Sonic Cinema 43- Music videos from Alias, Pasocom Music Club, and Montañera

Alias's latest single, "CURSED," pulsates with an enigmatic energy that diverges from the artist's previous works. Embracing a synth-driven, post-punk ethos, the track captivates with a compressed and distorted synth-bass line, setting an intense and darkly rhythmic ambiance. Through vivid storytelling, Alias navigates a compelling narrative of turmoil and resilience, encapsulating a scenario where control amidst chaos becomes pivotal. The absence of guitars marks a bold departure, showcasing Alias's experimental prowess. "CURSED" serves as a magnetic entry point, resonating with its vibrant sonic landscape and narrative depth, solidifying Alias's daring musical evolution and innovative exploration within the realm of post-punk.

Pasocom Music Club's "Ufo-Mie (feat. The Hair Kid) - original mix" is a sonic voyage through retro-infused electronica, intertwining nostalgic ‘90s synth elements with a contemporary flair. This track encapsulates their signature style, melding vibrant beats and effervescent melodies. Featuring The Hair Kid's vocals, it exudes a captivating energy, seamlessly blending pop sensibilities with an underground vibe. The composition's dynamic fusion of dance sub-genres showcases Pasocom Music Club's finesse in creating a hypnotic and catchy sonic experience. "Ufo-Mie" stands as a testament to the duo's ability to transcend time, bridging electronic music's rich history with an innovative, forward-looking approach.

Montañera's "A Flor de Piel" is a groundbreaking venture defying Latin music norms, weaving ambient tapestries with ethereal synths and emotive, beatless compositions. María Mónica Gutiérrez's enigmatic vocals guide a mesmerizing exploration of profound emotions across this transformative third solo album. Collaborating with Rizomagic, the album defies genre boundaries, merging ambient, pop, and experimental electronics, marking a reinvention of contemporary Latin music. The lead single, "Un Día Voy a Ser Mariposa," delves into rebirth post-separation, embodying the album's profound themes. With collaborations from Cankita and Las Cantadoras de Yerba Buena, "A Flor de Piel" stands as Montañera's boldest sonic odyssey, and is out now via Western Vinyl.

Sonic Cinema 27- Music videos from Christoph Dahlberg, Elskavon, and Simeon Walker

Christoph Dahlberg is a multi-disciplinary artist whose work spans visual art and music. Inspired by motifs such as movement, change, and transformation across his work, his second studio album Blackforms takes these ideas into an atmospheric journey. Exploring light, dark, and nothingness, Christoph uses experimental ambient and atmospheric sounds to produce a soundtrack of an emotional state. Larger-than-life works by visual artists Paul Celan and Anslem Kiefer have motivated the musician’s approach to sound production, and the sense of the sublime is ever-present in the accompanying music video, which explores landscape, natural wonders, and the great unknowns of nature through slow and methodical drone footage.

Elskavon is Minneapolis-based musician Chris Bartels, and Origins is his upcoming album set to release in February 2023. As a single from the album, “North Sole” embodies a winter chill through a meditative weaving of vocals that balances traditional songwriting with avant-garde experimentation. Using a full electronic palette, the artist creates an electronic pop sound that paints a picture of his subject. The accompanying video features experimental film shots of buildings and city infrastructure abstracted through shape, color, and form. The solitude depicted in the movement of swings and benches, yet in the absence of figures, brings in a sense of isolation and reflection.

Simeon Walker has recreated his 2020 track “Seasons” (from the album Winnow) as a solo piano version. This melodic and emotional version takes a new spin on the previous iteration, which featured a string quartet. In the accompanying video, Walker presents his modern classical magic as he plays the piano on a beach off the East Coast of England around dusk. The peaceful nature of the score, mixed with the still and serene landscape, provides a space for meditation, reflection, and melodrama.

New-age reflection, Joseph Shabason’s ‘The Fellowship’

From the album The Fellowship, available April 30, 2021.Pre-order / listen here: http://smarturl.it/vo1tgmDirector: Maxwell McCabe-LokosDirector of Photograp...

Shabason reveals the first step into an ambient jazz return to his emotional roots

Albums are often created to become more than a collection of tracks showcasing the talent and recent works of an artist. While there’s certainly a place for LPs which flirt with unconnected themes and ideas, listening to a set of tracks painstakingly woven together to explore the same concept can give rise to something greater than the sum of its parts.

Such is the case in Joseph Shabason’s upcoming album ‘The Fellowship’, which brings to life the Toronto based artist’s upbringing in eight tracks of ambient new-age jazz. The full release is planned for late April, but promises to be a journey coloured by sparkling synth melody, warm drone vibes and carefully measured out amount of rich jazz percussion.

Expressing emotion and complex experience is a challenge for any creator, but Shabason approaches this project with ample experience. In addition to his work as a session musician, Shabason has lent his talents to the the Canadian rock band Destroyer, as well as synth-pop trio DIANA.

In the eponymous title track for ‘The Fellowship’, ambient jazz seeps into an open world; sometimes sharp edged and sometimes soft as a footstep. The artists Saxophone becomes the central character in a calm, curious space with broad horizons.

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Music for 18 Musicians - Reinterpreted

Set for release on May 8, 2020 on Western Vinyl, Music for 18 Musicians (Steve Reich), Erik Hall was inspired by the piece of the same name by Steve Reich. Having been a long-time fan of Steve Reich, Erik was heavily inspired by Music for 18 Musicians throughout his career, and it only felt natural to produce an interpretation of it.

Pulses is one of two tracks available as preview to Music for 18 Musicians (Steve Reich), Erik Hall. With the original being an orchestral piece complete with xylophone, vocalists, violinists, grand pianos and bass clarinet, Erik’s solo rendition reinterprets this piece with a futuristic touch. Raw synthesis, subdued piano, electric guitar, and room mics were used as substitutes. The result is a collision of synthetic and organic energy that ebbs and flows.

Erik Hall is a musician and producer currently living in Galien, Michigan. Throughout his career, he’s recorded and toured internationally with acts such as In Tall Buildings, NOMO, Wild Belle, and His Name Is Alive. He’s released three full length albums under the alias In Tall Buildings, and In 2019 he composed and produced the film score for The Night Clerk, and has contributed music to The Mountain. 

Be sure to check out Pulses, and pre order Music for 18 Musicians (Steve Reich), Erik Hall on Bandcamp

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