19 March 2024: The Pineapple Thief; Slow Reels; Sonologyst

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Please support FreeForm Radio and KMXT by going to KMXT.org and pledging your support.

The music you hear on tonight's show is available on the artists' Bandcamp pages and websites. (links below) 

We urge you to support the musicians you hear on FreeForm Radio. 
 
This week I am also hosting the Rural Electric (Mostly) Country show from 7-9 pm, this week featuring Kacey Musgraves' new release: Deeper Well.  Spotify playlist here.

Find playlists for my shows on Spotify by searching "FreeForm Radio".


Progressive Art Rock luminaries The Pineapple Thief return with new album ‘It Leads To This’ out February 9th on Kscope. 

The Pineapple Thief revel in opposing forces. Muscle and fragility. Chaos and precision. Distorted introspection and warm, dreamlike expanse. Conceived in 1999 by Bruce Soord, the progressive quartet underwent a rebirth in 2017 with the arrival of Gavin Harrison (King Crimson, Porcupine Tree) on drums. Completed by bassist Jon Sykes and keyboardist Steve Kitch, they’ve honed a lean yet lush, quietly timeless sound that soars on It Leads To This.

The Pineapple Thief had the following to say regarding the new single: 

“We worked on these new songs for nearly 3 years. It was the most intense time I can remember within The Pineapple Thief. Personally I was being pushed well beyond my known limits, which is great from an artistic perspective but also very very challenging from a personal perspective.  

Bruce continues: 

Conceptually ‘It Leads To This’ continues my desire to observe and (try to) make sense of life and the world around me. It’s all there in the lyrics.

The initial concept for the songs came together very quickly but the final lyrical and musical elements took a huge amount of work to piece together between the four of us, at least to a point where we were all satisfied.  After so long in the business, being ‘satisfied’ is constantly being pushed further, constantly redefined. That’s the thing, we just kept pushing…”

To coincide with their formidable return, the band reveal a beautifully shot, compelling video for the first chapter of ‘It Leads To This’ in the form of ‘The Frost’. The video for the new single shot by Jeremy George brings the vibrant landscape of Iceland to life in the post-apocalyptic world pictured on the cover. 

It all feeds into It Leads To This. Comprising eight fat-free epics – all about five minutes long, mixing rock urgency with delicate atmospherics, pensive keys and captivating melodies – it finds Soord looking back and fearing for the world his children will inherit. His lyrics also drew from literature: accounts of Ancient Rome, John Williams’ classic Stoner and epistolary Augustus. All conveyed through Soord’s fragile yet penetrative tenor, nodding to storytellers like Nick Drake, Thom Yorke and Katatonia’s Jonas Renkse. 

In a way, that’s The Pineapple Thief all over. Idiosyncratic but relatable. Devastating and life-affirming, in the same breath. Not married to a single genre, just melody served by tones and textures. Music that only the four of them could make. 

It Leads To This will be available in a multitude of formats that are as follows:

Limited Edition Deluxe 4 Disc set featuring:
DISC 1: CD Album
DISC 2: Bonus CD ‘Y Aqui Estamos’ – Alternate Versions
DISC 3: Blu-ray – It Leads To This + bonus album “Y Aqui Estamos” (reworkings of album session recordings): Dolby Atmos-DTS-HD MA 5.1-24/48 PCM Stereo mixes created by Bruce Soord
DISC 4: DVD – It Leads to This and Y Aqui Estamos: DTS 5.1-24/48 PCM Stereo
52 page book

Limited edition brick red vinyl LP (exclusive to The Pineapple Thief and Kscope stores)
Limited edition green vinyl LP (exclusive to worldwide independent record shops)
Limited edition cream vinyl LP (exclusive to Germany & Austria)

Blu Ray – Includes “It Leads To This” and bonus album “Y Aqui Estamos” . All in hi-res dolby atmos, dts-hd 5.1 and stereo created by Bruce Soord

The next release in the quiet details series has been created by two of the most well-respected artists currently in modern ambient and experimental music, Ian Hawgood and James Murray, here as Slow Reels.Ian is one of the people behind the legendary label Home Normal, plus has a vast discography of releases under his own name and in collaborations. A masterful exponent of magnetic tape, synthesisers and electro-acoustics - Ian is loved across the musical world for his deeply thoughtful production and curation.James runs the wonderful Slowcraft label, another fantastic outlet for some of the best ambient-leaning music around. His own productions are also of the highest calibre, exploring analogue and digital techniques to breath-taking effect. Also working on film scores and more, James is an artist with many talents.Together they complement each other perfectly, as shown by the previous two Slow Reels releases - Farewell Islands (Morr Music) and Sustain (Fluid Audio). This is continued in stunning fashion here, they have made something quite wonderful with their latest album, Everyday Exotic.Bringing all their melodic and textural sensibilities, they have created an album that’s full of beautiful and deeply moving moments, always evolving yet giving you enough time to fully immerse yourself in the harmonic wonder and the vast open spaces only artists of their skill and experience can achieve.Piano, electro-acoustics and field recordings meet incredibly creative synth-work and granular processing, creating a peerless marriage of layers and textures -  you can feel the respect and affection these artists have for each other coming through every element - some collaborations just work and this is easily one of my most loved.Each track moves gently and seamlessly into the next, the pacing and range of emotions are again a sign of musicians with full command of not only their tools, but also the human feeling behind what they are aiming to express.To me, this is as close to sonic bliss as you can get, it’s my great honour to share it with you.The artwork was made as always influenced by the music and idea behind the album - this time originating from a picture of James’ beautiful cockatiel friend Coco, which was then captured with analogue photography and processed here at quiet details studios.

As usual, the album is presented on the physical edition, a custom 6-panel digipack with a separate fine art print too.The CD also has a special long-form continuous mix of the album, representing the music in its purest form.   Find it here on Bandcamp.

 As a label we support the incredible Cancer Centre - Milton Keynes University Hospital and all their wonderful NHS staff.

Our thanks to Alex at quiet details with providing us with a copy of this release to share with our listeners.


Among the musicians I have appreciated the most in recent years, a special place is undoubtedly reserved for Lars Bröndum and David Lee Myers. From 2015 onwards, I had the pleasure of playing their songs on the radio transmission The Recognition Test frequently, and inviting them to participate in numerous compilations published by the Unexplained Sounds network. Over time, I realized that, albeit in different ways and forms, their music could integrate and complement that of my Sonologyst project. This led me to the idea of inviting them to collectively produce tracks. From our exchanges of samples, audio experiments, music segments, a long piece of over 20 minutes emerged, which I believe effectively encapsulates how our musical sensibilities complemented each other. We then added individually composed tracks, resulting in this album, "Unus Et Trinus," in which the listeners can hear the music of each of the three participants separately but also the collective piece. This allows them to get an "almost real-time" idea of how three different sonic worlds can create a synthesis.
Raffaele Pezzella

credits

released February 29, 2024 
Our thanks to Raffele Pezzella (Sonologyst) for providing us with a copy of this release to share with our listeners.

REVIEWS

Ver Sacrum
www.versacrum.com/vs/2024/03/unus-et-trinus-by-david-lee-myers-sonologyst-lars-brondum.html


David Lee Myers, hailing from New York City, is an accomplished sound and visual artist. His journey in sound manipulation began in 1980, utilizing electronic circuitry of his own design for sound production, both under his name and as Arcane Device. Since 1987, he has pioneered "Feedback Music," a distinctive approach that predates the "no-input mixer" trend by several years. In this genre, audio processors feed off their own outputs and those of other processors via custom-built matrix mixers, enabling these devices to create their unique sonic narratives. More recently, Myers has incorporated modified video circuits to produce complementary visual presentations during his performances. He has an extensive discography, with over thirty recordings released by prominent labels such as Generator, Recommended, Line, Silent, Pogus, RRRecords, Staalplaat, Monochrome Vision, and more. Notably, he has collaborated with electronic music pioneer Tod Dockstader, as well as artists like Gen Ken Montgomery, Thomas Dimuzio, Ellen Band, guitarist Marco Oppedisano, and Dirk Serries (Vidna Obmana).

Sonologyst is the brainchild of Italian producer Raffaele Pezzella, known for his meticulous exploration of the intersection between music and contemporary mythologies. Sonologyst's sonic landscape spans from Fortean documentary-style soundscapes to the creation of post-industrial auditory experiences. He fuses various technologies, including analog machines, software, and, more recently, AI, drawing inspiration from the early electronic music pioneers. Since 2014, Pezzella has curated Unexplained Sounds, a 'Global Network of Aural Disorientation.' Under this umbrella, Unexplained Sounds Group was founded in 2015, now encompassing subsidiary labels like Eighth Tower Records, ZeroK, and Reverse Alignment. Pezzella is also a publisher of books and hosts a streaming radio program titled 'The Recognition Test.' Sonologyst's works have been published by various labels, including Cold Spring Records, Unexplained Sounds Group, Eighth Tower Records, Gravity's Rainbow Tapes, and Attenuation Circuit.

Lars Bröndum, PhD, is a versatile artist, serving as a composer, live electronics performer, theorist, and guitarist. His compositions have graced international stages in countries such as Sweden, Japan, Germany, Scotland, Lithuania, Russia, Latvia, England, USA, Spain, and Mexico. They have also found their way onto the airwaves, being broadcast on radio and webradio in Germany, England, Italy, Sweden, and the USA. Lars Bröndum's music is a captivating exploration of the interplay between acoustic and electronic instruments, residing on the boundary between structured compositions and spontaneous improvisation. His works are characterized by cyclic processes, irregular ostinatos, fragmented gestures, and microtonal clusters. Bröndum is actively involved in the electroacoustic music scene, notably at EMS (Electroacoustic Music in Sweden), and he has held positions on the boards of Fylkingen (a society for new music and intermedia art), SEAMS (Society of Electroacoustic Music in Sweden), and VEMS (Composers at EMS) from 2007 to 2008. He has also contributed as a board member to the Swedish Section of ICEM (International Confederation for Electronic Music). Bröndum often composes for and collaborates with ensembles such as ReSurge, ExSurge, AGAIG, and Spiral Cycle. He is a key figure in projects like the "Ensemble SFW" and maintains a duo partnership with Sten-Olof Hellstrom. His dedication to the craft has earned him composer grants from Konstnärsnämnden (Swedish Art Council), STIM (Swedish Performing Rights Society), and accolades from FST (Swedish Composer's Society). Moreover, Lars Bröndum is the founder of the independent record label Antennae Media.



Published by ©Unexplained Sounds Group in collaboration with Dissipatio
Mastered by Raffaele Pezzella (Sonologyst)
Artwork by Nicola Quiriconi
Layout by Matteo Mariano
Cat. Num. USG092
© 2024. All rights reserved

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12 March 2024: Steve Hackett; Dave Bessell; Richard Begin

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Review of the Steve Hackett Album ‘The Circus and the Nightwhale’

By Nick Tate

Midway through Steve Hackett’s dazzling new album, “The Circus and the Nightwhale,” the legendary ex-Genesis guitarist delivers a three-part musical suite that perfectly demonstrates that, at 74, he is still at the top of his game, challenging himself and his fans by breaking new ground.

The trilogy opens with, “Found and Lost,” a spare classical-guitar piece that evolves into a cabaret-style jazz ballad about fleeting first love. The track would have fit nicely on any 1950s-era Blue Note standards album, replete with muffled trumpet strains and a smoldering vocal from Hackett that would give Mel “The Velvet Fog” Torme a run for his money. This shotgun marriage of nylon-string guitar and smoky film noir ambience leads directly to a shimmering 12-string/piano-driven piece, “Enter the Ring,” overlaid with lush vocal harmonies that call to mind the Genesis classic, “Entangled” (co-written by Hackett and Tony Banks in the mid-1970s). From here, the track builds in intensity to become a prog-rock workout, featuring shifting time signatures and dirty hummed-through flute lines that echo Ian Anderson. And if that isn’t sufficiently wide ranging, this rocky break gives way to a lysergic mashup of quirky circus themes and Brahmsian orchestral-rock that sets up the heaviest tune on the album, “Get Me Out,” helmed by Hackett’s scorching sustain-on-steroids electric fretwork.

The result is an astonishing tour-de-force that takes your breath away. What is most remarkable, however, is not just how well Hackett merges these disparate genres, but the way each piece leads seamlessly to the next, without sounding forced or contrived.
This quality of Hackett’s music — the musical derring-do and ease with which he stitches together contrasting musical styles — is what sets him apart. It’s also what makes his new album as strong as anything Hackett has produced over the past 55 years, inside and outside of his former main musical squeeze, Genesis.

Lyrically, “The Circus and the Nightwhale” is a rite-of-passage concept album built around the surrealistic adventures of a young character named Travla (get it?) that Hackett acknowledges is semi-autobiographical. On the surface, the premise might sound familiar; the record comes 50 years after the release of the mother of all prog-rock concept albums, “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway,” the 1974 Genesis double album that many fans consider the band’s finest studio effort (with Hackett launching a “Genesis Revisited” tour later this year that will feature highlights from the landmark record, as well as selections from his solo career).

But musically, the 13 tracks on the “The Circus and the Nightwhale” are more eclectic than anything Hackett and his Genesis mates ever produced back in the day. The album combines quiet ballads, acoustic etudes, jazz fusion, blues, high-energy prog, symphonic and theatrical rock, and even world-beat music in a mix that is cinematic in sweep and scope (exemplifying what Hackett calls “films for the ear”).

The album, which arrives nearly more than two years after Hackett’s last release, “Surrender of Silence,” features what has become his main touring band: Roger King (keyboards, programming and orchestral arrangements), Rob Townsend (sax), Jonas Reingold (bass), Nad Sylvan (vocals), Craig Blundell (drums), Amanda Lehmann on vocals and John Hackett (Steve’s brother) on flute. A few guesting musicians also lend a hand (or two): Nick D’Virgilio and Hugo Degenhardt on drums, engineer Benedict Fenner on keyboards and Malik Mansurov on Middle Eastern tar, a long-necked sitar-like lute native to the Middle East. But the engine that drives this train, as ever, is Hackett, whose compositional vision is matched by his stellar work on electric and acoustic guitars, 12-string, mandolin, harmonica, percussion, bass and lead vocals.

The album opens with the propulsive “People of The Smoke,” a sweeping cinematic mini epic that conjures up the post-war London of Hackett’s childhood. Vintage 1950s-era radio station cut-ins, a baby’s cries, a woman’s voice (asking: “Are you sitting comfortably?”) and the sounds of a steam-train engine gaining speed introduce the listener to the musical journey that follows. Hackett’s vocals here and elsewhere are strong and more confident than ever. While more limited in range than, say, Sylvan’s (who can go from a velvety baritone to sky-scaping falsetto in a flash), Hackett’s vocal style is theatrical, affecting and well-suited to the music and narrative throughout the album.

Next up is “These Passing Clouds,” a rocky 90-second instrumental propelled by Hackett’s emotive electric guitar lines. It sets up “Taking You Down,” a darkly sardonic story-song about an unscrupulous childhood friend that showcases a haunting vocal from Sylvan and a wild wailing sax solo from Townsend.

The three-song triptych — “Found and Lost/Enter the Ring/Get Me Out” — follows, before we’re treated to the most Genesis-like track on the album, “Ghost Moon and Living Love,” a lovely ballad featuring a celestial-choir intro delivered by Amanda Lehman. The opening melody, which Hackett says came to him in a fever dream, is a heavenly mini-oratorio that would fit neatly alongside Handel’s “Messiah.” It’s a heady introduction the mid-tempo rocker to come.

It’s followed by “Circo Inferno,” a fiery prog-metal rocker that opens with a frenzied melody from Mansurov plucked on Middle Eastern tar that builds steadily into a wild wall of sound that blows in like a musical scirocco. Two brief but intense instrumentals are next — “Breakout,” carried along by a relentlessly propulsive drum line from — and “All at Sea,” featuring a Hackett solo guitar line that approximates whale calls.

These short interludes set up another three-song cycle that closes out the album. The first in the series, “Into the Nightwhale,” explores the challenges of confronting personal demons and the transformational power of love. The song, which is the proggiest on the album, builds to a noisy climax that ultimately gives way to a lush Yes-like ambient-nature soundscape that echoes the opening strains of “Close to the Edge,” as Hackett intones: “Visions of love beyond word…I’ll be there when the darkness surrounds you.”

It’s followed by “Wherever You Are,” an unabashedly romantic love song that ranks among Hackett’s finest works. But it also features lyrics that read like a declaration of musical purpose for the legendary guitarist: “What are we living for, why do we strive? Can a song travel to the ends of the Earth?” Finally, Hackett ends the album with the gorgeous “White Dove,” another solo classical guitar piece that plays like a musical sequel to his Bach-like etude, “Horizons,” from the 1972 Genesis classic “Foxtrot.”

In interviews, Hackett has made no secret of the autobiographical nature of album — his 30th as a solo artist and easily one of his top five (in this writer’s opinion). Consequently, it seems only fitting to give him the final word here:
“I love this album. It says the things I’ve been wanting to say for a very long time,” he says, adding: “It’s a lovely journey that starts dirty, scratchy and smoky and becomes heavenly and divine. How can you resist it?”

Recorded between Hackett’s “Genesis Revisited” tours in 2022 and 2023 at Siren studio in the U.K. – with guest parts coming in from Sweden, Austria, the U.S., Azerbaijan and Denmark — the new album is available in several different formats. Among them: A limited-edition CD/Blu-ray media book (including 5.1 surround sound and 24-bit high resolution stereo mixes), standard CD jewel case, gatefold 180g vinyl LP and as digital album.

Released on February 16th 2024, via InsideOut Music.

1. People of the Smoke (4:51)
2. These Passing Clouds (1:34)
3. Taking You Down (4:17)
4. Found and Lost (1:50)
5. Enter the Ring (3:52)
6. Get Me Out (4:15)
7. Ghost Moon and Living Love (6:43)
8. Circo Inferno (2:30)
9. Breakout (1:37)
10. All at Sea (1:46)
11. Into the Nightwhale (4:06)
12. Wherever You Are (4:18)
13. White Dove (3:13)

Total Time 44:52

Line-up / Musicians
Steve Hackett / electric and acoustic guitars, 12-string, mandolin, harmonica, percussion, bass, vocals

Roger King / keyboards, programming, orchestral arrangements
Rob Townsend / saxophone
Jonas Reingold / bass
Nad Sylvan (Agents of Mercy, Unifaun) / vocals
Amanda Lehmann / vocals
Benedict Fenner / keyboards
John Hackett / flute
Malik Mansurov / tar
Craig Blundell / drums
Hugo Degenhardt / drums
Nick D’Virgilio / drums

05 March 2024: Parallel Worlds; Ian Boddy; Unexplained Sounds IDIL Music Award 2024

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The music you hear on tonight's show is available on the artists' Bandcamp pages and websites. (links below) 

We urge you to support the musicians you hear on FreeForm Radio. 



Parallel Worlds Fragmented (DiN83)

Greek synthesist Bakis Sirros who records under the name of Parallel Worlds has become a familiar name to followers of the DiN label. His debut release was “Obsessive Surrealism” (DiN26) back in 2007 and since then he has released two further solo albums, “Shade” (DiN32) and “Plector” (DiN76), as well as several collaborative albums with different artists including DiN label boss Ian Boddy & Node guru Dave Bessell.

This fourth sonic journey from Sirros on the DiN imprint sees him focusing in on his modular synthesiser systems, especially the Eurorack format with some able support from Buchla. These massive constructed patches live and breath like a crepuscular organism waking from its slumber. Indeed “Fragmented” is bookended by two wonderfully deep, textural tracks appropriately titled “Dawning” and “Sunset”. With the exception of the organ-like drone soundscape of “Time Flow” the remaining seven tracks encapsulate everything we have come to expect from this unique artist, namely dark, menacing bass lines overlaid with glitchy percussive patterns and beguiling, floating melody lines. It has certainly be noted before, but is worth reiterating, that there is a certain John Carpenter like soundtrack quality to the music of Sirros. Seemingly simplistic they shroud a wealth of detail and beauty that is revealed over repeated listening.

Lovers of Electronica, Dark Techno, Downtempo & IDM will find much to admire in “Fragmented” and this new album once again showcases the unique talent of this highly individual musician.
 

credits

released February 16, 2024

All tracks composed, arranged and produced by Bakis Sirros during 2023.

Mastered by Ian Boddy October 2023.

Thanks to: friends and family, John Sirros, Ian Boddy, Mamonu, Ingo Zobel & Dimitris Pavlidis.

Machines used:
Eurorack modular (including modules by Make Noise, Instruo, Noise Engineering, Qu-Bit, Endorphin, Doepfer, Verbos, 4ms, Intellijel, Xaoc devices, Malekko, Mutable Instruments, Synthesis Technology, Rossum, Erica synths and others)

Analogue Systems RS-Integrator modular

Buchla modular (including 200e modules, 200 and 100 series clone modules, Verbos, Kilpatrick, Eardrill and Northern Light Modular modules)

Korg Opsix and Wavestate

license

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ambient buchla em electronic electronic music electronica dark ambient downtempo eurorack modular synth Sunderland

 
                                                Ian Boddy Modal Operandi

Music by Ian Boddy
Mastered by Alex at quiet details studios
Artwork by quiet details in collaboration with Wendy Carroll
Design by quiet details

For the next interpretation of quiet details, we have a true innovator active in the music world since the late 70s - the pioneering composer and sound artist, Ian Boddy.

Since the early days experimenting with synths and tape machines inspired by the likes of Tangerine Dream, Ian has forged a career at the leading edge of analogue synthesis, digital sound design and beyond - recording many solo albums and running the iconic DiN label, bridging the gap between the early synth records and modern explorations.
He’s also a highly-accomplished live performer - playing all over the world to much acclaim.

With Modal Operandi, he has made a truly wonderful and deeply thoughtful interpretation - entirely in the analogue domain, with each track based on a highly- processed field recording.

The album is constructed in the key of C Major, with each successive track moving through the musical modes of that scale - as is apparent in track names - Ionian, Dorian and so on.

Ian is a master synthesist - each track uses a stunning array of classic and modern synth and effects - from classic Roland and EMS, to Serge and Eurorack modular, to modern Moog and Buchla to name a few. Vast and strange worlds are conjured with rich and highly textured synthesis and by using multiple reverbs and delay, again all analogue to create organic and beautifully vibrant soundscapes.

Ian is one of few technical geniuses that has the capacity to use these skills in a uniquely musical way - melodies and harmonies blend perfectly with each other as each track develops - this is an album of beauty in every respect.

As Ian says: “a sonic journey in seven musical modes”

Full kit list:
Roland system 100-M, Serge & Eurorack modulars Moog Matriarch & Voyager
Buchla Easel Command, VCS3 & Resonant Garden French Connection & 0-coast
Treated field recordings
Analogue phaser & flanger
BBD & tape echo
Spring reverb

Huge thanks to Ian for this wonderful album and being a part of the series.

The artwork was made as always influenced by the music and idea behind the album - we started with an original piece of art by Ian’s partner, Wendy Carroll, a hugely talented artist, which was then captured with analogue photography and processed here at quiet details studios.

As usual, the album is presented on the physical edition, a custom 6-panel digipack with a separate fine art print too.

The CD also has a special long-form continuous mix of the album, representing the music in its purest form.
 

credits

released February 28, 2024

Music by Ian Boddy
Mastered by Alex at quiet details studios
Artwork by quiet details in collaboration with Wendy Carroll
Design by quiet details
copyright © quiet details 2024

license

all rights reserved

ambient chillout downtempo drone electronic field recordings United Kingdom

 


Unexplained Sounds is proud to announce the results of the IDIL Music Award 2024, award for electronic and electroacoustic music sponsored by Eighth Tower Magazine and Avant Music News, in collaboration with Raffaele Pezzella, Mike Borella, Bepi Crespan, DJ Space Terrapin, Brambo Cell, Ambientblog, The Institute of Spectrasonic-Sonic Sound, The Dungeon In Deep Space, This Is Darkness, Paul Casey, Dominic Castelli, Ivan Tibos, Katja Babicz, Maja Maiore.

Winners:

First Place - Richard Bégin
Second Place - Ignoto Militi
Third Place - The Black Monolith

The overall ranking is listed in the compilation published on Bandcamp in descending order.

On behalf of the entire team (musicians, jury, collaborators, and supporters), we express great satisfaction for six months of selection work and hope to make a small contribution to the development of experimental underground music.

Feed you head

credits

released January 25, 2024

REVIEWS

Avant Music News
avantmusicnews.com/2024/02/03/amn-reviews-various-artists-idil-music-award-2024-2024-unexplained-sounds-group/#respond

ConcreteWeb zine
www.concreteweb.be/reviews/various-artists-idil-2024

Luminous Dash
luminousdash.be/reviews/various-idil-music-award-2024-unexplained-sounds-group



Published by ©Unexplained Sounds Group
Curated by Raffaele Pezzella
2024. All rights reserved

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experimental avant-garde drone improvisation musique concrete sound art Italy

 

09 January 2024: Melodic Revolution Records Presents A Year in the Revolution 2023

 KMXT is live broadcasting the Kodiak City Council work session which may run past 9 pm.  

The show will begin as soon as the work session ends or 9 pm if the meeting ends early.

Be sure to follow KMXT FreeForm Radio on Facebook and Bandcamp.  

Please support FreeForm Radio and KMXT by going to KMXT.org and pledging your support.

The music you hear on tonight's show is available on the artists' Bandcamp pages and websites. (links below) 

We urge you to support the musicians you hear on FreeForm Radio.

 


Every year since 2012 we have released a series of various artist's compilation albums and this year is no exception. We are thrilled to announce the release of our Twelfth Edition simply titled “A Year In The Revolution 2023” 

Every year since 2012 we have released a series of various artist's compilation albums and this year is no exception. We are thrilled to announce the release of our Twelfth Edition simply titled “A Year In The Revolution 2023”

The new album is the most comprehensive and diverse compilation we have released in years featuring a staggering 30 artists and tracks clocking in at over 2.5 hours of genre-bending ear candy and “music you didn’t know you would love”.

“A Year In The Revolution 2023” features music by Bands and solo Artists from both Melodic Revolution and PeacockSunrise Records released in 2022. That said…we always feel this may be our best and most diverse annual sampler to date, but we let you be the judge.

On behalf of our artists at Melodic Revolution and PeacockSunrise Records family, thank you for your continued support.

credits

released January 5, 2024

Artitst Bandcamp Links below:


 


















































































































































Aethellis
aethellis.bandcamp.com

Babal
babalmrrartist.bandcamp.com

Ellsworth Hall
ellsworthhall.bandcamp.com

Distressed
distressedfinland.bandcamp.com

Steve Bonino
thesteveboninoprojects.bandcamp.com

The Steve Bonino Project
thesteveboninoprojects.bandcamp.com

Stanislav and The Lion
stanislavandthelion.bandcamp.com

Colouratura
colouraturamrrartist.bandcamp.com

Gayle Ellett & The Electromags
gayleelletttheelectromags.bandcamp.com

Terry Newman Project
terrynewmanproject.bandcamp.com

Days Before Tomorrow
daysbeforetomorrow.bandcamp.com

T. A. P
tapprog.bandcamp.com

Colin Carter
colinflashcarter.bandcamp.com

Tony Romero's Vortex
tonyromerosvortex.bandcamp.com

Atom Stone
atomstone.bandcamp.com

Forever Twelve
forevertwelve.bandcamp.com

Edison Suit
edisonsuit.bandcamp.com

The Gardening Club
thegardeningclub.bandcamp.com

Kurt Michaels
kurtmichaels.bandcamp.com

RED32
red32.bandcamp.com

Ten Jinn
tenjinn.bandcamp.com

Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius
joedeninzonstratospheerius.bandcamp.com

Leon Alvarado
leonalvarado.bandcamp.com

Ifsounds
ifsounds.bandcamp.com/album/mmxx

Kinetic Element
kineticelement.bandcamp.com/album/chasing-the-lesser-light

Don Mularz
donmularz.bandcamp.com

Album layout by Nick Katona
For more information about these and other fine artists visit us at: mrrmusic.com
© + ℗ 2023 Melodic Revolution and PeacockSunrise Records

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02 January 2024: Bruce Soord: Mostly Autumn; Joel Giladini

 Be sure to follow KMXT FreeForm Radio on Facebook and Bandcamp.  

Please support FreeForm Radio and KMXT by going to KMXT.org and pledging your support.

The music you hear on tonight's show is available on the artists' Bandcamp pages and websites. (links below) 

We urge you to support the musicians you hear on FreeForm Radio. 

I will also be hosting "Songs Celebrating the New Year" on the Rural Electric show 

right after the Island Messenger at 7 pm until 9 pm.  Rural Electric Spotify Playlist

Tonight's FreeForm Playlist on Spotify 



Review of the new Bruce Soord album ‘Luminescence’

Prolific singer/songwriter and frontman for The Pineapple Thief, Bruce Soord, returns with a new solo album titled ‘Luminescence.’ While Soord’s music has always been largely melancholic and mellow, the tracks on this intimate collection are slightly even more subdued then his last solo release, 2019’s All This Will Be Yours.’ But that is not a negative here as these songs are beautiful, contemplative, and still very engaging. Soord proves once again he is one of the today’s best storytellers.

The album begins with the gorgeous “Dear Life” a thought provoking track about how delicate life is singing, “don’t wish it away,
don’t wish that it will all be over.” Built around his voice, an acoustic guitar, and a simple drum loop, the song captures what the album is about in a brief 3 minutes.

“Lie Flat” provides a little more tempo and atmospheric synth sounds around a Soord’s reverbed vocals. This is another enchanting song. But the song that has perhaps the best hook on the album is the 3rd track “Olomouc.” The song starts with just Soord and an acoustic guitar, but the chorus pops out of nowhere and is simply breathtaking. This is a really great track. Other outstanding tracks include “So Simple” the title fits perfectly, and the second single “Nestle In” which is the albums most upbeat song by a slight margin. The album closes on the orchestral “Find Peace,” a wonderful way to conclude.

Soord doesn’t reinvent anything on this album, but rather does what he does brilliantly. He creates a mood and an atmosphere with his music as only he can do. The songs here are beautiful and make for a great listen. While many fans might still be on edge for the next Pineapple Thief album, this is a great collection to get you through that period.

Released on Sept. 22nd, 2023 on Kscope

‘Luminescence’ track list:
Dear Life [03:03]
Lie Flat [03:51]
Olomouc [03:55]
So Simple [02:05]
Never Ending Light [04:13]
Day of All Days [03:23]
Nestle In [03:15]
Instant Flash of Light [03:36]
Rushing [03:03]
Stranded Here [03:41]
Read to Me [02:07]
Find Peace [04:45]

Order the album here: https://BruceSoord.lnk.to/Luminescence

LAZLAND Review:

A browse of the hundreds of album reviews I have posted on this wonderful little website (self-praise being a virtue) will show the reader that there are very few reviews of live albums. There is a reason for this – I prefer to listen to, and review, new music. It is rare that bands introduce new music in the live arena, and it can be commercial suicide to do so. Further, a recording of a gig does not often mirror the sheer joy and emotion the live experience brings.

I have, though, made an exception for Back In These Arms, the new live double CD issued by one of my favourite acts, Mostly Autumn, a band who continue to provide discerning music fans with thoughtful, emotional, powerful, and above all intelligent rock music. The CD was purchased for me as a birthday present in late December.

I first saw the band live at Patti Pavillion in Swansea, a tiny roundhouse of a venue and, as Bryan Josh subsequently said to me in a conversation in Cardiff, utterly unsuited to the band. That was on a tour following the release of The Last Bright Light. We then saw them a couple of years later in Cardiff on The Passengers tour, when I had said discussion with the great man. We very rarely get to live shows these days, and it has been a wee while since the band came remotely close to us in West Wales, so this live release chronicling the band’s return to live music after the impact of Covid was both welcome and really my only realistic opportunity to enjoy the live MA “experience”. I was also extremely curious to see how one of the finest releases of recent years by any band dealing with said pandemic, Graveyard Star, would translate to the live arena. The album does not disappoint.

The setlist is a treat, well over two hours which includes bona fide MA classics such as The Last Climb, Nowhere to Hide, Spirit of Autumn Past, Passengers, Mother Nature and thence through to a strong showing for recent works. There are also a couple of rather pleasant surprises such as the exceptional Gaze, a track you will have needed to have purchased the bonus CD version of 2006’s Heart Full Of Sky to have heard before (take a listen below and enjoy) and In for the Bite, a track from the spinoff Josh & Co Ltd Transylvania album.

For all the classics and the surprises, it is, though, to these ears the later Autumn tracks which shine and are played with a vitality and urgency. I really enjoyed 2017’s Sight of Day, and in my review of the album described it as an album of light in direct contrast to the bleakness of Dressed in Voices (which I still regard as being one of the top five albums I have the pleasure to own). Opener Tomorrow Dies is a rollicking way to start a set, with Olivia Sparnenn-Josh beginning as she would continue throughout the gig, in exceptional vocal form – what a set of pipes she has. Changing Lives features the vocal talents of Chris Johnson and he, Bryan Josh, and Angela Gordon provide for a group of vocalists bringing words alive with feeling. The album provides the final encore in Forever and Beyond, and by this time they can do no wrong. A sensitive anthemic track, listen with sheer joy at Angela Gordon’s whistle introducing the lovely mid-section love song of Bryan & Olivia before the closing section lifts your spirit and fills you with joy.

The longest epic piece is the superb title track from White Rainbow at over 19 minutes, with a deeply brooding opening sequence before Bryan makes his vocal entrance. The rendition of this is cracking (with nods to other heights), not once losing the interest of the listener and what helps, by the way, is the crystal-clear sound which is a feature of the entire performance.

To me, though, it is the band’s wonderful paeon to the dreadful Covid period which takes centre stage for much of the gig, and live they do this fine album justice. Spirit of Mankind races along with Olivia belting out the tribute to our indefatigability and Jennings especially strong on keyboards. Its warmth is strongly replicated on this live performance, and how nice it was to have the band continue to surprise us with something so completely different after all these years. This Endless War drips with emotion and takes you right back to the time when you felt that it really would never end. Back in These Arms, a song of freedom, starts with a gorgeous key and guitar duet and as Bryan & Olivia start singing, the musical backdrop is fresh and vital, a piece of music for the 21st century. When the main riff kicks in, the urgency is felt keenly. The pipes are gorgeous. A video is embedded below – if you have never heard anything of Mostly Autumn, or gave up in the past, take a listen to this track below and rush out and buy the fantastic music you have been missing.

I only really have one very minor quibble with this album, and that is the surprising quietness of the audience in the mix. Mind you, you could also say that about many of the “classic” live albums such as Genesis Live et al, so this is nothing new in the world of prog, but they do seem subdued and I am pretty sure that was not the case in the flesh, so to speak.

Pettiness aside, Back In These Arms is I believe the definitive live record of Mostly Autumn, surpassing to these ears the exceptional That Night in Leamington, and I say this because this is the sound of a band who nod to the classics, but also continue to drive their art forward.

Available at all the usual outlets, this album comes highly recommended.


 Black Programs Facility is a project by Zerok label featuring albums from four label veterans: Joel Gilardini, Lars Bröndum, Mombi Yuleman, and Vongoiva - "Nocturnal" by Joel Gilardini
- "Wall Of Darkness" by Lars Bröndum
- "Abductee" by Mombi Yuleman
- "The Fabric Of Space and Time" by Vongoiva
NOCTURNAL
Recorded live at Exil Club, Zürich/CH, 13.06.2022, Montags 915
Mixed and mastered at Nowhere Studio, Zürich/CH, 14.06.2022
Joel Gilardini is an experimental guitarist and sound designer, based in Zurich (Switzerland).
He’s known for his live ambient duties as an opening act for Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin in Zurich’s clubs, besides being the mastermind of the experimental-doom-sludge project The Land Of The Snow and member of the noise-industrial combos such Mulo Muto (with Attila Folklor/CH) and Psychic Drones (with Kazuyuki Kishino/JP).
Furthermore, Joel works as a soundtrack composer for theater and dance performances. In this context he has collaborated with ensembles such as the Junior Ballett Zurich, Swiss dancer Benoît Favre, and the collective House Of Pain. 

Joel Gilardini plays: baritone guitars, guitars pedals, electronics & live-looping.

released November 16, 2023

REVIEWS

Avant Music News
avantmusicnews.com/2023/12/01/amn-reviews-joel-gilardini-lars-brondum-mombi-yuleman-vongoiva-black-programs-facility-2023-zerok

This Is Darkness
Black Programs Facility is a project by the ever awesome ZeroK label and features albums from of their four label veterans: Joel Gilardini, Lars Bröndum, Mombi Yuleman, and Vongoiva. The music here includes dark ambient, looping drones, electro-acoustic soundscapes, and experimental noise ambient. Each of these 28 tracks is of the highest quality, and each of the 4 albums here would be worth getting individually, they are all that good – getting all 4 albums together is simply incredible!


Mastered by Raffaele Pezzella (Sonologyst)
Design by RhaD
Cat. Num. ZK08
© 2023. All Rights Reserved.

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