Improving Silence

Jacaszek - Treny

2010-08-03T13:23:00.000-07:00

Jacaszek – Treny

Fog curls around your face as you breathe steadily, trying not to singe your throat on the bitter morning air. The grass is frozen solid, unmoved by the harsh bite that the wind deals anything which dares venture out. The trees, infrequent as they might be, are stripped of all but the most foolhardy leaves. You look out into the distance but see nothing more than the harsh earth and unforgiving block flats in the distance.

That is my personal vision I get listening to the first 15 or so seconds of Rytm To Niesmiertelnosc, the opening track on Jacaszek’s absolute masterpiece of an album that goes by the name of Treny. Yesterday it would have been a different impression, tomorrow undoubtedly changed as well. I’ve had visions of putting a camera in an old subway car, filming down from high up for an entire day of some overgrown city’s flow and ebb of people and then fast forwarding it played to the entirety of this album. It has helped me to no end in focusing on study at 2am when I’m due to hand work in that same morning. Its music has made me feel safe in a very unfamiliar place where otherwise I’ve felt anything but.

I’ll get one thing straight first, this is NOT an album you crank out when you’re entertaining. Far from it, unless you share some very specific tastes with someone, this album should undoubtedly be played to a solo listener. I’m fortunate to own this on vinyl and the experience I get from listening to it is beyond any other record I have, and again effects me different to when played through headphones whilst walking or computer speakers whilst studying.
Jacaszek is essentially at core Michal Jacaszek, starting his music ‘adventure’, as his bio put it, around 1998 but progressing rapidly to the point of producing an project or album once a year from 2003-2006. For 2008's Treny, however, 2 years were taken and the line-up increased to include Stefan Wesołowski on violin and strings arrangement, Ania Śmiszek Wesołowska behind the cello and Maja Siemiłska providing the haunting and mesmerising vocals.

The combination of those 4 artists make for Jacaszek’s 6th album and one of the most beautiful, haunting, desperate, lonely, complete, mesmerising, dark, strangely uplifting, atmospheric, and incredibly complete works I’ve ever had the pleasure of opening my ears to. In its entirety it works as gripping novel where you can’t put it down after you’ve experienced even a taste of page 1. The tracks all relate to each other in an over-arching voice that can be nothing but Jacaszek but don’t feel out of place when played out of order or on a continuous loop. The only thing Treny doesn’t have is a standout track, which is a fantastic thing because it means that there is no high or low quality side to this album, it is simply phenomenal throughout. A single gem of a track would undoubtedly mean that the quality of all others would suffer by virtue of being worse than 'that other one', and to have that happen to this album would be nothing short of a tragedy.

I won’t go through the tracks listing pros and cons of each one because the list would be very one sided and ultimately pointless as this record is meant for personal reflection and introspection, you have to make your own mind up about each track. All I can possibly recommend from here is that you find a copy somewhere, anywhere, and indulge yourself in it. It’s taken me exactly the length of this album to write this review, and all I want now is to put it back to the start and fall into the darkness all over again. So that's what I'll do. Easily one of the best albums of the new millennium. - Last.fm - Myspace -

Emancipator - Safe in the Steep Cliffs

2010-03-10T12:44:00.000-08:00

Emancipator - Safe in the Steep Cliffs

Fans of Emancipator will be well aware of this evolution from the first album, but for those of you who are new to his music altogether, please allow me to introduce him. Doug Appling was a 19 year old college student who decided to make a full length album of symphonic trip-hop music in his spare time. All sounds were created through his own hands and computer, with the exception of several vocals and Cindy Kao on violin, putting together an incredibly cohesive album that belied his age. Soon it will be Cold Enough was initially released by Doug himself in 2006, limited to only 500 copies. Nujabes discovered the album and stepped in, signing it to his Hydeout Productions label and remastering and re-releasing it in 2008. 5000 copies were sold within the first 6 months, an incredible achievement considering the humble beginnings.

After years of accolades for his debut album, we fast forward to 2010 to find the now 23 Emancipator’s sophomore album Safe in the Steep Cliffs. A serene symphony of notes washes over the listener on the opening track, Greenland, and we find ourselves in familiar territory of a sound that is categorically Emancipator’s own. The track quickly picks up into produced beats overlaid with unique noises and beautiful violin, creating a musical aura that doesn’t depart from the rest of the album.

Two of the three tracks that follow are rife with evidence of Uyama Hiroto, a jazz musician from Japan, and this guest star’s new genre provides a brilliant new addition to the arsenal of unique elements in Emancipator’s music. Soon thereafter we find Old Devil, which dares to introduce banjo to an album that two tracks ago was knee-deep in jazz influence. And it works, better than almost any other album I’ve ever heard. Old Devil is not only banjo though, laced throughout the track are familiar and not-quite so easy to place instruments that create a deliciously discordant and yet oh so competent sound.

Emancipator - Nevergreen

Nevergreen, the track that follows, returns to the simplicity of piano and a light beat with an incredible highlight of overlapping string instruments before introducing an unexpected and yet entirely plausible distorted electric guitar sample that intertwines with a cello. It’s this seamless integration of instruments and styles that makes Emancipator one of the most accomplished artists in the industry in 4 short years and 2 incredible albums. Safe in the Steep Cliffs is a record where the listener is engulfed in a stunning aural vacation for the entire album’s length, with great variety in the individual songs and yet an over-arching sound that links the entire album into one cohesive and beautiful listen.

The ninth track to appear on this new album, Rattlesnakes, provides yet another surprise, with a seemingly traditional Japanese instrumental integrated into the track, evident through a number of traditional instruments that are not regularly experienced in trip-hop. Nujabes’ influence, and consequently Uyama Hiroto’s style becomes apparent once again on tracks such as Hill Sighed, which reintroduces jazz elements but also the familiar string instruments and beats that Emancipator is synonymous with.

The final two tracks, Siren and the title track, Safe in the Steep Cliffs, see the album shift back to the traditional Emancipator format, but both do so in a refreshing manner that makes the two tracks as enjoyable to listen to as any of the more experimental songs. Final notes of the last track fade away into silence where the listener sits in awe at the preceding 14 tracks, punctuating the incredible achievement that this album is. It cannot come highly recommended enough. - Last.fm - Myspace -

Arms and Sleepers - Matador

2010-03-09T06:22:00.000-08:00

Arms and Sleepers - Matador

Max Lewis and Mirza Ramic are without a doubt Arms and Sleepers, a duo from North America who have profusely spouted fantastic music since their first knocking of heads in 2006. In no particular order, Bliss was it in that Dawn to be Alive EP, Black Paris 86, Cinematique, Lautlos EP, Milkweed EP, From the Inland Sea EP, The Motorist and of course this release, Matador (with a bside special edition release just out). Not bad for a 4 year run.

Matador is a special album, 10 tracks (11 if you’re from Europe/Japan) of trip-hop fused with ambient post-rock, a sprinkle of IDM and dripping with guest stars who all seem to have voices fit for indie pop music. The great thing about it, though, is that these voices are put to brilliant use on this album by taking a somewhat indie/folk specific voice and dropping it into a glitch-driven track with soft piano in the back, like in the case of The Architekt. This vocal treatment sets it apart from the rest of the Arms and Sleepers albums and EPs, which generally have little to no vocal participation. In a sense it makes Matador depart from the ‘traditional’ A&S sound, but thankfully not in a bad manner.

Arms and Sleepers - Matador

The album is introduced by a calm track in Orly that sets up beautifully for the title track, Matador, which is unmistakably trip-hop the second the beat starts. The Architekt follows, which seems to be the generally regarded ‘hit’ of the album, with vocals from Ben Shepard and Catherine Worsham (Uzi & Ari) who’s voices almost seem better suited to this style of music better than their own. Twentynine Palms follows, which is a much slower but no less fantastic track. It’s at this point you realise that every track has its own voice and is telling its own story, but no single song subtracts from any other.

The album is an entity that can be listened to any way you like, starting anywhere and finishing anywhere and you still feel as if you’ve listened to a whole soundscape of crafted beats, unique analogue instruments and layered vocals. The final tracks, especially Simone and Kino give off an airy ambiance fitting to movie soundtracks, the potential visuals flash before your eyes whilst listening.

The final track, The Paramour reminds of the title track again, with a chilled beat complemented by piano mixed together expertly with a voice used as an instrument rather than a vocal tool. Horns and other instruments permeate the track towards the end, and it’s a beautiful note to leave the album on, wanting more of the same but satisfied with what you got. - Last.fm - Myspace -

Hecq vs. Exillon - Spheres of Fury

2010-03-07T10:03:00.000-08:00

Hecq vs. Exillon - Spheres of Fury

So, even though this video seems to have been doing the rounds quite a bit so far, not a whole lot is known about this song or video. The two artists, although relatively well known on their own, have never combined on a track before, and apart from a 'Spheres of Fury - Coming Soon' message on Hecq's homepage, there's not much information available about the collaboration anywhere else. What is evident, however, is that this song and video combination is AWESOME!

Tim Brown and Christopher Hewitt directed this fantastic clip, and the only available released information is that it was shot on a Canon 7D, a 30mm lens was used somewhere in the process, and the following 'overview':

"Born from a love of classic 80s war films Spheres of Fury is an action packed pastiche. The bravado and attitude that pours from these movies is nothing but a treat to watch, our modern remake aims to capture some of those magical moments but with a slightly comical, modern stance."
- Christopher Hewitt's overview

Not much to go on, but oh so much fun. The clip has amazing character buildup for the desperately short 3 minutes of actual music time, and yet there's unique characteristics for each of the people that you endear to. The only thing that detracts from this for me is the end credits, taking up another solid minute, 1/4 the entire running time of the video. It just wasn't that necessary for me. There is, however, a solid storyline that builds up to an amazing crescendo of this water fight in the middle of a field, and ties everything up with a neat little bow for the conclusion. In 3 minutes...

The great effectiveness of this I believe comes down to the fantastic actors and absolutely brilliant editing. The actors make this video seem like it's something anyone could make given a group of friends, some water guns and a promise of free dinner. I highly doubt this was the case, but something about this video just makes you want to jump out of your chair and make it yourself.

The editing makes every beat, every melody reflect an occurrence in the video and in turn makes the visual and aural aspects seem to blend together seamlessly. I couldn't imagine this video without the song, or listening to the song without looking at the video.

Unfortunately, that makes for a slight curse. Listening to the song without the video does show that the song is good, but what makes it great is the collaboration, the fusion that the video and song have. I can't listen to it without picturing the water shooting through the air timed perfectly to the glitching beat of the song, and that's a distraction. Perhaps this is down to being introduced to the song alongside the video first, which then linked the two. Although evidence of both the artists individual styles are evident in the song, it's packaged in a much more pleasing way than their other releases. I highly anticipate the Hecq vs. Exillon collaboration to hear what else they've come up with. I'll keep you posted...

Sola Rosa - Get it Together

2010-03-05T07:46:00.000-08:00

Sola Rosa - Get It Together

Once again my penchant for genre blending (bLending, not bending...) music becomes apparent, with Sola Rosa being labelled as: Electronic, Hip Hop, Reggae, Latin, Rock, Pop, Funk / Soul.

Sola Rosa is a 5 piece band that begun with solely Andrew Spraggon in 1999, and has evolved to include many members of many famous New Zealand groups. Get It Together, Sola Rosa’s third full length release a genuine pleasure to listen to with fantastic instruments mixed together in a toe-tapping manner that will leave you wanting more after each listen. Unlike The Evpatoria Report, reviewed earlier, this album is perfectly suited to an in depth listen just as much as it’s an ideal background album to chill to with friends over.

The album begins with a gradual lead up into a stunning frenzy of well structured instruments in The Ace of Space, which sets the tone perfectly for the first half of the album. It’s all very upbeat and nothing would seem out of place at a Latin nightclub, with the exception of perhaps the New Zealand accents. The album’s third song, Del Ray, was described to me by a friend as ‘Techno Spaghetti Western’, a term which sounds so wrong but works so well in Sola Rosa’s case. The Genres melt perfectly into each other, from cheery dance beginnings to slightly gloomier hip-hop middle and beyond.

Sola Rosa - Turn Around ft. Iva Lamkum

Lady Love featuring the well known Bajka is a sweeping emotional piece with spoken word verses and a delicate chorus in a beautifully unique voice layered over brooding strings and guitar. A traditional structure but somewhat unorthodox vocal arrangement reminds of hip-hop music without any of the aggression. This album is a continuous surprise in the scope of different sounds and yet retaining a certain familial sound that ties it back to the band and previous records.

The album is closed off with a reggae-like vibe in These Words, These Sounds, These Powers featuring Spikey Tree, albeit with a more dub influenced musical backdrop. Overall Sola Rosa’s Get It Together is an album that has something for almost every occasion, a perfect addition to an entertainer’s collection. - Last.fm - Myspace -

Younger Brother - A Flock of Bleeps

2010-03-04T12:46:00.001-08:00

"Oh goody,

Let's pump ourselves full of magic monkey juice and take a trip to space land"

In anticipation to the imminent release of Younger Brother's third studio album, "Vaccine", here is a quick look back at the first two albums.

Younger Brother - A Flock of Bleeps

Starting off the album is Weird on a Monday Night, an aural masterpiece that starts with distorted vocal intro that only Simon Posford can be responsible for. The tone for the album is set from this brilliant opener on, with a surprisingly organic mix of electronic elements all meshed together to form a stunningly creative album. Each track can be singled out as a highlight, yet no one song over-powers any of the others, which is something that plagues plenty of other albums.

Crumblenaut is arguably the album's best known track, which blends the down-tempo album start with Posford's infamous vocal adjustments of Michele Adamson's beautiful voice. The later part of the song leads into a somewhat faster mood which perfectly lines up the following tracks.

As a debut album, forgetting for a second the pedigree that Mr. Posford (Shpongle, Hallucinogen) and Mr. Vaughan (Prometheus) bring to the table, this is a phenomenal start to what started out as a side project. A Flock of Bleeps has now reached something of a cult status in electronica circles after its release in 2003, an album that takes music in a completely new direction that is almost unclassifiable.

The mid-section is oft regarded as the trance equivalent of the album, and thus has reached a slightly broader audience but this should by no means put off listeners from listening to the outlying tracks.

There are fantastic vocals and vocal samples throughout, some laid straight over the track but most manipulated expertly by Posford to create some breathtakingly unique sounds which become music of their own accord.

Younger Brother - Weird on a Monday Night

The finish of the album comes through two tracks; Safety Zone, a seemingly dub influenced track that blends perfectly into Bedtime Story, an utterly chill track with predominantly acoustic guitar picking laid over ambient sounds. The track would not be out of place on a toddler's bedtime tape, and yet it book-ends A Flock of Bleeps so perfectly, finishing on such a peaceful note that leaves the listener in the best possible way relaxed. - Last.fm - Myspace -

Younger Brother - The Last Days of Gravity

2010-03-04T12:45:00.000-08:00

Younger Brother - The Last Days of Gravity

Happy Pills, the opening track on The Last Days of Gravity is almost fitting to be listened to directly after the closer of A Flock of Bleeps, such is the peaceful introduction to the sophomore Younger Brother release.

Far from replicating their debut album, however, Simon and Benji have combined their original sound with something more acoustic, almost band like for Last Days. Although not evident by traditional sounds, instruments can be identified throughout, mixed within the modified sound scape that is the electronic base. Some songs have glitch elements and vocal distortions in them, whilst others have simple guitar riffs and drum beats, and yet it all blends together to create a listening pleasure that is yet again somewhat unclassifiable.

The growing up would have attracted more fans that relate this album to more well known works, with a stronger commercial psychedelic link musically. Yet somehow it manages to maintain the beauty of the first album, it still appeals to the audience that A Flock of Bleeps was made for.

This hashing of two worlds is what has made this album so compelling and appealing, setting yet another musical benchmark for the two producers.

Going back and forth between the acoustic-like (Your Friends are Scary) and almost entirely manufactured (I am a Freak) and to a complete blend of the two (Psychic Gibbon) means that this album does have a slight err in identity. It simply doesn't flow together as well as A Flock of Bleeps did, and has some clearer stand-out tracks as highlights.

Apart from this minor detraction, The Last Days of Gravity is an album that is absolutely essential to have in a library that appreciates unique and colourful music.

The final moments of Psychic Gibbon end with a heartbeat, again an ideal book-end to a brilliant album. - Last.fm - Myspace -

_________________________________________

I'll leave you with a slight preview of the upcoming album in the form of a video of Younger Brother recording some claps and stomps. If this doesn't get your juices flowing for the new release, then nothing will.

The Evpatoria Report - Golevka

2010-03-04T11:08:00.000-08:00

The Evpatoria Report – Golevka

Despite their label of post-rock, The Evpatoria Report is a genre-crossing band that mixes the elements of post-rock with modern classical in an almost cinematic manner, with epic sweeping songs. The shortest song on the album is 8:34...

Above all, Golevka is an album that needs attention, which can be both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because if you give this album the time that it deserves, a world of music becomes apparent, and one of the most stunning aural experiences can be had with just a good pair of headphones and closed eyes. A curse because the album doesn’t allow for a quick listen in between a task, or putting on a song in the background whilst performing other tasks. The attention it demands is simply too great.

Don’t get me wrong, the songs are phenomenal, each song tells a story. Instead of trying to cram an entire story in a 3 minute radio song, they’re all given the time they need, to grow and mature in each individual song. That brings me to another slight downfall, unfortunately, and that’s that this album doesn’t flow. Each song in itself feels like an album, whereas they should feel like individual chapters of an all-encompassing book. Thankfully this doesn’t detract too much because the songs are long enough to gain their own footing and impress individually. You also feel like you want more after a song finishes, so there is great incentive to keep listening, because you’ll hear more of that beautiful music.

The Evpatoria Report - Taijin Kyofusho

Individual songs are hard to review because of their complexity in the stories they tell, so I’ll refrain from spoiling that for any potential listeners. Suffice it to say that each song plays an important part in the album, and the album is one that is not to be missed.

Their 2003 EP and the first track from this 2005 Golevka album are available for free download from their website, so if you wish to have a sample this is the perfect place to start. The Evpatoria Report also have a second full length album out, called Maar. - Last.fm - Myspace -