Reviews of Music, Movies, Anime & More

Unsettling electronic music that explores the unrealized utopianism of post-WW2 British architecture and urban planning.

The quintet return with yet another album of raucous, bracing, and poignant indie-rock.

Inspired by classic/retro RPGs, Simon Heath’s dungeon synth is no less evocative than his work in Atrium Carceri and Sabled Sun.

Two icons in the ambient genre pay tribute to Andrei Tarkovsky’s philosophical 1979 sci-fi film.

The Russian composer’s slowly unfurling drones and sonic drift evoke a sense of mystery and wonder.

Alistair Rennie’s latest album of dark ambience avoids the genre’s clichés thanks to its diverse sonic shades and forlorn musicality.

Alarma Records’ compilation features acoustic performances from some of the biggest names in ’90s Christian alternative music.

These lovely piano-based instrumentals are the perfect soundtrack for settling in and hunkering down during the coldest winter days.

The ninth installment in the long-running Orphan X series of thrillers trades thrills for overwrought dialog and psychological baggage.

The Swedish duo’s only album is filled with polished arrangements and lush synth melodies.

Featuring members of A Sunny Day in Glasgow and Ice Choir, Roman à Clef’s 2015 debut is filled with dreamily literate indie-pop.

With its abstract artwork and graceful, evocative sound design, Daar’s Entire evokes entire worlds of beauty.

With an emotional storyline that hearkens to Godzilla’s past, Godzilla Minus One reboots and rejuvenates cinema’s most iconic monster.

The Chicago shoegazers’ four-EP set, now featuring previously unreleased demos, is a shining example of shoegaze pop par excellence.

The Arizona outfit expands upon their ’80s-influenced sound with ambient interludes and less conventional arrangements.

The Julies return after nearly 30 years with an album of mature, reflective indie pop.

Xenoplanetary does have a slightly different tenor than previous “Planetary” albums

Interplanetary’s overarching theme concerns the strangeness of deep space travel and its effects on the human mind.

Narratively, Archeoplanetary unfolds like a classic H. P. Lovecraft story.

While there are moments of awe and even beauty, the prevailing sense is one of doom and ruin.