Laridae is a netlabel mainly focused on Ambient music. Iambic² has released two beautifully quiet albums there so far. If you need punchy drums, please don’t go further. Everyone else, find some decent relaxing music. The album is best served in one course, but like usual I highlight my two favourite tracks before giving you the download link.

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Regulus is a dreamy, 4:30 minute long piano & guitar masterpiece. No percussion throughout. Never more than some chords, a single string or key playing a simple motive.

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Rain Drop is richer in instrumentation than Regulus by adding distant drums and violins. Static harmonies underline a mellow but restless piano motive. Halfway through, airy vocals set in. You either like it or find it horribly boring.

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This release features timeless, synthy IDM. It was released in 2010 by the Fwonk netlabel. Also checkout Fwonk’s anniversary compilation FWONK*50 (play on ojdb) for an overview of their extensive catalogue. But back to this review: 10 tracks with approximately 50 minutes length hover around a quite neutral mood, similar to Pluxus. Some tracks are slightly upbeat, but most titles won’t make you jump to your feet. Read on for a description of my two favourite tracks and the download link.

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The title track Ettertid for me is an instant classic of timeless electronic music. After a floating intro, soft beats and clap sounds play tennis under a simplistic bass line and minimal guitar melody. Sounds like a fresh, sunny morning after a cold night.

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Ensom Nebula manages to create an uplifting experience without using a single major chord. Acoustic guitar, a one-tone bass line and drum percussion make this song rather dancy.

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The UK based netlabel Fwonk finally got me with this clicky, dancy house release by the Bachelor Machines. To me they sound like a younger Justice or a more mature Stay Ali. Stompy beats, chiptune aesthetics and very memorable (not to say catchy) melody lines make me like their Fatal Error. 10 tracks with over 50 minutes duration await you below, together with my recommended track.

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The opening track Method Function has what it takes for a furious kick start. Scratched synthy sounds repeat while building up the main theme. A cool and catchy bass line, well-done percussion and many details make this track my favourite of this album.

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50 minutes of pure harmonies. Walls of synthetic chords, structured by spares percussion. Knoxband on diym netlabel is a wonderful example that soundscapes don’t have to sound blurry. If I wanted to describe the album in three words, “musical space journey” would be my best bet. Find previews to my two favourite tracks below.

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Emerging From The Shadows I is an eleven minute journey. A slow chord sequence loops on and on, while vocals, percussion and bass appear and disappear.

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Emerging From The Shadows III in words is identical to track I. However, slight variations in arrangement and rhythm create a completely different atmosphere in this song.

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The Clinical Archives is one of the major netlabels out there. While most of their releases are too experimental for my taste, over 400 releases allowed me nevertheless to find some good ones. VII by Lunatic Scale is fresh, melodic alternative (or mainstream) Rock from Russia. Three sweet tracks, short and good.

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The Game is the rough, edgy, aggressive opener. Think of Limp Bizkit (Take A Look Around…) but with more “air” in the guitars.

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Last Chance is an uplifting and optimistic rock song. No surprises here. Just great music.

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The netlabel Lost Children specialises in Progressive Rock and related music genres. They offer a magnificent collection of free music compilations called The Silent Ballet. Here I present my favourite release of this series, being on the quiet and ambient side of the musical spectrum it offers. Volumes 1, 5 and 6 are my next recommendations, all with more vivid music. Like usually, you can find descriptions of my favourite songs below. Remarkable about this album is its polished production quality.

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Mehr als alles andere is difficult to describe. It is cineastic (atmosphere), ambient (drones), classical (violins), electronic (noise & clicks), quiet (start & end), loud (in between), calm. Best served with headphones and tea on a cold evening.

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I Surrender by Cam Butler (whose Dreamland EP I have already reviewed here) is the most active song in this album.

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Colida is a hard alternative rock band. And pretty good at it. This release at the German netlabel analog und ehrlich was recorded in 2005 in Oldenburg and is Colida’s third album. It only has four tracks, but those are worth the download. Fast, driving riffs, dry drums and a great voice — what else can one want? Read on for the download link and a preview of my two favourite tracks.

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The opening track Carni-War begins with a simple, aggressive one-chord riff. Drums build a great, kicking-ass intro. Great!

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Back To Start begins with a rather alternative guitar motive, before a conventional rock song unfolds.

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This album is so conventional that it’s almost boring. It has the default Pop-Rock instrumentation, that familiar singer-songwriter sound and unsurprising song structures. But hey, that does not have to be bad. Especially when it sounds as good as on this release by DIY Musicians.

Like always, two commented preview tracks await you below, together with a download link awaiting your click.
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While the title track is good, my favourite track of this album is Innocent, a slow, tender, uplifting ballade.

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I Have Found It by contrast is a catchy, electronic radio pop song. Cheezy, simple harmonies and melodies to sing along and just feel good. I chose it to show the wide range of styles on this album. Wonderful!

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Why always stick to the boring, twelve-halftones-per-octave, well-tempered diatonic scale? That’s what Wendy Carlos (creator of the soundtrack for Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece Clockwork Orange) might have thought when inventing his muscic scales Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta.

Carlo Serafini took the Gamma scale, tune his guitar and recorded nine songs with this tuning. The sound is strangely familiar, yet uncommon and irritating. Better listen and find out yourself…

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Gammatar, the title track, is both introduction to the album and to the possibilities of the Gamma scale. No tone sounds straight due to the unfamiliar intervals. The harmonies sound alien. Fantastic!

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Jingle Gamma Bells is of course a re-interpretation of Jingle Bells in Gamma scale. It displays the transforming effect of the shifted intervals on a well-known melody.

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