electronic albums
Album Review: MSTRKRFT – Operator
So let me start out by saying I’m not an aficionado when it comes to electronica. I’m really just an outsider looking in that finds himself drawn to the beats and noisy synths. I feel EDM, techno, and house music like I feel jazz, hip hop, and classical music; that is to say I feel …
Cliff Martinez : The Neon Demon S/T
I think the first movie soundtrack that made a real impact on me was The Exorcist. Nope, it wasn’t Star Wars, Superman, or Raiders of the Lost Ark. Hell, it wasn’t even Halloween. The first one that made a visceral impact on me was “Tubular Bells” by Mike Oldfield from The Exorcist S/T. As a …
Album Review: The Avalanches – Wildflower
On their 2000 debut ‘Since I Left You, The Avalanches took the art of sampling to an entire new level. Made up entirely of snippets from other people’s work, it was perfectly put together, and in doing so they created a sound totally of their own. With tracks like the uber chilled out title track, …
Album Review: Bright Light Bright Light – Choreography
Could ‘Choreography’ be the perfect title for Welsh electronic singer/songwriter Rod Thomas AKA Bright Light Bright Light’s third album? Why? Well first of all it goes perfectly with the gloriously eighties inspired styling of the album; from the fashions, to the artwork, to the big synth sounds that have already dominated all his albums to …
Album Review: Highasakite – Camp Echo
The inexorable march of Norwegian five piece Highasakite continues with the release of their second (at least internationally, pendants will no doubt note its their third) album, Camp Echo. Those that fell in love with their frankly astonishing last long player Silent Treatment, which some two years later is still skirting around the charts in …
Album Review: Umberto – Alienation
Umberto’s Alienation feels like a cross between New Age, a Giallo score, and a soundtrack to some strange early 80s sci fi film. Previous albums like Confrontation, Night Has A Thousand Screams, and Prophecy Of The Black Widow all took their cues from the Gothic and dark world of horror films from guys like Argento, …
Album Review: Gold Panda – Good Luck and Do Your Best
Gold Panda’s first album, ‘Lucky Shiner’, is – to me – one of the electronic albums of recent years. I credit it (along with Mount Kimbie’s ‘Crooks & Lovers’ and Baths’ ‘Cerulean’) with completely re-shaping my perspective on electronic music. As a long-time lover of drum n’ bass and the likes of Aphex Twin, Boards …
Album Review: Thylacine – Transsiberian
A concept album composed over a 5,000 mile journey between Moscow and Vladivostok, Artist William Rezé (Thylacine) sampled sounds along the way and blended them over music he created from the confines of a tiny cabin along the Trans-Siberian Railway. His Travels took him through nearly 6,000 miles of landscapes resulting in a piece of work that reflects his discovery …
Album Review: The Erised – Room 414
When you think of Hospital Records, you no doubt think of drum & bass madness. They have launched the careers of the likes of High Contrast, London Elektricity and Danny Byrd. But their sister label Med School has given fans of electronic music something different; something more experimental. And with the release of the debut …
Album Review: Phoria – Volition
Melatonin, the opening track of Volition, the long overdue debut album from Brighton based electonic group Phoria, sums it up. Shades of James Blake (an almost constant influencer in these days of electronic soul) purvey througout, but there’s also some Sigur Ros in there with its winsome melodies and ambitious musical sensibilities and some of …