[Music] Noël Akchoté – All I Have To Say

April 1, 2017 / Rudy Carrera / Leave a comment

If this is all Noël Akchoté has to say, I’d say it’s quite a lot. Not since Derek Bailey has anyone, at least to my ears, make skeletal sketches sound to full. This is a solo album of standards sparsely arranged and performed on electric guitar. The most touching piece, Are You Lonesome Tonight, shows the beauty of the instrumentation, even if we’re lacking the voice of Elvis to fill this out.

Expect a few more reviews of Noël’s work here. He’s always busy crafting some new work of art, and collaborating with some fine new talent.

[Music] Marimba Plus – Apocalypse (The 15th Anniversary Concert)

April 1, 2017 / Rudy Carrera / Leave a comment

With all due thanks to my friend in Kazakhstan, Vyacheslav Popatov, who introduced me to the work of Marimba Plus, a Russian ethno-prog-jazz-fusion band whose work is currently blowing me away. You can hear more from the band at their Bandcamp page.

[Music] Sonologyst – Ancient Death Cults And Beliefs

March 23, 2017 / Rudy Carrera / Leave a comment

Sonologyst is the main project of Unexplained Sounds impresario Raffaele Pezzella, whose work should be seen in the same vein of dark ambient as labels like Sweden’s Cold Meat Industry.

[Music] Various Artists – Superspectrum

March 16, 2017 / Rudy Carrera / Leave a comment

Superspectrum is a compilation featuring some of the finest dark ambient music active today. My personal favorite from this record is a track called Oblivion by Iranian composer Xerxes The Dark.

The label which released this comp, Eighth Tower Records, is a subdivision of Unexplained Sounds Group, run by Raffaele Pezzella, well known for his work with his project Sonologyst.

This is wonderful late-night headphone music.

[Music] Steven Severin – 23 Wounds Of Julius Caesar

March 15, 2017 / Rudy Carrera / Leave a comment

Seeing that today is the Ides of March, the day Julius Caesar was turned into a pin cushion by a creepy cadre of senators, it’s appropriate to celebrate the day by highlighting a recent release by former Siouxsie and The Banshees bassist Steven Severin.

[Music] Flicker Rate – Reframe EP

March 15, 2017 / Rudy Carrera / Leave a comment

Can you imagine this music, dexterously played post-rock with hits at groups as disparate as Helmet and the Durutti Column, was made by a teenager? If this is Spencer Bassett’s first work, then Flicker Rate is going to be someone definitely worth following.

[Music] – Jeff Gburek – The Thought That Comes Between (Works Based On Diverse Pianos 2017)

March 15, 2017 / Rudy Carrera / Leave a comment

Jeff Gburek’s first release of the year isn’t quite finished yet, and to be honest, I hope it simply grows and mutates. For those of you who can appreciate minimalist piano performances in the manner of some of Arvo Pärt’s best works, this release comes highly recommended. For the best effect, consider using a good pair of headphones or a 5.1 surround sound system to hear how gorgeous the separation of sound is handled.

[Music] UZS – Ukryte Zalety Systemu – Ukryte Zalety Systemu

March 13, 2017 / Rudy Carrera / Leave a comment

Ukryte Zalety Systemu is an incredible post-punk band out of Poland who maintain the spirit of the genre’s heyday in the early 1980s.

[Music/Film] Elektro Moskva

March 13, 2017 / Rudy Carrera / Leave a comment

Elektro Moskva, directed by Elena Tikhonova & Dominik Spritzendorfer, shows the history of electronic music in Russia from the works of Léon Theremin to the ANS synthesizer used by such luminaries as Eduard Artemiev (famous for his soundtracks to the films of Andrei Tarkovsky) and beyond. I’m very much looking forward to seeing this when time permits.

[Music] Roberto Romero Molina – Escandinavia por Ala Delta

March 9, 2017 / Rudy Carrera / Leave a comment

This must be a great week for Bandcamp. This release features a young Mexican composer called Roberto Romero Molina, whose work falls somewhere between electroacoustic music and something reminiscent of a sci-fi movie. A short, but brilliant, release.