Month: September 2015

Cranekiss by Tamaryn

Justin Anastasio, Leave a comment

Tamaryn - Cranekiss

You trudge through piles of velvety satin in a small corridor draped with the fabric of deep indigo. Sparsely placed candles are the sole illumination throughout the silky darkness, until you reach a grand room engulfed in the light of thousands of candles encircling the chamber. A hooded figure at the far end of the room steps out from behind the fabric, and pulls hard on the material. All of it comes down, revealing countless stars in endless blackness . . .

A breed of sound was born in the ’80s, a sound so tantalizingly sweet that its flavoring remains a fundamental component in many of today’s musical recipes. Cranekiss is the newest full-length from Tamaryn, a New Zealand-born, New York-transplanted vocalist that revels in the glossy sound originally conceived by artists like Cocteau Twins and This Mortal Coil. This is soaring, sparkling dream-pop in its most epic and lively state.

This record is filled to the brim with delicious hooks that firmly implant themselves into the listener’s mind. Tamaryn’s voice is ebullient and wonderfully versatile. She gracefully drifts on a soothing breeze during the soft ballads (“Keep Calling,” “I Won’t Be Found”), and confidently commands the more upbeat, joyous peaks (“Hands All Over Me,” “Last”). It’s gloomy and ethereal at times, buoyant and festive at others, and always captivating.

The polished quality of the music is largely due to the fresh instrumental contributions from Weekend’s Shaun Durkan, and production helmed by Jorge Elbrecht of Violens (who has previously worked with Ariel Pink and No Joy). This trifecta of enchanting vocals, innovative instrumentation, and pristine production results in heavily textured beauty. If you’re seeking melodically captivating dream-pop, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Cranekiss by Tamaryn

June by Acronym

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Acronym - June

You tread through soft grass, passing through wispy grey fog until you reach the edge of a tranquil lake. You steadily place one foot into the undisturbed water, creating a ripple that grows and extends to the distant shores hidden in the mist. You place your other foot into the water, and turn to face the shore. The shore is gone, replaced by an endless blank infinity. You blink, and the shore has returned. Was it ever gone? You listen to your surroundings . . .

The beauty of electronic music arises from its ability to encourage a wider range of emotional subjectivity than many other genres. Songs that sound dark and harrowing to one listener may glow with positivity in the eyes of another. June is the newest full-length by Acronym, a producer that resides in Stockholm and calls Northern Electronics home. His new record is a fluid, flawlessly paced gem of serene ambience and pulsing techno.

The first time I heard this album, its warmth enveloped me and left me in a calming state of bliss. Upon my second listening, I was blindsided by the shadowy darkness that lurks in its nooks and crannies. There are ecosystems living under these deceptively simple tracks, and listening intently unearths worlds teeming with life just below the glassy surfaces. One begins to crave it, just to see what treasures it decides to reveal next.

The journey begins with droning ambience in the record’s first portion, ornamented with tranquil nature samples. The melodies here are placid and undulating, steadily flourishing into the down-tempo middle section. Acronym wrings out every ounce of experimental charm before closing the record with subterranean techno primed for the dance floor. If you’re seeking progressive ambient techno, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

June by Acronym

Dos by Los Colognes

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Los Colognes - Dos

You stride down a dirt road between wooden buildings. A tumbleweed rolls across the path that you walk. The roads are filled with people in search of an energy, an unbridled sense of life you can only find in places such as these. You push through the crowd, and stumble through a creaky door into a smoke-filled room. The room is stuffed with waiting bodies in various stages of inebriation. You take a seat at the bar just as the band takes the stage . . .

There’s something to be said about a band that wear their influences so prominently on their sleeves, and still manage to invoke a new energy from the classic sounds. Dos is the newest full-length from Los Colognes, a group of Chicago-native, Nashville-transplanted instrumentalists that conjure the freewheeling spirits of legendary southern musicians, and integrate those iconic flavors into their own breed of marvelous songwriting.

These guys spent a considerable amount of time refining their craft as a backing band for Caitlin Rose, so there’s a level of tightness to their playing that’s uncommon to find. Southern-tinged jamming is this group’s forte, and they anchor the starry-eyed soloing with some wonderfully catchy hooks. Many individuals hear the term “jam band” and head for the hills, but I urge you to stick around and give this gem an honest shot.

The intricate-but-laid-back approach of Dire Straits permeates through a lot of the songs, and especially on highlight “Golden Dragon Hut.” The Grateful Dead’s sense of wide-eyed wonderment and sonic exploration is everywhere. This is an accessible record about diving head-first into the unknown, with the trust that life will continue on when nothing is certain. If you’re seeking jam-heavy southern americana, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Dos by Los Colognes

Pickpocket’s Locket by Frog Eyes

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Frog Eyes - Pickpocket's Locket

You ascend a flight of creaky stairs and enter a cramped dwelling suspended by wooden pillars over a swamp. An illustrious storyteller is rumored to live here, and you love a good story. As soon as you pass the door’s threshold, the dwelling is engulfed in light. Smoke of every color erupts from the walls and frolics with the light. After a short while your vision clears, and a man adorned in exotic fabrics sits on a carpet in front of you. You sit and listen.

Lyrics have the ability to make or break a band’s music and, every once in a blue moon, they can define the success of a group. Pickpocket’s Locket is the newest full-length from Frog Eyes, a peculiar band from Victoria, British Columbia fronted by the eccentric Carey Mercer, grounded by drummer/Mercer’s wife Melanie Campbell, and supported by a rotating cast of marvelous instrumentalists. It’s time to pull out that lyric sheet!

Joining the duo on this record is Mercer’s former roommate and occasional bandmate, Spencer Krug of Wolf Parade, Moonface, and Sunset Rubdown. Krug contributes bright string arrangements and piano chording, which add a baroque-like feel to the buoyant, folk-tinged indie-rock. The song structures are circuitous, non-traditional, and resemble the captivating narratives of short stories rather than conventional songwriting.

The primary appeal of the music is the voice of Mercer, a dominant presence that squeezes every drop of emotion from each phrase that he speaks. This is highly idiosyncratic music that reveals new rewards upon repeated listens, like a cryptic novel, but it also possesses a surface-level geniality that allows anyone to easily enjoy it. If you’re seeking lyrically complex, intricately composed indie-rock, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Pickpocket’s Locket by Frog Eyes

Moonbuilding 2703 AD by The Orb

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The Orb - Moonbuilding 2703 AD

Impenetrable darkness is all around you. A voice speaks: “First, God does not exist. But don’t worry, what does exist is good, as opposed to evil. So, if you believe in God, you believe in good, and that’s as it should be. You’ll be just fine. If you believe in evil, then you probably need a whack on the back of the neck with a big fucking stick.” BANG! The loud sound comes from the dome above you, where countless stars, planets, and moons have been projected . . .

It’s refreshing that a band with a turbulent 25-year career plagued by bitter break-ups and record label issues can still come out of the gates swinging with something entirely original and compelling. Moonbuilding 2703 AD is the newest full-length from The Orb, anchored by Alex Paterson and joined by long-time collaborator Thomas Fehlmann for this release. There’s a reason these guys are known as the “fathers of ambient house.”

The format of the album — four lengthy tracks, three well over the 10-minute mark — will delight long-time devotees, because it presents the ideal environment for delving into the fleshed-out, ethereal worlds created by the duo. This is a celestial journey through pulsing house, otherworldly ambience, and J Dilla-influenced hip-hop peppered with jazz instrumentation. It’s the kind of far-reaching trip only The Orb can provide.

The tracks are less akin to traditional songs, and function more effectively as compact DJ sets that evolve fluidly through a myriad of dynamics. The choice to dress the release as a concept record makes a lot of sense, because it provides a captivating, underlying narrative that grounds their spaced-out music in something concrete and accessible. If you’re seeking celestial, experimentally progressive electronics, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Moonbuilding 2703 AD by The Orb

Meliora by Ghost

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Ghost - Meliora

You enter a church with black walls. A blood red carpet is rolled out and extends from the entrance to the altar. Upside-down crosses with Gs in the centers are emblazoned on every surface of the chamber. The floor behind the altar opens, and five hooded individuals rise from out of the ground. A thundering organ sounds, and spotlights illuminate the altar, where one more individual has materialized, wearing a pope hat with the symbol, staring at you . . .

Adopting a fictional narrative has the potential to enhance the depth of a band’s music, and complimenting that with a visual element only solidifies the conceived elements. Kiss did it, GWAR did it, and this group does it, all with marvelous results. Meliora is the newest full-length from Swedish heavy metal band Ghost (previously Ghost B.C.), made up of five hooded, nameless instrumentalists, and multiple incarnations of a frontman.

That’s right. The band is fronted by the “reincarnating” Papa Emeritus, who “dies” and is “reborn” at the release of each new album (currently embodying Papa Emeritus III). He is backed by the Nameless Ghouls, five musicians donning black cloaks. The gimmick is ingenious, but the music, especially on this record, is still their most captivating asset. If blues-influenced, gospel-tinged hair metal sounds like your cup o’ tea, look no further.

This is one of the catchiest records of the year. Emeritus is a wonderfully charismatic frontman, and although the lyrical subject matter is dark, the songs themselves soar with golden guitar riffs and communal harmonies. Nestled within the gothic glam are lavish church organs, glistening harp, and classical strings. This is one exciting band, both aurally and visually. If you’re seeking gothic-tinged melodic metal, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Meliora by Ghost

Your Face by Venetian Snares

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Venetian Snares - Your Face

You stand inside a grand, pristine temple. Rays of sunlight shine through transparent glass walls and illuminate the entire chamber. Peculiar symbols adorn the ceiling. The sun travels over the structure and across the sky until it settles into a seemingly-significant position. Beams of light are reflected all over the room to form geometric prisms. A glass wall shatters, and a fog of microscopic robotic insects fills the space. You close your eyes and listen . . .

Breakcore is the eccentric producer’s game, what with its dense rhythmic structures and breakneck transitions, and few stretch the sonic capabilities of the genre further than this artist. Your Face is the newest release by Venetian Snares, the primary performing moniker of Canadian-born Aaron Funk. Funk compacts a plethora of rapid, synthesized instrumentation into a brisk, 30-minute investigation of the widely mystifying genre.

Following last year’s extravagant My Love Is A Bulldozer (dubbed a “breakcore musical”) presented a herculean task, so rather than unleash another grandiose, vocal-heavy full-length, Funk opted to take a dip into his past. “Former Eagle” and “Misericordial” are glacial, glitchy IDM, while “Red Orange 2” and “Stockpiles of Sentiment” embody the classic Snares sound that we all know and love: maniacal, wildly dense jungle.

Things take an interesting turn with “Become Magic Dolphins,” a squelchy acid jam that gifts the listener with a few moments of funky respite from the rhythmic onslaught. Bookending the EP are two beautifully-contrasting variants of record centerpiece “Your Face When I Finally,” further evidence that Funk’s versatility knows no bounds. If you’re seeking diverse, intricately composed breakcore, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Your Face by Venetian Snares

All Yours by Widowspeak

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Widowspeak - All Yours

You sit in the backseat of a moving car. Two individuals you do not recognize sit in the front seats, but you do not feel alarmed; rather, you are enveloped in an aura of comfort. Dusty air blows through the open windows and coats the car’s interior, but nobody seems to mind. Endless rolling plains surround the vehicle. Where is your destination? The question feels light as a feather, and dissipates into the breeze. The driver turns the car’s volume knob . . .

Some breakup records ask a lot from their listeners. Some take the sadness that comes with the potent subject matter and transform it into sad-sounding music, forcing listeners to stare sadness right in the face. Those albums have a time and a place, but this is not one of those albums. All Yours is the newest full-length from Widowspeak, a duo that have woven the threads of a breakup album into a quilt of warm comfort.

The sweet, shoegazey americana that Molly Hamilton and Robert Earl Thomas create is mellow, and it carries an essence of nostalgia. Hamilton traverses the corridors of an abandoned relationship with a tranquil voice that shimmers in the haze of guitars and synths. If Real Estate and Rilo Kiley produced a child, and that child grew up and fell victim to a broken heart, it might sound something like this wonderful group.

There’s a quality of detailed meticulousness that pervades this whole record. Each drum hit, guitar chord, melody, and tone is shaped to function as a piece within a larger puzzle. The production is pristine, and each song glows like a late afternoon. Hamilton and Thomas have crafted something that’s beautiful and inviting, with open arms to those hurting. If you’re seeking warm, shoegazey americana, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

All Yours by Widowspeak

Abyss by Chelsea Wolfe

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Chelsea Wolfe - Abyss

You drift through black waters in a creaky boat. A hooded, seemingly faceless individual guides the vessel with an oar. A peculiar dark liquid drips from razor-sharp stalactites that canvas the ceiling above you. Impenetrable darkness is everywhere, so the size of your surroundings is unknown. You reach a dock and step off the boat before it and its driver suddenly sink into the water. The ground shakes, and the wall in front of you opens . . .

Happy music keeps us aloft when everything seems wrong; sad music provides a safe haven to dwell and contemplate life’s most agonizing elements; but what about music that chills to the bone? Abyss is the newest full-length from Chelsea Wolfe, an L.A.-based artist that colors her folk-tinged orchestrations with a palette of darker hues. This is Wolfe’s heaviest, and also her most graceful record; a tightrope walk of epic proportions.

When I say heavy, I do mean heavy. Wolfe has always flirted with the aggressive sounds of metal, but on this record she dives into full-on doom with the help of Russian Circles guitarist Mike Sullivan. Sullivan constructs monstrous walls of distorted guitar that engulf the listener and enhance the overall level of energy. It’s intimidating stuff, but bountiful rewards are to be gained by those that submit to the awe-inspiring power.

At the core of it all is Wolfe herself, an enigmatically versatile frontwoman that takes command of any scenario. Her voice lurks in the gloom as softly as Grouper’s, and it also howls like a operatic banshee. Wolfe is on a mission to illuminate the beauty that creeps in the darkness, and to give a voice to the horrors of life; a painful mission, but one that she owns completely. If you’re seeking heavy, folk-tinged darkness, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Abyss by Chelsea Wolfe

Depression Cherry by Beach House

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Beach House - Depression Cherry

You walk out of your front door and stand on your porch. It’s a warm, sunny day, and all of your neighbors are standing on their porches, smiling. Your eyes feel a bit dry, so you blink. Your neighbors have all vanished, and a flock of white birds is ascending into the sky. You are now alone  You blink once more. You flap your wings and soar into the air to rejoin the others. The world is breathtaking from up here. You drift on the wind, and listen . . . 

There’s something so admirable about a band that stick to their guns. It takes a world of patience and dedication to refine a unique musical recipe, and few things are as exhilarating as witnessing a group orbit closer and closer to that golden, sought-after formula. Depression Cherry is the newest full-length from Beach House, a duo that comes closer on this record to that individual, dreamy formula than they ever have before.

The best things about the group’s previous albums, all of which are wonderful in their own right, can also be said about this one. Victoria Legrand’s serene voice waltzes around Alex Scally’s lush guitar with sweetly euphoric melodies, and the booming drums from Bloom have been toned down to provide room for the ethereal synths to breathe. This is the ideal soundtrack to the most vivid, majestic daydream.

The moments when Legrand and Scally show a different, more transparent side of themselves are some of the most captivating; namely on “Sparks,” when the duo show what they can do when they allow the coarse beauty of dissonance to seep into their sound. On this record, these artists anchor themselves in the physical world while soaring to the most lofty heights. If you’re seeking lush dream-pop, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Depression Cherry by Beach House