Kashiwa Daisuke - Program Music I

Kashiwa Daisuke is a Japanese composer who has dabbled in post-rock and electronic music throughout his experience in solo and band settings, which has culminated into the the very interesting experimental style seen here.


Program Music I is a two track album full of beautiful piano melodies, sampled beats, and other electronic touches. The music wouldn't be too out of place in a film, due to it's post-rock(ish) nature and more minimalist and ambient sections, though at times it builds into something quite different. The sampling in the drums and also piano give it an electronic edge, without being overbearing.

This is one of the most interesting albums I have come across in a while, and is certainly worth the effort of clicking the blue writing below.


Program Music I


PS what a beautiful album cover.

Deeds Of Flesh

Deeds Of Flesh are one of the biggest brutal death metal bands around, being both prolific and influential in their 17 years of existence. Their discography is very solid; each album being consistently good, as well as progressing their sound further.

They are probably the most listenable brutal death metal band I have come across, mainly due to the superb riffing by Erik Lindmark, which always keeps things interesting.

Also, two of the original members went on to start Unique Leader Records. 

So yeah. 

Of What's To Come

Crown Of Souls

Reduced To Ashes

Mark Of The Legion

Path Of The Weakening

Inbreeding The Anthropophagi

Trading Pieces

Greymachine - Disconnected

Justin Broadrick, the creative force behind Jesu and formerly Godflesh, roped in a couple of dudes to play some tunes, and it just so happens that one of them is Aaron Turner, leader of Isis. Yes, quite a big pairing.

Disconnected is a relentless wall of noise from start to finish. Drone and noise are equally represented, with a backdrop of cold industrial beats, making this one hell of a punishing listen.

Great stuff.


Disconnected

dälek

This is one of those "must download" moments.

dälek is quite an incredible hip hop duo from Newark, NJ. What distinguishes them from most other artists in the underground hip hop scene is the production, which is very noisy and atmospheric. Musically, it sits somewhere closer to shoegaze more so than traditional hip hop. It's very dense, and at times abrasive, with it's wall-of-sound type of approach. In dälek's words, "we want to embrace you with the sound and then suffocate you."

MC dälek's flow suits the atmospheric nature of the music perfectly, sitting just right in the noisy mix. Though most importantly, the lyrical themes of poverty, oppression and the downfall of modern society, are reflected exceedingly well in the apocalyptic production.

Here are three incredible albums.


Abandoned Language
Absence
From Filthy Tongue of Gods and Griots

Madlib - Shades Of Blue

Madlib is a great producer, and has worked with quite a fantastic array of artists, from the late J Dilla, to MF Doom. His jazz tinted style couldn't be more obvious on Shades Of Blue; an album exploring both instrumental hip hop, and the Blue Note label's vault of sounds.

So smooth, so chill.

So blue.


Shades Of Blue

Encoffination - Ritual Ascension Beyond Flesh

Doomed out death metal from the US, reminiscent of Incantation and dISEMBOWELMENT.

The cassette was released earlier this year, however a cd release is scheduled soon on SELFMADEGOD records.

Crushes so much, and is one of the better releases of the year as far as extreme music is concerned.


Ritual Ascension Beyond Flesh

Panda Bear - Person Pitch

In preparation for the new album coming out in September, from Panda Bear aka Noah Lennox, of Animal Collective fame.



Basically, if the Beach Boys were in their prime today, realising they could actually do a lot more with LSD in their music, this is what would come out.


Person Pitch

Morpheus Descends

A somewhat underrated band from the all powerful New York Death Metal scene.

Morpheus Descends were around during the early to mid 90's, when the NY scene was at it's peak, although the still remained fairly underground. Comparisons can be drawn between them and their NY brothers, especially with Suffocation and Incantation. Quality stuff.


Ritual Of Infinity
Chronicles of the Shadowed Ones

Flying Lotus - Los Angeles

Cosmogramma is certainly getting a great deal of hype, and deservedly so, seeing as it is easily one of the best releases this year. If you are digging it, you definitely have to hear FlyLo's second album too, because it's on the same level (i.e fucking awesome).


Los Angeles

Pianos Become the Teeth

Just been listening to these guys for the first time in ages, and remembered how they were one of the very first screamo bands I came across.

Pianos Become the Teeth are supremely melodic, but quite intense also. They have a bit of a post-rock tinge, which shines through more on their EP, which was when they still had keyboards. They keep the same kind of approach sans keyboard though, on the LP Old Pride. So really, you can liken them to much of the European scene... which means it's good stuff.


Old Pride
Saltwater EP

Bolt Thrower - Those Once Loyal

Catchiest damn death metal going around.

They're English which kind of makes you apprehensive, but they are quality. And this album is the cream of their crop.

If you aren't big on death metal, or you are just a casual listener, or even if you just need something accessible to get you going, this is it.


Those Once Loyal

Ornette Coleman

Ornette Coleman was a hugely influential saxophonist, who arguably lead the charge of free jazz in the 1960's. He is seen today as one of the biggest figures in jazz of that era, although his contemporaries at the time were very divided. Free jazz was seen as a fantastic development by the likes of John Coltrane and Charles Mingus, although some were quite outspoken about their distaste for "the new thing"; most notably Miles Davis.

No harmonic instruments, very little amounts of composition, all members of the band soloing... suffice to say, it can be quite intense.


The Shape Of Jazz To Come
Free Jazz
Change Of The Century

Ampere

Chaotic screamo practitioners who descended from legendary band Orchid.

Well, not entirely, seeing as it's just the guitarist who played with Orchid, but much of their style is borrowed from them anyway. Every song is like a (somewhat) controlled burst of energy, with a real sense of urgency (kind of hard to not have I guess, when you pack 6 high tempo riffs into a 30 second song). They place a lot of importance in the DIY ethic and their vegan lifestyle, which may be appealing to some people, but I don't really care.

The tunes are good.


The First Five Years
All Our Tomorrows End Today

Phoenix

Phoenix are an indie pop band from France, who run through the streets.

They have been around for a while, but were brought to the attention of the wide world after having a song featured in the film Lost In Translation. Director Sofia Coppola also happens to be vocalist Thomas Mars' partner.

Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
It's Never Been Like That
Alphabetical
United


They are so damn catchy that they make kids sing awesomely.