“Ann Margaret Hogan in collaboration with Nick Cave, Jarboe, Marc Almond, Barry Adamson, Kid Congo Powers, Gini Ball and JG Thirlwell, inc instrumentation from Siouxsie / Banshees drummer Budgie, recorded over a span of 30 years…Illuminated by Hogan’s favoured solo piano, ranging from flickering candlelight to hammering theatrics, and even including a rare appearance of her vocals on the could-have-been-a-popsong closer, the six songs on ‘Without The Moon’ speak to an incredibly rich artistic life spent immured at the core of her practice” (Boomkat - their AOTW)
Abstract harp, voice, percussion and electronic flourishes. Mastered by Rafael Anton Irisarri. Sounds a bit like a dream where you die and go to heaven but it’s underwater and FKA Twigs is there as a mermaid.
Saba Alizadeh - I May Never See You Again
Mixes virtuoso violin with spherical electronics, samples of Persian musical instruments and field recordings from his hometown Tehran. Had a track on the excellent This is Tehran? compilation from last month.
I’m cheating a little bit as apparently this came out last Friday, but I feel justified because a) I was on holiday and missed it, b) it didn’t appear in last week’s new releases thread, and c) it sounds absolutely beautiful and I don’t want people to miss out on it.
Meditative folk guitar with some ambient touches and hushed reverb-y vocals, reminiscent of William Tyler, North Americans et al. Gorgeous on first listen.
My friend/onetime bandmate has released a long awaited second album earlier this week on bandcamp. Doesn’t appear to be on other streaming services yet.
Recommended if you like pianos and ethereal vocals. Second half of the record is particularly strong.
Another week, another bunch of releases that were ‘written/recorded against the backdrop of the pandemic’. Not sure if music PRs realise this, but everything done everywhere by everybody for the last year-and-a-bit has been done ‘against the backdrop of the pandemic’. I just made a cup of tea against the backdrop of the pandemic but you don’t hear me going on about it.
Wasn’t even aware it was coming out! Got confused as Tyler has another collab album coming out in August with Marisa Anderson (who I’m also unfamiliar with) but yeah Tyler’s stuff is right up your street Ic-Smic. Really hypnotic instrumental psych jams.
Got Neil Brogan’s record queued up for later too so report back on that.
Marisa Anderson generally plays in the “American Primitive” style (John Fahey, Jack Rose etc). I saw her at Le Guess Who a few years back and she was excellent - such a great guitarist.
Ah ace! I’ve queued up Into The Light (partially because of the cool artwork) now. But yeah all the intricacies and fingerpicking that goes on in the “American Primitive” style is awesome. Can imagine it was really captivating to catch live!