Experimental

Ilhan Mimaroglu – Sing Me a Song of Songmy

Style: Avant-Garde Classical, Electro-Acoustic, Tape Music, Creative Music, Third Stream

Vibes: Ominous, Sombre, Anxious, Cinematic, Dystopian, Surreal, Poetic, Chaotic, Cold, Complex, Eclectic, Exploratory

Themes: Political, Colonialism, War, Death, Liberation, History

Musical Qualities: Orchestral, Collage, Polyphonic, Dynamic, Spoken Word, Dense, Progressive, Sampling, Choral, Improvisation

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Robert Wyatt – The Animals Film

Style: Progressive Electronic, Film Score, Experimental

Vibes: Dystopian, Hallucinatory, Mysterious, Suspenseful, Gloomy, Hypnotic, Futuristic, Exploratory, Ominous, Cinematic, Haunting, Imaginative

Musical Qualities: Suite, Vignettes, Atmospheric, Studio-as-an-Instrument, Progressive

Instrumentation: Synthesizers, Piano, Experimental Vocals, Drums

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Art Bears – Winter Songs

Fred Frith, Chris Cutler, Dagmar Krause

Style: Rock in Opposition, Avant-Prog, Tape Music, Chamber Rock

Vibes: Dystopian, Sombre, Winter, Ominous, Anxious, Cold, Disturbing, Knotty, Suspenseful, Theatric, Eccentric

Musical Qualities: Dissonant, Complex, Uncommon Time Signatures, Extended Technique, Loops, Technical, Progressive, Studio-as-an-Instrument

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David Sylvian – Blemish

featuring Derek Bailey & Fennesz

Style: Experimental Songwriter, Electroacoustic, Reductionism

Vibe: Lonely, Winter, Reflective, Sombre, Cold, Breakup, Depressive, Surreal, Meditative, Desolate

Musical Qualities: Electro-Acoustic, Glitchy, Sparse, Soft, Dissonant

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Derek Monypeny – Cibola

Style: “Desert Continuum”, Psychedelic Drone, Free Improvisation, Avant-Folk

Moods: Desert, Ritualistic, Spiritual, Meditative, Hallucinogenic, Nocturnal

Musical Qualities: Droney, Electro-acoustic, Solo Improvisation, Noisy, Instrumental

Instrumentation: Shahi Baaja, Electric Guitar, Autoharp

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ONO – Red Summer

Styles: Industrial-Gospel, Dub Poetry, No Wave, Experimental

Moods: Visceral, Dystopian, Disturbing, Haunting, Surreal, Aggressive, Mechanical, Heavy, Deconstructed, Vulgar, Cerebral, Conscious, Dark, Ominous, Shadow

Themes: Racism, History, Philosophy, Sex

Musical Qualities: Noisy, Spoken Word, Dub, Sampling, Rhythmic, Studio-as-an-Instrument, Dissonant

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Cecil Taylor – Indent

Style: Free Improvisation, Free Jazz

Moods: Passionate, Kinetic, Complex, Ecstatic, Dramatic, Energetic, Angular, Exploratory, Meditative, Focused

Musical Qualities: Solo Improvisation, Dense, Acoustic, Progressive, Dynamic, Percussive, Atonal, Active Listening, Instrumental, Technical, Rhythmic, Live

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Exhaust – Exhaust

Style: Post-Rock, Avant-Dub, Experimental

Moods: Deconstructed, Urban, Motorik, Mechanical, Dystopian, Political, Moody, Raw

Musical Qualities: Loops, Noisy, Sampling, Repetitive, Atmospheric, Dub, Instrumental, Dynamic

Instrumentation: Drums, Electric Bass, Bass Clarinet, Sampler, Field Recordings, Tapes

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Spires that in the Sunset Rise

Style: Free Folk, Ritual-Psych

Moods: Eerie, Forest, Nocturnal, Ritualistic, Witchy, Disturbing, Haunting, Communal, Pagan, Cryptic, Anxious, Surreal, Dark, Chaotic, Mysterious

Musical Qualities: Dissonant, Acoustic, Improvisation, Lo-Fi

Instrumentation: Cello, Violin, Acoustic Guitar, Autoharp, Melodica, Harmonium, Little Harp, Percussion, Mbira, Piano

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Pelt – Brown Cyclopaedia

Style: Free Rock, Ritual-Psych, Noise Rock, Experimental, Drone Rock

Mood: Raw, Ritualistic, Primordial, Suspenseful, Cathartic, Eerie, Hypnotic, Meandering, Meditative, Murky

Musical Qualities: Collective Improvisation, Dynamic, Noisy, Dissonant, Droney, Fuzzy, Lo-fi, Heavy, Repetitive, Spoken Word, Feedback

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Joe Rainey – Niineta

Style: Post-Industrial Powwow Music, Experimental Electronic

Mood: Communal, Ritualistic, Cathartic, Spiritual, Passionate, Mournful, Epic

Musical Qualities: Chants, Manipulated Vocals, Distorted, Electroacoustic, Studio-as-an-Instrument, Percussive, Noisy

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Jackie-O Motherfucker – Liberation

Style: Free Folk, Mystical Americana, Drone, Free Improvisation, Post-Rock

Vibe: Weary, Hopeful, Rustic, Communal, Spiritual, Ragged, Eerie, Melancholy, Deconstructed, Hypnotic, Communal, Haunting, Raw, Suspenseful, Intertwined

Musical Qualities: Collective Improvisation, Dynamic, Lo-Fi, Atmospheric, Droney, Group Vocals, Dub FX

Instrumentation: Electric Guitars, Vibraphone, Flute, Drums, Violin, Cello, Clarinet, Saxophone, Banjo, Melodica, Sitar, Electronics, Turntable, Keyboards, Trumpet, Electric Bass

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Eli Keszler – Stadium

Style: EAI (electroacoustic improvisation), Future Jazz

Vibe: Futuristic, Kinetic, Urban, Abstract, Impressionistic, Meditative, Suspenseful, Mysterious, Complex

Musical Qualities: Percussive, Electroacoustic, Polyrhythmic, Field Recordings, Instrumental, Improvisation (Solo), Odd Time Signatures, Studio-as-an-Instrument

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Senyawa – Alkisah

Style: Avant-Folk, Tribal Drone-Doom, Southeast Asian Folk Music

Vibe: Ceremonial, Apocalyptic, Aggressive, Hypnotic, Murky, Shadowy, Dark, Tribal

Musical Qualities: Percussive, Acoustic, Fuzzy, Heavy, Loops, Noisy, Repetitive, Droney, Extended Technique, Electroacoustic

Instrumentation: Homemade Bamboo Instruments, Electroacoustic Treatments, Percussion, Throat Singing, Chants

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Zs – Xe

Style: Experimental Rock, Brutal Prog, Free Minimalism, Math Rock, Noise

Vibe: Hypnotic, Cold, Ritualistic, Dystopian, Mysterious, Chaotic, Surreal, Loose

Musical Qualities: Dissonant, Improvisation, Minimalistic, Noisy, Complex, Instrumental, Pulse, Uncommon Time Signatures

Instrumentation: Saxophone, Electric Guitar, Loops, Percussion

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The Same – The Same

LP, Originally released in 1981 by Unlikely Records Freedom to Spend Reissue (2021) Style: Ambient Pop, Experimental Home Recording, Minimal Wave Vibe/Mood: Aquatic, Nocturnal, Hypnotic, Impressionistic, Moody, Intertwined, Dreamy, Headphone album Musical Qualities: Loops, Home Recording, Atmospheric, Percussive, Polyphonic, Pulse, Electro-Acoustic Instrumentation: electric guitar, casio vl-tone, vocals, marimba, electric bass, acoustic guitar, digital organ

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Fire! – Defeat

Style: Avant-Garde Jazz, Progressive Fusion

Vibe: Nocturnal, Groovy, Primal, Surreal, Alien, Propulsive, Powerful, Seductive, Suspenseful, Moody, Monochromatic

Musical Qualities: Rhythmic, Polyphonic, Complex, Dissonant, Extended Technique, Thematic Improvisation, Repetition, Experimental Vocals

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Sarah Louise – Earth Bow

Style: Free Folk, Cosmic Appalachia, Ambient Folk, Healing Music

Vibe: hypnotic, amorphous, confident, cosmic, dreamy, earthy, ethereal, existential, exploratory, forest, warm, spiritual, spontaneous, soothing, psychedelic, passionate, nature, meditative, hallucinogenic

Musical Qualities: Suite, Electro-Acoustic, Studio-as-an-instrument, Loops, Home Recording, Progressive, Field Recordings

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Gogoj – Oviparity

Style: Experimental, Electro-Acoustic, Noise, Drone
Vibe: Eerie, Noisy, Suspenseful
Musical Attributes: Atmospheric, Electro-acoustic, Improvisation (Solo), Dynamic, Atonal, Loops
Instrumentation: Electric Cello with Effects

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Spires that in the Sunset Rise – Psychic Oscillations [Review]

Psychedelic electro-acoustics and earthy minimalism from long-running avant-folk group Spires that in the Sunset Rise. The multi-instrumentalist duo of Ka Baird and Taralie Peterson ritualistically loop and layer a hypnotic tapestry of pre-verbal vocalizations, upright bass, flute, saxophone, synth, and autoharp, running each instrument through trippy stereo delays, visually represented by the two minute-apart clocks next to each other on the album cover. While not as witchy or jarring as the their early releases, Psychic Oscillations finds the band as entrancing as ever.

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Off World – 1

Style: Progressive Electronic, Experimental
Vibe/Mood: Ethereal, Spacey, Futuristic, Mysterious, Suspenseful, impressionistic
Musical Attributes: Atmospheric, Instrumental, Studio-as-an-instrument (Loops, Editing, Dubs), Vignettes, Improvisation
Instrumentation: Synthesizer, Drum Machine

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Horse Lords – The Common Task

The Common Task is an incessant barrage of jolting polyrhythms that simultaneously hypnotize and disorient.

Style: Experimental Rock, Math Rock, Post-Rock, Totalism
Vibe: Hypnotic, Surreal, Triumphant, Complex, Political
Musical Attributes: Microtonal, Polyrhythmic, Repetitive, Odd Time Signatures, Saharan Africa-Influenced, Technical, Instrumental

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Spaza – Spaza

“There is a heightened and sustained sense of intuition running through this recording whose sonic palette is so wide it captures – through soundscaping, invocation, lament, impressionistic vocal weaving – not only the transient and hybridised nature of life in Johannesburg, but also the heaviness of the air at the time of its recording. More ambient, controlled swirl of rhythm and experimental mixing than incessant groove, the album is an outpouring of a range of expressions that exist between the supposed binaries of indigenous forms of music and the electronic experimentation Johannesburg is known globally for.” (from Bandcamp)

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The Sea Ensemble – We Move Together

An obscure release from the great creative label ESP-Disk, containing exploratory, mysterious and playful improvisations from The Sea Ensemble—the husband/wife duo of Zusaan Fasteau and Donald Rafael Garrett. While they are both trained musicians and multi-instrumentalists, an uninhibited childish spirit permeates this release, as can be seen in Donald’s crude but visionary cover drawing; Yet the recording also feels imbued with ancient wisdom, as heard in their primal and instinctive vocalizations throughout the album

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The Necks – Vertigo

Style: Free Improvisation, Post-Minimalism, Trance Jazz, Avant-Garde Jazz

Vibe: Suspenseful, Hypnotic, Epic, Anxious, Impressionistic

Musical Attributes: Atmospheric, Repetitive, Droney, Dissonant, Electro-Acoustic, Collective Improvisation, Minimalistic

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Senyawa – Sujud

Style: Doom-Folk, Indonesian Folk Music, Avant-Folk

Moods: Apocalyptic, Spiritual, Earthy, Dark, Ominous, Nocturnal, Ritualistic, Tribal, Hypnotic

Musical Qualities: Throat Singing, Homemade Instruments, Droney, Noisy, Electro-Acoustic, Repetitive, Dense, Heavy

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Anthony Davis – Epist?m?

Style: Poly-Free Improvisation, Modern Classical, Avant-Garde Big Band

Vibe: Complex, Hypnotic, Intense, Suspenseful, Cerebral

Musical Attributes: Polyrhythmic, Polyphonic, Odd Time Signatures, Acoustic, Poly-Free Improvisation, Repetitive

Instrumentation: Orchestral, Mallet Percussion (Marimba, Vibraphone, etc) Violin, Cello, Piano, Trombone, Drums, Flute, Bass Clarinet

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Tarentel – The Order of Things

The Order of Things takes you on a strange journey, starting off with a long ambient song built around field recordings, light acoustic guitar and some weird drones in the background. Highly recommended if you’re a fan of experimental post-rock, drone, or music that doesn’t like to be easily categorized.?

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David Grubbs – The Thicket

On experimental musician David Grubb’s first dedicated songwriter outing, he synthesizes technical bluegrass banjo and fingerstyle acoustic guitar playing with imaginative arrangements, abrupt stylistic shifts, philosophical questioning lyrics, improvisation, and drones. Featured musicians include drummer John McEntire (Tortoise, The Sea and Cake), bassist Josh Abrams (Natural Information Society), and drone violinist Tony Conrad.

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Brokeback – Field Recordings from the Cook County Water Table

Doug McComb’s first album as Brokeback is imbued with pastoral Impressionism, experimentalism, and a sense of Zen contentment. The record is mostly centered around his Bass VI, a short-scale bass with six strings that is trebly enough to function in both guitar and bass roles. This versatile instrument is usually wet with chorus and reverb that sculpt a fluid, aquatic tone to complement the slow, tranquil melodies. Outside of some solo pieces Doug is joined by a variety of accompaniment including lap steel guitar, synth, upright bass, Rhodes, vocals from Mary Hansen, and light percussion provided by producer/Tortoise bandmate John McEntire. This is a record that can be appreciated from a passive impressionistic standpoint, as well as under the microscopic attention of an engaged ear. (Follow link for full review)

Recommended for fans of Tortoise or Ennio Morricone’s spaghetti Western soundtracks

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Tangerine Dream – Phaedra

While the music on Zeit feels motionlessly suspended in the empty vastness of space, the music on Phaedra seem to discover a swampy alien planet, Pulsing sequencers, dramatic mellotrons, airy flutes, and sweeping synthesizers are drenched in strange echoes and reverbs to create suspenseful alien soundscapes.

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