Currently listening, part 1

[| broken harbour |]

Spinning the three releases by Broken Harbor, thanks to his October Bandcamp sale: http://brokenharbour.bandcamp.com/

Excellent stuff. I had streamed some of this at 128 in the past, and enjoyed it, but now that I've dived in and given everything a deep listening with headphones, I must say that this is really impressive work. I'm not sure if I have a favorite. The self-titled release has the darker feel of the three, but I think I find the imagery and atmosphere of Gramophone Transmissions to be really compelling.

Ooh, thanks for mentioning the Broken Harbour sale. I was deeply impressed by "Geometry of Shadows," and I've just downloaded the other two. I love this forum -- so many amazing recommendations come through.

Awwww shucks, thanks guys!

I've been on a Robert Rich binge lately, really digging Trances and Drones, which I missed during the previous reissue.

[chris23]

Sonmi451 - Hummingbird
My sentiment is similar to Dave's. This release is pretty good, but somewhat forgettable; I've already found myself returning to previous Sonmi451 releases since Hummingbird came out. Despite saying that, there is clear evolution here: this album feels a bit more polished than some of the others and it has quite a bit of acoustic sampling as opposed to the more prototypical bubbling digital sounds. So, if you're a fan, you should definitely give it a listen; there is a chance that some of the new stylistic components will appeal to you.
Samples/Buy: https://sonmi451.bandcamp.com/album/hummingbird

Porya Hatami - Land
Excellent. This reminds me a bit of some of the bubbly digital sounds that I referenced above mixed with the recent experimental-acoustic leanings of 12k. Inner Ocean Records has also released a CD of remixes, featuring Pleq, the Green Kingdom, and others.
Samples/Buy: http://shop.inneroceanrecords.com/album/porya-hatami-land

[Castleview]

3 Seconds Of Air- The Flight Of Songs

Excellent album.

[BigLooper]

Rapoon- To West And Blue: I was upset by the first track, but the album really grew on me. The title track is a real winner.

[Dave Michuda]

Pop spins...

San Fermin - San Fermin - excellent chamber-pop.
The Reigning Monarchs - Black Sweater Massacre - surf + ska + punk = awesome.
The Clash - Sound System - I'd forgotten how much I love this band.
The Avett Bros. - Magpie And The Dandelion - I'm not overwhelmed with this one yet.  I think I just OD'd on The Avett Bros the last few years.


Electronic...

Optical Framework - Aether Blueprints - nice ambient, dub that ebbs & flows beautifully.
Deepchord - Electrostatic Soundfields - more good ambient dub.
Vytis - Deepchord Avenue - even more ambient dub.
Hibernate - We Like Ambient, Curated by Isnaj Dui - One of 4 different samplers, I recently bought at Bandcamp of Hibernate records ambient music available for name your price.  Each curated by a different Hibernate artist.,

[BigLooper]

U2-- Zooropa. Sounds nice and mellow after all of these years. Not their best, but I think I hear Eno in it.

[chris23]

Field Rotation - Fatalist: The Repetition of History
Great 2013 release from Christoph Berg. Lots of cello, loops, and melancholy.   

Samples/Buy: https://fieldrotation.bandcamp.com/album/fatalist-the-repetition-of-history

Dave: Love that Vytis album.

[APK]

np
The casual and slightly broken tenderness of
- The Seaman and the Tattered Sail :: Light Folds (vinyl versions)

Holding up very well.

[Joe R]

Today:

Optical Framework- Aether Blueprints- I agree Dave, very nice ambient dub built around various field recordings. Which led me to:
Optical Framework- Little Piece Of Perseverance- Similar to "Blueprints", you can buy this download at Cold Tear Records- an interesting little music label.
Virlyn- Man Asleep- I love this album! It has a bit of everything- dark ambient, field recordings, classical/ambient, mournful but beautiful vocal dirges...  It all blends together seamlessly. There's nothing at all cliché about this album.

[chris23]

Check this out, Joe:

http://anmoku.bandcamp.com/album/of-mirrors

A recent Virlyn collaboration that is similar in spirit to Man Asleep. (In fact, permutations of the track Mirror appear on here and on Man Asleep.)

[Joe R]

Check this out, Joe:

http://anmoku.bandcamp.com/album/of-mirrors

A recent Virlyn collaboration that is similar in spirit to Man Asleep. (In fact, permutations of the track Mirror appear on here and on Man Asleep.)

Interesting! I'm buying the download for sure. Thanks Chris, for the tip, and for your superb taste in music 

[Joe R]

A Taylor Deupree day:

Shoals, Weather and Worn, and Transcriptions (With Stephan Mathieu)

[chris23]

The Angling Loser - Author of the Twilight
A 2-CD release by Lee Anthony Norris (Autumn Of Communion) and friends from the Time Released Sound label. This is fantastic--and well off the beaten path if you're in the mood for something unique. The music is mostly acoustic guitar and soft synths, with a subtle amount of experimentation. The atmosphere is a pastoral and gentle one. The second disc contains remixes by Stormloop, Ishq, Porya Hatami, and others. Some of the remixes are great; a few of them distort the material too much. Regardless, excellent package all around.

Samples/Buy: http://timereleasedsound.com/releases/the-angling-loser/

[APK]

I did some Lou Reed yesterday in honor of his passing. Mainly Velvet Underground stuff.

Today 
Kraftwerk: Tour de France 

[Joe R]

I did some Lou Reed yesterday in honor of his passing. Mainly Velvet Underground stuff.

Today 
Kraftwerk: Tour de France

Yes! The Velvet Underground-- I played some yesterday myself, assorted tracks from The Velvet Underground & Nico, and from the self titled one, and from Loaded. This weekend I'll play White light/White Heat. I always loved that album in spite of, or maybe because of, the harsh and unrelenting chaos in some of the tracks.  Hard to explain. There are so many intricate details of sound underneath that howling blast...

And Lou Reed had so many great albums scattered amidst mediocre ones- Transformer, Berlin, The Blue Mask, Legendary Hearts, Rock & Roll Animal, Cony Island Baby, New York... he will be missed.   

[BigLooper]

R.I.P. Lou Reed-- thanks for the cool music and inspiration!

[ffcal]

I saw Lou Reed perform the New York album in Berkeley in the late 80s.  That's how I will remember him--performing some of his best work with two guitars, bass and drums.

Forrest

[chris23]

Kids who visit our house tonight get to listen to Stalker by Robert Rich & Lustmord and Faust by Current 93. 

[APK]

- Roedelius :: Jardin au Fou - love this thing.

[chris23]

Antonymes - There Can Be No True Beauty Without Decay
A new release from the Hibernate label. This album mixes together, in an anonymous manner, 7 minimal, largely piano-based pieces, with remixes from Ian Hawgood, Isnaj Dui, Offthesky, Field Rotation, Wil Bolton, Spheruleus and James Banbury. There is no attribution for each of the remixes, so part of the fun of listening to this is trying to discern who is doing what and how they have manipulated the original source material.

This is a beauty in many respects. The packaging is lovely and many of the core tracks are so emotionally moving that they force me to stop what I'm doing and listen with awe. Check this out if you're a fan of "modern classical" and its interface with ambient and experimental minimalism.

Samples/Buy: https://hibernaterecordings.bandcamp.com/album/there-can-be-no-true-beauty-without-decay-2