/page/2
Archers by the Sea - Key & Bones [Fin De Siecle; 2012] Svetlana Boym’s The Future of Nostalgia outlines why society continues to turn toward the past in historic moments of upheaval. It’s no coincidence genres of music have thrived on tugging at heart strings and fond remembrances. It’s a permeating trend. There is no misty goodbye with Vincent Caylet. Key and Bones is not a sad farewell to hisArchers by the Sea moniker but a reserved celebration. Recording under such names as V, Pistil Cosmos and Cankun (his most recent and arguably, his most recognizable), Caylet has used each pseudonym as a means to take a defined emotion and transform it into sound. Though it may have the stench of nostalgia clinging to it, Caylet has never fallen into its musical trap (as captivating and invigorating as it is). Key and Bones is a meditative goodbye; one that properly sends Archers by the Sea off into the fog without regret. As his attention turns to more tropical influences, ABTS has one last job to accomplish in the cold winter. “Citizen Loneliness,” is not a salvo against solitude, rather a contemplative piece at peace. The sweet chirps of birds kissing the summer goodbye as Caylet’s gleaning frost moves in from the sea. “No Need to Talk” is a steady sleet, preserving the world as it sits in a thick layer of dense drone; ripples of guitar the only sign of life underneath the sheet of ice. But Caylet loses his nerve, deciding that all good things must be allowed to blossom and evolve. “We Love the Sun” melts away the winter cold, and along with it any tinge of clinging nostalgia. ABTS accomplished much during the modest timeframe Caylet has awarded. Now is the time to move forward. There is progress to be won and Caylet won’t allow it to be stifled, even by a project as enveloping as Archers by the Sea and an album as wistfully mature as Key and Bones.

Archers by the Sea - Key & Bones [Fin De Siecle; 2012]

Svetlana Boym’s The Future of Nostalgia outlines why society continues to turn toward the past in historic moments of upheaval. It’s no coincidence genres of music have thrived on tugging at heart strings and fond remembrances. It’s a permeating trend.

There is no misty goodbye with Vincent Caylet. Key and Bones is not a sad farewell to hisArchers by the Sea moniker but a reserved celebration. Recording under such names as V, Pistil Cosmos and Cankun (his most recent and arguably, his most recognizable), Caylet has used each pseudonym as a means to take a defined emotion and transform it into sound. Though it may have the stench of nostalgia clinging to it, Caylet has never fallen into its musical trap (as captivating and invigorating as it is).

Key and Bones is a meditative goodbye; one that properly sends Archers by the Sea off into the fog without regret. As his attention turns to more tropical influences, ABTS has one last job to accomplish in the cold winter. “Citizen Loneliness,” is not a salvo against solitude, rather a contemplative piece at peace. The sweet chirps of birds kissing the summer goodbye as Caylet’s gleaning frost moves in from the sea. “No Need to Talk” is a steady sleet, preserving the world as it sits in a thick layer of dense drone; ripples of guitar the only sign of life underneath the sheet of ice. But Caylet loses his nerve, deciding that all good things must be allowed to blossom and evolve. “We Love the Sun” melts away the winter cold, and along with it any tinge of clinging nostalgia.

ABTS accomplished much during the modest timeframe Caylet has awarded. Now is the time to move forward. There is progress to be won and Caylet won’t allow it to be stifled, even by a project as enveloping as Archers by the Sea and an album as wistfully mature as Key and Bones.

2 days ago  3 notes

Velvet Elvis - ‘No Rules in the Wasteland’ [cae-sur-a; 2012] Sometimes you’ve gotta follow the Big Chief in the sky. You’ve gotta find your inner spirit animal. This ain’t no Fight Club sliding penguin bullshit; this istruth. It’s inside all of us, and often it doesn’t take the shape of an animal at all. For Velvet Elvis, it’s clearly the fiery depths of psychedelic metal. The rattling thunder of Uriah Heap, Deep Purple, and Black Sabbath — it is Ozzy and Dio in an eternal battle over hell because they’ve already disposed with Satan. Flesh melts to jelly; bone becomes coal to keep the hot furnaces boiling. Whatever depths of the inferno Velvet Elvis has mined, what they’ve come back with is a metallic demon manifested as a beast capable of ripping your face off with the single shred of a guitar, elegantly depicted as a bird with untamed hair and a B-cup. I’m certainly not fucking with it.

Velvet Elvis - ‘No Rules in the Wasteland’ [cae-sur-a; 2012]

Sometimes you’ve gotta follow the Big Chief in the sky. You’ve gotta find your inner spirit animal. This ain’t no Fight Club sliding penguin bullshit; this istruth. It’s inside all of us, and often it doesn’t take the shape of an animal at all. For Velvet Elvis, it’s clearly the fiery depths of psychedelic metal. The rattling thunder of Uriah Heap, Deep Purple, and Black Sabbath — it is Ozzy and Dio in an eternal battle over hell because they’ve already disposed with Satan. Flesh melts to jelly; bone becomes coal to keep the hot furnaces boiling. Whatever depths of the inferno Velvet Elvis has mined, what they’ve come back with is a metallic demon manifested as a beast capable of ripping your face off with the single shred of a guitar, elegantly depicted as a bird with untamed hair and a B-cup. I’m certainly not fucking with it.

3 days ago  View high resolution

xNoBBQx - Muryoku Muzenji, Koenji, 2010/Happy, Wellington, 2009 [Dungeon Taxis; 2012] Matt and Nick are pissed you didn’t give xNoBBQx the time of day. They had an album on Siltbreeze, for fuck’s sake! And you didn’t buy it; you didn’t even illegally download it from a “third-world,” half-English/half-non-English blog. So they went and destroyed themselves. They took their music too. All that’s left is this testament to destruction. It’s noise. There’s nothing left of the old xNoBBQx. I’m surprised the x’s are still attached. It’s a beaten and broken band. So rather than have you reject them again, they are doing the rejecting. That grating you hear? It’s the sound of their hearts being ground by your deceit. That bitter hammering? It’s the sound of the boys beating themselves senseless until brain matter or Athena emerge from their skulls. You did this to them, so you better sit down and listen to this to make amends. Next time, they might stop whipping themselves long enough to give you back your dirty garage rock. Until then, enjoy some righteous noise and be a better pal.

xNoBBQx - Muryoku Muzenji, Koenji, 2010/Happy, Wellington, 2009 [Dungeon Taxis; 2012]

Matt and Nick are pissed you didn’t give xNoBBQx the time of day. They had an album on Siltbreeze, for fuck’s sake! And you didn’t buy it; you didn’t even illegally download it from a “third-world,” half-English/half-non-English blog. So they went and destroyed themselves. They took their music too. All that’s left is this testament to destruction. It’s noise. There’s nothing left of the old xNoBBQx. I’m surprised the x’s are still attached. It’s a beaten and broken band. So rather than have you reject them again, they are doing the rejecting. That grating you hear? It’s the sound of their hearts being ground by your deceit. That bitter hammering? It’s the sound of the boys beating themselves senseless until brain matter or Athena emerge from their skulls. You did this to them, so you better sit down and listen to this to make amends. Next time, they might stop whipping themselves long enough to give you back your dirty garage rock. Until then, enjoy some righteous noise and be a better pal.

3 days ago 

Mount Eerie - Clear Moon [PW Elverum & Sun; 2012] There’s a magic surrounding Phil Elverum. His work asMount Eerie has long dabbled into the dark arts, conjuring up a jumbled rusticity amid the digital tick-tock of evolution. Elverum has retreated to faraway lands, into the wooded forests and boundless mountains of isolation in search of his next trick. He’s sawed himself—and his music—in half multiple times. He’s disappeared quietly only to return spectacularly. He is a Houdini that wants to be a Thoreau. Clear Moon is a natural gut punch. It is serene in its assault, blending the loud gasps of bitter dialogue (“Get Off the Internet,” “Don’t Smoke”) and melodically (Black Wooden Ceiling Opening) into a complete package of self-awareness. Elverum’s quirks are at peace with each other throughout Clear Moon as the grizzled musician begins to accept the hard truths of his powerful gift. Magic is real, it wields might and if used forcefully the influence of suggestion is lost. Clear Moon turns diatribe into manifest out of the gate. “Through the Trees Pt. 2” delicately touches upon the fragmented past of Elverum: “And it’s hard to describe/Without seeming absurd/I know there’s no other world/Mountains and websites.” The melodic thread of “Through the Trees Pt. 2” is borrowed from “The Pull,” Elverum changing the brutality of old into the soft whisper of wisdom. Restraint is key. Rather than bombard with directives, Elverum councils. “The Place I Live,” teases an outburst but keeps itself calm. The abrupt suspense that kick starts “Lone Bell,” is tense but never aggressive, Elverum curating his magical world from on high with angelic perspicacity before disappearing into the fog. “Over Dark Water” is one last belly rumble before swallowing the ipecac of the physical world and drifting into spiritual. Elverum finds balance with Clear Moon; an inner peace of two worlds joining into one, no longer fighting the inevitable. An existence both magical and practical can exist, Elverum knows this now. As frightening as it is to climb the ominous mountaintop, his deft illumination lights even the darkest areas. Without the wonders of the mystical, one cannot enjoy the wonders of reality. Clear Moonbrings the sawed halves back together in a feat only accomplished upon ol’ Mount Eerie.

Mount Eerie - Clear Moon [PW Elverum & Sun; 2012]

There’s a magic surrounding Phil Elverum. His work asMount Eerie has long dabbled into the dark arts, conjuring up a jumbled rusticity amid the digital tick-tock of evolution. Elverum has retreated to faraway lands, into the wooded forests and boundless mountains of isolation in search of his next trick. He’s sawed himself—and his music—in half multiple times. He’s disappeared quietly only to return spectacularly. He is a Houdini that wants to be a Thoreau.

Clear Moon is a natural gut punch. It is serene in its assault, blending the loud gasps of bitter dialogue (“Get Off the Internet,” “Don’t Smoke”) and melodically (Black Wooden Ceiling Opening) into a complete package of self-awareness. Elverum’s quirks are at peace with each other throughout Clear Moon as the grizzled musician begins to accept the hard truths of his powerful gift. Magic is real, it wields might and if used forcefully the influence of suggestion is lost.

Clear Moon turns diatribe into manifest out of the gate. “Through the Trees Pt. 2” delicately touches upon the fragmented past of Elverum: “And it’s hard to describe/Without seeming absurd/I know there’s no other world/Mountains and websites.” The melodic thread of “Through the Trees Pt. 2” is borrowed from “The Pull,” Elverum changing the brutality of old into the soft whisper of wisdom.

Restraint is key. Rather than bombard with directives, Elverum councils. “The Place I Live,” teases an outburst but keeps itself calm. The abrupt suspense that kick starts “Lone Bell,” is tense but never aggressive, Elverum curating his magical world from on high with angelic perspicacity before disappearing into the fog. “Over Dark Water” is one last belly rumble before swallowing the ipecac of the physical world and drifting into spiritual.

Elverum finds balance with Clear Moon; an inner peace of two worlds joining into one, no longer fighting the inevitable. An existence both magical and practical can exist, Elverum knows this now. As frightening as it is to climb the ominous mountaintop, his deft illumination lights even the darkest areas. Without the wonders of the mystical, one cannot enjoy the wonders of reality. Clear Moonbrings the sawed halves back together in a feat only accomplished upon ol’ Mount Eerie.

6 days ago  1 note

Indie Game: The Movie arrives in Indy Gaming culture has been an upward-trending phenomenon for years, with popular developers and independent programmers alike competing with Hollywood for American entertainment dollars. The different art forms have met at the box office with mixed success; big budget interpretations mingling with scrappy, underdog documentaries. The same critical eye that has been laid to film is now finding its way into video gaming. Indianapolis-based site Horrible Night has turned its attention to the editorial, focusing on the personal connection between gamers and the nuts and bolts of the product rather than being the first to review the latest blockbuster or pouncing on the latest rumor. This attention to detail, and a desire to bridge the gaming world with other entertainment platforms, was the catalyst that found the site’s editor-in-chief, Justin Lacey, in the hunt to bring the independent film, Indie Game: The Movie to Indianapolis. The A.V. Club caught up with Justin Lacey about the trials and tribulations of bringing Indie Game: The Movie to the Indianapolis Film Festivalfor a May 23 screening at the Indianapolis Museum Of Art. The A.V. Club: How were you first introduced to or made aware of Indie Game: The Movie? Justin Lacey: Back in January, we found out that the Sundance Film Festival was going to be screening a movie about independent game development. In the last few years, the indie game scene has exploded as digital distribution has made it easier, cheaper, and faster for developers to deliver their games directly to players, so the timing for the movie couldn’t be better. AVC: What made you work to bring a screening to Indianapolis? JL: Not only does Indie Game: The Movie promise to be an entertaining film, but it focuses on three pivotal game developers that represent the type of artistry behind the video game industry that deserves to be upheld. Horrible Night is always looking for ways to promote the positive aspects of gamer culture. We are based in Indianapolis, and having traveled around the country to other gaming industry events, we know that there are passionate gamers and game developers in the Indianapolis area. We hope that by bringing this movie to Indianapolis, it will expose the creative breadth and depth of game development to people who were unaware and allow them to come together with local gamers and local game developers. AVC: Did you see the film before deciding to work on hosting a screening in Indianapolis? JL: I have not seen the film yet, but I have played all three games featured in the movie (Braid,Super Meat Boy, and Fez). Some of my co-workers were able to see the film at SXSW and reinforced to me that I should keep trying to bring the movie to Indy. AVC: What obstacles did you encounter in bringing Indie Game to Indy? JL: Our challenge was purely funding and connections for a venue to screen the film. We weren’t sure of our chances when we reached out to the filmmakers, but we did know that if the screening came through, we could help promote the event to get locals to come to show. It was just something we knew we had to try to make happen. AVC: When did you make contact with Indy Film Fest in regards to showing the film? Who else did you involve in trying to schedule a screening locally? JL: When we realized it was going to take more resources, we reached out to Sara McGuyer and Lisa Trifone at Indy Film Fest for help. We knew they have had plenty of success at bringing great independent films to the city, and luckily for us both their gamers and non-gamers on staff were interested in the film. We worked together to try and find potential sponsors and a location for the screening and they really came through. Thanks to Indy Film Fest, the Indianapolis Museum Of Art, and the sponsorship of the Canadian Consulate for making this happen. AVC: For non-gamers, what is the appeal of the film? Are there any universal themes and/or tropes that will attract a non-gaming audience? JL: Really, it’s about witnessing great artists overcome the trials of tribulations of perfecting their work. These are designers and developers who have dedicated years of their lives to one project. The sacrifices they make and the hurdles they overcome are relatable to anyone who has ever wanted to or has pursued his/her dreams. The added uniqueness is that while it is a familiar story, it will allow people who were intimidated by the concept of game development to finally see the humanity behind the industry. AVC: Now that the movie is coming to Indy, what is Horrible Night’s role in the screening? JL: Horrible Night is offering promotional support for the event. We will be running a few contests on our site and through our live video streams and podcasts to give away tickets to the event. In addition, we are going to feature editorial articles focused on indie games through the month of May. Before the event itself, we will be having a meet and greet at the IMA at 6 p.m. for those that would like to meet our writing staff and get involved with more of our community projects. AVC: Is this a sign of things to come from Horrible Night? Are more movies and/or community-involved projects in the works? JL: Absolutely. We will be reaching out to local game developers more in the future to get them involved with future events from game jams, to educational events and social game nights atNetHeads. We already are planning our next 24-hour gaming marathon for charity with A Call To Gamers. Anywhere we see a chance to bring together people for positive gaming events, we will be there with extra controllers. 

Indie Game: The Movie arrives in Indy

Gaming culture has been an upward-trending phenomenon for years, with popular developers and independent programmers alike competing with Hollywood for American entertainment dollars. The different art forms have met at the box office with mixed success; big budget interpretations mingling with scrappy, underdog documentaries.

The same critical eye that has been laid to film is now finding its way into video gaming. Indianapolis-based site Horrible Night has turned its attention to the editorial, focusing on the personal connection between gamers and the nuts and bolts of the product rather than being the first to review the latest blockbuster or pouncing on the latest rumor. This attention to detail, and a desire to bridge the gaming world with other entertainment platforms, was the catalyst that found the site’s editor-in-chief, Justin Lacey, in the hunt to bring the independent film, Indie Game: The Movie to Indianapolis.

The A.V. Club caught up with Justin Lacey about the trials and tribulations of bringing Indie Game: The Movie to the Indianapolis Film Festivalfor a May 23 screening at the Indianapolis Museum Of Art.

The A.V. Club: How were you first introduced to or made aware of Indie Game: The Movie?

Justin Lacey: Back in January, we found out that the Sundance Film Festival was going to be screening a movie about independent game development. In the last few years, the indie game scene has exploded as digital distribution has made it easier, cheaper, and faster for developers to deliver their games directly to players, so the timing for the movie couldn’t be better.

AVC: What made you work to bring a screening to Indianapolis?

JL: Not only does Indie Game: The Movie promise to be an entertaining film, but it focuses on three pivotal game developers that represent the type of artistry behind the video game industry that deserves to be upheld. Horrible Night is always looking for ways to promote the positive aspects of gamer culture. We are based in Indianapolis, and having traveled around the country to other gaming industry events, we know that there are passionate gamers and game developers in the Indianapolis area. We hope that by bringing this movie to Indianapolis, it will expose the creative breadth and depth of game development to people who were unaware and allow them to come together with local gamers and local game developers.

AVC: Did you see the film before deciding to work on hosting a screening in Indianapolis?

JL: I have not seen the film yet, but I have played all three games featured in the movie (Braid,Super Meat Boy, and Fez). Some of my co-workers were able to see the film at SXSW and reinforced to me that I should keep trying to bring the movie to Indy.

AVC: What obstacles did you encounter in bringing Indie Game to Indy?

JL: Our challenge was purely funding and connections for a venue to screen the film. We weren’t sure of our chances when we reached out to the filmmakers, but we did know that if the screening came through, we could help promote the event to get locals to come to show. It was just something we knew we had to try to make happen.

AVC: When did you make contact with Indy Film Fest in regards to showing the film? Who else did you involve in trying to schedule a screening locally?

JL: When we realized it was going to take more resources, we reached out to Sara McGuyer and Lisa Trifone at Indy Film Fest for help. We knew they have had plenty of success at bringing great independent films to the city, and luckily for us both their gamers and non-gamers on staff were interested in the film. We worked together to try and find potential sponsors and a location for the screening and they really came through. Thanks to Indy Film Fest, the Indianapolis Museum Of Art, and the sponsorship of the Canadian Consulate for making this happen.

AVC: For non-gamers, what is the appeal of the film? Are there any universal themes and/or tropes that will attract a non-gaming audience?

JL: Really, it’s about witnessing great artists overcome the trials of tribulations of perfecting their work. These are designers and developers who have dedicated years of their lives to one project. The sacrifices they make and the hurdles they overcome are relatable to anyone who has ever wanted to or has pursued his/her dreams. The added uniqueness is that while it is a familiar story, it will allow people who were intimidated by the concept of game development to finally see the humanity behind the industry.

AVC: Now that the movie is coming to Indy, what is Horrible Night’s role in the screening?

JL: Horrible Night is offering promotional support for the event. We will be running a few contests on our site and through our live video streams and podcasts to give away tickets to the event. In addition, we are going to feature editorial articles focused on indie games through the month of May. Before the event itself, we will be having a meet and greet at the IMA at 6 p.m. for those that would like to meet our writing staff and get involved with more of our community projects.

AVC: Is this a sign of things to come from Horrible Night? Are more movies and/or community-involved projects in the works?

JL: Absolutely. We will be reaching out to local game developers more in the future to get them involved with future events from game jams, to educational events and social game nights atNetHeads. We already are planning our next 24-hour gaming marathon for charity with A Call To Gamers. Anywhere we see a chance to bring together people for positive gaming events, we will be there with extra controllers. 

1 week ago  View high resolution

Kraus - Supreme Commander [Dungeon Taxis; 2012] Rarely are we afforded a glimpse into the Nega, the world as it would exist if we were born where toilets flushed in a different direction, football is played on a field shaped like a football, and summer happened during the winter. Not only is this the reality of label Dungeon Taxis, this is also the spaced nega-Earth of Kraus. Supreme Commander is nonstop sludge; rock ‘n’ roll brought back from its pissy grave. It’s angry, so it’s all fucks and shits in heavy reverb and distortion. Middle fingers play mindless solos as Jimi and Janis hurl their flaming skulls across an Apocalyptic sky. Flesh melts and hell opens up, because even though we allowed rock ‘n’ roll to be buried decades ago under layers of disco balls, boy bands, and fashion magazines, Kraus’ Ouija board reach-out has brought it back around to give us one last burning reach-around. It feels all so pleasurable, but the pain of an existence spent being tortured by demons are oh so worth it.

Kraus - Supreme Commander [Dungeon Taxis; 2012]

Rarely are we afforded a glimpse into the Nega, the world as it would exist if we were born where toilets flushed in a different direction, football is played on a field shaped like a football, and summer happened during the winter. Not only is this the reality of label Dungeon Taxis, this is also the spaced nega-Earth of Kraus. Supreme Commander is nonstop sludge; rock ‘n’ roll brought back from its pissy grave. It’s angry, so it’s all fucks and shits in heavy reverb and distortion. Middle fingers play mindless solos as Jimi and Janis hurl their flaming skulls across an Apocalyptic sky. Flesh melts and hell opens up, because even though we allowed rock ‘n’ roll to be buried decades ago under layers of disco balls, boy bands, and fashion magazines, Kraus’ Ouija board reach-out has brought it back around to give us one last burning reach-around. It feels all so pleasurable, but the pain of an existence spent being tortured by demons are oh so worth it.

1 week ago 

Everyday Loneliness - Recontextualizations [Arbor; 2012] Wondrous label Arbor has been in hibernation. Only now is it beginning to shake off the layers of fur and snow after a sustained silence. Sleeping Beauty has been awakened by the gentle caress of Jon Borges’ Everyday Loneliness. An elegant two-sider, Recontextualizations is the calm alarm hailing Arbor’s return, Borges exploring the many varieties of waking up. Side A begins with the harsh Winter winds dissipating into a Spring sprinkle before the echoing roar of the Summer ripples through the sleepy valley. The B-side is hot, hazy with the incessant sun thawing the shadows as Borges’ world blossoms in full. How we have missed Arbor and Everyday Loneliness, once again ready to meet the world at her most fertile.

Everyday Loneliness - Recontextualizations [Arbor; 2012]

Wondrous label Arbor has been in hibernation. Only now is it beginning to shake off the layers of fur and snow after a sustained silence. Sleeping Beauty has been awakened by the gentle caress of Jon Borges’ Everyday Loneliness. An elegant two-sider, Recontextualizations is the calm alarm hailing Arbor’s return, Borges exploring the many varieties of waking up. Side A begins with the harsh Winter winds dissipating into a Spring sprinkle before the echoing roar of the Summer ripples through the sleepy valley. The B-side is hot, hazy with the incessant sun thawing the shadows as Borges’ world blossoms in full. How we have missed Arbor and Everyday Loneliness, once again ready to meet the world at her most fertile.

1 week ago  View high resolution

Nathan McLaughlin - Echolocation #4 [Sunshine LTD.; 2012] The latest installment in Nathan McLaughlin’s Echolocation series is dedicated to the “mid day meal.” And yet, it doesn’t substitute as a five-hour shot of energy found among the ruin of saccharine and faux-health alternatives stacking shelves at the dilapidated convenience store. In fact, this is no soundtrack of convenience at all , adding much to the 2:30 feeling. We love that 2:30 feeling. The normal begins to break down. Eyes heavy with nap seeing the world differently. Perhaps Echolocation #4 is the sound to those weighty midday holiday meals, where we stuff ourselves and collapse wherever visiting family has left space. McLaughlin distorts reality, turning it into sinewy waves of retrospection. This midday has become a Dalí, dripping with the drone of sleep deprivation. Not even our fine Spanish friends can find solace in a siesta under McLaughlin’s ripple. This is by far McLaughlin’s best in the series, finding a rhythm unmatched in tone and mood. Raise our wine to a blurred reality.

Nathan McLaughlin - Echolocation #4 [Sunshine LTD.; 2012]

The latest installment in Nathan McLaughlin’s Echolocation series is dedicated to the “mid day meal.” And yet, it doesn’t substitute as a five-hour shot of energy found among the ruin of saccharine and faux-health alternatives stacking shelves at the dilapidated convenience store. In fact, this is no soundtrack of convenience at all , adding much to the 2:30 feeling. We love that 2:30 feeling. The normal begins to break down. Eyes heavy with nap seeing the world differently. Perhaps Echolocation #4 is the sound to those weighty midday holiday meals, where we stuff ourselves and collapse wherever visiting family has left space. McLaughlin distorts reality, turning it into sinewy waves of retrospection. This midday has become a Dalí, dripping with the drone of sleep deprivation. Not even our fine Spanish friends can find solace in a siesta under McLaughlin’s ripple. This is by far McLaughlin’s best in the series, finding a rhythm unmatched in tone and mood. Raise our wine to a blurred reality.

2 weeks ago  2 notes

Derek Rogers - Institutio Amet [CS; Space Slave Editions] Derek Rogers deserves something better. The gnarly guitar whippets ofInstitutio Amet may be the cursory high you’ve been waiting for. Rogers is a traditionalist in regards to melody; nothing is off-putting to even the most mundane music fan. But underneath the jangled guitar and overblown synth is a call to our primitive ancestry. We scratch at our cropped hair, beat our flat chests, and become prehensile. Only by entering this devolved state of detachment are we able to tap into our imagination as a means to true creation, to evolve in a newly designed form. Institutio Amet is that odd, ebon obelisk dropped into our fragile ecosystem. It all comes together by lone B-side beacon, “Franklin,” the pieces of the A-side torn apart and reassembled in our new neanderthal existence. Men are dragged back to caves by lusty, powerful women. Kings are given no quarter as peasants control fiefdoms. Glass ceilings are non-existent in a world where all fear has been erased. We didn’t beat this obelisk with sticks and bones; we hugged it and nursed it as an equal. What a much better world it would be if Institutio Amet had been born from Adam and Eve. Our transformation complete.

Derek Rogers - Institutio Amet [CS; Space Slave Editions]

Derek Rogers deserves something better. The gnarly guitar whippets ofInstitutio Amet may be the cursory high you’ve been waiting for. Rogers is a traditionalist in regards to melody; nothing is off-putting to even the most mundane music fan. But underneath the jangled guitar and overblown synth is a call to our primitive ancestry. We scratch at our cropped hair, beat our flat chests, and become prehensile. Only by entering this devolved state of detachment are we able to tap into our imagination as a means to true creation, to evolve in a newly designed form. Institutio Amet is that odd, ebon obelisk dropped into our fragile ecosystem. It all comes together by lone B-side beacon, “Franklin,” the pieces of the A-side torn apart and reassembled in our new neanderthal existence. Men are dragged back to caves by lusty, powerful women. Kings are given no quarter as peasants control fiefdoms. Glass ceilings are non-existent in a world where all fear has been erased. We didn’t beat this obelisk with sticks and bones; we hugged it and nursed it as an equal. What a much better world it would be if Institutio Amet had been born from Adam and Eve. Our transformation complete.

2 weeks ago  4 notes View high resolution

Voder Deth Squad - II [SicSic; 2012] On their own, Jeremy Kelly and M. Geddes Gengras are brightly colored rangers able to stomp out bad guys through the power of light. When unified, they become an invincible organism that feeds on their individual strengths. Kelly has long framed isolation as a melodic tool, transforming loneliness into dusty passages of historic significance. The gold rush gloss of his rustic work is often in line with Sergio Leone desperados in search of retribution. If Kelly is the sturdy frame by which Voder Deth Squad maneuvers, Gengras is the motor. Focusing power on his third eye, Gengras has pulled vibrancy from cosmic dimensions otherwise untouched by man. The A-side of II hums with new life, Gengras turning the psychedelic key as Kelly begins the robotic gait. Though this is their second release together, the steps are precarious as the chassis coalesces in its improved form. The careful movements continue well into the B-side, but as Kelly and Gengras begin to understand the dynamics of their machine, it becomes an iron giant capable of aural dominance, synths exploding in excitement as Voder Deth Squad becomes self-aware. The electricity is sucked from the surrounding area and VDS begins to speak in agitated passages. We have passed into the new world order, led by fearless technological pioneers. On we march as one with the Voder Deth Squad.

Voder Deth Squad - II [SicSic; 2012]

On their own, Jeremy Kelly and M. Geddes Gengras are brightly colored rangers able to stomp out bad guys through the power of light. When unified, they become an invincible organism that feeds on their individual strengths. Kelly has long framed isolation as a melodic tool, transforming loneliness into dusty passages of historic significance. The gold rush gloss of his rustic work is often in line with Sergio Leone desperados in search of retribution.

If Kelly is the sturdy frame by which Voder Deth Squad maneuvers, Gengras is the motor. Focusing power on his third eye, Gengras has pulled vibrancy from cosmic dimensions otherwise untouched by man. The A-side of II hums with new life, Gengras turning the psychedelic key as Kelly begins the robotic gait. Though this is their second release together, the steps are precarious as the chassis coalesces in its improved form. The careful movements continue well into the B-side, but as Kelly and Gengras begin to understand the dynamics of their machine, it becomes an iron giant capable of aural dominance, synths exploding in excitement as Voder Deth Squad becomes self-aware. The electricity is sucked from the surrounding area and VDS begins to speak in agitated passages. We have passed into the new world order, led by fearless technological pioneers. On we march as one with the Voder Deth Squad.

3 weeks ago  4 notes

Organ of Species - Cosmic Zoop [Rocket Machine; 2012] We must get our culture in small, 34-minute doses. Cosmic Zoop is the sound of the Australian Outback, which makes Rocket Machine the perfect host for Scott Cloud’s latest. As coastal lands swell with skylines and overcrowding, the serenity of nature is being overtaken by the metallic strikes of industrialization. The open space, once rich with gusty winds and jagged rocks, is being eroded by demand. Cosmic Zoop captures the change on its A-side, the maelstrom of wilderness being bulldozed by heavy machinery. Cloud rolls in unimpeded and begins to terraform; the landscape  is dictated by the whims of man rather than the folly of weather. But the outback fights back, her vast recesses home to soldiers unwillingly to yield to Cloud’s demands. Side B is Cloud’s redemption. He has become the children of Walkabout, learning survival in the toughest circumstances. We are not to bend nature to our will but are to transform ourselves in her image. As the reach of civilization closes in, the environment mockingly fights back. Man has triumphed everywhere else, but they shall never blemish Australia’s untamed lands. Cosmic Zoop is a lesson we all should study, Cloud now armed with the skills to the voice of what remains.

Organ of Species - Cosmic Zoop [Rocket Machine; 2012]

We must get our culture in small, 34-minute doses.

Cosmic Zoop is the sound of the Australian Outback, which makes Rocket Machine the perfect host for Scott Cloud’s latest. As coastal lands swell with skylines and overcrowding, the serenity of nature is being overtaken by the metallic strikes of industrialization. The open space, once rich with gusty winds and jagged rocks, is being eroded by demand. Cosmic Zoop captures the change on its A-side, the maelstrom of wilderness being bulldozed by heavy machinery. Cloud rolls in unimpeded and begins to terraform; the landscape  is dictated by the whims of man rather than the folly of weather. But the outback fights back, her vast recesses home to soldiers unwillingly to yield to Cloud’s demands.

Side B is Cloud’s redemption. He has become the children of Walkabout, learning survival in the toughest circumstances. We are not to bend nature to our will but are to transform ourselves in her image. As the reach of civilization closes in, the environment mockingly fights back. Man has triumphed everywhere else, but they shall never blemish Australia’s untamed lands. Cosmic Zoop is a lesson we all should study, Cloud now armed with the skills to the voice of what remains.

3 weeks ago  1 note View high resolution

Lower Dens - Nootropics [Ribbon Music; 2012] Motorik has done service to German music, as Jugendstil had accomplished a century prior for Deutsch art nouveau. Though handfuls of peers were well heeled in the 4/4 beat that lent itself to the sensation of a speedy drive, it proved a versatile rhythm that began to find itself in a variety of musical styles. Germany, after years of being viewed suspiciously, began to shed its post-war seediness and become a kinder, gentle European power house. Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud blew the gate open on dreams and fetish culture through tireless pyschotherapy, allowing generations to embrace the daily bizarre. Habits and ticks once ostracized now allowed to play out in a public forum.  The synergy between the driving rhythms of motorik and the dream state of subconscious seem at odds with each other, but a juncture exists where the racing pulse of melody bleeds into the cerebral. Nootropics The second album from Jana Hunter-fronted Lower Dens adopts motorik as its musical motivation and the results are surprising. Using the deliberate beat to build off the sleepy Twin Hand Movement  and Hunter’s fascination with technology  furthering man, Nootropics combines shoegaze cool with Rhineland histrionics, all set against Hunter’s act of transference. It’s a strange breed of math but when all the facts and figures are added and subtracted, Nootropicsresults in a finely crafted, darkly tinged pop album. The album is uniquely infectious and rhythmically challenging, never giving up one derivative for the other. To better understand Nootropics, it’s best to start with the aptly titled “In the End is the Beginning.” The album’s closer is a lengthy manifest for Nootropics, heavy with Hunter’s brooding vocals and dripping with slow sexuality. The motorik beat is buried beneath restrained percussion, allowing the foggy noir of the 12-minute track to hang like smoke from an ash-laden cigarette. The steeled guitar and bass drum are the only signs of life as shallow breaths of melody waft in the ethereal breeze of Hunter’s meditative. From here, venture into the album as intended. “Alphabet Song” maintains the darker tones of Twin Hand Movement, though the sour times have been impeded as the 4/4 motor works to quicken the pace. Hunter’s lazy delivery is summertime cool; the dusk of a warm day yielding to storm clouds. It’s a sensual tease for the circulatory rhythm of “Brains,” and instrumental counterpart, “Stem.” “Brains” is unapologetically Deutsch; a tea bag steeped in thick hi hats and two psychotropic cubes of snare, exacerbated by the pulsating bass line. Hunter’s lyrics slightly buried underneath the driving rhythm, utilizing the hazy sunset to reassuringly hypnotize… “Don’t be afraid/Don’t be afraid/Everything will change/While you’re asleep” The Midsummer night’s dream is furthered with echoed torch song “Propagation,” and codified with muscle relaxer, “Nova Anthem,” as Hunter whispers to us into sound slumber. We are calm; we are captive. The wool veil has covered us all–now stuck in Hunter’s humanoid avatar; forever enjoying the billowing nicotine and sweet sun tea of our endless summer fueled by the looped charade of motorik and the nostalgic tinges of Nootropics’ hallucinogenic glow. Hunter’s fascination with trans-humanism harnesses the inherent power of Germany’s major musical export and Austria’s pseudo-scientist to build a better tomorrow. Hunter has morphed into a thinking man’s Lolita, confusing us as we wait for Sonja ( Das schreckliche Mädchen) to uncover the deviousness of Lower Dens’ plot. In the meantime, we shall elegantly stew in motorik’s lesson as we drift deeper into the subconscious…we’re alive on the freeway….the wind in our hair….the thrill of the endless….”In the End is the Beginning”…

Lower Dens - Nootropics [Ribbon Music; 2012]

Motorik has done service to German music, as Jugendstil had accomplished a century prior for Deutsch art nouveau. Though handfuls of peers were well heeled in the 4/4 beat that lent itself to the sensation of a speedy drive, it proved a versatile rhythm that began to find itself in a variety of musical styles. Germany, after years of being viewed suspiciously, began to shed its post-war seediness and become a kinder, gentle European power house.

Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud blew the gate open on dreams and fetish culture through tireless pyschotherapy, allowing generations to embrace the daily bizarre. Habits and ticks once ostracized now allowed to play out in a public forum.  The synergy between the driving rhythms of motorik and the dream state of subconscious seem at odds with each other, but a juncture exists where the racing pulse of melody bleeds into the cerebral.

Nootropics

The second album from Jana Hunter-fronted Lower Dens adopts motorik as its musical motivation and the results are surprising. Using the deliberate beat to build off the sleepy Twin Hand Movement  and Hunter’s fascination with technology  furthering man, Nootropics combines shoegaze cool with Rhineland histrionics, all set against Hunter’s act of transference.

It’s a strange breed of math but when all the facts and figures are added and subtracted, Nootropicsresults in a finely crafted, darkly tinged pop album. The album is uniquely infectious and rhythmically challenging, never giving up one derivative for the other. To better understand Nootropics, it’s best to start with the aptly titled “In the End is the Beginning.” The album’s closer is a lengthy manifest for Nootropics, heavy with Hunter’s brooding vocals and dripping with slow sexuality. The motorik beat is buried beneath restrained percussion, allowing the foggy noir of the 12-minute track to hang like smoke from an ash-laden cigarette. The steeled guitar and bass drum are the only signs of life as shallow breaths of melody waft in the ethereal breeze of Hunter’s meditative. From here, venture into the album as intended.

“Alphabet Song” maintains the darker tones of Twin Hand Movement, though the sour times have been impeded as the 4/4 motor works to quicken the pace. Hunter’s lazy delivery is summertime cool; the dusk of a warm day yielding to storm clouds. It’s a sensual tease for the circulatory rhythm of “Brains,” and instrumental counterpart, “Stem.” “Brains” is unapologetically Deutsch; a tea bag steeped in thick hi hats and two psychotropic cubes of snare, exacerbated by the pulsating bass line. Hunter’s lyrics slightly buried underneath the driving rhythm, utilizing the hazy sunset to reassuringly hypnotize…

“Don’t be afraid/Don’t be afraid/Everything will change/While you’re asleep”

The Midsummer night’s dream is furthered with echoed torch song “Propagation,” and codified with muscle relaxer, “Nova Anthem,” as Hunter whispers to us into sound slumber. We are calm; we are captive.

The wool veil has covered us all–now stuck in Hunter’s humanoid avatar; forever enjoying the billowing nicotine and sweet sun tea of our endless summer fueled by the looped charade of motorik and the nostalgic tinges of Nootropics’ hallucinogenic glow. Hunter’s fascination with trans-humanism harnesses the inherent power of Germany’s major musical export and Austria’s pseudo-scientist to build a better tomorrow. Hunter has morphed into a thinking man’s Lolita, confusing us as we wait for Sonja ( Das schreckliche Mädchen) to uncover the deviousness of Lower Dens’ plot. In the meantime, we shall elegantly stew in motorik’s lesson as we drift deeper into the subconscious…we’re alive on the freeway….the wind in our hair….the thrill of the endless….”In the End is the Beginning”…

3 weeks ago 

Ilyas Ahmed - With Endless Fire [Immune; 2012] With Endless Fire is constantly playing with the Promethean substance. Ilyas Ahmed’s latest is ablaze with countless influences, each converging into a strangely hypnotic pop release. You will become a moth, tirelessly returning to this tape (there is a vinyl release as well). Drone into Eastern raga into weird pop medley; it’s a strange flow that will confound, but it ultimately engulfs you in the whitest flames. Ilyas has achieved the unthinkable: turning the complex into the simple. The layers become rubble, revealing an artistic vision fit for a broader audience. Ilyas is Joan of Arc, tied to the stake and set to burn as the English pig dogs revel in their minor victory. Or even larger and more gluttonous, Ilyas is an elegantly set Thanksgiving table, complete with a glistening turducken and the razor-sharp fangs of a family eager to devour the spoils of evenly roasted labor. Fire is indeed endless, and so is With Endless Fire. You’ll never give this up. You can’t, no matter how hot to the touch.

Ilyas Ahmed - With Endless Fire [Immune; 2012]

With Endless Fire is constantly playing with the Promethean substance. Ilyas Ahmed’s latest is ablaze with countless influences, each converging into a strangely hypnotic pop release. You will become a moth, tirelessly returning to this tape (there is a vinyl release as well). Drone into Eastern raga into weird pop medley; it’s a strange flow that will confound, but it ultimately engulfs you in the whitest flames. Ilyas has achieved the unthinkable: turning the complex into the simple. The layers become rubble, revealing an artistic vision fit for a broader audience. Ilyas is Joan of Arc, tied to the stake and set to burn as the English pig dogs revel in their minor victory. Or even larger and more gluttonous, Ilyas is an elegantly set Thanksgiving table, complete with a glistening turducken and the razor-sharp fangs of a family eager to devour the spoils of evenly roasted labor. Fire is indeed endless, and so is With Endless Fire. You’ll never give this up. You can’t, no matter how hot to the touch.

3 weeks ago  6 notes View high resolution

Archers by the Sea - Key & Bones [Fin De Siecle; 2012] Svetlana Boym’s The Future of Nostalgia outlines why society continues to turn toward the past in historic moments of upheaval. It’s no coincidence genres of music have thrived on tugging at heart strings and fond remembrances. It’s a permeating trend. There is no misty goodbye with Vincent Caylet. Key and Bones is not a sad farewell to hisArchers by the Sea moniker but a reserved celebration. Recording under such names as V, Pistil Cosmos and Cankun (his most recent and arguably, his most recognizable), Caylet has used each pseudonym as a means to take a defined emotion and transform it into sound. Though it may have the stench of nostalgia clinging to it, Caylet has never fallen into its musical trap (as captivating and invigorating as it is). Key and Bones is a meditative goodbye; one that properly sends Archers by the Sea off into the fog without regret. As his attention turns to more tropical influences, ABTS has one last job to accomplish in the cold winter. “Citizen Loneliness,” is not a salvo against solitude, rather a contemplative piece at peace. The sweet chirps of birds kissing the summer goodbye as Caylet’s gleaning frost moves in from the sea. “No Need to Talk” is a steady sleet, preserving the world as it sits in a thick layer of dense drone; ripples of guitar the only sign of life underneath the sheet of ice. But Caylet loses his nerve, deciding that all good things must be allowed to blossom and evolve. “We Love the Sun” melts away the winter cold, and along with it any tinge of clinging nostalgia. ABTS accomplished much during the modest timeframe Caylet has awarded. Now is the time to move forward. There is progress to be won and Caylet won’t allow it to be stifled, even by a project as enveloping as Archers by the Sea and an album as wistfully mature as Key and Bones.

Archers by the Sea - Key & Bones [Fin De Siecle; 2012]

Svetlana Boym’s The Future of Nostalgia outlines why society continues to turn toward the past in historic moments of upheaval. It’s no coincidence genres of music have thrived on tugging at heart strings and fond remembrances. It’s a permeating trend.

There is no misty goodbye with Vincent Caylet. Key and Bones is not a sad farewell to hisArchers by the Sea moniker but a reserved celebration. Recording under such names as V, Pistil Cosmos and Cankun (his most recent and arguably, his most recognizable), Caylet has used each pseudonym as a means to take a defined emotion and transform it into sound. Though it may have the stench of nostalgia clinging to it, Caylet has never fallen into its musical trap (as captivating and invigorating as it is).

Key and Bones is a meditative goodbye; one that properly sends Archers by the Sea off into the fog without regret. As his attention turns to more tropical influences, ABTS has one last job to accomplish in the cold winter. “Citizen Loneliness,” is not a salvo against solitude, rather a contemplative piece at peace. The sweet chirps of birds kissing the summer goodbye as Caylet’s gleaning frost moves in from the sea. “No Need to Talk” is a steady sleet, preserving the world as it sits in a thick layer of dense drone; ripples of guitar the only sign of life underneath the sheet of ice. But Caylet loses his nerve, deciding that all good things must be allowed to blossom and evolve. “We Love the Sun” melts away the winter cold, and along with it any tinge of clinging nostalgia.

ABTS accomplished much during the modest timeframe Caylet has awarded. Now is the time to move forward. There is progress to be won and Caylet won’t allow it to be stifled, even by a project as enveloping as Archers by the Sea and an album as wistfully mature as Key and Bones.

Velvet Elvis - ‘No Rules in the Wasteland’ [cae-sur-a; 2012] Sometimes you’ve gotta follow the Big Chief in the sky. You’ve gotta find your inner spirit animal. This ain’t no Fight Club sliding penguin bullshit; this istruth. It’s inside all of us, and often it doesn’t take the shape of an animal at all. For Velvet Elvis, it’s clearly the fiery depths of psychedelic metal. The rattling thunder of Uriah Heap, Deep Purple, and Black Sabbath — it is Ozzy and Dio in an eternal battle over hell because they’ve already disposed with Satan. Flesh melts to jelly; bone becomes coal to keep the hot furnaces boiling. Whatever depths of the inferno Velvet Elvis has mined, what they’ve come back with is a metallic demon manifested as a beast capable of ripping your face off with the single shred of a guitar, elegantly depicted as a bird with untamed hair and a B-cup. I’m certainly not fucking with it.

Velvet Elvis - ‘No Rules in the Wasteland’ [cae-sur-a; 2012]

Sometimes you’ve gotta follow the Big Chief in the sky. You’ve gotta find your inner spirit animal. This ain’t no Fight Club sliding penguin bullshit; this istruth. It’s inside all of us, and often it doesn’t take the shape of an animal at all. For Velvet Elvis, it’s clearly the fiery depths of psychedelic metal. The rattling thunder of Uriah Heap, Deep Purple, and Black Sabbath — it is Ozzy and Dio in an eternal battle over hell because they’ve already disposed with Satan. Flesh melts to jelly; bone becomes coal to keep the hot furnaces boiling. Whatever depths of the inferno Velvet Elvis has mined, what they’ve come back with is a metallic demon manifested as a beast capable of ripping your face off with the single shred of a guitar, elegantly depicted as a bird with untamed hair and a B-cup. I’m certainly not fucking with it.

xNoBBQx - Muryoku Muzenji, Koenji, 2010/Happy, Wellington, 2009 [Dungeon Taxis; 2012] Matt and Nick are pissed you didn’t give xNoBBQx the time of day. They had an album on Siltbreeze, for fuck’s sake! And you didn’t buy it; you didn’t even illegally download it from a “third-world,” half-English/half-non-English blog. So they went and destroyed themselves. They took their music too. All that’s left is this testament to destruction. It’s noise. There’s nothing left of the old xNoBBQx. I’m surprised the x’s are still attached. It’s a beaten and broken band. So rather than have you reject them again, they are doing the rejecting. That grating you hear? It’s the sound of their hearts being ground by your deceit. That bitter hammering? It’s the sound of the boys beating themselves senseless until brain matter or Athena emerge from their skulls. You did this to them, so you better sit down and listen to this to make amends. Next time, they might stop whipping themselves long enough to give you back your dirty garage rock. Until then, enjoy some righteous noise and be a better pal.

xNoBBQx - Muryoku Muzenji, Koenji, 2010/Happy, Wellington, 2009 [Dungeon Taxis; 2012]

Matt and Nick are pissed you didn’t give xNoBBQx the time of day. They had an album on Siltbreeze, for fuck’s sake! And you didn’t buy it; you didn’t even illegally download it from a “third-world,” half-English/half-non-English blog. So they went and destroyed themselves. They took their music too. All that’s left is this testament to destruction. It’s noise. There’s nothing left of the old xNoBBQx. I’m surprised the x’s are still attached. It’s a beaten and broken band. So rather than have you reject them again, they are doing the rejecting. That grating you hear? It’s the sound of their hearts being ground by your deceit. That bitter hammering? It’s the sound of the boys beating themselves senseless until brain matter or Athena emerge from their skulls. You did this to them, so you better sit down and listen to this to make amends. Next time, they might stop whipping themselves long enough to give you back your dirty garage rock. Until then, enjoy some righteous noise and be a better pal.

Mount Eerie - Clear Moon [PW Elverum & Sun; 2012] There’s a magic surrounding Phil Elverum. His work asMount Eerie has long dabbled into the dark arts, conjuring up a jumbled rusticity amid the digital tick-tock of evolution. Elverum has retreated to faraway lands, into the wooded forests and boundless mountains of isolation in search of his next trick. He’s sawed himself—and his music—in half multiple times. He’s disappeared quietly only to return spectacularly. He is a Houdini that wants to be a Thoreau. Clear Moon is a natural gut punch. It is serene in its assault, blending the loud gasps of bitter dialogue (“Get Off the Internet,” “Don’t Smoke”) and melodically (Black Wooden Ceiling Opening) into a complete package of self-awareness. Elverum’s quirks are at peace with each other throughout Clear Moon as the grizzled musician begins to accept the hard truths of his powerful gift. Magic is real, it wields might and if used forcefully the influence of suggestion is lost. Clear Moon turns diatribe into manifest out of the gate. “Through the Trees Pt. 2” delicately touches upon the fragmented past of Elverum: “And it’s hard to describe/Without seeming absurd/I know there’s no other world/Mountains and websites.” The melodic thread of “Through the Trees Pt. 2” is borrowed from “The Pull,” Elverum changing the brutality of old into the soft whisper of wisdom. Restraint is key. Rather than bombard with directives, Elverum councils. “The Place I Live,” teases an outburst but keeps itself calm. The abrupt suspense that kick starts “Lone Bell,” is tense but never aggressive, Elverum curating his magical world from on high with angelic perspicacity before disappearing into the fog. “Over Dark Water” is one last belly rumble before swallowing the ipecac of the physical world and drifting into spiritual. Elverum finds balance with Clear Moon; an inner peace of two worlds joining into one, no longer fighting the inevitable. An existence both magical and practical can exist, Elverum knows this now. As frightening as it is to climb the ominous mountaintop, his deft illumination lights even the darkest areas. Without the wonders of the mystical, one cannot enjoy the wonders of reality. Clear Moonbrings the sawed halves back together in a feat only accomplished upon ol’ Mount Eerie.

Mount Eerie - Clear Moon [PW Elverum & Sun; 2012]

There’s a magic surrounding Phil Elverum. His work asMount Eerie has long dabbled into the dark arts, conjuring up a jumbled rusticity amid the digital tick-tock of evolution. Elverum has retreated to faraway lands, into the wooded forests and boundless mountains of isolation in search of his next trick. He’s sawed himself—and his music—in half multiple times. He’s disappeared quietly only to return spectacularly. He is a Houdini that wants to be a Thoreau.

Clear Moon is a natural gut punch. It is serene in its assault, blending the loud gasps of bitter dialogue (“Get Off the Internet,” “Don’t Smoke”) and melodically (Black Wooden Ceiling Opening) into a complete package of self-awareness. Elverum’s quirks are at peace with each other throughout Clear Moon as the grizzled musician begins to accept the hard truths of his powerful gift. Magic is real, it wields might and if used forcefully the influence of suggestion is lost.

Clear Moon turns diatribe into manifest out of the gate. “Through the Trees Pt. 2” delicately touches upon the fragmented past of Elverum: “And it’s hard to describe/Without seeming absurd/I know there’s no other world/Mountains and websites.” The melodic thread of “Through the Trees Pt. 2” is borrowed from “The Pull,” Elverum changing the brutality of old into the soft whisper of wisdom.

Restraint is key. Rather than bombard with directives, Elverum councils. “The Place I Live,” teases an outburst but keeps itself calm. The abrupt suspense that kick starts “Lone Bell,” is tense but never aggressive, Elverum curating his magical world from on high with angelic perspicacity before disappearing into the fog. “Over Dark Water” is one last belly rumble before swallowing the ipecac of the physical world and drifting into spiritual.

Elverum finds balance with Clear Moon; an inner peace of two worlds joining into one, no longer fighting the inevitable. An existence both magical and practical can exist, Elverum knows this now. As frightening as it is to climb the ominous mountaintop, his deft illumination lights even the darkest areas. Without the wonders of the mystical, one cannot enjoy the wonders of reality. Clear Moonbrings the sawed halves back together in a feat only accomplished upon ol’ Mount Eerie.

Indie Game: The Movie arrives in Indy Gaming culture has been an upward-trending phenomenon for years, with popular developers and independent programmers alike competing with Hollywood for American entertainment dollars. The different art forms have met at the box office with mixed success; big budget interpretations mingling with scrappy, underdog documentaries. The same critical eye that has been laid to film is now finding its way into video gaming. Indianapolis-based site Horrible Night has turned its attention to the editorial, focusing on the personal connection between gamers and the nuts and bolts of the product rather than being the first to review the latest blockbuster or pouncing on the latest rumor. This attention to detail, and a desire to bridge the gaming world with other entertainment platforms, was the catalyst that found the site’s editor-in-chief, Justin Lacey, in the hunt to bring the independent film, Indie Game: The Movie to Indianapolis. The A.V. Club caught up with Justin Lacey about the trials and tribulations of bringing Indie Game: The Movie to the Indianapolis Film Festivalfor a May 23 screening at the Indianapolis Museum Of Art. The A.V. Club: How were you first introduced to or made aware of Indie Game: The Movie? Justin Lacey: Back in January, we found out that the Sundance Film Festival was going to be screening a movie about independent game development. In the last few years, the indie game scene has exploded as digital distribution has made it easier, cheaper, and faster for developers to deliver their games directly to players, so the timing for the movie couldn’t be better. AVC: What made you work to bring a screening to Indianapolis? JL: Not only does Indie Game: The Movie promise to be an entertaining film, but it focuses on three pivotal game developers that represent the type of artistry behind the video game industry that deserves to be upheld. Horrible Night is always looking for ways to promote the positive aspects of gamer culture. We are based in Indianapolis, and having traveled around the country to other gaming industry events, we know that there are passionate gamers and game developers in the Indianapolis area. We hope that by bringing this movie to Indianapolis, it will expose the creative breadth and depth of game development to people who were unaware and allow them to come together with local gamers and local game developers. AVC: Did you see the film before deciding to work on hosting a screening in Indianapolis? JL: I have not seen the film yet, but I have played all three games featured in the movie (Braid,Super Meat Boy, and Fez). Some of my co-workers were able to see the film at SXSW and reinforced to me that I should keep trying to bring the movie to Indy. AVC: What obstacles did you encounter in bringing Indie Game to Indy? JL: Our challenge was purely funding and connections for a venue to screen the film. We weren’t sure of our chances when we reached out to the filmmakers, but we did know that if the screening came through, we could help promote the event to get locals to come to show. It was just something we knew we had to try to make happen. AVC: When did you make contact with Indy Film Fest in regards to showing the film? Who else did you involve in trying to schedule a screening locally? JL: When we realized it was going to take more resources, we reached out to Sara McGuyer and Lisa Trifone at Indy Film Fest for help. We knew they have had plenty of success at bringing great independent films to the city, and luckily for us both their gamers and non-gamers on staff were interested in the film. We worked together to try and find potential sponsors and a location for the screening and they really came through. Thanks to Indy Film Fest, the Indianapolis Museum Of Art, and the sponsorship of the Canadian Consulate for making this happen. AVC: For non-gamers, what is the appeal of the film? Are there any universal themes and/or tropes that will attract a non-gaming audience? JL: Really, it’s about witnessing great artists overcome the trials of tribulations of perfecting their work. These are designers and developers who have dedicated years of their lives to one project. The sacrifices they make and the hurdles they overcome are relatable to anyone who has ever wanted to or has pursued his/her dreams. The added uniqueness is that while it is a familiar story, it will allow people who were intimidated by the concept of game development to finally see the humanity behind the industry. AVC: Now that the movie is coming to Indy, what is Horrible Night’s role in the screening? JL: Horrible Night is offering promotional support for the event. We will be running a few contests on our site and through our live video streams and podcasts to give away tickets to the event. In addition, we are going to feature editorial articles focused on indie games through the month of May. Before the event itself, we will be having a meet and greet at the IMA at 6 p.m. for those that would like to meet our writing staff and get involved with more of our community projects. AVC: Is this a sign of things to come from Horrible Night? Are more movies and/or community-involved projects in the works? JL: Absolutely. We will be reaching out to local game developers more in the future to get them involved with future events from game jams, to educational events and social game nights atNetHeads. We already are planning our next 24-hour gaming marathon for charity with A Call To Gamers. Anywhere we see a chance to bring together people for positive gaming events, we will be there with extra controllers. 

Indie Game: The Movie arrives in Indy

Gaming culture has been an upward-trending phenomenon for years, with popular developers and independent programmers alike competing with Hollywood for American entertainment dollars. The different art forms have met at the box office with mixed success; big budget interpretations mingling with scrappy, underdog documentaries.

The same critical eye that has been laid to film is now finding its way into video gaming. Indianapolis-based site Horrible Night has turned its attention to the editorial, focusing on the personal connection between gamers and the nuts and bolts of the product rather than being the first to review the latest blockbuster or pouncing on the latest rumor. This attention to detail, and a desire to bridge the gaming world with other entertainment platforms, was the catalyst that found the site’s editor-in-chief, Justin Lacey, in the hunt to bring the independent film, Indie Game: The Movie to Indianapolis.

The A.V. Club caught up with Justin Lacey about the trials and tribulations of bringing Indie Game: The Movie to the Indianapolis Film Festivalfor a May 23 screening at the Indianapolis Museum Of Art.

The A.V. Club: How were you first introduced to or made aware of Indie Game: The Movie?

Justin Lacey: Back in January, we found out that the Sundance Film Festival was going to be screening a movie about independent game development. In the last few years, the indie game scene has exploded as digital distribution has made it easier, cheaper, and faster for developers to deliver their games directly to players, so the timing for the movie couldn’t be better.

AVC: What made you work to bring a screening to Indianapolis?

JL: Not only does Indie Game: The Movie promise to be an entertaining film, but it focuses on three pivotal game developers that represent the type of artistry behind the video game industry that deserves to be upheld. Horrible Night is always looking for ways to promote the positive aspects of gamer culture. We are based in Indianapolis, and having traveled around the country to other gaming industry events, we know that there are passionate gamers and game developers in the Indianapolis area. We hope that by bringing this movie to Indianapolis, it will expose the creative breadth and depth of game development to people who were unaware and allow them to come together with local gamers and local game developers.

AVC: Did you see the film before deciding to work on hosting a screening in Indianapolis?

JL: I have not seen the film yet, but I have played all three games featured in the movie (Braid,Super Meat Boy, and Fez). Some of my co-workers were able to see the film at SXSW and reinforced to me that I should keep trying to bring the movie to Indy.

AVC: What obstacles did you encounter in bringing Indie Game to Indy?

JL: Our challenge was purely funding and connections for a venue to screen the film. We weren’t sure of our chances when we reached out to the filmmakers, but we did know that if the screening came through, we could help promote the event to get locals to come to show. It was just something we knew we had to try to make happen.

AVC: When did you make contact with Indy Film Fest in regards to showing the film? Who else did you involve in trying to schedule a screening locally?

JL: When we realized it was going to take more resources, we reached out to Sara McGuyer and Lisa Trifone at Indy Film Fest for help. We knew they have had plenty of success at bringing great independent films to the city, and luckily for us both their gamers and non-gamers on staff were interested in the film. We worked together to try and find potential sponsors and a location for the screening and they really came through. Thanks to Indy Film Fest, the Indianapolis Museum Of Art, and the sponsorship of the Canadian Consulate for making this happen.

AVC: For non-gamers, what is the appeal of the film? Are there any universal themes and/or tropes that will attract a non-gaming audience?

JL: Really, it’s about witnessing great artists overcome the trials of tribulations of perfecting their work. These are designers and developers who have dedicated years of their lives to one project. The sacrifices they make and the hurdles they overcome are relatable to anyone who has ever wanted to or has pursued his/her dreams. The added uniqueness is that while it is a familiar story, it will allow people who were intimidated by the concept of game development to finally see the humanity behind the industry.

AVC: Now that the movie is coming to Indy, what is Horrible Night’s role in the screening?

JL: Horrible Night is offering promotional support for the event. We will be running a few contests on our site and through our live video streams and podcasts to give away tickets to the event. In addition, we are going to feature editorial articles focused on indie games through the month of May. Before the event itself, we will be having a meet and greet at the IMA at 6 p.m. for those that would like to meet our writing staff and get involved with more of our community projects.

AVC: Is this a sign of things to come from Horrible Night? Are more movies and/or community-involved projects in the works?

JL: Absolutely. We will be reaching out to local game developers more in the future to get them involved with future events from game jams, to educational events and social game nights atNetHeads. We already are planning our next 24-hour gaming marathon for charity with A Call To Gamers. Anywhere we see a chance to bring together people for positive gaming events, we will be there with extra controllers. 

Kraus - Supreme Commander [Dungeon Taxis; 2012] Rarely are we afforded a glimpse into the Nega, the world as it would exist if we were born where toilets flushed in a different direction, football is played on a field shaped like a football, and summer happened during the winter. Not only is this the reality of label Dungeon Taxis, this is also the spaced nega-Earth of Kraus. Supreme Commander is nonstop sludge; rock ‘n’ roll brought back from its pissy grave. It’s angry, so it’s all fucks and shits in heavy reverb and distortion. Middle fingers play mindless solos as Jimi and Janis hurl their flaming skulls across an Apocalyptic sky. Flesh melts and hell opens up, because even though we allowed rock ‘n’ roll to be buried decades ago under layers of disco balls, boy bands, and fashion magazines, Kraus’ Ouija board reach-out has brought it back around to give us one last burning reach-around. It feels all so pleasurable, but the pain of an existence spent being tortured by demons are oh so worth it.

Kraus - Supreme Commander [Dungeon Taxis; 2012]

Rarely are we afforded a glimpse into the Nega, the world as it would exist if we were born where toilets flushed in a different direction, football is played on a field shaped like a football, and summer happened during the winter. Not only is this the reality of label Dungeon Taxis, this is also the spaced nega-Earth of Kraus. Supreme Commander is nonstop sludge; rock ‘n’ roll brought back from its pissy grave. It’s angry, so it’s all fucks and shits in heavy reverb and distortion. Middle fingers play mindless solos as Jimi and Janis hurl their flaming skulls across an Apocalyptic sky. Flesh melts and hell opens up, because even though we allowed rock ‘n’ roll to be buried decades ago under layers of disco balls, boy bands, and fashion magazines, Kraus’ Ouija board reach-out has brought it back around to give us one last burning reach-around. It feels all so pleasurable, but the pain of an existence spent being tortured by demons are oh so worth it.

Everyday Loneliness - Recontextualizations [Arbor; 2012] Wondrous label Arbor has been in hibernation. Only now is it beginning to shake off the layers of fur and snow after a sustained silence. Sleeping Beauty has been awakened by the gentle caress of Jon Borges’ Everyday Loneliness. An elegant two-sider, Recontextualizations is the calm alarm hailing Arbor’s return, Borges exploring the many varieties of waking up. Side A begins with the harsh Winter winds dissipating into a Spring sprinkle before the echoing roar of the Summer ripples through the sleepy valley. The B-side is hot, hazy with the incessant sun thawing the shadows as Borges’ world blossoms in full. How we have missed Arbor and Everyday Loneliness, once again ready to meet the world at her most fertile.

Everyday Loneliness - Recontextualizations [Arbor; 2012]

Wondrous label Arbor has been in hibernation. Only now is it beginning to shake off the layers of fur and snow after a sustained silence. Sleeping Beauty has been awakened by the gentle caress of Jon Borges’ Everyday Loneliness. An elegant two-sider, Recontextualizations is the calm alarm hailing Arbor’s return, Borges exploring the many varieties of waking up. Side A begins with the harsh Winter winds dissipating into a Spring sprinkle before the echoing roar of the Summer ripples through the sleepy valley. The B-side is hot, hazy with the incessant sun thawing the shadows as Borges’ world blossoms in full. How we have missed Arbor and Everyday Loneliness, once again ready to meet the world at her most fertile.

Nathan McLaughlin - Echolocation #4 [Sunshine LTD.; 2012] The latest installment in Nathan McLaughlin’s Echolocation series is dedicated to the “mid day meal.” And yet, it doesn’t substitute as a five-hour shot of energy found among the ruin of saccharine and faux-health alternatives stacking shelves at the dilapidated convenience store. In fact, this is no soundtrack of convenience at all , adding much to the 2:30 feeling. We love that 2:30 feeling. The normal begins to break down. Eyes heavy with nap seeing the world differently. Perhaps Echolocation #4 is the sound to those weighty midday holiday meals, where we stuff ourselves and collapse wherever visiting family has left space. McLaughlin distorts reality, turning it into sinewy waves of retrospection. This midday has become a Dalí, dripping with the drone of sleep deprivation. Not even our fine Spanish friends can find solace in a siesta under McLaughlin’s ripple. This is by far McLaughlin’s best in the series, finding a rhythm unmatched in tone and mood. Raise our wine to a blurred reality.

Nathan McLaughlin - Echolocation #4 [Sunshine LTD.; 2012]

The latest installment in Nathan McLaughlin’s Echolocation series is dedicated to the “mid day meal.” And yet, it doesn’t substitute as a five-hour shot of energy found among the ruin of saccharine and faux-health alternatives stacking shelves at the dilapidated convenience store. In fact, this is no soundtrack of convenience at all , adding much to the 2:30 feeling. We love that 2:30 feeling. The normal begins to break down. Eyes heavy with nap seeing the world differently. Perhaps Echolocation #4 is the sound to those weighty midday holiday meals, where we stuff ourselves and collapse wherever visiting family has left space. McLaughlin distorts reality, turning it into sinewy waves of retrospection. This midday has become a Dalí, dripping with the drone of sleep deprivation. Not even our fine Spanish friends can find solace in a siesta under McLaughlin’s ripple. This is by far McLaughlin’s best in the series, finding a rhythm unmatched in tone and mood. Raise our wine to a blurred reality.

Derek Rogers - Institutio Amet [CS; Space Slave Editions] Derek Rogers deserves something better. The gnarly guitar whippets ofInstitutio Amet may be the cursory high you’ve been waiting for. Rogers is a traditionalist in regards to melody; nothing is off-putting to even the most mundane music fan. But underneath the jangled guitar and overblown synth is a call to our primitive ancestry. We scratch at our cropped hair, beat our flat chests, and become prehensile. Only by entering this devolved state of detachment are we able to tap into our imagination as a means to true creation, to evolve in a newly designed form. Institutio Amet is that odd, ebon obelisk dropped into our fragile ecosystem. It all comes together by lone B-side beacon, “Franklin,” the pieces of the A-side torn apart and reassembled in our new neanderthal existence. Men are dragged back to caves by lusty, powerful women. Kings are given no quarter as peasants control fiefdoms. Glass ceilings are non-existent in a world where all fear has been erased. We didn’t beat this obelisk with sticks and bones; we hugged it and nursed it as an equal. What a much better world it would be if Institutio Amet had been born from Adam and Eve. Our transformation complete.

Derek Rogers - Institutio Amet [CS; Space Slave Editions]

Derek Rogers deserves something better. The gnarly guitar whippets ofInstitutio Amet may be the cursory high you’ve been waiting for. Rogers is a traditionalist in regards to melody; nothing is off-putting to even the most mundane music fan. But underneath the jangled guitar and overblown synth is a call to our primitive ancestry. We scratch at our cropped hair, beat our flat chests, and become prehensile. Only by entering this devolved state of detachment are we able to tap into our imagination as a means to true creation, to evolve in a newly designed form. Institutio Amet is that odd, ebon obelisk dropped into our fragile ecosystem. It all comes together by lone B-side beacon, “Franklin,” the pieces of the A-side torn apart and reassembled in our new neanderthal existence. Men are dragged back to caves by lusty, powerful women. Kings are given no quarter as peasants control fiefdoms. Glass ceilings are non-existent in a world where all fear has been erased. We didn’t beat this obelisk with sticks and bones; we hugged it and nursed it as an equal. What a much better world it would be if Institutio Amet had been born from Adam and Eve. Our transformation complete.

Voder Deth Squad - II [SicSic; 2012] On their own, Jeremy Kelly and M. Geddes Gengras are brightly colored rangers able to stomp out bad guys through the power of light. When unified, they become an invincible organism that feeds on their individual strengths. Kelly has long framed isolation as a melodic tool, transforming loneliness into dusty passages of historic significance. The gold rush gloss of his rustic work is often in line with Sergio Leone desperados in search of retribution. If Kelly is the sturdy frame by which Voder Deth Squad maneuvers, Gengras is the motor. Focusing power on his third eye, Gengras has pulled vibrancy from cosmic dimensions otherwise untouched by man. The A-side of II hums with new life, Gengras turning the psychedelic key as Kelly begins the robotic gait. Though this is their second release together, the steps are precarious as the chassis coalesces in its improved form. The careful movements continue well into the B-side, but as Kelly and Gengras begin to understand the dynamics of their machine, it becomes an iron giant capable of aural dominance, synths exploding in excitement as Voder Deth Squad becomes self-aware. The electricity is sucked from the surrounding area and VDS begins to speak in agitated passages. We have passed into the new world order, led by fearless technological pioneers. On we march as one with the Voder Deth Squad.

Voder Deth Squad - II [SicSic; 2012]

On their own, Jeremy Kelly and M. Geddes Gengras are brightly colored rangers able to stomp out bad guys through the power of light. When unified, they become an invincible organism that feeds on their individual strengths. Kelly has long framed isolation as a melodic tool, transforming loneliness into dusty passages of historic significance. The gold rush gloss of his rustic work is often in line with Sergio Leone desperados in search of retribution.

If Kelly is the sturdy frame by which Voder Deth Squad maneuvers, Gengras is the motor. Focusing power on his third eye, Gengras has pulled vibrancy from cosmic dimensions otherwise untouched by man. The A-side of II hums with new life, Gengras turning the psychedelic key as Kelly begins the robotic gait. Though this is their second release together, the steps are precarious as the chassis coalesces in its improved form. The careful movements continue well into the B-side, but as Kelly and Gengras begin to understand the dynamics of their machine, it becomes an iron giant capable of aural dominance, synths exploding in excitement as Voder Deth Squad becomes self-aware. The electricity is sucked from the surrounding area and VDS begins to speak in agitated passages. We have passed into the new world order, led by fearless technological pioneers. On we march as one with the Voder Deth Squad.

Organ of Species - Cosmic Zoop [Rocket Machine; 2012] We must get our culture in small, 34-minute doses. Cosmic Zoop is the sound of the Australian Outback, which makes Rocket Machine the perfect host for Scott Cloud’s latest. As coastal lands swell with skylines and overcrowding, the serenity of nature is being overtaken by the metallic strikes of industrialization. The open space, once rich with gusty winds and jagged rocks, is being eroded by demand. Cosmic Zoop captures the change on its A-side, the maelstrom of wilderness being bulldozed by heavy machinery. Cloud rolls in unimpeded and begins to terraform; the landscape  is dictated by the whims of man rather than the folly of weather. But the outback fights back, her vast recesses home to soldiers unwillingly to yield to Cloud’s demands. Side B is Cloud’s redemption. He has become the children of Walkabout, learning survival in the toughest circumstances. We are not to bend nature to our will but are to transform ourselves in her image. As the reach of civilization closes in, the environment mockingly fights back. Man has triumphed everywhere else, but they shall never blemish Australia’s untamed lands. Cosmic Zoop is a lesson we all should study, Cloud now armed with the skills to the voice of what remains.

Organ of Species - Cosmic Zoop [Rocket Machine; 2012]

We must get our culture in small, 34-minute doses.

Cosmic Zoop is the sound of the Australian Outback, which makes Rocket Machine the perfect host for Scott Cloud’s latest. As coastal lands swell with skylines and overcrowding, the serenity of nature is being overtaken by the metallic strikes of industrialization. The open space, once rich with gusty winds and jagged rocks, is being eroded by demand. Cosmic Zoop captures the change on its A-side, the maelstrom of wilderness being bulldozed by heavy machinery. Cloud rolls in unimpeded and begins to terraform; the landscape  is dictated by the whims of man rather than the folly of weather. But the outback fights back, her vast recesses home to soldiers unwillingly to yield to Cloud’s demands.

Side B is Cloud’s redemption. He has become the children of Walkabout, learning survival in the toughest circumstances. We are not to bend nature to our will but are to transform ourselves in her image. As the reach of civilization closes in, the environment mockingly fights back. Man has triumphed everywhere else, but they shall never blemish Australia’s untamed lands. Cosmic Zoop is a lesson we all should study, Cloud now armed with the skills to the voice of what remains.

Lower Dens - Nootropics [Ribbon Music; 2012] Motorik has done service to German music, as Jugendstil had accomplished a century prior for Deutsch art nouveau. Though handfuls of peers were well heeled in the 4/4 beat that lent itself to the sensation of a speedy drive, it proved a versatile rhythm that began to find itself in a variety of musical styles. Germany, after years of being viewed suspiciously, began to shed its post-war seediness and become a kinder, gentle European power house. Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud blew the gate open on dreams and fetish culture through tireless pyschotherapy, allowing generations to embrace the daily bizarre. Habits and ticks once ostracized now allowed to play out in a public forum.  The synergy between the driving rhythms of motorik and the dream state of subconscious seem at odds with each other, but a juncture exists where the racing pulse of melody bleeds into the cerebral. Nootropics The second album from Jana Hunter-fronted Lower Dens adopts motorik as its musical motivation and the results are surprising. Using the deliberate beat to build off the sleepy Twin Hand Movement  and Hunter’s fascination with technology  furthering man, Nootropics combines shoegaze cool with Rhineland histrionics, all set against Hunter’s act of transference. It’s a strange breed of math but when all the facts and figures are added and subtracted, Nootropicsresults in a finely crafted, darkly tinged pop album. The album is uniquely infectious and rhythmically challenging, never giving up one derivative for the other. To better understand Nootropics, it’s best to start with the aptly titled “In the End is the Beginning.” The album’s closer is a lengthy manifest for Nootropics, heavy with Hunter’s brooding vocals and dripping with slow sexuality. The motorik beat is buried beneath restrained percussion, allowing the foggy noir of the 12-minute track to hang like smoke from an ash-laden cigarette. The steeled guitar and bass drum are the only signs of life as shallow breaths of melody waft in the ethereal breeze of Hunter’s meditative. From here, venture into the album as intended. “Alphabet Song” maintains the darker tones of Twin Hand Movement, though the sour times have been impeded as the 4/4 motor works to quicken the pace. Hunter’s lazy delivery is summertime cool; the dusk of a warm day yielding to storm clouds. It’s a sensual tease for the circulatory rhythm of “Brains,” and instrumental counterpart, “Stem.” “Brains” is unapologetically Deutsch; a tea bag steeped in thick hi hats and two psychotropic cubes of snare, exacerbated by the pulsating bass line. Hunter’s lyrics slightly buried underneath the driving rhythm, utilizing the hazy sunset to reassuringly hypnotize… “Don’t be afraid/Don’t be afraid/Everything will change/While you’re asleep” The Midsummer night’s dream is furthered with echoed torch song “Propagation,” and codified with muscle relaxer, “Nova Anthem,” as Hunter whispers to us into sound slumber. We are calm; we are captive. The wool veil has covered us all–now stuck in Hunter’s humanoid avatar; forever enjoying the billowing nicotine and sweet sun tea of our endless summer fueled by the looped charade of motorik and the nostalgic tinges of Nootropics’ hallucinogenic glow. Hunter’s fascination with trans-humanism harnesses the inherent power of Germany’s major musical export and Austria’s pseudo-scientist to build a better tomorrow. Hunter has morphed into a thinking man’s Lolita, confusing us as we wait for Sonja ( Das schreckliche Mädchen) to uncover the deviousness of Lower Dens’ plot. In the meantime, we shall elegantly stew in motorik’s lesson as we drift deeper into the subconscious…we’re alive on the freeway….the wind in our hair….the thrill of the endless….”In the End is the Beginning”…

Lower Dens - Nootropics [Ribbon Music; 2012]

Motorik has done service to German music, as Jugendstil had accomplished a century prior for Deutsch art nouveau. Though handfuls of peers were well heeled in the 4/4 beat that lent itself to the sensation of a speedy drive, it proved a versatile rhythm that began to find itself in a variety of musical styles. Germany, after years of being viewed suspiciously, began to shed its post-war seediness and become a kinder, gentle European power house.

Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud blew the gate open on dreams and fetish culture through tireless pyschotherapy, allowing generations to embrace the daily bizarre. Habits and ticks once ostracized now allowed to play out in a public forum.  The synergy between the driving rhythms of motorik and the dream state of subconscious seem at odds with each other, but a juncture exists where the racing pulse of melody bleeds into the cerebral.

Nootropics

The second album from Jana Hunter-fronted Lower Dens adopts motorik as its musical motivation and the results are surprising. Using the deliberate beat to build off the sleepy Twin Hand Movement  and Hunter’s fascination with technology  furthering man, Nootropics combines shoegaze cool with Rhineland histrionics, all set against Hunter’s act of transference.

It’s a strange breed of math but when all the facts and figures are added and subtracted, Nootropicsresults in a finely crafted, darkly tinged pop album. The album is uniquely infectious and rhythmically challenging, never giving up one derivative for the other. To better understand Nootropics, it’s best to start with the aptly titled “In the End is the Beginning.” The album’s closer is a lengthy manifest for Nootropics, heavy with Hunter’s brooding vocals and dripping with slow sexuality. The motorik beat is buried beneath restrained percussion, allowing the foggy noir of the 12-minute track to hang like smoke from an ash-laden cigarette. The steeled guitar and bass drum are the only signs of life as shallow breaths of melody waft in the ethereal breeze of Hunter’s meditative. From here, venture into the album as intended.

“Alphabet Song” maintains the darker tones of Twin Hand Movement, though the sour times have been impeded as the 4/4 motor works to quicken the pace. Hunter’s lazy delivery is summertime cool; the dusk of a warm day yielding to storm clouds. It’s a sensual tease for the circulatory rhythm of “Brains,” and instrumental counterpart, “Stem.” “Brains” is unapologetically Deutsch; a tea bag steeped in thick hi hats and two psychotropic cubes of snare, exacerbated by the pulsating bass line. Hunter’s lyrics slightly buried underneath the driving rhythm, utilizing the hazy sunset to reassuringly hypnotize…

“Don’t be afraid/Don’t be afraid/Everything will change/While you’re asleep”

The Midsummer night’s dream is furthered with echoed torch song “Propagation,” and codified with muscle relaxer, “Nova Anthem,” as Hunter whispers to us into sound slumber. We are calm; we are captive.

The wool veil has covered us all–now stuck in Hunter’s humanoid avatar; forever enjoying the billowing nicotine and sweet sun tea of our endless summer fueled by the looped charade of motorik and the nostalgic tinges of Nootropics’ hallucinogenic glow. Hunter’s fascination with trans-humanism harnesses the inherent power of Germany’s major musical export and Austria’s pseudo-scientist to build a better tomorrow. Hunter has morphed into a thinking man’s Lolita, confusing us as we wait for Sonja ( Das schreckliche Mädchen) to uncover the deviousness of Lower Dens’ plot. In the meantime, we shall elegantly stew in motorik’s lesson as we drift deeper into the subconscious…we’re alive on the freeway….the wind in our hair….the thrill of the endless….”In the End is the Beginning”…

Ilyas Ahmed - With Endless Fire [Immune; 2012] With Endless Fire is constantly playing with the Promethean substance. Ilyas Ahmed’s latest is ablaze with countless influences, each converging into a strangely hypnotic pop release. You will become a moth, tirelessly returning to this tape (there is a vinyl release as well). Drone into Eastern raga into weird pop medley; it’s a strange flow that will confound, but it ultimately engulfs you in the whitest flames. Ilyas has achieved the unthinkable: turning the complex into the simple. The layers become rubble, revealing an artistic vision fit for a broader audience. Ilyas is Joan of Arc, tied to the stake and set to burn as the English pig dogs revel in their minor victory. Or even larger and more gluttonous, Ilyas is an elegantly set Thanksgiving table, complete with a glistening turducken and the razor-sharp fangs of a family eager to devour the spoils of evenly roasted labor. Fire is indeed endless, and so is With Endless Fire. You’ll never give this up. You can’t, no matter how hot to the touch.

Ilyas Ahmed - With Endless Fire [Immune; 2012]

With Endless Fire is constantly playing with the Promethean substance. Ilyas Ahmed’s latest is ablaze with countless influences, each converging into a strangely hypnotic pop release. You will become a moth, tirelessly returning to this tape (there is a vinyl release as well). Drone into Eastern raga into weird pop medley; it’s a strange flow that will confound, but it ultimately engulfs you in the whitest flames. Ilyas has achieved the unthinkable: turning the complex into the simple. The layers become rubble, revealing an artistic vision fit for a broader audience. Ilyas is Joan of Arc, tied to the stake and set to burn as the English pig dogs revel in their minor victory. Or even larger and more gluttonous, Ilyas is an elegantly set Thanksgiving table, complete with a glistening turducken and the razor-sharp fangs of a family eager to devour the spoils of evenly roasted labor. Fire is indeed endless, and so is With Endless Fire. You’ll never give this up. You can’t, no matter how hot to the touch.

About:

Portfolio of reviews, articles, and work

stat tracker for tumblr

Following:

SHAYNA FONTANA