Hawksmoor Returns With Darkly Lit ‘Saturnalia’ Out 2/4; Listen To Title Track

James McKeown has a knack for visceral sound worlds when releasing music as Hawksmoor. Albums like Methods Of Dreaming, On Prescription, and Concrete Island which he released in collaboration with The Heartwood Institute(all released via Spun Out Of Control) are sonic delicacies for the ears. Analog synths combined with electric bass and just an overwhelming […]

Steve Vai : Inviolate

There’s just a handful of guitarists that have made the journey from 80s master shredders to distinguished 21st century artists. Musicians that have aged with grace, dignity, and somehow transcended their younger spitfire selves to make the rank of icon. I’ll keep my pics on that shortlist secret except for one name, Steve Vai. He […]

Earthless : Night Parade Of One Hundred Demons

San Diego psych rock trio Earthless, which includes guitarist Isaiah Mitchell, bassist Mike Eginton and drummer Mario Rubalcaba, have made a name for themselves as the premier psych rock band. But not the kind that relies on lots of reverb, echo, and swaths of noise, rather these guys play intricately-created jams. As far as guitar […]

John Coltrane : Live At The Village Vanguard

John Coltrane is a towering figure in the world of jazz, having made a name early on with Miles Davis and laid the groundwork for hard bop. He was kicked out of Davis’ quintet for his heroin use but returned a year later clean and made some of the most quintessential jazz records of that […]

Dream Division : WOLF Narrated by Matthew Holness

Tom McDowell has built quite a gothic library since the 2020 launch of his record label Library of the Occult. Concentrating on musical interpretations of classic horror literature, true tales of the macabre, and just a general vibe of late night tales by candlelight, McDowell has established his corner of the music-verse as the best […]

Rude Skøtt Osborn Trio : The Virtue Of Temperance

The musical dynamic duo of Martin Rude and Jakob Skøtt released two incredible albums on El Paraiso Records back in 2020, The Discipline of Assent and The Dichotomy of Control. They were unlike anything either artist had released up to that point, combining Jakob’s jazz drum inflections and sci-fi effects with Martin’s precise and eclectic […]

Kuma : Hounds and Echo In Conjunction

On experimental electronic artist Kuma’s latest release, the Vancouver-based sound wizard gives us something between the sparse spaces of Ry Cooder’s Paris, Texas and the droning brilliance of Mica Levi’s Under The Skin. Hounds and Echo In Conjunction is an alluring and hypnotic take on the imagined soundtrack. According to record label Waxing Crescent Records’ […]

Salvatore Mercatante : Post

Salvatore Mercatante doesn’t just stick to one vibe in his work. His albums ebb and flow from subtle techno to heady synth atmospheres to even Darkwave and ambient. Point being, a one-trick pony he is not. He goes where the muse takes him. Mercatante’s albums always surprise and build unique sound worlds where you can […]

That Orange Tone

Since the spring of 1994 I’ve been a tube amp kind of guy. My first amp in December of 1987 was this little generic practice amp. My uncle gave me his old DOD Flanger Pedal and I used to get this sound I called the “psychedelic butterfly”. I’m not sure where that name came from, […]

Voyag3r : New York Ninja S/T

New York Ninja is not a movie you’ve seen, but you sort of have. You see, in 1984 John Liu wrote, starred in, and directed this over-the-top ninjasploitation film in New York. It had it all; gritty NYC and crime, a tragedy of epic proportions, and a hero donning a white ninja outfit slicing and […]

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