Articles
Andy Vaz Interview and Set
Mark O'Leary's Grønland

Albums
Acre
Arborea
Ólafur Arnalds
Kush Arora
Asura
bbcb
Steve Brand
Nick Chacona
Robert Curgenven
Cuushe
Daniell and McCombs
Delicate Noise
d'incise
Ecovillage
Danton Eeprom
Seren Ffordd
Paul Fiocco
El Fog
Koutaro Fukui
Corey Fuller
The Go Find
Ernest Gonzales
Koss
Francisco López
Ingram Marshall
Craig McElhinney
Minamo
My Majestic Star
Mystified
Nest
Nommo Ogo
Olive Oil
O'Leary - Passborg - Riis
Oy
[Post-foetus]
RPM Orchestra
Ryonkt
Richard Skelton
Slow Six
Sone Institute
Sousa & Correia
Stanislav Vdovin
Viridian Sun
Christian Zanési

Compilations / Mixes
Erased Tapes Collection II
Hammann & Janson
Leaves of Life
Music Grows On Trees
Phasen
Quit Having Fun
Scuba
Thesis Vol. 1

EPs
Aubrey
Be Maledetto Now!
DK7
Herzog
Hrdvsion
Mr Cloudy
Damon McU
Morning Factory
Neve
M. Ostermeier
R&J emp
Stanislav Vdovin

VA: Thesis Vol. 1
Impulsive Art

Impulsive Art's second release is an hour-long compilation of experimental electronic works tailor-made for fans of labels like Tympanik Audio, Ad Noiseam, and Hymen. A mere scan of the artists involved—Mad EP, Keef Baker, Larvae, Spyweirdos, Atmogat, Tapage, Mobthrow, for starters—confirms as much. You pretty much know, therefore, before the needle drops what's in store: viral, oft-noisy twists on dark industrial-IDM where strings collide with programmed beat throb and electronic effects. Rest assured no one'll be nodding off while the music's playing.

Not a lot of sunlight creeps into these oft-dystopic tracks, and there's an insistent end-of-the-world, machines-taking-over kind of aura bleeding off of much of it: Atmogat's clangorous “Distorg” unspools with the precision of hydraulic machinery, Tapage (Netherlander Tijs Ham) blends symphonic, piano-and-strings-laced elegance and hyperactive beat clatter in “Last Inhale.” IP Neva smothers his hard-hitter “Artificial Crisis” with conversation samples and aggressive drumming (live by the sound of it), while Keef Baker blends dreamy analog synthetics and slamming breaks in “Sapphire.” While Mobthrow's oft-convulsive “Xsozheim” provides a remarkable exercise in dense sound design and Larvae's “Shogun” a tidy three minutes of electro-funk head-nod, two of the album's strongest pieces are also two of its least aggressive: Andrey Kiritchenko's “A Vesper,”  a colourful electro-acoustic piece arranged for piano, acoustic guitar, glockenspiel, fiddle, and electronics, and Spyweirdos's “The Oldest Door,” a restrained mood piece that gives violin the lead voice.

February 2010