Two Tigers: Dunes

Following a liberal amount of twitter prowling, The Sonic Music Review is pleased to feature 'Dune' by Two Tigers having stumbled across their profile and link to their Soundcloud page here. Two Tigers are a musical act from Chile producing quite a commercial, polished selection of tracks, clearly influenced from 80's acts such as Depeche Mode but stylistically are far more akin to a combination of MGMT and Daft Punk.

Two Tigers - Dunes by twotigersmusic

The track featured here, 'Dunes,' illustrates the act's notable proficiency with synthetic instrumentation within a pseudo-'pop' setting. The piece begins with a simple, clean and crisp guitar riff with subtle use of stutter editing to add additional interest, used in moderation so as not to be intrusive. Layered vocals quickly enter but one of the best moments in this track is the first exposition of synthetic instrumentation which comes soon after.

The orchestration seen throughout, with particular regard to the synthetic timbres, is very accomplished for an independent act, each musical element has its place within the track and within the mix and has been very well crafted. There is a great temptation by many artists to create a single, homogenous wash of sound but the production and great care in orchestrating this track has paid great dividends in making such a varied arrangement which draws the listener in.

As the arrangement continues, the listener is treated to an instrumental section in place of a second verse which further exemplifies Two Tigers' talent in their craft, the keyboardist clearly in their element at this point. This continues before a segue into a repeat of the first verse and chorus, whereupon the piece reaches its conclusion at just over three minutes. The adaptation of the typical three-minute pop song is again a credit to Two Tigers, proving to be highly effective, although a more convincing ending could be achieved. Nonetheless, this is one of the best songs that The Sonic Music Review has had the pleasure of discovering and has been a pleasure to feature for our readers.

For more information on Two Tigers, you can visit their official website here. As ever, if any of our readers represent an independent artist and would like to submit music, please get in touch or find us on Twitter @SubsonicWinter.

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Nim: The Swimmer

The most exciting thing being a music blogger is to wake up in the morning to links to new and exciting music. Such is the case regarding the electronic artist Nim who contacted The Sonic Music Review with a portfolio of music submissions available for streaming and downloading via their Soundcloud page here. Nim describe their music as "mostly electronic [...] It can go from french house to big beat, as long it has a good vibe." What is clear from their music is the talent garnered through their 4 years of production experience.

Nim - The Swimmer © by N!M

The track featured here is 'The Swimmer,' so selected being the most appropriate for The Sonic Music Review, although readers are encouraged to listen to the additional tracks by the artist available here.

'The Swimmer' begins with a somewhat dark and brooding introduction, with a curious interplay between two synthetic bass riffs, the contrasting characteristics (application of reverb, spectral content and timbral envelope) of which creating a very clever opening to the piece. Instrumentation is soon embellished with the addition of French House-stle drums before one of the sparsely-used vocal excerpts declares "Gotta get on down,"at which point the various instrumental elements reconcile into well defined grooves.

As the track progresses, arrangement devices such as dropping the percussive timbres one single element foreshadowing the introduction of new sectional material helps keep the music 'fresh,' although clearer melodic material could add to this effect. Through the various sections of the piece, small new details are also added to maintain the listener's interest. Throughout the track, the various musical elements are woven well between one another creating a piece that flows well, with the bass riffs seen in the introduction which continue throughout adding to the continuity of the track.

Nim In Action

As the piece draws to a close, various vocal cuts are interspersed with other sound effects, the musical textures subsequently thinning, ending on a short loop of material derived from the music which precedes it. For any alternative electro house listeners, this piece is certainly worth a listen, it's been a great pleasure to have been introduced to this very interesting artist and their own inimitable style.

If you are an independent artist and would like to submit your music for submission to The Sonic Music Review, please get in touch.

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The Orb: The Orb's Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld

The Orb, a musical act formed of Alex Paterson and various accomplices through the years, have become well known to many fans of Ambient House as one of the most influential and prolific acts within the genre. 'The Orb's Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld' is the act's widely acclaimed 1991 debut album which paved the way for the group's career which remains active today.

The album begins with the somewhat surreal 'Little Fluffy Clouds' which sets the tone for several of the tracks which follow. Interestingly, this track is a cover of a Terry Riley composition of many years previous. The second track on the album however shows more immediate stylistic links to ambient music with a noticeable breakbeat influence. The album continues, meandering through a variety of electronic genres which shows particular technical ability given the age of the album.

The concluding track, 'A Huge Ever Growing Pulsating Brain That Rules From The Centre Of The Ultraworld,' is one of the most significant Ambient House tracks of the 90's. This track is perhaps the most interesting track of the album, if the album is to be considered a collection of compositions rather than a singular whole. At 18 minutes long, this is the longest track of the album and sums up the psychedelic nature of the Orb's work.

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Daft Punk: Tron Legacy Soundtrack

While it may be considered unusual for a blog professing an interest in electronica works from yesteryear to review a 2010 soundtrack by one of the biggest names in the House Music genre, this album deserves a special mention for its notable compositional merit.

Dart punk themselves are a french duo who first came into the public eye with their 1997 release 'Homework' which compiled previous minor single and EP releases from 1993 onwards. Since then, they have released 3 studio albums and 2 live albums in total, as well as a number of singles, compilations and their soundtrack to the 2010 film 'Tron: Legacy.'During their career, the duo have enjoyed 5 Grammy nominations and 2 Grammy awards in 2009: Best dance recording and Best electronic/dance album.


The album contains 22 tracks, with various additional tracks exclusively available from different online outlets. Among them is the most recognisable track, 'Derezzed' which was also released as a promotional single. The music throughout fuses orchestral writing for an 85-piece orchestra with typical daft punk electronic instrumentation added. As a soundtrack album, the writing style sets it apart from many other examples, however Daft punk do at points employ typical film music writing techniques, with the main theme recurring throughout.

The album manages to combine many contrasting moods without losing continuity. The brooding 'Solar Sailer' also is a highlight of the album alongside 'End of the Line' and 'Derezzed.' This is a notable example of film music for lovers of electronica.

A remix album, 'Tron: Legacy - Reconfigured' has also subsequently been released.

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