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"Going out intending to Dig." My first encounter with VibracathedralOrchestra was one of those wonderful moments when music materialisedfrom nowhere to blow my mind. I'd travelled over the Pennines to Leedsto hear New York saxnoise insurrectionists Borbetomagus lock horns andattempt to raze a pub, but first these five scruffy looking localurchins picked up battered old acoustic guitars, switched on an oldradio, bowed cymbals and swapped instruments whilst slowly unfurling arapturous improvised clatter that recalled the early Velvet UndergroundAMMing it up with shards of warped minimalist reflection. "FingernailR'n'B." They've since put out quite a few albums, CD-Rs and singles butthe ones my ears have been most happy to vibrate to have been the onesfor the excellent quirky vhf label. This latest is their most melodicand beautifully mind altering dose of hypnotic freedrone folk yet.There's a celebratory Eastern whirling dervish feel to much of it, butas if the dancer was caught in slow motion. "Mystical Coughing." Theentire recording is permeated with joyful abandon as whistles blow lovecries to drone boxes over clumping Maclise beats and atonal "EuropeanSon" monochords, whilst everything that can be bowed will be bowed!Chains rattle and break. The mood shifting splices between tracks arethe most dazzlingly effective edits they've yet employed. When Iinterviewed them just prior to a gig supporting Low at ManchesterUniversity the most talkative Vibracathedralist Neil Campbell floatedthe notion that every time they play they just carry on from where theyleft off the last time, so it's just one long ever changing lifepathjourney: "He Play All Day Long." However it was Bridget Hayden who hadthe perfect word to describe what their music: "Magic."
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"Wow." "Weird." "Jesus Christ." "I can't believe somebody took the timeto make this." Those will probably be the first things that passthrough someone's head upon hearing Osymyso's debut (I think?)'Introinspection' - an incredibly intricate, massive, and cool exampleof the phenomenon known as "mash-up" or "bootlegs." If you've neverheard the term(s), they're being thrown around to describe what isprobably one of the most recent new music genres - songs made entirely,or almost entirely, from cut-up pop songs, as Osymyso demonstrates, orby "mashing" two or more of them together, as those fucking hundreds ofBritish whitelabel 12"s featuring Missy Elliot or Kylie Minogue and atrance/drum'n'bass producer demonstrate. What's interesting, though, isthis genre's reliance on the Internet - obviously something that RELIESon sampling, or outright stealing, is not going to fly with too manylabels. (For another good bootleg mix that's actually legallysanctioned, check this)So, Osymyso, two guys from the UK, have released this disc on theirown, comprising two mixes - one, the 12-minute "Intro-inspection" (ONEHUNDRED AND ONE different song intros packed and mixed together), and arecording of their appearance on the German radio show Back to theBasics. What can I say about the music, other than it's sheerbrilliance and totally ass-lickingly cool? It is exactly what it is -hundreds of mashed-together pop songs - but somehow, they all cometogether so well that it sounds absolutely nothing like what it should.You're probably either going to totally love it and think it's thegreatest thing ever or think it's utterly stupid and hate it. Eitherway, you gotta hear it at least once.
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Packed in a film can-like metal box, DWM publish another well-craftedconcept piece of art & work—dedicated to member Frank Abendroth wholeft earth a few months ago. The recordings are not what one would callbrand new or hot—made in 1997/1998—but anyone who's a bit into DWMknows their plenty projects are published in their own time whenever itsuits them. Part 1, "Muerte" starts of where Ennio Morricone left, but with todays instrumentation.
Part 2, "Tot" gives an impression of a quiet death in the pool or somewher else underwater.
Part 3, "Death" seems to desribe the mental death of working in theindustrial production line. And the machines go on followoing their ownlogic and rules.
Part 4? "Hal?l" treats death in a warzone; shattering glass, fallingbombs and permanent explosions compress for an nearly rhythmic piece.
Part 5? "Dod" concludes this summary of death with a 15 minutesledgehammer destroying dreams and hopes into a psychological wasteland.
The title is slightly misleading, as expectations of harsh noise,skulls, crosses and bones are not fullified. But still they—or in thiscase Joe Raimond on his own—achieve a very interesting realization ofthe theme showing different aspects and avoiding usual shock values orextremes.
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For his third feature film, Todd Solondz asked Belle and Sebastian towrite some music. In a situation that seems somewhat analogous to Coilwith regards to the "Hellraiser Themes", very little of what theyrecorded in New York actually ended up being used. This 30-minute EPfully documents the results of those recording sessions. Belle andSebastian take to movie scoring incredibly naturally, and obviously arewell-suited for it. Inherently cinematic and epic, some of the stunninginstrumental pieces presented showcase what truly gifted musicians theyare. "Fuck This Shit" is a particularly stand-out piece, centeringaround a harmonica and piano, while "Consuelo" feaures trumpet and somegorgeous harp work. "Night Walk" is haunting. Soundbites from the filmhave been selected with the band's typical sense of humor, andscattered between various tracks, but seem rather unnecessary, or atleast to someone who hasn't seen the film yet. A few more conventionalBelle and Sebastian tracks are present as well. "Black and White Unite"is mediocre; certainly not as good as the band is capable of. The titletrack, the usual catchy B&S fare with lead vocals by thenow-departed Isobel Campbell, is their slightly cheeky ode to Solondzhimself: "Have you considered the way / People might react to all thethings that your characters say?". "Wandering Alone" is the band attheir irresistible best -- but with a latin-flavored twist!'Storytelling' finishes off with "Big John Shaft", which has somethingof a kitschy Saint Etienne feel. Bearing in mind that this is notreally a Belle and Sebastian album per se is key to enjoying thisrelease for what it is: their first foray into a new arena of music. Ifind the fruit of their labors encouraging, and hopefully it'ssomething that they will try their hand at again in the future.
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Dose One, the nasal one from cLOUDEAD, is rapidly becoming the BustaRhymes of underground hip-hop, popping up on various albums over thepast year including Hood's "Cold House" of all places. Also, like MrRhymes, he's possessed of an unusual voice, kinda like the annoying onefrom Cypress Hill, but without being annoying, if that makes sense.Boom Bip, on the other hand, has had some well-received releases on theAnticon label.Although originally on Mush, home of the fantastic So-Called Artists,it has just been released in Europe by Leaf. Being a fan of all thingsAnticon, I picked it up last year. Unsurprisingly, like everything onAnticon, it's great. It's also seriously weird. I mean if cLOUDEADweren't really hip-hop, then compared to this they were Run DMC. Thiscrazy amalgam of street noise, chanting, spoken word, droning and,occasionally, beats and rhymes is some of the least hip-hop hip-hopI've ever heard. The rhymes can be sung, spoken, whispered or rattledoff at speed. They're often incomprehensible, when they aren't they'reoften nonsensical. (At first anyway.) The backing can range from Lostin Space style 'space sounds' to heavy fucked up beats over the courseof only one song. The whole package, which at first just bewilders,improves with each and every listen (I must be up to listen 20 atleast). The Anticon collective are true trailblazers, reshaping hip-hopas they go, and surely trumping the Def Jux crew as the underground'sposterboys. As Dose says on 'Questions over Coffee', "I'm no leader, Ijust can't see myself following you". It's great to be around toexperience this, even if I am paying crazy import prices for everythingelse on Anticon and Mush.
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This is Geir Jenssen's third Biosphere album in as many years for theUK's two decade strong Touch label. At first glance there appears to beseveral unrelated elements at play: the title is the name of a Chineseunmanned spacecraft, the track titles reference miscellaneous things,the digipack artwork is seemingly random photos (though typical forTouch) and inside it says that the first ten of the dozen tracks arebased on the orchestral works of late 20th Century French impressionistcomposer Claude Debussy. Playing those ten tracks doesn't clarify thecontradictions, but it does reveal a tightly focused continuum. HereJenssen's arctic ambience is quite minimal and possibly darker anddeeper than ever before. Low end currents and pink noise vapor trailscreate melodies and mysteries. Meanwhile, rhythmic bumps and loopedstrains of what I presume is Debussy orchestra are occasionally weavedin. The final two tracks are indeed different but also complementary tothe Debussy inspired suite. Altogether, 'Shenzou' is austere and simplyanother eerily beautiful ambient escape courtesy of Biosphere and Touch.
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Luna has had their share of critical and audience acclaim. Since "PupTent," people have told me "You have to hear Luna! They're the bestband in the world and they..." blah blah blahblahblahblah. Yeah, okay.So a couple of their records have had some good songs on them. But istheir press way off? Are they really that incredible a listeningexperience? Nope. In fact, "Romantica" shows the same weaknesses theband has always had, even while showing some new strengths off in grandstyle. Jetset is their label du jour (their third in three years), andLuna are now getting a push from the same marketing team as Sigur Rosand Flaming Lips. All that marketing isn't going to save this albumfrom its own cracks. From the first song, 'Lovedust', this seems like astrong release. In fact, it's one of the best songs Luna have everrecorded. Unfortunately, the chords are so similar to 'Glycerine' byBush, I can't stand listening to the song. That, and the lyrics are sobad, which is the main problem with the whole release, and most Lunareleases. Sample: "When candles light themselves/and the air turnscreamy/why not take a photograph?/you look so dreamy." Not since Iheard Elvis actually sing "dig" and "groovy" have I been repulsed bysuch words. Not satisfied? Fine: "Goddess of shadow, lipstick, andscent/where did you end?/apricot candles and blackberry pie/is it atime bomb i see in your eye?" See? It's obviously a record of adorationand devotion, but there are way too many references to eyes, sleep, andstrange objects (bamboo chairs?). It's so frustrating. With DaveFridmann on the production team, this is the best Luna have eversounded, and the music, with the exception of the first track, is verycrisp and delicious. So why do the lyrics suck so bad? And why doesDean Wareham sound so much like Tim Booth all of a sudden? I don'tknow. But I'm incredibly underwhelmed by it all. But not surprised.
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This much anticipated follow-up to 1999's "Motion" is a perfect blendof late sixties jazz and the ever-changing world of sample based music.Main man J. Swinscoe has gone from orchestrating rhythm samples toleading his own rhythm section, comprised of drummer Luke Flowers,pianist John Ellis and bassist Phil France, who also co-wrote thedisc's seven tunes. The use of samples is very tasteful, ranging fromslit-drum and thumb piano to choirs and strings. At times, it sounds asif some of the tunes may have been written around the samples asthey're just too damn tasty. The bulk of the disc is agroove-oriented/chillout feel from the rhythm section with fabperformances from soprano saxophonist Tom Chant andelectronics/turntables provided by Patrick Carpenter of DJ Food fame.While a lot of the instrumental tunes are epic in proportion (anywherefrom six to eleven minutes), they don't come off as "jam band" as thesubtleties of samples and ambient backdrops make the whole greater thanthe individual parts. Vocal legend Fontella Bass appears on the ballad"All That You Give" in a stand-out performance, and the deep-groove of"Evolution". Rapper Roots Manuva provides the social narrative on "AllThings To All Men" as only he can. Personally, "Every Day" should bethe disc that does for sampling what "Bitches Brew" did for fusion.
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Richard Hell is beyond many things. Reproach and comparison are two such things. Leader of the Voidods, poet, bass player, and a man many call one of the founders of the punk movement, Hell has released very little music for a man of his acclaim and stature. In fact, he's reportedly only been in a studio once in the last 17 years. Luckily, the music he has released is so fantastic that it lasts, so much that any new music might pale in comparison. Add this one to the stack of record you must own.Matador
"Time" is actually part re-release/part never released live and studio material, and it shows how much of an influence Hell and the Voidods have had on other bands, as well as a distinct style that cannot be denied. The first CD, labelled "R.I.P.", is a re-release of a cassette only retrospective - Hell's self-proclaimed epitaph - released on ROIR. It adds three songs, one being the title track, and features some near classics. It opens with 'Love Comes in Spurts', a well-known track, immortalized in "Pump Up the Volume" with Christian Slater (it plays while he humps the wedding dress on the couch). After that, it never lets up. Song after song crackles to life, sometimes in the form of an all-out assault, sometimes as a slower and lower skip. The production values aren't that great, the performances a little far from perfect. But it's amazing nontheless. By the time you reach the Dylan cover 'Going Going Gone', you're in awe. Good. It gets better. The second CD, "Live", starts with, in Hell's own words, "one of the most aggressive sets we ever played." Aggressive due to the band's strife on the tour leading up to that point, and good for them. The audience would never have complained. The last four tracks are from a second live show at CBGB where Elvis Costello joins them for two tracks. Nothing short of incredible, electric, and highly influential. "Time" is two CDs of amazing music: Richard Hell has a legacy, and it is captured brilliantly on this release. Get it without delay.
 
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To be honest, I was extremely sluggish in getting into electro (read:not electroclash, otherwise known as "the new black"). Though theclassic "Planet Rock" is a song that I recall fondly from my youth,spending summers in Florida with my family and hearing my cousin DJArson spin down there, I never appreciated bass enough to listen toelectro. Only recently did this change, when a friend turned me on tothe Two Lone Swordsmen side project Radioactive Man. As I blared his CDthrough my new DJ headphones, I realized that there was a sweet sweetLordy in heaven, and His name was Bass. Hunting for a similar sound(and eager to dodge all things fischy and adult in the process), thename Anthony Rother came up several times. At the prodding of a friendof mine with his finger on the pulse of underground electro, I pickedup 'Welcome To PSICITY,' a compilation on Rother's own PSI49NET label.Many of the songs here are by Rother himself, either alone or withcollaborators in the regarded Netzwerk moniker, and he usuallyimpresses. From the EBM stylings of "PSI CITY" and "Hot Body" to thesexy synthpop of "In The Studio" and the Kraftwerkian "Little ComputerPeople," Rother lets determined voices and corroding arpeggios run wildamid thick bass hits. The bass here is delightful and will happilydamage your puny stereo if played loud enough, so proceed with cautionduring your next drug binge. Other noteworthy tracks from outsidecontributors include Mulletronic's upbeat "Eeyore" and Froyd's "WeissesRauschen", a 4/4 head-nodder reminiscent of older Underworld (circa'dubnobasswithmyheadman'). This 2 CD set does have a fair bit of iffytracks, particularly from some of the non-Rother projects, but thatshouldn't stop the electro novice from investigating it. (Most Rotherfans already own it, unless they've been hospitalized). Don't worry,everyone. Miss Kittin wont get mad if you buy an electro album thatdoesn't include her in the credits. Do it for yourself. Do it for Bass!Amen!
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- Anthony Rother - PSI CITY
- Studio - In the Studio
- Anthony Rother - Don't Stop the Beat
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Thomas Brinkmann's third Soul Center album is the first for Mute'sdance division NovaMute. Soul Center is considered Brinkmann'selectronic funk outlet. Here, minimal mid-tempo grooves are looped andjazzed up with percussion layers, (sampled?) keyboard and saxophoneruns, and nicked spoken and sung phrases from classic Stax wax such asIsaac Hayes' 'Live At The Sahara Tahoe'. When I think of "funk" I thinkof the real deal: James Brown, Parliament / Funkadelic, Troublefunk,etc. I'm talking grit and sweat. You know ... funk. This ain't that.It's often just German techno wearing a goofy afro wig. As funk it'stoo sterile, as techno it's too cutesy. But as something in-between andsomething to dance to, this ain't that bad. A couple of tracks pique myinterest more than the others. The dubby groove of "Easy Goin'" isgreat alone but it gets even better when tasty keys reminiscent ofCoil's 'The Snow' are faded in on top. And "Who's My Girl?" really getsthings moving with a truncated vocal and piano riff rolled into athumpin' beat. Also on the disc is a cute video for "A Good One", thestop-motion adventures of the cover's robo-pooch.
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