Melt Mountain

From the very start with the release of The Midget Party EP in March of 2011, the Greek band Melt Mountain has hovered atop a three-way intersection of psychedelic, dream, and ambient pop.  Rarely flexing the vocal cords, Melt Mountain depends on an intriguing mix of instrumental samples and loops to manufacture dreamy, sometimes trippy, and experimental tracks. And so far, that's all we've gotten a taste of; tracks. The group has yet to release an LP, instead putting out a steady stream of singles and EPs. Their newest release, the "Blossom Dream/Painted Root" single which came out today, is no different.  Both songs fit in perfectly with Melt Mountain's previous work, yet attack at different angles, setting the new single as a prime example of their diversified and exciting portfolio.  The base of "Blossom Dream" is comprised of a beach-like guitar loop, a sedated riff that could appear in a '70s surf video.  Backed by spacious "ooos" and "ahhhs", "Blossom Dream" presents Melt Mountain's breezy, laid-back nature.  "Painted Root" is clearly the psychedelic and experimental counterpart, sounding a little darker and utilizing cloudy synths that come across as more drug-induced. There is no indication of whether these songs will go towards a new album, but they're well worth the listen regardless.  I've posted everything below for your listening pleasure, and if you like what you hear head over to Bandcamp for more offerings of their older material (there is a SoundCloud, although with a limited collection).  Facebook and Twitter are provided as social media.  Enjoy!

 Melt Mountain - Blossom Dream by Melt Mountain

 Melt Mountain - Painted Root by Melt Mountain

Boerd

This Thursday I'm going to give you a heavy dose of chill in the form of Boerd, a Swedish producer who hails from Stockholm.  Boerd, otherwise known as Bard Ericson, is also a member of the band Stay Ali, which has been around since 2006. Last year, Ericson created the solo project to further explore his electronic experimentation. The most recent result of this move is his Velocity EP, which was released just over two weeks ago.  When discussing chill, it doesn't get much more laid-back than here.  Ericson puts together slow and spacious beats as well as mellow rhythms that form into a seriously relaxed vibe.  Many of his tracks remind me of Air, that is if Air slowed their tempo by half while smoking a lot of pot.  It's a very interesting listen, and one that's certainly worthwhile.  I've posted "Flimmer" for stream below, with more links available at his SoundCloud, Facebook, and Twitter.

 Flimmer by boerd

Kopfklang

One of the first things I noticed when turning on the new EP Tanzen & Schlafen is how much the music derives from what Daft Punk brought to the forefront of electronic styles.  Kopfklang, the Berlin native, adds some nice flare to the German techno scene with a piercing, instrumental release.  Released on July 20th of this year, Tanzen & Schlafen isn't the kind of techno you'd find yourself dancing to in a club, but instead falls into more of a subgenre that he calls "minimal techno".  What I get from it is that it carries the same idea as techno, huge sounds and dramatic shifts, but without the intent of dancing to it.  It's more of a calming, stationary kind of listening.  That doesn't mean Kopfklang isn't able to paint beautiful soundscapes with his synths, he just approaches it in a slightly different way. Have a listen to "Tanzen" and "Tanzen Statt Schlafen" below, and then head over to Bandcamp to hear more.  Facebook, Twitter, and SoundCloud are all good outlets to find out more.

Agent A

When I receive something in my inbox under the "experimental" category, there are moments when I worry.  For you see, experiments can go wrong. Yet I feel like it's high risk high reward, because when it's right it can be oohhhhhh sooo good. Space Junk by Agent A can be classified as such, a bedroom production that really, really rips. Cameron Scanlon, the man behind Agent A, cites influences such as John Maus and The Flaming Lips for Space Junk, and when you give it a listen it really shines through.  The heavy use of synthesizer speaks directly to Maus's modus operandi while the fun and creativity he has with them sustains the playful creativity of The Flaming Lips.  To put it simply there's just a lot of cool stuff on here with a ton of subtly addictive movements.  Like a lot of experimental musicians, it may take a listen or two to sink in, but once it does it fits very well.  I'm having so much trouble deciding which songs to post below, so I'll just throw three on there; "Slow Crush", "Karma Delight", and "The Light Shined To Space". Do with them what you will.  Download the album for free over at his Bandcamp.