The three Chicago dudes behind Aerospace Soundwise, Black Dot Corporation and Wheaton Research joined to give birth to a laptop trio called TV Pow. Together they explore small bits of sounds, hi frequency hisses that a 70 year old man would probably not even hear, microscopic audio data streams, occasional string instrument string picks, outside field noises and other sounds and noises from mechanical and natural origin. 15 tracks on a cute little 20 minutes 3" disc. Pretty damn twisted stuff. I wouldn't know about fresh and innovative (unless of course you consider everything in this category of music fresh and innovative just for the fact of plain being in this fresh and innovative category) but definitely something weird ;-).
Recent releases include Staalplaat's "Mort Aux Vaches" (cmp this section for review) and Erstwhile's "We Are Everyone in the Room" with Iceland's Stilluppsteypa.

Recorded April 18th 2000 for the dutch VPRO radio this 4 piece full lenght instrumental CD presents a band that makes extensive use of guitars and other traditional instruments such as bass and drum... Although their info sheet presents them as a band playing "rock music of the more spacious kinds" there are not many rock traces to be found here... More like some slow almost psychedelic wave eventually escalating into a nearly psychotic repetitive burst of energetic riffs... It's actually pretty relaxing at times.. Yes occasionally, throughout the long run of these four compositions a couple of guitars (tremolo, distorted, clean, noisy) plays over a repeating bass riff and a smooth drum beat with muted snare (like in track no.3).
The cover is made of a silver plastic sleeve designed by Cyan in Berlin.