OPM: Classic Styles and Weird Fusions

NSKE – Machines

Old-school electronica that mashes up the very best of the early genres – especially electro, techno, and IDM – into a potent brew that sounds simultaneously classic and fresh. Honestly, it’s incredible how much staying power some of these basic components have! Squiggly acid synth lines, drum machine beats, squelchy bass, clean synth chords and more all sound almost  as fresh today as they did back in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. 

The composition here helps a fair bit as well – these are definitely a little twistier and more clever than a lot of the simple structures that dominated so much early electronic music. Not to say it’s proggy or virtuosic! Just that even as the sound palate reflects so much of early electronic music’s highlights, the composition shows a knowledge of the depth that followed. (By the way, you can also pick this up on Mirlo.)

(Listened to entire album)

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Krystal Swords – “Elysium”

Heavy metal meets heavy drum and bass and the results, much as the title suggests, are heavenly. The base layer is pretty standard drum and bass– frantic, chopped-up breaks crashing around each other and some pretty synth lines over top. Add some chunky death-metal guitars and a contrasting set of vocals – one growling monstrosity that would find itself at home in grindcore or screamo, another that’s soft and inviting and wouldn’t sound out of place in a vocal drum and bass track. 

Take the results, glue them together with some industrial production and polish them up. It’s a wild mashup that somehow meshes so well I’m almost shocked I haven’t heard something similar before.

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The Arcane Composer – One Must Die

A solid set of cinematic orchestral music composed as a score for tabletop gaming. The adventure in question, Death House, looks to be a fantasy take on gothic horror, and the music tracks. Pretty, delicate and mysterious at points, dramatic and dark at others, it sounds a bit like a more grounded take on Danny Elfman’s work, only more traditional and with less of a whimsical vibe. 

Will definitely be of interest to film-score lovers out there, not to mention anyone looking to soundtrack their horror-tinged Dungeons & Dragons sessions – which should be plenty of you, with Halloween right around the corner. 

(Listened to the entire thing)

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Insides and Outsides – “Sentient Sky”

Well-produced, atmospheric synthwave with plenty of drive and vibes to spare. There might be just a touch of chillwave rattling around too, in the just-a-bit wobbly chords and a few other minor aesthetic choices here and there. In any case, this tune manages to fuse a driving, almost relentless rhythmic base with some truly gorgeous harmonic and melodic elements, resulting in a track that hits on all cylinders from beginning to end. 

The production is strong, with a ton of depth and character but also real presence coming out of the speakers. All around, just a strong track that definitely deserves a look from synthwave aficionados.

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Cygnet – “Candyland Oak”

This track mixes minimal acoustic guitar and field recording for an atmospheric ambient excursion. The guitar is largely limited to a pace-setting single strummed chord, low and heavy. Around this, the field recording fades in and out, highlighting bits of bird song, or a buzzing fly. 

At a couple of points, more familiar and comforting acoustic guitar lines– finger-picked arpeggios and shards of melody– appear, offering a respite from the heavy, almost ominous mood of the piece. Those moments feel like the sun breaking thru the clouds, bringing additional depth. Overall, a novel and intriguing approach to ambient. 

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