Cyclic Defrost

Doom – Unexpected Guests (Gold Dust Media/Inertia)

2009-11-09T19:24:47Z

With a new full length album, Born Like This, just this year, we should feel spoilt to have this new compilation available so soon after its release, and although a compilation of older tracks where Doom has appeared as a guest MC, and some hard to get gems, its still an outstanding compilation. Dooms crazy off the wall flows add so much to the artists tracks, takes them to a whole new level. Dooms take on poetry and the crazed mind of a man who has such a loose flow, but one who sits just right in the mix. There really is no one like Doom in the lyrical department.

A few of his own classics are here, some different versions than I’ve heard previously. “?” featuring Kurious, “All Outta Ale”, “Bells Of Doom” and “My Favourite Ladies” that still bumps to this day, “…Ali is always there to help me get back on…”

The guest appearances Doom has appeared on are spread over a few years, “Rock Co. Kane Flow” by De La Soul, “Get ‘Er Done” and “Trap Door” by Jake One, “Fly That Knot” by Talib Kweli, “Sniper Elite” by Dilla, “Sorcerers” by John Robinson, “Da Supafriendz” by Vast Aire, “Quite Buttery” by Count Bass D, “E.N.Y. House” by Masta Killa and “Street Corners Remix” by Masta Killa, Inspectah Deck and the mighty GZA.

No other words but fantastic. The man in the mask stands alone, but he does sometime share his genius with others. Buy on sight.

Wayne Stronell

Doom – Unexpected Guests (Gold Dust Media/Inertia) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

Various Artists – Strange Breaks & Mr Thing II (BBE/Inertia)

2009-11-09T19:24:24Z

As the subtitle states: More Rock, Funk, Soul, Jazz & Soundtrack Breaks For Modern Living, Mr Thing brings us the second installment in a five part series compiling rare and sought after breaks from disparate genres. A double CD package, disc one contains the compiled tracks, and disc two is the mixed companion, as always expertly and lovingly mixed by Mr Thing. Although many mixed CD’s showcase a DJ’s skills, this is more about the tracks, Mr Thing hasn’t tried to cram on dozens of breaks, but 16 tracks, cut, scratched and mixed to make the perfect Sunday afternoon companion to catching up with friends.

Some stone cold classics here, and some lesser known gems, you would have heard some of these songs before, cropping up in mixes by Andy Votel and The Gaslamp Killer to name just two. Every track is a killer, no filler, Frank Pleyer Big Band, Dick Walter, Jake Wade & The Soul Searchers, Art & Ron, Kalyanji Anandji, Johnny Griffith Inc., Roy Head, Ruby Andrews, Jerzy Milian Orkiestra, Hot Butter & Soul, The Generation Gap, Oscar Harris & The Twinkle Stars, The Rias Orchestra, Val Merrall’s Orchestra, Hot City Bump Band, and The Alan Tew Orchestra.

Favourites here are “Back Ground Music” by Kalyanji Anandji, the recording suffering when the female wail come in, but nonetheless a great track. “She’s About A Mover” by Roy Head is just incredibly funky, as is Hot Butter & Soul’s version of “ABC”. The wacked out synth lines of “Pru Urebu” by The Rias Orchestra propel this disco number to outer space, while the crazy funk filled version of “Pink Panther” soundtrack by The Alan Tew Orchestra is one of the better I’ve heard.

As usual, another great compilation by the BBE and Mr Thing team.

Wayne Stronell

Various Artists – Strange Breaks & Mr Thing II (BBE/Inertia) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

Matt Bartram – Left To Memory (Drifting Falling)

2009-11-09T19:23:42Z

I’m pretty much a complete sucker for distorted guitars deployed in waves of beautiful warm ooze. The old shoegazer in me has trouble turning on critical faculties when faced with the well textured peacefulness that is at the centre of the maelstrom. And so my immediate response to my first hearing of Matt Bartram was very positive. He knows how to wield his effects pedals. I remember reading an interview of Andy Bell and Mark Gardener of Ride fame many years ago. They said that experience had taught them that layers and layers of guitar in recordings meant that each one had to be turned down, diminishing their impact. So they generally stuck to one guitar track each within which they explored all the fuzz, wah and reverb they could muster to full impact. Matt Bartram goes by this same philosophy. Rarely do more than two guitar lines feature, giving each the space to breathe and buzz, creating wonderful soundscapes.

The problem with Left To Memory, however, is all the other bits that go into making music and songs. Bartram leaves all the rhythms at program-by-numbers drum machine. By neither using live drums, nor letting the drum machine be a drum machine, but to merely deploy it as a bland, plodding imitator of live drums, he abandons the chance to have what is best about either. Likewise, vocals are all fey indie musings pushed through a long tailed reverb preset, offering nothing in light and shade, just a sub-Jesus and Mary Chain nothingness. These things completely undermine the exquisiteness of the guitar textures, which have obviously been intricately crafted.

The best moments of Left To Memory, then, are those where everything is pretty much turned off apart from the guitars. And there are a few of these – the two interludes ‘Vision Pt 1′ and ‘Vision Pt 2′ in particular, or ‘Twelve String Loop’, the real highlight, which demonstrate Bartram’s strengths without diminishing them via the parts of the process for which he doesn’t possess the same passions. At other times, I sometimes find myself beginning to be blissfully lost in the haze, only to be snapped back to the mundane by an annoying ride cymbal preset or a slightly off-key non-melody that echoes off into the canyons seemingly forever. What could have been…

Adrian Elmer

Matt Bartram – Left To Memory (Drifting Falling) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

Mind Holes and Simple Fixes – Extended Playlist 091109 – www.2ser.com 107.3FM

2009-11-10T09:10:31Z

From Yoko fly-on-the-wall to Clean living antipods, today’s edition of EP gives eclecticity a run for its money.

Remember to subscribe or renew by 5pm Monday 16 November if you’re not currently a 2SER supporter and you want to go in the draw for BIG prizes including return flights to London:

BY PHONE: Call +61 (0)2 9514 9500

ONLINE: www.2ser.com/support/subscribers (scroll to the bottom of the page)

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Themes at your leisure, please, to extendedplay@2ser.com .
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# – denotes Australian artist or release
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Yoko Ono with Plastic Ono Band – Mind Holes
(“Fly” – 1971, Apple)

Paul Haig – Mad Horses
(“The Fruit Of The Original Sin” 2xCD compilation – 2007, LTM) (original 1981, Les Disques Du Crépuscule)

YACHT – The Afterlife
(“See Mystery Light” – 2009, DFA)

The Emergency – Fantasy (Bottin’s Morriconey Island Mix)
(“Fantasy” download – 2009, Exo/Metal Postcard) #

Jori Hulkkonen – Bend Over Beethoven
(“Man From Earth” – 2009, Turbo)

The Future Sound of London – I’m Not Gonna Let You Do It
(“The Pulse EPs” – 2008, Jumpin’ & Pumpin’) (original 1992, as Mental Cube)

Stimming – Silver Surfer
(“Reflections” – 2009, Diynamic)

Perplexer – Acid Folk (Ramon Zenker Remix)
(“Acid Folk” single – 1994, Urban)

Fuck Buttons – Rough Steez
(“Tarot Sport” – 2009, Atp)

Tony Lawrence – The Defenders
(demo – 2009) #

Boards of Canada – Aquarius (Version 3)
(“Peel Session” – 1998, Warp)

Filewile – Bug
(“Blueskywell” – 2009, Mouthwatering)

James Duncan – You Are The Sun
(“Hello-Fi” – 2009, Round Trip Mars)

Lucky Dragons – My Are Singing
(“Dream Island Laughing Language” – 2008, Hawks And Sparrows)

Broadcast and The Focus Group – You Must Wake
(“Broadcast And The Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults Of The Radio Age” – 2009, Warp)

Apricot Rail – Pouring Milk Out The Window (Tin Man Spilt Milk Remix)
(“Pouring Milk Out The Window” single – 2009, Hidden Shoal) #

Seekae – Void
(“The Sound Of Trees Falling On People” – 2008, Knitting Club) #

Vladislav Delay – Kuula (Kiitos)
(“Tummaa” – 2009, Leaf)

The Clean – Simple Fix
(“Mister Pop” – 2009, Arch Hill)

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# – denotes Australian artist or release
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Do you like our playlists?
>Produce your own music?
>>Send us your demos:
ollo/Extended Play
PO Box 292
Enmore NSW 2042
Australia

Mind Holes and Simple Fixes – Extended Playlist 091109 – www.2ser.com 107.3FM is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

Northerner – 1976 (Hibernate)

2009-11-09T22:46:25Z

Everything about UK producer Martin J Cummings’s ‘1976′ screams ‘winter’, from his nom de plume Northerner on the Hibernate label to the frosted leaves adorning the cover, yet it sounds anything but. Rather, the glistening, buttery synths, washed up alongside barren tufts of guitar and hazy static recall a blissful summery sunset, stoned on tropical grass, Mai Tai in hand, swaying gently in a hammock. Well that’s the first track, ‘The End of December, and if the remaining pieces fail to reach that near-sublime level of sunkissed languor they all evoke similarly drowsy summertime settings. In the title track a throbbing low-end hints at Tim Hecker while glitchy snatches of harmonica lap the sides, ‘Can’t’ pits watery guitar chords against Pole crackle and sparkly synth blips, while ‘If You Could’ takes to the desert, brief snatches of Sergio Leone twang over flickering gusts of wind. Each piece flows freely into the next, bringing added consistency to an already taut album, making the enjoyment even more effortless.

Joshua Meggitt

Northerner – 1976 (Hibernate) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

Deepchild – Shameless In Seattle EP (Sub Continental Dub)

2009-11-09T03:52:40Z

Deepchild has progressed much further than most have expected since his debut in the late 1990s. His latest releases have begun enveloping many aspects of bass music culture, and has shown he is now even at the forefront of home grown dubstep and newer ‘funky’ styles.

“Shameless In Seattle” picks up the funky tag, mixed with heavily chopped and screwed hip hop lyricism, reminiscent of artists like Shadowhuntaz, while “Wannado” injects an Asian flavour over warm synth washes and detached house vocal refrains. Gravious from the Highpoint Lowlife label add a bed of percussion and rolling bass interlocking with crisp Detroit synth melodies, showing another side to their darker beast within. Sydney’s Westernsynthetics add a darker edge to “Shameless In Seattle”, keeping the chopped vocal, stripping down the rhythm and adding an almost Autechre style machine melody, intricately weaving its way through the mix.

This is a world class EP that needs to be checked out, you just have to support Australian, especially when it’s this good.

Wayne Stronell

Deepchild – Shameless In Seattle EP (Sub Continental Dub) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

Walter Gross – La Pink Filth (I Had An Accident Records)

2009-11-09T01:10:03Z

Walter Gross brings the dirt, opening this eight tracker with some brutal spoken word, synth snarl, and a bass drop that would hint to the biggest dubstep mutations, not unlike King Cannibal’s brutalism. It’s lodged somewhere between the bass pressure of dubstep, or even drum’n’bass, electronic and crunk synth overload, and the experimentation of renowned noise exponents. This really is an overload on the senses, Walter Gross owning up to loving the art of sampling. You can see why here; snippets have been taken from everywhere, making it nearby impossible to categorise.

I’ll go out on a limb here, many music lovers from differing favoured styles would like what is enclosed here, there is just so much sound crammed into each track, and although confronting at times (especially to my aging ears), sounds seem to naturally shift and morph into something new by the close of each track. Just as “Headhunterz” starts as what seems a brutalists take on dirty hip hop, it degrades to a wall of noise so naturally. Included is the rather superb Youth Kill screwed remix of 10shun’s “Mindfuck”, listed here as “10shun Findmuck”.

It could be a 70’s psych classic played with a totally destroyed stylus, re-grooving the record as it spins, or Muslimgauze at his most experimental with an even bigger blanket of distortion, or even John Carpenter on crack, but whatever it is, it’s brutal, in your face, an assault on the senses. If Walter Gross wants his listeners to hear him, he’s going about it the right way: you have no choice in the matter.

Wayne Stronell

Walter Gross – La Pink Filth (I Had An Accident Records) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

Shinobu Nemoto – Improvisations 1 (Experimedia)

2009-11-08T23:49:05Z

The five long, noisy drones on Improvisations #1 were recorded live, in one take onto a 4-track by Japanese artist Shinobu Nemoto using only electric guitar and ’stomp boxes’. The first response to these vast pieces is disbelief at their simple construction, as there’s a wealth of mysterious activity going on. Each piece moves gradually from whispered hum to grand squall, the towering feedback augmented with assorted clinks and blips, presumably from the stomp box. There’s a nod to Krautrock in the mystical shimmer, and the likes of Main and Flying Saucer Attack in basic construction, and an aesthetic akin to contemporaries Sunn O))), minus the metal posturing. For all the ruckus Improvisations #1 sits comfortably alongside Experimedia colleagues Billy Gomberg and Sylvie Walder, ambivalent sound poised between genial approachability and sinister malevolence.

Joshua Meggitt

Shinobu Nemoto – Improvisations 1 (Experimedia) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

Lambent – Smoothness Extract (Project Mooncircle)

2009-11-08T19:52:32Z

Project Mooncircle continue the quality of their releases with the new full length album from Lambent. This time delving into a more wonky world of futuristic hip hop, warm organic sounds with a Dilla-esque approach to his beat making.

The obvious comparisons could be applied here, Dilla, Flying Lotus and Dabrye, but Lambent has his own sound, one far more soulful in many ways, warm keys and sweet melodies twist and weave around the skewed beats. As with some wonky stylings, Lambent doesn’t fall into the trap of the beats been too disjointed, becoming to wonky to dance to, as some of the copyists seem to become guilty of, after all, I still want to be connected to a rhythm, not forced to accept an unnatural one.

Highlights from the album are “Wish”, “Resemblance”, both as sweet as any Flying Lotus productions, “I Am Alright”, which has a psychedelic soul flavour extracted from the future. “Norm” and “Hook Rip” have all the trademarks of Sheffield electronics coupled with the bass culture of today, two of my favourites from the album, the later reminding me of intricate textures pioneered by experimenters Autechre. “Scaler” lays down a hard beat as good as Dabrye or Mark Pritchard, while “Night Woose” has a futuristic afro rhythm with looped harp segments bringing the warmth felt from legends such as Alice Coltrane.

What could be discarded along with other ‘wonky’ releases, Smoothness Extract steps out on its own, showing its soul as something a lot more, full of warmth and heart, intricate melodies and subtle beat scapes, full of hidden treasures to behold. Project Mooncircle deliver yet again, a label showcasing some of the worlds finest new talent, given to us as usual in exquisitely designed packaging and artwork.

Wayne Stronell

Lambent – Smoothness Extract (Project Mooncircle) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

Fink – Sort Of Revolution EP (Ninja Tune/Inertia)

2009-11-08T08:51:56Z

The smokey voice of Fink has always had some attraction, the warmth draws you in, and its this Northern Soul warmth that always encourages me to checkout something new from Fink.

The Sort Of Revolution EP is an EP worth having a listen to, if only for the Cinematic Orchestra remix, which doesn’t do too much to the original, but adds an ethereal feel that lifts this quite sombre song. The full remix by The Cinematic Orchestra uses their current trend of stripping everything back to bare bones, back to bare emotion, utilising understated orchestral passages and washes of strings, very beautiful, and a style that really seems to sit well with the vocal. The original is a fine mix of warm voice, simple acoustic guitar, subtle percussion, and most surprisingly, an addictive dub bass line, with a subtle use of echo toward the end.

The single exclusive “Don’t Look Down” is the usual voice/acoustic guitar/subtle percussion, that could almost be mistaken for a Radiohead outtake, if it wasn’t for Fink’s distinctive vocal, a really nice track. The “Sideshow Dub” of “Sort Of Revolution” is a real surprise, just straight up dub steppa, minimal vocals and lots of effects, lots of space for the sounds to ricochet.

Sombre but uplifting. Nice.

Wayne Stronell

Fink – Sort Of Revolution EP (Ninja Tune/Inertia) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

Silkie – City Limits Volume One (Deep Medi/Inertia)

2009-11-08T08:51:25Z

Dance oriented full-length albums can be somewhat problematic, becoming more of a collection of tracks, not very cohesive as a whole, but individual tracks working well in the mix.

Silkie’s City Limits Volume One must be given credit on a few levels, firstly, although pigeonholed as a dubstep producer, there is far more going on here, and secondly, the tracks flow well to create a journey through a futuristic urban landscape. What initially strikes you is the way Silkie beds his roots with 2step and drum’n’bass, but weaves in so many other influences, dubstep, broken beat, nu-jazz, and Detroit techno. The later is, for me, what makes this album shine, from the offset with “Concrete Jungle” to “Turvy”, “Spark”, “Purple Love”, “Planet X”, “Mattaz” and the closer “Beauty”, proving that the fresh , crisp sounds of the Detroit sound have stood the test of time, and when added to modern bass music production, add another depth to the sound palette.

Silkie has created a warm, emotive album that is worth checking out.

Wayne Stronell

Silkie – City Limits Volume One (Deep Medi/Inertia) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

Markus Kienzl – Density (Klein Records)

2009-11-08T08:49:31Z

Founding member and key figure of the Vienna-based electronic-dub-collective Sofa Surfers, Markus Kienzl brings us his second solo album, merging electronics, dub, rock, hip hop and soul, melted together into Kienzl’s special blend of urban paranoia, and a further development from the intrinsically dub roots of past Sofa Surfers productions.

Musically, Density has a dirtier, harder edge, full to the brim with live drums, bass, guitar and the usual studio wizardry we’ve come to expect from Klein releases. Rock riffs sit comfortably next to dub effects and vocals from a variety of vocalists and MC’s. The electronics are the glue in the project, subtly underpinning the live sound of the instrumentation, and that is its major strength, enabling a traditional song structure to incorporate originality and inventiveness.

Supported by a vast array of talent, Cutty Ranks, Oddateee, DJ Collage, Jack Hirschmann, Tania Saedie and Dolli Melaine, Kienzl paints a picture of a sounding and shining dark monolith, pulsating with enigmatic forces in a chimerical urban soundscape. There is a bleakness to Density, but it works as a gripping journey through disturbed urban environments.

“For Real” is the perfect track for Oddateee to spit over, its not a Dalek production, but it’s the next best thing, while “Infrared Dot” lays down a similar hard beat for Oddateee, sampled most probably from the same source as the last EP from Jamie Vex’d. The electro-clash of “Scream” leaves me somewhat cold, and seems out of place here. Kienzl switches things around for “The Kung Fu Divas” and “Sniper, Sniper (A Cutty Ranks Tale)”, bringing us back to a dancehall sound that artists from Vienna always seem to be drawn to, and Cutty Ranks toasts like no other. Rounding out the album with “One Of 33 Million”, kind of a cross between Hood and Glen Porter, Density is an album full of inventiveness, this may be downtempo, but it has a harder edge. Worth seeking out.

Wayne Stronell

Markus Kienzl – Density (Klein Records) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

Kush Arora – Boiling Over EP (Record Label Records)

2009-11-08T08:48:36Z

Hailing from San Francisco, Kush Arora has made his own imprint on bass music with his particular blend of dancehall, dubstep and Indian music, all rooted in dub and electronica, developing his sound over the last decade. An active member of the Surya Dub Crew in San Francisco, supported worldwide by top name magazines such as XLR8R, Pitchfork and Mix Magazine, earning them the best club night in San Francisco

On Boiling Over, Kush Arora teams up yet again with Sub Swara and J.Rogers which span the desi 2step and deep bass realms, while Kush’s ambient roots are revealed on “The Staircase”. “Deal Breaker” is all gurgling bass and electronics, while “We’re Upstairs” is a beautifully executed roots steppa. “SF Shuffle Riddim” rounds out the seven track EP with the familiar Indian tinge to his sound.

There is great variety here, not choosing to stick to a formula, and willing to collaborate whenever possible, and this is what stands it apart from even the massive names on the UK dubstep scene, where progression in that scene has slowed for some artists, the US seems to be stepping up to push the sound further.

Wayne Stronell

Kush Arora – Boiling Over EP (Record Label Records) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

An-ten-nae – Acid Crunk EP5 (Muti Music)

2009-11-08T08:50:30Z

Crunk came and went, as most was pretty forgettable, but there are some artists out there that still fit the mould such as Modeselektor and Ghislain Poirier, and they do it so well, and An-ten-nae have been releasing some stormers, managing to mesh everything good about grime, dubstep, hip hop and electro.

Hailing from the West Coast of the US, An-ten-nae have been making waves, especially in the UK, gaining attention from Mary Anne Hobbs of BBC Radio, along with other upcoming artists Glitch Mob, Lazer Sword and The Gaslamp Killer.

Jamaican dancehall star Buccaneer features on “Warning”, adding a futuristic dancehall vibe, which is further broken down like failing machines on the additional remix by An-ten-nae & Outersect. Two instrumentals are included, “Ill” and “Get Low”, taking the mid-tempo beats to a new level with mammoth bass drops and twisted distorted electronics.

An-ten-nae, along with other luminaries like Lazer Sword and Megasoid, just maybe the future of club music.

Wayne Stronell

An-ten-nae – Acid Crunk EP5 (Muti Music) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

Various Artists – Geometry (Touchin’ Bass/Inertia)

2009-11-08T03:47:39Z

UK-based label Touchin’ Bass was originally founded back in 2002 by Andrea Parker with the stated aim of focusing on leftfield / experimental ghetto tech and booty electro, and following a brief period of inactivity this latest unmixed compilation ‘Geometry’ sees the label presenting nine tracks from a range of different artists on their roster. In this instance, rather than ghetto-tech styles, the focus falls firmly upon post-Warp Records influenced ‘intelligent’ techno, with Bogger’s opening ‘Mineral’ building itself up out of a dense web of ricocheting, elastic synthetic tones before razor-sharp IDM breakbeats rise up and take over the entire mix, sending things down into menacing, surgically-edited darkness.

By contrast, Ben Milstein’s ‘Osity’ favours a more shuffling approach that tickles the senses as much as it confuses them, as twinkling near-acid squelches and proggy drones roll over over a treacherous backbone of fluttering rhythms that constantly change their time signature, before Bitstream opt for comparatively more conventional electro waters on ‘Nest’, the swirling, moody nightdrive synths and rippling rhythmic pulse calling to mind Cybotron as much as it does Anthony Rother. Elsewhere Alpha 606 & Sync24 pick up the momentum and roll with it on the tumbling, timestretch-happy breakers’ electro of ‘Warped Juice’ as clicking 808 snares tread their way beneath blippy analogue synth-bass tones and howling, distorted drones, before Wee Djs’ ‘No Resolution’ offers up what’s perhaps this collection’s most straight out dancefloor-based offering as tribal techno rhythms pound beneath eerie sampled radio signals and evil-sounding synth sweeps. Fans of The Black Dog’s broken ‘intelligent’ techno and electro could do far worse than investigate ‘Geometry’, which sees the artists here traversing a distinctly post-Warp Records based aesthetic with consistently interesting results.

Chris Downton

Various Artists – Geometry (Touchin’ Bass/Inertia) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

Biomass – Electrozali (Low Impedance Recordings)

2009-11-08T03:45:48Z

Napoli born and now based in Athens, Panos Kyveleas somehow manages to balance his sound design and production with visual scuplture work and a day job as a pharmacist. Three years on from his preceding ‘Market’ CD/DVD collection on Quetempo, this third album from Kyveleas as Biomass ‘Electrozali’ sees him increasingly working with sampled traditional instrumentation as source material, in this case the Cretan lyra, a bowed stringed instrument. For the most part, the nine tracks gathered here see Kyveleas working in predominantly downbeat / ambient territory, with distant traces of dark cinematic atmosphere surfacing amidst a glitchy dub / downtempo aesthetic. Opening track ‘You Must Log In To Do That’ provides an apt encapsulation of this approach, with moody processed string drones building an engrossing sense of rich atmosphere, shortly before dark, electro-dub beats and bass pulses rise up gradually in the mix to drive things towards their conclusion.

By contrast, ‘Altamura’ sees Kyveleas working with treated vocals and looped hand percussion, creating a dizying backdrop of echoing tribal polyrhythms over which skewed Cretan lyra strings dart and swirl amidst sudden scratchy burst of white noise and digital detritus, before ‘Near End’ scatters tight hiphop rhythms and swirling looped lyra strings across a backdrop of sampled astronaut chatter, in what’s easily one of this album’s most impressively ‘widescreen’-sounding moments (keep an ear out for the chaotic whistling as well). Elsewhere, the title track sees Kyveleas reaching for the sort of motorik journey fashioned by the likes of Neu! As streamlined, repetitive rhythms flit away towards the horizon amidst flickering traces of guitar and whispery hi-hat traces, the whole track curiously calling to mind ultra-stripped back blues at points. While at just 39 minutes in running length ‘Electrozali’ comes across as teasingly short, it’s impressive to see just how much ground Kyveleas manages to cover across the seven tracks here.

Chris Downton

Biomass – Electrozali (Low Impedance Recordings) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

Major Lazer – Guns Don’t Kill People…Lazers Do (Downtown/Inertia)

2009-11-07T03:59:47Z

Separately, both US Baile Funk champion Diplo and UK-based fidget house figurehead Dave ‘Switch / Solid Groove’ Taylor have spent the last few years developing into producer / remixers du jour, with working relationship culminating in collaborative efforts on both MIA’s recent ‘Kala’ album and Santigold’s debut. This debut collaborative effort as Major Lazer sees the duo crafting something of a loose concept album based around a Jamaican commando hired as a renegade soldier by a rogue section of the US government, who lost his arm in the secret Zombie War of 1984. Indeed, there’s certainly a spaghetti western meets GI Joe comics aesthetic to the cartoonish sleeve art, something that’s also brought out more explicitly in the faux-Morricone guitar twangs and horse hoof sound effects that open ‘Hold The Line’ – an electro-Baile Funk excursion featuring Mr Lex and Santigold that manages to work the sampled noise of a mobile phone vibration alarm into its relentlessly cut-up grooves, with knowingly cheesy yet amusing results.

While the aforementioned track is certainly one of the most outwardly Baile Funk-centred moments on offer here, for the most part the stylistic aesthetic here falls more upon electro-dancehall, and indeed it’s no real surprise to find out that ‘Guns…’ was recorded and mixed at Bob Marley’s legendary Tuff Gong Studios in Jamaica. If the Ms. Thing-fronted ‘When You Hear The Bassline’ offers a more streamlined, electro and vocoders-laden take on the dancehall genre that calls to mind Ms Thing and Switch’s prior collaboration on the ‘2 Culture Clash’ compilation, ‘Anything Goes’ featuring Turbulence gets far more sparse and bleepy, with the addition of sampled gunfire and eerie minor key cinematic orchestration contributing just the right edge of uneasy undercurrent. Elsewhere, ‘Mary Jane’ offers up the obligatory bong suck-sampling weed anthem complete with brass band tubas and tweaked out Daft Punk-esque backing vocals, and while it’s suitably infantile, it actually fits quite well alongside the likes of ‘Bruk Out’, which basically revolves around T.O.K. Telling us just how many women he’s gonna shag and how. While a lot of the 13 tracks here don’t exactly offer up too much in the deep stakes, those tickled by Diplo and Switch’s previous production outings for MIA and Santigold should find that ‘Guns…’ provides some decent party fodder.

Chris Downton

Major Lazer – Guns Don’t Kill People…Lazers Do (Downtown/Inertia) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

Venetian Snares – Filth (Planet Mu/Inertia)

2009-11-04T22:10:02Z

Winnipeg, Ontario-based Aaron Funk has certainly a reputation as one of contemporary electronic music’s most notorious provocateurs, as releases such as the infamous sexual activity-sampling ‘Nymphomatriarch’ collaboration alongside Hecate and his child-abduction themed ‘Find Candice’ have clearly illustrated. With the levels of expected shock elevated this far by past experiences, the skull and severed tooth sleeve art adorning this latest album as Venetian Snares ‘Filth’, as well as lurid nasty porn track titles like ‘Chainsaw Fellatio’ and Splooj Guzzlers’ almost comes across as de rigeur for the Canadian producer. While the title ‘Filth’ alone suggests a fiendish, graphically gratuitous voyage ahead though, in reality the ten tracks gathered here represent some of Funk’s most immediately accessible material to date.

While there’s a brief nod to the filth suggested by the title in the harrowingly contorted and pitchshifted porn moans that kick off opener ‘Deep Dicking’, for the most part this album sees Funk paying homage to classic rave and acid techno with distinctly more emphasis falling upon the kickdrum than breakcore styles this time out. There’s certainly a pure nosebleed pound to ‘Mongoloid Alien’ that suggests some vast UK warehouse stinking of amyl circa 1991, while ‘Kimberley Clark’ gradually builds from a face-melting wall of acid 303 squeals into doomy, half-step industrial hiphop in what’s easily one of this album’s most unexpected turns. In many senses the sort of vibe conjured here frequently calls to mind aspects of Luke Vibert and Aphex’s respective Amen Andrews and Analord projects, in that it’s certainly an honest and heartfelt homage to classic acid sounds, but one in this case that ends up being mutated into something considerably different when filtered through Funk’s own signature ferocious, yet meticulous production style. An inspired and refreshing album from Venetian Snares that also represents an ideal entry point for those intimidated by his massive backcatalogue.

Chris Downton

Venetian Snares – Filth (Planet Mu/Inertia) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

Composite Profuse / Kobol Electronics – The Dod’s Bankers / Werkspionage 12″ (Datadisk)

2009-11-03T22:42:39Z

The premise is interesting, but I’m not sure I appreciate the affect it has had on the music. From the bio – “Two of Italy’s most formidable electrosonic programmers…were handpicked…to decode the encrypted archives of SISMI, the Italian Secret Service and bring to life these clandestine events onto a 12″ vinyl disc.”

I first listened to the music before reading the bio and can’t say I noticed anything so shrouded. With the knowledge, though, I can now hear that some of the background textures of first track, ‘Blackfriar’s Bridge’ are probably processed voice recordings. Composite Refuse use an Italian political scandal as their source, while Kobol Electronics utilise industrial espionage. The tracks do contain a sense of covert conspiracy reminiscent of classic Underground Resistance, heightened, no doubt, by the similar timbral quailities and production values. Ultimately, though, all this seems to merely obfuscate what is fairly direct music to my ears.

808 drum machines run at the heart and synth pulses are decidedly mid-80s, but both artists certainly know how to use the sounds to construct their music. Squarely in the mode of early techno practitioners such as Cybotron, these dance beats are from a time before disco’s ubiquitous four-to-the-floor kick and off-beat hats had taken their place of precedence over electro syncopation within techno. Both Composite Profuse and Kobol Electronics keep their kicks stuttering and their snares snapping, pulsing through the dark, minor key arpeggios and synth chords, though final track, ‘Code10′ almost delves into pop territory, perhaps like an instrumental New Order track from 1983.

This certainly isn’t ground-breaking music, but I don’t suppose that’s its real purpose. It is well crafted electro-techno which I’ve quite enjoyed and which certainly achieves the result of inspiring body movement.

Adrian Elmer

Composite Profuse / Kobol Electronics – The Dod’s Bankers / Werkspionage 12″ (Datadisk) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

“Homegrown” Australian Special – Extended Playlist 021109 – www.2ser.com 107.3FM

2009-11-10T04:33:11Z

Feasting on local produce this week!

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More themes at your leisure, please, to extendedplay@2ser.com
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Erasers – Lost///Found
(“Erasers” CD-R – 2009, Owls) #

Equal Local – Lamp That
(“Can’t Stop It!” compilation – 1982, Chapter) #

Dsico That No-Talent Hack – Modulations (The Emergency Version)
(“Fool EP” – 2005, spasticated) #

Kharkov – Crustacean
(“New Weird Australia Vol. 2” compilation – 2009, http://newweirdaustralia.com) #

hydatid – Synthetic Time
(“Studies In Particle Motion” self-released – 2006, Half Theory) #

B(if)tek – E.E.G.
(“I Dunno – Club Kooky” compilation – 1997, Kookyburra Droppings) #

Quark Kent – Lego Sunday In Space
(“Beat & Squelch1: Dancing On The Clouds” – 1999, DumpHuck) #

Purdy – A Lot Neater Than War
(“Beat & Squelch2: Fire In The Bassbins” – 2000, DumpHuck) #

afxjim – The T In Tchina
(“Blackout Music (Pow Wow Eight)” – 2009, Feral Media) #

Broken Chip – Argo Buoys
(“Pow Wow Seven” – 2009, Feral Media) #

Alps – Minke Whale
(“Alps Of New South Wales” – 2009, Beatismurder) #

The Makers Of The Dead Travel Fast – The Dumbwaiters
(“Tael Of A Saeghors” 7inch – 1980, M Squared) #

Shane Fahey – Get Some Out Time
(“The Slated Pines” – 2009, Endgame) #

Scattered Order – Photosynthesise
(“Pretty Boffins” – 1999, Rather Be Vinyl) #

Do you like our playlists?
>Produce your own music?
>>Send us your demos:
ollo/Extended Play
PO Box 292
Enmore NSW 2042
Australia

“Homegrown” Australian Special – Extended Playlist 021109 – www.2ser.com 107.3FM is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.