THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
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, they're gonna be touring the West Coast this month (June '04). 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 cd-r compiling a 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. So get this, and don't miss their shows, if you've got a rock bone in your body. They'll be debuting a new drummer on this tour (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!
NB. if you got the cd-r 'bootleg' that DMBQ was selling at their shows last year, be aware that Esoteric Black Hair is an *entirely* different disc.
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!
Their self-titled 1995 debut cd really throws down the dirty distorted heavy-psych garage rock gauntlet. It's just a massive blow-out of raucous, stomping, fuzz and feedback-filled punk blooze rockin' freakiness that'd give Hendrix a headache. Basically imagine the Boredoms playing Blue Cheer and you've got the idea. They get into some cool '60s surf stuff on here too. Hopefully some day we'll be able to stock their newer albums but in the meantime fans of DMBQ and/or their brand of mayhem ought to be happy to score one of these while they last...which won't be long we're pretty sure.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
DJ Eddie Def (Space Travellers, El Stew, Bullet Proof Scratch Hamsters, etc.) cuts it up on the turntables (and drum machines). The first in a series, the next to feature DJ Cue.
I used to think Ice Cube had the most evil voice in hip hop. The voice I picture the devil having or some evil beast that returns to reign terror on the earth. But DMX may have finally outdone Cube. I mean his voice was always gravelly and deep and completely
It's been ages since we last heard from DMX Krew, it was probably on some comp way back in the day, or maybe one of their nineties Rephlex full lengths. We're happy to report very little has changed, as local label Voltaire offers up this ep of old school electrofunk/synthpop, all skittery beats, and vocodered vocals, fuzzy eighties synth stabs, total day-glo / neon beats for retro dancefloor revivalists, from the two takes on the title track, one blown out and frenetically funky, the other more laid back and groovy, to the "Rockit" style synthpop electro of "Surf Squad", and from the late night synth funk of "Turing Test", to the cheesy eighties VHS dance party robofunk jitter of "No More Bad Dreams". Although stick around for the final jam "Mind Bombs", which sounds like it's sourced from the same old school party rockers that M83 models his sound after, but where M83 gussies it up and modernizes it a bit, adding shoegaze blissout and some modern gloss, DMX Krew keeps it true and offers up a groovy funky slab of super hypnotic booty shaking electro pop, that sounds like it's playing underneath the credits of some lost eighties video jam like BMX Bandits or Gleaming The Cube, all dreamy female vox, blurts of low end synths and squelchy rhythms. Totally sweet!
Jeff "Monoman" Conolly has gotta be one of rock 'n' roll's awesomest unsung legends. First off, he fronted DMZ, Boston's garage punk answer to the likes of the Stooges and the New York Dolls, in the mid-'70s. Then, out of the ashes of DMZ, he formed Lyres, who traded in some (just some) of DMZ's scuzzed out heaviness for retro Vox organ driven power poppiness in the style of the best '60s Nuggets outfits. There's a new cd that brings both bands together, half the disc DMZ demos from '76, the other half Lyres live in '82. It's also available as two separate vinyl releases, this one's the DMZ half, featuring 12 tracks recorded as demos at a Cambridge radio station in 1976. They rip it up here, doing a ton of rad covers, among 'em "Til The End Of The Day" by the Kinks, "Teenage Head" by the Flamin' Groovies, "Search and Destroy" by the Stooges, "Heart Of Stone" by the Stones, and "Someone's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonight" by Fleetwood Mac (also memorably covered by the Rezillos). Definitely the sound of a band reveling in their influences, gettin' ready to kick out their own jams, as well as some other covers, on their one and only studio album, which was released in '78 by Sire. (Note: there's no song overlap between this and that.)
Nice new vinyl reissue of this 1978 classic. Those of you familiar with Boston's garage-scuzz legends The Lyres will immediately recognize -that- sound, as DMZ were essentially a Lyres prototype, equal parts blasting garge-y punk rock, fuzzed out organs, crunchy guitar, and Jeff "Monoman" Connolly's howled vocals. Think the Seeds, the MC5, the Kinks and the 13th Floor Elevators, but filtered through a sludgy stew of Stooges, Rocket From The Tombs, Electric Eels and the Ramones. Awesome cover art with the band hugging what appear to be either beer kegs or Daleks (or maybe they're supposed to be in a pinball machine).
Jeff "Monoman" Conolly has gotta be one of rock 'n' roll's awesomest unsung legends. First off, he fronted DMZ, Boston's garage punk answer to the likes of the Stooges and the New York Dolls, in the mid-'70s. Then, out of the ashes of DMZ, he formed Lyres, who traded in some (just some) of DMZ's scuzzed out heaviness for retro Vox organ driven power poppiness in the style of the best '60s Nuggets outfits. This disc brings both bands together. The DMZ half features 12 tracks recorded as demos at a Cambridge radio station in 1976. They rip it up here, doing a ton of rad covers, among 'em "Til The End Of The Day" by the Kinks, "Teenage Head" by the Flamin' Groovies, "Search and Destroy" by the Stooges, "Heart Of Stone" by the Stones, and "Someone's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonight" by Fleetwood Mac (also memorably covered by the Rezillos). Definitely the sound of a band reveling in their influences, gettin' ready to kick out their own jams, as well as some other covers, on their one and only studio album, which was released in '78 by Sire. (Note: there's no song overlap between this and that.)
Then, on the second half of the disc, there's 15 more tracks from Lyres, recorded live in '82, with a line up featuring 4/5s of DMZ, at an Italian restaurant that doubled as a punk rock venue by night, back in the day. There's lotsa killer covers here as well (The Wailers, The Sonics, The Young Rascals, Kenny and the Kasuals...) and they do a DMZ tune too - but the main attraction might be the raw, raucous versions of Lyres own songs, Conolly compositions that shoulda been big hits, like early single sides "Help You Ann" (Andee's favorite Lyres song EVER) and "I Really Want You Right Now". Considering that reissues of Lyres studio albums are not easy to come by these days (why oh why are they out of print?), the release of this live recording, which makes up for in sheer energy what it might lack in high fidelity, is quite a boon both to fans and folks who, upon hearing it, will immediately become fans!
Basically a double dose of straight up rock 'n' roll radness. Also available as two separate vinyl lps, DMZ on one, Lyres on the other.
NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL!! Limited edition double vinyl, to be precise, with three "newly discovered songs exclusive to this lp". Plus two live encores from the band's final CBGB's appearance. Here's our review of the earlier released cd version:
It's been a quarter century overdue. But finally, all of the good DNA material has finally been gathered in a single collection. There may have been Japanese bootlegs floating around, and there was that terrible live record that came out on Avant about a decade ago. But DNA on DNA is the definitive collection; and its release will probably squeeze more than a few of those seminal No New York compilations LPs onto the eBay market.
DNA, of course, was the No Wave band that Arto Lindsay assembled with the help of percussionist Iuke Mori and keyboardist Robin Crutchfield, both of whom were self-professed non-musicians at the time. A mere 9 months after the birth of DNA, Crutchfield left and was replaced by former Pere Ubu bassist Tim Wright. The two line-ups of DNA manifested vastly different sounds. For the first line-up, Lindsay coupled his autistic guitar cacophony with aggressive barks and snarls of thoroughly fragmented lyrics which in turn were propelled by Crutchfield's double fisted pummel on his keyboards and More's equally Frankensteinian percussive lurches. The early DNA sort of sounded like an unholy coupling of Damo Suzuki, Sonny Sharrock, and Captain Beefheart attempting to compress all of their ideas into a two minute punk context. Recent bands like the Numbers have attempted to replicate the DNA ethos, but have devolved into ironists sneering at the audience instead of capturing DNA's frightening abstract expressionism and psychic alienation.
The second DNA line-up with Tim Wright on bass embraced a far more painterly approach. Rather than replicating the antifunk cubic sounds of Crutchfield's Moog, Wright produced calligraphic bass lines with a sinewy pelvic grind that infused a bizarre sensuality to the tortured sounds of Lindsay's guitar 'n' vocal shrieks. No net loss/gain there.
While Mars clearly had their highlights, they quietly imploded, Lydia Lunch dropped the shock treatment of Teenage Jesus in lieu of the cartoonish noir of Queen of Siam and Eight Eyed Spy and James Chance went onto parody himself as James White, DNA were consistently the best of the No Wave bands; and it's about damn time that this document came out. Clearly there are a lot of contemporary bands who should be shamed into calling it quits with the release of DNA on DNA, and there should be many more people who should be blown away by just how good DNA were.
Those of you who missed out on the most recent DNTEL full length should really be kicking yourselves. Or at least trying to remedy the situation by running out and picking it up pronto. Probably the most fully realised melding of bittersweet perfect pop and buzzing, staticky, glitchy electronica. This single features a handful of different versions (including the original) of what most of us consider to be the best track, with AQ faves Death Cab For Cutie's Benjamin Gibbard providing the lyrics and vocals. A totally heartbreaking, slice of wistful, whiny-boy-pining-for-unattainable-girl, emo pop, but slathered in a thick coat of hissing static and stuttering gzzzzzzzzzt. Just gorgeous. This single, while a fine introduction for those of you I was admonishing at the beginning of the review, is actually quite worth the ten bucks for those of you who have the full length too, 'cause God knows, how could you ever have enough of this song?!?!? The track that makes this the keeper is definitely the mix by Barbara Morgenstern. She keeps much of the original intact, maybe adding some extra space, but sings the first verse herself, later joined by Gibbard in a totally sexy sad duet. So perfect. This is some serious mixtape material!!!! The other tracks are no slouches either. Safety Scissors, add their own West coast Kid606/Lesser/Kit Clayton glitchy techno vibe with deadpan vocals by Erlend Ore of Kings Of Convenience. Superpitcher turn it into a 4/4 German dancefloor classic with that instantly recognizable Kompakt sound. And AQ faves Lali Puna turn it into a swelling, dreamy electronic post rock excursion. Plus one unreleased track called 'Your Hill.' Good stuff.
Having three such beloved creative outlets Postal Service, Figurine and Dntel at his disposal, Mr. Jimmy Tamborello's probably had to replace his door a few times with so many potential musical collaborators knocking it down. And he's chosen the absolute cream of today's crop for his highly anticipated, long overdue new Dntel album, the follow-up to 2000's Life Is Full Of Possibilities. Dumb Luck follows a similar recipe as Stephin Merritt's The Sixths project for which Mr. Magnetic Fields writes and performs the music while various pop darlings provide the vocals. It just happens to be a full collaborative effort featuring the hot poop luminaries of Conor Oberst, Grizzly Bear, Jenny Lewis, Fog, Mia Doi Todd, Lali Puna, Arthur & Yu, and Mystic Chords Of Memory.
Wistful, pastoral and lovely, it's a softly faceted poptronica album that doesn't hit you over the head despite its hip, indie A-list cache. No, we think it'll grow on you with each listen as it did with us, glimmering with Tamborello's trademark fleeting pop elements, feathery electronic tickles and fond familiar voices. Mmmmmm.
PHTHALO 12. Oh wow. I have no idea what/who this is, nor do I care. Neither do I care that this was pressed as a cd-r. Dntel has made one of the catchiest IDM-based electronica records in the last long while, bringing pop hooks full of tinkling little melodies to the digital swoop and skitter of deconstructed Amen breaks, spasmodic algorithms, and powerbooking electrocrunch. Fans of Lesser, Reload (remember them?), and Aphex Twin shouldn't pass this up. I'm serious.
Los Angeles-based Jimmy Tamborello, veteran of the SoCal emo/indie rock scene (remember Strictly Ballroom? Further? The Tyde?) and current member of electro pop outfit Figurine returns after a lengthy absence with another solo record as Dntel. After two
This drizzly afternoon we were listening to Cat Power's latest single with her cover of the Everly Brothers' "All I Have To Do Is Dream", then immediately after that we put on the first side of this new Dntel record (Jimmy Tamborello's first 'solo' release in five years -- his time's been occupied with other matters, namely a little duo known as Postal Service). The song "Rock My Boat" sung by guest vocalist Mia Doi Todd segued sooo wonderfully. It's an absolute heartmelter that you wish would linger a bit longer than its fleeting few minutes. Oh, 'tis a pleasure to hear two such amazing voices back to back. We'd highly recommend that you do the same! It totally brought back the warm fuzzy feeling you get while playing your favorite 7" records in your bedroom. The flipside is an instrumental of Tamborello's familiar gentle glitchy fare. Sweet.
Dntel's "Something Always Goes Wrong" had a noble beginning back in 1994 when it was slated to be released on some Japanese boutique techno label as a concept record about "our hero and his arduous journey." (?) The presence of swords, damsels, and an evil king keep this concept album outside of the realm of Sci-Fi -- the genre of choice for techno boffins doing concept albums. This is a blantantly romantic piece of electronic abstraction which nuzzles itself right in between early '90s legends of electronica in Reload, Biosphere, and chill-out king, The Orb. The outsider electronica label Phthalo resurrected this album and added two remixes (from Seq and Languis respectively) and two new tracks. Fans of Boards of Canada who haven't heard much of Reload or Biosphere should certainly check Dntel out. Easily the most accessible record to emerge from the damaged minds of Phthalo!
Most folks know Jimmy Tamborello as one half of electro poppers The Postal Service, with Ben Gibbard from Death Cab For Cutie, others might remember his electropop outfit Figurine, and a few folks might even recall an emo rock band called Strictly Ballroom, that also featured Mr. Tamborello, but we were first introduced to him via his experimental electronic outfit Dntel, who released a handful of records on the Pthalo label back in the late nineties.
This triple disc collection gathers up two of the long out of print Pthalo releases, as well as a whole other disc of song sketches and unreleased tracks.
Something Always Goes Wrong was originally slated to be released on some Japanese boutique techno label in 1994 as a concept record about "our hero and his arduous journey." (?) The presence of swords, damsels, and an evil king kept this concept album outside of the realm of Sci-Fi - the genre of choice for techno boffins doing concept albums. Something... was a blatantly romantic piece of electronic abstraction which nuzzled itself right in between early '90s legends of electronica in Reload, Biosphere, and chill-out king, The Orb. Lots of processed skitter, stuttering big beats, and warm washes of dreamlike sound. Hard not to also hear plenty of Boards Of Canada and Aphex Twin, as well as hints of what Tamborello would be doing later with the Postal Service, although this stuff is obviously more homebrewed and a bit more low fidelity, which is in no way a bad thing. The original release tacked on two remixes, both present here, as well as two totally unreleased tracks exclusive to this collection.
When it was first released, back in 1998, we described Early Works For Me If It Works For You as "one of the catchiest IDM-based electronica records in the last long while, bringing pop hooks full of tinkling little melodies to the digital swoop and skitter of deconstructed Amen breaks, spasmodic algorithms, and powerbooking electrocrunch." We also recommended it to fans of Lesser, Reload and Aphex Twin and it still pretty much holds true. This stuff still sounds vibrant and crucial, and only a little bit dated, but not at all in a bad way, in fact, we've really missed this era of electronic music, and this is totally hitting the spot.
The bonus disc here, Early Works For Me If It Works For You II, as mentioned above, is a collection of sketches and unfinished works, and is way more raw than the other two discs, but that doesn't mean it's not super cool, skittery and bloopy, woozy melodies, drifty and droney, plenty of glitch and crunch, but also some acoustic guitar (definitely foreshadowing the Postal Service again), processed vox, intense drones, dreamy washed out synth drifts, all of it very warm and muted and sun dappled and dreamy, gorgeous stuff, even in their unfinished state.
Fans of that era, of Aphex Twin, Boards Of Canada, who somehow missed out on Dntel, will be in for a surprise, and folks who love the Postal Service, might be excited to hear what came before. Us, we're just digging these sounds, this retro, stuttery, swoonsome, electronic dream pop, amazed that it still sounds so goddamn good. Killer packaging too, a massive 8 panel digipak, full color on black, with some fancy reflective spot varnish filigree.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
A fancy split 7" picture disc featuring the soft and lovely sounds of these two solo projects from Jimmy Tamborello and Arne Van Petegem respectively. You may also be familiar with their other sonic endeavours: Tamborello in the band Figurine and Van Petegem as Tin Foil Star. The two tracks are nicely matched - airy, glistening, melodic and a wee bit wistful. Aq fave Dntel delivers another lush, bittersweet melding of the softest indie pop and the shuffling laptop. It's graced with some lullaby boy/girl vocals (the female ones come courtesy of his Figurine bandmate Meredith). The Styrofoam track is a more abstract but no less pleasing affair with its chiming broken music box melodies and fragmented, effected vocals surfacing throughout. Short and sweet.
Less spaced out and expansive than their previous efforts, "& Yet & Yet" marks the third album from this Canadian post-rock, instrumental ensemble. Not a huge detour but certainly moving away from their usual much more drone-laden sound, they've composed
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
With a record on Constellation not too long ago, Do Make Say Think collect this 4 song ep from over 20 hours of recorded material for a widely varied piece of vinyl that ranges from the quiet twang found on Jim O'Rourke's "Bad Timing" to kaleidoscopic space-rock drones ala Sonic Boom to the building hypnosis-rock of Mogwai meets Circle. Pretty good despite the incongruities.
Reissued on vinyl, a old Constellation fave.
Second album from these Canadian post-rockers, very pretty and epic. Possibly mesmerizing, possibly boring, depending on your mood. Worth checking out if you like stuff like Scenic or labelmates Fly Pan Am or Godspeed You Black Emperor.
On their latest release, Canadian post-rockers Do Make Say Think deliver four splendid instrumentals that differ starkly in mood and atmosphere, and that follow a defined dynamic arc. The first kicks things off with a driving tempo, and a somewhat more gritty-raw approach than on their last album 2007's You, You're A History In Rust. It brings to mind the old school Chicago post-rock from the '90s. The second draws the listener in with a comparatively subdued chant and lulling rhythm that eventually is swept up and away into the stormy dramatics we've come to know and love from this band and their Montreal comrades. The third continues along in that vein, and the fourth brings the 43 minutes to a sunset gazing, drowsy close with lanky sliding guitar lines and hushed brush-on-snare drumming. Nice.
Fourth album of epic instrumental post-rock from one of Canada's best. Droning, lush, rhythmic, dynamic. If you're gonna try just one other Constellation label band besides the mighty Godspeed You Black Emperor!, maybe it should be Do Make Say Think. And this would be just the album of theirs to check out. As it starts, you might think it's gonna be all cinematic and kinda jazzy but then they display some heavy fuzz-ed out muscle that ought to appeal to fans of Kinski for sure. Nice n' moody.
Over the years Toronto's Do Make Say Think have become one of the few ensembles able to step out of the shadow of their connection to Godspeed You Black Emperor and make a strong name for themselves in the world of intricate and dynamic instrumental post-rock. Their last few records have shown the band refining their sound, becoming a bit more pop orientated yet not losing their ability to create goosebump inducing moments in their songs. Their latest doesn't veer much from their fine formula, but folks might be surprised to find vocals on a few tracks and we have to say those songs would have been just fine without them. But for the most part all the elements that have made Do Make Say Think one of our favorites from the Constellation family are all still here and shining bright.
The first album from Do Make Say Think showcases their hypnotic rhythm section which alternates from jazzy grooves to intricate pop structures. On top of this solid base, swells of guitar noise and organ drones explode and dissolve much like a cross between Bardo Pond and a weirder version of Spiritualized. On the same label that brought you the fantastic Godspeed You Black Emperor (!!) and also from Canada.
French heavy psychedelic acid rock proto-metal. Yes we said French. Last year, via the interweb, we got clued in to the existence of some way rare and obscure late '60s / early '70s heaviness from the land of baguettes and berets. Rotomagus, Les Variations, Chico Magnetic Band, Quo Vadis, Zoo... Francais Metal de Proto!! We'd had no idea. So we're happy now we've tracked down a few import cds bearing proof of this hitherto unknown phenomenon. This one's by a band from Paris called Docdail. Housed in a cardboard sleeve, this cd features just four tracks -- the A and B sides of Docdail's first two singles, from 1969 and 1970, which might be their entire recorded output as far as we know. In fact we don't know much about these guys at all -- except that at they wrote at least one song, found here, that is mindblowingly heavy for 1969!!!
This disc starts off with "Sad Harold", an electric blues number that while decent enough probably won't get anybody too excited. It definitely betrays nothing of the utterly ahead-of-its-time onslaught of psychedelic instro-sludge found on the flip, track two here, "Aere Perennius". A way HEAVY acid jam, man. Doubtless this one was influenced by Jimi Hendrix, but to us sounds more like freakin' Steel Pole Bathtub! If we were told this was a band from the early '90s on AmRep, we'd have believed it, except maybe during a breakdown halfway through when some vocals come in, briefly shouting in Latin and French. Simply astonishing, and worth the price of this disc to those of you obsessed, like us, with the early daze of the heavy. Following that, third up on the disc, is the not-quite-as-heavy "Stone Me", a song as groovy and stonery as you'd hope from the title. Reminds us maybe of Steppenwolf. The B-side to that wraps things up, a much mellower track called "Why Do You Cry" that is slow, sad and sweet, which Docdail manages quite nicely. Leaving us puzzled though... it would seem that Docdail didn't really "get it" (or their management/audiences didn't), 'cause otherwise why the heck wouldn't they have taken the incredible, extreme sound of "Aere Perennius" and run with it?? Maybe they scared themselves, who knows!
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
Gorgeous package, bound like a hardcover book, from John Fahey's Revenant label, who haven't put out a less-then-stellar reissue yet. Gorgeous stark banjo and voice that runs chills up yr spine. From the sleeve notes: "Dock Boggs was a singer and banjo player who sounded as if his bones were coming through his skin every time he opened his mouth. In the mountains of eastern Kentucky/western Virginia in the 1920s he forged a highly personal music of such intensity it retains the power to shock seventy years after it was recorded.
"'[Boggs] set down a handful of performances so strangely demanding as to lead a listener to measure what he or she know of the American voice --any emblematic American voice, Huckleberry Finn's, Robert Johnson's, Franklin Roosevelt's, Barbara Jordan's-- against Boggs, to see if what one knew could pass his test. [He] created a small body of work so dissonant that like black gravity it can seem to suck into itself whatever music might be brought to bear upon it.' -Greil Marcus
"Includes 64 pages of text and rare photos. Over 60 minutes of music, including Bogg's 12 original 1927 and 1929 recordings, 5 never-before heard 1929 outtakes, and 4 1920s cuts by Boggs compatriots Bill and Hayes Shepherd."
"Dock Boggs only recorded 12 songs in the 1920s, but his raw, powerful singing and distinctive banjo-playing caused Harry Smith to include him in his Anthology of American Folk Music and Mike Seeger to search for him in the hills of Kentucky in 1963. A new series of recording sessions captured the 50 blues, instrumentals, regional and religious songs included on this two-CD set." Includes extensive notes by Mike Seeger and Barry O'Connell.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
Along with the Rhythmania disc by J.D. Robb we recently reviewed, Locust has reissued on cd another example of early 'electronica', this 1961 Folkways LP by famed tape music pioneer Tod Dockstader, whose experiments in musique concrete and pure electronics are always lively and dramatic. The simply if accurately titled Eight Electronic Pieces is a work of abstract sonic theatre constructed from a large library of tape 'cells' -- 12,000 feet of tape in total -- sourced from recordings made both in the studio and out. All the noise and chaos of the big city (the Big Apple in this case) seems to be swept up in these compositions, with the tape speed manipulations corresponding to the flow of traffic, although little you hear is readily identifiable, even if evocative of the roar of a jet plane overhead, or animals in the wild. Most of the sounds are suggestive only of the pings and pongs and oscillations that they are. Laboratory Music you might call it. Laborious at any rate, when you think of the hours of craft and creativity that Dockstader devoted to works like this, sustained really by his own excitement at the possibilities inherent the genre he was helping to invent, wherein the role of the engineer (composer) utterly supercedes that of the not-now-so-necessary musicians. Listening to sound, and editing sound, replaces writing music (or becomes a way of 'writing' music). In other words, we wouldn't have, say, Matmos today without the likes of Tod Dockstader back when. But not only is his stuff, like Eight Electronic Pieces, worth checking out for historical reasons, it's gonna give your ears something to chew on that's still vital forty years later.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
Can you improve on The Stooges' "No Fun"? No, but the combination of a really weird French guy, a primitive drum machine and incredibly distorted electric guitar is a good try! Eric Debris, leader of the seminal French synth-punk act Metal Urbain (and, subsequently, Metal Boys) also had a recording project in the late '70s/early '80s under the Doctor Mix And The Remix moniker. It was his solo project for (the most part) doing stripped-down, fucked-up cover versions of classics like "No Fun" and the Troggs' "I Can't Control Myself". The first Doctor Mix singles featured "versions" on the flip (included here) that are even more messed up. Those are all here along with the entire 1979 Wall Of Noise album, wherein songs by Bowie, The Seeds, the Velvet Underground (an amazing take on "Sister Ray"), Roxy Music and others are all operated on by Doctor Mix, who gives the original artists reason to sue for malpractice! A further Doctor Mix ep is included as well, with a few originals and, among other things, the perenial cover tune "Hey Joe". With Debris singing in Anglais with a snotty French accent, it's all kinda goofy but full of Gallic-punk charm. And if you didn't already check 'em out, we still have Acute's recent reissues of the Metal Urbain and Metal Boys albums in stock, both come highly recommended.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
A full length to satiate those who loved his double 10" from last year. Doctor Rockit makes instrumental electro-influenced songs out of the kinds of sounds (bleeps and pings, cheese-grating, baby-cooing, Fred & Ernie, static) that others would only think to use as embellishment to something more standard. Original, delightful and exciting.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
Doctor Rockit a.k.a. Matthew Herbert releases his first full length in about 3 years. Like fellow electronic funsters Muziq, Luke Vibert, and the Aphex Twin, Doctor Rockit displays impressive ear for honest-to-gosh melodies, pure lightheartedness and lots of groove. And very much like AQ-faves Matmos, the Doctor makes genius use of simple everyday sounds sampled and looped to great percussive effect. Here we have samples of his dad's old Mini (before crashing it), running water, French cafes, etc. A delightful record. UK import.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
We've featured some BBC Radiophonic Workshop collections in the past, but these two discs are especially exciting as it's all music and sound effects from the cult British television show Doctor Who! Before we get into it, Doctor Who fanatics, please go easy on us. We're new to this whole Doctor Who thing (not me! says Doctor Who fan Allan). For one we only recently learned that the Doctor was not indeed named Doctor Who, but simply 'The Doctor' which then prompts the response "Doctor Who?". We know, we know... Anyway, our pal Jay Lesser introduced us to the wonderful world of Doctor Who, by lending us a massive load of Doctor Who DVD's and now we're hooked. So hooked that we had our friend Lynda record the NEW series for us and send them over as they aired. And while we know everyone has a favorite Doctor, and for us it was Tom Baker (maybe just because he was our first!) we have been pretty smitten with the NEW Doctor, Christopher Eccleston (Shallow Grave, 28 Days Later, 24 Hour Party People). Unfortunately he only signed up for one season, and we've only gotten a brief glimpse of the new Doctor (that would be Doctor number 10!). Anyway, point is we've been all fired up about the new season, which features the same music, the same sound effects, but in a much more modern package. Still properly cheesy, but way more advanced. The important thing is all the classic sounds are there. It's part of what made the show so great. And makes the new version great too. When you hear the sound of the TARDIS landing, you get that familiar little chill. Part thrill part deja vu. And all those sounds are here on these two discs: the materialization of the TARDIS, creepy music for the Daleks, as well as loads of random sound effects and bits of incidental music, even multiple versions of the classic theme song (composed by BBC Radiophonic Workshop legend Delia Derbyshire)! So cool! Just listening to these has gotten us all excited to watch more Doctor Who. Volume One covers the early years, 1963-1969, while Volume Two is subtitled New Beginnings and covers the years 1970-1980. Doctor Who fanatics will no doubt probably already own these (or if not will buy them immediately without even reading the review), but anyone who loves weird sound effects and digs crazy sounds will love these. And even though they seem to be a bit of a hodgepodge of random sounds and snippets of music, they are a surprisingly cohesive and totally enjoyable listen! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!
We've featured some BBC Radiophonic Workshop collections in the past, but these two discs are especially exciting as it's all music and sound effects from the cult British television show Doctor Who! Before we get into it, Doctor Who fanatics, please go easy on us. We're new to this whole Doctor Who thing (not me! says Doctor Who fan Allan). For one we only recently learned that the Doctor was not indeed named Doctor Who, but simply 'The Doctor' which then prompts the response "Doctor Who?". We know, we know... Anyway, our pal Jay Lesser introduced us to the wonderful world of Doctor Who, by lending us a massive load of Doctor Who DVD's and now we're hooked. So hooked that we had our friend Lynda record the NEW series for us and send them over as they aired. And while we know everyone has a favorite Doctor, and for us it was Tom Baker (maybe just because he was our first!) we have been pretty smitten with the NEW Doctor, Christopher Eccleston (Shallow Grave, 28 Days Later, 24 Hour Party People). Unfortunately he only signed up for one season, and we've only gotten a brief glimpse of the new Doctor (that would be Doctor number 10!). Anyway, point is we've been all fired up about the new season, which features the same music, the same sound effects, but in a much more modern package. Still properly cheesy, but way more advanced. The important thing is all the classic sounds are there. It's part of what made the show so great. And makes the new version great too. When you hear the sound of the TARDIS landing, you get that familiar little chill. Part thrill part deja vu. And all those sounds are here on these two discs: the materialization of the TARDIS, creepy music for the Daleks, as well as loads of random sound effects and bits of incidental music, even multiple versions of the classic theme song (composed by BBC Radiophonic Workshop legend Delia Derbyshire)! So cool! Just listening to these has gotten us all excited to watch more Doctor Who. Volume One covers the early years, 1963-1969, while Volume Two is subtitled New Beginnings and covers the years 1970-1980. Doctor Who fanatics will no doubt probably already own these (or if not will buy them immediately without even reading the review), but anyone who loves weird sound effects and digs crazy sounds will love these. And even though they seem to be a bit of a hodgepodge of random sounds and snippets of music, they are a surprisingly cohesive and totally enjoyable listen! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!
- MPEG stream: )
- MPEG stream: )
- MPEG stream: )
Armed with a seriously bad ass band name, these Dutch avant black metal merchants throw their hats into the gnarled dissonant experimental blackness ring alongside groups like Deathspell Omega and Katharsis, and do their best to up the ante, taking that sound we already dig so much and making it more twisted, more chaotic, more dense, more progged out, and to a degree pull it off.
The first track is all it should take, the opening a pounding wash of atonal riffage, and moody atmospheres, which soon explode into a furious white hot blast of buzz and howl, the opening atonal melody continuing on, drifting amides the dense swirl of sound, a sound so dense, that minus headphones it might be difficult to suss out exactly what's going on, which is a LOT. At one point the group add a layer of high end industrial skree, which sounds totally bizarre, but transforms the sound into something fucked up and geniusly far out. But that's only the first two minutes, the song splinters into a woozy psychedelic doomy breakdown, a swirling morass of intricate drumming, spidery minor key melodies, and some seriously bust, super melodic bass lines, not to mention some super dramatic crooned vocals, and then when the song explodes back into the black fray, it's like an anvil to the skull, and if anything, the sound emerges even more densely layered and complex. If you ever wondered what would happen if DSO were faster and more fucked up, well, this is most likely your answer. The second track is more of the same, a dizzying barely controlled chaos, ultra mathy and impossible intricate, some of the drumming utterly mind boggling, and the guitar playing not just fast and furious, but also super abstract, a torrent of twisted unlikely melodies and seriously warped chordal crush, all interspersed with some blown out black drones, industrial soundscapes, mysterious glitched out ambience, and other aural oddities.
Then there are tracks like "Vanitas" which finds the band slowing way down, and spitting out some seriously harsh abject doom, with processed alien sci-fi vox, swirling cinematic atmospheres, the vibe gloomy and depressive, but still the sound fantastically lush and blackly beautiful. The record finishes with a 22 minute three part epic, that fuses some classic metal riffing, with more of the groups impossibly gnarled blackness, managing to make much of it surprisingly catchy, or at least as catchy as stuff this fucked up and heavy can be. In fact the main riff of the first movement might be the catchiest chunk of black metal we've heard in ages. But over the next two parts, the sound slips easily from psychedelic slo-mo drift, to woozy black-prog, and from churning grim doom to epic, majestic and surprisingly catchy heaviness, the whole thing rife with insane bizarre and brilliantly fucked up guitar parts, and fractured calculus arrangements, the band fusing some serious (but still subtle) hooks with some absolutely crushing blackness. Definitely a new favorite, and absolutely recommended for fans of DSO, Katharsis, Antaeus, Ascension and all the rest, which is a whole lot of you!
Now here is indeed a deliberately odd release... from the French/Japanese label that last brought us that Tabata und Guilty Connector collaboration comes an even more absurd team-up, a three-way remix-and-mismatch conjunction of the following international audio fiends: Chris Dodge (guitarist from the goofy American "fastcore" band Spazz), Solmania (Japanese noisician who builds his own mutant guitars), and the UK's DJ Speedranch (of Phantomsmasher and Speedranch & Jansky Noise). Three artists, from three continents (or islands near continents), all sharing a "what the heck, let's make some noise!" aesthetic.
Chris Dodge's dozen tracks are a blend of punk/metal and electronically-assisted, noisy chaos. Something along the lines of Melt Banana comes to mind. Then, Solmania's 11-minute "Ice Cream" is a crunkly, lurching, seasick soundscape of dirge, distortion and feedback. Lastly, Speedranch wraps things up with three tracks of distorted beat mayhem whose source material derives from both Chris Dodge's stuff earlier on the disc, and the Solmania album Trembling Tongues. Chaotic and crazed as you might imagine, Speedranch samples various spoken non-sequiturs and sci-fi fx into something along the lines of what we used to call "industrial" music before the rise of the DJ.
For some (the more serious-minded?), the more textural Solmania track will be the stand-out, for others who love low-attention-span-spazz the Dodge and Speedranch constructions will be the real ear-ticklers. A pleasantly maddening experience for fans of all forms of severe noise-fuckery.
