Jacob's Optical Stairway

I must say that this album impressed me: it showed the softer side of drum 'n bass. It was my philosophy teacher who gave it to me (I gave him a Saat CD called "Emtidi"). It mixes various genres, like old school drum 'n bass and ambient music (can also be categorized as electronica and dance music). Featuring an incredible arsenal of great breakbeats and fabulous synths, this audible artwork is really good to chill-out.
Recorded in 1995, by Mark Clair & Dennis McFarlane, who together make 4Hero (this is an another project of these men), along with other artists (Samantha Powell,Juan Atkins and Josh Wink) this CD is worth hearing. Jacob's Optical Stairway is one of aliases of 4 Hero. Who's into drum 'n bass and similar types of music (like ones played on lounge rooms) should give it a try.
The album's lenght is also quite good: it has 55 minutes and 52 seconds: an average good time for a record that fits this type (jungle, drum 'n bass, etc.).
Now talking about the cover of this album, I don't know what exactly it is, but I presume it's digital artwork. It seems to me there are some cells and on the background a lizard's eye or a cracked red hole.
If you're curious about this work, click here to obtain it (it's a torrent, since I couldn't find a rapidshare or megaupload link).

Next I'll show you a videoclip with the track number 7: "harsh realitys".

Sunn O))) - Monoliths & Dimensions (2009)

Hello. My name's Pete. João asked me to write here, now and then. So, I'm starting now.

Hope you enjoy.

I like to consider myself a broadminded person, when it comes to music. One of my favourites kinds of music is Drone. It is almost impossible to talk about drone and not to mention Sunn O))) (pronounced only [Sun], as far as I know). The first time I heard the band it was hard for me to believe that I was, in fact, listening to music. I was used to rock'nroll and not much more.

Sunn O))) expanded my musical horizon. So, for those of you who like Sunn O))), and for those of you who don't like them yet, here it is the newest album.

"Monoliths & Dimensions" makes no mistake. Four long-drone songs, extremly slow tempos, but with some sort of variety from tune to tune. Aghartha, for example, is a traditional drone song (know what I mean?). But Big Church has this weird choral that makes you feel just like if you were in a real church (like it or not). I won't tell you how the rest goes.

Well, in the end, "Monoliths & Dimensions" it's an incredible drone album: with dark ambients, hope, light, feelings (i.e. you get to feel the music) all in 53 minutes.

password is: nodata.tv

Frustration "Relax"

The French crossed their frontiers, having plans for a new Cold Wave movement: they are Frustration. Lost in Post-Punk and Cold Wave music they launched their debut album last year. It's called "Relax" as ironic as it sounds. I discovered them thanks to Drop Dead Festival's bands list on their website.
According to Discogs, it's rated 4.67 (in a scale of 5). In a scale of 10, I'd give it a 7.8: they have awesome songs, but some of them are [almost obviously] ripped from Joy Division. The track called "She's so tired" is probably the most notorious one concerning the similiraties between Joy Division and Frustration. In this one you can hear almost Ian Curtis' voice and the specific guitar tunes created originally on J.D.'s album "Closer".
However, it's an awesome album. The intro is perfect, accompanied by splendid lyrics: "We have some... Frustration! / They have some... Frustration!". My favourite tracks are: Too Many Questions", "Faster" and "Waiting for the Bad Things"- I recommend them. There's only a little bad fact about the song "Waiting for the Bad Things" due to the singer's accent seem a bit strange and too french-like. The dissonance transmited by their synthesizers at "Too Many Questions" and "Faster" are marvelous, really great. It's a catchy depressive sound, known to be omnipresent in the Cold Wave genre, I'd say.
In conclusion I take that this is one good album (worth acquiring), from a band that has got enough guts to revive the early 80s - and I say this in a good way.

Feel free to listen to their songs on myspace, if you don't want to download the entire album...
http://www.myspace.com/_frustration

If you want to hear their album, download it here.
However, if you have enough money to spend on this, buy their album or a song of them or go see them live... all these tactics of promoting their music are featured on their myspace.