Yimino's sound is very reminiscent of mid 90s Warp Records, when the masters were in their Prime. Autonoe Vora is very melodic, and mostly upbeat, even in its darker moments, sounding just like Plaid. However, the beats skitter and twitch, sounding like Aphex but structured more like an Autechre beat. Many of the textures and melodies remind me of Boards of Canada or Plaid. They definitely dont hide their influences. However, they still exist entirely as their own entity. Instead of trying to reinvent electronic music, they're just learning from the best and making music that has true soul.

"squeeze me" starts with a beat that reminds me of Ae. But it is actually one of the more BoCish songs on the album. There are a few ambient passages that sound like BoC doing SAW II Material. "teleprophy" is actually one of the most engaging ambient tunes I've heard in a while. "miagranov" sounds like a less menacing Autechre in their Tri Repetae phase.

Autonoe Vora proves that great electronica music can still exist, without really having to evolve the sound much. This is just great music. A collage of influences ranging most of the best electronic music out there. Highly recommended.

This is the soundtrack of your childhood, filtered through the eyes of a Sega Genesis. The music brings to mind all kinds of things, from retro-future space explorers, to Sonic the Hedgehog, to station-wagons with power windows.

The Treeborhood EP is literally full of gems: Steel Whirl, Itasca Road Trip, Treeborhood, and Magic Mushroom all contain insanely catchy melodies. It's like he took the idea of Boards of Canada and updated it for us kids that grew up consumed by video games.

For the most part the EP is made up of upbeat tunes consisting of very roygbiv-like synth melodies. I mean this in the best way possible. Boreal Network isn't just a Boards of Canada clone like so many others. While the production techniques are simple in comparison, it is apparent that this guy possesses the same magic that Boards has. Cannot wait to hear what this guy has in store for the future!

PS.
Listen to track five "Treeborhood." When the synth comes in at 2:51 my whole body melts into a puddle of bliss. Moments like this do not happen often...

I just got this on vinyl today. I've had the album for years before now, but only on cd. When I put it on today for the first time, I was sucked into another world altogether. The fact that the brain can make literally no visual connections to this sound just teleports the mind to a place beyond logical geometry and physics... anther dimension completely... Not even the cover of Draft7.30 can match up to the visuals in my head. The blankness of the cover is literally a canvas for your mind to paint beautiful visuals... woah!

Now this is some great late summer music! Fleet Foxes debut album on Sub Pop is awesome! The music is folky and dreamy. Take Neil Young, and mix it with the Beach Boys and the Shins... maybe some Iron and Wine in there too. The music reflects nature and peaceful afternoons in the woods. They even have a song called "Blue Ridge Mountains." I knew these guys had class when they chose Bruegel's "The Netherlandish Proverbs" for their album art, but I wasn't expecting such wonderfully autumnal sounds. Now if you would please excuse me, I need to go get lost out in the forest somewhere.
*As a bonus, the LP version of this album comes with the 'Sun Giant EP' on a second disc. Equally beautiful! Excellent!

Now this is some great late summer music! Fleet Foxes debut album on Sub Pop is awesome! The music is folky and dreamy. Take Neil Young, and mix it with the Beach Boys and the Shins... maybe some Iron and Wine in there too. The music reflects nature and peaceful afternoons in the woods. They even have a song called "Blue Ridge Mountains." I knew these guys had class when they chose Bruegel's "The Netherlandish Proverbs" for their album art, but I wasn't expecting such wonderfully autumnal sounds. Now if you would please excuse me, I need to go get lost out in the forest somewhere.

Bola's first, and best album is an absolute masterpiece. The music on these two discs is shimmering with beauty. The first track "Glink" is one of the best opening tracks I've ever heard. A steady crescendo that builds layer upon layer until after about seven minutes, the listener reaches the eventual end. The next track, Versivo kicks things off with a punch, and can really catch the listener off guard. Now this is a good beat. The B-side is one three part epic entitled "Forcasa." Upon initial listen, it might be hard to see the connections between the songs, but eventually, you will notice the similarities in theme. To be quite honest, "Forcasa 1-3" is probably one of the best moments found on a single side of a record. The second half of the album is on par with the glory of the first. "Aguilla" is a standout track, with some sweet keyboards and some vocal samples. The album is a benchmark in electronic music. It is as good as everyone says. If you have any interest in electronic music, whether you're into complex beats, or ambient melodies, Soup has it all.

Possibly the only Bola release that could be considered downright disappointing. This EP shows Darrell Fitton focusing on a more abrasive sound than before. It seems odd since it is sandwiched between his two most beautiful albums, "Soup" and "Fyuti." "Para Qweqway" and "Syblex" are easily forgettable, mostly percussive tracks that never seem to touch upon the breathtaking melodies that Bola is known for. "Mauver" is an embarrassing track to say the least. It probably would have been decent if it weren't for the totally cheesy rapping all over it. Bola tried the rapping thing again on his second full length "Fyuti" with "Pae Paoe" and it seemed to work out better then, but to this listener its just annoying. However, for all the mediocre and embarrassing tracks on this EP, there is one shining jewel, and that is the last song "Vespers." This tune is amazing, and immediately makes the price of the EP worth it. It's a mellow song with a great bassline that chugs its way through all seven minutes of the song. The mood is reminiscent of the more hushed moments of "Fyuti," so if that has any appeal to you, then you're going to need to hear this one song, and if you're like this listener, you will be playing it over and over. It's too bad the rest of the EP doesn't hold up as well.

Possibly the only Bola release that could be considered downright disappointing. This EP shows Darrell Fitton focusing on a more abrasive sound than before. It seems odd since it is sandwiched between his two most beautiful albums, "Soup" and "Fyuti." "Para Qweqway" and "Syblex" are easily forgettable, mostly percussive tracks that never seem to touch upon the breathtaking melodies that Bola is known for. "Mauver" is an embarrassing track to say the least. It probably would have been decent if it weren't for the totally cheesy rapping all over it. Bola tried the rapping thing again on his second full length "Fyuti" with "Pae Paoe" and it seemed to work out better then, but to this listener its just annoying. However, for all the mediocre and embarrassing tracks on this EP, there is one shining jewel, and that is the last song "Vespers." This tune is amazing, and immediately makes the price of the EP worth it. It's a mellow song with a great bassline that chugs its way through all seven minutes of the song. The mood is reminiscent of the more hushed moments of "Fyuti," so if that has any appeal to you, then you're going to need to hear this one song, and if you're like this listener, you will be playing it over and over. It's too bad the rest of the EP doesn't hold up as well.

Skam's third full length is a divisive record indeed. It seems as though some people enjoy the album, while more people find it dull and uninspired. "Parental Guidance" is the first and only full length by the Detroit-based Alder and Elius. The fundamental difference between this group and most of the rest of the Skam catalog is the fact that these guys don't take themselves too seriously. "Parental Guidance" is an unpretentious 1980s-inspired nostalgia trip. The standout tracks are the mellower tunes, "Revolving Squiggle Drum," and "Luna Pier." While most of the album is quite enjoyable, a couple of the tracks are downright annoying "Avatar Blackwolf" being a perfect example of a skipper. "Music Has the Right to Children" and "Soup," are hard acts to follow, but "Parental Guidance" is a decent lp and any fan of Skam Records or electronic music in general should give it a shot.

Alder and Elius' third ep, "Songs in A. D. D. Minor" is a short but enjoyable record, that is sure to get the foot tapping of even the most austere braindancer. The intent this time around was to create six short songs for those who may be inclined to get bored with the long compositions that are par for the course when it comes to most electronic music. All but one of the songs clock in at less than three minutes, but that doesn’t mean that they feel too short. In fact, as the title suggests, the songs go through enough changes that you don't even notice the short track lengths. The music is more upbeat and danceable than their full length "Parental Guidance," while retaining the same sonic palette. Once again, 1980’s synths are used in abundance. The only flaw is that the record is very short, each side lasting somewhere around eight minutes. “Songs in A. D. D. Minor” is fun while it lasts.