- Administrator
- Albums and Singles
![](http://www.brainwashed.com/brain/images/ccluchtbal.jpg)
With C&C Luchtbal, purportedly the band's final album of unreleased material under their most well-known moniker, the artists formerly known as Chris & Cosey leave us with a recording of a 68 minute concert that took place in November of 2002 in Antwerp, Belgium. Though they have chosen to take up the name Carter Tutti to express their musical vision from here on in (making the decision to end Chris & Cosey seem possibly pointless and pompous), this generally mellow release serves as a pleasant soundtrack to their closing chapter. Things begin in a decidedly ambient fashion similar to the solo remix albums the two have released separately in recent years. The first true signs of life come in the mixture of head-nodding beats, swirling synths, and Cosey's soothingly savage voice on "Celph." "Infect Us" recalls everything I've loved out of Chris & Cosey, its sexual tension steaming up my speakers as I daydream of pornographic scenes of strip clubs and orgies. Their music has always catered to my perverse side, and this performance does not disappoint. My excitement truly peaked when the ritualistic flair and 4/4 beats of "Apocalipzo" spilled from my stereo, building me up for the hot white orgasm delivered on "Exotikah." Remarkably true to the original, the classic track retains the duo's passion for the electro and techno sounds they spawned and is a satisfying treat for listeners. While so many electroclash bands try to mimic the sounds of the 80's, loudmouths like Peaches and the girls of W.I.T. could learn a lot from the subtlety offered by these originators and forefathers on this live album. I've certainly learned a lot from them, and I look forward to gaining insight into what their future output has to offer.
samples:
Read More
- Administrator
- Albums and Singles
![](http://www.brainwashed.com/brain/images/msjohnsodawhile.jpg)
The lead song, "No. One" is an upbeat maximalistic rocker which is decent but not nearly as catchy as some of the highlights of Ms. John Soda's debut album (the counting vocals and frequent stops aren't much more than a mild annoyance), while the second track, "Sometimes Stop, Sometimes Go" has some beautiful moments. Each, however, are sort of ruined by Stephanie's frequent talking. She's got such an alluring singing voice that I wish she would only sing these tracks rather than hide behind spoken word interludes. The third cut, "I & #8217" begins as a mishmash of sounds and samples from the No P or D album, but as it's re-pasted back together, vocals and additional instruments are added by Subtle (which features unnamed Anticon members - although Dose One's voice is clearly audible). It's an interesting concept but at four minutes doesn't sound like it's beed explored to the full extent. The disc continues with the creepy late-night car wreck devastation score in the form of the slow moving "If Someone Would Know," and closes the almost unbearingly heavy dialogue of "I think it could work, Marilyn," where Stephanie is almost playing dolly, talking as the fictitious voices of Elvis and Marilyn in a situation far more interesting to read about than to hear. I honestly hope this is the last they come this close to making a "spoken word" record. The good thing about the EP is that it's been made with the intentions of selling on the upcoming European and North American shows: shows I'm anxiously looking forward to. I remain enthusiastic and firmly believe that this EP, while mildly anticlimactic, isn't going to lose any existing fans at all.
samples:
Read More
- Administrator
- Albums and Singles
![](http://www.brainwashed.com/brain/images/manualisares.jpg)
samples:
Read More
- Administrator
- Albums and Singles
There's something unspeakable wandering the halls of a deserted hotel somewhere in the past and its sound has been captured so that all can know it. Salvaged from dusty records in plain white and brown sleeves, these recordings take a decidedly darker stroll into the halls of forgotten happiness and celebration. The Caretaker has managed to take the deserted and neglected and give them new life by expanding their sound: horns blasting for the satisfaction of dancing men and women are slowed down to funeral marches and the static and hiss of old records become the wind and rain as it toils outside the windows of a shining and elegant ballroom. There's an element of surgery in The Caretaker's approach: that which must've seemed so vibrant and brimming with life is torn open so reveal something betraying that image inside. Everyone had their demons at this party and each of them were quite desperate to hide that little part of themselves; fear had its axe in everyone's back. But there's more going on here than just psychological investigation: The Caretaker strips back a little bit of reality to reveal the void underneath everything.
This explains the reason for all the sounds being so spacious: voices extended into the unintelligible, drums turned into drones and smoke, and strings diminished to hollow wails. The good news is that the fear never becomes too great and the void never feels all-consuming. The sounds and sights to be found on this release can be explored with confidence: whatever it is that is lurking through these distorted and destroyed melodies certainly cannot cause any permanent damage, right? Even this seems uncertain, really. "And The Bands Played On" is a reminder that nothing is for certain and that whatever certainty is assumed is truly dangerous. From start to finish, We'll All Go Riding on a Rainbow is filled with absolutely haunting and unmitigated sound. There are points when it is impossible to tell whether the sounds being heard are really from a lost record or from some lurking and abnormal creature not subject to a name or description.
Read More
- Administrator
- Albums and Singles
![](http://www.brainwashed.com/brain/images/rachelssystemslayers.jpg)
samples:
Read More
- Administrator
- Albums and Singles
![](http://www.brainwashed.com/brain/images/peachesfatherfucker.jpg)
samples:
Read More
![](http://www.brainwashed.com/brain/images/rachelssystemslayers.jpg)
samples:
- Administrator
- Albums and Singles
![](/../../../../brain/images/richard_devine-asect_dsect.jpg)
Read More
- Administrator
- Albums and Singles
While it collects commissioned pieces from 2003 and 2006 through 2008 (hence the title), all of the various tracks here were created for other works and performances, but are still unified as being crafted by the hand of Carsen Nicolai. While there are a few different approaches used from track to track, never do they feel out of place along-side each other, and both the Alva Noto penchant for abstract composition and almost danceable rhythmic electronics appear here.
 
Opening track "Garment" and "T3 (for Dieter Rams)" both encapsulate the aesthetic of Nicolai’s home label Raster-Noton, beginning with seemingly random electronic fragments that are molded into a tight rhythm as the track plays on.Both feature disparate noise surges and deep, heavy bass pulses with the occasional glitchy click or resonating bell-tone.Both begin with more of a collage sense, the sounds having seemingly little to do with each other.However, the sounds pull together and lock into place, the result is a pseudo-techno work that just demonstrates Nicolai’s ability to clinically sequence the smallest sounds into memorable, almost catchy pieces.
In other pieces, the source isn’t so much a software patch as a piece of organic sound that forms the basis of the work.The two takes of "Argonaut (for Heiner Müller)" are constructed on samples of heavy, bassy strings.In its initial format, it is a slow, additive sequence that slowly brings in mournful digital melodies and soft, white puffs of noise and maintains a sad, bleak quality throughout.The closing "version" take on the piece works from the same recipe, but by including warmer bells and a more complex layering of sound, the piece has a more rejoiceful quality to it, celebrating rather than mourning."Early Winter (for Phill Niblock)" also starts from a sampled string basis (of a Niblock composition), but includes just enough digital elements to give an inhuman quality, and as it continues on it channels a bit of Vangelis’ Blade Runner soundtrack, but composed by the replicants themselves.
The other pieces more inhabit the world of abstract sound collage without a specific organic grounding or traditional rhythmic structure."Stalker (for Andrei Tarkovsky)" brings in the dark tension of the 1979 sci-fi film, meshing heavy bass tones and higher register pieces, all with minor chord stabs to give a bleak feel appropriate for the inspirational material.The short "ANS (for Evgeny Murzin)" is a brief, but live piece based upon the infamous Russian ANS synthesizer that juxtaposes rapidly fluctuating tones with longer, drawn out analog textures.
While the tracks in For 2 may be dedicated and inspired by artists in a variety of disciplines, Nicolai’s devotion to carefully structuring the smallest of sounds into rhythmic passages, as well as the lush exploration of digital and digitally treated sounds unites these pieces into a cohesive whole.Although they have a consistent, unifying feel to them, the tracks are all strong on their own merits, with no sense of filler or padding inserted.Alone or together, Carsten Nicolai’s compositions here shine as exemplary examples of contemporary electronic music.
samples:
 
Read More
- Matthew Spencer
- Albums and Singles
Rhythm can lead, but sometimes it’s anything but enlivening. On his new limited-edition edition EP, Jason Urick creates an atmosphere as driving as it is claustrophobic. The four pieces collected are somewhat repetitive, but nonetheless they have a subtle insistency that sticks in the mind long after the record is finished.
Beat making is a relatively new preoccupation in Urick’s run as a solo-artist. Unlike is last album, the excellent Husbands, he keeps his compositions sparse. Despite this, they have an unsettling air, especially the title track, which is downright sinister. It’s built from a short, patios inflected vocal sample intoning the words "fussing and fighting" over and over again. Urick bends and stretches the sample to the accompaniment of sparse reverb drenched drum programming. Bits of disembodied noise wash in and out of the mix in a narcoleptic haze, apt accompaniment to a late night drive through a blighted cityscape.
The rest of the EP still has the same disembodied quality, but without the explicit menace. It’s as if Urick’s sounds were trapped in their own limited scope, trying to escape the tiny range of motion that he gives them. It’s not until the end of the third track, "Sleeping Bag/Lets make it Critical," that Urick displays the kind of technical grandiosity that he is capable of. Drifts of static pile up and through the noise an airy half melody emerges, providing a sparkling coda to an otherwise unremarkable soundscape. It is the only moment on the record where Urick approaches the density that marks his best work, and while this may be a step backwards for him stylistically, it satisfies in a way that the other tracks do not. The rest seem pale and confused. Despite freshening his approach, Urick’s work on Fussing and Fighting lacks the vitality of his previous work.
Read More
- Administrator
- Albums and Singles
After a few releases that have left me cold, I was beginning to lose heart with the many variants of Acid Mothers Temple as they failed to replicate their capabilities as a live band in the studio. This sequel to 2001’s awesome In C album piqued my interest when it was first announced and I am very pleased to report that it represents a return to form for the collective. Despite the titular connection with In C, this album is a completely different kettle of fish; four pieces each blasting off in totally different directions like rockets trying to cover as much of the universe as possible.
 
 
There is a quote attributed to Terry Riley from when he witnessed Acid Mothers Temple performing "In C" at a concert put on in tribute to him and roughly paraphrasing (for I have lost track of the source): "I don’t know what that is they’re playing but it’s not "In C"!" The tone of the quote was not angry or annoyed; Riley seemed genuinely bemused by the interpretation of the piece. With In 0 to ∞, the Acid Mothers Temple completely drop any pretences of performing Riley’s seminal piece and instead surge forward on their own cosmic journey, taking Riley’s influence rather than his instructions on board.
While their previous album which explored Riley’s masterpiece stands as one of Acid Mothers Temple’s defining moments on record, this album does not attempt to capture the same breathtaking approach to hewing blocks of sound as they did on In C. Ironically, despite the range implied by the album’s title, In 0 to ∞ sees Kawabata Makoto and his gang focus their music into a series of laser beams that will travel further in one direction than they have previously journeyed. "In 0" opens the album in typical Acid Mothers Temple style: spacey Hawkwind-esque synthesisers and a slow build up to a pummelling guitar-centric rhythm. It is nothing new as far as Acid Mothers Temple songs go but it is one of the better examples of their music to make it to an album in recent years.
It is with "In A" where things kick off; a thick drone creating a platform for the group to springboard from. The vocals are what make this piece, both Makoto and Tsuyama Atsushi providing amazing chants, throat singing and harmonies. Yet, what makes this special for long-term Acid Mothers Temple fans is the return of Cotton Casino who sounds like her singing is being picked up on intergalactic radio signals from an unknown part of the galaxy. Her haunting voice combined with the static drone is simple but powerful in its execution. Unfortunately it ends too suddenly after a measly 18 minutes, I could happily feast my ears on it for hours.
"In Z" sees the group abandoning anything that sounds remotely musical; what sounds more like an old dial-up modem (but mellower) hiccups and babbles before an odd and slightly annoying guitar loop appears. Over a while, the concrète nature of the piece brings a musicality reminiscent of Luc Ferrari’s Les Arhythmiques; an unlikely rhythmical chaos coming together to make a strangely hypnotic whole. In the final piece, "In ∞," the group return to the free rock jamming they are renowned for. After the two previous pieces, they sound rejuvenated in their assault. A frenetic and explosive saxophone performance care of Atsushi adds an entire new edge to the band’s playing. The piece softens as it goes on before sounding like something The Flaming Lips would do if they could get away with it.
As someone who has been a little disappointed with a sizable portion of Acid Mothers Temple’s studio output over the last couple of years, In 0 to ∞ is a refreshing return to form (or more accurately, has more successfully captured the band’s electric live sound). A more cynical mind might suggest that this is due to Casino’s presence on the album but as she only appears on one track, that argument is dead in the water. Hopefully, this is only the beginning of a new golden age of Acid Mothers Temple albums as it is ample proof that there is plenty of fire left in them.
samples:
 
Read More