Keramick & Lobo - The braille

Da Finlândia chegam Keramick & Lobo AKA Jussi Mikkonen and Visa Mäkinen. Este duo lançou em 2007 o álbum Digital white e dois anos depois foi a vez de The braille. A sua sonoridade anda por caminhos da electro-acústica, do downtempo e de alguma IDM. Entre guitarras acústicas e elctricas, violinos e sintetizadores, nascem paisagens sonoras relaxantes. Daqui, vieram as linhas que se seguem:

"Second album from Finnish producers Keramick & Lobo aka Jussi Mikkonen and Visa Mäkinen is one quite aptly titled effort. Braille is the blind people’s alphabet and like a blind person in brand new surroundings the Helsinki duo stagger around styles and expressions with electronica the recurring theme. For the most part getting away with it unhurt.

Through the eight songs, and just two clocking in at less than five minutes, highs are reached in melancholic, string-heavy and crackling ballad ‘Gone’ with its goosebumps chorus, filmic ‘Everything You Said Was Lead’ which moves with its yearning “New York City at night” jazz trumpet, acid jazzy ‘Brown-Eyed Susan’ serving up more blue trumpet, and the surprising, rocking title track and album closer.

‘The Braille’ doesn’t have me hanging in there all the way through, but props must go to Keramick & Lobo for their undeniable ability to create downtempo, electro-acoustic soundscapes to get lost in."

Keramick & Lobo - Lite house

The braille download

Sepiamusic - Trenches

Os dinamarqueses Erin Chapman e Michael Adler Miltersen formam o projecto Sepiamusic. O seu álbum de estreia Prototype, foi lançado em 2003 e passados seis anos voltam com Trenches. Alguma coisa mudou na sua sonoridade, talvez consequência das evoluções sonoras que se vão fazendo sentir. Se o trip-hop continua a ser a base para a sua música, também não é mentira que Trenches apresenta-se com uns toques de electro bem marcados. Trip-hop cheio de energia para ouvir por aqui!

"After a break to reconsider their efforts, Sepiamusic is back with an upcoming album titled “Trenches”. Wanting to reconnect with their music, the band pulled inspiration from the raw energy that developed from their live shows for the “Prototype” album. Allowing the songs to emerge in their own time and promising each other to not let anyone hear a single note until the album was written, Sepiamusic has juxtaposed a dark, rich, emotional sound with heavy electronics and rich acoustics."

Sepiamusic - Crazy burn

Trenches download

Melhor de 2009

Mais um ano que finda e mais uma selecção pessoal, daquilo que foi o melhor de 2009. Dentro do género da electrónica, deixo aqui 25 álbuns que me foram acompanhando durante estes dias do ano. Na calma, na raiva, na revolta, na alegria, na instabilidade e na estabilidade, na fragilidade e na força. Deixo-os aqui, seguindo apenas a ordem alfabética.

:AndrRomak - Beauty is but skin deep
:Arms and Sleepers - Matador
:Between The Now - The colours and hues
:Brothersister - The wunder tales
:Cinnamon Chasers - A million miles from home
:David Kitt - The nightsaver
:Doctor Flake - Minder surprises
:Flunk - This is what you get
:Golden Parazyth - All the truth about blue monkeys
:Healamonster & Tarsier - Cupcake cave
:Ido - OrthIDOxy
:Info - We choose the moon
:JJ - JJ no. 2
:Logan Lynn - From pillar to post
:Metúo - Toy shop
:papercutz - Lylac
:Parov Stelar - Coco
:Pupkulies and Rebecca - Burning boats
:Röyksopp - Junior
:Terry Callier - Hidden conversations
:The 39Steps - Coming clean
:Tosca - No Hassle
:Ugress - Reminiscience
:Worm Is Green - Glow
:Zwicker - Songs of lucid dreamers

Glide & Swerve - Bring back love

Ivan and Simon AKA Glide & Swerve, são dois produtores britânicos, que lançaram este ano o álbum Bring back love. Dão-nos electrónica downtempo, com uns estilhaços de trip-hop, lounge e até breakbeat. Para escutar com atenção! Deste sítio, veio o seguinte:

"Glide & Swerve’s cloud-gazing electronica is the perfect companion to 2009’s summer adventures. Mining a similar path to Lemon Jelly, Ultramarine, and Zero 7, the duo’s debut album, ‘Bring Back Love’, is a beautifully crafted long-player brimming with horizontal beats, pastoral melodies, and Balearic goodness.

If electro pop is the current sound of Saturday night Britain, then ‘Bring Back Love’ is the soundtrack to a Sunday afternoon spent in ‘recovery’. Forthcoming single, ‘And I Smile’, is one of the album’s vocal tracks, and is currently being played by specialist radio shows including that of French whiz, Laurent Garnier.

Elsewhere, the album crosses downtempo beats (‘Inner Dub’), with dub (‘Falling’ and ‘The Journey Back’), quirky lounge (‘The Last Stand Of Mr Dann’), and psychedelic breakbeat (‘Here & Now’). Soundtrack-style moments such as ‘Lara’s Song’, sit neatly with the broken rhythms of ‘Feel It’, while tracks such as ‘Pure’ and ‘This Is Yours’ show Glide & Swerve can also take the tempo up a notch with ease."

Glide & Swerve - And i smile

Bring back love download parte1; parte2

É Natal, é Natal!

E porque é Natal, vou deixar aqui uma certa quantidade de propostas sem grandes palavreados. Disfrutem, porque é só boa música!


The Limp Twins - Tales from beyond the groove

Género: Electrónica, downtempo, nu-jazz, funk

The Limp Twins - Sunday driver

Tales from beyond the grooven download

***********
The Mighty Bop - Spin my hits

Género: Electrónica, downtempo, electro-jazz

The Mighty Bop - Feeling good

Spin my hits download

**********
Hermitude - Threads

Género: Electrónica, downtempo, hip-hop instrumental

Hermitude - Slychain

Threads download

**********
Booka Shade - Cinematic shades

Género: Electrónica, ambiente, downtempo, techno

Booka Shade - Vertigo (Cinematic Shades Edit)

Cinematic shades download

**********
Dirty Elegance - Ode to bartleby

Género- Electrónico, downtempo, trip-hop, hip-hop

Dirty Elegance - Full eclipse

Ode to bartleby download parte1, parte2

**********
Skalpel - Skalpel/Konfusion

Género: Electrónico, electro-jazz, downtempo

Skalpel - Sculpture

Skalpel download; Konfusion download; Konfusion (bonus disc) download

**********
Peace Orchestra - Peace Orchestra

Género: Electrónico, downtempo, trip-hop

Peace Orchestra - Shining

Peace Orchestra download

**********
Sam The Kid - Beats Vol.1 (Amor)

Género: Downtempo, hip-hop instrumental

Sam The Kid - Alma gémea

Beats Vol.1 (Amor) download

Urbs - Toujours le même film...

Há uns anos atrás, aquando do lançamento do álbum Toujours le même film..., tive a oportunidade de ver o projecto Urbs AKA Paul Nawrata e a sua banda, ao vivo. Um concerto com pouca gente mas com muita energia. desde 2005, que urbs não lança qualquer disco de originais, por isso temos de nos contentar com o que há e o que há é um álbum cheio de excelente downtempo, com ambientes que parecem saídos de um filme, onde há momentos de acção, mistério, romance e por aí fora. Um disco que conta com uma ajuda do Sr. Peter Kruder na co-produção. Altamente recomendado para quem ainda não conhece. Daqui, veio o seguinte:

"Reissue it is not! Found in a Parisian loft or basement it was not! 'Tourjours le méme film' was created and composed in a time long after the ideals and conformities pertaining to Paris in the 60's. The music is dramatic, romantic, mysterious, suspenseful. Often heroic in its ability to tell a personal truth unashamedly from the artist. The distinguishing facet of the album is the quality of being able to involve the listener. Engaged as a participant yourself, you find also stories, narration and recitals of that which has occurred past or present, or maybe even in the future. It's a wonderful and moving musical expression that is undeniably timeless. It was when Peter Kruder heard a six track demo that things really started to take shape for Paul Nawrata aka Urbs. Peter realising the warmth and sincerity in the compositions offered generously to mix down and co produce in his newly revamped vintage equipped studio. Hence this superlative album was born."

Urbs - So weit

Toujours le même film... download

Video trip #3

Variety Lab - We should be dancing


Aqui o sítio anda um bocado parado. Ando um pouco atarefado, mas daqui por um ou dois dias, isto vai voltar ao normal.
Obrigado pelas visitas!

Digitonal - Save your light for darker days

Desde o seu primeiro álbum 23 things fall apart, lançado em 2002, que o projecto Digitonal me anda a soar nos ouvidos. Em 2006, lançam o álbum 2002 - 2006: A sampler. Este registo contém alguns temas originais e algumas remisturas feitas pelo projecto. Em 2008 é a vez de Save your light for darker day. Enamorado por bandas como os Boards of Canada, Aphex Twin ou Orbital, Andy resolve então avançar com este projecto em 1997, a quem se juntou o violinista Samy Bishai em 2001. A sonoridade do projecto combina uma orquestração neo-clássica com batidas electrónicas, resultando uma espécie de downtempo glitch cinematográfico e ambiente. Recomendado e bem! Daqui e sobre o álbum, o seguinte:

"An IDM survivor and 65daysofstatic collaborator, Digitonal's Andy Dobson has in recent years moved on a great deal from his early days. Having evolved from the output released via Toytonic and Seed, the Digitonal sound is a far more ambitious combination of programming and live instrumentation. In fact, the combination of neo-classical string orchestration and electronic beats brings to mind the likes of Olafur Arnalds or Efterklang, particularly on the exquisite 'Silver Poetry' which gets this balance just right. Not only are the sequenced elements handled with all the requisite accomplishment, but the pristine recording standards of the string parts confirm that Digitonal can work the studio in a more traditional fashion too. As expertly ccomposed and executed as it may be, there's always a danger that Save Your Light Far Darker Days could end up repeating itself, pulling off the same microbeats vs. string ensemble maneuvers over and over again, but the album turns out to be rather more dynamic than that, delving back into old-school electronics reminiscent of Herrmann & Kleine, or perhaps the lighter end of Arovane's material on 'A Lighter Touch', and laying down acoustic guitar melodies plundered straight from the baroque-era on 'Gone'."

Digitinal - 93 years on

Save your light for darker day download

Edison - All the information at hand

Vindo da Califórnia, Edison estreou-se este ano com o álbum All the information at hand. Com uma produção hip-hop muito semelhante a Egadz! e a Dj Shadow da velha escola, Edison brinda-nos com batidas bem marcadas e com sonoridades downtempo e trip-hop. O tema que deixo para ver e ouvir, não vem no álbum, nem sei onde é que vem. Mas do myspace vem o seguinte:

"edison resides in san francisco california… creating constantly…. using old breaks and a closet of old instruments… he brings the digital grit, out of the acoustic organic… he performs using a handmade lunchbox, full of monome guts….. he has gained momentum, through videos of his performances, shows, and song downloads….. collaborated around the globe, and performed all over the country……"

Edison - Blue and yellow

All the information at hand download

Razoof - High tide low tide

O alemão Razoof, lançou este ano o seu quarto registo de originais, intitulado High tide low tide. Com uma electrónica downtempo, infectada pelo dub e pelo reggae, este disco alberga ainda elementos de soul e jazz. Convidados nas vozes são vários: Don Abi, Tom Dams, Lady Alma (que já trabalhou com gente como os 4Hero e King Britt), a cantora jazz Sofia Pettersson, Desmond Foster, etc. Do myspace ficam as próximas linhas.

"This, the fourth solo album by pro active dj, producer and drummer RAZOOF from Cologne/Germany showcases a nicely balanced blend of analog dub/reggae feel and electronic chillout vibes. Most of the songs on “High Tide, Low Tide“ came about during Razoof’s summer residency at world famous chillout hotspot Blue Bar, located on the lovely island of Formentera. A deep influence on many levels of course.... just like an extensive journey to India did."

Razoof - Donde el mar abraza la tierra

High tide low tide download

Shuta Hasunuma - Pop Ooga

O segundo álbum do japonês Shuta Hasunuma, já tem nome e data marcada para o seu lançamento. Wannapunch! verá a luz no primeiro dia de 2010. Enquanto ele não chega, deixo por aqui o seu álbum de estreia, Pop Ooga (2008). Shuta Hasunuma presenteia-nos com pop glicht de primeira. Melodias delicadas, toques de guitarra e de piano, vozes ocasionais e electrónicas a apoiar. Daqui, o seguinte:

"Glitch-pop maestro Shuta Hasunuma works some serious magic into these tracks. Seldom do you encounter such impeccable, well judged songsmithery that's been so wantonly decimated by its author. Wonderfully delicate acoustic balladry gets sliced up and perforated with digital ruptures and pinhole sized beats, still somehow preserving a firm grasp on melodic integrity - and even finding space for some vocals within the fractured mix. 'Triooo' makes for an especially good case study of Shuta's skillful production, carving up jazzily arranged strings, tuned percussion and piano over a frantic five-minute chamber pop song. Comparisons to artists on labels like Flau, Spekk, Noble and the like would be an obvious port of call, but you could equally mention Shuta's work in the same breath as people like Max Tundra, or maybe even Sam Prekop."

Shuta Hasunuma - Soul Osci

Pop Ooga download

Rodrigo Leão - Cinema

Rodrigo Leão foi co-fundador dos Sétima Legião, e juntamente com Pedro Ayres de Magalhães e Gabriel Gomes, criou os Madredeus. Em 1994 decidiu abandonar definitivamente os Madredeus, para se dedicar exclusivamente à sua carreira a solo. Em 2004, lançou o álbum Cinema, este já o quarto de originais. Dentro de uma sonoridade cinematográfica, o álbum conta com as participações de Beth Gibbons, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Sónia Tavares, Helena Noguerra e Rosa Passos.

"Cinema is the fourth album of Rodrigo Leão and has been edited in 2004. Cinema becomes a series of soundtrack excerpts and it is, certainly, the most accomplished of Rodrigo Leão’s records.
Here Leão appears as a self voiced composer, of ripe age and as diverse as one can be. It isn’t by chance that Beth Gibbons and Ryuichi Sakamoto have agreed to participate on Cinema."

Rodrigo Leão feat. Beth Gibbons - Lonely carousel

Cinema download

Smith & Mudd - Le suivant

Smith & Mudd estão de regresso com o seu segundo LP. Em Le suivant, encontramos downtempo, balearic e chillout. Melodias doces e de bem com a vida. Para se escutar e relaxar! Daqui veio o seguinte:

"The second album from Smith & Mudd - "Le Suivant", takes off where the last one left. We'll let the sleeve notes take you through it: 'It’s raining. Sitting here on a cold & wet Mancunian afternoon it’s difficult to remember what summer feels like. However with this, the so-called difficult second album, a feeling of warmth breaks through the gloom. Ten tracks in total which continue on that deep Balearic vibe that Smith & Mudd are renowned for. As with the first album there’s more to S&M than a few pretty deep house tracks. As you drift off towards the end of this album you realise Smith & Mudd have pulled off something very special here."

Smith & Mudd - The delivery man

Le suivant download

Kuba - Bringing it all back home

O inglês Kuba acaba de lançar o seu quarto álbum de originais, intitulado Bringing it all back home. Chillout e downtempo, com influências reggae e dub, é o que se escuta neste LP.

"Chillcode Music proudly presents the 4th studio album of british artist Kuba. The album contains twelve fresh n crispy tracks, inter alia two excellent tracks in cooperation with Michele Adamson and further outstanding tracks with the collaboration of kuba fellow-artists. The result is a high-grade Kuba chillout album with lots of diversified styles and Dub and Reggea influences. Chilling and relaxing in various styles and tempos!"

Kuba - Maria from huddersfield

Bringing it all back home download

Paul & Price - A sip of sunshine

Paul & Price são Jonathan Paul e Damir Price. Este duo californiano lançou três álbuns até ao momento: A sip of sunshine (2005), Sounds like sex (2005), Sounds like sex 2 (2007). A sua sonoridade anda dentro de um downtempo sensual, com uns traços de trip-hop e de lounge. Para conferir, deixo mais em baixo o álbum A sip of sunshine.

"The sound of Paul and Price combines the best of both: somatic beats with lush orchestration - often provacative and exotic, creating sexy downtempo and intoxicating electronica. Along the lines of Theivery Corp., Zero 7 and Blue States. Jonathan Paul & Damir Price have focused their talents as producers working with intoxicating singers from across the globe delivering this exquisite, lush and sexy album. Paul & Price have collaborated with global talent on A Sip of Sunshine. Camille Vizzavona (Paris) sings on "Papillon" and "Times Like These". Diana Lueger ( Vienna ) sings on "Deep Blue". Sami Rahmen (Bombay) sings on "4fm". Toddy Walters (Denver) sings on "Sunday Afternoon"."

Paul & Price - 4fm

A sip of sunshine download

Peterloo Massacre - Peterloo Massacre

De Manchester chegam os Peterloo Massacre, a brindarem-nos com um album homónimo, cheio de electrónica trip-hop, com elementos de jazz, indie, experimentalismo ambiente e traços folk. Eles dizem-se influenciados por gente como os Portishead, Massive Attack e Radiohead. Do myspace veio o texto que se segue.

"Peterloo Massacre formed when, in the backroom of a gig in Manchester, Paul offered to remix some of Kin's songs. Following one session, two new songs and been produced as well as the improvised method that has written all Peterloo Massacre's material to date.
The name came a bit later and emerged, not so much as a political stance but to commemorate its historical origin Peterloo Massacre and the city in which it occured.

The bass sounds of Colin were elected early on in the bizarrely smooth progress of the band, adding to the already present mix of electronic, jazz and folk landscapes that Peterloo Massacre have the tendency to produce.
One annum on and Peterloo Massacre have already been compared to Massive Attack, Portishead, Beruit, Orbital, Lamb, Thom Yorke and David Sylvian and are continuing to gig in Manchester and London while working on their first album, due for release later this year."

Peterloo Massacre - Never forget

Peterloo Massacre download

David Kitt - The nightsaver

O irlandês David Kitt lançou este ano o seu sexto álbum de originais. Intitulado The nightsaver, este LP apresenta uma sonoridade electrónica, synthpop e indie, a beber em bandas como os Junior Boys e Kraftwerk. Recomenda-se!

"David Kitt’s sixth LP, The Nightsaver, is the result of two years of late-night experimentation, 80-hour weeks, caught in the reverie of writing and recording in a home studio at the top of a winding staircase somewhere along Dublin’s Grand Canal. It is as natural sounding an album you’re likely to hear in 2009, in an era of music weighed down with contrivance and the search for identity and purpose.

It was in this intimate, solitary setting that Kitt was able to press pause on a career often hampered with distractions and immerse himself in music, relishing the role of producer and the task of molding the complex DNA of his latest work. Without any of the baggage of collaboration or record company influence he allowed his natural influences to filter through this collection of, what are essentially, concise songs. The free-flowing nuances of disco, Kraftwerk, 90’s house music, hip-hop of all eras and the evolving legacy of crafted synth-pop from Hall & Oates to Junior Boys can be heard throughout."

in www.davidkitt.net

David Kitt - Learning how to say goodbye

The nightsaver download

Conelrad – Sure is the risk made

O britânico Conelrad, oferece-nos este ano, o segundo álbum. Sure is the risk made, traz electrónica downtempo com guitarras shoegaze e sintetizadores melodiosos, a construir ambientes sonoros que fazem lembrar os Boards of Canada. Um álbum relaxante e para momentos de introspecção. Tudo isto e muito mais, à borla no site do músico.

"Electronic midtempo/drone/shoegaze album “Sure is the Risk Made”. The second by British electronic musician Conelrad. Reminiscent of acts like Boards of Canada, Stars of the Lid, My Bloody Valentine, et al. But also completely different.
Uses guitars, synths, beats to produce a blissful hour of creepy, intriguing, relaxing and sad music. Has been making some waves on BBC radio (the ’single’, Up Periscope was played on 6Music recently). Definitely, definitely check this stuff out."

Conelrad - Up periscope

Sure is the risk made download

allMeadow and Rob Costlow - Switch on

Switch on é o álbum que resulta da colaboração de allMeadow com Rob Costlow. allMeadow é um produtor e músico inglês, que se move dentro das electrónicas de orientação mais drum and bass, e Rob Costlow é um pianista norte-americano. Estes dois nunca se conheceram pessoalmente, no entanto isso não foi impeditivo de produzirem um álbum em conjunto. Situações como estas são cada vezes mais frequentes no mundo da música. Em Switch on, podem escutar-se melodias downtempo, onde o piano é um elemento constante e onde algumas batidas têm um restinho de drum and bass. Deste sítio saíu o seguinte:

"What do you get if you place melodic piano loops in the hands of a genius remixer from the drum and bass capital of the world? "Switch on" is the result of a transatlantic collaboration between Magnatune artist Rob Costlow and allMeadow, a remixer based in Bristol, UK. Their aim was to create a unique inter-genre hybrid that would inspire, entertain and stimulate your mind."

allMeadow and Rob Costlow - Respect

Switch on download

The RAah Project - Score

The RAah Project é constituido pelos músicos e produtores Ryan Ritchie e Tamil Rogeon. Estes australianos lançaram este ano álbum Score. Um disco que alberga a electrónica, com aproximações ao hip-hop, ao jazz, à soul e às sonoridades cinematográficas, tudo muito bem orquestrado. Daqui, o seguinte:

"A collaboration between Melbourne composer/producers Ryan Ritchie and Tamil Rogeon, The Raah Project sets about attacking all notions of genre boundaries with a blunt instrument. The album haphazardly approaches electronica, big band music, hip hop, cinematic soul and orchestrally-proportioned jazz, calling upon the services of a seventeen-piece string section, the Australian Show Band and a variety of Melbourne's jazz and funk instrumentalists. the instrumentals are highly successful, presenting very fluent, progressive compositions that tackle a variety of styles: 'Jazzbar 2025' fuses harmonically intriguing modern composition with acoustic drum 'n bass with highly pleasing results, while 'DoRyan' is a classy piece of widescreen easy-listening, but the record could almost certainly do without some of the vocal tracks - most notably those with raps attached. 'Covered Up In Stars' and 'Funeral Wedding' are bogged down by their verses - which is a shame given how articulate the arrangements otherwise prove to be."

The RAah Project - Covered up in stars

Score download

Hibernation - Some things never change

Sebastian James Taylor é o condutor de projectos como Kaya Project, Angel Tears, Shakta, Digitalis e Somaton. Em 2008 lançou o álbum Some things never change sob o alter ego de Hibernation. Um LP de downtempo glitch, IDM e ambiente, onde se passeiam traços de jazz, pianos e trompetes, fragmentos vocais e ambientes mais ou menos hipnóticos. Música em slow motion para relaxar. O seguinte, veio daqui.

"Deeply chilled electronic instrumentals. Some Things Never change is a powerfully immersive experience of multi-coloured electronica, lush sound collaging and imaginative downtempo beats. Literally brimming with a wide variety of synthetic sounds, liquid effects and a generous scattering of glitchy percussives, Hibernation comes across as a highly detailed, many-hued construction that somehow manages at the same time to convey an inviting sleepy effortlessness."

Hibernation - Colours

Some things never change download