Music tip for your Saturday, if you’re looking for something that will slide into the background and give you a bit of a groove, check out Macroblank on Bandcamp.
Macroblank is one of those artists I stumbled on via Bandcamp… somehow. There’s not much biography about Macroblank (or マクロブランク if you prefer) via the site, a few links and the about text reads “I take no credit. Everything is plundered.”
Whether that means Macroblank is just heavily sampling other music, or something else, not quite sure. I’ve listened to my fair share of the Macroblank catalog, which is expansive and cheap. You’ll find more than 30 albums, EPs, and whatnot on Bandcamp priced at $1 (or more) for the entire catalog.
Or you can just head over to Mega.nz where Macroblank has just uploaded all of their work.
The tunes are loopy, bass-heavy, relaxed and repetitive but with enough variety and hook to them to avoid being entirely disposable. I wouldn’t put any of the albums in a desert island disks list, but they are more than background music.
That may not sound like a ringing endorsement, but Macroblank stands out a bit among the flood of lofi releases you can find on YouTube, Bandcamp, Soundcloud, etc. that merely provide a little sonic scenery. There’s a there, there, is what I’m saying.
As much as the music, I enjoy the aesthetic of the cover art for most of the Macroblank releases. There’s a strong DIY vibe with quasi-classical imagery mixed with a punk or industrial theme. My room would be covered with Macroblank posters or whatnot if it’d been around in my high school years. Sadly, I missed that by a few decades, but I’m consoled by the fact that I can stream all this goodness any time I want.
If you feel overwhelmed by choices, start with Rare Psalms Collection Vol. 3 if for no other reason than that’s what I’m listening to while writing this. As always, let me know what you think and share anything — new or old — that I ought to check out.
[bandcamp width=400 height=472 album=3746762161 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 artwork=small]