Blog

Haven't done this for a while but I should be able to keep up on this for a while now.

1. Aidan Baker - 2009 - Live In Montreal - not sure when this was recorded but it's fairly recent - within the last year or so. Aidan Baker is a Canadian multi-instumentalist who leans toward the heavy drone side of psych. This is a 30 minute plus set featuring two long pieces recorded in a live setting. Although this sort of stuff is hard to appreciate in a less than perfect live recording, it still features some interesting moments including some live echoey multi-tracked singing and lots of thick guitar and electronics. Anyone new to Baker's music should start with his studio recordings to fully appreciate all the nuances involved. Aidan Bakeraidanbaker.org

2. Stan Getz & Charlie Byrd - 1962 - Jazz Samba - For my money, Stan Getz made some of the best cocktail lounge jazz ever created. On this 1962 album (ancient history, I know) he's teamed up with guitar player Charlie Byrd for a sublime set of Brazilian influenced jazz. Nothing surprising or jarring, just two pros creating a mood - smooth, yet never saccharine. This is the kind of music that was ubiquitous in it's day but now has to be sought out to be heard. Which of course helps you appreciate it that much more.Stan GetzCharlie ByrdStan Getz & Charlie Byrd - Jazz Samba

3. Alex Cline - 2009 - Continuation - this is the latest from drummer Alex Cline, who is the brother of guitar player Nels Cline. This release features lots of percussion, cello, and bass. Although released on the Cryptogramophone label, it's highly reminiscent of the ECM sound, especially some of Jack DeJohnette's work with the label. I would say Cline's latest is less airy and more improvised than the typical ECM disc, it's a good a touchstone as any. This is complex music demanding repeated listenings. I've heard it 3 times now and each time have found something new. He hasn't been prolific like his brother, so here's hoping he start putting out his own music more regularly.Alex ClineReview of Alex Cline's Continuation

4. VA - 2007 - Projekt - A Dark Noel - Xmas is just around the corner so why not start now. As the title says, lots of dark and ethereal sounds emanating from this compilation. My personal favorite is Faith & The Muse's 'A Winter Wassail' and possibly Arcanta's odd take on 'Carol Of The Bells'. The important thing as this is serious seasonal music throughout, not a novelty clunker in to be found. And serious Christmas music is the only kind I want to hear. May have to give this one another spin. I'm also sorry about including a link to Amazon, but it's the best one I could find for more information about this CD.Projekt Music - A Dark Noel

5. Anthony Braxton - 2008 - Live at the Kursaal Chamber Hall, 43 Heineken Jazzaldia, Donostia, San Sebastian, Spain, 07-25-08 - this is something I grabbed off of the Big-O website which I think is based in Singapore. This is one hell of a set, with the 8 part work 'Accelerator Ghost Dance' being featured. A standout for me is guitar player Mary Halvorson who is someone I've recently caught on to. Her playing keeps bobbing and weaving around Braxton, Taylor Bynum's horns, and Aaron Siegel's vibes and percussion. And everytime I hear Braxton it's something different, kind of like John Zorn. And Big-O is always worth a visit as they feature a constantly rotating list of boots to download.Anthony BraxtonBig-O homepage

Fri 10 Jul – North Sea Jazz Festival 2009

Yesterday we went to North Sea Jazz, I still stand by all the bitching I normally do about festivals and NSJ in particular, this experience only confirmed my prejudices (based on attending other festivals). Had I paid 83 euro's I would've been disappointed. 83 euros and then ask 50 cents for a program? WTF?!? 30 cents for a leak. € 2.30 for a beer. And then those big halls which to me just don't seem like places to enjoy music. When I came in, 15 minutes late for Bar Kokhba because of some guestlist hassle which luckily were fixed eventually, the room was full they told me with the advice to seek my entertainment elsewhere. Nice. Good thing I saw them twice already.

Anyway, I now know why I ignore these mega-happenings and will continue to do so. Yet, once inside the Yukon tent you can just think you're in a small venue and goddamn, what shows were ahead of us!

The Secret Chiefs 3 show was dedicated to Book Of Angels 2 which is a nice change to the 5 shows I've seen so far. They flew in Jason Schimmel on lead guitar and Wu Fei (zomg, teh cute!) on gu zheng (Chinese version of the Japanese koto) and vocals. The show was a blast! Ches was sitting in front of the band, with his back to us, like a conductor of the band who were in a circle around him. Unrehearsed but that rough edge only added to the spontaneity and fire of the show. Lengthy solo-spots to justify the presence on a jazz festival, all in all an amazing show!

I had a vague idea of checking out half an hour of Erykah Badu inbetween but I didn't do that, rather took in some fresh air and beer instead of succumbing to that silly zapmentality. The next performance was by John Zorn, Milford Graves, Bill Laswell and special guest Bill Frisell to replace Anthony Braxton who normally plays in this lineup. Graves entered the stage doing a weird African dance doing his scat vocals. He moved slowly behind his kit to start doing his great drumming. After a while Laswell entered, gained some weight since spinal meningitis got him down and looked healthier than he did in a while. That went on some more until Zorn entered with some more traditional and lyrical playing before he headed into more violent moods. Frisell is one of those people who can crash into any jam and just destroy. He's been on a mellow tip for some time but I hear he found his distortionpedal again lately. Tonight he provided some wonderful raw textures to the energy waves coming from the other three. They were even allowed an encore even though the tent did get a bit emptier over the course of the show (I guess people who got interested by seeing The Dreamers and Bar Kokhba Sextet were in for a surprise, in spite of all cliché'd 'musical terrorrist' promo blabber being written in the papers. I did catch some annoyed 'is this music?' expression on the faces from people leaving). Again this was a show where the drummer seemed in charge and the result was once again what you rightfully call 'a blast'.

Some of the great new music coming to my attention in 2008:

- Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso UFO - Recurring Dream And Apocalypse Of Darkness [Important]
- Ilyas Ahmed - The Vertigo of Dawn [Time-Lag]
- Baby Woodrose - Chasing Rainbows [Bad Afro]
- Sir Richard Bishop - While My Guitar Violently Bleeds [Locust]
- Black Mountain - In The Future [Jagjaguar]
- Anthony Braxton - 12+1tet & Trio (Victoriaville) [Victo]
- Brightblack Morning Light - Motion To Rejoin [Matador]
- Colour Haze - All [Elektrohasch]
- Julian Cope -- Preachin' Revolution (EP) & Black Sheep [Head Heritage]
- Crazy Dreams Band - Crazy Dreams Band [Holy Mountain]
- crooked hook - The Captain Will Be Your Guide [Safety Meeting]
- danava - Unonou [Kemado]
- Dead Meadow - Old Growth [Matador]
- Earth - The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull [Southern Lord]
- Helena Espvall & Masaki Batoh - Helena Espvall & Masaki Batoh [Drag City]
- Josephine Foster - This Coming Gladness [Bo'Weavil]
- Jackie-O Motherfucker - Cryin' Sea [Awesome Vistas]
- Fuzz Against Junk - Netti Netti [Invada]
- Grails - Doomsdayer's Holiday [Temporary Residence] & Take Refuge In Clean Living [Important]
- Growing - All The Time & Lateral [Social Registry]
- Guapo - Black Oni [Hlava] & Elixers [Neurot]
- Howlin' Rain - Magnificent Fiend [Birdman]
- Lau Nau - Nukkuu [Locust]
- Linus Pauling Quartet - All Things Are Light [Camera Obscura]
- Major Stars - Portable Freak Factory / Can You See Me 7" [Important]
- Motorpsycho - Little Lucid Moments [Rune Grammofon]
- Nomo - Ghost Rock [Ubiquity]
- Oneida - Preteen Weaponry [Jagjaguar] & Heads Ain't Ready 7" [These Are Not Records]
- Adam Payne - Organ [Holy Mountain]
- Plastic Crimewave Sound - Plastic Crimewave Sound [Eclipse]
- Pontiak - Sun on Sun [Thrill Jockey]
- Residual Echoes - Firsts [Elevation]
- Silver Mount Zion - 13 Blues for Thirteen Moons [Constellation]
- Spires That in the Sunset Rise - Curse the Traced Bird [Secret Eye]
- Suarasama - Fajar di Atas Awan [Drag City]
- Alexander Tucker - Portal [Atp]
- Ulaan Khol - 1 [Soft Abuse]
- TK Webb & The Visions - Ancestor [Kemado]
- Vocokesh - Electric Indian Blues [Pure pop]
- White Hills - A Little Bliss Forever [Drug Space]
- Wooden Shjips - Volume 1 [Holy Mountain]


Some of the great pre-2008 music first coming to my attention this year (missed until now, for whatever reason):

- Acrimony - Tumuli Shroomaroom [Leaf Hound]
- Bardo Pond - Live in Philadelphia [Archive]
- David Bowie - The Man Who Sold The World [Mercury]
- Alice Coltrane - World Journey [Impulse!]
- Julian Cope - Jehovahkill [Island]
- Floating Flower - Floating Flower [Eclipse]
- Flying Saucer Attack - Further [Drag City]
- Fred Frith - Guitar Solos [Virgin]
- Roy Harper - Stormcock [Chrysalis]
- High Rise - Disallow [Squealer]
- J.B.'s - Hustle with Speed [Polydor]
- NISHINIHON - Nishinihon [Static Resonance]
- Oneida - Anthem of the Moon [Rocket]
- Lou Reed - Coney Island Baby [rca]
- Spacious Mind - Rotvalta [Goddamn I'm A Countryman]
- Television - Marquee Moon [Elektra]
- Terje Rypdal - What Comes After [ECM]
- Spires That in the Sunset Rise - Four Winds The Walker [Secret Eye] & This Is Fire [Daffodil]
- Travelling Bell - Scatter Ways [Secret Eye]
- Wire - Chairs Missing [Harvest]

Best re-discoveries in 2008:

- Beach Boys - Pet Sounds [Capitol]
- Jaco Pastorius - Jaco Pastorius [Columbia]
- Pretty Things - Parachute [Harvest / Rare Earth]
- Roxy Music - Roxy Music [Island/EG]
- Sly & The Family Stone - Stand! [Epic]

Some of the shows I enjoyed during 2008:

- xu fengxia and Gunda Gottschalk - May 17, FIMAV 25, Victoriaville, QC
- Spires That in the Sunset Rise - June 4, Casa del Popolo, Montreal, QC
- Everything at Terrastock 7 - June 19-21, Louisville, KY
- Wayne Shorter Quartet - Dec. 5, Massey Hall, Toronto, ON
- Flower Travellin' Band - Dec. 15, Revival, Toronto, ON

January

001. Damo Suzuki's Network - Odyssey (2CD)
002. Damo Suzuki's Network - Metaphysical Transfer (2CD)
003. Circle - Alotus (CD)
004. The Black League - Ichor (CD)
005. The Black League - Utopia A.D. (CD)
006.Exhibition - The Sign Of Tomorrow (CD)
007. Abraxas - Tomorrow's World (CD)
008. Concerto Moon - The End Of The Beginning - Live in Tokyo - (2CD)
009. Shadowkeep - Corruption Within (CD)
010. Shadowkeep - A Chaos Theory (CD)
011.Oratory - Illusion Dimensions (CD)
012. The Reign of Terror - Sacred Ground (CD)
013.Judas Priest - Rising In The East (DVD)
014. Nightwish - Erämaan viimeinen (CDs)
015. 13th Floor Elevators - Easter Everywhere (CD)
016. 13th Floor Elevators - His Eye Is On The Pyramid (2CD)
017. Mayhem - Ordo Ad Chao (CD)
018. Rush - Snakes & Arrows (CD)
019. Liekki - Kalliot leikkaa (CD)
020. Tom Waits - Real Gone (CD)
021. Tom Waits - Blood Money (CD)
022. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Henry's Dream (CD)
023. Jonna Tervomaa - Parempi loppu (CD)
024. Stalingrad Cowgirls - Somewhere High (CD)
025. Reverend Bizarre - III: So Long Suckers (2CD)
026. Einstürzende Neubauten - Alles wieder offen (CD)
027. 13th Floor Elevators - The Psychedelic Sounds of The 13th Floor Elevators (CD)
028. Edgar Froese - Aqua (CD)
029. Strapping Young Lad - The New Black (CD)
030. Celtic Frost - Monotheist (CD)
031. Elviira - Uudet vaatteet (CD)

February

032. Pixies - Live at The Paradise in Boston (DVD)
033. Mew - Live In Copenhagen (DVD)
034. Mogwai - Travel is Dangerous (12")
035. Nordic Trinity - Eternal Echoes (CD)
036. John Coltrane - Trane's Blues (CD)
037. Haikara - Haikara (CD)
038. Kauko Röyhkä & Narttu - Pikku enkeli (CD)
039. Limonadi Elohopea - Taskukuvia 94-04 (CD)
040. CMX - Raivo (7")
041. CMX - Tanssitauti (7")
042. Dexter Gordon - Our Man in Paris (CD)
043. Dexter Gordon - Gettin' Around (CD)
044. Eric Dolphy - Out to Lunch (CD)
045. Mahavishnu Orchestra - Original Album Classics (5CD)
046. Miles Davis - Miles' Groove (3CD)
047. Miles Davis - Just Squeeze Me box set (10CD)

March

048. National Napalm Syndicate - Birth, Death And Resurrection (2CD)
049. Kenziner - The Prophecies (CD)
050. Tom Waits - Alice (CD)
051. Laika & The Cosmonauts - Absurdistan (CD)
052. Kauko Röyhkä & Riku Mattila - s/t (CD)
053. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! limited edition (CD)
054. Morrissey - Ringleader of the Tormentors (CD)
055. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Let Love In (CD)
056. t.A.T.u. - The Best (CD+DVD)
057. Badly Drawn Boy - One Plus One Is One (CD)
058. Meshuggah - Destroy Erase Improve (CD)
059. Neil Young - Hawks & Doves (CD)
060. Neil Young - Neil Young (CD)
061. Neil Young - Heart of Gold - Special Collector's Edition (2DVD)
062. Ultra Bra - Sinä päivänä kun synnyin (2CD)
063. Damo Suzuki's Network - Seattle (2CD)
064. Damo Suzuki's Network - JPN ULTD Vol.2 (CD)
065. Damo Suzuki's Network - 3 Dead People After the Performance (CD)
066. Sunburned Hand of the Man - No Magic Man (CD)
067. Gnomus - II (CD)
068. Gnomus - 28 août 2005 (CD)
069. Gnomus - Diagnosis (CD)
070. Mikko Innanen & Mika Kallio - Scratch (CD)

April

071. Luca Turilli - Ancient Forest Of Elves (12")
072. Yes - Ladder (CD)
073. Komedia Vulgaria - Uhkakuvasto (CD-EP)
074. Porcupine Tree - Fear Of A Blank Planet (CD)
075. Strapping Young Lad - Alien (CD)
076. Miles Davis - Nefertiti (CD)
077. Darkthrone - Soulside Journey (CD)
078. Darkthrone - A Blaze in the Northern Sky (CD)
079. Darkthrone - Under a Funeral Moon (CD)
080. Darkthrone - Transilvanian Hunger (CD)
081. M.A. Numminen - Kiusankappaleita 2 (2CD)
082. M.A. Numminen - Kiusankappaleita 3 (2CD)
083. Mannhai - The Exploder (CD)
084. Husky Rescue - Ghost Is Not Real (CD)
085. Cannibal Corpse - Live Cannibalism (CD)
086. Strapping Young Lad - City Deluxe Edition (CD)
087. Tom Waits - Swordfishtrombones (CD)
088. Einstürzende Neubauten - Klaviermusik (CD)
089. Einstürzende Neubauten - Alles Wieder Offen Tour 2008 - 24.04.2008 Tavastia, Helsinki (2CDr)

May

090. Tom Waits - Bone Machine (CD)
091. Boris - Heavy Rocks (CD)
092. Boris - Pink (CD)
093. Boris - Dronevil Final (2CD)
094. Boris with Merzbow - Rock Dream (2CD)
095. Mastodon - Blood Mountain (CD)
096. Aphex Twin - On (CD-EP)
097. Merzbow - Dharma (CD)
098. Foo Fighters - Skin and Bones (CD)
099. Matti Johannes Koivu - Kovat piipussa (CD)
100. Philip Glass - Violin Concerto Adele Anthony; Ulster Orchestra/Takuo Yuasa (CD)
101. Philip Glass - Heroes Symphony & The Light Bournemouth SO / Marin Alsop (CD)
102. Megadeth - Rust in Peace (CD)
103. Deep Purple - Fireball 25th anniversary edition (CD)
104. Jenni Vartiainen - Ihmisten edessä (CD)

June

105. Tom Waits - Small Change (CD)
106. Tom Waits - Franks Wild Years (CD)
107. Art Tatum - Stormy Weather (4CD)
108. Iron Maiden - Live After Death (2DVD)
109. Erik Satie - A Selection of Piano Pieces (CD)
110. Erik Satie - Piano Works, Vol. 1 (CD)
111. Erik Satie - Piano Works, Vol. 2 (CD)
112. Erik Satie - Piano Works, Vol. 3 (CD)
113. Erik Satie - Piano Works, Vol. 4 (CD)
114. Opeth - Watershed (CD+DVD)
115. Neil Young - Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (CD)
116. Neil Young - On the Beach (CD)
117. Neil Young - Tonight's the Night (CD)
118. Neil Young - Sleeps With Angels (CD)
119. Ulver - Lyckantropen Themes (CD)
120. Tom Waits - Foreign Affairs (CD)
121. Underwater Sleeping Society - All Other Lights Go Out (CD)
122. Deep Purple - Come Hell Or High Water (DVD)
123. Arvo Pärt - Fratres/Passio/Berliner Messe (3CD)
124. Jean Sibelius - Legend: Karajan Symphonies 4&5, Finlandia (CD+DVD)

July

125. Boris - Akuma no Uta (CD)
126. Univers Zero - Heresie (CD)
127. Cream - Disraeli Gears (CD)
128. Boredoms - Super Roots (CD)
129. Gallhammer - Ill Innocence (CD)
130. Jefferson Airplane - After Bathing at Baxter's (CD)
131.Lykke Li - Youth Novels (CD)
132. Anna Ternheim - Somebody Outside (CD)
133. Anna Ternheim - Separation Road (CD)
134. Fennesz Sakamoto - Cendre (CD)
135. V/A - Cabaret Nocturno Vol. II (10")
136. King Crimson - Live in Japan 1995 (DVD)
137. Don Cherry - "mu" First Part (LP)
138. Drudkh - Forgotten Legends (CD)
139. Drudkh - Autumn Aurora (C)
140. Prurient - Shipwrecker's Diary (CD)
141. Prurient & Kevin Drumm- All Are Guests in the House of the Lord (CD)
142. Aube - Duplex-Sphere (CD)
143. Merzbow & John Wiese - Multiplication (CD)
144. Boris with Merzbow - Sun Baked Snow Cave (CD)
145.Sunn O))) & Boris- Altar (3LP) Japanese Import

August

146. Krzysztof Penderecki - Sextet/Clarinet Quartet (CD)
147. Neil Young - Live in San Francisco (2CD)
148. Motorspandex - Torment Star (7")
149. Reverend Bizarre / Rättö ja Lehtisalo - Split (12")
150. Pymathon / Gentle Evil- Split (LP)
151. Uton - Alitaju Yliminä (LP)
152. V/A - Canterbury Tales - Nuggets from the Psychedelic Underground (3CD)
153. King Crimson - Lizard 30th anniversary edition (CD)
154. Tori Amos - American Doll Posse (CD)
155. Avril Lavigne - The Best Damn Thing (CD)
156. Anathema - A Fine Day to Exit (CD)
157. Anathema - Were You There? (DVD)
158. Krzysztof Penderecki - St. Luke Passion (CD)
159. PJ Harvey - To Bring You My Love (CD)
160.Sun Ra - Space Is the Place (CD)
161. Magma - Spiritual (2CD)
162. Neil Young - Weld (2CD)
163. Reverend Bizarre / Kuolema - Split (CD-EP)
164. Reverend Bizarre - Harbinger of Metal (CD)
165. Minutemen - The Punch Line (LP)
166.Big Black - Songs About Fucking (LP)
167. Reverend Bizarre - Dark World / Deceiver (7")

September

168. Armanenschaft - Psychedelic Winter (LP)
169. Electric Wizard / Reverend Bizarre - Split (12")
170. Sleep - Jerusalem (CD)
171. OM - Variations on a Theme (CD)
172.KTL - KTL (CD)
173. Terje Isungset - Ice Concerts (CD)
174. Terje Isungset - Iceman Is (CD)
175. Birchville Cat Motel - Curved Surface Destroyer (3CD)
176. Matti Johannes Koivu - Irwin Goodmanin lauluja (CD)
177. Kraftwerk - Radio-Activity (CD)
178. Oscar Peterson - Date with Oscar (10CD)
179. Indica - Valoissa (CD)
180. Terje Isungset - Two Moons (CD)
181. Kraftwerk - Trans-Europe Express (CD)
182. Kraftwerk - The Man-Machine (CD)

October

183. Can - Future Days (CD)
184. Can - Monster Movie (CD)
185. Can - Ege Bamyasi (CD)
186.Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band With Choir- This Is Our Punk-Rock, Thee Rusted Satellites Gather + Sing, (2LP)
187. Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band - Horses in the Sky (2LP)
188. Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band - 13 Blues for Thirteen Moons (2LP)
189. Pharaoh Overlord - #4 (CD)
190. K.K. NULL - ERG per GALAXY (CD)
191.Flower Corsano Duo - The Radiant Mirror (CD)
192.Faust - Kleine Welt (CD)
193. Circle - Hollywood (CD)
194. Can - Unlimited Edition (CD)
195. Can - Can (CD)
196. Daevid Allen - The Man from Gong, the Best of Daevid Allen (CD)
197. Daevid Allen - Divided Alien Playbax 80 (CD)
198. New York Gong - About Time (CD)
199. Sunburned Circle - The Blaze Game (LP)
200. Sutcliffe Jügend & Prurient - End of Autumn (2LP)
201. John Wiese - Soft Punk (LP)
202.Kevin Drumm - Imperial Distortion (2CD)
203. Neil Young - Rock In Rio Festival (Arganda de Rey, Madrid, Spain) (DVD)
204. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - BBC Session (LSO St. Luke's, London, June 30, 2008) (DVD)
205. Anthony Braxton - For Trio (LP)
206. CMX - Musiikin ystävälliset kasvot + 5 (CD-EP)
207. Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Solar Fire (CD)
208. Harmonia - Deluxe (CD)
209. Kraftwerk - Kraftwerk (CD)
210. Kraftwerk - Kraftwerk 2 (CD)
211. Can - Tago Mago (CD)
212. Popol Vuh - Nosferatu (CD)
213. David Gilmour - Live in Gdask (3CD+2DVD BOX)
214. Eero Koivistoinen Kvintetti & Sekstetti - Odysseus (CD)
215. Eero Koivistoinen Music Society - X-Ray (CD)
216. Jenni Vartiainen- Mustaa kahvia (CDs)

November

217. Prurient - Pleasure Ground (CD)
218. Om - Conference of the Birds (CD)
219. Steel Mammoth - The Kingdom Of The Golden Hammer (CD)
220. Reverend Bizarre / Mr Velcro Fastener - Split (12")
221. Tuomari Nurmio - Karaokekuningas (CD)
222. The Kálmán Oláh Trio - Fitting (CD)
223. Gábor Gadó - Byzantinum (CD)
224. Mika Kallio- Mika Kallio (CD)
225. Mâäk's Spirit - Stroke (CD)
226. Diamond Head - It's Electric (CD)
227. Miles Davis - Miles Davis Featuring John Coltrane (4CD)
228. Ravi Shankar - Ravi Shankar (4CD)
229. Tangerine Dream - High Voltage (4CD)
230. Earth - Earth 2 (CD)
231. STROM.ec - Dogs of Total Order (LP)
232. John Wiese - Black Magic Pond (CD)
233. Prurient - Troubled Sleep (CD)
234. Prurient - Fossil (CD)
235. Prurient - Cocaine Death (CD)

December

236. The Puritan - Lithium Gates (CD)
237. Conrad Schnitzler - Trigger Trilogy (3CD)
238. Tomahawk - Anonymous (CD)
239. Mike Patton - A Perfect Place (CD)
240. Sunn O))) - Dømkirke (2LP)
241. Kenny Wheeler - Gnu High (CD)
242. V/A - Soundi CD 2009 (CD)
243. Tuomari Nurmio & Kongontien Orkesteri - Tangomanifesti (CD)
244. Anssi Tikanmäki Orchestra - Tuntematon maa - Uusia maisemakuvia Suomesta (CD)
245. Korpi Ensemble - Puu (CD)

A.
Kaoru Abe – Solo 1972.1.21
Acid Mothers Temple and The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. – Acid Mothership Live
Animal Collective – Sung Tongs
Antony and the Johnsons – Another World

B.
Derek Bailey - Improvisation
Alban Berg – Lulu/Wozzeck
Boredoms – Chocolate Synthesizer
Boris – Akuma No Uta
Boris – Amplifier Worship
Pierre Boulez – Le Marteau sans Maître / Dérive 1 & 2
Glenn Branca – The Ascension
Anthony Braxton – Saxophone Improvisations Series F

C.


D.
Death Ambient – Drunken Forest
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft – Die Kleinen Und Die Bösen

E.
Earth – The Bees Made Honey In The Lion’s Skull
Clara Engel – Tender
Brian Eno – Discreet Music
Eyehategod – Take As Needed For Pain
EyeHateGod - Dopesick

F.
Morton Feldman – Rothko Chapel/Why Patterns?
Morton Feldman – Three Voices
Morton Feldman – For Philip Guston
Morton Feldman – Triadic Memories
FLOWER TRAVELLIN’ BAND – Satori
Ellen Fullman – Body Music
Fushitsusha – Origin’s Hesitation
Fushitsusha – Withrawe, this sable Disclosure ere devot’d

G.
Diamanda Galás – Plague Mass
Philip Glass – Music In 12 Parts
Government Alpha – Venomous Cumulus Cloud
Ground Zero – Null & Void
Guilty Connector – Beats, Noise, and Life.

H.
Keiji Haino – Watashi-Dake?
Keiji Haino – Tenshi no Gijinka
Keiji Haino - Hikari Yami Uchitokeaishi Konohibiki
Garry Higgins – Red Hash

I.


J.
Jandek – Ready For The House

K.
Z. Karkowski / Torturing Nurse / Dickson Dee - Penetration
Maria Kasstan – Love Songs For The Homeless Guy
Khanate - Khanate
Knurl – Scyamine

L.
Alvin Lucier – Still Lives
Gabi Lunca – Songs From A Bygone Age vol 5
Lush - Split


M.
Merzbow – Hybrid Noisebloom
Olivier Messiaen – Quartet For The End of Time

N.
Naked City – Black Box
Nihilist Spasm Band – The Best We Can Do
Nine Inch Nails – Ghosts I-IV

O.


P.
Zeena Parkins – Nightmare Alley
Arvo Pärt – Alina
Prurient – The Black Vase

Q.


R.
Steve Reich – City Life
Steve Reich – Daniel Variations
Steve Reich - Phases

S.
Arnold Schönberg – Works For Piano
Elliott Sharp & Zeena Parkins – Psycho-Acoustic
Six Organs of Admittance – For Octavio Paz
Harry Somers – (retrospective...can't remember the name)
Igor Stravinsky – The Firebird/Rite of Spring
SUN PLEXUS - Or Ou Ferraille ? A Quelle Profondeur ?

T.


U.


V.
Edgard Varèse – The Complete Works


W.
John Wiese – Soft Punk

X.
Iannis Xenakis – Chamber Music 1955 -1990


Y.
Otomo Yoshihide - Blue

Z.


So that was 2008. It was kind of a shit year, all things considered, although it was fun to find myself with a physical copy of an album I was apart of (Tender).

I feel like this is the year that I lost my...er...that thing that works very much like an immune system, but in social situations. A person never walks around, perfectly healthy, saying to his or herself, "thank god I don't have a cold right now." It's a given, right? Likewise, I never walked around saying to myself "Thank god I know where to place a joke/nod my head/grapple with conversation in general". When that's gone, the world becomes a pretty scary place, I find.

I also did a questionable photoshoot for a dingy hipster magazine that got me heaps of compliments from my friends down in the Toronto Village, and laughter from everybody else, haha.

I made some musical discoveries this year that have been incredibly important to me, namely Steve Reich and Morton Feldman, although listening to Keiji Haino and Iannis Xenakis have also been eye opening in further understanding the different kinds of music being made in the world all the time.

If anybody's confused by the addition of a Glass CD, please don't have a heart attack. Having heard enough about Music In 12 Parts being the closest contemporary of Reich's Music For 18 Musicians (which, in less than a year, surpassed almost any album I've ever heard in terms of absolute excellence), I found it for about 20 bucks, and felt I'd be acting childish if I didn't at least attempt to give it a try. My conclusion : Glass needs 4 hours to convey less than what Reich can in less than 1 hour. Big surprise.


That's it.

Segunda 28 Jan – Anthony Braxton

(texto publicado na revista jazz.pt #17)

Anthony Braxton Septet
Sala Suggia, Casa da Música, Porto
28 de Janeiro de 2008

Anthony Braxton (saxofone alto, soprano e sopranino e clarinete contrabaixo), Aaron Siegel (percussão, bateria e vibrafone), Chris Dalhgren (contrabaixo), Jay Rozen (tuba), Jessica Pavone (viola), Mary Halvorson (guitarra), Taylor Ho Bynum (cornetas)

Xeque-Mate | O Jogo da Música

Em várias línguas, escrever sobre as relações entre o Jogo e a Música torna-se particularmente complexo, uma vez que os verbos a conjugar se sobrepõem. E, de facto, é relativamente comum e fácil de compreender a actividade musical como uma espécie de Jogo, em mais do que um dos sentidos da palavra. O lado lúdico pode ser o mais imediato em algumas práticas musicais, mas as ideias de risco, sorte e azar, assim como a coordenação de vários intervenientes em conjuntos de regras mais ou menos complexos, a conjugação de esforços, as relações de tensão e equilíbrio entre várias componentes de um determinado sistema, todas estas noções que informam a definição de Jogo e do acto de Jogar, são facilmente observáveis no conjunto das práticas musicais. Em quantidades variáveis, claro está, como no próprio Jogo e nas suas diferentes expressões: da actividade desportiva, aos acasos da fortuna apostados numa mesa de casino ou numa encruzilhada psicológica, passando pelas brincadeiras de criança e pelas expressões de sintonia nos exercícios de "isto-joga-bem-com-aquilo".
Também se observam diferenças (umas mais subtis que outras) na relação que os Músicos estabelecem com o conceito de Jogo, nas suas variações, de acordo com o papel que nele desempenham: compositores que se assumem ora mestres de jogo, ora bonecreiros; intérpretes que se limitam a seguir as regras definidas, eficazes como atletas de alta-competição e outros capazes de correr riscos e apostar tudo sempre na "jogada" seguinte; compositores-intérpretes capazes de jogar sem regras, ou fazê-las à medida que delas precisam, como numa partida de Calvinbola (o desporto flexível do personagem de banda desenhada)… e nas misturas de todas estas atitudes talvez possamos encontrar os perfis completos de todos os músicos, de todos os géneros musicais, ao longo de todos os tempos.
E nesse sentido, o Jogo é um conceito poderoso, também para unificar as práticas musicais e quebrar as barreiras artificiais em que estilos, ismos e géneros se deixam encurralar, com maior ou menor resistência.

Este longo, mas nem jocoso nem despropositado prólogo vem a propósito do concerto do Septeto de Anthony Braxton na Casa da Música. Integrado na programação de Jazz, Braxton, que é sistematicamente (exaustivamente, diria) apontado como um "Stockhausen do Jazz Moderno", trouxe ao palco da Sala Suggia uma experiência que transcende as normais barreiras de estilo, precisamente pelo seu carácter "primordial". A performance contínua de pouco mais de uma hora com que brindou o público é facilmente abordável como se aborda o desenrolar duma actividade desportiva ou outro tipo de Jogo, cujas regras desconhecemos, mas de cuja existência não podemos duvidar. As relações entre os sete músicos, assim como o desenrolar de toda a acção, obedece a regras e convenções que pressentimos e observamos com maior ou menos entendimento e, nesse sentido, tudo nos é familiar. Observamos, assim, o desenvolvimento da peça (do jogo) lendo, dentro e fora da música, os sinais, a partilha, as propostas e contra-propostas, os acordos, os desafios, os compromissos, interpretando mesmo parte desses sinais e reconhecendo algum do material associado ou das práticas sugeridas. Como público, somos envolvidos não apenas pelo conteúdo sonoro, mas pela compreensão da "mecânica" compositiva. Mesmo os mais desatentos ou desinteressados terão compreendido a relação entre os números indicados pelos músicos/jogadores e determinadas frases e variações, assim como o propósito da ampulheta como constrangimento estrutural e, com um pouco mais de atenção, ter-se-ão mesmo apercebido que, além de frases e variações, as secções numeradas, ora continham indicações sobre formas de interacção entre os músicos presentes, ora remetiam para gestos complementares a definição de "papéis" no seu desenvolvimento.
Atrever-me-ia mesmo a sugerir que, quem não encontrasse interesse suficiente no material sonoro apresentado pelos 7 músicos, teria no acompanhamento do processo compositivo razões suficientes de interesse.
Se bem que seria de uma grande injustiça remeter o conteúdo musical para um segundo plano. Não só porque um bom conjunto de regras não substitui nunca, neste contexto, o talento e a criatividade dos músicos, que assumem neste septeto, com todos os riscos inerentes, a condição de jogadores— sendo responsáveis pelo seu desenvolvimento em condições de igualdade—, mas também porque a escrita de Braxton é, além de rica e diversificada, tecnicamente exigente. De facto, ao contrário de outras composições em forma de jogo ou de práticas improvisacionais dirigidas de forma similar, a proposta de Braxton equilibra várias formas expressivas, moldando quer a estrutura global, quer algumas práticas relacionais, quer o conteúdo específico, com ênfase em linhas melódicas apresentadas ora em conjunto, ora harmolodicamente, em camadas sobrepostas de acordo com o número de "linhas de jogo" (combinações de músicos) em desenvolvimento.

(...)

A fruição genuína e descomprometida desta performance põe ainda em causa (ainda mais) o problema das classificações e das fronteiras estilísticas. O percurso de Anthony Braxton define-o como figura incontornável das vanguardas do Jazz, é verdade, mas o material apresentado, quer na forma, quer no conteúdo, quer na instrumentação ou mesmo no vocabulário de parte dos músicos, obriga-nos a ignorar o contexto estilístico em que nos é proposto. Não porque o Jazz não se possa ou não deva "esticar" até outros territórios— muito pelo contrário—, mas porque quer em teoria, quer na prática, esta música não pertence mais ao Jazz do que à Música Erudita Contemporânea ou a qualquer outro Jogo arriscado que se pratique "por aí".

Leia o artigo completo no meu blog.

накачал много всякого говна, и почти ничего не запомнилось. окромя:

Anthony Braxton

какой же он крутой. и еще живой, значит, чисто теоретически, я смогу попасть когда-нибудь на его выступление. фриджассс

Heaven and

долго я ждал, пока приедет из дойчляндии этот диск, и не зря ждал. четверо неизвестных мне индустриальщиков с товарищем Alexander Hacke на подпевках решили сделать пост-рок. но у них не получилось, вышел, гм, индустриальный джаз-рок, что-ли, какой-то. слушается на одном дыхании. круто, очень круто.

original silence

даже не знаю, можно ли назвать это "новым" для меня. скорее - новый проект от известных мне (частично) лиц, который, как я и ожидал, мне понравился.

The Great Society

хорошо. отличный психодел. один из лучших, что я слышал.

ну и новый альбом Тату тоже, ничотак :)

ESPAÑOL:

Hace ya casi un año que no grababa uno de estos así que pues aquí se los paso.

Playlist:

1. Experimental Dental School - Shoko Can
2. Cap'n Jazz - In The Clear
3. Anthony Braxton - For Artist Murray De Pillars
4. Zeni Geva - Blackout
5. Seefeel - Through You
6. Melt-Banana - Lost Parts Stinging Me So Cold
7. Kayo Dot - The Sow Submits
8. Sutra - Aluminio Rojo
9. Behemoth - Prometherion
10. Cat Power - Say
11. Leviathan - Sacred Scars
12. James Blackshaw - O True Believers
13. Three 6 Mafia - Mystic Stylez
14. Mika Miko - Too Cute To Puke
15. Despise You - Divisions
16. Syd Barrett - Feel

http://oscilador.podomatic.com/

-----

ENGLISH:

I haven't done one of these in like a year so i thought of doing one.

Playlist:

1. Experimental Dental School - Shoko Can
2. Cap'n Jazz - In The Clear
3. Anthony Braxton - To Artist Murray De Pillars
4. Zeni Geva - Blackout
5. Seefeel - Through You
6. Melt-Banana - Lost Parts Stinging Me So Cold
7. Kayo Dot - The Sow Submits
8. Sutra - Aluminio Rojo
9. Behemoth - Prometherion
10. Cat Power - Say
11. Leviathan - Sacred Scars
12. James Blackshaw - O True Believers
13. Three 6 Mafia - Mystic Stylez
14. Mika Miko - Too Cute To Puke
15. Despise You - Divisions
16. Syd Barrett - Feel

http://oscillator.podomatic.com/