Aurgasm

strings // electro // soul

It seems easy to assume that two prized string players, recognized as some of the finest young French musicians would be influenced by the Parisian electro scene, like Ed Banger and Institubes. They would, naturally, then set out to create electro infused with the graceful cello and viola lines. At first listen, this is what you might hear. But SomethingALaMode (or SALM) has pushed that further; the result is less novelty, more solid songwriting. A few samples from their varied and impressive debut: “Little Bit of Feel Good” delivers some mighty soul vocals; “GString” is a bit more familiar electro-fare, but with a very distinctive feel.

Music mastery; on the strings and the synths.
SomethingALaMode - Little Bit of Feel Good (feat. Adam Joseph)
SomethingALaMode - GString
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video art // electro funk

More and more, I’ve noticed I’m absorbing great music via video; the Carl Sagan ‘A Glorious Dawn’ video is an addictive example. VJ’s are demanded for parties, Processing and OpenFrameworks are making it easier to create, and now video appears to be the preferred medium for delivering audio online. Above, Ethan deftly blends oscilloscope visuals with light paint and timelapse, while underneath burbles some glitchy and fuzzy funk. Thanks to my friends at Echonest for the tip.

A funk and Rhodes lover’s wet dream.

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cinematic electronic // heady ambient

Not since Trentemøller has an electronic artist approached his music with such delicacy. But while the Dane kept your brain busy measure to measure, the sole member of Bersarin Quartett, Thomas, makes no bones about holding you rapt in a piece of steady, twirling music for up to sixteen minutes. Natural strings, arpeggiated synth and raspy drums combine to construct a cinemascape of melancholy and thought.

Sublimity missing a screen.
Bersarin Quartett - Oktober
Bersarin Quartett - St. Petersburg

NYC Peoples: I’ll be in town this weekend, mostly to attend this epic Quantic (and his Combo Barbaro), Nickodemus, Beto, DJ Busquelo beach party on Governor’s Island Sunday. Holler if you’re around, you should certainly not miss.

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vocal electronica // experimental pop

Katrine Ottosen’s album Fall Down (2008) is a debut that should not be left unnoticed despite the flood of DYI Indie artists. The Copenhagen-based musician who records under the name CALLmeKAT takes the listener with a distinctly Scandinavian sound: melancholic, floating and intense. Fall Down shifts between the experimental and the somewhat urban dream-pop, recalling the fragility of Stina Nordenstam and the edgy mysterious soundscapes of such artists as Klima and Sol Seppy.

From sharp to dreamy electronic arrangements.
CALLmeKAT - Do Your Trick
CALLmeKAT - Flower In The Night
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ambient // electronic // guitar

Wilco fans (you know who you are) will recognize Nels Cline as that band’s lead guitarist, but he’s been doing other stuff on his own (collaborating, featuring, musicating, etc.) for a little over thirty years, now — and yet, still, his solo stuff seems to remain under-appreciated. Perhaps some of it is too experimental for a big following (and I don’t mean that as any kind of affront to Wilco fans), like the opening track from Coward, his latest album; it’s called Epiphyllum, and is basically a wall of foamy, pulsating sound. The rest of the album, though, gets a little more melodic, borrowing heavily from Middle-Eastern sounds and even The Twilight Zone at one point, and rounding out nicely with Cymbidium, yet another wall of sound — but one with cracks in it, chinks of guitar and scars of bass. There are shades of Susumu Yokota and maybe Faithless, too, and overall of quiet, confident comfort. Close your eyes and let it grow.

Soothing, glowing noise
Nels Cline - Cymbidium
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electro-funk // grimey synthpop

Maneuvering brainwaves routed by intricately synthesized polymers of Moloko and Phon°noir familiarity, Frances Noon and Lazlo Legezar have materialized an undulating ecstasy that voyages vital force and bites at your feet. His surreal chorus of extravagant noises deploys a fulgent realm for her iridescent vocals; fluently shifting between sinister and saccharine to timid and giddy. As their motley, crystalline wisped sounds are consumed, a subterranean purlieu emerges. In a carnival’s bygone mystique of bright lights and smiles since ceded to a hitchcock bale, are mad hatters absconding to unite with strawberry shortcakes, rampantly dissolving the absurd, unwanted, depreciating rationalities that impersonate rainbows and he-man transgressions of societal laste. Where We Are threshes trip-hop’s quintessence into dizzying bits and pieces then coalesces to form a twisted treat of enigmatic, aural candy.

Trip-Hop in the age of Twitter.
My Toys Like Me - Superpowers
My Toys Like Me - Bats
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electronic // hip-hop // downbeat

Organic, soulful, electronified and good-feeling vibes, freely shared by Colorado producer Derek Vincent Smith. Nearly four hours of this Pretty Lights sound is available for free on his website. It’s a vivid collage of continuity, enriched with robust beats, eloquently laced vocal samples that range from nostalgic to serene, both compelling and entertaining, with a diverse selection of instruments all aimed towards enjoyment.

All about the good vibes.
Pretty Lights - Solamente
Pretty Lights - Maybe Tomorrow
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urban // equatorial

Una Mas Trio define their irresistible upbeat harmonies as boogaloo, a fusion of Cuban salsa rhythms and American soul. The project was born when a member of the Juju Orchestra teamed up with composer/producer Christian Schilgen. Together with the enigmatic poetess/singer Bajka they fused dancefloor-friendly jazz and contemporary beats. In “Clear As Water”, due to be released in March 10th, Una Mas Trio blend urban grooves, catchy up-tempo energy and world music traditions. Bajka’s tone and phrasing provides perfect vocal flavor to the track.

Modern grooves mixed with world rhythms.
Una Mas Trio - Clear As Water (Mo’Horizons Restyle)

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electropop // experimental

When asked to describe their sound, Highland Park’s Fol Chen said, “You know that mysterious black object that the creepy family is staring at on the cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Presence” album?” (Yes). “Fol Chen sound like that.” Cryptic descriptions aside, Fol Chen’s recently released Part I: John Shade, Your Fortune’s Made, is a dramatic debut. Their complex layers, which include strings, horns, multiple vocals and the requisite drum machine, are captivating. “Cable TV,” one of the standout tracks on the record, is a pounding, tongue-in-cheek dedication to cheap weekend escapes.

Cryptic, dark and danceable.
Fol Chen - Cable TV
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hip-hop // experimental

Look at the picture accompanying this post and imagine how it might sound; that’s likely what you’ll hear in the debut album by Exponential artist Diego Chavez. Recording as Aether for this outlet, Diego somehow invents spare time for graphic design when not producing music as his other alias Otic Angst, with A.M. Architect, or for the hip-hop group Lotus Tribe and rock band The Panic Division. The amount of diversity woven into Artifacts is mesmerizing and breathtaking; clearly the work of a very talented and driven individual. Combining grit with vibrance, molding casual, assured flows of conscious tranquility, while also keeping a dynamic and youthful essence is a lot to consider, let alone craft well and fully deliver. His label says it best when describing this as a lovingly sculpted expression of beauty, love, tragedy, hope, and everything that makes us human.

Human elements of abstract hip-hop.
Aether - Orfeu Negro
Aether - Makeshift Sanctuary
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