Amberhaze - Raleigh EP Review

Released: January 11, 2011
Label: KittyWu Records

Giuliano Gullotti, or better known as Amberhaze, is a multi-instrumentalist born in Messina, Italy but found his muse on the shores of Singapore. His debut full-length album, Then We Saw The Stars Again, got his musical project signed under KittyWu Records back in 2009. Since then, he has gained a reputation for his unique ambience-meets-shoegaze brand of music and has performed many shows throughout the island including Singapore's BayBeats, a festival gig promoting independent local and newcoming musicians.










Recently, having sailed off to the Canada, Giuliano mentioned "This is my first winter in a while. After living on the equator for so long, you forget what makes cold seasons so special: the light changes, the nights grow longer, things become still and then it starts snowing..
I hadn't seen snow in a while, either. Or leaves falling". It might just be the weather over there that has helped him get the inspiration for his latest release, Raleigh EP.

Pumpkinseed has a chilling start that brings images of a broken down, vacant room that was made for a child. And when the distant drums comes crashing in, takes a more moodier and darker turn, making you feel like you're all alone with nothing but a broken music box in front of you. Definitely something that tugs on your loneliness but still leaves you wanting for more.

However, the next track, Howland, leaves plenty to be desired in terms of musicality. It is a brilliant ambience track, but it never really did hit the high note that Pumpkinseed managed to leave in our eardrums. It has a low hum for most of the track, and near the end when everything starts to settle together in classic Amberhaze fashion, it just never really did reach a level where you just want to curl up under your blanket and cry.

In From Foxtpoint To Vermont Square is a dark reverberish piano piece with haunting string synths included. This track reminds us alot of the works of Clint Mansell's Moon, and as huge fans of Clint Mansell here at Puresinner, we have to give this track a thumbs up.

The C.P.R. (Beyond Christie), which is supposedly the ending to the industrial drums-laced track, The C.P.R. With nothing but a long engine hum, it's not exactly something what everyone would enjoy listening to. Finally, Vermont Square (First Snow) ends with a less intense track to the whole package. A bit of a letdown.

Giuliano Gullotti

With all six tracks, this EP makes it a worthwhile listening because firstly, it's free. Why else would you not get the EP? And secondly, it's something that you would definitely want to switch on loud in headphones with the lights down and just lie down and absorb every single note, static and chime this instrumentalist has to offer. Raleigh EP manages to dive deeper into what made Then We Saw The Stars Again a brilliant instrumental album.

5 out of 7 sins

2 confessed:

I Am David Sparkle - Swords Review

Release date: December 3, 2010
Record label: KittyWu Records


Taken their name off a Malaysian artist, M. Daud Kilau, the band does not actually compose the same genre as him. I Am David Sparkle are the forefathers of Singapore Instrumental/Post-Rock of today. Swords sees the band's second full-length effort after four years of releasing EPs and compilations.

Amran Khamis, Djohan Johari, Farizwan Fajari, Zahir Sanosi

From the opening with Wild Horses to the end with Sleep, Amran and the guys have sent us through an ocean filled with beautiful glowing sea creatures (that are angsty at times. A truly magical and powerful soundscape adventure. Compared to their début, this album has less pre-programmed sounds and samples and personally, I think this is mellower than their début.

The distant sounding of drums in Wild Horses kind of gets you prepared for the ultimate guitar intro. You don't even have to wait for the vocals to be able to feel the emotions cause there won't be any vocals to support any gap anywhere in Swords. It is a very intense intro track to an album full of more intensity. Ghostfuck and A Bad Corpse (Your Majesty) is a two-song epic that has to be divided into two to avoid the risk of exceeding any listener's intensity threshold. Though the latter track is heavier and much aggressive than the former it is still as intense as the intro track.

Heights could easily be a good opening track for playing live as well as Machine which I think they have. Then there's Jangan and Everybody Loves Somebody two of my favourite tracks on the album, steps back from the harsh guitars and falls to a softer dreamy side of the band. Sleep reminds me of what Radiohead would write. Which is not a bad thing at all.

I have been listening to this album for almost a whole month trying to understand how to explain these tracks. But seriously, listen to it and you will understand. Not much words should explain Swords as much as their music can.

After reading this far into the review, you must have noticed how many times the word "Intense" have appeared, it's not due to our lack of a better word but that is exactly what this album is. Pure intensity and intertwining guitar lines that just seems to go everywhere and anywhere and bass lines and drums that keep mashing on your ear drums. MUST HAVE!

6 out of 7 sins

0 confessed:

Peaches DJs at Home Club

Since Peaches' performance at Zirca last year, everyone wanted more from her. Now, she's back, a year later, at Home Club performing a DJ set. Guess she wanted more from Singapore too.

Friday night's Beat! features Joe Ng and Ginette Chittick on deck along with Peaches as the guest DJ of the night. Appearing on stage in nude leotard and a very "booby" shoulder pad outfit. Crowd went crazy and the show is on. A full house at Home Club, temperature rose and everything became hot and wild.

0 confessed:

Tool Rehearses for BDO Australia 2011

It's been a long time since we've last heard from Tool, other than their mini 2010 tour and the upcoming BDO mainstage set in February. These are a few clips to get those mouths salivating for an awesome year of Tool touring and hopefully an album release.





Thanks Maynard!

1 confessed:

Webzine Turned Magazine: Zetalambmary's debut release

ZETALAMBMARY started off as a music blog by Wraith and Zen. They are the sole contributors to reviews, news and articles. Anything and everything on Metal. Now three years later, January 2011, they have come up with a physical copy available to all metal fans in Singapore.

The magazine will be sold at:
Inokii
#03-30, Far East Plaza, Singapore.
A list of more available locations will be updates soon. Check back for more information on the debut issue.

UPDATES:

"Due to unfortunate and unforeseen circumstances, printing process is kind of interrupted at the moment. Hardcopies will probably only be out by early February." - Zetalambmary on Facebook.com

0 confessed:

Goodbye 2010

Last year, we have made this blog public to everyone and anyone with an interest in local and/or alternative music. We thank those who visit us often to read, watch and mock our amateurish posts. Without you, we will not continue.

We now record live shows on a High Definition camera. I have a few videos uploaded from the December shows at Home Club. Feel free to check them out:

Electromashick - December 17th



IDENTITE: 10 YEARS OF RSC FEAT. I AM DAVID SPARKLE - December 31st



Happy new year friends and foes. Here's to MMXI!

0 confessed: