dimanche 31 décembre 2017

Telan Devik - Retro Illuminated Vol. 2

Happy New Year ! Just in case anybody is spending tonight on the Internet, just wondering what to do, what to say, what is life, what is love, I want to offer you one of my all-time favourites: Retro Illuminated Vol. 2 by Telan Devik, a genius producer from Greenland.

Telan spends his idle time interacting with a variety of old synthesizers, making them produce sounds that sound just like they barely escaped the mid 80's, while some of us just sit there.

Short but very sweet, this EP will take you to heights never before reached by woman or man.

I think if this music had existed when I was a little cake, it would have been my madeleine de Proust forever.

Still, it kinda is...

Well, see you around, if the Earth hasn't exploded yet, if everything is the same apart from the date, if you're still up to discovering new music, encouraging young talented artists, and so on and so forth...

C-c-c-c-commmmmmbo brrrreaker !

mercredi 27 décembre 2017

Sacio - Ballcat's Adventures

Well hello ! Ok then... I don't really know what to say about this album, apart that it's a pretty neat collection of tracks in a Sega Genesis sort of style.

I had the chance to come upon this very obscure album thanks to Krelez's Random Chiptune Radio.



mercredi 20 décembre 2017

Aoi - 1

Tapping his inspiration from various sources, Aoi creates each track as an atmosphere in itself. Changing, dream-inducing...

I stumbled randomly on this album, and I'm quite content that I have, because its music left its mark on my mind. Its blend of instrumentals and electronic sonorities immediately transported my thoughts to another dimension, filled with nostalgy and rêveries. As for now, it's Aoi's only album, but who knows what the future holds ?

I hope to hear more in the future, as far as I'm concerned.

mercredi 13 décembre 2017

Various Artists - Equilibrium

In the Chiptune world, everything is not always frenzy, deathrays and millimetered jumps. No, there is also quite a bit of poetry, a hidden softness that we could, if we would, call "chillbit", because it has bits inside, and it's chill as hell (hell can be chill, mind you).

Ok, not always, not entirely and not absolutely, but on the whole that description stands pretty well.

See you again, and don't forget to take a look at  Ubiktune's catalog.

mercredi 6 décembre 2017

Vince Kaichan - Earthshine

Here are four amazing tracks by Vince Kaichan, inspired by the never-ending dance of celestial fish over the trees.

Short but very good, really enjoyable you'll see. It's a must have in one's chiptune collection.

And thanks to Krelez for the good music tastes too.

And happy Independence Day to Finland !

Don't go and catch a cold now you guys.

mercredi 29 novembre 2017

Telan Devik - Parallel VGM

We have to go back !

That's the first thing I think about when I hear any music which genre ends with '-wave'. Telan Devik makes some pretty good sounds, energetic and dynamic, you just can picture yourself hovering in the sky on an old computer keyboard.

Here's a potion made of sonic concentrated nineties.


See you again.

mercredi 22 novembre 2017

Oxynucid - Modular Allotment

A mystical sound that makes you travel around the tangible universe, a strange chariot stopping in front of your house, with full-blowing basslines as fuel and repetitive patterns used to steer... Well anyway, I don't know what to say.

Caution, this release begins well, but turns really bizarre, so mind you open your mind.

See you again soon.


mercredi 15 novembre 2017

Various Artists - SOUNDSHOCK: FM FUNK MADDNESS!!

I've only just very recently discovered Ubiktune, a russian netlabel that is a real goldmine for good chiptune music. Here's a proof, just press play here, and hear some 16-bit delightful tracks that will make you plunge inside your memories, or just make your really nostalgic for a bit.

Nostalgic yes, but not too much don't worry, those tracks are very funky, not dreamy or sad. Just dive into an endless Sonic the Hedgehog level.


mercredi 8 novembre 2017

Circus Marcus - 16/9

Welcome to the intimist, minimalist musical world of Circus Marcus, Belgian artist based in Sevilla, Spain, whose music is a precise and balanced composition of piano, kalimba and accordion.

Each track will take you to new heights, new atmospheres, sometimes joyful, sometimes sad, soft, tragic... At times dark, at other times full of light. Grand or discreet, it shifts every time you listen to it.

This music is made to be listened during rainy days, or even during a storm or better, a snow storm ! Well I hope you don't live in an area blessed with too much sun...

I highly recommend taking a listen to his whole discography, where everything is free-priced and released on a Creative Commons label, which means you could very well contact Circus Marcus to ask about using one of his tracks in, let's say... a short movie ? Or even a long movie ? Why not ?

To download his albums for free, head for Free Music Archive, but if you're willing to give a little something to help the world of free music flourish, then name your price on Bandcamp.

See also :  
http://www.circusmarcus.net/
His Facebook page
His Twitter
His Youtube channel

See you soon, be safe on the road.

mercredi 1 novembre 2017

Sergeant Thunderhoof - Ride of The Hoof

It's been a while, so I'll just put this bit of groovy stoner metal here. I just stumbled upon it by utter chance, and the cover just called and I had to answer.

Have a nice one.


mercredi 25 octobre 2017

Nibana - Shūmatsu No Tani

Shūmatsu No Tani is the third album from Nibana, and comes in a double album divided into two distinct parts. The first one is more of a downtempo mystical and epic odyssey that culminates in the impressive 'Orchestra Electronica'.

The second part is driven by Bass Music, psystep and glitch-hop, the whole with influences as various as Tipper, Whitebear, Koan Sound, Suduaya and Solar Fields, among others.

Enjoy !

By the way, you can buy the album free priced at Bandcamp, but if you want to download it for free, consider going to Ektoplazm.

mercredi 18 octobre 2017

Red&Green - Originals 2015

Now that guy is more into 16-bit sounds, tapping into the waves of various systems such as Super Nes, Genesis or N64, blending them as he goes, the result being a collection of tracks that could very well become the OST for the next Mario game.

Remains to be seen.

In the meantime, the music is really soothing (for the most part), which contrasts heavily with the usual chiptune laser destroyer (which we also love so much of course).

See you again soon for more music.

mercredi 11 octobre 2017

IJO - Melancholika Vol.3

I rarely listen to Ambient music.

At least when it has no prefix.

But this album here, it has something, it makes me travel through time.

Space, a snowy forest, waterfalls, fire in the hearth...

IJO, a polyvalent artist, dabbles in everything.

Blikmuzik, the label, full of good things to find.

See you soon.


mercredi 4 octobre 2017

Filibusta - Set Lasers to Funk

Ok guys, here's a small jewel from those guys at Adapted Records, and you know they don't out free releases every day, so we better enjoy it.

This a blend of glitch and funk, prepared by Filibusta, to enjoy without moderation.

See you again soon.


mercredi 27 septembre 2017

Batou - Adventures in Bitscape

It was a long time since I've been music-struck this way.

Again, an album found by sheer luck, thanks to the new "You might also like" feature on Bandcamp.

In this first EP released in march, Batou takes out his cloud-stringed laser harp and decorates the night sky with thin layers of nostalgic dreams.

Listen, share, and buy if you can. When you have the chance to witness the apparition of a young talentend artist on the music scene, try supporting him/her as much as you can.

See you around very soon for more music.

mercredi 20 septembre 2017

Sai Wai - Lone Samurai Masamune

Here's part one of Sai Wai's two-part debut project, this one Masamune being an album of instrumental chill jazzy relaxing, downtown sunset kind of music ; and the second one, Suzanami being embroidered with lyrics, comfortably seated on a soft bed of music.

mercredi 13 septembre 2017

City Guys - City Guys

Two overpaid city slickers hooked on Xanax, fine wine and call girls and found themselves playing way too much Megadrive and not going to work monday morning. In the blurry haze of the rising sun they found they had laid this strange egg of an album, mostly composed of old Megadrive sounds and Sega-inspired melodies, reminiscing of better times, in a very very very fine house, with two cats in the yard.

Watch out, sounds from the Megadrive can hurt cloth-eared nincompoops and 8-bit purists (of whose ranks I used to be part), so please make sur you're equipped accordingly. Otherwise, have fun.

See you soon.


mercredi 6 septembre 2017

Electric Octopus - Driving Under the Influence of Jams

This is another great release by Belfast-based trio Electric Octopus. On the menu : groovy jazzy smokey instrumentations, to-dance-to rhythms, and as ever, that particular atmosphere which enables one to close his eyes and believe he's enjoying the music in an obscure pub, sitted at a thick wooden table with a pint.

With nine tracks of an average of twenty minute each, which price you can name, I guess that's enough content for your money. Give a little something if you can, and help me get those guys go on a European tour.


mercredi 30 août 2017

Zackery Wilson - SNESQUE

Limitations and constraints may help give shape to art. Zackery Wilson, well-known of the Chiptunes=WIN fandom, created this album by using a different soundfont for each track, and limiting himself strictly to those sounds and to one minute of time per track.

The result is twelve tracks filled with nostalgy made of jumpy melodies that could very well come from an ancient, never-released 90's RPG.

This is a blend of many memories and of course, much love.

Bon appétit.

mercredi 23 août 2017

Remerged - The Unknown Dimension

Thank you Sophocle for this small pearl. It's been a while since I have found anything original in the psytrance world.

Here's the first album by Remerged, a new guy who takes a particular approach, blending frenetic rhythms with bits of dubstep and chiptune, as well as thick layers of chill synths. Special prize goes to the track "Crystal Rhodes".

Download the album for free on Neurotrance Records' website..

mercredi 16 août 2017

Krelez - Random Chiptune Mixes

My heart and soul were struck by lightning today, a pixellated cubic lightning bolt, and I want to share it with you, to dedicate it to all those who spend their day filling the Internet with music and enjoyfulnessery.

I've been looking for new sources of Chiptune music for a long time, and now I found one of the best by randomly searching for "8bit mix" on Youtube. I found Krelez's mixes and the number of my favourite Chiptune tracks has soared over a few days. These mixes compile great music, varying beats and subgenres, coming with full tracklists and links to find the tracks and the album used, which is not always an easy task as they come from various places, be it Bandcamp, 8bitpeoples, Chiptune=WIN or more obscure websites.

Unlike many Chiptune mixes on the web, Krelez's lack this atmosphere of sad nostalgic teen looking for low-definition love at school. No. Jumpy beats or thoughtful atmospheres are what you will find here.

There are links to download the tracks and the mixes in each one's description, a large majority of which is free-priced and/or creative commons, so just do yourself a favour and click play. 

There's also a radio ! 24/7 pure chiptune goodness !


mercredi 9 août 2017

Suplington - Tokyo Reflections

Here's an album on which it's really difficult to put a label. Suplington's music alternates between strange, chillesque, ethereal soundwaves and robotic electronic rhythms. I want to say experimental in a way, but in truth isn't everything experimental ?

Those harmonies make me think about Lost Twin, a great producer of weird dreamy music.

I'd say this music is fit for all adventurous headsets.

mercredi 26 avril 2017

State Azure - Phantoms

A seed of light turning the web into a firefly-filled dream, during eleven beautiful tracks, showing that psybient does not always mingle with psydub, sometimes it stays on its own, brilliantly.

State Azure is true to his unique style, take us on a nostalgic trip, juggling with lofty and dreamy atmospheres, building palaces in the clouds, where we end up, tiptoeing amid columns of vapour, to sit quietly and enjoy a bit of music.

Still self-published, still free-priced, and still British. An excellent album that is not reserved to eagle-headed connoisseurs.

See you again soon, best regards.

mercredi 19 avril 2017

w a l l a C - s u r d o

w a l l a C is a producer from Rio de Janeiro, now resident in Melbourne, drawing from multiple influences, from funk, reggae, dub, brasilian music and from the weirdest nooks and crannies of the realm of suprachill.

On the whole he gives an interesting chilly blend that is pretty hard to define. I'll let you be the judges of that.

This album is out on Dub Temple Records, which features not only, but lots of free-priced releases you ought to check out.

See you soon.


mercredi 12 avril 2017

Zebbler Encanti Experience - ReFreak

It has been a really long time since there was some Glitch music up in this... place. So I wanted to introduce a remix album of a team of artists I've discovered pretty recently on Gravitas Recordings.

The first track will keep you taped to the rest until the end. Bumpy road ahead, you will know when it begins but never when it ends. Well, some tracks even end abruptly, leaving you stranded, and some I like a bit less than others. But on the whole, in theres is a bunch of excellent tracks to add to your all-time favourites. Funky delicious grapes of groovy glitch music.

This album is made of remixes of 'Freakquency', another from ZEE that... well why not listen to the original while it's standing right over there ?

See you round.


mercredi 5 avril 2017

Narcose - Panda Eyes

Taking its roots at the threshold between Swamp and Psybient and sprinkled with dubby dust, Panda Eyes is what you need to give back their psychedelic side to places wronged when called sinister. Between a marsh buzzing with fireflies and a mystical crystal fountain.

I am currently reading the classic Lord of the Rings and played this music while the book describes the climbing of a high, dark and never-ending stair, flanked by chasms at the bottom of which you can see a corrupted and dead city, encircled by weird flowers and prickly mountain bushes.

I hope nobody is going to mistake the fact that I deemed it very à-propos for such a scene...

And I say this to you: whenever you get the chance to find a free(-priced) album at Mystic Sound Records, you can buy with your eyes closed, there's a 99.99% chance it's going to be excellent.

Also, you'll appreciate the music better with your eyes closed, of course.

Well, see you next time !

mercredi 29 mars 2017

VA - Chiptunes From Russia

Come in, come in ! You can trust the cover, this collection of 8-bit tracks is every bit as good as the cover puts across: jumpy, tournifly, rhythmed, electrifying.

Another good find at our good russo-norwegian friends at Forest which get together newcomers and old buccanneers of the (almost) pure soundwave to take us far into unknown territories, full of pixels, of colours.

Only good stuff here (so far, I'm listening to it right now, same as you). It makes me want to go and play Gameboy in front of the Saint-Basil Cathedral...

mercredi 22 mars 2017

Lexi & the Cheap Disaster - Ram Son

I don't even know where this music comes from, but I was enthralled from the beginning by the cover and its very videogamey feeling. It feels like following the epic adventures of a young hero, orphaned as a kid and raised by rams in mysterious moutain.

The talent of Alex Mauer, Cheap Dinosaurs and Disasterpeace fuse into one collection of very short tracks following each other like small electronic gnomes heading for the memory mine to dig up some diamonds.

If this comes from a video game at all, I must get it as soon as possible.

mercredi 15 mars 2017

Romo - Meow

Raw emotion and sentimentality, childlike joy and heavy bass. I guess you do not need much more to define this release by Romo, who had previously ravished our ears with 'Chase The Universe' in collaboration with Sincjack, another talented beatmaker and producer.

Samples taken from video games of which I am still quite fond, sweet and bumpy melodies, but also a surprising guitar interlude, Meow is a short but welcomed dose of good sound I'm having trouble categorising.

See you next time.

mercredi 8 mars 2017

Kupuri Music - Organic Wave

Crawling and twitching like a swamp filled with musical snakes, this collection of tracks from various artists outing their creations at the mexican netlabel Kupuri Music will leave you rumbling with strange vibrations and in the mood to travel to the moon.


mercredi 1 mars 2017

Blossom - Where Are You Hiding ?

Blossom is a Polish artist whose music I discovered via the 'Secret Garden' compilations from DLoaw & Co., a collective that still fails to disappoint me with the quality of the releases they produce. I'm also taking a moment here to strongly suggest you take a look at their catalog, you just might find the love of your life, or in any case, get your ears massaged.

'Where Are You Hiding ?' is a simple yet intricate album, dreamy yet well-constructed. Its atmosphere almost immediately made me think of my first discoveries in the field of Trip-Hop such as Blockhead for the nostalgic tone and Bonobo for the feel of open spaces. Soft melodies are laid carefully on rhythms varying between slow and not too fast but faster than slow, the whole takes place in an atmosphere of a child's dreams and a surnatural world coming to life.

If you love this music just as I do, you might consider give a little something to the artist, as a token of your appreciation, you know, every bit helps.

See you soon.

mercredi 22 février 2017

Soulular - Moments in Time, Vol. 2

Amid vapours of hang drum sounds and sitar ticklings, enter the ancient tree in which Soulular has decided to live, and listen.

A swampy atmosphere takes you on gurgling basslines to another world, another dimension, between dream and waking world. Between now, then, and later.

This collection of tracks made between 2015 and 2016 are meant to be warm and intimate, and it's even more evident when listening to them with headphones on.

Enjoy.

mercredi 15 février 2017

The Citradels - Are They Still Here ?

Before you go on and listen to this album, remember that you never should overlook one because you do not like the first track.

Colour Cue, this album's first track begins in a good mood, with a foggy atmosphere, saturated guitars... Then comes the vocals, which it seems wants to get rid of us, to make us go as far away as possible with a monotonous tone and wrong notes that would trigger a crushing depression in the most joyful hobbits.

At this stage, you're thinking of passing this one out, and I almost did the same. But just skip this track and now the album really begins, rising up with ethereal chords, an old-school psychedelic musical style, a bit of smoke, a bit of dust, a half-destroyed drumkit and guitars riddled with fingerprints.

Just what we asked.

'Are They Still Here ?' feels like it is asking the question. Whether you'll still be here after a bad first impression. Well, you'd do well to be.

Good listening to you all ! Listen, like, share, buy if you're the buying type.

See you.

mercredi 8 février 2017

Electric Octopus - Live on Oxford Island

Electric Octopus is one of the best bands I've discovered in 2016. It is so good I even bought a t-shirt with that exquisite purple cephalopod so everyone is like "nice t-shirt !" and I answer like "yeah it's Electric Octopus you know, a pretty cool band from northern Ireland you should totally listen to".

And then they do ! That's t-shirt magic for you...

Anyway, if you're into long musical jams between alchemists armed with instruments and electricity, you're going to love this album and all the music from Electric Octopus altogether.

See you again soon.


mercredi 1 février 2017

VA - Orange "Psychedelic" (Colors Compilations)

The Blog That Celebrates Itself (no, it's not me), a brazilian netlabel, has created a selection of musical works and conveyed the particular atmosphere they all exhale with colours.

Under the colour 'Orange' you will find fifteen tracks of psychedelic/desert/hard rock, some in english, some in a still unidentified language that is probably portuguese. Groovy, full of references to psych-acid-culture, really enjoyable. I suddenly have a newfound love for the colour orange.

Perfect for those evenings you spend with friends, remaking the world between two puffs of smoke and thinking about that which the future holds.


mercredi 11 janvier 2017

Ludd - Dead End Future

Fat cats lost on the moon in small apartments, armies of ants taking over the forest, the planets aligning, digging a hole to the other side of earth, breathing underwater, uncovering hidden crystal cities... Those are the images I get when listening to this album.

It has a pretty weird feeling to it but I like it a lot, especially because it is so hard to categorize. I guess a question mark will do.

In a state between thoughtfulness and dream-inducing, nostalgic music... My favourite from Now Defunc Records.


mercredi 4 janvier 2017

Telan Devik - Hi Scores EP. Vol. 1

Happy new year ! I certainly hope 2017 will bring good news. No harm in hoping for good things I guess.

Here's the first 2017 article, welcome to the world little fellow.

Just enjoy this retrowave bordering on 8bit music, and see you around !


dimanche 1 janvier 2017

Vanilla - Origin

Happy new year ! Here's one of the best bestest chill albums ever made. Peace of mind and soul soothing will ensue, I can assure you.

Let's hope to the emperor 2017 will be a little less as crappy as 2016, which everyone seems to think was the worst year ever. I could name some that were a bit worse but let's focus on chill music for now.

Have a good one !