May’s eMusic downloads

The Sight Below: Glider

The Sight Below: Glider. Another project by Rafael Anton Irisarri (mentioned last month), this one is like minimal techno crossed with Robin Guthrie’s ambient guitar music.

The Hope Blister: Underarms & Sideways. The Hope Blister was the project that followed on from the 4AD label’s classic This Mortal Coil project. Underarms was a limited release of instrumental tracks; it’s been rereleased with Sideways, a set of remixes by Markus Guentner. Hasn’t really sunk in yet.

Somatic Responses: Reformation. Good, dark dubstep.

Backyard Band: Skillet, Experience Unlimited: Future Funk, Rare Essence: Greatest Hits Vol 1. Well, if you read two George Pelecanos novels in a row, all the references to go-go music will make you want to hear more than just the Trouble Funk and Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers that you already have. Go-go’s a variety of funk that’s huge in Washington DC and obscure pretty much everywhere else, and part of the reason is that it seems to be more about the live experience than albums. Still, some good fun stuff here.

Spatial: Infra002, Gravious: Futurist EP, Horsepower Productions: When You Hold Me/Let’s Dance. More dubstep singles.

10-20: 10-20

10-20: 10-20. A mix of abstract electronic music in the IDM mold with some dubstep influences.

Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society: Infernal Machines. This’ll probably be getting its own post before long. Steampunk jazz? The future of big band music? Whatever you call it, it’s an interesting new jazz album that at times seems to verge on progressive rock. But it’s better than that may sound.

Lafayette Gilchrist: Soul Progressin’. New album from jazz pianist Gilchrist and his band.

Harold Budd and Clive Wright: Candylion. Second collaboration by ambient pianist Budd and guitarist Wright, a little more varied in style than the first, less purely ambient.

Camera Obscura: My Maudlin Career. More upbeat yet mopey Scottish pop, with fewer immediately catchy hooks than Let’s Get Out of This Country and more strings.

Sunn O))): Monoliths and Dimensions. Halloween background music — beatless heavy metal drones with occasional orchestral and choral touches, some metal vocals, in four epic tracks.

J Dilla: The Shining. Catchy collection of rap and a bit of R&B by the late and highly respected producer and a variety of guests, including Common, D’Angelo, Madlib, Busta Rhymes, and several others. There’s a bit of a J Dilla cult developing, and this is a pretty accessible introduction.

Paul Motion Trio: One Time Out. Continuing the attempt to broaden my jazz horizons. This is a nonstandard jazz trio, with drums, sax, and electric guitar. Sometimes sounds pretty trad, other times sounds quite different from the usual.

Edan: Beauty and the Beat. A strong and enjoyable hiphop album with inventive, sometimes psychedelic-sounding music.

Astrid Williamson: Day of the Lone Wolf. One of my favourite music reviewers is a big fan of Astrid Williamson; this is a very likeable album, but it’s not a hell of a lot different from a lot of post-Sarah Mclachlan/Lilith Fair albums. Pleasant female singer/songwriter stuff. Some really good songs, but not quite as revelatory as I expected.

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