Another Shameless Spectacle

By RingMaster Review on November 26, 2021 • ( 0 )

There was a chill in the air, an almost Siberian breath to the new day, yet equally it brought a sunspot of pleasure. Another eagerly welcomed visit from our friend Shauna from Shameless Promotion PR and of the duo Ummagma, itself a regular warm companion for the imagination, had brought a fresh and thick bundle of new sounds, from within which we now present the richest adventures …

At the beginning of the year we were introduced to the funk bred enterprise of NYC-based collective Loud Apartment courtesy of their album, System Breakdown. It was an insightful and inspiriting proposal setting an invigorating spark in thought and indeed the day. Now as the band prepares to unveil its successor, New Future, they have released a potent appetiser in the shape of new single Technology.

Loud Apartment is a project created by vocalist/musician/technologist Nevaris A.C. who has bassist Bill Laswell, turntablist DJ Logic, multi-instrumentalist Peter Apfelbaum (flute/sax), guitarist Will Bernard and drummer Lockatron alongside in the current line-up. As its impressive and acclaimed predecessor, New Future is produced by the legendary Laswell and offers an ear grabbing hint of the highly anticipated pleasures within with its swiftly captivating Technology.

Eager rhythms instantly got under the skin, drawing out an instinctive shuffle in feet as the keys of Nevaris A.C. began to work on hips and imagination. It is a potent coaxing soon entangling ears with funky threads and the warm temptation of brass; temptation only escalated by the thought provoking words and magnetic tones of the frontman.

From start to finish, the song resourcefully nags with a controlled yet firmly manipulative swing, melodic wistfulness and vibrant enterprise breeding thick captivation and appetite for that December 10th released album.

Equally compelling in its distinctly unique way is Take Your Heart, the new single from Italian outfit Vonamor. They too have an album waiting to be explored and courtesy of this teaser, it is fair to say that the band’s Time To Kill Records released, self-titled debut will be impatiently awaited ahead of its February 2022 unveiling.

Vonamor consists of sisters Giulia (voice, bass, metal flute) and Francesca Bottaro (drum station, sequencer, sax, clarinet) and vocalist Luca Guidobald with its line-up expanding to a quintet onstage with the addition of Francesco Bassoli (guitars and loops) and Martino Cappelli (guitars, mandolin, bouzouki, oud, loops). Their sound is darkwave crafted but with essences and nuances steeped in post punk and electronic fertility, compelling mix which makes Take Your Heart, the third taster of that forthcoming full-length an enthralling persuasion just as its earlier predecessors from the upcoming encounter.

Intimacy and observation fuel the shadows of Vonamor’s latest track, Take Your Heart challenging the stability and reality of our lives and worlds. Instantly it tapped into the psyche with its predacious gait and intimidating air, magnetic vocals steering the invasive but already enthralling exploration. Guitars soon wire the web of temptation with heated seduction, drama coating every strand of sonic and vocal reflection as rhythms continued to prowl.

Part gripping unabating drone, part melodic seduction and all a creative ache to greedily embrace and contemplate, Take Your Heart proved esuriently riveting.

With a new album of their very own poised to be revealed December 3^rd via Bay Terrace Records, Swedish-Australian indie pop outfit Tiny Fighter has just released its title track as lead single and temptation. Rewind is an evocative serenade of sound and emotion, a fresh breeze of persuasion easily luring anticipation the way of its larger namesake.

Created by Therese Karlsson and Tim Spelman from a chance meeting in 2017, Tiny Fighter has robustly drawn attention, praise and support ever since whilst evolving into a full band with members from around the globe. Within the confines of Covid lockdowns and fuelled by a campaign led by a collection of locked-down Tiny Fighter supporters after the release of the celebrated Loft Sessions (Live in New York) full-length, the band began recording a new proposition bringing new tracks together with re-interpretations of some fan-favourites, the result the Rewind album.

Its first single is an instant hug of the senses, guitar and keys warm intimation around the radiant captivation of Karlsson’s voice. A swarthy sway of guitar colours an already evocative sky to the track, keys a dextrous and amatory companion to the sunspot of voice and emotion.

The song is pure beauty but carrying personal shadows which only compound its lure and fascination.

Equally rapturous but from the opposite shades of light is the quite superb 13th Moon. The track is the new single from San Francisco based metal /alt/hard funk-rock outfit No Captains and a portent of things to come within their new soon to be released album Friends Like These. Sinister and minacious, the song is an eldritch fascination woven upon portentous rhythmic incitement and coloured with imagination stoking vocals and their lyrical conjuring.

No Captains consists of Alex Shonkoff (vocals), Danny Sando (bass and back vocals), and Vince Shore (drums and percussion), a trio embracing the inspirations of bands such as Mr. Bungle, Iron Maiden, Tool, Primus, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Rage Against The Machine but as shown by previous outings and masterfully confirmed here, turning any influence into their own individual adventure. 13th Moon itself plays like a theatre of invention bred in the merged essences of Otep, Bauhaus and Maggot Heart, each hue adding colour to the sonic artwork of No Captains.

Inspired by “classic Halloween and monster movies with their characteristic werewolves, mummies and zombies, combined with the fact that, in 2020, there were actually 13 full moons instead of 12”, 13th Moon is a haunting as fearsome as it is devilishly seductive and features the violin prowess of Emily Palen (a.k.a. KnightressM1), her strings as beguiling as they are also sinistrous adding greater psyche twisting drama to the tale.

Strolling around with rapacious intent and grinning with creative devilry while corrupting thought and one’s sense of secure reality, 13th Moon proved its darkside to be spellbinding and hungrily addictive.

Lastly amongst the treats Shauna showed us was an early gift from Santa in the shape of I’ll Be Home For Xmas, the new track from British indie popsters Modesty Blaise.

Now we will admit festive songs more often than not leave us longing for a power cut or running to those classics which few have come close to matching over the past few decades if needed festive aural toddy. Certainly though, we were led by intrigue in this case even if it was the rich enjoyment we found in the band’s self-titled album which came out earlier this year that fuelled the curiosity.

Modesty Blaise admit they have always wanted to make a Xmas record and finding the time was right drew on the inspirations of Spector/Wizzard crafted huge productions to bring their own vision to life. They are flavours and songs which spark the festive season for all, us included, those Wizard/Slade/Mud romps unrivalled and craftily embraced by the Bristol-based within their own celebration which soon reveals its own character and the sense of being together that so many went without last year.

So as we can all party and celebrate with relative freedom after last year’s non-event, adding the November 26^th and From Lo-Fi to Disco! released, I’ll Be Home For Xmas to your playlist has to be a great move, it a fresh bounce of sound for rejuvenated celebration.