Obscureish Music Volume I
In this little column I will (more or less monthly) present a selection of obscureish music releases, ranging from albums to EPs and some single songs. I will define the word "obscureish" very loosely and include music with a wide range of notoriety, from music that maybe only a few hundred people have listened to, to music by more well-known artists that I feel is underappreciated/unknown compared to their respective catalogues. The amount of music will probably depend mostly on my mood or how much I find to talk about each month.
Autechre - Anvil Vapre
IDM Post-Industrial
Industrial Techno Ambient Techno
Autechre are a group that at this point has countless releases, ranging from full-length albums to EPs and an ever-increasing number of officially released (and musically unique) live sets. This EP was released in 1995, a month before the release of what many would go on to consider their best album, Tri Repetae. The same year also saw the release of the Garbage EP, now their best known and most acclaimed EP to date. Anvil Vapre, on the other hand, is less well known and appreciated by Autechre fans, although it is by no means hated or simply considered bad. For me this EP is very interesting because it shows a sound that Autechre would not really return to on any of their later material, although Tri Repetae shows signs of it in songs like Stud. To describe this EP I would say it sounds like taking Ambers repetitive ambient techno sound and infusing it with a good amount of industrial noise. The first and in my opinion best song, Second Bad Vilbel, even includes some crunchy noise passages that would not sound out of place on a less harsh Merzbow record like White Blues. Whether you're just an industrial techno fan looking for a short and good EP to put on, or you're already an Autechre fan and want to delve deeper into their catalogue and maybe hear a side of them you haven't heard before, this EP could be what you're looking for.
Ambient
Drone Field Recordings
I discovered this record a few months ago while digging through the depths of the internet, as I had never heard of this artist before and was in the mood for something new, I searched for the record, which could only be found on some obscure YouTube channels, and hit play. And I struck gold. This record is about 45 minutes of pure blissful ambience, mostly consisting of just an acoustic guitar and some field recordings thrown sparsely into the mix. If you're looking for something to put on when you're lying in bed with the lights off, looking out the window when it's raining, or just reading a book, this is the perfect record to put on for those occasions. In fact, I am listening to it right now as I write this article and show you, should you be reading this article.
Krystal Jesus - For Liza, Beyond the Event Horizon
Flashcore Glitch
IDM
This is a record that i only came across very recently and have only listened to even more recently, meaning today, so I can't say that i've completely wrapped my head around it, but that may also not be possible with this record. This record was created by Laure Mialont, who also makes music under the name La Peste, one of the forefathers of the Flashcore genre. The record was made as a tribute to Liza N'Eliaz with the following words written on the soundcloud page for this release:
“It’s 20 years at the date of this upload Liza N’Eliaz left this world. This little assemblage is for Her, without whom I would not have fallen in love with frequencies in the audio range to the point of dedicating my life to them. She is the one who opened the door. Once she showed me the existence of those parallel worlds, there was no turning back. She saved my life, no less. Liza, I’ll love you in 1000 billion years and more.”
The record is mostly relentless flashcore, with some glitchy ambient parts thrown into the mix, and the only relief is at the end of the record where it fizzles out into a beautiful ambient section with only very sparse beats that starts at around 76 minutes and lasts until the end of the record. But compared to other flashcore records I've listened to, which to be honest aren't that many, this feels less mechanical and inhuman, but still has a level of intensity that made me want to turn it off at the 30 minute mark. I'm glad I didn't, because listening to it after that became easier and more rewarding, a beautiful piano section comes in about 30 minutes in, and the last section of the record really rewarded me, feeling almost like a massage after what came before. It will certainly take me a few more listens to fully grasp what is going on on this record, or even to remember half of it, but if you are looking for a record that is completely off the wall and rewards you for taking the time to get to know it, this could be for you.
Xinlisupreme - All You Need Is Love Was Not True
Shoegaze
Noise Rock
Xinlisupreme are probably best known for their song I am not Shinzo Abe, a song protesting the politics of then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which resulted in the band being dropped by their label. This, and a general taboo on criticising Shinzo Abe in music and other media, did not stop the band from releasing a full album under the name I Am Not Shinzo Abe soon after doubling down on their stance. What is less well known is the band's music prior to this release, which includes an album called Tomorrow Never Comes, which features the wonderful song All You Need Is Love Was Not True, an eight and a half minute piece of noisy shoegaze. The best comparison I can find for this song is probably Lovesliescrushing's 1993 record bloweyelashwish, similar to that record the song uses the usual highly distorted shoegaze guitars to create a heavy dark atmosphere, but unlike many shoegaze records it does not switch between higher and lower tempos nor does it try to emulate any form of rock catchiness, instead it moves along at a slow tempo with the, barely audible, lyrics being delivered with a deadpan speaking voice. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys the slower, almost ambient side of shoegaze.
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