Mark Van Hoen - Playing With Time

Label: Apollo

Released: 1998

Style: Abstract, Downtempo, Experimental, Ambient

"Fifth and best album of elegant electronica from the ex-Seefeel man.

From the breathy and mysterious opener Real Love to the marathon finale Love Is All, Playing With Time displays an impressive range of instrumentation and clever application of technology. Its 10 tracks draw on techno, trance and ambient influences without ever making you reach for the fast-forward button. There's even an extended Bobby Konders-style funky organ workout on Once When I Was Fourteen to stop the whole caboodle getting too airy and rootless. OK, Van Hoen occasionally gets a bit literal with the temporal allusions - music-box noises on Surrounder, clockwork cogs grinding away on Gifts And Prizes - but the results are so damn beautiful they take your breath away. Nine pieces of exquisitely crafted electronica set the scene and then Love Is All glides gracefully by and keeps the old-school ambient heads happy for 36 minutes. There's life in the old circuitry yet. Rob Chapman" - Mojo

Tracklisting:

1 Real Love (7:57)

2 Surrounder (3:15)

3 First Steps (4:18)

4 Closer Than We All Thought (3:42)

5 A More Light Past (2:58)

6 Once When I Was Fourteen (4:36)

7 Gifts And Prizes (4:13)

8 You And Me Inside (4:30)

9 When Tomorrow Comes (5:54)

10 Love Is All (4:45)

Link

David Sylvian - Alchemy - An Index Of Possibilities

Label: Virgin

Released: 2003

Style: Abstract, Art Rock, Experimental, Ambient

"This newly compiled collection features the gorgeously ethereal Words With The Shamen mini album (recorded 1985) together with several rarities recorded during this period with Ryuichi Sakamoto. Also featuring the likes of Jon Hassell, Holger Czukay, Steve Jansen, Robert Fripp, etc., 'Alchemy An Index Of Possibilities' is yet further proof that David Sylvian's musical touch is as light and blessed as ever - taking you on a smoky journey through drifting territories that never once belies it was made over twenty years ago. Featuring the impossible to find 'Steel Cathedrals', this will serve as the perfect introduction or undeniable find to anyone's David Sylvian collection. Magic!" - Boomkat

Tracklisting:

1 Words With The Shaman (Part 1 - Ancient Evening) (5:15)

2 Words With The Shaman (Part 2 - Incantation) (3:29)

3 Words With The Shaman (Part 3 - Awakening - Songs From The Tree Tops) (5:18)

4 Preparations For A Journey (3:40)

5 The Stigma Of Childhood (Kin) (8:30)

6 A Brief Conversation Ending In Divorce (3:31)

7 Steel Cathedrals (18:58)

Link

Signaldrift - Set Design

Label: The Consumers Research & Development Label
Released: 2005
Style: Leftfield, House, Ambient

"Though Set Design is ten tracks long, six of those are brief, seemingly improvisational ambient interludes in between the four longer and more constructed -- though still pretty spacy -- pieces. Mastermind Franz Buchholtz plays almost all the instruments save for a bit of guitar, and although most of the album is going for the sort of Eno-inspired stillness suggested by his choice of an artist name, each piece has at least one inspired arrangement choice, such as the vinyl clicks and pops that add an undercurrent of tension to the otherwise placid "Children of the '70s" and the woody, marimba-like keyboard riff that twinkles through the long, droning pulses of "Long Goodbyes." The only fully developed song on the album, in the sense that it ends someplace other than where it began, is the percolating neo-motorik of "128," a 13-and-a-half-minute epic that remains compelling throughout, but the individual pieces of Set Design fit together nicely, making it a much more interesting listen than one might initially expect. " - Allmusic

Tracklisting:

1 And Yet... (1:39)
2 Yellow Leaves (6:25)
3 Undecided (1:47)
4 Dutch Assassin (6:02)
5 Children Of The 70's (1:56)
6 De De (5:36)
7 Purple (2:17)
8 Long Goodbyes (1:59)
9 128 (13:31)
10 Dripping Angels (1:59)

Link

Manuel Göttsching - Dream & Desire

Label: Spalax Music
Released: 1991
Style: Krautrock, Electro, Downtempo, Minimal

"The '70s were a fertile period for Manuel Göttsching. Having pioneered the kosmische guitar freakout with Ash Ra Tempel, he had embarked on a new phase by mid-decade. Inspired by minimalist composers Terry Riley, Steve Reich, and Philip Glass, Göttsching traded musical visions of outer space for trance-inducing meditations on inner space. Between 1974 and 1977, Göttsching pursued this new aesthetic on Inventions for Electric Guitar, Le Berceau de Cristal, New Age of Earth, and Blackouts, immersing himself in an electronic environment that often fused his signature guitar work with sequencers and synths. Although not released until 1991, Dream & Desire was recorded in 1977. Its ambient and proto-techno explorations hold up reasonably well alongside Göttsching's previously released recordings from the mid-'70s, and also resonate favorably with the work of like-minded contemporaries such as Edgar Froese, Klaus Schulze, and Tangerine Dream. The half-hour "Dream" is appropriately oneiric. Prefaced by elemental atmospherics and soothing synth washes, it builds with sparse, delicate guitar lines. Göttsching crafts mesmerizing layers of intricate notes as the track gradually gathers momentum and settles into tighter, more defined patterns. In contrast with the cool, glacial aura of "Dream," "Desire" has a warmer, more energized feel, rooted in its relentless bass pulse, sheen of electronic percussion, and Frippertronic-style guitar. However, the components fail to coalesce to hypnotic effect; instead, they test the patience and sound somewhat dated. The more economical "Despair" succeeds where "Desire" falters, putting similar sonic elements to more compelling use. While the weaving, sinewy guitars infuse a melancholy air, the rhythmic dimension radiates optimism and dynamism that stand in ironic counterpoint to the track's title. Dream & Desire isn't, perhaps, as consistently strong as Göttsching's other recordings from the period, but this lost album provides further insight into one of his most innovative creative phases." - Allmusic

They rip on the 2nd track, but it's pretty good as far as I'm concerned.

Tracklisting:

1 Dream 30:14
2 Desire 22:56
3 Despair 8:29

Link

Wagon Christ - Musipal

Label: Ninja Tune
Released: 2001
Style: Leftfield, Breaks, IDM, Downtempo

"Vibert Returns, this time round on Ninja Tune, with a follow up to his Virgin-released 'Tally-HO' LP. Marking a return to upright feelgood funkiness that made his name with 'Throbbing Pouch' and 'Big Soup', this is purely joyful, easy music. Elements of Hip-Hop, breaks and after-hours chillouts, this is such an incredibly undemanding LP, beautifully constructed, seamlessly flowing and always with a heavy dose of feel-good engineering. Recommended." - Boomkat

Tracklisting:

1 The Premise (3:28)
2 Bend Over (4:46)
3 Tomach (4:31)
4 Thick Stew (7:47)
5 Natural Suction (7:33)
6 Musipal (4:00)
7 It Is Always Now, All Of It Is Now (4:55)
8 Receiver (3:24)
9 Boney L (2:01)
10 Cris Chana (4:50)
11 Tomorrow Acid (3:42)
12 Step To The Music (6:30)
13 Perkission (5:31)

Link

Thomas Fehlmann - Lowflow

Label: Plug Research
Released: 2004
Style: IDM, Dub, Electro, Downtempo

"After extensive forays into more physical, club-related tracks with his series of releases (on Kompakt) Lowflow, recorded on and off over the last years, now heralds a return to his slower, more experimental side and provides a surprisingly concise description of the album's overall feel.

Both minimal and expansive, Lowflow allows its tracks to float across and into each other, an infinite, gentle mix to which Fehlmann playfully introduces the soft murmur of chimes, pedal steel guitar or his very own trumpet.

From opener "Goldhaar" and the disjointed fascination of the decidedly unslinky "Slinky" with its hypnotic, focused distortion via the briefest of Alice Coltrane homages on "Interstellar" to the almost rocky determination of "Alice Springs" and the classic, minimalist house of "Andrea is Delighted," Lowflow nevertheless retains a distinctly dubby, German flavor, a seamless pleasure that loves to pause and interrupt itself to create its very own, idiosyncratic flow.

Everything on this record was generated by Thomas himself, except the cover supplied by seminal artist Raymond Pettibon (Black Flag, Minutemen) who was his only contact when he first came to LA 15 years ago, as well as three short, connecting interludes growing out of a collaboration with Detroit artist Dabrye (Ghostly International)." - Label

Tracklisting:

1 Goldhaar (3:25)
2 Prefab (5:12)
3 Interstellar (1:31)
4 Lindt (4:34)
5 Slinky (4:26)
6 Intertwine (0:39)
7 Hana (5:11)
8 Alice Springs (5:21)
9 Springer (5:12)
10 Andrea Is Delighted (6:51)
11 Intersect (1:11)
12 Feat (5:33)
13 Fellmaus (6:02)

Link

Lone - Lemurian

Label: Dealmaker Records
Released: 2008
Style: Instrumental Hip-Hop, Downtempo

"Wonky heads take note - if you're into the whole Flying Lotus / Samiyam / Rustie / Lukid thing - this is just the ticket. Deriving its name from a lost, mythical continent, Lemurian has little to do with lost undersea cities and the like, although there is something ever so slightly fantastical about these heavily compressed instrumental hip hop productions and their evocative song titles: 'Lens Flare Lagoon' conjures up the glistening, watery effect suggested by its name, and 'Buried Coral Banks' has a Boards Of Canada-meets-Jacques Cousteau feel that's hard not to love. Incongruous with all this, interlude tracks like the gratuitous '80s soul sampling of 'Green Sea Pageant' steer the tone in a different direction, but divorced from the implied Jules Verne elements of it all, Lemurian makes for a sick collection of bass-heavy beats and quasi-ambient textures. Really good stuff - highly recommended!" - Boomkat

Tracklisting:

1 Koran Angel (1:02)
2 Cali Drought (3:17)
3 Interview At Honolulu (3:51)
4 Banyan Drive (2:37)
5 Green Sea Pageant (1:08)
6 Girl (3:13)
7 Orange Tree (0:49)
8 Maya Codex (2:04)
9 Atoll Mirrored (1:15)
10 Sea Spray (3:52)
11 Under Two Palms (1:32)
12 Lens Flare Lagoon (3:10)
13 Borea (3:30)
14 Buried Coral Banks (0:54)
15 Phthalo Blue (3:36)
16 Sunken (2:01)
17 Minor Suns (2:48)

Link

Lone - Everything Is Changing Colour

Label: VU-US
Released: 2007
Style: IDM, Downtempo, Ambient

"Mix the charm of early Boards of Canada and the intensity of Chris Clark, and you get Lone. Moreso a collection of tracks than an album, there's a rawness to this debut I haven't heard in IDM for quite some time, and it's something that I think is desperately needed. Lone's material captures the essence of what originally attracted everyone to Hi Scores. It wasn't children's voices or number counting; it was the idea that electronic music could escape its mechanical boundaries and display the same amount of raw emotion instruments could without becoming caricatures. Many of the artists Boards of Canada influenced have tried so hard to re-create the components of their music that they never ever re-created the magic that was the eary Boards' true appeal. On the second half of the record, a more pervasive hip-hop influence takes over, and it's to no detriment of the quality of the collection. It's no surprise to see that Lone's hooked up with Bibio's Artists' Valley collective, which cites the Boards as a major appeal, but also dabbles in the hip-hop realm as well (see Letherette). A really captivating debut, and something the IDM/hip-hop heads absolutely need to take notice of." - The Music Lobby

Tracklisting:

1 Duelling Auroras (3:27)
2 Proper Vivid (3:55)
3 My Eye (6:58)
4 Summer Of Summer (4:08)
5 Pure White Lights (4:10)
6 Drifting Off Too Far (1:11)
7 Your Lucky Numbers (2:05)
8 Cat's Eye (1:05)
9 Light From The Heart Nebula (6:02)
10 Piano Happy (2:05)
11 Midnight Feast (5:32)
12 Time Was A Spiral (1:07)
13 A Quadruple Sky (4:36)
14 Number Station (0:55)
15 Missing Persons (2:54)

Link

Strategy - Drumsolo's Delight

Label: Kranky
Released: 2004
Style: Glitch, Dub, Ambient

"Drumsolo's Delight weds the subtle rhythmic promise of the early work anthologized on Strut with a discreet ambience. The album flirts with the tensions of hyper-modern digital vastness on one hand, and the gritty immediacy of live dub mixing on the other. Drumsolo's Delight moves towards the points of overlap between rhythm and cloudiness- reaching towards the grey area where sounds share active and passive characteristics. Drumsolo's Delight is Strategy's most thematic work to date, and aside from the technical syntheses achieved in the studio, the album is an accurate snapshot of several years' of work creating music concerned with geography/place, people, memory, and weather."

Tracklisting:

1 Cascadian Nights (4:03)
2 Super Shewolf Inna City (5:37)
3 Drumsolo's Delight (5:31)
4 Jazzy's Dilemma (5:40)
5 Super Final Zen (5:54)
6 Walkingtime (5:29)
7 The Jazzy Drumsolo (11:44)

Link

Bowery Electric - Beat

Label: Kranky
Released: 1996
Style: Abstract, Experimental

"Back in the mid 90s it seemed almost impossible to escape from the break beat. From hip hop to trip hop to rave and then into seemingly every other style on the planet the sampled break was filtering its way into music everywhere, even the humble post rock genre. Bowery Electric were a US post rock act but interestingly had a strong leaning towards hip hop production and most obviously the beats which gave them a sound like no other act around. With the noisy harmonic guitar textures of Windy and Carl or My Bloody Valentine and the sort of half-tempo beat loops you'd more likely expect to find on DJ Shadow's 'Endtroducing' they helped the genre take a sharp left turn and with 'Beat' created something of a milestone for the scene. Championed by everyone from The Wire to The Melody Maker of all people 'Beat' was a much more influential record than you'd think, and hearing it now over ten years later I can make pretty clear links between this album and for instance the work of Ulrich Schnauss or M83. You see a shoegaze/electronic crossover had already been approached by Bowery Electric, they just maybe never achieved the sort of popularity they deserved - but listen to 'Empty Words' and you'll see exactly what I mean. With bendy, echoing guitar chords and vocals to rival the haunting tones of even Julee Cruise this is a record that stays with you long after it has ended, and if you've never heard it you should take a listen without delay. An essential part of the Kranky catalogue!" - Boomkat

Tracklisting:

1 Beat (7:16)
2 Empty Words (3:45)
3 Without Stopping (5:13)
4 Under The Sun (3:32)
5 Fear Of Flying (5:39)
6 Looped (2:39)
7 Black Light (6:53)
8 Inside Out (7:19)
9 Coming Down (4:38)
10 Postscript (16:41)

Link

Gel-Sol - Unifactor

Label: Upstairs Recordings
Released: 2007
Style: Downtempo, Experimental, Ambient

"The artwork of Seattle transplant Gel-Sol’s recent album depicts a visualisation of sound in nature. Fittingly, you might describe Unifactor as an aural picture of life itself. Trippy, eh? “Open Her” sets the tone with a plunderphonic lesson in today’s technologically obsessed culture. Coming down like an after school special getting war-torn youth accustomed to air raids and tactical training through the town square, the album comes off too cheeky to be preachy. Take it from Star Trek’s Bones: “Look at those poor creatures, they’ve been blasted into oblivion!” “Propulsion” is an updated take on Floyd’s “On the Run,” sewing sampled snippets from media broadcasts through the audacious blipping of the psychedelic landmark, revamped with killer breaks. “On a Clear Night You Can Still See The Answer” implies that dub is the secret, with the traditionally syncopated guitar that barely clips the horizon for just a moment around midnight. “Slowjob” is the kicker, though, where a soothing feminine voice prepares the listener for hypnotisation, counting down to one and anticipated calm. The listener naturally expects a deep sonic montage to ensue, and boy does it ever. Clever enough for some to miss, stupid enough to really satisfy." - Exclaim Magazine

Tracklisting:

1 Open Her (3:37)
2 Brontosaur Yu (6:48)
3 Propulsion (4:55)
4 On A Clear Night You Can See The Answer (7:25)
5 Slowjob (6:49)
6 Cool Sweet Awesome Yay! (5:57)
7 3c273 (4:00)
8 Mother Never Known (6:59)
9 Ohne Schläge (5:16)
10 Saying Goodbye Is Never Easy (7:26)
11 Unifactor (8:15)

Link

Susumu Yokota - Laputa

Label: Skintone
Released: 2003
Style: Experimental, Ambient, Downtempo

"Internationally reknowned japanese producer Susumu Yokota releases his new album “Laputa” via his own Skintone imprint. Laputa‚ follows on from the themes explored on the hugely acclaimed ambient/electronic albums “Sakura”, “The Boy and The Tree” and “Grinning Cat”. As with previous releases on Skintone (released on THE LEAF LABEL in the UK), Yokota’s new album combines layers of sonic ambience with fragmented rhythmic and melodic patterns. He manages to create an otherworldly, richly textured, organic muiscal experience that flits effortlessly between the spheres of live instrumentation, found sound and electronic music in a way few other producers can match. A beautifully crafted album that doesn’t descend to cliché, absorbing a wealth of sound that makes for perfect, rich, evocative soundscaping. Excellent." - Boomkat

Tracklisting:

1 Rising Sun (4:47)
2 Lost Ring (3:42)
3 Gong Gong Gong (4:25)
4 Iconic Air (4:52)
5 Light Of The Sun (4:08)
6 Grey Piano (1:12)
7 23 Degrees Dream (3:00)
8 Hidden Love (3:50)
9 Trip Eden (4:48)
10 True Story (2:52)
11 Dragon Place (3:51)
12 I Am Flying (3:42)
13 Dizzy Echo (2:19)
14 Heart By Heart (4:04)
15 Hyper On Hyper (4:04)

Link

Christ. - Metamorphic Reproduction Miracle

Label: Benbecula
Released: 2003
Style: IDM, Downtempo

"The history of the scottish artist Christ has been surrounded by genuine hearsay and much speculation since his appearance on the benbecula sampler "music volume two" in august 2001. What followed was a slew of press speculation about his origins and his musical background in Scotland, as well as a gradual frenzy of anticipation for his debut EP "Pylonesque". Following critical acclaim for the release of the EP and some very special live shows culminating in a headline slot at Japan's metamorphose festival on mount Fuji in front of 20,000 people and a live appearance at this year's Sonar festival, Christ set off to work on his massively anticapted debut album : "Metamorphic Reproduction Miracle". Completed in february 2003, it's obvious that his recording style has matured and evolved beyond the confines of his well-known background. Where "pylonesque" was an EP containing "hits" in their own right, "Metamorphic..." is an intricate jigsaw of styles and textures which combine to form a perfect whole. The album introduces new concepts to the repertoire: "ray breakout" is a mechanical onslaught of the senses, the opening vocal giving you fair warning "please stand by!". Further expansion in style is evident in the sci-fi film soundtrack "medulla oblongata", the heavily filtered "odds evens and primates" or the beautifully pleasing up-tempo "mk naomi". Throughout, Christ. maintains his unique fusion of simple but timeless melodic structures, overlaid with gritty percussion: "skylab one", "a giant bird" and "eezeebreez" being perfect examples of his unique approach. A truly classic album, fans of Boards of Canada or richly layered evocative electronic music of any kind will have discovered a new masterpiece to add to their collection. Fabulous." - Boomkat

Tracklisting:

1 Lazy Daisy Meadow (2:55)
2 Dianoes Nouveau (5:02)
3 Eezeebreez (5:46)
4 Medulla Oblongata (1:15)
5 Odds, Evens And Primates (5:04)
6 Sunart (1:51)
7 Fantastic Light (6:07)
8 Always To Play (2:02)
9 Mk Naomi (4:13)
10 Skylab One (3:22)
11 Pylonesque (Broken Mix) (3:46)
12 A Giant Bird (2:45)
13 Ray Breakout (4:08)
14 School Is Not Compulsory (5:20)

Link

Christ. - Pylonesque EP

Label: Benbecula
Released: 2002
Style: Leftfield, IDM, Downtempo, Ambient

"Not long after Music Volume Two was released Christ. had already started work on his first major EP. From memory it seemed only weeks when he first produced the master cd that was to become Pylonesque. Constructed using very basic beats and live synth work, the melodies that immediately emerged are arguably his most powerful to date, when taking into the account the simplicity of his set up at that time. To then go on and sell 2 to 3 thousand copies is almost unheard of for a debut EP in the struggling market of electronica on a relatively unknown indie label such as Benbecula. Of particular note is the title track and the mesmerising "Absolom (For Lucy)", with the repeated intro phrase seemingly going on for bars and bars before the powerful key change, I still get lost in it. Along with the popular live favourite "Perlandine Friday", one could settle for these three tracks alone. However the others are by no means fillers and the EP flows beautifully as a whole. I cannot imagine anyone with a remote interest in electronica not having this record - period." - Label

Tracklisting:

1 Dream Of The Endless (5:31)
2 Arctica (1:43)
3 Spengly Bengly (4:48)
4 Pylonesque (3:13)
5 Fantastic Light (6:08)
6 Perlandine Friday (5:03)
7 Absolom (For Lucy) (6:21)

Link

Seefeel - Polyfusia

Label: Astralwerks
Released: 1994
Style: Abstract, IDM, Shoegazer, Ambient

Mark Clifford (Disjecta, Woodenspoon) combines two earlier Seefeel EPs for domestic re-release on the Astralwerks label. First are four tracks from More Like Space, followed by five more from Pure, Impure. The latter (and slightly more interesting) EP is put mostly in the hands of Clifford's peers, recruiting the remixing and engineering talent of Mark Van Hoen (Locust), Sine Bubble, and Richard James (Aphex Twin), who contributes two very respectful and similar-sounding mixes to the track "Time to Find Me" (both his "AFX Fast Mix" and "AFX Slow Mix" are must-haves for collectors). All in all, Polyfusia is one of the group's more guitar-oriented albums, though still heavily garnished with atonal keyboard ambience and minimalist loops, due in equal parts to Clifford's own aesthetics and the reworkings on the latter half of the CD. Sometimes the minimal and repetitive elements of the tracks test the listener's patience, but it's one of the things that sets it apart from other bands in the same genre. Seefeel trusts that the sound is interesting enough as is, without cramming too much into each measure. It breathes steadily enough; it's music for a dream you can't understand yet, but you know it means something important." - All Music Guide

Tracklisting:

1 More Like Space (8:45)
2 Time To Find Me (Come Inside) (5:07)
3 Come Alive (5:06)
4 Blue Easy Sleep (4:42)
5 Plainsong (7:02)
6 Moodswing (5:45)
7 Minky Starshine (10:43)
8 Time To Find Me (AFX Fast Mix) (7:35)
9 Time To Find Me (AFX Slow Mix) (9:33)
10 Plainsong (Sine Bubble Embossed Dub) (8:46)

Link

The Orb - Okie Dokie It's The Orb On Kompakt

Label: Kompakt
Released: 2005
Style: Dub, Tech House, Ambient

"The Orb are perpetually tagged with the somewhat dubious accolade of being the "originators of Chill-Out and Ambient House", an appelation that could drive lesser men to drink. Seeminlgly intent on drawing a line in the sand, 'Okie Dokie It's The Orb On Kompakt' even sticks the label name up in lights to stress their more hard-boiled prediliction; a side that is firmly manifested in the first half of the album. Opening with 'Komplikation', The Orb (and we're guessing Fehlmann's magic touch has been dragged to the fore) serve up dubby fingered tech which is characterised by their hypnotic stance; a sound which leaks traight into the strangely Depheche Mode-influenced 'Lunik TM'. Featuring Schneider TM, The Orb then glam up for 'Captain Korma', draft in some rubbery-bass on 'Cool Harbour' before ushering in the more hushed environs of the album's latter half through 'Traumvogel'. Using cascading melodies and chiming digital bobbins, The Orb then reassert their place in the annals of downtempo music through the aforementioned 'Traumvogel', the borderline found-sound quesiness of 'Kompagna (Zandic Mix)' and level-bleached soundscapes of 'Falkenbruck'. All this from a band who collaborated" - Boomkat

Tracklisting:

1 Komplikation (3:55)
2 Lunik TM (5:50)
3 Ripples (5:51)
4 Captain Korma (4:13)
5 Kan Kan (4:43)
6 Rolo (2:36)
7 Beatitude (2:43)
8 Cool Harbour (5:11)
9 Traumvogel (6:24)
10 Because/Before (Sibirische Musik) (4:40)
11 Tin Kan (4:31)
12 Kompagna (Zandic Mix) (3:53)
13 Falkenbrück (3:29)
14 Snowbow (2:16)

Link

Susumu Yokota - The Boy And The Tree

Label: Leaf
Released: 2002
Style: Downtempo, Ambient

"Susumu returns to his beatless musical magic fresh from jamming it with Phillip Glass, anything Afx can do..... 'The Boy and The Tree' offers a wider soundscape to that of the incredible 'Sakura', 'Grinning Cat' and 'Magic Thread' - featuring a world of hypnotic exotic instrumentations all sequenced into Susumu's lushed out compositional skills. Spiritual, graceful, hypnotic, rhythmic and calming. Think Alice Coltrane, Steve Reich, Brian Eno and you can also compare this to Thomas Newman's mesmerising score to the film 'American Beauty'. 'The Boy and The Tree' is in my top 10 album of year list for sure. Licensed from Japanese label Skintone specially for Leaf and issued exclusively here on vinyl as well as CD. Lovely." - Boomkat

Tracklisting:

1 The Colour Of Pomegranates (5:13)
2 Live Echo (5:31)
3 Fairy Link (4:33)
4 Grass, Tree And Stone (4:39)
5 Secret Garden (6:10)
6 Rose Necklace (2:44)
7 Beans (1:20)
8 Plateau On Plateau (5:50)
9 Red Swan (4:27)
10 Thread Leads To Heaven (3:42)
11 Future Tiger (5:26)
12 Blood And Snow (5:01)

Link

Tom Burbank - Famous First Words

Label: Planet Mu
Released: 2006
Style: IDM, Downtempo, Experimental, Instrumental Hip Hop

"Alongside the likes of Kyler and The Kilimanjaro Dark Jazz Ensemble, Tom Burbank further extends the Planet Mu remit beyond the perceived boundaries of its splenetic catalogue - with 'Famous First Words' a glitchy river of melodic hip-hop and electronic intricacies. Very much a contemporary of Prefuse 73, Burbank's sound relies heavily on the slippage that occurs deep within the digital heart when all is not right; lending 'Famous Last Words' a moody and melancholic edge that marks him out from the usual cut-up merchants. Kicking off with 'Fragile', the usual tick-list of elements are undoubtedly present (juddery beats, bursts of electronics, disrupted emissions) - yet whilst others have seen the surface as all important, Burbank ensures a real depth exists that sees him happily ranked alongside the likes of edIT and Prefuse. From here, 'Knuckles' is brashly regimented in it's gun-fire of crumpled tronics, 'Stay One' goes straight for the widescreen jugular with watercolour soundscapes of some beauty, whilst 'Tha Chop' sees the acoustic and machine living in perfect harmony. Closing with the sun-bleached strings and Air-esque atmospherics of 'Riding Off', Burbank has delivered a blissfully simple debut that doesn't need to show off to get its point across." - Boomkat

Tracklisting:

1 Fragile (3:12)
2 Knuckles (3:57)
3 Stay One (3:57)
4 Gnats (4:11)
5 Baghdad Mood (5:06)
6 Tha Chop (5:00)
7 Cracked (3:54)
8 Blabber Mouth (3:58)
9 Slab (3:56)
10 Dot (4:28)
11 Juno Rhapsody (5:35)
12 Riding Off (5:01)

Link

Nautilis - Are You An Axolotl

Label: Planet Mu
Released: 2002
Style: Glitch, Abstract, IDM, Downtempo, Hip Hop

"In which Texan electronicist Skyler McGlothlin wisely looks beyond standardized clicks and glitches. Fusing late 80's hip hop, gnarly rapping and 70's soul soundtracks amongst the glassy electronic scenery, he's come up with a scintilating set that leaves most contemporary electronica contenders for dead. Even without such lateral thinking, Nautilis' twinkling piano sweeps, evocatively weary atmosphere and pin-sharp rhythmical cascades collude to remind us why electronica was so exciting four years ago. "It's Lonely In The Streets" is even a classy song. Planet Mu's finest since Capitol K's debut." - Jockey Slut

Tracklisting:

1 Nautilis - Mofpex (4:32)
2 Nautilis - Oh How Schmee Loves DSP (2:46)
3 Nautilis - Mend (2:18)
4 Nautilis - Polyphonix Tronix Scapegoat (2:47)
5 Nautilis - Ruffion (3:37)
6 Nautilis - Blix2 (2:24)
7 Nautilis - 081301 (3:51)
8 Nautilis - It's Lonely In The Streets (2:39)
9 Nautilis - Wednesday Afternoon (6:01)
10 Nautilis - Professor Glick (4:07)
11 Nautilis - J222 (2:55)
12 Nautilis - Hoax (3:52)
13 ML - Drumpedal Remix (4:08)
14 Nautilis - All I Have (4:52)
15 Nautilis - Why It Got To Be So Damn Tough (2:04)

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Wagon Christ - Tally Ho!

Label: Astralwerks
Released: 1998
Style: Downtempo, Instrumental Hip Hop

"Which leads nicely to Wagon Christ's latest album, "Tally-Ho" - so called as Vibert says, "to deliberately conjure up images of a colonial UK. There's a lot to be said about the naffness of our heritage and I thought that the title said it all." Like previous Wagon Christ material, "Tally Ho" rarely takes itself too literally. Unlike the studied seriousness of his solo shot, the album celebrates the side of dance most pretentious listeners would rather forget. But then, everyone has a skeleton in his or her closet." - Label

Tracklisting:

1 Fly Swat (5:12)
2 Crazy Disco Party (5:07)
3 Tally Ho! (4:33)
4 Memory Towel (5:37)
5 Shimmering Haze (6:18)
6 Juicy Luke Vibert (2:18)
7 Piano Playa Hata (4:57)
8 Workout (4:54)
9 Rendleshack (5:19)
10 Lovely (4:08)
11 My Organ In Your Face (5:12)
12 Musical Box (4:30)
13 The End (2:05)

Link