You won’t have to strain yourself to hear the experimentalist aspects of Oslo Tapes‘ new single, as band founder and figurehead Marco Campitelli, in continued collaboration with producer Amaury Cambuzat, hones an atmosphere that’s both far-reaching and intimate, with breathy vocals and textures of nuanced synthesizer being put to purposeful use across the song’s five-minute span, a heavier burst held in reserve for the final stretch. The song is called “Inhuman Witch,” which isn’t the least sexist thing to name the lead track off your new album, but the lyrics are vaguely somewhere else with it, so fair enough.

The last Oslo Tapes album was late-2023’s Staring at the Sun Before Goin’ Blind (review here), which also had consortium backing, and the upcoming Låst Comet will see release Nov. 14 through Golden Robot, Worst Bassist and Grazil Records, the latter being the only one of the three held over from two years ago. Spreading the love, and such.

I haven’t heard the full album yet, but “Inhuman Witch” feels like it’s drawing you into the record that follows it, and of course that’s never a bad place to start. The PR wire has details and such:

OSLO TAPES unveil new single “Inhuman Witch”, the first glimpse of upcoming album “LÅST COMET”

(Golden Robot Records DGT, Worst Bassist Records LP, Grazil Records CD/TAPE)

After a year of relentless creativity in the studio and on European stages, Oslo Tapes return with “Inhuman Witch” — the spellbinding first single from their highly anticipated new album “LÅST COMET”. Set for release in the coming months, the track opens a bold new sonic chapter for the band, reaffirming their visionary approach and ever-evolving style.

A hypnotic voyage through obsessive grooves, warped distortions, and esoteric synth textures, “Inhuman Witch” conjures a ritualistic and evocative atmosphere. Marco Campitelli’s vocals intertwine seamlessly with those of new additional voice of Emilie Lium Vordal, a Norwegian singer and multi-instrumentalist, adding a new color to the project. As the lead single, the track also marks the beginning of an exciting new creative era for Oslo Tapes. “LÅST COMET” is the result of a year-long journey of experimentation and international collaboration.

Its ten tracks were written and arranged by Marco Campitelli and Stefano Micolucci, performed by an expanded Oslo Tapes lineup, and produced and mixed by Amaury Cambuzat (faUSt, Ulan Bator).
Recording sessions took place between Italy and Norway with Campitelli, Lucio Piccirilli, and Emil Nikolaisen (Serena Maneesh, Brian Jonestown Massacre) — who also co-wrote some material — and feature a special guest appearance by Håkon Gebhardt, legendary drummer of Motorpsycho.

Mastering was entrusted to James Aparicio, renowned for his work with Spiritualized, Depeche Mode, and Mogwai, whose unmistakable touch has further shaped the album’s distinctive sonic identity.

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY | https://oslotapes.bandcamp.com/album/l-st-comet

“LÅST COMET” is an intense and multilayered work, pushing Oslo Tapes into new territory, between cosmic visions and introspection, reaffirming their ever-evolving psychedelic essence.

Tracklisting
1. Inhuman Witch 05:05
2. Analemma 04:30
3. Pyramid Shape 05:58
4. In Deep 03:55
5. Tribe Telepathy 05:04
6. Transpace 05:09
7. Bizarrå 04:22
8. Quasistar 04:00
9. Astral Path 03:39
10. Lazarus Awaking 04:53

CREDITS
Produced, mixed by Amaury Cambuzat
Mastered: James Aparicio
Recorded by Marco Campitelli, Lucio Piccirilli & Emil Nikolaisen between Italy and Norway.
Written by Marco Campitelli
Arranged by Marco Campitelli & Stefano Micolucci
Played by Oslo Tapes
Photos | Alessandro Caporale Artwork | Druckwelle Design

Line-up on “Inhuman Witch”:
• Marco Campitelli: vocals, Xiosynth49, guitar
• Emilie Lium Vordal: vocal
• Mauro Spada: bass
• Stefano Micolucci: bass
• Lorenzo Di Lorenzo: drums

https://oslotapes.it
https://oslotapes.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/oslo_tapes
https://www.facebook.com/oslotapes
https://www.youtube.com/@oslotapes

https://goldenrobotrecords.com/
https://goldrobot.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/goldenrobotrecords/
https://www.facebook.com/goldenrobotrecords/

https://www.worstbassist.com/
https://worstbassistrecords.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/worst.bassist.records
https://www.facebook.com/worstbassistrecords

https://www.grazil.at/
http://linktr.ee/grazilRecords
https://grazilrecords.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/grazilrecords/
https://www.facebook.com/grazilRecords/

Oslo Tapes, Låst Comet (2025)

Oslo Tapes, “Inhuman Witch” official video

Italian progressive atmospheric rock unit Oslo Tapes will release their new album, Staring at the Sun Before Goin’ Blind, on Dec. 1. The record — which is the fourth since the mostly-solo-project of vocalist, multi-instrumentalist Marco Campitelli (who also handled some of the recording here) released its self-titled debut a decade ago — is being issued through a consortium of labels that includes Echodelick Records, Sound Effect Records and Grazil Records, covering North America, Europe and Australia, respectively.

The distributary triumvirate step in for Pelagic Records, which issued Oslo Tapes‘ ØR (review here) in mid-2021. Staring at the Sun Before Goin’ Blind — the title perhaps conveying some measure of pastoralism by knocking the ‘g’ off “going” — is comprised of eight tracks, like its predecessor, and sees Campitelli working in collaboration with producer Amaury Cambuzat, who also mixed, mastered and contributed to the writing and presumably arrangements of the material, which carries subtle currents of pop in its digestible blend of styles from prog and post-heavy rock in drifty opener “Gravity” and the later “Middle Ground,” which swells to a wash that would feel like a culmination were it not for the seven-minute closing title-track two songs later, to the Godflesh-‘n’-chill of side A’s “Ethereal Song,” the turn-of-the-century Reznorian drum and bass perfect-druggery of “Reject Yr Regret” or the periodic dance parties that seem to break out, in either of those two or elsewhere.

It’s a complex listen, provided you want it to be. For those who might dig into details, there’s full-dimensionality to what Campitelli and Amaury have brought here, unto the use of traditional verse and chorus structures to give that overarching complexity a still-accessible bent. But from the very first windchimes in “Gravity,” there’s intricacy corresponding to the abiding mood that gives the entire album its context.

And while one raises an eyebrow at the notion of congratulating a band that’s mostly one person on their record being cohesive — it better be; there’s no one else around to screw it up — and through the beat intensity of “Middle Ground” or the lower chug of maybe-keyboard under the higher frequency melodies of the suitably flowing penultimate cut “Somnambulist’s Daydream” or the actual-dream tonality of “Like a Metamorphosis” that led off side B, Oslo Tapes‘ sense of purpose never wanes. And for being so clearly exploratory in nature, Staring at the Sun Before Goin’ Blind never loses either its fluidity or the solid ground on which it’s offered. The work of someone who knows the sound they want and seems to be in steady pursuit of new ideas and aspects to bring to it.

Shades of New Wave, dance, classic krautrock, psych, prog — a list that could go on depending on the listener — and yet there’s little to disconnect Staring at the Sun Before Goin’ Blind from the central experience of its melody or the thoughtfulness of its composition and arrangements. In addition to some hard-lugging of wood and a solid argument for why you should try not to get tangled in your socks when hanging out the laundry (you’ll see it, don’t worry), the video’s meditative nature is fitting with the song’s likewise patient but not staid movement. I don’t know if I’d call it peaceful, exactly, but neither is it throwing elements at your ears just to see what sticks. Everything has a place.

Please enjoy:

Oslo Tapes, “Deja Neu” video premiere

Marco Campitelli on “Deja Neu”:

“Deja Neu” a track that falls between cinematic and ritual music, built upon ethno-kraut motifs embedded in hypnotic rhythmic figures, in a crescendo of psychedelic ornaments and intensity.

You can imagine to catch the sound between the mitte-europe and the oriental tunes….

On Friday, December 1st, Oslo Tapes returns with the highly anticipated fourth album, ‘Staring at the Sun Before Goin’ Blind’ marking another step in Marco Campitelli’s personal initiatory journey through the realms of post/art/kraut/noise and introspection. The album will be released on vinyl by Echodelick Records (USA) and Sound Effect Records (Greece), while Grazil Records (Austria) will oversee the CD, cassette, and digital versions.

‘Staring at the Sun Before Goin’ Blind’ is the follow-up to the successful third album, ‘ØR’, released in 2021 by the prestigious Pelagic Records, and it is imbued with emotional radiations that fuel disorientation and restlessness. Voices in contrast with metronomic rhythmic patterns, geometries distorted by fluid basslines, and melodic synths that compensate for the voids left by liquid and acidic guitars all contribute to creating a distinctly personal auditory mirage.

The album is produced by Amaury Cambuzat, a historic member of faUSt, and Ulan Bator, who co-authored the songs and arrangements with Campitelli. Using an unspecified number of magnetic tapes and analog machines, he forged the album’s sound through his thirty-year experience in the kraut/avant/rock domain.

Oslo Tapes says: ‹‹ ‘Staring at the Sun Before Goin’ Blind’ is hypothetically a brief period traversed in eight tracks, from the ethereal opening of ‘Gravity’ to the hypnotic ‘Ethereal Song’, the avant-syncretism of ‘Deja Neu’, and the psychedelic and modern deep house vibes of ‘Reject Yr Regret’. It follows the harmonic framework of ‘Like a Metamorphosis’ in a fusion of psychedelic jazz, the post-minimalist fuzz-kraut of ‘Middle Ground’, the distorted and celestial ‘Somnambulist’s Daydream’, and the tribal-kaleidoscopic title track finale. ››

Recommended for fans of God Is An Astronaut, Neu!, Can, Porno For Pyros, Nine Inch Nails, and Angel Of Light. While the Oslo Tapes capsule is in orbit, on board are Mauro Spada on bass and Davide Di Virgilio on drums, Stefano Micolucci on bass and upright bass, Federico Sergente on percussion, Nicola Amici, also known as Kaouenn, on guitars, synths, and percussion. There are also exceptional guests such as Berlin’s Sicker Man from Trialogos on cello and Dahm Majuri Cipolla, the Japanese post-rock band MONO drummer. After being part of the same label as Marco Campitelli, they cultivated a collaboration driven by their shared passion for kraut rock.

TRACKLIST
A1.Gravity
A2.Ethereal Song
A3.Deja Neu
A4. Reject yr Regret
B1.Like a Metamorphosis
B2.Middle Ground
B3.Somnambulist’s Daydream
B4.Staring at the Sun Before Goin’ Blind

CREDITS
Produced, mixed & mastered by Amaury Cambuzat Recorded by Marco Campitelli (Marigold’s Flower Studio) & Amaury Cambuzat (Let Go Ego Sound Studio)
Written by Marco Campitelli & Amaury Cambuzat
Played by Oslo Tapes
PhotosSilvia Verna
ArtworkDruckwelle Design

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There’s an angular severity early in Chorosia‘s new single, “Hands, Switchblades, and Vile Vortices,” which heralds crunch to come on their new EP, Stray Dogs. Set to release on Sept. 15 through Grazil Records and Kvlt und Kaos Productions, the follow-up to the Vienna-based four-piece’s 2021 A Call to Love long-player is listed at 35 minutes — longer than some albums, if not Chorosia‘s — and the self-harm-themed track is the first audio from it, taking its basis in a heavy slogging sludge rock informed by death metal and able to establish that kind of declarative presence even before shifting into its speedier midsection. They use the chorus well amid various guitar solos, and if you don’t find the subject matter disturbing, the inability to place Chorosia easily within a given metallic microniche might do the trick. Either way, it’s nasty stuff.

The video came down the PR wire today with the following:

CHOROSIA – Stray Dogs EP – Sept. 15

Pre-orders open now: https://chorosia.bandcamp.com/album/stray-dogs

Chorosia is a prog/post-sludge metal band hailing from Vienna, Austria. The band was founded in 2017 by Anto Pranjić (guitars/vocals), Florian Zeus (guitars), Christian Umkehrer (bass), and Gregory Reinig (drums). Already the following year, in May 2018, Chorosia independently released their first album. The self-titled debut was welcomed with positive reviews by various underground music critics, some even naming it an honorable mention for the metal album of the year.

After doing a number of local dates to promote the album which included playing before or after various well-known names such as Crowbar, Dopelord, Yob, Neurosis, Black Tusk, and the Skull and a self-booked 8-day tour through southern Europe in 2019, Chorosia released their sophomore studio effort entitled “A Call To Love” via Grazil Records. “A Call To Love” marked the band’s departure from the traditional sludge sound into a more experimental ground. Combining elements of sludge, doom, grind, and even folk music, online critics often struggled to put a genre tag to the album. Instead, they praised it for its creativity, weirdness, and even strange beauty.

The band’s third studio endeavor, EP entitled “Stray Dogs”, deepens the experimental efforts. It’s a 35-minute prog/post-sludge odyssey that pushes the envelope of the genre. The band’s signature blend of compelling instrumentation and growling vocals consumes the listener by the raw power of its transformative intensity. Set to release on September 15th via Grazil Records and Kvlt und Kaos Productions, Chorosia’s “Stray Dogs” is set to be their most successful release yet. Save the date and brace for impact!

https://www.facebook.com/chorosia
https://www.instagram.com/chorosia.doom
https://chorosia.bandcamp.com/

Chorosia, “Hands, Switchblades, and Vile Vortices” official video

Here come Chorosia out of Wien with a reminder of how fine the line can be between sludge, doom and post-metal when you have a band willing to screw with the formula. “Seeds of Hate” is the four-piece’s first single from the upcoming sophomore full-length, A Call to Love — and no, that contradiction isn’t being ignored — which is out Oct. 22 on Grazil Records as the follow-up to a 2018 self-titled debut, and by the time you’re ready to think you’ve got a handle on the dirt-coated roll they undertake with willful repetitiveness and the post-Scott Kelly raw-throat vocals that accompany, the Austrian outfit are already gearing up to smack you in the face with a NWOBHM-style guitar solo.

A Call to Love continues to play out in this somewhat unexpected stylistic blend, keeping one foot in ambience with cuts like “Dune Messiah” and “Hope Country” and the other foot on your throat with the opening title-track — don’t let me spoil it; I think it’s meant to be the biggest surprise of all — as well as extended pieces like “Innocence” and the closer “Star Veins.” There’s some metal in there for sure. Not always the friendly kind.

Bottom line? “Seeds of Hate” is more ‘heads up’ than ‘full summary’ when it comes to the rest of the album, but as it’s my first experience listening to Chorosia, it immediately made me want to investigate further. Perhaps you’ll find the same.

Background info and audio follows:

Chorosia – A Call to Love – Oct. 22

Chorosia is a progressive sludge metal band from Vienna, Austria founded in 2017. The band is composed of Anto Pranjić (guitars/vocals), Florian Zeus (guitars), Christian Umkehrer (bass), and Gregory Reinig (drums). So far, Chorosia has released one album in 2018.

After doing a number of local dates to promote the album (which included playing with various well-known names such as Crowbar, Dopelord, Yob, Neurosis, Black Tusk, and the Skull), the band had decided to take their music on a tour in 2019. The self-organized tour consisted of five packed shows in eight days in central and southern Europe.

In 2020/2021, due to the global pandemic the band was stopped from going on another tour which had been planned for southern Germany. However, using the circumstances and the time on their side, Chorosia has written and recorded their second album which consists of 9 songs clocking in over 60 minutes of new music. “Seeds Of Hate” is the first single off the upcoming album called ‘A Call to Love’ coming out on October 22nd. Grazil Records will release the album on CDs and Tapes and digitally.

Chorosia:
Anto Pranjić – guitars/vocals
Florian Zeus – guitars
Christian Umkehrer – bass
Gregory Reinig – drums

https://www.facebook.com/chorosia/
https://www.instagram.com/chorosia.doom/
https://chorosia.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/grazilRecords//
http://www.instagram.com/grazilrecords
https://www.grazil.at/

Chorosia, “Seeds of Hate”