[Music] ±0 – ±0

February 15, 2018February 15, 2018 / Rudy Carrera / Leave a comment

±0 (pronounced as plus-minus-nula) are a post-punk band out of Prague, Czech Republic. This eponymous debut was released in March of 2017. If you are a fan of this particular genre of music, especially of the sounds made by The Cure, Joy Division, The Sound or others during the 1979-1980 heyday of the genre, this album was made specifically for you in mind.

Kudos go especially to their sound engineer, who must have really studied post-punk. He managed to get the sound just right for the band. Authentic, and worth exploring further!

[Music] Hypnodial – Aether Alcoves

February 14, 2018 / Rudy Carrera / Leave a comment

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.

[Music] Blake DeGraw – Electronic Duodecets for Humans

February 14, 2018 / Rudy Carrera / Leave a comment

Blake DeGraw is a very interesting multi-instrumentalist and experimental music composer and improviser out of Seattle, Washington. On this album, he is deconstructing a violin, making some terribly pleasant noise along the way.

[Music] Rafiq Bhatia – Breaking English

February 13, 2018 / Rudy Carrera / Leave a comment

New York-based guitarist Rafiq Bhatia has an upcoming release on April 6, 2018, of what looks to be an improv masterpiece. I’m looking forward to hearing more tracks upon its entry into the marketplace.

[Music] 草莓救星 (We Save Strawberries) – Solar System

February 12, 2018February 12, 2018 / Rudy Carrera / Leave a comment

Taiwan’s 草莓救星 (We Save Strawberries) are dream pop which would make Hope Sandoval smile, I’d gather.

[Music] The Thing With Five Eyes – نور

February 12, 2018 / Rudy Carrera / Leave a comment

The Thing With Five Eyes is the new project of Jason Kohnen of the Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble. It’s a good-sized EP of electronic music, the aforementioned darkjazz and a touch of drum & bass besides. A worthy release.

[Music] Female Musician Makes Waves in Male-Dominated Afghanistan

February 12, 2018 / Rudy Carrera / Leave a comment

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Global Citizen has launched a campaign called Chime For Change, and one of the first projects they promote is Fazila Zamir, a rebab player making waves in what was normally thought to be a man’s world.

Read more here on Fazila, courtesy of Global Citizen. For a sample of her work, check out the video here.

[Music] Keiko Shichijo – Six Dances (Komitas Vardapet)

February 10, 2018 / Rudy Carrera / Leave a comment

Keiko Shichijo is a Japanese pianist based in The Netherlands. In this album, she interprets the work of the Armenian priest, musicologist, composer, arranger, singer, and choirmaster, Komitas Vardapet.

[Music] Funked Up East #28 – The Evolution of Czecho-Slovakian Jazz

February 8, 2018 / Rudy Carrera / Leave a comment

A magnificent podcast out of Estonia, this current session by Funked Up East features smooth, sultry Czech and Slovak Jazz.

Track List:

Czechoslovak Radio Jazz Orchestra – Passacaglia
Karel Velebný – Ztráta Nalezeného Syna
SHQ – Epitaph for George Dillon
Jiøí Mráz – Danyáda
Karel Krautgartner – 31° ve stínu
Rudolf Dasek – Rambles
Václav Zahradník Big Band – Jazz Goes To Beat I
SHQ – Lori
Jazz Cellula – Zmoklá Voda
Jazz Ze Studio A – Ogarské Hry
Gustav Brom – If Only

[Music] Mediterranean Deconstruction Ensemble – Day De Senar

February 8, 2018 / Rudy Carrera / Leave a comment

This is a magnificent find for me. The Mediterranean Deconstruction Ensemble is a solid improvisational/experimental troupe out of Moscow led by pianist Gregory Sandomirsky.

The music is a great combination of freaky jazz, Mediterranean rhythms, and Sephardic/Ladino time shifts. A very nice effort.