- Administrator
- Albums and Singles
![cover image](/brain/images/padna-metal_hurlent.jpg)
Siberia/Hinterland proved to be an experiment in pop thinking as Hawks carefully separated each unique idea into a proper space and running time. Songs constructed of pawn shop toys are kept away from haywired electronic doodles and hushed, melodic pieces. Everything has its right place.
The walls that were quick to erect themselves in Siberia/Hinterland are wholly demolished within the construct of Metal Hurlant/Farmer’s Hearth. The schizophrenic ideas that were easier to digest in the bite-sized morsels which music fans are accustomed are gone, replaced with one towering helping of food. Each idea is layered onto another; mouths pried open like Alex’s in A Clockwork Orange. Frenzied Casio tones and toy sounds being force fed into our agape gullets along with Hawks’ restrained compositions and eclectic pop sensibilities.
Metal Hurlant/Farmer’s Hearth gurgles with pleasurable overindulgence. Nat Hawks, as we come to discover, does not fear his courses touching on bit. On the contrary, it seems Siberia/Hinterland serves more as an introduction rather than a blueprint. The deficit of attention to one sound is still present but the dog pile in which Metal Hurlant/Farmer’s Hearth presents Hawks hope chest of sound lends itself to the Padna brand. Pancakes may be great on their own, but when topped with syrup, chopped nuts, whipped cream, fruit, and butter they become a monument to cooperation; such is Metal Hurlant/Farmer’s Hearth. The cocaine speed of plastic keyboards and circuit-bent gadgets only serve to highlight the marijuana slow of barely touched piano keys and drawn out effects.
It’s this elasticity of style that entrenches Hawks deep in an indefinable scene. Every musical whim is recklessly followed but the results are one of transcendence rather than clutter. Metal Hurlant/Farmer’s Hearth so encapsulates the underground that it seems neglectful not to give Hawks his due.
samples:
Read More
- Administrator
- Albums and Singles
Pinkcourtesyphone is the not so secret alter ego of renowned sound artist Richard Chartier, and while it seems to be geared more towards a looser, more relaxed sensibility than the serious artist guise that is usually thrust upon him, it lacks none of his careful attention to structure and detail. Quite a bit of the material on this compilation (recorded erratically between 1997 and 2011) could pass for his normal work, but throws enough curve balls to give it a distinct identity all its own.
While the imagery and mood conveyed seems to lean a bit into the world of camp, it never goes too far. It isn't afraid to defy expectations either, however.For example, the overt sampled voices on "Wistful Wishful Wanton" and "Afternoon Theme/Germs Through Wires/Evening Theme" would never pop up on a traditional Chartier composition, but here they work, even if they’re treated and layered into near indecipherability.
The textural, analog noises of "A Dark Room Filled With Plastic Plants," however, isn't that far removed from the style he's known for, though the shift into almost uplifting, dreamy electronics at the end seems a bit more maximalist than I would have expected.The same goes for the echoing, reverberated clicks and clacks of "Here is Something…That is Nothing," which are occasionally disrupted by the almost techno-ish synth swells and jarring outbursts of sound.
The aforementioned "Afternoon Theme…" especially mixes things up, right from its opening of distant, jazzy horn like sounds and twittering, colorful electronics.With the exception of some passages of dissonant, machinery hums, it is far more in line with musicality than the clinical studies of sound he usually does.In general, the three long (20+ minute) pieces that make up the bulk of this album are surprisingly varied and dynamic, even if they often delve into quiet minimalism.
At first I was expecting Foley Folly Folio to be a bit more of a drastic departure from Richard Chartier's normal work…for some reason I was bracing myself for disco beats and house music orchestral hits, but the result was not quite extreme as I thought.In truth, it is probably all the better for that, and it does have a more relaxed, inviting feel overall.While I like the usual detached, clinical approach to sound art that Chartier usually engages in just fine, the unpredictability of this one made it stand out as rather unique, compelling, and even a little fun at times.
samples:
- Wistful Wishful Wanton
- Here is Something...That is Nothing
- Afternoon Theme/Germs Through Wires/Evening Theme
 
Read More
- Administrator
- Albums and Singles
It would seem that the recent 7" single was truly an apt preview, because Jenks Miller (and band)'s newest full length explores the same combination of southern rock and black metal in further depth, with his usual penchant for disciplined minimalism and experimentation in tow. Half Blood is definitely the best rock/metal/whatever album for me this year, and anything else is going to be hard pressed to compete.
The first half of the record takes the more conventional rock direction that "On The Eclipse" did, right from the bass/guitar/organ opening of "Mithras," which wastes no time in locking itself into a memorable groove.Although it is still heavily steeped in a rhythmic sense of repetition, it feels much more dynamic than Miller’s more drone-based endeavors.
The following "Ahriman" mines similar territory: a loping, cyclic rock sound with just a bit of twang.Unlike most of the songs here, the lyrics are almost understandable, even if they are delivered with the demonic snarl that Miller has adopted from the black metal world."Arjuna" finishes up the mantra-esque metal sound, throwing in a bit more guitar soloing that stands out, but it never comes across as overly self-indulgent or masturbatory.
The remaining pieces still keep that bit of twang, but are less about convention and more about abstract ambience."Inheritance (The Changeling)" heralds its arrival with clattering percussive sounds and droning organ, eventually bringing in animalistic screams, and a funereal march of drums and piano.
The three part suite of "Hallucigenia" also opts to keep things more about texture and mood rather than headbanging-ready riffs.The first of these, "Hermetic Gifts," pairs elegant piano and almost delicate guitar playing above a bed of completely dissonant noise, each of the extremes balancing the other nicely."Spiritual Junk" initially is even more out there, focusing on clattering field recordings and distant synth static before bringing in the more conventional sounds of twangy guitar and repetitive drumming.
The expansive closer "The Emerald Tablet," returns to the disciplined repetition of The Invisible Mountain, beginning sparsely with feedback and a repetitive kick drum thump that slowly builds in complexity, adding guitar and electronics into a repeating, classically minimalist motif.
I have never been a fan of what generally is called southern rock, but Miller has integrated some of its better elements into Horseback, while keeping his penchant for rhythmic, old school minimalism.Even with the shift from Sabbath to the Allman Brothers as the musical touchstone, Half Blood is an even more fleshed out work that is as catchy as it is complex.While none of the Horseback material has been weak by any means, it has hit a high point here, and is one of those rare birds that isn’t afraid to rock out, but in an intellectually stimulating way.
samples:
 
Read More
- Administrator
- Albums and Singles
A large portion of this album was recorded in two great bastions of European electroacoustic music, namely INA-GRM in Paris and Stockholm’s EMS. While Peter Rehberg and Stephen O’Malley have always brought avant garde electronics to KTL’s sound, there is a much tighter focus on the sort of textures and structures that I would expect from composers like Bernard Parmegiani or Tod Dockstader. Even Mark Fell’s colorful artwork is reminiscent of INA-GRM’s own designs for their box sets of Parmegiani and Luc Ferrari. This is nothing short of a perfect meeting between KTL’s metal tinged atmospheres and the great electronic music experiments of the 20th century.
From the opening moments of "Phill 1" (perhaps a nod to Phill Niblock as well as the City of Prague Philharmonic who appear on "Phill 2"), it is clear that the duo will not be revisiting the wintery studies of previous recordings. Sustained tones, softly and slowly overlapping and phasing, reach out of the stereo like tendrils of new growth. The vague threat present throughout KTL’s back catalog is still here but whereas earlier albums were like a stiletto in the back, V feels more like being in the presence of a large, powerful creature that does not view you as a threat and will probably leave you alone. Probably.
The music comes close to O’Malley’s work in Sunn O))) during "Tony." The guitar becomes more prominent and the full, wall of amps sound that O’Malley is best known for comes through in spades. The addition of bass makes the low end rumble even more pronounced and before long, I forget that this is KTL that I am listening to. However, when Rehberg’s echoing computer generated sounds appear, I am quickly reminded of who this is.
The aforementioned "Phill 2" is undoubtedly one of the stand out pieces on V, the City of Prague Philharmonic playing an arrangement by Jóhann Jóhannsson to accompany O’Malley and Rehberg’s modular synth work from the EMS studio. The violins emerge suddenly from the gloom and at first it is difficult to tell where the synthesizers end and where the orchestra takes over. As the piece develops, the elements become more distinct and complex; the strings are tense and soaring while the electronics bubble and hum beneath the surface. When the brass cuts through, it shines brightly like a beam of divine sunshine in the darkness.
V finishes where KTL as a concept started, with a soundtrack to a Gisèle Vienne work. "Last Spring: A Prequel" ties in beautifully with the electroacoustic influences dotted throughout the album as it sounds very much like the sort of experimental hörspiel works practiced by the European avant garde and it even nods toward the music theater works of Einstürzende Neubauten or Nurse With Wound’s monologue pieces like "A New Dress" or "I Was No Longer His Dominant." The text is in French and difficult to follow with my rusty French and unfortunately there is no transcription let alone a translation in the sleeve notes. The monologue performed by Jonathan Capdevielle is given center stage; the incidental music is minimal, mostly concrète sounds and cavernous ambiences. It is creepy stuff, especially given Capdevielle’s strange vocal contortions.
In addition to the main album, the first 300 copies of the vinyl version of V come with a bonus 12" of sessions from INA-GRM. The four pieces (entitled "Study B" through "Study E") are looser than the main album, the duo obviously experimenting with the various bits of equipment in the GRM studio. Each piece has its own character but none of them fit entirely with the bulk of V; "Study E" sounds more like Fennesz than KTL. As a result, I can see why these pieces have been relegated to this 12" yet, that is not to say they are throwaway extras. They are bloody good tracks and would have made a nice EP on their own.
Since KTL’s inception, O’Malley and Rehberg have followed a singular path in terms of composition and mood. With V, they surprisingly break the mould and create something entirely unexpected. This is a great album, possibly their best one to date. With any luck they will continue along this path and develop this take on electroacoustic music further into realms unknown.
This review was made with a copy of the album on vinyl, so unfortunately there are no sound samples. Apologies for this inconvenience.
 
Read More
- Administrator
- Albums and Singles
Following his long-overdue release from Nigerian prison in 1986, Fela Kuti launched his first-ever US tour and performed at the Fox Theatre in downtown Detroit, which in prior years had played host to career-defining concerts by Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. This 3-disc archival release was lovingly assembled and remastered from bootleg tapes of Fela's concert that evening, which was riding high with expectations and overflowing with positive energy.
For me personally, Live in Detroit 1986 has served as an ideal introduction to Fela Anikulapo Kuti's recordings with his Egypt 80 band. Fela's discography is massive—he lived and breathed music, recording more than 18 studio albums—and aside from common entry points like Expensive Shit, Zombie, and Coffin for Head of State, I had trouble figuring out where to head next. Obviously, Live in Detroit wasn't quite as eye-opening as the first time I heard Fela: as a college freshman leaving the safe haven of guitar-based independent music nearly a decade ago, I ventured not only into early electronic and industrial music (thanks to Brainwashed), but also into funk, soul, and jazz. Hearing Fela draw influence from those genres, as well as traditional African percussion, on pieces like "Expensive Shit" and "Zombie" was a revelation. The tracks on Live in Detroit are a natural progression from Fela's '70s material: lengthy, expansive, and freeform (Fela having been a voracious marijuana user, I suppose that only makes sense), frequently emphasizing the jazzy aspects of Fela's sound over his well-documented James Brown and funk influence.
Live in Detroit is notable for several reasons. Chief among them, it represents the first new Fela material to be issued since his 1992 swansong, Underground System. At the time of this concert, Fela had been granted amnesty from a prison stint on false charges of "currency trafficking" (he was freed after two years with help from Amnesty International) and was finally able to launch a debut US tour with Egypt 80. Detroit's Fox Theatre was perhaps the most anticipated stop on the tour: the performing arts center had hosted Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye in their prime, as well as legendary performances by Elvis Presley even earlier. For Fela, this was one of his first big performances on US soil—his Africa 70 band never made it across the pond—and a triumphant return to the spotlight after his prison release. (Though not really "popular" by most measuring sticks, it is impossible to argue with Fela's status as one of Nigeria's best-known and most enduring musicians.)
With a keen sense of humor, Fela comments on his misfortune as he kicks off the concert: "You going your way, mind your business, you didn't do shit, didn't do nothing... next thing, you're in prison, man—just like that." The crowd roars in agreement, and Fela continues: "In my country, things happen just like that," and clarifies that he's referring not only to Nigeria, where he was wrongfully imprisoned, but to all of his "country," Africa. Fela's music was almost always politically charged, a voice of protest in the face of human injustice across Africa, but that's easy to forget as the music kicks in. During "Just Like That," the persistent rhythm section of Fela's Egypt 80 band lays the groundwork for a sprawling performance that cycles through keyboard vamps, trumpet and saxophone solos, poly-rhythmic drumming, chanted background vocals as if from a church choir, and call-and-response interaction with the elated crowd. The performance is brimming with tangible positive energy due to Fela's showmanship. The man who recorded the show, Bob Teagan, recalls that Fela was "dancing all across the massive stage and inciting the crowd to move with him. [...] It was like seeing Bob Marley, Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, and James Brown all rolled into one."
As the evening unfolds, it becomes apparent that Fela is placing focus squarely on his new and then-unreleased material. Each of these songs was among the first Fela wrote upon gaining his freedom: "Teacher Don't Teach Me Nonsense" and "Just Like That" were released on his 1986 album Teacher Don't Teach Me Nonsense. The show's energetic, 35-minute closer, "Beast of No Nation," was eventually recorded for 1989's Beasts of No Nation, while "Confusion Break Bones" finally saw the light of day on 1990's O.D.O.O., one of Fela's final studio albums before passing away of AIDS complications in 1997. This focus on all-new material in the set list shows a man unafraid to push forward with his music. Fela clearly considered Egypt 80 to be a wholly separate entity from Africa 70 a decade prior, with which he recorded his best known, and most politically provocative, music.
The sound quality on Live in Detroit is rich and nicely mastered, especially given its prior status as a bootleg crowd recording. Quieter moments are shot through with occasional crowd chatter and clapping, and at times throughout the performance, the crowd roars in approval while the music stays constant, and it's clear Fela is engaging with the audience in ways that would be better captured on film, not an audio recording. Though never dull, the sprawling nature of Live in Detroit can, at times, seem like an endurance test: four songs, two-and-a-half hours, and a couple spoken-word interludes from Fela. My inclination has been to play one of the discs on repeat: for example, getting engulfed in 40 minutes of "Confusion Break Bones" as if listening to ambient music that just happens to encompass elements of funk, jazz, and African music. None of this is to say that Live in Detroit isn't worth picking up—especially as a gateway to Fela's less canonized '80s music—but that listening to these CDs, as with all live recordings, isn't quite the same as being there.
Samples:
Read More
- Administrator
- Albums and Singles
![](/../../../../brain/images/various_artists-shockout.jpg)
- Soundmurderer & SK-1/Wayne Lonesome - Who Wan Seek War (Rewind Mix)
- The Bug vs. Rootsman/Mexican - WWW (Kid 606 Remix)
- Rootsman/He-Man - Killer
Read More
- Administrator
- Albums and Singles
![](/../../../../brain/images/accelera_deck-hereafter.jpg)
Read More
- Administrator
- Albums and Singles
![](/../../../../brain/images/dj_olive-buoy.jpg)
Read More
- Administrator
- Albums and Singles
ICRSteven Stapleton and Colin Potter's voluntary three-month banishment tothe icy realms of Lofoten, Norway has borne fruit in the form of thisdouble album on ICR. As was reported, these two prime movers ofexperimental sound were sent high above the Arctic Circle May throughJuly of this year, with limited recording equipment and no musicalinstruments, to record a series of audio responses to their harshenvironment, which were then transmitted to the local mariner's radiostation at unannounced intervals. Stapleton and Potter have furtheredited and processed the original broadcasts, ending up with a total oftwo hours of sound, seven lengthy tracks. Shipwreck Radioworks best when Stapleton and Potter seem to be genuinely interactingand responding to their alien, inhospitable environment, rather thanfalling back on familiar NWW strategies. The microcosmic sound world ofice slowly melting and cracking apart merge with the lonely, distantcalls of arctic seabirds on the compelling "June 17," which slowlybackslides into glacial crevasse where a mutually indecipherableconversation between Stapleton and a Norwegian child is repeatedlylooped and mutated. Each track is named for the date that it wasbroadcast, and a handy map of the Lofoten Archipelago is printed on thediscs themselves, showing the geographical location where eachrecording was made. When the artists seem to be most engaged with theirenvironment — forming makeshift percussion out of blocks of ice, partsof vessels and disused metal scrap and transforming recordings ofarctic creatures, water runoff and wind tunnel noises into organicdrones — Shipwreck Radio really clicks as an album and aconcept. On the opposite end of the spectrum are tracks like thealbum's opener "June 15," which renders the source recordingscompletely unrecognizable, digitally processing them into a distorted,post-industrial rhythmic dirge that wears out its welcome well beforethe ten-minute mark has been reached. Colin Potter's droning muse seemsto have exerted a stronger influence on disc two, which exploitsenvironmental noises and subtle looping and processing to createtextural expanses of beautifully chilly ambience. "June 5" sounds likean orchestra slowly succumbing to the pulse-deadening effects ofhypothermia, stretching out each chord to epic lengths, as ever moreminute bits of audio detritus pan around the stereo channels. As thealbum trudges on, things become darker, more menacing and moresluggish, perhaps as a result of the inevitable fatigue experienced insuch a hostile environment where the sun unmercifully shines for nearly24 hours each day. There is an organic, impromptu feel to much of thismusic that lends it an immediacy not usually experienced with NurseWith Wound music, which often seems rather painstakingly processed,mutated and generally tortured to within an inch of its life. Thishelps the album operate as a sort of freeform travelogue or audiodiary. The first edition of 100 copies came with a bonus disc, Lofoten Deadhead(a reference to the excerpted bit of Norwegian radio where a localexplains why the Grateful Dead is "the ultimate band"), which containsmore variations on the same audio sources, as well as a 30-minute trackof untreated recordings of Stapleton and Potter experimenting withdifferent methods of creating compelling noises from theirsurroundings, fussing about with objects and arguing with each other.It's unfortunate that this was not included on the album proper, as itis both entertaining and provides a glimpse into the duo's workingmethods that enriches the material on the other two discs. Takentogether, even with its momentary lapses of originality, Shipwreck Radio is a fascinating entry in both artists' substantial discographies.
samples:
Read More
- Administrator
- Albums and Singles
Knowing that there could be voices around us all the time that are simply very difficult to hear is a bit of an unsettling notion. A small essay provided on this release and written by Konstantin Raudive outlines how to record what he calls "voice-phenomenon."Andrew Liles
The essay details proper tape speeds and proper procedure for recording the voices of ghosts and it also goes on to classify three different kinds of voices that seem to be most numerous in his work. The third type of voice, the one that even a trained ear finds difficulty hearing and understanding, is the the kind that populates Andrew Liles' reconstruction of the excellent Bass Communion record, Ghosts on Magnetic Tape. Liles continues to make me wonder at his disposition, I'm always torn between supposing he's a very haunted, talented individual and the image of him as a medium between this world and that of monsters, demons, and phantoms. His music has always been on the creepier side of the extended tone and at times he can be outright disturbing in his presentation. His reconstruction of Bass Communion's album incorporates pseudo voices into a music whose soul was already suffused with essence of the unknown. Each of the five tracks is the owner of a unique voice; the reconstruction of "Ghosts on Magnetic Tape II" begins with the sound of a choir of angels echoing inside the belly of sunken cathedral — bells ringing, organ choking, and water crushing through each second. It doesn't take long before a whisper pinches in through the wall of sound, running its fingers over my ears, and passing like a wind through the smallest opening in a window. It's a shocking moment because it's so convincing: I'm led to believe this must be a genuine recording. Whether or not it's actually the voice of an individual who no longer touches the physical plain is questionable. Perhaps it's the soul of an individual through sound and perhaps it is a trick played on the self through the imagination. I prefer to believe in the former. At times I'm tricked into believing this record is safe; there is no trepidation in me and the almost liquid rolling of hums and sparks seem welcoming. Liles is not to be trusted because he will open up a chasm of fear so quickly that any apparent tranquility that follows will seem immediately imposing and capable of psychological scrambling. This album was limited to 1,000 copies, 200 of which came signed, numbered, and contained a special photograph. The music inside is far more rare than the record itself, however. I'm beginning to have trouble deciding whether this is music or a method for the living to come to know the dead. It feels almost religous at times and elsewhere it is tense and disturbing. It just doesn't feel like it belongs on the earth at times.
samples:
- Ghosts on Magnetic Tape (Reconstruction) II
- Ghosts on Magnetic Tape (Reconstruction) IV
- Ghosts on Magnetic Tape (Reconstruction) V
 
Read More
- Administrator
- Albums and Singles
North East IndieThis Rosetta Stone of the Shoal catalog is finally re-released viatheir ever loyal current label for the first time since its vinyl-onlypressing in 1995. Their first 12" LP, originally self-released at 1000copies, shows the band at their earliest stages: a noodling,hard-edged, and often very derivative ensemble. Influences are so clearthey're transparent, with vocal performances almost ripped off frombands that were their contemporaries or their predecessors, anddynamics that bring to mind seminal recordings that helped shape orredefine whole genres of experimental music. Not to say that the bandisn't speaking with its own voice even on these songs, as there aretinges and aesthetics present that are still in play with their oeuvretoday, some ten years later. There is something to be said, though,that they were still searching for the right mix of the elements toinspire themselves and win over the masses. Maybe searching for theright members, as well, since the band is famous for a rotating cast ofcharacters that changed at least from album to album and sometimes inthe midst of recording one. At any rate, there's still a few momentsworthy of awe or discussion, and plenty to keep the mind racing on acold winter night. "Elena" has bright melodies and spoken word buriedin its subconscious, where "Change" leaves nothing below the surface orto the imagination, with explosive guitars, screams, and loud "oohs"that howl on and on as the heat increases. The key track, though, isthe penultimate "Breakaway Cable Terminal," with a gorgeous mix of theold and the new, the odd vocal performance mixed with the rawaggression but quieter jam moments framing both. There's even a hiddentrack, released presumably for the first time, as an added extra forthe loyalists. Cerberus Shoal are vital, original, and extreme, anduntil now some might have believed that it hasn't always been this way.Finally the truth can be told.
samples:
Read More