Naked On The Vague - Poltergeist Palm 7"

Skulltones, 2008

Though the duo is sometimes on the edge of "ooh look at us we're Australia's weirdest band look at how weird we are," there's thankfully nothing like that going on here. This is more on the side of tastefully edgy (well to these tastes at least) than willfully opaque and excessive art punk. Haunting urgoth post-punk industrialist moves, sounds worthy of both Siltbreeze's most angular, some kind of Sacred Bones underground side, or way back on Broken Flag during Mundy's Toll project. Thus on like-minded Skulltones. Haven't heard much else like this from the pair, it's a solid shortie for this kind of sound.

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Ain Soph - Kshatriya

Misty Circles, 1988

Esoteric ritual musick from the legendary ltalian group's most fertile era. Hallmark of classic ritual pseudo-industrial work ala old Sigillum S, Zero Kama, and Capricorni Pneumatici. Neoclassical in intent, these are mysterious chorales for the monad, hymnals to pan and other Thelemic currents. Minimal operatic female voice, organ, chant, subtle electronic hums. Bow down in praise to the flash of light that is the guitar/overloaded tone in "Monsalvata" for it is the light of the throne of the ruler of the world.

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Lovesliescrushing - CRWTH (Chorus Redux)

Line, 2010

A reworking and rearrangement of the classic-but-hidden shoegaze act's seminal Chorus album, composed entirely of treated voice. Deeply subtle, ethereal and way above the fold, plenty worthy of a modern big-deal experimental/ambient label like Line. Makes you wonder why the original was so prone to disappear, but Projekt with its ugly lack of quality control seemed to have a way with burying its good artists in dust. Emotive, hazy surrealism like the best moments of Grouper, only it's a bit more of a baroque, levitated chorus, with the ornamental polish and ice-dusting of digital electronics, both old and new. There's vastly more to behold in sounds like these than the next new flavorless laptop guitar album.

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the beatification of moths as symbols of those who have left us

Youngsbower - Relayer

VHF, 2004

Collaborative project between Matthew Bower (Skullflower, Sunroof! etc.) and Richard Youngs. Sound is the closest thing to the videogame electro-kraut seen on Sunroof!'s Cloudz, though much more shiny and polished. Some of the overtone guitar warp seen on Bliss shows up as well. Youngs' vocals are nowhere to be found which is great because for some reason his voice really gets on my nerves. What he instead brings is a shiny electro-acoustic flourish and looped & layered cascades upon cascades of banjo and other acoustic touches. The album is probably best summed up by the third (and best) track's name: "Iridescent Hoedown." Get on down.

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Our Love Will Destroy The World - Stillborn Plague Angels

Dekorder, 2009

Fried space metal and blackened void-scryings from Campbell Kneale's newer solo project. Really moving further and further into his version of darkside Matt Bower with this work. Negative bliss.

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Zaika - Live At The Church Of The Friendly Ghost

(no cover art found, sorry)

Yod Tapes, 2008

Zaika is the psychically intermingled duo of Tom Carter (Charalambides) and Marcia Bassett (Zaïmph, GHQ, Double Leopards, Hototogisu). What they make is the kind of perfect tuning-in psych droneout that you'd expect from each other's solo work. A really full sound of pedal-sustained feedback modes. Pure electricity.

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Birchville Cat Motel - Four Freckle Constellation

Conspiracy, 2008

One of Kneale's last albums under the BCM moniker until he changed to the (vastly more appropriate, imo) Our Love Will Destroy The World. Moves into more complex and thought-out compositional territory than the usual maximal/minimal layering technique. Not as shining-sword black metal as tracks like "Chi Vampire" or the pre-eponymous "Our Love Will Destroy The World" or releases like Bird Sister Blasphemy but there are some doom-drone moments reminiscent of his Black Boned Angel project. Everything is still soaked in that practiced satori assault of high pitched tones that break your mind and make you do things like hear the overtones in refrigerators and air conditioners as glorious zen musick. Distinct lack of those forward-carrying rock drums & riffs he sometimes uses too. One of his most composerly offerings for sure.

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