The limitless creativity and sonic soundscape of this album cement my impression that Yves Tumor is one of the most impressive artists working in this genre today. I wish I'd gotten around to this years ago.

I can parse the story of this album. Well... I'm pretty sure I can, anyway. The appearance of the blemmyes and other such Marco Polo critters places this in the realms of tripped-out adventure fantasy, with the album seeming to open on an exodus from some crumbling castle, but eventually becomes a rebellion against a godlike figure in search of novel developments in mammal tetrachromacy. I'm not certain there's a point here beside simply telling the story, but it is at the very ... read more

There is a certain delicacy to the way that this group play this piece. Although they make their own interpretations on the themes, it's never overdone, and the musicianship is divine, especially the vibraphone. Probably one of the best versions of this modern operatic score out there.

You know, no matter how much I try not to, I just keep picturing dinosaurs...

Promised Land is kind of like a comfort album for me. Happening to drop the same year I was born, it marks the end of the "classic" period of Queensrÿche's history (though which side of that divide you think this album lands on tends to vary from person to person).

This happened to be the second of QR's albums that I listened to, and I wasn't really sure what to make of it. At first blush, it does not have the edgy metallic quality of Operation: Mindcrime, nor ... read more

I had to hunt down a CD to listen to this one in full, as the entire soundtrack isn't on streaming... But I'd consider any lengths worthwhile for this, the final conclusion of my (rather long) attempt to listen through Walker's entire discography. Although parts of this are quite unexceptional, when it hits, it really hits, bringing this wonderfully melancholic atmosphere which (as far as I can tell) rather suits the movie it was made for.

As always, I'm impressed with Scott's breadth as an ... read more

For such a sparse update, I'm surprised the soundtrack is so fully featured. Sounds really good.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but when I listened to Urbanzulu I was blown away by the energy and the vocal talent of Busi Mhlongo. I was never bored for the whole hour.

So very, very of its time. Although it's nothing revolutionary musically, it is still a wonderful piece of musical eclectica. The electronic harp is a particular delight which I feel I don't hear too often, and the vibes given off by this record are positively hypnotic.

It boggles the mind to imagine actually standing in the rainforest where this was recorded and hearing this chorus all around you. The way the recordings have been produced and arranged tells a story in itself, rising high and then tapering off at the end with all manner of peaks and valleys in between. It leaves me in awe of the power of nature.

Couldn't help the eerie sensation while listening that I'd had all of these dreams before. Like a creeping feeling of something looking over my shoulder. Brilliant.

Bruh.

Okay, I recant my previous, bitterly angry review. After a second listen I can hear a lot more of what it's going for, and while I still think this is manifestly /not/ a fantastic spin on this concept, it at least has a couple of decent tracks.

You have five Earth minutes. Make it perfect!

I might be crazy for saying so, but I really like the atmosphere of this as well as the choice of clips used. Lovely.

Japanese city pop's mixture of almost nostalgic melancholy and playful groove makes it perfect relaxation music for me. Into this category neatly slots Takako Mamiya's sole outing as a solo artist, Love Trip. This LP offers ten tracks with which to become acquainted with Mamiya's sound, all soft, plaintive vocals and groovy bass. I revisit this every so often after a hard day and never come away disappointed.

For me, among the standout tracks is "Mayonaka no Joke" ... read more

The carnival haunted house atmosphere of this release is just too charming for me to resist.

First album I ever bought with my own money (off iTunes, 2010). Never looked back.