Thank goodness for Tunng. After countless misused applications of the ubiquitous “folktronica” tag, we finally have something truly deserving to pin it on. The Birmingham, UK duo‘s first LP, Mother‘s Daughter & Other Songs, moves in and out of a dreamlike haze of gentle electronic gurgles and nostalgic acoustic meanderings, shifting with moods both whimsical and melancholy. Although the pair are clearly influenced by folk legends like Bert Jansch and John Fahey, their adroit use of electronics firmly entrenches them in the here and now, yielding compelling similarities to Beta Band, The Notwist, and MÙm. A beautiful and altogether poignant look back to the future.
Controller.Controller X-Amounts
Sometime during the recent ascendancy of dance-punk chic, we veered away from the punk part of the equation. Strategically ripped $60 tees do not punk rock make. Just ask Toronto‘s Controller.Controller. Anchored by singer Nirmala Basnayake‘s commanding presence-which at times reminds of Kristin Hersh or Andrea Zollo of Pretty Girls Make Graves-the quintet melds the staccato rhythmic signature of ‘80s New Wave and disco with the urgent melodic heaviness of golden-era punk and emo. Add a rhythm section tighter than a hipster‘s jeans and some stylish guitar interplay and X-Amounts adds up to compelling dance-punk calculus.
Music A.M. Unwound From The Woods
Even the most vivid dreams are often only silent films. However, had we the ability to score our dreams, Germany‘s Music A.M. would be the perfect accompaniment. With a gentle combination of minimal guitar, stuttering electronic percussion, and a swirling digital mist of various electronics, the trio creates the perfect backdrop for singer Luke Sutherland‘s distinctively breathy storytelling. With a calculated mix of high-art affectation and everyman seduction, Sutherland (not unlike Jeff Buckley or Sam Prekop) has the ability to use his voice with uncommon instrumentation. The result is much like a dream itself-both strangely alienating and eerily familiar.
Shakeyface Bicycle Day Boogaloo
Longtime NYC DJ Doug “Shakeyface” Smiley had to clear a hurdle to create his first LP: figuring out how to make a coherent album while coming from a seasoned mixtape mentality. Moving from moments of Dabrye-styled digital glitch to the abstract instrumentalism of Daedelus, Shakeyface sounds most at home on “Looking Ahead” and “As I Was Saying,” two plaintive, end-of-winter IDM repeat players. Ambitious, forward-thinking, and undeniably talented, Shakeyface has put together a palette of bright sonic colors on Bicycle Day Boogaloo; while he may not yet blend them with the skill of a master painter, this album nevertheless contains the first brushstrokes of a brilliant musical portrait.
Kero One Windmills Of The Soul
An emcee/producer/DJ based in the Bay Area, Kero One has been grinding for a decade now, and finally drops his full-length debut, Windmills of the Soul. Oozing dusty drum breaks, mellow loops, and live instrumentation aplenty-Fender Rhodes, sax, and guitar are all present-Windmills is grown-man hip-hop for all the golden-era cats. Lyrically, he delivers compelling and relatable tales of real-life situations, whether dealing with the ladies (“Tempted”), hectic situations (“In a Dream”), or his love of vinyl (“Keep It Alive!”). With high-profile collaborations on deck and a successful Japanese tour under his belt, look for Kero to start making big moves.
Subtractivelad Suture
Stephen Hummel has all the ingredients here for a really well-done, standard-issue experimental release-and therein lies the problem. Despite the dynamic soundscapes of “Petals,” the nanobotic percussion programming of “Sleepwalker,” and Hummel‘s arsenal of custom virtual instruments, Suture takes us down some pretty familiar roads–where echoes of early Neo Ouija, Rephlex, and Vertical Form are repackaged and stamped “experimental.” Although smoothly engineered, the balance tends to be tipped in favor of brooding synth pressure and largeness of sound, which often overshadows some of the album‘s truly brilliant moments.
Wechsel Garland Easy
On Easy, Wechsel Garland offers up his latest serving of fireside-chamomile electronica. But scaling back the electronic element almost entirely on some tracks, a good portion of the album plays like some ether-blurred Tropicana lounge experience (“Waves,” “Corona Loco”) or a foray into PBS‘s acoustic-music concert archives from ‘70s. The problem isn‘t the territory he tackles; rather that he does it so damned well. Easy really draws out its intended emotions-and whether we fancy Garland‘s schmaltzy, feel-good vocalisms or not, the instrumental potency cannot be denied.
Erast Cyberpunk
Presented in game-save menu format, the 16 tracks of Nika Machaidze‘s debut LP transcend the often-diluted soundtrack approach with a selection of superbly written and truly attention-grabbing electronic music. It would be pointless to assign genre references here, as Cyberpunk‘s progression takes the listener from the symphonic flutters of “Influtusa” and “TV Show” to the opiate pixilation of “Lullaby” and the fractured percussion of “Dimpitauri” in the space of one hour. Machaidze‘s film and video-production background is obvious, and he evokes emotion and imagery quite prominently throughout the album. My only complaint here is the lack of any embedded Quicktime eye candy. Maybe next time.
Depth Affect Arche-Lymb
Following up 2004‘s Mesquin EP, Depth Affect returns to Autres Directions to drop their debut album, sliding in nicely amongst the recent works of Prefuse 73 and Boom Bip as they steer their electronic/Instrumental/hip-hop fusion into sublime daydream territory. Employing the lyrical talents of the Cyne MCs (City Centre Offices) and Alias (Anticon), Arche-Lymb gets grounded with some serious street-level grit, while tracks like “Blinzeln Blume” and “Castor‘s Lesson” wash away all sense of form in a cerebral tide of synthetic ambience. Not a dud in the bunch-just press play and walk away.
Deux Process In Deux Time
MCs Vise Versa and Chief Nek grew up in Colorado Springs, a town known more for Rev. James Dobson‘s Focus on the Family organization than for hip-hop. After blowing up the Springs, they moved to LA and recorded this solid debut; on the introspective single “Everyday” they document this transition, with help from fellow Springs native/LA transplant Stro the 89th Key (The Procussions). Standout tracks here include the soulful “Sweet Music” and the banging hard “In Deux Time,” both of which announce the duo as an estimable presence in the City of Angels.
