Various Artists – Expedition_1 (Everestrecords)

This is basically a label sampler for Berne based Everestrecords bringing together the labels current roster with some future projects. And lets just say that they’re not afraid to release some wacky stuff that still retains an inherent musicality, yet isn’ afraid to take things into some very strange territory. The second cut on this, Iso Brown’ Wurst Ist Wirklichkeit is a prime example, a zany cartoon montage of glitch textures and stupid sounds zinging around all referencing a repetitious percussive loop. It sounds like the soundtrack to a madhouse, cute insanity, yet you can’ help jigging along manically. And the rest of the roster is similarly if not more so warped. Tauchgang is much more menacing, again working with loops, but his are more textural bottom end industrial pulses and textures. And Krankenzimmer 204 starts like they’re working with a Badalamenti organ sample and ends up in this bizarre heavily reverbed dreamy world with skittering electronic percussion and dreamy wails. And it’s an incredible overwhelming sensory experience. So who are Filewile, Herpes O Deluxe, rm74, Herbal Jazz, Feldermelder? Never heard of them? It’s hard to say if they’re the artists or the tracks. Whoever they are their tunes encompass drones, electro acoustic work, electronics, glitch work and experimental soundscapes, yet do so an innovative highly articulate way.