逆音

搬家..

nimusic — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 04:22:01 +0300

逆音新站试运行中

地址:http://nimusic.org

现在还差模板没有完成,有谁会做bo-blog模板请找漂流的叶

QQ:310579097..MSN:xyd1984@hotmail.com

Aoife Ní Fhearraigh -1996- Aoife

子歌 — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 04:21:35 +0300

Style: Celtic; Traditional Irish music
Label: Gael Linn
Country: Ireland
Released: 1996

Aoife Ní Fhearraigh，出生于多尼戈尔的Gweedore，爱尔兰境内只讲爱尔兰语的地区，许多著名的凯尔特艺人都来自那里，如Enya，Altan的Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh，Clannad的Brennans与Duggans。《Aoife》是Aoife Ní Fhearraigh的第二张唱片，主要以爱尔兰语演唱，并多少都受到Enya、Clannad的影响，其中有些曲目是非常常见的爱尔兰歌曲和赞美诗，宁静舒缓。

Get Me From Live-Share

Various - 2006 - Somehow They Knew...(a challenge of honour side project) [VR007]

kenchan — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 10:05:40 +0300

Label: Vrihaspati Recordings
Style: Modern Classical, Neofolk, Experimental, Ambient

Tracklisting:

1	The Arkwoods -	Song For The Unicorn
2	Laharis -	Flieg Mit Uns (Dub Remix)
3	Praetorio -	In Hope And Thought
4	Straight Menta Institute -	Asian Bells (Vers.2)
5	Un Défi d'Honneur -	Mourir Pour La Patrie (Vers. 2005)
6	Comtesse Du Nord -	Begin Ende Voortgangh
7	A Challenge Of Honour -	The Final Confrontation
		Remix - Straight Mental Institute
8	Ex.Zero -	Faith In Emptiness
9	Code 243 -	The Stockmarket Will Be Bombed At 12pm (BSM Remix)
10	A Challenge Of Honour -	Sometimes They Lie
11	Comtesse Du Nord -	Batavia In Den Ochtengloren

part1:http://www1.51files.com/?OTBZ1L6T8ZBNLQT7ZINI
part2:http://www1.51files.com/?NE7QPY85WL82MRDSEJ3H

[ftp]ftp://music@www.netyulin.com:31/nimusic/Darkwave/(07.03.03)V.A - Somehow They Knew... (2006) by kenchan.rar

下载前必读!!

nimusic — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 00:46:05 +0300

最近大家总是反应下载速度变得比较慢,后来发现罪魁祸首原来是迅雷,只要用迅雷,电信流量会瞬间占满,下载速度也变成几K,同时会把服务器拖的很慢,所以管理员才暂时关闭HTTP下载,现在正在找程序员解决这个问题,对于给大家带来的不便我们感到十分抱歉,不过我们会尽快恢复下载的.

但是恢复下载之后请大家千万不要用迅雷下载,并且使用单线程!!

谢谢合作!

下载已恢复,不过为了防止有人用迅雷下载,因此由以前的http下载改为ftp下载,还请大家见谅,推荐使用网际快车或者ftp软件下载

再次提醒大家用单线程下载,据ftp管理员称现在几乎所有下载用户都用的是多线程!因此现在已经不仅仅是无法下载的问题了,我们连ftp都连不上更别提上传专辑了!以后如果发现有人还用多线程下载只好请管理员封IP了!!

The Silent Ballet - Top 50 Instrumental Releases of 2006

nimusic — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 00:45:12 +0300

前言:这份单子出炉之后可谓是备受争议,入选专辑有4张是05年发行且许多去年公认的出色专辑不仅未入十大甚至连前五十都未进入,譬如The Seven Mile Journey的The Journey Studies还有让某些人如痴如醉的Yndi Halda的日本版Enjoy Eternal Bliss,Red Sparowes的every red heart shines towards the sun以及被很多人列为十大的A Whisper In The Noise - as the bluebird sings,可以说是让人又爱又恨.但不管怎样这份单子的影响力是无庸置疑的,对于2006年的后摇回顾无疑是颇有参考价值的,因此广大喜爱后摇的同学千万不要错过.

策划:漂流的叶&ritpol

特别鸣谢逆音后摇狂热分子ritpol同学,入选大部分专辑都由他发布在逆音或者非主流音乐志上,不过基本已经过期,因此我们已经重新上传到新开的ftp空间里,以后将以每周十张的速度发到逆音上,保存时间两周,请以前没有下载到的同学抓紧下载..

以下是索引:

Top 50 Instrumental Releases of 2006[#50--#46] (2007年1月25日过期)

Top 50 Instrumental Releases of 2006[#45--#41] (2007年1月26日过期)

Top 50 Instrumental Releases of 2006[#40--#36] (2007年2月1日过期)

Top 50 Instrumental Releases of 2006[#35--#31] (2007年2月2日过期)

Top 50 Instrumental Releases of 2006[#30--#26] (2007年2月9日过期)

Top 50 Instrumental Releases of 2006[#25--#21] (2007年2月10日过期)

Top 50 Instrumental Releases of 2006[#20--#16] (2007年2月17日过期)

Top 50 Instrumental Releases of 2006[#15--#11] (2007年2月18日过期)

Top 50 Instrumental Releases of 2006[#10--#6] (2007年2月26日过期)

Top 50 Instrumental Releases of 2006[#5--#1] (2007年2月27日过期)

Seelenthron -2004- Heimkehr

子歌 — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 00:44:54 +0300

Style: Neo-Folk
Label: Nielozilla
Country: Germany
Released: 2004

The CD from the german folk project Seelenthron, a band formed by Norbert Strahl and Alexander Meier of Dies Natalis exploring darkfolk and bombastic soundcollages.

Get Me From Live-Share

Clann Lir -2005- Clann Lir

子歌 — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 08:37:09 +0300

Style: Celtic Folk
Label: Om Music
Country: Russia
Released: 2005.05

没有华丽的宫廷般的音乐，没有顾作修饰的人声，一切都那么质朴。竖琴如一颗颗米粒出现在眼前，又掉进了周围的湖泊里。流水流走了，优美女声响起了，那是位穿着白色衣装的少女，仿佛我还看见了一匹白马从树林里穿过。情绪几翻起伏，荡气回肠，美得让人心碎。完全地粉碎。当那竖笛悠扬地穿梭在我的耳边的时候，一切变的默然。沉寂，飘去！(白水)

Get Me From Live-Share

Sub Luna - 2006 - In The Shade Of Time (2CD) [DM002]

kenchan — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 06:59:36 +0300

Artist: Sub Luna
Album: In The Shade Of Time
Label: Dagaz Music
Style: Neofolk

Tracklisting:

1-01		Flow East
1-02		The Passing Of Days
1-03		In Virtue (Dygdens Lön)
1-04		The Fairest Of Seasons
1-05		In Silence
1-06		Mile After Mile
1-07		The Nails Of Longing
1-08		The Calmness
1-09		Ever Changing
1-10		The Rising Tide Of Change
2-01		The Ending Of A Martyr
2-02		The Spring Of Resentment
2-03		Frozen
2-04		Days Of Withering
2-05		In The Fairest Of Seasons
2-06		Embracement Of Fire

part1:http://www1.51files.com/?DMF5LTAPKCQBZLEU69XK
part2:http://www1.51files.com/?UR5WN1IL4CG47JESUHNQ

[ftp]ftp://music@www.netyulin.com:31/nimusic/Darkwave/(07.03.02)Sub Luna - In The Shade Of Time (2006) by kenchan.rar

Arditi - 2007 - Marching On To Victory (Remastered) [EQM015]

kenchan — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 06:47:07 +0300

Artist: Arditi
Album: Marching On To Victory (Remastered)
Label: Equilibrium Music
Style: Modern Classical, Industrial, Ambient

Tracklisting:

01		Determination
02		Sturm V
03		Unity Of Blood
04		Marching On To Victory
05		Bless Our Arms
06		Sun Of Predappio
07		Holy Order
08		Militant Struggle
09		Sturm V
10		Divina Patria

瑞士新古典氛围和黑暗军事风格的乐团~Equilibrium今年再版发行其最为经典的唱片~绝对不容错过~用能力者尽可收张来作收藏~呵呵~

[address]http://www.51files.com/?BD72DSR2PSWDA73QAFQ5

[ftp]ftp://music@www.netyulin.com:31/nimusic/Darkwave/(07.03.01)Arditi - Marching On To Victory (Remastered) (2007) by kenchan.rar

Dragan Dautovski Quartet - The Path of The Sun (2001)

橙の太阳风 — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 22:55:09 +0300

Artist: Dragan Dautovski Quartet
Album: The Path of The Sun
Country: Macedonia
Style: World
Rating: ★★★★

沁人心脾的民谣

FTP

VA - I Love Trance Vol.2 (2007)

diehex — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 14:21:15 +0300

Artist: VA
Title: I Love Trance Vol.2
Released: 16 Feb 2007
Label: Smd More (Sony BMG)
Genre: Trance
Tracks: 40
Quality: VBRkbps/44,1/Joint-Stereo
Size: 212,05 MB

Tracklist:

CD 1
01 Giuseppe Ottaviani - Through Your Eyes (08:04)
02 Cascada - Cant Stop The Rain (Mainfield Radio Mix) (03:57)
03 Tube Tonic And DJ Shandar - The Secret (03:48)
04 Ron Van Den Beuken - Find The Way (03:05)
05 Mainfield - Feel The Love (03:55)
06 Cosmic Gate - Shouldve Known (03:31)
07 Wittendцrfer - Noah (Sakins Dutch Mix) (03:48)
08 Lange Vs.Gareth Emery - Another You Another Me (04:00)
09 Satellite - Remembrance (04:02)
10 Blank And Jones - The Sound Of Machines (Technopunk Radio Mix) (03:01)
11 Tatana - What A Freak (Motu Remix) (03:34)
12 Cave And Prey - Energy (Megara Vs.DJ Lee Radio Mix) (04:00)
13 Desperate Deejays - Sound Of E (03:12)
14 D - Jean-D - Follow Me (03:54)
15 Andre Visior - Skyline (03:49)
16 David Forbes And Mallorca Lee - 92 Elements (04:42)
17 Store N Forward - 4 Seasons In 1 Day (Sean Tyas Radio Mix) (03:55)
18 Duende - Luna Negra (03:48)
19 Alchemist Project Vs.Join Forces - The Hottest Stuff (03:33)
20 Vibekidz - Amazing Woman (03:27)

CD 2
01 Picco - Back To Hawaii (Hands Up Radio Mix) (03:19)
02 DJ Dean - If I Could Be You (Neo Cortex Radio Mix) (03:18)
03 Antares Vs.Bigroom Society - Ride On A Meteorite (03:24)
04 Discotronic - Tricky Disco V.1 (03:13)
05 Melanie Flash - Halfway To Heaven (03:40)
06 Kim Sozzi - Break Up (Cascada Radio Mix) (03:06)
07 Bass - T-Check This (03:17)
08 Keira Green - All Out Of Love (Rob Mayth Radio Mix) (03:49)
09 Pulsedriver - The Whistle Song (03:41)
10 Apollo Vs.Mackenzie - All I Need 2006 (04:01)
11 Jens O. - Find Your Way (Hands Up Radio Mix) (03:11)
12 Raverdiago - Pupananny (89ers Radio Mix) (03:19)
13 The Hitmen - Bass Up (Damaged Club Cut) (03:23)
14 Steve Twain Presents Escape One - Numero Uno (Steve Twains Late Night Radio Mix) (03:48)
15 Central Seven - If I Were You (03:28)
16 Deep Spirit - No Cover Song (03:15)
17 Claus Van Haiden - 666 Part 2 (03:25)
18 Sam G - Take My Hand (03:03)
19 Aligh Left And Mque - Love Is All Around (Skye Shapard Remix) (06:19)
20 Jealous Guy - Mr.Brightside (03:27)

现在试听的音乐就是CD2的第4首 Discotronic - Tricky Disco V.1

下载地址 (单线下载)

Benny Benassi - Best Of (2006)

diehex — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 04:30:01 +0300

01 Satisfaction (Original Album Version)

02 Love Is Gonna Save You

03 Who's Your Daddy (Radio Edit)

04 Time

05 Able To Love (Sfaction Mix)

06 Get Loose

07 Inside Of Me

08 No Matter What You Do

09 Change Style

10 I Wanna Touch Your Soul

11 Put Your Hands Up

12 Megamix (Version 1)

13 Who's Your Daddy (Fuzzy Hair Remix)

14 Satisfaction (Isak Original)

音乐风格 Electronic 国家意大利

Benny Benassi简介

下载地址 (单线下载)

Jean Michel Jarre - Teo And Tea (2007)

diehex — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 04:12:46 +0300

01 Fresh News

02 Teo & Tea

03 Beautiful Agony

04 Touch To Remember

05 OK,Do It Fast

06 Partners In Crime 1

07 Partners In Crime 2

08 Chatterbox

09 In The Mood For You

10 Gossip

11 Vintage

12 Melancholic Rodeo

13 Teo & Tea 4:00 AM

音乐风格 Electronic 国家法国

听电音的没有一个不知道他的

下载地址 (单线下载)

Pacha Massive - All Good Things (2007)

diehex — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 08:56:24 +0300

01 Don't Let Go
02 Oye Mira
03 All Good Things
04 La Verdotaga
05 Your Love
06 Get It On
07 Pachangueando
08 Prende La Luz
09 De Pies A La Cabega
10 Take It Easy
11 Al Ritmo De Pacha
12 Only You
13 Drive
14 Down My Street
15 Cruisin'

音乐风格 Lo-Fi

下载地址 (单线下载)

Forseti - Jenzig II (+bonus)

沼澤空談者 — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 04:55:40 +0300

Record Label: Eis & Licht

Release date: 27th Jan 2003

Format: Limited CD

德国新民谣运动的又一中坚力量。CD帧装非常漂亮，灰色麻布质感的盒子镶嵌着黑白照片。CD内页的摄影透露着音乐取向：黑白的自然植物、满布密云的天空、森林中的北欧神话神祗石雕，无不暗示着乐队对自然的崇拜以及对北欧神话的浓厚兴趣。乐队从来都用原声乐器演绎他们的作品，清亮的木吉他、温暖的号角、动情的大提琴、悠扬的笛子。点题之作Jenzig中那优美的笛子绝对不比forest metal乐队empyrium的长笛所勾画的北欧森林景致逊色，优美婉转的笛声萦绕着北欧的森林和天空。Forseti是众多neo folk乐队中较为讲究旋律的一个，优美的旋律配以Andeas Ritter的深情演绎，醉人，让人梦徊千转！（作者：ethereal）

Forseti 2003年这张作品好像没见发过，就此补上。并在新年期待主唱身体健康金猪年奉献新的杰作吧！——冒泡后继续闭关隐遁的沼泽空谈者。

Tracklist

01. Gesang der Jünglinge
02. Am Abend
03. Heilige Welt
04. Abschied
05. Wolfszeit
06. Erlkönig
07. Jenzig
08. Jenzig II

Die Verbannten Kinder Evas-Dusk and Void Became Alive

沼澤空談者 — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 04:00:45 +0300

Record Label: Napalm

Release date: 3rd Nov 2006

Review: After nearly 7 years of existence, Die Verbannten Kinder Evas unveil their maturest and darkest release yet. The classically influenced compositions, the harmonious soundscapes and the complex rhythms build a foundation on which to showcase the very emotive female vocals of Greek singing talent Christina Kroustali. "Dusk and Void Became Alive" invites one to dream, while enjoying intelligent, romantic, and touching Darkwave.

吐血推荐03.Winter's Night, 学院派古典美声的暗潮式巅峰之作！！

Tracklisting
01. Dusk And Void Became Alive
02. Mistrust
03. Winter's Night
04. Unquiet Thoughts
05. Cease To Breathe
06. Praise Blindness Eyes
07. Virtue's Cloak
08. Moonmuse
09. Catharsis

The American Dollar - The Technicolor Sleep 2007

ritpol — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 23:23:37 +0300

Artist: The American Dollar
Album: The Technicolor Sleep
Country: United States
Release: 2007
Style: Indie / Rock / Experimental

Track Listing

01. Rudiments of a Spiritual Life
02. The Technicolour Sleep
03. Signaling Through the Flames
04. Tonight, Let's All Make Love In London
05. Daytrip
06. The Swamp
07. Supernova Landslide
08. Time
09. Summer of War
10. DEA
11. Raided By Waves
12. Palestine

With its self-titled debut album, The American Dollar proved one thing: it could write one hell of a single. "War on Christmas," the album’s opener, is one of the most engaging and transcendent songs written in the past couple of years, despite having running time of less than four minutes. However, this track proved to be a double edged sword, as it appears that the band used all of its talents in crafting it and left nothing for the following nine songs. When the release of the follow-up album, The Technicolour Sleep, was announced for early 2007, one could not help but wonder if the new album might go the way of the final nine tracks of the debut and fall under the shadow of the almighty "War on Christmas."

It is debatable whether or not the band itself recognized the disparity between "War on Christmas" and the rest of its debut, but regardless, all doubts are washed away within the first 3:12 of The Technicolour Sleep. "Rudiments of a Spiritual Life" blasts its way out of the speakers, effectively instilling hope that this album will live up to the band's initial potential. The overall feeling of The Technicolour Sleep has not changed much from the self-titled debut as The American Dollar still employ a shoegaze/electronica sound along the lines of M83 or Logh, but the emotion and grandeur of the entire album rivals that of the aforementioned "War on Christmas." As a cohesive work of art, this is one of the most skillfully executed albums in recent memory. From the clicks and whirs that freckle the façade of the softer ambient moments to the build-up of tension before the cathartic release, every second of this album has been meticulously crafted to remedy the mistake of the debut.

Another improvement over the predecessor is the proficiency in drumming which raises the enjoyment of the album exponentially. Ambient and electronica artists sometimes have the tendency to give their arrangements too much free reign and as a result may sound too whimsical or airy. With the fantastic drumming on The Technicolour Sleep, The American Dollar avoid this problem and keep the arrangements grounded in reality. There is a marked upbeat quality to this album that was not evident in the self-titled, and the drumming really adds to that quality. Whereas there weren’t many stand-out tracks on the debut outside of "War on Christmas," it is hard to pick a stand-out on The Technicolour Sleep only because each track brings a new element or sound to the album that is invaluable to the mood and feeling.

It is rare that I can say with a good amount of confidence that an album released this early will likely be one of my top albums of the year, but it is going to take several extraordinary albums to devalue The Technicolour Sleep. It was a shame that these guys weren’t signed to a label after the release of their debut album, but it would be an absolute tragedy if they didn’t get label attention after this magnificent creation.

- Dan Wotherspoon

Immersed in it ...

Ours to Alibi - Beacons 2007

ritpol — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 23:22:02 +0300

Artist: Ours to Alibi
Album: Beacons
Country: United States
Release: 2007
Style: Indie / Rock / Experimental

Track Listing

01. The Dirt Is a Womb
02. These Roots Are Anchors
03. ...And Then We All Made Kites
04. From the Depths, I Cry Out
05. Beacons
06. It Means Everything and Nothing
07. Weary, We Fell Upon Land

Technically, Beacons is Ours To Alibi’s third release, though for the benefit of instrumental music fans, we will call it the sophomore release since the band's first outing was more of an emotional indie rock affair than anything even resembling where it is now. The previous EP was filled with extremely emotive, soft guitars that build up to a delicate crescendo, with sparse but heartfelt lyrics. Some parts were, shall we say ‘borrowed’ a bit too heavily from elsewhere, but all in all it was a really great, little release from a small band that showed a lot of promise and ambition. So I was keen to hear Beacons upon its release.

That said, I am fairly enamored with following bands from self-released demos to ‘proper’ albums, and often a change in direction or shift in dynamic can cause the band to lose the sparkle that made them so appealing the first time around. So which was it to be? Would Ours to Alibi produce a well recorded full length album that would cement it as an up and coming force in the post-rock world, or just 70 minutes of disappointment?

The seven tracks on Beacons are made up of 3 songs from the band's debut foray into the instrumental world, The Kite EP, and 4 new pieces. The old songs are a familiar, comforting sight, and it turned out they have all been re-recorded too. However, this was with mixed success; whereas the new version of “It Means Everything and Nothing” transforms the whispered vocals of the initial recording to some harmonized cries that set the hairs on my neck on end, the climax of “And Then We All Made Kites” has been turned into a pretty lackluster moment by the increased production. This is all overlooking the fact they dropped the classic “From Comas,” for which I’m not sure I can forgive them.

The new songs are also a mixed bag. One of them sounds a lot like something Sparrows Swarm and Sing! dropped from O'Shenandoah – which, granted, shows progression, but the result is not a good song and fits awkwardly among the others. Others show a completely different side to the band, with the fast and heavy "From the Depths I Cry Out" sitting right next to the quarter hour, slow burning monster that is the title track.

My final verdict is that Beacons was an ambitious and risky adventure, having noticeable strengths and weaknesses. It definitely showcases all that Ours to Alibi can do, and has some beautiful moments. Nonetheless, the band needs to settle on exactly where it wants to go before its next effort. It would behoove the band to choose a specific direction to pursue in future recordings. Beacons proves that the band has talent, but for once the variety of an album is unbecoming of this feature, likely due to the disconnect between the re-recorded tracks and the newer ones. With its second dive into the post-rock world, Ours to Alibi has shown that it has the ability to create some awe-inspiring tracks, now it just needs to channel the muse into a more focused version.

-Ian Nicholls

Immersed in it ...

.cut - Arctic Circles 2006

ritpol — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 23:21:00 +0300

Artist: .cut
Album: Arctic Circles
Country: France
Release: 2006
Style: Experimental / Indie / Rock

Track Listing

01. I Wish July 31st Would Never Come
02. Harry Truman Will Never Die
03. They're Digging For Oil, Not Looking For Franklin
04. Your Naked Dead Body

After four weeks of treatment at the Betty Ford Clinic, Ansel made his way down the street, as confident as ever that he never fall back into his addiction. Around the first block, he could smell the fresh grind, tempting him ever slightly so. Becoming a little despondent, he rolled his way down an alley. Big mistake. He smacked right into his old dealer."Ansel, my friend," the dark figure began, you lookin' for a fix?"

"Oh!" cried Ansel, but not before this alley cat opened his trench coat, revealing the best Colombian brew one could ever ask for.

"How about a gift certificate to Starbuck ?" Ansel became overwhelmed, stuttered a bit, and fell to the ground, choked up on his own indecision. For you see, Ansel is but a donut. His affliction? An addiction to soaking up the finest coffee brews. This undoubtedly creates a problem, as when he is left sitting in a mug of hot coffee, Ansel often loses his bottom half in the cup trying to get out. Surgical reattachment is painful and often pricey. This is the reason Ansel checked himself into the clinic, but things were already getting off to a bad start.

Ansel woke up a couple hours later in a pool of his own vomit. He dusted himself off, took a deep breath, and vowed to work it out. "I need a distraction," he surmised.

At first he tried paintballing, but that left him looking sprinkled or jelly-filled, and lets face it, chick donuts don't dig that. Next, he tried kayaking, but the mischievous river kids used him as an inner tube to battle the rapids instead. Left with no other options, Ansel signed up to become a fornication device at the local sperm bank.

This continued for three months, and although Ansel was miserable, he was living clean. But that never quelled the urges. Bruised and bloodied after a horrible day at work, he retreated home in the darkness, his body tickling with impulse. The local coffee shop! "Don't do it, Ansel, don't do it!" But he did.

His body became soggy with anticipation as he stood in line. Four people in front of him. Three. Two. No, this guy was holding a spot in line for his friend. Two. One. "Excuse me young man, can you help me with something?" cooed a looming shadow.

Ansel turned to see a large carrot beckoning. "What the fuck," he thought, "a talking vegetable?" Figuring it to be one of his psychedelic visions, he answered the call.

The carrot went on to explain: "My dear boy, I seem to have lost my ipod, and at this little coffee shop, you are nothing without your hipster gear. I can see all too well. Yes, I understand the irony being a vitamin-A-rich carrot and all, but I cannot use my eyes to locate my lost treasure for the life of me. I will reward you handsomely, boy, if you retrieve this item for me." This tale was enough to snap Ansel out of his craving, and he decided to take up the mission.

As soon as he set foot outside, he spotted a little white device on the sidewalk. It was an ipod. He couldn't believe his fortune, marched right back into the coffee shop, and brought it over to the little corner table he had just left from not just two seconds ago. The carrot was gone.

A tumbleweed flew across the shop as Ansel sat patiently waiting for the mysterious figure to return. The sound of grinders and smell of fresh tin was slowly seducing him. "Oh," he thought, "I can't relapse." He tried to leave, but his body wouldn't move. "Shit. All for naught."

With his last nerve, he clutched the ipod tightly and accidentally turned it on. He could hear a faint noise coming from the headphones and gathered the energy to don them. "Mmm, that's quite a bit of delay pedal." The sound was soothing and hypnotizing enough to lull him into a different world. The four tracks began and ended just like that. Ansel looked down at the display. ".cut." Never heard of them.

He played it again. And again. And again. Especially that last track, "Your Naked Dead Body." How enchanting. Before Ansel knew it, he completely lost himself in the music. He had acquired a new addiction, that of the delay pedal. And boy was he soaking. Taking in the drone of Eluvium, the reverberations of destroyalldreamers, and the overdubs of Arca, Ansel was left to float in this new world that made coffee seem like child play.

No, unwittingly, Ansel had become victim to a stronger addiction, one that left him completely paralyzed. Slowly. Until his death. No one in the coffee shop noticing Ansel lifeless, stale corpse, the carrot crept back in from the shadows, capturing the dough, and eating it whole. For this carrot was addicted to donuts, and his plan was an absolute success.

-Jerome Holeyman

Immersed in it ...

Sumner Mckane With Joshua Robbins- Two if by Sea 2006

ritpol — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 23:20:46 +0300

Artist: Sumner Mckane With Joshua Robbins
Album: Two if by Sea
Country: United States
Release: 2006
Style: Psychedelic / Indie / Ambient

Track Listing

01. The Mighty Damariscotta (Sounds Like Home)
02. Shackelton
03. Under Water Disorientation
04. No Land Lights Or Birds
05. Rogue Wave
06. Hallo Harriet Or Charlotte, We Love You
07. The King's Pines
08. She Lived Where The Road Turned To Dirt
09. Bring Your Mask And Snorkel
10. Is The Boat Moving Or Is It Me
11. She Rests At 60 Fathoms
12. The Morning In The Rain At Magens Bay

Sumner McKane, a talented guitarist and composer currently based in Maine, has released an incredible album filled with skillful guitar playing, beautiful chord progressions, and a slight country vibe. Two If By Sea is an extraordinarily subtle record, one whose layered guitar parts and careful melodies will grow on the listener increasingly with each listen.

McKane’s guitar playing has a timeless quality to it, but is nonetheless unique. Even more impressive is the fact that everything on the record aside from the bass lines were played by Sumner McKane himself. Having spent the last decade as a touring guitar player in various country acts, Sumner’s finger-picking style has an unmistakable country feel, justifying his claim of playing “ambient Americana.” This record is amazingly different from most of what we hear these days.

The guitar playing and production is marked by diverse, yet subtle use of effects pedals, and it is certainly a defining element of McKane's sound, giving his guitar tone distinct and recognizable textures. Unlike most “post-rock” or instrumental acts, Sumner’s use of effects is not to compensate for lack of technical skills, nor does he employ repetition and effects in order to build tension. Instead, the effects are understated and often imperceptible. In “Rogue Wave,” for instance, the guitar is clean on the left speaker, but the delay appears on the right. He makes excellent use of stereo speakers, and this is a record that is sure to reward fans of headphone records. Guitar players and studio engineers especially will be blown away by this record. The bass playing also demonstrates how important a good bass player can be. Joshua Robbins' bass lines perfectly augment McKane’s multi-layered guitar playing, giving the record a groove it may otherwise lack. The percussion is understated to the point where the listener may forget it’s there, adding just the bear minimum to the soundscape. This is a good thing, however, as it doesn’t detract from the rhythm, and the guitar playing remains the centerpiece of the album.

The album opens to the sound of seagulls, bells, and waves gently crashing on the shoreline as the guitar quietly comes in and lulls the listener as if being rocked on those same waves. Although the record has some weak transitions between songs, this isn’t a serious setback. Not every album needs to be a coherent collection of tracks. Despite that, the vibe of the music is at times reminiscent of KC Accidental/early BSS. The subtlety of the chord changes and the upbeat and chill rhythms will appeal to fans of Tortoise, as well as DMST.

Two If By Sea is a mix of styles, incorporating country and jazz vibes with progressive rock. The use of percussion, brushes, and noise are perfectly arranged with (what are probably) hundreds of guitar parts, synths, and other tones. Here are aural moods and soundscapes at their best, capturing all ends of the spectrum of American music. This is uplifting music, without the cheese or predictability. One can immediately perceive the sincerity with which this record was crafted. Climaxes in songs such as “Bring Your Mask and Snorkel” are some of the most skillfully orchestrated in the indie world. It’s shame that this record will probably never reach a wide audience, but one gets the impression that Two if By Sea was made by someone who is happy just making music.

-Joseph Sannicandro

Immersed in it ...