New Album: Locanda delle Fate (Fading Records)

Fresh news from AltrOck/Fading Records as posted by Marcello Marinone on Progressive Ears:

Review: Ske - 1000 Autunni (2011, AltrOck)

I'd take a 1000 autumns over one summer.

New Releases From AltrOck

I love this label!
They keep outdoing themselves and coming up with great releases.

Review: Calomito - Cane Di Schiena (AltrOck, 2011)

Out on the outskirts of Rock, right near the border with Jazz, there lurks an Italian band who along with others of its ilk, tears down the fences marking the separations between genres and brings with it yet more influences in, forming a new musical landscape.

Review: Kurai - Kurai (2009, AltrOck)

The adjective Dark, to which the word Kurai references in Japanese according to the press release of this album, conjures many emotions and feelings. But in this case Kurai is not supposed to mean so. And so, when coming to interpret such a word, what approach would you use?

Altr0ck's February Releases Announced

From the Altr0ck newsletter:

4 new releases for AltrOck /Fading available February 25^th:

- AltrOck productions:

Humble Grumble "Flanders Fields"

Calomito  "Cane di Schiena"

Factor Burzaco “II”

- Fading records:

Sanhedrin “Ever After”

AltrOck/Fading

www.altrock.it

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. 

Review: Aranis - RoqueForte (2010, Altr0ck)

Aranis, the Flemish ensemble led by double-bassist Joris Vanvinckenroye, keep on evolving on their fourth album, RoqueForte, released on the fantastic Italian label, Altr0ck. While the first two albums provided beautiful chamber music with strong rhythmic backbone and some folk-ish tendencies, the third album presented more ambiance as well as vocalization.

In this album, they are joined four guests, Ward De Vleesschouwer (piano), Stefan Wellens (viola), Pierre Chevalier from Present and Univers Zero (piano) and Dave Kerman from 5UU’s, Thinking Plague and various other projects (drums and percussions). You’d think that adding drumming to their music would change their sound dramatically, but that is not the case at all. Dave Kerman’s drumming is subtle and not dominative and mingles perfectly with the rest of the instruments. In fact, it sounds as if the percussions were always a part of the band’s sound.

Review: miRthkon - Vehicle (2009)

The first I've heard of miRthkon was through their self-released their EP The Illusion Of Joy in 2006, which was a pleasant surprise. Here we have the band's first full length, Vehicle, released through the Italian label Altr0ck, responsible for other wonderful albums by bands such as Yugen and Rational Diet.

Read the rest after the jump

Review: Simon Steensland - Fat Again (2009)

Simon Steensland is a Swedish composer and self-taught multi-instrumentalist, though he started as a drummer at the age of 17. He releases both solo albums as well as composing for theater. His first solo release was in 1993, The Simon Lonesome Combat Ensemble, which he then followed up on with more albums, each of which had several usual musicians playing: drummer Morgan Agren and keyboards/piano player Mats Oberg.
The music was said to combine elements of jazz, neo-classical, rock and folk with a wide variety of instruments and to be influenced by Univers Zero, Art Zoyd, Present etc.
Here is a review I've written last year about his latest album to date, Fat Again, out on the exceptional label, Altr0ck.