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I refuse to introduce this man any longer. This is (you’d almost start cursing) Aaron Funk’s 12th (!) studio album in a way too short time. I, as a devotee of his music, have to admit that his latest couple of albums haven’t impressed me as much the albums did in the period 2001-2002. The concept of this album however, seemed interesting enough to lay my hands upon another Snares album.
Lounge-music has been out of fashion for years now, but luckily the American duo Thievery Corporation is not part of that trend. They just continue their work which they’re good at, and that’s creating very relaxing “lounge” records, accompanied by many influences from diverse musical styles.
As of writing, the posthumous dissection of Coils discography and archives has begun after the untimely but not entirely surprising death of founding member Jhonn Balance. When looking back at the career of Balance and Coil the Music to play in the dark series stands outs as one of their finest and most important works. It signified the full transformation from noisy industrial influenced soundscapests to otherworldly explorers of the sonic unknown that had been occurring since the mid nineties and releases like the Equinox/Solstice series. A rather pithy description I know but those interested in Coils history should seek out David Keenan’s England’s hidden reverse book.
A couple of years ago, WCCC released their emo-tinted debut ep, and I wasn’t entirely convinced. However I thought there was some promising stuff ahead from them. They are back with a new album and a radical change of style.
It’s ironic (to say the least) how something as pitiful as the situation in ‘da hoods’ has become a fashionstatement. Under guise of ‘keepin’ it real’ rappers like The Game (with certified villain looks to compete with 50, and calling his album The Documentary to feign realism) and 50 Cent claim to play what they call ‘the game’. Let’s entertain ‘dem crackaz’ with how the black peoples in the projects are doomed to play their role in the ‘War On Drugs’ under a shiney and glorious exterior of phat rimz and booty-shakin’ hoes.
Where were you 15 years ago? What’s changed in your life since then? How hard would it be to get together with your old friends that you had not seen or spoken with in 15 years and just pick up the pieces?
Jazz is in origin folkmusic, over the years there have been many interpretations of the genre and it regularly crossed over to other genres as far as contemporary art music. Nowadays the term jazz can’t really be used as a descriptive term for a distinct sound. It seems synonymous with ‘improvisation’ but I’ve seen too many jazz concerts where everybody was reading from sheetmusic for a large part of the show.
I’m a big fan of this bands first two albums. Criteria ov 666 and Toward the dusk were both highly absorbing works combining industrial and doom metal in an atmospheric and powerful way. For me one of the bands strongest aspects was the performance of Malfeitor Fabban on vocals, who’s mix of black metal like screams and monk like chants added a wonderfully obscure edge to the sound.
Traditional Irish music always seems in danger of either becoming horribly sentimental New Agery or the opposite end: equally shallow drinking anthems for hooligans. Primordial managed to distill the melancholic and dramatic aspects and keep away from both of those interpretations.
Thighpaulsandra is without doubt one of the fiercest and most elite talents in electronic music today. This his third album pushes the standard of his work into even more sublime and rarefied zones.
Roger Doyle produced some of the most remarkable electro-acoustic music of the last twenty-five years with his Babel box set. Here after a short break he returns with a new manifesto of sound.
Dutch label Basta has a reputation of releasing wonderfully restored historic recordings of strange music that applied new technologies of the fifties and sixties. The electronic recordings by Raymond Scott, Samuel Hoffman’s theremin box, André Popp’s Delirium in Hi-Fi, but also a recent release of Moog- and tapesplice-pioneer Jean-Jacques Perrey.
Surprises are nice, especially musical ones. And that’s exactly what William Shatner's Has Been is: a wonderful surprise.
Sometimes you almost forget how good a CD was, when it has been sitting in your collection for quite some time. For me, the Bulgarian vocal group Ера Квартет is one of these rediscoveries of late.
I’ve already said all the good things I thought about Larsen’s Rever and Play albums. In between the two CD’s, the band released a collection of tracks called Musm, that they compiled for their 2003 US tour.
With the growing success of bands such as Isis and Neurosis, it was only logical that many bands would try to follow their footsteps. Some of them good, many of them mediocre. The question is: where does Buried Inside stand?
Who has heard of Die Welttraumforscher ? Not me, not you. So we should be thankful to Staubgold for sharing one of their songs with us via the label’s Tempo Technik Teamwork. The song was the highlight of the comp.
After the brilliant Songs For The Deaf Josh Homme returns with the long anticipated Lullabies To Paralyze. This time without co-songwriter and bassist Nick Oliveri. Actually, long time collaborator Mark Lanegan doesn't do a lot either except for the smooth intro This Lullaby and some background vocals. No worries. Josh can do QOTSA easily on his own. I might say: this could be their best album so far.
After two poor electronic albums from Japan reviewed in a week, I was hoping for something better. This one is once more Japanese and electronic, it’s a little better but still not giving me much satisfaction.
Second disappointing electronic music album from Japan of the month. Am I jaded or what?
This 7” comes on such thick vinyl that my needle keeps touching it, even if it’s up. Along with artwork by every printer’s nightmare Stephen O’Malley (Sunn0))) a.o.) that has extra varnish and a metallic ink on top of full-colour and one must come to the conclusion that there’s a lot of love in this project.
I’ve always been a fan of the releases on Plop, bar Gel:’s second album. Four releases later, Pola is another minor letdown.
To say that the new High on Fire album was expected by many is an understatement. Many metalfans fell for Surrounded by Thieves and those who didn’t were left bemused by the thundering live performances the trio produced over the last two years.
Two years ago, I wrote my admiration of Larsen’s music in a review of their Young God released Rever album. They are back in early 2005 with another magnificent work, inspired by… Autechre.