::thinkstandard:: is one Steve Molter. His newest release entitled "The Three Enemies" is based upon a poem by the same name written by poet Christina Rossetti (1830-1894, pseudonym Ellen Alleyne). The CD spans the poems three stanzas "The Flesh", "The World" and "The Devil". It's a largely ambient release relying heavily upon unique guitar work ranging from soothing melodies to a much more caustic droning. Unlike a lot of ambient/experimental recordings this never at any point seems redundant. New tones and melodies drift in and out effortlessly while painting audio interpretations of the religious conflicts the poem itself represents. Of the three stanzas "The Flesh" and "The Devil" are my favorites. They seem to work the best as a pair as "The Devil" references "The Flesh" well, recalling previous themes and altering the context. Overall a solid, well-produced piece of brooding soundscapes that manage to cross a diverse range of emotions without becoming overboard or too "cartoony". Molter handles his sound designs well and casts them onto the platter with a delicate touch.

Man, talking about freakiness, extravaganza or "music out of ordinary" the Kodi and Pausa project is a good example, nothing more and nothing less. I think the fact this cd can be good or bad is a detail, but I dare the average critic to label this cd as "the same ol' shit". Probably what I'm going to say has to do with the fact I've listened to Boredom's "Pop tatari" a couple of days ago, but I guess if ever pop music would have followed the path of these japanese kamikaze, this could have been the euro-pop answer to the demented genius of Yamatsuka Eye and friends. An improvisational cut and lot's of instruments to play may imply influences and ideas can move in this or in that direction, but it can also bring to a delirium where everything flows randomly leaving reminiscences of what lied buried in the subconscious coming out in the open with the consequent result you'll see fragments of subconscious scattered all over the place. Is Kodi and Pausa pure essence of chaos? Absolutely not, but here you've electronic music, free jazzy guitar incursions, shapeless cut ups/pastiches (Boswachter) as well as old electronic mixed with modern hi-frequencies computer sounds, this recording features also minimal keyboard experiments (that reminded me of the early and greatest Pram). What should I say about a defiant cartoon tune like "Flashy toilet"!?...this couple of musician probably has had problems during their childhood. Sometimes it's hard to judge the quality of a cd and when it's "In one week and new toys to play", the idea is that the "subject" is really beyond the boundaries of musical judgment...life is a nonsense.

This is the first Mystery Sea release selling out already on pre-order: I guess this speakes volumes for the underground cult that the German duo formed by Stefan Knappe (also mastermind of Drone Records) and Martin Gitschel has rightfully gained over the years. "Objectlessness" features two lengthy tracks of Troum's trademark mind-expanding guitar drones - for those familiar with their discography, they lie somewhere between the first and the second part of "Tjukurpa", i.e. their abstract, oceanic ambience and their more melodic side. What is peculiar about "(Pre)-symbolism" and "Echoes of a boundless existence" (respectively 38 and 30 minute long) is that, given their mammoth length and loose structure, they could well portray what the duo can create in an improvised session or live set. Some minor sound defects could have been erased by studio overdubs and re-working, but "Objectlessness" remains a faithful witness of Troum's evocative, mind-bending soundscapes. For those who have missed it, there could probably be some copies still floating around: try Drone or Self Abuse.

This autumn I've seen "Lords of Dogtown", an ok movie, nothing special in comparison to the documentary "Dogtown and the Z-boys", but definitely worth of the ticket (above all if you're into skateboard, or underground culture). Even if the average skater nowadays listens to crappy third rate punk bands or even worse to cheap gangsta rap, this work has nothing to do with the afore mentioned categories. Cocosolidciti is interested in high-quality electronic music and judging by they back catalogue and listening to this their costumers won't be disappointed. The menu is: electronic music with a 4/4 relaxed beat, sometimes it recalls some stylish Warp artist like Prefuse 72 or Savath and Savalas minus the post rock/instrumental feel, but that's just one percent of the whole mixture. With a such a cool rhythmical skeleton I was awaiting some rapping and it finally came with the third track ("Not a speculation" where Dose One is the mc!) and the song is a pure kick ass hit. Another interesting characteristic of this release is represented by its heterogeneity, one good example could be the electro-jazzy sketch of "Fingertip control". Andrew Coleman put together a smart tracklist and while listening you won't have the time to get bored by a single kind of song, just give a listen to such another great stylish exercise like the piano of "Rain and dogs" or to the acoustic guitar of "Constraints, huddles and hoops". Melody, melody and again melody, a great dose of class and if you're into hip-hoppish rhythm, electronic music, melody and post jazzy influences I think you outta add "Tony Alva's hair" to your want list.

This massive 4-cd box, released in a limited edition of 300 copies, features two solo albums, Maurizio Bianchi's "Niddha Emmhna" and Nimh's "Subterrean Thoughts", a collaborative one, "Secluded Truths", and a split one, entitling the whole boxset and exclusive to it (while all the other titles are also sold separately). This flow of titles marks the return of Giuseppe Verticchio/Nimh in the Amplexus/Silentes catalogue (after "The Impossible Days" and his collaboration with Nefelheim, "Whispers from the Ashes"), and witnesses a period of particular prolificacy for Bianchi, with new solo releases on Silentes, Small Voices etc. and new collaborative works with Land Use, Telepherique, etc. Let's start with the solo discs. "Niddha Emmhna" features two lengthy tracks inspired by verses of the "Leviticus", respectively defined by Bianchi himself as a "plasmatic symphony for electronic particles, erythrocyte frequencies and menarchal viola" and a "hemolytic decomposition for neurologic piano, coagulant clangs and leucocyte sonances". The cosmic synth patterns in "Niddha" are disturbed by the viola and noisy electronics, but the true surprise comes with the overwhelming "Emmhna", an abysmal descent into cacophony which could really remind of seminal past works of Bianchi's like "Armaghedon". This monstrous, unbelievably bleak composition is probably the gem of the whole work. Nimh's "Subterrean Thoughts" sees Verticchio's synth-based ambient in its more sombre vein, already explored in works like "Line of Fire" and "The Impossible Days". I wouldn't exactly call it "dark ambient", but the Roman musician surely prefers tension to relaxing atmospheres. To his usual array of instruments (synths, keyboards, ethnic samples, field recordings, etc.) he now adds recognizable guitar lines in "Subterrean Thoughts", a melody which also closes the cd in a piano reprise. I venture Nimh is going through a process of change and experimentation, as there are many different inputs in these tracks that could be explored further. "Secluded Truth", the collaborative cd, is also the one I honestly like less, possibly because it's where the cosmic ambient influences of the two are more evident, and I'm not particularly moved by that kind of music. I dig the darker tracks, like "The Sacred Outside" and "Leaving the Time", but I'm not really convinced by the rest. In "The World Beyond", for example, the synth melody is a bit jarring when matched with ethnic percussions and digital programming. As a whole, the cd has plenty of good moments, but the collaboration never seems to truly sparkle. The exclusive cd, on the contrary, is enjoyable from start to end. Bianchi offers two obscure tracks, "Land Use I" and the brooding "Land Use II", whose obsessive mechanical loops again remind of his glorious and pioneering industrial past; and Nimh's three pieces are a perfect match, with the menacing tension of "Beyond the Gates...", "Black Earth" and "...the Garden of Loneliness", the last two featuring a distorted electric guitar which brings to mind Maeror Tri and Troum. A recommended listen for fans of industrial-tinged ambiences.