Onry Ozzborn - DUO

Seattle alternative hip-hop artist Michael S. Martinez (aka Onry Ozzborn) has just released his new album DUO this month (April), and I'd have to say that it's one of his best. All of DUO's 16 tracks feature a guest collaborator/vocalist, including Aesop Rock, Rob Sonic, Sadistik, P.O.S., Kimya Dawson, etc. DUO has to be one of the best collaborative and most eclectic alternative hip-hop albums in quite some time, if not ever.

In many ways DUO proves that it is more than just a collection of collaborations; it is a complete work of art. DUO features recognizable names on the producer end as well, including SmokeM2D6, Void Pedal, Latrell James, and Jack Rylands.

This latest effort is full of ambition, and even has a 15 minute mini-movie featuring clips from each track. Few songs in Onry Ozzborn's library are solo pieces, but he tends to share the limelight well, and most definitely on DUO.

Watch Onry Ozzborn's duofilm below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNAFfgWou_w

Drumcorps - Falling Forward

Originally from Boston, MA, now based in Geneva, Switzerland, Aaron Spectre (Drumcorps) is a mastermind at what I like to call cyberpunk (a genre heavily influenced by metal, industrial, electronica, and breakcore). Coming out nine years after Grist (Ad Noiseam adn70, 2006), an album that built a considerable fanbase for Drumcorps, Falling Forward certainly does not disappoint. The industrial, metal, and breakcore scenes certainly have changed over the years, and the change is evident on Falling Forward. Fuzzy glitches and electronic sequences hover between 90s industrial and grunge territory. The album even has guest appearances, which include Mike Justian (Madball), Leo Miller (Animosity), and Iggor Cavalera (ex-Sepultura, Mixhell). Spectre is a musician skilled in organizing distorted and blunt hardcore breakbeats, which is perfect for the Ad Noiseam label. Inspirations for breakcore were glitch aesthetics and malfunction. Spectre wanted to insist on these influences in the acceleration of sounds and vocal distortions. Even the album's artwork is influenced by this glitch concept (a distorted and pixelated image of Spectre himself).

Hear the track "Choose Again" below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIIap_FtaOw

Swarm Intelligence - Rust

Only one year has passed since Berlin-based Swarm Intelligence (Simon Hayes) released his first album Faction for Berlin-based label Ad Noiseam. Faction was a very particular album in the post-industrial landscape that included really heavy beats. Fast forward a year later and we have the release of his new album Rust (2015). Rust shows a major change in Hayes' sound, although it confirms a certain slight common thread with the previous album. Rust is the quintessence of what could be identified with industrial music today. Hayes focuses on the absorption of sounds (and their context) coming from abandoned factories, power plants, and corroded metals. This is industrial music that focuses on sound research and really the raw definition of industrial as an art form.

Hayes uses his headphones to create communication between the human and the industrial world. His goal is to bring the listener to listen to the noisy communication between the machines. He stays loyal to the early industrial approaches.

Rust is characterized by a strong cinematic taste. The difference here is that this is not the product of a director's imagination, but more so memories of the places visited by Hayes himself. A major differentiation from Rust's predecessor is the major emphasis on rhythmic patterns that become deeper and more organic as the tracks progress. Overall, this is an album meant to be listened to in whole and to really feel those crumbling industrial landscapes.

Several different elements coexist on Rust and this album has its own identity. This is a work that requires many listens, and with each listen there will be something new found underneath the warm blanket of noise. Swarm Intelligence succeeds in recovering an old sound and producing an album that has an enormous amount of processed sounds, rhythmic changes, and atmospheres. Simon Hayes is a master with field recordings and proves this on Swarm Intelligence's Rust.

Hear the track 'Iridescent' below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jhYPwjDMcs

Citizen - Everybody Is Going To Heaven

Over the past few years, we've seen a great deal of bands join in on this so-called post-grunge revival. One of those bands is Michigan and Ohio based Citizen. In 2013, Citizen released Youth, which was heavily influenced by earlier pop punk and hardcore material. This is not the case with their newest effort Everybody Is Going To Heaven, which shows the band finding their own niche. Citizen have made a major progression with this album, interweaving styles from heavy alternative rock to grunge. Think the early '90s meets the early '00s. Think Silverchair meets Brand New. This minor description is just a starting point. Everybody Is Going To Heaven is darker and dirtier than their previous work, but in an absolutely beautiful way.

The songwriting is at an all time high on this album (musically and lyrically). Their is a lot of grimy dissonance throughout the tracks, followed by spacious and atmospheric moments of clarity. This is most apparent in songs like "Stain" and "Ten". The album's songwriting takes a very unconventional approach which makes the driving moments harder hitting and the hooks stand out more so than ever. There is evidence of this is in "My Favorite Color" and "Numb Yourself". Mat Kerekes' vocals are even stronger and more diverse than on Youth. He ranges from eerie whispers to full fledged screaming, and the emotion felt in each song is pure, raw emotion. "Dive Into My Sun" and "Yellow Love" are more melodic tracks, while "Stain" and "My Favorite Color" are heavier and more in your face. The most positive sounding song on the record is "Ring Of Chain", which closes the album smoothly.

Citizen have constructed a monument with Everybody Is Going To Heaven. It is their best work to date, from the songwriting, to the lyrics, to the production. The group continues to get better with each release and this makes me excited to hear which direction they go in next. 


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z6I_qGkGQ0

O'Brother - Endless Light

 Atlanta, Georgia based O'Brother will release their third full-length album Endless Light on March 25th through Triple Crown Records. The album was produced by Andy Hull, Robert McDowell (Manchester Orchestra, Bad Books) and Brad Fisher. That signature alternative/grunge rock vibe is present again (complete with fuzzed out distortion and crushing riffs), but the production and songwriting is more refined this time around.

Endless Light may not be as heavy as their first album Garden Window, but it follows in the footsteps of their sophomore effort Disillusion with its experimentation. The experimental aspect is more polished and determined on Endless Light, and sees the band going in to brand new territory. "Bloodlines" was the first track released from Endless Light and sets the overall feel of the album. Title track "Endless Light" is one of the more sonic and intricate tracks on the album, while "Black Hole" dives into pop rock territory and could be the one that takes O'Brother to the next level. "I Am (Become Death)" may very well be the most powerful track on Endless Light, while "Realm of the Physical" closes the album brilliantly.

O'Brother have outdone themselves with this album, from the songwriting to the production. This is by far my favorite composition from the Atlanta five-piece. It could very well be the album that helps them transition into the rock mainstream.

Stream Endless Light here before its release date:
http://www.redbull.com/us/en/music/stories/1331783004866/o-brother-new-album-endless-light

Caspian - Dust and Disquiet

Over the years, post-rock has lost much of that shine that it was originally known for. A great deal of instrumental bands today are using that basic post-rock formula of quiet to loud, back to quiet, with reverb painted within. Beverly, Massachusetts Caspian took on a whole new approach in 2012 with their release of Waking Season. Waking Season helped place Caspian alongside the innovative legends of the genre. They went beyond the atmosphere and textures, and expanded their approach with the addition of rhythm, melody, beats, and synthetic vocal effects. While Waking Season took the band higher up in the genre, their newest effort Dust and Disquiet takes them even higher. This album shows that there is an unlimited musical palette with post-rock, and that it doesn't have to be limited to a rehash of previous pioneers.

The album starts off with "Separation No. 2", a beautiful and soothing opener that combines a repetitive guitar piece with strings, keys, and even a saxophone, evoking the emotion that Caspian are always great at delivering. "Rioseco" and "Arcs of Command" are very similar in format and well over seven minutes. "Rioseco" has a softer, more ambient approach while "Arcs of Command" has a more aggressive, hard-hitting feel. My favorite track on the album, "Echo and Abyss", brings these looping and vocal effects center stage. It is a hauntingly beautiful gem. Caspian takes a quick breather with "Run Dry", which combines acoustic guitar with some of the most heartfelt vocals that I've heard in recent years. "Darkfield" is rich with electronic pulses and could easily be used as a hard-rock soundtrack for outer space. These are easily the standout tracks for me, but the remaining songs on Dust and Disquiet are just as innovative as the ones mentioned.

Dust and Disquiet is a monumental record and Caspian's best to date. It is a hopeful and peaceful record, even at its heaviest moments. These six genre-bending geniuses are in a league of their own,  and Dust and Disquiet is their greatest achievement (that is... until their next one).

Hear Dust and Disquiet in its entirety here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCbDtgbWZAs

Vessels - Dilate

Hailing from Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, Vessels have been known in the past for creating masterpieces that rely heavily on the post-rock side of music. The group was formed in 2005 and have released three full-length albums to date. Their last record, Helioscope, was released back in 2011, and during that time they gained a new found focus, which gives us Dilate, their newest effort which was released in 2015.

Dilate takes the listener to brand new landscapes, and Vessels have created one of the most euphoric sounding landscapes that my ears have had the pleasure of hearing. Their interest in down-tempo electronic/ambient music is clearly evident on Dilate. Yppah, Tycho, Bonobo, and Four Tet are just a few artists that come to mind when describing the overall feel of Dilate. I'd even say that Vessels took a very similar approach to Mogwai, where Mogwai took the more electronic route with Rave Tapes.

Don't get me wrong, though, the post-rock structuring is still there on Dilate. The consistent layering is right there, just like it was on their previous albums, and each song has its own monumental mark. While the guitars are not present on Dilate, Vessels have created a beautiful and textural experience with the use of electronics.

The weakest moments on the album are the vocal tracks 'As You Are' which features vocals by Isolde and 'On Monos' which features vocals by Snow Fox. The tracks aren't bad by any means, and the vocals give a unique twist, but they act as more of a distraction than an essential element. These tracks don't compare to the instrumental tracks, which have so many interesting twists and turns.

Despite the vocal tracks, Dilate is definitely a strong follow-up to Helioscope, and although the music isn't as up front, it makes for the perfect background or soundtrack music. Vessels has changed direction but in a new, fresh, and exciting way, which is one of my favorite things about this style of music. Each album that they have created takes the listener on a unique journey and I am beyond excited to see where this next journey will take us.

Hear Dilate in its entirety here:


https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJpTOskHtiumaSrLawxxNSyHLgauGl85u