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Listening to Melvin Gibbs' Elevated Entity and their new album Ancients Speak (LiveWired Music; March 17, 2009) is like walking down the street in New York and unexpectedly falling into a manhole, only to discover there is an African-American underground music scene where the African diaspora has knocked down all barriers between genres, placing creativity on equal status with groove. Afrobeat is rubbing against Hendrix-style guitar solos, hip hop has gone to Bahia and come back with the most primal electronic beats. Afro-Cuban spirits intermingle with the Holy Spirit. It’s a riotous gathering of all things African.

For bassist and producer Melvin Gibbs, the “Black Atlantic continuum” is more than a theoretical construct. It’s a reality read on faces across the Western hemisphere, from the Caribbean to Brazil, the sonic story of people brought to the Americas against their will and the vital culture they passed down to their descendants.

The elderly women Gibbs met in Brazil’s candomblé houses, the Costa Ricans Gibbs encountered selling fruit by the roadside, bore an eerie resemblance to Gibbs’ own aunts and grandmother. In one pivotal memory, a woman “looked at me, and I looked at her, and I know we had the same thought,” Gibbs recalls. “That process led to a whole series of records. You think about it: I could have relatives in Cuba, Jamaica… it’s the randomness of the explosive situation, how this original batch of Africans ended up in the Americas. I wanted to connect the different roots, reconnect the family.”

Transcendence echoes throughout Ancients Speak, whether it’s transcending our differences to honor our common ancestors, transcending our limitations to explore the spiritual, or transcending the barriers of musical genre. “When you see a grandma in a church in South Carolina, it’s the same as the grandma in Bahia,” Gibbs muses. “They might be praying to a different deity, but a possession is a possession. That transcends whatever religion you want to put on top of it. They didn’t lose the ability to create that connection; they just transposed it onto other instruments.”

Many artists and scholars have thought long and hard about the Black Atlantic and its cultural impact, but Gibbs has his own vision and sound: “For me, there is a different arc from the usual Jamaica, New York, England, Canada, West Indies. For me, it’s New York City, South Carolina, the Caribbean, Brazil,” notes Gibbs. “New York is the center; the whole world is here. You can make ten thousand records here walking down the street. You just gotta look for them.”

After years of absorbing everything from rock to samba on the New York streets, Gibbs headed to Salvador da Bahia, Brazil, tracing the continuum to the traditional candomblé houses. Working together with producer, guitarist, and experimental composer Arto Lindsay, he made hours of field recordings that became the heart of the tracks on Ancients Speak.

Gibbs then incorporated the "sky church music" concept of Jimi Hendrix, channeling guitar solos, gospel, underground rap, Cuban Lucumi ritual singing, and Nigerian Afrobeat vocals, all united by hip hop techniques. “I’ve been doing electronic programming all along,” he states. “It was the next step in the evolution, to have the digital intersect the traditional in a seamless way.” Inspired both by rap and the “extreme editing” of early filmmakers like Soviet icon Dziga Vertov, Gibbs effortlessly blends the Atlantic old with the global new.

Within the mix, space is reserved for the vital improvisation and soloing, the transcendent moments in musics of African heritage. “In the Americas, the idea of transcendence became expressed by instruments other than the drum, particularly the guitar, keyboards, and horns. Pete Cosey, original Earth, Wind and Fire member and Miles Davis guitarist, puts that feeling in what Jabo Sparks called the ‘Holy Ghost feelin,’ just the same way Pedrito Martinez puts it in his singing,” Gibbs explains. “Pete’s doing the African-American extension of what Pedrito is doing on 'Canto por Odudua,'” dedicated to the first ancestor of the Yoruba.

“Sometimes” refers to those times when we need self-awareness and reflection within our actions. The introspective rap of Ruben, who graduated with a philosophy degree from City College of New York, intertwines with the candomblé chorus and beats of Bahia’s Afoxe Filhos do Korin Efan. “Sun of Shango” launches on a psychedelic vision inspired by Amayo’s Shango priestess grandmother, laced with the ecstatic guitar of P-Funk’s Blackbyrd McKnight.

Though diverse expressions of African religious traditions appear throughout Ancients Speak, Gibbs is about uncovering their unity: “All the religions go back to the same point, to the ancestors. The people who came before us were important and have energy that influences what we do today. That definitely informs this record and everything else I do on a day-to-day basis.”

Gibbs’ musical day-to-day has always drawn on the unique energy of the New York nexus, where “world music” is a way of life, and jazz, punk, funk, and rap mingle freely. Born in Brooklyn, the young Gibbs began exploring music with the Afro-Latin percussionist who lived next door. Soon, Gibbs picked up both the upright bass, studying with Coltrane’s bassist, and the electric bass, and crossed paths with kindred spirit and guitarist Vernon Reid (Living Colour) in the practice rooms of Medgar Evers College. “There is a lot of diversity in New York, even within the African American community. We used to go to after-hours punk clubs in Flatbush, my neighborhood. Everybody was a little more broad-minded then,” Gibbs recounts. “People think that in the early ’80s you had this up-and-coming hip hop scene. But you also had a lot of Black punkers. That scene existed, too. Plus you had the whole idea that we could accomplish whatever we set out to accomplish. We are from the Obama era, in a sense.”

Gibbs, dubbed “the world’s best bassist” by Time Out New York, has never stopped engaging with the African diaspora’s resonating impact on his native city, whether through salsa, reggae, Afrobeat, calypso, or mbalax. “Being in Brooklyn, growing up in New York City, you essentially do ‘world music’ without the name,” Gibbs smiles. “And the whole point of making music is creating energy. You can’t say what music is or isn’t. There is no logical way to explain what music is. But if you can get energies to meld, even if the musicians are from different geographic points, you get unity. The energy transcends the method.

When I lived in Spain a few years ago, I learnt a thing or two. I learned that Spain is NOT Mexico, as a lot of North Americans are wont to believe, assume, expect. I learned that Mexico is the way it is because of Spain -- The good, the bad, the ugly. I love Mexico, and I truly love Spain. One of the people in Spain that influenced me exponentially was a very beautiful person from San Fernando. I fell in love with her and stupidly messed it up... as I'm very good at doing. So anyway, she had great taste in everything, but I'm not so sure about her music, now that I look back. She had me HOOKED on Spanish pop. I don't know much else about music from the Iberian Peninsula, but whenever I hear Spanish pop, I wax sentimentally and am lost in nostalgia. Here are some of the groups (with the help of last.fm) that I still hear when I think of downtown Cadiz, Jerez, and the beaches of Costa de la Luz & Costa del Sol:

80s 90s dance folk mexico musica latina pop rock rock en español sevillana spain

1. Mecano
2. La Oreja de Van Gogh
3. Alejandro Sanz
4. Ana Torroja
5. Miguel Bosé
6. Hombres G
7. Presuntos Implicados
8. Ella Baila Sola
9. Amaral
10. Paulina Rubio
11. Julieta Venegas
12. Nena Daconte
13. Shakira
14. Rosana
15. Azúcar Moreno
16. Massiel
17. Juanes
18. Paloma San Basilio
19. Isabel Pantoja
20. Thalía
21. Mónica Naranjo
22. Luis Miguel
23. Efecto Mariposa
24. David Civera
25. Manu Tenorio

Perchance I wasn't snapping my fingers to latin pop, I was out looking for something more in-country, more folk. After all, Andalusia is the birthplace of flamenco, and one cannot walk through any spanish town any night and not see flamencodancers and/or a spanish guitar, somewhere. So I'd sit down and have a sherry and watch the show. Such great music.

ambient arabesk brazil chile chillout classical flamenco folk france gitano instrumental italy jazz lounge musica latina new age spain spanish guitar world

1. Ottmar Liebert
2. Jesse Cook
3. Armik
4. Paco de Lucía
5. Gipsy Kings
6. Oscar Lopez
7. Andrés Segovia
8. Julian Bream
9. Strunz & Farah
10. Joaquín Rodrigo
11. Tierra Negra
12. Manuel de Falla
13. Johannes Linstead
14. Vicente Amigo
15. Paco Peña
16. Pepe Romero
17. Heitor Villa-Lobos
18. Rodrigo y Gabriela
19. Carlos Campos
20. Alabina
21. Isaac Albéniz
22. Fanfare Ciocărlia
23. Henrik T
24. Lara & Reyes
25. Gino D'Auri

One other thing... There is another part of Iberia, a place to the west called Albufeira in a great country called Portugal. Such great people, great food, and great music. All those years of world influence has come back there in spades. Bossa Novas and Sambas from Brazil. But one of the best experiences is listening to Fado.

bossa cape verde chillout brazil downtempo fado folk jazz musica latina portugal rock samba world

1. Mariza
2. Amália Rodrigues
3. Maria Rita
4. Cesária Évora
5. Dulce Pontes
6. Cristina Branco
7. Madredeus
8. Mísia
9. Seu Jorge
10. Bebel Gilberto
11. Cibelle
12. Farofa Carioca
13. Marisa Monte
14. Astrud Gilberto
15. Lura
16. Arto Lindsay
17. Chico Buarque
18. Sabrina Malheiros
19. Mayra Andrade
20. Mafalda Arnauth
21. Jorge Ben Jor
22. João Gilberto
23. CéU
24. Katia Guerreiro
25. Ana Carolina

Loto Ball Show - Levy on the Eyeway
LP w/ Digital Download (Ltd. 500)

Ever hear of The Phantom Limbs? Ever see them live? Well, we did - And weren't sure if we wanted a baby bottle/our mother's breast or to throw someone into a wall. The Phantom Limbs left us a great legacy on Alternative Tentacles, one that made us follow (who was then known as Hopeless, but is now known as) Loto Ball on his journey from the Bay Area to Chicago, where he opened the Reversibe Eye Gallery and started his new musical endeavor, Loto Ball Show in 2005.

Loto Ball Show screams out much of the same ferocity as The Phantom Limbs while bringing in more variety in mood, more shifts in volume and pace, and more eclectic sounds. A driving key-board driven form of No-Wave post-punk with hints of jazz syncopation and Middle-Eastern scales.

Levy on the Eyeway is for the unique ear. Nine tracks packed with noise, percussion, energy, and "that voice."


Musings:
"Dark, muscular and intense hick garage blues racket with the relentless gusto of The Bad Seeds fucking Deanna, sharpened by the non-cliched post punk apocalyptic edge one finds in Public Image Ltd"
(20 Jazz Funk Greats).

"Loto is one of the most talented and demented front-creatures in all of underground rock. Phantom Limbs were a punk Gilbert & Sullivan gone drastically wrong- perfect for a San Francisco bordello when the '06 Earthquake hits. Now with Loto Ball Show, the music borders on 'Exotica'- but thankfully without the "Lounge" damage. As a painter and a musician, everything he touches seems to turn into a Lio strip. I will always be fascinated."
(Jello Biafra, Dead Kennedys)

"Loto Ball Show takes the pants off The Phantom Limbs dead person and puts The King and Eye in one leg and Hex Enduction Hour in the other."
(Chris D., The Flesh Eaters)

"Slightly reminiscent of Minimal Man's classic The Shroud Of... Like Arto Linsday singing for the Contortions or Gilbert Godfrey fronting the Birthday Party with Lora Logic."
(PunkNews.Org)

"I believe this is what St. Lester Bangs referred to when he was talking about "skronk." No-Wave funk getting Skin Graft (the procedure and record label) onto the zombie of Albert Ayler. This will fuck with your head so good. In fact, this record sent me into 3 different emotional states upon the first listen, as ex-Phantom Limbs guy, Loto Ball and his big band re-taught me how to dance. For this, I thank thee."
(Hex-Education)

"...packed with wild percussion, blaring trumpets and screeching saxophones. The guitar riffs are loud and distorted, and the vocals are indistinctly indecipherable."
(Fensepost)

LP w/ Digital Download
Limited Edition (500)
www.giftedchildrenrecords.com



Loto Ball ShowThe Phantom LimbsPublic Image Ltd.The Bad SeedsJello BiafraDead KennedysThe Flesh EatersMinimal ManArto LindsayThe Contortions

http://www.myspace.com/arbzzz

anarchist republic of bzzz

Sensational

Marc Ribot

Seb El Ezin

Arto Lindsay

Mike Ladd

Sat 15 Sep – Mice Parade, Tom Brosseau

Again dasbob and me provided the music around the bands for this concert night. The following is what we played:

1. Album Leaf – Streamside
2. Arto Lindsay – Ridiculously Deep
3. ISAN – Serene Driver
4. Apparat – Riding
5. Radiohead – Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box
6. Junior Boys – Double Shadow
7. Jaga Jazzist – Day
8. !!! – Sweet Life
9. Bamby Davidson – Window Dressing (faded out cos of start of concert)

*** Tom Brosseau concert ***

10. Band Ane – Wood Delivery
11. Björk – Innocence
12. Tortoise – Seneca
13. Holden – Aujourd’hui même
14. of Montreal – Oslo in the Summertime
15. Stereolab – Percolator (faded out cos of start of concert)

*** Mice Parade concert ***

16. The Books – Be Good to Them Always
17. Tunng – Surprise Me 44
18. Hangedup – Klang Klang
19. Rogue Wave – Every Moment
20. Notwist – Pilot
21. Efterklang – Step Aside

*** Hostile take over by “Diep in de Groef” DJ’s ;) ***

http://www.demonoid.com/files/details/1333795/


1. Arto Lindsay & Marc Ribot - Children Of the Revolution
2. Rebecca Moore -Telegram Sam
3. Kramer - Get It On
4. Melvins - Buick MacKane
5. Medeski, Martin & Wood - Groove A Little
6. Lo Galluccio - Cosmic Dancer
7. Fantomas / Mike Patton - Chariot Choogle
8. Tall Dwarfs - Ride A White Swan
9. Chris Cochrane - Rip-Off
10. Gary Lucas - Deboraarobed
11. Eszter Balint - Mambo Sun
12. Vernon Reid - Jeepster
13. Danny Cohen - Lunacy's Back
14. Oren Bloedow - Life's A Gas
15. Sean Lennon & Yuka Honda - Would I Be The One
16. Cake - Like Love Charm
17. Trey Spruance - Scenescof
18. Buckethead - 20th Century Boy
19. Lloyd Cole - Romany Soup

"Give me a C-Major chord and I'll give you a thousand melodies." - Marc Bolan

Highlighting music by some of the greatest Jewish composer in the past several decades, The Great Jewish Music series has paid tribute to first Burt Bacharach, Serge Gainsbourg and now British glam-rock pioneer Marc Bolan. Named as a primary influence by seminal punk rockers like the Ramones and Johnny Rotten, Marc Bolan and his group T. Rex forged a new music in the early 70's, confounding audiences and critics alike with his mercurial style changes and experimentations. Rejecting the complex time signatures and advanced harmonies in fashion at the time, Bolan went back to the basics, bringing a primitive raunchy edge to his colorful cast of fantasy characters. This compilation features a spectacular lineup of some of the most adventurous and creative rockers around, and is sure to be one of the most popular CD presented on the Tzadik label to date.

Listen to: Surviving Memory while you read this. :-)

--------

Born in Reykjavik, Iceland 1966, Skúli Sverrisson studied bass and composition with Jón Sigurðsson and made his first recording with his group Pax Vobis in 1984. He later appeared on over 30 recordings with various Icelandic artists.

In 1987 Sverrisson attended Berklee College of Music in Boston where he received his B.M. degree. During that time he quickly became a first-call bassist in the music scene performing with several notable artists such as Bob Moses, Danilo Perez, Wolfgang Muthspiel and Mino Cinelu and started his ongoing collaboration with multi-instrumentalist Carsten Tiedemann.

In 1989, he Formed Mo Boma with Carsten Tiedemann, a group that later included Jamshied Sharifi. Mo Boma have recorded four albums for Extreme, "Jijimuge" and the acclaimed trilogy, "Myths of the Near Future - Part One, Myths Of The Near Future: Part Two, Myths Of The Near Future Part Three".

In 1989 he also joined Sony recording artists Full Circle and recorded with them the critically acclaimed album "Secret Stories", voted best jazz album at the Boston Music Awards. Sverrisson toured with them in both Europe and U.S.A.

Through his interest in the music, film and writers of the avant garde, he became aware of the importance of improvisation as means of creating new music. Working with composer/trumpeter Leo Smith also inspired new ideas in improvisation. Sverrisson has improvised with Derek Bailey, Peter Brotzmann, Tim Berne, John Lurie, Nana Vasconselos and numerous other notable musicians.

Sverrisson joined The Allan Holdsworth Band in 1991 and toured the world with the group. He performed on the 1994 recording, "Hard Hat Area". He has also collaborated with Arto Lindsay, Towa Tei, Blonde Redhead and Peter Scherer.

Although working in many different genres his principal focus is tape compositions. Sverrisson describes the process as taking audio snapshots of the interior architecture of sound. In his solo work, his interest in electronics and extended techniques of his instrument meet.

Sverrisson is currently reconstructing improvisations with Anthony Burr and Chris Speed and performing with Pachora, Erik Friedlander and Gregg Bendian.

Current and upcoming releases include:


Seremonie

Pachora

Pachora - Knitting Factory Works

Chris Speed - songlines

Gemini (with Theo Bleckmann and Ben Monder) - Songlines.

Reposted from: http://www.xtr.com/artists/skuli_sverrisson.php

I realised that what isn't easy to spot in these last.fm charts is if I really like a band or if I'm just listening to an album I've had recommended and seeing if I like it. So, I thought I'd set up my sidebar to give people an idea what was what. And then I figured "What the hell?" and decided to post a snapshot here. Maybe in a few months I'll post another snapshot. By then it should be obvious if I really liked a band, just one song by them or if I gave up on them entirely :)

Songs I am overplaying now
Somebody Told Me
don't blame you
Cherry Blossom Girl
Mess
Wired for Sound
Blue Eyes
Ticket to the Moon
Rosa Decidua
Time After Time
New Born
Dragostea din tei
O Superman
New Slang
Crucify
Slow Way to Go Down
Lips Like Oranges

Artists I am checking out
Coil
Chroma Key
Boards of Canada
B(if)tek
A Perfect Circle
The Polyphonic Spree
UNKLE
OK Go
Sarah Blasko
Sigur Rós
Darren Hanlon
Sirocco
Architecture in Helsinki
Radio Spectacular!!!
Ani DiFranco
The Arcade Fire
Arto Lindsay
Infected Mushroom
Aimee Mann
Jewel
Nightwish
The Paradise Motel
Wicked Tinkers
Lisa Gerrard
Kaiser Chiefs

Artists I just got more by
The Eels
Belle & Sebastian
Tom Waits
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
Peter Gabriel

Artists I want to check out
Bloc Party
The Killers
Franz Ferdinand
Modest Mouse
Death Cab for Cutie
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Elliott Smith
Yoko Ono
Goldfrapp
School Of Two
Kaki King
Damien Rice
Sufjan Stevens
La Bottine Souriante
Wicked Aura Batacuda
Scrap Arts Music
Beth Orton
Rufus Wainwright
Sarah Slean
Wilco
Xiu Xiu

Artists I need more CDs by
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
Boards of Canada
Peter Gabriel
The Shins
Thievery Corporation
The Art of Noise