Plaid - Tekkon Kinkreet (Aniplex Inc.)

I was originally postponing any reviews of Plaid in anticipation of their new album, Scintilli, originally planned to be released sometime in Q4 of 2008. But it seems that it has now been postponed to mid 2009, and I can't wait that long to talk about one of my favorite artists (which you should already know all about). And what could I say about Andy Turner and Ed Handley that hasn't been said before? As former members of The Black Dog, their discography goes back to the early 90s. Their official first appearance on Warp as Plaid was with Not For Threes (Warp, 1997) followed by a dozen of LPs and EPs. This year the duo celebrated their 20th anniversary of working together. In 2006, Plaid composed their first soundtrack to the Japanese anime, Tekkon Kinkreet (Studio 4°C, directed by Michael Arias), and just completed yet another soundtrack to Arias' 2009 film, Heaven's Door [to be released by Beatink in Dec 2008 or Jan 2009]. But back to the official soundtrack for Tekkon Kinkreet (which is actually a pun on "Tekkin Concrete", the Japanese term for reinforced concrete). The score is a collection of well rounded and extremely intelligent tracks that tell a complete story of their own, combining ambient, electronic, and even pop-rock elements that are beyond any dimension of measurable classification. It is a lavishly warm album, wrapped with diverse instrumentation, like vibraphone, strings, bass, acoustic drums and jazzy riffs, all driving forward the cinematic perception of a fantastic world existing in a world of animated film. There is just way too much in this latest Plaid release to be put into words, so I'll reserve to quoting Michael Arias from the liner notes: "[...] the music should have an analog, old-world feel, to compliment the nostalgic ambiance of the Treasure Town we see in the opening scenes. As we move into the second act, [...] old world analog will give way to newer, alien, synthetic forms: minimalist breakbeats and dissonant post-techno sounds. [...] This music will echo fragments heard over White's dreams of ocean paradise and apple trees." What's more exciting about Tekkon Kinkreet, is that unlike previous Plaid albums, it is not reprinted upon various media by Warp, Nothing, or Beat Records alike. It is a single release, falling slightly beneath the radar, on an Aniplex Inc., a Japanese imprint for Sony Music Entertainment (Japan). Not being marketed by Warp, this album may have slipped past a bunch of fans, unless they are loyal Plaid followers. It is still only available as an import [and sells on Amazon for $65 ???]. I highly recommend you listen to the album first (over and over), and then watch Tekkon Kinkreet - it will create an interesting experience of watching an exciting story, set to already beloved tunes [btw - the animation is amazing!]. Then pick up a Tekkon Kinkreet Remix project with interpretations by Prefuse 73, Vex'd, Derrick May, Mathew Jonson and many others. Recommended for fans of Kettel, The Flashbulb, Boards of Canada, Arovane, Wagon Christ, and The Future Sound of London.



myspace.com/plaid4thepeople | plaid.co.uk
sonymusic.co.jp/animation

Last Days - Sea (n5MD)

With the world financial markets currently in gloom, the US presidential elections around the corner [and no real positive outlook in sight], and the overall feeling of minor depression, not the least of which could be attributed to the oncoming colder weather, I begin to wonder if these _are_ the last of our days. But the truth is much more cut and dry. Even when everything implodes or blows up, the sun will keep burning, the time will keep passing, and life will go on. That doesn't prevent me from feeling melancholy and turn towards Scotland based Graham Richardson, who, with his two albums on n5MD, explores sadness through music. Using acoustic live instruments, like piano, xylophone, and guitar, Richardson draws out intelligent ambient soundscapes under his solo project name, Last Days. Sea is Richardson's debut album (n5MD, 2006), which he followed up with a sophomore release a year after, These Places Are Now Ruins (n5MD, 2007). The album is a thematic experience in which Richardson tells a tale of a "a person who sails out to sea, becomes lost halfway, and is eventually rescued." The music thus fluctuates in emotion between fear, dread, hope and peaceful acceptance - the common waves in a life cycle of a man, regardless which rough waters he chooses to navigate. Richardson samples the material using the 'lo-fi' approach, degrading the sound digitally when possible, bringing it closer to shoegaze rather than electronic. Richardson plans on releasing his third (almost finished) album, titled The Safety of The North, on n5MD, in the beginning of 2009. (see my Two and a Half Questions with Graham Richardson for more details). For fans of Eluvium, Deaf Center, Porn Sword Tobacco, Opitope, Kiln, and Hammock.



myspace.com/lastdaysmyspace | n5md.com/lastdays
myspace.com/n5mafia | n5md.com

Welder - Vines And Streams (Cyberset)

Brendan Angelides is the man behind his solo project under the name of Welder. With his debut on a San Francisco based collective, Cyberset, Angelides demonstrates that he's just as proficient at downtempo as he is at breaks under his other alias, Eskmo. Following this full length release, Welder got picked up by a West Coast downtempo label, Native State Records, for a digital only Bamboo Snow EP. The Purple and Orange track gets upgraded to another EP with additional remixes by Bluetech, Fanu, Dov, and Audiovoid. Ranging from world music to orchestral glitchy instrumentation, Vines And Stream is simply a fun album to listen to. From the very first track, you're enveloped in easy bopping beats, that take you on a ride in a country with the convertible top down and your spirits up. The production is tight, the percussion is crisp, and the broken melodic patterns get stuck in your memory. The uplifting and organic mood of this IDM-meets-trip-hop album, reminds you that mother nature doesn't have that something that we call "bad weather", and as it rains outside you'll feel delighted to embrace the falling drops. And you'll smile. I place Welder somewhere between Portishead, Tricky, Banco de Gaia and The Orb. Favorite track: Rain.

myspace.com/weldersounds | weldersounds.com

Nebulo - Kolia (Hymen)

I'm really trying to be unbiased when it comes to one of my favorite labels, Hymen, but there's just way too many great releases from this German offshoot of And-Zen, and I can barely keep up. While I'm refreshing my memory with Nebulo's 2006 debut, another artist that I blindly "collect" everything by, Hecq, has released his fifth album (more on that later, I don't want to digress). Nebulo is an alias of French composer Thomas Pujols. Pujols received a degree from Bordeaux Conservatoire, and began producing the dark and melodic crispy IDM after embracing noise from electro acoustic composition courses on experimental and avant-garde sound. He also works with several agencies as a sound designer, composer, and audio consultant for various media. Nebulo has previously contributed remixes to Hecq's 0000 and Architect's Lower Lip Interface. The tracks on Kolia are full blown compositions, each with a unique story transforming the listener into a world of surreal dreamscapes painted with tears and sometimes even with blood. The gentle harmony and calm melodies are offset by glitchy percussion and rhythmic labyrinths carefully deconstructed and molded back into one whole. I was last this excited about an outstanding production when I picked up Kattoo's Hang On To A Dream (coincidentally [?] on Hymen as well). Kolia is a perfect soundtrack for the imagery within a melancholic soul, locked in the prison of a troubled mind. The intelligence and complexity of the sonic onslaught immediately catapult Nebulo to the ear-candy's favorites. And I want more! Recommended for the above mentioned names as well as Lusine Icl, Gridlock, Keef Baker and Somatic Responses.

myspace.com/nebulo
myspace.com/hymenrecords | hymen-records.com

The Herbaliser - FabricLive.26 (Fabric)

I've been trying to chase down this mixed compilation for a couple of months now. Ever since I saw that The Herbaliser (Jake Wherry and Ollie Teeba) contributed a mix towards London nightclub's Fabric label. Known for their trip-hop, downtempo, and jazz infused instrumental hip-hop tracks, The Herbaliser got signed to Ninja Tune back in 1995, and since then been a resident for the label's staple sound. Their last appearance was a 7" single on Skyline Recordings, as well as a track contribution (Gadget Funk) towards a 2008 triple CD  sampler from Ninja Tune, You Don't Know: Ninja Cuts. For the FabricLive.26 mix, The Herbaliser took a step back from downtempo sound to make a party mix. And what a mix it is. The turntable skills are flawless, but it is the track selection that makes this an instant gem for me. I feel it is my duty to take you on a quick tour of this genre-spanning collection of classics. We start off with ragga  track by Million Dan, moving quickly into dirty UK hip-hop, then a track by RJD2 and a label mate appearance by Dynamic Syncopation. Blufoot and Yungun add some North London rhymes followed by a classic Hurby's Machine with Antoinette. On track 8 (out of 24), we break down into James Brown! From here on The Herbaliser rock the tables with some funk, electro, and of course, soul. We've got J Rocc, old-skool breakbeat track from Demon Boyz, and even a 1971 soul disco from The Jackson 5! The Roots kick in with Boom! at track 21, and Dynamix II treats us to an '87 vocoder electro classic. We barely finish with some crunk from Diplo, as Bugz In The Attic contributes the last broken beat. Whew! It's a doozy! Thank you, Herbaliser, thank you!

herbaliser.com | myspace.com/theherbz
fabriclondon.com | myspace.com/fabricfamily

DJ Shadow - The Outsider (Island)

OK. Fine. I admit. I missed this one. I don't know how it happened. Either it didn't make a big splash, or I got stuck playing Endtroducing... I guess both are true. Meanwhile, Josh Davis, who slammed the above mentioned monumental debut back in 1996, returned a decade later with a third DJ Shadow album. The Outsider may surprise (and/or disappoint) any DJ Shadow fan. The album has only a few instrumental tracks, and it's pretty hip-hop heavy, featuring a long list of West Coast rappers, including Keak Da Sneak, Federation, and Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest. Davis is based out of Bay Area, so it would be almost impossible for him to ignore the hyphy movement. Speaking to The Skinny magazine, Davis said, "... it was really exciting when it came along and rather than do what I would probably have done in the past and go 'well gee, I'm a guy who mainly works with samples, so I guess this is just gonna pass me by,' I embraced it." Half way through the album we get a taste of blues, followed by an upbeat instrumental piece, and soon Davis drops a couple of indie tracks, featuring the vocals of Chris James from Stateless. Luckily for me, I dig the West Coast hip-hop sound. And I was equally impressed with the indie rock sound. But The Outsider may turn away the die hard fans. I guess the days of record digging may be over for the DJ Shadow that we know [and love], and as Davis matured, so did his desire for quality studio production. Favorite tracks: This Time (I'm Gonna Try It My Way), Backstage Girl, and Erase You.

myspace.com/djshadow | djshadow.com

Nico Muhly - Speaks Volumes (Bedroom Community)

Somewhere on the outskirts of Reykjavik lies an Icelandic label formed in 2006 by Valgeir Sigurðsson. Bedroom Community is a collective of artists from around the globe focusing on high quality aesthetic music. Its roster at the moment includes above mentioned Sigurðsson, Sam Amidon, worldwide hailed Ben Frost for his experimental noise album, Theory of Machines (my personal Best of 2007 selection), and our current subject, Nico Muhly. Muhly is a Vermont born NYC resident with a Masters in Music from the Juilliard School. Born in 1981, his biography is already full of collaborations with recognized modern composers like Philip Glass. My brief biographical note will not do Muhly justice, and The New Yorker has done a much better job of it in its article, Eerily Composed (link below). As for Muhly’s music... well it Speaks Volumes itself (pun intended). The first label release breaks through with gorgeous modern classical chamber composition. With Muhly on the piano, and with an exquisite touch of cello, harp, clarinet, trombone, and yes, some electronic treatment, we get a glimpse into composer’s soul through his emotion filled debut. Muhly begins a new chapter of postminimalist sound, overshadowing the stuffy halls of contemporary classical, struggling to keep its aging neck above the flood of modern ideas. Muhly’s forthcoming release, Mothertongue, a composition in four movements, is due out in May ’08, on Bedroom Community. Recommended for the likes of Arvo Pärt, Steve Reich, Max Richter, Sylvain Chauveau and Ryan Teague. Favorite track: Keep In Touch.

Read Eerily Composed by Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, February 08

myspace.com/muhly | nicomuhly.com
myspace.com/bedroomcommunity | bedroomcommunity.net

Blueneck - Scars of the Midwest (Don’t Touch)

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

Loscil - Plume (Kranky)

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 Deaf Center, and Xela. Favorite track: Bellows.

myspace.com/loscil | myspace.com/krankyltd

Wisp - Honor Beats (Sublight)

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

Tom Burbank - Famous First Words (Planet Mu)

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

Belong - October Language (Carpark)

With their debut release on Carpark, the New Orleans duo, Turk Dietrich and Michael Jones, grind through filter overload, guitar based, heavily processed and distorted loops that seem to go on forever. For me, noise happens to be a new territory, and with the tightly clenched jaw I smile at its beauty, as I attempt to stand upright through the torrent of shoegaze unleashed by a hurricane. The intricate detail is revealed through layers of intense sonic bombardment, like staring at an abstract sharply outlined object for minutes, only to see its true contour after glancing at a white wall. As silence fades in, I am left with only microscopic sediments that encapsulate the feelings of destroyed and tumbled New Orleans. Considering there's a lot of data to sift through, the quality of the mastering is top notch, performed by none other than another New Orleans native and friend, Joshua Estis (Telefon Tel Aviv). Estis and Dietrich have previously worked together under Beneli moniker in remixing Nine Inch Nails' The Fragile. Dietrich also played the guitar on a track for Telefon Tel Aviv's Map Of What is Effortless. Highly recommended if you dig Ben Frost as much as I do. Also for the likes of Fennesz, Tim Hecker and William Basinski.

myspace.com/belongmusic

Yndi Halda - Enjoy Eternal Bliss (Burnt Toast Vinyl / Big Scary Monsters)

I've been listening to Yndi Halda for a while now, and it's an album that does not get old or tiresome. Rather, like a trip back home after a nostalgic year, the melodies are at once recognized and welcomed back with the feelings upon the very first listen. This is a first EP from a Canterbury (UK) based five piece instrumental post-rock band, although it has been floating around ever since its initial release as a three-track demo. Since then, Yndi Halda (which literally means "Enjoy Eternal Bliss" in Old Norse, a Medieval Scandinavian language) got signed by three labels, toured around the globe, and achieved world-wide distribution deal in February 2007. One of the band's talented members is James Vella, with an excellent release on Dynamophone Records under his side-project moniker A Lily [more on that later]. I'm going to skip all the adjectives and simply recommend this album, for the likes of This Will Destroy You, This Is Your Captain Speaking, Joy Wants Eternity and Caspian. Favorite tracks - all of them.

myspace.com/yndihalda

Reminder - Continuum (Eastern Developments)

On a label "under the guidance" of Scott Herren (Prefuse 73), Joshua Mikah Abrams releases his first future jazz and instrumental hip hop album under the name Reminder. Abrams' experience, however, dates back to the 90s, with some notable contributions as a professional double bass player for The Roots' Organix, Godspeed You! Black Emperor's Yanqui U.X.O., and (of course) a couple of last albums for Savath & Savalas. Abrams is also a member of Town And Country, which has been consistently outputting downtempo albums for the Chicago's Thrill Jockey label. A little rough around the edges (which is a desired effect in the genre) the composition of trip-hop sampled beats, live instrumental deep grooves and urban rhymes from Thaione Davis, mark Continuum as an ideal entry level album. For the likes of Ninja Tune fans. Favorite tracks : Pinheiro's Message (with Akin's Portuguese spitting vocals), Now I Disappear and Dri (for its lo-fi jazzy vinyl sound).

myspace.com/reminderrr