Kælan Mikla - Undir köldum norðurljósum (2021)

I remember getting to know Kælan Mikla when they came to Poland to support King Dude three years ago. Since then, they managed to release an almost perfect album Nótt eftir nótt, threw more exciting live gigs, create solo albums and now, they're back with a new album, Undir köldum norðurljósum, that is easily as good as the last one.

There's a lot of those darkwave's dark discotheque vibes all over the release (just have a go at Ósýnileg!): the synth backgrounds burst with lively sounds while still generating the gloomy and mesmerizing atmosphere. This is only empowered by the whispering vocals singing in Icelandic, the mystic and mysterious readings quickly get out of the scale. Especially in my favourite Sólstöður with its witch-like tribal screamings adding to the exciting horror vibes (it comes with absolutely zero surprise that the track's title translates to "Solstice"). The album's title, on the other hand, means "Under the Cold Northern Lights" but, truth be told, it doesn't feel that cold; maybe there's a hint that it is freezing outside, but here, in the vicinity of hot, dancing bodies and in the warm darkness they bring, it is hot and steamy.

Although their sounds differ much, Kælan Mikla seem to be close with the French icons of Alcest: they toured together and now they collaborated in the studio as well with Hvítir Sandar being more guitar-oriented and Alcest-like atmospheric. The three witches from Iceland will be back on tour when the day get longer again, and, fortunately, are coming to Kraków once again, this time as the main course - can't wait!

Undir köldum norðurljósum costs 10 USD.

Sólveig Matthildur - Constantly in Love (2019)

Kælan Mikla - Nótt eftir nótt (2018) EN

Check: Ósýnileg

Country: Iceland

Genre: synthpop darkwave

Label: Artoffact Records

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slntsqencs - haar (2021)

The duo slntsqencs consists of the Gdańsk-based producer Arkadiusz Krupiński a.k.a. random_orb and guitarist Petar Petkov. The latter is better known as ate and under this moniker was posted about on this blog back in 2018. Together they have been playing since 2019 and now can show their debut album haar to the audience.

Although it starts with rather harsh sounds of tibor, it quickly gets smoother and calmer. However, there are still moments of sonic anxiety, the best example being abode with its ambient electronica sounding almost like neoclassical composition and the guitar drones that feel dark and dangerous on top of that. This opposition of the pleasantly calm backgrounds and nerve-stimulating coarse guitars is present throughout the release and fits its title as "haar" refers to a weather phenomenon in which the smooth fog freezes over seas. The whole, industrial-flavoured album creates a perfect balance of the two opposition and transfers it onto the listeners.

haar costs 5 EUR.

ate - Secondary Drowning (2018)

Check: abode 

Country: Poland

Genre: guitar soundscape

Label: Amek Collective

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Slow Crush - Hush (2021)

If you count this heavy and slow, multi-layered shoegaze without much of the noise pop/post-punk influences as a separate genre, it's clear that Slow Crush is one of the biggest names here at the moment. The Belgian outfit debuted three years ago with the spectacular Aurora and now it's time for a perfect follow-up with the ethereal bliss on Hush.

You could crack a joke saying that at first there's Slowdive and then there's Slow Crush, but in fact, you wouldn't be very far from the truth. The Belgian band couldn't hide their inspirations taken from the British icons. The atmosphere of their music is very similar, it is very close as far as the pace, the warmth, the vocals are concerned. There's little place for lively tunes here, it is this kind of music to dance in your mind to. The heavy sounds of guitars are so slow that they often sound like a heavy kind of ambient music, if it even makes sense; on the other hand, there are moments of fast-paced ethereal fun (Swoon is the perfect example here), but it's still not a happy-go-lucky noise pop - it's so much more. No wonder that the subtle melodies and heavy music are called "radiating moonlit warmth through a haze of abrasive whirling layered guitars".

The ridiculously airy atmosphere is partly achieved due to the vocals by Isa Holliday - they often sound more like a ASMR-type whispers or lullabies sung in bed. Those rather dark and sad vibes that rule over the whole release, may be the results of the trying times the artists had to come through during the pandemics (that included changing lineup and problems with labels). But they seem to be over with the problems and in 2022, the band is going to have another big tour all over the world, including two gigs in Poland, which I'm so excited for.

Hush costs 9.99 GBP.

Slow Crush - Ease (Deluxe Edition) (2019)

Check: Hush

Country: Belgium

Genre: heavy shoegaze

Label: Church Road Records

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Shy, Low - Snake Behind the Sun (2021)

I remember Shy, Low from my one and only, as for now, visit to the iconic Dunk!Festival, but I felt like they got lost between the bigger names there. Now, with the release of their forth album Snake Behind the Sun, they seem to get to the highest levels of the world's post-rock scene.

They are advertised as super-fluent in the "exquisite craft of stark contrasts and broad dynamics, from delicate crescendos to the grandiose power of the riff" and I can't disagree here. The range of the intensity levels on the album is pretty impressive and so are the melodies and riffs sown into the compositions. Everything feels very guitar-oriented and there's little room for the atmospheric massiveness, but the energy of the guitars easily compensates for that. There's so much of this pure energy here and it is so eager to flow onto the audience, I feel like I'm on a live gig and ready to dance. I love Helioentropy with its impressive finish and The Beacon with the disrupted flow at one point. But there's much more tasty moments hidden throughout the release, next to every second offers something truly unique.

There's so much going on on this recording! Earlier this year, one of their tracks got remixed by Holy Fawn and I thought it was the best music from the Virginia-based band ever, but with the new album I am ready to say that there's a lot of potential in their music. I can't wait for new material and I will go back to the previous albums to assess my assessments with pleasure.

Snake Behind the Sun costs whatever you want to pay.

Check: Helioentropy

Country: Virginia, US

Genre: guitar post-rock

Label: Pelagic Records

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Wings of the ISANG - The Borderline Between Hope and Despair (2021)

There is something in the Korean/Japanese heavy music that makes it very recognizable. It's no different for Wings of the ISANG, the Seoul-based quartet who create some very atmospheric and pretty heavy post-rock music. For their debut release they were awarded with the Korea Music Awards for Best Modern Rock Album. Their second album is called The Borderline Between Hope and Despair and can be admired since September.

The album makes a "story about the inner side of 'I(Ego)', who cannot belong anywhere" with all of the introvert themes and contemplation moments there should be. This is achieved, however, mostly with loud and heavy guitars sounds that create the thick and dark atmosphere that is only strengthen by the vocals that can be both super ethereal and emotional at the same time (especially the female vocals provided by Aseul). This makes me think of Crippled Black Phoenix or Blanket - a clearly post-rock outfit but with very prog/rock-like vocals. Wings of the ISANG add to this an unbelievable level of emotions (like in Home), from time to time sounding almost like in classic singing.

I love the way this album seems to go on endlessly. The compositions are long and they take their time to develop from subtle guitar tunes into raging post-rock passages. Especially in the longest tracks like the classically heavy metal-like mesmerizing bits of No Longer Human and the super epic finish in Eternity. Coming back to the Far East heavy music's uniqueness - on this album, you can find some of MONO's massiveness and World's End Girlfriend's darkness, but in truth, the band's work feels very unique on its own.

The Borderline Between Hope and Despair costs 12 USD.

Check: One day, the sky that I stood still and looked at while walking on the crosswalk in front of Dunchon-dong Station

Country: South Korea

Genre: vocal dark post-rock

Label: LOCH Arts & Music

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Trna - Istok (2021)

The self-acclaimed "hurricane full of emotions" from Saint Petersburg, Trna are post-rock band that is ready to crush the audience with their beautiful and heavy sound. This year's Istok is their fourth album and one to establish their presence in the post-rock genre.

The Russians' post-rock feels extremely massive, atmospheric and heavy. Their sound reminds me of the new God Is an Astronaut and Coastlands' releases with a hint of TESA's rapidness. The band have now decided to go even more into the post-rock realm with less of the blackgaze, post-metal traces they tended to use on previous releases (and in the music of Olhava, the side project of half of the band). Sure, there is some of the blackgaze's synth-like smoothness and metal's crazy, unstoppable drums and the vocals introduced in the album's third track Shining. Still, the overall feeling of the compositions situates it closer to the post-rock icons than anything else (especially that said Shining comes also vocal-less as a bonus track at the end of the album).

There's tons of ultra-heavy sounds in almost every second of the album. The opening in Istok, sets the pace very early and the band don't slow down until the very end. Songs such as Echoes of the Past, Burning Bridges, Shattered Dreams or Hearts Turn to Stone fit neatly within the darkest and heaviest post-rock branch, while, quite surprisingly, the whole thing doesn't end with a blast but with a rather moody and melancholic finish in Rebirth. Top class release.

Istok costs 9.99 USD.

Check: Istok

Country: Russia

Genre: heavy post-rock

Label: A Candlelight Records

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Perseid - Out of the Blue (2021)

Perseid is an ambient music artist based in the Italian city of Torino. There's next to nothing about him on the Internet except for the debuting (most probably) album called Out of the Blue. 

The album is served with a cover art depicting some particularly ethereal state of nature and it may be a perfect description of the artist's music. Just like the island on the cover, we are being covered by a thick and airy sound cloud. The drones we are presented with are heavy and airtight but they feel extremely sad and melancholic at the same time. You know that there's no place for hurried, careless movement here - everything stays in the state of beautiful, motionless noise. For the drone lovers.

Out of the Blue costs 5 EUR.

Check: Silvaplana

Country: Italy

Genre: moody drone

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