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Originally released on vinyl last year, Anomalous has recently issued an expanded CD version of this magnificent piano-derived piece. The first track, "Period," opens with some plaintive piano notes over the expected low-frequency drone. What is surprising in this piece is the piano—it's up-front rather than altered and hidden like the sounds used in his other pieces. The sound is full and lush, and as each sparse, melodically abstract phrase is played on the piano. Some of the notes are significantly extended, slowly decaying and interacting with the music as some stunning textures emerge.Anomalous
The piece is dark and contemplative, and the sound is much warmer than Coleclough's typical metal-derived drones. The second piece, "Periodic," is a reworking by Colin Potter that leaves out the piano strikes but keeps their decaying ambience. It is a dark, absolutely gorgeous piece that's much more ominous and complex-sounding than the previous track, full of spooky reverbed-out sounds and the rumbling of machinery in the distance over the slowly shifting low-end drones. This disc is truly a captivating listen. A limited edition of 300 copies of this album were released with a second disc containing another 18 minutes constructed from the same source material. The first track, "Periodicity," features prepared piano surrounded by shimmering metallic and low-end tones. It's an interesting piece, but at times, the tonal palette of the scraped and chiming prepared piano sounds limited and repetitive. The second track, "Summand" adds the resonant piano sounds to the sonic foundation from Coleclough's album with Andrew Chalk, 'Sumac.' The two drones slowly shift and interact; the overall effect is hypnotic but the development is really subtle; there's not a lot going on. Later on, digitally-processed high frequency tones are introduced, and the piece ends with loud metallic resonance. The second disc has some great sounds, but is a little less compelling than the first and is probably only essential for completists. 'Period' on its own is an incredible album that establishes Jonathan Coleclough as one of today's premier drone artists.
 
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You've got to love Landing for being as prolific as they are, and for "spreading the wealth," as it were; releasing multiple projects a year on a host of different labels. 'Fade In/Fade Out' finds them growing into their collective skin even more, and easily stands as one of their finest works. The 5-song EP opens with a quiet energy, building only slightly, and revealing that, at last, Landing have captured and tuned the delicated balance between their wall of echoey guitars and the quieter beauty they can sustain. "Forest Ocean Sound" finishes with such delayed guitar, churning out a melody of intense charm. Then the space sounds and percussion of "Against the Rain" begin, stirring your soul to its very core as you listen, waiting for the crushing crescendo that never comes. Instead, Aaron and Adrienne Snow's vocals blend and intertwine with the music like never before, becoming one with the drone and swell around them. What makes this all particularly stunning is that this EP was conceived through improvisational sessions, with the songs being created and recorded at the same time. They all blend together so well that you realize how tight this band is, and how well they can read each other to create like this. Only on "Whirlwind" is there a hint of the Landing of before, with the drums becoming more pronounced, and the swirling guitars taking a background role to Adrienne's lilting vocals. On "Pulse," the distortion returns in full force, revealing a track almost Kronos Quartet in nature. Awe-inspiring music that will not leave my headphones for some time.
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Tyondai Braxton has an intimate relationship with his guitar pedals. Every sound Braxton makes on this CD - primarily using guitar and voice - is processed through various combinations of a bevy of effects. The nine tracks on this disc are surprisingly diverse, and I imagine there's a good deal of improvisation going on.
 
The first three tracks use only voice and guitar pedals, but you wouldn't know it - "(A Sentence Worth a Thousand Words) Great Mass" is a dense atmospheric soundscape and "Light Pitch Black, I'm Gonna Start Shining Bright!!!" is beat-heavy minimal electronica (probably the most impressive use of beat-boxing in a long time). A disc full of these voice experiments would still be interesting, but things quickly take a turn as the guitar becomes a focal instrument: there's the anthemic post-rock of "Raise Yr Arms & Cross Them", featuring a violist and cellist, and then there's the excellent "The Violent Light Through Falling Shards," where Braxton's guitar stirs up echoes of Charles Bullen over beat-boxed industrial beats and siren-like noise.
In fact, the entire disc is reminiscent of This Heat, not so much in sound (though at times the comparison can be made), but in application; Braxton's hands-on computerless approach to making layered music reflects This Heat's experiments using traditional instruments combined with the live manipulation of tape loops. The final two tracks on the album feature Braxton's singing, a voice that at times almost sounds like (dare I say it) Peter Gabriel. Of these two tracks, "Struck Everywhere" is particularly engaging: a 10-minute, free-flowing melodic piece bedded on a ride cymbal loop. This disc pretty accurately replicates Braxton's live show, where he sits on the floor with a guitar and mic in the middle of a sea of wires, constantly playing, singing, and fiddling with his pedals. He's definitely got it down to an art, as I'm pretty sure all his sounds are created on the spot, with no samples. I wouldn't be surprised if most or all of the intensely-layered tracks on this disc were done in one take without overdubs.
It's really an impressive disc.
 
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With the recent passing of keyboardist Gareth Williams and the newly ignited interest in the post-punk era, This Heat's seminal 1981 masterpiece 'Deceit' has been re-released in a limited edition digipack. Williams was largely responsible for the band's loose, improvisational nature and the intellectual force behind much of their experimentation.
Often unfairly lumped in with early 80's industrial pioneers Throbbing Gristle and 23 Skidoo, This Heat always forged a path of their own. They probably had more in common with British "new music" pioneers such as AMM and Spontaneous Music Ensemble, but this too seems to sell them short. Their revolutionary sound has most certainly influenced and made possible territories later explored by No Neck Blues Band, Avey Tare Panda Bear, Sonic Youth and Boredoms. This Heat augmented their scratchy, dark punk improvisations with tape loops, ethnic percussion and unique vocal harmonies. Their politics were always at the foreground of their lyrical content, but they avoided sounding preachy or propagandistic. This Heat were pretty obscure even in their own time, and still remain mostly unknown.
'Deceit' is probably their best document, and it contains some of their most masterful work. The album opens with the improbable pop of "Sleep," a song that forms out of nowhere and becomes a beautiful, hypnotic lullaby. All of This Heat's tracks do not operate like most traditionally composed songs; they seem at first to be incoherent and disorganized. This looseness forces the listener to "un-focus" their ears and begin to catch the haphazard logic of the arrangements. "Sleep" sneaks up with its sophisticated counter-melodies and looping percussion. It's hard to believe that these songs have the power or focus to take hold of the listener's mind, but upon careful listening, their ingenuity becomes clear. There are a myriad other great songs on this album, and I have found the best way to absorb 'Deceit' is to listen repeatedly on headphones. What else can one say? I think it's one of the best albums ever recorded.
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Tarwater's third full-length release finds them very much in the same headspace, exploring the same musical themes and capturing some truly beautiful melodies. This time, the concentration seems to be on composing and creating music that would work for films, theatre, and other performing arts.
The arrangements on this release are shorter, building and ending sometimes before you even know what hit you. The mixture of electronic and traditional instrumentation is even more complete, as the two feed off of each other and work together to achieve the desired effect. There is more of a pop song structure on 'Dwellers,' as well, as each song seems to have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Also present seems to be a more concerted effort on the part of Ronald Lippok to have his vocals follow the melody slightly, even in their dry delivery. It's an incredibly personal record, with several songs having an emphasis on memories of the past ("Metal Flakes," "1985" particularly). 'Dwellers' also features some rather impressive guests, including Stefan Schneider of To Rococo Rot (of which Lippok is also a member) and Norwegian performance artist Tone Avenstroup. By the time you hear the graceful, frenetic double-shot power of "Be Late" and "Tesla" in the middle of the record, you'll be so enveloped by the melodies and beats, they may never leave your head. I found myself often desiring more out of the vocals, particularly with the short track lengths, but that instrumental tendency has always been one of the many charms of Tarwater, so why change now? Plus, the sparse guest vocals here and there add enough flavor. A completely enthralling listen.
 
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German drone artist Troum and the American dark ambient project Yen Pox collaborate on one of the best albums released so far this year. Some might say that ‘Mnemonic Induction’ would make a great soundtrack for a film, and while that may be true, it would totally ruin the album. Other people’s images associated with this cd would never do it justice. Like they say, nothing can be worse (better than?) your own imagination, and such is the case here. The four long, untitled tracks have one thing in common, a deep brooding low end drone that gave my subwoofers a much needed work out. Layered over top are eerie wails and moans stretched out to inhuman lengths while bleak rumblings phase in and out. The best thing about this album is the way in which it is able to capture and hold your attention. Rather than becoming just good background music, it stays active, alternating between soaring expansiveness and claustrophobia. The slick digipack contains a paragraph about dreams and the separation of mind and body, but to use this cd as a dream aid, something to fall asleep to, would be a mistake. What the album does best is not to conjure strange dreams, but to evoke one’s waking memories, and associate the album with one’s own experiences. But try not to dwell on your bad stuff, this album deserves better.
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For those who didn't get the breakthrough one-sided 12" single from Squarepusher earlier this year, the complete CD edition is now available. This version is fully-realized and takes the form of a double-CD package: disc one featuring seven new or unreleased tracks wile disc two was recorded last year at a concert in Japan. The release which asks a question leads me to one of my own (which has plagued me for years): how come Tom Jenkinson can record such monotonous and sucky albums while having a wealth of variety on compact, yet fantastic EP releases? For the opening title track, I can safely say I haven't been this excited about a Squarepusher song since "Come on My Selector," as it merges both his low-cool funk obsession and choppy cut-up beat tendencies. Bad English rap gets chopped up on track two, "F-Train," while drum and bassheads can pretend to be stuck in a video game for "Anstrommm-Feck 4." The re-editing of cymbals and gongs on the first ten minutes of "Mutilation Colony" can almost be interpreted as an homage to Coil's "How to Destroy Angels" while the disc ends with an unexpected, cringeworthy cover of "Love Will Tear Us Apart." (Please don't sing next time, Tommy, especially if you don't know the words or choose to take as many 'artistic liberties' with the lyrics.) The live recording on disc two is only marginal, however. Littered with crowd-pleasers, hits, the occasional shouting of "give it up for Squarepusher," and an onslaught of noise at the end, it only sounds like a fair-quality live audience bootleg without the inclusion of a line mix. At 67 minutes, it's a good bonus to have for fans who couldn't catch any shows last year due to his cancellation, but it's certainly nothing like actually being there and experiencing the big sound. While it does compliment the disc one EP, I honestly don't feel its inclusion is worth charging a double-CD price for the package.
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Would somebody please give Mudhoney their due? Otherwise, they're going to eventually make that quintessential rock record that has the potential to destroy us all. It's rare that a band can continue to flourish and put great material to tape, not change the basic formula, and make a decade-plus career of it, and Mudhoney has done just that. There have been casualties, of course. After their last LP, 'Tomorrow Hit Today,' they were dropped from Reprise, without ever securing a hit album. Shortly thereafter, founding member Matt Lukin announced his displeasure for touring, and left the band. The hiatus that followed found the other members pursuing interesting side jobs, with Mark Arm even writing reviews for the now defunct Wall of Sound website. Now, the wait is over, as Mudhoney return to Sub Pop for their sixth LP. Thank goodness not much has changed in the process. The album's opener, "Baby Can You Dig the Light," is over eight minutes of noisy noodling goodness, and a sign that: 1) Mudhoney is back; 2) You can expect more of the same; 3) Their sense of humor is intact as always. Elsewhere, the arrangements are as blistering and loud as always. Mudhoney's influence on the grunge sound has always been clear, only now they seem to have so much more fun with it. Both "The Straight Life," with its laments on how a girl has been changed by the world around her, and "Where the Flavor Is" with, pardon me, its tongue-in-cheek lyrics, are straightforward rockers in the classic sense. The horns on several tracks are a fantastic choice on this record, making the atmosphere more loose and fun. Another accomplished work from one of Seattle's finest, if you're into that sort of thing.
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I can remember the day that 'Polydistortion' was released, and it seemed like a whole new bridge between experimental electronic, post-rock, dance music and indie rock was built, as well as a foundation for a wave of Icelandic electronic music to flourish. I wouldn't have to bring up the group's breakthrough debut if I didn't feel it necessary to assure any reader that this was, at one point, a truly incredible collective. At the time, Gus Gus consisted of nine people: three singers, four musicians and two responsible for visuals. The music varied from pumping dance beats to slower-paced tunes, percussion-free ballads and shining instrumental tracks, all with a subtle twist of dementia to keep the sound from ever being mundane or tired. Their songs equally utilized everything in their ability, without over-saturating the mix. In the five years since, the group has gone through lineup changes, record label changes, and is now primarily a dance band. While the band's lyrics were never something to write home about, in the past they were at least somewhat off-center and interesting to listen to. On 'Attention,' the lyrics are both painful and repeated unnecessarily. Their new female singer lacks a true identity which separates her from a generic singer in a gay discoteque. On certain songs like "David," the music is so forceful, it almost doesn't matter but on songs like the opener "Unnecessary," it's bordering on unbearable. There are some highlights, however, like the guest vocal track from former singer Daniel Ágúst on the Gareth Jones-prodced "Desire," and the slower-paced hopping beats of "Attention" would make it a perfect jam were it not for the vocals. After the first few tracks, the rest of this disc tapers off into even more generic territory and while I can't say it's not pleasant, it's simply not the Gus Gus most people fell in love with.
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I really can't say enough good things about Fischerspooner's superlative first album. Depending on which of the eight thousand re-releases you've gotten, the album is either called 'Fischerspooner' or '#1' or possibly 'Best Album Ever.' Whatever it's called, it is definitely ear candy—a great mix of druggy technopop, crystal-clear sonics, and dramatic adrenaline rushes of cheap, sleazy production effects. However, I'm not really sure what to say about their newest release: a "DVD single" of their standout track "Emerge". Fischerspooner is first and foremost a performance art piece, and the album was only a soundtrack to the performance. Their show is a spectacular visual assault and violent enforcement of the primacy of aesthetics. Which is why I was very excited about the prospect of a DVD release; perhaps it would contain bits of their stage performance along with a stunningly remixed Dolby 5.1 surround version of their song? No such luck. In fact, all this DVD contains is a rather useless three-minute interview piece with Warren Fischer and Casey Spooner. The interview reveals nothing at all, as the two just sort of mug for the camera and seem pretty reticent to talk about their creation. The interview is interspersed with enticing clips of their filmed performance, but no shot is held longer than two seconds. It's extremely frustrating, as they could easily have included a number from the show, and it would have been infinitetly more entertaining than the MTV-style cut-ups found here. The other two features of the disc are so useless they don't even bear mention, but I'll mention them anyway. A "video" for "Emerge" is actually just a series of stills of the performance. Each still is held on the screen for too long. Totally unremarkable. The other non-feature is the new song "Megacolon," which is a really clever Human League-style song about flatulence and diarrhea. Great song, but why am I listening to this on a DVD? There are no visuals to go along with this new track. What's the point? This pointless artifact has nothing to justify any retail price over 18 cents. Beware.
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The first full-length (non CD-R) CD by Mirror is already in danger of becoming another rarity (like their previous limited vinyl releases) just 4 weeks after its release. [The disc is already sold out from Idea and is in stock at only a few online stores at the time of the publishing of this article.] Christoph Heemann (of H.N.A.S., C93, Mimir, and Nurse with Wound fame) and Andrew Chalk (New Blockaders, Organum, ORA) certainly know how to attract a loyal following. Recorded back in August of 2001, this 41-minute track is a deep space journey without the sci-fi gloss of Star Wars et al. Their drone journeys are more like travelling in some old and lost (maybe Russian) space ship that's unable to change its direction while the life supporting system is running low of energy. The aim of the mission may be forgotten but undefined waves of sound shake through the last remaining passengers. Shades of memories are evoked: isolation, apathy and hopelessness dictates the mood. Any conventional form of communication broke down long ago. 'Solaris' can either be a soundtrack for a late-night listening, an out of mind experience, or a calming, reassuring, post-traumatic remedy (like after your lover left you in anger). As David Sylvian has put it two decades ago, "the doubt inside my mind comes and goes but leads to nowhere".
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