Headphone Commute

Rudi Arapahoe - Echoes From One To Another (Symbolic Interaction)

2008-07-23T17:46:00.000-07:00

As Eve Basilides opens up with strumming of the harp, a distant lo-fi hiss transposes you into a surreal world of shadows and broken dreams. By the time Kaithlin Howard's voice breaks through the reverb and lightly touched piano chords I begin to wonder if the imagery is indeed from my long lost memory. Rudi Arapahoe's spellbinding soundscapes accompany my daydreams into a world of modern classical and magical realism. "A strange and beautiful tale, voiced across the windswept plains and forests of purgatory." Here I give into another temptation to repeat the Echoes From One To Another poem: "In a dream I am standing / At the entrance to a forest / Here there are constructed / Numberless arches that radiate light / When I step through them at night / My body floats gently in the air / At this precise moment / When I am on the cusp of sleep / My shadow vanishes / And with it my weight." Why bother attempting to even describe such beautiful and timeless experience? Rudi Arapahoe has captured it all. As if the music wasn't enough, the photographs included in the packaging perfectly echo the artist's message via the visual senses. Echoes From one To Another definitely reminds me of Max Richter, especially The Blue Notebooks. It's mostly because of the melancholic piano, cinematic strings, and of beautiful spoken word. And when being compared to Max Richter was a bad thing? I hope Arapahoe's future is bright with creating mystical soundtracks to a world that we carve out of this visible reality. For when I close my eyes, it rapidly vanishes. And only music remains.

myspace.com/rudiarapahoe
myspace.com/symbolicinteraction | symbolicinteraction.net

BEST OF 2008 [so far...]

2008-07-06T08:38:00.001-07:00

Well, it's officially half way through the year. What better time to take a moment and reflect on all the great music that has been released this year so far... Of course, I can only listen to so much. That being said, my selections are obviously biased. They are based on what I've heard, and there is of course so much more!!! But let's face it - I listen to all the good music [haha!], so the list must have some value. In preparing the following I took a barely scientific approach. First, I sifted through my library looking for 2008 releases, and picked out the gems - those artists and albums have been most likely already covered by my reviews here (which makes sense, since I only write about the music that I like). Second, in order to capture all of the missed releases, I polled my readers for their favorite of 2008 so far. I have received an _overwhelming_ response!!! The discussion thread grew to over 50 individually submitted lists, each being unique in its own way, containing many entries re-affirming my already prepared selections. I have actually discovered some amazing albums just because of that (we should do this more often, noh?). I thank you all for your contributions! I then picked out the most notable selections out of the lists. Finally the entire thread of submissions is still available and active (on my last.fm page), which you can browse for individual albums [400+!!!].

Click to see Best of 2008 [so far...]

Venetian Snares - Detrimentalist (Planet Mu)

2008-07-05T06:28:00.000-07:00

We can always count on Aaron Funk to punish us at least once a year. If you're not familiar with Venetian Snares, it's time for you to open up that hole and crawl out. Seriously. Winnipeg (Canada) based Funk is a prolific champion of the edgiest of genres - from modern-classical orchestral arrangements violated with breakcore to noisy IDM sprinkled with clicks and cuts. Among the collection of labels, he has managed to span some of my favorites - Zod, Distort, Sublight, Hymen and of course, Planet Mu. Detrimentalist is Funk's twentieth (!!!) album, in which he steps away from classical themes sampled and revisited in My Downfall (Planet Mu, 2007), and brings back the early drum'n'bass loops only the way Venetian Snares can. Planet Mu describes the release as "Venetian Snares' 332nd official studio album of disgusting ejacutronic rave horn." After a couple of rotations the intelligent design behind complex time signatures stands out from the imitators' attempts at making [whatever]-core simply for the sake of it. The first two tracks, Gentleman and Koonut-Kaliffee set the tone for the entire album, and the grind never stops. The cover art is sprinkled with an array of neon green aliens, robots, skulls, wingdings, guns, cassettes, and other demented and detrimental paraphernalia. And ducks. My favorite track is Eurocore MVP with ragga vocal samples, Funk's staple bass rips, drilling Amen breaks and an obligatory snare rush. This is breakcore at its finest. Keep it coming, Funk... We're listening... For similar styles, check out Bong-Ra, Shitmat, End.user, and my new favorite, Igorrr.

myspace.com/venetiansnares | venetiansnares.com
myspace.com/childrenofmu | planet-mu.com

Jacaszek - Treny (Miasmah / Gusstaff )

2008-07-04T06:58:00.000-07:00

Gusstaff is a small independent label based in Poland, which has already released two previous albums by Michal Jacaszek. Jacaszek's third full length album, Treny, is also picked up by Erik Skodvin's Miasmah. The latter mentioned label is quickly gaining recognition among the ambient and modern classical connoisseurs with CD releases (Miasmah started out as a net label) from great artists like Encre, Rafael Anton Irisarri, Elegi and now Jacaszek. Looks like Miasmah has also picked up Jasper TX for his upcoming July release, Black Sleep, but more on that later... Treny is a modern classical marvel that immediately jumps to the top of my favorites for this year. And big thanks to all my readers who recommended it as Best of 2008 So Far in their submitted lists. Patiently paced melodies evolve in the hands of skillful violinist Stefan Wesolowski and cellist Ania Smiszek-Wesolowska [sounds like the two are a couple ;) ]. The reverb treated organic acoustics are complimented with piano phrases and atmospheric electronic treatments by Jacaszek. Through out the tracks, Maja Sieminska's voice glides within the hazy soundscapes like an echo of awakened ghost. My good friend Paul observes, "I listen and feel I have lost everything..." My immediate impression brings back that majestic moment of discovering an album that will stay with you through sweet and dark moments alike. Based out of Gdansk, Poland, Jacaszek is a profound manipulator of electro-acoustic sounds and fits right along my favorites like Dictaphone, Porn Sword Tobacco, Marsen Jules, Zbigniew Preisner and of course Deaf Center. Highly recommended.

myspace.com/jacaszek | jacaszek.com
myspace.com/miasmah | miasmah.com

Two and a Half Questions with Michał Jacaszek

2008-07-04T06:57:00.000-07:00

What inspired you to manipulate acoustic recordings into a composition of its own?
Acoustic sounds themselves are very inspiring. In opposite to most of synthetic sources they have a potential to be extended, manipulated, and after all they still preserve their rich lively nature. For me as a producer working with digital media , this is very secure and comfortable situation.

Tell us more about your own musical language?
I hope I have one. I want my music to be soft but hardly touching, monotonic but keeping you awake, filled with emotions but controlled, ... not too narrative neither too cinematic - but still atmospheric... A bit like with a prayer - I like repetitions, trance mood. If I really have my own aesthetics, I want it to be in constant evolution...

Is there a sad story behind your soundtrack?
"Treny" means "laments" in ancient Polish vocabulary. This is also a title of collection of elegiac poems written by a Polish renaissance poet Jan Kochanowski. These pieces have really strong tension, they are deeply touching and they were written after the death of poet's little daughter. Her name was Orszula - and it is also a title of one of my tracks. Other tracks' names are "rhythm is immortality", "grief", "death calm" etc. So definitely you can find some sad motifs behind my album.I am fascinated with this part of human emotions, although I have a quite happy life. Passing , vanishing, ending, - these things inspire me strongly.

myspace.com/jacaszek | jacaszek.com

Portishead - Third (Island / Mercury)

2008-07-03T14:05:00.000-07:00

It's been almost 11 years since Portishead released their last self-titled album (I'm not counting Roseland NYC Live). The three member group of Adrian Utley, Geoff Barrow and more prominent Beth Gibbons have been often credited with making the trip hop genre more mainstream. Originating out of Bristol, UK, Portishead introduced their hometown sound to the commercial radio waves in 1994 with Dummy. With downtempo hip-hop beats, a touch of turntablism, and Gibbons' staple vocals, Portishead instantly created their own style and with that came a vast following. It's no wonder then, that when appropriately titled Third album hit the shelves, it was snatched with a hunger. Prior to the album's street date it was released on last.fm and attracted over 327,000 listeners within 24 hours. On Third, Portishead experiments in a darker territory, a bit brooding and at times almost industrial in nature, while rewarding the listener with a familiar voice. There are many unforgettable moments on the album when you find yourself go "what" and "nice". Perhaps there is not much revolutionary on Third for some, and they may not feel justified for the waiting period. Nevertheless you can't just let it slip by. Portishead remains a favorite and after consecutive rotations, Third climbs to the my list of "Best of 2008 so far..." I still love and play the first two albums. [Gibbons also released a solo album titled Candy Says in 2003]. Favorite tracks: Plastic and Machine Gun.

myspace.com/portisheadalbum3 | portishead.co.uk

Kangding Ray - Automne Fold (Raster-Noton)

2008-07-01T17:55:00.000-07:00

An amazing array of releases from Raster-Noton can drain any serious collector's wallet. My latest search includes the twelve super rare twenty-minute monthly releases titled 20' to 2000, and I highly doubt that I'll be able to score it for anything less than a thousand bucks. Oh well... So instead I'll give myself a present of Kangding Ray's sophomore release, Automne Fold. And the album more than satisfies my experimental, organic, and dark rhythmic cravings. Kangding Ray is an alias of Berlin based David Letellier who creates synthetic, glitchy, and yet very musical compositions of analog tones, micro-programmed beats, and digital errors. Letellier's musical experience includes being a guitarist and a drummer for a band with rock and jazz influences. Stacking against his electronic music design is his diploma in architecture - perhaps Letellier erects and demolishes soundscapes in the same way. The sound of Kangding Ray is not as minimal as the usual roster of Raster-Noton (e.g. CoH, Ø, and the label owner, Carsten Nicolai). It is still experimental, super intelligent, yet at the same time very listenable - I found Alva Noto's Xerrox Vol. 1 conceptually very fascinating, but for some reason the album did not remain in my rotations. Kangding Ray, on the other hand, seems to fit more along his contemporaries, like Hecq, Subheim, Kattoo and Murcof. There are even lyrics in some of the "songs". Perhaps Automne Fold will create a gateway into the label's catalogue for listeners with a less sensitive ear. Be sure to pick up Kangding Ray's 2006 release on Raster-Noton, titled Stabil. Highly recommended. Makes my Best of 2008 list so far...

myspace.com/kangdingray | kangdingray.com
raster-noton.net

Two and a Half Questions with Kangding Ray

2008-07-01T17:54:00.000-07:00

What is your alias "Kangding Ray" mean?
Nothing really, kangding is a small town in the tibetan region of sichuan in china, where i went just before finishing my first album. Later i heard that it's also a famous traditional chinese song.

What role does your education in architecture play when you construct soundscapes?
A lot of people ask me this question, due to my background, but I still don't have a definitive answer to it. There are of course some links, in terms of construction or textures, or the idea of music "spacialisation", the fields explored by pioneers like Pierre Henry or Stockhausen. For me, one of the most interesting approach is probably the treatment of music composition and architecture through the same abstract patterns, mathematic rules, one of the finest example being the collaboration of Xenakis and LeCorbusier for the "poème électronique". But at the end, music stays music, it's about sound and emotions.

What is your favorite piece of studio equipment?
A portable digital recorder, that i use to record anything that i find interesting.

myspace.com/kangdingray | kangdingray.com

The Herbaliser - Same As It Never Was (Studio !K7)

2008-06-29T14:21:00.000-07:00

So what exactly prompted The Herbaliser to release Same As It Never Was on the infamous Studio !K7? After all, their deep discography is tied almost exclusively to Ninja Tune [if anyone knows the answer, drop me a line]. Since 1995, Ollie Teeba and Jake Wherry have released five studio albums and two live mixes on Fabric (see my previous review of Fabric.26), not to mention a dozen singles, appearances and remixes. The group has also grown from an original duo into a full 5-piece band - you have to check out the amazing Session One album (Department H., 2000). Same As It Never Was indeed sounds a bit more funky, as the group is attempting to trace the hip-hop roots and bring back the elements of jazz, r&b, and soul. This time they are also joined by the London based "22-year soul diva" Jessica Darling - who lays her lovely voice so smoothly over the grooves - really brings back the fun of the 70s. The track Can't Help This Feeling will validate any doubts. NYC based Jean Grae (aka What? What?) returns with an excellent track, Street Karma (A Cautionary Tale) previously collaborating with The Herbaliser on Take London (Ninja Tune, 2005). Revitalizing the genre, The Herbaliser sparks a wave of nu-soul, if you will, across the continent. It would be a pleasure to watch them live. My typical artist cloud for The Herbaliser would include DJ Food, The Cinematic Orchestra, Funki Porcini, DJ Krush and Up, Bustle and Out.

myspace.com/theherbz | herbaliser.com
myspace.com/k7records | k7.com

Nostalgia 77 - Everything Under The Sun (Tru Thoughts / Ubiquity)

2008-06-29T14:19:00.000-07:00

Listening to Birghton (UK) based Benedic Lamdin's solo project under Nostalgia 77 alias I am reminded once again of his light, playful, and jazzy compositions. The last album I recall hearing was Songs For my Funeral, which I remember being more downtempo with a sprinkle of breaks bordering future jazz. One of those great tracks to compliment a chillout compilation (as a matter of fact, there was a double disk comp, Chilled Beats Sessions, where Nostalgia 77 appeared alongside Skalpel, The Cinematic Orchestra, Bonobo, Blockhead, Daedelus, Plaid, Boards of Canada, Prefuse 73 and many, many others [Sessions, 2005] ). Then there is, of course, The Nostalgia 77 Octet with a great Weapons Of Jazz Destruction release on Tru Thoughts last year. The latter deserves a separate review, but I'll briefly mention that the octet is formed from the Royal Academy of Jazz graduates and NYJO Alumni. For his sixth full length album (including the afore mentioned live project), Lamdin gathers his group of talented jazz musicians to walk up and down the modal scale with ease. Lizzy Parks returns with her lovely voice adding a perfect element to an already wonderful selection of songs. "I wanted to continue developing the ideas I've explored in the other records, to take the emotional moods that are there and to vocalize them. I wanted to write lyrics that reflected them," says Lamden. I personally applaud and enjoy following the artists that continue to not only reinvent themselves, but perfect their musical composition. It seems that many musicians, after consecutive successful releases want something more and end up turning to the roots of live, improvisational, or organic sound - I'm thinking here of The Herbaliser, The Landau Orchestra, and even Amon Tobin. The 2008 double-disk compilation of Nostalgia 77's One Offs, Remixes & B-Sides is a must for any serious catalog collector.

myspace.com/nostalgia77 | nostalgia77.com
myspace.com/truthoughtsrecords | tru-thoughts.co.uk

William Basinski and Richard Chartier - Untitled 1-3 (LINE)

2008-06-28T15:18:00.000-07:00

LINE is a label of another breed and dimension. Created by Richard Chartier in 2000 under the 12k umbrella, LINE publishes experimental and abstract installation compositions by sound artists exploring contemporary digital minimalism. LINE has a nice roster of signal processing and deconstructing composers, including Alva Noto, Taylor Deupree, Vend and Asmus Tietchens. For the latest limited 2008 release, LINE has re-issued a 2004 acclaimed work by Richard Chartier and William Basinski, Untitled 1-3, first appearing on Japanese label Spekk. The two original Untitled tracks are remastered by Taylor Deupree and complimented by two new works - Untitled 3 and its Reprise. The initial edition of 1300 remained on the market for only two months before completely selling out. Basinski has been working on experimental soundscapes for over twenty five years. His installations and collaborations with filmmaker, James Elaine, have received international exposure and acclaim. Chartier has been producing experimental and minimal work that "explores the inter-relationships between the spatial nature of sound, silence, focus, and the act of listening." His sound works reached international exhibits and digital art/music festivals. Both musicians have appeared on Olaf Bender and Carsten Nicolai's hailed German label, Raster-Noton. In this aural documentary of another planet's lifeform, Basinski incorporates tape loops and elements from an eight voice polyphonic analog synthesizer from 1982, Voyetra-8. Chartier adds thick slabs of frequencies with elements from various sound installations. The piece is dark, haunting, and brooding, with alien feathered beings chirping in the background. Although the ambiance of composition is everlasting, the feeling of uneasiness remains with you well after you've downloaded these instructions into your brain. Untitled 2, at 35 minutes alone, is your guide for examining the album's abstract expressionist artwork by Chartier himself. Bring this album with you while visiting your local contemporary museum, select a dark, minimal, and abstract piece, and dissolve for a half an hour into the essence of being. You will find it... there...

Read FULL Two and a Half Questions With Richard Chartier only on Headphone Commute.

myspace.com/richardchartier | 3particles.com
myspace.com/12kline | 12k.com/line

Two and a Half Questions with Richard Chartier

2008-06-28T15:17:00.000-07:00

Untitled 1-3 is a dark album, would you agree? What are the images that the soundscapes paint for you when you close your eyes?
i think the "untitled1" is a bit dark but not necessarily the rest of the works. william described the first piece as very evocative of dark sky with swirling birds. i think that piece at the same time has moments of brightness.

What is the current state of digital minimalism as an art form?
oh i am not sure i can make any statements about that. i can say i hear less and less that i enjoy. there is a lot of minimalism for minimalism's sake that feels lacking in depth. : )

How has the exposure to sound installations (as opposed to producing albums) has influenced your creativity and composition?
i see installation versus composition very different processes and end products. the works i do for installation often do not have a set ending and are made of shifting loops that change over time. composing is far different structurally.

Read FULL Two and a Half Questions With Richard Chartier only on Headphone Commute.

myspace.com/richardchartier | 3particles.com

Peter Broderick - Float (Type)

2008-06-27T18:06:00.000-07:00

Perhaps it's possible to stop comparing some contemporary classical musicians to Max Richter, and instead begin comparing them to Peter Broderick. After a release of a 7" single on John Twells' (Xela) Type Records, Portland based Peter Broderick emerges with a full length album, Float. For this release, Broderick borrows his friends Amanda Lawrence for string and vocal work, and Skyler Norwood to aid in recording and effects from a collaboration on Loch Lomond's Paper The Walls (Hush Records, 2007). Float is immediately bold, familiar, and elegant. As any soundtrack written for a passing life, it transcends its message past the minor key. At first the album sounds too comfortable, like a soft blanket thrown over the frigid winter feet. I feel as if I've heard this sound before, perhaps in a forgotten film, or as a fragment of a beloved prelude. But as I let my mind break down the composition, the messages begin to emerge. I'll let you hear your own details - I'd hate to lock the music into words. Broderick's banjo playing adds an interesting element to the ensemble of the [usual] piano, strings and an occasional guitar. And I can't help but draw a parallel between the ages of Broderick and Ólafur Arnalds - both are only twenty one! With that said, may I claim that modern classical is at the beginnings of a new cycle, with young multi-instrumentalists incorporating both, organic and electronic, leading the way. Highly recommended! A cozy cinematic score. Check out above mention artists plus Harold Budd, Michael Nyman, Alberto Iglesias, Clint Mansell and of course Jóhann Jóhannsson.

myspace.com/peterbroderick
myspace.com/typerecordings | typerecords.com

Two and a Half Questions with Peter Broderick

2008-06-27T18:04:00.001-07:00

What is your musical background?
I started classical violin training at age 7, and played in various youth orchestras, then in my early teenage years I lost interest in the violin and started playing electric guitar in rock bands. Around 15-16 I realized again how beautiful the violin actually is, and picked it up again. At this time I also became interested in all kinds of instruments, and started collected them and trying to teach them to myself. For a while there it seemed like I was somehow getting a new instrument every week! I would go to friend's houses and search through their attics and say "Can I have this?"

Who are your favorite classical composers?
Arvo Pärt, Philip Glass, Rachel Grimes, Max Richter, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Steve Reich...

Any hints as pertaining to the title of the album?
I think since it's just one simple word, there are many ways to look at it. Hopefully.

I feel that the gap between modern classical, ambient and electronic is slowly closing as led by a new generation. What do you picture the future of contemporary classical music to be?
I think I agree. I consider people like Max Richter to be wonderful classical composers, even though you'd probably more likely find his music in the electronica section, or even rock/pop at some stores...

How is the weather in Portland?
The Spring and Autumn are perfect -- crisp air and mild temperatures. Sometimes the winter gets just a little too cold, and sometimes the summer gets just a little too hot. Some people complain about the amount of rain there, but I like it.

myspace.com/peterbroderick

Hecq - Night Falls (Hymen)

2008-06-25T17:01:00.002-07:00

As I turn my attention from ethereal to dark ambient, it is only appropriate that I cover the latest album from one of my all time favorite artists, Hecq. Last year, I already hailed Ben Lukas Boysen's double disk release, titled 0000, as one of the Best of 2007 albums. It perfectly aligned along my favorite elements of grandiose orchestral sound and punctuated IDM beats. Upon my first listen of Hecq's fifth album, I anxiously await the glitchy breaks that are so prominent in Hecq's previous albums. Alas they never come. And with this proclamation, Boysen creates a new sound in which he instantly excels. Appropriately titled, Night Falls, Boysen drops the rhythmic structure altogether, and produces one of the most inspiring, lush, atmospheric and hauntingly dark pieces I have heard to date. There is a continuous cinematic tension of something hiding right beneath the shadow of a thinly layered sonic veil. Night Falls is an album that stops you dead in your tracks to really listen. What is that brooding sound, and does it have a name? I will not hide the fact, that with each swell of dynamic wave, the emotion within me rises as well, and I fight back the tears at the tip of each crescendo. With outstanding production and masterful control of individual frequencies, Hecq propels his sound techniques from a mere post-industrial IDM producer to a contemporary neo-classical composer. Hymen should be proud. Reminiscent of Murcof, Lusine Icl, Kattoo, Nebulo and Subheim.

myspace.com/hecq | hecq.de
myspace.com/hymenrecords | hymen-records.com

Two and a Half Questions with Hecq

2008-06-25T17:01:00.001-07:00

What inspired you to compose Night, such a grandiose instrumental piece?
even if this might sound like a quote from a b-movie but actually the experience that's nothing's eternal. things just not made to last... which is a thought i had to get used to over several years actually :) putting that vulnerability into an album was something i needed to do last year. it was created in 2-3 weeks actually... it was kind of phase i was in and where all pieces came together by themselves more or less - that again was proof to me that you can't force ideas really - that's why i haven't released an album in 2006...

Is there a story behind this [imaginary] soundtrack?
yeah...actually the story behind it are the reasons in the first answer but to be more precise: the loss of things and persons you wanted to keep, gaining clarity and how these things make you grow. i don't want this to sounds acroamatic really - i guess everyone knows that these experiences happen to us on almost a daily basis but we tend to mask them out (at least i do) so i have to channel these things into something else which helps me to reflect better and focused... It's not always like that though... sometimes i just love to get mental on plug ins :D3.

This is quiet a departure from the "usual" Hecq. How do you personally feel about it, and do you think you'll produce more?
yes it is - i feel that it was a need excursion from the previous work but it wont be the general style from now on. quite the opposite even - the 6th album (which i'm producing these days) will be pretty different from night falls...or better: night falls was the different album - as i'm inspired and motivated by many other things as well, nr.6 will be showing more and different approaches to music.

Do you have a desire for scoring films?
yes i have indeed! the sound design works are being a good outlet for this desire but i haven't had the chance to score an entire film yet - but i promise that this will happen very soon... its in the air :D

myspace.com/hecq | hecq.de

The Drift - Memory Drawings (Temporary Residence Ltd.)

2008-06-23T18:12:00.002-07:00

It's almost half way through the year, and suddenly I realize that I haven't listened to any post-rock released in 2008. So, I hit up one of my favorite labels, Temporary Residence Limited, a Brooklyn based source of great artists like Eluvium, Explosions In The Sky, Tarentel, Grails, and of course, Mono... and what's this? A new album from The Drift, that somehow slipped past me. The Drift is a four-piece instrumental band from San Francisco, originally created as a Lazarus and Tarentel side project, which by now evolved into a strong group of its own. Memory Drawings is The Drift's second full length release, following on the heels of an album compiling their previous three EPs, Ceiling Sky, released in November of 2007. Danny Grody from Tarentel literally synergies with the amazing trumpet work by Jeff Jacobs [the first time I heard trumpet blending perfectly with post-rock was on The Pirate Ship Quintet's self titled EP]. The drums and the upright bass more than compliment the intricate phrases and melodies which were recorded directly onto analog tape. The jazz influences are lurking just behind the curtains of the post-rock driven motif, and the tracks on Memory Drawings do not tire out the listener with any previously used and abused formula. Each piece on an album tells its very own story - changing rhythms, tempo, dynamics, and the tone as it evolves into a little cinematic fragment of memory, never forgotten since never was drawn. Yet another step forward for post-rock. Recommended if you enjoy Tortoise, Do Make Say Think and early Tarentel.

myspace.com/trldrift | thedriftmusic.com
temporaryresidence.com

Two and a Half Questions with The Drift

2008-06-23T18:12:00.001-07:00

I have to ask - who are your current favorite artists and influences?
well the list is long and varied when it comes to influences, but if if we had to distill it down it would have to be something like: the necks, fela kuti, miles davis, fugazi, konono no. 1, ryhs chatham, cymande, dub of all kinds, SF, traveling, food, and most of all our friends and loved ones making art and music.

Any good stories from your tour across Europe?
well the tour was a good story in it of itself, but some stand out's would be playing the all tomorrow's parties festival that our friends explosions in the sky curated, being amongst many friends there - mono, eluvium, lazarus. it was a family event. our shows in poland we're outstanding (!)... the warmth from the people and generosity from our hosts was just incredible all-around. playing in a veranda in Esslingen Germany was surreal. having our friend cj boyd as a travel companion was also a real treat for us.

What's next in store for the band?
we've got a few exciting festival's in the works... LOLA Festival in London Ontario this September, the SF based annual Mission Creek Music Festival in July, and the Tanned Tin festival in Castellion Spain in November. we'll also be working on a string of us dates in the fall so keep your eyes peeled!

myspace.com/trldrift | thedriftmusic.com

DJ Walkman - Milk Und Herring (Sutemos)

2008-06-22T08:01:00.000-07:00

Sutemos is a Lithuanian net label releasing free music from an eclectic collective of artists since 2004. The most notable of the releases is a series titled Intelligent Toys which spearheads the electronic music scene with underground highlights from Vladislav Delay, Near The Parenthesis, Esem, Sleepy Town Manufacture, Machine Drum, Praveen, Funckarma, Quench and Sense just to run through of a few names from the last, fourth volume. This time around, the founder of the Sutemos label, who goes by the name of DJ Walkman, has released a mix, titled Milk Und Herring. When I pick up a DJ mix, I look not only for the flow of tracks, but also the selection - the most important aspect. I could care less how perfect your beat-matching and transitions are, if the tracks were clearly chosen only to compliment the mix. DJ Walkman demonstrates that it is possible to skillfully accomplish both. The tracks on this excellent compilation range in genres and span over a decade of releases, collecting some of my favorite releases of all times. The first three tracks are from Burial, Coldcut, and Thom Yorke. And that's just a start. DJ Walkman effortlessly queues up Photek, followed by Radiohead, Squarepusher and Underworld, creating extra long mixes [exactly how I like it]. Then we move into Plaid, Speedy J, and Nautilis. By the time Plastikman, Poligon Window and the Surgeon come on, you begin to understand what the meaning behind the title is, and how this stylistic variety can be consumed in one sitting, of mixing such diverse ingredients like milk and herring. You know you want to hear it! Especially because it's FREE! Download directly from the Sutemos site.

myspace.com/sutemos | sutemos.net

I Monster - Neveroddoreven (Karma/Dharma)

2008-06-21T14:48:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my DVR, I never watch commercials these days. But there was this one ad, from AT&T, which got me to hit pause. It displayed flowers opening up, containing the cell phones inside. But it was also the music that stopped me. After the second time I saw the ad, I jumped on Google and sure enough, the first hit was people asking "what's that song on that commercial..." [I used the lyrics as keywords]. I've never heard of I Monster before, and after previewing a couple of tracks I just threw the whole album into the shopping cart. I was truly surprised to enjoy the entire album. It is now on its sixth rotation, and thus, deserves a write up. I Monster is a British group creating fresh, fun and bouncy trip-hop with very catchy samples and melodies. The two members are Sheffield based Jarrod Gosling and Dean Honer. Honer is also a member of All Seeing I and worked on some Add N To (X) albums. Together with Barry Smith (aka Barry 7), Honer founded a label, Cercle Records, on which the original 7" vinyl single of Daydream In Blue was released. In 1998 the duo has released their debut album, These Are Our Children. The track that got me all hyped up after hearing it only twice, Daydream In Blue, climbed the charts as a single, and soon after, the second album, Neveroddoreven, was released by Instant Karma and its sublabel, Dharma Records. [In 2004, Neveroddoreven, was also released on Atlantic]. I caught up with I Monster to get the spiel on their upcoming album. Here is the 411 - it is finished, no title or release date yet, a 7" vinyl single of a track titled A Sucker For Your Sound is coming up. Meanwhile you can preview the song on their myspazz. I seriously can't stop listening to this. Recommended if you like Moloko, Lovage, Portishead, Lemon Jelly, and Télépopmusik.

myspace.com/imonsteruk | imonstermusic.com

Renfro - Mathematics (Meltwater)

2008-06-18T18:26:00.000-07:00

The recipe for Renfro requires a variety of carefully scavenged ingredients. Locate field recordings of wild animals and sonic atmospheres. Add fragments of material ranging from NASA feeds of deep space to burning credit cards. Mix in some static, glitch, and a pinch of distortion. Now slowly fold in a melancholic melody and Tim Branney's hushed falsetto voice as he sings intricate lyrics over Atom-James Draper's electro-acoustic manipulations. That's Renfro, "meld[ing] experimental electronic musical techniques with dream-pop songwriting", and doing a damn good job at it too. I'm not big on vocals (haven't I said that before?), (I think it's something to do with constrained concepts), (or perhaps the forced structure of a 'song'), but Renfro breaks out of boxed rules and layers voice as another instrument over ambient soundscapes and light percussion fused from cliky flippity-flop bleep lo-fi pops. The duo formed in late 2005, and is based in East London and North Devon, where they have been playing with microphones and "poetics of isolation, difference and collapse". Along with the release of Mathematics, Meltwater Records will also promote with two remix EPs with contributions from Marsen Jules, Porn Sword Tobacco, AGF/Loeb and Christian Fennesz [that alone should excite your appetite!]. The instrumental sound is reminding me of Xela, Skyphone, Julien Neto, and Swod. Like Thom Yorke singing over William Basinski with dying circuits driving the beat. Favorite track: Half-Life Of Happiness.

myspace.com/renfromusicspace
myspace.com/meltwaterrecords | meltwater-records.com

Nautilis - Are You An Axolotl (Planet Mu)

2008-06-11T18:19:00.000-07:00

One day in a record shop, I saw a Planet Mu logo on a record with incomprehensible green reflection. Being a fan of pretty much everything Mike Paradinas puts out on his label, I grabbed the vinyl as one of those random finds. Back at home I played the record over and over. I was struck by its ingenuity of combining instrumental hip hop beats with jazzy breaks and glitchy elements of IDM. But it was the melodies and the intelligent micro rhythms that kept on ringing long after in my ears. Skyler McGlothlin's fun and confident approach to creating his first LP, Are You An Axolotl, is still refreshing and exciting to listen six years later [and not just once in a while]. Based out of Texas, McGlothlin followed up his critically acclaimed debut with a second full length, Sketches. In 2005, however, McGlothlin moved to Florida based Merck (RIP, sigh...), and produced more downtempo and instrumental hip hop, under Malcom Kipe alias. The two quick releases were Breakspiracy Theories and Lit. I thoroughly enjoyed both, but must admit that I dig his Nautilis sound a lot more. It's a bit tighter, DSP-driven, production that continuous to unravel new elements within each listen. Since Lit, however, McGlothlin has been silent. I attempt to catch up with Skyler to see what he's been up to, and if we'll hear from him again. And in case you were wondering, yes... I am ... actually... an axolotl.

myspace.com/nautilis | myspace.com/childrenofmu

Two and a Half Questions with Skyler McGlothlin

2008-06-11T18:17:00.000-07:00

You've been quiet lately. Not including the mini limited EP on Cactus Island Recordings, "Stonch", what have you been working on?
Shapes Have Fangs.. My laptop was stolen in 2006 and this inspired me to quit making beats for a while. Since then I've been focusing all my time on our band Shapes Have Fangs.

Who do you like more, Nautilis or Malcom Kipe; and more importantly, why?
Nautilis, because it is a collection of information that originated from 5th dimensional information sound waves that were retrieved by pleiadian spirit crystals given to me by Billy Meier.

What are your feelings on your earlier work when you listen to the album now?
I'm quite surprised by some tracks and can not listen to others. Certain tracks from Axolotl are used every day to 4th dimension wave gates.

Are you an axolotl?
Well the title is based on 'Axolotl' by Julio Cortázar. The short story deals with existentialism - the individual is entirely free, and, therefore, ultimately responsible.I am not an axolotl, I am human. But I do not claim to be 'of earth'.

myspace.com/nautilis | nautilis.net

Cujo - Adventures In Foam (Ninja Tune)

2008-06-10T17:42:00.000-07:00

Before Amon Adonai Santos de Aravjo Tobin shortened his name to simply Amon Tobin, he released his debut album under Cujo alias (indeed borrowed from a Stephen King novel), on a small south London label, Ninebar Records. Soon after, Ninja Tune noticed the Brazilian born artist, and signed him in 1997 for his critically acclaimed Bricolage. The rest, as we say, is history. Covering Tobin's bio and discography is a lengthy task, so I'll leave the research up to you [and shame on you if don't know the artist already]. In 2002, Adventures In Foam was re-released on Ninja Tune, this time as a double CD, containing previously unreleased material. Here's a statement from the label: "[The] fact remains that "Adventures In Foam" was a really good record, one that deserved to be heard, so when Ninja were offered an opportunity to re-release it, they jumped at the chance. Not least, because a rather unscrupulous company in the States have been circulating a version of the record with a changed tracklist, different (and unapproved) cover art and mis-titled tracks". So this should settle it once and for all. If you first fell in love with Amon Tobin after hearing his Bricolage, full of jazz infused, Latin influenced downtempo and drum'n'bass breaks and broken beats, then you'll definitely enjoy another round of Tobin's signature sampling techniques. You'll even smile after recognizing familiar sounds and beats, later reused in his subsequent albums. Definitely still enjoyable after all these years, as a first or repeated listen. A must for collectors. Artist cloud includes DJ Food, Funki Porcini, Bonobo, Wagon Christ and The Herbaliser. Favorite unreleased track: The Brazilianaire.

myspace.com/tobinamon | amontobin.com
ninjatune.net