Krusseldorf "Laidback" (2017)

For now, our Krusseldorf venture concludes at a lower altitude. Distant are those charmed curiosities that drew me in. Laidback is certainly calm in demeanor, easy on the ears but much of its lengthy runtime circles over dulled ideas and bland aesthetics. It suggests the artist enjoyed the subtle details of its sound design much more than this listener. Lacking melody and groove, the focus seems to lay in the textural craft of these dreary downtempo drives. They Fall conjures a soothing mood with its dreamy warmth. The following Rebuilding Icarus flips the script for a lean cut, darkly intent with sharp brittle beat. From those distinctions, the record drifts into obscurity. Tracks drone on, seemingly fixated on strange Industrial like samples and breathy snippets. These ideas are scant, ruminated on endlessly, A tired slump I didn't enjoy much.

Rating: 3/10

2Pac "Me Against The World" (1995)

Some might praise this an instant classic. With an incarcerated 2Pac sailing to the top of the charts, increasing controversies in the public spotlight only fueled its stature. Time has served Me Against The World well. Thirty years on, it plays as a brilliantly articulated slice of life, a moment in time reflecting the duality of man. Caught between a thoughtful, poetic soft-side and hardened realities of a fraught world unfolding around him, our enigmatic artist walks a tightrope, delving into the details of these juxtaposed sides. Understanding the broader context around this record is practically futile given how well his timeless cadence effortlessly walks you through particulars.

 

Songs run as a play by play of dark events, exposing his character and passionate, empathic political views. Tracks individually cut direct into a concept, expressing inspired and coherent without a wasted breathe. Upbeat G-Funk oriented production echoing shades of 70s R&B and Soul music breathes life into the lean, attitude driven vibes. Joining the emerging crisp and clean production style of this era, Shock G and his crew leave loops and samples in the dust. Melodies and beats come tightly arranged through sequencers composing snappy percussion and memorable tunes to stick with you for a lifetime. One will find plenty of favorite cuts among its fifteen.

 

 The album flows superbly. Intro samples snippets of news reporters remarks to firmly establish the setting. If I Die 2Nite kicks off a string of bangers, leading up to the mellowed soulful classic, Dear Mama, a beautiful timeless love letter to his distanced mother. The next couple of songs lean on this smoother temperament, a calm spot before Old School perks the ears with its appraisal of 80s Hip Hop. It plays like a checklist of shout outs. For a young me, this was a treasure trove of names to explore.

Fuck The World and Death Around The Corner have a fearful 2Pac dialing up aggression, turning to a darker side, foreshadowing his paranoid temperament heard loud on the next records. His anger seems righteous but the cracks in his duality start to fray. These songs contrast the overall upbeat mood. The closing track Outlaw serves as an introduction to the Outlaws crew, a concept he would go on to grow. This direction plays a mild blemish on an otherwise superb record, never failing to woo.

What I've always adored about Tupac is his ability to illuminate the problems of crime, poverty and racism from a perspective often ignored. Retrospectively, Me Against The World is the boiling point before his embellishment of Thug Life loses its potency under the pressures of Death Row records. Given the drama and controversy around him at the time, the stakes are raised. He meets it with his words. Me Against The World is undoubtedly a classic, his most consistent and concise record. A must hear.

Rating: 10/10

Krusseldorf "Cloud Songs" (2020)

 

Still charmed by Krusseldorf's curious demeanor, we venture further down the rabbit hole. Cloud Songs' titling nods to its lofty ambiguous nature. Quirky compositions, delving into a haze of softness, lazy, relaxed and inviting. These cozy tracks meander through inconsequential landscapes of melting melody and circling rhythms that evoke Pysbient suggestions when percussion hones in on Downtempo templates.

Despite getting off to a strong start, establishing soothing vibes and cruising through chilled melodies, the tides turn in its second act. Dub For Slouchers hits a high as the records best track, cohering the classic Dub baseline to its whimsical follies, ushering in dazzling arpeggios near its conclusion. After this, the mood shifts, dramatic, subtly sorrowful, with a sense of abandon, proceeded by chemistries brewing unease.

Between them, Dance Of The Sleeper revels in that winning Dub formulae again but otherwise the record fizzles out as emotional narratives fail to resonate within the soft obscurities electronic music can offer. This is oddly punctuated by the arrival of dreamy, Ethereal effeminate singing, which had previously done the music wonders. This outing they played into the diminishing flow. Cloud Songs had immense promise but simply drifts out of focus after a strong start.

Rating: 5/10

Clipping "Dead Channel Sky" (2025)

  

 Leaning hard into their distinct jilted abrasion, experimental Hip Hip trio Clipping return armed with an arsenal of rapid fire razor sharp rhymes, accompanied by cyberpunk dystopian disjointed beats. Its a despairing, paranoid journey, showcasing the unrivaled talents of Daveed Diggs, who blasts vivid lyricism through an effortless cold, monotonous delivery. Poetic and descriptive, he arms this unsettling soundscape of buzzing computer electronics with moments of clarity, cutting through the rumpus and adding a dispirited human element to the already dejected temperament.

 Lyrical themes resonate with defeatism, reflecting current social-political concerns. Early on, dexterous rhymes charm through ambiguous, artistic, storytelling motifs. In its second half, clearer concepts are depicted with plainer language. The emergence of AI, growing wealth inequality, the harms of social media, disinformation and internet related corrosive forces. Its in the latter half that these clearer expressions, the conceptual nature of Dead Channel Sky, takes form for this lukewarm listener.

Mediocrity stems from its dredging, drawn out nature, tediously slow burning through cyber-industrial soundscapes. Short interludes and key songs play drowned in an endless string of aesthetic ideas which only reward when converging upon groove and rhythm. This mostly happens at the heels of 90s House rhythmic energy and signature waveform leads from the era's blossoming electronic scene. In these moments, much is borrowed from the past. The dystopian aesthetic a thin veneer atop what works.

Entertained by a couple of spins, the search for depth has alluded me in becoming numb to its admittedly impressive arrangements of dial-up inspired internet glitch-synth. So to did Diggs' rhymes flourish food for thought initially. That persuasion has swiftly evaporating in this artistic vision mostly devoid of the simple pleasures required to bridge the avant-garde. Dead Channel Sky lacks the curation to drive home its vision, instead flooding us with an indulgent revel, not quite to this fans taste.

Rating: 5/10

C418 "Wanderstop" (2025)

 

Clocking in with a verbose 195 minutes of fresh instrumentation, C418's latest video game soundtrack is understood mostly through its soothing vibes and cosy moods. A safe feeling in which to curl up inside, as its soft fuzzy warmth, painted by classical instrumentation, works claming wonders. Adorning strings, chiming bells, felt pianos, a magical xylophone and lean cello bass, blush harmoniously in delightful ambient reverbs and crafted echoes. All these sounds arrive luscious and clean, with occasional touches of subtle electronic synths woven within its pristine chemistry.

Its a mastery heard before on both Beta and One, now restrained by its core focus on traditional instruments. One will also hear intermittent echo's of the classic Minecraft Alpha soundtrack in its meandering piano motifs. I'm perhaps now re-realizing how much similarity to the likes of The Plateaux Of Mirror this iconic sound of C418's has.

Wanderstop sets itself apart from familiarity through reoccurring themes and melodies that shift with the record. The deeper in you get, those recurrences subside for fresh ones. A few darkly passages emerge mostly between in usual crooning and quirky expressions. All are likely shaped by the timing of their appearances in the game.

Its nice to see Daniel has been busy with no shortage of inspirations. Assuming this has kept him busy for some time, I hope we will hear a new full length original soon. Its been seven years since the last! This however is a separate project, one that stands on its own two feet well and hopefully serves the vision for this game as well.

Rating: 7/10

Spiritbox "Tsunami Sea" (2025)

Once highly anticipated, now sorely devoured, binging Tsunami Sea left me with a simple sentiment - these numbers could take many moons to fully internalize. Often cloaked by its own steely downcast expressions, LaPlante's stealthy Pop inspired vocals play second fiddle to a dominant theme of dejected aggression. Manifesting in temperamental sways between songs, angers climax upon the altar of monstrous hatred that is Soft Spine's mammoth onslaught. Moments before, a tuneful Perfect Soul embellishes their gentler side, reveling in the timbre of a classic pop song's hook.

Front loaded by a heavy assault of elasticated eight string guitar grooves melding with the subtle texturing of eerie atmospheric synths, cracks emerge as tracks occasionally mellow into doleful melancholies. Ride The Wave plays a keen example, cloudy mediocrity overcomes its hurtful emotional resonance. This sombreness leaves me with that aforementioned sense of needing more time to internalize its curious yet depressive persuasion. In conclusion, Tsunami Sea has one to many songs that drift by, failing to wrangle me into its allusive charm, unlike Eternal Blue was able to do.

To sing its praises, Tsunami Sea pushes the envelope of their sound. Seeking subtle inclusions of percussive sounds from the 90s explosion of electronic music, songs arrive fleshed out with links to tie its textural depth through the sways of intensity. Meager drum grooves holdover transitional moments a seamless fit. So to do hidden layers of trancey electronic synths weave in subdued soundscapes around the mostly metallic music that occasionally drifts into a Shoegaze and Ethereal territory.

The construct is masterful, giving listeners added depth to explore on an intensive listen. Seemingly straightforward, the instrumental ideas struck are enriched by this tapestry of passionate sound. Elevating the core of their musical identity, its a step in the right direction. On its best tracks, undeniable. As a whole album, the experience dips in spots. There is much to be enjoyed here. I hope it continues to grow on me.

Rating: 7/10

Doomsday "Depictions Of Chaos" (2022)

 

 

Having recently unearthed a modern scowling scene of Groove laden Thrash, tinged in Death and Crossover, Doomsday stuck me as pick of the crop. Breeding fast, ferocious, fiery bestial incarnations, their hellish forays of 80s inspired Metal re-imagined play a delight to this Slayer fan. With lead guitars wailing demonic sirens and galloping rhythm guitars balancing groove and sprint, Doomsday hit hard.

 

These six songs run an infectious route, endlessly pivoting from one riot to the next. Despite being dramatic, sinister and darkly, with front-man Carlos Velazquez howling graven pains, Depictions Of Chaos is upbeat and fun. The routine stints of groove an invitation to rock out on a hellish ride. Its a vision cast by legends before them, yet this classy updated execution attracts one to revel upon its ripe aesthetic foray into evil.

 

Rating: 6/10

Old Tower "The Trench Pilgrims" (2025)

Commissioned for the "Grimdark Compendium", Old Tower lends their craft to a presumably fitting tone for table top game Trench Crusade. Its setting in 1914 explains the quirky archaic musical sample that aids this five tracks opening Introduction. The sample disappears into a gloomy fog of atmospheric synth and chilling horns echoing a haunting wreckage left by battles carnage. From here, we descend into darkly meditations, spiritual yet steeped in an eerie inclination. Chorals led by loose and worldly percussive instrumentals chain us to its rhythmic trance. The subtle entrance of Berlin School synths paint a suggestion of something cosmic lurching beyond.

A similar spirit guides the lengthy, hovering Anchorite Shrine. Its soft Piano notes, buried in a smokey haze, conjure an alluring crime novel danger akin to Noir Jazz. I heard touches of this motif earlier in the records opening. This mysterious lean is particularly befitting of Old Tower's cool temperament. The closing track Revelations twists that tone to sinister as a calculating drum pattern softly beats its menace. The tension rises but far from conflict, the song suddenly drops its grip, reminding one of the captivating power music, that is often relegated to the background, can have.

Rating: 7/10

Saor "Amidst The Ruins" (2025)

With foundations of extreme and cultural aesthetic resolute and intact, Saor embarks on this latest venture through the shackles of familiarity. Thus initial listens spun a lukewarm drone of routine blast beats exchanging duties with its symphonic layer. Comprised of strings, Violin, Cello and effeminate voicings, this heathen tapestry enriches Saor's music with the spirit of Scottish highlands and its cultural heritage.

The metallic counterpart, comprised of pummeling drums and angular distortion guitars, stands somewhat in contrast as expectant extremities offers little to the embellish narratives and server as obvious amplifications of intensity, swelling energy but rarely feeling warranted in contrast to the rich underlaying musical themes.

Thus we have a record in peculiar imbalance. At a frequent pace, the collapses of roaring aggression give way to stunning arrangements of beloved highland melody. Beautiful in flow and holding grace with mother nature, a reoccurring sense of longing persists in these spirited melodies. They are the highlight in which to endure.

Sadly the majority of these earthly musical motifs rest in tandem between the two, layering in this gorgeous vision with familiar aesthetics that offer little new. Tired of bellowing screams and blazing blast beats, I found myself chiming with the serine acoustic guitar tones and cultured instruments, an aspect stunning on its lonesome.

The records most passionate passages emanate on their acoustic reverberations, often to be enveloped by that roaring beast. My tolerance of its metallic components rested on the whims of personal appetite. Sometimes energizing, at others a drain. Saor has matured strongly on a cultural  front to deeper meaning but foundations strip this expression of greatness in my opinion. However, its still a very enjoyable record.

Rating: 6/10

Krusseldorf "Fractal World" (2014)

Winding back a decade from a recent curiosity Mushroom World, this record plays out in its imaginative shadow. Resting on mellow laurels, these harmless ambient soundscapes exchange sleepy, murmuring lethargic melodies against busied yet often aimless glitchy drum grooves. This percussive aesthetic finds itself in vogue with similar trends of the time. The ten tracks that make up Fractal World, mostly shuffle through subdued instrumental chemistries, painting soft welcoming atmospheres.

 

Devoid of human emotions, songs jostling soothing oddities and ambiguous expressions through its synthetic instruments. The result is soothing, indulgent yet misses a power to make deeper impressions. Lacking definition, music passes by in a pleasant, disconnecting haze, pierced only by the occasional human voice. South Of The Sky Temple is a shining example. An effeminate, Ethereal voicing drops in to contextualize the curious atmosphere with humanity. A magic that could have been.

 

What will proceed finds depth in yielding these strange instrumental textures to a higher purpose but in their infancy, Krusseldorf has only aesthetic charm, missing on purpose beyond the slightly psychedelic mellow hallucinations this chilled out record provides. A fair listen, sorely lacking a magnetism to pull one back for more.

 

Rating: 5/10

 

Sundial Aeon "Analysis" (2014)

 

For a while now, I've found myself drawn like a magnet to what I describe as "inconsequential music". That realization helped this latest discovery click swiftly. Far from the meditative ambiences I usually associate with these inconsequential moods, Sundial Aeon's bustling electronic soundscapes carry a similar sentiment. Mid-tempo tracks drift by with a casual ease as layers of chirping synths harmonize without grandiose melody, scale or direction. Instead we embark on curious escapades through synthetic equilibrium that evokes astral, futurism and technological vibes.

 

Analysis plays out through a Trance architecture, dialing its temperament towards ambience, backed by often understated percussion. The motifs and themes explored sway dramatically away from dance floor rhythm towards a tone I adore. Pioneered by Carbon Based Lifeforms and further diversified through the likes of Timewave, Andrew Odd and Dreamstate Logic, these introspective, astral vibes fit snugly with my taste.

 

The ten songs found here all swell into welcoming moods, every track meandering through a whirl of instrumental overlap that rarely expressive individual ideas yet becomes bigger than the sum of their parts. Its an entrancing listen, evoking focus and calm through a rather busied wall of sound that relents in its expectant ebb and flows that are navigated gracefully by these two accomplished composers.

 

Rating: 6/10

Willow "Ardipithecus" (2015)

Concluding our Willow journey at its origins, her debut album Ardipithecus limps by briefly tarnished with naive youthful philosophies and half measures of fresh faced introspection. At the age of fifteen, who wouldn't of expected such lyrical expressions?Heated by moments of pseudo-science suggestion and star sign akin mysticism, it can be a touch nauseous, however the bulk of her words play fair and fine.

 

What I had not anticipated was the musical chemistry that lays in wait. Its eleven songs play like bedroom jams, simplistic unions of basic drum patterns and ruminating instruments muddying over simple melodies on loop. It leaves spacious atmospheres, minimal yet curious as its ideas defy expectation, drawing from different spaces.

 

The records persuasive charm emerges where her voice meets the music. Sounding free spirited, soulful and unafraid, a lack of filter finds gratifying unions with these dialed back instrumentals. She sways to her own rhythm, backing vocals often chiming in off key, manipulating the many peculiar moods this tandem evokes.

 

It takes a few spins for things to click into place. Willow has an ear for something unique and here it arrives raw and curious, yet is delightful to indulge with. One will find favorite flavors among their travels. Randomsong stuck me as the strangest of all. Its perusing, noir baseline broods akin to a Rollins Band interlude, yet she meets its energy on her own terms. One oddity among the many trinkets here.

 

Rating: 6/10

Gelure "Inner Sanctum" (2025)

 

The purist pleasures of these peaceful yet esoteric atmospheres has affirmed Gelure's elevated stature. My initial fondness for The Candlelight Tomes and Into The Chesfern Wood has matured with much exposure. Those arcane magics have delivered time and time again. Returning refined after a few years break, the character depicted pitches partly Medieval, churchly, with a dash of Tolkien Fantasy grandiosity. Cultural stringed instruments yielding folksy melodies ground its era. Saintly chorals, vibing on soft cloudy synths, bewitch one in a captivating calmness. Swaying between these masterful constructs, we venture upon scenic swells, conjuring natural beauty, fantasy landscapes and occasionally battles through the crashing of gong cymbals, deep laggard drums and triumphant horns. At its opposing end, sleepy subdued melodies, smothered in reverberations, upend darkly mystic moods, both soothing and curious.

The words Dungeon Synth barely crossed my mind before writing out these inspired thoughts. Gelure has ascended its shackles, arriving upon a grand stature, crafting beautifully mediative music adrift from a genre awash with low effort imitations. Inner Sanctum indeed evokes introspective refuge. A haven of sorts through its spellbinding ambience. Best of all, its eleven minute finale surrenders to metallic convention. Modern percussion houses its historic instruments in the rapture of blast beats and fiery groove to venture upon Atmospheric Black Metal's alter. The initial mellowed tremolo guitars hide its extremity well, masking what is to come. At the eight minute mark a truly epic power chord riff gratifies to no end. With monumental sway, its repitions toy with dazzling tunes and tempo deceleration, in a stroke of genius.

Rating: 8/10

Krusseldorf "Mushroom World" (2025)

By forces of coincidence, this intriguing album cover crossed my path. What lay in wait has captivated my curiosity consistently. With its many elements coming onto focus, I can unwind details of this spellbinding listen. Reminiscent of Dusted's Downtempo classic, Swedish composer Krusseldorf's electronics collide with that breezy chilled out realm, infusing soft touches of psychedelic charm into its design. Aptly named Mushroom World, is certainly a realm of ideas to loose ones self in. This overt hint could take its hallucinogenic temperament far, such is the power of suggestion.

 

 What I felt was the percussive persuasions of mellowed out beats, driving the music along with an understated power. Classic Downtempo, yet dialed back to let other instruments take focus. From the deep murmuring Dub baselines of Recliner Song to Chromatic Vapors bustle of playful melodies, these mid-tempo grooves lock one in as an mixed bag of oddities take over. Peculiar, disjointed melodies dance. Synths buzz and whirl in bursts of strange color. Ambiguous sounds flash in and out of focus. And densely reverberated audio snippets inject weighty suggestions of "tripping out".

 

 The record starts tame, its ambient leaning songs play wedged between flimsy melodic stints. Textures shine as these zany meddling aesthetics establish themselves. With the arrival of The Midnight Factory, a nightly noir charm begins to linger, a sense of theme builds, crooning as the record stretches into its second half. Unease gives way to kaleidoscopic wonder, with lively synth melodies playing up its mysterious inspirations into a bizarre, intoxicating indulgence. As suggested, its like drinking Tea With The Cosmos in its better strides. Krusseldorf seems to be a freshly unearthed treasure! No doubts I will be digging for more in their back catalog.

 

 Rating: 7/10

Blut Aus Nord "Memoria Vetusta I - Fathers Of The Icy Age" (1996)

Having tuned into Blut Aus Nord in recent years, my exploratory return into Black Metal origins had me picking out this first installment of the Memoria Vetusta trilogy. I'm some what astonished to find their unique character fully expressed this early on. The subtle touches of Psychedelia and Shoegaze had played like matured fine wine.

 

Yet here we are in 96, these fantastical, mysterious inflections, on a then fresh Black Metal sound, dominate a devilish spectacle. Roaring out from limited, fuzzy production, yet to figure out its aesthetic needs, we have trippy lead melodies, ungodly choral vocals and dexterous baselines converging on swells of sequestered darkly magic. Powered along by a barrage of animated drums, the duo sound unlike any other. Lengthy songs run ambitious, holding ones attention in its tension, as ripping guitars shell out dissonance that meanders into gratifying melodies.

 

Its a familiar expression but in this infancy feels daring and exciting. The band carry the hallmarks of northern darkness with their own flair, curious, majestic and sinister, feeling like a journey through an arcane societal order of the seven layers of hell. Memoria Vetusta is a mighty fine craft, I'm glad to have found it among the rubble.

 

Rating: 7/10