Posts tagged ‘electronica’

December 27, 2015

Hamilton: Winding

Holiday surprise, as without warning I’m putting out this album featuring some of my own texture-focused ambient electronic tracks. I’d been sitting on it for a while and the time felt right…heck, it’s Spectropol’s 40th album!

Winding is a collection of tracks recorded between 2009 and 2012. Despite marked contrasts between them they comprise a coherent playlist of “ambient” electronic music. Some of the pieces work well for meditation, others are themselves meditations on sounds or ideas. Many of the works employ continuous slow-change forms and drones, others are keyboard-centered and have faster moving harmonies; some employ field recordings and most embrace noise. Microtonal elements are also present throughout, in different forms, including just intonation (this, muuf, window, furse, koni); mixed tunings (hoomz, hae, ronqq), and micro-inflections (elegy, furse, ronqq, dropov). As a whole I think of it as an ambient album realized with an avant-garde electroacoustic aesthetic.

Mastered by Rafael Anton Irisarri.

It’s available now as a name-your-price download. You can also purchase ($10+s/h) an extremely limited edition CD-R (shipping in January).

winding_back

Advertisement
October 2, 2014

LIL: “unidentified” out today

Spectropol is pleased to announce the availability of another fine collection from Polish artist Marcin Tomczak.
An unidentified space; a surreal electroacoustic chamber music full of vibrant color and complex emotion.
Very limited edition of 10 beautiful CD-Rs; and unlimited digital download (name your price).

–voice in tracks 4 and 6 by Martyna Kołodziej.
–track 7 composed by A. Nowacki and remixed by LIL.

May 20, 2014

Possible Worlds Vol. 3 is available

The third installment in Spectropol’s microtonal compilation series, this collection is another highly varied snapshot of current xenharmonic practice from international artists. As with the previous albums in the series, the stylistically diverse tracks here explore just intonation, equal divisions of the octave, mixed tunings, fretless instruments, and extended playing techniques.

The music here ranges from chamber ensemble spectralism to catchy electronica, from surreal soundscapes to strange funk, intimate classical guitar work to electric feedback, and from free improvisation to evolving drones.

With contributions from Taylor Brook, Paulo Chagas, Brendan Byrnes, Susan Ann Brewster, Greg Hooper, Jon Lyle Smith, Agustín Castilla-Ávila/Giacomo Fiore, Elis Czerniak, MonoNeon, Ben Wylie and Peter Nagle.


We hope you enjoy this playlist as much as we do; please share widely! 
SpecT 32, May 2014

November 15, 2013

Possible Worlds Vol. 2 microtonal compilation is available

The latest installment in our ongoing presentation of some of the finest contemporary xenharmonic (not 12-tone equal tempered) music available. Spanning five continents and showcasing a diversity of styles/genres, these twelve tracks provide multiple entry points into worlds inhabiting novel pitch space.

With music by Jacky Ligon, Mirjam Tally, Lewis Krauthamer, Lois Lancaster, Karen Keyhani, Christian Molenaar, Todd Harrop, Scott A. Moore, D. Edward Davis, Claudi Meneghin, Michael Vick and Kraig Grady.

July 28, 2013

One year of Micropangaea (bonus track)

It’s been one year since the release of Brendan Byrnes’ Micropangaea, an album that made Igloo Magazine’s top releases list for 2012.

Read the Igloo review.

We’re celebrating by releasing a bonus track! Glacial Reef was part of Byrnes’ original playlist but was only recently completed. It’s now available as part of the album download as well as a single free download for those that already have the album.

download/purchase Micropangaea

More about the album (and the new track) at Kerstin Hovland’s HTML 5 Micropangaea site.

Also, join us with the ‘Can this even be called Music?’ blog crew for a Micropangaea listening party (via Grooveshark) August 4 at 4PM EST!

Here’s CTEBCM?’s review of the album.

CD_Digipak_Outside

October 30, 2012

Whatcom Weird is out for Halloween

We’re happy to announces the Halloween release of Whatcom Weird Vol. 1, a compilation of adventurous music from artists in Whatcom County.

This diverse collection features improvisation, electronica, experimental pop, noise, electroacoustic, fusion, ambient and bizarre soundtrack music.

October 1, 2012

New review of winter in tumultua

Chris Vaisvil has an excellent breakdown of City of the Asleep’s Spectropol release from March.

Read it here.

July 28, 2012

Micropangaea is available!

Brendan Byrnes has crafted an alluring concept album of prog/avant/electronica exploring tuning systems and imaginary terrain. Check it out via the animated site at micropangaea.com.

Or download/purchase it directly from bandcamp.

July 21, 2012

new Brendan Byrnes album out July 28

coming 7/28!

An arresting collection of microtonal electronica and avant-rock by Los Angeles-based composer/instrumentalist/producer Brendan Byrnes. The eight tracks each explore a different tuning system and are based on imaginary locations or features of Micropangaea, a fictional continent that will form on earth in the distant future. Byrnes, with the help of Michael Day, Brian Saia, Mike Horick, and a microtonal guitar ensemble, pulls the listener through instantly compelling song structures while pushing sonic boundaries. Liner notes for the album will presented uniquely in an animated website designed by Kerstin Hovland (TBA). —–brendanbyrnes.com—–

listen to a sampler here: