Isidor Sr. - Seven From Ten / Hurt / Begin [Dhyana Records 086]

It's been more than 20 years since we've reviewed a release on the legendary formerly Augsburg-based label Dhyana Records on these pages but after meeting up with the labels head honcho Bernd Spring a.k.a. Isidor Sr. for the first time ever only recently here we are again. Released on February 2nd, 2k24 as a limited 7" edition of 122 copies, all housed in a beautifully designed 3D cover accompanied by additional 3D glasses, we're drawn in to the sonic world of Isidor Sr. with three pieces meandering between Lo-Fi Shoegaze and distorted DreamPop for introverts, drowning in a sea of ever droning guitar feedbacks and wafting clouds of intense, yet strangely comforting midrange noise. If I'd ever imagine Isidor Sr. performing these pieces live it'd be somewhere from removed from any urban settlement, distant from the audience, set up in a stubble field, shrouded in and obfuscated by autumnal mists with the actual sound being blown over from afar. This is core Dhyana after all these years. If you know, you know.

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The Nest Duo - A Whisper Of Roots [Aut Records 155]

Released via the Italian staple that is Aut Records as their cat.no. 155 on June 24th, 2k26 is "A Whisper Of Roots", the new album collaboration by long time friends Graziano Gatti Quadri and Massimo Betti who, together, form The Nest Duo as a creative outlet for their musical ventures. With nine pieces rolled out over the course of approximately 46 minutes the two artists explore a sonic world based on cornet, vocals and - rather unusual for the label - electronics whilst taking influences, loops, varying measures and what is described in the accompanying press sheet as cyclical harmonic cells originating from both Lombard Folk and Bergmasque nursery rhymes. With this being said The Nest Duo opens on a rather krautsy and beautifully dreamy harmonic tip with "Intro-Volar Via" which immediately evokes memories of classic Berlin School arrangements followed by the longing cornet motifs floating atop tender, intimate and certainly PostRock- / Indietronica-aware structures in "Restituire Alle Luna Le Maree" which surely will resonate with fans of early duo works of Harald "Sack" Ziegler and Frank Schültge-Blumm with the tunes innate dreaminess and melancholia finding an immediate continuation in "I Feel Sunset", with a little bit of Tex-Mex x Americana fusion added to the mix. The subsequent "Seizampe: Storia Di Un'Amicizia Un Ragazzo E Un Cane" serves an entire story in its title alone backed by stripped down rhythm signatures, slightly distorted guitar works and scorched Desert Jazz elaborations whereas "Nido Vuoto D'Inverno" dives even deeper into tender looped minimalisms paired with slow organic Ambient movements, echo-heavy and New Age-informed guitar solos and, once again, Graziano Gatti Quadri's signature cornet tones before "A Whisper Of Roots" is nothing more than looped interlude which lasts less than a full minute. Furthermore "L'E Stackk Ol Vent" introduces an amalgamation of introvert and ruminant romanticisms and tender, almost frolicking, slowly cascading harmonies followed by "Il Nido Deela Cincia" and its alpine rural Jazz x Folk fusion turning into a slow motion headbanging PostRock anthem of sorts best listened to on a hot summer evening with a refreshing alcoholic beverage of choice at hand whereas the rather figuratively titled "Away With The Robins" waves goodbye on a slightly dubbed out and panoramic IndieFolk x DreamPop tip. An absolutely beautiful album which will be on heavy rotation at our premises over the course of the next weeks for sure.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Tonino Miano Trio - MOSS / electric [Aut Records 159]

Put out on the circuit via the Italian staple that is Aut Records on July 22nd, 2k26 is "MOSS / electric", the latest musical outing by the group named Tonino Miano Trio which is comprised of named Tonino Miano, Ricardo Grosso and Andrea Melani. Employing a sonic arsenal of piano, double bass and drums as well as synthesizers and modular systems the triumvirate of artists caters a menu of nine tracks rolled out over roughly 51 minutes total playtime opening with the rather meditative and ritualistic combination of somewhat chiming metallic percussions and seductive drum grooves to be found in the opening cut "Intro / Light Under The Tongue" which in parts and sequences evokes memories of a classic Minimal Music approach before introducing deep melancholia and elegic string harmonies alongside late night Jazz pianos whilst the subsequent "Moon Droplets On My Sleeve" apparently leaves electronics out of the equation and focuses on tentative piano runs backed by rather intricately arranged background grooves and tender bass backings whereas "Mycelium" certainly is on a playful, tongue-in-cheek and slightly anarchic tip, featuring quite a bunch of warped and warbled off kilter sounds which sound like a processed trumpet or mutilated horn without those instruments being credited on the album as a part of the sonic array. With "After Current" the Torrino Miano Trio dives deep into tender nocturnal Jazz minimalisms and sparse, almost skeletal structures with only a few modular interferences before introducing a lively swing approach, the title track "Moss Electric" weighs in lively and curious modular plinkerings leading into a playful and certainly joyous exploration of Free Improov-leaning Jazz vibes with the following "Filament Drift" catering a fluttering and slightly psychedelic tension that is unprecedented on this album, especially as we see the trio flirting with muscular DarkJazz and chaotic experimentalisms here. Furthermore "Chlorophilia" is as peaceful, intimate and enchanted as its title suggest, "Eight Minutes To The Sun" takes on lightspeed travel in an astoundingly stripped down and intimate way, basicly relying on chiming pianos and a background sax occasionally emerging from deep inside the mix with a further evolution towards even more tender late night grooves whilst the aptly named "Outro" waves goodbye and comes full circle with a focus on complex and captivating drum x percussion workouts once again. Go check.

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Zoepf / Gottschalk / Debacker - All You Can Hear [Acheulian Handaxe]

Released via Acheulian Handaxe on May 1st, 2k26 and sent to us directly by Joachim Zoepf only recently is "All You Can Hear", the first full-on album collaboration under this name created by Joachim Zoepf, Gunda Gottschalk and Marlies Debacker. Over the course of exactly 50 minutes and a total of nine pieces named "Annäherung 1-9" in a subsequent order the trio fuses the tonalities of their respective instruments - bass clarinet, violin and piano - with an attitude of radical equality and disciplined anarchy as its approach is described in the albums liner notes. With the intricately detailed, yet - at least in its early phase of evolution - still somewhat intimate opening piece "Annäherung 1" which later culminates in a dramatic climax of organized chaos the three musicians lay out the foundation for things to come, a steady meandering influenced and infused by elements of Contemporary Classical and Avantgarde, Free Jazz and Free Improv, an awareness of Minimal Music without following the genres path, a willingness to explore extremes in terms of dynamic changes as well as slightly humorous and tongue-in-cheek sequences in pieces like "Annäherung 2". Furthermore we find "Annäherung 3" in pursuit of abstraction and rather percussive scraping minimalism with "Annäherung 4" taking things into tense nocturnal territories, "Annäherung 6" exploring a buzzing and busy avantgarde tale in parts reminiscent of the somehow organized chaos of scattering, scurrying microscopic critters whereas "Annäherung 7" is introducing echoes of melancholia and tranquility in the remaining fragments of Classical composition this particular piece evokes memories of whilst the final cut that is "Annäherung 9" is taking Contemporary Classical to a rather cheeky and playful level despite a few dynamically intense, yet somewhat dissonant moments. One for a Avantgarde-informed audience, this.

The Bionics - Astro Mambo! [self-released album]

Put out on the circuit as a self-released CD album edition of 100 copies on March 11th, 2k26 is "Astro Mambo!", the latest musical outing by Daniel Mudford's off shoot project named The Bionics. Rolled out over seven tracks and a total run time of 45 minutes the album starts with the aptly named "Launch Pad" which then is conceptually followed by a series of five cuts named after pioneering female astronauts and space explorers from various nations which in itself provides a framework for the music to be found on this release. With "Launch Pad" the avid listener is taken on a brief trip into Balearic-infused Dub Rave realms before whilst "Sally Ride" fully indulges in tender, yet driving and spatial DubTechno vibes for late night dancefloors or sparkling sunset sets and "Valentina Tereshkova" brings forth a deeper, more floating, frolicking and surely AmbientTrance-adjacent vibe mixed with elements of Armchair- and Intelligent Techno as well as slightly experimental electroid breakdown sequences sporting a more futuristic feel for those who know. Furthermore we see "Helen Sharman" on a more twisted and spaced out, yet also more complex and captivating 4/4-driven dancefloor tip with a rather undeniable UK flavour, meandering forward through a plethora of ever changing arrangements like an extended electronic live jam, "Chiaki Mukai" weighs in a sonic contrast and brings forward what seem to be plucked, yet processed strings backed by a beautiful amalgamation of ChillOut x Deep Listening Music swing only to progress further towards mesmerizing Armchair Techno whereas "Mae Jemison"'s off-kilter backwards loop intro leads into more slow caressing Ambient DubTechno with a well rounded soft harmonic edge and weighs in echoes of bleeping Acid before the concluding cut that is "Bone Planet" waves goodbye on beatless, scenic, yet short and rather electronic landscape-y tip for a closing. Go get yourself a copy. Highly recommended.

Album artwork on Instagram!