aswekeepsearching - kyun? (2025)

It's probably clear by now that those three guys from Pune are my favourite Indian artists. Their post-rock music is as inclusive when it comes to original sounds as it is atmospheric. It's all proven true once again on the band's sixth album entitled kyun? 

Reaching their 10th anniversary as a group, the artists dedicated the album to... dedication. Or more precisely, "to the strength it takes to keep going". As always, the dense atmosphere of their music is achieved by the use of violins the sounds of which are not only complimentary, it's very often the main focus of the audience and it's a great thing. I just love post-rock with strings, no doubts about it. And here, violins play both of the spectrum, the energetic, melody-bringers and the calmer, atmosphere-makers. Obviously, it makes the music feel cinematic too, but it's not the main feeling I get when listening to kyun? 

The guitars are also joined by a flute (I think?) and a multitude of samples, ambient passages, other effects. That's what I call an eclectic and inclusive guitar music! And Uddipan Sarmah's vocals are another thing. It just fits the style of the band and I'm always open for more vocals in post-rock compositions. After all, the artists are set to create a "must-experience for anyone who appreciates the power of music to evoke emotions and transport you to a different world" and so any means are acceptable to do that.

kyun? costs 12 USD.

Check: happiness > god

Country: India

Genre: violins-led post-rock

aswekeepsearching - Rooh (2019)

aswekeepsearching - Zia (2017)

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Catherine Graindorge - Eldorado (2021)

The Belgian violinist and composer Catherine Graindorge, known for her collaboration with Hugo Race on the 2017's Long Distance Operators, creates music that can be called an experimental take on neoclassicism. Her new album, produced by John Parish himself, Eldorado brings a unique experience for those who need something ambitious and aesthetically pleasing at the same time.

In her music, Graindorge makes use of strings, harmonium and electronica to create mesmerizing and one-of-a-kind compositions. There are parts in which her music sounds like your favourite neoclassical beauty but there's even more parts with less obvious, more experimental sound - like the noisy Eldorado for instance. There's also her voice present in some tracks and, especially the spoken word parts, it adds up to the mysterious ambiance of the whole release. The said ambiance gets darker and quieter the further you go through the album, the finishing tracks sound like the most beautiful instrumental drone with the atmosphere of melancholy and general sadness.

Eldorado costs 7 EUR.

Check: Kangaroos in Fire

Country: Belgian

Genre: experimental neoclassical

Label: tak:til

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Simon Goff - Vale (2021)

The English violinist and composer Simon Goff on his first solo album (the two previous ones were collaborative works of Goff, Aidan Baker and Thor Harris) shows us a neoclassical view of what his home region, Vale of York, looks like.

Goff is an experienced musician and sound engineer who worked also with such huge artists as Jóhann Jóhannsson or Hildur Guðnadóttir. His music "conjures dynamic sonic landscapes where acoustic and electronic sounds meet". While the live gigs "merge these worlds harmoniously and shift effortlessly between intimate fragility to expansive cinematic soundscapes" - and this last phrase is the key to Goff's music. Although it is mostly string-based neoclassicism (that's supposed to be very intimate), the sense of being part of something big (like a movie for instance) is very tangible here. Especially that the tracks are so different moodwise with the unnerving feeling of danger in Wooden Islands, the soothing ethereality in Murmur, the peacefulness in Now. And the one combining all of it, I Filled my Lungs with the Necessary Air, and Yelled!. This is the soundtrack, we need a movie now.

Vale costs 11 EUR.

Check: I Filled my Lungs with the Necessary Air, and Yelled! 

Country: UK

Genre: cinematic neoclassicism

Label: 7K!

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Anoice - Ghost in the Clocks (2019) EN

Soon after releasing the three part EP there/missing/unknown, the Japanese colllective from Ricco Label come back with their fifth long play called Ghost in the Clocks, recorded together with other important for the label personas: Takahiro Kido and Yuki Murata. 

One of the EP's tracks, missing, comes back also here and it's this mixture of sentimental strings, beautiful piano keys and unnerving samples is one of the best fragments of the album. But it's interesting even before it arrives, as the Japanese start with the especially atmospheric after the rain with its pretty much post-rock ambiance.

The neoclassical grandeur pinnacles are reached a couple of times on the album, among others in heroes where the tear-jerking strings are accompanied with almost marching drums, and in the monumental rebirth closing the album. This kind of compositions make me think that Anoice's music can easily be labeled neoclassical with truly post-rock soul.

Ghost in the Clocks costs 8.50 USD.

Anoice - nothing there / missing / unknown error (2019) EN

Check: missing

Country: Japan

Genre: post-rocking neoclassicism 

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Anoice - Ghost in the Clocks (2019) PL

Szybko po wydaniu trzyczęściowej EP-ki there/missing/unknown, japoński kolektyw z Ricco Label powraca ze swoją piątą płytą długogrającą zatytułowaną Ghost in the Clocks i nagraną wraz zinnymi ważnymi personami dla wytwórni: Takahiro Kido i Yuki Muratą. 

Właśnie missing pojawia się również na płycie długograjacej i to właśnie to połączenie sentymentalnych smyczków z pięknym pianinem i niepokojącymi samplami jest jednym z najlepszych na niej kawałków. Zanim jednak on się pojawia, Japończycy zaczynają z nadzwyczaj klimatycznym after the rain z zupełnie post-rockową pełną napięcia atmosferą.

Do szczytów neoklasycznej podniosłości Japończycy dochodzą między innymi w heroes, gdzie do wzruszających smyczków dochodzi niemal marszowa perkusje i w końcu w monumentalnym rebirth. Dzięki takim utworom, muzyce Anoice z pewnością można dokleić łatkę muzyki neoklasycznej z prawdziwie post-rockową duszą.

Ghost in the Clocks kosztuje 34 złote (8,50 USD).

Anoice - nothing there / missing / unknown error (2019) PL

Sprawdź: missing

Kraj: Japonia

Szufladka: post-rocking neoclassicism 

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Grabek - Humans (2019) EN

Wojtek Grabek is a well-established artist on the Polish music stage having won the Fryderyki Music Award in 2012 and being invited to the biggest Polish music festivals. His combination of electronics neoclassical sounds of, first of all, violins is something that really gets to the audience the newest example of which is the short album called Humans.

This time the sounds of violins are what you hear the most, but still there's always some of the electronic beeping in the backgrounds (as in the final part of Hope). The violins sound raw and sometimes almost nerve-wrecking which somewhat reminds me of the Polish folk music although it's way less lively and energetic. Indeed it is the opposite of the lively and energetic, especially in the extremely moody ballad called Tide where the basses appearing at the end drown the sad howling of the violins. Grabek in many places reminds me of this blog's favourite Lief Sjostrom what's, obviously, a huge compliment. 

Humans costs 4 EUR (15 PLN).

Check: Mother

Country: Poland

Genre: neoclassical folk

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Grabek - Humans (2019) PL

Wojtek Grabek jest już uznanym artystą na polskiej scenie muzycznej dzięki zdobyciu Fryderyków w 2012 roku i występom na największych krajowych festiwalach muzycznych. Jego połączenie elektroniki i neoklasycznych brzmień, przede wszystkim, skrzypiec przemawia do odbiorców, a najnowszym tego przykładem jest krótka płyta Humans.

Tym razem dźwięk skrzypiec zdecydowanie przeważa, chociaż zawsze gdzieś na granicy słyszalności da się rozpoznać elektroniczne plumkanie (jak w finale Hope). Dźwięk skrzypiec jest surowy i czasem szargający nieco nerwy, przypomina mi w tym trochę polską muzykę folkową, chociaż ta jest oczywiście zdecydowanie mniej skoczna. Jest wręcz przeciwieństwem skoczności, zwłaszcza w niesamowicie nastrojowej balladzie Tide, w której pojawiające się pod koniec basy zagłuszają smutne jęczenie skrzypiec. Grabek w wielu miejscach przypomina mi goszczącego na tym blogu Liefa Sjostroma, co naturalnie jest dużym komplementem.

Humans kosztuje 15 złotych.

Sprawdź: Mother

Kraj: Polska

Szufladka: neoclassical folk

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Have The Moskovik - Papier Vinyle (2018) EN

Established in Orléans, Have The Moskovik is a band playing loud etheric music with guitars, strings and samples they are able to generate poetic atmosphere without any use of vocals. No wonder that even the fact that the musicians were able to met in the city is called "fate" in their biography.

The most important place in Have The Moskovik's music is occupied by Doud Picot and her violins. The strings add up to the project's airy atmosphere but they also are well used in those faster, more aggressive parts, as in the great middle part of "Café Charbon". But the violins wouldn't sound so good if it wasn't for the fact that the band doesn't like drowning their musi with many layers of guitars and so there's more space for strings very clear drums and atmospheric samples. But still, when they want, the French can create quite a noise too.

What is really interesting, the band's line-up involves dancer Laure Peyremayou whose "turbulent interpretation of what they have been trying to say in music" apparently me the musicians' expectations.

"Papier Vinyle" is available for 5 EUR.

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Have The Moskovik - Papier Vinyle (2018) PL

Założona w Orleanie Have The Moskovik to formacja grająca głośną muzykę eteryczną, za pomocą gitar, smyczków i sampli generująca wyjątkową poetycką atmosferę bez użycia wokalu. Nie dziwi więc, że nawet fakt spotkania się muzyków w tym francuskim mieście określają mianem "zrządzenia losu".

Na pierwszy plan w muzyce Have The Moskovik wychodzi Doud Picot i jego sekcja smyczkowa. Skrzypce zarówno dodają projektowi eterycznej atmosfery jak i znakomicie odnajdują się w szybszych, bardziej agresywnych fragmentach jak w znakomitej środkowej partii "Café Charbon". Skrzypce nie brzmiałyby tak wyjątkowo, gdyby nie fakt, że zespół nie lubi zanurzać się w gęste gitarowe tła przez co jest więcej miejsca na smyczki, bardzo wyraźną perkusję i nastrojowe sample. Niemniej gdy tego chcą, Francuzi potrafią też dać niezłego czadu.

Co warte odnotowania, w składzie zespołu jest też tancerka Laure Peyremayou, której "burzliwa interpretacja tego, co muzycy starają się powiedzieć" najwyraźniej bardzo Francuzom odpowiada.

"Papier Vinyle" to wydatek 22 złotych (5 EUR).

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