URL: DJ Martian's Page Bookmarks: delicious delicious/djmartian/music Faves rateyourmusic.com: djmartian
Music: AMG * BBC Music * Brainwashed * delicious music * Discogs * ILM * Metacritic * NewsNow: Music News * RYM * RYM lists * RYM 2009 new
Search: Bing - Bloglines | Search - BlogPulse - FriendFeed Search - Google Blog Search - Google News UK - IceRocket - Kosmix - OneRiot - Samepoint - Scoopler - Social Mention - surchur - Technorati - Twingly Blog Search - Twingly Microblog Search - Twitter Search - Yahoo UK News - Yauba - Zuula Search Tools: Search

DJ Martian's Page

Intro: A diverse music positive weblog for the discerning listener with an interest in creative artistic music across the contemporary sound spectrum: Goto New Content Section for DJ Martian's Page

Electronic & Dance Music: drum n bass/ jungle, electro, breakbeat/ nu skool breaks, industrial/ electro-industrial/ ebm, synth pop/ electroclash, techno/tech house/deep house/progressive house, psychedelic trance, IDM/ experimental electronics/ ambient/ glitch sounds/ folktronica/ downbeat, jazztronica/ electro-jazz, leftfield/ instrumental/ electronified hip-hop/trip-hop.
Rock Music: art-rock/ avant-prog/ avant rock, electro-rock/ epic alt-rock, experimental rock, jazz-rock, kraut rock/ math rock/ post-hardcore/ post-rock/ space-rock, darkwave/ gothic/ ethereal, dark metal, hardcore/ metalcore/ noisecore, post punk and shoegazer/dream pop sounds.
Other Orbits: Kozmigroov, avant / free jazz, dub, modern composition, improvised music and many other hybrids and musical mutations.

Age: I entered this world in 1970. A British Blogger.

DJ Martian's Blog Archives
This music blog was started in September 2000 you can read previous months entries in the monthly archives.
Year 2009: January February March April May June
Year 2008: January February March April May June July August September October November December
Year 2007: January February March April May June July August September October November December
Year 2006: January February March April May June July August September October November December
Year 2005: January February March April May June July August September October November December
Year 2004: January February March April May June July August September October November December
Year 2003: January February March April May June July August September October November December
Year 2002: January February March April May June July August September October November December
Year 2001: January February March April May June July August September October November December
Year 2000: September October November December

DJ Martian: Geocities * djmartian - Rate Your Music Bookmarks: delicious/djmartian/music Faves Netvouz

MUSIC BLOGOSPHERE Links: Goto Music Blogs Links
Music Blogs: Updated 24/7 elbo.ws The Hype Machine Technorati: Music Technorati Blog Finder: music
Music Blogs: Netvouz - djmartian Music Blogs - Tag Cloud Added to: delicious/djmartian/blogs+music

Music Blogs: [note: software broken by yahoo]: blo.gs: The Music Blogosphere Other blo.gs lists: Also Also Also [powered by blo.gs]
The Music Blogosphere: Read New RSS content via OPML: Optimal - OPML File for http://blo.gs/3600/mySubscriptionsRss.opml
Links: Hype Machine: MP3 Blogs listed on the Hype Machine MP3 Blog Top List / The Hype Machine [Ranked]
MonkeyFilter: MonkeyFilter | MONKEYFILTER MP3 BLOG LISTING: v.3.0 MP3 Blog Listing - MonkeyFilter Wiki Wiki: Music Blog Wiki

ALBUM RELEASE DATE INFORMATION

New & Forthcoming Music - Listings [More Links: bookmarks tagged: forthcoming * forthcoming]
Brainwashed Releases CMJ.com: New Releases Drowned in Sound - Releases 2009 Gothic, Darkwave, Synthpop, & Industrial Releases on musicfolio.com Metacritic Upcoming Release Calendar New Music Tipsheet Pause & Play On the CD Front This is Corrosion Upcoming Jazz Release Center 2009 in music - Wikipedia
Metal: Metal Storm - Upcoming Releases PRP Release Dates

UK Music Distributors: Cargo CWNN Kudos Shellshock Southern Southern: Recent, New & Forthcoming Releases
UK Online Music Stores: Coming Soon/ Pre-Orders Amazon.co.uk Boomkat eil.com Norman Records: Pre-ordering
US Online Music Stores: Coming Soon/ Pre-Orders AB-CD Darla Forced Exposure Insound Siren Disc Future Releases

2009 ALBUM RELEASES: 2009 FORTHCOMING ALBUMS
using rateyourmusic.com: 2009 Album Releases [Updated Regularly]
This information is updated on a continual basis.
[These dates apply to the UK and can change as record companies/distributors do have a habit of messing us around!]

BBC Music: BBC Music BBC Music Albums BBC Music - Listen BBC Music -Programmes BBC Radio Radio 1 1Xtra 6 Music
Music Shopping: UK Generalists: Online Music Stores UK Specialists: Online Music Stores US Online Music Stores
Essentials: Avant Music News Brainwashed CMU Daily Guardian Music Guardian blog - music ILM It's a trap! Metacritic Metacritic Upcoming CD Releases Metal Storm themilkfactory MusicTAP Opus Pause & Play On the CD Front Pig Radio Radio Magnetic RYM Resonance 104.4 FM Side-Line Sonomu Terrascope Online UltimateMetal.com Update Online YouTube Closed: PostEverything music social networks and listening: Last.fm iLike™ MOG MySpace MyStrands Spotify

Subscribe to Feeds:
My delicious music links: RSS
Blog: DJ Martian's Page: RSS: RSS Feed powered by FeedBurner Atom: Atom Feed
Bloglines: Bloglines: DJ Martian's Page Bloglines: Subscribe Yahoo: Add to My Yahoo

Subscribe in a reader

Enter your email to subscribe:

Powered by FeedBlitz

Music Blog: DJ Martian's Page - Music Blog + delicious music links:
Combined Feed: This Blog + my delicious music links = djmartian - combined music feed [Updates via RSS Feed in entry order via Feed Informer]

Quick Menu: News: NewsNow - Music News Reviews: NewsNow - Music Reviews Blogs: elbo.ws The Hype Machine Totally Fuzzy
New: delicious music elbo.ws Music: Technorati davidholmes: FeedRaider
Music Discussion: ILM Links: Music Discussion Tag: Music Discussion Music Discussion Links My Music Links: delicious/djmartian/music start_music: A-Z start_music

2006 Albums: 2006 Albums - DJ Martian 2006 Summer Albums 2006 Autumn Albums 2006 Music Lists 2006 Music: a2006 b2006 m2006 r2006
2007 Albums: 2007 Albums - DJ Martian 2007 Summer Albums 2007 Autumn Albums 2007 Music Lists
2007 Music RYM Top Albums 2007 RYM 2007 New rateyourmusic.com users 2007 Lists 2007 Album Reviews: a2007 Music 2007: b2007 m2007 Release Info 2007: r2007
2008 Albums: 2008 Albums - DJ Martian 2008 Additions 2008 Spring Albums 2008 Summer Albums 2008 Music Lists
2008 Music RYM Top Albums 2008 RYM 2008 New rateyourmusic.com users 2008 Lists 2008 Album Reviews: a2008 Music 2008: b2008 m2008 Release Info 2008: r2008
2009 Albums: 2009 Albums - DJ Martian 2009 Expected 2009 Music Lists
2009 Music RYM Top Albums 2009 RYM 2009 New rateyourmusic.com users 2009 Lists 2009 Album Reviews: a2009 Music 2009: b2009 m2009 Release Info 2009: r2009

Friday, February 28, 2003

 

Four Tet

Domino have an exclusive Four Tet MP3 download.

BurnitBlue.com review the EP: Four Tet - She Moves She

# posted by DJ Martian 8:21 PM

 

The Bug - Pressure

Kevin Martin (Ice, God, Techno Animal, Curse Of The Golden Vampire) returns as The Bug.

BurnitBlue.com review The Bug - Pressure

More details @ Rephlex

The Bug - Pressure

Rephlex CAT134 CD/2LP
Release Date - 7th April 2003

distributed in the uk by srd;
in japan by jvc;
in australia by inertia;

licensed for the US and Canada by Tigerbeat6 records
licensed for Europe by Klein records

# posted by DJ Martian 8:16 PM

 

The House of Love

I have been informed via the Blisscent yahoo mailing list, that: The House of Love have reformed. [looking at the website, the intention to reform was announced late last year, but i can't remember this news being circulated on the web]

The band have not started recording together, or even demoing, but are keen to play at least a dozen gigs together before deciding whether to try and record together.

# posted by DJ Martian 4:32 PM

 

Firesideometer.com

A music review website that I have not previously linked to: Firesideometer.com

# posted by DJ Martian 2:12 PM

 

Black Box Recorder - Passionoia

The Guardian review Black Box Recorder - Passionoia

# posted by DJ Martian 2:06 PM

 

Echoboy - Giraffe

Junkmedia review Echoboy - Giraffe and more collated reviews available @ Metacritic

# posted by DJ Martian 2:02 PM

 

Dinky - Black Cabaret

Junkmedia review Dinky - Black Cabaret

# posted by DJ Martian 1:59 PM

 

Pulseprogramming - Tulsa for One Second

Pitchfork review Pulseprogramming - Tulsa for One Second

More collated reviews of this album @ Metacritic

[This album has already been released in the US, it is likely to be imported into the UK sometime in March]

# posted by DJ Martian 1:56 PM

 

Super Numeri - Great Aviaries

Splendid review Super Numeri - Great Aviaries

# posted by DJ Martian 1:50 PM

 

Klute

Experimental junglist Klute will release a new album on May 19th: Lie, Cheat & Steal on his own Commercial Suicide label.

# posted by DJ Martian 1:43 PM

 

Vidna Obmana - Spore

Something that escaped my radar, Vidna Obmana - Spore was released on Relapse on January 21st.

The second chapter in renowned ethno-ambient / electronic artist vidnaObmana's Dante trilogy, and follow-up to his critically acclaimed Tremor release, Spore is the apotheosis of vidna's fascination for Dante's Inferno poem. Whereas Tremor was a 'musical trip downwards', Spore is the actual under worldly dwelling place. References to vidna's 'industrial' past of the early 80's remain strongly present, while the fusion of his ambient soundscapes with bolder and less spatial combinations of harmonics, dynamics and experimentation is even more accentuated. Rhythmic, dense, eerie and pulsating, Spore continues where Tremor left off...vidnaObmana again utilizing his vast collection of instruments (like the Slovakian Fujara and the electric guitar) along with more industrial-like elements to score this much anticipated second chapter.

Release Entertainment profile for Vidna Obmana

Star's End profile of Vidna Obmana

STAR'S END

STAR'S END, hosted by Chuck van Zyl, broadcasts live weekly beginning at 1:00am on Saturday night until 6:00am Sunday morning (USA Eastern Time Zone). Originating from WXPN, Non-commercial Radio from the University of Pennsylvania, STAR'S END has occupied this time slot since its inception back in 1976 making it one of the longest running radio programs of Space / Ambient music in the world.

Official website for: Vidna Obmana

Vidna Obmana - Spore is included on the latest listening playlist of Steve Wilson [of Porcupine Tree]

# posted by DJ Martian 1:05 AM

 

Zyklon

It's a trap relay the news that Zyklon are in the studio recording their second album, Aeon that is scheduled for worldwide release through Candlelight Records in September.

# posted by DJ Martian 12:09 AM

 

Norwegian Grammy Awards, Spellemannsprisen

MIC Norway: Winners of Spellemannsprisen announced

Last weekend saw the winners of the Norwegian Grammy Awards, Spellemannsprisen, unveiled. The nominated artists and the award-winners clearly demonstrate that a younger generation is taking over.

# posted by DJ Martian 12:04 AM

Thursday, February 27, 2003

 

Mira Calix - Skimskitta

BurnitBlue.com review Mira Calix - Skimskitta with a 5/5 rating.

# posted by DJ Martian 11:50 PM

 

One World - Stereo Deluxe

Reminder this week's One World show on Radio 1:

One World celebrates and profiles German label Stereo Deluxe with mixes from four of its artists - Boozoo Bajou, The Bobby Hughes Experience, The Strike Boys and Megablast.

[I must confess I know absolutely ziltch about said artists, show this week's show will be edutainment for me]

# posted by DJ Martian 10:23 PM

 

Xiu Xiu - A Promise

Last year's debut, Knife Play, had people justifiably torn on what to make of this chaotic art-band. But while some found vocalist Jamie Stewart's overwrought wailing hard to take, no one disputed the band's originality. Their sophomore release, however, shows them far more deve-loped, and onto something much greater than anyone anticipated.

Pitchfork review Xiu Xiu - A Promise

# posted by DJ Martian 3:04 PM

 

The Cure

Australian music website Undercover report that The Cure have signed a 3 album record deal with I Am recordings/ARTISTdirect - the label associated with rock producer Ross Robinson. Billboard.com report the recording of a new album will begin in July.

# posted by DJ Martian 2:54 PM

 

Dave Gahan

Dave Gahan will release his debut solo album, Paper Monsters on Mute on June 2nd.

# posted by DJ Martian 2:48 PM

 

The Wire: April edition: Autechre

Advance notification of next edition of The Wire: Autechre on the front cover.

April 2003 - Autechre. Autechre cover, plus Magic Band, Tom Cora, Donna Summer, Califone.

Source: Siren Disc Future Releases section.

# posted by DJ Martian 1:09 AM

 

Acclaimed Music

I linked to Acclaimed Music, back in Jan 2002, since then it has moved to a new URL: Acclaimed Music Critics' best-of lists of albums and singles have been compiled to "ultimate lists" of the most critically acclaimed music.

# posted by DJ Martian 12:11 AM

Wednesday, February 26, 2003

 

Manitoba

A new website for Manitoba including MP3 samples.

>> DOWNLOAD A NEW TRACK HERE EVERY MONDAY!!!

# posted by DJ Martian 11:59 PM

 

Fake Jazz.com - Issue 35

Another edition of Fake Jazz including reviews of:

Angels of Light - Everything is Good Here/Please Come Here
Steffen Basho-Junghans - Rivers and Bridges
Calla - Televise
Cul de Sac - Death of the Sun and a second opinion
Grand Ulena - Gateway to Dignity
Postal Service - Give Up
Shipping News - Three-Four

# posted by DJ Martian 11:41 PM

 

If I were an editor of a weekly music magazine this week's front cover would feature: Longwave

This week's front cover choice is Longwave. The Album, The Strangest Things was released February 24th on Hummer / EastWest Records, in the US the album is released on March 19th on RCA.

See weblog entry dated Saturday 1st February, for a massive amount of information on Longwave: DJ Martian's Page - February

# posted by DJ Martian 11:00 PM

 

Chris Clark

Silent Uproar report that Warp recording artist, Chris Clark is back with a new ep, Ceramics Is The Bomb in May. An album will follow later in the year.

# posted by DJ Martian 9:22 PM

 

The Go-Betweens - Bright Yellow Bright Orange

Playlouder review The Go-Betweens - Bright Yellow Bright Orange

# posted by DJ Martian 4:44 PM

 

Type O Negative - The Dream Is Dead

Blistering.com report that Type O Negative, have pushed back their album, The Dream is Dead to a June release.

Josh Silver of Type O Negative discusses the album @ Roadrunner Records

# posted by DJ Martian 1:01 AM

 

M�nus

Hot news, Icelandic rock band M�nus are now recording a new album. Just listened to a new track, Romantic Exorcism on Radio 1: very Cave In inspired !

A reminder of the astonishing praise for the last M�nus album, Jesus Christ Bobby.

M�nus have just been added to the Kerrang rock weekender in April, [a bit like ATP/ All Tomorrows Parties and Dedbeat] - but for rockers.

Romantic Exorcism will be released as a single in the UK in April.

# posted by DJ Martian 12:56 AM

 

Manitoba - Up In Flames

Posteverything provide an overview of the forthcoming and second album from Manitoba: Manitoba - Up In Flames

So early in the year, and we�re already blessed with what will surely be looked on as one of 2003�s most extraordinary, groundbreaking albums. Coming from the fringes of electronic music, as it does, its 21st century psychedlia is going to surprise a few people

....It sounds like a magnificent kaleidoscopic rough�n�tumble of starlight melodies, irresistibly catchy fatbeats and all manner of uplifting tooting, parping, plinking, riffing, tinkling, soaring and harping, the joyous mass gliding happily together within Manitoba�s masterful sense of space. Plus... handclaps, alarm clocks, crickets chirping and dogs barking. There�s a lot in there, but it�s never cluttered, it�s deft and wise and funny and gobsmackingly brilliant all at once.

The other point is that Dan writes actual songs, not just a bunch of sounds strung together in ProTools. In Dan�s words, he wanted to make an album of �wicked pop songs with textures, layers and weird instruments. I make music totally by ear, just by fucking around and experimenting. It couldn�t be less systematic and organised. When it�s sloppy and messy, that�s how I like it.� Well, that will happen if you spend enough time soaking in albums by My Bloody Valentine, Spaceman 3, Mercury Rev, The Beach Boys, Neutral Milk Hotel and psychedelic rockers like The Byrds and The End.

That�s also Dan singing on Up In Flames, though don�t be thinking he�s gone all singer/songwriter. �It�s more about the textures, adding something different. And more melodies.� Yep, you can never have enough melodies. He�s also managed to coax his mysterious homey Koushik out of hiding to contribute lead vocals on a couple of tracks. .....

More info: Earlier Press Release

Coming from the fringes of electronic music, as it does, the album's 21st century psychedelia might surprise a few people. Influenced by My Bloody Valentine, Spaceman 3, Mercury Rev, The Beach Boys, Neutral Milk Hotel and psychedelic rockers like The Byrds and The End, the album feature singing by both Dan Snaith and Koushik the boy wonder - last seen on Kieran Hebden's Text imprint.

...The album has been licensed to Domino Records for North America (where 'Start Breaking My Heart' was recently reissued).

a reminder a Manitoba ep, is released this week: Jacknuggeted

Also: Manitoba live in london: Manitoba's full live band show is set to make its debut appearance at London's 100 Club on Tuesday March 25.

Domino's Max Tundra (who weill play a one-off "rock" set) and The Leaf Label's Tony Morley will DJ at the show, with a further support to be confirmed.

# posted by DJ Martian 12:22 AM

Tuesday, February 25, 2003

 

Solefald - In Harmonia Universali

>>>> the return of one of my rock faves, Norway's Solefald.

Century Media will release the new Solefald album: In Harmonia Universali on March 24th in the UK and rest of Europe, no US release date is scheduled. It can be ordered @ Amazon.co.uk

Solefald are:
Cornelius - Vocals, Guitar & Bass
Lazare - Vocals, Synthesizers & Drums

Download, the MP3 Mont Blanc Providence Crow, [see the link towards the bottom right:] Century Media

Once again Solefald, are in a complete orbit of their own, a stunning unique inventive band, complex arrangements, cascading guitar riffs, tempo changes the sensational Solefald - one of the most dynamic artists in contemporary rock music have delivered AGAIN !. The production is stunning, experience it - the music flows.

Solefald: reference points: part avant-prog/art rock ala King Crimson,Van der Graaf Generator, part post-punk ala Teardrop Explodes [yes there is still a definate Julian Cope/ Teardrop Explodes uptempto twist to the music], part post-metal from Jane's Addiction to Isis and part progressive black metal. [Another reference point that sprung to my mind, Solefald share much in their approach to rock dynamics with Aereogramme - if you know their new track Wood .]

Fans of Tool: Lateralus and the last Emperor: Prometheus.. album: get to the download now.

Of course long term, Solefald fans know what to expect: utter off the wall brilliance as for the rest of you - I have lead you to the MP3...now consume and experience Solefald !

# posted by DJ Martian 11:16 PM

 

Jeff Mills

Notice: on John Peel show on Radio 1: tomorrow night, techno legend Jeff Mills:

Wednesday 26 Febuary: Jeff Mills Live @ Maida Vale

# posted by DJ Martian 10:04 PM

 

The Brainwashed Brain V06I07 - 02232003

This week's The Brainwashed Brain includes reviews of:

Aereogramme - Sleep and Release
Matador (US) / Chemikal Underground (UK)

Mouse on Mars - Rost Pocks: the ep collection
Too Pure

Dirty Three - She has No Strings Apollo
Anchor & Hope (AU) / Bella Union (UK) / Touch & Go (US)

# posted by DJ Martian 9:53 PM

 

Tricky - Vulnerable

Expect a new Tricky album: Vulnerable on May 16th, see Musique Machine and Supernovapop for further info.

We can all only hope it's a return to form, as the last album [Blowback] was poorly received by critics - and from what I heard on the radio it was an awful hotpotch of bad rock music made with guest musicians.

# posted by DJ Martian 6:24 PM

 

Music and Visual Design

Valerie Michele Hoskins looks at the relationship between design and music in logos and album covers.

An interesting read: Music and Visual Design: Strive for a Perfect Union

# posted by DJ Martian 5:14 PM

 

Styrofoam - I'm What's There To Show That Something's Missing

Darla - Coming Soon provide an overview of the forthcoming Styrofoam album: I'm What's There To Show That Something's Missing on Morr Music, due for release in April.

# posted by DJ Martian 4:41 PM

 

Supersilent - 6

Junkmedia add to the growing praise for Supersilent - 6

# posted by DJ Martian 1:15 PM

 

Jeff Parker - Like-Coping

The first solo jazz record by AACM-trained Tortoise guitarist Jeff Parker, featuring Chad Taylor on drums.

Junkmedia review Jeff Parker - Like-Coping

# posted by DJ Martian 1:11 PM

 

Lightning Bolt - Wonderful Rainbow

Dusted review Lightning Bolt - Wonderful Rainbow

# posted by DJ Martian 1:08 PM

 

Jan Jelinek avec The Exposures - La Nouvelle Pauvret�

One of Pitchfork's most acclaimed glitch artists (aka Farben, Gramm) expands his horizons on the third full-length recorded under his birthname.

Pitchfork review Jan Jelinek avec The Exposures - La Nouvelle Pauvret�

# posted by DJ Martian 1:05 PM

 

SPOTLIGHT...KEY NEW RELEASES THIS WEEK:

Key new album releases for February 24th [A more detailed release listing including other new releases, compilations and reissues - can be found further up this webpage.]

This Week: February 24th

Brokeback - Looks at Birds (Thrill Jockey)
King Crimson - The Power to Believe (Sanctuary)
Longwave - The Strangest Things (Hummer / EastWest Records)
Manitoba - Jacknuggeted (Leaf) EP
Meanwhile, Back In Communist Russia - My Elixir:My Poison (Truck)
Paik - The Orson Fader (Clairecords)
Red Snapper - Red Snapper (Lo Recordings)
Adrian Sherwood - Never Trust A Hippie (Real World)
The Shipping News - Three-Four (Quarterstick)
Nobukazu Takemura - 10th (Thrill Jockey)
Tosca - Dehli 9 (Studio k7)

For Reference:

Last Week: February 17th

Am-Boy - Floridian (Wobblyhead) US Import
Steffen Basho-Junghans - Rivers and Bridges (Strange Attractors Audio House) Import
Cul de Sac - Death To The Sun (Strange Attractors Audio House) Import
Delicate Awol - Heart Drops From The Great Space (Fire)
Dirty Three - She Has No Strings Apollo (Bella Union)
Fao Jesus - Tse Tse Fly Soul (FAOjesus)
Freaks - The Man Who Lived Underground (Music for Freaks)
The Go Betweens - Bright Yellow, Bright Orange (Circus)
The Haunted - One Kill Wonder (Earache)
Jan Jelinek Avec The Exposures - La Nouvelle Pauvrete (~Scape)
Christian McBride - Vertical Vision (Warner Brothers Records)
Ministry - Animositisomina (Sanctuary Records/ Mayan)
Momus - Oskar Tennis Champion (American Patchwork)
No-Man - All that You Are (Hidden Art) ep
Michael Nyman - Sangam (Warner UK)
The Postal Service - Give Up (Sub Pop)
The Soft Pink Truth - Do You Party (Soundslike)
Jimi Tenor - Higher Planes (Kitty Yo)
VS Price - Minette (Expanding)
W.I.T / Whatever it Takes (Mogul Electro)
Also:
Black Dice - Beaches & Canyons (FatCat) UK Release 2003

# posted by DJ Martian 12:07 PM

 

Ryoji Ikeda - Op.

Japanese minimalist electronic composer's latest full-length abandons electronics entirely, opting instead for string quartets.

Pitchfork review Ryoji Ikeda - Op.

# posted by DJ Martian 1:02 AM

 

Matt Elliott - The Mess We Made

Listening to John Kennedy's X-Posure on Xfm tonight, I heard a new track from ex Third Eye Foundation main man, Matt Elliott.

Matt Elliott will release a new album Matt Elliott - The Mess We Made on Domino on April 21st. [Just look at the stunning and strange front cover art !]

As for the music, going on the track - this is a complete change of direction for Matt, a sort of Contemporary Classical/ Ambient /Electronic direction, i look forward to listening to more.

# posted by DJ Martian 1:00 AM

 

Found Sound 02

Presented by the staff of Pitchfork

Found Sound 02

...In which the Pitchfork staff reveals their favorite non-2002 discoveries of last year. 45 albums, dating as far back as 1960, lovingly hand-picked and blurbed for your gentle perusal.

# posted by DJ Martian 12:44 AM

 

Dirty Three

Splendid have a interview with Dirty Three main man, Warren Ellis.

# posted by DJ Martian 12:39 AM

 

Capitol K

Expect a new Capitol K album in 2003, soon-ish?

The new as yet untitled L.p is in very final mixes and pre mastering stages 14 tracks about 65 minutes long and it rocks, it's a very collabaritive album lots of freinds have come into the studio........... plan is to release it ourself independently through our label .......'FAITH & INDUSTRY'........

# posted by DJ Martian 12:32 AM

Monday, February 24, 2003

 

UNKLE - Never, Neverland

According to product information @ HMV.co.uk the forthcoming UNKLE album, now has a name: Never, Neverland set for release Monday April 1st. I have tried confirming this on various search engines, but no further information.

fan driven website: UNKLE 77 has some additional info: regarding guests:

Guests include:
Tracey Thorn [Everything But The Girl]
Josh Hommes [Queens Of The Stone Age]
Brian Eno
Jarvis Cocker [Producing, not singing]
South

Tracks include:
Eye For An Eye
Panic Attack
No Pain, No Gain

# posted by DJ Martian 12:58 AM

 

Radiohead album = June 9th

Radiohead fans website Greenplastic.com relay the news that the Radiohead album is expected June 9th in the UK.

# posted by DJ Martian 12:28 AM

 

Collide

Silent Uproar report that both Danny Carey of Tool and cEvin Key of Skinny Puppy, make guest appearances on the forthcoming album from US darkwave band: Collide.

The album, entitled: Some Kind of Strange is set for an Aprill 22nd release. More Info @ Collide

# posted by DJ Martian 12:24 AM

 

Futureshock - Phantom Theory

Progressive-Sounds preview one of the most anticipated releases of 2003: Futureshock - Phantom Theory [set for release March 17th]

Futureshock look set to be this decade's Underworld/ Leftfield/ The Chemical Brothers - type crossover electronic band.

# posted by DJ Martian 12:09 AM

Sunday, February 23, 2003

 

The Vandermark 5 - Airports For Light

Atavistic will release an album by The Vandermark 5, entitled: Airports for Light in March. [March 17th in the UK, March 18th in the US]

The Vandermark 5�s first studio album in two years (and the first waxed with drummer Tim Daisy) further integrates and resolves the potent musical ideas & structural complexities that surfaced on their previous effort, 2001�s experimental Acoustic Machine.

Superbly saturated to 2� analog by Shellac�s Bob Weston (also at the helm on Spaceways Inc.�s recent Version Soul album), Airports For Light trades in a more palpable, effortless swing than past V5 efforts. Our favorite standard bearers� mastery over their own post-modern ballads has dramatically increased as well, providing a more confident command of the �quieter� moments & myriad compositional challenges. ...

# posted by DJ Martian 11:53 PM

 

Prefuse 73 - One Word Extinguisher

Milkfactory.co.uk report that Warp will release the second album by Prefuse 73, entitled: One Word Extinguisher on May 5th.

# posted by DJ Martian 11:48 PM

 

Opeth - Damnation

DigitalMetal.com review the forthcoming Damnation album from Opeth. [This is now set for a May release]

# posted by DJ Martian 10:52 PM

 

London Xpress - Brooks

I am looking forward to the next 2 hours of the London Xpress show on Xfm tonight, as Brooks is presenting the show, 8pm - 10pm [GMT] [It's available on the web if your reading this now, tune in]

Last year Brooks released his debut album

Brooks - You, Me & Us [Mantis Recordings]

The highly anticipated debut LP from Brooks finally arrives! Those lovely people at Mantis sent us a promo CD about six weeks before the release date, which hasn't been off the shop stereo since. Also, everytime it's been on, we've had loads of people asking what it is. Musically, it's a fantastic fusion of deep house, nu-jazz, electronica and soul with loads of funk. Deep, sexy, futuristic.
Source: Piccadilly Records [ top 9 album of 2002]

# posted by DJ Martian 8:05 PM

 

aquarius records new arrivals list #156

The latest aquarius records new arrivals list: #156, includes reviews of:

Aereogramme - Sleep and Release (Matador)

What we have here is a fantastic -- and to our ears widely appealing -- record which hopefully won't disappear underneath most folks' radar like their first one did. Aereogramme are a four-piece from Scotland, and even though this comparison might sound a wee bit too convenient, it is nonetheless true that they sound like the perfect distillation of fellow Scots Mogwai and the Delgados! They have the fragile delicacy and pure indie-rockness of Delgados (and Death Cab for Cutie, especially in the vocals), but you know how just when the sweetness is so sad and heartbreaking, you want something to scream, that's gonna mirror the despair and howl the pain? That's when Aereogramme lashes out with crashing metallic noisiness a la Mogwai -- although we think it sounds more authentically heavy like the Melvins or a Hydrahead metalcore band. And it *really* works as an album: the dynamic changes are not unpleasantly distracting; they're as skillfully executed as on Radiohead's "OK Computer", and the climaxes come exactly when you most need them too. There are also judiciously wielded violins and cello soaring above the warm guitars, some genuinely death metal, hoarse vocal roars, and guitar parts that could be from an authentic '70s prog or metal album. At one moment the tight discipline of Shellac, the next the delicate melodies of Sparklehorse, and then some sheer black metal creepiness...wow. Some might call their style a gimmick, though we can't when it's so satisfying and brilliantly executed!

So this record should appeal to fans of all of the bands mentioned above, plus to fans of bands that are doing similar dynamic genre blends like emo-metalcore outfits Poison the Well, From Autumn To Ashes, and Cave In. Indeed, Aerogramme's debut "A Story In White" -- a favorite around here -- made good use of the same dynamics, but rather than simply mixing up their indie-rock with some surprisingly metal moments as on that disc, Aereogramme here sound like a genuine hybrid...like maybe it's the other way around, they're a metalcore band toying with utterly gorgeous indie-pop songwriting.

Cul De Sac - Death of the Sun (Strange Attractors Audio House)

Despite the Emperor t-shirt Cul de Sac's Robin Amos wears so proudly on the inside cover of this new album, the Boston band has not gone black metal (although it's apparently much of what they listen to in the tour vehicle!) Still, this long awaited -- three years in the making -- record from one of our favorite groups is a stylistic breakthru for them, and a very successful one at that. Amos and new member Jake Trussell (electronics/turntables) first created a sonic foundation: samples contributed by each bandmember (everything from a gurgling Missouri River to Peruvian rainforest ambience, a scratchy Cajun 78rpm record, and a 1933 German a capella 5-part harmony group) were looped, treated and otherwise manipulated into electronic roadmaps over which the band then played acoustic bowed bass, warm gentle guitars, muted tickings, violin, sinister twanging sitar, hunting horns, melodica, and more. The electronically manipulated elements were meant to stand equally alongside the organic acoustic sounds -- something Amos points out is attempted often by other musicians but rarely happens successfully. It's really no surprise that if any band could do this well, it would be the always-amazing Cul de Sac.

This record is the hands-down best lull-you-to-sleep record of the year so far -- Reminiscent of lots of AQ faves (Phillip Jeck, No Neck Blues Band, Bohren, Jackie O Motherfucker, Birchville Cat Motel Band, Third Ear Band) but totally amazing and original as always!

Dirty Three - She Has No Strings Apollo (Drag City)

Perennial AQ favorite Dirty Three return with a proper follow-up to 2000's Whatever You Love You Are. While their singular sound has always been delicately gloomy, poignant instrumentals played out on guitar, simple drums, and achingly touching violin, each album applies the chiaroscuro in a slightly different way. On earlier albums such as Sad & Dangerous, for example, the violin delicately poured out passages so pretty they almost made up for the sadness of the compositions. On She Has No Strings Apollo, the interplay between the guitar/drums and the violin is more tension-filled and meditative -- less predictably heartwrenching, more meditative and stretched out. There's also autumnally bare piano adding an elegant stateliness to the whole affair. Very, very nice, if a touch more 'difficult' than their previous works. If you've never heard them before, we'd recommend you start with Whatever You Love but don't get me wrong, Apollo is a fine, dark record.

Kirkegaard, Jacob - 01.02 (Bottrop-Boy)

Another of the quartet of fine new Bottrop-Boy releases, "01.02" is the solo debut from Danish composer Jacob Kirkegaard, collecting material recorded over the past two years in Cologne (where he lives), Paris, and elsewhere. You might know Kirkegaard's name from his collaboration with AQ-fave turntable experimentalist Philip Jeck, the "Soaked" cd that came out last year on the Touch label. The sound of Jeck-style radioactive crackle from antique vinyl carries over to this release, along with gentle melodies, beats, drones, and vague samples. Recognizable, fragmented bits of guitar and piano surface occasionally, and field recordings or environmental sounds also are utilized. The disc as a whole is a very pretty n' abstract glitch-scape. True, you might feel that you already have a few albums like this in your collection -- but it's a slippery slope arguing that more lovely, glitchy, ambient, droney, dreamy electronic music is an unneccessary thing, and this one is certainly a nice listen, particularily if you're a Jeck fan!

Massive Attack - 100th Window (Virgin)

Our beloved customer and friend Jesse Zeifman loves this album more than any of the AQ staff did, so we asked him to say a li'l something about it:

It's been five years since Massive Attack's startlingly aggressive Mezzanine marked a turning point for the Bristol trio credited, by most, for creating trip-hop. In the interim, the band's lost two of its three founding members, leaving the reins in Robert "3D" Del Naja's hands.

From Blue Lines (1991), a debut that used hip-hop as an endoskeleton and had a body made of soul music, to the muted, austere, follow-up Protection (1994), no Massive Attack album has sounded alike. For their new release, Del Naja has managed to shape-shift the group once again, eschewing Mezzanine's guitars and static and grit for something closer to ambient electronica.
Beginning with "Future Proof" and its combination of galloping electronic blips, reverberating guitars and layers of feedback, Del Naja throws an unexpected curve when, rather than delivering his lyrics with his signature blunted raps, he sings. Sounding like Thom Yorke stoned might, he doesn't display a lot of range, but he phrases things accordingly, effectively, and where it could have felt soft and wrong it doesn't.

As with their previous efforts, the sound-system dynamic with which the group was built remains in place. While Del Naja helms four of the album's nine tracks, he calls upon two other vocalists, Sinead O'Connor and Horace Andy, to give voice to the rest. O'Connor is, unfortunately, underused, leaving her songs the album's least interesting, but Andy, especially on the lovely "Everywhen", fares better. "Small Time Shot Away" is the album's warmest song. If any tonal comparison is to be drawn, it would be with Boards of Canada's "Music Is Math" (from their latest, Geogaddi). "Antistar" closes 100th Window with a threatening guitar loop smashed against Middle Eastern-flavored strings and Del Naja at his most claustrophobic. Juxtapositions of the beautiful and the ominous betray this track's genetic lineage. It's the take-no-shit younger sibling of Mezzanine's, "Risingson."

The rigor of Massive Attack's production always sets their work apart and 100th Window is no different. It may feel, upon first pass, like a pleasant soundtrack to your next dinner party. Check again. Tracks upon tracks of percussive elements, of tingling, stuttering, noise, of lost guitar loops moving independently, churning in their subterranean canals, makes for an experience of uneasy listening.
Recommended for fans of the group -- if you're new to Massive Attack, please start with Mezzanine.

Postal Service - Give Up (Sub Pop)

Indie darlings Dntel's Jimmy Tamborello and Benjamin Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie join forces in The Postal Service. Apparently these collaborations did indeed take shape via tapes mailed back and forth between the two. Each track is subtle variation of the following: bashfully boyish vocals, chiming music box melodies and soft jangly guitars that play off one another over a simple thumping or clicking programmed beat. Gibbard sings oh so sweetly in his melted ice cream voice while Tamborello delivers the delightfully pretty electronics and bounding rhythms. Just what you might expect from a project starring these two fellows. Plus there's an added aural delight here and there in the form of lovely vocals by Jen Wood and Rilo Kiley's Jenny Lewis. It's easy to draw comparisons to Kings Of Convenience vocalist Erlend Oye's new solo album which also sets a gentle male voice -- more familiarly heard with soft guitars and drums - singing atop light electronic dancey tracks. However unlike Oye's Unrest on which music and voice sound somewhat detached from each other, Postal Service's Give Up has a wonderful chemistry that swirls everything together perfectly. Recommended!

Sigmarsson, Sigtryggur Berg - A Little Lost (Bottrop-Boy)

Another marvelous album from Sigtryggur Berg Sigmarsson, one of the founding members of the Icelandic experimental / electronica ensemble Stilluppsteypa. Generally speaking, the themes of contradiction and tension that run through Stilluppsteypa's recordings also appear in the solo work of Sigmarsson, although he spends much more time allowing all of his ideas to unravel, slowly articulating each sound before offering semiotic and / or acoustical counterpoints. "A Little Lost" opens with a fluttering drone from a digitally enhanced church organ sounding quite similar to the sounds heard on "Ship" his sublime debut for Trente Oiseaux. Flicking in and out of audibility, these drone hamonics subtly couple with a quiet smoldering of static to offer an expanse of lulling sound. Throughout the album, Sigmarsson slowly dismantles the hypnotic atmosphere, first with pronounced lapses of the drones in favor of delicate textural sounds, then through a series of repeated chunks of elemental grit sliding backwards and forwards against the grain of the drone, and climaxing with a tumultous blast of digital noise shaped into offkilter metal riffs which abruptly cut to some drunk yokel barking the alarm call from a German U-boat. Sigmarsson's genius becomes apparant in how he has moved from the calm beginning of the album to this abrasive pinnacle with a self-contained intelligence and sly continuity in sound construction. The album returns to a sense of calm through the final track, a lengthy remix of mutant minimalism provided by Irr.App.Ext, the sorely under-represented project of Santa Cruz artist Matt Waldron. Very, very nice!

Takemura, Nobukazu - 10th (Thrill Jockey)

Longtime AQ fave Nobukazu Takemura -- ex-Mo'Wax-style club DJ, Steve Reich remixer, Tortoise collaborator, Powerbook maestro -- offers a new full length of bubbly electronica / pop with attention to texture, whether it is bass like a quiet heartbeat, or chiming bell-like electronic tones cavorting in the background like Raymond Scott gone minimalist techno, or glitchy clicks goodnaturedly jockeying for position.

On 10th, Takemura also really gets into the frankly-fake casio-filtered vocals that have made occasional appearances in his past work. This time the vocals, often sung in English, are cut up into delightful little snippets, sounding like a happily hiccupping big sister of the sad Mac guy on OK Computer. Fans of Mouse on Mars and other burbly bloopy fun electronica, take note!

Vainio, Mika - Sokeiden Maassa Yksisilmainen On Kuningas (Touch)

Best known as half of the minimalist techno duo Pan Sonic with Ilpo Vaisainen, Mika Vainio has crafted a variety of electro-acoustic techniques that bare little resemblance to his contemporaries in glitched electronica. Marked as much by his use of space as by the quality of his abstraction of sound, Vainio's recordings under his given name even stand apart from his solo projects such as �, Tekonivel, and Philus. As Vainio, he has shed all of the intertwining rhythmic assualts found elsewhere, but continues to pursue a crystalline frigidity in his investigations of sound. "Sokeiden Maassa Yksisilmainen On Kuningas" (which translated from the Finnish as "In the Land of the Blind One-Eyed Is King") opens with a harsh blast of digitized noise that settles down into a ominous soundscape punctuated by a flanging bass pulse and distant isolationist drones. Smatterings of prolonged silence take up a considerable amount of time within Vainio's album, and provide parallels to the French attitudes of musique concrete (i.e. Lionel Marchetti, Luc Ferrari, etc.) But it's drones that give Vainio's work such dynamism and expressivity, at times standing in as sustained chords from a grimy organ and others as creepy swells of "Forbidden Planet" style electronics.

# posted by DJ Martian 6:12 PM

Saturday, February 22, 2003

 

This Week's New Releases @ Boomkat

This week's new releases @ BOOMKAT - A PELICANNECK ELECTRONIC MUSIC STORE include:

V/A Leisure - Ai Records

Ah yes kids, the one you�ve all been waiting for. We�ve been banging on about this lot for time, and by the looks of things so have a very large number of you. �Leisure� is the last in a series of releases on Ai, a final look at the amazing talent on display from 8 totally new and inspiring artists scattered across the globe, making up the roster of a label that in its short life has already been compared to the enticing early days of labels like Skam, Toytronic and Warp. This one final label round-up will pave the way for the start of their world-dominating campaign in earnest, with the release of full EP�s and albums from each of the artists on board scheduled for release in the coming months. �Leisure� opens up with what will perhaps end up being Ai�s ace in the pack � Claro Intellecto. �Populate� is a simply massive display of electro genius : moody, crisp, deep; a skipping bounce of man-machine dancefloor bound electro that�s produced with such a sheer scope of sound and movement that it�s hard to think of anyone in the arena making anything remotely as good. Those of us who have heard his forthcoming EP for the label have a bit of a feeling that everyone from the operators in the Hague to the masters of Detroit will be dialling his digits very soon. Kone-R�s �Crack Of Noon� deploys itself with a mesh of folded percussion and overlapping melancholy slivers of space, at times somewhat reminiscent of Autechre�s Peel session epic �Drain� with its organically positioned pads and hints of futuristic development. Flip onto Montag�s amazing �Morgane Lhote�, however, and you soon realise why this label will be as massive as it will inevitably become. With an analogue delivery and a big big smile, the track sounds like prime Stereolab, all feelgood synths and organs, sfx and sunshine production. Just amazing stuff. Normal�s �Slow Knit� is a gorgeous slice of brooding electronic loveliness : downtempo and self-reflective, crunchy beats and intuitive chord progressions, just lush. Michael Manning�s �Glass Chicken�, meanwhile, is a whispered float through lullaby electronics at their very best, skittering percussion and goosebump tones, another sub-genre and another first in execution, jeez! 8 tracks in total, hand-stamped sleeves and a limited edition run. Just for the record...you have been warned! Killer.

Com.A - Shot Of Love - Tigerbeat 6

It�s two years since Age Yoshida dropped his seismic masterpiece �Dream & Hope� for his own Notek Rec label. It�s now 2003 and Mr Trost-Depedro does us all a favour and finally releases the sequel. �Shot Of Love� is fourteen tracks long, hyper fun from start to finish. To remind you his original demo tracks were dropped on the infamous Skam/Gescom radio show Disengage back in the day. All these fresh tracks have the same razor sharp groove intent but with added mischievousness the likes of which you�d find if Dat Politics ever jammed with Venetian Snares. Genius melodies, mental mind imagery and kick ass rhythms all play their role in Com.A�s music. Much like his brother (Planet Mu�s Joseph Nothing), Com.a�s fusion of technical brilliance and an innate understanding of the CRUNCH makes him a force to be reckoned with and one of the most enticing acts on Tigerbeat 6, alongside Kid 606 himself. �Shot Of Love� will fu*k with your head in the nicest way imaginable. Highly

Dwayne Sodahberk - The Partying Without Inhibition Or Dignity EP - Tigerbeat 6

Ahh, another month goes by, another Tigerbeat release slips out, and, as per usual, this one's definately for the kids. Blending the current batch of the " The... " bands, (such as The Rapture, The Libertines and the like) with streetwise electronics and hip-hop beats, Sodahberk comes up with a formula considerably more fulfilling than most other electroclash copyists. Standouts include the electro stomp of the title track of one of the CD bonus tracks 'Break Your Ugly Necks'. Ten tracks - 50% teenage angst, 50% indie-dancefloor stompers, this is spiked soul food for the dsp generation. Solid!

Luke Eargoggle - Audio Warriors - Bunker

A double vinyl and very limited cd release, containing what is unarguably Luke's best production work thus far. Revisiting Bunker after guest spots on his own Stileben label and the Catnip eps on which he collaborates with Legowelt, this is one amazing electro album. If you fetishize the imagined futures of darkstyle detroit music, or covet the kind of crazy, minimalistic robot sounds brother ron hardy kept down his trousers, then get this. Electro with a twitch then, eerie voices and a kind of twisted acidlined 'stiff white funk' - the mighty juan atkins would be rightfully proud. Bad-intentioned vocal fuels the paranoia nearly to breaking point and an all in apocalyptic nightmare setting threatens to take all present gleefully over the edge and into the void. 'Split personality' more than sums this up - cheery stuff!!. More future, more dark, more of everything than previous Bunkers, more Detroit, just give me more...

Manitoba - Jacknuggeted - Leaf

First single taken from Dan Manitoba�s long awaited second album �Up In Flames�. �Jacknuggeted� is power pop filtered through delays and effects. Sweet Sam Prkpop styled vocals mix with strings, acoustic guitars, percussion and dynamic playing�. �Ole� is fuelled from the same shining light - buzzed distorted drums, backwards guitar and Beach Boys harmonics. �Thistles and Felt� toughens the rhythms but is no less jaunty and this e.p�s final track �Seaweed� fries up jazz drones and husky breath with electronic folkrock, yowza. Great stuff.

N.O.I.A. - Unreleased Classics - Ersatz Audio

New on Ersatz Audio. Once in a great lifetime, a record label is allowed that rare opportunity to release a record that it never thought it would have a chance to. A record from a time period that has inspired the label greatly, but a record that was never released. That chance is here. It is with great pride that Ersatz Audio is able to announce the release of the Unreleased Classics '78-'82 from Italy's synth-pop masters N.O.I.A. Ten songs written between 1978 and 1982, but somehow never before released. Ersatz Audio would like to thank N.O.I.A. for the opportunity to release their latest (and yet oldest) album. Unreleased Classics '78-'82 features 10 songs available for the first time on CD and Double 12". Once again Ersatz Audio's 2000 compilation title and slogan seem fitting, The Forgotten Sounds of Tomorrow.

Nobukazu Takemura - 10th - Thrill Jockey

So it�s 10 years since Takemura first had an album released. Starting out as an acid jazz beat head in the early nineties things soon became interesting as his electronic bug took over. This new album builds on the previous album �Hoshi No Koe� and brilliant fusing off intricate beat arrangements, pop flourishes and cute but not grating pop speak and spell styled vocals. Nobukazu and Aki Tsuyuko sing in english then fire it through filters to create a weirdly wonderful new language. �10th� is made up from full length tracks, some touching 10 mins and some less than 2, a genius amalgamation of altered live instrumentation and glitchtronica. �Perch� starts off at a midtempo pace with Aki�s random number singing, a foggy drift of static, vibes and Steve Reich string samples. Superb. �Fallslake� downs the tempo to a pure electro balladry with Aki singing in full this time �wandering in the dark�. �Wandering� is fantastic, these are full songs full of emotion and longing � pure pop with a heart of gold. �Lost Treasure� and �Tadasu No Mori� are just the same, utterly gorgeous. Elsewhere and mostly on the numerous small vignettes Tak plays with convention a little mostly to a positive effect. For me the final track �At Lake Yogo� is this albums finest moment, a eerie downtempo gem with luscious melodies, background filtered noise, resonating keys and crisp minimal beats. Heart breaking. A little overlong at 80 mins maybe but this album delivers in so many ways that the time will fly by.

Red Snapper - Red Snapper - Lo Recordings

New studio album from the Snapper, coming to us housed in a lush limited edition hand stitched sleeve on both formats. Featuring 7 spanking new tunes plus some old favourites like the Sabres of Paradise mix of �Hot Flush� , a long deleted classic that fits nicely with the techno jazz mood of the album and two live tracks that make it clear just why Red Snapper had such a faithful following. The soundtrack vibe sits well with todays jazz noir stylings as worn by The Cinematic Orchestra, collection of warm grooves and jazz filled moves, perhaps a bit more mellow than their deranged jazz approach of yore but authentic Snapper for sure....

Roman - 5 Minutes To Match - Karaoke Kalk

Welcome to the world of Roman. A natural choice of act for Karaoke Kalk, known for their magical releases from Donna Regina and Wechsel Garland, to explore the setting of songs still further. Roman sings like Scott Walker hitting Jacques Brel on 'Grow An Idiot', or with the phrasing and impassioned nature of Bjork's ebb�s and flows on 'Friday Exorcism'. There's a starkness and honesty to the delivery which could recall perhaps Soft Cell without the camp, or the most tender moments of Michael Gira at his most direct and naked. A collection of eighties-slanted, heavily emotional songs then, backed by a crisp production, sumptuous even, an acoustic electronica backing, embellished with strings, deep rhodes, sax and backing vocals. A future, imprint then for the singer songwriter, newly imbued with an electronic balladry, perfect for the world weary and weak of heart. Strangely compelling. Roman's lyrics tell stories - beautiful, short, long, strange, funny and sometimes a little sad, and with his music he brings them to life for all of us.

The Hafler Trio - Whistling About Chickens - Fire Inc

Excellent new visions in dronesque atmospheres by the underground legends The Hafler Trio. This double disc release featuring unreleased Hafler Trio material which has been in the works for the last seven years. Comes in a deluxe embossed paperwalletcover with 24 page booklet. Seriously fine spooked music.

Sole - Selling Live Water - Anticon

Second solo album from Sole who is arguably Anticon's finest emcee talent. The previous (and now sadly deleted) album 'Bottle Of Humans' was the epitome of emcee urban paranoia and self realisation through rap lyrics. The power and quality of the lead off single �Salt On Everything� is held tight for the whole journey. The first track �Da Baddest Poet� is Sole staring through the mirror at himself questioning every move under mad eclectic production from The Restiform Bodies� Telephone Jim Jesus. �Respect Pt 3� is another classic Anticon track with beyond genius production from Jel and �The Priziest Horse� is equally as crushing. The eerie textures and hyper rhyme patterns drop next into the ace �Tokyo� >>> �I dream like a planet, and I sleep like a t.v. with the t.v on�. Other vocal subjects touch on hallucinogenic drug trips, propaganda dissections and commentary on the war on terrorism. Sole has dropped his second masterwork, tune in now. Essential.

Brokeback - Looks At The Bird - Thrill Jockey

Third album from Doug McComb�s Brokeback project. With Doug�s killer bass playing as the catalyst for everything around him he is ably supported by musicians such as John McEntire, Noel Kuppersmith, Aki Tsuyuko, Chad Taylor, Rob Mazurek and Stereolab�s sadly departed Mary Hansen and band leader Laetitia Sadier. From the first track the beautifully evocative, almost Morriconesque �From The Black Current� you know your in for a treat. �Lup� circles a similar orbit with the addition of brushed drums, static and a rustic marimba loop. The late Mary Hansen makes her first appearance on �Name�s Winston�� alongside Laetitia, their vocalising mixed up with the acoustic instruments and subtle digital trickery. The other six tracks keep to the same formula, a mixture of Four Tet�s rustic electro-folk and Tortoise at their most windswept. Highly recommended.

Lone Pigeon - Concubine Rice - Sketchbook

New album from LonePigeon, founder member of The Beta Band and an integral member of the Fence Collective, the microcosmical Fife musical family which also includes James Yorkston, King Creosote, Pip Dylan, The Abrahams, Gummi Bako and Immigrant. �Concubine Rice� comprimises an eclectic collection of both beautiful, homespun piano yarns and quirky , edgy pop interspersed and bookended by 13 brief musical segments. Marrying fractured monologues, harmonies like driven snow, a do it yourself spin on classic songwriting and touchingly arranged trickles of melody.

The Nick Luca Trio - Little Town - Loose

Nick Luca has engineered, produced and performed on sessions for a whole host of visiting bands including Rainer, Richard Buckner, Howe Gelb, Francoiz Breut, Steve Wynn and local Tucson heroes Giant Sand on career best �Chore Of Enchantment�. He also soon became a frequent collaborator with Calexico and a member of Giant Sand's touring band. A man of diverse influences, when it came to recording his debut with the Trio he was faced with the slight problem of how to bring Miles Davis, Anton Webern and Jimmy Page together. By placing them all in the Wavelab blender and filtering the results through the off kilter sensibilities of his adopted home he came up with the cinematic dreamscape of �Little Town�.

# posted by DJ Martian 6:57 PM

Friday, February 21, 2003

 

Swayzak to compile Fabric compilation

BurnitBlue.com report that Swayzak are to compile a compilation as part of the Fabric mix compilation series, 'Fabric11', is due out July 7.

# posted by DJ Martian 3:58 PM

 

Paik - The Orson Fader

Almost Cool review Paik - The Orson Fader

# posted by DJ Martian 3:42 PM

 

The Independent: The Go-Betweens and Adrian Sherwood Albums Reviewed

The Independent review:

The Go-Betweens - Bright Yellow Bright Orange

Adrian Sherwood - Never Trust A Hippy

# posted by DJ Martian 3:39 PM

 

Jimi Tenor

Playlouder interview Jimi Tenor

# posted by DJ Martian 3:31 PM

 

Absorb Reviews

Two more reviews @ Absorb:

meam - meam (skam)

jan jelinek avec the exposures - la nouvelle pauvrete (~scape)

# posted by DJ Martian 12:59 AM

Thursday, February 20, 2003

 

EMP Pop Conference in Seattle, April 10 - 13, 2003

Something for the analytical theory types:

Pop Music Studies Conference

April 10 - 13, 2003

Skip a Beat: Rewriting the Story of Popular Music

EMP�s annual Pop Music Studies Conference celebrates the diversity of ways one can talk about music, bringing together leading academics and writers, thoughtful musicians, and dedicated listeners for a jampacked long weekend of panels. This year�s conference theme, �Skip a Beat: Rewriting the Story of Popular Music,� has produced work on a range of topics, including politics and pop; rock�s avant-garde; Bob Dylan; African music; riot grrl; jazz fusion; and the Ego Trip collective spinning a wheel of topics that includes �Will the Real �New Tupac� Please Stand Up?�

About 100 papers or other presentations will be given at the conference, which begins with a welcome reception and keynote by Greil Marcus the evening of Thursday, April 10; continues all day Friday, April 11 and Saturday, April 12; and concludes with early panels and a wrap-up session the morning of Sunday, April 13.

Further details: EMP Pop Conference and Bios/ Abstracts

To read paper abstracts, click on the name of the panelist.

# posted by DJ Martian 11:50 PM

 

Ed Rush & Optical - 'The Original Dr Shade'

Drum & Bass Arena have a multimedia interview with one of the leading Drum N Bass crews: Ed Rush & Optical. The good news their third album, The Original Dr Shade is set for release in April on Virus.

# posted by DJ Martian 11:26 PM

 

Broadcast announce Pendulum ep [in May] and album [due August]

The latest news from Warp recording artists: Broadcast

Dear All
Broadcast's new EP - Pendulum will contain the following tracks:

1] Pendulum
2] Small Song IV
3] One Hour Empire
4] Still Feels Like Tears
5] Violent Playground
6] Minus Two

The CD and 12" should be available worldwide through Warp records on May 5th.

No more dates are going to be added to the May USA dates but we hope to make it back for a full US tour in September/October time. These will be followed by European and UK dates. The new LP will be out mid August via Warp

# posted by DJ Martian 10:49 PM

 

One World: Norway Part Two - The Bergen Experience

Show broadcasts on Radio 1 on Thursday 20th February 2003:

Reminder: this week's One World show:

Norway Part Two - The Bergen Experience: Part 2 of our look at the Norwegian underground.

# posted by DJ Martian 10:22 PM

 

The Durutti Column - Someone Else�s Party

Marcello at The Church of Me has a personal account of the forthcoming album from The Durutti Column, Someone Else�s Party.

and I find who the Liz Fraser alike vocals on the superb [Spanish Lament] track are by:

next track, �Spanish Lament,� however, is that of Rebekah Del Rio, taken from the extraordinary climactic sequence in Lynch�s Mulholland Drive in the nocturnal theatre of ghosts,

Marcello highly recommends the album: I would like every one of you to go and listen to it

# posted by DJ Martian 2:35 PM

 

Alejandra and Aeron - Bousha Blue Blazes

Stylus review Alejandra and Aeron - Bousha Blue Blazes

# posted by DJ Martian 2:18 PM

 

Cul De Sac - Death of the Sun

Junkmedia review Cul De Sac - Death of the Sun

# posted by DJ Martian 2:15 PM

 

Meanwhile, Back In Communist Russia - My Elixir; My Poison

Playlouder review Meanwhile, Back In Communist Russia - My Elixir; My Poison

# posted by DJ Martian 2:01 PM

 

Sales falling, tours cancelled. So why is our music industry in such dire straits?

The Independent: Sales falling, tours cancelled. So why is our music industry in such dire straits?

Sob stories from the majors ! if their sales are declining so be it ! their A & R policies are mostly rubbish - they have only themselves to blame ! - I have said it before and i will say it again - as each year goes by the 5 majors are becoming more irrelevant in terms of percentage of interesting albums released in a particular year.

# posted by DJ Martian 1:02 AM

Wednesday, February 19, 2003

 

If I were an editor of a weekly music magazine this week's front cover would feature: Meanwhile, Back in Communist Russia

This week's front cover features one of the most interesting and innovative band to emerge this decade from the UK, Oxford's Meanwhile, Back In Communist Russia

February 24th sees the release of:

Meanwhile, Back Incommunist Russia : My Elixir My Poison

Having spent much of the past year touring the uk (inc. Dates with pulp, smog, electrelane), recording sessions for john peel , xfm and playing live on radio 1.�my elixir; my poison� was recorded over the summer at truck�s very own studio�s.where music has to be overly-simplistic and unchallenging, a band like mbicr are more important than ever.their roots lie back in the late 70s / early 80s new wave to brian eno, steve albini, michael nyman and godspeed. They are capable of extreme noise without relying on hammering the listener into submission. There is a uk tour to promote the album in feb. times.quotes: " a satisfying moodscape of swooshing boards of canada electronica, intense sonic youth-like crashing, textured guitar work, and bitter spoken monologues" *** q "... Poetry for the post trainspotting, post-rock generation' mojo,''... A welcome challenge to the aural senses" kkkk kerrang!

Source: Pennyblackmusic.com

# posted by DJ Martian 11:52 PM

 

Jockey Slut

The March edition of Jockey Slut magazine, should be in the shops tomorrow. According to an advert in X-Ray magazine, Royksopp are on the front cover [as their single Eple is being re-promoted? Surely top 40 bound]

This edition of Jockey Slut will come with 2 free CDs including music from artists such: Royksopp, Joy Zipper, DJ Format, Fallacy, Dexter, International Pony, Audio Bullys, Freaks, Swag, Mr C, Manitoba & Others.

# posted by DJ Martian 11:32 PM

 

StarVox

StarVox is a monthly online zine dedicated to promoting music in the genres of goth, deathrock, psychobilly, gothabilly,ethereal, industrial, dark ambient, and doom/black metal.

February edition of StarVox including latest CD Reviews

# posted by DJ Martian 11:25 PM

 

Tosca - Dehli 9

BBCi Music review Tosca - Dehli 9

# posted by DJ Martian 11:19 PM

 

Tears for Fears - Everyone Loves A Happy Ending

Lexicon Magazine links to the news of the forthcoming Tears for Fears album, Everyone Loves A Happy Ending on Arista in the Spring: BBC Wiltshire: Real Audio interview with Roland Orzabal of Tears for Fears

Roland Orzabal of recently reunited 80s art-rockers - Tears for Fears granted BBC Wiltshire an exclusive interview.

Listen in streaming Real Audio to BBC Wiltshire's Daniel Garrett in conversation with Roland Orzabal (56k)

He reveals what fans can expect from the new album, what led to the reunion, what he thinks of the current music scene and much more.

# posted by DJ Martian 11:13 PM

 

Aereogramme

On the John Peel Show tonight a session from Scottish Art-rockers: Aereogramme

Wednesday 19 Febuary - Aereogramme

Aereogramme are Craig B, Iain Cook, Campbell McNeil and Martin Scott. The band release their second full length LP 'Sleep and Release' on March 3rd 2003 on the Chemikal Underground label.

Details of the session @ Drowned in Sound

[Reminder, the John Peel show can be listened to again for upto 7 days after broadcast on BBC Radio Player on Demand]

Loads of links @ DrownedinSound Aereogramme profile page, including a mp3 track, Wood from the new album.

This track, Wood is stunning - prog punk brilliance, the way the track builds up and explodes - listen and find out !

Art/epic rock in the UK is going through a boom time in the 00s: Aereogramme, Anathema, Lapsus Linguae, Nought, Oceansize, Porcupine Tree, Sikth etc

# posted by DJ Martian 10:22 PM

 

Pink Grease

New to me a band from Sheffield, Pink Grease

Apparently they sound like Joy Division mixed with Cabaret Voltaire with early Phil Oakey type vox.

Album due for release in March on Horse Glue Records

Pink Grease will be touring with Ladytron in March in the UK.

# posted by DJ Martian 1:38 PM

 

Rune Grammofon: including Food and Supersilent

Yet more praise for the sensational music on Norway's Rune Grammofon label: Dusted Feature

Michael Crumsho takes a look at three of the newest releases from one of the world's leading experimental labels, Norway's Rune Grammofon.

# posted by DJ Martian 1:30 PM

 

Jimi Tenor - Higher Planes

Playlouder review Jimi Tenor - Higher Planes

# posted by DJ Martian 1:22 PM

 

Paik - The Orson Fader

Splendid review the space-rock sounds of Paik - The Orson Fader

# posted by DJ Martian 1:18 PM

 

The Wire

The Wire website has been redesigned and the new March edition of The Wire [with Faust on the front cover] is now in the shops.

# posted by DJ Martian 11:12 AM

 

No-Man - Together We're Stranger

The new No-Man album, called 'Together We're Stranger', is to be released on
March 31st through Porcupine Tree's former record label K-Scope/Snapper.

Coming two years after the critical and word of mouth cult success of 2001s
'Returning Jesus', 'Together We're Stranger' sees No-Man extending further
the reach of its panoramic soundscapes and cracked ballads.

Boasting impressive performances from Ben Castle (clarinets), Roger Eno
(harmonium) and Gramophone's David Picking (percussion, trumpet), amongst
others, the album lays claim to being No-Man's most powerful and emotionally
direct album in its long career.

Samples from three of the tracks can be found on No-Man.

The album is now available for pre-order from Burning shed for �12
inclusive of p&p.

Source: e-mail from Burning Shed

# posted by DJ Martian 11:06 AM

 

X-Ray � Issue #2, on Sale: February 20 2003

Details of Issue 2 of X-Ray magazine:

[It looks a mixed bag to me, some good stuff [LCD Soundsystem and The Rapture], some lame stuff (Coral, The Datsuns)]

Issue 2 of X-Ray, Xfm�s New Music Monthly, hits the shelves on February 20. For �2.50 you not only get news, reviews and features from some of the best writers in the business but a CD packed with exclusive Xfm session tracks

In the Mag: The Coral give an exclusive interview, plus Interpol on personal grooming, rock gods The Datsuns on where they go next, DFA round up featuring The Faint, Radio 4, LCD Soundsystem and The Rapture plus Moby the world�s best drummers. The Kills, U2, The Raveonettes, Majesticons, Peaches and more.

On the CD: Exclusive session tracks from the Xfm studios, including Feeder�s acoustic version of �Come Back Around� � The Raveonettes� brooding �Attack Of The Ghost Riders�, �Radio 4 �Dance To the Underground� � Simian �Never Be Alone� � plus tracks from Interpol, Folk Implosion, Audio Bullys �and loads more�

# posted by DJ Martian 12:37 AM

Tuesday, February 18, 2003

 

Cul De Sac - Death to the Sun

Released in the US today on the Strange Attractors label: Cul De Sac - Death to the Sun

CUL DE SAC
_Death of the Sun_ CD (SAAH011)


Personnel - Robin Amos: Sampler, Sequencer, Synthesizer - Glenn Jones:
Acoustic & Electric Guitars, Electric Sitar, Electric Bass, Field
Recordings - Jonathan LaMaster: Violin, Bowed Bass, Hunting Horn - Jon
Proudman: Drums - Jake Trussell: Sampler, Sequencer, Melodica, Toy Piano,

Nearly four years has elapsed since instrumental avant rock innovators Cul
de Sac released a studio album. Last year's sublime live radio performance
Immortality Lessons (SAAH007) notwithstanding, just what has the band been
up to? Cul de Sac went through a personnel shift, resulting in the arrival
of both bassist/violinist Jonathan LaMaster and electronics/turntabilist
Jake Trussell - a significant makeover signaling a change in sound was
immanent. The band was commissioned to compose the original score to the
Roger Corman produced film The Strangler's Wife (coming in 2003 on Strange
Attractors). More recently, legendary ex-Can vocalist Damo Suzuki invited
Cul de Sac to tour the US and Canada- as his band! All the while, Cul de
Sac's fifth studio album (seventh overall) was gestating in the laboratory,
meticulously taking shape. With the influx of new membership came a dramatic
shift in creative direction, and soon the project began spiraling
dramatically out of control, to the point that the album was almost aborted.
Thankfully the seams held together and the band hurdled their many
obstacles. Death of the Sun is the result, by far the most elaborate,
difficult, melancholic ...and heart-wrenchingly beautiful album of their
career.

Death of the Sun is as much a musical and compositional departure in every
way for Cul de Sac as their otherworldly The Epiphany of Glenn Jones, the
infamous psychodrama in collaboration with the late John Fahey. Taking a cue
from two tape-based pieces from that album, the band set out on a new path
informed by their experience. By virtue of Trussell's modern electronics,
augmenting analog wizard Robin Amos' role, a new approach to creating the
music unfolded. Samples form the backbone of the album, the blueprint of the
tunes. As the foundation became increasingly electronic-oriented, Cul de Sac
responded with acoustic textures, and the juxtaposition works magically, a
seamless integration. A heady, introspective mood is established immediately
with the opening "Dust of the Butterflies", as swaying vocal samples whisper
through static electronics, sorrowful violin, and acoustic guitar yearnings.
And onward: electric sitar meanders through folding rainforest samples and
the mallet-massaged drums of "Bamboo Rockets"; incessant percussive mantras
exhume mystical vocal spirits in the trance-inducing "Tarok, Son of Stone";
Field recordings weave through Glenn Jones' signature crystalline electric
guitar, as "Bellevue Bridge" comes the closest to that familiar Cul de Sac
sound, while the title track "Death of the Sun" makes the most jarring
departure, melding tripped-put beats, dirge guitar, unsettling samples and
acoustic textures into one wildly hallucinogenic ride. The haunting closer,
"I Remember Nothing More", saunters morosely with acoustic guitar, sparse
drums, and a ghostly vocal sample flowing over and under the song's moody
current. Astonishingly, no two songs were created in the same way.

Death of the Sun is a challenging listen, pushing the Cul de Sac sound
forward into entirely new realms. Folk, avant rock, electronica,
turntablism, field recordings, percussive trance, ambient, Middle
Eastern...the points along the musical plane are vast, but in the hands of
Cul de Sac, the integration is spellbinding and atmospheric.

Six tunes: Dust of Butterflies - Bamboo Rockets, Half Lost in Nothingness,
Searching for an Inch of Sky - Turok, Son of Stone - Bellevue Bridge - Death
of the Sun - I Remember Nothing More

Download a mp3 track [I Remember Nothing More] @ Strange Attractors

# posted by DJ Martian 11:15 PM

 

The GrEEN DoLPHiN's PoLL 2002

The results of the 2002: The GrEEN DoLPHiN's PoLL have been published. Sigur R�s win band and album of the year.

# posted by DJ Martian 5:27 PM

 

The Go-Betweens

Playlouder interview The Go-Betweens

# posted by DJ Martian 5:10 PM

 

Throwing Muses and Kristin Hersh albums - delivery date March 17th in the UK

See 4AD news:

4AD have confirmed the release dates for the new Throwing Muses and Kristin Hersh albums. They will be in the shops on March 4th in the US and on March 17th in the rest of the world. "Throwing Muses" sees Kristin Hersh reunited in the studio with David Narcizo and Bernard Georges for the first time since "Limbo" was released in 1996. Tanya Donelly also made an appearance at the sessions - she sings backing vocals on several tracks.

In stark contrast to the raw, amped-up exhilaration of the Throwing Muses album comes Kristin's latest solo recording, released on the same day. "The Grotto" is slow-moving, introspective and totally spellbinding - with Kristin's voice and acoustic guitar fleshed out delicately by guests Howe Gelb (Giant Sand) and Andrew Bird (Bowl Of Fire) who provide piano and violin respectively.

Both albums come adorned with cover art by Shinro Otahke (who also provided the images for "House Tornado" and "Hips And Makers", amongst others). v23 have created beautiful packaging to make the most of the paintings - initial quantities of "Throwing Muses" will be available as a special six-panel digipack.

Throwing Muses will be touring Europe to coincide with the release of these albums.

# posted by DJ Martian 4:44 PM

 

BPI Back Campaign to Reduce VAT on CDs across the EU

the BPI report: Music Buyers Call For Level Playing Field on VAT Rates

British music lovers are calling on the EU to play fair and treat recorded music on a par with other cultural goods.

More details of VAT Coalition Give Music a Break

# posted by DJ Martian 4:27 PM

 

The Brainwashed Brain V06I06 - 02162003

This week's The Brainwashed Brain includes reviews of:

Ryoji Ikeda - Op
Touch

Charles Atlas - Worsted Weight
Ochre

Cul De Sac - Death of the Sun
Strange Attractors

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Nocturama
Anti

Pram - Dark Island
Domino UK/ Merge US

Jah Wobble - Fly
30 Hertz

The Postal Service - Give Up
Sub Pop

Also last week's Brainwashed Brain

Con Dolore - Sailor's Warning
Clairecords

# posted by DJ Martian 12:53 AM

 

SPOTLIGHT...KEY NEW RELEASES THIS WEEK:

Key new album releases for February 17th [A more detailed release listing including other new releases, compilations and reissues - can be found further up this webpage.]


This Week: February 17th

Am-Boy - Floridian (Wobblyhead) US Import
Steffen Basho-Junghans - Rivers and Bridges (Strange Attractors Audio House) Import
Cul de Sac - Death To The Sun (Strange Attractors Audio House) Import
Delicate Awol - Heart Drops From The Great Space (Fire)
Dirty Three - She Has No Strings Apollo (Bella Union)
Fao Jesus - Tse Tse Fly Soul (FAOjesus)
Freaks - The Man Who Lived Underground (Music for Freaks)
The Go Betweens - Bright Yellow, Bright Orange (Circus)
The Haunted - One Kill Wonder (Earache)
Jan Jelinek Avec The Exposures - La Nouvelle Pauvrete (~Scape)
Christian McBride - Vertical Vision (Warner Brothers Records)
Ministry - Animositisomina (Sanctuary Records/ Mayan)
Momus - Oskar Tennis Champion (American Patchwork)
No-Man - All that You Are (Hidden Art) ep
Michael Nyman - Sangam (Warner UK)
The Postal Service - Give Up (Sub Pop)
The Soft Pink Truth - Do You Party (Soundslike)
Jimi Tenor - Higher Planes (Kitty Yo)
VS Price - Minette (Expanding)
W.I.T / Whatever it Takes (Mogul Electro)
Also:
Black Dice - Beaches & Canyons (FatCat) UK Release 2003

For Reference:

Last Week: February 10th

Asa-Chang & Junray - Tsu Gi Ne Pu (Leaf)
Cult of Luna - Beyond (Earache)
Vikter Duplaix - International Affair (Hollywood Records/ Warners)
Echoboy - Giraffe (Mute)
Massive Attack - 100th Window (Virgin)
Meam - Meam (Skam)
Mileece - Formations (Lo) Full UK Release
Old Mans Child - In Defiance Of Existence (Century Media)
Erlend Oye - Unrest (Source)
Maja Ratkje - Voice (Rune Grammofon)
Strapping Young Lad - SYL (Century Media)
Stylophonic - Man Music Technology (Prolifica)
Supersilent - 6 (Rune Grammofon)
Xela - For Frosty Mornings and Summer Nights (Neo Ouija)
Zwan - Mary Star of the Sea (Reprise) UK Release Date
Also:
Ruins - Tzomborgha (Ipecac) UK Release 2003
Shadows Fall - The Art of Balance (Century Media) UK Release 2003

# posted by DJ Martian 12:06 AM

Monday, February 17, 2003

 

Adrian Sherwood

BurnitBlue.com interview Adrian Sherwood

# posted by DJ Martian 6:04 PM

Sunday, February 16, 2003

 

Bent

BBC Collective interview Bent

Bent's second album: The Everlasting Blink, is released March 3rd.

# posted by DJ Martian 10:47 PM

 

Cave In

Anchor, the first single taken from the forthcoming Cave In album: Antenna, is now available to view as streaming video in either windows media media or real player.

# posted by DJ Martian 8:08 PM

 

Potentiam - Orka I Myrkri

At long last, Iceland's premier dark metal band: Potentiam have finished recording their album, Orka I Myrkri - coming soon on AvanteGarde music/ Wounded Love records. Check the MP3 download.

# posted by DJ Martian 7:58 PM

 

Hooky hooks up with Hybrid

Neworderonline report that Peter Hook is performing bass guitar duties on the forthcoming album from Swansea based progressive breakbeat combo: Hybrid

# posted by DJ Martian 7:30 PM

 

Dave Douglas - Freak In

All About Jazz review Dave Douglas - Freak In

# posted by DJ Martian 6:52 PM

 

2nd Gen

CMU Online have an interview with 2nd Gen. Expect a new 2nd Gen album in April on Quartermass.

# posted by DJ Martian 6:17 PM

Saturday, February 15, 2003

 

Martin L Gore - Counterfeit�

Depeche Mode's Martin L Gore has a new official website, the album: Counterfeit� will be released on April 29th.

Welcome to the launch of the official web site for Martin L. Gore's "Counterfeit�" project. Coming soon are audio samples, in-studio video clips, and much more.

# posted by DJ Martian 6:46 PM

 

This Week's New Releases @ Boomkat

This week's new releases @ BOOMKAT - A PELICANNECK ELECTRONIC MUSIC STORE include:

Jan Jelinek - La Nouvelle Pauvrete - Scape

Quite easily the best release to date on Pole�s Scape imprint, the return of Jan �Farben� Jelinek has been a massively popular album for us here in the office, a simply intensely original, deep and affecting collection of tracks that once again highlight just how talented and out there Mr Jelinek really is. �La Nouvelle Pauvrete� is one of those amazing albums that sounds astonishing the first time it�s heard, and just gets better and better with every listen. The opening �Introducing� arranges a dense display of found sounds, electric tinkles and velvet layering that end abruptly with a round of applause leading into the bubble bass microscopic house jazz essence of the unbeleiveably good second track �Music To Interrogate By�. The same �Loop-Finding� technique displayed on Jelinek�s last album is used, but the method is invisible and the production nothing short of fully realised. The static on the groove builds up the dusty atmosphere, the cascading Rhodes inspiring a million emotions, the bounce of the beats moving you limb by limb with pure exhiliration. Unbeleivable stuff. �Facelift� introduces Jan�s imagined vocal acompaniment �The Exposures� - a dark, processed, slowed down and layered vocal performance that takes the record into entirely new domain, rich with a thousand ideas, avoiding the temptation to clutter, ending up with an important and groundbreaking piece of work that works in its entirety, from beginning to end. Sublime.

Am Boy - Floridian - Wobblyhead

Brand new album from Wobblyhead, the label that brought us Casino Versus Japan�s mighty �Go Hawaii�. �Floridian� sticks with the sun soaked music of Casino and Freescha. A style of music that has as much to do with late seventies synth experimentalism as it has to do with the current IDM scene though a couple of tracks sound a little too close to a Boards demo for comfort. Floating keyboard lines that could be straight out of Walter Carlos� studio / atmospheres that are pure Eno, it�s only when the beats drop that you know this album is contemporary at all. Fresh and joyful uncluttered old school electronica.


Black Dice - Beaches & Canyons - Fat Cat

Luminaries of Tigerbeat 6 and DFA, Brooklyn�s Black Dice release their debut LP for FatCat Records. Recalling the kindred spirits of Can, My Bloody Valentine, Throbbing Gristle, Sonic Youth & early Pink Floyd, Black Dice infuse a blend of Godspeed You Black Emperor! and IDM .Thurston Moore has namedropped them endlessly, and with the Kid 606 further championing their sound this is very much set to be a good year for them. Check.


Humanoid Sessions - 84-88 - Rephlex

Aceeeed!! And one of the releases we have been most waiting for on Boomkat recently arrives, the infamous Humanoid Sessions from Future Sound of Londons Brian Dougans. With a history stretching back to the earliest days of Acid House, Brian Dougans has produced prolifically under various pseudonyms, one of the earliest being Stakker. Famous for the massive �Humanoid� hit, this release opens with the �Snowman Mix� of Humanoid, a subtler mix, not as full on but still harbouring all the ingredients that made the track such a winner. There are 23 tracks listed across the album, many being short interludes that work well in bridging the mayhem and syncing the tracks together with broken beats, dsp style noises and vocal chop ups that are quite similar to the interludes on the �Eurotechno� 12�. The essential cuts on the album, however, rest with the full tracks. Head for the deep acid of �Motion Static� with its low octave 303 creating a solid bassline backed by the 808 drums and secondary acid lines over the top, an ace old school winner that quite simply nothing short of absolute classic. Next up is �Jet Stream Tokyo� with its space zap breakdown, acid frenzy and superb beat programming that gets more spannered as it progresses containing shades of old Chicago acid shining through, ace. Next drop onto �Cry Baby� with its enticing female vocals and obligatory 303 lines flipping all over the place, close your eyes and your back in an illegal warehouse experiencing the acid heyday of the late 80�s, pure genius. There are so many points of reference and good moments on the album that I will leave with one more and let you discover the rest yourself, �Nano Plura� has no discernable acid line running through it, though has some amazing flanged drums echoing across the speakers with distorted guitar lines modulating around the beat, the percussion driving crazy and highly experimental (remember this is 84-88!!) and is well worth listening to loudly. An inspired release from Rephlex, and a fantastic archive of a bygone era that sets the scene perfectly for the long long awaited return of the Ceephax Acid Crew and his acid madness, due very soon! Awesome.


Mouse On Mars - Rost Pocks - The EP Collection - Too Pure

Hey Kids, we grew up with these tunes!! When the mighty Vulvaland album (terrible name) came out over ten years ago (blimey) it was pretty clear that something new was taking place in the world of electronic music. With its lush tones, quirkiness and dub stylings, Mouse on Mars followed close on the heels Warp�s Artificial Intelligence brigade in terms of sheer innovation and the expansion of aural boundries. �Rost Pocks� is an ace collection of tracks from MOM�s EP�s for too pure, bringing together much overlooked tracks from Frosch, Cache Coeur Naif, Saturday Night World Cup Fieber and Bib. The tracks have aged beautifully, from the opening eccentricity of the mighty �Frosch�, to DJ Fruit�s (killer DJ name), awesome world cup remake, to the bass heavy breakbeat shuffles of �Bib� and the Stereolab collaboration �Cache Coeur Naif�. Essential tunage.


The Soft Pink Truth - Do You Party? - Soundslike

Highly anticipated album from Matmos mainman Drew Daniel, aka The Soft Pink Truth, on Matthew Herbert�s Soundslike imprint. Effortlessly fusing the r�n�b suss of Timbaland with the glitch cut up dynamics of Akufen and the sexyness of classic 70�s disco. Made up from the two now classic 12��s �Soft Pink Missy� and �Promo Funk� alongside three additional tracks �Do You Party� is the essential album of this harsh winter. From the midtempo cut-up delight of �Everybody�s Soft� to the female tribute �Gender Studies�. The Blevin Blectum bomb �Make Up�. The John Carpenter down the disco delight �Promo Funk� then onto the dirty r�n�b booty house groover �Over You (No Love)�. The new tracks are �Satie (Grey Corduroy Suit)� which adds a dose of Matmos electronics to the cocktail - �Big Booty Bitches� is hyper glitched with many miami bass samples and a moody synth line. The album closes with the touchingly funny and heartfelt sample collage �I Want To Thank You�. Wicked from start to finish, add a splash of pink to your cd collection today. Ace.


V/A Brooklyn Keeps On Takin' It - Record Camp

Excellent label sampler on New York�s fine Record Camp imprint, sitting nicely alongside the wicked 12� from Sky Tucker listed above. Tricky electronic beats and chop-ups are the order of the day, an impressive collection of tracks from a largely unknown collection of new talent. The aforementioned Sky Tucker makes another excellent, dark and menacing appearance on the ace �Kronik�, while emerging talent Secret Agent Gel, , San Serac, Baloons, Satellite Beach, Sulako, Heat Sensor, Galvanized and more all implement deadly warfare on tricky beats, brooding melodies and total sound innovation. Record Camp will surely build themselves up nicely to rank alongside Schematic and Beta Bodega at the forefront of the US electronic scene, get in on them quick, before the hype spins out of control. Wicked.


Carla Kihlstedt - 2 Foot Yard - Tzadik

Carla Kihlstedt is one of the most versatile violinists in new music, is much at home performing Stravinsky's Histoire du Solidat on the concert stage, swinging jazz solos in the popular Tin Hat Trio, scraping noise improvisations with Derek Bailey, or rocking out at CBGBs with her SF based band Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. 2 Foot Yard, her first CD under her own name is a creative compendium of genre-breaking instrumentals and vocal miniatures, featuring some of the greatest performers out of the exciting SF/Bay Area scene.


Fransisco Lopez - Addy En l Paid De Las Frutas Y Los Chunches - Alien 8

One of the best Lopez CD's to date. Found sound processing with digital effects. Source material recorded during the rainy seasons at various locations in South America. At points the torrent of rain is overbearing and then the faintest droplet of rain on leaf glistens. A very impressive piece of work for fans of 12k and Trente Oiseaux.


John Zorn - Masada Guitars - Tzadik

In 1993, John Zorn began composing and performing his 208 tunes that now comprise what is known as the 'Masada' songbook. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of this, his most popular musical project, John Zorn has organized a series of CDs, featuring his most illustrious colleagues performing their own unique arrangements of these classics of modern Jewish music. This first release contains three guitarists whose styles are as varied as the compositions they perform. From the singular brilliance of Marc Ribot, the lush sonorities of Bill Frisell, to the orchestral virtuosity of Tim Sparks, Masada Guitars is a glittering tribute, lovingly executed by three of the most original guitarists in the world.


Painkiller - Talisman (Live In Nagoya) - Tzadik

Bringing together three of the most voracious and energetic musical minds in new music - John Zorn, Bill Laswell & Mick Harris, PainKiller was one of the most intense live bands ever. Here they are captured at their absolute peak. Culminating their legendary 1994 tour of Japan in a masterful set featuring one of their longest and most inspired improvisations, the thirty-five minute Batrachophrenoboocosmomachia. Beautifully recorded by the unsung fourth member of the group sound engineer Oz Frith and packaged in deliriously original artwork, Talisman is a long awaited new release by one of the most original and unique sax/bass/drum trios in musical history.


Ryoji Ikeda - Op - Touch

Brilliant new Ikeda CD, utilizing string quartet sounds (mostly recorded in France at the Art Zoyd studios), with no electronic sounds used. Some tracks include: "op. 1 [for 9 strings].", "op. 2 [for string quartet]", "op. 3 [for string quartet]". "This is Ryoji Ikeda's sixth solo CD and his fourth for Touch, following the highly acclaimed +/- [1996], 0*C [1998] and matrix [2001]. He previously released �1000 Fragments� on his own CCI recordings, and �Time and Space�, a double 3 inch CD, for Staalplaat. 'op.1' was originally commissioned by 'experience de vol #3'. One notable aspect fans of his previous work will highlight upon, is his declaration that 'no electronic sounds have been used on this recording'. This is not to say that Ikeda has in any way renounced the world of electronic music that he has done so much to shape over the past seven years. 'op. 1' is a brave and deliberate step that also lends a new dimension to his previous output, with the acoustic space created by his string arrangements being subject to the same forensic attention to detail as before. " Recommended.


Cuica - City To City - Ubiquity

Excellent debut album from Pete Herbert and Simone Serritella. A nine track album that digitizes the infectious rhythms of brazil into an old meeting new framework - Metro Area meeting 90's Azymuth . No noodle, strictly dancefloor blinders. Plus the final track �Slipping Away� is pure downtempo bliss. Very tasty. Vinyl soon.


Jimi Tenor - Higher Planes - Kitty Yo

Seventh album from Jimi Tenor and he shows no sign of resting on his laurels yet. �Higher Planes� strips back the insane psych jazz rock of �Out Of Nowhere� but keeps the big band jazz attack intact with his sexed up love poems and wired sonics that have been in every Jimi album post �Organanizm�. One of this albums� key successes is the incredible Finnish Big Band, The UMO Jazz Orchestra � sounding like classic early 70�s jazz rock ala Mike Gibbs and Mike Westbrook - don�t be afraid. Jimi�s compositions are ace, full of life and passion. Throughout Jimi�s vocals are backed by his life partner Nicole Willis. Check.


Karminsky Experience Inc - The Power Of Suggestion - Patterns Of Behaviour

Long awaited debut album from the reknowned easy listening compilers The Karminsky Experience. After two very limited 12" releases appeared about three years ago the time would have been right then to launch this album - but nothing happened. Now in 2003 with Lemon Jelly going top 40 massive they choose to release their album. Fourteen tracks, funkbeat exotica, sci-fi pop, bangra boom-bop, cinematic dash and sweepscapes plus the Aphex Twin recommended Mike Flowers. Plus the tune from the Fosters ad 'Feng Shui'. Cool and the gang.


Peanut Butter Wolf - Badmeaningood Vol 3 - Ultimate Dilemma

Oh my!! Peanut Butter Wolf drops this dope mix for UD. A collection of old school funk and jazz jams - old school hip hop (Grandmaster Flash, The B Beat Girls, Cold Crush Brothers) - mad surprises from Joe Jackson, The Human League (yes!!) onto >>> Iron Butterfly, Alicia Myers, Roy Ayers, Prince Far I and much more. Dope artwork from Banksy. Mad digipak design. Snap this up now.

# posted by DJ Martian 5:46 PM

 

Latest Audited Circulation Sales: UK Music Magazines

MediaGuardian.co.uk report that latest circulation sales figures of some of the leading music magazines in the UK: Comedown continues for dance music titles

Summary:

Mixmag loses a third of their readers in the past year, sells 60,070 copies
Muzik on sales of 36,089 copies
Uncut up 25 % year on year
NME sells 73,338 copies a week
Kerrang! sells 84,173

No real surprises, Kerrang widens it's grip on the youth rock market, by increasing it's sales compared to the NME - it now sells over 10, 000 more copies than NME.

Mixmag magazine continues to lose readers because it is a useless magazine, trying to escape the rut of cliched 90s mainstream club culture [drugs features, ibiza specials all late spring and summer, superclubs, big promoters, uber-trance/hard house, judge jules, corporate club adverts, dancefloor picture snapshots ...zzzzzzzzzzz naff and boring] However Mixmag is desperately trying to find it's niche in 2003 - I see this month has Hardcore slapped on the front?, a desperate attempt to kick start a rave revival?

I can only see one way for Mixmag, downward sales, the superclub dance generation faded away and there are simply better magazines such as Jockey Slut, Breakin Point, DJ and Knowledge Magazine to serve the music fans these days. Mixmag has become a redundant dance dinosaur magazine of the 90s.

Uncut increases it's sales, probably in the 20something market, as the NME predominately serves alterna-teen/student trad retro alt-rock market these days and most over 20s are not being served by the NME.

# posted by DJ Martian 12:14 AM

Friday, February 14, 2003

 

Adult - Anxiety Always

BurnitBlue.com report that Adult will release their forthcoming album: Anxiety Always on Ersatz Audio in Mid April.

Andy Kellman @ Dubscrape has already flagged this as a staggering album.

# posted by DJ Martian 9:28 PM

 

Ulrich Schnauss - A Strangely Isolated Place

News Alert >>>

One of the leading European electronic artists of recent times, Ulrich Schnauss will release a new album: A strangely isolated place on City Centre Offices in May.

this will be out in may on city centre offices, towerblock 013, dlp / cd.

ulrich schnauss
a strangely isolated place

* gone forever
* on my own
* a letter from home
* monday - paracetamol
* clear day
* blumenthal
* in all the wrong places
* a strangely isolated place

written & produced by ulrich schnauss at sch�neberger insel
vocals by judith beck
guitar on track six by paul davis

Source: IDM-M Yahoo Group

# posted by DJ Martian 5:49 PM

 

Ministry - Animositisomina

Canadian music website, Jam Showbiz review Ministry - Animositisomina

I have read a few reviews of this and heard some tracks on radio. This seems to sum Ministry in 2003 up:

Outfitted with wall-to-wall buzzsaw guitar sludge, thwacking post-industrial drumbeats, ear-scraping production and howling, growling echo-chamber vocals, these 10 songs are billed as a return to the corrosive intensity of 1992's hit Psalm 69. Well, Al and partner Paul Barker may have their sound back, but they don't have the vision. Or the hooks. Or the choruses.

# posted by DJ Martian 5:20 PM

 

The Go-Betweens - Bright Yellow Bright Orange

The Guardian review The Go-Betweens - Bright Yellow Bright Orange

# posted by DJ Martian 5:12 PM

Thursday, February 13, 2003

 

Sleazenation

UK's best style-culture mag: Sleazenation has a new edition on sale tomorrow, February 14th.

# posted by DJ Martian 9:18 PM

 

Beans

Warp Records have set up a microsite for Beans

# posted by DJ Martian 8:38 PM

 

Ulver

It's a trap notify the latest Ulver news, including a remix album and a new ep.

ULVER 1993-2003: 1st decade in the machines is complete. Remixes by ULVER, Alexander Rishaug, Information, Third Eye Foundation, Upland, Bogdan Raczynski, Martin Horntveth, Neotropic, Stars of the Lid, Fennesz, Pita, Jazzkammer, V/Vm, Merzbow. Some previously announced artists/mixes have been left out; there�s a play time and a time to deliver. Out March.

A Quick Fix of Melancholy ep: 3 tracks over 30 min. reflecting the title. G. on vocals on VOWELS by the Canadian author Christian B�k. Out April.

Svidd Neger is slightly delayed. Premiere late May / early June.

Related news: Musique Machine link to BW & BK Garm has quit Arcturus [to concentrate on Ulver and running his record label: Jester Records]

# posted by DJ Martian 8:20 PM

 

Supersilent & Maja Ratkje

Tangents review the two latest albums on the Rune Grammofon label:

SUPERSILENT 6 : Rune Grammofon (RCD 2029)
MAJA RATKJE : Voice (RCD 2028)

# posted by DJ Martian 6:35 PM

 

One World: E-Z Rollers & Jimi Tenor

Reminder: this week's One World show on Radio 1:

>>> Thurs Feb 13th :: Midnight - 2am

Profiles: E-Z Rollers and Jimi Tenor

# posted by DJ Martian 5:39 PM

 

Interview: Black Box Recorder

The Independent interview Black Box Recorder

Black Box Recorder: Fatal attraction

In these days of bland, prepackaged pop acts, Black Box Recorder's morbid lyrics make their songs stand out. But, Fiona Sruges asks them, isn't that commercial suicide?

# posted by DJ Martian 5:14 PM

 

NME.com

NME.com has been redesigned. Unfortunately most of the content is still crap, dull and irrelevant IMHO. [Anyone else totally bored with the NME Carling Awards ? Raise your right arm now.]

UPDATE: The hall of shame: linked to laugh at...naff trad retro rock, the Winners of NME Carling Awards: 2003 NME CARLING AWARDS - FULL LIST OF WINNERS and BBC News: Oasis and Coldplay share awards and Radio 1: NME Awards: The winners are announced what a lot of alterna-teen rock rubbish !

# posted by DJ Martian 3:21 PM

 

If I were an editor of a weekly music magazine this week's front cover would feature: Cult of Luna

This week's front cover choice is Sweden's experimental rock band Cult of Luna. Their new album is called Beyond and is released this week on Earache records. Cult of Luna are the closest a European band has got to the monumental epic expansive multi-dimensional rock sound of US bands such as Neurosis and Isis.

LINE UP:
Klas Rydberg = Vocals
Erik Olofsson = Guitar
Marco Hild�n = Drums
Magnus Lindberg = Sound engineering
Johannes Persson = Guitar
Andreas Johansson = Bass


Clarity of purpose is often found by existing in a detached, solitary state, cleansing the mind of all peripheral impurities whilst concentrating on striving for a definitive, ultimate solution. Down the years the great thinkers, artists, religious and political figures have nearly all been able to extricate themselves from the crowd and in so doing, have broken the mould with fresh ideas and concepts, and new ways of approaching established traditions. Isolation brings its own rewards in the end.

Such is the way with Cult of Luna, based in Umea in the cold far north of Sweden, far removed from the more fashionable centres of Stockholm and Gothenburg. The culture of Umea has always thrived around the youth of the city, principally the university but also the arts and political scene. Naturally merging thought and art, the music scene has built a reputation for confronting, questioning and searching new ways to express the feelings of a population that is cut off from much of what outsiders traditionally imagine when they think of Sweden. Life in Umea is tinged with darkness and hostility, and the music emerging from the town reflects this - Meshuggah, Refused, Naglfar - all are distinct and diverse, but all have one thing common - a grim individuality. Cult of Luna reflect this distinct personality trait - they don't sound like anybody else, they don't claim influence from anybody else, and yet they know where they are headed. Clarity of purpose indeed.

Cult of Luna emerged from the ashes of the infamous hardcore act Eclipse. When the band split, vocalist Klas Rydberg along with guitarist Johannes Persson knew that their form of expression needed a higher level of commitment and development. They had their vision and so Cult of Luna was born with a distinct emphasis on the sound; raw, emotive and with total darkness. A two track demo recorded in January began the process, the band searching for the epic, cavernous sound that drove them. Cult of Luna wanted to be all emotions at once, offering hope and redemption but making the listener work through all the lows and disappointments that needed to be navigated to reach utopia. If the band's mission statement was to be defined, its was to inflict a harrowing journey on the listener keeping constant the chance of salvation.

After refining still further, the band expanded still further to include samples, opening up a more expansive and expressive path. Completing the line up at this time was Klas on vocals, Johannes & Erik on guitar, Magnus on samples, Marco on drums and Andreas on bass, who replaced the original member Axel. It�s testament to each of the individual members belief in the direction of Cult of Luna that the band and the 6 of them have a singular vision they have retained to this day.

Despite sporadic live performances and rehearsals, a split single with Switchblade was issued via Trust No One, and shortly afterward the band signed to UK based Rage of Achilles Records, issuing a self titled debut album in September 2001. Immediately news of the band's apocalyptic, mammoth sound worked its way into cult circles and the band received rave reviews. Discerning listeners instantly appreciated the bands unique approach, trading light and dark to create a cataclysmic noise that hit the heart and the head in equal measures. Respected noisecore label Hydra Head records subsequently released a two-track 7" in March 2002, following which the band became part of the Earache family in June 2002.

Cult of Luna knew that they had it within them to record an album that would stand alone as a true artistic statement, introducing material that affected the soul as much as the ears. As befitted an album of such stature, the debut album for Earache 'The Beyond' was recorded in the Autumn of 2002 at the highly respected Tonteknik Studios and produced by Cult of Luna and Co-Produced by Pelle Henricsson famed for his work on Meshuggah, Hell Is For Heroes, Refused and The Hives.

Cult of Luna have now truly found their niche, the ability to create expressive sonic soundscapes, raising the spirits one moment and dashing dreams in the next. The album pivots on such an oppressive rumble that you are never quite sure if this is the sound of ultimate release or rather the sound of total personal annihilation.

'The Beyond' is full of the Orwellian traits of density, scale and oppression but ultimately Cult of Luna is the sound of freedom.........no restraining influences, no need to conform, no desire to be regimented - it�s the continual fight to find a release from all of the darkness, all of the reflection, all of the questioning, that a detached existence brings.

Source: Earache

Order you copy of Cult of Luna - The Beyond @ Cd999 for a bargain price.

# posted by DJ Martian 12:33 AM

Wednesday, February 12, 2003

 

Critics' Best 100 Albums of 2002

Listed below are Jumping Fences' 100 most critically acclaimed albums of 2002. This list was based on 66 end-of-year magazine/webzine polls from all over the globe, and was calculated using extremely 'elaborate' mathematical formulas!

For stats fans: Critics' Best 100 Albums of 2002

Well, well...three months of end-of-year-list shenanigans have finally come to an end.

... and the most critic praised album of the year: The Streets - Original Pirate Material, with The Flaming Lips coming second.

# posted by DJ Martian 2:52 PM

 

Supersilent - 6

Norwegian art collective's sixth album is the culmination of everything they've worked toward. Dense, moody improvisation as exhilarating as it is unsettling.

Pitchfork highly rate Supersilent - 6 with a 9.1 review.

# posted by DJ Martian 2:41 PM

 

Stylophonic - Man Music Technology

Playlouder review Stylophonic - Man Music Technology

# posted by DJ Martian 2:37 PM

 

Pazz & Jop 2002

The obligatory link to Pazz & Jop 2002 and ILM: let the games begin... (P&J02 is here)

As I have said previously on this weblog and on ILM, I believe the concept of Pazz & Jop is completely ridiculous due to the methodology behind it - how can critics sum up any year with only 10 album choices in their ballots. The results of this poll are going to be skewed to the same predictable high profile critic oriented types at the top echeleons: a cozy consensus of conformity that rewards conservatism.

The stupid system also rewards the casual lazy promo critic that only listened to a select few albums albums in a year [this list is so Rolling Stone magazine alike re the top 40 places]. Pazz & jop would be a much better concept if they upped the votes to Forty or Fifty albums, this would give a much better representation of music in a given year.

Pazz & Jop 2002 Winners

Here is the Top 40:


artist title label points
1 Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot Nonesuch 2328(201)
2 Beck Sea Change DGC 1506(139)
3 The Flaming Lips Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Warner Bros. 1227(111)
4 The Streets Original Pirate Material Locked On/Vice 1189(101)
5 Sleater-Kinney One Beat Kill Rock Stars 1126(100)
6 Bruce Springsteen The Rising Columbia 1108(96)
7 The Roots Phrenology MCA 1092(109)
8 Eminem The Eminem Show Aftermath/Interscope 1012(93)
9 Coldplay A Rush of Blood to the Head Capitol 964(88)
10 Missy Elliott Under Construction Elektra 942(90)
11 Queens of the Stone Age Songs for the Deaf Interscope 874(89)
12 Solomon Burke Don't Give Up on Me Fat Possum/Anti- 813(77)
13 Elvis Costello When I Was Cruel Island 797(77)
14 Spoon Kill the Moonlight Merge 795(79)
15 Interpol Turn on the Bright Lights Matador 772(75)
16 Norah Jones Come Away With Me Blue Note 712(71)
17 Bright Eyes Lifted, or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground Saddle Creek 655(58)
18 DJ Shadow The Private Press MCA 625(55)
19 N.E.R.D. In Search of ... Virgin 516(57)
20 Sonic Youth Murray Street DGC 487(48)
21 The Hives Veni Vidi Vicious Sire/Burning Heart/Epitaph 481(51)
22 Drive-By Truckers Southern Rock Opera Lost Highway 457(32)
23 Neko Case Blacklisted Bloodshot 455(45)
24 The Best Bootlegs in the World Ever No Label import 432(37)
25 Sigur Ros ( ) MCA 428(44)
26 2 Many DJ's As Heard on Radio Soulwax Pt. 2 Pias import 414(34)
27 Steve Earle Jerusalem E Squared/Artemis 396(40)
28 Andrew W.K. I Get Wet Island 374(38)
Super Furry Animals Rings Around the World XL 374(33)
30 Orchestra Baobab Specialist in All Styles Nonesuch 370(32)
Scarface The Fix Def Jam South 370(29)
32 The Doves The Last Broadcast Capitol 358(33)
33 Blackalicious Blazing Arrow MCA 352(38)
34 Common Electric Circus MCA 333(32)
Linda Thompson Fashionably Late Rounder 333(29)
36 Clinic Walking With Thee Domino 329(33)
37 Mekons OOOH! Quarterstick 321(31)
38 Soundtrack of Our Lives Behind the Music Republic/Universal 307(34)
39 Cee-Lo Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections Arista 268(27)
40 Yeah Yeah Yeahs Yeah Yeah Yeahs Touch and Go


Selective best of the rest [I must note there is a big wodge of rubbish going through the poll]


40 RJD2 Deadringer Definitive Jux 264(23)
44 = Liars They Threw Us All in a Trench and Stuck A Monument on Top Blast First / Mute 231(26)
48 Boards of Canada Geogaddi Warp 221(23)
49 Black Dice Beaches and Canyons DFA 220(21)
56 El-P Fantastic Damage Def Jux 202(18
57 Metro Area Metro Area Environ 201(18)
58 Felix da Housecatt Kitten and Thee Glitz Emperor Norton 197(21)
63 Notwist Neon Golden City Slang 178(16)
67 = Out Hud S.T.R.E.E.T. D.A.D. Kranky 164(16)
83 Wire Read & Burn 01 Pinkflag 139(15)
90 Peter Gabriel Up Geffen 129(13)
97 Mum Finally We Are No One FatCat 123(13)
97 = Radio 4 Gotham! Gern Blandsten 123(12)
124 Anti-Pop Consortium Arrhythmia Warp 96(9)
132 Recloose Cardiology Planet E 91(7
136 = Rush Vapor Trails Atlantic 89(8)
139 High on Fire Surrounded by Thieves Relapse 87(8)
147 Cornelius Point Matador 83(9)
149 Amon Tobin Out From Out Where Ninja Tune 82(8)
154 Elbow Asleep In The Back V2 79(6)
157 David S. Ware Quartet Freedom Suite AUM Fidelity 77(6)
160 = Oneida Each One, Teach One Jagjaguwar 75(6)
164 = Underworld A Hundred Days Off V2 74(6)
176= Beth Gibbons and Rustin Man Out of Season Go! Beat import 70(6)
187 = Primal Scream Evil Heat Epic 67(8)
197 = Dälek From Filthy Tongue Of Gods And Griots Ipecac 62(7)
200 Porcupine Tree In Absentia Lava 61(5)
217 = Saint Etienne Finistere Mantra 53(5)
241 = Godspeed You! Black Emperor Yanqui UXO Constellation 46(4)
243 Comets On Fire Field Recordings From The Sun Ba Da Bing Records 45(6)
= Ladytron Light and Magic Emperor Norton 45(6)
248 = Isis Oceanic Ipecac 44(6)
259 = DJ Spooky Optometry Thirsty Ear 42(4)
265 = ESG Step Off Soul Jazz 41(4)
268 = 90 Day Men To Everyone Southern 40(4)
268 = Casino vs. Japan Whole Numbers Play the Basics Carpark 40(3)
274 Suicide American Supreme Mute 39(4)
295 = Cinematic Orchestra Every Day 36(4)
312 = Peter Murphy Dust Metropolis 34(4)
321 = Schneider TM Zoomer Mute 32(4)
337 = MRI All That Glitters Forcetracks 30(4)
337 = Books Thoughts for Food Tomlab 30(3)
337 = Hella Hold Your Horse Is 5RC 30(3)
387 = Derek Bailey Ballads Tzadik 27(3)
400 Opeth Deliverance Koch 26(3)
400 FC Kahuna Machine Says YEs Nettwerk America 26(2)
446 = Do Make Say Think & yet & yet Constellation 24(2)
446 = Farben Textstar Klang Elektronik 24(2)
446 = Nile In Their Darkened Shrines Relapse 24(2
456 = Akufen My Way Force Inc. 23(2)
464 = Mastodon Remission Relapse 22(2)
496 Covenant Northern Light Metropolis 20(2)
496 = Radian Rec.Extern Thrill Jockey 20(2)
The F**King Champs V Drag City 20(2)
Wire Read & Burn 02 Pink Flag 20(2)


That's it I am stopping there, too see the votes below 20 points if you must.

2002 Rewind >>>

Reminder of the some of the better Albums of 2002

A more comprehensive list can be found @ DJ Martian - Tracking the Best Albums of 2002

# posted by DJ Martian 12:56 AM

Tuesday, February 11, 2003

 

Resonance 104.4 FM

London's art based radio station Resonance 104.4 FM are holding an on-air and on-line fundraising event on 14th February. To continue operating Resonance 104.4FM needs additional funds.

# posted by DJ Martian 4:43 PM

 

One World

Forthcoming specials on One World show on Radio 1:

13th Feb >> EZ Rollers (tbc) and Jimi Tenor
20th Feb >> Norway Part 2 - The Bergen Experience
27th Feb >> Stereo deluxe - (German Label special)
6th March >> Xpanding Records label special and Peanut Butter Wolf
13th March >> One World Fight Club - Audio Bully's Vs Ninja (tbc)
20th March >> Norway Part 3 - The Oslo Experience
27th March >> Staff Show - Best Of the Xtra Bass Weekend (tbc)

# posted by DJ Martian 12:10 AM

 

Breezeblock

Forthcoming specials on the Breezeblock show on Radio 1:

11/02/03 >> Bent
18/02/03 >> Roots Manuva
25/02/03 >> Royksopp
11/03/03 >> DJ Downfall

Coming Soon...

>>> Themroc
>>> Beth Orton
>>> Autechre
>>> Slam

[Don't forget these individual shows will be available to listen anytime upto 7 days AFTER broadcast @ BBC Radio Player - Radio On Demand ]

# posted by DJ Martian 12:03 AM

Monday, February 10, 2003

 

The Human League - Reproduction, Travelogue, Dare/Love and Dancing

Phil Freeman presents an article @ Culturevulture.net: The Human League - Reproduction, Travelogue, Dare/Love and Dancing

# posted by DJ Martian 8:44 PM

 

Gavin Bryars - A Portrait

Gavin Bryars - A Portrait is released on the Philips label this week.

Gavin Bryars: a portrait is a double album celebrating the 60th birthday (on 16 January 2003) of this incredible musician, as well as his career to date as one of the most prolific, innovative contemporary composers. His work draws together jazz and minimalist composition, creating a sound that sits somewhere between the work of ECM artists, and that of Philip Glass, Michael Nyman and Steve Reich.

Gavin Bryars : A Portrait - 2xCD �13.99
Philips : 473 296 2 - A double album celebrating the 60th birthday of this wonderful musician. Gavin Bryars is one of Britain's foremost contemporary composers. His work draws together minimalism, ECM style 'chamber-jazz' and classical music creating a sound that merges them all into a perfect symbiosis of sound. Source: Piccadilly Records weekly releases e-mail.

# posted by DJ Martian 7:04 PM

 

Four Tet - Rounds

Superb news: On May 5th Four Tet will release a new album: Rounds, as reported by BurnitBlue.com

This is preceeded by a single on March 31st entitled �She Moves She�.

# posted by DJ Martian 6:44 PM

 

Black Dice - Beaches and Canyons

The spirit of No Wave lives on in New York quartet Black Dice's delicious brand of psychedelic noise.

'A blasting dream bomb of energy composition' says Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore and you'll probably agree with him after immersing yourself in this Brooklyn based quartet's glorious noise. The New Wave of No Wave?

Black Dice, Beaches and Canyons is Album of the Week @ BBCi Music

Full review: Black Dice - Beaches and Canyons

# posted by DJ Martian 6:01 PM

 

Jan Jelinek avec the Exposures - La Nouvelle Pauvret�

Junkmedia review Jan Jelinek avec the Exposures - La Nouvelle Pauvret�

# posted by DJ Martian 5:50 PM

 

The Postal Service - Give Up

The highly anticipated debut full-length collaboration from Dntel's Jimmy Tamborello and Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie.

Pitchfork review The Postal Service - Give Up

# posted by DJ Martian 5:48 PM

 

Echoboy - Giraffe

Playlouder review Echoboy - Giraffe

# posted by DJ Martian 5:45 PM

 

Kinski - Airs Above Your Station

Splendid review Kinski - Airs Above Your Station

# posted by DJ Martian 5:43 PM

 

Black Box Recorder - Passionia

Do Something Pretty review Black Box Recorder - Passionia

# posted by DJ Martian 12:56 AM

 

The Durutti Column - Someone Else's Party (Universal)

MusicOMH.com review The Durutti Column - Someone Else's Party (Universal) [released March 3rd]

# posted by DJ Martian 12:54 AM

 

SPOTLIGHT...KEY NEW RELEASES THIS WEEK:

Key new album releases for February 10th [A more detailed release listing including other new releases, compilations and reissues - can be found further up this webpage.]

This Week: February 10th

Asa-Chang & Junray - Tsu Gi Ne Pu (Leaf)
Cult of Luna - Beyond (Earache)
Vikter Duplaix - International Affair (Hollywood Records/ Warners)
Echoboy - Giraffe (Mute)
Massive Attack - 100th Window (Virgin)
Meam - Meam (Skam)
The Microphones - mount eerie (k)
Mileece - Formations (Lo) Full UK Release
Old Man's Child - In Defiance Of Existence (Century Media)
Erlend Oye - Unrest (Source)
Maja Ratkje - Voice (Rune Grammofon)
Strapping Young Lad - SYL (Century Media)
Stylophonic - Man Music Technology (Prolifica)
Supersilent - 6 (Rune Grammofon)
Xela - For Frosty Mornings and Summer Nights (Neo Ouija)
Zwan - Mary Star of the Sea (Reprise) UK Release Date
Also:
Ruins - Tzomborgha (Ipecac) UK Release 2003
Shadows Fall - The Art of Balance (Century Media) UK Release 2003

For Reference:

Last Week: February 3rd

Asian Dub Foundation - Enemy of the Enemy (Virgin)
Nick Cave - Nocturama (Mute)
Clearlake - Cedars (Domino)
Electric Company - It's Hard to Be a Baby (Tigerbeat6)
EZ Rollers - Titles Of The Unexpected (Moving Shadow)
Main - Transiency (Tigerbeat6) cd ep
Lou Reed - Raven (Warner Brothers)
Scenic - The Acid Gospel Experience (Hidden Agenda)
Matthew Shipp - Equilibrium (Thirsty Ear) Import [US release January 21]
The Stereonerds - HD Endless (Rather Interesting)
Super Numeri - Great Aviaries (Ninja Tune)
Also:
Iran - Moon Boys (Tumult) US Import/ UK Availability 2003
Mat Maneri - Sustain (Thirsty Ear) UK Release 2003
Projections - Between Here and Now (Guidance) UK Release 2003

# posted by DJ Martian 12:44 AM

Sunday, February 09, 2003

 

aquarius records new arrivals list #155

The latest aquarius records new arrivals list [#155:] includes:

SUPERSILENT 6 (Rune Grammofon)

We remember when Supersilent 1-3 came out, and we were like, who the heck are these guys with a debut triple cd?? After listening to it, of course we became fast fans. And Supersilent 4 and 5, which made interesting stylistic shifts, only served to deepen our appreciation of this Norwegian quartet. Now Supersilent 6 is upon us, and it's been eagerly anticipated -- we sold a whole bunch the day we got 'em in! On this disc, Supersilent continue to creatively pursue their own unique Nordic mind-meld of improv, electronics, jazz, and what we might describe as live musique concrete. Maybe we should call it glitch-fusion? Maybe not, but there's gorgeous Frippertronics guitar one moment, breathy trumpet the next, all with electronic drones and scattered drum-beats underneath. Delicate, shimmering soundscapes build into mammoth sound-masses, still shimmering. Their music still holds a great deal of mystery, even if the band is at last getting the exposure they deserve, such as a feature in the new issue (#228) of The Wire. Others have observed that it's amazing that Supersilent's music is totally improvised and without overdubs, and we'd have to agree. Supersilent 6 is a disc thick with noise of great beauty, and comes highly recommended.

ELECTRIC COMPANY - It's Hard To Be A Baby (Tigerbeat6)

Despite all the crackling digital fuzz, this is basically a pretty digestible pop record. "It's Hard to be a Baby" is a bit smoother than the usual mind melting laptop glitch fest. Witness the nouveau-bossa acoustic guitar flourishes here and there, mix that with pretty, melodic minor key synth strings and reeds and some non-threatening mid-tempo beats, and you're halfway to the atmosphere of a trendy boutique. There's plenty of interesting moments, though, as attention is focused on process through obvious, pause-ridden loops, and distorted piano and catchy melodies are plastered with distortion. It's all topped off with the sense of playfulness that infuses the Tigerbeat roster. Kinda like downtempo lounge for robot programmers or glitch-core for aspiring international supermodels.

MAIN - Transiency (Tigerbeat6) cd ep

The evolution of Robert Hampson's career has employed a steady skeletonization of the guitar -- possibly to the point that he doesn't even play guitar anymore on any of his records, but at least to the point where he's producing nothing that resembles a guitar. After dissolving his first band (the incendiary hypno-rock group Loop) and fronting Main, Hampson first dropped all drum tracks, then removed the bass, and gradually shifted towards sampling technologies over the guitar itself. "Transiency" is a short 20 minute EP, released by longtime Main / Loop / Hampson fan Kid 606 on the Tigerbeat 6 label. True to the last couple of releases, Hampson offers studied compositions of electronic minimalism and concrete flourishes that have been clipped against gaping voids of quiet spaces.

# posted by DJ Martian 10:33 PM

 

UBL

UBL is back. The Ultimate Band List, serving up Web links to music information since 1994, is back and better than ever. Browse hundreds of thousands of links, or add your own.

Useful resource: UBL [I have noticed that they have updated the html code for their search banner. I have added a UBL search banner on the: Archives/More Links webpage. ]

# posted by DJ Martian 8:13 PM

 

No-sword music

Music weblog: No-sword music

No-sword music: Japanese music info in English

# posted by DJ Martian 6:59 PM

 

Xiu Xiu

5 Rue Christine have a new download [Sad Pony Girl] off the forthcoming Xiu Xiu album, A Promise.

Superb experimental art-pop-rock, with a distinctive quirky vocal style and unusual instrumentation. Highly recommended for fans of The Cure, Furniture, Virgin Prunes/ Gavin Friday and Talk Talk circa Colour of Spring.

# posted by DJ Martian 6:54 PM

 

Cabaret Voltaire

BurnitBlue.com report forthcoming releases from Cabaret Voltaire:

>>> four new mixes of their classic 1979 track �Nag Nag Nag� on Mute label The Grey Area on March 17.
>>> Yashar - a 12� with mixes by All Seeing Eye and Alter Ego. Out May 5.
>>> Methodology - The Attic Tapes (1974-1978) - a box set of rare and unreleased material. Out May 19.
>>> Double Vision Presents Cabaret Voltaire - a DVD released on June 9.

# posted by DJ Martian 6:48 PM

Saturday, February 08, 2003

 

Metacritic

As promised Metacritic has been redesigned:

Metacritic - Music and How the Scores Work

Metacritic: Music Best of 2002

Downloads @ Metacritic - Music Previews check out the excellent Dredg and Cave In

Metacritic - Upcoming Releases

and finally have a good laugh at the collated opinion of critics ratings of the best and worst albums of this decade so far: Metacritic - All Time Scores

The following is a list of all albums in Metacritic's database. Note that an album must have a minimum of 7 reviews to qualify for this list.

Metacritic's database currently includes 350-400 albums a year beginning in 2000, with a small number of albums from before that time. Additional older albums will be added throughout the year.

# posted by DJ Martian 9:34 PM

 

This Week's New Releases @ Boomkat

This week's new releases @ BOOMKAT - A PELICANNECK ELECTRONIC MUSIC STORE include:

[2 album of the week awards]

ALBUM OF THE WEEK

Meam - Meam - Skam

Meam have long been considered by those who have seen them in action as one of Skam�s most exciting prospects in quite a few years. A full audio-visual collective, Meam have been responsible for some of Skam�s most breathtaking label artwork, for the notorious Skam website and for the full visual accompaniment to Bola�s live shows in every corner of the world from Manchester to Japan and beyond. Having first displayed their sonic brilliance at Warp�s 10th anniversary Lighthouse show (dominating the Skam room), it was assumed by most that this mysterious collective must have had something to do with the label�s most famous inhabitants, the quality of the music was simply so high. Since then the collective have honed and sharpened their skills, taking the visual realm right to the front cover of the prestigious Creative Review magazine, working on film and the most intricate assembly of moving photomontage, through to the enhancement of their crunchy, cinematic soundsystem. This debut release offers generously : 8 tracks on vinyl or cd, with a full 20 minute DVD included in both formats, designed to facilitate a visual expression of a deeply dark and cinematic exploration of sound. The music on board kicks off with a 30 second flash of industrial field recordings, like a distant train weaving through a Bladerunner-esque skyline, before a razor sharp rotation of squashed beats and tweaks delivers a blue edit of hip hop styles and neon SFX that sees the next 30 minutes through with electroid interludes and transitionary travels through more industrial open spaces. The key here is dark, deeply cinematic electronic crunchiness of a kind that Skam have always excelled at and have delivered here in classic form. Think of a meeting point between Gescom, Smyglyssna and Vangelis for an idea. As for the DVD, the one thought that will come straight to your mind as you sink into it will be just how long each of those intricately organic moments of moving moving imagery would have taken to construct. Times that by 20 minutes and you have yourself something quite unbelievable. Awesome.

ALBUM OF THE WEEK

VS Price - Minette - Expanding

Expanding Records barely pause for breath, just a few weeks after the excellent Vessel full lengther, there's a new project on the block. Vincent is a French electronic artist based in Toulouse. His background is steeped in guitar-based music, and yet the Vs_Price release is sure to please listeners who appreciate the gritty minimal structures of artists like Shuttle358, Keith Fullerton Whitman, Fennesz and even Microstoria. 'Eponge' kind of sums up this album very well as an opener, initial pointillist loops mutate into the abrasion of crisped digital textures and a whisper of guitar feedback, before a wicked hip hop tempoed beat drops and just detonates on impact. Calming drifts of melody top the heady brew, and the beat kicks it with some awesome sub bass science redefining low end theory before your ears can take it all in. In keeping with this depth charge opener, the album presents a well rounded dose of invisible melodies, digital interference and abrupt electrical downpours - unfolding multi-layered, arhythmic whorls of sound. Tracks like 'Bretelle' and 'Outrageous' have a crushed hip-hop vibe to them that practically seep into the subconscious, a squashed sound from the school of Musik Aus Strom, no bad thing in all truth. 'Palm' fairly crackles with submerged activity, merging ancestral chords with chattering percussive lines. The two closing tracks, "Pass" and "Dither" extract minute electrical frequencies that roll across the spectrum of sound easily. 'Pass' just takes an important step back, elements are deployed on an uncarved block, mithering loops exert ennervating influence on the album, and as deepest bass rumbles take control, the point dawns that all the disturbances merely smokescreen the ripping good rhythms suggested by these underground elements. '[Calin]Minette_' is produced with the textures of electrical wires in deep communion; microscopic sheets of static spread across stretched melodies. Further impressive emissions then from the Expanding camp, as they close on a shared perspective of a renewable experience, with varied factors taking the attention on each visit to this fine album. Recommended as always from this excellent imprint.

Asa Chang And Junray - Tsuginepu - Leaf

Fascinating second excursion for Asa Chang and Junray on the leaf label, one of those strangely varied and opulent albums that doesn�t quite make sense first time up, but just forces you to give it repeated attention, if only just to grasp its strange pull. �Toremoro� isa brilliantly eccentric and wildly beautiful opening, a multicoloured forest scene complete with tweeting chirps and electronic malfunctions, complimented by a whispering far Eastern flute that brings to mind all manner of strange creatures and life affirming scenarios. �...Ittemita� is beguiling, original female chanting edited and cutup to create a sort of ambient Prefuse 73 working in comission for the tibetan clergy. Quite amazing stuff. Once again, this is a compelling and wildly original album that nestles itself somewhere between Nobokazu Takemura and anonther life, somewhere in the far east, a long time ago. Gorgeous.

Dj Rolando - Sweat Volume One - Submerge

A new Rolando mix CD taking in the Detroit house scene of the last 10 years, everything from Mad Mike�s early excursions on Happy records to Moodyman�s timeless classic �Midnight�s� from the Soul City Sounds label. The tracks are mostly taken from the homegrown Detroit Soul City and Happy Records back catalogue�s, with a few extra�s and a mega bonus of an unreleased Los Hermanos House track to finish the CD off. The mixing is slick and club friendly and the track choice is classic party material, vocal house winners from the early Members of the House track �Hold On, Keep on Pushin� by Mad Mike on to Aaron Carl�s heavy remix of �Round and Round� by Gerald Mitchell and T Stringer. A wicked mix CD with a free history lesson in the Motor City�s House back catalogue, bumpin� an� grindin�. Check!!

Ontayso - Remixed, Reworked, Reconstructed & Reinvented Part 1 - U Cover

Latest release on the U Cover label, this time bringing together a list of excellent remixers for Ontayso, the collaborative project between Llips and Starfish Pool. Reworkings on board come from Kettel, DJ Godfather, Sense, Loess, Alejandra and Underwood, Scanner and many more. The opening sequence by Kettel sets the scene perfectly with its beatless serenity and interwieve of tinkling piano and isolated synths. Lovely. Loess display once again why they have been so often compared to Autechre and Boards with a brilliantly produced edit of spacious echoes and dirty, crunched-up beats that are delivered with their customary insistance to imbue IDM with a distinct slant of their own. Sense, meanwhile, also opts for the beatless option, a beautiful, gorgeously blissful layering of warm sounds and tones that Shuttle 358 have become well known for. In all, a surprisingly excellent compilation with slant that distincts itself from much that�s out there at the moment. Recommended.

Sonna - Smile & World Smiles With You - Temporary Residence

Following up the near-unanimous critical acclaim of their debut album, �We Sing Loud Sing Soft Tonight�, Baltimore's Sonna delivers slow-motion acrobatics with a beat you can dance to. With tempos ranging from head-bobbing to head-nodding, their blend of shimmering counterpoint guitars, buttery bass and shifting rhythms has become somewhat of a trademark that discerns them from similar bands of the ilk. Taking cues from Television, Brian Eno, Bedhead, Yo La Tengo and maybe a little bit of the Beach Boys, their songs are simultaneously more complex, more subdued and more catchy than ever before. Once again recorded by Steve Albini at his Electrical Audio Studio, the captivating energy of Sonna's live show is captured in brilliant detail, with every subtle nuance left intact. The songs were recorded live with barely an overdub in sight. This is a supreme slice of sublime soundscape driven pop.

Tadd Mullinix - Winking Makes A Face - Ghostly International

The record that started it all for Ghostly International and Tadd Mullinix aka Dabrye. >From 2000 this is a ten track collection of fully fleshed out electronica with classical overtones. Tadd had a classical upbringing and here he fused the past with the future. So far this album has had very little exposure in the UK. Thankfully Ghostly have repressed it. Check it.

Ruins - Tzomborgha - Ipecac

New album from Japanese Avant Rock legends RUINS, on Mike Pattons Ipecac label. Making their U.S. debut at the same time as the Boredoms on legendary American freak rock label Shimmy - Disc in the early 90�s, Japanese monster- progressive-hard core-avant-rock band of wonder, Ruins got their music worldwide notoriety earlier than anyone in the Japanese independent scene. Since then, Ruins have released albums on top avant-garde labels such as Tzadik, Skingraft, Sonore and others, and have and have become favorites of the global indie music world: like Shonen Knife or Zeni Geva, their renown reaches far beyond the confines of their native Japan. Ace.

Taylor Deupree & Kenneth Kirschner - Post_Piano - Sub Rosa

Lush minimal piano sample minimalism created from the noise of one single low-resolution piano sample. Kenneth Kirschner first composed a series of spare, improvised piano sketches which were then passed on to Taylor Deupree who used them as raw material for digital manipulation and as building blocks for the construction of new, collaborative compositions. Like Morton Feldman would sound if he was alive now and embracing digital technology. A split audio/data CD with the original patches available so you can explore your own of electro/acoustic sound manipulation. Recommended.

Erlend Oye - Unrest - Source

Erlend �ye, sometime King Of Convenience, sometime co-writer and singer on Royksopp singles, comes with his debut solo album set to soundtrack the forthcoming year and beyond . Recorded over 10 different cities, with �la Cr�me� of electronic producers : Morgan Geist, Soviet, Schneider TM, Jolly Music, Bjorn Torske, Prefuse 73, Kompis, Mr Velcrofastener, Minniza and Timo and Villunki. Erlend has created an emotive collection of explorative yet catchy pop ditties. The album has been preceded by two 12� of �Ghost Train� (Morgan Geist) and �Symptoms of Disease� (Mr Velcrofastener) to widespread critical acclaim.

JD Walker - Our Condition - Blueside

JD Walker reappeared a couple of years back as Logan Projects. Before that he was Sole's partner in Live Poets. The first group launched by the then unknown Anticon crew back in 1996. Vocally JD has the same haunted presence as Sole - very downbeat and moody. Production from Blucyde, Smerk and Lifelike. The cover art was designed by Sole as well. A killer warm up for Sole's new album 'Selling Live Water', out in a few weeks time. Five vocals, three instrumentals. Dope.

# posted by DJ Martian 8:51 PM

Friday, February 07, 2003

 

Interview: Massive Attack

BBC Collective have a Massive Attack interview.

# posted by DJ Martian 8:19 PM

 

VAST

Silent Uproar relay the news that epic rockers VAST intend to release 2 albums this year.

# posted by DJ Martian 8:03 PM

 

Matthew Shipp - Equilibrium

The Guardian review Matthew Shipp - Equilibrium

# posted by DJ Martian 2:06 PM

 

Zwan - Mary Star of the Sea

The Guardian review Zwan - Mary Star of the Sea

# posted by DJ Martian 2:04 PM

 

Massive Attack - 100th Window

The Independent review Massive Attack - 100th Window

The Guardian review Massive Attack - 100th Window

# posted by DJ Martian 1:54 PM

 

Black Box Recorder - Passionoia

The Independent review Black Box Recorder - Passionoia

# posted by DJ Martian 1:53 PM

 

Planet Mu

Future plans @ Planet Mu

Jega - Variance (ZIQ024 for fuck's sake)
Various - Children of Mu - cd compilation (ZIQ060)
Leafcutter John - (ZIQ061) New Album (including Khom?s and Mandolin Work)
Ambulance - The Curse Of Vale do Lobo (ZIQ067)
Dykehouse (ZIQ068)
�-Ziq - ZIQ070 ??
SpeedranchJanskynoise - Mi^grate album (ZIQ071)
Shitmat - 7" (ZIQ072)
Chevron - 7" (ZIQ073)
C.Reeves - album (ZIQ075)
Venetian Snares - single off the album on 12" with remixes (ZIQ076)
Venetian Snares - (ZIQ077) New album on 2LP/cd (follow up to Higgins style perhaps)

and so far un-ZIQnumbered releases from:

Electronic Music Composer (album being worked on)
Nick Raftis (album near completion)
EdIT (album being done)
Julian Fane (album hopefully - I've heard 4 great tracks)
Subjex (? if he ever sends me something)
Frog Pocket (7")
dDamage (?)
Nautilis (he's working on new tracks)
Phthalocyanine (i've heard 3 new tracks I really like)

We won't be able to release all of these this year but I'll do what I can..

# posted by DJ Martian 12:43 AM

 

Clicks and Cuts Vol3

BBCi Music review Clicks and Cuts Vol3 on Mille Plateaux.

# posted by DJ Martian 12:15 AM

Thursday, February 06, 2003

 

It's a Trap !

In a weblog format: It's a Trap

The latest on Scandinavian music from around the web.

# posted by DJ Martian 11:25 PM

 

Beyond Dawn - Frysh

Peaceville have announced a release date for the forthcoming Beyond Dawn album: Frysh ...wait for it....May 12th --- is this the most delayed album in the history of Norwegian rock music ? !

Album front cover: Beyond Dawn: Frysh

Official Beyond Dawn website:

The release of "FRYSH" has finally been set to May. Hooray! The CD will in addition to 14 songs include the video for "Among The Sedatives", you lucky yous. To further enhance the influence of the masterpiece on Joe Public, Peaceville have issued an exclusive radio-only promo cd-single featuring 3 tracks. If you think you have a very good reason for obtaining this, get in touch.

See Peaceville competition to:

Win one of 25 exclusive and extremely limited 3 track promo, taken from Beyond Dawn's new album

'FRYSH'

# posted by DJ Martian 11:14 PM

 

One World: End Label Special

Reminder: One World: End Label Special

Show broadcast on Radio 1 on Thursday 6th Febuary 2003.

# posted by DJ Martian 7:49 PM

 

Forthcoming Releases @ Pennyblackmusic.com

Selected forthcoming releases @ Pennyblackmusic.com:

Next Week's Releases

Asa Chang and Junray - Tsuginepu

Leaf

SUPERB NEW MINI ALBUM WHICH FOLLOWS THE MASSIVELY ACCLAIMED DEBUT ALBUM 'JUN RAY SONG CHANG' (BAY22/D) , ONE OF MOJO MAGAZINE'S TOP 50 ALBUMS OF 2002: "..AKIN TO TOM WAITS INTERPRETING SUN RA FOR THE YELLOW MAGIC ORCHESTRA AND MAKING IT WORK.....AMAZING". *A track from the debut album also appeared on JOHN PEEL'S FABRIC MIX CD and the Muzik Blue Room CD. *Asa Chang & Junray have once again come up with something utterly unique, focussing largely on the Indian percussive abilities of U-Zhaan and Asa Chang as well as the introduction of sitar. The strength of the unusual melodic flavours and violently colourful sounds remain undiluted. A true exotic adventure!. *OTHER QUOTES: "Be rendered awestruck...brilliant" (NME) "You'll hear nothing else like this all year" (MIXMAG SINGLE OF THE MONTH) "Breathtaking" (5/5 SEVEN UPDATE) "Fucking Awesome" (5/5 DJ) "Transcendant...a genuinely new musical experience" (JOCKEY SLUT)
.

Dwayne Sodahberk - Partying Without Inhibition Or Dignity Ep

Tigerbeat

This is the soundtrack for a bad night out, including bad attitude, bad judgement, social incompetence, desperation, embarrasment, and unmotivated bursts of exaggerated emotions. Finished immediately after his first european tour headlining and opening up for the likes of kid606 and the legendary thomas brinkmann. Musically, dwayne still can't decide if he's a punkrocker or an electronica geek or maybe an indiepop nerd, an indecisiveness that's both refreshing and extremely audible on this ep,from the walls of guitars in the opening song to the sassy electro title track (featuring vocals maria eilersen from swedish indie-electropunk band, revlon9), to the thick and downtempo hiphop beats of "what you waited for" (with vocals by dwayne), the sentimental pop in "yeah, you" and the v12-engined unstoppable four-to-the-floor of "forever" to the hysterical closing track. The cd version also includes some tracks previously available only on vinyl, the three best songs from the "unsound ep" on sodahberks own label stuporsonika, as well as the techno pop anthem "i_skatr" from the 12" "e.pr.disco ep"

Echoboy - Giraffe

CD on Mute

More vocal orientated than any of his previous work, it's undoubtedly the finest Echoboy record to date and as original and imaginative a pop album as you're likely to hear this year. �Giraffe� was recorded with legendary producer Flood and features ten new tracks. From the driving bass melody of album opener and forthcoming single, �Automatic Eyes� to the gorgeous �Summer Rhythm�, from the uplifting emotional edge of �Don�t Destroy Me� to the uncomfortable sarcasm of �Good on TV�, �Giraffe� is an album for everyone.. With a comprehensive promo, press and marketing strategy for this album, and the current climate being ripe for the sonics of Echoboy, not forgetting the phenomenal response to the live show, �Giraffe� is set to cross Echoboy over to a much wider audience. . The band have done over 30 live shows leading up to January and Echoboy will be touring around the country again in January and February to continue building the solid fan base. Peel live session for Radio One Live .Street postering : London, Manchester, Glasgow, Nottingham


Glass Candy And The Shattered Theater - Love Love Love

Troubleman

The debut album by portland's glass candy...love, love love brings to mind past heroes like t-rex and sylvester alike! Their patented mixture of glam and disco has spawned a mini-movement in the underground. This self-proclaimed "death disko" sound has the kids literally freaking out. The past troubleman singles are selling quicker than we can keep them in stock. Glass candy's once-rotating cast of drummers and bassists have finally solidified as well. Most recently, andy coronado (skull kontrol/ monorchid) joined glass candy on the bass and is touring and recording with the band, thus solidifying the lineup once and for all. The lp is a deluxe full-color gatefold jacket, and the cd opens into a giant poster - some of the most intense (and costly) artwork troubleman has ever produced.

Numbers - Death

Tigerbeat

The all star remix album of numbers blockbuster debut album, "life" . This is not just a collection of reworked and recycled songs, but a concept album putting numbers at the heart of a worldwide musical challenge for the remixers to outdo each other in every way possible, either by undeniably improving on the originals or reinventing them by adding not just new rythyms and synthesizers but in many cases new vocals and completely new musical sections all faithfully inspired by the funloving numbers aesthetic. Highlights include recent depeche mode remixer, electronicat (disko b, angelika kohlermann-paris)'s full throttle dance rockabilly remix of "driving song", gd luxxe (aka gerhard potuznik of mego, cheap records, ersatz audio, interdimensional transmissions-austria)'s new order'esque take on "prison life", kid606's rocksteady reworking of "we like having these things" into a hands in the air dance punk anthem, original hamster from chile's fittingly all over the sound canvas drill and bass remix of "human replace" and kit claytons very original and inspired take on the numbers theme song "information". .


Ruins - Tzomborgha

Ipecac

New album from Japanese Avant Rock legends RUINS. *Making their U.S. debut at the same time as the Boredoms on legendary American freak rock label Shimmy - Disc in the early 90's, Japanese monster- progressive-hard core-avant-rock band of wonder, Ruins got their music worldwide notoriety earlier than anyone in the Japanese independent scene. *Since then, Ruins have released albums on top avant-garde labels such as Tzadik, Skingraft, Sonore, and have and have become favorites of the global indie music world: like Shonen Knife or Zeni Geva, their renown reaches far beyond the confines of their native Japan. *Musical reference points? Think Magma, This Heat, Area, Frank Zappa, Henry Cow, and King Crimson. Add to that the violent speed of hardcore punk and thrash metal, and you're getting closer.


Whitehouse - Bird Seed

Susan Lawly

The much-anticipated follow-up to the highly-acclaimed 'cruise' album, 20-page booklet. Track listing : why you never became a dancer; wriggle like a fucking eel; philosophy; bird seed; cut hands has the solution; munkisi munkondi


Releases For The Week After Next

Bass Communion - Ii

CD on Headphone Dust

Bass communion is the name steven wilson (porcupine tree/no-man) gives to recordings he has been making since 1994 in an ambient and/or electronic vein. The music is comparable to the more ambient and spacious moments of porcupine tree and no-man. The focus is on stripped-down textures and careful, intriguing arrangements, though often spiked with a dark, rougher edge that suggests tension and deep undercurrents as much as quiet meditation. This is the second bass communion cd, now reissued By headphone dust. The album includes the robert fripp collaboration from the limited ep that came with the original (and now deleted) issue of the album added as a bonus track, bringing the disc up to 72 minutes in length.


Faruk Green - Certain Mr Green

CD on Copesetik

When Faruk Green signed to Copasetik they knew what to expect with label mates such as Terranova(also from Berlin, Flightcrank (Leeroy fromProdigy), Genaside 2 and a host of other luminaries.Haling from Germanys Black Forest (hence the name green forest) this trio consist of turkish/german engin 28, ozgur 26 and adem 28 all of whichhave different influences and styles from hip hop to philip glass to kraftwerk to the new york dolls!Their debut lp we have received much acclaim from the likes of Dazed And Confused, as well as Nme and tastemaker djs including Gilles Petersonand Steve Lamacq. There have been a lot of different acts coming outta germany over the years specifically Neubauten and more recently Jazzanova, Faruk Green add their own brand of style and individuality to the German canvas. The album was mastered at Mute records 'the instrument studio' with label head Daniel Miller popping his head in to give props to a sound he figured would be on your fav specialist radio station real soon!Played now on Steve Lamacq's radio one evening session and also on xfm along with Andy Weatherall stating 'brilliant'!


Keith Fullerton Whitman - Dartmouth Street

CD on Underpass

Keith fullerton whitman (aka hrvatski) inaugurates the first of 12 monthly installments in the new location sound series, met life, for his efforts, whitman sat in on the acoustic world of the tunnel that connects boston's back bay station to the copley plaza under dartmouth street. The sounds are a combination of pumped in muzak, children's voices bouncing off the glass walls, the sudden rush of commuters, and the glorious, rumbling low end buzz and rattle of the train ushering in and out of the station. Whitman electronically processed elements of the field recording and devised a brilliantly conceived thing of beauty that slowly and effortlessly unravels into an entrancing long form drone.


Mileece - Formations

CD on Lo

MOJO : "IT SOUNDS LIKE CRYSTALS, SNOWFLAKES AND THE STARS...... THIS SPARTAN SOUND SHARES A KINSHIP WITH OVAL, HAROLD BUDD AND EVEN ERIK SATIE." *"ELECTRONICA OF ETHEREAL BEAUTY" (MUZIK) "INTELLIGENTLY, UNCOMMONLY BEAUTIFUL" (THE WIRE) "FORMATIONS IS 'MUSIC FOR AIRPORTS' SET IN THE AFRICAN BUSH WITH A CELLIST TAGGING ALONG" (JOCKEY SLUT). *21ST Century Ambient at it's finest from Montreal based artist Mileece. Since her appearance on Radio 4's Midweek programme the phones haven't stopped ringing and with her live shows coming up Mileece is all set for a busy 2003. *Reminiscent of ENO/NOBUKAZU TAKEMURA or STEVE REICH at his most accessible, an ever shifting tapestry of sound using a mixture of electronics, voice and cello to make music that is delicate and refreshing.


No-man - All That You Are

CD on Hidden Art

Tim bowness and steve wilson from porcupine tree make a welcome reappearance as no-man after a brief respite to bring this us this 5 track mini-album before releasing their new album �all the blue changes.� if you were in any doubt as to why you started listening to no-man, or want to know what it Is that makes them special � simply listen to this. It features all the trademark sounds of no-man � wonderful melodies blending with vocals - and all this in a lunch-break sized snack, a perfect introduction or return to no-man. 'All that you are' first appeared on no-man's critical and cult success, 'returning jesus', and this mini-album showcases the london-based duo at its most lyrical and traditional. The new radio edit of 'all that you are', a beautiful and unique interpretation of classic ballad form, is issued alongside much sought after recordings from the 'returning jesus' sessions including the highly charged domestic drama of 'chelsea cap' and the moody, textural lament of 'darkroom'.


Transelement - Pendletones

CD on Soviet Uni

This debut album is released at a special low price.transelement hail from manchester where they have begun to achieve wide recognition from a growing circle of media.they have already recorded 2 peel sessions and this album has already been given 8/10 in the nme 2 weeks ago.this is soviet unions debut album after putting out eps by ocean size and sonar yen. �moody mangled guitars recall the cathartic fury of joy division or mogwai� nme.


To Infinity and Beyond


Grand Ulena - Gateway Yto Dignity

CD on Family Vineyard

Released on 24/02/03

grand ulena is the new blistering rock group of ex-dazzling killmen bassist darin gray. The st. Louis instrumental trio - rounded out by guitarist chris trull (darling little jackhammer) and drummer danny mcclain (johnny angel, arrmy of robots) - has been bewildering midwestern audiences on throughout 2002. Their debut, gateway to dignity, is a solidification of the past 15 years of rock music, rhythm, jazz and it splintered offshoots. Grand ulena is disjunct rhythms played at high velocity. Disjunct beats played under broken and jagged melodies. Repetition of the retarded. Complex structures combined with complete and utter failure. Failed soloing combined with rigid riffery. Extended instrumental techniques forged into song. Polyrhythmic, polyphonic -- damn jim!, poly-everything! The success and the failure of rock. Addicted to practicing. Addicted to perfecting and imperfecting. Addicted to the ridiculous and the impossible. Years of practicing before playing a show. Writing, destroying, moving beyond maintenance, and giving it their all but not giving it all away! If rock is ridiculous, then grand ulena is in full shenanigan mode and keeping it realer than real!


Hood - Singles Compiled

CDS on Misplaced Music

Released on 03/03/03

68 tracks/101.35 minutes / a long overdue retread through the profusion of long gone singles issued by hood between 1995 and 1998. Containing records that originally came out on labels like earworm, 555, love train, happy go lucky, orgasm and rocket racer, this limited double cd compilation also boasts 15 unreleased tracks and an 8 page colour booklet with liner notes from the band. The music here shows hood�s songwriting veering wildly between lo-fi pop gems, avant noise, electro/acoustic experiments and the drawn out majestic post rock that preceded last years universally well received �cold house� album on domino.


Hood - Compilations 1995 - 2002

CD on Misplaced Music

Released on 03/03/03

20 tracks/ 66 minutes / released concurrently with �singles compiled�, �compilations 1995-2001� is a round up of rare and impossible to find tracks issued on compilations and split singles. This really is a treasure trove of lost classics covering all eras of the bands development from the scratchy lo-fi beginnings to the more recent genre-disregarding highly acclaimed work on domino. Hood remain one of the uk�s most interesting and isolationist bands forging a fascinating if wilfully idiosyncratic career path.


Meanwhile Back In Communist Russia - My Elixir My Poison

CD on Truck

Released on 24/02/03

Having spent much of the past year touring the uk (inc. Dates with pulp, smog, electrelane), recording sessions for john peel , xfm and playing live on radio 1.�my elixir; my poison� was recorded over the summer at truck�s very own studio�s.where music has to be overly-simplistic and unchallenging, a band like mbicr are more important than ever.their roots lie back in the late 70s / early 80s new wave to brian eno, steve albini, michael nyman and godspeed. They are capable of extreme noise without relying on hammering the listener into submission. There is a uk tour to promote the album in feb. times.quotes: " a satisfying moodscape of swooshing boards of canada electronica, intense sonic youth-like crashing, textured guitar work, and bitter spoken monologues" *** q "... Poetry for the post trainspotting, post-rock generation' mojo,''... A welcome challenge to the aural senses" kkkk kerrang!


Ogurusu Norihide - Modern

CD on Car Park

Released on 17/03/03

Norihide�s distinctive techno-folk hybrid has been identified in some quarters as part of the burgeoning �laptop folk� scene (see also greg davis & takagi masakatsu), but to limit his music to the confines of a handy journalistic tag would be to do the artist a dis-service. His music follows its own path, informed as much by contemporary japanese culture as by the ancient rituals and institutions of the shinto faith (in which he is a priest). In an reflection of his hometown, kyoto, where centuries-old temples and gardens share space with the offerings of modern japan, the music on �modern� finds hand claps and bells rubbing up against digitally-produced rhythms integrated with acoustic guitar and piano. Instantly famialiar and totally abstract, �modern� bears the traces of many other musicians but sounds like no-one except its creator


Shipping News - Three Four

CD on Quarter Stick

Released on 24/02/03

Long awaited new release from Shipping News. *Shipping News' "Three-Four" compiles three highly limited EP's, which were originally distributed only in North America and features 3 brand new tracks exclusive to this album. *Shipping News will be making an extensive tour of Europe in February and March of 2003. *Shipping News includes Jason Noble (ex-Rodan, Rachel's) and Jeff Mueller (ex- Rodan, June of 44). *For Fans Of: June of 44, The For Carnation, Rachel's


Spacemen 3 - Forget Prescriptions

CDS on Space Age

Released on 24/03/03

This long awaited double cd is finally set for release on february 24th 2003. For those who were in the know, seminal act spacemen 3 were at the forefront of the newly emerging experimental sound in the mid 1980's. From their early releases like 'dreamweapon' to the later albums like 'playing with fire' you can chart their experiments and how they grew. This double album is from a mid point in their career and is how spacemen 3 wanted their work to sound. Some might say these are the definitive versions of many songs released on other albums.


Voivod - Voivod

CD on Chophouse

Released on 04/03/03

The brand new album from voivod featuring founding members, snake, piggy, away and former metallica bassist and echobrain man jason newsted. Respected, influential and usually godlike voivod is possibly the most creative band to master the metal form. For the band who constantly deliver and keep fans on the edge of their seats 2003 will be a landmark year. It marks their third decade and their 13th album. The album also see�s the return of original vocalist snake. This will be one of the metal albums of 2003. Totally essential for all metallica and metal fans.


Xiu Xiu - Promise

CD on 5 Rue Christine

Released on 24/02/03

A promise is the follow-up to their 5rc debut album knife play from last year, and their ep chapel of the chimes last summer on absolutely kosher records. It also marks the appearance of two new members, sam and jherek of the sweet science, who play on this record in addition to the older members cory and lauren. Xiu xiu make music that people have loved madly, or hated feverishly. There is a cover of fast car by tracy chapman. This album is a progression and evolution from their previous recordings, with orchestral stuff, more space and pause, more violent sophisticated crashes, more house music/dance floor feelings, and generally more depressing. Guests who played on the record: aaron russel from theteethe, and ches smith (john zorn, good for cows).


Your Favourite Horse - Everyday Magic

CD on Enraptured / Endorphin

Released on 24/02/03

everyday magic�, is the brand new album from your favourite horse, aka accelera deck, who enjoys keeping us all on our toes by assuming different identities for different projects! At any rate it is another slice of excellence chris jeely (ad) has produced with a 14 track mix of songs and instrumentals, mixing electronics with guitars and vocals. Chris first came to everyones attention with 98�s first release on endorphin, the kiss burn ep, followed by the amazing debut album, narcotic beats, which went on to have tracks taken from it and used in miramax�s film version of hamlet!! This time around chris creates a moving and melancholy atmosphere, yet manages to maintain an ambient warmth. The lyrics are wonderful and chris sings them with heart felt passion, which you may find touch you deep enough to move you! By the end of the album your favourite horse will hopefully have created a little bit of everyday magic in your life! For the vinyl fans, there are 15 tracks on orange wax in a full colour proper sleeve with lyric insert and there are only 300 copies!

# posted by DJ Martian 7:32 PM

 

Cave In

Cave In have a download video for the track: Dark Driving

# posted by DJ Martian 1:22 PM

 

Toktok vs. Soffy O - Toktok vs. Soffy O

Pitchfork review Toktok vs. Soffy O - Toktok vs. Soffy O

# posted by DJ Martian 1:05 PM

Wednesday, February 05, 2003

 

Katatonia - Viva Emptiness

Thanks to Musique Machine for alerting me to the news of a new Katatonia album:

'Viva Emptiness'

The 6:th studio album from Katatonia to be released worldwide on March 24th, 2003.

The album features 52 minutes & 51 seconds of brand new music in the form of the following tracks:

01. GHOST OF THE SUN
02. SLEEPER
03. CRIMINALS
04. A PREMONITION
05. WILL I ARRIVE
06. BURN THE REMEMBRANCE
07. WEALTH
08. ONE YEAR FROM NOW
09. WALKING BY A WIRE
10. COMPLICITY
11. EVIDENCE
12. OMERTA
13. INSIDE THE CITY OF GLASS

A 3 track promo single has already been released and you can soon win your very own copy if you enter the competition at www.peaceville.com

Audio samples to follow in the next up-date so CHECK BACK SOON!!

# posted by DJ Martian 11:20 PM

 

If I were an editor of a weekly music magazine this week's front cover would feature: Massive Attack

This week's front cover choice is Massive Attack, and you know that 100th Window gets a release in he UK next Monday.

Massive Attack websites:

Massive Attack - 100th Window

Eiderdowner.com - Massive Attack Knowledge also see this useful webpage Eiderdowner.com - Future

Massive Attack - Redlines

>>>> Critics reaction

Critics reaction seems split on this album from the positive album of the month award in Jockey Slut and a excellent review in Uncut, through to others who are disappointed, see Pitchfork review and the NME reviewer 6/10.


CMJ.com
dotmusic 9/10
Monsters at Play.com
MusicOMH.com [review under construction]
Pitchfork

# posted by DJ Martian 11:05 PM

 

Terrorizer - March 2003 edition [Terrorizer 107]

Details of the next edition of Terrorizer magazine

Overview of Contents

THE HAUNTED
CRADLE OF FILTH
NECROPHAGIA
CULT OF LUNA
MARDUK
ABORYM
MARTIN WALKYIER
OLD MAN'S CHILD
BIOHAZARD
5IVE'S CONTINUUM RESEARCH PROJECT
HARKONEN
SHADOW'S FALL
MADDER MORTEM
CALIBAN
LOST HORIZON
MICHAEL MOYNIHAN
MIKE PATTON LIVE

# posted by DJ Martian 1:32 PM

 

Super Numeri - Great Aviaries

Spacey improv meets post rock and fragile folky constructions in the debut from Liverpudlian collective Super Numeri.

BBCi Music review Super Numeri - Great Aviaries

# posted by DJ Martian 12:14 PM

 

Wanna Buy a Craprak?

Ink 19 review Various Artists - Wanna Buy a Craprak?

# posted by DJ Martian 11:40 AM

 

The Soft Pink Truth - Do You Party?

On his solo side project, Matmos' Drew Daniel dreams up his own brand of neo-disco-- and it's the most inviting interpretation we've heard yet.

Pitchfork review The Soft Pink Truth - Do You Party?

# posted by DJ Martian 11:37 AM

 

Uncut: March 2003

Details of the new Uncut magazine, David Bowie is on the front cover.

FREE CD
CLASSIC BOWIE TRACKS
Rare and unreleased versions by Ian McCulloch, Edwyn Collins, Blondie, Culture Club, Billy Mackenzie, Ultravox, The Divine Comedy and more...

# posted by DJ Martian 12:19 AM

Tuesday, February 04, 2003

 

Absorb Reviews

Some new reviews @ Absorb

alejandra & aeron - bousha blue blazes (orthlorng musork)

asa-chang and junray - tsu gi ne pu (leaf)

bent - the everlasting blink (riverman)

mira calix - skimskitta (warp)

clue to kalo - come here when you sleepwalk (leaf)

corker / conboy - in light of that learnt later (vertical form)

the majesticons - beauty party (big dada)

dorine muraille - mani (fat cat)

Album of the issue: pest - necessary measures (ninja tune)

pram - dark island (domino)

super numeri - great aviaries (ninja tune)

jimi tenor - higher planes (kitty-yo)

# posted by DJ Martian 11:19 PM

 

Creative Music Archive

An interesting music resource: Creative Music Archive

# posted by DJ Martian 1:45 PM

 

Zwan - Mary Star Of The Sea

MusicOMH.com review Zwan - Mary Star Of The Sea

Reminder this gets a full UK release, Monday February 10th.

# posted by DJ Martian 1:39 PM

 

Jazz on 3: Food

Details of the next Jazz on 3 radio show:

7th February 2003

Food in session

After their recent highly successful UK tour, Iain Ballamy brought his Anglo/ Scandinavian ensemble, Food into the Jazz on 3 studio to record tonight�s exclusive session. The ensemble is a long standing group � formed well before the current Scandinavian fad � and this longevity is reflected in the intimate working dialogue operating between musicians. Ballamy plays tenor saxophone with Arve Henriksen on trumpet and vocals, Thomas Str�nen on percussion and Mats Eilertsen on bass, with all players using electronics and samples. They entered the studio without a setlist producing extraordinary and unique results.

The ensemble mixes the Scandinavian�s approach to space and texture and Ballamy�s idiosyncratic approach to melody and harmony, producing thoroughly contemporary, delicate, and engaging improvised music.

Plus Jez will be reviewing the best new releases.

# posted by DJ Martian 12:45 AM

Monday, February 03, 2003

 

Scenic - The Acid Gospel Experience

Available this week in the UK an album by Scenic:

Scenic - The Acid Gospel Experience [this was released Jan14th in the US on Hidden Agenda]

SCENIC RETURN WITH A 73-MINUTE AMBIENT SPACE-ROCK EPIC, 'THE ACID GOSPEL EXPERIENCE'. Tenor Vossa Records give a simultaneous UK release to the new album from SCENIC, the US band formed by guitarist Bruce Licher after the demise of the legendary cult band Savage Republic, who create moody guitar-dominated instrumentals with strong Middle-Eastern influences. Unlike Savage Republic, however, Scenic - a trio which also includes Brock Wirtz on drums and James Brenner, formerly of Shiva Burlesque (Grant Lee Buffalo), on bass - play entirely instrumental material. Rolling Stone - "full of shimmering instrumentals that evoke the majesty and desolation of the high Mojave Desert�a spiritual immediacy that is rock'n'roll to the core", Option - "...it's evocative enough to be a cyberpunk western", Mojo " a compelling desert-rock artefact"

Source: Chunky Records

# posted by DJ Martian 11:48 PM

 

Asian Dub Foundation

BurnitBlue.com have an interview feature with: ASIAN DUB FOUNDATION: ENEMIES OF THE ENEMY

# posted by DJ Martian 5:06 PM

 

Stylophonic - Man Music Technology

BBCi Music: Album of the week is:

Stylophonic - Man Music Technology

Fantastic house, hip hop, electro, disco and funk fusing debut from top Italian producer Stephano Fontana. Like the man says, "It's the old school with the new school". And it's ace! Luckily, you can listen to the whole album a week ahead of its release right here.

The full review for Stylophonic - Man Music Technology

Italy's enthusiasm for house music has never been an issue yet it has never had a seminal release, one that would establish itself as a player on the international music scene. Until now. Occupying the parking space between Daft Punk, Basement Jaxx and Metro Area, Man Music Technology manages to embrace dance music's history with both authority and humour. Essential.

Other reviews of this album @ Soundgenerator.com and dotmusic.com

This album is released: 10th February 2003, on Prolifica records, a new EMI:Chrysalis imprint record label, with a mission to release ambitious and innovative multi genre electronic/dance music.

Official website for Stylophonic

# posted by DJ Martian 12:12 PM

 

Kinski

Junkmedia have an interview feature on Kinski.

# posted by DJ Martian 11:57 AM

 

SPOTLIGHT...KEY NEW RELEASES THIS WEEK:

Key new album releases for February 3rd [A more detailed release listing including other new releases, compilations and reissues - can be found further up this webpage.]

This Week: February 3rd

Asian Dub Foundation - Enemy of the Enemy (Virgin)
Nick Cave - Nocturama (Mute)
Clearlake - Cedars (Domino)
Electric Company - It's Hard to Be a Baby (Tigerbeat6)
EZ Rollers - Titles Of The Unexpected (Moving Shadow)
Main - Transiency (Tigerbeat6) cd ep
Lou Reed - Raven (Warner Brothers)
Scenic - The Acid Gospel Experience (Hidden Agenda)
Matthew Shipp - Equilibrium (Thirsty Ear) Import [US release January 21]
The Stereonerds - HD Endless (Rather Interesting)
Super Numeri - Great Aviaries (Ninja Tune)
Also:
Iran - Moon Boys (Tumult) US Import/ UK Availability 2003
Mat Maneri - Sustain (Thirsty Ear) UK Release 2003
Projections - Between Here and Now (Guidance) UK Release 2003

For Reference:

Last Week: January 27th

Alejandra & Aeron - Bousha Blue Blazes (Orthlorng Musork)
Ry Cooder/Manuel Galban - Mambo Sinuendo (Nonesuch/Perro Verde)
Chris Cutler - Dust (ReR)
Szam Findlay - Die Hautfabrik (Resonant)
Yoshihiro Hanno - 9 Modules + (Progressive Form)
Majesticons - Beauty Party (Big Dada/Ninja Tune)
The Sea & the Cake - One Bedroom (Thrill Jockey)
Shuttle 358 - Understanding Wildlife (Mille Plateaux)
Sir Dupermann - Sir Dupermann (Smalltown Supersound)
Star of Ash - Iter.Viator (Jester)
Toktok vs Soffy O - Toktok vs Soffy O (Code Blue)
Venetian Snares - Winter in the Belly of a Snake (Planet mu)
Vessel - Dreaming In Pairs (Expanding)
Jah Wobble - Fly (30 Hertz)

# posted by DJ Martian 12:22 AM

Sunday, February 02, 2003

 

Arab Strap

Arab Strap will release a new album: Monday At The Hug And Pint on April 21st.

# posted by DJ Martian 11:20 PM

 

Chemikal Underground: Cheap Sampler Compilation and Back Catalogue Promotion

8 years. 19 albums. Top of the Pops, Peel, the Mercury nominations. You name it. And to celebrate our octo-anniversary - well, to be honest, it's as much to get the music out to anyone who might have missed it first time round - we've collected some of the best bits of Chemikal Underground (including two as yet ureleased tracks from Arab Strap and Aereogramme), and put them together for YOU, dear listener. 'Skelp' spearheads a ridiculous campaign which is akin to us cutting our own throat. You should only pay �2 for this 16-track compilation album (a little more in the web shop).

Once you've got that you will have a taste - nay, insatiable thirst - for some of the forgotten masterpieces in the Chemikal back catalogue. And these are available for as little as �5 each.

This offer will NOT be on our web-shop which means that you will have to get off your arse and beat off the crowds at your local retail outlet - keep an eye open in record retailers for the rather lovely poster.

Out of our Heads on Skelp
CHEM066CD

1. Arab Strap - The First Big Weekend
2. Aereogramme - Yes
3. the delgados - No Danger (Kids Choir) [edit]
4. Radar Brothers - Shoveling Sons
5. Suckle - Saturn
6. Mogwai - Like Herod
7. Magoo -Pink Dust
8. Malcolm Middleton - The King of Bring
9. Arab Strap - Who Named the Days?
10. Cha Cha Cohen - A=A
11. Aereogramme - A Meaningful Existence
12. Mogwai - Christmas Song
13. Radar Brothers - Still Evil
14. the delgados - Pull The Wires From The Wall

and a bonus track from Aidan Moffat, aged 29 and a half.

This compilation is released tomorrow, February 3rd.

# posted by DJ Martian 11:15 PM

 

Aereogramme: Sleep and Release

The latest news from Scottish art rock band Aereogramme

The band's brand new album 'sleep and release' will be with you on 03.03.03. If you live in the UK that is. The US will be getting the record on February 17th.

# posted by DJ Martian 11:09 PM

 

aquarius records new arrivals list #154

Selected highlights from aquarius records new arrivals list number 154:

Kinski - Airs Above Your Station (Sub Pop)

One of the so-called Terrastock Nation's heaviest ass-kickers, Pacific NW "space-rock" troupe Kinski continue their levitational ascent with this new full-length. We've especially been looking forward to it ever since Sub Pop released the teaser "Semaphore" ep late last year, which garnered high marks from us. The so-heavy-and-wintry-majestic-that-it's-almost-black metal title track from that ep reappears here, alongside seven new cuts that both drone-on and rock-out. Lengthy epics abound, structured to begin with moody, melodic mellowness before bursting into denser action at the half-way point, and are primarily instrumentals, with the fuzz of the overdriven guitars and the wallop of the drums taking full flight. From repetitive shoegazer post-rock to experimental pop to ambient Floydian psych, Kinski never falter, always full of energy, with sheer "set the controls for the nearest black hole" gravity-multiplying heaviness never far from kicking in. With "Airs", Kinski should be taking their place in the space/drone rock fandom realm next to the likes of Circle, Sonic Youth, Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Subarachnoid Space, and a host of your cosmic krautrock greats of the past. Ol' Klaus would be proud.


Calla - Televise (Arena Rock)

Calla is a band that is pleading for redemption, but they don't entirely want to give up their tough guy / combatively masculine take on existentialism. Witnessed with singer Aurelio Valle's gruff delivery and his bleak lyricism, this formula of the rock singer holding onto the mythological trappings of being a rebellious bad-ass while seeking favor with the Lord is, of course, a very powerful and seductive image that parallels the individualistic ideals of the self-made American. Valle doesn't really offer any insights into these ideals; if anything, he runs the risk of falling into the self-pitying cliches of those ideals. However, the music, not the lyrics, is where Calla finds their true calling. Each of their songs on "Televise" brilliantly employ simple rhythm section progressions that recall a darker version of Calexico's gunslingin' swagger. On top of this, Calla's understatedly hypnotic arrangements, driven by high-lonesome guitar melodies and crescendos, appear as skeletal eviscerations of the epic riffs previously mined by Mogwai, Tarentel, and Godspeed! You Black Emperor.

Calla's compositional attempts at theatricality through rock minimalism sometimes seem a little forced, and the nihilistic depth-charges may be a tad too predictable in their ghosty references/resemblances to 16 Horsepower, Nick Cave, Mark Lanegan, Steve Von Till's solo albums, and of course Johnny Cash, but Calla is one step away from being a really great band; and when they realize that Valle should hold his tongue once in a while and let the music do the talking, they will arrive at greatness. But in the meantime, "Televise" makes for a very good, albeit slightly flawed album.

Laika - Lost In Space (Pure) 2cd

A ten year anniversary double cd retrospective from the fabulous Laika! Even a decade after their debut, some amount of confusion still seems to linger as to the band's identity. Therefore, once again we'd like to state the following: Named after the Soviet space travellin' canine (the album cover is an awesome photo of the lil' doggie's bubble helmet!), this Laika is not to be confused with the other musical group of the same name (y'know, the one with The Cosmonauts) who are a surf combo. That said, this trippy groovy London quartet, lead by Ms Margaret Fiedler (formerly of Moonshake) and Guy Fixsen, have released three fine albums - 1994's Silver Apples Of The Moon (no relation to the band nor the Morton Subotnick album of the same name), 1997's Sounds Of The Satellites, and Good Lookin' Blues from 2000. A fourth full length is currently in the works. They're a melding of all the good stuff: complex and sexy electronics, hypnotic dubby bass, scintillating jazzy percussion, and Fiedler's seductive vocals. Meticulously piecing and layering it all together to set moods that crackle, smoulder and undulate.
The first cd is a compilation of highlights from their three previous albums, and the second features remixes, Peel sessions, live recordings and a *new* previously unreleased track! Will surely delight Laika fans until their next album finally surfaces, and win them some new admirers as well. Captivating!

The Microphones - Mount Eerie (K)

As self-deprecating and painfully shy as Phil Elvrum can be when performing live, his latest release as The Microphones is a monstrously hyperbolic album of artfulness that pushes K Records as close as they will ever come to The Red Krayola or Gastr Del Sol. "Mount Eerie" is an indulgent studio driven album, which may have begun as a psychedelic epic on par with Olivia Tremor Control's "Dusk At Cubist Castle," but has been shattered into a variety of half-completed song fragments which unexpectedly jump, twist, and turn in any number of directions including dense crescendos or lunch-box rock recreations of childrens songs. Elvrum is obviously a very gifted abstractionist of indie-rock strum but is often too elusive in where he wants to take these songs. Despite how vague and convoluted the narratives of "Mount Eerie" are, Elvrum succeeds in directing the album's mood with layers of monochromatic chanting, deep trombones, and huge crashing timpani that give this album a ponderous weight. Mope rock meets art rock.

The Sea And Cake - One Bedroom (Thrill Jockey)

For their sixth full length, those Sea & Cakes are venturing even deeper into the groovy electronic chillroom and away from their former sunkissed and breezy acoustic path. Super spacious and dreamy, but with considerably more euro jetset flair. Fluid organ tones, wispy string sounds, jazzy shuffling beats. Sam Prekop's voice is still as mellow and as effortless as ever, but this time there's the added eleganza vocal depth of the Navin brothers from the Aluminum Group -- certainly no slouches themselves in the charm'n'croon department. They're joined by Archer Prewitt and Prekop's subtle guitar interplay and the solid-as-ever rhythm section of bassist Erik Claridge and John McEntire on drums. Oh yes, and to top it all off, they do a cover of Bowie's "Sound And Vision". A blissful beauty!

# posted by DJ Martian 10:35 PM

 

The Detroit Experiment

The Detroit Experiment is a studio project album, that includes Carl Craig. On March 18th the self titled The Detroit Experiment album is released on Ropeadope label in the US [and probably available as an import in the UK, a couple of weeks after]

More info @ CD Universe

The Detroit Experiment includes: Invincible (vocals); Regina Carter (violin); Allan Barnes (flute, alto saxophone); Bennie Maupin (bass clarinet, tenor saxophone); Marcus Belgrave (trumpet); Geri Allen (piano); Amp Fiddler (keyboards); Karriem Riggins (drums).
Producers: Carl Craig, Aaron Luis Levinson, Karriem Riggins.

Recorded at the White Room Studio, Detroit, Michigan.

An earlier news article @ All About Jazz relating to the recording of this album DETROIT JAZZ - The Master Class - New Upcoming Release

# posted by DJ Martian 10:04 PM

 

The Wire - March Edition

Advance notification that the March edition of The Wire magazine, on sale February 24th will have Faust on the cover.

Source: Siren Disc Future Releases.

# posted by DJ Martian 9:09 PM

 

Delicate Awol - Heart Drops From The Great Space

Pinnacle provide info on Delicate Awol - Heart Drops From The Great Space set for release February 17th.

# posted by DJ Martian 7:51 PM

 

King Crimson - The Power to Believe

Pinnacle provide info on King Crimson - The Power to Believe that is released February 17th.

For the latest King Crimson info, see Elephant Talk

# posted by DJ Martian 7:48 PM

Saturday, February 01, 2003

 

Admin

I have changed the settings for this weblog [again], to show the last 15 days. If you need to browse back further, see the previous monthly links at the top of this page.

To see the whole of January 2003: DJ Martian's Page

# posted by DJ Martian 5:21 PM

 

Longwave - The Strangest Things

ALERT ! WAKE UP readers! Longwave, will release their new album: The Strangest Things on February 24th on Hummer / EastWest Records. A startling, New single, 'Everywhere You Turn', precedes the album on February 17. Available on CD/Ltd Edition Numbered 7". [a note to US readers, in the USA the album is released on March 18, 2003 on RCA]

The single Everywhere You Turn - can be listened to on the Longwave website, I have had it on a loop for over ten plays alone today. I am a sucker for arty well executed epic rock, [as long term readers of this weblog only know too well] Longwave share a lot of with the dynamics of Interpol, but a closer reference points for me are mid 80s Irish bands Cactus World News and Blue In Heaven, and from the 90s: Puressence on their debut album, and also The Whipping Boy.

Everything about this track, 'Everywhere You Turn' hits the right buttons with me, soaring burning vocals - I just love the texture in the vocals - the flow at times reminds me of Richard Butler of Psychedelic Furs, a stunning multidimensional arty rock production [from Dave Fridmann], par excellence use of effects pedals, the way the drums, bass guitars and guitars and vocals create a smouldering atmosphere - listen closely to the track - there are some sublime moments where everything clicks and captures that cathartic buzz.

Longwave have potential to be this year's Interpol.


Longwave

Finally, the album you've all been waiting for...Longwave release the Dave Fridmann produced The Strangest Things through Hummer / EastWest Records on February 24, 2003.

The album shuns today's scene-motivated garage rock and nu-metal sounds in favour of something much more individual. A record which unites the arty, post-punk vibes of '80s indie and new wave with the anthemic bent of '90s angst rock and adds into the mix Steve Schiltz's deep, warm vocals and emotional lyrics. Imagine a mix of Radiohead, early-U2 and even The Psychedelic Furs and you're in the right ballpark. The up-tempo splendour of 'Everywhere You Turn' and 'Exit', coupled with the summery sensations of 'Tidal Wave' and 'Pool Song', sit flawlessly alongside the contrasting stark beauty of 'Meet Me At The Bottom' and album opener, 'Wake Me When It's Over' . Frankly, this is a deliciously focussed and classy record.

There's a feeling that something magical may well be unfolding here" - Live in New York, Kerrang!

"F**king amazing" - Live at Camden Barfly, NME

"Signs are that Longwave will soon be making a mark of their own" - Live at Reading Festival, NME

"A rare gem" - 'Pool Song' single review, Rock Sound

"Sounds like The Strokes, to the power of 10. Longwave have substance behind that studied scruffiness, squeezing the best bits from old-school art-rock and blending them into a tasty new smoothie, rich with fuzz guitar and dreamy vocals" - Loaded

"Dynamic...Gutsy...Daring" Live at Camden Monarch, London Careless Talk Cost Lives


RADIO:

- XFM Live session for Zane Lowe, Tuesdsay 18th Feb
- Virgin radio rock show session and interview on The Edge with Steve w/c 17th Feb
- SBN session and interview 20 Feb
- BBC 6 Music - Gideon Coe live session - 2 acoustic songs - 10-1pm - Feb 18th


PRESS:

Look out for Longwave features in:
- Classic Rock
- Rocksound
- Total Guitar
- Guitarist
- The Fly
- Kerrang!


***

LONGWAVE Street Team: help to spread the word on Longwave by handing out flyers for gigs and PAs, putting up posters, and generally talking up the band to whoever will listen.

to get involved e-mail streetteam@longwavemusic.co.uk.


biography

Some bands form so the kids who were once the class freaks can at last get their ends away with girls. Others get together so that the members can avoid ever having to do any real work for a living. For some it's one big exercise in ego massage or ramming some kind of message down the world's throat. New York-based, shaggy haired rock tykes Longwave formed for a much more simple reason -- because it felt right. And with that sort of natural birth and organic attitude comes a sound that is relaxed, and yet emotional, classically simple and yet imbued with dark-edged introspection. Put simply, this is a band that makes music because they love music, and that's worth much more than any notion of stardom or the easy life.

Ostensibly, the four personalities that make up this talented and ambitious unit have little in common. Singer/guitarist Steve Schiltz grew up in Rochester, upstate New York, fighting against the traditional local lifemap of birth-school-work in the Kodak factory-death. He did this by immersing himself in music - first Springsteen, then Nirvana, then U2 - teaching himself to play the guitar his father had bought for him and learning to write songs. He joined a covers band and earnt $300 a week playing Motown and disco standards. "I learnt 60 songs in something like two days," he says. "It improved my playing a lot." Just down the road from him in Rochester, drummer Mike James had been tub-thumping since he was four, and was turned on to David Bowie, The Doors and Kiss through his uncle. Steve and Mike met at high school, and had their first jam session attempting to play a cover of 'Back In Black'. "I just remember thinking his drumming was too loud," says Steve. Mike also ended up in the covers band.

Meanwhile, guitarist Shannon Ferguson was busily raising a little hell in California, listening to Michael Jackson and being expelled from school at the age of eight for basically being a pain in the arse. His first band was set up purely to write songs about a kid he and his friends used to bully called Mark Fox. They called it The Mark Fox band. And Cuban-American bassist Dave Marchese grew up in the Queens district of New York, getting into one fight a week at school whilst soaking up the punk-rock blasts of The Clash, Ramones and The Sex Pistols. "I grew up surrounded by hip-hop but I wasn't really interested. It just didn't speak to me the way The Clash did," he explains.

Longwave came together in the summer of 1999. Steve had moved to New York and having just been for an audition for a band, he saw an advert in the rehearsal space that just said 'Dave Marchese - BASS'. He was intrigued by its absolutely-no-bullshit design and so rang the number. Dave had been playing with three bands he didn't even like 'just to not not be playing' and so was glad of something more meaningful to get involved with. "It was great," he says, "because I was really into lots of bands like Television and stuff like that, and Steve's songs sounded a little like that without him ever having heard any of those bands, so it was still coming from the heart." "I just wanted to sound like 'The Unforgettable Fire' by U2," laughs the frontman. "I still do!" The two young musicians soon found themselves their first drummer and began work knocking Steve's catalogue of bedroom songsmithery into shape.

Shannon had also moved to the Big Apple from his native California, just because many of his friends had. He had set up a small recording studio, and it was here that the fledgling Longwave line-up began recording their first demos. After the first three songs were cut, they fell into the hands of Rob Sacher - owner of a Lower Manhattan venue called Luna Lounge and a label called Luna Sea Records. He heard the potential and offered to put out an album for them if they paid for it themselves. At first they said no, but then studio owner Shannon was brought into the fold on second guitar, and the band became a much more serious proposition. They relented on their decision, and recorded their first album 'Endsongs', which came out in the US in September of 2000. "It was like we sound now, but the arrangements were a little more timid and I'd never sung before so I wasn't as confident," says Steve.

Having stayed in Rochester playing with the covers band, sticksman Mike James had gone on to form his own punk band in which he was playing guitar and singing. He stayed in touch with Steve, though, and his band opened for Longwave twice. Then, the bass player of his band moved to LA suddenly and Longwave's drummer bailed out of a tour with only a few days notice. Steve called up Mike, and he filled in on the tour. Mike's friend then came back from LA and there was some to-ing and fro-ing within the punk band before Longwave sacked their erratic sticksman and Mike agreed to join permanently. "Jeremy, our first drummer, didn't want to be in a band, you could just tell," elaborates Steve. "Mike did, and we needed to be firing on all four cylinders."

While the drummer situation was being sorted, Longwave had found themselves a manager in Jim Merlis, founder of top publicity firm Big Hassle, whose clients had included the band's friends The Strokes along with Nirvana, Hole, Blur and Garbage. So keen was he on these four rag-tag musicians that he set up a management offshoot to his company - Big Hassle Management - and asked ex-House Of Pain and Cypress Hill manager David Leinheardt to help look after them. The band had also recorded a new EP featuring sparkling new songs 'Exit' and 'Tidal Wave' with the expressed intention of finding themselves a serious record deal.

Within a week of Mike moving to New York and taking his place on the Longwave drum stool, the band got their big break. The Strokes' manager called and offered them a support slot. Initially they were only offered three gigs, but after seeing Longwave play, The Strokes gave them the whole tour. With the extra publicity came label interest - first from Joe McEwen at RCA Records, and then from eastwest Records in the UK.

The band's manager, Jim Merlis, asked them who they would like to produce their next album. They told him Dave Fridmann without hesitation - as a result of his work on The Flaming Lips classic 'The Soft Bulletin'. In a fantastic coincidence, Fridmann was the only producer Merlis counted as a friend and so the band were soon packed off to his Tarbox Road Studio in upstate New York - not far from Steve and Mike's home town. Meanwhile, eastwest put an offer on the table and Longwave accepted. The result of this frenzied bout of activity is Longwave's quite stunning second album, entitled 'The Strangest Things'. It is a record that shuns today's scene-motivated garage rock and nu-metal sounds in favour of something much cooler, calmer, more individual. A record which unites the arty, post-punk vibes of '80s indie and new wave with the anthemic bent of '90s angst rock and adds into the mix Steve Schiltz's deep, warm vocals and emotional lyrics. Imagine a mix of Radiohead, early-U2 and even Psychedelic Furs and you're in the right ballpark. Frankly, it's a deliciously focussed and classy record.

It's also a record that deserves to make this confident, friendly foursome very famous indeed, but typically the showbiz lifestyle is not something the band actively pursues. "There's a lot that goes into becoming a full time professional band," says Steve. "In a way we've made the record and our job is done already and all we can do now is hope it sells enough to allow us to make another and be a full time band for as long as we want to be. Working with Dave Fridmann made us think about the Flaming Lips a lot and they've made a number of major label records now without playing huge stadiums and without changing their sound. That's pretty inspiring and that kind of success would be incredible for us. To be honest, I'm just glad I'm not working for Kodak. Anything on top of that would be more than incredible."

-- Ashley Bird, November 2002

UK Headline Shows:

February

21 ... Glasgow ... Barfly [buy tickets]

22 ... Leeds ... Rocket [buy tickets]

23 ... Nottingham ... Rescue Rooms [buy tickets]

24 ... Manchester ... Night and day [buy tickets]

26 ... Cardiff ... Barfly [buy tickets]

27 ... London ... Monarch [buy tickets]

28 ... Northampton ... Soundhaus [info]

March

02 ... Liverpool ... Barfly [buy tickets]

03 ... Dublin ... Whelans [buy tickets]



The Fly - April 2002 - Circulation 105,000
Longwave - One To Watch - Ian Abraham

Look everyone! It's another band from New York. Oh, goody! Tell you what; can you keep my seat warm? There's a fire over there, which I have to find to stick my hand in�

Steve Schiltz sighs down the phone. He sings in the band who are to support The Strokes on the 'big'tour (that has just finished as you read this. If you didn't go, why not?). The laconic voice is a bit peeved, as I've not given the single, 'Exit/Ambien', a proper go. Okay, gimme three minutes, will you�

After a pause, we resume. So, Steve, you've come up with one of the singles of the year. It's Mancunian in it's development (Puressence, Joy Division, Chameleons) and challenging in its delivery (Psychedelic Furs, Flaming Lips, Radiohead), yet you're American. How?

'We like the use of effects pedals. They're underrated and guitar music can become very boring if you can't use a bit of initiative. Doesn't mean you have to embrace self indulgence, we really have got songs and we want to build on that.'

He is a likeable bloke making a more than likeable noise. A lot of US bands are one trick ponies, but Longwave aren't short of creative dimension, always trying that extra dimension live or dropping the note that little bit lower.

'It has to be that way. You have to strive to be that little bit different or why bother? There are enough bands vying for your time and ears.'

Indeed. Longwave have an album called 'Endsongs' that you may be able to pick up. Oh sod it. Kill someone to get a copy, they are worth it.


There are some stunning epic rock bands that are emerging in the US in recent years: Along with Interpol, Longwave, Cave In, check these lesser known bands:

Codeseven
Dredg
The Fire Theft
Kimone
The Sheila Divine
Shun

# posted by DJ Martian 1:55 PM

 

6Music

Some changes at the BBC 6music digital radio station: 6Music

>>> Sean Hughes leaves 6Music, now Stuart Maconie on Sunday Mornings 10am - 1pm
>>> A new Round Table show i.e review the new singles (Friday at 6pm, repeated Saturday morning at 9am)
>>> Ross Allen - joins 6Music on Sunday evenings 7pm - 9pm (He recently lost his BBC Radio London slot)

# posted by DJ Martian 12:04 PM

 

This Week's New Releases @ Boomkat

This week's new releases @ BOOMKAT - A PELICANNECK ELECTRONIC MUSIC STORE include:

Xela - For Frosty Mornings And Summer Nights - Neo Ouija

Oh my, we�ve been so looking forward to sharing this absolute find of a record with you, and so dreading encapsulating our immense enthusiasm for it into words in a manner that would bring across just how damn good it is. John Xela is a name that may well be new to some of you, but this 21 year old Maverick has already stirred waves of excitement across the electronic community. With an appearance on Music Aus Strom�s excellent �MAS Confusion� compilation, collaborations and remixing work with everyone from Machine Drum to Metamatics to the legendary Shadow Hunters, to a European tour with K7 / MAS that has seen him display his unique ability with composition and delivery and an album due later on this year for City Centre Offices under his collaborative �Yasume� guise (together with Logreybeam) , it�s really only a matter of time before you�ll all become much more intimately aware of the man�s sheer talent. With a classically trained background and a love of everything from good old fashioned Indie music to classic Hip Hop productions and experimental explorations, Xela has come up with an IDM formula which taps into all those definitive archetypes that attracted us to the embryonic electronic scene in the first place many years ago. And herein lies the genius of �For Frosty Mornings.....� : a first listen only realy displays fantastically rich production and an intimate love of tunes that very evidently have taken influence from all the good electronic music that you could bring to mind in one go. Listen a bit closer, however, a second, third time, and what you discover is something altogether unbeleivable. �Under the Glow of Streetlights�, for instance, builds on a familiar hip hop pace fused with electronic washes and warm, effervescent synthlines. But digging deeper, the track betrays of weave of instrumentation and construction that simply takes over your senses and infuses you with a sense of warmth and admiration that the scene just hasn�t managed to evoke in far too long. To really finish you off, head for �Bobble Hats In Summer�, a softly building flow of beatless ambience and straight-to-the heart suggestions of melody flows from one change to the next, at each turn adding an element that radiates with total unexpectancy, before the final, tear inducing licks of the final piano sequence send you off into another life. Fans of Shuttle 358, Arovane, Dabrye, Lexaunculpt, Brian Eno and beyond will do well to check this album out, live with it for a while........ and fall in love. Beautiful.

Electric Company - It's Hard To Be A Baby - Tigerbeat 6

What is probably Brad Laner's final Tigerbeat 6 album having just recently signed his revitalised Medicine group to Wall Of Sound for world domination. 'It's Hard To Be A Baby', weird title aside, is another masterstroke of intricate but bold emotionally rich electronica. Thirteen tracks. Influenced by the old guard of Eno and Faust and taking on board contemporary references from Fennesz and Aphex across a patchwork of sweet driftscapes, poptronics and more all coming from a fun punk direction. From the noise as beauty school this album is another excellent album from one of Tigerbeat 6's most consistent performers. Excellent.

Kaito - Special Love - Kompakt

Since we first heard about this project late last year, ambient versions of the smashing 'Special Life' album from Hiroshi Watanabe, we knew it was one to be excited about. Over the course of three twelves for Kompakt Hiroshi moved on from early form for Nite Grooves, and applied his year or so of New York deejaying experience to building indisputable anthems, capable of straddling the styles of the likes of Carl Craig and more European jockeying. This glorious, completely beatless album works in several senses, as a 'dub' accompaniment to the original set, as invaluable for doubling up as perfect mix tools, or in its own right as a record for the early dawn or the late afternoon, when the head is pounding. Calming like aural ointment, top!

V/A Elektronische musik - Interkontinental 2 Traum

Around this time last year, the excellent first 'Interkontinental' volume threw us all into the best kind of quandary - too many great tracks on the vinyl - not on the cd - and vice versa - really both formats proved themselves indispensable. And its a case of same again: always with Traum the internationalist focus, and ever the label to introduce surprising new talents, there's only the criminally underrated Mikkel Metal from Denmark, new Australian talent Fotec Foyamat and the melodic fours of the Smartypants outfit from the states in common between the two formats. There's a marginal distinction, where the digital format is selected for music more suited to its cleaner lines - offering further delights from Tomas Jirku and Robin Judge from Canada, all round don Process from England and Berlin, Darmush and Dublee from Japan, Fax from Mexico and Off pop from Poland. Hard to match these compilations for consistent innovation and overall sound, building yet more credentials for the ever impressive Traum catalogue.

V/A Pre-Set - Mute

The first in an ongoing series, �Pre-set� contains electronic music sent to Mute and novamute in the recent past by artists from around the world. From the epic singular tones of the opening track by This Permanent Now to the mutant electro of Cursor Minor, via the paranoid pop of Bunnyhug and the dub-drenched techno of Andrew Steele, this compilation demonstrates the now indistinguishable difference between a demo from the unsigned artist, almost certainly recorded at home, and the result of an established artist's ensconcement in a recording suite.

Main - Transiency - Tigerbeat 6

Twenty minute mini EP from Robert Hampson, multi collaborator with artists such as Jim O'Rourke, Janek Schaefer and many more and having releases for Lo and Fat Cat, new on Tigerbeat 6. Reduced sonics having much in common with guitar minimalists Fennesz, Ambarchi and Toral and going further back Stockhausen and Xenakis. Quiet soundscapes with angular rigid purpose, clipped stripped and textured. Purest compositional electronic minimalism for fans of 12k/Line and Bernard Gunter. Highly recommended.

William Basinski - The River - Raster Noton

�The River� is the culmination of New York city minimalist tape loop composer William Basinski's shortwavemusic experiments. It was recorded in real time in 1983 using tape loops and shortwave radio static. The loops were all culled from the airwaves, short bits of string melody taken from the muzak radiostation, slowed down and mixed live to cassette from two 50's norelco reel-to-reel decks with a random accompaniment of shifting shortwave radio static. A perfect dose of rustic ambient, mix Philip Jeck with Fennesz and add Chris Watson's delicate found sound. A historically important document from the always interesting Raster Noton. Usual luscious packaging, highly recommended.

Super Numeri - Great Aviaries - Ninja Tune

Who'd of though an amalgamation of Tortoise, Pink Floyd, King Tubby, Captain Beefheart, Miles Davis and Can (from Liverpool) would work this well. An eight track album that kicks off with the gorgeous laid back guitar ambience of 'The Electric Horse Garden', sublime music - bringing to mind Joe Zawinul's 'In A Silent Way'. 'Sundials' feels like the tempo elements of Tortoise's 'Djed' orchestrated by Alice Coltrane. Other tracks touch on bucket munching krautrock, indian classical and modal jazz rock. Super Numeri manage to mix all these influences together to make an outstanding original sound. These boys and girls will go far.

Nick Cave & Bad Seeds - Nocturama - Mute

Twelfth studio album from Nick Cave, and the realisation of one of his most accessable voice to date. Much has been said of Cave�s problematic transition into middle age and his gradual creeping into stretches of sound that sometimes veer dangerously close to adult orientated rock. �Nocturama� does, indeed, see Nick and the Seeds shedding much of their pre-millenial angst and sonic idealism in favour of a more sheltered study of love, family life and the comforts of stability. But while songs like �She Passed By My Window� lack that spark of danger, the closing �I�m on Fire� just devastates with over 15 minutes of pure, articulated, stunningly delivered vitriol and astute social commentary that is nothing short of stunning. Patchy, but well worth the effort at the end.

V/A Out Of Our Heads On Skelp - Chemikal Underground

Very cheap label sampler from Scotland�s Chemikal Underground label, featuring tracks from Mogwai, Arab Strap, Aereogramme, Radar Brothers, Magoo, Cha Cha Cohen, the Delgados and more.

Windy & Carl - Introspection (Singles & Rarities 1993-2000) - Blueflea

Long awaited career encompassing collection from these leaders of killer multi faceted beautiful space rock gorgeousness. 16 tracks, 'Singles + Ep's... 10 tracks 'compilations..., 11 tracks, 'live + unreleased'. For fans of Hope Sandoval, Sonic Youth, early Spiritualised and all that good stuff. The other type of soul music is here, beautiful outer reaching and spaced out. A killer collection for those special lazy days.

# posted by DJ Martian 11:45 AM

 

Disquiet.com - Best of 2002

Another list: Disquiet.com - Best of 2002: The 10 best ambient/electronic releases of the year

# posted by DJ Martian 10:55 AM

Search

Web+ News Images Shopping Wikipedia Gossip eBay Blogs Gov

Get Connected: e-mail Please link to, bookmark/add to favourites and inform others if you find DJ Martian's Page useful.

LINKS - DIVERSE MUSIC RESOURCES PORTAL

This Decade: DJ Martian Tracking the Best Albums of: 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Albums 2007 Albums 2008 Albums 2009 Albums
More Best of Lists: 2000 Lists 2001 Lists 2002 Lists 2003 Lists 2004 Lists 2005 Lists 2006 Lists 2007 Lists 2008 Lists 2009 Lists
My Lists on rateyourmusic.com: 2000 Albums 2001 Albums 2002 Albums 2003 Albums 2004 Albums 2005 Albums 2006 Albums 2007 Albums 2008 Albums 2009 Albums
Top Rated Albums on rateyourmusic.com 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Decade: Fast 'n' Bulbous - The Best New Artists of the 00s Metacritic Scaruffi - The 2000s Top 1000 Albums -- 2000s on Rate Your Music Links: delicious/djmartian/m00s Charts: Albums by Year - Rate Your Music Fast 'n' Bulbous
Portal: DJ Martian: Music of the 00s Portal DJ Martian: Geocities

2005 Music: 2005 Albums - DJ Martian 2005 Music Lists RYM 2005 New RYM Top 1000 Albums 2005 a2005 b2005 m2005 rateyourmusic.com users 2005 Lists
2006 Music: 2006 Albums - DJ Martian 2006 Music Lists RYM 2006 New RYM Top 1000 Albums 2006 a2006 b2006 m2006 r2006 rateyourmusic.com users 2006 Lists
2007 Music: 2007 Albums - DJ Martian 2007 Music Lists RYM 2007 New RYM Top 1000 Albums 2007 a2007 b2007 m2007 r2007 rateyourmusic.com users 2007 Lists
2008 Music: 2008 Albums - DJ Martian 2008 Music Lists RYM 2008 New RYM Top 1000 Albums 2008 a2008 b2008 m2008 r2008 rateyourmusic.com users 2008 Lists
2009 Music: 2009 Albums - DJ Martian RYM 2009 New RYM Top 1000 Albums 2009 a2009 b2009 m2009 r2009 rateyourmusic.com users 2009 Lists

2008 Best Music Links New 2008 Lists: updates: b2008 2008music_links Bookmarks Largehearted Boy: 2008 Year-End Online Music Lists Largehearted Boy: Updates 2008 Archives Fimoculous.com: 2008 Lists - Music 2008 best albums - Elbows Music Blog Aggregator More Lists: Acclaimed Music Forum Albums of the Year (2008) 2008's Top 10 Jazz Recordings Collated Rankings: Metacritic: Best Albums of 2008 2008 Most Popular Music Albums [Prog Archives] Top 1000 Albums of 2008 - Rate Your Music Top 1000 EPs of 2008 - Rate Your Music Esoteric 1000 Albums of 2008 - Rate Your Music [Highly rated by a small number of users] Meta Ranking Updates: BEST ALBUMS OF 2008: MEGA-CRITIC : Best Reviewed Albums Of 2008 Others: Basement Galaxy The Best Albums of 2008. Dusted Features [ End of the Year: 2008 ] fast 'n' bulbous Fester's Lucky 13: The Best Albums of 2008 Tom Hull - Music Year 2008 Top 10s for 2008: It's a Trap! Best of 2008: livejournal PopMatters Picks: The Best Music of 2008

Music Reviews: All About Jazz * AngryApe * Barcode * Chain D.L.K. * Cokemachineglow * DecoyMusic.com * Delusions of Adequacy * Drawer B * Drowned in Sound * Dusted * Glide Magazine * Ground and Sky * Igloo * Intuitive Music * Junkmedia * Lost at Sea * MusicEmissions.com * MusicOMH.Com * Musique Machine * Neumu * New-Noise.Net * Pitchfork * Pitchfork: Best New Music * Plan B * Playlouder * PopMatters * Prefix * Regen Magazine * Release Music Magazine * SoundsXP * 30music.com * Tiny Mix Tapes
Music Reviews - Metal Archaic-Magazine.com Chronicles of Chaos Metal Invader The Metal Observer MetalReview.com Metal Reviews Metal Storm - Reviews Tartarean Desire

Music Reviews & Webzines: Updated Frequently/ Weekly
Friday: The Guardian - Reviews The Independent - Music Check Frequently: Evilsponge Mammoth Press No Ripcord Paris Transatlantic Satan Stole My Teddy Bear sputnik music .com Sudden Thoughts Tiny Mix Tapes: Reviews Whisperin & Hollerin Others: About.com - Alternative Music Aiding & Abetting All Music Guide: New Releases Auralgasms babysue The Beat Surrender BigO Blastitude CloudsandClocks Cool Music Central Cracked Crud Magazine Eclectic Earwig Reviews Freq Hybrid Magazine Incursion IndieVille.com Ink19 In Music We Trust ireallylovemusic: current Jock Rock KindaMuzik Left of the Dial ManchesterOnline Mensa Past Archives Modern Dance Music-Critic.com Musicfolio Nude as the News Organ Zine Mark Prindle Perfect Sound Forever Reviewed4U.com Derk Richardson SF Gate 75 or Less Silent Uproar somewherecold.com The Squid's Ear Mark Weddle Zeitgeist Retired: Almost Cool Do Something Pretty Flux Europa Freestyle Grooves Impact themilkfactory Only Angels Have Wings Seven Splendid Stylus

Music Media News: CMU Online MIC Norway Mi2N - Music Industry News Network Music Tank Music Week Record of the Day RockCritics.com
Music Magazine Links: @ Music Magazines The Wire
Music News: Ananova - Music Billboard Kerrang Launch MTV.com - News NME.com RollingStone.com UK Dance: News
updated 24/7: Michael's Eclectic Music Pages * Music News Headlines on the ArtistDirect Network * RockNews.info

Social Media News: Music Digg / Music / Upcoming Newsvine

Updated Music News: Dance/ Electronic: Dance Front Door * Drum&BassArena * RA Resident Advisor * TrusttheDJ * Industrial/ Synth-Pop: musicfolio.com * Release Magazine * Side-Line Jazz: All About Jazz: News * delicious/tag/jazz * eJazzNews.com * Jazz Review.com - news Rock/ Alt/ Multi-Genre: Album Vote * Aversion.com - Music News:* Buzzgrinder * DiS * Filter Magazine * GIGWISE.com * IndieVille * Punknews.org * Silent Uproar * Xfm Metal: Updates: Sonic Assault * Apeshit * Blabbermouth * BW & BK * MetalBite * Metal Storm * thePRP.com

ILXOR: IlXor.com ilXor Group Page - Last.fm ILM Freaky Trigger
Music Reference: AMG Artist Direct Discogs Fast 'n' Bulbous Google Directory: Music JahSonic.com Metacritic Rockdetector Rocklist.Net Scaruffi
Record Labels: A - Z Record Labels Updated: delicious/djmartian/labels
Music Links: Lists: Music Matrix: deep linking, deep tagging, social bookmarks, mp3 music blogs etc soundspy - digital music intelligence delicious.com Music Links: delicious music delicious/djmartian/music delicious/forcedexposure

Music Discussion: Diverse/Eclectic: ILM Radio Mute Rate Your Music - General UK Based General/Rock: drownedinsound.com MOJO Message Boards Onetouchmusic Plan B Magazine Forum Rock-Sound.net UK Music Industry: Record of the Day - Messageboard US Based General/Rock: Hipinion Sound Opinions woxy.com Boards Rock Lists: Acclaimed Music Forum Ambient/ Berlin School of EM/ Space Music: Hypnos Forum Avant: Bagatellen Dubstep: Dubstep Forum Electronic: CO-µ-NICATE dirty.org forums Dissensus electrofreaks Type records : Chat We Are The Music Makers Forums Jazz: All About Jazz Bulletin Board Jazzcorner's Speakeasy Jazzreview.com Jungle/ Drum N Bass: dogsonacid.com Metal: .: Metal Storm - Forum Ultimate Metal Forum Zero Tolerance Magazine Progressive Rock: Progressive Ears Progarchives.com Progressive Rock Forum
More Links: Music Discussion delicious/djmartian/discussion

Music Blogs Links
Some Highlighted Blogs: [These are included in my blo.gs updates] A ACID BIRD *ADORU advance copy allrecordlabels An Idiot's Guide to Dreaming AngryRobot Another Form of Relief arjanwrites the armchair novelist Athwart666 metal-news aurgasm A Vítima Respira? AVERSIONLINE.COM - THE MP3 BLOG aworks: new american classical music B basic_sounds The Battering Room BBC Radio 1 | OneMusic Blog | beat happening be.jazz Between thought and expression bigstereo The Big Ticket Blissblog Blog.MusicStrands.com boomnoise Boring Machines Disturbs Sleep brooklynvegan The Blogglebum Cage Build and Destroy News C Cerysmatic Factory Chromewaves The Church Of Me Circus Beckman Clap Clap Blog clik and lissen Click Opera [Momus] Close Your Eyes Computers & Music Coolfer.com D The Daily Growl danceblogga darkdose.com Dave's Imaginary Sound Space THE DEATH JAM devil in the details dirt Dirrrty Pop DJ ZoZo DoCopenhagen doppelganger DREAMS OF HORSES Drumz of The South DUBSTEP ON KISS 100 Duke Listens! : Weblog DUMMY MAGAZINE E 86400 Seconds Electric_dreams ELECTRONIC MUSIC LINKS F Fail fangirl: mix tape madness farmer-glitch Faronheit Flaming Pablum: the Weblog of Alex in NYC Fluxblog for the eardrums For the 'records' Forward Ever freshwater jellyfish The Future of Music, Media & Entertainment G Good Hodgkins » Cleveland, OH » New ears are listening. gorilla vs. bear Green Pea-ness Robin Guthrie : Web Log Gutterbreakz H Hallmonitor hallucinations & antics He made their glowing colours Hermitage Music The Hit Parade Hotflush Recordings HubLog I I fell sideways laughing ijamming I'll Be Old School Early INDUSTRIAL::MUSIC::LIBRARY Information Leafblower infoshare: In League With Paton ireallylovemusic I Rock Cleveland it's all in your mind J Jazz & Blues Music Reviews Jazz & Conversation jazz plus funk not equals junk, you punk just for a day K Kid Shirt Killing Music With Bare Hands KINGBLIND: Music, Art & Entertainment k-punk L Largehearted boy Last Plane to Jakarta Lives and dramas of a long-distance milkman los amigos de durutti Lost Bands of the New Wave Era Lupatarkastaja M Machines Are Funky Magnetbox marathonpacks: keep on freeing in the rock world. Mars Needs Guitars MelodyNelson.com Metal Music Blog mick mercer's Journal minimal robot Musica Generica Music (for robots) The Music Radar Music-versity Michaelangelo Matos Mixed Content MLOG Mocking Music Musical Perceptions Music Arcades Music For Kids Who Can't Read Good Music Is My Boyfriend Muzzle of Bees My Bird Performs My Old Kentucky Blog Mystery & Misery N nau pyrata Nerd Litter Net, Blogs and Rock'n'Roll NewFrontEars Stevie Nixed MkII No One Here Is Asking noise for toaster The Noise it Makes Northern Vantage - by E. Tindblikk No Rock & Roll Fun Nothing But Green Lights - UK mp3 blog NOX Blog by DJ ZoZo O Obscure Sound - Indie Music Blog Occam's Razor Old Rottenhat One Louder Opus Weblog P parallax view Pastries, Pepper and Canals... Ewan Pearson. Enthusiasm... Percussive Piano: New Music Daily Perfect Sounds The Pill Box Pop Your Funk: Dressed In Yello; Says Hello Pop Musicology - The Scandinavians are coming! PostClassic Postapocalyptic Vanguard post-punk junk PRANCEHALL (not a Wasteman) prefixblog.com Productshop NYC R The Rambler Random types Raven Sings The Blues - Indie Rock News Media MP3s remote_ thoughts Renster rock the dub Alex Ross: The Rest Is Noise Running the Voodoo Down The Runout Groove S Said the Gramophone sampled & sorted Sandow Seaworthy Southeast Thesaurus Spherical Objective S/FJ shards, fragments and totems Philip Sherburne Sid Smith's Postcards From The Yellow Room Silence is a Rhythm Two Silent Words Speak Loudest SIXEYES S K A T T E R B R A I N Skykicking Sleeve Notes smallfish records Somedisco sonictroubadour Soviet Panda Spoilt Victorian Child Stereogum Strawberry Fire Stumblings in the dark Swoon// mp3 video discussion news// subeena The Suburbs Are Killing Us Sweeping The Nation Swen's Weblog T 3hive 33/45 take your shoes off throughsilver in blog The Tofu Hut Torr Totally Fuzzy TUNETOURIST 20th Century Music U unarocks uncarved.org blog undomondo unpopular V Vis-a-Vis W wayne&wax the weblog of Lucas Gonze WFMU's Beware of the Blog Whatever Happened 2 Bay B Kane? The Whole Wide World Of Fat Buddha! the wirewool Woebot Worlds of Possibility X Xenographix Y Yeti Don't Dance Z Zoilus Not Updated in blo.gs: [Other] Basement Galaxy BBC Radio 1 | OneMusic Blog | Braquage electronicablog.com EVERGREEN DAZE Ground and Sky JahSonic's Blog Kon-tent 1471 The Original Soundtrack Plan B Magazine - Frances May Morgan Plan B Magazine - Everett True's Blog tomorrowJazz Unfinished voltage: electro culture Multiple Contributors: [These are included in my blo.gs updates] ArtsJournal.com - Music Bagatellen beepSNORT De Subjectivisten Deviated Septum Diskant donewaiting.com The Freelance Mentalists thegoldblog House Is A Feeling KEXP Blog Let's kiss and make up... New Music reBlog Other Side of Life ::: POPJUSTICE ::: rockcritics daily rockcritics links Rocknerd Spizzazzz Static Beats T A P E testpress the turntable 2 Many Scenes weareie

London Centric: Ammo City Delta 9 Hyponik Noiseloop Prog rock and avant-garde gigs in London Promoters: Eat Your Own Ears Haywire ICA London Musicians Collective Lumin no.signal Sprawl London Weekly Listings: Flavorpill London Kultureflash

Online Music Stores: Links: More UK Links: del.icio.us/djmartian/ecommerce
Music Shopping: UK Generalists: Online Music Stores UK Specialists: Online Music Stores US Online Music Stores
CD Price Comparison: Dealtime.co.uk Kelkoo 123PriceCheck.com Pricerunner.com
New Releases/ This Week [UK Music Stores] Boomkat Juno Records Norman Records Piccadilly Records Rough Trade Smallfish
New Releases/ This Week [US Music Stores] AB-CD Aquarius Records Darla - New This Week Dusty Groove America EAR/ Rational Music Forced Exposure Insound Midheaven - New Releases Other Music Other Music - New Release Updates Parasol Siren Disc: New Releases Stinkweeds

UK Online Music Stores: with e-commerce ordering: Specialists More links @ specialist
Action Records Alice's Records Banquet Records bmsoho Boomkat Juno Records Key Mail Order MusicNonStop.co.uk Norman Records Phonica Piccadilly Records Pure Groove recordstore.co.uk ReR Resurrection Music Rhythm Online The Rock Box Rough Trade Second Layer Records Smallfish Sound323 Spillers Records, Cardiff Spin Supernal TouchShop Tunes.co.uk volcanic tongue Downloads BLEEP
UK Online Music Stores: with e-commerce ordering: Generalists More links @ cdstores
Amazon.co.uk ASDA Entertainment BlahDVD CD Wow eil.com HMV.co.uk theHut.com 194u.com 101cd.com Play.com PowerplayDirect.com Tesco Townsend Records WHSmith.co.uk

Radio Stations
UK: Absolute Radio Kiss 100 NMERadio Resonance 104.4 FM Total Rock Xfm London 97.7 Xfm Manchester
Ireland: Phantom 105.2, Dublin Power FM RTE 2FM Xfm 107.9
Online Radio: Brainwashed Radio Gaialive Pig Radio Pirate TV.net Proton Pulse Radio Radio Magnetic Radioio SomaFM SUB FM Totally Radio 3WK [woxy] 97X
US College/ Community Radio: KCRW KEXP Kuci 88.9FM Radio 1190 MPR: Radio Listening: The Current WFMU WHUS WXPN
Specific Radio Shows: On the Wire RTQE Totallywired
Music Listening: BetterPropaganda CultureDeluxe Epitonic gabba POD
General Radio Links: Live365.com Radio in London radio-now co.uk Shoutcast UK Radio Magazine UK Radio Stations broadcasting on the Internet Warp Radio Radio News: radio-now.co.uk: news
Xfm: Xfm Xfm On Air

BBC Music
BBC Music BBC Music News BBC Music Reviews BBC Music - Artist Profiles BBC Collective BBC Classic Pop/ Rock BBC Dance & Electronica Music BBC Jazz & Blues Music BBC Rock & Indie Music BBC World Music
BBC Music: >Selection of Local Links BBC Bristol BBC Liverpool: Music BBC – London Music BBC Manchester: Music BBC Nottingham: Music BBC Oxford: Music BBC Music Scotland BBC South Yorkshire: Music BBC Stoke & Staffs: Music BBC Wales: Music
BBC Music: What's On TV /Radio: BBC Later BBC Music TV/Radio
BBC Radio: BBC Radio BBC Music - Listen BBC - England - BBC English Regions Local Radio Stations BBC Radio Scotland BBC Radio Wales BBC Digital Radio BBC Radio London

Radio 1: Radio 1 Radio 1 Playlist Radio 1 Schedule Radio 1 - Events Radio 1 Music News Radio 1 Dance Radio 1 - Experimental Radio 1 Rock/ Indie Shows/ Presenters: Rob da Bank Fabio & Grooverider Mary Ann Hobbs Ras Kwame Steve Lamacq Zane Lowe Annie Mac Annie Nightingale Gilles Peterson Huw Stephens Pete Tong Themed/ Specialist Shows: Essential Mix The Rock Show Remember: John Peel
1Xtra: 1Xtra 1Xtra Schedule 1Xtra DJShows IXtra Playlist IXtra drumnbass Bailey Benji B Crissy Criss
Radio 2: Radio 2 Playlist Schedule Documentaries Events Janice Long Radcliffe & Maconie
Radio 3: Radio 3 Schedule Programmes Presenters Music: Radio 3: Classical Radio 3: Jazz Radio 3: New Music Radio 3: World Music Shows: Hear and Now Jazz on 3 Late Junction

6 Music: 6 Music 6 Music - Music News 6 Music - Music News in Brief 6 Music - Playlist 6 Music - Schedule 6 Music - Events 6 Music - Shows Have Your Say 6 Music - Contact Us 6 Music - Press Office Weekdays: 6 Music - Album of the Day Nemone Steve Lamacq Marc Riley Gideon Coe Roundtable Tom Robinson Bruce Dickinson Rock Show Weekends: Liz Kershaw Lauren Laverne 6Mix Don Letts Tom Robinson's Introducing The Music Week Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone Guy Garvey's Finest Hour

Contemporary Classical/ Modern Composition: BBC Classical BBC Radio 3 BMIC British Composers Index Contemporary Music Centre, Ireland Harmonia Mundi UK Hear and Now International Computer Music Association New Music Box NetNewMusic NewNote NMC Post-Classical rec.music.classical.contemporary Sequenza 21 SPNM

Dance Music/ Club Culture: Cognition DanceNova DJ List DJ Mag earplug Hyperdub Klublife NAJM Progressive-Sounds UK-Dance

Breakbeat/ Nu Skool Breaks: Nubreaks.com Nu Skool Breaks

DrumnBass/Jungle: DogsonAcid Drum & Bass Arena Junglist.com Knowledge Magazine Liquid Funk IXtra - DrumNBass Planetdnb Drum&Bass International Startpage

Dubstep Blogs Blackdown deeptime Drumz of The South Dubster's Laboratory Forensics Gutterbreakz kid kameleon lower end spasm Mashed Up Beats patternloader Shards, Fragments and Totems: Grievous Angel’s alternate reality of random scribbling Forums Dubstep Forum Dissensus - Dubstep Thread History BBC Collective - Sound of Dubstep wikipedia - Dubstep Labels Hotflush Recordings Hyperdub Tempa Net Radio & Mixes Bare Files Dubplate.Net Dubstep.fm www.gourmetbeats.com Mary Anne Hobbs Reload-Radio online DUBSTEP radio/stream - Home Rinse FM SUB FM Artists Digital Mystikz Hatcha Horsepower Productions kode9 Skream Search - Blogosphere Google Blog Search - Dubstep technorati - Dubstep Tags delicious - dubstep Tag Central - dubstep

Electroclash/ Futurepop/ Modern Synthpop: Links @ LarryTee.com Ersatz Audio Gigolo Records Electroclash A Different Drum Jive 55 Synthpop for the Masses Synthpop.NET

Electro Sounds - everybody grooving to the future robot beat: Crucial Electro ELECTRO-FUNK ROOTS HOMEPAGE Electrocuted Links Flightpath Estate Global Darkness Kraftwerk Psi49Net -Anthony Rother Rotters Golf Club 313ctr0

Electronic Downtempo Grooves, Electro Jazz, Broken Beats, Trip Hop: Acid Jazz Server Beyond Jazz.net BigChill.net Downtempo.org electroambientdreampop Jazzadelica weblinks kozmigroov-index Straight No Chaser Triphop.hu Trip-Hop.net World of Trip Hop

EM / Electronic Music/ Ambient/ Space Music: Ambience for the Masses The Ambient Review Ambient Visions Ambient Visions: News Ampersand etcetera Electric Music 411 Electroambient Space Electronic Music Foundation electronicshadows.com Epsilon Hypnagogue Wind and Wire Concerts: The Gatherings Discussion: Mailing Lists The Ambient Way Spacemusic Labels: AtmoWorks.com DiN Horizon Music Hypnos lotuspike Nepenthe Spotted Peccary Music Radio: Star's End Online Retailers: Farfield Music Groove Unlimited Hypnos Store Steve Roach Mail Order Synth Music Direct

Experimental Electronics/ IDM: Haunted Links Boomkat Electronic Music Links Cyclic Defrost disquiet Electroacoustic 11th Hour Technology Gridface Grooves Magazine Hyperreal Sonic Arts Network Tesselate Textura t h e . z z z o n e

Hip Hop: Old School Hiphop Spinemagazine UKHH.com Underground Hip Hop

House/ Tech-House/Techno: Deep House Network deepness Tech-House Techno Online

Industrial / Darkwave/ EBM/ Goth: Cybase 23 Dark Culture Magazine Dark Links Deathrock Funprox Goth.net Hard Wired Heathen Harvest industrial.org Moving Hands net goth org UK Side Line Sordid Magazine StarVox This is Corrosion uk.people.gothic

Jazz/ Improvised Music: All About Jazz All About Jazz: Articles Upcoming Jazz Release Center Mike Chadwick ContemporaryJazz.com EER Jazz Fusion European Free Improvisation Pages euro-improv Europe Jazz Network FreeJazz.org International Jazz Festivals Organization Jazzitude Jazz Journalists Association Jazzmatazz JazzNow Jazz Review.com Jazz Services Jazz Weekly.com JazzWorld NOjazz One Final Note Magazines: Down Beat Jazz Improv Jazziz Jazz Times Jazzwise Signal to Noise Radio: Jazz FM The Jazz House NPR Jazz WNUR 89.3 Reviews: All About Jazz: Reviews Bagatellen reviews BBC Music - Jazz the Improviser jazzmatazz: Reviews Jazz Online Jazz Review.com - CD Reviews Shops: Crazy Jazz IndieJazz.com Jazzcds Jazz Loft Jazz Links: Contemporary List of Jazz Links freeform.org : music links Jazz Links Jazzmatazz links Restructures

Metal: [Extreme/ Dark Metal/ Metalcore etc] Key: Apeshit Archaic-Magazine.com Chronicles of Chaos Live 4 Metal Webzine Lords of Metal Maximum Metal Metal Crypt The Metal Forge Metal Invader The Metal Observer Metalrage MetalReview.com METAL REVIEWS Metal-Rules.com Metal Storm Teeth of the Divine Treehouse of Death SMNnews.com Ultimate Metal Doom Doom Metal Hardcore/ Metalcore Lambgoat Stereokiller.com Other: Deadtide.com Firegoat Metal Throne Metal Undergound.com PRP Scream Tartarean Desire Webzine Viking Blood Databases: The BNR Metal Pages Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives Magazines: BW&BK Decibel MetalBite Metal Hammer Pit Magazine Terrorizer Zero Tolerance Magazine

Post-Punk/ Punk-Funk: The Crepuscule and Factory Pages LTM Red Sun Records Ze Records

Post-Rock/ Shoegazer/Dreampop Sounds: Fakejazz.com Losing Today Post Rock Bands Post Rock Labels & Media Tonevendor

Progressive Rock/Avant Prog: Aural Innovations The Axiom of Choice Clicks and Klangs Cuneiform Dutch Progressive Rock Page Ghostland The Giant Progweed Gibraltar Gnosis The Green Dolphin's Poll Innerviews Prog Archives Progfreaks.com Prog4you Prog-Nose Prognosis ProgressiveWorld.net Progressor ProgRock.com ProgScape.com Rubberneck Sea of Tranquilty Links: Aural Innovations - Links Progressive and Avant Rock Rec.Music.Progressive - FAQ Online Shops/ Mail Order: ReR Ultima Thule Wayside Discussion: avant-progressive Progressive Ears The Progressive Music Society rec.music.progressive News: Ytsejam.com Radio: Progressive Music Shows Live Online Aural Moon Delicious Agony Progressive Rock Radio The Dividing Line Progradio.net Radio Shows: Gagliarchives Gnosis Radio Krautrock/ Kosmische Music Kosmische Club Krautrock @ phinnweb

IA/ ID/ User Experience/ Web Usability: InfoDesign: Understanding by Design UsabilityNews.com xBlog Resources: Boxes and Arrows Chinwag Usability Body of Knowledge Usability Views UXmatters Links: Experience Design Resources findability.org HCI Index HCI Sites IA Library Interaction-Design.org. User Experience Resource Collection UX - Overview Diagrams UX Disciplines Circle uxd_diagrams UX UXnet - User Experience Network Information Architecture The Information Architecture Institute

Latest Blog Content: Original Signal popurls SEOmash THEWEBLIST.net Web 2.0 Workgroup Tech News: digg DiggLicious.com Techmeme Blogger: Blogger Buzz Status Blogger Buzz: delicious/popular popacular - popular delicious bookmarks FriendFeedLinks Megite Social Reader More Buzz Links: Populair.eu buzz

Monitoring Webpages: Change Detection Google Alerts Yahoo! Alerts
Web Organizers: Bookmarks Backflip Google Bookmarks Google Notebook LATERTHIS Yahoo Bookmarks Social Bookmarks BlinkList BlogMarks clipclip Clipmarks delicious Diigo Faves Netvouz Secondbrain Simpy StumbleUpon trailfire Twine User Generated News / Content BuzzFeed digg Mixx Newsvine NowPublic Propeller reddit socialmedian Yahoo! Buzz

Blogging: Blogger Tumblr Microblogging: Twitter Notepad: Yahoo Notepad PIM: To-Do Lists: Remember The Milk Personal Start Pages: iGoogle My Yahoo Netvibes Pageflakes Quick.as Aggregated Portals: FriendFeed RSS Readers: Bloglines Google Reader RSS Tools: FeedBurner FeedInformer SuprGlu URL Shorteners: bit.ly TinyURL.com Web Archiving: Evernote Other Tools: HelloTxt Ping.fm Yahoo! Babel Fish Zoho

Search Tools: Collections Browys Fagan Finder Fasteagle trovando TurboScout URLinfo beta || Fagan Finder whonu Zuula Specialist Search Tools: Alexa A9.com DoubleTrust Find Similar Sites GooFresh Kosmix Simply Google Soople The Wayback Machine Yauba YubNub Links: How to Choose a Search Engine or Directory Message Board Search BoardTracker.com Omgili Tag Search: delicious/search/all delicious/tag IceRocket Tags Wikipedia Search: Clusty Qwika WikiWax Books: BookBrain.co.uk BookButler Bookprice24.co.uk BooksPrice Maps: Google Maps Streetmap.co.uk Reference: Answers.com Dictionary.com Factbites FindArticles Wikipedia Time: The World Clock

News: AltaVista News Ananova BBC BBC News Google News UK The Guardian The Independent MSN News UK NewsNow Sky News Times Online Yahoo News Yahoo UK News
Media News: Digital Spy MediaGuardian.co.uk Media Week Press Gazette Links: journalism.co.uk JournalismNet UK news search portal

Portals: Excite Excite UK MSN UK BT Yahoo My Yahoo UK Yahoo UK Everything Yahoo!
Search Engines: Ask Bing Cuil Exalead Gigablast Google Yahoo Search UK: Ask UK Bing Search UK Google UK Yahoo! Search UK
MetaSearch: Clusty Dogpile iBoogie Ixquick jux2 metaEureka qksearch SurfWax ZapMeta

Blog & Buzz Search Tools: Ask Jeeves UK - Blogs Blogdigger Bloglines | Search Bloglines | Advanced Search BlogPulse BlogScope Google Blog Search IceRocket Sphere Technorati Search | Tumblr Twingly Blog Search Meta: Clusty Collecta FriendFeed Search Kosmix Samepoint Scoopler SearchMerge Social Mention surchur Twingly Microblog Search WhosTalkin? Wikio Twitter Search: CrowdEye OneRiot TweetMeme Twitter Search

Directories: Technorati Blog Directory Blog directory links Links: delicious delicious/ djmartian delicious/tags/djmartian delicious tags Updated: Updated UK Weblogs
Linked/ Related: AltaVista: Link BlogShares blo.gs Google Search: link ODP Technorati: Links Yahoo Search: link More Links: Talk Digger UrlTrends :: Trend Report
URL:DJ Martian's Page * Search Engines Listed: Google Directory