THE TOP RELEASES OF 2006

This year I decided to do something a bit different for my top-10 list by writing a review of each release on it. I must first mention that I have recused myself from reviewing the releases on my own label, thinking it would be a bit improper. But they are truly among my favorite releases of the year, and would have made fine contenders for my top-10 had I allowed them to be in the running. It was an immense pleasure to release them and my most heartfelt thanks go out to Paolo Bandera, John Gore, and Jim DeJong, as well as everyone who has supported my label and encouraged me. As for the reviews below, mere words can hardly serve to represent a musical work. So if my descriptions make a release sound interesting to you, please try to check it out! (Artists and labels, feel free to reprint these with impunity if you so desire, while referencing the source.) Enjoy... and Happy New Year!
  -- Kyle Wright // Diophantine Discs // 30 Dec. 2006.

BLOODYMINDED - Magnetism // CD // BloodLust!
From the outset it sounds like someone dropped a mic into hell and hit "record." Reading the track titles inside the stunning digipak makes that assessment seem not entirely far-fetched. This incredibly intense and noisy album takes a remarkably different, though not altogether unexpected, departure from earlier Bloodyminded material. The vocals (if there really are any) are completely obscured, being replaced by a wide array of processed screams. The sound is incredibly dense but not muddied: all of the synths, feedback, and other sounds maintain an amazing level of clarity in the mix together with the bestial screams. What results is an incredibly personal, direct, and tormented recording. There are so many different things happening at once, producing such a variety of noisy sounds (from drones to feedback), "Magnetism" is entirely engaging and an exciting listen. With so much lack-luster noise and power electronics out there, this is a true gem. Certainly one of the most intense, emotionally draining, and powerful albums -- ever.

CHANGES - A Ripple In Time // LP // WhiteLabel
I haven't been so keen or up-to-date on many of the most recent neofolk efforts, but the new album from Changes certainly caught my attention! Beautifully packaged in a luxurious gatefold sleeve, "A Ripple In Time" is a recent recording of mostly old (yet never released) songs. This is already a big plus for me: I have always preferred the older Changes lyrics, especially the more mysterious and psychedelic ones. The music is very direct, lively, and inspired. Nicholas' guitar-playing is exceptional and Robert's vocals fit the mood as always. A handful of instrumental songs are also present, one of which (to my surprise) is mostly piano. Changes' unique (though more traditional) style surpasses so much of what is currently being produced in the neofolk scene today. Like "Fire Of Life" the songs somehow manage to be both sorrowful yet oddly uplifting. The production, mix, and vinyl presentation works wonderfully for this recording and these songs in particular. An amazing and moving listening experience -- and certainly the finest release yet from Changes!

FINAL - 3 // 2-CD // Neurot
This album certainly caught me off guard! I thought "Solaris" was a total dud, so I was initially quite apprehensive about this one. But from the start it's quite apparent that it will be an excellent release. The full release contains about 2.5 hours of music; mostly guitar-based drone (both noisy and ambient) with some additional electronics and maybe some synths. Unlike most guitar drone works, this doesn't sound overly noisy or spaced-out at all... and I think that's what makes it so unique and interesting. There's a lot happening all at once, and the sounds have a slightly gritty, unpolished feel (this isn't to say that the release doesn't have a good production - quite the opposite!). To my surprise, some of the material was quite melodic. On the whole, the material ranges from these more melodic tracks to other tracks containing more controlled feedback guitar noise. An impressive and captivating release for sure!

INADE - Samadhi State // CD // Loki Foundation
Though billed as a selection of "collected recordings" from 2000-2002, this is (for all intents and purposes) the latest Inade album. As usual, gorgeous packaging from Loki, this time in a digipak with subdued but direct artwork. One of their most dynamic works to date, "Samadhi State" is incredibly solid and focused. Filled with deep, mysterious, and expansive dark ambient sounds and drones, the music seem to slowly float the listener somewhere between light and darkness. Unusual percussion, vocals, spoken samples, and ritual sounds make their appearance on several tracks -- something that wasn't so noticeable on previous works, but which here fits seamlessly with the overall work. The sound quality is impeccable, making this a beautiful and dreamy listening experience. For the past 15 years Inade has been evolving: somehow always maintaining their unique and engaging sound yet never repeating themselves -- and never disappointing.

BRIAN LAVELLE - Just A Song At Twilight // CD-R // Dust, Unsettled
This album takes the listener on one of the most lush musical journeys imaginable. Maintaining a strong sense of minimalism throughout the recording, it nevertheless remains highly dynamic and engaging. The release consists of three long tracks; each is quite unique, but fitting well within the theme of the whole release. One of the more luxuriously packaged CDrs I've seen, both the artwork and music fit well with the title. Much of the material consists of strong (sometimes beautiful, sometimes very intense) drones, often gradually accompanied by slow, repeated, synthesizer segments, field recordings (rain, bells, fire), mild electrical feedback, light glitchy sounds, and organ drones. For me, the 2nd track achieves a certain emotional element and feeling that an instrumental track has rarely achieved. This is certainly some of the most enjoyable, innovative, and experimental ambient-drone music that I have heard in a while.

THE LEGENDARY PINK DOTS - Your Children Placate You From Premature Graves // CD // ROIR
This latest album from LPD really exceeded my expectations, clearly surpassing their work over the last few years. It is a very unique recording, filled with a variety of stylistic elements, but pooled together into a strong, cohesive whole. There are many catchy tracks here, both with and without vocals. With plenty of guitars, bass, piano, drums, trumpets, synthesizers, and other electronics (not to mention Ka-Spel's inimitable voice) it certainly has all the elements to make a great LPD album... and so it is! From instrumental experimental/avantgarde tracks to quieter emotional vocal songs, this is a wonderful psychedelic and mesmerizing release. A few of the most melodic tracks even have some strong hints of Spanish or Middle Eastern musical influence, while some other feature warm old analogue synths juxtaposed against acoustic guitars. It is an extremely varied release, making it difficult to describe, but it makes for an extremely delightful and exhilarating listen.

MLEHST - An Old Broom Knows All The Dirty Corners // CD // Belief
Mlehst returns after years of silence, along with his unique (and prolific) experimental noise. As a bonus this digipak album has some alternate mixes of material from two recent LPs, but they fit well here and will seem like part of the whole work to most listeners. Commencing with noisy drones and reverberating percussive noises, the album takes a really varied journey through all kinds of noisy experimental, weird electronic, feedback, and droney sounds. There is a really unsettling and disturbing element to the music throughout the CD, which seems more controlled and natural than I had remembered in previous works. As intense as the sounds on CD can get, it is by no means a typical static harsh noise release. Everything has it's place and is totally under control, being precisely manipulated. Just how I like my noise... An incredibly solid and enjoyable release, through and through.

PROIEKT HAT - Make Sense // CASS // Segerhuva
Anyone who has visited my place knows that I have a slight addiction to tapes, so I probably would have picked this beautifully-packaged one up anyways, even if it hadn't been by the mysterious and enigmatic Proiekt Hat. This is total old-school death-industrial stuff, replete with great analogue sounds and a lo-fi noisy and rhythmic structures. Deceptively simple in it's construction, "Make Sense" is a really intense work, and one of PH's most intricate and well-crafted recordings to date. It's not so much that this release breaks new ground, but that it does something old yet so much better than I've heard in a long time. These trudging analogue industrial noises that slowly build up and change are incredibly hypnotic. Some of the tracks are really sinister sounding, and the release concludes on such a note as well. In my book, this has all the makings of a classic.

RAPOON - From Shadows Sleep // CD // Essence Music
Not only does this look awesome (the special edition is packaged in a great looking box with tons of extra stuff), but it sounds awesome as well! Tribal and percussive elements are absent from this work, with the exception of a few ambiguous and rather sparse and minimal percussive sections, of bells or slow drumming. Instead, the music consists mostly of delayed sound loops, reversed sounds, and some droned-out instruments (especially horns) and obscured samples. While being one of the most drone-ambient of Rapoon albums, the delayed sounds it manages to keep that slow, mesmeric rhythm that is classic to his work. Overall, the album has a distinctly dark-ambient feel, but not in the typical sense -- it is definitely more "earthy," almost like the moist floor of some old forest with brown, decaying leaves. A really gorgeous and intricately composed album, leaving a strong impression.

WOLF EYES - Human Animal // LP // Sub Pop
Their second "big label" album (and the first to feature the current line-up), "Human Animal" is certainly the most beastly album from Michigan's Wolf Eyes. Most previous works that I'm familiar with consist generally of really noisy drawn-out material, or shorter "blast" tracks or their unique "beat" tracks. This isn't necessarily a radical departure from those works, but it adds many more dimensions to them. It is filled with swampy and noisy drones, gross and distorted beats, weird spacey experimental sounds from who-the-hell-knows where, whacked-out saxophones, ear-piercing feedback, and occasional sickly vocals. The whole thing is incredibly hypnotic and engaging; an exhilarating, creepy, wild ride that leaves me smiling afterwards (...is that allowed? It is a sinister smile...). It's on vinyl and CD too, so what more can I ask? I'm very excited to see what they come up with next! If anyone is in the position and has the ability to introduce a wider audience to noise, it is certainly Wolf Eyes. And with a release like this, I'll certainly be the last to complain!