Tag: post-metal
Fading Tapes’ Circles: An ambient experience with guitars and drums
Katre – Encounters
LISTEN
Track List
1. (Existence I)
Underwater World
(Special guest Erkan Oğur)
2. (Existence II) - Mettle
3. (Existence III)
The Breath Part I
4. (Existence IV)
The Breath Part II
5. (Existing I) - Bond
6. (Existing II) - It is All New
7. (Existing III) - Blurry Paths
8. (Existing IV) - Heaviest Leaves
Katre - Encounters
Katre travels among the post-rock / post-metal waves and the band has recorded a great debut album. Encounters is a concept album and focuses on the subject of existence. By applying the ebow on electric and fretless guitars, Katre sustains the sound, and in doing so they combine the techniques of the west and the eastern culture, in which they grew up. Inspired by the stages that span conception and birth, to growth and self-awareness, the album explores these ideas through the two chapters, Existing and Existence.
The title of the album invokes Ercan Kesal’s [1] expression “the unrelated details give our lives a meaning” and the songs an extension of Erkan Oğur’s [2] statement “I cannot compose humoresques. Regardless of what I carry out, the result is only about the melancholy of being. We cannot cheer you up, but only help you be.” It is very important to mention that Erkan Oğur honored Katre by playing fretless guitars and additional ebows as a special guest in the album’s opening track.
[1] An award-winning Turkish actor, author and screenwriter.
[2] A worldwide recognized musician, who invented the first fretless classical guitar as well as a number of other instruments.
FLTTRY126
Release Date: February 18, 2017
© Fluttery Records
Code I – A Deep Red
LISTEN
Track List
1. A Deep Red
2. Do You Remember the Lake
3. Restricted by Force
4. Mesmerize
5. Ages Old
6. Broken Down
7. Islanders
8. Chapters
9. They Say the Sun Will Die Soon
Code I - A Deep Red
Code I's soundscapes, intertwining harmonies and gentle guitar melodies take you on a journey through sound. They let your mind wander to new plateaus and bask in the audible sunshine, only to be interrupted by the eviscerating blows of desperate guitars and drums, transporting you to new worlds, a complete contrast to the ones you left behind. Code I’s innovative post rock - which forces you from one extreme to the other - connects hints of metal, hardcore and heavy rock, complete with intermingling segues of ambient and even orchestral. Code I has entered the post rock world, and kicked into its teeth a new, edgy niche, one which may be young but has the strength of all that came before, and adds to the genre a vitally fresh aesthetic of depth and introspection.
Code I has always combined elegant ambient sequences within his work; creating beautiful soundscapes and cerebral melodies that are only halted by the barrage of his rock and metal roots. ‘A Deep Red‘, is no exception.
Within this record, Code I’s home grown metal and rock roots flourish, these are most noticeable on the tracks ‘Broken Down’ and ‘Mesmerize’. This is not to say that Code I’s dark tonal elements have been made redundant, not at all. ‘A Deep Red’ takes you on a journey of slow burning guitar melodies, delicate sonic trade-offs and hard hitting guitars make this album an expedition of emotional and heart soothing proportions.
FLTTRY089
Release Date: November 22, 2015
© Fluttery Records
Code I – Although We May Fall
LISTEN
Track List
1. Return Of The Black Star
2. As We Walk Amongst These Harboured Dreams
3. There is a Separate Path
4. Chaos In Disorder
5. Ascension
Code I - Although We May Fall
The one man post-rock ship, Alex Wilkinson, under the alias Code I has released a more uplifting EP than seen in his previous works. ‘Although We May Fall’ takes you on a journey of optimism, and suspense whilst still maintaining the power and force seen in his earlier album ‘A Deep Red’.
‘Although We May Fall’ was originally inspired by the ever growing discoveries of our solar system. New worlds and plains of existence have been a major factor in this EP’s conception and progression and this is reflected in songs such as ‘There is a Separate Path’ and ‘Return of the Black Star’.
‘Although We May Fall’ is indeed a true post-rock album lending to Code I’s earlier works. Combining heavy hard hitting riffs and melancholic atmospheres which will in no doubt, please the ears of post-metal and post-rock fan.
FLTTRY104
Release Date: April 01, 2016
© Fluttery Records
Seeming Emptiness – Conversion
LISTEN
Track List
1. Nothing
2. Apparently Forlorn
3. Conversion
4. Outland
5. Wavebreaker
6. New Sun
Seeming Emptiness - Conversion
Seeming Emptiness is an instrumental solo project of Kevin Möckel from Saxony, Germany. Kevin thinks that “Doom-touched post-rock” is the easiest way to define his style. Seeming Emptiness combines the crushing guitars and dark melodies of doom metal with the dreamy, gently soundscapes of post-rock. The mood of the music is mostly very melancholic and emotional and the songs tell instrumental stories. Massive guitars, atmospheric synths and lead guitars in two voices are significant for the music.
Conversion is the first full length album of Seeming Emptiness. It contains nearly 51 minutes of music, parted into 6 songs which will take you on a atmospheric journey from darkness to light.
FLTTRY075
Release Date: February 06, 2015
© Fluttery Records
Neko Nine & The Creator Of – Meet The Forest
LISTEN
Track List
1. Black Star
The Creator Of
2. Acoustic
The Creator Of
3. Fireworks up There
Neko Nine
4. Snowflakes Gone Grey
Neko Nine
Neko Nine & The Creator Of - Meet The Forest
This split album is made by Neko Nine (Yaroslavl, Russia) and The Creator Of (Tokyo, Japan). Each band presented two tracks. In the “Japanese” part we can hear measured anxious melodies mixed with harsh guitar sound and rock drums which sometimes become kinda ethnic. Neko Nine’s music gives us breathtaking drama with calm introductions and forcible culminations. And again we find folk elements like tin whistle and handclaps.
Being so different, these bands made a well-balanced and one-of-a-kind release. This release is the product of different cultures, it was born on crossroads of Japanese and Russian cultural traditions and western music styles. In “Meet The Torest” we can hear how musicians in Russia and Japan transform modern guitar instrumental music.
FLTTRY062
Release Date: March 14, 2014
© Fluttery Records
Sleepstream – They Flew In Censored Skies
LISTEN
Track List
1. Pre-flight
2. The Sail of Mary Celeste
3. They Flew in Censored Skies
4. Cirrus Formed Antennae
5. The Nacre Top of The Sky
6. Chemtrail Borders I
7. Chemtrail Borders II
8. Lucy’s Dream’s An Overdose
9. Cycle 24
Sleepstream - They Flew In Censored Skies
Sleepstream released their debut album "A Waltz With The Seventh Crane" on Fluttery Records in 2011. The album was welcomed by post-rock / post-metal listeners from all over the world. Its deeply melancholic and warm rhythmic parts created the space for the heavy guitars to move between the violin & cello.
The band headlined shows throughout Greece, played a show in Bulgaria and supported events with Crippled Black Phoenix, Long Distance Calling, Tides from Nebula, Mental Architects and Midas Fall to name a few.
Then came the new album. As Steven from the band says ‘They Flew in Censored Skies’ is an extremely great accomplishment for the band. Following the acceptance of ‘A Waltz With The Seventh Crane’, Sleepstream felt they had, not only to write some new material, but to progress and show the world they’re here to stay!"
Sleepstream’s mindset for this album was to “capture” their live sound with their full-scale dynamics and give the listener the best possible perception of the energy their compositions have.
“We think this album is a natural progression for the band, its just feels right. The music grows with us because in many ways, we are the music. We think that especially listeners familiar with our first album will appreciate the heart and soul we put into it and enjoy the edge we tried to put forward,” says Nio, drummer for the band. It seems that the album will satisfy the listeners of post-metal and post-rock genre who thinks that atmosphere is important.
FLTTRY061
Release Date: March 07, 2014
© Fluttery Records
Gespenst – The Bloodline
LISTEN
Track List
1 - Silver Lining
2 - The Bloodline
3 - Memoir
4 - Departure
5 - Leaving The Light
6 - September
7 - Vermissen
Gespenst - The Bloodline
Bringing out great music all over the world is one of our missions at Fluttery Records amd it makes us feel great. This time we are releasing great post-rock & post-metal music from Malaysia. Founded by two brothers from Kuala Lumpur in 2009, Gespenst members don't call themselves a band. “We’re not a band, we’re brothers” says Syahmi.
Gespenst is made of Syahmi Rawi and Zuhair Rawi. The post-rock duo creates minimal riffs and sounds but presented in a big and cinematic style. Every note and riff in each song has its own emotion and shaped by ambient sounds and heavy soundscapes. Gespenst is influenced by the sound of Pg.Lost, Khoma, Mono, and Maybeshewill.
Gespenst has step up their game in The Bloodline, focusing on emotional value in each song without using any spoken words. The Bloodline has a symbolic meaning to Gespenst, portraying the meaning of love, rage and hope through musical presentation and blended with distorted riffs and melancholic strings.
“If your heart isn’t closed on fragile beauty and loves something more than intensive screaming and guitar-raping, please try and fall in love with Gespenst” – Shillenya, A Hymn For A Lost Soul. This EP starts with huge strings and screaming guitars in Silver Lining, sounds like they’re calling you to be a part of their pure and emotional journey." says Zuhair and adds "The Bloodline presents high level post rock since very beginning – shaking and staggering riffs, ambient background and main melody switching from keys, strings to guitar. Lesson well learned – put their level pretty high for rookies”
Gespenst crafted their music in The Bloodline as an epic emotional journey with vivid lights of hopes vanishing through every color of rage and drowning in the sea of sadness.
REVIEWS
Heart Cooks Brain / Martin Smeets (8 / 10)
Imagine it is the night. In a big city. Let's put it in Kuala Lumpur. Heavy rain crackles, signs that the sun would ever rise again, studied in vain. A young woman is smoking on her balcony in the 28th Floor, from the bottom of the street noise flows with all its hustle up a dull roar. The smoker looks into the distance, a cinemascope-tracking shot continues her look through the urban canyons, and on. From somewhere else hear an ominous cello-acting, followed by a stray guitar melody. The picture darkens further in, heavy on drums resound, while a glockenspiel and there lights in the dark paints. Music for the night you get served here, on a silver platter. Post-rock that synapses, leaves are falling, even more expressive images that are inherent in this album, waiting for their liberation.
Powerful production of entire album lends the painting, a potential score. Memoir with its heavy piano and discreet electronics as grandiose attacks-by dystopian score; Departure fit on riotous landscape pictures in the late dusk; and the absolute highlight of this album, the stunningly good in September makes every possible situation a dazzling impression.
MRU / Aoife Read (5 / 6)
Emotion positively drips from each track. Held together by simple guitar licks and minimalist sloping piano riffs, the music maintains a rich multi dimensional sound that soars and flows from track to track. Their music is vast and epic. It’s the kind of thing you expect to hear on the ad for a big block buster action movie. Actually, whilst listening to the title track ‘Bloodlines’, images of long haired Lothario's on motorcycles, jumping through a cloud of fiery smoke kept being conjured up. Granted I had just watched a Steven Seagal box set, but you get my drift! The album is almost post apocalyptic in its sound. It’s bleak and bold and packed with raw energy. In parts it’s almost gothic, and I honestly can not think of anyone to compare them to. I was extremely impressed by these guys and I really did like the album. A genuinely unique act, they really fill their own little space at the rock table expertly.A solid 5/6 from me. Definitely worth a listen, just maybe, steer clear of the Seagal box set before hand!
Beach Sloth (7.3 / 10)
Gespenst’s ‘The Bloodline’ has adrenaline rushing through its veins. This Malaysia band’s work has elements of Post-Rock and Classical brought together. Each song feels strong, in a literal power sense. Sonically, it is a dense album. A lot goes on in these pieces. At moments they appear completely at ease right before they explode. Synthesizers are used strategically when the band needs to grow in size.
Clear references to Post-Rock are made throughout the album. ‘Silver Lining’ appears inspired by some of Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s gradual builds. The band sounds particularly large in this setting. Actually the combination between the dainty sounds and the larger overall structure is quite effective. Gespenst is a much smaller band however; hence electronic effects do cover for some of the classical elements. They flirt with aspects of metal, similar to Mogwai’s approach to songwriting. Mogwai takes a more depressive view whereas Gespenst’s pent up energy is enthusiastic, cheerful in tone. ‘The Bloodline’ is fast track moving quickly from the beginning and ending with great dollops of drum crashes and distortion. By far my favorite is the ‘Explosions in the Sky’ referencing track, ‘September’. Here they leave out the heaviness for the whole first half of the track. Only after a well-placed sample do things begin to expand outwards.
Hope can be found in these seven tracks. ‘The Bloodline’ despite its name, is overall a positive album. Gespenst appears to be a happy band. Everything they do indicates a positive attitude towards the future.
Slave State / Michael Porali
All the way from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the brothers Syahmi and Zuhair found their way to the western sub-category we know as post rock. Or if it's post rock looking them up. Far more important is they do it successful that you can ever imagine and "The bloodline" is actually one of the most powerful I have heard in the genre in a long time. They have influences like pg.lost and Maybeshewill but they are succeed to over come. The track "Silver Line" itself proves all they ever need to prove. The fact that the six subsequent tracks are exactly the same high standard is not something I even need to mention, I hope? In short Gespenst succeed it by avoiding being protracted ambient just for the sake of it (Mono) and they never fail over to the metal tendencies such as Pelican often get stuck in.
"The Bloodline" is simply everything a post rock album should be and they do it in a interesting way. The tunes makes me want to run cinematic with open arms at sunset, or if I would prefer to hide under the bed sobbing spirit that nothing will ever work out. I just know that "The Bloodline" would be the right soundtrack for the two.
Caleidoscoop / Jan Willem Broek
I call Fluttery Records repeatedly as one of the most exciting, international labels, partly because they keep class bands from all over the world. Particularly post-rock field throwing them high eyes, but also on the experimental and neoclassical terms they come up with various leading groups. And the country list grows every time. A country that you might not expect you so soon in the post-rock list is Malaysia. Gespenst is consisting of the brothers and Zuhair Syahmi Rawi, and they are from the capital Kuala Lumpur. Once again, this proves that Fluttery Records' ears are open for the records from all over the world. At least, they are my first Malaysian post-rock band and the brothers also bring another high-level post-rock. They link tasty guitar riffs on piano parts, electronic orchestrations, strong percussion and vocals and sampled voices. The individual ingredients are sometimes brought by others, but the emotions and quirky nuances of the elements give the band its own identity. This also reminds the the typical guitar bands I Like Trains, Biffy Clyro and Maybeshewill. They handle the typical post-rock methods and get names like Mono and Mogwai. The various parties and piano (electronic) strings provide not only with some regularity for the beautiful resting places, they do play the music with strong emotions. Thus they created a CD which includes both the hard and deep quiet moments that manages to hit. In all respects a very surprising album. Great class!
Sea Of Tranquility / Jordan Blum
Post-rock is always a tough nut to crack. Its inherent emphasis on abstract structures and jigsaw puzzle construction usually polarizes listeners into two camps: those who find affective brilliance within the intricate musicianship and those who are utterly bored by the often repetitive sequences. Fortunately, on its newest release, The Bloodline, Gespenst crafts masterful compositions that just about anyone should feel fit easily into the former category. Honestly, this is some of the most emotionally engaging music I've heard in a long time, and the fact that each piece offers something special (without ever including vocals) is great. Their influences include Khoma, Mono, and Maybeshewill, and I'd wager that fans of 65daysofstatic and Godspeed You! Black Emperor will find plenty to like on The Bloodline.
The Bloodline is a masterful release; its countermelodies and dynamic expertise ignite our most delicate feelings, such as of longing, regret, and nostalgia. It's obvious that the Rawl brothers went into exhausting detail to ensure that each note and timbre is perfectly placed. All in all, there's no doubt that with the right memories in mind, this album will move you to tears, and I for one can't wait to hear what Gespenst does next.
FLTTRY042
Release Date: June 14, 2012
© Fluttery Records
Sleepstream – A Waltz With The Seventh Crane
LISTEN
Track List
1 - You Gave Me Butterflies, I Gave You Loss
2 - The Spirit
3 - Sunlight
4 - A Waltz With The Seventh Crane
5 - Blue (Ascension)
6 - We Are But Divers In The Ember
7 - The Light
Sleepstream - A Waltz With The Seventh Crane
Sleepstream’s debut album “A Waltz with the Seventh Crane”. Powering from their post-rock, experimental, ambient and progressive influences, the band comes to testify there is more happening in Greece than a crisis.
When nostalgia meets with everyday life, when you feel that you don't belong to the reality around you, and crave for the little things to give you a glimpse of joy, then it is created the time and space capsule that gives you ways out for the soul.
This is when the "A waltz with the Seventh Crane" album comes along. The deeply melancholic and warm rythmic parts, give space to the guitars to move all around, like melodic night flies lured by the dim light of the haunted violin's strings.
Their only purpose is to find their way to the Light, where they fire up, bursting to a huge explosion of melodies, as they waltz along with the seventh crane, the capsule traveling them with the speed of light, where those who meet the end of this journey find their rest, and prepare for their new adventures.
It is "Sleepstream", who by their debut album, find a space between post-rock, classical and progressive influences, to unfold with honesty and simplicity their aspect of "the mood and soul in music", taking the listener aboard in the restless band's search for ascension.
FLTTRY029
Release Date: December 01, 2011
© Fluttery Records