Time travel is real, apparently. Intersystems released a handful of futuristic, forward thinking albums back in the ‘60s before taking the wormhole back where they came from. Now, nearly 50 years after their last album, as the world disintegrates, they return. Unsurprisingly, #4 exists in a timeless void, sounding simultaneously contemporary and totally beyond this plane. Sonically, Intersystems mine rich fields of library music inspired … Continue reading Intersystems “#4”
There’s a moment about two minutes into JJJJerome Ellis’ somnambulant lullaby, “Fountain #3,” that my consciousness detaches from my body. Ethereal drones glide across soft, feathery clouds, moving slowly as if not to disturb the flow of the astral plane. When Ellis’ dancing flute tones flicker into existence, he’s channeling James Newton at his most graceful. Subtle shifts feel monumental inside this glowing sonic orb … Continue reading JJJJerome Ellis “Fountain #3”
Nick Millevoi’s Streets of Philadelphia was an under-the-radar favorite of mine last year so this new joint from Desertion Trio is a welcome surprise. Numbers Maker is like Streets distant cousin twice removed that’s had a rough go of it the last few years. These snarling, progressive grooves sneak inside your skull and stay there. From the first pulsing thuds of opening track, “Albion,” Millevoi … Continue reading Desertion Trio “Numbers Maker”
When I heard that Rosali worked with David Nance’s band on her new record, No Medium, it’s an understatement to say that I got excited. I can’t think of a much better match. Her songs carry considerable emotional weight and Nance’s group holds them up without fail. Lyrical arrows lament and celebrate the work it takes to grow and, ultimately, find self-acceptance beneath the incessant … Continue reading Rosali “No Medium”
As I sit listening to the winding journey of Daniel Bachman’s magnum opus, Axacan, I keep thinking about this passage from Olga Tokarczuk’s Flights: “Standing there on the embankment, staring into the current, I realized that – in spite of all the risks involved – a thing in motion will always be better than a thing at rest; that change will always be a nobler … Continue reading Daniel Bachman “Axacan”
Lucy Railton has been a fixture in my regular listening habits over the last year or so, her entry on Boomkat’s Documenting Sound series being an absolute stormer. PDP III finds her joining up with Britton Powell and Brian Leeds (aka Huerco S) for one hell of a cryptic ride. Hydration is imperative before you listen to Piled Up on a Couple of Doves because … Continue reading PDP III “Piled Up on a Couple of Doves”
On Prism of Dust, the world outside is a cold husk balancing on the edge of total implosion while those who are left hunker down inside, waiting for any chance to escape into the stars. Cinematic and exploratory, it’s an album that steeped in visual lore with heavy emotional stakes. Gentry weaves an intricate web of strings, synthesizers, and other electroacoustic instrumentation into a beautiful … Continue reading Ross Gentry “Prism of Dust”
If you are going to make a concept album about the interconnected ecosystems of fungi, you’ve got my attention. Considering the name of Stephen James Buckley’s project, Polypores, I imagine there’s a bit of tongue-in-cheek there, but I’m like a moth to a flame when it comes to plant-inspired music (long live Oregon Painting Society). Regardless of concept or intention, Shpongos is a mesmerizing exploration … Continue reading Polypores “Shpongos”
This one snuck out last fall and I totally missed it until now, but longtime-fave Samara Lubelski firing off two side-long solo violin improvisations (with a beautiful cover by Bill Nace as a bonus) is essential listening. Lubelski has written and released so much incredible music in the last 20+ years, always exploring new avenues and surprising with her shapeshifting abilities. When it comes to … Continue reading Samara Lubelski “Partial Infinite Sequence”
CriesLol is the brainchild of Mateo Galindo, with help from Zak Modell and Rola Zeyada, and finds a way to drain the sonic deserts of sand and pour them into a cauldron of boundless styles. Strip mines and desolate landscapes get dystopian makeovers on CriesLol’s compelling debut, Self Title. Extinguishing the flames from Saint Paul to Tulsa, where Galindo lives and works, this is one … Continue reading CriesLol “Self Title”
