Gospel - The Loser

'From the upcoming album "The Loser" out [redacted] on [redacted]'

The only thing better than news of a new Gospel album?  It's produced by Kurt Ballou again...and he plays saxophone on it?!  I'm here for it.

*** Released on May 13th
** Is rly good

H E X - HEX

 

H E X are from Geneva, Switzerland.  Their self-titled debut released in 2018, and I've frequently re-visited the four tracks that are a brilliant blend of electronic/post-rock/industrial stylings.  I'd first heard of the band through my admiration for Shora, whom years after their defunct status announced a new project featuring the former guitarist (H E X).  

Shora was a hardcore/noisy screamo group also from Switzerland who relatively flew under the radar, even while having a split record with noise staple Merzbow.  The final album in Shora's lifespan was a departure from their previous records -- the singer had left the group making concluding 'Malval' a foray into instrumental, electronic-driven post-rock.  While also massively overlooked in post-rock circles, the debut album from H E X seems to have in large part picked up the reins of where Shora left off.  The difference being that H E X has a bit of a darker edge, occupying the same futuristic electronic space but in a much more grimy and industrial landscape and sound.  There are flashes of vocals throughout the four tracks, great drumming, and overall just a cool mixture of electronic and industrial tropes within the frame of guitar-backed post-rock nuances.

The vinyl and CD/merch can be found on Hummus Records, who recently acquired publishing rights and released Shora's two hardcore records (minus their demo) on vinyl for the first time ever.  The digital album is also available on Bandcamp as a name-your-price release, but definitely show them some love if you like what you hear.  I have a hunch you will, as like Shora they are definitely fiercely unique to their associated genres.

N0V3l - NON-FICTION

"N0V3L’s debut full-length, NON-FICTION, comprises 11 tracks that function as a treatise on modern existence and the perverse parameters within which it’s experienced. It’s a collection of agile, carefully-constructed post-punk, new wave, funk, and garage rock that’s been zapped and warped by an opioid overdose crisis, mental illness, populism, and the merciless onward march of time. Intimate sadnesses and structural violences are blurred to the jagged quirk of sharp guitars, commanding bass, acrid saxophone, and mournful keys, all propelled ever forward by nimble drumming. It’s dark and occasionally danceable, a macabre late-capitalist disco under a pall of confusion.

NON-FICTION was written between 2017 and 2020, and recorded on a Tascam-388 in the band’s since-torn-down rental home. Bryce Cloghesy (Military Genius, Crack Cloud) produced and mixed the record, which trades in the first EP’s martial rigidity for a broader approach to actualizing the band’s tensions. The Vancouver tear-down, previously the band’s headquarters for producing music, videos, and clothing, was slowly evacuated, as members moved out in advance of the inevitable; another casualty of Vancouver’s merciless housing market. N0V3L, once a concentrated machine, is now spread across the western province of British Columbia." - Bandcamp

Cool post-punk/new-wave album from Vancouver, B.C.  Have especially had the single "FALLING IN LINE" on repeat listens, but the entire album is solid.  The album released in May, but only a few tracks are available for preview on their Bandcamp/YT, but I imagine the whole album can be listened to on Spotify.  Only two current vinyl copies remain if looking for a physical copy.

Bandcamp

Maya B - B[1]

 

Maya B is a promising singer/songwriter (artist) and multi instrumentalist based in Los Angeles, California.  Her debut EP 'B[1]' released in 2021 as a pop/R&B hybrid that stands out for its lyricism and smooth voice.  The seven tracks touch on self-empowerment from within, as opposed to achieving it through the belittling or bravado over other people, and likewise rising above those negative projections (the metaphorical "Balloon Bitch").  Accompanied by other topics like the often fakeness surrounding social media and materialism, the subject matter is a refreshing listen, administered by an accessible and honest voice.

Listen/Download

TORIENA - PURE FIRE

 

TORIENA (Fujimoto Sae) is a chiptune-based artist from Kyoto, Japan.  She has been releasing albums since 2012, among a myriad of compilations, some of which she herself distributed as the co-owner of Mad Milky Records in Tokyo (supposedly the very first chiptune label in Japan).  Like her artist/co-owner counterpart NNNNNNNNNN, she primarily composes her music using LSDj through the interface of a Nintendo Game Boy.  She has had commercial success in Japan as well, contributing to the Team Sonic Racing soundtrack, anime, and literal commercials.

Her latest album 'PURE FIRE' is more hardcore EDM with strong chiptune overtones, accompanied by TORIENA's own vocals.  Admittedly this isn't a musical realm I'm too involved or familiar with (about the only chiptune artist I can reference is early Anamanaguchi), but after running the album back a second time it really started to click for me as being something unique and enjoyable, further appreciated I think by recognizing the means in which it was created.  As far as I can tell this album and potentially her entire catalogue is only available to purchase digitally, which might be apt when you hear her music.

Digital

KASHIWA Daisuke - program music III

ALL (half) CAPS

KASHIWA Daisuke is back with the third entry in his 'program music' series of albums, typically and consistently as around one hour single tracks forming a similar themed running compilation.  Now that he is on Virgin Babylon Records aside founder Maeda Katsuhiko (world's end girlfriend), it seems he's returned a bit to his post-rock roots of playing guitar, instead of his long running stretch playing keys (on this album handled by Hiromi Kurosaki).  Daisuke still handles the knobs and production, and he describes the newest entry as "expressing everything in my musical activities so far": glitch, electronic, classical, post-rock, et al.  In some sense it almost appears like Maeda Katsuhiko's guitar tendencies of world's end girlfriend have rubbed off on Daisuke and vice versa with Daisuke's pension for glitchy electronics becoming more apparent for Maeda since his inclusion to the label.  

I need to dive back into 'program music II' to see where it fits in the middle, but my first listen of 'program music III' immediately brought me back into the first time listening to 'program music I', in a sense like two trains in opposite directions but parallel.  The track on this entry is called "sons", and a classical slow build turns into something brilliant around 13 minutes in, where his signature sound of these compilations becomes a bewildering and enthralling mix of electronic and classical, punctuated by a smattering of chopped and tagalong aesthetic vocals throughout.  The song lets off of the pedal (literally) for another comedown before entering into a concluding romp that even features a foray into rapping (by SHADI).  

The digital track is $16 dollars which might seem high, and it being included with the CD version for $19 may also seem high, but I would be surprised if anyone would be disappointed in that end result trade off.  Anyone not familiar with his catalogue, I'd definitely encourage and endorse seeking out his music; his works are as excellent as they are unique, even to his own albums.

Digital/CD

The Mars Volta - Landscape Tantrums

On April 23rd The Mars Volta released the box set 'La Realidad De Los Sueños' ("The Reality of Dreams"), the first ever full vinyl release of their current (winkwinknudgenudge) catalogue.  The box set was limited to 5000 copies at $429 pre-orders and was sold out instantly via distributor Cloud Hill Recordings.  Along with a few lesser discovered tracks, and a photo book compilation, arguably the most intriguing part of the package for longtime fans was the inclusion of 'Landscape Tantrums', annotated on the cover as "Unfinished Original Recordings of De-Loused in the Comatorium" [2002], which was the band's first full-length album.

I presume Rick Rubin wasn't involved yet during these original recordings, but tracks "Tira Me A Las Arañas" and "Cicatriz ESP" are absent, and the sound is markedly different from the final product (and as a minor mention, "Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of)" jumped from track 3 to track 1 on this version).  Entire sections are different, most notably the stylings and often lyrics of front man Cedric Bixler-Zavala, which the cover makes clear as "Vocals Unfinished"; the biggest obvious difference is that the thundering conclusion of "Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt" is completely instrumental aside the final few seconds.  It's pretty interesting to hear the metamorphosis the entire album took compared to these recordings, and also how much of it was already intact before finishing production.  Translated to an auditory sense, it feels like the equivalent of staring into a gem from a different angle.

The band released 'Landscape Tantrums' on digital streaming formats the same day, which I believe is only available for actual purchase/download on iTunes.

Digital

Physical/Box Set

...eBay?