By Michael Mambrino for Boston Compass
February 17, 2021
2020 is out and ‘21 is in. Starting off this new month and the year is three standout releases and we are going a bit more international this time around featuring artists from Maine all the way to Berlin and Shanghai.
Luminations Cast by Vernal Fae - Tupilaq
Hailing from Maine is Tupilaq, a one-time collaboration between 5 of Maine’s most mysterious figures. Tupilaq’s work is an auditory tale of an old Greenland folklore about an avenging beast made by a practitioner of witchcraft. Using a wide array of instruments provides a delicate yet intense spiritual experience to the listener, while it’s on the short side being around 15 minutes every second is filled with atmosphere and wonder. So grab this EP on Sizz records and find your nearest wormhole.
2. Temporary Presence - Naturaliste
Making a comeback after 15 years of absence, Naturaliste reunites with even more passion than before. Originally from Belgium, these improvisational masterminds returned in Shanghai and used an entire instrument shop just to record this LP. Their sound is minimalist yet provides maximal feelings of ethereal, atmospheric purity. While their sound is impressive, my favored part has to be the process. Get this record on Gertrude Tapes while they last.
3. Sweet Hour - Felisha Ledesma
I feel if 2020 didn’t have a global pandemic this is the soundtrack to that year. Ironically, this was made for the live stream events that were in place. What amazes me about this tape is that it’s composed and played completely digitally. While that may be unattractive for some long-time experimental electronic connoisseurs, I really put my inner snob aside for this tape and I wasn’t disappointed in the zone I entered by doing so. This tape has two 20 minute compositions that have very different tones yet the switch didn’t feel abrupt at all. The tape is sold out but digital will always remain!
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