Musical guitar-focused post rock. Spacy in more than one sense.
This release at Cologne-based netlabel Der kleine grüne Würfel comes from ESA’s communication officer, who produces music for a hobby; what a nice surprise! 8 tracks of laid-back, slightly trippy instrumental post rock want to be discovered: Continue reading “Marco Trovatello – [2018] Not At All”
Ambient acoustic guitar. Very musical 2 track EP.
With only two tracks, this short EP by artist Fellirium makes it easy for me to select my habitual two tracks for you. Airy guitar tones with noticeable reverb calmly meditate over beautiful riffs with minimal synthetic background drones: Continue reading “Fellirium – [2017] Bill A & 24/7”
Cinematic instrumental post rock. Like an alternative soundtrack to Magnolia, this slow-paced exercise in wackyness.
The inspiration taken from Air cannot be overheard, and is clearly stated in the album’s release notes. So if you like the alternative sound of the French pop duo, give this album a try on a train ride. Continue reading “Wacky Southern Current – [2011] In a Realm of Uncertain Summer”
Piano meets glitch electronics. Hybrid sound of live recording and studio production.
This is more on the artsy side of the spectrum I am reviewing here, but some broccoli from time to time is good for the taste buds, or so I heard… but sketchy metaphors aside: this release won’t make you dance, but instead tickle your musical senses where they are rarely touched by radio music. Continue reading “Luis Marte & Roger Delahaye – [2017] MOVIL/INMOVIL”
Playful electronica. Synth pads and drums fight against bad weather.
Netlabel Phonocake is a constant source of slightly quirky, but always fun electronic sounds. This album by US artist transient is no exception: happy bleeps and upbeet rhythms fight for (mental) good weather. The full album has 7 tracks, like usual I present 2 noteworthy samples… Continue reading “beat.dowsing – [2012] trigger.melodies”
Jazzy postrock. A modern classic, surfing hard on genre boundaries.
This gem of a EP, released at now inactive Berlin netlabel 12rec is surprisingly hard to classify. Although it ticks all the boxes of instrumental postrock, the songs touch everything from pop music and jazz harmonics. Jazz in disguise, so to speak. Continue reading “jasmin – [2005] EP02”
Bassy classy instrumental hip hop. Vocal samples introduce each song, but then instrumental samples reign.
This blog has seen its fair share of releases from netlabel Dusted Wax Kingdom. Somehow, they manage to consistently select for artists that produce the label’s signature sound of vintage sound samples, mixed with contemporary beats and effects. So does this recent album by MEDL4. Continue reading “MEDL4 – [2017] Anima Mundi”
Portuguese guitar meets modern beats. Guitar and double bass, featuring electronic sounds.
This gem I found via the Enough Records mixed tape for the 2016 CC Europe Meeting in Lisbon. It features artists M-PeX (Portuguese guitar), André Coelho (double bass), and DJ X-Acto who provides the electronic part. It’s incredible stuff that deserves much more attention than the release’s view counter indicates. Continue reading “M-PeX – [2014] ODÝSSEIA”
Vintage trip hop. Old music samples, forming auditory dioramas above contemporary beats.
Netlabel Dusted Way Kingdom is a reliable supplier of (instrumental) hip hop music. This release even leans towards trip hop sound (think: early Massive Attack), while not forgetting to sport slow, fat beets. Continue reading “Zifhang – [2017] Two Worlds”
Minimal guitar drone ambience. Soothing instrumental music based almost completely on subdued, soft, echoing guitar melodies.
It is surprising how much can be accomplished with only long, soft chords, without any percussion, in terms of structure and rhythm. While most artists that employ these drone tones work without a discernable short-term rhythm, Geotic succeeds in giving his bars a certain punch. Interesting! Continue reading “Geotic – [2009] Hearth”
