Browsing Tag

Avant Garde

Nightbird Casino has released their hotly-anticipated sweetly psychotropic earworm, ‘The Town’.

Posted on 23 April 2021

If you’ve found yourself wondering if you will ever hear an alternative track that holds any authenticity ever again, find yourselves pleasantly surprised with the sweetly psychotropic earworm, ‘The Town’, by art-rock Oakland-residing duo, Nightbird Casino.

With elements of artfully composed jazz, grunge, space rock, psych-pop and classical all melting in the alchemically intoxicating pot, you will practically feel the rabbit hole opening beneath you as you listen to the descending cadence of the jazzy improv instrumentals.

The existentialist air to The Town paired with the playfully avant-garde approach to production allows the track to become the ‘everything is burning down around me, and I’m totally fine’ meme, personified. And something tells me that if Bukowski was still around, he would have Nightbird Casino on his playlists; they share the same downtrodden but subversively charismatic appeal.

On this track, you’ll hear dual harmonic vocals from the founding members, James Moore and Don Shepherd. Instrumentally, you’ll hear session musician Nicolas Ocampo (clarinets, flute, saxophone, oboe, bassoon), James on bass and ondes martenot and Don on guitars, piano, organ, and drums.

With their sophomore album, ‘Rusian Carpet‘, due for release this summer, any fans of Radiohead, Sonic Youth or Mr Bungle will want Nightbird Casino on their radar.

The Town officially released on April 23rd; you can check it out for yourselves by heading over to Soundcloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lucas Kurmis – I Thought I Died: Alluringly Dark Avant-Garde

Posted on 29 December 2020
Lucas Kurmis

‘I Thought I Died’ is the forthcoming Avant-Garde Noise Folk Punk single from Plymouth-based artist Lucas Kurmis. It makes Sonic Youth sound tame.

It feels like somewhere along the way everyone forgot that art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable, everyone apart from Lucas Kurmis. I Thought I Died is confrontational, abrasive, and utterly transfixing. The snarled spoken word vocals float over sporadic drum pounding and cymbal smashing, pulling the mix together is a sparse smattering of reverby electronic effect which nicely completes the minimalistic yet monumentally resounding single.

You’ll have to wait a little longer before you can check out I Thought I Died for yourselves. In the meantime, head over to SoundCloud to delve into their earlier releases.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Britta Pejic has broken the monocultural mould with their rhythmically beguiling Alt Pop hit ‘Spring Roll Skin’

Posted on 23 November 2020

Britta Pejic has served up a smorgasbord of culture in her latest electronic Avant-Garde Latin Pop single ‘Spring Roll Skin’. With windingly psychedelic guitar notes adding beguile to the rhythmically arrestive instrumentals which create the perfect platform for Britta Pejic’s almost phantasmal vocals, the only thing which parallels the ingenuity is how deeply you will fall into the magnetically mellifluous release.

If you could imagine what it would sound like if Kate Bush strove for a more colourful and tribal sound, you’ll get a good idea of what you can expect when you hit play on Spring Roll Skin which was released on October 31st.

You can check out Spring Roll Skin for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

8udDha bl0od immerses us in ‘Khaos’ with their latest release

Posted on 16 November 2020

8uddDha bl0od is an artist whose work always transcends genre or type, working instead to portray a sense of time, space, and location, through his music. This is music as out-and-out art, striving to directly convey emotion to the listener.

‘Khaos’ is 2’28” of repeating vaguely middle-eastern tinged motifs, pipes and chimes over a curiously at once both disturbing and yet soothing atonal background of droning strings. It is chaotic, certainly, yet at the same time, there’s an order and structure within the echoing pattern of reiterative notes, juxtaposed against the counterpoint of the disturbing, unsettled background soundscape. It’s, without doubt, a transportive piece, carrying the listener to an experience of a different place; in that, 8udDah bl0od has certainly succeeded.

Listen to ‘Khaos’ on Soundcloud.

Review by Alex Holmes

8udDha bl0od – Ophiuchus: Serafin: Transfixingly Avant-Garde Progressive Alt Rock

Posted on 28 July 2020
https://soundcloud.com/william-orpen/ophiuchus-serafin/s-oatUmsMFUld

Ophiuchus: Serafin is the latest single to be released from the immeasurably ingenious aural alchemist 8udDha bl0od. If any artist could be described as the modern-day equivalent to The Residents, it’s 8udDha bl0od

The Brighton-based artist may constantly switch up their sound with their new releases, but you can usually rely on a transfixing level of avant-garde accessible chaos. The accordantly rhythmic disarray in Ophiuchus: Serafin certainly didn’t disappoint.

Within Ophiuchus: Serafin, you’ll find nuances of Psych Rock, Surf Rock, No Wave and plenty more. The ten-minute extended track may make some dramatic tonal shifts and throw some discord your way, but each progression is as indulgent as the last.

If there’s an artist we’re grateful to have discovered this year, it’s 8udDha bl0od with their infinitely wild imagination when it comes to orchestrating soundscapes.

You can check out Ophiuchus: Serafin which was released on July 20th for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Myricim official video is the perfect introduction to the obscurely sleazy ingenuity of Multimedia artist Adam Plant

Posted on 22 July 2020

Any fans of the American Avant-Garde collective The Residents will undoubtedly appreciate Australian multimedia artist Adam Plant’s film for Hardy Slerg Wamon’s obscurely mesmeric single Myricim.

For the first time in what seems to be forever, I got to experience the consciousness consuming sensation of being transfixed by a music video. The lines between aural and visual ingenuity blurred as reality faded and artful escapism took hold.

It may have been a short and sweet experience, but it left me with the compulsion to delve into the rest of Adam Plant’s artful work. Thankfully, there’s a smorgasbord of sleazy art to be found on their official website.

You can check out the film Myricism for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Cucurbitophobia has made a phantasmal return with their chillingly dark Avant-Garde release “Exordium”

Posted on 6 July 2020
https://cucurbitophobia.bandcamp.com/track/exordium

There was no forgetting Cucurbitophobia after being introduced to their 2019 single “Requiem”. How could we ever forget an Ambient Avant-Garde artist whose chosen title is also the name of pumpkin phobia?

After the release of their latest soundscape “Exordium”, we couldn’t resist delving into the Neo-Classically artful tones once more. The instrumental score sets up the most phantasmal Waltz-style piano score which has ever crept into your ears. With a significant lacing of ethereal effects, you’ll feel like you’ve just been dragged around a ballroom by a poltergeist. Given that that’s (probably) never happened to you in real life, you’ll have to hit play to know what I mean.

Exordium is the opening title from Cucurbitophobia’s release “Dies Ferialis (Awakening the Lemurs)”. It serves to set the tone for a dark tale of ancient evil spirits wreaking havoc in a modern world to be told. Rather efficaciously may I add. Bring on the apocalyptic festivals and the walking dead.

You can check out Cucurbitophobia’s single Exordium which was released on June 5th for yourselves by heading over to Bandcamp.

Keep up to date with the latest releases via Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

8udDha bl0od – R.:.W7h3n7!ck 1303 (2) 007 UR h.:.!R W0n’7 .:RY 7ill .:.f73R UR higH; 80Y5 ii M!i!n; l37 17 83

Posted on 12 May 2020
https://soundcloud.com/william-orpen/untitled-1303-2?in=william-orpen/sets/may-7h3-47h-69-wi7h-u

8udDha bl0od kicked off the introduction track to their latest album with inventive effects which would give any guitarist pedalboard-envy. The chiming choral guitar progressions make for a trippy start, but from there on out, the epically-lengthed 11-minute instrumental track will take you through a myriad of evolutions.

From No Wave to Old School Punk to Alt Blues Rock, you’ll find plenty of indulgent nuances which will ensure that your attention never falters from the relentless gritty mesmerism which is on offer in R.:.W7h3n7!ck 1303 (2) 007 UR h.:.!R W0n’7 .:RY 7ill .:.f73R UR higH; 80Y5 ii M!i!n; l37 17 83.

The Brighton-based underground artist never disappoints with his tracks, but with R.:.W7h3n7!ck 1303 (2) 007 UR h.:.!R W0n’7 .:RY 7ill .:.f73R UR higH; 80Y5 ii M!i!n; l37 17 83 they provided over 10 minutes of fuzzy captivating catharsis which you’ll definitely want to make a part of your playlists.

You can immerse yourselves in R.:.W7h3n7!ck 1303 (2) 007 UR h.:.!R W0n’7 .:RY 7ill .:.f73R UR higH; 80Y5 ii M!i!n; l37 17 83 by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The ÆTHER – Instrumental: The Instrumental Album of the Year

Posted on 21 December 2019

The ÆTHER became one of the most unforgettable emerging artists of the year with the release of their single Alone which featured on their third album Ætherville. No matter how many times I listen to it, it still feels like I’ve had lead injected into my bloodstream.

Their latest 2-hour mammoth project “Instrumental” which consists of 32 tracks affirms that if anyone can be considered the Glenn Branca of our time, it’s The ÆTHER.

By sharing the same avant-garde composing style and the same tendency to experiment with volumes and tones it was never going to be an endurance test. From transcendentally light arrangements to piercingly sharp progressions, to droning guitars, each track swallows your conscious whole.

Rather than taking sole inspiration from other artists, The ÆTHER found inspiration in the work of filmmakers such as David Lynch and Duncan Jones. For the project, they used instrumentals used in their previously released self-produced albums. But with the absence of lyrics, there was no absence of expansive poignancy. The ÆTHER set out to create a new language by creating soundtracks to imaginary films, they more than succeeded. Listening to Instrumental almost feels like a collaborative experience. He’s laid out the explorative soundscapes with easily found aural passages. Then it’s up to find your own narrative.

Instrumental comes highly recommended to any fans of Thurston Moore’s latest extended-release “Spirit Counsel”. The ÆTHER may not currently share the same international acclaim as Moore. Yet his instrumental ability easily sits in parallel alongside their illimitable ingenuity.

You can listen to Instrumental along with their earlier releases on Spotify.

Keep up to date with new releases via Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Luis Mojica – Queen Song: Gothic Indie Baroque Aural Alchemy

Posted on 19 December 2019
https://luismojica.bandcamp.com/track/queen-song

“Queen Song” is the latest tribally artful Chamber Pop single from New York artist Luis Mojica which finds the perfect balance of optimism and dark ominous allure.

Their avant-garde style introduces classical elements to a new era of gothic indie baroque aural alchemy to which you’re guaranteed to have never heard the like of before. While there’s plenty of disconcertment lingering in between the notes of Queen Song, the accessibility definitely wasn’t compromised.

Queen song is uniquely captivating and it is sure to appeal to anyone looking for artfully dark tonality, deep reverberant vocals, and imaginatively inventive lyrics. With their piano-led experimentalism, reminiscences can easily be found between Luis Mojica’s style and that of Amanda Palmer. Yet, with the darker elements, there are plenty of  increments to appease fans of Apocalyptica

Queen Song is now available to stream and download via Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast