Eye on New Releases: May 29th, 2012

This week's got releases suitable for all of your upcoming naps and hootenannies!  Read on to see what's happening!

Label: Cosmicleaf Records


Album: Lullaby


Artist: Eguana


Genre: Electronic, Ambient

Eguana returns with a new ambient album, titled Lullaby.  Despite its narcoleptic title and soothing sound, this release is more than just a selection of bedtime tunes.  In actuality, it’s a fleshed out, fully realized, trance record.  Interesting to note in this release is the diversity of theme from one track to the next.  “Lullaby for my daughter” calls to mind a futuristic hotel lobby, while “Journey to the purple smoke” paints a visual image of a pilgrimage across dusty sand dunes.  Indeed, the tone of the album phases back and forth from a sharp electronic sound to a softer, vocal equipped sound with droning didgeridoo-esque synths and ceramic drums.  For sleepless fans of ambient electronica with a hint of world music, Lullaby might be just what the doctor ordered.

Label: Q Division


Album: Q Dee Rock and Soul #10


Artist: Tim Gearan


Genre: Rock, Soul

Tim Gearan, a singer and guitar player who has performed with Grammy-nominated blues artist Susan Tedeschi, and toured internationally with Toni Lynn Washington, has released a two track 7” of his own that’s sure to get your mojo working.  For those familiar with the work of JJ Cale, John Hiatt, Randy Newman, and Nick Lowe, Tim Gearan’s smoky voice and funky groove will feel right at home.   “Get a Gun,” the first track, burns with a sort of laid-back charisma that is so indicative of tracks cut by seasoned performers.  “Enough” is a love letter to classic Americana, using elements of blues, soul, and funk in its theme and composition.  Because of his charm and infectious energy, Tim Gearan’s latest release is a viable option for long-time rock and soul listeners and newcomers alike.

Eye on New Releases: May 22th, 2012

 You don't need to wait in "Longlines" to climb to the top of Mount Eerie with this weeks releases!

Label: P.W. Elverum & Sun
Album: Clear Moon
Artist: Mount Eerie
Genre: Alternative

Mount Eerie’s new album, Clear Moon, is a resonant body of work that explores the possibilities of sound depth. Although the genre of this release is “Alternative”, don’t mistake Clear Moon to be just another rock record.  While tracks like “House Shape” and “Through The Trees pt. 2” glow with alterna-rock accessibility, others like “the Place I Live,” and “(something)” are more ambient and contemplative.  Phil Evernum, the creative force behind Mount Eerie, recorded Clear Moon entirely in analog, inside of a church-turned-studio in Washington called, “the Unknown.” The result is a cathedral-like sound where drums, gongs, and synthesized strings echo freely without muddling the hauntingly suspended vocals.  Through its eleven tracks, Clear Moon is dense and rich like an untapped vein of precious metals.  Despite its soft and unobtrusive feel, which make it ideal for background music, the complexity of every minute promises to make this release one worthy of multiple deep listenings.

Label: Moodgadget Records
Album: Longlines
Artist: Nitemoves
Genre: Electronic, Synth-Pop

Longlines, Nitemoves new release, eschews the traditional tropes of electronic music in favor of a slow-cooked digital flavor.  Ditching the high-faluting synths for square and triangle wave dominant leads, “Port Au Prism” and “Tertre Rouge” are guaranteed hits for fans of the lo-fi synth-bop sound. That said, Longlines has plenty to offer to fans of all varieties of electronic music.  Longer tracks like “Broken Cub” and “AMRAAM” are continually evolving biomes of sound, pulsing with life and unbridled character, without damaging their accessibility.  The second track, “Challenger,” is the albums most likely single, with it’s gradually building intensity, danceable beat, and skillfully utilized vocal samples.  To pick a single, however, would be to wrong-headedly separate this release into multiple sections.  Truly, Longlines is best experienced as a continuous whole, and not as a handful of estranged tracks.

Eye on New Releases: May 15th, 2012

Climb to the top of the Holy Mountain, and you can see the entire Metro Area with these new releases.

Label: Chemikal Underground
Album: Earth Measures EP
Artist: Holy Mountain
Genre: Alternative

Holy Mountain erupts onto the scene with their new Earth Measures LP.  Guitarist Andy McGlone, drummer Pete Flett, and bassist Allan Stewart shake the earth with their incredibly loud and powerful brand of rock and roll.  Earth Measures evokes the sound of Black Sabbath and Lightning Bolt, but with occasional 

psychedelic breakdowns a la MC5.  “Great Monkey,” the fourth track on the album, shows off the variety within their style the best.  Starting off heavy and deliberate, it breaks out into an airtight rollercoaster of tempo changes, all the while showing off the groups’ intuition for complex musical composition.  Indeed, the haphazard and maniacal sound of their track “Swifty” nearly belies Holy Mountain’s apparent musicality as otherwise exhibited in “Bolting” and “Kegs.”  Earth Measures LP is a studio-recorded release that almost sounds raw enough to be live.

Label: Environ
Album: Metro Area 5 & 6
Artist: Metro Area
Genre: Electronic, Dance

Do you prefer your electronic music smooth or funky? Well, as luck may have it, Metro Area’s latest release through Environ has both.  Metro Area 5 & 6 is a remastered, combined release of Metro Areas’s 2004 and 2005 releases, Metro Area 5 and Metro Area 6, respectively.  “Nerves,” gets us off to a smooth start with a focus on rhythmic side percussion, and ends with sultry strings, punchy horns, and glistening piano runs.  “Proton Candy,” mixes things up a bit with vibrating electric leads, vocoder-esque mumbling, and a flanging bass line that really cranks up the funky feel.  Metro Area’s “Honey Circuit,” lives up to its name; thick and rich bass synths underscore sweet female vocal samples, making this track digital honey to the ears.  Whether you’re a vintage roller rink skater or a earbud clad head nodder, Metro Area 5 & 6’s got something to groove to.

Eye on New Releases: May 8th, 2012

Explore the wide world of electronic sound this week with Bleep Bloop, Still Going, and Mr. Feathers!

Label: Vermin Street

Album: Wizardry EP

Artist: Bleep Bloop

Genre: Electronic
               
Filled with staggering electronic leads and stuttering, digitally saturated samples, Bleep Bloop’s new Wizardry EP is sure to please fans of the trip-hop and scratch DJ sound.  The first description that comes to mind when listening is:  swagger infused beats mixed from a cartoon sound effects compilation.  Bleep Bloop has managed to craft a thematically unified album - continually referring to certain sonic motifs, such as a chunky clap track, without ever getting stale or redundant.  “Bass Bay Brainiacs,” adds a welcome dash of rap to the hip-hop inspired beats of the rest of the album, thanks to cameos by Alfabetiks Anonymous and Captin Cartoon.  The last four of Wizardry’s nine tracks are actually remixes by Grizzly J, Hypha, The Digital Connection, and Benito, respectively.  Each remix gives a unique perspective on Bleep Bloop’s original tracks; so unique in fact that they take on lives of their own.  Wizardry EP is an unapologetically crafted work with plenty to offer for the fan of urban-spiced electronica.

Label: Still Going Records

Album: D117

Artist: Still Going

Genre: Dance, Electronic   

Still Going’s first release, D117, is a notable one.  With smooth guitar licks, sweeping and stabbing string runs, brightly stricken piano chords, and a soulful vocal by Lizzy Yoder, Still Going hits a refined balance of depth and silky softness.  This release consists of two nine-minute cuts of “D117”, each with a different focus.  The first take puts the vocal track forward while the second emphasizes the electric guitar.  Despite its short eighteen minute length, Still Going’s new-old sound of smooth rock meets techno will no doubt leave you with a good feeling that goes on and on.

Label: Triangle Earth

Album: Knife Cream Sundae

Artist: Mr. Feathers

Genre: Electronic, IDM, Hip Hop

Knife Cream Sundae is an extremely appropriate name for Mr. Feathers' new album.  Its devilish sound satisfies your musical sweet tooth while the twenty-seven terse tracks cut you a new one.  In this last push, Mr. Feathers has achieved a level of diversity here that would make even the deepest of rain forest biospheres jealous.  “Boom Lab Dog Treats” drones, buzzes, and barks in your ears one second, and before you know it “Guitar Wave Symphony” comes along like a deconstructed classical piece on acid.  Experimental and minimalistic at times, without ever trying to lose the listener in a wave of pretentious subtext, this release is an engaging, bass driven thought experiment expressed musically.  Triangle Earth, Mr. Feathers’ label, has expressed deep affection for his originality, and this should come to no surprise to those familiar or not with his work.  Knife Cream Sundae is an eclectic collection of electronic sounds that is right up the alley of anyone with broad musical horizons.

Eye On New Releases: April 17th, 2012

Need something to help you celebrate being done with taxes? Look no further!

Label: Futra
Album: Lone Lifter EP
Artist: EEZIR
Genre: Bass, Electronic

Lone Lifter is by Los Angeles bass producer EEZIR.  Originally from Milwaukee, Eric Hanson (aka EEZIR) cut his teeth in the legendary 90’s Midwest electronic music scene.  Moving to Los Angeles in 1999, EEZIR has performed for Friendly Integration, SMOG, and Droid Behavior. His productions on the Lone Lifter EP greatly contrast in mood and style; you will find classic acid sounds, heavy bass lines, and dreamy and gritty melodies. The title track "Lone Lifter" has a positive vibe with an added dose of intensity and pace. It is funky, catchy, and commanding, and has all the right elements in becoming a warehouse classic.  The EP’s powerful acid track, "Blacktop Lane," makes you feel as if you're driving down a curvy, mountain road. The way you rise and fall, twist and turn, the unknown factor of what lies ahead.  The contrasting moods from mellow and ethereal to snarling and aggressive in "Shifted View" bring an intensity and IDM flavor to the release. Just as your view can be shifted by an unexpected event in life, this track represents that moment that leads to a new view.  The release ends with a remix by XI of the title track. Funky, slowed down, and deep is where he takes the original, and his rendition has funkier house and garage swinging beats with dreamy and playful tones.

Label: K Records
Album: Pith
Artist: Ruby Fray
Genre: Alternative

Anyone who has seen Emily Beanblossom perform has surely left entirely taken with her. As the lead singer of Christmas, a band whose unique style of psych rock made them a cult marvel, Emily sold out both shows and records, due in no small part to her captivating, cultivated persona and the rare power of her voice. A vagabond for our ilk, she has lived life on the road and in collaborations, drifting down the line until she was called back to her family farm outside Chicago, Ill. Here she paused to lay down the hollowed noise that would become Ruby Fray. Her premier album Pith is a string of musical gems that range from harmonic americana and folk to shadowy psychedelia, united in their spectral chamber arrangements. Each of the twelve tracks on Pith come from demos Emily has been keeping close, and showcase her varieties of influence. “And the Moon,” with its steady drum machine loop, eerie harmonies and mandolin strings stands apart from its follower, “Mint Ice Cream,” a playful Americana-style duet with Calvin Johnson. “Closed Eye” is the same, a drifting melody punctuated by tinny drums and fuzzy guitar strumming. But this is the beauty of Pith—like the single, “Let’s Grow Older,” it gambols, and then falls to despair and questioning, is both the blossom and the thorny edge. Ruby Fray is a dark star risen, and the power and soul of Emily’s voice changes all that it shines upon.

Label: n5MD
Album: Love In Times of Repetition
Artist: Asonat
Genre: Electronic

Love In Times Of Repetition is the debut album from Icelandic duo Asonat. While a new project, its members are already veterans in post millennial electronic music. Fannar Ásgrímsson (one half of Plastik Joy) and Jónas Thór Guðmundsson (Ruxpin) with a little help from co-patriot Kjartan Ólafsson (Ampop & Kjarr), Japanese singer Chihiro and the French singer Olèna Simon have made an album that sounds less like a paint-by-numbers Plastik Joy / Ruxpin team up but a fresh take on vocal-centric experimental downtempo. As one might expect Ruxpin's soothing IDM electronics are present as is Ásgrímsson's metered, programming and guitar but both artists elements are now shrouded in a new warmer blanket of timbre, style and emotion.

Eye On New Releases: April 3rd

No week is complete without new releases!

Label: kranky
Album: Spooky Action at a Distance
Artist: Lotus Plaza
Genre: Pop

This is the second album from Lotus Plaza, the solo nom de plume of Lockett Pundt, better known as the guitarist in Deerhunter. Pundt has penned a number of the best songs on the last two Deerhunter albums; and his first album, The Floodlight Collective, was a tour-de-force of guitar pop smarts.  He has the uncanny ability to build soaring, melodic gems from simple musical phrases; a möbius strip of a guitar line and repeating clipped drum roll in “Strangers”; a tribal drum beat holding down the foundation on “Out of Touch”; two acoustic guitar chords and a slight bit of snare as the basis for “Dusty Rhodes”; and a series of slowly descending piano chord scales on “Jet Out of the Tundra”.  There is a wide variety of songs and moods here, from unabashed rockers such as “White Galactic One” and “Monoliths”, acoustic laced introspection on “Dusty Rhodes” and “Black Buzz”, to the lysergic electronics of “Remember Our Days.”  Spooky Action at a Distance is a wide angle view of what should be the zeitgeist of contemporary guitar pop.

Label: daly city records
Album: Mochipet is Evil
Artist: Mochipet & MC Zulu
Genre: Industrial

Mochipet is Evil, titled by Chicago's MC Zulu (aka Dominique Rowland), could almost be classified as a brand new genre in Bass Music Culuture.  Combining dancehall and reggae MC Vocals stripped of any of the stereotypical content used in the genre, with the uncategorizable beat explorations of Bay Area producer extraordinaire Mochipet (aka David Wang), this album is really like nothing else you have ever heard. Add in remixes by some of the best beat producers out today: Hellfire Mechina, Skulltrane, Jay Wikid, U9lift, Yan Zombie, BD1982, Polish Ambassidor, and Freddy Todd, and you have yourself a recipe for goodness. And if that is not enough, Mochipet has thrown in a added Ska Remix bonus track for your enjoyment. Mochipet maybe evil, but you're damn lucky if you listen to this release!

Label: n5MD
Album: Embrace
Artist: Ex Confusion
Genre: Ambient

Embrace is the second album from Atsuhito Omori's Ex Confusion project. His first since taking part in Keith Kenniff's (Helios, Goldmund) For Nihon compilation, this new album consist of ten tracks of emotionally-themed soloist ambient composed for guitar and piano. Much like his debut album something to remember, Embrace, at it's core, conjures a very strong thread of nostalgia. Wonderfully warm, hazy, sun-lit memories that actually somehow seem tangible. We all have something to remember, but Ex Confusion would now like the listener to use his compositions to embrace personal memories that are so very dear.

Label: Zum
Album: Trojandropper
Artist: Neil Campbell & Robert Horton
Genre: Electronic

Two individuals with long histories in improvised and experimental music come together through, and despite, modern technology.  Neil Campbell is an experimental musician known for his Astral Social Club solo project and for being a member of Vibracathedral Orchestra and a long time player in the UK noise underground. Robert Horton got his start in the San Francisco punk-noise act The Appliances and the eclectic Plateau Ensemble.  Although Campbell and Horton have never met in person, they met virtually on the Jeweled Antler mailing list. Both musicians are ridiculously prolific and prone to collaboration. They got to talking disco, probably as an antidote to all the folk and 'how to record' bug chatter. Campbell says, "Robert TOLD me in an email 'one day we'll make a disco record together'... who was I to argue?" As far as the end result being disco, Horton notes "we failed at that." Guest musicians on the album include Dan Plonsey and Hal Hughes (Horton's Plateau Ensemble bandmate). The title references the infamous Trojandropper virus that infected Horton's computer, eliminating many hours of work and files.  The resulting album that had to be pieced back together is something that mixes organic, almost crystalline drones with off kilter beat patterns and lopsided techno. Trojandropper is beatific, odd, and an anomaly to even its creators, like all projects that take on a life of their own.

Eye On New Releases: March 27th, 2012

Doing some spring cleaning to your music collection? Replace it with some fresh new music like these!


Label: Silent Parade Records
Album: Bell Choir Coast
Artist: Sydney Wayser
Genre: Indie Pop

The road to Bell Choir Coast started two years ago, when Sydney Wayser found herself in a gorgeous studio with a talented producer, in the midst of a New York winter that made the LA-bred Wayser miserable. “I was working on a record for a while and it wasn't clicking. I felt I needed to take a minute for myself and create the concept behind the record.” Drawing on all of her influences, from summers the French-American Wayser spent in Paris to her favorite artists, Wayser began to give her new territory shape. “Bell Choir Coast is about a fictional land that I made up, because I couldn't leave New York and I had to make my record. So I made up a new world in my head that was everything I wanted.”  Sydney Wayser set about to make an album, and in the end she cleared a path to a world, and found her tribe and her sound in the process. Sometimes the prettiest of things are born of the hardest places. “When we started this I felt very heavy. Going into the studio and recording something that was light and fun and was the place I wanted, it helped solidify in my head what I wanted. At the end of the process, that enabled me to be where I wanted.”

Label: FiXT / Celldweller
Album: Live Upon A Blackstar
Artist: Celldweller
Genre: Electronic, Rock, Dubstep

While hard at work on his upcoming sophomore album Wish Upon A Blackstar, Celldweller mastermind Klayton took to the road on his first tour in five years. Now you can share the experience with Live Upon A Blackstar, the new live tour album that features audio recorded at shows in the US, Russia, Canada, and Japan. Live Upon A Blackstar is the definitive document of the 2010/2011 tour, capturing a unique era of the live Celldweller show, which will expand and mutate into new experiences as time goes by. Live Upon A Blackstar features twelve songs from Wish Upon A Blackstar, Soundtrack for the Voices in My Head, and the self-titled debut, all revamped, remixed, and mashed up for an exclusive live experience. Includes an exclusive live recording of “I Believe You”.

Label: Zealrecords
Album: stoalin'
Artist: isbells
Genre: Indie Rock, Folk

Isbells, at least in the studio, is Vandewoude’s one man band and their first, self-titled record, which was released in 2009, caught everyone by surprise.  On Stoalin, Isbells’ second collection of songs, Vandewoude has managed to expand his musical horizons, without letting go of the ingredients that made his previous effort such a magical listening experience. Once more the album offers organic, introspective and somewhat wistful folk rock, built on catchy tunes and embellished with lush vocal harmonies. Like its predecessor it was recorded in the singer’s own studio, set up in a shed next to his house in the countryside. Most of the tracks are coloured with light touches of banjo, organ, trumpet, various types of percussion and gorgeous backing vocals by Chantal Acda (sleepingdog, True Bypass).

Label: Enpeg Digital
Album: Paranoid Nostalgia
Artist: enabl.ed
Genre: Electronic

Paranoid Nostalgia marks the return of Enabl.ed to Enpeg. This 6-track EP embodies everything that makes Enabl.ed such a talented artist to watch/listen for. Glitched beats? Check. Classic IDM melodies? Check. A feeling of nostalgia drenched in a futuristic perspective? Check. Memories heavily influenced by anxiety and fear sonified to surgical rhythms fused together by heartfelt melodic lines and computer deep textures.  Paranoid Nostalgia embodies every element that makes a classic IDM album a classic. Superb production, for sure, but most importantly a sense of humanity within a futuristic digital structure. Beautiful wonderful music.

Eye On New Releases: March 20th, 2012

Still recovering from that St. Patrick's Day hangover?  Today's new releases will help you through your day...

Label: kranky
Album: Foreign Body
Artist: Mirrorring
Genre: Ambient

Mirrorring is Jesy Fortino, who has recorded under the Tiny Vipers moniker, and Liz Harris, better know as Grouper. The recordings on this album came about through a songwriting session in Portland, Oregon. The resulting sounds are contemplative, reflective, and introspective, creating a feeling as much as a song, a mood as much as a tune. One could try to assess what part of the album each artist was responsible for, but that would prevent one from seeing the proverbial forest for the trees. Foreign Body was recorded and produced in 2011.

Label: Daly City Records
Album: Chicxulub Rebirth
Artist: Mochipet
Genre: Electronic

When we last left the dinosaurs, they had nearly escaped extinction and were headed to a newfound land. Since that time, Mochipet has enlisted the help of his friends Freddy Todd, Sugarpill, D.V.S., s.p.e.c.t.r.e, Papa Skunk, Elfkowitz, Preshish Moments, Smash and Grab, Bass Science, dkon, Profresher Blacklight, Renee Leah and Zen Death Squad in the creation of a brand new feast of sounds for their fans to dig into. Seventeen tracks of stomping basslines and glitchy overtones are designed to make crowds rawr for more!

Label: Coco Machete Records
Album: El Patron
Artist: Stereofunk
Genre: Electronic, House

Stereofunk, The guy from Dresden, is back with a new single on Coco Machete Records called ‘El Patron’. This is the second single from his upcoming full length album ‘Radio Robotic’ due out next month. ‘El Patron’, following last summer’s smash ‘Get Off’ featuring D’ Secret SVC, is all hands-in-the-air, revved up dance floor sensuality for the electro disco generation. Between the funk bass line, rising pianos, italo synths and imperative vocals, ‘El Patron’ just won’t let up until you’re hooked. ‘El Patron’ is the boss. But that’s it for now folks, we hope you’ve enjoyed this sneak peek, stay tuned next month for more ‘Radio Robotic.

Label: nice + smooth ultramedia
Album: The Moments I Ruined EP
Artist: ICR
Genre: Electronic, Techno, Minimal

Following his mid-tempo and house releases on Chi Recordings, Fokuz, and Orson (including his remix for Howie B), Hungarian multi-genre talent ICR still has undiscovered paths to explore. Now he ventured the stage of techno with such confidence and originality as you would expect. Groovy percussions, bouncy beats with haunting atmospheres in shady tones drives ICR's moody production into something epic yet melancholic 4/4 ; while fellow artist from Budapest, Synus0006 has a unique, stripped-down hypnotic minimal re-take on the title track.

Eye On New Releases: March 13th, 2012

While many of us are busy at SXSW, the rest of us have time to enjoy the sweet sweet sounds of this week's new releases.

Label: FiXT / Celldweller
Album: Soundtrack For The Voices In My Head Vol. 02 (Chapter 02)
Artist: Celldweller
Genre: Electronic, Rock, Dubstep

The second chapter of Soundtrack for the Voices in my Head Volume 2 expands the scope of Celldweller's instrumental oeuvre with new twists on an established sound. While Volume 01 and the first chapter of Volume 02 exhibited plenty of what we know and love from Celldweller - metal riffs, drum'n'bass beats, flourishes of orchestral scoring, and intricate electronics - this new collection exhibits dubstep-inspired bassplay, Latin-spiced electro, and experimental ambient noise. Cuts like "ShutEmDown" and "Empyrean" will blast apart your speakers with sounds you'd swear came from the voice-box of a cybernetic machine from another world. The snappy flamenco guitar lick that starts off "Senorita Bonita" morphs into a fiery electro dance tune with Moohmbaton overtones, while "Chronus" drifts through a primordial ooze of drones and experimental noise. Also included are an alternate version of "ShutEmDown" and "Distants", an ambient piece originally available only on the limited edition CD of SVH Vol. 02 Chapter 1.

Label: ATIC Records
Album: The Daddy Remix
Artist: Niko
Genre: Hip Hop, Jazz, Electronic

Niko is the operating name of US born Nicole Vergel de Dios, who brings her musical narration through pop, electronica, electro-acoustic and experimental composition. The Daddy Remix is the first single from her second album Hate & Love which is due for release on ATIC Records later this year. Produced by Andy Turner (Aim), The Daddy Remix, is a jazz-fuelled, golden-era flavoured hip-hop banger that sees Niko, singing the praises of bad-ass DJ’s everywhere. Joining her on the track are Q-Ball and Curt Cazal (QNC) who bless the beat with their authentic, gutsy approach to flow mechanics.  The Daddy Remix evolved from "The Daddy" which appeared on Gripper's A Life Of Consummate Ease album back in 2006. Feeling that the vocals’ full potential hadn't been realized, Aim and Gripper set about re-building the track from the ground up with scratchy samples from dusty old jazz LP's. Aim took it to the lab to mix and produce, Niko re-recorded the vocals and added fresh harmonies, QNC did their funky thing and the result speaks for itself.

Label: More or Less
Album: Brahaus
Artist: Techno Bro
Genre: Electronic, Techno

Techno Bro is an amalgamation of Detroit suburb collar popping meets Baltimore warehouse hipster heckling. Armed with a Wilson Elite tennis racket, coveted stock picks and moist towelettes, his track production will beat the Lipper average this year. Brahaus is music to Arnold Palmer. It is Detroit suburbs meets  ashington D.C. suburbs. I-696 meets I-270. Oakland Hills Country Club versus Congressional Country Club. "Forlorn" hints at the plush landscapes of high priced foyers and wraparound verandas. "Wicked Slic"e - staccato percussion and first time vocal stylings by long time studio lurker Wife of Bro. "Duck Hook" is serious business. Appregiated basslines, intricate drum patterns and a wonky breakdown give you an eerie feeling like you were left out of your Great Uncle’s will. "Agent of Bro" screams of de-tuned melodic elements which wash over you like that refreshing eau de toilette. Brahaus also includes stellar remixes from Jeremy Blake, Christian Bloch (Thinner, SubTrak, Funque Recordings), and Joe Lentini (Schematic).

Label: Electronic Soundscapes
Album: Giza Giza
Artist: Spiritjack
Genre: Electronic/Experimental

Based in Tokyo, Spiritjack is an established act in the global downtempo electronica scene, releasing music for more than a decade on many record labels worldwide and counting 4 full album releases. Giza Giza is the 5th Spiritjack album release and the album with the most thought out Spiritjack style and production level up to date.  From Tropical Stylish Dub to Beat-Fueled Tech tunes Giza Giza spans over a wide range of cinematic electronica meeting the highest production standards. A sweet cinematic ride through smooth atmospheric soundscapes and tasty downtempo beatscapes introducing a Downtempo Techno Dub hybrid. Giza Giza takes off with the cinematic downtempo “Orcca”, introducing the latest Spiritjack sonic landmark towards the more dominant Dub Techno style of the album, which drops off with “Malana”. The simplicity and minimalism of Dub blends with organic Techno and tropical ambient, riding fat bass lines and refreshing atmospherics on an upwards downtempo journey all the way to dissolving Dub heavy beats for an ideal Giza Giza ending. Suggesting a bass friendly style crossing dub influenced sub lines and techno oriented electronics, Spiritjack offers a unique soundtrack for urban meditation or a hectic downtown ride where technology amalgamates with organic electronica and gravitational effects pan out to a unique ambient dub techno hybrid that pushes the music genres envelope even further.

Eye On New Releases: March 6th, 2012

We just experienced our first (thankfully, small) earthquake of 2012 yesterday! Here's to our new releases this week, helping us calm our nerves!

Label: Projekt
Album: Deconsecrated and Pure
Artist: Alio Die
Genre: New Age, Ambient, Electronic

Italian ambient-acoustic sonic sculptor Stefano Musso returns for his first solo Alio Die release on Projekt in 20 years. Deconsecrated and Pure is an evocative liturgy from the realm where electronic music meets acoustic drones, found objects, sacral voices and field recordings.  The processed traditional instruments and natural textures float alongside rich electroorganicdrones, creating a perfect introspective soundtrack with a medieval and sacral atmosphere. Serene and meditative textures combine in a chorus of circular and interwoven sounds, reflecting the harmony of the cosmos as an opus of inner stillness.  Processed and layered into the mix are vocal pieces by Claudio Merulo. The work of this 16th century Venetian Renaissance composer was performed by Paolo Tognon and Quoniam Ensemble di Dulciane and De Labyrintho Ensemble Della Rinascenza, creating the essence of a historical religious feel. The gradual evolution of the arrangements create a strong impression that the listener has been carried across time and space. Elements such as sonically-tampered Middle East horns (The dulciana, a sort of early basoon/oboe), solemn atmospheres of the courts of the Italian Renaissance, and evocative soundscapes cosmic and ethereal combine for holiness and trascendence.  Marvelously floating and hauntingly expressive, Deconsecrated and Pure feels like a liturgical poem within an archaic mausoleum distorted by time.

Label: Vermin Street
Album: First World Problems
Artist: Misk
Genre: Electronic

Two years ago, Misk's Nintendont release on Vermin Street hit #1 on Addictech's top 10 weekly chart, and later, #10 for the month's chart.  Well received on all fronts, the tunes made regular appearances on Starkey's radio show and on Glitch.FM. Since then, Misk has embraced new styles, deeper detail-oriented Dubstep with melody and rugged bass, and his own imprint with long time friend Eshone: Elk Beats.  But here, with his next release First World Problems, we dig up some classics from his closet.  More 8-bit melodies and Skweee 2.0 baselines, more crunchy claps and a few 111 BPM bootyshakers.  Also featured on this release are a sexy, lazery remix by +verb; a rugged, epic remix by Encanti; a thick, psychedelic-hop remix by HM.T DM.T; and a straight hip hop joint from the one CocoBryce.

Label: daly city records
Album: Play Hard
Artist: Sovereign Sect
Genre: Electronic

Understanding the importance of creating a live performance that is astonishing and impossible to forget, the members of Sovereign Sect are absolute masters at captivating a crowd and leaving them electrified.  The Fargo-based, tri-producer/drummer quartet uses nearly forty years of collective musical experience to accomplish its goal of pushing the limits of the electronic live show and annihilating their audiences.  By incorporating innovative production styles, covering many different musical genres and utilizing the talents of three producers, Sovereign Sect is not only able to entertain audiences but also amaze listeners with a sound that is as unique as it is diverse. This combination of Sovereign Sect’s no holds barred live performance and its multidimensional production style is a cosmic match that only results in a supersonic experience that should never be missed.  Play Hard is the first in a series of three scheduled releases by Sovereign Sect.  Stop Hating, a follow up EP to Play Hard and Record Everything, a live full length album that will demonstrate the dynamics of Sovereign Sect’s live show.

Eye On New Releases: February 21st, 2012

Today's offerings include veterans of their fields. Disappears continues to do what they do best: rock out. Dirty Disco Youth & Fukkk Offf start the end-of-the-world party 8 months before the supposed apocalypse. And for those of us wondering where winter is (it has rained only four times here in San Francisco since the new year began) bios+a+ic & Tanker reminds us that the cold does exist... somewhere in the world.

Label: kranky
Album: Pre Language
Artist: Disappears
Genre: Rock

Right on cue, the third annual report from Chicagoʼs Disappears has been submitted for your consideration. Following up on the acclaimed Guider album released just over a year ago, and with new drummer Steve Shelley now fully integrated into the group, these songs were again forged into proper shape during live shows before heading to the studio and the tape machine. Never ones to dither or be indecisive, itʼs a full-bore assault from the opening track to the last as Disappears attack these new songs with their usual relentless determination. Itʼs a sinister proceeding - debut Lux was preoccupied with death and endings while follow up Guider with protection - but Pre Language finds the band speaking on, of all things, love. Direct allusions to Philip K. Dick, James Baldwin, and Joan of Arc sit side by side with songs about the lows of life and the characters that permeate it. Recorded in Hoboken New Jersey at Sonic Youthʼs Echo Canyon West studio and mixed with John Congleton, Pre Language finds Disappears at their most potent and focused. The band has finally stepped into their own world and the results are thrilling.

Label: Coco Machete Records
Album: Nuclear War Disaster EP
Artist: Dirty Disco Youth & Fukkk Offf
Genre: Electro House

Fukkk Offf's Bastian Heerhorst and Dirty Disco Youth's Phil Speiser team up to drop a bomb on Coco Machete Records and the world at large. With two equally devastating tracks the Nuclear War Disaster EP delivers on its promise of total devastation. Both tracks attack, drive, squelch and pound in ways only these two artists can only to be released by an overture worthy enough to ride with the Valkyries. I think it's time to head to the shelter!

Label: symbolic insight
Album: froZen
Artist: bios+a+ic + Tanker
Genre: Electronic/Experimental

froZen by bios+a+ic + Tanker was originally released by symbolic insight on March 9, 2007 in conjunction with Frozen Dead Guy Days in Nederland, Colorado, as a limited edition of 100 units, which quickly sold out. This epic album sonically documents one of the coldest winters in decades and reflects upon the strange annual festival which exploits a frozen old man. The music is edgy ambient noise and drones combined with field recordings of the artists walking upon the local frozen river and reservoir. It features bios+a+ic's lush effects-laden trumpet, time stretched looping, and minimal sound textures. These elements are combined with Tanker's warping analog synthesizer, pulsing rhythms, and glitched blips. Musician Vince Herman of the legendary bluegrass band, Leftover Salmon, states that this was the trippiest CDs he had ever heard. froZen is a powerful and unique musical statement which takes the listener to a strange and beautiful world which could exist in either outer space or inner Earth. This release was the final musical statement made by mountain man and artist, Tanker, as he left his world the following summer. The album ends with his voice speaking over his synth, may he rest in peace.

Eye On New Releases: February 7th, 2012

With Valentine's Day approaching, love is in the air. And we looovee these new releases!

Label: Dragon's Eye Recordings
Album: Through Thickness
Artist: Kamran Sadeghi
Genre: Electronic, Ambient

Dragon's Eye Recordings is proud to present Through Thickness, the new full length release by Kamran Sadeghi, a Seattle-based artist, composer, and mixed media artist. His background in music and art is a mixture of self-taught private lessons and academic in music theory, composition and audio engineering. Through Thickness is part of Sadeghi's ongoing "Kha" series that arose from a growing interest in exploring rhythm. "Kha" is a word from the sanskrit language meaning "zero" that was used to denote space in tabular arrangements. Through these explorations, Sadeghi has developed a keen sense of structure and time, and deploys them to create a truly visceral listening experience. Through Thickness slowly gains momentum, moving from timid to temerarious which only serves to accentuate the albums haptic nature. Since 2003 Sadeghi has been an integral part of Seattle's electronic arts community through his extensive live performance schedule under the stage name Son of Rose, and as a producer collaborating with local and national artists.

Label: symbolic insight
Album: monkey with a gun
Artist: entropic advance
Genre: Electronic/Experimental

entropic advance’s monkey with a gun was developed and recorded at symbolic insight studios between 2001-2003 and originally released in 2003. At the CD release show, the project showcased over 20 belly dancers along with original video projections as part of a multi-media experience. The release is their most accessible work drawing from more popular electronic influences such as Bjork and Radiohead. This album also has a very consistent electronic sound, as the core members, bios+a+ic and Noise Poet Nobody, wrote and recorded all the tracks. Evolved EDM, Dn'B, and glitch styles are immersed in elements of ambience, noise, and soundscapes, creating a distinctive stylistic approach. It is a bold sonic hybrid of innovative electronic and experimental music, demonstrating a realized potential of modern sound art. Tracks feature heavy bass with click & cut rhythms, layered with lush effects-laden trumpet, custom processed slide guitar, rich sample textures, unique vocal manipulations, and obscure field recordings.

Label: Definitive Recordings
Album: Definitive Secret Weapons 2011
Artist: Various Artists
Genre: Electronic, Tech-House, Techno, House

After the biggest and best year yet for Definitive Recordings, they have compiled their favorite and most effective tracks that are the "Secret Weapons" in their DJ sets. Although these tracks did not chart, they definitely rocked the party. With high intensity dance tracks from the likes of Olivier Giacomotto and John Acquaviva, you wouldn't want to miss this album. Check the tracks out again and take note of the artists as well, cause they are set to have big breakout work and play for 2012.

Eye on New Releases: January 31st, 2012

If you're audiophiles like us, you know it's that time of the week again: time to treat yo'self!

Label: Tonequake
Album: En Garde!
Artist: Favez
Genre: Alternative

En Garde! started with an email. Producer Andrew Scheps had been a fan of Swiss band Favez for a while, so when the opportunity to work together arose both Andrew and Favez jumped at the chance. A chilly January visit to the band's rehearsal space in Switzerland quickly turned into a deep and creative working relationship. For recording, Favez and Andrew met halfway (well, almost) between their homelands of Lausanne and Los Angeles at Monnow Valley Studio in Wales. They spent an intense 2 weeks recording live, capturing as much of the raw power of the band as they could. 12 days and 12 songs later, En Garde! had taken form.

Label: AudioInk
Album: Out Of My Hands
Artist: Cam Hodges
Genre: Rock

Cam Hodges comes fresh out of the Seattle music scene with his first album release after a successful climb up the ranks of "America’s Got Talent" to the #24 spot. With hundreds of thousands of YouTube fans, Cam's new release Out of My Hands has built-in organic demand. His pop/rock style includes basic rock structures with a subtle use of vocal harmony. The music is mixed acoustic and electric instrumentation with guitar, bass, drums, vocal back-ups, strings and brass. His laid-back style is reminiscent of Jason Mraz and an edgier Jack Johnson.

Label: Greenskeepers Music
Album: La Vendetta
Artist: Casino
Genre: Electronic

The two (sometimes well dressed) guys of Casino are about to deal a flush round of cards with their debut EP La Vendetta. A five track body of work that cruises on a brand new speed boat passed the lost paradise islands of: Isla Balearica, Isla Italo-Housia, Isla Bonita and La Isla Synth-Popia. Why such a vengeful title for a debut EP you may ask? No they are not aggressive super agents (even though they sometimes pretend to be), but the single "La Vendetta" is a soundtrack and script to a story of love, passion and indifference. The extremely catchy chorus is guaranteed to be one that you find yourself humming days later.  Other notable tracks include "White Water" - immediately the chord swell may remind you of a Frankie Goes To Hollywood vibe, but it soon swells into a dreamy white wash of the ideal analog Synthtopia. "Echoes" - think 2012 tropical balearic synth pop written for Madonna if she was still a virgin. "Dreams & Dragons" - a summer sing-a-long that is the perfect companion for driving down the highway on a hot summer night with the cabriolet roof jacked back 180 degrees. "Flight To Nowhere" - a piano and arpeggiator driven Italo-disco-ish’ inspired club fire cracker, which manoeuvres late into the night with its roller coaster build ups and synth melodies.

Eye on New Releases: January 24th, 2012

From fast, dance-y electro house to something more slow and mellow, this week's new releases will put you in the right mood.

Label: Coco Machete Records
Album: Bitches From Ostblock Pt. 2
Artist: Ostblockschlampen
Genre: Electro House

They came from the deepest woods of the former UDSSR!…AND THEY WILL BOMB WHO THEY WANT!!! Ostblockschlampen, “THE BITCHES FROM THE EASTERN BLOCK” is Markus Lange and his cohort Vanilla, two electro terrorists that have been rocking the boat and kicking in doors across the nation. Bitches From Ostblock, a two part release, features a who's who of upstart producers including Modek, Stereofunk, Faites Leur la Danse, Ill Saint M, Boylerz, Frederic De Carvalho, & Phantom's Revenge...bass bass bass...but you say who??? Wir sind die Bitches!

Label: Cosmicleaf Records
Album: Discovering Eguana
Artist; Eguana & Side Liner
Genre: Ambient, Downtempo

In 2011 Cosmicleaf and Side Liner discovered Eguana: a very promising talent from Russia who knows how to please with his multi chill out sounds. Discovering Eguana is a compilation of tracks carefully selected  for your ear pleasure, from downtempo lounge to trip-hop. Cinematic sonic environments detailed with wispy and organic synthesizers, nimble vocals, and a warm, welcoming low end, elevate listeners into an intimate involvement within their own senses. Discover Eguana!

Label: symbolic insight
Album: Leaving Palestine
Artist: entropoic advance
Genre: Electronic/Experimental

entropic advance’s Leaving Palestine release is a collection of improvised sounds and textures recorded at symbolic insight studios by the founding members, Noise Poet Nobody and bios+a+ic, from 2002-2004. The original release was a limited edition of 50 copies, packaged with a handmade paper insert stamped with only the projects logo, which is now sold out. The album sounds like a epic soundtrack for a film about the trials and tribulations of the Palestinian people. Minimal pulses, glitches, metal percussion, and tribal rhythms are layered with lush ambient tapestries and deep dark drones. Beautiful, haunting trumpet, morphing slide guitar, along with inspiring synthesizers, carry the sound into space. The music expresses an emotional intensity, while maintaining a mellow vibe, allowing the listener to experience a journey to the unknown regions of the mind. There is a therapeutic ambient flow in this reflective journey, which ultimately leaves one with feelings of hope, love, and empathy for the human condition.

Eye on New Releases: January 17th, 2012

Label: Moodgadget Records
Album: Lemondrop
Artist: André Obin
Genre: Electronic, Synth-Pop

Careening through the lanes of an endless musical highway, Boston native André Obin’s sound is not easily categorized. Genre-bending and shape-shifting are standard fare; taking risks is part of the fun. A musician, singer and producer, André draws inspiration for his songs from a deep emotional well. The music unfolds simultaneously with life itself. The results can be as dark as a forest under a new moon or as bright as a summer sun reflecting off the skyscrapers of a bustling city. His new single "Lemondrop" falls along the lines of the former, offering elegantly haunting tunes that form the base of 18 Carat Affair's and Teen Daze's dreamy remixes.

Label: decibel nyc
Album: Don't Break It
Artist: Mista A
Genre: House, Deep House

Mista A follows up his massive release Mental Health Hotline with an even hotter ticket for the new year. Don't Break It showcases the mature face of Mista A: still solid with the heavy beatdown arrangement and low ballin' groove that will make you stomp a hole in the floor. Three solid remixes from some of Decibel NYC's finest. DJ Locgroove offers up a severely pumped rendition, packed with filtered grooves and an overdriven rhythm, which is undoubtedly going to be a crowd favorite in the big rooms. Taking it one level up the sophistication ladder is a masterpiece done by the legendary Herbie James. His knack for blending old school and new school is certaintly a recipe to send all kids back to school. Done with live instrumentation and trained skill to make the deepness match the intensity of the big room mixes, be prepared to be sandwiched into an aural paradise. Last and certainly not least, Mr Soul Fabulous graces the Decibel NYC catalog with his supremely deep and melodic take of this work. Assigning the beatdown to his blend of caribe melody and overtones, you might find it a departure from his prior deepness, but not too far. Keeping true to the original, house heads will be pleased with the universal club appeal and mainstream approach to such an underground production.

Eye on New Releases: January 10th, 2012

Happy 2012!  What better way to start the new year than with new music? Today we bring you releases from some of the finest dubstep artists. Seems like dubstep will be the trend this year...at least, we hope!

Label: FiXT / Celldweller
Album: The Complete Cellout
Artist: Celldweller
Genre: Dubstep, Electronic Rock


Watch out Skrillex, the dubstep scene is about to be taken over Celldweller's hybrid fusion of aggressive electronic, orchestra and rock.  Celldweller is excited to finally releaseThe Complete Cellout Vol. 01, noting that most of the tracks that aren't remixes from other artists are versions of completely reworked from the ground up for the Celldweller 2010/2011 Live Show. Although he has put a lot of time into the remixing and reproduction, Celldweller also credits Drivepilot, Bare, Blue Stahli, J Scott G, Joman, Josh Money & Toksin for helping to turn the release from being "pretty good" to being "totally badass". Known for pioneering new sounds and methods for creating his tracks, Celldweller continues to generate bangin' music that one can shake her booty to, clearly evident in The Complete Cellout Vol. 01. 


Label: Vermin Street
Album: Vanquish
Artist: Bobby Tank
Genre: Dubstep, Electronic


London's Bobby Tank is a flag-bearing 80's icon, a mad astrophysicist, and a hip hop kid from the future freshly fallen through a wormhole to our present day and age.  He's recently dropped tunes on the Aisuru Compilation and the Finest Ego & Project Mooncircle Compilation. He has a forthcoming release on Prime Dubs and now this, his debut EP, Vanquish. The Bobby Tank sound is one of nostalgic synths repurposed for the present, complimenting soulful, blenderized cut-ups reminiscent of days to come.  Delicately woven leads and atmospheres trickle down from the skies, tickling the ears with tantalizingly tasteful treble, while thick pulsing bass will shake that ass like a coked-up stripper at a Miami club circa 1983. This release comes replete with a gamut of remixes of the title track: 813's dope Dubstep lick; Kid Kanevil's seductively slow 808 mix; Jon Phonics' smooth space funk refix and Darkhouse Fam's fresh wonk-hop version.

Label: Yerba Buena Discos
Album:  Then You Smiled
Artist: Homero Espinosa feat. Allegra Bandy
Genre: Soul, House, Deep House


Yerba Buena Discos is happy to bring you the latest collaboration between Homero Espinosa and Allegra Bandy. Then You Smiled pairs up Homero’s deep, skipping instrumentation with Allegra’s buttery vocals. On the remixes, San Francisco’s legendary David Harness and Chris Lum team up for the Harlum Muziq remix, entrenching Allegra’s singing in their trademark soulful production. YBD’s own Allen Craig displays his international influences with a deep but drum-friendly Afrotech-style remix, while Chillin Music’s Rob Slac gives us a hypnotic, bass-heavy, dubbed-out remix. Of course, the release wouldn’t be complete without a dancefloor-friendly dub from Homero Espinosa himself.

Eye On New Releases: December 13th

 Label: Blue Canoe Records

Release: XYZ Factor

Artist: Joseph Patrick Moore

Genre: Electronic, Jazz

Blue Canoe Records introduces the new release XYZ Factor, a three song EP of electronica and jazz from bassman, Joseph Patrick Moore. Moore is a skilled bassist, producer, composer, arranger, educator, author and the founding partner of Blue Canoe Digital, an entertainment company focused on delivering the best in jazz music. His music and inventiveness is known to echo the spirits of Miles Davis, Quincy Jones, and Herbie Hancock. With his production of XYZ Factor, it’s apparent that Moore has crafted an incomparable recording that would entertain both electronica and contemporary jazz fans equally.

Label: Electronic Soundscapes

Release: Lightscapes II

Artist: Sol Tek

Genre: Ambient, Electronic

Not needing to loom any longer, Sol Tek has released their new album Lightscapes II, an awaited sequel to Lightscapes I released in January 2010 from the label Electronic Soundscapes. Originating from Amsterdam, Albert Borkent, creator of Sol Tek draws inspirations from Tangerine Dream, Arvo Part and Klaus Schulze, who have influenced the distinct Sol Tek style of combining electric and ambient music. With tracks like “Floral Melody,” “Monodrone,” and “Celestial Sea,” Lightscapes II is an album that combines classical music structures with the latest electronic production skills and has atmospheric and drone works featuring carefully selected gems for urban tranquility and mind relaxation.