16 January 2000

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Albums and Singles

The Rootsman is anEnglish DJ/dub musician with 15 years experience and a discography thatincludes over two dozen EPs and albums since 1994.
"Versions of theUnseen" is a 6 track remix EP follow-up to the most recent album"Realms of the Unseen" on Third Eye Music and is thankfully availabledomestically for ~$7 via Portland, OR label BSI Records. This is myfirst taste of Rootsman besides his 2 remix albums with Muslimgauze:"City Of Djinn" (which is being re-issued by Third Eye in February) and"Return to the City Of Djinn". The 6 tracks here include the albumversions of "Al Andalus" and "Beyond the Hills", 2 Rootsman dub mixesof the former and a Ras Boras (of Treponem Pal) remix of the latter,and the non album track "Imitator" remade by BSI's Landau. Of the 3versions of "Al Andalus", the album version is the best. MC Johnny Lonedrops a laid back Spanish history rhyme about "Al Andalus land of kingsand queens" over a smooth, mid tempo dub-hip-hop backing. The dub mixesare similar and, of course, delete much of the vocals save for theoccasional blurt out through the echo chamber. "Imitator" is very inyour face with barrages of snare heavy drumming and sudden sampledvocal outbursts. You can dance to it, but you might hurt yourself. The2 versions of "Beyond the Hills" are very different. Ras Boras' remixis uptempo and playful with a bleepy electro sound and an amusing Dr.Dre style high-pitched keyboard melody. The original is down tempo withsome gentle wailing female vocals, piano, gurgling synth lines,beautiful flute (?) melodies and tabla rhythms. All together, this EPis nice and varied and good news for dub fans. I'm intrigued enough toseek out an album next.

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16 January 2000

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Albums and Singles

Although the popularityof bands featuring phat beats and female vocals has risen immensely,few artists have been able to perfect the style and display enoughoriginality in doing so to stand out amongst the more mediocre of suchacts.The California duo Halou, one of the newest acts on the Bedazzledlabel, is the latest to accomplish this feat with the release of theirdebut album we only love you. Far beyond being just another trip-hoprecord with a female vocalist, the album is flawlessly produced andfeatures beautifully written songs that are incredibly diverse instyle: "loop in blue" is a dreamy ballad, "la mer" and "you are one ofus" are impossibly catchy electro dance tracks, and "clip" is amulti-layered drum 'n' bass masterpiece. The vocalist, Rebecca, usesher voice to take on a different persona with each song. She is afragile and silvery-voiced angel in the stunning "halfbreath," yetbecomes a throaty, sultry diva in "ifish." In other songs, she displaysthe ability to be both at once. We only love you absolutely defiesconventional genre. Melodic and dense, heavenly and melancholy,blissful and intense - however one tries to define this album, Halouhas found a way to marry the best elements of trip hop, drum 'n' bass,and ethereal pop to produce one of my favorite albums of 1999.
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16 January 2000

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Albums and Singles

Although it's not quite like catching this electronic performer live, it is a nice artifact to own.
I've only been to one Wollsheid performance,an installation where various mechanisms placed around the room wouldclick in rhythmic patterns triggered by laptop computer software. Allthe while, in various corners music would eminate from speakers - thesound sources being both of the computer and primitive tape loops beingthreaded and re-threaded during the entire performance. This CD fromMille Plateaux captures the audio from a performance last May byWollscheid at Radio X in Frankfurt, Germany. For 60 minutes, brokenevenly into six 10:00 minute tracks, Wollscheid plays with variousnightmarish music. Vinyl record sounds, low-end primitive instrumentdrones, gongs and percussives become combined with sound effects,pulses and rhythms, and random unrepetitious patterns of pings, beepsand sonics. Unpredictable and imaginative, it's got a beautiful flowand would sit nice next to a full collection of Wollscheid recordingsof similar performances. Alas, many of these recordings are for themost part quite difficult to locate.

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16 January 2000

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Albums and Singles

Thanks, Mute for making these available now in the USA. While Red Star did reissue Suicide's first album in 1997, this version is coupled with a second CD.

The bonus material included is a live show from CBGB's along with "23 Minutes Over Brussels," both of which appeared on Mute's own Blast First label release of this CD in the UK in 1998. For those unfamiliar with Suicide, it's instrumentalist Martin Rev and vocalist Alan Vega (remember the album he did with Panasonic). Rev's electronic noise machines play the new wave of punk, looped, distorted, abrasive and even pretty at times. Vega croons, screams, shrieks a'la Yoko Ono crossed with Elvis Presley. Together, their music legacy has become more important in the years since their demise than it ever was while they were together. Influences can strongly be recognized in lots of music from Stereolab to Sigue Sigue Sputnik.

Also out this week is the previously difficult to find second album, recorded 1979 and produced by Ric Ocasek of The Cars. Ocasek may have been an electronic music fan but he was a pop star, and a fan of the clean. Suicide's second album is notably cleaner, toned down and even sparkly in spots. The spunk is absent from a lot of the tracks but the band is still recognizably the same. Coupled with this release is a second bonus CD of the first rehearsal tapes, rounding out all you need to know about the first Suicide years.

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16 January 2000

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Albums and Singles

Peter Rehberg, well-knownfor his work in Rehberg & Bauer, is also prolific with his solooutput as Pita, featured on the Austrian experimental techno label MEGO.Pita's newest release, Get Out, demonstrates an increase insophistication in Rehberg's music. Each of the nine untitled tracks onthe album is its own surreal electronic noise landscape - and I use theword "landscape" due to the striking visual quality inherent in thesound of Pita. Get Out begins with harsh, grinding, even blistering,high-pitched tones, mellowing out towards the fourth and fifth trackswith electronic blips, bird-like twittering, and nearly inaudiblegurgling. The album, like so much of Rehberg's other works, gives thelistener of feeling of complete disorientation with its extremejuxtapositions and abrupt sonic changes. The third track, without doubtGet Out's highlight, is a breathtaking example of Pita's adeptness atthe use of this technique: the opening moments are melodic and pretty,lulling the listener into a false sense of security, when suddenly themore abrasive frequencies are brought in without warning, combiningwith lo-fi washes, and creating an odd blend that is both alluring andpleasantly ear-splitting, only to arrive at the end of the track bysevering the listener's bliss with complete silence. Get Out stands outas some of the best work yet to be released by MEGO, and concreteevidence of the genius of Rehberg - an excellent introduction to anyonenot familiar with either one. While this album is a gem for fans ofharsh noise experimentation, it is definitely not for the faint of ear!

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02 January 2000

Mark Weddle

Albums and Singles

Bill Rieflin (Ministry, the Revolting Cocks, KMFDM, SWANS, NIN, etc),Robert Fripp and Trey Gunn (King Crimson) first pooled their impressivetalents on Rieflin's debut solo album from earlier this year, "Birth ofa Giant", also on First World Records. "The Repercussions of AngelicBehavior" is 53 minutes of instrumental improvisations from the samesessions. Whereas the majority of the tracks on "BoaG" were wellcrafted experimental pop songs, the 10 untitled tracks found here arelittle more than self indulgent, masturbatory jamming ... unfocused,leftover session fodder better left in the vaults. The music rangesfrom laid back ambient atmospheres, courtesy of Fripp and Gunn's uniqueguitar tones, to rapid-fire and somewhat random, headache inducingguitar/drum/bass noise blasts. There's a lot of talent in the room butto my ears there's a serious lack of soul. I'm sure the prog rock /acid jazz crowds would be able to find whatever it is they find in thissort of stuff ... but it does nothing for me. Save for three of thelonger (7+ minute) tracks of the more ambient nature, "Repercussions.."is really disappointing. "Birth of a Giant" makes much better use ofthe talents of Rieflin, Fripp and Gunn (and several others) and remainsone of my favorite new albums of 1999. Get it instead ... - Mark Weddle
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02 January 2000

Mark Weddle

Albums and Singles

Fehlmann is an electronicmusician with 20 years experience as a member of Palais Schaumburg andthe Orb, producer/mixer for Sun Electric, and as a solo artist andre-mixer.
Fehlmann is an electronicmusician with 20 years experience as a member of Palais Schaumburg andthe Orb, producer/mixer for Sun Electric, and as a solo artist andre-mixer. Last year's "Good Fridge. Flowing", also on Apollo / R + SRecords, collected 20 of his solo pieces from 1990 to 1998. "One toThree. Overflow" seems to be a collection of solo leftovers with 8 ofthe 12 tracks being re-mixes (of and by Fehlmann) and collaborations.This disc, beautifully mixed/produced by Fehlmann and mastered byStefan Betke (aka Pole) has the same ambient-IDM flavored techno feelas "Flowing". The songs are bright and fluid, sexy and sublime ...thumpin' grooves to dance or chill out to. It's not quite like the Orb,but you can definitely tell that he is a member of the Orb. Fehlmanndoes a fine job of re-mixing Charles Wilp's "Charlies Angeles" andInfiniti's (aka Juan Atkins) "Never Tempt Me" (which is unfortunatelymarred by insipid spoken word lyrics). It's easy to see why he is indemand for re-mix and production work. In turn, "Superfrühstück" and"Wee Wee Mademoiselle", both originally from "Flowing", are re-mixed togreat effect twice apiece by Plug Research and Fehlmann and To RococcoRot and Sun Electric/Willekes Wille, respectively. The "Superfrühstück"mixes are an especially tasty blend of ambiance, smooth bass and beats.The final 2 tracks are collaborations of a more ambient/experimentalnature: "Tuning" with Mute Records boss Daniel Miller and"FriedrichstraBe" with King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp. Round itall off with 4 straight Fehlmann tracks mixed in and you have asurprisingly cohesive and solid 62 minutes of electronic music. As with"Flowing", this one features groovy minimal artwork courtesy of theDesigners Republic. Worth every penny of the $16.75 import price tag... - Mark Weddle
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02 January 2000

Jason Olariu

Albums and Singles

I feel a littleembarrassed browsing through my local record store's New Age section,but only a little. I find the latest album by the Brazilian group Uakti(wa-ka-chee), and am vindicated.
I feel a littleembarrassed browsing through my local record store's New Age section,but only a little. I find the latest album by the Brazilian group Uakti(wa-ka-chee), and am vindicated. Taking their name from a mythiccreature whose body is ridden with holes and makes wonderful sounds ashe runs and winds pass through him, Uakti here perform music composedfor them by Philip Glass. Nine of the ten tracks (the last composed byGlass for ballet) are inspired by the rivers of the Amazon, hence thealbum title. Mostly percussion-lead (from homemade instruments tomarimbas) with woodwinds and sparse keyboard accent, these pieces(which flow together seamlessly) don't really recall rushing water, northe calm babble of brooks. They sew together bits of tribal warmth andairy classicism onto a frame that sounds a lot like Steve Reich's"Music For 18 Musicians"-era melodic minimalism. Allowing your mind tofloat free of association and physical sensation, this music is perhapsbest suited for the waters of an isolation tank rather than tropicallocales... brilliant and beautiful, nonetheless. - Jason Olariu
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02 January 2000

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Albums and Singles

Sometimes it gets quitedifficult to describe something without using comparisons to othersbefore them. While I really enjoy this, the charming and honest debutfull-lengther from Best Boy Electric, the slow and melodic musiccombined with the hesitant vocals screams of influence of Galaxie 500,Bedhead and of course, Low.
Sometimes it gets quitedifficult to describe something without using comparisons to othersbefore them. While I really enjoy this, the charming and honest debutfull-lengther from Best Boy Electric, the slow and melodic musiccombined with the hesitant vocals screams of influence of Galaxie 500,Bedhead and of course, Low. Best Boy is based in Madison, WI andfeatures former Low bass guitarist John Nichols, who left the band tohead to college. The album was produced in Duluth by Alan Sparhawk fromLow and features a similar formula of simple drums, slow pace, melodicguitar lines, heart-felt bass strums and quiet keybaord backgroundaccompaniment. The lack of pop ditties and up-and-down stroked guitarsdoesen't necessarily warrant calling this "sad" music, so I'm confusedwhere people get off on accusing bands like this of being as such. Thisshould be an interesting band to watch develop over the next few years,as the singer sounds like he's just beginning to get comfortable withhis voice. Those fans of the above mentioned bands would probably enjoythis as much as I did while if slow-core or shadow-pop isn't yourstyle, it's most likely not for you. - Jon Whitney
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02 January 2000

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Albums and Singles

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.artwork, Art-IC Culturein Sweden brings this Aube release, constructed using only glass as thesound source. While each album from Aube utilizes one non traditionallymusical source, the sounds and music are never dull or boring. Themusic on "Shade-Away" is considerably more pulsing and rhythmic thanolder somewhat droney recordings. It features tones of clanging glassin spots as well as low end scraping, looped and modified. Crunchedglass and crackling shards accent the appropriately titled track"Trample," while "Rebounce" sounds like it could be a bunch of drinkingglasses rustling underneath a repeated loop of other tones. Thepackaging for Aube releases is usually unique to each release andfrequently something completely new in general -- with examples likeMetal de Metal housed in a metal sleeve, Pages from a Book housed intorn pages from the bible or Aqua Syndrome packaged in a liquid filledpastic baggy thing -- this one is somewhat of a let down but I guess acouple of pieces of glass could be bought to house this CD with book. - Jon Whitney
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