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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.