Tag Archives: Experimental

Australia, Electronica, Pop

WINTERCOATS – SKETCHES (DreamPop/Electro – Australia)

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Melbourne-based artist James Wallace aka Wintercoats is gearing up for the imminent release of his debut EP, Sketches, which will be out on September 27 on exprimental pop label Cascine. Pensive, delicate, ornate and lush are all words used to describe the gentle music of this talented multi-instrumentalist.

The first single taken off the EP, “Working On A Dream”, evokes a Peter Pan-like feeling of fantasy in its desire for solitude in nature. The song has a cinematic feel, complete with dreamy strings, gliding atmospheric, and hypnotizing beats.

Wintercoats - Working On A Dream     

Sketches is a stunning collection of songs. Bells and chimes drip from corners, piano keys build from below, bass lines swell and string arrangements dance about. And on top of it all, James’ haunting voice hazily rests. James Wallace combines his chameleonic compositional talents and profound arrangement dexterity to create aural artworks of fragility and grandeur.

If you like what you hear, check out Cascine‘s website on September 27th for the full release.

Electronica, Hip Hop

SON LUX – WE ARE RISING (Experimental/Electronica – US)

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Son Lux (a.k.a. Ryan Lott) first came to public knowledge in 2008, with his breathtaking debut, At War With Walls and Mazes, released on avant-guarde hip hop label anticon. This seemingly perfect record — a clever mix of sharp hip-hop beats, layered vocals and soulful string arrangements — demonstrated a level of musicianship and sensibility that left even the toughest of critic speechless. After this glorious release, Ryan Lott returned to his day job writing music for dance choreography and worked on a new project as Son Lux, the Weapons EP, released in February 2010.

This past January, NPR contacted Lott and talked him into writing and recording a new album, from start to finish, in just one month. The idea, inspired by the New Hampshire-based music magazine The Wire, which invites musicians everywhere to create a record each February, the shortest month of the year, didn’t immediately seduce Lott but, after a couple of days, he accepted. You can listen to the whole thing on NPR’s website or stream “Rising”, featuring contributions from DM Stith and the Antlers’ Peter Silberman, just below.

Son Lux - Rising     

Ryan Lott poured everything he had into this Album-in-a-Month project, which also counts with contributions by members of the yMusic Sextet, My Brightest Diamond and Midlake. The entire process was recorded via blog entries, both written and filmed, as people watched with anticipation as to how he was doing from day-to-day. The album, an exquisite mix of modern electronics, unusual pop and classical notions, will be released on April 26 on anticon.

As a bonus, here’s a gorgeous cover Son Lux did last year for the album Time & Space, a tribute album including covers of Liz Janes songs by seven different artists.

Son Lux - Desert     

Find out more about Son Lux on MySpace. You can purchase his music on

Alternative, Electronica, Folk

BENOÎT PIOULARD – LASTED (Folktronica/Experimental – US)

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Benoit Pioulard

Benoît Pioulard is the artistic alter ego of American singer songwriter Thomas Meluch, who, despite the quality of his musical endeavours, still remains relatively unknown. Based in Portland, Oregon, he always goes around carrying a one-track tape recorder he uses to sample all the sounds that surround him. He then uses these samples to create dreamy songs that are always wrapped in a hazy whir of nature and tape decay.

On his latest album, Lasted, besides his usual mix of guitar and samples, Meluch lets his voice take on a more prominent role in the songs. The vocal numbers are interspersed with instrumental interludes, some pretty immediate, some more abstract, but all imaginative and personal.

Benoît Pioulard - Tack & Tower     

As a bonus, see what Oregon-based Small Sails did with Pioulard’s “Kids Are Getting Younger”, taken from the Enge EP (2005, Moodgadget).

Benoît Pioulard - Kids Are Getting Younger (Small Sails Remix)     

You can find out more about Benoît Pioulard / Thomas Meluch on his official site or MySpace. All his music is available online on Benoit Pioulard

Electronica, France, Minimalist, mp3

CIRC – THE NICE DAD (Experimental/Electronica – France)

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CIRC is the solo project of François Rousseau, an enigmatic young Frenchman who doesn’t like to be in the spotlight and prefers to let music do the talking. This talented lad makes instrumental electronic songs with computers but always seeks to provoke emotions. His songs, which may remind you of Four Tet or Benoît Pioulard, are sometimes bright and shiny, sometimes dark and experimental, but always melodic.

His debut album, Digital Dust Inhalation, was released in 2007 and distributed through different music sharing services. It’s a journey through experimental, minimalistic beat music that feels homemade and honest but very professional at the same time. There are many moments of experimental grandeur on Digital Dust Inhalation and “Just Be Shad” is one of them…

Circ - Don't Be Shad     

CIRC produces the bulk of his work on an old PC with an average soundcard and an entry-level M-Audio master keyboard.  No frills and no fancy equipment, just talent and dedication. He also often jams on real instruments when he needs inspiration: acoustic guitars, a Clipper R6, an old metallophone, an electric guitar that I plug directly into the PC, percussion…

As a matter of fact, he is currently working on a new album which will have a more organic touch and incorporate real instruments. The first excerpt from this forthcoming album, “The Nice Dad”,  moves along like a river, slow and steady, to finally blossom into a world of warmth.

The Nice Dad by CIRC

Download CIRC’s albums on a pay-what-you-want basis at Bandcamp. More info on MySpace.

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mp3

BODI BILL – WHAT? (Electronica/Minimal – Germany)

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Berlin-based alternative electronica trio Bodi Bill are back with new material. With a new album scheduled for release in next March, Alex Amoon, Fabian Fenk and Anton K. Feist have decided to share their first single with their numerous fans. The new track, “Hotel”, has been made available for free download on Soundcloud and you can hear it just below.

Bodi Bill - Hotel     

Bodi bill are still developing their quirky post-dub sound and showing that their music knows no genre boundaries. This new song has lots of abstract percussion, hypnotic loops, beautiful synth layers and, towards the middel, some Fever Ray-like vocals that just add to its eerie penetrating impression of melancholy.

For your own aural enjoyment, listen to another Bodi Bill gem, “Very Special Small”, taken off the band’s I Like Holden Caulfield EP, released last year on Berlin-based Sinnbus Records.

Bodi Bill - Very Special Small     

Show Bodi Bill some love on MySpace. Buy the music on Bodi Bill

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