Plutonic Rainbows

I recently found this gem from way back in my collection. I remember playing it quite a bit in 1991. It hasn’t aged at all; if anything, it seems even more powerful than it did back then.

Reviewer Jason Ankey talks about it:

Virtually ignored upon its initial release, Laughing Stock continues to grow in stature and influence by leaps and bounds. Picking up where Spirit of Eden left off, the album operates outside the accepted sphere of rock to create music that is both delicate and intense. Recorded with a large classical ensemble, it defies easy categorization, conforming to very few structural precedents. While the gently hypnotic ‘Myrrhman’ flirts with ambient textures, the percussive ‘Ascension Day’ drifts toward jazz before the two sensibilities converge to create something entirely new and different on ‘New Grass.’ The epic ‘After the Flood,’ on the other hand, is an atmospheric whirlpool laced with jackhammer guitar feedback and Mark Hollis’ remarkably plaintive vocals. It flows into ‘Taphead,’ perhaps the most evocative, spacious, and understated piece on the record. A work of staggering complexity and immense beauty, Laughing Stock remains an under-recognized masterpiece, and its echoes can be heard throughout much of the finest experimental music issued in its wake.

Previously only available on RunwayML, San Francisco based fal.ai have now partnered with the company to enable Runway Gen3 Alpha on their own platform, with requests being made via their web form or using an API. You can tailor the output for either 5 or ten seconds of video.

Euro troubadour Milan Warmoeskerken charms our darned socks off with an instant classic entry to the pantheon of timeless Stroom beauties - daydreamy, hydroponic pastoralism to soundtrack urbane yearnings RIYL CS + Kreme, Dirty Beaches, Mittland Och Leo, Eyeless In Gaza, Cocteau Twins, Les Disques Du Crépuscule, Enno Velthuys, Felt, or the most crushed Joanne Robertson & Dean Blunt jams.

‘Leave Another Day’ is arguably the magnum opus of Milan W., whose breadcrumb trail of work as Crumar Young, and as part of Mittland Och Leo, Speedqueen, Beach, and others, has lured listeners deep into the s/Lowlands backwoods imagination over the past 16 years. The album’s dozen songs illuminate the thoughts of an old head on young shoulders; gilding and binding aspects of dusky country, folk-rock, blues, chamber-like jazz noir, spangled kosmiche and indie-pop, with flushes of synthetic warmth and a strikingly poised voice for the ages, perfectly suspended in-the-mix, floating moody above it all.

The Antwerp artist’s music could hardly be a more apt for release on Belgium’s Stroom, carrying with it a certain modest, lowkey vitality and slowness of thought we’ve come to associate with that strange, gently undulating sliver of Europe where things occur at their own time-out-of-joint (or as one put it to us, akin to an “absurd England”). It’s maybe a tenuous link, but the expressive instrumental synthy sentiment of ‘Blue Heron’ shares a title and evocative European soundscape feeling with Enno Velthuys’ early ‘80s peach, and can be heard as symptomatic of a smoky magique and almost medieval meets modernist appeal that riddles the whole album.

We could almost be hearing a more full voiced CS + Kreme (from that other eerie England, Oz) cooing from the floating chamber music of ‘I Wait’, whilst ‘All The Way’ evokes the Midlands lilt and jangle of Felt or less histrionic Eyeless in Gaza, and ‘Face To Face’ weaves in the soft female counterpoint of Martha Maieu, who lends nuanced, harmonised filament to swaying Lynchian centrepiece ‘Ballad’ and the simply gorgeous ‘Memories’. Milan’s contemporary colours are worn more explicitly in the skull-rub synth detunings and city pop detour coda of ‘Wanda’, which makes the stylistic balance of crepuscular airs from anachronstic eras feel all that more intoxicating, when contrasted with the contemporary x classical touches of chef’s kiss synth and strum that come together in his parting piece.

You can get the album now by heading over to Boomkat.

I recently picked this up and have to say it is one of the most incredible gourmands I have ever tried. The opening of Melt My Heart is as irresistible as it is complex, drawing you in with the rich, velvety warmth of dark chocolate. This is no ordinary chocolate note—here, it is bittersweet and luxurious, like the finest artisanal confection. Its smooth richness is immediately captivating, evoking the feeling of indulgence and the allure of forbidden pleasures. The chocolate feels dark and enigmatic, setting the stage for the sensuality that follows.

Interwoven with the chocolate is the elegant and creamy essence of orris butter, which lends a powdery, almost buttery floral quality to the fragrance. The orris root’s softness tempers the intensity of the chocolate, creating a delicate balance between richness and refinement. The orris introduces a sensual, tactile element, reminiscent of the feel of silk against the skin—cool, smooth, and intimately close. This interplay between the edible and the ethereal makes Melt My Heart a fragrance that feels simultaneously grounded and otherworldly.

This sumptuous oriental fragrance contains pure orris butter, a sought-after delicacy in perfumery for which there is no substitute. Like the warmth of true love, orris butter is irreplaceable. Our sensual blend is deepened by the sultriness of beloved oud and sandalwood, soothing ylang ylang combines with a hint of white magnolia and French sage to boost spirits. With their irresistible influence, purified ginger, stimulating mandarin, and luscious dark chocolate complete this enthralling creation.

As the fragrance evolves, a heart of oud and sandalwood emerges, grounding the composition with a smoky, woody depth. The oud here is subtle and refined, not overpowering, but present enough to give the fragrance a sense of exotic allure. The sandalwood is creamy and smooth, adding to the richness of the scent, while the ginger adds a slight spiciness, a warmth that contrasts beautifully with the cool powderiness of the orris.

The drydown of Melt My Heart is where the true magic happens. As the chocolate fades into the background, the base of amber and myrrh reveals itself, creating a warm, resinous cocoon that lingers on the skin for hours. The amber is golden and sweet, while the myrrh adds a smoky, balsamic touch, giving the fragrance a mystical quality.