Kassel Jaeger - Aster (Editions Mego)
A thin fog approaches, slowly obscuring horizons, allowing hints, memories, flashes and threats of drama. A range of environments develop, from a near-static floating transparency punctuated by crumbling snowflakes to an organ elegy buried 100 feet down. Padded enough for decompression, active enough for attention, detailed stereo for the headphone bonus.
Sylvain Chauveau - Post-Everything (Brocoli)
I'm liking everything he puts out. In the vein of Fennesz, Sakamoto, and of course Sylvian (kind of weird given the name nearness). Emotive use of drones, saturated noise, melody and vocals for what are finally songs.
The National - Sleep Well Beast (4AD)
It's a mostly-mellow rock album. Not usually my thing, but I keep coming back to it. They're good, resonant songs.
astrïd & Rachel Grimes - Through the Sparkle (Gizeh Records)
careful magic
Antwood - Sponsored Content (Planet Mu)
Of the moment. Builds from last year's Virtuous.scr, this time with an excess of machine-gunned bass instead of constant breaking glass (IIRC). Also significant this time around is the heavier thematic conceit woven throughout, from the titles to the painful (for me anyway) samples, to the final “human” robotic ballad juxtaposing saccharine piano-chord-over-pad progression against frenetic happycore arpeggios. On the Planet Mu press info the artist describes it as "honest, flawed, with a little humour, and slightly up its own ass." I love I.T.
Lee Gamble - Mnestic Pressure (Hyperdub)
in a few days early, idmish junglish shamer really good. I think this will make it to the end.