Birdloom (self titled)

What we have here is an imaginative mashup of traditional style folk music with early 2000s electronica, Loop Guru style. It was actually made around then and I think you can tell, from the beats perspective at least, but that isn’t to say it isn’t any good; it is. But some songs do have quite a timeless feel to them, particularly Bold Lamkin.

It’s interesting to note Sharon’s notes on the page which say that despite interest from fRoots magazine and appearances on BBC radio, they couldn’t get a label to release it at the time. Now, of course, with the democratization of music that is the mayhem of internet disruption style, anyone can realease anything (and I do). I read in a recent Cober interview that this might be bad because if music is free everywhere – and it kind of is, isn’t it? – then people will devalue it.

I think there’s a lot of ways of looking at this, and no right one. On the one hand, it means the people left making it will be the people who genuinely have a calling to do it rather than those who think it might be a ticket to fame or adoration – they have social media for that now, and something else probably soon. On the other it does mean you may have to wade through a lot of music you personally don’t like in order to find stuff you do. I don’t have a problem with that but not everyone has my restless quest for new music, and I can see that the retreat of many people into only going out to see covers bands and tribute bands may be related to this. They know what they like and the like what they know, not realising that there was a time when they didn’t know that thing, and also not admitting that something they don’t know now can become known and liked by giving it a chance.

But as long as people like Sharon and Dave (R.I.P) keep the experimental flame alive, the good thing about this democratization is that they have an avenue to share that and inspire people.

Crow Tongue – Ghost: Eye : Seeker

Well, since I linked this on a recent post, and in so doing discovered that it was on bandcamp now, I figured I’d add it to the Soundbergs pantheon. Old classic albums that have been with me for years surface here every now and again. Like those I just linked, this still gets played on the Soundbergs stereo from time to time, and never fails to bring joy.

This is the very definition of trancey, droney, hypnotic, catatonia-inducing music, the first section especially. It’s the sort of album that needs no words to describe it because it cannot be described, which may say more about my limitations in description than it does about the music (or it may say that all other attempts at description you read are in fact superfluous – you choose).

François Robin & Mathias Delplanque – L’ombre de la bête

It may be my browser, but I’m having right shenanigans writing this post.

Anywho, you ever hear of a veuze? Me neither, but then I’m not from the part of France that these bagpipes are a traditional instrument of. And I’ve heard of it now.

I discovered this by actually engaging with the bandcamp app on my phone for once, trying to run the battery down so I could charge it (long story, don’t ask) (actually not that long, though it was because of a separate long story).

Is all very hypnotic and propulsively meditative. Is that a thing? It is now.

Rebsie Fairholm – Mind the Gap

The distinction between madness and necessity is arbitrary, and always subject to change.

The Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band – Planet Lam

This is quite unlike anything I’ve heard before. Caveat: This is only the second example of  Thai music I’ve knowingly listened to, the first was an album of traditional music by Pong Lang.

This is apparently a reinvigoration of a traditional style known as Molam. Also, there is quite clearly at least one westerner in this line-up. Look at the dude on the right, who may have at least some reponsibility for the obvious western influence in some of the tunes, The Adventures of Sinsai especially combining a fairly standard rock beat and bassline with a wonderful Thai style melody played on an instrument I cannot guess at to marvellous effect. They also incorporate dub stylings very well indeed at times. My favourite tune, the indescribably wonderful Namtok (Waterfall) is impossible to put into words, really laid back with a sparse backdrop and meandering guitar over the top. Indeed, there’s a passage of tunes in the middle of the album that really, really, float my boat. The narrative of the album seems to get more and more traditional as it continues.

It doesn’t sound a million miles from folk music at times, which might be a silly thing to say because Molam is probably a folk music by definition. In fact, there might be a clue there. I wonder how much similarity there is across the various folk musics across the world? Then perhaps, supposing you’ve already clocked the strange similarities in mythologies across the world, and for the sake of argument may have noticed similarities in certain rituals from different parts too… well, makes y’think. If thinking is your thang, anyway.

 

Horse Cult – Day Dreams & Night Mares

I don’t think I’ve listened to enough Neo-folk over the years. I mean, I love Espers and still play them often, and I’ve got an album by The Iditarod which is wyrd neo-folk, but either there’s not much of the stuff around, or I simply haven’t crossed paths with it.

Well I can now add Horse Cult to that small collection. This is really good stuff, as good as the aforementioned Epsers. The songs have a more traditional feel with occasional medieval/nursery rhyme type things going on. But there’s also drone, and experiments, and a dense atmosphere of acoustic guitars, flute, fiddle, mountain dulcimer and layered vocals, with a bit of drum. And they reference all the pretty little horses. Also, I once or twice found myself thinking of The Battle of Evermore. Again.

I think I need more neo-folk / dark folk / heathen folk in my life. There seem to be some references here I might follow up. Any other suggestions would also be welcome.

Forndom – Dauðra Dura

Scandinavia, especially Sweden, seems to have an uncommonly large influence on the world of music. Much of what I have been exposed to could perhaps be ‘explained’ as the Swedes taking a form from elsewhere in the Western world, doing their thang with it and giving it back with a cheeky Swedish grin. It can be easy to forget they have their own traditions, but then I suppose it can be easy to forget that anywhere has its own traditions if the surface of the ultra-shallow Western Monoculture is to be believed.

A monoculture which tries to pretend death doesn’t exist. Which is an even bigger reason we need true artists around. Such as Forndom…

Known to his mum as L. Sward, Forndom is a multi-instrumentalist, artist and photographer making music in the Norse ballad tradition set to a dark ambient atmosphere. There’s also quite a few tags around ‘death metal’ but you won’t find any detuned or distorted guitars here, just acoustic ones. And drones. And chants. And violins.

It is a very meditative listen, a sombre sound, and it is in no hurry to go anywhere. When you enter The Doors of the Dead, you’re on their time.

Villagers of Ioannina City

They also seem to shorten themselves to VIC quite regularly.

This was a band I came about completely by accident. I think I was trying to find any recent stuff by The Heads, and maybe a soulseek user had this in a silly folder, which confused me into thinking that indeed there was new stuff by The Heads called Riza. Mistakes like this can happen more often. It also synched somewhat with my love of Narcosatanicos and their brass/punk/psych mashup, which I got into around the same time.

Musically, they play a fairly straightforward heavy psychrock/slightly postrock feel with an exceptional feature – the use of the clarinet. It adds such an extra dimension. Given that the majority of their words are also sung in their native Greek (I assume so, anyway – I don’t speak Greek!), this adds up to a kind of mystic quality to the music, from the perspective of a mono-linguistic, culturally ignorant Englishman.

I’ve really got into listening to music sung in different languages over the last few years, and I think I love it so much because I can just listen to the sound of the vocals as they interact with the music, without getting hung up on meanings per se. Also, I believe that artists will always express themselves most naturally if they do so in idioms that they are most comfortable with.

As with all the great music I have discovered via Soulseek, I since found a way of paying them for it, as they have a bandcamp page and use my favourite payment model (pay what you like).

They’ve also very recently put out a two-track release which seems to emphasise the folky/traditional aspect a bit more, though it is still heavy. I’ve only played it once so far, but my initial impression is that this band is really on to something. I think more people should know about them.