Shlohmo - Bad Vibes

1. Big Feelings
2. Places
3. Anywhere But Here
4. It Was Whatever
5. Parties
6. Just Us
7. Sink
8. I Can't See You I'm Dead
9. Trapped In A Burning House
10. Get Out
11. Your Stupid Face
12. Seriously
13. Same Time

Establishing a sonic personality without lyrical assistance or some unique personal backstory can be tricky, especially when you're in the middle of a room crowded with your peers. The space in question is the one with a "for fans of Flying Lotus" sign posted over the door, and there hasn't been a ton of vacancy in there lately. Those who've broken out have done so by tweaking the sonic imprint of decaying beats and melting analog chords until they come across as distinctly tactile things, humid and slippery, blown-out and elastic.

Reaching out to clutch the music on Shlohmo's Bad Vibes might cause it to crumble in your grasp-- and then cut the hell out of your fingers. The L.A. producer's sophomore full-length comes after a handful of singles, EPs, remixes, and compilation appearances, as well as last year's disorienting debut, Shlomoshun Deluxe. And in that short yet busy time, Shlohmo has dredged up something strange: an aesthetic that's jaggedly delicate, filled with melodic beauty but jostled by abrasive percussive hitches, undercut with sandpapery patches of ambient fuzz. It's a deft merging of gentle, wafting electronic tones and intricately beat-to-shit rhythmic atmosphere, the sounds of old technology trying to reconcile its former gloss with its fading functionality.

The cynical ears that still can't get past the nostalgic surface of chillwave might have their own bone to pick with the cassette-deck/VHS fidelity of Bad Vibes, which stands out pretty prominently in hissy tracks like "Same Time" and "Parties". But instead of celebrating corroded, neon-pastel magnetic-tape detritus for its own sake, the music on this album leans closer to an appreciation of the actual rhythmic counterpoints, quirks, and resonant qualities of white noise. Alongside the moments that seem to revel in the flutter and crackle of old equipment are stretches that draw similar vibes from the sound of literal rainfall ("Seriously") or birdcall-strewn field recordings ("Big Feelings")-- not to mention the texture you can get from good old-fashioned feedback, like the keyboard squall of "Trapped in a Burning House".

The beats themselves are striking enough, whether they're the distant trickling clicks of "Sink" or the sharp, crisp snap-thump grooves that push along cuts like "Places" or "Same Time". Yet even the moments where the beat feels secondary to the other instrumentation have a pulse to them, run through floaty guitars or humming synthesizers that converse with the ambient hiss in compelling ways. Still, neither the melody nor the ambience overwhelms the other. It's easy to hear the silky, billowy tones through the dying-battery distortion, but hard to picture what they'd sound like without it...www.pitchfork.com

Clams Casino - Rainforest

1 Natural
2 Treetop
3 Waterfalls
4 Drowning
5 Gorilla

Clams Casino might just be the hottest producer on the planet right now. For some time his electrifying beats have been lighting up mixtapes for Lil B, Soulja Boy and other unique personalities in the new rap underground, but recently he's stepped out of the shadows to become acclaimed in his own right, releasing his own instant-classic Instrumentals mixtape, and now proffering a timely EP on Tri Angle, his debut release proper. Those expecting more of the ruggedly romantic R&B infusions he's best known for will be initially surprised, but ultimately enchanted, by the more knotty, abstract direction he's taken for 'Rainforests'. With its foregrounding of crackle, 'Natural' could almost be mistaken for The Caretaker making hip-hop, were it not for the generous dosage of Clams' signature whooshing synth atmospherics and amorphous vocal moans. 'Treetop' is just beautiful, wistul techno arpeggios and barely-there beats foraging forlornly through an ambience of exotic birdsong and high-altitude air pressure. Rhythm is back in the foreground for ‘Waterfalls’, but again this is a tune built to deliver a substantial emotional payload rather than cheap club thrills; 'Drowning' maintains the almost gothic sensibility of the EP, pattering snares, piano chords and sepulchral synth jabs ebbing and flexing in the ether. There's a release of sorts for 'Gorilla', razor-sharp strings lifting the blunted percussion heavenwards, but this vertical ascent isn't quite enough to suppress the all-pervasive feelings of heartache and listlessness. Rainforest is an isolationist hip-hop epic that accords perfectly with the Tri Angle aesthetic while also affirming and deepening Clams' singular production style; it's a new benchmark in the bedroom hip-hop revolution, the real sh*t, and totally essential...www.boomkat.com

ModernismuseuM

01. Mordant Music - nhabotuA ehT fO ediS kraD
02. Sii - Shapes And Hills (previously unreleased)
03. Shackleton - Western Graveyard (previously unreleased)
04. Shackleton - Handle (previously unreleased)
05. Mordant Music - Plant Room
06. Mordant Music - We Are The Mean
07. Mordant Music - Man On A Spool
08. Mordant Music - Read Between The Raster
09. Mordant Music - Obituaries
10. Mordant Music - Blast Screen
11. Mordant Music - Chiedozie Maj7
12. Mordant Music - Dungeness
13. Mordant Music - Keep Whacking Me
14. Mordant Music - Minor Pete
15. Mordant Music - NASL
16. Mordant Music - The Tower (Part X-Black Advance)
17. Mordant Music - The Tower (Part XI-Warning Maps)
18. Mordant Music - The Tower (Part XII-On Cracked Hooves)
19. Cosmic Dennis Greenidge - Dr. Strange
20. Cosmic Dennis Greenidge - Octavia (
21. Cosmic Dennis Greenidge - Woah (previously unreleased)
22. Cosmic Dennis Greenidge - Christ In Hell (previously unreleased)
23. Mordant Music - Travelogues 1: A Beautiful Vesta
24. Mr. Maxted - And That Became (previously unreleased)
25. Mr. Maxted - Audition (previously unreleased)
26. Mr. Maxted - Them, To Me...Disappeared (previously unreleased)
27. Mordant Music - Travelogues 5: Data Cadence
28. Mordant Music - Pissing In Sinks
29. Mordant Music - In Truth Is Wine
30. Mordant Music - Another Uncompleted Dome
31. Mordant Music - Travelodge, Derby (Kristallo Overheard)
32. Mordant Music - Mindless Reverie
33. Mordant Music - Attack Plus 22 Days
34. Mordant Music - Ridyll (excerpt)
35. Mordant Music - MisinforMation
36. Vindicatrix - Hume
37. Vindicatrix - Desleck (previously unreleased)
38. Ekoplekz - Sirencester (previously unreleased)
39. Ekoplekz - Titanian Dub (previously unreleased)
40. Autre Ne Veut - Soldier (reMMix)
41. Ekoplekz - ModernismuseuM (MMegaplekz by Ekoplekz)

*Gargantuan 40 track compilation packed with previously unreleased material from Shackleton, Vindicatrix, Ekoplekz, Mr Maxted and Baron Mordant, plus a 76-minute mix by Ekoplekz!!!* MMassive 42-track compilation of previously unreleased and classic Mordant Music material spanning a decade and fifty releases, including exclusive tracks from Shackleton, Vindicatrix, Mr Maxted and Ekoplekz plus excerpts from the Misinformation DVD. In case you're under any disillusion, Mordant Music is surely one of the UK's most vital imprints, a much needed outlet for eldritch expressionism from the badly-cut fringes (the interesting bits) of Blighty's musical freaks and wyrdos. Any musical magpies should be instantly checking for the two previously unreleased Shackleton tracks produced around the time of his seminal 'Stalker' 7"; the brittle, 8-bar rhythm & noise rituals of 'Western Graveyard' and the gothic-Techno of 'Handle' are stone cold essentials. Meanwhile, we scan a stack of Mordant Music material including tracks from their crucial 'The Tower' series, the primal songcraft of Dennis Greenridge, and Mr Maxted's lush 'And That Became', plus a bleak instrumental from Vindictarix and two unreleased tracks by Ekoplekz additional to his FX-mottled MMegaplekz MMix. It's an absolute bargain, MMate!!!...www.boomkat.com

Gay Witch Abortion - Maverick

1. Down With Giants
2. Stain On The Floor
3. Action Cop
4. Unblinking Sun
5. Third World Limo
6. Your Own Militia
7. Church Buffet
8. Group Think
9. Girl Pop Soda
10. Wavey Graves
11. Curses
12. Scythian Sculls
13. Asleep In The Dirt

How can a band named Gay Witch Abortion stir any more controversy? Simple. Take forever to release an album, then make one and call it Maverick. That word, and the initials ‘RNC,’ aren’t taken too kindly to by folks in these parts. Maverick could be considered the protest soundtrack to the Republican National Convention, setting a tone reminiscent of Trans Am’s Liberation, an album released in a post-9/11 Washington D.C. Envision protesters marching on the State Capitol to “Down With Giants,” then getting run down and tear-gassed by the “Action Cop.” In keeping with post rock form, Gay Witch Abortion minimizes the human element behind the guitar and drums. Songs with vocals are used as experiments in sound. The lyrics don’t matter, what does is the final product, what each song builds into by the end of its progression. Some songs are easier to digest, like “Unblinking Sun,” that sounds just as the song’s title suggests. But this kind of rock isn’t about making it easy on the listener. This is art rock, music that forces the listener to intellectualize what’s going on, without providing any answers.

What the Blood Revealed - What the Blood Revealed EP

01. Politics, Here is Death
02. The Corporation as We Know it is Dead, Dead, Dead
03. A Million Explosions Live Inside Everyone

What The Blood Revealed is a post-rock band from from the burgh of Ayrshire in Scotland

James Blackshaw - The Glass Bead Game

01. Cross
02. Bled
03. Fix
04. Key
05. Arc

The surprisingly young James Blackshaw has been crafting beautiful long-form pieces on his 12-string for quite some time. But he's teamed up with Michael Gira's Young God label to release The Glass Bead Game. It could be a move that bodes well for Blackshaw, since Gira has a knack for either catching people in their prime (remember those first two Devendra Banhart records?) or opening bigger audiences up to great new bands like Akron/Family and Fire on Fire. But the move won't find Blackshaw sitting back on past successes. The Glass Bead Game will feature even more orchestration to build around his 12-string guitar and also, the guitar virtuoso insists, more singing. Quite a claim for a maker of mostly instrumental music. It should be interesting to see how he meshes these new elements into his already expansive sound, especially since the new stuff has already made Michael Gira cry, apparently...www.prefixmag.com

James Blackshaw - Litany Of Echoes

01. Gate Of Ivory
02. Past Has Not Passed
03. Echo And Abyss
04. Infinite Circle
05. Shroud
06. Gate of Horn

Just in case you weren’t paying attention, James Blackshaw reminds you straightaway: he is a composer first, a guitar player second. His latest full-length opens with “Gate of Ivory,” a feature for Blackshaw’s piano playing. Sure, his much-discussed guitar virtuosity is apparent throughout Litany of Echoes, and his 12-string is still the main instrument, but the album really showcases how well he’s integrated – and expanded upon – his considerable influences.

Whereas on past records Blackshaw tended to present a mixed bag of ideas along with his riveting guitar work (such as the Takoma revenants and electronic treatments on Celeste, or the dense passages of string dissonance on last year’s Cloud of Unknowing), the six pieces here show remarkable restraint and concision. Fran Bury’s violin and viola play a key role on “Past Has Not Passed,” droning away below Blackshaw’s theme and providing subtle harmonic shifts. “Infinite Circle” works layers of flowing piano deep into the piece’s musculature. This expanded palette is not an adornment, but a real attempt to build a thick, ravishing sound.

Speaking of ravishing sounds, Litany evinces the immersive simplicity of Morton Feldman’s Rothko Chapel. And even though Blackshaw often uses tunings of his own invention, one doesn’t have to work hard to make sense of them – intuition trumps intellectualism. Of course, in its dynamics Blackshaw’s music is nothing like Feldman’s. For that, one should think of the rapid, seething melodic undertow of Terry Riley’s Harp of New Albion or Lubomyr Melnyk’s piano works. Blackshaw’s default tempo is fast, to the point that his finely articulated notes start to blur and run, and, like a Rothko canvas, he uses every available inch of space. He seems to have taken another key inspiration from Feldman, what composer

Kyle Gann has described as the way Feldman helped composers by saying it was actually liberating to limit one’s style.

So, yes, much of what you hear on here is familiar ground for Blackshaw veterans. There are his subtle droning foundations, overlaid with short and simple themes and pushed along by irresistible, midstream harmonic shifts. The effect is also similar, that of weightlessness and wonder. No surprises – just a stunning level of accomplishment that pulls you along with it. Litany of Echoes is not the sound of Blackshaw finding his voice; it’s the sound of him perfecting it.

Like Bells - Like Bells

01. Atlas
02. Yeti
03. Can I Say Something To You?
04. The Streets Themselves
05. Nothing Collapses
06. Where Is The White?
07. Fragments
08. Searching Now
09. Boiling Springs
10. Certain Types Of Conversation

Like Bells is what happens when you mix a violinist, a jazz drummer, a laptop, and a guitarist with an aptitude for unique tunings. Formed in 2006 while all three members were students at Oberlin College/Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Like Bells have taken advantage of their ivory tower fortifications to develop a personal and honest musical style. Like Bells draws on a wide swath of musical influences, from instrumental acts like Do Make Say Think, Sigur Ros, and Mogwai, to electronic wizards Aphex Twin and Matmos, to widely regarded pop artists like Bjork, Frank Zappa, and Radiohead. Like Bells have built up a strong following in the Cleveland area, and have brought their act on the road, playing in clubs from Knoxville, TN to Columbia, SC. They will be on tour during the spring and summer in 2009. This tour will coincide with the release of their self-titled LP, which was engineered, mixed, and produced by the band. It will be released by Cleveland-based indie label Exit Stencil Records. Like Bells writes songs that challenge listeners without alienating them. Their live shows are characterized by their attention to detail--a result of countless hours spent writing and rehearsing material--and by the boundless energy and excitement that can only come from a band of wide-eyed 20-somethings touring around the country, happy for the chance.

Do Make Say Think - The Whole Story Of Glory EP

1. The Landlord Is Dead
2. Reitschule (Live From Hillside Festival 2007)
3. Frederica
4. The Universe! (Live From CBC Radio 3 Session 2007)
5. March Of Worms
6. THofR Part Three
7. Disco & Haze

Ive always loved Do Make Say Think. Instead of constantly creating dense walls by adding brick after brick (or instruments in non-metaphorical terms), theytend to weave warming tapestries that bend and fold around you. They usesubtleties and move at a speed that is more realistic and natural. Their songsare like a conversation sure they might get heated and emotional, but everyvoice can be heard and appreciated. You can process every single note and youbecome engrossed in the songs, as opposed to being overwhelmed by them.

So whats new with DMST? Well, they just released a tour only, Japanese importEP called The Whole Story Of Glory. Basically, its a bit of an odds and sodscollection of classic, live and unreleased tracks to celebrate their first tripto Japan. The EP is a perfect introduction to Do Make Say Think if you considerthey add some of their best songs - Frederica is probably my favorite DMST trackever. I think its the way the plucked stand up bass line and jazzy drums force
a smile on your face, but the song relies on the horns and distorted fuzz to slowly make the song dark and powerful - but also show how tight they are live.

The version of Universe! they recorded on CBC Radio 3 is ridiculous. Swells ofhorns and guitar are matched with great strings and terrific percussion. Thetrack moves slowly, transitioning with gentle ebbs and flows but never fullyreleasing the reigns. Halfway in the repeating horn flourishes surge ahead, butjust as quickly return the focus to the other elements. The two new songs areshorter, and the second (which may or may not be called Clash Tune or THofR PartThree) takes on an almost whimsical feel. The airy guitar is more folksy thanpost rock and the quick hitting track is a nice light break from the chaos theband uses so often. Sure the back half of the track is full of noise andeffects, but it never deviates from that summery feel.

Oceans - Nothing Collapses

1. Lit Up Under Streetlights
2. We Are Ruins
3. Ways With Wolves
4. Boy Detective
5. Sound Of Static
6. City At Peace
7. Terrified Of What We Might Become
8. Traps And Traps
9. Your Plane Leaves Tomorrow

Oceans are a five-piece, instrumental post-rock outfit from Chicago, IL presenting a debut full-length of nine tracks clocking in at nearly an hour, and successfully balancing gentle atmosphere with melodic, spirited guitar leads, bringing to mind This Will Destroy You, Explosions In The Sky, Mogwai, Maserati and Unwed Sailor.

We vs. Death - A Black House, A Coloured Home

1. The Things You Did
2. Hands
3. The Sun
4. Mirage
5. Collection Of Stones
6. Black Map
7. Golden Medals

Formely known for its instrumental indierock with strong rhythm and lush melodies, We vs. Death now presents a new collection of songs. Their second full-length album might surprise you with both noisy and more
quiet songs, and some distinct singing. The album, titled ‘A Black House, A Coloured Home’, was recorded in their self-built studio within fifteen days and fourteen nights and has been released in April 2009. Their music is remeniscent of and inspired by bands like Fugazi, Neutral Milk Hotel and Pavement...www.beepbeep.myshopify.com

Shogun Kunitoki - Vinonaamakasio

1. Vinonaamakasio
2. Mulberg
3. Riddarholmen
4. Fuzzabeth Crackleby
5. Holvikirkko
6. Corda
7. Svileto
8. Ratalintu
9. Nebulus

For those looking for the ultimate psychedelic experience, the Shogun Kunitoki: Vinonaamakasio (FR-62LP) will be available as a picture vinyl LP featuring two animation loops that can be viewed using this magical Shogun Kunitoki strobe light (FR-62SL).

A true fan will buy the Shogun Kunitoki Strobe Light Kit (FR-62SLK) and build it him/herself. In this video you can see step by step instructions on how to solder the kit together. In addition to the kit you need a 9V battery which is not included in the package.

Available directly from Shogun Kunitoki website and the Fonal Records shop upon the release date 11.3.2009...www.fonal.com

Cougar - Patriot

01  Stay Famous
02  Florida Logic
03  Rhinelander
04  Pelourinho
05  Thundersnow
06  Heavy Into Jeff
07  Endings
08  This Is An Affidavit
09  Appomattox
10  Daunte v. Armada
11  Absaroka

Cougar finally have someone to release their second album. London-based independent labelNinja Tune, home to an eclectic roster of hip-hop and electronic artists such as Kid Koalaand Daedelus, is slated to release the Madison-formed band's new full-length, Patriot, later this year. The fit is appropriate: Cougar's 2006 album Law is a great instrumental-rock record, but Patriot, recorded with band members spread out around the country, deliberately sounds like less of a "band" record and ventures further into the creatively booming territories of instrumental electronica and left-field hip-hop—though without losing sight of Law's graceful, powerful foundation.

The Low Frequency In Stereo - Futuro

1. Turnpike

2. Texas Fox

3. Geordie la forge

4. Mt. Pinatubo

5. Starstruck

6. Sparkle Drive

7. The End Is the End

8. Solar System

From the Eastern-tinged pop flirt of ”Startruck” to the near 10 minute cosmic groove-trip that is ”Solar System”, the new album from this excellent group finds them on top form and taking a big leap from their previous, Norwegian Grammy nominated album. A sharper and more focused effort without a weak track in sight, ”Futuro” is both industrial and rough as well as polished and streamlined. There are nods to fellow Norwegians 120 Days as well as Stereolab, Can, Doors, Joy Divison and even B-52´s, but first of all this is a group that with their fourth album have perfected their own sound.www.runegrammofon.com

Michna - Magic Monday

1 Triple Chrome Dipped 
2 Swiss Glide 
3 Believe In It 
4 Skunk Walk
5 Bumper Car Masters 
6 Levitation 
7 Raw Paw 
8 Redline Flights 
9 Do What You Want To Do 
10 Italian Visitor 
11 Avant 
12 Third Orbit 

True to the dazzling and over the top artwork emblazoned upon the sleeve, Adrian Michna's music proves to be a fine and splendid confection, cross-pollinating a variety of electronic production disciplines, taking in the eccentricities of the Alpine 'Swiss Glide' (complete with oompah-style horns) and 'Skunk Walk's modern, digital funk, whilst leaving a little room for the crispy disco of 'Bumper Car Masters'. Elsewhere 'Do What You Want To Do' is indietronic hip hop of the finest order and 'Redline Flights' dips into a slick electro mode, painting a portrait of an artist unwilling to settle down in any one genre within the electronic music spectrum. Recommended...www.boomkat.com

Hauschka - Snowflakes and Carwrecks EP

1. Ginsterweg
2. Eisblume
3. Wonder
4. Tanz
5. Kindelsberg
6. Hauberg
7. Tagtraum

Hauschka's third offering under the Fat Cat label comes in the form of new E.PSnowflakes and Car Wrecksand with it being nearly 40 minutes long what a generous offer it is, but as any ‘Sup reader knows, it’s all about the quality.

For those of you less familiar with the artist in question,Hauschka is a German-born pianist who specialises in composing and performing pieces on ‘prepared piano’, which involves adding materials to the inner workings of the instrument in order to alter its sound. Perhaps the most famous exponent of this technique is John Cage, who used to place screws, coins and rubber between piano strings, completely changing the timbre of the instrument. Inserting a metallic object between a string might produce a ringing more akin to a triangle, whereas using rubber produces a slapping noise. The crudest of explanations would be that a piano is transformed in to a makeshift one-man band, able to produce percussive sounds as well as harmonic ones.Hauschka clamps bits of felt or rubber between strings, wraps piano hammers in tin-foil and weaves guitar strings around the piano’s insides. Granted, it may look as if someone with a bag of hardware shopping has just fallen in to a piano, but I can assure you it’s a little more considered than that.

Snowflakes and Car Wrecks is a collection of leftovers from the sessions of its predecessorFerndorf, which was released in September and therefore Snowflakes… in many respects isn’t a giant leap forward sonically speaking, however there is more than enough to be of interest within this playfully exploratory E.P.

The album’s opener; Ginsterweg is a wonderfully atmospheric piece of Steve Reich minimalism, rocking gently between two chords with irregular swells of intensity. This track, like many on the album, sounds as if all the differing layers, melodies and themes are independently minded, all slightly out of time with one another, while still possessing a sense of synergy between them. If you’ll permit me a more flavourful description; it sounds like you’ve just stumbled in to the most gloriously synchronised clock maker’s factory.

Wonder exemplifies Hauschka's love of electronica, complete with shuffling dance-like rhythm, and a piano part that wouldn’t be out of place on DJ Shadow’s Entroducing album. Add in what sounds like a small Indonesian Gamelan orchestra working away and you’ve got one of the highlights of the E.P. In fact Snowflakes and Car Wrecks truly hits its stride about half way through. Track four - Tanz is a wonderfully industrious number, with cellos and piano dialoguing wonderfully with one another. This is Hauschka at his most playful, with delightful little rattles and slaps coming from the piano and an ending with (whisper it) pop chord changes.

What Hauschka does well is introduce you to a sound that is foreign yet vaguely familiar, leaving you with an other-worldly experience. At times it’s difficult to decipher chaos from form, but that’s what makes Snowflakes and Car Wrecks so exciting - one second you’re listening to sparse meandering cello melodies, the next you’re in the Far East with accompanying electro beats. If all this sounds like its verging on the mentally unstable, don’t worry, it fits together perfectly. The real achievement here is that Hauschka has managed to draw upon so many influences and make them sit together as a whole. Snowflakes and Car Wrecks is the exploration of a uniquely inquisitive mind, providing many playful twists and turns along the way, enveloping you in a whole new world which has everything from electronica to silver-foil piano hammers..http://www.supmag.com/