Constellation Canada 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: RECOMMENDED
It's pretty much impossible not to get very, very excited about the prospect of a new Godspeed record. The outfit pretty much wrote the book on huge, epic, fantastical chamber rock with a punk edge when they first set about trying to soundtrack the decline of Western civilisation back in the late-1990s, and following reformation circa 2010 have only felt more relevant.

State's End! is a fitting addition to a back catalogue almost-entirely comprising landmark records, and while very much in the same vein as the band's previous, it's also original enough to confirm the group are still as incomparable as ever (albeit some have noted this album takes them one-step closer to a latter day Pink Floyd). Soaring, rousing, tense instrumental rock that also packs a vital message - the world needs to change tact before all is too late - it's likely this will be one of the year's most essential releases.

Review: The Canadian post-rock instrumentalists return with a demand for revolution, soundtracked by just shy of 45 minutes of orchestral aggression. As with all of their work, GY!BE convey their ideas articulately through evocative wordless music. The opener, 'Undoing a Luciferian Towers' sets a tone for the album with a monolithic and militaristic march. Passages of feedback open out into anthemic expanse on the three parts of 'Bosses Hang'. 'Fam/Famine' balances between harmonic assonance and dissonance, ramping up the tension before the final triptych 'Anthem Of The State' takes a more optimistic tone, with the movement away from noise providing some glimmers of light in the abyss. 'Luciferian Towers' is an impeccable and polished record, and possibly Godspeed You! Black Emperor's finest to date.

Review: Jesscia Moss's 'Phosphenes' was released in November 2021, and now a year later she follows it up with a companion album, 'Galaxy Heart'. It's the conclusion of a truly vast and accomplished body of work that was written, performed and self-produced deep in isolation throughout the lockdowns of the pandemic-riddled 2020. There is a raw energy and a searching mood to this record following the deliberate post-classical compositions of the former sister record. A heart-warming listen of cosmic exploration and celestial grit with contributions from the likes of White and Amar.

Review: Sound artist, sax player and composer Matana Roberts continues to explore her family history and African American heritage through experimental music and storytelling, on the fifth instalment of the acclaimed Coin Coin series. As with her prior works, the album is a sonic collage of personal archival recordings, spoken word, and free instrumental improvisations, all adding up to, and erring towards, a truly liberated sonic recollection of her own past. Throughout, snippets of recorded dialogue murmur away in the low background, as a compelling quietude of noir jazz vignettes whirl around in the hazy forefront, exploring the central theme of a particularly traumatic event in her family line.