The Rock-In-Opposition movement had a very short shelf life, but produced some of the most amazing avant-progressive rock bands. Think of acts like Univers Zero, Henry Cow, Art Zoyd, the Art Bears, Stormy Six and others. Their influence was felt far and wide, and you can hear it in the work of former ZGA guitarist Vadim Petrenko. He has synthesized the influences of his favorite artists and added his own take on the genre. His work with ZGA was stunning, so I’m looking forward to hear how he develops as a solo artist.
Experimental Music
[Music] Sea of Åland – Extended Play Three
Sea of Åland are an experimental music band out of Cottingham, England, who have been releasing a batch of rather great albums. Though experimental music seems to be their main focus, their sound also digs deeply into post-rock, ambient and even a bit of a dark soundtrack vibe. Very impressive listening.
[Music] o /\/\ /\/\ – █▄▄█
There is no information I can find out about the project (or performer?) o /\/\ /\/\, except to say that said person is from Slovakia. I was looking for something heavy and noisy to wake me up after going through the hideous process of moving apartments in Beijing. Well, this did the trick.
Though labeled as ‘blacknoise‘, this tends to be more wall-of-sound guitar improvisation than the cheesy metal I’ve seen other bands pull off under this genre.
This is an impressive album as noise records go.
[Music] Muslimgauze – Eleven Minarets
It’s a bit perplexing to think that Bryn Jones (a.k.a. Muslimgauze) has been dead for 20 years, and yet continues to ‘release’ music. He must have been far more prolific than anyone could ever have imagined. Thankfully, the quality of a good deal of this archival music has been excellent. Not everything holds up, but this release gives the fans of the man what they want – experimental beats with a techno sensibility, made for dancing with heavy boots, I suppose.
[Music] bu.re_ – kiyomizudera (清水寺)
Kiyomizudera is an impressive single track release by Los Angeles-based composer bu.re_, whose work came into my mailbox a few weeks ago. His is a rather stellar catalog, with music full of references to Brian Eno (when he was doing profoundly good ambient music), the floating parts of Tangerine Dream or Robert Rich, and a great use of acoustics.
This was a pleasure to listen to. My only quibble is that eleven minutes is far too short a time to enjoy a swim in this release.
[Music] Ciro Berenguer – El Mar De Junio
One of Eilian Records’ finest releases to date, Argentine-born, Barcelona-based composer Ciro Berenguer releases a very ambient guitar album.
From Eilian’s Bandcamp page:
Ciro Berenguer is a guitarist and composer from Argentina who has lived for many years in Barcelona, Spain. He likes both traditional and nontraditional ways of playing the guitar: processing the sound through many electronic devices or playing just the guitar alone. Two facets of his playing expressed in a handful of albums and collaborations, from standard guitar music to a more experimental and improvised way of making sounds, enjoying both approaches.
[Music] Various Artists – An Anthology of Chinese Experimental Music 1992-2008
Dajuin Yao, Dickson Dee and Xper Xr. are the only familiar artists to me on this compilation of avant-garde music from the Sinosphere. Sub Rosa Records outdoes itself with the marvelous (and quite long) compilation.
[Music] Kevin Drumm – Christ!
This new album is titled after Our Lord and Savior, whether you like it or not. I have no idea if Kevin Drumm, perhaps the most important American experimental musician and composer active these days is a believer, or if this is an ironic title made to slap onto a photo of a statue of Jesus, but musically, it’s a dreamy slice of ‘noise’.
Drumm never fails to deliver a great album, and in his generosity, he is offering his whole digital catalog for under $25. A worthwhile investment.
[Music] Bandcamp: Hasana Editions Documents the New Sound of Indonesian Experimental Music
On January 7th, Marc Masters of Bandcamp Daily posted a very interesting synopsis of experimental music coming out of Indonesia these days. I was aware of the amazing progressive rock, jazz and fusion coming from the region, but it’s good to see Hasana Editions shepherd the experimental scene out of obscurity. Adding to the ‘cool’ factor is that the first four releases have been published as cassettes.
[Music] Various Artists – ACTIVE NOISE AREA
Noise music gets a well-deserved rap, considering how much garbage there is in the scene. However, our friend Raffaele Pezzella, a.k.a. Sonologyst and the head of Unexplained Sounds, gives us our first compilation of 2019, where noise is turned into something far more beautiful than you thought.
A Miscellany Of Tasteful Music 