Mativetsky, Amiri & Page - Metamorphose [Fifth House Music]

Released via the Canadian Fifth House Music label on March 20th, 2k26 is "Metamorphose", a new collaborational album release which sees acclaimed tabla player x percussionist Shawn Mativetsky teaming up with Iranian-born singer and santur player Amir Amiri and harpist Sarah Page, also featured on electronics and vocal duties here, to create a five pieces and roughly 44 minutes spanning musical journey which fuses the individual experiences and heritage of the artists invlvd, all falling together in an ever floating, harmonious and somewhat even folksy stream of sound in the opening piece that is "Yavaran" with its cascading melodies, rolling rhythms and ethereal vocal passages hidden deep within the mix whereas the title track "Metamorphose", despite being a rather densely arranged affair, oozes a certain kind of mediterranean melancholia and even presents a rather dramatic breakdown leading to an even more inward looking and reflective, yet still playful second phase ending in a certainly New Age-adjacent manner. With the "Quarter Tone Suite" the triumvirate of artists brings forth an even deeper path of stripped down, shimmering melancholia seemingly infused with a rather Eurasian twist and a tentative exploration of themes over more than 11 minutes followed by the captivating tribal'esque grovves and shimmering melodies of "Maktrismos" before "Pathos" rounds things off with ethereal, timeless and mythical movements hovering somewhere in a universal darkness unphased by time, space or quantum physics, an insular sonic space of peacefulness emitting a steady, all embracing, dim and comforting glow for those in need of exactly this. World Music x World Fusion beyond its usually narrow niche and an album we'd stylistically also would've expected to be played in ChillOut x Ambient areas of mid 90s Goa / PsyTrance parties due to its rather mystical and spriritual nature if it had been released in those days.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Tuleje - Nagle Prezejasnienia [Gusstaff Records]

Tuleje is back on Gusstaff Records. The trio consisting of Gosia Zagajeswka, Ksawery Wojcinskyand Wojtek Kurek are releasing their third longplayer for the ever active Polish label on June 12, 2k26 - a.k.a. today -, once again approaching the topic of original Folk Music from Eastern Greater Poland and re-imagining their material from their very own and personal point of view with "Plot" introducing a new, raw and in some way even PostPunk-leaning angle to Tuleje's sound, "Grzbiet" entering dramatic, slightly vintage territories yet allowing for enough melody and catchiness for it becoming a dedicated and spine-tingling underground hit of sorts which also goes for "Noc" and its well funky, almost Pink Floyd-adjacent vibe whereas "Drzwi" weighs in quite a hefty, muscular and highly seductive Rock meets Swing groove and the final cut "Mio" presents a rather unsettling, nocturnal and even slightly DarkJazz-oriented finale which should find its way into a future feature film score for a reason or two. Quite a diverse and interesting album, this.

Morton Feldman - Palais De Mari: Performed By John Tilbury [True Blanking 006]

Released via the True Blanking label on May 1st, 2k26 is "Palais De Mari", a live recording of John Tilbury's performance of named Morton Feldman piece which took place more than a decade ago at the occasion of the Tectonics Festival in Reykjavik, Iceland on March 3rd, 2k12. Over the course of a little more than 26 minutes Tilbury dives deep into the final Feldman composition for solo piano which harks back to 1986, carefully exploring the pieces stripped down, ever so slightly varying movements and gestures, presenting a spatial and atmospheric, yet at the same time extremely focused amalgamation of Contemporary x Modern Classical composition and a rather accessible take on what might be referred to as Minimal Music, timelessly floating, with each single note struck representing a chiming single star in the absolute vastness of the known sonic universe. A masterclass in everlasting beauty. Nothing more, nothing less.

Album artwork on Instagram!

LXC - Cyanz / How Bleep Is Your Dub [45Seven 020]

Released back in early 2k20 via the ever active Leipzig-based 45 Seven imprint as a well marvellous cyan 7" vinyl edition is LXC's quasi double A-side "Cyanz / How Bleep Is Your Dub". With the well fitting A-side title the long time active producer presents a deep and trippy amalgamation of bleepy, junglistic and somewhat even Acid-infused Halftime and Footwork Jungle for advanced Bass Music dancefloors whilst the flip, interestingly named "How Bleep Is Your Dub", features Emperor Echo on melodica-duties and enters timelessly floating (Neo)Dub territories backed by percussive structures as minimalist and subdued as possible whilst literally drowning punters in an ocean of all embracing, extremely organic low end movements. One for the bass headz.

7" artwork on Instagram!

Ed Cooper - Vestibule [Thanatosis 052]

Released by the Swedish Thanatosis label on May 8th, 2k26 is "Vestibule", the latest full length album piece by writer x composer Ed Cooper which enters the physical realm in a super limited edition of 50 blood red CD-r copies only - probably a well intentional colour choice as its two extended pieces "...grown up, you are grown, and feeling stronger, feeling..." as well as "...as far as... unloving still... down on your stomach..." are using their performers heartbeats as rhythmic tempo guideline with Ben Finlay, Jack Adler-McKean and the Octandre Ensemble as executive forces for Cooper's sonic vision. Framed in between three short pieces the two main long-form compositions, each of them exceeding the 20 minutes mark by quite a stretch, are bringing forth minimalist Dark Ambient dronings sitting on the low frequency end of the audible spectrum, with the named heartbeat frequencies hidden deep within the mix as occasional tectonic rumblings accompanied by ghostly echoes of echoes of Ambient textures blown over from afar, crossing cold, barren and hostile plains as well as mind-numbing voids on their journey whilst also transporting structures and sequences as majestic, timeless and overwhelming as the mysterious heptapods in 'Arrival', hidden and engulfed in nebulous atmospheres out of which both melancholia-inducing pads and most powerful, almost klaxon'esque sonic bursts emerge before drifting away into a warm, peaceful and almost comforting Ambient nothingness. Highly recommended for Dark Ambient connaisseurs and dedicated collectors of Deep Listening Music.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Andrew MacKelvie's - Many Worlds: The Promotional CD Edition [Watch That Ends The Night]

Released via Watch That Ends The Night on March 6th, 2k26 is the latest - and self-titled - album by the Andrew MacKelvie-led octed Many Worlds, a venture, project and musical concept heavily influenced by a health-shattering bike accident which altered MacKelvie's life in many ways - and the same goes for his thinking, overthinking perhaps, and his deeper consideration of the many worlds theory in quantum physics which acts as the namesake for this album. Soundwise, the project opens on a densely layered and well psychedelic, almost retrofuturistic and score'esque tip with "Impact / Awake" before driving, hounded and muscular Rock beats provide the foundation for cinematic high speed chase scenes backed by multiple corresponding sax lines and crashing cymbals in "Disentomb The Brain Function" whereas "Time Dilation feat. Aquakultre" starts from a point of rather disharmonic brass layerings and raw drum abstractions only to progress and evolve into folksy emotional ambiance and touching Spoken Word lyricism, making it our favorite and most recommended piece on here, whilst "Realities Blossom" harks back to not only ever branching out multiverses in a quantum world but also indulges deeply in rather, and probably also surprisingly..., traditional Jazz Funk vibes just to provide an approximation of what's to expect from this roughly 37 minutes spanning seven track album which can be described as an intensely fascinating and well-rounded affair to add to the collection of a dedicated Contemporary Avantgarde Jazz collector. If that's you - go check!

Havard Skaset / Stale Liavik Solberg - Truck Rural [Conradsound 336]

Released via the Oslo-based Conradsound label on January 23rd, 2k26 is "Truck Rural", the first ever full on collaborational album by Havard Skaset and Stale Liavik Solberg who are catering a set of seven compositions over the course of roughly 40 minutes, bringing forth a fully acoustic and unprocessed dialogue of acoustic guitar, drums and various percussive elements. Opening with "Eternal Espa" the duo sets the tone for this improvisational album affair with a sharp, twangy and metallic plucked quasi-guitar motif regularly falling to bits whilst being accompanied by wildly scattered percussions before taking a sudden turn towards ruminant, introspective strumming and experimental percussive noises provided by what in part seem to be found everyday objects probably including, even though this might be purely speculative, pots and cutlery whereas pieces like "Intentional Illseng" provide catchy, somewhat even hippie'esque, yet also slightly Blues-infused sequences and tweaked, Psychedelia-adjacent harmonics alongside a whirlwind of drum rolls and fever'ish, hallucinogenic arhythmatics. Furthermore "Lonesome Løten" weighs in an almost rural and minimalist angle on instrumental Americana x Blues abstractions in its first half and therefore might be our favorite cut on this album whereas "Relaxing In Romedal" builds up to a massive multilayered acoustic crescendo which is quite the opposite of relaxing tbh, just to lay out a rough idea on what's to expect from this quite interesting and unusual affair in terms of Improvised Music x Free Improv. Also an album to watch out for if you've got a thing for alliterations grammatically.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Nick Fraser - Areas [Elastic Recordings 026]

Released via Elastic Recordings as their cat.no. 026 on April 10th, 2k26 is "Areas", the latest full length album effort conceived by Toronto's long-time active Jazz drummer Nick Fraser. Once again teaming up with Tony Malaby on saxophone duties as well as Kris Davis on piano to embark on a trio journey spanning a total of seven brand new compositions and a total runtime of approximately 40 minutes "Areas" showcases not only Fraser approach to and distinct vision of FreeJazz and Avantgarde Jazz but also the quality of his music as sonic source material, with the album sporting three interludes of electro-acoustic nature derived by piano player x composer John Kameel Farah from duo perfomances by Fraser / Malaby as a rather unusual, yet creative and outstanding addition to the trios work at the core of this release. With "Mimic" the musical triumvirate focuses on a stripped down nocturnal take on Dark Jazz before introducing deeply emotional, yet in parts raw and unhinged sax lines backed by subdued and well hypnotic groove abstractions building up to an intense, densely arranged climax whilst the 11+ minutes spanning main piece "Area" drifts through spiralling emotions, rather classically-oriented Jazz infusions and screaming high pressure sequences before winding down in a calm, tender and borderline playful manner. Furthermore "There Are Other Ways" presents hard hitting muscular snare drum attacks creating a syncopated swing as a base for hammered piano chords and intense free sax expressions and "Sketch 57" is way more of a sketch, not only for its - once again - extended run time but most importantly for its cosy and almost romantic interpretation of what we'd call late night Jazz for lovers which, although working its way towards expressive heights, never forsakes its main motivation and feel. Defo one for the well informed Jazz afficionado, this.

Demegy & LUI - Raumwerk EP [Alpha Cutauri X]

Released via the Alphacut Records subsidiary Alpha Cutauri on April 20th, 2k21 is the "Raumwerk EP", a collaborational four track vinyl EP cooked up by Demegy & LUI. With their A1 cut "Klaustrophon" the duo caters a unique take on a rarely heard amalgamation of a distinct Electronica x IDM sound aesthetic and fragmented echoes of skeletal Drum'n'Bass x Club Autonomic minimalisms whilst the subsequent "Stolpergeist" weighs in expertly shaped and sculpted, less abstract and indeed recognizable Minimal Drum'n'Bass structures accompanied by gooey, swampy and elastic alien synth movements and almost droning low end movements on the fringe of the audible spectrum. On the b-side we see "Flächenromantik" on a most beautiful, almost crystalline and surely Ambient-infused tip before sparse and tribalistic Drum'n'Bass rhythms take things to a deeper, well atmospheric late night level whereas "Synthoskop" rounds things off in a playful, almost optimistic manner with its deep drum triplets, shimmering arrangements and scintillating harmonies and therefore provides a perfect, albeit well abstract, closing after long bass driven night out.

Vinyl artwork on Instagram!

Roman Rofalski - Awaiting PM / Fractal [Oscillation 013]

Put out on the circuit via the Oscillations label as a quasi two-in-one album release on March 6th, 2k26 is "Awaiting PM / Fractal", a double venture cooked up by Berlin-based piano player / producer Roman Rofalski. Split into two distinct pieces "Fractal" and "Awaiting PM", each of them comprised of a total of seven indidvidual tracks, the album opens with "Fractal" - an exploration of prepared piano via the means of digital processing and heavy synthesis spanning an arc from shimmering single tones and harmonic bursts hovering atop thundering, earth shaking and surely vantablack Industrial Electronica structures in "Perpetuum" to the more mechanical percussions and vast spatial eerieness of "Bass Resonance", the droning Ambient atmospheres and cascading, in parts even synth-like and percussive prepared piano expressions of "Fractal Waves" whereas "Bumper" presents a tense, almost claustrophobic closing for the first half of the album comprised of uneasy digital scrapings, an ever intensifying, vibrating and flickering digital noise crescendo and tense hammered clusters of prepared piano backed by dark sci-fi industrial rhythm signatures - a tune, as great as it is, not recommended for those struggling with anxiety or paranoia. Furthermore we see "Awaiting PM", recorded and composed in the wake of becoming a first time father to a son, pairing a Yamaha grand piano with the classic approach of an Akai MPC 2000 on a more playful IDM x Electronica meets piano note in the slightly off-kilter, yet uplifting "Friday Love" which evokes memories of what could be described as (Outer) Space Jazz for a reason whilst "Monday" sees touching, emotional single piano chord processings floating over subdued, nervous rhythm signatures followed by the tense, dense yet also otherworldly beautiful layers of "Tuesday" which seem to exist in a sonic singularity outside the usually perceived realm of space and time whereas "Wednesday Stone" explores chiming Contempory Classical composition in conjunction with digital noise textures and "Nervous Thursday" embraces anxious, eerie and spine-tingling tonalities, earth shaking low end rumbles and an innate feel of tension leading into a nerve-wrecking finale to fully live up to its name. Good stuff. Go check.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Felsenmeer - Reliefs [Aut Records 150]

Released via the ever active Italian staple that is Aut Records on April 8th, 2k26 is "Reliefs", the latest musical outing by the Felsenmeer quartet comprised of Josephine Besancon, Charles Paillet, Fanny Boutellier and Matheo Cieslo. Combining an instrumental setting of quadruple vocal action, double bass, drums and clarinets over a total of six compositions and roughly 35 minutes playtime Felsenmeer are starting out on a rather late night Jazz tip working their way up to a multiple of surprisingly full orchestral sounding climaxes in the opening piece "Chute" whereas the title track "Reliefs" gets deep into tender and caressing laid-back grooves best consumed alongside expensive top drawer cocktails and spirits in backroom cladden with dark wooden interieur and wafting cigar smoke followed by the extended center piece "Hymne Au Monde Muet" with its calming nocturnal minimalism and beautifully arranged, slightly twangy extended solo bass elaborations whilst catering a bit of a surprise with the eerie off-kilter intro leading into the complex and fast-paced "Meltem" which defo is the most Jazz dancefloor suitable cut on this album for a reason just to name a few. Defo a sweet entry point for dedicated Jazz lovers to be, sporting an absolutely brilliantly beautiful cover for the collector crew as well. Check.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Various Artists - Threenity [Bassmaessage 003]

Coming in from Leipzig's Bassmaessage camp these days is "Threenity", the labels third six track compilation album since its inception in 2015. Opening with LUI's "Nasu Dengaku" we're drawn onto late night dancefloors with a classic stripped down UK Garage swing and detailed vocal cut ups designed for intimate clubs well below a max capacity of 200 whereas "Shattered" by Trainsient brings forth a darker, somewhat danger-heralding crimescene vibe with its brooding atmosphere, fluttering low end rumbles and highly syncopated, complex yet skeletal beat foundation whilst Psionide's "Serpent" weighs in glistening pads and widescreen panoramic vibes alongside percussive harmonics evoking memories of South East Asian influences backed by junglistic Breakbeat rolls to round off the A-side. Coming on first on the flip is "Raga Dub" by Son De Maquis, a timeless feathering deep Dubstep affair with a bit of a dark sci-fi twist followed by Miles Won's "Parrish VIP" and its undeniably seductive low end pressure, offbeat licks and dubbed out samples which for us evoke fond memories of Dubstep's early formative years before Dub Across Borders' "Center Hit" deeply indulges in what might be filed under the flag of Experimental Ambient Dub with its soft and tender harmonic fragments, sparse beat pulse and multiple interfering layers of echo and delay patterns made for advanced ChillOut floors and after party sessions. Bass is well healthy and alive in Leipzig's underground scene, it seems.

David Ahlen - Impartation [Atrium Artists Promo]

Put out on the digital circuit via Atrium Artists on April 17th, 2k26 is "Impartation", the latest mini album released by Swedish composer, musician and painter David Ahlen - and his first musical outing in over four years, presenting a selection of nine brand new pieces within a total time frame of a little more than 27 minutes and coming back from quite a bit of a personal struggle with this one. Opening with "Shin" Ahlen enters a realm of mythical, misty, yet dark'ish and nocturnal Ambient structures based on eerily beautiful off kilter harmonies and enormous spatial width followed by the more intimate and elegic, deeply melancholic and inward looking piece that is "Untitled" featuring enchanted hovering non-vocalisms and phrasing by Rebecka Karlsson who is also present in the fluttering and otherworldly "Yinnon", a piece that sees Ambient-adjacent minimalism and echoes of Contemporary Composition on the brink of a total - and tonal - collapse - whereas the title track "Impartation" balances the outer edges of the audible Dark Ambient spectrum before "Vav" gives us a full serving of brittle, quivering and ever decaying Post-Vaporwave neon aesthetics just to name a few. If you're in for a rather inward-looking sonic experience and a dedicated fan of enchanted Deep Listening Music this probably is one release to check out for a reason.

Meredith Bates - The Observer Effect: Books I & II [Phonometrograph]

Put out on the circuit via the Canadian Phonometrograph label on March 13th, 2k26 is "The Observer Effect: Books I & II", the latest extended - a.k.a. 2CD double pack - album affair conceived by violin x viola player and composer Meredith Bates which rolls out her musical vision over the course of roughly 140 minutes, in two parts - "The Observer Effect Book I - Casting" and "The Observer Effect Part II - Evocation" - which are indiviually split in movements or, as mentioned in the tracklist, incantations. Conceptually infused and inspired by a key principle in quantum mechanics, and: philosophy, Bates and her fellow contributing artists Scott Morgan, Chris Gestrin and Curtis Andrews are pairing fanfare-adjacent slow Ambient movements of a rather dramatic tonal nature with tweeting birds and other Field Recordings in the opening piece of the first CD, or: book, named "1st Incantation (Protection)" which is followed by the 34-minutes spanning "2nd Incantation (Disillusionment)" which pairs slow, organic low end pulses with rather score'esque and widescreen panoramic arrangements exploring a field located in between Deep Listening Music, naturalist story telling, echoes of Dark Ambient as well as faint memories of memories of Jean Michel Jarre's "Zoolook" album and classic, yet rather dark'ish and eerie Berlin School and New Age approaches without ever coming close to anything related to Kraut-whatever before dissolving into a peaceful, slowly meandering stream of sound as majestic and impressive as a winding river of epic width and proportions. Furthermore the "3rd Incantation (Infatuation)" brings forth tender and caressing string repetitions backed by soft pads backed by more Field Recordings of nature and comforting, all embracing low end rumbles building up towards a wind- or probably storm- swept crescendo whereas the "4th Incantation (Memory)" enters a realm of ancient longing and desire built up and layered over the course of centuries or millenia even, an intrinsically emotional, yet at the same time highly vulnerable space filled with wafting ethereal mists transcending our standard perception of space and consciousness. The second half, or: 'Book II', caters rather classical Ambient structures evolving from harmonic pads in combination with plucked strings embbeded deep within the mix to rather majestic and most beautiful Glacial Ambient movements in its super extended - a.k.a. 45 minutes long - opener "1st Incantation (Infatuation)" followed by the "2nd Incantation (Silencing)" which serves scraping Minimal Ambient structures in a rather interludic manner before "3rd Incantation (Binding)" fully indulges in elegic and emotional Contemporary Classical composition deeply infused with innate melancholia, backed with surprisingly lively and playful NeoTribal rhythm signatures, providing a well fascinating and unexpected ride for a closing which probably makes it one of our favorite cuts on this album. Recommended!

Album artwork on Instagram!

XOTOX - Dokumentation II: Remix [Infacted Recordings]

Released on the digital circuit via Infacted Recordings on April 30th is "Dokumentation II: Remix" - a new remix compilation which sees a total of fourteen plus one original tracks by Andreas Davids a.k.a. XOTOX being reworked and reinterpreted for 2k26. Opening with "Die Strömung Der Welt *Matt Hart Remix" we're drawn onto dark and brooding EBM x Techno-adjacent Goth dancefloors whilst the "Was Hörst Du *Blac Kolor Remix" serves ghostly background whispers, overwhelming low end madness and heavy, wonked out Industrial x Broken Techno melancholia with sustained, yearning synth melodies and rather seductive late night grooves and "XOTOXIKOLOGIE *Antibody Remix" hits Industrial Techno dancefloors with hypnotic precision and echoes of echoes of Nitzer Ebb's militant vocal performance. The subsequent "Am Rande Des Universums *Supersimmetria Remix" brings forth a hard hitting percussive and well technoid interpretation for strobe-lit peaktime sets as a foundation for shimmering Trance-infused synth atmospheres followed by Cervello Elettronico's Remix for "The Price We Pay For Happyness" and its precisely sculpted bass drums evoking memories of former Curve 146 releases on labels like Autist, once again garnished with shimmering pads and raw midrange sawtooth synths for maximum dancefloor impact whereas the "WDYWMTKM *_1979_ WDITTMAGR Remix" indulges deeply in noisy electroid Chemical Breaks - think "Schokodreck" by Rob Acid or the Intrauterin Recordings-released "Beat Junkie / Dope Beatz" 7" vinyl by Sascha Müller as a reference point here. Furthermore "Erkenntnis" is taken care of by Alien Vampires in a hard hitting Electro Phonk / Broken Techno fashion wreaking havoc on South London Bass dancefloors, the "Leben Und Sterben Für Musik Aus Strom *EXITIZE Remix" is highly effective fodder for all modern contemporary Rave x Hard Dance DJs and the 16Pad Noise Terrorist rework of "Niemandskind" caters heavily synth-driven DarkJungle x Industrial Drum'n'Bass vibes for major peaktime murderation. Subsequently following is "Hörst Du Mich *Egomania Mix Das Ich" which goes down a rather melodic and melancholia inducing CyberGoth alley before the "Kind Am Fenster *Kühle Matrosen Rework" is a full on Minimal Wave x German New Wave cover for those who know and Ductape's remix of "The Dark" explores heavily distorted Electro GothPunk x Darkwave territories for fans of Lebanon Hanover and the likes of. The "Analyze Me *TC75 Remix" throws in a dark'ish SynthPop x DarkPop x New Beat crossover whilst the "Existenz *Emmon Remix" gets back to most beautiful and cinematic pad arrangements, deeply felt melancholia and midtempo Broken Industrial beats before the concluding bonus cut "WDYWMTKM *Thorofon Remix" serves surprisingly feathering, yet hard hitting Industrial Phonk vibes backed by vantablack darkness and computer game-reminiscing vocal snippets for a closing. Recommended.

Ryan Scott - 21st-Century Canadian Snare Drum [Collection QB]

Another recent album put out on the circuit on the Collection QB label on February 13th, 2k26 is "21st-Century Canadian Snare Drum", a nearly 100 minutes spanning 2CD longplay release by Toronto's percussion icon that is Ryan Scott who, instead of presenting an extended solo take on his instrument of choice, a sole showcase of virtuosity, precision and his innate technical mastery, chose a different path, commissioning composers to write pieces with a distinct emphasis on the snare drum, yet with - for the most part that is - complimentary layers, minimalist often, yet also clearly distinguishable, adding depth, meaning and atmosphere to a body of work consisting of fourteen brand new works laid out and conceived between 2k21 and 2k23. Opening with Andrew Staniland's "ANTIGRAVITYDRUM" the first CD starts with an intense, almost threatening metallic roll of a distinct piercing quality followed by an highly dynamic ebb and flow of feathering rythmatic changes and chiming layers of additional electronics of both percussive and playful retrofuturistic nature whereas Bekah Simms's "Skinscape IV" seemingly focuses on swirling electro-acoustic explorations and manipulations of the drumhead more adjacent to experimental electronic music - Glitch, Cold Ambient and Illbient come to mind here - than traditional drumming and Christina Volpini's "Only Ghosts" amalgamates suffocating low end movements, spine-tingling electrical buzzings of ever changing intensity and emerging swarms of drum rolls for an extra eerie nocturnal feel which surprisingly dissolves into Ambient'esque harmonies later on. CD 2 starts with Brian Current's "Infantry", a piece as militant, Industrial-leaning and energetic as its title suggests, layered with cut up vocal fragments and drum instructions as a means of spine-tingling sonic storytelling which also might resonate with those following the musings of the FoundSound x collage scenes and therefore probably one of our personal favorites on here whilst Jason Doell presents a series of complex polyrhythms backed by what seem to be percussive emulations of submarine sonar pings followed by extended periods of silence in "Of Material Signs And Breaks", Hiroki Tsurumoto experiences an enchanted episode of mystical Ambient underwater magic backed by harsh, aggressive drum bursts and rumbles in "Equipo De Sonido" before Nicole Lizee's "The Far Night.FM" rounds things off with the crystalline beauty of Electronica-infused synth harmonies and live drums which fall together in an almost AFX like manner and atmosphere just to lay out a rough framework of what's to be expected from this one which will probably resonate with followers of Electroacosutic Composition and other adjacent electronic experimentalisms more than with those expecting a classic and traditional approach to drumming. Intredasting.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Radwan Ghazi Moumneh & Frederic D. Oberland - Eternal Life No End [Constellation 191]

Released on the long-standing Canadian Constellation Records label on April 3rd, 2k26 is "Eternal Life No End", the most recent collaboration album conceived by Radwan Ghazi Moumneh of Jerusalem In My Heart-fame and Frederic D. Oberland, also known as a driving force behind Oiseaux-Tempete. Serving a menu of seven pieces rolled out over the course of roughly 43 minutes the duo, driven by a long friendship and connection, brings forth an amalgamation of their individual musical approaches as matter of dealing with the situation in the so-called Middle East, overcoming what Oberland describes as a total writers block, mixing brittle, yet rather captivating, silver shining and ever scintillating digital quasi-Ambient layers with plucked and processed Arab string instruments seemingly triggering movement and direction of subdued lo-fi beats as a foundation for Radwan Ghazi Moumneh outerworldy, heavily detuned vocals in the opening piece "Squeal Of Swine", a tune atmospherically sitting in between otherworldly melancholia and the shimmering neon static aesthetic of Post-Vaporwave whereas "Dagger Eyes" pairs slow ritual x tribal percussions with brooding, claustrophobic sawtooth basslines, unaltered vocal deepness as well as hovering Arab string tonalities whilst the super minimalist "A Silence With No Ceiling" evokes memories of inward looking Desert Blues x Americana excursions of instrumental nature, meandering through dried up meadows like a winding river bed that hasn't seen any form of precipitation for years on end. Furthermore "A Shadow With No Silhouette" sees the two artists exploring a sonic landscape as beautiful and touching as a setting sun over an endless sea of dunes before "The Serpent" sees electrically charged low end movements meeting mystical memories, altered and ever morphing vocals and - most importantly - a pounding, yet organic pulse of 4-2-the-floor bassdrums for Industrial Shamanic dancefloor rituals, "A Dream That Never Arrived" caters more late night dancefloor fodder with its slow moving quasi-Dancehall and a continous bass drone garnished with fragmented oriental harmonic structures most likely catering to those who've been ecstatically dancing to DJ sets play by DJ /rupture and the likes of throughout the 00s and the closing cut named "Walked And Walked" presents a shimmering silver lining of hope at the far end of the horizon with its calm, almost soothing Ambient floatations and echoes of Jazz x Future Jazz to be found in the mix. Good stuff, yet probably rather unusual for a Constellation Records release.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Robert Humber - Into Air [Redshift Records]

Released via the Redshift Records label on February 27th, 2k26 is "Into Air", the latest album outing written by Canadian composer Robert Humber. Subtitled 'Four Multi-Tracked Pieces' this release features a total of four brand new pieces, the latter two being rather long form whilst the first two are split into three individual movements each. Opening with "Into Air", a piece for five violins inspired by an airborne view of the Canadian wildfire season, the attentive listener is immediately able to sense imminent danger, dramatic movements and swirling vortices paired with an almost Classical sense of beauty and widescreen panoramic arrangements whereas "Mothmouth", written for three guitars, brings forth a rather opposite feel of a calm, rural and in parts Folk-adjacent ebb and flow of layered, multi-tracked guitars accompanied by occasional percussive sounds, providing a deep and hypnotic yet also somewhat flanger-y journey - with the latter effect achieved due to the close layering of different guitar tonalities. Furthermore we see "Murmurations" as a concept for layered six pianos on a rather dense, in parts even enchanted and ethereal tip, exceeding the realms of Classical x Modern Classical piano performance by far with its amalgamating layers entering a misty sonic dream state of rather Twin Peaks-leaning atmospheric qualities before "Singing In Circles" combines solo cello and solo octet in a continuous, nearly 14 minutes spanning dialogue ark ranging from tender, intimate and Classical-informed moments to raw, agressive and untamed bowing attacks introducing high octane drama and rather physical off-kilter tonalities to fans and followers of Contemporary Avantgarde Composition. If you're amongst these, this album is for you.

Claudio F Baroni - Re-Genetic [Unsounds 090]

Put out on the circuit via the Dutch Unsounds label as their cat.no. 090 on December 12th, 2k25 is "Re-Genetic", the third album cooked up for the imprint by Italian-born, Amsterdam-based composer Claudio F Baroni. Catering a total of two extended compositions on this 51 minutes spanning longplayer Baroni opens with "J'ai Connu", based on a text by Geraldine Schwarz, read and performed by Isabelle Vigier, following his established musical practice of deriving the instrumental score aided by digital speech analysis, resulting in a stripped down, rather intimate and dreamlike sonic landscape closely following the path Isabelle Vigier's tender whispers take whilst sustained, probably processed and slightly off-kilter strings provide a bit of an irritating momentum in their ever shifting and meandering pitch, adding a bit of a ghostly, otherworldly element to the pieces already nocturnal atmosphere. In the title bearing piece "Re-Genetic Mutation", a 36 minutes long take inspired by and based on Robert Ashley's text 'Love Sure Is A Good Example' which he also narrates, we see Reinier Van Houdt providing tender, yet dynamic and powerful piano lines alongside Ashley's pronounced performance amalgamating expressive Spoken Word, classic poetic lyricism and a spiritual, almost service or worship adjacent feel whereas Baroni adds additional tape layers of a spatial, droning and atmospheric nature. Highly recommended and absolutely beautiful, this album is.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Psoas - Satori [Aut Records 151]

Another relatively fresh album put out on the circuit via Italy's Aut Records label as their cat.no. 151 on April 15th, 2k26 is "Satori", the latest longplayer conceived by sax player Alex Dal Checco, guitarist Giulio Cuppari and drummer Giosue Consiglio under their shared musical nom de guerre that is Psoas. Serving a menu of ten compositions rolled out over a total playtime of 68 minutes the trio is opening with the stripped down and hyper abstract atmospheric Funk vibes of "Verde" which further progresses into deep and rather romantic Late Night Jazz territories before hitting the Funk train once again, providing a rather dynamic and oftentimes surprising ebb and flow of intensity over its entire runtime whereas pieces like the subsequent "Delicato" are focusing on twangy, inward-looking, yet certainly Funk-infused guitar lead-harmonics for the most part before free floating saxophone improvisations take over in the tunes second half. Furthermore we see "Dinosauro" indulging in dramatic, ever intensifying melodic waves, catering what is probably the closest to classic Jazz x JazzFunk on this longplay release whilst "Linda" in parts drives the tempo up with staccato sax sequences before falling back to a beautifully laid back and romantic vision, "Angela" is dabbling with rather raspy, screaming and FreeJazz infused sax workouts followed by the once again funky and highly climatic Jazz crescendo of "Oggi" which might be our personal favorite on here just to name a few.

New Youtube Playlist: From The Archives. From The Vaults.

With this relatively new video series we're about to explore a selection of non vinyl-related sound carriers from our archives - think cassette tapes, flexi discs, CDs and probably even more obscure formats from the deepest underground, oftentimes rare or widely unknown, released in limited quantities only, based in harsh or experimental music but also, inevitably, some stuff that came in for review purposes before these pages became the English language platform it is today - think: nitestylez.de 1.0 - or highly influential releases we've but throughout or formative years. Get along for a ride.

Wooli Duo - Wooli [Hajodo Records]

Put out on the circuit on March 13th, 2k26 via Hajodo Records is the self-titled debut album by Wooli Duo, the self-proclaimed Avantgarde Folk duo comprised of Taiwanese pipa player Fan-Qi Wu and Norwegian drummer Michael Lee Sørenmo who are drawing inspiration from traditional East Asian music, Free Improv and experimental music whilst being joined in their efforts by South Korean double bass player dongyi on cuts like "Colonial" and Italy's Simone Bottasso providing additional organetto lines on "Roots". Opening with "Dare To Wish" the duo brings forth a piece providing a highly dynamic contrast between tender string pluckings and astoundingly muscular, certainly Rock-oriented and even funky AF passages including heavy drums and rather intense quasi-riffing whereas "Colonial" presents an amalgamation of bowed strings, rather elegic emotional atmospheres and spiralling dreamlike harmonies before "Roots" fully indulges in most beautiful contemplative melodic minimalism, leaving plenty of room for an innocent, almost rural atmosphere to unfold which stays present even when the piece is picking up pace, tempo and intensity later on. Furthermore "Traditional Rock" weighs in rather intense and urgent repetetive string treatments before adding intricate, yet playful and highly detailed melodic explorations and short improvised uptempo bursts to the mix only to fall back to stripped down and subdued drum improvisations towards the end, "Sketches" explores somewhat off-kilter, skeletal, somewhat eerie and futuristic sonic structures whilst the concluding cut named "Facing" leads to a rather hypnotic finale with its aggressive bow scrapings and thunderous drum rumblings just to name a few. If you've been drawn in expecting Folk in a Western sense and tradition you might've come to the wrong place. This being said, if you're a connaisseur of Modern Composition and well versed in Contemporary Classical as well as Avantgarde eclecticisms and, probably, Minimal Chamber Music this might be an album worth exploring.

Filippo Sala - Maree [Aut Records 148]

Put out on March 11th, 2k26 as the labels cat.no. 148 is "Maree", the second full length album conceived by the Italian drummer x percussionist x composer Filippo Sala for Aut Records, once again realized and brought to life in collaboration with Enrico Terragnoli and Danilo Gallo. Rolled out over roughly 45 minutes and a total of 10 brand new compositions the Sala-led trio is, according to the accompanying press sheet, drawing inspiration from the oscillating movement of the tides in the ocean, opening with the deep, tender and inward looking PostRock of "Martin P" which takes us back to mid-00s releases on labels like Exile On Mainstream and intimate concert shows at Hamburg's then beloved micro venue Astrastube around the turn of the millenium whereas "Carillon" brings forth a stripped down and defo Blues-infused late night vision followed by the muscular and well dynamic, rather funky, yet surely Rock x Alternative Rock infused complex rhythmic wizardry of "Moon" and the detailed MicroJazz approach of "Le Cose Semplici". Furthermore we see "Crepuscolo" on an oriental x desert-infused tip with its distinct, rather minimalist plucked string lead melody and subdued, yet scorching hot background percussions whilst "Senz'acqua" fully indulges in hypnotic peak time Psychedelia and a certainly driving vibe that would sit well in a future Tarantino movie yet to come whereas "Ricardo Reis" does the exact opposite, carefully and tentatively exploring textures and layers, slowly building a delicate web of echoes of echoes of what might be described as Late Night Jazz by some. With "Capeo De Mato" we're back on a Rock-driven and certainly muscular edge with, once again, rather funky groove infusions before "Luglio" settles on a cozy, slightly twangy and intimate PostRock vibe for late summer afternoons and "Mr. Winter" provides a similarly deep, yet more session-like live feel for a closing. A rather unusual release for Aut Records, yet defo an interesting one. Go check!

Album artwork on Instagram!

Duran Vazquez + Kloob - Vinum Sabbati: In The Dawn Of Sciene Fiction [Cronica 243]

Released on November 11th, 2k25 via the ever active Portuguese label that is known under the name of Cronica is "Vinum Sabbati: At The Dawn Of Science Fiction", the first full length collaboration album conceived by Duran Vazquez and Kloob which had known eachother for almost a quarter of a century before actually starting to work on a shared musical project. Over the course of 58 minutes and a total of eight pieces the two artists built a sonic universe strongly influenced by the proto science fiction of Arthur Machen's short story "Novel Of The White Powder", opening with what can be described as a well unsettling maelstrom of unease named "Prelude To Dreadful Confessions By A Doctor", a spiralling stream of Cold Ambient x Death Ambient hostile and cold like the interstellar void subsequently followed by "A Premonition Of Self-Inflicted Harm" which presents a calmer, more droning and certainly more spatial take on slowly morphing Dark Ambient backed by futuristic bleeps hidden deep within the mix. With the "Ambience Of Suspicion" the duo enters a realm of deep melancholia built up over the course of eons before "The Devil's Pharmacy" brings forth eerie deep space claustrophobia and vantablack atmospheres in combination with metallic clangings, ever morphing echoes of alien communication and rumbling low end movements whereas "The Rotten Limb" further explores icy exoterrestrial landscapes and their wafting mists out of which ghostly, fluttering and angelic choirs emerge, covered and interrupted by ever intensifying sirens. Furthermore we see "Ominous Remedy - Transcending Human Condition" presenting an almost classic approach to rather melodic sci-fi Ambient comprised of widescreen atmospheres and a backbone of harmonic, intermodulating pulses before drifting off into score'esque soundspheres and, later on, abrasive all annihilating Noize whilst "Confinement And Mortification" embodies a feel of neverending hollow nothingness, once again sitting on the brink of mind-numbing Death Ambient, and the concluding cut aptly titled "Scientific Horror" rounds things off in a surprisingly calm and shimmering Ambient manner, providing a glimpse of hope at the horizon after a trip through eternal darkness. Highly recommended, yet one album not to play to the mentally or emotionally unstable as its sonic contents might have disturbing or disorienting effects.

Album artwork on Instagram!

XOTOX - Die Geheimen Dokumente [Infacted Recordings Promo]

Released on the digital circuit via Infacted Recordings on March 20th, 2k26 is "Die Geheimen Dokumente" - a new quasi-EP / single hybrid by long standing producer XOTOX. Opening with the Blac Kolor Remix of "Was Hörst Du?" we're drawn straight to the heart of the late night dancefloor with by a melange of heavy drum grooves and rather melancholia-inducing synth string arrangements, a large scale breakdown and whispering, almost trance-inducing voices whereas "The Price We Pay For Happiness *Corvo Elettronico Remix" brings forth heavy distorted peak time brutalism suitable for both HardTechno and Industrial dancefloors with its grinding layers and overwhelming bassline attacks. Furthermore "Ich Funktioniere *Elektropop" caters an alternative and rather stripped down variation of a cut previously released on the 2023 album "Ich Bin Da / Ich Funktioniere", the "Untitled And Unreleased Demotrack From 2001" reveals the stomping and spaced out technoid vision XOTOX followed a quarter of a century ago before another unearthed cut from the archive named "Künstlicher Mensch *Unreleased Demotrack From 2001" follows suit in a similar, yet more Industrial / FreeTekno-leaning manner with popping, expertly sculpted sci-fi bassdrums, extended Rhythm Industrial sequences and an overall grinding and hypnotic attitude which we're defo in for. Good stuff.

Stinning / Long / Heinemann - Lines Of Flight [Aut Records 145]

Put out on the circuit via the ever active Italian Aut Records label on February 18th, 2k26 as a 43 minutes spanning five track vinyl album is "Lines OF Flight", the first ever collaborational longplayer conceived Swiss reed-player Sebastian Strinning, double bass player Jakob Heinemann and South Side Chicago-based electronic musician Norman Long. Influenced by Acoustic Ecology, a field especially Heinemann and Long have been actively engaged in for an extended period of time, the trio embarks on their musical journey with "Blattnarbe", a rather nervous, yet surprisingly detailed take on stripped down and minimalist Avantgarde Jazz with a playful and explorative, yet oftentimes also screeching and dissonant note, subsequently followed by the spiralling, free floating yet almost classic reed lines of "Locus" which are backed by what seem to be slightly processed elements of Field Recordings, traces of quasi-rhythms and a dense layer of subdued sonic events of unclear origin later leading into a certainly more broken, fractured, cut up and digitally mangled approach which might be sitting well with fans and followers of Electroacustic Composition before coming full circle for an, again, FreeJazz-informed closing rounding off a total playtime of 14 minutes on the records A-side for this piece alone. With "Demarcation" on the flip the attentive listener is drawn into a world of droning low frequency rumbles, dubbed out echoes and certainly muffled bubbling soundscapes mixed with futuristic sci-fi doom vibes and a claustrophic urgency evoking memories of electroacoustic experiments on the rather influential early 90s compilation "Abschied Aus Berne" which featured a selection of pieces from the experimental electronic scene of Hamburg / Germany at the time before finally drifting into a realm of nervous and off-kilter Avantgarde Jazz once again whereas "Fluchtpunkt" offers a brittle and oscillating perspective and nocturnal atmospheric movements with a surprisingly melancholic twist and the concluding "Retrace" weighs in a scraping, most likely fully digitally processed take on highly experimental electronic music for the most part closer to the works of artists like Tine Mariane Krogh Madsen than to most musics previously released on the Aut Records label before and, not only for being something different, be might our personal favorite on this well interesting longplay piece.

Aerie Trio - Water, Rock, Tree, Sky [Redshift Records]

Put out on the circuit via the Canadian Redshift Records imprint on February 20th, 2k26 is "Water, Rock, Tree, Sky", the first ever album release by the Diane Berry-led Aerie Trio which sees the Vancouver Island-based composer and flute player working in conjunction with fellow core members Nathan Jacklin and Kathryn Le Gros for a roughly 58 minutes lasting musical journey, occasionally accompanied by contributing guest artists like cellist Maria Wang and vocalist Marnie Setka-Mooney. Opening with the extended "Vancouver Island Suite" and its eight specific sub-movements the trio plus explores an ongoing dialogue between cello, flute and piano in a rather intimate and close-up setting presenting a fragile dynamic approach with its quietest moments bordering reverent near-silence, broken by carefully arranged piano cascades in "Prelude", followed by a still rural, yet defo frolicking and at times even jazzy angle in the subsequent "Beaches" before taking a rather dramatic and surely danger heralding surprise turn whereas "The Rainforest" provides calm, yet spine-tingling sonic tension paired with well hopeful, emotional, almost cinematic and certainly beautifully arranged harmonic string layers whilst "The Rose Garden" is more of a dreamy and elegic affair balancing on the edge of sweet autumnal Sunday afternoon melancholia. Furthermore the title-bearing "Water, Rock, Tree Sky" weighs in an enchanted combination of flute, clarinet and soprano vocals which combines elements of airy Classical and Contemporary Classical composition with echoes of Opera over the short course of just under six minutes, presenting genre aficionados with an unusual cliffhanger not often to be found within this musical real. Intredasting.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Gintas K - Merzmania [Gk Rec 008]

Put out on the circuit via his very own GK Rec. label is "Merzmania", the latest experimental album outing cooked up by Gintas Kraptavicius a.k.a. Gintas K.. Released on March 30th, 2k26 the Lithuanian porducer x sound artist caters a menu of thirteen new pieces rolled out over a total runtime of 75 minutes on this album, aiming for a fusion of Classical Music-infused techniques and the utter chaos and harsh, abrasive and oftentimes violent approach of Japanoise pioneer and forerunner Merzbow. In this fusion attempt we see Gintas K. bringing forth a combination of extremely fast, highly detailed synth keyboard work which seems to flood the attentive listeners brain with an almost granular flow of a gazillion sonic events per microsecond which are - live and in parallel - treated, transformed altered and further morphed by real time software manipulation with pieces like "Merzmania #2" resembling buzzing swarms of scintillating robotic insects from a sci-fi future accompanied by trembling sub-sonic bass attacks whilst the subsequent "Merzmania #3 Dreaming" caters minimalist digital scrapings and warm tectonic bass rumbles whereas "Merzmania #5 Slow" finally even vaguely resembles minimalist echoes of echoes of echoes of named Classical techniques, albeit in combination with further digital sweeps and scrapings. With pieces like "Merzmania #8 Spare" Gintas K. harks back to an overload of sonic events, yet in a more playful and somewhat unsettling, eerie and otherworldly manner, subsequently followed by "Merzmania #9 Turntable" with another serving of high speed modulated keyboard action before breaking down into glistening brittle and slightly off-kilter UnAmbient structures whereas the similarly named, yet different "Merzmania #11 Turbtxble" enters a realm of hyperactive digital chaos, densely layered piercing frequency shifts and intentional defragmentation just to lay out a few sonic concepts to be found on this highly limited album release. This is ultra Avantgarde music for those in the know.

Out Today: TG Mauss - Distanz (Sascha Müller & baze.djunkiii Particle Disorder Remix) [Hauch Records 047]

Released today via the Düsseldorf-based Hauch Records label is their new twelve track compilation album "Patronage V" which features this new remix crafted by long time friends and more recent studio partners baze.djunkiii and Sascha Müller taking on, tweaking, twisting and re-imagining the original track "Distanz" by TG Mauss. In their version the duo transforms the originally free floating Ambient x Pop Ambient x PostRock affair into a breezy, airy and - regarding their previous, more Bass Music driven collaborational work - quite unusual dancefloor cut inspired by dreamy MinimalHouse x TechHouse, echoes of Indietronica, PostRock and most importantly a signature Cologne Schaffel sound they had been talking about for a while in terms of taking a shot at. Out now on limited twelve track vinyl album with an initial print run of 200 hand-numbered copies.

Get your copy from:

- Quality [electronic] Music on Discogs
- Hauch Records on Bandcamp
- HHV Records / Germany
- Juno Records / UK
- Further Records / USA

Toninato & Thiessen - Dream Of Heat [Ambiances Magnetiques 285 Promo]

Put out on the circuit via the Canadian Ambiances Magnetiques label on February 13th, 2k26 is "Dream Of Heat", the latest collaborational album affair cooked up and conceived by Ida Toninato and Jennifer Thiessen. Over the course of six pieces and almost 40 minutes of total playing time the two artists combine their skills in composition, lyricism, vocal performance and the skillful execution of their ideas on their respective instruments, saxophone and viola, later enhanced with overdubs and treated via electronic measures. Opening with the emotional and rather elegic, at times even ethereal sonic backdrop of "I Need Warmth" which is nicely contrasted by the absolute urgency of the Spoken Word passage in its intro as well as a deep, almost earth shaking ebb and flow of low end bass waves the artistic duo sets a tone and pace for things to come like the subsequently following nocturnal ambience of "Bear", its specific spatiality and ever building intertwined melodic spirals which see viola and sax in a continuous, fever'ish and ever intensifying dialogue whereas "Hot Blood Flow" brings forth an almost mythical and certainly sacred feel hovering above and beyond the ordinary humans perception of three dimensional space and time whereas "I Am Suffocating" caters carefully layered vocals alongside wind swept minimalisms of probably electro-acoustic origin as well as deeply hidden quasi-rhythms of rather eerie and ritualistic nature just to name a few. An extremely intricate and beautifully intimate album. Recommended. Go check. Especially if Björk's most ethereal and stripped down tunes from around the mid-90s struck a chord with you for a reason even though there is no direct parallels or specific connections to be drawn out here.