Former member of two beloved bands Half Film and The Red Thread, Mr. Jason Lakis has a new project now called Mist And Mast. Their self-titled debut album is filled with such warm and wonderful pop sounds we just had to hit 'play' again the second it was finished. Mist And Mast definitely seem more straightforward pop than The Red Thread who had some '70s classic soft rock leanings. Once again though, Lakis' songcraft is very pleasing to the ears and would probably hit the spot for folks who dig Pernice Brothers, Pinback and the like! Yum.
We didn't really expect to like this all that much. A sort of indie rock super group, featuring members of Modest Mouse, The Unicorns and Man Man, it was only once we discovered that the band described their music as "doom-wop", that we became really intrigued, and while we're not sure if this really sound like doom-wop, what we do know is that we like it a LOT. Somewhere between the indie rock of Built To Spill and the propulsive electronic rockisms of modern Britpop (Killers, Arctic Monkeys, etc.), this is at its core indie pop, but with a definite retro old timey vibe, the band infusing the usual jangle with sixties girl group-isms, pounding piano, twangy guitars, lots of ooh ooh back ground vox, some slithery swagger, and yeah, a little '50s doo wop, but all of those elements are blurred into a sound that is its own distinctive thing, with no real nods to any of the members' other groups (thankfully), instead, crafting a super, hooky, jangly, crunchy, fuzzy, and occasionally brooding and dark, chunk of catchy as hell indie rock.
Our favorite moments are, not surprisingly, the darker jams here, opener "Bronx Sniper" might be our fave, a heavy bombastic bit of indie prog stomp, that definitely sounds like it could come courtesy of the latest UK art pop sensation, or the song "Doom Wop", a chugging, droned out, fuzz drenched brooder, with big drums and weirdly effected vocals, and while there are some straight up '50s style throwbacks, there are some killer indie pop gems, all these different sounds woven into something that we just can't seem to stop listening to.
Props to Thrill Jockey. Not only did they come up with a batch of Record Store Day releases this year that were all truly worthy (unlike some other RSD stuff that seems more about collectability than good music), they also made sure that they'd last a bit beyond Record Store Day itself, being limited but not soooooo super limited that they're already on eBay. So, you'll find a bunch of 'em on this list, like the Oval/Liturgy 12", and this, the vinyl-only debut lp from the guitar duo of Mitchell and Manley.
If you're familiar with Isaiah Mitchell's playing in his band Earthless, you kinda know what to expect... endless, tripped out, set the controls for the heart of the sun electric guitar soloing... Meanwhile, Phil Manley is no slouch on the axe himself, as he's demonstrated in Trans Am, The Fucking Champs, Oneida, Jonas Reinhardt, etc. Plus, if you've heard his recent solo album Life Coach, you know he's totally tuned in to '70s kosmiche krautrock electronics. In this context, Isaiah is perhaps more about fingers on frets, and Phil about feets on pedals, but the division of labor isn't all that clear-cut.
And if you were here on Sunday for their instore (their first ever live performance together!), you got a taste of what the two of them are capable of (and, probably already bought this lp). However, that instore was, despite everyone's best intentions (sorry, neighbors!) a bit louder and "face melting" than how Mitchell and Manley come off on record, which Phil had told us was kind of "new-agey". And Norcal Values does mellow it out a bit, on two side-long cuts, "San Francisco Values" (we're proud of them, dammit, and just love Nancy Pelosi!) and "Sausalito Values" (adding a little Marin to the mix).
Basically, this is just what we expected (and wanted)... something that combines the never-ending jamming aspect of Earthless, with the more blissed out vibe of much of Phil's solo album. Shred vs. shimmer, here. Improvised live, with no overdubs. Guitar solos, like it says on the cover.
Although this was released on 4/16, for Record Store Day, it could just have easily come out on 4/20... what we're sayin' is that this is stoner music. Not sure how long these will be around, they are limited to 1000, so better hurry and grab one now - you can mellow out and relax (and light one up) AFTER you've scored a copy. Comes with digital download, btw.
What with all the obscure and amazing early 70's folk reissues that have been released in the past couple of weeks (Mary Anne Patterson, Roger Rodier, Charles Manson), we decided to bring in a remastered classic (or dinosaur, depending on which side of the fence you reside): Joni Mitchell's breakthrough third album, Ladies of the Canyon. At the same time, unbeknownst to us, the always unpredictable label Numero Group releases the inaugural compilation in a new series called Wayfaring Strangers by tracing the immediate influence of this landmark album from 1970 on cuts from 12 female private press recording artists (See review elsewhere). The Circle Game indeed!
Landmark album, Ladies of the Canyon was a turning point recording for Mitchell, because it captures her between the more idealistic child-like sixties folk-pop of her previous album, Clouds (featuring "Chelsea Morning", and "Both Sides Now"), and the later more introspective and existential odes to a post-Woodstock dream deferment (For the Roses, Blue). While its familiar standards, "The Circle Game" and "Big Yellow Taxi", annoy now more than delight (thanks for nothing, Counting Crows!), it is in the lesser-known songs like "Conversation", "The Priest" and "The Arrangement" where her mature songwriting and arrangements shine through the delicate airs. Her take on "Woodstock" is not the nostalgic daydream that Crosby Stills and Nash covered, but a poignantly bitter lament devastatingly delivered. LOTC is equally catchy, pretty, challenging, haunting, and in parts irksome to the point of frustration, BUT, that's the point. Joni Mitchell is a singer who is easier to not like than to like; she has no qualms waiting for you to come to her. But once you get her, she can dazzle and amaze (Rent The Last Waltz, if you don't believe us). The sound samples may not convince you, since LOTC is the epitome of AOR, and really needs to be heard in its entirety, alone in a quiet place, away from judging eyes to reach full effect. Then you will see that Joni Mitchell is an artist (and sometimes guilty pleasure) who like, Kate Bush, Stevie Nicks, and Yoko Ono, can be forgiven for their peculiar brand of pretensions because their originality, talent and influence cannot be denied, like it or not. Also recently reissued, her Court and Spark album.
Soft breezy techno pop with wispy processed vocals that gives a hearty nod to Kraftwerk. If you recall the group Antarctica whose '81:03' double cd we were digging a couple of years ago, then you've probably got a close idea of the overall atmospheric territory that The Mitgang Audio also traverse. We've recently seen them lumped under the broad categorization of 'new wave' and there certainly are the basic ingredients present - high swooshing keyboard melodies, synthesized string sounds, thick bass lines, vocoded vocals, effervescent programmed 4/4 beats - that also got the aforementioned Antarctica compared to '80s groups such as New Order. Fans of the light dance-y pop sounds of Ladytron, Air or Future Bible Heroes may also wanna give The Mitgang Audio a spin. There's a point though where the group takes a bit of a detour, and that's halfway through the album at track 5 (aptly titled "The Escape"). It's somewhat more somber and soundtrack-y than the rest of the songs - actually there was suspicion that it was a cover of Diana Ross' "Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)". Perhaps you can give 'er a listen and be the judge!
The Mits are a Bay Area combo with lots of crunchy guitars and feisty girl vocals... very much in the grand ol' Lookout! Records tradition of energetic East Bay / Gilman Street punk pop.
Yay, the '70s Japanese psych rock reissues continue! Years ago this one was available on cd as a fancy expensive Japanese import, but that's been gone for ages so it's nice to have this new reish. A Path Through Haze (great title, eh?) is the mostly instrumental 1971 solo album from acid guitarist Mizutani, a fixture of the scene as a session axe, you'll find him supplying the fuzzed out leads on such records as Love Live Life +1's Love Will Make A Better You and People's Ceremony - Buddha Meets Rock. With this, he stepped out on his own with what proved to be his only album as leader. It's an ambitious affair, employing not only an all-star cast of his heavy friends from the psych scene, but also both string quartet and woodwind quartets. Also prominent on this record is the Hammond organ, piano, and Moog synth of Masahiko Satoh, who did his own album also entitled A Path Through Haze somewhat later. Confusing, eh? "A Path Through Haze" is also a song on both albums, it seems it's a Satoh composition. Here that song starts off with gentle keyboard shimmer, before Mizutani gets his licks in about halfway through, amidst much spaceiness of effects. And that's sorta how it goes with this record, lots of pretty keyboards, yes, plenty of nice moody melody, but Mizutani (usually) eventually unleashes the fuzz, particularly on rockier/riffier numbers like the Hendrix-y "One For Janis". The "chamber rock" restraint characteristic of some of this record only lasts so long, the likes of "Tell Me What You Saw" being a bit of a freak-out, with mathy prog rock rippage galore. And its Satoh's synth that goes nuts some of the time too.
This one didn't make the top 50 in Julian Cope's Japrocksampler, by the way... in fact, he actually bags on this one a bit, but WE like it, so there. Cope also didn't like Foodbrain either. While we'll agree that we'd have been happy to hear Mizutani wail away here even more than he does, it's still a beautiful album, and even its most stonery sit-com soundtrack fusion moments have a certain charm.
More spliced up. Ultra damaged, completely fucked, ADD-core electronic mayhem. Pop references galore get dropped unceramoniously in the glitchcore blender and spit back out in million frames per second sonic collage of spastic drill and bass and hyperspeed plunderphonics. Silly and funny and irritatingly brilliant. Fans of Venetian Snares, Speedranch, V/VM, People Like Us, Kid 606 open wide!
Mocket's new wave/indie rock fusion of off kilter chords, alien synth sounds, and Factory inspired guitars has filled out with the inclusion of Rachel and Radio of The Need adding a bigger bass sound, turntable tricks, and kick ass production.
From right here in SF comes this kick ass debut of fuzzy, jangly, shoegazey, noisy, bliss pop, from a group called Modern Charms, who sound like they've been studying their nineties indie rock songbooks, in particular, the Swirlies, My Bloody Valentine, Curve, Lush, Slowdive, and really, if that reads like a list of your favorite bands, then Modern Charms are gonna knock your pop-gaze socks off. A few seconds into the first track, "When We Get There" should be all it takes, muted minor key riff, chiming harmonics, angelic ethereal female vox, softly swirling guitar textures, all blurred and smeared into epic billows of chordal swirl, and shot through with shards of feedback, and wild burst of noisy psychedelia, Modern Charms have the sound DOWN, in fact, if you told us this was actually some lost shoegaze gem from the nineties, we'd totally buy it. The music is pitch perfect, right down to the production, and while much of MC's sound is wispy and washed out, the band display plenty of musical muscle as well, with big crunchy riffs, and some seriously noisy psychedelic shoegaze freakouts. But the icing on this retro pop cake has to be the super distinctive voice of vocalist Inna Kurikova, whose gorgeous vocals drift ethereally through thick swaths of noise guitar, and wrap themselves languidly around moody, brooding jangle. And it's not just the sound, the songs too, plenty of subtle hookiness, catchy choruses, the group deftly transforming simple jangle pop into something much more epic and expansive, heady and hypnotic.
77 minutes of free-improv "psychedelic scorch" put to tape in 1969 by this trio of West Berliners: Norbert Eisbrenner, Werner Goetz, and Sven-Ake Johansson. Johansson (his solo work the subject of a recent Unheard Music Series reissue) played drums on
Packaged in a cardboard sleeve, with liner notes only in German.
At last it's here--the much, much-delayed new Modest Mouse release! Well, don't get TOO excited, 'cause this isn't their still-upcoming major-label debut album (to be released on Epic in April, perhaps, if the band gets their troubles sorted out), but rather a singles collection which functions as a sort of "best of" collection. Material from six 7"s on the Up, Sub Pop, and Suicide Squeeze labels makes up the twelve tracks to be found here--a fine selection indie-rock pop indeed. And let us praise the nice tracing-paper cover on the cd, too.
An eight song EP (golly, that's a big EP!) from Isaac Brock and company compiling some mostly recent Modest Mouse odds 'n' ends. Includes tracks from the "Night On The Sun" 12" which was gathered up from the recorded material that didn't make it onto their
Now re-released as a dualdisc with all sorts of extra video footage and goodies. Here's our review of the cd first time around:
Ok, let's see how we can put this without offending anyone. Modest Mouse, they're really popular, we know a lot of folks love this band. And...well, we know a lot of folks (maybe not the same ones) who love the Red Hot Chili Peppers. So, we're not trying to say anything bad about either band -- just that, well, this new Modest Mouse sounds a hell of a lot like the Red Hot Chili Peppers! We were kind of hoping they would shed their ill advised funkiness and revert to their sweetly off kilter indie jangle of old, but alas, it was not to be. But by all means, Modest Mouse fans, don't let that stop you from enjoying this record.
New full length from indie rock sensations of da moment.
Not a huge stylistic leap, and not a 'major-label-sellout' either (even though it's their major label debut). They have thankfully mostly dropped the annoying funky dork rock found here and there on the last record ('Do The Cockroach') but sadly have not dipped back into the loping melancholia that was so much a staple of their sound in the beginning. Instead, they've stuck with their skewed mix of depressed guy emo and Pixies style indie rock. While not as breathtaking as their debut, 'The Moon & Antarctica' is definitely an excellent Modest Mouse record.
Unless you can't stand that guy's voice. Then forget everything I just said.
Here is the much-anticipated "lost" first album from those Modest Mouse boys. Includes many oddities from back in '94. "Why," you may ask "was this never released?" Well, the story goes that Isaac and the MM gang simply decided to set it aside, in favor of
Reissued with four bonus tracks recorded live on the BBC! Here's the review from when we first got it in: Not a huge stylistic leap, and not a 'major-label-sellout' either (even though it's their major label debut). They have thankfully mostly dropped the annoying funky dork rock found here and there on the last record ("Do The Cockroach") but sadly have not dipped back into the loping melancholia that was so much a staple of their sound in the beginning. Instead, they've stuck with their skewed mix of depressed guy emo and Pixies style indie rock. While not as breathtaking as their debut, The Moon & Antarctica is definitely an excellent Modest Mouse record.
Unless you can't stand that guy's voice. Then forget everything I just said.
A long, long time ago we reviewed this album, originally released on Up Records in 1996. Now at long last it's been reissued on vinyl, with two bonus tracks, and the review, written by our Andee, still applies, it's short and sweet and a definite thumbs up: One of my favorite records. A little Pixies, a little Violent Femmes, lyrics that make you want to cry, and a whiny cute singer boy with a lisp.
Now available on vinyl for a limited time!!
There is a certain level of possessiveness that seems to go hand in hand with being an independent music enthusiast. Sometimes this possessiveness turns to snobbery in thought or can often be expressed in comments like: "they were never as good as their first 7 inch" or "I only like the OLD stuff", etc... It's hard to pinpoint exactly why, but part of it is definitely the fact that discovering cool bands is a lot of work, and when you do discover a band, even though you're eager to share them with all your friends, you're NOT eager to share them with the rest of the world. The rest of the world discover their new bands by simply turning the radio to some random top 40 or even lower 100's college station, while the indie music obsessive is reading zines and going to shows and checking out opening bands and reading music blogs or whatever. Sometimes the indie music nerd (okay, snob) can feel ripped off when their special "find" becomes popular. It's safe to say that Modest Mouse is no longer a special find (if your aforementioned possessiveness is contained check out the American Idol contestant's cover of "Float On" for a Mustang commercial; if your possessiveness is not so easily contained, steer clear...it might make you blow your top!)
Most of us remember the first time our bodies came alive to the sound of Modest Mouse. For some of us no record will ever compare to This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing To Think About or Lonesome Crowded West (or maybe even actually, their first 7 inch!), while others will find themselves flailing uncontrollably to the angsty lispy yells of Isaac Brock for the first time with the band's latest, We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank. Brock's folky growl may be the only thing that has remained constant over the years as the band's instrumentation has turned from raw ruckus to structured madness. The highly anticipated recruitment of The Smith's guitarist Johnny Marr is subtly felt throughout the band's most recent project and The Shin's James Mercer contributes some nice airy backing vocals on "Florida" and "We've Got Everything," but it is clear that Brock still holds the reigns...and let's them go at exactly the right moment. Whether this is the first or fifth full length you've heard by Modest Mouse, we think you'll be pleased. And who would have EVER thought Modest Mouse would be #1 on the Billboard charts?!?! Wow.
There is a certain level of possessiveness that seems to go hand in hand with being an independent music enthusiast. Sometimes this possessiveness turns to snobbery in thought or can often be expressed in comments like: "they were never as good as their first 7 inch" or "I only like the OLD stuff", etc... It's hard to pinpoint exactly why, but part of it is definitely the fact that discovering cool bands is a lot of work, and when you do discover a band, even though you're eager to share them with all your friends, you're NOT eager to share them with the rest of the world. The rest of the world discover their new bands by simply turning the radio to some random top 40 or even lower 100's college station, while the indie music obsessive is reading zines and going to shows and checking out opening bands and reading music blogs or whatever. Sometimes the indie music nerd (okay, snob) can feel ripped off when their special "find" becomes popular. It's safe to say that Modest Mouse is no longer a special find (if your aforementioned possessiveness is contained check out the American Idol contestant's cover of "Float On" for a Mustang commercial; if your possessiveness is not so easily contained, steer clear...it might make you blow your top!)
Most of us remember the first time our bodies came alive to the sound of Modest Mouse. For some of us no record will ever compare to This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing To Think About or Lonesome Crowded West (or maybe even actually, their first 7 inch!), while others will find themselves flailing uncontrollably to the angsty lispy yells of Isaac Brock for the first time with the band's latest, We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank. Brock's folky growl may be the only thing that has remained constant over the years as the band's instrumentation has turned from raw ruckus to structured madness. The highly anticipated recruitment of The Smith's guitarist Johnny Marr is subtly felt throughout the band's most recent project and The Shin's James Mercer contributes some nice airy backing vocals on "Florida" and "We've Got Everything," but it is clear that Brock still holds the reigns...and let's them go at exactly the right moment. Whether this is the first or fifth full length you've heard by Modest Mouse, we think you'll be pleased. And who would have EVER thought Modest Mouse would be #1 on the Billboard charts?!?! Wow.
This limited edition cd packaging includes a deluxe slipcase and 32-page color booklet!
There is a certain level of possessiveness that seems to go hand in hand with being an independent music enthusiast. Sometimes this possessiveness turns to snobbery in thought or can often be expressed in comments like: "they were never as good as their first 7 inch" or "I only like the OLD stuff", etc... It's hard to pinpoint exactly why, but part of it is definitely the fact that discovering cool bands is a lot of work, and when you do discover a band, even though you're eager to share them with all your friends, you're NOT eager to share them with the rest of the world. The rest of the world discover their new bands by simply turning the radio to some random top 40 or even lower 100's college station, while the indie music obsessive is reading zines and going to shows and checking out opening bands and reading music blogs or whatever. Sometimes the indie music nerd (okay, snob) can feel ripped off when their special "find" becomes popular. It's safe to say that Modest Mouse is no longer a special find (if your aforementioned possessiveness is contained check out the American Idol contestant's cover of "Float On" for a Mustang commercial; if your possessiveness is not so easily contained, steer clear...it might make you blow your top!)
Most of us remember the first time our bodies came alive to the sound of Modest Mouse. For some of us no record will ever compare to This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing To Think About or Lonesome Crowded West (or maybe even actually, their first 7 inch!), while others will find themselves flailing uncontrollably to the angsty lispy yells of Isaac Brock for the first time with the band's latest, We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank. Brock's folky growl may be the only thing that has remained constant over the years as the band's instrumentation has turned from raw ruckus to structured madness. The highly anticipated recruitment of The Smith's guitarist Johnny Marr is subtly felt throughout the band's most recent project and The Shin's James Mercer contributes some nice airy backing vocals on "Florida" and "We've Got Everything," but it is clear that Brock still holds the reigns...and let's them go at exactly the right moment. Whether this is the first or fifth full length you've heard by Modest Mouse, we think you'll be pleased. And who would have EVER thought Modest Mouse would be #1 on the Billboard charts?!?! Wow.
This is the normal version but for all you super fans. We also have the deluxe version of this album which comes with a slipcover and 32 page booklet.
2 popular Northwest groups collaborate on a new song. Some of the prettiest indie rock we've heard in a while, full of beauty and woe. The two accompanying remixes are sort of pedestrian electronica.
The pieces of Modular Set don't all necessarily fit together... uh, modularly. Some jut out at odd angles, some tumble away from the pack, some drift off into the ether. The group takes the conventions of no wave and post-rock into cryptic territory. Add a little free jazz and analog synthesizer explorations, and you have Beached On The Half Landing. The more synth-centric tracks are very reminiscent of the soundtracks coming out of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop back in the '70s. We only wish they'd connected each of the nine tracks so that it would be one seamless 38 minute journey, but 'tis not to be. Very cool nonetheless.
The Modular Set's second ep Spots & Notches travels a considerably more linear path than 2006's Beached On The Half Landing. It takes the listener from gentle droniness crafted from sample loops, keyboards and a smattering of saxophone and minimal drum strikes into progressively more kinetic and angular territory in which guitar, bass and drums weigh in more prominently. The ep's opening track "Ossicone" starts in the soothingly hazy shadows, but by the fifth and final "Flehmen Response" it has grown sharp jazzy angles, flourishing flashes of cymbals and post-rock percussive rhythms. Released on the always solid Mission District indie label Howell's Transmitter (also home to Charles Atlas, Black Fiction, and Ray's Vast Basement)!
All right! It's about time this legendary slice of South American psych got a not-inordinately-expensive cd reissue we could stock. We've been into this band/album ever since a REALLY expensive but beautiful (and now long-gone) vinyl reissue came out on Shadoks some years ago. Now World In Sound makes it available on cd in a fancy thick triple-fold sleeve that preserves the great psychedelic gatefold art from the original LP -- art that Acid Mothers Temple would die for! There's a 14-page booklet with notes and photos as well. This is definitely one for all you '70s heavy psych freaks! Super fuzz wah guitar and organ jamming stoner psych-prog from Brazil, circa 1970. Nine tracks packed with sinewy jams, trippy fx, weighty grooves... definitely appealing to the same head-space as contemporaries like Iron Butterfly, Dug Dug's, Captain Beyond, Speed Glue & Shinki, Hendrix, Flower Travellin' Band, etc. And we're pretty certain that current South American stoner rock faves Los Natas must be into this album too... Also, you may in fact have heard one track from this before, on the ever-recommended Love, Peace & Poetry: Latin American Psychedelic Music comp also on Shadoks, but that track only hints at how cool this album is. (They also have a track on the LP&P Brazilian volume too.)
Here's a quote from one of the band members, the organist, that ought to give some flavor of what they were all about: "The music of Modulo 1000 had its own appeal to an audience that wanted a heavy, raw, experimental, psychedelic sound. Our kind of music did not make it to the radio stations. It was too wild. The distribution of the record was done in a very limited way. The record label directors, which probably didn't understand or even didn't like our music, did zero promotion for the LP." Thus, one darn heavy, weird, and utterly rare record!
This reish also includes seven bonus tracks (from where/when is left unexplained) some of which are freaky enough to fit with the actual record itelf, but just aren't as heavy -- more Latin groovy.
It's so inspiring and sadly all too rare to find someone who was making challenging music that sounded ahead of their time decades ago, and who is STILL pushing themselves to creating music with the same adventure and scope. All too often, those who were at the forefront of creative musical invention end up settling down and creating safe and boring music as the years pass. Even many AQ psych/prog/kraut favorites end up going that route. For proof just take a listen to what folks like Franco Battiato or Tangerine Dream made decades into their careers. Luckily there are some exceptions to that downward spiral, and Dieter Moebius is a perfect example of how one can continue to make weird and wonderful music years and years after they first hit the scene. From his pioneering krautrock/kosmische work with Cluster and Harmonia as well as collaborations with Brian Eno, it would be very easy and well deserved for Moebius to just rest on his laurels. But even after those trailblazing years of the '70s he continued to make great albums into the 80's and still does today. Nurton, released in 2006, is his first solo outing in over seven years and it finds him as unpredictable and pleasing as ever. The sounds he creates take twists and turns that hold your attention fast, and he's always able to take you to a special spaced-out place full of wonder, bliss and intrigue. Crazy instrumental electronica to put the youngsters in the field to shame.
Moebius's first solo album from 1983 is also one of our favorites of the post-Cluster universe. We first heard this when it was recently reissued on cd via the Japanese import label Captain Trip (along with Zero Set and Rastakraut Pasta), but it was much too expensive to list. Thankfully, the Bureau B label has come to the rescue and we're able to share this gem with you.
Moebius has always been the more elusive and ornery of the Cluster duo. By 1983, Roedelius already had 5 solo albums under his belt, but Moebius always seemed to prefer working with groups or one-off projects, where he could entertain his curious sonic predilections against the grain of other performers. Surprisingly for his first actual solo release, he turns in an intriguing and engaging pop record. Not "Pop" in the commercial sense, but Tonspuren is surprisingly big on melodic but idiosyncratic precise miniatures with songs sounding like they were made by tiny but giddy machines.
Yet unlike Roedelius, Moebius allows no willful excursion or baroque tangent to intervene with the concise construction of his compositions, keeping them reduced to as essential compositions as possible, though much warmer and more fluid than, say, the compositions on Cluster's Curiosum (reviewed elsewhere on this list). Tellingly, this was made at the height of German New Wave, and one wonders how much of that may have played an influence. If you liked Cluster's Zuckerzeit, then check this out! Highly recommended!
Of all the various collaborations that krautrock maestro Moebius of Cluster fame has been involved in, we have to say this 1983 collaboration with Gerd Beerbohm might just be the most mind blowing of them all. Originally released on Sky, it's been out of print for ages, so we were so thrilled when we saw Bureau B was going to reissue it, as it's a record that foreshadowed so many sounds of the rhythmic underground that we would love for years to come.
The record opens with "Minimotion" a totally menacing and suspenseful track that sets the mood perfectly for the rest of the record. Like the darkest side of Goblin, or what John Carpenter would want to base the tension of an entire film around. The next two tracks "Hydrogen" and "Narkose" are stunning in how ahead of their time they sound, even now. It's like an otherworldly version of minimal techno, practically the blueprint for what the Chain Reaction crew would be creating more then a decade later. Like the sounds of a steam engine filtered through the lens of a horror movie, so mesmerizing and menacing. The record's final track is the epic 21 minute "Doppelschnitt" and really should be played as loud as possible and made as required listening for anyone making minimal techno or any sort of electronica really, as this shows you the hypnotic possibilities of this sound. No doubt folks like Villalabos, Monoton, Moritz Von Oswald, and Carl Craig got their ears on this album early on, as this record really laid out the ingredients for what would go down in Berlin and Detroit in the years to follow.
But what makes Double Cut so incredibly special is not just that it was ahead of its time, mastering a genre that hadn't even been invented yet, but that in its minimalism, they made a record that creates such a strong mood and has such a distinct overall sound. It's like being trapped in a completely distinctive outer dimension. It wouldn't surprise us if David Cronenberg was hip to this record while he was making Videodrome. It's not often you get to talk about records that completely set the stage for a whole movement of music making to come in its wake. This is one of those records, and we're so damn glad its back in the world where it belongs. A unanimous favorite for sure, as everyone here at the store is totally in love and in awe of Double Cut!
Not yet reissued on vinyl but we're told that will be coming soon, hopefully.
Along with the Record Of The Week, Double Cut, we also have the duo of Moebius and Beerbohm's first outing together, Strange Music from 1982. And strange it surely is. Perhaps not as sonically perfect of a release as Double Cut, it goes in all kinds of intense directions. Starting with the urgent post punk drumming that opens the first track, "Subito", adding to it a swarm of buzzing synths that swirl and sting. Most songs here percolate and gurgle in brash noisy soundscapes, like an industrial swamp with affected vocal noises, and pulsating whirrs. Other songs lurk menacingly and pace creepily with ominous synth howls, reminding us of Throbbing Gristle's murky but dangerous vagueness. With only glimpses of Moebius's past life with Cluster, it seems the newly formed duo were trying their hardest to remove themselves from that past and into new unknown territory. A welcome exploration that only got better and more refined (and engagingly rhythmic) on Double Cut.
Released between 1980's Rastakraut Pasta and 1983's Zero Set, Moebius and Plank's second outing from 1981 reigns in most of the reggae and African rhythms that inspired the other releases but still remains more driving and eccentric than any of the Cluster records from around the same period. Opener "Conditionierer" with its fast bopping rhythm could easily be one of their most rocking dance-floor friendly tracks ever, even if the weird electronic bleeps and pitch-shifted layers take it to a place little seen in rock or dance circles. "Infiltration" and "Osmo Fantor" are more moody and industrial sounding similar in feel to pieces on After The Heat with Brian Eno. Yet the central track "Tolikuehn" is more menacing and forceful with frenetic distorted synth arpeggiations that would sound just right in some Italian giallo film or cyber thriller. But it isn't until the final track "Nordoestliches Gefuehl" that the eccentric vibe of the record closes with a long blissful drifting piece reminiscent of the last Koss record, Ancient Rain, that unites the eccentricities of the record into a unifying lasting whole. Nice!
Krautrock fans are familiar with these guys: Dieter Moebius, who is one one-half of Cluster, and Conny Plank, the producer/engineer responsible for recording sooooo many amazing albums in the '70s and '80s. Both were also members of Liliental. In the early-mid '80s they teamed up for a series of albums together, of which 1980's Rastakraut Pasta was the first.
Various instruments (and non-instruments too?) were played by the duo, then manipulated via Plank's mixing desk, with Moebius providing additional electronics. Can's Holger Czukay also dropped in to lay down bass on a few of the tracks. The results are all quite pleasant and playful, goofy even, tinged with a sunny Jamaican dub reggae influence (hence the Rastakraut title), most notable in the quirky percolating grooves of "Missi Cacadou". And it's quite obvious that this album has something to do with Cluster, nobody else really ever made music like this. Experimental and accessible, weird and wonderful, sorta surreal and not so serious, yet still quite affecting - and full of effects! From the chugging motorik distortion of "Feedback 66" to the looping lovely melodies of "Two Oldtimers" to the more abstract ambience of "Solar Plexus", Rastakraut Pasta is an airy delight. It's mostly instrumental, but when there are vocals, they are heavily treated and fragmentary, and with or without 'em you'll be humming and nodding along.
This new Water label reissue includes new liner notes, providing quotes from Moebius or Plank about each track. Recommended, and we're looking forward to what we'll assume are upcoming Water reissues of the other M&P records, especially the darker, more rhythmically driven Zero Set from '82.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
Awesome awesome Cluster related reissue.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
Awesome awesome Cluster related reissue.
The collaboration between Dieter Moebius (Cluster, Harmonia), Connie Plank (the producer of pretty much every great Krautrock record), and Mani Neumeier (Guru Guru's drummer) almost sounds too good to be true. But, the one and only recording these three produced in 1983 proves to be amazing. The albums stands as a stunning amalgamation of Kraut motorik rhythms, angular electronic percolations, and a space-funk futurism that's wholly unique to Zero Set. In the early '80s, Plank had been hired to produce the early D.A.F. recordings, beefing up their already muscular Teutonic electronics; and that steroid bloated sound is found within the tight punches of electron poly rhythms and agitated sequences of arpeggiated bleep here too. The tracks all lock around the precisely synchronized rhythms of Neumeier, who has much more of a Donald Johnson / A Certain Ratio approach a la tight punky propulsion rather than the monstrous, if languid fills of "Stone In" on Guru Guru's UFO. Moebius later bemoaned that this album got "too close to techno for comfort." Well, it's actually better for it! Even if it did get close to an electroid techno, Zero Set is both weirder and more playful than many of the electronic body music practitioners of the day. This might not be something for those of you seeking the pastoral prettiness of Harmonia's Deluxe or the Cluster & Eno album, but as an response to the Neue Deutsche Welle sounds from that time period, Zero Set stands out amazingly well. Recommended!
This debut from Moggs has caused some confusion around here lately. Sorta in a similar way that Fucking Champs' III album did a whiles back (on which they called themselves "C4AMP5"), on the spine of this cd the band's name looks like "TNO995". Not only that, but the high contrast cover photo and the album title brewed up anticipations of hip San Diego post-punkers (some of the most white belt wearin' kids around) coming together with electro-clashers (some of the most tinted sunglass wearin' kids around). However, these expectations were for the most part washed away once the cd was heard. So, now that we've set those obstacles aside, let's get on to the music. A four year long labor of love, the completely self-produced Moggs' album is actually quite a melting pot. That said, the dominant sound is a Rob Crow meets Sonic Youth amalgamation of pop smarts and flights of guitar distortion. Cool!
Like we said in the 3 Hur-el review, above, the Middle Eastern '60s/'70s psychedelic rock scene is quite a happenin' phenomenon here at Aquarius -- bands from Istanbul blending the "heavy" beat sounds of London, L.A. and San Francisco with their own ethnic musical traditions. So, along with that great 3 Hur-el disc, we're *really* pleased to have just gotten cd copies in stock of a 1971 album by the fantastic Mogollar (or Les Mogol as they were known in France, where this LP was first released). This band has been a super favorite of ours ever since we first heard 'em on the "Love Peace & Poetry: Asian Psychedelia", "Turkish Delights", and "Hava Narghile" compilations. Yep, they appeared on all three of those fab comps, deservedly so as they were not only one of Turkey's biggest pop bands of the time but also one of the best, near as we can tell. They formed in 1967, playing a style of experimental psychedelic rock based on the folk music of the Anatolian region of Turkey. Their unique Anatolian (or Anadolu) "pop" sound is simply a delight, as amply demonstrated by this particular album. It features 13 tracks (none of 'em to be found on the aforementioned comps) that are based on traditional songs -- but for sure the original versions didn't sound like this, so groovy and hip. They employ some standard sixties rock instrumention -- plenty of electric organ getting almost "In-a-gadda-da-vida"-ish at times -- but also really bring the traditional Turkish instruments to the fore, playing ikligs and baglamas and darbukas and kasiks...all kinds of stringed and percussion instruments, often used traditionally but more often just fiercely strummed to great rock 'n' roll heights. Compared to 3 Hur-el's "Hurel Arsivi" this almost-all-instrumental album is folkier *and* jazzier, the electric organ giving some tracks a kind of Martin Denny exotica vibe. Both discs, though, would make great party records. Highly recommended!!
(Windy's new favorite record -- thus proving once again that in her personal canon of favorite all time records, about 90% of them are from 1971-74. And she's delighted to find that the track "Wildflower" was liberally sampled by none other than AQ-fave Amon Tobin for his stellar "Verbal" song... thus proving once again what great taste Tobin has, we says.)
Anadolu Pop, yeah! It's no secret that for the Aquarius staff and quite a few of our customers, the rock 'n' folk of hippie-era Turkey holds a BIG attraction. We're way into all the comps and reissues that have come out in recent years documenting how back in the late '60s and early '70s Turkish youth took the Western beat and psychedelic sounds that were current at the time and melded them to traditional Turkish folk forms, with fuzz guitars and ethnic instrumentation like saz and iklig combined into an energetic, 'exotic' and exceedingly infectious hybrid pop music. And perhaps the best example of this Middle Eastern psych-rock is the band Mogollar (aka Les Mogol). We've already freaked out about the one cd of their stuff we've previously been able to stock, the Danses et Rythmes de la Turquie album from 1971. Now, the same Korean reissue label brings us another, their rare self-titled second album (also it seems from '71), and it's just as good! The first track you might recognize from the Asian installment of the Love, Peace, & Poetry series. And one of the bonus tracks is on Hava Narghile compilation, while two are amped-up versions of songs from Danses et Rhythmes. Yep, there's eight utterly kick ass bonus tracks, all from 1970 or '71 singles releases, that are a bit more rocked (and tripped) out than the somewhat folkier instrumentals on the album proper. You can hear more of an Iron Butterfly influence on a few of these...and Byram hears hints of the Beefheart rhythm section circa Mirror Man on "Behind The Dark", one of the couple English-language tracks here. Awesome, essential. As is the whole album. Languid grooves, frenzied fretting, such great atmosphere, just wonderful stuff. The cd booklet includes photos and an informative English-language essay detailing the history of the band, which is great to have (even if it doesn't tell us in what year this was released). Definitely add this to your Turkish psych-pop collection, or start one with this!!
Finally reissued on cd. Has 3 tracks and one hidden one which is apparently not available on the UK version, or so our UK customers lament.
Originally released special on vinyl for this year's Black Friday Record Store Day, this new record from Scottish post rockers Mogwai is not in fact a proper album, but is instead a collection of remixes, and the remixers read like a list we would have put together ourselves: Justin K. Broadrick (Jesu, Godflesh, JK Flesh, etc.), Xander Harris, Zombi, Soft Moon, Tim Hecker, Umberto, Robert Hampson (Loop, Main, etc.), Cylob and more!! Which means if you're anything like us, a new Mogwai record would already be a no brainer, but Mogwai remixed by all those folks? Holy cow.
Broadrick starts things off with a remix that essentially transforms Mogwai into Jesu, and we're not complaining, fuzzed out and dreamily bleary, big distorted drums, swirling synths, weird shimmery processed (auto-tuned?) vocals, the M83 vibe looms large for sure, dirgey, and fuzzy and fantastically blissed out. Tim Hecker takes Mogwai's "Rano Pano", adds some grit and strips away some of the extraneous sounds, and creates a warm, warbly, almost Steve Reich-ish sprawl of pulsating repetition. The Soft Moon pours on the distortion, wreathing "San Pedro" is cloud of thick buzz, and dense swirls of synth squelch, turning the original into a crunchy post rock / new wave / noise rock hybrid.
Xander Harris drags "How To Be A Werewolf" into some futuristic soundtrack territory, all pulsing eighties VHS car chase grooves, and skittery programmed rhythms, all over soft chordal swells and sci-fi bleeps and bloops. The Zombi track could essentially BE Zombi, all pulsating synths, ominous minor key melodies, super cheesy eighties synth swells, total retro cinematic synthscapery. Umberto too digs into similar territory, but as you might imagine, he slows it down, and turns it into something much more harrowing and haunting, drifting choir like vocals over spare drum machine pulse, swirls of gauzy synth, all brooding and ominous and sinsterly soundtracky.
We weren't familiar with Klad Hest, but his/their awesomely titled "Mogwai Is My Dick RMX" is like a super charged Autechre remix, skittery IDM, that gradually grows more and more dense and frenzied, the drum progamming going blissfully haywire. Cylob represents the electronica sector too, their take on Mogwai, more electro pop, complete with woozy vocodered vocals, and more retro synths. RM Hubbert is another name we weren't familiar with, his track more like a cover, a blurry tangle of Appalachian guitar, with hushed, whispered vocals, that become hauntingly robotic, which sounds pretty amazing/surreal when paired with the dark brooding guitarscaping.
Finally, Robert Hampson finishes things off with a near 14 minute version of "La Mort Blanche", which over the course of its 14 minutes transforms repeatedly, from murky field recorded ambience, to dreamy washed out, sweetly melodic minimalism, to pulsing, shimmering electronic drift, to synth heavy droned out crunch, to textured glitchy abstractions, to lush soaring loveliness, woozy basslines and swooping backwards guitars, to a final blissful blowout which wraps crunchy swaths of super distorted buzz, around the lilting pastoral main melody. So good!
12" vinyl teaser for the new full length that drops next week. The title track is from the album, which if you're a Mogwai fan you'll be buying anyway. But the other two cuts here are non-album b-sides. One's got a great title ("Stupid Prick Gets Chased By The Police And Loses His Slut Girlfriend") and the other boasts guest vocals from the legendary Roky Erickson of the Thirteenth Floor Elevators. Though, if we didn't know it was him, we're not sure what we'd think.
Man, I can't remember the last time I saw such crappy cover art (the Sleater Kinney album comes in a close second in terms of bargain bin art work atrocities). Anyway... the second full studio album is certainly NOT crap, however, don't expect too much of the sonic explosiveness of "Young Team". Lethargic heroin-drenched Slint/Velvets intricate guitar strum acts more as a slow descent into mope rock heaven. All the while a bleak white trash accompaniment of mumbling television broadcasts of football games and talk shows is Mogwai's choice of text while they tune out in their drug addled depression.
