ARTICLES
Benoît Pioulard's Précis
Label: Dynamophone
Label: Hidden Shoal

ALBUMS
Aemae
A Lily
Arc Lab
Blotnik Brothers
Gui Boratto
Cagesan
Jeremy Caulfield
Loren Dent
Do Make Say Think
Eats Tapes
Enduser
Domink Eulberg
Explosions in the Sky
Michael Fahres
The Field
Frivolous
Maximilian Hecker
Hug
Hush Arbors
Jan-M. Iversen
Espen Jørgensen
Kattoo
O.Lamm
Bruce Levingston
Tobias Lilja
Lusine
Marcia Blaine School
The Missing Ensemble
Nebulo
Ölvis
Charlemagne Palestine
Palomar
Pornopop
The Postmarks
Propergol Y Colargol
The Retail Sectors
R/R Coseboom
Sankt Otten
Scratch Massive
Slow Dancing Society
Stars of the Lid
subtractiveLAD
Sunosis
Aoki Takamasa
Amon Tobin
Tokyo Mask
Kate Wax
Wes Willenbring
Windmill

COMPILATIONS/MIXES
Chaos.Lovers
Cryosphere
Hub: 2004-2005
Rufs
Satoshi Tomiie

3" /7" /10"/12"/EPs
Agnes
AM/PM
Arctic Sunrise
Audion
Characterize 1
Dartriix
Death is Nothing To Fear
Don't Be A Stranger
Einóma
Fusiphorm
Heartthrob
Human Nature
Infant Cycle / Antmanuv
Lilienweiss
Luci
Mauve
Paco Osuna
Ben Parris
Carola Pisaturo
Portable
Sutekh
System
Aoki Takamasa
Cortney Tidwell
Andy Vaz

Aemae: Maw
Isounderscore

Experimental provocateur Brandon Nickell (AEMAE) follows 2005's The Helical Word with the even more extreme Maw. AEMAE's seething sonic universe is so alien it either seems like it's emanating from some remote galaxy light years away or an amplified sub-atomic realm teeming with micro-organisms. In true throat-clearing fashion, “PDE” inaugurates the album with the merciless intensity of ear-shattering shards while scrapes, whistles, and creaks simmer alongside a softly churning mass of insectoid chatter in “Confound Me.” With elongated tones that suggest cello or vocal origins, “Spectral Psychosis” invites speculation as to Nickell's sound sources; regardless of their origins, the piece's writhing insectoid noises are harrowing. One of the things that distinguishes Maw is Nickell's carefully calibrated handling of space and dynamics. Instead of a relentless onslaught, he exploits contrast and consequently tension by shifting between loud and soft episodes, and also demonstrates artistry in the razor-sharp shaping of the material (the subtle modulations Nickell nurtures throughout the 11-minute “Bad Entity” are especially noteworthy in that regard). Not an easy listen by any means but an oft-remarkable one.

April 2007