Minilogue - Animals

Minilogue are a Swedish Progressive House/Tech-House/Minimal Techno music project of Sebastian Mullaert and Marcus Henriksson. The name is a portmanteau of minimal (the musical style) and dialogue, which refers to music as a form of communication.

Beside their music production as Minilogue, they are both involved in the projects Son Kite and Trimatic, and Sebastian has the soloprojects Kooler, Filur and Ooze.

Sebastian Mullaert and Marcus Henriksson came from opposing backgrounds.

Sebastian was trained as a classical musician playing the organ, piano and the violin among other instruments. He even became involved in teaching them until his coming of age at 18 when he formed a band and began experimenting with the sounds in a more contemporary way.

Marcus lived on a diet of Kraftwerk and the Human League until realising his true calling in the techno parties of the 90s. Through promoting parties he moved on to become one of the bigger DJs in Southern Sweden. It was in a party where they met and decided to combine Sebastian’s musician’s perspective and knowledge with Marcus´ DJ skills and experience from the scene.

They got together in 1996 and after 10 years in the music business under successful guises such as Son Kite and Trimatic, Marcus & Sebastian are now Minilogue - an animalistic music concept without the boundaries of genres.

(from Last.fm)

I stumbled over this one at a minimal party here. This album was visualized by Minilogue and they called it "Animals - The Movie". So if you like the album, buy the DVD and then you can watch the visualizations. It's worth it, they're really great. Some samples to be seen on youtube, vimeo etc.. Enjoy it!

Minilogue - Animals

(Cocoon Recordings / 2008 / Minimal/Techhouse/Ambient / 184 kbp/s)

Tracklist

Dance CD:
01. Yesterday Bells 2:01
02. Cow, Crickets and Clay 7:09
03. Hitchhiker´s Choice 7:20
04. Loud 3:37
05. We All 6:56
06. 33000 Honeybees 8:36
07. Jamaica 9:58
08. View Of A Juggling Ball 3:10
09. Giant Hairy Super Monsters 7:19
10. Hypnotized 8:31
11. Animals 7:15
12. In A Distance 7:49

Ambient CD:
01. Old Water 5:23
02. Windows 4:08
03. City Lights 4:58
04. Six Arms And One Leg 5:54
05. Swamp OP 4:28
06. In The Shade Of The Sun 5:47
07. Stations I 4:26
08. Stations II 4:59
09. Stations III 3:51
10. Even The Wind Seemed In Deep Sleep 6:22
11. Europhonia 8:09
12. Feeling In Spring Beside The Dressing Table 7:42
13. Seconds (Colour & Sound) 6:44
14. Outro 2:15

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Harvestman / Minsk / US Christmas - Hawkwind Triad

With all of the amazing underground psychedelic/space rock bands to emerge in the last five years, a proper Hawkwind tribute album is about as overdue as a mainstream “indie” ban on Ivy League educated fag-pop albums. Hey, look at that, I think I just coined a new genre! Call me Simon Reynolds because I’m going to overuse the shit out of that phrase until its Wikipedia page (*snap* get on it, nerds!) credits me with its creation. A few years ago we got that awesome 7″ series with White Hills, Mugstar, Acid Mother’s Temple, Mudhoney, Kinski and Bardo Pond covering tracks for the Trensmat label, but that was a limited edition three-piece set you had to buy separately. Although I’ve never heard of these bands Harvestman and Minsk, I will gladly endure them for a slice of US Christmas. That band is up there with White Hills, Mugstar, Titan and Earthless as the creamiest of the Hawkwind torchbearers.

Fittingly, it is US Christmas that gets the new Hawkwind Triad album rolling with a stunning cover of “Master Of The Universe.” The overdriven guitar riffs are dead-on, sounding identical to those of the of space rock luminaries which inspired this project. Harvestman’s singer sounds a tad bit out of his league with his gravelly delivery. Musically it works, their take on “D Rider” sounds almost minimalist compared to Hawkwind’s original composition. Minsk definitely brings enough psychedelic effects and aggressive rhythms to impress. But it’s US Christmas that steals the show here. Listen to “Orgone Accumulator” and tell me the band couldn’t easily pull off an entire album of Hawkwind covers by themselves.

I’d say the tracks by US Christmas are the least re-imagined efforts on the album, but all three bands realize the importance of approaching a classic sound from a modern perspective. Minsk use their background as a self-described “psychedelic metal” act to add heaviness and a bit more complexity to what was considered at the time to be very progressive music. The best Harvestman contribution, “The Watcher” could just as easily be a cut on a fucked-up swamp blues compilation as it could a newly recorded Hawkwind cover. Maybe it’s related to my not being a huge Neurosis fan, but I found myself enjoying Harvestman the least of the triad. Sorry, Steve Von Till. I still adore Culper Ring!

It can be frustrating at times to describe the sounds of bands of this ilk without invoking the Hawkwind reference. Oftentimes I feel like I’m not giving bands enough credit if I say they’re reminiscent of one of the earliest space/psych bands on the planet. As an obsessive music fan and sometimes music writer I never want to sell a band short by simply comparing one group’s sound to those original trailblazers. I want to get the idea of a sound across to potential new listeners in a creative and unique way. Still, it helps to know that all of these bands are not ashamed of who most-inspired them. That Harvestman, Minsk and US Christmas (plus those Trensmat-recorded bands before them) are more than willing to pridefully record an album of Hawkwind material encapsulates the best possible course of action for bands that might draw easy comparisons: Show you adoration for those who came before you while putting forth something completely your own. My personal thanks to all three of these bands for offering up a fantastic record.

(Taken from here)

[ Neurot Recordings | 2010 | Ambient / Psych / Sludge / Stoner | VBR ]

Tracklist

01 U.S. Christmas - Master of the Universe (05:49)
02 Harvestman - D Rider (06:38)
03 Minsk - 7X7 (07:55)
04 Harvestman - Down Through the Night (03:42)
05 Minsk - Assault and Battery/The Golden Void (12:06)
06 U.S. Christmas - Psychedelic Warlords (06:20)
07 Minsk - Children of the Sun (04:36)
08 U.S. Christmas - Orgone Accumulator (06:51)
09 Harvestman - The Watcher (04:42)
10 U.S. Christmas - You Shouldn't Do That (11:24)
11 Harvestman - Magnu (08:43)

---

01:18:51

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Nadja & Troum - Dominium Visurgis

Nadja is a Canadian duo featuring multi-instrumentalist Aidan Baker and bassist/vocalist Leah Buckareff. Originally formed in 2003 in Toronto, Canada as a Baker solo project, Buckareff joined in 2005 to bring the project out of the studio and into live settings. The now-duo creates music that has been variously called ambient doom, drone metal.

To date, Nadja has released 14 full-length CDs, in addition to various eps, splits, and collaborations with such artists as Atavist, Black Boned Angel, Fear Falls Burning, A Storm of Light, Pyramids. Nadja works with a variety of labels, including Alien8 Recordings, Important Records, Beta-lactam Ring Records, Crucial Blast, and The End Records.

(from Last.fm)

Another new and delicious release for you. The new Nadja collaboration with Troum. Enjoy it!

Nadja & Troum - Dominium Visurgis

(Transgredient Records / 2010 / Drone/Ambient / VBR2)

Tracklist
01. Part 1 (11:34)
02. Part 2 (12:45)
03. Part 3 (25:12)

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Arms And Sleepers - Matador Remixed

Arms and Sleepers began one night in the back of an ambulance in Cambridge. In an alleyway a man was bleeding with a cassette player in hand, the play button still on. What sounded like recordings of a gospel choir blared from the tin speaker, while down the street a jazz band could be heard.

The man was dying. He dropped the cassette player on the cement and closed his eyes, the sound carrying through the air into his ears for one last time. Though this moment in time died with him, his cassette lived on — and Arms and Sleepers were born.

Persistent international touring and constant dissemination of their sounds makes Arms and Sleepers a worthy opponent for the typical temporal constraints that can befall a band. Having issued a series of limited edition releases and the well-received Bliss Was it in That Dawn to be Alive EP (Fake Chapter) in 2007, Black Paris 86 is their debut full-length on Expect Candy Records (DE).

A tight and intense record, listening to it feels like sitting in a cinema, watching landscapes, beauty and tragedy - feeling warm and safe while a hint of mystery seems to whisper that not everything is ok out there.

(from Last.fm)

The brand new release of this great band. Remixes of their album "Matador" from other bands and themselves. Enjoy it!

Arms And Sleepers - Matador Remixed

(Expect Candy / 2010 / Trip Hop/Electronic/Ambient / 256 kbp/s)

Tracklist
01. Matador (Uzi & Ari remix) 5:42
02. The Architekt (Lymbyc Systym remix) 4:40
03. Twentynine Palms (Nolens Volens remix) 4:57
04. Simone (Amanda Rogers remix) 3:25
05. Helvetica (The American Dollar remix) 3:17
06. The Architekt (The Consulate General vs. Boy In Static remix) 4:32
07. The International (Arms and Sleepers remix) 5:38
08. Kino (Thisquietarmy remix) 5:31
09. The Architekt (Bigadiga remix) 4:03
10. The Paramour (Elika remix) 3:03

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Bliss - Quiet Letters

BLISS with founding members DJ Steffen Aaskoven and Marc-George Andersen, and with Alexandra (vocals) and Tchando (vocals) is an international chill out pop music collective from Denmark, Sweden and Guinea-Bissau, West Africa, Since 2001, they have become one of the true chill-out underground acts. releasing material on the Danish label, music for dreams, appearing on more than 60 compilations worldwide and in such tv shows as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

(from Last.fm)

I especially like the trip hop songs on this one like "Sleep Will Come" or "Evening Sun". But in anyway this is a fantastic album with a fantastic atmosphere to zone out to. Enjoy it!

Bliss - Quiet Letters

(Music for Dreams / 2003 / Ambient/Electronic/Downtempo / 192 kbp/s)

Tracklist
01 Sleep Will Come 5:59
02 Breathe 4:48
03 Right Here 5:03
04 Dunia 6:51
05 Song For Olabi 6:18
06 Wish U Were There 1:51
07 Kissing 6:10
08 Evening Sun 4:20
09 Manvantara 11:12
10 Wish U Were Here 6:17
11 Don\'t Look Back 5:25
12 Quiet Letter 4:22

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Arms And Sleepers - Arms And Sleepers

Arms and Sleepers began one night in the back of an ambulance in Cambridge. In an alleyway a man was bleeding with a cassette player in hand, the play button still on. What sounded like recordings of a gospel choir blared from the tin speaker, while down the street a jazz band could be heard.

The man was dying. He dropped the cassette player on the cement and closed his eyes, the sound carrying through the air into his ears for one last time. Though this moment in time died with him, his cassette lived on — and Arms and Sleepers were born.

Persistent international touring and constant dissemination of their sounds makes Arms and Sleepers a worthy opponent for the typical temporal constraints that can befall a band. Having issued a series of limited edition releases and the well-received Bliss Was it in That Dawn to be Alive EP (Fake Chapter) in 2007, Black Paris 86 is their debut full-length on Expect Candy Records (DE).

A tight and intense record, listening to it feels like sitting in a cinema, watching landscapes, beauty and tragedy - feeling warm and safe while a hint of mystery seems to whisper that not everything is ok out there.

(from Last.fm)

Arms And Sleepers - Arms And Sleepers

(Milkweed Records / 2007 / Trip Hop/Post-Rock/Ambient / VBR2 268 kbp/s)

Tracklist
01. We’re All Paris Now (Pt. 1) 2:52
02. Runner Misplaced 4:54
03. By My Bones 2:10
04. Red Light Pipe Dreams 3:50
05. Winter Is Coming 2:12
06. Lights & Alarms 7:24

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Arms And Sleepers - Lautlos

Arms and Sleepers began one night in the back of an ambulance in Cambridge. In an alleyway a man was bleeding with a cassette player in hand, the play button still on. What sounded like recordings of a gospel choir blared from the tin speaker, while down the street a jazz band could be heard.

The man was dying. He dropped the cassette player on the cement and closed his eyes, the sound carrying through the air into his ears for one last time. Though this moment in time died with him, his cassette lived on — and Arms and Sleepers were born.

Persistent international touring and constant dissemination of their sounds makes Arms and Sleepers a worthy opponent for the typical temporal constraints that can befall a band. Having issued a series of limited edition releases and the well-received Bliss Was it in That Dawn to be Alive EP (Fake Chapter) in 2007, Black Paris 86 is their debut full-length on Expect Candy Records (DE).

A tight and intense record, listening to it feels like sitting in a cinema, watching landscapes, beauty and tragedy - feeling warm and safe while a hint of mystery seems to whisper that not everything is ok out there.

(from Last.fm)

Lautlos means "silent" or "noiseless" in English.

Arms And Sleepers - Lautlos

(Self Released / 2007 / Trip Hop/Post-Rock/Ambient / VBR2 254 kbp/s)

Tracklist
01. Lautlos 4:22
02. Cinemas For Marseille 2:09
03. From Under The Floor Boards 2:43
04. Se Vende Limber 4:08
05. Found In Manhattan 3:05

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Arms And Sleepers - Cinématique

Arms and Sleepers began one night in the back of an ambulance in Cambridge. In an alleyway a man was bleeding with a cassette player in hand, the play button still on. What sounded like recordings of a gospel choir blared from the tin speaker, while down the street a jazz band could be heard.

The man was dying. He dropped the cassette player on the cement and closed his eyes, the sound carrying through the air into his ears for one last time. Though this moment in time died with him, his cassette lived on — and Arms and Sleepers were born.

Persistent international touring and constant dissemination of their sounds makes Arms and Sleepers a worthy opponent for the typical temporal constraints that can befall a band. Having issued a series of limited edition releases and the well-received Bliss Was it in That Dawn to be Alive EP (Fake Chapter) in 2007, Black Paris 86 is their debut full-length on Expect Candy Records (DE).

A tight and intense record, listening to it feels like sitting in a cinema, watching landscapes, beauty and tragedy - feeling warm and safe while a hint of mystery seems to whisper that not everything is ok out there.

(from Last.fm)

This release is a bit outstanding in the discography of Arms and Sleepers. It's more electronic/ambient based than on trip hop, but anyway outstanding and great to hear. Enjoy it!

Arms And Sleepers - Cinématique

(Self Released / 2007 / Electronic/Post-Rock/Ambient / VBR2 249 kbp/s)

Tracklist
01. Mimema 4:10
02. Embassy Theme 1:43
03. By The Harbor 3:07
04. Ankara (A Memory) 1:18
05. Potsdam Voltaire 3:48
06. Guests & Ghosts 1:28
07. Embassy Theme II 4:09
08. Tram 11 2:13
09. Pfarrstrasse 1:25
10. This Place Was My Home… 2:28
11. So Why Pause 4:34

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Arms And Sleepers - The Motorist

Arms and Sleepers began one night in the back of an ambulance in Cambridge. In an alleyway a man was bleeding with a cassette player in hand, the play button still on. What sounded like recordings of a gospel choir blared from the tin speaker, while down the street a jazz band could be heard.

The man was dying. He dropped the cassette player on the cement and closed his eyes, the sound carrying through the air into his ears for one last time. Though this moment in time died with him, his cassette lived on — and Arms and Sleepers were born.

Persistent international touring and constant dissemination of their sounds makes Arms and Sleepers a worthy opponent for the typical temporal constraints that can befall a band. Having issued a series of limited edition releases and the well-received Bliss Was it in That Dawn to be Alive EP (Fake Chapter) in 2007, Black Paris 86 is their debut full-length on Expect Candy Records (DE).

A tight and intense record, listening to it feels like sitting in a cinema, watching landscapes, beauty and tragedy - feeling warm and safe while a hint of mystery seems to whisper that not everything is ok out there.

(from Last.fm)

Arms And Sleepers - The Motorist

(Self Released / 2009 / Trip Hop/Post-Rock/Ambient / VBR2 186 kbp/s)

Tracklist
01. Dear Charles, My Muse, Asleep or Dead 2:11
02. The Motorist 4:48
03. Jetty 4:22
04. Algiers Point 1:28
05. In The Empire of Builders 2:30

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Arms And Sleepers - Matador Alternate Versions/B-Sides

Arms and Sleepers began one night in the back of an ambulance in Cambridge. In an alleyway a man was bleeding with a cassette player in hand, the play button still on. What sounded like recordings of a gospel choir blared from the tin speaker, while down the street a jazz band could be heard.

The man was dying. He dropped the cassette player on the cement and closed his eyes, the sound carrying through the air into his ears for one last time. Though this moment in time died with him, his cassette lived on — and Arms and Sleepers were born.

Persistent international touring and constant dissemination of their sounds makes Arms and Sleepers a worthy opponent for the typical temporal constraints that can befall a band. Having issued a series of limited edition releases and the well-received Bliss Was it in That Dawn to be Alive EP (Fake Chapter) in 2007, Black Paris 86 is their debut full-length on Expect Candy Records (DE).

A tight and intense record, listening to it feels like sitting in a cinema, watching landscapes, beauty and tragedy - feeling warm and safe while a hint of mystery seems to whisper that not everything is ok out there.

(from Last.fm)

Another release of this band, alternate versions and b-sides of their greatest album "Matador". Highly recommended!

Arms And Sleepers - Matador Alternate Versions/B-Sides

(Self Released / 2009 / Trip Hop/Post-Rock/Ambient / v0)

Tracklist
01. Matador (Bedside Version) 5:14
02. Armes 2:58
03. Leon (Instrumental Version) 5:44
04. Still 4:38
05. Kino (PV Version) 2:24
06. Simone (Alternate Version) 3:50
07. Kino (Airport Mix) 3:52

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Arms And Sleepers - Bliss Was It In That Dawn To Be Alive

Arms and Sleepers began one night in the back of an ambulance in Cambridge. In an alleyway a man was bleeding with a cassette player in hand, the play button still on. What sounded like recordings of a gospel choir blared from the tin speaker, while down the street a jazz band could be heard.

The man was dying. He dropped the cassette player on the cement and closed his eyes, the sound carrying through the air into his ears for one last time. Though this moment in time died with him, his cassette lived on — and Arms and Sleepers were born.

Persistent international touring and constant dissemination of their sounds makes Arms and Sleepers a worthy opponent for the typical temporal constraints that can befall a band. Having issued a series of limited edition releases and the well-received Bliss Was it in That Dawn to be Alive EP (Fake Chapter) in 2007, Black Paris 86 is their debut full-length on Expect Candy Records (DE).

A tight and intense record, listening to it feels like sitting in a cinema, watching landscapes, beauty and tragedy - feeling warm and safe while a hint of mystery seems to whisper that not everything is ok out there.

(from Last.fm)

The debut release of one of my most favorite bands out there. Enjoy it!

Arms And Sleepers - Bliss Was It In That Dawn To Be Alive

(Fake Chapter Records / 2006 / Trip Hop/Post-Rock/Ambient / 128 kbp/s)

Tracklist
01. Beneath Bricks And Books 3:05
02. A Mission To Prague 5:49
03. Arms/Sleepers 5:10
04. Warm 4:07
05. A Girl Named Clive 3:37
06. Moscow Pop 4:38
07. (Untitled) 6:47

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Arms and Sleepers & The American Dollar - From The Inland Sea

Arms and Sleepers is Max Lewis (Boston, MA) and Mirza Ramic (Portland, ME). The band was formed in 2006 and has since released a handful of albums and EPs. Arms and Sleepers have extensively toured North America, Europe, and the UK. Upcoming releases include “Matador” (2nd full-length) and “From The Inland Sea” (split with The American Dollar)

(from Last.fm)

Started by high school friends John Emanuele and Richard Cupolo from Queens, NY in 2005, The American Dollar creates cinematic, electronica-tinged instrumental rock. The duo fuses processed drums, spacious keyboards and powerful organ swells with electric guitar and bass, creating deep sonic textures while maintaining the passion and energy of a live band. The swirling soundscapes build and swell, punctuated by glitchy beats, breathing and expanding into crashing guitars and soaring leads: precisely constructed symphonies for a new era.

(from Last.fm)

This is my favorite Arms and Sleepers release, a split with The American Dollar. Delicious Trip Hop with Ambient and Post-Rock influence and some nice Instrumental Post-Rock for you. Enjoy it!

Arms and Sleepers & The American Dollar - From The Inland Sea

(Self Released / 2009 / Ambient Trip Hop/Post-Rock/Instrumental Post-Rock / 320 kbp/s)

Tracklist
The American Dollar
01. Landing 3:33
02. Schipol 3:54
03. Where We Are 4:21

Arms & Sleepers
04. The Catcher Elsewhere 4:56
05. Van Buren 5:06
06. The Inland Sea 6:56

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The Field - Yesterday And Today

The Field is a minimal techno artist, based in Stockholm, Sweden.

His music comes from tiny loops of pop history. It might actually be an older brother to the Cologne movement Pop Ambient - the sentimental brother who is never content with being in the background, the one with the heart on his sleeve. To clarify: The Field makes dance music. The edges are soft, the mood often romantic, the sounds moving up, up from the ground. As ”minimal” as a sunset, as ”banging” as a pillow.

In 2005, Willner submitted a demo tape to the German indie label Kompakt and was subsequently signed. He released his first 12”, a demo mixtape of Norwegian singer Annie’s “Heartbeat”, as well as the track “Things Keep Falling Down”.

In 2006, “Sun & Ice” 12” was released. Later in 2007, Wilner became the first musician to take part in the Nordic Light Hotel’s “Sound of Light” concept. After staying at the hotel, Wilner used the experience as the basis for his EP of the same name. His 2007 album “From Here We Go Sublime” has met high critical acclaim.

(more on Last.fm)

The Field - Yesterday and Today

(Kompakt / 2009 / Minimal Techno/Electronic / 320 kbp/s)

Tracklist
01. I Have the Moon, You Have the Internet 8:00
02. Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime 6:47
03. Leave It 11:34
04. Yesterday and Today 10:04
05. The More That I Do 8:32
06. Sequenced 15:41

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The Field - From Here We Go Sublime

The Field is a minimal techno artist, based in Stockholm, Sweden.

His music comes from tiny loops of pop history. It might actually be an older brother to the Cologne movement Pop Ambient - the sentimental brother who is never content with being in the background, the one with the heart on his sleeve. To clarify: The Field makes dance music. The edges are soft, the mood often romantic, the sounds moving up, up from the ground. As ”minimal” as a sunset, as ”banging” as a pillow.

In 2005, Willner submitted a demo tape to the German indie label Kompakt and was subsequently signed. He released his first 12”, a demo mixtape of Norwegian singer Annie’s “Heartbeat”, as well as the track “Things Keep Falling Down”.

In 2006, “Sun & Ice” 12” was released. Later in 2007, Wilner became the first musician to take part in the Nordic Light Hotel’s “Sound of Light” concept. After staying at the hotel, Wilner used the experience as the basis for his EP of the same name. His 2007 album “From Here We Go Sublime” has met high critical acclaim.

(more on Last.fm)

Just stumbled across this really nice Ambient-based Minimal Techno, you surely have to check it out if you're into electronic music.

The Field - From Here We Go Sublime

(Kompakt / 2007 / Minimal Techno/Electronic / VBR2 168 kbp/s)

Tracklist
01. Over the Ice 6:56
02. A Paw in My Face 5:25
03. Good Things End 6:09
04. The Little Heart Beats So Fast 5:26
05. Everyday 6:59
06. Silent 7:35
07. The Deal 10:03
08. Sun & Ice 6:34
09. Mobilia 6:28
10. From Here We Go Sublime 4:10

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Nadja - Ruins Of Mourning

Nadja is a Canadian duo featuring multi-instrumentalist Aidan Baker and bassist/vocalist Leah Buckareff. Originally formed in 2003 in Toronto, Canada as a Baker solo project, Buckareff joined in 2005 to bring the project out of the studio and into live settings.

To date, Nadja has released over 10 full-length albums, in addition to various EPs, splits, and collaborations with such artists as Atavist, Black Boned Angel, Fear Falls Burning, A Storm of Light, and Pyramids. Nadja has worked with a variety of labels, including Alien8 Recordings, Important Records, Beta-lactam Ring Records, Crucial Blast, and The End Records.

(Taken from Last.fm)

[ Substantia Innominata / 2010 / Drone / VBR ]

Tracklist

01. Part-1 (20:48)
02. Part-2 (19:29)

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40:17

Jarboe & Justin Broadrick - J2

J2 is the result of Justin Broadrick and Jarboe being stripped and filtered out into their purest forms; an exhibition of their respective artistic perceptions, and a demonstration of the musical connection between them. With both musicians sharing a strong affiliation with self-expression, as well as boasting a colossal impact on the industrial genre with Godflesh and Swans, it’s surprising that they haven’t put their reclusive heads together up until now.

Considering the direction these artists have taken with other projects, first track “Decay” is fairly unexpected. Jarboe’s disconcerting falsetto loop opens the piece, and is gradually swallowed up by Broadrick’s rising tide of dissonance over the course of seven minutes. As with the other compositions on J2, it’s not until the third or fourth listen that you begin to “get” the appeal here. And although you may not be able to instantly empathize with what’s being created, it’s a joy to know that, in amongst the recent infatuation with the melodic, neither of these musicians are afraid to exorcise the industrial menaces of their past. Judging by the end result here, it was certainly a good move to do so.

Yet aside from this brief exploration into common ground, the remaining tracks on J2 give the strong impression that Jarboe and Broadrick need their own creative space in order to produce anything of worth. This is something particularly noticeable in the production; a majority of the time, the dry, overpowering vocals hover awkwardly over the music as opposed to striking up a connection. It’s the sound of a very tentative embrace of two introverts, each unwilling to conform their sonic persona enough to collaborate properly, and it ends up being J2’s major downfall.

That’s not to say that a fair amount of enjoyment can’t be drawn out of this release. Jarboe delivers her highlight performance on “Magick Girl”; a two-note repeated lyric drenched in desperate melancholy, crying out above a crushing dose of tension-through-monotony, with a synth bassline and programmed beat pushing the piece forward. The effect of vocal simplicity like this is astounding – why she feels the need to resort to the painfully forced vibrato tacked on to tracks such as the closing "8mmsweetbitter” is completely beyond me.

All in all, J2 certainly isn’t the glorious record it could have been. Although it’s fascinating to see the fragility of these experimental pioneers thrust into the spotlight (particularly because it gives way to some of Broadrick’s most immersive melodies to date), it feels as though Jarboe and Justin are slightly uncomfortable forcing their creative minds into one. Perhaps not the collaboration people will be hoping for, but it’s an album that offers up enough to hold your intrigue for a few listens at least, as well as keeping the reputation of both artists just about intact.

(Taken from here)

[ The End / 2008 / Avantgarde/Experimental/Ambient / VBR ]

Tracklist

01. Decay (07:31)

02. Let Go (06:27)

03. Magick Girl (08:41)

04. Romp (05:13)

05. Tribal Limo (07:16)

06. 8mmsweetbitter (06:00)

---

41:10

Thisquietarmy - Aftermath

Eric Quach is a guitarist and sound engineer who performs under the name thisquietarmy. He is also the guitarist and founding member of the Montreal-based instrumental rock band Destroyalldreamers (Where Are My Records, Claire’s Echo).

As thisquietarmy, a one-man solo drone/ambient project, Quach composes visual guitar-based soundscapes and experimental music that goes beyond the typical song structure. By exploring his guitar as a tone generator, he furthers the boundaries of his instrument with the use of multiple effect processors & real-time loop-samplers, alternating the guitar signal’s shape and tone, blending textures over textures, merging a wide combination of sounds together and developing the melodies hidden in these walls of sound. Concrete musical ideas are often generated by the re-interpretation, the decomposition and the reconstruction of its own improvisations.

thisquietarmy has released two albums « Unconquered » and « Blackhaunter » in 2008, respectively on Poland’s Foreshadow Productions and USA’s Elevation Recordings. He has also released several EPs including: « Wintersleeper » (2005) and « Orange » (2006), both on his own imprint TQA Records, « Echotone » (2007) on Canada’s Chat Blanc Records.

In 2009, thisquietarmy brought his music across the ocean with an extensive European tour in Germany, France, Italy, Holland, Czech Republic and Poland, with Nadja.

(more on Last.fm)

This is the new release of this really nice drone/ambient/shoegaze band, which has also released some collaborations with Aidan Baker. For fans of drony soundscapes. Enjoy it!

Thisquietarmy - Aftermath

(Basses Frequences / 2010 / Drone/Post-Rock/Shoegaze/Ambient / VBR 247 kbp/s)

Tracklist

01. The Hierarchy of Angels 8:03
02. Heaven and Earth 6:11
03. The Iron Harvest 5:11
04. Melted Lead on Ashen Fields 9:41
05. Finding the Fallen 11:05
06. Unearthing the Past 6:49

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God Is An Astronaut - Age of the Fifth Sun

God Is an Astronaut are an instrumental three piece hailing from the Glen of the Downs, Co. Wicklow, Ireland. They formed in 2002 and released their debut album The End of the Beginning the same year on their own Revive Records label. Their two music videos for The End of the Beginning and From Dust to the Beyond, received airplay on MTV UK and on other MTV European networks.

All Is Violent, All Is Bright (2005) is the band’s second album. The album features their build ups from serene ambience to searing intensity and is a closer representation of their live sound. The single Fragile from the album has also received plays on MTV2 UK’s 120 minute show and MTV’s “The Comedown” show.

God Is an Astronaut released an EP called A Moment Of Stillness in 2006.

Their third album, Far From Refuge, was released in April 2007 on Revive Records and as a download via their website at http://www.superadmusic.com/god/.

Their most recent album, God Is An Astronaut, was released in 2008.

(from Last.fm)

So, finally the v0 version is out and I promised it to share it with you. It's a fucking great album, one of the top 3 in 2010 for sure! Enjoy it.

Myspace

(Revive Records / 2010 / Instrumental Post-Rock/Ambient / v0 246kbp/s)

Tracklist

01. Worlds in Collision 7:39
02. In the Distance Fading 4:31
03. Lost Kingdom 5:24
04. Golden Sky 6:33
05. Dark Rift 5:08
06. Parallel Highway 3:56
07. Shining Through 5:08
08. Age of the Fifth Sun 6:28
09. Paradise Remains 2:25

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Track 9 (CRC-Fix)

Nadja - Autopergamene

Nadja is a Canadian duo featuring multi-instrumentalist Aidan Baker and bassist/vocalist Leah Buckareff. Originally formed in 2003 in Toronto, Canada as a Baker solo project, Buckareff joined in 2005 to bring the project out of the studio and into live settings. The now-duo creates music that has been variously called ambient doom, drone metal.

To date, Nadja has released 14 full-length CDs, in addition to various eps, splits, and collaborations with such artists as Atavist, Black Boned Angel, Fear Falls Burning, A Storm of Light, Pyramids. Nadja works with a variety of labels, including Alien8 Recordings, Important Records, Beta-lactam Ring Records, Crucial Blast, and The End Records.

(Taken from Last.fm)

If there is a band that got a lot of displays on our cozy litlte blog then it has to be Nadja. And yeah, maybe I'm a little fanboi when it comes to Aidan's and Leah's stuff. This one is their newest output, buy it if you like it, visit them live (playing a MASSIVE European tour in May) or buy any merch! The artists need support!

Myspace

[ Essence Music / 2010 / Ambient/Drone / CBR@128 ]

Tracklist

01. Your write your Name in my Skin (25:39)

02. You write my Name in your Head (07:11)

03. You write your Name in my Blood (26:13)

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59:03

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Xasthur - Portal of Sorrow

Xasthur was an American one-man ambient black metal band formed in Alhambra, California in 1995 by Scott Conner, who goes by the pseudonym “Malefic”. Although similar in terms of low-fi production and the wearing of corpse paint, musically and lyrically Xasthur’s focus is usually not on paganism, Satanism or anti-Christian blasphemy – as is common in the genre – but rather on astral projection, darkness, despair, suicide, hate, and death.

The first album Nocturnal Poisoning (recorded April-September 2001) was jointly released by independent record labels Blood Fire Death and Red Stream in 2002. Southern Lord Records re-released a remastered double-LP version in 2005. In the next years, Xasthur’s full-length albums were released through labels such as Displeased Records, Moribund Cult, Total Holocaust Records, Battle Kommand Records and Hydra Head Records. Apart from demo and EP recordings, Xasthur has released several split albums with other black metal acts such as Orosius, Acid Enema, Nachtmystium, Striborg, Angra Mainyu, Leviathan and Nortt.

(Read all at Last.fm)

So here it is, a bit late but I don't care. The final works of Malefic. It's the last album that he recorded under the name of Xasthur. Malefic will continue making music, but no one knows what will come out of this. Enjoy the 14 songs, the album is great!

Official Xasthur

[ Disharmonic Variations / 2010 / Ambient/Depressive Black Metal / CBR@320 ]

Tracklist

01. Portal of Sorrow (04:09)

02. Broken Glass Christening (03:50)

03. Shrine of Failure (04:27)

04. Stream of Subconsciousness (07:51)

05. Karma-Death (04:20)

06. Horizon of Plastic Caskets (03:49)

07. Mesmerized by Misery (02:52)

08. This Abyss holds the Mirror (07:31)

09. Mourning Tomorrow (02:07)

10. Miscarriage of Souls (03:26)

11. Obeyer's of their own Death (02:31)

12. Released from this Earth (04:27)

13. The Darkest Light (04:37)

14. Hiver de Glace (01:56)

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57:59

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