Nickie’s Niches #28: April 2024

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1. 

   Ethnic Electronic

   by A Multitude of ONE
   favorite track

   Duduk

   Exactly as advertised, this time Colin Powell has collected his more ethnically influenced electronica pieces into one release. He sails into many world music ports, including Celtic, Middle Eastern, Oriental, Spain, India, and even the New World. The overall effect is much like a Renaissance travelogue might have been represented by various musicians attending court, if only they’d had electronic instruments at their disposal.

   1. 

      Circus Of Desire

      by Olivia Chaney
      favorite track

      Bogeyman

      Oliva Chaney returns with her third full-length release, bringing mostly spare arrangements which, rightly so, make room for her crystalline voice. She utilizes piano, guitar, banjo, keyboards, strings, and quiet percussion to reflect upon various aspects of her own and others’ interior lives. My favourite track is a sort of rumination/confrontation of nighttime frights.

      1. 

         The Drowned Ground

         by Less Bells
         favorite track

         A Failure Of Horses

         Julie Carpenter brings us lush and gorgeous ambient music, with violin, cello, synths, hurdy gurdy, shahi baaja, lap steel guitar, saw, banjo, flute, and recorder, along with vocals, including some by coyotes and “murderwind.” It’s dense, morose, and moody. How could I not love this? There is also a video available for my favourite track, A Failure of Horses, which is just as hypnotic as the music, at YT

         1. 

            Burial Ground

            by The Decemberists
            The Decemberists are back, offering up 2 singles to preview their upcoming release in June. This one has a retro feel, touching on REM-ish and early 60’s pop, a bit tongue-in-cheek, with layered harmonies and jangly guitars, in a slightly hushed mix. As the other single, Joan in the Garden, is a 20-minute epic, I am choosing the shorter due to time constraints (in my show), although the long piece is quite compellingly apocalyptic.

            1. 

               The State Of The World

               by KALANDRA
               favorite track

               The State of the World

               This EP offering by Norwegian quartet Kalandra, is comprised of both an instrumental and vocal presentation of the same piece of music. They tried several renderings since it’s inception in 2022, and have decided (for now) to utilize Celtic and sea shanty shading. It is simple and beautiful, I can’t imagine that making it more complex could add anything of value.There is a lovely YT video to accompany my favourite track (The State of the World with Vocal) for those who want to look it up

               1. 

                  Skjeringspunkt [Incl. video]

                  by Panzerpappa & Rannveig Djønne with Guests
                  favorite track

                  Berlinervals

                  Five piece RIO (Rock In Opposition) band from Norway, consisting of saxophones, keyboards, drums and various percussion, bass guitars, Chapman Stick, accordion, and trumpet. This is a live performance recording, with guests on accordion, flute and vocals, and the result is varied, quirky, and delightful.

                  1. 

                     KELD

                     by You Are Wolf
                     favorite track

                     As Sylvie Was Walking

                     Alt/Psych/Wyrd folk release from the UK’s Kerry Andrew. Crystal clear vocals, with keyboards, recorder, pipes, cello, bass and electric guitars, banjolele, trumpet, and various percussive elements. Here, they cover traditional tunes, as well as offering original pieces, with a watery theme. Eerie and evocative, the pieces often start simply and veer off into something else entirely.

                     

                     NOT ON BANDCAMP: Timothy Wenzel “Immerse” Timothy Wenzel is a fine composer, as well as photographer (fascinated by weather extremes) and scientist (with a PhD in Chemistry). He was inspired to follow his love of music following his retirement as a chemist, at the behest of his dying brother,. The instrumentation includes keyboards, violin and cello, acoustic guitar and electric guitars, English horn, and percussion. This music is powerful and moving, and meticulously produced. Favourite Track: My Siren (5:21)

                     1. 

                        Lakesongs of Elbid

                        by Albion
                        favorite track

                        Black Lake (Llyn y Fan Fach)

                        The brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Joe Parrish, on vocals, guitar, flute, and mandolin, Albion is sweeping and ambitious. The electric folk band he’s assembled has flashes of metal, but for me, it really shines the brightest on the more medieval and chamber folk sorts of pieces, along with the expertly applied lush orchestration. I really love all of the pastoral, sweet acoustic pieces, but am choosing Black Lake as my favourite track to represent the release more fully.

                        1. 

                           Mountain Edges Are Dyed In Red

                           by Kid Arrow
                           Friend to Progressive music everywhere, Tatsurou Ueda wrote the poetry that inspired the music, which is the first of four in a series, called “Four Phases of the Night.” Markus Reuter, of Stickmen fame, handled production duties for Kid Arrow. The music is ambient, and slowly and subtly builds in an ominous fashion. You will not be disappointed by spending the time with it.

                        1. 

                           Pastoral Progressive / The Moment Is The Muse

                           by Vincent Carr’s SUMIC
                           favorite track

                           Strolling Early Morning / The Triumph Of Time (Excerpt) / The Spring Of ’22, Part 1 / Must I Never Dream? / Jupiter Wrens / Forget, Forget

                           Vincent Carr’s SUMIC’S new release, “Pastoral Progressive/The Moment Is The Music” is comprised of the past 10 years of his releases, and melded into two 30+ minute tracks. If you haven’t heard Vincent before, you are in for a real treat. Vincent is a multi-instrumentalist, who reworks traditional tunes into his signature style, and who also composes original music. He utilizes both electric and acoustic instruments to achieve this end, all to great effect. The release’s title says it all.

                           1. 

                              The Road Back Home

                              by Loreena McKennitt
                              favorite track

                              Sí Bheag, Sí Mhór Wild Mountain Thyme (Medley Live in Goderich, Ontario 2023)

                              This is live, with all acoustic instrumentation comprised of cello, guitars, whistles, fiddle, banjo, accordion, piano, whistles, and bodhran and other percussion. All players contributes vocals, and James Keelaghan guests on a track. Loreena of course, handles the lead vocals, as well as harp and accordion. Many are songs from early in her career, with many busking-style songs, and as they are recorded live, have much of that spirit to them.