The blog has been moved!

Narrow-minded Metalhead Reviews Experimental Music is being continued as Like Music to your ears: www.likemusictoyourears.com !. Its purpose is to combine multiple themed blogs. For example Great albums you've never heard of + Music quickies (quick, short & dirty reviews), live reviews and other subjects! All old reviews are also currently being moved there.

I will keep blogger up but I doubt there will be new updates.

Yerzmyey - FREAKuencies & Interphase // NMMREM XXXI

Yerzmyey has been composing his chiptune / micromusic / lo-fi electronica since 1989. Both releases in question have been composed with a ZX Spectrum clone. Not with an emulator, but with an actual retro computer.

The original ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit home computer released in 1982. ZX Spectrum was especially popular in Eastern Europe, mostly because of unofficial clones that were produced en masse in the former eastern block.

I first came across Yerzmyey from Grooveshark recommendations and randomly took two EP's, FREAKuencies and Interphase for listen. It proved to be a great decision.

Especially FREAKuencies is nothing short of damn awesome. It is composed with a Timex Computer 2048 - the American/Portuguese ZX48K clone that came out in 1984.

The sounds may be nostalgic for the 80s generation, but the songs are as fresh as ever. With bit-pop being on raise Yerzmyey is bound to keep finding new fans. His tracks and melodies are simply excellently composed. A lot of hooks and a lot of variation and playful but complicated melodies. Yerzmyey masters the use of distortion which adds so much variety and poise to his catalogue.

FREAKuencies (2008) contains 3/5 killer tracks. Yerzmix 4: melodic ear candy. Fuck off: I really hope the name comes from the chord progression that seems to vocalize "Fuck off fuck off fuck off fuck off". Escape From the Spaceship: the "magnum opus", a long track with a hint of retro sci-fi action and melodies strong enough to only get better during the 6.43 track length. Weird is also a good one, albeit a bit too long, Picturesque however is under the high par the other tracks set. Not bad though.

The top 3 tracks are top notch even compared to any uncompressed Higher-Fi 16 speaker Dolby Surround / 320 000 000 Gbit/s FLAC standard. The retro sound chip sounds as amazing as ever. I can see myself listening them for years to come

Interphase (2009) is plainly more uneven but there are great tracks and ideas. Oxygene (a short Jean-Michel Jarre cover) being the shining example. Parts of almost every track, especially 16Kb, Juh and 5th channel, shine through. But in total the long tracks don't seem to have strong enough founding idea for this amount of variation. Interphase also contains two tracks which I'm not fond of, It's only a joke (not funny) and 16 Kb tune 2 (too long, too slow). Compared to FREAKuencies Interphase may be disappointing, but it is still a good release, better than many metal albums I decide to give a listen to.

Yerzmyey's tunes don't even need a game in the background to function! A sign of a great composer. There are a lot of free download EPs and albums on weblabels (I can also recommend his 2013 release, Brutal and Aggressive). Finding great music has never been easier.

FreaKuencies 9/10
Interphase 7/10

http://www.8bitpeoples.com/products/520268-yerzmyey-freakuencies
http://archive.org/details/dwd-006

Spacebirds - Machine Day // NMMREM XXX

Machine Day is a 3 track ep by Spacebirds, self described as "A Sci-Fi Synth / Spacesound / SynthPop / Techno project from Russia. Producer by EugeneKha." I must admit, at least half of the reason why I picked this EP for listen was the retro soviet cover art.

Machine Day starts with a promising piano intro, which is soon topped with a clumsy fade in. However, the good soundscapes that follow impress. The beatwork is simple, but there are a lot of solid, complex melody-work and spacey hums and wooshes. The sound that comes through is some sort of psychedelic electro (trance?). Compared to Iranon (another similar Sirona artist that I reviewed a week [AHEM! COUGH!] ago), Spacebirds are more dancefloor and extroverted. However my opinion is based merely on this EP.

The second track Mars Attacks is the best cut, a wicked psychedelic flow. It is not that often that I notice nodding my head automatically on a beat of electronic music. Machine Day does it at times and Mars Attacks almost constantly. There must be something special going on here. The sound definitely manages to avoid the worst Fruity Loopery.

There had to be a letdown. The third and final track Moonman has a vibe of being a mash-up track that lacks a functioning suit, silly melodies on top of a jarring thump-thump. Not my piece of pizza. The song brings images of a Moonman doing random stuff while floating around in zero gravity; it could work as a music of an animation or as childrens music but as a near 9 minute song, it doesn't hold its ground.

The trance-like beats of first two tracks do make yours truly, truly an avid hater of trance beats, at best, fall in a state of trance. Same cannot be said on most dancefloor music.

7-/10

Free download: http://archive.org/details/siro476Spacebirds-MachineDay
The blog of the artist: http://spacebirds-sounds.blogspot.com (more music and spacey stuff :))

Iranon - Painting The Sound // NMMREM XXIX

Iranon, a one man project of Luc Messina is a promising psychedelic electronic outlet with spacerock influences. The main man not only does the music but also the stunning artworks. Just look it, it's beautiful.

So far Iranon has released 1 album, Painting The Sound in 2011 (+ individual tracks on compilations). The album starts with its title track, ambience and a very Ozric Tentacles like bass riff. Cannot start a record with much more promise than this.

It is followed by some amazing Vangelis-vibe ambience and pretty piano melody and soon classy guitar leads. The guitar sound has a bit of a demo-feel but the structure and melodies are near top-class. In the end-track the guitar turns into some classy bass groove. Very nicely constructed.

After the first cut, it is painstakingly clear why the album got its title from Painting The Sound. While rest of the tracks fail to utterly disappoint, they just cannot reach to the standard set by Painting The Sound. Hell, I really thought i'd have a masterwork on my hands. For example, while I'm still mood peaking from the awesomeness of first track, Arctic Oasis is classy and Civilized Insects sympathetic but they're more based on repetition than growth. It may have its fans but I feel the main themes fail to stay interesting enough.

It is also about the dynamics and setting a standard. When an album fills your ears with an enlightening 9/10 track, the next 6/10-7/10 tracks fail to satiate.

By the end of the record the spacerock vibes are fewer and the main element is painted electronic soundscapes and atmospheres. Tracks take a notable time to start and require patience and right mindset. Sound balancing also has more problems in the end album, sometimes tracks have quiet ambience that suddenly elevates into loudness. Thus the last three tracks require more volume or headphones to really open up. Especially the last track, Polar Tribes. The quiet ambients become that much more entertaining.

Painting the Sound is a pretty good effort but the album fails to live to the expectations set by the great first track. But boy, is the first track promising. If psychedelic electronic or spacerock are your things, I'll definitely suggest you to give it a spin. Iranon should have more than just 1 great track per album to offer in the future.

7-/10

Free download: https://archive.org/details/Iranon-PaintingTheSound (5051 downloads)

You can also check the artwork by the artist from here (he makes killer album covers): http://oniroscope.deviantart.com/gallery/

Plus Iranon also has another great track "The End of Eternity" on this compilation: Sincerity Is The Key

Next week a very comparable album Machine Day by Spacebirds!

Pigeon Cadaver - Promethean Phenomenons // NMMREM XXVII

Promethean Phenomenons EP by Pigeon Cadaver, is a giant leap towards a big sound. The Germans LP Musiken So Wertvoll Wie Golddublonen (2011) had a lot less hugeness in it and the sort of randomness that you often find from free-download artists. Promethean Phenomenons seems to have shrugged off the randomness but still remains dark and melodic speedcore. It sounds very intact and thought; the flow during the release is remarkably good.

The quick drum-pounding and much varied beats are still the backbone. Sometimes the beatwork even gets to lolicore (aka ridiculously fast) tempos but the music doesn't stray to humour genre. There is a lurking funniness in it, but it is more subconcious.

The big sound does make Pigeon Cadaver lose a lot of the tribal(?) feel that was apparent in his earlier releases. But in general it is an improvement, the grand ambients support the compositions unlike before and Pigeon Cadaver is now a lot more than just a percussion driven artist. Still for example Homicide Unleashed finds a way to turn up a catchy tribal beat in the end. And before that, what a VAST surge it is!

One thing hasn't changed, the catchy parts are often too short. Its good effect is that the less catchy parts often end before you get annoyed by them too. The main themes around the tracks are well thought and don't wear off quickly, although killer melodies remain absent.

From somewhere in the depths Promethean Phenomenons finds that odd mystic-tinge, feel from somewhere beyond. It is more than the sum of its parts. More thrilling than its musical output is. Mystique titles like Resurrection Ω and Praestigiae and classy use of sound clips help triggering it. The mentioned Resurrection Ω is the standout track. It uses a majestic touch of female choir ambience with very rapid drumming. The old Pigeon Cadaver couldn't have done this.

8+/10

Free download: http://splatterkore.blogspot.com/2013/08/sk061-pigeon-cadaver-promethean.html (149 downloads 08.12.13)

SilViolence - Readymade Intonarumori - Machinery Sounds Puzzle Game! // NMMREM XXVIII

Ever fancied hearing a noise release that portrays bunch of different machines in action? I know I haven't, but that didn't stop Readymade Intonarumori becoming a delightful release. What we have on it is 25 tracks, named in Italian and seemingly all are sounds made by different machines.

It might not sound like an exciting idea musically, but it is a very fun release if you approach it the right way. Readymade Intonarumori can be used as a braingame of trying to guess what devices were used in every track! That is in fact what I did. I called a friend for a visit and had a fun 30 minutes of guessing the origins of the sounds.

The album is inspired by Luigi Russolo who is considered one of the first noise composers. Luigi Russolo's one of the most famous works is a work called Intonarumori where he constructed multiple noise creating devices and assembled them as a noise orchestra to perform with them.

What I did was, I asked for Silviolence about the release and had him comment me the right results! Well, the ones that I could not decipher with google translate.

The correct results are published on the very bottom of the review. Feel free to post your own guesses in the comments! If you fancy to give the braingame a go DO NOT read the following lists down there, first there are the guesses of me and my friend and on the bottom the correct results :).

Download the album for free here:
ZIP: http://archive.org/details/SilViolenceReadymadeIntonarumori
Last.fm: http://www.last.fm/music/SilViolence/Readymade+Intonarumori





My guesses:
1. vacuum cleaner
2. electric blender
3. refridgerator
4. electric shaver
5. extractor hood (kitchen)
6. circular saw
7. table fan
8. vacuum cleaner
9. ship engine
10. blender
11. drill
12. helicopter
13. epilator
14. epilator
15. car
16. radio static
17. metro
18. roof ventilator
19. photocopier
20. printer
21. electric blender
22-
23. tumble dryer
24. tumble dryer
25. dish washing machine
26. rechargeable battery vacuum cleaner

3/26 :D

Friend's guesses:
1. Vacuum cleaner
2. electric motor
3. static
4. electric shaver
5. rechargeable battery vacuum cleaner
6. electronic saw
7. processor
8. vacuum cleaner
9. lawnmower
10. electric drill
11. electric drill
12. fan
13. electric dildo on a bed
14. electric toothbrush
15. TV
16. Static in TV
17. aquarium air pump
18. Ekg
19. something going in and out, dvd-drive?
20. Printer
21. Printer
22. -
23. Printer
24. lathe
25. infrared lamp
26. electric toothbrush in mouth

2/26

Correct Answers
1. vacuum cleaner
2. Electric Toothbrush
3. Blender
4. Screed
5. Hair Dryer
6. Driller
7. Tuner
8. Aspirator
9. Fan
10. Electric screwdriver
11. Shredder
12. sprinklers
13. Respirator
14. Epilator
15. Winder
16. Humidifier
17. Air conditioning unit
18. Printer
19. Photocopy
20. Scanner
21. Beater vatkain vispilä
22. Labeler
23. VHS rewinder
24. VHS rewinder
25. Solar powered car cooling
26. Electric Toothbrush

Rainbow Valley - Antisolar // NMMREM XXVI

Dreamlike. Buzzing. Charming. Warm. Colourful. Aesthetic. Wandering. Mysterious.

Rainbow Valley is an English artist whose 17 minute low bitrate release, consists of only one track. When in a mellow and patient state, it is a superbly quick and joyoys task to listen. If the start minutes give away a bit of creep, Antisolar turns to an emotional and wavy bright ambient hymn. Typical lo-bit micronoises in the background fill the majestic atmosphere beautifully. Very full and all encompassing sound. Great for naturewalks or sunday mornings. Among my favourite lo-bit tracks, in-line with Moon by Covolux.




8½/10
 
Download for free:
http://archive.org/details/siro241RainbowValley-Antisolar