Streaming album: Earth - gels of Darkness, Demons of Light 1

Go here to stream the new Earth album, Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light 1, coming out on Southern Lord on February 22nd.

Streaming album: Amplifier - The Octopus

You can stream the double album, The Octopus by Amplifier here (scroll down a bit until you see the album art work and click on it).

News: The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble to release new album - From The Stairwell

From TKDE website:

THE KILIMANJARO DARKJAZZ ENSEMBLE are a project which has always been tied to films. Films are luxurious because they dispose of all these boring, unimportant, and trivial parts of our lives. This allows them to fully control our sensations, to put us in a very specific mood. Joy and sadness are occasionally OK, endless joy or endless sadness are clinical. But there is one sensation which can be persistent and unconditionally bearable at the same time. In the absence of a better alternative, let's call it "the mood". The mood is what TKDE are aiming at. The mood.

The mood is infinite and illimitable, but not uniform and unique. On "From The Stairwell", TKDE deliver eight new incarnations of the mood. Stairwells have always been intriguing. They appear to unavoidably lead you to your destination, but they only disclose the path bit by bit. What lies far ahead of you and far beyond you is hidden in the shadows. The stairwell could just as well be infinite. You climb up this murky stairwell, passing by many doors. Every door contains a variation of the mood, a short film, a song. You open the first one, "All Is One". The evaporating mist discloses a large and empty room with a barstool in the middle. On the barstool, a chanteuse from the roaring twenties. Her voice starts to trigger vibrations of the ground, the walls start spiralling around her, but she remains untouched in the eye of the storm. Second room, "Giallo". Sly guy, telling smile, nice suit. Walking down the streets in the dusk. The ambience starts to get out of phase, the guy stumbles in horror while blending with the surrounding to a brown soup. Fourth room. "Cocaine". Naked people with pig heads crawl on the floor, on the walls, on the ceiling. They try to hopelessly suck up the white dust which covers every single piece of this room and is constantly spit out by tubes coming out of the walls. Dissonant sounds accompany the work of this desperate hive. As the people manage to counteract the tubes, fragile melodies start to overpower the dissonances. Sixth room, "Cotard Delusion". Baby morphing into a black fluid morphing into an old man which turns his eyes inwards and finds his inside to be completely empty. The journey up the stairwell, down the stairwell, continues. The pictures fill your head and make you forget where you wanted to go in the first place.

"From The Stairwell" is a surprise and a logical step at the same time. It is a surprise because the songs are far less beat-driven in comparison to TKDE's earlier works, and even contain a few hopeful tints here and there. It is a logical step because in the end each song turns to have a very diverse dramaturgic flow. This could raise the conjecture that TKDE, initially started out to make music for existing and non-existing films, wanted to incorporate the audiovisual impression completely into songs, making the films superfluous. At times, "From The Stairwell" makes you think of 60's soundtracks, but the organic feeling of those is always interwoven with mechanical elements. Altogether, every single of the numerous details present in TKDE's new songs feels to be at the right place and you can either just dive into the mood or pick one of the many aspects and enjoy it on its own - be it Gideon Kiers' beats & fx, Jason Kˆhnen's bass & piano, Hilary Jeffery's trombone, Charlotte Cegarra's voice & piano, Eelco Bosman's guitar, Nina Hitz' cello, Sarah Anderson's violin, or - appearing as guest musicians - EirÌkur ”li ”lafsson's trumpet and Coen Kaldeway's saxophone & bass clarinet.


In addition to this check out the new album Anthropomorphic by The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation:

The Electro-Lounge Series - #1: Amon Tobin

Before I dive into the subject matter of this post, I'd like to explain my reasons for starting this series. 

First of all, this series will focus on music of the following styles: electronic, lounge, downtempo, chill-out and with jazzy undertones.

Second, the reason I'm doing this is because in the last 5-6 months I've been getting more and more into this type of music. Music that is electronic at its basis but strives (and succeeds) to unleash itself from its parental holds. Electronic music that goes well beyond its comfortable niche, experiments and incorporates sounds and styles from other niches, thereby becoming eclectic in nature.

It started when I heard two groups: Fonderia from Italy and Hidden Orchestra from Scotland (both of which have been featured in this blog). I then looked around for more similar bands/artists and asked for guidance from friends on the Progressive Ears forum. I got very good advice and also independently found fascinating artists that make compelling and beautiful music. Red Snapper, Bonobo, Aim, Lymbyc Systym, Xploding Plastix and others. All bands/musicians that manage to create fascinating musical landscapes that are made up of various and once-disparate elements. I am now enthralled with these bands and these sounds and can't seem to get enough.

This first post in the series will be dedicated to Amon Tobin who's been at the forefront of this style for over a decade now.

A Song To Open Up Your Eyes To...: The Shadow Theory - I Open Up My Eyes

Recommendations from the Bandcamps

Apologies for not posting anything in the last days. My workload in the lab has risen and so my time for the blog as accordingly diminished proportionally.

However, I'll now present you with some nice finds from Bandcamp. After the jump, that is...

Recommendation: Amplifier - The Octopus (2010)

The trio of Amplifier from Manchester has been making some noise since their s/t debut released in 2004 and the sophomore album, Insider from 2006.



I've only had the pleasure of hearing their first album and was quite taken by their space-rock brand, but I was not prepared for the surprise held within the opus that is the double album, The Octopus, released in 2010. This album sees them being quite experimental and daring while still providing their sharp and catchy space-rock tunes. I'm still absorbing this album but it gets better with each listen. A real treat!

You can stream it on their Bandcamp:

Totally Unrelated: For Graduate Students world-round

Being a grad student myself (molecular and cellular biology), I found the next clip quite funny but also very VERY true and relevant.
This clip about the hardships of grad students, was done by members of the Zheng lab at Baylor College of Medicine.
By the way, I don't know this song, but it sucks! Wish they'd used some other song instead.

A song for a New Dark Age: Solstive - New Dark Age/The Sleeping Tyrant

Warm up your day with some doom metal by Solstice

Review: American Hollow - Whisper Campaign (2010)

Here’s once again an album I have problem reviewing.

The music doesn’t do much for me.

I listen to it, and for the most part, I am simply not moved or engaged.

But I can recognize it is quality music into which a lot of thought, time and effort went into making. I can also tell that other people will love this.

So, what do I do?

Do I write about how each time I listened to the album, it sounded all too similar to me with little variation between the songs? Or do I write about how I think this album would sound to others? Or do I just write drily about what the music sounds like? Do all of the above?

I’m not sure let’s see together…

Dark Ambiances Series - Pt. 5: Asianova

During 2010, as I was looking for more dark ambient music, I came upon a project called Asianova. Intrigued by the name, I proceeded to get hold of two recordings: Among Grey Ghosts and Love Like a Veiled Threat.

Both of these impressed me enough to want to track their other releases and to find out more about them.

And so I found out that this group is (or was) in fact a collaborative project from San Francisco, CA, consisting of Ure Thrall and his then partner, vocalist Pamela Passmore with Voice Of Eye members Jim Wilson, Bonnie McNairn. Ure Thrall is a proficient musician who releases music under his own name as well (and indeed, I shall proceed to listen to some of his solo albums as well as Voice Of Eye).

Agalloch Announce US East Coast Tour

From Profound Lore:

AGALLOCH - Announce East Coast Tour
Following their triumphant West Coast tour this past December, Pacific Northwest metal band AGALLOCH will be embarking on a long-awaited East Coast run in support of their critically acclaimed album “Marrow Of The Spirit”, one of the most celebrated metal releases of 2010. Likewise, Profound Lore Records recording artists WORM OUROBOROS (also featuring AGALLOCH and LUDICRA drummer Aesop Dekker) will serve as direct support to AGALLOCH on the tour.

AGALLOCH guitarist Don Anderson commented: “After seven years we are pleased to announce that we are returning to the East Coast for a series of performances with our good friends and fellow Profound Lore recording artists Worm Ouroboros. We’ll also be playing dates in both select areas of the South and Canada. The last time we played on the East Coast was in February of 2004 with The Gathering and Novembers Doom. People can catch ongoing updates on the upcoming tour via our official Facebook page.”

The dates go as follows:

03/17 – Austin, TX @ Barbarella Patio (as part of the Nanotear Showcase at SXSW)
03/18 – New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks
03/19 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl (w/LOSS)
03/20 – Raleigh, NC @ King’s Barcade
03/21 – Baltimore, MD @ The Sonar
03/22 – New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge
03/23 – Cambridge, MA @ Middle East
03/24 – Montreal, QC @ Cafe Campus
03/25 – London, ON @ The Music Hall
03/26 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
03/27 – Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s Rock Club

Also AGALLOCH have been confirmed for this year’s Scion Rock Fest to take place March 05 in Pomona, California. More info concerning this year’s Scion Rock Fest (which is free for all those who RSVP) can be read HERE.

A tune and animation: Xploding Plastix - Joy Comes In The Morning

I'll be starting another series like the Dark Ambiances series that will focus on electronic/lounge/downtempo/jazzy music. The thing is I don't know how to call it, so if anyone has any good ideas, please let me know (and you'll be credited of course).
Here's a little teaser for the sort of music to be featured there.

News: Scale The Summit Announce New Album

From the Prosthetic Records newsletter:

SCALE THE SUMMIT Announce New Album and Unveil Cover Artwork
March 1 Set as Release Date for "The Collective," Pre-order Available Now
 

 

Houston-based progressive-instrumentalists SCALE THE SUMMIT have announced the title of their third album, "The Collective," due out on March 1 on Prosthetic Records. It's the follow-up to their 2009 critically acclaimed Prosthetic debut, "Carving Desert Canyons."  The album was recorded at Paint It Black Studios in Orlando, FL with producer Mark Lewis (Devildriver, All That Remains, The Black Dahlia Murder). The standard CD is available now for pre-order, as is a signed booklet version bundled with a high quality, limited edition, American Apparel shirt. Order it now at: http://ht.ly/3GM6T

As announced earlier this week, the band will be on tour in March and April with Fair to Midland and Periphery. The dates are:

3/3        Houston, TX- Warehouse Live

3/4        Dallas, TX- Trees

3/5        Austin, TX- Emo's Inside

3/6        Lubbock, TX- Jake's Sports Café

3/8        Mesa, AZ- The Underground

3/9        Victorville, CA- VVEC

3/11      West Hollywood, CA- Whisky A Go-Go

3/12      Bakersfield, CA- Jerry's Pizza

3/13      Sacramento, CA- Ace Of Spades

3/15      Portland, OR- Hawthorne Theatre

3/16      Seattle, WA- Studio Seven

3/17      Spokane, WA- The A Club

3/18      Boise, ID- The Venue

3/20      Colorado Springs, CO- The Black Sheep

3/21      Denver, CO- Marquis Theatre

3/23      Cedar Falls, IA- The Wheelhouse

3/24      St. Paul, MN- Station 4

3/25      Flint, MI- The Machine Shop

3/26      Madison, WI- The Annex

3/28      Chicago, IL- Bottom Lounge

3/29      Toronto, ON- Mod Club

3/30      Pittsburgh, PA- Smiling Moose

4/1        Hartford, CT- Webster Underground

4/2        Worcester, MA-The Palladium

4/3        Philadelphia, PA- The Barbary

4/6        New York, NY- Santo's Party House

4/7        Springfield, VA- Jaxx

4/8        Knoxville, TN- The Cider House

4/9        Asheville, NC- The Orange Peel

4/10      Atlanta, GA- The Masquerade

4/12      New Orleans, LA- The Parish @ House of Blues

4/13      Little Rock, AR- Juanita's

4/14      Tulsa, OK- The Marquee

4/15      Oklahoma City, OK- Conservatory

SCALE THE SUMMIT formed in 2005 while attending the Musicians' Institute in Los Angeles. The band relocated to Texas in 2006, where they recorded their first, self-released album. After signing with Prosthetic, they released "Carving Desert Canyons", which Revolver called, "a cinematic blast of intricately melodic fretwork and pummeling percussion," in 2009. 

The band, who received praise from Guitar World for their "tightly-woven guitar interplay, irregular time signatures and tasteful licks," has toured with the likes of PROTEST THE HERO, BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME, CYNIC, THE DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT and were handpicked by DREAM THEATER to participate in the 2009 installment of their famed "Progressive Nation" festival tour. SCALE THE SUMMIT has also been featured prominently in Guitar Player magazine, and has tracks available for the Rock Band video game through the Rock Band Network.

A song to learn Hebrew with...: אריק איינשטיין - עטור מצחך

Arik Einstein - "Atour Mits'chech" (roughly translates into: crowned/decorated is your forehead)

The most beautiful song in the Hebrew language, both lyrics and melody-wise



Words - Avraham Chalfi
Music - Yoni Rechter

Dark Ambiances Series - Pt. 4: Lustmord (Brian Williams)

The 4th installment in my meager attempts to focus on ambient soundscapes and textures of the darker kind is about a musician who has been said to have created the "dark ambient" style.

Whether you agree or not, one can't deny the influence of his music, the setting of the path by his early albums and the sheer intensity of the sounds he makes.

A song to stare at Finnish chicks with...: Värttinä - Riena

...but also pay attention to the music...

...and to the guys playing behind the women singing...

Värttinä - Riena

Review: Pikapika Teart - Moonberry (2010, Atr0ck)

Do you know many bands from Siberia?

Whatever the case, here’s a group from Krasnoyarsk deserving your attention.

Pikapika Teart begain its life in 2004 with common love for the music of Aranis, King Crimson, Henry Cow, Fred Frith as well as Stravinsky, Schostakovich and Schnittke. The fact that there album is out on the Italian label Altr0ck is the result of Marcello Marinone (the band behind the label) discovering the band’s music on their Myspace in 2006. Thus began an online communication (using translators) about releasing their music on the label, followed by the hardship of finding a proper studio for them to record in. Eventually the obstacles were conquered and we have the opportunity to hear this band’s music.

Review: Spleen Arcana - The Field Where She Died (2008)

French musician Julien Gaullier, a self-taught multi-instrumentalist, pulls off an impressive achievement with his first album The Field Where She Dies. Having written the material over several years, he recorded the music, singing and playing all the various instruments except for the drums which are played by David Peron and there are addition vocals sung by Marie Guillaumet.

Dark Ambiances Series - Pt. 3: Bohren & der Club of Gore

By now a force to be reckoned with, Bohren & der Club of Gore started its way back in 1988 as the members, school friends, started playing together, having common passion for extreme music. They were: Thorsten Benning (drums), Robin Rodenberg (Bass), Reiner Henseleit (guitar), Morten Gass (guitar/piano).

More after the Jump...

Review: Star FK Radium - Blue Siberia (2010)

 

Star FK Radium play a calm and slow brand of instrumental folk/(acoustic) rock presented in attractive and melancholic tunes. In their press sheet I saw them mention that they are playing chamber rock. Now the chamber rock I know is quite different than their music, so I’ll let the listeners decide that.

The band is the trio of Alissa Taylor (violin), Bill Martien (acoustic guitar) and Matt Clarke (drums).

While the acoustic guitar brings about scents of folk music pastures and occasionally rock textures, the violin lays atop with its own melodic line and embellishments, all the while the restrained and subtle drumming provides a delicate undertone at times and in others a rhythmic basis for the other two to lean on.

Zoe Keating 2011 Live Shows

So this email from Zoe Keating came in a while back, but I only now found it in my gmail spam box (it's amazing how many legit email goes there; it's becoming a bit embarrassing when emails from friends and artists go right there and then I don't see and don't respond and they get mad or frustrated; which is why I am every week or so going over the spam box to salvage such emails).

Anyway... this email came a while back talking about her upcoming 2011 shows in the USA and one in Mexico.
To anyone who likes the cello, chamber music and just beautiful music, I encourage you to discover Zoe's music and perhaps go to one of these shows. My wife and I will be attending the NYC show on March 6th.

The email is after the jump

miRthkon Will Release A DVD in 2011

News posted by miRthkon here:


miRthkon: the DVD: THE TRAILER from miRthkon on Vimeo.

That’s right folks. We’ve done the market research, we’ve held the focus groups, and the data speaks for itself: consumers want a live, avant-prog musical experience seamlessly intertwined with immersive, mind-altering video content, all laser-inscribed onto a shiny polycarbonate disc and projected directly onto their retinae for optimal neural absorption.

So that’s what we’ve made.

To celebrate the impending approach of this momentous event in human history, we’ve thrown together a little trailer chock full of all the good parts from the film (plus some filler). And because we truly care about getting you to pay attention to us, we’ve thrown in tons of enormous boom sound effects just to be sure that you know you’re watching a real honest-to-god movie trailer.

miRthkon: the DVD
• Featuring footage from our Earth-shattering performance at CalProg 2010 in Whittier, CA
• 14 songs, 4 of which have NEVER BEEN RELEASED before this.
• All songs a helluva lot faster than on VEHICLE, cause you know, you release something again it better be better, and FASTER means BETTER
• 32-track live audio recording mixed by Wally Scharold
• Choice selections from our vast library of stupid short films
• Digital versions of the entire audio program for your Zune
• Countless disturbingly apt non sequiturs
• Mounds and mounds of delicious julienned vegetables!
• Lots of other goodies too numerous, complex, and profound to be described in human language
Coming in 2011!

A song for... Oh, just listen to it, will you?: Nuova Era - Il Passo Del Soldato

Nuova Era recently released a new album after reforming and so I thought of highlighting my favourite album and particularly my faovurite song by this Italian progressive rock band.

The said album is their 4th release, and if I'm not mistaken has no guitar on it, but on the other hand has stunning keyboards work and presence courtesy of Walter Pini and the fabulous vocals by Claudio Guerinni.

Here's the title track from Nuova Era's 4th album, Il Passo Del Soldato

A Tune to Nod Your Head to...: Finch - Register Magister

As the week draws to a close predicted to be accompanied by another snow storm I found myself sitting alone at home forcing myself to do some work, but procrastination had won the battle. I then found myself humming this tune...



The band is Finch from Holland and the album is Glory of the Inner Force.
You can find the rest of this album on youtube, should you desire to do so.

Review: Oaksenham - Conquest of the Pacific (2007)

Oaksenham from Armenia play instrumental progressive, folk-ish rock. You can read more about them here.

Vahagn Papayan – bass	Anna Adamyan – keyboards	Valery Tolstov – flute
Koryun Bobikyan - violin	Vardan Gasparyan – guitar	Ashot Korganyan – drums

They released one album through Musea in 2007 reviewed after the jump, as well as a self-released live album.

Band in the Spotlight: Phlox (Estonia; fusion/avant)

Estonian band playing fusion but isn't afraid of going beyond and experimenting.
After the Jump read about the band and listen to their music

Stream the new Decemberists album on NPR

Head over to NPR to stream the new Decemberists album, The King Is Dead

Grayceon Releases New Album on March 1st, 2011

From Grayceon:

Hello and greetings from San Francisco! ~

First, of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! This is a very special announcement...

We have finally finished our third album entitled "All We Destroy" which will be released on March 1, 2011 by Profound Lore Records. We are so proud of this album and feel it is our strongest, heaviest, most epic album to date. You can read the full press release from Profound Lore here: http://www.profoundlorerecords.com//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1071&Itemid=2 and you can hear one of our favorite tracks off the new album, Shellmounds, by either following the link at the bottom of Profound Lore's press release or visiting one of our numerous web sites:
Official website www.grayceon.com,
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Grayceon/232758521607?v=app_178091127385,
Myspace http://www.myspace.com/grayceon.

We would also like to announce our CD release show which will take place on February 11th at Bottom of the Hill with friends and label mates Worm Ouroboros and a new band we love called Hollow Mirrors. If you pay entry into this show, you get a copy of "All We Destroy" for FREE!!! You heard it right, you get our new album two weeks before the release date for absolutely free with entry into the show. So, if you are local, please come out and show your support. Details follow this email.

Please contact the label directly if you are press and would like to review it or interview the band, etc. You can email them here: info@profoundlorerecords.com.

Thank you and we wish you a happy, healthy new year!

xo, ~ Grayceon


SHOW DETAILS...

February 11, 2011
GRAYCEON'S "ALL WE DESTROY" CD RELEASE SHOW!!!

GRAYCEON
WORM OUROBOROS
HOLLOW MIRRORS

Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco, CA
***FREE Grayceon CD upon paid entry into show***
$10 advance tix, $12 at the door
Buy your advance tickets NOW here: http://www.stubmatic.com/bottomofthehill/event/6242
Receive ticket upon entry of show and get free copy of Grayceon's new album anytime during the show at the merch booth!"


The press release by Profound Lore:

GRAYCEON - Complete New Album/Announce Release Show Bay Area atypical progressive rock/metal three-piece GRAYCEON have completed their new and strongest release to date, their third full-length album entitled “All We Destroy”.  The band have also announced their record release show on Feb 11th (at Bottom Of The Hill, San Francisco) to coincide with the release.  And it will be at this event where the band will be giving away free copies of the new album for all those who attend (more news on this following said album announcement).


Since their formation in the mid-part of the last decade, GRAYCEON would immediately be recognized as one of the most creative and unique forces within the Bay Area underground metal scene, parallel to such contemporaries as LUDICRA, HAMMERS OF MISFORTUNE, SLOUGH FEG, AMBER ASYLUM, ASUNDER, and WORM OUROBOROS, these bands representing a movement in a scene which many have claimed as America’s best and most artistically potent.

Always hard to classify, the eclectic nature of GRAYCEON has always worked to the band’s advantage when trying to pinpoint the unique and epic nature of their music.  Featuring members of the VOIVOD-esque Bay Area forward-thinking thrash/punk metal band WALKEN and cellist/vocalist Jackie Perez Gratz (of GIANT SQUID, and who also has served as the recording cellist for bands like AGALLOCH, OM, ASUNDER, CATTLE DECAPITATION, AMBER ASYLUM, and NEUROSIS), GRAYCEON is solely comprised of cello, guitars, drums, and vocals (male and female respectively).  By combining elements of progressive rock/metal, sludge/doom metal, neo-classical chamber music, and neo-folk, “All We Destroy” follows the band’s previous two releases (namely their self-titled debut and their sophomore release “This Grand Show”) and builds upon the sound they formulated into something heavier, and more moving, while at the same time, something much more frantic and devastating. 

Overall, “All We Destroy” is an album that deploys a punishing seductive power.  One of ferocity, beauty, and modern-day tragedy.

To be released officially March 1st, tracklisting for “All We Destroy” goes as follows:

1.    Dreamer Deceived
2.    Shellmounds
3.    We Can
4.    Once A Shadow
5.    A Road Less Traveled
6.    War's End

An MP3 of the track “Shellmounds” can be heard HERE
GRAYCEON ANNOUNCE RECORD RELEASE SHOW, FREE CD COPY OF “ALL WE DESTROY” TO BE GIVEN AWAY WITH ENTRY

As previously mentioned, GRAYCEON will be playing their record release show on Feb 11th at Bottom Of The Hill in San Francisco (1233 17th street, doors are at 8:30) and it will be at this show where GRAYCEON will be giving away copies of their new CD. For every entry at the door with a paid ticket that person will receive a free/complimentary copy of “All We Destroy” courtesy of the band several weeks before the album’s release date.  Profound Lore recording artist WORM OUROBOROS will also be playing the show respectively along with Hollow Mirrors.

Also on the live front, look for GRAYCEON to make their rounds at this year’s SXSW in March.

Support a Musical Project: The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble

The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble have turned fully independent and have decided the fund their 3rd release with funding using Pledge Music (the equivalent to Kickstarter).

Here is their Pledge Music page and the announcement and video from it about their upcoming release and its funding:


The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble : Album Pledge from TheKilimanjaroDarkjazzEnsemble on Vimeo.

"The shift in music (business) culture has been an interesting one to say the least.

We’ve always been some what leftfield in our ideas and music. Trying to develop and focus on new ideas in our music, visuals, live shows and developing the band in its entirity.

We have decided to be fully independent and to finance our new album with funding via Pledge Music.

The reason is basically because without a label there are quite some costs involved for producing an album.

Rehearsals, studio time, equipment, mastering, (pre) production, artwork and probably some other details which we will encounter during the process.

The feedback we got from our fanbase reassured us that all of you fully backed our idea, and this has convinced us that this will be a good move in order to make the best album for the people who enjoy our music.

So, we’d like to thank you already for believing in us, and funding our new album. It makes us feel good that we are being backed by the people who love our music!

Also we would like to further ask your support to spread the news to people who might be interested in this fund.

All the production and promotional costs will be part of this pledge, covering rehearsals, pre-production, studio, mastering, artwork, pressing, etc.

The album will be available digitally (all formats), CD (special packaging), 2xLP and a limited exclusive box edition.

The pledge will also offer new merchandise (shirts, hoodies, stickers, buttons and posters).

Please note that standard shipping costs are costly these days. Therefore pledge prices (especially outside Europe) are a bit more pricey.

We are always open to all feedback, so don’t hesitate to drop us a line at : info@tkde.net

Thanks in believing in us!

TKDE.
"

Recommendation: Cicada (Taiwan, chamber music)

I honestly don't remember I found out about this neo-classical/chamber outfit, but I'm glad I did.
If you like subtle chamber music and Yann Tiersen-like melodies, you may very well enjoy the EP offering by this group.
All info I've come across is in, surprise, Chinese, so I can't be of much help except provide links and a video and their English bio form their Facebook:

"Formed by cello, violin, acoustic guitar and piano at the end of 2009, Cicada is a chamber music band from Taiwan. The band was named after Cicada because people are aware of cicada's existence by their sound
but not their forms.

Over the Sea / Under the Water is the debut EP of Cicada. Recorded live in the living room, the EP was hand crafted by Jesy Chiang. Narrative is one of the subjects in Cicada's music and inspiration normally came from daily life. The opening is a tribute to the Morakot typhoon victims as well as an expression toward Taiwanese political standing. The last three songs tell a story from a couple's separation to reunion. Throughout the naming, orchestration, and the composition, Cicada's music creates delicate images for audiences."

Myspace
Facebook
Label
StreetVoice
iTunes
eMusic

Youtube channel

New Altr0ck titles announced for 2011

Just got an email from one of the finest progressive/avant focused labels, the Italian Altr0ck (Yugen, Rational DIet, miRthkon etc.):

"Here some AltrOck releases for 2011/nuove uscite AltrOck 2011:

Calomito "Cane di schiena" 
Camembert
Factor Burzaco "II"
Humble Grumble "Flanders Fields "
October Equus
Subtilior (By Michele Epifani)

FADING:
Abrete Gandul "Enjambre Sismico"
Sanhedrin "Ever after"
Ske 

Happy new year!
Stay tuned!!!!

AltrOck team

www.altrock.it

"

Needless to say, I'm psyched about these releases and am very happy as to how this label keeps evolving and expanding. Kudos!
I'm particularly looking forward to the new Abrete Gandul, October Equus and Camembert albums as well as the debuts by Israeli band Sanherin and the Ske album. 

Dark Ambiances Series - Pt. 2: The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation

We continue our journey into the dark corners of the human mind with The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation.
The alternate identity of The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble, this project covers similar sinister and eerie territories and is dark sounding. As the bad puts it: "The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation is a live improv jazz/drone/doom sideproject consisting of TKDE members and a host of interchanging guest musicians."
The music is mysterious, evocative, creepy and beautiful.
Their second offering, Succubus from 2009, accompanies the 1969 movie of the same name, by Jess Franco. Said to be a live improvisation recording (while watching the movie), this doesn't sound improvised to me, just showing how spectacular the interplay, tuning and musical conversation between the musicians are.

Here's how they describe the recording of their second album, Succubus:

On the 15th of January 2009, The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble gathered at a studio in the Netherlands to shake out the rust before going on tour. One wisely recorded improv session later, these film buffs emerged with a seventy-five minute love-letter to the movie they habitually watched while recording: Jess Franco’s Succubus. Capturing the taboos and temptation of its source-film’s eroticism, The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble transformed themselves into The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation, trading their past efforts in metal for a greater emphasis on free-form jazz. A Succubus – meaning, a demon that fornicates with human prey – deserves a soundtrack of such alluring menace. With the lead-off track’s deep drones and loose cymbal hits, ‘The Sexy Midnight Torture Show’ doesn’t sound like the taping of an S&M performance at all; in fact, it sounds as if whoever was responsible for recording jetted for the venue’s dark back-alley. Into the shadows, after all, is ultimately where Succubus belongs, amid the gothic gloom of urban and social decay. As the echoed drums of ‘Perverted Pleasure Party’ clatter like rain on trashcans, the violin in ‘Fleeing the Scene’ seems to ricochet across the buildings of an abandoned metropolis. Needless to say, Succubus can illustrate morose bleakness to the extreme. Mercifully, the Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation avoids completely bumming us out with a scattered handful of tracks that individually combat this near-impenetrable darkness. ‘Erotic Love Queen’ for example, parts the grisly clouds of its preceding segue with warm bass movements and soaring trombone while album highlight ‘The Admiral’s Game’ incorporates such elements into a visceral build worthy of post-rock’s pioneers. It’s a strategic success; after a few tracks of androgynous drones weigh us down, the collective eases you back with the tender sighs of trombone and muted vocals. Such instruments are as fundamental to the soul of Succubus as they are payoff for us listeners. Although Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation don’t intend for this release to stand as soundtrack to Jess Franco’s 1969 cult favourite, it certainly ebbs and flows with the sympathy necessary to compliment moody cinema. In the case of ‘A Bad Trip’, the soundtrack is purely subconscious, operating on the minimal scale of tense bass and distant brass before ‘A Place for Fantasies’ subtly rises into trombone-squiggles and foggy ambiance. By the record’s last third, there’s little point trying to distinguish this track-by-track; as surely as Succubus was recorded live in one take, it deserves to be heard as such. Pertinent to its muse, this follow-up to the Mutations EP is a tad frightful but wholly encompassing, and while it’s best heard at night, don’t dare play Succubus in the dark. Skeleton Crew Quarterly.

credits

released 01 June 2009 Köhnen : Bass Kiers : Drums Bosman : Guitars Jeffery : Trombone / Oscillators Cegarra : Vocals Anderson : Violin

 

You can stream their release Doomjazz Future Corpses here.
You can stream both albums in their bandcamp.
Stream and listen to music after the Jump