36 (pronounced three-six) are an ambient drone band based out of the United Kingdom. Heavy duty music for headphones, not quite Eno-esque, but it resides more along the post-rock side of the spectrum.
Progressive Rock
[Music] Alessandro Cortini – Passatempo
Alessandro Cortini is an Italian composer and keyboardist based in Los Angeles. He’s an occasional member of Nine Inch Nails, and makes quite a good company man working with Trent Reznor in a style reminiscent of the 1980s Belgian Hard Beat scene, but on his own, he veers off into Kosmische Musik territory, reminding one of artists like Klaus Schulze in this track.
[Music] Dead Can Dance – Fortune Presents Gifts Not According to the Book
The lyrics of this track by Dead Can Dance, off their 1988 album titled Aion, can be found in the words of the Spanish lyric poet, Luis de Góngora.
Click here to read an article in Spanish on the poet’s influence on the band.
[Music] Nurse With Wound & Stereolab – Exploding Head Movie
There’s little in this track outside of atmospherics to suggest that Nurse With Wound contributed much to this particular track, but Stereolab gives a very nice Neu!-inspired groove to this track in homage of Krautrock.
[Music] The Cyclist Conspiracy – Mashallah Plan – Virility EP
I thank my old friend Mileta of the ever-stunning Serbian-language music blog valtazarzauberquelle, who turned me on to a band whom he perfectly described as a Byzantine psychedelic groove band. It’s as if Popol Vuh stumbled into Orthodoxy instead of Eastern mysticism.
To read Mileta’s review, click here.
[Music] Gralitsa – Upon A Circle, Upon A Gold
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After a track on Soundcloud, I decided to purchase this mini-LP from Gralitsa, a musician whose work crosses the genres of world music, post-rock, progressive rock and soundtrack music with great ease. It’s worth picking up.
[Music] Emerson, Lake & Palmer – I Believe In Father Christmas
As do I. May you rest in peace, Greg Lake.
[Music] The Durutti Column – Snowflakes
Not quite “Jingle Bells,” but it’s still some lovely post-punk/new wave music which fits the season nicely, courtesy of Vini Reilly and the Durutti Column.
[Music] Modrý Efekt – Svitanie
Modrý Efekt (Blue Effect) were one of the great Czechoslovakian art rock bands of the 1970s.
We were given the bad news that their leader and guitarist, Radim Hladík, passed away today. Rest in peace.
[Music] Silent Island – Equator EP
István Csarnogurszky leads Silent Island, an outfit from Hungary which combines post-rock, progressive rock, alternative and ambient music into a seamless product. Really mellow listening.