Review: Few producers in the Nigerian capital, if any, sound like Ibukun Sunday. Marrying West African tones with Western ambient sensibilities and form, on Harmony Balance the juxtaposition between the two is perfectly measured. Not just a nice album title, then. Partly based on the ideas of Swami and Hare Krishna founder A.C. Bhaktivedanta, and particularly his work Bhagavad-Gita (English: As It Is), which focuses on the duality of human nature and existence, according to the notes we have this plays out as a tension between arrogance, envy, and the pursuit of power versus self control, humanity and devotion to others. Less conceptually, the album is just really, really nice, a soothing embrace that sounds mournful, hopeful, optimistic, and reflective all at once.
Heartbreak Of A Broken Stitch (feat Harriet Morley) (2:37)
SM_FID (2:26)
Everything Ends With An Inhale (1:29)
Cement Skin (2:42)
Pixel Petals (2:52)
Slammd (interlude) (1:42)
Closer (3:12)
Terrence's Time Bomb (2:05)
Fragmentary (Eraser) (3:03)
Inside My Head (interlude) (2:12)
Still (feat Dawuna) (2:06)
Fawning (interlude) (2:02)
Kiss Me Again (6am In Helsinki) (feat Bennettiscoming) (2:39)
Review: Spanish producer Nueen and Manchester vocalist and rapper Iceboy Violet, who you might well recognised from appearing on Hyperdub releases by the likes of aya and Loraine James, come together for a collaborative work that follows the story of a four-year-long relationship. As you can imagine, therefore, it takes in peaks and troughs, emotional highs, depressive lows, and plenty in between that will all feel all too familiar to anyone who has ever fallen in and out of love. Drill-laced beats are laced with intimate melodies, and excitable chords spiral out of control while a menacing ambience percolates up from below. It's a powerful listen with a relatable narrative.
Review: Last year Japanese street musician Yasushi Ide released Cosmic Suite 2 -New Beginning- to widespread acclaim, garnering plenty of attention thanks to the heavyweight cast of collaborators from Afrika Bambaataa,ADon Letts andAJeff Mills toADJ Krush andATony Allen. Now he's reached out to Grammy-winning sound engineer Steven Stanley to bring a heavyweight, premium grade dub treatment to the original album, and the results are astounding. The source material was eclectic to start with, which gives Stanley a wide scope to bring his own precision dubbing onto a wide variety of moods. Listen out for legendary drummer Style Scott laying down the beats under DJ Krush's cuts on 'Outer Space Dub' and lose yourself in the spiralling boom bap of Bambatta's appearance 'I'm Thinking, I'm Spacing Dub'.
Review: To date Wata Igarashi has released most of his work as singles. The Japanese techno producer has steadily risen in profile thanks to releases for the likes of The Bunker New York, Nidgar, Bitta and Delsin, but now his trajectory shifts into a different gear as he offers up his first fully-fledged artist album outside of Japan for the mighty Kompakt. It's clear from the offset he's relished the opportunity to stretch out on an album and we're treated to some stunningly rendered ambient and downtempo soundscapes - just listen to the slow rise and fall of 'Searching' and you'll be instantly sold. There's space for drama and accomplished composition as on 'Ceremony Of The Dead', jazzy exploits on 'Burning' and much more besides, showcasing the unbridled imagination of one of Japan's brightest talents.
Review: Dorset laptop head Iglooghost, AKA Seamus Malliagh, certainly knows how to paint a vivid picture - aurally and visually. 2017's startlingly original debut, Neo Wax Bloom, was like stepping through a vortex into another world entirely. A rich and deep universe that felt as though it had been there for aeons, waiting for us to stumble on a branch in the forest and fall headfirst through the wardrobe.
Lei Line Eon extends that realm significantly, building on past musical frameworks to deliver something that is at once bolder and bigger, but calmer and more serene. As though we have done with the immediately overwhelming experience of being taken somewhere Definitely Not Of This Plane, and found ourselves on a mountain side taking in this new place from a much broader perspective. Comparisons to Boards of Canada still apply, but with this latest Iglooghost reaffirms he's really all about the originality.
Review: Iglooghost's third studio album marks a departure from the intricate world-building of previous works, embracing a sonic maximalism that pulses with chaotic energy. The Irish producer seamlessly blends IDM, techno, deconstructed club and grime, creating a whirlwind of sound that never overwhelms thanks to his meticulous layering and dynamic composition. Tracks like 'Alloy Flea' and 'Pulse Angel' showcase Malliagh's ability to keep the music clear and coherent, even as he adds element after element. His voice, more prominent here than on past projects, takes on new dimensions, from distorted static in 'Coral Mimic' to ethereal contrasts with female vocals on 'flux•Cocoon'. The album's production is dynamic, with a textured, weighty sound that contrasts with the clutter of earlier works. While the relentless intensity of some tracks might seem predictable, Malliagh's ability to craft tangible build and release ensures each moment feels intentional. The result is an intense experience, one that finds Iglooghost maturing as an artist without losing his experimental edge. This album presents a refined sound, rich in texture, rhythm and conceptual depth, solidifying Malliagh as an electronic innovator with endless potential.
Review: Corey Fuller and Tomoyoshi Date are the Illuha duo but for this new Tobira album they link with percussionist Tatsuhisa Yamamoto. He is a skilled drummer who has worked alone on Black Truffle but has also collaborated with Jim O'Rourke, Eiko Ishibashi, Keiji Haino, Phew and Oren Ambarchi among others. This new record focusses on electro-acoustic sounds that are run through with all manner of precise sonic details and are carried by Yamamoto's unique playing style and singular sense of groove which were recorded over two sessions. That playing style finds him playing very lightly with closely mic'ed drums so plenty of softness is captured and then interwoven with layers of Rhodes, piano, distant synths and metallic murmurations.
Review: Japanese duo Inoyama Land's "Danzindan-Pojidon" is a cult experimental ambient classic from 1983. It has been reissued a number of times but always sells out fast, and for good reason: it's a beautifully crepuscular, pastoral musical landscape with sustained minimal synths hypnotising you with delicate keys bringing oriental flavours to gently propulsive ambience. It's organic, environmental and new age music with none of the cliches and will bring a smile to you face as well as warmth to your heart. "Glass Chime" is a particularly standout track of real melodic joy, while "Mizue" is gorgeously melancholic.
Review: "In 1987, a Japan-only Laserdisc was published by intermission. It showcased one our of works created by renowned German environmental artist NILS-UDO with specially commissioned music by Japanese Kankyo-Ongaku group Interior... Soon after, the world vanished." As a label, WRWTFWW Records have done a stellar job at setting the scene and establishing the perfect atmosphere for Sculpture of Time: Apocalypse. Released on vinyl for the very first time since it was made, almost 40 years ago, it's a lush, tranquil, and reflective slice of earthly ambient that sounds as though someone has just walked out of the jungle and picked up a synthesiser. You can almost reach out and touch the blue and green spaces the soundtrack evokes. Transportive in the truest sense.
The Only Things That Belong To Us Are Memories (6:14)
Forever Ago Is Now (6:33)
Dispersion Of Belief (4:40)
Red Moon Tide (feat KMRU) (6:22)
Review: The seeds of composer Rafael Anton Irisarri's latest LP were first planted during his 2016 tour in Italy, months before that Autumn's unexpected presidential election. The linguistic glitch of an innocuous diner in Milan named "il Mito Americano" - meant as "The American Dream" but translated literally to English as "The American Myth" - sparked a series of ideas, both conceptual and musical. Thus was Facadisms born, a mesospheric meditation on the world's many shared fictions and fantasies, essential and inessential. Listening to this ambient record is like standing naked on the outside terrace of a mountain aerie, blustery winds disturbing but not stopping our staring out over the miniature civilisations clustered below. With gnomic titles like 'A Little Grace Is Abundance' and 'Control Your Soul's Desire For Freedom', Irisarri compels the psyche to exward attention; his thickly packed, subliminal walls of ambience act as vessels through which to meditate on the injustices that puncture, and self-sever, the integrity of the American fundamental fantasy. Even going so far as to decry the concept of freedom itself (au contraire), Irisarri states in support of the record: "The impoverished peoples of the Americas have known all along that 'freedom' is a cruel illusion crafted by the elites, akin to Potemkin's fake villages designed to impress Catherine the Great," Irisarri indicates. "Facadisms illustrates a twisted inversion where the rulers deceive their subjects with illusions of safety, democracy, and free speech to create a grotesque mirage of control over their own lives."
The Only Things That Belong To Us Are Memories (6:14)
Forever Ago Is Now (6:33)
Dispersion Of Belief (4:40)
Red Moon Tide (feat KMRU) (6:22)
Review: Rafael Anton Irisarri's latest work, Facadisms, is an introspective exploration of drone music that encompasses eight atmospheric compositions. Crafted during a tumultuous period marked by social and political upheaval, the album serves as a reflection of contemporary sentiments, blending musicality with thematic discourse. Irisarri primarily utilizes guitars rather than synthesisers, creating an acousmatic texture that permeates the album. While drone elements dominate, identifiable guitar sounds occasionally pierce through, enhancing the overall experience. The collaborative tracks stand out, with contributions from Julia Kent's cello and Hannah Elizabeth Cox's ethereal vocals on 'Control Your Soul's Desire for Freedom', forming a dense, shimmering wall of sound. KMRU's presence on 'Red Moon Tide' introduces oscillating structures and haunting vocalisations, gradually building a riveting soundscape. The concept of Facadisms emerged during Irisarri's 2016 Italian tour, inspired by the stark contrasts of brutalist architecture and the superficiality of Potemkin villages. The album captures a late capitalist lament, echoing the cyclical nature of political disillusionment through repetitive motifs. Each track flows between moments of absence and melancholy, creating a mournful haze infused with cavernous guitar tones. Closing with the collaborative 'Red Moon Tide', the album crescendos into unsettling realms of celestial disquiet and bristling noise, evoking the sensation of a soul's departure into a void. The cover, depicting a decaying structure in La Perla, Puerto Rico, poignantly symbolises the themes of loss and disintegration woven throughout the music.
The Only Things That Belong To Us Are Memories (6:14)
Forever Ago Is Now (6:33)
Dispersion Of Belief (4:40)
Red Moon Tide (feat KMRU) (6:22)
Review: Rafael Anton Irisarri's Facadisms, presented on striking "clear petrol" vinyl, delves into the depths of drone music through a collection of eight immersive tracks. This album, conceived during a time of significant social and political unrest, highlights contemporary experiences while intertwining musical exploration with profound thematic narratives. Irisarri's use of guitars takes center stage, favoring them over synthesiwers to establish a rich, acousmatic atmosphere throughout the album. While the drone elements predominantly shape the sound, distinct guitar melodies occasionally emerge, adding layers to the listening experience. Collaborative highlights feature prominently, particularly in 'Control Your Soul's Desire for Freedom', where Julia Kent's cello and Hannah Elizabeth Cox's ethereal voice converge to create a lush, enveloping soundscape. KMRU's contribution on 'Red Moon Tide' introduces intricate oscillations and ghostly vocal layers, gradually constructing a compelling sonic journey. The album serves as a poignant commentary on late capitalism, reflecting the repetitive cycles of political disillusionment. Each composition transitions through moments of absence and reflection, crafting a mournful soundscape infused with cavernous guitar textures. As the album culminates, it leads listeners into unsettling territories filled with celestial disturbances and resonant noise, evoking the feeling of a soul's exit into an expansive void. The album cover, showcasing a crumbling structure in La Perla, Puerto Rico, powerfully embodies the themes of loss and decay that permeate the music, making Facadisms a haunting yet deeply resonant experience.
Review: Prolific experimental musician Eiko Ishibashi and filmmaker Ryusuke Hamaguchi follow up their for-the-ages 2021 collaboration for the latter's film adaptation of Drive My Car, with a slick and bold proclamation in jazz, electronica and improv: Evil Does Not Exist. Indeed, only the enlightened among us know that the ills of the world largely boil down to misunderstandings - oversights contra insights - thereby rendering any recourse to real malice by bad actors null, even when they themselves think it true. Evil Does Not Exist once more appears as both an album and film; the former artist's soundtrack here is as sublime as the realisation itself, combining dense copses of brass and freeform drumming to produce a euphoric miasma.
Review: Alan Myson returns once more as Ital Tek, continuing a not-so-well-cited yet important sound. There's never been much of a name for it, maybe thanks to its appearance in the meting-potty post-dubstep era - but Tek's is a sound of minimal aesthetics and glossy-wonky beats. Other artists might include Kuedo, Lorn or MssingNo (but it's not wave, witch house or purple). Genre-mindedness aside, Timeproof is Myson's fifth album for Planet Mu, following 2020's Outland for a long meander through the fluid timey-wimey nature of time, and how it varies depending on its perceiver(s)' mental states. Beaty sublimers like 'Phantom Pain' and 'One Eye Open' make this a staggering time-dilating journey, one whose appeal, true to its name, will surely last for electronic music fans decades into the future.
Review: A record unlike any other, 'Is That What You Want' is a fascinating slice of what some might call 'outsider soul', but even that label can't do full justice to the music here. Part of a wholly unrecognised community of DIY musicians living in East Philadelphia in the 1980s, Lee Tracy and Isaac Manning were a vocal, instrumental and production duo whose efforts flew sorely under the radar at the time that they laid these slick slices of experimental joy to tape. Bleeding a shocking transfusion of gospel, electro, lo-fi, funk and soul, this is a worthy slice of Afrofuturism existing outside the jazz connotation. "We never went to no studio," retorts Manning, showing off the pair's homespun ingenuity. Bolstered by a slew of DIY videos shot in Lee's front garden, this has everything from black Southern IDM to machine-glitched proto-raps. It deserves all the recognition it can get.
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