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While there are already many collections ifITN works, this disc along with others provides a good starting pointfor people interested in pursuing more about ITN, as their sound hascertainly evolved over the years.samples:
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Sam Shalabi's name has popped up on various other records and projects, always with the note that he's of 'The Shalabi Effect.' The eponymous debut double-CD has finally been released through Alien8 in Montreal.
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Sam Shalabi's name has popped up on various other records and projects, always with the note that he's of 'The Shalabi Effect.' The eponymous debut double-CD has finally been released through Alien8 in Montreal.
In addition to treated guitars, chimes and vinyl record clicks & pops, traditional middle-eastern drones, tablas and scraped metal add color to this aurally rich experience. For a two hour 11 minute journey, atmospheres are constructed, time melts, spaces is manipulated and moved. The production is remarkably clean and rich, and while much of this might have been pieced together from various takes and mix-downs, the sound is very much of a live semi-improvisational group playing off each other. In parts the music sounds like Orb-produced Indian restaurant music, while others sound like audio paintings of space images crossed with space transmissions. I can only think of two other examples of equally ambitious double-album debuts, both of which have become two of my fave albums of all time, so the Shalabi Effect is in good company.
samples:
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- Francesco Brunetti
- Albums and Singles
Trainerincludes also the whole of the impossible to find first Plaid LP,1991's Mbuki Mvuki. Although far from the euphoric rush of breakbeatmadness of 1990-93 english/belgian rave era, Black Dog/Plaid/Balilmusic in those years showed more rhythmic inventiveness than most oftheir colleagues in the IDM (Intelligent Dance Music) movement. Reallythe opening track "Uneasy listening" show close similitude to thesample-based breakbeat hardcore of those days (in this case speeded upvocals included), and most of the tracks from Mbuki Mvuki sound likeslowed down, asymmetrical and elusive rave music. In CD 2, who containstracks from 1992 to 1995, rhythms become more regular and even lessfrenetic, the music now becoming ambientish and Detroit technoinspired, more in the style of A.I. Warp compilations and relatedrecords. While most of the tracks are really enjoyable, a morerestricted selection, alas a single CD instead of a double, would haveretained a higher quality. Highlights include the oddly brazilianflavoured "Scoobs in Columbia" and the much sought after Balil "NorteRoute", really a ninety's update of the Y.M.O. eighty's update of thefifties Martin Denny's exotica. Once upon a time in the future.Read More
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From experience I'm now realizing that compilation discs can takeforever to piece together, so the result can be quite rewarding whenit's finally materialized. Here's part one of their tribute to NickDrake, an unlikely release from a label which has previously brought usloads of fun glitchy experimental electronic noisiness, but charmingall the same with a special package to boot (see their website)It features interpretations of Nick Drake classics by Jessica Bailiffand Jesse Edwards (billed as Northern Song Dynasty), Warn Defever, theAutumns with Simon Raymonde, Archer Prewitt and others. Drake'sinfluence can be heard with bands like Low, Ida and Red House Painterswhile his songs translate well through the artists on this collection.Volume 2 will follow eventually and may include Ida, Brent Gutzeit andIn Gowan Ring among others.samples:
- Archer Prewitt - Parasite
- Flashpapr - Northern Sky
- Northern Song Dynasty - Place to Be
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I like most of my hip hopto be uncompromising and creative and that's what I get here. Anti PopConsortium, Rubberoom, Mike Ladd and Thawfor let the intelligence oftheir respective MCs do the work through their complicated rhymes. DJScud & Nomex's "Total Destruction" makes for the most challenginglistening with ear splitting frequencies piercing the ragga and manicbeats. Elastic Horizons and Bad Company are a little out of place withlengthy, fairly run of the mill drum 'n bass tracks. Biomuse, 2nd Gen,Bomb 20 and Patric C lay down slammin' noise and/or sample drenchedinstrumentals. Fever and Sensational are in dire need of MCing skillsinstead of the bland and aimless mumbling found on these dreadfultracks. Alec Empire unfortunately transforms Ice's "Trapped in 3D" intoone of his typically monochrome hyper speed endurance tests. Don't letthe atrocious artwork scare you away because the overall balance iswell in favor of dope over whack. I figure the purpose of a compilationis to turn you on to new artists and that's exactly what "CollisionCourse" has done for me ...samples:
- Anti-Pop Consortium - Disorientation
- Biomuse - Socially Bankrupt
- Bomb 20 - Wing Chun
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TheGhost Orchid at least contained some recordings in English, all ofthese are in Swedish or polyglot, but are unintelligible to me. Thisdoesn't stop them being scary though - well at least to start with. Bythe end of the disk, one can't help feeling that some of these maywell be hoaxes. It's like alien abductions: you want to believe, butafter hearing many accounts you just think, "bollocks". Oh well,another arty release from Ash R.I.P. anyway!Read More
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Everything from recordingsof Salisbury cathederal through world folk music (recorded by theaward winning Chris Watson) via a Richard H. Kirk out-take from themarvelous Darkness at Noon (my album of the year) to the full onexperimentalness of Menche and Jeck this album (like all 4 Touchsamplers) contains something for every Brainwashed reader. I find thePeople Like Us+ track unlistenable to (I'd rather play the VU orignal),the Frere-Jones track is intellectually stimulating, but similar insome ways to Burning Rome's For David Tudor. While I can't listen toall of this release, I feel I can recommend it because each part ofthe varied content is valid for many of the Brainwashed readership.Read More
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Neither sound like eachother though. whereasS.E.T.I. sound scary and X-Filesey, Biosphere sound more organic andbeautiful. Towards the end of the disc, things start to take a moresomber tone, but it still remains one amazing album. Seriouslyrecommended.Read More
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After Knowledge, Above Black, the first live CD-R, andvarious Various Artist appearances, I was starting to think thatS.E.T.I. was the best thing since alien sliced bread. Unfortunatelythis release appears to be little more than "Here's all the samples Imade the other releases with". What is going on? For completists only,methinks.
Also out on Ash R.I.P. is a new CD-R from S.E.T.I. - a liveperformance from earlier this year. For your money you get: Anunlabelled CD-R, a white card sleeve witha sticker on it. On thesegrounds, you might think the VFM was particularly low - you would bewrong. This release contains Mr Lagowski at his heights. One longbeat-free, mixed together track of scariness, aliens, vibrations, um,Carl Sagan, and more show how good S.E.T.I. can be. This is an amazingrelease, if you liked the previous S.E.T.I. releases, you won't bedispappointed. Definitely recommended.Read More
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Soundsevolve from ringing bells into long, distorted fits of hysteria andthen return to their original nature. The sounds aren't as immediatelygorgeous and inviting as "94Diskont," but repeated listens reveal moreand more joys in these soundscapes, many of which are extremely visual.There are some stunning moments, especially when the sounds take a backseat in your mind instead of demanding your attention in a noisymanner. Throughout most of the tracks a popping "rhythm" sound isrevealed and provides an image of or the feeling of being on a journey,as though you are a part of Oval's process; a process that isstrikingly beautiful at times and destructive at others but neveroverbearing or unlistenable.samples:
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