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Pitchfork report Exclusive: Cannibal Ox Reborn!
According to a press release, Cannibal Ox have signed on for a "multi-album worldwide deal
I wonder which label ? Maybe: Warp ? Mute ?
# posted by DJ Martian 11:50 PM
This week's flavourpill LONDON [Issue 106 - 1-7 November, 2005]
A day early !
flavourpill LONDON is an email magazine covering a hand-picked selection of music, art and cultural events — delivered each Tuesday afternoon.
# posted by DJ Martian 2:20 PM
Mojo December 2005 - Kate Bush
On Sale Wednesday November 2nd
Source: Kate Bush News & Information - News
# posted by DJ Martian 1:45 PM
Metal Reviews: Arcturus - Sideshow Symphonies
# posted by DJ Martian 1:41 PM
All About Jazz on Tomasz Stanko - a primer on this esteemed Polish jazz artist.
# posted by DJ Martian 1:34 PM
[i:Vibes] interview John Dahlbäck - a 19 year old Swedish electronic music artist.
A new album: Man From The Fall will be released soon on Systematic Recordings.
Nick Luscombe on Xfm played a track yesterday and I was very impressed, this could be a key electro-house album of 2005.
soulseduction.com: soulseduction.com - john dahlbaeck - man from the fall
"Stockholm Kid Wonder and super busy producer John Dahlbaeck has graced the techno world with countless 12'es over the last few years on labels like Turbo, Dessous, Morris Audio, Brique Rouge and of course on his own labels Dahlaeck Recordings, which he apparently runs together with his famous cousin Jesper, Pickadoll and Jackmoves! He also always had a strong connection with Marc Romboy's quality imprint Systematic, where he dropped two of his best 12'es and two super dope remixes!
Basically speaking there is no way around John Dahlbaeck these days. It's a carefully arranged and gloriously fitting album, which perfectly displays the various moods and styles John is able to generate; starting from calmer and more melodic tunes over super functional electro house corkers to siren soaked rave anthems! All 4 to the floor, all in the well established John Dahlbaeck style! You can listen to this wherever you want cause it simply is nothing but dope music from one of the electro scene most promising activists of the moment!!!"
# posted by DJ Martian 1:25 PM
Website for Association of Music Writers & Photographers
Also: The Music Press Report
The Music Press Report is the official publication of The Association of Music Writers and Photographers. It's your daily dose of music press news, articles and resources.
# posted by DJ Martian 1:04 PM
Marillion announce plans for a new album in 2006.
# posted by DJ Martian 1:00 PM
BBC News provide a brief primer on Kate Bush: The sensual world of Kate Bush
# posted by DJ Martian 12:59 PM
Ectagon Progressive Rock provide a links gateway to progressive rock..
Also: Norwegian Progressive Rock Norway
The Progressive Rock Music scene in Norway is small, but lively. This section is covering the links to the best resources for Norwegian Progressive Rock on the Internet, and the bands with active websites. It is still in the compilation stage, so please feel free to contact Ectagon if you want something added here...
# posted by DJ Martian 12:57 PM
DJ Nick Luscombe from Xfm has a new blog: flomotion
# posted by DJ Martian 11:07 PM
Today on 6 Music - Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone - The Nurse With Wound List special.
Strap yourself in as Stuart and Professor Spear boldly explore 'The Nurse List'. Nurse With Wound included a legendary list of rare and mythical records with their debut LP, our task this week is to find them and play them. Soundtracks,Krautrock and Euro treats galore.
# posted by DJ Martian 3:45 PM
Amorphous Androgynous/ Future Sound of London present 6 Mix on 6 Music
Broadcast Today 8pm - 10pm
# posted by DJ Martian 3:43 PM
Jaz Coleman interviewed on BBC - 6 Music - Bruce Dickinson Rock Show
Jaz Coleman (above) of the legendary Killing Joke is this week's guests off the back of the release of the recent live album XXV Gathering.
# posted by DJ Martian 3:41 PM
BBC Music review Richie Hawtin - DE9 | Transitions
# posted by DJ Martian 2:02 PM
Mark Radcliffe Interview with Kate Bush on Radio 2: 7th November
Kate Bush News & Information - News Radio To Note:
Mark Radcliffe has conducted an interview with Kate, part of which will be aired on Monday 7th November 10.30pm, BBC Radio 2...Ken Bruce will play segments from the interview, and also tracks from Aerial when the album is BBC Radio 2's album of the week from Monday October 31st 9.30am-12pm weekdays...Phil Jupitus will also be playing Aerial tracks on his BBC Radio 6 breakfast show from Monday 31st October 7am-10am.."
# posted by DJ Martian 1:59 PM
The Observer review Kate Bush - Aerial [reviewed by Kitty Empire]
# posted by DJ Martian 1:50 PM
BBC Music review Depeche Mode - Playing The Angel
# posted by DJ Martian 2:18 PM
Review: Kate Bush's Aerial @ BBC NEWS
# posted by DJ Martian 2:15 PM
All About Jazz review Jan Jelinek | Kosmischer Pitch
# posted by DJ Martian 2:05 PM
Issue 55 of Earplug
OCTOBER 27 - NOVEMBER 9
Earplug is a twice-monthly email magazine, delivering a handpicked selection of news, sounds, videos, and original features to the international electronic-music community.
# posted by DJ Martian 1:30 PM
DJ Magazine - Top 100 DJs Poll
DJ Magazine have published the results of their annual DJs poll. Paul Van Dyk was crowned the winner.
OUT NOW: Special Top 100 DJs 2005 Issue Interviews with all of the 100 DJs that made it into the poll. Plus the Top 20 VJs revealed. Quentin Harris, Marathon Men, Cassetteboy, and win a tip to Finland! Over 150 upfront tunes reviewed.
RA: Resident Advisor provide the results of DJ Mag Top 100 DJs Poll: DJ Mag Top 100 DJs 2005 Results - Feature / Interview
01 - Paul Van Dyk
02 - Tiesto
03 - Armin Van Buuren
04 - Sasha
05 - Ferry Corsten
06 - John Digweed
07 - Hernan Cattaneo
08 - Deep Dish
09 - ATB
10 - Carl Cox
11 - Paul Oakenfold -2
12 - Richie Hawtin +32
13 - James Zabiela +2
14 - Christopher Lawrence -7
15 - Judge Jules -1
16 - Marco V NM
17 - Eddie Halliwell +8
18 - Erick Morillo +4
19 - Above & Beyond +20
20 - Sander Kleinenberg -8
21 - Markus Schulz +11
22 - Benny Benassi -4
23 - Sven Vath +11
24 - DJ Dan NM
25 - Danny Howells -5
26 - Infected Mushroom NE
27 - Roger Sanchez +10
28 - Mauro Picotto -1
29 - Gabriel & Dresden +12
30 - Steve Lawler -9
31 - Blank & Jones 7
32 - Yoji Biomehanika +1
33 - Chris Liebing -10
34 - Danny Tenaglia +6
35 - Nick Warren +8
36 - Dave Clarke +1
37 - James Holden -1
38 - Mario Piu RE
39 - David Guetta NE
40 - DJ Vibe +40
41 - Kai Tracid +28
42 - Bad Boy Bill -7
43 - Tall Paul 24
44 - Tiga NE
45 - DJ Yahel NE
46 - Andy Moor NE
47 - Ricardo Villalobos NE
48 - Ricky Stone NE
49 - Pete Tong -3
50 - Martin Garcia NE
51 - Frank T.R.A.X NE
52 - Timo Maas RE
53 - Laurent Garnier -8
54 - Desyn Masiello NE
55 - Victor Calderone +11
56 - Lisa Lashes -26
57 - Johan Gielen -29
58 - Matt Hardwick +1
59 - Misstress Barbara -10
60 - Fergie -2
61 - Armand Van Helden +23
62 - Michel De Hey +3
63 - Fatboy Slim -12
64 - Jeff Mills -17
65 - DJ Rush -2
66 - The Flash Brothers +5
67 - Adam Beyer -17
68 - Donald Glaude RE
69 - Dave Seaman -12
70 - Andy C -44
71 - Chus & Ceballos NE
72 - John '00' Fleming -20
73 - Satoshi Tomiie -25
74 - DJ Tatana NE
75 - Astrix NE
76 - Lee Burridge -20
77 - M.I.K.E. (Push) -15
78 - Lady Dana -49
79 - Umek -22
80 - Nic Fanciulli +8
81 - Rank 1 +10
82 - BT +10
83 - Anne Savage -4
84 - Luke Fair NE
85 - Plump DJs -32
86 - Miss Kittin -10
87 - Felix Da Housecat -14
88 - Christian Cambas NE
89 - Scott Project RE
90 - Cosmic Gate -9
91 - Matt Darey NE
92 - DJ Sammy NE
93 - Proteus -3
94 - DJ Luna -33
95 - Moshic NE
96 - Max Graham -32
97 - DJ Amadeus NE
98 - Gigi D'Agostino RE
99 - Marco Bailey -3
100 - Magda NE
# posted by DJ Martian 5:21 PM
Terrastock 6 Announced
Terrastock 6 announcement
We are pleased to announce that Terrastock 6 will be taking place in Providence, Rhode Island USA on April 21st, 22nd and 23rd, 2006.
Line Up:
Avarus (Finland)
Bardo Pond
Black Forest / Black Sea
Charalambides
College Girls Gone Wild
Damon and Naomi
Fursaxa
Ghost (Japan)
Glenn Jones & Cul de Sac
Kemialliset Ystävät (Finland)
Kinski
Sharron Kraus
Landing
Larkin Grimm
The Magic Carpathians Project (Poland)
Major Stars
Marissa Nadler
MV/EE
Paik
Jack Rose
Salamander
St Joan (UK)
Thought Forms (UK)
Spacious Mind (Sweden)
Spires that in the Sunset Rise
Tanakh (Italy)
Urdog
Windy & Carl
PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS (yet to be announced....)
# posted by DJ Martian 4:16 PM
Next week's releases reviewed @ Norman Records
# posted by DJ Martian 4:12 PM
almost cool music reviews Jan Jelinek - Kosmischer Pitch
# posted by DJ Martian 3:57 PM
The Guardian review Animal Collective - Feels
# posted by DJ Martian 12:23 PM
All About Jazz interview: Ken Vandermark: That Was Now
# posted by DJ Martian 12:06 PM
Sea of Tranquility review Riverside - Second Life Syndrome
Forget about the ever-present Opeth, Porcupine Tree, and later day Anathema references made regarding their first disc. Second Life Syndrome not only surpasses it, but it also presents a distinct Riverside sound that, despite some subtle influences, shows the band developing into a darker musical realm, while retaining the core stylistics of their debut album
# posted by DJ Martian 12:00 PM
The Guardian interview with Kate Bush: 'I'm not some weirdo recluse'
Kate Bush - Interview: This is an abridged version of an exclusive 16-page interview with Kate Bush that appears in the next issue of MOJO magazine, on sale on Wednesday November 3
# posted by DJ Martian 11:54 AM
Peeling Back The Years @ 6 Music your chance to listen to documentary programmes dedicated to John Peel on Listen Again.
# posted by DJ Martian 1:05 AM
Metal Storm interview Swallow The Sun
# posted by DJ Martian 12:07 AM
Lightning Bolt - Hypermagic Mountain is currently the 2nd highest rated album of the year @ Metacritic: Best Albums of 2005
# posted by DJ Martian 6:29 PM
Blabbermouth.Net report JANE'S ADDICTION: 'Best Of' Album To Surface In January?
# posted by DJ Martian 3:14 PM
Pitchfork review Dominik Eulberg - Kreucht & Fleucht [reviewed by Philip Sherburne]
This 2xCD mix-- one half more psychedelic, one more blissful-- functions as a guide to the Now Sound of clattery, post-minimalist German techno.
# posted by DJ Martian 2:11 PM
Stylus review Audion - Suckfish
# posted by DJ Martian 1:32 PM
Blabbermouth.Net report KHOMA Sign With ROADRUNNER RECORDS
Roadrunner Records announce their latest signing — KHOMA (formerly KOMA). Hailing from Umeå, in Sweden.
The core of KHOMA is always static — vocalist Jan Jämte, guitarist Johannes Persson, and Fredrik Kihlberg on guitar/piano — but the surrounding band members are a rolling collective of musicians. The band hail from varied musical backgrounds and all members still play in a number of different groups: CULT OF LUNA, THE PERISHERS, and the DEPORTEES, to name three. Accordingly, KHOMA began as a side project.
In creating their most recent music, the band have broadened their perspective and introduced new elements most notably cello and piano.
KHOMA have an epic sound of their own. Look for an album release in April 2006.
[They have previously been talent spotted by Avi @ It's a trap: it's a trap! reader's companion volume one : Koma]
# posted by DJ Martian 1:07 PM
musicOMH.com review Magnetophone - The Man Who Ate The Man on 4ad
# posted by DJ Martian 12:04 PM
Riverside - Second Life Syndrome
Prog Archives have various reviews for the new Riverside album: RIVERSIDE - Second Life Syndrome
# posted by DJ Martian 11:26 AM
Top 100 Albums of 2005 @ rateyourmusic.com has been updated.
still at number 1 Sufjan Stevens - Can anyone dislodge him from the pole position? The only big album left to be released this year that has a chance is Kate Bush - Aerial IMHO
performing exceedingly well for an independent label band:
3 Animal Collective: Feels
Climbing Up
67 Between the Buried and Me: Alaska
new entries: All of these should climb in the future
36 Boards of Canada: The Campfire Headphase
79 Mew: And the Glass Handed Kites
80 Depeche Mode: Playing the Angel
Also I am proud to report that Coldplay's tediously overpromoted album has finally been kicked out of the Top 100.
# posted by DJ Martian 12:40 AM
Ephel Duath
Italian art-metal band Ephel Duath have redesigned their website.
In the download section: 2 MP3 tracks from the new album: Pain Necessary To Know due for release October 31st.
Vector, Third Movement
Pleonasm
Also @ myspace.com: Ephel Duath
Sea of Tranquility review Ephel Duath: Pain Necessary to Know
# posted by DJ Martian 6:37 PM
Burst have launched a new website.
# posted by DJ Martian 1:04 PM
Old Man's Child - ecard
Century Media Records have an ecard for Norwegian black metal band Old Man's Child: Old Man's Child : VERMIN
# posted by DJ Martian 12:29 AM
Playlouder interview Magnétophone
# posted by DJ Martian 11:15 PM
Ultrasound 2005
Ultrasound 2005 takes place @ The Media Centre, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire between Thursday 24th November and Saturday 26th November.
Please visit this website soon for further announcements
# posted by DJ Martian 11:12 PM
This week's The Breezeblock show on Radio 1
Finally, after a couple of years tracking him down, Simpsons creator Matt Groening spins his psychedelic rarities.
Tracklistings: BBC - Radio 1 - Dance The Breezeblock [Now on Listen Again]
Also Coming Soon:
Nov 1st
Trentemøller
The Danish producer plays live
Nov 8th
A.I.
Liquid drum'n'bass masters
Nov 15th
Errors
live from Maida Vale
# posted by DJ Martian 3:29 PM
Stylus review Lightning Bolt - Hypermagic Mountain
# posted by DJ Martian 2:01 PM
Pitchfork review Annie: DJ-Kicks
# posted by DJ Martian 2:00 PM
This week's flavourpill LONDON [Issue 105 - 25-31 October, 2005]
flavourpill LONDON is an email magazine covering a hand-picked selection of music, art and cultural events — delivered each Tuesday afternoon.
# posted by DJ Martian 1:57 PM
the 2005 woxy.com Modern Rock 500 - interesting to see which classic alternative tracks are currently rated.
# posted by DJ Martian 1:28 PM
Calliso New Album for 2006
Finland's Art-Metal band Callisto provide a new update:
Callisto enters studio! We have started the pre-production of our second album with Jonas Olsson. So far we have completed five songs and five songs are in the works. In December we will head into the studio in the backwoods of the northern west-coast countryside, around where most of us grew up.
The album will be produced and engineered by Jonas. The mixing and mastering will be done elsewhere (not yet confirmed) and the album will be released during the first half of next year.
# posted by DJ Martian 1:25 PM
dirtyradio.net is back !
Streaming via a new URL 24/7 [Use Winamp to listen in]
Last few tracks:
� Dirty Radio - Station ID
� Caribou - Barnowl
� Junior Boys - Teach Me How To Fight
� Dirty Radio - Station ID
� Leandro Gamez - Oaxaca
� Githead - Pylons
� Dirty Radio - Station ID
� TV on the Radio - New Health Rock
� Lucien-N-Luciano - Madre, Mother&M�re
# posted by DJ Martian 1:19 PM
Decibel interview Opeth
# posted by DJ Martian 9:19 PM
Metalrage review Solefald - Red For Fire - An Icelandic Odyssey Part 1
# posted by DJ Martian 8:04 PM
Relaunched: Drowned in Sound - the UK based music community webzine.
# posted by DJ Martian 1:42 PM
All About Jazz interview Jack Dangers: The Mind of Meat Beat Manifesto
# posted by DJ Martian 12:27 PM
All About Jazz review Mat Maneri | Pentagon on Thirsty Ear
# posted by DJ Martian 12:21 PM
This Week's New Releases @ Boomkat: Week Commencing October 24th
This week's new releases @ Boomkat include:
ALBUM OF THE WEEK!
Nine Horses (David Sylvian / Burnt Friedman / Steve Jansen) - Snow Borne Sorrow
Samadhisound
The collaborative product of David Sylvian, Steve Jansen and Burnt Friedman has been hugely anticipated, and doubly so when the smallprint reveals that it also features the contributions of an unbeleivably tantalising supporting cast : Arve Henriksen, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Stina Nordenstam. Nine Horses make sprawling oak tree music that mixes it's various protagonists disparate skills into a profoundly engaging end result that has been already described by many as Sylvian's most approachable material in years .'Snow Borne Sorrow' is an oddly engaging LP, taking a male/female duet structure that brings to mind 'Where The Wild Roses Grow', opening with 'Wonderful World'; wherein they spin a shuffling web of bourbon streaked jazz which unwinds with a paranoid intent. From here they indulge in some electronic torch songs ('Darkest Birds' & 'Serotonin'), tackle a dark night with the slouched horns of 'The Banality of Evil', before collapsing on the optimism tinted epic of 'The Librarian'. Dark, unique and very rewarding, a must....
ALBUM OF THE WEEK!
Jasper TX - I'll Be Long Gone Before My Light Reaches You
Lampse
Only a handful of releases in and Lampse have already established themselves as purveyors of the most gorgeous blue noise imaginable; a fact which is forcibly asserted by this deeply enjoyable album from Sweden's Jasper TX. With a vibe initially remeniscent of the warm shimmering guitar manipulations of Fennesz, Jasper TX (aka Dag Rosenqvist) coaxes finely textured and fathom deep compositions from a relatively sparse aural palate, resulting in a sound which has the scope of Sigur Ros coupled with the raw ebb of Jelinek and Tape. Opening with what at first seems a textbook excursion in layered rustles and machine lint, the album kicks off with 'Blown Out to Sea, I'm Never Coming Back'; wherein this slightest of foundations is slowly furnished by distant sea swells of diffused soundscape detritus and heart-flushed bass to make a post-rock influenced sound which will thaw all but the coldest of emotional husks. Similar in its effect is 'Braille', where through static ruptured digital shards, a fragile sense of glowing optimism emerges, rewarded at the end by a stunning piano melody which coaxes the ear straight into the border-line drone of 'Letting Gon (The World Is Coming to an End)'. Possessing a similar monochrome outlook to Norway's Deaf Center, Jasper TX proves on the likes of 'Help The Die' and 'Rounds' that the grandest of gestures are best realised through the most personal of compositions. Stunning....
Lackluster - Slice
U Cover
It seems that Esa Ruoho is having a good run - what with his excellent upcoming album for the Newspeak label and this, is his second album excursion with the design-savvy U Cover. "Slice" is full of classic IDM constructions and beautifully lilting ambient lullabies - a minimal patchwork of sci-fi soundtracking that works a treat. Recommended listening....
Vector Lovers - Capsule For One
Soma
The second album from Soma's golden boy Martin Wheeler (aka Vector Lovers) in as many years, 'Capsule For One' takes up very much where his eponymous debut left off; albeit fed on a free-range, cinematic diet. Evidently a dedicated Vangelis fanboy, Wheeler has gone all out on the swooping synth gymnastics this time round, opening with the twinkle synth of 'City Lights from a Train' then swiftly following it with the choral sheath of 'Arrival, Metropolis'. Whilst this all gets suitably grand on the horizon, Wheeler then introduces some ruff laptop beats in the foreground that range from the Aphex Twin-school of precision ('Nostalgia For the Future') through to Detroit-tinged loveliness on 'Post Artic Industries'. Although dripping in cross-over appeal and packed with the kind of clinically welcoming sound that made him so appealing to BMW's ad-department last year, 'Capsule For One' is still a fine example of an artist in love with music and not afraid to show it. And who are we to argue with that?...
Furuholmen / Bjerkestrand / Wadling - Hermetic
Rune Grammofon
Magne Furuholmen is a founder member of A-Ha, Kjetil Bkerkestrand is a composer/producer and Freddie Walding is a much respected Swedish singer. Put them together and you get 'Hermetic'; bloody weird! Made for the film '1732 Hotten' (translated as 'Bloody Angels'), the 12 pieces on 'Hermetic' are genuine oddities, full of dark-hearted jazz flourishes, distant (almost tortured) vocals and broiling soundscapes. Unsettling to the max, Furuholmen, Bjerkestrand and Walding have created a twisted organic-machine that pulses with an electronic heart one minute before being consumed by a mass of mismatched voices the next. The kind of thing which has the very real potential for causing nightmares, 'Hermatic' is odd as you like, but in a good way....
Why? - Elephant Eyelash
Anticon
The latest missive from Anticon's folk-rock-psych-hop heavyweight Why? (now a four piece band fronted by main-man Yoni Wolf), 'Elephant Eyelash' seems to be the record that was long threatened but oddly elusive. Featuring guest spots from a good chunk of the Anticon stud-farm, 'Elephant Eyelash' is a genre gumbo that logically should result in a 10 mile aural f*ck-up... but doesn't. The opening song 'Crushed Bones' is a fine example; what initially seems a waterlogged folk flutter is incrementally beefed up to emotional-strength, before it spirals wildly into a polemical crunch, over which Wolf delivers his nasal proclamations of "London where the sirens yelp like a helpless Dog with its jaw stepped on". It might not sound much written down, but on record it has an indefinable force. Similarly, 'Yo Yo Bye Bye' is a vast and operatic slab of psych-hop that pitches skywards in a flurry of Mercury Rev-meets-Doseone references, hitting its mark head on before shifting gear on album highlight 'Rubber Traits' with a snowfall of vitiman-C piano chords and the oddly moving diatribe of "Unfold an origami death mask, And cut my DNA with rubber traits, Pull apart the double helix like a wishbone, Always be working on a suicide note". If Stephen Malkmus had shirked his Anglophile fixation and gone for a career in hip-hop, this is probably what it would have sounded like....
T La Rock - Lyrical King : From The Boogie Down Bronx
Fresh
Like Just Ice's debut LP I reckon you ain't gonna find a better example of the genius of Kurtis Mantronik and his crew of edit magicians than right here. Like 'Back To The Old School', Mantronik seriously got to flex his 808 programming skills here, check the canyon leaps in style and confidence from his earliest work all the way to cuts like the awesome 'Back To Burn', quite shocking. Of course it's men like Chep Nunez and Omar Santana that really crank this stuff up to the next level, a true statement as elements of this album make most rap 2005 seem utterly stagnant and dull as'. Unfortunately back in 1987 I felt this album to be slightly disappointing as all the prior bomb tracks were allready in my 12" racks - this album's original single wax version only thrilled with cuts like the mental title track, all alien 808 beats and bugged synth patterns downtempo tune! Then/now it's 'Back To Burn', still sick now nearly twenty years after its first appearance, i'll still be rocking to this when i'm dancing with the aid of a zimmaframe. Like Just's DMX T' had the now worldfamous beatbox Greg Nice (you know Nice & Smooth) who beefs most of the non-Mantronik cuts, half dope half joke funny, only a couple of tracks still feel like rushed job filler material. Can't forget DJ Louie Lou. Where this CD really shines though is with the previously 12" only bonus cuts'. Check, 'It's Yours', yes of course but then there's 'He's Incredible'/'Breakdown', the obvious follow up - still minimal classic 808 beats fat but with no sign yet of the cut n paste edit stylings which changed to the max with the next 12". 'Breaking Bells' is in my top ten cuts of alltime, Omar Santana's edit work is seriously insane, too much for some but just right for me - serious messed up and a massive influence on DJ Shadow's early chop up sequences. That 12"s flip 'Bass Machine' is equally classic just a little less insane. The kind of record that I can remember every second of even now. An album that will sound alien as fu*k to most kids today, for us greying b-boys it's a serious basscone warmer. Crushing music....
Cikada String Quartet - In Due Tempi
ECM
Founded in Oslo with the stated intent of "getting to grips with the newest ideas through demanding and technically advanced music", the Cikada String Quartet are here tackling three strikingly distinctive and highly original compositions from the latter half of the 20th Century. Accompanied by an extensive set of liner notes from Anders Beyer and Helmut Rohm, the Cikada String Quartet demonstrate their keen musical prowess through vivid and oft fraught interpretations of Kaika Saariaho, John Cage and Bruno Maderna. Consciously attempting to spurn the orthodox manoeuvres of the avant-garde, 'In Due Tempi' is a startling aural document which grabs you by the throat and simply doesn't let go....
Jonathan Kane - February
Table of the elements
Jonathan Kane; now why does that name sound familiar? Well, apart from co-founding no-wave group du jour Swans he also cemented his skin bashing prowess as rythem master for Rhys Chatham. So it is with some considerable experience that he takes his first solo forray on 'February', a loud & proud collison of artlilliary drumming and bluesy rock instrumentation. Opening with 'Curl', Kane has an adherence to strict rythms and serialistic intent that borders on the Neu! for repetative cohesion, with a grand bass heavy stomp pummellled by all manner of swampy guitars and low-slung bass. At times veering close to contempoary post-rock (see 'Motherless Child'), Kane is an old-school type through and through; a stance which lends 'February' an urgent energy which is terribly infectious. An Aquarius through and through......
The Drift - Noumena
Temporary Residence
The Drift do exactly what they say on the tin; they drift! Whether this is through choleric clouds of diffused soundscapes ('Gardening, Not Architecture'), snowfalls of sunny post-rock ('Hearts Are Flowers') or driving gusts of jazz ruptured multi-instrumentalism ('Transatlantic'), it seems to completely cloak the senses; starting in the ears and working its way around. The debut album from this San Fransisco outfit, 'Noumena' will appeal equally to fans of Tarentel as those of Miles Davis and has enough spike to keep the oft wide-eyed musings from becoming dull. ...
Magnetophone - The Man Who Ate The Man
4AD
Magnetophone have always had a panache for fancy packaging, an admirable affliction they have continued here with the initial copies of 'The Man Who Ate The Man' wrapped in a fantastic slipcase and further bolstered by a set of exclusive 'business cards'. Four years on since their debut 'I Guess Sometimes I Need To Be Reminded Of How Much You Love Me' and Magnetophone have matured no end; trading in their sketchtronica, which had a nasty habit of self destructing just as it hit its stride, for a much more structured sound that can happily support a buffet of collaborators. Opening in familiar territory, 'Let's Start Something New' is sun-bleached electronica wrapped in a myelin sheaf to rival prime-time BOC, before the Phone take on a rock-fractured sound through 'Kel's Vintage Thought', wherein the Breeders' Kelly Deal guests. Elsewhere, 'A Sad Ha Ha (Circled My Demise)' sees the Fence Collective's big cheese King Creosote contributing vocals to a lambent backwards love-song, his protégé HMS Ginafore adds a carbonated tenderness to the My Bloody Valentine-esque '...And May Your Last Words Be A Chance To Make Things Better', whilst the babbling folk of 'I've Been Looking Around Me' is made all the more bitter-sweet by James Yorkston's 5am lilt. Lovely stuff....
65daysofstatic - One Time For All Time
Monotreme
By far the best band to have emerged from Sheffield in years (and yes we know about the Arctic Monkeys), 65daysofstatic are purveyors of stunning post-electronica that pays equal lip service to Autechre and Steve Reich as it does Mogwai and Slint. Criminally overlooked, their 2004 debut 'The Fall of Math' established a blue-print which they've stuck to then refined on their follow-up 'One Time For All'; bringing together bone-shaking riffs, Nyman-esque piano and crisp'n'dry electronica in a thrilling bout of aural infectiousness to rival Leishmaniasis. From the opening peaks of 'Drove Through Ghosts to Get Here' and the frantic beat arrangements of 'Await Rescue', through to the muted reticence of 'The Big Afraid' and the string fortified bluster of 'Welcome to the Times', 65daysofstatic have crafted an awesome album that could redefine the post-rock fraternity. Further bolstered in my affections by being the last ever band I heard John Peel mispronounce, 65daysofstatic's 'One Time For All' is brute pleasure personified....
Explosions In The Sky - How Strange, Innocence
Temporary Residence
Whilst 'How Strange, Innocence' was all primed to be the debut release from Explosions In The Sky, due to one thing and another it was shuffled out as a gig-only CDR then subsequently overshadowed by the "more accomplished" 'Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell The Truth Will Live Forever'. In a move to infuriate eBay monkeys the world over, they are now giving 'How Strange, Innocence' a proper release and with its mayfly-like two day recording window acts as a rude reminder to the various time sponges out there what you can achieve in a such a short period. Probably best filed under 'post-rock', Explosions In The Sky primarily inhabit the less aggressive end of the genre spectrum, preferring to sprinkle the thick instrumentation with glorious patches of sun-blushed effulgence that resolve to create a fresh and deliciously melancholic sound. With particular highlights including 'Snow and Lights' (a song that reminded me of the good side of Christmas), the epic 'Time Stops' and the finely wrought guitars of 'Remember Me As A Time Of Day', Explosions In The Sky prove that what they deem 'unaccomplished' skins most of the competition alive. Bang!...
Gravenhurst - Fires In Different Buildings
Warp
"Tonight Matthew, Warp Records will be..." The latest in Warp's recent 'suck-it-and-see' release schedule, Gravenhurst's (aka Nick Talbot) debut LP 'Fires In Different Buildings' has got its sights set firmly on those attractive Mogwai/My Bloody Valentine/Velvet Underground comparisons and (on the whole) is quite a success. Opening through 'Down River', Talbot sounds shockingly like the Richard File fronted UNKLE (make of that what you will); with tender vocals and thrumming instrumentation (think 'OK Computer') duking it out with starbursts of squalling Slint-style guitars and muted build-ups. It'll do me. Moving on from this impressive start, Talbot has a go at some taut-Britpop ('The Velvet Cell') that puts label mates Maximo Park to shame, 'Animals' garners Ye Olde parallels with The Smiths and Nick Cave - representing as it does a gorgeously fraught murder ballad - whilst 'Cities Beneath The Sea' is Hammond-drenched folk solipsism. Only let down by a pretty appalling Kinks cover (the nine-minute purgatory of 'See My Friends'), Gravenhurst has evidently been drinking from the same mug as Colder, albeit with a much warmer disposition. Didn't he do well.....
Wax Poetics - Issue 14 : Fall 2005
Wax Poetics
Mag // £ 6.99
Wow is this really issue #14, this bible shows no sign of falling off our essential reading list yet. The hero of this issue is of course David Axelrod, others have been there but no one with the depth and love of Wax Poetics... elsewhere Edan is set nine things to think about and report back in ten, mighty cool illustration as well. Gilles Peterson in interview plus listing his current rare favorites, even I know three of them. One of the alltime deejay heroes Jazzy Jay is interviewed about his style of digging. David Katz article on reggae master Clancy Eccles. Legendary hip hop lens man Ricky Powell shows his wares.... and gets a nice grilling. The story of Brooklyn's East center in the late sixties, 'a cultural and educational center for people of african descent' that managed also to be home to some of the most righteous live jazz via artists down with the Strata East and Black Jazz labels and they even had their own label, back to school for me, a deep article. Manchester's legend Greg Wilson finally gets some true props stateside with an essential run down of the tracks that he feels helped form the electro funk scene, nice tribute from A Guy Called Gerald as well. That's just the halfway stage of this jam packed issue, phew!!! Mulata Astake interviewed, the man behind those dope afrobeat inspired Mulata of Ethiopia album that got reissued last year. Then of course the massive Axelrod piece scribed by Egon and Wax P editor Brian DiGenti, some amazing photographs featured as well. The story behind the legendary Bronx club the Disco Fever, more incredible photos. Hella rude Blowfly in interview then finally dope drummer James Gadson feature then Quantic. Then it's over for another edition, maybe the most unputdownable yet. Completely essential reading....
Sutekh - Born Again : Collected Remixes
Leaf
As Leaf now hits double figures and the protection of Primary School begins to wane in the face of the feral-hooded hordes (© Daily Mail) which blight the imminent move to 'big school', they've decided to release this jam-packed remix album from Sutekh to prove their credentials. Featuring reinterpretations of Murcof, Hanne Hukkelberg, Safety Scissors, Swayzak, Wobbly, Chessie, Alva Noto, Portable, Twerk, Geoff White and Ammoncontact amongst many others (23 tracks in total!), this gorgeously packaged double CD/4-piece vinyl is a back-catalogue trawl that more than justifies its existence; allowing digested access to a slew of material that would otherwise have remained the preserve of the committed Sutekh addict. Opening proceedings with an exclusive rejig of 'Easy', taken from Hanne Hukkelberg's recent 'Little Things' LP, Sutekh (aka Seth Horvitz) provides a lush coat of shimmering chimes and discrete glitches that conspire to add a beatific urgency to the original's laid back charm, a trick he consummately repeats on the surging clinical machinations of Murcof's 'Memoria'. Elsewhere, O.Lamm's 'Bed of the Cylinder in Three Concentric Zones' is made to resemble a silicon one-man-band leaking into your ears, Twerk's 'Delay 3' is a TNT-blast of digital rubble honed to 4/4 perfection, whilst Swayzak's '.wavemail Project' features one of the most addictive basslines this side of Prussia. They weren't born yesterday you know... Ace....
Various / Playhouse - Famous When Dead Iv
Playhouse
A premium label collection from Playhouse featuring proper A-Grade business from the likes of Isoleé, Villalobos, Recloose, Lindstrom and Tejada/Leviste. Opening with the Isoleé splice and dice of Recloose's 'Cardiology' (scouring off the overly polite edges), 'Famous When Dead' is reasonably worth the admission price alone for the Two Lone Swordsmen refit of Villalobos' 'Dexter'; a Joy Division marinated affair that turns even the most mundane of environments into a grand, shooting-star lashed cinematic vista. As for the rest, Tejada & Leviste are plunged up to their elbows in a vat of rimy, dub flavoured glitch, Rework are the epitome of aloof smoky electro charm, whilst Isoleé's solo cut is a cinematic slice of shoegaze/house pie....
Various / New Religion - The Electric Institute
New Religion
New Religion have joined forces with legendary UK electronic label, Applied Rhythmic Technology (ART), to bring you this very special project. In this joint release, New Religion combines new exclusive tracks from legends of the scene with fresh new talent to bring you 12 exclusive and unique works of A.R.T. Original ART-artists As One (Kirk Degiorgio) and Balil (Ed from Plaid) bring fresh new tracks, while a special treat from the vaults is in store from Neuropolitique & Derrick May and Carl Craig (as 69). They are joined by Anthony 'Shake' Shakir, Domu, Stacey Pullen, NewWorldAquarium and Ian O'Brien - resulting in a definite future classic. Also featured is a bonus ART classic - the rare Mayday mix of NeuroPolitique's 'Artemis'. For the first time available on vinyl! All tracks on this album are pearls on their own, from the more raw funk oriented things by Domu and Stacey Pullen, to the deep electronic freakiness by Shake, 69 and Newworldaquairum and a perfect end to the journey comes with Ian O'Brien and Kirk Degiorgio, teaming up as Super-A-Loof to bring back the best memories to Derrick May gems as his remix of Inner City's "Praise" and "Icon". "The Electric Institute" is probably the most ambitious techno compilation to be put together since the days of the Virgin Detroit comps, Virtual Sex and Artificial Intelligence. CD tracklisting as follows : 01. Balil - Glass Dual 02. Domu - Quarantine 03. Beetlejuice - Whatever Happened To The Cosmic Kid? 04. Blue Binary - Electric Institute Sector I 05. As One - Remnant 06. Blue Binary - Electric Institute Sector II 07. Newworldaquarium - MonkeyWorld 08. Blue Binary - Pyramid I 09. Kirk Degiorgio - Mindflay 10. Blue Binary - Pyramid II 11. 69 - Puntang (Edit) 12. Neuropolitique - Artemis (Mayday Mix) 13. Shake - The Stranger 14. Blue Binary - To The Expoplanets 15. Stacey Pullen - Liquid Letter 16. Super-A-Loof - Night On The Promenade...
# posted by DJ Martian 12:16 AM
Last Week's New Releases @ Boomkat: Week Commencing: October 17th 2005
Last week's new releases @ Boomkat [via email newsletter] include:
ALBUM OF THE WEEK!
Stacs Of Stamina - Tivoli
Werk
Forget for now the anal rectitude of Europop, this summer the Stacs of Stamina boys are drunk at the wheel of a shiny new juggernaut hurtling pell-mell down the highway of electronic music. Prepare, mere mortal, for the age of Eurocrunk. And what is this mysterious new genre, I hear you cry? Yes, you've guessed it, it's another completely ridiculous and entirely imaginary genre of music that's taking the worldwide music scene by force. A mixture of crazy Euro lyricism and blip-hop over snazzy syncopated beats, Swedish production outfit Stacs of Stamina have here produced the definitive Eurocrunk LP of this century, and centuries to come. Arriving in the wake of their debut EP on Werk, `Tivoli' sees Stamina taking the unclaimed territory between hip hop and electro by storm, with 11 tracks of Eurocrunked-up 8-bit hoptronica that will have even the most ascetic dullards swinging from the rafters to join in the digital love-making. And there's plenty of partner swapping on the mic, with twonk-hop superstars Mike Ladd and TTC adding guest vocals, as well as the latest MC `on road', Earz, all throwing their car keys in the bowl. So what does it sound like then, eh? Highlights include `Stay Beautiful', a dainty cocktail of crunked up Europop that could so easily be Air producing El-P, while Standing side by side with Stacs MCs Johan, Marcus and Gesan, Mike Ladd throws down some signature rhymes on the quirksome `Baghdad Boogie', astride a rhythm that's cheekier than a 9-year-old cockney chav with attention deficit disorder. Grime's latest prodigal son Ears pops up on the bass-workout `Roll' , French supergroup TTC crash the party on the irresistible trance-hop epic `Donne Moi Un Poisson', and even TV's Noel Edmonds drops a few bars on House Party (sadly missing from the final cut of the album). And in case you were wondering, Tivoli is Swedish for carnival, and there's certainly no shortage of seedy entertainment on the record. So when the freaks come out this autumn to the sounds of Eurocrunk, will you be taking a ringside seat? Tip!...
ALBUM OF THE WEEK!
Boards Of Canada - The Campfire Headphase
Warp
Three and a bit years on from the Da Vinci Code symbolism of `Geogaddi' and a whole `makes-you-feel-your-age' seven since `Music Has the Right to Children', the now official siblings (Brothers of Canada anyone?) are back with what they deem their most complete and candid album to date. Wrapped in a brazenly turquoise cover that suggests we're gonna be glancing over our shoulder throughout (and that looks miraculously close to the "Music Has The Right" Sleeve), `Campfire Headphase' is a surprisingly upfront affair; what you see appears to be what you get, and whilst this initially seems (whisper it please!), well, boring, the old charm soon starts to seep through. What with the level of anticipation surrounding the Scot duo reaching McFly dribbling levels of hysteria (you know who you are), it would have been easy for BOC to submit a box-ticking LP of greatest hits material; a route they choose to shun. Opening with a queasy kaleidoscope of sun-warped ambience (`Into The Rainbow Vein'), things kick off properly with `Chromakey Dreamcoat', a textbook name if we've ever heard one. Constructed around a precarious acoustic guitar part, Boards then do what they do best; layer it up with echo-fed beats, wispy bits and all manner of mermaid atmospherics, resulting in a sound that is wholly their own yet marinated with some plucked string reticence. Ah, this'll be the acoustic album then? Well kind of; with the thrumming tones popping up again straight away on `Satellite Anthem Icarus', hoisted clear of the folktronica quagmire by some very Schnauss-like sunsets and the supine `Peacock Tail' with its dawn-chorus samples. Elsewhere, `Dayvan Cowboy' is a sprawling Kevin Shields-indebted (or, erm, some might say Zero 7 indebted...eek) grandstander that ignites your cochlea through 1000 drums, `Oscar See Through Red Eye' is the closest fly-by of Geogaddi's lascivious intent, whilst `Slow This Bird Down' defies any lexical parameters. Given that we'd have all bought it anyway, Boards of Canada have once again proved why their faded Super8 sound has defined a generation's record collection. Not a great album by any means but....the Boards are back in town....
DVD OF THE WEEK!
Supersilent / Kim Hiorthoy - Supersilent 7
Rune Grammofon
Yes it's the seventh and if rumours are to be believed final Supersilent album. This probably explains the grand label gesture to deliver this album on DVD, it won't play via your CD player but if you've got your DVD player hooked up to your hi-fi you know that's the only way you'll feel the full power of this truly astonishing burnout. For this special concert all new music is delivered, part composed part improv, by Arve Henrikson (trumpet, electronics), Ståle Storløkken (keyboards, electronics), Jarle Vespestad (drums) and Deathprod aka Helge Sten on audio virus, aka knobs, slides and switches. The first two tracks alone take up 40 mins, both starting with the faint gentle flow of patient melody from either Arve's trumpet or Ståle's keyboard. Both these tracks then take an upward turn as Deathprod's noise grain lurches into the soundframe as the drums find their way through the increasingly abstract avenues of sound. The three instruemntalists sound like they are powered by the forces of nature while Deathprod unleashes the electric shocks that send the other members into ever more diverse areas of sound. The music alone in these first two tracks would finish off most bands, it's that intense, no wonder they all seem set to collapse as each performance finishes. 7.3 is a more searching modalesque composition built around Arve's rich harmonius vocalese with the airy keyboard patterns and haunting repetitive motifs before it ventures forth into the unknown. 7.4 centres around the eastern melodies from the solo trumpet, before the other members gradually enter the frame in a tranced out state - I'm tempted to compare this track to Miles's 'In A Silent Way' but considering this is Supersilent comparisons are futile. The rest of the concert continues in more astonishing fashion. The camera work is sublime as well, shot in the blackest of black and white by Kim Hiorthoy, think 'Eraserhead', the fire extinguished only after 1 hour and 48 minutes have passed. Incredible. The concert recorded 16.08.2004 at Parkteatret, Oslo. Truly shocking music from one the worlds most original bands on frightening form....
Run Return - Metro-North
N5MD
If you were of a cynical disposition, you might just offer forth the opinion that bands like Run Return delight in seeing people try and pin down their eclectic sound with a hopeless list of comparisons, which invariably fail to capture their unique 'magic'. So with all the grace of a Tory leadership election, I'm gonna try anyway... Their debut LP 'Metro North' sees Run Return plundering a belligerently broad spectrum of sounds that happily withstand comparison to Telefon Tel Aviv, Grand National, Mogwai, Caribou and about another 100 artists, all welded together in seamless fashion. A case in point is the breathtaking 'OKC Dani' where stuttering digitalis is overlaid with an acetate of taut strings, spasming guitars, swooping soundscapes and assorted percussion. Similarily, 'Weights and Measures' is a throbbing gristle of broiling guitars, post rock crescendos and splintered electrics, 'Soothing Syrup' is like a swig of Benylin with its chopped breathy vocals and meaty beats, whilst the title track dares to have a wander round BOC's spare room. It's not so grim up north... ...
Various / Autonomous Addicts - Autonomous Addicts
The Designed Disorder
Electronically blistered compilation from LA's Designed Disorder, featuring contributions from Tipper, Twerk, Richard Devine and Eight Frozen Modules. From its tastefully rendered cover down to its 'Autonomous Addicts' moniker, this first release from "promotion and production alliance" Designed Disorder is an almost textbook example of electronica-by-numbers. However before you click away, we're not saying this is necessarily a bad thing; just a tad on the predictable side. Kicking off with Deru's 'Blackboard' is a very good move mind, writhing away as it does with all manner of micro-sound detail and operatic machine soundscapes, before rupturing a spleen on the digital stomp of Eight Frozen Modules' 'Table Faith'. Elsewhere, Twerk goes for the 'analogue glimmer and serrated beats' look on 'Red Verticle', Logreybeam serves a platter of sighing electronica in the form of 'For Sophie', whilst Richard Devine gets AFX jiggy with a digital cross-breed on the Ronseal titled '808303'. ..
Bichi - Notwithstanding
Hobby Industries
Released on Thomas Knak's Hobby Industries label, 'Notwithstanding' sees the sometimes Blue Foundation member further refining the sound that surfaced so convincingly on his recent EP's. A bit like Telefon Tel Aviv sans the overwrought soul-searching, 'Notwithstanding' is largely instrumental, with Wilner taking in a commendably broad spectrum of styles ranging from the pitter-patter of 'As You Glimpsed The Line of My Shoulderblades', through to the grin-inducing swirl of digital delight that is opening track 'Layers of Generation Without Number'. When there are vocals, Wilner opts to bring in collaborators, with the breathy female tones of 'Whirl' thawing the clicking electronica perfectly, whilst elsewhere the lack of tacit human input renders splintered symphonies like 'Broken City' so delicious. A lovely listen; notwithstanding 'owt....
John Cale / Tony Conrad / Angus Maclise / La Monte Young - Inside The Dream Syndicate Volume 1 : Day Of Niagra (1965)
Table of the elements
Listening to 'Inside the Dream Syndicate Volume I: Day of Niagara' you're likely to be struck with one unassailable thought; how on earth can this be 35 years old?! A single extended piece, 'Inside the Dream Syndicate...' is retrospectively credited as being one of the most important recordings to emerge from the mid-1960's, a product of the extraordinary sonic force conjured into being by John Cale, Tony Conrad, Angus Maclise, La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela. Essentially one fluctuating drone which is both softened and serrated by Cale and Conrad's conflicting violin styles, 'Day of Niagara...' will undoubtedly now take its place as a seminal reissue. ...
Tore Elgaroy - The Sound Of The Sun
Rune Grammofon
REISSUE. In our estimate the most personal and inventive Norwegian guitarist since Terje Rypdal. Tore Elgarøys career soared to great hights when he appeared on Lee Claytons comeback album and Europe tour in 89. After this he withdrew from the music scene, but started writing and recording some years ago, with a completely new approach. "The Sound of The Sun" is a mix of solo guitar pieces and improvised sound abstractions, all deeply personal, intense and unlike any "guitar" records we've heard. One of the top Norwegian guitarists out there. This CD mixes traditional guitar lickswith incredible sound abstractions resulting in one of the most unique guitar sounds around....
Blockhead - Downtown Science
Ninja Tune
After his stellar productions on Cage's 'Hell's Winter' it's back to the downtempo hip hop instrumentalism for Blockhead. Deeply emotional setting that shows a softer side compared to his work with Aesop et all. Altered familiar samples fuse with this drums and textures making this a rewarding downtempo set that while it dos'nt make a giant steps forward compared to 'Music By Cavelight' it still stands up in it's own right. CD version comes complete with a 188 min DVD made up of competition winning footage that surrounded the release of 'Music By Cavelight' all featuring the music of Blockhead. 1 2 check!...
Malcom Kipe - Lit
Merck
Malcom Kipe makes mealy instrumental hip-hop, further fermented throughout by the odd vocal sample or electronic squiggle. Simple as that. As long as you're not heading into 'Lit' expecting any blinding bouts of sonic innovation, then you'll likely be cosily seduced by Hipe's rich beats and half-glanced vocals in a RJD2/Blockhead/Mo'Wax-stylee. Otherwise engaged as Planet Mu's Nautilis, Hipe certainly knows his organic beat onions; with tracks like 'Off The Joint' and 'Planet of the Rats' consummately straddling the line between sinister and head-nodding so as to appeal well beyond the bong and baggy jeans brigade. Massaging in nods to everyone from Morodor through to bollywood, 'Lit' is full-fat breaks done well. Literally......
Eric Malmberg - Den Gatfulla Manmiskan
Hapna
When you think of organ music, what do you see? Church? Blackpool? Well maybe it's time for these outdated stereotypes to get gone, especially in light of ex-Sagor & Swing bloke, Eric Malmerg's new album. Displaying a certifiable Hammond fetish, Malmberg has produced an utterly beguiling record comprised of nothing but organ. 100% pure, guaranteed. Rather than become a one-trick pony, Malmberg somehow coaxes a smorgasbord of sounds from the organ, relishing in his key tickling necromancy as you scratch your head wondering how he did it without a synth. This record will exceed your expectations, and that's not to damn with feint praise, whilst you repeatedly exclaim "how the hell can that be a bloody organ?". If you like the interlude bits on Boars of Canada albums - give this a listen immediately....
Various / Pingipung - Pingipung Plays : The Piano
Pingipung
As I'm sure you well know, 2005 has undoubtedly been the year of piano music, and seemingly the chatty folk over at Pingipung agree. Featuring a veritable gourmet buffet of ivory botherers, 'Pinipung Plays The Piano' includes contributions from Barbara Morgenstern & Robert Lippok, Hauschka, Lawrence, Thaddi and Coloma, plus a shitload more. Skipping along the whole spectrum of piano based output, Pinipung wisely choose to open through the tarnished grandeur of Lawrence and 'Two Minutes in August'; wherein flushed melodies quietly compete to reach the full-fat finale first. Its glorious stuff. In direct contrast to this is the following glitch, rattle and hum from Nils Frahm's ('Durton'), a claustrophobic affair that again breaks free for a noir tinged close that crackles with intent. Elsewhere, Hauschka make some of the most beautiful noise imaginable, Florian Grote invokes images of bleak moor lands through her pounding key work, whilst Thaddi Herrmann closes proceedings with the shimmering loveliness of 'Three Difficult Words'. Makes you wish you'd kept up the piano lessons......
Dirty Three - Cinder
Bella Union
First things first; this record is utterly lovely! An Aussie trio of dust-rockers, Dirty Three make the kind of effervescent music that Mogwai use to buffer the bellicose guitar bits, liberally doused in heart-ache strings and chiming melodies that cant help but evoke some teary-eyed wonder. Standing at a whopping 19 tracks, 'Cinder' is not readily divided into separate strands, with the Dirty Three seemingly intent on presenting the album as a single, cohesive piece. Yet whilst this could have easily descended into an overblown bout of studio time, Warren Ellis, Mick Tuner and Jim White craft fluttering compositions from their traditional oeuvre; with an effect not dissimilar to avant-inclined contemporary chamber music. Dusted throughout by a significant Celtic-influence, 'Cinder' is gorgeous and swelling post-rock writ wonderfully tender through Dirty Three's obvious passion and acute musical accomplishment....
Animal Collective - Feels
Fat Cat
Half a decade in and Animal Collective still seem to have a grade-A supply of unfettered POP. The lucky bastards. Literally bursting at the seams with infuriatingly catchy hooks, the now four-piece Animal Collective are capable of conjuring an epic chorus or towering build-up from a seemingly scant palate, then moulding it into compositions that would engage readers of Smash Hits and Mojo alike. Opening with 'Did You See the Words', Animal Collective take the non-Waco bollocks of the Polyphonic Spree, lace through some psychedelic swerves then bring to boil with a 20-foot tall, balls-to-the-wall chorus. Ouch. Elsewhere, 'The Purple Bottle' is high-speed glam-folk, 'Banshee Beat' is a quivering waterlogged composition laid out bare, whilst 'Turn Into Something' is a sugar-rush of high-octane pop. Animal magic....
Dawn Smithson - Safer Here
Kranky
For all those who have been alerted to the considerable talent of Ms Smithson through her recent SunnO))) collaboration, 'Safer Here' might come as something of a shock... Fragile whilst stainless steel strong, Dawn Smithson makes friably delicate music that could soundtrack a whole lifetime of heartache. In possession of the kind of candid vocal style that makes it seem she is singing just for you, Smithson is comparable to the likes of Emiliana Torrini, Mara Carlyle and Petra Jean Phillipson in both her muted intensity and ear-syrup tones. Drafting in Rex Ritter (Fontanelle, SunnO)))) David Farrell (Southerning, Dormant) and Jussi Brightmore (100 Pets, Baron Samedi) for disparate backing duties, Dawn Smithson weaves a quixotic web of intermingling vocals and instrumentation; with neither bleaching out the potent force of the other. With particular highlights including the title track, 'Nowhere Near' and 'How Thoughtless', Smithson has added a formidable asset to Kranky's already blemishless catalogue....
Desormais - Dead Letters To Lost Friends
Intr-Version
Two years on from their rainbow-fractured last album 'I Am Broken And Remade I Am Broken', Mitchell Akiyama and Tony Boggs (aka Joshua Treble) are back in their Desormais uniform; cherry picking elements from that past outing, whilst introducing a whole fleet of new sounds and influences. Opening with the sublime 'Hell'n Ohio', Desormais ferment glitchy breaks with streaming bursts of gorgeous instrumentation to achieve a sound that hints at Constellation; albeit injected with some serious sonic clout. Moving on from this, 'Walk To The Hotel Alone' shares a great deal with Hanne Hukkelberg's 'Cast Anchor', fusing water-logged intricacy with a thrumming heart of solipsism, whilst 'Salt Eyes Fuck Yeah' is a scalpel symphony for the microscopic generation. Kicking out ideas with an alarming rapidity, other highlights include the organ ruptured 'One Or Many Wolves' (with an Arcade Fire beat), the static couched elegance of 'I Wore Water Wings But The Chlorine Still Stings' and the Oval-meets-lush instrumentation of 'If People Could Fly They'd Likely Have Talons'. Gorgeous....
Tellaro - Setback On The Right Track
2nd Rec
Whilst Sicily undoubtedly has a plethora of charms, the city of Catania is certainly not one of them. That Tellaro (aka Francesco Cantone, Carmelo Sciuto and Tazio Iabobacci) have managed to record such a beautiful album amongst this urban planning nightmare is therefore worthy of all the more acclaim. Having treated Tellaro as a side-project for the past few years, Cantone, Carmelo and Iabobacci finally got round to recording a full album; a twelve-month process which was conducted in the most informal fashion imaginable in order to capture a relaxed and sequestered sound. Opening with '1985' you immediately know you're onto a winner, as a glitchy template is fleshed out by supine strings and emotionally fired vocals, resulting in a sound broadly comparable to that of Junior Boys. With a seemingly limitless supply of scope, Tellaro then go onto to cement this early promise through the Roman-esque disco wriggle of 'Terracotta', bruised acoustica of 'Me Not The Reason To' and the honkytonkindietronica (you heard!) of 'Urge In A Funeral'. Closing through the panegyrically fragile '57.000', you can't help but think Tellaro have been on the right track all along. ..
The Montgolfier Brothers - All My Bad Thoughts
Vespertine & Son
If you're in the market for something to soundtrack the dark evenings and greasy pavements of Autumn, you could do a lot worse than invest in The Montgolfier Brothers' (aka Mark Tranmer and Roger Quigley) latest album. Having stated their intent on 1999's 'Seventeen Stars' and 2002's 'The World Is Flat', 'All My Bad Thoughts' is a chastened record of beautiful candour; realised through delicate acoustic guitar and apple-throated vocals. Genuinely uplifting in its wistful view of the world, 'All My Bad Thoughts' opens on the love-clotted 'The First Rumours of Spring', wherein the Brothers are oddly reminiscant of The Smiths whilst overtly sounding nothing like them... It could be an atmosphere thing grounded in their shared Salford geneology, or maybe not; but whatever it is, it's proper lovely. Elsewhere, the title track has a piano part which is pure-Nyman whilst also recalling Michel Legrand, 'Koffee Pot' is a swelling masterclass in reflective songwriting, whilst 'Journeys End' is made to stare out of a train window to. Not a bad thought in there. ..
Icalma - Bun O Und
Telescopic
If you were to draw a diagram with crystal-clean electronica at one end and scuffed post-rock at the other, Icalma could be used to pin-point the exact centre. Honest! The coming together of Parisian born (but Chilean by choice) Philippe Boiser and vocalist Armelle Pioline (think a female, Southern Hemisphere version of the Sigur Ros front man), Icalma firmly keep their more esoteric urges to the fringe as they pursue leftfield pop gold. So whilst 'Rose' plumps for Radiohead bass, lazy scratching and muted vocals, and 'Ça C'est Hier Soir' wears its Broadcast/Stereolab pin-badges with pride, it is 'Tourbillion Spatial' that best summarises their sound. Opening with icytronica, the digital tundra is slowly thawed by an encroaching shrug of revolving guitars and hypnotic melodies that can't help but invoke a sweaty, jungle feel. Calm down! ..
Donna Regina - Slow Killer
Karaoke Kalk
Listening to Donna Regina's 'Slow Killer' (their first release since 2003's 'Late') you're likely to be struck with a charming sense of deja-vu. Although in no way derivative, the three piece are criminally adept at cherry picking elements from their own back catalogue, then fusing them in a flurry of creativity to create an entirely new beast. Album opener 'Little Baby' is a case in point, with their shuffling analogue/instrumentation giving the nod to Mum, The Cocteau Twins and Nobody on their way past. Bestowed with a beautifully ethereal voice, Donna Regina has a hushed sense of pathos that permeates through even the most overtly cheerful songs. That said, 'Slow Killer' is joyously upbeat despite it's well worn melancholy, with the soaring strings of 'Little Baby' or clunky charm of 'End of September' as infectious as bird flu. Elsewhere, 'Lazy Heart' is neon-pink electro pop from the same mould as St. Etienne, 'How Beautiful' is an acoustic breath of fresh air, whilst the title track closes with crusty beats and delicate xylophones very much in the style of Psapp. Killer sans filler, the return of one of our most beloved bands....
# posted by DJ Martian 11:32 PM
New Releases @ Boomkat: Week Commencing October 10th 2005
New releases @ Boomkat [via email newsletter] include:
ALBUM OF THE WEEK!
Midaircondo - Shopping For Images
Type
For a label that has raised the bar to such dizzying heights, it would be more than reasonable to presume that the exquisite and lambent folk over at Type are about due for a dud release. If so, Midaircondo is most certainly not it... times by 100. A Swedish trio (Lisa Nordström, Lisen Rylander and Malin Dahlström) who combine their consummate skills in electro-acoustic music with a sapient understanding of well honed improvisation, Midaircondo have delivered a fascinating and nuanced record which comes across like a Sandro Botticelli for the ears. Whilst most artists whose oeuvre falls within the electronic remit tend to approach the stage with some trepidation as they seek to convert their recorded work into a live proposition, Midaircondo tackled this quandary from the opposite direction; lending a friable sense of spontaneity and majestic evolution to the album. Opening with 'Eva Stern, Shake It', Midaircondo coax a carbonated saxophone out into the open before bewitching it with some heart-soaked vocals that bring to mind both Piana and Mum, swiftly followed by the water-logged double bass and electronic creases of 'Could You Please Stop'. Sounding not unlike Bjork, Hanne Hukkelberg, Psapp or Catrina Pratter, 'Could You Please Stop' is an insistent little bugger than drills deep into your soul and snags whatever it is that makes music so indispensable and nourishing; in short, it's a rimy masterpiece. Elsewhere, 'Serenade' is the kind of overwrought piano led composition that would get to number one in a just universe, 'Perfect Spot' is a fidgety electronic love-song, writ sun-rise tall through its rousing multi-vocal peaks, whilst the lazy fuzz and accordion of 'Faces' suggest stumbling upon a portmanteau radio broadcast from an unknown source. S.t.u.n.n.i.n.g....
ALBUM OF THE WEEK!
Audion - Suckfish
Spectral
After three brutally stripped, jacking twelves the man Matthew Dear finally unleashes his debut album "Suckfish" under the Audion moniker - the most piercing, crucial release from the Spectral camp yet. The cd edition features all three title tracks from these twelves "Kissing", "The Pong" and "Just Fucking", while the double vinyl edition makes up the numbers with two totally exclusive cuts "Chance" and "New J". What with minimalism being the new cool and all that, Dear manages to construct the fullest warehouse destroyers wiith the barest set of ingredients at his disposal - shuffling into life with a threadbare crush of metalic clunks, quasi-acid modulations and flailing strobe-lit preset-mashing sequences that are almost unbareably honed for full, abandoned effect. This is a charged, hedonistic set of after-hours tackle that's dark without resorting to high drama, frenzied without the hyperactive sauce and spacious without leaving any gaps. Wanted unadulterated club killers?? Look no further....
Loden - Valeen Hope
Eat This
Feel like the stress of modern life is wearing you down? Then why not try 'Valeen Hope', brought to you exclusively from the Loden Corporation and guaranteed to sooth away those SAD blues. In a rambling and incoherent kind of way we're trying to convey the beatific qualities of this gorgeous new album, combining as it does the precision of Bola or EU, the cloudburst intensity of Sigur Ros or Slowdive and the impression of depth afforded by Ulrich Schnauss. Opening with (In), Loden (aka a Dutch bloke whose name escapes us) conjures an airy and burnished breed of electronica that is peppered by effulgent peaks and shallow troughs. 'Valeen Hope' certainly doesn't contain many surprises, but in its depiction of thawed yet icytronica, Loden has wisely traded sonic invention for innate charm and sunblushed electronic treatise. Manifesting itself as grandstanding synths a-go-go and otherworldly vocals on the tarnished grandeur of 'Our Exploding Lives', warm beat fractured acoustica on 'Sugar Tea' and the shoegazing buoyancy of the title track, Loden is the electronic equivalent of a much needed sigh. Lovely....
Kero - Kerologistics
Neo Ouija
Ghostly International, B-pitch control, Shitkatapult, Detroit Underground and now Neo Ouija... Kero's (aka Sohail Azad) previous label appearances read like a prospective artists demo mailing-list. Festooned in pixel-art packaging, Kero is a musician who likes to see his output validly regarded in contemporary art circles, extolling the importance of video feeds and graphic design alongside the aural business. Or something. Anyhow; to his music... With a core of manicured digitalis, Kero then corrupts the neatness with chunks of less polite noise, which slowly reconfigure the whole. A good example of this is the chrome electro beats and analogue kaleidoscope of 'Chillin', which, through a series of incremental 808 somersaults and buckshot's of grubby electronica, mutates into a spasming (but still highly rhythmical) beast. Similarly, 'Wherethefukisd3' kicks off like a sweeping film-noir soundtrack before crumbling under a spiky beat-fed onslaught. Elsewhere' 'T34g feat. MC Marco" belies his Detroit roots (albeit given a dub-step twist), '3.21' could almost (ALMOST) be a juniper scented electronica artist in the mould of Praveen, whilst 'Finalname-2' is IDM given a kick up the arse. Ace....
Marconi Union - [Distance]
ALL SAINTS
Manchester's Marconi Union have for the last few years been making waves in the world of melodious electronics filtered through numerous influences from 70's classic ambience and krautrock to current day genre hopping microharmonics ala Robert Lippok. '[Distance]' follows up the criminally slept on Ochre debut 'Under Wires and Searchlights'. They manage to bring to mind the likes of Pan American and even Ulrich Schnauss without ever openly copying anyone, some tracks even hit a post rock techno stance, as weird as it sounds it's amazingly realised. Their sign off 'A Temporary Life' brings Bohren and Der Club Of Gore / Angelo Badelamanti to mind via the long saxophone tones. Elsewhere emotions kept mostly under wraps, only hinted at, a distanced look at things misunderstood. Operating on electronics with added guitar, keyboards, and hefty bass that is currently playing havoc with my office blinds. Signed to All Saints via the godlike Brian Eno who has since asked Marconi Union to oversee remastering his back catalogue, trust like that doesnt come along everyday. Please check this album out without further delay, a true find. Very highly recommended....
Carlos Giffoni - Welcome Home
Important
When an artist can legitimately be referred to as "the experimentalists' experimentalist", you just know you're in for an ear-bending album of sonic peculiarities. Sharing many a stage and writing credit with the likes of Jim O'Rourke, Nels Cline, Chris Corsano, John Duncan, Massimo and Thurson Moore, Carlos Giffoni has been lurking around the avant underbelly of NYC for some years now, finally getting his considerable shit together on 'Welcome Home'; his much anticipated debut. As any silicon geek knows; it ain't worth f*ck all if you didn't build it yourself, and Giffoni is a committed chip monkey, assembling his own custom specified electronics for this 3 years in the making LP. In a pithy phrase, 'Welcome Home' could probably be labeled 'microsound Armageddon', but that would be doing it a severe disservice. Clocking in at nearly 50 minutes, Giffoni crafts intricately rendered machine noise that ranges from Space Invader beeps (albeit jack hammered into submission) through to pugnacious modem emissions that whilst certainly intense, err consistently on the right side of bearable. By no means easy listening, 'Welcome Home' is an intelligent but uncompromising document that demands your ears....
Jon Balke - Batagraf
ECM
Referring to themselves as a 'private research forum' (the Newspeak-esque term for 'band' we presume...), Batagraf was formed by percussionist Jon Balke and four of his buddies (including the quite wonderful Arve Henriksen!) to explore the rhythmical possibilities presented by "bypassing the metric, rigid grooves of the computer age" and instead embracing the "poetry and fluidity" inherent in rhythm. Drawing particularly on the West African traditions of the Bata drummers (the ability to recite poems, prayers and sermons literally through their percussion and intermingled linguistic fragments), Batagraf set about recording a counterpoint to the Iraq conflict that was being waged both by troops and the increasingly curtailed media; an approach which has yielded some gleefully indulgent results. Opening with Miki N Doye's text recital in Wolof, Batagraf weave a hypnotic web of percussive elements on the incendiary 'Haomanna', a trick they repeat throughout the album. So whilst 'Doublespeak' uses its bursts of vocab to highlight the contradictions of the mass media in dealing with political regimes and 'Whistleblower' literally puts its lips together and, well, blows, the real star of the album is always the flexing rhythms. Snapping between sinewy beats one moment and a cascade of plosives the next, Batagraf are wholly successful in reframing the rhythm as a framework for the wider world of sound in which we live. If that sounds pretentious, so be it!...
Rosamunde Quartett - String Quartets
ECM
Born in 1939 Beirut to Armenian parents, Tigran Mansurian (who looks alarmingly like Kevin Eldon) gave up his teaching role of over 30 years at Komitas-State Conservatory to concentrate fully on the composing and performance of music. Released alongside a booklet so extensive you expect it to have an ISBN number, Mansurian's compositions are here wrought into a highly evocative clutch of chamber music by the internationally renowned (or so I'm told...) Rosamunde Quartett. Supervised throughout recording by Mansurian himself, pieces like the imaginatively titled 'String Quartet No. 1' and 'String Quartet No. 2' are steeped in the structures of ancient Armenian music but rendered in the compositional methods of contemporary European orchestral work. Likely to appeal to fans of Arvo Pärt, Alfred Schnittke, Sofia Gubaidulina and André Volkonsky, 'String Quartets' is a highly accessible album of beautiful string music....
Ni Hao! - Gorgeous
Tzadik
Proving that John Zorn has a Japanese obsession to rival that of Arthur Waley the latest release to join the likes of the Boredoms, Afrirampo, OOIOO and Omoide Hatoba on his much loved Tzadik imprint is the Kansai based Ni Hao! As appealingly bonkers as you've come to expect, 'Gorgeous' is a three-way affair between guitar, bass and drums, with the trio all taking on vocal detail. Opening with 'Laila', Ni Hao! caress traditional chord structures then bend them out of shape around spiralling loops of percussion and gamma burst vocals. At times coming across like a bout of Leishmaniasis for the ears, 'Gorgeous' nonetheless coats everything in a Brian Wilson-esque creosote of soaring melodies and song-writing skill, that allows the music to turn inside out without ever sacrificing the listener to unpalatable demise on the altar of clever-clogvicticus. If you ever wished Melt Banana would tone it down and include some more ear friendly melodies, then Ni Hao! are the girls for you....
Canyon Country - There's A Forest In The Fire
Attack Nine
Debut solo outing for The Surf the Sundried and Freescha's Nick Huntington, here donning his ten gallon hat and riding into the sunset as Canyon Country. With the spectra of Kevin Shields, Slowdive and Mogwai lurking amongst the dust-devils, 'There's a Forest In The Fire' opens with the lovely piano/guitars and echo-echo-echo chamber of 'Rusted'; a song which possesses a scope worthy of Marlowe as it leads you down a meandering post-rock flanked shoe-gazing avenue. A significant departure from Huntingdon's previous work, songs such as 'Setting Sun', 'Without A Sound' and 'Still...Sleeping' combine an attuned sense of fragile songwriting with the kind of vista expanding scope of Sigur Ros or My Bloody Valentine, ebbing between purely instrumental one moment and Elliot Smith-style vocal transparency the next. A grand musical gesture that doesn't feel either overblown or emotionally naïve, 'There's A Forest In The Fire' is a real surprise so lovely you might just take it to bed. Perverts....
Greg Davis And Sebastien Roux - Paquet Surprise
Car Park
Greg Davis' reputation needs no extra hyping here, whats noticable is how much he thrives on collaboration whether with his long time friend Keith Whitman, newer artists such as Steven Hess and even more via his Autumn Leaves cdr series. Now add to that Sebastian Roux, star of 12k's e/a/d/g/b/e and of course the amazing Apestaartje CD 'Pillow'. From the nature burst reflected by the hyper artwork, only the Goodiepal gets that insane, its obvious field recordings will make up a big part of this album. Gorgeous drones meet sharp attacks, evoking the natural world and the mechanised. Grit and fluidity, a perfectly realised meeting of found sound and ramshackle instrumentation. It could easily be a tribute to Luc Ferrari. In places cinematic images crop up, especially those of a David Lynchian bent. Scattered emotions surface throughout, in places similar to the wonderful Mountains CD. All else to say is check the samples and if you like, buy! Goodnight and sleep tight....
Bellini - Small Stones
Temporary Residence
Bellini are relatively famous (and I caution you against taking that 'relatively' as anything other than a gross over-exaggeration) for having their band leader and "notorious troublemaker" Damon Che quit live on stage in Athens, GA, stranding the Italio rockers on the wrong side of the Atlantic sans airline tickets. Labelled as their 'triumphant comeback', 'Small Stones' is Bellini's second full-length and the first to feature Alexis Fleisig (Girls Against Boys, Soulside) on drums. Recorded in a studio which appears to have contained Steve Albini in some capacity, Bellini took just 5 days to complete; a rapidity which lends the album a tenebrous quality. Distilling elements of post-rock, punk-rock, The Stooges, Billy Corgan, Melt Banana, Sonic Youth and all manner of leather trousered cliché's down into manageable chunks, songs like 'Room Number Five', 'Smiling Fear' and (in particular) 'The Exact Distance to The Stars', horripilate (look it up) with an attitude often lacking in today's shiny Kerrang sanitized rock scene. Bolstered by a fantastic vocalist in the shape of Giovanna Cacciola, Bellini are big, clever and (most importantly) feverishly contagious. See you at Donnington....
Adult - Gimmie Trouble
Thrill Jockey
The songs on Gimmie Trouble are the work of three months of isolation and toil by the band, recorded and mixed in just two weeks between the US and European tours for D.U.M.E. "This time limit worked to our advantage, as we wanted the record to have a very immediate punch and to not sound overly labored", "I really wanted to write a Devo Freedom of Choice album insofar as I wanted something that was shorter songs that got to the point and constantly kept the pace moving. Most of the music and vocals on this album are single takes, most made within a few tries. We felt this was important for the sense we wanted this record to convey."...
1-SPEED BIKE - Someone Told Me Life Gets Easier In Your 50's
Broklyn Beats
Harking from what is now officially one of the nicest cities to live on Earth (no not Hull, Montreal), I-Speed Bike is the solo project from God Speed You Black Emperor's Aidan Girt. Whilst being the bloke at the back of the stage battering the skins certainly has its advantages, a big draw back tends to be the disdain any kind of solo work inevitably garners (don't think we didn't hear you muttering Phil Collins!). Yet rather than a soft-soap of MOR ballads, 'Someone Told Me Life Gets Easier in Your 50's' is a crazy leg beat buffet, with Girt's live drumming sliced and diced in a sampler then sprayed over acutely rendered ska, dub, raga, jungle, breakcore, hip-hop and what sounds hauntingly like the Minder theme-tune (the charmingly titled 'If You Were A McDonalds Your Lips Would Be An Orange Soda, But Your Dick Would Be A Shrivelled-Up Fry'). Originally conceived as a sound-system project, Girt uses beats from his day job to underpin the oft political manifesto he rallies throughout (to summarise; f*ck Bush), whilst the liner notes contain an oddly touching description of being a teenager during the Reagan years and dropping acid with WW2 veterans. Honestly. A bit like a one-man band being chased by lions, if you like Kid606 and his Duran Duran Duran homies, then 1-Speed Bike will be right up your 1-Way street....
Jason Forrest - Shamelessly Exciting
Sonig
Following on from his 'Lady Fantasy' EP, the new album from ex-Donna Summer (not her) Jason Forrest is an ADD shot of pure (not made from concentrate) sample-f*cked breakcore, which takes equal cues from the likes of Kid606 and Duran Duran Duran as it does the now death-mask genre of bootlegs/mash-ups (delete as you see fit). Not half as sensory-baiting as you may expect, 'Shamelessly Exciting' represents a significant maturing of Forrest's sound, with the Kate Rogers-esque 'Nightclothes and Headphones' a case in point. Over a thrumming breeze of acoustica and the odd sonic squiggle, guest vocalist Laura Cantrell puts in a performance that wouldn't look out of place on any number of 'chill-out' albums, albeit without the soporific sense of aural gruel they tend to invoke. Elsewhere 'My 36 Favourite Punk Songs' is a Ronseal ram-raid of (yep) 36 sliced and diced punk staples (ranging from The Clash through to The Misfits), 'Dust Never Settles' is prog-breakcore (!) replete with its very own Boston sample, whilst 'War Photographer' is a guitar wielding BEHEMOUTH shot through by bongos and breaks. Structured like a pop record, 'Shamelessly Exciting' can at times sound like Lemon Jelly dabbling in a bit of breakcore, but for such an ambitious project Forrest has pulled an A-Grade blinder....
Isolee - Rest (Remastered Edition)
Playhouse
Absolutely classic first album from Isolee remastered, repackaged and finally available again! After 6 singles on Playhouse (the massive Beau Mot Plage, being one of them) came Isolee's debut album `Rest', way back in the year 2000. The cd tracklsiting features : 1 Logiciel 2 Démon 3 Keep On Dancin' 4 Rest 5 Text 6 Rest Encore 7 Music... 8 Beau Mot Plage 9 Djamel Et Jamshid 10 Gallus 11 Alleinunterhalter 12 Tout Se Complique 13 I Owe You. Classic!...
Various / Freude-Am-Tanzen - Compilation 01
Freude-Am-Tanzen
Freude am Tanzen have already redefined themselves a couple of times, so its long overdue that the venture onto cd has occurred. All the main players are here and in actual fact all their biggest tunes. "Bodyrock", "Pele Bloss" and "Bobb" from Robag Wruhme and the Wighnomy Brothers have been almost ever-present on cultural dancefloors over the last couple years. Dj Koze, well what else do you need to say really - his Kompakt album has been running tings round these parts over the last couple of weeks, and his two comparatively undiscovered FAT gems are ripe for rediscovery. Hamman and Kadan too have delivered strictly killers for this label, we last heard Vaganza out when one of the CCO dj's ran it during Futuresonic and it hasn't left our head since. Eleven winners then, no filler - deepest house vibrations all the way - four four 4 life....
Andrey Dergatchev - The Return Ost
ECM
The soundtrack to Andrey Zvyagintsev's 2003 film 'The Return' (winner of the Venice Film Festival's Golden Lion award) is a genuinely haunting and evocative piece which suits the encroaching shuffle of autumn perfectly. Composed and collated by Andrey Dergatchev, 'The Return' draws on a number of sources and influences in order to achieve its chastened and sober sound. With obvious debts payed to William Basinski and the John's Cage and Zorn, Dergatchev weaves a sequestered accompaniment that can more than be enjoyed in autonomy from the silver screen. At times nothing more than field recordings overlaid by the actors' Russian dialogue ('Shorty') or dusty piano draped across a shimmering back drop ('The Road'), Dergatchev is a master at allowing music to unfurl in the most gradual of fashions imaginable; the almost choral vocals and tundra soundscapes of 'In The Bedroom' being a perfect example. Dusted in pathos throughout, 'The Return' (accompanied by a photo-laden booklet) is a stunning piece of work that engages on multiple levels, the most obvious of which being its heart wrenching and profound beauty....
# posted by DJ Martian 10:27 PM
New Releases @ Boomkat: Week Comencing October 3rd
Time to recap on recent releases @ Boomkat.
New releases @ Boomkat [via email newsletter] include:
ALBUM OF THE WEEK!
Matias Aguayo - Are You Really Lost
Kompakt
When your press release is waxing hyperbolic with proclamations of the "without exaggeration that we are amongst a true virtuoso of our time"-variety and suggesting your new album will leave people "reeking of great sex" (or Lynx Africa as it's known in some parts), you better have yon skills to pay yon bills. Thankfully Kompakt prove they intuitively know their onions. As one half of the awesome Closer Musik duo (alongside Dirk Leyers) whose brief starburst of creativity reaped some serious rewards, Matias Aguayo has delivered an album creaking under the weight of effectuately realised ideas. Opening with the sleazy disco frug of 'De Papal' (imagine if Michael Jackson was a Berlin based Chilean, just coming of musical age through the ketamine enriched avenues of electro), Aguayo then reduces the boil for some Villalobos/Larkins/Moroder indebted machine funk on 'Radiotaxi' and 'Drums & Feathers'. Elsewhere, 'Well' is a brooding slab of crafty crosswire pop, grafting Kylie and coldwater-synths onto Aguayo's semi-threatening croon, 'So In Love' is the kind of sweaty (hypno) disco that'll have Trevor Jackson in palpitations till Christmas, whilst bonus track 'De Papel' is a Max Turner guesting sliver of Euro-hop. If, like us, you thought Isolee's new album was beautifully fresh and gleefully exotic in all the right places - this album is tailor-made for you. Buy!...
Metamatics - 3 Jak And Dive
Hydrogen Dukebox
You wait all this time for a new album from Lee Norris....and you get two in one week! Sitting alongside Norken's fabulously rich dancefloor variations, this is in fact the sixth Metamatics album and the first in, ohhh, a good while. Despite utilising so many familiar conceits : the slightly broken edge of the percussion, the skewed melodies, the warm pad of the basslines, the electronic voice modulation - Norris somehow always manages to sound completely unlike any of his contemporaries. Its always been a thing of wonderment - how this man manages sound so individual ever since his tantalising origin as one of the Clear label's original lineup of electronic hoodlums. "3 Jak and Dive" (featuring the collaboration with longtime Metamatics hero John Foxx) is beautifully warm and open, rich textured melodies and a reassuring buzz of a well worn studio, handled by a controller not inclined to fall back on overused plug-ins or presets. Ranging from slow, lilting electronic listening music through to a Detroit-tinged glide through 4/4 - this is a must-have purchase for all followers of electronic music at its most inviting. Highly Recommended....
Norken - Our Memories Of Winter
Combination
Lee Norris has a work rate to rival that of Hans Sachs; fact. As well as running the ethereal Neo Ouija, recording as both Metamatics (see his recent collaboration with John Fox and new album - also released this week!) and Nacht Plant, Norris also manages to squeeze into his tights and don the Norken persona from time to time. It makes me sick! However any envy fuelled animosity is soon left to desiccate on the vine when the music contained within 'Our Memories of Winter' begins to leak down your lugholes. It's proper lovely. Informed by equal measures of IDM, Detroit minimalism, Basic Channel and a lambent glaze of beatific strings and squinted vocals, songs like opener 'Fern 2' and 'Memories' are akin to John Milton's epic tracts reimagined as music. In other words; it's pretty f*cking stunning. Bringing to mind images of fog heavy tundra (an atmosphere further encouraged by the cover art), Norris' various personas can be seen coalescing on 'It Might Have Been Rain' and 'Flirt'; with a serious breed of (listenable!) experimentalism getting busy with the more house dipped side of the Norken oeuvre. Analogous with Tejada's 'Logic Memory Center' and released on Combination Records (a subsidiary of Carharrt clothing apparently), 'Our Memories of Winter' will ensure that any reminiscing about frantically trying to defrost your windscreen will have a barnstorming soundtrack....
Modeselektor - Hello Mom
Bpitch Control
Good things come to those who wait...; well, you've waited and this is ten shades of f*cking brilliance. With four genuinely priceless EP's under their belts and the fantastically discordant Boomkat bastardisedmegamix, Modeselektor can lay claim to having caused a stir in the electronic by-ways that is entirely spontaneous, utterly justified and now, with their debut LP 'Hello Mum!' consummately realised. The product of Berlin's writhing digital underbelly, Modeselektor have somehow managed to distill that cities uniquely skewed attitude into an LP of genre-bending aural nourishment. Opening with the euro-crunk masterpiece of 'Dancing Box-Mdslktr', Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary (aka Modeselektor) expunge any remnants of Lil John (yeahhhhhhhh!) with a scalpel-chic vocal from Big Dada's TTC, wherein pink-rubber beats bounce around a shattered electronic ballroom to arse clenching effect. So where can you possibly go from here then? Headfirst into 'Die Club Nr.', that's where. Based around a speaker popping electro beat that chafes fabulously against the jacked oscillators, 'Die Club Nr.' Is made all the more irascible when placed into contrast by 'Tetris Pack' and it's mental scratches, plodding rhythm and 8-bit melodies. Elsewhere, the P Diddy (or is it Diddy Pop now?!) inspired 'Vote Or Die' is a vista-expanding Radiophonic jaunt through tormented, razor-edged electronica, 'Kill Bill Vol. 4' is feet slaughtering elektro-fucked rave, whilst 'Silikon-Mdslktr' Feat.Sacha Perera is a M.I.A.-esque crackle of continental grime. Oh yes! Add a totally immense collaboration with Paul St Hilaire (aka Tikiman) and a closing moment that shimmers with rectitude on the Mum dedicated 'I Love You', Modeselektor have crafted a function disrupting album of unmitigated brilliance. Don't make us tell you twice....
Skalpel - Konfusion
Ninja Tune
Adopting the UNKLE approach to lexicography, Skalpel release 'Konfusion' having enjoyed a remix royalty bonanza from their eponymous debut LP's honey-trap of source material (many of which are included on a special edition bonus disk). Taking a similar approach to DJ Vadim, Marcin Cichy and Igor Pudlo plunder the rich jazz-tinged heritage of their Polish homeland and combine it with a consummate love of all things breaks to land a sound which revels in an after-hours, smoke imbued vibe. Ranging from the Herbaliser-esque Funk+Hammond excursions of 'Flying Officer' through to the Shadow delineated breaks of 'Test Drive', Skalpel are laid-back to the MAX; not once breaking into anything more strenuous than a stroll. If such slow-motion music is likely to aggravate, 'Konfusion' is certainly not for you, but if you can see the benefits of taking a breather from the bustle of 21st Century life, you might just enjoy the company. Over on the remix side, Amalgamation of Soundz take clotted atmospherics, towering strings and a hypnotic drum break then combine them in a noir-gilded package ('Low') before Jeremy Joshua follows with 'Break In (J's Remix)' clattering you to attention with a drum crunching intro worthy of Aesop Rock before mellowing out a tad to deliver a Röyksopp flavoured shot of pepped up, break laden electronica. Confused? You will be, you will be....
Free Fall - Amsterdam Funk
Smalltown Superjazzz
Recommended listening attire includes a cashmere jumper, comfy loafers and some seriously strokable chin growth. Oh yes; it's all the jazz clichés for this review. Formed back in 2001 by bassist Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, reedist Ken Vandermark, and pianist Haavard Wiik, the Free Fall trio was initially brought into being as a creative outlet for the three protagonists to explore their respective talents in a percussion free environment (think Chamber music, without the 19th Century predilection). Their second full length record, 'Amsterdam Funk' sees Free Fall moving closer (in spirit at least) to the likes of Jimmy Giuffre and Steve Swallow, borrowing a sound that is both finely detailed without ever losing its inherent playfulness and spontaneity. Ranging in tone from the gorgeous (iambic structured?) piano work of 'November', through to the more avant flavoured excursions of 'Framework 3' and 'Mythologies', the Free Fall three manage to walk the line between improvised intent and inherent listenability with aplomb.. and that's good enough for me!...
Innerstance Beatbox - Your Eyes Are Like Ufo's My Darling
Consumers Research And Development Label
The solo accoutrement of Def Harmonic's Jason Todd, 'Your Eyes Are Like UFOs My Darling' is the second full-length fandango from Innerstance Beatbox. A serotonin inducing affair, 'Your Eyes...' happily rotates from blunderbuss bass, broken beats and RJD2 soul one moment ('Think Again') through to Vibert-style breakbeat ('Astor Street') and playground melodies vs.free jazz ('Theme From The Bastard Squad') the next. Assembled in a dexterous manner that reeks of ram-shackleness (whilst in actuality it's as finely honed as Prefuse), Innerstance Beatbox close with the vocoder/Space Invader ruckus of 'Helium Disco', leaving you with the pleasant impression of just having been mugged by a benevolent street-gang of boombap obsessed puppies. Honest guvnor!...
P-Love - ..All Up In Your Mind
Bully
Paolo Kapunan aka P-Love follows Mike Schof aka Elektro4 as one of the initial artists to drop their solo debut full lengths for the label of the year 2005, Bully. Round these parts our breath has been triple def baited in anticipation for this album to drop and it does not disappoint. Primarily known for his quirky and refreshing deejay skills, he is good mates with Kid Koala, this album shows that he's also the master of the sampler plus add to that trumpet, stylophone, guitar, drums and keyboards. This album really sounds like no other that I can recall, it has the fun factor you'd associate with Eric San plus the depth of Sixtoo's 'Duration'. Twelve tracks in 50 minutes really fly by (the limited vinyl version omits 'Palisades', find that if you can on FU014) there are no obvious stand out tracks as every track is awesome - some to mention are 'St-Viateur Shuffle (Part 2)' a sick midtempo breakbeat bomb, with downward spiraling melancholic horns, warm alien blips and some awesome beat cut up's, as dope as Mat Young's 'Illy Uno'. 'Four Inches Per Minutes On The DVP' has P-Love on live drums showing Illy B's influence has rubbed off on him - a mega chilled guitar, rhodes, turntable stroll perfect for those end of day moments when you finally switch off the head and let the good times flow. How good is 'Lâches Pas Les Études Gertrude'? this album just keeps it going on, 'Rockland County Dramatics Andante' is like the gorgeous interludes in 'Nufonia Must Fall' only even lusher, the '.... Allegro' version', jaw drops to the floor. I can't recommend this album highly enough. Style wise and content wise it might be miles apart from the Alpha Puppies Ricci Rucker and Mike Boo but it's no less a deejay essential. One you'll be returning to time and time again, treat yourself....
Christopher Bissonette - Periphery
Kranky
As a member of the "world renowned free media experimental unit" Thinkbox, Christopher Bissonnette is well versed in the ability to transform the mundane into the grandiloquent (word alert!); a talent he exudes by the bucket load on 'Periphery'. With 2005 shaping up to be an embarrassingly rich year in terms of delicately wrought, composer led music (pretty much anything on Type, Porn Sword Tobbaco, Marsen Jules, William Basinski... we could go on), Bissonnette nonetheless holds his own with 'Periphery' fluttering beautifully from the off. Described by the artist as sinuous, the digitally manipulated coalitions of orchestra, piano and micro-sound clicks do indeed spill forth with a very definite predilection, lending the likes of 'In Accordance' and 'Tenor Viol' a quality not unlike conscious smoke. Yeah, we're well aware that sounds like GCSE bollocks, but it's hard to know quite how to describe these utterly majestic micro symphonies. Likely to appeal to anyone who was bewitched by Wolfgang Voigt's "Gas", Marsen Jules and even Deathprod, or have found themselves increasingly drawn to their headphones of late, 'Periphery' is a florid gem of a record that deserves to be centre of attention. Marvellous....
Arvo Part - Lamentate
ECM
As anyone who has visited Tate Modern will testify (and that's just about everyman and his dog); the cavernous expanse of the Turbine Hall is akin to a secular Cathedral, with the object of adoration the intangible entity of 'art'. It therefore seems entirely fitting that Arvo Pärt was approached by artist Anish Kapoor to provide aural accompaniment for his immense 'Marsyas' sculpture which was commissioned as part of a series of instillations to fill this potentially all-consuming space. Having worked alongside the likes of Don Carlo Gesualdo and Hildegard von Bingen, Pärt has a keen understanding of the vastness of multi-layered music, and saw in Kapoor's breathtaking piece a similar intimidation in which the individual is dwarfed by "the pain and hopelessness of this world". If you're staring to flag at this point; don't, because the compositions coaxed from this potentially suffocating view-point are teeth-achingly poignant. Opening with a vast choir, Pärt then leads the listener through vaulted corridors of sublime grandiose (provided by the Radio Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart), all the while providing a tangible focal point in the shape of Alexei Lubimov's solo piano. Fluid yet coarse and grand yet intimate, 'Lamenate' revels in stark contrasts that can't fail to impress as you buffet between moments of savage intensity and tracts of piquant precision. Amazing music from one of the most important composers of our age....
Murcof - Rememberanza
Leaf
When Fernando Coronoa's era-defining debut "Martes" was released a couple of years back it managed to gain plaudits and accolades from almost every end of the cultural spectrum - appearing at the top of numerous end-of-year lists (including our own) and even managing to get a slot on BBC2's revered/mocked (delete were applicable) Late Review programme. Of course, it was never going to be an easy album to follow, so it's reassuring to see that Murcof's sound has folded itself inwardly instead of attempting to straddle altogether different sounds. Taking orchestral structures and incorporating layers of thrumming instrumentation and mournful strings to top it all off, Murcof has sculpted a sound which is immediately recognisable as his own despite consisting of a well worn selection-box of elements. Instilling songs such as 'Recuerdos' and 'Rios' with the kind of grandstanding scope that normally require 10,000 strings and your local rent-a-philharmonic, Corona can seemingly conjure a tarnished grandeur from a muted collection of elements that include razor edged beats, lazy horns and crackling backwashes. Clinical but earthy, 'Remembranza' is a fiercely assured album which will enrapture his existing fans whilst winning over those new to his sound. Highly Recommended....
Sunn0))) - Black One
Southern Lord
As the nights begin to draw in, there's nothing better than a new Sunn 0))) record to get you in that bleak midwinter mood. The 6th expulsion from the Sunn 0))) camp, 'Black One' sees Greg Anderson and Stephen O'Malley getting even more desolate on your arse than you thought (in)humanly possible. Delving into their little (very) black book, Sunn 0))) have assembled an elite squad of doom-merchants to further ferment their claustrophobic drone founded vision, with the likes of Oren Ambarchi, Wrest, Malefic and John Wiese all donning their best cloaks and top hats for the role. Opening with 'Sin Nanna', Sunn 0))) immediately unsettle the listener through proper haunted-house soundscapes; wherein clouds of bellicose noise lap up around some seriously f*cked tape effects. Jolting you from this uneasily soporific state is the jarring metal (Earth indebted) riffs of 'It Took The Night To Believe', soon followed by spiraling walls of white noise and tortured soul/animalistic wails. James Blunt this ain't. Similarly, 'Cursed Realms (Of The Winterdemons)' takes its cues from the very darkest of medieval torture chambers, with a crushingly dense sound carved from dissonant drenched granite, whilst 'CandleGoat' has all the grace of a ballerina in its horrifying barrage of subterranean guitars and throat bleeding vocals. Closing with 'Bathory Erzsebet', a song that was achieved by loading a casket into a Cadillac Hearse, and locking Malefic inside with only a microphone and a severe sense of claustrophobia, Sunn0))) have once again proved they are the genuine , shit-scary kings of darkness. Now bow down suckas!...
The Young Gods - Xxy : 1985 - 2005
Pias
2CD
Right let's get this out of the way immediately; yes the new track 'Secret' on this career retrospective sounds a little too much like a Dakar and Grinser cover of a Britpop megamix (I'm rather worryingly thinking Skunk Anansie if you must know), but it's a minor indiscretion we'll let slip on this occasion. Won't we? A limited edition double-disc retrospective, it's testament to The Young Gods obvious vision that much of the music on 'XX Years' sounds like it's significantly younger than any band who was awarded the 'Best Album 0f 1987' by Melody Maker should. With a sound that suggests Trent Reznor has likely got an extensive chunk of their back catalogue nestling in his LA mansion (and, more recently, T.Raumschmiere), XX Years make rock music that has its roots firmly placed in the electronic heritage of Kraftwerk, the JD swilling guitar fissures of the early 70's and a liberal dousing of Tchaikovsky/Wagner etc. Including the likes of 'Did You Miss Me', Child In The Tree' and 'Alabama Song', 'XX Years 1985-2005' will permit those who are new to The Gods to play catch up, whilst the newies and bonus 2nd disc (including covers, remixes and soundtrack work) will make it a worthy investment for the die-harders out there....
The Surf The Sundried - The Surf The Sundried
Attack Nine
Malibu's The Surf & the Sundried (aka Nick Huntington and Emmett Kelly) have gone about distilling the best of familiar yet disperate guitar-led styles onto this gorgeous eponymous LP, deftly sidestepping the worst excesses of their obvious inspiration and bringing with it a very real sunset charm. Opening with 'Needle In The Hay', Huntington and Kelly coax a charming melody from hushed percussion, thrumming bass and delicate acoustica, over which the vocals take on a Damon Albarn-style quality.The Surf & The Sundried continue to mine a rich seem of classic songwriting on the piano led 'It's Curtains', wherein exquisite strings swell with pride around the mesmeric melody. Elsewhere, 'The Fall' comes across like a folk-coated version of George Harrison's 'Here Comes The Sun', 'Strangers' is covered in the DNA of Pink Floyd and Mogwai, whilst 'Blue Bird' is a college.alt/glam rock curtain call. Lovely....
Xxl (Xiu Xiu & Larsen) - Ciautistico
Important
The holy union of Italian arch-experimentalists Larsen and James Stewart's mutated-pop project Xiu Xiu, XXL's debut album is being touted as a genuine "joint creative clash" and actual factual band, as opposed to a brief flirtation or sporadic collaborative venture. For those who are familiar with Stewart's recent Acuarela album, whose bruisingly intimate portraits led some to speculate it was a scathing satire on the self-help atrocities of singer-songwriters (it wasn't), 'Ciaustistico' could come as something of a shock. Carved from a mass of tape churned out during Beowulf-style improv sessions, the album opens with the annoyingly titled 'Paw Paw Paw Paw Paw Paw Paw'; wherein Stewart's Cohen/Morrissey-laminated vocals are framed by a miasma of dignified strings and broiling post-rock. Following this spangled pop introduction, 'Ciautistico' then gets more experimental through the frigid electronica and pertinacious strings of 'Minne Mouselstic', creating a sound that shares much with the minimalist compositions of Susumu Yokota or even (possibly, kind of) Asa Chang and Junray. Elsewhere, '(Pokey I'm Your) Gnocchi' is a Puccini splashed epic so overblown it works perfectly, 'Prince Charming' is a histrionic and intimidating cover of the Adam Ant hit, whilst 'Birthday Song' is a blast of Isan style bubblytronica....
2 By Bukowski - Yzordderex
Very Friendly
In the words of a writer who enjoyed some modest success; "the lady doth protest too much". And so it seems do 2 By Bukowski, with their apparent disapprobation of constantly being touted as the European God Speed You Black Emperor. If the band happens to be reading this, I'd stop now if I were you. With members spread around London and various regions of Greece, 2 By Bukowski don't get the chance to record together very often, so the fact that their follow-up to 2002's wonderfully titled 'Drink From My Bastard Grail' only took two years to get finished is something to commend. Slow-burning atmospherics that are bitten to pieces by metal riffs and mid-song breakdowns, 2 By Bukowski are loud and proud; here further fermented by some serious Strepsil vocals. Songs like 'Satageus' and 'Knucklefist Tonight' have a very real sense of the epic that is difficult to achieve, especially when your weapon of choice is the rather antiquated genre of post-rock-metal, and sees them ranked alongside the incendiary force that is God Speed You Black Emperor. And that's a compliment fellas....
Datach'i - The Elements
Sublight
What with Halloween on the horizon, the cover of Datach'i's new album could double up as some festive decoration. It's their eyes that scare me! Known to his mother as Joseph Fraioli, Datach'i has recorded for a slew of labels in the past, including Caipirinha, Klangkrieg and Planet µ, with new LP 'The Elements' a suitably demented continuation of this timeline. Filling the foreground with Victorian melodies and glinting instrumentation, Datach'i creates a genteel environment that evokes the idea of welcoming hearths on a snowy night... until that is, the beat butchering commences. Schooled in the ways of Venetian Snares, Squarepusher et al, Fraioli has a keen understanding on the importance of texture; contrasting fearsome cloudbursts of shattered beats and choleric breakcore, with the prettiest array of aural treats this side of Thorntons. Opening with an admittedly ominous bass, first song 'Musket Iron' then introduces a parping little flute that suggests a level of politeness akin to slicing off your sandwich crusts. shortly after, all hell lets loose! With seven shades of shit raining down, Datach'i nonetheless keeps a firm control over his beats, allowing them to broil and peak without ever feeling superfluous. Similarly, 'In Silence' rattles some Exile-style drum and bass around a proper haunted house, whilst 'Drowner' is an Eno-waterlogged ghost-ship full of below-deck breaks and acid-licked buckshot's. Putting you right through the wringer in the most enjoyable manner imaginable, Datach'i bows out with 'Rye Pier Fence Watching'; a song that brings to mind skeletons break-dancing at sunset... and that's not something you can say everyday!...
Dave Miller - Mitchells Raccolta
Background
2 years on from his first Background EPs and acclaimed remixes of Anna Kaufen (aka Akufen), Perth producer Dave Miller's debut album is a huge step forward, combining many influences in a fresh and deep set of mutant funk and futuristic microhouse. Pitch-shifted melodies buzz over complex minimal polyrhythms, chopped trumpets scatter over slo-mo house beats, and low low basslines hum in the bins over crackly piano samples, creating a diverse album full of homely warmth yet with rhythms to suit the smoke of dark club corners. `Mitchells Raccolta' is jazz, dub, house, minimal techno, hip hop, broken beat and ambient, all at the same time. Like Four Tet, Farben and Madlib remixing each other in real time....
Jirku / Judge - Private Eyes
Onitor
"Don't judge a book by its cover"; a maxim that holds very firm on the new LP from the appropriately named pairing of Jirku and Judge. Wrapped in a truly appalling cover shot (think Grattans Catalogue doing a 'busty interrogator'range), 'Private Eyes' is the latest collaborative effort from Tomas Jirku and Robin Judge, whose special-brand of clinical beats and Mille Plateux finesse really comes to fruition on this four-years-in-the-making LP. At times sounding like Other People Place, Panacea, Sutekh, Burnt Friedman and Dan Abrams, Jirku-Judge are nonetheless entirely themselves, merely taking cues from the pantheon of digital innovators. Densely layered but never lacking in clarity, tracks like 'Hidden Camera' and 'Hot Property' are glitchy bursts of machine tooled intent which have a real playfulness within their bloops, growls and crystalline beats. Elsewhere, 'False Positives' recalls Tejada's 'Logic Memory Center', 'Undercover Lover' stretches its elastic bass to ripping point, whilst 'Double Trouble' nicks a famous melody (you'll see...) and pumps it full of bouncing dubby-fingered digitalis....
Ennio Morricone - Crime And Dissonance
Ipecac
Having already been described by the Wire magazine as "murderously brilliant", the second Morricone retrospective in as many days has been lovingly and painstakingly compiled by Mike Patton - focusing on the less known experimental, orchestral, minimal and frankly more brilliant side of Morricone's prolific recording career. The John Zorn liner notes detail the connection between Patton and Morricone's love of "the extreme and the experimental; psychedelic sitars, heavy breathing, screams, screeches and electric guitar feedback". Spread over two discs, highlights include a number of tracts culled from 1971's 'Una Lucertola Con La Pelle Di Donna' which exhibit a predilection not dissimilar to Merzbow, the distressing juxtaposition of 'L'Uccello Con Le Piume Di Cristallo (Titoli)' (frantic female breathing) and 'Il Buio' (taut violins followed by a hushed & mournful string section), and the angelic choral work for 'Cuore Di Mamma'. If all soundtracks had the breadth, profundity and musical sagacity of that conjured up by Morricone, I might just go to the cinema more often. Incredible....
Atom Tm - Acid Evolution 1988-2003
Logistic
Finally available on cd!! Atom TM will have you believe that this is a collection of some lost Acid classics from all manner of characters with names as likely as "DJ Roxy", "XOX Crrew" and "MC Unknown", though anyone who's been addicted to the man's seemingly endless Zelig-like qualities will have probably guessed that in actual fact all these "lost" jack trax come from his own sealed vaults. Uwe Schmidt seems to be able to successfully turn his head to any generic forms that take his fancy, from the chart-busting Kraftwerk cover-versions of Senor Coconut to the Jazz reconfigurations of Flanger and the endless microscopic innovations of "Dos Tracks", ""Brown", "Schnitstelle" and on and on over an incredible 70+ album career so far. But many people have grown a bit impatient with the man's Latin American obsessions and have yearned for something more puritan - a return to the Acid templates he flirted with at the peak of Jack. This killer doublepack is all that and more - gorgeously dusty warehouse tweakin tracks that will destroy all comers new and old, configured with maximum bass padding and an analog sequence that followers of Armando, Mr Fingers and Phuture will kill for. Essential!...
Various / Delsin - Planet Delsin
Delsin
Amsterdam's cult techno-soul label is celebrating their 50th release with this very tight compilation, bringing you 12 unreleased outer space techno jams by some of the very hottest underground artists around. Featured artists are Terry Brookes, Vince Watson, Starfighterz, Speakwave (aka Dynarec), Shed, $tinkworx, D5, Aroy Dee, Nubian Mindz, Peel Seamus, Dj Yoav B and Newworldaquarium. The Planet Delsin compilation is available on CD, as well as a double vinyl release and separate EP. The wicked artwork is done by Delta inc, liner notes come by `Techno Rebels'-author Dan Sicko. Ace....
# posted by DJ Martian 9:55 PM
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Music 2008:
b2008
m2008
Release Info 2008:
r2008
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
2010 Music
RYM Top Albums 2010 -
RYM 2010 New
2010 Album Reviews:
a2010
Music 2010:
b2010
m2010
Release Info 2010:
r2010
Music Shopping:
CD Price Comparison:
Dealtime.co.uk
Kelkoo
123PriceCheck.com
Pricerunner.com
Action Records
Banquet Records
BLEEP
bmsoho
Boomkat
Juno Records
Key Mail Order
Norman Records
Phonica
Piccadilly Records
recordstore.co.uk
ReR
resident
Resurrection Music
Rhythm Online
Rise Music
The Rock Box
Rough Trade
Second Layer Records
Spillers Records, Cardiff
Spin
Supernal
TouchShop
volcanic tongue
UK Online Music Stores: with e-commerce ordering: Generalists
More links @ cdstores
Amazon.co.uk
ASDA Entertainment
base.com
eil.com
HMV.co.uk
Play.com
Tesco
Townsend Records
Wow HD
AOTY - Upcoming Album Releases
Upcoming Releases | Consequence of Sound
The 405 - Album Release Schedule
Upcoming Album Releases - Metacritic
This is Corrosion
Upcoming Jazz Release Center
Metal:
Metal Storm - Upcoming Releases
UK Online Music Stores: Coming Soon/ Pre-Orders
Amazon.co.uk
Boomkat
Norman Records: Pre-ordering
US Online Music Stores: Coming Soon/ Pre-Orders
Darla
Forced Exposure
Insound
Siren Disc Future Releases
New Releases/ This Week [US Music Stores]
Aquarius Records
Darla - New This Week
Dusty Groove
EAR/ Rational Music
Forced Exposure
Insound
Midheaven - New Releases
Other Music
Other Music - New Release Updates
Stinkweeds
using rateyourmusic.com: 2014 Album Releases [Updated Regularly] This information is updated on a continual basis.
Music Discussion:
ILM
Links: Tag: Music Discussion
Drum n Bass
DOA: Dogs on Acid
Drum&BassArena
Kmag
Electro / House / Techno
DJ Mag
hyponik
Mixmag
RA Resident Advisor
XLR8R
Electronic
Igloo
textura
Experimental:
a closer listen | A home for instrumental and experimental music.
Avant Music News
Brainwashed
Cyclic Defrost
Freq
Headphone Commute
Heathen Harvest 2.1 | Illuminating the Post-Industrial Underground
Paris Transatlantic
Sound and Music | We are sound
The Squid's Ear
Terrascope Online
The Wire
Gothic:
net goth org UK
Industrial / Synth Pop:
industrial.org
musicfolio.com
Release Music Magazine
Side-Line
Jazz:
All About Jazz: News
All About Jazz
Dalston Sound | A music blog
eJazzNews.com
Free Jazz
The Jazz Mann
JJA News » Insights and updates from the Jazz Journalists Association
Jazzwise Magazine
LondonJazz
Polish-Jazz
BBC Radio 3 - Jazz on 3
Jazz Music Archives
Crazy Jazz
Metal:
Apeshit
Avantgarde-Metal.com
Blabbermouth
BW & BK
Decibel Magazine
INVISIBLE ORANGES - THE METAL BLOG:
MetalBite
Metal Hammer
The Metal Observer
Metal Storm
MetalSucks
thePRP.com
Terrorizer
UltimateMetal.com
Music Reviews - Metal
Chronicles of Chaos
Metal Invader
Metal Reviews
Metal Storm - Reviews
Ireland
The Last Mixed Tape
Nialler9
State Magazine
Other European Based Music Websites:
Chain D.L.K.
Cool Music Central
KindaMuzik
Musique Machine
Scandinavian Music:
It's a trap!
Music Norway EN
Nö MUSIC
NME.COM
NME.COM
NME Blogs
NME New Music
NME.COM - Magazine
ILXOR:
IlXor.com
ilXor Group Page - Last.fm
ILM
Freaky Trigger
Linked/ Related:
Google Search: link
ODP
More Links:
UrlTrends :: Trend Report
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