Mark.Nine - In Memories EP [io034]

Album: In Memories EP
Artist Name: Mark.Nine
Label: I/O Netlabel
Genre: Downtempo, Chillout
Release Date: 4/2008
Download
Reviewer: Ryan

Marcus Gutierrez is a talented man. He runs his own netlabel, produces a heavy output of music, and does some very nice web design and visual arts, too. All of this and he's still in high school.

As Mark.Nine, Marcus has released hours of music since 2006 on his own I/O Netlabel. Some of you may have enjoyed his last release, Artificial Horizon (April, 2007). His newest creation, In Memories, is an EP of a very similar style. The lo-fi drums, reverb-laden synths, bright, swirling chimes, and pleasantly unusual basslines are all back again for another showing - only this time, better.

>From the moment I started the opening title-track I knew I was going to have a pleasant half-hour of listening. This EP is the epitome of Mark.Nine. I could spend much more of your time discussing the minute details of this EP that astound me, but I digress. Rather, download it and see for yourself.

If you like melodic, downtempo electronica, this is for you. My only complaint is that there's not more of it!

Afristralian:
I Fully agree with Ryan's assessment, this album is (once again) a standout performance from Mark.Nine. It's VERY laid back and sometimes you lose track of the music almost like having a moment of sonic unconsciousness.

The music is really good and its recommended to all lounge and downtempo lovers.

Freezan - Sune EP [FPR018]

Album: Sune EP
Artist: Freezan
Label: http://www.fresh-poulp.net/
Genre: Downtempo, IDM
Release Date: 3/27/2008
Reviewer: Ryan
Download:

Every now and then I sit down to play an album, almost without thinking about it. Only after I hear how good the music is do I really get excited about it. That was the case with Freezan's latest offering on France's Fresh Poulp Records.
The album opens up with "Sometime", an exceptionally diverse song featuring metallic drones, tinny sampled voices, and harmonic basslines, all blended with glitched beats. The next track, "Untitled" grows from a single piano part to a complex plethora of layers, all coming together to very good effect. This track has an almost psuedo-dub feel; imagine if you could take lounge music and make it grimy, yet polished.
This four-track EP is finished out with "No Name" and "Ending", two tracks which are both soothing and unsettling, because of the calming melodies and warped, scratchy sound, respectively.
I was very impressed with Freezan's EP as a whole. This young Kazakhstan native proves himself to be quite skilled in creating his relaxing brand of piano-based electronica. This EP is a must for anyone looking for a way to unwind.

New Team Member

Greetings everyone!

Its been a while since the last review. We have been hunting for some more people to help out with the workload and we are very pleased to introduce Ryan to all of you. Ryan is a released netlabel artist (who's music we have reviewed too!).

His first review will follow shortly, so keep you eyes open for more!

Ambidextrous / Morkva - A&M [es39]

Album: A&M
Artist: Ambidextrous / Morkva
Label: www.electrosound.ru
Genre: Ambient / Downtempo / IDM / Post-rock
Release Date: Jan 2008
Download (see below)

Review:

This is another top quality album from the Electrosound label. a Great blend of chillout and downtempo to stand it own ground against top commercial compilations. The use of guitar in this album just makes it stand out and gives it a almost lounge-like quality. The second track ("Crystal Recast") is a prime example.

I really enjoyed the album; although some tracks where a little peculiar but this can be expected from "IDM" (nothing that makes you hit the skip button though). I really recommend this album to anyone who likes laid back stuff and if you can appreciate a blend of modern electronica with guitar riffs you are in for a major treat.

Unfortunately there is no single zip file or torrent to this album and the mp3s need to be downloaded individually.

Here they are:

01 › "In" [8.3mb, 3:37]

02 › "Crystal Recast" [12.3mb, 5:22]

03 › "Good Morning" [13.5mb, 5:53]

04 › "Final Cut" [8.3mb, 3:39]

05 › "Nova" [12.1mb, 5:18]

06 › "Organica" [8.4mb, 3:40]

07 › "Mr. Sneeze" [9.2mb, 4:02]

08 › "Think About" [9.2mb, 4:02]

Valek Kambala - Underground Protection

Album: Underground Protection
Artist: Valek Kambala
Label: http://www.pharmacom-productions.de
Genre: Electro / breakbeat
Release Date: Jan 2008
Download

Review:
This is a two track release with the first track "keys and passwords" being a standout track. a Bit wild and noisy, but funky in other ways!

More on the way

Just downloading masses of free music at the moment, but if you leave your name and number...

More reviews on the way soon! watch this space

Vate - Volt [V10]

Album: Volt
Artist: Vate
Label: http://www.vate.com.mx
Genre: Electronica / IDM
Release Date: 2007
Download
Or
Torrent Via Jamendo

Review:
Aaah, the first review this year and its of an album released last year. I have a large number of recommended albums in my mailbox from last year and i will do my best to get to all of them. I will have to balance reviewing 2008 and these recommended titles from 2007.

But back to the review...

This release from Vate is really top notch stuff. I dont know if its just cause i have been out of contact for a while, but this really just hit the right note with me. The first track ("Turismo") is just really trippy and really reminds me of the "trancy" stuff from the early 90's with a 2007 overhaul. The second track ("Orient Stress"), which is also featured on the previous release from Vate, has a pulsating tribal rhythm with growling basslines set to a slamming breakbeat. Almost industrial in some aspects. These billowing basslines continue through to the next track which is also a standout track.

"Hertz" drops into a more minimal-IDM style and it slowly progresses into more distorted IDM sounds from here onward.

Overall the album is fantastic and its highly recommended. Even if its just for the first few tracks as not all of them will appeal to everyone.

Starting up

Hi all,

Thanks for all the great wishes over xmas! I really appreciate it.

The blog has been quiet for a number of months and i need to catch up with all the great tunes that i have missed. I have just over 100 review requests in my mailbox and hopefully i can get to some of them soon.

I am looking to expand the writers for NLR and I am currently "recruiting" some co-writers to help with the sheer volume of the releases. Its hard for me to keep up with it all and still have time for my own music and family life.

But enough whinging for one day, Keep your eyes open there should be some reviews up soon.

All the best,
Afristralian

Interspacial - The Befores [VRB013]

Album: The Befores
Artist: Interspacial
Label: www.vorbic.com
Genre: Downtempo / Chillout
Release Date: Sept 2007
Download

Review:

I was quite impressed with the album. The music is good to chill to and its good iPod food for the mornings, traveling into work. The sort of music that starts off somewhere and leaves you somewhere else. My favorite tracks are 1 & 2 ... both of them have a cohesive sense of randomness? ((a Paradox I know ... but even in the most intense chaos there is always order if you look long enough ;) ))


The style of this release is hard to put my finger on. It reminds me of something I heard many years ago, but i cannot put my finger on it. Believe it or not, i think it was something on a compilation called "Detroit Techno" from the early 90s ... Not the entire album, but just one of the tracks. Ill look it up and let you know if i find it.

But enough with the nostalgia ...

K.D. Expression - Anachromantic [es31]

Album: Anachromantic
Artist: K.D. Expression
Label: http://www.electrosound.ru
Genre: Electronica / Ambient Dub / IDM
Release Date: August 2007
Download

Review:

Electrosound have been releasing some amazing albums lately and this latest one lives up to all the others. Mainly Ambient dub, but with a good blend of bleeps and blips to keep the foot almost tapping. The album varies a bit and its hard to strictly put it into a single genre. One of the tracks even touches on the land of psytrance where others hardly break the ambient barrier.

This is a fantastic album... Its got a lot of emotion and depth to it, that you don't always find in the mass of music available today. Its highly recommended to downtempo and ambient fans and is also recomeneded for those who dare to keep an open mind to musical possibilities too :)

VA - Aesthetik Label Showcase

Album: Aesthetik Label Showcase
Artist: Various Artists
Label: www.aesthetik-records.com
Genre: Techno / Minimal
Release Date: 13th August 2007
Download

Review:
a fantastic release covering various forms of techno. From ambient techno, minimal and almost banging techno. The majority being in the ambient techno genre and includes one or two standout tracks from that genre. The album ends off with an ambient IDM track ... interesting stuff and a good way to end an album.

None of the tracks are weak or out of place. Its definitely a great compilation and seeing its a showcase, this netlabel must be good. This is the first review of them on netlabel review and hopefully there will be more pretty soon.

Dreza - End or Fin [kreislauf 024]

Album: End or Fin
Artist: Dreza
Label: kreislauf.org
Genre: Downtempo / IDM / Ambient
Release Date: August 2007
Download

Review:

This release from Kreislauf is pretty good and was composed by Dreza (Zoltán Deák). The album is a mixture between mainly ambient but also downtempo and IDM. (I guess that would make it IDM but who knows a true definition of IDM in anycase?).

The ambient portions remind me of Pete Namlook & Clive Schultz 's Dark side of the Moog series but then swaps over into bleeps and blips of IDM (with great success i might add). The one track (metonin-met) drops into a really funky downtempo break beat.

The album goes into a IDM groove from there on with loads of electronic sounds backed up by a D&B rhythm without a kick drum beat to fill it up. Its really interesting and i recommend it to IDM fans specifically or the ambient-eers with a taste for variation.