I have the pleasure of sharing an album of electronic music composed by my friend and old boss, Gabor Csupo (of Klasky-Csupo fame).  As well as being an animation legend, he’s a rather fine electronic music composer in the vein of groups like Tangerine Dream, Holger Czukay’s solo work, or a more sunny Brian Eno.  This album has more of a ‘soundtrack’ feel to it, and it serves as a paean to the…

<iframe style=”border-radius:12px” src=”https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/2atnsiXP0oFjUE7SGFdzNA?utm_source=generator&#8221; width=”100%” height=”380″ frameBorder=”0″ allowfullscreen=”” allow=”autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture” loading=”lazy”></iframe> Duke Ellington’s Shakespearian masterpiece, Such Sweet Thunder, is the first album I bought for its…

Hands down, this is my favorite Finnish progressive rock album.  I was introduced to Pekka Pohjola early in life, and now that I am listening to this album in my middle age, I can hear how beautifully it aged.  Pekka’s bass is at the forefront, of course, and his playing is masterful, but the whole crew balance progressive rock of the 1970s with jazz fusion and touches of art-rock.  I can’t say…

Our dear friends and CPL-Musik stun us again with a popping single!  Some info from the band’s Bandcamp site: Divanhana is a Bosnian sevdah band which performs traditional music in new arrangements created under the influence of jazz, pop and the 20th century classical music. Divanhana’s intention is to cherish and present the urban traditional music not only from Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also…

The Tomáš Kočko Orchestr are one of the great musical treasures of my new home city of Brno.  They band mixes true Moravian folk music, including some melodies with pre-Christian roots (so, at least a millennium of music here), world music and even touches of metal to great effect. The concept of their latest album is based on the women of Moravia, whose character and strength preserved the…

This should be a breakout year for Alexei Aigui, who has released his fourth album of the year in collaboration with pianist Arkady Marto. The album is absolutely sublime. Each track has a gentle touch, balancing violin and piano perfectly. The cornerstone of the album for me is this track, Nocturne No. 0: It is a tango that would have made Ástor Piazzlla proud. The whole album is engaging, and…

Our friend and noted composer Alexeï Aïgui was just featured here recently for his releases, Palimpsest and Alcohol, at the end of July, and it seems that he’s kept himself quite busy as of late, so we’re pleased to announce this EP, a soundtrack to the film 1000 Miles Till The Next Embrace, a documentary on tango directed by Irina Rubia. Alexeï has proven himself to be among the best of this…

A debt of thanks is owed to Alexei Aigui, a friend of this blog as well as one of Russia’s finest composers and violinists.  He and his troupe, Ensemble 4’33” bring a sweeping cinematic album which will appeal to those who enjoy composers like Steve Reich, Michael Nyman, and also more interesting aspects of progressive rock (think bands like the Penguin Café Orchestra or even a far lighter Samla…

In normally more partial to listening to old, stripped down 60s soul than I am to hearing modern R&B, but this gem out of Tanzania, by way of the U.K., caught my ear in a most pleasant way. Our friends at Delicious Tunes do yeoman’s work spending time all over Africa, getting to know and working with musicians of astounding quality and getting them a proper release. Tofa Jaxx is one of these…

The word seems to be burning at the moment.  All around, there is misery, anger and a sense of hopelessness.  One can either be consumed by it (and it’s been a battle not to be), or you can relax, listen to something calming, and get on with life. Corciolli is a pianist out of Brazil who also owns the record label Azul Music who specialize in releasing classical and world music. Some words from…

Some years ago I had the pleasure of coming across a Sakha (Yakutia)-based singer called UUTAi who left me a bit stunned and gobsmacked, as I had never seen such a wild performance with wailing and Jew’s harp.  Going forward a few years, one of my dear colleagues and friends in Siberia, Daryana, presented this album to me, and it’s a more focused, restrained and quirky affair. I would think that…

learningtodive · Norwegian Pop (Album) learningtodive hail from New Zealand and made a lot of waves with this, their debut EP.  This is a nice blend of post-punk, post-rock and synth-based music.  For those who prefer to stream this, I point you to their Spotify page.  I’d much prefer to see them on a platform where I could download their music, but as it stands, I’m pretty happy having the…

I have been a fan of Alexei Aigui’s ensemble work for at least 20 years now, going all the way back to his appearance on the excellent, though now defunct Russian label SoLyd (see the release here).  He has become even more innovative, more progressive, and this latest album, Alcohol, will be appreciated by those who like chamber-rock, symphonic rock or even those into avant-progressive /…

https://open.spotify.com/show/1FXB4kq37ERgzz6SvFD5L0

I couldn’t be happier to promote this upcoming show! My old friend and colleague Jeffrey Kinart is pairing with the legendary Adrian Belew on a new podcast called (what else?) Neurotica.

Check out the bumper on the Spotify link to get a taste as to what’s headed your way. It will expand to other services shortly, so if you have any suggestions…