Sleep For The Nightlife - Minimalist Cities (2014)

This was one of my most anticipated albums of 2014. After seeing them a few years ago I was not fully ready for what this 4 man Toronto based group was about to bring.  I am not alone in this anxious feeling either, but I feel it imperative to bring these guys the attention in the community they richly deserve.

Ambient in the way atmosphere is set and mathy in a restrained and respectful manner. Instrumental pieces that are smartly constructed with no extra relationship baggage. This is real deal total investment Math-tastic Post-Rock.

These cats never leave you hanging and if they are laying down a riff that warrants it, they stick around so you can soak up the joy. If you want to talk math rock brass than technically speaking you've got the twists you desperately crave.  The hooks for me however lie in the relationship of the expertly laid melodies and the brain melting kit work. There are so many moments on this record that literally give me goosebumps its like RL Stine was sitting behind me the entire time....that was bad apologies. The back half of "Underwater Panthers"? forget about it, ridiculous tension and release tactics that are almost too clever.

Are we talking wheel reinvention? nah. but you'll never concern yourselves with such trifles because this is a distillation of Ghosts and Vodka type activity of the highest order and dare I say with some more impressive song variation.  You are a fool if you don't surrender your ears this instant to this the first masterwork of 2014.

Can I say again that these drums are just nasty?
Jesus Christmas

SLEEP FOR THE NIGHTLIFE

Tell them via facebook how much they own the streets

Losses - (DEMO) red intent/untitled (2013)

Vancouver cats Losses have dropped  an atomic warhead of a demo track. You can practically see the teeth on this beast as you're listening. These guys had some incredibly well done demos in 2012 that find themselves in pretty heavy rotation in my life. This new pair of tracks offers a double dose of post hardcore riff racket experimental ambient total hardcore math rock twist. Please go engulf, its just that crazy golden.

RED INTENT/ UNTITLED

Fight Cloud - Simple Structures ep (2013)

When we last left our intrepid heroes (who apparently cohere into a brawling mass of water particles) they had already made clear that they were in possession of an incredibly mature sound. As their name would suggest, they were at once ambient with soaring vocals yet ready and willing to toss bolts of hefty electric riffs down to earth and send the people scattering amidst skittering rhythms. Simple Structures is their latest release, and while seemingly a smidgen more muscular, these guys haven't gone to great ends to fix what wasn't broken — there ain't a band out now doing what they do at this level of success. So while I generally like to see some progression from release to release, there are instances where I honest to god just want more of what these dudes are serving up.

FIGHTCLOUD

Gaston - What Time Does Your Train Leave Today (2004)

As promised, I am upping this incredible post-rock group from Berlin called Gaston. Some deep jazz roots and an amazing compositional sense run through this album. The best part? The atmosphere that is built around each idea until it seemingly melts away, only to reform. A trait lacking in a lot groups that try to write ambient tunes from a math rock perspective.

What Time Does Your Train Leave Today

Fox Alive - These Trees Don't Sink (2013)

You describe yourselves as "ambient jazz math rock from Idaho" and you have a wonderful female singer? I suppose my question to you is "WHERE ARE ALL OF THE OTHER SONGS I NEED TO LIVE?!" But seriously this is some incredibly well thought math rock with the vocal one two punch that'll have you reaching for that dern play button again and again. I will be waiting for new stuff from these guys (and gal) thats for sure.

Thousand Mile Channel - TAPS (2013)

Ambient tap math seemingly from some non existent movie soundtrack. Incredibly relaxing and rewarding if your up for something a bit left of center but won't hurt your brain dome :) A lot of times stuff like this screams for more and its a true testament to the compositions that it remains so perfect in its minimalism.




..also James Lambrecht's other project Gladius the Fertile is a pretty interesting take on post rock. for sure a check or two is needed.

Flower Coronet - Circumstances Revised (2013)

So I'd dare say this wouldn't fit anyone strict definition of math but the influences are pretty clear. 

What we have here is a one man project that is based in folk. The sauce starts getting spicy with the heavy introduction of a lot of odd timing, experimentation and some interesting vocal melodies. 

Its a recipe for some wonderful and unique music. Not to be missed

 

TK - Flower (from the Album Flowering)

I'm thinking about starting a video thing every now and again of awesome math rock that I cant find proper on the tube.

This is the solo work of TK the guitarist of Ling Tosite Sigure.  It is a bit like LTS but more personal and ambient while keeping the same frantic math rock nature.

Dispo / Barberos - You vs Us / Us vs You

An interestingly paired split here that does share some similarities. Dispo's portion is more math rock bent but still has some electronic elements in common with Barberos. A harder pop sense also runs through their three songs, in fact I find it hard even to say "pop" really. Excellent rhythmic sense and pretty inventive vocal use. Would love to hear a full length for sure from these Italians. 

Barberos, as said before, is the more electronic minded end but still brings in some interesting rhythms as well. The last song is a bit long....which I dont normally gripe about but it loses the quick pace of the ep. I would have to hear at least one more song to grab a full opinion but UK based Barberos do hold their own very well. 

split

Year End Round Up (Part 2)

Part Deux....
___________________________

Sodalane
as far as I can tell is a one man affair that skirts the line between some pastoral indie rock, math rock and even a dash of post-hardcore lite. Really an incredibly solid release and has just the right amount of originality to set it apart from the pack. Always interesting with some pretty unpredictable moments in their for the ADD crowd. Myself included. 

__________________________________

Delicious Death
Have I mentioned this one man effort before? Its been a favorite of mine since I first heard. A really great continuation of Damiera style songcraft. An instrumental version however. Must hear.
___________________________________
 

Willow
Super energetic math rock to get you moving. Strong and busy sound for a three piece. These Rhode Island Native's newest on their bandcamp has added some more textural dynamics and singing which only makes them all the better for it 

Louie Baltazar - These were the days

Electro ambient math that could be equated to a nice walk through the park in the best way possible. Ups for trying for something off the path a bit and tends to follow at times a zefs chasing cara vibe. A very guitar oriented affair as well. Check it out please and thank you.

louiebaltazar

Jazz for Kids - B A B (single)

Consider this a bookmark of sorts for this up and coming release by Jazz for Kids. The vision of one artist, Jeremy Myint. All that I have to say is "wow". This is some self assured music that blends a couple more progressive genre stylings in an extremely pleasant way. Math rock via guitar tapping melded with Jazz fusion (not your fathers fusion mind you). With a lot of these one man efforts the ability to translate "intricate" styles and make them seemingly "effortless" is something that has always attracted me to projects such as this. That being said the crown jewel here I would say are these vocals that perfectly dance atop the proceedings in a way that only the composer of this music could.  So if your still saying "why all the fuss about one song?" well im making the call now.  Come Dec. when the full release comes out its going to be something a whole lot of math heads will be rubber necking about. You wont be sorry. 

jazzforkids

Prismatic Mantis - Umbrella (2008)

In the mood to exit the room your sitting in? Stick those headphones in because this is something thats sure to take your mind away for at least the duration of of this record.

Prismatic Mantis inhabit a realm of ambient shifts that glide toward controlled chaos.  Within this ecosystem at odds, the creatures that have acclimated to such a habit truly run the range as well. Acoustic spanish tinged guitar, space-jazz (space-jam?), math rock, electronic, controlled noise, sampled music and progressive rock. All of this and more with a layer of psychedelia blanketed on top. I use these organic words because what you're about to experience is a very natural sounding project that is incredibly honest.  With everything firing its easy to assume that it could come off incredibly cold....this is the furthest from the truth one would imagine.

I can't stress this enough. This is beautiful work from individuals that have a clear vision and are artistically restless. Rarely does one run head first into a work so dense and chalk full of ideas. To close, I would like to thank those responsible for opening my vision and to plead to our limited readers that this is something that you should not pass by without giving this a heavy listen.

 umbrella

Haisuinonasa

A band seemingly at odds. Shifting from lulling atmospherics, glitch breaks to breakneck math rock and everything in between. Who better to provide this interesting amalgam then haisuinonasa a band hailing from our favorite island nation of precision math rock. Have to say when things get slow...I get sleepy with these guys. When the tempo gets ramped up you may not have a band that is this insanely tight again this year, staggering really.

想像と都市の子供

Dobutsu no Karada (2012)

Meniscus - Absence of I (2007)

Post Metal can be a tricky sort of mistress...you see she's been around the block awhile and her "tricks" aren't all that original anymore.  Seriously look at all the acts that sound exactly like Isis. Australian group Meniscus take a familiar approach with some welcome variations. For one its pretty ambient and jazzy at times. Sure these Aussie's get heavy handed with the metal chug but this is certainly more tech than it lets on. I'm fairly certain they have just released a new album with a new drummer this year but I am woefully unfamiliar.

My apologies for not posting as frequently. I am in the throws of purchasing my first home so bear with my sporadic posting habits.

Absence of I (2007)

37500 Yens - Astero (2007)

Bonjour! comment êtes-vous aujourd'hui spadassins? Er umm sorry cant help but slip into french when we have the excellent 37500 Yens from France gracing us with their brand of excellent math rock. Well I guess to be fair we have some other prevalent elements getting thrown in the lions den. You've got some clear love of hardcore as well as more low key ambient styles. The feeling is almost like an update to early 90's Louisville stalwarts when they are chilling out on a nice slow groove. Wordless and complex when they are in "hardcore" mode. You would think by the description that the guitar would be a titch forgettable but actually stays both rhythmic and melodically present throughout the duration of the album, a surprising achievement if you ask me. Unfortunately this is the extent of their releases a sad state of affairs. You need not be a francophone to dig into this dish.

Astero (2007)

Hood - Cold House (2001)

UK based ambient post rock glitch. I sense a pattern of interesting night driving music and after Penpal this is another great entry. Some songs are a bit aphex twin lite others have a great indie rock feel. Roping them all together are excellent wispy vocals.  Cold House, while an earlier work of theirs is (in my opinion) one of their best. Open wide.

Cold House

Wires Under Tension - Light Science

Trust that this is good. That it sounds like a train full of awesome live drums hit an elctronic dragon spewing samples as a violin careens in and out of the ensuing mayhem. So yea what you were going to say. Also as a side note why doesn't all electronic music use live drums? I mean why wouldn't you? Cant play to a click track brah?  Wires Under Tension do it exactly how it should always be done.

Light Science

Genghis Tron

Ambient Electronic Grindcore

Switching gears for a moment, Poughkeepsie, NY's "cybergrind" trio has certainly been a band to watch for awhile now. Melding elements of Metal, grindcore, electronic drums and ambient atmospherics its a unique group that knows how to mix the harsh with the strange industrial calm. Technical guitar with plenty of odd time changes thrown in. Lots of sampling but enough live instrumentation to augment this. Vocals run to the hardcore screaming variety but it fits the music well. Any fan of metal should check this out.

Dead Mountain Mouth

Board Up The House

Bohren & der Club of Gore

You'd have sworn you've heard these songs somewhere else but your wrong, dead wrong. This German Jazz Troupe is truly what it sounds like to drive for hours at night going anywhere in the best way possible. This group which also has the slightly erroneous tag of "doom jazz" is more ambient jazz than anything else. The melodies are crisp and commanding yet soft and soothing. Its the contradictory elements that seems at constant work. Very awesome.  




Bohren & der Club of Gore - Dolores