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The practice and techniques of plunderphonics were nothing new, even back then in the late '80a. The genre had been around since early in the same decade, but never one to sit back and regurgitate what had gone before, Tietchens’ mission was (and still is) constantly to challenge ideas about what music is and could be, even new ones. Consequently (and make no mistake about this), this is one of the most challenging and difficult works so far released in the Die Stadt reissue series of his works. Unlike previous albums, there is very little in the way of recognizable music; instead it’s all created using loops alongside both treated and untreated voices. At one and the same time, there’s a mixture of the warm and natural along with the cold and clinical, as well as a sense that the music is both pleasantly inviting and yet simultaneously repellent.
Surprisingly for what some would see as fairly sterile and intellectual music, perhaps, these tracks elicit quite a broad range of reactions. “Den Stiftsherren,” for starters, is formed from a piece of choral singing but here it’s been imbued with a disturbing air of soiled holiness, the slightly atonal configuration of the singing often jarring and more than disconcerting. It is as if the constant warring of good and evil is fighting for the very soul of the piece. A more ritualistic and decidedly tribally pagan piece cheekily follows on from that in “Negus,” a driving rhythm propelling wordless shouts and grunts, lending it a somewhat purer spiritual primitivism to it that is positively uplifting. To my mind, the juxtaposition of these two tracks hardly seems coincidental, as it seems the philosophical contrast between them is deliberately being pointed up—on the one hand corrupted sanctity and on the other unspoilt spirituality.
As a further example, the track called “Rosenkranz” follows a similar tack, the difference here I felt being that the argument was more to do with ‘primitive’ vs. ‘modern.’ Unaccompanied childlike singing voices, signalling the untouched world, eventually get tainted by the sphere of modern technology, as the piece alternates between untreated and treated voices. Those pure unpolluted tones turn into nasty, clanky, mechanically buzzing electronic insects, a sure metaphor for the slow degradation of so-called ‘primitive’ societies that technology inevitably brings along in its wake.
This, for me, is the soul of the album, the dichotomies and tensions thrown up by the natural versus the modern, and maybe by extension the clash of civilisations and peoples. As never before at any time in history, such tensions and divisions are boiling to the surface. Indeed, as I was listening to this, a whole raft of ideas occurred to me as to what meaning it all held. The plain truth is probably that it has no meaning other than what people bring to it, but it certainly sparked off ideas of opposition, the tension between systems, whether technological, social, or political. The very nature of the material being used and its treatment suggests those frictions and contradictions inherent in every aspect of life and society. The very fact that this album was created two decades ago emphasises its timelessness in that respect. Out of all the albums recorded by Tietchens that I have heard, this has probably been the most rewarding, both intellectually and musically. Apart from any other consideration, it just goes to show how innovative and forward-thinking this artist was, and continues to be even today.
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I really do hope that this officially sanctioned seven-inch remix is the start of an avalanche of Jandek reworkings. This inspired idea of placing someone (so wrongly) regarded as unlistenable in a more acceptable modern context is genius.
This idea would have been utterly preposterous even a couple of years ago. Putting his sometime unstructured playing and compelling, but disorientating, lyrics into diverse backings could be yet another rebirth for the man. Taking a fairly conventional (for Jandek) track from his Blue Corpse album, both sides of this seven inch are in the running for 2006’s best remix.
By taking Jandek out from behind his drawn curtains and giving him a comfortably low slung, but up-tempo, backing the Secret Frequency remix becomes a perfect rethink. Secret Frequency Crew stitch brief snatches of vocal and guitar together into something plugging the gaps between sixties psychedelia, funk and post hip-hop rock. Sounding nothing like the original cut, but still retaining the sound of Jandek’s world, this is almost guaranteed a re-release beyond this limited run.
Pheonecia’s mix has even less Jandek input than its flipside, using the original’s sounds as a sampling source rather than a base for structure. A backing track of vocal moans and whispering winds has glimpses of an oriental melody, this squashed and spread sound glides over a digital beat. Whether these amazing reinterpretations are just beginners luck remains to be seen, but there is definitely scope for further investigation.
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Secretly Canadian
Hard to Love a Man is the third release for The Magnolia Electric Co this year. The title track is in my tops for the year's songs, pulled from What Comes After the Blues, one of my tops for this year's albums. Its mystery is both in the chilling lyrics and matching instrumentation: "It was hard to love a man like you" is open to interpretation as it's never explicitly disclosed whether it's a lover, relative, or other, and combined with the eerie pedal steel lead makes it both uncomfortable and gorgeous. Completing the release are four unreleased songs: three originals and the Warren Zevon classic "Werewolves of London," and whether they could have been outtakes or afterthoughts to this year's masterpiece is almost irrelevant, as they're all fantastic recordings that any fan would warmly welcome.
If there's any underlying theme, it's that the heavy emotions, bluesy guitars, and Molina's golden voice are accented by keyboard instruments more prominently than ever: the gorgeous piano opening on "Bowery," the classic organ on "31 Seasons in the Minor Leagues," and the unforgettable piano riff on "Werewolves in London."
I'm used to Molina's songs stretching for long periods of time, so this EP, if anything, comes as a surprise as it's a lot of short pieces. However, the EP a sweet trinket for fans and is spearheaded by a song that's already a classic.
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Album number six from Stephen O’Malley and Greg Anderson and all is not well. Of course that's expected from Sunn O))): an intense feeling of being unwell. Black Onemanages to sound blacker and more disturbing than Sunn O)))’s previouswork—like they distilled the anti-soul of Burzum down to its darkestand then tuned the results down a couple of octaves. The guitars aremore in the background on this album,as the majority of the action ishappening with the layers and layers of electronic noise and noisyvocals.
“Cursed Realms (of the Winterdemons)” features one of the many (veryunderground) guest collaborators Wrest on vocals and it sounds likedredging up a body from a murky river, amplified properly.Southern Lord label mate Malefic provides vocals on “Bathory Erzsebet”from within a sealed casket in a hearse. The entire song is so drenchedin dread that I nearly forgot that it’s only a piece of music. What Iliked most about this track, apart from the intense atmosphere, wasthat they completely steer clear of the traditional Sunn O))) guitardrones for the first seven minutes of the song. When the guitars dofinally kick in it’s breathtaking. especially for Malefic as hisgasping is clearly audible and the closeness of his vocals is ofsomething beyond the grave. It is an incredibly arresting piece.
While I was afraid for a while that Sunn O))) were becoming verystuck in a rut, they have managed to break out a bit on this album.They have shaken off their Earth tribute band status with the additionof more instruments and varied vocals and being far heavier than Earthever were. This is a mighty step in a good direction and this will, nodoubt, be the soundtrack to a doomy doomy Hallowe’en for me.
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The irresistible, metalheaded glee in its delivery may notmatch the stories Wohaw tells, but theexuberance turns the forcefulness others make up in speed or obscurity to agolden gallop across four album sides, a blissful infinity. The band’s politics, never as shouted astheir name and often focused on Native American tragedy as example, are betterphrased here than ever before, blending into the stream-of-consciousness vocalstyle, the theatrical séance calls, and all those screamed punker dreams inbrilliant cadence. Wohaw is primitive-core, not quite timeless because it exists inthe in-between places, but because of it messy and overblown and fragile andbeautiful like it doesn’t even know it.
Music jumps, ongnarled trajectories of perfect, over-stomped drums, guitars naked andeffected, through a chain of finely-filed rune shapes, blasts of thrash andSabbath bliss, elfin guitar heroics, shanty hoe-down raga shit, and theearthiest, smudgiest, non-math nerd rock I’ve witnessed.
USA Is A Monster have done what I’d hoped forthem, brought out a double album, their best record yet, expanding unreservedinto the unclaimed prairie sweep and caustic city spaces of their music,bursting with heroic gratitude and joy like one succeeding, sending one up tothe sky and watching as it’s accepted. Itwould be easy to describe the band in terms of the blatancy with which theyintegrate the urgency and idealism of punk with the progressive arrangements,happy absurdity, and zen resolve of psychedelia. But the genres, at least in these terms, areessentially the same, and neither can translate the truth coming through on Wohaw.
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Artist: Psychic TV
Title: Themes
Catalogue No: CSR123B
Barcode: 8 2356649872 9
Format: 6 x CD in matt-laminate, spot-varnished box
Genre: Esoteric / Ritual / Industrial / Soundtrack
Shipping: 23rd December
For the first time, all THEMES albums by PSYCHIC TV released together, in a sumptuous, embossed box set. The music itself was designed not only as soundtrack but also for subsequent use by Initiates of The Temple Ov Psychick Youth in their rituals as Functional music intended only to aid in the process of making things happen. It is a practical tool. Thee essential collection of rare, archive and modern PTV ritual / esoteric musick! Each CD is presented in it's own matt laminate, spot-varnished mini-LP sleeve. The box also includes a 28-page booklet of rare photos and essays.
"Themes" was originally released in 1982 as a limited bonus LP with the first 5000 copies of the legendary PSYCHIC TV album "Force The Hand Of Chance". Musicians: Stan Bingo, Peter Christopherson (Coil, Throbbing Gristle, Soisong), Genesis P-Orridge, and David Tibet (Current 93).
Themes: 1. Part I | 2. Part II | 3. Part III | 4. Part IV | 5. Part V | 6. Part VI | 7. Part VII | 8. Part VIII
"Themes 2" was originally released on LP in 1985 by Temple Records and subsequently reissued as an extended CD version by Cold Spring in 1997. Musicians: Genesis P-Orridge, Alex Fergusson, John Gosling (Zos Kia, Coil, Mekon). `Themes 2` is presented here as a 2 CD set, including the full vinyl version - plus the original `Unclean` 12" and it`s two B side tracks that were recorded in the same sessions.
Themes 2: 1. Themes 2 Part One | 2. Themes 2 Part Two | 3. Themes 2 Part Three | 4. Unclean | 5. Mirrors | 6. Unclean Monks
Themes 2 - A Prayer For Derek Jarman: 1. The Loops Of Mystical Union | 2. Elipse Of Flowers | 3. Mylar Breeze (Parts 1 And 2) | 4. Mylar Breeze (Part 3) | 5. Prayer For Derek | 6. Rites Of Reversal
"Themes 3" was originally released on LP in 1986 by Temple Records and is presented here for the first time on CD, completely remastered. Musicians: Genesis P-Orridge, John Gosling (Zos Kia, Coil, Mekon), Mark Sangerman, Monte Cazazza. `Themes 3` is presented here as a 2 CD set, with an unheard version performed in Boston, US by Genesis P-Orridge and John Gosling.
Themes 3: 1. Culture | 2. News | 3. Drama | 4. Nature | 5. Science | 6. Implant | 7. Analgesia | 8. Catalepsy | 9. Reverie | 10. Placebo | 11. Induction
Themes 3 - CD2: 1. Culture | 2. News | 3. Drama | 4. Nature | 5. Science | 6. Implant | 7. Analgesia | 8. Catalepsy | 9. Reverie | 10. Placebo | 11. Induction
"Themes 4" is a brand new Psychic TV album, recorded by the late partner of Genesis P-Orridge, Lady Jaye and Psychic TV. Compiled by Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, Ryan Martin and Bryin Dall. Musicians: Lady Jaye Breyer P-Orridge, Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, Larry Thrasher, Bryin Dall.
Themes 4 Lady Jaye: 1. I'm Making A Mirror | 2. I Like The Holidays! (A Children's Story) | 3. Gobbledegook | 4. Mother Jack (A Children's Story) | 5. Candy Factory | 6. I Love You, I Know | 7. This Is The Final War
Get a free bonus CD 'Live In Basildon' 1986 - only when bought from Cold Spring!
Live In Basildon: 1. Thee Degenerate | 2. She Touched Me | 3. Unclean | 4. Riot In Thee Eye Ov Sky | 5. Southern Comfort | 6. Roman P. | 7. Retinal | 8. Ov Power | 9. Godstar
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DFA's newest release is a split 12" single. The Juan Maclean's track isa seamlessly realized disco-house anthem that sounds every bit as goodas one of the circa-1980 Larry Levan and Arthur Russell classic Paradise Garagebangers. "Give Me Every Little Thing" is perfect music for a crowdedBrooklyn nighspot on a hot summer night, with its sophisticateddowntown grooves and an r&b-inflected chorus. The Rapture's side isan energetic slab of raw punk-funk with the typically strained vocaldelivery, this time ring-modulated and covered up with a denseproduction that includes atmospheric keyboard swells and a tickingtime-bomb beat. "1, 2, 3, 4, Kick that fucker out the door!" screamsJenner, as the song kicks into electro-house gear. This track is takenfrom The Rapture's forthcoming full-length LP Echoes, and theirsound is gradually becoming more unique and tough to pin down; aconfoundingly addictive combination of post-punk, goth, disco and funkelements.
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- The Rapture - Killing
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The late morning autumn sky is grey, at least as much of it that can beseen past the tops of the tall buildings. People walk by in slowmotion. A bird hangs in what looks like suspended animation, waiting topounce on the next piece of bread somebody drops or a knish that fallsfrom a moving cart. The collaborative record between Connors and Grubbsisn't a pretty walk in the fields, it's the sound of a dark, urbancityscape. It's also a bit of a juxtaposition. While there's certainlyno rules either collaborator always follow, I'm typically used todissonance from David Grubbs' solo work and soft flowing motions fromLoren (MazzaCane) Connors. The instrumental live in the studiorecording of Arborvitaeopens with soft, flowing piano chord progressions provided by David andharsh guitar tones from Loren. (Additionally, the titles suggest aspringtime theme, but I get a completely different feeling.) As thedaylight comes to an early end, so reflects the mood of the album. Bitby bit, the brightness fades. Half-way through the disc, on "The Ghostof Exquisite," both are playing guitars and feeding off each other'sbleak tonality. By the end of the album, the cold night has fallen."The Highest Point in Brooklyn" features the return of Grubbs on piano,this time, with a much more uneasy, uncomfortable rush, played upagainst the distorted abrasive notes of Connors' guitar, restless anddirty. In fact, at some points, Connors sounds like he doesn't evencare if the instrument cords even come loose from his guitar. The roomsounds, probably picked up by the piano microphone, are those of twopeople getting a little antsy in their chairs. Intentional or not, it'sa subtle hint at a tension, yet by the end of the piece (and thealbum), the calmness has returned. The night has grown as quiet as it'sgoing to get in a city that doesn't sleep.
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Black Dice is an entirely different proposition from the legions ofretro-disco and post-punk derivatives, and it is tempting to wonderjust what they're doing on a label like DFA. The easy answer is thatthey are excellent, and Murphy and Goldsworthy are able to recognizebrilliance, even when it comes in a package as noisy and uncommercialas Black Dice's Beaches and Canyons."Cone Toaster" is decidedly more rhythmic than much of the material onthat LP, but it still can't qualify as dance music, unless we'retalking about free-PCP night at the Mindfuck Discoteque. Black Dice'sheavy, psychedelic abrasiveness is informed by the krautrock of Can,the tribal Japanoise of The Boredoms and the punk-metal bombast of BigBlack. "Cone Toaster" is a mind-scraping gallery of atonal scrapings,polyrhythms, echo-chambered chanting and gloriously unhinged accidentsof improvisation. The b-side is a remix of the album track "EndlessHappiness" by Yamatsuka Eye (from The Boredoms) which remakes the songinto a hyperspeed hallucinogenic tribal-house track that wouldn't soundout of place of Eye's terrifically odd DJ Pica Pica Pica Planetary Love Gasmix CD. Eye takes the strange tactic of adding a more-or-less danceablebeat, sonically perverting the guitar and basslines into a cacophony ofshimmering protoplasm while adding the usual galaxy of chimes, whistlesand birdcalls that define his singularly whimsical and chaoticpunk-psych. This 12" is one of the most consistently enjoyable plattersof avant-garde lunacy released this year.
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On previous albums, Do Make Say Think played their own blend ofpsych-rock with jazz influence in an effort to explore the stars andplanets, drifting off into their own orbit. Occasionally, as on theirlast album, they got so close to the stars that they brought back somedust here and there, or they gathered sunlight and a planet'satmosphere through which to project their instrumental structures,resulting in a fluid and pleasant listen. For their fourth album,however, they've created a work of true beauty, as though they'velanded on a new planet they can finally call their own. Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymnis best listened to as a whole, or on vinyl where it is split intothree thematic parts. Overall the album is a step more towardscohesion, with every song blending into the next and creating animmersive feel. Structurally, the parts of the record are separated bytheir slight differences, with the first area covering blending guitarwork, the second infusing more horns for flavor, and the last sectionbleeding into sliced structures with effects and dischordant cacaphony.Ultimately, it all gives way to the hymnal "Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!,"with full organ computer glitch wonder and western guitar with afterschool chorale. It's as though the experience and different sides ofthe band—sometimes warring for control before or finding their way outonly here and there#151;are now one, omniscient and comfortable,allowing for a full, varied, and complex sound that covers a lot ofground and never sounds disjointed. Every song tells a story, turnspage after page, building to a truly bright and vibrant climax thatwhen finally reached makes the whole journey seem all the moreworthwhile. Do Make Say Think are growing into themselves with everyrelease, and their latest shows a comfort and complacence that can onlyserve them well in the future.
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