Geotic - Mend (2011)

(b) Will Wiesenfeld, primarily known for his Glitch-Hop project "Baths",that brought us one of the best records of 2010 (Cerrulean), shows his more ambient side on his latest LP. The beauty of "Mend" lies in it's dreamy melodies and rich guitar sounds. Definitely my ambient-album of the year.
Little side-note: The song titles yield a short poem.

Try it!

Hoenig / Göttsching - Early Water (1995)

(c) This little gem was recorded about 1976, when two pioneers of german electronic music came together. Sadly, it was not until 1995 that this one would see the light of day. Anyways, Michael Hoenig and Manuel Göttsching have done a great job here by creating soundscapes which can’t be found in today’s music. There’s a lot of experimenting, thus it stays fresh all the time. Additionally, Göttsching delivers some awesome guitar riffs and solos, which really dig the feel of that time. If you’re feeling bored by todays electronic music, don’t bother and give this one a try!

Try it!

Gayngs - Relayted (2010)

(b) Gayngs is an indie-band, consisting over 25 artists such as Justin Vernon, P.O.S., Har Mar Superstar and many more.They're first release "Relayted" is a slow 80's inspired soft-rock record with alot sexappeal.

Try it!

Crippled Black Phoenix - I, Vigilante (2010)

(c) With their latest album Crippled Black Phoenix again succeeded in creating a unique experience. Like many other post rock bands, they also expand their sound with unusual instruments. The difference however is how they use them. While some bands try to overwhelm you with unexpected sounds, Crippled Black Phoenix are far more subtle. Most of the time, they rely on usual rock instrumentation, thus creating a natural and relaxing flow. But if you’re not listening carefully, you will miss many details. Though there are gorgeous and catchy melodies in every song (just listen to “Of A Lifetime”), the albums true greatness lies in-between. It is just whispered and if you’re willing to listen, you’ll be rewarded!

Try it!

Suckers - Wild Smile (2010)

(b) Brooklyn-based band Suckers first full-lenght record "Wild Smile" is an overall great indie-pop experience. Orchestral drums, fine guitar work and plenty of other instruments meet with great lyrics and an interesting voice.There are no filler songs on this album but nontheless some great gems.

Try it!

Blu & Exile - Below The Heavens (2007)

(b) Why is there no way of getting a physical release of this record? Even checking ebay or amazon does nothing. EVER! It's rare. Too rare for an album that is as famous as this. Shortly after it's release, it became an instant classic. And rightly so! Exile's production is perfect with great use of samples and beats thats remind me of the golden hip hop-era. Blu's rapping is smooth as silk with a permantly awesome flow. Hands down! The best hip-hop-record of the last decade.

Try it!

Holy Shit - Stranded At Two Harbors (2006)

(c) Here’s another quite obscure release. This album has its own strange mood to it and to fully appreciate it, you have to agree with it. Thanks to Ariel Pink, the production can be very lo-fi, which really can be a quite drawback. But again, just accept it and try to work through, because some genius vocal lines are hiding behind all the tape hiss and noises. Of course this record is far from perfect, but there are definitely some gems here, especially if you feel comfortable with the lo-fi production. For me this perfectly fits to a laid-back day at the beach. So have an open mind and give it a shot!

Try it!

Canopy - Menhir (2010)

(c) I really don’t know why these guys are so unknown. Menhir is a perfect example of how to make interesting and varied melodic death metal. This one has it all, reaching from brutal riffing to multi-layered melody parts which just sound marvelous. The vocals are great, though nothing special, the overall sound is very neat and not overproduced. For me there’s only one letdown, it’s definitely too short! If you have any sense for this genre, I guarantee, you won’t be disappointed.

Try it!

William Basinski - The Disintegration Loops I (2002)

(b) William Basinski is a New York based Ambient-Artist. The day was the 9th September 2001 when he was trying to transfer his experimental 70's music from old magnetic tapes into a digital format. The process went terribly wrong when the ferrite detached from the plastic backing and fell off, destroying the originals and creating something completely new. While listening to his "new" piece of work with a couple of friends on the roof of his appartment, he noticed two planes crashing in the Twin Towers. Therefore, this album is, so macabre it may sound, the soundtrack to 9/11. It's epochal and sad and a truly unique experience.

P.S.: The album-cover is a picture of the events, taken by William Basinski.


Try it!

Warning - Watching From A Distance (2006)

(c) There are few CDs out there as depressing as this one. You’ll find some of the best doom metal vocals here, underlined by instrumentation as simple as well as compelling. Though all songs are extremely slow-paced and lengthy, they won’t let you down even for a second. It’s simply astonishing how much feeling these guys express through their music. Not to mention the stunning lyrics. Make sure you’re in the right mood and brace yourself for a mind-blowing experience.

Try it!

Rhetta Hughes - Relight My Fire (1969)

(b) This shamefully unknown album is one of the last great masterpieces of the golden soul-era. A strong emotionally charged voice combined with clever arrangements and instrumentation and dreamy jazzy melodies stand out of this work. It's sad that there are no further information about Rhetta Hughes. And that's why you definitely shouldn't miss "Relight my Fire".

It also contains the best "Light my Fire"-cover to date.

Try it!

Vinterland - Welcome My Last Chapter (1996)

(c) This one’s a little older, but an absolute masterpiece of black metal. The melodic, yet dark and aggressive guitar riffs build up a wall of sound on which the mourning vocals paint. Overlapping acoustic guitars and piano parts add up to the bleak sound. It’s just the simplicity of this record which makes it so perfect. By the way, after 15 years of hiatus the band is active again! But no matter what their future work will sound like, one can be quite sure that this one is going to be their magnum opus.

Try it!

Sam Cooke - One Night Stand! Live At The Harlem Square Club (1963)

(b) THE(!) essential Soul-Record. Sam unleashes his raw vocal power on 10 tracks that made it directly into music history. Gentle soul compositions alternate with brisk swing and twist songs. An authentic and energetic performance that even overschines James Brown's "Live at the Apollo".

Try it!