Packaged in a flimsybaggy with a black and white book of artwork, Art-IC Culture in Swedenbrings this Aube release, constructed using only glass as the soundsource.
My pick of the week is the fourth album by this German group, released in 1998. Notwist is allegedly an offshoot from the Tied and Tickled Trio, a jazz rock influenced group who can be found on more remixes than original product, including the Aerial M remix album "Post-Global Music".
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.
I must admit I didn't know what to expect when hearing this, but I'm pleasantly surprised. This is the first (to my knowledge) first full-length official release from Russian sound engineer, Ivan Pavlov. Ivan is definately showing influences of a cross between Panasonic and Ryoji Ikeda, but it is definately his own. A pleasant surprise on this is the human element that has become so withdrawn from other music in this genre, his baby daughter Sasha appears on one of the tracks. I know it's nothing new, but it's something that fits well.
The second collaboration between these three, and what a fine disc it is. Low bass dub influenced music, the Mick Harris signature drum loops, and special effects by Eraldo Bernocchi. While Laswell and Harris have been mass producing music lately in the droves, the right combination always has a possibility of yielding a stellar product. Listen to this one loud.
Highly anticipated album from Digital Hardcore's first defectors. SonicSubjunkies are more musical than most of the DHR miscreants, but theirhypercharged breakbeat tirades slash through pile-ups of samples and noisein no less confrontational a manner. They can still be harder than the rest- hard as a fist studded with nails on "Das Elektrophon" and "Do You EvenKnow Who You Are?" - without ever losing the impressive control which setsthem apart from their peers. Stomping tank-tread hiphop ("Live FromJonestown" and "Welcome To Central Industrial"), Hooversonic jump-up jungle("12,000 RPM"), even the occasional low-boil pseudo-ambient interlude - arange of moods and demeanors, all stapled with rapid-fire Uzi breaks andautomatic discharges.
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.
How much fun it must be to be able to release material like this.27 tracks of mind-warping weirdness from the heralded Masters who broughtyou the marvelous Datacide project series. This disc is quite thecuriosity! Not as similar-sounding to Datacide as one might initiallybe inclined to think, MU is a mindset prism, a refraction device for theheadphonaut's moods. Many seemingly incongruous tones and atmospheres arestrung together until anticipation and nostalgia become indistinguishable.And don't be deceived, this multitude of sonic segments continuously flowsinto 3 continuous pieces that convey the feel of the pleasantlyoverextended experimental style AND the well-seasoned and time-testedsound. And this won't be your average please-don't-peal-me-off-the-couch-manchill-out session. Only the all-terrain ambienteers will survive, as thelistener frequently deals with counterintuitive changes and sequencingcontradictions. Grinding, trickling, howling, warbling, squeezablemetallic textures will help melt down those rational thoughts and aid inthe discovery of new, more potent mental alloys! I suppose there may onlybe 2 stand-alone song-like tracks here, #18 (Backward Journey) and #23(Rather Sleep Then Dance). This latter track was also subsequentlyreleased in a slightly altered form on the Real Intelligence (RI033)compilation, and may be suggestive of both the post-partyvibe schools ofphilosophy and reality-permeating synchronicities. If you ever see this disc for sale and don't buy it, particularly ifyou're a Datacide fan, you will regret it till the end of your days when,that is if, you hear it.
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.
