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- HÖH - Schiller in China
- HÖH - Over the Bend
- Sigur Rós - BÕum BÕum BambalÑ
Two new shows just for you. We have squeezed out two extended release episodes for this weekend to get you through this week. They contain mostly new songs but there's also new issues from the vaults. The first show features music from Rider/Horse, Mint Field, Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe, Anastasia Coope, ISAN, Stone Music, La Securite, Bark Psychosis, Jon Rose, Master Wilburn Burchette, Umberto, Wand, Tim Koh, Sun An, and Memory Drawings. The second episode has music by Laibach, Melt-Banana, Chuck Johnson, X, K. Yoshimatsu, Dorothy Carter, Pavel Milyakov, Violence Gratuite, Mark Templeton, Dummy, Endon, body / negative, Midwife, Alberto Boccardi, Divine. Cow in Maui from Veronika in Vienna. Get involved: subscribe, review, rate, share with your friends, send images! |
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The latest in the trend of Russian-released collections has taken the form of a new comp from the Tear Garden. While every album from the group is still in print, this collection is worth mentioning for a few reasons. The type is entirely in Cyrillic, so it should be noted that there are two previously unreleased songs included, "Good Evening Houston" and "Good Night Little Lights" (unlike the last Tear Garden compilation, A Bouquet of Black Orchids which came with nothing extra).
While some may feel it's in poor taste to review something I'm actuallyco-releasing, I also feel it's in poor taste not to share my opinion onsomething I love so incredibly.
This story actually starts over three years ago. Fridge's drummer, SamJeffers and I both were on the Pure-Impure mailing list. I had nevermet nor talked to the guy but liked the first couple releases from theband. He had pointed people on the list to the website he created forthe group and made some hint at perhaps "that web guy Jon Whitney"might be able to help them out with advice or something. Flattered thatthis guy across the ocean in a cool band knew who little ole' me was, Ibegan talking to him and as the 'Sevens and Twelves' compilation wasreleased, I had offered to do a website for the group on brainwashed.At the time (1998) I had a fairly good rapport with Thrill Jockey andKranky, when the group released 'Eph' by 1999, I had builtrelationships in Matador, Merge, and Mute. All of these people I beggedto give Fridge a chance. Just listen to them, perhaps pick up theirstuff and bring them over here to the USA! The general word on thestreet was positive but the labels had other priorities at the time. Iwent to the UK with my friend Nick on a vacation and happened to beable to catch Fridge in a show with To Rococo Rot and was not let downin the least. Sam sent me a CD of 'Happiness' back in February or Marchof this year I think, I don't believe his intentions were of anythingelse than to gauge my opinion. This time around the album was -too-good to give to anybody else. I had to release it myself, andthankfully with the collaborative efforts of Temporary Residence, ithas finally materialized.
Fridge are a group, a trio of friends who grew up together in Londonand have been recording together for many years. Try to remove yourselffrom the other reviews and blurbs which call this Kieran Hebden's"other project", as this is clearly something quite different. [Ifyou're looking for the catchy electro hooks and sampled riffs whichlitter Four Tet records, forget about this release all together.] It'sa remarkable output of three talented musicians who are completelyunafraid to try their hand at electronics, beats, emotional guitarmelodies or improvisation. Tactfully they succeed at bending genredefinition and deliver a solid and graceful album. They have learnedtheir instruments enough to get the sounds and melodies swimming aroundin their heads out — but never distort the songs with mathematicalsolos or over-the-top post-jazz wankery. 'Happiness' is nine songswhich don't lie to the listener, as their song titles adequatelydescribe the center stage elements of each song, "Melodica andTrombone," "Cut Up Piano and Xylophone," "Five Four Child Voice","Harmonics", etc...
Months after hearing it for the first time, I still get emotionallycaught up if Other Music happens to be playing it in the store or theradio station happens to be playing one of the cuts. Three weeks fromtoday I'll be greeting them as they arrive for the first time as agroup to the USA and I would lie if I said it won't be an emotionalmoment. Thanks to the band for one of my favorite albums of the yearand the opportunity to share it with so many. Hope those who are ablecan come out and see them live next month. Tour dates are on the website.
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One of the more recent releases in Raster-Noton's clear series, "Wohltemperiert" ("Probably") is another collaboration between √ò (Mika Vainio of Pan Sonic) and Noto (Carsten Nicolai, founder of Noton). Primarily recorded during the winter of 1998 in New York City with gear borrowed from Larry Seven, the disc comes in a transparent flip top Trimpak inside a card sleeve jacket. Nicolai's contributions are seemingly minimal as the high pitched tones and glitches that are his usual auditory signature are used here economically. It's the sparse hum and pulse which are Vainio's forte that make up the bulk of these 61 minutes.
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Though this release came out back in June of 2001, I thought it deserved some mentioning here. And although Susumu's last album, "Sakura," gained him amazingly good press, including "Best Electronica Album of the Year" from The Wire magazine, this newer album struck me as being more progressive and subtle than his previous recordings: pure electronic bliss when at its best moments. Other times it can fade into the background but such is the nature of much ambient music. This album has apparently gained him "genuis" status amongst many of his contemporary artists and critics alike, comparing him to other such electro-luminaries as Aphex Twin and the legendary Brian Eno. The airy layers here can be truly beautiful, branching to anywhere from an oddly jazzy improv feel with fuzzy, minimalistic piano melodies, down to droney samples, trip-hop-esque beats and spacey (yet quite homely) instrumentation. The emotions here tend to leave me a bit on the bland side, but it seems more about the production and sound quality with this release - and it certainly is precise. This album was released on The Leaf Label in conjunction with Skintone.