Kwoon - ODYSSEY (2025)

Oh, wow, a comeback that I did not expected nor have heard about! But what a beautiful surprise it is! I remember the project led by Sandy Lavallart's fantastic music from 10 years ago (the single called Swan) and 15 years ago (their last album release). This year they are back with a long and instantly memorable (and fittingly named) ODYSSEY.

This kind of post music that doesn't really match the common definition of post-rock, is not folky enough to call it post-folk, much rather sits somewhere there sounding beautiful. It is what Her Name Is Calla did and what Piano Magic were so good at, it is what slowcore and post-rock with a lot of artistic soul can sound like, it is one of the most intimately meaningful kinds of music out there. The artsy slowrock of the French band is stunning. Sometimes it is slow and quiet, sometimes it gets louder with the help of the vast range of classic instruments to create orchestral moments of euphoria (like in my favourite track Jayne) fueled with choire-like backing vocals (so beautiful in Life). 

But the vocals are equally important, creating the folk-like focus on narration and words. The soft vocals sound emotional and very close to the audience, sometimes contrasting with the orchestral grandeur of the music. Every composition is complex and artistically engaging yet still very welcoming for any newcomer who happens to discover this band. And if they do, they are very lucky.

ODYSSEY costs 9 EUR.

Check: Jayne

Country: France

Genre: artsy slowrock

:bandcamp:

:facebook:
:official:

:instagram:

:youtube:

:spotify:

Oddfellow's Casino - Prince of the Starry Wheel (2022)

It's very weird but this is the first album of one of my favourite artists out there, that I post about about here. I wasn't sure if Oddfellow's Casino and his moody, folk-like avant-garde music fits the blog, but I stopped caring and just went for it. Especially that Prince of the Starry Wheel continues his strike of albums that instantly became my personal classics.

Singer/songwriter David Oddfellow developed his unique and outstanding style that encompasses the folkotronic mix of acoustic instruments and delicate electronic sounds, the use of harmonium (I recommend listening to his podcast album where he describes the origins of his fascination with this instrument) and very moody, folk-inspired lyrics. While his previous album, The Cult of Water, presented a fascinating story-like coherent narration, Prince of... seems to be more all over the place. Although the lyrics-heavy release certainly has a theme of sorts, being "an album of earth, feet, marches, burials and the passing of time" with the title borrowed from William Blake. Another special thing about David Oddfellow is how inteligent his texts are, how many stories they include, how much influence from various places include (they make me think of Neil Gaiman each time and I don't know a better compliment).

While his music certainly has this unique atmosphere, it's fast and flow-rich, more like The Decemberists than Her Name Is Calla if you catch my drift. The lyrics but also the smooth and pop-like engaging music is what makes Oddfellow's Casino one of my favourite artists ever and this is just a humble advertisement of his rich discography to everyone.

Prince of the Starry Wheel costs 9 EUR (7 GBP).

Check: The Quiet Man and his Dutch Wife

Country: UK

Genre: poetic folkotronica

Label: Nightjar Records

:bandcamp:

:facebook:
:official:

:spotify:

Królówczana Smuga - Żałosne (2021)

Folk-oriented but very modern lo-fi industrial music from the East corners of Poland, this is Adam Piętak and his music project that got recognized thanks to 2020's ODRAPDORAP and now is being pushed further towards the weird and mesmerizing world of Piętak's uniqueness due to the new album called Żałosne ("Lamentable"). 

Unlikeon the previous release, there's very small amounts of vocals here. Perhaps the new brand outfit with the BDSM/folk-inspired mask (yes, it's possible!) makes it particularly difficult to sing or Piętak just decided to draw special attention to something else this time. But when they show, in Sitarenka ("A Sievemaker Girl"), they are still his signature asset: somewhat spoken, somewhat shouted out, a bit metal-like, very lo-fi and mixing the folk leitmotif with Weltschmerz-induced, super unnerving lyrics. And yes, the folk roots are strong as always - the whole album's theme revolves around sitarstwo, the art of creating sieves, apparently popular back in the day in Piętak's hometown of Biłgoraj. But, as always in folk music, this is only an excuse to introduce the real theme of the album, as the artist states it, "Żałosne is an album about parting/splitting-up and the grief that comes with it". No wonder that the main message I took from those tracks is "everything is horrible!".

Further into the album, it turns out to be purely instrumental. The tone clearly sounds like it was supposed to: it's a lament of a hurt soul. And Piętak does a really good job in creating this industrial, post-apocalyptic and very, very sad atmosphere while adding folk instruments into the mix. I have no clue about those, I can't describe or name what is being used here, but you can hardly come across such a combination, very often bordering ambient/drone confusing soundscapes, that's for sure.

Żałosne costs 3.5 EUR (15 PLN).

Królówczana Smuga - ODRAPDORAP (2020)

Check: Gorzki baź

Country: Poland

Genre: industrial folk

Label: Requiem Records

:bandcamp:

:facebook:

:instagram:

:youtube:

:spotify:

Ylva de Lune - I (2021)

Ylva de Lune is Ylva - singer/songwriter from Germany, together with Alpha who is responsible for the music part of the project. Their cooperation results in a blend of dark folk and metal music that they show on the debut album entitled simply  I.

The Germans took doom metal with its slow pace and monumental vibes and created a kind of its acoustic version. The vocals are clear and extremely airy but also have this vibe characteristic for female vocalists of metal music. There's a lot of heavy guitar noise in the music layer but there are also parts of contemplation and peace, (almost) no sign of metal's crazy drums means that the whole thing tastes more melancholic and depressive, simply speaking, it's what autumn could sound like if it was music (and the cover art only makes it obvious). Especially that the musicians don't hide their inspirations taken from shoegaze and blackgaze that result in the airy backing vocals that add to the release's ethereal atmosphere.

But the music is able to climb towards post-metal and even doom metal level, surprise the audience with very loud and somewhat rapid parts in the best way possible (a good example is Les ombres du Monde that, towards the end, brings a lot of noisy guitar fun or 11:55 with the most intriguing use of the metal-like automatic drums). And generally, the further into the album, the more visible the metal nature of the artists is, the higher the pace, the more crushing the sounds. You should like this album no matter if you're more into melancholic dark folk or impressive doom, as do I.

I costs 6 EUR.

Check: 11:55

Country: Germany

Genre: ethereal doom metal

:bandcamp:

:facebook:

:instagram:

:youtube:

:spotify:

Fuzzy Lights - Burials (2021)

I can't stress enough how important for me was the band's 2010 album Twin Feathers. It brought me into the world of atmospheric, post-rock-influenced post-folk and I love it until now. Finally, after over a decade since this one and 8 years after the last album, the British band released a new one and it brings the same kind of vibes I missed.

Their approach to music is very characteristic: on one hand it is clearly inspired by folk music with the inclusion of violins and the way they address folk mythology-like themes in the lyrics. On the other, the compositions are very much guitar-based and particularly noisy, this is some real post-rock meets post-folk situation. And the style hasn't changed over the years much - Rachel Watkins' delicate but also clear vocals, violins ' role (very familiar in Maiden's Call) and the torrential guitar noise that is so mesmerizing and unnerving at the same time.

The album is opened by the single Maiden's Call which makes an instant post-folk hit but is followed by noisy ten minutes of Songbird - a song that doesn't follow your typical song's construction but is pure and unrefined beauty. This may actually be the main difference between the old and the new sound of the band: it seems their music is noisier, the guitars are coarser and more rock-like. But it sounds so well, be it in the most lively songs like Under the Waves or the moody post-rock ballads. Also, let's mention the absolutely staggering cover art picture.

Burials costs 7 GBP.

Fuzzy Lights - Twin Feathers (2010) EN

Check: Maiden's Call

Country: UK

Genre: noisy post-folk

:bandcamp:

:facebook:
:official:

:instagram:

:youtube:

:spotify:

Pillars - Cavum Reimagined (2020) EN

This album is one of the most important events this year. One of the best new post-rock bands, the best album of the genre last year, reinterpreted by a whole range of wonderful guests. This is Cavum Reimagined.

Let's begin with the guests/ We've got my favourite vocalist of 2018 - Ryan Osterman of Holy Fawn, we've got a legend, namely Her Name Is Calla's leader - Tom Elliot, awesome post-rock (Jason Sissoyev and Jordan Householder of Coastlands), post-hardcore (Spencer Gill of Tides of Man) and ambient artists (zakè and Drew Sullivan). Couldn't imagine it a better way. There's no point in stating how different this album is from its original form. Very much.

It's opened by Coda made into a post-folk ballad with a clear Her Name Is Calla-esque atmosphere and beauty of combining some light guitar noise with folk soul. It goes fluently into post-metal-rapidness-filled Solace. Especially exciting are tracks that are borderline different from the original ones like Black Prayer turned into electronic chaos or the ambient incarnation of Dying Light. In general, I've never been a huge fan of remixes but if it's gonna look like the Americans' new album, I need more.

Cavum Reimagined costs 6 USD.

Check: Coda 

Country: Indiana, US

Genre: eclectic post-rock
Label: Post. Recordings

:bandcamp:

:facebook:

:spotify:

Pillars - Cavum Reimagined (2020) PL

Ta płyta to jedno z najważniejszych wydarzeń tego roku. Jeden z najlepszych nowych zespołów post-rockowych, najlepsza, moim zdaniem, płyta tego gatunku w zeszłym roku, poddana reinterpretacji przez cały szereg znamienitych gości. Oto Cavum Reimagined.

To najpierw wspomniani goście. Mamy mojego ulubionego wokalistę 2018 roku - Ryana Ostermana z Holy Fawn, mamy legendę w postaci wokalisty Her Name Is Calla - Toma Elliota, wspaniałych muzyków post-rockowych (Jason Sissoyev i Jordan Householder z Coastlands), post-hardcorowych (Spencer Gill z Tides of Man) i ambientowych (zakè i Drew Sullivan). Nie można sobie tego lepiej wyobrazić. Nie ma sensu nadmieniać jak bardzo inna jest to płyta od swojej oryginalnej formy. Bardzo.

Płytę otwiera Coda w postaci post-folkowej ballady, z której dobitnie wychodzi Her Name Is Calla'owa atmosfera i uroda połączenia lekkiego gitarowego noise'u i folkowej duszy. Płynnie przechodzi ona w nasyconą post-metalową gwałtownością Solace. Ekscytujące są też kawałki, które skrajnie odbiegają od oryginalnych wersji, takie jak zmieniona w elektroniczny chaos Black Prayer czy ambientowe wcielenie Dying Light. Generalnie nigdy nie byłem fanem remiksów, ale jeśli mają wyglądać tak jak nowa płyta Amerykanów, to poproszę jak najwięcej.

Cavum Reimagined kosztuje 23 złote (6 USD).

Sprawdź: Coda 

Kraj: Indiana, US

Szufladka: eclectic post-rock
Label: Post. Recordings

:bandcamp:

:facebook:

:spotify:

Hilary Woods - Birthmarks (2020) PL

Wydaje mi się, że ekstremalnie mroczny dream pop czerpiący z folku i wszelkiej maści noise'u, powiedzmy Chelsea-Wolfe-izm ma się ostatnio wyjątkowo dobrze. Dopiero co pisałem o Mirny Mine, a tu zachwycił mnie nowy album Hilary Woods Birthmarks.

Irlandka łączy właśnie wspomniane gatunki tworząc przebogaty i przemroczny tribalowy koktajl. Jak przebogate i szerokie horyzonty artystyczne ma piosenkarka niech świadczy lista inspiracji, w której wymienia przeróżne pozycje od fotografii kolodionowej przez wilki po filmy Chrisa Markera. Płyta, która powstała, gdy Woods była w zaawansowanej ciąży (na pewno inspiracja dla tytuły), zachwyca muzycznymi tłami z eterycznymi chórami, subtelną neoklasyką jak i wdzierającym się w umysł noise'em.

Im dalej w płytę tym mroczniej i niesamowiciej się robi. Tak jak w zdominowanym przez niepokojący, czający się gdzieś na granicy słyszalności noise i cały dark-tribal-ambientowy vibe Mud and Stones. Zwłaszcza użycie żywych instrumentów, które często tę atmosferę generują zasługuje na najwyższy szacunek, posłuchajcie na przykład początku The Mouth i spróbujcie nie poczuć ciarek na plecach.

Birthmarks kosztuje 34 złote (7,99 USD).

Sprawdź: Through the Dark, Love

Kraj: Irlandia

Szufladka: noisy dark folk
Label: Sacred Bones

:bandcamp:

:facebook:
:official:

:youtube:

:spotify:

Hilary Woods - Birthmarks (2020) EN

It seems to me that the extremely dark dream pop drawing from folka and noise of all kinds, let's call it Chelsea-Wolfe-ism, recently is really powerful. I've just mentioned Mirny Mine and now I'm simply amazed by the new album from Hilary Woods Birthmarks.

The Irish artist combines the aforementioned genres creating a super-rich and super-dark tribal cocktail. The richness and breadth of her horizons are well seen in the list of inspirations she accounts for that ranges from wet plate photography and wolves up to Chris Marker's movies. The album that was made when the artist was pregnant (definitely an inspiration for the title), impresses with the musical backgrounds of airy backing vocals, subtle neoclassicism and mind-invading noise.

The further into the album the darker and more eerie it gets. Like in Mud and Stones, dominated by the unnerving, creeping somewhere and barely audible noise and its whole dark tribal-folk-ambient vibe. Especially the use of the live instruments that often generate this atmosphere is something that should be respected, just listen to the first part of The Mouth and try not to feel thrills crawling up your spine.

Birthmarks costs 7.99 USD.

Check: Through the Dark, Love

Country: Ireland

Genre: noisy dark folk
Label: Sacred Bones

:bandcamp:

:facebook:
:official:

:youtube:

:spotify:

Qualia - Lost (2020) PL

Dan Leader i jego solowy projekt Qualia gościli już na blogu płytą Hopeless Optimism. Teraz Anglik powraca z co najmniej równie dobrym krążkiem Lost.

Jeszcze raz witamy więc do atmosferycznego i noise'owego królestwo Leadera. Jego muzyka to post-ambient-folk w wielu miejscach czerpiący garściami z neoklasyki czy delikatnego ale wszechobecnego, wymieszanego z nią noise'u. Ciepłe i nostalgiczne ballady, takie jak Wherever You Go, There You Are czy Lost sąsiadują tu z prawdziwą symfonią eksperymentalnego folku skrzyżowanego z gitarowym noise'em, niesamowitym Inquietude, czy krótszym, ale intensywniejszym Phantasm. Wszystko to okraszone szczyptą lo-fi'owej atmosfery i toną przejmującego smutku. Wspaniale.

Lost kosztuje tyle, ile chcesz zapłacić.

Qualia - Hopeless Optimism (2018) PL

Sprawdź: Wherever You Go, There You Are

Kraj: UK

Szufladka: noisy post-folk

:bandcamp:

:facebook:

:spotify:

Qualia - Lost (2020) EN

Dan Leader and his solo project Qualia appeared on the blog before with Hopeless Optimism. Now, the Englishman comes back with at least as good Lost.

So once again we come into Leader's atmospheric and noisy realm. His music is made of post-ambient-folk in many places drawing from neoclassicism or delicate but omnipresent noise. Warm and nostalgic ballads like Wherever You Go, There You Are or Lost are listed just next to a real symphony of experimental folk crossed with guitar noise, a brilliant Inquietude or shorter but more intense Phantasm. The whole thing is spiced with a pinch of lo-fi ambiance and tons of poignant sadness. Beautiful.

Lost costs whatever you want to pay.

Qualia - Hopeless Optimism (2018) EN

Check: Wherever You Go, There You Are

Country: UK

Genre: noisy post-folk

:bandcamp:

:facebook:

:spotify:

The Mighty Avon Jnr. - Hold Everything Dear (2018) EN

Music project by the Irish artist Daragh McCarthy has finally released an album that had been created for almost 20 years (its opening track, Rapture Me Now, was released as a single in 1999). And it's wonderful news because Hold Everything Dear makes an utterly interesting composition with live instruments and poetry citing in the foreground.

Poetry is the correct word for McCarthy's lyrics. It's both intriguing and unsettling, one of my favourite fragments being certainly: "I asked you: Is that cigar smoke or teargas? You said, What’s the difference?” from Steeplejack Field Holler. From the music perspective, we deal with complex compositions in which the main part may be taken by either guitar drones (as in the monumental and absolutely beautiful Underground) or more traditional instruments, as for example trumpets.

Besides all of this, there are also other, non-obvious ideas from the multimedia artist's head: there are choir sounds (Wedding Chair), there are folk singing in the backgrounds, there are samples in Japanese (Jibutsu No Fokuroa), or a very much danceable chorus in Cobra Dear Heart. As stated here, the project makes  music that is so complex and complicated that no wonder that McCarthy calls is a "one-man band with a hundred members". 

Hold Everything Dear costs 7 EUR.

Check: Underground

Country: Ireland

Genre: spoken word post-folk

:bandcamp:

:facebook:

:official:

The Mighty Avon Jnr. - Hold Everything Dear (2018) PL

Projekt muzyczny irlandzkiego artysty Daragha McCarthy'ego wydaje w końcu płytę, która powstawała niemal 20 lat (otwierający ją Rapture Me Now wyszedł jako singiel w 1999 roku). I znakomicie się stało, że w końcu ją wydał, bo Hold Everything Dear tworzy nadzwyczaj interesującą kompozycję, w której na pierwszym planie znajdują się żywe instrumenty i recytowana poezja.

To właśnie poezją należy nazwać teksty głoszone przez McCarthy'ego. Jest ona intrygująca i niepokojąca, a wśród moich ulubionych fragmentów będzie z pewnością "spytałem cię: czy to dym papierosowy cy łzawiący? Odpowiedziałaś: co za różnica?" z Steeplejack Field Holler. Od strony muzycznej mamy do czynienia z kompleksowymi kompozycjami, w których prym wieść mogą zarówno gitarowe drony (w monumentalnym i pięknym Underground) jak i bardziej tradycyjne instrumenty, na przykład trąbki.

Do tego dochodzą nieoczywiste pomysły tego multimedialnego artysty: a to chóry (Wedding Chair), a to folkowe zaśpiewy w tłach, a to sample po japońsku (Jibutsu No Fokuroa), a to taneczny refren w Cobra Dear Heart. Jak widać, projekt tworzy muzykę tak złożoną i skomplikowaną, że nic dziwnego, że McCarthy nazywa go "jednoosobowym zespołem z setką członków". 

Hold Everything Dear kosztuje 30 złotych (7 EUR).

Sprawdź: Underground

Kraj: Irlandia

Szufladka: spoken word post-folk

:bandcamp:

:facebook:

:official:

Her Name Is Calla - The Dead Rift EP (2018) EN

The English Her Name Is Calla still drift far away from the traditional post-rock waters and their newest EP brought them really close to the fascinating land of quieter music that can be perhaps called post-folk. After four albums and a number of EPs, "The Dead Rift" still shows a lot of classical instrument use with violins and piano playing the main roles, together with the post-rock spirit.

The title track, "The Dead Rift", in some places sounds especially folkish (mainly when the female vocal joins the male one), sometimes like what they amazed us years ago - the combination of post-rock tension and folk atmosphere, and sometimes quite experimental when Tom Morris starts to recite the chorus couple times faster then the rest of the song. The balance is kept by the following tracks - a beautiful ballad "Regrounding" with acoustic guitar and violins as the main actors and by the piano-only "Phosphenes".

The tension comes back in "Let's Go Out Tonight" that may sound peacefully at first but it really gets to the listener with its nervous pulse in the background and Morris' vocal show. And if someone lacks some of the more lively side of the project, the band added a quite well done remix of "The Dead Rift" at the end.

"The Dead Rift" costs 3.49 GBP.

:bandcamp:

:facebook:

:official:

:spotify:

Her Name Is Calla - The Dead Rift EP (2018) PL

Angielskie Her Name Is Calla dryfują wciąż daleko od wód tradycyjnego post-rocka i na najnowszej EP-ce zbliżają się jak to tylko możliwe do fascynujących ziem spokojniejszej muzyki, którą nazwać można chyba post-folkiem. Po czterech płytach i kilku EP-kach, "The Dead Rift" to wciąż dużo klasycznego instrumentarium ze skrzypcami i pianinem oraz post-rockowy duch.

Tytułowe "The Dead Rift" miejscami brzmi całkiem folkowo (zwłaszcza, gdy włącza się kobiecy wokal), czasem jak to, czym ujęli nas lata temu - połączeniem post-rockowego napięcia w gitarach i folkowego klimatu, a czasem całkiem niespodziewanie, gdy Tom Morris zaczyna melorecytować słowa refrenu w kilka razy przyspieszonym tempie. Balans zostaje zachowany dzięki kolejnym utworom - pięknej balladzie "Regrounding" z gitarą akustyczną i skrzypcami w głównych rolach i zagranym w całości na pianinie "Phosphenes".

Napięcie powraca w "Let's Go Out Tonight", które niby spokojne działa na słuchacza nerwowym pulsem w tle i wokalnymi popisami Morrisa. A jeśli komuś brakuje żywszej strony projektu, zespół dołączył całkiem udany remiks "The Dead Rift".

"The Dead Rift" kosztuje 18 złotych (3,49 GBP).

:bandcamp:

:facebook:

:official:

:spotify:

Violet Cold - Sommermorgen (2018) PL

Ciężko do końca objąć rozumem nowe wydawnictwo azerskiego artysty Emina Gulijewa czyli Violet Cold. Jeden z moich ulubionych projektów muzycznych skręcił w zupełnie inną stronę od czasu ostatniego pojawienia się na blogu z blackgaze'owym "Anomie" - tym razem oferuje całe spektrum elektronicznej muzyki z elementami post-rocka, folku i ambientu, a wszystko w formie trylogii zatytułowanej wspólnie "Sommermorgen".

Część pierwsza, zatytułowana "Innocence" wita nas radosnym ćwierkaniem ptaków szybko jednak zagłuszonym najpierw przez masywne brzmienie perkusji, potem przez eterycznie elektroniczne tło. Wraca jednak od czasu do czasu niczym motyw przewodni tytułowej niewinności. Dopasowuje się do niego ogólny nastrój płyty, nawet gdy robi się naprawdę głośno, tak jak w "Ein Langer Weg", jest zdecydowanie bardziej euforycznie niż melancholijnie. Swoją robotę robią znakomite synthowe tła dające energii niczym pierwsza wiosenna zieleń. Nawet, gdy do głosu dochodzą smutne brzmienia folkowego instrumentarium, wiadomo, że to tylko przygotowanie do kolejnego odlotu.

Euforycznie i energetycznie jest również na drugiej płycie. Ta poświęcona jest radości i zgodnie z tym mamy i kipiącą od energii ścianę dźwięku w "Kopfkino" i bardzo taneczne rytmy w "Time to Tango" czy "Schöne Dummheit" i tak do końca. Jest to bardzo dokładna metafora wypełnionych endorfinami momentów takich jak taniec czy zakochiwanie się.

Ale te mijają i pojawia się żal za utraconym szczęściem. Właśnie melancholii poświęcona jest część trzecia, w której fani Violet Cold znajdą więcej dźwięków, do których przyzwyczaił ich artysta. To tutaj pojawiają się wyraźniejsze, już prawie metalowe gitary, zwłaszcza w pięknym "Ein Hauch Von Ewigkeit", a mimo to wciąż odczuwalna jest atmosfera pierwszych dwóch części. Tak jak wspomnienie szczęścia. 

Każda z trzech części kosztuje po 23 złote (6 USD) dając w sumie niestety aż 67 złotych (18 USD).

Violet Cold - Anomie (2017) PL

:bandcamp:

:facebook:

Violet Cold - Sommermorgen (2018) EN

It's hard to wrap your head around the new work by the Azeri artist Emin Guliyev or Violet Cold. One of my favourite music projects has made a turn since the last time it appeared on this blog with the blackgazing "Anomie" - this time it is the whole spectre of electronic music with elements of post-rock, folk, ambient, etc, and everything is formed into a trilogy called "Sommermorgen".

The first part, entitled "Innocence", greets us with cheerful chirping of birds which is soon overtaken by the massive drums and then by the airy electronic backgrounds. It comes back from time to time like the innocence's leit-motif. The overall atmosphere of the album fits here, even when it gets really loud, as in "Ein Langer Weg", it is more euphoric than melancholic. The job is done by brilliant synth backgrounds as lively as spring's first green. Even when it comes to a sad, folk instruments sound, it is clear that it's only an introduction to another take-off.

Euphoria and energy rule also the second album. It is devoted to joy and accordingly, there is both the lively wall of sound in "Kopfkino", very danceable rhythm in "Time to Tango" and in "Schöne Dummheit" and everything up to the end.. It is quite a literal metaphor of those endorphin releasing moments as dance or falling in love.

But those are known to end and there is always regret for the finished happiness. So the third album is about melancholy and it is the one, most fans of Violet Cold should find familiar. There are clearer, almost metal guitars, especially in the beautiful "Ein Hauch Von Ewigkeit" but still, there's some of the atosphere from the first two parts. Like a memory of when you were happy.. 

Each of the three parts cost 6 USD.

Violet Cold - Anomie (2017) EN

:bandcamp:

:facebook:

Endless Forms - If There Were Water (2017) EN

Endless Forms from Oklahoma is a trio that decided to give us a riddle: "what does ambient chamber rock mean?" It seems that the name of the genre they use is a mixture of ambient's dense atmosphere and quite melodic music which locate them somewhere between Piano Magic's ghost pop and Espers' ether folk.

On their Facebook account, the band describe themselves in a very picturesque way that is worth reading on your own (from Kundera to other philosophical questions). The most important thing that stands out though is the fact that Endless Forms are mostly about finding a place in this world for their unique music and for their unique selves.

On this album pop-like melodies exist only to die in the sea of noise, airy female vocal and extremely deep male one (Cigarettes After Sex anyone?) dance together, catchy tracks suddenly end and nothing is what it seems. Sometimes the band is close to post-rock ("Thrown In Waltz") or folk (the beginning of "Take Me Home") but it mostly revolves around super-atmospheric dark dream pop (nightmare pop?). And at the same time it dazzles with beauty.

"If There Were Water" is available for 7 USD.

:bandcamp:

:facebook:

:official:

:spotify:

Endless Forms - If There Were Water (2017) PL

Endless Forms z Oklahomy to trio, które postanowiło zadać nam zagadkę "co kryje się pod nazwą ambient chamber rock". Okazuje się, że gatunek, którym opisują swoją muzykę to połączenie dusznego, ambientowego klimatu z całkiem melodyjną muzyką, co sytuuje zespół gdzieś pomiędzy ghost popem Piano Magic a eterycznym folkiem Espers.

Zespół na swoim facebookowym koncie opisuje się w bardzo wyrafinowany sposób, który warto przeczytać sobie samemu (odwołania do Kundery, stawianie sobie filozoficznych pytań). Najważniejsze co z niego wynika to natomiast fakt, że Endless Forms chodzi przede wszystkim o odnalezienie miejsca w świecie dla swojej oryginalnej muzyki i dla oryginalnych samych siebie.

Na płycie popowe niemal melodie istnieją tylko po to by zginąć w morzu noise'u, eteryczne kobiece wokale i niezwykle głębokie męskie (Cigarettes After Sex anyone?) tańczą ze sobą, atrakcyjne kawałki nagle się urywają i nic nie jest do końca takie jak można się spodziewać. Czasem zespołowi bliżej do post-rocka ("Thrown In Waltz") czy folku ("Take Me Home"), na ogół jednak wszystko obraca się wokół super atmosferycznego dark dream popu (nightmare popu?). A jednocześnie aż razi pięknem.

"If There Were Water" można mieć za 25 złotych (7 USD).

:bandcamp:

:facebook:

:official:

:spotify:

VAR - Vetur (2017) EN

My patience paid off, after the beautiful January EP, the Icelanders from VAR showed us a lunger (much longer) album. And it was worth waiting.

The album is recorded in both English and Icelandic. And it is still a bit more dreamy and beautiful in this second language (great, known from the EP "Á kaf" or "Loka aftur augunum"). But truth be told, also "Friendship" has its charm. The whole album, as could be expected, is full of magic. Apart from slow pace and epic guitars in backgrounds it is achieved by strings and subtle electronic effects. Sometimes the northern peace is broken by loud guitars ("Valshamar") but even in those moments the magic is still there.

The album should have a warning reading "Here be elfs".

"Vetur" is available for 10 USD.

:bandcamp:

:facebook:

:spotify: