Elise Mills

Chaos Carousel by Mind Mirage

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The electronics in Chaos Carousel by Mind Mirage (aka Ana Cuevas) ooze like an otherworldly sap. There’s a compelling austerity here, playing with out-of-time expanses and then returning the incantation to a commanding earth-beat. Cuevas’ artistry plants deep roots, only to be unearthed by eager hands and a hungry heart.

Sunbather: 10th Anniversary Remix / Remaster by Deafheaven

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Deafheaven’s beloved Sunbather album has been remastered and re-released this month to celebrate its 10th (!) anniversary. This is quite a nostalgic release for me: Alongside the droney bliss of Sunn O))), this was the album (and artist) that turned me on to metal in general. As an angsty teen who basically only listened to Depeche Mode, metal might have stayed out of my listening territory if Sunbather hadn’t been recommended to me repeatedly by multiple music heads. And for good reason. It’s l

Hyperstition by Talk Show

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The project Talk Show by Drew Zercoe and Heng Wang introduce Hyperstition for punks’ listening pleasure, thrashing to the sounds of post-industrial, death metal, and darkwave. Be sure to peek at the lyrics for each track, as they are otherwise indiscernible (like a little Easter egg for lore); the descriptions yield abstract yet visceral vignettes, capturing the austerity of isolation through power electronics, and the immediacy of feeling. Raw, seemingly disparate pieces come together into a ch

Spike Field by Maria BC

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Spike Field delicately holds Oakland artist Maria BC’s deep psyche to a candle, coaxing a wordless realm. Cradled within nostalgic, lullaby-like melodies and poetics, and haunted by a charmingly out-of-tune Steinway, the folk soundscape shimmers distinctly through fragments of shattered glass and mirrors reflecting past selves. Released by New York’s Sacred Bones Records, the album is deceptively “pretty.” What appears to be a series of gorgeous, flowery vignettes is actually sharp to the touch

Desolation's Flower by Ragana

Fri, 03 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Their poetry? Seething. Their values? Staunchly self-evident. Their viscerality: On one hand, a beacon for connecting with what it means to be human, what it means to feel alive. And on the other hand, the urgency of survival, even when the world is burning. After the release of three singles, Ragana’s full album Desolation’s Flower arrives via The Flenser highly anticipated, with the duo carrying out yet another beautiful lament. Fierce, urgent, and angry, their sound has always been a grounding, necessary soundtrack for a world rife with cognitive dissonance. Seeing them live for the first time earlier this year was a spiritual experience, and one I won’t forget. Engulfed by fire, their light shines ever so brightly from a distance. In the past, Ragana have cheekily called themselves esoteric doom metal, but their music is by no means inaccessible. In fact, their music gives ample permission to openly grieve and go mad. Like the stinging nettle, it is a healing balm for pain as well as profound grief.

Beyond the Reach of Light by Field of Fear

Fri, 20 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Anguish is set to a low simmer; tendrils of mind tenaciously grasp onto depression’s relentless waves. On Beyond the Reach of Light, Drew Zercoe (as Field of Fear) hones in on the duality of (dis)comfort that occurs when stuck in a state of throbbing numbness. And how in the depths of depression, you find yourself swimming in a different kind of reality soup. Its industrial noisescape shrouds the head in an all-consuming fog. Pain and numbness bubble and shift strategically between harmful and seemingly harmless guises, overwhelm followed by paradoxical bliss— and you realize you have forgotten to breathe. Beyond the Reach of Light maintains listenability through moments of respite in tracks like “Cold” and “Lost,” and its swift transitions between tracks. No extent of this harrowing valley is left unhaunted. All emotion is left out in its rawest, least symbolic form—and where no language can interfere.

"So Far So Good": Tangy Guitars and Poetry

Fri, 20 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0100

So Far So Good by Meernaa tenderly embodies the enduring sense of loss, of nostalgia, of hope that’s hoped to last, like a sticky sweet residue left over on your tongue from childhood. While you can still taste the psychedelic haze from a pleasant past summer, the scene is gently taken over by citrussy, tangy guitars and poetry to guide us into more sobering territory. Taking aid from a variety of childhood influences, singer-guitarist Carly Bond of Meernaa invites us to experience a different kind of warmth as she navigates, processes, and transforms painful memories to lay ease on the mind. No longer sticky sweet, the matured palette is more fitting now. Wiser than yesterday and standing a little taller, we can find comfort in leaning in and letting go. Bond’s soothing voice is safe and warm, protecting from erasing the memory of what once was, and allowing for the hope of even more vibrant days to come. Out now on Austin label Keeled Scales.

SFEFM 2023 Mini-Report: Cryptic Introspections

Fri, 29 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0100

The Lab recently hosted the 22nd Annual San Francisco Electronic Music Festival (SFEMF), bringing together a wide array of sonic palettes and performers, local and international, emerging and renowned alike. We make mention of two notable showings here, beginning with Roziht Eve, an SF-based Taiwanese American media composer, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and self-produced singer-songwriter. Eve’s “Pneuma” is a piece she describes as a “leisurely stroll into one’s inner child.” But it’s no picnic. Roziht’s soft soprano voice, coupled with archetypal visuals by Santiago, lures the audience into a cryptic vault of introspection. Influences of Enya and Debussy are palpable. While lingering there, we watched as Rozhit confronted the initial apprehension of opening the vault. Exploring the depths of the psyche spiritually and ancestrally, “Pneuma” is a story of arriving at tender care for the most vulnerable inner self, a self that also extends to her own child. While watching an icy flower reconstruct itself on screen, Roziht’s six-year-old daughter’s voice emerges from the ethereal soundscape, anchoring us with wisdom from a surprising yet not so surprising source: “who are you? it’s me. you know me. i never left” The second artist, re:VOLT, blew our intimate audience out of the water on the second day of the festival. This Los Angeles-based quartet (although only three members were present at SFEMF) identifies as “like-minded half-crazy avant-garde synthesists/composers/producers.” Their group is a dream come true. Firstly, their name is fun – I’m a sucker for wordplay. Secondly, bringing the 21st-century avant-garde technical prowess as well as a full-on band to Morton Subotnick’s 1971 composition “Sidewinder” was even more sonically punk and industrial than expected. re:VOLT’s metallic, fractal bassy sound palette throughout this set made for a playful take on what is already quirky computer music amidst a genre-expansive ‘70s ethos. I loved it, I would like to hear more like this.

"Afro Futurist Dreams": Cosmic Explorations

Fri, 29 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0100

As one can expect with anything coming out of the ever-expansive afrofuturist consciousness, Afro Futuristic Dreams is an exploratory, cosmic journey traversing past and future timelines with references to science fiction writers Octavia Butler and Samuel R. Delaney, all while deeply rooted in the “urgent reality of the present”—of police brutality, of reclamation of identity, of people power. Idris Ackamoor’s distinctive saxophone style is magical, melting into the budding orchestration of violin, guitar, and keytar. Among more familiar jazz motifs and structures, the album wanders boldly into meditative ambient and rock spaces with subtle sprinklings of electronic ornamentation. It’s almost impossible not to hum along to this, in turn offering an inwardly felt grounding ritual of harmonization. Labeling this album “experimental jazz” feels a bit redundant and shallow, given jazz’s rich history of experimentation and innovation, all the while celebrating the joy of collaboration and improvisation. It can’t be limited to any one kind of feeling, vibe, or -ism. The album is a whole experience. Afro Futuristic Dreams is best listened to from start to finish. Oh, to see this live.

Dark Forest by Michael Claus

Fri, 04 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0100

The post-humanist love affair between the grittiest of machine music and the organicism and interconnectedness of nature is an old one. Techno enthusiasts can just as easily revel in the quieter, mysterious allure of the natural world. Michael Claus of Silva Electronics returns with two eerie techno tracks to delight and frighten us, padded by an intriguing psychedelic remix of “Dark Forest” from Lara Sarkissian and a thrilling, bass-heavy remix of “Paranoia” courtesy of Force Placement. Find yourself venturing into the dark forest of someone else’s Eden. Feel the goosebumps appear one by one as the ominous dong of an approaching monster approaches. Lurking beneath necromancer fungi, it finds its way creeping closer and closer to an otherwise beautiful and safe clearing. The relentless pounding bass sets the blood pumping from start to finish. Amid the intensity, the Lara Sarkissian’s remix offers a reassuring anchor in the form of a psychedelic-rock comedown reminiscent of Talk Talk’s heyday. Soon after, “Paranoia” and its other half, reinterpreted by Force Placement, thrill us with two synthetic jams to make the inner primal roar— an overwhelm of the senses makes it hard to discern whether you will emerge frightened, overstimulated and delighted, or all three. It’s like a Hans Christian Anderson fairytale twisted even further under Bladerunner conditions.

Machines by Nihar

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0100

I have long been an admirer of Nihar Kirtidev Bhatt’s releases, DJ sets, and his esoteric techno label Left Hand Path, which he co-runs with Chris Zaldua. Squirrels on Film has also consistently showcased the best of Bay Area subculture, where avant-garde and experimental artists are free to explore the bounds of mind/body dance music. Nihar’s latest release Machines (via Squirrels on Film) draws from a palette of darkwave, techno, and industrial sounds. Delving into twisty, dark, and unsettling places, it takes listeners on grotesque journeys through blood vessels and filaments, reshaping flesh into powerful metallic symbiosis, much like implanted cybernetic armor. As time slows and suspends, the body slowly knits itself together, with neurons firing and regenerating forgotten connections and memories, while simultaneously forging newer, stranger ones. All these elements pulsate together, forming a strangely familiar yet unfamiliar living entity—a pleasant hallucination for some; perhaps a nightmare for others. Squirrels on Film aptly describes Machines as angular and geometric. Like a more intricate game of Tetris, let its angularity infiltrate every crevice of your mindscape.

Madeline Kenney's new record is so good there's nothing to say about it, but we tried anyway

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Thank you for opening this email. We’ve been at it for nearly three years… and? We’re still reviewing all the best new music from the Bay Area every day. We’re still throwing quarterly live events (and then some). And there are even more exciting things to come. If you love what we’re doing, you can show your support by following us on Patreon or - new option! - you can become a paid subscriber right here on Substack: Much love and, as always, thank you for giving a damn about music and art

"Burden of Proof": Stranger than Fiction

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0100

In film scores, the enveloping nature of ambient meets the experimental drama of contemporary classical. Film serves as a natural medium for this fusion, allowing the music to accompany the visuals without being distracting, all while crafting a distinct and captivating atmosphere. Film music is, of course, visual music. Even with closed eyes, sound is clearly moving and painting pictures. In the soundtrack for the true crime and psychological thriller docu-series Burden of Proof, Chuck Johnson viscerally illustrates the show’s themes, such as the cumbering weight of devastating truths as well as betrayed trust and family destruction: “As missing evidence is uncovered, lie detector tests are failed, and past abuses are revealed, a rich, complicated narrative emerges while Stephen is left to wonder the price he has paid by pursuing this painful search for closure.” While film can easily sensationalize truth and turn trauma into a spectacle for greedy eyes, Johnson’s compositions remind us that truth is stranger than fiction. On my favorite track, “Interrogation,” dissonant and bittersweet chords accompanied by somber drums shape the austere ambiance that reflects the sparseness of information and the absence of answers. There is little more depicted than what is simply unfolding. No epic cinematic storytelling and no tricks; just an allowance for the ears to reach out, albeit hesitantly, for these sounds. The soundtrack is out now on London label All Saints Records.

"Feed the Clones Pt. 1": Blistering Darkwave

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0100

I just have to add: redefining post-punk in the 21st century is a new beast, and Shrinkwrap Killers from Oakland label Transylvanian Recordings is killing it. As the Cold(hot) War of AI among the lovely leaders of our tech dystopia ramps up, we have more to say about the machines than ever before. Feed the Clones Pt. 1 features blistering, oversaturated doomy guitars cloaked in darkwave garb, accompanied by deceptively mechanical goth vocals. Many of the sounds on this album are reminiscent of a more jaded Gary Numan if Tubeway Army had adopted a metal sensibility in 1979; that alone scratches an itch I didn’t know I had!

"Caramels for Grandpa": Dreamy, Melodic Baroque Pop

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Yet another local juicy alternative band to put on your radar! Lucky for us, they’re performing at the Makeout Room every Thursday in June. Their mesmerizing new album Caramels for Grandpa is a sweet punkish dedication to Everyone is Dirty bandmates’ grandfather: “Holocaust survivor. Cantor. Tailor. Black market hustler. Cruise ship comedian.” This is dreamy, melodic, sometimes sound-wall-y baroque pop you won’t want to miss. Sivan Lioncub’s vocals are rich as syrup, epically cascading upon a series of strings and guitar magic, backed by a seriously talented rock band. Everyone is Dirty’s unique sound captures the essence of indie rock, folk influences, and whimsical genres, leaving you breathless, nostalgic, and undoubtedly craving caramel. Don’t forget to snag yourself a limited edition copy of their “Box of Caramels” (12’’ vinyl) as an extra listening treat, and a ticket or two to their upcoming shows!

Multiple Park by Cheryl E Leonard & Wobbly

Fri, 02 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0100

While the title track is literally built from the recordings in three California parks, there’s a larger commentary on what new and evolving narratives of what “the outdoors” actually sounds like in this day and age. Noise is profoundly cultural; the act of listening to it even more so. And even further of note: Noise is information. Our physical environment tells us so much about change. It is a literal and sonic reflection of how we and the rest of world have existed alongside and against each other. How will physical geographies continue to be influenced by technological change? What will the “outdoors” transform into? Where do soundscapes (sonic geographies) play a role in documenting the “vanishing biophony?”

"Akousmatikous": Ethereal Techno-Symbiosis

Fri, 26 May 2023 00:00:00 +0100

I wasn’t ready. I’m not sure you’re ready either. The setting is funky indie space opera, where Lindsay Rose Olsen dares to explore the mind-melty techno-symbiotic relationship between plants, humanity, and machine in an almost endearing post-apocalyptic sandbox “after dimensional collapse.” With a little ‘70s jazz tea infusion, and ethereal synthy and vocal magic, we look down to find our fleshly vessels evolved: “the earthlings have their heads and hands transformed into screens, which is where we begin the new album. The earthlings get stuck in a never ending video feedback loop between their heads and their hands.” The Salami Rose Joe Louis project is no stranger to making-strange. There’s some serious craftsmanship to this album, from the production to the imagination, to the life-world Salami Rose Joe Louis and her collaborators breathe into being. In a world literally overwhelmed by too many screens, too much noise, and way too much B.S. as we witness climate disaster and toxic social structures collapse in real time, let Akousmatikous breathe some life back into your tired bones in hopes of innovative and fulfilling relationships, collaboration, and a genuine spirit of collectivism.

Eternal Chaos of the Footwork-Jungle & Turbo Beats (Samsara Beats)

Fri, 05 May 2023 00:00:00 +0100

SF label Samsara Beats released a hearty compilation of dance music this month—Eternal Chaos of the Footwork-Jungle & Turbo Beats—but hold up, it’s not just another four-on-the-floor-easily-insert-track-into-dj-mix-here tracklist. There’s truly something for everyone here who never left the chaotic (and delightfully innovative) world of ‘90s dance music. Enjoy cycling through buzzy breaks saturated by just the right amount of squelch, metallic discordant synthesis, and eclectic surprises on the road to your next genre-fluid party. The tracks are entirely enjoyable to listen to on their own, and perhaps best listened to unadulterated for the greatest impact… and, dare I say: mix at your own risk!

Swim Domain by Later Version

Fri, 05 May 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Swim Domain, the new EP by Later Version (Oakland’s DJML & Jerod S. Rivera) on London label Third Place, accomplishes a whimsically imagined interpretation of oceanic allure. Delicate polyrhythms drizzle from the sky onto brush-stroked waters. Through the deceptively consistent surface, there is something resembling an emerald algae undergrowth, revealing an ecosystem rife with shimmery, rumbling life. The whole scene’s a little bizarre though, as attention turns to the occasional clamoring metal. Linger a little longer above the kelp forest that stretches deep below into some abstract abyss, where you may catch a glimpse of creatures flaunting a more mechanical nature, their hearts beating to the sound of their own mechanical drum. Sea bass powered by gears for fins? Magical (hyper)realism sonically realized. The EP also includes a remix of the title track Jacktone co-owner, Dark Entries and Tartelet Records affiliate, and Beats Unlimited member Doc Sleep.

"Itkuja Suite, invocations on lament": Lament is Healing; Music is Medicine

Fri, 21 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0100

On an all-too-familiar journey to communal and familial belonging, Itkuja Suite by Rent Romus (accompanied by Heikki Koskinen, the Life’s Blood Ensemble, Heikki Laitinen) carefully considers deeply personal, interior existential ache within a geo-historical context. Finnish poetry fuses with saxophone/vibraphone/cello improvisation, swirling the past, present, and future into a beautiful and holistic outlook on what lament has to offer the human experience: “The stories, sung by Laitinen in Finnish, are (with one exception) historical laments informed by The National Archives of Finland’s Ancient Poems of the Finnish People, with reference to the historic refugees of Finno-Ugric people across Northern Europe, and also to Romus and Koskinen’s longing for their heritage. With the benefit of translation, this offers listeners a dazzling discovery both musical and poetic, and a universal call to remembrance and healing.” This piece is palpably a process of restoration and reparation, how the self is always in conversation with cultural belonging, and how where one comes from is deeply intertwined with identity, ancestral healing, existential survival, and resistance to cultural erasure. Lament is healing; music is medicine. For more from Rent Romus, check out here for the outside, also released this month on Edgetone Records.

"CONCUSSSSION I": Deeply Visceral, Evolving

Fri, 07 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Amma Ateria’s CONCUSSSSION I is an ongoing experimental sound project that explores the question: “How does one’s process of recovery from trauma in the present moment shift the effects of past / present stress, oppression, dislocation, and collective trauma?” Stemming from Ateria’s recovery from a traumatic head injury in June 2021, the piece delves into the artist’s experiences of neurological disorientation, states of consciousness and unconsciousness, altered speech, and isolation, among others. This deeply visceral and evolving ambient composition was showcased at the SF Electronic Music Festival at The Lab in 2022, where I was lucky enough to witness how these sounds are carefully crafted, and her ability to imitate the construction and deconstruction of reality in real time. Released on Dragon’s Eye Recordings, you can now experience this incredibly moving and transformative work for yourself.

"Denown": Snarling and Oozing

Fri, 31 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Infinexhuma’s Denown blurs the boundary between our world and the next, leaving the veil almost irreparably thin. Snarling and oozing, the piece features drawn-out demonic drones, detoxifying the atmosphere of fear and desire with an immersive, healing sonic tonic, providing the kind of relief that can only be savored after going through an intense, soul-wrenching experience. The piece invites us to question whether unfamiliar territory is truly foreign, or if we are simply returning home to our authentic selves once the mask has dissolved. Are we truly so estranged from our demons?

"MONIKER 001": Tubulent, Virulent Techno

Fri, 24 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Even though Club Moniker can still be considered a fledgling addition to the San Francisco underground scene, its residents are by no means new. With their various takeovers at Fault Radio, Hyde FM, and parties throughout the city, the crew hasn’t gone unnoticed for lovers of expansive club music. Now Club Moniker has established their own label and just released the first of hopefully many dance compilations: MONIKER001. Enjoy squelchy, post-apocalyptic, and industrial rhythms from contributors Pteron, kk. Shucko, and Soeneido, each of them reveling in the liminal spaces of experimental club music. It’s turbulent and virulent, with mentally invigorating techno and familiar jungle beats scratching against spacey, eerie melodies. Not to mention the ultra-clean production designed to grace the low-lit, far-out soundsystems and dancefloors. Zero skips here. Keep your ears to the ground for upcoming parties and radio takeovers.

"FLIPFOOTS": Experimental Dance Mash

Fri, 17 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000

I’m not right about a lot of things, but I’m right about at least one thing: Y’all are really sleeping on Tom Marsi. Honestly some of the rawest talent out there right now when it comes to her production, but most importantly, her creativity. This month, she released FLIPFOOTS, a super fun and bouncy, D&B- and footwork-flavored, hyperpoppy rhythmic manipulation, along with supporting edits by local favorites Tomu DJ and rainsdeaf. Tom Marsi’s eclectic musical interests and influences find quirky friendship in just about every project she sets her mind to, managing to convince unsuspecting crowds that just about anything under the mish mash umbrella of “experimental” belongs on the dancefloor. For example, my brain has never associated Wicked and Soldier Boy anywhere close to the same wavelength, but if anyone would, it’s fucking Tom! She knows how to make us silly humans MOVE, even when we don’t think we want to.

"Days on End": Sparse, Hypnotic Techno

Fri, 03 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Lose yourself in the sparseness and hypnotism of solotape’s Days on End (pt.1). Released on Silva Electronics this week, the album enters the 2023 sonic landscape with a treasure trove of funky, minimal techno repertoire. The tracks were captured on a whim via tape, with playful variations of texture left to ferment long after the initial recording sessions during the early days of the pandemic. Resampling and reimagining the work several months later, solotape whips up a result that “provid[es] an honest snapshot into the artist’s internal world.” Ominous at times, the album maintains a steady groove and pulsing focus throughout, throbbing amidst the (dis)comfort in repetition and routine that many have easily acclimatized to over the last few years, for better or worse.

"DREAM & FUTURE SPIRIT": Sun Rays For Mind and Body

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000

If you’ve been following Raven from Vaguetracks the past several months, you’d notice that they’ve been dropping some really interesting work. Their musical range is impressive: From the beats-forward, otherworldly sound universe of R&B Science Fiction, to the experimental jazz, dubby fusion that is Silken Melodies, to their latest and lushest EP, Dream & Future Spirit. Raven’s brain is a never-ending well of creativity, bursting with unpredictable connections: Whether they’re working in R&B, D&B, techno, or even jazz and classical-inspired contexts, Raven has a knack for pairing the most unexpected of sounds, resulting in works that, while undoubtedly “experimental,” can still be felt deeply in the body as much as the mind. Lately, I’ve been bingeing Dream & Future Spirit after a series of arduous days. Unlike the album’s predecessors who indulge listeners on the dancefloor, this latest EP feels like the most fantastic stretch—reaching, extending, and expanding like sun rays greeting the early morning when the world feels a little more hopeful than usual. Refreshing, regenerative, lovely.

"Somewhere Over the Mystic Moon": Luxurious Surrender

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Somewhere Over the Mystic Moon ripples some celestial ocean, ready to whisk you away on soft, silky synth pads. Oakland artist India Sky invites us to re-acquaint the soul and body with pleasure, lightness, and luxuriation. A moonlit waterway funnels the listener through colorful galaxies and rippling futurisms. After swirling about in the sacred honey that is India Sky’s vocal timbre, and backed by a distinctively ‘80s ballroom vibe, you finally arrive at “Bottom of the Sea” to remember how to breathe (beneath the deep). The artist can only offer a hand at the waterfront; it’s up to you to decide whether you will not only meet her there, but allow yourself to surrender to the place you call home. Out now on Ratskin Records.

"lycanthropic nemesis 420":A Delightfully Cheeky Mythos

Fri, 03 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The dungeon metal punk project lycanthropic nemesis 420 cuts right to the chase, clocking in at just under 8 minutes. Rendering a delightfully cheeky mythos, ^-^ (aka blink182emoji of Berkeley group Axe) presents “5 songs about spells, torture, pattern recognition and emo girls <3”—and I’m thoroughly pleased by the result. Beyond the fact that I had to look up the word “lycanthropy,” this is hardly an inaccessible listen for everyone caught in the oscillation between angst and humor accompanying this confusing mess of a digital age… among other things.

"Immortal Sin 03": Ferocious, Sinister Techno

Fri, 03 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000

These four bangers may as well be a belated love-letter to the late ‘90s/early ‘00s techno heads. The third edition of the Immortal Sin compilations from SF label Squirrels on Film strays a bit further from the left-field, avant-garde computer music of earlier releases in the series, and throws us back to Orbital’s Blue Album era in a major way. These ferocious, absolutely sinister sounds will definitely be spotted at your next warehouse underground. Sure to relieve a revved crowd at peak hour, Immortal Sin 03 allows listeners to explore their limits in the descent through a late-capitalist take on mythic asphodel meadows. It’s one hell of a squelchy trek, that’s for sure. Enjoy, fellow heathens!

"If You're So Cool, How Come No One Likes You?": Cozy Pixellated Universe

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Tomu DJ’s latest release If You’re So Cool, How Come No One Likes You? could easily soundtrack some cozy pixellated universe. The opening tracks “Dirt,” “Stylism,” and “Exposure” in particular evoke a kind of organic imagery, despite their unmistakably electronic sources. Perhaps a portal emerges from freshly moistened earth, or a constellation of firefly lights tinkle out of tune with a steady stream of dream-consciousness. A buzz of dragonflies may keep each other company by a bubbling creek, while whimsical forest creatures observe curiously from nearby trees. And after being out and about in the big, big world outside, the sleepy adventurer retreats to their “Shallow Ending” cavern-home—or a cave of their own making—to hibernate, to keep safe and hidden from the glaring eyes of the world.