Hanetration is a solo artist from Cornwall, UK. He makes ambient/electronic/drone with a very cinematic feel, through (IMO) his very tasteful sprinkling of percussion. He also mixes the three with an even keel and understanding, giving equal vibes of dark and uplifting, often shifting from basic tribal drums, to frenzy IDM-friendly beats, all while splicing them between the occasional wind instrument and sped up vocal chatter. The drone isn't as prevalent (mostly the opening track), but it's there -- as is the brief experimentation with glitch effects at the end of the third track. All in all this EP has a lot going on for four short tracks, and at 20 minutes long you'll probably fill in the blanks. Check out his bandcamp (full of free goodies) and Facebook for news on his upcoming releases. Artwork by Tommy Nease:
tommynease.tumblr.com
Italy's Bongley Dead have come a long way since sending me their demo, made evident by their new full length 'Undici'. While admittedly in my opinion there's some rises and falls in quality, it's inevitable to pick favorites and filler in the robust 17 tracks. Even with that said -- every track on this is miles beyond their #3 demo, which already showed a running start. Continue to follow where they go next @https://soundcloud.com/bongley-dead & Facebook.
Free album release courtesy of Virgin Babylon records (world's end girlfriend/Kashiwa Daisuke...) for their newly signed solo artist Laxenanchaos. Have only had a chance to hear the opening track "Bruce Lee" but really enjoyed it, and the sound and style feels right at home with the flavorings of Virgin Babylon. Album art by mieze
www.mieze018.net
Oh hey -- I'm late to the party (again) on another fantastic DANGERS album. Every output from this band is always my next favorite release, and 'The Bend in the Break' is no exception. Thoroughly enjoyed this start to finish, you probably will too! Show some support at their Bandcamp/Store/shows, yea? You can't go wrong with anything in their discography.
Latest single from the wonderfully weird Ungdomskulen of Norway. This single has been out since January, but I haven't been able to find out much about a new album/EP to go with it...can assume one is on its way soon. Can get the single at iTunes or Spotify (everyone uses that right?) or check out the video below.
Newest release from Spain's Fura, their first album since 2013. I was already a fan from their last instrumental self titled album, but to me 'Mutandis' is leaps and bounds ahead in terms of progression. Their song writing, technical ability/musicianship, and really the overall production of this album is completely refreshing for a band that already was bringing something new to the table.
The album is up on Bandcamp for name your price, so show some support if able. So far one of my favorite releases of 2017. And once again the cover art is rad.
Jason (bass/vocals) of the now-defunct withdrawal sent me an email telling me about an EP they mastered and "released" in June 2016, featuring six songs that showcase more of the direction the band was heading in before disbanding.
Compared to their full length ('The Perfectionist Blacklist'), these tracks are more mellow, highlighting a side of the band that was seldom heard, though they still pack an occasional jab with the punchy vocals that permeated the LP. My personal favorite and in my opinion best blending of these two styles is the track "The Spies of the World", which features stylish and subdued verses that give way to anthemic choruses. The instrumentation is solid on these throughout, with my only semi-gripe being a vocal phrase on one of the tracks that sounds ripped line for line from an old Weezer track (you'll probably know it when you hear it), whether intentionally or not. Either way I appreciate Jason passing these along to me and you, as the good far outweighs the bad.
