Rosa Yemen - Rosa Yemen EP (1978)

Rosa Yemen - Rosa Yemen EP (1978)

On this release from 1978, Lizzy Mercier Descloux recorded this EP with her roommate before going on to be one of the greatest female figurheads of the No Wave moment. This short little platter serves up two sides of noisy, cacophonous and angular post-punk, and is one of the best things to come out of the No Wave scene in my opinion

https://mega.co.nz/#!HJsVRKba!YW_fO3nnBTejt7mRceRmIgW91p1mwBbeqohl1nolsTg

Melt-Banana - MxBx 1998/13000 Miles - At Light Velocity

Melt-Banana - MxBx 1998/13000 Miles - At Light Velocity

Absolutely insane and unhinged noise rock that borders on noisecore at times. Leave it to Japan! On this live release on Zorn's Tzadik, the band sounds almost possessed, conjuring a whole range of alien sounds and going from insane blasts of noise rock to near silence in seconds, like DNA on steroids, and far more musical competency. This more than any other Melt Banana album really highlights the potent chemistry and timing of the group, easily one of the tightest noise rock bands around - the frantic guitar playing that dances around, the driving bass that propels the songs forward at lightning speed, Yasuko's screaming, possessed-sounding vocal performances, - everything comes together perfectly, proving that you don't need Les Rallizes Dénudés of feedback or Albini-esque lyricism dripping with hate, you can still create one of the most abrasive, bizarre and angular rock albums ever.

https://mega.co.nz/#!HJtEhJYZ!Pm_Eo0LCmW_zNu4WJjNBCxqEY7FrLfTRrYXMyHaN0Uo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUhFMEPoao0

Françoise Hardy - La Question (1971)

Françoise Hardy - La Question (1971)

With "La Question", Françoise Hardy, French Pop's brightest star (at least in my eyes) created one of the most effortless beautiful and intimate pop records ever. The spacey, ethereal sounding acoustic guitar accompaniment perfectly suits Hardy's smokey, entrancing voice and the lush string arrangements provide a lovely baroque-pop flair to the songs without abandoning the intimacy and heartfelt nature of this album - this album just sounds beautiful, there's almost no other word for it. Hardy easily ranks up with artists like Nico in terms of proving how flawless and ethereal pop music could be at the hand of great musicians.


https://mega.co.nz/#!rU8gjbDD!YLnQplv7teUTyC3jWgYrNlELMB5pEnrsM0Ic2lBw1X4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VHS1bW-rL8

Bruce Haack - The Electric Lucifer (1970)

Bruce Haack - The Electric Lucifer (1970)

Now this is a bizarre record: A concept opera about religion with crazily modulated vocoder vocals and one composing on a huge array of homemade electronic instruments - this record is truly one of the most "out there" and forward thinking records of its time. The sounds Haack conjures up here are positively otherworldly, bringing to life his maniac vision of a world ruled electricity and spirituality, making a pop record relient entirely on electronic instruments, which was extremely ahead of his time, considering at that point, Kraftwerk were still more of flute-lead rock band than a flawless, fully synthesized future-pop outfit. But even with the novelty of Electric Lucifer aside, this album is still amazing. Despite the antiquated and home-made technology, it barely feels dated at all, in fact, it's far more progressive and experimental than most of the pop that preceded and followed it. Haack's voice soars and bellows as if possessed, preaching to the audience with such heartfelt belief that it's hard not to be engrossed by him and his spiritual journey in the age of technology.


https://mega.co.nz/#!LQU2zCLJ!OR0AOV-PP6bFn9W17v_V_QMhzDwBMFrUlqTRXpU31Lk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pB_075GYKKI

Islaja - Palaa Aurinkoon (2005)

Islaja - Palaa Aurinkoon (2005)

Absolutely amazing Freak Folk coming out of Finland. Islaja's beautiful, ethereal folk is complimented perfectly by the diverse range of instruments on show here - from ghostly, twinkling chimes and simple acoustic guitar passages to quiet, sombre piano melodies and reverberating drones, this music always sounds otherworldly and angelic. The entire thing sounds entirely place in some kind of forest covent ritual, conjuring up ideas of towering trees and lush grass blossoming underfoot - it's just sounds so organic and beautiful and spiritual. Easily one of my favorite Freak Folk albums ever.


https://mega.co.nz/#!qZ0XyaJT!IxeiB3vrp7oMlhmsGW84-zkSmXo0aN7oNZ-xyz9__7g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGfWQSmMsMA

4G - Cloud (2005)

4G - Cloud (2005)

Moreso than even Cage's 4"33, "Cloud" really draws your attention to the minute details of the ambiance of any setting. Quiet sustained tones underscoring the piece that means that even at its most uneventful, silence never truly exists on this album. The quick, startling jumps from the drone to a fragment of sound - a clip of music, an inaudibly high-pitched tone, a chaotic distorted buzzing that interrupts the tranquility of piece - all of this interrupts the subtle, nuanced ambiance that Rowe, Ambarchi and company have created here. These interruptions fade away as quickly and starkly as they were introduced, and the album returns to a haunting, ominous ambiance. Despite its length, this album never ceases to engage you, with every buzzing pitch or pattering glitch drawing the listener to the edge of their seat. A great collaboration between a group of true virtuosos.


https://mega.co.nz/#!mRMRSACY!QyIEm1VHqIUQSQjHrq2J1wyYE_NKEDPhV-nzCMMBvaY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hSjfTxGmAg

The Brunettes - Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks (2002)

The Brunettes - Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks (2002)

Lo and Behold, for once, New Zealand is not just Australia's irrelevant cousin (you know it's true, Kiwis). Ballads about love and dancing,lovely male-female duets and cute-as-a-button songwriting makes for an album that's just twee as can be!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QsplXJw1MU


https://mega.co.nz/#!CNNhzDQb!cl65xzLxqfDL8VP4jObf01nU8ntFYKdhxW2L1dvUMa4

Grails - Take Refuge in Clean Living (2008)

Grails - Take Refuge in Clean Living (2008)

A very interesting post-rock album, with diverse instrumentation, a large influence taken from psychedelic rock and indian classical music, and a huge diversity in sound. Grails goes from long, drawn out psych-tunes with low, ringing drones to fiery psychedelic jam band pieces. A very varied, interesting and psychedelic release, you should check this out if you're into the more spacey, psychedelic and experimental side of post-rock

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKF1xvd5AF4


https://mega.co.nz/#!KVM3nL4I!SH4iABSRIX6DqC2aqCvyt3e9GmlGI0iNvDBEJdzZMWU

Edan - Beauty and the Beat (2005)

Edan - Beauty and the Beat (2005)

Definitely one of the most interesting hip hop albums I've heard in a long time, Edan's amazingly forward thinking production that culls samples from a ton of psychedelic rock, all interspersed with crazy abstract electronics and modulation - truly the most psychedelic rap album I've heard to date.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=napS5CFsfo8


https://mega.co.nz/#!rIEwlSYA!MSzBW11ZktKPpgjaY2Ufim2l_6Jn9-NWru2G_yw6yIc

Les Blousons Noirs - Integrale 1961-1962 (2007)

Les Blousons Noirs - Integrale 1961-1962 (2007)

When I think of the term "wild abandon", the first band that comes to mind is Les Blousons Noirs. Their incredibly sloppy and unhinged brand of Rock 'n' Roll is absolute genius or utter rubbish, depending on who you talk to. Personally, I think it's funny - their adaptions of "Be Bop a Lula" and Chubby Checker's "Pony Time" (called "Hey Pony" on this release) are even better than the originals. This is the real spirit of rock and roll, long before bands like Half-Japanese and the Shaggs came around. These guys might not have been stellar musicians, but their music has soul, and they know how to rock - they simply don't give a damn.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lc0QAFMPIfA


https://mega.co.nz/#!jU8gGLrb!FmkltkCIDbX_d5sRHvgAT2SiT-1CbdSu30iIakp6taA

MoHa! - One-Way Ticket to Candyland (2008)

MoHa! - One-Way Ticket to Candyland (2008)

A completely frightening and disturbing rollercoaster of furious drumming, abstract bleeps and bloops, and of course, wave after wave of noise. This is Noise Rock at it's Noisiest, and while fans of Albini-esque pissed-off industrial rock tirades might be disappointed, people who like their noise rock bizarre and at times downright disturbing (rather than just seeking to offend) would do well to check out this release.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UB_iFV5iyfM


https://mega.co.nz/#!uE1QGRxI!RGodxAzyd6pd7iAAq5-dNWbn_yYwnQfyKRBErdALIp4

Azalia Snail - Snailbait (1990)

Azalia Snail - Snailbait (1990)

Ethereal sounding psych folk that sometimes gets too lost on its drug-addled meandering, going off on a whole bunch of other trippy tangents, from reverb-drenched ballads, to fuzzed out rock songs, and sometimes feeling overly noisy and disjointed. Still, an interesting listen with some beautifully hypnotic, hazy songs - kind of like a more acoustic early Mercury Rev

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deY_chL3HoE


https://mega.co.nz/#!KIUT0DzJ!FaZ4vUfPBSCVqu3qmQrCYSomypItUr2X_YklGZJL9BE

Le1f - Fly Zone (2013)

Le1f - Fly Zone (2013) 

When I saw "cloud rap", I was worried, picturing generic sounding "ethereal" atmospheric production that was content just to ape Clams Casino's formula - definitely not fitting for someone as interesting and idiosyncratic as Le1f, whose debut mixtapes was one of the most interesting and varied releases of 2012. Thankfully, this album is anything but - it's just a testament to RYM's idiotic tagging system. This tape is great - Le1f goes from silly and theatrical to extremely technical and focused rapping flawlessly, crafting extremely catchy hooks and extremely well-written verses. The features on here are great for the most, aside from Kitty Pryde, who is obnoxious as usual. The production, is quite far from cloud rap - it's not hazy and mellow, the synths go from bouncy and organic to extremely crystalline and shimmering - it's always extremely lively and flawless, and it suits Le1f perfectly. Overall, one of the most interesting and forward-thinking hip hop releases of 2013, and a great successor to Dark York.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9nTzaopza8


https://mega.co.nz/#!KBERSQiI!DxTFYm4DtIKvn5m--ebypCYGaYEJoh9-p0bymaPDI0g