Plenty of new music to be had this week from Laetitia Sadier and Storefront Church, Six Organs of Admittance, Able Noise, Yui Onodera, SML, Clinic Stars, Austyn Wohlers, Build Buildings, Zelienople, and Lea Thomas, plus some older tunes by Farah, Guy Blakeslee, Jessica Bailiff, and Richard H. Kirk.
Lake in Girdwood, Alaska by Johnny.
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Finally returning from an unbearably long six-year hiatus, Scott Cortezand Melissa Arpin-Henry of Lovesliescrushing release their third albumof complex and lush gossamer guitar-based ambience. The band departedfrom the Projekt label to join up with the Conneticut-based Sonic Syrup(on which Cortez has released material under his Astrobrite moniker). The label changeover becomes most obvious with 'Glissceule''s lack ofthe striking artwork which graced the covers of the band's first tworecords, 'Bloweyelashwish' and 'Xuvetyn'. Musically much in the samevein as some of Darla's Bliss-Out series releases, the 17 tracks(spanning just over 77 minutes) have an airy, meditative quality andnot as much dirge as the album's predecessors. As a result,'Glissceule', though no less enchanting, is somewhat less dynamic(although it manages to avoid lapsing into homogeneity). In any case,Cortez's emotive, delicate, blanketed layers of guitar andArpin-Henry's soft, unintelligible siren vocals, electronicallymanipulated to the point of absolute unearthlieness, are still present.This is the first Lovesliescrushing release to utilize digitalprocessing (although the album was recorded using analogue means). Theeffect this has on 'Glissceule' seems to be that of an overallsmoothness in production that is not as evident in the band's previouswork. I am at a loss to explain why I so often see Lovesliescrushingget lumped along with other "shoegaze" bands, as they have always mademe think of what Main might sound like if they had a vocalist and putout a record on 4AD in 1985. As for 'Glissceule', it is not likely todisappoint the band's longtime fans, and will surely make some newones.
I really couldn't bring myself to like Belly. I could never understandhow Tanya could go from writing songs like 'Green' and 'Honeychain'—andbeing a beautiful, if edgy, foil to Kristin Hersh's life-affriming butbarely controlled mania—to doing bland indie-rock pap and appearing onMTV all the time. Plus—she hasn't acquitted herself well over theyears: her solo debut 'Lovesongs for Underdogs' passed by like a45-minute Breeders b-side. And now she's writing songs about being amother. It doesn't look so good for Tanya. Well, actually it does—she's finally come into her own, and'Beautysleep' could easily sit along Hersh's 'Sunny Border Blue' or'Hips and makers' as the finest non-Throwing Muses work since theybroke up. "Life is but a dream" deftly turns mum-rock cliches into aseries of spooky metaphors that flit in and out of earshot over alooped heart-beat and barely-there guitars—a million miles away from"Feed the Tree". The single "The Storm" sounds like Patsy Cline crooning with Lambchop -it is, in fact, the weakest song here. "Moonbeam Monkey" seems to holdthe key to the album's heart: featuring the ghostly, disembodiedvocal's of Morphine's Mark Sandman—it segues directly into a recordingof her daughter playing a toy piano, succintly connecting life anddeath, loss and love, creating an aura of dazzled, but far from docile,satisfaction. Then she rocks out on "Wrap-around Skirt" and yourealise how watered-down Alanis, Tori and Dido actually are. Its justa shame we had to wait almost ten years for this (its been 10 yearssince TM's "The Real Ramona"!). Tanya might not have thesame contorted dynamics or righteous fury as Kristin Hersh, but she'sfound her voice and has proved herself to be just as valid andneccessary as her wayward half-sister.
This album very pleasantly surprised me. I was a little skeptical coming into this album since 'Culture vs. Nature,' the earlier Templegarden's album, fell quite flat for me. And I've become very skeptical of Ant-Zen lately, since they have not been releasing quality material lately. But the extremely talented collective behind this multi-faceted act (Andrea Börner of Morgenstern, Andreas Schramm of Asche, Tim Kniep and Phillip Münch of Synapscape, along with some others) pulls through with a wonderfully deep ritual-ambient album. The first track on the album, "Lure," sets the stage: percussive drumming that slowly increases in volume, the repetitive chanting of a monk (I'm a sucker for that), and deep, engaging atmospherics. A couple tracks are a little dull (that is, the ones that aren't as "ritualistic") but the good points more than make up for it. In fact, the album kinda leaves me wishing that more of the tracks were those wonderful ritual-drumming ones... but hey, I guess a balanace is nice. Definitely a worthy purchase for those into this style of music, and something you might want to give a try if you've never heard anything like it before.
So - Matthew Shipp knows how to play traditional jazz and fusion. Whichis to be expected, because what good is a free-jazzer who can't swing?But that doesn't stop 'Nu-Bop' from being pretty boring. This CD ispart of the Thirsty Ear "Blue Series," which Shipp curates, and theband is primarily made up of the regular crowd - Shipp on piano,William Parker on bass, Daniel Carter on reeds, and Guillermo E. Brownon drums. Also on board is co-producer FLAM on "synths andprogramming." The styles on the album run the jazz gamut, from thefusion funk of "Space Shipp" (there's also a "Rocket Shipp," howclever) to the 'I'm-gonna-sound-like-Monk' solo piano piece "ZX-1" tothe quiet moody jazz of the Carter/Parker duet "X-Ray." Everybody knowsthat Shipp and co. are all incredible instrumentalists, so of coursethese guys can play these pieces and make it work. But at their best,these songs sound like a pretty good house band at a hip lounge. Attheir worst, they sound like circa-1993 attempts at jazz-hop (though inShipp's defense, at least he didn't go so far as to hire a guestrapper). We are made to think that the presence of FLAM (yes, it'salways in all caps for some reason) on "programming" is going to takethese earlier idioms of jazz to some sort of new horizon (hence thetitle 'Nu-Bop'), but his contributions mostly add up to a bunch ofquirky squeaks and crunches mixed in with Brown's drumming. The mostridiculous FLAM contribution is "Select Mode 1," in which Shipp'splaying is looped over a cheesy dance beat for a minute and a half. Themost interesting part of the disc is the phasing between Shipp andBrown at the beginning of "Select Mode 2," ironically. This disc hasbeen widely praised recently, and I'm not sure why. It may be thatpeople think that if Shipp and co. made a more traditional album thenit must be good, considering their status as gods in the jazz worldtoday, but it's really not a very interesting listen and definitely nota high point for any of the musicians involved.
Cruelty Campaign is one of the newest signings to the ever growing andincreasingly more popular German label, Tesco Organisation. TheCalifornian duo emerges from a Hollywood milieu and this backgroundlends a cinematic quality to the recordings of mostly found sounds,such as the subtle rhythms of Roger Karmanik's refrigerator. Pardon thepun, but the sample is a good indication of the entire album, cold andstark, at times interrupted by dark fluctuating rumbles with theslightest hint of a beat. Intriguing vocal samples, like a Germandomestic argument in "The Arguement" and old recordings of secretagents in the title track, pop in and out of the recordings, allexpertly timed. The music glides effortlessly from electronic drone andnoise to what could very well be actual instruments such as organs andviolins, but are most likely sampled, and the album still manages toretain its penchant for peculiarity. Cruelty Campaign's strength liesin illustrating the oddness of the modern world. They distill soundsand noises that are part of the every day, and often taken for granted,and incorporate them into dark and gripping pieces best described as asoundtrack for the Earth of a parallel dimension. 'Distressed Signals'is without a doubt an exceptional postmodern pastiche as it cobblestogether numerous found sources, including the cd's artwork, into adocument that many electronic bands would do well to learn from.
Imagine an alternate universe in which all the so-called 'shoegazer'bands didn't just water down the all pervasive influence of My BloodyValentine but upped the noise crescendos to the next level. Japaneseduo Xinlisupreme just beamed in from that place! There is certainlyenough guitar feedback screaming from this stunning Fat Cat Splinter toconvince most people that Xinlisupreme are familiar with at least onelevel of musical excess, which is appropriate considering that theirname could be shortened to xs. They consider their music to be tender,strange, spiritual and violent. It's also hypnotically mind altering.It's a rollercoaster ride drenched in headcleaning melodic feedbackthat'll very likely satisfy anyone who still hankers after a mythicalfollow up to My Bloody Valentine's benchmark 'Loveless'. There are alsonods to the dense freenoise of Sonic Youth's early rock, butXinlisupreme have distinctly over the top tendencies which somehowcould only have arisen in Japan. They often centre tracks on onemonstrous looping distorted guitar riff around which lighter rapidlyshifting sonic satellites spin. Stir in primitive hotwired drum machinerhythms, some deliciously discordant piano runs and occasional buriedmumbled vocals and you have a recipe for the most exciting popnoise ofthe first quarter of the year. The opening salvo 'Kyoro' sounds like a cousin of 'Death Valley '69'swamping an overloaded drum machine battling with an imaginary TV themefor the Feedback Olympics. 'Goodbye For All' slows the pace with amassive loping riff that drops out to two small repeated notes beforelurching back full on. Vocals appear for the first time on the fourthtrack, the yearning 'All You Need Is Love Was Not True' whichpreviously appeared on a 7" late last year and marks perhaps theirpoppiest tendencies. The album title comes from the only song withdecipherable lyrics, 'Amaryllis' which is relatively reflective, thecalm in the eye of the hurricane. The standout tracks emerge towardsthe end. Both open relatively calmly before big noise breaks out. Theeerily discordant 'You Died In The Sea' is only topped by the longesttrack, 'Fatal Sisters Opened Umbrella' which starts out dark and tiredwith submerged emotive vocals then lights a long fuse which ignitesskyward fireworks for the biggest noise eruption yet, a feedbackfairground bliss out. 'Nameless Song' winds out with sparse tablapercussion and some two tone wind instrument but nevertheless can'tresist a rush of guitar pyrotechnics latterly. The only new album I'veplayed as much as this so far this year is the Elders of Zion's "DawnRefuses to Rise". Both bands use very different means to the end ofrocking out big time minus cliché, and both embody very differentaspects of the apocalyptic.
This album was produced in conjunction with Tarmvred's North American "Subsnow" tour, and features Tarmvred as well as a host of other acts, most (or all? I think?) of whom he played live with on this tour. It's a very strong compilation with only a few weak tracks throughout, and would make an excellent purchase for industrial/electronic/IDM/whatever fans. The star of this compilation is Tarmvred, who contributes two excellent tracks: "Subsnow" and "Drifter," both of which are great tracks, but not as cool as those on Subfusc simply because they're shorter and SIDstation-less. Oh well... I was very pleasantly surprised by Antigen Shift, whose track "Epoch" was a nice electronic-tribal thingie which was very entertaining. Same with V.O.S., who contribute an excellent dark ambient skull-f*ck piece that, like all good dark ambient tracks, seems to just swallow you whole. Wilt's tracks are interesting, and sound somewhat like an intergalactic space-rat trying to nibble and claw its way through your bedroom walls. (No drugs were used in the listening of this album or the writing of this review.) I was disappointed, however, by Kreptkrept, Re:pro vs. Acclimate, and C2, who all contribute substandard beaty-industro-techno-type tracks that failed to catch my ear. A well-rounded compilation, however, and definitely something to keep an eye out for.
Shinji Shibayama has a bit of a legacy in the Japanese music community.First, his work in the bands Nagisa Ni Te and The Hallelujahs earnedhim recognition as a superior singer/songwriter. In addition, he is thefounder of the Org label, responsible for the most well-knownexperimental Japanese rock music of the '80s. This release, onGlasgow's Geographic imprint, is meant as a retrospective ofShibayama's music, released around the same time as Nagisa Ni Te's newalbum, "Feel," was released in Japan. Listening to "Songs," it's clearwhy Shibayama is so well-liked in his home country, and so worthy ofnotice here. The music of Nagisa Ni Te is often thrown in with thegenre called folk-psyche, and although I hate labels, it's a fittingone. Slow, languid guitar lines develop a firm structure, building to adramatic crescendo of voice, guitar, and drums. It's a productivepairing, Shibayama and his partner in Nagisa, Masako Takeda. The musicis soaring, powerful, and the vocals are haunting, though I can'tunderstand a word. The melodies are impressive, too, reminiscent ofAmerican post-rock music without copying or being derivative. TheHallelujahs, by comparison, are more psychedelic rock, but equally asaccomplished for the time they were recording (1985-88). The unreleasedtrack included here, 'I'll Follow Soon, No Matter Where You Are' is asurreal number, sounding like CSNY mixed with the theme to Top Gun, butstill a great little pop tune. A great introduction to those who havenever heard of Shibayama or his music, "Songs" is the kind of legacyany musician would be proud of, as well as a strong collection ofunreleased tracks for true fans.
These prodigious musicians from Wales have gained quite a reputation thus far, and with this newest album on Ad Noiseam, they have managed to carry the torch yet again. However, they seem to suffer from the same old problems, but do manage to innovate as well. I'll get started by stating my basic problem with Somatic Responses: they never really change. After hearing their first album, 'Circumflex,' I eagerly picked up some earlier 12"s and such by the Healy brothers, and they all sort of blended together. Their sound is unique, but almost to a point where all their songs sound the same. However, I did say they managed to innovate, and that is a very good thing. Melodies and strings come into play, including a few beatless ambient bits, which help to break up the album. The beats tend to be a little bit harsher and more complex than before, and are as schizophrenic as ever. Beat-wise, these guys are impeccable. When it comes down to it, though, this album doesn't really present anything new. If you're a fan of Somatic Responses, you will adore this album; if you enjoy them but aren't fanatic enough to wolf up the entire discography, I'd recommend just sticking with 'Circumflex.' (P.S. - the entire album is available at http://c8.com/c8/tunes/tunes-misc.html - buy it if you like it!)
ExOrder is the power electronics side-project of underground darkambient heroes Inade. 'War Within Breath', released on the excellentMalignant Records, is mostly a reissue of a long out of print cassetterelease, 'Law of Heresy', with some unreleased and live tracks thrownin to round it out. Pounding, heartbeat-like drums, scathing, heavilytreated vocals are reminiscent of other bands in the genre, but 'WarWithin Breath' does not rely on typical power electronic tropes, suchas impenetrable walls of noise that sound like television tuned tostatic. ExOrder uses rhythm (often militaristic) and bass to theiradvantage, to heighten a sense of tension and to hint at conventionalsong structure, only to rip it apart and blow it up. The noise isnuanced and the band uses repetition to their advantage, as you feelstuck at times, controlled, intensified by drones and fluctuations withan almost hypnotic affect, especially on "Crawling From The Ground".Every track, however, is distinct, you never feel like you're listeningto one long tedious song. 'War Within Breath' examines war, genocide,fanaticism, and resistance, the de facto themes of most powerelectronic projects, but they never come down in favor of any singleideology. ExOrder's 'War Within Breath,' rather hopes to express theviolence inherent to humanity. ExOrder typifies all that is best in thecurrent, and glutted, European power electronics scene.
It is incredibly difficult to make techno music that isn't incrediblyboring. Being a person who has never really enjoyed/embraced the raveculture, I would find these events stale and uninteresting. I wouldenjoy dancing to the work of some of the DJs, because they were doingthings that were innovative, different. And they weren't clutteringtheir music with annoying keyboards and house-girl voices that make youwant to run for cover. Stewart Walker, a minimalist techno efficianado,released this set last year, partially to start his own label and totide fans over until his second proper LP. A collection of previouslyreleased material available on the rare 12" EP or odd release as wellas new material never released, "Reclamation" is pretty good. Walker ispart of the school I like: minimal sounds, mainly percussive beats andminimal keyboards, with little or no added flourishes that detract fromthe overall mix. Unfortunately, the sonic palette limits the musicsomewhat, as is found on this release. A lot of the work is repetitive,with the same beats per minute and tempo, though it is a cut above therest in terms of composition. Walker makes the most of every track,throwing in interesting samples and making them part of the beat ratherthan sitting by hoping they make an impact on the listener. Thestandout tracks are ones where Walker breaks the mold he usually setsfor himself, manufacturing stuttering beats of fancy and grooves thatalternate bass notes of the lowest frequencies to get your ass moving.As a collection of previous work, this is definitely worth hearing, butI look forward to hearing what Walker produces next, as well as the newreleases on his label, Persona.