Though this release isn’t breaking any radical ground musically, Hypnodial reminds me of some of the more solid ambient and electronic music releases of the late 80s and early 90s. Well done, well produced, and something quite nice to relax to.
Downtempo
[Music] Subact – The Dubsquad EP
I have to thank my friend Yasen Kazandjiev for quite a few upcoming reviews of some of the most intriguing music I’ve heard in some time, starting with this EP by Dresden-based band Subact.
There are elements of bands like Ozric Tentacles and other psychedelic prog groups as well as sample work reminiscent of Front 242 and other Electronic Body Music bands from Belgium and Canada which I grew up listening to. This music is thoroughly modern, but it also hearkens back to an era when sampling technology was new. Martin Grellmann and company have done stunning work balancing past and present with this release.
[Music] O Yuki Conjugate European Tour
Friends and colleagues, if you are able to help out with setting up performances in Belgium, France or Poland, please contact Till Kniola of Auf Abwegen. His letter of request is printed below:
dear drone list,
sorry for the intrusion but maybe some of you can help/spread the word….
aufabwegen is bringing british experimental ambient group O YUKI CONJUGATE for their first ever proper tour to europe in december.
so far concerts are planned in germany, the netherlands and switzerland.
the tour will happen together with german artist KONRAD KRAFT.
we would love to do further concerts in belgium, france and poland. if any of you on the drone list is an organizer or knows of someone who might be interested in setting up a show, please contact me off-list at <zipo@aufabwegen.com> zipo@aufabwegen.com
the tour period is december 11-19th 2017.
thank you all!
kind regards,
till
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a u f a b w e g e n | Till Kniola
Lindenburger Allee 20 | 50931 Cologne | Germany
label & magazine: <http://www.aufabwegen.com/> http://www.aufabwegen.com
mailorder: <http://www.aufabwegen.de/catalog> http://www.aufabwegen.de/catalog
asmus tietchens: <http://www.tietchens.de/> http://www.tietchens.de
EDITION DEGEM: <http://www.editiondegem.de/> http://www.editiondegem.de
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[Music] Julian Borrego – Xeriscape
What a pleasant slice of pop-psych, updated for the 2010s!
Julian Borrego is a multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles, California (the scribe’s home town). Though you can hear hints of Antônio Carlos Jobim and funk-era Stevie Wonder in his music, there’s also a touch of garage psych which makes the tune much more than palatable to my taste.
[Music] Redefining Russian Techno

From the Bandcamp article, which can be found here:
Russian techno is stylistically varied—from ultra industrial to sleazy disco, hazy cassette labels to crisp and urbane house. But often there’s a moodiness, an underlying bleakness to the sound that feels like it’s channeling a harsher Soviet past. Certainly, experimentation is rife, and “live”-ness is important—musicians performing live hardware shows seem to be every bit as important as DJs. But most important of all, there’s a freshness, a lack of cynicism, a sheer delight in crazed sounds and textures that can make even the most familiar musical tropes feel like you’re hearing them for the first time.
[Music] Oval – SE
Though Markus Popp’s Oval is best known for his glitchy compositions, he’s been branching into rather sublime, Brazilian-inflected pop music as well. Lovely stuff.
His back catalog is 50% for the time being over at Bandcamp as well. Now’s a good time to stock up on his work.
[Music] Mark Van Hoen – Electronic Music 1982-1987
Mark Van Hoen made quite a name for himself recording under the monicker Locust during the 1990s. This recordings in this archival album show how much he developed his sound.
[Music] IXΘΥΣ – ㊢
Witch house and its related genres are areas I can’t claim to have a great knowledge of. It’s made worse when I can’t pronounce the names of half of the bands, or their song titles, due to cute tricks played by these children who, I doubt, know the meanings of what they’re using as names for their projects. Thankfully, we have more serious artists like Zane Michael O’Brien, who also does business under the monickers Zanye East and the aforementioned IXΘΥΣ (no, not Icthus, as in the pre-Ecumenical Council symbol Christians used to identify each other as fellow believers, but as whatever Zane sees fit as a reason to use such a name).
㊢ is a collection of remixes Zane has done for other bands who do everything from witch house to vaporwave and other genres I can’t bother keeping up-to-date with. What informs his music is a combination of experimental music as well as what used to be termed as Electronic Body Music or Industrial Dance, represented by the likes of Frontline Assembly, an old favorite of mine. The use of samples repeating hypnotically until you become so numb to the sound that a switch to a new track startles you also gives this a feel of some of the better elements of Nurse With Wound in their early, more Musique concrète years. Of particular note is the final track, Laura’s Got An Aura. There is a poem which is constantly repeated, along with incantations of one sort or other, which allows the listener to be lost in this psychedelic haze of a remix.
IXΘΥΣ’s latest release is worth your time. Consider exploring it and allowing it to envelop you for a while.
[Music] Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin – Live

Swiss pianinst Nik Bärtsch leads his band Ronin on a reissue of a live set released way back in 2006.
[Music] Sudan Archives – Escape
Sudan Archives is a vocalist and violinist who hails originally from Cincinnati, Ohio (what a shame she wasn’t directly from Khartoum with a band name like that, alas), and who is working out of Los Angeles, California, making her a local to me. Her Soundcloud page is active with some extremely interesting cuts which straddle the like of hip-hop (the good kind which actually sounds like art), electronic music, world music and R&B. I can’t wait to hear more from this talented artist.