[ aquarius records catalogue — D ]

Showing results 1401 through 1450 of 2079.

DISTILLERS, THECoral Fang(Warner)cd$ 14.98

DISUNICORPSRe:Try(Mercy Wizard)cd-r$ 8.98

Two records from weirdo "post-post-digital bubblegum black/death metal" one man band Disunicorps on this week's list, elsewhere you'll find the new record, Synonymy, and then there's this one, not precisely a remix record, more of an alternate version. When we were ordering the new record, Mr. Disunicorps, informed us that he also had a version of the first record "run through a crappy cassette deck and slowed way down", and if you're anything like us (and we're guessing you probably are), then you had the same reaction, YES PLEASE! So here is Re:Try, the above mentioned cassette deck-ed slowed down version of Try, which we raved about way back when, and probably best for folks who never heard the original, to just describe that one first a bit, and then how it sounds in this reworked version. Try was a gnarled chunk of churning frantic machinelike riffing and programmed blasting, croaked vocal rumbles, the guitars super distorted and crumbling, a pretty fierce blast of programmed black buzz, bubblegum at times for sure, minus the harsh vokills, it occasionally sounds like some sort of electro pop, or a less damaged Fastest (former aQ Record Of The Week!) even, major key melodies, bouncy jaunty rhythms, almost video game music at moments, but the vocals, and the weird echoey reverby production transform things into, well, into post-post-digital bubblegum black/death metal, offering different shades of dirgey heaviness that sounds like a horror movie soundtrack, programmed loping rhythms that sound like some machine post rock, some seriously grinding blackness, goofy blackened fuzz pop that almost sounds like a black metal Dickies and fuzzy, washed out almost blissy 8-bit sounding new wave drift. Sounds pretty amazing, cuz it is! Or was! Now all of those sounds have been rerouted through some old tape deck, and in the process, slowed down a bit, so essentially, the above still describes the sounds on Re:Try, the main difference is really that it all sounds a bit heavier and doomier and dirgier, the sound more raw and low fidelity, as a test, just check out the Del Shannon cover here, which sounds more like some sinister electro doom, the little main lilting melody somehow super creepy, the dirgey death metal vibe more prominent, everything sludgier and murkier, and for folks like us whole like everything better slowed down, maybe even better! Not sure HOW essential this is if you own the other one, but odds are some of you are strange like us, and even the idea of this slower, tape deck-ier version had you flipping out a little, and thus, this is for you, and if you somehow missed Try the first time around, this might just hit the spot (oh yeah, and we do have a small handful of copies left of Try if you want one.

DISUNICORPSSobotomy(Mercy Wizard)cd-r$ 8.98

The latest from weirdo electro black metal warped pop weirdo Disunicorps, whose music we've described in the past as "post-post-digital black/death metal, and like the last 'new' record, not so much a new album, as a reinterpretation of a record we've already reviewed. Re-Try found the man behind Disunicorps taking his record Try, and slowing it down via crappy cassette deck, and somehow, the results were even better (and definitely weirder) that the original. So when he recently contacted us to let us know, that his first record, Synonymy, had been redone, and the new version was "fucked up slowed down n fazed", we knew we had to get some. And guess what? As you might imagine, it's like the original, but more! More warped. More weird. More demented. More woozy. The opening track is a garbled FX heavy creep, everything slowed down and warbly, and then when the first song proper kicks in, the blasting digital metal of Synonymy becomes a murky blurred electro black doom, everything melty and oozy, the guitars muted and muddy, some definite 'creep' added to the mix, not to mention tons of echo, and reverb, and probably a phalanx of other misused and abused effects. What it ultimately does is remove the sheen of the original, which was super well recorded, and had a distinctly classic power metal feel, but here, those moments become something else entirely, there's still the weirdo progged out Champs-y tech metal thing going on, but it's been given a caveman makeover, and dipped in a vat of whatthefuck. To be fair, it's not all THAT far removed from the original, at least as much as we remember, but it's definitely weirder, and a weirder version of already pretty goddamn weird is never a bad thing. You can check out our review of the original and listen to some sound samples, and see what you think, we're pretty sure most folks who dig that one, will feel the same about Sobotomy. But if you do, act fast, limited to FIFTEEN COPIES, of which we got all fifteen, each hand numbered, and housed in a spray painted, hand decorated paper sleeve.

DISUNICORPSSynonymy(Mercy Wizard)cd-r$ 8.98

A while back, we raved about a crazy cd by a one man band called Disunicorps, his cd-r just showing up in the mail one day, with this simple one sentence description: "post-post-digital bubblegum black/death metal", needless to say, we were totally sold, and the record more than lived up to that too-good-to-be-true description. And to seal the deal, there was THEE most amazing cover of Del Shannon's "Runaway" (we still have copies of that first disc, as well as a new disc, which features the original run through a crappy old cassette player and slowed waaay down, that one is reviewed elsewhere on this week's list). But it wasn't just the cover, that whole record was a blast, a series of twisted buzzing pop flecked electro pop digi-metal jams, heavy and hooky, an impossible fusion of black metal buzz and hooky fuzz pop and glitchy electronics. We played that to death, and were super psyched to discover there was in fact a brand new Disunicorps record! This one begins all warped slowed down vocals tangled up with think swirling tendrils of woozy synth, a garbled psychedelic into, that leads right into the opening jam, a synth heavy metallic churn, circusy melodies, over programmed pounds, processed vox, and once again hooks galore, there's definitely a classic/power metal vibe in the progged out synths and majestic melodies, but it's all tangled up and blackened, blurred and warped, which is pretty much how the whole record plays out, weirdly woozily melodic, chugging mathy metallics infused with playful poppy hooks, the songs lurching from blasting metal to bouncy electro pop buzz to washed out lo-fi electronic death metal, usually some dizzying simultaneous hybrid of all of those sounds, fantastically confusional, heavy as fuck, but also wildly goofy and super fun, the sort of thing, that gets crazy attention every time we play it in the store. And fear not, this is not some joke metal thing, there's plenty of classic riffing and real metal going on, it's just that all of THAT stuff is all tangled up with all of that OTHER, less metal stuff. The result is pretty fantastic though, twisted and kaleidoscopic, definitely psychedelic, with a pretty high whatthefuck quotient, which is always a good thing. Everyone who bought the first one, should probably just buy this one too, and if you missed out on Disunicorps the first time around, give this one a listen, odds are you'll flip out like we did, and most likely end up wanting both! LIMITED TO 15 COPIES!! Each one hand numbered!

DISUNICORPSTry(Mercy Wizard)cd-r$ 8.98

This was another mystery submission, originally presented to us described (maybe not so) simply as "post-post-digital bubblegum black/death metal". And while the first track had us thinking that description was WAY off, a gnarled chunk of churning frantic machinelike riffing and programmed blasting, croaked vocal rumbles, the guitars super distorted and crumbling, a pretty fierce little chunk of programmed black buzz. But then BAM, in comes the second track, and it makes way more sense, bubblegum for sure, minus the harsh vokills, it sounds like some sort of electro pop, or a less damaged Fastest even, the major key melody, the bouncy jaunty rhythm, almost video game music at moments, but those vocals, and the weird echoey reverby production transform it into, well, into post-post-digital bubblegum black/death metal. And if you needed even further proof of this record's PPDBGBDM sound, skip all the way to the last track, a totally ruling, and bafflingly brilliant, cover of Del Shannon's "Runaway", totally transformed into a buzzy, dirgey epic, and when the weird guitar/synth finally plays that immediately recognizable back ground vocal "Wah Wah Wah Wah Wonder" melody, you sort of want to laugh and bang your head at the same time, and then when the track locks into the super frenzied version of the original song's bridge, it's about the coolest heaviest thing ever, oh and the end of the chorus is transformed into a cool descending depressive riff that totally changes the feel of the whole song. And in between the opening salvo, and the Del Shannon cover, are a whole mess of twisted, bedroom brewed black metal weirdness, from dirgey heaviness that sounds like a horror movie soundtrack, to programmed loping rhythms that sound like some machine post rock, which slips into some seriously grinding blackness, or from goofy blackened fuzz pop that almost sounds like a black metal Dickies to fuzzy, washed out almost blissy 8-bit sounding new wave drift. It's pretty nuts, and any metalheads who bough the Fastest record, even though it's resolutely NOT metal, will LOVE this, and anyone into twisted weirdo outsider black metal, or post-post-digital bubblegum black/death metal, well, this is for YOU.

DITTY BOPS, THEMoon Over The Freeway(Warner)cd$ 13.98

Wheeeeeeeee! It's a totally sunny blue sky day, and we're kicking up our heels to the sweet sweet sounds of the new Ditty Bops album. Musically the two gals have captured a super old tymey swing feel with some brisk ragtime piano courtesy of Mitchell Froom and some furiously strummed guitar, but their lyrics give the songs' contemporariness away. Above all, Amanda Barrett and Abby DeWald seem very influenced by the sugary vocal stylings of '40s/'50s female vocal trio the Andrews Sisters, but they're far more rough'n'tumble than those highly coiffed ladies. The album's baker's dozen is packed with dizzyingly jaw-breaking cheeriness that conjures toothsome nuggets like 'let a smile be your umbrella' and 'laugh your cares away' and 'you'll wonder where the yellow went when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent'. Well, maybe not that last one! Give this a spin when you're in need a sparkling tonic. You will be 'right as rain' and 'fit as a fiddle' in no time.

DITTY BOPS, THEs/t(Warner Bros.)cd$ 14.98

Oh my goodness, please excuse me (Cup), but I have to admit that whenever this cd starts playing the first thing that pops to mind is that old TV commercial for Turtles chocolates (remember?). Don't know why I really needed to tell y'all that, but I'll add that both chocolate and the Ditty Bops make me plenty happy. Backed by a jubilant assembly of among other things acoustic guitar, banjo, ukelele, mandolin and piano, these charming ladies sweetly croon their songs which seem plucked from a bygone era -- definitely drawing on ragtime, bluegrass and swing influences. Also recommended for fans of Cat Power, White Magic and other deleriously dolorous indie folk! Delightful!

DIVA(OST)(Koch)cd$ 21.00

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY. The special 20th anniversary edition of the soundtrack for this Jean-Jacques Beineix film. If you're unfamiliar with "Diva", it is an ultra stylish, darkly witty French thriller of theft, opera and murder (not to oversimplify things, mind you). Highly recommended, as is this beautiful soundtrack. Includes 8 previously unreleased tracks.

DIVANITYLeaden(Total Rust)cd-r$ 7.98

This one's pretty much a no brainer for you doomlords and drone freeks out there. From the same label that brought us the horror funereal doom of Wraith Of The Ropes, the epic majestic blackened doom of Mourning Dawn, and the mega multiple o'd ultra doom of Funeralium, comes this, the debut demo from Israeli doom merchants Divanity. Sloooooooow, sick, plodding, crushing, miserable, abject, harsh, hateful, brutal, hellish, slow motion ultra mega funeral ambient doooooooooooooooooooooooooooooom. And if that wasn't enough to get you doom-ed ones salivating, Divanity also just so happens to feature members of Israeli noisemakers Grave In The Sky, Lietterschpich and Poochlatz, so you know there's some twisted, demented, fucked up, noisy weirdness lurking in there as well. Leaden is one track, one long slow musical death march. A thick low-end drenched crawl, a trudge through thick black tar, the vocals an anguished howl, a crushing, pummeling chunk of supreme sludge, heavy and nearly static. Not sure why they stopped at 15 minutes, this is the kind of sound that could have continued on for hours, forever, oozing forever onward, swallowing up everything in its path. The weird thing is that the main riff is surprisingly catchy, not always noticeable, but every once in a while, you realize there's a nifty little hook buried in there somewhere, but if you're not looking you'll miss it, being way too busy having your skull caved in by the bands relentless plod. Gloriously and fantastically slow and heavy, just how we like it. If you need bands, think Moss, Khanate, Planet Aids, Bunkur, Catacombs, Otesanek, Monarch, Monument Of Urns, Nihill, Whitehorse, Stumm and that sort of dire musical decay.

DIVANITY + LIFEMARE + THE KNELLSeven Bodies In One Grave(Total Rust)cd-r$ 10.98

DIVEGeist(Captured Tracks)7"$ 6.98

Latest single from these shoegaze new wavers, an offshoot of aQ faves the Smith Westerns, but unlike the last few singles, which tended toward the wispy and dreamy, the sound on this latest single is much darker and more dense, with a surprisingly lush production. Plenty of chiming jangle and everything washed out and a bit ethereal but the vocals super effected, the rhythms darkly propulsive, the vibe more ominous and sinister. Even more so on the B side, which is the real reason to grab this, a cover of a super obscure Kurt Cobain demo, "Bambi Slaughter", pre Nirvana, the only existing version a rough unfinished acoustic sketch, but here, Dive finish it up, and turn it into something dark and brooding and surprisingly noisy and chaotic, the sound is definitely Nirvana-esque, the chord progression and the melody, but Dive make it all woozy and jangly, with wild burst of blown out psychedelic chaos between the brooding churning verses. Really awesome, and neither track here will be on the upcoming full length!

DIVEHuman(Captured Tracks)7"$ 6.98

Single number two from these Brooklyn retro-poppers (who count among their membership, some folks from aQ faves the Smith Westerns) who continue to hone their eighties beholden new wave chops, to great effect we might add, another chunk of blissed out jangle and warm sonic shimmer, lots of chiming guitars and woozy wistful melodies. Lilting and melancholic, both tracks here are perfectly dreamy stretches of blissed out dreamy shimmer-pop, rife with reverbed vocals, crystalline production, all softly smeared into a wonderfully washed out sound that channels all the best parts about eighties pop. We mistakenly listened to this at 33 the first time, and it was transformed into a collection of awesomely dreary post punk gloom pop dirgery, which sounded just as good (if not better!) as it did at the correct speed...

DIVESometime / Corvalis(Captured Tracks)7"$ 6.98

Yet another band from Brooklyn, who seem to have mastered that eighties shoegaze / new wave sound, and these guys might be the best yet. Featuring members of aQ faves the Smith Westerns Dive offer up a gorgeous A side, all warm and jangly, lush chiming melodies, super washed out and blissy, driving and minimal, the sort of song that could go on for a whole lp side and we'd never get tired of it. The flipside is a bit more downtempo, a little moodier, with some gorgeous darkly driving basslines, and some hazy ethereal vocals, gorgeously fuzzy and woozy, still shot through with those chiming melodies from the A side. Definitely dying for a full length, as it is, been playing these two songs to death!

DIVINE FITSA Thing Called Divine Fits(Merge)cd$ 14.98

We'd been hearing about this supergroup for a while, the latest project from Spoon's Britt Daniel, here teamed up with Dan Boeckner from Wolf Parade and Sam Brown of the New Bomb Turks, and as we sort of expected, the sound definitely is not that far removed from Spoon, especially when Daniel sings, the first single, the super catchy "My Love Is Real" sounds like a more synthy electro-Spoon, with a serious eighties vibe. We were expecting the whole thing to be more electronic, but really, it's simply a pretty great indie rock record, with the occasional foray into something a bit more electro/electronic, the occasional blast of almost punkish crunch, plenty of synth, that aforementioned eighties vibe, fans of Spoon have lucked out and have basically gotten what sounds like a new Spoon record, and we're kind of digging this new side of Daniel, the songs here are pretty goddamn great, and super catchy, the production is pretty excellent too, with the occasional strings, lots of swirly synths, strange drum sounds, cool effects, we're definitely digging it a lot, the more we listen to if, and this is super random, but for some reason, only now are we realizing how much Daniel sounds like Marcellus Hall from Railroad Jerk, which is definitely a very good thing.

DIVINE STYLERWordPowerz: Directrix(MoWax)cd$ 14.98

DIVISION FOUR1983 Demo Cassette(SmartGuy)12"$ 8.98

Killer archival reissue from local label SmartGuy, a lost 1983 demo from ultra obscure Aussie new wave post punks Division Four, a vinyl reissue of their only tape, and actually we wouldn't have been surprised had this come out on another local label, Superior Viaduct - fans of that label's reissues would do well to check this out, some seriously swaggery synth driven punk, with a heavy new wave influence, spidery angular guitars wrapped around buzzing synths that seem to drive their sound, with some seriously snarky/saucy lyrics, delivered in a very Johnny Rotten style snarl/yowl, all anchored by some low slung Joy Division-y bass. The other 5 songs are just as killer. "Kamikarzi" pairs woozy flanged guitars with sing songy vocals and frenetic drumming, all laced with swooping synths, while "Blank Prostitutes" is all crumbling distorted guitars, more woozy synths and some thick sinewy bass. "I Was Walking" is downright poppy, which gives way to "Azzaria" which is fierce, and driven by some helicopter like synth flutter, and with a weird tranced out chorus. And closer "Sewer Song" gets almost industrial, thick bass blurts, wild squalls of noisy synth, more swaggery vox and harsh lyrical subject matter, dirge-y and darkly new wave-y. Killer stuff. Sad they only ever managed six songs, but thanks to SmartGuy for giving us the chance to even hear 'em...

DIVORCEs/t(Optimo)10"$ 13.98

DIXIE CHICKSTaking The Long Way(Columbia)cd$ 16.98

Okay, it might seem weird us having this, the newest Dixie Chicks record. But don't be afraid, this is actually pretty dang good. Lush modern country, great instrumentation, gorgeous harmony vocals. Fans of the Be Good Tanyas, Jolie Holland, and other ladies of the country might really dig this. Plus by now, unless you're living under a rock you know their politics are right on! And it's produced by Rick Rubin!

DIXIE WITCHInto The Sun(Brainticket)cd$ 13.98

It's too easy to call this band a blend of Black Sabbath and the Allman Bros. but they do share elements of both. '70s lovin' stoner rock from three long-haired Southern boys in power trio formation. The star of the show is Trinidad Leal, their singing

DIXON, TERRENCEFrom The Far Future Part 2(Tresor)cd$ 16.98

As you might have figured out over the last few lists, we're on a bit of a techno kick lately. There's so much far out, droning and expansive mind melting motorik music coming out at the moment that we're just chomping at the bit to share it with the world, and you, our dear aQ readers. This record by Detroit's Terrence Dixon might just take the cake though, as far as deep and dark discoveries go. Dixon, who is no doubt a venerated vet of the Detroit techno underworld, also releasing stellar jams under the moniker Population One, here he hits us with a brooding and beautiful slab of mesmeric and futuristic machine music, the sequel to an album from twelve years ago. From The Far Future Pt. 2 is techno at its most tunnel dwelling. Hazed out sheets of analog texture fogging out the subterranean sprawl, demented synth sirens floating over hypnotic pulsations, detuned and moody sonic scraping, caustic dronings and bits of grimy sonic filigree oozing through the murk. "Dark City Of Hope (Main Mix)", is a narcotic entrancing drift. Buzzing textures rolling like waves over the beat, noisy but harmonically lush sheets of distortion and squelching blips and pops create an aphotic sonic miasma. The mood is melancholic and late night, imagine an Actress remix of Basinki played at 45 in a cavernous warehouse and we're getting close to the vibe. Totally engulfing. "Horizon" is a bit more rough and tumble. A strong four on the floor giving rise to a moody and decimated loop, layers of percussion phased and out of balance, the whole thing groovy and stomping but possessing an almost seasick lilt, infectious and hypnotic hand-hewn soul. A darker and more industrialized turn is taken with "The Auto Factory", dystopian churning mechanics grind and scrape and meld into a trance inducing dream state. Underpinning the whole thing are minimal but booming bass intonations and nefarious droning buzzy synth drifts, all the while creeped out science fiction melodies shimmer ominously in the background, and the rhythm track starts to unravel in the most musical way. It's got this doomed and twisted desolation vibe captured by many a techno visionary, but somehow possesses this intuitive sense of form, allowing the jams to be caught in a beautiful sense of flux, both on and off the grid simultaneously. From The Far Future Part 2 is a thoroughly captivating techno record, droning, hypnotically rhythmic, and densely textured. For fans of Actress, record of the weeker Silent Servant, and the analogue synth darkness of Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury's Drokk, this is an absolute MUST HAVE! Total vibey darkly future gazing techno bliss! RECOMMENDED!

DIZA STAR & THE PINK LADIES BLUESFeaturing Mani Neumeier(Fractal)cd$ 23.00

As if it wasn't confusing enough that a band from France went around calling themselves Acid Mothers Temple & The Pink Ladies Blues, now they've gone and changed their name to Diza Star & The Pink Ladies Blues. We guess in the long run it will be less confusing. It's still guitarist Magic Aum Gigi (who runs the Fractal label), and Japanese expats Tsuchy and Mai Mai. But on this disc the trio are joined by a very special guest -- Mani Neumeier, master percussionist from krautrock legends Guru Guru!! He's totally in his element here (or they in his), on these ten spaced-out tracks of psychedelic jamming, a few of which make overt Guru Guru references titlewise ("Mani-festly Immer Lustig", "Ooga Booga Rock"). Sprawled about the place, there's chanting vocals and droning Jew's harp, percussive freakouts, and of course extended distorto-guitar grinds -- though overall this disc seems a bit cleaner and mellower than earlier whomever & The Pink Ladies Blues offerings. Regardless of the name change, definitely still one for AMT fans! Minus Mani, these guys and gal also have another new album, the vinyl only 3, which we also have in stock but haven't had a chance to hear just yet...

DIZZEE RASCALBoy In Da Corner(Matador)cd$ 14.98

So by now, you've probably at least heard of Dizzee Rascal. He has been the talk of hip-hop / underground music circles for the last year, having won the 'prestigious' Mercury Prize, made every critic's best of list, all before he turned 20. And as with most things like that we had steeled ourselves to be bitterly and utterly disappointed. Look at that Streets record from a year or two back. We were fully ready to have our socks knocked off, but sadly, the socks stayed on. Way on. So we're happy to report, that Dizzee totally lives up to the hype, and then some! Taking the root of his sound from UK garage (pronounced GAIR-ij, we're not talking White Stripes here, ya know), a bastardized (and super simplified) varient of drum 'n bass, with pounding two step rhythms, fat distorted synths, and huge rolling bass lines, but all super spare and stripped down. Very similar (to our ears at least) to ragga/dancehall. Super repetitive and ultra danceable (in a robotic head banging hip shaking sort of way) each song is basically one or two parts, drilled maniacally into your skull, pounding and bouncing, hiccupping and stuttering, while Dizzee flows crazily, in his high pitched Jamaican / Cockney drawl. So crazy and so wickedly addictive. Fairly sample free except for the amazing "Fix Up Look Sharp", which is built entirely from a Billy Squier song, complete with the vocals! We know we don't tell you this often, so please believe us when we say, believe the hype.

DIZZEE RASCALI Luv U(XL)12"$ 5.98

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY.

DIZZEE RASCALJus' A Rascal(XL)12"$ 5.98

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY.

DIZZEE RASCALMaths + English(Definitive Jux)cd$ 14.98

One gets the sense that grime needs a serious shot in the arm. The genre's inception was so vastly novel, it seems it's almost fated to an awkward or even boring adolescence. What is surprising about Maths + English, is that while it's great, it's still oddly significant of this transformation, by virtue of the fact that it excels, but also relies, on the grime formulas without really pushing the boundaries consistently. It having been over half a year since any of the grime elders made a contribution to our racks, things have been pretty sleepy, and no young upstarts have capitalized on the vacant spotlight. However, for a time, Dizzee will be America's grime darling again, because despite the groaning above, the record is pretty irresistible. At its worst its totally riveting pump-up music, with Dizzee's foul mouth regaling us with sexual escapades, and dissing imitators amusingly. At its best it wonders into some genre-bending, borrowing more heavily from dub-step, punk, and even no wave. The record's opening has gorgeously icy and murky synths evocative of recent favorites M83 and Brenda Ray's intoxicating Walatta, juxtaposed with some very Skull Disco beats that we assume are the sounds of knives being sharpened. The records best track "Wanna Be," features female backing vocals immediately evocative of X-Ray Spex or the Slits, while the instrumentation is a totally buoyant and throbbing synth line that would have been found on a mid-nineties grime video game, had we been that lucky. At least there's Wu Tang. There's also plenty of crunchy, gritty, and totally rabid tracks to satisfy the grime classicist, and most retain their urgency, with only a few misses. The record is a qualified classic, given the short history of the style, though we think someone needs to come along soon to turn grime upside down, otherwise the conventions may begin to pall.

DIZZEE RASCALOff 2 Work (ep 1)(XL)cd single$ 4.98

DIZZEE RASCALOff 2 Work (ep 2)(XL)cd single$ 4.98

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY.

DIZZEE RASCALShowtime(XL Recordings)cd$ 14.98

So here we are, round two. And it may actually be official that the UK "Grime" scene is dead. What Grime scene you ask? Exactly. And needless to say, said Grime scene didn't really explode in America either, although by all rights it should have. If you heard the last Dizzee Rascal record or the recent Wiley album you know why we dig this stuff so much. Here's how we described Grime in a past review: "UK garage (pronounced GAIR-ij, we're not talking White Stripes here, ya know), a bastardized (and super simplified) varient of drum 'n bass, with pounding two step rhythms, fat distorted synths, and huge rolling bass lines, but all super spare and stripped down. Very similar (to our ears at least) to ragga/dancehall. Super repetitive and ultra danceable (in a robotic head banging hip shaking sort of way) each song is basically one or two parts, drilled maniacally into your skull, pounding and bouncing, hiccupping and stuttering." But then there are the vocals which totally kick ass. Dizzee spits rhymes in a rapid fire, high pitched flow, sounding like a weird mix of smooth Slick Rick style rapping and boisterous Dancehall toasting. While this record isn't immediately as catchy as the debut, and there don't seem to be any obvious hits like the first time around, the more we listen to it, the more it sinks in and grows and grows. And the world would be a way better place if dance clubs spun nothing but Dizzee and Wiley. Might ever get Andee the wallflower out on the floor. But probably not.

DJ CRAZECrazee Musick(Bomb Hip-Hop)cd$ 12.98

DJ DAYKossa - First Friday Super Jam Ten Year Anniversary(Lo Dubs)7"$ 5.98

DJ ELEPHANT POWERNo Si, Ni So(Sonig)cd$ 14.98

Nicolas Baudoux, aka DJ Elephant Power, dices up soniggly elephants and glitchy blippy percussion that's abstract and cusioned by a jazzy Rhodes-piano and filtered Moog-sequences. Pretty laid-back and meandering, musical themes are introduced and put aside to be hinted at unexpectedly later on. Slightly krauty and somewhat funky, DJ EP's No Si, Ni So is super fun - imagine a little kid riding the rollercoaster of his dreams with a neverending ice cream cone. Weeeeeeeeee!

DJ FAUSTInward Journeys(Bomb Hip-Hop)cd$ 12.98

DJ FEMALE CONVICT SCORPIONLos Balls Del Norte(self-released)cassette$ 5.00

The latest from DJ Female Convict Scorpion comes in the form of this SUPER limited cassette, one that requires some work on the part of the listener to truly enjoy, or at least enjoy as the artist intended. That artist being Josh Pollock, member of psychedelic space rockers 3 Leafs and weirdo noisescapers White Pee, among others, but as DJ Female Convict Scorpion, he concocts lush landscapes of cinematic sound, purloining various bits from other songs, and movies, playing some bits himself, a lo-fi DJ Shadow of sorts, whose past outings have blown our minds and been hugely popular around here. This new one looks to be no different, the rub this time around being, that BOTH sides of the cassette are meant to be played simultaneously, a la Zaireeka or something. So you have several options, the first of course means buying two tapes, and playing them on two tape players, the second is buying just one tape, and using the link that comes with the tape to play the other side on your computer, while you play the first side on your tape player. Phew! A third option, is to attend the upcoming debut performance of Los Balls Del Norte, happening across the street at Lost Weekend, during which, both sides will be played, accompanied by a special film created just for the occasion. More info can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/events/147509788771228/?fref=ts And finally, one last option, one that isn't mutually exclusive, which is to listen to each side of the tape on its own. We did, and both sides sound great, killer breakbeats, shifting textures, mysterious voices, movie samples, vocal snippets, dizzying sonic collages that unwind like psychedelic krautrock grooves and funky heavy soul breakdowns, dreamy lullabies sung in other languages, banging gongs, shimmering FX, woozy slowed down basslines, soft symphonic swirls, muted ambient murk, loose free jazz drum freakouts, squiggly theremin like melodies, rumbling crumbling distorted low end, new wave-y electronics, swirling cosmic synths, and more more more more more! But what does it sound like all together? A seriously warped psychedelic sonic headtrip. Check out the sample, that's a little snippet of the two sides in perfect sync, which ultimately they never will be, which is part of the joy, every listen the sounds will shift, and interact differently, a perpetually unique recording, in fact, essentially MULTIPLE recordings, all of them super cool, one side, both sides, one side started 5 minutes in, 10 minutes, hell, play one backwards, every variation is its own special warped lysergic soundworld to get lost in, over and over and over and over... LIMITED TO 100 COPIES!!!

DJ FRENCHBLOKE AND SONThe Unbelievable Haggis Trax(Krank)lp$ 14.98

You know DJ Frenchbloke from that "Best Bootlegs" comp -- he spliced together Destiny's Child "Jumping Jumping" with the Dead Kennedys' "California Uber Alles" to amazing perfection. Well, here's a whole lp's worth, though nothing here matches the catchiness and shock value of combining those polar opposite cultural icons, save for maybe Kraftwerk and Tag Team's "Whoop De France" (!) So in an attempt to decipher all originating sources of the rest of the tracks, here goes: Miss Jane's "It's A Fine Day" takes an acid trip (via Opus 3?). Perry & Kingsley get sticky with Sisqo's "Thong Song". Destiny's Child goes gabba courtesy of Chicks On Speed's "Turn Of The Century". Britney, Spongebob Squarepants, Anthony Roter's Little Computer People, "Ring Of Fire", and many others get worked as well. Fun for a few listens and laughs, surely an important novelty item, DJs should spin it for a minute, but ultimately not living up to all the hype.

DJ KOZEAll People Is My Friends(Kompakt)cd$ 16.98

DJ KOZE AKA ADOLF NOISEWo Die Rammelwolle Fliegl(Kompakt)cd$ 17.98

DJ MILOThe Wild Bunch: Story of A Sound System(Strut)cd$ 17.98

The Wild Bunch was Bristol, England's legendary sound system some of who's members went on to form the now both legendary and hugely successful Massive Attack. While Mushroom and Daddy G. both went on to become the core members of Massive attack, it was Milo and Nellee who started and were the bedrock of The Wild Bunch. The group moved quickly from packing house parties with their primitive DJ setup, to becoming one of the most popular sound systems in the country. The crew took cues from Jamaican sound systems and insured their competitive edge by hunting down and spinning the rarest of the rarest tracks for their exclusive use -- one of their earliest conquests was an ultra rare copy of "Wild Style Breaks", an instrumental collection from the hip hop movie Wild Style. Their efforts were greatly enhanced by Daddy G. who, while working in a record store, would hide the hottest new 12"s behind the counter and not sell them to anyone else he thought might be a DJ. This disc is, in a sense, an attempt to recreate a Wild Bunch set. The tracks -- Thelma Houston's "You Used To Hold Me So Tight", Spoonie Gee's "Love Rap", Knights of the Turntables' "Techno Scratch", Cameo's "It's Serious" for starters -- were all picked and mixed by Milo who, despite the fact that his name has faded into obscurity, is generally considered to have been not only the heart and soul of The Wild Bunch, but a catalyst for the eventual formation of Massive Attack. The nicest thing about the collection is that, as segues between many tracks, Milo has included live snippets of between song ambience (lots of whistles and air horns!) from actual Wild Bunch performances, so the set almost sounds like the real deal.

DJ SCOTCH EGG / SHITMAT (SCOTCHY AND SHITTY)Rave like a Headless Chicken(Wrong Music)12"$ 11.98

DJ SCUDAmbush!(Rephlex)cd$ 14.98

Oh man, have we been waiting for this!! Scud is the master of dirty, noisy, fuck-shit-up, big beat hardcore dancehall/digital hardcore/gabber. And his label Ambush has been the place to look for forward thinking, speaker shredding, ass kicking electronic mayhem. Grungy and lo-fi and totally addictive. Funky enough to make you want to dance your ass off, but hard enough to make you want to beat the crap out of EVERYBODY! From the old school, two-step drum-and-bass-recorded-on-a-four-track of V.I.P Pressure Pt. 1 to the pounding, super distorted dancehall jungle of Kill Or Be Killed to the ghetto blaster dance party drum and bass of Jungle Warrior to the freaked out Lesser meets Panacea noise clash of New World. This is the only shit that matters anymore. Vibrant and exciting, fucked up and totally pummelling. Puts Alec Empire's by-the-numbers digital hardcore to shame. Major complaint: Nine tracks?!?!? C'mon. There's at least five or six 12"s and three or four 7"s that are just begging to be collected all in one place. Why choose nine songs from random comps when there could've been a wicked double or triple complete Ambush collection?!?! Bitching aside, this is THE SHIT! MPEG Download: "Kill Or Be Killed" [/audio/scudkill.mp3] MPEG Stream: "Kill Or Be Killed" [/audio/scudkill.m3u]

DJ SCUD / RICH KIDPut Up Your Lighters / Rude Bimmer(Ambush)12"$ 9.98

Newest Ambush jungle/dancehall assault. This one's a split between Ambush head honcho Scud and Rich Kid (AKA Panacea). It's less ragga / dancehall and more noise and mayhem and insane drill and bass. Really cool and heavy and crazy, but left us yearning for

DJ SCUD / RICH KID (PANACEA)Murder Sound(Ambush)cd$ 14.98

The incredible DJ Scud (aka Toby Reynolds, Bloodclaat Gangsta Youth, head honcho of Ambush Records) steps into the ring to take on the Rich Kid (aka Kate Mosh, M2, Bad Street Boy, best known as German dancefloor militiamensch PANACEA). Murder Sound sees these

DJ SHADOWSix Days(MCA)cd ep$ 7.98

"Six Days" is that really cool song from DJ Shadow's Private Press album, the song with the Shirley-Bassey-voiced woman singing "Tomorrow never comes until it's too late..." Here's the single. We got four tracks: an excellent remix featuring Mos Def, an instrumental version, a non-album track "100 Metre Dash", and a radio edit. Also featured is the "Six Days" video which you can play on your computer, and which was directed by WONG KAR WAI and stars Chang Chen the wild young guy from Crouching Tiger. Pretty average video, the only thing pushing it over the top being cinematographer Chris Doyle's stunning photography that fans of Wong Kar Wai's films swoon over.

DJ SHITBIRD / REVENGEWelcome To The Party(Narnack)cd$ 11.98

Er...let's see, the press for this says: "A typically retarded new EP split between two of underground San Francisco's favorite treats". Favorite treats we suppose if you're into the most annoying Load-label stuff too, but we won't argue with retarded. But that doesn't mean we're saying you won't like this -- the market for primitive beats, synth abuse, and noisy silly punk-dance chaos is a burgeoning one after all. And there's some local celebs involved in these two acts as well: DJ Shitbird consists of members of Comets On Fire, the Lowdown, Crack W.A.R., Big Techno Werewolves, and Lil Pocketknife, while Revenge consists of the infamous John Dwyer (Coachwhips, Pink & Brown, Zeigenbock Koph, OCS...) and a dude from the Numbers. It seems that Narnack ain't signing up anything, even for a split, without scenester cred galore. Both bands are equally goofy, with Revenge being noisier and DJ Shitbird cuter (but more cringe-inducing), I suppose. Check out the sound clips to see if they get your booty moving or just make you gag...

DJ TOM THUMPMagic Maps()cd$ 13.98

DJ/ RUPTUREUproot(The Agriculture Records)cd$ 16.98

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY. We've been meaning to list this for a while now, but we kept selling out of it, over and over, we could barely keep it in stock, and for good reason, as far as modern mixers and DJ's go, DJ /Rupture is one of our faves, so when he offers up a mix heavy on the dubstep, you know it's gonna rule, and rule it does. Bunch of new names, some old ones too, some surprises as well, here's who we know: Scuba, Timeblind, Shackleton, Ghislain Poirier, We, Lloop, Ekkehard Ehlers, and here's who we don't: Baby Kites And Nokea, Clouds, Istari Lasterfahrer, Maga Bo, ATK12, Ekstrak, Frescoe, Iron Shirt, Jenny Jones, Stalker, Filastine, Brent Arnold, Quest, Moving Ninja, Dead Leaf and Prefessor Shehab. But heck, it hardly matters what songs and which artists, if Rupture picks 'em you know they're good (this man must have a mindblowing record collection), and then all mixed up they're transformed into a constantly shifting dubbed out bass heavy groove that goes on and on and on. Lots of thick fuzzed out synth bass, various permutations of THAT dubstep beat, some toasting here and there, Ehlers offers up some swoonsome strings, there's some Eastern skitter, some chopped up and stuttery techno, a little ragga, some murky mumbly doom-step, a bit of dreamy downtempo drift, some slow motion old school jungle, but it's all held together by a dubstep framework, so no matter what tripped out tangent the mix takes, it always finds its way back to the dub. Killer mix as always, and as with most Rupture stuff, WAY recommended.

DJIN AQUARIAN & PLASTIC CRIMEWAVE SOUNDSave The World(Prophase)lp$ 17.98

DMBQEsoteric Black Hair(Fake Chapter)cd ep$ 5.98

All right! Esoteric Black Hair was originally cd-r sampler release put together for this great Japanese band's US West Coast tour this past summer. We were stoked to carry it, but a bit bummed it was just a cd-r. Now, it's being properly pressed on cd, and the label is being super awesome and has arranged for anyone who got the cd-r version to get a free cd replacement. Cool, eh? More details on that are to be found at the end of this review, but first let's recap what we said about the original release, for all of you who didn't get it yet ('cause you should!): From Japan...DMBQ!! (Formerly known as the Dynamite Masters Blues Quartet.) Damn, did you see these guys (and gal) play last year?? If not, don't miss 'em this time... If you DID see 'em last time, of course you'll be at their shows again this time too. One of the ultimate over-the-top rock experiences... a spectacle of backbends, stagedives, sweat, awesome polyester outfits, and let's not forget heavy psych-rock chops!! An AWESOME live band -- they had rock moves I've never seen before. Are DMBQ tongue in cheek fantasy? Or totally sincere love of rock n' roll overload? Probably both. It's a blend of Hendrix and Blue Cheer played with the attitude of Guitar Wolf or the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. What The Darkness would be if they were Japanese and inspired by '70s acid riff-rock instead of '80s hair metal, perhaps. I've been a BIG fan of this band for a long time, and was always super frustrated not to be able to get any of their recent cd output to sell here at Aquarius. They're on a major label in Japan, and it's just impossible to get their discs for any reasonable price. But now, we've got this, their first and only domestic US release, a thirty minute selection of choice cuts from some of their Japanese albums. There's seven songs here, each crazier and heavier and more rockin' than the last. If you liked Boris' Heavy Rocks or Akuma No Uta albums, you'll like this!! (And Acid Mothers Temple, you'd better get out of the way.) It's too bad we can't get their 'actual' albums, but for now this will have to do, and it makes for a nice, budget priced sampler/intro to the band's brand of bellbottomed insanity. I bet some smart label will pick 'em up and we'll have more domestically released DMBQ to look forward to soon [recent news flash: expect an album in March 2005 on Estrus!]. So get this, and don't miss their shows, if you've got a rock bone in your body. They have a new drummer (China-Mana from Shonen Knife) and tell us in an email about playing with her: "It is VERY fun! We can show you more crazy show surely. I feel we could get more EVIL musical power through her...! We are very excited." So are we! If you missed 'em, they will be back...and yes they DID get more EVIL musical power by the way. So keep an eye out for them to return. Ok, now here's more about what do if you already purchased the previous cd-r of Esoteric Black Hair and want to upgrade to the cd. Fake Chapter sez: "Earlier this year, Japan's DBMQ toured the West Coast bringing with them a tour souvenir EP Esoteric Black Hair. Now due to their enormous success, Fake Chapter Records (who partnered with them for the tour) has commercially released the EP. For those of you bought the original CD-R, don't feel ripped off! Fake Chapter and Aquarius Records have made a special arrangement for you. Simply leave your information with Aquarius or email your mailing address directly to dmbq@fakechapter.com and we'll send you a copy of the new version for FREE. That's right, no sending the old EP back, no paying for postage, no being forced to buy the same thing twice, just let us know who you are and it will be in your mailbox! Please note: Both versions include the SAME track listing and artwork. The only difference is CD-R vs. CD duplication quality. Please email dmbq@fakechapter.com for any questions."

DMBQThe Essential Sounds From the Far East(Estrus)cd$ 14.98

These guys and gal from Japan should need no introduction, eh? I mean, I think we've done our best to already familiarize AQ customers with the rock n' roll awesomeness of the Dynamite Masters Blues Quartet, right? We've certainly sold a ton of their Esoteric Black Hair ep, that's for sure! Plus, they've been on a stateside touring assault recently that is clearly pulling more and more fans into their orbit. In our review of EBH, we predicted that sooner rather than later some clever American label would pick this band up...and lo, Estrus has done the deed. They're a label perhaps known for a retro sound more garagey than these guys, but it's definitely a good fit with DMBQ's brand of wild rock n' roll abandon. On The Essential Sounds From the Far East (terrible title, although no falsehood), DMBQ's Boredoms-playing-Blue Cheer attack continues unabated. Tons and tons of guitar with tons and tons of effects. Swooshing sizzling wah-wah mayhem. Howling, raucous vox. Groovy drumming. Exuberant energetic explosions of sound. Sonic starbursts and brightly coloured visuals absolutely must accompany rock that's kicking out the jams this hard. Imagine the most in-your-face elements of Hendrix and Led Zep I taken to absurd extremes by some extroverted Japanese freaks, right now, today, in your town if you're lucky. Anyone who likes Acid Mothers Temple when they pay a visit to "electric heavyland", or digs the psychedelic, '70s rawk side of Boris, will love cranking this up. As mentioned, they've been touring more in the US. DO NOT MISS SEEING THEM. Their showmanship has to be seen to be believed. They're always upping the ante. They were just here last month, and the crowd at the Hemlock got to witness frontman Shinji pass the drum kit into the audience, piece by piece, assemble it there, then grab DMBQ's new drummer China (ex-Shonen Knife) and hand *her* into the crowd, from where she picked up the beat and finished the song, drumming in the midst of the sweaty multitude. Wow. But as good live as they are, they don't slack in the studio either. You can tell they mean to impress with this, their first-ever US album release (EBH being both an ep and a collection of previously released tunage). This does include a version of "Are You Satisfied?", a song that's also on EBH... but everything else is new. It's one loud pounding, swirling, throbbing psych-out after another, with only the spaced out six and a half minute "Dm" providing a bit of relaxation. Damn we love this band. Now if only all their other, also-excellent previous Japanese releases would get reissued over here...

DMBQ (DYNAMITE MASTERS BLUES QUARTET)EXP(Less Than TV)cd$ 16.98

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY. Here is, quite literally, a "warehouse find"... the first two cds by Japanese mega-psych-mongers DMBQ aka Dynamite Masters Blues Quartet, the only two actual DMBQ albums that were ever really available in the USA before, and barely, on the seemingly-now-defunct Japanese indie label Less Than TV. Allan was visiting one of our suppliers and dug these up, they happened to have about a dozen copies each of these cds stuck in a dark and dusty corner of their warehouse. So we grabbed 'em all, knowing that a bunch of you out there would be stoked to get yr hands on these, seeing as how we sold so frickin' many of the DMBQ's Esoteric Black Hair EP. That cd-r compiled some of their more recent material, and if you liked those cuts we imagine you'll dig this earlier material too. It's rawer and maybe even wilder. The usual "act fast since we've only got a few" warning applies of course! EXP is their second album, from 1996. Every track on EXP has the words "EXP" in the title, from "A House EXPosed To Every Wind" to "Everybody Got Something To Hide EXPect Me And My Monkey" (yes, that's what it says, and yes it is a rather demented rave-up cover version of the Beatles tune with the not-quite-the-same title). And you can EXPect that DMBQ are at their distorto-blues-psych best here, total rock n' roll mayhem and big-riff heaviness bustin' out all over this disc. Definitely for fans of both Blue Cheer and Boris. A lot of the tracks sound like "Dazed And Confused" bathed in sludge, while the last track "EXPlosion" brings in some free-blowin' horns for a Funhouse effect. And it comes with a sticker.