TranscendNoise

20. Jóhann Jóhannsson – Orphée Jóhannsson himself writes about the gaze of Orpheus towards his Eurydice in the vain of an interpretation given by Maurice Blanchot: The gaze, which turns Eurydice to dust, for that was Orpheus only condition in getting her back from the Underworld, is also the gaze of inspiration. This theme of creativity stemming from something that causes pain, something that is forbidden or transgresses a boundary is something we find in Orphée and Jóhansson´s work time and time again. These, mostly short, tracks follow a similar structure of sweeping, cascading upwards, while also crumbling, employing small sparkling sounds or musical ideas that seem to pick on the basis set for by strings and keys. This gives the undeniable feeling of unattainability, of never being able to grasp the beauty that lies in these small compositions. Much like a gaze, a peak of something breathtaking that will destroy it in retrospect. While the theme of the Orphic hymn reoccurs ...

20. Allan Kingdom – Fables ft. Chronixx ( Northern Lights ) This is Kingdom at his most introspective, while at the same time not compromising on the melodic and catchy quality of his songs. The atmospheric and almost ambient keys and altered vocals are contrasted with a menacing bass line and snappy snares for the full effect of delivering the same broken aggression the lyrics convey. I´m not a huge fan of religion and we see Kingdom recounting the smoke and mirrors of his own experience with Christian belief. Chronixx complements this with his reggae-infused deliverance, calling out the intrusion of Christianity and in right manner swearing allegiance to Selassie and the Rastafari movement. The fitting aural experience for realization and the overcoming of submission stressed by the stunning visuals. 19. Case/Lang/Veirs – Delirium ( Case/Lang/Veirs ) This collaboration by three artists I never listened to yielded great songs from top to bottom. “Delirium” is a dynamic...