For those new to the style, you might find similar vibes amidst the hit movies of eras past – the days when street rap battles, break dancing and colourful clothes hung on the air like a stylish hit of opposition to the mundane. Reis Armstrong recaptures the purity of those days, and does so with original songwriting and a clear sense of unity and passion for the process.
Albums
Known for their purely improvised albums, the self-defined instrumental cult Mycena are a Croatian collaborative project with four albums already to their name. Their approach is to fearlessly push the boundaries of musical expression, to find new flavours of psychedelic intensity and depth, and to limit nothing and no one during that process.
Singer and songwriter Michael Marquart returns under the creative moniker A Bad Think. The project’s 12th studio album Cottonwood intrigues in both title and artwork, and the storytelling plus the engaging fusion of Folk, Americana and Rock consistently maintains that appeal.
Today’s the day boys and girls – California pop-punk troubadour Fritz, known to the scene as Far Below Perfect, launches the potentially iconic indie album I’ve Been To Hell Before…
Classic rap vocals and contemporary girt and storytelling meet with a refreshing twist of experimental sound-play – Rolondo Rich takes full advantage of the creative space, for his brand new album Rich Dreams.
The immense weight of static appears as if like a sudden storm of power and presence. Those choir-like voices still linger amidst the outer layers though – a wealth of humanity clinging onto its calm and sanity, as the wires and weight of the future rain down around them.
The Waking Giant tells the tale of a tech investor recruiting a virtual reality developer. The aim is to establish a fully immersive retirement home, complete with full-time staff, life-support, environmental systems, and reinforced structures. As this system is built, however, the investor uses deep fake material to convince the developer to allow an AI engine to serve as a governing body.
Bass-heavy industrial production subtly meets with delicate and distinct vocals – this trip-hop and electro-funk-fusion EP marks a mighty debut from artist and songwriter Mik Dagger.
New music from jazz instrumentalist Messiah’el Bey comes in the form of a deeply heartfelt and ambitious project.
The boldly-titled Jazz Can Heal America’s Soul begins with a conversation relayed on top of a dramatic movie scene’s audio – a captivating excerpt, which that delves into the tribulations of slaves and quickly connects that to the current struggles of today.
An ever creative and impossible to pigeon-hole Rico Friebe redirects fans immensely, with the euphorically electro-soaked and cinematic fullness of a conceptually provocative Anthems For A Lost Generation.
Created by artist and musician Fritz, the project takes influence from the nostalgic soundtracks of Tony Hawks Games, and gifts that influence a twist of contemporary storytelling and a fresh edge of personality.
An industrial whirlwind of sound – cascading synths, melodies, harmonies and a rhythmic robotic stomp of a rhythm – the iconic Isaiah Mclaughlin returns, with the aptly-titled, extensive conceptual album Reincarnation.