Avantgarde Music

Pestrepeller "Isle of Dark Magick", Shawn David Mcmillen "Catfish", Cul de Sac "Ecim"

2008-02-13T00:33:00.001-08:00

PESTREPELLER - ISLE OF DARK MAGICK

Year: 2006

1.Mold with A Mind [14:11]22.1 Mb

2.No Screeches and Snakes and Deep Dark Menaces [7:09]10.2 Mb

3.My Gun Scatters My Gun Kills [19:01]24.2 Mb

4.Dismembered Dead Things [14:53]21.1 Mb

5.The Smell of Wet Fur in the Rain [6:04]8.3 Mb

6.Teaching the Clouds to Be Inverted Flames [12:35]14.7 Mb

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Pestrepeller "Isle of Dark Magick" Album Review

Album Description
"A quick trip to a psychedelic plane where Sun Ra's rocksichord pumps up the volume alongside krautrock kozmik couriers Ash Ra Temple while the long shadow of Dada godfather Marcel Duchamp blots out the sun. The perpetrators are Sav X of Art Attacks/Kray Cherubs/Ether Hogg, cult underground comics artist/writer Ed Pinsent, and guitarist/writer Harley Richardson." - SYMPATHY "An amorphous scientific manifesto of drone...hypnotic." - PTOLEMAIC TERRASCOPE Prepare yourself for this gem of free-improvised-found-sound-collage enriched with dark pagan folky vibes and supernatural horror noise dedicated to HP Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith and Austin Osman Spare! Most remember Pestrepeller only as the source material for Sonic Boom's (Spacemen 3) Pestrepeller remix album. It's true - while they're a supergroup of sorts in their 10th year of existence, they've still only released three proper albums. When Pestrepeller does make a sound, they make it count, sharing stages with Borbetomagus, David Shea and Alan Turner, among others. Pestrepeller consists of long-celebrated illustrator and Wire journalist Savage Pencil, Evan Parker student and ex-Medicine Head member Peter Hope-Evans, comic artist Ed Pinset, cartoonist Harley Richardson and Rob Brown.

SHAWN DAVID MCMILLEN - CATFISH

Year: 2006

1.Noon [4:01]6 Mb

2.Glass Neighbors [12:22]18.2 Mb

3.The Lawn [5:23]7.2 Mb

4.Cat Mountain [4:55]7.4 Mb

5.Old Bullets [4:01]5.6 Mb

6.Vember [7:20]10.8 Mb

7.Quintannas Head Dress [17:32]21.5 Mb

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Shawn David Mcmillen "Catfish" Album Review

Album Description
"Part of the emerging Texas psych scene - Really interesting." Thurston Moore (Entertainment Weekly June 16th, 2006) Guitarist and composer Shawn David McMillen is a native of the East Texas town of Lake Jackson. In the early Nineties, Shawn met Tom and Christina Carter (Charalambides) now considered early pioneers of the present avant-folk movementas well as Heather Leigh Murray. Shawn and Heather recorded together as Ash Castles on the Ghost Coast, releasing one CD on Charalambides' Wholly Other imprint and playing one show with Palace Brothers. Circa 1999, the pair moved to Austin where they played with Rick Reed in Abrasion Ensemble and later formed Iron Kite. Recorded mostly at night, Catfish is acoustic-based only because Shawn had no electric guitar at the time. Other instruments include autoharp, Roland keyboard, Indian goat bell, Indonesian gongs, bowed electric bass, African kalimba (thumb piano), and shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute). Cited influences at the time include American Indian lore, music from the Middle East and India, Phil Yost, Robbie Basho, and Malachi Favors. Catfish was released in 2005 as a limited vinyl issue on the Emperor Jones label. This CD version features an additional 20 minutes of material. McMillen recently also released a double LP with The Friday Group (with Tom Carter) and currently plays in Rubble along with King Coffee of Butthole Surfers.

CUL DE SAC - ECIM

Year: 2006

1.Death Kit Train [6:52]9.9 Mb

2.The Moon Scolds the Morning Star [4:42]6.5 Mb

3.Stranger at Coney Island [1:54]2.6 Mb

4.Homunculus [7:53]13.2 Mb

5.The Portland Cement Factory at Monolith California [4:12]6.5 Mb

6.Nicos Dream [5:44]8.5 Mb

7.The Invisible Worm [4:15]6.4 Mb

8.Song to the Siren [3:38]4.6 Mb

9.Electar [5:01]7.7 Mb

10.Laurens Blues [5:14]7.5 Mb

11.Cul de Sade [3:01]4 Mb

12.The Bee Who would not Work [3:34]5.7 Mb

13.Negligee [0:37]0.6 Mb

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Cul de Sac "Ecim" Album Review

Bracing and Daring

Featuring spacious and sneering arrangements recalling the intergalactic-sounding artists such as the 1970's German band, `Can,' and the second half of that band's milestone third album, `Tago Mago,' with its similar slow climb to speed, and dark, atmospheric feel; "Cul de Sac" and its post-rock ideal (post rock= a fusion of many of the experimental types of rock: kraut, progressive, math, etc,) has carried their brand of eccentrically weird art-noise a long way, artistically. "Ecim" (which reads as the word," Mice," flipped backwards, as if read in a mirror,) their first LP released in 1992, is essentially a solely instrumental album, and is as far left of mainstream as you can get. This is not a connect-the-dots, cookie-cutter hipster grabber, intended to gain the suits any more capital gain; instead, its all about belting waves of sonic art to the sky, and is an experience for those with high musical attention spans, and a desire to get into something that is unique-- not being music to push into the player to kill a few hours, as it is rather an album that should be listened to only when the desire is high, so the music is indulged, and slowly nourished by your brain.

Started with the dismantled, and jaggedly transmuted track, Death Kit Train, with the soul of `Can's' deceased guitarist Michael Karoli being summoned, in which "Cul de Sac" seems to be at a zenith of creativity, with a robust, railway car of combusting instrumental jerks and tears, rips, and steers towards the sudden, open-ended ending that just breaks off and stops. This pre-determined calamity is bifacial in the way that it seems equatorial in its balance of the dynamics of classic, modern, and unique structures, tempos, beats, and time signatures; while also being persistent in its reluctance to be anything but something original and classy.

The best music can float from style to style gracefully, like a jellyfish swims in the ocean, barely noticeable in its movement, yet with a sudden sting it leaves a lasting impression of remembrance in its preys' soul. There is a certain rectifying, and relaxing catharsis when listening to such tracks as the peaceful, The Moon Scolds the Morning Star, and the sifting and windy, Stranger at Coney Island; tracks that swing like the pendulum of a grandfather clock into more ominous, but no less experimental songs; including, Homonculus, and Electar. Each song--other than the sweetly sung, lyrical cover of Song to the Siren, by jazzy folk-rock pioneer, Tim Buckley--may not have actual words, other than some mood-setting grumbling, and choppy vocals; but its still passionate, and these progressive waves of brashly and unsystematic music, both make it mannered, and creatively proportioned at the same time.

***** (Out of 5)

Elliot Sharp.Tectonics "Field and Stream", Keith Fullerton Whitman and Greg Davis "Yearlong", Coil "And the Ambulance Died in His Arms"

2008-02-12T03:46:00.001-08:00

ELLIOT SHARP.TECTONICS - FIELD AND STREAM

1.Krkd [5:54]8.5 Mb

2.Glimpse of Field Effect [9:28]13.6 Mb

3.Dadastream [5:45]8.3 Mb

4.Fzarp [8:22]12 Mb

5.Anatomic dub [6:45]9.6 Mb

6.Pangra [6:01]8.6 Mb

7.Faux Facade [9:58]14.3 Mb

8.Lithic [3:26]4.9 Mb

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Elliot Sharp.Tectonics "Field and Stream" Album Review

Amazon.com
Manhattan guitarist Elliott Sharp is best known for his work with the avant- hardcore band, Carbon. Playing obtuse, mathematical compositions on his customized doubleneck guitarbass, Sharp is certainly not headed toward top-40 radio anytime soon. Taking a primarily solo route on Field & Stream, Sharp melds his distinctive guitar methods with an investigation in computer-processed sound and rhythmic drum programs. Filtering jazz, industrial rock, and modern electronica together is no easy task, but Sharp has been condensing unusual musical alternatives since the late '70s and has little problem here. Adding reconfigured bits of tenor saxophone onto his wailing, synthesized guitar and automated percussion anticipates progressive jazz for the 21st century. Elliott Sharp's instrumental music is both an intellectual and visceral experience. --Mitch Myers

KEITH FULLERTON WHITMAN AND GREG DAVIS - YEARLONG

Year: 2005

1.Cambridge USA May 18th [2:03]2.4 Mb

2.Washington DC USA March 16th [2:57]4.2 Mb

3.New York USA June 22nd [3:57]6.5 Mb

4.San Francisco USA April 4th [3:13]4.9 Mb

5.New York USA March 16th [10:02]14.3 Mb

6.New York USA December 8th [3:01]3.9 Mb

7.Baltimore USA December 8th [4:01]5.2 Mb

8.Jersey City USA June 23rd [2:06]2.5 Mb

9.Koln Germany May 29th [4:03]5.3 Mb

10.Jersey City USA June 23rd [3:22]4.3 Mb

11.June 7th [1:37]2.5 Mb

12.New York USA June 22nd [4:11]4.6 Mb

13.November 2nd [2:03]3.1 Mb

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Keith Fullerton Whitman and Greg Davis "Yearlong" Album Review

Avant-Garde Genius
You really have to appreciate the ingenuity of someone who can compose and execute this brand of music in such an enjoyable manner. If you like challenging music that can shape imagery with less harmonics and more sensory appeal this is the album for you. A painstakingly world tour's worth of live music was shaped into this delightful piece that will treat your ears to new textures and shapes. If this is too difficult of a listen for your unconditioned ears you might start exploring KFW's 'Multiples'.

COIL - AND THE AMBULANCE DIED IN HIS ARMS

Year: 2006

1.Triple Sun Introduction [4:07]6.4 Mb

2.Snow Falls into Military Temples [16:49]25.6 Mb

3.A Slip in the Marylebone Road [10:59]16.2 Mb

4.Triple Sons and the One You Bury [13:57]21.8 Mb

5.The Somnambulist in an Ambulance [17:23]26 Mb

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Coil "And the Ambulance Died in His Arms" Album Review

Album Description
Limited edition pressing of this previously internet-only CD. This live recording, from their All Tomorrows Parties performance in 2003, features John Balance, Peter Christopherson, Thighpaulsandra and Tom Edwards. Largely improvised, this release features four new tracks plus a reworking of 'The Dreamer Is Still Asleep'. Threshold

Sun Ra and His Solar Myth Arkestra "Strange Worlds", Bill Wells Trio "Incorrect Practice"

2008-02-07T08:40:00.001-08:00

SUN RA AND HIS SOLAR MYTH ARKESTRA - STRANGE WORLDS

Year: 2006

1.Ancient Ethiopia [2:48]4.1 Mb

2.Pyramids [2:28]3.6 Mb

3.Scene 1 Take 1 [8:19]12.3 Mb

4.Outer Spaceways Incorporated [1:20]1.8 Mb

5.Interpretation [7:41]11.2 Mb

6.Strange Worlds [8:31]12 Mb

7.The Utter Nots [11:19]19.3 Mb

8.Legend [9:54]15.2 Mb

9.Seen 3 Took 4 [3:27]4.4 Mb

10.The Satellites are Spinning [3:31]5 Mb

11.Realm of Lightning [12:23]18.9 Mb

12.Theyll Come Back [3:49]5.3 Mb

13.Adventures of Bugs Hunter [6:37]9.7 Mb

14.Spectrum [4:58]6.9 Mb

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Sun Ra and His Solar Myth Arkestra "Strange Worlds" Album Review

Solar Myth Approach
The tracks on Atom Music's "Strange Worlds" are the same as on 1970's "The Solar Myth Approach" [volumes 1 and 2], label Snapper UK, ASIN B0002CU4Z2. Audio quality sounds the same to me. There are three minor differences: (1) this release from Atom Music is cheaper; (2) track sequence is different for no apparent reason; (3) most of these tracks are two seconds shorter than their counterparts on "The Solar Myth Approach." Listeners new to Sun Ra should start with other releases, of work from 1956 to 1964, much of which is on Evidence Records. Four stars just because, well, it is Ra.

BILL WELLS TRIO - INCORRECT PRACTICE

Year: 2000

1.Incorrect Practice [3:59]5.6 Mb

2.Strangers by the Score [3:32]4.9 Mb

3.Burmac [3:50]5.7 Mb

4.Four Cows [2:15]3 Mb

5.Bad Plumbing [4:01]6 Mb

6.Presentation Piece 2 [2:07]2.9 Mb

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Bill Wells Trio "Incorrect Practice" Album Review

Scottish late night jazz is food for soul
The simple beauty of this atmospheric record of jazz is impossible to put into words. The Bill Wells Trio understand how to use space in music, which I believe to be a priceless intuition. The repetitive, hypnotic trumpet is quietly beautiful. The piano is percussive and emotive. The melodies are gentle and haunting. And accessible from the first listen. The importance of the use of space and simplicity in order to create an affecting piece of music is illustrated perfectly here. This record is peaceful, yet jazzy. I put it on before I go to bed yet it gives me energy because there is such a tangible quiet joy here. If you are lucky enough to source a copy of this album, buy it. Dont hesitate.

Power Tools "Strange Meeting", Jocelyn Robert "Pandore", Art Ensemble of Chicago "The Third Decade"

2008-02-05T01:45:00.001-08:00

POWER TOOLS - STRANGE MEETING

1.Strange Meeting [5:13]7 Mb

2.Wolf in Sheeps Clothing [3:38]4.8 Mb

3.Wadmalaw Island [5:08]6.7 Mb

4.Unscientific Americans [3:02]3.9 Mb

5.Howard Beach Memoirs [5:40]7.4 Mb

6.When We Go [4:57]6.4 Mb

7.The Presidents Nap [3:56]5 Mb

8.A Song is not Enough [3:35]4.5 Mb

9.Blame and Shame [5:42]7.9 Mb

10.Unchained Melody [5:20]6.7 Mb

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Power Tools "Strange Meeting" Album Review

Manhatten Prana Jungle Musiks
This record changed my life. I'm not exaggerating, I was a big fan of Hendrix when I heard this but had not quite made the leap to Coletrane, Ornette, Free Jazz beautiful chaos: this record bridged the gap, opening up music I had been unable to hear before. Kind of like making it through Gravity's Rainbow or Ulyssess and thinking "Now I can read anything!"

This is a true Power Trio in the fullest sense. Yes, Bill Frisell is amazing here, playing with even more raw intensity and sonic fury than with Naked City, this is hardcore shredding, but the superb sense of melody and space that Frisell nearly always displays gives his playing a truly satisfying balance not available elsewhere in my opinion.

And why, you ask, is this such a departure for him? Ronald Shannon Jackson. The man is a force of nature who, left to his own devices, tends to cloud the purity of his rhythm with a sometimes tin ear and a penchant for overblowing arrangements. Melvin Gibbs (who later played bass with the Henry Rollins Band) is absolutely indispensible as well, calling Jackson and raising until the effect is seriously scorching, withering, like standing to close to the fire.

I have always loved the purity of the trio, whether it be rock, jazz, or classical, this record is a brilliant example of the form at its best. If only it would be rereleased, my vinyl copy is wearing out.

JOCELYN ROBERT - PANDORE

Year: 2005

1.TRACK01 [17:42]26.1 Mb

2.TRACK02 [15:38]22.9 Mb

3.TRACK03 [12:04]17.5 Mb

4.TRACK01 [40:13]47.8 Mb

5.Les Scaphandres 1 [9:15]14.8 Mb

6.Les Scaphandres 2 [3:57]5.4 Mb

7.Les Scaphandres 3 [7:13]9.5 Mb

8.Les Scaphandres 4 [7:16]11.2 Mb

9.Les Scaphandres 5 [8:06]11 Mb

10.Les Scaphandres 6 [3:23]5 Mb

11.TRACK01 [2:02]2.3 Mb

12.TRACK02 [2:02]2.4 Mb

13.TRACK03 [2:06]2.4 Mb

14.TRACK04 [2:06]2.4 Mb

15.TRACK05 [2:05]2.4 Mb

16.TRACK06 [2:05]2.3 Mb

17.TRACK07 [2:06]2.3 Mb

18.TRACK08 [2:05]2.3 Mb

19.TRACK09 [2:06]2.3 Mb

20.TRACK10 [2:09]2.3 Mb

21.TRACK11 [2:02]2.3 Mb

22.TRACK12 [2:04]2.3 Mb

23.TRACK13 [2:06]2.4 Mb

24.TRACK14 [2:05]2.4 Mb

25.TRACK15 [2:04]2.4 Mb

26.TRACK16 [2:03]2.5 Mb

27.TRACK17 [2:03]2.4 Mb

28.TRACK18 [2:03]2.3 Mb

29.TRACK19 [2:03]2.4 Mb

30.TRACK20 [2:09]2.3 Mb

31.TRACK21 [2:06]2.2 Mb

32.TRACK22 [2:05]2.5 Mb

33.TRACK23 [2:05]2.5 Mb

34.TRACK24 [2:03]2.3 Mb

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Jocelyn Robert "Pandore" Album Review

Review
Over the last twenty years, the work of Quebecois artist Jocelyn Robert has branched out like a tree, the new directions often being the result of collaborations. The four-disc box set Pandore illustrates the diversity found in his sound universe. This is his first release on Ambiances Magnétiques. The four discs Robert offers here showcase his solo work and highlight the significant contribution made by the artists who have worked with him through the years. Four extremely diverse albums, which, when taken together, sketch the sonic tree growing inside his ears. 6 Drawers 4 Spoons, by SoukSouk, a group made of Jocelyn Robert and Éric Gagnon: Two musicians meet in the studio, question each other and gradually build atmospheres together as they forge a relationship. This album consists of acutely different sequences of music. Robert and Gagnon are serving up a digital/acoustic alloy: they are playing soft guitar melodies, coming up with creative editing and effects, and treating vocals and urban sound samples. Slow Sparks from the Split-Voiced Buddha (AM 141): A solo set derived from ambient sounds recorded by the artist in Lhassa, Tibet. This 40-minute electroacoustic piece features long, interwoven sustained notes that turn out to be the very sounds of the Tibetans. Les Scaphandres with Laetitia Sonami: Working around a text approached as a digital object instead of a piece of written language. This is noise music: tightly packed, rigorous, with a violent pulse. 24 exercices de parallaxe with Louis Ouellet: Exploring the rules of music composition and measuring them up with computer programming. Here we have a classical approach with short piano pieces. The two artists have programmed software for the Disklavier piano.

ART ENSEMBLE OF CHICAGO - THE THIRD DECADE

Year: 1985

1.Prayer for Jimbo [9:50]14.1 Mb

2.Funky Aeco [7:42]11.1 Mb

3.Walking in the Moonlight [4:10]6 Mb

4.The Bell Piece [6:06]8.8 Mb

5.Zero [5:59]8.6 Mb

6.Third Decade [8:18]11.9 Mb

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Art Ensemble of Chicago "The Third Decade" Album Review

Beyond Jazz
This was my introduction to the AEC and it still remains my favorite (along with Full Force). I would recommend it to any rock/pop fan who is interested in checking out the weirder side of jazz, but is not enthused about purely shrill, free form blowing. There is a little bit of that towards the end of the album, but what preceeds it defines the meaning of "eclectic." The AEC sound is always inhabited by all manner of bells, whistles, drums, and perfectly "off" saxophones, but here they are all put in the service of some consistently great melodies. "Prayer For Jimbo" builds mysteriously out of a strange, hovering synth hum, while a delicate folk melody is slowly developed on top. It creates a very surreal, dream-like atmosphere whilst building to the aptly titled "Funky AEOC." The bass kicks out what starts as a very earthy groove but the intertwining horn lines push it towards something akin to elastic space funk. From here we get some hard bop, some free jazz, and a symphony of bells, all played with that certain "otherness" which makes this band so special. All of this sonic adventurousness culminates in the title track where, for the first time, the horns begin to wail like sirens. After the admirable restraint shown on the rest of the album, it's as if Bowie, Jarman, et al, are announcing the beginning of their Third Decade, ready to explore new territory and blow minds in the process. If you missed it the first time around, here's your chance!!

The Body Lovers "The Body Haters", Hemispheres "Hemispheres", Scott Johnson "Rock Paper Scissors"

2008-02-04T07:11:00.001-08:00

THE BODY LOVERS - THE BODY HATERS

Year: 2005

1.1356 [13:56]21.9 Mb

2.532 [5:31]7.1 Mb

3.1000 [10:00]13.4 Mb

4.613 [6:12]10.2 Mb

5.501 [5:00]7.5 Mb

6.520 [5:20]8.3 Mb

7.353 [3:53]5.9 Mb

8.851 [8:51]13 Mb

9.858 [8:53]12 Mb

10.540 [5:40]8.6 Mb

11.1038 [10:37]15.2 Mb

12.3409 [34:09]50.9 Mb

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The Body Lovers "The Body Haters" Album Review

Decent, for ambient material
Not half as dynamic or haunting as the work Michael Gira did with Swans, "Body Lovers/Body Haters" is still a worthwhile listen for fans of dark ambient and followers of Gira's career.

"Body Lovers" is the better of the two albums: an hour of instrumentals with occasional sound clips, the work is fascinating, delving into the swamp of sound that Swans' later albums explored so well, replete with drones and creative instrumentation.

Then comes "Body Haters", 40 minutes of processed snippets of sound from previous songs by Swans. Lacking the organic feel of "Body Lovers", this isn't quite as compelling a listen, but does the job quite nicely if used as ambient noise.

If you've found your way to this album, you're probably already interested in the genres it encompasses, of which it's a fine example. Recommended for anyone who's after a challenging listen.

HEMISPHERES - HEMISPHERES

Year: 1994

1.Introduction [0:49]1.2 Mb

2.Wam [17:02]25.3 Mb

3.Rij [10:07]13.3 Mb

4.Movement I [7:22]10.4 Mb

5.Movement II [5:55]8.5 Mb

6.Seven Dances for Fifteen [19:13]27.6 Mb

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Hemispheres "Hemispheres" Album Review

Absolute Brilliance
The only bad thing about this was, sadly, the true end of the concept period for Rush. They ended this period with a huge bang with this album, and i'm dreaming one day soon the band will write an album similar to this again for old time's sake. The writing, music and direction came together at a time where few bands can lay claim to making multi classic albums. Hemispheres is 4 tracks and 36 minutes of perfection. A perfect balance of harmonies, vocal, and the true emergence of The Professor as both a musician and writer. From the continuing story of Cygnus to the masterpiece jam 'La Villa Strangiato' Rush became a major player in the prog rock genre. If anyone here is a prog metal fan, (Dream Theater. Pagans Mind, Symphony X) they all had this band to thank for their direction and keeping the progressive rock alive and well. This is a top 5 album everybody that worships progressive rock/metal should own.

Video Rush - Hemispheres: Prelude - Live - 1994

from Counterparts Tour - Rare!

SCOTT JOHNSON - ROCK PAPER SCISSORS

1.Listen [4:58]7.3 Mb

2.Tickets [1:50]2.5 Mb

3.Air Compressor [4:46]6.9 Mb

4.Bounce [5:18]8.1 Mb

5.Rock [11:22]15.9 Mb

6.Paper [8:47]12.5 Mb

7.Scissors [6:23]9.2 Mb

8.Glass House [5:46]8.4 Mb

9.Stone [5:53]9.3 Mb

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Scott Johnson "Rock Paper Scissors" Album Review

Wonderfully Inventive
New York guitarist/composer Scott Johnson has long been interesting in breaking down the barrier between "serious" (classical) and "popular" (rock) music. His latest release, Rock Paper Scissors, is a successful melding of these two musical forms, a difficult feat that few have been able to accomplish. The title piece is a modern take on chamber music. Using pianos, synthesizers, a cello, an electric guitar, and a violin, Johnson creates an intriguing five movement piece that captures elements of rock, jazz, and classical music. The result is often beautiful and hypnotic, sometimes chaotic and annoying, but never boring. Unlike some music I've heard where they seem to be fighting each other, the guitar and synthesizer join seamlessly with the traditional stringed instruments. This is most likely due to Johnson's traditional composition technique and his Stravinsky-esque sense of form which enables his to give the piece a good tonal balance.The best part of this CD is the piece Convertible Debts. As in his first album, John Somebody, Johnson has based this work on the natural melodies and cadences (not to mention the awkward pauses and stutterings) of human conversation. To get the sound of natural, unguarded speech, he recorded friends as they called up someone to ask a favor. Johnson then selected portions of this conversation that he found interesting and manipulated them digitally into a melodic and rhythmic musical foundation. Upon this he added piano, guitar, cello, and violin, integrating them perfectly with the human voice. The first movement of this piece captures the awkward moment when the speaker must first bring up the subject of asking for a favor. In the third movement, a young Asian female asks to "borrow you an air compressor", a broken, angular line that Johnson turns into a haunting and ethereal passage. The final movement is formed around someone making sure that a check he is about to deposit won't bounce because "well, if it bounces I'll get billed." Though not for the diehard Mozart or Hootie fan, those interested in experiencing some music that is truly alternative would do well to listen to this latest work by Scott Johnson.

Erdem Helvacioglu "Altered Realities", Nico "The Classic Years", Buckethead "Funnel Weaver", The Ed Palermo Big Band "Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance"

2008-02-01T08:33:00.001-08:00

ERDEM HELVACIOGLU - ALTERED REALITIES

Year: 2006

1.Bridge to Horizon [7:34]10.7 Mb

2.Sliding on A Glacier [7:39]9.8 Mb

3.Frozen Resophonic [6:43]9.5 Mb

4.Dreaming on A Blind Saddle [8:00]11.3 Mb

5.Shadow My Dovetail [8:48]12.5 Mb

6.Pearl Border [7:15]9.8 Mb

7.Ebony Remains [7:10]11.1 Mb

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Erdem Helvacioglu "Altered Realities" Album Review

Captivating electro-acoustic music
Here is what it says in the liner notes of the CD:

"Altered Realities is an album of solo acoustic guitar and live electronics. All of the compositions were recorded in real-time, directly to DAT (Digital Audio Tape) without any overdubs, mixing, editing, post-processing, or the use of previously recorded material. All of the textures were created based only on the acoustic guitar signal with no other sound source used during the recording. Within these textures, there are long sustaining single notes, beautiful shimmering chords and rhythmic clusters. With no post-processing, no editing and no use of previously recorded material, the moment that is recorded is the moment that we hear on the CD."

This is possibly the most fitting description of the music presented on this 53-minute disc. Written and recorded entirely by Turkish composer Erdem Helvacioglu, whose resume includes stints with artists as diverse as Kevin Moore (check out his solo material for creepy cinematic pieces), drone metal masters Merzbow, and Kazuya Ishigami among others, Altered Realities is in a way similar to the way Kip Winger recorded his first solo album where he would ask guitarist Andy Timmons to improvise without letting him hear the compositions beforehand and record his parts on the spot, and therefore capturing the magic of the moment -- bits that could only be produced once in a lifetime. The songs here give off a similar vibe. They are pure and simple, stretching single acoustic guitar notes into eternity atop curiously arranged keyboard shimmering and weird rhythmic angles. Helvacioglu's acoustic guitar is crystal clean but it does sparkle with scintillating urgency during certain climactic moments. The compositions mostly flow timidly through minimalistic soundscapes, but some sections bravely venture into electronic territory, such as the violent "Frozen Resophonic" with its protruding static and white noise blanketing a peaceful acoustic melody. Not all of the album maintains an ethereal feel, however. The composer's darker side comes through on the suspense-laden "Dreaming on a Blind Saddle", which could be imagined as a worthy film soundtrack.

This is by no means an easy album, but will be very rewarding to the patient listener. The fact that this "huge" atmosphere was built almost instantly is reason to check the album out alone. There is a reason why Kevin Moore worked with him on his solo material, and still continues to use his samples at live shows. (He recently performed to a small audience of about hundred people and used Helvacioglu's captivating guitar samples to evoke a similar atmosphere heard on his CD's.)

Erdem Helvacioglu is a great musician with incredible potential and unparalleled compositional ability. Give his music a listen.
__________
Tracklisting- Bridge to Horizon . Sliding on a Glacier . Frozen Resophonic . Dreaming on a Blind Saddle . Shadow My Dovetail . Pearl Border . Ebony Remains

NICO - THE CLASSIC YEARS

Year: 1998

1.I'm not Saying [2:51]2.6 Mb

2.The Last Mile [2:29]2.3 Mb

3.Ill Be Your Mirror [2:17]2.1 Mb

4.Femme Fatale [2:41]3.8 Mb

5.All Tomorrows Parties [2:51]4.3 Mb

6.The Fairest of the Seasons [4:09]6.3 Mb

7.These Days [3:33]5.2 Mb

8.Little Sister [4:25]6.4 Mb

9.Chelsea Girls [7:25]10.5 Mb

10.No One is There [3:36]4.9 Mb

11.Aris Song [3:23]4.8 Mb

12.Frozen Warnings [4:05]6.3 Mb

13.Nibelungen [2:46]3.1 Mb

14.Janitor of Lunacy [4:02]6.1 Mb

15.Abschied [3:04]4.7 Mb

16.Affraid [3:29]4.9 Mb

17.Secret Side [4:07]5.8 Mb

18.You Forgot to Answer [5:08]7.9 Mb

19.The End [9:29]13.3 Mb

Download Nico - The Classic Years (mp3)

Nico "The Classic Years" Album Review

You are beautiful and you are alone
Imagine the center of the song is a singer who cannot sing. Not an insurmountable obstacle, but one requiring special sensitivity in material and production. Often it's here and worth the effort to listen - a sound rarified and lunar.

Inelegant and primitive, Nico sounds best when supported by baroquefolk violins. (There's no dialectic when the VU backs her.) She gets an oblique, decomposing cabaret vibe going - it's despairing but never pretentious.

Marlene Dietrich doing Tom Waits - only much more glacial.

BUCKETHEAD - FUNNEL WEAVER

Year: 2002

1.The Blind Centipede [0:54]1.2 Mb

2.Kurtz Temple [2:04]2.6 Mb

3.Covert [1:12]1.4 Mb

4.Death Card [1:03]1.4 Mb

5.R I P [1:02]1.6 Mb

6.Plans Within Plans [0:41]0.9 Mb

7.Eye in the Sky [0:57]1.4 Mb

8.Freezer Burns [0:58]1.3 Mb

9.Sky Drones [0:57]1.2 Mb

10.Operation Gateway [1:18]1.4 Mb

11.Bantam Rising [1:44]2.4 Mb

12.Combat Shadow [0:25]0.5 Mb

13.Azzims Lectures [1:23]1.7 Mb

14.Channel of Secrets [0:44]0.9 Mb

15.Comet Shower [1:20]1.7 Mb

16.The Worm Turns [1:35]1.7 Mb

17.Silhouettes Against the Sky [1:32]2.1 Mb

18.Sleeper Agents [1:34]2.1 Mb

19.Recreational Cryonics [1:25]1.9 Mb

20.The Blind Sniper (Fred Rogers) [1:41]2.1 Mb

21.Atlantis Found [0:58]1.3 Mb

22.The Spiders Web [1:18]1.9 Mb

23.Blue Crystal [1:24]1.6 Mb

24.Reaping the Whirlwind [1:00]1.2 Mb

25.The Hills Have Eyes [2:55]3.8 Mb

26.The Other Side of Midnight [0:50]1 Mb

27.Sea the Hollow Man [0:49]0.7 Mb

28.Unsound Methods [1:05]1.2 Mb

29.Hall of Records [1:34]1.9 Mb

30.Aluminum Clouds [1:27]1.9 Mb

31.Lost Threads [1:22]2.1 Mb

32.Killing Mask [2:45]3.7 Mb

33.Rattlesnake Hill [0:55]1.3 Mb

34.4 Phantom [0:59]1.2 Mb

35.Stub Pylons [0:59]1.2 Mb

36.Armour Piercing Projectiles [0:43]0.7 Mb

37.Stolen Identities [1:19]1.6 Mb

38.The Sriek of Revenge [1:17]1.5 Mb

39.Card Trick [1:25]1.6 Mb

40.Caretaker of Memory [1:02]1.3 Mb

41.The Kingdom of Nie [1:08]1.2 Mb

42.Kangaroo Kranes [0:52]0.8 Mb

43.High Seat with the Devil [1:17]1.7 Mb

44.Jessy [1:31]1.7 Mb

45.From the Foxholes [1:21]1.3 Mb

46.(F L I P) [0:44]0.7 Mb

47.Frozen Head [1:52]2.4 Mb

48.Who is the Enemy [0:35]0.7 Mb

49.Nappler Radar [0:53]1 Mb

Download Buckethead - Funnel Weaver (mp3)

Buckethead "Funnel Weaver" Album Review

Great ablum
I love all of Buckethead's albums, this is another good one to add to the collection, plus it has so many songs!

THE ED PALERMO BIG BAND - TAKE YOUR CLOTHES OFF WHEN YOU DANCE

Year: 2006

1.Rdnzl [8:52]12.5 Mb

2.Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance [6:23]10.1 Mb

3.Dwarf Nebula Processional March and Dwarf Nebula [6:07]9.5 Mb

4.Pound for A Brown on the Bus [6:01]9.3 Mb

5.Sleep Dirt [5:33]8.7 Mb

6.Gumbo Variations [5:54]9.5 Mb

7.Mom and Dad-Oh No [9:09]13.4 Mb

8.Moggio [5:33]8.8 Mb

Download The Ed Palermo Big Band - Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance (mp3)

The Ed Palermo Big Band "Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance" Album Review

top notch jazz interpretations
I love zappa. But before I ever heard FZ's work, I was a jazz musician. I've always been a fan of frank's more jazz-influenced work, and this cd is just fantastic. High quality musicianship throughout the album combine with fresh, interesting arrangements that are faithful to the originals but still cool in their own way. If you like frank and you like big band jazz, give this one a try, you won't be disappointed.

Video Ed Palermo Big Band

The Ed Palermo Big Band plays the music of Frank Zappa at the CD release party of "Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance." It features Napoleon Murphy Brock and was taken on December 27, 2006 at the Cutting Room in NYC.

Terry Riley "Atlantis Nath", Mat Maneri "Pentagon", Michel Lambert "Le Passant", Yoshio Machida "Naada"

2008-01-31T02:26:00.001-08:00

TERRY RILEY - ATLANTIS NATH

Year: 2002

1.Crucifixion Voices [5:43]7.9 Mb

2.Mosque [1:04]1.6 Mb

3.Derveshum Carnivalis [3:05]4.2 Mb

4.Wedding Song [2:07]3.1 Mb

5.Emerald Runner [13:17]19.6 Mb

6.Gha Ten in Darbari [4:34]6.1 Mb

7.Asencion [15:22]18.7 Mb

8.Asencion Final Chord Rising [2:22]3 Mb

9.Remember this [6:00]8.7 Mb

10.Only A Day [6:02]9 Mb

11.Even Your Beloved Wife [4:53]7.3 Mb

12.The Crucifixion of My Humble Self [9:20]12.8 Mb

Download Terry Riley - Atlantis Nath (mp3)

Terry Riley "Atlantis Nath" Album Review

Unique music from a master musician
Be prepared: this recording may cause your eyes to roll back in your head and your tounge to press against the roof of your mouth, inducing deep spiritual introspection and/or journeying. Atlantis Nath is like no other Terry Riley I have heard. The style is much more varied than usual and Terry sings! (Maybe he has before on other releases, but i dont have every one of his recordings.) Now that i hear him sing I am even more convined that he belongs to some triple soul incarnation with Daevid Allen and Robert Wyatt; at times his voice and even lyrics recall each of these other artists to me in a very visceral ("Perceived in or as if in the viscera; profound") manner (compare Daevid's 'Seven Drones' release to Cruxifiction Voices on Atlantis Nath for some musical, i.e. instrumental, similarities).

Atlantis is what i think i could call, at least a lot of it, difficult: it may seem inscrutible, maybe a touch 'dry' to some at first, but rewards repeated listening with musical understanding. On the other hand there is plenty of fun stuff going on a lot of the time as well. I don't want to spoil to much of the adventure of discovery for you by describing the style of or reviewing particular tracks.

This release is superb for fans of Terry and generally for adventurous fans of great music, especially the spiritually minded. Furthermore, i beleive that Atlantis Nath constitutes a musical Book Of The Dead, not in the general sense of a guide to be read to guide the dying to the light, but in the 'esoteric' sense of guiding the living towards and through rebirth while incarnate. The word Surrender comes to mind a lot as well. I'll let you figure out why I say this and if you agree.

Of course, all of this is my opinion and maybe i dont know what im talking about! I would sure love it if Terry Riley himself would post and give us some insight. I guess music like this speaks for itself pretty well though.

Also, this has got to be one of the most beautiful CD covers i have or will ever own. I love the way the cover depicts Atlantis and the way it's done is quite the clue to some of the nature of this music. The art is stupendous.

Funny enough, the cover is the source of my only two complaints: 1) because the plastic backing with the teeth that holds the CD into the case is permanently affixed to the cardboard, i cannot replace that part which in my case came with one of the 'cd holder' teeth broken. Luckily, it still holds the cd in just fine so i got over it in a day or two ; ) 2) the liner notes are in FRENCH!! ugh. Maybe someone (Terry?) would be so kind as to post an English translation on this site, or let us know if it is on Terry's website?

Thanks for all the incredible music Mr. Riley!

MAT MANERI - PENTAGON

Year: 2005

1.Ava [2:52]3.9 Mb

2.W W P [7:49]11.6 Mb

3.Inslut [1:24]2 Mb

4.Irenam [5:37]8.5 Mb

5.The Fallen [3:06]4 Mb

6.Witches Woo [6:14]9.5 Mb

7.Wound [9:37]14.3 Mb

8.Motherless Child [2:53]4 Mb

9.An Angel Passes by [7:26]11.1 Mb

10.Pentagon [0:56]0.9 Mb

11.War Room [7:10]11 Mb

12.America [3:04]4.4 Mb

Download Mat Maneri - Pentagon (mp3)

Mat Maneri "Pentagon" Album Review

Plugged In
Violinist Mat Maneri's third album for Thirsty Ear's groundbreaking Blue Series finds him wading deeper into electronic waters. With each previous album in his discography slowly building up to this, "Pentagon" feels like a natural progression for Mat, the son of iconic microtonal improvisor Joe Maneri. From 2000's "Blue Decco," an acoustic homage to Eric Dolphy to 2002's "Sustain," an electro-acoustic groove excursion, this third installment pushes the boundaries of his previous experiments into new territory.

Maneri has assembled an impressive cast of players for this journey. Drummer Tom Rainey and bassist John Hebert join pianist Craig Taborn, this time on Fender Rhodes, for a free-wheeling rhythm section approach. Taborn himself employed Rainey and Maneri on his exquisite, recent album for Thirsty Ear - "Junk Magic," so their intuitive interaction is well documented. Trombonist Ben Gerstein acts as Maneri's front line sparring partner in addition to a number of guest musicians, including Mat's father doubling on alto sax, piano and organ.

Acoustic instruments are often run through a bank of electronic effects, sometimes so extreme in their manipulation that it can be difficult to discern what instrument is being played. Maneri's violin often sounds like a guitar overdriven to the brink of feedback and Gerstein's trombone is regularly run through a wah-wah pedal. In addition, melatron, organ, laptop and Indian percussion make appearances. While all this makes for a fascinating collection of sound it can sometimes get a bit congested in the album's denser moments.

Opening (and closing) the album with a stately, neo-classical motif, Maneri quickly dispenses with the formalities and launches headlong into the electronic miasma. The album's lyrical centerpiece, "Wound" is primarily acoustic, with Maneri's slightly distorted violin surrounded by ethereal dissonant keyboard washes and sporadic piano interjections, the tune is an exception to the album's gritty electronic rave-ups. The predominant feel here is the rhythmic pulse of free-jazz, albeit with the electronic coloration of early fusion. Hip-hop rhythms and funky break-beats make brief cameos, but stuttering Fender Rhodes, churning percussion, languid bass vamps, Milesian, wah-wah trombone and blistering, distorted violin lines dominate. Vacillating between the spectral and the mercurial, Maneri and company embark on a dynamic set that is rich in improvisational interplay and less concerned with conventional melody and harmony.

Deriving inspiration from the 1970s fusion experiments of Miles Davis, ala "Dark Magus" and "Live-Evil," the group here sounds like a 21st Century version of Herbie Hancock's short lived, but impressive Mwandishi Sextet, one of the best free-jazz-fusion ensembles ever assembled. "Pentagon" may be light on catchy melodies and memorable tunes, but it more than makes up for its impenetrable facade with inventive collective improvisation.

MICHEL LAMBERT - LE PASSANT

Year: 2005

1.Le Miroir de la Verite [7:32]10.9 Mb

2.Leternel Errant [5:35]8.3 Mb

3.Le Labyrinthe Du Remords [5:01]7.6 Mb

4.Le Choc Spirituel [6:56]10.6 Mb

5.Le Pelerinage de Lhumanite [5:39]8.8 Mb

6.Running in the Cave [2:44]4.2 Mb

7.Quib [3:10]5 Mb

8.Lisolement Des Lignes [1:48]2.7 Mb

9.Faux-Semblant [1:22]2 Mb

10.Ruffians Rifffaff and Ruffs [1:52]2.7 Mb

11.Passagers Perdus [7:40]12 Mb

12.Cue 9-3 Rappel Du Passant [2:04]3 Mb

Download Michel Lambert - Le Passant (mp3)

Michel Lambert "Le Passant" Album Review

Review
Music for Orchestra (12 piece) and four improvisers + A collection of Improvisations by Michel Lambert. Orchestra and improvisors clashing over Bosch themes. With the participation of: Malcolm Goldstein - violin, Ellery Eskelin - tenor sax, Dominic Duval - bass, Michel Lambert - drums "Unique in its own way, Le Passant is a confrontation between the worlds of through-composed music and free improvisation. In it, players of various backgrounds and experiences co-habit with each other in a series of complex relationships of varying scope. The very life of this piece is prefaced on balancing out the compositional and improvisational elements at play here."

YOSHIO MACHIDA - NAADA

1.Lotus part 1 [7:43]7.4 Mb

2.Lotus part 2 [6:36]6.6 Mb

3.Lotus part 3 [6:12]5.8 Mb

4.Texas Vino [5:20]4.9 Mb

5.Bloom [6:58]8.4 Mb

6.Dew [5:45]6.2 Mb

7.Lotus Solo [6:25]6.1 Mb

Download Yoshio Machida - Naada (mp3)

Yoshio Machida "Naada" Album Review

Album Description
Steel Pan improv. inspired by Indian traditional music

Faun Fables "The Transit Rider", Sao Paulo Underground "Sauna", Loren Connors "Night Through Singles and Collected Works 1976-2004", Eri Yamamoto "Cobalt Blue"

2008-01-28T06:52:00.001-08:00

FAUN FABLES - THE TRANSIT RIDER

Year: 2006

1.Birth [2:09]4.1 Mb

2.Transit Theme [4:46]8.6 Mb

3.House Carpenter [5:04]9.4 Mb

4.In Speed [3:51]7.3 Mb

5.Taki Pejzaz [8:12]13.5 Mb

6.Roadkill [4:32]7.9 Mb

7.Earths Kiss [5:05]8.7 Mb

8.Fire and Castration [4:51]9.1 Mb

9.The Questioning [2:00]3.5 Mb

10.I No Longer Wish to [1:13]2.2 Mb

11.The Corwith Brothers [3:18]5.9 Mb

12.Dream on A Train [6:50]11.6 Mb

13.Id Like to Be [4:11]7 Mb

Download Faun Fables - The Transit Rider (mp3)

Faun Fables "The Transit Rider" Album Review

intense and very ok
This is a very intense album but the music almost gets strangled in words but what can I say some of os want more music some of us want more words, it's a great album even though it's not my favorite I'm pretty sure that I'll buy all af the albums. Love the intensity.

Video Faun Fables "I'd Like To Be"

Music video from the Faun Fables CD "The Transit Rider". Directed by Lara Miranda & Dawn McCarthy

SAO PAULO UNDERGROUND - SAUNA

Year: 2006

1.Sauna-Um Dois Tres [5:58]9.8 Mb

2.Pombaral [9:30]13.8 Mb

3.The Realm of the Ripper [4:18]7.5 Mb

4.Olhosss [7:58]11.6 Mb

5.Afrihouse [7:06]10.7 Mb

6.Black Liquor [2:49]4.9 Mb

7.Balao de Gas [6:58]10.8 Mb

8.Untitled [4:59]6.9 Mb

Download Sao Paulo Underground - Sauna (mp3)

Sao Paulo Underground "Sauna" Album Review

Album Description
"An amazing display of a brilliant mind at work." - PITCHFORKMEDIA "Post-digital, post-industrial psychedelia." - THE WIRE "Limitless in its possibilities." - ROLLING STONE "[From] straight-ahead bop cornetist to avant-garde electronic conceptualist." - SUNDAY HERALD Spawned from the pink sulfur skies of Sao Paulo, this project is the combined work of artists Rob Mazurek (Mandarin Movie, Isotope 217, Chicago Underground) and Mauricio Takara (Hurtmold, M. Takara), whose music embraces modern electronics, dub, free samba, rock, jazz and maracatu. The album's opening track recalls the hazy electronic soundscapes of Fennesz's "Endless Summer," while its ending presents the unclassifiable sound construction of Tiago Mesquita's words and futuristic phantom carnival melodies. Sandwiched between are five diverse, texturally rich tracks covering a variety of sonic palettes. Recorded from August to November 2005 at Rocha Studios in Sao Paulo, the group's debut release features contributions from Sao Paulo's vibrant music community: Hurtmold, Marcos Axe, Tiago Mesquita, Wayne Montana & Damon Locks (both of The Eternals), Josh Abrams (Town & Country) and Chad Taylor (Chicago Underground).

LOREN CONNORS - NIGHT THROUGH SINGLES AND COLLECTED WORKS 1976-2004

Year: 2006

1.Come on in My Kitchen [1:48]2.4 Mb

2.Ribbon O Blues [7:03]11.1 Mb

3.Pickin it Up [1:23]2.2 Mb

4.Tight and Loose [3:52]6 Mb

5.Mother and Son [2:17]2.3 Mb

6.Many Miles [2:53]2.9 Mb

7.When You Sleep [1:44]1.8 Mb

8.Along the Way [3:01]2.9 Mb

9.Home Again [1:19]1.3 Mb

10.No Goodbyes [2:29]2.4 Mb

11.Departure [2:56]3.7 Mb

12.The Five Points [1:50]2.2 Mb

13.Moonyean [2:12]2.7 Mb

14.Saoirse (Freedom) [4:15]5.7 Mb

15.Little Shoes [2:28]3 Mb

16.Stations of the Cross [1:23]1.9 Mb

17.Stations of the Cross [2:04]3 Mb

18.Stations of the Cross [1:34]2.2 Mb

19.Stations of the Cross [1:25]2 Mb

20.Stations of the Cross [1:17]1.8 Mb

21.Stations of the Cross [0:58]1.4 Mb

22.Stations of the Cross [1:21]1.9 Mb

23.Stations of the Cross [1:33]2.1 Mb

24.Stations of the Cross [0:46]0.9 Mb

25.Deirdre of the Sorrows [0:28]0.4 Mb

26.Deirdre of the Sorrows [0:40]0.6 Mb

27.Deirdre of the Sorrows [0:46]0.7 Mb

28.Deirdre of the Sorrows [2:58]3 Mb

29.Battle of Clontarf [1:44]2.2 Mb

30.Battle of Clontarf [1:14]1.7 Mb

31.Battle of Clontarf [3:28]4.5 Mb

32.Battle of Clontarf [2:02]2.5 Mb

33.Battle of Clontarf [1:57]2.4 Mb

34.Battle of Clontarf [2:44]3.4 Mb

35.Betty Mae [5:13]7.3 Mb

36.Night Through [1:54]2.5 Mb

37.Blight [2:04]2.8 Mb

38.Eviction [2:14]3.5 Mb

39.Exile [1:10]1.6 Mb

40.The End the Afternoon the Light [3:09]4 Mb

41.The End. the Afternoon the Light part 2 [4:44]7.3 Mb

42.A Selkes Air [4:40]6.7 Mb

43.Adonais [4:11]6.3 Mb

44.Spirit [6:27]8.2 Mb

45.In A Street Full of Rain [4:58]5.9 Mb

46.Air [4:41]6.4 Mb

47.Oh Bonny Doone [3:57]4.9 Mb

48.Woman Taken in Adultery [4:20]6.4 Mb

49.For NY 9-11-01 [4:07]5.4 Mb

50.Pretty as Ever [2:45]3.8 Mb

51.The Departing of A Dream volume 4 [1:33]1.9 Mb

52.Moon Gone Down [9:57]13.7 Mb

53.Peace [1:14]1.9 Mb

54.Why We Came Together [1:37]1.5 Mb

55.Suzannes Rain [6:08]6.7 Mb

56.Ive Had Trouble Ive Had Joy [5:14]6.7 Mb

57.Untitled [2:10]2 Mb

58.Haunted House [15:20]15 Mb

59.Shadows [3:28]4.6 Mb

60.Only When You Sleep [5:05]7.3 Mb

61.Star of Bethlehem part 1 [3:40]5 Mb

62.Star of Bethlehem part 2 [1:42]2.3 Mb

63.I Love You Porgy [1:34]2.4 Mb

64.Earth [3:14]4.6 Mb

65.Stars [2:23]3.4 Mb

66.Night in Vain [2:55]4.1 Mb

67.Untitled [1:49]2.5 Mb

68.Untitled [1:19]1.9 Mb

69.Untitled [1:47]2.5 Mb

70.For Miles Davis [6:53]9.2 Mb

71.For Miles part 2 [3:19]4.1 Mb

Download Loren Connors - Night Through Singles and Collected Works 1976-2004 (mp3)

Loren Connors "Night Through Singles and Collected Works 1976-2004" Album Review

A great starter.....
Man! Three full disc of great sounds from Loren Connors!

This is a nice place to start for the beginner,because this set has many examples of this "venusian blues" guitarists craft.

There are his lilting ,fragile pieces,and some of his more trditional sounds too (a few are even a bit loud). Occasional vocals are here too,...some by Susan,Loren's wife(in his Haunted House version of his vision).

I was so used to his album releases that seem to average only 30-some minutes playing time each,that when I started to listen here I found I was a bit overwhelmed by the sheer size of this portion of Mr. Connors' music found here. But it's all of high quality,and most of it is dreamy,floating ,forelorn blues-y stuff.

Well worth the price,and (like I said before) a fine starter kit as an intorduction to this sigular artist's sound. This could be the one Loren MazzaCane Connors CD set you need in your collection,or the beginning of an obsession with his music.

Give it a try and see for yourself.

ERI YAMAMOTO - COBALT BLUE

Year: 2006

1.Melodica Chops [4:44]6.7 Mb

2.Takeda No Komoriuta [5:35]7.9 Mb

3.Cobalt Blue [6:18]8.8 Mb

4.Hot Coffee [6:34]9 Mb

5.I Love You [6:09]8.7 Mb

6.Irving Place [6:57]9.6 Mb

7.A Little Nap [6:23]8.3 Mb

8.They Can't Take that Away from Me [5:31]7.7 Mb

9.The Quiet of the Night [3:53]5.2 Mb

Download Eri Yamamoto - Cobalt Blue (mp3)

Eri Yamamoto "Cobalt Blue" Album Review

Excellent...
I have had this disc for several months and it just keeps finding it's way into the player consistently. I have had the priviledge of seeing Eri Yamamoto play in small venues many times in New York city, and her trio never fails to command my full attention. This CD perfectly captures the chemistry that her band possesses. The interplay between the drums, bass, and piano is mesmerizing. The title track remains a particular favorite of mine, as the initial pattern of notes spirals to an amazing climax. Other standouts include her takes on Cole Porter's "I Love You" and Gershwin's "They Can't Take That Away From Me". The recording quality of this CD is crystal clear and overall the whole disc is excellent. If you are a fan of acoustic piano trios this CD should be in your collection. As someone who has met Ms. Yamamoto she is as gracious off the stage as she is as a performer on it, and is very deserving of accolades.

Peeping Tom "Peeping Tom", Sailor Winters "Red at Morn"

2008-01-24T07:56:00.001-08:00

PEEPING TOM - PEEPING TOM

Year: 2006

1.Five Seconds featuring Odd Nosdam [4:20]5.4 Mb

2.Mojo featuring Rahzel and Dan the Automator [3:39]4.7 Mb

3.Don't Even Trip featuring Amon Tobin [5:46]7.6 Mb

4.Getaway featuring Kool Keith [3:21]4.1 Mb

5.Your Neighborhood Spaceman featuring Jel and Odd Nosam [5:44]7.2 Mb

6.Kill the DJ featuring Massive Attack [4:09]5.3 Mb

7.Caipirinha featuring Bebel Gilberto [2:46]3.6 Mb

8.Celebrity Death Match featuring Kid Koala [3:42]5 Mb

9.How U Feelin featuring Doseone [2:43]3.8 Mb

10.Sucker featuring Norah Jones [2:32]3.2 Mb

11.Were not Alone remix featuring dub Trio [5:09]7 Mb

Download Peeping Tom - Peeping Tom (mp3)

Peeping Tom "Peeping Tom" Album Review

Worth your ear space
This is not the best thing Mike Patton has done, but it grabs you on the first listen, rents headspace for days and is pretty darn hard to forget. Songs are catchy, smooth, dangerous and near mystical in places. But is it any good?

I can understand that some people will be disappointed with this release. At times it seems self-indulgent, but in a Randian way that benefits the listener. At other times it seems confused by what it wants to be, but genre-bending is what Patton does best. You can't argue with that.

Parts R&B, parts industrial, parts world music, parts hip hop, parts metal. It's a stew of styles that works wonders. I bought it after seeing the band perform on "The Henry Rollins Show" and was hooked. I don't buy music all that often (I get most of it free from labels), but this demanded I spend some scratch on it. It will demand the same of you, and you'll be better off for it.

Video Peeping Tom - Mojo

Mike Patton's brand new side project, featuring Rahzel. Looky looky ten dolla

SAILOR WINTERS - RED AT MORN

Year: 2006

1.Ashe [4:54]5.3 Mb

2.Olodumare [5:13]5 Mb

3.Orisha [3:12]3.1 Mb

4.Egun [4:09]4 Mb

5.Dahamean [3:27]3.6 Mb

6.Bakonga [5:40]5.6 Mb

7.Yoruban [4:40]4.5 Mb

8.Maxim Xul [9:53]10.3 Mb

9.Murmur [1:52]2 Mb

10.Orre [4:49]4.6 Mb

11.Black Noise [5:05]5.7 Mb

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Sailor Winters "Red at Morn" Album Review

Review
Sailor winters is Ryan Cox who previously served time as one of the vocalists for athens, Georgia powerviolence powerhouse Divorce. After numerous cd-r releases which have all sold hundreds of copies, red at monr finds Ryan utilizing power electronics and drone to create a very thick and heavy but tranquil sound. Sailor Winters will appeal to fans of John Wiese, Daniel Menche and others.

Video ORRE

red at morn - sailor winters

Bird Show "Lightning Ghost", Ekkehard Ehlers "A Life Without Fear", Amps for Christ "Every Eleven Seconds", Towering Inferno "Kaddish"

2008-01-23T11:48:00.001-08:00

BIRD SHOW - LIGHTNING GHOST

Year: 2006

1.Field on Water [5:14]12.6 Mb

2.Pilz [5:03]12 Mb

3.Seeds [3:39]8.7 Mb

4.First Path Through [3:40]8.8 Mb

5.Beautiful Spring [4:02]9.6 Mb

6.Lightning Ghost [6:24]15.3 Mb

7.Greet the Morning [4:09]9.9 Mb

8.On the Beach [6:32]15.6 Mb

9.Sleepers Keep Sleeping [4:10]9.9 Mb

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Bird Show "Lightning Ghost" Album Review

Dewey decimal rearranged, reworked, and turned on its head
File this Lightning Ghost CD under original with a capital O. File this one-man Bird Show opus under do-it-yourself and anything I touch and own can also double as a musical instrument. File these nine songs under tree hugging, granola loving, world beat, be-here-now hippie, and veggie picnic, clothing-optional parade. File this digital wunderkind under unique and unusual. File this cosmic calliope under kaleidoscopic and phenomenal. File this tribal chant under - if that's a mantra then my guru must be near. For type, file this under freak folk, shoe-gazing psychedelia in a Grateful Dead, Spiritualized kinda' way. And lastly, file this sonic creed under as-cool-as-anything-you're-likely-too-hear-this-year - anytime, anywhere. Repeated listening pays high dividends - infinity looped endlessly. Far fetching out.

EKKEHARD EHLERS - A LIFE WITHOUT FEAR

Year: 2006

1.Ain't No Grave [4:22]6.7 Mb

2.Frozen Absicht [4:32]6.3 Mb

3.Strange Things [2:45]3.7 Mb

4.A Second Fire [3:42]6 Mb

5.Die Sorge Geht Uber Den Fluss [3:15]4.7 Mb

6.Nie Wieder Schnell Sagen [4:52]6.4 Mb

7.Misorodzi [3:33]4.8 Mb

8.Maria and Martha [8:48]12.8 Mb

9.Meeresbeschimpfung [4:06]5.9 Mb

10.O Death [5:23]7.3 Mb

11.The End [0:03]

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Ekkehard Ehlers "A Life Without Fear" Album Review

Bleak, deconstructed blues
Ekkehard Ehlers seems to be one of those musicians working in the electro acoustic world that appears unafraid to completely jump styles with each release that he puts out. On Plays, he put together minimal electronic odes to different artists (both musical and other) while Politik Braucht Keinen Feind found him creating extended, uneasy drones in response to 9/11. My favorite work of his is still his collaboration with Stephan Mathieu on the great Heroin disc, where the two mixed field recordings and subtle electronics into something sublime.

A Life Without Fear is the sound of Ehlers diving into an entirely new world again, and it seems rather fitting that it's arriving almost 8 months to the day after Hurricane Katrina swept through the gulf coast. Inspired by Alan Lomax field recordings, damaged blues, world music, and his own sense of extended ambient and drone music, A Life Without Fear moves from claustrophobic unease to defiant confrontations and even a small sense of hope in places.

The disc opens with "Ain't No Grave," and the take on the traditional song finds queasy layers of guitars bending and weaving with one another while Howard Katz Fireheart (an NYC and Berlin renaissance man and member of Post Holocaust Pop,) adds some soulfull wailing. "Strange Things" has a similar modus operandi, finding Charles Haffer, Jr. crooning over deconstructed riffs that hiss with heavy fuzz that sound like they were culled from dirt-covered tape reels. The more ambient pieces on the album are split between discordant tracks (like the eerie "Frozen Absicht" and the jagged "A Second Fire") that find guitars making elbow room with dissonant stabs in gritty spaces while others (like the beautiful "Maria & Martha") pull together soft strings, fret noise, and trumpet into a lovely swirl of sound.

One of the most distinctive tracks on the entire album is also one of the best. "Misorodzi" is a somewhat downcast, African-inspired piece that mixing chanting and wailing vocals with minimal percussion to great effect. Because of the variety, the full effect of A Life Without Fear is rather disquieting in that it's unafraid to take the difficult path. At times comforting and at others bewildering, there's only a faint glimmer of hope peeking out from behind all the dread on this one.

(from almost cool music reviews)

AMPS FOR CHRIST - EVERY ELEVEN SECONDS

Year: 2006

1.Demented [3:24]3.9 Mb

2.Cock O the North [2:02]2.8 Mb

3.Out on the Moon (Slight Return) [4:42]7.4 Mb

4.Thompson Hunter [0:41]0.7 Mb

5.Violated [3:07]4.9 Mb

6.El Corazon de San Vicente [3:42]4.5 Mb

7.I Hate this Dumpster [4:22]8.3 Mb

8.Shiploaf [0:42]1 Mb

9.Scotland the Brave [3:02]4.1 Mb

10.Proof Man [3:26]5.3 Mb

11.The Crossing [2:32]4.8 Mb

12.Chorus [0:37]0.6 Mb

13.Sweet Dove [1:42]2.6 Mb

14.W I B [4:03]6.6 Mb

15.Monkeys Gone Wild [4:10]6.4 Mb

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Amps for Christ "Every Eleven Seconds" Album Review

Album Description
Amps For Christ was founded by Barnes, guitarist and electronics wizard of Man Is The Bastard and co-founder of Bastard Noise. Barnes has been building and playing stringed instruments, tube oscillators, and caveman electronics in his home sound laboratories most of his life. His unparalleled background is what creates Amps For Christ's radically distinctive sound. "Every Eleven Seconds" is different from all other AFC albums, while retaining a folkcore tradition - exploring pure energy forms and varied influences. This record is an expression of Barnes' interests (time travel, wave theory, human politics, etc.) and reflects his evolution as well as that of the band's.

Video AFC Noise Folk - Cock O The North

This song (featured on the Album "Every Eleven Seconds") is an AFC favorite. This version of an Irish folk song is in an experimental noise style. You are warned, the tune may get "stuck in your head"! He is playing mandolin, plugged into to his custom tube distortion oscilators and amps. (This level of DIY is rarely seen!) My instrument, which you can't see very well, is an Electribe ESX beatbox. (I've never seen anybody else play it strapped like this?) You can see we are having a great time, perhaps TOO much fun. Beware, this melody can really get stuck in ones' head. This was filmed at a show in Pehrspace, in Echo Park, CA, summer 2007.

TOWERING INFERNO - KADDISH

Year: 1994

1.The Rose [4:01]4.6 Mb

2.Prayer [2:57]4.3 Mb

3.Dachau [2:41]3.7 Mb

4.4 by 2 [2:44]3.7 Mb

5.Edvard Kiraly [3:25]4.5 Mb

6.Memory [4:42]6.2 Mb

7.Not Me [4:01]5.3 Mb

8.Reverse Field [2:29]3.2 Mb

9.Occupation [4:34]6.4 Mb

10.Sto Mondo Rotondo [2:29]3.5 Mb

11.Organ Loop [3:29]4.2 Mb

12.Toll I [0:55]1.4 Mb

13.Toll II [3:41]4.8 Mb

14.The Ruin [1:59]2.7 Mb

15.Juden [0:50]1 Mb

16.Pogrom [4:10]5.6 Mb

17.Partisans [6:11]8.6 Mb

18.Modern Times [6:20]10.6 Mb

19.The Rose II [3:35]4.6 Mb

20.The Bell [5:04]6.4 Mb

21.Kaddish [3:10]4.1 Mb

22.The Weaver [1:05]1.3 Mb

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Towering Inferno "Kaddish" Album Review

Making Art of History
The ostensible subject matter of "Kaddish" -- the Holocaust -- is in fact just the building material with which this collage was constructed. It is not so much ABOUT the Holocaust as it is an auditory artwork which stands alone. It helps of course to appreciate the gravity of some of the source material, but I don't agree with Amazon's contention that a libretto would be advantageous. Quite the opposite, I think it would limit the listeners' interpretations.

Wolfson (R.I.P.) and Saunders utilize several styles of music (rock, jazz, liturgical, folk, deep space electronics) as well as recordings of Nazi and Jewish speakers, crowd noises and various other sounds. The term "collage" isn't really appropriate I guess, because "Kaddish" is arranged into a series of musical vignettes, many with no sound effects over the top at all. It is this wide-ranging, unclassifiable character which makes "Kaddish" so difficult to pigeonhole, or summarize, or remember clearly. It is also what makes it endlessly fascinating.

East-German composer Georg Katzer made a collage in 1983 entitled "Aide Memoire" which contrasted Hitler's speeches and Reichstag rhetoric with Jewish folk music and popular music of the 1930s. "Kaddish" can be seen as the more-musical stepchild of that work -- more subtle perhaps, but no less powerful for that.

Sun Ra "Nothing is", Ultra Brain "Neo Punk"

2008-01-22T08:43:00.001-08:00

SUN RA - NOTHING IS

Year: 1998

1.Dancing Shadows [9:47]19.3 Mb

2.Imagination [1:51]3.6 Mb

3.Exotic Forest [9:47]18.4 Mb

4.Sun Ra and His Band Form Outer Space [1:58]3.6 Mb

5.Shadow World [13:49]25.6 Mb

6.Theme of the Stargazers [0:39]1.3 Mb

7.Outer Spaceways [1:41]3.2 Mb

8.Next Stop Mars [0:39]1.3 Mb

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Sun Ra "Nothing is" Album Review

"Sun Ra and His Band From Outer Space will entertain you!"
In 1966, Sun Ra took his Arkestra on the road touring New York state colleges. The shows were recorded by ESP-Disk for release, eventually being issued as "Nothing Is...". Sun Ra's music, already rather advanced, had incorporated much of the free jazz sounds he was hearing in New York, and this set captures the band at in all its glory.

One of the things that makes this record so fantastic is its inherently contradictory nature-- much of it is given over to Sun Ra's piano explorations, but his playing is tame, almost loungey (albeit brilliant). Typically chants are intoned by the Arkestra over his playing and the pieces blow open into loosely structured improvs for which only Archie Shepp's term "Fire Music" can readily apply. Moments of particular note include Sun Ra's lovely playing on "Sun Ra and His Band from Outer Space", a brilliant inside-out tenor solo courtesy of John Gilmore on "Dancing Shadows" (wherein Gilmore makes his case for being the unsung hero of the tenor sax) and a simply lovely oboe solo by (I think) Marshall Allen on Middle Eastern tinged "Exotic Forest".

The 2005 ESP-Disk reissue, like the other albums in this recent set of reissues, is augmented by about 25 minutes of additional material, all of which is quite as good as the originally issued work, features crisp, clean sound, although the recording itself is a bit quiet and includes a brief uncredited essay and some poetry from Sun Ra in the liner notes.

For Sun Ra fans, this is a critical and essential release, for those new to Ra or the curious, if you approach with a free jazz background, this is probably as good a place to start as any, highly recommended.

ULTRA BRAIN - NEO PUNK

Year: 2006

1.Drill Man [2:15]3.2 Mb

2.Vis [3:11]4.9 Mb

3.Monkiki [2:46]3.9 Mb

4.Ghost Busterz [5:03]9.2 Mb

5.Ants are Walking on My Sunglas [5:01]8.3 Mb

6.Boxing Betty [4:30]6.7 Mb

7.Dolphin [4:28]7 Mb

8.Hey Pub Rockers [3:47]6.1 Mb

9.New World Imagination [3:38]5.9 Mb

10.I Don't Know [1:31]2.2 Mb

11.Rebirth [4:36]7.3 Mb

12.Blind Touch (Irregular Heart B) [3:33]5.6 Mb

13.In the Gallery [3:06]4.2 Mb

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Ultra Brain "Neo Punk" Album Review

Album Details
2006 Debut Album from the Super-psychedelic Punk Noise Outfit from Japan.

John Belcher "The Sound According to John", Burnt Friedman and Jaki Liebezeit "Secret Rhythms 2", Joseph Holbrooke Trio "The Moat Recordings"

2008-01-18T10:08:00.001-08:00

JOHN BELCHER - THE SOUND ACCORDING TO JOHN

1.A Sound is Worth A Thousand Pictures [4:27]7.1 Mb

2.Hide and Seek (Further Adventures of A Search for Self) [5:57]6 Mb

3.Collapse [1:18]2.1 Mb

4.Half of My Time [5:46]9.5 Mb

5.Expansions Combinations Contractions [4:49]7.5 Mb

6.High Capacity [8:49]9.1 Mb

7.Balanced Forces [4:48]7.7 Mb

8.Just Say No [4:22]4.8 Mb

9.Pandoras Revenge [4:57]7.5 Mb

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John Belcher "The Sound According to John" Album Review

Album Description
The tracks on "The Sound According To John" have elements of swing, samba, old-school rap (think Last Poets and Gil Scott Heron), West Aftrican, Indian and Balinese music traditions, and mathematics. Along with being a musician, Belcher is a mathematician. Ultimately, this is music about rhythm; the life of rhythm; the power of primordial sound, and where it can take you. These are just a few of the reasons that choreographers can't get enough of him.

BURNT FRIEDMAN AND JAKI LIEBEZEIT - SECRET RHYTHMS 2

Year: 2006

1.Sikkerhed [4:20]5.6 Mb

2.The Sticks [8:16]13.1 Mb

3.The Librarian [8:14]12.9 Mb

4.Mikrokasper [3:39]5.6 Mb

5.Niedrige Decken [8:12]12.4 Mb

6.Broken Wind Repair Kit [4:59]6.7 Mb

7.Fearer [6:53]9.2 Mb

8.Caracoles [4:28]7 Mb

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Burnt Friedman and Jaki Liebezeit "Secret Rhythms 2" Album Review

round 2 on the secret of the rythm
another great burnt friedman album. burnt returns to the secret rythms with jaki the original can drummer. this time around they keep it more simple, not relying on the extremally groovy side to the secret rythm but more structure & less improv, but still groovin. their are excellent guitar by american Tim Motzer. & always excellent horns. secret 1 also explored more of the dub reggae flava (Rastafahndung) which this one does not. the effects are much more suddle & sceems to have much more from the guitar & horns & vibs than burnt's keys & programmin, but he still processes the rest of the clan. the effects are much more present in the last 2 songs fearer, caracoles. but not to fear every second sounds like classic friedman, just be more of the play love songs form than just landing. the album is still filled with amazing bass, drums, guitar, horns, vibs, & burnt not friedman. the version of librarian with david sylvian is better than the original. i own all burnts pieces except the nonplace records, so i can tell you this is absolutelly excential if a fan of any of his works, burnt friedman is the second most prolific musician ive heard in 20 years, he is truelly an absolute original & will never be rivaled with or come close to his masterfull understanding of sound, & manipulation.
this review below is from the nonplace.de website burnts home check it out. enjoy

Total playing time 50:00

Just what is a Secret Rhythm ? Well, this probably can't be answered without first having a quick look at that most un-secret of rhythms, the 4/4 bar. From Easy Listening to Heavy Metal, from church bells to Drum'n'Bass club tunes or from Country music to Raggamuffin, the steady pace and symmetry of the Four-to-the-Floor riddim structure seems to hold our fragile global existence together. Or does it ? Friedman & Liebezeit wouldn't like to think so. To these long-time collaborators and life-long activists in the exploration of musical forms and possibilities, the 4/4 bar is what they tend to call a "fearer", for the term sounds just like the German word for a 4/4 bar - and the English word for what should be left aside while searching for those Secret Rhythms. And finding them, too. It doesn't take long to discover that the "fearer" isn't everything. Many original cultures have employed various rhythm cycles at the very core of their music - and still do so. Friedman & Liebezeit, sharing a mutual interest in traveling as well as all things on- and off-beat, try to unearth those natural born grooves and, through their own music, bring it to a bigger audience. An audience often unaware that these uncommon grooves, these Secret Rhythms, even exist.

Since their first collaborative album "Secret Rhythms" (1) came out on Nonplace in 2002, Friedman & Liebezeit have been playing live all over the world, improving their cyclic grooves and creating new ones. The 8 tracks on Secret Rhythms 2 are no overt spectacular high-brow arrangement hellraisers - while being tight and containing a large amount of curious suspense, these Secret Rhythms are playful, open, transparent, sequential, hypnotic even. In this respect, Friedman & Liebezeit lean to the World Music side, without giving in to the temptation of any Jazz instrumentation or even improvisation.

The first two pieces on Secret Rhythms 2 were released in May 2005 on a teaser vinyl "Out In The Sticks" and appear here in completely new versions. The only vocal track on this album "The Librarian" is a collaboration with David Sylvian. The song appears in a different version on the album "Snow Borne Sorrow" of the band Nine Horses, consisting of Sylvian, Steve Jansen and Burnt Friedman on the label Samadhi Sound.

In addition to Friedman and Liebezeit, guitarist Tim Motzer weaves funky touches all the way through. He has resided in Philadelphia, U.S. since 1985 and has been busy working with a virtual who's who of Philadelphia artists over the years including recordings and world tours with poetess Ursula Rucker, King Britt, the French duo Les Nubians and the Sister Gertrude project. Lined up for the group's live appearances and studio recordings is Hayden Chisholm, clarinet and melodica. Originating from New Zealand, he studied in Germany and India and has since performed all over the world. Although only 29, he has spent 7 years of his life on the road giving concerts and is currently preparing a book about his musical travels. Other guest musicians are Morten Grønvad, vibraharp, Daniel Schroeter, bass guitar and Joseph Suchy, electric guitar.

reviews:

This is the sequel to the very successful collaboration between two of the best German musicians of their respective generations. The mood hasn't changed much: the volume never goes too high but each track beckons the listener with novel sounds and percolating patterns. "Sikkerhed" opens with a waltz of wah guitar, mellow horns, discreet laptop work and a shifty and compelling drum pattern. The heavily polyrhythmic "The Sticks" comes next, picking up from the dying notes of the previous tune. It features gorgeous slide guitar and what sounds like hand-drumming anchored by clipped guitars weary from a non-stop flight from Central Africa. As with all the tunes on Secret Rhythms 2, it's uncertain whether Liebezeit is even playing a kit, or whether he's contributing bits and pieces to Friedman's omnivorous production technique. No matter, because the rhythmic content, as befits the title, come from everywhere; from the tiniest glitch to the step rate of the flangers (Flanger being Friedman's main working ensemble). Special guest David Sylvian gets his, um, groove on as vocalist on "The Librarian," sounding more morose than ever singing its moody melody. After a few spins, Secret Rhythms 2 reveals a multiplicity of rhythmic approaches. There are definitely many influences from rhythm patterns around the globe but for the most part the instruments and ambience associated with these patterns is completely subsumed into Friedman and Liebezeit's highly programmed inner world music. (review by David Dacks / Exclaim, Canada 2006)

"... this album may cross-over to fans of dub and ambient. It's difficult to categorize, but easy to enjoy." (review by Jacob Arnold / gridface.com)

Even before putting on Secret Rhythms 2, we're sure about one thing: with long-time Can member and frequent Jah Wobble collaborator Jaki Liebezeit occupying the drummer's chair, there's clearly no need to worry about the possibility of dull 'rhythmning.' The tunes on this sequel to his and Burnt Friedman's 2002 outing, however, aren't hell-raisers but languorous atmospheres of nuance and mystery. Still, though the feel is loose, the songs are far from aimless; what in lesser hands might be noodling, here becomes compelling exploration. The duo treats their tunes and rhythms elastically, stretching them out to accommodate a guitar texture or melodica shading here and a vibes or clarinet theme there. The set's 'world music' ambiance emerges immediately in "Sikkerhed," an African-flavoured folk-jazz march enriched by Hayden Chisholm's clarinet playing, while the dub style of Friedman's Nu Dub Players is revisited in "Fearer" and "Caracoles." The album's also distinguished by David Sylvian's vocal appearance on "The Librarian," his relaxed singing a natural complement to the others' similarly laid-back delivery (a different version appears on Snow Borne Sorrow, the Nine Horses album produced by Sylvian, Steve Jansen, and Friedman). Call Secret Rhythms 2 sophisticated mood music that, more 'invisibly' than Superstructure, merges electronics with acoustic instrumentation, even if the material clearly emphasizes the latter throughout. (review by Textura.org / February 2006)

JOSEPH HOLBROOKE TRIO - THE MOAT RECORDINGS

Year: 2006

1.Orchard [11:30]16.7 Mb

2.Condensation [8:54]13.1 Mb

3.Crookesmoor [16:53]24.7 Mb

4.Campo [6:52]10.2 Mb

5.Fermata [11:42]17.2 Mb

6.Radio Bossa [8:03]12.3 Mb

7.Mappin [4:56]7.3 Mb

8.Holderness [12:52]18.3 Mb

9.Cord [9:55]14.1 Mb

10.Tenter [8:24]12 Mb

11.Edinburgh [12:12]17.4 Mb

12.Cortical [10:23]15.7 Mb

13.Chiuso [5:00]7.6 Mb

14.From Bar Seven [11:45]16.3 Mb

15.Matilda [2:48]3.9 Mb

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Joseph Holbrooke Trio "The Moat Recordings" Album Review

Release at last of the Derek Bailey, Gavin Bryars and Tony Oxley Trio '98 studio recordings.
The Joseph Holbrooke Trio was the legendary group of guitarist Derek Bailey, bassist (later composer) Gavin Bryars and percussionist Tony Oxley. They started in 1963 as a jazz trio inspired by such as the Bill Evans-Scott LaFaro-Paul Motion Trio and the Miles Davis modal period and developed into a group that played totally non-idiomatic improvisation before they went their separate ways in 1966. As they primarily played in the Northern UK area in Sheffield there were very few people who actually ever heard them until a rehearsal single titled Joseph Holbrooke '65 Rehearsal Extract 10'26" of Miles Mode (John Coltrane) was finally released by Bailey's self-owned Incus Records label in 1999. An earlier reunion attempt in 1995 failed to happen due to illness but the group finally got together again on the occasion of a Tony Oxley retrospective organized in Cologne, Germany in 1998. The German radio recording was also subsequently released on Incus as Joseph Holbrooke '98. The group then met in the studio under the sponsorship of Gary Todd and his Cortical Foundation (issuer of a few dozen unique recordings including the archives of composer Terry Riley, some Derek Bailey reissues, and audio/visual works by the extreme composer Hermann Nitsch)

This double CD has had a long gestation period since those recordings at Moat Studios at Stockwell, London in November 1998.
Originally planned as a double CD with 9 tracks on the Cortical Foundation's Organ of Corti record label, the project was delayed due to a tragic fall suffered by producer Gary Todd in 2001 who has been hospitalized ever since. Bassist Gavin Bryars explains in his very thorough liner notes that the project was taken over by John Zorn for his Tzadik label in late 2005. Then, guitarist Derek Bailey passed away in December 2005 from motor neuron disease. So the CD release now has more of a tribute aura about it as there will never be any further new recordings by the visionary guitarist Bailey and it is unlikely that there will be further productions by experimental music proponent Todd.

As of this writing in late March 2006, you can still read Gavin Bryars' original liner notes intended for the Cortical Foundation release at Bryars' website. Those original notes have been considerably expanded in the Tzadik edition and also brought up to date with a Bryars note about Bailey's participation in the final editing of the production and on his passing. Bailey's own notes from 1999 are included which contain primarily some anecdotes of the Trio's early days.

The original planned double CD's 9 tracks (now CD One's 1,2,3,4,7 and CD Two's 1,3,4,8) have been expanded with 6 more. The notes also state that future releases are expected and these will likely be at least the Moat Studio Concert held on the evening of the last day of the sessions in front of a small invited audience and the final '98/'99 reunion concert in Antwerp, Belgium in January 1999.

Fans of Derek Bailey and Tony Oxley will find their music making here to be of their usual high sensitivity, compatibility, surprise and humour. Fans of Gavin Bryars's compositions who may not know about his earlier participation on the UK improvisation scene or with experimental groups as the Portsmouth Sinfonia may be the most surprised to find him here, but if they approach this with no preconceptions and take it in the spirit of Bryar's various early process or collage explorations such as Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet (the original UK release of which Bailey played on) and The Sinking of the Titanic they should not be disappointed, and this will open their listening experience to a whole other world of music that is out there but not commonly known.

Tzadik always has high production values but often minimal or non-existent notes, so this release is even more recommended for giving background on this little known group that was at the forefront of the UK free non-idiomatic improvisation scene.

Loren Connors "Sails", Univers Zero "Live"

2008-01-17T06:22:00.001-08:00

LOREN CONNORS - SAILS

Year: 2006

1.Pretty as Ever [1:44]2.4 Mb

2.Pretty as Ever [3:14]4.3 Mb

3.Pretty as Ever [2:03]2.6 Mb

4.Pretty as Ever [1:23]1.7 Mb

5.Pretty as Ever [1:27]1.9 Mb

6.Pretty as Ever [1:06]1.5 Mb

7.Pretty as Ever [1:33]2 Mb

8.Pretty as Ever [1:24]1.8 Mb

9.Here Ill Whisper it to You [2:56]3.9 Mb

10.Trinity [1:37]2 Mb

11.Trinity [4:38]5.7 Mb

12.Trinity [2:08]2.9 Mb

13.Portrait of A Fool [2:29]3.2 Mb

14.Portrait of A Fool [5:18]6.9 Mb

15.In the Night [4:59]6.4 Mb

16.Dark is the Night Cold is the Ground (with John Fahey) [6:49]9.5 Mb

17.Sails [36:06]48.3 Mb

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Loren Connors "Sails" Album Review

Maybe Connor's best album
I bought this record at the Table of the Elements festival in Atlanta. Loren Connors was playing that night and after buying it I sheepishly approached him and asked if he would sign it. Because of his Parkinson's he has to wear wrist guards when not playing guitar. He obliged my request and I crouched there next to him while he undid the velcro straps to free his hands up in order to hold my pen. His writing is faint and honestly almost illegibal, but I can recognize my name and his. He seemed to be as nervous about the situation as I was, but his wife seemed happy with the attention I was giving him. This record is as wonderful and sad as that experience was for me. I love Loren Connors, I think he might be the greatest living guitarist in the world, I have many of his records and this one might be my favorite. I have been playing guitar for several years and I still don't understand how he does what he does. This is a great record to put on late at night while having a night-cap and just thinking about anything.

Anyone can dig the serene beauty of this album, it's like finding a love letter from when you were sixteen and being flooded with long forgotten memories.

Just buy this record you cannot regret it.

UNIVERS ZERO - LIVE

Year: 2006

1.Xenantaya [12:52]20.8 Mb

2.Civic Circus [7:32]10.5 Mb

3.Electronika Mambo Musette [7:19]11.1 Mb

4.Kermesse Atomique [6:04]8.5 Mb

5.Bonjour Chez Voys [5:00]7.4 Mb

6.Meandres [10:33]15.6 Mb

7.Falling Rain Dance [8:52]13.7 Mb

8.Toujours plus A Lest [8:22]12 Mb

Download Univers Zero - Live (mp3)

Univers Zero "Live" Album Review

Univers Infiniti
There aren't enough stars in the heavens to express my pleasure with this release. UZero has been one of my favorite bands for about 25 years now -- and this is their first ever live album -- and this version of the band is the tightest, most powerful, most visceral, most focussed music they've ever done -- and the sound on this recording is simply unbelievable. The balance is so pristine that every nuance stands out in high relief.

Uzed's music, if you're not familiar with it, is a unique mix of jazz-like elements in a hard-rock shell. By using a lot of minor chords and off-kilter rhythms they create a driving, slightly dangerous-sounding juggernaut which, paradoxically, displays great beauty and delicacy in its intricate interplay. Instrumentation consists of oboe/bassoon, clarinet/bass clarinet, violin, bass, keyboards and the genius drumming of leader Daniel Denis, who doesn't so much keep time as stoke the boiler.

It may sound trite to say, but this is the record Univers Zero has been dreaming of making since 1977.

Video Zaar Live 2006 (Sefir excerpts)

Zaar's last concert before they quit... www.myspace.com/michaelhazera Yan Hazera : guitar Cosia : hurdy-gurdy Pairbon : bass Michael Hazera : drums (more)

Buckethead "Kaleidoscalp", Magma "Spiritual", No Neck Blues Band and Embryo "Embryonnck", Matthew Shipp "One"

2008-01-16T10:14:00.001-08:00

BUCKETHEAD - KALEIDOSCALP

Year: 2005

1.Frankenseuss Laboratories [4:33]7.4 Mb

2.Music Box Innards [4:11]7.2 Mb

3.The Bronze Bat [3:45]6.8 Mb

4.Rack Maitenance [4:21]6.8 Mb

5.Pylon Shift [0:37]0.6 Mb

6.The Slunk the Gutter and the Candlestick Maker [2:02]3.5 Mb

7.Stun Pike and the Jack in the Box Head [4:35]7.5 Mb

8.Breakfast Cyborg [1:41]1.7 Mb

9.The Last Ride of the Bozomobile [4:32]6.9 Mb

10.The Sticker on Hallucinogens [3:29]5.2 Mb

11.Citadel [4:17]7.6 Mb

12.The Android of Notre Dame [3:38]5.9 Mb

13.She Sells Sea Shells by the Slaughterhouse [11:42]10.5 Mb

Download Buckethead - Kaleidoscalp (mp3)

Buckethead "Kaleidoscalp" Album Review

Good but too weird, even for him!
i thought this was an interesting outing for bucket, but i just can't stand when he makes those weird noises with those supposed circuit bending sounds. i dont have much to say about it, other than its similar to cuckoo clocks but more noise and not enough shredding or nice slow guitar riffs, which i love by him. overall it was a decent album, can't complain too much, cause i love anything he does mostly. recommended for people with unstable conditions...just kidding, if u love bucket, try it out.

Video Buckethead- The Android of Notre Dame

Buckethead- The Android of Notre Dame, from the album Kaleidoscalp.

MAGMA - SPIRITUAL

Year: 2002

1.Weidorje [4:32]7.3 Mb

2.Dondai [8:00]11.2 Mb

3.Spiritual [3:14]5 Mb

4.Hhai [8:50]12.9 Mb

5.Zombies [4:17]6.8 Mb

6.Nono [6:24]9.8 Mb

7.Kobah [6:24]9.8 Mb

8.The Last 7 Minutes [7:32]11.1 Mb

9.Lihns [4:55]7.4 Mb

10.Maahnt [5:30]8.5 Mb

11.Udu Wudu [4:14]6.9 Mb

12.Mekanik Zain [18:14]27.8 Mb

Download Magma - Spiritual (mp3)

Magma "Spiritual" Album Review

Magma - 'Spiritual' (Recall) 2-CD import
As for this 2-CD compilation being a bootleg, are you sure? I've seen numerous like releases of other long-running bands on the Recall label. Maybe they came across one of those 'slippery contract' deals that I've heard about before. Either way, the price of this 2-CD by French progsters Magma was JUST too good for me to pass up. I've been forewarned to avoid this band completely. But, I can think for myself and I,personally thought this 12-track anthology was decent. Not sure if I'll seek anymore of Magma's repertoire or not. Tunes here I thought were decent enough for me to keep this title around for awhile were "Weirdorje", the jamming "Hhai", the somewhat artsy-fartsy "Last 7 Minutes" and the 18-minute "Mekanik Zain". Best way I could accurately describe Magma's sound is part Avant Garde and part experimental progressive. How about like a rich man's Gong? Does that make much sense? Funny thing about Magma, is I remember several years ago when they toured the states, while co-headlining for Gong (mind you)and I spoke to several fans that saw that year's Prog Fest, but I couldn't find ONE person who liked Magma. Think that Porcupine Tree might've been out on that same tour.

NO NECK BLUES BAND AND EMBRYO - EMBRYONNCK

Year: 2006

1.Wieder Das Erste Mal [9:27]15.2 Mb

2.Five Grams of the Widow [2:39]4 Mb

3.After Marjas Cats [5:03]8 Mb

4.Frank Cologne [1:42]2.3 Mb

5.Die Farbe Aus Dem All [5:31]8.5 Mb

6.Zweiter Sommer [6:53]10.8 Mb

7.Das Erste Mal [13:20]20.5 Mb

Download No Neck Blues Band and Embryo - Embryonnck (mp3)

No Neck Blues Band and Embryo "Embryonnck" Album Review

Embryonnck - 'No Neck Blues Band And Embryo' (Staubgold)
Don't let this CD's title confuse you, this is still very much Embryo. Simply the band's main stay Christain Burchard teaming up with New York's improv masters the No Neck Blues Band. The result is very original sounding to say the least. Probably best described as 'ethnic experimental'. Tracks that I enjoyed the absolute most were the tribal opener "Wieder das erste Mal", the odd yet semi-Avant Garde sounding "After Marja's Cats" {a bit out there}, the inventive and yet eerie "Die Farbe aus dem All", "Zweiter Sommer" and the laid back thirteen-minute "Erste Mal" {gets spaced out during the song's second half}. Recommended for it's weirdness alone.

MATTHEW SHIPP - ONE

Year: 2006

1.Arc [3:07]4.6 Mb

2.Patmos [3:37]4.9 Mb

3.Gamma Ray [4:26]6.6 Mb

4.Milky Way [3:24]4.5 Mb

5.Blue in Orion [3:31]4.5 Mb

6.Electro Magnetism [2:42]3.8 Mb

7.The Encounter [4:04]5.6 Mb

8.The Rose is A Rose [2:07]2.8 Mb

9.Ieou [3:20]4.6 Mb

10.Abyss Code [2:29]3.5 Mb

11.Zero [3:22]4.6 Mb

12.Module [4:12]5.8 Mb

Download Matthew Shipp - One (mp3)

Matthew Shipp "One" Album Review

Solo Shipp!
At the 1998 Jazz awards, a fight broke out between Jazz Journalists Association president Howard Mandel and critic Stanley Crouch. Of all people, seemingly mild-mannered Matthew Shipp stepped in and called Crouch an "Uncle Tom" and a "loser" before security separated the two. As uncharacteristic as this might seem, Matthew Shipp is full of these types of personal and musical surprises -- and judging from One, he's just getting warmed up.

Shipp isn't the sort of artist who typically feels caged -- unless you add a "John" to the beginning of that phrase. Sans effects, electronics or collaborators, he opts for stark acoustic piano performances on One's twelve pieces. The results channel the souls of a variety of infamous performers and piano works from the past hundred years. For "Gamma Ray", Shipp plunks down his staccato theme and "wrong" notes with a Monk-style clumsy-genius attack, and riffs in-between with Oscar Peterson's speed and grace. In "The Encounter", he wanders around a murky pedal-down mire of pan-diatonics, nodding to Henry Cowell and George Winston, while "IEOU" marches full steam ahead in the lower register with all of Cecil Taylor's breakneck explosiveness. Closer "Module" opens with diatonic planing figures, echoing Chick Corea -- or perhaps Debussy. After the tense, rumbling climactic release, he fades out with the same gesture, then leaves the keyboard as abruptly as he arrived.

Though One wanders freely across the musical map, Shipp deliberately limits his palette, adding the descriptive "lovely" and the highly cherished "listenable" alongside "experimental". Extended techniques like tossing bouncing balls inside the sound board and fitting piano hammers with Malaysian coral make for intriguing sonic diversions, Shipp distinguishes himself here by only exploring only the avenues afforded by the piano's 88 keys -- and finding spectacular harmonic, contrapuntal and polyrhythmic textures within them. Surprisingly, there are very few spots where forty minutes of musical same-ness drags. Shipp keeps repetition to a minimum, emphasizing dynamic ebb and flow and forward motion while still expressing his "poetic" imagination.

One is an impressive addition to Shipp's canon. It belongs at the very top of his resume, alongside The Sorcerer Sessions, his work with DJ Spooky (Optometry) and his part-time gig as the Jazz Awards' Brawler in Residence.

Video Matthew Shipp on Culture Catch!

Jazz Artist Matthew Shipp discusses the world of jazz and his work with Dusty from www.CultureCatch.com. Then he plays one of his amazing songs from Matmos.

Art Ensemble of Chicago "The Meeting", Cromagnon "Orgasm", Rova-Orkestrova "Electric Ascension"

2008-01-15T07:55:00.001-08:00

ART ENSEMBLE OF CHICAGO - THE MEETING

Year: 2003

1.Hail We Now Sing Joy [4:56]6.3 Mb

2.It's the Sign of the Times [18:43]22.5 Mb

3.Tech Ritter and the Megabytes [4:23]6 Mb

4.Wind and Drum [11:10]12.8 Mb

5.The Meeting [6:51]8.7 Mb

6.Amin Bidness [8:37]10.6 Mb

7.The Train to Io [4:58]6.3 Mb

Download Art Ensemble of Chicago - The Meeting (mp3)

Art Ensemble of Chicago "The Meeting" Album Review

A bit late in the day....
It's a pleasure to see the Art Ensemble's surviving members reunited, though one wonders if Jarman's return is merely temporary given the album's title. As far as the album goes, though, it's nothing too remarkable. Most of the album (41 minutes of it) is devoted to rather becalmed percussion pieces, dotted with flute, whistle and recorder: they're pretty enough but it's not long before the mind begins to wander..... As for the rest, the title track is a good, fierce blowout; "Tech Ritter and the Megabytes" is nicely sardonic; "Hail We Now Sing Joy" is a rather sloppily performed song, though the lyrics raise a smile (& is it just my stereo or is the mix on this track a bit off?). In short, it's hard to get too excited by the music on the disc, alas, though any sign that these guys are still going strong is to be welcomed.

CROMAGNON - ORGASM

Year: 1999

1.Caledonia [4:21]6.5 Mb

2.Ritual Feast of the Libido [3:25]5.4 Mb

3.Organic Sundown [7:09]11.7 Mb

4.Fantasy [7:19]10.6 Mb

5.Crow of the Black Tree [9:39]15.1 Mb

6.Genitalia [2:45]4 Mb

7.Toth Scribe L [10:38]16.7 Mb

8.First World of Bronze [2:47]4.4 Mb

Download Cromagnon - Orgasm (mp3)

Cromagnon "Orgasm" Album Review

definitely for those of you who were blown away by Comus, and for everyone who is in need of a new favorite f---ed record, this
An anomaly, even on the always far out ESP label, Cromagnon was the result of two top 40 songwriters (accustomed to producing bubblegum pop) who seemed to have completely lost their minds. I mean they must have, to produce something as wacked as this record. Austin Grasmere, Brian Elliot, and their mysterious 'Connecticut Tribe' spewed forth 50 minutes of primitive dada-ist folk psych.

Chanting, tribal percussion, short wave radio, maniacal, almost black metal vocals, hysterical laughter, bagpipes all coalesce into something ridiculous and amazing.

Track one "Caledonia" sounds like a strange hybrid of Comus and In Extremo, with bagpipes, jaw harp, crickets, raspy chants and teutonic percussion ("Caledonia" was even covered later by industrialists Test Department). Later on in the record is an alternate version of "Caledonia" from the b-side of the original lp, slowed down to a third of the speed, producing an impenetratable swampy murk. "Ritual Feast of The Libido" features a groaning and moaning vocal over whirring and rumbling machinery. Then comes "Fantasy", where a faux Beach Boys intro almost convinces us that Grasmere and Elliot have returned to their bubblegum roots, that is until it devolves into a messy seven minutes of garbled laughter and clattering percussion. Today this all still seems pretty dang crazy, so back in 1968 when it was recorded it must have really freaked people out, even despite the pervasive drug culture of the time... definitely for those of you who were blown away by Comus, and for everyone who is in need of a new favorite f---ed record, this is it.

ROVA-ORKESTROVA - ELECTRIC ASCENSION

Year: 2005

1.TRACK01 [6:21]9.5 Mb

2.TRACK02 [3:51]6.5 Mb

3.TRACK03 [4:06]7 Mb

4.TRACK04 [8:31]13.8 Mb

5.TRACK05 [4:11]6.3 Mb

6.TRACK06 [1:58]3.4 Mb

7.TRACK07 [4:05]6.4 Mb

8.TRACK08 [2:05]3.5 Mb

9.TRACK09 [7:21]11.3 Mb

10.TRACK10 [7:06]11.6 Mb

11.TRACK11 [5:48]9.7 Mb

12.TRACK12 [8:15]13.4 Mb

13.TRACK13 [0:18]0.4 Mb

Download Rova-Orkestrova - Electric Ascension (mp3)

Rova-Orkestrova "Electric Ascension" Album Review

Worth a listen...
especially if you are interested in possible compositional developments based on Coltrane. This performance begins wonderfully, at an energy level comparable to the original "Ascension." The drop off in energy when the improvisations are given over to the strings and electronics is astonishing. It may have worked in concert where you could see the players. On CD, it's a disappointment. The piece is like a deflating souffle. Thoughtfully constructed and well played, though.

Negativland "A Big 10-8 Place", Moondog "Moondog", Evan Parker "Conic Sections", Nick Grey and the Random Orchestra "Regal Daylight"

2008-01-12T06:11:00.001-08:00

NEGATIVLAND - A BIG 10-8 PLACE

1.Theme from A Big 10-8 Place [3:00]4.3 Mb

2.A Big 10-8 Place part One [13:28]21.4 Mb

3.Clowns and Ballerinas [1:31]2.2 Mb

4.Introduction [0:49]1.2 Mb

5.Four Fingers [3:07]4.6 Mb

6.180-G A Big 10-8 Place part Two [15:50]24.6 Mb

Download Negativland - A Big 10-8 Place (mp3)

Negativland "A Big 10-8 Place" Album Review

A great example of early Negativland
This was their third release and the first one I ever heard. I remember playing this many times on my late-night radio show. The original LP came with a "Car Bomb" bumper sticker, which spent many years on the back of my 1978 Mercury station wagon.

There are two actual songs on this release: Four Fingers, a cute little folk tune that counts fingers, and the car bomb track, which was very timely in the early 80's. The centerpiece of the album is the two-part title tracks, a wonderful travelogue through Contra Costa County, CA, narrated by The Weatherman and filled with inside jokes. This is a perfect extension of the work Negativland did on their "Over the Edge" show on KPFA in Berkeley; lots of samples (not called samples back then, of course), lots of stream of consciousness, and a giddy sort of experimentation with radio and recorded music/comedy. They picked up where Firesign Theater left off.

This and their next one, Escape From Noise, were their best.

Video Fetch My Cigarettes

Negativland's short film "Fetch My Cigarettes" from the band's long out-of-print "No Other Possibility" video, now available again as a bonus DVD included with the recent reissue of the group's landmark album "A Big 10-8 Place."

MOONDOG - MOONDOG

Year: 2000

1.Theme [2:35]5.2 Mb

2.Stamping Ground [2:38]5.2 Mb

3.Symphonique 3 (Ode to Venus) [5:52]10.9 Mb

4.Symphonique 6 (Good for Goodie) [2:47]5.4 Mb

5.Allegro II Andante Adaio III Vivace [5:57]11.2 Mb

6.Lament I Birds Lament [1:44]3.5 Mb

7.Witch of Endor [6:31]12.4 Mb

8.Symphonique 1 (Portrait of A Monarch) [2:38]5 Mb

9.Bells are Ringing [1:21]2.6 Mb

10.Voices of Spring [1:50]3.4 Mb

11.Whats the Most Exciting Thing [2:34]4.6 Mb

12.All is Loneliness [1:18]2.5 Mb

13.My Tiny Butterfly [1:14]2.3 Mb

14.Why Spend A Dark Night with Me [1:11]2.3 Mb

15.Coffee Beans [2:13]4.2 Mb

16.Down is Up [1:09]2.1 Mb

17.Be A Hobo [1:11]2.3 Mb

18.Remember [1:54]3.7 Mb

19.I Love You [1:12]1.9 Mb

20.Neros Expedition [1:56]3.7 Mb

21.No the Wheel was Never Invented [1:20]2.6 Mb

22.With My Wealth [1:37]2.9 Mb

23.This Student of Life [1:26]2.7 Mb

24.Some Trust All [1:31]2.9 Mb

25.Wine Woman and Song [2:24]4.5 Mb

26.Sadness [1:24]2.6 Mb

27.Maybe [2:06]3.9 Mb

28.Each Today is Yesterdays Tomorrow [1:39]3.2 Mb

29.Imagine [2:19]4.6 Mb

30.You the Vandal [2:10]3.9 Mb

31.Trees Against the Sky [1:22]2.7 Mb

32.Behold [1:29]2.7 Mb

33.Sparrow [1:42]3.1 Mb

34.Pastoral [2:47]4.6 Mb

Download Moondog - Moondog (mp3)

Moondog "Moondog" Album Review

Perfect covers
This is one of the earliest Band albums I bought, and I've never really stopped listening to it. Its a set of classic covers played and sung with all the style and panache you'd expect from one of the best ever American (though mainly Canadian) Rock 'N' Roll Bands.

With three lead vocalists and playing a dozen instruments between them the Band could take a project like this and make it into something really special. There are exquiste moments throughout. Previous reviewers have commented on some of the vocal highlights so I won't repeat these. Listening carefully to this album though will reveal a multitude of great moments. A track that hasn't been mentioned by previous reviewers is their version of Chuck Berry's "The Promised Land". OK its just straight Rock 'N' Roll but its done so well. A great Piano solo by either Richard Manual or Garth Hudson echoing Johnny Johnson (Chuck Berry's Piano player). Add in Robbie Robertson's guitar and you have Rock 'N' Roll heaven. In a similar mode "I'm Ready" is another stonking rocker with some rip roaring Saxophone from Garth Hudson.

Sadly Richard Manual and Rick Danko are no longer with us, and Levon Helm and Robbie Robertson have irreversibly fallen out with each, so we will never see The Band again. Don't believe anybody who tells you this is a poor album. This is a magical album that even hints at how music was before Rock 'n' Roll, as well as giving a sassy mixture of old-fashioned Rock 'N' Roll with a lot of soul recorded by THE Band at the very height of their powers.

Video TV Song - Moondog Jr. (Zita Swoon)

TV Song from their first album Everyday I Wear A Greasy Black Feather On My Hat

EVAN PARKER - CONIC SECTIONS

Year: 1989

1.Track 1 [25:15]36.4 Mb

2.Track 2 [11:02]15.8 Mb

3.Track 3 [17:00]24.4 Mb

4.Track 4 [9:11]13.2 Mb

5.Track 5 [7:42]11 Mb

Download Evan Parker - Conic Sections (mp3)

Evan Parker "Conic Sections" Album Review

snake charmer
...Conic Sections, recorded in 1989, is not the most recent documentation of solo Evan Parker. For example, there's Process and Reality (FMP, recorded 1991), Chicago Solo (Okka, recorded 1995), and several individual tracks on various compilations (e.g. "Sonf" from The Saxophone Phenomenon, 1992) and concert recordings (e.g. "no. 112" from Three Concerts per a A.T., 1997). ...however, ...Conic Sections is great solo Parker, and you should probably buy it just for the third track alone.

NICK GREY AND THE RANDOM ORCHESTRA - REGAL DAYLIGHT

Year: 2005

1.Thievesamongthorns [1:08]1.6 Mb

2.Look Like Moses [4:40]6.4 Mb

3.Song for Wyatt [4:37]6.7 Mb

4.Intruders (Upon the Family Grief) [6:11]8.8 Mb

5.The Zealot [4:47]6 Mb

6.Weeping Chipsets Workshop Mess [1:17]1.7 Mb

7.(You Can't Spell) Parachute Drops [4:17]5.8 Mb

8.Structure and Faith [3:37]4.8 Mb

9.November Fadeline [4:58]6 Mb

10.Obedient Fathers [9:12]13.6 Mb

11.Hiding in Seaweed [3:59]4.5 Mb

Download Nick Grey and the Random Orchestra - Regal Daylight (mp3)

Nick Grey and the Random Orchestra "Regal Daylight" Album Review

Album Description
Nick Grey's debut album, available again after a first confidential release in 2004 : an unexpected, elegant cross between avantrock and classical music, not far from the Tindersticks' poignant laments, David Bowie's "Outside" LP and Current 93's haunted ballads. "Regal Daylight", which features the participation of Nick's father, Romanian tenor Vasile Moldoveanu, is a hypnotic, lyrical and intimate experience.

Jason Forrest "Shamelessly Exciting", The Chap "Ham"

2008-01-11T10:38:00.001-08:00

JASON FORREST - SHAMELESSLY EXCITING

1.The Walls of the City Shake [3:09]6 Mb

2.New Wave Folk Austerity [3:59]6.1 Mb

3.My 36 Favourite Punk Songs [2:21]3.7 Mb

4.Storming Blues Rock [3:34]6.1 Mb

5.Nightclothes and Headphones [4:31]7.3 Mb

6.Dust Never Settles [5:16]8.7 Mb

7.Dreaming and Remembering [3:35]5.4 Mb

8.Skyrocket Saturday [2:53]4.6 Mb

9.War Photographer [4:01]7 Mb

10.Evil Doesnt Exist Anymore [8:40]15.6 Mb

Download Jason Forrest - Shamelessly Exciting (mp3)

Jason Forrest "Shamelessly Exciting" Album Review

splattery drumf-ck brutality tempered with serious HOOKS
I love the mashed up million beats per minute ragga jungle drum 'n bass spazzcore as much as the next guy. Breakbeats chopped to bits and re-assembled into unplayable-by-humans hyperspeed electronic grind. Can't get enough. But anyone with a computer can whip up a earsplitting storm of beats and NOISE. There are of course a select few who approach their beats and samples and fist-to-the-face aggression as if they were, well, WRITING SONGS. Obviously this stuff is not for the dance floor, and as much as I love a huge slab of all out white hot sonic mayhem, a deft touch and some strange ideas applied to the very same ingredients can result in something truly amazing. The most recent Venetian Snares is a perfect example, dizzyingly complex drill and bass perfectly placed amidst gorgeous strings and melancholy melodies.

And now Mr. Jason Forrest, formerly known in electronic music circles as Donna Summer, has decided to take his own personal splattery drumf-ck brutality and temper it with songs, pop songs, vocalists, guitars, some serious HOOKS. Every track on here is still an amazing piece of masterful slicing and dicing, a busy blur of sample upon sample, beats careening wildly into other beats, getting all tangled up into gnarled chunks of dense rhythm and strange lumps of rock guitars and clipped vocals. Each track sounds like it was assembled from someone with ADD whipping through the classic rock stations on the radio dial, lots of wild guitar leads, wailing rock vocalists, throbbing rock bass, groovy pianos, shuffling jazzy interludes, full on rock freakouts, snippets of Steely Dan, Blondie and about a million more almost recognizable samples and of course lots of incredibly dense and un-funky and completely unhinged drum programming.

Country chantuese Laura Cantrell sings on one of the prettiest tracks, her gorgeous croon, laid atop a smeary blur of glitchy beats and hiccupping grooves, purloined from seventies AM radio. But that's merely the calm before, and after, and between the storms! Soon you're back on a bucking bronco made from every song you loved in highschool tossed in a blender, careening wildly through dense thickets of heavy metal guitar, prickly drum and bass, walls of guitar solos, cheezy synth jams, and old school funk grooves, creepy childlike vocals, and of course the kitchen sink. This is one of those records that seems too busy and too overwhelmingly jampacked to be at all listenable, but somehow Forrest manages to take all those parts and tie 'em up with a big red bow. Shamelessly Exciting indeed!

Video JASON FORREST - War Photographer

Excellent short! Kinda reminds me the SAMURAI JACK style (especially the episodes with mercenaries/pirates/thugs), if you know what I mean... So, tonight we'll rock with the rocking vikings on their boat. Feel free to sing along, even thought there are no lyrics: you can always improvise something. Jason Forrest is an electronic music producer known for noisy experimental electronica and breakcore. Until 2004 he recorded under the name Donna Summer. He created the record label Cock Rock Disco to release his own recordings. (Source: Wikipedia) War Photographer is featured on his album Shamelessly Exciting, released in October 2005. As I said, the author of the video is Joel Trussell. He's currently represented by Abacus and One Small Step.

THE CHAP - HAM

Year: 2005

1.Baby I'm Hurtn [2:24]4.1 Mb

2.Woop Woop [4:10]6.3 Mb

3.Now Woel [3:55]7 Mb

4.Long Distance Loving [2:30]3.7 Mb

5.Woop [3:20]4.8 Mb

6.Auto Where to [3:47]5.9 Mb

7.The Premier at Last [2:52]4.6 Mb

8.Arizona [3:48]6.2 Mb

9.Arts Centre [2:52]4.7 Mb

10.I'am Oozing Emotion [2:43]4.6 Mb

11.Younger People [1:55]2.8 Mb

12.Clissold Park [5:51]9.8 Mb

13.Emerson Lake and Palmer [3:03]3.9 Mb

Download The Chap - Ham (mp3)

The Chap "Ham" Album Review

Super fun, odd little pop album
It's probably safe to say that The Chap is an idiosyncratic rock group. On Ham, their latest release, the foursome slams together indie rock, new wave, glitchy electronics, and touches of about 10 other genres for a release that is always inventive and sometimes downright amazing. Their second full-length release moves in a much more accessible direction than their first, as they've seeminly taken all their oddities and crammed them into a much more digestible package.

That doesn't mean that you're still not going to get a stomping, shambling, hand-clapping singalong (the album opener of "Baby I'm Hurtin"), but never quite knowing where the group is going to head next is part of their charm. "Woop Woop" opens with some fairly plain electronic squiggles and a clicky beat, but soon a rubbery synth bassline drops alongside some skittery electronics and almost numbed vocals hilariously singing about the rise and fall of a garage rock band before huge orchestral keyboard stabs blast in over it all.

From there, the group busts out with lo-fi breakbeat singalongs ("Long Distance Lovin"), hazy guitar-laced spoken-word ("Arizona") and string-laced indie glitch pop ("The Premier At Last") that reminds one of The Books if they had more straightforward vocals. Not all their experiments work like gangbusters, though, and they completely bog down with the ultra-fuzzy guitars and cheesey arpeggio synths of "Now Woel" while "Woop" throws the album off a bit with semi-aimless noodling.

That said, there are plenty of absolutely standout tracks, including the quieter "Auto Where To," which finds the group mixing some lovely guitar playing and vocal harmonies while "Arts Centre" is another track that makes some subtle digs about a particular musical genre ("meet you at the post glitch laptop show") but backs it up musically by mixing loud bursts of melodic guitar with more subdued passages. "I Am Oozing Emotion" is another excellent track on the latter half of the album that packs huge guitar riffs, quiet electronics, and more playful lyrics into just over two minutes. A great follow-up from a group who seems to be getting better with each release.

(from almost cool music reviews)

Video the chap are Oozing Emotion

some scenes R from the play midnight summer dream // amateur unofficial video for "Oozing Emotion" from the Chap's album "the Ham"

Frantic Mantis "Data is not Information", John Parish "Once Upon A Little Time", Ramon Lopez Flowers Trio "Flowers of Peace", Arthur Russell "World of Echo"

2008-01-10T00:04:00.001-08:00

FRANTIC MANTIS - DATA IS NOT INFORMATION

Year: 2005

1.Creation Sickness [2:01]3.5 Mb

2.Obsessive Online Community Drones [3:04]4.9 Mb

3.My Eyes Feel to Large for the Sockets [2:42]3.7 Mb

4.2600 Meeting at Pentagon City Mall in 1994 [4:05]6.4 Mb

5.Dark Horizons [4:42]6.9 Mb

6.Soundlurkers [3:22]5.2 Mb

7.Glappkontakt [2:21]3.4 Mb

8.Mantis Rising [2:21]3.7 Mb

9.Delta to Delta [2:54]4.5 Mb

10.The Brooding Polychromes of an Almost Unthinkably Advanced Decay [4:57]5.6 Mb

11.Economy is the Enemy [4:06]6 Mb

12.Data is not Information [2:34]3.8 Mb

13.There is Only the Moment and that is Where He Prefers to Be [1:53]2.3 Mb

14.ASJDF0OP45644564EJKGLS3DJAG5 [1:35]2.5 Mb

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Frantic Mantis "Data is not Information" Album Review

Data Punk - Explosively Infectious Rock laced with Barbed Wire
The year is 2005, and Sweden and America's finest independent musicians have provided us with an authoritative viewpoint on modern Punk rock. The songs on "Data is not Information" are often dark and brooding; the term "Data Punk" is apt, as there is a chilling atmosphere that Shelby Cinca (Frodus/Decahedron/The Cassettes) and his comrades from Division of Laura Lee choose to convey upon the audience. Their prowess in the field of post-punk is unmatched as they seemlessly blend elements of established musical genres and twist them to suit their subversive agenda against the modern world of corporate rock and roll. The riffs on "Data Is Not Information" are spectacularly pointed; Frantic Mantis somehow manages to display a knack for melody without compromising any of their calculated ferocity. There is no typical song on this album; with each piece, the trio seems to reinvent their approach to songwriting. "Creation Sickness" kicks off the album with an infectious guitar hook that falls comfortably below Shelby's trademark vocal delivery. The songs "Dark Horizons" and "Economy is the Enemy" are the standouts on the album, with each retaining a sense of melody, but also the barbed wire. The recurring lyrical themes deal heavily with the subject of a technologically superfluous future. Lines such as "Computer please take my job/ I hate economy" do not feel out of place when coupled with the angular guitar work. There are also a number of electronic pieces that break up the full band songs. Composed using nanoloops, songs like "My eyes feel too large for my sockets" and "There is only the moment and that is where he prefers to be" are not the typical Nintendo fare, but instead another realm for the Frantic Mantii to explore and infect with their Data Punk Virus. This is a spectacular effort that deserves the attention of any fan of independent or forward thinking music.

Video Frantic Mantis - Making Of Debut Album

Making of Frantic Mantis album "Data Is Not Information" on Lujo Records, released 2005. Members of: Frodus/Decahedron and Division Of Laura Lee. Also features at the end Arthur Harrison and his home-made sequencer. Video by Stephen Perron Guidry of Sprezzatura Productions. High-Res version available on Enhanced CD of Data Is Not Information by Frantic Mantis.

JOHN PARISH - ONCE UPON A LITTLE TIME

Year: 2005

1.Salo [1:16]1.7 Mb

2.Boxers [5:10]7.2 Mb

3.Choice [3:43]4.3 Mb

4.Sea Defences [4:00]7 Mb

5.Even Redder than that [3:14]5.3 Mb

6.Water Road [2:19]3 Mb

7.Somebody Else [4:29]6.7 Mb

8.Kansas City Electrician [3:47]6 Mb

9.Stranded [2:11]3.1 Mb

10.Glade Park [4:07]5.6 Mb

11.Even Redder than that Too [3:50]6.3 Mb

12.The Last Thing I Heard Her Say [5:56]8 Mb

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John Parish "Once Upon A Little Time" Album Review

Album Description
This is Parish's first record with vocals in 15 years. He began his career as a singer with the cult band Automatic Dlamini, whose line-up included PJ Harvey, and released a couple records in the late '80s. By the '90s, he tired of being a frontman and opted instead to play collaborator with the likes of The Eels, Giant Sand, and PJ Harvey. All the songs on this record, with the exception of one, are Parish compositions. Sometimes intimate and sometimes intense, sometimes serious and sometimes frivolous, sometimes beautiful and sometimes unpleasant, "Once Upon A Little Time" is a sprawling and engaging record. It talks about the heroic struggle of everyday life, of the sublime and the mundane. It's a grown-up record for people of all ages.

RAMON LOPEZ FLOWERS TRIO - FLOWERS OF PEACE

Year: 2005

1.Bouton Dor [7:13]9.6 Mb

2.Pissenlit [4:57]6.4 Mb

3.Japanish Flower [7:21]9.9 Mb

4.Aparajita [9:50]14 Mb

5.Tres Nopales [9:06]13 Mb

6.Chevrefeuille [9:31]12.8 Mb

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Ramon Lopez Flowers Trio "Flowers of Peace" Album Review

Gosh. Nothing to fear here; simply great music
The music purveyed by Leo, awesome as it is, is not generally that accessible. Avant warrior Joelle Leandre herself has established a formidable, if somewhat arcane, discography that might daunt all but the most stalwart listeners.

I don't want to say that that has completely changed, but this latest release by her at least operates in precincts not entirely alien to Western music sensibilities. In fact, this music, I venture to say, could be listened to and appreciated by almost any informed and open-eared listener.

What happens, I think, with these avant-garde warriors, is that, eventually, they land on places that the average person can at least approach, if not entirely embrace. One thinks, for example, of recent discs by avant stalwarts such as Marilyn Crispel and Myra Melford who have recorded, if not entirely accessible sessions, at least ones that can be listened to by informed jazzers without undue distress.

And that's what Joelle Leandre has done here. Granted, this is drummer Ramon Lopez's gig, but whatever date Leandre graces she seems to dominate (although French pianist Sophia Domincich gives her a major run for her money, and leader Lopez on drums and percussion casts a long shadow indeed--e.g., check out his astounding contributions to "Tres Nopales).

Nevertheless, Leandre is such a huge presence on double bass that she tends to dominate whatever date she appears on. Really, there's a way weird thing that tends to happen with the most advanced and talented practitioners of the avant-garde: after enough sessions they seem to reach critical mass--their conception just opens out to such glorious vistas of creative felicity that it drags their cohorts, willy-nilly, along for the ride, with the listener the big winner. Trust me, that's what's going down here.

I admit I was primed to dig this gig. But I was not prepared for the total joy it elicited. I have to say, with all sincerity, that this is one of the most absolutely enjoyable recordings I have ever encountered. Do give it a chance; I don't think you'll be disappointed.

ARTHUR RUSSELL - WORLD OF ECHO

Year: 2005

1.Tone Bone Kone [1:04]1.4 Mb

2.Soon-to-Be Innocent Fun-Let's See [9:35]13.5 Mb

3.Answers Me [2:10]3 Mb

4.Being it [5:16]7.4 Mb

5.Place I Know-Kid Like You [3:27]4.5 Mb

6.Shes the Star-I Take this Time [4:56]6.2 Mb

7.Tree House [2:14]3.5 Mb

8.See-Through [2:09]2.8 Mb

9.Hiding Your present from You [4:16]5.4 Mb

10.Wax the Van [2:10]3.4 Mb

11.All-Boy All-Girl [3:43]4.9 Mb

12.Lucky Cloud [2:52]4 Mb

13.Tower of Meaning-Rabbits Ear-Home Away from Home [4:37]6.5 Mb

14.Let's Go Swimming [2:41]3.9 Mb

15.The Name of the Next Song [7:59]11.3 Mb

16.Happy Ending [4:23]6.3 Mb

17.Canvas Home [2:33]3.9 Mb

18.Our Last Night Together [3:27]4.9 Mb

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Arthur Russell "World of Echo" Album Review

amazing
It sounds kind of like nick drake if he had played cello instead of guitar. That's about the best thing I can say and if that means anything to you then buy this record.

Bell Orchestre "Recording A Tape the Colour of the Light", Zanana "Holding Patterns", Ktu "8 Armed Monkey", The Unexpected "The Unexpected One"

2008-01-09T06:54:00.001-08:00

BELL ORCHESTRE - RECORDING A TAPE THE COLOUR OF THE LIGHT

Year: 2005

1.Recording A Tunnel (the Horns Play Underneath the Canal) [0:42]0.9 Mb

2.Les Lumieres part 1 [6:17]9.6 Mb

3.Les Lumieres part 2 [3:50]6.2 Mb

4.Throw it on A Fire [4:46]6.6 Mb

5.Recording A Tunnel [1:52]2.1 Mb

6.The Upwards March [4:21]6 Mb

7.The Bells Play the Band [1:19]1.9 Mb

8.Recording A Tape� (Typewriter Duet) [3:41]4.5 Mb

9.Nuevo [5:51]8.4 Mb

10.Salvatore Amato [6:38]9.8 Mb

11.Recording A Tunnel (the Invisible Bells) [13:28]15.9 Mb

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Bell Orchestre "Recording A Tape the Colour of the Light" Album Review

WOW
This was suggested by Amazon based on a purchase of stuff by Owen Pallet who I heard interviewed on the Vinal Cafe. It was nothing like I expected and I need more.....it (like Arcade Fire and Owen Pallet's Final Fantasy; although I am not sure it is normal for people my age to love this stuff) has opened up a whole genre of music that has gotten my entire head involved, not just my ears. I am 54 and I have a renewed passion for music. "Wicked fun", again.

ZANANA - HOLDING PATTERNS

1.Gasholder Duet [10:41]15 Mb

2.Doorjam [10:33]12.5 Mb

3.Ghost Dog [10:49]12.1 Mb

4.Flags [9:59]13 Mb

5.Title X [13:08]17.7 Mb

6.What A Pretty Dog (with Barbara Barg) [8:51]11.6 Mb

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Zanana "Holding Patterns" Album Review

Album Description
Zanana (za-NAH-nah) is an electro-acoustic chamber music duo featuring Kristin Norderval, (voice) and Monique Buzzarté (trombone) collaboratively composing and performing improvised music blending acoustic sounds, electronics and live processing. Zanana's inception dates from an all-night peace vigil concert in the fall of 2002 when Kristin invited Monique and poet Barbara Barg to join her for an evening of improvised music and spoken word. Since then Monique and Kristin have continued developing repertoire as a live processing duo, recording and performing in venues ranging from concert halls to clubs to abandoned buildings. Zanana uses improvisation as the foundation of their compositional process. While some works are free improvisations, some are structured improvisations and some are composed works with aleatoric elements, all are rooted in the expansive practices of Deep Listening. Zanana takes its name from a variant spelling of "zenana," the portion! of a house in southwestern Asian countries exclusively dedicated to women. Holding Patterns is a compilation of live recordings selected from Zanana's first season of performances. Gasholder Duet is an improvised duo of unprocessed acoustic sounds recorded live inside the historic Gasholder Building in Troy, NY. Doorjam and Ghost Dog combine live processing of both the voice and trombone sampled in real-time with prerecorded soundfiles of ambient recordings made at the Gasholder Building and prerecorded and electronically processed voice soundfiles. Flags, Title X, and What a Pretty Dog were recorded live in concert in New York City. Poet Barbara Barg provides the text for Flags and joins the duo on spoken word on What a Pretty Dog in honor of Monique's dog Suki, who was accustomed to hearing this phrase regularly from strangers throughout her life. Kristin Norderval is a classically trained singer, improviser, and composer who performs an eclectic repertoire that spans the renaissance to the avant-garde. Many works have been written for her, and her collaborations have included work with choreographers, sculptors, filmmakers and installation artists. Since 1997, she has also been recording on-site improvisations in unusual spaces, many of them industrial. She has recorded new works for Koch International, Mode, Nonesuch, Point, Euridice and CRI. Monique Buzzarté is an avid proponent of contemporary music, commissioning and premiering many new works for trombone alone, with electronics, and in chamber ensembles in addition to composing for traditional and electro-acoustic ensembles. Her recordings include John Cage's Five3 with the Arditti Quartet on John CAGE: Vol. 19 - The Number Pieces 2 (Mode 25) and Dreaming Wide Awake with the New Circle Five (Deep Listening 20). An author, activist, and educator as well as a performer/composer, Ms. Buzzarté has published research on the brass music of women composers and led efforts that led to the admission of women into the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

KTU - 8 ARMED MONKEY

Year: 2005

1.Sumu [8:43]12.4 Mb

2.Optikus [8:35]14.5 Mb

3.Sineen [7:22]11.3 Mb

4.Absinthe [8:20]15.4 Mb

5.Keho [10:00]14.5 Mb

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Ktu "8 Armed Monkey" Album Review

Intrincate, profound, avant-gardish...
The real 8 armed monkey is the monster rhythm section: Gunn as a humble but absolutely brilliant virtuoso brain and Masteloto setting new standards for drummers. Pohjonen is one of the most pleasant surprises I've ever had in my life. I saw KTU in concert here in Mexico City and Kimmo almost brought me to tears in one of the songs. One wishes that this music could last forever...

THE UNEXPECTED - THE UNEXPECTED ONE

Year: 2004

1.Damn the Pique [5:33]8.4 Mb

2.It was Nice [5:45]8.2 Mb

3.Yes Happy Chew [4:19]6.7 Mb

4.Oh My [8:03]14 Mb

5.Corned Oilipant [9:05]13.4 Mb

6.Pink Crimson [17:52]26.7 Mb

7.Cinq Six Boites de Tomates Vertes [7:51]10.7 Mb

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The Unexpected "The Unexpected One" Album Review

Excellent for non-musicians
I just listen to music, don't play an instrument or read music. This set greatly helped me know just WHAT was making the sounds I heard, and what the various instruments are capable of doing and the range they have. I still can't distinguish a violin from a viola very well---but I'm getting better. Overall I'm quite satisfied and plan to see if my grandchildren are interested.

Video Paul sings Nessun Dorma high quality video/sound

Paul Potts' debut CD "One Chance" is now available, in stores in the US, Europe and around the world or on line. Having both won the competition and released his debut album, Paul is exhaustively touring, engaging in live performances in the UK and TV appearances worldwide. For details of live performances, check out his website. Paul's official websites are: http://sonybmg.co.uk/artists/paul_potts/ Official Website:- http://www.paulpottsuk.com/ Official myspace:- http://www.myspace.com/officialpaulpottsmusic Please do not promote any other websites in the comments. Any such comments will be deleted and your account blocked. Sunday Mirror article: http://tinyurl.com/2pwet4 New York Times article: http://tinyurl.com/2fpt4v NBC performance: http://tinyurl.com/yphup8 Paul Potts has won the final of this competition. The prize is £100,000 and the chance to perform at the Royal Variety Performance on 3rd December 2007. This will be broadcast on ITV1 in the UK, exact details to follow. Check out the show's home at http://talent.itv.com/ Semi final: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDB9zwlXrB8 Click this link for Observer interview with Paul Potts: http://tinyurl.com/2gza22 Paul Potts sings Nessun dorma on UK talent show "Britain's got Talent" featuring Simon Cowell as a judge. Check out the clip of his semi final winning performance. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDB9zwlXrB8 Comments about the performance only please. All others will be removed and blocked. Aerosmith's "I don't want to miss a thing" is also featured in the clip, for those that keep asking! For all those that seem to think Paul is a pro in disguise, please realise the following. - Bath Opera is an amateur opera company staging a small number of productions a few times each year. - Paul has performed in just 4 four productions with this company - Paul has attended some masterclasses in Italy. These courses are designed for talented amateurs. All of these are paid for by those attending. - A few masterclasses, even one with the great man do not constitute "a formal opera training" by any stretch of the imagination. - Professional opera singers earn their living by treading the boards night after night week-in week-out, year after year with professional opera companies. - Paul, has never earned a single penny from opera performance, other than winning a tv talent show in 1999 - the winnings funding masterclasses. - Paul has not performed since 2003. - He is not a professional opera singer pretending to be a mobile phone sales man, but rather he is a mobile phone salesman aspiring to be an opera singer. - An operatic voice IS a trained voice. Hmmmm, perhaps if I can buy a few classes at a pro cookery school, I can pass myself off as a highly experienced pro chef.....hmmmmm......

Jamie Saft Trio "Astaroth", Derek Bailey "Carpal Tunnel"

2008-01-08T07:21:00.001-08:00

JAMIE SAFT TRIO - ASTAROTH

Year: 2005

1.Shalmiel [5:25]8.4 Mb

2.Ygal [3:10]4.5 Mb

3.Astaroth [6:10]9 Mb

4.Ezeqeel [4:22]6.4 Mb

5.Ariel [6:29]9.1 Mb

6.Sturiel [5:06]8.3 Mb

7.Peor [7:11]9.7 Mb

8.Pursan [2:22]3.8 Mb

9.Lelahel [9:03]11.8 Mb

10.Beleth [5:59]8.7 Mb

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Jamie Saft Trio "Astaroth" Album Review

A new beginning
At the end of 2004, John Zorn wrote 300 (yes, that IS 300) songs for his Masada project, each song named after an angel. As such, the new material is Masada Book Two: The Book of Angels. The Masada pieces were written using the "Jewish" scales, which lends a sort of Middle Eastern meets Eastern European sound to the pieces. The first batch of Masada pieces was written primarily for the Masada band to play, Zorn has stated that this time, he doesn't want the music associated with a particular band, but rather wants this to be a songbook performed by a number of bands. This volume, by a piano trio led by Jamie Saft, is the first.

The group, consisting of Saft (piano), Greg Cohen (bass), and Ben Perowksy (drums) largely works best on the slower pieces-- Saft's left hand is very sparse, and his right often plays single note lines, allowing Cohen to match as an even counter to his playing. When this thinness works best is when the pieces are patient in their development and the space emphasizes the mood of the pieces. Good examples of this include opener "Shalmiel" and the title track, "Astaroth". The former features great, delicate soloing from Saft where he's gently prodded by Perowksy, and in one of those perfect Masada moments, at the close of the piece, Cohen restates the descending line of the theme under Saft. The latter is a simple theme under which Cohen maintains a great circular vamp and Perowsky shows some superb cymbal work resulting in a funky and yet mellow haunting performance.

Also of note is the fine "Ezeqeel", Cohen really gets into a pocket, swinging fiercely over which Saft plays beautifully, maybe his best on the record and the dark "Baal-Peor". Another example of the use of space, this one takes it a step further, as silence becomes a fourth instrument, Cohen plays counter to the leader and Perowsky is all over the map, gentle rolls and flutters and general unpredictibility keeps the piece exciting. And while admitteldy, with some of the slow tempo material being so great, some of the other feels a bit tedious ("Lela'hel") and "Sturiel" falls apart during the improv, all in all, its quite a good record.

Sonically, I've been finding the mix a bit irritating-- its a very bass-heavy sound, leading the drums to sometimes sound like they were recorded in a closet-- when Perowsky works toms and bass, its fine, but the snare and cymbals feel a bit weak. On some cuts, this adds to the ambience being established, on others, it really can be a distraction.

One other thing I'll comment on-- the packaging on Tzadik releases has been getting better over the past year-- this one comes in an off-white digipack featuring a beautiful ink drawing opposite the CD tray and a unique cover design with a six-pointed star cut punched out, allowing the blue CD cover to bleed through.

If you're new to Masada, I'd check something from the first book first (the live quartet piece "50th Birthday Celebration Volume 7" comes immediately to mind), but if you've been waiting for this, this recording does not disappoint. Recommended.

DEREK BAILEY - CARPAL TUNNEL

Year: 2005

1.Explanation and Thanks [10:36]13.4 Mb

2.After 3 Weeks [8:58]11.1 Mb

3.After 5 Weeks [5:42]7.3 Mb

4.After 7 Weeks [8:30]11.3 Mb

5.After 9 Weeks [9:28]12.5 Mb

6.After 12 Weeks [6:58]9.1 Mb

Download Derek Bailey - Carpal Tunnel (mp3)

Derek Bailey "Carpal Tunnel" Album Review

Buy this CD!!!! Not 3 stars, 55555 stars..
I have many of Derek's recordings, he hates records, but this one is unique. His care to space and pitch are so special, and his humor regarding his hand condition is the best. Only Derek Bailey could make this record, and we are the ones who get the goods. O, please pick up Aida. Lace. Music@Dance. Guitar@bass.-all great records -are you listening Derek!

Robert Normandeau "Lieux Inouis", Briggan Krauss "Descending to End", Third Ear Band "Alchemy Elements"

2008-01-07T08:05:00.001-08:00

ROBERT NORMANDEAU - LIEUX INOUIS

1.Jeu [23:57]45.1 Mb

2.Memoires Vives [15:58]30 Mb

3.Rumeurs (Place de Ransbeck) [12:18]22.9 Mb

4.Matrechka [13:55]25.6 Mb

5.Le Cap de la Tourmente [7:22]13.2 Mb

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Robert Normandeau "Lieux Inouis" Album Review

Exquisite acousmatica
This 1990 release from Diffusion i Média (on the empreintes digitales label) represents the first disc (currently of three) entirely devoted to the works of Canadian acousmatic composer Robert Normandeau. The five works presented here span Normandeau's output from 1985 thru 1989 and represent, in the composer's own words "[virtually] the only [works] I have chosen to present publicly after more than ten years of full-time work." That statement attests more to Normandeau's humility and modesty, than to any shortcomings he may have as a composer. Indeed, there is not a single uninteresting moment on this disc, which is absolutely captivating from start to end. Its title, "Lieux inouïs", ("Unheard-of Places") is a reference to the unique aural landscape that Normandeau's pieces inhabit and the surreal imagery they evoke. He calls his particular approach to acousmatic composition 'Cinema for the Ears' and so it is no surprise that the works on this disc-derived entirely from computer-processed real-world sounds-are constantly conjuring up dramatic moments in the mind's eye of the listener. And the composer handles it all with such consummate mastery-who else but Normandeau could so seamlessly join massed choirs singing Perotin's "Viderunt Omnes" with the sounds of pneumatic drills; or mix the chatter of children playing with the clatter of railroad trucks? For ears unaccustomed to this genre, probably the most easily approached work is the 12-minute acousmatic masterpiece "Rumeurs (Place de Ransbeck)" (1987). This work constantly oscillates "between pure sound and meaning, without ever resolving to one or the other", thus providing endless suggestions and hints but no solid facts (rumours, in fact!) of life around the Place de Ransbeck (home of Annette Vande Gorne's studio Métamorphoses d'Orphée, where the piece was produced). The slightly longer "Matrechka" (1986) is a more abstracted work, with its complex sound-world (of largely undiscernible origin) unfolding by degrees, each of its sections revealing another within it, like the nest of Russian dolls of its title. The 15-minute "Mémoires vives" ("Vivid memories", 1989) provides another mostly abstracted vision, this time of the composer's musical heritage, evoked by the reworking of (recordings of) fragments from other composers' music for the Requiem Mass. The sparkling 24-minute work "Jeu" ("Play", or "Game", 1989) that opens the disc is ample testimony to Normandeau's ability to exploit the inherent punning (i.e. 'play on words') connotations that his source material offers. Finally, "Le cap de la tourmente" (1985), which closes the disc, is a dark and brooding 7-minute 'movement' from the much longer "Musique holographique", which accompanied an exhibit of sculptures with holograms (holosculptures) by Georges Dyens.This is an exquisite disc that deserves to be in the collection of every lover of serious, contemporary music, along with Normandeau's other CD's ("Tangram" and "Figures")... and, in fact, most of the other releases by Diffusion i Média! Don't hesitate: BUY NOW!!

BRIGGAN KRAUSS - DESCENDING TO END

1.Last Gasp Extraction of the World [6:38]9.4 Mb

2.Frontal [3:26]4.3 Mb

3.Lean Loud and Lovely [5:56]6.8 Mb

4.Parietal [1:59]2 Mb

5.Dust the Desolate [9:39]13.6 Mb

6.Temporal [2:46]3.6 Mb

7.Encumbrance Essence [8:42]10.7 Mb

8.Occipital [1:56]2.2 Mb

9.Flu Coasting [5:43]6.8 Mb

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Briggan Krauss "Descending to End" Album Review

Wow
Though I had an idea of what to expect from reviews, sound clips and previous exposure to Krauss' music, I was not ready for the physicality of this music. Encumbrance Essence and Lean Loud and Lovely are two mind altering tracks.Don't Expect Sex Mob or Pigpen, and this isn't dance music. The sound is pretty much the antithesis of Brian Eno's Discreet Music but the results are similiar- trance.

THIRD EAR BAND - ALCHEMY ELEMENTS

Year: 2005

1.Mosaic [6:28]9.7 Mb

2.Ghetto Raga [10:29]16 Mb

3.Druid I [3:46]5.2 Mb

4.Stone Circle [3:28]5 Mb

5.Egyptian Book of the Dead [8:52]13.3 Mb

6.Area III [8:30]12.9 Mb

7.Dragon Lines [5:30]8.7 Mb

8.Lark Rise [2:48]4.2 Mb

9.Air [10:30]18 Mb

10.Earth [9:55]16 Mb

11.Fire [9:18]15.9 Mb

12.Water [7:09]11.1 Mb

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Third Ear Band "Alchemy Elements" Album Review

Alchemy/Elements - Third Ear Band
This CD is awesome - I first listened to it in the early 70's in England and have wanted it ever since - it has probably some instrumental Scottish folk influence (I am somewhat of a novice at this) and somewhat the flavor of Pink Floyd - couldn't get it for many years because it was out of print and living in the US meant that people had never even heard of it -

Korekyojinn "Isotope", Subterranean Masquerade "Suspended Animation Dreams", Prelapse "Prelapse", Edgard Varese "The Complete Works"

2008-01-05T01:31:00.001-08:00

KOREKYOJINN - ISOTOPE

Year: 2005

1.Hash [4:16]6.4 Mb

2.Arabesque [5:31]8.2 Mb

3.Betwixt [5:32]8.4 Mb

4.Quicksilver [5:33]8.2 Mb

5.Out of Head [3:28]5.3 Mb

6.You Know What You Like [3:18]4.9 Mb

7.Doldrum [5:55]8.7 Mb

8.Exodus [5:14]7.6 Mb

9.4 Holes in the Sky [3:48]5.6 Mb

10.Counterpoint [4:10]6.2 Mb

11.Poet and Peasant [6:29]9.5 Mb

12.Jackson [6:28]9.1 Mb

13.Isotope [6:35]9.5 Mb

14.Freestone [5:29]7.9 Mb

Download Korekyojinn - Isotope (mp3)

Korekyojinn "Isotope" Album Review

Fast and furious
Korekyojinn are an instrumental power trio. Their playing is fast, aggressive, very tight, and highly intricate. The emphasis is on ensemble acrobatics, so there is no jamming and only a little soloing, but all three musicians are impressive players, with all three parts (guitar, bass guitar, drums) taking equal precedence in the sound and structure of each piece.

At first, I didn't know that Isoptope was a live album. The ensemble precision achieved here is more characterisitc of a studio effort, and there is a complete absence of audience noise. Overall, a very impressive and exciting recording by a band with very few peers.

SUBTERRANEAN MASQUERADE - SUSPENDED ANIMATION DREAMS

Year: 2005

1.Suspended Animation Dreams [2:25]3 Mb

2.Wolf Among Sheep (OK Maybe the Other Way Around) [6:25]8.7 Mb

3.No Place Like Home [7:59]10.6 Mb

4.Kind of A Blur [3:11]4.2 Mb

5.The Rock'N'Roll Preacher [9:04]12.4 Mb

6.Six Strings to Cover Fear [6:47]9.1 Mb

7.Awake [14:20]19.5 Mb

8.X [4:27]5.8 Mb

Download Subterranean Masquerade - Suspended Animation Dreams (mp3)

Subterranean Masquerade "Suspended Animation Dreams" Album Review

Refreshing, Unique, but leaves room for improvement.
This is definitely one of the most interesting, refreshing and diverse CD's I have bought in a while, but I have my grievances about it too. You'll hear everything from death metal, jazz, middle-eastern folk, and calm ambience. Instruments include pianos, harmonicas, trumpets, saxophone, clarinet, trombone, violins, and flute. Vocals include death growls, whispers, choirs, female vocals, and well, regular singing.

If I had to pick one band that Subterranean Masquerade reminds me of, it would probably be Maudlin of the Well. They just have that same extremely artistic, unique, creative, quirky personality, and their albums don't have too many death vocals on them and add a lot of other instruments like this, and the lyrics remind me of them. Fans of Porcupine Tree and maybe even Orphaned Land might be interested in this as well.

This band's lyrics are extremely wacky, in fact, a little too silly for me at times. But hey, they're having fun. Here's some excerpts:
"Face the sky, see the big cheese smile?"
"Talk about philosophy and what comes next; the man or the monkey in space"
"Will get a dark purple carpet so I'll never fall; never sink inside this hole..."
"Virtual ritual, desktop icon, link to your inside"

For some reason, for me, the death vocals on this album don't really seem to belong. It seems like the songs could almost be better without them most of the time. (which is also what I say about Maudlin of the Well and Orphaned Land) Don't get me wrong - I probably have about 150 CDs containing death or black metal style vocals, and I'm very used to them. But for this music, they just don't seem to fit. Like they're almost forcing them in so metalheads will be more inclined to buy it. In "Awake" there are death growls and the music behind it is this cutesy little delicate piano melody and fairly slow percussion. In most cases, I love when two "opposites" in music are juxtaposed like that, but that particular part just sounds goofy.

Another thing that bothers me a little is sometimes the songs just change directions very randomly. There's no logical progression or crescendo leading up to a different idea; it's just kind of in your face all of a sudden. There are exceptions, like in "Six strings to cover fear" when the lyrics "Is the carnival on tonight?" are uttered, right after a heavy death-growl section immediately there's a spooky-carnival/playhouse-like violin melody, and that's very wild and cool. But most of the time, I think the song structure could be a lot better. In "Awake," the calmer section in the middle is decent, but they just stretch it out so long without really going anywhere with it. And even after all that, it just basically stops and starts a completely different melody with heavy guitars and death growls. Some bands can pull this off with somehow making the song still seem coherent *cough*Opeth*, but Sub. Masq. seems to have a hard time making it work.

Sometimes as well, the guitar riffs are kind of bland it's like they're relying too much on the other instruments to spice it up. Not to mention, you can barely even hear the guitars compared to everything else.

I might as well say the parts that I really do enjoy though. I'd say my favorite song is probably "No place like Home" which throws the unexpected harmonica at you after 20 seconds or so, while you desperately try to figure out the extremely eccentric lyrics. The middle of the song goes though all kinds of shifts until the last few minutes which are this really nice up-tempo middle eastern folk kinda thing with what seems like some parodic chanting in the background.

The second half of "Rock and Roll Preacher" is really cool; there is actually some good progression building up and the clarinets and everything actually all come together really nicely in a full-band ensemble, but the first half of the song isn't anything spectacular. "Kind of a Blur" is a charming little instrumental with pianos and violins, and a choir at the end. "Six strings to cover fear" is a pretty good song for the most part, the guitar riffs mixed with the violins at the beginning are very nice, and the carnival-violin part I mentioned before is also a nice twist. The first half of "X" is nice and calm with acoustic strumming, laid-back Caribbean-style percussion and female vocals.

Who knows, maybe this album will grow on me. And whoever's reading this, might like it more than me. But personally, I think this band has a lot of room to improve. However, this was still a worthwhile purchase. I think I've been a little too lenient on giving 5 stars out lately.

Video Some great lesser known metal songs part 2

These are some of my favorite songs by lesser known artists/bands in no particular order. While some of them are well known in the underground metal scene, most of these artists don't get the recognition they deserve. The only reason why I did this was to show these great artists to a broader audience. Thanks for your interest! Enjoy! The song list is as followed: -"Skvoz' Tuman Vekov" by Arkona on "Vo Slavu Velikim!" -"Crimson Waters Part 3: The Messenger" by Sequence on "Plague Solstice Part I" -"City of Ib" by Demiurg on "Breath of the Demiurg" -"Million Year Summer" by The Angelic Process on "Weighing Souls With Sand" -"Moot Lie" by Raintime on "Tales From Sadness" -"I Long" by Saturnus on "Veronika Decides to Die" -"End of All Days" by Mob Rules on "Savage Land" -"Last Vestige of Old Joy" by Nest on "10" split with Agalloch" -"No Place Like Home" by Subterranean Masquerade on "Suspended Animation Dreams" -"Immram" by Oakhelm on "Betwixt and Between"

PRELAPSE - PRELAPSE

1.Menstrual Mystery Meat [0:57]1.6 Mb

2.Alarms [3:27]5.8 Mb

3.Corkscrew [0:44]1.3 Mb

4.Mintcrumb Rosette [3:30]5.6 Mb

5.Slingshot [0:54]1.7 Mb

6.Blood Sucking Freaks [1:25]2.3 Mb

7.Screwball [0:43]1 Mb

8.Cold [2:59]4.3 Mb

9.Message for Alex part 1 [0:52]1 Mb

10.Lachrym [3:29]4.7 Mb

11.545 Mystery Hole [2:28]3.7 Mb

12.Leper Sap [2:31]4.3 Mb

13.Spectres of Bird [0:59]1.5 Mb

14.Basketcase [0:39]0.9 Mb

15.Fat Neck No Neck [6:18]9.4 Mb

16.Message for Alex part 2 [0:46]1 Mb

17.Drag [3:11]5.7 Mb

18.Bug Skull [0:29]0.7 Mb

19.The Shrike [1:16]2 Mb

20.Pools of Urine [2:10]3.7 Mb

21.Bloodbath [0:38]0.9 Mb

22.Purged Specimen [8:38]9.8 Mb

23.Coda [0:16]0.4 Mb

Download Prelapse - Prelapse (mp3)

Prelapse "Prelapse" Album Review

a potentially great band constricting itself
When it comes to John Zorn, I get bored. His work with Naked City was wonderful, but most of his other stuff I find tiresome nowadays. This particular band has great potential, but they chain themselves far too tightly to the Zorn aura--the best stuff on this album were the tracks written by Prelapse themselves, not the 'unrecorded music' of Naked City. I hope this band realize their own artistry and branch off into their own work.

Video John Zorn - Bone Crusher (Music For Children)

a short fun with a tune from MusicForChildren, an unrecorded Naked City song played by Prelapse & Zorn / Tzadik 1998 (stopmotion excerpt is from "Mother Goose: Little Miss Muffet" by Ray Harryhausen, 1946)

EDGARD VARESE - THE COMPLETE WORKS

Year: 1998

1.Tuning Up [5:06]6.8 Mb

2.Ameriques [24:47]34.8 Mb

3.Poeme Electronique [8:07]11.4 Mb

4.Arcana [18:31]26.8 Mb

5.Nocturnal [10:36]13.5 Mb

6.Un Grand Sommeil Noir [4:07]5.3 Mb

7.Un Grand Sommeil Noir [2:49]3.2 Mb

8.Offrandes-Chanson de la-Haut [3:11]3.9 Mb

9.Offrandes-la Croix Du Sud [3:42]4.6 Mb

10.Hyperprism [4:27]6.2 Mb

11.Octandre-Assez Lent [2:33]3.2 Mb

12.Octandre-Tres Vif ET Nerveux [1:45]2.4 Mb

13.Octandre-Grave-Anime ET Jubilatoire [2:26]3.2 Mb

14.Integrales [10:24]13.3 Mb

15.Ecuatorial [11:33]15 Mb

16.Ionisation [5:51]8.4 Mb

17.Density 21-5 [4:11]5.3 Mb

18.Deserts-1st Episode [3:11]4.2 Mb

19.Deserts-1st Interpolation of Organised Sound [2:25]4.2 Mb

20.Deserts-2nd Episode [7:33]9.6 Mb

21.Deserts-2nd Interpolation [3:13]4.8 Mb

22.Deserts-3rd Episode [1:36]2 Mb

23.Deserts-3rd Interpolation [3:08]5.2 Mb

24.Deserts-4th Episode [3:10]3.8 Mb

25.Dance for Burgess [1:47]2.2 Mb

Download Edgard Varese - The Complete Works (mp3)

Edgard Varese "The Complete Works" Album Review

Lighten Up Please
I once heard that Frank Zappa was inspired by Varese, so I decided to give him a listen. Now I understand why I never really took to the Mothers of Invention. Varese's composing style seems very heavy handed. Generally the brass and percussive pieces are really (and too often) over-layered and over-the-top, and his use of percussive toys is, all to often, way over done. The electronic experimentations seem disjointed and simple and don't really seem to fit well and the vocals seem a bit silly. Having said these things, three pieces (11-12 minutes of sound out a 140 minute-plus 2 disk box) did work very well for me - Ionisation, Density 12.5 and Dance For Burgess, which were all on disk 2. So now I program these as an enjoyable little 3 piece suite.

Nurse with Wound "Drunk with the Old Man of the Mountains", Ulver "Blood Inside", Forever Einstein "Racket Science"

2007-12-28T08:17:00.001-08:00

NURSE WITH WOUND - DRUNK WITH THE OLD MAN OF THE MOUNTAINS

Year: 2005

1.Mourning Smile [5:11]7.9 Mb

2.Swamp Rat [12:38]20.4 Mb

3.Sheela-Na-Gig [5:25]8.3 Mb

4.Astral Dustbin Dirge [12:19]18.3 Mb

5.Shattering Man Falling [9:23]14.9 Mb

Download Nurse with Wound - Drunk with the Old Man of the Mountains (mp3)

Nurse with Wound "Drunk with the Old Man of the Mountains" Album Review

What a good name for a band.
I first discovered this band when I stumbled upon a clip of their live show online. I think maybe that is the way it is most meant to be experienced.

Sure, you can give this a listen in your bedroom at 3am while you wait for the demons to come out from under your bed and through the cracks in the door... but it might scare you too much. Lots of this stuff is pretty weird. For example in "Astral Dustbin Dirge" you'll be slowly carried along a lulling journey into space, soon turning into an amalgamation of demonic breathing, a heart monitor beeping, a woman gasping, channeling through the left and right speakers in no discernible pattern.

Overall a very dark body of work, but I also find it to be generally quite soothing and calming.

ULVER - BLOOD INSIDE

Year: 2005

1.Dressed in Black [7:06]11.4 Mb

2.For the Love of God [4:10]6.5 Mb

3.Christmas [6:14]8.9 Mb

4.Blinded by Blood [6:22]8.6 Mb

5.It is not Sound [4:37]7.1 Mb

6.The Truth [4:01]6.2 Mb

7.In the Red [3:30]5.1 Mb

8.Your Call [6:06]9 Mb

9.Operator [3:36]5.8 Mb

Download Ulver - Blood Inside (mp3)

Ulver "Blood Inside" Album Review

Ulvertronic
Despite the fact that Ulver displayed a notable penchant for flagrant genre hopping right from the get go, with the wildly oscillating _Bergtatt_, the stripped back acoustic folk of _Kvelldsanger_ and, most jarringly, the ear melting opening of hells gates on _Nattens Madrigal_, this is most likely where the rule book went out of the window and their apotheosis as experimental music titans was complete. Distilling the sound used to such effect on _Perdition City_, _Blood Inside_ sees Ulver completely, spectacularly break free of metal roots and create something almost without peer in modern music.
The nine songs presented here are dense, lush and intricately composed, neatly shunning predictability but retaining accessibility thanks to the gorgeously, blessedly clean vocals and their lilting, modern delivery. The music has an electronic base but integrates elements of jazz (slightly), rock (blistering rhythms and one guitar solo), atmosphere and ambience, and prog (insane out of place cod-classical keyboard solo, numerous other touches). the attention to detail is stunning and the lack of conventional structure actually adds to the strength of the songs: despite the uniform sound and dense production, the tracks are actually quite disparate, and the lack of predictability makes hearing each one like unwrapping another present.
Specifically, 'Dressed in Black' is a low key, deceptively melodic opener, showing off the full production and warped beats, especially about 3/4 of the way through when it opens up into a chaotic percussive section. 'For the Love of God' is a gem, and unclassifiable slice of eerire keyboard, surprisingly upbeat tones and vocals, and an unexpected guitar solo. Something about it evokes movement (perhaps on a train?). 'Christmas' is basically astounding, mixing classical samples with driving beats, an aggressive, upbeat style and heart wilitng crescendos later on (those wordless vocal harmonies!). The song is practically danceable, for crying out loud! 'Blinded by Blood' is my favourite, an epic textural journey, ornate in delivery, featuring choral parts and weird backwashing effects, creepy melodies and an atmosphere that reminds me of quiet church or crypt. The melody and delivery of the male vocals reminds me of Mike Patton, but overall I've never heard anything so beautiful. You get the picture then, although I should briefly single out 'Operator' which is an utterly insane journey through a speedy, almost rocking proggish dance-athon (???).
Ok, as I've subtly hinted at above then, I really like this album. I do believe it has a lot going for it. The songwriting is uniformly strong, the production a crystalline, technical wonder. The vocals are good and really add a lot to the music. The best feature though is that, despite the admittedly ambitious reach and scope of the record, every arow finds its target. That is, each miniature experiment works out well, even with the occasional bizzare out of place interludes, which work well in the overall scheme thanks to their jarring quality. One shouldn't really expect a band to be able to branch out in so many different directions at once so succsessfully, so Ulvers achievement here should not be taken lightly. The vague overall concept, which seems to be about hospital fear or Christianity (or both...I mean, sanity is out of the window by this stage) helps as well, keeping everything together without really intruding on matters. I'll wrap up now then, but this album is an experimental, accessible, delicate and delicious marvel, and I hope this review outlines why, to some extent. One thing is for sure: I used a lot of parentheses, for some reason.

Video Ulver - Blinded by Blood (Illustrations by H.R. Giger)

Ulver's Blinded by blood (Blood Inside, 2005)

FOREVER EINSTEIN - RACKET SCIENCE

Year: 2005

1.How Come the Wrong People are Always in Charge [3:26]5 Mb

2.You're Living in A World of Make-Believe with Flowers� [3:55]5.8 Mb

3.It's A Good Thing I Don't Have Super Brain Powers� [3:17]4.7 Mb

4.Theyre Portable Theyre Annoying and They Cost� [2:52]4.3 Mb

5.I'm Trying to Contain an Outbreak Here� [4:26]6.6 Mb

6.It's Almost Impossible to Concentrate in this Cafe� [6:05]8.6 Mb

7.God Has A Plan for Me and it Involves Puppets [2:25]3.7 Mb

8.I Wish I Had Me Some of Them Miracle Smart Pills [4:26]6.5 Mb

9.I Got My Picture Taken I Got Forty Dollars� [7:04]10.4 Mb

10.Theres Some Milk in the Fridge Thats About to Go Bad [8:06]11.4 Mb

11.Every Word out of Your Mouth is Like A Turd Falling in My Drink [2:58]4.2 Mb

12.He Looks Interesting (an by Interesting I Mean Weird) [1:35]2.3 Mb

Download Forever Einstein - Racket Science (mp3)

Forever Einstein "Racket Science" Album Review

Interesting, engaging, well rounded
Racket Science is a delight to the ears. The clever, bizarre song titles belie the depth of musical expression the trio conveys in them. O'Meara, Gerety and Roulat are cohesive, clear and flowing in each track. Listen and enjoy!

In the Country "This was the Pace of My Heartbeat", Cloud Cult "Advice from the Happy Hippopotamus", Giuseppe Ielasi "Gesine"

2007-12-27T02:15:00.001-08:00

IN THE COUNTRY - THIS WAS THE PACE OF MY HEARTBEAT

Year: 2005

1.Where Can We Go [2:54]4 Mb

2.Beaver Creek [6:28]9.6 Mb

3.Tree Canopy Walkway [4:10]5.4 Mb

4.How to Get Acquainted [5:42]8.1 Mb

5.In My Time of Need [4:29]5.8 Mb

6.Only the Birds Can See us [7:33]9.5 Mb

7.Trio for Quartet [4:12]6.1 Mb

8.0883 Oslo [3:05]4.1 Mb

9.Aerial Dark Bright Round [6:14]7.7 Mb

10.Viggo [4:40]7 Mb

11.Laschia Chio Pianga [2:50]3.4 Mb

Download In the Country - This was the Pace of My Heartbeat (mp3)

In the Country "This was the Pace of My Heartbeat" Album Review

An impressive new trio
Morten Qvenild draws together many influences for this wonderful new recording: the quiet focus of his countryman Tord Gustavsen, the improvisational complexity of the Evans/LaFaro/Motian trio, the spareness and free tendencies of Paul Bley, and the density of Brad Mehldau and Ethan Iverson. It's very much an expression of the moment in this particular corner of the jazz world. One standout, at least, is Qvenild's interpretation of the Ryan Adams ballad "In My Time of Need," heartbreaking and hymn-like. A very exciting emerging talent.

CLOUD CULT - ADVICE FROM THE HAPPY HIPPOPOTAMUS

Year: 2005

1.Intro [3:03]4.8 Mb

2.Living on the Outside of Your Skin [3:05]4.6 Mb

3.Happy Hippo [2:39]3.7 Mb

4.What Comes at the End [3:56]6 Mb

5.You Got Your Bones to Make A Beat [3:01]4.6 Mb

6.Interlude [0:25]0.6 Mb

7.Washed Your Car [1:58]2.1 Mb

8.Transistor radio [4:08]4.9 Mb

9.What it Feels Like to Be Alive [0:51]0.8 Mb

10.Moving to Canada [3:05]4.6 Mb

11.Start New [1:42]2.4 Mb

12.Car Crash [2:54]4.2 Mb

13.Light at the End of the Tunnel [2:41]3.9 Mb

14.Million Things [2:35]4 Mb

15.Can't Stop the Journey Now [3:23]5.1 Mb

16.Clip-Clop [2:30]3.4 Mb

17.Training Wheels [4:04]5.6 Mb

18.We Made Up Your Mind for You [2:23]3.4 Mb

19.That Man Jumped out the Window [3:45]5.3 Mb

20.Lucky Today [2:08]3 Mb

21.Rockwell [4:19]5.8 Mb

22.Bobbys Spacesuit [3:02]3.9 Mb

Download Cloud Cult - Advice from the Happy Hippopotamus (mp3)

Cloud Cult "Advice from the Happy Hippopotamus" Album Review

Album Description
Since releasing "The Meaning Of 8", Cloud Cult's music and environmental practices have been covered by MTV, AOL, and the NY and LA Times. The Denver Post recently listed that record in their top 12 albums of the decade, alongside Radiohead, The Flaming Lips, and Silversun Pickups. Originally released in 2005, "Advice" is an in-depth look at the fine line between life and death; on the realization that mortality is an unavoidable truth. Although that seems dark, in actuality, the album translates that truth into a calling to celebrate life. The record was printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper board, using soy ink. "...Cloud Cult steps into the misty realm of indie chamber folk-pop" - LA Times. For fans of The Flaming Lips, Modest Mouse, The Polyphonic Spree, Bright Eyes.

GIUSEPPE IELASI - GESINE

Year: 2005

1.Gesine part 1 [3:40]5.8 Mb

2.Gesine part 2 [10:05]17.5 Mb

3.Gesine part 3 [2:19]3.7 Mb

4.Gesine part 4 [7:15]12.5 Mb

5.Gesine part 5 [5:30]5.8 Mb

6.Gesine part 6 [2:19]3.6 Mb

Download Giuseppe Ielasi - Gesine (mp3)

Giuseppe Ielasi "Gesine" Album Review

Italian EAI (4/5)
Italian guitarist/composer Giuseppe Ielasi is unquestionably one of my favorite musicians from the past several years. His collaboration with Renato Rinaldi, titled Oreledigneur, was one of my favorite albums of 2004. He showed that improvised music, if done attentively, could possess a sort of tangible quality that is often lacking in improvised music. Nevertheless, it's this attribute and Ielasi's careful attention to detail that make his work valid and worthy of perusal.

As a prolific electro-acoustic improviser, Ielasi has spent a good portion of his time in both the collaborative and soloist environments, but his latest release, Gesine, finds him returning as a solo performer to offer up his first bit of material on the Swedish Häpna label. Gesine fits in well with the other artists on Häpna (see Stephan Mathieu, Sagor & Swing, and Tape) and suggests once again that the quality of their releases just keep getting better with each successive year.

With Gesine, Ielasi utilizes only two instruments, guitar and drums. However, upon closer inspection, we see that he has taken these instruments and electronically enhanced them to incorporate a sub-level of sound and texture, including beautiful drones and ethereal soundscapes. The true life of the songs come after this enhancement; but even if these songs were left in their organic state, I'd still be willing to bet they'd be nothing short of captivating.

The first track is a simple acoustic performance that has been given extra life with a gentle ringing of electro-acoustic guitar drones and a few obscured cymbals hidden beneath the surface. The pace of the track gives it a daydream effect that shows Ielasi's ability to make music that is unobtrusive for the listener. Quickly after this, the second track, which is also the longest and most distinctive, takes us in a much darker direction. Its main focus is on a dense drone that moves leisurely along while subtle noises and guitar plucks are lushly positioned around it.

Throughout the rest of the album, we hear songs that are similar to the first track and less like the second. That is until we are met with a high-pitched tone on the fifth track, which coincidentally enough, lacks the depth of the others. The fluidity of the album can only be marred by this slight variance, which if left off, might make Gesine come a bit closer to having a more cohesive result. With that said, though, the basic concept is the same throughout the album, and Gesine never ceases to impress, nor does Ielasi circumvent his abilities to force his songs along.

Once again, subtlety is the key factor with Ielasi's work, which ultimately shows him in true form. With his already impressive catalog, including collaborative works from other artists on his Bowindo and Fringes labels, I expect to hear many more amazing albums in the future from this great contributor to the Italian electro-acoustic movement. And as long as Ielasi continues to hone his improvisations while acknowledging the materiality of the instruments, I can't see him doing wrong any time soon.

COH "0397post", Mick Harris "Hednod Sessions", Mori Chieko "Jumping Rabbit", Emily Hay "Like Minds"

2007-12-25T09:58:00.001-08:00

COH - 0397POST

1.Da Kota Rap (featuring Mia Farrow) [3:51]4.8 Mb

2.Hiss No Hassle [0:39]0.7 Mb

3.Apex (Twig) [3:49]5.1 Mb

4.Post-Pop Reprise [4:27]7.6 Mb

5.6659f (Hot Like Hell) (instrumental) [3:53]7.1 Mb

6.Albatross (instrumental) [2:47]4.6 Mb

7.Untitled Smash Hit [3:24]5.7 Mb

8.Dynamo Babe [6:35]11.2 Mb

9.Quadrate Fur Max-Ernst [6:36]9.6 Mb

10.Post-Pop [7:07]11.4 Mb

11.Starlust [5:52]10.5 Mb

12.The Opening [6:40]7.2 Mb

13.El Hombre Invisible [5:13]6.1 Mb

14.WASP Wisp [6:21]8.8 Mb

15.Fracture [6:56]7.4 Mb

16.Tesla Dance [5:07]5.7 Mb

17.C is for Sleep [7:00]8.3 Mb

18.Unbecoming [5:49]7.6 Mb

19.Morphine Twinge [4:50]5.4 Mb

20.Steep Staple Tone [6:19]7.4 Mb

21.The Closing [5:04]6.6 Mb

22.COH TRACK00 [4:31]5.7 Mb

23.Scotch Sleaze [3:20]3.7 Mb

Download COH - 0397post (mp3)

COH "0397post" Album Review

title of review
Reminds me a bit of Autechre and Fennesz, except more minimalist and rilly sucky. This guy is pretty talentless at music. He has a decent grasp of sound texturing and rhythm, but when it comes to melody and harmony he's completely inept. Wasp Wisp is decent because it capitalises on texture in a way that makes melody and harmony almost redundant, creating a buzzing drone that sounds like a sparking severed electrical wire. It reminds me of Pan Sonic. Most of the other songs are just total poop.

MICK HARRIS - HEDNOD SESSIONS

Year: 2005

1.Soundcoat [5:03]6.7 Mb

2.Do One [5:59]9.4 Mb

3.Blag [5:02]7.4 Mb

4.Beat 9 [4:45]6.7 Mb

5.Cure Period [2:26]3.7 Mb

6.Map [4:19]7.1 Mb

7.Anymore [5:25]8.1 Mb

8.Astray [4:14]5.9 Mb

9.Dropped [4:54]6.5 Mb

10.Caughtup [4:41]6.2 Mb

11.Locate [4:30]6.8 Mb

12.Onit [5:51]8.2 Mb

13.Bale [4:47]6.9 Mb

14.Screener [4:08]6.3 Mb

15.Itin [5:58]9.5 Mb

16.Red Triangle [5:44]9.1 Mb

17.Sticker [4:57]7 Mb

18.Dippers [4:08]6.4 Mb

19.The Shed [4:46]6.9 Mb

20.Sidewalk [5:51]9.3 Mb

21.Backroom [4:03]6.2 Mb

22.Visiting Officer [4:24]6.1 Mb

23.Hiding Place [5:10]7.5 Mb

24.Shorting [4:52]6.8 Mb

25.Sweet as [6:05]10.1 Mb

26.Where [3:52]5.9 Mb

27.Then 3 [5:01]7.2 Mb

28.Touch [6:05]9 Mb

29.Leadin [4:34]6.7 Mb

30.Photographic [3:56]5.6 Mb

Download Mick Harris - Hednod Sessions (mp3)

Mick Harris "Hednod Sessions" Album Review

Rumbling bass, haunting atmospherics, and wicked beats.
You don't just listen to the Hednod sessions, you experience it. Deep, vibrating bass lines plumb the depths of your inner core. Atmospherics drifting on the edges of sanity keep your attention throughout. The mad beats bind everything together. Hypnotic, heavy, grooving beats. These are the kind of beats that climb inside your mind and stay a while.

MORI CHIEKO - JUMPING RABBIT

Year: 2005

1.Fly Away [5:56]9.4 Mb

2.Jumping Rabbit [8:05]15.2 Mb

3.Moon Park [4:22]6.7 Mb

4.Midnight Forest [2:52]4.8 Mb

5.Quiet Church [4:03]6.3 Mb

6.Paper Airplane [4:07]6.6 Mb

7.Charm Music Box [9:42]20.2 Mb

8.Red and Balloon [1:32]2.6 Mb

9.Dreams [5:40]8.2 Mb

Download Mori Chieko - Jumping Rabbit (mp3)

Mori Chieko "Jumping Rabbit" Album Review

Koto Pleasantries (and occasional surprises)
The last time John Zorn's Tzadik label released a solo koto album was back in 1998, with Yagi Michiyo's firey, avant-garde 'Shizuku'. Anyone expecting more of the same here, though, will be in for a disappointment - 'Jumping Rabbit' has to be one of the "nicest" albums Zorn and co have ever released. Almost too much so, in places: there's something just a little too New Age-ish about 'Fly Away' and 'Dreams', while the wide-eyed childlike vocals on 'Moon Park' and 'Paper Airplane' are, to put it mildly, a bit of an acquired taste. Fortunately, there's a bit of tension elsewhere: the jaunty, off-kilter blurts of 'Jumping Rabbit' and cyclical figures of 'Charm Music Box' are as musically adventurous as they are technically impressive. Ditto the likes of 'Midnight Forest' and 'Red + Balloon', although it's hard not to wish that they'd been fleshed-out a little beyond their meager running times.

EMILY HAY - LIKE MINDS

Year: 2005

1.Call to Unarm [8:59]13.5 Mb

2.Liturgy of Sound [5:42]8.2 Mb

3.A Year and Two Weeks [4:03]6.3 Mb

4.Boiled Cadillac [4:32]5.9 Mb

5.Crooked Hopscotch [8:18]10.7 Mb

6.We are [6:19]8.6 Mb

7.Like Minds [7:11]10.7 Mb

8.Wha Bout [9:36]13.2 Mb

9.Spar [2:33]3.8 Mb

10.Waiting for Sara [3:09]4.9 Mb

11.Hibiki [5:39]7.1 Mb

12.Swamp Moss [2:30]3.5 Mb

Download Emily Hay - Like Minds (mp3)

Emily Hay "Like Minds" Album Review

Review
1. Call To Unarm 2. Liturgy Of Sound 3. A Year And Two Weeks 4. Boiled Cadillac 5. Crooked Hopscotch 6. We Are 7. Like Minds 8. Wha' 'Bout 9. Spar 10. Waiting For Sara 11. Hibiki 12. Swamp Moss