Electronic Music

History Goes Everywhere

The Australysis Electroband. Roger Dean, leader, piano, computer; Sandy Evans, saxophones; Greg White, computer; with Hazel Smith, text, performer, the Blue Bus
Electronic Music, Improvisation, Jazz
Tall Poppies TP234
Reviewed by , April 1st, 2016

“Modernist Manchester project pursued way Down Under.” This is modernist music and then some, related in places to jazz and in others to Schoenberg et al, and post-serial music. I love it. Not everyone will but that’s okay by me, and the leader is adjusted to a divided reception. Australysis is assembled in slightly different… continue reading »

Tuned Darker. Works by Cat Hope, Stuart James and Lindsay Vickery

Decibel. Cat Hope, Lindsay Vickery, Stuart James, Tristan Parr, Aaron Wyatt, Louise Devenish, Caitlin Cassidy
Classical, Electronic Music, New Music
Self-release, LP recording
http://decibel.waapamusic.com
Reviewed by , February 1st, 2016

In a similar fashion to their wonderfully presented Stasis Ecstatic release, Decibel have chosen the LP vinyl format for their Tuned Darker publication and, whilst not as physically elaborate as the earlier release, it provides a lovely, eye-catching, warm dimension to the overall feel of the album. The title reflects a line from the poem… continue reading »

Stasis Ecstatic

Decibel. Cat Hope, Lindsay Vickery, Stuart James, Malcolm Riddoch, Tristan Parr, Aaron Wyatt
Classical, Electronic Music, Experimental Music, Improvisation, New Music
Self-release. LP recording
http://decibel.waapamusic.com
Reviewed by , December 1st, 2015

Certainly if the first bite is with the eye then Stasis Ecstatic by Decibel promises to be an attractive and sleek release. Part of the appeal is the retro charm afforded through the physical presentation of the work in LP 33-inch vinyl. I suspect one of the benefits of this format was to highlight the… continue reading »

Starship Z Kosmostan

Zulya Kamalova
Electronic Music, Russian, World
Yammy Music YMCD 2015-001, available on iTunes and Bandcamp
http://zulya.com/ http://kosmostan.com/
Reviewed by , October 1st, 2015

OK… take a look at the genre classification (electronic Tatar music with sci-fi themes) and tell me this album doesn’t intrigue you. The Republic of Tatarstan is a region of Russia about 800 kilometres east of Moscow. It lies between the Volga and Kama rivers and extends east to the Ural Mountains. Zulya Kamalova is… continue reading »

Daydreamer

Darren Harts (Harts), composer, performer
Contemporary, Disco, Electronic Music, Funk, Soul
Offtime Music 3967772
Reviewed by , March 1st, 2015

One of the pearls of wisdom offered by awesome guitarist, Bob Spencer, of Angels and Skyhooks fame, was that it isn’t the number of notes you play, but where you place them. Daydreamer is the first album I’ve listened to in a very long time which provokes contemplation of that truism. Darren Hart, stage name,… continue reading »

Open Polar Sea. Works by Col Fuhler, Salvatore Sciarrino, Morton Feldman, Damien Barbeler, Daniel Blinkhorn and Anna McMichael

Anna McMichael, solo violin, with Col Fuhler on one track
Classical, Electronic Music, Experimental Music, Improvisation, New Music
unsounds 46u (digital download)
http://unsounds.com/shop/open-polar-sea
Reviewed by , February 1st, 2015

Not so long ago, the fashion was for completeness in CD recordings: the complete works of Morton Fledman for violin and piano, for example. In the past several years, however, we have seen a growth in the popularity of the anthology-recital; albums of often short pieces (sometimes only parts of larger works) by different composers… continue reading »

Observations EP

Virtual Proximity
Electronic Music, Fusion
esc.rec.
http://escrec.bandcamp.com/album/observations-ep or http://www.virtual-proximity.com
Reviewed by , January 1st, 2015

Weaving layers of beats with processed field recordings and lustrous strands of loops, Observations EP – by Melbourne’s Virtual Proximity – is a shimmering sonic fabric. I wish this was a full-length album as the listening experience through the six tracks was one of being enfolded in a comforting electro-acoustic lullaby. In studio mode, Virtual… continue reading »

Vessel

The Kite String Tangle
Contemporary, Electronic Music
Warner Music 5419627362
Reviewed by , November 1st, 2014

The brave new world of electronic music is actually quite old now, first truly established in art music during the 1950s through the likes of Stockhausen; however it has been made accessible to the masses over the last few decades and spread its wings across the music style spectrum. Unbeknownst to many, Australian-based wunderkind, Michael… continue reading »

Wilderness of Mirrors

Lawrence English
Electronic Music
ROOM40
http://room40.org/site/
Reviewed by , October 1st, 2014

Wavering in shadows between sonic light and dark, Wilderness of Mirrors evokes both growth and decay. Unfolding like a flower, its beauty reaches into transcendence, immersing and comforting the listener. At the same time, this unfolding is also the movement towards deterioration. Brisbane-based Lawrence English presents a finely crafted album that seems to emerge from… continue reading »

Wear More Headbands

The Grid
Electronic Music, Jazz
listen/hear collective
Reviewed by , September 1st, 2014

The Grid has answered the question posed by the epochal American composer Frank Vincent Zappa on the cover of his 1984 live album: Does humor belong in music? Well, coupled with The Grid’s au courant virtuosity – yes. This trio comprised of Tim Jago, guitar, Dane Alderson, bass and Ben Vanderwal, drums, has released a… continue reading »

Network of Lines

Tilman Robinson
Electronic Music, Jazz, New Music, Rock
Listen/Hear Collective
Reviewed by , July 1st, 2014

Network of Lines is a suite in ten parts, nine of them written and arranged by composer/trombone player Tilman Robinson. The tenth is an arrangement by Robinson of a piece by songwriter Sean O’Neill. There are no distinct beginnings or endings, each track slowly and effortlessly dissolves into the next. The music is played with… continue reading »

Virtual Proximity

James Annesley / Virtual Proximity
Electronic Music, Jazz
Reviewed by , July 1st, 2014

Virtual Proximity is the debut album produced by Melbourne saxophonist James Annesley. It is jazz-electronica, slow to medium tempo darkly shaded beats and loops overlaid with post-Coltrane tenor and soprano saxophone improvisations. The project has developed into a live performing unit also known as Virtual Proximity since the original CD release, making the digital release… continue reading »

Sign of Life

Strange Days on Earth
Contemporary, Electronic Music
Self-release online. Purchase from website.
http://www.strangedaysonearth.tv/shop/
Reviewed by , June 1st, 2014

Strange Days on Earth is a stage name adopted by singer-songwriter Andy Downer. On Sign of Life, Downer does all the singing and programming on what is essentially an electronic pop album, A few other musicians appear on several of the tracks and Grammy Award-winning engineer Bob Katz was contracted to do the mastering. Downer… continue reading »

Multi-Piano 1978-2012

Roger Dean
Electronic Music, Improvisation, New Music
Tall Poppies Records TP225 (2 discs) 2012
Reviewed by , May 1st, 2014

This retrospective of Roger Dean’s work as an improvising pianist covers samples of work created from 1978 to 2012 from a variety of sources including recording sessions, live performances, live performances using pre-recorded material and studio-based editing/remixing exercises. Dean employs a range of styles and approaches to the piano, by itself and combined with electronic… continue reading »

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