Skull Mask – Iká
Iká is the latest release of Skull Mask, a project revolving around Miguel Pérez’s versatile guitar. This time, he teams up with Gosha Hniu for two live shows dating back to August 2022, at Café Oto, London and at Supernormal Festival, Oxfordshire. While the collaboration between the two is not unexpected, as both musicians have their established place in the art collective Staraya Derevnya, the combination of instruments is surprising.(read more)
staraya derevnya – Boulder blues
The art collective staraya derevnya position themselves into the krautfolk aesthetics. But describing them is far from being an easy task. Any attempt to do so becomes quite paradoxical given the seemingly effortless creativity they’re pouring into their music.
The five tracks on their latest album stand as proof of their originality, bringing authentic sounds together and creating a unexpected surrealist imagery. (read more)
Georgio Valentino – Lines of Flight
Lines of Flight is a collection of emotions passing through crevices of invisible walls, as they refuse to remain incapsulated in time. Or space for what it’s worth, as the album features a great deal of collaborations with musicians from around the world.
Despite the exile and confinement, Lines of Flight remains a truly international project, a deterritorialised space station hosting in turns or simultaneously many of Georgio Valentino’s collaborators and longtime friends. (read more)
Acid Mothers Reynols – Vol 1
In 2017, the Japanese band Acid Mothers Temple made their first tour in South America. For their show in Buenos Aires they invited the Argentinean band Reynols.
The show eventually lead to a studio collaboration and a rock documentary, both released this year under the name Acid Mothers Reynols. The album Acid Mothers Reynols – Vol 1 was recorded, produced and mixed in Argentina.
staraya derevnya – Inwards opened the floor.
Not much has been said about the Russian/Israeli London-based collective in the last years, since their 2016 album ‘Kadita sessions’ and subsequent tour. On 4 September 2020 they revealed the result of an impressive collaboration among a notable number of artists from outside-the-mainstream territories: a studio release, a collaboration recording and a double live album.
staraya derevnya belongs to the category ‘something like you’ve never before’ for two simple reasons: a fantastic ability to use surrealism for creating narrative, and a sort of symphonic orchestra’s talent and discipline which makes the tremendous amount of work put into composition, rehearsals and performance to be impeccably delivered, in studio or on stage. (read more)
20 Best Albums of 2019
Legion of The Damned, Rotting Christ, Dirty Shirt, Cocaine Piss, Dead Sea Apes, The Raconteurs, Nystagmus x Pavel Tchikov, black midi, vert:x, Sacred Reich, Tool, Mike Patton and Jean-Claude Vannier, The Cosmic Dead, Of Mice and Men, Laurie Anderson with Tenzin Choegyal and Jesse Paris Smith, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, ZU, Swans, Cunts, Psychic Lemon
Radament – due
Radament have released their second album in April this year. A second album may be a tough endeavor for many bands but obviously hasn’t been a problem for this alternative jazz duo based in Barcelona. With each variation and creative approach, due enhances the depths and the freshness beautifully showcased on their first eponymous work. (read more)
Iordache – Suita Titan
Despite the era that contextually led to its inspiration, Suita Titan is not a nostalgic illustration of communist times. The music replaces nostalgia with happiness in a versatile manner, using the past framework (as rusty and grey and ugly as it was) only to point up to the unlimited power of imagination in young generations. (read more)
20 Best Albums of 2018
20 albums which filled up concert venues, personal play lists and music news. Or deserve to.
Not a top 20, in order of release. Psychic Lemon, Turnstile, Ministry, Stone Temple Pilots, Nine Inch Nails, vert:x, Tom Morello, Soulfly, Sick of It All, Phil Campbell & The Bastard Sons, Cher, Jack White, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Greta Van Fleet, Dead Cross, The People The Poet, Mike Patton, A Perfect Circle, Daughters, IDLES (read more)
Psychic Lemon – ‘Psychic Lemon’ and ‘Frequency Rhythm Distortion Delay’
If you’re looking for being amazed by a new band emerging in the past few years, Psychic Lemon is a name for you. They find themselves in very good company on the nowadays UK psychedelic music scene, but there is something about their striking appetite for richness and intensity in sound which makes their two albums, so far, irresistible. Try any of the albums openers, TiCkToK or Exit to the Death Lane, and you’ll be on a discovery path for an innovative combination of psych rock elements. (read more)
The Blacktones – The Day We Shut Down the Sun
The Blacktones come from Cagliari, Italy. Their history goes back to 2011 when they formed out of desire to play something different than the bands they were in at that time. A sludge metal band with flawless music influences which they don’t fail to serve and promote through their own style and techniques. It’s very difficult to leave aside the names that come into mind when listening to this album, but the evocative list is impressive. This album is pure joy for any fan with Black Sabbath, Pantera, Down, Tool, Paradise Lost or Kyuss in their playlists. (read more)
20 Best Albums of 2017
20 albums which filled up concert venues, personal play lists and music news. Or deserve to.
Not a top 20, in order of release. vert:x, The Sonic Shamen, Firefang, Radament, Siberian XP, Georgio the ‘Dove” Valentino, Dead Sea Apes, Gnod, Septicflesh, Christian Wolff and Eddie Prévost, Dead Cross, Motörhead, Roger Waters, Motorpsycho, Code Orange, 7Shades, CFM, Godflesh, Cavalera Conspiracy, The Cosmic Dead (read more)
ash magna – sun’s bold arc
Among the multitude of projects featuring Red Elektra 69/vert:x/vostok’s Vince Cory, ash magna is a particular one. Vince’s guitar playing is a remarkable fusion of styles, and still, with ash magna he is doing yet something different. Together with Daneel Olivaw, Chriz Meinhardt and Dan Schott, he walks us through soundscape territories. ash magna’s debut albums is sun’s bold arc. It was released on CDr and distributed at various underground psychedelic music festivals this summer and more recently also on bandcamp this December. (read more)
Fraktal Phantom – Live in the Studio
Coming from Seattle, Fraktal Phantom is a project comprising Sean Fisher on guitar, Cary Kindberg on bass and lead vocals and Jack Gold-Molina on drums. Already prolific as individual artists, they came together as a trio in 2013 and have been performing live since then on psych music festivals scene, been on tour and shared the stage with Nik Turner and featured on the KEXP’s Sonarchy Radio’s live sessions.
Georgio ‘the Dove’ Valentino – The Future Lasts a Long Time
Georgio ‘the Dove’ Valentino’s special signature is difficult to define. His work cannot be encapsulated in a certain style as he remains dedicated to making art in its most pure form: personal, authentic, imaginative, and a continuous invitation to multiple auditions as the more you listen, the more the magic of his universe is revealed to you. His art is great indeed, but his art is also wise. Always a puzzle to be solved, with references, symbols and a personal touch which doesn’t even expect to be deciphered, remaining mysterious although with the clues in there at sight.
RED ELEKTRA 69 – Space Age Sounds from the Omega Quadrant
RED ELEKTRA 69 is a space rock group from UK, very much present on the underground psychedelic music scene. The talent behind RED ELEKTRA 69 is Vince Cory, lead guitarist and prolific musician, known also from his connection to many other projects and bands from the same scene. His band mates (Jon, Darren Butler, The Other One) share the same profile, teaming up in various line-ups, space & psyche projects and performances.
RED SUN – The wind, the waves, the clouds
RED SUN formed as a trio in 2014 in Albone, Italy and ‘The wind, the waves, the clouds’ is their second release, after ‘Triosophy’ on Desert Fox Records in 2015.
Mirco on bass, Fede on drums and Eno on guitar deliver a mix of psychedelia and stoner rock taken with success and increasing popularity across border, in UK and Germany.
SIBERIAN XP – Animalphabet
The first impression always counts. Some albums are simply charming from the first audition and lose no charisma throughout. SIBERIAN XP has just released one of those. It’s called Animalphabet, it’s out since October 6 and it’s sung entirely in English even if SIBERIAN XP come from Bordeaux, France. A group of long-time friends, playing together since 2011 while being in other side projects as well, SIBERIAN XP might have taken their time to release a debut album, but the result is outstanding. An exceptional production, accompanied by excellent video quality for singles, and with an appealing alternative rock genre sound. (read more)
vert:x – from now to now
‘from now to now’ is a vert:x full length vinyl album. But their album catalogue goes back to 2007, with self-released CDr, splits, EPs and exclusive tracks for various compilations. A vinyl record was just a matter of time and considering the amount of great songs they have circulated all these years, I can only imagine that one of their greatest challenges was which ones to choose for pressing. Therefore, the selection of songs cannot be random and deserves consideration and further exploration into vert:x discography.
Radament – Radament
There is no jazz like piano jazz. It has accompanied and played an important role the history of the genre right from the beginning. It brings emotional depth to anything that’s part of, especially in instrumental duos, no matter if it teams up with guitar, with saxophone or with another piano. Radament from Spain is another great example of melodic and harmonic capabilities, this time coming out from when piano meets drums. This very interesting project is represented by the jazz pianist Juanjo Fernández and the drummer Giorgio Fausto Menossi. Full of lovely ideas, contemporary in approach and keeping a high-quality end throughout, Radament makes great use of the duo members’ experience in various other groups and projects, the academic background and their skills to bring quality sound and composition.
Manescape – Antibodies
Manescape formed in 2006 and are coming from Głogów, Poland. After a couple of well-received previous releases, ‘Antibodies’ came out in February this year, a mix of shoegaze, stoner and post rock which gives content to their neo-psychedelic rock style, as they labeled themselves. There are plenty of beautiful tracks (or antibodies) on the album, all of them would deserve to be mentioned. ‘Black Bodies’ and ‘In Moments of Oblivion’ are more into the dirty groove stoner riffs, with unmistakable guitar signatures and steady rhythmic section. But Manescape are not afraid of approaching long compositions, which is always a good sign for a band confidence. ‘Beautiful Agony’ is a song over 7 minutes, but so well constructed that you never get bored or lost on the way.
Firefang – Firefang
Firefang are garage-grunge trio from Gent, Belgium, with distorted electric guitar, socially engaged lyrics, screaming out vocals and stoner blues elements. Fast as punk, desolated like blues, loud as rock’n’roll, Firefang smells like grunge spirit to anyone prone simultaneously to vulnerability and power. Everybody likes upgrades. Every one likes novelty, original styles, new values to bring that feeling of being moved forward. The eponymous LP of Firefang shows a great deal of influences without being a tribute to any genre and moves ahead with enthusiasm and self-assurance. The album is loud no matter if the songs are mid-tempos or bursting out of the stereos.
Glasgow Coma Scale – Enter Oblivion
Enter Oblivion by Glasgow Coma Scale proves that post-rock can move forward without necessarily being predictable. It delivers everything you ever wanted to hear in a post-rock album without the slightest feeling that you’ve heard it all before. The album never runs out of ideas. It’s not abrasively explosive but it holds irresistible force. It’s expressive, attractive and uplifting beyond doubt. It’s positive and warm. It’s that good.
20 Best Albums of 2016
20 albums which filled up concert venues, personal play lists and music news. Or deserve to. Not a top 20, in order of release. (read more)
David Bowie, Suede, Tindersticks, Megadeth, Motorpsycho, Rotting Christ, Mike & The Melvins, Kaada/Patton, Staraya Derevnya, Hatebreed, NAILS, Swans, Gojira, Magnetic North, vert:x, Dead Sea Apes, Blown Out, Earthling Society, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Crobot, The Lucid Dream, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Leonard Cohen, Metallica
Georgio ‘the Dove’ Valentino – Satyros Ironykos
‘Satyros Ironykos’ is a 7″ single coming from the out of nowhere of an enigmatic underground scene without any time and space stamp. Georgio ‘the Dove’ Valentino finds inspiration in the most uncommon places and stories, giving ways to a singular imaginary. The lengthy ‘Mille Plateaux’, released in 2014, was a fine confirmation that Valentino doesn’t really fit in a distinct genre nor that he cares about mainstream cultural rules. His latest release, ‘Satyros Ironykos’ makes another stand-alone gem in his catalogue.
Doganov – Conducting Chaos
After the well-received debut EP Something Dark To Dance To, Doganov makes a strong follow-up with another self-release, a full album this time – Conducting Chaos.
Conducting Chaos brings an evocative sense of a certain moment in time and the atmosphere of a specific place which might be very well the world we’re living in.
20 Best Album of 2015
20 albums which filled up concert venues, personal play lists and music news. Or they deserve to. Not a top 20.
Björk, Massis, Songhoy Blues, Spoiwo, Zu, Drenge, Thee Oh Sees, Faith No More, Slaves, High Tension, vert:x, Soulfly, Public Image Ltd., Slayer, David Gilmour, Girl Band, The Dead Weather, Orchidfoot, Shining (NOR), Wolf Eyes, Kurt Cobain
The breathtaking underground – 1947 by vert:x
The first time I heard a vert:x track was on Dandelion Radio during its 2012 Festive Fifty. Festive Fifty was originally an annual list of best songs voted by John Peel’s listeners on BBC Radio 1. After Peel’s death, the BBC continued the tradition for a while and when they ended it the internet-based Dandelion Radio decided to carry it on. The 2012 edition included names like Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Savages, Pussy Riot, Public Image Ltd., Tame Impala and many others among which vert:x made it into the Top 10.
MASSIS by MASSIS
Among the Belgian new releases so far, here’s the self-titled album from MASSIS. Produced by MASSIS and Patrick Delabie and recorded, mixed and mastered at Studio 195 Wernhout in Holland, the record is an impressive debut with 8 tracks that moisturize and nurture the passion for instrumental noise rock.MASSIS is an impressive release that won’t leave you indifferent. A product of talent amplified by music experience. It’s really impossible not to like it.
Sarah McQuaid – Walking Into White
‘Walking Into White’ is a deep, resonant record with many variations which somehow keep the same high level of intensity. An ambitious project which obviously couldn’t be done without a significant previous experience. Melting together contemporary, medieval and Spanish rhythms or vocal, guitar, cello, synthesizer and trumpets harmonies, and still keep this sense of a strange unity, which comes natural as if it was the most normal state of play… Such magnitude can only be found the frame of life itself.
20 Best Albums of 2014
20 albums which filled up concert venues, play lists and the music news. Or which deserve to.
Iordache – “Garden Beast”
The saxophonist Mihai Iordache needs no introduction in Romania. His career as alto sax player is rooted in ‘80s and, since then, he has put his unique sound mark on many releases and live collaboration, either with alternative rock and jazz bands of the Romanian music scene (Timpuri Noi, Sarmalele Reci, Orient Express, Jazz Unit, Kumm) or in national and international festivals and appearances in Romania ( Stufstock, Jazz and More, Green Hours International Jazz Fest, Garana Jazz Fest), in Hungary (with guitarist Eichinger Tibor as a guest) or in Belgium (with Eugene Chadbourne).
PIERRE K Band – “Troubles on my mind”
Willie Dixon once said: “The Blues are the true facts of life expressed in song, inspiration, feeling and understanding.” Elements that shaped up a musical universe since the end of the 19th century. But no matter the styles or techniques, and maybe more than any other works, the blues will be always about authenticity. With their debut album – Troubles on my mind – PIERRE K Band put forward the beginning of a journey through some of these feelings and reveal their own genuineness.
Georgio ‘the Dove’ Valentino – Mille Plateaux
There is probably at least one concept hidden beyond each song. Each new audition brings along new understandings, more nuances, richer, deeper and clearer than the previous. If you plan falling in love with a fine piece of art, here it’s your record. All you need to do is finding a Sunday afternoon. The rest has been exquisitely taken care of.
20 Albums of 2013
Some of the best albums of year 2013. 20 albums which filled up concert venues, play lists and the music news. Or which deserve to.