Matador
For his third feature film, Todd Solondz asked Belle and Sebastian towrite some music. In a situation that seems somewhat analogous to Coilwith regards to the "Hellraiser Themes", very little of what theyrecorded in New York actually ended up being used. This 30-minute EPfully documents the results of those recording sessions. Belle andSebastian take to movie scoring incredibly naturally, and obviously arewell-suited for it. Inherently cinematic and epic, some of the stunninginstrumental pieces presented showcase what truly gifted musicians theyare. "Fuck This Shit" is a particularly stand-out piece, centeringaround a harmonica and piano, while "Consuelo" feaures trumpet and somegorgeous harp work. "Night Walk" is haunting. Soundbites from the filmhave been selected with the band's typical sense of humor, andscattered between various tracks, but seem rather unnecessary, or atleast to someone who hasn't seen the film yet. A few more conventionalBelle and Sebastian tracks are present as well. "Black and White Unite"is mediocre; certainly not as good as the band is capable of. The titletrack, the usual catchy B&S fare with lead vocals by thenow-departed Isobel Campbell, is their slightly cheeky ode to Solondzhimself: "Have you considered the way / People might react to all thethings that your characters say?". "Wandering Alone" is the band attheir irresistible best -- but with a latin-flavored twist!'Storytelling' finishes off with "Big John Shaft", which has somethingof a kitschy Saint Etienne feel. Bearing in mind that this is notreally a Belle and Sebastian album per se is key to enjoying thisrelease for what it is: their first foray into a new arena of music. Ifind the fruit of their labors encouraging, and hopefully it'ssomething that they will try their hand at again in the future.
For his third feature film, Todd Solondz asked Belle and Sebastian towrite some music. In a situation that seems somewhat analogous to Coilwith regards to the "Hellraiser Themes", very little of what theyrecorded in New York actually ended up being used. This 30-minute EPfully documents the results of those recording sessions. Belle andSebastian take to movie scoring incredibly naturally, and obviously arewell-suited for it. Inherently cinematic and epic, some of the stunninginstrumental pieces presented showcase what truly gifted musicians theyare. "Fuck This Shit" is a particularly stand-out piece, centeringaround a harmonica and piano, while "Consuelo" feaures trumpet and somegorgeous harp work. "Night Walk" is haunting. Soundbites from the filmhave been selected with the band's typical sense of humor, andscattered between various tracks, but seem rather unnecessary, or atleast to someone who hasn't seen the film yet. A few more conventionalBelle and Sebastian tracks are present as well. "Black and White Unite"is mediocre; certainly not as good as the band is capable of. The titletrack, the usual catchy B&S fare with lead vocals by thenow-departed Isobel Campbell, is their slightly cheeky ode to Solondzhimself: "Have you considered the way / People might react to all thethings that your characters say?". "Wandering Alone" is the band attheir irresistible best -- but with a latin-flavored twist!'Storytelling' finishes off with "Big John Shaft", which has somethingof a kitschy Saint Etienne feel. Bearing in mind that this is notreally a Belle and Sebastian album per se is key to enjoying thisrelease for what it is: their first foray into a new arena of music. Ifind the fruit of their labors encouraging, and hopefully it'ssomething that they will try their hand at again in the future.
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Dose One, the nasal one from cLOUDEAD, is rapidly becoming the BustaRhymes of underground hip-hop, popping up on various albums over thepast year including Hood's "Cold House" of all places. Also, like MrRhymes, he's possessed of an unusual voice, kinda like the annoying onefrom Cypress Hill, but without being annoying, if that makes sense.Boom Bip, on the other hand, has had some well-received releases on theAnticon label.
This is Geir Jenssen's third Biosphere album in as many years for theUK's two decade strong Touch label. At first glance there appears to beseveral unrelated elements at play: the title is the name of a Chineseunmanned spacecraft, the track titles reference miscellaneous things,the digipack artwork is seemingly random photos (though typical forTouch) and inside it says that the first ten of the dozen tracks arebased on the orchestral works of late 20th Century French impressionistcomposer Claude Debussy. Playing those ten tracks doesn't clarify thecontradictions, but it does reveal a tightly focused continuum. HereJenssen's arctic ambience is quite minimal and possibly darker anddeeper than ever before. Low end currents and pink noise vapor trailscreate melodies and mysteries. Meanwhile, rhythmic bumps and loopedstrains of what I presume is Debussy orchestra are occasionally weavedin. The final two tracks are indeed different but also complementary tothe Debussy inspired suite. Altogether, 'Shenzou' is austere and simplyanother eerily beautiful ambient escape courtesy of Biosphere and Touch.
Luna has had their share of critical and audience acclaim. Since "PupTent," people have told me "You have to hear Luna! They're the bestband in the world and they..." blah blah blahblahblahblah. Yeah, okay.So a couple of their records have had some good songs on them. But istheir press way off? Are they really that incredible a listeningexperience? Nope. In fact, "Romantica" shows the same weaknesses theband has always had, even while showing some new strengths off in grandstyle. Jetset is their label du jour (their third in three years), andLuna are now getting a push from the same marketing team as Sigur Rosand Flaming Lips. All that marketing isn't going to save this albumfrom its own cracks. From the first song, 'Lovedust', this seems like astrong release. In fact, it's one of the best songs Luna have everrecorded. Unfortunately, the chords are so similar to 'Glycerine' byBush, I can't stand listening to the song. That, and the lyrics are sobad, which is the main problem with the whole release, and most Lunareleases. Sample: "When candles light themselves/and the air turnscreamy/why not take a photograph?/you look so dreamy." Not since Iheard Elvis actually sing "dig" and "groovy" have I been repulsed bysuch words. Not satisfied? Fine: "Goddess of shadow, lipstick, andscent/where did you end?/apricot candles and blackberry pie/is it atime bomb i see in your eye?" See? It's obviously a record of adorationand devotion, but there are way too many references to eyes, sleep, andstrange objects (bamboo chairs?). It's so frustrating. With DaveFridmann on the production team, this is the best Luna have eversounded, and the music, with the exception of the first track, is verycrisp and delicious. So why do the lyrics suck so bad? And why doesDean Wareham sound so much like Tim Booth all of a sudden? I don'tknow. But I'm incredibly underwhelmed by it all. But not surprised.
This much anticipated follow-up to 1999's "Motion" is a perfect blendof late sixties jazz and the ever-changing world of sample based music.Main man J. Swinscoe has gone from orchestrating rhythm samples toleading his own rhythm section, comprised of drummer Luke Flowers,pianist John Ellis and bassist Phil France, who also co-wrote thedisc's seven tunes. The use of samples is very tasteful, ranging fromslit-drum and thumb piano to choirs and strings. At times, it sounds asif some of the tunes may have been written around the samples asthey're just too damn tasty. The bulk of the disc is agroove-oriented/chillout feel from the rhythm section with fabperformances from soprano saxophonist Tom Chant andelectronics/turntables provided by Patrick Carpenter of DJ Food fame.While a lot of the instrumental tunes are epic in proportion (anywherefrom six to eleven minutes), they don't come off as "jam band" as thesubtleties of samples and ambient backdrops make the whole greater thanthe individual parts. Vocal legend Fontella Bass appears on the ballad"All That You Give" in a stand-out performance, and the deep-groove of"Evolution". Rapper Roots Manuva provides the social narrative on "AllThings To All Men" as only he can. Personally, "Every Day" should bethe disc that does for sampling what "Bitches Brew" did for fusion.
Richard Hell is beyond many things. Reproach and comparison are two such things. Leader of the Voidods, poet, bass player, and a man many call one of the founders of the punk movement, Hell has released very little music for a man of his acclaim and stature. In fact, he's reportedly only been in a studio once in the last 17 years. Luckily, the music he has released is so fantastic that it lasts, so much that any new music might pale in comparison. Add this one to the stack of record you must own.
To be honest, I was extremely sluggish in getting into electro (read:not electroclash, otherwise known as "the new black"). Though theclassic "Planet Rock" is a song that I recall fondly from my youth,spending summers in Florida with my family and hearing my cousin DJArson spin down there, I never appreciated bass enough to listen toelectro. Only recently did this change, when a friend turned me on tothe Two Lone Swordsmen side project Radioactive Man. As I blared his CDthrough my new DJ headphones, I realized that there was a sweet sweetLordy in heaven, and His name was Bass. Hunting for a similar sound(and eager to dodge all things fischy and adult in the process), thename Anthony Rother came up several times. At the prodding of a friendof mine with his finger on the pulse of underground electro, I pickedup 'Welcome To PSICITY,' a compilation on Rother's own PSI49NET label.Many of the songs here are by Rother himself, either alone or withcollaborators in the regarded Netzwerk moniker, and he usuallyimpresses. From the EBM stylings of "PSI CITY" and "Hot Body" to thesexy synthpop of "In The Studio" and the Kraftwerkian "Little ComputerPeople," Rother lets determined voices and corroding arpeggios run wildamid thick bass hits. The bass here is delightful and will happilydamage your puny stereo if played loud enough, so proceed with cautionduring your next drug binge. Other noteworthy tracks from outsidecontributors include Mulletronic's upbeat "Eeyore" and Froyd's "WeissesRauschen", a 4/4 head-nodder reminiscent of older Underworld (circa'dubnobasswithmyheadman'). This 2 CD set does have a fair bit of iffytracks, particularly from some of the non-Rother projects, but thatshouldn't stop the electro novice from investigating it. (Most Rotherfans already own it, unless they've been hospitalized). Don't worry,everyone. Miss Kittin wont get mad if you buy an electro album thatdoesn't include her in the credits. Do it for yourself. Do it for Bass!Amen!
Thomas Brinkmann's third Soul Center album is the first for Mute'sdance division NovaMute. Soul Center is considered Brinkmann'selectronic funk outlet. Here, minimal mid-tempo grooves are looped andjazzed up with percussion layers, (sampled?) keyboard and saxophoneruns, and nicked spoken and sung phrases from classic Stax wax such asIsaac Hayes' 'Live At The Sahara Tahoe'. When I think of "funk" I thinkof the real deal: James Brown, Parliament / Funkadelic, Troublefunk,etc. I'm talking grit and sweat. You know ... funk. This ain't that.It's often just German techno wearing a goofy afro wig. As funk it'stoo sterile, as techno it's too cutesy. But as something in-between andsomething to dance to, this ain't that bad. A couple of tracks pique myinterest more than the others. The dubby groove of "Easy Goin'" isgreat alone but it gets even better when tasty keys reminiscent ofCoil's 'The Snow' are faded in on top. And "Who's My Girl?" really getsthings moving with a truncated vocal and piano riff rolled into athumpin' beat. Also on the disc is a cute video for "A Good One", thestop-motion adventures of the cover's robo-pooch.
Thank God for Girls Against Boys. Yet another band that started on an indie, moved to a major, and now, back to an indie. Another band who once compromised for the big time, now compromises for no one. Another band that is reborn on their new album, throwing more energy out on tape now than they ever have. The only unfortunate label ever assigned to the band was that of "sex rock." Sure, their music is sexy. Sure, it's raw. And it's definitely not for the faint of heart. But it's not "sex rock." And "You Can't Fight What You Can't See" is arguably the most punishing record with which any of the band's members have been involved.
You'd be hard pushed to realise that samples from classical music formthe core of the second Illuminati EP, as they've mostly been utterlydistorted and pulverised beyond recognition. A middle aged electriciancommented that this reminded him of Soft Machine which is odd becauseDave Clarkson of Illuminati and Planetsounds is a big fan of theirs,but I'd never have thought it was something that sounded similar. WhenI mentioned the comparison to Dave he asked if it was the third track,"Glass Box Trap" which chucks a melodic keyboard jitter over thrummingdouble drone backbone, and a nasal voice muttering disgruntled andnebulous. If I was going to fling comparisons at Illuminati though I'dhave to mention Throbbing Gristle, particularly "DOA," but I think Idid that with the first EP. This one has the same picture on the cover,but inverted to negative and in some ways this a darker and moremenacing trip. A deep singular pulse beat opens the strange door onto amicroscope resolution for "Midget Germs" which vibrate ominously inhell spawned misery. Feedback screams and muffled moans punctuate thistortured cancerous eyeball injection. The poor germs don't stand achance when "Argenteum Atavism" squirts beatnoise bleach all over them.Crunching along in hectic overloaded abandon, this is what it mightsound like if Aphex Twin tried to put one over on Non. Just as themelody creeps in one final crash collapses into semi-ambient bleepscapegurgling. The fourth and final track swings "The Strange Door" shut anddesperate knocking can be heard from outside as the germs shut outsideslowly fizzle to their demise, and a new dawn of lush angelic keyboardbursts across the blackened sky. Distant thunder rumbles.
For everyone out there who fell in love with the brutal industrialrhythms of Speedy J's 'A Shocking Hobby,' be prepared for somethingvery different. 'Loudboxer,' Jochem Paap's latest CD on the alwaysenjoyable Novamute label, returns to his earlier days of Plus 8 styledminimal techno bangers and away from the noise that undoubtedly madethe Ant-Zen family tremble. However, the darkness of 'A Shocking Hobby'is still intact here, and the first mind-bludgeoning single "Krekc"makes that very apparent. Devoid of any clear melody, the album existsas an upward slope, increasing in intensity so that by the time tracknine ("Sevntrak") arrives, I'm reminded why my hard techno-obsessedco-workers can't get enough of this shit. Juxtapose this: machineschugging away with an assembly line fury while sweat drenched clubbersdance helplessly enslaved to the merciless beats. (Sound corny? Wellthen don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.) This is theessence of industrial, a style that has splintered beyond recognitionbut yet has found its way home somehow here. Presented as a continuousmix with a few carefully placed interludes ("Cement", "Inter Zil"),'Loudboxer' fails to displease those who like their music hard, fast,and strictly 4/4 for the dancefloor. Speedy J once again rivals alllike-minded peers in the genre.
What can you say about 76 year old composer Francis Dhomont? You couldsay he's been given lots of prizes for his noises. You could say hetalks a good acousmatic game theory. You could say he wears an eyepatchover his right eye. He first grabbed my attention with his"Frankenstein Symphony" on Asphodel, a plunderphonic acousmatic journeyon which he skillfully cut up and stitched together various excerptsfrom works by his French Canadian contemporaries. He now tips his hatto perhaps his biggest inspiration. This sound cycle is a fiftiethanniversary homage to musique concrète pioneer Pierre Schaefer,specifically the first movement of his "Étude Aux Objets," from whichDhomont has sourced his raw materials. There are many furtivesimilarities to the Schaefer original, but Dhomont stretches thejourney out almost twice as long and eschews Schaefer's violent tapesplice edits, focusing and magnifying curiously questioning speakerpanning whirls into successive new smoothed out seascapes. In theopening funeral march, "Objets Retrouvés," the sounds seem to be askingthemselves what they are, curious to find themselves hanging aroundtheir own echoes. Dhomont breathes new life into them and gives themcelebratory purpose. The second cycle "AvartArsSon" paints in the skyfrom a more varied and clattering palette. Sounds loom into theforeground, shimmer and mutate. Latterly choral vox limbo over gluggingmystery spools. Bells ring out across the city full of gleeful honkingtaxis, soon washed away by tidal waves. This is the most cinematic ofthe four cycles, in that more untransmuted sound sources are apparentthan in relatively abstracted sequences elsewhere. The third cycle"Novars" was the first to be completed and is the hub around which theothers rotate, but since it is sequenced after "Objets Retrouvés"despite being completed seven years earlier, it seems like an extendedversion thereof. "Phonurgie" hones and magnifies elements from theprevious cycles casting long late summer evening shadows and deep poolreflections, folding mystery into myth. Latterly it seems as if severalglass instrument orchestras are playing cut up fragments in reverse asthey sink into the sea. A little recurring chuckle is a mirthfulreminder of how much fun listening can be.
Berlin's WMF Club is home for Saturday night Komfort.Labor events suchas Native Instruments' Native Labs. The company is maker of modularsound software Reaktor and I'm assuming that the 14 artists found hereused it for these exclusive tracks. Some of electronica's elite are ofcourse to be found here amongst the line-up: Kid 606, Jake Mandell,Richard Devine, Errorsmith, F.X. Randomiz, Rob Acid, Solar X, Kent,Vladislav Delay, Siegmar Kreie, Mike Dred, Nitrada vs. Vger, Vert andLazyfish. If anything, the resulting hour of audio proves that Reaktoris a really flexible environment for electronic music makers.Everything from looping soundscapes to inexplicable experiments tothrobbing techno is represented, though there's an especially strongemphasis on chaos and/or rhythm throughout. Of the lot, I'd say onlyErrorsmith's annoying metallic beat thing is worthy of skipping and Kid606's bland "Damn Dre Why You Always Hating On Me" doesn't live up toits cool title. The following three are my favorites: Mandell's"Broccoli Crisis" is a seriously storming dance number that would makethe most timid clubber get their ass out on the floor and move; F.X.Randomiz's "Danuni" melodically churns a granular mass of bits andbobs; snd Vladislav Delay performs his usual magic trick for "The SuperHas Left The Model" by skillfully turning microscopic digitalia insideout, almost at random. The interactive ROM portion might just be themost interesting aspect of the disc, that is, if I ever figure it out.A Reaktor-like application lets you graphically manipulate the "what","when" and "how" of Lazyfish's "Mewark-Stoderaft" on the fly. Fun, forawhile.
"Fantastic Damage" is a perfect description for this album of denselylayered beats that serve as a soundtrack for El-P's tour through adystopian urbanscape. Almost every beat on the album is so rich andevocative it seems a shame that El-P has to bark over almost every oneof them. Some of his lyrical concepts work well, as on the track"Stepfather Factory" where he effectively constructs and deconstructs acompany that churns out indistinguishable, abusive father figures. Thisis one of the few tracks where he takes his vocals down to aconversational level and it works really well. On too much of the albumthough, his vocals come off as monotonous yelling which undermines thepower of his intelligent lyrics. El-P has an uncommon problem for anMC—so much he needs to say that he is unable to fit all of his lyricsinto his allotted lines of verse. This problem of too many words to goaround is particularly noticeable on the verses of "Truancy". When heslows the rhymes down during the chorus, each lyric becomes more potentand fits well into the rhythm. He also uses an interesting approach atthe beginning of "Dead Disnee" where he adjusts his cadence and rhymescheme to mimic that of the early De La Soul single "Plug Tunin'".While paying respect to an earlier, more creative era of hip-hop, healso demonstrates how a varied rhyme style can compliment a song.Unfortunately, the rest of the song falls into his same abrasivelymonotonous pattern. Most of the album's lyrical content falls into the"conscious lyrics" category—which makes some of the slips into standardhip-hop homophobia all the more frustrating. 
Chris Brokaw should be familiar as guitarist from Come and Pullman and drummer for the New Year, Codeine and Consonant, not to mention all the other groups and collectives he's been playing out with recently - check out www.chrisbrokaw.com for the lowdown. And if his name isn't familiar then you have got some serious record buying to do! 'Red Cities' is his first solo album following a split single with Spanish band Viva Las Vegas.
Deviating from their usual medium of on-demand CD-Rs, the Burning Shedonline label debuts their first Red Book disc in a good old fashionedjewel case. Peter Chilvers (Alias Grace) and Tim Bowness (No-Man,Centrozoon) also collaborate in Samuel Smiles and Henry Fool.'California, Norfolk' is a sort of extension of the former's 'World OfBright Futures' album, the title track in particular. Bowness'ruminations on lost love and fading memories are fairly simple, but hisrich tone and breathy delivery brings the inherent sadness and mutedjoys within them to life. The vocals are very forward in the mix butdeftly framed by minor beats, sampled auras and tender piano, keyboard,guitar and bass melodies and textures. It's beautifully stark - partballadry, part ambient, part soundscape - think of Nick Drake's 'PinkMoon' spirit as processed by Brian Eno. It's strange how quickly thisalbum floats by despite its 45 minute running time. And although goodbeginning to end and back again, "Hostage" and "Winter With You" are mypersonal favorites. For the former, sweeping orchestral synth andbackground giggling help tell the short story of "the girl you neverforgot, was never happy with her lot ... walked around a hostage to herfright". And in the latter, the crunch of trodden snow drifts in andout of its 10 plus minutes. Chilvers subtlety steals the limelight bybreaking up an instrumental passage with a delicate piano refrain.'California, Norfolk' is another great addition to the ever growingChilvers and Bowness related pile.
Oh, how far the Lambchop has come. This Nashville-based band, oncebelieved to be another alt-country creation, has created a fine summeralbum for you to listen to on those hot days when you just want to siton your porch and sip some lemonade. Except that it really doesn'tbelong in that setting. The country is further away from their soundnow than it's ever been. "Is a Woman" is actually a fine neo-loungetype album, where singer and main songwriter Kurt Wagner has embracedthe piano as the main instrument. His voice hasn't changed, still likea higher pitched Leonard Cohen blended with Belle and Sebastian'sStuart Murdoch. This is lazy music, where you can listen without anyreal commitment or strain. Even the song titles evoke summer -"Caterpillar," "Bugs," "The Old Matchbook Trick," and "The New CobwebSummer," for example - and the lyrics tell tales of old friends, dogs,and the mischief of youth. Lambchop is born anew in this sound, asthere's more energy in this release, more groove, more feeling, andmore beauty than they've ever produced. Pretty amazing considering thatthe majority of songs are over the five-minute mark and of a slowertemp. Wagner's lyrics conjure fantastic images - "Once I had afriend/who had the knack of tossing/his mind around geography/boy youthink you have problems?/The hunter is asleep/at least that's what Icall him" on "The New Cobweb of Summer" - and the instumentation isplayful with gently strummed guitar, faded organ, and flashes of hornshere and there joining the piano. The only complaint is that it's not a"whole listen" record. I cannot, after listening to it once, listen toit straight through again. It causes the sound to be near montonous, aseach song has a similar structure. Perhaps that's actually a backhandedcompliment, however. It's a complete work, and if you allow it to, itwill suck you in. Lambchop sound like this is finally fun for them, andthe listener is encouraged to join the festivities. What are youwaiting for? Let's go catch some lightning bugs...
Yves Beupré beavers away in his workshop building a hundred harpsichords. As he hammers and strings and flexes the things he records the sounds of the instruments' birth pangs. Lucky for our ears, he stitches the recordings into acousmatic soundscapes that are mysterious, evocative and plain beautiful.
And I still have chills up and down my spine over this one. NinaNastasia makes music that compromises nothing. It is aggressive in itspursuit of your soul, it is passionate in its creation, it isunforgiving and somewhat brutal. But it is rather lovely. This is musicthat combines the hoedowns of the early part of the 20th century withelements of a modern rock orchestra, a little Dylan influence, and allpiped through the voice of a true chanteuse. Nastasia's voice is clear,distinct, gorgeous. With a basis of acoustic guitar and her voice,there's nowhere to go but up. And it certainly does, with littleholding it back. Steel guitar haunts the tracks in places, gentle andcompetent drumming providing a solid backbone. The strings soar, withcello and viola vying for attention, but never outdoing one another.There's even accordion, which adds atmosphere as well as anauthenticity that cannot be denied. Things move along at a nice pace,with occasional jarring moments that could easily give you a heartattack - the moment on the first track, 'Run, All You...', where thefull band comes in almost killed me. And ultimately, everything seemsto be destined to remain in your dreams and nightmares for years tocome. Luckily, Nastasia's lyrics are those of a poet, so these songsalso have a lot to say without sounding highfalutin or cheap. Theycreate the backdrop of a barren wasteland, a dirt town where none areforgiven for their transgressions, and suffering is king. "Someone toldme that I should visit you in the graveyard/pull out all the weeds; butI'm still lonely and I'm not ready/You scared me when you hid behindthe trees" says it all, and that's just one example. Most songs lastaround two minutes, and normally I'd feel cheated. Sometimes here, Istill do, wanting the songs to continue. But who knows what mighthappen then? It might get old, lose it's lustre. It might changedirection, morph into something else. But it's best just as NinaNastasia left it. Trust her: she knows what she's doing.
