Just in time for the holidays is the reissue of V/Vm Test Records' veryfirst Christmas single! Included on the new 3" are all six tracks fromthe original 7" single plus a brand new Christmas treat for 2001: atimeless terrible Paul McCartney tune that time forgot, "Pipes ofPeace". Sure, we all know that the Stockport crew are a bunch of hacks,but there's something amazingly charming about the sounds of deformedclassics threadded through hosts of effects, banks and glitches alongwith creepy new takes on irritating joyous songs unavoidable like thatSalvation Army guy with the bell who won't stop. After a long day ofavoiding grouchy drivers, pushy shoppers and everything else that comesalong with the holiday season, it's nice to throw on something hauntinglike Animal's "Oil Come All Ye Industrial" or the chopped-up audiocollage of Prof. Broxburn's "Christmas Fractions and Brandy Snaps" atunbearingly loud volumes. I think that's even James and Andy singingkaraoke on the V/Vm live show 1997 track! And to think these guys claimto have never heard of Nurse With Wound!
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You know those collaborations you read or hear about and you think toyourself 'now that's gonna be cool' but then you finally hear it andare completely underwhelmed? Ok then, lets file this one in that bin. 
Before you fill out that brainwashed poll's category of "bestcompilation," make sure you own this collection. If you are stillunconvinced the Chicago-based Hefty Records is one of the strongestmodern electornic music labels, then this compilation will surelychange your mind. 'Immediate Action' was first reported on The Brainabout a year ago, as a series of limited 12" singles which suddenlypopped up in record stores and clubs all over the world. The premisewas to manufacture and distribute all the records quick, sinking littleor no money into artwork and promotion. The result was an assortment offine singles from Tortoise's John Herndon's dub guise A Grape Dope, theorganic live jazz and post-production electronic manipulations ofSamadha Trio, the hypnotic electornic Retina from Italy, the deepechoes of Twine, and Savath + Savalas - the now legendary and muchsought after project from Prefuse 73/Delarosa and Asora mastermindScott Heren. Along with these came a bit of remix work of John Hughesfrom the 'Scarlet Diva' by people like the Scott Heren and theundisputable Telefon Tel Aviv as well as a Slicker collaboration withthe Aluminum Group. For the most part, all records were gone as quicklyas they came in. For the CD release, the song collection has beennoticably truncated, missing A Grape Dope's "Time Makes You Suffer";Retina's "No Escape from Paradise"; plus "Hour 36" and "Loki" fromSamadha Trio. Consequently, 'bonus' tracks are included like unusedremixes and tracks from Bogdan Raczynski, Beneath Autumn Sky, andRetina. The end result is a fine assortment totalling over two hours ofsome of my favorite depth-penetrating electronics which never getboring, predictable or mundane. Those music fans who have addictivecollector tendencies should act soon if they want the bonus 12" that'savailable to accompany the comp., I don't know what's on it yet butyears from now it'll be a fine, much sought-after prize in yourcollection.
Time travel the easy way: just follow the beat and dive into nostalgia.The early 80's are present just like Vicious Pink Phenomena (ViciousPink later on) or Ensemble Pittoresque never went away. As hommage, TheHacker (Michel Amato) incorporates parts of Memorabila (Soft Cell) andI Feel Love (D. Summer / G. Moroder), but that`s about it withwellknown reference points.
Doing a search for this band on the internet is frustrating for obviousreasons. But what I can gather is that the band is the brainchild ofTom Crossley of Appendix Out fame and Annabel Wright (Aggi from thePastels, of which Tom is a more recent member). It is also the work ofa rotating group of musicians working with Wright and Crossley at hishome, and mixed with nice studio help from John McEntire. Fitting,since the music has a very Tortoise-like vibe to it, but with morevocals by Crossley and Wright. It's loungey, it's relaxing, and it allhas a nice groove anyone can fix on for a time. About half of therecord is instrumental only, and it is on these tracks where most ofthe power of International Airport lies. The tracks with vocals arefine, but tend to be more of the basic pop song structure through theInternational Airport kaleidoscope. This tends to make them a bit morestructured, where this music works best without that sense ofdefinition. The exception to this being the second track, "movingwater," which is just plain beautiful. Wright has a section of the songall to her voice, then Crossley gets his counterpoint, singing partsall his own. The end of the song pares back down to instruments only:majestic, solitary, magic. As a whole, the album possesses a quietpassion that makes it a worthwhile listen. Is it the best record I'veheard this year? No. But there's plenty of potential here...
Jazzkammer are the Norwegian duo Lasse Marhaug and John Hegre. Aftertwo albums they've opted to make the third a collection of remixes forthe Smalltown Supersound label. This means they have more time forsnowball fights or whatever it is they do to keep themselves amusedwhen they're not creating collages of glitch, noise, pop, static andthose little pasta stars that are good in soup. Although this is acollection of remixes, it holds together pretty well as an album takingin candle flicker glitchscapes from relatively unknown Norwegians, bigloping looping international laptop noise eruptions from Pita, ZbigniewKarkowski and Merzbow and some deep haunting ambience from FranciscoLÑpez and Reynols. The biggest name amongst mixers is Thurston Moore(didn't he used to play kazoo for the Butthole Surfers or something?)and after I picked up a great little free jazz freak out Schneiderremix of his from a bargain bin, I was curious to hear what he'd get upto here. He basically hacks up a lot of noise skree with cackhandedscratch attacks on jazz and disco cheese and the effect is like quicklytuning a radio dial whilst all the stations are broadcastingcompetitions for the worst DJ on the most fucked up turntable. Somepeople in very popular rock bands obviously don't take themselves asseriously as Radiohead, for which I'm grateful! 
The "Anti NY" compilation gathers seven songs by bands from the early80s scene that centered around the New York City's Mudd Club (perhapsbest known these days for its invocation in the negative by TalkingHeads, i.e."This ain't no..."). The sound stems from the collision ofpunk, disco and electronic noise that coincided with No Wave (bandslike the Contortions or DNA) and the beginnings of rap. While the songsare certainly fantastic, I can only offer a qualified recommendationfor this comp due to the needless inclusion of five "remixes" at theend that do little more than take up space. 
Sorry, it's not a full-length album of all-new material, it's theirsecond collection of remixes bearing Funkstörung's name. This timearound, the range of inputs is varied beyond expectations and usualsuspects. The charmingly timid yet curiously infectious Jay JayJohanson imediately springs to mind, as most electronica purists rolltheir eyes or make motions with their fingers in their throats. Lookout, however because word on the street is that the Funkstörung duo ofMichael Fakesch and Chris de Luca are producing the Swedish crooner'snext album. The track on here, "I Want Some Fun" is as cheesy as thetitle suggests, but the production is undeniably top-notch. Beans fromthe Antipop Consortium joins the German duo for an exclusive track,"Salt" (which samples a classic laid back Jay Jay Johanson organ riff)while A Guy Called Gerald's track with Louise Rhodes gets astylistically d'n'b finishing touch which would make any Lamb fantremble. Other remixes include those from the post-post-kraut popstersThe Notwist (hey, when's that new fucking album coming?) and apreviously-released remix of Tocotronic. My personal friend and soulmate, Speedy J gets doused with annoying repetition on "Something ForYour Mind," however no-age decomposer Jean Michelle Jarre pleasantlygets more beef than he's ever used to hearing. The packaging's cool yetslightly irritating as it will certainly rip at some point. On top ofthat, it has graphics printed on the inside of the glued cardboard, butit sure as hell gives any Funkstörung fan the opportunity to avoidspending their money on things they probably normally wouldn't get.Indulge.
This unusual specimen of audio exotica is a collection of 21 ultra-rarelibrary and production tracks from some huge and bizarre culturalrepository in Southern England, chosen and sequenced by Barry 7 of AddN to (X). This compilation is drawn from the same musical repository asLuke Vibert's recent collection of "Nuggets", but the artistsrepresented here seem to have been chosen with an ear towards morelow-key, eerie synthscapes. Barry 7 provides us with a pleasurable andadventurous journey through science fiction soundtracks, Moog-heavy poptunes, Ennio Morricone-style exotica and pure experimental sonicplayfulness. The artists here run the gamut from pretty obscure toREALLY obscure. Standout tracks include Cecil Leuter's Stereolab-esqueheadphone odyssey "Electro Sounds No. 8" and the melancholy space-agegroove of Sven Libaek's "Solar Flares." Nurse With Wound fans willappreciate the insane whimsy of The Johanna Group's "Hors Phase" andAnthony King's demented pop stylings on "Maladjusted Moogie." Thisstuff is like crack to me. More, please!
This is not an album by the 60's "it" girl but is the debut full-lengthrelease from crafty Londoner Stephen Coates. His brand of audiopastiche includes a combination of polished beats, Coates' own whisperyvocals a'la Momus, and an array of melodies sampled from 1920s and 30srecordings that will unfailingly give you the urge to get up from yourchair and do the Charleston. Tracks like, "Am I In Love?," and theirrisistably catchy, "L'amour et la Morte," are both funny andcharmingly eerie — something on par with being pitched into the absurdvaudevillian silliness of an episode of The Muppet Show. AlthoughCoates seems perfectly at ease with this silliness, the twoinstrumental tracks, "At the House of the Clerkenwell Kid," and, "CloseYour Eyes When You Read This," which show the more serious side ofTuesday, are some of the standout pieces, seeming to draw heavily onfilm noir score. The overall cinematic quality of Coates' work is hardnot appreciate, even on a first listen. For the most part, however, hissense of humor and wit prevail, especially evident in the song title"Terminally Ambivalent Over You," but never lapses into an undesirablechildishness.
