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Songs of the Geographically Challenged has finallybeen issued on CD, collecting all but one track that was issued on the12" single series which started way back in 1997. Those limited 12"singles all sold out very quickly and featured a number of excellenttracks by some of the best indie type post-rocking artists around.Artists included Continental OP (Will Oldham and David Pajo of M),Retsin, Fuck, The For Carnation, Ruby Falls, Songs: Ohia, Windsor forthe Derby, and the Sonora Pine. So, if you don't mind missing the onlycontribution Jeremy did on his own, get this disc, otherwise good luckfinding any of the old 12" singles!samples:
- Continental OP
- The For Carnation - The Joys of Fever
- Ruby Falls - Turtles
- Windsor for the Derby - Sleeping in My Car
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I think I may have been drunk when I orderedthis one from a new release sheet, and it's too bad I wasn't sent thisone for free because it's utterly pointless. Disc one collects allpreviously released music from various artists, yet many of the songshave bad pop cliche female vocals brought directly to the front of themix. Contributors include Schneider TM, Zombie Nation, Natacha Atlas,Doug Wimbish and Bowery Electric, who's 'Passages' is the same damnedversion as the one on the Lushlife CD. Disc 2 is set up in a DJ mixstyle which includes previously released tracks from Mouse on Mars, GusGus, Pole, Ken Ishii and many others remixed by Mackami for 'BassEnforcement Soundsystem.' Not worth it. Save your money.samples:
- Doug Wimbish - Bedwood
- Schneider TM - I Dream of Chomsky (High Llamas RMX)
- Mouse on Mars - Sehn Süd (remixed fr. disc 2)
- Gus Gus - Anthem (remixed fr. disc 2)
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When you combine the musician behind Erasure, Yazoo andformer writer of Depeche Mode along with one of the driving forcesbehind Heaven 17, you're bound to have pretenses about how it's goingto sound. Before playing a single note I can guess that: there's noguitars anywhere, it's poppy and bouncy, and neither are a singer sothere can't be lyrics anywhere. Technology changes all the time andeach 1/2 of this duo have been reasonably active over the last 20 yearsso I would imagine the music to be somewhat current. So is this indeeda pretentious release? Since it's not made out to be more then what itis, I would say this is hardly pretentious. I'm sure readers with akeener eye for semantics will be poking fun of me come the morningafter the review is posted. Oh? The CD? It sounds exactly like you'dexpect. It's cheery, happy, soaked in electronics and samples with nota whole lot of thought put into new or exciting directions in melodies.The CD represents a collection of electronic pieces commissioned for anexhibit at the National Center for Popular Music in Sheffield, UK,designed to be played in the soundscapes 3D auditorium. While it doeshave its pleasant moments, it might as well be cheesy PBS documentaryscoring. A note to the listener recommends the CD should be listened towith headphones to hear the magical 3-D processing they explained, butwell, it doesn't make the songs any stronger or more appealing. Thisdisc may very well be only recommendable to the hardcore fans of eitherof these guys' bands.samples:
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Perhaps it's in the name of flying in the face ofcorporate copyright holders, maybe I'm just showing my support for theaudio renegades pushing the envelope of art versus law. I wish themusic were better, however. The premise of this release, the latestcollaborative release between Negativland's Seeland and Illegal Art wasto use and abuse commercials as driving sound sources for the songsgathered here. Artists include the Evolution Conrtol Committe, Pimmon,Big City Orchestra and 15 others. It's crazy, kooky, full of kitch andrandomness. Almost too random in many spots as these laptop artistsfocus more on the input than the output. I'm completely convinced thatCDs are too easy to produce.samples:
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Years ago I had arguments with people making TG bootlegcassettes about crediting them properly on the website in the TGdicography. My argument was that anybody can make a cassette releaseand photocopy something onto a piece of colored paper, I think I'mgoing to need to start extending that to CD releases. Back in the1900s, people who made bootlegs had to actively seek out a recordpressing plant who would take their cassette or reel-to-reel tape,doctor it up with the nicest equipment they could find, spend the madcash to chisel out an LP stamp and shell out some more for some hotblack wax and stiff cardboard to house it. Printing costs on sleeveswere much steeper as well. TG bootlegs in the 80s were special, somebecame classic respectable releases. Sure, the Psychic Rally was indeedan event to be at, but this CD is shit. I would be more impressed ifthe dork who decided to press this up had the 24 hours box set andmastered a version off cassette, but this was recorded direct fromscratchy LP, crackles and pops, skips and all. Many track titles areincorrect, the CD indexing is off the mark quite often, and I can eventell when the person doing the mastering turns the volume on the LP upand down! What a fucking waste.samples:
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This +70 minute doublerecord (one CD) set marks Trans Am's finest effort. Not too heavy onthe rock, not too heavy on the electronics and not to heavy on thevocal tracks this album combines it all. From the very beginning, youknow something intense is about to happen. And it does! BANG! The albumdelivers phenomenal songs from track to track featuring a Blue-ManGroup-esque drumming bit, a David Pajo style guitar piece, even a deadringer for a Suicide tribute! There's loads of distortion, deepelectronics and very fun and catchy melodies. While the song stylesdiffer each track, the production is solid and the "concept" (whateverthat may be - the jury's still out to lunch) carries strong,flawlessly. samples:
- Let's Take the Fresh Step Together /I Want It All
- Play in the Summer
- Where do You want to Fuck Today?
- Diabolical Cracker/I'm Coming Down
- Slow Response
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Ther new CD (out this week) is alien and furiouswith the cover translated into many languages for your choice of whichone to display! This time around the production skills and soundfuckery have possibly even matured from last year's EEVIAC, electing togo slightly more daring, but keeping a hold on the surf-noise-rockelements as much as they can. A live show (as always) will no doubt beone of the best rock shows when they hit the roads. A fun timeguaranteed for all. Just be careful your idiot dorm roommate with notaste doesn't swipe it from you. Should they do this you have fulllicense to break their "Legend" or "Joshua Tree" CD into tiny littlepieces. I said so.samples:
- Song of the Two-Mile Linear Particle Accelerator Stanford University, Santford, California
- Many Pieces of Large Fuzzy Mammals Gathered Together at a Rave and Schmoozing with a Brick
- A Simple Text File (yes, it's a dot matrix printer)
- Obligatory Part 2 Song In Which There is No Presently Existing Part 1, Nor the Plans to Make One
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Harris sent material to Spybey, who was residing in The Netherlands at the time, to add to and finish along with the help of friend Niels Van Hoorn(blower) of The Legendary Pink Dots. It's difficult to tell where exactly Harris ends and Spybey begins (or vice versa) here as both share a predilection for a variety of beats, sounds and atmospheres. "Bad Roads.." is literally littered with all the above. Beat and bass rhythms are prevalent throughout most of the 64+ minutes in a range of tempos and styles, from infectiously off-kilter funkiness to deep minimal hip hop to firecracker drum 'n bass. "Good Way to Start a Bad Day" (which takes several attempts to get the motor up and running) and "Dschungel B-216" are top notch while others are good but not quite as interesting. Along the way are a handful of essentially beat-less sound composition speed bumps that combine electronics with other sounds such as a sax blare resembling a car horn and the ringing of a telephone. "Aeper" is a brief, distorted orgasmic scream while "Waaal" gently caresses with a steady sonic ambiance and inaudibly altered vocals. Van Hoorn's sax adds a blare, drone or riff to several tracks, moreso here than on the latest Dead Voices album. "Muffel" and "Misery Gote" in particular sound as if all three men are in the same room jamming. All in all "Bad Roads.." is a fine album that finds and takes advantage of the collaborative sweet spot amongst the talents of those involved. Look for Mick Harris & Ambre next, probably early next year ...samples:
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Fumble seems to be the more whimsical and playful side of Massel as most everything here is just so gosh darned cute from the cartoon like artwork to the handwritten track titles to the happy tunes. Half of the 8 tracks have me scratching my head as to the difference between Fumble and Senking since they're basically interchangeable with those on Senking's "Ping Thaw" cd. "Saft?" and "Fumble King" are by far the best of those four with their slowly building low end grooves. The other half, however, are different. They too are minimal electronic pieces with a digital dub influence but they're also more loose and fun with an expanded sound palette that includes watery pops, some mechanical samples and simple, almost child-like melodies. "Fumble Valley" is the most structurally accomplished while "Sleepy" is the one most likely to make you laugh or smile. Fumble is not exactly mind-blowing stuff but it is pleasant nonetheless. Though I can't help but think of how I could make just 1 really good disc compiling tracks from "Ping Thaw" and this album, especially when considering the $15+ import price tag for each. Hopefully Massel will do the same next time ...samples:
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"Jonif they're in town, check the show out." I did and was quite pleased.The band only consists of three members: drummer, bass guitarist andkeyboardist. The music the band makes sounds like techno club stylemusic (live progressive breakbeat house they call it). The toolsthey're using to create this are not the midi clock sequencedpre-programmed Roland and Korg toys, but the simpler instruments thathave graced recordings for years and years. The band improvises mostlybut are tight and never seem to lose awareness of each other or thefeel of every song. On sale that night was their full-length CD, "Thisis Live" and their EP, "Live: Portland, Maine".
"This is Live" is calculated and varied. It showcases the band'stalents to write and play beat heavy music with a jazz conscious mind.Downtempo and upeat tunes make the disc interesting enough to listen tofor the entire +70 minutes herein. "Live: Portland, Maine" is theirfirst EP in the live series they're releasing and contains four trackswhich total just over 35 minutes. This CD captures the live sound butthankfully it's a short disc and doesn't get terribly monotonous.Here's a band to watch grow and progress over time to find out justwhat they're planning to do to keep it interesting.samples:
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No titles, just times listed in this tasty electro pop(and click) collection. Dat Politics features members of Tone Rec andthis CD release is a reissue of the LP-only version that came out ontheir own Ski-PP label.samples:
Nextup, Baltimore-based 18 yr old Rjyan Kidwell releases his first fulllengther as Cex, aptly titled 'Role Model.' Kidwell's style is bumpyand groovy with charming melodies taking center stage. It might be hisfirst full-lengther, but it's hardly an amateur production. Kidwell'smastery of machinery and understanding of melodic elements andinstrumental balance are far superior to most cats twice his age. Thedisc never gets tedious, predictable and is always enjoyable. Kudos,Rjyan, you're my role model.samples:
Finally, the release from Medicine frontman Brad Laner and his jumpinto the laptop musician scene with his full-lengther as ElectricCompany titled "Exitos." Laner's motives explore the deeper, moresubliminial spectrum of electro glitch. He demonstrates that a minimalnumber of instrument sounds results in the magnified importance of eachsound as an individual element. Lost? Well, listen to this on a big setof speakers and you'll understand my point. The style on whole seems tochange rather erratically between each song, as if this was acollection of pieces almost thrown together, but every bit has placehere on the 60+ minute long gem. Perhaps he's been listening to thelikes of Mouse on Mars, Kim Cascone and Ryoji Ikeda and found his ownway to create things he likes in each.samples:
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