Tunturia – Invisible City (2011) (AWESOME !!!)

Genre : Post-rock, Ambient, from Canada
Website
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Tracklist :

01. Kitezh
02. Betrayal
03. Battle
04. Sinking
05. Discovery
06. Reflection

Like the desolate yet majestic plains of the arctic north, Tunturia’s sound is at times both harsh and beautiful combining elements of post-rock, ambient soundscapes and experimental noise.

Formed in late 2005 the band quickly became a vehicle through which its members were able to explore concepts and ideas through music. Intricate without being technical, grand in scope without the pretension, lush without losing intensity, the band forged ahead writing new material that at times teetered between the edges of progressive and hauntingly minimal.

Not ones to rest on the accolades or achievements of the past, Tunturia are more anxious then ever to return to the studio and begin work on their follow-up record, the elaborately conceived and atmospherically complex Invisible City.

“Invisible City,” Tunturia’s equivalent of “Chinese Democracy,” will be available on October 28th through Oxide Tones. The album is a narrative based loosely around the Russian folk tale of the City of Kitezh. But don’t let the pretentious subject matter fool you, the record is an enjoyable musical romp touching on ambient, post rock and instrumental sounds which hopefully, unlike “Chinese Democracy,” won’t be a terribly prolonged and bloated musical disappointment.

The Drift - Blue Hour (2011) (AWESOME !!!)

Genre : Ambient, Dub, Post-rock, Jazz, Experimental
Myspace
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Tracklist:

1. Dark Passage
2. Bardo I
3. Horizon
4. The Skull Hand Smiles / May You Fare Well
5. Bardo II
6. Continuum
7. Luminous Friend
8. Hello From Everywhere
9. Fountain

Blue Hour is the first release by The Drift since the passing of their indelible trumpet player, Jeff Jacobs, but his spirit is undeniably present throughout the album. Without a doubt their most meditative release since their Travels In Constants debut, Blue Hour eases off the jazz and dub influences that had become a trademark of The Drift's sound, and instead focuses on hypnotic repetition and subtle, textural layering of guitars, keyboards, electric bass and drums. Beautiful, fragile melodies descend into sheets of noise atop an unwavering lockstep groove, and the near-silence of a single bass note becomes alternately haunting and near transcendent. It is a cathartic memorial to a dear friend and invaluable collaborator, and the perfect beginning to a new chapter in The Drift's resilient story.

The Drift are an instrumental band based in San Francisco California comprised of Tarentel founding member Danny Paul Grody, Rich Douthit, and Trevor Montgomery. Their music draws upon elements of dub, rock, minimalism, and abstract leanings that combine to create a sound uniquely their own.

Since forming in 2002 the band has released two full lengths (a third on it’s way) and a host of singles to critical acclaim. They have toured extensively in the US, Canada, Europe, and Japan. Over those years the band has had the honor of working with upright bassist Safa Shokrai(2005-08) and trumpet player Jeff Jacobs who joined shortly after the band formed in 2003. Jeff succumbed to a long and courageous battle with cancer in early January 2011. The dedication he gave to music and the band’s development was paramount. He will be greatly missed, but his light shines eternally.

Ólafur Arnalds - Living Room Songs (2011) (AWESOME !!!)

Genre : Modern Classical, Ambient, Experimental, from Iceland
Myspace
FREE DOWNLOAD
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Tracklist :

01. Fyrsta
02. Near Light
03. Film Credits
04. Tomorrow's Song
05. Ágúst
06. Lag Fyrir Ömmu
07. This Place Is A Shelter

Following in the spirit of Ólafur Arnalds' critically acclaimed 'Found Songs' (2009) where he wrote, recorded and released a free song every day for a week - now comes 'Living Room Songs'. This time Ólafur takes the idea further and invites the audience into the comfort of his living room, where the songs will be recorded live and the whole process filmed. These songs are instantly released in form of free MP3 downloads and videos to stream - straight from Ólafur's Reykjavík apartment.

Born in 1987, Ólafur hails from the suburban Icelandic town, Mosfellsbær, just a few kilometres outside of Reykjavík. He has immersed himself completely in a world of delicate symphonic compositions generating near weightless orchestral pieces. Arnalds explores the crossover from classical to pop by mixing chamber strings and piano with discreet electronics which makes him a perfect fit for cinematic pop label Erased Tapes. His motivations are clear: “The classical scene is kind of closed to people who haven’t been studying music all their lives. I would like to bring my classical influence to the people who don’t usually listen to this kind of music…open people’s minds.”