
Just when you think Mute USA dropped the ball and turned their back on music in general (re: the exodus of classics such as Einsturzende Neubauten, Diamanda Galas and Nick Cave from the US label) they shock us all and strike a deal.
 
Mute US has entered a new market with German post-kraut-rock releases now due from To Rococo Rot, Kriedler and Schneider TM. "The Amateur View" is To Rococo Rot's first full-length release in the USA - preceeding this was the EP release on now defunct label Emperor Jones/Trance Syndicate as well as a couple European-only releases on City Slang and Kitty-Yo. To Rococo Rot take their music seriously and produce professionally with an audibly perfectionistic touch - a gentle yet appropriate blend of drum machines and live drums, sequenced and performed keyboards, samples and live bass. The tunes are pleasant, the tempo moves well throughout the entire disc, the sounce are slick and polished, there's nothing sloppy here. Don't let the title fool you, this album is anything but amateurish.


To the uninitiated, Blonk sounds like a madman - babbling excitedly in non-languages, spitting guttural noises and pitched burps like a Speak-N-Spell rewired by a lunatic. He's quite sane, and enormously entertaining, an avid devotee of the obscure history of sound poetry.
I am currently engrossedin the newest DEAD VOICES ON AIR offering, a double CD known as :pissfrond:. It receives extremely high marks from me, being quite possiblythe most accesable DVOA release to date. VVV (the Pan Sonic and AlanVega collaboration) and THE CURSE OF THE GOLDEN VAMPIRE (Alec Empireand Techno Animal facing off) have also snuggled their ways deep intomy heart -- nearly far enough to make my precious ears bleed! I fullyawait the new EC8OR album, which should be fab-boo. If you get freemoments, I suggest renting the movie ZERO EFFECT, quite funny andwell-done.
Canadians can be quite boring, but this group is neither Canadian nor boring. This wonderful debut, "Music Has the Right To Children" is currently out on Warp in the UK but will make it to the US via Matador in September. A rhythmic low-cool wonderful gem, ideal for driving, working, making dinner, or downloading porn.