experimental posts

Susumu Yokota

Thursday, January 3rd, 2008 by Andrew Ladd

electronic // ambient // soundscape

Susumu Yokota has released a somewhat ridiculous thirty (ish) albums over the last fourteen years, mainly in Japan and mainly in the house/techno genre. Over here in Angloland, though, he’s best known for his ambient electronica that’s a chilling sort of blend of The K&D Sessions and the Myst soundtrack. It’s all layers of hum, echoing bells, and sparsely shaken beats, and blends dreamily into one, beautifully rich canvas of sounds. The tracks here are from his 2002 The Boy and the Tree; his other ambient albums are Sakura, Grinning Cat, and Magic Thread.

Eerily hypnotic.
Susumu Yokota - Grass, Tree And Stone
Susumu Yokota - The Colour of Pomegranates
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Phon°noir

Sunday, December 30th, 2007 by Kyle

electro-acoustic // experimental

Distant echoes return with a subdued haze, in an audible maze that approaches your ear. Matthias Grübel’s voice sparingly appears to direct and translate, through his Phon°noir dialect, as songs often build, unfold, surprise and sometimes delight with a scattered, spackled, mysterious transformation of blips, glitches, instrumental and skyward noises that become waves and bursts, then disappear. He credits Leonard Cohen and Four Tet as influences; I agree.

Suspicious and mesmerizing collages of reminiscent tinkerings.
Phon°noir - My Paperhouse On Fire
Phon°noir - The Objects Don’t Need Us

Update! 2008.06.21: Annie points us to an excellent video of the former track:
Phon°noir - My Paperhouse On Fire (video)
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Erik Enocksson

Sunday, November 25th, 2007 by Julija

shoegazing // experimental

Throughout his strongly evocative pieces for the soundtrack of Farväl Falkenberg, Stockholm-based composer Erik Enocksson reverberates the stories of a small sea-town life. As Erik Enocksson merges his minimalist folk tunes, sweeping instrumentation of acoustic guitars, piano, creaky wood, ethereal choir chant, and the simplicity of whistles and hand claps, he perfectly captures the feelings of isolation and hopefulness. Influenced by the coastal area, the soundscapes stimulate the sensation of brooding notes and a subtle hint of threat.

Losing yourself in a cinematic-shoegaze experience.
Erik Enocksson - The Joy of D.H. Lawrence
Erik Enocksson - The Lingering Procession
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El Ten Eleven

Sunday, November 11th, 2007 by Anne Cloudman

post-rock // instrumental

While post-rock fans have been enjoying El Ten Eleven’s textured, atmospheric instrumentals since their 2004 self-titled debut album, it wasn’t until I saw Helvetica, which heavily features tracks from 2007’s Every Direction is North, that I discovered this creative duo. The music meanders and crescendos, calms and invigorates, adding layer after layer to an emotional journey. You can’t help but want to go along for the ride.

Double neck bass guitar, electric drums, and effects pedaling delight.
El Ten Eleven - My Only Swerving (stream only)
El Ten Eleven - Living on Credit Blues
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J. Ralph

Wednesday, October 31st, 2007 by Kyle

classical // experimental

Do you recall the beat of Busta Rhymes’ Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See? Now imagine a man and woman singing operatically over that beat in Italian, with a gently plucked classical guitar and accordion filling the air. If you’ve seen Volkswagen’s Big Day commercial, you’re one million miles closer to what’s in store with this adventure. So take a trip with a thrift shop warrior and hear what happens when an average Josh takes command of an 85 piece orchestra, as only part of his medium.

Evocative soundscapes with lush, orchestral backdrops.
J. Ralph - Mi Ricordo
J. Ralph - Thrift Shop Warrior (Instrumental)
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