Paavoharju - Laulu Laakson Kukista (Fonal)

I'll admit - it took me more than a few listens to get into Paavoharju. I almost dismissed the album completely, but my readers kept insisting that I give it another whirl. And here it is, Laulu Laakson Kukista, opening its intricate secrets after careful observation. The crackles, the noises, the lo-fi magnetic tape manipulations dispel, and the inner beauty of modern classical marriage to neo-folk emerges. So how do I begin describing something that is indescribable. An assembly of illusions scratching at deep rooted memories of childhood, a collection of conflicting elements settling into a unique pattern of a snowflake, a kaleidoscope of loose material patched together into a summer dress that is being hung up to dry in a sunlight by a humming villager. Between the digital artifacts and purely organic ambient hymns you find something... spiritual... revived through simplicity of a pure song. And after a few listens it is that song that draws you closer towards Paavoharju's mystical sound. Laulu Laakson Kukista is the second LP from a collective of Finnish born-again Christians (!) initially organized by brothers Lauri and Olli Ainala. Their first LP, titled, Yhä Hämärää, came out on the same label, Fonal Records, in 2005. The group is not a stranger to the scene, and since their debut, Paavoharju landed an EP on Miasmah as well as a 7" on Type Records. It's nearly impossible to draw a comparison between Paavoharju and any other artist, but if I was pressed, I'd perhaps point towards the abstract experimental and psych-folk work from Boards of Canada.



myspace.com/paavoharju | paavoharju.com
myspace.com/essami | fonal.com

Wurlitztraction - The Star Lit Numbers On Her Fingers (Enough)

Like a buzzing concoction of plaster molded jigsaw, the sound of this abstract and experimental album descends on a creaky base board of musique concrète and gets nailed with percussive staples. The man behind this sound effect rich "soundtrack for late nights/early mornings" is Chris Reid, who goes by the name of Wurlitztraction. Reid compiled his collection of field recordings and unused studio manipulations from the soundtrack pieces he was producing for short films and animations, and wrapped this into an composition, The Star Lit Numbers On Her Fingers. It soon began taking a shape of its own, complemented with rich sound design, glitching electro-acoustic beats and a gentle push towards a darker sonic side of rhythmic noise and experimental electronica. It seems that the patterns never repeat, the melodies never blossom, and the haphazard ticks reappear here and there in a schizophrenic mania of a constantly twitching mass of a dying brain. And Reid doesn't stop there. Here comes in a bass guitar, acoustic drums, and industrial hits with an occasional vibraphone, trip-hop beat and a jittery feedback. Overall it's pretty difficult to pinpoint the style behind Reid's music [and that's a good thing], which is why I hold on to describing tiny mementos throughout the album. The Star Lit Numbers On Her Fingers is Reid's second release on Portuguese net-label, Enough Records, and is available for download for free from the site and scene dot org (catalog number enrmp138). Reid has also previously released an album titled, Lucidity Cue, on the same label.

myspace.com/wurlitztraction | enoughrecords.scene.org

Gescom - ISS:SA (Skam)

So we'll never know who's behind Gestalt Communications (Gescom), so what? It's pretty obvious that Sean Booth and Rob Brown of Autechre have a hand at this. This 2003 EP only reveals the well respected label, Skam and its title, ISS:SA, and even the latter is slapped as a braille sticker. The release did however follow on the heels of Autechre's DRAFT 7.30 (released only a week later) so many fans pick up the glitchy destroyed patterns, doomed abstract chords, and unrecognized splattered percussion to be as an extension of the album. Unlike any other collective, Gescom continues to lead us into the dark alley of nightmarish pleasures. All the while you're protecting your valuables and trying to scratch your head and place that sound that you've heard before. C'mon brain! Reconstruct this puzzle into a four second jingle! There!!! No, gone again. Smack! The last track, titled Slow Acid is a favorite of mine. This needs to be turned up much louder to hear all the tiny little white noise melodies in the background, while the AE kick progresses forward in a steady beat, and the common acid-house chords are choked up beyond comprehension. Sub woofer required. The artwork contained in the sleeve of the record is a special bonus. Another testimony to why records can offer just a little bit MORE. The insert is a two sided glossy print featuring a digitally modified image of trumpet, or perhaps a polished motorcycle exhaust pipe, creating an astonishingly bizarre brass instrument, the likes of which could only belong to Booth and Brown. The CD version of the record has a bonus track, titled Megamix. This is a 15 minute Gescom concoction which was originally featured on BBC Radio One's show when they did a Skam Records label profile. Here, the metallic rhythms and bit-crushed patterns are continuously looped into tiny fragments. I can only speculate if all the pieces are from previous Gescom releases and if it was performed live by sliding the loop window over an area of some track(s). Only like Autechre.

myspace.com/skamsmak | skam.co.uk

VA - Diaspora: Cottage Industries 5 (Neo Ouija)

Neo Ouija is BACK! That's right kiddies. After closing its doors in 2005, the Devon (England) based label originally started by Lee Norris (Metamatics), has re-opened its doors, and is now managed by Martin Hirsch (aka Deer and Random Noise Productions). Propelling many electronic musicians to fame, Neo Ouija is responsible for much output from Geiom, Bauri, Accelera Deck, Kettel, Funckarma, Apparat, Xela, Secede and many others! With this first double disk compilation, Hirsch is introducing us to a brand new roster of musicians. Additional contributions towards the comp include a few notables like Move D, Maps & Diagrams, and Kangding Ray. As with many other collections showcasing the upcoming works, it is difficult to pinpoint a specific genre, especially across a large radius umbrella like Neo Ouija. This fifth installment of Cottage Industries series, titled Diaspora, traverses the styles across its thirty (30!) tracks. Starting off with an excellent IDM track by MXM (an artist I'm planning on watching closely from now on), the selection of tracks on the first disk progresses into tech house, dub techno, and deep house. The second disk is a favorite of mine, and features more experimental, glitchy downtempo and IDM. At number twelve, another favorite of mine, Seven Ark, returns with familiar twisted loops, melodic pads and few remains of bouncing marbles with a track titled Version 2. The compilation signs off with a short ambient interlude from Nacht Plank And Shintaro Aoki that wets my appetite for the things to come. I'm really happy that Neo Ouija is back and I congratulate Martin Hirsch on resurecting the label that will continue contributing towards evolution of sound.



myspace.com/neoouija | neoouija.com

Benn Jordan - Pale Blue Dot (Alphabasic)

I guess the reason that I keep listening to Benn Jordan is the fact that he simply makes beautiful music. Period. In fact, I catch myself restraining from listening to Benn Jordan too much. His short, full of witty ideas tracks, produced under The Flashbulb moniker, have already conquered all of my last.fm charts. And the debut album under his real name is quickly gaining ground. Pale Blue Dot is Jordan's entry into building ambient soundscapes, released on his very own Chicago based label, Alphabasic. Composed as a tribute to an astronomer, Carl Sagan, Jordan explores the insignificance of our daily conflicts in comparison to our chance habitat on a tiny planet in the midst of an infinite space. From 6.4 billion kilometers away, Earth is nothing but a tiny pale blue dot. In his book, Sagan invites us to contemplate this miracle. "Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every 'superstar', every 'supreme leader', every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there - on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam." The tracks on Pale Blue Dot are titled around an interplanetary voyage. From Ascent, to Infinity Alone, Floating Vacuum, A Distant Earthrise, and finally Safe Landing, the pieces flow fluidly from one to another, capturing a story told without time. And Pale Blue Dot is more than a thematic album. It is an ambient journey through hypnotic sound, quietly drifting you away into space. The transformations are flawless, and many at times I seamlessly reach that sacred place of presence, by the middle of the album. If you are expecting Jordan's playful breaks and acid lines, turn away now. But if you are a patient, pondering listener, then you'll be repeating the album over and over, as I get to do now, for its fourth time this morning. A rewarding experience for a discerning ear. Recommended if you enjoy music from Evan Bartholomew, Biosphere, Christopher Bissonnette, Hammock, Eluvium, Manual and The World on Higher Downs.



myspace.com/bennjordan | theflashbulb.net
myspace.com/alphabasicrecords | alphabasic.com

Two and a Half Questions with Benn Jordan

This is your first ambient work - what was the most challenging aspect at composing an entire album in this genre? 
This definitely isn't my first ambient work, but just the first I've released on a large scale (if you would even call it that). The biggest road block for me with ambient music is my nagging desire to make it sound more interesting. I have trouble justifying making a jazz piece last more than 3 minutes, much less something simpler. I have to keep reminding myself that I'm serving a different purpose by writing it. It isn't for entertainment or musical thrills.

How did you come about the idea of writing a thematic album dedicated to Carl Sagan and our little planet?
I've always been into astronomy and astrophysics, and I'm always in some stage of reading something on the topic. At some point after Soundtrack To A Vacant Life came out, I started writing what I was calling "space music". I had no intention of making an album at the time, but for some reason I just kept making more and more of it in my free time. If anything I thought that I'd just add it to my licensing pool or use it as a foundation for an actual score should I get offered one in the near future. Then at some point I realized that I had over a CD's length of music. I thought about what it would be like to just leave the planet into the darkness. I went back into the sessions, made it blend chronologically to the story in my head, shaved it down to CD length, and there you have it. A funny coincidence: The day Pale Blue Dot was released, BBC Horizon aired an episode titled "Are We Alone In The Universe" that had licensed a bunch of my previous music (some released in albums and some from my film libraries). So I guess some people thought my music was extraterrestrial sounding before I ever meant it to be.

Overall, your work seems to have continuity from one album to the other. In Soundtrack To A Vacant Life, you allude to your upcoming work on Pale Blue Dot with a Carl Sagan sample in track, Suspended In a Sunbeam. Was this intentional on your part?
I wouldn't say it was a coincidence because, to me, those words are quite possibly the truest and most important words ever spoken. I do like the idea of continuity with my albums, but this one wasn't part of that.

You obviously have admiration for Carl Sagan. How has Sagan's life and work influenced you and your music? 
When I was an 10 years old, while my other peers were studying multiplication tables and Christopher Columbus trivia, I understood relativity and how time travel worked. This wasn't because I was a smart kid, it was because of Cosmos: A Personal Voyage on PBS. I would lay awake in bed thinking about my own existence and how it wrapped into time and space. I became fascinated with science and figured out how to learn at my own pace. This was a turning point for me where I started getting horrible grades in sacrifice for learning what I wanted to, when I wanted to. There are plenty of astronomers and astrophysicists in the world, but none of them had the philosophical and poetic genius that Carl Sagan had. Sagan wasn't a genius because he could tell you what a neutron star was, he was a genius because he could somehow map things out in a way that would relate your existence to it. He wasn't scared to admit that he didn't have the answers, but he would pass his doubts and questions on to other curious minds. He wasn't afraid to admit that atheism is no better than dogmatic religion because it requires you to ignore the biggest and most important questions in the universe. Now that, my friend, is a man who deserves an album.

Needless to say that Pale Blue Dot was very different from your previous work, and very much cherished and appreciated. Will we see more of this work from Benn Jordan?
I plan to make more ambient in the future. In fact, lately I have a hard time imagining making an album that isn't conceptual in some way. I kind of like the idea of splitting themes up into different albums. We'll see how long this vacation from ADD continues though. :-)

myspace.com/bennjordan | theflashbulb.net

The Future Sound Of London - Dead Cities (Virgin)

This is obviously an amazing record to start off my Random Vinyl of the Week adventure, as I dig through my dusty archives. Released in 1996, Dead Cities was Garry Cobain and Brian Dougans' fourth full length album as The Future Sound of London. Dead Cities was that very last record and then there was a torturing silence for six years. Even when the duo returned in 2002 with The Isness, it was ... not the same... How can one describe the layered dark samples with memorable vocal lines that are implanted in my brain? "I have killed a man. A man who looked like me." The album is an absolute classic, and its complex ambient and cinematic fragments continue to offer new insight into the minds of FSOL. Dead Cities was not received with as much success as my absolute favorite, earlier 1994 release Lifeforms [the latter climbed to 6 position on the UK Album Charts, while Dead Cities got up to 22]. The music of Dead Cities features more sampled beats carefully blending in big-beat and bringing trip-hop into the mix. We Have Explosive (which also came out as a single) features several samples from Run DMC's album Tougher Than Leather. The rest of the sounds [all very dear and familiar to my mind at this point] all convey the atmosphere of urban decay. An album from the future that rusted in the past. Like a empty feeling after watching a rerun of Blade Runner [and the sample off Mary Hopkin's vocals from the movie's soundtrack], the eerie nostalgia of revisiting a dirty old friend crackles in the hindsight. Oh, and how's this for a shocker for you. On one of the tracks guess who's playing piano? I'll give you a hint. The title of the track is Max and the pianist's last name is Richter. In addition to restructured MIDI files, Max Richter has also contributed  other recordings and "environments". The album cover (and the two inserts that house the double vinyl) feature 3D graphics and digitally processed photography by Buggy G. Riphead. This is one of the albums to hold in your hands and marvel at its grandiose and epic stand in time. Since 2007, FSOL has opened up their vault and released a collection of forgotten tracks from their library, titled From The Archives (it is now up to its 5th volume). I hope I have excited you enough to revisit Dead Cities through my first adventure of Random Vinyl of the Week. I know that I have worked myself up enough to seek out the limited box set release [complete with a booklet!!!], and am now waiting for it to arrive in the mail!

myspace.com/thefuturesoundoflondon | futuresoundoflondon.com

Random Vinyl of the Week

First, a little preface... I have been very much obsessed about the quality of the sound lately, settling only on lossless files on my iPod. And with the last.fm collecting daily statistics, I have been compulsively feeding everything through its scrobbler. An OCD/ADHD audiophile collector. Sounds familiar? That being said, my humongous vinyl collection (pictured in this post) has greatly suffered from my lack of attention. And if I started to listen to my records now, at a rate of a dozen a day, it would take me... let's see... oh yes, only a year to finish! Oh good! So today I decided to pull out a random record and give it another spin. Of course, it brought back the good old memories. From the weight of vinyl, to the touch of needle, and the crackles in my speakers. And of course that warmer sound... Ah... I should do this more often. And I will. I spend too much time listening to digital representations on my headphone commute. And so I will attempt to dedicate the weekends to my archived vinyl. This process shall be simple. I will pull out a random record and listen to it. Then, if I like it, I will write about it. Sounds easy enough. Let's see if I can keep this going. You already should know, that I don't care about the date the music has been released. It's all music to me. And through this process I hope to dig up some gems that undoubtedly have been waiting for me all these years. To you, these writeups will appear along regular reviews. But they will appropriately be tagged with vinyl label. What do you think?

Integral - Rise (Tympanik)

Another excellent surprise coming out of Tympanik. And that's twice in one year. First I was completely blown away by Subheim's Approach. And now another brand new group, Integral, hitting me hard out of nowhere with their debut, Rise. The duo behind Integral are Germany based David Rotter and Rafael Milatz. Their sound is dark, cinematic, and simply gorgeous IDM. It feels like these guys are going to be creating soundtracks for melancholic films of other-worldly voyages in no time. Hold on... Someone's knocking on my door. Oh... Never mind. That was in the track. Where was I? Ah, back on the spaceship. Alien insects are crawling upside down on a glass ceiling as we approach a sun rise of a distant galaxy. And when we land on the first favorable foreign planet, its beauty sings in soft sound waves after the electric storm. All the little sounds and patterns on Rise excite my neurons, as my brain races to keep track of all the psychedelic changes and the complicated unfolding layers of sound, even though the rhythm is of a slower downtempo nature. That happens to be my favorite stylistic aspect of this genre: slow spreading ambient melodic soundscapes on one layer and rapid micro precision programmed elementary auditory particles on the other. That is something my mind can never tire of, as there are numerous puzzles to be solved within this cryptic message. And when you're done, you can flip it upside down. Big thanks to Tympanik, once again, for bringing this music to our ears. Seems that the Chicago based label is tirelessly searching in all corners of this planet for the sounds emanating from another. Another great find. Beautiful artwork. Recommended for the likes of Hecq, Kattoo, Ginormous, Nebulo and Lusine Icl.



myspace.com/integral | integralmusic.de
myspace.com/tympanik | tympanikaudio.com

Library Tapes - A Summer Beneath the Trees (Make Mine Music)

All the recent sounds from Hauschka, Max Richter, Peter Broderick, and Eluvium literally guide me towards the latest album from David Wenngren, who is now the single member of Library Tapes (previously joined by Per Jardsell). Well, that's not actually true. On the latest album titled, A Summer Beneath the Trees, released on Make Mine Music (more on this great label later), Wenngren is joined by above mentioned Peter Broderick, who contributed a multitude of instrumentation: guitar, banjo, trumpet, accordion, viola, and others. [Broderick, by the way, I hear has moved to Copenhagen to join Efterklang. So among the many latest releases from this young man (Home being the latest on Type Records), and his collaboration with Library Tapes, I'm sure we'll be seeing his name pop up here and there for years to come]. On A Summer Beneath the Trees, the subtle melodies are woven in between Wenngren's soft piano and Broderick's singing violin, and upon numerous listens begin to implant themselves among the nostalgic memories. The music has a slight contemplative breeze to it - definitely not too happy, yet not too sad - mostly neutral in just being, as is the rest of our perceived reality. These sounds accompany the silhouettes moving in the office windows across the street, the rising white clouds from an industrial factory across the lake, and the slowly falling autumn leaves. Listening to the music gracefully moving my meager existence I am reminded once again that there is no such thing as bad weather. The weather just... is... A Summer Beneath the Trees is a great addition to Make Mine Music catalog, with already an excellent roster of artists like Yellow6, Epic45, July Skies, and Portal. Meanwhile, the latest from Wenngren was his 2008 release on his very own label, Auetic, under Forestflies alias, titled Structure/Chaos - so be sure to grab that as well. Another interesting release from Wenngren is his 2007 Litotes album on Symbolic Interaction, under yet another collaboration alias with Erica, Xeltrei. A Summer Beneath the Trees gets better and better with every single listen. Highly recommended if you like the above mentioned artists plus Goldmund, Deaf Center, Swod and Balmorhea.



myspace.com/librarytapes | virb.com/librarytapes
myspace.com/makeminemusic | makeminemusic.co.uk

Two and a Half Questions with Library Tapes

There is a melancholic tone in your music. Do you think there is a specific reason why you identify with sadness?
i think it's easier to make music when feeling a bit sad or melancholic and to make good music when expressing those feelings. i think there's been some happier songs on the two latest albums and on the fragment ep though. i wouldn't say i identify with sadness. i just try to express whatever i feel at the moment of making music, and when i'm feeling really happy i usually do other things then making music i guess.

What instruments do you play, and which one is your favorite?
i only play the piano. i do love the sounds of strings as well and i wish i could play that.

What are some of your memorable moments from working with Peter Broderick on the album?
the songs i've worked with peter on where results of sending piano bits for him to add instruments too so we didn't actually meet in person when making those songs. peter is so easy to work with though. you get the song back very quick and you feel so happy with what he's done to it. the album wouldn't sound as good with out him. the same thing can be said about danny norbury who played cello on the latest album and also was a part of the short album called sketches.

Do you think if emptiness had a sound, it would be better conveyed in multiple parts?
i'd like to think it has a sound. however emptiness could sound very different to you than it does to me. :)

myspace.com/librarytapes | virb.com/librarytapes

Juxta Phona & Offthesky - !Escape Kit! (Somnia)

With its fifth limited release, Somnia is introducing Juxta Phona & Offthesky to the rest of the world. Starting off with some ambient and modern classical sounds, Somnia delivered a little surprise with their last release by Evan Marc and Steve Hillage. In Dreamtime Submersible the duo has married dub techno and hypnotic ambient sound into a critically acclaimed composition that speaks for itself - the 777 limited copies are completely sold out. With the signing of Juxta Phona and Offthesky onto the label, the dub journey continues, this time with a jazzy swing. On !Escape Kit! the artist experiments with dubbed out, hazy, and definitely groovy beats, lightly sprinkled with tiny glitches and IDM treatments, but nevertheless purely organic sound. Instruments like vibraphone, sax, and jazz guitar quickly find themselves in a surreal atmosphere surrounded by acoustic drums, synth bleeps, clocks and paper rips. As if the local jazz band from the 60s has been secretly miked during one of their nonchalant improvisational coffee house performances, with the cables running through the walls into upstairs laboratory, where Juxta Phona and Offthesky feed the signal into their vacuum tubes, magnetic tapes, and digital machines, to twist, to bend, and warp the time, the sound, and reality. Inconceivably somnific, somniferous, somnolent. Here I want to applaud the art of Ray Massini, who has been printing the recycled paper covers with soy ink for every Somnia release. The illustration depicts an urban city rising above the skies, overgrown with evergreens, all floating on a piece of earth uprooted from its core. I need to get out. I need to withdraw. I need to return to my essential center of being. Where is my escape kit? Pick up your copy of this limited release while it hasn't run out. Clearly, by this point, Somnia is a collectible label, where each release shines on its own. Highly recommended. You will absolutely love this if you enjoy Dictaphone, Swod, Julien Neto, and Porn Sword Tobacco.



myspace.com/offthesky | offthesky.com
somniasound.com

Two and a Half Questions with Juxta Phona and offthesky

Who is Juxta Phona & offthesky, and where did [they] come from?
Well Juxta Phona and offthesky are two separate entities with one common denominator - my brain.  But other than my vision/ideas there are a whole set of different rules/players for each band.  Of course offthesky is mostly my solo project working to sample random artists / musicians sparcely along the way.  Juxta Phona is more of a band with several other members involved - we get together and play music like a band; jam out allot; think of weird ideas for new songs - allot of beat driven, esoteric jazz type stuff.  It was interesting to try and meld the two styles together but I guess that was my vision incarnate in the end.

Do you source any of your material?
Not sure exactly what you mean but if you're referring to citing influential sources, Juxta Phona certainly comes from a background of idm, free jazz, experimental exploration.  Offthesky is of course a pretty open pallete mostly flirting in ambiece, less beat oriented concepts.  I guess the records speak for themselves though we try and do something different each and every time - there's no point in wallowing in our own filth, right? ;)

What do you think about music classification, and how would you categorize yours if you had to?
Music classification is a necessary evil in that it tends to cheapen the art in many ways yet we have to have it to be able to communicate with the masses in order get them interested enough to want to explore it and try it on for themselves.  However when I say experimental ambient the next average listener may or may not have the same mental sonic back-catalog to be able to get on the same page as I - so this is the rub of genre/language in general I guess. I think the use of generic terms such as ambient/jazz/techno/experimental coupled with metaphors to help another visualize the sonic direction of a record or project is about the only way to get others into the interest of spending their time exploring something unfamiliar - allot of people I run into are, by design, not always ready to take the time to get into something new and off base from what they are used to.  But ultimately we (Juxta Phona) try and make music that is geared towards the more adventurous listener - offthesky I feel is a little more universal and easy to swallow on the average whole.  That combo helped our Somnia release to be pretty palatable.

Any special stories behind the album?
Well in the process of recording many of the sounds, we would always want to try and find a new strange place to set up our field recorders, instruments, etc.  One night we broke into a large ballet studio because the reverb/piano in that space sounded brilliant!  It was true in the moment phonograffiti.  Another time we recorded in a large freight elevator; also a woman's dressing room one evening.  Visual surrounding is a huge aspect of creativity so we would make an effort to immerse ourselves in weird new environments to see what kinds of alternative ideas might come out of that.

Who are some of your inspirations?
I can't speak for the rest of Juxta Phona but this is a constant flux for myself.  It changes from one month to the next.  Right now I'm inspired by sonic artists such as Morgan Packard, Pierre Bastien, & Rewind Wonderland.  They have lovely concepts behind their work and the subtle rhythms or ebb/flow of their sound really gets my juices going.  Visually, the painter Zidzislaw Beksinski has been quite visually inspiring and as always the writer Edgar Allen Poe is amazing!  

myspace.com/offthesky | offthesky.com

The Remote Viewer - I Can’t Believe It’s Not Better (Mobeer)

Getting back to melodic electronica, I turn my attention to Andrew Johnson and Craig Tattersall, who go by the name of The Remote Viewer. Their previous releases include two albums on 555 Recordings and three LPs on one of my favorite labels, City Centre Offices. This time, the duo releases their latest album, I Can't Believe It's Not Better, on their very own label, Moteer, that has previously graced our eardrums with Clickits, The Boats, and Part Timer. Well... It's actually released on a sublabel of Moteer, called Mobeer, which [with a pun on a name] they claim to be Moteer's micro brewery. This has been an anticipated release, with the last output from The Remote Viewer being over three years ago. The sound of the album quickly brings back the memories. The clicky ambiance and looping pads are complimented by soft breathy vocals by Nicola Hodgkinson and Andrew Johnson himself. The atmosphere of subliminal sounds and fragile percussion is at one point cut through with folksy banjo strumming. Fragments of piano, broken toys, field recordings and other found sounds recreate an experience of unwrapping dusty memories from within an old suitcase. And here's a collector's dream come true: the copies are limited to only 375 worldwide and happen to be out of stock already on boomkat. The lucky ones received two 3" mini CDrs in a hand made brown envelope and a printed beer mat with a peculiar message : "i went and picked up my complimentary corporate wear today. it came in a big cardboard suitcase. when i got home i unpacked six identical shirts, two suit jackets and two ties. no trousers though. the woman i rang said that trousers were out of stock (as popular now as ever). this could provide everyone with a big problem on my first day. i did however get two belts. one to wear and the other presumably, to hang myself with." That perhaps shines some light on the state of mind behind the ten untitled tracks. Usually I'd compare other artists to The Remote Viewer. But for those just waking up to their sound, I place them in a cloud among Jacaszek, Jasper TX, Peter Broderick, Porn Sword Tobacco, and Machinefabriek.

myspace.com/theremoteviewer | mobeer.co.uk
myspace.com/moteer | moteer.co.uk

40 Winks - The Lucid Effect (Project: Mooncircle)

In the mood for some laid back beats and loungy vibes? Let 40 Winks groove you with their instrumental hip-hop rhythms mixed with blues, funk, and soul. The group (also spelled without a space as 40winks, and referring to English idiom for taking a nap for a short period of time) is comprised of two Antwerp based Belgian producers, Padmo and Weedy. With samples ranging from bossa nova beats, sax riffs, and dusty jazzy records, the duo scratches the surface of our minds with old-skool effects and vintage organic loops. 40 Winks previously released More Than Loops (Swamp, 2005) and Sound Puzzle (Merck, 2007), so it's no wonder that I picked them up again for The Lucid Effect, after the duo migrated to yet another home, this time to Project: Mooncircle. The latter is not exactly a surprise, since 40 Winks has already contributed a track to The Heart On The Right Spot compilation (Project: Mooncircle, 2007) where they were showcased among their contemporaries like Mr. Cooper, Lackluster, and Dday One [worth picking up this great collection]. Looks like after thirty releases, this German label will continue to output some quality electronic and instrumental hip-hop material (their latest is a release by CYNE - Starship Utopia). The Lucid Effect continues to explore the head-bopping experimental sounds that will no doubt appeal to fans of Flying Lotus, Blockhead, Daedelus, Sixtoo, Jel and Malcom Kipe. Super fun with that 70's feel, turntablism and all. I only wish that more places in the world played this kind of music in the background (like dentists and government agencies), to take the edge off that unnecessary stress we're so programmed to cope with. I would also love to see 40 Winks branch out to using arranged loops by live bands - even if they don't play any instruments themselves.



myspace.com/40winks | 40winksmusic.com
myspace.com/projectmooncircle | projectmooncircle.com

Two and a Half Questions with 40 Winks

Tell us about your upcoming live track on Project: Mooncircle compilation, Silent In Truth.
It's actually something new we wanted to try out: finding a way to incorporate live instruments in our beats. We decided to do a little jam in "the lunar bar" over here in Antwerp. We asked some friends of ours who play instruments to come over. After the sessions we mixed everything in the studio. One of the tracks that came out of that jam session will come out on the next Project Mooncircle compilation.

Can you recall one of those exhilarating experiences during record digging, when you found that one riff, or one beat, that put a huge smile on your face?
Not much during record digging. It's mostly when I come home from the record store and have a good listen to the records again. That's when I realize what kind of treasures I've found. It's always nice to go digging in other countries. Last year I was in Cuba. I met this old lady who wanted me to have her record collection. I had to travel around with 20 kilos of records in my backpack for the rest of my trip in Cuba, but it was worth it!

How did the underground world of mix tapes contributed towards your success in getting signed to a label?
I don't think the tapes we made had any effect on labels. Mix tapes are a local thing. We only made 100 tapes of 'Hit The Hay'.

What is the Hip-Hop scene like in Belgium?
Belgium is a small country, so it's a small scene. We have a french speaking side and a Flemish speaking side. The two sides have a scene on their own so that makes it even smaller, haha. But that doesn't matter, there's a lot going on. 

myspace.com/40winks | 40winksmusic.com

Fennesz * Sakamoto - Cendre (Touch)

Here's a 2007 release that I've been meaning to cover in detail for a while. Touch Music was launched in 1982, initially releasing cassette magazines. Twenty five years later, Touch is at its peak, perfecting their output with carefully selected works by Christian Fennesz, Ryuuichi Sakamoto, Oren Ambarchi, Biosphere, Ryoji Ikeda, Philip Jeck, Chris Watson and Mika Vainio, amongst others. Since the 90s, Fennesz and Sakamoto have performed live, with Sala Santa Cecilia being their first collaborative EP (Touch, 2005), recorded live at Auditorium della Parco Musica for the Romaeuropa Festival. Two years later, the duo got together to compose their first full length LP, Cendre. In between these two releases, Fennesz recorded an album with Keith Rowe, Toshimaru Nakamura and Oren Ambarchi, under a collective moniker 4g, titled Cloud (Erstwhile, 2005). Meanwhile, prolific Sakamoto (recording since 1978) released a remix album, Bricolages (Warner Music Japan, 2006) with a collection of reworked tracks by an amazing roster of artists like Alva Noto, Taylor Deupree, Snd, Richard Devine, Slicker and even Craig Armstrong. Needless to say that I was pretty excited to hear what the couple come up with, with such an amazing web of connections and an array of experiences. And Cendre doesn't disappoint. Sakamoto is back at the piano, this time bathed in a warm lush of ambient bliss, as flooded by Fennesz. The reverberations of drone-like pads almost swallow the notes whole, occasionally letting them cut through the descending fog, and shoot up like a sparkling reflection of a dying star. Editors at Boomkat have said it best : "The fact that you're [...] reading this review assumes you're of a certain musical disposition, and if you are in any way interested in the more beautiful things in life, the sensitive yet experimental end of modern music - pay close attention as this album is just about as good as it gets." A modern classical marvel. The latest from Fennesz is Transition EP (Touch, 2008), while Sakamoto released a collaboration with Christopher Willits, titled Ocean Fire (12k, 2008).



myspace.com/fennesz | fennesz.com
sitesakamoto.com | touchmusic.org.uk

Two and a Half Questions with Christian Fennesz

What was one of the most memorable moments from your collaboration with Sakamoto on Cendre?
doing the mixes in ryuichis studio in new york city in winter.

What are some challenging aspects of doing a live performance?
airport security checks.

And what are the rewarding ones?
improvising/ the interaction with the audience.

You've worked together with many artists? Any one special who you want to record with in the future?
i will do recording sessions with mark linkous/sparklehorse soon.

What are you working on right now?
i have just finished a new album. i will do remixes for renfro and heligoland and start working on a film music for a science fiction movie.

myspace.com/fennesz | fennesz.com

Hauschka - Ferndorf (130701)

When I'm in the mood for classical piano and chamber music, I usually turn to a bottomless repertoire of Tchaikovsky, Liszt, Chopin, Stravinsky and Beethoven. For a more edgier, experimental, and contemporary feel, I queue up modern classical composers like Arvo Pärt, Phillip Glass, Nico Muhly and Max Richter. I'm definitely adding Hauschka to the latter list. I first discovered Volker Bertelmann upon the release of his sophomore album The Prepared Piano (Karaoke Kalk, 2005). It was an exploration into brutal modifications with adjusted hammers and padded strings that was more on avant-garde side (see John Cage's credited invention of the prepared piano), and made me listen closer for the adjustments in my favorite instrument. The fourth full length album from this Düsseldorf based pianist and composer explores every chamber instrument in its full capacity. On Ferndorf (translating into 'remote village' from German), Hauschka brings in two cellists, violinist and even a trombone player to construct modern classical pieces that are pleasant on the ear and the soul. Five out of twelve tracks appear to be "purely improvised", yet elicit strong musicianship from the participating players. Alluding to his birthplace in rural Germany, the trip along the memory lane, is an upbeat skip and hop. Here, Bertelmann revisits his childhood influences contributing to his decade long affair with the piano. Where most major-chord filled pieces usually fill me with a post-neo-classical dread of scale walking, Hauschka keeps restraint and tends to concentrate on execution and message of each individual piece. Of course, no such trip ever occurs without a touch of melancholy. Here, too, Hauschka excels in creating majestic and musical compositions, all whilst adding a touch of modern experimentation and exploration of live instruments, to let his composition rise just a notch above the rest. Deep respect to Bertelmann for extracting all percussive attributes from a beloved instrument while keeping it waltzing with joy. Grab this latest release from FatCat's sister label, 130701. Similar artist cloud includes Goldmund, Deaf Center, Sylvain Chauveau, Library Tapes, Peter Broderick, Marsen Jules, and of course Max Richter and Ryuuichi Sakamoto.

Update: Hauschka is currently on tour! Be sure to visit his myspace page for Upcoming Shows schedule.



myspace.com/hauschka | hauschka-net.de
myspace.com/fatcatrecords | fat-cat.co.uk

Two and a Half Questions with Hauschka

There is a variery of instruments on Ferndorf. How did the cellos and most interestingly trombone come into this equation?
Well after releasing three piano solo records, two of them were pure prepared piano, i thought to carry on working and maybe push the work with the piano to certain borders. one is to work with other instruments until the piano maybe disappears but the sound of my music is still left. so i see the instrumentation on ferndorf as a possible beginning of getting deeper into the orchestration. and i have a big connection to bass and tenor instruments... the cello has a huge range which i love.

I noticed that your piano was still "prepared". Tell us about some of the techniques you used in modifying the instrument?
i use a lot of different things. mainly i put different material between the hammers and the strings but also vibrating and tickling toys. depending on the material the sound that adds on top of the normal piano sound is different in quality and colour. so if you put cardboard between hammers and strings it sounds like a drum and if you use paper you still hear the piano tone, but modified.

How did you prepare (if at all) for your improvisational pieces with two cellos?
we rented a concert space in duesseldorf, set up a lot of microphones and a recording system and then we started playing without rehearsing. we recorded around 45 tracks and afterward we choose the pieces that had the most intense feeling. a lot of times you can tell already while you are playing. Insa and Donja are wonderful open cello players that are able to carry their own music for a long while... this is maybe the best situation, that musicians are strong enough to give the others the piece to rest but not necessarily.

Tell us about your upcoming work...
there will be another 12 inch and digital release coming up and the end beginning of next year called "Snowflakes and Carwrecks" which is still out of the same session but contains much longer pieces that were not fitting on Ferndorf. some pieces are 9min 50 long and they occupy the whole record. after that maybe one short piece can survive. in total it will have around 40 min of music. then there is a dance vinyl coming out with a piano remix on the b-side on the english label care of community. on the french label BipHop there is a 17 min release of a concert with me and the english electronic duo Antenna Farm (bip-hop.com) the record is called Vol.9.

myspace.com/hauschka | hauschka-net.de

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

Two and a Half Questions with Graham Richardson

What is your typical composition process?
When I begin a song I have little idea of what it's going to sound like. I don't write down ideas or read music so if an idea comes to me can be quickly lost. I usually just sit down with the guitar or at the computer and see what happens. The only thing I am usually certain of at the start is the feeling I'm trying to convey within the music. I'll begin with a basic melody or try to create a background texture. After that i add what sounds right to me, there's rarely a plan or structure and most of the time the songs just grow naturally. Something that happens quite frequently is that i have a song that i feel isn't working so i begin to disassemble or destroy it by stretching it many times and just using a small section, or slow it down, reversing or distorting it. This can provide some unexpected, random sounds that can be a new starting point to develop a new melody when again, things naturally grow.

What emotion, would you say, is mostly expressed in your music?
I think sadness and hope are the two that seem most prevalent. Over the duration of all my albums (including the new one) there's a melancholic feeling of sadness but this is always balanced with optimism and hope.

Do you ever write music in your sleep?
No but I often wake with songs in my head, I can hear finished tracks in their entirety but as i don't read music or play the guitar very well it's difficult to jump out of bed and capture these ideas. So i just enjoy them before they evaporate.

Tell us about your upcoming album.
The new album is called 'The Safety of The North' and it's about a couple, their young daughter and their move from a city to a rural setting. I think it's a more cinematic and detailed account of a narrative than 'Sea'. I've treated each track as if it were a section from a movie. There are small parts of spoken word and some vocals on one track. It explores the loss of a loved one and recovery from such a situation.I've spent more time working on this than my previous 2 albums and it has been more of a challenge because I've been writing songs for very specific scenarios. This extra time has proved beneficial, I think it sounds very complete and diverse and focuses more on compositions rather than abstract music. It's now just about finished and should be out very early next year.

myspace.com/lastdaysmyspace | n5md.com/lastdays

Fjordne - The Last 3 Days Of Time (Dynamophone Records)

Here's everything I love about modern classical and experimental ambient. Tiny sprinkles of noise and artifacts. Glitchy digital errors across strummed guitars. Chopped up echoes of piano. Timeless bliss... All making up some jigsaw puzzle of a melody that reveals itself only if you unfocus your mind, unplug the brain, and blur your vision. Let the sound saturate your thoughts, swirling forwards and back in time, seeking lost data across corrupted volumes of memories. Ah, there it is, that moment. Nope, gone again. Tokyo based Shunichiro Fujimoto's solo project under Fjordne moniker is a feat of subliminal time slippage consumed by the inevitable force of a black hole. Sourcing only acoustic instruments and some voice, Fujimoto digitally warps and processes the sounds into The Last 3 Days Of Time which gets picked up by a San Francisco based Dynamophone Records. And here's where owning a physical copy of this album really pays off: the 250 limited and numbered compact disk has a black lining (maybe that's what reminded me of black hole) and arrives in a small round tin container with a matted imprint of a bird sitting on a branch, revealing tiny mechanical gears beneath its feathers. A wind-up bird of time, approaching its last three days... And the clock ticks... It is no coincidence that the cover art resembles the theme behind The Wind Up Bird Chronicle by my _all_time_favorite_ Japanese author, Haruki Murakami. Fujimoto's music is inspired by this and other Murakami works (which you absolutely _must_ read if you read fiction at all!). Highly recommended for fans of Fennesz, Alvo Noto, Oval, Marsen Jules and Deaf Center. Also, make sure to pick up The Abbasi Brothers' Something Like Nostalgia, now that Dynamophone has officially released the album - you can get your Dynamophone copies at a growing n5MD store, which you can always leave with a cart full of goodies. [*UPDATE* - Looks like Mr. Fujimoto released his third album, Stories Aparat From The World, on Japanese based Ryoondo-Tea label in July of 2008]



myspace.com/fjordne
myspace.com/dynamophone | dynamophone.com

Deru - Trying To Remember (Merck)

It's been almost two years since one of the leading IDM labels operating out of Florida, closed its doors. My dear Merck... I'm tired of sighing. Your impact on the music scene still resonates till this day - with new artists drawing inspirations from your past releases, and abandoned musicians still scrambling to find a new home for their future work. In the same light, I haven't heard anything from Deru since his 2004 release on Merck, Trying To Remember. He has, however, just finished his third album, Say Goodbye To Useless, which is scheduled to be released in the first half of 2009. About a year ago, I saw Benjamin Wynn play out live, at an outdoor festival, and his deep bass and punchy beats sent the vibrations far through the woods. Add to that some subliminal melodic samples with a glitch and swirling effects, and you got somewhat of a staple sound as spearheaded by the likes of Funckarma, Hecq, Kattoo, Gridlock, etc. (I can go on and on). One of my favorite tracks, is Deru's remix of Yasume's Rengoku, appearing on Colonized 01 (Colony Productions, 2007). Some very cinematic and futuristic moments there. His other treasured releases include the Pushing Air LP (Neo Ouija, 2003) and a remix compilation of his originals, released on a beautiful 10" vinyl, Pushing Soil (Delikatessen, 2004), with reworked tracks by Xela, Ginormous, Lo Grey Beam and Lusine. Deru returned the favor to Jeff McIlwain by remixing Auto Pilot on Lusine's Podgelism (Ghostly, 2007). Deru also appeared on Sutemos' Intelligent Toys 3 and even remixed KiloWatts' Two Days Off on Problems/Solved (AMM, 2006). Throughout his short discography, Wynn has managed to perfect his found sound. It is atmospheric. It is thumping. It is fractured. And once you hear it, you'll be able to recognize his touch and influence in others. Highly recommended. And I am anxiously awaiting his upcoming new album!



myspace.com/iamderu | meisderu.com
myspace.com/merckrecords | m3rck.net

Two and a Half Questions with Deru

Where does the name 'Deru' come from?
Deru is an Indo-European root of some modern words like "duration", and "tree". I've always liked the idea that releasing music is like giving birth to a living entity, like a tree that grows roots with each new person that listens.

Tell us about your newly completed album.
It's called "Say Goodbye To Useless" and it's about ridding your life of unnecessary shit; stripping it down to the things that are most important to you. I'm really excited about it. I'm in talks with labels now so I'm not sure yet which one is going to release it yet, but it should drop the first half of '09.

How is post-Merck world different for you, as an electronic producer?
I loved working with Merck. Gabe was so good to deal with; fair, responsive, and great attention to detail. He put out great shit, what more can you ask for? The things that made Gabe want to stop are the same things that's made most of the small labels go away - everybody stopped paying for music. People now are trying to figure out what the new model is going to be, and no one's figured it out yet, but their are new ideas emerging and I have faith that a new solution will come. The music hasn't changed, people will always make great music, so it's just about finding the new model to support the artist so they can continue doing that.

Chicago has a very fragmented electronic music scene. Do you think you'll ever come back?
I love Chicago. I go back a lot and really value the fact that I grew up there. I haven't lived there in a decade though, so I don't really know what it would be like to live their as an adult. Will I go back? Not for a while, and after that it's anyone's guess.    

myspace.com/iamderu | meisderu.com

Argaman - My Little Forest (self)

It's a quiet forest morning. The birds are chirping. Somewhere a large animal calls out to its mate. Soon the horns sound. The kaleidoscopic circus marches in. The trees begin to bend as they extend into the skies, branching out in rainbow fractals. Everything compacts into a single energy and then explodes again. The psychedelia sets in. Itai Argaman has been working on his psybient album for over two years, no doubt studying the mind-bending sounds of Shpongle, Infected Mushroom, Shulman, Bluetech, Aes Dana, and Ott in the process. Inspired by the Israeli underground psychedelic music scene, Argaman uses classical and orchestral instrumentation to create floating, morphing, and curving sounds combining into psydub-psychill-psydm-and-psy-everything-else. Argaman's musicianship begins at his classical compositions that were promoted to cinematic scores, and continues to develop through continuous study of electronic sound. As I watched Argaman evolve in the last year, I saw him progress from a mere demo of a few tracks into a full polished album, My Little Forest. The slight dementia hiding beneath the covers of My Little Forest clearly reflects the collective insanity of modern society. The interlined thematic tracks reveal the story of both realities - the one perceived and the one beyond our senses. In which one do you live? This is a special treat, as this album is still unsigned to any label, but will be be out soon (follow Argaman via myspazz). Recommended if you enjoy the above mentioned names, or any artists from labels like Twisted, BNE, TIP, Phonokol, or Dragonfly.



myspace.com/argaman | itaiargaman.com

Max Richter - 24 Postcards In Full Colour (130701 / FatCat)

Writing about such music is difficult. Especially when its beauty is escorted by concept. I could tell you about Touch Ringtones, and Max Richter's approach at creating twenty four miniature classical sketches designed to capture the moment and snap you in and out of your daily tasks. I could tell you about Richter's gallery installations where the pieces would be transmitted to the audiences mobile phones via SMS. I could tell you about the twenty four photographic images beautifully laid out on a CD insert (some revealing a reflection or a shadow of Max Richter himself), and on a mini website with a preview of the tracks. I could, perhaps, quote the German-born, modern classical composer, who explains the idea behind his fourth album in his own words: "thinking about how we listen to music now, with the range of options available, I wondered why it is that the ringtone medium has so far been treated as unfit for creative music..." But I won't do any of that. Instead, I simply invite you to listen and decide for yourself... Richter may have an impact on your perception of the intrusive personal wake up call of a gadget humanity should probably live without. I often picture Mozart slapping his forehead at the thought that his genius is echoed through a tiny speaker on a busy subway. Perhaps one day, on my morning commute, I will be disturbed by the alarming calm of Max Richter's peaceful piano playing through someone's Nextel. Perhaps... I doubt it... Until then, I highly recommend an excellent pair of headphones to enjoy this absolutely marvelous collection of sketches whose shortcoming is only their brief existence. Each track ranges between one minute and two, offering you only a short glimpse into a moment conveyed through geographically centered track names, personal photographic snapshots, and of course music itself. The instrumentation for the album is limited by Richter himself to a string quintet, acoustic guitar, and of course, a piano. The seasoning for this recipe includes dusty vinyl, fuzzy shortwave radio, and clicky scratchy samples, all processed by transistors and 16 track 2" tape. The pieces are designed to be a cluster of fragmented impressionistic vignettes, "stitched together to form a series of jump-cuts and foldbacks in time." Richter elaborates further: "because the piece is a collection of tones, where I have no control of the order, I made a structure that holds together by use of shared material – like a cloud of pieces, or a handful of confetti, or a constellation of fragments – to be navigated as you like..." 24 Postcards In Full Colour is released on Brighton Based FatCat Records imprint, 130701, dedicated to more instrumental albums. I highly recommend you also pickup (or revisit) Richter's previous hailed modern classical masterpieces, Memoryhouse, The Blue Notebooks, and Songs From before.



myspace.com/maxrichtermusic | maxrichter.com
myspace.com/fatcatrecords | fat-cat.co.uk

Two and a Half Questions with Max Richter

You have explored a rising personal medium. How does its lo-fi sound play into your concept?
i treated the phones exactly like i would the cd or the lp - just another replay device. i don't worry about replay fidelity really - i think that interesting music stands up no matter how its replayed - beethoven on a 78 or the beachboys on am radio are still wonderful, aren't they?

How does electronic music production effect your composition? For example, what are some of the techniques that you still employ after your collaboration with Future Sound of London?
fsol had a very experimental way of working, which tied into my own process - basically its having lots of plans, ideas, material, strategems etc., and then throwing them all away and following the material - very non classical i suppose...

Do you have any desire to score films? And if so, can you think of a story or a novel that you'd wish to compose a soundtrack for?
yes i enjoy scoring films, though i don't find that many i actually want to do. i've just done a wonderful fim called "waltz with bashir" which everyone should see. If anyone ever makes films of the wg sebald novels I WANT THAT GIG.

Will we ever see sheet music for some of your albums?
yes there are some scores floating around on the net, though i have no idea where they came from - some official ones too !    

myspace.com/maxrichtermusic | maxrichter.com

Krafty Kuts - FabricLive. 34 (Fabric)

The FabricLive series has celebrated some really amazing output since its launch seven years ago. The monthly (!) compilation releases started in November 2001, by the London based nightclub Fabric. Alternating monthly between Fabric and FabricLive series, the club's offshoot label has covered a diversity of genres, from tech house to drum'n'bass, from dubstep to hip hop, from electro to disco. The mixed compilations feature an excellent roster of DJs and artists spearheading stylistic underground and commercial movements. Some of my most recent favorite FabricLive mixes feature Noisia, Caspa & Rusko, Spank Rock, High Contrast and DJ Craze. This 34th release (June 2007), is put together by Martin Randal, who goes by the name of Krafty Kuts. Randal is a Brighton (England) based electronic breakbeat producer and a DJ. In the last three years, he has has won the "Best DJ" title from the Breakspoll Awards. And this compilation does not under-perform. Krafty Kuts pulls out his crate favorites, like old-skool rap from Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five and funky electro from Milke. The production is top notch, the mixing is of course superb, and the sounds are super fresh. I especially love Krafty's layering of acappellas over other instrumentals to create new sounds and essentially remixes. Artists appearing on the mix include Tim Deluxe, DJ Icey, Plump DJ's, Madox, Aquasky, Freestylers, and Primal Scream among the many. I was last this excited about the FabricLive album when I reviewed The Herbaliser's contribution towards 26th volume. Perfect for a weekend drive. Recommended if you want to catch up on the latest breakbeat sound. And I'm sure I'll be raving about other FabricLive releases pretty soon.



myspace.com/djkraftykuts | superchargedmusic.com
myspace.com/fabricfamily | fabriclondon.com