with Janel Leppin, Eyvind Kang, Anthony Pirog, Jessika Kenney, etc
Style: Avant-Chamber Music, Persian Classical Music, Modern Classical
Vibes: Devotional, Mysterious, Ritualistic, Suspenseful, Flowing, Meditative
Susan Alcorn – The Heart Sutra Read More »
Each artist fills an entire LP side with their own improvised interpretation of Ornette Coleman’s “Lonely Woman” . Shalabi channels the tune through a solo oud meditation, shaped by his characteristically searching and sensitive improvisations. On the other side, Sunn Trio performs an undulating percussive ritual, overdubbed with a wide pallet of tangled acoustic instruments, dub psychedelia, and hypnotizing drones.
Sunn Trio / Sam Shalabi – Trippin’ on Coleman Read More »
Whilst in Istanbul for an artist residency, the adventurous Montreal chamber rock group recorded Dalmak with an ensemble of Turkish musicians, augmenting their core sound of cello, marimba, and drums with the saz, darbuka, bendir and several other instruments used in Turkish and Arabic folk music. Epic, modal themes emerge from watery beds of minimalistic polyrhythms and suspenseful string arrangments. While often sombre, mournful or foreboding, the musi seems driven by a collective sense of spiritual determination and hope.
Style: Guitar Soli, Avant-Folk, American Primitivism, Middle-Eastern Influence
Vibes: Mysterious, Contemplative, Nocturnal, Spiritual, Eerie, Meditative, Moody
Alvarius B / Sir Richard Bishop – If You Don’t Like It… DON’T! Read More »
Style: Post-Industrial, Tribal Ambient, Downtempo, Ambient Techno
Vibes: Dystopian, Cold, Ominous, Suspenseful, Anxious, Nocturnal, Hypnotic, Cold, Dark, Mechanical, Tribal, Militant
Musical Qualities: Repetitive, Polyrhythmic, Percussive, Sampling, Atmospheric
Muslimgauze – Shekel of Israeli Occupation Read More »
Style: Drone-Folk, Acid Folk, Guitar Soli (LP2)
Vibes: Nocturnal, Intimate, Desert, Raw, Lethargic, Melancholy, Autumnal, Haunting, Mellow, Peaceful
Musical Qualities: Home Recording, Acoustic, Sparse, Lo-Fi, Droney, Instrumental (LP2)
Ilyas Ahmed – Between Two Skies / Towards the Night Read More »
“Doomsdayer’s Holiday finds their already-broad palette continually expanding with 70s European film noir and cosmic free jazz explorations complimenting the Middle Eastern psychedelic folk-metal the group is already known for”
Grails – Doomsdayer’s Holiday Read More »
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
Derek Monypeny – Cibola Read More »
Style: Acid Folk, Folk-Rock Influences: Arabic Folk, Blues, Raga
Moods: Mysterious, Confident, Serpentine, Searching, Psychedelic, Desert, Determined, Earthy, Flowing, Impressionistic, Introspective, Meandering, Meditative, Ritualistic
Musical Qualities: Modal, Acoustic, Improvisation, Instrumental, Solo, Bluesy
Instrumentation: Oud, Electric Guitar, Percussion, Electric Bass
Sandy Bull: E pluribus unum Read More »
Style: Psychedelic Jazz, Free-Psych, Post-Rock
Moods: Ritualistic, Mysterious, Serpentine, Nocturnal, Exploratory, Desert, Moody, Spiritual, Psychedelic
Musical Qualities: Percussive, Thematic, Collective Improvisation, Atmospheric, Rhythmic
Instrumentation: Drums, Tabla, Electric Piano, Chants, Trumpet, Electric Guitar, Classical Guitar, Electric Bass, Harmonica, Gong, Cello, Upright Bass, Flute, Organ, Piano, Bells, Teponaztli, Tambourine, Viola
Styles: Free-Folk, Jazz-Folk, Classical Guitar, Country Blues
Moods: Searching, Impressionistic, Hypnotic, Meditative, Exploratory, Spiritual
Musical Qualities: Instrumental, Acoustic, Improvisation, Virtuosic
Sandy Bull – Inventions Read More »
Style: Psychedelic Math Rock, Free Rock
Vibe: Desert, Serpentine, Epic, Adventure, Intertwined, Energetic, Bombastic, Mystical
Musical Qualities: Shredding, Riffs, Improvisation, Dynamic, Instrumental, Uncommon Time Signatures, Noisy
Rangda – Formerly Extinct Read More »
Style: Psychedelic Rock, Post-Rock
Influences: Arabic Folk, Horror Soundtracks, Kosmisch, Library Music, Spaghetti Westerns, Prog, Stoner Rock, American Primitive Guitar, Raga
Vibe: Adventure, Driving, Cinematic, Exploratory, Epic, Ominous, Nocturnal
Musical Qualities: Instrumental, Dynamic, Fuzzy, Riffs, Progressive, Atmospheric
Grails – Burning Off Impurities Read More »
Style: Chanson, Chamber Jazz, Avant-Folk
Vibe: Serpentine, Nocturnal, Mysterious, Ominous, Storytelling, Suspenseful, Open, Beguiling
Musical Qualities: Spoken Word, Collective Improvisation, Thematic, Percussive
Instrumentation: Duet Vocals, Muted Trumpet, Acoustic Guitar, Bouzouki, Shenai, Oboe, Flute, Percussion, Drums, Upright Bass, Lute
Brigitte Fontaine / Areski / Art Ensemble of Chicago – Comme á la Radio Read More »
Style: Collage Pop, Progressive Pop, Art Rock, Krautrock
Vibe: Playful, Surreal, Party, Colorful, Futuristic, Eccentric, Sunny, Groovy, Warm
Musical Qualities: Sampling, Dub, Sound Collage, Rhythmic, Melodic
Holger Czukay – Movies Read More »
Style: Modal Jazz, Hard Bop
Vibe: Sentimental, Joyful, Sunny, Uplifting
Yusef Lateef – The Golden Flute Read More »
Originally released in 1998 Exiled Records reissue (2016) Format: LPx2, blank D-side
Sir Richard Bishop – Salvador Kali Read More »
Style: Kosmische Music, Psychedelic Rock, Space Rock
Influences: Arabic Music, African Music, Prog
Vibe: Exploratory, Psychedelic, Desert, Tribal
Musical Attributes: Improvisation, Studio-as-an-instrument, Sound Collage, Riffs
Agitation Free – Malesch Read More »
Released in 2019 on 33-33 Records Format: LP Style: Free-Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Experimental Rock Influences: Arabic Folk Music, Free Improvisation, Drone, Indian Classical Music Vibe: Exploratory, Cathartic, Ritualistic, Psychedelic, Spiritual Musical Attributes: Improvisation Members: Sir Richard Bishop (Guitar, Piano), Chris Corsano (Drums), Alvarius Bishop (Bass, Vocals), Michael Flower (Japanese Banjo)
The Clandestine Quartet – One for the Fossa, Two for the Wolverine Read More »
Released in 2012 on Constellation Records Format: LP + 7″
Godspeed You! Black Emperor – ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend, Ascend Read More »
Released in 1968 on Elektra Records Format: LP
The Incredible String Band – The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter Read More »
These impassioned, and often mournful, renditions of klezmer folk songs (both traditional and original) are infused with elements of free jazz, drone, and chamber music to create something both rooted and urgently modern (Even 15 years after its release). The mostly acoustic band features violinist Jessica Moss (also of Silver Mt. Zion) and upright bassist Thierry Amar (asmz, GY!BE) in addition to singer/multi-instrumentalist Scott Levine Gilmore and Clarinetist/Guitarist Gabe Levine.
Black Ox Orkestar – Ver Tanzt? Read More »
Released in 2009 on Drag City Format: LP Recorded by Steve Albini at Electrical Audio, Chicago, March 2009
Released in 2014 on Drag City Format: LPx2, 45rpm
Om – Advaitic Songs Read More »
Released in 2002 on Holy Mountain Format: LP
Six Organs of Admittance – Dark Noontide Read More »
Darkly cinematic rock instrumentals with some creeping, Dostoevskian vibes. This is probably the most meticulous and progressive album I’ve heard from these guys, who are always finding new ways of funneling their omnivorous library of influences into their dramatic and atmospheric psych rock stylings.
Grails – Deep Politics Read More »
“World Music” is often a cheap umbrella term for non-Eurocentric music, but when acoustic guitar shredders Jorge Strunz and Ardeshir Farah, from Costa Rica and Iran respectively, bring together a Cuban rhythm section, South Indian violinist, and Kuwaiti guitarist, the music they create truly does have a sense of cultural unity deserving of the term.
For fans of flamenco, Arabic folk, and acoustic guitar virtuosity
Strunz & Farah – Mosaico Read More »
The new album from guitarist Yonatan Gat finds cohesiveness in its sprawling diversity. Stylistically it combines the rawness of garage rock, the thematic improvisation of Free jazz, and the experimental editing of musique concréte with psychedelic production, Arabic and Klezmer scales and surfy tremelo guitars.
Yonatan Gat – Universalists Read More »
On his debut album, the guitar and banjo virtuoso starts off with a 22-minute droning epic fusing American and Arabic Folk music with Indian Raga on his acoustic guitar (often trying to imitate the feeling of the oud). Here, he is accompanied by the fluid, driving drums of Billy Higgins. Side 2 is made up of 4 shorter solo pieces, mostly for the banjo, including an impressive rendition of “Carmina Burana” by German composer Carl Orff and a folky mountain song.
Sandy Bull – Fantasias for Guitar and Banjo Read More »
At the core of these electrouacoustic Arabic folk songs lies expressive vocals and the buzuk, a fretted lute which Radwan Ghazi Moumneh plays with a near religious determination. While these instruments are played nakedly and organically, it is the production and recording that really exhibits the experimental and atmospheric nature of the music. Acoustic instruments are re-sampled and processed to create granular and rhythmic accompaniment, while waves of white noise, synths and field recordings are used to adorn and enhance the emotional twists and turns of the raw acoustic performances.
Jerusalem in My Heart – If He Dies, If If If If If If Read More »
Style: Drone-Mantra, Drone-Metal, Stoner Metal
Moods: Spiritual, Devotional, Desert, Meditative, Epic, Monolithic
Musical Qualities: Slow, Droney, Dynamic, Fuzzy, Riffs, Heavy
