AtonalitA - Collaboration of Souls (2023)

I know Siamak Ghorbanian Aghdam, from his previous album as AtonalitA, as a solo artist who combines post-rock music with the sounds of violin. However, it seems that he doesn't want to work only on his own as his new album, fittingly called Collaboration of Souls, offers a broad variety of unique collabs.

The thing that immediately draws attention is certainly the list of guest musicians. It includes tones of either solo post-rockers (the abyss inside us, The Glass Pavilion) or lesser known bands (like my compatriots from YENISEI). This is a prime selection from the underground post-rock world (literally from all around the globe). As on his solo works, violin is what drives the compositions enriching them with this hard-to-miss nostalgic and beautiful atmosphere. They are accompanied by mostly acoustic and not-that-overwhelming post-rock music, but this means that the violin is only better audible. 

Collaboration of Souls costs 3 USD.

Check: Lost in Memories

Country: Iran

Genre: violin-led post-rock

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Antonina Car - Immersed Sensibilities (2022)

Just a couple of weeks ago I posted on this blog about the new EP by Miłosz Kędra. One of the best tracks here was his duo with Antonina Car and now I'm happy to write that this fairly unknown Polish violinist/cellist released her own debut album in December last year. It is called Immersed Sensibilities and shows fantastic ability to create very artsy and very moody music.

Although Car is a violinist, her music is far from being simply a violin music. This album is filled with experiment-fueled compositions that make use of piano sounds, electronic samples and variety of instruments like violin, baritone violin, cello, keyboards, and synthesizers. And also the artist's vocals as while making the album, she grew to perceive her own voice as one of the instruments she could use. Those vocals provide some kind of melodic music framework to some parts of the album, making them into the avant-garde art pop that is as beautiful as it is experimental. But it is clear to me that Car (whose name is closer to tsar than to an automobile if anyone's wondering) aims mostly towards creating a violin-led soundscape that is more intriguing and curiosity-sparking than only melancholic as her main instrument would suggest.

Immersed Sensibilities costs 4.5 EUR (21 PLN).

Miłosz Kędra - For Aeons (2022)

Check: Reveries

Country: Poland

Genre: experimental neoclassical

Label: Time Released Sound

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Marta Mist - Eyes Like Pools (2022)

Marta Mist is a music project led by two unique people: the ambient mastermind behind worriedabousatan, Gavin Miller and Sophie Green, violinist known as a member of Her name is Calla. Together they released their already third album called Eyes Like Pools at the end of last year.

 

And this cooperation is not a surprising one sound-wise: it is based on the slow, moody sounds of Green's violin and the ambient soundscapes by Miller. It's calm and melancholic, beautiful thanks to the ambient part and sad thanks to the neoclassical one. I find it also creating this kind of atmosphere that helps with focusing and self-reflecting, a very important stuff for an introvert.

Eyes Like Pools costs 7 EUR.

Check: Always On

Country: UK

Genre: violin-led soundscape

Label: sound in silence

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the abyss inside us & non somnia - our fears is what we become (2022)

Carlos Herrera, aka Non Somnia, already appeared on this blog last year. But this time he is joining another post-rock solo artist, Greek Nikos Togkaridis on this beautiful instrumental journey recorded on the our fears is what we become album.

This is this kind of post-rock that is infused with neoclassical elements right to the lid. It is opened with piano sounds, later joined by violin strings and it all makes it utterly melancholic. But it is soon empowered by louder, crushingly poignant guitars. If you think post-rock melancholia, it is the sound you think of. The compositions make it even more so: they swell around you, making the whole space filled with the autumn-like, tear-jerking feeling. Especially that it's not always about the loud; more often than not, the artists venture into the neoclassical instrumental ambient regions which only makes the post-rock explosions more impressive.

our fears is what we become costs 8 EUR.

Non Somnia - Stella Meae (2021)

Check: our fears is what we become

Country: Greece, Spain

Genre: melancholic post-rock

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She Sees - Sakernas tillst​å​nd (2022)

The post-rockers of Shee Sees released their second (or third, depending on the source) album called Sakernas tillst​å​nd and I must say, although I haven't heard of the band before, they have everything that I love in post-rock music.

The most unique thing about the band is the use of the violin sound - not the bombastic and cinematic kind but more artsy and truer to the folk roots. And this alone makes me think of Godspeed You! Black Emperor in some, more atmospheric parts of the album. But violin, although a very important part of the Swedes' music, is not all there is. I can't help but love the overall vibes of this kind of post-rock: it's heavy and guitar-oriented but not overwhelming, it's fast and providing distinct melodies but not too pop-like, it's melancholic but not in the depressing way. Häxmässa is the faster track with the incredible flow that kidnaps the audience, Andakt is the moodier instrumental ballad but the real violin-guitar-drums madness comes in the album's finisher in 44 dagar. And not only once as the track feels like it's reaching its crescendos at least several times.

Sakernas tillst​å​nd costs 5 EUR (56 SEK).

Check: 44 dagar

Country: Sweden 

Genre: violin post-rock

Label: Hypnagogia Records

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Motte - Cold + Liquid (2022)

Anita Clark, a violinist and composer from the New Zealand's town of Ōhinehou (known also as Lyttelton), is an artist with impressive CV that includes playing together with various kiwi projects (like Lawrance Arabia, The Phoenix Foundation or Nadia Reid) and making music for movies and dance performances. She also releases her solo albums, the newest of which is called Cold + Liquid.

She "borrows from an array of sound sources to create an immense entity, with each piece situated precisely along the path" as her Bandcamp website states. This eclectic approach to music results in an experimenting, highly artsy pop that is way closer to neoclassical and instrumental ambient genres than to anything else. Especially since Clark makes a good use of her main instrument - violin. Its sound is rarely melancholic as it's often the case, in here its sound is taken as far as possible into the experiment while still remaining extremely appealing for the audience. And very much towards the theatrical music/performance, it's very clear that the artist knows what this environment is all about.

Her FB doesn't lie, she's a real violin witch.

Cold + Liquid costs 7 USD.

Check: Cold + Liquid

Country: New Zealand

Genre: neoclassical art pop

Label: Ba Da Bing!

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Carmen Sea - HISS (2021)

Carmen Sea are from Paris and last autumn debuted with an album called HISS. Their rapid and surprising post-rock is bound to impress many fans of the genre, yours truly included. 

The EP begins with a chaotic and extremely energetic sounds of Frames that suggest a lot of mathrock influences. However, what clearly is the first thing one notices, is the involvement of violin sounds - not ones that are supposed to generate mystical or depressive atmosphere but ones that are pure energy and fun, folk-style. And when they lead the heavy guitars in experimental compositions, it's beyond impressive. Especially that there's also a good quantity of electronic effects involved (almost dub step-like in some places) - the chaos that's generated this way brings energy and strength to dance and/or destroy things around. It's even more surprising when in the album's finishing track, the long Glow in Space, the violin gets suddenly very artsy, almost as if taken from The Irrepressibles' works, only to get back to the band's signature madness after a while. I love it.

HISS costs 7 EUR.

Check: Frames 

Country: France

Genre: violin-led mathrock

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George Will - Dawn (2017) EN

Phe-no-me-nal album was born in Latvia. Jurģis Narvils, guitarist of post-rocking Audrey Fall, stage name George Will has created the most beautiful and moody album that is also a soundtrack to the most beautiful movie you can imagine. Not much to add, you have to hear it.

Every title on the album has four letters. But there’s more things in common - first of all, wonderful atmosphere. The leitmotif is made from delicacy evolving into mystical noise. The first sounds of “Dawn” are beautiful keys and strings that after a while change into heavy guitars introduced by rhythmical like heartbeats drums. You can hear instantly in which moment of the song the sun finally rose and the gray dawn turned into warm day. I could hardly select the parts of the album that are especially worth listening to because the whole album intimidates with beauty. Like “Aeon” and its nervous pulse that ends up in total noise. Like raw “Rust”. Like epic “Iris”. Like my favourite “Rhea” that awes with almost everything. Impossible to choose. 

The thing is that if you are turned by strings, touched by keys and a guitar noise makes you ecstatic, George Will will serve you the best music. For long, lonely nights when you want to cry out of affection instead of sadness.

"Dawn" is available for 5 EUR.

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George Will - Dawn (2017) PL

Fe-no-me-nal-na płyta nadeszła do nas z Inflant. Jurģis Narvils, gitarzysta łotewskich post-rockowego Audrey Fall, tworzący jako George Will stworzył najpiękniejszy nastrojowy album będący równocześnie soundtrackiem do najpiękniejszego filmu, jaki potraficie sobie wyobrazić. Nie ma co kryć, trzeba to usłyszeć.

Wszystkie utwory na płycie mają czteroliterowe tytuły. Ale łączy je coś więcej - niesamowity klimat. Motywem przewodnim jest delikatność ewoluująca powoli w stronę natchnionego hałasu. Pierwsze dźwięki "Dawn" to piękne klawisze i smyki w tle po chwili zmieniające się w gitarowe granie zapowiedziane przez rytmiczną jak uderzenia serca perkusję. Od razu słychać, w którym momencie utworu wzeszło słońce, a szary przedświt zamienił się w ciepły dzień. Ciężko wskazać piękniejsze momenty, bo cała płyta onieśmiela urodą. Jak "Aeon" i jego nerwowy puls zakończony prawdziwym zgiełkiem. Jak surowy "Rust". Jak epicki "Iris" Jak mój ulubiony kawałek "Rhea" zachwycający rozmachem. Nie da się wybrać.

Sprawa jest nadzwyczaj prosta - jeśli wzruszają cię smyki, nastrajają klawisze, a gitarowy hałas wprawia w ekstazę, George Will zaserwuje ci najlepszą muzykę. Na długie, samotne noce, gdy zamiast ze smutku chce się popłakać ze wzruszenia.

"Dawn" kupić można za 22 złote (5 EUR).

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