Soichi Terada

Soichi Terada | Asakusa Light | 3hive.com
Soichi Terada | Asakusa Light | 3hive.com

This post would be better had Sam or Sean written it. Their knowledge of electronic music is vast and I only dabble in the genre. However, I am really digging Soichi Terada’s Asakusa Light so here we are.

For those who don’t know (like I didn’t), Soichi Terada is a Japanese electronic music composer who’s been making music since 1989. His latest album Asakusa Light is jam-packed with groove and pulsating beats throughout, it’s a real head-bobber. Please check out “Double Spire” and “Takusambient” (below) and let his music speak for itself as it is way better than the writing in this post.

Asakusa Light is out now via Rush Hour and is available on vinyl and digitally through Terada’s Bandcamp page. Enjoy.

Nathan Womack

Nathan Womack | Past But The Dream | 3hive.com
Nathan Womack | Past But The Dream | 3hive.com

Nathan Womack is one half of the fabulous Paces Lift & Ben Bounce project, as well as the guy behind the Wax Thématique label. He also just released his debut single Past But The Dream. Taken from samples found while crate digging in Bangkok, Thailand and Guangzhou, China, Nathan has constructed two killer tracks full of funk, soul and groove. You can check out both tracks below, I highly suggest that you do.

Past But The Dream is available now on vinyl via Wax Thématique’s website and digitally via their Bandcamp page. Enjoy.

Courtesy

Courtesy | Check The Milk | 3hive.com
Courtesy | Check The Milk | 3hive.com

I’m not really sure how to accurately describe Courtesy’s sound, but it’s somewhere in the realm of: wonky, electronic pop with some heavy-ass beats and grooves for days. Their most recent album, Check The Milk has the wonk dialed back just a bit (versus their last album Slow Bruise), but there is still plenty of it with the heaviness and grooves cranked up to 11. CTM is one hell of a record – like seriously good – and I can’t recommend it enough.

Check out the album opener “Shell Sock” (below) for a taste. It’s so good and a great example of what to expect from the rest of the album. I just snagged the LP from them and I can’t wait for it to arrive so I can blast it throughout the house.

Check The Milk is out now via Seasick Records and is available digitally and on wax from their Bandcamp page. You want this record. You need this record. Enjoy.

Dummy

Dummy | EP2 | 3hive.com
Dummy | EP2 | 3hive.com

The other night Trouble In Mind Records announced the signing of L.A. band, Dummy. I hadn’t heard of them, but the news made me immediately jump to their Bandcamp page to check them out. Thirty seconds into “Pool Dizzy” was all it took – I was ordering their latest release, EP2.

EP2 is 6 tracks of engaging, ambient-leaning, kraut-pop. Check out “Pool Dizzy”, “Nuages” and “Prime Mover Unmoved” (below) they are all very hypnotic and worth your time.

You can cop EP2 from Dummy’s Bandcamp page and I highly recommend that you do. I can’t wait for what they do next with TiM. Enjoy.

Nathan Womack

Nathan Womack | Eastern Rain | 3hive.com

Eastern Rain, the newest EP from Nathan Womack (who is also one half of 3hive favorite Paces Lift & Ben Bounce), is inspired from Womack’s many years traveling and living in Asia and collecting music while there. Eastern Rain is 4 tracks of music sampled, recorded and produced in Kunming, Yunnan, China. It features hand-pan drummers, local Guqin instrument players as well as additional synths and beats from (another 3hive fave) RUMTUM.

Eastern Rain is a relaxing trip abroad even though it only lasts for 14 minutes. The best part of this trip however, is you can take it over and over again any time you’d like. Eastern Rain is available now via Nathan’s Bandcamp and Wax Thématique. Enjoy.

Landscaping

Landscaping | Picturesque | 3hive.com
Landscaping | Picturesque | 3hive.com

I am a sucker for a solid groove and Landscaping’s (new solo project of Andrew Petersen) new album, Picturesque, is packed full it. From the Schroeder-like piano and programmed beats and clicks on “Woke Up On The Shore”, to the almost hidden (but way groovy) bass line on “Vacation”, to the full on 80’s vibe of album standout “Full Moon Lovers”, Picturesque is 26 minutes of wall to wall groove.

Give “Full Moon Lovers” (below) a spin, you’ll be glad that you did.

Picturesque is out now and available on CD or digitally via new label UPHERE! Records’ Bandcamp page. Enjoy.

Monster Rally

Monster Rally | Escape To The Cloud Forest | 3hive.com
Monster Rally | Escape To The Cloud Forest | 3hive.com

Take a trip through the tropical beats of South America and Japan with Monster Rally’s new two-part digital 45, Escape To The Cloud Forest. As usual, like everything MR releases, it’s really good.

Escape To The Cloud Forest is available now via MR’s Bandcamp page and you can sample its goodness below. Enjoy.

You can also pick up some other Monster Rally releases on vinyl at the 3hive Record Lounge. MR on vinyl is a treat, you won’t regret it.

LAZY SALON

LAZY SALON | Lazy Salon | 3hive.com
LAZY SALON | Lazy Salon | 3hive.com

Sean Byrne (as LAZY SALON) has just added another standout album to his already stacked catalog of LZ releases. Lazy Salon (his new self-titled release) is 34 minutes of chilled out, sweeping instrumentals, layered over the top smoking hot drum beats. These 8 tracks are the Calgon for the soul, especially during these COVID-19 times. He calls them “cosmic instrumentals” which pretty much nails it.

Give “Wild Travels” (below) a spin, it’s a great example of the entire album’s goodness. Lazy Salon is available now on Bandcamp. I highly recommend it.

Say Hi

Say Hi | Diamonds & Donuts | 3hive.com
Say Hi | Diamonds & Donuts | 3hive.com

We are huge fans of Seattle multi-instrumentalist Eric Elbogen and his Say Hi (a.k.a. Say Hi To Your Mom) project here at 3hive headquarters. Our first SHTYM post was back in 2004 and here we are almost 16 years later sending love to his newest album, Diamonds & Donuts.

Diamonds & Donuts is 13 songs of crunchy, synth-driven goodness, taking on bold and dangerous topics like happiness, missed lovers, broken hearts and seeing dead people — all wrapped up nicely behind titles like “Tiger Unicorn”, “A MacBook Pro to a Nineties Dell” and “Windsor Knots and Ruffles” — exactly what you’d expect from a Say Hi album. You can spin “Tiger Unicorn and “Grey as a Ghost” below for a taste.

Diamonds & Donuts is available worldwide now. We also have copies available at the 3hive Record Lounge. Be sure to catch Eric and Say Hi on his living room tour that kicks off in March. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen Say Hi live and in person. I will never forget how cool Eric was with my daughter and I back in 2014 when I took her to see Say Hi for her first concert.

Todd’s Favorites of 2019

2019 was another great year for music, below are my top ten favorite albums 2019:

  1. Business of Dreams – Ripe For Anarchy [Slumberland]
  2. Select Level – S/T [Wax Thématique]
  3. Pinch Points – Moving Parts [Roolette/Six Tonnes De Chair]
  4. Oh Sees – Face Stabber [Castle Face]
  5. Modern Nature – How To Live [Bella Union]
  6. Cherry Glazerr – Stuffed & Ready [Secretly Canadian]
  7. Trampoline Team – S/T [Hozac]
  8. Cold Showers – Motionless [Dais]
  9. Czarface – The Odd Czar Against Us! [Silver Age]
  10. Altin Gün – Gece [ATO]

Also for your aural pleasure (and my own), I have attached a handy-dandy playlist of some my favorite songs from 2019…