OPM: In Spaces Between

Sononym – (Idiomemorelia)

Wild and unpredictable experimental album that fuses elements of jazz with IDM, soundscape, ambient and more to produce a strange, surreal and dreamlike musical chimera. Most of this is well into the range we might characterize as challenging listening: Beats so off kilter they border on arhythmic; dissonances and weird harmonic relationships that go from almost pleasant to viscerally disturbing; a general atmosphere that oscillates between weird daydream and claustrophobic nightmare. 

A few tracks, such as “‹•›‹¶›Contrapasso {of} {the} Cuckoo‹¶›‹•›” (yeah, the titles are weird, too), with its lovely vocal and generally pleasant sonorities, are just conventional enough to border on accessible. It’s an album that isn’t afraid to go its own way, and should be of interest to anyone who appreciates the frontiers of genre, composition and timbre. 

(Listened to the entire album)

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Jessie Nada – Antifascist Rage EP

Two-track EP of brutal industrial noise full of blown-out timbres, heavy vibes and speaker-rattling moments. Occasional moments of beauty crop up occasionally – a synth string timbre here, an appealingly squelchy bass tone there – but mostly this alternates between bowel-rupturing blasts of intense sound and weird, discordant atmospheres.

The titles, which reference the fate of fascists and disdain for their concerns, make sure that any confusion about the purpose here is cleared up immediately. If you like noise with a bit of structure, and hate fascists, this may be just the thing!

(Listened to the entire EP)

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Bipolar Explorer – Memories of the Sky 

Dreamy shoegaze stretched and twisted until it becomes a gauzy mix of post rock and ambient. Drones, slow guitar strums, washes of synth and vocal, spoken word, wind chimes and weird samples all play a part in this concoction. It’s a fascinating exercise in the way that genre signifiers can be played with and explored, and the way that both leads to other genres and calls the entire idea of genre into question.

But even if you aren’t interested in traversing the philosophical/conceptual ground this album covers, you may very well find yourself embracing its slow moving textures, growling ambiences, and dreamlike qualities. Bottom line is the music works well, floating on, weightless but somehow substantial, in a fascinating liminal musical space. 

(Listened to the entire album)

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Babu Menos – “Hold Me Tonight”

A lithe and wiry bit of electro funk that feels like a time capsule direct from 1987. Bowie is one obvious point of reference, but also every late ‘80s post punk band that decided it wanted to fire up the synths and get funky rather than rock out. This take on that vibe is slick, fun and even has a bit of a message!

It’s quite nice to see someone so dedicated to such a specific strain of alternative music – one that was always kind of cool and under appreciated, even in its prime. If you grew up in this era and miss it, or just think a mix of groovy electro funk decorated with tiny bits of post punk is appealing, check this one out.

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Hari Maia – The Endless Hum

Vast and oceanic ambient album that occasionally dips into soundscape and drone territory to deliver its amorphous and shifting charms. Lots of slowly unfurling harmonic structures, deliberate washes of sound, and the occasional hint of a melody. 

It’s peaceful and mellow, but there is a slight edge to it – this is not saccharine New Age. The atmospheres lean dark and a bit lo fi, which contributes to that edge, but it’s also the music’s willingness to deliver the occasional surprise, even in such a low intensity genre. Interesting stuff. 

(Listened to the entire album)

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