OPM: Bandcamp Friday Returns Edition!

Peter Heselton – The Self Appeared as a Deer

A set of ambient musical miniatures that consistently leave you wanting more in the very best way. Each of these presents a tiny, self-contained musical world that’s here and gone, making a graceful exit as soon as you get a sense of what it offers. 

Hovering somewhere between ambient and post rock, these tracks utilize quiet guitars, synth arpeggios, drones, gentle noise, distortion, strings, comforting synth tones and sweeps. Beautiful, at times haunting, and minimal in every sense.

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Wandering Whispers – Bone Deep

A wildly creative approach to mixing transforms what’s essentially goth-friendly classic industrial into something new and unique. The core of these tunes are essentially classic goth-industrial – think Twitch-era Ministry or a less shouty Nitzer Ebb. 

But those classic tropes are delivered thru a truly unique mix/arrangement – drums that push one element forward and pull the rest back to near-inaudibility, vocals that are barely a whisper floating above the mix, background synths pushed to the forefront. It’s a bold and startling aesthetic that invigorates old-school tropes and makes for a fascinating listen.

(Listened to tracks 1, 3, 5, 7)

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Rickardfvs – “Tremendous” “Music That Causes or Kills Anxiety”

A pair of weird soundscapes that dip into a variety of influences but refuse to land anywhere familiar. Both tracks are centered on the drums that anchor them and remain the most constant element. The “Tremendous” beat feels like a pretty standard rock beat, while “Music That Causes…” features a more convoluted and twisted beat that would sound at home in an IDM track. 

Over the beats, Rickardfvs layers a wild variety of elements – quiet synth chords, choir pads, weird synth lines, duck calls, cuckoo clocks and, probably, the kitchen sink.  The results are shifting, moody, and full of surprises. Smart, unusual, and well worth a listen.

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Rushmore Beekeepers – What Lives and What Grows

Folky Americana that recognizes electronic music is part of American music. Jaunty songs featuring intertwined male and female vocals, some nice guitar work and fairly folky arrangements with a nice sheen of electronics added on for good measure.

This puts me strongly in mind of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot-era Wilco, if they had added a female vocalist and liked folk music more than they liked classic country. 

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Ironic Hill – Alone in a Field

A collection of melancholic indie rock songs interspersed with equally sadness-tinged piano instrumentals. The vibe is thoroughly “sad bastard writing pop songs in a bedroom,” reminiscent of early to mid-period Bright Eyes. 

The production is fairly lo-fi, but not to the point it makes it hard to listen to, and the songwriting is strong. A classic package of sad, smart indie rock with poetic lyrics and laidback performances. 

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