Grgur Savic - Vortex 001 [Aut Records 095]

Aut Records is back on a vinyl tip with "Vortex 001", the debut album by the Grgur Savic-led Vortex ensemble comprised of the Berlin-based composer alongside Brad Henkel, Matheus Jardim and Ivar Boban Krizic. With their June 21st, 2k23 released firstling the quartet caters an eleven tracks spanning journey into sound based on a foundation of alto sax, trumpet, drums, bass, scalanca and objects, paying homage to the playful, yet explorative nature of what the untrained ear probably would refer to as old time, probably 60s-leaning Jazz whilst bouncing off of this vibe in a well creative and contemporary manner, providing room for extensive solos and ever meandering interaction between the players invlvd whilst, especially in pieces like the deep and minimalist nocturnal cut that is "Adega", the microtonal affair that is "Fujita Prime", the meditative, slightly ritualist skit that is "Zhar" or the FreeJazz x Improv vibes of "Common Trains" catering to the needs of the more contemporary and slightly avantgarde leaning Jazz aficionado of today. If that's you, you know what to do. Go check.

Ulrich Krieger - Aphotic I: Hadal [Room40 Promo]

Put out on the circuit via the Australian Room40 imprint on June 16th, 2k23 is "Aphotic I: Hadal", the latest album piece by German-born, now US-based artist and composer Ulrich Krieger who, inspired by his fascination for the aphotic, lightless depths of the oceans and own experiences of the effects and sensory changes coming with recreational diving presents three versions of the title track "Hadal" on this one, fusing bass clarinet and electronics alongside contributions by Ben Richter on accordion and Alkis Nikolaides on electric guitar. With "Hadal (Acoustic)" Mr. Krieger explores a regular swell of yearning, sustained and surely maritime drone signals alongside microtonal air flows and subdued harmonic layers whereas the "Hadal (Delay)" version emphasizes aspects of maritime melancholia and the obvious change of time perception under subaquatic circumstances whilst cold sonic fumes are seeping in from the Dark Ambient x Death Ambient outerworld. Furthermore the final variation, "Hadal (Electronics)", weighs in on a slightly smoothed out, all comforting, yet not less melancholia-inducing level for a closing and therefore presents a more organic, warmer alternative for fans of Kallabris, Tarkatak and like-minded artists. Check.

The D3VI7 - Deeper Into The Apocalypse EP [Level Radar Records Promo]

Released via Level Radar Records on December 26th, 2k22 is The D3VI7's "Deeper Into The Apocalypse EP", another digital two track single cooked up by the quasi-anonymous underground Techno force. Opening with "Deep" The D3VI7 serves super raw, hypercompressed and stomping Techno vibes garnished short acidic sequences reminiscent of many Italian Rave Techno productions of the early 90s whereas "Die Apokalypse" provides a hounded, highly functional Hardgroove Techno foundation for fans of sonic purism served in the past and present by the likes of Glenn Wilson, Pounding Grooves and like-minded producers.

Martin Küchen & Sophie Agnel - Detour Tunnels Of Light [Thanatosis Produktion 024]

Released via the ever expanding label Thanatosis Produktion on May 19th, 2k23 is "Detour Tunnels Of Light", the first ever full length album recording conceived by the duo of Martin Küchen and Sophie Agnel. Presenting a total of four pieces rolled out over the course of 35 minutes and with all of them recorded in situ in a Swedish church in early 2022 the two musicians amalgamate the sound of soprano sax, a somewhat broken grand piano and percussive elements to create haunting, creaky and eerie improvisations of a rather sparse and minimalist nature, all backed by what seems to be a spatial, highly atmospheric low frequency drone probably evoked and summoned by the sacred building in and of itself whilst tender, longing and almost romantic elements emerge occasionally, partially contrasted by fragments of FreeJazz x Avantgarde Jazz influences alongside microtonal air flows, static crackles and echoes of what once was called DarkJazz for the high culture-informed fan and follower of improvised outsider music aiming at small, yet dedicated audiences.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Tiefenrausch - Kabuki [La Bomba Recordings 011 Promo]

Put out on the digital circuit as cat.no. 011 of the La Bomba Recordings label is "Kabuki", the January 8th, 2k23 released two track single by a relatively new project operating under the name of Tiefenrausch. Opening with the title track "Kabuki" Tiefenrausch explores a pumping, muscular fusion of soft, dubbed out elements and peaktime HardHouse to a banging and well functional effect whereas the follow up named "Nighttripper" brings forth a combination of deep and dubby late night vibes fused with floating, acidic antigrooves for experimental ChillOut floors which do not exactly fall into place for us, even though certain elements of this specific tune are well fascinating and quite hypnotic.. Therefore "Kabuki" wins.

Sweeney - Corporeal [Sound In Silence 101]

Released via the Greek Ambient x Deep Listening Music staple that is Sound In Silence as their cat.no. 101 on May 1st, 2k23 is "Corporeal", the latest addition by Jason Sweeney a.k.a. Sweeney to the labels ever growing catalogue. This time the Australia-based producer presents a staggering 18 songs rolled out over the course of 58 minutes in total, dealing with - at least according to the accompanying press info - '...personal ghosts...' sonically and throughout the production process in terms of incorporating, using and abusing paranormal audio investigation tools and equipment in the creation of this longplayer. The sonic result of this venture is a menu of haunting, yet brittle and ethereal LeftfieldPop x DreamPop songs with Sweeney's tender voice hovering atop a foundation of outerworldly pads and atmospheres, occasionally accompanied by sparse, thundering and Industrial-informed beats, with tunes like "Lost Youth" and "The Studio" amongst a few others even being stripped down to a strangely off-kilter, reprocessed Spoken Word affair whereas "The Basement" goes full full on primordial Industrial tribalism, "All Alone On The Stage Tonight" feels like the melancholic, yet dramatic closing act of a big stage theatre play and "The Dead Dig Deeper" touches on fever'ish, nocturnal and somewhat nightmare-inducing drum ritualism just to name a few. Defo one for a rainy autumn afternoon session, best consumed alone and in dim twilight. Go check.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Aya Metwalli & Calamita - Al Saher [Zehra 009]

Released via the continuously growing Zehra label on May 19th, 2k23 is "Al Saher", the latest collaborational project brought to life by the Lebanese band project Calamita in cooperation with Egyptian, yet currently Beirut-based, singer Aya Metwalli which comes at us with a total of four tracks rolled out over a total length of roughly 38 minutes. Together, the bunch of artists fuse a classical Rock band set up with subtle electronic textures, bringing forth a fascinating amalgamation of experimental, hypnotic Desert PostPunk, droning guitars and beautifully floating vocals paired with full on experimental drum workouts reminiscent of doomed PostRock for post-apocalyptic settings, heavy guitar distortions, thundering and x or fever'ish ritualistic rhythms whilst the title track "Al Saher" fully indulges in slightly twangy PostRock minimalisms, crackly atmospheres and vocal layerings partly evoking faint memories of Fatima Al Qadiri's one-off project named Ayshay for one reason or another. Defo an excellent release you need to check out if bands like Eyeless In Gaza, Village Of Savoonga or C Cat Trance do ring a bell or have a place sitting in your hand-picked collection of extraordinary music.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Jozef Dumoulin - This Body, This Life [Carton Records Crox-Croix 028]

Released via the Lyon / France-based label Carton Records - which btw has secured one of the best URLs ever for their website - on May 26th, 2k23 is "This Body, This Life", the second ever solo album realized and written by Belgian piano player x composer Josef Dumoulin. With 14 pieces rolled out over the course of roughly 50 minutes Dumoulin combines improvisations recorded both on piano and fender rhodes and pairs those with additional instruments and electronic textures, field recordings and vocals to an intriguing effect, meandering somewhat in between deepest, partly Jazz-infused melancholia, echoes of stage scores for modernist theatre performance, Modern Classical influences as well as Electronica and Downtempo x Dop Beat, the latter especially prevalent in the seven minutes spanning "Social Disdance" which might be our favorite cut on this album by far, not only for being somewhat reminiscent of a certain legendary Boards Of Canada album - minus the washed out atmospheres -, whereas the subsequent "La Vie En Rhodes" seems to hark back to actual early experimental electronic music production and tape loop techniques, "Eighteen Chords For An Angel" explores full on piano minimalism, "Lonely Tree On Rocks" follows on a full on solo late night BarJazz piano path and "Seed Syllables" dives deeply into a modified rhodes cut up x Electronica x found sound samples fusion vibe just to name a few. Interesting stuff, this.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Nitrogene - Our House [Ghostfloppy Recordings 002]

Released via the relatively fresh LoBit label Ghostfloppy Recordings on March 2nd, 2k23 as a two floppy disk set is "Our House", the very first appearance on the imprint made by the act named Nitrogene. Opening with "Our House (Original Mix)" on the first floppy we're served a menu of pumping, yet dreamy and highly melodic DeepHouse x RomanticHouse for Sunday morning open air festival dancefloors whereas the "Our House *DJ Nightnoise Remix" sees the Flensburg-based producer weighing in loads of spatial reverb and heavy, undeniably Jungle- / UK Garage- / Speedgarage-influenced basslines to flip the tune for vibing club crowds and therefore needs to be marked as the most unique and creative remix we've heard from DJ Nightnoise in quite a while.

Werner Dafeldecker & Valerio Tricoli - Der Krater [Room40 Promo]

Released via the Australian imprint that is Room40 on June 9th, 2k23 is "Der Krater", the latest collaboration between long standing Austrian artist and composer Werner Dafeldecker and Palermo-born electronic musician Valerio Tricoli. Split in two parts and rolled out over a total of 32 minutes playtime "Krater" opens with a set of crackly atmospheres and plucked, probably slowed down bass improvisations as a foundation for sparse harmonic pads and slowly morphing electronic sounds turning into brooding, deeply melancholic and slightly maritime DarkAmbient of a well haunted an unsettling nature, later followed by tectonic low frequency movements and eerie sweeps in the first part whilst its rumbling, washed out and haunting successor seems to fully build its nerve-wrecking and mind-numbing effect on extreme tape speed manipulation of already pre-recorded sequences which slowly fade and decay away into sweet nothingness at the very edge of the audible spectrum. One for the avantgarde informed listerner, this.

Kate Moore - Ridgeway [Unsounds 075]

Put out on the circuit on May 15th, 2k23 via Unsounds as the labels cat.no. 075 is "Ridgeway", the most recent collection of commissioned works written by Kate Moore in the sixteen years period between 2003 and 2019. Presenting a total of six pieces rolled out over the course of almost 74 minutes playtime we see Kate Moore conceptually dealing with what the composer herself describes as '...the eeriness of the landscape...' which includes the prehistoric giant white horse of Uffington, an ancient landmark in the area Kate Moore grew up in as a child. This being said, Moore's compositions featured on "Ridgeway", starting with the title track of the same name, bring forward an emotionally touching, yet dramatic take on melancholia embedded in an almost folksy setting of Contemporary Classical music which later turns towards the kind of suspense one would rather expect in a classic psycho horror flic whereas "101" builds tension from layered, ever intensifying piano and string movements before the solo piano piece that is "Prelude" goes full on romanticism in its cascading, dynamic elegance. Furthermore "Sliabh Beagh" continues on a, yet more subdued and tender, solo piano path which works its way up toward a major climax that could be, if looped, well fit in to an emulation of ecstatic 90s Trance music whilst the "Bushranger Psychodrama" opens with ethereal, yet brittle strings before the wide range panorama of this piece finally fully unfolds whereas the concluding "The Dam" amalgamates rural Nordic Folk vibes and thundering Classical techniques in a most fascinating manner and even introduces almost an Opera-like vocal performance for a closing, being the sole composition on this entire album to employ the wide ranged possibilites of the human voice. Well interesting, this.

Album artwork on Instagram!

baze.djunkiii Chart Haul 06/2k23

Sascha Müller - High Contrast [Proper Cuts Recordings 001]

Soon to be released via Proper Cuts Recordings as the labels cat.no. 001 is Sascha Müller's "High Contrast", a one-sided and extremely limited lathe cut 12" edition which sees Uelsen's finest on a banging, straightforward Techno tip, fusing the stripped down, hyperfunctional approach of producers like Robert Hood with distinct ClubTechno samples and minimalist Acid movements to a well hypnotic effect which provides nothing but straight up movement for the masses. Go check!

Lathe cut artwork on Instagram!

Ingebrigt Haker Flaten & Paal Nilssen-Love - Guts & Skins [Sonic Transmissions Records / PNL Records]

Put out on the circuit as a collaborational effort between Paal Nilssen-Love's very own PNL Records and Sonic Transmissions Records is "Guts & Skins", the May 26th, 2k23 released album written by Paal Nilssen-Love and bass player Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, recorded live with an all star set of musicians as an ensemble x band project originally planned for the 40th anniversary of Trondheim's Conservatory Of Music's Jazz department. With massive delays induced by the Covid-19 situation the seven tracks and 57 minutes spanning album was finally recorded in concert over the course of three days in May 2k22, presenting a set and series of in parts ultradense, oftentimes thundering, yet well structured FreeJazz x FreeImprov recordings of which especially "Guts & Skins Part 2" sticks out due to its nocturnal, fever'ish and foreboding jungle voodoo atmosphere whereas the subsequent "Guts & Skins Part 3" rolls with a surprisingly conservative Jazz approach the PNL Records is not necessarily known for, at least for a few minutes, "Guts & Skins Part 4" opens with well ominous low frequency shifts of almost tectonic qualities only to end up with haunted DarkJazz piano minimalism and demonic vocal techniques whilst "Guts & Skins Part 7" rounds things off on a surprisingly longing and romantic late night note and makes this album probably the most accessible PNL Records release we've reviewed in quite a while.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Listen Again: baze.djunkiii presents Nacht Aus Beton Volume 2 @ Radio Flouka / Paris (01.06.2023)

Radio Flouka راديو فلوكة · baze.djunkiii presents Nacht Aus Beton Volume 2 - 01/06/2023

Autorhythm - Songs For The Nervous Systems [Thanatosis Produktion 023]

Another addition to the ever growing catalogue of the label that is Thanatosis Produktion, the May 12th, 2k23 released album debut by Swedish producer Joakim Forsgren who is operating under the name of Autorhythm for this six tracks and 36 minutes spanning album affair. Influenced by his own Parkinson's diagnosis and a bunch of medical research on how frequencies and frequency spectrums of many kinds might affect the body on a cellular level Forsgren a.k.a. Autorhythm employs a series of pre-MIDI synths and other instruments to create an surprisingly club-oriented longplay piece for the otherwise more experimentally oriented imprint, starting with the pumping, slightly psychedelic MinimalHouse cut named "Clairvoyance" which is accompanied by occasional large scale vintage synth cascades whereas the "Doom Variations" bring on some killer Electro x Acid Phonk for most advanced late night dancefloors whilst "Neurotrophic Factos" provide a beautifully deep and synthetic Downtempo x TripHop x Electronica fusion. Furthermore we see "Plasticity" indulging in floating synth melodies, hypnotic modulations and an overall (Neo)Cosmic feel which finds its, more broken and more Krautrock-infused, atmospheric continuation in the ever meandering "Intercellular Communication" before the closing cut "Substantia Nigra" dives even deeper into full-on Krautrock territories for a well fascinating grand finale. Highly recommended.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Kammerflimmer Kollektief - Schemen [Karlrecords 101]

Released via Karlrecords on April 28th, 2k23 is "Schemen", the eleventh full length album by the legendary ensemble named Kammerflimmer Kollektief which has been active on the musical circuit for more than a quarter of a century now. Now coming back with a new set of eight pieces rolled out over the course of 36 minutes we see Kammerflimmer Kollektief exploring a very unique and specific sonic universe, once again drawing obvious influences from PostRock - ... and PostPostRock, ofc... - which are fused and amalgamated with a foundation of warm, organic and slightly dubbed out basslines, garnished with tender additional percussions, sprinkles of electronic textures, surprisingly distorted sequences and interludes, enchanted atmospheres, improvisations and jazzed out drum rolls as well the deep trademark dream state Kammerflimmer Kollektief vibe we all love the group for anyway.

Tunes to check out for sure: "Erstes Kapitel [Verschliffen]", "Sechstes Kapitel [Herausgewunden]", "Siebentes Kapitel [Verflochten]".

Album artwork on Instagram!

Various Artists - These Clouds... [Sound In Silence 100]

What a journey. What an achievement. And what a celebration. After 17 years things have come full circle for the Athens-based boutique Ambient label Sound In Silence, reaching the three magic digit realm with "These Clouds..." on May 1st, 2k23, the imprints 100th release and its second ever compilation release after entering the musical circuit with a compilation back in 2006, marking the start of the journey with cat.no. 001. In between lie 98 albums and mini albums, many of which have been reviewed on this website, produced by a wide range of artists of which many have contributed to this epic collection of 18 tracks spanning roughly 78 minutes in total playtime alongside a few new additions to the roster - including the labels head honcho George Mastrokostas as Absent Without Leave, Panoptique Electrical, Yellow6, Hotel Neon, worriedaboutsatan, Sven Laux and Berlin based experimental nuclear test equipment Youtube superstar and tape loop maniac Hainbach alongside many many others, all invlvd in the wonderful musical patchwork "These Clouds..." provides, covering a sonic range from meditative and ruminant Ambient beauty to scenic echoes of Modern Classical composition, tender and inward looking PostPostRock, yearning and romantic sonic depictions of the universes sheer vastness, brittle Piano Ambient etudes, fascinating glacial and glistening layerings garnished with bits of a futurist sci-fi attitude as well as fluttering, slowly decaying Ambient soundscapes and even swirling, well unsettling maelstroms of sound accompanied by intense atmospheric crackles and ever increasing intensity which are, usually, not necessarily to be found within the labels sonic range. Defo a suitable release for such a milestone anniversary. Congratulations!

Kaspar Agnas - 1305 [Haphazard Music]

Put out on the circuit via the Swedish label Haphazard Music on June 2nd, 2k23 is Kaspar Agnas' "1305", the latest musical outing by the 1992-born artist and a very first glimpse into his work as a composer. With only two pieces featured and a total playtime of roughly 22 minutes "1305" can be seen as an EP release or a showcase of sorts with the first cut "Imber" seeing Agnas embracing his role as a lead instrumentalist for an ensemble of 14 musicians, guiding their way with a meandering stream of variations of a sharply plucked and piercing guitar motif, accompanied by static handclaps and a hyperdense, ever changing and highly complex, if not to say: in parts close to chaotic, layer of improvisations laid down and stacked by the ensemble whilst the subsequent "Little Towels Of Air, Warm And Wrapping Against The Heart" showcases a completely opposite approach as a tender, airy, yet deep and consoling composition for solo piano which might turn out to be many ppls favorite on this one due to its rather accessible and comforting feel.

2020 - 7 [2020 Records 007]

Released via the seemingly artist run imprint that is 2020 Records on February 1st, 2k23 is "7", the - guess what? - seventh consecutive artist album by 2020 since the label appeared on the digital circuit back in 2020, a ten tracks and 75+ minutes spanning journey into mostly experimental soundscapes, starting with the glacial ambience of "Salvatore" subsequently followed by the unsettling metallic sci-fi drones of "Der Priester" whereas cuts like "More And More" bring forth an almost angelic, glistening stillness of sorts, "Bruuuhhh" is triggering memories of atmospheric crackles within a full on arctic whiteout, "Curare" brings forth mind-numbing, time-dissolving DeathAmbient before "Playground" provides tender Ambient redemption just to name a few favorites here.

Fin / Caliumi / Masetto / Battaglia / Mampreso - An Artist's Life Manifesto [Aut Records 092]

Released via Aut Records on April 11th, 2k23 is "An Artist's Life Manifesto", a conceptual, year-long multi-artist research take on Marina Abramovic's work of the same name. The result of this research is a seven compositions and almost 75 minutes spanning album with the most extended cut, the closing piece "Posession", exceeding the magical 20 minutes mark alone, pairing deep and classy late night Jazz vibes with a highly expressive and wide ranged vocal performance at its technical and pitch peak even bordering on Opera throughout some parts, diving deep into tender ballads with "Solitude" which are traversing into free floating Jazz improvisations later on whilst "Self-Control" dabbles with nervous background movements and quasi cut-up Spoken Word fragments, "Pollution" drifts off into playfully theatrical dreamland situations which Improv escalate quickly for a second whereas the aforementioned "Possession" rounds things off with a proper groovy Jazz intro before, once again, dissolving into airy minimalist fragments accompanied by bits of squeaky saxophone and thundering drums for a second to please the needs of an avantgarde-informed audience. If that's you you might wanna check this one out.

Oberer Totpunkt - Totentanz [Danse Macabre Records]

Handed over to us by the artists directly only recently was "Totentanz", the sixth full length album recorded by Hamburg-based band project Oberer Totpunkt for the long standing label Danse Macabre Records. Released in 2k22 "Totentanz" caters a total of 16 songs rolled out over the course of 68 minutes, once again focusing a highly dramatic amalgamation of dense and synth-heavy Industrial x EBM, heavy, distorted guitar riffs and Bettina Bormann's trademark, mostly German, part Spanish lyrics which can be described as an oftentimes eerie and unsettling combination of Spoken Word and fast, highly precise speech-singing - not: rapping - which is extremely prevalent in tracks like the title track "Totentanz", the post-apocalyptic Industrial Doom Rock anthem "Scharlachroter Schnee" which indeed is a well psychotic love song of sorts followed by the peaktime theatrical drama of "Liebeleid". Furthermore hypnotic FuturePop cuts like "Zeit Verfliegt" are able to work technoid festival crowds as well swirling creatures of the night, "Auf Der Dunklen Seite Des Mondes" is a big time emotional journey for fans of Industrial Rock, the subsequent "Dystopia" weighs in a good portion of cold and ghostly mystique, "Die Krieger" brings back a bit of the good ol' chrome flavored EBM x FuturePop crossover sound and "Rot, Schwarz, Herz" brings forth some more peaktime power for high-octane moshpits just to name a few. One for your strobe-lit cybergoth peak time dancefloors, this.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Niala Effen - Kolory Tez Potrafia Spiewac [Rope Worm 001]

Put on the circuit on May 19th, 2k23 as the very first release of the new Warsaw-based label Rope Worm is "Kolory Tez Potrafia Spiewac" by Niala Effen, an acronym employed by Belgian artist and composer Alain Neffe for this one which was originally intended as a limited to 28 copies edition accompanying an art exhibition by Nadine Bal in late 1989 and then one time re-issued by the Polish OBUH label on cassette back in 1993. Now properly restored from original reel to reel recordings for a limited to 300 copies CD release some 30 years later with two additional bonus tracks added to the track list we see Niala Effen / Alain Neffe on a quasi-serial ProtoAmbient tip infused by both Minimal Music composition techniques as well as the technical approach of unquestioned Synth greats with ever repetetive yet subtly shifting loop sequences bringing forth well uplifting, now somewhat retrofuturist vibes to be found in cuts like the future positive "Mireille" with the subsequent "Gina" even touching on Modern Classical x Contemporary Classical-leaning composition techniques to a fascinatingly dramatic effect, "Beatrice" adding feathering, partially dubbed out and beautiful piano chords to the mix whereas the highly expressionist "Yvette" follows up with a slightly theatrical, yet not less positive twist, the 15 + minutes spanning "Maryse" weighing in a well eerie and unsettling, ever spiralling maelstrom of twisted synth sounds before introducing a more free-floating and certainly Jazz infused piano motif and "Anne Marie *Second Version" puts the percussive angle of the original version in tape reverse for a closing just to name a few. Defo a well interesting and somewhat historical document of late 80s ProtoAmbient for those in the know.

Faizal Mostrixx - Mutations [Glitterbeat Records 141 Promo]

Put out on the circuit via the ever active Glitterbeat Records imprint on May 26th, 2k23 is "Mutations", the second full length album cooked up by Uganda's own Faizal Mostrixx. Rolled out over nine tracks and a total runtime of roughly 38 minutes the producer caters a sonic vision to '...describe the meeting of the electronic and the tribal...', a fusion of a wide range of traditional Pan-African influences and oftentimes polyrhythmic Bass Music, in structure somewhat reminiscent of the uniquely non-linear soundscapes laid down by Tunisian artist Deena Abdelwaheed, garnished with brooding synth sounds and sampled Tribal chants, resulting in hefty dancefloor bangorz like the futuristic opener "Onions And Love" whereas "Back To Tanzania" pairs Tribal DeepHouse x Amapiano vibes with local chants to a surprising effect, the "Sandman" brings forth a gloomy and primeval, bass-heavy soundtrack nicely contrasted with cascading melodic segments, the title track "Mutations" could be seen as an eerie, Pan-African equivalent to Chicago's Juke x Footwork movement whereas the aptly titled closing tune "Afro Aliens" seems to dabble with deep early Autechre x Boards Of Canada vibes in combination with slomo Amapiano for enchanted late night sessions just to name a few. Interesting stuff, this.

Stookcast #313 - baze.djunkiii

As the revival of Electroclash x BlogHouse x ElectroHouse seems to be lurking at the horizon yours truly did a little mix thing for the Dutch Stookhok Sessies Stookcast series recently.

All Hands_Make Light - Darling The Dawn [Constellation 171]

Released via the highly influential Canadian imprint that is Constellation Records on April 21st, 2k23 is "Darling The Dawn", the first ever signed album by Montreals All Hands_Make Light, the relatively recently formed duo comprised of Ariel Engle and Efrim Manuel Enuck. Over a runtime of 44 minutes and seven brand new pieces the two prolific artists lay out a sonic landscape described by the accompanying promo sheet in the words of Ariel Engle as '... . Sea shanties for seas we've never sailed...', shaped oftentimes through the process of filesharing and defined by a glistening, yet inward-looking and almost Shoegazing beauty in which electronic textures meet large scale panoramic, yet intimate pads and layers and a well tender vocal performance partially buried deep within the mix, at times even dabbling with what was decribed as Apocalyptic Folk by the likes of Current 93 as well as haunted ambience, meandering song structures and what seem to decaying echoes of Scottish bagpipes or similar traditional instruments to be found in the vast and majestic Ambient score of "The Sons And Daughters Of Poor" which evolves into a droning Leftfield Pop x Shoegaze hybrid over 9+ minutes whereas the subsequent "Anchor" defines brooding, yet glacial, mystic and slightly devotional Vocal Ambient for new dawn rituals for 2k23. Quite an epic overall soundscape to be found on this one.

Album artwork on Instagram!

THX1971 - Minimal Ist Meine Wahl [Block4]

Put out on the circuit via the long standing Block4 label which actually had its first release back in 1990 is "Minimal Ist Meine Wahl", the new, May 1st, 2k23 released mini-LP by Augsburgs THX1971 project. Catering a total of eight tracks rolled out over the course of roughly 25 minutes THX1971 combine surprisingly uplifting and straightforward Minimal Wave x SynthWave with German lyrics to create massive dancefloor bang0rz like the opener "Polizeistaat", the sweet lo-fi stomper "Minimale Distanz", the beautiful raw melodies of the somewhat manga-infused "Deine Gedanken Werden Deine Gefühle" and the uptempo killer cut "Fahrenheit 451" just to name a few favorites here. If you've loved releases by labels like Astro Chicken or Das Drehmoment in the past this one's gonna be right up your alley. Will be on rotation at forthcoming BETA-ZERFALL events for sure.

Eardrops - Gravity Has No Right To Define Up And Down [Krater Recordings]

Released via the Audiophob sublabel Krater Recordings on May 5th, 2k23 is the cheekily titled "Gravity Has No Right To Define Up And Down", the first ever album project cooked up by Claus Poulsen and Sascha Stadlmeier under their shared musical alias that is Eardrops. Catering a total of five tracks rolled out over the course of roughly 39 minutes the duo employs a musical arsenal consisting of zither and violin alongside various electronic sound sources and Field Recordings to build an improvised, yet coherent musical tapestry from the fragile and crackly, in parts even GAS-esque (minus the beats, ofc), romantic DarkAmbient ultramelancholia of the opening track "Aux Minor" onwards, with "Finding Form" indulging in ghostly, washed out melodic fragments somewhat reminiscent of early Oval and probably other highly fascinating late 90s quasi-Ambient before "The Space In Between" presents deep, yet slightly chaotic and overlapping echoes of plucked strings alongside warped and twisted electroacoustic treatments and occasional tectonic low end shiftings, "Bavarian Seas" enters a realm of inward looking, self-reflective Post-PostRock evoking memories of the criminally underrated Aosuke project which released the only Ambient x PopAmbient x PostPostRock album on Hamburg's Audiolith label ever before the final cut named "Lustbrot" rounds things off on an even folksier and more acoustic level for a closing. Beautiful.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Koenig - 1 Above Minus Underground [Ventil Records Promo]

Put out on the circuit on April 28th, 2k23 via the Austrian label Ventil Records is "1 Above Underground", the latest full length album effort by Lukas König a.k.a. Koenig who, over the course of nine tracks and approx. 35 minutes total runtime, creates a well fever'ish brooding sonic universe accompanied by a plethora of contributing guest musicians from all over the globe of which the most well known and outstanding might be the Mutant HipHop x Illbient pioneers Sensational and Dälek from our very personal perspective. Opening with the sluggish and claustrophic Vault Rap of "Last Dance" which could've been a proper good fit to Mille Plateaux' famed 'Electric Ladyland' compilation series decades ago the musical ark progresses into what could be filed under the flag of Industrial Future R'n'B with "Another One" whereas "Diffidence" sees Sensational on some prime shit, providing trademark flows over hefty and distorted, advanced dancefloor moving Mutant HipHop beats. These three cuts are laying down the foundation for things to come like the similarly banging Illbient groove monster that is "Ratchet", the apocalytic killer flows delivered by Dälek in "Due Diligence" atop Funk brass infused bass terror which takes a surprising turn into an improvised FreeJazz closing before "War Is The Unveiling Of The Truth" sees Rojin Sharafi spreading Hardcore Rap knowledge on Mutated Phonk beats, "Kali" walks the line between sonically threatening Illbient and Experimental slomo Dub(step) pressure and the final cut that is "W'rat'h" comes full circle with a set of super heavy Illbient structures infused with somewhat oriental sample cutups and tectonic low end movements creeping up from the deepest subsurface vaults. One of those uncomprimising underground albums that are rarely made like this anymore these days and therefore need to make their way into everyones collection for a reason. Highly recommended.

Sarah Albu & Gayle Young - According To The Moon [Farpoint Recordings]

Released via Farpoint Recordings as the labels cat.no. 088 on May 19th, 2k23 is "According To The Moon", the latest full length collaboration showcase cooked up by long standing composer and musician Gayle Young alongside Montreal's reknowned vocalist Sarah Albu. Realized and recorded with the help of a range of contributing artists and spanning a roughly four decades long timeframe all seven pieces on this 66 minutes spanning album were composed by Gayle Young, starting with the outerworldly and multi-layered non-vocalisms of the title track which transport the listener into an enchanted dreamworld in which time is meaningless and eternal before the "Tea Story" enters a realm of twisted and highly processed experimental vocal utterings, in their flickering, unstable and fluttering nature somewhat reminiscent of the theremin as an instrument whereas "The State Of Corn" presents the first full on (ab)use of actual, yet theatrical and experimentally cut-up, speech on this album, thematically dealing with the subject of , well..., corn in a well abstract and partially cacophonic, yet highly interesting manner whilst the concluding "Ancient Ocean Floor" employs the sound of running water and, further down its 14+ minutes runtime, dramatic and brooding electronic background textures and intense, almost occult vocalizations for a spine-tingling closing just to pick a few. A fascinating hybrid take on Contemporary Classical and experimental avantgarde composition techniques. Recommended.

Album artwork on Instagram!

France Jobin - 10-33cm [Room40 Promo]

Released via the Australian staple that is the Room40 imprint on May 5th, 2k23 is "10-33cm", the extended 15 years anniversary re-edition of France Jobin's string theory inspired album originally put out on the circuit back in 2008. With now nine instead of seven pieces - "String 1-9" -, with the two additions composed after the Canadian artist indeed used her pandemic-induced off time to study quantum physics, the most recent iteration of "10-33cm" presents a series of fragile, almost brittle, sci-fi leaning high frequency movements accompanied by sparse percussive events, calm and minimalist Ambient atmospheres ("String 3"), blurred and somewhat dubbed out layerings of metallic sounds ("String 4"), glacial, glistening sonic streams equalling a universal whiteout, crackly near-silence at the beginning of "String 6", endless plateaus of droning low frequencies ("String 7") as well as tender, yet swampy electro-acoustics swells ("String 8") and more for all fans and followers of minimalist Ambient and other forms of Deep Listening Music. Go check.

Alessandra Rombola - Out Of The Playground [Sofa Music]

Released on April 21st, 2k23 via the Norwegian staple that is Sofa Music is "Out Of The Playground", the first ever album recorded by Italian flute player Alessandra Rombola for the label. Taking on five commissioned works and collaborations for solo flute and electronics over the course of 62 minutes Rombola presents pieces written by or in collaboration with the likes of Jan Martin Smørdal, Ingar Zach, Daniela Terranova and Lasse Marhaug which cover a sonic range from cascading repetetive, somewhat percussive electronic loops of a somewhat uplifting nature to reprocessed air flows accompanied by mechanical noises and yearning, sustained flute tones as well as glacial drone pads, parallel layered acoustic flute motifs and more eerie, somewhat threatening and ghastly wind movements, seemingly near field recorded treatments alongside playful and naturalistic explorations of the flute as a purely acoustic instrument as well as further, slightly mystical goodness for all followers of Avantgarde-leaning Deep Listening Music. Defo one for repeated listening sessions. Go check.

Album artwork on Instagram!