Amoeba berkeley Staff
Felix
Amoeba Berkeley
Chopin: Etudes (CD)
Yunchan Lim
The Korean pianist Yunchan Lim has been lauded and glorified by enthusiastic pundits and virtuoso musicians well before this CD was ever released. Back in 2022, Lim became the youngest person to ever win the Van Cliburn international competition at the age of only 18.
That particular performance, when sent on-line, had revved up over 11 million viewers! Remember, this is a classical pianist I'm referring to. Accordingly, when he signed with Decca... Read more
Reconnaissance / Helsinki Chamber Choir (CD)
Kaija Saariaho
The Swedish label, BIS, has released a stunningly beautiful set of compositions for choir by the Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho, who unfortunately died in 2023. All these pieces on this disc, have atmospheric and ethereal effects which demand close and attentive listening. In some of these works, the choral group, Helsinki Chamber Choir, are accompanied by light instrumentation or electronics but sing mostly unaccompanied. Each of the seven... Read more
Orchestral Works / Rebecca Miller / BBC Concert Orchestra (CD)
Dorothy Howell
English composer Dorothy Howell is once more beginning to acquire some well-deserved exposure with this release despite having died well over 40 years ago. Even if the name, Dorothy Howell, might not ring a bell for the average classical fan, this release should be enough to capture their attention. 4 of the 5 pieces on this CD are world premiere recordings (3 were written a century ago!) and one would assume, without delving into her history, that... Read more
The Vienna Recital (CD)
Yuja Wang
I've been looking forward to a Yuja Wang recital ever since she released "The Berlin Recital" back in 2018. Listening to that CD was mesmerizing for me and so when I noticed this one,"The Vienna Recital", I didn't hesitate to buy it. Like most solo recitals, a great deal of them touch on a wide scope of various composers; Miss Wang's release is no different. But what I specifically enjoyed about this 78 minute set was her articulate enthusiasm for each... Read more
Ghe Vienna Recital (CD)
Yuja Wang
I've been looking forward to a Yuja Wang recital ever since she released "The Berlin Recital" back in 2018. Listening to that CD was mesmerizing for me and so when I noticed this one,"The Vienna Recital", I didn't hesitate to buy it. Like most solo recitals, a great deal of them touch on a wide scope of various composers; Miss Wang's release is no different. But what I specifically enjoyed about this 78 minute set was her articulate enthusiasm for each... Read more
Annie Fischer "Schumann: Piano Sonata No.1 / Schubert: 4 Impromptus D.935 (CD)
Annie Fischer
Here we have a rare studio recording (never before released on CD!) from 1975 performed by the then 60 year old Hungarian pianist, Annie Fischer, playing Schumann's first piano sonata written when he was only 25 years old. The final piece is Schubert's 4 Impromptus, written just a year before he died (at 31) but not published until 10 years after his death. This recording of Miss Fischer's is unusual for she rarely recorded in the studio. She felt that... Read more
E. Lit
Amoeba Berkeley
My #1 tip always is to listen to albums from musicians, not curated playlists or programs that promote singles. The less people listen to albums, the less the curation of albums by artists matters, which in turn leads to less memorable albums. Listening to an album from beginning to end can convey an artist's statement in a way that no single song can.
Dance On My Grave (LP)
Paten Locke
Hard to believe it’s been almost 6 years since the passing of Paten Locke in 2019. This second (and likely final) full length posthumous release from P. Locke is a dizzying display of creative hip hop with an experimental edge. Culled from a collection of finished recordings and demos finalized around 2017, this album is rough around the edges and raw in a way that Paten Locke would have approved of. Production, scratching and rapping handled by the man... Read more
Genuine Dexterity (LP)
k-the-i??? & Kenny Segal
k-the-i???’s return to rapping in 2024 was a welcome surprise to me, and once I heard that he’d linked with Kenny Segal and Backwoodz Studioz for a project I knew it was going to be something special. This album delivers for heads who are into hip hop that explores some edgy and experimental sounds. k-the-i???’s chaotic and verbose delivery borders on heated spoken word, and Kenny Segal’s production walks a fine line between left-field jazz and... Read more
Love (the) Ominous World (LP)
Blu & Exile
Regardless of what order you rank their albums, Blu & Exile remain one of the more consistent duos working in hip hop today. Fans of these two pretty much know what to expect at this point. Traditional jazzy hip hop beats with that special warmth and precise chopping that only Exile can deliver. Blu in top form with the raps and at his most personal when paired with Exile, spitting bars about his upbringing and history in the West coast rap scene. Lots of... Read more
Nothing Is My Favorite Thing (LP)
Nappy Nina & Swarvy
Brooklyn-by-way-of-Oakland rapper Nappy Nina has been honing her style and craft for years, and this pairing with talented LA producer and Mndsgn collaborator Swarvy feels like a step up. Nappy Nina flexes her steady flows and perceptive lyrics over Swarvy’s mellow keys and spacey beats. Some unusual time signatures and beat switch-ups give Nina free reign to show off some versatile rap styles. The project feels thought-out and cohesive, with... Read more
Brain Candy (LP)
Fat Tony, Fatboi Sharif &
A very original and dope collaboration between rappers Fat Tony and Fatboi Sharif alongside producer Steel Tipped Dove. Fat Tony’s more traditional rap stylings contrast with Fatboi Sharif’s slow experimental drawl in a unique way, with each rapper carrying their portion of each song in a different direction. The two MCs compliment each other’s vocals more than I would have expected, and Steel Tipped Dove ties the whole thing together with beats... Read more
Animal Slavery (LP)
Z-Man & Tahaj the First
2025 vinyl pressing of this 2022 concept album from Bay Area hop hop duo Z-Man & Tahaj the First. Z-Man is one of the more talented and creative rappers out of the SF Bay Area, and this album is a daring full-length exploration of veganism in hip hop form. Destined to alienate fans and often bordering on preachy, this album succeeds conceptually thanks to Z-Man’s witty lyrics and humor. Z-Man covers the ways that different animals are abused... Read more
Kurt
Amoeba Berkeley
Muuntautuja (LP)
Oranssi Pazuzu
One of my favorite releases of 2024.
Burning In Celestial Poison (LP)
Black Curse
Excellent album. There is a balance of scorched earth black metal and dissonance death metal. Add a pinch of war metal from the days of yore. Bombarding, relentless, repeated listens unlock hidden depths of audial bliss. No mere side project, this is the real deal folks.
Omniverse Consciousness (LP)
Doedsmaghird
Sounds, more sounds, shapes because of sound, listen-avant-garde, listen - metal, what is this, overdriven fever dreams and preoccupation, hallucinogenic, listen - outsider, dissociative, art, yes, please.
The Crying Out Of Things (LP)
The Body
Heavy as heavy can be. I have not been let down by this band.
Machines I-V (LP)
The Bug
Every once in a while, some stalwart label like Relapse Records promotes something that totally catches me off guard and introduces some amazing musician to these old ears. The Bug was such an artist. Machines 1 to 5 are a collection of self released e.p.’s made by producer Kevin Richard Martin. As fuzzed out, dystopian and bleak as these sound, this music was also very inspiring for me. I will definitely keep my eyes and ears open for more BUG, you... Read more
The Wolf And The King (LP)
1349
Sometimes I just need a well produced straight forward metal album. 1349 has delivered this request with their offering of the alchemical blackened sonic warfare of The Wolf & The King. Two horns up!
Undying Spectral Resonance
Mammoth Grinder
It’s too bad that this is only an e.p. This rips and roars, it is super focused and full of vigor. Mammoth Grinder absolutely delivers the goods with Undying Spectral Resonance.
Black Magic Rituals & Perversions Vol. 1 (LP)
Electric Wizard
Live albums are kind of a weird cheat for a lot of bands to fulfill contracts or make a quick buck. In the case of Electric Wizard I think this is a pure passion project. From interviews I have read it sounds like they were touring, and wanted to keep going but Covid hit and that was that. I feel the whole world just coped, maybe even in weird ways we don’t want to remember. Electric Wizard coped by setting up a 16 track tape and recorded live on... Read more