Surreal

Armand Hammer & The Alchemist – Haram

Style: Hardcore Boom-Bap, Experimental Hip-Hop

Vibe: Gritty, Cerebral, Ominous, Futuristic, Restrained, Cryptic, Spiritual, Storytelling, Urban, Powerful

Musical Qualities: Beats, Sampling, Rhythmic

Horse Lords – Interventions

Style: Experimental Rock, Totalism, Math Rock, Tishoumaren-Influenced

Vibe: Anxious, Complex, Energetic, Exploratory, Hypnotic, Disorienting

Musical Qualities: Instrumental, Microtonal, Odd Time Signatures, Percussive, Polyrhythmic, Repetitive, Minimalistic, Technical, Drones, Glitchy, Dissonant

Big Blood – Dark Country Magic

Style: Gothic Country, Occult Folk, Psych Folk

Vibe: Witchy, Rustic, Foreboding, Folkloric, Mystical, Surreal, Autumnal, Cryptic, Ritualistic

King Krule – Man Alive!

Style: Art-Rock, Progressive Songwriter, Trip-Hop, Post-Punk

Vibe: Brooding, Woozy, Grimey, Nocturnal, Angsty, Introspective, Surreal, Shadowy

Califone – Heron King Blues [Deluxe]

Style: New Weird Americana, Warped Folk Rock, Psych Folk

Vibe: Twangy, Cryptic, Mythic, Surreal, Mysterious, Rustic, Mellow, Warm, Rootsy

Musical Qualities: Percussive, Loops, Electro-Acoustic, Rhythmic, Studio-as-an-Instrument, Improvisation

Instrumentation: Acoustic Guitar, Banjo, Percussion, Organ, Piano, Vocals, Electronics, Cello, Electric Guitar, Pump Organ, Bass

Feu Thérèse – Ça Va Cogner

Style: Experimental Rock, Krautrock, French Pop, Punk-Funk, 80’s Glam

Vibe: Motorik, Surreal, Playful, Confident, Triumphant, Determined, Juxtapositions, Catchy, Hypnotic, Retro-Futuristic

Musical Attributes: Dense, Rhythmic, Melodic, Noisy, Repetitive

Sunburned Hand of the Man – Pick a Day to Die

Style: Psych Rock, Free Rock

Vibe: Psychedelic, Surreal, Ritualistic, Murky, Motorik, Mysterious, Cryptic, Menacing, Suspenseful, Primal

Musical Qualities: Repetitive, Atmospheric, Dynamic, Driving

Robert Wyatt – Shleep

Style: Surreal Pop, Imaginative Singer/Songwriter, Prog-Pop, Canterbury Scene

Vibe: Dreamy, Ethereal, Airy, Floating, Surreal, Eclectic, Introspective, Complex, Mellow, Imaginative, Atmospheric

Musical Attributes: Progressive, Melodic, Studio-as-an-Instrument, Active listening, Jazz-Influenced

Bobb Trimble – Iron Curtain Innocence [Review]

Bobb Trimble’s 1980 debut (originally released on his own label) contains nightmarish folk-pop that fits on the fringe of the loner-psych lineage of Syd Barrett and modern bedroom-psych artists like Alex G or Holy Sons.?

Circa Survive – On Letting Go

Style: Progressive Post-Hardcore??

Vibe: Angsty, Existential, Cryptic, Anxious, Surreal, Epic, Intense, Intricate

??Musical Attributes: Odd Time Signatures, Progressive, Technical, Polished

Weather Report – Mr. Gone

Style: Jazz Fusion

Vibe: Futuristic, Groovy, Surreal, Complex, Energetic

Musical Attributes: Improvisation, Polished, Technical, Studio-as-an-Instrument

Yves Tumor – Safe in the Hands of Love

Style: Art Pop, Neo-Psychedelia, Trip-Hop, Experimental Electronic

Vibe: Nocturnal, Surreal, Introspective, Longing, Alienation, Abstract, Anxious, Dark, Depressive, Eclectic, Love, psychedelic

Tricky – Maxinquaye

Style: Trip-Hop, U.K. Hip-Hop
Vibe: Dark, Nocturnal, Sexual, Surreal, Eclectic, Introspective, Love
Musical Attributes: Sampling, Beats, Rhythmic, Studio-as-an-Instrument, Lyrical

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

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

The Books – Lost and Safe

Style: Collage-Pop, Glitch-Folk, Plunderphonics

Vibe: Surreal, Psychedelic, Peaceful, Cerebral, Meditative,  Philosophical, Spiritual, Uplifting, Warm, Playful, Hallucinogenic

Musical Attributes: Sampling, Electro-Acoustic, Melodic, Sound Collage, Vocal Manipulation

Julia Holter – Have You in My Wilderness

Style: Chamber Pop, Art Pop
Vibe: Lush, Ethereal, Imaginative, Sensual, Storytelling, Surreal, Intricate, Airy, Dreamy
Instrumentation: Vocals, Keyboards (Piano, Harpsichord, etc), Upright Bass, Strings, Drums, Saxophone

The Mars Volta – The Bedlam in Goliath

Style: Progressive Rock, Psych, Experimental Rock
Vibe: Bombastic, Mystical, Cerebral, Chaotic, Cryptic, Desert, Energetic, Epic, Hallucinogenic, intense, manic, Psychedelic, Complex
Musical Attributes: Dense, Odd Time Signatures, Progressive Structures, Polyrhythmic, Riffs, Technical

90 Day Men – To Everybody:

Style: Math Rock, Art Rock

Vibe: Angsty, Complex, Cryptic, Moody, Surreal, 

Musical Attributes: Odd Time Signatures, Dissonant, Lyrical

Amon Tobin – Permutation

Style: IDM, Trip-Hop, Electro-Jazz, Drum n’ Bass

Vibe: Nocturnal, Surreal, Futuristic, Energetic, Mechanical, Ominous, Urban

Musical Attributes: Sampling, Complex, Rhythmic, Repetitive

Radiohead – The King of Limbs

Style: Experimental Rock, Art Rock

Influences: Electronic, Kosmische Musik, Glitch, Afro-Beat

Vibe: Surreal, Psychedelic, Messy, Hypnotic, Warm, Mysterious, Cryptic

Musical Attributes: Sampling, Percussive, Polyrhythmic, Studio-as-an-instrument, Dense, Looping

Themes: Nature

A.A. Bondy – Enderness

Style: Singer/Songwriter, Ambient Pop

Moods: Apathetic, Introspective, Surreal, Sleazy, Melancholy, Sleek, Mellow, Sensual, Depressive, Ethereal, Stark, Meditative

Musical Qualities: Soft, Sparse, Lyrical, MIDI, Smooth, Polished

Arca – Arca

Released in 2017 on XL Recordings Format: LP Overview By introducing heartfelt vocals into her (often) harsh environments of contorted glitch-pop, Venezuelan producer Arca reaches near-claustrophobic levels of intimacy.

The Flaming Lips – The Terror

Released in 2013 on Bella Union UK Pressing Format: LPx2, Bonus 7″, Holographic Cover Studio album takes up sides A, B, & C. Side D contains “We Don’t Control the Controlled (mashed-the-fuck-up-remix, Dan Deacon and the Electric Worms’ Insight Violence)” 7″ includes “Sun Blows Up Today” b/w “All You Need Is Love (featuring Alex and …

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Human Behavior – Bethpage

The apocalyptic chamber-folk of Bethpage soundtracks multiple chapters of cryptic storytelling, mixing one’s darkest thoughts with religious imagery and allegory through banjo sing-alongs and haunting spoken word passages. The heavy climaxes are whirlwinds of bombastic drums, driving bass, fiddle, clarinet, and banjo that often recall the communal chamber-punk of Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra. While many tracks feel seeped in shadow and darkness, a heavenly light occasionally floods in through some truly serene and beautiful passages.

The Flaming Lips – Soft Bulletin

Style: Psychedelic Pop, Neo-Psychedelia

Moods: Surreal, Science Fiction, Epic, Bittersweet, Triumphant, Sentimental, Playful, Apocalyptic, Warm, Melancholy, Existential, Anthemic

Musical Qualities: Catchy, Lush, Melodic, Polished

The Books – The Way Out

The Books’ music is simultaneously funny, innovative, catchy and enlightening. They use found sound and spoken word mixed with innovative recording techniques and acoustic instruments to create beautiful sound-collages that somehow create unity between all these disparate sources, as if they were all meant to be together. Everything these guys do, solo or together, is absolute genius.

Can – Ege Bamyasi

Originally released in 1972 on United Artists Unofficial Pressing Format: LP, Translucent green vinyl

Love – Forever Changes

Originally released in 1967 on Elektra 2012 Rhino Pressing, cut from original analogue masters Format: LP

Can – Tago Mago

Originally released in 1971 on United Artists Records Unofficial pressing on purple and brown marbled vinyl Format: LPx2

This Heat – This Heat

Originally released in 1979 on Piano Records 2016 Modern Classics pressing on Light I’m the Attic Records Format: LP, includes foldout booklet

Gene Clark – No Other

No Other is a masterpiece of Cosmic Americana from Gene Clark (Ex-Byrds). Here his amazing songwriting is complemented by lush instrumentation, psychedelic production, and grandiose choir arrangements.

Julia Holter – Aviary

Released in 2018 on Domino Records Format: LPx2 Includes 12″x12″ glossy lyric and photo booklet Track Listing *A1 – Turn the Light On (Bombastic, Energetic, Cathartic A2 – Whether (Pulsing, Driving, Staccato) *A3 – Chaitius (Ethereal, Atmospheric, Ambient, Progressive) -long floating, atmospheric intro with wordless vocals -becomes jazzy and cosmic as it builds -loose and …

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MGMT – Congratulations

Style: Psych Pop, Surf, Progressive Pop

Vibe: Surreal, Sunny, Warm, Retro, Playful, Existential, Psychedelic

Musical Qualities: Lush, Melodic, Catchy, Progressive

Can – Future Days

Album Information: Originally released in 1973 on United Artist Recordings This pressing was released in 2014 on Mute Records

The Books – Lost & Safe (2011 reissue)

Style: Collage-Pop, Glitch-Folk, Plunderphonics

Vibe: Surreal, Psychedelic, Peaceful, Cerebral, Meditative, Philosophical, Spiritual, Uplifting, Warm, Playful, Hallucinogenic

Musical Attributes: Sampling, Electro-Acoustic, Melodic, Sound Collage, Vocal Manipulation

Bob Dylan – Bringing it All Back Home

The first side features Dylan going electric for the first time, including classics such as She Belongs to Me and Maggie’s Farm. Side 2 features the acoustic storytelling and surrealist lyrics Dylan had been perfecting up to that point.

Soft Machine – Volume Two

Soft Machine’s second album is an eclectic suite packed full of whimsical psychedelia, Dadaist detours, complex prog structures and jazz-inspired musicianship.

Danny Brown – Atrocity Exhibition

On his Warp Records debut, the eccentric rapper crafts an album of shadowy hip-hop that expresses a unique creative vision. His bipolar, extremely personal lyrics fluctuate from paranoid agoraphobia and self-deprecating reflection to uninhibited hedonism and braggadocios swagger, sometimes in the course of a couple lines. Highly recommended for fans of Busdriver, Aesop Rock and other psychedelic hip-hop artists

David Bowie – Low

Style: Art Rock, Ambient (Side B)

Moods: Manic, Cryptic, Surreal, Alienation, Anxious, Abstract, Lonely, Futuristic

Musical Qualities: Studio-as-an-Instrument, Groovy, Atmospheric