Christina Vantzou is a Kansas City-born, Brussels-based artist, composer and musician, who recently made her solo debut, No1, on Kranky in late 2011.  The sounds on No1 are hauntingly beautiful; you can read my review of the album here. But sounds aren’t all this mysterious artist has been up to. Christina, who studied at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore until 2001, is also a composer of the moving image. This may come as no surprise to those of you who are familiar with The Dead Texan, the duo of Christina and Adam Wiltzie (Stars of the Lid). Her most recent work in video is a visual counterpart to No1, and deserves just as much attention as the album itself, if not more. Although the finished LP features recordings of a seven piece orchestral score version of the album, the initial incarnation of the music was a single 45 minute long piece composed of synthesizers, samples, and Christina’s voice. Through a serendipitous collaboration with Mina Choi, No1 was transformed into the opus that it is today, realized through the sounds of the Magik*Magik Orchestra. And while listening to Christina’s album is quite an experience all on it’s own, it is more than complemented by the visuals… a whole new experience.

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A spate of Worldpop reissues hit my desk just before Christmas, along with a couple of contemporary recordings in the same vein, all of which are influenced to some extent by the Western pop/rock axis that has been inspiring musicians worldwide since the late 1950s. None of these offerings will win any gold stars for originality and, in fact, some of them are shamelessly derivative. But with Worldpop (as opposed to “World Music”), the goal is synthesis rather than originality. And this music is rich in cultural nuance and perspective. It’s also full of musical surprises and for the most part very capably conceived and performed. Read More »

Space music did not necessarily begin with Jonn Serrie, but it’s through his work that the genre has arguably reached its creative zenith, perhaps matched only by Michael Stearns (who certainly deserves his own installment of this feature).

Part of the reason Serrie has managed to strike intergalactic gold again and again over the span of a decades-long career lies is his role in shaping the space music and, by extension, electronic ambient genres. Read More »

With Thou being as productive as they are, even those with a weak spot for the Baton Rouge project will be excused if they do not pick up each and every release. Read More »

’70s krautrock has always been a gold mine for inspiration and cues for bands and genres.   Read More »

Velvet Chrome is Frank Ouellette and Jane L. Kasowicz.   Read More »

This was my first exposure to this Finnish psych icon and I found it to be quite a curious one.   Read More »

One of the most pleasing things about this album length EP is the fact that it is completely and utterly bonkers. Read More »

Delicate, romantic, contemplative, introspective; all of these terms describe Christina Vantzou‘s recent album No1. Read More »