Natalie Rose LaBrecht - Warraw (2007)

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"Psychomancy. My limbs are numb. Bits of knowledge
appear before me as iridescent creatures glowing
in a translucency - a translucent sea. Psychomancy. Air that
we breathe. Bubbles float down. Surreal sounds." ~ Natalie LeBrecht's Warraw: Track 1

Karl

Oneohtrix Point Never - Returnal (2010)

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For fans of: Emeralds, The Knife, Yellow Swans

Synths bounce near and far, up and down, left and right. The songs "Returnal" and "Peryouandi" add some creepy vocals that remind me of the best of The Knife. Oneohtrix Point Never have definitely created a sound of their own, and it's electronic synth drone/noise at its best. It's like traveling at the speed of light in a futuristic flashing light filled spaceship through the universe while gazing at the stars and planets whiz by. While maybe not something that will be easy to connect to and enjoy quite like a good pop album, it can provide a journey like no other, where what you know to be true is thrown into question. - Matthew Foster

Angelite & Huun-Huur-Tu - Fly, Fly My Sadness (1996)

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Tuvan Throat Singing is the most obscure genre I’ve ever came across. From some forgotten Balkan state come choir Huun-Huur-Tu and Bulgarian folkers Angelite whose culture-clash between the former’s melancholic drones and the latter’s experimental folk art intertwine and provide an interesting and at first challenging listening experience but soon becomes quite beautiful after repeated listens. The ideal behind this rare find is to capture emotion through complex vocal drones yet simultaneously layer this with overtones of ringing choral harmonies to evoke solemnity and ethereality as you lose yourself in these magical meandering vocal compositions. This album is highly recommended for the adventurous listener or someone wanting to hear something that they’ve most probably never heard the likes of before.

Karl

Sam Amidon - I See the Sign (2010)

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For fans of: Jack Rose, Vashti Bunyan, Sufjan Stevens

The first thing to hit me with this one was the off-kilter guitar playing. It's very avant-garde and beautiful in it's uniqueness. There's a male and female voice here, and both sound great with the music. Unfortunately, the songs near the end aren't quite as good as those near the start, but those near the start are fantastic. Also, some of the lyrics are a bit repetitive, but these are small qualms that only make it a 4/5 instead of a 4.5/5. Highly recommended. - Matthew Foster

Koss - Ancient Rain (2010)

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For fans of: Gas, Markus Guentner, Yagya

An ambient album you can dance to.  Like the  ambient artists of Kompakt,  Koss likes to add a tempo to his soundscapes.  It is most definitely  first and foremost an ambient album, and a very good one at that, but  the tempo keeps it from sounding like a Brian  Eno knockoff.  Rather than getting lost in a wash of hisses and  waves, here there is more of a sense of being grounded.  While that may  sound like it loses some of the beauty of ambient music, I don't think  it does; the rhythm just allows the music to be more active if you want  it to be.  The beats here are not too large or obtrusive and blend  nicely into the sound.  Certainly one of my favorite ambient albums of  the year, and I'm surprised at how little attention it's received. - Matthew Foster

Brendan Perry - Ark (2010)

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For fans of: Cocteau Twins, Scott Walker, Bel Canto

It's been more than 10 years since Brendan Perry's last album, and even longer since one from Dead Can Dance, but as Scott Walker's proved, it's better to wait and create a fully fleshed out album, then to rush through it and release something that's lacking in some way.  The former seems to be just what Perry's done here.  Several of the songs themselves are not really new, but were written throughout the last decade, some of which were created for Dead Can Dance's 2005 tour.  His singing is as ethereal as ever, and the instrumentation behind it really soars.  It's very orchestral with beautiful melodies that build with power as the tracks progress.  The album was created fully by Perry in isolation, which can explain why it sounds so "pure" or "full" to me.  I think this is close to as great as anything he or Lisa Gerrard have produced. - Matthew Foster

Balaclavas - Roman Holiday (2010)

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For fans of: Liars, Pere Ubu, Thee Oh Sees

Rhythmically complex and heavy, this is some noisy post-punk that reminds me of Pere Ubu. At many points I think the singing sounds a lot like that of Thee Oh Sees. There's also a saxophone thrown into the mix on "Night Worship." There are clearly some diverse styles being mixed here, but it all comes together very nicely and doesn't feel disjointed at all. I could name a bunch of great bands that come to mind when listening to this (Liars, Morphine, Wire), but Balaclavas don't really sound quite like any of them. Their unique mix of attractive sounds is a fantastic addition to 2010 that I will definitely enjoy hearing again. - Matthew Foster