Taatsi - Amidst the Trees - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Having balanced tradition and innovation for over three decades, Taake remains fiercely independent while continually pushing it's own creative boundaries. That uncompromising vision finds new expression on the ninth full-length album, en Skog av Nidstang.

Michael Riesman - Philip Glass Soundtracks Volume II - Orange Mountain Music presents the new album PHILIP GLASS SOUNDTRACKS VOL. II by pianist Michael Riesman. Riesman was the producer, conductor, and pianist on most every Philip Glass soundtrack including Glass's three Oscar-nominated scores to The Hours, Kundun, and Notes on a Scandal, as well as on Glass' Golden Globe-winning score to The Truman Show. On this new recital, Riesman presents a complement to his 2008 album Glass Soundtracks (Vol. I) in a chronological survey of Glass' work from arthouse films like Koyaanisqatsi, documentary features The Thin Blue Line and The Fog of War, to selections from never-heard-before major commercial films like Taking Lives (starring Angelina Jolie) and Secret Window (Johnny Depp) to a five movement suite from the cult horror film Candyman featuring violinist Chase Spruill. All pieces were pieces chosen by Riesman who is the music director of the Philip Glass Ensemble, and arranged for piano (or violin and piano) by Riesman for this new disc. The result is a refreshing look at treasures from some of Philip Glass's best work in the medium of film.

Aseethe's Throes is a work of corrosive beauty and colossal weight. The trio of guitarist/vocalist Brian Barr, drummer Eric Diercks, and bassist/vocalist Noah Koester craft tectonic slabs of doom through minimalist approaches to composition. Minutely selected textures built on simplistic, repetitive motifs become mountainous. With each cycle of repetition, their towering riffs, bludgeoning drums, and inhuman howls become increasingly hypnotic and reveal subtle intricacies. The recursive nature of their songs coupled with their glacial pacing make masterful use of restraint to create moments of genuine surprise. Throes was recorded at Steve Albinis Chicago studio Electrical Audio by Shane Hochstetler (Jon Mueller, Northless). Aseethe drew from their expertise in utilizing noise and drones to develop a sonic world uniquely their own, dually aesthetic and foreboding. Barr, who composed and arranged the bulk of the music, drew inspiration from his recent solo work live-scoring films, relying on instinct as a compositional tool to interplay with the rigid structures throughout. Aseethe remains one of the most distinctive and relentless forces in heavy music operating today. Through their ability to constantly evolve and incorporate new sounds and disparate influences into their music, they stand at the vanguard of forward thinking bands like labelmates The Body and SUMAC. Throes is Aseethe at their most daring and focused, building monuments of anguish while thrusting into the void.1. Throes2. To Victory3. Suffocating Burden4. No Realm5. Our Worth Is the New Measure