Broken Homes and Gardens, das letzte Studioalbum von Michael Hurley, wurde im März 2025 fertiggestellt, kurz bevor Hurley zu seinen letzten Konzerten in Asheville und Knoxville aufbrach. Er hatte in den letzten drei Jahren im The Rope Room Studio in Astoria, Oregon, mit derselben Crew wie bei seinem 2021 erschienenen Album ,The Time of the Foxgloves" (Kati Claborn und Luke Ydstei von The Hackles sowie Toningenieur Brian Bovenizer) an diesen elf Titeln gearbeitet. Wie bei Hurleys LPs üblich, gibt es neben neuen Songs (,Fava", ,The Monkey") auch Überarbeitungen älterer Kompositionen (,Indian Chiefs and Hula Girls", ,Abomidable Snowman"), die eine brillante letzte Sammlung ergeben und eines der bedeutendsten Werke eines amerikanischen Songwriters krönen.
Joviale machen Musik, die sich wie eine Show anfühlt; das Drama liegt in der Spannung zwischen Pop-Impuls und etwas Zerebralem und Sinnlicherem. Die multidisziplinären Künstler aus dem Norden Londons waren als Theaterkind aufgewachsen und machen sich nun ihre prismatische kreative Ausdruckskraft medienübergreifend zunutze, indem sie Komponenten von bildender Kunst, Performance und Musikaufnahmen zu einer einzigartigen Welt zusammenfügen. "Mount Crystal", das von Joviale zusammen mit John Carroll Kirby (Steve Lacey, Frank Ocean, Solange, Kacey Musgraves), Jkarri (PinkPantheress, Nia Archives, Natanya)und Kwaku Konadu produziert wurde, ist ein aufstrebendes, konzeptionelles Album. Die Songs sind elektrisch und gefühlvoll, gespickt mit jazzigen Experimenten, rhythmischem Rock und lebhaftem Sounddesign, alles realisiert mit einer Reihe von Mitwirkenden wie Sam Wilkes, Carter Lang und Will Miller. Im Jahr 2021, nach ihrer EP "Hurricane Belle", die erste Aufmerksamkeit von Pitchfork und Crack Magazine auf sich zog, zogen sie sich still zurück, um zu lernen und sich weiterzuentwickeln. Im Jahr 2025 kommen sie hinter dem Vorhang hervor: ursprünglich als Theaterstück konzipiert, strotzt "Mount Crystal" nur so vor Leben - Gefahr, Humor und dem menschlichen Geist - und beschwört einen metaphysischen Aufstieg, der über das Audioformat hinausgeht. Mit Plänen die Vision als Live-Set und mehr zu manifestieren, stellt Joviale den Kurs vor: "Die Überlieferung von Mount Crystal ist geprägt von der Verkörperung von Sehnsucht, Gefahr und Verzweiflung. Eine gespiegelte Dimension in einer fernen Realität, in der nichts ungesagt bleibt. Diese Kapitel sehnen sich danach, die Illusion des Vergnügens zu zerstören, indem sie den unerbittlichen Schmerz, den ich in meinem Bemühen zu lieben erfahren habe, verleugnen und die süßesten Melodien mit den süßesten Freunden umarmen."
BUTTERED POPCORN VINYL[32,35 €]
Anlässlich des 30-jährigen Jubiläums von ,Lost Dogs & Mixed Blessings" erscheint über Oh Boy Records eine Deluxe-Edition von John Prines beliebtem Album mit fünf bisher unveröffentlichten Demos und alternativen Takes sowie dem bisher unveröffentlichten Titel ,Hey Ah Nothin'". Dieses lange verschollene Juwel wird sowohl langjährige Fans als auch Neulinge begeistern und bietet einen intimen Einblick in die Entstehung des Albums und den spontanen Geist, der die Sessions geprägt hat. Das für einen Grammy nominierte Album wird außerdem zum ersten Mal auf Vinyl veröffentlicht, neu gemastert von den Originalbändern. ,Lost Dogs & Mixed Blessings" wird wegen seiner Wärme, seinem Witz und seiner Tiefe sehr geschätzt, und diese Neuauflage bietet einen noch genaueren Einblick in eine der fröhlichsten und kreativsten Phasen in Prines legendärer Karriere. "Lost Dogs & Mixed Blessings" erschien ursprünglich 1995 nach Prines Grammy-prämiertem Album "The Missing Years" und festigte seinen Ruf als einer der größten Songwriter Amerikas. Produziert von Howie Epstein von Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, zeigt das Album Prine auf einem persönlichen und künstlerischen Höhepunkt, erfüllt von der Freude über eine neue Liebe, seine Vaterschaft und einer unerschütterlichen kreativen Chemie. Unterstützt von einem All-Star-Ensemble, darunter Heartbreakers-Pianist Benmont Tench und Gastsängerinnen Carlene Carter und Marianne Faithfull, ist ,Lost Dogs & Mixed Blessings" ein lebendiges Beispiel für Prines unvergleichliches lyrisches Talent. Das Album fließt mühelos von der ironischen Zufriedenheit von ,Ain't Hurtin' Nobody" zu der epischen Erzählung von ,Lake Marie", einem Song, den Bob Dylan einmal als einen seiner Lieblingssongs bezeichnet hat. Mit seiner Mischung aus herzlichen Balladen, surrealen Erzählungen und verspieltem Humor bleibt ,Lost Dogs & Mixed Blessings" eines der umfangreichsten und beliebtesten Werke von Prine. Mit 14 Titeln und einer Länge von fast einer Stunde fängt es die Fülle der Erfahrungen der Lebensmitte ein, ehrlich, entspannt und voller Leben. Dreißig Jahre später lädt diese Veröffentlichung dazu ein, ein Album wiederzuentdecken, das weiterhin tröstet, überrascht und inspiriert.
Anlässlich des 30-jährigen Jubiläums von ,Lost Dogs & Mixed Blessings" erscheint über Oh Boy Records eine Deluxe-Edition von John Prines beliebtem Album mit fünf bisher unveröffentlichten Demos und alternativen Takes sowie dem bisher unveröffentlichten Titel ,Hey Ah Nothin'". Dieses lange verschollene Juwel wird sowohl langjährige Fans als auch Neulinge begeistern und bietet einen intimen Einblick in die Entstehung des Albums und den spontanen Geist, der die Sessions geprägt hat. Das für einen Grammy nominierte Album wird außerdem zum ersten Mal auf Vinyl veröffentlicht, neu gemastert von den Originalbändern. ,Lost Dogs & Mixed Blessings" wird wegen seiner Wärme, seinem Witz und seiner Tiefe sehr geschätzt, und diese Neuauflage bietet einen noch genaueren Einblick in eine der fröhlichsten und kreativsten Phasen in Prines legendärer Karriere. "Lost Dogs & Mixed Blessings" erschien ursprünglich 1995 nach Prines Grammy-prämiertem Album "The Missing Years" und festigte seinen Ruf als einer der größten Songwriter Amerikas. Produziert von Howie Epstein von Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, zeigt das Album Prine auf einem persönlichen und künstlerischen Höhepunkt, erfüllt von der Freude über eine neue Liebe, seine Vaterschaft und einer unerschütterlichen kreativen Chemie. Unterstützt von einem All-Star-Ensemble, darunter Heartbreakers-Pianist Benmont Tench und Gastsängerinnen Carlene Carter und Marianne Faithfull, ist ,Lost Dogs & Mixed Blessings" ein lebendiges Beispiel für Prines unvergleichliches lyrisches Talent. Das Album fließt mühelos von der ironischen Zufriedenheit von ,Ain't Hurtin' Nobody" zu der epischen Erzählung von ,Lake Marie", einem Song, den Bob Dylan einmal als einen seiner Lieblingssongs bezeichnet hat. Mit seiner Mischung aus herzlichen Balladen, surrealen Erzählungen und verspieltem Humor bleibt ,Lost Dogs & Mixed Blessings" eines der umfangreichsten und beliebtesten Werke von Prine. Mit 14 Titeln und einer Länge von fast einer Stunde fängt es die Fülle der Erfahrungen der Lebensmitte ein, ehrlich, entspannt und voller Leben. Dreißig Jahre später lädt diese Veröffentlichung dazu ein, ein Album wiederzuentdecken, das weiterhin tröstet, überrascht und inspiriert.
Horse Vision – Another Life
Limited Edition Clear Vinyl – via Scenic Route Records
For the first time, Horse Vision’s Another Life—the Swedish duo's critically acclaimed 13-track debut—is pressed to vinyl. The limited edition clear vinyl comes housed in a sleeve designed by the band themselves, complete with an inlay featuring extensive liner notes that offer a rare glimpse into the album’s creation plus an exclusive vinyl-only acoustic rendition of “Partly Get By.”
Released in March this year, Another Life set out “to depict the world of music, rather than the world itself.” The result was met with critical acclaim from the likes of The Guardian and Pitchfork, who hailed it as “a well-studied, lovingly referential album—feels like a gift—a way to strengthen the bond between past and future.”
The reissue arrives fresh off the band’s standout performances at Way Out West, by:Larm, and Les Nuits Botanique, and ahead of their debut UK tour with Danish duo Snuggle.
Another Life on vinyl is a chance to hold one of 2025’s most celebrated debuts in physical form.
INSOMNIAC verschmelzen wie ein drittes Auge, das sich zum Jenseits öffnet, ihre bewusstseinserweiternde psychedelische Schwere balanciert zwischen Bewusstlosigkeit und Träumen. Zwischen dieser Welt und der nächsten treibend, abgestimmt auf den Rhythmus des Universums, geben sich INSOMNIAC dem Äther hin und hinterlassen eine mitreißende, schwere Brillanz. Wie ein drittes Auge, das sich zum Jenseits öffnet, beleuchtet der transzendente, bewusstseinserweiternde Psych-Doom ihres Debütalbums die seltsame Schönheit zwischen Bewusstlosigkeit und Träumen. Fans von REZN, King Buffalo, Pelican und Dead Meadow, macht euch bereit, mit INSOMNIAC die Grenzen der Wahrnehmung zu überschreiten! High Qualitiy Heavy Stoner Doom Digipak-CD sowie mehrfarbiges Vinyl!
Recently I was approached by my old friend Travis Millard to make some original music for Freedom Finger - a crazy space-shooter video game he had been developing with Jim Dirschberger and Wide Right Interactive game studio. I was able to land 6 instrumentals that pop up at various points throughout the gameplay.As the game was being rolled out, the idea arose to have me do 3 more tracks - this time fully fleshed out songs with lyrics mostly inspired by Freedom Finger's gameplay. These tracks would accompany some brand new levels that would be made available as downloadable content for the game.We have decided to release all of the music I have done for Freedom Finger as a 10" vinyl EP available through Rhymesayers Entertainment. This includes the 3 full length vocal tracks, as well as the 6 shorter beats that loop throughout the game. Some of these tracks also feature additional instrumentation from my friends and frequent collaborators, Grimace Federation.Furthermore, Jim has directed a video for the song Drums on the Wheel - featuring Freedom Finger gameplay, and some brand new visuals drawn by Travis and animated by Steven Gong.The game is an absolute blast, and I hope you enjoy this music. All relevant links below. <3Love,A.R.
Das zweite Album von Runnner, A Welcome Kind of Weakness, entstand aus einem gleichzeitigen Riss im Körper und im Leben des Songwriters Noah Weinman. Während der Monate, die er im Bett verbrachte, um sich von einem Achillessehnenriss und dem drastischen Umbruch einer Trennung zu erholen, schrieb er die 11 Songs auf diesem Album, die Weinmans stärkste sind und die vermeintliche Verletzlichkeit des Albumtitels bereitwillig aufnimmt. Aber zur gleichen Zeit sind diese Songs die präsentesten von Runnner, trotzig und selbstbewusst, eine Erinnerung an die Entschlossenheit, die aus der anmutigen Unterwerfung entstehen kann. Langjährige Fans von Weinman haben sich wahrscheinlich in seinen unverkennbaren Indie-Rock verguckt, der fast ausschließlich in Schlafzimmern und Heimstudios aufgenommen wurde, wo seine ergreifenden und selbstironischen Texte über Banjos, Gitarren und hallenden Bläsern schweben, die sich zu kathartischen Gipfeln steigern. Aber auf A Welcome Kind of Weakness erhebt sich Weinman zum ersten Mal in High Fidelity. Das erste richtige Studioalbum von Runnner erinnert an die überlebensgroßen Höhen des Rocks der frühen achtziger Jahre, mit dem Weinman aufgewachsen ist, an Bands wie Coldplay, Radiohead und Snow Patrol, mit ihrer unverfälschten stimmlichen Präsenz, ihren schillernden Gitarrenriffs und ihrem astralen Synthesizer-Glanz. Das ist Rockmusik in ihrer köstlichsten Form, Musik die Weinman etwas gab, worauf er sich freuen konnte, als er endlich wieder live spielen konnte. Aber so hoch die klanglichen Höhen auf A Welcome Kind of Weakness auch sein mögen, wir sehen Weinman auch, wie er anmutig mit den Fragen kämpft, die sich aus Momenten des körperlichen und emotionalen Verderbens ergeben. Es erfordert eine gewisse Tapferkeit, lange genug in der trüben Mitte zu sitzen, um darüber zu schreiben. Und in seiner Bereitschaft, diesen transitorischen Raum zu bezeugen, scheint Weinman uns zu beruhigen: Du magst denken, dass du nicht mehr laufen wirst, aber mit der Zeit, könntest du es.
In November 2024, Japanese quartet Hibushibire flew into the UK for the third time. Heads were banged, minds were blown and a new legion of fans were made
During the tour, the band recorded several shows with the idea to release another of their legendary live bootleg albums if the performances were up to scratch
They were! This is a trimmed down version of their set, recorded in both Glasgow and London with no overdubs and no fancy production . It's 100% raw/live Hibushibire as God intended. Crank it up and freak out!
You're hardly going to believe this, but Ebullience is yet another new label from Burnski. The tireless Brit already heads up the likes of Instinct, Pilot and Constant Sound and makes music under various guises for all of them as well as recruiting plenty of interesting and like-minded producers for their own releases. This one kicks off with Bedfordshire's Danny Snowden, who brings the vibes across four cuts of minimal, garage and tech. 'Sky Is The Limit' is a feel-good and sunny cruiser, 'It's Not Over' has 90s soul and depth and 'Stick To What You Know' comes with retro-future basslines and big pianos. 'Ri Thum' shuts down with some timeless US garage that is always going to get the 'floor going.
A“This album is about what it means to be human, and its creation is my offering. I attempt to tell a tale of the human experience in the reflection of my own.”
‘In the Andean mythology, condors are believed to be immortal. It is said that once they feel old, without energy, and useless, they climb to the highest peak and let themselves fall to death.’
The Allegorist is a visionary, enigmatic, transmedia, and boundary-pushing artist known for crafting deep, immersive dark sonic tales. Embracing a wide array of influences, weaving together the mysteries, art and spirituality, the art project defies categorisation, resonating with those who seek the unconventional.
From Birth Until Death is an introspective and immersive concept album that reflects on the essence of the human experience. Crafted over six years by The Allegorist (aka Anna Jordan), the album traces the arc of life—from its fragile beginnings to its inevitable end—using sound art to explore existential and philosophical terrain. Inspired by the Andean mythology of the condor – a symbol of immortality – the album blends electronic soundscapes with raw field recordings, evoking a deep sense of connection between the natural world and human existence.
The album’s progression mirrors the stages of life, starting with the birth of new beginnings and culminating in death, with each track offering a unique reflection on the moments in between. From the dynamic energy of Momentum, to the ethereal, illusionary world of Fata Morgana, the tracks guide the listener through emotions, perceptions, and experiences that shape the human condition.
A distinctive feature of From Birth Until Death is its intricate production. The album incorporates field recordings from Grunewald Forest, a distant roar of a jet, barking dogs, blending the sounds of nature – footsteps in the snow, birdsong, ocean waves – with layered synthesisers and electronic beats. The bass and ambient textures are crafted using an array of analog hardware, while all vocals, both lead and backing, are performed and recorded by Jordan. Some of the vocal takes were intentionally left raw, capturing the spontaneous energy of early recordings, while others were re-recorded to balance the album’s organic yet polished feel. Each element is meticulously crafted, revealing its deeper meaning as the album unfolds like a multidimensional, living sculpture.
At its core, From Birth Until Death is a meditation on the full spectrum of life. The album’s title track, From Birth Until Death, encapsulates this journey, reflecting on the passage of time and the unique experience of being human. The final track, Death, offers a melancholic yet beautiful exploration of endings, not as finalities, but as moments in the grand cycle of life. With its combination of evocative sound design and deeply personal themes, From Birth Until Death invites listeners to contemplate their own lives, offering a moving experience of reflection, growth, and transformation.
About From Birth Until Death
Words By Robin Rimbaud (Scanner)
From Birth Until Death is a deeply personal and reflective album and beautifully crafted. A detailed listen reveals that Jordan was in search of a profoundly human and authentic expression. In an era when so much around us seems defined by speed, Anna Jordan, aka The Allegorist, stands apart – aware that skimming the surface of life is neither sufficient nor rewarding. She reminds us of the value of deep, authentic listening.
The track Andean Condor seductively draws us into a smoky, blurred rhythmic soundscape, capturing the essence of the darkest Berlin nightclub, while Birth pulses with an almost shamanic transformation of sound, moving from the organic to the musical. It features a recording of Jordan’s footsteps in the snow in Grunewald Forest, Germany.
At times, the music feels almost sculptural in shape and tone – lifting, pushing, lilting, opening, and closing – where each piece is given room to fully develop. Many of the works blend synthetic sound with the natural, incorporating the human voice alongside environmental recordings: the wild waves of the ocean, a jet flying overhead, and barking dogs.
With From Birth Until Death, Jordan, like an alchemical architect revealing in the process of getting lost and relinquishing control, leaves us with a taut, immersive soundtrack in which to lose ourselves.
About the album ‘From Birth Until Death’
words by The Allegorist
“The album From Birth Until Death did not come easily to me. I started working on it in 2019, and it underwent many alterations over the years. I produced multiple versions of the tracks each year, but the album name, the track titles, and the album cover art stayed the same for 6 years. Not everything I did fit into the album’s final form, but I hope the heavy selection just made it better. I played this piece live in my techno live set between 2019 and 2020, and in the years after, I performed different art, ambient, and vocal versions of it, most notably the one at the church St. Marienkirche in Berlin in 2022. It just wanted to live and didn’t want to be finished. As I aged, this album aged with me. And now I’m ready to let it go.”
Slikback releases "Attrition" – a densely detailed, cinematic exploration of sound packed with intricate rhythms and gleaming textures.
Slikback’s "Attrition" marks his first full-length album for Planet Mu, delivering an immersive melding of cinema and game sound design with tough dance music. It's like a sci-fi film for the ears, exploring a chain of events with dark atmospheres and dramatic pacing; trapdoors and jump scares for your ears. These contrasts and the dense painterly colour of his sounds give it a beastly beauty.
The album came to life during a period of transition, while waiting for a visa after recently moving to Poland from Kenya, where he grew up. With this unexpected pause in travel, Slikback found himself working at a slower, more deliberate pace. Writing for a label instead of self-releasing also introduced new dynamics, like feedback and structured release schedules. Rather than feeling restricted, he saw this process as a blessing. In a happy and reflective headspace—newly married and welcoming a newborn child—he was able to fully develop his compositions. “I was finally able to explore ideas to a point where I didn’t feel the need to change anything,” he shares. "Attrition" is the result of that creative freedom. While "Attrition" nods to familiar genres, drawing on elements of Gqom, Dubstep, Tech-Step, and Hardcore Techno, it pushes them into new territory, shaping high-tech, intricate compositions. “I worked on the tracks back and forth, drastically transforming some from their original sketches,” Slikback explains. “I wanted to create a journey within each track, like something alien emerging from emptiness—beauty from chaos.” The album opens gently before diving into fast-paced 140bpm sounds, reminiscent of earlier Planet Mu releases. Midway through, "Taped" shifts the energy with a shimmering, 160bpm rolling bassline. As the album progresses, its intensity builds. The music grows darker, faster, and more unpredictable, culminating in a final track that bursts apart in a thrilling, chaotic climax. A standout moment in Slikback’s career, "Attrition" is a masterclass in sound design and vision. Strange yet beautiful, intense yet rewarding—it’s the most strikingly unique album you’ll hear all year.
Hamburg-born composer, pianist and producer Niklas Paschburg announces his latest project, 'Mexican Alps' EP due for release on July 11th. 'La Hormiga' is a rhythmic exploration of life in motion. Pulsing beats and textured synths create forward momentum, echoing the journey through the winding paths of Oaxaca's mountainous surroundings, where tradition and nature intertwine. 'Mexican Alps' combines inspirations gathered from the picturesque mountains of southern Mexico and the majestic peaks of the Swiss Alps. The EP is a mesmerizing journey through those landscapes; drawing inspiration from nature's grandeur and the vibrancy of Día de los Muertos, Niklas blends electronic textures, atmospheric samples, and innovative instrumentation to create a soundscape that is both grounding and transcendent. Without relying on his signature piano, this EP explores new creative territories, evoking deep emotional resonance and moments of introspection. -- If his first album, 'Oceanic '(2018), was conceived as an ode to the Baltic Sea, for his next release, 'Svalbard' (2020), produced with Andy Barlow of Lamb, the Hamburg-born musician, now a Berliner by adoption, sought refuge on an island in the Arctic Ocean, surrounded by snow, ice, darkness and breathtaking landscapes. This time, however, the setting is completely different. "It all started with an invitation to play at a festival in Oaxaca," Niklas says. "Since I had never been to Latin America, I began considering how to take advantage of the opportunity to stay for a while and write something there. I started looking for houses, but I quickly realized it was almost impossible to find one with a piano—it's not a common instrument in Mexican culture. I thought, why not try immersing myself in a writing process that doesn't involve one? I was so excited about the idea that I jumped in." 'Mexican Alps' is the result of a challenge in which Paschburg harnessed his collection of synths and effects to create an ambient-electronic record. On the one hand, an evolution of the work primarily carried out in 'Svalbard' and 'Panta Rhei'; on the other hand, an episode in its own right, distinct from its predecessors due to the absence of the piano and the greater role played by improvisation, by coincidence, it became his first work created without his signature instrument. "Not having the opportunity to write chords, harmonies, and everything else on the piano, I improvised more, focusing on the sound. This was the approach I used to record demos in Mexico, which I then brought with me to Switzerland, where I carried on working on the EP. In addition to my usual setup (the OB-6 by Dave Smith and Tom Oberheim and the OP-1 by Teenage Engineering, plus my ever-beloved Hohner accordion, inherited from my grandfather), I was also guided by the purchase of a new Moog Matriarch with a unique delay. All this helped me build the sound I had in mind: a spacious, abstract, 3D sound that is definitely immersive." He expands. It is an emotional landscape that translates into music. In some of the tracks, Paschburg has also included field recordings collected during the Día de los Muertos, a deeply felt Mexican holiday: "A great celebration, a colorful parade of skeletons, skulls, flowers, and decorated altars, so engaging and intoxicating that I felt compelled to use its sounds in my music." It was precisely from this blend of influences that the fourth track, "Oaxaca de Juárez", emerged—a single characterized by a catchy funk procession and enhanced by the guitar work of Tal Arditi, a rising European jazz artist and singer-songwriter based between Basel and Berlin. 'Mexican Alps' is his new calling card, featuring an enveloping sound crafted by Paschburg in collaboration with Gijs van Klooster, who mixed the EP in a studio specifically designed for Atmos music. Mastering was handled by Bo Kondren at Calyx Studio in Berlin.
Cinematic funk visionaries The Diasonics drop a new disco-funk 45 vinyl with two killer tracks tailor made for DJs and cinematic funk fans. Only 500 copies pressed wordwide, instant collector's item. From the snowy streets of Moscow to the crates of vinyl diggers worldwide, cinematic instrumental combo The Diasonics unleash a new limited edition clear vinyl 45 with two killer tracks taken from the upcoming new album "Ornithology", set to drop worldwide on October 3 via Record Kicks. On the A side "Oriole" is a vintage disco-funk stormer taking inspiration both from the Soviet-era disco and jazz fusion records, as well as from 70s European library music and synth-funk movement. A minimalist synthesizer melody echoing the song of the oriole, paired with a steady disco-funk groove reminiscent of a train in motion ("Oriole" is also the name of a popular Russian electric train) lay the foundation of their most danceable track to date. The b-side holds the equally strong "Chickadee" a funk stomper with bold bassline and heavy b-boy breaks and percussions and a NY early 80 vibe able to set every dancefloor on fire. A peerless party-starter that you just don't want to miss it. Formed in 2019, this four-piece instrumental unit _ Daniil Lutsenko (electric guitar), Kamil Gazizov (keyboards), Maksim Brusov (bass), and Anton Moskvin (drums & percussion) _ quickly gained cult status through a series of sought-after 45s on Mocambo and Funk Night Records. Their critically acclaimed debut album "Origin of Forms" mixed by Henry Jenkins, producer of the Australian cult band Surprise Chef, came out on Record Kicks in 2022. The vinyl went sold out in few weeks and is now in-demand on the international cinematic funk scene.
It’s very difficult to describe someone as prolific as Misha Panfilov. So, I feel the best way to define him is to think of a “Trivial Pursuit Playing Piece,” where each pie piece represents one of the bands he heads up, and each band has its own distinct style and genre. Yet, when looked at all together, create the whole musical persona of Misha. This is the lens I would like to view his latest endeavor, Days As Echoes.
The vibe on this sophomore release channels Krautrock philosophy and Library music, peppered with elements of jazz, Ethiopian, cinema, ambient and bits of everything between. This atmosphere is created from all the instruments Misha uses and the resulting compositions are heard as repetitive patterns that are forged from the multiple layering of melodies. Thus, creating six unique songs with emotional granularity, yet collectively encompass a genuinely positive “feel good” vibe…with a hint of nostalgia.
Moods of the day, moods like echoes say, A future of hope is yours, by following the Sun’s ray.
The opening track, “Days As Echoes,” is a dedication to a much simpler time when the sky was bluer and the snow was whiter…just like how you remember it when you were a child. A time when people honestly cared more about everything as a given, and not as a selfish accolade. A time when optimism seemed within reach. In other words, nostalgia marred by awareness.
…Leading to a path where the skies are not gray. Where dreams of castles in the air are the mainstay.
“In A Dream” has a style that pays homage to both spiritual jazz and ambient music. A simple theme is introduced and leads to the climax of this stormy dream, putting it all in perspective. That pivotal point when one realizes the truth by re-tracing the events, which led to the epiphany of how to find the answer while traveling within this airy soundscape.
…Diurnal or nocturnal, day or night, Traveling the path of truth must be done without fright.
One can’t help but feel a definite traveling vibe that comes from “Moonscape Waltz” To me, it has a dual-characteristic that can be visualized as a train trip, either at sunrise or sunset. Regardless, the time is not of major relevance, but the actual pursuit is. Lao Tzu said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with that first step.” This track takes you beyond that initial step into this vast world toward your destination as you search for the truth.
…The unknown is real, but you know the deal. People need people to show which direction you point the wheel.
“Together” is the most peaceful and solo oriented compositions of this album. It shows how one cannot achieve happiness alone, but the importance of having someone special or a group of others to help along the way. Not only to help seek your goal, but also the ability to enjoy the scenery while on your journey
…The end of this tunnel has a light that’s so bright. Illuminating the trodden way, your destination, now in sight.
One is free from the chains of the unknown as you listen to a “Few Layers For Smith”, a dedication to a friend. A song that draws energy from the ECM works of Steve Reich, thats married with a primitive lo-fi basement setting. Its positive force breaks those encumbrances and gives you a glimpse of your prize. But you ruminate on this and come to the conclusion that the path that led you there is equally important as the goal itself. Question is, how do you share your realizations and experiences?
…The route was cast, the trials have passed. The glittering treasure you sought is yours now, at last.
“Ocean Song” meanders from the ritual rhythms of its shoreline to the crashing riptides of unbridled guitar feedback, creating this raging ocean atmosphere. However, its message is quite clear and states that people’s goals and experiences are not just meant for personal growth, but to be shared with
others, so that they too can live vicariously thru your story and somehow utilize it for their own.
…The prize has been won, but the journey is never done. You now have the responsibility to share everything under the Sun.
These six songs, each with its own sound, collectively comprise the vibe of this album. One cannot help but feel a sense of joy and fulfillment when listening to it. Each song has its own unique mood, yet together create an atmosphere of hope and happiness that has no choice but to spill out of the listener. I feel this was the ultimate goal of Misha’s on this record. Quite a challenge for the man who never sleeps, but is always searching for the perfect beat. One may not fully grasp his musical mind, but this album does give you a gateway into the moods and magic of Misha!
- Brent Sawicki
