Lost Crowns: Every Night Something Happens
Lost Crowns, all six of them, play dreamy songs with a very large number of notes. They're not showing off - they just feel that way. It's difficult for them but easy for you. After all, a hummingbird beats its wings a lot but what a lovely sound (if you like that sort of thing). Pretty "far-out", as they used to call it. Piano, harmonium, harpsichord, clarinet, Vox amps, double-kick drums - that kind of stuff
“A rich, unfolding master-craftsman’s confection… complex, artfully-meandering songs built from delightfully byzantine chords and arpeggios that cycle through ever-evolving patterns like palace clockwork; accompanied by rich, lazy clouds of hilarious, hyper-literate, wonderfully arcane lyrics; all sealed by an arch, out-of-time English manner which (in tone and timbre) falls into a never-was neverworld between Richard Sinclair, Stephen Fry, Noel Coward and a posh, Devonian Frank Zappa.”
Misfit City
Sterbus: Real Estate / Fake Inverno
Sterbus are from Rome, but their true musical spirit wanders much further afield – from the joyful power-pop of The New Pornographers to the rainy Portland of Elliott Smith and most certainly all the South of England's ground-soils Cardiacs, Xtc and King Crimson.
REAL ESTATE - CD one - is a joyous rampage through a circus of questionable sanity....a definite rollercoaster ride up towards the Sun. FAKE INVERNO - CD two - is definitely more autumn..... beautiful golden leaves, cold evenings, reflective, and you wrap the songs around you to keep you warm.".
David Sheridon - the Army of Moths
Tonochrome: A Map In Fragments
Tonochrome are a London based art rock quintet whose grunge aesthetic ispeppered with jazz harmony, contemporary classical influences, Andean sounds and pop hooks. A coming together of opposites, of texture and colour, of the acoustic and the synthetic, Tonochrome are a joyful reminder of what music can be when you just don't give a damn about convention.
Bridging chamber pop, rock and beyond, the map Tonochrome refer to may well be in fragments, but the treasure is there for all to hear.
Sid Smith, Prog Magazine
Charlie Cawood: The Divine Abstract
As a whole, it is wondrous. Every listen is full of new discoveries. Brilliantly managed writing skill encompasses early music, classical modes, minimalism, rich oriental structures, and styles which ebb and flow, often missed by the ear first time around. ‘The Divine Abstract’ is simply a display of astonishing craft and great taste, with a bonus in invention. Up on a pedestal, this is a contender for 2017’s best progressive recording. Extremely recommended.
Lee Henderson, Art Rockin
More Reviews can be found here
My Tricksy Spirit: My Tricksy Spirit
My Tricksy Sprit conjures a steamy multi-cultural urban gestalt formed of near seamless parts into a blissful and uplifting whole, crafted into sonorous sonic washes by producer Rob Shipster.
My Tricksy Spirit is a record for the sultry summer evening, star gazing or soul gazing, glass of Pimms in hand. Invite the neighbours round, otherwise they’ll be complaining about the thunderous lower frequencies. Plans are afoot to take this sonic experience on the road.
Roger Trenwith, The Progressive Aspect
Lucie Treacher: Wunderkabinett (EP)
Lucie likes listening inside shells...
Originally from Scotland Lucie spends her spare time recording crunching leaves and washing machines. Her songs are autobiographical, and she collects them like stones on a beach, each with their own character and formation..
The three-track EP is a musical 'wunderkabinett': a cabinet of sonic curiosities, of intricately crafted, edgy songs filled with orchestral textures and soaring vocals lines.
Nick Prol & The Proletarians : Loon Attic
The Proletarians' debut album features guest appearances from a long list of respected collaborators including DIY progressive popster R. Stevie Moore, Bob Drake (solo, Thinking Plague, 5uus, etc), Rob Crow (Pinback, Heavy Vegetable, etc), Thymme Jones (Cheer-Accident), Moe Staiano (Sleepytime Gorilla Museum), Matt Lebofsky (Secret Chiefs 3), Dave Willey (Thinking Plague, Hamster Theater), Gavin Wallace-Ailsworth (Bent Knee), Paul Sears (The Muffins), Carla Diratz (French experimental vocal artist), the members of Sterbus (Italian prog-pop band), and Mo Ha Dev (Stop Motion Orchestra).
Loon Attic is a severely nutritious album. My brain and heart were improved by every listening. Every shadowy corner of this music is populated by fascinating secrets and a delicious details. I’m so happy that Nick Prol (& his Proletarians) exists.
Mike Keneally. Frank Zappa, Andy Partridge, Steve Vai, etc.
Tonochrome: Not Gonna End Well (Single)
Tonochrome are a London based art rock quintet whose grunge aesthetic ispeppered with jazz harmony, contemporary classical influences, Andean sounds and pop hooks. A coming together of opposites, of texture and colour, of the acoustic and the synthetic, Tonochrome are a joyful reminder of what music can be when you just don't give a damn about convention.
Brilliant writing, played with great precision and feel, very entertaining, and a rich meal of complex emotional flavours. Serious art that’s a real pleasure to listen to.
Oliver Arditi
Sinah: Roads (Single)
Dark synths, basses and trip hop elements build that scenery Austrian singer SINAH created together with Hip Hop/Electronic-producer Fleming and Thomas Ranosz. A sound that mixes R’n’B, Electronic and Experimental Pop.
Knifeworld: Bottled Out Of Eden
Knifeworld is a British-based psychedelic rock band led by Kavus Torabi. Originally a Torabi solo project, it became a full band in summer 2009..
Bottled Out of Eden arrives as the band begin to make inroads in that domain, but rather than imbue their sound with a little Tame Impala-like polish, this is an even more adventurous and cheerfully skewed exercise in prog-tinged psychedelia than 2014’s stunning The Unravelling. Uplifting, euphoric and spacious where its predecessor was claustrophobic and gloomy, Knifeworld’s third album takes in blissful krautrock sermonising (High/Aflame), snappy art rock (The Germ Inside) and mutant jazz-rock grooves (I Am Lost) – and that’s just the first three songs. .
Dom Lawson, The Guardian
Spiritwo: Mesumamim (Single)
Combining Alternative Epic Rock with Art Deco Electronica, SPIRITWO are known for their highly energetic live performance, spearheaded by Claire Yael’s mesmerising vocals and heavy guitar sounds.
The Face to Face/Mesumamim double single is now added to the Spiritwo adventure. Vocals with a wonderful power driven sound of the immense Claire Yael Shahmoon, whose tendency to use her soul in the clean and unclean vocals shows that Claire is a lead vocalist to look out for. A roar that can bellow over hard hitting drums is truly mesmerising.
Mark Wincott, Altcorner
Sinah: Sinah
Dark synths, basses and trip hop elements build that scenery Austrian singer SINAH created together with Hip Hop/Electronic-producer Fleming and Thomas Ranosz. A sound that mixes R’n’B, Electronic and Experimental Pop.
Knifeworld: Home Of The Newly Departed
Knifeworld is a British-based psychedelic rock band led by Kavus Torabi. Originally a Torabi solo project, it became a full band in summer 2009.
Knifeworld: The Unravelling
Knifeworld is a British-based psychedelic rock band led by Kavus Torabi. Originally a Torabi solo project, it became a full band in summer 2009..
Dullard indie rock bands may have repeatedly tried to reduce the psychedelic ethos to little more than recycled Beatles riffs and a dash of sitar, but Knifeworld have the keys to the real kingdom of lysergic wonderment.
Dom Lawson, The Guardian
Matt Stevens: Lucid
Noted for his work as both a solo artist and as a member of Fierce and The Dead, Lucid sees Matt joined by a host of guest musicians including: Drummer Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson), Bass guitarists Lorenzo Feliciati (Naked Truth), Charlie Cawood (Knifeworld) and Kev Feazey, keyboard players Jem Godfrey (Frost) and Emmett Elvin (Chrome Hoof / Guapo), violinist Chrissie Caulfield (Helicopter Quartet / Crippled Black Phoenix), vibe player Jon Hart and Nicholas Wyatt Duke (Trojan Horse) on Spoken Word.
Nothing short of an amazing musical journey and the question is why the heck isn’t Matt Stevens a more well known name? Here’s hoping this album gets him the exposure and success his music deserves.
Jason Ritchie, Get Ready To Rock.
Olcay Bayir: Neva/Harmony
Olcay Bayir is an impressive newcomer to London’s vibrant global music scene. Born in the Kurdish region of southern Turkey, she moved to the UK to study opera and classical singing, then started a band, working with musicians from Turkey, Albania, England and Venezuela.
..she reworks traditional music from the western borders of Asia and the Mediterranean coast, starting with an Albanian love song before moving to Armenian, Balkan, and Kurdish songs. While Durme, a charming Sephardic lullaby, shows her classical training, elsewhere she switches to dance songs, driven on by clarinet, violin and saz, a Turkish lute. This is an elegant and often gently exquisite set.
Robin Denselow, The Guardian.
Knifeworld: Don’t Land On Me (Single)
Knifeworld is a British-based psychedelic rock band led by Kavus Torabi. Originally a Torabi solo project, it became a full band in summer 2009..
Dullard indie rock bands may have repeatedly tried to reduce the psychedelic ethos to little more than recycled Beatles riffs and a dash of sitar, but Knifeworld have the keys to the real kingdom of lysergic wonderment.
Dom Lawson, The Guardian
Tonochrome: Interference (EP)
Tonochrome are a London based art rock quintet whose grunge aesthetic ispeppered with jazz harmony, contemporary classical influences, Andean sounds and pop hooks. A coming together of opposites, of texture and colour, of the acoustic and the synthetic, Tonochrome are a joyful reminder of what music can be when you just don't give a damn about convention.
This is an excellent release on all levels; creatively satisfying, emotionally diverse, totally involving and played with a feel that is never worse than absolutely spot-on.
Oliver Arditi
Spiritwo: Primitive Twinship (EP)
Combining Alternative Epic Rock with Art Deco Electronica, SPIRITWO are known for their highly energetic live performance, spearheaded by Claire Yael’s mesmerising vocals and heavy guitar sounds.
..if the experimentation of a Mike Patton and Bjork, the passionate adventure of a Mojo Fury or Japanese Fighting Fish, and the dark drama of a Stolen Babies or The Dresden Dolls finds a well-nourished place in your tastes than Spiritwo and their Primitive Twinship EP is a must.
RingMaster
Knifeworld: Clairvoyant Fortnight (EP)
Knifeworld is a British-based psychedelic rock band led by Kavus Torabi. Originally a Torabi solo project, it became a full band in summer 2009..
Stupendous, in a word.
Rob Hughes, Prog Magazine
Tonochrome: Tonochrome (EP)
Tonochrome are a London based art rock quintet whose grunge aesthetic ispeppered with jazz harmony, contemporary classical influences, Andean sounds and pop hooks. A coming together of opposites, of texture and colour, of the acoustic and the synthetic, Tonochrome are a joyful reminder of what music can be when you just don't give a damn about convention.
Tonochrome’s debut EP is immersed in contemporary soundscaping with a mix of electronic elements, truly organic rock riffs and odd meters, occasionally cavernous reverby production and some heartfelt, direct songwriting which is bolstered by the production flourishes.
Rough Trade