Genre/Influences: Cinematographic, experimental, electronic, psychedelic, trip-pop.

Background/Info: Based in Edinburgh, Capital of Scotland, Bearsuit Records has already been active for a couple of years now. The label releases only a few albums a year so this sampler featuring 17 bands is an opportunity to get a bit more familiarized with the mainly experimental- and minimal taste of the record company.

Artists: Alexander Stordiau, PoProPo, Martian Subculture, Bunny & The Invalid Singers, Yponomeutaneko, Shinnosuke Sugata, The Moth Poets, Swords Reversed, Petridisch, Ageing Children, Kirameki, Manga Brothers, Steeples For People, Annie & The Station Orchestra.

Content: The sound universe of Bearsuit Records remains an open-minded window upon minimalism- and experimentalism. From cinema-like sounds to funky work to trip-hop rock to psychedelic-rock to experimental jazz to mystic passages to folk experiments this album is a truly sonic cocktail.

+ + + : If you’re into experimental music and you want to discover less familiar names from Belgium, Germany, UK, Japan, France, Scotland and US this compilation will for sure bring you a few surprises. Diversity is the keyword so everyone will find one or more tracks to their taste. My personal favorite is the into trip-hop and rock-minded track by Martian Subculture. I also enjoyed the track by Annie & The Station Orchestra, which is a formation I discovered in 2016 by the “Bingo Halls”-album. The song has been taken from this album, but remixed by Ullapul.

– – – : It’s not that the music is not that accessible to a wider audience, but it clearly remains experimental stuff for a restricted number of fans in the genre.

Conclusion: I can’t say that I fully enjoyed this work, but Bearsuit releases have always something apart from the rest and that’s a rather positive element.

Best bands: Martian Subculture, Annie & The Station Orchestra, Steeples For People, Manga Brothers, Alexander Stordiau.

Rate: (6).

Label: www.bearsuitrecords.web.com / www.facebook.com/bearsuitrecords

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Experimental, krautrock, psychedelic.

Background/Info: Annie & The Station Orchestra is a Scottish formation. They already released a split album together with Ippu Mitsui and unleashed their official debut album “Bingo Halls”.

Content: The very first passages of this work are pretty Laibach-like. It’s filled with bombast and epic arrangements, but rapidly moves into a rather abstract composition with guitar, drums and psychedelic effects. We can consider “Bingo Halls” as an instrumental work although you’ll discover a single cut with female vocals. It’s a weird production, which has nothing in common with current trends and established genres.

Annie & The Station Orchestra deals with an atypical and hard to define sound. It’s definitely experimental, sometimes a bit reminding me of krautrock formations and also cinematographic.

+ + + : The album sounds as a truly rarity and that’s for sure a real original aspect of the band. It makes me think of a soundtrack for a surreal movie. The cover might be an indication for the atypical sound. The main strength of Annie & The Station Orchestra definitely is that this album doesn’t sound like any other! It’s a psychedelic voyage carried by outer-space sound treatments.

– – – : My main regret is that the opening part in the truest Laibach-style, only lasts a few seconds. This is the kind of work appealing for a visual support… or vice versa. You definitely have to like experimental music to enjoy this record.

Conclusion: Experimental music always has something visionary, but I have some reservations about the real impact of this record now and within a couple of years. It rather sounds as a piece belonging to a wider- and total concept featuring other artistic disciplines.

Best songs: “Here Come The Bears”, “The Bingo Halls”.

Rate: (5).

Band: www.facebook.com/anniestation 

Label: http://bearsuitrecords.webs.com / www.facebook.com/bearsuitrecords

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com