by ginormous, gruesome mutant creatures in search for prey and exotic melodies are blown over from afar by radioactive winds in the the calm, yet dystopian "Stille Nacht". Fans of hyperdigital Noize will truely appreciate the violent "Trip To Nowhere" followed by two more short electric outburst towards the end of the album. So if Noize is your preferred flavour, this album is one to check out for sure.

Lakker - Tundra [R&S Records]

Fresh on the circuit via the long running Belgian label R&S Records is "Tundra", the sophomore album of Dublin-based producer duo Lakker which has been making some waves in the past four years with praised releases on labels like Blueprint, Stroboscopic Artefact or, of course, R&S. Now, churning out there second longplay piece, the duo delivers a perfect showcase of their unique musical formula that has gained them loads of attention. Starting out on the more ethereal, Electronica-influenced side of things it's their track "Mountain Divide" that gets things really going with dark Broken Techno and raw, bass-heavy synth distortions alongside psychotic background choirs and an alarming atmosphere of unrest that would well fit into the score of a post-apocalyptic Hollywood flick for a reason. With "Three Songs" we see PostHardcore flirting with sweet Electronica abstractions and a simple, yet seductive melody levitating on top, reminiscing of early 90s Aphex Twin productions whilst "Ton'neru" takes us on a tribalistic, yet enigmatic trip into deep subaquatic transdimensional space where telepathic communication and crystalline lifeforms do exist. More friendly, crystalline melodies are to be found in the free floating "Halite", paving ways for groove and movements on advanced Ambient dancefloors, "Tundra" builds up warm layers of tonal drones on top of dry but swinging Electro beats before making an unexpected twist ending up in a noisey crescendo making way for "Pylon" which is the most functional and fascinating tune on this album, amalgamating precise Broken Techno and looming bass brutalism to perfection. With the slow (not slow) jam "Octavist" things start out kinda light-hearted but are getting more and more intense the further the track progresses, leaving Dubstep headz puzzled due to a lack of bass but kicking ass with a kinda aggressive undertone and hammering drums before the final cut "Herald" rounds off the musical journey with a more forgiving vibe. Nice one.

Prince Buju - We Are In The War [Makkum Records / Red Wig]

Now to something completely different and defo non-electronic hailing from the urban catchment area of Ghana's biggest metropolis - Accra. This area is home to Prince Buju, charismatic singer and kologo player - kologo being the Frafra name for a two-stringed lute, a traditional West African instrument also referred to as xalam / khalam, ngoni, bappe or molo in other African languages - , which, due to an intricate story, a cassette tape on repeat and the involvement of another Accra-based musician and bar owner going by the name King Ayisoba was picked up and signed by the Amsterdam-based label Makkum Records, which is now unvealing a fascinating, raw and powerful view on traditional 21st century African music that only rarely leaves the continent of its origin as it's hardly ever released or if, only on hard to find cassette tapes. Fever'ish, trance-inducing music meets Prince Buju's sinewy, throaty vocals spreading his personal message to a spine-tingling, well-hypnotic effect that leaves us hungry for more kologo sound to enter the European music bubble. There's a whole new world to explore and we're ready for it.  

I'm Not A Band - Oceans [AdP Records]

Still hot on AdP Records is "Oceans", the third album instalment by the label's longtime associate  Stephan Jung and his recently reconditioned I'm Not A Band-project that's now vocally fronted by lead singer Simon Ortmeyer who's adding a new, formerly unheard shade to the band's explorations in the realms of IndieElectro and ElectroPop uniquely amalgamated with both classical and modernistic violin treatment techniques for which the charismatic outfit I'm Not A Band is loved for by their fans and followers. With their first, pretty uplifting single outtake "Colours" still making waves on dancefloors all over the place and more thrilling songs like the epic ballad "Ocean Heart", the stirring hit-to-be "Cages" both pleasing modern House- as well as Indie loving crowds whilst catering nothing but good vibes and lovely instrumental cuts like "Into Something New Pt. II" included on "Oceans" it seems like I'm Not A Band are on a pretty sweet joyride here, although the overly distorted synth lines in the instrumental cut "April" sadly are flirting with the loudness wars of the EDM and can be identified as a weak and slightly irritating spot within an otherwise well-coherent album. Check.

Kat Vinter - Islands [AdP Records]

Released only recently via the beloved Kulmbach-based label AdP Records is Kat Vinter's new five track piece "Island", her solo debut after successfully being on stage with the Australian Indie-outfit Cassette Kids for quite a while. With her debut, of which we've already talked about "Sooner Or Later" and "Downtime" on other platforms earlier this year, Kat Vinter - better known as Katrina Noorbergen to her friends and family - meanders in between lusty PopNoir, fragile Future Soul and undeniable UK Bass / Future Garage-influences to great effect. Especially the surprisingly fast paced, double-time savvy opener "Propaganda" is nothing short of anthemic whilst the epic, multi-layered and possibly most Pop-oriented "One Way Mirror" serves some pretty playful pitch-shift wizzardry and super synthetic clap arrangements possibly remotely reminiscing of Chicago's Juke scene and the final title track spreads out decent, catchy Pop-melancholia on top of a sparse Future R'n'B skeleton surely also appealing to fans of contemporary acts like Emika or Future Brown these days. Check.

Poemes Electroniques: Live at WREK 91.1FM Atlanta (24.03.2015)

Poemes Electroniques: Live At WREK 91.1FM / Atlanta [24.03.2015] by Baze.Djunkiii on Mixcloud

For all those who missed it - a recording of our Poemes Electroniques performance for Live At WREK transmitted via WREK 91.1FM Atlanta on March 24th, 2015.

Sascha Müller - Summer [Sascha Müller Music]

Scheduled for June 2015 is the single release of Sacha Müller's tune "Summer" backed by the additional "Yo Body" on his very own imprint Sascha Müller Music which, talking the title piece here, unveals a surprisingly deep and mellow twist appealing to all those loving their Balearic House right - a style that's usually rarely found in the musings of the multi-creative producer hailing from Uelsen / Germany. With "Yo Body", the second tune on this digital single, Sascha Müller goes down the fast-paced House alley, serving ecstatic male vocal samples, a DiscoHouse-reminiscing bassline and killer stabs for glitzy dancefloors and primetime crowds. Loving the oldskool we fully approve of this - "Yo Body" #ftw.

Frozen Houses - EP [self-released]

Coming in straight from Devon, UK is this self-released EP crafted by Alex Hill a.k.a. Frozen Houses with a little help from his wife Lucy on vocals and guitar. And it's for sure that these five songs, all sweet and tender like a warm day of spring, will be appreciated for brightening the days of all fans of acoustic, intimate Campfire Indie soaked with loads of folk'ish influences for a reason as their raw, yet elaborate melodies of often slightly repetitive nature and unique vocals kinda reminding us of things like 'Grunge gone Folk' - is this a thing? - are about to stick in one's head for quite a while after listening to them on repeat. Especially 'back on the train when the leaves ain't green / they say the trees are dead' from "Back On The Train", our favorite on this EP alongside the hypnotizing "Hummingbird", is such a line that's about to stick around for a while and will possibly never leave. Someone please sign Frozen Houses soon.

V8. - Burning Beds

Slowcore HipHop and bulletproof punchlines #ftw. Trueskool stuff from the darkest corners  of the underground.

Alva Noto - Xerrox Vol.3 [Raster Noton 159 Promo]

Recently released via Raster-Noton after a five years break within the series is "Xerrox Vol. 3",  the next sequel in a five album concept dealing with the idea of endless data reproduction and the transformation that lies within the process, when - as the info sheet describes it - copies are made from copies. Even being in the digital age of so-called lossless reproduction there are glitches, data errors and other alterations happening when the copy-of-copy process is rolled out into eternity and transferring this idea to sound is the main foundation of "Xerrox" as a conceptual approach. Using these kind of altered sounds as a source to work with one would naturally expect a rather glitchy, distorted,  battered or at least highly abstract result from Alva Noto's new longplay piece but is taken by surprise as the output turns out to be the exact opposite - kind of. Of course there is static noise and crackling digital sounds to be found on "Xerrox Vol. 3" but the overall vibe is more Ambient than Clicks'n'Cuts, a very soft spoken, organic and intimate, in parts even esoteric and kitschy view on Ambient indeed. So it perfectly makes sense that Alva Noto himself describes "Xerrox Vol. 3" as his most personal album in his career so far, but still it makes us wonder if its sequels will going down the same alleyway or if he'll find his way back to the - more interesting - exploration of electronic abstractions in the future?

baze.djunkiii Charts 05/2015

01. SFX - Can't Get Enough [Telepathic Bubblebath 001 Promo]
See review for details..

02. Mikal / Nymfo / Riot [Metalheadz META021]
Thrilling three track EP crafted by Mikal and his musical comrades on the ever ruling Metalheadz-imprint that's bringing us next level Drum'n'Bass with this one. Mikal's solo effort "Where They At" is a minimalistic stepper referencing to good old Jungle days with loads of beat wizzardry and thrilling twists on the A-side whilst Mikal & Nymfo's "The Chosen" is a decent, slightly techy roller with amazing deadly subs and a futuristic, 'long dark tunnel' attitude once known as one of the most  defining characteristics of Drum'n'Bass - watch out for a brilliant breakdown here. Finally there's Mikal & Riot's "Control Of People", the track which caught our attention when first hearing it in a mix a few weeks ago. Not only make the dark apocalyptic vocal bits stand the track out from the rest but first and foremost it's the clattering, abstract stop-and-go Phonk beatwise that makes this one so unique and special. Killer!

03. Skeptical - Imperial EP [Exit Records 053]
Interestingly enough Drum'n'Bass has been catching my attention more and more again lately as things seem to be tending towards more stripped down production approach within that scene recently. With his "Imperial EP" the man Skeptical lays down a bunch of three nice, minimalistc rollers here plus the futuristic HalfStep banger "Delusions Of Grandeur" which introduces eleborate, detailed Ultra Phonk and the most threatening bassline we've come across in a while. This tune alone makes the whole 12" worthwhile for sure. Get.

04. Leise Im Kran - Welding Sessions [Moniker Eggplant 008]
Already released in October 2014 this six track cassette crafted by Leise Im Kran for the Berlin-based underground imprint Moniker Eggplant is nothing short of a thrilling masterpiece. Lo-Fi Downbeat meets warm, analogue sawtooth basslines, bustling Electro-BigBeat meets tweaking Acid bubbles, overwhelmingly friendly sub modulations mix with jumpy DarkJungle on hyperspeed whilst electroid Acid'n'Bass sends all underground ravers up into heaven. If you used to love labels and projects like SMB, FdB Records or Deadsilence Syndicate in the past this one's for you!

05. Bidol Cath - Live In Pill-Vomperbach 11-02-15 [Starting To Pestalozzi 001]
See review for details...

06. Jack Ingoff - The Turn Off EP! [AAACID 002]
Being brought up on a diet of AcidHouse I do seriously doubt that anything Acid will ever grow old on me especially if it resembles the raw, jacking and unprocessed vibe of the movements early days like these four tracks on this stamped whitelabel do. So, recommended.

07. Pukemaster Gehm [Solar One Music 033]
Solar One Music delivers some mental stuff here produced by Pukemaster Gehm a.k.a. Andreas Gehm a.k.a. Elec Pt. 1 which brings us a four track, limited pink vinyl serving including dark, spiralling underground Acid as well as psychotic heavyweight Electro sporting angelically levitating string constructions (and a good portion of Acid, of course) for dark, illegal basement raves. If this is where your head's at and you love classics like BamBam's "Where's Your Child" as well make sure to check out this little gem.

08. Vojeet - Re-Co.De [Cathartic Noize Experience 004]
Dang, this is sick shit. Vojeet serves four tracks of heavy, ultra-noisey Speedcore with a bit of twisted humour and undeniable tracker / 8bit-references when it comes to lo-fi melodies crafted for brain destruction and dancefloor termination. Possibly the best Speedcore 12" we've come across in a while, catering  a veritable hit with the B2 tune "Furry Buttom" and its remarkably ecstatic vocal sample.

09. Landsky & Resmann - Lava [Upon.You Records 090]
Thrilling collaboration between Upon.You-founder Marco Resmann and longtime House ambassador Martin Landsky which btw released Marco Resmann's first ever 12" on his very own label Intim Recordings, produced under Resmann's former alias Phage. Together they're presenting on point TechHouse for primetime abuse with "Lava 1", turn their heads towards deeper late night joints with the more melodic "Lava 2" and enter floating Intelligent Techno realms with their final "Lava Dub". Nice.

10. Magit Cacoon - Other Dimension [Upon.You Records Promo]
We've got a double first here - first album for the formerly Tel Aviv- and now Berlin-based Magit Cacoon and the first ever artist album to be released via Upon.You as well. Expect deep, melodic TechHouse visions joined by seductive vocal joints, great oldskool-reminiscing stab works ("Freedom Is Timeless"), epic, uplifting synths and trippy, spatial effects ("Other Dimensions") as well as some masterly crafted Ambient interludes from this one. Diversity rules.

Dralms - Pillars & Pyre [Full Time Hobby Promo]

Scheduled for release on May 22nd via the amazing Full Time Hobby-imprint is "Pillars & Pyre", the first single announcing the debut album of the Canadian five-piece band Dralms which is setting out to stun the world with their tender, intimate yet still heartfelt and darn groovy Indie-vision. Amalgamating fragility, falsetto vocals and an electrifying wall of sound passages the singles title song is a well thrilling affair that will surely stand the test of time whilst "A Slum Of Legs" fuses Funk-influenced basslines with Shoegaze and synth-layered Psychedelia before "Crushed Pleats  (V.E.N.N. RMX)" explores deep floating, sparse Electronica realms incorporating a haunted, reverberating twist. Nice one.

Multicast Dynamics - Valo (Official Video)

Beware of dark things lurking in the woods!

Soley - Ask The Deep [Morr Music 138 Promo]

Scheduled for release on May 8th, 2015 via Morr Music is "Ask The Deep", the sophomore album of the Iceland-based Soley Stefansdottir, praised solo artist and also known to many as member of bands like Seabear and Sin Fang. And it seems like, after release of last years' Piano-driven "Kromantik" EP, Soley has found back to songs again with this longplay piece, re-focused and turned her head more towards a multi-instrumentalist approach instead of centering her musings around the sound of ebony and ivory. This said, "Ask The Deep" offers a broader stylistic variety indeed with fascinating songs like the etherous, yet anthemic "Ævintýr", the ultimately stripped down intimacy of "One Eyed Lady", soft vintage-sounding Pop based on a foundation of crunchy, distorted drums to be found in "Halloween" or the graval, minimalist Post-Indie of "Follow Me Down" that will surely also appeal to those being fond of artists like Dillon etc.. Experimental, tribalistic drums accompany the spaced out, slightly uplifting appeal of "Breath" with its super lovely piano breakdown whilst the epic, dark'ish and well ceremonious intro of " I Will Never" leads Soley into a beatless, dream-like state of mind. More vernal territories are entered by the harmonious, Indietronica-savvy "Dreamers" and the closing tune "Lost Ship" brings us back to where Soley comes from - beautiful piano outlines, carefully layered strings and fragile, ever fascinating vocals. Sweet!

Nicholodeon / Insonar - Ukiyoe (Mondi Fluttanti) / Francesco Paolo Paladino - Quickworks & Deadworks [Snowdonia 077 Promo]

Coming in from the Italy-based Snowdonia imprint this slightly confusing release has been sitting in our P.O. box quite a while ago and still manages to puzzle us for some reasons, not only because the so-called international press info doesn't make much sense at all. Anyway, presuming that the musical part of this release is provided by Nicholodeon / Insonar we're coming across an eight track - or: song -  album piece here that certainly provides some really psychedelic, tripping qualities, and so does the digipak-artwork as well. Imagine an acid-trip driven fusion of Italian lyrics and Bollywood-like kitsch levels whilst this over the top mixture functions as score for an artschool'esque shot love story with surprising twists and changes which you can't follow because you're watching the whole thing in a foreign language. No subtitles though. Sounds confusing, right? So it is, but interesting anyway and makes us think of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" for a reason - minus the Rock, plus exploding drums in track six and extented to 45 minutes that is. Alongside this musical potpourri comes a DVD containing Francesco Paolo Paolino's short film "Quickworks & Deadworks", soundtracked by the albums music and showcasing the most depressing interrelationship of two couples on a terrace whilst seeking shelter from a storm, hindering them from contueing their journey on a ship longside the coast. If you're set out towards the exploration of the most artsy, obscure audiovisual product you're able to find these days this is the album to look for.

SFX - Can't Get Enough [Telepathic Bubblebath 001]

Soon to emerge from psychedelic vaults of the well-appreciated and beloved Liquid Sky Berlin is the new label Telepathic Bubblebath which is about to launch these days with the release of "Can't Get Enough", the debut album of the recently formed SFX project. But who's behind SFX then? A triumvirate of musicians, namely Thomas Mahmoud-Zahl, Gerald Mandl - known to the Indie- and ElectroPunk-scene through his musings in Mediengruppe Telekommander - and finally Cem Oral, mastermind of Pharma Records and the Jammin Masters studio, one half of Air Liquide and also solo-producer under his Jammin Unit alias. Together they're exploring bass-focused territories of mostly nonsensical, yet partially funkdefied (Non)Music, Harsh- and PostIndustrial-Noize, sheer sonic brutalizm, clanging found sounds combined with tilting sci-fi FX - see especially "Attack Of The" for this - and live instrument torture alongside sample abuse and heavily twisted footage recordings to a physically demanding effect whilst more Free- and NoizeJazz-related tunes like "Why White Men Can't Dance" might even appeal to a more sensitive audience. Finally the flipside spanning "Audio Darkroom" takes us on a fascinating journey through spooky Dark Ambient passages, classic sci-fi scores if one thinks Carpenter's "Dark Star" or Zdenek Liska's "Ikarie XB 1" and bits of thrilling, obscured Field Recordings as well. What a ride!