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One really negative thing I can say about this debut from Manitoba isthat it sounds like so many other artists I've already heard. Sure,it's catchy. It's toe-tapping, energetic and pulsating. But it was allthese things the first time I heard [insert electronic/remixer/DJartist here] do it. There are moments here that remind me of Tortoise,Daft Punk, Moby, Mark Isham, Bob James, Phil Collins (ack!) and more.That they're all together on the same record isn't a bad thing (exceptfor Phil Collins), but it also takes the originality out of theexperience. If I was in a coffee bar and heard this music on thespeakers, I wouldn't complain. Nor would I rush over and ask who itwas. It's that ineffectual to me. The album has it's moments, however.I really like moments of "Paul's Birthday," and "Mammals vs Reptiles"is mildly intriguing. The major difficulty is that the music neverreally seems to engage the listener. I felt very little while listeningto this release. In fact, "Start Breaking My Heart" seems to go out ofits way to distance you. The constant big beat wonderness and cut andsplice "magic" is lost on me, and most of the songs would TOTALLY WORKWITHOUT IT. It feels like the work of an artist who started out tryingto impress rather than develop a unique sound. I'm sure Manitoba wouldbe a great remixer. But with original material, I'm just left wantingmore. More originality, more substance, and more cohesiveness. So muchof it just feels thrown together. I'd file this one under "BuyerBeware": worth a listen, but try before you buy.
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As a taster cum sampler for the current Touch UK tour featuring thesethree audio explorers in cahoots with three different visual artists,this works up an appetite. It's just a shame it's missing Manchester bysuch a distance as the Fennesz track here is particularlymouthwatering. The Viennese maestro has surpassed himself again. Wherehis previous excursions into sampled guitar noise sculpting have maybehad precursors in the shape of Bruce Gilbert's seismic groundshifter'Ab Ovo', the overloaded sensory bombardment of prime My BloodyValentine and the digital lock skips of Oval, Christian Fennesz iscertainly carving out a distinctive niche. This track his perhaps hismost evocative evolution to date and is subtley emotive in a candlelitmemory haze reminiscent atmospherically of Labradford's 'Mi MediaNaranja' peak, but as if the whole album had sped by in a heat hazedfive minute blur. Hazard specialises in bleak ambient drones with snowyclose miked rumbles suggestive of vast deserted frozen expanses.Biosphere seems quite ordinary and inorganic in comparsion, presentingtwo remixes of precise clinical beat politeness underpinning sampledspeech. The cover is another nice bit of Touch co-conspiritor JonWozencroft's conceptual photography. Three images of trees at differentangles and diurnal illumination make apt visual accompaniments for thethree sonic experimenters.
samples:
- Hazard - Meteosat
- Fennesz - C-Street
- Biosphere - When I Leave (Finely Tuned Version)
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"-Ma femme a des visions de grands chandeliers. Nous pensons aussi à detrès beaux escaliers... Mais on ne peut pas forcer les choses voussavez, elles se font naturellement."L'argument tourne au drame. Il leur a déjà proposé une bourgadesympathique sur Pluton ("on est presque déjà chez les ploucs là-basaujourd'hui"), mais les deux autres ne captent rien. Il faut dire quela transmission se fait mal. Ils ne parlent que de faire le vide, etaucun degré de gravité ne pourra les aider à atterrir. Il pourrait leurdénicher l'appartement de leurs rêves avec vue sur aurore boréale encontinu, ça n'y changerait rien. D'autant que de nos jours, même lescampagnes sont boudées. Les ruminants s'y font kidnapper si souvent quela traite en devient une gageure. Les vaches tourmentées font tournerle lait. On les voit s'élever par troupeaux entiers, prenant un airbéat, ou plutôt ébahi, tandis qu'on les soustrait à la gravitation. Demal en pis, la voie lactée apparaît comme la meilleure perspective,hélas qui sait où elles sont emmenées. Quand les mamelles s'emmêlent...
"-Peut-être un de ces nouveaux lofts ? On leur prête un tel succès..."
Allez, encore deux gogos au ciboulot désactivé... On n'en sortira pas !Personne ne semble réaliser que dans l'eau cristalline de leurspiscines, les aliens ont toujours la voix qui tremblote. Ca vous prendpar les cheveux, c'est la nouvelle mode pour détrister les esprits. Ceslongues petites choses vertes au mouvement pendulatoire ne sont pastant des haricots que d'adorables petits lézards. Phobie ou consensus ?Les moyens modernes de déridation oxygénatrice ont dépassé toutes lesespérances primitives ! Ca vaut bien le détour...
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Whatever you've heard about this band, it doesn't do them justice. "TheMan Felt An Iron Hand..." is actually a shortened telling of the realtitle for the album, one that would make Fiona Apple cringe. It seemsan unlikely combination, this band called Lumen: stand-up bass,acoustic guitar, heavy-hitting drums, and accordion/organ. But it worksas a unique and vibrant sound. Little is known about the band exceptthat they are from San Francisco and two of the members are/were inother bands: Andee Connors from A Minor Forest and Jeffrey Rosenbergfrom Tarentel. And the song titles, simply roman numerals representingtheir track number, don't give anything away. The formation that isLumen exceeds all comparisons to any other bands, including those itsmembers are from. Supposedly, the members "collectively despisepost-rock," and it shows in the choice of instruments and often spaceycompositions. It's purely fascinating how they get some of these soundswith the bare instruments they've chosen! Sometimes, the arrangement istoo repetitious, as on the almost annoying "VII." But "III" and "V" arewhere the sound comes together in an amazing display of unity betweenthe band members. Intricate, pulsating, driven, and melodic as allhell, "The Man Felt An Iron Hand..." is as original an album as I'veheard this year.
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The man behind Slicker and Hefty Records steps out from his protective shell to produce one of the finest soundtracks I have personally heard in a while. Hughes has certainly expanded his range from what has been the electro punchiness of previous Slicker releases to a conceptual effort which encompasses various styles of retro-fitted pseudo-pop post-electronica jazz-influenced multi-instrumentalist filmscapes. After about four listens in a row, my only complaint is that it's TOO DAMNED SHORT!
Understood, this is only a soundtrack but this collection is a tease — at 18 tracks, it barely touches over 30 minutes. Nearly every song is strong enough to be developed into something much longer than a minute, and it would seem that the careful efforts put into every delicately woven track could pay off with longer tunes, yet only two break the three-minute mark. As a vocalist, Hughes has a style similar to a drunken Sam Prekop, something which other critics have disliked, but as a soundtrack I'm eager to see the film to make a better judgement on the vocal tracks. The music here is undeniably brilliant, with a moderate mix of live organs, bass guitar, organic percussion, lush strings, horns and electronics. Hughes has scored a variety of moods like the eerie glitch-driven "Red Room" or the 70s-era bass-driven soundtrack style walking tune, "Street Song." Hughes has obviously spent much of his life around both music and film and I'm hoping he brings more of the variety of work presented here into his Slicker guise.
 
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The quasi-anonymous Cerberus Shoal seems to be one of the most prolific and diversified bands that I've encountered. This Portland, Maine collective — and the constantly evolving lineup of the band merits that term — seems to have mastered a new style with each release. With 1999's "homb" cd on Temporary Residence, Cerberus Shoal delivered their exemplary thesis on dark, ambient rock. The dynamics and instrumentation, combined with minimal but rythmic percussion, fused together to make one of the most beautiful and original releases of recent years.
Later that year, the Shoal (as bandmembers are known to refer to band) released "Crash My Moon Yacht" on the small label North East Indie. A perfect companion to "homb," this album marked the maturity of the band and created a stiro of anticipation for their next release. "Garden Fly, Drip Eye" is that release. Gone is the ambient droning, flowing percussion and Can-influenced atmosphere. Instead we have a more aggressive Cerberus Shoal, with very imposing vocals sung simultaneously by all six band members, further solidifying their collective status. Bursts of homemade instruments, childrens toys, and bombastic drumming bring to mind June of 44 if perhaps they had given up their prefered themes of travel in favor of surrealist love poems and an abandoned playground. "Garden Eye, Drip Fly" is not the record I was expecting from this album, but I wasn't surprised to hear it either. The band seems to be driving forward across sonic territory, experimenting with new sounds and styles and stretching the artistic and musical capabilities of each member to the max. Cerberus Shoal presents challenging music, music that is rewarding and strikingly creative, redefining itself constantly and refusing to stagnate.
 
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The debut release from Australia's Vibragun label is a 12" four tracktaster of the forthcoming 2cd various artists compilation of the samename. The rather loose guidelines for the project stated that a trackcould be in almost any style, "the one requirement is that it be athoughtful interpretation of the theme." So with that in mind, AtomHeart and 3 Australian artists - Pimmon, 8bit and Oren Ambarci - wentto work. Pimmon's "Morse:Fin" drearily drones along with Morsecode-like blips and an intermittent scratching sound. Atom Heart's "SEA(Stuffit)" is by far the best track (and, of course, the shortest) witha happy assortment of bass and machine sounds. 8bit's "Can't U Hear theRave?" (the worst title ever?) is a clippity clop chunk of techno withsonar bleeps that drags on for 6 and 1/2 minutes. Oren Ambarchi's "RingKing" (exclusive to this EP) is a very annoying 5 minute collection ofrandom metallic bangs. Yuck. Side B will never see my turntable'sneedle again. Neither will Side A now that I've made an mp3 of the AtomHeart track. Hopefully the 2cd will have more to offer than the 12".
samples:
- Atom Heart - Sea (Stuffit)
- Pimmon - Morse Fin
- 8bit - Can't U Hear the Rave?
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The more attentive experimentally-minded Manchester electronicaenthusiast might be able to spin yarns of Rotations nights upstairs ina small pub room just round the corner from where the Hacienda isboarded up. Organised by Gareth Bibby of RSI Recordings, these havefeatured appearances from the likes of Mild Man Jan, Magic City,Pendro, Modified Toy Orchestra and his own pedal hopping samplingproject Disco Operating System.The first time I caught DOS in performance, the Pan Sonic influence wasapparent, and this was born out by the opening track on the Phonia 12",which also trod similar ground to some of Mick Harris' darker tracks.The System was certainly operating under its own steam by the time ofthe dynamic 'compact disc digital audio' CD-R, but following this acouple of live appearances saw whatever small Disco portion there everwas in these technoid endeavours dwindling. Stripped down minimal loopswere well to the fore.
This disc follows that trajectory, whirling round and round in a seriesof skillfully edited rhythmic loop constructions which revel intextural exploration underpinned by a playful but subtle sense ofhumour. Each of the fifteen tracks is an exploration of repetitionusually juxtaposing two different timbres, occasionally three. Tapsdripping in robotic precision give way to twittering comfortable sinewaves clogging the ether. Bells ringing joyfully 'Because Children AreMatter' back on to an accurate simulation of the hum of the crankyportable computer from BBC space opera Blake's 7. Well that broughtback some sonic memories, but now I'd like to hear the telephone cablelaser guns and teleport too. The pumping kaga-chug of the 'Weiss Squad'makes me feel like I'm resting my mindbrain on the engine of aspaceship made out of a discarded air freshener, as I try to download afrosty chunk of cryogenic toast. Have I earnt my final reward foracceptable behaviour yet?
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Simply put, Bardo Pond have never impressed me. I've never heard one oftheir records and wanted to hear it again and again. In fact, therewere times that I wanted to shut them off halfway through, as eitherthe squelching guitar or vocals were annoying enough to warrant.'Dilate' is the first release that I can honestly say I like, and forextremely good reason. Where the band has always been known for theirnear-heavy metal crunch and destruction or their plodding along untilnothing really happens, "Dilate" finds them concentrating more on darkmelodies and subtle arrangements with a much fuller sound. Sure, thereare loud guitars. But rather than smacking you on your stupid head,they're in a far more menacing tone, where you know it's not just forthe noise but for the effect. The opener, "Two Planes" is pained andbrutal with a lovely undertone of violin and bass, so when thebackwards recordings and acoustic guitar of "Sunrise" come in, you'realmost unsure if you're listening to the same band. The lovelyintertwining blues guitar lines by the Gibbons brothers are morepronounced here, as well. Sometimes they almost sound like Canned Heat,which was a very strange experience for me. There are low points evennow, as on "Aphasia," where it almost seems like the song will never berealized until the last minute where it explodes in awesome wonder. Theabrasiveness is mostly gone, though, so there's very little not tolike. Every track has a place to go, too, a change from other records.Bardo Pond is developing in a very brave way, challenging their ownideas and those of their listeners. Jump in at the shallow end and wadein: 'Dilate' is the latest release and the most impressive yet.
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Political and musical descendents of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Antibalas area 14-piece Afrobeat-inspired co-ooperative collective straight out ofBrooklyn. Knowing these facts alone, you're likely to immediately drawa (maybe too easy) comparison between the political and socialconditions of Nigeria in the late 70's and those of New York in thelate 90's. Case in point: just as Fela changed his name to Anikulapo("he who carries death in his pouch"), one member of Antibalas hastaken Amadou Diallo's name for his own. And just as Fela built apowerful, popular, and political genre from a potent mix of bothtradition and innovation, Antibalas are in the process of taking Fela'sAfrobeat in a new direction without sacrificing any of the genre'surgency, either musically or politically. Such urgency is evident ontracks like "Si, Se Puede," "Battle Of The Species," and "Uprising,"all of which proclaim a largely non-lyrical statement of existance andearnest (leftist, anti-capitalist) belief through driving bass grooves,infectious polyrhythmic percussion, and punctuating horns. 'LiberationAfrobeat Vol. 1' does a commendable job of capturing the essence of theband's feverish live performances by keeping studio over-production toa minimum (a couple of the tracks were in fact recorded live inLondon). The authentic sound of the LP is accentuated by theinstrumentation: these days, you'd expect a band like this to feature acouple of turntablists and some other modern musical accoutrements, butthankfully there's nothing but live instruments here. Antibalas makeyou confront themselves on their own terms, and in this case that meansrestricting themselves to many of the conventions of Afrobeat. But theydo it so well and with such conviction that the music doesn't seemrestricted at all - on the contrary, it is truly both liberated andliberating. By keeping the tracks on this Ninja Tune rerelease of thealbum relatively short (each less than ten minutes), Antibalas manageto present a full range of compositions which together serve as a greatintroduction to the band.
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