Tag Archives: Electronic music

2017 New Music!

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Trance galore.

2017 is a good year for electronic music. I love being introduced to new and unfamiliar artists and I would love writing all about them when I have the time and energy. Samplers are one of the great ways of introducing new music. You sort of know what to expect by tasting one track from a specific musician. For example I’ve never heard of STA before this compilation. But STA is an Ukrainian producer. There’s not much info on the web but ‘Orbit’ is a good intro to his music.

I am sure many people who are Trance enthusiasts know the artists in this compilation but like I said I am still discovering artists in this genre. It’s a good album!

By the way tunes from this album are good for the usual bike ride in the evening. They are energetic but chill at the same time. Have you tried listening to them in such situation? Oh, and I don’t recommend headphones. They are dangerous while cycling. Just use your tiny bluetooth speakers 😉

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George Cables-In Good Company.

Fans of piano jazz will find delight in his new offering In Good Company. He covers John Hicks, Kenny Barron, Ellington and Strayhorn. He is joined by bassist Essiet Essiet and drummer Victor Lewis. Less is indeed more. You will find a lot of surprises in this intimate ensemble.

Cables has rekindled my love for all things jazz. Hey you might read more reviews like this one from me soon. Who knows?

This is good music for the good times. Listen to the sampler here: http://www.allmusic.com/album/in-good-company-mw0002845576

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Kirk Fischer-Friends

Friends will please fans of contemporary jazz. This type of music can be heard on smooth jazz radio because of its pop appeal. Fischer covers both jazz and pop tunes. In fact one of them is Kiss On My List by Hall & Oats. It is a great music to listen to over dinner with great wine and the company of good friends. Who can resist such elegant recording like this one?

 

 

There you have it. Few of my take on new recordings. Stay tuned for more…

Industrial Strength Set To The Groove of Pop:LÜJAH by Rakans

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  • rakans(SoundCloud)
  • rakanscom(Twitter)
  • rakanscom(Instagram)

The internet is a good place to discover unique musical artists. I discovered the music of Rakans in the social media. He really takes time to talk to his listeners about his ideas. He is also happy to promote other artists. I heard probably two songs which made me realize that he has a potential to make it huge in the pop music scene. You know why? He doesn’t just sound interesting. He LOOKS interesting. His avant garde fashion sense is meant  to inspire and provoke.

Fashion and music go together!

He calls his music avant-garde pop/Industrial pop. And for a good reason. Rakans has created tunes that anyone can dance to. But these are not your typical ‘nice sweet sounding pop’ associated with the likes of Taylor Swift or Katy Perry.If you are uninitiated to edgy side of electronic music then Lüjah might sound strange, dissonant or even chaotic. But if you listen carefully, there is that unified idea that pulses throughout the rhythms and harmonies. His lyrics are fascinating.

Redsulfur is the current single. It is also my favourite as it reminds me of Nine Inch Nails and Massive Attack. But the rapping is all his. If you haven’t seen the music video yet then you better check it out. It is really interesting. Challenging established ideas is what Lüjah is all about. It is also about being faced with contradictions and how you deal with them. If you ask me, this album is better than anything released by other artists in the genre. I think this is more interesting than Skrillex. I think he will have Skrillex have a run for his money.

Gummy Bears hints the relationship of American hiphop to his European sound. And he can really sing. In Prayers, he’s singing about the great divide that religion imposes in all of us. And he belts out like George Michael too. What I appreciate about his work, is his dedication to the craft of writing pop songs. There is that slick sound in his recordings which I appreciate. Listen to BowBowBow which is one of his catchiest tracks. It will set you in the mood to strut.

Album Review: Empirico by Whodoes

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Plus: J.P. Kallio, 10 Awful Things About British Festivals That Should Take A Hike and Pierre Masse

Seasons have a way of influencing how we listen to music. The gloomy months bring out that introspective spirit in all of us. I’ve always have this special interest in contemporary instrumental music. It is another genre which I did not ‘force’ myself to appreciate. It came naturally. With music it is both an emotional and mental experience for me. Emotional in a sense that there are tunes that can ‘transport’ me to another place. There are lyrics that make me bawl like a baby. And I am sure this is something I share with musicians. After all, who else knows the secret places inside a tune than the creator of it- the artist?

When Vasilis Chountas a.k.a. Whodoes told me that a new album is out, I got excited because I remember the beautiful experience I had with Dolphins in the Sky. Empirico has nine tracks with varying moods. Everything about it sounds sci fi and a progression of his minimalistic style which he cultivates with Dolphins in the Sky. Would you believe that his main instrument is just the electric guitar? Everything around it was build by the sounds created by that single instrument. Empirico is for fans of soundtrack, ambient, ethnic, experimental and post-rock music. There is also an unmistakable Greek element in the a0642189950_2melodies as Chountas is from Greece.

Emprico opens with pulsing sounds as if these are transmission from outer space. There is a sense of urgency underneath the calm rhythmic style. T harkens back to the early days of ambient music created by Brian Eno and Tangerine Dream.

One of my favorite tunes is Memories which is also the carrier single. It has that chill out beats and cinematic feel that could be one of those tunes you hear in a suspense/mystery TV series during the opening credits. I love its gradual style and abstract melodic style. Rain is falling hard outside while I am writing this review and I feel like I am swimming in the seas of pleasant music. All those pulsing, underwater life pulsing around me in the form of notes and beats.

There are other great tracks from this wonderful album including Street Romance, Room Alone and the drum-heavy That Night which reminds me of Portishead. Similar track Lost follows with industrial beats and melodies yearning for a resolution.

If you like Vangelis and other artists I mentioned in this review then you will pick up Empirico.

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Today’s Featured Artist Blog: J.P. Kallio:

I love reading what artists have to say. That is why I often visit their blogs. If I don’t get to read anything from their website then I go ahead and ask them for an interview. My passion for knowing how an artistic mind works can be traced back to my childhood when I destroyed automatic watches trying to know how the cogs and wheels inside work. Don’t worry I won’t do the same thing to your heads physically 😉

http://jpkalliomusic.blogspot.co.uk/

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Meanwhile in other music-related news:

10 Awful Things About British Festivals That Should Take A Hike:

I got this link from NME.Do you agree? What do you think?

http://www.nme.com/blogs/festivals-blog/10-awful-things-about-british-festivals-that-should-take-a-hike

And lastly, a blast from the past:

14 Questions with Pierre Masse

Here is a memorable interview with the young and talented Pierre Masse Posted on September 9, 2010.

https://spheremusic.me/2010/09/09/14-questions-with-pierre-masse/

Have a great weekend friends!

Album Review: ANTIPODES by CIRRUSAKA

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I enjoyed listening to the music of this electronic music group CIRRUSAKA. Yes it’s all caps as that’s how they present themselves. They’re on bandcamp now. I like bandcamp as it is a great way to introduce your music across platforms. The fact that it has WordPress support makes it awesome. Now CIRRUSAKA  is not your typical indie band trying to get their music across for the first time. These are musicians who have already collaborate with different groups and have released their music as solo artists. You can hear the level of discipline and mastery in every execution of instruments in this album.

The opening track  Knocknarea is a bit fast. I get that floating and flying feeling when I listen to this music. Everything about the album sparks of clarity and smoothness. Thanks to the meticulous sound engineering. Owning your copy of this album brings about a superb listening experience. The style also reminds me of Jon Anderson and Vangelis, with a little touch of Tangerine Dream. Life’s Mountain showcases the haunting vocals of Ross Ackerman who is from New Zealand. You need to check out the remixed version of that same track at the end of the album for a taste of something haunting and captivating( Clare McCarthy did a great job with the keyboards. The arrangement reminds me of parting clouds and wind blowing through thatched roof).

Sean McCarthy and Ross Ackerman did a great job in making the tracks cohesive throughout the album. It’s like reading an epic poem or reading a classic novel where all chapters are finely woven, and nothing sticks out like a sore thumb. Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam which has a great intro and narration. Nicholas Roberts narrated The Rubaiyat. His voice is what Sean McCarthy referred to as Burtonesque (after the late Richard Burton).

CIRRUSAKA  is a collaboration of musicians from New Zealand and Ireland. They have created this amazing album which celebrates clarity, the beauty of sounds, melodies and atmosphere. There are 8 with an average of 10 minutes per song. This is geared towards those who just want to relax and unwind after a long day. Or those who simply appreciate beautiful music.

Altocirrus

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I am not saying I am totally partial to electronic music because I love many types of music. But unlike many people who grew up with The Beatles or Led Zeppelin, the first band album I bought was The Human League greatest hits. Of course U2 followed and the rest is history. But what I am trying to say is that my explosive musical awakening was sparked by electronic music. So that means a lot to me. Whenever I hear music such as this one called Project U A bit of fun.  by Altocirrus  then I get that warm feeling inside. It’s like walking into a familiar territory .

This is a sweet track. The beats are not that heavy. There is a sense of space between sounds. It gives you that floating sensation. It works well with my cup of coffee. So I give you Altocirrus   and hoping your day is as awesome as mine.

 

About the project:

Altocirrus is the inspirational name given to music produced by Sean and Clare McCarthy.
The songs evolve as a reflection of everyday experiences. Considering that we live in the North West of Ireland we experience a lot of different “weather” which you will hear influences many of our tracks.
After their music was played on Harbour FM (102.3 FM) in the UK on Terry Hawke’s show “Hawke Chillout Sessions” to a very positive response and also on One World Radio’s show in the UK “Man of Two Worlds” hosted by Neil Fellowes Geigertek, Altocirrus decided to take it further with a view to releasing an EP and album.
Sean developed an interest in electronic music through listening to music by The Art of Noise, Ashra, Klaus Schulze, The Alan Parsons Project and Afrocelt Sound System. Other musicians such as Pat Metheny and John Martyn are also big influences.
Sean works as a gold/platinumsmith and finds listening to and producing music stimulates his creativity.
Clare is classically trained to play both piano and violin. Her influences are Vivaldi, Bach, Tchaikovsky, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Thin Lizzy, Crowded House, Merril Bainbridge and Seal. Clare works as a Clinical Nurse Specialist.
Altocirrus is attempting to build a distinctive sound to reflect their mood and experiences through music.