Leech - Sapperlot (2024)

It's only February and it's the second post-rock album from Switzerland I'm posting here. I know, they're both from last year, but it doesn't matter. What matters is that it says a lot about the condition of the genre in the Alps and I can't stop saying that Switzerland is now chocolate, banks and great instrumental guitar music.

I have to admit that the album bought me with first notes. Literally, the first notes of Knock Knock feel so good, I can't explain it. Even if these slightly unnerving sounds don't represent the vibes of the whole album, they what drew me to the release so much. I'm saying that it's not a good representation because the album is... nice. The sound is very approachable, with extremely good flow and melodies fueled by synthy keys that are the background of every composition. It's not loud, it's not unnerving at all, it's like this perfect boy you'd want your daughter to mary. Even if you don't have a daughter at all.

And I can see how some may feel like it's not that good. But I can assure you, it is: the time goes so fast with the band's music. I find the synths always pretty transcendental, their vibes make it easier for me to flow in the sound without thinking about my physical self. And as the guitar side of Leech's music doesn't overwhelms the delicate synths, it's very easy to do just that with Sapperlot.

Sapperlot costs 20 CHF (22 EUR).

Check: Knock Knock

Country: Switzerland

Genre: synthy post-rock

Label: Instarmental Records

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Throw Down Bones - Three (2023)

The newest album from the Fuzz Club Records powerhouse is provided by the Italian Piemonte's artist from Throw Down Bones. For the trio, it is the third album in discography and they fittingly called it Three. With no doubt, it is filled with a super interesting take on instrumental music.

Although the music here is certainly based on guitars and it's mostly instrumental, I can't say it sounds like your typical post-rock music. First of all, the synthy electronica has a lot to say here: I love how the gut-reaching electronic noise dominates Optichrome and how well the smaller but viable distortion compliment the guitar compositions. This crazy post-industrial vibe rules the whole album. It makes the music go insanely fast (the pace on Loma!), hits like a bullet and make the unique and strong impression on the listeners.

Three costs 8 EUR (7 GBP).

Check: Loma

Country: Italy

Genre: post-industrial post-rock

Label: Fuzz Club Records

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Natt - Natt (2023)

Four artists with long musical CVs (including René Misje from the band called Krakow, which is especially interesting for me, a person living in this city) from Bergen joined forces to create an interesting post-rock music album filled with great synthy flow.

This flow is what makes it quite special. The Norwegians decided to build the album out of three, long compositions and the synth sounds are what keeps them together and make it so ridiculously catchy for the listener. The compositions, although guitar-rich and heavy, feel like instrumental bangers the audience can swallow with one bite. Even though the last, 20-minutes-long track develops very slowly, the smooth post-rock it eventually produces is super satisfying. This flow plays perfectly with the rather slow pace of the guitar music, making the whole experience feel like loud honey poured into your ears.

Also, it's wort pointing out that the cover art is one of its kind: a beautiful painting that looks like a dark collage and it's something I dig for sure.

Natt costs 7 EUR.

 

Check: Skillevei

Country: Norway

Genre: synth post-rock

Label: Edged Circle Productions

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Ben Haskins - Dinner Party (2022)

I thoroughly enjoyed Ben Haskins' 2021 album Oh Believers, Run! and it seems that the Canadian artist is a real machine to make good post-rock releases, especially that he shows them very often: Dinner Party is already the second one this year. And it may as well be the best one yet.

Although this is a solo post-rock enterprise, the way Haskins generate the attention-grabbing atmosphere is one of the kind. His music is not very loud and noisy but it seduces the audience with the flow and easy-listening synth backgrounds making it sort of a post-rock trip-hop combination. This makes the album run like a mountain spring, even if it's not the fastest music either. The album is structured like the title's party - it starts with a promising aperitif goes through the main course and everything a (Victorian?) fancy dinner should involve. And what it really shouldn't. The most important thing is though that no guest will leave it unsatisfied, that's for sure.

Dinner Party costs 5.5 EUR (7 CAD).

Ben Haskins - Oh Believers, Run! (2021)

Check: The Main Course

Country: Canada

Genre: synthy post-rock

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Nordic Giants - Symbiosis (2022)

The third album from the British dark-folk-inspired electronic post-rock duo Nordic Giants is here and, as always, Symbiosis is a must-go-to for anyone who subscribes to the atmospheric post-rock music, even if it's delivered by very modern means.

The Rôka & Löki duo make a real experience when seen live. The attention to the band's image with the audiovisuals, costumes and the show in general, is beyond spectacular. I remember them from their Kraków gig back in 2017 and the memory is very vivid, no wonder that they advertise this aspect of their works even before mentioning their own music by saying that this "visceral experience that goes beyond the normal descriptors". This image is backed up by the music itself - clearly very fresh and modern take on post-rock music, but, at the same time, extremely atmospheric and massive. They create their music based on the prominent role of keyboard and synth beauty that is turned into loud post-rock by electronic noise and drums' tenacity. I love this balance between the traditional and the modern, the catchy and the atmospheric which is, again, especially well-tangible during the live shows.

This multidimensional approach to music is only strengthen by the inclusion of guest artists with Freyja (who cooperates with the duo frequently; here, in my favourite track on the album: Spheres), Welsh Chae Antony Winter and indie folk singer/songwriter Alex Hedley as vocalists as well as the addition of strings that always bring some fantastic atmospheric value. While the album clearly is quite diverse, it creates one very coherent, Nordic-inspired spectacle.

Symbiosis costs 7.5 EUR (5.99 GBP).

Check: Spheres

Country: UK

Genre: synth post-rock

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