A Collection Of Catchy Pop Tunes | Despite the fact that it is grey, rainy and coldish, Autumn is a season of maximum bliss. Right between Summer holidays and Christmas vacation, Autumn gives time to breathe deeply, sort things out, to come down. The odor of falling leaves is on the streets, mixing with the perfume of flavored tea and for the first time since long it feels good to stay home. Stay with your beloved, hopefully.
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My latest mixtape is a collection of catchy Pop tunes. A farewell to Summer, a heartily welcome to Autumn. Because Fall is for lovers. 16 free Netaudio tunes from shy and harmony-driven Electronica to uplifting Pop, obscene Chip tunes and back to melancholy Folk. Enjoy rare material by He Can Jog, Tidy Kid, Banjo Consortium and Inlets as well as Resynthesize’s all time classic “Supersynth” and many more. My way to Fall, as Yo La Tengo said.

Playlist

01. Hula Hooper – “Reach” @ creation-centre.com
02. Monoceros – “Happiness (Flüor Remix)” @ inrecs.com
03. adcBicycle – “Miranda July” (allthatfall Remix) @ 12rec.net
04. Siblings – “It’s Still Working” @ notype.com
05. Emily In Love – “Lullaby (Rupert Remix)” @ corpid-label.de
06. Monomatik – “The One With The Lead Guitar” @ ideology.de
07. Pix – “To Begin Again” @ fresh-poulp.net
08. Bufi – “Homeless Hero” @ ponirepublic.com
09. Random – “Spontaneous Devotion” @ 8bitpeoples.com
10. The Depreciation Guild – “Sky Ghosts” via inhergentlejaws.com
11. Resynthesize – “Supersynth” @ experimedia.net
12. Banjo Consortium – “Grizzly” @ catchtheleaves.org
13. Tidy Kid – “Kommt” via tidykid.com
14. He Can Jog – “Contractors And Architects” @ audiobulb.com
15. Infant Color – “Arms And Bears” @ beatismurder.com
16. Inlets – “Your Good Arm” via inletsmusic.com

Photo by Dani Baquet-Long,
Artwork by Sven Swift

Released at phlow-magazine.com,
switch over to download the zip file!

One year ago, mo. of phlow.net and me started the Phlow Magazine. The mag features Netaudio reviews, compilations and gossip on a daily basis. This is, in particular, the reason why it became a bit silent over here at RUBored.org… all my writer’s creativity is drawn off by the mag!
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Honestly, I don’t think that this blog will be back to old publishing quantitiy, but over at Phlow Mag, regular reviews of mine will go online and you guys should subscribe for the RSS-feed to be up to date all the time. I’m not sure what the Boring Music Series will look like in the future, but as mo. naturally features music from his reviews in Phlow compilations, I think it might make sense to move the whole series over to phlow-magazine.com… you’ll know if there’s a new compilation online.

OK, the air smells like change but right now it’s time to celebrate the first anniversary of Phlow Magazine foremost. Take a few moments to savour these numerals:

“After 365 freakin’ days of Phlow Magazine we welcomed 114.205 visitors from 189 different countries. They read 316.851 webpages and stayed in general about 03:10 minutes on our website according to Google Analytics (the webserver stats are still more impressive…). But wait! There were still more people reading and listening to Phlow Magazine! You, our RSS-Subscribers read 205.856 of our articles, clicked 34.982 to come back to the website. But that’s not all: We managed to arrange 48.829 downloads via RSS according to Feedburner.”

Sounds quite good, no?

See you soon,
Bettina & Sven

Friends, the new BEAUTIFUL BEAT mixtape is online. After volume one @ mixotic.de and a self-published volume two, “The Fletcher Street Mixtape” is already the third installment in this series of free Hip Hop neckache.
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It’s named after Martha Camarillo’s wonderful photo book “Fletcher Street” and I asked her for a pic to craft the artwork from… bad luck she didn’t got in contact. We’re here for the muzak, no?

Hit THIS VERY LINK for MP3 download via archive.org
This way for a hi-res version of the cover (Zagreb streetart ahoi!)

Here’s the playlist:

01 Skism – Melt
from www.archive.org/details/12rec.024

02 Mux Mool – Night Court
from www.adultswim.com/williams/music/ghostlyswim

03 Food For Animals – Elephants
from www.cockrockdisco.com/free.html

04 B-Ju - Soja Extra
from www.e-q-x.net/eqx013/eqx013.htm

05 Pleq - I Hear Her At The Door Now
from www.envitre.net/envizagae/releasespage/envnet002.htm

06 Niteffect – Tropical Heat
from www.kreislauf.org/v10/?p=266

07 Dabrye – Temper
from www.adultswim.com/williams/music/ghostlyswim

08 Dorian Concept – Exayctly As An Hypothesis … (MEP Mix)
from www.mickeyeatsplastic.com/music.htm

09 Comfort Fit – Sneeze At You
from www.ideology.de/archives/audio000203.php

10 Guilty Simpson w/ Four Tet – Money Motivated Movements
from www.stonesthrow.com/chromechildren

11 Daniel Carew – Lonithan Ward
from www.yukiyaki.org/releases/YkYk013

12 Maguett – Bubbles
from www.netaudio.ru/electrosound/releases/es33

13 Apes On Tapes – Limone Nel West
from www.homeworkrecords.net

14 Atmosphere w/ DJ Plain Ol’ Bill - The Old Style
from www.rhymesayers.com/releases.php#rId_100

15 Bleubird – Know The End
from http://www.hiphopcore.net/audio/hhcr.html#24

Thanks to applezup and Minifú Netlabel who published the tape!

For our 50th release, we decided to go for a compilation.
All exclusive. All free. All for you.

We drummed up the whole bunch and asked them to deliver
the best they have. So they did.
Seventeen chosen songs from recent and future 12rec. artists.

You can download the compilation for free.
You should do so!

Take me to the downloads

But if you really really want to support 12rec. and our artists,
make sure to take a look at the fine digipak CD we got done:

Yummy! This way to the shop.

Joining the jubelee party, Phlow Mag did an interview with 12rec. hobos Sullen and Swift. Read on!

To celebrate its first birthday, Paris top-notch Ambient Netlabel IOD releases an exclusive compilation, readably as a who-is-who of Ambient composers. “Miniature Forest Remix” is a collection of seven, well, remixes from the corresponding The Green Kingdom-song from his self titled CD debut released by IOD mother ship SEM. Everybody with just the slightest interest in experimental Ambient: go download!
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Usually, I avoid talking about the same Netlabels over and over again. But this release is too important to keep it in the closet just because I wrote about Brometer and IOD two weeks ago at Phlow Magazine. The Green Kingdom, Detroit-based musician and graphic designer Michael Cottone, gave out the song “Miniature Forest” from his self titled CD debut for a bunch of house-keeping IOD artists to let them re-draft his delicate Ambient textures.

Exile-Irishman Darren McClure takes the original with him for a trip underwater. Not a trip to abysmal pits but a smooth skin-dive through colorful coastal waters. SEM-mastermind Alexandre Navarro treats the song with his cine scope delay mainly. Navarro’s edit is pretty close to his own sound of semi-experimental, melancholy guitar Ambient and brings forth a sniveling feel of prairie vastness. Letna (SEM, Zymogen) and Mexican Manrico Montero (of Mandorla-fame) rework the track from a similar minimalistic point of view, the former with a good amount of Pop, the later with a rather dark approach. Both at huge success.

My favorite remix comes from Jason Corder a.k.a. offthesky, a guy you probably have heard from. His “Miniature Forest” is the most song-like rework and so full of fresh textures, strange sounds and beautiful melodies that it’s a pleasure to zoom in and listen closely.

Release Site: The Green Kingdom – “Miniature Forest”
Netlabel: www.semlabel.com/iod
Artist Website: www.thegreenkingdom.wordpress.com

As posted on Phlow Magazine

Calm Ambient | Young Etienne Michelet is an experimental songwriter and delivery boy of rich, textural Ambient. Just recently, Michelet released two EPs at the notorious Resting Bell Netlabel, and over at Digital Biotope. But I’d like to talk about his former minialbum “Bleu Vespéral – A Music For Harmonium” published via La Nouvelle Dégelée earlier this year.
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On first try, I wasn’t sure if “Bleu Vespéral” is produced on a “hardware” harmonium solely. The sound of the instrument’s pipes is clearly there but I would have expected some more noises, certain glitches that occur if you hit the instrument’s keys, chiffing and such. The textures sound very clear, ethereal, even sacral with it’s huge cathedral reverberation flags. As Etienne told me, the music on “Bleu Vespéral” is programmed throughout: “I like this idea of a fictional music. I would form mental images of the little cold chapel where Bleu Vespéral could be recorded, in a tale’s time, and bringing this apparition just by quality of sounds. You just have to believe it, or not. It is fictional, like a little colored landscape in a illumination.”

Seven songs, rather short, strictly featuring the wide range of sound provide by the reed organ. Michelet is best when his compositions feature minimal harmonic changes and drifts. The second tune “Arcs (Mobiles)” e.g. fuses Ambient and Chamber music, huge and beautiful. Wouldn’t have been a dropout on the Nest EP. The delicate flute-sounds at “Hexa” are wonderful and the slightly optimistic “Cromorne” brings forth a soothing feel of late-summer nostalgia I enjoy a lot. As a comparions, Processing… comes to my mind. A good EP in a whole although some songs are missing certain hooks.

Direct Download: Etienne Michelet – “Bleu Vespéral” (ZIP)
Netlabel: www.lanouvelledegelee.com
Artist Website: www.myspace.com/etiennemichelet

As posted on Phlow Magazine

Ambient Folk Miniatures | Last.fm is a good source to start your investigations on certain artists. In case of UK Gareth Dickson, Last.fm tells us “Solo acoustic guitar with effects and vocals“. That’s true on a technical level, still so much information is missing. Add adjectives like introspective, tender, experimental and blissful to get a bit closer to the Dickson music.
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London-based Polymorphic Music released a nine-track album of Gareth Dickson exactly one year ago. Due to their rare promotion activities, I missed it back then but re-discovered it now. The bulky titled “Sampler” is something like a best of-compilation including exclusive tunes as well. Most songs can be found on “Solina Sea”, initially released as part of the “Mineral Series” at Benbecula records, some are derived from his debut “Spruce Goose” published by vanished Sleeping Man label.

Gareth Dickson writes beautiful acoustic Folksongs with an idea of gentle Jazz. Decently processed by reverb and delay, Dickson “stretches” his chords to slowly evolving ambient textures that bring forth memories of Labraford, Gastr Del Sol or Berlin-based Taunus. His vocals are a obvious bow to Nick Drake, but he uses them in a distinct manner. Despite singing strophes and choruses he rather scatters fragments of text across the tracks, some songs work without vocals at all. Gareth Dickson manages to satisfy both the Folk- and the fans of experimental music. An awesome record! Don’t miss it.

A sunny day in Glasgow, a man, a guitar.

Free MP3 Folk Music Download

Release Site: Gareth Dickson – “Sampler”
Netlabel: www.polymorphic-music.co.uk
Artist Website: www.myspace.com/garethdickson

As posted at Phlow Magazine

Refreshing Electropop Psychedelica | Daniel Maze is a name you stumble about every now and then. Despite his new record for the Welsh Serein Netlabel, Vancouver-boy Maze has an opulent discography in the back including releases for Test Tube, EKO, 12rec. and many more. His electronic music incorporates diverse genres from glitch to Pop. “Red After Image” is Daniel Maze’ masterpiece.
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While some of his former releases were either a bit too poppy or a bit too noisy for me, his full-length debut is just right. Not only well-balanced and “quality music” in terms of craftsmanship, slippy Maze can’t be hold to any style conventions. “Delightfully strange”, as Serein head honcho Huw Roberts puts it on the liner notes.

Warm in tone and texture, Maze mixes processed instruments like flutes and strings with a lot of crackling noise and programed beats. His melodies are splendid and lush and create an artificial 70’s Progrock-feel that goes along with the analog sound very well. The idea seems to resemble Jan Jelinek’s approach to Krautrock on Kosmischer Pitch.

It is hard to pick certain songs as the whole album works best at full listen… my personal favorites are the first three tunes: “Steampunk” for it’s wishful slide guitar, the flutes and the wafting beats, “Nested Companion Template” with it’s cut-up vocal samples huge tonal synth-pads and finally “Subtropical Blasting Officier” which is just an incredibly weird piece of, well, Maze muzak. Yummy.

Don’t forget to check the delicious artwork!

MP3 Electronic Music Download

Release Site: Daniel Maze – “Red After Image”
Direct Download: Daniel Maze – “Red After Image” (ZIP)
Netlabel: www.serein.co.uk
Artist Website: www.maze.walltapper.com

As posted at Phlow Magazine

As 12rec. will celebrate it’s fourth birthday this year, approximately four generations of musicians released their works with us. Hermelin, this wonderful Rock band from Hanover, Germany, came across your way as a 2nd wave 12rec.-act. Remember their “Split LP” (12rec.030) with Cologne Noiserockers Junique Fois Pi? It’s the kids, hell yeah. In 2008, Hermelin show up with their full-length debut album. We’re happy to support the band and bring forth their new album for free download and CD purchase.
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Hermelin didn’t change their style too much. The music on the actually self-titled LP is a dense mixture of Post- and Indierock, instrumental end to end, with shining melodies and a good amount of fuzz. Appropriate in production, “Hermelin” enables you to enjoy the full range of the band’s interplay, their dendritic guitar melodies over warm Postpunk bass-lines and straightforward drums.

In direct comparison to the second true bred Postrock-act at 12rec., Milhaven, Hermelin are less dreamy or ethereal. Hermelin rock harder. And their composition might need a second try to reveal all secrets. But if you check ‘Pliant Fur’, ‘May 91313′, the sonic re-make of ‘Nova Police’ or the sluggish fuzz-monster ‘Mellow F. S.’, you’ll probably agree that Hermelin are worth every second of (repeated) listen.

The “Hermelin” LP is online for free download and available on CD. The band pressed 300 copies and crafted the sleeves on their own. Hurry to the shop and order your copy! Or check the Hermelin website for live dates and buy the album directly from the band.

It’s time for Boring Music, once again! To all those who are new to this, let me give you a brief explanation: at RUBored.org, I’m writing about music that’s free for download and about some hardcopy records released by tiny labels that have certain connections to the Netaudio-scene. Every 15 reviews, I take the songs I liked best from each featured record and put them in a splendid mix. As there are 75 reviews online up to now, it’s time for the fifth round of the Boring Music Series.
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Here’s the playlist:

01 – Processing… Gone But Not Forgotten [#67]
02 – Ian D. Hawgood The Fires Rush Across The Mountain [#72]
03 – The Mandelbrot Set Constellation Of Rings [#64]
04 – Svenfn Etereal Dunes [#73]
05 – Inlets Decks, Up And Above [#71]
06 – Br’er Lapin [#74]
07 – Institut Für Feinmotorik Live @ Detali Zvuku [#65]
08 – Tarkatak Foerfaeder (Excerpt) [#061]
09 – Daisuke Miyatani Summer Child [#62]
10 – Pompey Feet Miniature [#066]
11 – Marihiko Hara Konstellation [#69]
12 – Plaistow Mairie Des Lilas [#063]
13 – GoGooo Les Nuages Flottent [#075]
14 – Entia Non A Winter Plateau [#068]
15 – Endlos Renne Durch Dein Leben [#070]

Thanks to all artists & labels!
Special thanks to 020200 @ SCNCLR for the artwork.

Download all-in-one:
Boring Music Volume V .zip (178MB)

Individual download:
Boring Music Volume V .mp3
Printable Artwork (inlay) .pdf
Printable Artwork (back) .pdf
Printable Artwork (CD) .pdf
Artwork Thumb .jpg
Playlist & Info .txt

Sven Swift @ Last.fm
Sven Swift @ myspace