Whiskeytown is dead. Long live Whiskeytown! After the demise of North Carolina's infamous entry into the alt-country sound before their final album was released in 2001, the members went their separate ways, though at that point they really numbered only three: Mike Daly, Ryan Adams and Caitlin Cary.

It's difficult to tell if Che-Shizu's leader, vocalist and kokyu (aChinese violin-like string instrument) player Chie Mukai, had everpicked up her instrument before the tape for this album startedrolling. Her solo kokyo improvisations (with which I am most familiar)do not rely on such conventions as tune or melody, so her atonal sawingnever sounded out of place to me before. On this, a CD reissue of herband's debut album from 1984, it appears that she either never tunedher kokyu, or else has no idea where the correct notes are, or else hadnever even seen or even considered the existance of stringedinstruments before deciding to play these songs. The tunes themselvesare downbeat Velvet Underground-like droning things with ocasional odd,sour attempts at klezmer and waltz. But Mukai's bowed monstrositysteals the show, always a bit flat or else way too sharp, and damned ifI didn't wince a dozen times within the first several minutes oflistening0. Sure, it's awful, but it's also really interesting. It's soconsistently bad that it's great. Know what I mean? I find myselflistening first in horror, then a second time to make sure I'm reallyhearing what I think I'm hearing (christ, she really IS off for theentire damn album!), then again because I like the songs and thebizarreness has worn off. Speaking of the Velvets, Mukai's voice has adeadpan quality that brings Nico (especially "The Marble Index") tomind. Her band's accompaniment is appropriately spare and mournful,serving mostly as a frame for the kokyu and voice; a determinedly na?vequality reigns, shocking in its spare directness. For more information,check www.alchemy.cc.

samples:

• Dancing in My Heart
• Track 7

For those who missed the limited release of Death Cab For Cutie's lastrelease "The Photo Album," DCFC have released the EP that came withthat release separately, calling it "The Stability EP." It's ultimatelyheavier material than that on the last LP, as these songs could almostcrush the listener with their subject matter and slow, driven music.The center piece is "Stability," a near 13-minute DCFC epic that couldalmost be described as "Death Cab For Post-Rock." Languid, lush,slowcore galore, the track is easily the closest the band will everapproach that genre. The track finishes with over 6 minutes of greatguitar melodies, a steady drumbeat, and keyboard swells and pulses withno clear vocals to speak of. Of course, there are vocals by BenjaminGibbard at the top of the track, as well as piano, and a fewMogwai-like edits. The second track is a Bjork cover, and a greateffort by DCFC, especially the hyper drumwork. DCFC are known for theirodd cover choices live, as an MP3 search even turns up a cover of theEurythmics classic "Here Comes the Rain Again." They pull off thisBjork classic with gusto and all sincerity, making it the highpoint ofthe release. "20th Century Towers" is classic DCFC, just a lot slower:meek vocals by Gibbard, intertwined guitar and bass, and just went youthink it will give up the ghost and rock out, Gibbard holds it all in.The only complaint is the crowd vocal towards the track's final third.I would have preferred to hear Gibbard solo or double-tracked, not whatyou expect in a drunken English pub crowd. All in all, not a bad threetracks if you got it with the record, but I don't know if I'd spend $10on it in the stores.

samples:

• 20th Century Towers
• All is Full of Love
• Stability

I'm rarely disappointed by Novamute releases. Usually, they have enough intelligent and interesting tracks to keep me interested and sometimes produce modern classics (Speedy J's 'A Shocking Hobby' being the perfect example of the latter). 'The Mission Statement', S.I. Futures' debut album for the label, is no exception to the rule, but also no significant landmark in the Novamute catalog.

The band with the least pronoucable name since a:GRUMH... is actuallyone Douglas Benford (the ".db" is his initials), who has left drum n'bass behind to explore sunny dub rhythms on his latest CD for the fineDIY-techno Bip-Hop label. The tunes do not attempt perfect replicationof the Jamaican style, as does Twight Circus Dub Sound System or TinoCorp. Instead, Benford merely references the missing pieces andecho-laden beats of dub to turn in a pleasant, if light and airy, setof predominantly instrumental (save a sample here and there) tunes. Thefirst few songs are as enjoyable as this sort of thing can be, but theend of the set turns a bit sweet for my tastes. The best work of KingTubby and Lee Perry had an underlying heaviness and darkness thatBenford does not appear particularly interested in. The beginning of"Enthusiaist" contains some wonderful sections (particularly in theopening cut "Contaminile 2") which really stretch out and dig into thewarm expansiveness that dub techniques can produce. The album getspoppier as it goes on, though, and becomes progressively lessinteresting.

samples:

• Loose Change
• Vistas

Add another awkward band name to your collection. After receiving newsof the forthcoming release of "Inception and Silence Undivided" onSteven Stapleton's United Dairies label, I was curious to find outabout the project. Matt Waldron has been recording and releasing musicas irr.app(ext.) since 1998. The first release, "an uncertin animal,ruptured; tissue expanding in conversation" has a matchinglysurrealistic sound and equally disturbing accompanying artwork (lots ofasparagus-esque vegetation and mutated muscle tissue). It was aco-release between Waldron's own Errata In Excelsus label and theIcelandic label, Fire Inc. I contacted Matt and subsequently receivedfive of his CDs, discs of which I was looking forward to digesting,dissecting and reporting about, but in the time I've had them, themusic just becomes more unraveling with every listen. It's no surprisethat Stapleton was interested in his work, which is essentially areinterpretation of the never before released on CD, long out of printand masters destroyed LP, "Insect and Individual Silenced" by Nursewith Wound. I haven't heard it yet, but after hearing hours of workwhich never wears thin, I'm highly anticipating it. Waldron's work isvery atypical of the volumes of CD-Rs that float around. It's advanced,sonically challenging, created from a collage of musically imitatingsounds both found and created, seamlessly constructed. Matt seems tohave an unchallengable ear for when to introduce pianos, clanging,backwards bits, cut-up sounds, digital demons, resurrective rumblings,and only an occasional pulse. Yeah, it's pretty dark. I find myselfgoing through evenings where I feel I want to just throw the discs allon, one after another, kill the lights and get a complete sensoryoverload. Maybe it's time to try some new drugs. Either way, theofficial irr.app(ext.) web site is still being constructed, but there'san email address on the bottom. http://www.misanthrope.com/irr/Perhaps he'll give you a good deal if you want to buy some of thesegems before he's scoring insane horror films, producing your favoriteelectronic bands or becomes too busy to be bothered with the generalpublic!

samples:

• Antedelirational Music Box (from Dust Pincher Appliances)
• Nascere e Crescere e Ardere D'inconsapevolezza (from Radiand Black Future)
• (internal dialogue) (from An Uncertain Animal)

With the reissues of these two classic LPD albums, Soleilmoon has finally finished the project of bringing the old PIAS titles back into print. Both albums feature the album cover artwork of Babs Santini yet only the second part, 'Malachai' was actually produced by Steven Stapleton. Originally released in 1992, 'Shadow Weaver' was the first album to be recorded since the untimely death of guitarist Bob Pistoor.

The electropop revival has seen it's first casualty. With 'Alright OnTop' Luke Slater, revered for his techno-electro work under numerousmonikers, makes a significant step away from the dancefloor and towardsthe bargain bin. Not nearly as kitschy as Miss Kittin or Felix ThaHousecat, the tracks on here have none of the trashy hip glamour thathas been slapped to the backside of this new new wave. Rather thancopying what seems to be working for everyone else (or sticking to whathe does best and progressing a bit), Slater presents some bizarrehybrid of a mediocre New Order cover band and a 90's "electronica"one-hit wonder. In fairness, you do have to give the man some creditfor doing what he wants to do (and hopefully bracing for criticism fromhis fanbase) and paying tribute to music he truly loves. However, weaksongwriting (dubbed in true press release style as 'songtronica')accompanies uninventive and boring lyrics, making for an overallembarassment when compared to his strong backcatalog. To be honest, I'mhoping this electropop fad (or whatever you want to call it) pisses offand dies quickly like Detroit ghetto-booty music did. I'm not feelin'it... and it's already produced at least one awful album from aonce-solid producer.

samples:

• Nothing at All
• Only You
• Stars and Heroes

Okay, I know this dude's friends with the Fridge guys but the kickofftrack on this EP+video sounds too strikingly similar to "Kinoshita"from Fridge's 1999 single. Dan Snaith is a Canadian who's studies havelanded him in London, where he now makes his home and his muisc.

If you're Icelandic, you're probably already aware of OlafurJosephsson's project, as his career got a large boost by opening forgodspeed you black emperor! last month in Reykjavik. His "band" nametranslates as Digital Hakon (Hakon the Good was the king of Norway inthe 10th century and has a long legacy of being name checked innumerous songs) and the music is probably the most amazingly producedCD-Rs I have ever received.

David Edwards deserves an "A" for effort on his debut full-lengthrelease as Minotaur Shock. The interplay of organic piano and guitarwith electronic instruments and sampled beats blends nicely in thisshimmery recordng of tinkling melodies and sharp rhythms. When I sawthe names Fridge and Four Tet dropped in writeups on this album,naturally my interest was piqued, but seeing those names made me expectsomething somewhat derivative of the two.

The scene is Brooklyn, NY. The time is present day (okay, 2001. This release came out last year, but I just found it for review). And the music is by... Hey! Who the heck are these guys? From Arena Rock Recording Co. comes this compilation of both unknown and well-known Brooklyn bands. And what better cause could there be but donating all the proceeds to the Brooklyn Animal Resource Coalition? Arena Rock has introduced us to some superior rock bands in the past, and Brooklyn has a history of being the birthplace for impressive rock. And the results are astonishing. This is, quite simply, the best 2-CD multiple band compilation I have ever heard.

In the grand tradition of celebrities venturing forth from their meagerbeginnings to great acclaim and stardom, comes Claudia. Claudia, thelatest one name celebrity, the airline hostess, the actress (SaturdayNight Live, Sex and the City, and more), and now, the entertainer. Onher debut release, this CD single on Sourmash USA, Claudia introducesthe world to her voice, and opens her heart to us all.

For this five track EP on Germany's Crippled Dick Hot Wax, omnipresent artiste Lydia Lunch teams up with Los Angeleno instrumental duo Tommy Grenas and Len Del Rio, aka The Anubian Nights. Strange bedfellows? Hardly. The Nights' solid grooves are both live and looped, drawing on smoky bar jazz, Martin Denny exotica and electronica.

Music should never be purely judged by how it sounds. It should also bejudged by how it makes the listener feel upon listening. Whatexperiences it inspires. What textures and emotions it invokes. Onthese qualities alone, Pilote takes the taco.

Department is an experimental industrial duo from Australia, who go bythe cryptic personas of Gatz and Spacious. Not much is known abouttheir past except that one of them (Spacious, I think) was in an early'90s Aussie prog-metal band called Vauxdvihl (pronounced: vaudeville)that apparently achieved minor cult status.

The biggest problem with Richie Hawtin's 2001 mix CD 'DE9: Closer ToThe Edit' was the hype and attention devoted to the techniques andsoftware used to create it. As gearheads and laptop geeks oohed andaahed over the new innovations and opportunities for experimental DJs,many people including myself found the result kind of dull.

This mysterious CD with an oversized package, which may or may not be aSub Rosa-related project, is a live recording of a 1999 collaborationin Belgium between electronic music giants Mika Vainio of Pan Sonic andChristian Fennesz. There are two 30-minute tracks: the first is acollaborative set between the two artists, the second is a solo set byVainio. As much as I like and respect both of these artists—Pan Sonicand Fennesz each released one of the best albums of last year—this CDleaves a lot to be desired. Vainio's work with Pan Sonic and his solowork as Ø often revolve around cold analog rhythms and stark soniclandscapes. Fennesz's trademark sound is his laptop processing ofguitar and other sounds, striking a unique balance between beauty andnoise. None of this is very evident on this collaboration. Onlyoccasionally is rhythm a factor, and much of Fennesz's textures areoverpowered by Vainio's blasts of feedback and distortion. Though therecording quality seems decent enough, Vainio is mixed a little louderthan Fennesz, and when Mika lets it get loud, Christian becomes barelyaudible. In theory, a collaboration between these two seems like agreat idea, but the members of Pan Sonic have a less-than-stellar trackrecord when it comes to releases with other musicians (i.e. the'Endless' CD with Suicide's Alan Vega; the 'IBM' LP with BruceGilbert). The only notable exception is last year's 'Wohltemperiert',Ø's disc with Noto. Fennesz, on the other hand, is usually quite goodwhen working with other artists—Peter Rehberg, Biosphere, etc. Here,however, it seems like the two artists are in their own worlds and notfocusing on the music as a whole. At one point, while Vainio iscreating loud swishes and swoops, you can hear what eventually became"Year In a Minute" on Fennesz's 'Endless Summer' disc very quietly inthe background—almost as if Fennesz was trying out new material in themiddle of the set instead of improvising. The Mika Vainio solo set isstandard Vainio. Five-minute stretches of silence interspersed withrandom bits of static compete with long stretches of analog ton.Nothing new, but may be interesting enough to the Pan Sonic junkie.There is almost no information about who released this disc; it seemsto be on a label called Audiosphere but it also says "conceived byAudioview/Lowlands ¥ Sub Rosa ¥ (Audio) Incident" on the package. Itseems to me like this disc and its unnecessary, DVD-like packaging is apretty blatant attempt to cash in on the Fennesz and Pan Sonic names.It's another example, too, of why it isn't necessary to release everylive recording of an electronic artist that exists. A collaborationbetween Mika Vainio and Christian Fennesz could result in an amazingdisc, but this is apparently just a chance encounter, not a wellthought out endeavor. Releasing it only detracts from the body ofimpressive work that both artists have under their belts. - 

samples:

• Vainio Fennesz
• Vainio

The Caretaker presumably took about three years to warp a sequel to his'Selected Memories From The Haunted Ballroom' because he was so busysweeping up all the offal, trotters and cabbage leaves left in the wakeof other V/Vm shenanigans. Now he's back with more slow strangedisembodied waltzes from the far side of some limbo lounge in adeserted wintertime seaside resort. Those old 78s get the dusty sloweerie treatment to prove each today doesn't lead to a tomorrow. TheCaretaker is stuck in time lock, a ghost spinning his decaying plattersto skeletal slow-dancers in a shadow world where the 1930s loopeternal. In other words this is more of the same, but if you ate a goodcurry last week you might want another one this week, and this week'smight just be spicier. The Caretaker cannot escape the past but hasshifted it into other hyper-spatial dimensions by dint of sonictrickery. You've heard about tech house and happy house and all that -this is haunted house. The first half summons some nightmarishapparitions, whilst the second half is populated by more friendlyphantoms which lurk in the netherwrold between wking and sleeping.Crooning downhearted, the Caretaker can't go on this way, and floatsslowly downwards through murky vistas of emptiness, each movementsending huge echoes through the cavernous dusty ballroom, until heunwittingly summons forth malign forces of the occult to do hisrumbling ambient bidding. These malign forces make a big nasty seasideorgan blare, whilst distant rainfall splashes relentlessly on, pushingThe Caretaker to the edge of a breakdown, but he wakes up from thenightmare singing gayly of robins and roses. Thus through cloudinessthe Caretaker ascends a stairway to the stars for a date with an angel.He hasn't noticed that the crowds are long gone and the ballroom isempty except for two men in pig masks sneakily setting up laptops atthe back. In space, no one can smell your tripe. - 

samples:

• Malign Forces Of The Occult
• On The Edge Of Breakdown
• It's All Forgotten Now

If Clinic can be touted as "innovators of modern music" then the beingthat claims to be Cologne based guitarist Joseph Suchy must be sometrans-dimensional hyper-entity who beamed back here from the future toshow us the true path to giddy innovative heights. Herr Suchy seemsintent on pushing the six strings through as much laptop grop as hecan, and he can play the ass off the plank to boot. His busy soloing isstill just about recognisable as such much of the time despitepersistant machine deconstruction and particle accelerator bombardment.The main chunk of 'Entskidoo' is comprised of two suites of vertiginousimprovised computer mangled guitar meltdown. It's a soundscape inconstant flux - canvasses splattered red, quickly speckled yellow andpink and then filled in with pulsating green triangles, or at leastthat's how the synaesthetic analysis was testing last time I sniffedit. It'll probably appeal to fans of the rightly lauded Fennesz andlaptop / concrete side of Jim 'Chicagonogood' O'Rourke, and could giveboth of them a powerbook diddling to remember! This ought to get anyonewho drooled over 'Endless Summer' equally hot and bothered. It alsomarks the first Entenpfuhl release on CD, but the vinyl version has amuch nicer sleeve.
The alpha section of the first side opens with a cute little twang thatfires slight recall of J Mascis' contribution to the 'Guitarrorists'compilation, but is somewhat more meandering and freeform. This soontakes a darker turn as it duets with ominous digital rumble and rapidclick. For a fleeting partial clue, imagine Merzbow doing Hawaiianmusic for a few seconds. The guitar playing speeds up and cuts looseand the hard drive effects get denser and dronier as the trackprogresses through crisp vistas of happy noise. At the end of the firstsuite (vinyl side one) Suchy spews xylophone patters over churninggroans. There is always some kind of abstracted melodic pull no matterhow many distorted effects Suchy layers on. Some new idea springs forthevery few inches and there always seem to be new sounds lurking in eachlisten. The second suite (side 2 of the record) builds up densecrescendos until dropping back to multi tracked clean guitar pickingout a coda, as if to show the bare bones that "Entskidoo" hung it'sdissonant diginoise flesh on. The last couple of tracks are selfcontained and appear on a 7" single in the limited vinyl edition."Gump" sets a simple chiming riff that recalls Colin Newman's 'SingingFish' amidst a sea of swirling off kilter digi-flotsam, and seems to bea more compact and eloquent statement of the same intent that fired thebulk of the preceding long player. "Tijovo" takes a very different tackwith some unadorned sparse (presumably) improvised guitar pluckingaccompanied by (double?) bass and soft singing from Yvonne Cornelius.Overall I give this record an X and a Q although I'm not sure if therecord can make good use of such rare letters. In case you'rewondering, that's a good thing. If his three previous albums onTonschacht, Grob and Whatness are even half this inventive then they'llbe well worth investigating. - 

samples:

• Entskidoo A Beta
• Entskidoo B Alpha
• Gump