We’re glad to present the first RECOMMENDED episode so far. RECOMMENDED is our column for presenting and recommending though one, simple article, what impressed us in the last period. All entries go along with a very short and catching presentation. Clicking on the artworks to be redirected!
Each article is be divided in four sections:
- Brand New, reporting our suggestions referred to the last two months before the publication of the article;
- Still Hot / Heavy Rotation, featuring stuff that is about 6-to-12-months recent and that is worth mentioning one times more;
- Blasts From the Past, summoning suggestions related to old episodes, somewhat still relevant today;
- finally, Other Suggestions complete the picture.
Have a good read!
- Weightausend – Meet Your Doom (Green Death) [Forthcoming on Haunter Records, 06/05/16] – This is the second Weightausend’s tape on Haunter Records, a tape-label based in Milan developing techn-ish punk-driven takes on electronic music. Alias of Matthias Girardi, half of the terror-duo Cage Suburbia, the project is based on heavy glimpses of raw and uncompromising brutality. The self-titled track comes also with a remix version by Christoph de Babalon. Some of the greatest tunes Haunter records has ever put out!
- K.lust – Liven [Stochastic Resonance, 03/05/16] – Anacleto Vitolo [AV-K, K.lone, Kletus.K, X(i)NEON with doublebass player Francesco Galatro, Internos with Domenico Stellavatecascio and Algebra del Bisogno with viola player Michela Coppola], releases his first album as K.lust, an evolution of his own past project K.lone. “Liven is focused on the concept of circularity, combining an intricate rhythmic work with deep bass lines and warm drone/ambient textures”
- Oren Ambarchi / Stefano Pilia /Massimo Pupillo – Aithein [Karlrecords, 29/04/16] – Recorded live in Bologna in april 2015, the multi-instrumentalist Oren Ambarchi, the guitarist Stefano Pilia and the founder of ZU / bass player Massimo Pupillo “embark on a captivating trip that starts quietly with reductive sounds only to raise volume and intensity on its way towards an cathartic peak (or skywards, considering the album title that references different meanings of ether)”
- Metro – Thursday [Pinecone Moonshine, 26/04/16] – Metro’s heavy and schizophrenic low frequencies reach the Pinecone Moonshine label, New Orleans based, presenting a work that desperately revisits the typical drum’n’bass beat, completely destroying it. The producer started his own label Ortem this year, willing to demonstrate “how to use repetition in Drum and Bass in a natural way. [] these pieces are like Funk or Soul music that is mostly low frequency content”
- Arklight / Sheep Bella Tine split [Kerchow! Records, 24/04/16] -The tape label Kerchow! Records from Chino Hills, California, recently pull out this very nice split tape between Arklight, playing lo-fi old-indie-rock-fashioned lullaby-tunes, and the band Sheep Bella Tine that we’ve been strictly following recently. They’re impro-rock (taking influence from the great Indie US season of the last 80s – first 90s) is so nice they joined our heroes Father Murphy in a gig back in October 2014
- Prehistoric Silence: Session 1 [Prehistoric Silence, 24/04/16] – Session 1 is the debut record on the new-born Italian label called Prehistoric Silence, Padova / Treviso-based, and run by two very young guys both age 20. Collecting tracks mostly from the Italian region of Veneto, Session 01 is a great, fresh and interesting compendium on ambient / drone pieces focused on dilated, epic atmospheres
- eu-IV – Pearl [Turbo Tape, 22/04/16] – The Italian label Turbo Tape, Catania – Turin based, released his first vinyl couple days ago after many tapes that went sold out in a glimpse of the eye. The guys focus on experimental beat-making and digital-vibed hip-hop. All the records appearing in their catalogue is strongly recommended
- Dälek – Asphalt For Eden [Profound Lore Records, 22/04/16] – Dälek strikes back after 6 years has passed since the Untitled records on Latitude. We dare to say the record stands as a great comeback, one some of the fans would have never bet on. We’ve been missing you guys!
- Quatremont College – Teachers [Enklav, 18/04/16] – Quatremont College is Chevel + Evn + Mudwise + Von Tesla, at their second release together. The EP is a selection of music recorded between 2015 and 2016. Enjoy this 4 pieces of dubbed, syncopated and evocative electronics! Graphics are by Christian Olofsson and the mastering has been done by Aucan’s Jo Ferliga at Tapewave Mastering, Brescia
- Bardo Pond - Acid Guru Pond [Fire Records, 16/04/16] – “It’s Record Store Day announcement day #6 and we’re ecstatic to reveal this 2 x split-colour vinyl of psych- drone majesty from the other-worldly talents of Bardo Pond. This time they’ve teamed up with Japanese psych-experimentalists, Acid Mother’s Temple and Guru Guru for this fantastic collaboration.” Fire Records, 16/03/2016
- Rrose / Tujurikkuja – Omertà [Eaux, 08/04/2016] – Eaux (and Rrose) has been proposing high-quality releases since the very first one, and Omertà (an Italian mafia-related concept) doesn’t miss the score. One track per artist, in the EP stars a strong will to experiment, expressed in a noisy, contorted tour-de-force by Tujurikkuja, and completed by a take of the hypnotic techno Rrose has been producing and investigating untiringly for a long time
- Panabrite – Recovered Frames 03 [electronique.it, 31/03/16] – Recovered Frames 03 is the third episode of the tape series by electronique.it (the label of the Italian techno-oriented webzine). “Unfinished tracks, alternative versions and old recordings represent a hidden side of the producer that would be interesting to show, hence it is revelead each month through a limited edition tape.” Episode 03 is by Panabrite (Norm Chambers, Seattle)
- Antonio Ruscito – Uncertain Future Forms [Edit Select, 31/03/16] – Antonio Ruscito carves in blasting beats and wondrus synths a wonderful, dreamy EP made out of 4 different abstract forms (Form #0 to Form #3) meant to express the uncertainty of the future (see how the release is called). The sublime, transcendent mood each of the Form tracks raises perfectly matches with the album’s title and majestic grandeur
- PASSED – Illuminant / Glory [Boring Machines, 27/03/16] – Tommaso Risto aka PASSED joins the party for the Ten Years of the Italian label Boring Machines (alreay celebrated last March at Circolo DalVerme, Rome, for the annual edition of Thalassa Festival in the occasion called ONGAPALOOZA; the second episode will take place at Musica Nelle Valli #17, fall of May) releasing two wild tribal tracks attesting on the label’s standards of high quality. We’re sure they’ll stay as high as ever for other 10 years at least
- Blacksun – Sysma EP [Concepto Ipnotico, 25/03/16] – Blacksun is a techno-experimental producer based in Turin, Italy. Sisma EP was published last 25th of March by the techno / minimal outfit label called Concepto Ipnotico from Argentina. The records develops articulated pieces of martial techno with heavy focus on the beat, managing to create a strong climate of danger
- Mauoq & Medika – Mauoq & Medika EP [Aluminium Shiny Shin Side Shack Out, 18/03/16] – Mauoq and Medika (the mind behing the Noise concept nigth in Brixton) join their efforts to put out this record on Aluminium Shiny Shin Side Shack Out Music. The eponymous EP focuses on different styles of dnb, going from Halfstep to dark quakes of bass frequencies. Two of the 3 tracks are done separately by the two producers, while the last one is a four-hands-work
- The Body – No One Deserves Happiness [Thrill Jockey Records, 18/03/16] – On No One Deserves Happiness, The Body’s Chip King and Lee Buford set out to make “the grossest pop album of all time.” “The Body can emote pain like no other band, and their ability to move between the often strict confines of the metal world and the electronic music sphere is on full display throughout it. A beautiful combining of extremes”
- Shiken Hanzo – Yari EP [Self-Released, 18/03/16] – Shiken Hanzo self-released this intriguing 4-tracks EP as his second record in 2016, after the one on Cylon Recordings last January. The producer pushes the listener to take action and fight through his minimal and gauzy drum’n’bass, characterized by corked basslines and padded atmospheres
- Stanislav Tolkachev / YYYY – Locus Of Control [Weekend Circus, 18/03/16] – This is a very valid split EP between the always-so-good Ukrainian producer Tolkachev, accompanied by the surprising brothers-duo from Argentina called YYYY. The record is out on Weekend Circus, the London-based techno label founded by Michael Wells. YYYY are worth your trust!
- Internazionale – The Basin Of Alhambra [Janushoved, 13/03/2016] – The 38th release of the Copenaghen-based tape-label Janushoved is a limited-edition C20 tape by Mikkel Valentin Dunkerley, who has been expressing a subdued, wheezing branch of electronic drone / ambient music taking great inspiration from the old-school ritual-esoteric Industrial tape culture. Internazionale is never disappointing
- Panopticon / Waldgeflüster Split [Nordvis / Bindrune Recordings, 11/03/16] – The Panopticon / Waldgeflüster 4-tracks split represents a heart-breaking journey in heavy-emotional territories: two wonderful about-12-minutes long tracks plus two struggling folk ballads for each side / artist. No other musicians involved in the Panopticon project other than A. Lunn, while Waldgefluster is a black metal outcome from Munchen completing this heavy-metal essay on melancholy and holes in the stomach.
- Virtual Forest – Ritual Machine Music [Yerevan Tapes, 09/03/16] – This is the second release for Marco Bernacchia on Yerevan Tapes after the stunning Unconscious Cognition Is The Processing Of Perception out last year. The alias is active after the noise-blues-natural folk experiences as Above the Tree Marco had been doing in the previous years. This time, the artist throws the listener into a couple of detached, bipolar jam-explorations, offering a huge amount of hints and feelings within each of the pieces
- Aaron Dilloway & Dylan Nyoukis – Droupout Elements [Chocolate Monk, 04/03/16] – “Long time coming collaboration. Dilloway takes tapes of Nyoukis singing, playing violin, pogo stick and other junk and turns it into 4 tracks of heavy loop madness. Saltier than a mumified German sailor. Numbered edition of 50”
- Skag Arcade & meanwhile.in.texas – Fernweh [Luce Sia, 02/03/16] – Fernweh, meaning literally “farsickness” or “longing for far-off places”, is a the debut tape for the Italian duo (just for this very occasion) Skag Arcade / meanwhile.in.texas on the old-fashined label Luce Sia from Switzerland: a journey into destruction and desperation, an intimate look at one’s inner tragedy. See here the tape trailer: vimeo link.
- Xenodrome – Ninth Circle [Rexistenz, 16/02/16] – “Xenodrome returns to Rexistenz with this breath taking four tracker. His style has evolved further in the direction of oppressive, claustrophobic modern electronic music. Blending elements of death / ambient, techno, hardcore and jungle, Xenodrome walks hand in hand with the Devil down the Ninth circle of Hell, one haunted region after the other, leaving no place for light or understanding, only a bleak sense of impending doom. Leave every hope…”
- Sam Kdc – Law of the Trapezoid [Auxiliary, 12/02/16] – Sam KDC has been pushing forward the experiments on 170 bpm deep electronics for many years now, moved by a heavy fever and uncompromising will. This release on Auxiliary enrichens the amount of releases he’s been working on adding and exasperating techno-derived connotations, reaching neat peaks of violence
- Tape Crash #13: Silent Carnival / Sneers [Old Bicycle Records, 11/02/16] – The 13th episode of the Tape Crash series by Bicycle Records from Switzerland hosts a split tape by Silent Carnival and Sneers. The dark-folk experimental project created by Marco Giambrone – Silent Carnival – meets the obsessively repetitive psych-music by the duo composed by Maria Greta Pizza (guitar, voice) and Leonardo Oreste Stefenelli (batteria e percussioni)
- Radford Electronics – s/t [Körper / Leib, 10/02/16] – The tape label Körper / Leib from Naples, one of the most interesting outcomes in the recent years in Italy, has released a couple tapes in the last month (see their bandcamp portal). Despite we strongly recommend you to listen all the releases on it, we would like to bring your attention on this one, on which the founder Aaron Rumore is appearing together with Guido Marziale, already known as Eeks (KL003). The field of action is odd-guitar music, with lopsided vocals (Aaron’s), a heavy / puke attitude and a peculiarly touching Beat Happening cover
- Paul Jebanasam – Continuum [Subtext, 05/02/16] – Continuum represents a wonderful, magnificent, and perturbing journey experience skillfully lead by the artist through the three tracks of the record. Their titles are characterized by unusual combination of mathematical symbols and digits, and each of them are way beyond the 10 minutes in length. Highly emotional, the record is strongly recommended for all psychedelic-music lovers of all ages
- Hive Mind – s / t [Digital Release, 04/02/16] – This is the debut-digital release for Hive Mind, a four-members outcome from Bloomington, Indiana, playing lo-fi, extremely fast and raw hardcore punk music heavily influenced by the golden age of forgotten emo-screamo USA hardcore (such as Usurp Synapse, and many others). Quite an odd artwork completes the picture. Strongly recommended!
- Gaja – Slaves of the Future [Ophism, 25/01/16] – The Italian techno hero Alessandro Gaja, now living in Berlin, strikes back with this release on his own label Ophism. Few words presenting the record by Niet Signala: “Alberto Tomba on acid. Special slalom between the columns of a forgotten industrial warehouse. Combat electro beats meets UK ravesque distorted acid sound of the 90es. [] No computer quantized. No prisoners”
- Tindersticks – The Waiting Room [City Slang / Lucky Dog Recordings, 22/01/16] – “It took 4 years to create, what seemed like, a huge pile of ideas and then sift though them to find the nuggets that form this album. An album essentially made from a collection of first or second takes of shared moments, gently edited down and embellished into the songs here. After 2102’s ‘the something rain’ tindersticks needed some time to figure out this rebuilt, reinvigorated band we had become. Time needed for it take its own shape”
- Ches Smith – The Bell [ECM Records, 15/01/16] – The Bell is the debut solo record as a composer by Ches Smith, very well-known to the indie-rock community for having played percussions in many Xiu Xiu albums (he collaborated also with Mr. Bungle, John Zorn, Marc Ribot, …). The album moves in low-dinamic, light-on-electronics contemporary-jazz territories, and sees Smith helped in the journey by pianist Craig Taborn and violist Mat Maneri
- Bloodiest – Bloodiest [Relapse Records, 15/01/2016] – The self-titled record comes as the third overall for the band, offering a strong and straight-to-the-point sludg-y, distorted heavy metal music, with echoing and at some occasion rancid vocals. “Unlike experimental acts that seek to add spice [] via elements of other styles, BLOODIEST take the opposite approach. The band uses metal to sharpen its attack, which at its core is composed more of rock and avant-garde themes than extreme metal”
- Zosima / OAKE – Metamorphosis [Noiztank, 11/01/2016] – The heavy industrial techno tunes appearing on Noiztank, a label born in Vienna in 2014, did not remained unnoticed among the supporters and followers of the genre. The 5th release on it sees its founder Zosima destroying any fixed pattern on beat and kicks, and OAKE, the incredible duo composed by Eric Goldstein and Konstanze Bathseba Zippora, remixing 2 tracks and managing to add an esotherical connotation to the outcome
- Nicola Ratti – Pressure Loss [Where to Now?, 03/01/16] – Nicola Ratti strikes back with an idm-ish, minimalistic summation on modular electronic music, that sounds almost empty, in the sense that the listener is forced to fill the voids with his/her self. The record offers another, in-depth perspective on the sound of rattling bones, as it has been done in Ossario out on Holiday Records
- Lil’ Ugly Mane – Oblivion Access [Ormolycka, 18/12/15] – The cult MC / producer named Travis Miller, who has been releasing stuff also on the Italian label Hundebiss among the others, came strong at the end of last year with a 44-minute poisonous hip-hop agony that will not most definitely leave you indifferent – in the case you have been missing this record, of course
- Sammartano – Low Pitched Italy [Black Moss, 18/12/15] – At the end of the Still Hot / Heavy Rotation sub-section, we’d strongly like to feature one of our 2015 favourite records overall. The record is a well-balanced, shocking mixture of dubbed and obscure experimental music, neatly guzzling hip-hop elements and rhythms. Further more, we recommended the activy of Gaspare together with Donato Epiro and Andrea Penso on the label Canti Magnetici, about to put out its fourth release. Stay tuned!
- Bossa Luce - Nel Salotto Degli Appestati [Endangered Species, 02/11/2015] – The elusive Mr. Vincent E.F.c, from Turin, Italy, put out this almost unnoticed, extreme record last November on Endangered Species, a New York based label founded by Oliver Vereker in 2014. The field of action of the musician is a lo-fi, raw acid EBM, in which the undisputed leading character is the distorted voice, almost sadistic, engaging the listener in a corrupted rush of deviant feelings and wicked aesthetics.
- City of Caterpillar – S/t [Forthcoming repress on Repeater Records, June 2016] – One of the greatest 90s emo-hc-punk records ever, appeared in 2002 on one of the greatest 90s emo-hc-punk label ever (Level Plane Records), is going to be re-pressed on Repeater Records. Repeater Records is at its second release, the first being another RP: Funeral Diner’s the Underdark out in 2005 on Alone Records
- Egyptian Lover - Egyptian Lover 1983-1988 [Stones Throw Records, 15/04/16] – “Egyptian Lover 1983-1988 was released as a vinyl box set: four LPs housed in an all-black case with gold foil print; 20-page book with photos, liner notes by Jeff Weiss, and detailed track history by Egyptian Lover. Recordings taken from the original master tapes”
- AA.VV. – New York Noise [Soul Jazz, Repress, 02/02/16] – “This is the new 2016 edition of Soul Jazz Records’ long out of print first New York Noise collection, Dance Music From The New York Underground 1978-82. This new 2016 edition features classic New York post-punk, punk funk and no wave tracks from Arthur Russell/Dinosaur L, James White and the Contortions, The Theoretical Girls, Mars, Konk, Material, Bush Tetras, Lizzy Mercier Descloux as well as new tracks by Alan Vega (Suicide)”
- Bakunin Commando – s/t [Amok Tapes, 17/12/15] – It has been impossible for us not to include in this list a record by the mighty Francesco Baudazzi, one of our favourite Italian producers ever and one of the greatest artists in the post-industrial, techno / EBM scene in the world. This time, we opt for the harsh, way-more-fetish-than-usual tape on Amok Tapes published under the alias Bakunin Commando. (Un)enjoy
- Burial Hex – Assumption / Ascension [Angst, 28/11/15] – “For over a decade now, Burial Hex, the eponymous maestro of Horror Electronics, has offered us a confounding glimpse into the dark night of the soul. On this powerful offering, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Clay Ruby and cellist Angela McJunkin gracefully weave through a shocking juxtaposition of kosmische neo-classical and power electronics. In an attempt to depict the mysteries of the Assumption and Ascension, Burial Hex makes a harrowing musical journey that ultimately culminates in a peaceful resolution with a very uncharacteristic piece of monastic folk pastorale”
- Daniele Santagiuliana – Doppelganger [Looney-Tick Productions, 23/11/15] – Doppelganger is a mesmerizing electronic folk recorded by Daniele Santagiuliana, one of the Italian underground heroes in the recent years, out on his own label on which he’s been hosting his works as Testing Vault too. We never got tired of listening this record, so it was almost mandatory for us to include it in our RECOMMENDED section. Support the artist!
- New Processean Order – CrufiEgo [End of Kali Yuga Editions, 27/10/15] – CrucifEgo scarcely resonated on the Internet and on the dedicated press in 2015, despite its great value – according to us, at least. Dark-ambient, esotherical themes, rituals and Robert De Grimston’s teachings are merged together by Alessandro Papa’s unerring craftsmanship, helped through by Simon Balestrazzi (that we’ll have the honour to host on our pages soon) Marcello Fraioli, Marco Deplano, Corrado Altieri and few others
- Marie Losier / Tony Conrad – Dreaminimalist [2008, DVD] – With this entry, we recommend this hilarious 25-minutes-long documentary directed by Marie Losier, about one of the very pioneer of New York minimalism that is the violin player Tony Conrad who died the last April 9th at age 76 after fighting prostate cancer
- Bloody Riot - Disubbitisciti – Ardecore De Roma 1983-2001 [Onda Rossa Libri, 2001] – Rendiamo tributo al frontman leggendario del gruppo Hardcore Punk Romano Bloody Riot, Roberto Perciballi, morto lo scorso 20 Marzo 2016, attraverso questa raccolta omnicomprensiva della discografia della band, uscita nel 2001 su Onda Rossa Libri. Per sempre C.L.S.
- Phife Dawg – Ventilation: Da LP [Groove Attack Productions, 2000] – The 2016 year is taking away many fundamental musicians all over the world. Without any intention on speculating on the losses of those artists, we’d like to pay our respect to Phife Dawg, dead on March the 22th after an incredible career who brought him to assert as one of the greatest MCs ever lived. R.I.P.
- Polvo – Can I Ride [Kitchen Puff, 1990] – Mac McCaughan: “Stunned and saddened to hear of Eddie Watkins’ passing. It took a unique drummer to make those Polvo records & they are some of my favorite records, period. Classics. Sweet guy to be with on tour and in the studio. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.” We choose this record and the title track in particular to remember the band and the drummer. The tune appeared also in the cult movie Half-Cocked’s OST, that is strongly recommended.
- Naná Vasconcelos - Zumbi [Europa Records, 1983] – “Naná Vasconcelos (2 August 1944 – 9 March 2016) was a Brazilian percussionist, vocalist and berimbau player, notable for his work as a solo artist on over two dozen albums, and as a backing musician with Pat Metheny, Don Cherry, Egberto Gismonti, Gato Barbieri and Milton Nascimento. Vasconcelos was diagnosed with lung cancer in mid 2015. He died from the disease on 9 March 2016, in Recife.” We bring up this record as we feel is one of his most representative releases.
- ITALIAN PUNK HARDCORE 1980-1989 | The movie | LoveHate80.it [2015] – Consigliamo caldamente uno dei migliori documentari che ci è capitato di vedere riguardanti la scena Hardcore Punk Italiana dagli albori fino al declino, contenente moltissime informazioni, dettagli e racconti di episodi divertenti, ricoprenti ogni possibile aspetto legato al genere in questione ed al legame di esso con la realtà sociale e politica di quegli anni. Il miglior pregio di Italian Punk Hardcore The Movie, a nostro avviso, è quello di aver accuratamente evitato ogni connotazione nostalgica nella realizzazione del film, al contrario presentando il racconto con vero e proprio taglio ‘giornalistico’
- Andrzej Żuławski – Diabel [1972] – Diabel is a hallucinated movie, staged at the fall of the XVIII century and telling about the evil deeds of an apparently demented, young Polish nobleman. It was banned from the Communist Polish government in 1972. This was the reason Andrzej Zulaswki decided to move to Paris, and the moment when the difficult relationship with the censorship and political authorities started. The director died this year at the age of 76
- World Of Tomorrow [Don Hertzfeldt, 2015] – “World of Tomorrow is an Academy Award-nominated 2015 American animated science fiction short film written, directed, produced, animated, and edited by Don Hertzfeldt. It features the voice of Julia Pott, opposite Hertzfeldt’s four-year-old niece Winona Mae, who was recorded while drawing and playing.” A mind-blowing and deeply fascinating short movie showing off the heavy amount of phylosophical and ethical implications related to the explosion of the present post-Internet society at the edge of a momentous technologic breakthrough
- Gastr del Sol – A Serpentine Similar / Bastro – Sing the Troubled Beast [Teenbeat / Homestead, 1993 / 1990] – We’re putting together these two records since both of their artwork features a Michael O’ Bannon painting. The seminal figure for Louisville punk / indie scene died April the 10th leaving a shocking hole in the community. He founded together with his brother Wink O’Bannon and Sandy Campbell, the Louisville punk band Blinders
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PAYNOMINDTOUS is a non-profit organization registered in December 2018, operating since late 2015 as a webzine and media website. In early 2017, we started our own event series in Turin, IT focused on arts, experimental, and dancefloor-oriented music. We reject every clumsy invocation to “the Future” meant as the signifier for capitalistic “progress” and “innovation”, fully embracing the Present instead; we renounce any reckless and ultimately arbitrary division between “high” and “low”, respectable and not respectable, “mind” and “body”; we support and invite musicians, artists, and performers having diverse backgrounds and expressing themselves via variegated artistic practices.