In this episode, we’ll be hearing tracks for several engaging nu-jazz and post-rock artists. These two genres are deconstructions and recombinations of their base genres with influences from others, sometimes far outside the originals. We’ll be listening to some folks who have integrated ambient and abstract electronica sounds and feels into jazz and rock.
We’ll start off the the artist Springtide, from Tokyo, Japan, and segue into tracks from releases on the La Bél netlabel, listening to a selection of tracks from several artists there – the Italian group Another Brick, with trumpet, bass, and Ableton Live/Push; ykymr, again from Tokyo; Safir Nou, from Spain, with their combo of cinematic soundtracks, post-rock, and Mediterranean jazz; and Cuarto, with a fascinating take on Spanish guitar combined with abstract electronics.
The second hour features two albums from Menion, a group from Italy who describe their music as “visionary electronic post rock mixed with dark ambient ingredients”. They combine acoustic guitar and a wide range of electronics, from drum machines to percussive Stockhausenesque timbres, with subtle processing tying it all together into flowing textures with surprising harmonic twists; lyrical passages with bleeps and squarks fitting in beautifully; heavy metal shattering under its own weight: adventurous music with something unexpected around every corner.
The music is all available from the Free Music Archive (https://freemusicarchive.org/), but we strongly suggest you buy the music direct from the artists at their Bandcamp pages where possible: