The Non-Mainstream Music Report, 8/2004 (Pt. 2)

,_____ _ Muzzik! _______. ____ ____ __ ______ | \\/_____ _ _\\_ |____\\_ \_____\\_ \__\\_)_ _ __ / (_ | \/ (_. / | ___/ ___/ (_. _/ / | || | / | \ | \ | | \ \ _ |_ || _| / _| _| _| _| \ _\ _ \ /_____||_____\__________\__________\__________\_______\_____\______\ / \/ - -diP------------------------------------------------------sAC- - \/ · hit2k . amok . yard . tr . dps . sb . amrc . gf . drum . ser · · bex . bcc . mbs . its · Welcome to Muzzik's biweekly non-mainstream music report! Much love to the scene, no hate, and extra props for those taking the time to read here. To start off: this is not a 'hater' magazine, and we aren't trying to insult or bring anyone down with it. Our aim is pure and simple: to bring the scene's attention back to the music! All involved in this report are lovers of music, with no politics or dramatic baggage, We just want to share the love! That is why, every 2 weeks, we'll compile a list of the best non-mainstream records released in the scene, and give you all the info you need to decide whether or not you want to hear them. We do this because, each day, records slip under the radar because people may not know the name on the album -- but that doesn't mean they wouldn't love the music inside. We feel it's time for other music -- non-mainstream, underground, whatever you want to call it -- to push forward and be heard by more ears around the world. We hope this report can turn you on to things you may not have found otherwise, and perhaps cause some people to expand their opinions of what they call 'music.' The Non-Mainstream Music Report is now a joint venture, compiled by 14 groups, but it is important we stress that we won't always be able to list all of the scene's great releases. Because of this, we ask other dedicated groups to start their own reports, magazines, etc. And if you're a dedicated group who feels your vision fits in with ours, please get in touch to join up! There are hundreds of albums released each day, but so little information provided! More information distributed means more knowledge, and more knowledge means smarter, better-educated listeners. And even though we don't get to say it enough in the nfo's: support the artists!! It goes without saying that these are not millionaire pop stars, and they need to sell records in order to be able to create more of them. With all that said, please, enjoy the report. :) *Siteops! The Non-Mainstream Music Report script -- which is available in the accompanying zip file -- is a quick and easy way to access all of our suggestions. By creating symlinks to all of the records listed in the report we hope to save you time and effort while seeking out this great music. ________________________________________________________________________________ . .:[+] HiT2k [+]:. . ________________________________________________________________________________ >>> Pearls_Before_Swine--One_Nation_Underground-1967-HiT2000 Release Date: 2004-08-15 Label Info and Catalog #: ESP (ESPCD 1054) Artist/Album Info: Psychedelic-folk debut from one of the most erudite, literate minds in rock, Thomas D. Rapp (and the first of his ever-changing Swine). Although the songs here lack some cohesion, this is still a stunning piece of work, from the nightmarish sleeve art ? the "Hell Panel" from Hieronymus Bosch's 15th century painting "Garden of Delights" ? to the strange yet powerful songs. "Another Time," the most memorable selection, is an understated acoustic song, the first that Rapp ever penned, based on his experience in a horrific car crash where he walked away unscathed. Of similar mood is the beautiful "Ballad of an Amber Lady." "Drop Out" is a straightforward song built around a popular credo of the '60s. "Uncle John" is one of the earliest protest songs about the Vietnam War. Strangest (and funniest) of all is "(Oh Dear) Miss Morse," where Rapp adopts a Victorian persona and sounds out the Morse code spelling of F-U-C-K, accompanied by banjo and Farfisa organ. Considering Rapp's fascination with history, it's not surprising that one of the songs here, "I Shall Not Care," features a co-writer credit to "Roman Tombs." The cryptic words that comprise this song's title were discovered on a tomb that dates to the final days of the Roman Empire. URL: http://www.espdisk.com/ also get Pearls_Before_Swine--Balaklava-Remastered-2002-HiT2000 (2004-04-06) * >>> Michael_Gira-I_am_Singing_to_You_from_My_Room-2004-AMOK Release Date: 2004-08-16 Label Info and Catalog #: http://www.younggodrecords.com Artist/Album Info: "Given the stark, humble nature of this recording, as well as its limited availability (only from the Young God website), it would be easy or dismiss this set by Michael Gira as a vanity project. But that would be an error. I Am Singing To You From My Room, the vast majority of which was literally recorded there (there is also a live fragment from “All Souls Rising” by the Angels of Light) is simply Michael Gira songwriter and singer playing directly into a DAT recorder in his office. These 11 songs offer the listener an even more poignant and intimate portrait of Mr. Gira than his Angels Of Light project does. Here, one can hear what a fine melodist Gira is, something that is sometimes forgotten once a band is involved in turning his strange, deeply iconographic songs into the sonic tapestries where drone, mode, and lyric are all fused into something entirely Other. In the quietude of his office, Mr. Gira’s grainy tomes, take on the weight and depth of folk poetry in the same—albeit modern--way Dock Boggs and Roscoe Holcomb’s original songs do. There is no artifice, no sense of affect, no sense of theater. The song is presented as a world unto itself; in its lines lie an entire universe of mystery, dimension, shadow, illogical truth, flesh, blood, life, death, lust, and even redemption. Perhaps no song embodies this notion as well as Destroyer. "Here she comes, dressed in white/Her mouth is filled with flames/Her skin is black, her fingers trace/The diamonds in her veins/ Here she comes, down from the sun/to wash this country clean/Comes down for us, down from the dust/To murder what remains/Here she comes, now dressed in red/to heal this ruined race...And we’ll walk freely, through the mountains and the trees/And we’ll breathe deep again, where the air is pure and clean..." In the elliptical, near mythical figurehead lies terrible power that is nonetheless seductive and irresistible for the deliverance her actions promise. “Michael’s White Hands" filled with the symbolism of origin and plague walks hand in hand with the creation of a religion and its apocalypse all written in the vernacular code of one person speaking to another. Communicating symbols, images, narratives and revelations, no matter how large or small, in an intimate language that extends itself beyond the boundaries of the individual, is what these songs accomplish in spades. Ultimately, it’s not that these songs reveal some new truth about Gira’s considerable --even intimidating—abilities; it’s more that they reveal what we have already encountered in a new manner, one that has no need of musical dynamics because it is full of spectral and lyrical ones." Thom Jurek more Information: http://www.younggodrecords.com/Releases/Detail.asp?ReleaseID=31 * >>> Pelt--A_Capsized_Moment-CDR-2004-HiT2000 Release Date: 2004-08-22 Label Info and Catalog #: Tour CDR Artist/Album Info: A new cdr of music from a show in Paris this past spring that contains what is probably the most melodic improv the band has yet performed -- it's a path that already seems left behind just four months later, but during a week of spring shows in Europe, the trio of Jack, Mike and Mikel (with Patrick, preparing at home for the birth of Oscar, lending spiritual support from afar) paid unprecedented attention to the scalar side of drone delvination. The Paris set developed from some tunings worked out during the van ride from Holland and took on a peculiar lushness that is captured nicely in a board recording. The cdr is an edition of about 50. * >>> Endresen_Wallumrod_Sten-Merriwinkle-2003-JUST Release Date: 2004-08-24 Label Info and Catalog #: www.jazzlandrec.com Artist/Album Info: MERRIWINKLE Sidsel Endresen/ Christian Wallumr?d/ Helge Sten "When Christian Wallumr?d and I started the recording of "Merriwinkle" in 2002, we had never played together before. We had listened to each other┤s music for many years - and had talked a lot about music in general - so we were pretty well updated on each other┤s musical orientation. We also knew that we both wanted to work with free improvisation. For the past 15 years I have worked with improvisation in many forms. It has been an intergral part of my last 5 releases: as a basis for developing new material - as an equal element paired with written material - and as a means for discovering and developing new aspects of the voice. So "Merriwinkle" is a continuation and a "coming together" of many roads I’ve been down musically. Although "Merriwinkle" is completely improvised (i.e. : you┤ll never hear these exact songs again!) - and is void of any lyrics (comprehensible ones, anyway!) – I’m always looking for the clear structure and the "song" within. Both Christian and I are very concerned about the pure "sound" -aspect of our music, and in order to optimize this, we chose to start out in an analogue studio ("Athletic Sound" in Norway). The excellent recording situation there, (thanks to studio-owner and engineer Kai Andersen), also helped define how the music developed. In January 2002 we had our first 2-day session - starting from zero and recording everything. In the end we threw out a lot of stuff. Among other things, we tried improvising around some of my poems, but they became a "filter", adding unwanted literary content and moods to the music. Also, the actual shape of the lyrics steered the music towards fixed, and all too familiar, forms. So I chose to work only with my abstract vocal sounds and phonemes - giving me much greater vocal freedom. Five of the pieces on "Merriwinkle" are from this first session: "Oldenwold", "Soleside", "Merrivein", “Wobber” and "Tunk" - all in their original shape and length. In between our collaboration on my commission for Bergen Jazz Festival (May 2002) and extensive touring with the new line-up for my "Undertow" project in 02 and 03 (Christian on keys and Jan Bang on electronics) - we did a lot of rehearsing as a duo, played a couple of duo-concerts - and did two more 2-day studio-sessions. For the final session we invited along "Deathprod" Helge Sten as co-musician - working on the same principle of no pre-defined areas or other "plans" – and recorded everything. Again, many stretches were thrown out - and although there were several good parts in some of these, we decided against editing together these "lucid" moments - and instead chose the songs which had "found" their complete form. So - on "Merriwinkle" - there are no added effects - no overdubs - and only one edit (a cross-fade between "Bathos" and "Ectrik"). What we played is what you hear! Helge Sten also mixed and mastered the record." * >>> Scraps_of_Tape-Self_Titled-2002-gF Release Date: 2004-08-24 Label Info and Catalog #: self-released Artist/Album Info: Scraps Of Tape is a 5-piece rockband from the south of Sweden w/ it’s base in Hassleholm. The current lineup: marcus, hanna, g, kenta, micke using: bass, drums, guitars, melodica, organs, piano, violin, voice, laptop. post-rock. this is their first cd, put out by themselves on a cd-r. * >>> Jeff_Buckley-Grace-(Legacy_Edition)-2CD-2004-RNS Release Date: 2004-08-20 Label Info and Catalog #: Columbia Artist/Album Info: Here's what they say about Jeff Buckley: "He died too young". Here's why they say it: Grace is simply one of the most amazing things you can do with your ears and a little digitally-encoded disc. He inherited the voice of his father, the legendary Tim Buckley -- seven octaves, each of them only just enough to cram his big feverish dreams into -- but his music was all his own. Think Van Morrison's Astral Weeks on drugs -- but then drugs could give some kind of comfort, and there's no comfort in Grace; just constant flux between crippling despair and an almost violent joy. When "Last Goodbye" unfolds its third different middle-eight of Bollywood strings and Buckley's ecstatic scatting, it's hard to believe an ordinary human could have had a hand in something so extraordinary. Ten years on from its original release, this repackaged "Legacy Edition" really does his legend proud. * >>> Oma_Yang-Bang_Bang-2002-FNT Release Date: 2004-08-24 Label Info and Catalog #: Slowdance Records Artist/Album Info: Since the summer of 1997, all four members of OMA YANG have been on the move, living in different cities, pursuing different interests, and allowing each to develop their individual styles. When the members found themselves in the same place at the same time the result was short, intense bursts of songwriting containing a sense urgency and energy. Where previous efforts, their split LP (on Sweden1s Tripoli Records) and debut full length From the Heart of Jumbo Malaria (Slowdance Records), captured the band members developing their individual styles in a group environment, Bang Bang finds the quartet more polished than ever. The band utilizes their newfound vision by taking full advantage of the dynamics of distance that have shaped their unique sound. On OMA YANG's second album Bang Bang, the group achieves a new cohesiveness and clarity of sound within their music. It finds them creating a brand of noisy instrumental rock and roll that is up to par with their indie rock peers (Mogwai, Oxes, Don Caballero), as well as exploring their experimental side which owes much to musical pioneers such as Brian Eno, Captain Beefheart, and Can. Dueling guitars and a raucous rhythm section confront the listener with a playful dissonance that slowly evaporates into ethereal melodies built around synthesizers and delicate ambience. Bang Bang finds the band at their strongest yet, having finally come to reside together after years of exchanging tapes and writing songs from a distance. The group have spent the years since their last album touring with such up-and-coming acts as Explosions in the Sky, Six Parts Seven, and Volta Do Mar while also opening for such established bands as US Maple, 764-HERO and American Analog Set. During this constant touring OMA YANG have managed to craft the songs found on Bang Bang, while allowing the skills of record engineer Rafter Roberts (Blackheart Procession, Hot Snakes) room to work within the demanding confines of their complex song structure. The passion and energy for their music that OMA YANG display during their triumphant live shows manifests itself in the incredible atmospheres and lunatic textures of Bang Bang. www.slowdance.com * >>> Bjork-Medulla-2004-RNS Release Date: 2004-08-25 Label Info and Catalog #: Universal Artist/Album Info: Bj║rk is one of the most recognized stars in the world. She has sold millions of copies of her groundbreaking albums, she is an icon of cutting edge style, and she has received worldwide acclaim as an actress. Medulla, Bj║rk's first new studio album in three years, finds her delving deeper than ever before into her haunting and exhilarating sound and vision. Innovative as always, Bj║rk has this time built the songs on Medulla entirely from vocal tracks, with no instruments appearing on the album, creating a soundscape unlike anything you've ever heard before. Special guests include Rahzel from The Roots, Mike Patton of Faith No More and Mr. Bungle, an Inuit throat singer, an Icelandic choir, the world's greatest human beatboxes and more. ________________________________________________________________________________ . .:[+] AMOK [+]:. . ________________________________________________________________________________ Sorry guys, No AMOK report this time, the editor's fault :) it will be included next time. ________________________________________________________________________________ . .:[+] YARD [+]:. . ________________________________________________________________________________ >>> VA-Grade_One_(12_Inch_GO010)-VLS-198X-YARD Release Date: 2004-08-20 Label: Grade One Cat#: GO 010 Related URLs: http://www.roots-archives.com/artist/23 Artist/Album Info: An 80s 12" with an absolutely essential reggae anthem, Michael Prophet's "Gunman", which belongs to those tunes that get re-done as dubplates over and over. Enjoy the original vibes on this one, including a very unusual dub version and a deep b-side tune. * >>> U_Brown-Mr_Music_Man_(7_Inch)-VLS-197X-RKS Release Date: 2004-08-21 Label: Black & White Cat#: - Related URLs: http://www.roots-archives.com/artist/140 http://www.reggae-vibes.com/profiles/ubrown/ubrown.htm Artist/Album Info: "U Brown as he is popularly known in the reggae business was born Huford Brown on 8 June 1956 in Kingston, Jamaica. As a youth, U Brown used to accompany his dad to the local bars. Whilst in the local bars he spent most of his time listening to the jukebox, as his dad drank and socialised with his friends and this is how he developed a love for music. As his love for music grew,U-Brown started cutting school and attending local dances at the tender age of eleven (1966 - 1968)). The big men who were running things pon the dance circuit at the time were Lord Comic, King Stitt and Great U Roy the original Godfather, master and teacher who greatly influenced U Brown and paved the way for modern dancehall. The ruling sounds that notably took his attention was King Tubby?s Hi-Fi with U Roy at the controls. The power of the sound, the quality, the dubs and the way U Roy handled dem riddims with characteristic wisdom and ease just got U Brown going. Around 1968 U Brown got a break in the dance hall circuit by getting an opportunity to deejay pon a sound called Silver Bullet, as he deejayed pon the sound he got a lot of encouragement and compliments that gave him a great push and confidence in what he was doing, which in the long run helped him to establish his style. His greatest break of all came about around 1975 when the great U Roy was involved in an accident so was out of action for a while. U Brown was invited to deejay in place of U Roy since he had a style that resembled the Godfather, to U Brown this was truly a blessing in disguise. U Brown was one of the first students to join U-Roy ?s DJ school. He, Ranking Joe and Ranking Trevor were among the first apprentices, before the coming of the Great Raggamuffin General Brigadier Jerry, Colonel Josey Wales and The Principal Charlie Chaplin just to name a few who were taught by the teacher himself, Daddy U Roy. As he became more and more noticed,he got recording deals from various record producers of the time like Winston Edwards, Vivian Jackson (Yabby U) and Bunny striker Lee. Most notable were the 12" disco-mix records that kept flowing and got a lot of air play in Jamaica, London and America. He did "Keep On Knocking" with Late Ever Great Jacob Miller for producer Joe Gibbs, with the Crown Prince of Reggae, Dennis Emmanuel Brown, he did "Say What You Saying" and "Foundation", with the cool ruler Gregory Isaacs he did "Border" and with The Chantells he did "Children Of Jah" and "Train To Zion" with Linval Thompson which became a title track of one of his albums. All the above 12" disco-mixes are great master pieces that anybody could have of U Brown collection as he was at his peak, although up to date he has not lost his panache, not even an inch!!! Around 1978 - 1979 he set up his own record label titled Hit Sound Records, he managed to make a number one hit with the first album he produced for himself titled "Weather Balloon" which was a great hit and seller all over Europe and America, he also went on to produce other artists and still does. At present U Brown is still touring Europe, America, Jamaica and Japan on sounds like Jah Love Music, King Stur Gav Hi-Fi, Blood and Fire Sound just to name a few. While in London, February 2002, U Brown linked up with Ras Dennis of "Dub Vibes Production" to record a brand new album entitled "Ah Long Time Mi Ah Dee-Jay", choke full of roots and culture." - http://www.reggae-vibes.com/profiles/ubrown/ubrown.htm * >>> Jah_Shaka_Sound-A_Dance_for_the_Tribe_of_Benjamin_Part1-Bootleg-2004-RAC >>> Jah_Shaka_Sound-A_Dance_for_the_Tribe_of_Benjamin_Part2-Bootleg-2004-RAC >>> Jah_Shaka_Sound-A_Dance_for_the_Tribe_of_Benjamin_Part3-Bootleg-2004-RAC Release Date: 2004-08-21 Label: - Cat#: - Related URLs: http://www.jahshakasoundsystem.com/ http://go.to/jahshaka http://www.roots-archives.com/artist/615 Artist/Album Info: Last issue we recommended you an LP produced by Jah Shaka, this time we have live recordings from a soundsystem session with the legend. Feel free top catch a bit of the athmosphere described in the text below! "I first heard Jah Shaka in June 1981 at The Havana Club in Derby. It was a Wednesday night and the place was packed. I?d heard a lot of sounds before like Sir Coxsone, Fatman, Quaker City and Jah Tubbys and I?d heard a lot about Shaka so I was eagerly anticipating it. I wasn?t disappointed. He was playing with another sound from Derby whose name I?ve forgotten. They were good - crisp, clean and heavy with some good music, but when Shaka started playing it was like an earthquake in the place. He played one piece of plastic to sign on with and then pure dubplate the rest of the night - vintage Twinkle Brothers, Pablo, Johnny Clarke, King Tubbys, Scientist etc. I was standing a few feet away from his ampcase and was transfixed by ?the little shortman? bobbing up and down in the air, eyes rolling like a man possessed as his speakers literally shook the walls to their foundations and the sirens and syndrums cut through your ears like piano wire. I was also amazed to see his deck vibrating up and down several inches yet not jumping on a track once; such are the tricks of soundmen. After each tune he played the crowd just stood in silent admiration - awe, even. To this day I still regret not having carried my tape machine in there. Four hours later, the dance finished and I was a confirmed Shaka follower. As a final footnote, my ears didn?t stop ringing for three days afterwards. Jah Shaka is a dub extremist, taking the music beyond the limits of excess. Concentrating on the stomach churning frequencies of bass and ear piercing tops, he hammered dubs home with a vengeance and added his own extra dimensions of sonic madness with the sirens, syndrums and chants which were fed through a pair of H&H tape echos and bent into splinters of aural excess reverberating throughout the dance. I consider him to be the most important figure on the dub scene today, not only in the UK but also internationally, for without him the scene would have died a death many years ago. Every single person without exception who has produced dub music or started a roots sound system in the past 10 years has been directly or indirectly influenced to do so by Shaka, and his dances have become a phenomenon, attracting a large, diverse and multi cultural audience, taking in venues which would previously have been considered unthinkable to host a reggae sound system. The story of Jah Shaka really started in the mid 1970?s. Here are some reminiscences on that period as related to me by a former member of his sound crew in that era: ?Shaka used to get his dubs from the producer Winston Edwards. He had an arrangement where any good tune being made in Jamaica, he was the first to get it, long before it was released. He also got more cuts than anyone else and better cuts then anyone else. That?s how he made his name. At one time he used to sign on with 12 cuts of Kill Nebuchanezzar by Fred Locks when he was playing with another sound. There was no way that anyone could match it, so that was that, he?d finished the other sound off before the dance had even begun... Eventually he?d worked his way round every sound in the country and dealt with all of them... except one, Sir Coxsone. Coxsone was regarded as the number one then and they?d heard about Shaka and they?d been avoiding playing him until finally a dance was arranged and they played together for the first time. It was in Croydon in 1976. Well Shaka went for it that night and half way through the dance, Lloyd Coxsone took the mic and said ?Stop the dance, stop the dance! In all my years in sound system I?ve never heard a sound like Jah Shaka.? And that was it, that was the night Shaka took the crown as number one in England and from then on nobody could touch him for years...? Throughout the late 1970?s & early 1980?s the self-styled ?Zulu Warrior? could be seen regularly in London at venues like Club Noreik in Tottenham, Studio 200 in Balham, Cubies in Dalston & most famously in the basement at the legendary Phoebes in Stoke Newington, a former drinking club owned by east end gangsters the Kray twins, where he had a Friday night residency for several years. When Shaka gave a lecture at Stamford Hill Library in the mid 80?s, the place was full of soundmen & assorted dreads, one of whom summed up the Phoebes sessions by saying, ?I received my spiritual education there ? Phoebes was my church and Shaka was my preacher?. Shaka also travelled the length and breadth of West Indian Britain, from Huddersfield to Bristol to teach the ?country? sounds how it was done. In 1980 he featured in a brief but memorable sequence in the film ?Babylon?, sirens blazing through Johnny Clarke?s title tune. In an NME feature on sound systems the same year, Shaka was amongst those interviewed, stating, ?The National Front and me would have a lot in common. We want to go back to Africa and they want to send us there?? There are many legendary stories surrounding Shaka; like the night in Northampton when Coxsone?s mcs were mouthing off about a Lee Perry dub they had and Shaka silenced them by just looking over, shaking his head, and putting a finger to his lips; the night at Acton Town Hall when Soferno B announced that they were the only sound in the world to have Ijahman?s ?Moulding? and Shaka responded to their 2 average cuts by playing 15 killer cuts of his own; the night at Southall just after King Tubbys death when Joey Jay tried to do a tribute to King Tubbys with a minutes silence and Shaka repeatedly interrupted him by saying ?No man, Tubbys was my bredren and he never liked silence, he always had music playing?run a music.? Joey Jay tried his silent tribute again and failed and was forced to play a King Tubbys plastic before Shaka hammered the message home with a murderous Tubbys dubplate; The night in Phoebes when a dread walked in wearing a dress and carrying a broom handle with a doll tied to the end and spent the entire session standing in the middle of the dancefloor twirling the long handle round and round his head; the night when singer Errol Dunkley is reputed to have thrown bottles at Shaka for, according to different versions of the story, either playing too many cuts of a riddim, or refusing to play an Errol Dunkley tune, and Shaka responded by?? but that?s another story." - http://www.jahwarrior.com/jahshaka.html * >>> Lyrical_Benjie-Rastaman_Style-VL-2004-RAC Release Date: 2004-08-21 Label: King Shiloh Cat#: KS004LP Related URLs: http://www.kingshiloh.com/ http://www.clik.to/lyricalbenjie Artist/Album Info: An up-coming cultural deejay from Amsterdam, known for chanting on King Shiloh Soundsystem. Nice rasta lyrics reminding on the style of Brigadier Jerry and the likes. The LP is partly produced by Vibronics (Scoops Rec., Dubhead). "Many are called choosen are few... Lyrical Benjie is truly a special youth! The first time we met I to I, I could sense it. As he began to sing & chant on the King Shiloh set his blessed gift shone trough. Visitors to Shiloh's many sessions across Europe & beyond have, trough the years aslo come to appreci-love the uplifting Rastaman Style. He is an original Rasta brother, born and raised in Amsterdam city and blessed with the God given gift to sing and write songs of praise. Lyrical utilises His blessing to the fullness, and whenever called upon always answers. Jah works trough Man - Benjie with a humble heart, gives voice to His words to reach those what have ears to hear. This is the Rastaman Style, the long-awaited debut album, Six tracks of crucial vocal and dub produced by InI bredrin Europ-wide. Lyrical Benjie at last busting out of the dancehall and onto long-playing vinyl! Jah see and know..." - backside sleeve excerpt * >>> Lone_Ranger-M-16-CD-2001-RKS Release Date: 2004-08-29 Label: J&J Records Cat#: ? Related URLs: http://www.roots-archives.com/release/1380 http://rootsdub.free.fr/LoneRanger-disco.htm Artist/Album Info: Essential album from the original Studio One deejay Lone Ranger, originally issued in 1980. "Borrowing his stage name from the popular TV Western hero of the same name, the Lone Ranger was one of Jamaica's most influential early dancehall DJs. He helped pioneer a newly rhythmic, on-the-beat rhyming style that led DJ toasting into the modern age, and punctuated his lyrics with bizarre exclamations and sound effects ("bim" and "ribbit" were his favorites) that made him perhaps the most imaginative stylist of his time. The Lone Ranger was born Anthony Waldron and spent a good portion of his childhood in the U.K., later moving to Kingston. He first recorded in tandem with Welton Irie at Clement "Coxsone" Dodd's famed Studio One, but soon went solo, toasting over the rhythm tracks of past Studio One hits from the rocksteady and roots reggae eras. He also became the top DJ for the Virgo Hi Fi Sound System, resulting in its being voted the top sound system in Jamaica in 1980.The Lone Ranger's breakout hit was "Love Bump," a Dodd-produced version of the rhythm from Slim Smith's "Rougher Yet." His signature song, however, was "Barnabas Collins," an ode to the vampiric main character of the TV series Dark Shadows. Produced by Alvin "GG" Ranglin, "Barnabas Collins" was a massive hit in 1980, topping charts in both Jamaica and the U.K. An album of the same name (aka Barnabas in Collins Wood) followed on Ranglin's label, and established him as one of the top recording DJs of the time. Over the next two years, the Lone Ranger recorded prolifically for Studio One, issuing albums like On the Other Side of Dub, Badda Dan Dem, and what many regarded as his strongest LP, M-16. M-16 featured further hits in the title track, "Natty Burial," and "Fist to Fist." He also recorded with other producers, including Channel One's Winston Riley (1981's Rosemarie) and himself, in tandem with Clive Jarrett (1982's Hi Yo Silver Away).With the ascent of Yellowman and the recording debuts of other prominent early DJs (Brigadier Jerry, Josey Wales, Charlie Chaplin, etc.), the Lone Ranger found his popularity challenged; he also found some of his signature gimmicks appropriated by imitators. After his initial burst of activity, his pace had slowed considerably by the mid-'80s. He cut another album, DJ Daddy, for Winston Riley in 1984, and followed it with Learn to Drive, a low-profile album for Bebo Phillips' label, in 1985. He subsequently dropped out of sight." - www.allmusic.com Concerning the last sentence of this bio, this one needs a little update. After a drug dealing career and three years of imprisonment in the US, Lone Ranger moved to France and is recording singles and doing gigs again, enjoying huge popularity amongst the European roots reggae audience. The German reggae magazine RIDDIM did a big future on him some months ago. ________________________________________________________________________________ . .:[+] TR [+]:. . ________________________________________________________________________________ ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ________________________________________________________________________________ . .:[+] DPS [+]:. . ________________________________________________________________________________ Designer_Music-Good_Girls_(NOCAT)-Whitelabel_VLS-2004-2DB 08/23/2004 ---- Originally released a while back, Mr. Craig has provided the re-issue as part of the Planet-E classics range. Rolling drums (sampled from 'Give it Up' by The Goodmen) drive the track continually forward, and the usual Carl Craig magic give it that aural seductivity we've come to expect from him. * Juan_Atkins-Futurepast_EP-(SUB005)-Vinyl-2004-EviL 08/20/2004 ---- Classic Juan Atkins. Three delicious detroit fillings, but sadly not the greatest vinyl rip (check track three, which appears to have some particularly nasty scratching artifacts). Reason enough to buy the actual vinyl though! PS, this may have actually been nuked on some sites.. * Psi_Spy-Bake_N_Bite_EP-(PT006)-2004-DPS 08/17/2004 ---- Grimey-acid-electro-breakbeat-dubstep bizzness bwoooooooooooy. Devastating new EP from Psi Spy, and one of the surprise hits of the year so far for me. Turn your sub on full for maximum effect. * Teebee-The_Legacy-SUBTITLESLP002-2004-sour 08/16/2004 ---- Some call him the poor mans Photek, but this album really shines. His recent output on Photek's fledgling label has proven that he has both a unique and personal approach to his music, and with this new album, we see substance and intelligence. The usual heavy beats, and sci-fi samples are still there for the purists. Undoubtably his best work to date. * VA-Offshore-Ohm_Subscription_Series_CD-2004-DPS 08/27/2004 ---- Aggressive hardcore dnb/jungle in an exclusive CD mix as part of the subscribers 10" series. ________________________________________________________________________________ . .:[+] SB [+]:. . _______________________________________________________________________________ ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ________________________________________________________________________________ . .:[+] AMRC [+]:. . ________________________________________________________________________________ >>> Amorphis-Far_From_the_Sun-RETAIL-2004-ESC Release Date: 2004-08-18 Label Info: Nuclear Blast Release Info: This is the US Version of the new Amorphis album which includes some nice bonus tracks :) This is an odd album, not that it's strange but odd in the sense that I like the odd-numbered tracks a lot better than the even-numbered ones. The odd numbered songs are all heavier and I have never thought that much of the slower tunes from the Finnish rockers of Amorphis. These guys have been around for over a decade now and have already released five full-length studio album. Their 1998 album "Tuonela" is to me the highlight in their long career with its beautiful melodies and melancholic atmosphere. It was the first time that they really took a step (or 'leap' would perhaps be a better word) forward from the melodic death metal of their past to move towards a weird mixture of psychedelic rock and emotional metal. Their storng sense of melody has been with them all the time and this is also the case with their sixth album "Far From The Sun", the first one being released since they signed a deal with the major label EMI's local office in Finland. There isn't really that much to say about this album. It follows pretty much in the footsteps of their previous two albums with heavy and thick guitar walls coupled with psychedelic sections and wonderful melodies. It doesn't quite reach the close to perfection album "Tuonela" but it is a small improvement from their last previous release "Am Universum" from 2001. Yet another good solid release from one of the finest and most exciting Finnish metal bands at the moment. Stand-out tracks: all odd-numbered tracks. * >>> Cradle_Of_Filth--Nymphetamine-Full_Promo-2004-ViC Release Date: 2004-08-23 Label Info: Roadrunner Records Release Info: Cradle Of Filth bassist Dave Pybus has posted a studio update of how the work on the band's new studio album 'Nymphetamine' is going on the band's official website. 'The record is sounding great so far. Still working on a couple of arrangements but its only minor ideas. Guitars always make the songs sound so cool, keyboards even better. When the tracking starts to build up on each song and you turn up the speakers it gives you a buzz like no other. Something we just created out of our heads is now this huge monster ready to rip the face off anyone within ear shot. Great! Just the acoustic sound of Adrian's Tama drum kit is massive. Best I've ever heard to be honest.' 'Pressure! OK, it's no secret, I did quit in a drunken rage while away hehe. Cutting down on drinking helped, although sharing a room means you spend more time with others, which leads to more sociabilities, usually in the pub. One step forward, two steps back. Accept some things will never change.' 'The artwork has now taken a new turn which is quite a surprise but looks amazing. We are lucky to be in a no lose situation with our art guy Matt Lombard because whatever we don't choose for the cover can always be used on the inner CD booklet. It's all fucking great! Plus he's very flexible to our ideas and works virtually non-stop to get us what we are looking for almost immediately. As the title suggests the subject matter is beautiful, classic women. Tissue paper at the ready lads!!!' * >>> Dry_Kill_Logic-The_Dead_And_Dreaming-(Advance)-2004-RNS Release Date: 2004-08-18 Label Info: SPV/Repossession Records Release Info: It isn't often that a band like Dry Kill Logic comes along - a band whose musical depth exceeds its anger. That is not to say that the music lacks attitude, in fact it is downright pissed off, but with a focus that is not often heard in heavy music today. Singer Cliff Rigano, guitarist Scott Thompson, bassist Dave Kowatch and drummer Phil Arcuri deftly combine their uniquely-styled rage, tension and talent into an explosive mixture that separates them from others in their genre. Originally formed in Westchester, New York in 1995, Dry Kill Logic took their cue from the proverbial gods of metal -- Pantera, Tool, King Diamond, Sepultura and Fear Factory. In 1997 they released their first EP 'Cause Moshing Is Good Fun' on their own Psychodrama Records. "Psychodrama is everywhere," Cliff explains. "I've always felt that the forces of stupidity surround the human race constantly. Everything has to be a really big deal these days. People aren't willing to let go of even the smallest thing." After wracking up some prime opening slots for the likes of Exodus, Flotsam & Jetsam, and Pro-Pain, the band went into the studio in July '98 with producer Andy Katz (Overkill, Local H, Rakim) to cut a full length effort, 'Elemental Evil'. Quickly hailed by their peers as a force to be reckoned with, they were invited to share the stage with Coal Chamber, Incubus, Anthrax, System of a Down, and the Misfits, just to name a few. "When we get on stage it's such a ferocious, violent show," Cliff states. Despite the local successes, internal tensions in the band were running high and when their then-guitarist split, Dry Kill Logic decided to spend 1999 taking some time off and strategizing their next move. This was not to be the end of Dry Kill Logic, it was merely the calm before the storm. After this much needed break, Dry Kill Logic regrouped with a vengeance. In their search to fill the vacant guitar slot, the band met Scott Thompson, who was working as a piercer at a tattoo shop at the time, through a mutual friend and hit it off straight away. "You can spend years writing with people and never get anywhere," Cliff admits. "Then you can spend minutes with the right person and get ten times as much accomplished. Hinge was taken to a new level once Scott joined." Phil couldn't agree more "Scott was a blessing in disguise. We all instantly clicked and he fit right in." The newly forged foursome started writing for the new record in February of 2000 and went into the studio with Scrap 60 Productions (Eddie Wohl, Steve Regina and Rob Caggiano) in August. With the fire in them burning strong, they quickly tracked the 13 anything-but-quiet tunes that were to become The Darker Side of Nonsense. Talking about the session, Phil is still ecstatic "It was off the wall. We all knew what we were trying to do and everyone was on the same page. The vibe was great." The intensity and fury on every track on The Darker Side of Nonsense is almost palpable from the churning guitars to the pummeling rhythm section, every track is a catharsis of sorts. "The funny thing is that the songs aren't about anything in particular. I don't write them with an issue or a person in mind," Cliff explains, "I like for people to get out of them what they will. It's not that they are anger for anger's sake - they are very much a part of me." "The new stuff shows we're fed up with everything," Phil states. "We wanted it to be straight-up just heavier and more in-your-face." From the opening assault of "Nightmare", with its screaming chorus of "Me + You = Nightmare" to the all out aural pummeling of "Pain" to the more melodic yet equally deadly "Feel the Break," The Darker Side of Nonsense is sure to put Dry Kill Logic atop the pantheon of heavy music. Dry Kill Logic is a beast of its own one that claws at you and gets under your skin and into your head the way that few bands do. Prepare for The Darker Side of Nonsense to do some permanent damage to your cerebral cortex. * >>> Fear_Factory-Mischief_Invasion-OST-2004-RNS Release Date: 2004-08-16 Label Info: Liquid 8 Records Release Info: When not shredding stages with his inhuman drumming technique, Fear Factaory drummer Raymond Herrera supplies music & sound effects to films & videogames via his own company Herrera Productions. His latest project is conceiving the soundtrack to Mischief Invasion, the fourth entry in the popular Mischief 'reality' street racing film series in conjunction with Techademics Films and Liquid 8 Records. The soundtrack will be released on August 8th. Fear Factory is no stranger to the world of film soundtracks, as the band's music has been featured on such blockbuster hits as Mortal Kombat, Resident Evil, Freddy Vs. Jason, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Herrera approached Teckademics to create a soundtrack for Mischief Invasion, as he was awestruck by the wild antics contained in the film. Likening the movie to ?the Cannonball Run of 2004, Herrera was immediately inspired and collected an assortment of cutting edge and innovative artists to compose full-throttle material for the soundtrack; some of whom whose work had previously appeared on the Emmy-winning series Sex In The City and the films XXX and National Security. Herrera and Fear Factory guitarist Christian Olde-Wolbers also composed four tracks for the release; in addition to including a new remix of the band's latest single "Archetype." * >>> Joe_Stump-Speed_Metal_Messiah-Promo-2004-AMRC Release Date: 2004-08-21 Label Info: Lion Music Release Info: Lion Music's webpage has this to say about the CD: "The king of neoclassical shred guitar returns with his finest album to date. Speed Metal Messiah is destined to become a classic album within the instrumental genre." * >>> Lamb_of_God-Ashes_of_the_Wake-RETAIL-2004-ESC Release Date: 2004-08-27 Label Info: Epic Records Release Info: The new LAMB OF GOD album "Ashes of the Wake" will be released on Tuesday, August 31, 2004. The Epic Debut ?Ashes of the Wake,? is the follow-up to the critically acclaimed 2003 independent release on Prosthetic Records, ?As The Palaces Burn? which Revolver Magazine calls 'Album of the Year' and Rolling Stone praised 'a meticulously crafted metal assault'. Produced by Machine, the new Album "Ashes Of The Wake" includes guest appearances by Megadeth's Chris Poland and Testament's Alex Skolnick. As this goes to press all basic tracks have been laid down -Drummer Chris Adler tells us: "The tracking sessions have been very intense and the vibe in the studio is exciting to say the least. My drum tracks were done in Jersey in May and Randy is done as of today. It's been a giant sonic puzzle and as Willie, Mark, John and Randy have layered onto the basic drum mix - you can feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. It's like feeling the ground as a train approaches, you can tell how massive it is - and its coming fast. It's surreal at times - I think everyone involved knows we have a monster on our hands." * >>> Rhapsody-Symphony_Of_Enchanted_Lands_II-The_Dark_Secret-Promo-2004-AMRC Release Date: 2004-08-18 Label Info: SPV/Magic Circle Release Info: Rhapsody returns with "The Dark Secret"... NARRATION (provided by Christopher Lee) : "It was a good time for all creatures of the earth, but fate decreed that the dark prophecy of a demon knight could bring a tragic end to this peace scarring their lives forever. Shortly before his defeat in the last of the primordial wars between the heavens and hells the evil son of the Hell God Kron, known as Nekron, withdrew to his lair in the underworld.There, sensing his impending death he inscribed a testament of pure evil in seven black books.One by one six of these books were discovered through out the ages, however the seventh, last and most terrible of all contained the secret of his resurrection. He commanded seven immortal demons to carry out his dark plan.But they were turned into stone by the angels of the crystal realms.And so his dreams slept with them until a time came when the forces of evil would usurp the earth. Nekron would rule in the unholy name of cosmic chaos. And this time he would reign supreme!" With the forthcoming release of the mini album "The Dark Secret?, the Italian epic metal band Rhapsody provides a taste of their long play album "Symphony Of Enchanted Lands Part 2 - The Dark Secret" that is due in September of this year. A new saga has been born, one that takes the listener on a musical adventure featuring epic, fast metal tracks and sonic landscapes with stirring narrative. It is the debut of a new style of Heavy Metal music created by RHAPSODY known as Film Score Metal. The massive production was done in several studios throughout Europe; from England to Italy, from the Czech Republic and Belgium to Germany. Supported by appearances by more than a dozen international guest soloists and the entire Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic Orchestra from the Czech Republic, a 50 piece choir as well as Christopher Lee - the grand seigneur of film and one of the most filmed actors in history, the "Dark Secret" as well as the yet untitled album will set the world of Symphonic Metal on fire. Mr. Christopher Lee is no stranger to music and recording studios as he is a classically trained opera singer himself. Among other well known narrators and London actors, Lee will guide the listeners in the role of a king through the unique saga invented by RHAPSODY'S founding members Luca Turilli and Alex Staropoli who are the producers of this album. "It is a dream come true. We couldn't believe it when our management informed us that our hero Mr. Lee agreed to be part of our new CD. We are extremely thankful and honoured that this outstanding legend of film and theatre has chosen to work with us", says Luca Turilli. "Mr. Lee indeed brought reality to our vision and dreams," says Alex Staropoli. "It was pure magic and his narrations is just magnificent and truly majestic." Following a 2-year absence from the studio, finally the time has come for a new journey, a new adventure, and a new album from RHAPSODY that will shake the metal universe. The new mini album "The Dark Secret" will set the stage for a new era of Heavy Metal Music and the limited edition includes a DVD that will contain exclusive interviews, and behind the scenes material. * >>> Seven_Witches_-_Year_Of_The_Witch-Promo-CD-2004-QTXMp3 Release Date: 2004-08-26 Label Info: Noise Records Release Info: SEVEN WITCHES have just stepped out of Mix-O-Lydian studio in Lafayette, New Jersey, after the completion of their new album entitled "Year of the Witch", due to be released in September, through Sanctuary Records. The music for their fifth anthology, is described as being the next step from "Passage to the Other Side". This time around, the Witches deliver ten new tunes, including one song originally written by Dave Ellefson of Megadeth, plus a multiple song concept comparable to the idea of King Diamond's "Abigail", about a young boy named Jacob who is unsure of his importance in the world. The line-up on this album differs slightly from the last, as Witches founder Jack Frost, and veteran singer James Rivera, are joined by studio session drummer, Craig Anderson and newly permanent bassist Dennis Hayes, formerly of Ohio based act Winter's Bane, which was fronted by Ripper Owens in his days before Judas Priest. Joey Vera, who is now playing bass for Anthrax, does not perform on the record but contributes to the writing and pre-production, and is considered to still be apart of the Witches family. Jeff Curenton, also previously of Winter's Bane, has recently been inducted as the latest addition to the camp, and will appear live on the drums at upcoming gigs. Last month SEVEN WITCHES played to a packed house at the Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles 6 Pack Weekend festival in Cleveland, Ohio, on June 4th, and to a sold out crowd of 30,000 at the Graspop Metal Meeting festival in Belgium, June 27th. * >>> Six_Feet_Under_-_Live_Full_Force_DVDA-2004-FKK *** Six_Feet_Under-Live_with_Full_Force-(Bonus_CD)-2004-FNT Release Date: 2004-08-21 Label Info: SPV Records Release Info: Recorded LIVE in concert on July 3rd, 2003 at the "With Full Force Summer Open Air" festival. "Live With Full Force" captures the raw power and energy of one of the worlds' top Death Metal bands in their element. This pro shot DVD includes the band's most popular songs, performed in support of the band's most recent studio release, "Bringer Of Blood." The DVD comes packaged with a BONUS EP that includes audio portions of the ________________________________________________________________________________ . .:[+] gF [+]:. . ________________________________________________________________________________ >>> S.-Puking_And_Crying-2004-gF Release Date: 2004-08-22 Label Info and Catalog #: Suicide Squeeze / http://suicidesqueeze.net Artist/Album Info: S. represents the solo career of Jenn Ghetto; co-leader of Seattle's sorely missed CARISSA'S WIERD. On her second full-length record, "Puking and Crying", Ghetto collects dark and hauntingly intimate songs, surely classified as organic even with the strange electronics, drum loops, blips and clicks involved. Puking and Crying has an up-close feel to it, a direct look into the songwriter and quite possibly could have been made distinctly for fans of Bjork who need fewer theatrics, lovers of Belle and Sebastian longing for less posturing, and admirers of The Postal Service who aren?t afraid to get a little dirty. * >>> Weights_and_Measures-Invest_in_the_Death_of_Weights_and_Measures-2004-iTS Release Date: 2004-08-15 Label Info and Catalog #: www.escapegoatrecords.com Artist/Album Info: This album is a collection of the recorded history of weights and measures. It consists of the their self-titled full-length and "Tonight, the Lower Abdominals" (both originally released on Matlock Records) plus an unreleased EP. post/math-rock * >>> Battles-B_EP-Advance-2004-iTS Release Date: 2004-08-20 Label Info and Catalog #: Dim Mak / http://www.dimmak.com/ Artist/Album Info: Their sophomore release is a mind-blowing masterpiece, layered and rhythmic with strict definitions and timing. These four artists were known individually before forming their power quartet, being ex- and current members of Don Caballero, Storm and Stress, Helmet, and Tomahawk. As technically dazzling as you'd expect. http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/b/battles/ep-c-tras-fantasy.shtml and get 2004-06-22 Battles-Tras-EP-2004-iTS 2004-06-11 Battles-EP_C-2004-iTS http://www.bttls.com/ * >>> Radian-Juxtaposition-(Japanese_Retail)-2004-DPS Release Date: 2004-08-14 Label Info and Catalog #: Headz (#29)/ Thrill Jockey (thrill-jp 14) Artist/Album Info: Radian are an Austrian improvising trio; Martin Brandlmayr on drums, vibes and computer, Stefan Nemeth on synths, guitar and computer, and John Norman on bass. Juxtaposition is their third album. Juxtaposition is cooly contemporary, like a darker, more pencil-sharp To Rococo Rot. Whoever's manipulating the electronic effects is surely a fan of Pan Sonic's tamperings with mains voltage. However there's something distinctively elegant and careful about the album as a whole: even when they're ratcheting the noise up to 10, there's a sense of contemplative refinement about the experience. It would be unfair to apply the term 'Post Rock' to Radian. That uneasy term evokes earnest attempts at intellectualising an intuitive form whilst summarily ignoring the funk and blues roots which gave the original such power - however weasly its present incarnation may be. This album is recorded by John McEntire (Tortoise and The Sea and cake). * >>>> Bron_Y_Aur-Quien_Sabe-2004-gF Release Date: 2004-08-20 Label Info and Catalog #: Wallace Records (#51) Artist/Album Info: After 10 years of militancy BRON Y AUR release their third album, however it's not just the years which marks the growth of the band but a deep sound evolution. So, in "Quien Sabe?" the rock matrix seems to be less present respect their past, even if for experienced ears it won't be hard to find the result of psichedelic jam sessions, so spontaneously rock as well as so precise and methodical has been the treatment on the mixer. XABIER IRIONDO and PAUL CANTU' (A SHORT APNEA, SIX MINUTE WAR MADNESS...) helped the band to find this compromise between instinct and reason, photographing the feeling of the four musicians. "Quien sabe?" is BRON Y AUR today. * >>>> Epic45_-_Against_the_Pull_of_Autumn-2004-BCC Release Date: 2004-08-28 Label Info and Catalog #: Where Are My Records / #WAM015 Artist/Album Info: In 1995, three high school friends -- Ben Holton, Rob Glover, and Mark Oldfield -- founded Epic45. Now only in their early 20s, they blend together influences ranging from the ambience of bands such as Bark Psychosis, Labradford, and Talk Talk to the sonic experiments of bands such as Godspeed You Black Emperor, Disco Inferno, and Hood, ending up with a sound uniquely their own. To date, Epic45 have released two EPs and three split singles, appeared on various compilation albums, and released an internet-only mini album through their website. The Epic45 second album, "Against the Pull of Autumn," is an album not to be missed -- similar in some respects to the elegant pastoral post-rock of Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Labradford but dreamier, more expansive, and with some beautiful piano-based pieces. also check out: 2004-08-01 Laudanum_and_Epic45-Subtracks_No2-(MOPS002)-Vinyl-2001-sfE 2004-08-01 Epic45_and_100_Pets-Split_Single-(AWKWARD06)-VLS-2001-sfE ________________________________________________________________________________ . .:[+] DRUM [+]:. . ________________________________________________________________________________ ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ________________________________________________________________________________ . .:[+] SER [+]:. . ________________________________________________________________________________ >>> Hidria_Spacefolk-Balansia-2004-RDA Release Date: 2004-08-19 Label Info and Catalog #: Silence, SLC-020 Artist/Album Info: Hidria Spacefolks psychonaut expedition keeps probing deeper the boundaries of progressive psychedelia with their brand new studio album Balansia. The trip sets off where 2002's Symbiosis left them and evolves into a consiousness-expanding instrumental journey straight to the nucleus of the collective musical psyche. Hidrias hypnotic and highly unorthodox music draws inluences from Finnish folk, Eastern world music, progressive and alternative rock as well as modern techno/trance. Their new album consists of six energetic bursts of instrumental space rock - for want of a better word - that methodically defy the conventions and clich?s of ordinary rock music. The new album like Symbiosis was recorded and mixed at Finland's premier freak rock headquarters, Seawolf Studios in Helsinki. Aptly enough, the production of Balansia is clearly more balanced than its predecessors, while still boasting the wide spectrum of instrumental dynamics that Hidrias live shows are famous for. http://www.hidriaspacefolk.st/ http://www.wolfgangrecords.com/files/labels/silence/silence.htm * >>> Client-City-2004-AMOK Release Date: 2004-08-26 Label Info and Catalog #: Toast Hawaii / Mute Artist/Album Info: 'City' is the follow up album to Client's self-titled, 2003 debut and features collaborations with Pete Doherty and Carl Barat of The Libertines and Martin Gore of Depeche Mode. The new album according to Client is 'darker, bleaker and more lush'. Highlights include the song, 'Radio' which lyrically explores depression and musically recalls Joy Division with its hypnotic and compulsive layers of beats and keyboards as well as the single, 'In It For The Money', which is Client at their most acerbic and witty. An anthem for doomed youth, 'Down To The Underground', features a guest vocal performance from Pete Doherty. While 'Pornography' featuring Carl Barat of The Libertines is a sexy electro classic. Other highlights include the seductive and dark, 'Overdrive', featuring Martin Gore of Depeche Mode and the lush but also delicate, 'One Day At A Time'. also check out the Client-Radio-CDM-2004-AMOK from 2004-08-23 With its hypnotic and compulsive layers of beats, Radio, recalls both Joy Division and Kraftwerk, delivered in Client's own distinctive and unmistakable vocal style. http://www.client-online.net/ * >>> Toog--Lou_Etendue-2004-HiT2000 Release Date: 2004-08-25 Label Info and Catalog #: Karaoke Kalk KALK 39-CD Artist/Album Info: New Album from Toog on Karaoke Kalk. September 1914: the french poet Guillaume Apollinaire meets a fascinating young woman, Lou, in Nice. Seduced but quickly disappointed, he joins the troops in Nimes and starts to write the wonderful poems that will be collected and named "Poems to Lou", after his death. September 2001: a few days before his flight to New York, Toog meets Asia Argento. The twin towers collapse. Having to stay in Paris, Toog imagines Lou Etendue, a musical piece in a threatening world, with Asia as the new Lou. He asks Digiki to produce the project. Toog is a french musician, born in Mulhouse in 1966. His first album, "6633", released in 1999, is a collection of electronic vignettes, often surrealistic. "Easy Toog for Beginners", his second album, released in 2001, develops more sounds and structures. Both albums were released in the USA, Europe and Japan. Toog is an explorer, searching for new territories for contemporary chanson. Toog is also a poet, co-editor of ╜ TO ?, a bilingual poetry magazine. * >>> Ed_Harcourt-Strangers-(Advance)-2004-RNS Release Date: 2004-08-20 Label Info and Catalog #: Heavenly / EMI Artist/Album Info: This former chef and member of indie-adolescents Snug has extended the range of ingredients, progressed from bass guitar, and long since raided the musical larder (playing piano/keyboards, guitar, banjo, drums, and kitchen sink). At the age of 23, it was alleged he had a backlog of 300-plus songs. They're not all searingly original, but this sort of youthful industry should be warmly encouraged. Harcourt is an obvious disciple of Tom Waits, and the marriage of his dreamland Americana and England's South Coast is sometimes an awkward alliance. Other self-confessed influences include comatose jazzer Chet Baker, incendiary blues showman Screamin' Jay Hawkins -- and, later, Perry Farrell, the Beasties, Gravediggaz, and At the Drive In. With a widening palette and application that sometimes sees him write two or three songs in a day, his career should be an interesting one. Maplewood sounds like a work in progress, indeed Heavenly Records put out the original four-track recordings straight from the rural idyll of his grandma's Sussex house. Here Be Monsters (2002) was recorded in a studio proper, some of the earlier songs are thickened and enriched, and the earlier promise is realized. Some wag has called Harcourt the Fortnum and Mason's version of Badly Drawn Boy, but he's not necessarily upmarket, more of a supermarket perhaps. He should rely on his own fertile soil, mulch his influences more thoroughly, and become an organic shop of real character, just like Damien Gough himself. His live performances are populated by an army of soft toys, with Kermit clinging onto the microphone sound promisingly dotty, but tales of piano trashing seem a bit egotistical and pass?. This sort of caper can work with a gun-shaped guitar, but it does seem a bit harsh battering a defenseless piece of mahogany with imperfect ivory teeth. A piano is essentially a sedate and introverted piece of furniture, with hidden harmonic depths. This would be a step too far for Jerry Lee Lewis himself. These are minor quibbles however, Harcourt has youth and bags of talent on his side. In 2003, Harcourt returned with the stripped down sophomore effort From Every Sphere. http://www.edharcourt.com/ * >>> Hope_Of_The_States-Winter_Riot_Dust_Rackets-EP-2004-ICE Release Date: 2004-08-13 Label Info and Catalog #: Epic Artist/Album Info: A band formed a good few years back, their birthplace of Chichester may not equate in your eyes to the spawning-ground of legends, but if one thing is set to be achieved from the ?States all-encompassing greatness ? it?s that prior-laid conventions are set to be dutifully crushed. Fronted by the intriguingly sensitive, unassuming Sam Herlihy, and its core consisting of guitarists Anthony Theaker and Jimmi Lawrence, with further back-up on violins, keys, bass and drums, H Of S are the UK?s most daringly avant-garde cum post-rock alt-force in action. With a debut-single ? ?Black Dollar Bills? ? under their belts, itself tougher to find than a sincere, non-drug-consuming children?s TV -presenter, the world is slowly aligning itself to their agenda. And when you hear them, you?ll soon know why. http://www.hopeofthestates.com/ Worth checking out too: Hope_of_the_States-Nehemiah-CDS-2004-SSR 2004-08-18 Hope_of_the_States-Nehemiah-VLS-2004-SSR 2004-08-18 Hope_of_the_States-the_Lost_Riots-Retail-2004-NuHS 2004-06-05 * >>> Zacharius_Carls_Group-Zacharius_Carls_Group-2004-SER Release Date: 2004-08-18 Label Info and Catalog #: Levy-Yhtio Artist/Album Info: Debut album from this amazing indie rock band. http://www.zachshouse.com * >>> Itavayla-Itavayla-LP-2004-SER Release Date: 2004-08-26 Label Info and Catalog #: Rikos Records Artist/Album Info: Psychedelic post-rock electroblues - the sound of Easter 2004; defined by our latest release, the debut LP from Itavayla, an orchestra led by R.Barracuda of the Imatran Voima fame (and not to be confused as a sub-project of IVO) - a flowerchild of Rikos and Kostamus born under a bad sign and engineered by Mesak, the soundtrack of the future boozers is here! For those who didn't know: Itavayla is the name of the road that leads from Sornainen to the notorious Eastern Helsinki. It's also a name of trio playing original and psychedelic combination of boogie and electronic music. Itavayla is formed of R. Barracuda: rhythm machines, synthesizers and cembalo, J. Vironen: slide guitar, rhythm guitar and A. Saarinen: rhythm guitar, lead guitar. There are also a couple of guest musicians involved. I'm not sure if this, apparently their first release, should be called 12" or vinyl album, since there are only four tracks on it. It is almost 40 minutes long, though, and spins at 33 1/3 rounds per minute. Well, this is not important, so let's get to the point. The first track "Black Diamond Express" sounds very much like traditional rhythm 'n' blues, mostly because of the dark, Deep South minister sounding vocals. The next track "Tesco" is more conventional electro; I'm somewhat reminded of Opel Bastards, although this rocks more. Vilunki 3000 is found on the thanks list, no wonder. There are plenty of analogue synths, and the hypnotic guitars are also well presented. Great stuff! The B-side is started with a bit shorter "Future Boogie" which begins with a Hawkwind-styled wind sound that carries on the whole track. This is like a psychedelic version of ZZ Top! A nice one, as well. The album is ended with long "Jeesus Kristus" beginning in a laid-back manner with psychedelic bubbling synths which are joined by slow, heavy boogie. The track includes some stylish slide guitar and marvellous synthesizer sounds. The rhythm fades out in the middle leaving only the bubbling synth patterns left again. Finally the rhythm comes back and we get to hear an amazing guitar solo! Wow. http://itavayla.rikosrecords.com/ * >>> Veljeni_Valas-Veljeni_Valas-2004-SER Release Date: 2004-08-11 Label Info and Catalog #: Valas Records Artist/Album Info: Veljeni Valas was founded in 2001, when two guys, Pekka Saarikorpi and J-P Linna decided to just have a jamming session. As a duo, Pekka with the drums and J-P with the guitar, they created an interesting atmosphere, with both electronic and acoustic sounds. In a few months, they decided to expand the combo with more melodic elements, and Joonas Outakoski with the saxophone joined the group. A line-up started to form, and so did the sound. When in the beginning the sound was more ethnic and acoustic, after a while it was supported with samplers and computer generated complex effects. In spite of that the music was originally improvised, both melodically and harmonically, the tunes formed a quite highly developed entity. As they first did their gigs with more impulsive way, rather than planning something carefully, they agreed with the line through the "show". As time went by, the improvised melodies found their ultimate lines and dramatics. In the winter 2002-2003, the band rolled back to it's original form, while Joonas was making his exchange in Austria. In summer 2003 the group reunited for an intensive practicing session, in order to record an album. In the October Veljeni Valas entered the Seawolf Studios, and in this point the album is just about to be released in mbar 10.5.2004. http://www.veljenivalas.com/ * >>> Tigerbombs-Loves_You-2004-SER Release Date: 2004-08-18 Label Info and Catalog #: Johanna Kustannus Artist/Album Info: TIGERBOMBS is a Finnish groovalicious combo-organ flavored pop/rock duo formed in july 2001. It's often said we come from Tampere (Finland), but whatsoever we come from a little here and there. Whatever. TIGERBOMBS was originally formed and is led by our snap -crackle-pop-duo PEPE TROUBLE and KIDO RETRO. While all songs, arrangements, lyrics, production etc. come from the hands from the allmighty TB-duo, onstage TB kicks in with three additional fine & lively young men. TIGERSOUND is build up with, say, pretty grarageish and vintage touch. Two snarling? guitars, flaming & biting Italian-made organs (i.e. CRB, GEM,FARFISA), funky basslines and sleazy drumworks. Sound = equipment. Simple as that. Tigerbombs music is filled with heart murdering melodies, not that ordinary production (well...err...very professional homemade sound), sweet harmonies and heartfelt and 100% lovefilled lyrics? They say it's garage but it's like cursing nowadays. OK, we kinda live in the garage so it's fair enough to say we're a garage band. http://www.tigerbombs.com * >>> Gibby_Haynes_And_His_Problem-Gibby_Haynes_And_His_Problem-2004-RNS Release Date: 2004-08-24 Label Info and Catalog #: Surfdog Records Artist/Album Info: The first solo album ever from the frontman and co-founding member of the legendary Butthole Surfers. The debut CD, Gibby Haynes and His Problem, is a groundbreaking collection of songs from one of the most dynamic, controversial and influential icons of the alternative music movement. From opener "Kaiser" to the last of the 11 songs, "Redneck Sex," the album displays Hayne's provocative, absurdist lyrics, his famous "Gibbytronix" bullhorn voice manipulator and an acid-drenched heaping dose of heavy duty rock and roll. http://www.hisproblem.com/ * >>> Bo_Hansson-Mellanvasen-LP-1974-JCE Release Date: 2004-08-14 Label Info and Catalog #: Silence, SRS-4625 Artist/Album Info: Another fantastic instrumental album from swedish keyboardist Bo Hansson, this is a hot euro only pressing & its not very easy to come by on vinyl these days. * >>> Macha-Forget_Tomorrow-2004-pyt Release Date: 2004-08-18 Label Info and Catalog #: Jetset Artist/Album Info: It's been a while since we last heard from Macha, and with all the scenes that have risen and fallen in the interim, it's easy to forget that they were once viewed as one of indie rock's greatest hopes for the future-- a future that, at the time of their second album, was still a calendar century away. The Athens, GA trio got off to a quick start, gracing 1998 and 1999 each with a forward-looking, genre-defying album. In 2000, they dropped a highly-acclaimed collaboration with now- defunct slowcore nap-rockers Bedhead and then seemingly evaporated, leaving us to figure out where to redirect our anticipation. So forgive me if I didn't figure they even existed anymore. Four years is a long pause, but brothers Joshua and Mischo McKay, and their former housemate Kai Reidl, have emerged on the other end of their layoff with an album that, while not quite justification for the wait, nonetheless brims with the same restless creativity that spiked their early records, updated just enough to incorporate the moping massive's newfound fascination with all things rhythmic and pulsing. Macha still retain the passion for Indonesian gamelan and arcane instrumentation that made their initial burst so distinctive, but it's relatively played down, relegated mostly to the corners in favor of Neo-Tokyo synths and a river of bass: Forget Tomorrow is a futurist's sonic Eden, a soundtrack to the arcades and clinics of William Gibson's Chiba City. The album's first half cruises through this territory with the top down, breathing its air fully, and scooping up most of the good ideas that lie there. The title track ought to be a single, with its deadpanned, vacuum-sealed melody, plasticine synth, flourishes of koto, and polished steel neo-Moroder groove. It's sleeker than a Mitsubishi TV spot, but the recording's workmanlike nature renders it real. "(Do the) Inevitable" adds the clanking Indonesian percussion that we've so come to expect on a Macha record, but the funky bassline and kick/hihat boom-chik are all Macha Mk II. That beat comes back to support the echoing buzz of "Smash & Grab", which smacks slightly of The Faint without nearly as much aggressive edge. A sprinkling of instrumentals provide the best link with the band's exotica kick, "D-D-D" clanging with gamelan, "Paper Tiger" awash with repetitive hammer dulcimer figures, and Silk Road melodies wafting on synthetic strings through the vibe-cluttered buzz of "Sub II". All of this makes Forget Tomorrow a welcome return for Macha, who seem just as ready to expand their sound as ever. A few ponderous interludes (especially "While the People Sleep", a go-nowhere ambient drag) hamper the record's momentum at inopportune times, which is a shame, given that, along with the joys of rhythm, the world has also recently rediscovered the benefits of the 40-minute runtime. Still, this album confirms that Macha truly are long for this world, and I'll take that any day. -pitchforkmedia.com http://www.jetsetrecords.com/bands/macha/default.asp * >>> Elisabeth_Underground-1.21-2004-SER Release Date: 2004-08-26 Label Info and Catalog #: Gigawatt Recordings Artist/Album Info: If you like Massive Attack, Portishead or Goldfrapp this might be your cup of tea, enjoy! http://www.elisabethunderground.tk * >>> Gustavo_Santaolalla-Diarios_De_Motocicleta_OST-Advance-2004-JUST Release Date: 2004-08-23 Label Info and Catalog #: Deutsche Grammophon Artist/Album Info: Based upon the memoir, "The Motorcycle Diaries: A Journey Around South America", by doctor turned revolutionary Ernesto Che Guevara, about his trip as a youth riding across South America on a motorcycle. This is the true story of a 23-year-old medical student from Argentina, Che Guevara (Bernal), who traveled across South America on a motorcycle with his friend Alberto Granado (de la Serna) in 1951-1952, in a personal odyssey which would ultimately inspire him to become a revolutionary who had a profound impact on the history of several nations. The duo has a series of adventure that vary from the suspenseful (stowing away on a cargo ship, exploring Incan ruins) to the comedic (falling off their bikes, falling in love, drinking, fighting... drinking some more) to the serious (volunteering as firemen, and at a leper colony). The original score is composed and performed by Argentinian musician, Gustavo Santaolalla. Written for classical guitar, his soundtrack evokes the struggles of the continent. Gustavo Santaolalla (Producer) Santaolalla's professional music career started in 1967 at the age of 16, when he founded the group Arco Iris making history as the pioneer in the fusion of rock and Latin American folk. He has since become the most important name in Latin Alternative music, having won Grammy's for his work with Caf? Tacuba and Juanes and has also produced critical and commercial successes for million-selling Mexican group Molotov, as well as Julieta Venegas, Maldita Vecindad, Caifanes, Leon Gieco, Los Prisioneros and Divididos, amongst others. After the launching of SURCO, he also played a major role in producing music for his label's roster of artists, including Bersuit, Erica Garc?a, Arbol and La Vela Puerca. Most recently, Gustavo has entered the world of film music by scoring the music and producing the soundtrack for the Oscar-nominated and Cannes Film Festival-winning film Amores Perros, and has again teamed up with Amores Perros director Alejandro Gonz?lez I▒?rritu to work on his upcoming film, 21 Grams. Proving once again his versatility, Santaolalla produced the Grammy-nominated Nuevo, by the classical string quartet Kronos Quartet, which pays homage to the rich musical styles of Mexico. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0318462/ * >>> Horna_-_Behexen-Split-Ltd.Ed.-LP-2004-FFF Release Date: 2004-08-22 Label Info and Catalog #: Grievantee Prod. (002) Artist/Album Info: Behexen took its form in 94 when Torog (vocals), Horns (drums) & Reaper (guitars) formed the band. Black metal was the keyword since the very first day! The first demo "Reality is in evil..." saw the moonlight in 95, the second demo "Eternal Realm" in 97 and the third demo "Blessed be the darkness" in 98. At this point Reaper left the band. For his replacement Behexen took Gargantum in guitar and Lunatic in bass in order to do liverituals. "Blessed be the darkness" brought forth the deal from Sinister Figure and the debut album "Rituale Satanum" was recorded in summer 99. Due to countless problems the band drifted away from the rip-off label and waited 3 years to get that deal to expire. During this period Veilroth joined in for 2nd guitar. This line-up has lasted up till today. After this Behexen signed the deal with the Finnish Woodcut Records in May 2003. The second full-length album "By the Blessing of Satan" was recorded in May 2003. Joining up with Horna they release their latest record in vinyl which combines best aspects of both bands. http://www.legion-horna.com/ http://www.behexen.tk/ http://personal.inet.fi/koti/juuret/Grievantee/main.html * >>> Derniere_Volonte-Commemoration-2CD-2004-AMOK Release Date: 2004-08-22 Label Info and Catalog #: HauRuck, HR!67 Artist/Album Info: "Commemoration" was compiled from various tracks produced between 1998 and 2003. The first cd starts with an old 7? on Hau Ruck! and this old material is surely not as good as the newer. Further you get other 7??s, compilation tracks and unreleased material (but not the brilliant Der Blutharsch cover from "Fire Danger Season"). Most of the music comes quite close to ?the Derni?re standard?, which means: pretty good. Also you get to hear another side of Derni?re, a more industrial side. About half of the tracks are the accessible soft melodic tracks with singing, but there is also harscher material to be heard. http://www.hauruck.org/ * >>> Filter-Short_Bus-Ltd.Ed.-1995-EcL Release Date: 2004-08-18 Label Info and Catalog #: Reprise 45864 Artist/Album Info: Richard Patrick (vocals, guitars, bass, programming, drums) and Brian Liesegang (programming, guitars, keyboards, drums) both experimented with electronics early in their careers. Patrick was a member of the original touring incarnation of Nine Inch Nails. After NIN finished its lengthy first tour in the early '90s, Patrick and Liesegang met through a mutual friend and began to record industrial rock together. Their debut album, Short Bus, released on Reprise in 1995, was recorded by the two at a small house on the outskirts of Cleveland. Short Bus became a surprise hit, thanks to the MTV and alternative radio hit "Hey Man, Nice Shot"; by the end of the summer, the album had reached gold status. Liesegang departed in 1997, but Patrick retained the Filter name for 1999's Title of Record. Filter's debut reflects the post-Nine Inch Nails state-of-the-art industrial pop, which means Short Bus is indeed more pop than industrial. The noise accentuates the songs instead of driving them. Filter's sense of melody is slighter than Trent Reznor's, yet they have the skill to craft shifting dynamics into hooks, as in the single "Hey Man, Nice Shot." Not that they can keep it going throughout the entire record, but it still plays very well to the audience. * >>> Dropkick_Murphys-Tessie-EP-2004-ATR Release Date: 2004-08-22 Label Info and Catalog #: Epitaph 80470 Artist/Album Info: The hardcore punk outfit Dropkick Murphys formed in south Boston in 1995; vocalist Mike McColgan, guitarist Rick Barton and bassist Ken Casey comprised the original nucleus of the group, with a series of drummers passing through the line-up before the addition of Matt Kelly in 1997. After a series of EPs including Fire and Brimstone, Tattoos and Scally Caps and Boys on the Docks, the Dropkick Murphys signed to Hellcat Records to issue their 1998 full-length Do or Die, produced by Rancid's Lars Frederiksen; McColgan exited the group soon after, and was replaced by vocalist Al Barr for the follow-up, 1999's The Gang's All Here. Mob Mentality, a split release with Business, appeared in mid-2000, but at the same time the band was going through an extensive redesign. Their five-piece arrangement expanded into a septet, for Mark Orrell stepped in after original guitarist Rick Barton left the band to get married. James Lynch (guitar), Spicy McHaggis (bagpipes), and Ryan Foltz (mandolin) were also added to the line up to enhance the band's growling sound. Lars Frederiksen, who produced the band's first two albums, left the Dropkicks to venture on their own for their third studio effort Sing Loud, Sing Proud. Bassist Ken Casey took over, and the album, which featured collaborations with ex-Pogues Shane MacGowan and Cock Sparrer's Colin McFaull, was issued in early 2001. Their Irish pride shone through the next year, when Live on St. Patrick's Day from Boston, MA was released in the summer. Recorded at the biggest Irish-American celebration of the year in a town known for its widespread Irish heritage, the set was a blistering example of their intense and lively gigs. As the band prepped for the annual Vans Warped Tour in summer 2003, the hearty punk rock sounds of Blackout appeared in June. ________________________________________________________________________________ . .:[+] BEX [+]:. . ________________________________________________________________________________ >>> Keef_Baker--The_Widnes_Years-(n5MD)-2004-sb Release Date: 2004-08-16 Label Info and Catalog #: n5MD -- MD124 Artist/Album Info: On his debut release with n5MD, The Widnes Years, Keef Baker blurs the edges of electronic corruption until all that is left are a few polished melodies that ever so subtly disperse themselves above a palette of sonic manipulations. The revealing sonic implosions are all internal and self-created. Reflecting the feelings of pretty objects being crushed out of malice, an aggressive scope of work is complimented by melodic remnants during the uplifting points on the album. Shying away from current 'IDM' trends where process surpasses the tune, The Widnes Years has a lot more to do with friction than it does with fluidity. Gritty beats, rippling effects, and the particles of dust scattered above each melody collide into each other as if they were part of one entity, floating into a unified apocalyptic frenzy. --n5MD.com * >>> Teebee-The_Legacy-SUBTITLESLP002-2004-sour Release Date: 2004-08-16 Label Info and Catalog #: Subtitles -- SUBTITLESLP002 Artist/Album Info: DJ Teebee, aka Torgeir Byrnes, is a leading figure in the new generation of dnb artists from Norway shaking up the elitist UK scene. His music spans from dark kung fu dnb to the more soft and jazzy trip hop inspired stuff, plus a few detours into electroland. With 'The Legacy' Teebee creates another masterpiece with strong ultra tight & dark futuristic tunes. * >>> Radian-Juxtaposition-(Japanese_Retail)-2004-DPS Release Date: 2004-08-16 Label Info and Catalog #: Headz -- headz 29 / Thrill Jockey -- thrill-jp 14 Artist/Album Info: According to DPS - informations about this japanese retail are rare and only available in japanese. But beside this - this release is a must have! Artist: http://www.radian.at Label: http://www.thrilljockey.com http://www.faderbyheadz.com * >>> Psi_Spy-Bake_N_Bite_EP-(PT006)-2004-DPS Release Date: 2004-08-17 Label Info and Catalog #: Pyramid Transmissions -- PT006 Artist/Album Info: Seriously heavy, future-bound business from Mike Wallis, man behind the controls for the excellent Colony imprint and one half of the "Crunch" project together with Dave Tipper. This latest 12" on ADJ's Pyramid Transmissions imprint is just utterly sick, demented, massive - finding itself a home between tweaked acid styles, low-end dominatined two-step vibes, jackin' electroid tweaks and everything in between. Electro seems to have gotten so utterly boring in the last year or so - here's a record that borrows and steals from deviant music in all it's forms to come up with the sort of electronic record we figured we couldn't get excited about anymore. Sheesh how wrong we were. This is a complete crashing swerve for the label and one of the most determined, massive twelves of the year so far. Essential purchase!! --www.boomkat.com http://www.pyramidtransmissions.com * >>> Tiki_Obmar--Seasons-(Merck)-2004-sb Release Date: 2004-08-20 Label Info and Catalog #: Merck -- MERCK029 Artist/Album Info: "Seasons is the second CD from the Minneapolis based band Tiki Obmar, featuring new tracks by the band and remixes by Merck artists and friends including the likes of Helios, Cepia, Proswell, Machine Drum, Proem, Tim Koch, Deru, Deceptikon, La Muerte Blanca, Miles Tilmann, and Adam Johnson. With a wide range of remixes, from Helios's well crafted reworking, to the bump and grind of Proem and Machine Drum, down into lush ambience concocted by Adam Johnson. Guitar originated sounds bounce in and out with excellent drum sensibilities and floaty touch pads, creating a truly ethereal sensibility. Another quality Merck release with tunes that move you with deft arrangements and mood-driven melodies, not to mention the superb remix work as well." --forcedexposure.com http://www.m3rck.net * >>> Client-Radio-CDM-2004-AMOK Release Date: 2004-08-23 Label Info and Catalog #: Toast Hawaii / Mute -- TH006CD Artist/Album Info: "Radio is the second single to be taken from Client's forthcoming album, City and follows the first single, In It For The Money. Radio is written by Client and produced by Client and Joe Wilson (Sneaker Pimps, Trash Money). With its hypnotic and compulsive layers of beats, Radio, recalls both Joy Division and Kraftwerk, delivered in Client's own distinctive and unmistakable vocal style."--AMOK http://www.client-online.net * >>> Client-City-2004-AMOK Release Date: 2004-08-26 Label Info and Catalog #: Toast Hawaii / Mute -- TH007CD Artist/Album Info: "'City' is the follow up album to Client's self-titled, 2003 debut and features collaborations with Pete Doherty and Carl Barat of The Libertines and Martin Gore of Depeche Mode. The new album according to Client is 'darker, bleaker and more lush'. Highlights include the song, 'Radio' which lyrically explores depression and musically recalls Joy Division with its hypnotic and compulsive layers of beats and keyboards as well as the single, 'In It For The Money', which is Client at their most acerbic and witty. An anthem for doomed youth, 'Down To The Underground', features a guest vocal performance from Pete Doherty. While 'Pornography' featuring Carl Barat of The Libertines is a sexy electro classic. Other highlights include the seductive and dark, 'Overdrive', featuring Martin Gore of Depeche Mode and the lush but also delicate, 'One Day At A Time'."--AMOK http://www.client-online.net * >>> B_Fleischmann_and_Herbert_Weixelbaum_Present_Duo505--Late-(Morr)-2004-sb Release Date: 2004-08-26 Label Info and Catalog #: Morr Music -- MM046 Artist/Album Info: "Bernard Fleischmann, Morr Music's first signing and original recording artist, has had a long and fruitful history of collaboration with the label. The flowing ambience of 'Poploops For Breakfast' gave Morr Music the unique cross-generic opening it so craved for - and his work has continued to mesh familiar and unfamilar sounds with a love of instruments regarded by many as plastic or pre-fabricated (the Mc-505 Groovebox of the title), together with more organic acoustic overlays. For 'Duo 505', Fleischmann comes together with classically trained multi-instrumentalist Herbert Weixelbaum, an experiment that blends the level-headedness and ambient tendencies of Fleischmann with Weixelbaum's insistance on disgruntled guitars, slices of distortion and a Lo-HiFi (or was it Hi-LoFi?) sensibility. 'Late' is both calming and rugged, ambient and robust - a reduced landscape of indie-pop structures brought down to two men and their machines. Recommended." --www.boomkat.com http://www.bfleischmann.com http://www.morrmusic.com ________________________________________________________________________________ . .:[+] BCC [+]:. . ________________________________________________________________________________ >>> In_The_Nursery-A_Page_Of_Madness-2004-FWYH Release Date: 2004-08-17 Label Info and Catalog #: ITN Corp Artist/Album Info: IN THE NURSERY will provide live musical accompaniment to the Japanese expressionist silent film 'A PAGE OF MADNESS' (1926) at a selection of Film Festivals in Australia and New Zealand during July. http://www.inthenursery.com/apom.html * >>> Aoki_Takamasa-Simply_Funk-2004-MVP Release Date: 2004-08-19 Label Info and Catalog #: PFCD11 Artist/Album Info: It's not just me who AOKI's sound fits to at present, probably. It seems lyrics, story or message is taken seriously more and more in music, I think it's almost like letter. However, music can be also like icon and that type of ones make my brain freeze. Calm and frozen at the same time, it makes place of mind centered. Please keep doing it. http://www.dropcontrol.com/~p_form/info.simplyfunk-eng.html * >>> Toog--Lou_Etendue-2004-HiT2000 Release Date: 2004-08-25 Label Info and Catalog #: KALK 39-CD Artist/Album Info: September 1914: the french poet Guillaume Apollinaire meets a fascinating young woman Lou, in Nice. Seduced but quickly disappointed, he joins the troops in Nimes and starts to write the wonderful poems that will be collected and named "Poems to Lou", after his death. September 2001: a few days before his flight to New York, Toog meets Asia Argento. The twin towers collapse. Having to stay in Paris, Toog imagines Lou Etendue, a musical piece in a threatening world, with Asia as the new Lou. He asks Digiki to produce the project. Toog is a french musician, born in Mulhouse in 1966. His first album, "6633", released in 1999, is a collection of electronic vignettes, often surrealistic. "Easy Toog for Beginners", his second album, released in 2001, develops more sounds and structures. Both albums were released in the USA, Europe and Japan. Toog is an explorer, searching for new territories for contemporary chanson. * >>> Niobe--Voodooluba-Advance-2004-HiT2000 Release Date: 2004-08-25 Label Info and Catalog #: sonig 40CD Artist/Album Info: Niobe is the brainchild of Yvonne Cornelius, and her debut, Radioersatz, was a mysterious and surreal journey full of peculiar sounds, colourful arrangements and unusual vocals. In addition to producing this music, Cornelius also performs all of the vocal tracks. Her vocals are often filtered, sounding as if they were recorded usingold or cheap microphones, and the words are often cryptic and defy easy interpretation, acting more as textures than as signs... * >>> Michael_Rother-Remember__The_Great_Adventure-CD-2004-BEX Release Date: 2004-08-26 Label Info and Catalog #: 5050467-2938-2-3 (Random Records) Artist/Album Info: Michael Rother's first appearance on Germany's musical scene immediately left a lasting mark on experimental rock music when he collaborated with Florian Schneider and Klaus Dinger in Kraftwerk Remember (The Great Adventure) is Michael Rother's ninth solo album released on Random Records. http://www.randomrecords.de/about.html ________________________________________________________________________________ . .:[+] MBS [+]:. . ________________________________________________________________________________ ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ________________________________________________________________________________ . .:[+] iTS [+]:. . ________________________________________________________________________________ >>> A_Trillion_Barnacle_Lapse-A_Cruise_In_Heaven-(Retail)-2004-FNT Release Date: 2004-08-29 Label Info and Catalog #: Electric Human Project #28 http://www.electrichumanproject.com/ Artist/Album Info: A TRILLION BARNACLE LAPSE have constantly been expanding their musical ground ever since their inception in 2000. With two full lengths already under their belt, and some recent member changes, Rhode Island's A TRILLION BARNACLE LAPSE have grown into something that their previous records on Level Plane and Sound Virus only hinted at. A Cruise In Heaven is a 10 song opus, clocking in at 40 minutes, that intermingles dense guitar work with suave keys and drumming that is both live and programmed. With vocals parallel to Robert Smith's of THE CURE, and the musical ability to both sooth and storm, fans of ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN, LOVE AND ROCKETS, and NEW ORDER will all find reasons to enduldge in A TRILLION BARNACLE LAPSE's latest work. Keep in mind though that ATBL are not rehashing any stlye of ?80s pop, but instead they are reconstructing it with punk rock motivations. Like THE FAINT, RADIOHEAD, and THE BIRTHDAY PARTY merging into one entity at some nocturnal gala. * >>> Guitar_Wolf-Loverock-2004-iTS Release Date: 2004-08-24 Label Info and Catalog #: Narnack http://www.narnackrecords.com/ Artist/Album Info: Guitar Wolf is one of the original garage punk rock bands to emerge from Japan. The trio - which consists of guitarist Seiji, bassist Billy and drummer Toru- formed in 1987 along with groups like 5.6.7.8's, Teengenerate, and Mad 3. They strongly believe that the essence of their style originates from the pure fundamentals of rock'n'roll. It is quite evident when you see Guitar Wolf's 50's Rock'n'Roll appearances. Another reason why Guitar Wolf has come this far is due to their charismatic performances. Their shows are always loud, chaotic, but at the same time humorous and always unpredictable. Guitar Wolf's first album "Wolf Rock" (which came out on vinyl only) was released in 1993 from an indie label, Goner Records, in the U.S. The response to their 2nd full length album" Kung-Fu Ramone" was unbelievable and the majority of the Japanese media considered Guitar Wolf the best new band that year. In 1996, Guitar Wolf singed with Matador Records in the U.S., and released their third full length album "Missile Me". In 1997, their fourth album "Planet of the Wolves" was released from Sony Music in Japan and Matador in the U.S.& Europe. Their fifth full album "Jet Generation" was released in Japan early 1999, followed by the Matador's release in the U.S., Europe, Australia and Brazil on Trama. The sixth album "Rock'n'Roll Etiquette", the seventh album "Live!" were released consecutively in February and in June, 2000 in Japan. In February of 2003 Narnack Records will released "UFO Romantics," the first US release in nearly four years. Narnack Records will also be releasing "Rock'n'Roll Etiquette," in the US sfollowing "UFO Romantics," in late 2004. Guitar Wolf first toured the U.S. in 1993 when they were invited to perform at the Garage Shock event in Bellingham, Washington. Since then, Guitar Wolf have toured the U.S. with John Spencer Blues Explosion, The Cramps, The Makers, and Oblivians to name a few. In 2001, Guitar Wolf was invited to Campo Grande, Brazil to headline two-night shows. Guitar Wolf finally came back to the US after a two-year absence in early 2003 to support Narnack Records release of "UFO Romantics." When Narnack released the DVD "Red Idol" in Septemeber of 2003 Guitar Wolf decided that they would do a week-long tour in the US sandwiched between a week long invite to Brazil and Argentina." "Red Idol" contains never before seen live footage of classics like "Summertime Blues," Guitar Wolf interviews, backstage clips, the infamous "Wild Zero" trailer, Guitar Wolf friends like John Spencer and God Speed You Black Emperor, full videos of songs, and a cool poster to boot. To a certain degree, reviewing a Guitar Wolf album is like trying to evaluate a thermonuclear attack ? what are you going to say beyond there was a huge blast and a whole lotta destruction was left in its wake? Japan's leading leather-clad guitar punishers haven't added a whole lot of new tricks to their repertoire with Love Rock, but like that H-Bomb I mentioned, the pinned-in-the-red aural chaos they've made their trademark consistently devastates, and this album offers up still more of the primal howl, amped-up six-string frenzy, and percussion whalloping you know and love from these guys. Even if he was singing in English all the time, I'm not so sure we'd know what the hell Seiji is yelling about, but his blasts from his larynx have their own special eloquence, and with titles like "Universe Youth", "Midnight Blood Pump", and "Ultra Might Night", you pretty much know what to expect from the material. And the relentless sonic onslaught from this band is a mighty thing to behold, and the song "Demon Card" does offer one example of an interesting production choice ? the band roars like mad in the right channel, while one of Toru's toms quietly thumps in the left. Love Rock is not for the meek of heart, but it's a quality thrill ride for the loud underground. Dig it. * >>> Switchblade-Tour_EP-(READNFO)-2004-RTB Release Date: 2004-08-29 Label Info and Catalog #: Trust No One http://www.trustnoonerecordings.com/ Artist/Album Info: The music of Switchblade is a dense storm of ambient soundscapes, driving repetition, and dark instrumental passages, building to become an immeasurable wall of sound and power. Think of bands like Neurosis, Isis and Old Man Gloom. These are two new songs that are originally supposed to appear on their upcoming 7" vinyl. The vinyl pressing was not finished yet for their recent tour, so the band sold 66 pieces of a CD-R of it at their shows. NOTE: there will not be an official retail CD of this be available, only vinyl! The first song features Mattias Friberg of LOGH on vocals and additional guitar. * >>> The_Ex-Turn-2CD-Advance-2004-iTS Release Date: 2004-08-21 Label Info and Catalog #: Touch and Go #261 http://www.touchandgorecords.com/ Artist/Album Info: Playing a hybrid of punk to advance their liberal socialist agenda (serving as the rough equivalent of a Dutch Crass), the Ex put out reams of records and propaganda during the '80s ? each released on a different Dutch label ? but in the '90s began to embrace industrial forms of percussion and improvisation more in line with Einst?rzende Neubauten and Test Dept. Formed in the late '70s, the group debuted at the turn of the decade with Disturbing Domestic Peace. The year 1983 was particularly busy; two proper albums were released (Tumult and Blueprints for a Blackout) plus the singles box Dignity of Labour and an EP, Gonna Rob the Spermbank. Two more LPs appeared during the mid-'80s, after which the group formed their own Ex label in 1988 to release a compilation of their three Peel Sessions, Hands Up! You're Free. During 1990-1993, the Ex preoccupied themselves with projects: recordings with Dog Faced Hermans produced the cassette-only Treat, and a collaboration with noted avant-garde cellist Tom Cora resulted in 1991's Scrabbling at the Lock plus And the Weathermen Shrug Their Shoulders two years later. The group returned in 1995 with two major releases ? a double CD of improvisational material called Instant, and the proper album Mudbird Shivers. Starters Alternators followed in 1998 and Spanish Revolution was issued two years later; they also completed their 20-member, big band project Ex Orkestra in 2000. Dizzy Spells, which the group recorded with Steve Albini, arrived the following spring. * >>> Zach_Hill_And_Holy_Smokes-Masculine_Drugs-2004-gF Release Date: 2004-08-22 Label Info and Catalog #: Suicide Squeeze http://www.suicidesqueeze.net/ Artist/Album Info: Zach Hill (pummeling-secret-robot drummer for Sacramento noise-rock heroes Hella, Nervous Cop, Team Sleep, etc.) steps out on his own with ZACH HILL & THE HOLY SMOKES and delivers an album & book combination for the Next-Next Millennium. Teaming up with a variety of friends and cohorts (including Carson McWhitter from The Advantage and Rob Crow from Pinback), HILL and his band present Masculine Drugs, a hailstorm of a full-length album with thunder claps and lightning snaps that ups the ante from ZACH HILL?s past skill flaunting and certainly pushes the young mindblower to the front of the noise-maker pack. Includes an equally confounding perfect-bound children?s storybook written and illustrated by HILL titled Destroying Yourself is too Accessible. This release is limited to 2500 copies! ________________________________________________________________________________