Periodical lll, as titled, is the third from a series of split releases between Jim Dejong of The Infant Cycle and fellow artists in the nearby Ontario, Canada region. Here, Dejong collaborates with Tomane Vinagreiro, better known as Antmanuv, a Portuguese expat now living in Ontario.
The Infant Cycle's 'Unrelated Work Tapes 11/25/06' opens with minimal pulse-like beats that morph into textured rhythms by employing cookery, shortwave, guitar, carved vinyl playout groove, feedback generators, and birds. It adds a nice touch knowing the careful detail behind the instrumentation used here. Antmanuv's 'Beyond the Garden,' strays towards field recordings of birds, trains, and urban movements with an aim to emphasize daily environmental surroundings.
This release is not other than what you'd expect to hear but certainly not anything less, both artists offer promising tracks that leave much curiosity for what's next to come.
Published on Dejong's own label, The Ceiling, this 2 track 15 minute release is only a brief tasting of each artist's somewhat contrasting styles, albeit a pleasant listen, indeed.

'Dark Times' is a recent project by Bay Area duo, Bob Marsh and David Michalek, collaborating under the moniker Dr. Bob. Inspired by the writings of Bertolt Brecht, the recording presents an 'ambient' industrial mood with distorted vocals and lap steel guitar, followed by freakish electronic beats. The release is an acquired taste and the overall listen seems a bit too prolonged, despite the mere 52 minutes it lasts.

Shah is the recent work in progress by Swiss bands Peeni Waali and Schildpatt. The expertly produced album is a generous collage of worldscapes and polished musical arrangements. A fusion of groovy bass, reggae beats, Swiss folklore, throat singing and African vocals manage to commingle with hints of prog rock, where there are guitar parts reminiscent of bands like the 5uu's or the Thinking Plague. Track 03 titled 'Sha Zoo' is an homage to the band Gentle Giant and track 05, 'Beacon of Hope Revisted - remix 2006' includes a poem by Linton Kwesi Johnson. If you like your world beats with a touch of prog rock this could be what you have been looking for.

Francisco López’s aptly titled release was originally recorded during 1999-2000, from a sequestered island in northwest Washington. Lopez Island is a staggeringly dynamic piece that introduces itself rather quietly, with what may seem typical at first, but soon proves to be a sonic exploration full of surprises. Delicate silences trickle, organic crackles build into rich layers, sounds shift from foreground to background ? the piece continues with a lush balance of hovering pulses, stuttering mechanical rhythms, turbulent howls, and an unexpected musicality that seems to ascend and descend to a perfect closure. Yet, the actual conclusion of this piece I will leave alone, as it is a surprise in itself that should be saved for the experience. Here, Lopez manages an unquestionably beautiful interchange between nature and artifice, skillfully allowing diverse and concrète elements a musicality of their own. This is easily one of the most remarkable releases I have heard by this esteemed composer. A limited run of 500 copies with thoughtfully handcrafted minimal packaging. Highly recommended.