Long before dictionaries included a musical description for the word'funk', a common definition was "to emit an offensive smell, to stink".Ironically, the most popular "funk" bands (Parliament, Ohio Players,Sly and the Family Stone, or James Brown) all had substantial recordingbudgets and crisp, clean production for the most part. The originatorsof funk (as a musical style) weren't that far off from the dictionary'sdefinition. The music was raw, produced on cheap equipment and foundits way to a number of 7" records in the late 1960s around the sametime as the flood of garage pop (see 'Nuggets' or 'Box of Trash'comps). While a number of NYC-based bands are jumping down thebandwagon of returning to garage pop ideals, NYC-based Soul FireRecords is heading down the road of original funk. Over the course ofthe last couple years, the label has been releasing a number of raw,yet powerful 7" singles in extremely limited quantities, which now arecompiled on these two collections.
At first listen, it's rather deceptive, as you wonder if some of thesesongs truly date back thirty years. The first volume starts off withSoul Fire's third 7", two brief songs of looped gritty hooks by CalypsoKing & the Soul Investigators. It continues with the pimpin' soundsof Speedometer who bring to the collection a fierce horn section,wakka-wakka guitars and killer percussion. It isn't until the songsfrom Lee Fields & the Explorers that we actually finally hear asinger/band leader. While he shouts "Baby, I ain't James Brown" on "I'mthe Man" I must point out he does indeed squeak out an occasional JamesBrown line like "Give it up, turn it loose" and "I got soul." The tempodrops down for the two slow-riding numbers from Third Point and picksup again for a virile ending from The Soul Command, clearly masteredfrom terrible recordings. Volume One ends with a special bonus - "FastFunk Instrumental" by the Supersonics and a collection of breakbeatsprimed for sampling purposes.
samples:
- JD & the Evil's Dynamite Band - Haaa-Sheesh
- Lee Fields & the Explorers - I'm the Man
Volume two continues with seven more singles (14 tracks) and opens withthe flute and funk marriage by Bama & The Family. Lee Fields (whowas previously quoted as saying how he wasn't James Brown) pays a clearhomage to "Funky Drummer" with "Ain't it Funky Now" while theWhitefield Brothers play tribute to Funkadelic's "Super Stupid" with"In the Raw." The two songs from the Detroit Sex Machines adds a littlemore soul to the voice of the front man (and I swear this has got to bemastered from a slightly off-centered 45). There's no bonus beats onthis volume but the poorly-cut masters are enough to provide a mildamount of home-grown amusement. Unfortunately now, I'm hooked andcompelled to start buying their 7" single releases. Damnit!
samples:
- Bama & the Family - Don't Think... Do
- The Whitefield Brothers - In the Raw
Pheromone is the trio of Guionnet, here playing metal, wood, contactmicrophones and some instruments I've never heard of (chifelia anyone?)with Eric Cordier on his usual hurdy-gurdy and Pascal Battus onprepared (he says "surrounded") guitar. The music was improvised liveto cassette on one day in May of 1998, and this CD retains the limiteddynamic range and compression inherent in that medium. This is a goodthing. The tape is saturated in such a way that the individualingredients are pretty much indistinguishable, especially during thebusiest sections. I happen to enjoy the sound of overloaded tape, sothere were many breathtaking passages for me. At one point in the firsttrack, something that sounds like a grunting beast wrestled withmetallic percussion under a blanket of smudge and feedback...wonderful! As electro-acoustic improv albums go, this one has grit anda fierceness that one does not encounter very often. My only complaintis that 'Disparture' might actually be too much of a good thing; at 72minutes long, I don't believe that the material has been sculpted intoan album. Perhaps a good way to listen to this would be intwenty-minute chunks, because I found myself craving some shape andclosure after about 40 minutes. 
Another animal entirely is "Metro Pre Saint Gervais", recorded andperformed in the Paris train station of the same name. Englishviolinist Warburton (also a writer for the Wire and Signal to Noise)and the omnipresent Guionnet (here on alto sax) wandered around thetrain station with their instruments for an evening while Eric La Casaactively recorded the interactions between the duo and the station. Intruth, the subway station itself makes this a quartet, since itspeculiar gestures determine the nature of the sounds generated within.On this album, it can be heard interjecting bits of people'sconversation, as well as its own strange acoustics, implacable bellsand clangs, incidental noises and (of course) the occasional train insuch a way that it is playing exactly as much as the "players" are. Onetone seems to reoccur, echoing through the space as a sort of chorus tounite the piece's several sections. This odd tone is subtely quoted inWarburton and Guionnet's playing, which La Casa uses to underlineserendipitous moments (like when an escalator drone matches thesaxophone's pitch, or footsteps suggest a subtle rhythm, etc) intotense and concise compositions. La Casa is very concsious of the stereofield, as demonstrated in his pitting of violin against saxophone inopposing speakers, gradually pulled into the center just as a trainarrives to obliterate the moment. Both instumentalists play into theirenvironment, blending with and accentuating aspects of the foundacoustic space, rather than simply overlaying improv onto environmentalnoises, which would have been obvious and boring. There is a danger inthis kind of sound work that the subject matter might be so opaque thatit overshadows the music, but this trio seems to be aware of that. Theyhave created a pure listening experience, in which the elements add upto a complete and thoughtful whole.
This side project of Neurosis has been releasing some of the bestexperimental music since their first album, 'Silver Blood Transmission'in 1995. This one has been several years in the making, and is"dedicated to and inspired by... and originally produced by insects"according to the insert.Disc One opens with the 2-minute "High Mobility", as a slow bass line is permeated with a shrill swirl of echoing bugs.Track 2, "Adaptability" sounds like an ant's aural perspective whenthousands of its brethren are hastily running around. These tracksremind me of what Mark Spybey puts out on Hafted Maul without theparticular toy which dominates each song. Unlike a lot of experimentalacts you can hear and follow what is going on. Nothing irritates memore than when you listen to a 10-minute track where you have to leaninto the speaker because it's turned all the way up and you 're notsure if you can hear anything. There is definitely something going onhere, like track 4 'Small Size' which starts off with an undulatingrushing flutter that runs throughout the entire track. Layered on topand underneath of that are beating hearts and steel cords being drugacross plastic grating. If you like layered music this is for you. Attimes during track 5, 'metamorphosis', I am reminded of the feel I getfrom Nurse With Wounds 'Swan Song' from 'A missing Sense'. That rushingback and forth of the same drone, though not nearly as intense in thisform. Only coming in at 33 minutes and 28 seconds isn't a whole lot ofmaterial, but it is a double CD. Disc two is all one track, clocking inat 34 minutes and 25 seconds which is odd, considering they are meantto be played together. I notice some of the same sounds in the firstfew minutes, but it is also a much more intense display. The same humcomes in and out through the whole track and there may even be a chorusof shrieking madness. There is no general song structure or percussionhere, just sounds, which appeals to many. I like listening to this discat work real loud and confusing everyone around me. They don't knowwhat they are hearing.
This very nice (and nicely packed) compilation is a selection of 14exclusive tracks, new or previously unreleased from the Genesungswerklabel and their allies out of Germany, Dortmund. In addition, there isa cut-up version of the entire CD by Segment, available for download atwww.genesungswerk.de/compilation. Unconventionalism is the connectionhere between the diversity of styles, described as 'Weird noises, nicemelodies, obscure data snippets...' by Genesungswerk themselves. Mostof the artists have contributed calm and moody electronic music, some alittle more dub influenced ([multer], krill.minima, Basalt or KonradBayer) while others have a more soundtrack-ish approach, likeKallabris, Teamforest, Syncliar, Resonator and N (the guitarist frommulter who submits a guitar-only piece far removed from recognizableguitar sounds). The opening and finishing Tracks by Pale Asle Pettersonand P. Myles Bryson are fine examples in a more experimental vein,while the contributions from Segment (the label head himself), FrancoBaresi and Karten Frankreich consist of a few deranged Dada Pop tunes.All of which are very suitable sounds for late night listening. 
Melancholy, deliberate-sounding rock is making headway as artistsbecome less concerned with the trickery or nuances of the genre andmore concerned about the substance at all costs. Most try to find theirniche, which establishes them while limiting them as they run out ofsteam on future releases. Athens, GA-based Clairvoyants show no signsof this behavior, making a solid debut on "Your New Boundaries" ofminimal, haunting rock music by Brian Dunn. Most songs start with asolo guitar line, add instruments, then settle into their pocket, thenDunn sings. And he sings of loss, ghosts, memories, and Japanese paperactors. Not new subjects, nor really a new way of coveying them, but itmatters little as the record is a solid piece of work throughout. Thequotable lyric is the first on the record ('That city fucked youup/like everybody does/it does to everyone' on 'To Reassure'), butelsewhere, Dunn's affectations sound very British. His voice is low intone and delivery, but occasionally it soars in his range, showing acontrol and beauty few possess. The band is tightly wound around Dunn,producing sounds and effects that serve these songs with absolutededication. On 'Yes, I Waited a Year...', the band waits an eternitybefore entering, but when they do there are subtle strings, and asimple trumpet line that make it the slow dance song of the year. Andon 'The Hungry Ghosts' the music is almost playful, inviting. There areeven an untitled bonus track, for those who wanted more after the titletrack finally ends. It's a soothing, capable release that doesn'tinduce hibernation. And that, in itself, is quite an accomplishment formusic this mellow and concentrated.
Gwei-lo's impressive debut album, the first of Bella Union's "Series 7"releases, was set to make them peers of the major post-rock outfits.But soon afterwards, guitarist Al Brooker died during a gig at theStrawberry Fair festival in Cambridge, UK. 'Quixotic' is a posthumouscollection of some of his unreleased home recordings. With live,sampled and synthesized sounds, this mostly instrumental album has aband-like feel, echoing the graceful Gwei-lo sound in places, whilemoving into breaks and weirdness elsewhere. The strongest tracks,particularly "Slothrop", offer superb melodic post-rock moments, upthere with recent Fridge. Vocal contributions come from Steven Adams(The Broken Family Band) and Pete Gregory (Um), to round off what is,in the circumstances, a surprisingly complete album.
Mouse Finding The Key is an act that's emerged from the Gwei-lo campsince Al Brooker's death. Dave Henson's solo debut combines warmelectronica sonics with cultured post-rock overtones. The Gwei-loaesthetic can be heard in the pretty melodic lines, tapped out overcrunchy, deep percussion. Unlike much modern IDM, the programmingdoesn't stifle the music, and rather than rationing musical ideas, manyof the tracks handle several at at time, such as the anthemic "GoodbyeBig Gwei", or the solemn "Phrases, Loops, And Electricity".
This latest seven song EP from the Dusseldorf combo comes across assomewhat of a well-preserved study in 80s symphonic synth popcomposition and European-type soundtrack scores. While they may havegone a touch more electronic between 1998's "Appearance and the Park"and their 2000 self-titled disc, this time around it's all aboutworking the strings, synth patches and samples, with the odd tubularbell now and then. The gloomy "La Casa I" opens the disc with somethingreminiscent of the Art of Noise, with its plucked strings, synth dronesand trickles and underlying 4/4 pulse. You can almost see the creditsrolling over a fuzzy ballroom scene. "L'autre Main" is a dark march ofthick low-end chords, trumpet blasts and marimba sounds propelled by arepetitive snare drum that could be related to "Bolero," only moredriving. "Circulus" chatters away comfortably with what sounds to be asampled thumb piano, synth marimba and surdo rhythm with a melodyplayed with the same synth-chime sound that begged the question "DoThey Know It's Christmas?" While this disc is overall not my cup oftea, Kreidler has managed to honestly reproduce the 80s style pop andnot have it dripping with irony.
For Radian's second long player, the Austrian trio have consciouslymoved away from the more clinical and stringent sound of theirMego-associated first album. Rhythmic laptop clicks have beensurrendered for the sake of cooperative collaboration, as the membersare all taking equal parts, without the noises taking center stage.Known widely for their live act, the band has made a more noticablyconscious effort to attempt to convey that vibe on record this timearound. At times, when the band gets going, it can be a marvelloustreat. Beats are broken, riffs are made, and the feeling lies somewherebetween 1970s gangster-movie chase music and Ryoji Ikeda-like sine-wavenoises. There are numerous struggles when incorporating silence intothe mix, which might work for an attentive, unchatty audience, but forthe most part on record, these moments sound almost too-directionless.Thankfully the group will be out on the road soon with Pan American, soby then I'm sure everything will click in very, very nicely.
This "best of" collection of woozy, kitschy plunderphonia looks back onten years of PLU releases over the course of 30 tracks. The finermoments foster nostalgia for childhood memories you've never had, asVicki Bennett's strong suit is the whimsical collage of sounds thatappeal to the immature side of her audience. Uneasy listening, bathroomhumor, gaudy polka jaunts, field recordings and happy singalongs allemerge from the blender as a dadaistic children's record. That's not tosay that this music is unsophisticated; many of the juxtapositions arebrilliant. The closest comparison I could make would be Stock, Hausenand Walkman, but PLU does not shoehorn the samples into beat-orientedelectronic music. People Like Us has a very personalized approachthat has more to do with the silly innocence of Spike Jones than thedark cynicism of fellow cut-uppers Negativland. But this innocence issavagely taken advantage of on "If someone touches you," which ishilarious but will have you feeling creepy for laughing. Sort of likethe deviant side of Paul Rubens creeping onto the set of the Pee WeeHerman show and molesting the talking chair. The parts of this recordthat fall short for me are some of the vocal snippets pulled from radiointerviews and TV call-ins as they just don't share the exotic appealof the musical constructions. But the slow spots don't take too muchaway from this highly entertaining retrospective. 
For this 6-track EP, AmAnSet has enlisted the remixing assistance oflabel mates Her Space Holiday as well as Belgian Morr Musicup-and-comer Styrofoam. The EP kicks off with a re-working of an oldertrack, followed by a charming cover of Her Space Holiday's "TheseDays'. Both of the remixers, whose expertise lies primarily inelectronic-based music, fuse digital elements into tracks from theTexas quintet's most recent release, 'Know By Heart.' Marc Bianchi ofHSH puts an edgy spin on "Aaron & Maria", and turns the title trackinto a funky trip hop feast of sliced and diced vocals with anunobtrusive touch of drum 'n' bass. Both remixes feature the orchestralgilding present on much of Her Space Holiday's last album. Styrofoam'sremixes have the warmth and subtlety that is signature of so many ofthe Morr Music artists. He adds gently crunchy beats to "The Postman",stripping the original of nearly everything but the original vocaltrack, and turns the instrumental "We're Computerizing and We JustDon't Need You Anymore" into a delicate ambient piece. 'Updates' isplesant treat for fans of all the artists and labels involved.
