Classical Music

[Music] Raphael Weinroth-Browne – Worlds Within

/ Rudy Carrera / 1 Comment

Ladies and gentlemen, I have to be admit to being a bit thrilled to mention this release.  Some time ago, I reviewed a band called Flying Hórses, a band Raphael Weinroth-Browne was a member of, and whose stunning work on the cello made the album so memorable for me.

On January 24, he will release a new album which balances post-rock, contemporary classical music and the most tasteful aspects of metal.  It would have never occurred to me to blend such aspects together, but Raphael weaves things together masterfully.

[Music] Various Artists – ELECTROFRAMEWORK

/ Rudy Carrera / Leave a comment


Unexplained Sounds empresario Raffaele Pezzella is on a quest to make sure the best in experimental and electroacoustic music gets published.  It seems like, week after week, he is releasing a compilation of stunning quality from a specified region, a broad retrospective, or his own delightfully noisy work as Sonologyst.

These tracks might melt your headphones a bit, but the sounds are, in their own way, blissful.  Familiar names such as Sonologyst, Stefan Schmidt, Fahmi Mursyid and Thomas Grenzebach appear alongside a slew of new artists whose career trajectory will be interesting to follow.

Another masterpiece of a comp.

[Music] Various Artists – Anthology of Electroacoustic Lebanese Music

/ Rudy Carrera / Leave a comment


When he’s not working on his own music as Sonologyst, Raffaele Pezzella of Unexplained Sounds captures a lot of attention by releasing travelogue compilations covering the best of experimental and dark ambient music from various countries and regions. This one may well be his crowning effort.

All of these, with the exception of Sharif Sehnaoui, are unfamiliar names, but the sounds, which range from slow, churning, rhythmic drone to post-Industrial noise, the compilation introduces what I’m hoping is an energetic crop of new music composers whose influence will spread quickly both inside and outside the Levant.

Could a Syrian or Iraqi electroacoustic scene be next?  I surely hope so!

Sharif Sehnaoui

[Music] Abd al-Rahman al-Khamissi – عبد الرحمن الخميسي – Music from the Soundtrack “Respectable Families”

/ Rudy Carrera / Leave a comment


Welcome to the world of easy (cheesy) listening out of… Cairo?!  Yes!!  According to the bio over at his Bandcamp page, “Abd al-Rahman El Khamissi (bio in Arabic only) is an Egyptian poet, writer, journalist, dramatist, radio producer, film director, composer and talent scout for famous Egyptian actors such as Soad Hosni.  He has been seen as a great romanticist and one of the finest Egyptian poets.  Khamissi’s versatile talents as an artist and story teller portrayed in many ways the aspirations of Egyptian society.”

There is an elegance in this release mixing tango, the aforementioned easy listening and the better elements of soundtrack music.  Many thanks to the folks at Radio Martiko who selflessly dedicated their efforts into releasing this gem.

[Music] Nhung Nguyen – Nostalgia

/ Rudy Carrera / Leave a comment


Sublime isn’t quite a strong enough word to describe the stylings of pianist Nhung Nguyen.  She comes to me from her experimental music background something I thank my friend and colleague C-Drik for), but this particular release, my favorite of her substantial back catalog, is something that would have done Andrei Tarkovsky (the famed director of the magnificent movie, Nostalghia) proud.  It is a perfect album to simply relax to and let the mind wander a bit.

[Music] Various Artists – 1​+​1​=​X

/ Rudy Carrera / Leave a comment


A hearty congratulations to Erased Tapes who turn 10 years old this year. This compilation features 20 exclusive tracks from their mighty roster, and not one is a disappointment.

1. Qasim Naqvi – Brutal Moderna 04:18
2. A Winged Victory For The Sullen – Long May It Sustain 04:20
3. Rival Consoles – Ritual Song 05:10
4. Nils Frahm – Frau Dehlholm 03:05
5. Daniel Thorne – Iroise 05:47
6. Daniel Brandt – Blackpool Sands Forever 05:11
7. Douglas Dare – Darling 08:13
8. Michael Price – Eyn Hallow 04:17
9. Kiasmos & Högni – Zebra 03:43
10. Ben Lukas Boysen – Pending 04:44
11. David Allred – Ahoy 04:49
12. Anne Müller – Bel Tono 03:30
13. Lubomyr Melnyk – Palisade I 17:03
14. Hatis Noit – Inori 04:44
15. Masayoshi Fujita – Spaceship Magical 04:05
16. Högni – Máni 03:56
17. Peter Broderick – The Perpetual Glow 05:23
18. Arthur Jeffes & Nils Frahm – Up Is Good 05:35
19. Daniel Brandt – Blackpool Sands Forever (Rival Consoles Remix) 04:27
20. Penguin Cafe – Wheels Within Wheels (Greg Gives Peter Space Remix) 06:09