Thursday, January 29, 2009

DML & Holger Leger - Tropical Split EP [gft net 004]




Album:
Tropical Split EP
Artist: DML & Holger Leger
Label: http://gruenfeld-label.net/blog
Genre: Techno / Minimal / Tech-house
Download

Review:

Just sat down tonight to go through the past couple of days downloads and I was pleasantly surprised to find this album in the masses of zip files.

This release is a good solid almost laid back techno album. Back in the old days we would have branded it as "ambient techno" (techno with a more trippy edge). I love the delayed bongo's and the background sounds that fill the tracks. All these sounds are backed up by deep kick drums that keeps you on your toes (so to speak).

Something about the tracks on this album reminds me of opening sets on a cold winters night. Or even the opening tracks to a new DJ's set, building up to something, slowly but still funky enough to keep you moving while you wait for the payout. Its a sort of lazy-funky ... this is what ambient techno should be, mellow, pulsating and trippy.

I'm really enjoying listening to it and its going into my "to keep" folder. Its 3 tracks that are worth downloading.

Highly recommended

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

LeftKicks - Seidensha Funk [vrb040]




Album:
Seidensha Funk
Artist: LeftKicks
Label: http://www.vorbic.com/
Genre: Downtempo / Chill / Acid Jazz
Release Date: 25 Jan 2009
Download

Review:

Its been a while since i have reviewed anything from Vorbic. They started off with a bang a few years ago and seems to have gotten better with age. This release from LeftKicks is a solid downtempo album with nice breakbeats and chilled out tones. Perfect for a lazy afternoon. Funky foot tapping rhythms, Lazy e-piano and deep rolling basslines just make it a pleasure to listen to.

yip, this is a recomended release by every sense of the word...

Download, enjoy and share!

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Geschwister Schumann - Your Way [sm016]




Album:
Your Way
Artist: Geschwister Schumann
Label: www.symbiont-music.com
Genre: Minimalist, Electro, tech-house
Download

Review:

This is only a 2 track EP, but I thought I would highlight it purely from the fact that it sounds a little like Booka Shade ... And I like it!!

Minimalist tech-house, dirty synth basslines and well constructed beats make this worth a recommendation. To top it off the well placed female vocals in the track just adds the X-factor it needs. The sound is funky, harsh, melancholic and engaging, it comes recommended.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Nienvox -Sign [foot090]



Album:
Sign
Artist: Nienvox
Label: www.bumpfoot.net
Genre: Jazz, Downtempo, chill
Release Date: 18-Jan-2008
Download

Review:

a Great blend of downtempo and trippy beats flow throughout this album. Smooth flowing ambient sounds, pads and sweeps start you off and is contrasted by Jazz piano, deep bass, downtempo beats and even a few bleeps and blips here and there. Some of the tracks have a real Ninja-tune-acid-jazz-trippy-style very much in the same line as Funki Porcini. But overall the mood ranges from somber to very busy and almost improvisational jazz, where beatiful piano is juxaposed on fast drums and guitaring.

All I can say is that I really enjoyed listening to it ... If you like Jazz give this one a spin.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Our Ceasing Voice - Steadied Stars In The Morphium Sky (EP)



Album:
Steadied Stars In The Morphium Sky (EP)
Artist: Our Ceasing Voice
Web address: http://postrockcommunity.blogspot.com
Purchase: http://ourceasingvoice.bigcartel.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/ourceasingvoice
Genre: Experimental / Ambient
Download
Archive Password: postrockcommunity.blogspot.com

Review:

I downloaded this album and have given it a good few listens. I am very impressed with the quality of the work. The music is very down, slow moving and in the true spirit of ambient music makes the mind wonder when you listen to it. It slowly fills the void of silence with sound effects like reverberant guitars and echo's, generally building up to rhythms and melodies and at times breaks into intense rock grooves (Emotionally moving stuff) . Its definitely something you can listen to when you have some time alone to reflect, concentrate on work or do something artistically (or maybe need a good cry). The bottom line is that its really beautiful music.

The album was recorded in a home studio by the 3 band members and was mastered professionally. It is an intense album that invokes memories of Brian Eno's music for airports and similar works and i can definitely recommend it to ambient lovers.

a Very limited amount of these (50 copies) are available for purchase from http://ourceasingvoice.bigcartel.com. Apparently you will receive a hand made package in the shape of a 5.25" floppy disc, complete with liners, photos ,CD and more. From what I understand the packaging on its own is worth the price and it might just become a collectors item one day. So even if the music is free under creative commons, its still well worth supporting these artists (and others) with a financial donation.

The rar archive might be password protected, so please use the above password if you need to extract it.