SONG OF THE DAY: Martin Circus - Disco Circus (1977)

Martin Circus were a French rock group who evolved into a disco outfit and eventually created one of the pioneering tracks of the post-disco/proto-house genre with "Disco Circus".  This song marks a definitive leap from electronic disco into entirely new territory, with intricate arrangements and a signature 4/4 beat that would serve as the foundation for the Chicago house formula.  Undeniably funky and ahead of its time.  

ALBUM OF THE DAY: Yellow Swans - Going Places (2009)

Yellow Swans mastered their amalgamation of drone and dark ambient music on 2009s "Going Places", the final proper album from the Portland duo of Pete Swanson and Gabriel Mindel Saloman.  There is such an expertly dialed atmosphere on this record, and the vibe is appropriately summed up and reflected by the album's cover art.  "Going Places" is surprisingly "warm" for a "noise" record, thanks to the lush, subterranean ambient passages which lurk beneath the harsh surface.  Some of Tim Hecker's bleakest moments come close to this (or possibly Burning Star Core), but Yellow Swans are profoundly unique in their execution.  Imagine a radio transmission of William Basinksi's "Disintegration Loops" being picked up and reinterpreted by other life forms.

SONG OF THE DAY: Windy & Carl - Consciousness (2001)

"Consciousness" proves that guitars can be used as effectively as electronics when it comes to making ambient music.  Windy & Carl allow their swirling guitar loops to gradually build and ascend, transforming these 12 minutes into what feels like an eternity (in a good way).  This is the kind of song that one might consult in a desperate moment, as a deliverance from the abyss, a penultimate glimpse of illumination before redemption, and a proclamation that resounds, "Hallelujah! Blessed be Windy & Carl."

ALBUM OF THE DAY: Luomo - Vocalcity (2000)

Luomo is one of the many projects of Finnish producer Sasu Ripatti, whose other monikers include Uusitalo, Ripatti, Sistol and most notably Vladislav Delay.  The majority of these projects operate under the umbrella of the "Microhouse" genre, which means that the typical drum sounds of House music have been replaced by glitchy samples of static and noise.  While Vladislav Delay explores the more abstract ends of this sound, Luomo falls closer to traditional Deep House, relying on relatively straightforward 4/4 beats and soulful vocal samples (Uusitalo lies somewhere in the middle of this scale).  "Vocalcity" is a landmark album for the Microhouse sound, a pioneering release along with Ricardo Villalobos' early works.

SONG OF THE DAY: 16 Bit - Where Are You? (1986)

16 Bit are a Belgian New Beat duo who combine elements of EBM, darkwave and acid-house on their infamous 1986 single, "Where Are You?".  While the track itself follows the standard New Beat formula of creepy vocals and minimal Kraftwerk-style sequences, 16 Bit are mostly notable for the accompanying music video for "Where Are You?".  There's a lot to be taken in here; the dominant, brooding man behind the table tells tales of damnation and salvation, while his submissive slave-boy wraith dances helplessly for all eternity.  Deceptively ironic, shockingly relevant. 

ALBUM OF THE DAY: Jerry Paper - Carousel

Jerry Paper has successfully channeled Brian Eno's first three solo albums with "Carousel", an infectiously-weird MIDI-pop album from the Brooklyn artist whose real name is Lucas M. Nathan ("'Jerry Paper' is the entity that inhabits Lucas M. Nathan's body when he is grooving.")  This album is simply a lot of fun, and the stock sequencer sounds are somehow brought to life by the drooling Eno-esque vocal performance.  "Carousel" sounds equally indebted to 80s Japanese art-pop, which makes sense when you consider that Eno's incarnation of Roxy Music took Japan by storm in the early 70s, influencing their pop music for years to come.

SONG OF THE DAY: Sandwell District - Hunting Lodge (2010)

Sandwell District are a techno supergroup that features Karl O'Connor (Regis), Juan Mendez (Silent Servant, David Sumner (Function) and Peter Sutton (Female), all of whom have released outstanding solo and collaborative works that are well worth investigating if you're looking for dark, industrial techno.  All of these artists have taken ambient techno to new heights by incorporating factory rhythms with minimal dub and bleak aesthetics.  "Feed Forward" is the 2010 debut from the group, and this album as a whole is a colossal stroke of genius, a slow build that gradually gets heavier until "Hunting Lodge" blows the roof off of this thing.

ALBUM OF THE DAY: Xeno & Oaklander - Sentinelle (2009)

Xeno & Oaklander have made it clear that they are analog-purists living in a digital age, and the payoff is an authentic and well executed interpretation of the French coldwave sound in the form of 2009's "Sentinelle".  The duo of Sean McBride (aka Martial Canterel) and Liz Wendelbo offer a reserved but effective vocal presence that never subtracts from the icy-cold essence of this record.  Martin Dupont are without a doubt the first influence that comes to mind, a welcome resource whose blend of minimal-synth and synthpop defined the 80s coldwave scene.  Instrumental tracks like "Toho Picture" prove that Xeno & Oaklander are not just another synth-revival novelty act.

DOCUMENTARY: The Sound of Progress (1988)

I've been super busy lately, regular posting should resume next week.  In the meantime, check out this documentary about the early Industrial scene in England:

SONG OF THE DAY: Black To Comm - Hotel Freund (2009)

It's difficult to articulate the qualities that account for a distinguished ambient record, and yet when they are encountered, such experiences have a way of imprinting themselves on the subconscious, creating an impression that might be cheapened by reducing it to rhetoric; an appropriate response to a style of music that doesn't employ words at all.  "Alphabet 1968" is one such album, a droning, dark-ambient release from Marc Richter aka Black To Comm.  Richter has assembled a magical collection of deeply organic tracks that can be attributed to his expert use of horns, strings, and cryptic piano playing.  "Hotel Freund" is the concluding track of his opus, providing a much needed breath of fresh air after emerging from this abyssal work.

ALBUM OF THE DAY: Harold Budd, Elizabeth Fraser, Robin Guthrie & Simon Raymonde - The Moon and the Melodies (1986)

"The Moon and the Melodies" is essentially a Cocteau Twins record featuring Harold Budd, though the album is credited to the individuals rather than the group.  This record was released between "Victorialand" and "Blue Bell Knoll", which should give you a good idea of what's in store; the Cocteau Twins had at this point entered into their darkest and dreamiest period, before sweetening things up for 1990's "Heaven Or Las Vegas".  Budd provides more ambience to the already ethereal sound that the group is known for, never overshadowing Liz Fraser's remarkable vocal presence and supplementing the instrumental tracks with an appropriate atmosphere.  Robin Guthrie and Harold Budd would later go on to partner up for several collaborations, most notably the soundtrack to "Mysterious Skin" in 2005.

SONG OF THE DAY: The Stranglers - Toiler On the Sea (1978)

"Toiler On the Sea" is The Stranglers at their best; the aggressive, overdriven bass is brightened up by twinkling new-wave synths and a revved up, blistering guitar lead.  "Black and White" is probably the darkest record in The Stranglers' catalog, and their most definitively-post-punk effort to date.  The driving surf-wave of "Toiler On the Sea" sounds like something off of Magazine's "Real Life", another 1978 classic that paved the way for future use (and abuse) of synthesizers by the post-punk scene. 

ALBUM OF THE DAY: Vessel - Punish, Honey (2014)

"Punish, Honey" finds Vessel moving away from the dubby-IDM sounds that earned him a lot of attention with 2012's "Order of Noise", the album that solidified him as a fixture in the Tri Angle Records agenda.  His 2014 effort sees the UK artist moving towards a heavier industrial sound and an overall more mechanical foundation that is reminiscent of Monolake's "Momentum" era.  The sonic landscape is certainly harsher on this album, but the despite the machine-beats and blasts, Sebastian Gainsborough succeeds in concocting some very satisfying and danceable tracks notwithstanding the album's cacophonous nature.

SONG OF THE DAY: John Talabot - When the Past Was Present (2012)

John Talabot created a remarkable sound with 2012's "ƒIN", blending deep-house with his native style of Balearic Beat, the form of dance music indigenous to Ibiza.  This record is percussively typical of that sound, with pulsing mid-tempo beats that are rooted in familiar deep-house patterns and vocal cadences.  Like Blondes, Talabot injects a tasteful tropical element into the mix, and tracks like "When the Past Was Present" are surging with lush intensity.

ALBUM OF THE DAY: Global Communication - 76:14 (1994)

"76:14" is about as colossal as an ambient album can be, rivaled perhaps only by "Selected Ambient Works Vol II" in its range and ingenuity.  There has been an abundance of quality ambient music since Eno's genesis, and devotees of the genre already know that it often surpasses the superficial stigma of "background music".  In the case of "SAW II" and "76:14", the music has entirely transcended passive listening, and in fact demonstrates a form and style that is profoundly engrossing and emotionally evocative.  This album is without a doubt a pinnacle of the downtempo genre, and one that was understandably difficult for Global Communication to follow up.

SONG OF THE DAY: Massacre - Legs (1981)

Massacre was the short-lived noise-rock/no-wave group featuring guitar virtuoso Fred Frith and perpetual bassman-for-hire Bill Laswell.  Frith had largely been involved in fusion and progressive rock circles, most notably with the Rock in Opposition groups Henry Cow and the lesser known Aksak Maboul.  Frith was collaborating and hanging out around Arto Lindsay and the rest of the New York no-wave scene during the 80s, and it shows; "Legs" sounds right at home with James Chance and the other unlikely funky-noise tendencies that were possessing the downtown jazz-punk scene at that time.  If Devo had more soul they might sound like this.

ALBUM OF THE DAY: Diät - Positive Energy (2015)

Diät have honed in on a very specific mix of post-punk and deathrock that was perfected (and possibly invented) by Crisis and has hitherto never seen its equal.  It may be true that Warsaw laid the groundwork for this sound, but Crisis carved their own niche by injecting peace-punk with dark, minimalistic goth and post-punk riffs.  A few others have tried to recreate this satisfying concoction in recent years, but only Diät have succeeding in sounding genuine in their efforts.  The tones, pacing, and vocals on "Positive Energy" are just perfect, occasionally summoning early Christian Death during the more driving moments.  It may be obvious that Diät's influences were painstakingly researched, but for once, it paid off.

SONG OF THE DAY: Stereo - Nowhere in the Island (1985)

Stereo were an French synthpop group who only released one album and a few singles before disappearing into obscurity.  The tracks were finally unearthed by the Minimal Wave label for a proper compilation of their best material in the form of 2009's "Somewhere in the Night".  Like all great synthpop, Stereo has their roots in coldwave and the darker side of minimal synth music, striking a balance between detached electronic riffs and catchy vocal melodies.  "Nowhere in the Island" originally appeared on their 1985 album "Assembly Line", a track that features a haunted saxophone lead and just the right amount of synthpop-hook from this esoteric duo.

ALBUM OF THE DAY: Kemialliset Ystävät - Kellari Juniversumi (2002)

The late 90s and early 2000s saw a sudden emergence of psychedelic folk from Finland, made up of bands Kiila and Es, and largely centered around Fonal Records.  Kemialliset Ystävät are the standout group from this scene, with their 2002 album "Kellari Juniversumi" serving as the centerpiece of their fascinating and enigmatic sound.  The group supplements their Comus-inspired free-folk with psychedelic electronics and drone, and yet maintains a physical and organic atmosphere.  The songs are short and don't waste much time before moving on to another theme, and the result brings to mind the psychedlic-ritual soundtrack work of Alejandro Jodorowsky.