15UntrueBurialSo unique there's nothing like it...This is how I got into electronic music in the first place. I once found a list with the best electronic records of the past decade, and both Untrue and Burial's debut crowned the top. Of course, I had no idea who he was, but gave it a chance. Definitely not what I was expecting - some light beats along with very modified vocal samples?.. Ok. Yet I felt like returning to it, you know. Something attracted me. Dunno what it was, but kept listening to Untrue, and it kept growing with each listen - it even made my past top 50. But now I confidently say I fucking love this record.
Burial intended to recreate lots of the music he used to listen to when young, but in the process, he made ghosts. Pale shadows that seem to belong to memories rather than music. Thus, the soundscapes that emerge are surreal, completely immersive. One of those few album where I can safely lost myself into despite all songs sounding very similar, yet I love love this style very much. And it really works on Untrue - sad I can't say the same about Tool.
Dark, perfect for late night listening.
Recommended song: Archangel14Ōkami Original SoundtrackVarious ArtistsCan videogames be art?I have a crush with Japanese culture in general, but my favorite part of it is the music, specially the more traditional one. Not only Okami is a wonderful game, but it's superb soundtrack mixes the best of that kind of music with a modern vision and songwriting, with added epicness because this game is the shit. It's... beautiful. Really, really gorgeous. I fail trying to further describe it, for you *must* play this game in order to get the full picture. I rarely listen to it outside of its original context because it comes in a box set that spans almost 5 CDs of material. In any case, it's a whole body of music that I love so much.
Recommended song: The Sun Rises13Endtroducing....DJ ShadowBefore we get started...One upon a time, I became obsessed with this album - listened to it like 3 times a week or more, last January (back in 2015).
DJ Shadow is different from other DJs, as he didn't create nice beats for an MC to rap over them. The focus is on the music itself, how expressive it is as an "instrumental" form. And I put that words in brackets because, technically, Shadow doesn't play any traditional instrument on Endtroducing - just his turntables and recording devices. And thousands of vinyls.
Endtroducing.... is the first album to be completely made up by samples. How he made all disparate samples sound like they belonged together is out of my understanding, and shows how he mastered his craft. Samples include obscure soul, jazz, hip-hop, even funk releases, as well as a few big acts, like Metallica or Bjork.
This isn't just hip-hop, or simple plunderphonics - it's art. Shadow didn't limit himself to create nice, fun beats, but he explored many styles and sounds with this masterpiece, fearless of the result. A song like Building Steam With A Grain Of Salt feel like belonging to a movie soundtrack, whereas Midnight In A Perfect World wouldn't sound strange in a Massive Attack album.
It's sad that Shadow went downhill after such a titanic debut, but I can't fault him, for he created a mesmerizing new world of sounds, one that showed how there were still unexplored territories.
Recommended song: Midnight in a Perfect World12Bilo 3.0David Maxim MicicI love this art style <3While David's debut saw more of a darker, mechanical sound that invoked images of a dystopian cyberpunk reality at times, Bilo 3.0 continues the trend in making the album brighter and more human that was started on Bilo 2.0. From the warm, purely orchestral movements of "Everything's Fine" to the delicate and airy piano of "Wrinkle Maze" that leads into an epic guitar solo dotted by choir chants, Bilo 3.0 is as introspective and relatable as it is epic in scope - for a taste of the last, the second song is all you need to listen, for it encompasses all of the sounds David has explored.
This extends into its darker, heavier territories as well, with "Smile" accenting Aleksandra Djelmas's sinister growls and powerful vocals, seamlessly shifting into and out of a soaring, clean style. Any and all instruments know when to step back and when to step up with low, stuttered guitars frequently emphasizing Lalic's vocal tone one moment, followed by a well-directed transition into any of many free-flying solos by Micic and friends from Zytecki to Jeff Loomis.
The amount of influences is ridiculous: Devin Townsend, The Mars Volta, Arch Enemy, Korn, Dream Theater, Serbian folk, Jazz, Glitch - and more. Truly, Bilo 3.0 is an extraordinarily well-rounded album from all angles that screams creativity. It's more than just "djent" or prog metal - this is truly progressive music.
Recommended song: Where is Now?11Vicious DeliciousInfected MushroomThe music is definitely better than the coverI did almost give up on this record. Loved the opener, the classic
Becoming Insane, but couldn't get into the other tracks. Somehow, I decided to give it another chance. And now we're here. These guys don't take themselves too serious, and for that I'm glad 'cause, honestly, Vicious Delicious wouldn't be so fucking fun if they did. I will explain why I love this record in two parts:
1. The musical experience. Each track flows beautifully with both the following track and the previous, blending seamlessly, although sometimes it’s not as obvious as in others. This gives the album a unifying quality, making it seem much more like an experience, or a journey, if you will, rather than a mere playlist.
2. Variety and versatility. Each song on the album is unique in its own right, yet still maintains that signature Infected soundscape that makes each track both mind-bending and dance-inducing at the same time. In addition, each track seems to have a special feature that makes it stand out from the other tracks, such as the smorgasbord of heavy but catchy guitar riffs in “Suliman”, and the build-up in “Special Place”, which gradually picks up tempo as it goes on, but constantly adds more and more layers of percussion throughout, making it seem like the tempo isn’t actually increasing, but consistently resetting itself, like a motorcycle shifting gears.
This album may never get the review it deserves, but I think it’s sufficient for now to say that while it is a far cry from Infected Mushroom’s more “pure” psychedelic works, Vicious Delicious is their most powerful albums to date. The variety of genres explored on it makes it a widely accessible piece of electronic art, opening up more minds to the psychedelic side of electronica than ever before.
Recommended song: Becoming Insane