Astral House – Dead Sea Apes

The Dead Sea Apes have been busy, and thats a very good thing. Soy Dios, their 2011 peyote trip, was still getting heavy rotation on my playlists last month when the band released the equally hypnotic Astral House EP, which was itself soon followed by their first full length offering, Lupus. Both Astral House and Lupus are available for streaming or purchase from the Apes’ Bandcamp site, and both are well worth the requested investment. Up to now I haven’t been able to give Lupus the attention it deserves, however, so although my first impressions are very good I’m going to limit this review to Astral House.

On my first listen to Astral House, the thing that struck me most was the band’s power and the dynamic versatility of their combined performance across the EP’s three tunes. Less amorphous and delivering a more pervasive rock drive than Soy Dios, Astral House dramatically showcases the band’s rhythm section while demonstrating songwriting chops that, while clearly evident, were less pronounced on the EP’s more ambient predecessor. The release is immediately impressive, and improves with repeated listening. In fact, the whole EP put me very much in mind of the old punk and prog rock concept of the power trio, and I mean that in a good way. It’s inspiring when three guys can jam with a level of force and sheer musicianship that makes the standard rock outfits sound thin and overproduced by comparison. Dead Sea Apes are three such guys, and in keeping with the best efforts of the best power trios, Astral House impresses with regard to both its complexity and the raw power of its delivery.

While the tunes on the EP move through a variety of tempos and dynamic changes, each song is also in itself an exemplar of riff laden post rock. Maneuvering between patent hooks and moments of more obvious improv, the songs work well as ensemble pieces while still leaving plenty of room for the individual musicians to shine. Guitarist Brett Savage plays with a uniquely restrained abandon over the inventive bass phrasings supplied by Nick Harris, who throughout the EP contributes perhaps the most to moving the music forward. But the more I listen to Astral House the more I find myself absorbed by drummer Chris Hardman’s playing, which is simultaneously visceral and melodic. It’s powerhouse work all around, set within the kind of organic, acid grooves that have made Glastonbury and the British jam scene so much more interesting than the alt-country and granola scenes that have become pervasive here in the States.

As with Milhaven, whose Automata I recently reviewed, Dead Sea Apes are actively gigging but keeping largely within their home turf. Too bad – not only does the quality of the band’s performance in the studio promise an energetic and window rattling live show, but I have to think the Dead Sea Apes’ brand of psychedelic noise would nicely complement the landscape here in the American Southwest: Sparse and fraught with tension yet vibrant and invigorating, too. Powerful stuff, and highly recommended. Go grab Astral House now, and while you’re at it don’t forget that you probably need a bout of Lupus, too.

In – Markus Mehr

In, the new release by Augsburg, Germany’s Markus Mehr, is the artist’s second full length offering from Aussie label Hidden Shoal Recordings and the first in a three part series – a musical triptych – due to be released over the course of the next year. In this sense, In is both a piece and a part, and succeeds completely in both respects. Comprised of two long form soundscapes, In not only stands by itself as a remarkably well crafted piece of ambience, but simultaneously sets the stage for deeper, quite likely darker, things to come.

Other reviews have made mention of the length of the pieces, with the tracks Komo and Ostinato running roughly 26 and 24 minutes, respectively. Of course, in the ambient world that’s not really unusual. Instead, what stands out about In is not so much the length of the pieces as their depth. There’s something about the music that is not completely linear, as though the movement from the first droning pulse to the final burst of distortion is less significant than the studied exposition of each theme and texture. This strikes me as entirely in keeping with the title of the release. As a listener it becomes impossible to stand passively by – we instead become gradually situated “in” the music. And like the anthropologist whose very presence compromises objective observation, the effect is one of seeing both too much and too little, of getting more than one asked for and being poorer for it. It is this immersive experience that makes In both a challenge and a revelation, an accomplishment which speaks powerfully of Mr. Mehr’s daring and engagement with his audience.

With regard to the tunes themselves, as stated above these are compositions of minutely detailed, classic ambience. Both pieces are reminiscient of Frippertronic soundscaping, with looping motifs receiving various treatments, disruptions and distortions. Yet where soundscapes tend to meander across some vague sonic landscape, the music of In drills down and takes root. String pad phrases are developed with patience and care, only to be intermittently interrupted and finally overcome by staccato bursts of heavy distortion. Spoken word, guitar and piano samples are employed to excellent effect, breaking up the deliberate rhythms of the music and injecting significant tension into otherwise patent grooves. Ultimately, whereas both Komo and Ostinato employ repetition to a degree beyond the average soundscape, they are also more musically complete and resonate with their creator’s intent. Mr. Mehr clearly has a point to make, and after several listens, I could probably be forgiven for interpreting the whole release as a reflection on entropy and the seemingly inevitable trend of mechanization within human interaction.

Unlike most of the other releases reviewed here, In is not a free download and can be purchased from the Hidden Shoal Recordings website. Yet however much I like to focus on Creative Commons releases, I believe In is worth an exception as one of the best releases so far this year and one which will absolutely be appreciated by fans of abstract ambient music and soundscapes. I look forward to hearing more from Markus Mehr and eagerly anticipate the forthcoming releases in the triptych.

Automata – Milhaven

There is something intuitive and natural about the music of Milhaven. It communicates that sense of effortless simplicity that few bands can really pull off, and which leaves listeners with the impression that one could just pick up a guitar, throw in some delay and write a Milhaven song. Of course, it’s not that easy by a long shot, and the consistency with which Milhaven has been delivering transcendentally emotive instrumental rock since 2005′s Bars Closing Down is testament to a powerful and deep aesthetic.

Clocking in at just over half an hour and available for free streaming or download from their Bandcamp site, Milhaven’s latest EP, Automata, is a mesmerizing set of melodic and hypnotically dark post rock. Kicking off with the epic DRZ, the band showcase their knack for crafting ear catching hooks as well as their willingness to stand aside and let the music speak for itself. Here, a melancholic melody evolves to its distortion heavy breaking point, which though expected is neither rushed nor too obvious. At 16 minutes and change, the tune develops with expert pacing while remaining continuously engaging throughout. Though only half as long, the companion pieces, Zombi and Automata, are still epic by pop standards and beautifully demonstrate that sense of pacing and thematic development that characterizes Milhaven’s songwriting. Zombi in particular builds to an evocative and touching climax that even after repeated listens continues to surprise and move me. All in all, this is an incisive and thought provoking release from a visionary band. Audiophiles may want to consider grabbing a copy of the limited vinyl edition.

Unless you live in Germany, Milhaven will not soon be on tour near you. That’s too bad, too, because I would enjoy seeing these songs and the band’s previous output interpreted in a live setting. However, as the netlabel scene evolves more and more towards commercial business models, Milhaven remain among the best of the bands who are still willing to make their music freely available. We can hope in the near future to see more of both their generosity and their genius.

The Immensity of Unstained Light – Language of Landscape

Last week I received a copy of this latest – and, sadly,  last – release from the Canadian duo Cory Zaradur and Chris Tenz, collectively known as Language of Landscape. I had previously reviewed their 2010 Phantom Channel release, Memories Fade Under a Shallow Autumn Snow, and was pleased to find that Immensity… contains all of the elements that made its predecessor so remarkable. This twenty minute longform piece is rich with delicate textures and plaintive piano phrases, with a notable undercurrent of emotional tension. Recorded as a live improvisation, Immensity…  is an extremely poignant and reflective piece of ambient minimalism that speaks to the deep talent and shared vision of its creators. I can only wish it were longer, and I especially hope that circumstances will find Cory and Chris producing music together again in the future.

I’ve tended in these reviews to try and say something about composition or craft or whatnot, but in the current case such observations just seem beside the point. Certainly there is ample craft here, yet as I’ve listened to the piece more and more over the past week what stands out most is the feeling of sublime entrancement conveyed by the music. It brings to mind those moments we’ve all experienced of watching some brief but beautiful event – sunsets, a storm in the desert, something you might have turned away from but didn’t. It sounds almost excessively sentimental or sappy when put into such terms, but this is exactly what makes this music so much more powerful than words. The Immensity of Unstained Light is poignant without being sappy, emotionally expansive without seeming forced. In short, this is a thoroughly satisfying piece of music that engages listeners on many levels while maintaining a sense of movement and attention to detail rarely encountered in improvised music.

Recently released through mini50Records and available for download from the label’s Bandcamp site, The Immensity of Unstained Light is an extremely rewarding listen, and one which I highly recommend to fans of light as well as dark ambient and post-rock.

New Release – Up From Here

I have a new darkish acoustic ambient release, out today on the Earth Mantra netlabel. The artwork is based on the image Clouds Over the Green Treetops, by flick artist cosmonautirussi, and has graciously been made available through the Creative Commons. Please visit cosmonautirussi’s flickr stream, and while you’re visiting Earth Mantra be sure to also check out the other recent releases. Earth Mantra has been putting out a lot of great stuff lately, and I am very glad to be counted among their roster of artists.

Please check it out, available for free download by following this link: Up From Here

Soy Dios – Dead Sea Apes

Soy Dios is a song-cycle EP released in December 2010 by Manchester, UK based trio Dead Sea Apes. Featuring Brett Savage on guitar, Nick Harris on bass and Chris Hardman on drums, Dead Sea Apes deliver a blend of psychedelic post rock that is both gritty and cerebral. The music on the EP is evocative – almost paranoia inducing – dropping straight away into a groove of pervasive tension that peaks at various points but which does not relent until the very end.

Comprised of three songs, or rather one song and two remixes, Soy Dios takes listeners on a minor drone trip overlaid with sparse guitar melodies and improvisation. The opening piece, Soy Dios I, builds with delicate timing upon gradually reworked guitar phrases. It plays like improv, but it’s hardly noodling free form. Here there’s a definite sense of direction and development – almost an imperative – driving the music forward before settling into an ear catching bass riff that propels the piece to its end. But “settling” may not be the best choice of words here, with the guitar work that follows providing one of the edgy highlights of the EP.

For me, the first remix, Soy Dios II, is the standout tune on the release. Having listened to the EP several times over the past few days, I’ve come to think of the whole as something of a delirium sequence. Hearing it this way, Soy Dios II comes across like the moment after you realize you took too much cough syrup, as objects in your immediate surroundings begin to loose definition and that linear sense of cause and effect is gone. The changes are similar but not the same as in part one, while frequent rhythm section “drop-outs” contribute to an overall loss of orientation. This is not to say there’s no sense to the music, as the drive and direction present in part one are still there. They just happen to be moving into a very dark place.

The final piece, Soy Dios III, is a drone. It’s a big drone, and it moves, building very nicely to another height of tension before tapering off to a satisfying ending that effectively caps off the tune as well as the EP itself. The loss of definition that began with part two is complete here, with bits and pieces of melody surfacing only occasionally to remind us of where this whole trip began.

All told, Soy Dios is a thoroughly rewarding release which not only holds up to repeated listens, but which in fact challenges listeners to come back for more. I read online that Dead Sea Apes are hard at work on their next EP – check out Soy Dios at Bandcamp and let’s hope that more music will be forthcoming soon.

Samhata – Lucette Bourdin and Darrell Burgan

Long before I was fortunate enough to release The Last Season through Earth Mantra, this excellent netlabel was one that I followed closely as a source of consistently inspiring ambient music. The output tends more toward light ambient, though other styles are well represented, and the roster includes many of the most prolific and talented artists that you will encounter in the contemporary ambient scene (mainstream or otherwise). Though I have never been a big consumer of light ambient music, the source of my aversion has typically been the musical inanity and shallow new age-ism adhering to those instrumental pop artists considered “ambient”  by commercial media. I never had any problem with the music in itself, and it’s no exaggeration to say that the day I first surfed the Earth Mantra web page was the day I rediscovered how uplifting and outright entertaining light ambient could be.

Allowing that you couldn’t go wrong with any Earth Mantra selection, some of the most outstanding releases overall are those created by Lucette Bourdin. Her compositions demonstrate true musical finesse and a genius for enveloping ear catching melodies within harmonically engaging, spacious and shifting ambiance. The prospect of her collaborating with Darrell Burgan (Palancar)  is a promising one – Darrell’s music has always been remarkable to me for it’s emotional range and an inviting sense of play that runs through even some of his darker pieces. Last week I discovered that some music they had co-produced would be featured in a StillStream podcast, and my hopes for a concurrent Earth Mantra release were high. Samhata, the first of what promises to be multiple releases by the duo, became available a few days later and more than exceeds my expectations.

Comprised of six pieces, the release flows without interruption between songs. Listening all the way through in one sitting, the effect is that of one exceptionally well conceived long form piece. Two passages, Neti Neti and Meru, add some rhythmic and melodic textures to the predominantly drone oriented release, while Sarga and Sanatana respectively bring listeners into and back out of the sonic space that Bourdin and Burgan have created. This is a work that could serve as the background for meditation or reading, or which might just as effectively be used for quiet entertainment or a concentration aid at work. By this I’m not implying a lack of consistency – the music is simply so good that it will suit any context. Let’s hope that Bourdin and Burgan release more of their collaborations – and soon.

Kontakt – Kamil Kowalczyk

As a Zenapolae artist, it’s a privilege to be aware of and have access to the great glitch and ambient music that the label puts out. Recently, I began work on a podcast for the label which would highlight Zenapolae releases along with other gems from the netlabel scene and was very excited when I first heard Kamil Kowalczyk’s Kontakt. The release consists of a series of untitled, minimalistic pieces that are immediately engaging and yet benefit from repeated listens.

The generic titling – Untitled I, Untitled II, etc. -  may seem uninspired on the surface, but ultimately does a lot of justice to the music. Here again, there is a strong sense of sound design and consistency between the pieces, yet each individual track has an internal continuity and some unique qualities that make it stand out from the others.  I’m very partial to Untitled I and Untitled V. V in particular features a great, buzzing drone that comes on like a distorted dial tone but gracefully evolves into a swirling and densely textured mass of sound. Overall, the music is intensely electronic but free of heavy synth pads or other standard ambient texturizers. It’s like noise with soul, and I love it.

Fathoms

I released a new tune via the Prosthetic Frequencies podcast this evening. Please go to the podcast page and check it out.

How It’s Done In Italy – My Bubba & Mi

I got turned on to the label Beep Beep Back Up the Truck back when they released “Reverence for Fallen Trees,” by The Black Atlantic. Having not browsed their collection for some time, I checked them out again last week and was very pleased to discover the release,  “How It’s Done In Italy,” by Danish trio My Bubba & Mi. This is not ambient music, and doesn’t fit with the other releases reviewed here any better than Juanitos do. Similar to Juanitos, however, My Bubba & Mi do what they do with such verve and feeling that anyone who appreciates soul in music will have to check them out.

It’s tempting to call this old time music, and indeed the songs contain all the qualities that people love about old time; lyrics and melodies that evoke nostalgia and lost romance, acoustic instrumentation, two and maybe three part harmonies. The band know this well and capitalize on it – the hard copy design and image files are all candy-stripes and brown paper wrapping, along with grainy photos of the group that recall summers between the wars. But at heart this is contemporary pop music, and I mean that in the best sense. The opening track, “Gone,” is really a blues rocker that hits as hard as it does because the band aren’t afraid to slow down and put the power in the vocals.  “After You” swaggers and “I Will Never Love a Young Boy Again” lilts and you could call either of them folk music, but there’s an alt-country and cabaret edge here that even the best of today’s string bands wouldn’t touch. This is neither a criticism of string bands nor My Bubba & Mi – it’s simply an observation that making music with heart is about doing what you do well and not getting hung up on what might pass for “authentic.” And these ladies have heart. It’s all over every track on this highly recommended release.

The band has a website at http://mybubbaandmi.com/ but I have linked the cover photo to their release site on Bandcamp. This is because Bandcamp allows users to download music in a variety of lossless formats, and may really be the best starting point for getting to know new bands and labels.