arf's january 2023 haul
New year, let's try again! I listen to moosicks and report back on what I think you should NOT miss. Aside from AOTM most of what's listed on here will be the more overlooked stuff. |
| 1 |  | Cicada (Taiwan)
Seeking the Sources of Streams
Blissful chamber-something, dedicated to the mountains and nature of central Taiwan.
[ chamber ]
2023-01-06
https://flau.bandcamp.com/album/seeking-the-sources-of-streams |
| 2 |  | Rye
Всё
Hypnotic, dark, melancholic.
[ blackgaze ]
2023-01-02
https://bandrye.bandcamp.com/album/--5 |
| 3 |  | Laibach
Love Is Still Alive
Laibach take the country closing track they wrote for Iron Sky - The Coming Race, write variations on it (deconstructing it all the way down to space ambient), and call it an EP ("hidden sequel to the movie"). I haven't had the chance to listen to the other, proper album they released last month, but I'm hearing it's a return to their industrial roots.
[ country / space ambient ]
2023-01-20
https://laibach.bandcamp.com/album/love-is-still-alive |
| 4 |  | Resinator
Acid Dungeon
Resinator continues his series of psychedelic dungeon synth albums with the last one that now leans closer to psybient and goa than the stoner metal like the previous releases. 44 minute epic psysynth track.
[ psychedelic dungeon synth ]
2023-01-07
https://resinator.bandcamp.com/album/acid-dungeon |
| 5 |  | Lord Bakartia
The Final Boss
Quite a varied release that includes both old school dungeon synth and video-game inspired electronic sounds. Split into two 20 minute tracks.
[ dungeon synth ]
2023-01-20
https://lordbakartia.bandcamp.com/album/the-final-boss |
| 6 |  | Silent Whale Becomes A Dream
North
Ethereal, aquatic crescendocore, EP contains two tracks: title track and remastered version of Architeuthis originally released in 2015.
[ post-rock ]
2023-01-20
https://silentwhale.bandcamp.com/album/north-ep |
| 7 |  | Arnaut Pavle
Transylvanian Glare
Punky, riff-heavy vampiric black metal. Goes hard
[ black metal ]
2023-01-20
https://arnautpavle.bandcamp.com/album/transylvanian-glare |
| 8 |  | Prognan
Naši Životi Više Ne Postoje
Finally, epic balkan metal! I've wanted to hear someone have the balls to mix metal with balkan brass forever. Here I could finally hear it in one track. The rest is good too (it's a concept album, about a Serb soldier in WW1).
[ epic black / death metal ]
2023-01-08
https://prognanband.bandcamp.com/album/nasi-zivoti-vise-ne-postoje |
| 9 |  | Ohzora Kimishima
Eitaisuru Kemuri
Very nice, heartwarming and varied indie album, at core pop but there's plenty of folk, rock, electronic, mixed in on different tracks.
[ indie pop ]
2023-01-18
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_muWPM01kqUEJQUE0x6ropzPhJ0ACLS3QM |
| 10 |  | Ak'chamel
A Mournful Kingdom of Sand
The duo now goes as "Ak’chamel, The Divinatory Monkey and the Sovereign Plumed Serpent", apparently. Let's just go with Ak'chamel. Another one in a series of ritualistic, dark, old-world-y avant-folk.
[ avant-folk ]
2023-01-20 (vinyl-buyers say this was available for download as soon as pre-orders hit back in November, though)
https://akchamel.bandcamp.com/album/a-mournful-kingdom-of-sand |
| 11 |  | Supernatural Darkness
Knight of the Old Code
Epic dungeon synth with good analog synth sounds and melodic songwriting.
[ dungeon synth ]
2023-01-21
https://supernaturaldarkness.bandcamp.com/album/knight-of-the-old-code |
| 12 |  | Werna Wolf
Labyrinth
This is an interesting one, a very philosophical and christian-themed blackened epic doom DIY bandcamp release. Very ambitious and I appreciate the attempt!
[ black / doom metal ]
2023-01-01
https://wernawolf.bandcamp.com/album/labyrinth |
| 13 |  | Fogweaver
Magelight
New Fogweaver release, can't go wrong with some more ambient-dungeon synth from Earthsea.
[ dungeon synth ]
2023-01-13
https://thefogweaver.bandcamp.com/album/magelight |
| 14 |  | Erang
A Blaze In Time
Erang does a great job at conveying the nostalgic back-to-childhood feelings on this one.
[ dungeon synth ]
2023-01-01
https://erang.bandcamp.com/album/a-blaze-in-time |
| 15 |  | Tales of a Liquid Dawn
The Rise Of Emperor Var
The Xafyre Chronicles Part 2. Instrumental album with old school prog songwriting.
[ progressive / stoner metal ]
2023-01-31
https://toald.bandcamp.com/album/the-rise-of-emperor-var |
| 16 |  | Gadfly (CAN)
Apranik
"This is what Tehran sounded like before the Islamic revolution." (They're from Vancouver, though.)
[ stoner metal ]
2022-12-31
https://gadfly-band.bandcamp.com/album/apranik |
| 17 |  | Coeur Dore
Allégiance
Raw, melodic, medieval black metal.
[ black metal ]
2022-12-29
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noDE57QJUK4 |
| 18 |  | Nok Cultural Ensemble
Njhyi
That's right, first I bang the drum, then I ...
[ west african percussion ] (I've always wondered, would this kind of music count as acoustic techno?)
2022-10-14
https://nokculturalensemble.bandcamp.com/album/njhyi |
| 19 |  | Boucle Infinie
Summit
Nobody told me that Rémi Gallego (The Algorithm) did a synthwave album? Of course this is not just generic synthwave, there's touches of post-rock, space ambient, as well as Algorithm-y complex rhythms over it.
[ synthwave ]
2022-09-23
https://intothealgorithm.bandcamp.com/album/summit |
| 20 |  | John Moods
The Great Design
Warm 80s synths and psych pop, big thanks to youtube suggestions for this one!
[ psychedelic indie pop ]
2022-11-11
https://johnmoods.bandcamp.com/album/the-great-design |
| 21 |  | Wraithlord
Dawn of Sorrow
Another one from the Flint, MI scene. Folky, atmospheric, melodic black metal.
[ black metal ]
2022-12-22
https://wraithlord.bandcamp.com/album/dawn-of-sorrow |
| 22 |  | Menage A Un
Now Everybody–
Let's help fellow spud get laid.
[ black metal / pop punk / a bit of everything else ]
2023-01-15
https://menageaun.bandcamp.com/album/now-everybody |
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