Stefan Blomeier & Claire: “Worlds Beside Worlds”
March 4, 2013
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Here’s what’s going on. Worlds Beside Worlds is a non-traditional split tape from Denmark’s Stefan Blomeier & Claire, a new project from Featureless Ghost‘s Elise Tippens. Rather than opting for separate sides, the artists alternate tracks, creating an unsteady, appealing flow between the geometric architecture of Blomier’s sequencer work and Claire’s additive flurries of drum machine and synth sweeps.
The title track itself is a product of the pair’s direct/transcontinental collaboration via the Internet, and offers both an unexpected and thoroughly blissful blending of the two artists styles and a reminder of the nascent link between science fiction and the soundscape. As far as film goes, the latter two are often inseparable, with highly interpretive ambient sounds forming the perfect complement to the fluid concepts of fantastic technologies. Tippens’ accompanying video, created under her Fantastic Lands moniker, drives that point home with its star maps and abundant static. Cozy up to your favorite computing device and give it a nice long watch:
Worlds Beside Worlds will be available March 31st and is currently available for pre-order from Instructional Media. For more audio, head to Soundcloud
Written by Luke Carrell
Tags: atlanta, Claire, Denmark, Elise Tippens, Europe, Fantastic Lands, georgia, Stefan Blomeier, Worlds Beside Worlds
Reviews
Spectrometers’ latest release, Off, is extremely minimal music that makes intense and unexpected uses of the few pieces of sound that it allows itself. Pointedly machine beats collide and spark with less rhythmically inclined loops to create a harsh light that illuminates what seems like the angular edges of what must be a much larger structure. It’s music to stare into a microscope by, while standing in between two malfunctioning cloning tanks, oblivious to the strange party that is happening inside them. It’s real life, scary industrial hissing off your tape deck.
Spectrometers’ Off is the 4th release from sdz imprint Crudités Tapes and is available for digital stream, download and cassette tape via Bandcamp
Written by Luke Carrell
Tags: crudites tapes, Europe, France, off, sdz, Spectrometers
Reviews
There are certain ways of how people feel these days. I mean, even the basic words like “love”, “tenderness” and “loneliness” have meant something completely different for people of Victorian era and the modern man. Of course, there is always a need to synchronize the meaning with other people to make sure that there is someone who understands what you are talking about. Ukranian underground star Nastya Vacuum focuses on expressing the strangest shades of her feelings in search of this understanding.
Her background definitely worth retelling: Nastya from Odessa studies the composing in Kiev Conservatory (Tchaikovsky National Academy of Music) and her debut album «Pop-problems» was focused on grooves of Russian pop-music of 90s. She states that counter-culture now is pop-music and, considering all the comparisons with 100% Silk and Maria Minerva, she is the voice of the current state of hypnagogic pop music in Ukraine. This song is about tears made of glass, it is pretty short and sounds more like a lullaby for all these people who can’t turn the computer off at 2am and finally go get some sleep. Also, there is a clear emotional message sent from Nastya and I am pretty sure that we are the only people in time who can decode it properly.
You can hear more from Nastia Vacuum on Soundcloud
Written by Dmirty Vesnin
Tags: Europe, Nastia Vacuum, nastya vacuum, ukraine
Reviews
Piotr Kurek’s keyboard and organ driven composition “Becoming Light” is a fantastic and fully realized piece of music. Its as if Philip Glass traveled back in time to jam with The Doors’ Ray Manzarek because our ears are treated to bouncing lines of particle hopping keys rolling along to build a firm foundation for a classic organ lead line. This is beautiful stuff. Then of course there’s the video which captures the vibe of the music as well as any visual married to music can. Color and motion are important here. Blooming flowers, pollination scenes, the sun, big & small creatures undulating, water, and earth all pass by in the, “Brakhage reborn via Vimeo” montage. The clip is calming and warped at the same time. We recommend listening to the entire Krurek album, Edena, available on cassette from Sanoplasmo Records because the mind’s camera can supply further hallucinations as one drifts through the album. Happy tripping through the tulips!
Piotr Kurek’s Edena is now available on cassette from Sangoplasmo Records and digitally on Bandcamp
Written by Jeff Daily
Tags: edena, Europe, piotr kurek, poland, Reviews, Sangoplasmo Records, warsaw
Mixtapes
“Time drips to a beat, a sparkling light that refracts and reflects into an age of luxury beyond your wildest dreams. Feel the slender tones elongate into objects of desire that will define your status and create a personal aura of success that echoes into the future.Your time is now and the place is tomorrow.”
1. Tomandandy – Ambiant Dixie
2. NightHeat – Cruel Summer
3. SilverBoy – Dance Of Reflections
4. Walsh – Culo
5. Luxury.Elite – Moonlight
6. ANRI – Southern Current
7. COBRA AKAI – Adriatic Memories
8. Camille.R & ho$$ein – $illicon Alley
9. New Dreams LTD, XX”Ruby Dusk On a 2nd Life Nude Beach”
10. Discoballistic – Medieval Traveller
11. New Musik – This World Of Water
12. GAME – Intro
Submitted by Camille R
Tags: camille r, Europe, France, mixtape
Mixtapes
1. Nightswimming _ Roshi feat Pars Radio from the Sky & the Caspian Sea album ( 2009)
2. My eyes my lovely – Pere Ubu remixed by Gagarin from Why I remix Women
3. Hackney, Chicago, Jupiter – Bass Clef from Punch Drunk
4. Aziz Djun – Roshi ft Pars Radio from forthcoming album 3 Almonds and a Walnut
5. All Things are Quite Silent – You Are Wolf
6. Dont Breathe it to a Soul – Pars Radio – David Thomas remix
7. Courted in SPring – The Owl Service
8. Third Rail – Gagarin from Biophilia
9. Columbia Road – Hybernation
10. Pache Leli – Roshi ft Pars Radio – from 3 Almonds & a Walnut
11. Let Go – SUns of Arqa live at Big Chill 2009
12. Cycad – Raf and O from Has the Air Gone Walking
13. Star of Leyte – Low Bias from the Ash and the Oak
14. Nunhead Cemetery _ Roshi feat Pars Radio – from 3 Almonds and a Walnut
Submitted by Roshi Ft. Pars Radio
Tags: Europe, London, mixtape, pars radio, roshi, United Kingdom
Reviews
UK’s Hanetration is a manipulator of ashy gray glitch. The music from his new Torn Heat EP, which is a free follow-up to his Tenth Oar EP, is fascinating, listenable, and a kind of approachable soundtrack to the wasteland. As a heady brew of drone synths that crest over and around amorphous beats & static, we feel (surprisingly) at ease in the tension of his music. Each of the four compositions are careful not to divulge too many secrets or push us over the edge. “Splinter” is a piece of music that makes one feel off balance, in a good way. The texturized backwards whooshing of the beat might cause seasickness if we weren’t squatting in a bombed out apocalypse former apartment building. We are at the mercy of the elements. These are dangerous times, but with a little luck we might just find a quiet place to start a new life.
You can download Torn Heat for free on Bandcamp
Written by Jeff Daily
Tags: digital, England, Europe, hantration, Reviews, torn heat, tribal, United Kingdom
Reviews
Leverton Fox is a supergroup of sorts…or just a group of super dedicated electronic alchemists. Founding foxes Alex Bonney (Loop Collective), Tim Giles (Golden Age of Steam, Nostalgia 77), and newest member Isambard Khroustaliov (Icarus) have been collaborating and tinkering for two and half years to bring to fruition their new album The Human Arm. Bonney torments a trumpet while Giles denigrates his drums and all three treat sounds electronically. Maybe it’s the continued excellence and influence of Wire magazine, but certain cadres of Brits just love methodical tone painting adventures in sound. Leverton Fox’s “Woodbelly” is the collision of noise improv and the decaying remnants of free jazz theory. The piece itches and wiggles with electronic perversities. Damn thing nearly approximates nightmare android ant colonies attacking your loved ones! Rollickingly arhythmic drumming and squiggles of buzz introduce the damage, but when Bonney’s strangulated trumpet enters all Hell breaks loose. The trumpet ups the three members of the group to accelerate their collective sonics. Satisfying and not just a little terrifying, the album as complete thought is like this. “Woodbelly” might also be a a giant wicker man. Who’s to say in this topsy turvy world of ours?
The Human Arm is now available from Not Applicable Recordings
Written by Jeff Daily
Tags: England, Europe, leverton fox, London, Reviews
Reviews
Russian duo ĸŋüłł just dropped a duo of digital EPs earlier this month that have forcefully pushed their noisy, often caustic drones into more distinct, if varied, shapes, while simultaneously piling on rhythmic elements heavy enough to make the seemingly impenetrable textures wriggle and shimmer under the pressure. Put simply, they’ve obviously been busy honing their sound since we featured a track from their debut release, arhitektura, on our mix for Vice Italy seven months ago. The track “peru” is exemplary of the pair’s ability to build daunting sounds out of diminutive samples and thenredirect their energy at a moment’s notice. The lyrics, also a new element, are presumably in Russian, but they might as well be sung by a weaponized clone of Damo Suzuki for all the strange tension in their delivery. Listen with caution and don’t forget to breathe.
The twin EPs nature morte and marina are available for free download
Written by Luke Carrell
Tags: Asia, Europe, knutt, marina, nature morte, Reviews, russia, ĸŋüłł
Reviews
How does one face the morning after a night of spiral downs? Portuguese guitarist/composer JCCG (AKA Mediafired, The Exhalers, and Sofa Pits) has a guess. He dances ‘tween every day brutality and ideals of beauty on a brand new song from an album called Lancil. His track “I Like it Here (With You)” is like the sound of the struggle for redemption after seriously fucking up. Admitting mistakes is not an easy thing to do, but the angular wobble of his lead guitar gives the listener permission to say, “Yes, I love ya baby… sorry I can’t buy ya pretty things.”
JCCG’s tune is propelled by a strutting Travolta electro-beat and washes of atonal color/sound, but the main attraction is the lead instrument, the guitar. Simply put, “I Like it Here (With You)” is basically a two and a half minute feature for free ranging note runs and wandering fret action. The electricity in the recording room must have been hot that day because this is some slick improvising (if it is indeed improv, but it could be composed?). The short length of the piece cries out for more exploration. Fans will just have to seek out the full-length tape to find out if romance is forever, but judging from the tone of JCCG’s axe, life is hard.
You can grab the tape from JCCG etc.’s own Exo Tapes and listen to more on Soundcloud
Written by Jeff Daily
Tags: Europe, JCCG, porto, portugal, Reviews
