Latest Experimental Posts

[Electronic] Balam Acab – Spent Lives

Posted by Jordan Coburn - December 29, 2015

Balam Acab
Spent Lives

Which witch house wins? Balam Acab’s witch house wins. Balam Acab, otherwise known as Alec Koone, caught our attention a long time ago with his work, and a few days ago he released a new EP—Child Death. Aside from the real cute name, Child Death shows us not one side, but many sides of the Ithaca-based producer. The 5 track release takes the listener on an electronic journey that’s both light and dark at times, but mostly dark. It’s like the soundtrack for that really messed up version of Hansel and Gretel. Fun, right?

The second track off of Child Death, “Spent Lives,” caught our attention here at TMN the most. This mini-journey just takes you everywhere. It starts out with sci-fi spacey sounds, placing you in a twinkling landscape that speaks in chrome. Then Alec brings us into a darker place that seems more apropos given the EP’s name, and we’re sucked into a wormhole of echoing vocals, screeching samples, and deep and haunting bass tones. We actually find it to be very similar to Arca’s works, and that’s a big compliment. We think as subgenres of electronic get more and more exposure, witch house will be one that everyone knows. And when that happens, Balam Acab will be at the forefront right up there with oOoOO and Holy Other. And rightfully so.

[Electronica] Himalia – Ghosts EP

Posted by Mitch Marzuola - November 19, 2015

Anxiety grips us all at some point, and we’re lucky enough to have an endless stream of music to help ease our worries. Searching for a calm haven can be difficult, but the gentle atmosphere of Himalia‘s newest project, Ghosts, manufactures a universe inundated with brooding, yet soothing components that tenderly circulate throughout your consciousness.

Layer after layer of reverb soaked synths cascade across each track, beckoning for something intangible. There’s a delicate gravity within every instrumental that shatters the hectic world around you as listen, and, as everything begins to slow down, a feeling of ease permeates your mind. It’s here that Himalia excels. With time essentially frozen, the music is its own entity. Ghosts is sixteen minutes of authentic bliss, and luckily for us, the EP is a free download. Close your eyes and find your peace of mind in an incessantly shifting world with Himalia’s newest effort right now. We all need a break, so get a perfect start with the ethereal tunes below.

’Ghosts’

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’Nightstalker’

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’7Thousand’

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’Deep Breath, Start Again.’

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[Electronic] Botany – Bad CGI

Posted by Jordan Coburn - November 12, 2015

Botany
Bad CGI

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Austin-based producer Spencer Stephenson, known by the moniker Botany, stepped out onto the electronic scene in a big way with his new LP Dimming Awe, The Light Is Raw. Demonstrating a significant command of the frequency spectrum, Stephenson has once again created a work that effortlessly combines ambient, hip-hop and psych in a landscape that transports the listener to a place of heightened auditory perception upon the first listen. Stephenson’s artistic interest in paying homage to all the freaks (aka frequencies) is hugely seen in this LP’s own “Bad CGI”, a track that will get you vibing all around.

Opening with a drone-y vocal sample that will come back to haunt you later on in the song, the track has an experimental low end pulse that fittingly follows, setting the driving bass rhythm for the rest of the track. The intro flows seamlessly into a funkier tune as the bass line comes in along with the highs of ambient flutter effects that fill the background of the track. It soon becomes apparent that this is one you can get down to. The transition from a chanty bass track to the track that could easily be dropped at a club is impeccable, and I think that’s what attracts us to Botany’s work the most. Check out the rest of his stuff for a groove-ridden train ride across his Texas-made bridge between the experimental and beats that anyone can feel.

[Dark] Whynnel – Mitzdi

Posted by Michael Serratore - July 2, 2015

Whynnel
Mitzdi

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A hero’s power would be nothing without the juxtaposition of a darker force. In much the same way, the team over at Heroic have launched the perfect antithesis to their current label with the recent launch of Villain Recordings. With the idea to establish a polar opposite spectrum of sound, this newly birthed collective enables an entirely new breed of artist to be showcased whose musical tendencies lean towards the dark and mysterious.

Leading the charge for the villainous conquest is Slovenian producer Whynnel, giving us a taste of the label’s sinister side with the grungy beats of ‘Mitzdi’. The brooding atmosphere is a potent presence throughout this intensely edgy experience, and yet beneath it all lies undertones that are refreshingly chill. Nevertheless, the imagery of abandoned factories shrouded in darkness will form an inescapable labyrinth in the listener’s mind for the full four minute journey.

Though completely contrasting from a stylistic point of view, one factor that connects the two entities is a mission statement to unearth new talent and create new legacies in the scene. If this debut release is anything to go by, the bad guys will definitely be a force to be reckoned with!

[Electronic] Wild & Free – Tropique (Falqo Remix)

Posted by Matthew Bloss - June 25, 2015

Wild & Free
Low Pressure (Falqo Remix)

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Last month, we came across an excellent EP, Low Pressure, from L.A. based duo Wild & Free through Rock It Science Labs, and were immediately struck by their single “Tropique”. While we didn’t have a chance to feature the original, (as much as it pains this writer to reveal) we were blessed with underground dynamo Falqo‘s remix, and were even more entranced with “Tropique” than before. The Australian electronic savante pulls Wild & Free’s original towards a slightly more ambient sea of disco leaning modulation, landing somewhere between dance and chill. Which is exactly where we want to be this Thursday. Falqo’s slick implementation of the original stems flirts with a number of aural toys, from laidback chill-step to clubby house, but most importantly, it flirts heaviest with our ear drums.

Stream Falqo’s remix above, grab a free download here, slip into something comfortable, grab your favorite adult beverage (or not if you’re illegal) and unwind your Thursday.

[Multi-Genre] Juno Reactor – The Golden Sun Remixed

Posted by Tyler Trew - June 16, 2015

Back in May, we had the chance to premiere a track by Zeologic. It was the remix of “Tempest” that the Serbian did for the esteemed trance act Juno Reactor. Today, we share with you the rest of the album which has ten tracks total from artists all over the world.

The Golden Sun Remixed is jam packed with tunes from differing genres, although the project largely revolves around styles of trance. With remixes from BLiSS, Modus, Cylon, Tortured Brain and more, there’s plenty of solid, and might we add very interesting, songs for you to stream, or purchase. There is also a bonus single by Mickey Noise, in case the previous tracks were not enough. The Golden Sun Remixed was released in conjunction with Metropolis Records.

’Final Frontier – Extrawelt Remix’

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’Juno Reactor Zombie GMS Remix’

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”Guillotine” (BLiSS Remix)’

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’Invisible (Ritmo Remix)’

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’Shine – Modus Remix’

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’Tempest (Zeologic Remix)’

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’Trans Siberian (Cylon Remix)’

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’Byculla (Tortured Brain Remix)’

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’Playing With Fire (Jitter Remix)’

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”Tanta Pena” Mickey Noise Remix – bonus track “Golden Sun… Remixed”‘

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[Electronic] DIVERSA – Of The Mysterious Voice (EP Review)

Posted by Dominic Powell - June 11, 2015

Among the countless electronic music producers of today, music fans repeatedly encounter artists lending styles to and from one another. From the massive build up and drops of major EDM artists, to the ever growing adaptation of future bass by up and coming artists, setting oneself apart as a musician is arguably more difficult now than ever.

Thanks to a multitude of recent releases by Daktyl`, Skrux, and Obesøn, listeners have grown accustomed to high quality, genre blending music from the successful Hegemon label, pushing an already progressive-thinking music scene further. Last week we were unexpectedly graced with the release of fellow Hegemon label mate Diversa’s latest EP, “Of the Mysterious Voice”.

The five track EP, released via his newly minted affiliation in London-based Inspected (home to talented artists Gemini and Zeds Dead) is a beautiful, thought-provoking collection of tunes loosely termed as drum and bass. Continue reading →