Ryan’s Music Picks 🌴 May 2018

I love finding new music. May sure was another month! Lots of good stuff this time around. This time out, the means that the album isn’t on streaming services.

• Apple Music Playlist

• Spotify Playlist

Galactic Empire – Episode II (Spotify)Even more Star Wars instru-metal, this one covers a lot of the newest movies, along with the Battle of Yavin. #MayThe4BeWithYou

Yonatan Gat – Universalists (Bandcamp)Is a musician allowed tap into the astral plane, transcend music itself, and then somehow channel that back through a guitar onto tape? Seems unfair, especially if they bring a space arkestra and Ennio Morricone with them.

Fontän – Fontän (Bandcamp)Driving balearic grooves, coated in magic dust and launched into space by a wizard.

DJ Koze – Knock Knock (Spotify)It’s gnarly to see that techno has progressed to encompass early 2000s sampledelia and late 2000s chillwave and vaporwave into something that feels more like future pop than the oontz oontz cliche of the 90s.

John Maus – Screen Memories (Bandcamp)Throwback post-punk synth jams with an icy gothic feel.

Afternoon Freak – The Blind Strut (Bandcamp)Free jazz jams with bass, drums, and keys that grooves hard like a summer afternoon.

Beach House – 7 (Bandcamp)Beach House keeps their signature dream pop feel but chooses enhance their songs with space sounds from deep time.

Dustin Wong + Takako Minekawa + Good Willsmith – Exit Future Heart (Bandcamp)Sublime joy transmuted into sound. Noisy improvisation coalesces into grooves, melodies, and uplifting sounds, and then disperse to reform in new ways. Incredible.

Mechatok – See Thru EP (Soundcloud)Like dance floor-ready dungeon synth, or PC Music instrumentals for Kendrick.

Yalls – Stuxnetflix (Bandcamp)An ep of electronic music meant to be listened to while reading terms of service and technical documentation. Synthy and mellow.

MONO – Requiem for Hell (Bandcamp)Japanese instru-metal that’s epic and emotional and cinematic and gorgeous.

Seekersinternational – RunComeTest EP (Bandcamp)It’s like boneless dub—with the drums and bass stripped out this music becomes ambience, echoes, noise, and the ghost of rhythm.

Emily R. Sprague – Water Memory (Bandcamp)Immersive ambient waves of sound to soothe your dry soul.

Nedelle Torrisi – Only For You (Bandcamp)Effortlessly complex future pop clearly populated with authentic heart and soul. A deep listen.

Micronism – Inside a Quiet Mind (Bandcamp)Twenty-year-old meditative house that’s still enthralling and chill.

Pacific Coliseum – Ocean City (Bandcamp)Make your rainy Monday feel like a sunny Saturday with this balearic-as-f instrumental LP.

Young Galaxy – Down Time (Bandcamp)We might have called this “trip-hop/downtempo” about 15 years ago. It sits comfortably between chill and ethereal but remains beat-driven with just the right amount of haunted vocals.

Johnny Jewel – Themes for Television (Spotify)More moody atmospheric synthesizers like only Johnny Jewel can do.

CHVRCHES – Love Is Dead (Lnk.to)Indelible electronic jams to sing along with in the car. Huge and cathartic.

Blue Hawaii – Tenderness (Bandcamp)Taking the precise balance between pop and experimentalism from late-90s Björk and wedding it with R&B nostalgia. Tons of unexpected jams.

Daedelus – Taut (Bandcamp)The sampling shapeshifter makes a welcome return with more synths, twisted beats, and actually cool jazz.

Chad Valley – Imaginary Music (Bandcamp)Robot-tinged pop with big choruses and bigger heart.

Blondes – Warmth (Bandcamp)Complex, driven, and evolving, this album has the heart of a robot who loves warm hugs and sweaty dancefloors.

 Bosque Brown – Little Sea (Bandcamp)Devastating songs about life and living presented with the gentle warmth of a handmade, careworn blanket.