Nickie’s Niches 18: July 2023

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1. 

   mysterious cave of eternal theta

   by computerchemist
   favorite track

   it could be paradise

   Going solo here, Dave Pearson brings us space and ambient electronica. The lack of the almost obligatory NASA voice transmission clip, so often heard in space music, makes it supremely easy to do just what this music is meant for, to lose oneself in it unapologetically. Dave stretches out with all epics here, and they are perfect to spend some time letting your mind take you where the music wanders as they gradually unfold.

   1. 

      To Tell

      by Luciano Basso
      favorite track

      To Tell

      Here are a dozen original pieces for piano (some are 4-hand pieces), violin, and flute, brought to us by an Italian prog veteran. His process is painstakingly specific, taking into consideration each note and melody until he is completely satisfied with the result. These pieces are subtle and classical in both style and presentation. This is truly best heard from start to finish.

      1. 

         Jupiter Wrens: Fantasias

         by Vincent Carr’s SUMIC
         favorite track

         Forget, Forget – Those Who Were Called And Chosen / The Backward Sweep Of The Curved Horns / Forget, Forget

         Multi-instrumentalist Vincent Carr returns to the skies filled with Jupiter Wrens, with two epic fantasia pieces. The opening suite is inspired by “The Wind and The Willows,” the second improvisational piece by the painting of Mammon at the Tate Museum. Vincent once again stretches out in both utilizing electric and acoustic guitars, and keyboards in contemplative layers. I love both tracks, but going with the more structured opener.

         1. 

            Isosessions

            by Vespero
            favorite track

            Cloudarias

            Beautiful psychedelic and space rock from the Russian Federation here. Soaring female vocals, couched with electric and acoustic guitars, saz, mandolin, various keyboards and synths, bass, accordion, panpipes, violin, drums and other percussive elements comprise the sound. The music is dreamy and textured, sometimes heading into Middle Eastern territory.

            1. 

               Terra Nova

               by A Multitude of ONE
               favorite track

               Megapolis

               Multi-instrumentalist Colin Powell is the mastermind behind this one-man band (hence the name). This past month, he’s released two compilations, one which is very ambient/relaxation/meditation-type music, and this one, which has a bit more progressive bite to it. This one is also contemplative, with no vocals, and displays Colin’s mastery of electric guitar, in particular. His other release, “Chill Your Beans,” is also highly recommended.

               1. 

                  Bonnie

                  by Captain Cougar
                  favorite track

                  Weightless, Loveless, Bloodless

                  Finnish outfit bringing an intriguing mesh of ambient post rock infused folk rock, or is it the other way around? There are washy guitars and a fluid female vocalist, and despite the electric instrumentation, the release feels acoustic. Who is Bonnie? It seems as though we living within her thoughts, through the music and poetic lyrics. A release full of paradoxes, despite the fragility, there is a sense of determination and survival.

                  1. 

                     Ragnarok (Original Soundtrack)

                     by Myrkur
                     favorite track

                     Ragnarok Tema

                     Danish artist Amalie Bruun works under the name of Myrkur, and here she adds bass, synths, additional vocals and guitars to her own vocals, guitar, piano and viola. The soundtrack is mostly very short pieces, and, as one might guess with the title of Ragnarok, it is very dark, moody, and full of both eeriness and calamity. Mixing Nordic folk with black metal, it is compelling and full of contrast.

                     1. 

                        Bordando el manto terrestre

                        by Maud the moth + trajedesaliva
                        favorite track

                        Perla

                        This stunning release is at once transcendent and eerie. It’s a phantasmagoric trip into the life of Remedios Varo, a surrealist painter. This reminds me much of the spiritual works of Hildegard of Bingen, who also touched upon feverish visions for both her visual art and her music. All of this is captured in waves of organ, miscellaneous keyboards, hushed vocals, and guitars, leaving one with a sense of the holy and haunted. A brilliant and unsettling release.