Norther

When I first heard the tinkling vibraphone come in I was dreading a long, frustrating contemporary art piece. Once the thrumming bass line appeared, I realized this was a more concentrated attempt at making experimental music that wasn’t just bland ambient. Loved how creative and expressive this LP managed to be with a minimal toolset, crafting novel sounds out of familiar synths and showing some heavy artistic depth. I let the suggested tracks run for a few hours after this album concluded and felt pretty immersed in a genre l usually shunned, so thanks for the opening the door to some awesome new (to me) music

After reading up on this, how I would feel about it was a real coin toss. Terms like avant garde and experimental can be harbingers that you're about to get a whacked with the Art stick. But I ended up liking this pretty well. For me reminiscent of some aspects of Laurie Anderson, Brian Eno, Meredith Monk - not bad company in my book. The very analog starting point of the sound gave it some interesting texture in a genre that tends these days to the pure electronica. A little on the fence on the score as I didn't feel like it all held up - never offensive but some of it just faded into the background - but I'll slip it an extra, possibly over-generous point just for being a real lft field inclusion.

Accessible experimental music. Relaxing to listen to

I never heard of Ex-Easter Island Head before, but this is a nice addition to the user list. Minimal electronica with a lot of songs with sounds that are slightly off-tone and/or off-beat. Songs like Easter make you irritated and interested at the same time.

Oh hey I like this very much

I was prepped to be disappointed by this since I've found the ambient albums have done poorly for me here but this kinda worked. I wouldn't say it's essential listening, but the last track worked for me. My personal rating: 3/5 My rating relative to the list: 3.5/5 Should this have been included on the original list? No.

Eno-adjacent with a bit more of a beat.

Wow this was fantastic! Catchy, experimental in a very accessible way… I loved it.

Jesus this is so fucking good. Why have I not heard of it.

This chill album reminds me a lot of The Field

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Norther, Magnetic language

Reminds me of K. K. Slider in Animal Crossing.

Listened to this a few times & enjoyed it. Weather especially moved me. I was motivated to listen during some stormy summer weather & I def recommend that vibe

Album art and album both quite nice.

Actually already listened to this as part of The Quietus' top 100 albums of 2024. But I listened again and I liked it again.

Wonderful textures, sat just right today

This is the kind of album this list is made for - finding those niche-genre pearls of amazing that may have sailed by unnoticed. I’m particularly heartened to see how recently this one passed me by unheard-of until this morning. I loved the overlapping use of rhythmic strings to mesmerising effect. I think I’m going to be listing the title track as a major entry to my end-of-the-year playlist. What an excellent submission.

I thought this might be a good one in the car with my 83-year-old mother, as she generally likes ambient instrumental music. Her take was that at least one track sounded like a cat walking on a keyboard. I liked it more than than that, but I probably appreciated the description of the recording techniques involved rather than the listening itself.

Interesting record. Enjoyed it enough.

Relaxing

kept waiting for it to start.. .and waiting and waiting

Yep, this is pretty good. Can get behind this.

9/10 a very diverse album that warms you up with some calming ambience before sending you through a lovely variety of other sounds

those guitars tinkle, over thumps and drones, their bells swinging in the breeze ---- 4.5/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums, rounded up to 5. 9.5/10 for more general purposes (5 + 4.5) ---- Number of albums from the original list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 465 Albums from the original list I *might* include in mine later on: 288 Albums from the original list I won't include in mine: 336 ----- Number of albums from the users list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 56 Albums from the users list I *might* select for mine later on: 75 (including this one) Albums from the users list I won't select for mine: 134 --- Émile. Ça y est, j'ai *enfin* répondu (en deux temps). Tu trouveras ça sous les reviews des disques de Blackalicious et Alexisonfire au dessus.

Excellent from the 2nd track on. Beautiful album artwork

I began this listening session with an appreciation for the courage to include a recent album in the list of "essentials." I believe that a certain amount of time is necessary to truly define an album as a must-listen. However, after finishing it, I can understand why this album might deserve a spot on the list? Although I'm not particularly into electronic and ambient music, I found that this album captures the spirit of the early years of this decade. I might be feeling overly optimistic today, and the mood may influence my perception of the music, but I am giving it a 4-star rating.

Minimalism, ambient, experimental. Ni fu ni fa.

Chill beans

good music while working in high focus

A bit repetitive and weird. 3/5.

Intellectually, I found this to be an interesting enough listen. But I think it lacks a certain warmth that it really needs to be effective. I don't really feel a thing when I listen to this. Fave Songs: Weather, Easter, Norther

I like electronics but there is better

A pleasant easy to listen to album that is an easy 3/5.

A bit heavy on the wind chime it seems. Overall this classical/ambient album is a pretty laid back album that is decent background music and can be reading. It was somewhat cohesive but a few songs felt disjointed overall. It’s an interesting concept and unique overall but nothing I’d revisit again. 5.3/10

Its really cool to get something different in the list and i was certainly a bit intrigued by this, something in the classical / ambient genre. A track like Norther is pretty strong as it seems to have a force and a drive and is generally pretty interesting. Though most of the album seems to have a lot less appeal, whether the wind chimes or easter or other less successful experiments.

Are we running out of band names? Sounds like music for a documentary about fish. Treads a very fine line between "experimental music made accessible" and "experimental music made boring". Over all, nothing wrong with it, but I don't think I'd ever listen to this again when there's so many albums that do this sound but without holding back.

Na sorry this one just gave me a sore head.

Like ringtones became full songs, that are too long

Norther is alright background music that only grabbed my attention during the title track and the closing track. Dunno if that says anything about the record or my interest in it, but ambient music doesn't do anything for me other than exist or annoy, this lands in the former category, so that's a win for it I guess. 2/5, but I guess someone adores this?

Is an Ex-Easter Island Head and Easter Island Head that is no longer on Easter Island? If so, I'd rather listen to Dum-Dum sing about his gum-gum.

Its genre is classical? Ok.

All I kept thinking when I heard this was: "FOUR guys were needed to make this?" I mean, sure, maybe live they need four. But I don't see how this could not have been easily done buy one person. The worst was "Magnetic Language," which sounded like dogs playing with squeaky toys. Nope, sorry I did not get this. NEXT.

I don't prefer this. At least it was short. It's kind of a higher quality version of the alarm on my phone. A little more moody.

Somehow just really annoying 1

Too experimental and disturbing

I’ve been invited to an “art happening” at the old fruit market, which has now been gentrified into a hip gallery space. I arrive half way through my acquaintance’s set. He’s hunched over a laptop with far more midi devices than can possibly be useful. The picnic table he’s set up on is far too low. Behind him, low-res flowers bloom in time lapse. It’s been poorly keystoned and apparently pays no heed to the changes in music. Between songs, I hold my room temperature stubby between my teeth and give my obligatory applause. That is a much enthusiasm I can muster for this boring dross, without the free beer, would you even bother?

Lyrics please!