Bandcamp Friday Special 06/08/26 #FeatureFriday

Bandcamp Friday, Feature Friday
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#FeatureFriday Bandcamp Friday Special 06/08/26

Including music from: Martin A Parker(@martinaparker.bsky.social), Hawaiiworms(@hawaiiworms.bsky.social), Prairiewolf(@tylerwilcox.bsky.social) and Celseigh(@miotaltrom666.bsky.social)

Left of everything – Martin A Parker

Sometimes mutuals on social media hold the biggest surprises. Especially when you only know them superficially from said social media. Pretty recently I started getting followed by a certain Martin A. Parker whose posts seemed interesting enough to warrant a follow-back. I got a like here and there and saw them post regularly. Then came the day a certain post from Martin passed by, it was a Bandcamp link. The album’s artist, Martin A Parker… all this time I’ve never considered Martin could be a musician as well and here it was… a four track EP with an imminent release date. I pre-ordered it immediately upon being impressed by its preview track and now that it’s out I really want to share my thoughts on it…

‘Left of Everything’ is an Ambient EP and in typical Ambient fashion each individual note is drawn out to form an epic soundscape. So far so Ambient huh? But what I love so much here is that if you were to zoom out so to speak and appreciate the tracks on a macro scale there is an actual beautiful song present here, it’s not just atmospheric vibes.

What you get here are four gorgeously somber and melancholic tracks that feel unabashedly orchestral in its DNA which not only manifests because of the instrumentation being reminiscent of strings, flute, piano and organ among others but also because of  the dynamic arrangement which builds up so nicely and in an organic way. All this makes for a melancholic and somber vibe that elicits the atmosphere of the video game ‘Dear Esther’ somewhat as if this could’ve been an alternate soundtrack to that experience.

Eveyweveydevey

Prairiewolf – Zone Poems

I’ve been grooving with this stellar collection of hypnotic new-school kosmische for a little over a week, and every listen reveals something new. A meticulously composited mix of live takes, overdubs and edits that feels wholly organic and alive throughout, Zone Poems is a true spiritual heir to the work of Can, in particular, who worked in a very similar way. Driven at a speed barely above “drifting along” by laconic and languid drum machine beats, the band builds gorgeous and  entrancing musical structures out of recurring serpentine guitar and synth figures, anchored by a liquid and muscular bass that glues it all together. The album’s six tracks are based in the classic kosmische and krautrock forms, but they incorporate a wide range of musical spices, from jazz to jam-band Americana, to shape a distinctive and delightful identity of their own. This one slips by way too fast, but the good news is if you plunk down the cash to own it, it comes with a boatload of early versions, demos, and alternate takes that allows the real fans to dig deep into the marrow of this music, or even just spend a little more time with it. A real gem, not to be missed by fans of the krautrock/kosmische genres in particular.

Ether Diver

Input : Meaning : Joy – HawaiiWorms

A follow up to the brilliant Kiosk 67, Input:Meaning:Joy is another four track ep that impresses much like it’s predecessor, it retains the same electronic vibration but feels darker, it still retains that wonderful looseness of Kiost 67 but feels like a step up. Each track flows from one to the next seamlessly while progressing. It has an progressive, post punk aesthetic, easy comparisons with Peter Hook’s melodic basslines and the detached cool of Phiil Oakey’s vocals. Wheteher intended of not these tracks seem to be inspired by late 70s, early 80s soundtracks, Pink Floyd and Krautrock.

I have used this before but Hawaiiworms’ music seems to straddle the music scenes of Manchester and Berlin, being influenced by the best parts of both cities.

It’s Bandcamp Friday treat yourself, if you haven’t already got it, grab Kiosk 67 as well.

Untidy Music

Ghosts’ Stories – Celseigh

Something that immediately hooks me when I hear it in music is contrast. You can put honest and heartfelt love songs accompanied by distorted and foreboding instrumentation, or gorgeous symphonic arrangements with harsh vocals in my ears and I’ll be happy for the rest of the day. So imagine my delight when I heard “Ghosts’ Stories” for the first time.
Each track on this album revolves about violence, viscous murder, abandonment and abusive, even sadistic behavior. And yet it is presented with the sweetest, clearest voice and the prettiest, calmest music imaginable. The effect this has is absolutely massive, as the listener is torn between enjoying the acoustics as they are, and feeling a chill down their spine when they absorb the horrible things the songs are communicating. That the chosen style is country only adds to the experience; providing a grounded and familiar backdrop to all this nastiness.

In true singer-songwriter tradition, solo artist Kelsey Birk accompanies herself on the guitar; playing relatively simple, but effective and rock-solid country tunes. But the real star have to be her stunning vocals; bright as a bell, strong and youthful sounding, Kelsey breathes an authenticity and earnestness into these tracks, that makes makes even the bloodiest parts of the lyrics sound like something you’d listen to on a nice summer’s evening.
The recording itself deserves a mention as well. If I had to guess, the songs were performed and recorded in one take, which gives them a quality that is both slightly raw and very intimate at the same time.

Overall, this is an incredibly engaging album for me. The sound is just wonderful, it feels heartfelt and honest (although I hope that the lyrics are based on movies) and the storytelling is so far up my alley, it passed through several blocks already. Seeing that this came out six years ago, I sincerely hope that there will be more of this sometime. And that maybe a few other people will enjoy this as much as I do.

Florgoth

 

Updated: August 7, 2026 — 4:41 am

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