Subjective/objective review of the best albums, musicians and musicologists (2016-2017)

First of all, i would like to remember Z'EV, who recently died in December, 2017. One of the last (or maybe the last) of his creations was UNTITLED, released in November, 2017.

https://substratamx.bandcamp.com/track/untitled-3

There is a band which i respect very much and want to thank ROBERT TAYLOR and NICHOLAS TESLUK for their great Neofolk (Dark Folk? American Neofolk?) albums. The latest one, PSYCHONAUTIKA, came in the late 2017.

More about it: http://www.radikaliai.lt/garsas-sound/4245-new-changes-psychonautika-2017-review-chasing-the-breath-of-a-dragon-will-change-your-life.

Also, one of the bands i love is DER BLUTHARSCH AND THE INFINITE CHURCH OF THE LEADING HAND ‎which had released longplays SUCHT & ORDNUNG and WHAT MAKES YOU PRAY in two last years, finished the latter with a single LEAVE ME ALONE (feat. WOLVENNEST) (http://www.radikaliai.lt/garsas-sound/4228-new-der-blutharsch-and-the-infinite-church-of-the-leading-hand-what-makes-you-pray-2017-masters-of-unreality, http://www.radikaliai.lt/garsas-sound/3732-a-perfect-album-review-of-der-blutharsch-and-the-infinite-church-of-the-leading-hand-sucht-ordnung).

Another absolutely great band is my favorite ALLERSEELEN (http://www.radikaliai.lt/garsas-sound/3933-allerseelen-had-re-released-autdaruta-or-without-light-men-should-die). Its leader GERHARD HALLSTATT lately not only had released and re-released several wonderful albums but also printed out a very interesting book, BLUTLEUCHTE (http://www.radikaliai.lt/radikaliai/4081-review-gerhard-hallstatt-blutleuchte-for-those-who-are-not-afraid).

Russian band Треустье (TREUSTYE) is a real Neofolk gem, you should check out its music (http://www.radikaliai.lt/garsas-sound/3588-treuste-like-rivers-outlet-or-streams-combined-as-one-where-they-meet-the-ocean).

Also, in Russia (Kaliningrad, former Twanxta, Old Prussian lands are over there) there exists wonderful Neofolk band singing in revived Old Prussian, ROMOWE RIKOITO.

I am also happy that in such closed countries as Saudi Arabia there are brave people who risk their lives to play black metal. AL-NAMROOD is from Saudi Arabia (http://www.radikaliai.lt/garsas-sound/4226-metal-band-al-namrood-from-saudi-arabia-we-never-show-our-real-identities-even-if-we-get-caught).

Polish ARBEIT plays great dark ambient (http://www.radikaliai.lt/garsas-sound/4194-arbeit-dark-ambient-with-everyday-picture-seen-by-the-eyes-of-an-ordinary-worker).

ART ABSCONs is another great Neofolk band from Germany (http://www.radikaliai.lt/garsas-sound/4087-neofolk-gem-art-abscons-no-one-knows-who-i-am-i-am-many-just-like-everybody-else) together with SONNENKIND. 

KIM CASCONE is one my favorites, too (http://www.radikaliai.lt/garsas-sound/4072-kim-cascone-ive-always-felt-my-core-mission-was-to-transport-the-listener-into-another-space). A man of unbelievable imagination.

Canadian singer JOCELYN BARTH is a real treasure to those who value good jazz (http://www.radikaliai.lt/garsas-sound/4065-interview-with-jocelyn-barth-sincere-warm-and-unique-singer).

Finnish cult dark ambient act IN SLAUGHTER NATIVES is one of the best in the genre (http://www.radikaliai.lt/garsas-sound/4041-review-in-slaughter-natives-psicofonias-las-voces-desconocidas-2016-the-dead-finally-speak-to-us).

OTTO VAN KLEIST from France and his many projects, especially SONA NYL and EL PRETRO MANIACO (http://www.radikaliai.lt/garsas-sound/4040-review-el-pretro-maniaco-recueil-2017-he-who-cannot-obey-himself-will-be-commanded, http://www.radikaliai.lt/garsas-sound/3525-otto-van-kleist-humans-are-not-humans-anymore-i-feel-like-an-alien) are also one of those which i value a lot.

American Neofolk band DESTROYING ANGEL is very worth to listen to:

Probably the best Lithuanian experimental / dark ambient / field recordings band is SALA, which is constantly changing its shape since 1995 (http://www.radikaliai.lt/garsas-sound/4013-review-sala-scare-me-not-2017-unfathomless-masterpiece-that-scares-with-its-astuteness).

Estonian black metal band LOITS (http://www.radikaliai.lt/garsas-sound/3990-loits-the-horrors-of-war-and-injustice-mustnt-be-forgotten) is one of the most respected in Baltic countries.

Russian band РАДА & ТЕРНОВНИК plays avantguarde rock / Neofolk and does it in its original way (http://www.radikaliai.lt/garsas-sound/3987-rada-ternovnik-ternovnik-eto-i-bol-i-krasota-i-svyatost-ternovyj-venets-odnovremenno).

Italian band LVPI GLADIVS also never disappointed me (http://www.radikaliai.lt/garsas-sound/3976-review-and-interview-lvpi-gladivs-veritas-2014-enchanted-by-the-beauty-of-italian-neofolk).

Austrian one-woman band KEYS OF PERCEPTION plays astonishing Krautrock / Psybient (http://www.radikaliai.lt/garsas-sound/3970-review-keys-of-perception-mirrors-of-maya-2016-when).

I am also glad that cult German Krautrock band FAUST still releases great albums.

Australian Neofolk band OSTARA (RICHARD LEVIATHAN, (http://www.radikaliai.lt/garsas-sound/3895-richard-leviathan-spring-but-also-the-wild-volatile-and-dangerous-elements-within-it) had released several astonishing albums.

I will never forget such British bands as NAEVUS and SIEBEN (http://www.radikaliai.lt/garsas-sound/3836-review-and-interview-sieben-the-old-magic-2016-i-started-with-lietuva). And, of course, CURRENT 93/HYPNOPAZŪZU, PATRICK LEAGAS, TONY WAKEFORD.

Two more Australians whom i respect a lot: NICK CAVE and DOUGLAS PEARCE (DEATH IN JUNE).

There are many more great bands and musicians whom i would like to mention, but this is not an encyclopedia. Anyway, a new book of mine is coming out in France (Camion Blanc) this year where you could find interviews with those wonderful musicians like ERIK JARL, ANNIHILIST, MICHAEL BRÜCKNER, MAIRA, PAHA HENKI (PER LA LUMON, VERWESUNG, KINDSTOD), TSIDMZ (SOLIMANO MUTTI), MOON DOOGAS, DRWIWY, KAZERIA, OLIVER KERSBERGEN (SLEEPYARD), MIEL NOIR etc.

Before mentioning, imho, the best musicologists, i must put two more tracks of my favorite musicians.

Dutch PHALLUS DEI:

And legendary LAURIE SPIEGEL (http://www.radikaliai.lt/garsas-sound/3712-laurie-spiegel-i-asked-john-cage-once-what-music-he-listens-to-when-he-just-feels-like-listening-to-some-music-he-told-me-he-opens-the-window-and-listens-to-the-traffic-on-6th-avenue).

So, the best musicologists who made great researches recently are DMITRY VASILYEV (Moscow, Russia) with his astonishing project VIVA ITALIA - a book with 5 CDs about Italian experimental music (http://www.radikaliai.lt/garsas-sound/4039-dmitry-vasilyev-author-of-epic-book-viva-italia-italy-has-the-most-immense-and-active-scene-in-the-world, http://www.radikaliai.lt/garsas-sound/4063-review-viva-italia-2017-5cd-anthology-italian-experimental-music-at-its-best), JOANNA DEMERS (USA; http://www.radikaliai.lt/garsas-sound/4116-joanna-demers-capitalists-behind-cultural-production-are-looking-for-quick-returns-so-they-encourage-plagiaristic-work; http://www.radikaliai.lt/garsas-sound/4085-joanna-demers-whats-interesting-about-music-today-is-that-there-are-so-many-people-who-dont-choose-to-limit-themselves; http://www.radikaliai.lt/garsas-sound/4067-interview-with-professor-of-musicology-joanna-demers-dark-existential-questions-about-humanity-and-contemporary-music), another American THOMAS BEY-WILLIAM BAILEY (http://www.radikaliai.lt/teatras/791-welcome-to-2084-age-of-overload-aesthetics) and Norwegian DAYAL PATTERSON (http://www.radikaliai.lt/garsas-sound/3436-dayal-patterson-black-metal-is-exploding-and-imploding-in-all-directions-at-once, http://www.radikaliai.lt/garsas-sound/3574-review-666-reasons-to-read-dayal-pattersons-black-metal-into-the-abyss-2016).

Thank you all for your great creations. Let the Fire of Life burn inside you.