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01 May 2011

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Albums and Singles

cover image This is my first exposure to Rishaug's work, but he has maintained a somewhat high profile in Scandinavia though his work with the improv ensemble ARM. On this, his third solo album and first for Dekorder, he seems to draw a lot of his inspiration from the laptop-based drone/ambient of Mille Plateau/Rittornel's golden age. He's admittedly a bit late for that particular party, but he seems to be endearingly and stubbornly well-aware of that. Fortunately, I am quite fond of that particular period in recent music history, so these deep and thoughtfully constructed soundscapes frequently hit the mark for me, despite the fact that they don't bring anything particularly "new" to the form. Good music is good music.

Dekorder

One curious thing about this album is that it was allegedly influenced by minimalist classical composers like Steve Reich and Terry Riley, but it doesn't seem like that influence manifests itself in any overt way.Maybe it is an entirely philosophical inspiration, as Harold Budd seems like a much more plausible kindred spirit stylistically: Rishaug certainly betrays a love¬†for rippling beds of heavily reverbed piano.Alexander is a bit more varied in his instrumental arsenal than Budd though, as the six untitled pieces here also incorporate organ, guitar, field recordings, and "a nervous radio."And a computer, of course, which is where the Mille Plateaux connection comes in.Regardless of which instrument a piece is built around, however, they all tend to follow a fairly unwavering trajectory.There is definitely an archetypal "Alexander Rishaug sound," as he processes everything into warm, blurred homogeny, then slowly escalates from a fragile and minimal introduction into immersive and densely layered, blissed-out crescendo.He generally leaves his field recordings relatively unmanipulated, which I deem to be a wise move.Slow-moving oceans of drifting and shimmering sound can get pretty tedious and one-dimensional fairly quickly, so the occasional intrusion of sharp, clear sounds (frogs, footsteps,a fire) serves both to add a sense of place and mystery and provide a nice textural counterbalance to the amorphously enveloping music beneath.Despite covering such specific territory, however, Rishaug manages to throw in some inspired twists every now and then.I was especially struck by the unpredictable, diffuse twinkling of the second piece, as well as its unexpected plunge into darker waters near the end.

The two most successful pieces are the second and the sixth.While the superficial content is quite similar to everything else on the album in both cases, both pieces are simply assembled and executed brilliantly.The second piece is built around a darkly throbbing organ motif intermittenly augmented by subtle crackling and hissing.Gradually, a single quavering organ chord emerges to dominate the piece and some glitchy, skipping laptoppery appears, but the slow pulse never stops and the underlying chords provide a supremely haunted mood throughout.The sixth piece is less immediately gripping, but its waxing and waning tones intertwine quite hypnotically.Also, it is pretty long.A good rule of thumb seems to be that if Rishaug grants a piece more than a five-minute running time, it will probably be something pretty amazing.The only misfire is the fourth piece, which sounds like Alexander left a microphone running as he did some work around the house, then collaged the recordings.That became doubly perplexing when I learned that Shadow of¬†Events took five years to finish, as I don't see how spending that long with this material could have failed to alert him to that song's shortcomings in relation to everything surrounding it.Still, five out of six is not bad at all, and Rishaug at his best is a formidable talent.

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01 May 2011

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Albums and Singles

cover image Marc Hellner's long-running synthpop/art ensemble is back from their lengthy hiatus and they have made some significant changes. For one, new vocalist Chanel Pease has joined the fold. Also, Hellner has chosen to largely or completely eschew software use, opting to whole-heartedly embrace the fabled and elusive analog sound that I hear so much about. Regardless of how it was made, Charade is Gold boasts some great singles that easily hold their own against the rest of current wave of synthpop devotees.

Audraglint

Given his recent purist bent regarding synthpop's instrumentation, it is no surprise that Hellner also unfailingly nails all of the genre's tropes: politely danceable mid-paced drum machine beats, throbbing synth bass lines, delay-heavy guitars, warm washes and omnipresent shimmer, and a healthy devotion to packing his songs with hooks.Still, this album doesn't sound as completely rooted in the '80s as it might have.The biggest difference, to my ears,¬†is that¬†the vocals¬†are understated and introspective in a way that did not come into vogue until much later.Despite the instrumentation and probable intent, these songs share much more aesthetically with Sarah/Shinkansen bands like Trembling Blue Stars than, say, Soft Cell.That is both a good thing and a bad thing.The good part is that Pulseprogramming completely avoid all of the ostentation and terrible lyrics that typified much of the genre's extroverted salad days.The downside, unfortunately,¬†is that Marc and Chanel both lack the presence and oversized personality necessary to make the leap from "pretty good synthpop band" to "great synthpop band."Which is, of course, a bit frustrating and unfair: even though Pulseprogramming essentially do everything right and have an impressive talent for songwriting, shy and hushed songs will never be as exciting for me as more personality-driven projects (The Knife, Cold Cave, etc.) even if the songs are at the same level (or better).Marc Hellner is just not an in-your-face guy.

That is not only flaw here though, as Pulseprogramming are a bit too fixated on one type of song: everything here has roughly the same pace and the mood seems limited to the very small range between wistful and melancholy.Consequently, the nine songs blur together in an album-sized dose.Of course, album-sized doses may be largely anathema to the genre, as I can't think of many times when I have wanted to experience 40 straight minutes of The Human League or OMD.

Synthpop is a singles game and synthpop albums are meant to be harvested for their best moments.Charade is Gold, for its part, offers three killers in a row near the end of the album."Island Answer Anywhere" is one of the most bouyant and elegantly melodic pieces on the album, but also features some beautifully ghostly, glistening sounds in background."You Mean by Magic," on the other hand, combines Pease's appealing breathy vocals with fun bloopy synth riffing and lush swells that would have made Disintegration-era Robert Smith a bit jealous.The oddly titled "So Right Words Strike Me" is my clear favorite, however, as Marc keeps tossing out one great idea after another (haunting synth washes, burbling hooks, quirky percussion) until he has assembled a small pop masterpiece of textural variety¬†and inspired arrangement. The rest of the album isn't bad by any means, but a lot of it sounds a bit listless and forgettable compared to¬†such striking¬†highlights (though the Pease-centric first single "First They Fire" is likeable, if a bit slight).

When Hellner counterbalances his melancholia and tendency towards understatement with the right amount of energy and catchiness, the results are pretty damn infectious.

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30 April 2011

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Albums and Singles

Fans of Stars of the Lidand Labradford need not be surprised as this album truly sounds likewhat a collaboration between the two groups would sound like. AdamWiltze from Stars has provided his lush soundscapes of symphonicmajesty while Bobby Donne of Labradford brings to the table echoingresonant guitar melodies and even the rare subtle vocals. This discbrings into perspective that Labradford wouldn't be the same withoutall three elements. Mark Nelson's Pan American project coupled with thelive experience of seeing Carter trigger pulses and noises whileplaying the keyboards pretty much completes the puzzle (if you wouldconsdier it a puzzle to begin with!). Aix Em Kelmm is quiet but notwithout forward motion, and growing to be one of my more favoritealbums of the year. Like most music from either camp, it's a charminglisten late at night and a solid record that would easily be able tointroduce fans from either band to the other side.

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30 April 2011

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Albums and Singles

"Beach Fervour Spare" is the second installment of the deep bass journey begun last year with "Deep Space". This time around the band is minus Bill Laswell and Jaki Leibeziet and plus Mark Sanders - drums, Chris Cookson - guitar and production, Paul Sch√ºtze - atmospheres and Marc Angelo Lusardi - production and retains Clive Bell and Jean Pierre Rasle. I don't (yet) have the first album so I can't compare the two cds and bands, but there's no doubt that this unit has played together for some time.

Jah's name is at the top of the marquee but there is a definite band concept at work here as each member is part of the instrumental whole. At the heart of each of the five 9-16 minute songs is Wobble's rumbling bass guitar lines complemented by the others' electric and acoustic guitar, jazzy beats, many wind and world instruments, keyboard atmospheres and dub minded studio trickery. It's a mystical sort of groove thing as the band spontaneously jam upon (usually single) riffs in an ebb and flow fashion. Each song has a distinct character. "Suddenly Fell Into the Underworld" starts things off a bit blandly due to a plodding bass line, but swirling wind instruments help keep it listenable. The title track and "Kinky Mantra" kick the album into gear proper as much busier bass lines compete with cymbal heavy percussion and wind instruments, all wrapped in a dub chamber environment. As Night Falls (which is indexed as 3 separate tracks) features a bright and funky hip hop styled beat loop engraved with acoustic and electric guitars and bits of most everything else. "Trance" is a frenetically paced Middle Eastern flavored barrage of drum fills and odd wailing horns. Interesting stuff well worth the domestic price, but not as impressive as Jah's other recent release "Molam Dub" ...

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30 April 2011

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Albums and Singles

You know how it is, when you experience something so wonderful andsublime, you just need to tell the world about it? Well, since I can't tellthe world, I can at least post it to a group of people who may get somethingout of it.
I've just picked up the newest CD by Nits, a group from the Netherlandswho—in my opinion—bear more than a passing relation to the LegendaryPink Dots. For over 20 years they've been releasing a steady stream ofalbums, each one different from the last, and each one worthwhile in its ownway. When you pick up a Nits album, you never know what you're going tohear. While some of the tracks are invariably throw-aways, most of themare brilliant, heart-wrenching, sweet and catchy.
Here's how I see it: if you take the curious poetry of Edward Ka-Spel andLeonard Cohen, the varied instrumentation of the Dots, pass it through asort of "Minimalism Filter," add the painful sincerity of The Red HousePainters, throw in influences from all over the world and a big heaping messof The Beatles and you get something approaching Nits.
Their newest album, "Wool," follows up "Alankomaat" as ashockingly melancholy and wistful CD. Most of the tracks are slow, jazzypieces (aided by the ZAPP! String Quartet and The Stylus Horns). HenkHofstede's lyrics are, as usual, oblique and observational, but—inkeeping with the recent trends in his music—almost crushingly sad anduncertain. A singer named Leona Philippo sings backup on most of the songs,and I hope that she becomes a permanent Nits member. She swings betweensoulful vocals and a kind of angelic, crystalline sadness. Arwen & Laetitiaare wonderful additions to the group, Arwen's bass helping the noir-jazzsound along.
There are moments of atypical Nits experimentation here as well: the odd,timestretched vocal bridge in "26 A (Clouds In The Sky)," the weird whisperypercussion of "The 'Darling' Stone," the analog "space" noises throughout"Seven Green Parrots," and the absolute croaky weirdness of "Frog," the onlyupbeat track on the CD (reminiscent of the earlier Nits track, "Orange,"which helped to defuse the sad loneliness of another album).
I'm not saying that everybody who likes the Pink Dots is going to likeNits—far from it, probably. But if you see "Wool" at a listening stationsomewhere, or you can convince your record store to play it for you, give"Clouds In The Sky," "Crime & Punishment" or "Strawberry Girl" achance...but beware. While buying up releases by Nits is not nearly soarduous as buying up LPDs, it's still quite a chore, and, in my opinion,equally necessary for my mental health.
And if you're flirted with Nits over the years and haven't decidedwhetherto buy this new one or not, I can't gush enough about how this is myfavourite Nits album so far (excluding the double-live "Urk," maybe).It's cohesive, perfectly &clearly produced, and every song is essential. Not to mention thepackagingis a work of art. Quite an accomplisment for a band known for theirpackaging. Nits website is at www.nits.nl.
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30 April 2011

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Albums and Singles

"Molam Dub" unites the UK's Jah Wobble and friends with the European based Laotian group Molam Lao. Molam is the beloved traditional music of Laos, a competitive courtship ritual based on improvised singing and the khene (a bamboo mouthorgan similar to an accordian/harmonica). It surprised me at first just how well the Laotians complement and mesh with the old school deep dub groove of team Wobble. It sounds and feels completely natural as though the two were always meant to go together.Most tracks feature the sing-song of a single male lead singer who is occasionally joined by the joyous chants and squeals of the rest of the Lao crew. Several songs add tastefully programmed drum loops and dub mixing techniques, the original "Saravane" is entirely instrumental with intricate string and wind instrument jamming and "Lam Long" lets us hear a few minutes of just Molam (which, I admit, these Western tuned ears finds a bit grating by itself). The final 2 tracks - a 'dance' mix and "Hill Music", the latter composed solely by Wobble's unit - are thankfully not tacky add-ons and fit in just fine with the rest of the album. I'm very impressed with and frankly amazed by "Molam Dub" as I feared nearly 70 minutes of native singing would be too difficult a listen. The performances are spirited and sound 'real' throughout, it's always interesting and it simply gives you all the groove you'd want from a classic dub record, only with more of an international flavor ...

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30 April 2011

Administrator

Albums and Singles

The folks over at 4ADhave the weight of two-decade legacy to bear, and Magnétophone is oneof the first new acts to the 4AD roster in years. This Frenchelectronic duo seems to float at the surface in the sea ofelectronicians who merge beats with minimalistic motives. Their firstfew releases consist of a few tape-only's and some 7" singles throughEarworm. This disc here is their debut full-lengther for the 4AD, butit leaves me wondering what the label's motives are for a group likethis. Are enough people paying attention to 4AD these days to getexcited over something that 4AD has never ventured with? I ask thisquestion because in the 80s, people all over the world would pick upanything from 4AD. Another thing I wonder about is if electronic musiclike this is commercially viable enough to warrant 4AD's tendencies togo overboard with packaging and artwork? The CD itself is beautifullypackaged, including a thin scrap of metal, cut in the shape of aMagnetophone logo and a back which half exposes the CD itself. Overall,I'm impressed as the music refuses to get the least bit boring oroverly repetitive. The disc almost sneaks into the genre of the currentelectronic trendy scenester type stuff, but brings with it a muchgreater variety in sounds. There's truly a wealth of sources used inthe creation of this disc. Absent from this disc is the recent trendfrom many to include dub elements. The music is subdued enough to holdyour adoration and punchy enough in spots to keep you awake. In mostparts, it's somewhat improvisational sounding, leading me to believethat a well-practiced live show would be something special to see. Thesongs themselves are rather sophomoric in terms of structure andcomposition, haphazardly tossing in samples and gated effects, almostto avoid boredom - grooves start and diversions are tossed in to breakany sense of monotony. The sounds themselves are matured andwell-defined enough to make me interested in the group to wonder wherethey're going next.

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30 April 2011

Administrator

Albums and Singles

Like a few releases recently, I had to take my time with this one for it to make sense to me. I had to figure out what made me like and dislike the album all at the same time. The reason that makes the most sense to me is this: the members of both the LPD and Download camps have become excellent writers while the execution of the recordings seem entirely too rushed and careless.

The lyrics and instrument playing have both become more developed than ever while the choices of tempo and instrumentation leaves much to be desired. It seems as if there wasn't enough thought involved. I hear the songs on 'Crystal Mass' and imagine some of them slowed down, sound effects added in, color added or various other things. For the most part this disc sounds rather bland while the writing is great. It's heartbreaking as it seems like you're watching a gifted young child surrounded by negative reinforcement. Even more disturbing than this is the lack of care in quality control. Can't figure out who's to blame on this - the band, the engineer, the master or the record company. 9 songs appear on 8 tracks, there's two songs sharing track 3, but lyrics of each song suggest something completely out of order from the printed track list. The only song that I can positively identify is track 1, which is strangely the only track title written in ALL CAPS (possibly suggesting it's not of the 8 tracks all listed below it). Confused???! My favorite song, "Lament" opens the disc in a stunning piece which echoes "I Am the Way, the Truth, the Light" (from LPD's Asylum) in an almost retro-80s pop style, continuing on, songs almost pierce the ears with bland adult contemporary pop-rock feel. One even summoning up old memories of "Sultans of Swing" from Dire Straits. Another gem on the album I thought was originally "Her Majesty's Trusted Food Taster" seems like it's actually "Castaway" as the lyrics make more sense being part of that 2-song track earlier on the disc. I'm all screwed up, somebody please correct this. Can we start again? Leave track 1 in though...

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30 April 2011

Administrator

Albums and Singles

Did you get the NEW Kid606 full-length CD yet? The eagerly anticipated follow-up to lastmonth's full-lengther, "P.S. I Love You" rounds up various songskicking around from out of print 10", 7" and unreleased songs. The moodthis time around is one step more bridging the gap between thebombastic noisey and the high pitched squealing sonics (or love songsas Kid seems to refer to them). For a single release, many artistsfocus more on an individual track than a 'concept' that would becarried out over the course of many many songs. In many ways singlescompilations can be perfect overviews of an artist's works. On thistasty CD it works! It sounds great and provides a great way to catch upwith your favorite wonder-boy electronica poster child without huntingdown all those old vinyl singles which are difficult to grab thesedays.

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29 April 2011

Administrator

Albums and Singles

CQBL016 | BURIAL HEX | ESCHATOLOGY I | C60
[Ltd. 100 Obsidian on Black Mist]
"Eschatology I" is the first installment of the "Precession of Nightfall" cycle which will eventually culminate in the "Nightfall" divination kit and cassette boxset. A cycle which presents 8 unique 30 minute compositions exploring a new hallucinatory concept of ritual precession as a means to further explore the divinations of Mother Midnight; also known as The Reading of Readings, The Oracles of The Oracle, and/or The Visions of The Void. The first piece is presented in this sprawling collection as the mysterious "Twilight Visitors", which features a slow rotation of apparitions and psychic phenomena. Once these spirits get to know you, they begin to celebrate and awaken one another, surrounding you, whispering in your ear until your eyes close and the veil is totally dissolved. The second piece presented is the "Book of Delusions (St Hilary's Day Remix)", which takes the already exhausting trance of the cursed epic "Book of Delusions" and doubles it in length, drowning and discoloring the work until nothing is left but a numb and muted pulse. World without end, Amen.

http://www.bravemysteries.com

25 April 2011

Creaig Dunton

Albums and Singles

cover image Recorded six years ago, but just released this year, this is a three way collaboration with some of the biggest names who inhabit that gray space between musique concret and harsh noise. The result is an all-too-brief work that covers the strengths of both scenes quite nicely.

Bocian Records

On "Wrestling," there are layers of squelchy static atop an uneasy thud that almost feels rhythmic, neither of which becomes too loud to overshadow the other.Between the sputtering analog synth cast-off noises and dynamic, abstract clattering, there is a sense of both electronic chaos and careful, but abstract structures.

"Rest" opens up the doors to noise a bit more, heralded by an opening, expansive blast of noise that feels like an Incapacitants bit that at least initially pulls away to leave legions of little analog birds to chirp away.These hyper synth burps are contrasted by what sounds like some big, dumb guitar blasts, ending up in a more raw, less controlled context.The latter portions are a bit more menacing, sounding like splashing water and plumbing pipes bursting in a dark, cavernous space.

Considering this is only a 7", it is all too brief in length.While occasionally it sounds like three distinct artists doing their own thing, those moments are mostly erased by the ones where it all comes together and clicks, like a really good free jazz record.