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Thanks, Mute for making these available now in the USA. While Red Star did reissue Suicide's first album in 1997, this version is coupled with a second CD.
The bonus material included is a live show from CBGB's along with "23 Minutes Over Brussels," both of which appeared on Mute's own Blast First label release of this CD in the UK in 1998. For those unfamiliar with Suicide, it's instrumentalist Martin Rev and vocalist Alan Vega (remember the album he did with Panasonic). Rev's electronic noise machines play the new wave of punk, looped, distorted, abrasive and even pretty at times. Vega croons, screams, shrieks a'la Yoko Ono crossed with Elvis Presley. Together, their music legacy has become more important in the years since their demise than it ever was while they were together. Influences can strongly be recognized in lots of music from Stereolab to Sigue Sigue Sputnik.
Also out this week is the previously difficult to find second album, recorded 1979 and produced by Ric Ocasek of The Cars. Ocasek may have been an electronic music fan but he was a pop star, and a fan of the clean. Suicide's second album is notably cleaner, toned down and even sparkly in spots. The spunk is absent from a lot of the tracks but the band is still recognizably the same. Coupled with this release is a second bonus CD of the first rehearsal tapes, rounding out all you need to know about the first Suicide years.
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- Mark Weddle
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- Jason Olariu
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Zero Hour
For nearly all of the songs, the first measures start up in a wonderful electro glitchy rhythmic interplay, eventually kicking in to a fuzz-bass based pop tune, indie-pop (if possible) in nature. Music must evolve, and thus indie glitch-pop is born (?) as this album represents what you might get when you cross Coil with Magnetic Fields and Sam Prekop (of The Sea and Cake) at the vocals. Taking a break from the easy-melody pop, a few tracks break the electro mold and step over the line, rejecting vocals and adding a small horn section, living percussion players, nasty sounding organs and saxophone vs. drum break downs. Stereolab fans beware, as I have heard they're touring around with the band here and there for their current tour. The tunes keep your head bobbing, the melodies warm your soul and the electronics tickle your brain. Hunt this one out because Zero Hour isn't necessesarily an easy label to hunt down.
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Just when you think Mute USA dropped the ball and turned their back on music in general (re: the exodus of classics such as Einsturzende Neubauten, Diamanda Galas and Nick Cave from the US label) they shock us all and strike a deal.
 
Mute US has entered a new market with German post-kraut-rock releases now due from To Rococo Rot, Kriedler and Schneider TM. "The Amateur View" is To Rococo Rot's first full-length release in the USA - preceeding this was the EP release on now defunct label Emperor Jones/Trance Syndicate as well as a couple European-only releases on City Slang and Kitty-Yo. To Rococo Rot take their music seriously and produce professionally with an audibly perfectionistic touch - a gentle yet appropriate blend of drum machines and live drums, sequenced and performed keyboards, samples and live bass. The tunes are pleasant, the tempo moves well throughout the entire disc, the sounce are slick and polished, there's nothing sloppy here. Don't let the title fool you, this album is anything but amateurish.
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