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.
2008 ALBUM RELEASES: 2008 FORTHCOMING ALBUMS
using rateyourmusic.com: 2008 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!]
On another ILM thread: AlexinNYC reviews the forthcoming Firewater album: Firewater - The Man on the Burning Tightrope, according to AMG data this is due for release June 17th.
Firewater include ex Cop Shoot Cop bass player Tod A. # posted by DJ Martian 11:20 PM
Depeche Mode: Is this the end? Artistic Differences
For Depeche Mode fans go to Side-Line to read Dave Gahan's thoughts on the future of Depeche Mode.
[30 April 2003]
Gahan expresses doubts on future Depeche Mode # posted by DJ Martian 10:59 PM
Luomo - The Present Lover
On this ILM thread, the title of the forthcoming Luomo album is announced: The Present Lover. A difference of opinion of when it is to be released, either June 9th [according to Job] or Autumn. [Earlier this year I saw September/October as a targeted date] # posted by DJ Martian 7:53 PM
One World: Forthcoming Shows
A brief overview of forthcoming One World shows on Radio 1
1st May >> Kitty Yo Label Special - music from the German label who have brought us artists such as Peaches & Gonzales
9th May >> Inertia Records Showcase, sessions from Freeland & The Buzzcocks and an album preview from Medicine
16th May >> Staff Show - Adam Hudson - Electro Special presented by Phil Oakey
23rd May >> Truby Trio mixing up tracks from their new album, London Elektricity in session and an album preview from Jaga Jazzist
30th May >> Staff Show - Annie Macmanus - Disco Punkathon with contributions from Output Records & DFA
6th June >> Hybrid in Session, and a mix from Cypress Hill's DJ Muggs
13th June >> Sonar Festival Part 1 with John Peel
20th June >> Sonar Festival Part 2 - Highlights from this year's Barcelona based electronica festival # posted by DJ Martian 7:40 PM
BBC Jazz on 3 have a profile feature on Dave Douglas.
In March 2003, trumpeter, band leader, and composer Dave Douglas turned 40. The anniversary coincided conveniently with the release of his acclaimed album, 'Freak In' # posted by DJ Martian 4:15 PM
Twine�s Greg Malcolm and Chas Mossholder have been making music together for a few years now, and have released four albums of intricate abstract electronica. Yet, their music retains a certain candid touch, making it at once challenging and accessible. As they are getting ready to release their new self-titled album later on this year, Greg and Chas have accepted to talk to themilkfactory about making music while living far away from each other, what Twine is all about and adopting a more open approach to their work. # posted by DJ Martian 12:07 AM
themilkfactory.co.uk - May 2003
themilkfactory.co.uk deliver another fine selection of reviews. [The summaries below are taken from a Milkfactory.co.uk e-mail/website, to see the full reviews go to the link above]
ALBUM OF THE MONTH
GOLDFRAPP - Black Cherry Returning two and a half years after their seminal Felt Moutain, Goldfrapp have seriously spiced up their luxuriant sound by bringing to the surface its dirtiest elements. Black Cherry demonstrates that Goldfrapp are a truly unique band on the British music scene.
REVIEWS
Freeform - Condensed Following on his Replicant Rumba Rockers collection of material from Atom�, Burnt Friedman now revisits the Freeform back catalogue to piece together a portrait of one of the most interesting musicians around.
Four Tet - Rounds Kieran Hebden returns with his third album as Four Tet. Building on the sonic experimentations started with its predecessor, Rounds sees Hebden developing further his unconventional approach to electronic music.
Burnt Friedman & The Nu Dub Players - Can't Cool Already a veteran of the electronic movement, Burnt Friedman gives his machines a rest and revives his Nu Dub Players by getting over twenty musicians from all over the world to create an impressive dub experience.
Lewis In Heaven - Lewis In Heaven Hailing from Belgium, Lewis In Heaven is the solo project of Ruben Nachtergaele. With this impressive self-titled debut, he brings together Autechre, My Bloody Valentine and about everything in between.
Plaid - Parts In The Post Undeniably one of the most high profile outfits on the original electronica movement, Plaid presents this compilation of remixes done for other people. Parts In The Post offers an interesting insight into the world of Handley and Turner, but it is not all that exiting�
Set Fire To Flames - Telegraphs in Negative / Mouths Trapped in Static Two years after their first album, Canadian collective Set Fire To Flames return with this epic collection of recordings, taking their original semi-improvised experimentations and sound a step further. Unmissable.
Son Of Clay - Face Takes Shape Son Of Clay is the brainchild of Berlin-based Swedish musician and sound artist Andreas Bertilsson. Face Takes Shape, his first album, was entirely built around sounds recorded in his house. The result is organic, fascinating and utterly beautiful.
Spiritualized - Complete Works Vol. 1 Arguably one of the most influential rock bands of the nineties, Spiritualized have carved a very unique piece of work since ex-Spaceman 3 Jason Pierce got the band together. This first of two volumes, Complete Works showcases the first five years in the history of the band, and features numerous rare singles, B-sides and promo tracks. # posted by DJ Martian 12:07 AM
Robert Sandall and Mark Russell present a
unique mix of musical styles and influences.
11 May 2003 23:00-24.05
Robert Sandall and Mark Russell present a
unique mix of musical styles and influences,
including a performance from the critically
acclaimed New York band Calla, recorded
exclusively for the programme.
18 May 2003 23:00-24.05
Mark Russell and Robert Sandall are joined by one
of the most influential figures on the alternative rock scene,
Lou Reed, to discuss his distinguished career
both with the Velvet Underground and as a solo artist. # posted by DJ Martian 3:20 PM
Tip: check the MP3 download for the track She's Got A Halo for superb New Order-esque bass lines and Cranes a-like female vox.
Changing gears seven albums into a band's career isn't unheard of, but when the resulting recording is as spectacular as Faith & Disease's Passport To Kunming, one must stand up and take note. Once heralded for their gothic and ethereal textures and atmospheres, Faith & Disease have evolved into a band defining the best traits of the SadCore genre. Musically compatriots with Low, Idaho or late-period Velvets, their music possesses slow, downcast melodies, eerily isolated guitar or bass complementing the unmistakably beautiful emotions dripping from Dara Rosenwasser's heart-broken vocals. Dara's sublime voice floats over the melodic, chorus-pedal rich basslines, droney guitars, synth and vintage organ layers,as well as the tasteful, understated percussion. This is compelling SadCore evoking an updated version of classic ethereal-rock.
"For those of a melancholy turn of mind, Faith & Disease's ethereal, otherworldly chamber music for the damned is an ideal soundtrack. Built around Rosenwasser's lovely voice, coupled with Cooley's guitar and bass, Faith & Disease feels like a long, shadowed walk in a deserted patch of woods on a gray, bone-chilling day." - Ink19.com
The opening track is a gem, "She's Got A Halo" evokes a lost classic from early Factory Records-era New Order, propelled by a looping bassline and scratchy guitar. "How Far Does The Sky Go" veers into dream pop territory, with some fine Bowie Heroes-era guitar coupled with Dara's elegiac vocals. "Impermanence" is druggy '60s psychedelia, with a vintage Hammond organ drone and a middle spoken-word tangent. "Girl At The Window" is an anomolie track; A romanticized homage to the vinyl era with it's lonely distant piano-box and Dara's engaging narrative forewarning winters impending gloom..and Faith & Disease should know, they hail from Seattle after all. And once again, Faith & Disease are masterful at knowing when to strip it all down to the bare elements -- take "Made of Wood" for instance, a well-placed acoustic guitar strum and Rosenwasser's vocals are all that is needed to convey the songs beauty, poetry and vulnerability. # posted by DJ Martian 12:41 AM
Metal Hammer have a studio report from Sikth expect their debut album to be released in June [and not May 19th as previously mentioned] # posted by DJ Martian 11:23 PM
Tangerine Dream - Mota Atma
On May 6th Tangerine Dream will release a new album, Mota Atma. See UK distributors Voiceprint for more info.
Mota Atma is Tangerine Dream's stunning new album recorded towards the end of 2002 at the band's studio in Berlin. Combining the image creating soundscapes, a transcendental journey into these sonic surrounds of a unique world, in which only Tangerine Dream can create with their unique blends of sound, samples, rhythms and a little bit of keyboard magic. # posted by DJ Martian 10:46 PM
A recommended read, from Marcello Carlin @ The Church of Me: TWO APPROACHES TO MAXIMALIST MINIMALISM: MIKE OLDFIELD AND GLENN BRANCA # posted by DJ Martian 10:29 PM
RJD2 - The Horror EP
Definitive Jux # posted by DJ Martian 9:29 PM
Junkmedia review Erik Friedlander - Quake [ this album is released May 27th, on Cryptogramophone]
Taking indiscriminately from everything from free jazz to klezmer, Erik Friedlander has created a true hybrid, organic world music for the future. # posted by DJ Martian 9:22 PM
Next month marks the 20th anniversary of the Manchester band's first single "Hand in Glove", which introduced the jangling guitars and maudlin lyrics that shaped the consciousness of a generation.
Key new album releases for April 28th [A more detailed release listing including other new releases, compilations and reissues - can be found further up this webpage.]
This Week: April 28th
Austerity Program - Terra Nova (Hydra Head) EP
Cex - Being Ridden [instrumental version] (Temporary Residence)
Cex - Being Ridden [vocal version] (Temporary Residence)
Collide - Some Kind of Strange (Next Level)
Ravi Coltrane - Mad 6 (Sony Jazz)
8 Doogymoto - Minimalistico (Soundslike)
Eluvium - Lambent Material (Temporary Residence)
Gescom - ISS SA (Skam) EP
Paul Giger - Vindonissa (ECM)
Gold Chains - Young Miss America (Pias)
Goldfrapp - Black Cherry (Mute)
Jaga Jazzist - Animal Chin (GSL) EP
Karda Estra - Constellations (Cyclops)
Lexaunculpt - The Blurring of Trees (Planet Mu)
Mcenroe - Disenfranchised (Peanuts & Corn)
Mono - One More Step and You Die (Ryko)
Negura Bunget - 'N Crug Bradului (Code 666)
Opiate - Sometimes (Morr Music)
Plumbline - Circles (Hydrogen Dukebox)
Sk-um - I Pagu Fallsins (Resonant)
Surburban Knight - My Sol Dark Direction (Peacefrog)
Takeo Toyama - Hello 88 (Karaoke Kalk)
Cristian Vogel - Dungeon Master (Tresor) First Time on CD
Wire - Send (Pink Flag)
For Reference:
Last Week: April 21st
Arab Strap - Monday At The Hug And Pint (Chemikal Underground)
Belisha - People in the Dark (Filthy Sonnix)
Bridge & Tunnel - Great Outdoors (Surrender)
Matt Elliott - The Mess We Made (Domino)
H-Foundation - Environments (Soma)
Daniel Lanois - Shine (Anti-/Epitaph)
Molasses - Slow Messe (Alien8 Recordings)
Phill Niblock - Touch Food (Touch)
Alexander Robotnick - Oh No!! Robotnik (Hot Elephant Music)
S-Process - MNML (French Kiss)
Ahmad Szabo - This Book Is About Words (Eastern Developments) # posted by DJ Martian 12:04 AM
Green Carnation have named their forthcoming album as A Blessing In Disguise, released in Europe on June 16th and in the US on June 17th 2003 through Season Of Mist.
Green Carnation include ex members of In The Woods in related news...
Thanks to Musique Machine for alerting me to the news that a Live CD by legendary Norwegian rock band In the Woods is on the way. In the Woods released one of the finest albums of the 90s, Omnio that was an epic and expansive rock masterpiece.
finally, after about two years in the making, "liveatthecaledonienhall" - the epitaph of in the woods... - is ready to be released!
as the title indicates, it was recorded at caledonien hotel, kristiansand, norway, late december 2000. the album holds twenty songs from the bands career, amongst a full coverage of their second (and most acclaimed) album, "omnio".
- double cd
- two and a half hours of perfect live-sound (+ more than half an hour of material free to download via web)
- the first 3000 copies will contain the brand new karmakosmetix promo-sampler
- due may, 2003 via prophecy productions/ karmakosmetix
Official retrospective website for In The Woods # posted by DJ Martian 4:02 PM
ALBUM OF THE WEEK!
Ceephax Acid Crew - Ceephax Acid Crew Breakin
Andy Jenkinson, brother of the man Squarepusher, brings forth his hotly anticipated new album to Breakin', and ther'e's more than enough killer material here to satisfy!. This two cd set effectively combines an entire disc of all new Ceephax material [DISC ONE], and the entirety of two long out of print full length eps on Breakin' [DISC TWO]. When Ceephax's first two albums appeared in 2000, the self-titled record and `Drivetime' tape pack on Belgium's First Cask sold out almost instantly, and went on to be one of our most requested items ever. `Acid Quakers' on Lo merely added to the furore, so its with great pleasure we present this consumate Breakin' set. `Camelot pollution' rides a blissful chicago-style kicking house riddim, `Swab Funk' comes up front with the acid, and its all good. Incredible that Jenkinson records live and with analogue equipment, when you hear the range and originality of the tunes on show here. `Marshmellow' is the sole representative here from the twice sold out `Acid Legacy' ep, and just thrills the senses with depth and melody. `Acid Le Soken' has a similar grasp of what makes these tunes work, raising machine rhythms to new emotive levels. `Culteddy' touches more hectic timbres, ultra-fast drums and more rampant acid. `Friday Film Special Acid' could stand up next to classic period Armando, so simple yet so utterly effective. `Fantastic Planet' makes reference to the defining works of the Drexciyan brothers and other prime detroit movers, and its left to the irresistible groove and sublime melodies of `Credick' to tie up the hugely enjoyable first disc. Disc two combines two well sought after eps for Breakin' : `Radiotin' and `Bainted smile', for its 14 tracks and brings out the mentalism in tandem with Ceephax's often overlooked, highly developed compositional skills. OeCeephax Acid, adopts anthemnic proportions, OeAcid on Sea, a humourous but awesome take on the likes of Bam Bam, 'Static', the theme for `Radiotin' and the four parts of `Arterial acid' still sounding as future as you could wish. `Space paranoia' brings the requisite amount of fear to the table and the excellently named `Dennis weaver acid' just plain rocks it. The key to Jenkinson's approach is to relish the imposed restrictions of the genre and defy them with every note of this awesome double disc. Everyone loves a 303!!! Ace.
ALBUM OF THE WEEK!
Dub Tractor - More Or Less Mono City Centre Offices
New on City Centre Offices! Anders Remmer, aka Dub Tractor, hardly needs an introduction. The Copenhagen resident has been responsible for a whole stack of irrestistable records in the past few years, both as a solo artist and as a member of various groups. Being a member of "Future 3", the Danish supergroup together with Thomas Knak (aka opiate, production work for Bj�rk) and Jesper Skaaning (aka Acustic), Anders Remmer introduced us to distant vocals and almost shy acoustic guitars, all packaged up as popsongs. Future 3's latest incarnation, 'System', have been most recently found at their best with a wonderful long-player for Pole's Scape imprint, exploring detailed dub, warmer than anything you've heard before. Working as a solo artist, Remmer records as Dub Tractor. Following his split-ep together with Opiate on City Centre Offices, his "hum ep" on Hobby Industries and three albums, "more or less" is his fourth and most sublime album to date. This amazing album finds Anders focusing on how to bring together two worlds which have not had much in common over the last couple of years : microscopic electronic fixtures and widescreen acoustic washes of sound, all fitted with a deep, involving pop sensibility. On "more or less mono", he plays guitar and bass as if the denial of these instruments within the electronic community has never been an issue. His love for dub is still deeply obvious, but what about a peter hook-like bassline or some elegiac guitar melodies? Facing himself against a tide of musicians who have been trying to master this fusion of acoustic and electronic elements with limited success, Dub Tractor gets out the microphone and sings, while his bitcrusher destroys the white noise and the delay switches on the radiator. "more or less mono" is an album which will never leave your rack. Sublime.
Suburban Knight - My Sol Dark Destination Peacefrog
Peacefrog score another Detroit exclusive, the debut album from Underground Resistance legend James `Suburban Knight' Pennington. Including the all time anthem `The Art of Stalking' which was one of those tracks that blew Detroit techno wide open in the UK and everywhere else on the face of the planet, fast becoming a blueprint for techno absolutely everywhere. Starting with `Shape Shifter' one of Pennington's absolute bests and a superb intro that kicks off with deep strings setting a tense atmosphere and leading to a full frontal electro assault that almost sounds like a precursor to two step with its bassline and simple plucked synths, building-up the track to a multi-layered killer cut. Awesome. `Collaboration Alpha' sets a lighter tone with airy strings keeping the depth while a subtle beat builds and blends into the melodies, when the lead synth drops it twists the track into a surefire techno winner, a modulating arpeggio works around the beat to cement all the pieces together tightly while the groove keeps your head nodding throughout. `Midnight Sunshine' adopts the soulful twinkling side of Detroit techno and mesmerises you in the intro as all the instruments build up to dissipate and leave the cut rocking with just chord stabs accompanying the beat, Detroit House stylee. This album wouldn't be complete without including the bona-fide classic released in 1991 and one of my all-time killer techno tracks, `The Art of Stalking'. Tracks like Joey Beltrams `Energy Flash', Derrick May's `Strings of Life' or Carl Craigs `Climax' come to mind as pieces which stay with you over the years, never dating out of favour. "The Art Of Stalking" falls firmly into that same category - one of the most played, influential and downright classic tracks Detroit has ever produced. Heavy reverb on the kick drums is joined by THAT bassline, and it gets you every time, subtle synths that hit the perfect notes flutter over the groove multiplying the suspense and a sense of trepidation that stays throughout, a once in a lifetime cut that has embedded Suburban Knight into the Techno almanac. Brilliant.
Cristian Vogel - Dungeon Master Tresor
2CD
Finally released on CD, complete with a full-length bonus disc featuring some killer Vogel live sessions! Cristian Vogel is the don : the man is and always has been remarkably ahead of his time, producing the kind of cut up house/electronica/electro/techno hybrids that only really became categorised and understood several years after the event, unerathing plagarists, theorists and copyists along the way. I mean, listen to 1994's album for Mille Plateaux `Beginning to Understand', a record that not only contains one of the greatest ever tron-tinged electroid tracks (Scorpio) but also formulates the blueprint for what would several years later become known as micro-house. And so Vogel continues to pave new roads into all manner of technological advances and visionary playing fields, forever holding on to one big fat dollop of what can only be called the Funk!! `Dungeon Master' is an awesome record, cutting up industrialisms, clanks and crunches into house beats and electroid spasms, metallic constructions and reduced, micro, fizzing, liting, rotating and subverting stretches of pure future-dancefloor genius. The man can do no wrong.......Immense.
Gold Chains - Young Miss America Pias
First full length album from Gold Chains after the two differing extended e.p.'s for his spiritual indie homes Orthlorng Musork and Tigerbeat 6. Still in collaboration production wise with Kit Clayton - getting in touch with his blingting vibe. 'YMA' is eleven tracks long and musically different again, this time neither hip hop nor electronic mashup, instead an alien r'n'b poprock attack is on the menu. You can hardly say that Topher's rhymes act as an emcee's lyrics and he'd deny such intent. Instead think a robotic lounge lizard speaking on lifes lows and highs. Hardly as hedonistic as before, this time Gold Chain brings the different sh*t. Confusing but still way cool.
Jaga Jazzist - Animal Chin EP
Gold Standard Laboratories
This cool E.P. acts as an introductory document to this ace norwegian electronic / big band avant jazz collective. Featuring three of the best tracks from 'A Livingroom Hush', a track from the forthcoming Ninja Tune album 'The Stix', one exclusive blinder in 'Tristar' and the previously vinyl only remixes of 'Lithunia' by Martin Horntveth and Kim Hiorthoy's hatstand rework of 'Going Down' - all 15 minutes of it. 43 mins long, nice price. If you've not yet dug into the Jaga Jazzist sound then here's a perfect first taste.
Kid Koala - Nufonia Must Fall Ninja Tune
Book and CD
'Nufonia Must Fall' is a massive achievement for Eric San aka Kid Koala. Around three years in the works this monochrome novel comic is pretty much one of a kind. A three hundred and forty page book, no speech bubbles - simply beautiful and evocative drawn images with light shading depth that radiates emotion. The drawings were the shared work of Eric and Louisa Schabas, whose touches really bring Eric's drawings to life. For a sample his style was first dropped in the booklet for his debut album 'Carpal Tunnel Syndrome' but here it's taken to a whole new level. The story is about an out-of-work robot dreamer and his love for a lonely office girl. Their trials and tribulations in trying to overcome the obstacles to finding true love. The music touches on the more evocative outpourings of Vincent Gallo with a hip hop itch with emotions from lonely and depressed to happy and love lifted - fed through an electric piano, clarinet and turntables. Ten short but perfect vignettes to be listening to while viewing certain corresponding pages in the book. Pure. Sublime. Unmissable.
Lackluster - Showcase Merck
Merck proudly presents their first full length from finnish electronic music composer Lackluster. Prior to this, Lackluster has made two vinyl ep releases and few compilation visits on Merck, plus selected remixes. 'Showcase' is a wonderful collection of 19 tracks recorded between 1999 to 2001, some previously released on various labels like Rikos, Surgery and De:Focus. Folks familiar with respond to the hints of electro, techno and even experiments in house. An accurate assessment of the fragile state of electronic music today. The best of Esa Ruoho's musical discography without falling into one particular style / groove / genre. This release describes the assemblage of beauty manifested through one brain with the use of melodic tweaks, and layers of creative electricity. Recommended.
Lexaunculpt - The Blurring Of Trees Planet Mu
This is an album that seems to have been forever in the making. From the debut 12" for Isophlux (pressed up numerous times in different colours of lush transparent vinyl), to the collectable 12" for Miami's Orange Imprint (complete with MP3 riddled Floppy Disks) and the various sparkling compilation contributions, Lexaunculpt's material has been treated with a certain amount of revenance from a crowd of listeners desperate for more. This album (or various, earlier versions of it) seems to have been intended for or due for imminent release on various labels over the last couple of years, always somehow managing to avoid public release and, instead, finding a home on MP3 sites and various archives here and there. Planet-Mu seems to be the perfect home for Alex, allowing him to explore both sides of his brilliantly original take on electronic music, from his seemingly effortless engineering of the most complex and grooving disjointed beats, to his by now familiar foray into ambient and even classical territory for catharsis. This is a brilliant album from a quite simply exceptional artist - highlighted best on the deeply digital and syncopated metallic beats of "Ninety-Seven Cars And Free Love" to the simply jawdropping distorted ambience of "Emori Dixon Renamed". The only hope is that the wait for the next album isn't quite as long and that some of these amazing tracks make it onto vinyl sometime soon. Awesome.
Sk-um- I Pagu Fallsins Resonant
What is it about Iceland? there's clearly something about the air, the water, the chill or good cheer. 'Tomatar' opens the album with finely spun mesh of drone-based strings, 'Lummur' adopts a more electropop stance to bouyant melodic effect. 'Bonetrix' treads lightly alongside the river marked 'melodic dsp' and manages not to fall in. 'Tasco' is a crunchier beauty, imagine the melodic charms of The Remote Viewer with a more urgent tempo, then spin through 180 degrees. A largely enjoyable album which reveals still further the surprising musical depths flowing in the currents of icelandic music. For all followers of the beguiling icelandic sounds of Mum, this is a pleasant album well worthy of further exploration.
Via Tania - Under Different Sky Chocolate Industries
Debut album from Via Tania, aka australian born singer songwriter Tania Bowers. A strange choice for Chocolate, this album of electronified post rock would sit better on Thrill Jockey. In fact many of Chicago's finest appear like Doug McCombs, John Herndon and Howe Gelb. Mr Scott Herron adds touches to a few tracks. Vocally like a more girly Bjork with a rustic charm, very nice in places. Ten tracks.
The Peter Brotzmann Sextet/ Quartet - More Nipples Unheard Atavistic
One of the great free jazz archaeological finds of recent years: Three lost tracks from the 'Nipples' sessions. Dateline: Germany, 1969. The legendary lineup: Peter Br�tzmann and Evan Parker (saxophones), Derek Bailey (guitar), Fred Van Hove (piano), Buschi Niebergall (bass), Han Bennink (drums). Br�tzmann has always mentioned more material, but thought it had been discarded long ago. But in 2002, FMP founder Jost Gebers discovered a reel of material, recorded by both the quartet (without Bailey and Parker) and sextet incarnations, in the FMP archive. Here, then, for the first time, is an entire record's worth of alternate pieces, including a sextet blowout featuring Parker on soprano saxophone and Bailey's guitar much more up-front than on the original LP, and two fantastic quartet pieces. The second of these, "Fat Man Walks," starts with an anthemic, chordal riff, building to a climax that is comparable in weight and fire to Pharoah Sanders' classic solo with the Jazz Composers Orchestra - an urgent, white-hot tenor sound unlike any other Br�tzmann release. Han Bennink fans are warned: this is an enormous metallic sound, even for the master of trash-can percussion. One of Atavistic records proudest moments in their UMS FMP Archive Edition: Don't miss...
Wire - Send Pinkflag
The number of groups surviving punk's first blast still able to ply their trade with heads aloft and conscience clear can be counted on the fingers of one hand, with three digits to spare. Wire are one of them. `Send' is their first full length album of new music in over a decade, and contains eleven examples of their most caustic and brutally compelling output in twice that time. Crafted walls of blistering guitars, brittle drums, mathematical bass and monotonic alive vocals all with an electronic overcoating of digital menace.
Stark Reality - Now Stones Throw
A group doesn't get quirkier or more collectable in the hip hop & funk crate digging world than Stark Reality. Long respected for their ultra-rare and ultra-pricey double lp of psychedelic jazz funk, 'The Stark Reality Discovers Hoagy Charmichael's Music Shop', their otherworldly mind & body food can now be tasted by anyone with �15 as opposed to �350 to spare. Variously described as avante-garde, distorted, genius, and over-rated (often in the same sentence), the sounds on 'The Stark Reality Discovers' depart violently from what one might normally expect of a late sixties jazz funk quartet; the group came by their infamy by impressing jazz legend Ahmad Jamal with a six song demo, psyching out "square" children,s songs written by Hoagy Charmichael in the forties & fifties, eventually convincing Jamal to release 90 minutes of their freeform outfunk on his private AJP label. Now Egon at Stone Throw has unearthed those original tapes, plus unreleased tracks, photos, posters and interviews, and condensed them into a comprehensive 70 minute cd with 16 page booklet. If you own a copy of 'The Funky 16 Corners', you know what extreme attention to audio and visual detail to expect. Many incurable spotters will claim to know these tracks inside out. Many hip hop fans will recognise parts of songs from their use by Pete Rock, J-Live, Large Professor and Main Source. Many more will flip their wigs and be instant converts the moment they catch a blast of Stark Reality's exceptional musical creation, much like Peanut Butter Wolf did when he first heard 'Junkman,s Song, on Egon,s bedroom stereo. Fully phreeked freejazzfunkrocksoulpsyche deserving attention way beyond the confines of the cult beat-seeker,s scene, as powerful and astonishing now as when created some thirty five years ago. Killer.
The Chap - The Horse Lo Recordings
Lo Recordings never fail to surprise, and The Chap continues the trend. Quite grungy and yet still electronic related its a collection of guitar led homegrown songs singing about various subjects from samples to essex, all built around the rock template, with crashing drums and huge rhythm sections and plenty of vocal backing. There are lusher moments like `Volumatic Spacer Device' which has a sparse arrangment with plenty of echoes and reverbs on the lusher sounds, plus bizarre vocals intoning `Sex with you is better than Asthma....". Trashy yet interesting.
8 Doogymoto - Minimalistico Soundslike
New on Matthew Herberts Soundslike label. Japanese vocals with a microscopic, broken dancefloor production slant meeting a rawer slice of Herbert production genius = 8 Doogymoto. Strange vocals that make perfect nonsense, 'Minimalistico' is a midtempo raw beat with ace quirky vocals, odd synth's and tin pot percussion, ace. 'Ookyaku' is perfect pop minimal house, the sort of music we'd hope Luomo would make. Again japanese vocals at their most charming and catchy, a minimal yet tough repetitive beat, pops and squeaks and a hyperactive Herbert flow, one of the tracks of 2003 - no less. Other tracks keep the same feel but add more traditional music structures (this is a full, three member, band) - adding touches of folk and Molokoesque lo-fi trip hoppery. Yet it's the Soundslike formula proof winners of 'Dakewa', 'Palusolu', 'Tupperware' and 'Tabetai' that make this one truly special. Highly recommended.
DJ Language - Language Lab Subfreakie
NY funk jockey and deep crate digger Mr Language drops this mighty mix selection of rare jazz, funk and black rock tracks. Intersplicing 36 tracks in one hour. This trip is totally on a chilled out, smoke a chizzan with your bud's tip while you fantasise about owning the original waxings. A lot of thought went into this mix, a clear yet warm and fuzzed feel pervades and the photo on the sleeve brings a smile to your face. Very baad, tune after tune (even dropping the track that was a basis of KMD's classic 'Peachfuzz'). Bobbito loves it and so will you. # posted by DJ Martian 1:16 AM
Friday, April 25, 2003
Dusted Features
Every Friday, Dusted Magazine publishes a series of music-related lists determined by our favorite artists. This week: saxophonist Bhob Rainey and recent Expanding Record's signee Vessel.
Vessel is Brit Gavin Toomey, who took to electronics after playing in improvisation noise bands over the past decade. He first appeared on Expanding Record�s The Condition of Muzak last year, where his single �Tiny� stole the show. This month marks his debut electronic album, Dreaming in Paris, already hailed by Boomkat as one of the finest releases of 2003 so far. Toomey is also an accomplish film technician and helped in the creation of UNKLE�s frighteningly good video for �Rabbit In Your Headlights�. Fans of Benge and minimalist electronica should check him out. # posted by DJ Martian 5:39 PM
Also BurnitBlue.com review the latest Jaga Jaggist album: The Stix [due for release May 12th in the UK, it was released in Norway in 2002] # posted by DJ Martian 5:25 PM
The Independent interview Goldfrapp # posted by DJ Martian 5:14 PM
A track [Masters of the Universe PT1] by Bangkok Impact on the free CD with Jockey Slut magazine impressed me mightly - epic slabs of electro and trippy dancefloor friendly techno that would make Swayzak proud, also of note Bangkok Impact - Traveller is Jockey Slut Album of the Month
[the growth of finnish electronic music continues Sami Liuski [Bangkok Impact] added to the likes of Mr Velcro Fasteners, Vladislav Delay, Jori Hulkkonen]
Disco always creeps back into vogue, reminding us that it's both the original and one of the best forms of dance music (and, of course, where dance music as we know it started).
Disco is the sound that never dies, and the Dutch know it better than anyone. Artists and labels in Rotterdam and The Hague (the latter more usually associated with electro these days) have been spreading the word of disco�s umpteenth coming for a while now. Ever since I-F's defining 'Mixed Up In The Hague' compilations, the likes of Legowelt and The Parallax Corporation have been busily reinventing disco.
Now their time has come, and people are finally waking up to the nouveau disco sound. Of course, Britain is a little behind as usual - Legowelt's 'Disco Rout' was one of the biggest tracks in mainland Europe last year but didn�t even make the radar screen over here.
It was hearing Legowelt that first prompted Finnish producer Sami Liuski, aka Bangkok Impact, to switch to disco. The result is 'Traveller', a tour de force of an album that easily measures up to the artists that inspired it in the first place. A shiny, funky hybrid of Italo-disco tinged with electro and techno, 'Traveller' is both retro and modern, nodding to Giorgio Moroder as well as the new school.
Unlike the majority of electro obsessives, Liuski can write a song - there are three vocal tracks out of 13 ('Don't Be A Badboy', 'Crowdpleaser' and the salacious 'Give It To Me Baby'). He�s just as tasty with an instrumental, though, as shown by the irresistible funk-driven grooves of 'Logarhytmic', 'Passenger' and 'Rymdfunk'.
But in the end it�s Liuski's impeccably light touch, attention to detail and the sheer infectious nature of his grooves that make 'Traveller' such a delight from start to - if you'll pardon the pun - Finnish. Let there be disco - again. Tom Magic Feet (8)
MARK MOORE
DJ
"A first class Euro-electro journey to the undiscovered parts of your erogenous zone. It reminds me of when I first started clubbing at places like The Blitz, The Embassy Club and Heaven, where you had European jet setters mixed with lowlives and rabble, all dancing to strange electronic music. This is the modern equivalent I�ve been longing to hear."
SUNIL SHARPE
SPINDIZZY, DUBLIN
"Cr�me Organisation is generally a safe bet to deliver the goods. Some of the bigger tracks on 'Traveller' are more like Daft Punk than the stereotypical Gigolo fare synonymous with contemporary electro. Warm, retrospective and at times effortlessly complex, Bangkok Impact's admirable juggling of electro and house is worthy of praise."
STEFANO ANSELMETTI
PROLIFICA RECORDS
"It takes me back to the mescaline-fuelled madness of Roman suburban clubs where the Italian techno-electro movement flourished. I love this album in particular, because, being Italian, I appreciate the Italo-disco references it makes - to people like Alexander Robotnik and all the fantastic releases on the Discotto label. It should appeal to the darker electroheads worldwide. Nice!"
also see an interview with Bangkok Impact @ Phinweb
10 April 2003 -- Sami Liuski of Rovaniemi (that's in Finnish Lappland for you not keeping awake at your geography lessons) is a master of many guises. 8-Bit Rockers is grimy electro. Bangkok Impact is lush neo-disco. Then there's Lolita Str�p (don't ask me where he gets these names), Red Loafen, and all other new projects he's coming up at the very time you're reading this! Records for Holland's Bunker, Cr�me Organization and Clone, Germany's Raummusik and Traum (and a cool remix for pHinnMilk's CTNERMX compilation)... gigs in Europe and a forthcoming US tour... praised by NME and Jockey Slut magazines... what a guy. Mr. Liuski talked to pHinnWeb via e-mail. # posted by DJ Martian 12:12 AM
Thursday, April 24, 2003
Suburban Knight - My Sol Dark Direction
James Pennington operates under the code name: Suburban Knight, part of the mysterious Detroit Techno collective: Underground Resistance. Next week sees the debut album from Suburban Knight: My Sol Dark Direction released on the Peacefrog label.
an accumulation of 17 years worth of contributions to the world of dance music. A masterpiece of house, techno and electronics, featuring time honoured classics and new flawless productions�
News of EMI's new internet strategy to sell music download tracks via a number of official partners was announced yeseterday, today Soundgenerator.com have an article on 140,000 EMI Tracks To Download # posted by DJ Martian 6:31 PM
Elbow
According to Soundgenerator.com Elbows's second album [as yet untitled] will be released 18th August on V2. # posted by DJ Martian 6:22 PM
Jockey Slut
New May issue of Jockey Slut in the shops as of today: [details below taken from an e-mail]
An exclusive interview with UNKLE. James Lavelle discusses the new album and the collaborations with Jarvis Cocker, Brain Eno and Ian Brown
2 Many DJs tell us why "everything is homo"
Herbert lifts the curtain on his big band project
An Audience With... Felix Da Housecat
We do a Rewind on My Bloody Valentine
Four Tet's Kieran Hebden reveals that his ambition is to soundtrack 'Dawson's Creek'
Top ten collaborations of all time! Did Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder make it?
Win 'Jam' DVDs + limited edition Adidas jackets
We also gatecrash Nag Nag Nag dressed like a complete tit!
ON OUR COVERMOUNT THIS MONTH.....
We give you 12 free big ones, starring...
Afuken's remix of Cabaret Voltaire, Midnight Mike, Four Tet, Malcolm Joseph, Mugison, Lucien N. Luciano, Sylvie Marks & Hal 9000, Kiki & Silversurfer, Bangkok Impact, In Flagranti, Glove and Mylo # posted by DJ Martian 6:05 PM
Cybersonica: 19th � 21st June 2003, London
The festival takes place from 19th � 21st June 2003.
Three days of live performance, exhibitions, cinema and talks will take place at the Institute of Contemporary Arts and other venues across London.
Cybersonica brings together the whole community of sonic innovation - from musicians, artists, DJs and VJs, to designers, academics, software makers and record labels.
Cybersonica, London�s only international festival of music, art, sound and technology will take place from 19th � 21st June 2003.
Thursday 19th June features a live headline performance from the internationally acclaimed Japanese producer Susumu Yokota who is currently touring UK and Europe promoting OverHead, his first album for the PLAY Label. Yokota will be playing a more ambient set with a mix of his works for Play and his own Skintone label.
The line-up for Friday 20th June has also been confirmed and will include live sets from Kid 606, Barcelona�s DJ Rupture and The Bug - all courtesy of Tiger Beat 6.
On Saturday 21st June, Cybersonica is proud to present the first ever UK appearances from EBN�s Brian Kane and Bauhouse, Germany�s foremost AV artists, as part of VJ label Addictive TV and Cinefeels� AV Lounge.
If I were an editor of a weekly music magazine this week's front cover would feature:Four Tet
This week's front cover choice is Four Tet. On May 5th Four Tet release their third album, Rounds on Domino.
Metacritic collate reviews Four Tet # posted by DJ Martian 5:15 PM
Wednesday, April 23, 2003
Akatombo - Trace Elements
posteverything.com provide info on a new album release from a sound project named: Akatombo due May 12th [released on Colin Newman's Swim record label]
[A track from this album was played on the latest Mixing It show , very rhythmic intense music reminded me of O'rang and Eardrum and 310. ]
AKATOMBO "Trace Elements" (CD) Wm 24
In common with all swim releases this album is hard to pin down to a genre. One could define this as a very urban sound with it's roots in hip hop and close observation would reveal this statement to be entirely true BUT without listening this would create an entirely erroneous view of what this album is.
The author & main protagonist Paul Kirk is in fact an ex-patriot Scot living in Hiroshima and the album crackles with the urban displacement of a stranger in a strange land. It is a music which is not separated from the place in which it is made, disembodied voices, street sounds, telephones, bad connections and urban detritus are constant reminders of the Japanese cityscape. Paul Kirk says - "Trace Elements came about through a fascination with the layering of sound - any type of sound - from any source. Not necessarily those that most of us think of as musical". He goes on to say - "Each song on the album was written, recorded and mixed on the same day of it's conception - in Hiroshima, in a studio that specializes in soundtracks for TV adverts with the help of an engineer who didn't speak English."
Paul also employed a few musicians to add to the effect those include the former bass player of Long Fin Killie, Colin Greig and some mates from his days running the Human Condition label (which actually put out Idlewild's first single but we won't hold it against them!) Grant MacNamara & Gavin Henderson. Meanwhile, guitarist Masaru Saeki actually toured with Japan & Roxy music! # posted by DJ Martian 11:31 PM
Detroit Cobras, Oneida, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Numbers, Hunches, Hamilton Yarns, Bitter Springs, Manitoba, Sole, Dirty Three, Har Mar Superstar, Turbonegro, The Go-Betweens, Crack W.A.R., Tujiko Noriko, plus hundreds of albums, all in a handy A-Z format. # posted by DJ Martian 11:16 PM
Erlend �ye - Unrest
Astralwerks # posted by DJ Martian 12:39 AM
Tuesday, April 22, 2003
Kaleidoscope
New issue of "Dark alternative music" magazine: Kaleidoscope with Front 242 on the front cover. # posted by DJ Martian 10:13 PM
Music Non Stop: Coming Soon
Some forthcoming releases profiled @ Music Non Stop [info from a MNS e-mail]
Collide - Some Kind Of Strange
Brand new album of sensual and alluring ethereal female vocal electro-goth. Karins powerful and exotic vocals remind of Curve, Siouxsie & The Banshees and The Cranes possesing a dark sensibility which will appeal to lovers of Ethereal and Gothic music. Combined with this are Statik's electronic manipulation treading a well defined line between all out EBM and electro-pop outbursts. Overall a fine album of well produced electro-ethereal songs running a range of influences from both pop and alternative music styles. Recommended ! Released 28th April 2003.
Dave Gahan - Paper Monsters - Mute
Long awaited solo album from enigmatic Depeche frontman Dave Gahan : The first sound that greets you, when popping "Paper Monsters" in the CD player is a filtered guitar loop, which soon slides into the banging lead single "Dirty Sticky Floors". The up-tempo track features some nice electronic basslines and drumpatterns, and with some catchy "woo hoo's" this is bound to be a crowd-pleaser on his forthcoming summer tour. "Dirty Sticky Floors" could have been a Depeche track, albeit one of the happier ones. Up next is the tender track "Hold On", which is reminiscent of Depeche's "When The Body Speaks". The vocal performance is very gentle, very relaxed. It's a bold second track, that threatens to slowly lull the listener to sleep. Those who do 'hold on' and stay awake will soon discover the albums third track. "A Little Piece" is another slow track, with an intro that could have been taken from Depeche Mode's "Music For The Masses" album. Morse code, brooding bass and a throbbing heart-beat type sound. The track is beautifully arranged, with great strings, acoustic guitar and something that sounds like a grand piano - all the way through accompanied by the underlying heartbeat bass. With a few tender moments now behind him, Dave ventures into an electro-glam-rock anthem of monster proportions. Starting off with a gruff groan from mr Gahan, "Bottle Living" sounds very Depeche - like a nice blend of "Dead Of Night" and "Personal Jesus", with a splash of Jim Morrison for good measure. "Black And Blue Again", the albums fifth track, is a slow builder. Startsout very moody, and slowly grows rocky and in your face. Comparing it to DM's "In Your Room", might be a stretch but it's probably the closest you'll get in the Mode back catalogue. Towards a background of fierce drumming and David Arnold like strings, Dave claims to be "Not Very Nice" ! Fair enough ! The lullaby / love song, "Stay", is a tender and beautiful track, that once again reminds yours truly of "When The Body Speaks" and maybe "Goodnight Lovers" - it's another slow track, and following two kick ass tracks it serves it's purpose as a nice little breather. Next up comes the storming electrobeat of "I Need You". A very synthie track, and without a doubt the most electronic track on the album, this track is an absolute joy. Musically its mid tempo, synth bass line and has odd DM sounding percussion. Time for another slow one. "Bitter Apple" has some really nice vocal arrangements and is very beautifully executed. Very mellow orchestral track. Time for the albums absolutely stand-out track. "Hidden Houses" is a cool, rocky tune in the vein of Placebo and The Cure. Great, great, GREAT bass, fantastic instrumentation and a nice drive. This track just feels right, and sets the album up nicely for a cool finish : "Goodbye" is a slow, sleazy, depressing ( in a cool way ), track that simply oozes atmosphere with a brooding, dark electro feel to it. Great way to finish the album off ! All in all "Paper Monsters" displays Gahans writing talents admirably with his voice sounding as rich and lush as ever - a definate for all Mode fans. Cover artwork by long time Mode collaborator Anton Corbijn. Tracklisting :-
1. Dirty Sticky Floors
2. Hold On
3. A Little Piece
4. Bottle Living
5. Black And Blue Again
6. Stay
7. I Need You
8. Bitter Apple
9. Hidden Houses
10. She Said (Goodbye)
Released 2nd June 2003.
Dead Can Dance - Towards The Within - 4AD
To coincide with the release of "Wake", 4AD are making the renowned "Toward The Within" video available on DVD for the first time. "Toward The Within" is a beguiling documentation of the band�s 1993 USA tour, featuring live performances and interviews with Dead Can Dance, filmed by �Baraka� director Mark Magidson. The DVD also features exclusive videos that did not feature on the original VHS version !
Full Trackling : 1."Rakim", 2. "Song Of The Sibyl" , 3. "I Can See Now" , 4. "American Dreaming", 5. "Cantara" , 6. "The Wind That Shakes The Barley" , 7. "I Am Stretched On Your Grave" , 8. "Desert Song" , 9. "Oman" , 10. "Gloridian" , 11. "Tristan" , 12. "Sanvean" , 13. "Don't Fade Away�". ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCES : 1. "The Carnival Is Over" , 2. "The Host Of Seraphim" , 3. "Yulunga" ( Spirit Dance ) , 4. "Frontier" , 5. "The Protagonist".
Released 5th May 2003.
Shinjuku Thief - Medea - Dorobo
Only a few months after the outstanding �comeback� - and final album of the �Witch� Trilogy "The Witch Haven", the Australian genius of SHINJUKU THIEF return with an all new album. Originally composed for a controversial staging of the classic Greek tragedy, "Medea" is Shinjuku Thief's most dramatic, dynamic and sinister work to date. Not withstanding its extreme violence, it might also be one of their most beautiful. - Fragile melodies sung by boy sopranos float above demonic choirs and malevolent orchestras only to be ripped apart by screaming sheets of industrial noise. Oscillating between lush musical seduction and a level of brutality as yet unprecedented across the band's backcatalog, "Medea" will appeal to fans running the gambit of Dead Can Dance, Raison d'Etre and In Slaughter Natives in one corner to Merzbow, and Brighter Death Now in the other. Released 5th May 2003. # posted by DJ Martian 10:07 PM
Robert Rich - Temple of the Invisible
Details of a new album from ambient artist Robert Rich
Robert - Temple of the Invisible
Official Release Date
May 1, 2003
Temple of the Invisible finds Robert Rich at his most organic, eschewing the trappings of modernity or stylistic boundaries. Using only simple acoustic instruments, Rich has crafted a document from a distant time and place, a lost culture with musical underpinnings that reach from Java to North Africa, from Medieval Europe to the Tibetan Plateau. Rich uses the music of this unknown civilization as a platform to express an intensely personal quest.
Each piece documents part of a lost ritual, with mythical and spiritual components conveyed through a strangely familiar yet foreign musical language, as if unearthed from an ancient common ancestry.
Contributors include Sukhawat Ali Khan (son of the great Indian vocalist Salamat Ali Khan), Paul Hanson (from Bela Fleck & Flecktones, Wayne Shorter, Zenith Patrol), Percy Howard (from Meridiem, Bill Laswell), and noted solo artists Forrest Fang and Tom Heasley, adding dimension and power to this mysterious world out of time.
Instruments:
Robert Rich: prepared piano, mallet kalimba, flutes, percussion, zithers
Sukhawat Ali Khan: voice
Forrest Fang: baglama, gu zheng
Paul Hanson: bombard, bassoon
Tom Heasley: voice, conch
Percy Howard: voice # posted by DJ Martian 9:43 PM
Well known writer/music critic Ian Penman has started a blog: THE PILL BOX found via Simon Reynolds blog: Blissblog # posted by DJ Martian 9:28 PM
David Sylvian - Blemish
The new official website for David Sylvian has been launched. In the Shop section of the website:
David Sylvian - Blemish has a release date of May 15.
An impromptu suite of songs for guitar, electronics and voice. An
emotionally raw, minimal work, of immediacy and stark beauty with
outstanding contributions from Derek Bailey and Christian Fennesz.
1. blemish
2. the good son
3. the only daughter
4. the heart knows better
5. she is not
6. late night shopping
7. how little we need to be happy
8. a fire in the forest
Produced, composed, performed, engineered by david sylvian
Except tracks 2/5/7 guitars derek bailey. composed by derek bailey and david
sylvian. track 8 electronics and arrangement by christian fennesz
mixed by david sylvian
recorded at samadhi sound studio feb/march 03
derek's session engineered by toby hrycek-robinson at the moat. # posted by DJ Martian 8:42 PM
According to NME.com expect the much delayed Jane's Addiction album: Hypersonic to be finally released in July. # posted by DJ Martian 3:31 PM
Grooves
A new edition of IDM/ electronic music magazine Grooves is now available.
GROOVES: # 10 MAG (GROOVES 10). Features: Pole, Prefuse 73, Mille
Plateaux, Takemura, Autechre on file sharing, Clue to Kato, Sica,
Matthew Shipp, Dev79, Cdatakill, Hecate, Oye, Mira Calix, Coh, Kevin
Blectum, Ehlers, Philip Jeck, Mike Ladd.
Source: Weekly new releases e-mail from Forced Exposure # posted by DJ Martian 12:04 AM
The Guardian have an extensive interview with The Go-Betweens # posted by DJ Martian 12:00 AM
Monday, April 21, 2003
Belisha
Quiet Great Publicity provide info on an album from UK Goth-ish rockers: Belisha - People of the Dark. This album is released April 21st on the Filthy Sonnix label.
Official website for Belisha # posted by DJ Martian 11:58 PM
Forthcoming specials on the Breezeblock show on Radio 1
22/04/03 >> Spiritualized [Replay...voted for by the Breezeblock listeners]
29/04/03 >> Akufen
06/05/03 >> Jon Carter
Coming Soon: >> The Bays
>> Goldfrapp
[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 11:19 PM
SPOTLIGHT...KEY NEW RELEASES THIS WEEK:
Key new album releases for April 21st [A more detailed release listing including other new releases, compilations and reissues - can be found further up this webpage.]
This Week: April 21st
Arab Strap - Monday At The Hug And Pint (Chemikal Underground)
Belisha - People in the Dark (Filthy Sonnix)
Bridge & Tunnel - Great Outdoors (Surrender)
Matt Elliott - The Mess We Made (Domino)
H-Foundation - Environments (Soma)
Daniel Lanois - Shine (Anti-/Epitaph)
Molasses - Slow Messe (Alien8 Recordings)
Phill Niblock - Touch Food (Touch)
Alexander Robotnick - Oh No!! Robotnik (Hot Elephant Music)
S-Process - MNML (French Kiss)
Ahmad Szabo - This Book Is About Words (Eastern Developments)
For Reference:
Last Week: April 14th
Adult - Anxiety Always (Ersatz Audio)
Bangkok Impact - Traveller (Clone/Creme)
William Basinski - The River (Raster/Noton) Import
The Bug - Pressure (Rephlex)
Elend - Winds Devouring Men (Prophesy)
El Guapo - Fake French (Dischord)
Bill Frisell - Intercontinentals (Nonesuch)
The Gathering - Souvenirs (Psychonaut Records)
Glass Candy & The Shattered Theatre - Love Love Love (Troubleman)
Ken Ishii - Future in Light (Exceptional)
Loop Guru - Bathtime With Loop Guru (Guruniversal)
Daniel Menche - Beautiful Blood (Alien 8)
Barbara Morgenstern - Nichts Muss (Labels/Monika) CD Version
Opeth - Damnation (MFN)
Jeff Parker - Like Coping (Delmark) US Import
Portal - Promise (Make Mine Music)
R3Mote - Re-motion (Rotters Golf Club) ep
Set Fire to Flames - Telegraphs in Negative/Mouths Trapped in Static (FatCat)
Sam Shalabi - Osma (Alien 8)
Sixtoo - Antagonist Survival Kit (Vertical Form)
Spacek - Vintage Hitech (Studio K7)
Styrofoam - I'm What's There To Show That Something's Missing (Morr Music)
SubArachnoid Space - Also Rising (Strange Attractors Audio House) Import
Swag - No Such Thing (Swag)
Nobukazu Takemura - Assembler/ Assembler 2 (Thrill Jockey)
1349 - Liberation (Candlelight)
Van Oehlen - Rock & Roll Is Here To Die (Blue Chopsticks)
Yellow 6 - Disappear Here (Make it Mine)
Yoshimi and Yuka - Flower with No Color (Ipecac Records) # posted by DJ Martian 10:40 PM
Sunday, April 20, 2003
Breathless - Behind the Light
Breathless will release a new album: Behind the Light on Tenor Vossa in June
Breathless' forthcoming album will be called Behind The Light, after the penultimate track which is 14 minutes long and reminisent of early Pink Floyd. The album consists of 7 songs, though not all of them yet have titles, they are:
1. After All These Years - A lush ballad witha dreamy country feel.
2. And So The Dream Goes On - very 70s Kraut Rock witha persistent driving rhythm
3. Stay Beside You - very mesmeric uses layers of samples and real instruments to create an orchestral effect.
4. Noboby Knows- Another ballad with no drums this time (Martyn plays additional keyboards) E bow sounding guitar, lilting bass and haunting vocals
5. Rising - Along with And So The Dream Goes On is another uptempo song with a strong rhythm, melodic vocals and big guitars
6. Behind The Light, ( which consists of 4 parts, Closer, You Never left Me, Closer Still and Always With You) - Starts off sounding like Pink Floyd, very ambient and atmospheric and builds into a big anthemic end.
7. Fade - Is an ambient instrumental with echoed bass and layers of keyboards and guitar. # posted by DJ Martian 7:36 PM
Holger Czukay - New Millennium
Holger Czukay releases a new album: New Millennium on Funfundvierzig
In the UK this album will now be released on May 5th.
To coincide with his 65th birthday, Funfundvierzig release Holger Czukay's new album "The New Millenium". A founding member of the enormously influential Krautrock group CAN, Holger Czukay can look back on 35 years of exceptional work - successfully bridging the gap between pop and theavant-garde, pioneering the use of samples and exploring the significance of world music on Western culture. Following the break-up of Can, Czukay went on to release many notable solo albums, instituting both primitive sampling techniques (achieved with tape splices) and worldbeat influences, employing samples from a number of international sources, and consequently positioning Czukay as an early proponent of world music. Holger has worked with many artists - from Brian Eno to Jah Wobble, The Edge, Conny Plank, Dav�d Sylvian etc. on his new album he collaborates with U-She. Her voice has a similar teutonic sound to Nico�s. This album is a testimony to the power of Holger's music as a unique composer - when asked why he called the new album "The New Millennium" he just answered: "because it doesn't fit into the old one".
We gotta hand it to Tigerbeat6 head honcho Miguel for giving this disc a domestic release and price. Released in the U.K. by Rephlex, "Pressure" is the second outing by Kevin Martin under the moniker of The Bug. While this guise may be a recent one for Mr. Martin, he's not a newcomer to the scene. You may already be familiar with his previous projects Techno Animal, Curse of the Golden Vampire, God and Ice (certainly not a curriculum vitae to be sneezed at). With The Bug though, Kevin attacks our lower intestinal tracts with some of the best hardcore dancehall we've heard in a long time. Residing somewhere between DJ Scud's pummelling gabber style Ambush! material and Timeblind's Three-Foot-Long Bong-Hit of a track "Rastabomba". It's exactly the dancehall cuts that what we here at Aquarius have been thirsting for. Whereas Scud's tracks, being instrumental, were totally insane over-the-top panacea style gabber, "Pressure" is primarily a true dancehall record, with toasting on every track. As such, Martin's rhythms tend to be stripped down more than Scud's. Which isn't to say they ain't hard. Under Wayne Lonesome's damaged toasting for "Fuck Y~Self" for instance is some busy as hell, noisy-assed rhythm that battles 10 rounds with Lonesome's growling. Along with Lonesome, toasters on this record include Daddy Freddy, Roger Robinson, Paul St. Hilaire, The Rootsman and more. A definite must for fans of Ward 21 and sundry other demented dancehall. Absolutely sick, absolutely essential!
SUNN O))) - White1 (Southern Lord)
Rumbing distortion. Doom. Drone. The vibrations have begun, another SUNNO))) disc is upon us!
As you probably know, the shorthand description for this band is that they're the SUNN that orbits Earth (the band). But actually this release from Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson's heavier-than-thou SUNNO))) proves that (as we knew all along) they exert their own gravity in the universe of dark heavy drone musicks. Previous efforts like "Flight Of The Behemoth" have been faves round here, and they also made a fan out of pagan psych-rock maven / monolith expert Julian Cope, who appears here on the 25 minute opening track "My Wall" reading an epic poem! It's a bit like Current 93 but of course waaaay heavier. SUNNO))) has some other heavy friends involved with this recording too, among them the mighty Joe Preston (Thrones, ex-Melvins, ex-Earth!) who brings in some of the fucked up programmed drumming that makes his Thrones project so special. Meanwhile, Jessamine/Fontanelle's Rex Ritter not only plays on the disc, but took care of the recording and mixing too. And the doom-folk direction that Cope's presence suggests is furthered by vocal contributions from Nordic ice witch doom vocalist Runhild Gammelsaeter (whom some will know from her band with Greg Anderson, Thor's Hammer). The final, spacey track with her and Preston dueting is a dronefolk dream. Holy Wotan! Space rockers, drone fiends, pagans, and doom heads alike all should worship this dark SUNN... And we're told the recording session apparently yielded enough material for more than one album, thus there should be a White2 to look forward to someday!
Ved Buens Ende - Written In Waters (Candlelight) [Reissue]
Praise Odin! At long last, a reissue of the sole full-length Ved Buens Ende album, originally released in 1995 on the now defunct cult label Misanthropy. A black metal super session of sorts, this band featured past, present, and future members of Satyricon, Dodheimsgard, Aura Noir, Cadaver Inc. and Arcturus. But Ved Buens Ende ('At The End of the Rainbow' in English) hardly sounded like ANY of those black metal stalwarts -- as avant garde as any of them ever got, Ved Buens Ende went way beyond. Yes it was heavy and dark and the vocals had a unique Viking/monk chant strangeness that isn't typical of black metal but would make even less sense coming from another genre of music... but rather than black metal, Ved Buens Ende could just as easily be categorized as a post-rock or math-rock band. A really amazing math-rock band, with Don Caballero's "2" being the closest comparison! But totally sad and metallic and strange and forlorn and beautiful. Utter weird progressive instrumental genius. And the vocals, once you get used to them (and they do add to the bizarre vibe already created by the unsettling, atmospheric music) are used to deliver some mysterious, poetic lyrics as well. Overall, this is not like anything else!
It's too bad they never released another record (except for a disc of demos) but it's also unlikely that they could have surpassed this masterpiece anyway. Over the past eight years, this record has really proven itself to be a lasting classic, growing in stature, foreshadowing (but still exceeding) much of the 'post-black metal' innovations to come -- such as the most out-there psychedelic parts of recent Enslaved albums, for instance, or Opeth's epic dynamism. It's been out of print for a long time, and hopefully now will reach a whole new audience with this remixed, remastered re-release, which features brand new cover art/graphic design that's not bad at all, kind of a fancier, Ralph Steadman ink-splatter take on the original artwork. As one of our favorite so-called black metal albums EVER, this gets the highest recommendation, though the vocal style may be a test that hopefully you will pass.
Janet Bean and the Concertina Wire - Dragging Wonder Lake (Thrill Jockey)
Janet Bean formed the indie rock Eleventh Dream Day in Chicago oh so many years ago, then followed that great band with Freakwater, her country duo with Catherine Irwin -- their harmonies converted legions of fans to alternative country. Now, Bean has released an album under her own name, and it's really good. Barely any twang remains, which worried me at first, but instead she's presented us with a sort of singer-songwriter rock record, middle of the road but in the best way, as if she was inspired by Carole King, Bread, Nanci Griffith, etc. With backup singers crooning all gospel-like in the background, her voice's natural vibrato really shines. There's sweet lap steel, warm strummed guitar, and some awesome, smart piano playing sort of oblique notes that contrast with the sweetness instead of backing it up -- a nice touch. Recommended!
1349 Rykkin - Brown Ring Of Fury (Jester)
Jester strikes again! After quite a few stellar releases by the likes of When, Ulver, Bogus Blimp, Kare Joao, Single Unit and others, this time the unpredictable (except for being predictably good) Norwegian avant-garde label Jester brings us another unknown quantity: the debut cd from something called 1349 Rykkin. Initially, this seemed like an exercise in distorted clobbering noise electronics with percussive hits and crunkly rhythms, definitely for fans of recent Merzbow and Kevin Drumm. Aggro but also varied and interesting. But, there's more -- four tracks in, the destructo stuff gives way to urban field recordings (passing cars, street sounds) and some really pretty, melancholic acoustic guitar playing in the form of "Field With Flowers In Crazy Colors", revealing Brown Ring Of Fury's sensitive side. Then the noise returns, but always, as before, with some left-field component. The penultimate track, "Best Boy", is also the album's epic centerpiece, being over 25 minutes of noise-throb akin to some ominous mechanical heartbeat, augmented with washes of spacey synth and vicious drones. Merzbow/Aube/Space Machine Japanoise territory here for sure. After that, there's a recording of some blokes in a bar on holiday (it seems) that makes for a confusing/bizarre/silly coda. Funny.
Our research reveals that this disc is the work of one guy, Bard Erik Strand Torgersen, with help from a few friends (including Jester label boss Kristoffer Rygg, aka Garm of Ulver). 1349 refers to the year the Black Plague devastated Norway, and Rykkin is the suburb of Oslo where Torgersen grew up. Apparently he's a Norwegian techno pioneer who hasn't made music for years, this is a new direction for him and certainly far from "techno" as it's normally conceived!
Adult - Anxiety Always (Ersatz Audio)
Is this highly anticipated Adult. full length: (a.) raw in an in-your-face punky fashion, or (b.) raw in an unfinished, half-assed state? It seems that folks have already begun taking sides. Either way if you haven't heard Adult. yet, this shouldn't be your introduction to the music of this Detroit duo. They've done so much better than this - namely their "Resuscitation" release. However, that wasn't an album proper; it was a lively collection of their assorted singles, and clearly that is where Adult. shine brightest. Despite their attempt at crafting a fully realized album, "Anxiety Always" just doesn't hold up to "Resuscitation." It seems obvious that Adult. has gotten frustrated with all of the hub-bub that has exploded around them in the electro-whatever crowd. "Anxiety Always" finds Adult. attempting to re-invent themselves, by emphasizing the punk snarl that was always lurking under that mechanical sheen of industrialized paranoia. Thus Nicola Kuperus' vocals jump to the foreground, spastically crashing into the electro-clash they've taken such care to craft. Furthermore, Adam Lee Miller picks up the bass on a couple of tracks to add a human touch to Adult.'s machinations, recalling the pre-Joy Division outfit Warsaw. At their best, Adult. also references the mutant sounds of Throbbing Gristle and Cabaret Voltaire; but at the same time, their ability to flesh out their tracks into wholly realized, infectious songs isn't as precise as on "Resuscitation." The shrill and redundant cut "Turn Your Back" leaves little to the imagination, sounding like a mediocre, punk-grrrrl, electronic outfit on Kill Rock Stars. Yet the album picks up steam as it continues, highlighted by the ominous, electro-obliqueness of "People You Can Confuse."
If you must know, Cup, who had previously championed
