- Mark Weddle
- Albums and Singles
The jams of "Inception" are, asadvertised, pretty much just that: germination of ideas, creativefoundations. Demos really. The twitchy electronic hybrids of ambient,noise and techno that was their signature at the time is of courseevident and the production is clean, but this is not thickly textured,fully polished, fully realized product. I hoped for diamonds in therough, something spectacular yet inexplicably unreleased, but the factis the crème de la crème found its way in finished form to the albumsand EPs. But at least the rabid completists, those willing to shell out$20 per disc, get more insight into the process. As well as more of thelate Dwayne Rudolf Goettel's output, considered by many to be thecrucial creative component of the original grouping's magic. MarkSpybey is credited on 4 tracks but, unfortunately, his vocals arenowhere to be found. "Sidewinder Snake" from the "Sidewinder" EP promois mysteriously resurrected as "Left the Radio On" and "Tweeter Blower"from the "Charlie's Family" soundtrack reappears in a disappointinglyless noisy and rhythm-less form. "Krackerzz" stands out as a possiblyfinished track that didn't make a final cut, understandably so.Overall, everything sounds too flat and too thin. It just makes me wantto listen to the brilliant "Furnace", "TEOSP" and their accompanyingEPs instead.
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- Rob Devlin
- Albums and Singles
The name itself is a misnomer: a word that identifies smallerstreams. Amundson clearly creates oceans of sound which are easy to getlost in. On this, the self-titled debut, Rivulets are joined by AlanSparhawk and Mimi Parker of Low in their traditional roles, as well asLD Beghtol of Flare and Three Terrors fame with other flavors. Sparhawkalso produces the set, and its release is on Low's own Chair KickersMusic, which couldn't be more appropriate given the overwhelming toneof the release. If you had to describe this music, you could call itsad core, but that would almost be demeaning. This record is affectingon myriad levels, piercing through the mediocrity to introduce Amundsonas a true talent. His slight voice is mesmerizing, holding notes forextreme effect, crawling under your skin and through your cerebrum atthe same time. The music itself is somber, minimal, but not simple. Ittakes a rare band to know when to let the current sound stand, and whensilence is best. This is the new Minnesota sound, the sound Rivuletsembody and join. Amundson's lyrics are those of a true poet, too, usingwordplay, pauses and that voice to convey an entire range of emotionsand evoke imagery that the listener can appreciate with all senses. On"Swans," he asks "Have you ever fell into an armageddon of love?"Haven't we all? "Four Weeks": "And I just want to get it over with...she's says I'm desperate. I'm desperate for you." It's pure beauty.Don't wait. Get this release and hear it for yourself.
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- Maurice Underwood
- Albums and Singles
Minimalistic in it's use of sound sources, thisdisc manages to be fully immersing nonetheless. Overdriven static rubsup against smoove groovin' hip hop on 'Check Me For Props' and thenoise nearly takes over completely on the remix that followsimmediately after. 'Venom8888 Pirate Radio' has thick, chunky beats,electro-vocal samples worthy of Afrika Bambatta and a great restraineduse of distortion. 'Battleline remix' sounds like v/Vm duking it outwith Kid 606 in an ozone wasteland and 'Eat My Pussy Please' has a lowdown feel that would be excellent for nocturnal cruising. All told anentertaining listen and well worth the price of admission.
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- Graeme Rowland
- Albums and Singles
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- Mark Weddle
- Albums and Singles
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- Administrator
- Albums and Singles
A simple title for the most simple music New Wet Kojak have ever created. True, the sex is still in this rock, more libido than most records combined. But where is the substance?
Several of the tracks on this, their imaginatively titled fourth release feature band leader Scott McCloud saying "Number One" repeatedly, removing any hope of meaning. After a while it actually starts to sound a little ridiculous, particularly on "Year of the Sheep," where McCloud asks if he can be someone's "Number One Sheep," whatever the hell that means, because "I really like you a lot." Check the "no" box and send the note back to Scotty, please ladies. The grooves are still there, and this time spacey keyboards abound, adding an new but wholly uninteresting effect to their modus operandi. The horns, though, effects laden and faded into the mix more than usual, are still enough to anchor the sound and set the band apart. And McCloud is playing around with vocals more this time, sampling and repeating his own voice with different distortions and echoes. It's clear that this release is driven to tide fans over until their next full-length (one track is a remix of "love career" from "do things"), and it comes out being a release that only fans should own or would want to own. It's the weakest release from Kojak yet, as the band sounds like their struggling with a new sound or approach at it. Even "Sophia Loren," the tribute to her sexiness and staying power as a star, sounds forced and trite when compared to the power of their other work. I give this one a big old pass if you've never heard them, and a possible pass even if you're a fan. You'll spend more time laughing at it's weaknesses than enjoying this music.
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- John Wohlfahrt
- Albums and Singles
What I was hearing was a beautiful acoustic piece with subtlemale vocals. It sounded somewhat dark but not intentionally. I knew thepiece was very complex, but at the same time it sounded veryunproduced. When I asked the clerk about the record he was overlyexcited to be able to talk about it and showed me the album and gave mea little background info. I bought the cd and took it home and I don'tthink I have been happier. The liner notes indicate the cd was allrecorded on a four track, this explains the lack of production, but Ipersonally think this brings out much of the emotion this disc has topresent. There are 8 tracks all together. This CD varies from acoustic/vocaltracks that would put most apocalyptic folk songs to shame, to noisierdrone tracks, to solo acoustic performances that I could never evencomprehend playing. Six Organs of Admittance is mainly Ben Chasny,although Ryan Hilderbrand does appear on the two noisier tracks. I mustsay this is one of the better releases I have bought in the past coupleyears.
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- Todd Zachritz
- Albums and Singles
Seaworthy's Cameron Webb and Greg Bird have created abeautiful album of gently haunting melodies and understated yetheartfelt paeans to, well, perhaps the less-than-exalted times in life.Similarities can be mentioned to stuff like classic Eno perhaps, orsome of the drone merchants of the Kranky stable, though Seaworthy canably stand on their own collective feet with this remarkable work. Ifell in love with this disc immediately and if the aforementioned floatyour boat (there's a pun in there somewhere), I'd suggest giving ashout to Cameron and Greg as this is simply a magnificent collection ofwhat I like to call 'pure' music. Recommended.
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- Brian Duong
- Albums and Singles
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- John Regan
- Albums and Singles
While track 1 is a good indicator of what's to come, it's hardly ablueprint for the record. 14 tracks of warm, fuzzy electronica followin just over 30 minutes. 'Electronic Lament' isn't entirely withoutbeats, but never samey. It's like the link music you hear on FutureSound of London albums used to connect tracks — 10 second pieces youwish would continue for another few minutes, but are over too fast. On"Norway," Him introduces some live instrumentation, with a laid backguitar in the mix a'la Savath + Savalas. A slightly longer song,"Straight," sounds like it could have come from the last Stars of theLid album, while the fifth track is probably the most minimal of therecord - a simple vibraphone piece which, despite having no clearlydistinguishable melody, is still remarkably hummable. "Electonic Lamentpt2" ups the dissonance a little with the ever-present backgroundstatic coming to the fore, yet never getting ugly, the melody stillwatertight.
The second half is just as good, featuring a Steve Reich-esqueinterlocking vibraphone piece, a guitar piece (just a guitar loop)which starts off like the last 10 minutes of Low's 'Born by the wires',just that familiarjing...jjiiiinnnngggg.......jing...jiiiinnnnngggg.... Half-way throughits short running time some plucked folk guitar comes in, weavingaround the crashing chords. Just fabulous.
The only problem with the album is when to put it on. It's the kind ofthing to play while having trouble sleeping and yet it's too engagingto drift off to. The result would easily be more wide awake thanbefore. I don't recommend trying to do anything while this is on, evendoing this review I had to turn it off in order to write anything.Listen to it on the bus or train, and you'll just close your eyes,float away and reopen them at the terminus. This is real cinematic [ormaybe more video art] music. The images which come to mind are ofbirds, fish, or that floating bag from American Beauty. Avoiding allthe pitfalls of glitch electronica (there's only one track where youcheck to see the disc isn't scratched) it's a fantastic debut for bothartist and label, and a great start to the year. Just press play, closeyour eyes and follow the sounds.
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- John Regan
- Albums and Singles
On this evidence Buck 65 fits right in. He's a one-man team ofproducer/rapper, responsible for every sound on the record. Hisopen-minded approach to hip-hop allows him to work outside that genre'sever-narrowing set of rules. Dope, guns and fucking are not foremost inhis mind, as he claims he's "shy around girls and the only thing in mywallet is a baseball card." His voice is laid-back, a little like Mau,formerly of trip-hoppers Earthling. He doesn't diss other MCs, ratherhe laments the state of the music he loves. Buck "can't wait till theday I ride around in rocket cars, wear short sleeved shirts and all Ieat is chocolate bars." Dropping lyrical gems like this — in his flowover fantastically inventive backdrops utilising strings, spanishguitars, horns, beats, electronic tones and more — Buck grabs ourattention and doesn't release for 70 minutes.
I find it rare, as most rap albums are far too long, full of humourlessskits and shitty collaborations. The 14 tracks here (all untitled, somesplit into 2 or more movements) leave you wanting more, searching outhis back catalogue on other labels.
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