28 October 2001

Administrator

Albums and Singles

Like the last one this arrives as a double-CD and picks up where the last one left off. Once again, there's no rhyme nor reason to the order, as tracks are scattered rather randomly. While it's a good slice of what the group has been up to for the last ten years, and provides lots of pictures and bits and pieces on each song, I somehow feel this has way too much material readily available.

 

Mute

For instance, it includes a bunch of songs straight off the last three proper albums, like the popular favorites "Die Interimsliebenden," and "12305 Te Nacht" plus versions from CD singles that can still be found tossing around. Highlights include unreleased songs like 1998's "Scampi Alla Carlina" which almost made it to the Berlin Babylon soundtrack, the 1992 precursor to "Salamandrina" called "Snake," and the playfully amusing one-take collection closer, "Drachen" from 1993. Listening to modern EN, there's an undeniable feeling of an expressionless, cold-calculated effort, but outtakes are always good to proudly show a more personable side. The slightly stretched out version of "Architektur Ist Geiselnahme" opens the second disc and makes me yearn more for the 'Berlin Babylon' release. Its inclusion is a clear indication that what you're getting here is something incomplete, something that's not the entire picture. Live tracks are jumbled around with studio tracks, dates are completely out of order, styles don't flow comfortably, songs you know and can almost sing are followed by songs you've never heard before. Strategies Against Architecture is a conscious effort to contradict the rigid concept of an established structure (and a more eloquent way of saying "collapsing of new buildings"). In this case, it's the concept of an album. It works. However, you're at the mercy of the artist when it comes to listening to the record. The CD is designed not to be playable on computers (so you can't easily make your own CD comp and wipe out stuff you don't want to listen to) but you can always program songs out on your home deck.

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28 October 2001

Administrator

Albums and Singles

There's a coda to the last track on the first Eardrum disc 'Last Light'where the drums pick up speed and the sound shifts to a denser butrougher texture and although I enjoyed the album I was left wishingthey'd gone more in that direction. Now it seems they have. If you wantdeeply hypnotic heavy rhythm then the second Eardrum album is what youneed. Lou Ciccotelli might be best known as Laika's drummer, but hasalso played in God and Mass amongst others. In Eardrum he teams up withRichard Olatunde Baker to play African influenced drum patterns whichare then manipulated in the studio to make a finely wrought entrancingmusic that pushes beyond the limits of genre. Although they've beeninfluenced by such luminaries as Miles Davis, Sun Ra, Lee Perry andFela Kuti, I'm reminded more of Can's last great track 'Smoke', one ofHolger Czukay's 'ethnic forgeries'. This would have been a greatjumping off point for Can to head into the heart of darkness, butinstead they lightened up and got slicker and poppier as Czukay tookmore of a back seat. Eardrum play dark heartbeats all the way. Titleslike 'Sandblasted', 'Bone Room' and 'Darker Still' sum up these eerietwilight talking drum rumblings perfectly. Although 'Side Effects' iscertainly a multi-layered drum led album, Ciccotelli and Baker and theseven other musicians have employed a huge range of percussion anddrone instruments, and some atmospheric sax and whistles. It allcoalesces perfectly on the ominous 'Lightfell' as deep drones underpinthe shifting movement of the shadow flicker drums and snake charmingwhistles. 'Side Effects' would make a great soundtrack for a journey upa great river in a dense overgrown jungle to an unknown destination.This album is released by the Leaf label and if you go towww.posteverything.com where it's available by mail order, you canlisten to real audio excerpts.

 

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28 October 2001

Brian Duong

Albums and Singles

Okay, first things first: I know there are going to be some folks sitting at home reading this and rolling their eyes at the idea of a 'Feminist band' and sighing, "Yeah, I'm all for womens' rights and everything but you know, their music is all the same... and well, it ain't always that great. And like, how many times do I have to listen to yet another bitchy band simulating Hole or Babes in Toyland?" so, for those people, I've got three words for you: fuck that shit.

Now, I'm not suggesting you stop listening to these types of bands (if you haven't already), but what I am saying is that feminist music is much more than that and Le Tigre is certainly living proof of this. The songs on "Feminist Sweepstakes" are engaging, informative and in many ways, a lot of fun.

Much like Bob Dylan, Public Enemy or Billy Bragg, Le Tigre have successfully pulled of the feat of transplanting political activism into the pleasurable device of music without compromising or jeopardising their message. The album itself invites an exchange of ideas which challenge preconceptions of Feminism and female identity. But rather than adopt an antagonistic sneer of "I told you so. You suck," which doesn't help anybody by a long shot, Le Tigre have instead fostered a recognition that everyone (including themselves) have a lot to learn, as suggested by the lyrics of "Tres Bien." What this promotes is a healthy debate, if not understanding, between the artist and the listener/critic. That?s not to say that Le Tigre's approach is less confronting, because amidst the singable and danceable tunes of "Shred A?" "F.Y.R." and "On Guard?" they're still tackling some tough issues such as the continuation of female oppression, even in an era of so-called "liberation", which no doubt, some will find difficult to believe or accept. Make no mistake, these are not hollow complaints.

Musically speaking, "Feminist Sweepstakes" takes the retro themes canvassed on Le Tigre's eponymous debut as well as Kathleen Hanna?s earlier solo project, Julie Ruin, and develops them beyond the simple looped sample and drumbeat song structure. Generally, the songs on this album are more accomplished than their previous releases, and in this sense, it's encouraging to hear Le Tigre making a concerted effort to build their vocabulary not only as Feminists, but also as musicians. Besides the obvious new wave punk rock influence, Le Tigre borrow elements from other genres (similar to Chicks On Speed) which range from catchy mainstream bubblegum pop, to electronic dance, to cheerleading rally chants, to the use of skits and lyrical stylings of rap music. As such, Le Tigre's schizophrenic employment of various influences enables the band to dodge the "angry female rock" stereotype whilst at the same time, reinforcing the point that there is indeed more than one way to approach Feminism.

Explosive, dynamic, emotive, witty, profound and inspirational, Le Tigre possess a unique, raw energy coupled with ferocious intelligence which will make you go berserk on the dancefloor and maybe, just maybe, even make you a better person. How cool is that?

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28 October 2001

Administrator

Albums and Singles

Five films by Fridrik Thor Fridriksson have music featured on this compact collection. While over the last few weeks I have been listening to more soundtracks than ever, I've been finding that listening to them straight through (for many) can be quite repetitious. Themes frequently get repeated ad nauseam with jumbled up arrangements between instruments, scatterings of 1-minute tracks seem rather incomplete, and there's always a sense of something 'missing' — but that's just the nature of the beast. A collection like this, however provides a ton of well-developed music, carefully collected and organized, and sparks an interest in the works of both HÖH and Fridriksson.

Smekkleysa

Three tracks from 1991's award-winning "Children of Nature", seven from 1994's "Movie Days", six from 1994's "Cold Fever", two from 1996's "Devil's Island" and two proverbial selections from "Angels of the Universe" make up the tracklist. Hilmarsson's scores are heavy with emotions, subtly crafted in various ways, either with conventional instrumental foundation like bass guitar, electronic reeds, or deep and decadent echoes, topped occasionally electronic samples, choral voices and weeping strings. I still have yet to see any Fridriksson film but the sounds here are enough to suggest I'm in for some very heavy stuff. Play this one extra loud.

 

samples:

• Suurgata (from Children of Nature)
• Summing Up (from Devil's Island)
• Flight (from Cold Fever)

 

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28 October 2001

Administrator

Albums and Singles

Touch seems to be seeking out guitarists who manage to make the guitarsound like it hasn't sounded before. It seems odd that the red appled'Suspension' digipack cover wasn't one of large Mego style large cardenvelopes, like the recent Touch releases from Fennesz and RafaelToral, because Oren Ambarchi approaches the guitar with as unique anear as either of them. Like Toral and Fennesz, there is almost alwaysan underlying melodic base to what at first appears abstract, althoughAmbarchi's music probably requires more attentive listening to discernthis. About halfway through the intermittent speaker shaking drones andpulses of the title track, it sounds like his guitar morphs into anunderwater merry go round music box before it fades out in a shimmeringglow of glitch-like sparkles. A former drummer who switched to guitarbecause no one else in Sydney, Australia was willing to make music withthe kind of experimental edge he sought, Oren Ambarchi has made abeautiful record that moves onwards and upwards from nis previous Touchrelease 'Insulation'. The odd thing about 'Insulation' was thatalthough it was an improvised work, it reminded me of KarlheinzStockhausen's meticulously composed 'Kontakte' more than any of thenumerous comparisons that have been chucked Ambarchi's way. Theseinclude Keith Rowe, Tod Dokstader, Main, Dean Roberts, James Plotkin,Pimmon, Pan Sonic, Kevin Drumm, Jim O'Rourke, Pierre Schaefer and evenBrian Eno. That's not to say that these comparisons are unwarranted, asif you like many of the artists in that list, you may well also likeAmbarchi's deeply submerged six string soundscapes. He's moved on from'Insulation' in that he allows a little more repetition into thepicture, and this and the ultra low bass tones he coaxes from hisguitar give a warm glow to his spacious improvised pulses and rhythms.I'm not quite as amazed as many reviewers that Ambarchi creates suchunusual thrumming textures from just one little old guitar with nolaptop processing or other such trickery, as I've seen just what KeithRowe can do with an untuned guitar lying flat in a sea of springs andscrap. However that does nothing to detract from the fact that Ambarchihas made astonishing progress in relatively short time. From the widesonic range of feedback tones on 'This Evening So Soon' to the distantmemory loop simulations that open 'Wednesday' to the electron magnifieddeep bass textures and pulses of 'Gene', 'Suspension' is yet more proofthat Touch is putting out some of the best recordings around these days.

 

samples:

• As Far As the Eye Can See
• Suspension
• Wednesday

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28 October 2001

Administrator

Albums and Singles

I don't think I've ever had my finger truly on the Pulse of ElectronicMusic. Sure, I've picked up some classic releases over the years and Istill get a small, guilty charge out of being "in touch" with theElectronic Literati.
With this in mind, I've never been compelled to state labels like Warpare past their prime or certainly eclipsed by other outfits that dowhat they did, circa 1995, better. (Though sadly, evidence issupporting that more and more these days.) I'm still just as eager togive a new Warp signing a try, as I would a new Morr Music or 12K disc.
So, I didn't feel guilty picking up the Brothomstates CD "Claro." Myfirst impression? "Will we ever be free of the Autechre StylisticStigma?" Admittedly, Brothomstates pepper "Claro" with a lot of niceAutechreisms that I enjoyed wholeheartedly, in spite of myself. Takenin light with Autechre's last album, the disappointing "Confield" (inmy player for a grand total of 3 listens), "Claro" is the best Autechrealbum this year. The beats are funky in a stilted way, and run farcloser to 80s electro and quasi-Detroit Techno than recent Autechreworks. And Brothomstates know how to craft a melody; I'll be damned ifsome of this doesn't remind me of my favorite Kraftwerk album "Ralf& Florian." I found myself grooving along on the train, and that'snot a bad thing at all.
I know that without the hype and critical acclaim of the poppyexperimentalism of Autechre, there would be no Warp records issue of"Claro." It's a good album; which probably won't be reviewed in apositive light by The Wire or well received by music snobbies. But,like Chris Clark's recent "Clarence Park," it is a strong effort by anartist who clearly wears his influences on his sleeve. And I see littlewrong with that.
When I'm looking for pleasant sonic trailblazing, I'd turn to Fennesz's"Endless Summer" or the myriad excellent 12K releases. But when I'mhankering for the days when Warp was putting out "Electronic ListeningMusic," Brothomstates's "Claro" makes a nice late-night snack.

 

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28 October 2001

Administrator

Albums and Singles

To be honest, I thought this was downright ridiculous when I first listened. Here's some über-macho viking descendent looking dude singing songs where he repeats the same line over and over and over again. But eventually the words start making less of an impact and the music becomes the main focus, not entirely unlike those 3-D images that were popular in shopping malls in the mid-80s.

Smekkleysa

Siggi's bold vocals are in an occasionally strugglesome English against the backdrop of some amazingly produced acoustic guitar, piano, percussion and chimes. Comical could have described the first listens, but it's now registering as curious and unavoidable as the early and most notable phases from Death In June. During a recent radio interview with Sigur Ros, I pulled out the disc and it raised a smile, "we listen to this before almost every show! This guy's not afraid to say anything." While I can somewhat understand what's behind that statement, I feel it'd be less difficult to crack a smile during songs like 'Lars is No Loser' if the tongue was incomprehensible. Beware, these songs get stuck in your head for days.

 

samples:

• Lars is No Loser
• One Little Cowboy
• If You Were a God

 

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28 October 2001

Administrator

Albums and Singles

The recent work of forty something Swedish artist/composer CM Von Hausswolff fits in nicely with that of the modern minimalists (such as ?, Noto, Goem, Kim Cascone), all of whom have contributed to the Raster Music 'clear' series thus far. "Str?m" (German for "Flow") presents a constant, cyclic electric hum as a single 48 minute track. This band of energy inconspicuously wavers here and there and picks up fields of static debris and minor blips, but for the most part stays true to the course of a minimized power hum. So what are we to make of this? My personal responses to the piece have been polar opposite and of a more physiological than emotional nature. When I listen with head phones it makes me anxious while without is very calming. Something I noticed when using a disc man and head phones is that when you press 'pause' the sudden disappearance of the sound leaves a strange void in the ear drums that's simultaneously somewhat painful and somewhat pleasurable. The longer you listen to the hum before pausing, the more drastic the effect. That has become the primary focus of my time with this disc: experimenting with various ways of listening to find out the effects on my brain. I don't know if that's what Hausswolff intended but, well ... who cares? I just hope I haven't re-programmed my neurons too much ...

 

samples:

• Ström

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28 October 2001

Administrator

Albums and Singles

Working the World Serpent website for the last few years, I've become more exposed to a more darker side of the spectrum than just Current 93, Coil and NWW. It's not often that I find something that I'm terribly crazy about other than those few plus the various related entities that are intertwined, but for the last couple releases from Ozymandias, I have been captivated.

Ramses

Christophe Terrettaz is simply a pianist, who admits to watching Christina Ricci films, titles his songs in French and has pictures of naked female statues on his album covers. If you distance yourself from those facts, everything in record store blurbs, the painful pictures of the tortured soul on the website, and reviewers who use the word "melancholy" way too often, you're left with something simple, direct and amazingly pleasant. I find it's on in the background when I'm trying to wind down in the evening or do a little cleaning around the house late at night.

To me, there's nothing sinister, macabre, nor profound in these simple, tinkling piano melodies. Furthermore, while great piano composers like Liszt and Chopin have mountains of exponentially more complex works, I'm happy to hear something light and relatively uninvolved every now and again.

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28 October 2001

Administrator

Albums and Singles

Skinny Puppy/Download founding member cEvin Key (Kevin Crompton)returns with his 2nd solo outing for Metropolis Records. It seemed tome that much of the first one, 1998's "Music for Cats", was unfinishedleftovers from other projects. This album may very well be the same butit also feels fully realized as a project unto its own. Key plays justabout everything - electronics, drums, guitar, bass, etc. - andcollaborates with many: Justin Bennett (guitar, Professional MurderMusic), K. Tokoi (saxophone), Omar Torres and Kent Clelland of NativeInstruments, Bill Van Rooy (bass), Phil Western (synths,Download/Plateau), Ken Marshall (electronics, Download), all of TheLegendary Pink Dots and recently reunited Puppy compatriot Ogre, amongothers. The shadowy influence of Jamaica is cast over parts of thealbum, from the artwork to the electro dub strains, most notably in theganja haze groove of "Horopter", to the radio banter in "Klora".Saxophone riffs add an unexpectedly welcome flair to "Tatayama". "15thShade" and "A Certain Stuuckey" are likely a precursor of things tocome from the Tear Garden (Key + LPD). Both feature Edward Ka-Spel'scalm and collected, detailed spoken story telling, the former over anaddictive bass line and guitar meandering and the latter over afragmented soup of bass, synth and beats. "Frozen Sky" gives one SPflashbacks - pretty synth sequences, "Process"-era heavy duty guitarchords, vocoded vocals - and, again, is probably a precursor of futurework. The remaining tracks are mostly jittery electronic jams of therecent Download/Plateau mindset. The more Key works with a variety ofothers, the more varied and interesting the results ...

 

samples:

• 15th Shade
• Frozen Sky
• Horopter

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