Every now and again, we like to dig into the recent past when we find something intriguing, unsettling or even frightening. Well this release, the four-track release, Badminton, The Volleys is, at the very least, certainly intriguing. This EP is brought to us by the duo, Seeded Plain whose members are Jay Kreimer and Brian Day and according to their bio “invented instruments and electronica”.

In some cases, albums can truly be appreciated without context, background or the artist biography. In other words, the music just speaks for itself. Badminton, The Volleys is the exact opposite. You really can’t appreciate what these two guys have created unless you look at their background. Jay Kreimer is an improvisational musician who has toured the world, invented instruments and Brian Day is an inventor who has used “scavenged electronics, repurposed mechanical components and amplified materials that you might find in your garage or great uncle’s office”.

Three of the tracks on this release are between 15 and 21 minutes in length. I wouldn’t necessarily call the EP “music” per se but then again that term can be subjective. However, these pieces can absolutely be referred to as… let’s say, sound sculptures. Is it art? Definitely.

In a release like this, the effectiveness partially lies in the limited amount of instruments unlike some albums that have numerous instruments with the pieces going in too many different directions often without purpose. We don’t feel that with this release. Badminton… sounds like the soundtrack to some suspicious activity in a remote area of a country where no one dares to go. I would love to see a visual companion to an album like this. There would still be room for imagination if there were visuals and not necessarily images related to the specific vision of the artists. There are not a lot of patterns or structure. but there’s a lot of interesting moments and sonic twists and turns. If anything, the mood is sort of effective when the artists, find moments of depth and minimalism with the composition. Furthermore, the moments where we don’t hear much are just as important as when we hear a lot going on.

These guys haven’t just invented their own instruments. They’ve created a sometimes whimsical, often disturbing, always interesting piece of art here. But I think it deserves having a visual companion… even if perhaps the album or the band was playing in some art gallery or oddities exhibit, maybe. Anyway… really interesting album. I’d definitely recommended it for those interested in experimental soundscapes, odd soundtracks or just something different all together.

Ok so you’ve sent in a CD for review and it’s wrapped in a brown, autographed bandana. Now you have my attention. ‘Cowgirls and Synthesizers’ is (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) comes to us from the electro-pop duo, Hyperbubble.

My first thought when hearing the first track, “Cowgirls And Synthesizers” was, “What in the world is this ridiculousness?” It’s a fast track combining synth, banjo, whimsical noise blips and verses with the pace of a really quick rapper. But my God, what a fun track. Who has the nerve to combine elements that, in and of themselves could be so far apart Hyperbubble does it and does it really well.

Some of the tracks on the album are reminiscent of 80s pop, new wave while some almost sound like music from silly commercials for kids toys. I guess that makes sense considering this album is in fact, a sound track. One example of this is “I Was a Teenage Jem Girl ”, a fun, upbeat track

“Saturday Morning Service” – what an appropriate title because what the track does is take us back to Saturday morning cartoons… another fun track. This one also has some background blips that are sort of reminiscent of old Atari or Nintendo games.

It’s one thing for an artist to create an original-sounding album while adhering to old school sounds. It can be an entirely different story for an artist to do it and make it listenable and make sense. This album definitely does. We won’t go through every track. But they are all different which is great for different scenes in a movie. It’s retro with the old school sounds and upbeat melodies but somewhere there’s a modern take herein. Perhaps the vocals could be a bit lower in the mix but that’s really the only complaint here.

If you are in the mood for something silly, creative, retro, whimsical, fun, then absolutely seek this record out. You won’t end up with anything other than a smile by the end of it.

What we have here is a twelve track album that leans mostly to the style of experimental jazz with traditional instruments such as clarinet, drums, bass and such. If you are into that sort of thing, this album is pretty good, actually. Instead of a soundscape, I feel what this artist gives us an intimate picture of his imagination wandering regardless of the location. While there’s no real “desert” vibe, it’s not really for us to determine if that’s what the artist was thinking or not.

But this is a good record if you are into jazz with some experimentation. And with a limited number of instruments, the album really paints a picture of imagination in simplicity and intimacy. I’d say it’s worth checking out if you are into the aforementioned styles.

Go support the artist on Bandcamp:
https://chrisjonas.bandcamp.com/album/backwardsupwardsky

A real treat of immense proportions is what we have for you today. Cross & Divide is the new release from Trash Deity available on Metropolis Records now!

Trash Deity is Groovie Mann aka Franke N. Nardiello (My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult frontman/writer) and accomplished music producer and Industrial artist John D. Norten (Blue Eyed Christ).

"Cross & Divide Album is an album for now and is a representation of the confrontational and divisive times we live in. Each song has its own identity, but the album was designed to be a trip on a journey. It sounds totally cohesive and totally chaotic at the same time...just like us! (John Norton)"

Cross & Divide is as seductive as it is addictive; a great and fun listen from point A. to point B. The album contains nine solid songs each equal in quality and character as well as one remix of "Finger on A Trigger." The title track comes in like a slithering snake with Groovie's sultry vocals over the steady, mid-tempo beat.

If you are familiar with My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult and Blue Eyed Christ then you can likely guess the sonic influences for the album. But this quirky duo does step out of the pre-defined lines and delves into the sounds of mid-90s ebm with the likes of "Run For Your Lies!" "Emotions Matter" begins almost with a Kraftwerk-esque ambiance including a rhythm and background vocal nuances that are a bit akin to "Autobahn."

But really the entire duration of Cross & Divide is met at every stop with diversity so a track-by-track analysis is virtually pointless. Each cut stands firmly on its own and occasionally crosses lines that defined these artists during their respective careers.

Really the only thing that I didn't like about this album was the idea of another 3-year period separating this and a (hopefully) follow-up album. But then again such a thought is subjective. In the end, Trash Deity reminds us that we must live in the "now" and appreciate life for each adventure that it brings.

Elegant and whimsical but dark and uncomfortable at times..."occult electronic" and "doom gaze" are perhaps the terms closest to being appropriate for the Brooklyn duo, A Place Both Wonderful And Strange.

After a successful East Coast/Midwest tour, the band releases their new digital-only EP, The City Smells Like Cat Spit on August 24. The EP features one original track, "Kristae" and 3 re-worked live & studio tracks, "W*tch (Mevius Tour Version)," "Stone (Version)," and "Hex And The City (Resonata Remix)."

"Kristae" is a deeply haunting cut that evokes the image of a ghost-guided dusty LP, perhaps something out of Moby's worst nightmare. The standout track for us is "W*tch (Mevius Tour Version)." Musically haunting in the backdrop but guided by the heavenly vocals of Laura. "Stone" starts off with a cinematic female spoken narration and then moves to a whimsically-nuanced, fluid and moving track that ends before you know it or want it to. "Hex And the City (Resonata Remix)" is a bit of a layered, complex version of the song showing the band's unique mix of electronica and trip-hop.

"Wonderful" and "Strange" they are indeed. But the band is much more than that. They are simply one of the most original, un-classifiable electronic bands out there right now. I can't wait to see what they come up with next. For now, The City Smells Like Cat Spit is a perfect blend of electronica, darkwave and post-punk and then some....