Tag Archives: Electronic

Mr Beatnick – The Synthetes Trilogy

by ·

★★☆☆☆ = Eh, fine

Sounds like?

electro semi dreamy, fun and easy

Moods

Blissed-out moonlight electro

Thoughts

The first half is OK, took me a few listens to warm up to but it improved with time. Things take a positive turn at shifting sands – stretches our gets a little more groovy.

Honestly it's fine record but nothing worth holding onto.

More Info

https://www.discogs.com/Mr-Beatnick-The-Synthetes-Trilogy/release/5046503

Listen!

Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18MTnH1e5Rs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWFwyP7llKo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNuP-rLb6Uo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK2lVoimj70

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Js_2ni6lJaI

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Mr Beatnick – The Synthetes Trilogy

Description: Album Review of Mr Beatnick – The Synthetes Trilogy


Rating: 2 out of 5

 

MJ Cole – Sincere

by ·

★★★☆☆ = Good!

Sounds like?

UK garage meets cheesy house

Moods

A Y2K party in London

Thoughts

An uneven album. The bad tracks feature Elisabeth Troy doing these overly polished house vocals that lack character; would serve well as Muzak at a slightly dated 'hip' hotel lounge.

However the good is REALLY good. These tracks are generally more 'raw' garage like Sincere and Desperado. Memorable melodies that capture a hectic urban pulse.

More Info

https://www.discogs.com/MJ-Cole-Sincere/release/146498

Listen!

Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXaWfgOGcqY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAZwrZ0MFo0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZE3kncX3qU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_JvvALgD9Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nejpEOeQRfw

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MJ Cole – Sincere

Description: Album Review of MJ Cole – Sincere


Rating: 3 out of 5

 

Thomas Fehlmann – Lowflow

by ·

★★★★☆ = Quality release and suggested listening

Sounds like?

bassy dub minimal electro

Moods

A slight euphoric buzz graces these minimal dub tracks / a quiet glee while pregaming for a night-out in Berlin

Thoughts

these productions are super crisp and rich, no surprise from Thomas Fehlmann. Little textural flourishes everywhere elevate this from standard minimal mood techno to a well crafted album. It has a heavy dub influence with enough bass to give it a pleasant bump throughout, sounds very much like the orb.

Quiet and stoned, it takes it's time.

More Info

https://www.discogs.com/Thomas-Fehlmann-Lowflow/release/338329

Listen!

Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHxJJPmTiTs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1iqD389dss

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuTBCjJTN2M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLryCyusjOQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJFXhinVu8k

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Thomas Fehlmann – Lowflow

Description: Album Review of Thomas Fehlmann – Lowflow


Rating: 4 out of 5

 

Darkstar – North

by ·

★★★☆☆ = Good!

Sounds like?

mid aughts uk electro, gloomy synth pop with digital interference

Moods

A mournful synthpop record that explores man's fragile relationship with machines

Thoughts

has that slightly dark quality certain bands can pull off well (think wild beasts, miike snow, spiritualized). It's emotional music but some of the impact feels limited by the reliance on synthesisers. Poetic in a 'ghost in the machine' exhausted-by-technology kind of way but at 10 years old, it definitely feels like commentary from a time before now; when we admired technology before we truly started to fear it's scary data (people) focus.

I think I like the sound more than the overall songs but it's a good record nonetheless. Darkstar utilize this cracking in the vocals that has an interesting effect, I thought my files were corrupt the first time. I interpret it as a commentary on man's role in music, the beautiful imperfection.

Mark Fisher originally brought this to my attention, worth a read here:

https://markfisherreblog.tumblr.com/post/32185314385/you-remind-me-of-gold-dialogue-with-simon

More Info

https://www.discogs.com/Darkstar-North/release/2494475

Listen!

Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY8-85U4UWo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1oC0-xx_Hc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osIZ5ETBBeM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHJwtc2qYPU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5d7nUgy4_Jc

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Darkstar – North

Description: Album Review of Darkstar – North


Rating: 3 out of 5

 

Koushik – Be With

by ·

★★★★☆ = Quality release and suggested listening

Sounds like?

60s psychedelica with a hip hop bend

Moods

hauntology psychedelica

Thoughts

There's an effort here to make this sound old with vinyl record crackle and surface noise as well as low fidelity mics. It's effective and compliments the scattered instrumentation to create a spectral hazy psychedelica that's interesting and true to original influences (not the watered down modern 'chill' stuff).

Works well, rivals caribous early catalog who does a very similar thing ( honestly you could've told me Dan snaith made this as it's a dead ringer to some of his work).

More Info

https://www.discogs.com/Koushik-Be-With/release/484910

Listen!

Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs1inZNRlKw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqZCiW5pGlM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FikemItj6tI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsVy6a7dl7I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxfz8TmJ8gs

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Koushik – Be With

Description: Album Review of Koushik – Be With


Rating: 4 out of 5

 

Shit And Shine – Bad Vibes

by ·

★★★☆☆ = Good!

Sounds like?

intense electro

Moods

Electroshock dance-punk

Thoughts

booming and slightly brooding electro with weight, drifts into acid house territory at times. A couple tracks (acid and backstage) take a warped vocal sampling approach to hedonistic activities while still holding this catchy dance-punk beat.

All songs are open ended and freeform with heavy repetition on basic basslines. For that reason I'd leave this for slightly more experimental listeners with a tolerance for that kind of thing. It seems like a group that would have an interesting live show with lots of places for improvisations.

More Info

https://www.discogs.com/Shit-Shine-Bad-Vibes/release/12782873

Listen!

Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJ5bLD3JDtc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPj2uqCwS6s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5b3KORG031c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_F9sH3RYonc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IukyZwcV7bc

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Shit And Shine – Bad Vibes

Description: Album Review of Shit And Shine – Bad Vibes


Rating: 3 out of 5

 

Mariah – うたかたの日々/ Utakata No Hibi

by ·

★★★★☆ = Quality release and suggested listening

Sounds like?

Experimental new wave rock

Moods

New age meets post punk in this highly accessible piece of experimental music

Thoughts

Yasuaki Shimizu was involved in some interesting music during the early 80's that has held up well to the test of time. Mariah is one of the better entries with easy to appreciate melodic elements and an overall positive energy.

His particular brand of experimental music has a similar sound – part worldly, new wave, post punk, krautrock's rhythmic chug – that weaves together in a rich sound.

'Hana ga saitara' borrows this energetic string bow pull, sounds like a ship and it's sort of disorienting. Lyrics here remind me a lot of some straightforward talking heads songs.

Something about this remains very "future", a forebear to vaporwave but so much larger. The result is magnificent and something that should be heard.

More Info

https://www.discogs.com/Mariah-%E3%81%86%E3%81%9F%E3%81%8B%E3%81%9F%E3%81%AE%E6%97%A5%E3%80%85-Utakata-No-Hibi/release/7490374

Listen!

Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UIBLA-PuUw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRgLhEGEetc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEHL6WBH_qk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4xdyQAq6rs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xh2PU74kRXY

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Mariah – うたかたの日々/ Utakata No Hibi

Description: Album Review of Mariah – うたかたの日々/ Utakata No Hibi


Rating: 4 out of 5

 

Tom Rogerson,Brian Eno – Finding Shore

by ·

★★☆☆☆ = Eh, fine

Sounds like?

Keyboard and general electronic noodling

Moods

A soundtrack for those euphoric and reflective moments

Thoughts

There are some interesting bits but nothing cohesive as individual songs or as an overall album. Not quite ambient, not quite solo keyboard, feels undecided and suffers as a result.

More Info

https://www.discogs.com/Tom-Rogerson-With-Brian-Eno-Finding-Shore/release/11258667

Listen!

Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SroYdHuv9z8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZri_BOuRy0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBgvXNRxEsU

Spotify


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Tom Rogerson,Brian Eno – Finding Shore

Description: Album Review of Tom Rogerson,Brian Eno – Finding Shore


Rating: 2 out of 5

 

Shy Layers – Midnight Marker

by ·

★★★★☆ = Quality release and suggested listening

Sounds like?

jazzy electro pop rock with vocoder

Moods

A record that puts me in a good mood: chill with a pop, happy but not cheery, loose while tight.

Thoughts

all around enjoyable, strikes a nice balance. Has the precision of jazz and electronic but maintains a loose feel. The vocoder lyrics add a nice touch: never trying to steal the spotlight but adding an accessible hook. This record succeeds with it's songwriting and leaves rewards got repeat listens. It's presented simply but is an intricate production.

Philip Sherburne did a nice write-up for Pitchfork on this:

As before, Midnight Marker’s breezy melodies and lilting grooves make for a nice, chill listen—good morning-coffee music, cooking music, countryside-drive music. But this is nothing like the studied, stoned remove of anything you’ll find filed under “#chill” on any streaming service. His synths have real bite. His drums, recorded with real sticks on real skins, are enviably muscled. Walsh has said that one of his takeaways from both highlife and funk was that the guitar could function primarily as a percussive instrument, and he continues down that path here, backing up more melodically outgoing riffs and runs with plucked pulse and flicker.

More Info

https://www.discogs.com/Shy-Layers-Midnight-Marker/release/12081230

Listen!

Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYuYnAdVZ7Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFwx4Ay70CU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28GZ8Nomy1w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbCAdmysIT0

Spotify


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Shy Layers – Midnight Marker

Description: Album Review of Shy Layers – Midnight Marker


Rating: 4 out of 5

 

Octo Octa – Where Are We Going?

by ·

★★★☆☆ = Good!

Sounds like?

Energetic electro

Moods

Cerebral yet fun

Thoughts

enjoyable mash of some of favorite styles. Has the energy and flow of a set at times though these are extended cuts. Fleeting moments of freedom brings to mind a fun 'bouncy' dance night out, love the playful loop backs.

More Info

https://www.discogs.com/Octo-Octa-Where-Are-We-Going/release/10025434

Listen!

Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8T4ogb-eWoY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiOz3JQqBgc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM4ssluYUtc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOL4pW-rGZ8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECG3HWEqiF0

Spotify


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Octo Octa – Where Are We Going?

Description: Album Review of Octo Octa – Where Are We Going?


Rating: 3 out of 5