Niko Scorpio- Book of Flies Review

Niko Scorpio is a multidisciplinary artist from Finland, who works in the mediums of sound, photography, film, and dance. He's produced a metric shitload of experimental albums but this, as far as I know, is his only live work.

I was attracted to it based on its concepts, more specifically its packaging. Originally disclosed in 2004, Book of Flies was released in a hand-made addition of 13 copies, each housed in an ancient book, repainted for the new use.

I found this to be a remarkable joint abuse/embrace of the concept of seminal books, a statement, perhaps, of disparagement for the old and the dead.

I hoped dearly that the music would be as outstanding and interesting as the themes of the release. Fortunately, this ended up being the case. Book of Flies is a beautiful dark ambient piece chock full of dynamics and beauty.

It begins with the sound of wind, timeless like the speech of the old ones, synthesizer notes buried under the fogs. Electronic bleeps and bloops to remind us that this is, indeed music being made by a person. I found this section so relaxing and stimulating that, honestly, I forgot that I was supposed to be taking notes for a review.

Soon an organic, sensual rythm, played on what is presumably two rocks, joins in. The track begins to take shape around this rythm, synth lines and pure noise morphing into this pulsating, gyrating beast. It's truly hypnotic.

The song ends as it begins, with whisps of windy noise.

This is a good album to celebrate the death of an old regime, perhaps. Who knows, it might make you want to burn some books.

it can be found here

Cloudrap/Vaporwave/Oceangrunge/etc.

Recently I've spent some time reevaluating meme-music, basically anything that is primarily disseminated and consumed through the internet. This includes recent phenomenon like cloudrap, vaporwave, witchhouse, seapunk, oceangrunge, etc.

I originally put off this music as being either atonal oddities or boring attempts at anti-capitalist lampooning, but recently I've realized that it's fully capable of standing on its  own, a kind of dayglow, millennial cousin to 80s dark ambient.

 Below are some album recommendations. They might be completely obvious, but any music you haven't heard of is new music to you, I guess.

 $uicideboy$- I No Longer Fear the Razor Guarding My Heal 

One of the few cloud-rap albums that doesn't ape Yung Lean. There's real southern menace here. If these guys weren't totally crossfaded they'd slit your fucking throat.

 Oscob/Digital Sex- Overgrowth

Overgrowth is achingly brilliant, a naturalist, sample heavy work that's composition echoes Shoji Yamashiro's work on the Akira soundtrack.

Future Girlfriend- Pink Dance EP

Reverb soaked future funk, complete with anime samples.

DEIPHIX- The Pulser

The Pulser sits closer to noise than anything else on the list. Befitting of its title, its mostly made up of washes of sampled sound treated and coaxed into heavy, sludge metal rythms. I think this is what the kids call "oceangrunge."

Xavier Wulf- Project X

A little more aggressive and poppy than anything off of this list. Punk-inflected aggro hip hop with downtempo beats.

Valerian Springs- God Isn't Dead

Gorgeous, new-age influenced synths buried under thick ocean samples. Also ocean grunge.

Yung Fern- Offering

Picture Yung Lean inspired by a health dose of  Kierkegaard.

HENTAIBOYS- I AM ALONE

Bassy, catchy cloudtrap.

Do. Not. Sleep. On. Hentaiboys.