Xploding Plastix - Amateur Girlfriends (Palm Beats)

Originally released as Amateur Girlfriends Go Proskirt Agents on Beatservice Records in 2001, re-released by Palm Beats in 2004, and (finally) re-discovered by me (with a helpful hand from a friend) in 2008, this acid jazzy, trip-hop infused, broken beat heavy debut album by Xploding Plastix is an absolute delight! I am instantly reminded by Amon Tobin's best tracks, and it's no surprise, since the albums are from the same era. Xploding Plastix is an Oslo (Norway) based duo comprising of Hallvard Wennersberg Hagen and Jens Petter Nilsen. The two producers are joined by Rita Augestad Knudsen under another alias, The Electones, to release a Summercloud LP on Inertia Records in 2002. The group is mostly known for their track (and debut 7" EP), Treat Me Mean, I Need the Reputation, released in 2000 on Beatservice Records and later repressed for Hospital Records. With nu-jazz fused keys, upright bass samples, scratches, and broken rhythms, the tracks on the debut album are fresh and groovy. If you love the sound of Amon Tobin's earlier and lighter works, Squarepusher's bass slaps with broken time signatures and The Herbaliser's UK-flavored instrumental hip-hop, then you'll surely fall in love with Xploding Plastix from your first listen. I know I did. Here's a great sentence from Norwegian Beatservice that I can't help but quote: "Xploding Plastix has a sound like irradiated neon washes; shimmering and pulse glowing accordingly disproportional to the flashy stuttering red lights, like cancerous cocktails; splintering with deranged delight. The cinematic, dirty film noir feel is mercilessly exploited. Xploding Plastix is the epicure of a gorgeous, jagged, murderous pulse." The last full length release by the group was The Donca Matic Singalongs, on Columbia Records in 2003.  Besides the above mentioned, similar artists include Skalpel, Jaga Jazzist, Red Snapper, Nostalgia 77 and Bonobo.

myspace.com/xplodingplastix | xplodingplastix.com

Armen Nalbandian Trio - Manchester Born (Blacksmith Brother Music)

Armen Nalbandian has recently turned 30. The career of this improvisational and experimental jazz musician spans over a decade of over 600 original compositions and performances. Born in Manchester, England, Armen has dedicated his life to music, recently rising to the position of Musical Director of California's Fresno Art Museum. A protégé of jazz legend John Hicks, Armen has experience playing with members of the Classic Coltrane Quartet, Ornette Coleman Quartet and Charles Mingus' ensemble. For Manchester Born, Armen comfortably settles behind Fender Rhodes, while Kevin Hill joins him on the upright bass and Brian Hamada on the drums (I just love his brushed ride cymbals). The collection of ten tracks is upbeat and light, transforming musicians' inner moods into gliding fingers, plucked strings, and gentle taps. This child of contemporary jazz skillfully folds the familiar influences into an interpretation curated for a modern ear. The playful and organic sound instantly reminds me of the limitless possibilities that can be achieved with just three instruments, leaving me afterward humming my own improvisations to the rhythm buried in my mind. Armen's latest solo album, Young Kings Get Their Heads Cut Off, is an abstract and experimental improvisation for prepared Fender Rhodes, full of distorted reverb, controlled delays, noisy feedback and altered hammers for a unique percussion, all recorded live with no post-production - John Cage would have been proud.

armennalbandian.com | myspace.com/armennalbandian