Sunday, May 24, 2009

Cyclic Defrost Magazine

Cyclic Defrost Magazine

Link to Cyclic Defrost Magazine

Radiokijada - Neuvos Sonidas Afro Peruanos (Wrasse/ Filter)

Posted: 24 May 2009 05:28 AM PDT

Radiokijada, an Austrian Peruvian collaboration between the traditional and the electronic introduces us to the unique percussive rhythms from the kijada, the skeletal jaw of a donkey. It’s the work of Goton Project’s Christoph H Muller alongside Peruvian composer and percussionist Rodolfo Munoz. that stems from Peruvian creole music, developed when the Spanish brought the African slaves to Peru. We’re left with this intriguing fusion where traditional folk instrumentation meets subtle electronics with the occasional deep graveled vocals. It’s quite a varied offering, you can hear hints of flamenco, even tango combined with these Afro rhythms. Even the vocals vary from the aforementioned gruff almost spoken word to that of a highly produced female chanteuse that seems like it should be coming from another album entirely, or even the occasional heavily delayed whisper. What really sets this music apart though is the donkey jaw percussion, though it seems like the ultimate world music gimmick it’s used here at times like a feature, and it really does provide a distinctive, almost rattling shudder to the percussion hits. It’s this element that keeps a raw charm to music that’s in danger of being a little too polished for its own good.

Bob Baker Fish

Ahilea - Cafe Svetlana (Essay/ Inertia)

Posted: 24 May 2009 05:26 AM PDT

Austrian based Macedonian producer DJ Ahilea makes an infectious kind of electronic Balkan party music, a blend of a scattergun of traditions and the dance-floor, not unlike the work of Essay Records label head Shantel. The Balkan jig seems perfectly suited to the electronic treatment, in fact Balkan music is already ready made dancing music, adding the electronic beats or hand claps is just icing on the cake.

Despite the heightened energy of the music, with its lightening fast melodies, somehow the fusion with electro cleans everything up, keeping it uniform, and free from the messy frenzies that often characterise Balkan music. That said despite Ahilea’s DJ status, Cafe Sventlana is very much about using real instrumentation, forming a multi ethnic ensemble with clarinets, flutes, accordion, double bass, violin, guitar, darbuka, and vocals which veer from rap to traditional vocals and of course the ubiquitous one word proclamations of bliss that fall on the beat. Curiously many of the vocals, often sleazy gravelly husks are in heavily accented English which only adds to the exotic nature of the project. Yet it’s very clearly pop music, with many pieces developing a deep repetitive groove and not deviating, allowing the melodies and vocals to flow over the top. Perhaps most curious is the use of darbuka, betraying a North African influence not necessarily common in Balkan music - yet it works in seamlessly. The label refers this album as part of the burgeoning Viennese neo electro Balkan scene and you could probably draw parallels to fellow Viennese producer Dunklebunt, who admittedly takes things a lot further into the electronic realm. Though perhaps this is what Ahilea needs to do, as despite his obviously pop intentions, the light electronic touch can at times feel like he’s sitting on the fence.

Bob Baker Fish

Goran Bregovic - Alkohol (Mercury/ Filter)

Posted: 24 May 2009 05:19 AM PDT

It’s amazing what a difference Borat makes. Despite soundtracks for great films like Emir Kusturica’s Time of The Gypsies and Underground, it was his outing on the soundtrack to Borat that has finally garnered Bregovic worldwide acclaim. You can hear what no doubt appealed to Sasha Baron Cohen and the like, he does this inebriated gypsy weave lie few others, the sharp stabs of the brass turning into an elongated textural wail that sounds wonderfully off kilter. His band is trumpets, sax, two baritones with throbbing bottom end, striped back percussion and strangely Bregovic himself on guitar and vocals, along with a few other male and female vocalists. Essay boss Shantel even pops up somewhere. The album which begins with the proud inebriated cry of ‘alcohol’ before launching into a frenzy of brass is dedicated to Bregovic’s father, a man who’s relationship with alcohol caused himself more than a fair share of difficulty. Bregovic, who has played with everyone from Iggy Pop to Cesara Evora has this unique way of integrating multiple influences into his music yet making it appear like they’ve belonged there all along. Imagine features these New Orleans style horns with hand percussion and metal castanets that would sound closer to home in Morocco than Sarajevo. Whilst Gas Gas Gas has a house bass drum line and rhythmic acoustic guitar. Yet once the vocals and horns kick in it couldn’t come from anywhere else but the Balkans. It’s his first solo album since beginning soundtrack work and whilst the arrangements are dynamic and adventurous the musicianship is so tight it’s downright scary.

Bob Baker Fish

Various Artists - Rich Medina and Bobbito Present: The Connection Volume 1. (R2)

Posted: 24 May 2009 05:18 AM PDT

t may be a surprise to many that not only did Afrobeat not end with the death of Fela, but contemporary Afrobeat continues to be made that doesn’t sound like a throwback to the 70’s.

Well it’s definitely a surprise to this writer as there is not one familiar artist on the Afro selection of this 13 song promo (6 Afro/ 7 Latin) of a forthcoming double cd set. Whilst the house orientated Raw Artistic Soul is so bland and cafe orientated that it can’t be saved by Wunmi’s impassioned vocals, and Blaze’s ultra smooth lush jazzy, downbeat Afrobeat lite seem totally at odds with their attempts to be Gil Scott Heron, riffing endlessly about ‘the revolution,’ some of the earlier pieces like Aiff (named after a music file format?) a kind of Dutch revisionist band with real instrumentation play this gentle progressive Afrobeat that is sweet, soulful and highly finessed. This half was compiled by New York DJ Rich Medina, whilst the nu Latin side comes from former Rock Steady Crew member Bobitto aka Kool Bob Love.

There’s a couple of familiar names here such as Louie Vega and Rob Swift, so there’s also a touch of scratching, whilst the final album apparently also features Quantic Soul Orchestra. Curiously the Latin side is more overtly, almost triumphantly electronic influenced and at times seems even funkier than the Afro side. The highlight is eight piece English/Brazilian funk ensemble Saravah Soul’s Supersossego, an instrumental cop show wig out of Lalo Schiffrin proportions. The key word here is ‘instrumental,’ as many of the pieces on the Latin side are ruined by horribly lame lyrics. That said though the earthier highly percussive Rumba Cultura with chanting vocals from Totin also hits the mark. The problem is that the hits are few and far between. The collection is presented as an alternative to dusty crate digging, a gentle chiding that not all the great music is behind us, yet this collection is far from convincing. If offered a choice between a dusty crate and a house producer attempting to cram bits of Afro or Latin influences between their monotonous beats frankly I’ll take the crate any day of the week.

Bob Baker Fish

Miimo – Miimo 2 (Amorfon)

Posted: 24 May 2009 05:08 AM PDT

miimo2cd
Miimo, a self-described post dub trio, release their second studio album, combining steelpan, electronics and upright bass, to fashion music beyond the boundaries of the origins of their passions. Yoshio Machida steelpan wielding speaks of the Caribbean origins of steelpan orchestras and reggae appropriation as does the extension of the producer's art of dub which left the studio long ago. However quite rightly any discussion of musical language in terms of origins is becoming abhorrent in my mind, which is perhaps why the unbounded appreciation of Miimo is not to be found in this frame. Miimo is akin to the sound of an enquiring musical mind, finding and holding precisely the ability to speak a polyfusion of musical tongues while maintaining a full deep sound and clarity of purpose..

The tight and seemingly effortless construction belies the compositional ability of Machida Tatsu, as much as the effects driven electronics of laptop/drummer Norihide Saji (aka Plot) or the Ska/Reggae infused upright Bass playing of Tatsu, essential acoustic warmth. All three are well seasoned journeyman musicians in the Tokyo scene playing in multitudes of bands as well as solo projects. In addition J-pop vocalist Yuiko measures up on Small Venus against a vocoder, a particularly bright moment which attests to Miimo's wide sonic appreciation. Yuiko returns with a kooky cute dub Happy Birthday and there is a Portugese rap track, Taxadermia, that steps between a jazz vibe to dubbed out rap attack in the Mediterranean. The sprouting of vocals in a dub electronic heavy environment reflects Yoshio Machida’s interest in poetry as attested to in other releases on his imprint Amorfon.

Innerversitysound

Various Artists – Radio Resistencia (Enfant Terrible)

Posted: 24 May 2009 03:01 AM PDT

Radio Resistencia

Netherlands-based independent label Enfant Terrible celebrate their five year anniversary this year, and in the spirit of previous compilations such as ‘Electronic Renaissance’ and ‘Festival Der Genialen Dissidenten’, this latest collection ‘Radio Resistencia’ provides an overview of the label’s roster, with previously unreleased tracks from no less than 18 different bands. There’s a noticeable lean towards indie / synth-pop and New Beat centred influences here – while Swann Danger’s opening ‘Hit The Bricks’ suggests some ferociously overdriven hybrid of The Slits and Big Black, Black Ice’s ‘Bells Of Sicily’ sits closer to early period Ladytron, a glittering synth aesthetic that’s nicely followed up by the dark electro-goth stomp of Popsimonova’s ‘Obrisi’ and Florence Foster Fan Club’s dark Italo-esque ‘Subliminal Neurosis.’ It’s certainly not difficult to recognise the pivotal cultural influences being referenced here, with the likes of Malaria, Nitzer Ebb and Joy Division particularly recurring as touchstones here, but while the sense of familiarity frequently creeps in here it’s the sheer quality of the tracks gathered here that most impresses. Indeed, fans of the similarly stylishly sleazy International Deejay Gigolos label will find much to admire here. Well worth investigation…and with a limited edition of just 1000 copies, you’d best move quickly.

at 5:35 PM