Distribution changes & more jazz

So, we got a DMCA takedown notice. I'm not particularly fazed, but perhaps it may be prudent to find a new means of distribution.
So, here's what's going to happen from now: We'll be maintaining a nicely ordered pastebin with all the links so as to provide a layer of obfuscation. I'll also be switching to mega for hosting as it seems more ideal. The pastebin link can be obtained from our IRC channel topic (#mus/a/k on rizon.net), and will remain a constant link so if you really hate us in there you can always bookmark it and never come back.

Now, with that out of the way, let's get some more jazz up in here. This will be a pretty big post, hope you enjoy!

Post-rock

                                               

In case it wasn't already obvious, the one post per week goal was perhaps a bit ambitious. Nonetheless, please keep checking often, and don't forget to suggest genres and albums in the comments section - it definitely helps us with keeping this blog updated! Also let us know if you'd rather see more, shorter posts, or fewer and more in depth posts. Just feedback in general is handy.

Now, let's get started on post-rock, with some wildly different albums.

Trip-Hop (and apologies)

Hey-o, it's been a little while. Eggmun and I have been a little busy, but we'll compensate with a double post. Hope you can chill out to these tracks enough to forgive us! (Download links at the bottom of the page and on picture clicks)

Retro-R&B

Hello, Lawrell here. Eggmun will be absent this week, I will be posting two albums in his stead.

Summer has come, and what better way to celebrate it than with summery music? Retro-R&B most certainly fits that bill, and as you can guess, it sounds like old R&B. And when I say old, I'm thinking about 1950's old, not contemporary R&B from two or three decades ago. Think, say, Ray Charles. Retro music revival has become a thing lately, but retro-R&B is still pretty niche, which is a shame because it's so damned groovy. If JD McPherson's Signs & Signifiers and Nick Waterhouse's Time's All Gone were played on jukeboxes in good ol' 50's diners, it would definitely not feel out of place. 

Jazz

Good day. Sorry about my unfulfilled promise from last week, I was supposed to write another post last week, but things happened on my side that prevented me from doing so. You should at least expect one post a week, every Tuesday or Wednesday.

Anyway, let's get started with some Jazz albums, shall we?

Fresh blood

Hey guys, sorry for the delay between posts, things should be picking up soon™ due to a couple of reasons, the biggest of which I'm making this post for. There's also going to be some music (as always), so let's hop to it: I'm sure at least a few of you will know of Lawrell, a good friend and old regular of my streams who is now doing his own streams as the best DJ for Eden radio. Our tastes are almost identical, so it makes sense to me to invite him on board as a new contributor for this blog. I plan on co-operating with him very closely from here on, and I hope that this change will improve the breadth, quality and frequency of posts. I'll leave the rest of this post after the break in his hands.

A little romance

Hello, everyone. Sorry it's been so long. I've got no intention of letting this page wither and die without getting a lot, lot more content up first. Unfortunately my semester has been nothing short of insane, so I've had little time to sort through and select music.

This happened, though. I'm still super busy, so this post is rather bare-bones, but I'll update it with some niceties and maybe even extra content when I can find the time.

So, here's two intense orchestral albums of compositions by three very famous romantic era composers.

Wagner - The Ring Without Words
I'm sure you've all heard Ride of the Valkyries. Well, this an album of highlights from the opera its from, without the vocals. It's an incredible listen, I suggest you find some time to lay back and enjoy it all in one sitting.

Muti - Stravinsky, Mussorgsky
Orchestral arranges of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition are a miracle of the universe, and here you'll find out why. This particular album by The Philadelphia Orchestra also includes Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, which quite far out there as romantic music goes. Again, you'll find out  why.


Oh, and of course - password is 'Eggmun' (capital included).

Eggmun's guide to popular music

I can just tell this is a bad idea, but I thought I might try and enlighten you folks to some music that's decently popular (i.e gets actual radio play) and doesn't sound like bass drops and tortured felines, or any of the other several things that are plaguing a large portion of mainstream music these days. I'm not saying that these albums are particularly incredible or anything (though I obviously do think they are good enough to warrant this post), but if you're looking for some common ground for conversation with your normal co-workers or you're just interested but too distant or whatever, then do give this post a read! I'll keep updating^† this over time, adding new albums and whatnot.
^† Don't hold your breath.

PS, I'm sorry for being so shit at updating. I still love you guys.

3x3

A little while ago I put some serious thinking in and came up with a 3x3 for my music taste. For anyone that doesn't know what that is, it's basically a 3x3 grid generally composed of 9 of one's favourite works in one medium. e.g film, anime, music etc. Obviously mine is of my top 9 albums (in no particular) order. These are some of the albums I hold in the highest regard, and would recommend to anyone no matter of their taste in music. In this post I'll briefly review each album, and also a few that just barely didn't make the cut. More after the break. Be warned, there's a hell of a lot to this post.
Final update: I...Think it's done. All the extra albums have been added, mp3 links for everything. I'm pretty sure we're good. Let me know if there's something I missed or if the links are broke.

Some things

Got a few things to post about today, such as music, meta, and more meta.

But to whet your tastebuds before all the meta I'll say right now that we'll be taking a look at two very nice jazz albums - links at the bottom of the post. There'll also be discussion on where to take this blog and all that boring nonsense. I'll also be experimenting with page breaks, and we'll see how that goes after the break.

Get out of here, Stalker

Lately I've been wasting my time doing another replay of S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadow of Chernobyl, which is probably my favourite game. This time with the L.U.R.K mod, which I believe was a project led by /v/ of all things. Naturally the team fell apart, but not before getting a v1.1 out which aside from being absolutely gorgeous, rebalances a whole bunch of things and really brings out the best in the game (though some may disagree).

 

There's a controller just outside that door. 

What the fuck have amusingly bad Russian accents, artefacts and downright horrifying experimental laboratories got to do with music you might ask?

Not a whole lot.

But, S.T.A.L.K.E.R was heavily based off a novel called Roadside Picnic. And loosely based off that book was a film called Stalker (it's not too bad). The '79 film inspired a dark ambience album, aptly titled 'Stalker' by Robert Rich & B. Lustmord. At 68 minutes length, the 7-song album is very slow and atmospheric, as one would expect from the genre. Not being an expert on ambient music myself, I can't really say how it stacks up on its own merits. But I can say that having it on repeat in lieu of the BGM while playing S.T.A.L.K.E.R all day today made for a really good experience. The album would also probably go well with most other survival-horror games, or just as something to make a late-night walk that little bit more interesting.

http://www.mediafire.com/?7kc23d3997afsij (MP3 V0)

Apology and welcome

I am so sorry. I can just tell this is a terrible idea.

And with that out of the way, welcome!
Twitter posts being too small to actually give my 2¢ on an album and include a link and pretty pictures, I figured that this might well be the way to go. I'm aware there's a lot of music blogs out there, but as it so happens there's people who like what I like and may just appreciate something like this. It also serves as a way for me to archive my thoughts, so that's grand.