'Unfolding Skies' is the fourth collaboration between Craig Padilla (keyboard, synths, electronic, programming) and Marvin Allen (guitars) with a much more intense electronic post-rock sound than their previous efforts. Could this even be categorized as "ambient"? Well, sort of, but not fully. Most might agree that Ambient music is a genre of music that emphasizes tone and atmosphere over traditional musical structure or rhythm. That's the big question on 'Unfolding Skies.' There is a good deal of somewhat traditional musical structure and rhythm on it that has absolutely nothing to do with the Eno-esque wallpaper sound, minimal, repetitive structures that form the basis of ambient music. This is much more like conceptual progressive semi-electronic albums put out by Mike Oldfield, Enigma, and Steve Wilson. In fact, if you married latter-day Tangerine Dream with Pink Floyd (or at least borrowed Dave Gilmour) you might get something close to this. (Marvin Allen has the guitar chops Edgar Froese always dreamed of having.)

Comparisons to prog-rock are inevitable but it's more the Floydian style of bluesy, flowing cosmic grooves rather than the Yes/Genesis/Gentle Giant/King Crimson adventurous time changes that often show up in their songs. Although there are 7 individual pieces on 'Unfolding Skies,' in no way could they be categorized as "songs". There are no lyrics, no verse/chorus/verse structures, and sometimes, no discernible melodic theme. Does that make it ambient, or do we just call it cosmic space music? In a sense, it really doesn't matter. What really matters is how it sounds. Yeah, 'Unfolding Skies' is an album you can kick back with, light up a joint, turn on the color organ (or whatever ambient lighting you prefer) and space out to. A good deal of the music was improvised, especially on Mr. Allen's part, but that's what makes it interesting, eschewing static constructs and floating up into the stratosphere. In point of fact, that's what will probably draw listeners back again and again to the album. It is not structureless though, as numerous parts are definitely, but subtly structured. If there is one complaint to be leveled about 'Unfolding Skies,' it is a lack of memorable musical themes. One or two might have been nice. (Even Tangerine Dream's most rock-like album, 'Force Majeure' had some.) This is an album that is meant to be experienced as a whole, not selected tracks. People will be talking about this one for a long, long time.

'Mirror At Night' is the second solo album by the male half of Lore City, from Portland, Oregon. It's funny how this review came about. I received a 7" vinyl record in the mail titled "Mirror At Night B-Sides" when I wasn't even aware Bessel had a new album out (released October 31, 2025). The release date for this record (they call it an EP but really it's just a 2-sided single) is February 25th for preview and Mach 27th for the physical product.

So this review is for both the album and the single. Eric's first solo album ('Visitation') was ambient and so is 'Mirror At Night,' consisting of twelve brief tracks, most of which barely exceed the four minute mark. Kicking things off with "Tendons," the track seems to rely solely on manipulated guitar sonics that incorporates elements of feedback. "Snow Globe" has a more expansive sound with shimmering echo and heavily modified synth pads. "Scavengers" incorporates interesting synth programming with heavily chambered ambience. Somewhat spooky, or ghostly. "Recombinant" has a more experimental temperament with broken melodies floating and bumping into each other in a weightless dimension. "Non-diegetic Sound" is typically ambient with sustained, richly textured chordal pads. There is a sense of motion on the aptly titled "Moving Walkway" and some sonics in it could allude to a transportation hub or station. The briefest track, "Hesitation" (only 1:43) is primarily sustained melancholy strings. "Headlamps" takes echo effects to a new level but manages to coax something nearly melodic out of the chaos. It kind of reminds me of radio music from a distant station that comes in waves when the signal is not strong. It's all heavenly clouds on "Coming Around" and there is a subtle melodic loop in the drift. "Clearing" is richly orchestral and sonically the opposite of the previous track. I'm imagining Poseidon's orchestra tuning up. So what stays afloat in this ocean of sound? Must be the next track, "Buoy," adrift on the sea of sonority. Finally, we end up in the "Aphotic Zone," a murky trip into the underwater depths. Quite an interesting episodic album.

As for the 'Mirror At Night B-Sides,' these are two track not on the album. The A-side is "Double Helix" (4:31) and "Upstate" (4:08) as the B-side. While the A-side of the B-sides is a little better than the B-side of the B-sides with its echoey shimmering slice of ambience, it sounds more like an effect that should lead to something else and not stand alone. To me, this is merely a curiosity piece and less interesting than anything on the album. I think the ten-buck price tag will limit the appeal to vinyl collectors of oddities on wax with money to burn. Just buy (download) the album and leave it at that as it is a dollar cheaper, or $22.00 if you want it on vinyl.

"Kitbuilders are an electro duo from Cologne, Germany, made up of Ripley (vocals) and Benway (keyboards). Since 1997, they’ve blended Electro, New Wave, and IDM influences into a unique sound that helped shape the Electroclash and Electropunk scenes. Their music has appeared on respected labels such as Ersatz Audio, Breakin’ Records, and Play It Again Sam, and has earned airplay from influential DJs like John Peel and Laurent Garnier. Kitbuilders have performed at major festivals and renowned clubs across Europe and beyond, sharing their distinctive style with audiences worldwide."

The previous text was lifted verbatim from Kitbuilders' Bandcamp site. This is my first acquaintance with them, and they are probably much better known in Europe than the U.S. The CD came with a lot of promo material on paper, but music speaks louder than words, so let's dive in, shall we? First track, "Tenderness" sounds like typical beat-oriented electro, and Ripley's voice kind of reminds me of The Residents. "Dark Angels" is more experimental with effects-laden synths, an old-school beat, and lots of sonic manipulation. This could easily have been done in the '80s/ early '90s, and sounds it. "No Good (X Version)" reminds me of XEX, an '80s avant synth-pop outfit from New Jersey. The song is okay but goes on too long. The entirely instrumental "Slow Dance" makes use of oddly melodic synth arpeggios and could have been inspired by early 1970s Kraftwerk. "Follow Me (Concrete Version)" features a relentless beat, and aggressive bass. The vocals don't come in until about 1:20. Ripley's vocals on this one are reminiscent of Cosey Fanni Tutti (of Chris & Cosey) mixed with Lydia Lunch; darkly seductive with a touch of menace. "Get Your Glow On" is a rather happy instrumental tune, perhaps rave-fodder for the completely molly-dosed. "Poison Me" naturally takes on a more menacing tone. This track squarely fits in the Suicide-style No Wave genre. I think the verse is stronger than the chorus on this one but still pretty cool.

Overall I think 'Stupid Games' is really cool album, in spite of some tracks that seem to go on a bit too long, and these folks can pull it off live as well, as evidenced by their "Stupid Games" live video. (A lot of the music is sequenced and programmed but Ripley's vocals are obviously done live real time.) Both the CD and the aforementioned 7" vinyl are limited editions (100 copies for the CD, 40 for the 7" single), The CD also has a bonus remix of "Tenderness" not found digitally on their Bandcamp site. I think the retro artwork by David H. Sekulla / Yeti Popstar is great. (It's like something my synth-pop band Chemistry Set might have done back in the '80s.) I've added "Stupid Games" to my 'New Wave No Wave Next Wave' Spotify playlist, and "No Good" to my 'Electro-Q-shun' Spotify playlist. You should too.

I always considered Chain D.L.K. the site that champions independent artists making music in obscure, leftfield, gray area genres that get little to no publicity or coverage elsewhere. These folks almost always make little to no money and release their work primarily because they love what they do, hope others do too and dollars be damned. (It wouldn't hurt to send some $$ their way and buy their product if you really like what's being offered.) That being said, once again it's time for the annual Zaftig Research Holiday Sampler. So what is Zaftig Research you may ask? Here is a partial explanation from label head, Brett Lunceford.

"From 1996 on, Zaftig Research has mainly functioned as a record label for our small group of artists, releasing limited edition works on CDR. We specialize in noise, dark ambient, power electronics, and other genres that are difficult to classify. We are mostly known for Stolen Light, Goose, and the annual Christmas compilations. We have also released a series of split releases with some of the more interesting names in experimental music."

Here is the lineup on the 2025 compilation:

1. Deforma - Light Speed Sleigh Ride
2. Fail - Merry Xmas, Enjoy Your Orange-Tinted Existential Chaos!
3. Goose - New Year's Eve
4. Narishkeyt - Tied Up Listening in a Corner While Everyone Has Fun
5. Nerthus + Praying For Oblivion - Asphalt Kathedrale
6. Orange - Christmas at Ground Zero
7. R4 - Urbi et Orbi (Pope'€™s Last Christmas Message)
8. Stolen Light - Santa Travelling at an Average Speed of 4,444,444.4m/s
9. Orange - Father Christmas
10.SUCCULENT SUCCUBUS - Hail Santa
11.This Is What I Hear When You Talk - The Listening of This Track Will Incur an 840% Tariff
12.Wilt - A Mournful Winter Solstice

Let's dive in to what we've got here. Deforma's "Light Speed Sleigh Ride" has all the rumbling power of freight train in an earthquake, relentless in its 4 minutes. Fail's "Merry Xmas, Enjoy Your Orange-Tinted Existential Chaos!" presents mangled, distorted electronic tones in various frequencies in a random display of power electronics. Lots of noise variety on this one, with an abrupt stop at the end. Goose's - "New Year's Eve" sounds like bombs or artillery fire in the distance, with a possible warning signal in the background. "Tied Up Listening in a Corner While Everyone Has Fun" by Narishkeyt sounds like the holiday party you never wanted to go to, or maybe a home invasion with a jumble of odd sonics and cut-up voices. The collaborative track by Nerthus + Praying For Oblivion, "Asphalt Kathedrale," is industrial noise and electronics designed to drive you out of your skull. There is definitely a loopish quality about this track, and the irregular beats did not go unnoticed. "Christmas at Ground Zero" by Orange gives an end of the world poetic recitation over a background of a nuclear holocaust. R4's " Urbi et Orbi (Pope'€™s Last Christmas Message)" deliver's Pop Leo XIV's 2025 Christmas message (in Italian) over a background of noise and power electronics. "Santa Travelling at an Average Speed of 4,444,444.4m/s" by Stolen Light is a relentless howling noise-fest from start to finish. Oh those poor reindeer! Orange is back again with "Father Christmas," the most traditionally music track so far. It sounds like "Silent Night" played on guitar, but with lots of effects and diversions, surrounded by plenty of noise. The original Christmas carol is barely recognizable, and by the end you will probably not remember what you've been listening to. SUCCULENT SUCCUBUS gives you "Hail Santa," which is primarily a repetitive industrial noise loop. Rearranging the letters of "Santa" will give you a more appropriate name for this track's hail. This Is What I Hear When You Talk's "The Listening of This Track Will Incur an 840% Tariff" was obviously inspired by Uncle Scam. It's more dark ambient than noise, but still with a strong noise undercurrent. It could have been similarly titled to Wilt's "A Mournful Winter Solstice" which was not on the CD Brett sent me for some odd reason, only 11 tracks out of 12.

Over all, I'm liking this 2025 Holiday Sampler better than some of Zaftig Research's previous years and I encourage you to go buy it if you're a noise enthusiast because that's the only way you'll get it. I think that it's only six bucks, a small price to pay in this age of gluttonous oligarchical consumerism.

Malo Moray (aka Malo Moray & His Inflatable Knee) is a bassist, composer and performer from Leipzig, Germany and his latest release, 'Embrace,' was recorded live in front of a small audience of about two dozen people and recorded directly to vinyl completely in real-time, no overdubs. Using double bass, tapes, electronics and live processing, Malo explores a fragile and immersive sound world, somewhere between ambient, krautrock and jazz, inspired by Brian Eno. Laurie Anderson, David Sylvian, Swans and Soundwalk Collective. Malo says 'Embrace' is about presence- celebrating slowness and trust.

Malo's inspiration influences are certainly commendable, but don't expect the album to sound like any of them in particular. The album is only four tracks of varying lengths in about 41 minutes. First track, "Over The Mountain Range" begins with a background ambient drone (sustained synth chord) and incidental electronic crackle/static and then bass improvisation, later with bowed and processed bass background (possibly on tape), and after the bowed bass becomes the soloing instrument. With solo bowed stringed instruments there is often a degree of melancholy and that is not absent here. About 10:40 into the piece Malo begins his vocal recitation, a sort of speak-singing- not dissimilar to Laurie Anderson's style; a sort of anecdotal dream sequence that is visceral in an unexpected way. The story-like dialogue draws you in compelling your attention. It blends into track 2, "Himiko" with ethereal wordless vocals borne on an ambient cloud. More bowed bass follows. Track 3, "I Am Here Now" sounds like spring with ambient natural sounds (a stream, birds) and orchestral synth strings. A couple minutes into the piece Malo beings another vocal recitation There is applause at the end of this one, just to let you know that it's live and Malo addresses the audience in his native Deutsche, while all of his recitations have been in English. Final track, "Vanishing Act" conjures Leonard Cohen vocally, and the combination of bass and the ambient background is just gorgeous. I am truly impressed. More applause and a final brief address in German follows.

All things considered, this is a remarkable recording, a magical experience that transcends many of the live albums I've ever heard. While the deluxe limited editions are sold out, the Blueberry Translucent vinyl with 12-page booklet, OBI, poster and postcard (limited edition of 70) and Lemon Popsicle Translucent vinyl with 12-page booklet and OBI (limited edition of 200) and Blueberry Cake CD (limited edition of 100) are still available. You really need to hear this. Highly recommended!