Minor Pieces "The Heavy Steps Of Dreaming (Fat Cat)"
If you are the kind of person that says things like “I wonder what the mega-talented singer/composer Ian William Craig is up to right now?” have I got some news for you! First off, may I suggest the internet for such queries. Nonetheless, I have news from the music fronts for you! The debut of Minor Pieces is here! The Heavy Steps Of Dreaming (FatCat) finds Ian teaming up with singer/multi-instrumentalist Missy Donaldson to create what I am calling “otherworldly, experimental ambient folk.” Taking cues from bands like Mazzy Star, Portisehead, and My Bloody Valentine, and mixing it with post-rock and modern classical music-the result is a simultaneously beautiful and chilling collection. Check out the crackling majesty of “This House.”
Bruno Bavota "Get Lost (Temporary Residence)"
If you are in the know, then you know that Bruno Bavota is composing some of the most beautiful, haunting piano music this side of animated movies about snowmen. Seriously, this is THE record to put on when you wanna make your apartment way classier than that near-complete collection of Burger King Return Of The Jedi glasses would have your guests believe. I’m not kidding, I put this gorgeous album on and my apartment started cleaning itself (results may vary, this is not a guarantee of apartment cleaning). This time around, he has started adding effect pedals and processing into his repertoire (thank god for spell check, my first try was… not sick) but what that does is create even more ambience. Check out “Sneaking Behind The Falling Sky” and you’ll see what I mean.
Alessandro Cortini "Volume Massimo (Mute)"
As the keyboard player for Nine Inch Nails, Alessandro Cortini has done… well… I’m assuming you know what that sounds like. But what of his latest solo album, Volume Massimo (Mute)? Well, if you can imagine an instrumental Nine Inch Nails at their most melodic, pretty, and sensitive, you have a good idea of what’s going on here. Swirling layers of perfectly programed synths with minimal percussion, this is like an otherworldly dream of an album. Check out the haunting tension of “Amore Amaro.”
Beak> "Life Goes On EP (Temporary Residence)"
Just a handful of months since the release of their 3rd full-length LP, Beak> are back> with a blistering> blast> of 4 new tracks on the Life Goes On EP. The trio, consisting of Geoff Barrow, Will Young, and Billy Fuller have, to these two ears at least, never sounded better. There tunes have always been a little strange, but these congeal in a way that feels fresher than ever. Each song quivers in analog brilliance, with hints of vintage reggae, Krautrock, prog-y syncopation, and every other amazing thing that should be in every good record collection. Check out the aching, alien guitars of “We Can Go.”