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: 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: 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: September 20th

 

Label: Vermin Street

Release: Stardust

Artist: Yoseph

Genre: Dubstep

           

Putting out his new 3 track album Stardust, Yoseph does it again with his insane mastermind sounds of unhinged dubstep style that creates a bass influenced, mellow jungle mix, yet brings in a reggae merengue tone. And pulling inspiration from all musical branches (from IDM- Dubstep- Merengue), his 10 years of experience clearly shows from this album with his crazy ability to move from one sound to the next without missing dub beat.

With his first track Stardust, it begins with a bizarre futuristic out-of-this-world sound, then slowly goes into a head bobbing bass that makes you wish you can break out and start busting moves in your office, car, or alone in your living room. Then the track makes a smooth transition to an upbeat reggae-merengue mix, wishing you were at some fiesta, while still keeping the electronic, futuristic dubstep sound. From this song, one would definitely have this album playing anywhere where there are speakers. 

 

Label: Moodgadget Records

Release: Starfawn EP

Artist: Starfawn

Genre: Electronic, Synth-Pop

This album Starfawn EP from band Starfawn, composed by Misha Mross (Synths/ Production) and Amber Schaefer (Vocals), is purely a dreamlike art with an outlandish mix of electronic engineering synch-pop sound, combined with yelling and ghastly sound as if you’re in some magical-otherworldly place. This album is definitely an album where the music will help you go to and imagine that surreal state.

 Each individual song is ridiculously alluring and magnetic as if one is time traveling through different dreams with each song. With the first track Nothing Dead, gives you the feeling of being in a magical dream that one can’t help but fall deeper and deeper into the dream. With its airy sounds in the beginning leading into an unworldly beat of synch-electronic pop that’s extremely hypnotic and mesmerizing, you really can’t help but to hit REPEAT. The same goes for the song Err, giving you a head bobbing beat with a static-y electronic feeling or the song 12,000 B.C., giving a ghostly spellbinding sound that is bizarre in the most exhilarating way. A wondrous album that’s definitely worth falling sleep to during any night…or day.