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The sheer quantity and obscurity of the voices to be heard on Sound Unbound is staggering. The words come thick and fast and from such heavyweights as Jean Cocteau, Joyce, Gertrude Stein, Duchamp, Rene Magritte, and Sussan Deyhim. Sounds to match and contrast come wild and soothing from such imaginations as Subotnick, The Master Musicians of Jajouka, Scott, Iannis Xenakis, Edgar Varese, and Terry Riley.
I haven’t read the book but this compendium leaves me thinking that, even though the (time out of) joint role of creator and interpreter can seem a bit suffocating, since we are insufferably lazy we probably need DJ Spooky not only to do what he does but also to tell us what he is doing and what it all means. For certain some of these juxtapositions sound great, not least dropping the frothing Dada poetry of Raoul Hausmann into swirling strings and spacey rhythms (courtesy of Radio Mentale and Shukar) but a nagging insufficiency persists. Perhaps the book sheds light on whether there is a connection beyond mere sound, but even if it does, these clips would have to be palatable for most listeners to care. Thankfully, Spooky never sacrifices sound for meaning.
Also on the plus side, the array of archival contributions is truly gobsmacking. Amidst the cross pollination, Raymond Scott’s contributions stand out, Ginsberg is placed in the folk setting where he so obviously belongs, and Sound Unbound showcases an understanding of the power of repetition in poetry and blues: a truth we might hear in scratching vinyl, dub, rap, jazz and the branches that have grown out of those roots. However, there is something awfully predictable about the pairing of William Burroughs with Iggy Pop (although that may be the point) and there’s an element of preaching to the choir in the choice of material. Maybe DJ Spooky feels his work is apolitical or that the left-leaning wing of the arts has a monopoly on the radical. That may be the case, but something deep within me wishes he would take his skills and torture Rush Limbaugh and Pat Robertson with their own reactionary words. Meanwhile, I expect those who have read Sound Unbound will want to hear this disc as much as I now want to digest the book.
samples:
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They completely won me over and I found myself grinning along with, and nodding my head to, this four-piece from Claremont, Los Angeles. Initially, vocalist Ezra Buchla’s (Gowns) manic high-pitched voice and delivery did nothing for me except grate. Over time though, I gradually came to realise that it fit seamlessly into the general tenor of the music exhibited here. There is a lot of mayhem too, spread over 14 tracks infused with great handfuls of joyful abandon. It’s even something of a concept album. With song-titles of the likes of “Lamb and Lion,” “Leech and Locust,” Book of Numbers,” and “Divine Harvest,” it’s not hard to discern what the theme that glues this album together is. Even so, even with its references to God, Jesus, and souls, I am not entirely sure whether this is a punk album with Christian overtones or vice versa. Either way, it doesn’t make much difference in actuality, the sheer exuberance being broadcast from here can indeed be picked up by anyone, whether secular or otherwise.
The band rely on the tried and trusted formula of guitar, keyboards, bass, and drums, racing through most of the songs at a break-neck pace, the majority of the songs lasting no more than the standard two to three minutes. There a few exceptions to the rule, including what is the one stand out track for me, the eleven-and-a-half minute “Kingdom Come.” Bizarrely this is actually totally unrepresentative of the album as a whole, being something of an exercise in dance-floor aesthetics. It still distils the melodic essence of The Mae Shi for all that, but adds a hugely funky vibe, ladling in plenty of danceable hooks that seem to have been culled from their repertoire. In amongst the general manic gleefulness this probably compresses the most irrepressible optimism and upbeat happiness into every square second of playing time than the rest of the album.
Listening to Buchla’s voice reminded me of no-one so much as a young Perry Farrell at times, circa the first Jane’s Addiction album, albeit with an amphetamine-fortified delivery appended to it. All the songs are replete with lashings of vocal harmonies complementing the melodies, and for all the world give the impression of being either a ramped up version of the Beach Boys or a choirful of stressed-out gospel singers. None better example of this can be found than in the infectious footstomper “Young Marks,” a keyboard and drum-fuelled beast that swept me up and carried me headlong to heaven-knows-where. The thing is I wouldn’t have cared if that had actually happened. If this is indeed a ‘Christian-punk’ album (although there’s no indication either way) then it appears that they have overdosed on the grace imparted to them and now they want everybody else to share it. I can almost imagine them foaming at the mouth and staring glassy-eyed in their ecstasy, judging from some of the songs at least. In fact, I seriously don’t know whether to trust or fear these people.
Regardless, this is a hopelessly upbeat and melodic album, crammed with all the necessary disarmingly tuneful hooks to draw one into their fold. Furthermore, the spirit (in a musical sense) of this album is so incurably infectious it was hard to resist its pull. For me at least, there was no better test of its quality than whether my head would nod or my foot would tap along to it. On this occasion there was plenty of both.
samples:
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Bringing together such a wide range of influences successfully requires some doing, however, the Frenchman possesses a sure and deft touch. There’s nothing obtrusive on show, everything just flows, naturally, silkily and smoothly. Each of the pieces grows organically, as if just a simple seed has been nourished and left to see what it eventually produces. In fact, there is more than a trace of The Future Sound of London’s Lifeforms album about it (as well as FSOL’s side-project Amorphous Androgynous), simply in terms of how musical ideas are explored, and how they spark off yet new ones. From all these ideas come new forms, each eager to show themselves off. A good example of this approach is track three, “Circle of Memories.” Starting off in a quite abstract ambient manner, the piece segues into flowing keyboard chords, before a simple rhythmic figure coalesces to form a backbone and glue the elements together. The tune keeps on building, the percussion assuming more of a solid skeleton on which to hang things, adding strength and structure along the way. Despite being tinged with a slight melancholic sadness, “Circle of Memories” is nevertheless uplifting, projecting a distinct sense of hope.
Another good example comes a few tracks later in the form of “Alternate Reality.” Yet again, this particular piece demonstrates the power of constructing an apparently complexly-layered track from simple beginnings. Once more rhythm emerges from abstraction, on which is laid a simple but memorable keyboard riff. The track takes off when the beat hits its stride, imparting a similar feeling to the one elicited by “Circle of Memories”—the difference here though is that this one lifts off into the stratosphere. I distinctly got the feeling that I was wafting on breezes and floating in a clear azure sky listening to this one. Uplifting indeed.
“Snowflake” creates a different mood altogether, the abstractly ambient staying for most of its duration. Furthermore, this is the polar opposite of uplifting, with an unsettling frisson thrilling through it. Ice-cold keyboard sweeps dance around staccato icicle guitar, while distant choir-like voices peek through the glaciation. These voices float in and out of the consciousness, appearing like the occasional glimpse of something welcoming through the sheeting blizzard. Similar feelings of psychic disturbance prevail in “Resonance,” but here the song is injected with a rhythmic urgency helping to propel it along. Percussive and vocal breaks here and there highlight the feeling of psychological fracture-lines opening up, adding significantly to the discomfort.
My personal fave track is the one that closes the album, simply called “Light.” Indeed this is a prismatic gem of a piece, the synthesized bell-tones raining cascade-like around one’s head and ears. The best way I can describe it is like a frozen garden emerging butterfly-like from its chrysalis of ice. The tiny crackles and cracks as the ice melts are perfectly encapsulated in those ringing tones. After the various moods on display on the rest of the album, this closes proceedings down nicely, and is an excellently judged piece, simultaneously being a beautiful way to end the album as well as leaving us on an uplifting note.
This album is quite astonishing in its breadth, in both style and mood. Chassagnard is something of a sonic alchemist, taking an element from here and an element from there, and completely transforming them in the process. The results are ten nuggets of glittering gold, whose multi-faceted surfaces and depths sparkle and reflect brilliantly in the light. I just let myself sit back and bathe in the warmth of that reflected light.
samples
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Usually I’d imagine something coming out on the Hanson label to be a bit more obtuse and rough than what is presented on this album. Instead of leaning to the noiser end of the spectrum, the two side-long tracks here instead define themselves via classic analog synth drone that is so thick and sustained that it almost becomes tangible, yet never mundane.
The dramatic synths that open “Magic” do retain a certain prog rock quality to them, but rather than being all noodling, they instead stretch out far into the horizon. Long, sustained square wave notes matched with an occasional deep pulse. Sort of like Rick Wakeman collapsing onto his rig after a massive coke binge, the notes go on and on without pause. The layers continue washing on like waves and occasionally rescinding to allow different element of the mix to come forth. The track eventually becomes dominated by a noisier, buzzing synth tone that infringe on the territory of the noise scene, but never in a way meant to inflict pain.
The other half of the album, “The Quaking Mess,” is not a world away from the first half, instead following a similar structure and palette of the first, leading off with a bed of synths. This time, there’s more of a 1980s science fiction bent to the sound: think old episodes of Nova or Mr. Wizard and it’s a similar vibe. The analog cricket chirps and high end stabs are eventually paired with guitar work that, though noticeably effected and treated, remains subtle and restrained even through the delays and processing. Again, as the track ends, the synths become more predominant and harsh in the mix. The sound is thick and heavy, but not pummeling or violent.
As a first full-length album (after a slew of CDR and cassette releases), Emeralds have created a solid, fully realized work that due to its innate complexity stands up to multiple spins. In a scene crowded with many other electronic drone projects, this one stands out as a well-conceived album as opposed to just a random mix of sounds piled on top of one another.
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“Magic” lives up to its title; the shifting pulses shimmering in stereo, the sounds moving at different speeds with dizzying effect. The piece is reminiscent of Coil’s Time Machines, the drones almost stalling time and provide a platform for vivid daydreaming one second (if a second still had meaning) before utterly capturing my attention the next. Although only 12 minutes long, “Magic” stretches out time to the point where the concept of minutes and seconds means nothing. The piece’s very existence makes the need for time unnecessary. However, having said that, 12 minutes is really not enough.
The second of the two pieces, “The Quaking Mess,” is a slightly busier piece. Like the previous piece, there are sustained tones and drones that flow through the piece but unlike the previous track, there are pulsing and twinkling sounds (the guitar is more prominent here than before) that make it more obvious to the listener. I can still get lost between the sounds but the feeling of reality dissolving around me is not as strong. Instead reality seems to expand, becoming larger than life.
Both of these pieces are immensely satisfying, Emeralds tap into the sounds masterfully and it is hard to believe that three men on synths and a guitar made this beautiful music. It sounds like it was plucked from the cosmos, filtered from the ether or decanted from heaven (take your pick of supernatural metaphor). It will be interesting to see where Emeralds go from here. Solar Bridge is more than just promising.
samples:
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Microcastle was recorded over the course of a week at Rare Book Studios in Brooklyn, New York with Nicolas Verhes. The album was recorded as a four-piece consisting of Bradford Cox, Lockett Pundt, Joshua Fauver, and Moses Archuleta.
"Saved by Old Times" features a vocal collage by Cole Alexander of the Black Lips. The album also features two songs with lead vocals by guitarist Lockett Pundt: "Agoraphobia," and "Neither of Us, Uncertainly."
The first single “Nothing Ever Happened b/w “:Little Kids (demo) will be issued as limited edition 7” vinyl and precede the album.
Deerhunter are also confirmed to support Nine Inch Nails at arenas from coast-to-coast.. Expect more touring in late October and November in support of the new album. Tracklist and tour dates below.
Tracklist
SIDE A
1. Cover Me (Slowly)
2. Agoraphobia
3. Never Stops
4. Little Kids
5. Microcastle
6. Calvary Scars
7. Green Jacket
8. Activa
SIDE B
9. Nothing Ever Happened
10. Saved by Old Times
11. Neither of Us, Uncertainly
12. Twilight at Carbon Lake
Tour Dates w/ Nine Inch Nails unless noted
The Village Tavern Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina
Aug 1 The Boot Norfolk, Virginia
Aug 5 Air Canada Centre w/ Nine Inch Nails Toronto, Ontario, Ontario
Aug 6 Big Orbit’s Soundlab Buffalo, New York
Aug 7 Mohegan Sun Arena w/ Nine Inch Nails Uncasville, Connecticut
Aug 8 DCU Center w/ Nine Inch Nails Worcester, Massachusetts
Aug 10 Garfield Artworks Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Aug 11 123 Pleasant Street Morgantown, West Virginia
Aug 12 Knoxville Civic Coliseum w/ Nine Inch Nails Knoxville, Tennessee
Aug 13 Gwinnett Arena w/ Nine Inch Nails Duluth, Georgia
Sep 2 Red Rock Pavillion w/ Nine Inch Nails Morrison, Colorado
Sep 3 E Center w/ Nine Inch Nails Salt Lake City, Utah
Sep 5 Oracle Arena w/ Nine Inch Nails Oakland, California
Sep 6 The Forum w/ Nine Inch Nails
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Brainwashed Archives
BARK003
Greater Than One, "G-Force" 3xCD
September 1, 2008
Pre-order NOW from Brainwashed Commerce
G-Force marks a clear transitionary period from the post-industrial
sounds of London to the techno sounds of Tricky Disco and GTO. The
package includes all the music from both singles "I Don't Need God"
and "Utopia" plus the Index EP, various compilation tracks, and music
from the Japanese-only VHS tape Video Drug 1, available on CD for the
first time ever.
"Dancefloor Surrealists - and that's just the half of it - GTO
construct collages of multi-lingual samples and wacked-out noises to
cover their technological tracks. G-Force is a cartwheeling
combination of Steinski's nimble feet and The Young Gods' operatic
gusto, all stitched together by St. Winifred's style choir chanting
devil-worship slogans in the middle distance. "Ich Liebe Dich Mein
Prinz" energizes ethnic wailing seemingly recorded through a snorkel,
and "Black Magic" impales minimalist vocals onto a wiry violin while
sevarel Daleks dance themselves dizzy in the studio. Fragments of MC
900 FT Jesus's harsh, dislocated chatter and Front 242's leather-clad
New Beat throb abound, with tons of Acidic sparks and dadaist
references tossed in for extra momentum. But the weirdest, simplest
track here is "Why Do Men Have Nipples?," marrying snatches of
American dating-game show dialogue with a toe-tapping tape-loop of
numb percussion." - Stephen Dalton, NME
"Greater Than One have clear affinities with the sonic terrorism
approach…as well as the grindingly austere "body music" movement
flourishing in Europe, but their own work has an edge of with that's
definitely their own." – Jonathan Romney, The Guardian
"Greater Than One are yet another group who are popular in Europe.
They fit loosely into the new genre of Front Line Assembly, Click
Click, and the lesser purveyors of the new beat. But their redeeming
quality is that they don't shout over their hybrid of techno sound
sculpture. Here they toy with crisp snares, clean beats and the
occasional acid bass line. They Sample amusing commentary from
American TV shows, and steal one-liners from Peter Sellers.
Occasionally, GTO suggest they would be capable of crafting huge
soundscapes, alive with delicate textures of noise. On "Learn with
Pleasure, Knowledge Is Power," speeding rhythms are mixed with layers
of crystalline choral tones. And the simple, schizophrenic collection
of beats and breaks connected by vocal outbursts of "I am somebody,"
on "The Man Who Lived In Books," shows they are not obsessed by
overindulgence." - Rob Deacon
disc a
- G-Force
- Ich Liebe Dich Mein Prinz
- Learn with Pleasure, Knowledge Is Power
- Black Magic
- Alpha 5
- The Man Who Lived In Books
- The Ballet of the 3 Feathered Sardines
- Why Do Men Have Nipples? - [MP3]
disc b
- I Don't Need God
- Ignorance is the Agent of Fear
- Fear is the Agent of Violence
- Utopia A
- Utopia AA
- Utopia Minuet
disc c
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Brainwashed Archives
BARK002
Greater Than One, "London" 2xCD+DVD
September 1, 2008
Pre-order NOW from Brainwashed Commerce
London was the introduction of Greater Than One to the blossoming post-industrial culture as spearheaded by Chicago-based WaxTrax! Records. It was released in July of 1989 as a double LP/single CD collection of music recorded from 1987-1988 on Greater Than One's London-based label, K=K Recordings, and includes the entire LP of Dance of the Cowards. The recordings here have been digitally remastered by the legendary Jeff Lipton (Numero Group, Rykodisc, the list goes on forever) of Peerless Mastering and sound stunning. Bonus material includes the music from the Duty + Trust cassette, originally issued in 1991 by ROIR as well as other compilation tracks recorded at the time. Enhanced CD content includes photos, cover images, and an extensive book with articles and press clippings and words from Michael Wells and many others.
A DVD includes the music videos for "I Don't Need God," "Utopia," and "Pure," as well as three lengthy projections from their performances (featuring user-selectable soundtrack) and an "art reel."
"After two years of drivel about the subversive attitude of sonic piracy, the thrill of robbing and stealing, London illustrates a savage talent lurking behind the collision of styles. This is the end, a new age is coming." - Sam King, Sounds
"London marks the point when the sample band begins to become a genre, new and unique unto itself. Sprawled across two records, we are subjected to, the barrage of modern culture turned into folk music. Disco for the sonic guerilla. Acid house/techno terrorism. Call it what you may, this is a must for the alternative club/radio despite the fact that this is the sound of the mainstream that seeks to drown us. Like Adrian Sherwood and Tom Ellard, Greater Than One chronicle both the valiant fighting the tide and the last breaths of those caught in the undertow." - Rockpool
"Technology, art, ideas, and courage can be combined to create really important, relevant music that affects the way we judge our world, and this compilation is such a work." - Robert Shea, Discotext
disc a
- Now Is the Time (12" mix) - [MP3]
- Everybody's Crazy (Except Us)
- Techno Golden Beat
- Peace
- Slave
- Computer Dub
- Deep Shake
- Liberation
- Brick Lane - [MP3]
- The Dark Streets of London
- The Rose, the Cross & the Flag
- Crisis
disc b
- Now Is the Time
- Song for England
- The Truth
- Kunst Gleich Kapital
- All the Masters Licked You
- Dance of the Cowards
- All Men Are Boys
- I Know Everything
- Dear Ol' Blighty
- Funk It
- Peace - Beatbox Inc. re-edit
dvd
- I Don't Need God (video)
- Utopia (video)
- Pure (video)
- projections
- artworks
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Brainwashed Archives
BARK001
Greater Than One, "All the Masters Licked Me" 2xCD
September 1, 2008
Pre-order NOW from Brainwashed Commerce
1987 by Graeme Revell (SPK) and Brian (Lustmord) Williams on their
Side Effects Records label. Here it is paired with Trust, their first
attempt at the album's recording but released in 1990 on We Never
Sleep (LP) and in 1991 by ROIR (CS). While the popular world knows
more about Lee Newman and Michael Wells as Technohead, GTO, or Tricky
Disco, All The Masters Licked Me is their first fully realized concept
of weaving samples into a vivid aural tapestry.
From the original press release: "The music is devised from sampling
sounds which are programmed via a computer system to form strong and
powerful pieces of aural art: mixing noises from the underground
system with ethnic chanting, heavy metal & hip hop beats with military
drumming and classical orchestration. The album contains 9 tracks on
each side, with pieces referring to rioting 'The Sweet Smell of a
Supermarket On Fire' to ' The Rape of Sam the Fox,' a track that
evokes gallery slaves, masturbation and physical brutality. Each track
is carefully constructed to convey the intentions and meaning
contained within the titles."
The album was recorded and digitally mastered by Greater Than One. To
make the CD the original betamax studio master tape was baked for 72
hours at a special audio house in the UK. The DAT for Trust was
generously donated by Lucas Cooper of ROIR. Enhanced CD content
includes MP3s of the entire album, unbroken, photos, cover images, an
art book, and an extensive book with articles and press clippings and
words from Michael Wells and others.
free MP3s:
http://brainwashed.com/common/sounds/mp3/greater_than_one-exorcising_julie.mp3
http://brainwashed.com/common/sounds/mp3/greater_than_one-dick_heads.mp3
"1987 was a transitional time and in All The Masters Licked Me, I
could hear an eclectic sensibility that I shared and have cherished in
my own career. Lee and Michael cast a very wide net in collecting
sounds and wove them into an exciting mix. Industrial had become
purely dance music, hip-hop was heading off into reduced palettes and
electronica was unfocused. Already so many of the interesting artists
that had begun working in the late '70s and early '80s had imploded,
lost interest or, worse still, had shown they were one-trick ponies,
trapped in the same habits as prior groups they had hoped to
supercede. Lee and Michael were not going to go there and subsequent
releases always vindicated my faith in them. I moved away from England
so never got to know them intimately. However I enjoyed watching and
listening to their chameleon aliases that often had decent popular
success. Side Effects did not have the resources to promote the few
select groups we helped out other than a distribution deal, but I am
glad that it helped in some small way to get the word out. I am also
glad that the Greater Than One record will finally appear on CD." –
Graeme Revell
disc a
- Exorcising Julie - [MP3]
- The Intelligence of Natives
- The Sweet Smell of a Supermarket On Fire
- Trendy Afrika
- Everything Is In a State of Flux
- The Rape of Sam the Fox (Theme)
- Kill That Parent
- Lost Underground
- We Don't Have Weekends
- We Are the People with the Human Fist
- Psychotherapy
- Sweet Satellite
- We Hate America and America Hates Us
- We're O.K.
- Dick Heads - [MP3]
- Slog On (Dead Beat)
- Straight Plague
- Bad Love
disc b
- Trust part one
- Trust part two
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The sonic interplay that opens "Chrono-Synclastic Infundibulum" lacks the dynamics and grit necessary to make it texturally satisfying, and the beats that eventually infiltrate the song aren't very riveting. Not only do they sound canned, they obfuscate the atmospherics in the background to the song's detriment. Many of the rapid glitch beats found in this song as well as "Molten Ghost" and "Are You Aware of the Pink Light Emanating from Your Navel?" seem to come straight out of the Aphex Twin playbook from ten years ago or longer, and I don't really hear anything new or different on these. However, I did like "Ayhuascaro Empyreal," "Physically Modelled Theme for Children," and "Palette Swap Dub" quite a bit. All have a tighter focus and more fully realized rhythms than the other tracks.
Even so, these three tracks aren't enough to redeem this album's sterility and dependence on its forbears. Gaseous Opal Orbs isn't bad by any means, but there isn't enough here to make it more than ordinary.
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While Martin's skills and arrangements are impressive, many of these songs have so many movements within them that their overall intentions can get lost. Rather than evolving with the same instruments they start with, instead new instruments crossfade into the mix to form different sections and take the song somewhere new. Even though these new sections are often equal to or better than the parts they're replacing, this constant shifting of themes and instrumentation never quite allows the listener to gain a comfortable foothold. A good example of this is "Tire Swing," one of my favorites on the album. The first half starts with a piercing pitch and vibrato strings before morphing into an elegant dirge for the second half. The latter part is much more interesting but the parts are divided so equally that it sounds more like two unrelated sections that are fused together rather than a tension-building intro that leads into the main body. Almost every song does something like this at least once if not more, and the result is a somewhat choppy, disconnected listening experience rather than the meditative one it could have been.
Martin is clearly very talented, and the music here is often captivating and gorgeous. Too much reliance on seemingly arbitrary changes keeps River Water just shy of being a transcendent recording.
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