The Goner Bitemarks EP (DFBM/Bandcamp)

The Goner, a five-piece collective from Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, has released 3 albums (Halartrallar; Hind Hand; Haven) in the recent years. Bitemarks is the first EP seen the sunlight by them. Psychedelia, improvisation, gothic/noir, drone and the approach of minimalism are here to be blended into a organic universe via folk music algorithms. Again, neofolk/dark folk, the output of traditionally sounding folk, and some psychedelic milieus are around here to come finishing it off in the joint area and to stand at each one`s side. The middle age, past and today will be wrapped in one restricted conception. The violin parts - which are played as a collaboration act by Emma Wahlgren, and much praised by the band itself -, organ passages getting more massive step by step, clearly articulated guitar chords, and the last two minutes at Oakmulgee Creek, the ending track, are filled in by the found sounds/natural sounds. To get a example of the relatives hereof, I cant`t go around without to mention Espers and Anahita (strong medieval music tendencies), Six Organs Of Admittance (epic progressive tendencies), Death In June (airy dark-sounding viscosity). Congratulations for the suggestively impressive coverprint as well.

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9.3

Foxes In Fiction Swung From The Branches (Orchid Tapes)

Warren Hildebrand, an youngster from Toronto has gradually beefed up his position in the powerful (post-rock/ experimental folk/experimental indie/ambient) music scene in the North America. His debut album Swung From The Branches - the talk of which will be coming about now - will be soon released under the label Moongadget which is better known by the artists of such as Hella, Casino Versus Japan, Benoit Pioulard, Praveen, Dykehouse (though, the last three names are related through some compilations). However, he bears the course, and the indie bible Pitchfork dedicated an relatively lengthy introduction to the forthcoming event.

Swung From The Branches was firstly published by the Canadian`s own tape label Orchid Tapes. What makes his sound special? Certainly one of the (technical) premises is a dense blending of analogue and digital technology. Indeed, the sounds are recorded onto tapes , on the other hand, the use of digital reverb machines gives it another dimension. Having integrated different sonic waves into an organic whole it can only hints at a musician`s cleverness. The album of 19 tracks can be divided into two parts. First section is introduced by hilarious ambient/atmospheric post-rock numbers, in which you can hear tape hisses in a positive way, sometimes even pastoral primitivism evoking from somethere. Above all, it reminds me of the Fort Collins scene`s doings, especially M. Pyres` ambient experiments in some albums. However, the middle tempo rhythms, spoken word/storytelling, but first and foremost giving to the soundscape faster move, and the new phase started. The musique concrete-embedded items are subtly added to open-felt electro-acoustic environments, there are also viewable some experiments with pitch-effects, and various volume intensities. New Panic Cure is the first indie number demonstrating instantly, why the great hopes are set upon him; Jimi Bleachball does recall My Bloody Valentine, in particular, through Hildebrand` s vocal manner and timbre, which is getting really close to Kevin Shields himself (compare it to Off Your Face, and Moon Song). The title song is opened window/door laptop folk, which contains a lot of tape manipulations, and psychedelic vowel textures. Though Shields was mentioned herein, the closest of Hildebrand`s contemporaries is obviously Bradford Cox. In the same context one of the highlights of the album is 15 Ativan (Song for Erika). Dynamic indietronica/poptronica simply pushes the serotonine to flow to higher levels. One of the masterpieces of the year!

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10.0

[Old but important] An Elephant Never Forgets An Elephant Never Forgets (Upitup)

Indeed, the elephants never forget and can probably remember better as many people do. It is also believable that so much shit gathered together inside our brains which would be better forget or think off isn`t actually the matter of the elephants. On the other side, it is quite surprising to suggest that so few artists are paid `tribute` to the largest terrestial animal by integrating their name into groups` ones. Moreover, the elephant have been symbolized strength and durability.
Indeed, nowadays are being more popular all kind of `bears`, and `cats` - though, I ought to admit, over the times - as well. For real, over the previous decade In the USA existed the Elephant 6 movement have subsequently added the proper and symbolic intention to the `elephant` name in music. No doubt, bands such as Neutral Milk Hotel and Of Montreal have strongly influenced the (USA) altenative music scene.

An Elephant Never Forget is also coming from the same continent – from Montrèal, Canada. Dave Landry and Jim Angelillo, who are only known by this act, came in for to leave thereafter. Though, they were also represented by one song on the compilation of Upitup Records, which released their debut album thereafter. This publication could be shown as a peculiar case because of their in that music entered inside the borders of Upitup's cutting edge electronic music desert. However, the duo demonstrated tumultuous spirit and energy of the music from their home city combined with aesthetics similar to Upitup`s artists using huge cluster of influences for. Given that the jacks within the local indie and post-rocks scene are closely related to each other and take into an account a clue that (Le) Fly Pan Am changed quite dramatically the direction on their last album vis a vis their previous outputs it gives us a theoretical basis to suppose that An Elephant Never Forget has maybe even strongly influenced (Le) Fly Pan Am`s album N` Ecoutez Pas (2004, Constellation) - one of the greatest albums from the last decade.

All those diverse elements are nicely represented on the album - musique concrete elements (street sounds, water murmur), ecstatic outbursts (tracks Expl; Analogie – does it reminiscent of Arcade Fire`s ecstatic hystery thereabout 3-4 years later, isn`t?) It will be given a break by hypnotic rock conception (Nippon), electro-acoustic fulminations, slowly expanding minimalistic ambient rock (Essence). Spoken word. Digital noise does find his home within the borders of high-pitched guitar hums. Also laptop folk - as the later brand of Montrèal scene - excellent shimmerings yield great monumentums here (I recommend listen to another duo Simon Trottier-Nicolas Bernier too). The album will be finished off by their label mate Isocore `s masterful psych-electronic remix Poor Corporation.

An Elephant Never Forget is full of sounds which are worth to give a listen, worth to be discovered now and sometime later again. One of the benchmarks of experimental rock music.

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