04 October 2010

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Albums and Singles

Sub Pop
Every once in a while an album comes along that is so unfortunatelyignored that it deserves reissue on a bigger label with more clout,hopefully widening the band's audience for future mayhem on albums tocome. Such is the case with Rogue Wave, whose line-up on their tenderdebut was a mere shadow of their current roster, but the songs arephenomenal nonetheless, giving indie pop a real shot in the arm withclever songwriting and warm sometimes playful arrangements. Zach Roguerecorded the album mostly on his own with a few friends over two yearsago, then released it on his own Responsive Recordings label afterforming a band to perform the songs in public. As it turns out, thelive band performs the songs with more depth and vocabulary, attractingthem attention as a well-versed and dynamic live act. The next album,then, will show the true face of the band that is Rogue Wave, but fornow the stunning debut will have to do. Every song on it is a perfectpop moment, with great melodies, harmonies, and the kind of magic thatformer tour mates the Shins or others have had for one or two songs.None of them lasts over five minutes, and many are three and under,keeping the whole experience short and quaint. Rogue, who changed hislast name from Schwartz, obviously has a knack for quirky sounds andsweet lyrics, though he also had a lot of questions in his head whenthese songs were recorded, as every song has a bit of a hope orquestion in it. It's the little touches that make it perfect: birdschirping, or faded harmonica, or layered vocals and backwardsrecording. Even the song titles have that little twist of a sense ofhumor piled in with earnest emotion ("Nourishment Nation," "Kicking theHeart Out"). It's an album recorded by a man who had no home and wasn'tsure what was coming next, but he had to get the noises out of hishead. Rogue Wave in this form was a tour de force even before othermembers entered the mix, so there's no telling what they'll come upwith next. Hopefully, with just enough luck, Shadow won't be an act too hard for them to follow. 

samples:

• Nourishment Nation
• Be Kind - Remind
• Postage Stamp World

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04 October 2010

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Albums and Singles

Leaf
After making an international name for themselves as part of last year's collaboration with Jan Jelinek on his 1+3+1disc, Australian jazzers Triosk are now set to release their firstfull-length recording. Drawing on as much of the electronic elements asjazz in both composition and instrumentation, the ten tracks on Moment Returnsvary from subtle glitch and pinging soundscapes, intricate and swinginggrooves with dark, warm overtones and the shimmering beauty of classicpiano trio ballads. The static scratch and pop of a record stuck at theend of its groove acts as a metronomic click track on "ChronosynclasticInfundibula" while drummer Laurence Pike and bassist Ben 'Donny' Wapleslock into freeform rolls and trills that support pianist AdrianKlumpes' anguished lines which become taut and gradually relax intosome great classical explorations. The heavy-handed Rhodes progressionsof "Two; Twelve" are driven by a broken-up, slinky groove which tendsto tastefully "hide the one" without becoming too pretentious. Being asucker for a great Rhodes performance, this track also stood out for meas a catchy composition for its great dialogue as the playerscommunicate through their instruments. The sensitive treatment of theballad "Re-Ignite" brought on gooseflesh and a near-swelling of tearsdue to its hauntingly beautiful bass progression swaddled in rich pianochords. The secret weapon on this track is Pike's brushed sizzle cymbalwhich resonates throughout. For a group of twenty-somethings, thematurity of musicianship is shown here by their ability to underplay atjust the right time. The lengthy "I Am a Beautiful and UniqueSnowflake" swells from subtle ballad to clanging unison eighth notesthat compartmentalize its chord progressions. This track would not beout of place in accompanying a silent movie where the steam engineapproaches the damsel in distress tied to the tracks as the villainstrokes his mustache. Based on the strong compositions and finemusicianship throughout Moment Returns, it's safe to say that there'll be a lot more heard from Triosk and its group members in the years to come.

samples:

• Two; Twelve
• Tomorrow Today (part 2)
• Re-Ignite

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04 October 2010

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Albums and Singles

Constellation
Elegant packaging and artwork adorn Constellation's label compilation, Song of the Silent Land,an album sold originally as a tour CD produced for and sold on a 2004European tour featuring a few of Constellation's lineup. Now, though,it is widely available to us colonials in the New World. Inside thecarefully wrought artwork, the CD features fourteen rare and unreleasedsongs by the roster of the label and then some. I am uncertain what theSilent Land in the title is, but if you take in the big picture, hereis what you get geopolitically: a defiantly Canadian label creating acompilation for a European audience. All of this amounts in America toa not quite palatable offering from a country whom we consider our slowcousin to the north intended for a continent whose countries are quitea bit more worldly and refined than America these days (if you canjudge a country by its current administration, that is). Perhaps it isthe reactionary and reckless American brashness in me, but I wouldstill not hesitate to dump this album off the side of the nearest tallship into the murky depths of Boston harbor. I would even throw sometea overboard along with the CD, just for old time's sake. The songs onthis compilation sound largely like throw-away material, dredged fromthe dregs of each artist's sound bank. Consumers will not doubt betempted to purchase the album on the basis of Constellation all-starslike Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Exhaust, A Silver Mt. Zion, and DoMake Say Think. Unfortunately, these bands provide some of the biggestdisappointments. Godspeed's uninspired live recording of "Outro" mightbe hampered by the imprecision of the, well, live recording of it, orit might just be a substandard composition. The sound is warbly,ill-mixed, and not up to the angelic and anthemic standards of theband's studio persona. Nor does it approximate the live experience ofseeing the band perform. A Silver Mt. Zion offer a wall of noise withsome strings operating underneath it all, though at an almostindiscernible level. Le Fly Pan Am in collaboration with Tim Hecker andChristof Migone execute one of the more pleasing songs for thecompilation: the perhaps haughtily titled "Tres Tres 'Avant'" is abouncy and nearly danceable number with about three of four differentaural levels of interesting sounds going on simultaneously. Some of themore obscure artists here might catch the ear of the more attentivelistener. 1-Speed Bike, Frankie Sparo, and HangedUp all seem tothreaten songs of quality, but punctuated by the flotsam around them,it can be a little deceptive and hard to tell.

samples:

• A Silver Mt. Zion - Iron Bridge to Thunder Bay
• HangedUp - Review from the Ground
• Le Fly Pan Am - Tres Tres 'Avant'

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30 September 2010

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Albums and Singles

Ectopic Ents is proud to announce the release of the long awaited new studio album by Foetus, entitled HIDE.

HIDE features ten new compositions by JG Thirlwell, who describes it as a “neo-symphonic avant-psychedelic concept album informed by the culture of fear”. Kicking off with a nine minute operatic opus featuring the guest vocal talents of opera singer Abby Fischer, HIDE is an immersive album infused with strands of progressive and contemporary classical, as well as Thirlwell’s twisting cinematic journeys, bombast and sombre interludes.

Thirlwell produced the album and performs most of the music. Also guesting on the album are long time collaborator Steven Bernstein on trumpet and Leyna Marika Papach from Thirlwell’s Manorexia ensemble on violin. In addition Elliot Hoffman of Carbomb plays drums on a track, and there are appearances from Ed Pastorini, Jeff Davidson and Christian Gibbs (Lucinda Blackbear).

Initial quantities of HIDE will come with a free 5" x 5" sticker of the album front cover, signed by JG Thirlwell.

Currently we are selling the album on CD only.

Go to The Foetus Shoppe to hear previews and order.

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28 September 2010

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Albums and Singles

New release from aranos is a live recording of a concert in Prague in April 2010.

through firehouse wars

over tree forms

I did fend off bird feet.

Like blessed studio member

in daily been-gin company

including all thieves of caval

shooting cracks

see also: http://web.me.com/aranos/aranos.org/archarcha.html

 

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26 September 2010

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Albums and Singles

On his sixth solo album for Touch, Jeck continues his perfection of using the record player as an instrument (not as a DJ) to create a long-form piece that has no sense of gimmick or cliché, but instead is a hazy, but warm and inviting piece of captivating music that is unlike the work of anyone else. Originally intended for live performance, this studio reconstruction is amazing on its own.

Touch

Having never seen performances nor read intimate details of his compositional technique, I’m fascinated by exactly how Jeck coaxes the sounds he does out of his rudimentary instrumentation.On this album, the requisite record players were used, along with the infamous Casio SK1 keyboard, mini-disc recorders, and a bass guitar with only a few effects.How this becomes the gauzy atmospheric music that is presented here, I don’t know, and I think I’ll be happy not knowing as long as the music keeps coming.

A recurring motif throughout the seven "main" songs here is a lo-fi melodic undercurrent that is absolutely immersed in reverb, giving a feeling that’s not unlike the Cocteau Twins or My Bloody Valentine but without sounding like either one of them.In these massive and heavy, but warm waves of sound, occasionally a bit of music is allowed to pass through.Percussion is hinted at on "Pilot/Dark Blue Night" but never fully appears until the closing "The Pilot (Among Our Shoals)" where it takes the form of snappy snare drum loops, with what resembles time-stretched harp plucks and violin notes as accompaniment.

As aforementioned, sometimes the musical source material shines through to the surface, such as on "Twentyninth," where the big reverberated sounds and cascading guitar tones could be a careful study and dissection of 1980s hair metal, reduced to its most base elements and rebuilt into something entirely different and far more compelling."Thirtieth/Pilot Reprise" continues this, focusing on hidden melodies and Jeck's overdriven bass guitar playing with a guitar-like squall and a thin, brittle closing section.
Other pieces are less discernable, such as the dramatic swells of indecipherable sound of "Dark Rehearsal," which are preceded by some subtle, delicate melodies."Pilot Reprise/The All of Water" is a chaotic pastiche of layered sound, immediately surging heavily and then continuing on with the same intensity, the sharp waves of sound battle one another over the dramatically drifting undercurrent.

For the album's coda, two remixes of tracks from Suite:Live in Liverpool are included, sounding noticeably different than the preceding album, but just as strong on their own.Mostly eschewing the hazy ambience of the other tracks, "All That's Allowed (Remix)" shapes shimmering passages of crystal sound into swirling melodies, keeping a very clean, sharp feel over a dynamic undercurrent."Chime, Chime (Re-Rung)" focuses on beautifully tactile static bursts covering a bell ringing alongside twinkling wind chimes with the occasional bit of squealing feedback. There is a different sort of audio grime that appears, and the whole song is more loop/sample focused than the other ones, which felt like they had more of an organic drift to them.

Philip Jeck's work continues to sound like no one else's, in the best possible way.Regardless of the instruments used, he constructs beautiful, tactile sound that spreads out and engulfs its surroundings, demanding full attention.Few albums I have heard this year are as immersive and captivating as this one.

samples:

• Pilot/Dark Blue Night
• Twentyninth
• All That's Allowed

 

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26 September 2010

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Albums and Singles

Originally released as a C90 and here spread across two LPs (and four tracks), Space Finale has a definitively analog quality to the sound, both in format and in the soft, obscure nature of the textures of each piece. While a very strong work, there are a few moments that hold it back from being as brilliant as it could be.

Editions Mego

Side one of the first LP opens the album very effectively.Wobbly melodic tones cascade around, like the sound of a 1970s educational film strip, the woozy pitch fluctuations occasionally pushing it into darker, horror movie soundtrack territory.This is only amplified with the addition of a low bass rumble a bit into the piece, adding a sense of menace with the undulating rhythms.Eventually this gives way to a hollow industrial collage, with slight hints of feedback and the occasional fragment of an untreated field recording making itself known.The sound lightens with a heavily reverberated ring that gives way to a soft, melodic outro.

The flip side is a bit less sinister and more melancholic, keeping the unidentifiable churning thumps and thuds, but focusing on buried melodies that are extremely somber.No clear instrumentation is at play here, but the shimmering notes sound like the music of an ancient civilization that has just been excavated, crafted with instruments unlike any in use today.The two sides of this LP are very different from each other, yet feel unified in their approach.

The material on the second record isn't quite as enchanting, however.It opens with sparse, chiming sounds that are eventually transmogrified into dense, bass heavy layers of noise.The murky reverberated textures eventually part to reveal what resembles plucked string instruments uncovered from a ton of audio grime.However, the transition into humming machinery sounds feels like it could be lifted off any so-called dark ambient album, as it lacks any identifying quality.While its evolution into heavier, more overdriven textures that eventually dissolve into raw noise helps the situation, it still sticks out as a sore spot on an otherwise well crafted side.

It's on the fourth side of the set that things feel as if they're falling apart.The hollow, echo-ey textures and occasional radar blip sound like the most generic of experimental ambient music.The opening field recording elements and the melodic bells and incidental sounds that close the track are strong, but everything between them is just dull.It almost seems as if Nilsen and Stilluppsteypa lost their creative drive at the end and instead fell prey to using filler to pad out the album.With this excised this would have been a very powerful hour long work, but stretched to 90 minutes, it has some dull spots.

When Space Finale is "on," it's very good, emphasizing the analog textures and sounds used to create this very atmospheric work. However, the dull spots that occur in the second half really caused my attention to drift away from the record and onto other activities, which is never a good thing.It's a strong, but flawed album.

samples:

• Space Finale 1-1
• Space Finale 1-2
• Space Finale 2-2

 

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26 September 2010

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Albums and Singles

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26 September 2010

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Albums and Singles

Pat Maherr is best known for his dark ambient detournements of Wagner cassettes as Indignant Senility, but his Expressway Yo-Yo Dieting project is probably as far from dwarves and valkyries as it is possible to get. In fact, the only common ground between his two guises is that something is being unrecognizably mangled and that there are probably some tapes involved. The "somethings" in this case are: a bunch of hip-hop songs, DJ Screw's legacy, and the whole mixtape tradition. Maherr has mischievously stripped 13 unnamed hip hop jams of everything fun and vibrant and turned them into the soundtrack for a slow-motion house party of the damned (which, of course, is perversely fun in its own right).

Weird Forest

Bubblethug is an album that makes an immediate impact.I was passingly familiar with DJ Screw's codeine-fueled chopped-and-screwed aesthetic before I heard this album, but that did not quite prepare me for what Maherr has done.DJ Screw merely made songs sound a little drugged and eerie—Pat has gone so far down into the rabbit hole with slowed tempos and pitch-shifting that it is almost impossible to imagine what these hapless songs sounded like before they were "remixed."All that is left is a glacial beat being buffeted by impossibly slow, deep, and incomprehensible vocals that bubble, shudder, stretch, crackle, and quaver nightmarishly.

The overall effect lies somewhere between "sounds like a tape that has gone through a washing machine and possibly a fire" and "demonic possession."The songs all sound fairly similar to one another due to the nature of the project, but Bubblethug works best when Maherr takes on songs with strong hooks, like he does in the sixth song.When an actual vocal melody is ruined, the effect can be quite spectral and disquieting—it sounds a lot like my stereo is haunted.Most of the time, however, Pat just opts for straight-up rap vocals and the results vary a bit.Often, they are just disorienting and a little creepy, but sometimes they can get pretty phantasmagoric or even outright disturbing…like the vocalist is desperately trying to communicate something important to me while they are being dragged underwater.Maherr also makes an amusing and effective stab at the genre's trash-talking convention, as the seventh song actually allows an understandable line to slip through the maelstrom: "everybody's thinkin' they twisted."They are not twisted.Not like Pat.

The only catch is that Maherr did not fare quite as well at maintaining my attention as he did at grabbing it.After the initial impact of the audacious wrongness of this album subsided a bit, it started to yield rapidly diminishing returns.The reason for this is that Maherr simply did too effective of a job in his destruction of the source material—very few hooks survive and nearly all lyrical content is obliterated. Bubblethug is almost an hour of slooooooow hip hop beats and garbled, ruined voices and little else, which becomes grueling after a while.On rare occasions, like on the excellent opening song, enough of ravaged original melody and beat survive to carry the song, but too often Maherr relies solely on mindfuckery.Taken in small doses, this is a thoroughly ingenious and entertaining effort, but Pat needs to find something else to fill the inherent void if this project to going to have much long-term potential.That grievance aside, Bubblethug is still striking and deranged enough to wind up being an influential work.

Samples:

• One
• Two
• Six

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26 September 2010

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Albums and Singles

This is already the 15th release in Staalplaat's exhaustive Muslimgauze archive series, but it looks like Bryn Jones has not yet run out of minor posthumous surprises to share with the world. Originally recorded in 1995, but never released, Lazhareem Ul Leper is a series of heavy percussion experiments that stylistically fits somewhere between Jones' harsher post-industrial moments and the hypnotically looping ethno-percussion vamps that he was exploring around that same time. The unexpected twist is that it sounds like Bryn flirted with incorporating some IDM influences here as well.

Staalplaat

There are two things that make Lazhareem Ul Leper a bit of an unusual Muslimgauze album.The first is that there is not much in the way of mood.My favorite Muslimgauze albums tend to be those infused with a sense of dread or menace, and that element is conspicuously absent here.Leper does not offer a different atmosphere, just lots of ribcage-rattling break beats and insistent Middle Eastern-tinged percussion loops. Bryn's use of field recordings is atypically sparing here, but he thankfully employs them just enough to make it clear that this is still a Muslimgauze album. The second unusual aspect is the prominence of obviously synthetic contemporary dance music textures and Aphex Twin-style inhuman drum fills.In fact, the opening piece ("Aquamareez") sounds like a sputtering volcano of blurting, squiggling laser noises erupting in the middle of a drum circle.Generally, Muslimgauze only sounds either "organic" or "heavily distorted:" it is pretty unexpected to find any overlap with something that would be playing at a dance club. Given Bryn’s work ethic, insular vision,and voluminous output, it is difficult to imagine where he found the time to absorb new influences. My only guess is that a fire or flood must've forced him out of his studio for a couple hours that year.

I am not sure that the laser noises and synth bleeps were always a great idea, but the percussion flurries make a welcome addition to the Muslimgauze sound, especially since Jones managed to "ethnify" them and make them his own.Probably the best use is the machine-gun fill slipped into the fairly straightforward hip-hop beat of"Apricot Zoom Buddha."The fills are bit wilder and more unpredictable in the following piece ("Chaikhana"), but "Apricot" is the album's clear high-water mark, largely due to its dynamic variation and woozy backwards shimmer.The few aberrant songs that completely dispense with the album's percussive focus are also quite likable, if somewhat incidental.I particularly liked the overlapping kalimbas (I think) in "Cayenne Dupatta" and the lurching, laser noise-ravaged drone piece that closes the album ("Karakum Burqa").Neither quite transcends the "one idea equals one song" aesthetic that dominates the album, but they are welcome and inspired oases from the endless groove onslaught.

Jones' devotion to the beat on this album is often pretty single-minded and unwavering, a trait that I find frustrating about many Muslimgauze albums.Bryn certainly had a knack for splicing together very cool and often very complicated grooves, but here it seems that he was often satisfied solely with that, as songs like "Degla Ennour" and "Mezes" don't enhance their beats with much more than a smear of heavily-reverbed color.I don't quite understand what Jones was trying to do here: much of Leper could plausibly be rhythmic sketches that he never got around to fleshing out, or perhaps intermediate versions of finished works that wound up elsewhere (such as on Izlamaphobia).Then again, he may have been deliberately exploring the hypnotic potential of mechanically repeating, unadulterated percussion loops.Regardless, it doesn't work particularly well.A lot of the songs feel like a single groove or melodic fragment looped for an arbitrary amount of time with little progression or change in density.There are a lot of good ideas here, but very few make the leap into good songs.This is not the best place to start for anyone looking to dip their toes into the vast and daunting Muslimgauze oeuvre, but seasoned Muslimgauze fans will certainly find a few new gems to add to the pile.

Samples:

• Apricot Zoom Buddha
• Cayenne Dupatta
• Aquamareez

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