It's time for my Rotations update, which somehow turned from being bi-weekly into a monthly feature. That doesn't mean that I've been quiet. Actually, the opposite is the case. If you subscribed to my
Reviews Feed (instead of this summary) you'd be up on the latest releases from an array of genres. Here comes this MASSIVE post, which I trimmed down a bit by leaving out my exclusive interviews. This specific installment is complimented with
Two and a Half questions with
The Ideal Setback,
Slow Dancing Society,
The Sight Below,
Ginormous,
Near The Parenthesis,
Igorrr,
Kamran Sadeghi,
Cougar,
Blackfilm, and
Lustmord. If you want to catch up on those, be sure to visit my hangout at
http://headphonecommute.blogspot.com and hit the
Two and a Half label. Be sure to drop me a line, even with a "..." so that I'd know you've read a bit on here. ;)
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ELITE BARBARIAN -
It’s only when you get to the end that it all makes sense (
Front and Follow)
With a title over ten words, you'd think that Benjamin Page composed a post-rock or perhaps an ambient album, where track and album naming is something of an art form. Nothing could be further from the truth. Page's solo release under Elite Barbarian moniker, titled It's only when you get to the end that it all makes sense, is an abstract and experimental electronic improvisation utilizing samplers and hardware synthesizers. Listening to this music is a mild demented experience. In a humid summer haze, I put my ear against a hollow, cold, and sterile wall, to eavesdrop on the copulating circuit organisms, dying in the process. At the center of this bleeping pile is a solitary piano, protecting its modesty with ripped out coiled strings. The sounds are kept and twisted against their own will, in a foreign confinement, away from their beloved ones. Only now and then, they are permitted to venture beyond the virtual barricades of their man-made asylum, for a brief glimpse of their abandoned soul. This album makes the first catalog addition to Front & Follow, a new Manchester based label releasing limited edition and attention oriented packaging. The releases are not constrained to physical copies - digital editions are available from a number of online stores (iTunes, Amazon, Bleep). Recommended if you enjoy laboratory electronica from acts like
Mr. 76ix,
Team Doyobi,
Lego Feet, and
Metamatics.
http://www.myspace.com/elitebarbarian
http://www.myspace.com/frontandfollow |
http://www.www.frontandfollow.com
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Silences Sumire -
Return Is Selective (
Ropeadope Digital)
Silences Sumire sounds as if Arovane remixed the live improvisation of Miles Davis, laying on his glitchy swishing drum patterns over electro-acoustic treatments of jazzy instrumentation. Hailing from Chicago, the group consisting of Thomas Faulds (
Mercury Effect) and Charles Gorczynski (
Colorlist,
Leaves) compose a blend of light, electronic, and digitally crunchy percussion over woodwinds (alto sax) and female vocals. The sound of Silences Sumire is a abstract and modal, featuring extemporaneous saxophone overtones, voicing and glissando, with a continuous playful DSP effects of sample chopping, filtering, and bit-crushing. Chicago has a complex music scene that spans across genres like contemporary classical, rock, hip-hop, blues, jazz, and electronic. The duo skillfully merges the latter two, belonging [perhaps] on John Hughes' (
Slicker) famous
Hefty Records (with acts like
Savath & Savalas,
Eliot Lipp,
Beneath Autumn Sky and
Telefon Tel Aviv). I could even see this track appearing on
compost records Future Sounds Of Jazz compilation series. Instead [and probably for the better], Return Is Selective is released on Ropeadope Digital label following a couple of EPs from Silences Sumire on Chicago local ears&eyes collective. Recommended for the jazzy glitchy fiends, and for fans of the above mentioned artists.
http://www.myspace.com/silencessumire |
http://www.silencessumire.com
http://www.myspace.com/ropeadopedigital |
http://www.ropeadope.com
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The Ideal Setback -
Window Seat (self)
Somehow Todd Chappell managed to squeeze out another ambient release this year. Maybe "squeeze out" is not such a great term. He simply opened the windows and let the inspiration fly in. After all, this Memphis artist seems to write a couple of tracks a week. In Window Seat, Chappell creates lighter melodies with an uplifting character of a major chord. Personally, I like things a bit darker and gloomier, a note with which Chappell closed up his debut,
Dream Dialogue. With Window Seat he promises a glimpse of a better day. The sophomore release for Chapelle, composing under the alias The Ideal Setback, opens up its petals in a morning glory after a heavy midnight storm. For me, the two albums encompass the yin and yang of Chapelle's awakening to the complex beauty of the simplicity within minimal ambient sound. One, measured with darker and brooding dissonance; the other, with basic ratios of baroque tonality. Both are in play, depending on the mood. In Window Seat, Chappell attempts to touch the essence within Brian Eno's words: "Ambient Music must be able to accommodate many levels of listening attention without enforcing one in particular; it must be as ignorable as it is interesting." These words were printed back in 1978, within the liner notes of Eno's
Music For Airports - one of my all-time favorite ambient pieces till this day. Thirty years later, Chappell keeps these ideas going. Recommended for super early mornings, when you haven't slept all night, and your mind is overly tired, but still awake.
http://www.myspace.com/theidealsetback |
http://www.cdbaby.com/all/theidealsetback
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Slow Dancing Society -
Priest Lake Circa '88 (
Hidden Shoal Recordings)
Hidden Shoal delivers once again! There are instant gems in my collection from this Australian label, including albums by
Sankt Otten,
Wes Willenbring and now the latest from Slow Dancing Society. To listen to Priest Lake Circa '88, I retreat into my solitary bedroom, fall over the covers, and press play on the player. It's not that I am ready for a nap. But I do want to close my eyes and let the sound swirl around me, like little specs of dust rising towards the ceiling in the ray of sunlight. With my eyes closed I can truly hear. There are no distractions by the scrollies or the blinkies. With my eyes shut I can see the music. And it perfectly blends into an atmosphere of my surroundings. Somewhere a dog barks. A pigeon flutters. And my neighbor is working in his garden. The trees sway in the wind, softly brushing their leaves against my window. Or perhaps it is the sound of a washing waves on one of the tracks, accompanied by a subdued strumming of a guitar. Soon I see the water. Drifting away on my hastily made raft I am slowly approaching the center of the lake. Getting closer with every reverberated feedback, going farther into my saturated dream. Priest Lake Circa '88 is Drew Sullivan's third album on Hidden Shoal, serving as a conclusion to his double-album which began with The Slow and Steady Winter. The main theme of the album speaks of the nostalgic concept of "home", encompassing the things we leave behind and return to, within our short journey into this time slice wer call "life". With
Brian Eno serving as the main influence for Sullivan's work, I could attempt to classify the music as abstract ambient meeting experimental shoegaze. Or I could just name a few of my favorite artists that come to mind immediately upon my first listen:
Stars of the Lid,
Hammock, and
Bitcrush. If those are the names on your watchlist, then you better rush out to secure a copy of the latest (and all) from Slow Dancing Society. And let me know about _your_ trip.
http://www.myspace.com/slowdancingsociety
http://www.myspace.com/hiddenshoal |
http://www.music.hiddenshoal.com
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:papercutz -
Ultravioleta rmx's (
Apegenine)
I'm in the mood to catch up on some EPs highlighting the upcoming releases. Here comes a single from a Portuguese musician, Bruno Miguel, going by the name :papercutz with a vocal help by the lovely Melissa (Mell) Veras, and multi-instrumentalist Francisco Bernardo. The clicky IDM elements of Ultravioleta and the breathy female voice, triggers a memory of
Telefon Tel Aviv's remix of
Bebel Gilberto's All Around. I think the Portuguese lyrics play a huge role in that as well. But before I give my mind a chance to travel to the past, it is snapped back with four more remixes from a great roster of artists. First up is a remix by
The Sight Below, a Portland based ambient-techno artist who just landed a deal with Ghostly International. His melding loops accented by the riding beat will keep the
Gas fans happy (see my separate review on his No Place For Us EP). On Violet of Ultra Neotropic Remix,
Riz Maslen (appearing on
Ntone and
Ninja Tune), blends organic instrumentation with machine-like rhythms and needle skips vis-à-vis
Radiohead's darker tracks, adding her own vocals (an English translation of the original) into the mix.
Spandex's (Matt Southall) treatment of Ultravioleta, brings it closer to the dance floor, with a minimal techno beat and a touch of electro, packed in the
Kompakt container (for some reason I'm picturing Eric, the yellow puppet, nodding his head to the Flat Beat of
Mr. Oizo in Levi's commercial). Finally, Bevan Smith (aka
Signer) wraps it all up with a convoluted twist of an ambient soundscape paired by a deep bass pulse. Signer is known for his releases on
Carpark and his own label,
Involve; he also records under
Skallander with Matthew Mitchell for Type Records. All in all, this is an interesting collection of remixes where each one shines in its own domain. And as such, it is difficult to encompass all tracks within one writeup. But back to :papercutz. Ultravioleta Rmx's EP should wet your appetite for his upcoming debut album on Apegenine. And I'm looking forward to the day it hits the street.
http://www.myspace.com/papercutzed |
http://www.papercutzed.com
http://www.myspace.com/apeg |
http://www.apegenine.com
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Syncopix -
Icarus (
Syncopix)
I just love dark and dirty drum'n'bass. But... I also love its jazzy, organic, and carefree flip-side. That is the sound of Syncopix. You walk out the door, on a crisp summer morning; the sun casts off the sharp shadows of the trees; and with the headphones on you trot to the beat. The light and upbeat rhythms tickle your eardrums with the high frequencies of snares, hi-hats and cymbals. You get into the groove with the minor chords and melodic pads. And just when things get rolling, the deep bass kicks in. An uncontrollable smile creeps in. This is what I'm talking about. Hamburg (Germany) based Roland Bogdahn, has been producing drum'n'bass under his Syncopix alias since 2001. Along with Yaw O. Afram (
MTC YAW) he founded Form Recording, and then spun off Syncopix Records sublabel, on which he already put out about half a dozen of his own 12-inchers, and finally his debut full length album, Icarus. All the years past, Bogdahn has been mostly releasing two-track DJ friendly vinyl on
London Elektricity's London based Hospital Records and its sub-label, M*A*S*H; as well as Integral, Dutch
Fokuz Recordinngs (sub-label of
Citrus from Triple Vision), and Berlin based Hard:Edged among the many. There are also numerous collaborations and remixes - too many to mention for this writeup. But this is Bogdahn's first album. Even though it is unmixed, it flows very well, and is worthy of being a standout release apart from being just a collection of tracks. In fact, it only has two out of thirteen pieces which previously appeared on vinyl. The rest are all new (as far as I know). Geared more towards the listener, rather then the nightclub, Icarus is an album to add to your d'n'b archives. Recommended. Favorite tracks: Nightlistener and Disc Go!
http://www.myspace.com/syncopix |
http://www.syncopix.com
http://www.myspace.com/syncopixrecords
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The Sight Below - No Place For Us (
Ghostly)
Entering the domain of ambient techno producers, is a newcomer by the name of The Sight Below. Ghostly didn't think twice (and better for it), and snatched TSB for his first three-track EP, titled No Place For Us. The fact that I'm even taking the time to mention a digital single should tell you how excited I am about the upcoming work from this Seattle based musician [yes, I like to pretend that I'm very busy ;) ]. And before I forget to mention - this is a free release, so go download your copy directly from the label's site. During the first track, No Place For Us, the ambient washed out sweeps yawn and stretch in swells of shoegazer's agonizing obsessiveness over thick guitar and pad layers. The tonality of these resonant chords remind me of
Lusine ICL's
Language Barrier (
Hymen, 2007) and
Murcof's
Cosmos (
Leaf, 2007). Soon enough the kick drum comes in over the lazy vapors of sound. Like the soothing whispers of a river flowing through the dry lands, pumped by a steady heartbeat of the earth. I quote when I can't say it better: "The music of TSB conjures half-remembered dreams and soft-focus sentiments with elegiac beauty; his video art works similarly, blurring snippets of film until they're recognizable only as organic objects: black-and-white amoebas milling about, or a sunset rendered in grayscale." The knowledge that the three pieces were performed live, only excites my neurons further. Really looking forward to The Sight Below's first upcoming full length release on Ghostly, so that I can stop looping only these three tracks! Recommended for the likes of
Yagya,
Gas,
Vladislav Delay and
Echospace.
http://www.myspace.com/thesightbelow |
http://www.ghostly.com/artists/the-sight-below
http://www.myspace.com/ghostlyinternational |
http://www.ghostlyinternational.com
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Ginormous -
At Night, Under Artificial Light (
Hymen)
It's not enough for Bryan Konietzko to be large. To be enormous. Ginormous suits him better. Extremely digital and artificial in all its glory, the sound of sharp saw waves and crisp percussion cuts right through the trippy hip-hop beats. Listening to At Night, Under Artificial Light, I feel like I am crawling through a neon illuminated passageways under a futuristic city. Beneath the surface of a metal casing, I hear a granular and twisted meow. The animal unfolds itself from underground conduit and hastily escapes on its mechanic legs. Cling, cling. Yet I remain, impeccably, still human. The melodies are dark and harmony is morbid. With every track I swallow prickly copper balls. And as they make their way into my stomach, the ancient medicine for pain begins to work. The beats of Konietzki's third full length on Hymen are punchy and assured (the 2006 double CD on Hymen titled The Endless Procession and Our Ancestors' Intense Love Affair is actually two albums). Besides producing artificial beats in his studio, Konietzko is also a co-creator and executive producer for Avatar: The Last Airbender, an Emmy award-winning animated television series that lasted three seasons on Nickelodeon!! There's more on Bryan on Wikipedia or IMDB (many will be delighted to learn that he worked as a character designer for Family Guy). It's tough to classify this album. But if I was pressed, I'd file it along my dark, and experimental IDM collection. As is common with my favorite Hymen releases, Ginormous shoves his way into the circle of
Lusine ICL,
Hecq,
Kattoo and
Gridlock.
http://www.myspace.com/ginormousmusic |
http://www.thisisginormous.com
http://www.myspace.com/hymenrecords |
http://www.hymen-records.com
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Evan Marc + Steve Hillage -
Dreamtime Submersible (
Somnia)
Mr.
Evan Bartholomew... For connoisseurs of tech house, he is known as
Evan Marc. For fiends of psybient and dubbed out downtempo, he is
Bluetech - the West Coast producer of psychedelic influenced IDM sound (PsyDM) and an owner of a prolific record label,
Native State Records. But a recent shift in economics of the music industry pushed Evan to create another independent label, Somnia, where along with a roster of modern classical musicians, he releases limited copies of minimal, electro-acoustic and ambient dreamscapes under his own name, Evan Bartholomew. In this fourth Somnia release, Dreamtime Submersible, Bartholomew compliments his ambient soundscapes with dub techno influences. This album is a continuous mix of evolving sweeps, that becomes a single unfolding composition within seven movements, each transforming and elaborating on the theme. And... ahem!... This time he is collaborating with a visionary extraordinaire,
Steve Hillage, whose discography trails into the 70s - most notable for his ambient techno project with Miquette Giraudy,
System 7. I can dedicate a whole exclusive article just to Hillage, and yes, you should feel ashamed if haven't heard the name. So all I can say is... wow... A continuous sweep of a story-telling emotion that is impossible to interrupt in mid-sentence. Not once a repeated pattern of signal processing attributes! Each note carrying an immeasurable delay that feeds into an eternal release of ADSR's tail. The duo paint volume envelopes with an artisan brush of an Irezumi master. There's another interesting phenomenon that I always experience when listening to Dreamtime Submersible which I must share. The album begins with a bass theme which evokes a 4/4 kick drum that my brain just can't place at the beginning of each measure. It comes in between the bars (as a hi-hat would). Try hard as I might, I can't get my brain to switch to the correct meter. I can only fix the perceived rhythm by pausing the track and restarting a few seconds later. Obviously, on different occasions that decision is made at various portions of the track. And then I'm all good. But because for the next ten minutes (at least during the first piece) there are no perceivable codas, or defining signs of a virtual bar, I end up listening to a unique melodic pattern every time. And approach on a different path towards the core of dreamtime. On each arrival, I am fully submerged in a warm trance of bliss and harmony. Enjoy...
http://www.myspace.com/iamevanmarc |
http://www.evanmarc.com
http://www.myspace.com/stevehillage |
http://www.somniasound.com
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Near The Parenthesis -
L’Eixample (
n5MD)
Tim Arndt is back with another release on n5MD! L'Eixample is immediately a more mature, focused, and detail-oriented design. The title (Catalan for "extension") refers to a Spanish district in Barcelona, and indeed draws on impressions and inspirations on Arndt's latest travels to Spain. The production employs a composition of subdued tones and light beats that moves even further into the realm of melodic, atmospheric, and ambient IDM. Arndt lays down the foundation of swirling, reversed and reverberated pads, adding micro programmed rhythms sprinkled with gentle, glitchy, and fuzzy digital errors, all wrapped with an emotional theme of warm melodies, and an occasional eavesdropped conversation in the background. L'Eixample is Arndt's third full length release under the solo project, Near The Parenthesis, following on the heels of the 2007 album,
Of Soft Construction, on n5MD as well. Arndt's past experience includes playing guitar and piano for several bands, most notable among them is the
Urban Needle project with Steve Mehlman (
Pere Ubu) and Mark Gamiere (
The Wake). I would say that L'Eixample has more texture then Arndt's previous work, improving on creativity, atmospherics and the overall listening experience. L'Eixample is a further extension of Near The Parenthesis unique style and production techniques that have been perfected once again. Excellent music for those tranquil lazy mornings. Recommended if you follow n5MD's excellent roster, which includes
Last Days,
Bitcrush,
SubtractiveLAD, and
Another Electronic Musician.
http://www.myspace.com/neartheparenthesis |
http://www.neartheparenthesis.com
http://www.myspace.com/n5mafia |
http://www.n5md.com
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Igorrr -
Moisissure (self)
Slap! What an album... I'm really out of words. Let me attempt. Track one - Valse En Décomposition - baroque organ chords with a low-fi trip-hop beat followed by a bee buzzing turning into glitchy classical piece. Track two - Oesophage De Tourterelle - light piano arpeggios, tremolos and octave scaling progressions turning into insane breakcore. Track three - Putrefiunt - solo monk voice over a flamenco guitar exploding into hardcore death metal cookie-monster mayhem. Or how about 40's gramophone swing laced with gabber? And then there are eight more tracks! I haven't heard such a collection of molded styles before, and it's working... it's working really well! Gautier "Igorrr" Tighten, is a French (unsigned!) producer skillfully experimenting with samples, beats, breaks, and genres. Tighten is also the founder of a speedcore death electro metal/nica project WHOURKR with a single album Naät (self, 2007). Look, I absolutely love
Venetian Snares and any crazy juxtaposition of hard styles, but when I happen to venture outside of the leading names, I encounter mostly noise and thoughtless production. Igorrr changes all that. He brings the fun back into breakcore and intelligence into design. Igorrr is a sonic painter who throws nails into aged strawberry jam, lets the slime dribble over your favorite toy, and serves it on a silver plated toilet seat. With a goat shake on the side. Eat it. Moisissure is so fun, you'll be back for more. Perhaps you're secure a copy of his 2006 release, Poisson Soluble. Recommended for the fans of V.Snares,
Bong-Ra,
Enduser, and
Doormouse. Have fun chasing flies with your mouse on Igorrr's web site.
http://www.myspace.com/igorrrrrrrrrr |
http://www.igorrr-music.com
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Kamran Sadeghi -
Through Thickness (
Dragon’s Eye)
Exploring the rhythm beyond its regular structure is the main objective in this abstract and experimental album by Kamran Sadeghi, titled Through Thickness. Like little insects beating their wings against an aquarium where rabid fish circle the dying microphone, the sharp frequencies in the swirling noise of clicks is just one image floating to the surface in this harmonically deprived composition. Sadeghi "draws from [the sound's] potential palate of sonic mass, color, and points in space in order to create compositions of aural depth perception and sculptural form." Through Thickness is a first album in Sadeghi's Kha series. Sadeghi explains on his site: "'kha' is an ancient Hindu [Sanskrit] word meaning "emptiness" which was used in early numerical systems to imply space in tabular arrangements, 'zero'". In the digital twist and decomposition of rhythm, that emptiness breathes on its own. The electronic circuitry of sound pulses and twitches in a final dance of death. Sadeghi's curriculum vitae of audio and visual live performances and installations include OkOk Gallery, The Henry Art Gallery and the Decibel Festival. This is my first taste of material from Dragon's Eye Recordings, an independent label out of Seattle, focusing on experimental, textural, ambient, drone and minimalist recordings from an interesting roster of artists, releasing limited edition albums. In that sense, I place it somewhere around
Touch,
12K,
Sähkö and
raster-noton. Definitely a label to keep your eye on. Through Thickness is very much in the spirit of
Alva Noto,
Pan Sonic, and the darker side of
Autechre. For a more musical side of Sadeghi, check out his side project,
son of rose, with multiple releases on Dragon's Eye.
http://www.myspace.com/kamransadeghi |
http://www.kamransadeghi.com
http://www.myspace.com/dragonseyerecordings |
http://www.dragonseyerecordings.com
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Meat Beat Manifesto -
Autoimmune (
Planet Mu /
Metropolis)
Jack Dangers is back! And on Planet Mu out of all the labels (for European distribution; Metropolis picked up the US release). What a perfect fit, seeming that Planet Mu is one of the established labels spearing the evolution of experimental and intelligent flavors of dubstep. Right off the bet, what's amazing is that unlike other classic electronic acts (ok, I'll say
The Orb and
Orbital), Meat Beat Manifesto is _not_ locked into the past. Dangers is fresh with the times, embracing and re-inventing dubstep, as well as excelling in every aspect of the genre! He puts pretenders to shame! Dangers lays it on thick, heavy on the bass, exquisite on the intricate beats, bringing back familiar samples, with production skills of a seasoned master. Autoimmune is MBM's tenth studio album, whose discography spans over two decades of releases on a huge roster of labels, such as Wax Trax!, Elektra, Mute, Nothing, Run Recordings, and Play It Again Sam. For a full profile, history and discography you can reference the lengthy Wikipedia entry. The newcomers should be impressed by a true veteran of electronica. And the longtime fans will not be disappointed. For a great interview with Jack Dangers, flashback tracks, and some special treats, be sure to check out my good friend Bazooka Joe's show, Solipsistic Nation -
Episode No. 88: Meat Beat Manifesto, Live.
http://www.myspace.com/meatbeatmanifesto |
http://www.meatbeatmanifesto.com
http://www.myspace.com/childrenofmu |
http://www.www.planet-mu.com
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Cougar -
Law (
Layered)
On the first listen, Madison based (Wisconsin, US) instrumental five-piece band, Cougar, sounds peculiar - not fitting into any specific classification (and proud of it!), yet tending to be loosely associated with post-rock more than any other genre. But after returning to their debut album, Law, for the second time, I realize that it's exactly what I want to hear. Describing their music as "emergency rock" geared towards "rescue culture", Cougar experiments with beats, harmony, and structure. The production ranges from electronic to organic, reminding me of earlier tracks by
Telefon Tel Aviv (minus the glitch) and perhaps even
Four Tet. Some rhythms are influenced by electronica and I would go as far as say upbeat instrumental hip-hop beats. There's also a special treat in the "intermissions" between the main tracks. Throughout the album, Cougar sprinkles five consecutively named sketches. These are the experimental pieces that are extremely fun to listen to, reminiscent of pieces on
Radiohead's
Kid A - I only wish they were expanded into full tracks. The exploratory approach of Cougar's composition brings back the curiosity and excitement which I first encountered through
Grails. There is no formula. There is no tiring structure. On Law, Cougar switches gears and takes you into a new direction at a whim. And the mastering is outstanding - I guess it has to be, when you find out that
John McEntire (
Tortoise and
The Sea and Cake) is behind the production. I find myself returning to Cougar over and over. Recommended for the above mentioned names, plus if you like
65daysofstatic,
Yndi Halda,
Saxon Shore, and
This Will Destroy You.
http://www.myspace.com/cougarsound |
http://www.cougarsound.com
http://www.layered.org
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Daturah -
reverie (
Golden Antenna /
graveface)
I don't know why, but I simply love extended post-rock tracks that evolve over a course of ten to fifteen minutes. A track becomes a whole story, a movement, an extraordinary composition. And Daturah, the Frankfurt (Germany) based instrumental five piece band, accomplishes just that. The dynamics build up and drop, the rhythm breaks and picks up again, and the melodies draw me in, unfolding like a trip through a familiar mountain climb, only to reveal a new breathtaking view once you reach the top; and once I'm at the peak, I fall and soar with music towards the sea of sound. I also can relate to this description in the band's bio: "Sand disperses. Counterpoints are set discreet. Suddenly and abrupt you climb up. Newly awoken the listener gets pulled up in a mighty swirl. Resistance seems pointless, but maybe someone is rescuing the listener from an apocalyptical, stormy sea..." Reverie is Daturah's sophomore album. The five tracks seamlessly flow into one another, at times dropping into the ambiance of shoegaze, at times insisting on crashing down the post-metal barrier. Daturah formed back in 2003. After the self titled debut release in 2005, Daturah has toured the world, playing alongside
The Thermals,
Do Make Say Think,
Gregor Samsa, and
Mono. Reverie is released on Golden Antenna, a German label previously responsible for
Maserati; and on Chicago based Graveface Records with a roster of artists such as
Black Moth Super Rainbow,
Dreamend and
Monster Movie. I would love to see Daturah live. Perhaps Graveface will bring them in [wink]. Be sure to pickup the first self-titled album, Daturah. Recommended for the likes of
Mogwai,
GSY!BE,
Caspian,
Yndi Halda,
This Will Destroy You,
Red Sparowes, as well as
Isis and
Pelican.
http://www.myspace.com/daturah |
http://www.daturah.de
http://www.myspace.com/goldenantenna |
http://www.goldenantenna.com
http://www.myspace.com/gravefacerecords |
http://www.graveface.com
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Blackfilm -
Blackfilm (
Spectraliquid)
Dark and brooding, Blackfilm envelopes you like a thick fog creeping off a cooling swampland. I recall a quote by Jim Morrison (which got embedded in my brain after
Emmanuel Top's 1994 single
Turkish Bazaar) - "The music was new, black, polished chrome and came over the summer like liquid night". Blackfilm is the anonymous Hungarian artist on Spectraliquid Records, a Greek independent label organized by
MOBTHROW,
Subheim,
Katja and
XSOZ. The self-titled debut album from Blackfilm is the label's only second release (first being an obligatory compilation, titled Konkrete, with a taste of things to come). And I believe it's off to a nice start. Blackfilm's sound is a bricolage of downtempo, breaks, instrumental hip-hop, and an excellent selection of sampled modern classical strings. The
Amon Tobin reference was not accidental - Blackfilm indeed reminds me a lot of his earlier works. I would even be bold enough to declare that my sensitive ear picked up a few familiar samples (Stalingrad is an excellent example). That can only serve as a compliment from every direction for Blackfilm. I'm a big Amon Tobin fan and have been craving and begging for someone to defibrillate his pioneered sound. Of course Blackfilm introduces his own cinematic and orchestral elements that "move from fearsome, lonely frames to chaotic feelings of urban self-destruction." Spectraliquid goes a step further and brings in Volker Kahl (
Kattoo) to master the album. And once you cross that line, there is no going back. The production is crispy, tight and menacing. Excellent soundtrack to contemplate your existence on. Highly recommended!
http://www.myspace.com/blackfilmmusic
http://www.myspace.com/spectraliquid |
http://www.spectraliquid.com
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Lustmord -
Other (
Hydra Head)
Lock all the doors and walk up the stairs. Turn down the lights and slightly raise the volume. Breathe slowly and try not to wet your pants. The boards creek somewhere in the attic. Lustmord enters the house. With deep moans, low drones, and bass rumbles, the walls begin to ooze evil, and if you stare long enough into the darkness, you'll start to see the path to hell. Like the unspoken dark power of a Ouija board, there is no telling what evil spirits will be called forth, when playing Lustmord's latest album, [ O T H E R ]. Brian Williams is a true pioneer of the dark ambient genre - as dark as they come. Usually referred to as the soundtrack to all your nightmares, Williams has worked on sound design for over 44 film scores, most notable of which include additional compositions for The Crow and Underworld. Lustmord's sound is not just digital effects of haunting echoes - he has actually made field recordings in slaughterhouses, caves and crypts. An interesting album to get your hands on would be a live performance at The Center for Inquiry, recorded on 6/6/6 for the Satanic High Mass celebration of 40th anniversary of The Church of Satan. That album is called
Rising. On [ O T H E R ], Adam Jones (
Tool) contributes slow solo guitars riffs, with additional appearances by King Buzzo (
Melvins) and Aaron Turner (founder of Hydra Head Records and vocalist for the
Isis). Speaking of Hydra Head... This is a great American label releasing everything from post-metal, like
Pelican and Isis, to drone and doom metal, like
Sunn O))) and other heavy metal styles from groups like
Cave In,
Boris and
Jesu. And all joking aside - my dog ran out of the room and was afraid to get back into the studio, standing outside, looking in, until the [ O T H E R ] ended. If you've never heard Lustmord, this is a guaranteed unforgettable experience. For the same reasons that you watch horror films. This is music that truly makes you feel - never mind the fact that I can't wash off the goosebumps. Not recommended for sunny days and little girls. Impeccable production.
http://www.myspace.com/lustmord |
http://www.lustmord.com
http://www.myspace.com/hydraheadindustries |
http://www.hydrahead.com
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Jasper TX -
Black Sleep (
Miasmah)
The fragmented world of random memories mixed by a disk jockey is one thing. An album is another. Listening to an album you always start at the beginning. You always start at track one. Dag Rosenqvist, under his moniker Jasper TX, opens up Black Sleep with a swell. It dynamically expands into a quiet drone, setting the tone for the things to come. Using layered pads, lo-fi treatment, and low rumbling tones, Rosenqvist builds a distant soundscape that drapes over my ears like a Valerian pillowcase. Black Sleep drifts me out of collective consciousness, through a tranquil voice of a Buddhist wordless sermon. The tracks on Black Sleep range from serene lullabies to haunting drones. Although the sleep is certainly black, it's not too dark to be enjoyed outdoors. Jasper TX is a perfect artist to end up on Miasmah, which recently stepped up from operating as a net label, the current album being its eighth official release. Miasmah's previous hailed albums include
Rafael Anton Irisarri's Daydreaming,
Elegi's Sistereis, and
Jacaszek's Treny. Jasper TX is Rosenqvist's solo project, under which he has a couple of self released EPs, and a few albums, most notable of these are
In A Cool Mansoon (Pumpkin Seeds In The Sand, 2007), and I'll Be Long Gone Before My Light Reaches You (
Lampse, 2005). This past February, Jasper TX released yet another ambient album titled This Quiet Season (
Slaapwel, 2008). I highly recommend you check it out as well. Besides releasing ambient bliss under Jasper TX, Sweden based Dag Rosenqvist is a member of a post-rock group,
de la Mancha. For the likes of
Deaf Center,
Klimek,
Marsen Jules,
Fennesz, and
Machinefabriek.
http://www.myspace.com/jaspertx
http://www.myspace.com/miasmah |
http://www.www.miasmah.com
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Modeselektor -
Happy Birthday! (
Bpitch Control)
Mixing up everything from IDM to dub, electro and hip-hop, Modeselektor puts out a truly fun album that keeps me bopping up and down. There is evident humor in some of the tracks and that's exactly that attitude that forces me to spin Happy Birthday! on for a fun ride. Not to mention an excellent array of featured artists. We've got French hip-hop from Paris, TTC; some Dominican style fun vocals from Paul St. Hilaire; throw-your-hands-up party rap from Puppetmastaz; and an absolutely excellent track featuring
Thom Yorke, titled The White Flash. [Side note: the 2008 12" Happy Birthday! Remixed #1, features The White Flash remixed by
Trentemøller - it's worth picking up just for the B side]. Modeselektor returned the favor and remixed Thom Yorke's Skip Divided from The Eraser (XL, 2008). Modeselektor is a Berlin based duo of Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary. When Bronsert and Szary initially met in 1992, they were producing music under alias Fundamental Knowledge. In 1995 they renamed themselves to Modeselektor, after a function on Roland RE-201's effects module. Another interesting side project is called Moderat - a collaboration between Modeselektor and
Apparat which only saw a single 12" on BPitch Control back in 2003 and now returned with a track on Happy Birthday! titled Let Your Love Grow. This is Modeselektor's sophomore release, named in anticipation of the unplanned accidentally synchronized births of the duo's children. Modeselektor is not afraid to whip any stylistic trend back into its cage. From four-to-the-floor acid infused electro beats, to heavy grime, this is already a favorite party album. In the middle of the album, after a heavy beat from The Black Block, my ear pricks up to a familiar melody. The track's name is The First Rebirth, and I immediately recognize the classic trance anthem from 1993 under the same name, written by
Jones & Stephenson for Bonzai Records (and I still have my copy - actually just dug up
Commander Tom's '94 Remix on Prolekult). The album finishes up with an excellent up-beat glitchy hard breaks featuring Maxïmo Park. Pick up this album and treat yourself to one of my 2007 favorites! Recommended if you enjoy
Boxcutter,
Pole,
Plaid,
Funkstörung and
Mouse on Mars. Be sure to grab Modeselektor's 2005 debut,
Hello Mom! p.s. Excellent popping music!
http://www.myspace.com/mdslktr |
http://www.modeselektor.de
http://www.myspace.com/bpitchcontrol |
http://www.bpitchcontrol.com
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Funkstörung
