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The last album that Ben Recht and Isaac Sparks put out (Baby, It's Cold Inside) was named Boomkat's "Album of the Year" for 2008, so there was quite a bit of buzz and excitement surrounding the release of this follow-up.  Fortunately, God Was Like, No (the band's vinyl debut) does not disappoint and delivers yet another pleasant batch of warm and crackling soundscapes to enjoy.  Also, their streak of witty album titles continues unabated.
At first, this fourth entry in Neubauten’s long running compilation series looks like a waste of money for those who have been following their online supporter projects and a godsend for those who have missed out on the plethora of limited albums the band have produced in the last decade. On closer inspection, while the vast majority of the material exists in some form or other on the original albums, most of the versions here are alternate takes, mixes or live versions. While not a perfect compilation, there is a lot here for new and veteran fans alike.
Under the guise of Padna, Nat Hawks stormed onto tape label Stunned with Siberia/Hinterland, a mash-up of varied styles that reflected the bustle of a scene fraught with chaos. Hawks has quickly followed up that overachievement with this bigger and more daring release.
Pinkcourtesyphone is the not so secret alter ego of renowned sound artist Richard Chartier, and while it seems to be geared more towards a looser, more relaxed sensibility than the serious artist guise that is usually thrust upon him, it lacks none of his careful attention to structure and detail. Quite a bit of the material on this compilation (recorded erratically between 1997 and 2011) could pass for his normal work, but throws enough curve balls to give it a distinct identity all its own.
It would seem that the recent 7" single was truly an apt preview, because Jenks Miller (and band)'s newest full length explores the same combination of southern rock and black metal in further depth, with his usual penchant for disciplined minimalism and experimentation in tow. Half Blood is definitely the best rock/metal/whatever album for me this year, and anything else is going to be hard pressed to compete.
A large portion of this album was recorded in two great bastions of European electroacoustic music, namely INA-GRM in Paris and Stockholm’s EMS. While Peter Rehberg and Stephen O’Malley have always brought avant garde electronics to KTL’s sound, there is a much tighter focus on the sort of textures and structures that I would expect from composers like Bernard Parmegiani or Tod Dockstader. Even Mark Fell’s colorful artwork is reminiscent of INA-GRM’s own designs for their box sets of Parmegiani and Luc Ferrari. This is nothing short of a perfect meeting between KTL’s metal tinged atmospheres and the great electronic music experiments of the 20th century.
Following his long-overdue release from Nigerian prison in 1986, Fela Kuti launched his first-ever US tour and performed at the Fox Theatre in downtown Detroit, which in prior years had played host to career-defining concerts by Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. This 3-disc archival release was lovingly assembled and remastered from bootleg tapes of Fela's concert that evening, which was riding high with expectations and overflowing with positive energy.
