Blog

Los artistas que más escucho, en 50 preguntas!

1. Cómo conociste al 29? John Williams.
Me encanta el cine, y las bandas sonoras! Era inevitable no conocerlo así!

2. Cuál fue la primera canción que escuchaste del 22? Queens of the Stone Age
Creo que fue "No One Knows". La encontré rarísima, pero me cautivó por la simpatía xD

3. Cuál es tu letra favorita del 33? Portishead
Difícil... No conozco mucho sus letras. Pero me encanta "Roads".

4. Cuál es tu álbum favorito del 46? Stone Sour
Mmm... Creo que el "Come What(ever) May".

5. Cuántos álbumes tienes del 13? Creed
Físicamente, ninguno (de nadie xD), pero en el PC: TODOS (4 oficiales, y 1 de rarezas).

6. Cuál es tu canción favorita del 50? Silvio Rodríguez
Mmm.... "Sueño con Serpientes"... Antes era "Mariposa", pero ahora me da pena escucharla.

7. Hay alguna canción del 39 que te ponga triste? Blackfield
TODAS, de eso se trata el grupo, jaja.

8. Cuál es tu álbum favorito del 15? Oasis
No me atrevo a jugarmela por ninguno... Quizás "(What's The Story) Morning Glory".

9. Cuál es tu canción favorita del 4? Pink Floyd
UUU! Difícil, tiene tantas! Podría ser "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" o "Time" o "Wish You Were Here" o "Comfortably Numb". NO SÉ!

10. Hay alguna canción del 6 que te haga feliz? Archive
Creo que "Chaos" y puede ser "Nightmare Is Over" también.

11. Cuál es tu álbum favorito del 40? Disturbed
"The Sickness"

12. Cuál es tu canción favorita del 10? Shinedown
Aunque es un cover, "Simple Man".

13. Algun buen recuerdo que involucre al 30? Submersed
Es un gusto reciente... pero "Flicker" fue el tema que me inspiró en una historia que escribí.

14. Cuál es tu canción favorita del 38? La Ley
Mmm... "Fuera De Mi" o "Mi Ley" o "Intenta Amar".

15. Hay alguna canción del 19 que te haga feliz? Linkin Park
Puede ser "The Little Things Give You Away" o "Shadow Of The Day", aunque no mucho.

16. Cuántas veces has visto en vivo al 25? Michiru Oshima
Ninguna, y dudo que alguna vez en mi vida lo haga xD

17. Cuál fue la primera canción que escuchaste del 23? The Mars Volta.
Fue "Inertiatic ESP".

18. Cuál es tu álbum favorito del 11? Massive Attack
Es "Mezzanine", aunque nunca me he dedicado a escucharlos todos con atención.

19. Quién es tu miembro favorito del 1? Porcupine Tree
Supongo que Steven Wilson, genio y figura.

20. Alguna vez has visto al 14 en vivo? Seether
Nop, quizás algún día.

21. Tienes algún buen recuerdo que involucre al 27? The White Stripes
Sólo caminar por las calles, alegre, escuchando algunas de sus canciones.

22. Cuál es tu canción favorita del 16? Radiohead
Difícil! Me gusta "Pyramid Song", aunque varias más también!

23. Cuál fue la primera canción que escuchaste del 49? Danny Elfman
El tema central de "Batman", claramente!

24. Cuál es tu álbum favorito del 18? Silverchair
Estoy entre "Freak Show" y "Diorama".

25. Cuál es tu canción favorita del 21? Muse
"Knights Of Cydonia" y "Take A Bow" se pelean el primer lugar!

26. Cuál es la canción que no te gusta del 26? Metallica
Cualquiera del "St. Anger", excepto "Some Kind Of Monster".

27. Cuál es tu álbum favorito del 3? Coldplay
Claramente el "A Rush Of Blood To The Head".

28. Cuál es tu canción favorita del 2? The Beatles
"Eleanor Rigby" o "Blackbird".

29. Cuál fue la primera canción que escuchaste del 32? 3 Doors Down
Fue la más popular, "Here Without You"

30. Cuál es tu canción favorita del 8? No-Man
Creo que "Taste My Dream", aunque podría ser otra.

31. Cuántas veces has visto en vivo al 17? Staind
No.

32. Hay alguna canción del 44 que te haga feliz? Nine Inch Nails
"We're In This Together" no es que me haga feliz, pero me llena de energía avernal xD

33. Cuál es tu álbum favorito del 12? Audioslave
El primero, "Audioslave" la lleva totalmente.

34.Cuál es la peor canción del 45? Kashmir
"Ruby Over Diamonds".

35. Cuál es tu álbum favorito del 34? Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howard
Jeje, no tienen muchos, pero me encanta el OST de "The Dark Knight".

36. Qué no te gusta del 48? Tyler Bates
Eeh... Que sus obras no son muy complejas, quizás porque privilegia la efectividad.

37. Cuántas veces has visto al 42 en vivo? Craig Armstrong
¿Siquiera actúa en vivo?

38. Cuál es tu canción favorita del 36? Days of the New
Debo reconocer que me encanta el cover de "The End". También me gusta "Weapon & The Wound" y "Hang On To This".

39. Cuál fue la primera canción que escuchaste del 28? Gorillaz
"Clint Eastwood".

40. Cuál es tu álbum favorito del 7? Lifehouse
El homónimo, "Lifehouse", es el mejor.

41. Hay alguna canción del 41 que te haga feliz? Red Hot Chili Peppers
Si, "Universally Speaking" (y otras de ese disco), y puede que "Around The World".

42. Cuál es tu álbum favorito del 31? Tool
"AEnima", aunque son todos buenos.

43. Cuál es tu canción favorita del 24? Velvet Revolver
"Slither".

44. Tienes algún buen recuerdo que involucre al 47? Howard Shore
Obvio! Las películas del "Señor de los Anillos". ¡Qué mejor!

45. Cuál es tu canción favorita del 35? Puddle of Mudd
"Blurry".

46. Hay alguna canción del 9 que te haga feliz? Sigur Rós
Varias! "Hoppipolla", "Agaetis Birjun", "Gobbledigook", "Olsen Olsen", etc etc.

47. Cuál es tu álbum favorito del 5? Alter Bridge
"One Day Remains" la lleva totalmente, uno de mis favoritos de la vida.

48. Quién es tu miembro favorito del 37? John Ottman
Eeeeh....... xD

49. Cuál fue la primera canción que escuchaste del 43? Los Bunkers
"Canción Para Mañana".

50. Cuántos álbumes tienes del 20? Alice in Chains
Físicamente, ninguno. En digital, todos!


Eso. Respondan uds también!
xD
=)

Take your current Top 10 artists and list the first song you heard, the one that made you fall in love and your current favourite.

1. Massive Attack
First song I heard: Teardrop
Fell in love with: Risingson
Current favourite: Risingson

2. Thievery Corporation
First song I heard: Resolution
Fell in love with: Amerimacka
Current favourite: The State of the Union (Rewound by Thievery Corporation)

3. Morcheeba
First song I heard: Rome Wasn't Built in a Day
Fell in love with: Small Town
Current favourite: Small Town

4. Cocteau Twins
First song I heard: Ivo
Fell in love with: Serpentskirt
Current favourite: Serpentskirt

5. Tricky
First song I heard: How high
Fell in love with: Aftermath
Current favourite: Bacative

6. Lovage
First song I heard: Stroker Ace
Fell in love with: Stroker Ace
Current favourite: Ladies Love Chest Rockwell

7. Gelka
First song I heard: So Many Ways
Fell in love with: So Many Ways
Current favourite: So Many Ways

8. Portishead
First song I heard: Strangers
Fell in love with: Machine Gun
Current favourite: Cowboys

9. Björk
First song I heard: Pagan Poetry
Fell in love with: Army Of Me
Current favourite: Play Dead

10. Craig Armstrong
First song I heard: This Love
Fell in love with: This Love
Current favourite: Gentle Piece

Favourite bands:
1. David Bowie (I'm going to include artists as well)
2. They Might Be Giants
3. Craig Armstrong
4. Vanessa-Mae
5. VAST
6. Hans Zimmer
7. Era (their older stuff)
8. Adiemus (ditto)
9. Elton John
10. The Blue Nile

Favourite albums:
1. 1. Outside
2. Scary Monsters... and Super Creeps
3. Era
4. Visual Auditory Sensory Theater
5. Songs of Sanctuary
6. Kalifornia
7. Batman Begins
8. Flood
9. Cantata Mundi
10. Edea

Greatest single ever made:
I'm not too familiar with singles. I'm just going to go with greatest song, which would be Craig Armstrong's version of Let's Go Out Tonight.

Favourite boxed set:
I don't really do box sets.

Favourite Greatest Hits:
David Bowie - The Platinum Collection

First CD bought:
God, I used to remember this. Probably some Disney soundtrack or other. No wait, I think it might have been the Space Jam soundtrack. (Yeah, I know.)

First Concert:
Elton John's tour of Finland in 1996/1997 (somewhere around that time). First and ONLY concert I've ever been to.

Favourite Concert:
See above.

Concert You Wish You'd Seen:
David Bowie's "A Reality Tour". Why must I always discover awesome things so late?

Best Use of Music In Film:
Oh, don't get me started. Are we including film scores as well? I'm going to say "no" because otherwise I'd be here all day listing my favorite soundtracks.
So, best non-score use of film music: the Moulin Rouge soundtracks, Quentin Tarantino movies. The Royal Tenenbaums also used music to a great advantage as I recall.

Best Use of Music In TV series:
Again, non-score....
Six Feet Under, House M.D.

Favourite music books:
Haven't read any.

Favourite Songwriters:
David Bowie, Craig Armstrong, Marja Mattlar, Eric Idle, Sting.

Favourite album covers:
Disney - Rhythm of the Pride Lands
Era - Era
Adiemus - Songs of Sanctuary
....Those are pretty much all I can think of. I'm not too picky when it comes to album covers.

Least fav album covers to albums you like/love/don't mind
TMBG - Flood
David Bowie - Let's Dance
Ultra Bra - Kalifornia (I've had this one for so long that I don't mind the cover, but if I didn't know the band at all and saw this on the record shelves, I don't think I'd buy it now).

Favourite Music DVDs:
I'm not big on music DVDs. David Bowie's "A Reality Tour" is good, and some of Robbie Williams's live concerts.

Artist You Will Always Believe In:
David Bowie. The man has done so many different styles and where or not I happen to like the music style, I always seem to find some of the high quality I've come to expect from him even on his lesser albums.

Artist You Will Always Defend:
Not that many that need defending, I think. Some of the artists on my list I know I technically "shouldn't" like and I can tell why some of them might'n't be placed very high artistically. In other words, I can tell the weaknesses in their music, but that doesn't stop me from loving it anyway. Hence I don't feel the need to defend them, in a way that tries to deny those weaknesses as if they didn't exist.

Albums You Will Always Defend:
Albums, now, that's a different matter. Whether or not an artist is considered crap by someone else, I don't really care, but even lesser artists can sometimes create masterpieces.
Era - Some people say Era's first album is nothing but a pale imitation of the likes of Enigma. There are similarities between Era and Enigma, but less than some people would have you think. This album has its own style and atmosphere, different from anything I've heard by Enigma or other new age-y groups.
1. Outside - Too many people cling to the idea that Bowie's best days ended after the glam rock era and too quickly dismiss any of his newer albums. When this album was made, Bowie was already nearing an age when it would be easy for any artist to start repeating themselves or seeking inspiration from their glory days. Not Bowie. He kept expanding his musical repertoire and surprising people with his versatility. I happen to think "Outside" is one of his absolute best. It's raw, experimental, atmospheric and still packs enough catchy and memorable tunes to make it memorable.

Singers Who Can Make Your Skin Crawl:
In a good way or bad way? In a bad way, I guess Krezip. I can't stand a single song I've heard from them.

Artists I'm Supposed to like, but don't.
Evanescence
Linkin Park
Enya

Note that I have songs from all of the above in my library. I don't hate them, I just mostly think they're overrated.

Song You Can't Stand by an Artist You Like:
Era - Kilimandjaro

Artist Who Broke Your Heart:
Era made one fantastic first album. The second one was okay, third one so-so, then the fourth one was absolutely terrible. The same could be said of Adiemus, although on a less radical scale.

Band That Should Break Up:
Don't know. The Rolling Stones keep on going year after year even though most of their fans seem to have moved on, but apparently they still enjoy it enough to keep on doing it and they must still sell enough tickets, so whatever rocks their boat, y'know?

Bands That Should Get Back Together:
Edea
Uhm....can't think of more. I don't keep up with bands enough to know which ones have disbanded.:P

Guilty Pleasure:
Canto Finlandia
Gregorian
Rednex
Céline Dion
Plus lots and lots of random songs from assorted artists. It's been rumored I have some Backstreet Boys and Hanson songs on my list and I actually love them. Of course, I couldn't possibly comment. >_>

This is a first in a regular update of Top 7 tracks that have formed part of my set lists at the Big Chill House residency in London at some stage. Some old, some new, some classics and some less known tracks to relax to. A series entitled downtempo heaven

Please let me know your thoughts, and of course special requests are welcome.

This one is themed around 'Strings'

Artist: Culprit 1
Track: Strings Outro

Artist: Glideascope
Track: Going All The Way (Director's Cut)

Artist: Massive Attack
Track: Unfinished Sympathy

Artist: Sébastien Tellier
Track: La Ritournelle

Artist: Craig Armstrong
Track: Rise

Artist: I Musici
Track: Adagio for Strings and Organ in G Minor

Artist: John Murphy
Track: Frank's Death (Requiem in D Minor)

Peace from London, UK.
-LoveDownTempo

Sunflower (If you didnt already guess from the title,) currently unsigned band from Leicester in the UK, so If you're a fan of quite laid back rock with a jazzy touch and catchy melodies, or imagine that'd be your cup of tea (English cliches ftw) then check them out at the below links. The vocals might take some getting used to, but once you do they work well and the band plays some tightly performed and well written tunes, evoking some nice atmosphere but with a good pop sensibility.

http://www.myspace.com/thesunflowerpage
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sunflower/22138560181
http://www.last.fm/music/Sunflower


You can now find full track plays of 5 of their songs on an album of recordings from their first session a few months ago here:
http://www.last.fm/music/Sunflower/Sunflower+Demo
Sunflower Demo

And also 2 tracks they recorded for a local radio station, Demon FM.
http://www.last.fm/music/Sunflower/Live+at+Demon+FM
Live at Demon FM

There are other artists called Sunflower on that page, but only those recordings so far are the Leicester area group.

P.s. Not my band.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

King CrimsonPink FloydFrank ZappaThe BeatlesBéla BartókLudwig van BeethovenEnnio MorriconeFrédéric ChopinIron MaidenThe WhoCamelGenesisThe Magnetic FieldsClaude DebussyBob DylanRushKate BushThe KinksPyotr Ilyich TchaikovskyToolWeenIgor StravinskyPorcupine TreeIn FlamesMiles DavisNobuo UematsuMachinae SupremacyYesMegadethSonic YouthLed ZeppelinLeonard CohenJohn WilliamsMetallicaWolfgang Amadeus MozartTom WaitsThe Mars VoltaTalking HeadsJohann Sebastian BachNine Inch NailsHöyry-KoneDream TheaterFats WallerJethro TullRadioheadCharles MingusThe ResidentsPeter GabrielQueenBarclay James HarvestAphex TwinOpethThis HeatSoilworkCardiacsApocalypticaBlurBernard HermannAnathemaJohn ColtraneSecret Chiefs 3SparksDJ ShadowKayo DotThe Flaming LipsThe Moody BluesScott WalkerThe GatheringDark TranquillityMagmaVan der Graaf GeneratorHenry CowKansasNightwishThe Beastie BoysSteely DanQueens of the Stone AgeMuseArenaAmon AmarthRed Hot Chilli PeppersSigur RósBrian EnoGentle GiantMy Bloody ValentineThe SeatbeltsBjörkPaul WellerDjango ReinhardtNeil YoungRamonesAlexander BrandonTori AmosJimi HendrixThe Jimi Hendrix ExperienceBlack SabbathSergei ProkofievJoni MitchellOzric TentaclesDepeche ModeCalifornia Guitar TrioStrawbsJóhann JóhannssonCurrent 93Death in JuneThe FallCelestial Aeon ProjectDisturbedMeshuggahSwansColdplayEaglesDeathThe Rolling StonesFairport ConventionWithin TemptationJohn ZornThe Velvet UndergroundFoo FightersDeep Purplemaudlin of the WellSilverchairThe ClashUlverToshio MasudaYellowcardSlayerSlapp HappyFelix MendelssohnAnimal CollectiveDavid BowieCaptain Beefheart & His Magic BandThe White StripesPsychotic WaltzJeremy SouleNat King ColeBeckThe CurePoets of the FallThe Beach BoysThe AnimalsWishbone AshCarcassMaurice RavelAt the GatesMahavishnu OrchestraGoldfrappSoft MachineAnekdotenJurassic 5Breaking BenjaminThe Jesus and Mary ChaindredgCharlie ParkerArt BearsAC/DCMogwaiSantanaCreedence Clearwater RevivalKillswitch EngageThe PixiesThe HivesThe ByrdsKreatorSiaTom Petty and the HeartbreakersJoy DivisionJohnny CashA Perfect CircleJT BruceGeorge GershwinLacuna CoilLee MorganAaron CoplandCanBTMarillionChildren of BodomHerbie HancockPendragonSun RaNiccolò PaganiniRage Against the MachineGiles, Giles & FrippEdge of SanityMotörheadMastodonJudas PriestJohn LennonArcturusMoonsorrowTherionDeftonesSpock's BeardOceansizeMr. BungleAdrian BelewFranz Joseph HaydnBauhausAkira YamaokaAtheistT. RexInon ZurEnsiferumFantômasTony LevinSymphony XThe Birthday MassacreEmerson, Lake & PalmerUriah HeepThe B-52sEdvard GriegReturn to ForeverThe MonkeesTristaniaTalk TalkAtomic RoosterSum 41KoenjihyakkeiYoshihisa Hirano and Hideki TaniuchiCraig ArmstrongDead Can DanceBruce DickinsonGongRiversideKid KoalaThe StoogesRichard WrightNirvanaNo-ManDeath in VegasCourtney PineMichael GiacchinoSpinal TapRoger WatersTom PettyPhishAntonio VivaldiSyd BarrettSupertrampAgallochBanco del Mutuo SoccorsoEdgard VarèseBloodbathTraveling WilburysStevie WonderRobert Fripp String QuartetDevil DollPremiata Forneria MarconiPheonixArctic MonkeysHypocrisyNeu!MewGojiraHatfield and the NorthMelvinsBob Dylan and The BandBooker T. & The MG'sYann TiersenCaravanFaith No MoreAmy WinehouseDixie DregsOasisElbowDire StraitsMorbid AngelPanteraKatatoniaNapalm DeathNeutral Milk HotelSonata ArcticaThe SmithsBlackfieldSkinny PuppySleepytime Gorilla MuseumAsobi SeksuSonic MayhemHawkwindHawkwindJunkie XLFatboy SlimChevelleAmon Düül IIAreaPortisheadChuck BerryGolden EarringBéla Fleck and the FlecktonesPublic EnemyCeltic FrostEloyBatteloreArcade FireThe JamGiacomo PucciniNick DrakeSamla Mammas MannaJan Dukes de GreyInfected MushroomJavier NavarreteFeederDavid GilmourCamille Saint-SaënsMassive AttackWireBrufordBill BrufordAlamaailman VasaratEmilie AutumnProtest the HeroJohn CageElla Fitzgerald65daysofstaticJames BrownRoxy MusicABBAMudvayneThe Red KrayolaBetween the Buried and MeSteppenwolfRuinsOrnette ColemanGrateful DeadProcol HarumFreeDoctor NerveJohannes BrahmsRasputinaSteve Morse BandKraftwerkJoel NielsenJason BeckerUnivers ZeroTotoProjeKct TwoThe RootsEnyaHans ZimmerThe Dave Brubeck QuartetEminemBlind GuardianBrian WilsonEarthworksBill Bruford's EarthworksRick AstleyLe OrmeBlotted ScienceCelldwellerRenaissanceSteve HackettRJD2Henry ManciniMission of BurmaNeil Young & Crazy HorseCryptopsyThe ShadowsMercyful FateThe TangentCynicBrand XRobert FrippGorillazArvo PärtKosheenProjeKct ThreeProjeKct XTan DunBlondieRich RagsdaleSteven WilsonBlack FlagRainbowKonishi Kayo & Kondoo YukioDerek and the DominosFocusPeter HamillGiuseppe VerdiFripp & EnoThe Small FacesKevin GilbertBob MarleyBob Marley & The WailersPeter FramptonThe Chemical BrothersNorah JonesThe Hat ShoesModest Petrovich MussorgskyThe Allman Brothers BandFinchUKEquilibriumThe Smashing PumpkinsQueensrÿcheHot ChipMostly AutumnMy Chemical RomanceMisfitsAt the Drive-InPain of SalvationAndy Summers & Robert FrippAshSergei RachmaninoffThe ZombiesEl-PLoretta LynnRobert SchumannDiablo Swing OrchestraRobert Plant & Alison KraussBirdsongs of the MesozoicRichard WagnerLynyrd SkynyrdTelevisionRick WakemanAntonín DvořákClint MansellArch EnemyPowerman 5000The KillersGuns N' RosesKaiser ChiefsGarry SchymanKelly BaileyAndy McKeeThe UsedCoilJeff WayneGustav MahlerParadise LostIl Bacio Della MedusaSex PistolsFranz SchubertDidoRammsteinJohann Strauss IICut ChemistAnthraxGeorg Friedrich HändelVan HalenPresentThe ProdigyJoaquín RodrigoGåteNevermoreKarlheinz StockhausenHubnester IndustriesEvanescenceGustav HolstDioPavlov's DogTerreno BaldioBacamartePochakaite MalkoThom YorkeLaurie AndersonIggy PopExtra LifeJuno ReactorAsiaFunkadelicLiquid Tension ExperimentWeather ReportSonny RollinsNina SimoneArt Blakley's Jazz messengersBilly HolidayJaco PastoriusDuke EllingtonRoy AyersBen WebsterGlenn Miller and His OrchestraKeith JarrettLouis ArmstrongRoland Kirk

65daysofstatic / Adam F / Africa Combo / Amel Mathlouthi / Angélique Kidjo / Anis / Anoushka Shankar / Aphex Twin / Archie Shepp / Aristide & Jean Zégarés / Aronas / Asian Dub Foundation / Assassin / Atmosphere / Au Revoir Simone / Autechre / Autorun / Balkan Beat Box / Bang Gang / Barbirooza / Beat Assailant / Beat Torrent / Ben Harper / Birdy Nam Nam (x2) / Björk / Black Sifichi / Brad Mehldau / Brain Damage (x2) / Breakestra / Brother Ali / Bumcello (x2) / Busta Rhymes / Busy P / Caravan Palace (x2) / Christophe / Clark / Clipse / Colleen / Craig Armstrong / Crazy B / D'Julz / D.Kay / DAAU / Dabaaz / Dave Clarke / David Neerman / Dee Nasty / Defiance, Ohio / Digital Soap (x2) / Dionysos / Dizzee Rascal / DJ Cam / DJ Fresh (x2) / DJ Krush (x2) / DJ Need (x2) / DJ Pone / DJ QBert / Dominik Eulberg / Dub Pistols / Dub Trio / Dubians (x3) / Electro Deluxe / Elisa do Brasil (x2) / Emilie Simon / Enfants 2la Basse / Erik Truffaz (x4) / Etikal Lab / EZ3kiel (x4) / Faraï / Foreign Beggars / Fumuj / Grails / Hecker / High Tone / Hint / Ill Bill / Improvisators Dub (x2) / Interlope (x2) / Iration Steppas / Iswhat?! / IZIA / Jack de Marseille / Jaga Jazzist / Jeff Mills / Johannes Heil (x2) / John Thomas / Joris Voorn / Justice / Green Velvet / Groundation / Heiko Laux / Herbie Hancock / Hexstatic / Hint / K2R Riddim (x3) / Kaly Live Dub / ケンイシイ (aka Ken Ishii) / Keziah Jones (x2) / King of Conspiracy / Kling Klang / La Spirale / Lansiné Kouyaté / Laurent Garnier / Lee Konitz / Leila (x2) / Les Brin'Chieux (x3) / Les Gourmets (x2) / Les Louise Mitchels / Lisa Gerrard / Lo Còr de la Plana / Maceo Parker / Madeline / Man Man / Manu le Malin / Martina Topley-Bird / Matmos / Meï Teï Shô / Method Man / Micropoint / Ministère des Affaires Populaires / MiSSiLL / Mix Master Mike (x2) / Molecule / Monsieur Orange / Narrow Terence / Nathalie Natiembe / N*E*R*D / Nosfell / Nouvel R / Orange Blossom / Paul Kalkbrenner / Pat Metheny / Plaid / Portishead / Public Enemy / Radiohead / Rage Against the Machine / Redman / Renata Rosa / Revo / Ricardo Villalobos / RJD2 / Roi Heenok / Roken Is Dodelijk / Rona Hartner / Roni Size / Roots Manuva / Rubin Steiner / S.Mos Sextet / Saez (gratuit bien sûr) / Sascha Funke / Sayag Jazz Machine (x2) / Sebastian Sturm / Simon Bassline Smith / Sing For Freedom / Slaine / Son Of Dave / Souad Massi / Speed Caravan / Spook & The Guay / Squarepusher / Suprême NTM / Svinkels (x4) / Taiwan MC / Tender Forever / The Black Seeds / The Chemical Brothers / The Herbaliser (x2) / The James Taylor Quartet / The Offbeat Generator / The Roots / The Skatalites (x2) / Thomas Dutronc / Tiken Jah Fakoly / Titi Robin / Toots and The Maytals / Underworld (x2) / uht° (x2) / Wax Tailor / Wu-Tang Clan / Yaron Herman / Year of No Light / Yuksek

And all of a sudden, December is upon us. Time to make that Best of 2008 list, huh? Well, I'll be spending the next couple of weeks catching up to the albums that I may have accidentally missed during the year, so as to make sure and include everyone in my list that deserves for making this year one of the best ones in music. Meanwhile, here's another installment of Rotations, with some interviews linked back to Headphone Commute. Among the genres covered below, I've got folktronica and laptop americana from Silent Land Time Machine; excellent experimental neofolk from Paavoharju; abstract rhythmic noise from Wurlitztraction; cut-up glitch and IDM from Gescom; floating space music from Benn Jordan; psybient and dark beats from Integral; beautiful piano playing by Goldmund; majestic modern classical from Library Tapes; future jazz from Juxta Phona & Offthesky; ambient downtempo from The Remote Viewer; instrumental hip-hop and turntablism from 40 Winks; experimental modern classical masterpiece from Fennesz and Sakamoto; as well as a compilation of upcoming treats from Neo Ouija and a flashback of early dark ambient from Future Sound of London. Whew! This should be a pretty sonic treat for you. As usual, I would appreciate a comment or two, and would love it if you could Subscribe to RSS Feed. See you in a few weeks!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Silent Land Time Machine - &hope still (Time-Lag / Indian Queen)

At times mysterious, at times complex, but always relaxing, even during its climaxing moments, Silent Land Time Machine is an instrumental rock project that reminds me a lot of A Silver Mt Zion. Except that... Jon is just one man... But upon your first listen you wouldn't know it... Hailing out of Austin, Texas, Jon is a multi-instrumentalist, and is equally comfortable behind the guitar, piano, accordion, and a wide range of stringed instruments. His motivation to master the musical medium and inspirations are credited to Anni Rossi (recently signed to 4AD) and Sophie Trudeau (member of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and a co-founder of Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band), as well as much other output from Constellation and FatCat labels. Jon mangles instrumentals, DSP filtering, and field recordings which create a feeling of a small folksy community gathering, improvising over familiar melodies. The mood of &hope still, is less apocalyptic and political then the above mentioned influences, leaving a lot more room for imagination of the listener. Although some of the sounds appear to be looped, the patterns are not obsessively repetitive and are very organic. Jon takes great care in overdubbing layers and layers of live instrumentation to create his unique blend of post-americana-psyminimal-desktop-folktronica. Yes. I like that for a genre. The debut album has been released this past October, 2008, as a collaborative effort between Time-Lag Records and Jon's very own Indian Queen Records. Recommended if you like experimental pieces from M83, Mogwai, Benoît Pioulard, and Múm.

http://www.myspace.com/silentlandtimemachine | http://www.time-lagrecords.com
http://www.myspace.com/indianqueenrecords | http://www.indianqueenrecords.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Paavoharju - Laulu Laakson Kukista (Fonal)

I'll admit - it took me more than a few listens to get into Paavoharju. I almost dismissed the album completely, but my readers kept insisting that I give it another whirl. And here it is, Laulu Laakson Kukista, opening its intricate secrets after careful observation. The crackles, the noises, the lo-fi magnetic tape manipulations dispel, and the inner beauty of modern classical marriage to neo-folk emerges. So how do I begin describing something that is indescribable. An assembly of illusions scratching at deep rooted memories of childhood, a collection of conflicting elements settling into a unique pattern of a snowflake, a kaleidoscope of loose material patched together into a summer dress that is being hung up to dry in a sunlight by a humming villager. Between the digital artifacts and purely organic ambient hymns you find something... spiritual... revived through simplicity of a pure song. And after a few listens it is that song that draws you closer towards Paavoharju's mystical sound. Laulu Laakson Kukista is the second LP from a collective of Finnish born-again Christians (!) initially organized by brothers Lauri and Olli Ainala. Their first LP, titled, Yhä Hämärää, came out on the same label, Fonal Records, in 2005. The group is not a stranger to the scene, and since their debut, Paavoharju landed an EP on Miasmah as well as a 7" on Type Records. It's nearly impossible to draw a comparison between Paavoharju and any other artist, but if I was pressed, I'd perhaps point towards the abstract experimental and psych-folk work from Boards of Canada.

http://www.myspace.com/paavoharju | http://www.paavoharju.com
http://www.myspace.com/essami | http://www.fonal.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Wurlitztraction - The Star Lit Numbers On Her Fingers (Enough)

Like a buzzing concoction of plaster molded jigsaw, the sound of this abstract and experimental album descends on a creaky base board of musique concrète and gets nailed with percussive staples. The man behind this sound effect rich "soundtrack for late nights/early mornings" is Chris Reid, who goes by the name of Wurlitztraction. Reid compiled his collection of field recordings and unused studio manipulations from the soundtrack pieces he was producing for short films and animations, and wrapped this into an composition, The Star Lit Numbers On Her Fingers. It soon began taking a shape of its own, complemented with rich sound design, glitching electro-acoustic beats and a gentle push towards a darker sonic side of rhythmic noise and experimental electronica. It seems that the patterns never repeat, the melodies never blossom, and the haphazard ticks reappear here and there in a schizophrenic mania of a constantly twitching mass of a dying brain. And Reid doesn't stop there. Here comes in a bass guitar, acoustic drums, and industrial hits with an occasional vibraphone, trip-hop beat and a jittery feedback. Overall it's pretty difficult to pinpoint the style behind Reid's music [and that's a good thing], which is why I hold on to describing tiny mementos throughout the album. The Star Lit Numbers On Her Fingers is Reid's second release on Portuguese net-label, Enough Records, and is available for download for free from the site and scene dot org (catalog number enrmp138). Reid has also previously released an album titled, Lucidity Cue, on the same label.

http://www.myspace.com/wurlitztraction | http://www.enoughrecords.scene.org

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Gescom - ISS:SA (Skam)

So we'll never know who's behind Gestalt Communications (Gescom), so what? It's pretty obvious that Sean Booth and Rob Brown of Autechre have a hand at this. This 2003 EP only reveals the well respected label, Skam and its title, ISS:SA, and even the latter is slapped as a braille sticker. The release did however follow on the heels of Autechre's DRAFT 7.30 (released only a week later) so many fans pick up the glitchy destroyed patterns, doomed abstract chords, and unrecognized splattered percussion to be as an extension of the album. Unlike any other collective, Gescom continues to lead us into the dark alley of nightmarish pleasures. All the while you're protecting your valuables and trying to scratch your head and place that sound that you've heard before. C'mon brain! Reconstruct this puzzle into a four second jingle! There!!! No, gone again. Smack! The last track, titled Slow Acid is a favorite of mine. This needs to be turned up much louder to hear all the tiny little white noise melodies in the background, while the AE kick progresses forward in a steady beat, and the common acid-house chords are choked up beyond comprehension. Sub woofer required. The artwork contained in the sleeve of the record is a special bonus. Another testimony to why records can offer just a little bit MORE. The insert is a two sided glossy print featuring a digitally modified image of trumpet, or perhaps a polished motorcycle exhaust pipe, creating an astonishingly bizarre brass instrument, the likes of which could only belong to Booth and Brown. The CD version of the record has a bonus track, titled Megamix. This is a 15 minute Gescom concoction which was originally featured on BBC Radio One's show when they did a Skam Records label profile. Here, the metallic rhythms and bit-crushed patterns are continuously looped into tiny fragments. I can only speculate if all the pieces are from previous Gescom releases and if it was performed live by sliding the loop window over an area of some track(s). Only like Autechre.

http://www.myspace.com/skamsmak | http://www.skam.co.uk

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



VA - Diaspora: Cottage Industries 5 (Neo Ouija)

Neo Ouija is BACK! That's right kiddies. After closing its doors in 2005, the Devon (England) based label originally started by Lee Norris (Metamatics), has re-opened its doors, and is now managed by Martin Hirsch (aka Deer and Random Noise Productions). Propelling many electronic musicians to fame, Neo Ouija is responsible for much output from Geiom, Bauri, Accelera Deck, Kettel, Funckarma, Apparat, Xela, Secede and many others! With this first double disk compilation, Hirsch is introducing us to a brand new roster of musicians. Additional contributions towards the comp include a few notables like Move D, Maps & Diagrams, and Kangding Ray. As with many other collections showcasing the upcoming works, it is difficult to pinpoint a specific genre, especially across a large radius umbrella like Neo Ouija. This fifth installment of Cottage Industries series, titled Diaspora, traverses the styles across its thirty (30!) tracks. Starting off with an excellent IDM track by MXM (an artist I'm planning on watching closely from now on), the selection of tracks on the first disk progresses into tech house, dub techno, and deep house. The second disk is a favorite of mine, and features more experimental, glitchy downtempo and IDM. At number twelve, another favorite of mine, Seven Ark, returns with familiar twisted loops, melodic pads and few remains of bouncing marbles with a track titled Version 2. The compilation signs off with a short ambient interlude from Nacht Plank And Shintaro Aoki that wets my appetite for the things to come. I'm really happy that Neo Ouija is back and I congratulate Martin Hirsch on resurecting the label that will continue contributing towards evolution of sound.

http://www.myspace.com/neoouija | http://www.neoouija.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Benn Jordan - Pale Blue Dot (Alphabasic)

I guess the reason that I keep listening to Benn Jordan is the fact that he simply makes beautiful music. Period. In fact, I catch myself restraining from listening to Benn Jordan too much. His short, full of witty ideas tracks, produced under The Flashbulb moniker, have already conquered all of my last.fm charts. And the debut album under his real name is quickly gaining ground. Pale Blue Dot is Jordan's entry into building ambient soundscapes, released on his very own Chicago based label, Alphabasic. Composed as a tribute to an astronomer, Carl Sagan, Jordan explores the insignificance of our daily conflicts in comparison to our chance habitat on a tiny planet in the midst of an infinite space. From 6.4 billion kilometers away, Earth is nothing but a tiny pale blue dot. In his book, Sagan invites us to contemplate this miracle. "Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every 'superstar', every 'supreme leader', every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there - on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam." The tracks on Pale Blue Dot are titled around an interplanetary voyage. From Ascent, to Infinity Alone, Floating Vacuum, A Distant Earthrise, and finally Safe Landing, the pieces flow fluidly from one to another, capturing a story told without time. And Pale Blue Dot is more than a thematic album. It is an ambient journey through hypnotic sound, quietly drifting you away into space. The transformations are flawless, and many at times I seamlessly reach that sacred place of presence, by the middle of the album. If you are expecting Jordan's playful breaks and acid lines, turn away now. But if you are a patient, pondering listener, then you'll be repeating the album over and over, as I get to do now, for its fourth time this morning. A rewarding experience for a discerning ear. Recommended if you enjoy music from Evan Bartholomew, Biosphere, Christopher Bissonnette, Hammock, Eluvium, Manual and The World on Higher Downs.

Two and a Half Questions with Benn Jordan

http://www.myspace.com/bennjordan | http://www.theflashbulb.net
http://www.myspace.com/alphabasicrecords | http://www.alphabasic.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



The Future Sound Of London - Dead Cities (Virgin)

This is obviously an amazing record to start off my Random Vinyl of the Week adventure, as I dig through my dusty archives. Released in 1996, Dead Cities was Garry Cobain and Brian Dougans' fourth full length album as The Future Sound of London. Dead Cities was that very last record and then there was a torturing silence for six years. Even when the duo returned in 2002 with The Isness, it was ... not the same... How can one describe the layered dark samples with memorable vocal lines that are implanted in my brain? "I have killed a man. A man who looked like me." The album is an absolute classic, and its complex ambient and cinematic fragments continue to offer new insight into the minds of FSOL. Dead Cities was not received with as much success as my absolute favorite, earlier 1994 release Lifeforms [the latter climbed to 6 position on the UK Album Charts, while Dead Cities got up to 22]. The music of Dead Cities features more sampled beats carefully blending in big-beat and bringing trip-hop into the mix. We Have Explosive (which also came out as a single) features several samples from Run DMC's album Tougher Than Leather. The rest of the sounds [all very dear and familiar to my mind at this point] all convey the atmosphere of urban decay. An album from the future that rusted in the past. Like a empty feeling after watching a rerun of Blade Runner [and the sample off Mary Hopkin's vocals from the movie's soundtrack], the eerie nostalgia of revisiting a dirty old friend crackles in the hindsight. Oh, and how's this for a shocker for you. On one of the tracks guess who's playing piano? I'll give you a hint. The title of the track is Max and the pianist's last name is Richter. In addition to restructured MIDI files, Max Richter has also contributed other recordings and "environments". The album cover (and the two inserts that house the double vinyl) feature 3D graphics and digitally processed photography by Buggy G. Riphead. This is one of the albums to hold in your hands and marvel at its grandiose and epic stand in time. Since 2007, FSOL has opened up their vault and released a collection of forgotten tracks from their library, titled From The Archives (it is now up to its 5th volume). I hope I have excited you enough to revisit Dead Cities through my first adventure of Random Vinyl of the Week. I know that I have worked myself up enough to seek out the limited box set release [complete with a booklet!!!], and am now waiting for it to arrive in the mail!

http://www.myspace.com/thefuturesoundoflondon | http://www.futuresoundoflondon.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Integral - Rise (Tympanik)

Another excellent surprise coming out of Tympanik. And that's twice in one year. First I was completely blown away by Subheim's Approach. And now another brand new group, Integral, hitting me hard out of nowhere with their debut, Rise. The duo behind Integral are Germany based David Rotter and Rafael Milatz. Their sound is dark, cinematic, and simply gorgeous IDM. It feels like these guys are going to be creating soundtracks for melancholic films of other-worldly voyages in no time. Hold on... Someone's knocking on my door. Oh... Never mind. That was in the track. Where was I? Ah, back on the spaceship. Alien insects are crawling upside down on a glass ceiling as we approach a sun rise of a distant galaxy. And when we land on the first favorable foreign planet, its beauty sings in soft sound waves after the electric storm. All the little sounds and patterns on Rise excite my neurons, as my brain races to keep track of all the psychedelic changes and the complicated unfolding layers of sound, even though the rhythm is of a slower downtempo nature. That happens to be my favorite stylistic aspect of this genre: slow spreading ambient melodic soundscapes on one layer and rapid micro precision programmed elementary auditory particles on the other. That is something my mind can never tire of, as there are numerous puzzles to be solved within this cryptic message. And when you're done, you can flip it upside down. Big thanks to Tympanik, once again, for bringing this music to our ears. Seems that the Chicago based label is tirelessly searching in all corners of this planet for the sounds emanating from another. Another great find. Beautiful artwork. Recommended for the likes of Hecq, Kattoo, Ginormous, Nebulo and Lusine Icl.

http://www.myspace.com/integral | http://www.integralmusic.de
http://www.myspace.com/tympanik | http://www.tympanikaudio.com


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Goldmund - The Malady Of Elegance (Type)

Keith Kenniff is back on Type Records with his second full length album under Goldmund alias, titled The Malady Of Elegance. A previous EP, Two Point Discrimination (Western Vinyl, 2007), hit the streets on the heels of Kenniff's much anticipated Helios release, Ayres (Type, 2007). Whether Kenniff flips between his more ambient and acoustic electronica works under Helios or modern and contemporary classical pieces under Goldmund, he seems to shine at everything he touches. Especially when it comes to piano keys. The Malady Of Elegance is very cozy, intimate and personal. It is, as if Keith was playing in your own living room and you had your ear against the sound board, picking up each stroke of a hammer, a creek of the pedal, and a soft brush of the finger tips. The melancholic lullabies gently sway the listener into a meditative state of contemplation. It is especially important to recognize how a simple single instrument, like piano, can capture enough emotion to be gently wrapped in an album. The story behind The Malady Of Elegance is a bit of a mystery. But the aged photograph on the cover, the track titles and the music itself, hint at a voyage into the past, suggesting "that the ghosts of old America [still] haunt the keys." And even if this cinematic fantasy creates a world a bit out of reach, it's still comforting to know, that on The Malady Of Elegance Keith Kenniff plays for you. Your own private performance. Incidentally... The album layout and design of The Malady Of Elegance was designed by Erik Skodvin, who is none other than Svarte Greiner and one half of Deaf Center. They must be friends ;). The cover photograph on the album, however, was taken by Linus Lohoff. Meanwhile... It seems that Mr. Kenniff has been a bit busy with yet another release on John Twells' (Xela) Type Records, this time under Helios moniker, titled Caesura. You can be sure I'll grab that one as well. Recommended for the likes of Hauschka, Sylvain Chauveau, Erik Satie, Peter Broderick and Max Richter.

Two and a Half Questions with Keith Kenniff

http://www.myspace.com/goldmundmusic | http://www.typerecords.com/goldmund
http://www.myspace.com/typerecordings | http://www.typerecords.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Library Tapes - A Summer Beneath the Trees (Make Mine Music)

All the recent sounds from Hauschka, Max Richter, Peter Broderick, and Eluvium literally guide me towards the latest album from David Wenngren, who is now the single member of Library Tapes (previously joined by Per Jardsell). Well, that's not actually true. On the latest album titled, A Summer Beneath the Trees, released on Make Mine Music (more on this great label later), Wenngren is joined by above mentioned Peter Broderick, who contributed a multitude of instrumentation: guitar, banjo, trumpet, accordion, viola, and others. [Broderick, by the way, I hear has moved to Copenhagen to join Efterklang. So among the many latest releases from this young man (Home being the latest on Type Records), and his collaboration with Library Tapes, I'm sure we'll be seeing his name pop up here and there for years to come]. On A Summer Beneath the Trees, the subtle melodies are woven in between Wenngren's soft piano and Broderick's singing violin, and upon numerous listens begin to implant themselves among the nostalgic memories. The music has a slight contemplative breeze to it - definitely not too happy, yet not too sad - mostly neutral in just being, as is the rest of our perceived reality. These sounds accompany the silhouettes moving in the office windows across the street, the rising white clouds from an industrial factory across the lake, and the slowly falling autumn leaves. Listening to the music gracefully moving my meager existence I am reminded once again that there is no such thing as bad weather. The weather just... is... A Summer Beneath the Trees is a great addition to Make Mine Music catalog, with already an excellent roster of artists like Yellow6, Epic45, July Skies, and Portal. Meanwhile, the latest from Wenngren was his 2008 release on his very own label, Auetic, under Forestflies alias, titled Structure/Chaos - so be sure to grab that as well. Another interesting release from Wenngren is his 2007 Litotes album on Symbolic Interaction, under yet another collaboration alias with Erica, Xeltrei. A Summer Beneath the Trees gets better and better with every single listen. Highly recommended if you like the above mentioned artists plus Goldmund, Deaf Center, Swod and Balmorhea.

Two and a Half Questions with Library Tapes

http://www.myspace.com/librarytapes | http://www.virb.com/librarytapes
http://www.myspace.com/makeminemusic | http://www.makeminemusic.co.uk

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Juxta Phona & Offthesky - !Escape Kit! (Somnia)

With its fifth limited release, Somnia is introducing Juxta Phona & Offthesky to the rest of the world. Starting off with some ambient and modern classical sounds, Somnia delivered a little surprise with their last release by Evan Marc and Steve Hillage. In Dreamtime Submersible the duo has married dub techno and hypnotic ambient sound into a critically acclaimed composition that speaks for itself - the 777 limited copies are completely sold out. With the signing of Juxta Phona and Offthesky onto the label, the dub journey continues, this time with a jazzy swing. On !Escape Kit! the artist experiments with dubbed out, hazy, and definitely groovy beats, lightly sprinkled with tiny glitches and IDM treatments, but nevertheless purely organic sound. Instruments like vibraphone, sax, and jazz guitar quickly find themselves in a surreal atmosphere surrounded by acoustic drums, synth bleeps, clocks and paper rips. As if the local jazz band from the 60s has been secretly miked during one of their nonchalant improvisational coffee house performances, with the cables running through the walls into upstairs laboratory, where Juxta Phona and Offthesky feed the signal into their vacuum tubes, magnetic tapes, and digital machines, to twist, to bend, and warp the time, the sound, and reality. Inconceivably somnific, somniferous, somnolent. Here I want to applaud the art of Ray Massini, who has been printing the recycled paper covers with soy ink for every Somnia release. The illustration depicts an urban city rising above the skies, overgrown with evergreens, all floating on a piece of earth uprooted from its core. I need to get out. I need to withdraw. I need to return to my essential center of being. Where is my escape kit? Pick up your copy of this limited release while it hasn't run out. Clearly, by this point, Somnia is a collectible label, where each release shines on its own. Highly recommended. You will absolutely love this if you enjoy Dictaphone, Swod, Julien Neto, and Porn Sword Tobacco.

Two and a Half Questions with Juxta Phona and offthesky

http://www.myspace.com/offthesky | http://www.offthesky.com
http://www.somniasound.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



The Remote Viewer - I Can’t Believe It’s Not Better (Mobeer)

Getting back to melodic electronica, I turn my attention to Andrew Johnson and Craig Tattersall, who go by the name of The Remote Viewer. Their previous releases include two albums on 555 Recordings and three LPs on one of my favorite labels, City Centre Offices. This time, the duo releases their latest album, I Can't Believe It's Not Better, on their very own label, Moteer, that has previously graced our eardrums with Clickits, The Boats, and Part Timer. Well... It's actually released on a sublabel of Moteer, called Mobeer, which [with a pun on a name] they claim to be Moteer's micro brewery. This has been an anticipated release, with the last output from The Remote Viewer being over three years ago. The sound of the album quickly brings back the memories. The clicky ambiance and looping pads are complimented by soft breathy vocals by Nicola Hodgkinson and Andrew Johnson himself. The atmosphere of subliminal sounds and fragile percussion is at one point cut through with folksy banjo strumming. Fragments of piano, broken toys, field recordings and other found sounds recreate an experience of unwrapping dusty memories from within an old suitcase. And here's a collector's dream come true: the copies are limited to only 375 worldwide and happen to be out of stock already on boomkat. The lucky ones received two 3" mini CDrs in a hand made brown envelope and a printed beer mat with a peculiar message : "i went and picked up my complimentary corporate wear today. it came in a big cardboard suitcase. when i got home i unpacked six identical shirts, two suit jackets and two ties. no trousers though. the woman i rang said that trousers were out of stock (as popular now as ever). this could provide everyone with a big problem on my first day. i did however get two belts. one to wear and the other presumably, to hang myself with." That perhaps shines some light on the state of mind behind the ten untitled tracks. Usually I'd compare other artists to The Remote Viewer. But for those just waking up to their sound, I place them in a cloud among Jacaszek, Jasper TX, Peter Broderick, Porn Sword Tobacco, and Machinefabriek.

http://www.myspace.com/theremoteviewer | http://www.mobeer.co.uk
http://www.myspace.com/moteer | http://www.moteer.co.uk

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



40 Winks - The Lucid Effect (Project: Mooncircle)

In the mood for some laid back beats and loungy vibes? Let 40 Winks groove you with their instrumental hip-hop rhythms mixed with blues, funk, and soul. The group (also spelled without a space as 40winks, and referring to English idiom for taking a nap for a short period of time) is comprised of two Antwerp based Belgian producers, Padmo and Weedy. With samples ranging from bossa nova beats, sax riffs, and dusty jazzy records, the duo scratches the surface of our minds with old-skool effects and vintage organic loops. 40 Winks previously released More Than Loops (Swamp, 2005) and Sound Puzzle (Merck, 2007), so it's no wonder that I picked them up again for The Lucid Effect, after the duo migrated to yet another home, this time to Project: Mooncircle. The latter is not exactly a surprise, since 40 Winks has already contributed a track to The Heart On The Right Spot compilation (Project: Mooncircle, 2007) where they were showcased among their contemporaries like Mr. Cooper, Lackluster, and Dday One [worth picking up this great collection]. Looks like after thirty releases, this German label will continue to output some quality electronic and instrumental hip-hop material (their latest is a release by CYNE - Starship Utopia). The Lucid Effect continues to explore the head-bopping experimental sounds that will no doubt appeal to fans of Flying Lotus, Blockhead, Daedelus, Sixtoo, Jel and Malcom Kipe. Super fun with that 70's feel, turntablism and all. I only wish that more places in the world played this kind of music in the background (like dentists and government agencies), to take the edge off that unnecessary stress we're so programmed to cope with. I would also love to see 40 Winks branch out to using arranged loops by live bands - even if they don't play any instruments themselves.

Two and a Half Questions with 40 Winks

http://www.myspace.com/40winks | http://www.40winksmusic.com
http://www.myspace.com/projectmooncircle | http://www.projectmooncircle.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Fennesz * Sakamoto - Cendre (Touch)

Here's a 2007 release that I've been meaning to cover in detail for a while. Touch Music was launched in 1982, initially releasing cassette magazines. Twenty five years later, Touch is at its peak, perfecting their output with carefully selected works by Christian Fennesz, Ryuuichi Sakamoto, Oren Ambarchi, Biosphere, Ryoji Ikeda, Philip Jeck, Chris Watson and Mika Vainio, amongst others. Since the 90s, Fennesz and Sakamoto have performed live, with Sala Santa Cecilia being their first collaborative EP (Touch, 2005), recorded live at Auditorium della Parco Musica for the Romaeuropa Festival. Two years later, the duo got together to compose their first full length LP, Cendre. In between these two releases, Fennesz recorded an album with Keith Rowe, Toshimaru Nakamura and Oren Ambarchi, under a collective moniker 4g, titled Cloud (Erstwhile, 2005). Meanwhile, prolific Sakamoto (recording since 1978) released a remix album, Bricolages (Warner Music Japan, 2006) with a collection of reworked tracks by an amazing roster of artists like Alva Noto, Taylor Deupree, Snd, Richard Devine, Slicker and even Craig Armstrong. Needless to say that I was pretty excited to hear what the couple come up with, with such an amazing web of connections and an array of experiences. And Cendre doesn't disappoint. Sakamoto is back at the piano, this time bathed in a warm lush of ambient bliss, as flooded by Fennesz. The reverberations of drone-like pads almost swallow the notes whole, occasionally letting them cut through the descending fog, and shoot up like a sparkling reflection of a dying star. Editors at Boomkat have said it best : "The fact that you're [...] reading this review assumes you're of a certain musical disposition, and if you are in any way interested in the more beautiful things in life, the sensitive yet experimental end of modern music - pay close attention as this album is just about as good as it gets." A modern classical marvel. The latest from Fennesz is Transition EP (Touch, 2008), while Sakamoto released a collaboration with Christopher Willits, titled Ocean Fire (12k, 2008).

Two and a Half Questions with Christian Fennesz

http://www.myspace.com/fennesz | http://www.fennesz.com
http://www.sitesakamoto.com | http://www.touchmusic.org.uk

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
last.fm artist and label cloud mentioned in the above post:
40 Winks, 40winks, A Silver Mt Zion, Accelera Deck, Alva Noto, Anni Rossi, Apparat, Autechre, Balmorhea, Bauri, Benn Jordan, Benoît Pioulard, Biosphere, Biosphere, Blockhead, Chris Watson, Christian Fennesz, Christopher Bissonnette, Christopher Willits, Clickits, Craig Armstrong, Daedelus, Deaf Center, Deaf Center, Deer, Dictaphone, Efterklang, Eluvium, Eluvium, Epic45, Erik Satie, Erik Skodvin, Evan Bartholomew, Flying Lotus, Funckarma, Geiom, Gescom, Ginormous, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Goldmund, Goldmund, Hammock, Hauschka, Hecq, Helios, Integral, Jacaszek, Jasper TX, Jel, Julien Neto, July Skies, juxta phona & offthesky, Kangding Ray, Kattoo, Keith Kenniff, Keith Rowe, Kettel, Library Tapes, Lusine ICL, M83, MXM, Machinefabriek, Malcom Kipe, Manual, Maps & Diagrams, Max Richter, Max Richter, Metamatics, Mika Vainio, Mogwai, Move D, múm, Nacht Plank and Shintaro Aoki, Nebulo, Oren Ambarchi, Oren Ambarchi, Paavoharju, Part Timer, Peter Broderick, Philip Jeck, Porn Sword Tobacco, Portal, Richard Devine, Ryoji Ikeda, Ryuuichi Sakamoto, Secede, Seven Ark, Silent Land Time Machine, Sixtoo, Slicker, SND, Sophie Trudeau, Svarte Greiner, Swod, Sylvain Chauveau, Taylor Deupree, The Boats, The Flashbulb, The Future Sound of London, The Remote Viewer, Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band, Toshimaru Nakamura, Weedy, World On Higher Downs, Wurlitztraction, Xela, Xeltrei, yellow6, 4AD, Alphabasic, City Centre Offices, Constellation, Enough Records, FATCAT, Fonal Records, Make Mine Music, Miasmah, Moteer, Neo Ouija, Skam, Somnia, Time-Lag, Touch, Tympanik Audio, Type, type records

Jeu 26 juin – Craig Armstrong

Dans le cadre magnifique de la basilique Saint-Denis, l'orchestre d'Ile-de-France accompagné d'une soprano et du chœur Sequenza 9.3 nous ont interprété le dernier album de Craig Armstrong = Craig Armstrong: 'Memory Takes My Hand', 'One Minute', 'Immer'(avant la sortie de la BOF de Hulk).

On est loin du This Love, l'un des titres les plus diffusés et connus. Ici, orchestration classique avec de brèves apparitions sonores électroniques.

One Minute, une succession de 15 pièces courtes (d'environ une minute donc) ayant pour titre un lieu (Glasgow, sounds of Jura, ...) , ces morceaux restent pour moi mes préférés de sa production orchestrale…c'est bref, certes, mais je vois (enfin entends) cela comme une réelle invitation, à l'évasion, à la rêverie. L'espace d'un instant, on est projeté ailleurs.
Avec Max Richter, Craig Armstrong sait composer des mélodies auxquelles on peut associer juste en fermant les yeux une scène et inversement…on voit la scène et on attend leur musique. Mais ne nous méprenons pas….ici ne fermons pas les yeux trop longtemps…il y a plusieurs écrans qui retransmettent la vidéo de l'orchestre et de la chorale en pleine action. Et en fond de nef, suspendu, un écran où apparaît des paysages, des nuages, invitant à une « zen attitude », accentuant encore plus cette faille spacio-temporelle (et décalée dans ce lieu de culte religieux).

Sur la partition "memory takes...", la soprano Anne de Renais, presque en guest-star ne m'a pas interpellée musicalement par sa voix aiguë, je trouvais même que les meilleurs morceaux étaient ceux où elle ne chantait pas. L'ensemble de chœur Sequenza 9.3 suffisait largement, à la fois puissant et doux.

A noter que l'acoustique était fabuleuse et les sons qui remontaient dans la basilique nous revenaient à nos oreilles, adoucis, comme filtrés. Quelques frissons ont parcourus ma chaire, juste assez pour me dire qu'il fut bien beau ce concert.