Author: Thomas Mathie

Neko Nine & The Creator Of – Meet The Forest

Neko Nine & The Creator Of – Meet The Forest

Posted by | Sep 28, 2014 | , |

I’ll admit to having “Meet the Forest” – a split album made by Neko Nine (Yaroslavl, Russia) and The Creator Of (Tokyo, Japan) – for way too long. Every time I tried to write about it I failed to capture the essence of the recording. If I had been using a typewriter and paper then I’d be surrounded by crumpled up balls by now. I just haven’t found the right words until now. “Meet the Forest” has, quite simply, single-handedly rekindled my love affair with guitar-orientated post-rock. Lately I’ve found other forms of post-rock to keep me company –...

Read More
O – When Plants Turn Into Stones

O – When Plants Turn Into Stones

Posted by | Sep 10, 2014 | , |

Simply put, “When Plants Turn Into Stones” by O is a phenomenal recording. I don’t really want to classify this recording and believe if I do then I will lose something of what makes it so very special. All I know is this … from the opening atmospheric ambience of ‘Entstanden im Schatten wie Wasser’ to the final strains of ‘I offer my hands to the Shades’ with it’s downtempo, guitar & drum orientated post-rock melancholy; this is one special album. This release brings together ideas from the ambient & post-rock genres to create something inviting, all-embracing and immersive....

Read More
Ana Never – Live for the very first time

Ana Never – Live for the very first time

Posted by | Jul 29, 2014 | , |

The greatest compliment you can give a live recording such as “Live for the very first time (Live in Mini Club, Subotica, 2-26-2004)” by Ana Never, released on the exemplary Fluttery Records label, is to say, “I wish I was there”. We’ve all wanted to be “there” … as a keen Queen fan in my younger days, I dreamed of being at Wembley or Rio. More recently, with the rise of NYCTAPER, I have longed to be in NYC to hear bands like Mogwai & Sigur Rós do their thing in front of an appreciative audience. Now I have...

Read More
Stems – Polemics

Stems – Polemics

Posted by | Jul 26, 2014 | , |

“Polemics” by Stems is another worthy release on Fluttery Records, a delightful combination of guitars & strings that is both entertaining and challenging in equal measure. Stems are from Huddersfield, England; and were formed in 2011 with … according to the Fluttery website … “The idea of seeking a new relationship between experimental guitar and classical instruments, to create music with the energy of rock music but with elongated and intense structures of Western and Indian classical music.” I have had “Polemics” on repeat for the last week and I can honestly say they have achieved their aim, and...

Read More
Astrowind – Somewhere The Music Had Been Playing

Astrowind – Somewhere The Music Had Been Playing

Posted by | Jun 10, 2014 | , |

I am on a bit of a Berlin School tip at the moment, taking great pleasure in the work of Tangerine Dream & Klaus Schulze in particular. I say this because their ambitious, improvised & increasingly energetic soundscapes come to mind as I consume “somewhere the music had been playing” by Astrowind on the mighty Fluttery Records. “Somewhere the music had been playing” is a collection of synth-orientated tracks that are big on atmosphere with a non-linear nature that feels improvised in an exciting, seat-of-your-pants kind of way. I acknowledge that the apparently improvised nature of these tracks may...

Read More