Yann Tiersen’s ’11 5 18 2 5 18′ Is Surprising and Entrancing
11 5 18 2 5 18 makes it sound like Yann Tiersen has been dabbling in deeply abstract instrumental synthesizer mood music for decades. Yes, he pulls it off.
mute records
’80s Synthpop Duo I Start Counting Release Rarities on ‘Re-fused’ and ‘Ejected’
Thirty-five years later, twin albums of demos and outtakes from cheeky British synthpop duo I Start Counting have surfaced, and they’re not without their pleasures.
Lee Ranaldo Writes the Quintessential Score for High Anxiety with ‘In Virus Times’
Lee Ranaldo’s In Virus Times is a lockdown project through and through. Its sound, execution, and overall aesthetic stem from uncertainty and isolation.
Experimentalist Phew Pushes Forward by Crawling Deep Inside on ‘New Decade’
Phew’s voice on New Decade is an instrument often disconnected from lyrics. Its job is supplemental to the amorphous tones she invokes from electronics.
José González Softly Goes to the ‘Local Valley’ to Find Himself
Even when José González is strumming chords, he holds the spaces between strokes to create drama and nuance. There’s always something going on beneath the music.
The Near-Death Inspiration Behind Yann Tiersen’s Life-Affirming New Work
“It’s really simple,” Yann Tiersen explains. “There is no inspiration out of [the location], there is no deeper meaning than to just juxtapose music and places.”
Yann Tiersen’s ‘Kerber’ Is a Sonic Tribute to His Home of Ushant
Yann Tiersen integrates synth elements, redefining his piano arrangements and giving each piece otherworldly layers on Kerber.
Erasure’s ‘The Neon Remixed’ Is a Sequel That’s as Good as the Original
What makes The Neon Remixed so successful as a remix LP is the artists reshaping Erasure’s tunes didn’t dissect the sturdy compositions to their skeletal origins.
Daniel Avery Gets Nostalgic on ‘Together in Static’
Daniel Avery’s Together in Static moves along at a glacial tempo, full of mournful ambience, slow-motion beats, and waterlogged synth tones.
Daniel Miller and Gareth Jones on the Debut Album That Was Decades in the Making
The founder of Mute Records and his brilliant production collaborator have crafted countless masterpieces together over the years, but their long-in-the-works Sunroof project didn’t get around to releasing their debut album until 2021. This is their story.
New Electro Act Sylph Shares the Primal “In the Morning Light” (premiere)
Electro’s Sylph creates an ode to raves’ communalism on the psychedelic, industrial techno of “In the Morning Light”.
Visionist’s ‘A Call to Arms’ Is Surprisingly Peaceful
Visionist’s A Call to Arms is a success. Louis Carnell has dialed down on the noise and written the most straightforward, emotionally-charged work of his career.
