Oren Ambarchi - Grapes From The Estate

oren ambarchi's 'grapes from the estate'

I'm going to see Pavement tomorrow evening and Guided by Voices on Monday. Not sure how I feel about Pavement, but I'm very excited to see GBV. Great band and I imagine their live show is much better than their recorded material. Expect a blog post concerning those bands at some point. The title of this blog is a little misleading. The post will be focused around two records. Oren Ambarchi is an artist I saw opening for Boris w/ Michio Kurihara. He played a set that in my mind was much louder than any of the recorded material I've acquired of his. His recorded material tends to be very subdued and beautifully sparse. His live material has very ominous and from my knowledge (the concert was nearly three years ago) extremely cavernous and huge. His recorded stuff sounds so condensed that it was cool to hear him be very sprawling live. "Grapes From The Estate" is my favorite Oren record and every track is a highlight. The trouble with ambient music is making it simple enough to be subtle, but complex enough to remain interesting. The four pieces on "Grapes From The Estate" encompass that idea completely.

fennesz and ryuichi sakamoto's 'cendre'

Fennesz and Ryuichi Sakamoto are both ambient musicians. Their collaboration "Cendre" is very different from Fennesz's work. The familiar glitchy ambience and solemn soundscapes are there, but Sakamoto seems to make the work very dark. The subtle addition of live piano and field recordings really adds a level of texture to the album that makes it great. Both of these records are excellent companions especially in the early hours of the morning. I find myself slowly drifting off to both Fennesz and Oren constantly in a way that is almost hypnotic. They both know the perfect amount of repetition to instill in a song while still allowing it to be relevant. Fennesz' pieces here are much shorter and less developed than Oren's, but they bleed a atmosphere devoid of Oren's sound. Ripples of sound encapsulating emotion is the only way to describe both of these records.

Oren Ambarchi - Grapes From The Estate (2004)

Fennesz (feat. Ryuichi Sakamato) - Cendre (2007)

Have a Nice Life - Voids

Have a Nice Life's 'Voids'

As is the case with most recording sessions Have A Nice Life's 'Deathconsciousness' left a few b-sides that have been complied into this bootleg collection. Featuring an EP of 'Deathconsciousness' demos as well as an EP featuring tracks not included on 'Deathconsciousness' 'Voids' fills in the blanks as to where Have a Nice Life's sound came from. The songs here are more atmospheric, more indebted to post punk, and in general a little more easier to follow along. 'Sisyphus' is texturally the most impressive HANL song I've heard and 'Destinos' shows the bands knack for instrumental beauty. If you enjoyed their release last year I suggest giving this a look.

Have a Nice Life - Voids (2009)

Oren Ambarchi - Suspension

oren ambarchi's 'suspension'

Oren Ambarchi is a Australian musician who creates minimalist/ambient music by way of solo guitar. I saw him open for Boris and his performance was much more aggressive then his recorded material is. 'Suspension' is a very quiet and soothing record. The sounds present here are almost meditative. Ambarchi has worked with musicians like SunnO))) and Christian Fennesz and his music shows influences from artists like those. This is a great record and also a little more varying then most minimalist work.

Oren Ambarchi - Suspension (2001)

Flying Lotus - July Heat

flying lotus' 'july heat'

i don't really know where this record comes from. i'm assuming it is flying lotus' pre-'1983' work but that could be totally off. i'm posting this between odd work schedules, numerous birthdays, and spousal arguments. that is my lame sentence of this review. anyways, if you're into any of flylo's stuff this a must and if you want something really laidback and hip-hop inspired also give it a spin. 'Cry For Help' is the real hit here. expect something on post-punk being posted in the next week or so. Wipers, Y Pants, Young Marble Giants all kinds of shit.


Flying Lotus - July Heat (2005)

Hisato Higuchi - Dialogue

hisato higuchi's dialogue

people that are somewhat familiar with this blog may remember a post a year or two ago on the album 'Holy Letters' by L. L got me first interested in Japanese music and Hisato Higuchi's 'Dialogue' was one of the first records after 'Holy Letters' that I found myself really attracted to. unlike L's meandering improvisation on 'Holy Letters' Hisato crafts a contained album with 'Dialogue'. songs exist basically of seemingly random chord patterns with soft singing accompanying. this is definitely the type of album reserved for when you wake up or are about to fall asleep, the minimalism is entrancing. yet another great release from the musical giant that is Japan.


Hisato Higuchi - 'Dialogue' (2006)

Low - Christmas

maybe a little late, but here is a christmas album. review is by nigh of rateyourmusic.com fame for more of his work click here.

low's 'christmas'

"I bought this on CD in Crash, one of my favourite record shops in the floating mothership with red and blue flashing lights of an habitual that I call home. It's only a small store, but they get lots of import and American-only release titles that you just can't get in the thoroughly pointless Virgin Megastore. As a result, they consciously cater to the town's more dedicated Maggots and Mansonites, emo kids, straight edgers and that very special brand of make-up abusing disaffected youth, the Brodie Dalle fan (Why? Just why?). Given Crash's effective city-wide monopoly, the guys there must make comedy oversize dessert spoonfuls of money from these poor waifs' demented desire to prove their individuality by buying records their friends approve of. That Crash doesn't confine itself to shooting fish in this particularly small peer pressure cash cow of a barrel, and also stocks stuff like Califone, Godspeed! and, of course, Low's Christmas, is one reason why I like the shop so much. Another is that the staff write kooky descriptions of nearly every CD they sell on tiny little labels no larger than a postage stamp and stick them on the cases. It's always in a rather nice, geometric hand. Always legible. I get terribly worried about the guy whose job this is -- like I say, they stock thousands of CDs...he must get terrible cramps. That he must listen to each CD too, in order to be able to write something at least vaguely relevant to the contents, and is then obliged to describe it in positive terms no matter his true opinion, can't be good for his psychological health either. For this, Low's yuletide hootenanny album, the little label read, "For those among you who will be spending Christmas alone." HOW CAN A TOTAL STRANGER KNOW SO MUCH ABOUT MY LIFE. So it transpired that Christmas was the first Low record I ever bought. It was February at the time. Which is all stupendously back to front, of course, as this album is no starting point for getting into the band and the holiest holy day of February is bloody Shrove Tuesday. Also known as "Quinquagesima". Being the 50th day before Easter. "Shrove" being the past tense of the verb "to shrive", which means "to hear the confession of and give absolution to (a penitent)". Which is_ obviously_ why English people eat pancakes to mark the occasion. "Crack open the Nesquick, my darling, I'm feeling_ absolved_!" In fact, I might never have persisted with Low if it hadn't have been for_ Christmas_'s spellbinding 'Long Way Around The Sea', a simple retelling of the three Jesus-curious Wise Guys' star-guided journeying awash in gorgeous musical illusion. The slightest of strummed guitar figures, Mimi's most captivating backing vocal, a keyboard part that barely quivers and vibrates gently through any loose objects in the vicinity of your speakers and I feel like I'm the one wandering the rolling Levant bearing garish trinkets and aromatic resinous exudations."


Low - Christmas (1999)

Flying Lotus - Los Angeles

For those who are familiar with Flying Lotus’ specific style of electronica, 'Los Angeles' can be marked simply as Steve Ellison's Warp record. Ellison has slowly been moving himself among the L.A. hip hop scene attempting to craft something that sounds like the meeting point of Aphex Twin and Madlib. Daedalus and Gaslamp Killer can also be seen as clear relations to FlyLo as they should considering all three artists are common performers in the L.A. music scene. '1983' represented a more clearer view of Ellison's take on instrumental hip-hop, 'Reset' was marked by the decision to move Flying Lotus into a more beat heavy existence, and with 'Los Angeles' we begin to see the artist reveling in the perceived intelligence of his label peers like Prefuse 73 and Autechre.

flying lotus

Opener 'Brainfeeder' shows clearly that this is going to be a different type of Flying Lotus record. Absolutely no percussion is used through the songs entire minute and a half length which seems daring for a producer who is known for his superbly crafted rhythms. The track is highlighted by the swirl of dynamic synths that help the second track 'Breath.Something/Stellar Star' slowly and perfectly shift in as a follow up. Noticeable about the first two tracks also is how deeply FlyLo has seemed to delve into his atmosphere. He is pressing for a more psychedelic feel and 'Breath' demonstrates this with synths that sound like wandering Theremins. 'Melt!' mixes chants with a very tribal drum feel and encompasses the influence it seems Bollywood has had on Ellison and 'Golden Diva' leaves an unremarkable impression of Boards of Canada. As the record reaches the midpoint it starts reaching for more rhythm based pieces. 'Riot' is a heavy bass aided track that uses steel drums and hand claps to create a massive low end. The song slowly evolves until the bass bridges into a seemingly random pattern as the drums around it come to a steadier beat. The track then leaves the more upbeat rhythm and concludes with a drifting synth barrage. 'GNG BNG' comes off as mix between the pioneering sounds of early New York DJs and Beat Konducta's recent forays. 'Parisian Goldfish' finishes off the trio of dance heavy tracks as FlyLo's most club based composition yet. As a whole the variety of sounds found on the record are what 'Los Angeles' success stems from with tracks as relaxing as 'Sexslaveship' before what seems like improvised vocals on 'Testament'. . 'Los Angeles' finishes off with a variety of vocal performances included a meet up with one of Ellison's early collaborators. ‘Los Angeles’ ends on a positive note with the simply beautiful 'Auntie's Lock/Infinitum' which is made even more luscious with a vocal performance from Laura Darlington. The track drifts the otherwise cluttered sonic palate into a serene and simple finish and I could not see the record ending any other way.

flying lotus' 'los angeles'

Flying Lotus has once again proved that he is an artist that can consistently reinvent himself and make his new sound just as effective as it was before. While I wouldn't say this record succeeds in providing the same level of consistent quality I think '1983' did, it is pretty hard to criticize 'Los Angeles' as anything other than a great record. Ellison's developments as always have entertained me enough that I'm willing to remain excited for his next release. Until then ‘Los Angeles’ remains as one of the best examples of “instrumental hip-hop” in 2008.


Flying Lotus - 'Los Angeles' (2008)

Asva - What You Don't Know is Frontier

asva

for those who have not heard yet, Kayo Dot's latest record 'Blue Lambency Downward' has leaked and is also available streaming from bluelambencydownward.com. Kayo Dot is probably my favorite band, if not them Off Minor and they really have progressed their sound into something familiar yet different with their new record. oddly enough the metal side of their sound has been stripped which may seem weird with their recent signing to Hydrahead Records. although there is a change Kayo Dot's new record is soon to be out and you can expect a more developed review from me on rateyourmusic.com in the future.

kayo dot's 'blue lambency downward'

in keeping themes, the reason i was originally interested in the album i've uploaded is because of Kayo Dot's head Toby Driver's supposed vocal appearance. well, almost two years after its initial announcement it appears although Toby's contribution has been removed the group known as Asva has created a marvelously melancholic experience. drone and doom metal alumni are over this album with it featuring members of Burning Witch, Earth, Sunn 0))), as well as contributors who were involved with Mr. Bungle. but, i really can't talk about this album as well as lefthandpass's Stewart Voegtlin does.

asva's stuart dahlquist

"As luck would have it, I’ve never met Stuart Dahlquist. In late spring of 2005, I patched an awkward bit of writing together hailing the operatic prog of Asva’s Futurists Against the Ocean. I e-mailed him the review and from then on, Stuart and I corresponded willy-nilly, mostly about books, ideas, places; his words always alarmingly honest and innocently unaware. A month after my Futurists review ran, Stuart’s brother, Michael, was killed. I woke up one morning, had coffee and checked some websites. There on Stephen O’Malley’s Ideologic page was the news. The one year anniversary of Michael’s death came around and Stuart wrestled with how he was going to spend that time. He was living in Long Beach, getting along well enough and doing his best to keep the demons at bay. He told me he was going to stay at a mountain cabin and think about Michael. When he came back down that mountain, he said he’d gotten deep down into a bottle of Wild Turkey, listened a lot to Michael’s band, Silkworm, and bawled his eyes out. He told me he missed Michael. He still tells me that a lot. I don’t blame him. Sometime after that I got a package in the mail; it was the What You Don’t Know Is Frontier demo. I put the disc on immediately. Given what I knew, the music was almost unbearably forlorn, a frigid gust of life rumbling the shelves in my living room. Outside the sun was bearing down – the first flex of a muscular summer heat. I have never heard anything like WYDKIF. It reminds me of the first time I heard Mozart’s Requiem, or Gould’s Goldberg Variations. The music has a punishing sort of beauty, an inflicted aesthetics that hands the hearer no choice. I wanted to share it; I pitched articles to some big glossies and never heard back. Undeterred, I tried to cook up a summit without border constraints. No e-mail, no phones. Stuart and I talked about getting together for a big, drunken interview: whisky and words, wishes and wants. I proposed that we do it down South. And then he told me about the family ranch in Livingston, Montana. Well – me being a fly-fisherman – we had our interview location. He told me little to nothing about the ranch proper. He did say that his grandfather’s marker was up there, high in the mountains. He told me what the marker said: That one day we might ride together in a different place. His Sons and Grandsons. And he told me that Michael’s marker will one day rest there as well. The Greek playwright Aeschylus said that there’s no pain so great as the memory of joy in present grief. That quotation, at least for me, encapsulates WYDKIF. But I’m just a writer. I’m listening to the music and listening to what Stuart says about the music, and I’m trying to make a judgment. Sometimes, I can be right. Sometimes, I just cheat – and ask. “Everything I did [after Michael’s death] – and to a large extent still do – is directly affected by the sense of such an absolute loss,” Stuart wrote in an e-mail just before the New Year. “I wasn't sitting there writing music thinking of Michael, but his influence was inescapable.” The phrase, What You Don’t Know is Frontier, came from “Bring Me a Monkey,” a poem Michael wrote. The phrase reluctantly governs the music in the only way it can, acting simultaneously as some sort of wildly incongruous masthead and also as one’s only recourse against the unknown. Outside the slim boundaries of knowledge is – as always – the wilderness. Stuart confessed that the creative process wasn’t so much an emersion as it was avoidance; he poured as much of his emotion into that vessel as he could. One more stray drop would’ve split the hull. “The finished result was what I really wanted, needed actually, to hit an emotional chord,” he wrote. “WYDKIF – when taken as a whole – needed to have real impact to remind me: ‘this is where you were, Stuart, embrace it again.’ I think it succeeds in doing that.” It does. The music is a fabric, a structure that has always been here. Evocation is forever. Presence is tactile. Foundation rolls out to the horizon, what’s grown from its ground is as artificial as it is organic. Guitar and bass weep. Skins and brass are intermittent flares – hot crackling bursts of white and red in the midst of a bottomless black. Melodies ghost through ruin and the mind holds them fast and doesn’t let go. Analogues are plentiful. I thought of Grieg or Berlioz at their greatest bombast. I thought of peasant music; poor, tired and toothless folk gumming nursery rhymes. I thought of Morricone and Orff, Tampa Red, Charley Patton – even Wagner. As soon as I heard the final mix I e-mailed Stuart. “The feeling of vastness is unmatched,” I wrote. “Tons of imagery. It's hard to turn off the mind with these sounds. I just keep seeing the ocean. Lots of water. Lots of rock. Sky. Barren plains. Blood and filth and death. The melodies are touching; the bombast is cathartic. I'm happy as shit for you, bro. You've done it...” He really has. For three straight months, I listened to WYDKIF every day on the way to work. From the highway to the open fields and worn rural roads, my broken speakers rattled and vibrated, the bass thudded and hummed and roared through their scratched black grates. When the pipe organ comes in at the end, the rattling goes away. The organ has such presence, such heft, but it sounds like lightness, like the quality of having little to no physical weight. Stuart had originally performed the piece on a Hammond, but said the pipe organ was [Engineer] Randall [Dunn’s] suggestion; that he “wanted it to sound like air was moving, like the wind was coming back into your sails.” It does. It’s rejuvenating. It’s settling. It makes sense: “WYDKIF is about rebirth,” Stuart wrote, “about that light at the end of the tunnel. Amen.” It’s high past time for that interview, and I hear Livingston trout are just killing beadheads right about now." -lefthandpath.com

asva's 'what you don't know is frontier'

you should all really purchase this album, i know i can't wait to get my copy. sadly, it is not actually out until june.

Kayo Dot - 'Blue Lambency Downward' (2008)
Asva - 'What You Don't Know is Frontier' (2008)

singer - unhistories

Singer essentially acts as a meeting place for two fairly well respected math rock groups. Singer is composed of U.S. Maple members and one of 90 Day Men's vocalists Rob Lowe meaning there was obviously a base of excellence already in place before 'Unhistories' was even recorded. In terms of actual sound 'Unhistories' comes off as 90 Day Men's eclectic side with the pop sensibility literally gutted and replaced with a large emphasis on composition. 'Divining' is a dizzying piece that begins with some very beautiful multiple voice harmonizing with underlying keys that rhythmically evokes the strong basic rhythms of Battles. The first section dissolves and in its place is an acoustic conclusion that is at the same time completely unexpected while also being perfectly incorporated. 'Unhistories' in general really is a sound that is very different but also very logical. The supposed drum solo in 'Oh Dusty', the foray of kraut rock that extends it self through closer 'Mauvais Sang', all of these moments add up to make a truly unique experience which in some ways reflects the fluidness of Time of Orchids' 'Namesake Caution'. One of the key successes of the group is Rob Lowe's vocals which are really in a class of their own. I guess if we examine Chicago as a scene Singer is basically the older brother of a group like Owls. All of the same ingredients are included in these two groups but the maturity that Singer brings to the sound makes them far more successful. When songs like 'Please, Tell the Justices We're Fine' musically reach into realms that sound like mindless noise Lowe and his backing band are all able to vocally keep a control over the sound which in turn extremely helps support sudden changes like the guitar solo that appears out of nowhere about four minutes into the track. Simply put 'Unhistories' is proof that unorthodox methods of playing, singing and composing can still be used just as effectively as the orthodox methods.

singer's 'unhistories'

If I were to guess I'd imagine 'Unhistories' will be a one off project but it is clearly much more than a release from a "super group" of sorts. Singer in the vein of 90 Day Men's 'Panda Park' has crafted a memorable experience due to its complete uniqueness. 'Unhistories' is a great release and is certainly something any fan of the avant garde should take a look at.


Singer - 'Unhistories' (2008)

Ocrilim - Annwn

Ocrilim is Mick Barr’s solo moniker which has released two cds. What makes these two records different from Barr’s other recordings is how regimentally the composition on it seems to have been arranged. While Barr has always experimented within his own personal realm of minimalist shred ‘Annwn’ represents him at his most bare as well as his most successful. Where ‘OV’ was highly successful in its steady progressive shredding, ‘Annwn’ is simply Barr playing about seven guitars and two basses in a style that can only be described as orchestral. In a sense this record is very easily enjoyed once one gets past how unpleasant the tone is. Barr’s trebly guitar interspersed with some just a tiny bit less trebly bass evokes an 8-bit symphony. His tonal choices though are not that simple with a range of melodies being played from gloriously major to harrowingly minor. Although this record is extremely experimental and may sound very off putting I find that the actual melodic content is very easily accessible and in a sense provides the vast amount of odd choices with a little balance. Barr has really never exposed himself in this style of highly infectious yet still technical pieces and the results are excellent.

Ocrilim's 'Annwn'

Complaints can be directed towards the almost hour and a half play time of the record which while it isn’t a major issue will certainly effect the replay value of ‘Annwn’. Also, perhaps in future Ocrilim recordings maybe the featuring of other pronounced instruments would improve the sound since the arrangements here are so amazing yet are held back by the alienating guitar tones. Still, very few issues can be taken up with Mick Barr’s latest record and that is a pretty impressive feat for someone that is dredging through the same techniques as failed soloists Steve Vai and etc. Barr should be applauded for his nature of being more interested in the composition’s needs rather than his own when it comes to showing off and because of that ‘Annwn’ is clearly a success.

Ocrilim - Annwn (2008)

april 1st 2008

mark kozelek

two excellent records are being released tomorrow. both are follow ups to some special records in my life. first off, we have Mark Kozelek of Red House Painters and Sun Kil Moon fame releasing his third LP under the Sun Kil Moon moniker. the record, entitled 'April' might just be my favorite record of '08 so far. Gregor Samsa is a post rock mainly known for having Kayo Dot and City of Caterpillar members appear in their line up. their latest 'Rest' is released digitally today, although it has been streaming on their myspace for the past couple of weeks.

gregor samsa

'55:12' was a very conflicting record for me. Essentially, Gregor Samsa is a heavily post-rock leaning Low tribute band and '55:12' perfectly encapsulated that. Although that record is certainly a great listen, the movement and song structure is painfully obvious. The pick-ups in tempo, the crescendos, every moment of '55:12' has an overwhelming simplicity to it. I'm not saying that is necessarily a bad thing, but it certainly does effect the replay value of that record. With 'Rest,' it seems as if the group is taking strides towards being an artistically legitimate entity. Early Gregor Samsa evoked a Sigur Ros sense of stagnancy that has almost been completely thrown away with the developments made on 'Rest'. Kayo Dot alumni and Ghastly City Sleep members make guest appearances, but little of this is obvious. 'Rest' is still the Gregor Samsa of '55:12', but they've grown up. 'Rendered Yards' pulls off a gorgeously effective inclusion of vocals in a seemingly operatic style. Even in the slow beginning of 'The Adolescent,' it is pretty obvious that this record isn't going to contain the same noise heavy moments of 'Makeshift Shelters,' and while that is a slight disappointment, Gregor Samsa's incorporation of a chamber music styled line-up is equally as exciting. 'Ain Leuh' demonstrates why that is about a minute in when it bursts into a dazzling mini-crescendo, which is really unexpected for a band that previously prided themselves on their unabashed slow dredges to glorious conclusions. Lead vocalist Champ Bennett evokes a Ben Gibbard with a soul (Although, Gibbard's inclusion on 'Lost Verses,' Mark Kozelek's opening track to 'April,' has me thinking maybe Ben can still accomplish something a little credible) and Mia Matsumiya proves once again that her flawless technique can easily make a good album great. In other words, the ambient soundscapes, the excellently contrasting vocals, and the pop sensibility from ’55:12’ is all here, the group has just really embellished on their old methods.

gregor samsa's 'rest'

'April' is a pretty easy record to sum up; eleven tracks of the most pure sincerity that deal with a variety of rekindled feelings. 'Tonight the Sky' perfectly encapsulates Neil Young in his Harvest era. 'Tonight in Bilbao' provides a touching update on the song structure of Sun Kil Moon's track 'Duk Koo Kim' but without all the extremities about South Korean boxers. The filler like 'The Light' and 'Heron Blue' which both seem like extremely safe Kozelek tracks are still excellently arranged and rival any of the highlights off of 'Tiny Cities'. Essentially, 'April' is an improvement and definition of what the Sun Kil Moon sound is really able to pull off. Lengthy, but for a reason. Intimate, but with enough courtesy to be vague enough to allow the listener to place themselves in the songs. Mark Kozelek defines the term “artist” and 'April' is yet another notch on his belt, an enveloping experience that calmly and quietly wins its way into your heart.

sun kil moon's 'april'

Sun Kil Moon - 'April' (2008)
Gregor Samsa - 'Rest' (2008)

Top Ten of 2007: Tartar Lamb - Sixty Metonymies

Toby Driver in the past two years has been quite the prolific artist. Releasing his debut solo album, a collection of intensely precise and planned compositions, in late 2005 on Tzadik was his first attempt to distance himself from the extremely epic release "Choirs of the Eye" that had made his band Kayo Dot a critical and underground favorite. Kayo Dot also released their second LP in early 2006; "Dowsing Anemone with Copper Tongue" was an experiment in the subtle and drawn out. Sure, "Choir's " strong emotional crescendos were present in "Dowsing", but gone were their epic conclusions. These spots were instead replaced with explosions of noise or ten minutes of drifting guitar work. As Toby himself stated, he felt "Choirs of the Eye" was perfection in what it had attempted to do, so instead of following what most "metal" bands would've done and staying put in his popular musical formula, Toby tried to do something different.

tartar lamb

With the release of "Sixty Metonymies", Toby has finally reached the full sound he has been hinting at since his solo release almost two years ago. A sonically sparse and repetitive listen that is referred to by its own composer as a composition built "in such a way that each figure can be heard as metonymical to each other", "Sixty Metonymies" is a dizzying recording that cycles through such a vast cycle of arrangements in such a short time that it'll certainly leave the listener bewildered upon first listen. Certainly Toby's other projects have also had this stigmata attached to them, but moments like the intense full band explosion in "The Manifold Curiosity" left the listener some memorable or familiar portion of the song to latch on to on further listen. "Sixty Metonymies" is devoid of these trigger moments and almost completely removed from vocal performance. To describe it as "catchy" would be the overstatement of the decade.

tartar lamb's 'sixty metonymies'

On this recording Toby and Mia Matsumiya's excellent performance is accented by "extended percussionist" Andrew Greenwald and horn player Tim Byrnes of the group Friendly Bears. Greenwald's style of percussion is a fantastic addiction to the bizarre composition of "60 Metonymies". Rarely relying on the traditional, his implication of various objects such as stray metals flavors the more "compositional" parts of the piece with an urgency of modernism. While Greenwald's performance is one of a kind, trumpet player Byrnes is seemingly invoking the kind of playing that was a staple on Kayo Dot's "Dowsing Anemone with Copper Tongue" It gives the trumpet performance a sort of "we've already heard this" feel and while it isn't necessarily distracting it is somewhat disappointing. Toby's guitar playing is mostly focused on seemingly replicating a piano but his subtle implication of selected chord phrasing gives the piece a more varied feel. Toby is able to prolong an otherwise excessive repetitiveness by always casually advancing into more beautiful and interesting melodies. Mia finally seems to expose her prowess as the group's most experienced player. Her usage of various extended techniques is at the same time virtuous and restrained. Tartar Lamb once again shows her as a key player in any setting, not unlike say a musician like Eric Dolphy who even in his performances of other's works added so much to the playing that without him or her in Mia's case the piece would fall apart. Finally, while Toby's vocal performance is not featured very often when he does add slight breathing, whistling or the final monologue it is a breath of fresh almost childish air.

'sixty metonymies' beautiful handcrafted layout.

"60 Metonymies" is yet another emotionally and compositionally brilliant addition to Toby Driver's resume. It is obvious that Toby has mastered his own vision of minimalism with this record and it'll be interesting to see where he goes next. Conquering one's perception of the both the entirely bombastic and entirely reserved is not an easy task but one has to question where Toby will go from here. Kayo Pop? I'm sure like many of his gracious fan base, the next release associated with one of the most interesting composers of our time will not only challenge my sense of music but Toby's own. And that is where Tartar Lamb succeeds, they are not saturated in the idea of pleasing fans but instead just themselves. On the way to record this album Tartar Lamb performed a variety of shows across the north half of the U.S. I was lucky enough to persuade them to come to my home town of State College, Pennsylvania and after the performance Toby, Mia and I listened to an unmastered copy of "60 Metonymies". Where most artists would've grown bored or unimpressed with a piece they'd been working of for two years, Toby and Mia seemed just as fascinated with the recording as me. Pointing out subtle percussion parts, discussing each others' techniques, and even joking about the conclusion, it was obvious that the same devoted and massively appreciative fan base of Toby Driver is such because it reflects his same feelings towards his music. Few artists' work resonates in me the way Toby's does and Tartar Lamb is no different; emotional, interesting, and original.

Toby has expressed his distaste in the downloading of his music, you can purchase it here.

Top Ten of 2007: Richard Youngs - Autumn Response

perhaps the greatest discovery of 2007 in my own life came with the recommendation of a record called 'Sapphie' by various users at rateyourmusic.com. Richard Youngs seems to be equally as inspired to create dissonant harsh music as he is to create beautiful sprawling epics. this paradox of musical light and dark is what originally drew me to him, as well as the glowing praise his discography seemed to receive by critics and fans alike. 'Autumn Response' was actually one of my recent blind buys, due to the relative obscurity of Youngs, I purchased a couple of his records on vinyl to further my collection of what was seemingly a new favorite artists. how little did i know what i was getting myself into.

richard youngs

combining together a strange take on british folk with a delay pedal may seem like a bad idea, but 'Autumn Response' easily proves that worry wrong. taking an approach in writing short simple songs that are simply folk tracks is something Youngs to my knowledge had not attempted. of course, this isn't a Phil Ochs record. there is a beautiful interplay with delayed vocals and guitars that sometimes match up and at others just seem entirely random. it is a minimal technique that makes an other wise very easy album much more complex. some may place it in the realm of novelty, but in my opinion Youngs is simply just using an effect as a compositional tool which is incredibly ingenious. in other words, 'Autumn Response' is one of the most interesting songwriter albums in a very very long time.

richard youngs' 'autumn response'

time lately has been very busy. class, work, trying to form some type of relationship with a girl i truly care about. it is an interesting and fast time, but i keep finding solace in beautiful records. the Have a Nice Life record in particular is a sprawling, emotional journey that i can't recommend enough. Takaru and a small group called Pumice have been keeping me centered. the zen of discovering new bands if you will is inspiring. that sounds idiotically pretentious, but i guess that is how it goes. i'm going to throw in the Pumice record on this post for the shit of it. fantastic album that is kind of what would happen if Tom Waits compositions were played in the style of noise rock, it is literally some fucking rocking shit exploding hearts tones meet wolf eyes synths. welp, until next time which will hopefully be sooner.

pumice

Richard Youngs - Autumn Response (2007)
Pumice - Pebbles (2007)

Have A Nice Life - Deathconsciousness

Inherently in the realm of music criticism, two issues will always become extremely evident in most reviews. One, the writer will most likely alter his opinions based on other reviews: a record like My Bloody Valentine's "Loveless" may have never gained as much press as it has recently if some reviewer hadn't commented on Kevin Shields' ridiculous spending budget, or the fact that the group supposedly perfectly defined and destroyed the "shoegaze" genre. In my opinion, vast generalizations that are linked through the mainstream and underground music communities towards records are usually just bullshit. In just examining 2008's releases so far, Protest the Hero's "Fortress" has been heralded a classic almost unanimously amongst seventeen year old boys who probably spend more time playing Call of Duty 4 than they do artistically appreciating records for doing nothing but creatively combining a bunch of other band's ideas into an hour long "epic". I am not going to say this is a negative thing, I believe everyone is allowed to gauge what is important to them. But, when someone whose tastes consist of solely groups representing what I believe to be the downfall of modern music starts referencing a band I fawn over, like say, Off Minor, it does make me question my own legitimacy. In turn this questioning leads me to be less forthcoming with the bands that I feel are amazing. I originally said there are two issues every music critic has to deal with and while vast generalizations based on other reviews is a large one, the other is related to the point I just made. Lots of critics will praise albums that very little of the public knows solely for that reason. It makes sense, critics are constantly reading reviews that spew praise all over records that have "changed lives" and "impacted people emotionally more than anything", so why would they not copy that attitude and apply it to what they have found? I guess at this time I'll get a little personal and say why I am discussing this.

As a "music critic" myself I often find myself attempting to publicize records that I feel are cutting edge, provoking, and most of all emotional expressions. In almost every one of my reviews, I reference these ideas. If anyone talks to me about music it is clear to them that I am not one for stoic records. So, when I see fans of a band like Protest the Hero latching on to records that I feel like I have helped bring to the masses it bothers me. In a sense, it makes me want to stop reviewing. Because, it cheapens these records I've pined for over for days, weeks, months, years to understand. I was literally counting down the hours today to get home and listen to the record that this review covers, because it is already that special to me. It hurts when people declare something like Kayo Dot unworthy or if someone with a negative persona latches on to a group like Converge, because then I challenge my own conception of those records. In summary of those feelings, I suppose it comes down to the fact that we all must live with our own opinions on things and therefore just be happy that we've created such beautiful relationships with the art in our lives. Music criticism then becomes utterly useless and most of what I talk about is inane, but maybe someone will feel these reactions and in turn, go out and find their own, "Deathconsciousness". Maybe then I can feel like this review proved a point, as music in my eyes isn't about mass consumption, but rather establishing special relationships with those things that reflect something new, something provoking, something emotional, and most of all something real. As an example, I present Have a Nice Life's "Deathconsciousness".

"Deathconsciousness" is probably a perfect record. At the time of this review, I haven't really had enough time to digest it to declare it that, but I can't really think of any way for it to be better. The production, the tones, the chord choices, the vocals, the lyrics, the concepts, everything is stunningly brilliant and just laughably remarkable. If needed to provide examples, I could do it for every track. The slow and steady build that is "Bloodhail" tossing its way between a propulsive Joy Division-esque rhythm section and beautiful dual vocals, the drums that kick in and take "The Big Gloom" to a whole different spectrum of gorgeousness than the tracks preceding it even hinted at; there are so many great moments on this record I could talk about them for days. Well, I'm obviously getting ahead of myself. Have a Nice Life "is, was, and always will be Dan and Tim" as their myspace states and "Deathconsciousness" is essentially their five year discography, a dual-disc debut album that deals with a variety of concepts relating to religion, death and theories attached to those two ideas. Intensely personal in delivery, this is a record that is basically a collaboration of ideas ranging from industrial to post-punk to post-rock. A common thread would be Canada's patron saints of avant-doom Nadja, but even that duo don't possess the massive love of the melodic that Have a Nice Life demonstrates all over their debut. Tracks like "Hunter" show the group's massive devotion to their specific style of eighties soundscapes, but also echo with an earnestness that can only be related to the group's supposed leader Dan Barrett's punk-laden past, as he formerly did time in the relatively obscure post-hardcore group In Pieces. If anything, Have a Nice Life can be described as the perfect example of the suffix "post" in regards to all of the music that has come out in the indie circuit since 1980. It is taking all of the concepts that have made underground music what it is and strangling them in such a way that it creates something of a reminder of what progression actually means.

Impact-wise, an album hasn't hit me this hard since I heard Kayo Dot's "Dowsing Anemone with Copper Tongue" in late 2005. Not to say that there is any common thread between the two bands; Kayo Dot's massive shifts of grandiose proportion do not inspire any of the moments on "Deathconsciousness" in the slightest. This is an album that deals in minimal composition, and the expression of moods. It shifts and moves in the way one would expect someone's life to, and while the acoustic, solemn tracks like "Who Would Leave Their Son Out in the Sun?" are not extremely provoking conceptually, they just feel so natural that they can't be faulted. Continuing with the description of this being life-like, there are clear attempts at creating extremely energetic yet mood-based music on disc two of the record entitled "The Future". The track of the same name and "Waiting for Black Metal Records to Come in the Mail" are prime examples of songs that shift between guitar parts that resemble Fugazi and Ride and melodies that wouldn't sound out of place on the next Killers record. Obviously, those namedrops make the second disc sound like shit, but it is the perfect counterpoint to the obviously atmospheric first disc which is heavily drawn-out compositions that rely on slow blossoming into beautiful climaxes, "A Quick One Before the Eternal Worm Devours Connecticutt" being a key example.

To dive further into the relations between both discs, there is a steady sense of progression that follows its way through the entire record, beginning with the acoustic-laden intro of disc one and ending with the epic closure of disc two. The album in its entirety only clocks in at an easy hour and twenty five minutes, but in reality feels like it could go on for eternity. The songs never feel long and when one does continue for more than five minutes it is usually for good reason, which is more to say than a lot of bands that are playing this particular facet of "drone" music. Have a Nice Life know their limits, and they know what works and that is why "Deathconsciousness" succeeds.

So, what does or did "Deathconsciousness" teach me? Is it that records simply can surprise me or that when critical acclaim isn't applied that I have to clearly generate some to overstuff an average album? Is it that Have a Nice Life is a complete emotional replica of my current situation and that the overwhelming melancholy and despair of the album is part of my inner being? No, I don't really think there is anything that can be said about this record besides the fact that it is stunningly personal. In turn, it made me want to make this review stunningly personal, and that is what "Deathconsciousness" essentially did: inspire me. This record is draining, it is intelligent, it is an amazing composition, but most of all it is an inspiring, subdued lo-fi masterpiece that almost perfects the idea of home recording. The group of people involved with the production and creation of this record have shown through their music that they have no pretensions and are just trying to share what they've done with people that they think will appreciate it. Maybe in a sense, that is what my goal in music criticism is all about: to help similar-minded people find similarly enjoyable things. A simple concept brought to mind by a simple record.

Have a Nice Life - 'Deathconsciousness' Disc 1 (2008)
Have a Nice Life - 'Deathconsciousness' Disc 2 (2008)

infidel? / castro! - bioentropic damage fractal

there are very few records that introduce something new to me today. sure, i can discover a record like Ghostface Killah's "Ironman" that really is everything i've ever wanted in a rap album, but it is still a Wu-Tang production which is something i've obviously heard before. i'm sure Kayo Dot's new record will probably reorganize these thoughts just because all of their previous ones have done that but, how can i be sure of this? its sad to me that i can place most contemporary music into a box, so whenever i find a band that completely redefines my notion of what music it is i usual take notice. Time of Orchid's has been able to do that with their last two releases ("Sarcast While", and "Namesake Caution".) and Birchville Cat Motel did help revitalize my fetish in the genre of "noise" with their masterpiece "Beautiful Speck Triumph". but perhaps the only band to redefine my notion of what music can do after Kayo Dot is Colin Marstin's Infidel? / Castro! a dazzling blend of post-rock, electronica, and Calculating Infinity era Dillinger Escape Plan.

Colin J Marston

"Bioentropic Damage Fractal" is a vicious cycle of insanity and solace. beautiful tracks like "Bedridden" and "Temporarily Dissolving Into Plasma" placed in between the idm blast beats of "Bedsores (For GWB)" create a tense, schizophrenic journey of epic proportions. very few albums resonant like this album in an emotional sense, which is strange because most of their recordings are simply based on samples of noise and the steady layering of minimal electronic guitar playing. there is obviously very little of the cartoony tech metal of Marston's other head project, Behold... The Arctopus. in a recap "Bioentropic Damage Fractal" is simply just one of the most original and creative records ever made and its strong sense of crescendos and climaxes places it amongst the greats of this kind of music like Kayo Dot or Time of Orchids.

infidel? / castro!'s "bioentropic damage fractal"

"Bioentropic Damage Fractal" came to me in the midsts of a hard break up that left me not being able to sleep, etc. etc. this record was so beautiful that it basically gave me something to look forward to during work and other boring activities. obviously that is a very trite story, but this album just has the power to bring out statements like that. i remember one of the original things that pointed me towards it was a ten page analysis on the album on the website rateyourmusic.com. it was an excellent review and probably one of the most comprehensive ones i have ever read. obviously i can't recommend this record enough to those interested in the avant garde. highly recommended. a classic.

infidel? / castro! - bioentropic damage fractal - disc 1 (2005)
infidel? / castro! - bioentropic damage fractal - disc 2 (2005)

richard youngs - sapphie

i felt as if a relaunch or such was in order. this blog is meant to be a place for me to share music that has been truly effective in my own personal development. so, from now on there will probably be a far more expansive description in relation to each album that is posted on here. this isn't a blog dedicated to hype or new release, but rather records that are bluntly emotional and transcend simple genre descriptions. i was thinking about leading this new phase of with one of Nation of Ulysses' records (the inspiration behind this blog.) but instead have settle with one of my more recent favorites, Richard Youngs' "Sapphie".

richard youngs.

so, why exactly does Richard Youngs get the honor of starting of this new trend of realism? well for starters, his music is bluntly obvious. drawing from a steady background of folk and "classical" guitar, his instrumental sections are almost always highly dense and minimal arrangements usually relying on the sounds of acoustic guitar. over top this Youngs can go many ways from heavily effect ridden vocals (his latest, 2007's "Autumn Response".) to totally demented guitar playing (see his collaboration with Tirath Singh Nirmala.). Although Youngs covers a variety of ground through all of his various releases, "Sapphie" is perhaps his most basic and bleak. simple acoustic guitar lines, Youngs unmistakable voice, and nothing else. "Sapphie" features compositions inspired by the loss of one of Youngs' pets among other things and the amount of emotional presence he is able to put into the performances can only be heard.

"sapphie" cover.

"Sapphie" was recommended to me by rateyourmusic.com user, ormi. i'm not sure if there was ever a specific moment it clicked, but this record has seen my obsession of yet another peculiar songwriter come yet again. perhaps the intense personal nature of the recording struck me the hardest. as Youngs himself described it, "Sapphie's" recording was "recorded round my friend John's flat and it was the first time I'd ever done more than one take." the process was apparently intimate as Youngs said the early takes of the record were marked by their background ambient noises of neighbors leaving and appliances at work. Youngs also made an important note about the recording in the fact that "there's no overdubbing and no remixing. everything went straight to DAT. what you hear is the best of what went on." and of course that is what draws me to constantly play this record, its intense personal nature. for sure, a late night listen.

richard youngs - sapphie (1998)