Mayumi - Myriad Luminescent (2006)

artist: Mayumi
ep: Myriad Luminescent
label: pale blue
release date: 2006
tags: shoegazer
heaven or las vegas

1. Myriad Luminescent (Platinum) / 2. Careless (Shields My Eyes) / 3. Snowflake Beach (Cosmic Version)

Alsace Lorraine - Through Small Windows (2001)

artist: Alsace Lorraine
album: Through Small Windows
label: Darla
release date: 2001
tags: dream pop, indie pop
soft filter

1. You Are Like Charles Lindbergh to Me / 2. Monday Turns to Monday Night / 3. Back Roads Under a Giant Sky / 4. Alex Runs the World / 5. Name Etched in Home-Room Chair / 6. The Girl From Roanoke / 7. Swing Low, Constellation / 8. Once the Ocean Built a Ship / 9. Chalk Marks on the Ground / 10. Summer Days at Home / 11. Dreams I Can't Control / 12. A Bright Patch Near the Wall / 13. If This Were the Past / 14. Alsace-Lorraine / 15. Though I've Never Seen You / 16. The Labour Day Parade

Darla is an underappreciated label and this is just one of the reasons why their catalogue shines through to those willing to plunge into the obscure - delicious female fronted dream/indie pop with some really great beats that occasionally remind me of trip-hop, if trip-hop had more live-sounding drums. Highly recommended.

Hakobune / David Tagg - Untitled

artist: Hakobune  /  David Tagg
album: Untitled [Split]
release date: 2008
label: install
tags: drone
warm space

1. Sothis (Hakobune) / 2. Stele (David Tagg)

Fila Brazillia - Mess (1996)

artist: Fila Brazillia
album: Mess
release date: 1996
label: pork recordings
tags: downtempo
soothing rhombus

1. The Last of the Red Hot Brethren / 2. Big Saddle / 3. Space Hearse / 4. Half Man Half Granary Thorax / 5. But Momma / 6. Laying Down the Law on the Lard / 7. Wavy Gravy / 8. Soft Music Under Stars / 9. Hairy Insides / 10. Dp's r Us / 11. On Yer Haunches / 12. Howard Dan Ryan / 13. Blood / 14. Return of the Red Hot Brethren

Early downtempo artists are probably the most interesting for me - back then, they were looking for that sound and, once they found them, most of them got eventually trapped and stopped being interesting for critics who hate "muzak"-ish approaches... but the authenticity and the appetite for experimenting of the likes of Fila Brazillia should get a lot more credit. Sure, this album is not exactly as wild as the album before it, Maim That Tune, but it still has a few great songs, especially Soft Music Under Stars which actually leaves you gazing at the stars... Fila Brazillia have a sense of magic that is rarely found, and unfortunately most musicians who delved into downtempo never tried to experiment with the recipe for which some efforts were consumed - I mean, most of you laugh when you think of Cafe del Mar, but come to think the numerous abstract cuts that were on the first volume, and of all the names like Underworld, Leftfield and even Penguin Cafe Orchestra...

Monoton - Blau (Monotonprodukt 02 26y++)

artist: Monoton
album: Blau (Monotonprodukt 02 26y++)
label: oral
release date: 2006 (original issue: 1980)
tags: minimal synth, electronic
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1. Ein Wort / 2. Dubwise / 3. Wirklichkeit / 4. Leben im Dchungel / 5. Teil 2 / 6. Teil 3 / 7. Dubwise 45 / 8. Minibeat / 9. Batacuda 79

Cold meanders.