Libido Formandi is a curious name, bringing to mind suggestions of an awakening sexuality and growing lust. There are surely many sexy and cool moments in this album, but overall the sounds contained within are far too dark and harsh for seducing an unsuspecting victim!
Category: Reviews
Home Construction – Surveillance
“Surveillance” may contain many of the same basic ingredients as earlier material – meaty slabs of no-nonsense percussion, sampled vocal elements and grating textures laid over accessible melody lines – but the recipe being used here is far different… “Surveillance” is, musically speaking, the most exciting and accomplished thing 100blumen has ever put together.
Twenty Knives – The Royal We
“The Royal We” can’t be analysed in terms of song structure or melody or harmony. It can’t be identified as sharing common percussive characteristics with other branches of electronic music. It’s not even worth describing their sound as ‘experimental’, because an experiment generally has an identifiable, valid outcome, and leftfield craziness that distorts perceptions isn’t what I would call a valid outcome. But if you can survive that, you’re in for a treat.
Andrew Oudot – Crystallization
The fragile, pure tones generated on this record convey crystal clarity with every passing measure. Mathematical precision in the programming meets an almost organic growth algorithm in the sequencing creating something that is beautiful, brittle and cuts directly to the bone – not unlike clusters of crystalline formations.
Persona – Ruïnes
On this lengthy record Persona attempts folk, martial, dark ambient, neo-classical and even power electronics – and finds success with none of them. Nonetheless, I give this band credit for trying to mix so many styles, often two or three per song. Although some interesting elements make an appearance here, especially the neofolk-ish instrumentation, as a whole, Persona is unable to craft memorable, finished-sounding tracks.
Hall of Mirrors – Forgotten Realm
Sound-wise, “Forgotten Realm” is a dark, etho-ambient record that is a bit reminiscent of Steve Roach, Alio Die, or some Robert Rich. The album art provides a fitting visual representation of the contents of this record: evocative soundscapes that bring to mind exploring ruined jungle temples and the rites of the forgotten primeval tribe who built them.
How Do Processed Foods Fit Into Healthy Dietary Patterns?
Behind Anemone Tube is Stefan Hanser, a gifted musician who might not release much, but always astonishes with the sounds that hit the street as well as his live-performances.
Canartic – Modulotion
This guitar-based and electronic-backed offering of totally dubbed out and lathered down psychedelic downtempo from Canartic is everything an album name like “Modulotion” promises. Though song structures come across as similar, each breathes its own mix of elements so that, taken individually, the differences might as well be profound.
The Maggot Farmer – The Waiting Room
The press release describes “The Waiting Room” as “the music of Los Angeles while sleeping”, as well as a combination of drones and urban atmospheres. I would say that this description is not terribly far off, given that you take it in a literal sense rather than an artistic one.
Treha Sektori – Sorieh
Treha Sektori have a penchant for creating immense, blackened atmospheres through the use of layered earthen drones, just the right amount of distant clanking and banging, and a few heavily revered, somber melodies. Definitely something to check out for fans of ritual and cold meat industry-style ambient.