Ben And Bruno - "100 Grim Reapers"

100 Grim Reapers

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Schoolyard Recordings
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1. Life Will Recover (1:49)
2. New Friend Song (2:55)
3. Take Hold Upon (5:44)
4. Out From Where (1:42)
5. 100 Grim Reapers (3:06)
6. Given The Attributes (4:29)
7. Casting Shadows (3:49)
8. O You Sad Life (0:59)
9. Pack Of Light Blue Birds (4:39)
10. Chant 1 (0:45)
11. To Fill The Void (4:00)
12. () (1:08)
13. Do You Mind What You See? (4:05)
14. Famous (1:40)
15. Torn And Pulled (3:37)
16. Next To Your Side (4:04)

“Ben and Bruno” is a group of songs based on one character named Ben. After losing his mother at a very young age, Ben is abducted by a religious fanatic who has been living in the apartment above the family. Ben, during his trip while fleeing from the police, falls in love with the woman who has abducted him. The story continues after the capture of his new love and he grows older…marrying, having two daughters, divorcing his wife.

Sometimes you just have to take a step back from life and lose yourself in a piece of music. If you ever feel the strongest urge to do this, then please, immerse yourself in the story behind 100 Grim Reapers. It's upsetting but in the most devastatingly beautiful way. I really want to critique this album but, in all honesty, and in full knowledge that it isn't the best record ever, I can't bring myself to do it. It's too special.

N.A./10

Alva Noto - "Xerrox Vol.2"

Xerrox Vol.2

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Raster-Noton Records
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1. Xerrox Phaser Acat 1 (12:11)
2. Xerrox Rin (0:51)
3. Xerrox Soma (7:11)
4. Xerrox Meta Phaser (6:23)
5. Xerrox Sora (6:54
6. Xerrox Monophaser 1 (8:04)
7. Xerrox Monophaser 2 (5:31)
8. Xerrox Teion (2:03)
9. Xerrox Teion Acat (5:26)
10. Xerrox Tek Part 1 (5:28)
11. Xerrox Monophaser 3 (6:14)

Finding the words to describe volume 2 in Carsten Nicolai's Xerrox series isn't easy. What we have is a dense and rich atmosphere of vibrant sounds and dreamy drones that flow and merge seamlessly into one majestic opus. While the intention was to hark back to the idealism of film score, employing a linear aesthetic to the music, you can't help but feel that there's something much greater here. The theme itself would require the use of other means of sensory stimualation, but I feel Alva Noto has done more in this collection of sounds than what any picture or word could possibly add to or expand on. Using samples and collaborations from his recent tour of the USA, we find weathered borrowings from Stephen O'Malley and Michael Nyman as well as rehashings of Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto's encore from 2004's "Insen" tour. This is an out and out masterpiece. A true work of great art.

9.3/10

Science Of Yabra - "Don't Panic"

Don't Panic

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Frenetic Records
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1. The Unoriginal Saint (2:57)
2. I Would Rather Lose A Friend Than A Spleen (2:23)
3. Sorry Johnny X (3:18)
4. Amazing Brilliant Genius (3:12)
5. New Nemisis (4:44)
6. Good Times Ruin (2:36)
7. The Kill Is Mean (2:22)
8. Your Voice Is The Tax (2:14)

Snotty, raw and aggressive: three key ingredients for the making of a brilliant Post-Hardcore record. Fusing intricate riffs with blisteringly intense rhythms and great vocals, Science Of Yabra have managed to create quite a wonderful racket. "An amazing blend of East Coast and West Coast post punk that will remind you of Fugazi, Rites of Spring and Drive Like Jehu" is enough of a compliment to sell this record to any self-respecting fan of Punk and Hardcore.

7.8/10

WithoutLove's Brown Bag Campaign

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If you could take 10 seconds to read this website and then take another 10 to consider helping then that would be really great. It's not asking for a lot and 1000 is an easy target. I'll get mine together tomorrow or the next day.

Oh, and feel free to pass the message along to anyone and everyone you know.

Thank you.

Sianspheric - "The Sound Of The Colour Of The Sun"

The Sound Of The Colour Of The Sun

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Sonic Unyon Records
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1. Audiophone (6:08)
2. To Myself (5:14)
3. Tous Les Soirs (4:49)
4. Childrenrunningthroughovergrowntallgrass (1:35)
5. QFD (5:59)
6. Radiodiffusion (6:46)
7. Slightly Less Sunshine (5:25)
8. Ending Is Better Than Mending (4:01)
9. So Blue (4:59)
10. Everything's A Wave (6:03)

This really is what the colour of the Sun would sound like. There's a warmth to this album that's prevalent throughout the quieter, calmer, cleaner moments of Dream Pop as well as in harsh and abrasive walls of distorted guitar, feedback and noise not that uncommon to Shoegaze. This really is a heavyweight in the World of Nugaze and modern Dream Pop. Ethereal enough to warrent recollection of Slowive and then at the drop of a hat, they're as sonically menacing as My Bloody Valentine with just as much rhythm and melody.

8.2/10

Emeralds - "What Happened"

What Happened

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No Fun Productions
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1. Alive In The Sea Of Information (8:02)
2. Damaged Kids (15:01)
3. Up In The Air (4:02)
4. Living Room (16:43)
5. Disappearing Ink (13:32)

It's difficult to place Emeralds. At their core, musically, what you get is vast and expansive synth drones. While there's still hints of Noise and of Ambient, it'd be wrong to say Emeralds are one or the other. What I can say, however, is that whatever they're doing works and it's nothing short of magical. The Ohio trio produce some of the most touching and brilliant soundscapes, coupling great walls of synth and noise with Mark McGuire's twinkling guitar leads and flashes of feedback. It's unfair to say this early on in the year that I've picked my top album for 2009 but I honestly can't help myself. This is what experimental music is all about.

9.1/10

Ahahahaha!

Potentially the funniest thing in the history of advertisement. Cadbury's 1, Everyone else 0.