Conscious Listening

The music that Chicago-based producer/composer Angel Marcloid makes under the new moniker Nonlocal Forecast distills her experimentation in the prog, jazz fusion, and new age disciplines into pristine instrumental compositions teeming with intricate harmonic structures and complex webs of programmed percussion. Orbiting as another satellite around her genre-obliterating flagship projects like Fire-Toolz and MindSpring Memories, Nonlocal Forecast centers Marcloids practice on a palette of technical leads and atmospheric MIDI synth arrangements.

Originally released in 2001 on the Mole imprint, Lemongrass' fourth album Windows was re-released two years later on Water Music, a perfect fit for Roland Voss' brand of chilled, trip-hop inflected downtempo electronica. As with his previous albums, Windows is so smooth and subdued that it feels like a conscious attempt at making sophisticated-sounding background music. Some of the album's better tracks, such as the hypnotic "Tokyo 2," "Sunrise on Fujijama," and the drum-n-bass inspired "Lirabelle," allow more distinctive melodies and rhythms to rise to the surface of Voss' mostly placid music, but overall Windows functions as one lengthy, unwavering expanse of sound…

Jazz singer/songwriter Michael Franks is an artist most jazz fans feel strongly about one way or another. His unique, romantic poet-cum-laid-back hipster approach to jazz signing is breezy, light, and languid. It's also uniquely his own, though deeply influenced by Brazilian jazz, bossa, and samba. Time Together, his first recording of new material in five years – and his debut for Shanachie – is unlikely to change anyone's opinion of him, but that doesn't mean this is a rote recording. Time Together is an airy, groove-ridden summer travelog that ranges from St. Tropez and New York to Paris, France, and Egypt; it journeys through the nostalgic past and finds space in the present moment, with cleverly notated, languorous, ironic observations about life. Franks split the production and arranging duties between Charles Blenzig, Gil Goldstein, Chuck Loeb, Scott Petito, and Mark Egan. The rest of the international cast on this polished 11-song set includes old friends and new faces David Spinozza, Mike Mainieri, David Mann, Eric Marienthal, Till Brönner, Alex Spiagin, Jerry Marotta, Billy Kilson, Romero Lubambo, and backing vocalist Veronica Nunn.