Electronica

(Aphex Twin, Massive Attack, Moby)

Interface: The Morning Light Project

Interface is the second EP from Italian crew, The Morning Light Project. The album is a great mix of retro 80s synth rock that bring to mind artists like, The Pet Shop Boys and Duran Duran. The band first formed back in 2008 and since then have churned out several releases through their Jamendo and BandCamp. Made up of Francesco Algeri, Angelo Cincotta and Augusto Ielo, the trio weave together a mix of danceable electronic ambient beats that became their ticket for gaining followers when they first started out. Their sound is charming and there's a lovely retro feel to it that makes you think of the good old heydays of 80s synth rock.

Astma: There Will Be a McDonald’s

Listening to Astma is like going on a really weird and wacky ride. It's filled with noises, words, and layers upon layers of sound that you can't make out of. Despite all this chaos, there is an awesome gem hiding inside. There Will Be a McDonald's is a complicated mixture of sound that even some noise rockers might not get. The duo behind this eclectic cacophony is drummer and vocalist, Olga Nosova (Motherfathers), and industrial/electronic maestro, Alexei Borisov. They first teamed up for the effort back in 2009 and since then have collaborated with various artists, poets & musicians to create a unique studio as well as live experience.

Adult Swim: Singles

We all know or at least heard of Adult Swim as adult-oriented cable television that shares air time with Cartoon Network; not everyone, however, knows them for releasing some sweet free music. As part of their more recent projects, Adult Swim has decided to put together a compilation, 8 singles over 8 weeks that would blend together some great artists from genres as diverse as folk, pop, hip-hop, metal, and a touch of electronica.

ne:o – direkt (live)

Ne:o is a German band that mixes a whole lot of genres to create an essentially artistic piece of work. The group recently released a live performance compilation to cap off their German tour last 2009. It wasn't meant to be the last group performance but until today it remains to be seen whether the guys will be getting back together or not. The album is available at Aaahh Records as well as on Internet Archive. Ne:o played songs from previous albums, âne:omuzicâ, âmusikkritikâ and the critically acclaimed, âillojâ. Listening to this band is like taking a wonderful, psychedelic music trip where you encounter layers and layers of sound as well as instruments that beautifully harmonize or mingle with each other. Take a listen.

Great Skies: Summer Moments EP

Cut records is a fairly new netlabel having just started last January 2011. By fulfilling the need to provide great ambient, post-dub sound from unknown but very talented artists; they're fast becoming recognized for churning out quality EPs left and right. Armed with their fifth release, Cut Music is unleashing their latest ambient electronic EP. This time around it's from Great Skies; a 20-year old London native. Despite having a run time of less than 15 minutes, this four track EP called, Summer Moments, compiles what is essentially a short burst of energy mixed with chill music and synths. One of those compilations you can just leave playing at the background without much thought.

Flesh Forest and The Elephant Only Zoo: Scream Dream

Flesh Forest and The Elephant Only Zoo is a hodegepodge of sounds and genres. On the one hand, you get songs emanating with an indie electronic folk rock vibe, but as you progress through the album you encounter a darker, noise rock, experimental sound that leaves you wondering what happened. Well, for one, Flesh Forest and The Elephant Only Zoo are two different bands. Although both hail from Massachusetts, soundwise, that's about as far as similarities go. The former describe themselves as mainly into gothic/psychedelic electronica while the latter dubs themselves as belonging to the acousmatic/ tape music/ visual genre. Despite the differences, this five-track mini record resonates with both individuality and coherence.

Pollux: Rspct

The album Rspct opens up with a track that's proper for its role: Rspct Intro features a thin but layered drone shifting from this direction to that until it renders itself redolent of aircraft sounds, or of spacecraft ones (it depends on your imagination, really) and, consequently, creates the illusion of one taking flight, perhaps toward Pollux – not the artist behind the album, but the brightest star in the constellation of Gemini, from which the musician presumably took his moniker.

Johnwaynes: What Is All About

A little bit of bossanova, electro-acoustic sounds, electropop delight, some disco/jazz influence and great vocals in all the right places; What Is All About is certainly a melting pot for your senses. Released in 2010 by Johnwaynes album (made available for a download by the Optimus Discos Label), brings us five excellent tracks ready to bright up your day with their light and chill out sounds that will not be quickly forgotten.

Graffiti Mechanism: Fueled by Emotion

Proc-Records founder and curator Adam Crammond, a k a, Graffiti Mechanism, picked or conceptualized, whichever the case, a rather curious cover for his latest effort Fueled by Emotion. Archetypal digital illustrations and graphic images come to mind when the subject of electronica album art is brought up, so it only rightly elicits a slight shrug that this release features a low-definition, worm's-eye view photo (with mirror effect) of a tree ostensibly taken during a drought. But looks, as the discerning would know, can be deceiving: the seven solid tracks of the album, which was released by Happy Puppy Records, intuitively belie whatever pallidness the cover may come off as having.