Smalltown Supersound
Jaga Jazzist are somewhat of a Norwegian supergroup: a ten-pieceensemble of several multi-instrumentalists including drums andpercussion, guitar, bass, keyboards, horns, woodwinds and tuba, withmembers from Röyksopp, Motorpsycho, Jazzkammer and BigBang. They manageto beautifully combine both modern and progressive jazz with rock andelectronic music for some awe-inspiring compositions. The disc'sopener, "Animal Chin," is a busy blend of live drum 'n bass rhythmswith long-lined Wurlitzer and sax ostinatos under some cool,multi-layered woodwind arrangements that sound like Roni Size jammingwith Oliver Nelson. "Going Down" is driven by some busy, yet subtlejazzy drumming and low-end pedals while some doubled up sax and organlines weave through angular acoustic guitar progressions and space agebachelor pad-type synth and flute flourishes. "Airborne" would be thetune that had me hitting the back button on several listens, not onlyfor its inherent coolness but also for its multiple layers in whichsomething new is heard each time. The tune opens as a tender ballad,with shimmering keyboards and a melodic bass clarinette, graduallybuilding to a scratchy electronic rhythm with upright bass and flutesadding tension until it blasts off into a full-on orchestral climax,complete with wailing sax solo and stabbing strings. "Lithuania" movesfrom a laid back rhythm section, vibes, twangy guitar and severalongoing melodies from the horns and woodwinds to a kicking, double-timesamba feel that lets the orchestration and arrangements really shine.This disc grabbed me right from the first listen with its strongcompositions and unique sound and is yet to let go. The best comparisonin its direction would be in line with what the Cinematic Orchestra aredoing, but on a much broader and larger scale. That in mind, Ninja Tune(the Cinematics label) are set to release this disc which should makeit a little easier to find, even with a different cover. With the yearend fast approaching I'm glad to state that this disc has made my topten.
samples:
A single piece spread across 14 tracks and nearly 67 minutes, this is aconceptual record based on the American dustbowl of the 1930s. Itinitially builds from a drone to a looping cycle of a simple ruralguitar lick and primitive percussion, with eerie whistles and ghostlyvocals weaving in and out. As the music progresses, the focus shiftsamong parts that eventually dissipate into the fog of something else,with a constant musical loop remaining relatively constant. Asmonotonous as that might sound, it's actually an interesting listen.Ranging from sparse arrangement to lush drones, there is a good varietyhere that defies categorization. I am somewhat reminded of GavinBryars' "Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet," another long record built ona constant loop. While I'd have to say that Bryars' record is better,"Exodust" is a good effort and has actually improved in repeatedlistenings. Kiefer should have left out the spoken samples, though -it's obvious they were put in to reinforce the sense of time/place, butI think they are superfluous and distracting. It's the kind of CDthat's great to have on in the background- simultaneously relaxing andchallenging.
It's no secret that the pop music world owes an apology to Curve. Inthe early 1990s, the group recorded some of the most incrediblealbums—fusing distorted guitars with throbbing, punchy, dancable beats,topped off with super sexy vocals and abstract lyrics. The productiondream team of Flood and Alan Moulder resulted in a number of noteworthysingles and EPs (see the compilation, 'Pubic Fruit') as well as theirfirst two albums, 'Doppleganger' and 'Cuckoo.' (Additional producersover the years have included Steve Osborne [Happy Mondays, New Order,Placebo, Suede] and Tim Simenon [Bomb the Bass].) Their music waspraised by critics, adored by fans, respected by numerous notablemusicians, and used for TV commercials and futuristic movie previews.Their formula was soon completely (and admittedly) stolen, dumbed downand mass-marketed as Garbage, which may or may not have contributed tothe gap in time between albums. In 1997, the core duo of Dean Garciaand Toni Halliday resurfaced as Curve and haven't slowed down one bit.After a somewhat lukewarm release last year on Universal's Hip-Oimprint, 'Gift,' 'The New Adventures of Curve' is almost completelyDIY, recorded and mixed at home and available currently only throughmail order. Once again paired with Alan Moulder, the album shows anevolution of Curve, branching out into more daring territories. On theopening track, "Answers," the duo more deftly expands on the deepsounds of the beat-saturated minimalism they tried on previous releasesthan 'Open Day at the Hate Fest' and Dean Garcia's Headcase albums.Electro ballads like "Signals and Alibis," and the hypnotic "Sinner,"are never weak or flat, while the Garcia-sung rocking closer, "Joy," istruly a shock. (I'm still not quite sure whether I think it fits or notbut it sure is fun.) Their signature guitar sound and quiet/loud styleis neither gone nor forgotten, rearing its head on songs like thepowerful, aggressive future-pop gem, "Till the Cows Come Home," and theslower paced, balls-out "Nice and Easy." I sincerely hope they canpiece together a touring band and come back around. In the meantime,however, the band are working on a remix for a Gary Numan 25thanniversary compilation, according to their web site.
Speaking of Gary Numan, Beggars Banquet completes theirremaster/reissue project this month with the final two albums Numanreleased originally on Beggars back in the 1980s. Originally releasedin 1982, 'I, Assassin' continues on themes Numan began the previousyear with his 'Dance' album. Fashionably, Numan was still dressing likea 1930s gangster (a makeover after he got sick of looking like a StarWars extra), while musically, the rhythm section is easily mistakablefor the lineup on the prior year's 'Dance,' which featured Japan's MickKarn on bass and Queen's Roger Taylor on drums. While this top 10 UKalbum was preceeded by three UK top-twenty singles, "White Boys andHeroes," "Music for Chameleons," and "We Take Mystery To Bed," the mosttimeless songs have got to be the side two openers, "This is My House,"with a simple yet hauntingly famous synth melody blanketing thefretless bass guitar mastery, driving drums and Numan's neuroticvocals, and the catchy title track. Perhaps it's because these are theonly songs on the original eight-song album which are -not- litteredwith the electronic drum sound exploited for years by Prince and theRevolution (you'd know it if you heard it). Seven bonus tracks gracethe reissue, including both early versions and B-sides. 
For 1983's 'Warriors,' Numan underwent another image reconstruction,stealing both the outfit and the backdrop of Mad Max from 'The RoadWarrior.' 
Also out this past week from Beggars is their remaster/repackage/expanded version of Love and Rockets' eponymous fourth album. Thanks to the top ten smash "So Alive," this was their biggest selling record to date, but it was hardly a fave among fans. In all honesty, this was the first Love and Rockets record that I had to skip tracks because I disliked them so much. The album opens with the clumsy, bleeped out "**** (Jungle Law)" but then jumps into one of my favorite single tracks ever, the thumping beat-driven slick-riffed "No Big Deal." "Motorcycle"/"I Feel Speed" was the album's first single and is just a pair of amazing tunes: both with the same theme - the first being the metal-esque driving anthem, the second being a tripped out, drumless bit with nearly the same exact lyrics. Bonus tracks on the first disc are all the B-side tracks from the singles and the killer extended remix of "No Big Deal." The second disc is purely for the fans as it contains the long-talked about swinging EP, 'Swing,' which consists of five unreleased songs from an impromptu session. I fondly remember the lyrics of "Wake Up" as their encore at a concert in 1989 when the trio came out in drag singing, "It's a drag, drag, drag in the middle of a dream,..." and feel some sort of closure now that I have the recording and know what song this is! Disc 2 is completed by the inclusion of nearly all of the radio session from KCRW, two songs of which appeared on a promo 12" back in 1989, except it's missing my favorite line: after the band finishes "1,000 Watts of Your Love," the interviewer says, "wow, I've never heard that song," and Daniel Ash promptly responds with, "Nor have we!" 
Victory at Sea are nota cheery band. The darkness and rain that seemed to possess them ontheir Kimchee LP 'Carousel' has not subsided, and it even feels likethe storm is getting closer. Theirs is a traditional rock sound, withguitar, bass, and drums, that is often augmented by violin and keys.Singer/guitarist Mona Elliott is out for blood, shrieking andsmoldering each song into your brain and veins. There seems to be nohope, no relenting, on the first three songs, as the poetic lyrics andsolid sounds pummeled at my ears. Mona sings on "Canyon," "I say thisplace isn't big enough for the two of us," and I believe it. Thepunishment continues through "The Liar," and then, things seem tomellow out a little. "Old Harbor" and "Proper Time" are simple, slow,and beautiful. Here, Mona's voice is stretched out, warbling andbreaking, like this is the way it's meant to be: "Get on with my life!"The power returns even in the slow pace, on "Sunny Days," one of thealbum's best tracks, with crunching guitar and low, thick bass. It'sgorgeous as she reaches for the sky with her words, singing of cloudsand rain. Following that are a few tracks with varied sound andarrangement. "A Song for Brian" features only guitar, bass, voice, andpiano, so it's nothing new for this album ("Old Harbor" has a similarpalette), but is still a pretty song. "The Bluebird of Happiness"sounds more like Denali (never a bad thing), and "Kelly's Landing"starts off as a rock tune and ends with children playing in the rain. "Firefly" closes the album with its"watch you die" ending, bringing the whole thing into perspective withits simple structure and sound. Victory at Sea are still growing,approaching that perfect release, and 'The Good Night' is just a narrowmiss.
It would be easy to dismiss Tujiko Noriko as a token female artist on amale-dominated record label and scene. But while neither her latestMego outing nor her previous full-length, 'Shojo Toshi' is likely toblow minds, this former waitress is certainly not without talent. Herwhimsical, airy electronic compositions have a warmth andexpressiveness that is unlike her label mates. Noriko's Japanese vocalswaft over slow and steady beats on nearly all of the tracks. Some ofthe most effective tools in her arsenal this time around includescratchy record atmospherics, otherworldly piano sounds, and flutteringdigital sounds, all of which are sophisticated and meticulouslyarranged. The songs, however, simply tiptoe all over the place, withouta clear direction, without going far from their starting point. There'sa better sense of togetherness of the songs that wasn't clear before.
Synapscape have long represented the sound of Ant-Zen, the ratherprolific post-industrial German label that has achieved a remarkablelevel of popularity and respect worldwide since the late 90s. The firstproject to release a CD on the label, Synapscape managed to, (andcontinues to) contribute a great deal to the catalog with 5 full-lengthalbums, a handful of singles and EPs, and countless productions fromtheir many side-projects and related projects (Templegarden's, ArsMoriendi, Morgenstern). Here on their fifth release, the duo present acollection of unreleased and compilation-only tracks from 1994 through2001. As with any CD of this kind, there's quite a bit of material herebetter left for the home studio vaults or the obscurity of a limitededition CD-R packed in a clamshell with barbed-wire, spraypaintedsilver, and hand-numbered. Beat-less dark ambient noisescapes are theultimate cop-out for industrial acts everywhere, and I, for one,fast-forwarded through the ones on 'Raw'. I scanned for theclub-friendly (a rather loose term when discussing this type of music)tracks, and was rewarded with the unintelligible vocals and filthybeats of "My Distance" and "Stop Yield." Other heavy rhythmic cutsinclude "Once Again You Die," and "Peter The Repeater," a remix forformer Ars Moriendi bandmate Asche. While this mediocre collection willcertainly not entice too many new fans, 'Raw' will definately find aplace in the hearts of Synapscape fans still awaiting newer material(which, as it turns out, will include another collaboration with fellowpower noise kingpin Imminent). Considering how much I enjoyed theirlast album ('Positive Pop'), I expect nothing but high qualitylo-fidelity sounds to come.
I just can't get enough of Nathan Amundson's Rivulets. While Amundsonis a relatively new voice—with only one album and a handful of EPs,singles, and compilation appearances—healways sounds like he knows the deal. He's known it all his life andnow, finally, he's expressing his feelings on the matter. This EP onBlueSanct, recorded live on Icelandic National Radio (hence the title)features recordings of four songs from the Rivulets self-titled debutperformed by Amundson alone. Where the recordings on the debut werestronger for their arrangements and recording, this is the trueRivulets. The songs work best with just acoustic guitar and voice, aspleading and desperate as possible. It's funny, but they're moreexpressive this way, where Amundson can show off his most raw andemotional baggage. Where his solitary contributions on other releaseshave been sketchy, mainly due to weaknesses in the vocals department,he's more assured here, like he's finally protected by that blanketagain and no one can touch him now. The lyrics on "Four Weeks" are evenmore appropriate, with the "desperate" refrain, so much that it seemsAmundson is singing them out to anyone who will listen to join him,just so he won't feel so alone. The fragility of his voice on "How,Who?" and "Stead" is especially touching, even when he falters a bit.In fact, especially when he falters, showing us his weakness again.This EP works well for cold season, as it's clearly the mostappropriate time.
We are living in a golden age for mind-expanding, foundation-rumblingpsych chaos, as evidenced by this particular slice of aluminum. Inspite of coming from all corners of the globe, all 12 participants herehave obviously been huffing the same UFO vapors. Robot vs. Rabbitlumbers through a buzzing, Earth-like dirge. In perhaps the weirdestpiece on the disc, Interferents wring out some insane toy vocals over ahallucinatory jam. Pine Tree State Mind Control exhume the corpse ofearly Chrome and turn it into a conveyer belt. Escapade's loose,sprawling improv whips up a fresh black hole. Sure to make this comp abestseller, the ubiquitous Acid Mothers Temple crash land the mothership into heavy metal histrionics. Reynols' shamanic drone prayer makesearly Amon Duul seem coherent and tight (that's a compliment, by theway). Finnish band Circle finish things off by returning us to morefamiliar krautrockish territories, somewhat reminiscent of the live Canstuff released a few years back. What makes this comp so great is theheavy layer of outer space that all of this music travels throughbefore it reaches your ears. No duds to be found here. This music isunhitched, but not at all inept. They know where they are taking you.Like the liner notes say: "The path of pure psychedelic noise awaitsyou."
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