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Whether you love Rephlex or hate it (or perhaps even fall somewhere inbetween), you can't deny that the label has progressed nicely from it'sbirth a decade ago — as a home for the acid techno experimentations ofRichard D. James (and soundalikes) — to become one of the more eclecticimprints around. This is proven quite nicely by this simultaneous pairof releases from Cylob that have absolutely nothing in common save theartist responsible.'Cut The Midrange,...' is a three-track EP that follows in the samecute electro vein as Cylob's "Rewind" single from a couple of yearsback. The title song features a Stephen Hawking-style computer voicecrooning early 90s rave cliches like "everybody is in the place", "rockthe house", "gonna take you higher" and "jack to the sound of theunderground" over a simple breakbeat and computerized plink-plonks& squelches. The middle track, "With This Ring", is short andforgettable, but the electro cover version of the hoary old sea shanty"What Shall We Do With A Drunken Sailor" that closes the disc is a hoot.
As for Mood Bells, it's something else entirely. Inspired by a two weekvisit to Japan, Cylob's Chris Jeffs describes the work as "Japanesetraditional music that doesn't exist". As the title suggests, it is amellow and relaxing work composed almost entirely of bell and gongsounds with very little in the way of electronic manipulation orprocessing. A beautiful and exotic work that caps a year of remarkablevariety from the Rephlex contingent.
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First of all, the title for this disc is misleading; it implies thatthis is a trio recording by everywhere-at-once guitarist O'Rourke andtwo members of the UK's (perhaps the world's) greatest improvisingensembles, Eddie Prevost from AMM and Michael Prime from Morphogenesis.What it actually is is one recording of a trio performance by the threeaformentioned folks, and one quartet performance by O'Rourke, Prime,Andy Hammond (guitar) and Adam Bohman (also from Morphogenesis). HavingPrevost's name in the title doesn't really make sense, as O'Rourke andPrime are the only constants on the two tracks. The music on the first trio recording is strangely polite, withO'Rourke and Prime providing unobtrusive electronic gurgles whilePrevost plays the insistent (and unusually straight) improv drummer,constantly in a hurry to propel the music forward. It's Prevost who ismost disappointing here; his impatience to build momentum is the markof boring, predictable improvisation. But since Prime and O'Rourkedon't make any bold moves to give the music any other shape or take itin a different direction, Prevost doesn't have much room in which towork, so he runs through his bag of tricks. The result does not soundlike a coherent musical statement to me.
More successful is the quartet track, which is built upon a thick, notunpleasant drone. The drone vacilates around one chord, but remains inplace for the entire 17 minutes of the piece. Some scraping metal whichsounds like Adam Bohman's contribution gets nicely abrasive after about13 minutes, and reminds me of how much I enjoy Bohman's solo albums.Even though the metal overtakes the drone for almost a minute near theend, it cuts out abruptly and the drone finishes off the track justlike it started. I found myself wishing that the piece would move intoa different area, but that damn pleasant loop anchors the music sothoroughly that it doesn't have anywhere else to go. Again, I felt likethe particpants were too polite; with so many interesting sounds (notto mention immense talent!) at thier disposal, they sound like theyhaven't played together before and do not wish to offend each other.Obviously, that is not the case, so I wonder why it sounds like it is.A steadily growing drone and a predictible improv, while not terriblein and of themselves, are not terribly exciting; I expect more fromthese guys.
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Though the American Analog Set has only been around since 1996, theyhave managed to release a steady flow of albums and singles that,though not incredibly revolutionary or ground-breaking, are gorgeous,hypnotic, and beautifully melodic. "Through the 90s: singles andunreleased" makes an attempt at gathering their best singles andb-sides together on one album while adding unreleased treats and livecuts for long-time fans. If you're not familiar with AmAnSet's sound,try imagining Stereolab and "Another Green World" era Brian Eno gettingtogether and making the most of their guitar, bass, keyboard, anddrum-set. Though certain tracks like "living room incidental #2 / thecorduroy kid" and "it's all about us" feature reversed tape effects andvibraphone parts, the band's best qualities lie mainly in thecohesiveness of the member's sharp playing skills and excellentproduction values. While "Magnificent seventies" and "on my way"showcase just how catchy this band's composistions can be, unreleasedcuts like "don't wake me (meow mix)" and "where did you come from(reprise)" seem unncessary and can spoil the flow of the album. Thelast two tracks are live performances of some AmAnSet's best songs andthese alone are worth the $11.99 price tag. This may not be the bestintroduction to AmAnSet ("From Our Living Room To Yours" fits thatbill), this is a great collection of tunes from a great band withplenty of new material to satisfy any long-time fan.
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It's 1983, and Yazoo (or Yaz if you live in North America) has split up. Alison Moyet just didn't want to sing with peppy, happy, robotic synth-pop behind her any more and wanted to pursue a more "soul" avenue. A saddened Vincent Clarke is left holding the songs without a singer, tries out Paul Quinn and Fergal Sharkey but nothing seems right. Defeated, Clarke destroys all recordings and gives up, of course, until he is put in touch with his inner homosexual and launches Erasure. Sadly enough, all recordings in between the biggest productive times are gone, lost, destroyed, never to be seen again. Clarke never looks back.
 
Morr
Fifteen years later, a young boy in Toronto named Jason Amm is struck by lightning and by divine decree begins reconstructing the lost recordings. Piece-by-piece songs begin to surface, through various singles, albums, compilation tracks, remixes and collaborations. Over the next few years, an enterprising record executive (and huge Vincent Clarke fan) residing in Germany by the name of Thomas Morr manages to collect the right amount of songs and has now made that collection available to the world. Okay, so maybe it didn't happen like this, but Amm's third full-length as Solvent (and first for Morr Music) is a collection of nine impressively melodic instrumental tunes from various releases, performed on vintage equipment, recorded by modern gear. 'Solvent City' is a collection varied enough to give a good glimpse into the world of Solvent without being long enough to wear out its welcome.
 
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A thoroughly satisfying mini-album of groovy beats, originally intendedas soundtracks for dance performances, theater and video installations.A steady dub-like bass guides all five of these mellow, mid-tempotunes, with spare keyboard accompaniment and airy, repetitive melodies.Some tunes remind me of Fax-era Tetsu Inoue or Atom Heart, but "Musicto Watch" stands on its own. The compositions are full of rich soundelements which hold up under intent listening (especially the basssounds, which are just great) and also unobtrusive enough to beinnocuous background noise. It makes me wonder about the nature of thevisual element that the songs were created to supplement. Perhaps avideo component on the CD would have been a nice addition.
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Seth Nehil is a late twenty something artist, now based in Portland,who has worked in sound since 1990 by himself and with electroacoustictrio Alial Straa. "Uva" (a small fruit such as a grape) is a single 20minute found sound oriented track on a 3" CD from Japan's 20 Citylabel. The piece begins with a rolling mass of hollow objects andshimmering glass interjected with electronic currents. But by the 6thminute, the noisy tide recedes leaving just the gentle twinkles tocarry on. These very, very gradually fade away, but not completely,over an extremely calming stretch of 10 minutes. It reminds me of windchimes that, no matter how calm the day, refuse to stop singing. In thefinal minutes bits and pieces of ceramic clutter re-emerge amidst very,very subtle strains of wind and water. Did Nehil record or imitate whatI think I'm hearing? Does it matter? Though the connection betweentitle and work is lost on me, the piece (which is perfectly suited forthe 3" format and bedtime) is a stunning example of what can be donewith found sound. Another winner from 20 City.
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As this year draws to a close, I thought I'd review a great release ortwo from last year that I felt got no respect whatsoever. The first isthis release by the delgados, a band whose members also run the famedChemikal Underground label based in Glasgow Scotland — present orone-time home to Mogwai, Arab Strap, Aereogramme, and bis. Previousreleases by the band showed a strong sense of melody and fantasticinterplay between guitarists/vocalists Alun Woodward and Emma Pollock."The Great Eastern" was recorded by the band in Glasgow, but when timecame to mix the record, they travelled to rural New York to work withfamed producer and member of Mercury Rev Dave Fridmann (who alsoproduced the last two Mogwai full-lengths — apparently the lads saidgood things about Mr. Fridmann). The results are simply stunning.Fridmann brings out the true promise of this band, and puts it ondisplay for all to cherish. From the opening track, which sounds likethe sound Radiohead was trying for but never quite captured on "Kid A,"to "Accused of Stealing," which Pollock OWNS, the delgados shine likenever before. I swear anything Fridmann touches turns to gold. His loveof vocal effects and creative editing makes each song sound like awhole new delgados, and good for them. While their last two records wonthem critical acclaim, it seemed possible that this record would winover the audiences like never before. Sadly, this didn't happen, butmore critics responded, naming "The Great Eastern" as one of theirfavorite albums of 2000. The band are in the studio currently, workingon a new album that Fridmann will also produce for release in early2002. Expect greatness. Until then, try out the sound samples and givethis band a chance.
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Last week, GVSB. This week, their side project New Wet Kojak. Johnny Temple and Scott McCloud of GVSB record with other local musicians in their hometown of Washington, DC, to create music very much in the GVSB vain, but with horns and a broader, sexier sound. Ever-present, though, is the appealing yet odd voice of McCloud, who here utters phrases that many might see as just plain incoherent. But it all works, and the resulting sound is hard to ignore.
Previous albums saw New Wet Kojak being more ethereal, less structured, with a heavy edge. They wanted to rock your booty while they blew your mind. Sometimes it was abrasive, sometimes so unstructured and frantic you didn't know which way was up. And the horns, while great-sounding, seemed like an after-thought in areas. "Do Things" has none of these problems. The release is mostly laid-back, groovy, and pop-music sound byte oriented. The horns are nicely integrated to provide for a fuller, more realized sound. Best of all, New Wet Kojak still want to rock that booty. Despite the band members' commitments to their other projects, New Wet Kojak does tour frequently, and they're amazing live. And with GVSB on temporary hiatus while they sorted out their label problems, New Wet Kojak hit the and recorded a new EP, "No. 4," earlier this year. But it's "Do Things," released in 2000 but virtually ignored, that showed us the new New Wet Kojak roadmap.
 
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Do yourself a favour and get this one... Bourbonese QualkÍs unspectacular return is one of the best things thisyear had to offer music-wise. Miles Miles and Simon Crab continue theirunique traces where they left of with 'Unpop' nearly a decade ago.
Uncompromising with references to none besides their own work, theyblend electronic and accoustic instrumentation to manifest their veryown soundscapes which generate a nearly uncomparable atmosphere. RayBradburyÍs Mars Chronicles are about the nearest I can think off.Otherworldly harmonies are set against subtilerhythms, tapemanipulations and metallic sounds. Even a Sax and vocals find theirplace without spoiling the overall mood which is gentle and playful,free of any dogmaÍs and boundaries. A well balanced piece of work whichwill certainly stand the test of time.
If you canÇt afford or find it - half of the album is downloadable from www.bourbonesqualk.com.
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I became rather excited once I figured out, via some online research, that this is the soundtrack for a film by Iceland's Fridrik Thor Fridriksson. Some of Fridriksson's other films, such as Children of Nature and Angels of the Universe, featured impressive soundtracks that included Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson and Sigur Rós. Too bad they're not on this one.
Óskabörn þjóðarinnar (English title "Plan B") traces the lives of deviants in Reykjavik and 14 groups provide the backing music. The first thing that comes to my mind when listening is bands from the old Eastern Block countries who tried desperately to imitate Western bands. Here we have, presumably, all Icelandic groups doing much the same geared toward rock with some pop, synth pop, funk and - brace yourself - hip hop too.
Much of it is bland or just plain bad and downright cringe inducing in places, such as XXX Rottweilerhundar rapping "my style is phat, when I got my gat" (something tells me Iceland doesn't have anything remotely comparable to Compton). Dip's "Mind in a Vice" is a welcome jazz-y vision and Biogen are the lone purveyor of an electronic track, nearly 8 minutes, but not very interesting. It's the more hardcore tracks by Purrkur Pillnikk, Minus and Brain Police that manage best to erase the geographical genre lines and prove to be the highlights for me. Otherwise, yuck. Come on Iceland ... give us more innovative stuff like Björk, Sigur Rós and Múm!
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- Purrkur Pillnikk - Surprise
- Dip - Mind in a Vice
- Minus - Denver
 
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Solid State is, without a doubt, the best IDM album released in 2001.Now, them's fightin' words, I know - but let us consider thecontenders. Brothomstates' "Claro" was an excerise in derivativenesswhich went absolutely nowhere. "Drukqs"? No, thank you, 1996 was fiveyears ago. "Confield"? Very interesting and pushing experimentalboundaries, but not something you listen to often. "Double Figure"?Now, there's a contender, but.. anyway, Solid State rules. The twoDutch brothers known as Funckarma have singlehandedly tapped into thatamazing Tri Repetae-style of IDM, added some real instruments, and madean album that sounds brand new while feeling delightfully familiar.What I'm trying to say is that Solid State is clearly influenced by themasters, Autechre - but never so much that it sounds like a ripoff orsomething unoriginal (*cough* Funkstorung). What really sets it apart,though, is the beautiful (and real) instrumentation - upright bass in"Lolala," sighing violins in "Bace"... lush sounds that give it anorganic edge the likes of which you only find in something like, say,Plaid's latest album. But electronic-noodling fans, fear not, sinceSolid State delivers those goods too: just listen to "Nuncas" and feelthe way the synth squiggles between your ears.... it's classic. Trulyclassic. These guys clearly aren't getting the recognition they deserve.
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