Knocked Loose "Pop Culture" (2014)

 

You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To has become a recent obsession of mine. Its been years since a band has pushed the envelope on the extremes of "heavy" music. Logically its time to do the deep dive, starting with bands first release, a five track EP.

 Entertaining but far from memorable, Pop Culture only has retroactive flickers of a genius yet to unravel. Playing like typical beat-down Hardcore, the group barrel through angered stampedes of syncopated rhythmic assault. All roads lead to Rome, each song finds climax through slam grooves fit for hardcore dancers swinging limbs.

With knowledge of whats to come, one can hear their subtle rejections of typical song structure flow. Taking apt opportunities, linear strings of dissonant riffs often divert from anticipated grooves. Lacking the gravitas to rip up the rule book, they sound off-kilter but yet to evolve into the unhinged beast frothing anger at the mouth.

Aesthetics and production suffer too, dulling their intensity, a amateurish affair typical of debut low budget records. The ending of All My Friends offers a whiff of textured atmospheric chaos to come but its brief. Most of the time, power chord guitars fall into cushioned palm muted distortions that lack teeth for a sharper bite.

Its lyrical themes mostly hinge on conflict with religion, unanswered questions stiring deep unrest. Garris' high pitched shriekish bark is still jarring but yet to encapsulate that livid frustration put forth later. Its clear he and his band mates have much maturing to do but their is no denying the foundations of whats to come were laid here. I'm seeking a tipping point in their evolution! However this didn't win me over.

Rating: 4/10

Crosses "Crosses" (2014)

Having enjoyed the duo's new sophomore record, I ventured back to their debut, released nine years prior. Feeling very much fitting of its era, the electronic percussive arrangements tilt in a handful of directions, ta Disco House flavor of Daft Punk rears its head early on. The rest mostly an assemble of sluggish Trip Hop grooves and subdued drum patterns. They mostly stir echos from Post-Punks expansive umbrella, far from the hard hitting, cutting edge that its followup leaned into. 

This left Crosses with an expression rooted in the moment, something about arriving ten years late has been tricky to reorient. Led by Chino's charm, that inescapable Deftones feeling is prevalent but this time his partner Lopez crafts moody textural passing of mellow sound. Drenched in ambiguous, airy, soft design, many sounds emerge. Gentle guitar licks, plucked strings, a groaning Sax, broody pianos and riveting organ shimmer, with the occasional metallic riff dialing down its intensity.

The two fall into a sway, grooving on sullen, melancholic strides, mustering occasional bursts of energy on odd songs. The Epilogue was my favorite, cruising with pace and bustling in gated toms for a lively energy, the guitar lick and vocals made for a catchy hook. A rarity, much of the music focuses on mood, highlighting a lack of connection in its absence. Ultimately, the duo focus on a side of their chemistry that doesn't quite tick all the boxes for me. A fair listen but not one I'll come back to often.

Rating: 5/10

Clipping "CLPPNG" (2014)

Now here is a remarkable group that may draw unfair comparisons to Death Grips. Also an Experimental, Industrial Hip Hop trio the link might seem strong at first glance but the reality is Clipping are a rather different beast. Breaking the music down to its two core components, a chemistry exists unlike anything Ive heard before but I can't say it does it for me around the clock. I can however appreciate the artistry and skill on display. The music however, tends to shy from cheap tricks, groove and flash but keeps itself closely guarded by an unforgiving, cold presence.

The instrumentals are something to be adjusted too. Often minimalist and sparse, its atmospheres are birthed through textural snippets and samples that stray away from melody and rhythm. Cold mechanical sounds, sirens, noise and distortion loosely cling percussion that is barely present. Many of the songs reside in a dystopian, life drained state, barely growing or evolving from its initial inception while Daveed Diggs wilds off on the microphone. Get Up is literally two minutes of rapping to alarm clock before anything musically happens. Its conceptual, clever and jarring. I can't help but feel the goal is to paint an un-glorified picture of the subject matter.

Diggs is a phenomenal talent. Precisely enunciated, daringly swift and churning out the words at a dizzying pace his crisp and clear voicing is entrancing. With a lenience towards rhyming, his cadence cruises over multiple bars before looping back round to a rhyme of groove in the delivery of his words. Quite often he musters a dizzying momentum, blasting through very competently articulated story telling. Following his words can be intense to keep up and immerse in the vivid nature of his words. It borders with something akin to spoken word at times but the pacing and glue to the instrumental is firmly Rap, along with the themes of course.

Together they form a bold statement. This album plays through its themes of street and club life with an unforgiving coldness brought to life through its instrumentals. Its remarkable but the lack of relief and fun makes it quite a heavy and burdensome listen. Its more of a remarkable spectacle than something to throw on and jive too. Its only on Body & Blood that a semblance of bounce and groove is exploited. Its also one of the darkest atmospheres the album offers. I've found it hard to enjoy this on an emotional level but I can't flaw its artistry, very unique and focused, especially the story raps!

Favorite Tracks: Body & Blood, Story 2

Rating: 5/10

Mare Cognitum "Phobos Monolith" (2014)

It was once the experience of a music lover to flick through crates of vinyl sleeves in a dusty record store, looking for something to land your attention and empty your wallet. In the digital age it is Bandcamp alone that has managed to recreate that market place feeling and so easily am I sucked in to browsing binges. If this illustrious artwork and the promise of "Cosmic Black Metal" isn't enough to lure me in then abandon awaits thee. Fortunately this music matches the class of this modern Black Metal act, a one man band from Portland Oregon. Its got all the shades of Progressive, Post and Shoegaze, not wondering far from the American blueprint, culminating in a sweet experience of darkly voyages into the symphonic abyss.

Two of its four tracks reside more so in the traditional lane. Entropic Hallucinations opens up with a devilish, infesting blast beat and snaky grinding guitar riff played with an allure aided from a sweep effect cruising past its hurtling rhythm like icy winds. Ephemeral Eternities, being the other, also has cunning execution of blast beats with rapid tom drum fire. Going through progressive structures that "follows ones nose" so to speak, they embark on arrangements of tremolo riffs, maniacal drumming and screams both guttural and shrill that check all the boxes of familiarity with inklings of particular bands as influences on this flavorful journey of scale.

The records production to be merited. Phobos Monolith for all its extremities is masterfully mixed to make cushioned and warm tones of all its instruments. They reside within reverberated spaces to amplify its cosmic, astral leaning in theme. The song writing is also champion, it can lock in your attention for fifty minutes as these songs twist, wind, soar and scale. Album opener Weaving The Thread Of Transcendence take a prize for the most progressive track, starting from mysterious embers it stokes a flame that turns into a roaring fire of color as the song blossoms with bright guitar leads and plundering unions with a hurtling momentum stoked by the drumming.

Noumenon rocks the shoegazing strand strongly on a warm and colorful track that almost sways into Alcest territory if it wasn't for snarling, viscous screams anchoring it to darkness. As mentioned before this record has many flavors and they come together sweetly. A very solid record, perhaps just shy of greatness, missing something exceptional. Its foundation is bedrock but never quite exceeds itself. Very impressive, I will be back to check out more of this band soon!

Rating: 7/10

Hunt The Dinosaur "Hunt The Dinosaur" (2014)

Ive had quite the chuckle with this little EP. These Texans have a new record looming around the corner, so I thought id warm myself up with this debut record. Hunt The Dinosaur are a not-so-serious Deathcore Djent band who will make little waves in the scene thanks to front man Hunter Madison's extraordinary guttural scream raps. It sounds unique, a fast flail of snarly, throaty gasps hurled at an impressive speed. Its toned, textural and well executed. His arsenal of other screaming styles are fully competent for the music too. If one strong influence comes to mind It is probably Corey Taylor of Slipknot who is known for blending rap rhythms into his screams.

The music behind is an impressive pull of self-awareness and comical in jokes. The tropes of breakdowns and excessive down tuned guitar tones are deployed in humorous extremes that do a fantastic job of balancing groove and landing an impact with its mocking nature. The lyrical depth also feels like a mockery, shallow topics are bolstered by plain and frank language that punctuates its bluntness in sync with the music, dropping its most abysmal lyrics at fitting times. Initially it musters a smirk but becomes rather monotonous as the joke grows old in its simplicity.

The big problem is the imposed limitations of a project that isn't to be taken seriously. In the right mood it will give you a smile but of the several listens Ive endured its joke tires quickly and the songs turn into a mechanical slog dragging their way towards little spurts of genuine interest that each song has in the form of a riff, screamed rap or punch line. Its been fun, a barrel of laughs to enjoy with friends and I look forward to their new album however I am hoping they can deploy some more substance with the music as a fair fraction of this record is rather lifeless beyond the gag.

Rating: 4/10

Ruido-mm "Rasura" (2014)

Hailing from Brazil, a fine craft of Post-Rock epic emerges. Rasura is fourth effort over a ten year span and that frequency may speak to the detail and care this record bestows. As an instrumental piece, the depth of instrumentation at work lets a plethora of tones, tangents and threads take limelight on a wholesome journey of warm, engrossing, uplifting atmospheres. Its a canvas for your imagination as emotions are birthed and conceded in the swelling of delicate and delicious deliberations.

Its the typical Post-Rock affair of shimmering guitars wailing in the breeze of their own reverberations, playing with tone and expansive sounds. The record also musters occasional outbreaks of conventional melody, imprinting clear and decisive tunes to hum along with in the wake of the more ambiguous, and scenically poised sound, although it leans to a progressive avenue. All of it is handled with an inspired touch, a organic web of instruments, yielding an ever changing chemistry to excel its vision. It is indeed the strength of the genre, to trade in the flat and equated roll of instruments fitting into structures and instead blossoming sounds into wild blooming adventures.

Rudio-mm achieve this wonderfully. The music will be personal to each individual and I find myself engulfed with a soft, warm earnestness each listen but only up to a point. After the Shoegazing dabble of Filete, the last two songs seem to fumble in pace and the borrowing of famous classical melodies deployed on the keyboard seem grandiose in their moment but pale against a rather dull ten minute stretch. Its an odd fumble but over the months Ive been enjoying this record its always the last fraction of the music that looses me. Otherwise its pretty fantastic and memorable!

Favorite Tracks: Electrostatica, Cromaqui, Filete

Rating: 7/10

Warpaint "Warpaint" (2014)

It took not but a few songs to be overcome with the feeling of adoration. I knew that this record would be enjoyed immensely and serve as a "go too" for a mood alteration, much like a Fever Ray or Feel It Break. Now that I make those comparisons I realize how much Dream and Art Pop vibes are on display. Initially I felt Post-Punk moods from the warm pulsing baselines that patrol and measured drum patterns. Those moments arise in due time but a lot of the record goes into a luscious Ethereal tangent. Either way its stirring up my favorite ingredients in the musical pot.

Warpaint are a four piece outfit from Los Angeles who I had not encountered before a recommendation for this self titled record, which is their second. Its a scenic collection of tracks with calm, soothing indulgences of the dreamy and slightly psychedelic variety that shuffle into bursts of hurried and pushed temperaments that create a slight tension and unease, mainly enforced by pulsing, filling baselines and drums with a sharp edge to cut through. The contrast does much for the records flow as it mostly musters its way through different measures of a similar medium.

With everyone pitching in vocals, the music is constantly graced by soft effeminate singing, layered and harmonious. Both are complimentary and crucial too the dreamy persuasions the music sways through. Its key melodies are often bare but illusive, drifting into the wash of sounds and occasionaly jumping up front to great effect like at the beginning of Biggy. With attentive ears one can dress down the foggy, reverberated sounds and hear quite a keen and straight forward arrangements of looping melodies that may have not been as charming without this merging setting.

Although I have really enjoyed the record, it is mostly its tone, mood and setting that I adore, a sign of becoming more at home with these Dream Pop and Ethereal styles. Its charm is more so with my want for this sound. It is undoubtedly a strong, consistent record but all its songs are suspended between good and great, never quite leaping off the page so to speak. It has many fond, engrossing passageways but none that quite peak the senses. Either way I have enjoyed it and will seek out more!

Favorite Tracks: Love Is To Die, Biggy, Disco

Rating: 7/10

Ho99o9 "Mutant Freax" (2014)

Mutant Freak is Punk Rock and Hip Hop duo Ho99o9's debut EP release. I was initially not so interested, I got the impression from the differences between Dead Bodies In The Lake and United States Of Horror that the pair where an upwards path. Occasional tracks bang with hard hitting grooves and heretic energy but a lot of their material revolves around unhinged "atmosphere" and aesthetics that culminate to a strange breed of rebellion born from their unique fusion of influences.

With Cyber Cop the two produced a very cohesive set of songs which mostly rocked from front to back. Its not what I expected but the three tracks of Mutant Freak do this too, without any apparent bangers or big beats. On this eight minute listen their dark aesthetics and sporadic mic presence finds a dynamism I didn't hear before. Their selection of gritty, night time synth samples play against loose drums as they drop darkly verses between odd vocal inflections with an interesting spark.

Split in the middle is Hated In America, a heated Punk Rock track with fast tempo drums, thrashing power chord guitars and a infectious amount of reverberation to echo and add some maniac energy to their screams. Its short but sweet and far better than I had expected. In this case the two forge engaging music that doesn't rely on head rocking tropes. Something I didn't think they did to well before.

Rating: 4/10

Logic "Under Pressure" (2014)

Released on the one and only Def Jam records, Maryland rapper Logic invests half a million into his breakout debut album. How do we know that? Under Pressure is a characteristically blunt, youthful set of songs with rather direct commentary from the "onboard assistant" and Logic himself who takes a raw and straight forward approach to his rhymes and story telling. At the end of the tracks the fourth wall is broken as the feminine electronic voice runs through facts and tidbits related to the albums creation, giving us an insight to the scenes and inspirations behind the music as Logic binges on Outkast, A Tribe Called Quest and Tarantino movies during its recording.

The instrumental side of the music takes on a rather traditional approach hailing back to the 90s with modern sounds far and few between. Soulful, jazzy sampling lays down warm, temperate moods and good, grounded vibes that tight, rugged beats back up with solid sequencing. These sounds and Logic's flow occasionally drifts into territory that fondly reminds me of To Pimp A Butterfly. Its got an organic quality hailing back to the pre-digital age of musicianship and that chemistry infrequently finds these illuminating grooves where it all clicks instrumentally speaking.

Its obvious that logic aims high and with his lyrics, painting a vivid introduction to himself and the city he came from. Its typically in the moment and he has no problem getting the stress and worries off his mind through the pressures of making it in the rap game. He mostly takes on a more palatable, generic flow letting the words come across with ease and oddly in moments of technical proficiency, pushing his swift snappy flows he lacks the same lyrical cohesion. It a raw, direction experience, tackling the topics head on with plainer language delivered through enjoyable lyrics.

For me the record plays without any stand-out moments. Or any duds considering the flip side. Its all feasible and achieved to a solid standard. It paints a picture without re framing anything, its sixty seven minutes can drag its feet with only a couple of features at the end to shake things up, Childish Gambino droping in, his voice a good match to bounce of Logic. Under Pressure is a fine effort, it lands where it aims and perhaps lacks a drive to go further as the chemistry here feels ripe for something special which doesn't manifest, however its a good listen.

Rating: 7/10

Myrkur "Myrkur" (2014)

Lastly for now we arrive at the roots of Amalie Bruun's musical endeavor, the debut, self titled EP which is surprisingly better than the full length M. It suffers the same entanglement of heavenly folkish sounds and beastly Black Metal but here the guitar work stands up a little stronger as the sways between dark and light are equally better despite a lack of flow. Unlike its predecessor which showed stark influences from the formation years of the genre, Myrkur's guitar aesthetics and riffs resemble a style far more akin to a band like Drudkh with harsh and thick tones that have a odd alluring indulgence.

As a purely Folk song, Frosne Vind shines like a beacon among the fog of dissonant aggression. Serine acoustic guitars washed in roomy reverberation paint an air of culture and meaning that her distant voice illuminates with a touch of divinity as the choral chant layers her voice blissfully. Its cut short as we are lunged into the hellfire of blast beasts and tremolo picking that highlights the records lack of cohesive direction or union between these two sounds she would go on to achieve with Mareridt. Her singing may be stunning but it is often cut short by these transitions.

When both Folk and Metal elements reside within singular songs the same rigidity occurs, Latvian Fegurð even has an odd bass heavy "gulp" noise as its beautiful, soft intro is cast to shadows in a sudden shift to snarling shredding. This records merit is in the interest both elements spark up as the aggressive side finds its moments of intrigue with atmospheric riffing. The problem, as to follow, is their contrast which is yet to find a middle ground beyond Amalie singing in her calming clean voice over shrill guitars on a couple of occasions. A reasonable start but as we know it will take another effort before they find what really works.

Favorite Tracks: Frosne Vind, Må Du Brænde I Helvede

Rating: 6/10

Zeal And Ardor "Zeal And Ardor" (2014)

Until some recent research, I had been completely oblivious to the existence of this demo album released two years before Devil Is Fine. That record rocked my world when I first heard it but now with the mighty Stranger Fruit unleashed both It and this demo show their flaws boldly. Rigid edges and the forcing together of contrasted sounds sound stiff and tacky in the wake of Gagneux's evolution as an artist. And so I found myself at odds with this record, much of the blueprint for Devil Is Fine is firmly in place and even more ideas occupy the space. Essentially its an even rougher, primitive, sketched out concept, which makes total sense considering its a demo.

Its a mixed bag of fruits with an extraordinary set of influences on style and aestheic that can't ever seem to settle in one place. Its Black Metal streak ties down some consistency as songs erupt with dark rumblings of blast beats and screams with an essence of familiarity. Beyond it Manuel adds a little of anything from a muted rap on The Lesser Key to all manor of electronic styles with a fondness for glitched, odd timed beats and harsh synths on the Intermezzo interludes. The third installment bares little resemblance as the music drifts into dreary and bleak sound of Ethereal Gothic Rock.

Its hard to keep up with, many of the fruits of this experimentation are far apart from one another both musically and in the run time but on Bounty we find a flare of inspiration that anchors home as the Chain Gang sound. It makes for a cheeky song lined with group claps over a mischievous melody as Manuel sings in a husky voice, telling caution to the slaves who should keep quite in the presence of the governors wife. Its a rare moment of cohesion in a truly curious demo that continually experiments and thus dispels any flow or atmosphere despite having plenty good ideas, they just don't match one another.

Favorite Tracks: Bounty

Rating: 5/10

Dance With The Dead "Send The Signal" (2014)

Getting back to the Retro Wave goodness we tune in again with the Californian duo for a disappointing successor to the wonderful and vivid Into The Abyss record. Released at the end of the same year its a little longer in length at twenty nine minutes but feels stripped back in comparison. Gone is the enigmatic impact of guitar leads and solos that guide the songs direction. The electronic instruments don't feel as layered or dense in both texture and composition. Its essentially tapping into similar moods with darkly night life moods inspired by horror movies and "things that go bump in the night", without a specific characteristic.

Perhaps its a case of fatigue from two sets of songs that both stick very rigidly to formulas that work, bright and punch synths playing simplistic short melodies on repeat. Phasing synths and drum rolls help build up suspense and alleviate tension as the music raises and lowers the intensity frequently as it explores its melodic direction. Without a standout track and minimal impact from the muted use of guitars I came away from this record wishing that something could of defined it better since its blueprint is essentially the same as before. Disappointing but only in comparison, this style and sound is still fun and enjoyable.

Rating: 4/10

Dance With The Dead "Into The Abyss" (2014)

Californian duo Dance With The Dead are another popular group within the Retro Wave niche that I had encountered a couple years back. I was introduced to the music via the PC game NeuroVoider and its soundtrack composed by Dan Terminus. One of the first observations you may make about their sound is how similar to the Terminus style it is, as if its been cast from the same mold. I'm not trying to make point, I do not know enough about the micro genre to know who the key players and influences are, if nostalgia itself hasn't played a large roll in that. To be fair most of what Ive heard from Retro Wave sticks very firmly to the vibes, aesthetics and theme heard on Into The Abyss, the bands second album which clocks in at twenty four minutes.

With tight pumping EDM kicks, snappy snares making up grooving, thumping dance beats, a warm array of vibrant synthesizers accompanies as the duo repackage eighties Synthpop into a dark and lean nostalgia ride of horror culture and VGM influences that creates this stunning atmosphere fit for neon lit cities in the dark of night. Its ripe with melody and color, the constant roll of thudding dance drums and dexterous melodies chiming over thick unrolling baselines and layered chiming of sharp synths creates a thick, absorbing atmosphere that's hard to resist!

Within the mix are very finely tuned distortion guitars, set to meld into the scenery like another electronic instrument yet having a powerful influence. They help flesh out the monotony of the pitch perfect electronic music and add what feels like the "voice" of this otherwise instrumental affair. With them comes a throw back to eighties Metal vibes, songs like Odyssey and Battle livening up the music with slick guitar leads that sound like they may of been plucked from an Ozzy Osbourne record. They are sleek and tonal licks that guide the music on its path and occasionally swap up the roll with slick keyboard solos. The more rigid notes and pitch modulation gives it away but on the surface they sound almost the same.

Its a short and sweet record, a great introduction to a duo who seem to execute this style in just the right chemistry for my taste! With another four records and b-sides compilation in their back catalog it seems I have no excuse not to work my way through them! I Really enjoyed this one, fast to get to grips with and has a very nice atmosphere fit for particular moods.

Favorite Track: Suede

Rating: 6/10

Pallbearer "Foundations Of Burden" (2014)

Praised as their best work, this sophomore record from the Arkansas Doom Metal outfit Pallbearer has all the measured, weighty wonder of its successor yet strips back most of its prettier, gleaming guitar tones and melodic, Progressive Rock influences. I am talking in reverse however, this record that came before it has scale and craft protruding from its dense and meaty lunge of crunchy, fuzzy guitars accommodated by slow burgeoning drums. They form a stunning atmospheric setting, its mood caught between natural beauty and mortal sorrow.

Foundations Of Burden feels closer to the formula of sluggish, punishing paces and dreary, gloomy atmospheres associated with Doom Metal. Some sections reveal their simple construct with minimal guitar work between the strikes of bass kicks and lonely hi-hats but despite this the tempo shifts and guitar work can erode all sense of structure and repetition that is commonplace as a web of expression unravels itself beyond all tropes. In these moments it feels like the music escapes its own limitations, the layering of guitar leads and stunning vocals has the music blossoming into vivid, indulgent places.

Some of its riffs are aggressive and grooving on paper but the warm fuzzy distortion tone and lack of urgency in performances spins so much of what is "Metal" into feeling like the distortion is almost irrelevant to what it creates. The heart of the music is in the melody and voices of Campbell and Holt, the grizzly belly of drawn out power chords only drives the music when all engines fire, otherwise it drifts into a commonplace setting however this push and pull is essential to the magic that unfolds as these songs progress into wondrous places. Really memorable record!

Favorite Track: The Ghost I Used To Be

Rating: 8/10

Code Orange "I Am King" (2014)

Code Orange's latest release Forever was certainly an intriguing listen when we look past the apparent upfront brutality. Released three years earlier, I Am King is the groups second release and one I am far more fond of, where Forever has a manipulating hand of mischievous intent that seems to intentionally derange the music, this release is much more conventional however they strike a balance where the unorthodox and heretic meddles within the walls of expectation.

Kicking off with a booming, harrowing synth, chopping in and out of focus the band fire up moments later with a manic wall of sound before dropping into a fiery guitar thrashing. It breaks to noisy dissonant chords, dense in atmosphere then jumps forward into a bouncy Nu Metal like riff. Then with a switch into a circle pit paced hardcore stomp, back to the wall of sound and then slamming into a beat down it sets us on a ride. You get the picture, its all over the place, back and forth, setting the tone for whats to come, a restless erratic energy that will switch and shuffle on you seamlessly, despite the difference, without a moment for you to rest.

All though this churning is true in parts, after the first track things seem to fall into place, each song focusing on its flavor of chaos that emerged in the opening calamity of styles. "Dream In Inertia" offers a different spice, its a slow dreary track of gloomy echoing acoustics and hammered out power chords slugging at a slower pace, the band come back to this on "Starve" and the two break the flow. It holds up well between a constant pummeling of ripe, enthusiastic fist thrashing heaviness of hard, angry music that's got the boldness to strike for atmosphere and use slow bludgeoning riffage as its weapon of distraction.

This would of been a much better introduction to the band. For thirty two minutes they have you at their mercy, within familiar conventions. The sprawl of aggression is menacing and it kicks hard and doesn't let up to its last breath which suits a short listen well. The albums production is rock solid and captures a lot of texture and tone in the guitars which is important in its dissonant and noisy sections. A much better record than its successor however that wild experimentation may have something yet to give. A mix between these to stages would be ideal.

Favorite Tracks: Slowburn, Alone In A Room

Rating: 8/10

Low Roar "0" (2014)

Low Roar's second full length album, simply titled "0" has gained significant exposure this year from its use in media advertisements. On first listen I was convinced this was a Sigur Ros side project, brainchild of singer Ryan Karazija his voice is remarkably similar Jon Birgisson and both groups are from Iceland. It could be the accent, but Ryan's high notes are uncanny in tone and delivery. Both being from such a small country, in terms of population, there is probably no one who hasn't heard of Sigur Ros's international success and their influence seems to be everywhere on this record.

Zero is a personal, searching record, heartfelt and exposed you can hear an artist trying to work it out through the music. Its sedative and mournful within a state of melancholy that can be all too much on a couple of songs. Of the many months Ive listened to it Ive wrestled with its mood, often not keen on walking the same path. Its depressive state is hidden with words among soft serine music that will change the tone of your day. Its hard to love but in its own way its a truly great piece of music that cuts like a knife.

With no particular formula, a range of instruments take to the music with mainly quite percussive lines, sometimes glitched and electronic. Between them acoustic guitars strum chords, sometimes with deep reverbs adding an ethereal touch. The string sections are most prominent, soft and strung with care they line most the tracks with the somber mood. It all revolves around Ryan's voice, with fluidity, the soft music masks its structure, accompanying and complimenting the softly sung vocalist.

Of its seventy eight minutes some moments do linger. When Ryan goes quiet, so does the music and the first half feels like it takes the share of emotionally impacting songs. In its prime it is engrossing, moving and tear jerking, however when missing the mark it does drift from ones focus and that's where the latter half lets it down. In its best it challenges the listener with a deep sadness, that to easily drifts away as the album progresses and rarely does the music get to step in front of the vocal narrative. Its an interesting record but for all its brilliance one that doesn't command much of me.

Favorite Tracks: Nobody Loves Me Like You, Half Asleep, I'm Leaving, Phantoms, Vampire On My Fridge
Rating: 5/10

Navie D "Opra EP" (2014)

Following up on the newer "Post EP" record we check out another seventeen minute collection of five tracks that are very much of the same vein, so much so the two roll off one another. "Opra EP" shows the formula was minutely refined with big luminous leads, synths and ghetto whistles sparking the tracks to life with memorable melodies to mark a climactic moment in the tracks trajectory. This is very much the same record without those moments to kick it up a notch from the mediocrity these ambient, ambiguous beats can fall into when they fall from the forefront of attention.

As mentioned these instrumentals are atmospheric, a collage of dissonance where traditional synth instruments are distorted in ambiguity and oddities that give them an organic feeling of disorientation. When giving it a keen ear the instruments fall into place and seem more traditional. Its this leaning to the unusual that gives the record its dark dystopian flavor that revolves around the mid tempo beats that fade in and out of focus. With steady and stuttering Trap hi hats the pace is marked along with screeching, howling synthesizers and samples of operatic voices eerily drifting in from the shadows. Its melodies are subdued and server to not been seen as much which is where I feel the record looses something its follow up has. Progression for this sound is certainly on a positive path and with Navie D having released his full length debut It will be next on my playlist.

Rating: 4/10

Flying Lotus "You're Dead!" (2014)

American musician Steven Ellison, aka Flying Lotus is an acclaimed Experimental Hip Hop producer. This album, his fifth, is a primarily an instrumental and fleshed out collection of organic and exploratory beats. I caught wind of it back in 2014 when it was being heavily promoted via billboards and mainstream advertising, it received a lot of positive press but unfortunately I don't share in its praise, this album is great on paper but the listening experience is rather unfocused, lucid and wandering. Its a journey without a destination, unaware of itself. Perhaps that's its genius but as much as I enjoy wondering along through the experience it doesn't amount to anything emotional or memorable. Its just simply there one moment and the next its not.

Two records come to mind, DJ Shadow's "Endtroducing...", a record of care and craft that first explored Instrumental Hip Hop and The Future Sounds Of London's "Lifeforms", for its journey through sound that often steered clear of conventional song formats. "You're Dead!" starts of with a moment of structure and form with Jazz Hop beats and a feature from "Kendrick Lamar" but beyond that the album quickly strolls into psychedelic exploration as layered beats loosely guide the narrative provided by an eclectic array of samples often with something genuinely interesting at its focal point. The craft and attention to detail is ruthless. These beats don't loop, break or rarely create that sense of perpetual motion. They expand, contract and often organically flow through an ever changing landscape of sound. Its mellow, chilled and easily enjoyed but what it amounts to alludes me.

I feel no sense of brooding emotion or vision and without that it is an underwhelming listen. Everything worthy of notice is fleeting, momentary and directionless. Aesthetically gorgeous, musically empty, I couldn't find something to hold onto. I felt it could of done with more structure but as a listener If i can't hear the vision it doesn't really matter. I will certainly give Lotus some more of my time, maybe one of his other records will suit me more than this one.

Favorite Tracks: Never Catch Me, Decent Into Madness

Rating: 5/10

Clockwork Indigo "Clockwork Indigo" (2014)

Clockwork Indigo, a play on Stanly Krubrick's classic movie, is the name of a collaborative effort between Flatbush Zombies and The Underachievers, also of Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York. This is the super group's only release, a short five track EP which to me sounds like an Underachievers release considering I am unfamiliar with the Flatbush Zombies. The project was created when the two groups decided to tour together. Rather than just tour they decided to take it to the studio and create this record to help promote the tour and vice versa.

So being unfamiliar with the Zombies it feels like a completely organic and natural exercise as their raps and contributions fit right along AK and Issa. With equally aggressive and boisterous raps it fits the tone, however with mostly violent, braggadocios and party raps, the occasional sprinkling of insightful or social conscious lyrics do little to stop my attention from shifting to the instrumentals. The opening "Butterfly Effect" graces seven minutes as each rapper gets passed the mic over a memorable beat with unnerving string samples looped over a rough, boom bap beat where you can hear the vinyl needle static in the capture, playing it over and over ads a little dirt to the beat. After the verses the song winds down with some speach samples before transitioning into warm and bright piano chords with a melody whistled, then played on the piano, then sung before snipping short segments of the samples again.

Its nice to hear an instrumental expand itself beyond the basic loop but the opener is the only one to do so, the other four just play out to the raps and so the best part of these songs are the hooks. "Ain't this what you want?" with its flamboyant delivery will stick in the mind. "Benefit Concert" has dampened group shouts calling out "Mosh. Mosh, Mosh. Mosh" in the chorus. Great hooks but not much lyrical substance beyond a few catchy lines. As a record it doesn't feel too indifferent from what id expect of The Underachievers. It doesn't wow but it ain't bad either.

Favorite Tracks: Butterfly Effect, Benefit Concert

Rating: 5/10

Contact "First Contact" (2014)

Two years before "Zero Moment" the Pittsburgh based duo release this, their debut record, a shorter listen at twenty seven minutes between the four tracks its made of. Much like its successor a clean and animated assembly of synthesizer instruments play Progressive Rock with a VGM characteristic about it. Like in the first record the opening self titled track jumps right into the prog style with a bold, warm and thick synth lead that guides the song with an active melody. After this one the prog takes a back seat to a much calmer and ambient tone as the jovial leads give way to looping background melodies and accompanying strings. On "Terminal Point" a light Rock guitar fuzz's in with a fading overdrive in the opening moments and returns later to play a subdued solo with synths dancing between its breaks. It finds a terrific climax in the end as the guitar and drums continue to grow in volume.

"Distant Voices" slows the tempo down and lightens the percussion as we gently drift through a void of minimalism, with a quiet melody looping in the distance and various instruments taking the lead in a very subdued manor. Its executed brilliantly, creating a warm and friendly atmosphere that feels a little mysterious given the brooding baseline which pops in spaciously with its melody. Some light vocals creep in too, used to sound like another atmospheric synth.

"Icefall" builds up slow, starting with atmosphere its set the tone for another ambient track of subtly and slow progression. At the midway point it picks up pace with fast bustling synths and opens up into an epic setting that feels like reaching a destination. Each song is interesting in its own way and the band seem to sway between its Progressive Synth sound and what I could most accurately describe as VGM music with a hint of ambience. Both aspects are brilliant, even though they are executed well together I get a sense that something greater could come of their music. Either way its an enjoyable half hour of time spent.

Favorite Track: First Contact

Rating: 6/10