January is always an exciting month for new music releases as it is a complete russian roulette of quality. Hundreds of artists throw their hats into the ring at the very start of the year who I probably wouldn't have got to in a more crowded release period but I'm glad I did because I ended up discovering a lot of really great stuff this month. Heres to another year of excellent music.
Apollo Bitrate - Despectral Maid
The joy of the solo producer is that they have full control over the direction that they wish to take. This leads to a lot of things on this record, the first and clearest are some wonderfully diverse and fun textures. Chaotically chopped-up beats and some melodically captivating Chiptune leads makes for an effective pairing. The other thing that comes in is its length, which leads to a slight feeling of quality inconsistency, and I mean slight, for the majority of its runtime this record is utterly captivating, but some of the slower cuts feel a tad directionless. On its whole, this is a delightfully overwhelming and extremely unique record that excites around almost every turn. If you can survive it for its whole length there is something quite special here.
Arcwelder - Continue
For a band who, while always excellent, tended to stick to their guns, I was surprised by the fact this album deviates and is full of new sounds for the band. "Take it Slow" is different than their usual sound, a slower thoughtful track that the band pull off better than you'd expect. The biggest sonic shift is "Paul's Song" which has an upbeat feel with a percussion focused sound. Another surprise is that vocally, they have barely aged a day, Bill and Scott sound as fresh as they did in the 90s and the slight roughness that their voices have acquired adds to the maturity they have been displaying on this record. What hasn't changed is the tightness of performances, the band have always been a remarkably locked-in group and that hasn't shifted at all, they are as in sync and tightly manned as ever. After years of being gone, Arcwelder have returned with a diverse, brilliantly written, and tight record that both works as an excellent work on its own, but also stands toe to toe with the band's best work.
CONNIE - Hi_Tek Mzk, Vol. 1
I'm honestly not sure why Drum and Bass and Hip Hop isn't a more common combination, every time I have heard it done it has been killer and that is absolutely the case here. This short record is packed with some joyfully imaginative Hip Hop production, ranging from absolutely pummeling to melodically compelling. This whole album is a showcase of production skill and it is extremely interesting. CONNIE is backed up by some great features from artists such as RXKNephew, Zelooperz, and more which give this some real flavour. For a debut project, this is a hell of a statement that gets me excited to see what comes next. Every guest delivers in full force and CONNIE has immediately become a producer to pay attention to.
Emperor X - Дуже чудове Різдво
From the Shoegazey atmosphere created in the intro that barrels into Drum & Bass as he sings Christmas standards over the top, it is clear that this release explores areas completely alien to Emperor X's usual sonic palette and honestly, he does it pretty well. His signature vocal melodies and songwriting style are still evident even in this more adventurous package. There are also no shortage of individual highlights, from the sparse instrumentation of "Дуже Дуже Чіназес Різдво" which while minimal has some great atmospheric touches in the background of the track, to the more conventional "Christmas Morning in My Girlfriend's Car (Ding Dong Ding Dong Ding Dong)" which is a more electronic take on what could have been on The Lakes of Zones B and C the best songs take on many different forms. The strongest track however is the dense and brilliant "Щодо Невідомості Дивана Ксенії (Regarding the Unknown Status of Kseniya's Couch)" which stands toe to toe with his best work. From Folk to Indietronica to all-out Drum and Bass, this EP proves that Emperor X is no one trick pony and this is another collection of great songs showing his no-miss record.
Eye Flys - Eye Flys
Eye Flys are a key example of the benefits of playing well in the space you are in. There is nothing innovative about the band but they take the sound they work with and run with it. This short record is packed with some incredible Sludge Metal tracks, with perfect production and thick riffs. The vocalist is also great, howling and screeching over these instrumentals with the weight of a planet. If you are in the mood for some Metal that wants you dead, get to this.
Gumshoes - Cacophony
A lot of independent Pop in the current day reaches fully into maximalism (which I do greatly enjoy) so I was quite surprised to find this isn't the case here. This is some well-arranged and performed Pop music with a killer ear for melody. Not only that but the instrumental palette, mostly consisting of a select few instruments, lend themselves to the vocalist's voice excellently, and everything feels locked in for the album's whole duration. Something I don't often get to praise is the plot of the record as we have a concept album here, as we see the story of the members of the fictional punk band Cacophony and this plot manages to be well executed but not intrusive to the quality of the music. This is always a tough balance to achieve when one is making a concept record as too often artists get absorbed by the plot, but that is not the case here, the songs all manage to stand on their own. On the whole, we have a great record here, whether it is the frantic piano playing or the vocalist's killer melodies there is always something to enjoy. While not every song is excellent and occasionally the textural palette does get a bit repetitive, most of it is, please get to this record if you are in the mood for some well-made Pop.
Ὁπλίτης - Παραμαινομένη
It isn't often we are given an album this good in the first month of the year but Hoplites has given us a furiously creative and relentlessly hard-hitting Metal record. The addition of unconventional textures such as the spiky synths in the penultimate track, only adds to the structurally eclectic mayhem on display on this record. Every second there is a new idea and yet everything manages to segway from one idea to the next feeling like one cohesive vision. The horns here are also great, they are played in an exasperated manner which creates a great feeling of anxiety whenever they come in. In short, this album is the best kind of anomaly, a real masterwork at the very start of the year and I am so glad I heard it.
Radical Kitten - Uppercat
Radical Kitten are one of the most slept on bands right now, their previous record Silence is Violence is one of the best records I have heard and I was awaiting the follow-up. This second album, while not quite as good as the debut, is still an excellent manic and energetic time. The band have a hefty sound that benefits the hyperactive instrumentation and all of it is tied together by the excellent vocalist. If you are in the mood for some high energy with a real weight to it, get stuck in, my only real complaint is I wish it was longer.
Static-X - Project: Regeneration Vol. 2
The death of Wayne Static will always loom large over this band, in their marketing, in their writing but most obviously in how fans receive whatever they will make. This album contains what are the very last vocal recordings by the band's late frontman and as expected they have the energy and grit that fans have come to expect from Wayne over the years of music he gave us. But the instrumentals are what I am most interested in, have the rest of the band been able to deliver? Yeah honestly. It is still pretty obviously Static-X and it is a bit by the numbers but this is a sound I am a sucker for and the band still know how to rip it. I'm glad that we got Wayne's last recordings and I'm even more glad that they turned out well. I don't know what is next for Static-X, whether they want to call it and become a touring act or if they will continue as an active release band, either way, this is a worthy addition to their discography.
twikipedia - Still-Life
I don't know much about twikipedia, all I know is they are known primarily in Digicore circles, so I was surprised to see this Indie Pop EP appear on my rym. I was even more surprised to hear that it is great! Some of the artist's previous style has fed into the textures used, but they are surprisingly at home with this sweet little Pop release. The songwriting is tight and effective and while not every song is a win this is a really solid EP that I would recommend if you are in the mood for something small but great.