As many of our reader have probably noticed, above all if they/you're in the ranks of those who know what's happening in the world of contemporary music-avant jazz and similar contexts, you've probably heard/noticed Amirani records has been exploring both genres with no damn fear to cross that border where everything is misty and "un-safe". Even thought a live concert in a church where you have a cello, plus a piano, plus a voice and a soprano sax dealing with contemporary music, is not exactly a betrayal of tradition, this quartet "fakes tradition" and plays with it: abstract, jazzy and neoclassic without resembling that much anything in particular, but incorporating elements of different but yet similar musical growths. I think it's important to underline the fact this quartet is a high-technically-skilled-killing-machine, but don't hold your breath, these musicians have gone beyond their incredible technical talent. What drives all of the tracks is still the idea/feeling of the moment, a great stream of consciousness that pushed them to leave the harbor behind their backs to sail uneasy waters. Guazzaloca's soft passages and his pointillistic incursions are maybe one of the strongest presences of this live performance, don't expect a frontal piano playing, but his work has a big weight on the final result. What can be filed as frontal, is the soprano sax of Mimmo and if you ever had the chance to see one of his live shows you know "the man has his say", his frontal approach in this recording is in line with the Baileyan idea that the performer has always to be himself no matter what's the context. Leila Adu and Hannah Marshall have the roles of the tight rope walkers therefore they're constantly on the edge of the ideal musical line that joins Guazzaloca to Mimmo and they did a beautiful job since Adu's voice flights elegantly on a scene where beside the two italians, the english cellist often acts in response or contrast to the different phrases "scattered on the crime scene". The location of this performance is the body of a church and reverb is the fifth element of the recording, but the interesting thing is that they played considering the aural context and what a good work they did!. An intense but yet really digestible contemporary work where the players are more driven by the feeling than by the idea to sound like this or like that, a challenge where many others have failed.

It's a great time for comebacks of veteran artists, isn't it? IMMINENT alias Olivier Moreau may has had its heydays in the earlier years under the flag of the German Industrial label and retailer Ant-Zen. His classic 'Human Dislocation' and 'Nord' albums, which defined an own class in the stable of this famous label, are still true masterpieces. Like with any good whisky ' and that's meant with 'Cask Strength' ' the strength of the whisky taste being matured in a cask ' this album has at least taken 10 years in the making. Too short to get forgotten, if your band-/project name is IMMINENT ' but long enough in our fast pacing days, that you've to start nearly from scratch. Someone may tends to ask, why it has taken that long to come up with an all new studio album ' let's agree, that good and quality rhythmic Powernoise in that authentic kind, how Olivier produces, needs that long time. After his wall of disturbing, at times hectic and fast pacing rhythm structures, hides depth produced through thick and dark sounding synth pads ('Teskede'). And have you ever heard of a musician out of this special music genre, who whistles and use temporary brass instruments ('Lorsc'). Although Olivier's sound environment sounds raw, with complex rhythm programmings, and not-that-catchy-and-linear, with tracks like the nearly 8 minutes pounding track 'Cling' he could be able to provoke a hurricane of mass-movement on the dancefloor of the dark clubs. All of those mentioned tracks are rather the immediately striking tunes, which leave some impression on the listener ' but this album has much more to offer, if you would find the time to give it some more spins. This album acts like the mentioned whisky ' good things need time to mature.

Maybe again a review far away from a near-to-the-release-date destination, but again a goody, which deserves some recognition. AHNST ANDERS is a German Ambient-/Electronica musician, who provides with 'Many Ways' his fourth release after two albums released by Pflichtkauf in 2007 and 2008, and an EP under the Play33-Records label. A release now signed to Ant-Zen may suggest a harsh and rhythmically disturbing outfit, but the crafty sound-environment of AHNST is differently formulated. By focusing to combine natural field recordings like rain, wind, and water, found metallic objects and environmental noises (street sounds, trains) with a dark and creepy Electronica sound outfit, he's able to create his very own world of true Dark Ambient music, which quite seldom turns out that rhythmically supported like under the track 'Phonique' ' which is nevertheless my favorite tune on here. Mostly the tracks offer the expected form of Downtempo and true ambience caused through monotonous phrases ('Something There', 'Hybrid'). 'Many Ways' offers many ways to express his musically vision, and the often quoted difference between natural field recordings to a cold, synthetic sound outfit isn't seemingly that different ' on 'Many Ways' you'll find several examples to unite these contrary elements.

Already the third album of this powerful German duo, but never before they have presented their obvious available Punk-influence that clear in an album title. Musically of course, you'll get once again that expected doze of harsh pounding, Powernoise-like dissonances, excellently pressed into straight rhythmically outfit. Tracks like 'The Unrest', 'Crash', or 'The Anger' are purest adrenaline and will punish your feet during a wild and merciless Pogo-action. Applause also to offer those rather DIVE-like tunes like 'A Bullet' or 'Silence In Times Of Rage And Suffer', which both draw a balance between rhythmic Noise and deepest Dark Ambient. The most spectacular track is of course 'Klimaveränderung', which is collaboration with Shane Talada (MARCHING DYNAMICS) and the guitarist Chris Tiegelkamp. This nearly 15 minutes long running track receives the license to throw in heavily fx-mutilated guitar riff into a cold and menacing Noise ambience ' and strengthens at least the impression, that this duo and its music draw a near relation to the Punk genre. There's maybe still no law in Floriculture ' but it offers some heavy-weight Noise tunes, which are able to push 100BLUMEN to the forefront of the rhythmically Noise genre. Keep your flowers growing and be gently to them.

Debut-downloadable release for this Futurepop/Electronica solo-project originally hailing out of Moldavia. ALPHA POINT's mastermind is Alexander Gladky aka Rush (programming and vocals), who receives musically some help by Sergiu Vatavu (guitars). It is the official follow-up project of the duo FUTURE POSITIVE, which has shared the stages with those prominent projects like VNV NATION, COMBICHRIST or COVENANT. And somehow, the productive being of these highly anticipated acts can be taken to describe the musically inspiration of Mr. Rush. Let's agree also to throw in ASSEMBLAGE 23 and MESH into this comparison shelf, and you should be able to imagine the sound of this act. Clear and poppy produced synthesizer arrangements, danceable 4/4-beats, combined with natural male vocals with the right sense for catchy compositions ' you surely know about this formula. Only two original compositions with 'Things I Do' and the title-track are available, but you'll get also 6 additional remix contributions provided by acts like their label colleagues of MEZZAMO or PURPLE FOG SIDE, and some rather seldom discovered names like BLACK PIMPF, PERSONAL SPACE or TECHNOMANCER. ALPHA POINT is far away to re-invent this often discovered music genre, but whatever they do, they do it well. A good alternative and freely available music project worth to get checked out.