On a cold Chicago winter night I slam the door of a taxi cab and cross the street towards a nondescript Argentinian restaurant. My shoes slip on snow covered ice, I'm anxious, and a little bit nervous. Tonight I'm meeting Benn Jordan, also known as The Flashbulb, and I'm worried that some of my idyllic notions about this electronic musician may be shattered, his output forever tainted.
Full Article : Conversations With Benn Jordan
A North Somerset (UK) based instrumental post-rock band, Blueneck, flicks the lit match into the puddle of gasoline, spilled near my winter beaten soul. With the calm cinematic piano, gliding guitars, and explosive crescendos, Blueneck builds up raw emotion until you are slapped across the face with sound; and while your cheek is still throbbing with the pain of reality, the subliminal messages are pumped into your head in gentle brush strokes. Blueneck expands on the beloved Godspeed You! Black Emperor with their masterful command of instruments, apocalyptic tension, and controlled dynamics. The atmospheric and restrained pace intensifies the anticipation of resolve, and the final delivery does not dissapoint. I'm not a big fan of vocals in my music, unless they are executed by memorable voices, like David Martin's from iLiKETRAiNS. Yet Duncan Attwood impresses me once again - I am instantly reminded of Thom Yorke and Radiohead's classic Kid A. Scars of the Midwest is Blueneck's first album released on Don't Touch records, scheduled for a vinyl reprint by Denovali Records in 2008. I am also impatient about their split release with The Pirate Ship Quintet on the same label, Denovali. Highly recommended! Favorite track : Epiphany and Ub2.
myspace.com/blueneck | myspace.com/denovali
We've all been blown away by a Japanese post-rock band Mono, so why not check out an excellent surprise from a pioneering Singapore based instrumental four-piece band, I Am David Sparkle? Before I get to the music, I want to take a moment and drop a tribute to a very much under-appreciated component of an album - its packaging. This Is The New is tucked deep inside an accordion-like stereographic packaging full of hidden words and inaccessible secrets, but to get to the music, you have to become part of the artistic process and remove the stitches holding this enigma together. Once you remove the thread, you can never go back; in essence - creating by destroying. Clawing into the heart of the album, like a hungry squirrel working at the hard-shelled nut, I was praying that the music would live up to its externalities. Tension breaker - two thumbs up! Formed in 2001 and "inspired by the landscapes of life, love, and beauty", the group draws on their past experience in indie, punk and hardcore acts, but at the heart of composition lie the undeniable elements of post-rock, with hints of Explosions in the Sky, Sigur Rós and Mogwai, and an occasional electronic rhythm treatment to the likes of The Album Leaf. The music is comfortably familiar, soothing, and intelligent, adding to the palette a sprinkle of new color, as inspired by the cultural and geographical distance. Favorite track: Dance of Death.
myspace.com/iamdavidsparkle | myspace.com/kittywurecords
For over two years, it seems as if dark forces surrounded Benn Jordan's masterpiece, Soundtrack To A Vacant Life. First, it was the death of Sublight Records (RIP), followed by continuous production delays and tour cancellations. Finally the album is here, only to arrive a couple days after Benn released the album himself to be shared among the peer-to-peer and bit-torrent networks. Along with a quality rip, Jordan included a text in which he embraced the ever-changing distribution channels and encouraged donations and purchases directly from his own label, Alphabasic. Jordan's goal, as it is is clearly stated on his blog, "...is about exploring and testing the music industry in an attempt to find a place where both the artists and listeners are happy." Although this approach is by no means novel (must I even bring up Radiohead), nevertheless, I wholeheartedly applaud Jordan for his [successful] attempt to bring back the music. But let's not lose the focus here - the music. After all, regardless of the price and distribution, if the music doesn't cut it, it will simply fall into discounted bins. In STAVL, Jordan whips out every trick from within his depthless pockets. The elements are borrowed from almost every genre, from breakcore to African tribal drums, to flamenco, to hard riffed guitars, and soft piano pieces. Although the album definitely falls in the realms of electronic music, because of its sheer soaring breadth of instrumentation, composition, and production techniques, I would much rather see it filed under modern classical, serving its role as an introduction to the music I currently adore. So go ahead and download the album for free, I promise you will love it. And then I strongly believe you should purchase the actual CD or send a donation, so that we can all continue to benefit from the evolution of music.
myspace.com/bennjordan | myspace.com/alphabasicrecords
It's hard to believe that Sean Booth and Rob Brown have been experimenting with sound for over 16 years now, ever since their first release, Incunabula, on Warp Records. It is perhaps their unique programming approach to analog synths, custom Max/MSP patches, micro granular effects, and mathematical rhythms, that pushed the envelope of sound exploration to the common studio techniques of today. Can the UK duo continue and reinvent the sound? I'm on my fifth listen of Quaristice, Autechre's 9th album, and the definitive answer is: yes. The twenty tracks on a digital release which I snatched from bleep (including exclusive artwork for each track!), maintain the indisputably unique Autechre sound. The beats are still chopped, the sound waves decomposed, and the structure erratically twisted. But unlike Autechre's previous LP, Untilted, this 2008 release is warmer, less noisier, and at times even melodic (there are even strings buried deep in one of the tracks). The genre starts to glide closer to abstract and minimal ambient, with an occasional glitchy quality of other worldliness. If by some miracle this is your first Autechre experience, brace yourself for a unique and unforgettable experience, if you can hold on. For the rest of us, it's just a necessity for our complete anthology. Too bad that the special, limited to 1000 copies edition, with an additional CD and a photo-etched steel casing sold out within the first 12 hours of announcement.
myspace.com/myslb | myspace.com/warprecords
Vancouver based Scott Morgan is a sound director within the video game industry. But that's his daytime job, and his contemporary ambient soundscapes constructed with looping oscillators (a similar function in Csound computer language is compounded to Loscil) don't have much in common with game music. In contrast, Morgan's fourth album Plume, on Chicago's Kranky Records, is a relaxing, atmospheric, and hypnotic trip unfolding layers of sound complimented by ethereal percussion, gentle xylophone taps, and strums of elbow guitar. For Morgan, the creation of music starts "with a harmonic root from which sounds [are] processed into a loose structure over which the live players could improvise". Each track within the album grows, transitions, and gradually develops into a piece bestowing a specific state of mind or a flashback to a concrete memory. A quote from Morgan's elaboration on a piece capturing the growth of family, if you will: " 'Charlie' was composed after seeing/hearing my daughter Sadie through ultrasound while she was still in the womb. The track was also partly composed as a womb-like sound experience for her to sleep to after she was born, hence the heart beats..." Recommended if you like his ambient label mates, Stars of the Lid, or other excellent artists in the modern classical genre, like Helios, Deaf Center, and Xela. Favorite track: Bellows.
myspace.com/loscil | myspace.com/krankyltd
At only three tracks, The Pirate Ship Quintet's first self titled EP, progresses the future of post-rock with an incredible dynamic acceleration. Super charged with emotion, one can not help but anticipate the explosive breakdowns as they crescendo with a cello, piano, and brass. The British eight-piece "quintet" [don't ask - see their myspace explanation] is quietly straying away from limelight, but I can already predict their effect on the scene as they pick up where others have left off to carry on the baton of the genre. It is no coincidence that TPSQ shows up on my rotations within a week from Yndi Halda. Both bands seem to be at the top of my instrumental and orchestral (if you will) post-rock album lists. But the quintet is a bit darker, at times almost post-metal, with abruptly collapsing walls of sound and the following void that's filled by a sobbing cello in the corner or a lost trumpet in the woods. Recommended if you like From The Sky, Mt., Blueneck, 65daysofstatic and of course Yndi Halda. All three tracks get 5+ stars from me.
myspace.com/thepirateshipquintet
A two member band out of Lancaster, UK, had everything lined up for an EP but the drummer. But that didn't stop Julian Dicken and Josh Longton from going forward on this instrumental release falling somewhere between post-rock and post-metal. Armed with a drum machine, the duo added solid beats to mellow atmospheric shoegaze and explosive attitude grinding chords using everything in their arsenal - including drilling snare rolls (try that with a drummer). And in my humble opinion, it is exactly the element of a unique programming approach that made it stand out among the dozen of promos that line my studio floor. Taking a slight detour, I turn my attention towards their latest single, Biometrics [specifically Motion Sickness track] in which Death In Public have evolved a bit with slightly tighter production, deeper bass, a real drummer, and a vocal line. Yet continuously being biased towards lyrics, I'll just anxiously await an instrumental full length. Thumbs up for the likes of My Bloody Valentine, Mogwai and Pelican. Favorite tracks: Everything Is Tired In Its Own Way and Motion Sickness (from Biometrics EP).
myspace.com/deathinpublicmusic
Norwegian based, Erik Skodvin and Otto Totland produce a cinematic album as inspired by the "old silent 8mm film reels and historical architecture". Skvodin's releases should be familiar to you under his Svarte Greiner alias on Type Records, as well as Xhale and Solitaire Albread monikers with numerous releases on Miasmah. Totland has also contributed to Miasmah under Supine alias, and collaborated with Serein netlabel owner, Huw Roberts, as Nest. So it seems that the duo has their hands full, yet Deaf Center already scheduled a 7" in the pipeline for Type Records. Getting back to Pale Ravine - this is a true modern classical marvel, with slight undertones of ambient bliss; an album that excretes melancholy and drenches the soul in sadness; an acoustic phonography reserved for lazy Sunday afternoons, or early morning Saturdays. Either way, for either day, the world of Death Center is not unlike an archive of old and treasured films, left carelessly to age somewhere in the attic, only to be rediscovered once again... and celebrated once again. RIYL : Marsen Jules, Clickits, Goldmund, and Helios. Favorite tracks: White Lake, Thunder Night and The Clearing.
myspace.com/deafcenter | typerecords.com/deafcenter
This album is probably the saddest thing I have EVER heard. By the time I get to the sequentially titled Trailer 3 (of a five part album), I'm almost shaking with grief, unable to comprehend how mere music can possess so much power of movement. I challenge anyone to sit through this marvel and rebut my pronouncement. Mono is a Japanese instrumental post-rock band, which appeared over and over on my charts throughout the years. With multiple releases on Temporary Residence Limited, Mono has developed their own staple sound as well as a group of loyal followers (including yours truly). On this collaboration they are joined by Katsuhiko Maeda, who releases under many names, most notable of them, World's End Girlfriend with excellent albums on Midi Creative / Noble. Maeda's sound is an unclassifiable potpourri of modern classical, experimental post-rock with a touch of electronic glitch, and he has also numerously appeared on my rotations. But on this album, Maeda leaves his micro processing behind to join Mono and create an acoustic requiem which grabs at your heart and does not let go until it squeezes every last tear. I have officially found music for my funeral. Yes, I want everyone to weep freely to this nonreligious, palmless prayer.
myspace.com/monojp
myspace.com/worldsendgirlfriend
Must be a gloomy kinda day for me. The irritating questions from those who should know better, and the music from The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation didn't help at all. Perhaps just another alias for Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble, or perhaps a brand new outlet for the two member group consisting of Gideon Kiers and Jason Köhnen, created to channel all of their semi-improvised, experimental, and free-form ambient doom through one of my favorite labels, Ad Noiseam. Köhnen is most notably known for his Bong-Ra moniker with drilling breakcore releases on the same label. But on the Doomjazz Future Corpses!, which was recorded live in Amsterdam, you won't hear any beats. Instead, the cinematic soundscapes resemble a haunted house in which a cello moans, a trombone sighs, and the saxophone wails, all to the accompaniment of the warm drony bass and the cold oscillating instruments. The acoustic "mutant jazz" treatment around the low vibrating hum make me imagine an abandoned ship pier, in which the wind plays music with the metallic doors. And with each long passing minute I descent deeper and further into the darkest caverns of this spooky corridor. I withstood this punishing (in a good way) and at the same time amazing experience, but I would not recommend it on sunny days. I would have absolutely loved to witness it live!
myspace.com/tkde | myspace.com/adnoiseam
Mark Pritchard returns to Warp, this time with another solo project, throwing a "1" between the double integers of his more known collaboration with Dave Brinkworth, Harmonic 33. Pritchard's Harmonic 313 sound is not a far departure from the previous sci-fi space-hop within the frequency of music of the spheres. This time, the planetary travel has a Detroit flavor, filtered through an eight-bit spy thriller arcade game. This six track EP 1 of sequentially numbered Problems solve the microchip soldering details of abstep [my clipping for abstract dub step] and bleep-hop. Pritchard's discography tentacles through years, labels, and monikers, with most recognized collaborations under names like Global Communication, Jedi Knights, Reload and E621. I really loved the earlier 2002 release, Extraordinary People on Alphabet Zoo, and although this EP feels like just a teaser to the [hopefully] upcoming full album, I'm happy to add it to my collection. RIYL: RJD2, Bonobo, Fingathing and The Herbaliser. Favorite tracks: Problem1 and Problem 2.
myspace.com/officialmarkpritchard | myspace.com/warprecords
Out of Niagara Falls, NY, Reid W. Dunn pushes the beats further to where Squarepusher's work would be today. I know that this may be a repeating and unfair analogy - each artist should be seen in an original light - but this comparison should be considered a very highly paid compliment to Wisp. That being regurgitated, Honor Beats is a very complex, intelligent, micro programmed, post-IDM boarding breakcore slash abstract drum'n'bass album, with every track at absolutely top notch production. It is definitely a leap forward from Dunn's past NRTHNDR album, and at only eight tracks it is a treasured gem in my collection. In terms of original and ground breaking electronic sound in the same genre, only three artists come to mind [I hope this comment will trigger a flood of comments and recommendations] - Venetian Snares, The Flashbulb, and Wisp. In all of the above (including Squarepusher once again), it's more than just a chaos of unleashed and mental beats - there is a strong sense of music theory behind each track which makes the experience that much more... well... musical. Recommended as per above mentioned names. Favorite track: Lyftgeswenced.
myspace.com/wisp
Kiln returns to Ghostly with yet another album (I lost the actual count of their total releases). A trio out of Michigan (Clark Rehberg III, Kevin Hayes, and Kirk Marrison), pleasantly satisfy my headphone cravings with hypnotic electronic music that bounces, swirls, and clicks in stereo rotations, fuzzy noises and faint, tranquil, and rhythmic beats. The mood of Dusker is upbeat and perfect to turn the gloomy weather into just another whim of nature. Although the sound feels light and airy, there's actually a lot to be processed there. Think of the feel and ease of sailing, yet the complexity of its operation. I've used the album almost as a tool, to calm the dark waters of the chemical imbalance in my brain; to take a deep breath and know that the world still turns, while Kiln is at the steering wheel. Recommended if you like Four Tet, Loscil, and Vladislav Delay. Favorite tracks: Templefrog and Tigertail.
myspace.com/kilnaudio | myspace.com/ghostlyinternational
Here's a two for one, fellas - an EP from 2004, Periphery, and a mini-album from 2007, Automatic Writing, both released on the same label, Zabel Muziek, by Sennen, a four-piece instrumental post-rock band from The Netherlands. I'm going to start off with the most recent release and work my way backwards, since that's the order in which I discovered the band. In Automatic Writing, the band employs pretty complex rhythms at times switching between 3/4 beat to 5/4 and unexpectedly back to standard 4/4, and it makes the guitar and trumpet melodies, which effortlessly blend and glide in their own universe that much more interesting. The naming of the album, as well as its flow, imply a creative process in which the writer records his thoughts and feelings with the stream of consciousness. And it's an absolute pleasure to be on the receptive end. When purchasing the mini-album directly from the band [which, by the way, is available for free under the "creative commons" license], I couldn't help but grab their earlier EP (it was an easy sell for only €10 for both). Periphery, on the other hand, feels like a totally different album: it's opening, for example, is a slow build up of a rhythmic march along the paced strummed melody and a reverbed multi-layered tremolo picked guitar... until it all explodes. The three tracks work very well as one intelligently designed piece, and the EP does not disappoint one bit, even as an earlier production. I end up always listening to both in succession, and I recommend you do the same.
myspace.com/sennenband | myspace.com/vetteanalogeshit
This must be one of the most interesting compositions that I've heard in a long time. Perhaps my surprise may be attributed to my lack of familiarity with instrumental psychedelic rock. Regardless of the circumstances, I find the album refreshing, intelligent, skillfully executed, and captivating. The four member band from Portland, Grails, has more than half a dozen of releases on labels such as Important, Neurot and Robotic Empire; and the experience of such musicianship is splattered across an entire album. Burning Off Impurities is a composition that perfectly blends elements of world, classic, psychedelic, and post-rock, where instruments are masterfully played and include piano, banjo, sitar, and of course, guitar. I especially like the non-intrusive percussion that guides the music through the roller-coaster of emotion. Influenced by range of artists from Black Sabbath to Led Zeppelin, the band, however, tends to stay closer to the American folk sound. You have to forgive this reviewer's desire to pinpoint a genre - and so once again I must remind myself (and you as well) of what matters the most: great music. And that's precisely what Grails accomplishes on this stunning album, barring all classification aside. I am very excited about this discovery, and recommend you check them out as well. Favorite Tracks : Silk Rd, Origin-ing and Burning Off Impurities.
myspace.com/grailsongs
When Jon Innes is not playing live, he can be found in his Ayrshire (Scotland) studio layering guitar shoegaze with laptop electronica. Innes' composition is undoubtedly fueled by heartbreak with open ended track titles like Her Resistance To The Mind Probe Is Considerable. Paced reverbed piano chords are complimented with vocoder lines over tight and dry 909 kit (that snare is just right) - what an amazing combination! The concoction of instruments and borrowed styles that synergize together, remind us that at the center of each track lies pure music that makes you feel - and that's the memorable component that we take away forever. That Is The Way Of Things effortlessly flows from genres and is an unbelievable trip when absorbed as a complete album. I'm looking forward to more output from The Ansion. Check out his page and buy the tracks directly from the artist! Recommended for the lovers of Ulrich Schnauss' ambient layers, Eluvium's melodies, and The Album Leaf's approach to drum machine intelligent post-rock. Favorite tracks : Die, You Big Fuck Off Spider, Die and as already mentioned Her Resistance To The Mind Probe Is Considerable.
myspace.com/theansion
Miasmah started off as a free net label back in 1999, run by Oslo based Erik Skodvin (Deaf Center). Last year, the label turned it up a notch with CD releases, kicking it off with an amazing Silva compilation, and full album followups from quickly gaining ground artists like Encre, Rafael Anton Irisarri and Gultskra Artikler. Elegi is an alias of Tommy Jansen (one half of Cordion), and Sistereis is his debut release, in which Jansen explores the dark pathways of echoed memories on his deep-sea wreck-diving journey into the ship graveyards. The dying instruments cry out in moans, the floor boards creak, bowed strings sigh, and the clock is wound with withering fingers. Listening in the dark, the experience is truly haunting and at once unforgettable. Jansen crafts a kaleidoscope of experimental folk and dark ambient sounds which crawl under my skin, and prickle with goose bumps from within. Defying classification, but clutching strongly to the acoustic doom movement, the album is recommended for the likes of Svarte Greiner, Swod, above mentioned artists and Porn Sword Tobacco. Favorite track : Spill For Gallerie.
myspace.com/beatpoet1
It's about time I got my hands on this instant keeper from one of my favorite labels, Planet Mu. Part glitchy IDM, part instrumental trip hoppy beats, part experimental jazzy downtempo, Burbank's got my head bopping with every track, reminiscent of productions by Prefuse 73, edIT, RJD2, and Nautilis. The more I listen, the more the melodies implant themselves into my mind - and after half a dozen rotations, I am humming along with the sampled, scratched and processed vocals. Not much is known or written about Burbank, except the fact that he's from LA and has been a DJ member of BrokenBeat network within the West Coast scene. If the former mentioned artists have evolved and progressed onto their "next thang", while you're left helpless still craving more of "that sound", Famous First Words is almost guaranteed to fill in the void. If you accidentally missed this album from 2006, be sure to catch up and grab it - I'll forgive you. Favorite tracks: Gnats, Tha Chop, Cracked, and Juno Rhapsody.
myspace.com/tomburbank
This was a double surprise! Not only did I find a great podcast, Electronic Explorations, [nah, let's call it for what it is - a radio show broadcasted on the intarwebs], but also an amazing record label, Ranking Records. Rob Booth is behind his weekly 90-minute show that covers everything from electronica, IDM, techno, and of course dubstep. Inspired by Mary Ann Hobbs, Booth set out to craft a show for the music that he loves. This absolute random find just happened to be on its 7th episode for Ranking Records; yet as I write this, I'm downloading and anticipating the show featuring one of my favorites - Boxcutter. Now on to Ranking Records. What can I say? The 30-minute mix embedded in the show completely revived my love for dubstep, and now I have no doubt that it will have a promising future ahead! Based in Leeds, UK, Ranking Records has breathed a new life into the genre - with only two 12" behind its belt (and I'm sure many coming in the future), the label delivers fresh, intelligent, and groovy beats, with a solid deep bass. The sound is jazzy, spacey, [dare I say] psychedelic, and continues to evolve throughout a perfectly mixed session. This is what I want dubstep to be. This is how the future is shaped today. I am an immediate fan of the label, already smiling towards a prosperous 2008. Artists to watch: Ruckspin, Quark, and Planas.
myspace.com/robbooth | electronicexplorations.org
myspace.com/rankingrecords | rankingrecords.com
In the second installment of his Somnia series, a Portland based modern classical composer, Evan Bartholomew, continues his meditative descent through Secret Entries Into Darkness. The minimal ambient sound slightly curves around the deep entrance, brushing the wet moonlight on the cave's bold stone, before it breaks into sheaths of white, and vanishes with echoes. Unlike its predecessor, this journey in this follow up is more rhythmic and darker, sustaining an eerie and desolate feeling, as the composer dissects the abstract lines between the realms of life and death during our weightless dive into Xibalba. In his streaming hypnotic voyage, Bartholomew perfects his production and the art of revealing his soul to the listener through music. The gravity of the emotion is immediate and heavy; for when the album ends, we are left alone and helpless, at the bottom of the void, only to be born again. Once again, the album is signed, numbered, and limited to 777 wax sealed copies packaged in sewn, soy ink stamped, recycled paper. Recommended if you like Steven Reich, Brian Eno, and Philip Glass. Absolute favorite track : Soft Spots In The Tyranny Of Matter.
myspace.com/evanbartholomewmusic
The UK band, worriedaboutsatan, has a very unique and unexpected sound. Gavin Miller and Tom Ragsdale skillfully blend elements of post-rock, intelligent electronica, and noise, with a layer of minimal, tightly mastered beats. Sounds intriguing? You bet! The fusion of genres is usually a dangerous territory if not executed correctly, but worriedaboutsatan surprise me over and over with their perfect control of instruments, programming technique, and dynamic range. The tracks on EP02 seamlessly merge into one another, and are best absorbed in a single thirty-plus-minute journey... that is until your senses are interrupted by Paul Marshall's vocals... and the beat picks up again. The band is taking on the scene singlehandedly, filling one order at a time (also available on iTunes), so grab a piece of history before they explode in a kaleidoscope of colors! For the likes of The Album Leaf, Kashiwa Daisuke and World's End Girlfriend. Favorite tracks: Relative Minors, Morwenna (Part 2) and The Last Song (First Song Remix).
myspace.com/worriedaboutsatan
Next month, I am going on vacation; and in preparation for my relaxation on the beach I am selecting the albums that will take me beyond the waves and the sun. Opitope's debut Hau, released on Nao Sigimoto's Tokyo based label, Spekk, is already at the top of that list. In their minimal ambient soundscapes, the Opitope duo, consisting of Tomoyoshi Date and Chihei Hatakeyama, design an album which cycles through the never ending period of seasons, attempting to express the feeling of sorrow that comes with any ending, eventually evolving into hope. Hatakeyama has previously released on Chicago based Kranky label with his experimental ambient album, Minima Moralia. Hau is an emotional piece which swirls with pads and bells around the field recordings, faint melodies, and a symmetrical structure; the sound reminds me of a process of nature unfolding its beauty to a patient observer. I am looking forward to absorbing this beautiful music in a more natural environment. Recommended if you enjoy Hammock and Library Tapes.
myspace.com/opitope
Being lately in this nostalgic mood to take the flashbacks on music from years ago, I decided to dig back into my collection and dust off the double CD released by Clifford Joseph Price, aka Goldie, back in 1998, titled Saturnzreturn. When Price was just a kid, his father walked out on him and his mother. The one hour track, appropriately titled Mother was created by Price with the burning question - "why?" Here's Diane Charlemagne with her recognizable voice (think Inner City Life). Accompanied by violins, and other synthesized strings, the ambient pads swirl in a hypnotic pattern for over twenty minutes. I doubt that I've listened this far last time, and frankly, I'm totally captivated by the mode of the track. At twenty two minutes, high hats with high-pass filtered beats begin to ride in slowly with the sampled waves. I didn't even realize when the rolls came in, when suddenly [and finally] the bass drops and now I'm bopping my head to the beat of drum'n'bass. The return (and perhaps the landing) is a similar soft glide back into nothingness. I can barely remember this album, so I was very much surprised of how much ahead of its time it was. I recommend a revisit for all d'n'b headz!
myspace.com/goldiedrumsandbass
Tympanik Audio, a Chicago based label, catches me a bit off guard with their first 2008 release from a New York producer, Frank Mokros, aka Totakeke. A dark, yet in places soft and sad downtempo album of intelligent rhythmic industrial, that smoothly flows from one track to the next with gloomy ambient pads and percussive, minimal, arpeggio-heavy synth lines. Mokros has previously appeared on a 2001 split with Radial on Ad Noiseam under his Ativ moniker. He also dropped numerous releases as Synth-Etik pumping more rhythmic noise for the German based Hands Productions. His most recent contribution includes a track for Tympanik Audio's first entry into the music biz with a well put together Emerging Organisms compilation, sprinkled with many great artists, like Architect, Hecq, Displacer, Ab Ovo and Phylum Sinter across two disks. For the likes of before mentioned artists (so grab the comp if you can). Favorite tracks: Carrier Signal, Gift Of Nervous Methods, and Fragile Thoughts.
myspace.com/elekatota | myspace.com/tympanik
Hats off to a good friend from Austin, Underfoot, who urged me to pick up the last issue (December 2007) of UK's Knowledge Magazine [which still dusted the stale newsstands at my local bookshop], because of its free included mix. This smoothly flowing upbeat drum and bass compilation was put together by Rotterdam's Triple Vision founder Marco Grijsen (DJ Dreazz). The disk features 26 tracks and remixes from Loxy, Lynx, Noisia, Lomax and Corrupt Souls, just to name a few. Appropriately titled, it's a showcase of Triple Vision's staple labels - Citrus, Celsius, Fokuz and Disturbd. Skillfully led from light to confident to dark and back, this is the first mix in a couple of years that has already showed up half a dozen times on my rotations. I may be bold enough and proclaim every track on the CD a winner. I am immediately overtaken by that "never enough" feeling, and start salivating for the the latest in drum'n'bass releases, as available from Triple Vision's online store. So pick up the disk if you can still find it; it is well worth the $14 import tag, plus you get a free magazine attached to it!
myspace.com/triplevisionnl | triplevision.nl
The sequentially titled pieces in Piano Textures, by the Spanish contemporary composer, Bruno Sanfilippo, are nothing short of a gorgeous composition. Period. Simple and elegant, mesmerizing and haunting, the multi-velocity sampled 1923 Steinway shines as the most versatile instrument in the ensemble. And it shines in the hands of Sanfilippo, who received a degree as a Music Superior Professor in the Galvani Conservatory in Buenos Aires. In his evenly paced recording, Sanfilippo gently strokes the hammered strings with a touch of reverse reverb, Armenian duduk and a pinch of synthesized sound. Releasing on his own label, AD21 Music, which Sanfilippo runs with fellow composer, Max Corbacho, the sessions recoded during the nights of March '07, fall somewhere between ambient, modern classical, and pure meditation music. This is not your background music. I absolutely love turning up the volume, and letting every hypnotic and melancholic note weep gently through the night. For the lovers of Max Richter, Eluvium, Rafael Anton Irisarri, and Zbigniew Preisner, I highly recommended this gem! Favorite textures : III, VI and VII.
myspace.com/brunosanfilippo
