ANOTHER AUDIO JUNKIE

Nicky Chantrell: Music Lover, Critic and Student

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THE SUBMOTION ORCHESTRA: COLOUR THEORY ALBUM REVIEW

A fresh resurgence within the electronica scene within recent years, Colour Theory is the new(ish) album by outfit The Submotion Orchestra. Released back in February, it’s the band’s fourth full length LP, and they’re showing no sign of slowing down any time soon.  

Drawing from many influences, with genres ranging from jazz to soul and even dubstep at times, the band’s compositional and production style mirrors that of quite a lot of modern electronic artists; with intricacies and rhythmic patterns reminiscent of artists such as Bonobo and Synkro. Throughout all tracks on this new record, TSO deliver with a sound that’s crisp and refreshing to the ear regardless of the style they’re drawing from.

The record opens up with Red Dress, the strong points of the track being vocalist Ruby Wood’s smooth, soul influenced vocals coupled with the intricate percussion and minimalistic soundscape filling in the background. The band are unafraid to shift from the more relaxed energy of songs such as Red Dress, shown when third track Kimono gets into full swing. Oriental introduction aside, it boasts some meaty synthesisers coupled with a dance influenced rhythm that raises the energy of the album whilst also displaying the band’s extensive knowledge of different styles, staying consistent to the band’s distinct sound throughout.

The band seamlessly interchange between songs with vocals and instrumental tracks as the album progresses. Wood’s vocal performance on In Gold contrasts beautifully with the head banging instrumentation in Amira. Other strong points as the album progresses include Needs, a unique composition coupled with the collaboration of soul singer Andrew Ashong, providing a more downbeat, almost melancholic edge to the record, as well as Illusions, Wood’s vocals again impressing, often acting as another layer to the atmosphere as well/instead of being the focal point of the song. The album closes with Ao, a relaxing track that slowly builds up with more sounds and instruments whilst still providing a chilled out ending to the record.

With dates supporting The Cinematic Orchestra in their UK tour coming up very soon, it’s hard not to agree that this group is finally going places, and with stellar reviews for the album thus far, Colour Theory could prove to be one of 2016′s most essential electronic albums.

Support the band: https://submotionorchestra.bandcamp.com/album/colour-theory

Listen to: Amira

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RUSSIAN CIRCLES - GUIDANCE ALBUM REVIEW

Pioneers in post-metal Russian Circles have returned with their sixth full-length LP. Aptly named Guidance, they're a trio renowned for their hard hitting and dark sound, this album being the follow up to 2013′s Memorial, often considered to be one of the bands most stellar efforts to date.

Here’s the reason why Russian Circles are such a significant band: ever since their first album, ‘Enter’ in 2005, the band have consistently managed to create a dark, atmospheric and downright massive sound whilst overcoming the obstacle of only being a three piece outfit. Especially in their later records as well, the band has provided a perfect blend of atmospheric soundscapes and brooding, relentless guitar riffs, with performances often being considered highly acrobatic and complex. Guidance is no exception to this trend.

The album opens up with ‘Asa,’ a collection of riffs and ideas that morphs into an atmospheric noise-scape that perfectly moves into the album’s first heavy hitter, ‘Vorel.’ This track stands out due to it’s gradual layering of musical elements, coupled with intense, high speed drumming, all of which transitions into a ravenously heavy ending, made excellent through the fat distorted tones and low guitar tunings. The same can be said about the track that follows, ‘Mota,’ which starts with a punchy delay riff that remains one of the strongest points of the album, eventually morphing into something similarly dark and heavy.

As the rest of the record unfolds, Russian Circles get the shift in dynamics and space spot on. Following on from ‘Afrika,’ which sounds like a triumphant cry that celebrates the band’s development over the years, comes ‘Overboard,’ which gives the listener a break from the chaos that preceded it in order to introduce some more cheerful, calm soundscapes that give the album variety whilst not sounding out of place with the heavier tracks on this record.

The album’s closer, ‘Lisboa,’ gives further diversity to the record’s dynamics by taking a leaf out of fellow post-metal band Earth’s book, by being heavy but slow and bleak at the same time.

Although the band don’t necessarily make a huge leap in a new direction on this record, with compositional approach remaining the same from their previous albums, this album still comes off as fresh due to a more glossy, high end production style. Russian Circles continue to be at the forefront of modern post-metal, and should be a staple within the scene for many more years to come.

Support the band: https://russiancircles.bandcamp.com/album/guidance

Listen to: Afrika

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FM-84 - ATLAS ALBUM REVIEW

FM-84 is the solo electronica project of Col Bennett; artist and graphic designer currently based in San Fransisco, USA. A pioneer in all things synth-pop, ‘Atlas’ is his debut record, released back in April this year.

The obvious thing to say about the record to start with is it’s blatant abuse of 80′s style synthesizers, drum machines and production techniques. The style of FM-84 as a whole can be called ‘synth-pop’ more than electronica; though he draws from many sources, such as fellow synth-pop artist Hello Meteor, as well as more conventional electronica musicians such as Bonobo or Tycho.

The album opens up with ‘Everything’; an instrumental track consisting of an artificial, heavily reverberated drum beat that feels like something straight out of a Dead or Alive record; as well as warm, glossy synth lines that provide a relaxing, atmospheric vibe, whilst similarly setting the tone for the rest of the record; with all other tracks following suit in terms of sound and composition. Along with Everything, the album boasts an excellent range of instrumental tracks; with the main hook in ‘Arcade Summer’ being one of the most enjoyable on the record, whilst the rhythmic synthesizers thumping away underneath weirdly remind me of ‘Jump’ by Van Halen. Meanwhile, ‘Tears’ isn’t afraid to slow the dynamics of the record down just a little bit, whilst ‘Jupiter’ also provides excellent melodies and synth lines.

The collaborations with vocalists on this record are also very good, in particular the highly reverberated, passionate vocals of Ollie Wride on ‘Don’t Want To Change Your Mind,’ as well as Clive Farrington on the album’s conveniently named closer, ‘Goodbye.’ This track can fill any listener with nostalgia; bringing memories of virtually any 80′s R&B artist, whilst similarly being a very emotional performance to end the record on a high.

Comparisons to 80′s music aside, this album stands out as a unique and highly listenable album in it’s own right. FM-84′s composition style is modern and detailed, whilst also being very well produced and providing something for all fans of electronic music. Also, when one considers a music scene in which a lot of music released can feel like filler or second rate, ‘Atlas’ provides something refreshing and highly enjoyable, if you can look past the cheesiness long enough to give it a chance! 

Support the artist: https://fm84.bandcamp.com/album/atlas

Listen to: Arcade Summer

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THIS TOWN NEEDS GUNS - DISAPPOINTMENT ISLAND ALBUM REVIEW

Yes, I know this is a late review, but it’s still 2016 so I’m not too bothered. Informalities aside, Bristol math-rockers This Town Needs Guns (most recently shortened to TTNG) have come storming back into the limelight of the underground math-rock scene. Released back in July, Disappointment Island is their fourth full-length LP.

From a distance, Disappointment Island could be seen as the band’s most intriguing and audacious effort yet. The record oversees a shift in many elements following their previous release, ‘13.0.0.0.0.’, but also holds on to the lush guitar tones, frantic drumming and near-impossible time signatures that their loyal fans have come to expect.

The first most noticeable change is the production. Guitarist Tim Collis in particular has moved into new territory with a rawer sounding clean tone, doing away with the glossy tone that was rife in earlier albums such as Animals. This new tone is prominent in songs such as opener ‘Coconut Crab’, which in itself is a relaxing yet fascinating opener, as well as tracks such as ‘Consoling Ghosts’ and ‘There’s No ‘I’ in Time.’ Collis also reintroduces an overdriven tone; an element that made earlier hits such as ‘26 is Dancier Than 4′ such a big hit, into a couple of tracks. Most notably the post-rock-esque ending to Whatever, Whenever, as well as penultimate track Sponkulous Nodge, with the distorted bridge being one of the highlights of the album.

Vocalist and bassist Henry Tremain also heads into new territory, adopting a more lively, wailing vocal style which is in complete contrast to the calm, lazy vocals from 13.0.0.0.0. ‘There’s No ‘I’ in Time’ and ‘A Chase of Sorts’ showcase this new vocal style perfectly, and although perhaps not Tremain’s ideal style, provides a new and exciting edge to TTNG’s sound. 

New sound aside, a number of tracks on this record showcase TTNG’s compositional prestige. ‘Whatever, Whenever’ for example introduces new listeners to the band’s technical mastery of alternating time signatures perfectly. And ‘Bliss Quest’ shows the band’s willingness to change musical dynamics; as it offers a more relaxing vibe in contrast to more upbeat tracks such as ‘Destroy the Tabernacle!’ and ‘Sponkulous Nodge.’ 

Coconut Crab and Empty Palms, conveniently the album’s opener and closer respectively, also show the band’s willingness to stick to simpler time signatures and create easier listening for listeners. Not that that’s at all a bad thing, with Coconut Crab being a banger in it’s 6/4 signature, and Empty Palms sticking to 4/4 whilst providing a stellar send off for the record.

Often considered the spearhead of the modern indie-math revival, TTNG have once again delivered a brilliant record full of memorable tracks that represent the bands amazing creativity and phenomenal ability as individual musicians. And although shorter than previous records, Disappointment Island will be up there with some of the best math albums of recent years, period.

Support the band: https://thistownneedsguns.bandcamp.com/

Listen to: There’s No ‘I’ in Time, Sponkulous Nodge

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EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY - THE WILDERNESS ALBUM REVIEW

Often considered one of the founding fathers of post rock in a modern sense, epic atmospheric orchestrators Explosions in the Sky have returned with new LP The Wilderness. Given the group’s reputation for massive orchestral soundscapes and moving atmospheres, much promise and expectation has been placed on their new first non soundtrack releases since 2011’s Take Care, Take Care, Take Care.

As is the status quo for most bands, this album oversees a change in direction in terms of the group's composition style and achievement of sound. One thing that immediately struck a chord was how listenable the record was. Gone are the 10 minute mega anthems, in their place are much shorter pieces of music (though there’s still longer tracks present such as penultimate track Colours in Space).

That’s not the only thing that’s new, EITS can be heard experimenting a lot more synthetically, with synthesisers and unusual sound effects, adding to their already brilliant soundscapes and delving into themes of avant-garde and progressive music.

The album opens up with not quite title track Wilderness; featuring unusual synth effects and a slow build up of energy, as well as what feels like a big orchestra filling in space in the background.

The slow build up of atmosphere that’s reminiscent in almost every track can be seen as quite unusual in a record full of tracks that range from 3-7 minutes long, and some shorter tracks may feature more soundscaping than conventional instrumentation and musical progression. This approach shows the band’s focus more on melodic and timbral qualities and less on structural qualities, and also relates to their back catalogue of film soundtracks that they’ve been working on between 2011 and this album’s release.

Other strong points from the record include Logic of a Dream; that starts out with a slow build up of random noise, before a heavy and orchestral breakdown, that then further progresses into a phrase of higher energy and a much happier atmosphere, featuring an upbeat, simple drum beat and acoustic guitar riff.

The longest track on the album; Colours in Space arguably features the best soundscaping throughout the whole record, as well as the best progression from atmospheric spaces of sound into upbeat musical performance. Album closer, Landing Cliffs, offers the most relaxing sounds and brings the album to a slow, melodic end.

Although very different from EITS’ other non-soundtrack releases, and often thin in content on a few tracks, the band have once again dished up another fantastic effort that will surely go down as a post-rock classic alongside many other albums in their discography.

Support the band: https://explosionsinthesky.bandcamp.com/album/the-wilderness

Listen to: Colours in Space

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GOGO PENGUIN - MAN MADE OBJECT ALBUM REVIEW

Goofy name aside, GoGo Penguin are a jazz-electronica outfit hailing from Manchester, UK. Their new album, named Man Made Object, is their third full length release and follow up to 2014’s ‘v2.0’.

Several things stand out, especially for someone who’s never heard the band’s music before. The most noteworthy thing being that GoGo Penguin are a very performance based group; relying a lot less on effects and textures, instead creating music that’s very clean and dry, made interesting through changes in movement and unique playing and structuring. At least, for the first half of the album that is.

The album opens up with tracks that are simple in their instrumentation: drums, bass and piano. Although obviously jazz influenced in terms of style, the music has a very minor atmosphere that almost makes it sound like post rock in nature. Bands such as God is An Astronaut and Explosions in the Sky spring to mind.

Rife with complex drum rhythms and piano phrases, the most notable track from the first half of the album is second track Unspeakable Word; that opens with a happy, ragtime influenced piano riff but is soon accompanied by a negative, in places heavy atmosphere that is reminiscent of the tracks that precede and succeed it, sounding baffling as a whole.

GoGo Penguin bring variety to the record with more synthetic sounds being introduced in tracks such as ‘Smarra’, then being followed up by the oriental sounding Initiate, arguably the strongest track from the record, with its' diverse range of drumming styles and extremely moving and catchy piano work. This track also demonstrates the group’s consistency in sound, coupled with the bands ability and willingness to experiment.

The album closes off with two tracks; firstly Surrender to Mountain, followed by the closer Protest. The former of which, possibly the most epic in atmosphere and movement, provides the album with a stunning climax before the latter track, probably the most aggressive and experimental in many ways, brings the record to a close.

To conclude, the album’s brilliance is made fore-frontal through the band’s consistent, simple sound, paired wonderfully with diverse and technically sagacious playing that keeps the album interesting and very much listenable right up until the final seconds. A band one can definitely see going places in the future.

Support the band: http://gogopenguin.co.uk/ 

Listen to: Initiate

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THREE TRAPPED TIGERS - SILENT EARTHLING ALBUM REVIEW

Experimental noise rock trio Three Trapped Tigers are back with their follow up effort to the critically acclaimed Route One or Die; an album that was widely praised for it’s jazz style instrumentation, phrases of absolutely crazy drumming patterns and atmospheric synth work. The band have been relatively quiet since that time, apart from the equally good Numbers: 1-13, and look ready to take the underground music scene by storm with this record.

Although the signature sound of TTT has remained present since their previous album, the group have gone to great lengths to develop their sound into something that’s far more aggressive and space like in energy and presence. Synthesiser master Tom Rogerson adopts a sound that sounds fatter, glossier and is often even reminiscent of early video game arcade music, heard in notable tracks such as Kraken, Engrams and the conveniently named Rainbow Road.

Drummer and personal hero Adam Betts continues his unrelenting percussion pounding brilliance; temperamentally shifting energy and movement whilst continuing his use of drum machines and cowbells that made previous tracks such as Cramm and 6 such a big hit. Right from the get go with album opener Silent Earthling, Adam sets the tone for the record with a thunderous drum riff that warns the listener of the chaos that is to come.

Big strong points for the album include Blimp, with Matt Calvert’s smooth harmonic work being first rate and giving the album a softer touch in the midst of more angry instrumentation. As well as Engrams with it’s beautiful synth introduction and ferocious cowbell work. This is one track that doesn’t need more cowbell!

The album closer, Elsewhere, although slower in movement at the start, picks up and sets an unusually minor atmosphere to bring the album to a brilliant, massive close, needless to mention the unique sampling at work.

Betts, Rogerson and Calvert have proven time and again that they’re among the best at what they do, and have continued and refined their sound by mixing musical professionalism with unrivalled creativity. I had the pleasure of seeing these guys in Leeds on May 9th, and with a headline slot at ArcTanGent, one of the biggest festivals known for hosting left-field music, they’ll definitely be worth the listen.

Support the band: http://threetrappedtigers.believeband.com/

Listen to: Engrams (But preferably all of it!)

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2016 - The Good Stuff Coming This Year

Looking back on 2015, it wasn’t hard to see a clear pattern of stand-out bands from many underground music scenes coming back with ace new material for us to listen to. From God is an Astronaut’s Helios / Erebus and ASIWYFA’s Heirs making waves within the post rock scene, to Tame Impala’s astronomical rise to fame following the release of fantastic psychedelic effort Currents, there was no shortage of quality on display.

I for one am hoping many other artists who have brought us amazing material over the past few years are going to return with some banging tunes for us to ravenously sink our teeth into. Here’s a round up of my opinion of the best stuff to look forward to this year. (including some stuff already released as this post is being written in April... don’t judge me.)

THREE TRAPPED TIGERS

It was only a few days ago that English experimental noise-rock band Three Trapped Tigers released the immensely anticipated follow-up to their 2011 sophomore effort Route One or Die. Though I’m yet to listen to the new album in full, promise has been shown through teasing singles such as Engrams and title track; Silent Earthling. 

BONOBO

Although an album name hasn’t been revealed of yet, electronica heavyweight Simon Green aka Bonobo has already unveiled that he’ll be releasing a new album later this year. A great album to look forward to considering the man’s stellar back catalogue of albums including Black Sands, The North Borders and Dial ‘M’ For Monkey.

AT THE DRIVE-IN

Remember these guys? Post-hardcore outfit At The Drive-In caused a storm on social media earlier this year following news of a new tour and new material to accompany that. This has been longed for by many fans of ATDI since the band’s break up in the early 2000′s, following the band’s release of cult classic Relationship of Command. After changes in musical direction with projects such as The Mars Volta, it’ll be interesting to see how the outfit’s sound on this new record will shape up.

IF THESE TREES COULD TALK

No official announcement of yet, but post-rock band If These Trees Could Talk have been enticing fans via social media for a while now with post’s about writing and recording new music. Will a new record be on the way this year? After the heart-pounding atmosphere they brought to us from their last album Red Forest, I certainly hope so.

THIS TOWN NEEDS GUNS

TTNG have been the spearhead of a new wave of fantastic new math rock bands for many a year now, and it’s been almost three years since the trio’s release of their last record 13.0.0.0.0. Now, following announcements from many sources including record label Sargent House, it wouldn’t go amiss betting on TTNG releasing something absolutely mind blowing this year.

Other stuff to keep an eye out for: Deftones (Gore out April 8th), Mogwai, Explosions in the Sky (The Wilderness out now), Matmos, DIIV.