the brainwashed brain
a weekly digest from the staff and contributors of brainwashed
V05I21 - 06022002
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MUSIC IN REVIEW

Boom Bip and Dose One, "Circle"
Leaf (Europe)/ Mush (North America)
Dose One, the nasal one from cLOUDEAD, is rapidly becoming the Busta Rhymes of underground hip-hop, popping up on various albums over the past year including Hood's "Cold House" of all places. Also, like Mr Rhymes, he's possessed of an unusual voice, kinda like the annoying one from Cypress Hill, but without being annoying, if that makes sense. Boom Bip, on the other hand, has had some well-received releases on the Anticon label.
Although originally on Mush, home of the fantastic So-Called Artists, it has just been released in Europe by Leaf. Being a fan of all things Anticon, I picked it up last year. Unsurprisingly, like everything on Anticon, it's great. It's also seriously weird. I mean if cLOUDEAD weren't really hip-hop, then compared to this they were Run DMC. This crazy amalgam of street noise, chanting, spoken word, droning and, occasionally, beats and rhymes is some of the least hip-hop hip-hop I've ever heard. The rhymes can be sung, spoken, whispered or rattled off at speed. They're often incomprehensible, when they aren't they're often nonsensical. (At first anyway.) The backing can range from Lost in Space style 'space sounds' to heavy fucked up beats over the course of only one song. The whole package, which at first just bewilders, improves with each and every listen (I must be up to listen 20 at least). The Anticon collective are true trailblazers, reshaping hip-hop as they go, and surely trumping the Def Jux crew as the underground's posterboys. As Dose says on 'Questions over Coffee', "I'm no leader, I just can't see myself following you". It's great to be around to experience this, even if I am paying crazy import prices for everything else on Anticon and Mush. - John Regan

samples:

  • not yet

BIOSPHERE, "SHENZOU"
Touch
This is Geir Jenssen's third Biosphere album in as many years for the UK's two decade strong Touch label. At first glance there appears to be several unrelated elements at play: the title is the name of a Chinese unmanned spacecraft, the track titles reference miscellaneous things, the digipack artwork is seemingly random photos (though typical for Touch) and inside it says that the first ten of the dozen tracks are based on the orchestral works of late 20th Century French impressionist composer Claude Debussy. Playing those ten tracks doesn't clarify the contradictions, but it does reveal a tightly focused continuum. Here Jenssen's arctic ambience is quite minimal and possibly darker and deeper than ever before. Low end currents and pink noise vapor trails create melodies and mysteries. Meanwhile, rhythmic bumps and looped strains of what I presume is Debussy orchestra are occasionally weaved in. The final two tracks are indeed different but also complementary to the Debussy inspired suite. Altogether, 'Shenzou' is austere and simply another eerily beautiful ambient escape courtesy of Biosphere and Touch. - Mark Weddle

samples:


Luna, "Romantica"
Jetset
Luna has had their share of critical and audience acclaim. Since "Pup Tent," people have told me "You have to hear Luna! They're the best band in the world and they..." blah blah blahblahblahblah. Yeah, okay. So a couple of their records have had some good songs on them. But is their press way off? Are they really that incredible a listening experience? Nope. In fact, "Romantica" shows the same weaknesses the band has always had, even while showing some new strengths off in grand style. Jetset is their label du jour (their third in three years), and Luna are now getting a push from the same marketing team as Sigur Ros and Flaming Lips. All that marketing isn't going to save this album from its own cracks. From the first song, 'Lovedust', this seems like a strong release. In fact, it's one of the best songs Luna have ever recorded. Unfortunately, the chords are so similar to 'Glycerine' by Bush, I can't stand listening to the song. That, and the lyrics are so bad, which is the main problem with the whole release, and most Luna releases. Sample: "When candles light themselves/and the air turns creamy/why not take a photograph?/you look so dreamy." Not since I heard Elvis actually sing "dig" and "groovy" have I been repulsed by such words. Not satisfied? Fine: "Goddess of shadow, lipstick, and scent/where did you end?/apricot candles and blackberry pie/is it a time bomb i see in your eye?" See? It's obviously a record of adoration and devotion, but there are way too many references to eyes, sleep, and strange objects (bamboo chairs?). It's so frustrating. With Dave Fridmann on the production team, this is the best Luna have ever sounded, and the music, with the exception of the first track, is very crisp and delicious. So why do the lyrics suck so bad? And why does Dean Wareham sound so much like Tim Booth all of a sudden? I don't know. But I'm incredibly underwhelmed by it all. But not surprised. - Rob Devlin

samples:


Cinematic Orchestra, "Every Day"
Ninja Tune
This much anticipated follow-up to 1999's "Motion" is a perfect blend of late sixties jazz and the ever-changing world of sample based music. Main man J. Swinscoe has gone from orchestrating rhythm samples to leading his own rhythm section, comprised of drummer Luke Flowers, pianist John Ellis and bassist Phil France, who also co-wrote the disc's seven tunes. The use of samples is very tasteful, ranging from slit-drum and thumb piano to choirs and strings. At times, it sounds as if some of the tunes may have been written around the samples as they're just too damn tasty. The bulk of the disc is a groove-oriented/chillout feel from the rhythm section with fab performances from soprano saxophonist Tom Chant and electronics/turntables provided by Patrick Carpenter of DJ Food fame. While a lot of the instrumental tunes are epic in proportion (anywhere from six to eleven minutes), they don't come off as "jam band" as the subtleties of samples and ambient backdrops make the whole greater than the individual parts. Vocal legend Fontella Bass appears on the ballad "All That You Give" in a stand-out performance, and the deep-groove of "Evolution". Rapper Roots Manuva provides the social narrative on "All Things To All Men" as only he can. Personally, "Every Day" should be the disc that does for sampling what "Bitches Brew" did for fusion. - Gord Fynes

samples:


Richard Hell, "Time"
Matador
Richard Hell is beyond many things. Reproach and comparison are two such things. Leader of the Voidods, poet, bass player, and a man many call one of the founders of the punk movement, Hell has released very little music for a man of his acclaim and stature. In fact, he's reportedly only been in a studio once in the last 17 years. Luckily, the music he has released is so fantastic that it lasts, so much that any new music might pale in comparison. Add this one to the stack of record you must own. "Time" is actually part re-release/part never released live and studio material, and it shows how much of an influence Hell and the Voidods have had on other bands, as well as a distinct style that cannot be denied. The first CD, labelled "R.I.P.", is a re-release of a cassette only retrospective - Hell's self-proclaimed epitaph - released on ROIR. It adds three songs, one being the title track, and features some near classics. It opens with 'Love Comes in Spurts', a well-known track, immortalized in "Pump Up the Volume" with Christian Slater (it plays while he humps the wedding dress on the couch). After that, it never lets up. Song after song crackles to life, sometimes in the form of an all-out assault, sometimes as a slower and lower skip. The production values aren't that great, the performances a little far from perfect. But it's amazing nontheless. By the time you reach the Dylan cover 'Going Going Gone', you're in awe. Good. It gets better. The second CD, "Live", starts with, in Hell's own words, "one of the most aggressive sets we ever played." Aggressive due to the band's strife on the tour leading up to that point, and good for them. The audience would never have complained. The last four tracks are from a second live show at CBGB where Elvis Costello joins them for two tracks. Nothing short of incredible, electric, and highly influential. "Time" is two CDs of amazing music: Richard Hell has a legacy, and it is captured brilliantly on this release. Get it without delay. - Rob Devlin

samples:


Electro Commando 1: Welcome To PSICITY
PSI49NET
To be honest, I was extremely sluggish in getting into electro (read: not electroclash, otherwise known as "the new black"). Though the classic "Planet Rock" is a song that I recall fondly from my youth, spending summers in Florida with my family and hearing my cousin DJ Arson spin down there, I never appreciated bass enough to listen to electro. Only recently did this change, when a friend turned me on to the Two Lone Swordsmen side project Radioactive Man. As I blared his CD through my new DJ headphones, I realized that there was a sweet sweet Lordy in heaven, and His name was Bass. Hunting for a similar sound (and eager to dodge all things fischy and adult in the process), the name Anthony Rother came up several times. At the prodding of a friend of mine with his finger on the pulse of underground electro, I picked up 'Welcome To PSICITY,' a compilation on Rother's own PSI49NET label. Many of the songs here are by Rother himself, either alone or with collaborators in the regarded Netzwerk moniker, and he usually impresses. From the EBM stylings of "PSI CITY" and "Hot Body" to the sexy synthpop of "In The Studio" and the Kraftwerkian "Little Computer People," Rother lets determined voices and corroding arpeggios run wild amid thick bass hits. The bass here is delightful and will happily damage your puny stereo if played loud enough, so proceed with caution during your next drug binge. Other noteworthy tracks from outside contributors include Mulletronic's upbeat "Eeyore" and Froyd's "Weisses Rauschen", a 4/4 head-nodder reminiscent of older Underworld (circa 'dubnobasswithmyheadman'). This 2 CD set does have a fair bit of iffy tracks, particularly from some of the non-Rother projects, but that shouldn't stop the electro novice from investigating it. (Most Rother fans already own it, unless they've been hospitalized). Don't worry, everyone. Miss Kittin wont get mad if you buy an electro album that doesn't include her in the credits. Do it for yourself. Do it for Bass! Amen! - Gary Suarez

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SOUL CENTER, "SOUL CENTER 3"
NovaMute
Thomas Brinkmann's third Soul Center album is the first for Mute's dance division NovaMute. Soul Center is considered Brinkmann's electronic funk outlet. Here, minimal mid-tempo grooves are looped and jazzed up with percussion layers, (sampled?) keyboard and saxophone runs, and nicked spoken and sung phrases from classic Stax wax such as Isaac Hayes' 'Live At The Sahara Tahoe'. When I think of "funk" I think of the real deal: James Brown, Parliament / Funkadelic, Troublefunk, etc. I'm talking grit and sweat. You know ... funk. This ain't that. It's often just German techno wearing a goofy afro wig. As funk it's too sterile, as techno it's too cutesy. But as something in-between and something to dance to, this ain't that bad. A couple of tracks pique my interest more than the others. The dubby groove of "Easy Goin'" is great alone but it gets even better when tasty keys reminiscent of Coil's 'The Snow' are faded in on top. And "Who's My Girl?" really gets things moving with a truncated vocal and piano riff rolled into a thumpin' beat. Also on the disc is a cute video for "A Good One", the stop-motion adventures of the cover's robo-pooch. - Mark Weddle

samples:


Girls Against Boys, "You Can't Fight What You Can't See"
Jade Tree
Thank God for Girls Against Boys. Yet another band that started on an indie, moved to a major, and now, back to an indie. Another band who once compromised for the big time, now compromises for no one. Another band that is reborn on their new album, throwing more energy out on tape now than they ever have. The only unfortunate label ever assigned to the band was that of "sex rock." Sure, their music is sexy. Sure, it's raw. And it's definitely not for the faint of heart. But it's not "sex rock." And "You Can't Fight What You Can't See" is arguably the most punishing record with which any of the band's members have been involved. GVSB is back, and they're taking no prisoners. The album was recorded in Mission Sound in Brooklyn, but mixed in the band's own studio, a makeshift one in an old warehouse. Reportedly it was cold there, and the record bears the effect. This music, too, is cold, calculated, and horribly melodic. GVSB have been taken as abrasive in the past, with a lot of noise in the mix meant to push the listener away. This is their first record with audible hooks - and that's not a slam. It's more user-friendly, but in the best way possible. I dare say anyone can find something to like in the music on this record. Where the music suffers slightly is in the lyrics. As the liner notes clearly display, these three to four-and-a-half minute songs are lyrically sparse. This means that key phrases are repeated over and over, often to the point where you almost feel like you're being programmed. You're not. That's always been a major tenet of GVSB's music. It's just more noticeable because the music has improved so drastically. It's only irksome on '300 Looks for the Summer': "I don't like Hollywood" is said way too much. But it's a complete, energetic, and likeable album. I like this album more than anything GVSB's members have ever done. I hope they can better it. And I hope they start with the lyrics, because the music has reached its plateau. - Rob Devlin

samples:


ILLUMINATI, "CDEP2"
Planetsounds
You'd be hard pushed to realise that samples from classical music form the core of the second Illuminati EP, as they've mostly been utterly distorted and pulverised beyond recognition. A middle aged electrician commented that this reminded him of Soft Machine which is odd because Dave Clarkson of Illuminati and Planetsounds is a big fan of theirs, but I'd never have thought it was something that sounded similar. When I mentioned the comparison to Dave he asked if it was the third track, "Glass Box Trap" which chucks a melodic keyboard jitter over thrumming double drone backbone, and a nasal voice muttering disgruntled and nebulous. If I was going to fling comparisons at Illuminati though I'd have to mention Throbbing Gristle, particularly "DOA," but I think I did that with the first EP. This one has the same picture on the cover, but inverted to negative and in some ways this a darker and more menacing trip. A deep singular pulse beat opens the strange door onto a microscope resolution for "Midget Germs" which vibrate ominously in hell spawned misery. Feedback screams and muffled moans punctuate this tortured cancerous eyeball injection. The poor germs don't stand a chance when "Argenteum Atavism" squirts beatnoise bleach all over them. Crunching along in hectic overloaded abandon, this is what it might sound like if Aphex Twin tried to put one over on Non. Just as the melody creeps in one final crash collapses into semi-ambient bleepscape gurgling. The fourth and final track swings "The Strange Door" shut and desperate knocking can be heard from outside as the germs shut outside slowly fizzle to their demise, and a new dawn of lush angelic keyboard bursts across the blackened sky. Distant thunder rumbles. - Graeme Rowland

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Speedy J, "Loudboxer"
Novamute
For everyone out there who fell in love with the brutal industrial rhythms of Speedy J's 'A Shocking Hobby,' be prepared for something very different. 'Loudboxer,' Jochem Paap's latest CD on the always enjoyable Novamute label, returns to his earlier days of Plus 8 styled minimal techno bangers and away from the noise that undoubtedly made the Ant-Zen family tremble. However, the darkness of 'A Shocking Hobby' is still intact here, and the first mind-bludgeoning single "Krekc" makes that very apparent. Devoid of any clear melody, the album exists as an upward slope, increasing in intensity so that by the time track nine ("Sevntrak") arrives, I'm reminded why my hard techno-obsessed co-workers can't get enough of this shit. Juxtapose this: machines chugging away with an assembly line fury while sweat drenched clubbers dance helplessly enslaved to the merciless beats. (Sound corny? Well then don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.) This is the essence of industrial, a style that has splintered beyond recognition but yet has found its way home somehow here. Presented as a continuous mix with a few carefully placed interludes ("Cement", "Inter Zil"), 'Loudboxer' fails to displease those who like their music hard, fast, and strictly 4/4 for the dancefloor. Speedy J once again rivals all like-minded peers in the genre. - Gary Suarez

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FRANCIS DHOMONT, "CYCLE DU SON"
Empreintes Digitales
What can you say about 76 year old composer Francis Dhomont? You could say he's been given lots of prizes for his noises. You could say he talks a good acousmatic game theory. You could say he wears an eyepatch over his right eye. He first grabbed my attention with his "Frankenstein Symphony" on Asphodel, a plunderphonic acousmatic journey on which he skillfully cut up and stitched together various excerpts from works by his French Canadian contemporaries. He now tips his hat to perhaps his biggest inspiration. This sound cycle is a fiftieth anniversary homage to musique concrète pioneer Pierre Schaefer, specifically the first movement of his "Étude Aux Objets," from which Dhomont has sourced his raw materials. There are many furtive similarities to the Schaefer original, but Dhomont stretches the journey out almost twice as long and eschews Schaefer's violent tape splice edits, focusing and magnifying curiously questioning speaker panning whirls into successive new smoothed out seascapes. In the opening funeral march, "Objets Retrouvés," the sounds seem to be asking themselves what they are, curious to find themselves hanging around their own echoes. Dhomont breathes new life into them and gives them celebratory purpose. The second cycle "AvartArsSon" paints in the sky from a more varied and clattering palette. Sounds loom into the foreground, shimmer and mutate. Latterly choral vox limbo over glugging mystery spools. Bells ring out across the city full of gleeful honking taxis, soon washed away by tidal waves. This is the most cinematic of the four cycles, in that more untransmuted sound sources are apparent than in relatively abstracted sequences elsewhere. The third cycle "Novars" was the first to be completed and is the hub around which the others rotate, but since it is sequenced after "Objets Retrouvés" despite being completed seven years earlier, it seems like an extended version thereof. "Phonurgie" hones and magnifies elements from the previous cycles casting long late summer evening shadows and deep pool reflections, folding mystery into myth. Latterly it seems as if several glass instrument orchestras are playing cut up fragments in reverse as they sink into the sea. A little recurring chuckle is a mirthful reminder of how much fun listening can be. - Graeme Rowland

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"[KOMFORT.LABOR] PRESENTS NATIVE LAB"
WMF Records
Berlin's WMF Club is home for Saturday night Komfort.Labor events such as Native Instruments' Native Labs. The company is maker of modular sound software Reaktor and I'm assuming that the 14 artists found here used it for these exclusive tracks. Some of electronica's elite are of course to be found here amongst the line-up: Kid 606, Jake Mandell, Richard Devine, Errorsmith, F.X. Randomiz, Rob Acid, Solar X, Kent, Vladislav Delay, Siegmar Kreie, Mike Dred, Nitrada vs. Vger, Vert and Lazyfish. If anything, the resulting hour of audio proves that Reaktor is a really flexible environment for electronic music makers. Everything from looping soundscapes to inexplicable experiments to throbbing techno is represented, though there's an especially strong emphasis on chaos and/or rhythm throughout. Of the lot, I'd say only Errorsmith's annoying metallic beat thing is worthy of skipping and Kid 606's bland "Damn Dre Why You Always Hating On Me" doesn't live up to its cool title. The following three are my favorites: Mandell's "Broccoli Crisis" is a seriously storming dance number that would make the most timid clubber get their ass out on the floor and move; F.X. Randomiz's "Danuni" melodically churns a granular mass of bits and bobs; snd Vladislav Delay performs his usual magic trick for "The Super Has Left The Model" by skillfully turning microscopic digitalia inside out, almost at random. The interactive ROM portion might just be the most interesting aspect of the disc, that is, if I ever figure it out. A Reaktor-like application lets you graphically manipulate the "what", "when" and "how" of Lazyfish's "Mewark-Stoderaft" on the fly. Fun, for awhile. - Mark Weddle

samples:


We know that sometimes these CDs are somewhat challenging to find, which is why we have a community section which can be used to obtain nearly everything available on this site.

NEW RELEASES

WEEK OF JUNE 2 - JUNE 8
Hans Appelqvist - Tonefilm CD (Komplott, Sweden)
Clan of Xymox - Remixes From The Underground 2xCD (Metropolis, US)
Tony Conrad - Archival Series Vol. 1 CD (Table Of The Elements, US)
Dabrye - instrmntl LP (Eastern Developments, US)
Desert - I See The Light two 12"s/CDEP (Future Groove/Mute, UK)
DJ Cheb I Sabbah - Krishna Lila CD (Six Degrees, US)
DJ Shadow - The Private Press CD/2xCD/2xLP [2xCD edition is limited and includes exclusive material] (Island/Universal, US/UK)
Enon - High Society CD/LP (Touch & Go, US)
Guided By Voices - Everywhere With Helicopter 7" (Fading Captain, US)
Interpol - Interpol CDEP (Matador, US)
* New Order - World In Motion CDEP [reissue] (London, UK)
Orbital - Work 1989-2002 CD/2xLP [retrospective collection] (London, UK)
* The Pilot Ships - There Should Be An Entry Here CD [reissue] (Bluesanct, US)
* Plastiq Phantom - Enjoy The Art of Lying Down CD [reissue] (Imputor?, US)
* Pleaseeasaur - As Seen On TV CD [reissue] (Imputor?, US)
Archer Prewitt - Three CD/LP (Thrill Jockey, US)
The Remote Viewer - Here I Go Again On My Own CD/LP (City Centre Offices, Germany/UK)
Rothko - A Continual Search for Origins CD/LP (Too Pure, UK)
Rumah Sakit - Obscured By Clowns CD (Temporary Residence, US)
San Agustin - The Expanding Sea 3xCD (Table Of The Elements, US)
Silkworm - Italian Platinum CD/LP (Touch & Go, US)
Sonna/Sybarite/Lilienthal - Collaboration CDEP (Temporary Residence, US)
Speedy J - Loudboxer CD/2xLP (Novamute, US/UK)
Swearing At Motorists - This Flag Signals Goodbye CD/LP (Secretly Canadian, US)
Tarentel - Ephemera CD [collection of rare/out-of-print singles & EPs] (Temporary Residence, US)
Yume Bitsu - The Golden Vessel Of Sound, Part 4; The Moths Of Ruin And The City In The Sky CD (K Records, US)
Zorn - Apnoe EP (Lux Nigra, Germany)

This is simply this week's highlights from the NEW RELEASES provided by Greg and Feedback Monitor.
For a more detailed schedule stretching into the future, please check out the site,
since release dates can and will often change.
CONCERT REPORT

SKAM night at The Liquid Room
Tokyo, Japan
The listing for a SKAM night at one of Tokyo's hipper clubs was a welcome sight for western eyes that wanted to believe that something more substantial than J-Pop and circa 1996 B-Boyism was flourishing in Japan's biggest metropolis. The last time I was in Japan (1988), the 'in-thing' for Japanese teens was a bastardized version of rockabilly; Elvis was the icon of Western cool. Now it's Hip Hop. I asked someone at a record store in Tokyo if Japanese Hip Hop was any good since hip hop is the cultural bandwagon to whigh 90% of Japanese teens appeared to have hitched their collective wagons, and the clerk apologetically told me "uh, not really." That hip hop, graphiti, and b-boy culture are so universally, if naively, embraced is something of a mystery. But it made the idea of a SKAM night at a local club seem downright unavoidable.

After hours on trains rolling through seemingly endless rows of jumbotrons, neon displays, and buildings that stood 12 stories tall by one room wide, the SKAM night at the Liquid Room brought some closure to the feeling that Tokyo really is a picture of the supermetropolis of the future. Up until we got into the Liquid Room (with its hefty, but I'm told not unusual $40 cover charge) everything kind of looked like Blade Runner, but the sound of the world's third largest and most technologically dazzling city hadn't lived up to the futurist hype.

Gescom quickly put an end to that with the first of two DJ sets for the night, featuring a ripped up mix of broken beats, jagged electro, and tweaked melody that could only be described as the perfect soundtrack for Shinjuku late on a Saturday night. The Liquid Room's impressive sound and unobtrusive decor and lighting put the music rather than the club at the center of focus. Quite amazingly, most of the several hundred people crammed into the club's main stage area were actually dancing, or at least moving in some approximation of dance. After sitting through IDM sets in the states by notables from the Warp, Mego, and Schematic stables, it was liberating that the D in IDM was in full effect in Japan. I got the sense that people didn't know that this music was generally treated with chin-scratching detachment back in the States.

Bola followed the hour long Gescom set with an hour of live performance pulled from his numerous SKAM releases. While the live performance was more interesting to watch than most laptop shows (BOLA actually had a pair of Korg Keyboards and some other gear along with the requisite laptop), I got the feeling that most of the music could have just as easily been played off of a record with the impressive visual display synched up in the background. Still, seeing Bola on stage reminded me of how these kinds of tours never come anywhere near me in the States, and how maybe musicians and performers everywhere would rather play to a club full of kids who payed $50 a pop for a ticket and a bottle of evian, and who actually dance and clap, and appreciate the pure joy of music, than they would tour the US and get hounded after every show about whay kind of plugins they are using by people who sit stoiclly in the back of small clubs mumbing "I can do that effect in SuperCollider". - Matt Jeanes

PETER MURPHY
Deep Ellum Live, Dallas, Tuesday, May 28, 2002
The bald spot is bigger but the style is still sharp and the voice and energy are still going strong. To play the Middle Eastern vibed songs of the new album 'Dust', Murphy has assembled a new, very capable, five piece band: Hugh Marsh on electric violin, Rob Piltch on electric guitar, Levon Ichkanian on various stringed instruments, Fergus Marsh on various basses and Mark Kelso on drums and percussion.
The just over 2 hour set included three encores and featured nearly all of 'Dust': "Fake Sparkle Or Golden Dust", "No Home Without Its Sire", "Just For Love", "Your Face", "Jungle Haze", "My Last Two Weeks" and "Subway (Epilogue)". I really have to hand it to him ... he could have very easily played just the new material - and I would have been happy with that alone - but they also interspersed many Murphy solo classics such as "Crystal Wrists", "Marlene Dietrich's Favourite Poem", "Gliding Like a Whale" and "Cuts You Up". The band proved themselves equally capable of the new and old styles. The 'Dust' material was very true to the album, right down to the beautifully plucked Turkish instruments. "Just For Love" in particular reached a Muslimgauze-like fervor in the extended jam breakdown. Murphy was elegant, part musician and part performance artist. His use of body motions, simple stage props and interaction with lights and shadows helped sell the songs.
But it wasn't all goth-icky stiffness. A sense of humor occasionally prevailed, most notably when Murphy poked his own bare belly button during one encore and giggled like the Pillsbury Doughboy. This will likely be one of the finest shows I experience in 2002. The tour swings through the South and up the East coast through Mid-June. - Mark Weddle

LINKS OF THE WEEK

a new site to get stoned to
It looks kinda dull at the beginning but once you start playing with stuff, it's fun! www.modifyme.com

anything for attention
You did what? iwasted15bucksonthisdomain.com. Dumb.

the life expectancy of a rock star
No surprises it's pretty damned low. Of course, this web site only chose a select few stars, excluding a number of the living. It's a somewhat entertaining read however. www.av1611.org/rockdead.html People like Bryan Adams will most likely die of old age.

FEEDBACK

up all night

Subject: no subject

have you seen "Insomnia" yet?

Just the Norwegian version. I'm not interested in seeing the same script re-done by Hollywood and featuring actors I couldn't care for.

Subject: turbid radio

I love Turbid radio. It's turned me on to such incredible music... fantastic plastic machine, chicks on speed, neutral milk hotel, squarepusher, mogwai, sugar plant, etc.

Thanks for streaming such great stuff. Have you ever considered moving to your own free streaming system (perhaps with icecast.org) rather than use Live365 and their advertising model?

Thanks again.

Thanks for letting me know. As for the DIY suggestion, there's not enough time to write these things for brainwashed and we can't run our tiny little servers down...

Subject: MP3 trouble

The mp3s in the Brainwashed Brain for the review of Stephan Mathieu and Ekkehard Ehlers are promo spots from the Sundance channel. I'm assuming this is a mistake?

Ooops, fixed, thanks!
The best thing about an online pub is you can correct mistakes!

Subject: [no subject]

Hello

I was intrigued by Nate Smith's suggestion regarding Múm's Green Grass of Tunnel 7" (that is playing the single at 33.33333333333 instead of 45 rpm), unfortunately I only have the 10" album and was therefore out of luck. However, seeing as i did have CD copy of it, and as i was immensely bored one night, i decided to slow it down using Cool Edit. After finding how beautiful Green Grass of Tunnel was (and still being bored) i decided why not just do the entire album at 3/4 of the speed? Save some of the segue tracks (the swimming pool tracks which can drift a bit too long but still are very strong), the album works just as well as the single. It certainly puts a new spin on it (obviously). If anyone has the time or ambition i would suggest giving it a try.

On a similiar note, when i initially tried to slow down Green Grass... i mistakenly sped it up, and, it still works wonderfully (well, the vocals are a bit screwy but...). Thinking about it, i've come to the conclusion that Finally We Are No One is just a gorgeus record period. Múm have just made one of the most beautiful and striking records i've heard in a long time. The magic of the tunes shines through no matter how you distort it, it seems.

I just thought i'd thank Nate and make a suggestion to anyone that has the boredom to try it.

Thank you, and thanks for such a wonderful resource for great bands as you have provided for such a long time.

With the lack of exciting music this year, I think this is a great idea. Double, triple, quadruple your record collection! The possibilities are endless,...

Subject: in the player last week

Re:

giddy-up,.... Nate Ritter, Stevens Point, WI, USA

I did a rd. trip to steven's point last weekend to see michael hurley play one of the best sets he's ever done.

the highlight of the evening was the hula hoop dance by the girls in the parking lot.

I can explain if yr interested.

No, I can't explain.

Who?

Got pictures?

Subject: my vagina hurts

My search and download tells me that you have bomb 20 wing chun mp3.

being the impatient type who cant queue for two days, I came looking for it on your website and guess what it doesnt exist

A TIP

dont list downloads that dont exist you fucken morons

Bitching about not getting free shit?
What kind of world do you live in?
Selfish twat.

WHAT'S IN YOUR PLAYER?

waiting for the pre-order
Flux Information Sciences: Private/Public
If Thousands: Candice Recorder
Davis Redford Triad: Ewige Blumenkraft
Primordial Undermind: Beings Of Game P-U
Salamander: Birds Of Appetite
Not Brainbox 1, 2, or X because life suxxx, man.

Scott Puhl, Minneapolis, MN, who's pre-order version of Brain in The Wire was stomped on by an airplane or something, returned completely damaged, and a second version hasn't shown up yet,... Let's all send him good vibes this week.

feedback and submissions:
Brainwashed Road Show
P.O. Box 7 / Arlington MA 02476 / USA
electronic mail



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