Sounding

some recent releases on digital i’m enjoying. some brand new, some not so new, but they keep me coming back:

• Kim Cascone has a special way of writing music like the sound of crumpling paper, here stratified by field recordings on The Astrum Argentum. I’m especially drawn to the sounds in this recording, especially how conscious-close they are to escaping all original form; the experienced listener expertly removes themselves from reality with kim’s music.

• Two recent items of the Xymogen imprint are very enjoyable: Progress Report is the definition of a great compilation, with brilliance in each example of wide ranging styles and approaches. Mercury Effect also recently impressed with Ataxia, a crunchrubbery fractured hike down a trail of broken beats.

• Boulder, CO’s Ten and Tracer has two recent large ominous blobs of fine output, one on Archipel : L-Msaria B-Lglass, and another on Zymogen : Baker’s Blood. Here is a sound with a special way of slicing its incongruence into your expectations, equal parts textured noise, equal parts thumping bass beat madness, equal parts bizarre.

• From mates Audiobulb the spring begat an Ultre album wrapped as All The Darkness Has Gone To Details, a work of collage and contrast that has grown into my ear like a mercuric fuzz, creaking at the edges of fragile electro-acoustic balance.

Some vinyl jibber jabber coming soon, I figure this is as good of a place as any to express my views of some great music.

Tags: releases