JOHN CARPENTER : lost themes : Sacred Bones (30.01.2015)

Don’t get confused here: “Lost Themes“ actually isn’t about (almost) forgotten soundtrack gems Carpenter did over the many decades of his career - it’s new music that’s supposed to work as the score for your daily Kopfkino, composed in true family business fashion with the help of his son and grandson. Luckily the result actually turned out to be as iconic as the best of his movies and original scores. Time for a midnight double feature including “They Live“ and “Aussault On Precint 13“, I’d say. 9/10

 

CLARENCE CLARITY : no wow : Bella Union (27.02.2015)

If you call a soft spot for pitched down electro, R&B and pop your own, and don’t mind if it all gets played at the very same time, then Clarence Clarity’s debut clearly is for you. Seriously, as much as “No Wow“ tended to alienate me on first impression, it became a surprisingly addictive affair pretty soon. 6.5/10

 

HANNI EL KHATIB : moonlight : Innovative Leisure (out now)

Hanni mentioned earlier that his approach to making “Moonlight“ was to find out how it would sound like if RZA shares some studio time with Tom Waits and Iggy Pop. Not surprisingly it actually doesn’t sound too homogeneous but pretty interesting in places: there’s the occasional fuzz, a bit of drone, the perfect hit, the wicked drumbeat, and - believe it or not - in the end there’s an unexpected italo-disco thing going on as well. Unfortunately, the intensity of moonlight varies greatly, and so does the quality of the individual songs. Still a solid 7/10

 

H HAWKLINE : In The Pink Of Condition : Heavenly (31.01.2015)

“Condition“ already marks the third album by young Welsh singer/musician Huw Gwynfryn Evans aka H Hawkline, and, yep, it delivers another controlled explosion of weirdo pop filled with bad tempered guitars and subtle sing-alongs. The whole thing runs a bit out of steam halfway through, still there’s enough material to find here that could find a prominent slot in your  deliciously odd best-of-indie-2015 mix you’ll do later this year. 6/10

 

TANYA TAGAQ : animism : Six Shooter Records/Alive (out now)

Canadian Inuit singer Tanya Tagaq returns to our hemisphere with her fourth album, and once again it playfully balances the avant-garde with the rather accessible. Freshly decorated with the Polaris Music Prize, “Animism“ sure will turn the heads of those who believe that Bjork just got a bit too conventional over the years. Me, I’m actually not as impressed as I hoped I would be. 5.5/10

 

MESITA : the phoenix : S/R (out now)

James Cooley’s project Mesita isn’t necessarily known best for musical stagnancy but for being a sonically evolving and transforming one -  unfortunately that probably is the very same reason why it isn’t on too many radars still, even though it clearly deserves to be. If you’re one of these peeps that aren’t too interested in scenes or any kind of genre-related affiliation, Mesita’s fifth album could be one that you’ll carry close to your heart for weeks to come. 7/10

 

THE NOTWIST : messier objects : Alien Transistor (06.02.2015)

Last years “Close To The Glass“ basically was a success on every level, and if you were particularly impressed by the instrumental “Lineri“, you’re probably delighted to hear that interim album “Messier Objects“ showcases grande examples of instrumental bliss The Notwist composed for several plays and audio dramas. Funny thing is that even this compilation sounds precise and coherent and urgent where it easily could've been a random affair. 8/10

 

BRAILLE : everyone’s crazy EP : Friends Of Friends (10.02.2015)

After releases on Hotflush and Rush Hour, Brooklyn based Braille has found a new home on Friends Of Friends - which seems to be just the perfect fit for his beat heavy tracks filled with R&B abstractions and eerie vocal samples. An album is already scheduled for spring that will finally show if Braille will become one of the leading names for melancholic yet danceable beatsmithery. 6.5/10