Lee Yi - Hayví (2022)

Lee Yi - South America-originating, Spain-based ambient artist creates minimalist but very atmospheric soundscapes. He gives a taste of his style on the new album from the Midira Records, called Hayví. 

The label states that the album presents "pieces that move slightly between noise and ambient sounds" and it's extremely aptly said. The minimalist music here offers very slow soundscapes that sometimes can barely be perceived only to develop into harsher, noisier passages within the same composition. This subtle noise is very much like this characteristic vinyl sound which only adds more artistic vibes to this moody release.

Hayví costs 7.99 EUR.

Check: Air Turbulences

Country: Spain

Genre: noisy soundscape

Label: Midira Records

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Lights & Motion - The World I Remember (2022)

It's been too long not seeing Christoffer Franzén on my blog. Two years ago his The Great Wide Open brought tons of ethereal post-rock vibes to my world and to this website, and now we can admire the next album created under the moniker of Lights & Motion, one entitled The World I Remember.

As always, the weight of his certified super airy post-rock music is limitless. There's few people who can create post-rock music and at the same time fill it with so much of the ethereal, Nordic atmosphere that is both up-lifting and hopeful, melancholic and beautiful. The key to this music is creating post-rock, very much guitar-filled music with the neoclassical sensibility (and neoclassical instruments as well). This, together with a lot of airy backing vocals, brings to life the grand, a bit bombastic and very satisfying soundscape.

Having said that, Franzén can easily change the mood to something heavier, more post-rock-like in the track aptly called Panic Attack but it is still swiftly balanced by The First Day's piano keys and the whole neoclassical might. Simply beautiful.

The World I Remember costs 8 USD.

Lights & Motion - The Great Wide Open (2020)

Christoffer Franzen of Lights & Motion - Phenomenon (2017)

Check: The World I Remember

Country: Sweden

Genre: ethereal post-rock

Label: Deep Elm Records

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Chamber of Reflection - Above the Clouds (2022)

Chamber of Reflection is a new band from Helsinki. The Finnish musician have released only a demo album, but it's especially well-done (I rarely post about demos so it means something). Although there's some sound quality issues, Above the Clouds surely is something to put on your speakers loud.

The band shows us their take on very noisy rock. The guitar-oriented music is filled with coarse and sharp sounds that are only strengthen by the demo-like lo-fi quality. But, as it fits the genre so well, I don't mind it at all. On top of that, the Finnish put the subtle, withdrawn vocals that sound like shadows do look: airy but clearly out there. This is the band's nod towards cold wave music they admit to be inspired by as well. However, the whole EP clearly is way closer to the noise pop scene and I appreciate that. It's def a band to have on your radar.

Above the Clouds costs 4 EUR.

Check: Above the Clouds

Country: Finland

Genre: cold noise rock

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Animal Ghosts - Wake (2021)

The Portland-based solo artist known as Animal Ghosts has already four LPs in his discography (and three of them were released in 2020 alone). But the one that brings him to my blog, is his December EP called Wake.

This is some traditional extremely noisy take on dreamy music. "Extremely" being the key word here as the artist's music sounds like something Ceremony or A Place to Bury Strangers would be proud of. Short and lively songs that would be melodic if it wasn't for the omnipresent, ear-overwhelming guitar noise that can be felt in your brain as a tangible, coarse haze. The MBV-like sound effects feel it with intriguing vibes while the airy vocals flow through the noise with beautiful ease. I especially like when the artist lets the stream of guitar sounds go uninterrupted, especially well-done in my favourite track here, Drift. It's basically a psychedelic trance infused by abusive noise. I love it.

Wake costs 3 USD.

Check: Drift

Country: Oregon, US

Genre: extreme noise 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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ASHTORETH - Rites III​-​IV (2021)

Peter Verwimp released his Rites I and II in 2019. Since then he was involved in other projects and cooperations but it's finally time for the followup in the form of Rites III-IV, making the Cyclic Law's release one of the highlights of the ambient music at the end of the last year.

As Ashtoreth is "the preeminent goddess in the Bible, and the plural Ashtaroth is a generic term for goddesses", it's no wonder that Verwimp's music is all about the pagan-sounding, sacral and dark ambient. It is a sea of gloomy, minimalist electronica that is filled with horror-like, unnerving whispering vocals and distorted instrument sounds. The soundscapes he produces sound mystical and very mysterious and are supposed to explain people's "interconnectedness with nature as a whole and the necessity to acknowledge and use this connection as an amplifier of thoughts, ideas and emotions". One thing is certain, this is one of the darkest ambient pieces of the year.

Rites III​-​IV costs 8 EUR.

Check: Rite III 

Country: Belgium

Genre: dark ambient

Label: Cyclic Law

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Zetra - From Without (2022)

Zetra, the metal-stylized dream pop project from London is back. In fact, they release new EPs quite regularly and after I posted about The Wanderer two years ago, they managed to release two EPs: From Within and From Without. And the latter is so good that I couldn't miss it.

Although the image of the band is clearly black metal-inspired (with the logo, the cover arts, the IG pictures all about the dark culture of metal music), their music is located on the more ethereal part of the music spectrum. The dispersed and very airy vocals are balanced with tangible, coarse rock/metal guitars and the results are brilliant. Especially in my favourite song on this short album, Call of the Void with its catchy (and extremely unnerving and gloomy) chorus. Those dream pop vibes are packed in a synth-soaked package that ties the project also to more post-punk scene, but, in reality, the project really draws the best from very different genres and this is what I like about it the most.

From Without costs 6 EUR (4.99 GBP).

Zetra - The Wanderer (2020)

Check: Call of the Void

Country: UK

Genre: darkwave dream pop

Label: Children of the Vortex

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Ghostly Kisses - Heaven, Wait (2022)

After making me fall in love with her first album The City Holds My Heart and live gig in Poland and after a fantastic release Never Let Me Go, Margaux Sauvé and her band Ghostly Kisses is back with, what she calls her true debut album, Heaven, Wait. Her ghostly presence is felt perfectly all over it so I can't help but be awe-struck yet again.

But it has to be said that while her previous recordings were all about beautiful melodies and ghostly atmosphere, on Heaven, Wait, the artist flirts with (synth)pop music more openly. There's still a lot of her fantastically ethereal and dreamy vocals and a great deal of art-rich taste in creating compositions, but she doesn't shy away from faster pace and clear electronic beats in some places and also in general, the album feels catchier. As a result, we are presented with a high quality art pop that is both melodic, catchy and moody at the same time. Especially in the parts that rely heavily on the piano key sounds.

And it's only right that her music is all about love with its beautiful ("Cause everyday/ You’re on my mind/ In every way/ You’re in my heart from Heaven, Wait) and difficult sides (as in "Don't know why/ I could never make it alright/ Don't know why from Don't Know Why). Still, my very favourite song here is the one that reminds me the most of the previous releases as Clay can easily be among my favourites together with Never Let Me Go, The City Holds My Heart or Touch. This means I can't wait for Ghostly Kisses' Europe and Poland tour next spring even more now!

Heaven, Wait costs 8.5 EUR (7 GBP). 

Ghostly Kisses - Never Let Me Go (2020)

Ghostly Kisses - The City Holds My Heart EP (2018)

Check: Clay

Country: Canada

Genre: art dream pop

Label: Akira Records

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Syupeo Jenjang - 이런 젠장 (2021)

The mysterious Korean artist is back at it! The Syupeo Jenjang project released their debut album 슈퍼 젠장 in June last year only to proceed with another two well-crafted noise-filled releases in autumn and winter. If this means that every season we get a new dose of noise from them, I'm in! Especially that이런 젠장 doesn't disappoint in the slightest.

Apparently, the title translates to "Damn It" and i have to say, damn, is this album noisy. The guitars feel absolutely overwhelming, turning the dispersed vocals into some kind of irrelevant ornamentation. The main thing is always about the instrumental noise. It is raw and coarse for the most part, the lo-fi vibes are all over the place and make listening to this album like a trip to the artist's garage for an unscheduled rehearsal. It's so loud and textured that you can almost touch the sound that appears all over you. This is complimented by the long passage of drones that very fittingly closes the album in The End. End that mischievously turn into a fine post scriptum with a hidden, melodic song afterwards. As said before, I'm up to anything the Korean project offers, but judging from the track titles and the companion single called ., this may be the last time we hear from them sadly.

이런 젠장 costs 4 EUR.

Syupeo Jenjang - 슈퍼 젠장 (2021)

Check: The End

Country: South Korea

Genre: noise rock

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Swœr - Patina (2021)

Erik Swiatloch and his ambitious post-rock music project Swœr is back on this blog. I posted about the artist five years ago and he hasn't appeared on my music radar since then. Until at the end of the last year, he released a short but beautiful album called Patina.

The tracks he included on the album have titles referring to various geographical places and for me, obviously, the most interesting is the second one: Sandomierz being a small, historic town in Poland, mostly known as the setting of one of the most popular TV series. I presume Swiatloch took inspirations from the places he visited and, since it means he was on Svalbard as well, I'm very jealous. The music he creates is very much guitar-oriented and since he does everything by himself (and "the mixing happens at home on the couch with wine") there's a certain lo-fi atmosphere to it as well. But the most important thing is that his main goal is to create a beautiful soundscape of guitar noise that can transport the audience to some other place (probably the ones referenced in the titles). The drones are spacious and the pace slow, making the music not-overwhelming and quite soft while very satisfying at the same time, especially when the German artist adds some nature-derived field recordings and ethereal vocals towards the end of this musical journey.

Patina costs 7 EUR.

Swœr - unfinished thoughts of an innocent dead child (2017)

Check: Sandomierz

Country: Germany

Genre: noisy post-rock

Label: Poly Unique

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Hiemis - Zothique (2021)

Juan Carlos Toledo is known as a member of Silent Love of Death and under the moniker of Hiemis. As the latter, the Spaniard releases albums filled with dark and tribal-characterized ambient music, probably best sounding on his newest work called Zothique.

His music makes subtle soundscapes collide with clear folk-like drums and unnerving chanting, a perfect recipe for dark and unsettling ambient music. The gloomy parts generate such a massively spooky atmosphere, but in my opinion, the tribal folk intrusions are what really fuel the darkness here: it certainly has the vibes of folk-inspired horror movies and I'm here for it. The pretty complex album goes on and on without losing anything from this dark grip and this is something that should be appreciated.

Zothique costs 7 USD.

Check: Xylac

Country: Spain

Genre: tribal dark ambient

Label: Noctivagant

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KAATAYRA - Inpariquipê (2022)

Caio Lemos comes from Brazil and creates his music under the moniker of KAATAYRA. And it's quite outstanding what he does: the blend of psychedelic rock and black metal makes the last year's Inpariquipê really special.

He also calls his music "acoustic black metal" and I can understand why: the whole compositions are based on the repetitive passages of drums and... pretty exotic-sounding tropical music in the backgrounds. The psychedelic music's ability to mesmerize the audience is all over the place here, which makes the compositions suck the listener in with ease. This tropical component is also extremely interesting; it needs no explanation that black metal is usually connected with cold places (geographically speaking) and when a project's from a country like Brazil (and the South American metal scene is also very strong), they usually embrace the Nordic themes as well. Kaatayra is an exception here; every second of his music says that he's very well connected to the tropical reality around him and I appreciate that.

So where's the metal part in all of this actually? The artist's fifth album is filled with instrumental music mostly, but there are fragments that include his desperate, angry vocals. Still, they feel like they are put in the backgrounds, sounding more like shouting in a wilderness with much anger, but not so much power when compared to the forces of nature. It's perfect in Dundararaiê where the metal vocals additionally get a tribal treatment only empowering the mesmerizing features of the whole album. 

Inpariquipê costs whatever you want to pay (if you buy on the artist's Bandcamp site).

Check: Dundararaiê

Country: Brazil

Genre: tropical acoustic black metal

Label: Weary Bird Records/Pest Productions

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Tristesse - Im schwächsten Licht (2021)

Ah, yes, a catchy, energetic and very noisy new band from a Germanic country. But this time, after a wave of Swedish ones, this is a band from Germany (singing in German too!). Tristesse are from Berlin and back in December released a very promising debut EP.

The EP's title translates to "Where there's light, there's also a shadow" and I find it as great way of describing the music genre: where there's catchy melody, there's also a solid dose of noise. The band creates music that is certainly up-beat and energetic, very much the perfect option to dance to. The ease of writing catchy compositions is obvious here. The artists added to the pop's catchiness a good deal of guitar noise that go together, hand in hand, for the whole length of the album. I love the sheer energy they are able to transfer to the audience, also thanks to the good quality of sound which I appreciate a lot. All of the short songs are worth checking out, but my money is on the album's finish in the form of Mono. I love the song's flow and how it smoothly goes on top of the noisy backgrounds.

Im schwächsten Licht costs 3.5 EUR.

Check: Mono

Country: Germany

Genre: noise pop

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Lucida Dark - Of Death, of Love (2022)

Lucida Dark are from Nebraska and, as the project's name suggests, create some particularly dark take on post-rock music. Their instrumental music sparks awe with the atmosphere and grandeur they are able to evoke in the audience. We can admire it now on their debut album called Of Death, of Love.

The band aims at "enthralling their audience with somber atmospheres which climax into vast walls of sound" in order to express the message that includes the truth about the "temporal nature of love and life" and the "inevitability of loss and death". As the album's title suggests, the biggest questions are the theme here. And what can be better to answer them (or more likely to meditate on them as how one could answer anything like this?) than with massive and bombastic post-rock sounds? However, the artists don't shy away from devoting long chunks of the album to instrumental ambient passages that sometimes turn into melancholic static drone. But the main thing are the dark sounds of guitars that generate mesmerizing mood no matter if they are currently focused on slower, cozier parts (the first part of On That Dark Immortal Shore...) or on creating a destructive wall of noise. Especially that the two are very often found in one composition.

But it has to be uttered: the heaviest, the loudest crescendos on the album are extremely satisfying. The crushing waves of guitars in ...We Shall Meet and Part No More is a perfect example here. And the weight of the whole album is something that unbelievably attracts me towards it. And yes, there's also this outstanding cover art that is also very much on the topic of mind-blowing existential questions.

Of Death, of Love costs 7 USD.

Check: ...We Shall Meet and Part No More 

Country: Nebraska, US

Genre: dark post-rock

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Pan Daijing - Tissues (2022)

When I posted about Pan Daijing's album Jade last year, I mentioned that it was her leap towards more intimate composition writing, a break from bombastic performances at art galleries she had gotten fluent in. And now, only several months later, we can get familiar with those massive works she needed to get away from, thanks to the album called Tissues.

The Chinese artist based in Berlin performed "an opera of five acts" at Tate Modern in London back in 2019, and now we can admire its grandeur and experimental flavour. The event made use of "conventions of opera and tragedy to present a searing representation of the embattled human psyche in space and time." As we all know already, Pan Daijing uses a lot of impressive vocals, but here the opera-like, very theatrical but also not very informative lyrics-wise are utterly dominant. Or maybe not so meaningless? The libretto is said to be written in a mix of traditional and modern Chinese so perhaps there's more in the voices then I think. But for sure, there's tons of emotions communicated in extremely direct way, inviting the audience to feel all sorts of feeling from the whole spectrum - from melancholic calm to invigorating grandeur and this is thanks to the cast of twelve dancers and opera singers who perform it together with Pan Daijing.

But this is as far from a traditionally defined opera as possible. The artist based her work on industrial noise that, although gives space to the vocal quite often, really is there to create the soundscape. It's not a coincidence that the artist was my Ambient/Neoclassical act of last year as her music skills are as impressive as they are diverse.

Tissues costs 7.5 EUR.

Pan Daijing - Jade 玉观音 (2021)

Check: Part Two - A Found Lament 

Country: China/Germany

Genre: noise opera

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