edIT - Crying Over Pros For No Reason (V1)

If you liked The Glitch Mob, here is edIT. edIT is the main man behind The Glitch Mob and before he formed them he was just a solo glitch dj. This album reminds me a lot of downtempo stuff/postrock/triphop. Weird I know but there is an appreciation to it.

I highly recommend this album if you are looking for an alternative to techno/electronic style music. It is a refreshing experience. Give it a listen.

Download it here or support edIT here.

Dada Life - Just Do The Dada (320)

You like Daft Punk? Is that a yes? Well, then, I have this awesome treat for all you lovable fans.

Serving you "Cookies With A Smile," I present to all of you: DADA LIFE!!!

I would describe Dada Life as a modern Daft Punk if they were to be a little darker with their sound. Don't believe me? Give this a listen, it's of an EP but one of their greatest songs.

Still don't believe me? Then download this album and give it a listen. I promise that you will be hooked from track one.

So if you believe me then here is the album and if you want to be awesome then buy it here.

Air - Love 2 (256)

French duo.

Downtempo.

Electronic.

What?

Yes.

Exactly as I said.

Might I add that "Sing Sang Sung" will make you very happy?

Done deal.

Download it here and buy it here.

Anamanaguchi - Dawn Metropolis (V0)

I spent my childhood playing SNES and Sega genesis, and that's completely unrelated to this album being that I have no memory of playing them at all other than actually doing the act, oh and that one level in Donkey Kong Country 2 or 3, whichever one you were the girl and the baby (not Diddy) and I think it was the lava level and I kept losing and, well I don't know where the fuck I'm going with this.

I guess my point is, this is a happy, childlike album, made up of all your favorite 8bit sounds but also using actual instruments to make it even more awesome. Now, you could turn away now and say this is too childish and stupid to look into, or you could look into this because of how much you love childhood (in which case you should just click the link and stop reading, because there's nothing more after this), but this isn't a novelty album. This isn't Cee-lo's "Fuck You" which will in time be looked back as nothing more than a novelty hit played as much in movie scenes as "Walking on Sunshine", this is an actual piece of artistic work created with the idea of making you re-experience the one time in your childhood where you were in an actual trance without the use of drugs, the time that you spent playing video games. You probably won't find another album as happy and childlike as this without hitting some kind of joke act or something terribly un-listenable to, so this is your only choice, John Conner.
Get the album if you want to live.

This is going to make your underpants wet.

This is what you should download while you're getting a new pair.

Ellul - Ashes (V0)

I haven't listened to all of this yet, to be honest, but these guys are so great that I thought it would be appropriate to post this album up as soon as I had it.

"Ellul is this San Francisco based group centered around the brainwork of “Blanket Head” and “The General” (Joel St. Julien and Joel Tarman, respectively.) The whole album is sort of a collection of juxtapositions of electronic and folk music, often dancing between the two with this light pitter-patter of beats (such as on the opening track “Cages,”) or going all out in one direction or the other (as is discernable in the back-to-back tracks “Good Night” and “Debris”). The album is also lyric-heavy, with some really beautiful lines filling the record.

Ellul reminds me often of a Justin Vernon project, maybe that went on vacation one time with Ben Gibbard (circa Postal Service) but then decided to go his own route and get a new usually heartfelt, occasionally winey vocalist. And then also throw a bunch of other random shit into it too. Whatever, it works! I recommend the album!"

Now that I think about it, Ellul does remind me very much of Justin Vernon's collaboration with Collections of Colonies of Bees, Volcano Choir. Comparisons to Radiohead are less fitting here, but hints of their influence still remain.

Ashes is available as a digital download in any bitrate from Ellul's bandcamp for $8, and we've also uploaded it here in V0. If you live in San Francisco, please support these guys locally; they definitely deserve it.

The Knife - Silent Shout (FLAC)

The Knife's Silent Shout is one of the most innovative albums I've ever heard. Ranging from very atmospheric, almost ambient songs like "The Captain," to synthpop songs with a focus on vocals such as "Marble House," this album is all over the electronica map. It's dark, it's pop, it's dance, everything. Karin Dreijer Andersson is probably the best vocalist in the electronic scene right now. That voice will be in your head for days to come. Although her and the other half of The Knife - Olof Dreijer - are both Swedish, this album is sung entirely in English. Even so, I can't quite tell you what all this album is about. I've heard that the album is based off of the Black Hole comics by Charles Burns. The extent of what I know is that it has to do with a fictional STD that causes it's victims to become mutated... quite strange, I know. The album definitely portrays that strangeness, no doubt, in a whole new light.

To summarize, if you're at all interested in the electronic music scene, I highly recommend this album. It will hold your attention for most - if not the whole 11 track ride, and the constant change of sound should keep you guessing as to what's coming next.

Highlights: Silent Shout, Marble House, Forest Families

Music, tonight. I just want your music tonight.

Download in V2.

Dimlite - Runbox Weathers (V0)

"A while before he was exposed to music from his present genre colleagues Prefuse 73, Dabrye or Forss, Dimlite already created and looped clicks, cuts as well as odd samples and during this process developed his own technique to express his harmonious destiny. It would be more than unfair to reduce this album to dope hip-hop beats that make your head nod because Runbox Weathers has surely more to offer. The music of this self-made man is deep and personal but at the same time very accessible and not too head driven arty. His environment and his musical background are well reflected and transformed into touching little stories that all blend together as one. His DJ sets also mirror this narrative ability when he cleverly switches from down- to uptempo and from past to present and future.

Dimlite's pendatic affection for analogue sound bites results in a warm and organic atmosphere that builds the foundation for his compositions. Whether it is a traditional Swiss choir he plays the Rhodes to ("Lueget"), him distorting his own voice to such an extend that you think Darth Vader is singing his ballad of loneliness into outer space ("Back To The Universe Pt. 1") or a fragile intonation moving in the background to come right up front in order to pull you away into the stream ("Aurora, Stay Close") – Dimlite's symphonies follow different directions but are always plausible. While it is not recommended to quickly skip through the individual tracks we assure that you will be rewarded when taking the time to fully dig in."

Full review.
Download here.

Keaver & Brause - The Middle Way (320)

Keaver & Brause, known for being half of the magical duo known as Kona Triangle, is a fresh new face in the glitch scene, and one that is warmly welcomed. If you're at all familiar with an artist called Lone (the other half of KT), you will see a great amount of similarities between his early work and this album.

The Middle Way is quite remarkable for being a debut album, full of catchy and enjoyable songs from beginning 'til end. Another one of those albums that are hard to describe, so take my word for it and enjoy.

Download here.

Baths - Cerulean (V0)

Being a person who, in the last 6 months, has come to truly love and appreciate the artists on the record label anticon., I began having a real thirst for acquiring albums by the members of the indie-famous Collective. Even though my computer was not enabled to download, and my wallet was not enabled to buy, I really could not shake the feeling of wanting to hear more.

My quest began with the chill wave-y, acoustic/electronic sounds of Baths, but let me tell you: trying to appreciate an album while listening to it via YouTube is bad news bears. Even so, I still came to love Cerulean, in all of its organic flow and glory. If the word softness could be represented by a sound, this album would be the perfect choice. Cerulean is most definitely on my list for best of 2010, and Baths has earned a well-deserved spot on my radar.

Favorite songs: Lovely Bloodflow, Maximalist, Aminals, Hall, You're My Excuse to Travel

My Rating: 9.8/10

Get yourself some here.

White Hinterland - Kairos (V0)

So you like mellow, relaxed pop-based music?
HELL YEAH YOU DO.

Do you like it when it has great vocal melodies provided by a very calm female vocalist?
HIGH FIVE IT BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOU DO, G-SLICE!
Well rev up your lazy chair and get your bongs set to interstellar overdrive, because you're about to be taken into a very slow part of outer space.

You're about to be calmed the fuck down, bro.

Download it because you can not escape a black hole.

James Blake - CMYK EP

I don't know.
This is just really god damn good.
It's a gosh-darned great mix of electronic music and 80's mainstream production, I tell you what.

I hate him for doing what I wish I was doing.

Did you find her?

Download because this is what being relaxed must sound like.

The Helio Sequence - Keep Your Eyes Ahead (320)

The Helio Sequence are Brandon Summers and Benjamin Weikel. Any Modest Mouse fans reading this will surely recognize Ben as once having drummed for them during 2003 and 2004, when they were releasing Good News.

This album has incredible sentimental value for me, as it was basically the first non-mainstream music that I really got into. I was doing a search for the best albums of 2008 and this repeatedly made its way onto my screen; I just couldn't ignore all the people saying it was a masterpiece, so I gave it a listen.

What I found was undoubtedly the most eye-opening experience I have ever had from a musical standpoint. Even now I feel like they transcend being defined by a single genre. It's not enough to just say shoegaze, or electronic, or alternative rock. Those things together don't even accurately describe The Helio Sequence. Tags are certainly just a formality here, and there isn't a person I can think of that wouldn't be able to at least find some joy in this album. The themes are universal, the music is aesthetically intriguing, and the tone of Brandon's voice sounds like a younger Bob Dylan, creating a feeling of antiquity throughout the songs. For these reasons, Keep Your Eyes Ahead is, without a doubt, my favorite album of 2008.

It's just authentic, I guess.

Download here and buy it here.

Port Blue - The Airship (320)

Many of you are familiar with Adam Young, whether you know it or not. Adam is the multi-instrumentalist behind Owl City.

Before you disregard this post, however, let me tell you that The Airship is one of the most incredible ambient albums of the last decade. It sounds absolutely nothing like Owl City, but actually sounds more like a piano-laden Helios. Each song is layered with keys, piano, downtempo beats and rather than vocals, various audio clips of people talking. The quotes are often religious in context, but do not sway in favor or against any kind of religion. They are more philosophical in nature, and they compliment the music well.

Have an open mind and check out this amazing album. You will not believe it is by the same man who wrote "Fireflies," trust me.

Download here and buy it here.

Portishead - Third (FLAC)

Third is a hauntingly atmospheric album by influential trip-hop group Portishead in 2008, and it was their first since their self-titled album eleven years prior. The first time I listened to this album was when I was just discovering trip-hop, and I was completely and utterly blown away. I wanted more like it, immediately. Then I found out that Third is quite unlike most trip-hop albums, at least from what I've heard. It's dark, it's mysterious, it's lonely, it's melancholy, and at times uneasy in its tone. Yet at the same time it's undeniably beautiful. Beth Gibbons teeters between sultry and heartbreaking throughout the entire run. Her voice juxtaposed against what could be considered unfitting and out of place beats strangely works to their benefit in a huge way. Every time you listen to this album you'll notice something you didn't before, or something will click with you in an entirely different way than it did last time you listened, giving it a huge amount of re-playability. I can't tell you how many times I've listened to front-to-back in this week alone, and still I am never bored of it. The entire album is amazing from start to finish, but it reaches it's peak with Machine Gun and it doesn't let up until the end. I honestly can't think of a single complaint I have with Third.

If you're into electronic, but have yet discovered trip-hop, this is a great place to start. But I think just about anyone can find something to enjoy here. I've never heard anything but praise for this album, so give it a listen and I'm sure you'll join the club.

Highlights: Hunter, The Rip, Magic Doors

Download here.

I battle my thoughts, I find I can't explain
I've traveled so far but somehow feel the same.

Telefon Tel Aviv - Immolate Yourself (V0)

Telefon Tel Aviv is a Chicago based electronic music group that was formed sometime around 1999 by Charles Cooper and Joshua Eustis. They released about 3 albums and a couple EPs, all of which are a blend of IDM and chillout electronic music. Immolate Yourself specifically is probably my favorite electronic album of all time, and it has continuously been a go-to album for me in the past year.

I can still remember hearing the album's opener, "The Birds," for the first time after I bought this album from their internet store. I can't imagine how many times I played that song, everywhere I went I had it playing, for about a month. The entire album is, in my opinion, wonderful. The music is so much more emotionally involving than most electronic music, in that it is rather melancholic in tone throughout much of the album. That, coupled with the fact that Charlie Cooper died not one week after the release of the album, makes for quite the listening experience. (There were, at first, rumors of suicide, but no conclusive evidence has been found.)

"The Birds" will always be my personal favorite of this album but they are all fantastic as a cohesive unit.

Download here and buy it here.

Tobacco - Maniac Meat (V0)

Tobacco brings the awesome to Black Moth Super Rainbow every chance he gets, and his solo career does not go untouched by his talent and creativity.

Maniac Meat, for lack of a better word, is just plain juicy. I can feel it pass over my taste buds and down my throat and into my bloodstream to clog my arteries. It's greasy and dripping and bad for me, but I can't get enough. This album is one of my favorite dishes. It's something different with every bite. Sometimes things are so raw. They don't taste undercooked, though. They taste grimy and wrong, but in such a good way. Other times, things are sweet. So sweet my teeth feel like they're wearing a sweater. So goddamn sweet that sugar might as well be running through my veins. Then there are the morsels that are meaty. Meaty, tough and well done. Extremely well done. Exceedingly well done.

The great thing is, it's like each time I listen, it all tastes different. But I always finish with the same feeling: happy and full.

Favorite tracks: Fresh Hex (ft. Beck), Mexican Icecream, Six Royal Vipers, TV All Greasy

My Rating: 9.0/10

Download it here.

The Flashbulb - Réunion (V2)

The Flashbulb (aka Benn Jordan) may be more well known for his melodic IDM/breakcore albums, such as Kirlian Selections and Red Extensions of me, but by far his best and most creative work is Réunion. Although the album is technically electronic, it was created without the aid of computer sequencing and effects, so Benn relied on analog equipment, samples, and loops. The result is a notably warm and organic sound compared to his earlier efforts. Many different styles are explored, from jazz to IDM to ambient to post-rock.

Undoubtedly in my top 10 favorite albums ever.

So so so so good...

Working For A Nuclear Free City - Jojo Burger Tempest (V0)

WFANFC’s JoJo Burger Tempest is like a more upbeat Dead Cities, Red Seas, & Lost Ghosts (by M83), and well... I wish there was more to say about the album but really that’s what it is. It contains all the “epicness” of that album, a similar instrumental focus as that album (only saying similar because this one actually makes use of vocals a LOT), and the major difference being that it’s happier. It’s not an “everyone drink up and be merry” kind of happy but it’s definitely a lot more optimistic than M83’s soundtrack to the beginning of the end. In fact, the first line of the M83’s album is a pretty good estimation of what this album is (quoted at the bottom, as the download link).

It's not like me to so bluntly pull out tracks, but I need to for this album.

One is the final track, with the same name as the album title. It’s 30 minutes long, and to explain what it is in words is best expressed in the following statement:

It’s an audio only interpretation of the movie Space Jam.

Other than that, Alphaville and Brown Owl are damn well the top tier choices of the album, Alphaville focusing on a more dream-pop setting than the rest of the album (and eerily similar to something out of The Radio Dept.'s Pet Grief), and Brown Owl which plans to bring optimism so bright that it could make you believe a movie like “You Again” might be worth seeing.

Sun is shining. Birds are singing. Flowers are growing. Clouds are looming and I am flying.

The Future Sound of London - Dead Cities (320)

Put simply, Dead Cities is nothing short of a masterpiece of ambient techno. Taking cues from Aphex Twin and B12, FSOL create a convincing and intricate post-apocalyptic landscape unlike any other I've heard. Dead Cities rewards close listening, as many of the details, sound effects, and motifs may elude you at first. The album changes gradually and with purpose but every song is memorable and different. I literally have nothing bad to say about this: if you are even the least bit interested in techno or electronic music in general, I recommend this highly.

Everyone in the world is doing something without me...

The Constructus Corporation - The Ziggurat (320)

The Ziggurat is, without a doubt, the most complex and ambitious hip-hop album I've ever heard. It is a concept album revolving around a multinational corporation that distracts the populace with a giant floating pyramid, or something. I couldn't really tell you what its about because the lyrics are very abstract, intricate, and difficult to decipher. It has to be heard to be understood, and even if you can't wrap your head around it all (I can't), you can admit that it has some damn cool beats.

Metatron One, I've been known to get the job done.