Northcape - Some Bright Valley

another treat for those who enjoyed the lush, delicate atmospheres of the last features: the Some Bright Valley ep by UK artist Northcape, put out by the monotonik netlabel. like a pleasant summer's walk through nature, a variety of sensations float through the air, stimulating your senses and relaxing your mind. a bed of long pad and string notes mixed with subtle environmental sounds is accented by almost organic-sounding synth leads, and held together by smooth basses and steady grooves. the short playing time is cause for repeated listening; drifting away on the sound, into a world of light filtered through leaves, gentle rain, and deep reflective pools.
the warmth of summer is not yet completely gone, and Northcape helps it to hold on a little longer...

Planet Boelex & Lisa's Antenna - Little world

my vote for best netaudio release of this year goes to the first release from a humble new netlabel called soft phase: an ep entitled 'Little world' produced by none other than finnish artist planet boelex. last year, planet boelex released a brilliant extended ep called 'suunta' which i gushed about in an earlier post, also lauding it as the best release of that year. that release contained a collaboration with swedish vocalist Krister Linder, and this time, mr boelex works with another swedish singer/songwriter known as Lisa's Antenna. and he has outdone himself once again, creating exquisite, beautifully sequenced soundscapes around Lisa's lovely vocals and and minimal piano chords.
the usual planet boelex elements are here: infinitely reverberating pads, precisely filtered percussion and thick basses.. but planet b has scaled back the sequencing dramatically, providing a subtle, evocative backdrop for lisa's delicate vocals to soar over. truly good vocals and song writing are unfortunately rare in the world of netaudio, but this collaboration finds a rare gem in Lisa's entrancing songs. from time-suspending stillness, building to rapturous crescendos, and fading back into contemplative silence, this beautifully formed Little world provides the perfect peaceful refreshing escape from our own hectic and stressful world.

hiddenplace music mix 2: early in summer

Download mp3 (160kbps, 66MB)

on sites such as last.fm, japanese music seems to inevitably get labelled as 'jpop' - especially if it features female vocals. but there is of course a lot more to japanese music than the sugary, high-pitched, heavily produced sound that is jpop. on this mix i am showcasing an eclectic mix of moody, ethereal, and atmospheric music from japanese artists: bedroom dreampop, delicate ambient, and deafening shoegazer postrock.
the sound of the seasons changing-- spring turning to summer turning to autum...

playlist:

(00:22 ) Caroline - Bicycle [trr97] emusic itunes

(04:05) sabi - yello sand back [mtk088] +playlist
(05:44) sabi - johdo [mtk088]
(08:24) sabi - uki 3 2 [mtk088]
(11:03) Akira Kosemura - Catnap [mtk167]
(16:30) Piana - early in summer [hap003] emusic itunes
(22:04) Anoice - Glitch [LostChildren051] itunes
(28:34) Asobi Seksu - Red Sea [ASBSK05] emusic itunes
(36:13) Salyu - Landmark (live)
(44:10) Mono - The Flames Beyond The Cold Mountain [trr98] emusic itunes

cover photo by ZaNuDa courtesy of stock.xchng

Nunc Stans - Land

i was quite pleased to discover some excellent ambient music from a new netlabel exploring abstract, ambient and experimental sounds called ping things. for his release Land, Nunc Sans draws influence from the stark, expansive landscapes of northern canada. long pad notes and subtly blended atmospheric sounds evoke a mood which is melancholy but not dark, sombre and subdued but at times hopeful. a 40-minute drift into a landscape of stillness...

Kahvi Collective - Robot Dreams

the kahvi collective, still one of my top netlabels, has put out another excellent commercial release. as i have written before, all the artists i feature on this blog deserve your support for their hard work, and this is a perfect opportunity to 'show some love.'
Robot Dreams, released as part of kahvi's 10-year anniversary(!) celebration, is a massive compilation with 23 tracks in all. nearly all the kahvi all-stars are here, along with some artists who i am not familiar with, and they have all submitted great music. i found it actually quite difficult to pick favorite tracks, because each piece is really excellent. even a couple artists whose previous releases i wasn't particularly fond of surprised me with some really nice submissions (i wont name any names here, but lets just leave it that its an excellent compilation all around)
the tracks are naturally held together by the signature kahvi sound: bright, glittery electronics with a penchant for wide, expansive soundscapes. the mood ranges from delicate and chilled to intense and cinematic, some tracks are more beat-oriented, some less.
one standout track is certainly KiloWatts' Foothold Herald's Summit View, an epic 12-minute journey through thick, frantic, idm-esque beats and bloops (which is practically a mini-ep on its own). also for the idm-heads, there is the vocoder funk of brioskj's oxegen, the furious, pulsing, lead-driven Beneath a Steel Sky by kahvi curator 4T-Thieves, and the glitchy chimes and cruchy beats of AngelFace by Aaron Jansinski.
those in a more chillout/ambient mood should certainly check out the quiet piano+nature atmospheres of Moon Kiss by Acrillic Colors, the scifi spacemusic of the title track by coax, or the warmly pleasant go inwards by general fuzz.
other standout tracks include WindsOfNeptune by introspective, workbench's euphoric track ascent, and the densely layered Summer's Gold by Xurba.
as of this posting, the compilation is available only beatport.com for 1,99€ per track (perhaps rather unfortunate for my american readers, but still worth purchasing at least a few tracks, imho..) it should be available on other digital outlets shortly. appropriate purchase links, along with info about all the artists are available here.
*edit: Robot Dreams now available on emusic!

gate zero - coded dream ep

the intentional use of noise is can be a powerful expressive tool when used effectively. an exceptional example of noise-based music which i recently discovered is the coded dream ep. gate zero has been a favorite artist of mine, with releases on thinner and stadtgruen, as well as other excellent releases under his other moniker, spaceTourist (such as last year summer).
his 'coded dream ep' was apparently put out on the now non-existent belladonna records. thankfully it is still available for download directly from his website (.rar download). on this release, gate zero masterfully blends layers upon layers of gentle noise beds which breathe, crackle, ebb and flow. quiet tonal elements, cutup guitar notes, contact mic sounds, and field recordings of natural environments eloquently fade in and out, holding the listener in hypnotic suspension. this is perfect music for listening to with an open window on summer evenings, when the deep noise layers blend seamlessly with the environment around you.

abel okugawa - magic cuts

one of the things i like about music blogging is that it can be interactive, instead of only one-sided. its great when i occasionally get recommendations, and its even better when i actually like the music which is sent to me!
Abel Okugawa wrote me a while back to tell me about his own music, which he thought might fit my style. he was right on! on his mini-album Magic Cuts, Abel serves up a tight collection of beats and samples, with that laid-back but moving style thats perfect for warm summer weather, just about any occasion. sampled hand drums, horns, keyboard atmospheres, turntable cuts, and even a few catches of female vocals give this great little EP a fresh and spicy flavor.
Magic Cuts, as well as his album 816 Mix, is available at several outlets, including CD Baby, iTunes, & emusic. get the full list and all the appropriate links at Abel's own page! for more previews of his music, be sure to check his myspace page as well.

The Silent Ballet IX

i wrote about The Silent Ballet compilation series in an early entry on this blog. since that writing, a few new volumes have appeared, and i wanted to take a moment to spotlight the latest addition to the series, which really caught my ear recently. The Silent Ballet series (in collaboration with the Lost Children netlabel) has featured a lot of excellent artists, but in the past the series has suffered from some inconsistency in both musical style and quality. not so with this edition-- there is not one misplaced track on this compilation. The Silent Ballet IX is an absolutely beautiful collection of tracks which delicately combine strings and orchestral sounds with minimal electronics in a quiet post-rock sensibility. the compilation maintains a very cohesive, classical-inspired sound; each carefully selected track is an exquisite composition on its own, which also perfectly compliments the others. from the repressed intensity of the Bersarin Quartett, to the plaintive strains of Redhooker, to the soaring violins and piano arpeggios of Bosques de mi Mente, this is dream music for your nights and days.

hiddenplace music mp3 mix #1

Download mp3 (160kbps, 54MB)

things have been a little quiet around here lately because the wizards at hiddenplace music have been preparing something really special: the first official hiddenplace music mix.

sometimes simply listening to the music is the best way to discover and share it. i find a lot of my favorite music through podcasts and dj mixes, plus i really enjoy putting together playlists and 'mixtapes.' i hesitate to call this a 'podcast' because that implies that i plan on doing this at a semi-regular basis. unfortunately time and my obsessive-compulsive tendencies dont permit that, but i have several mixes in the works and i plan on putting them out here as often as possible (ie whenever i feel like it).

at hiddenplace music we like free music, so nearly all of the tracks featured on this mix can be downloaded cost- and guilt-free at the links provided. each release represented is full of excellent music and is most definitely worth your time. enjoy the music!

tracklist:

(00:00) hiddenplace intro
(00:19) Makunouchi Bento - Two Mechanical Snowghosts [pj001]
(02:01) My First Trumpet - Takt Short Takt [aer009]
(03:56) Endlos - Ich bin Dur [1bit028] +welcome
(09:31) The Lymbyc Systym - Astrology Days [live 18 Apr 2007]
(14:01) Re'sequence - Interview [es28]
(17:55) Implosion Quintet - For Sesselja [diginet011]
(21:40) Mr Moods - Variations [DBR005]
(25:24) The Incognito Traveller - Chaleur [konfort016]
(29:42) Owltree - Head Swirlin' [lokw-010]
(32:57) Jah Free - beatcontest (amuses-bouches complete album download)
(37:58) Sel/Reechad - Masterplan [iD.037]
(42:01) Saine - Absent Minds [Imagine This] +tracklist

extra: hiddenplace music on solipsistic NATION

Budabeats netlabel

one of my favorite discoveries lately has been the Budabeats netlabel out of Hungary. so far they have put out three releases, all with a very similar style-- a fun mix of hiphop breakbeats with turntablist cuts & retro samples. freestyle sounds in a similar vein to the classic masterpiece of netaudio, instrumentally ill by aphilas, and this song.
perfect party music for the start of summer!

iqtu - embarrassing triangle

a little something more for those who enjoyed the previously reviewed release by kaneel- the 'embarrassing triangle' LP by iqtu. this time the sound is a little more straightforward and less abstract, but still containing plentiful cheerful 8bit melodies, grooving cutup beats, and glitchy, glittery chiptune-esque soundscapes.
this release comes from a netlabel called II, another music portal with a charming 8bit aesthetic. often i find that such lo-fi, heavily processed music lacks the creativity and variety to sustain a full-length album (or it just becomes annoying after a while) but iqtu infuses the sound with a lush and organic feel that is wonderfully listenable and immensely enjoyable. i will definitely be coming back to it for more repeated listens...

Kaneel - I've sketched it a while ago

french artist kaneel, curator of the petite&jolie netlabel (and owner of a particularly fetching website), has released a fascinating and original work on the super-exclusive Apegenine Recordings. entitled I've sketched it a while ago, this album is particularly remarkable in the post-techno electronic music world because it features almost no bass frequencies at all! besides this curious fact, it contains a plethora of clicks and cuts, skittering frenetic beats, and chimey chiptune-style melodies. admittedly, its not music for everyone-- the endlessly frantic pace can sometimes become a bit of a sensory overload-- but connoisseurs of post-chiptune music, and those who appreciate music of the playfully weird and wacky variety will find the album this album very charming and unique.

with plentiful high frequencies and carefully-constructed details, this sort of music is certainly best enjoyed at full uncompressed cd-quality. and so, this album may be purchased at the aforementioned Apegenine Recordings shop (worldwide shipping available).

as a preview, a fitting music video for a track from the album can be seen here:

Uniquetunes

the lads of the russian band Uniquetunes have been steadily honing their skills with a series of live recordings released on the ElectroSound netlabel. on their latest, self-titled studio release (as always, freely downloadable from ElectroSound) their endless hard work is in full effect, and listeners are rewarded with an extremely tight set of indie progressive jazz jams. so-called 'jam band' music can often fall into boring, self-absorbed repetition, or pointless technical showing-off, but Uniquetunes hits just the right balance of technical mastery and artful composition, while laying down some seriously deep funk in the process.
the album begins with several seconds of random radio noise. for me, this was the only negative point on the release-- the intro seems rather pointless and a bit annoying if you have to download the tracks individually! but after the intro, Uniquetunes launches into 7 tracks of some of the best psychedelic jams available. according to the release page, the album was recorded without the use of computers, and it sounds great. as with most new releases from the netaudio.ru family of netlabeles, it is offered in 192kbps streaming, as well as 320kpbs mp3 & flac downloads, so the sound quality as well as the musicianship is really stellar. pleasantly chilled grooves, melodic sax solos, lush swirling delays and tight precision drumming make this a perfect release for a warm & active spring evening.

Fiktion - Morfint

mournful guitar and gently sequenced electronics are the recipe for the album morfint by swedish musician fiktion aka Gustaf Erik Lundh (available for free download on his website and on Frukt Records). this release is more proof that a simple formula, when well-executed, can be simply sublime. no need for an overly-wordy description here-- this release is best when simply downloaded and enjoyed in peaceful and quiet moments. besides it was already written about in a few other quality music blogs. however, as a service to my own readers, i wanted to make sure it didnt go unnoticed.

Prologue - Prologue

i have to admit that lately, i had begun to get the impression lately that netaudio is burning out. several of my favorite labels have closed or simply fallen silent, and it seems that its becoming more difficult to find the good quality musical art that we expect here at hiddenplace music. it was just at the right time, then, that a release came on the scene with such stunning originality and inspiration that i can once again say that netaudio is most definitely alive and well.
netaudio.ru is one netaudio collective working hard to keep the scene fresh and interesting. operating with a podcast and three separate netlabels with a balanced mixture of accessible and experimental sounds, along with high quality artwork and sound fidelity, netaudio.ru is becoming one of my favorite destinations for intelligent music. and they have outdone themselves with an absolutely brilliant album by the moscow collective Prologue.
upon listening to the first two minutes of Proluge's self-titled release, my sometimes stormy love affair with russian music was instantly renewed. delicate yet expressive female vocals floating over gentle piano, strings (yes, real live strings!), flute and muted trumpet, peppered with gritty downtempo beats and melancholy yet passionate russian language(?) raps. there are many diverse influences here; naturally trip-hop and downtempo music are the dominant flavors, but theres also touches of film music, debussy, berlin-stlye rap, russian folk, jazz, and drum n bass-- all perfectly melded into a cohesive whole. obviously a huge amount of talent and work has gone into this incredible release; there is simply nothing else quiet like it in the netaudio world.
im tempted to give a run-down of every track because each is so remarkable and has its own unique qualities, but the best way to enjoy this album is to find a quiet place, listen to it all the way through and discover every nuance for yourself. and when its over, sit for some minutes in stunned amazement, then press repeat and dive once again into the beautiful melancholic world of Prologue.