The best instrumental tracks take us on a journey, and “The Dark” does just that. The latest from 41 Track Mind* starts off spacious and ominous yet, also weirdly uplifting. With dark atmospherics and a progression, that while isn’t happy, is somewhat hopeful feeling. Then before you know it a Santana channeling David Gilmour guitar solo emerges, restrained and yet with both the epicness of DG with a hint of Carlos’s flair. Ultimately it always feels weird writing too much about instrumental tracks, which by their nature are trying to capture a vibe unexpressable with words. So with that we advise you to just hit play and take the trip.
* not to be confused with the medical condition where all you can think about is Hot Topic and Monster energy drink – Sum 41 Track Mind
Wordless Wednesdays
Wordless Wednesdays
After a few weeks of non-stop wordsmiths, we’re happy to dip our toe back into the pool of tranquility that is instrumental works. Check out the latest from Versa and T.O.L.D. after the jump.
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The Midweekly – Russian Circles
The Midweekly is our column from Mike Jeffers; lead singer of Chicago punk stalwarts SCRAM, music junkie and all around righteous dude.
Close your eyes and visualize great armies of monsters, or fleets of space ships colliding into each other in slow motion. This of course needs a soundtrack, and Russian Circles is always ready to provide. The metal trio from Chicago has done it again with their eighth LP Gnossis. It’s been said that vocals help connect the listener to the music because of the shared human experience through lyrics, even in a genre where the words are incompressible. But RC routinely deliver a style of impressively produced instrumental rock that holds your attention. Seemingly standard breakdowns that’ll break your brain when the polyrhythms invade. Most of the progressions are filled with dread and frenzy, although they do switch it up with beautiful melodies, like reflecting on the destruction the chugga chugga unleashed. If riffs could snarl, these tracks would be mean mugging all day.
Wordless Wednesdays
Today we bring you the best in instrumental tracks from Aerial2k, Hunters Chorus and Andrew Cosentino after the jump.
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Wordless Wednesdays
We have a trio of new instrumental tracks so good that it’s hard to keep it to five word reviews, but being the pros we are, we manage. Check out the fresh cuts from Morus, Iran Iran and After Nations after the jump.
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Wordless Wednesdays
Today we let the music do the talking with the very best in instrumental tracks from Betweenness and Anthony Menzia.
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Wordless Wednesdays
Today we have all the words for brand new quality wordless* tracks by Shattered Circuits and Brent Watkins.
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Wordless Wednesdays
Today we have not one but two songs so good they don’t need something as feeble as language to convey the vibe. Check out the lates from Under The Reefs Orchestra and Morus after the jump.
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Wordless Wednesdays – Yellow Sam
Ok, so there are words on “Early Ernest Humans” by Yellow Sam, but only a few and they’re in the form of samples that are cut up and re-contextualized so we’re going to let it slide. Otherwise you’d have to wait another day or two for this track to show up on the blog and frankly we don’t want to deprive you. From a starting repetitive, almost droning, synth keys pattern the song soon kicks into a subdued yet catchy euro funk stepper. The progression has a lo-fi charm to it and stays simple and steady, allowing different flavors and layers to pop in and out to give the song a sense of shape and movement. It takes confidence to trust the vibe without overdoing it with unnecessary change ups and big drops and Yellow Sam has that confidence.
Wordless Wednesdays – As Clouds Form
It’s quite the trick to convey both a sense of gravity and of weightlessness and of both movement and stillness, but As Clouds Form pull just that off with “Inside the Simulation.” A darker synth line churns like an undertow, swirling the lighter notes above it into an arhythmic dance. Some circle back around again and some slip through and escape the pull of this space between spaces.