Category: Review

Recommendations to music releases I like. Each review features track descriptions of my favourite tracks. A download link can be found at the bottom of each posting.

Roger Subirana Mata – [2008] Point of no return

Modern classical orchestra music. With electronic effects and beats. Furious rhythmic songs. Calm ballads with vocals. Cannot write. Whole sentences. Sorry. Honestly, composer Roger Subirana has done a great job here. As another reviewer put it: “A Jamendo must-have!”

Wed, 16th May 2012
Stay Ali – [2008] If Only Leiner Came Back

Stay Ali are among of my favourite electronic music artists. They virtuously mix dance music with vintage game console sound (chiptunes). I already wrote a review of Vati Vati EP some years ago, which I prefer as my favourite EP. This release is published at Superbutton, a netlabel that specialisesd in chiptunes and closely related…

Wed, 25th Apr 2012
Various Artists – [2005] Red, Green, Blue & Other Summer Feelings

The netlabel Sutemos releases excellent electronic music since 2004. This sampler is the first I stumbled into first. It took me some time to discover the beauty of most songs; it is well hidden from the casual listener by slow and silent composition. It is best heard late in the evening in a thoughtful mood.…

Wed, 18th Apr 2012
William Wilson – [2011] Summer Holidays and Folk Routine EP

William Wilson that is easy to listen to, but hard to describe. Take some soft alternative Rock, add small drops of Electro, Jazz, Classic at selected spots. It is released at Lophophora Williams, a young netlabel with five releases since 2010. If you like what you hear here, look into their catalogue!

Tue, 10th Apr 2012
The Easton Ellises – [2011] EP One

Take 80’s Pop, add New Wave à la Poni Hoax, stir and serve on a dimly lit dance floor. That’s a rough verbal description of the début release of The Easton Ellises at Enough Records. Five distinct songs with catchy riffs and great production are packed into this twenty minute long EP. Read on for…

Wed, 28th Mar 2012
Chamberlain – [2010] Moon In June / Superstition

Chamberlain is alternative rock from Italy with a psychedelic or progressive influence. Guitar soli included. They do good old craft, no heavy effects in post-production. The EP was released Lophora Williams that has published five releases so far, mainly alternative rock. There are reviews in my pipeline for this netlabel. But for now, listen to…

Wed, 21st Mar 2012
Oneiro – [2010] To The Stars

Do you know that kind of music that is repetitive, nearly boring but addictive nevertheless? Oneiro follows this recipe and made me an addict. I would classify this release loosely as indie electronica with shoegaze elements. Another way to describe them: the introvert brothers of MGMT. Anyway, their music is addictive background music for calm…

Wed, 14th Mar 2012
Morgan Sadler – [2011] Go On

This week’s review is about great pop music. Take a great voice, add piano and guitar, some percussion, mix it and you get this single release from Happy Puppy Records. This release has only two tracks, but both are worth the preview below.

Wed, 7th Mar 2012
Bitbasic – [2010] Pixel Mixel

bitbasic releases “playful glitchy electronic music” freely. Very kind of him. Pixel Mixel is still his latest album, released 2010 at rec72, a netlabel based in Cologne, Germany. His music hovers between house, instrumental pop and IDM. This album has eleven tracks, some more silent, some are full of beats. Like usual, I present my…

Wed, 29th Feb 2012
Professor Kliq – [2010] Movements EP

Professor Kliq is my favourite free dance music composer. Now that his music has made it to Jamendo, whose catalogue now is mirrored on the Internet Archive (yippie!), I’m able to write a proper review for one of his albums here. Movements EP is his roughest album so far, quite similar to Daft Punk vs.…

Wed, 22nd Feb 2012
Various Artists – [2011] 7

The netlabel diym specialises in exceptional music of all genres. That includes singer/songwriter, pop-rock, post-rock, but also electronica. They have released seven albums and nine compilations so far. Every release is worth your time. Today I’ll present their seventh compilation, the one that I discovered first.

Wed, 15th Feb 2012
Nine Inch Nails – [2008] Ghosts I – IV

Nine Inch Nails is a industrial rock band with experimental touch. Experimental not only in the musical sense, but also in that they try out new forms of music distribution like giving it away for free. Ghosts I-IV is an improvised 36 track album with anonymous tracks, only grouped in “Ghosts I” to “Ghosts IV”.…

Wed, 8th Feb 2012
Iambic² – [2007] Under These Stars, We’ll Sleep Again

Electronic piano ambient. A smash-hit, considering that it is a forerunner for a niche genre with a niche publishing model in 2007.

Wed, 1st Feb 2012
Per – [2010] Ettertid

This release features timeless, synthy IDM. It was released in 2010 by the Fwonk netlabel. Also checkout Fwonk’s anniversary compilation FWONK*50 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…

Mon, 2nd Jan 2012
Bachelor Machines – [2011] Fatal Error

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…

Mon, 19th Dec 2011