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Matthew Bower is best known with his work in the noise rock (more emphasis on the noise) band Skullflower, but closely followed with his formless output as Total. The reason I am mentioning both of these is that this new guise, with partner Samantha Davies, is some sort of mutant hybrid of these two: filth ridden lo-fi feedback with the occasional hint of melody or rhythm that somehow sneaks through. Between these two discs, the duo stick with this blueprint, occasionally drifting fully into one direction or the other, but always resulting in material that screams to be blasted as loud as possible.
The two discs that make up 4 Black Suns & A Sinister Rainbow have their own individual titles, but I can not for the life of me figure out if there is supposed to be any thematic or conceptual unity to each work.Truffled Abyss begins with the two-part punch of "Perfumed Pressure" that comes across like Skullflower after a nuclear blast.Detuned guitars clash and feedback with reckless abandon as some sort of undulating beat lurks beneath the radioactive fallout, attempting to corral the chaos without ever really succeeding in doing so.
"Monstrous Souls" also takes this challenge on, mostly an unidentifiable mass of sound that could be guitar, synth, or electronics, which have a barely perceptible sense of order that is eventually pushed out to leave only dissonance.On "Glassy Penetralia," the opening riff nods back to Bower's more structured works, but within a black metal squall and unstructured noise context.
Perhaps on Werewolf Universe things have a slightly more prominent sense of order and cohesion, but I think that may be a stretch.Both "Chandelier Heat" and "R U Loathsome" build upon loops of guitar noise that bring some semblance of structure and order, but in the loosest sense of the word.The latter especially excels, with the rhythmic bits falling below a slow flowing wall of lava like guitar.The mid-range noise on "Thunderbolt Cumshot Axis" is so gloriously unrestrained that the whole thing manages to cross over from pure chaos to inviting beauty, which is no easy feat.Perhaps the biggest surprise comes on "Fangs of Ego," which is mostly pure, unadulterated Skullflower riffing atop a stuttering, filtered drum machine that keeps everything rather unsettled, so it never fully comes together as the riff monster it could be.
The two albums that make up 4 Black Suns & A Sinister Rainbow are extremely ugly and unpleasant, but in the best possible way.Bower and Davies revel in the nastiest, dirtiest noises they can coax out of their instruments, and with that and the slightest concessions to rhythm, Black Sun Roof! has produced one of those rare noise works that demands to just be played at the loudest level, which I have done much to my neighbors’ chagrin more than once.And all the while I know I had a big, dumb smile on my face at the sheer spectacle of what I was hearing.
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As one of the handful of truly innovative artists to spring off from the drone metal template, the trio of Locrian had previously been rather prolific, tweaking and honing their sound to something singular and unique amidst a flurry of singles and split releases. However, other than a few high profile collaborations of late (Mamiffer, Christoph Heemann), they have been rather quiet since 2011's The Clearing. Return to Annihilation, the first new material after signing to Relapse, proves that this time and effort was well spent, perfecting their sound in ways that are both more accessible, but also pushing the more abstract moments they have been working with since the beginning even further.
 
Most pronounced on the Territories album, as well as the collaboration with Horseback, the trio of Terence Hannum, André Foisy and Steven Hess began pushing their noise tinged sound into a more conventionally metal framework, while retaining both their sense dissonance as well as a healthy dose of early 1980s post punk.This is the same band that snuck the chords to "A Forest" into one of their earliest drone works, so this comes as no surprise.
Therefore, Hannum's synth strings, Hess' taut drumming and Foisy's grimy guitar leads on opener "Eternal Return" melding together like a doom laden cast off from New Order's Movement is no surprise.However, it is in its execution that the genius truly lies: each member’s contribution beautifully builds upon the others’, at times resembling one of the best tracks Jesu has never recorded.
The title song also carries this sensibility: a tight synth/drum lead mixed with overdriven low end and distant monastic chants.After a few minutes it all falls away to leave a beautiful electronic drone and Foisy's grinding black metal guitar before reforming as a combination of both.Here that more conventionally musical sensibility is tempered by the best elements of progressive rock, without any of the unnecessary pretense or haughty drama that are best ignored.The prog tendencies are also represented well in the 15 minute closer "Obsolete Elegies," in which up front piano and acoustic guitar are supplanted by dissonant scrapes and far off martial drumming.The '70s keyboard solos and sparse guitar that follow within the piece’s ample duration belies the closing blast of pure pounding metal.
Other moments hearken back to the band’s sparser, more experimental days, such as the pulsing analog synth and drifting guitar of "A Visitation From the Wrath of Heaven" that also builds to a beautifully bombastic climax."Panorama of Mirrors" especially feels like a throwback to their earliest releases, with the blackened guitar, noisy keyboards, and Hannum's tortured screams leading the way through bleakness and haze.A similarly repeating, mantra like sound defines "Exiting the Hall of Vapor and Light," albeit more delicate and nuanced than their older works.
The moments in which Locrian embrace melody, structure, and convention are so perfectly arranged that it feels like the natural direction they should be going in.Previous efforts where they overtly flirted with progressive and krautrock sounds were always some of my favorite works by them, so this culmination is exactly what I had hoped.However, the more accessible sounds are balanced throughout with abstraction and experimentation, recalling their past efforts with an even greater sense of refinement.
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Recently, I have been delving deeper and deeper into Esplendor Geométrico's discography and it has become increasingly clear to me that their prime never actually ended.  Arturo Lanz and his varying bandmates have certainly released some comparatively uneven or tame efforts over the course of their three-decade career, but Lanz has never stopped being a rhythmic genius and can still unleash a crushing masterpiece at any time.  One such gem, "Aplicación Insospechada," comes at the end of this intermittently impressive (and woefully underappreciated) 2009 effort.
While there are some Esplendor Geométrico albums that have a clear, distinctive character that sets them apart from the rest of the Spanish industrialists' oeuvre, Pulsión is not one of them.  That is neither a good nor a bad thing, but it certainly makes it challenging to articulate what makes it special.  With few exceptions, nearly every EG album is essentially a collection of incredibly dense, bludgeoning grooves coupled with snatches of dialogue or non-musical chaos.
For this particular effort, those snippets of found audio tend to be extreme right- or left-wing political speeches spanning several different cultures, but they were all chosen for their sound rather than their content.  Deeper meaning (along with melody and nuance) is simply beside the point for Lanz and Saverio Evangelista: those are things that humans care about–EG's aim to be as immensely and hypnotically inhuman as possible.  When they succeed at that, they succeed spectacularly.  Case in point: the aforementioned "Aplicación Insospechada" sounds like a giant factory suddenly became sentient and synchronized itself into a crunching, mechanized, and absolutely earth-shaking groove.
Of course, while the massive, machine-like beat is certainly the most important part of the EG aesthetic, it is not the only part.  Pulsión's finest moments occur when there is a strong synergy between the percussive elements and the more "musical" elements.  "Aplicación Insospechada" absolutely nails it on that count, as its insistent car-compactor crunch is nicely balanced by creepily lilting loop that sounds like chanting children.  Evangelista and Lanz hit upon another perfect combination with the aberrant "Ondas Transparentes," which combines an oddly croaking and distortion-free Latin rhythm with a weirdly shifting and hallucinatory loop of more chanting.
None of the other songs on the album quite hit those same heights, but a few other pieces manage to succeed purely on sheer power and obsessive repetition, most notably "Japo," which boasts an unstoppably heavy beat beneath a recording of a very impassioned Japanese dissident.  "Michi Michi" also works quite well, simply because it throws all attempts at musicality out the window in favor of an absolutely bludgeoning thump buffeted by washes of white noise.
As for the remainder, they are basically business-as-usual for Arturo and Saverio, which is generally a good thing, except for one caveat: while nobody crafts beats as dense, visceral, and mesmerizing as Esplendor Geométrico, their mid-level material definitely starts to yield diminishing returns after while.  That situation seems unavoidable, as Lanz truly lives or dies with his rhythms.  Every song is essentially a frill-free vamp with no real development or anything else to grasp onto–either a groove hits the mark and floors me or it does not (and grows stale very quickly).  That said, this is a very strong effort amidst a remarkably solid catalog and I am not sure any EG album could be much better.  Consequently, this is probably as good an entry to a rather singular and crucial band as any for a newcomer.  Those already familiar with Lanz's work will not want to miss either "Ondas Transparantes" or "Aplicación Insospechada," as they are easily as canonical as anything recorded during the band's '80s/early '90s heyday.
 
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Between the final Throbbing Gristle albums and last year's stellar Carter Tutti Void collaboration, Chris and Cosey have been maintaining an atypically high profile as of late, which makes it easy to forget that there has not been a new Carter Tutti album in over five years.  While that situation is not expected to be remedied until sometime in 2014, this very solid 10" single makes for a very welcome teaser in the meantime.
This release takes its unusual title from the manufacturer of a metal lampshade that Delia Derbyshire famously "played" in some of her BBC Radiophonic Workshop work in the '60s.  Now that lampshade has made its triumphant return, as Chris and Cosey managed to track down one of their own after seeing Delia's in a museum exhibit a while back. As far as lampshades go, this one proved to be remarkably versatile as an instrument.  In fact, I never would have guessed it was involved if I had not read about it, as "Coolicon" basically sounds like the middle ground between Carter Tutti and Carter Tutti Void: a trance-y, propulsive quasi-industrial groove with an understated hook augmented mingled with some noisier atmospherics.  It is certainly poppier and more sensual than anything on the Carter Tutti Void album (even though Cosey does not sing at all), but Cosey's lampshade-bowing occasionally provides some ugly and Gristle-worthy metallic grind.
The B-side ("Coolicon-Fusion") is essentially the same piece, yet transformed into something nearly unrecognizable.  It is not so much a dub version as it is a skeletal, slow-motion, ghostly caricature, as all the textures are different and it feels like all of the life and soul has been drained from the piece.  As a consequence, it is inherently less vibrant and instantly gratifying than its previous incarnation, but it is still quite likable in its own throbbing, vaguely menacing way.  At times it even weirdly reminds me of 23 Skidoo or Zoviet France, as the crescendo features some forlorn horn-like sounds and percussive noises that could reasonably described as "sci-fi tribal."
Of course, being a mere single, Coolicon is exasperatingly brief, but it is still an impressively strong, worthy effort.  It is also a fairly ingenious one, as the transformation that the piece undergoes for the nightmarish B-side is truly radical.  Carter and Tutti were presumably quite pleased with the two pieces as well, as this is the first time that they have been inspired to release a single in over 20 years.  I still think it seems like a bit of an odd choice for the duo to release a single with no vocals, but that does not make this release any less enjoyable: Coolicon does a fine job of continuing (and building upon) the momentum from last year's Nik Void collaboration and reaffirms my belief that the duo is probably in the midst of their third of fourth Golden Age.  Also, if anyone has released a better lampshade-inspired song this year, I sure as hell have not heard it yet.
 
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To celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Dekorder label, we have invited some of our dearest friends and artists we admire to contribute new & exclusive recordings to a brand new series of highly limited Hybrid-Vinyl Picture-Discs. So far we have confirmations from Pye Corner Audio, Leyland Kirby, Excepter, sonic boom (of Spacemen 3, Spectrum, E.A.R.), Bill Kouligas (of PAN Records), Vindicatrix, Kemiallysät Ystävät, Ensemble Economique, Alien Radio, Black To Comm and a few lovely surprises to be revealed in the 2nd half of the year. Hybrid-Vinyl is a newly devised combination of a Picture-Disc and a regular vinyl release. The audio will be cut into the black vinyl side to utilize the superior audio quality of classic vinyl (compared to the often weaker-sounding picture disc pressings).
We are planning to do runs of 300 to 500 copies depending on the popularity of the respective artists. There will be no re-press. Ever. The releases will be pressed on 12" Hybrid-Vinyl and contain 15 - 25 minutes of exclusive music.
More information is available here.
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•The first critical history of industrial music as a genre
•Draws on interviews with both famous and forgotten musicians, record label owners, DJs, and promoters
•Offers close readings of twenty exemplary works spanning thirty years
"Industrial" is a descriptor that fans and critics have applied to a remarkable variety of music: the oildrum pounding of Einstürzende Neubauten, the processed electronic groans of Throbbing Gristle, the drumloop clatter of Skinny Puppy, and the synthpop songcraft of VNV Nation, to name just a few. But the stylistic breadth and subcultural longevity of industrial music suggests that the common ground here might not be any one particular sound, but instead a network of ideologies. This book traces industrial music's attitudes and practices from their earliest articulations--a hundred years ago--through the genre's mid-1970s formation and its development up to the present and beyond.
Taking cues from radical intellectuals like Antonin Artaud, William S. Burroughs, and Guy Debord, industrial musicians sought to dismantle deep cultural assumptions so thoroughly normalized by media, government, and religion as to seem invisible. More extreme than punk, industrial music revolted against the very ideas of order and reason: it sought to strip away the brainwashing that was identity itself. It aspired to provoke, bewilder, and roar with independence. Of course, whether this revolution succeeded is another question...
Assimilate is the first serious study published on industrial music. Through incisive discussions of musicians, audiences, marketers, cities, and songs, this book traces industrial values, methods, and goals across forty years of technological, political, and artistic change. A scholarly musicologist and a longtime industrial musician, S. Alexander Reed provides deep insight not only into the genre's history but also into its ambiguous relationship with symbols of totalitarianism and evil. Voicing frank criticism and affection alike, this book reveals the challenging and sometimes inspiring ways that industrial music both responds to and shapes the world.
Assimilate is essential reading for anyone who has ever imagined limitless freedom, danced alone in the dark, or longed for more noise.
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Noise, an underground music made through an amalgam of feedback, distortion, and electronic effects, first emerged as a genre in the 1980s, circulating on cassette tapes traded between fans in Japan, Europe, and North America. With its cultivated obscurity, ear-shattering sound, and over-the-top performances, Noise has captured the imagination of a small but passionate transnational audience.
For its scattered listeners, Noise always seems to be new and to come from somewhere else: in North America, it was called "Japanoise." But does Noise really belong to Japan? Is it even music at all? And why has Noise become such a compelling metaphor for the complexities of globalization and participatory media at the turn of the millennium?
In Japanoise, David Novak draws on more than a decade of research in Japan and the United States to trace the "cultural feedback" that generates and sustains Noise. He provides a rich ethnographic account of live performances, the circulation of recordings, and the lives and creative practices of musicians and listeners. He explores the technologies of Noise and the productive distortions of its networks. Capturing the textures of feedback—its sonic and cultural layers and vibrations—Novak describes musical circulation through sound and listening, recording and performance, international exchange, and the social interpretations of media.
"David Novak goes inside the Noise scene and presents an astounding perspective: historically astute, inspired, and completely shell-shocked."—Thurston Moore, Sonic Youth
"Edgy, compelling, and sharply insightful, this is the definitive book on 'Japanoise.' Drawing on his personal involvement in Noise scenes across two continents and over two decades, David Novak takes readers into the experience of Noise: its production and performance through apparati of wires, pedals, amplifiers, and tape loops, through its intensity on the stage and in one's ears and body."—Anne Allison, author of Precarious Japan
"This is a striking book: theoretically exciting, aesthetically intriguing, and well crafted. Japanoise is an extreme case study of modern musical subjectivity that demonstrates how core cultural ideas are formed on the fringe. David Novak's treatment of circulation as embedded in the creative process will shift the debate in ethnomusicology, popular music studies, and global media studies."—Louise Meintjes, author of Sound of Africa! Making Music Zulu in a South African Studio
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Cécile Schott released a truly impressive string of beautiful, distinctive albums in the early and mid '00s, but went mysteriously silent after 2007's Les Ondes Silencieuses (much to my chagrin).  Now she is thankfully back and seems creatively re-invigorated, yet noticeably transformed: her latest effort is every bit as good as her previous work, but takes her aesthetic in a much more pristine, stripped-down, and song-like direction than I expected.
The Weighing of the Heart opens with a minor bombshell, as "Push the Boat Onto the Sand" marks the first time that Cécile has sung on one of her albums.  Normally, that would be a major bombshell ten years into a career, but her vocals sound so natural and appropriate that it actually took a few cycles through the album before I realized their significance.  Rather, it felt like she had been recording her whole career with a microphone in front of her and just finally got to some songs where singing seemed appropriate.  Weirdly, it seemed far more significant to me that these 11 songs felt uncharacteristically clear, simple, and intimate.  In the past, Colleen albums have sounded like neo-classical laptop collage; malfunctioning, electronically treated music boxes; or a small ensemble of chamber musicians, but until now she has never sounded like one person performing alone in a room.  That, much more than the presence of her voice, makes this album feel like Cécile's most bold and personal effort to date.
That does not necessarily mean that it is her best (her largely sample-based debut album is intermittently something of a masterpiece), but it is pleasantly striking to see another side of a consistently wonderful artist.  In other respects, however, The Weighing of the Heart stays true to the rather fluid "Colleen aesthetic" of dreamlike neo-classicism, which is no simple feat given the lack of effects and processing involved.  Rather, the otherwordliness in this case is achieved organically through cryptic lyrics about constellations, references to The Book of the Dead, looping repetition of phrases, erratic song lengths, and unconventional structures.  Of course, all of that only works because the underlying music is so beautiful, assured, and unusual: Cécile is something of a virtuosic multi-instrumentalist, building these pieces primarily from a uniquely tuned treble viola da gamba and some Moondog-inspired percussion mingled with classical guitar, clarinet, gamelan, piano, organ, and bells.
Nearly every song on the album is strange and memorable in some way, but the strongest is probably the propulsive and sensual "Going Forth By Day," which marries Spanish-sounding guitar (or viola da gamba) with bittersweet clarinet and some very spirited maraca.  Another strong candidate is the chameleonic "Ursa Major Find," in which multi-tracked, skipping vocals and bird-like string-squealing gradually give way to a lush, almost hymn-like choral interlude followed by a twinkling cascade of plucked strings and piano.  I was also struck by much Schott's songs vary texturally, dynamically, and rhythmically from one another this time around, as she seems to be able to effortlessly change gears between locked-groove-sounding a cappella ("Break Away"); gnarled string-bowing (the title piece); intricate plucked arpeggios; unusual, off-beat percussion; and sounding like a church organist without ever making a misstep or breaking the album's mood.
For me, an album like The Weighing of the Heart represents quite a rare treat, as it is not at all common for an artist to return from a long hiatus at full-strength with a bold new experimental streak.  The sole critique I can muster is that there is nothing here that left me as awestruck as some of Schott's more complex previous work ("Everyone Alive Wants Answers" was an instant candidate for my new favorite song when it came out).  Also, several of the shorter pieces on the album feel like interludes rather than fully realized compositions.  However, the trade-off is that Cecile's new work has an edge, intimacy, and immediacy that was not there before and the various "interludes" cohere into a very satisfying and enticingly mysterious whole.  I would not change that.  Also, those other albums are always there for me to listen to, so I would much rather hear Cécile plunge forward rather than repeat herself, which is exactly what she accomplished (wonderfully).  This was a very pleasant surprise in all respects.
 
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Anonymous emerged from a group of friends who played at each other’s houses in and around Indianapolis in the early ‘70s. They recorded their debut and sole album in a garage in Milwaukee in 1976, the same year that the Ramones and Blondie released their debuts. They pressed approximately 300 copies, but never played a gig, never promoted the album, and released only one follow-up, albeit under a different name and with a different lineup. That one record is remarkable though, a private press gem with excellent musicianship, beautiful vocal harmonies, and imaginative songwriting from their front man, Ron Matelic.
Inside the Shadow was recorded in just a couple of days, but it sounds like it should have taken much longer. Matelic’s songs are lithe, unpredictable things that jump from one time signature and one style to another seamlessly. He juxtaposes colorful choruses with tricky rhythmic patterns and contrasts lilting vocal harmonies with hard edged guitar solos, hiding the seams as he goes. The band’s performances match Matelic’s nimble writing with energy and precision, sounding equally at ease whether they’re drawing out a slow, bluesy chorus or riding on the wave of an electric 12-string’s melody.
As it turns out, Shadow’s eight songs were written over a period of several years; starting perhaps as early as 1972, when Matelic befriended bassist Glenn Weaver. Vocalist Marsha Rollings and drummer John Medvescek were old friends who shared a mutual love for Buffalo Springfield, the Beatles, and groups like Hot Tuna and Jefferson Airplane, so there was a rapport between them all before they ever rehearsed a song or stepped into the studio.
Their long friendship translated into magic on record. Marsha and Ron’s harmonizing and singing are two obvious highlights, but Medvescek and Weaver make for an impressive rhythm combo. They rarely just keep time, and Ron’s songs give them plenty of room to show off their virtuosity. When Matelic takes off on longer solos or rips into his 12-string, they drive the music forward, accenting it with snappy about faces, big crescendos, and sudden left turns. On the slower songs, they anchor Ron and Marsha's lighter moments with heavier material, whether that means hitting the skins harder or laying down an extra layer of melody on the thicker strings.
Stylistically Anonymous may wear their influences on their sleeves—Matelic admits to borrowing ideas and melodies from The Byrds and the Mamas and the Papas—but the band integrates everything they borrow so completely that I can’t boil the record down to a particular style or a single source. Inside the Shadow sounds of its time, is maybe even a little anachronistic, but it isn't just another psychedelic record or rock ‘n’ roll curiosity.
So maybe Anonymous weren’t following the trends of ’76 when they recorded Inside the Shadow, but they weren’t living in the past either.
samples:
- I only have the LP, so no samples. You can listen to "Pick Up and Run" on Youtube though.
 
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Artist: Masonna
Title: Spectrum Ripper
Catalogue No: CSR17LP
Barcode: 5060174955402
Format: LP & CD
Genre: Japanese Noise
Shipping: 22nd July
Limited vinyl reissue of one of our all-time favourite noise albums! The extreme collage sounds and insane vocals of Maso Yamazaki, one of the world's leading noise musicians. Brutal frequencies and rabid screaming vocals mix to create the finest album Masonna has ever produced. Divided into 25 tracks, this is considered by some as the last word in noise recordings! Ltd x 300 copies on brown vinyl in a full colour sleeve. Comes with the remastered CD version in a card sleeve.
Tracks: Part I - Part XXV
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This double disc set is an expanded reissue of the first two 17 Pygmies albums and their debut EP Hatikva. It is a fine document of the group formed by Savage Republic member Philip Drucker (aka Jackson Del Rey) in an attempt to make music that was more melodic than SR.
In 1982 Los Angeles, Jackson Del Rey and Robert Loveless of Savage Republic got together with fellow UCLA students Debbie Spinelli and Michael Kory as the first incarnation of 17 Pygmies. Del Rey wanted to explore new melodic horizons, but the first track on the new group's debut EP—a weird, satisfying, surf and eastern cover of the theme from David Lean's epic "Lawrence of Arabia"—is not a huge departure from SR, in terms of rhythmic intensity and tone. "Child Bride" is odder, with some bizarre organ breaks that conjure frightening images of surreal television quiz shows. I half expect Del Rey to say "now let's see this week's prizes..."
Overall, though, these two discs are bright and accessible, and full of examples of relaxed experimentation, appealing spontaneity, and intriguing variety. Simple piano figures, brief outbursts of benign tribal percussion, an accidental zen aesthetic, folky restraint, and most of all simplicity.
The taut instrumental "To No Avail" has vague shades of a post-Joy Division sensibility—but as if that group had been forced to play in terrible desert heat or underwater. Spinelli had to be persuaded to sing on "Vows" but she manages to carry it off and become the group's main vocal contributor. She certainly sounds more confident by "Words Never Said," the opening track to the band's first album Jedda By The Sea. Loveless had contributed artwork for the EP and by this time had joined the group, while Kory had left. The loose collective approach meant that Del Rey and Loveless brought six songs originally intended for the second Savage Republic record to Jedda, while fellow member Bruce Licher kept the SR name.
Jedda is a charming and compact recording. "Waiting to Arrive" is punchy and crisp, while the short, odd, instrumental "Still Waters" is both melancholy and jaunty. 17 Pygmies songs typically have an airy quality with simple tunes communicating clear feelings. Singing on "The Living," Spinelli very nearly calls up the long-lost pastoral spirit of Virginia Astley. Equally, the opening beats of "Tropical Grasslands" almost imitate those of China Crisis's "African and White."
Depending on your point of view, Captured in Ice either tails off badly or is a splendid frankensteinian mutation. The first half of the release is an obvious continuation of the 17 Pygmies ethos, with simple yet affecting tunes such as "Suit of Nails," "Voices," "Monday," "Shade," and the heavier "Icarus," to the fore. But the second half appears to go off on an unrelated tangent. That is because, for reasons I am not exactly clear on, Jackson Del Ray completed these tracks to a last-minute deadline in a rush job of spontaneity and bodging together. I like the contrast, but can see how others might feel the opposite.
Of these pieces, the stark beauty of "Home Again" stands out, and wouldn't be out of place on a later Bill Fay release, as one of his more sentimental moments.
Eventually 17 Pygmies disbanded, but after a seventeen year absence, they returned in 2007 with a double disc 13 Blackbirds / 13 Lotus and a select few performances. Since then Del Ray & The Sun Kings have released various scores for classic film, including Nosferatu and Battleship Potemkin. 17 Pygmies also released Celestina, a space rock adventure that comes with a short story and screenplay all of which puts me in mind, once again, of the highly creative English group Sudden Sway. I am keen to catch up on that release, having developed some genuine affection for 17 Pygmies; they have charm, exhibit cross-cultural influences without much pomposity, and display a refreshingly modest approach to creativity.
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