Sunday, June 21, 2009

Cyclic Defrost Magazine

Cyclic Defrost Magazine

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Strategy – Sines of Life (HellosQuarecordings)

Posted: 21 Jun 2009 05:14 AM PDT

strategy
Paul Dickow aka Strategy presents a long fluid one take improvisation featuring a Triwave picogenerator developed by 4ms. It is quite a distinctive instrument, even being a mere two oscillator noise box and the results, played live through audiomulch, returned, looped, and granulated in real time are impressive in their depth and breadth of spectrum play. Dickow also utalises electric guitar, Modular Synthesizer and Yamaha DX 100 Synthesizer in the construction of this piece.

The piece is reminiscent of ambient 'acid' adventures albeit with the phrasing of the guitar adding dimensions oft neglected in this particular sonic fetishism. The modulation of the two oscillators by three unsynchronized LFO's sets a dramatic sonic play of highly sculptured sound surfaces that glimmer, go deep, chirp, echo and squeal akin to some electronic dolphin. Aquatic analogies could abound as the fluid nature of the sound lead the mind to this imagery. It is removed from a particularly structured frame and the impulse to overlay it with one is something to but try to resist. It is indeed difficult to hold or grasp something so skillfully freeform as Sines of Life. However while the impulse towards this domain is something to be valued, as an act of conveying anything beyond the indication of Dickows skill and mastery it can at times seem an indulgence rather than a presentation of a rare beauty.

Innerversitysound

Nosaj Thing – Drift (Alpha Pup)

Posted: 21 Jun 2009 05:04 AM PDT

Nosaj Thing - Drift

Drift is the debut album for Nosaj Thing, one of L.A.'s finest up and coming producers, having remixed Daedelus and Flying Lotus, won Plastic Little/Turntable Lab's remix contest featuring MF Doom, and won the prestigious Project Blowed beat battle, he has become a popular regular at the seminal Low End Theory club night in L.A.

Drift fused hip hop sensibilities with electronica, sometimes lush and organic, sometimes highly edited and injected with glitch. He could be compared to a new and upcoming breed of hip hop producers, producing a leftfield electronic sound, or alongside what is being called 'wonky'. Nosaj Thing's music has as much to do with electronics as it does hip hop, creating a soundtrack for the future, oozing with vibrant bass, and a menacing undertone that never seems to surface, never overtaking the gloss, retaining a playful joy as if channeling an L.A. summer. It's this playfulness that really works, in tracks such as 'Quest', 'Fog', 'IOIO', '2222' and 'Lords', Nosaj Thing shows just how he weaves his magic.

A beautiful debut, and a producer to keep a very close eye on, released on Alpha Pup too, which has become a label to watch also, releasing the forward thinking producers of a new school.

Wayne Stronell

Sleeper – Behind Every Mask (Mush)

Posted: 21 Jun 2009 05:00 AM PDT

Sleeper - Behind Every Mask

Mush Records used to rate, but there was an absence of sunstance for a while, or was there? Maybe I just wasn't paying attention, maybe I just overlooked the labels releases, maybe a busy life with little time didn't allow me to assign the energy to care. What we have here is a new album from Sleeper, Behind The Mask, on Mush. I begin to understand Sleeper as a producer, he is also an established and respected tattoo and visual artist, managing to portray this in his sound work, defined outlines, yet with shade and texture between.

Behind Every Mask opens with a brooding darkness, and it doesn't let much light shine through for the rest of the album, it starts out how it aims to continue. There is a dense and claustrophobic tone to this record, both in mood and musically, meshing together an intriguing mix of electronic and hip hop production, sounds found and sounds squeezed through numerous analogue machines, a post industrial ambience and an underlying post metal sludge that seems to tie everything together.

There seems to be a essence of David Lynch movie's here, a bizarre unexplainable context, a confusion of what is actually going on, which works really well, creating a bubbling sense of doom and menace, a claustrophobia secured by tighly honed drum breaks and other worldly machines. The darkness is good sometimes.

Wayne Stronell

Felicity Mangan – Half Finished World (HellosQuaredrecordings)

Posted: 21 Jun 2009 03:43 AM PDT

Felicity Mangen
Half Finished World was made for a Dance/Sound/Animation project in 2005 with Julia Robinson, Phoebe Robinson and Richard Griggs at Bus Gallery in Melbourne. This limited edition on HeliosQuarecordings is a remixed version of the original work. There is a deeply immersive edge to the construction with distinct sounds introduced and moved through time in cycles, developed, woven, recessed, attenuated. As one pattern reaches its form it is overcome by the next cycle or progression of treatment or introduction of sound event.

Presented in three parts, the first part interweaves vocal echoes as if in a sonic hall of mirrors, sub static hum, crackle and hiss along with bright tonal sculpting and shaken electronic idiosyncratic rhythm. Part two more comprehensively plays with effects laden situations extending vocal hums and layering, echoing percussive moments thrown through spatial planes and eventually moving to a delicate play of bead like echoes. Part Three builds guitar loops and a punctuation of percussive flutter into a busy sound fare before moving into a shrill gull-like polyphony and fade to silence.

While the project is definitely out of context as a purely listening event, it has all the hallmarks of contemporary constructed sculptural sound events and can be heard abstracted from the performance with a modicum of imagination.

Innerversitysound

Gold Panda – Back Home EP (Various)

Posted: 21 Jun 2009 03:09 AM PDT

Various, better known as the home and self styled record label of Various Production, the mysterious production outfit that sylised and pushed boundaries for grime, electronica, dubstep and Celtic folk sensibilities, have it seems now become a proper label. Gold Panda is the first artist other than Various Production themselves to have an EP released on the label.

The Back Home EP enters into a more 4/4 territory than ever covered by the label’s originators. 'Back Home' focuses on a house rhythm, with jittery electronics emphasizing a subtle bed of static and crackle, unearthing new and emerging micro-rhythms. 'Long Vacation' ventures into electronica, with woozy spurts and sounds, and a subtle backbeat that threatens to launch into more solid grime breaks, but it never does, instead getting absorbed by static and distortion. 'Mayuri' starts with a more traditional electronica template, similar to Boards Of Canada or Lukid, but morphing into a deep Detroit stepper reminiscent of Carl Craig or Martyn.

Various Production have been a favourite of mine for a while now, with their genre hopping antics, varied production projects, and attention to design utilising the illustration genius of David Bray (Bonesy), and now they are releasing others on their label. More please.

Wayne Stronell

Pegasuses-XL – Electro Agitators (Ernest Jenning Records/TVT)

Posted: 21 Jun 2009 02:50 AM PDT

Pegasuses-XL - Electro Agitators

Pegasuses-XL is such a warped mash of different styles, its hard to classify what it actually is, in easy terms for a music journalist at least! Featuring Mark Dale of Disband, Jeff Tobias of We Versus The Shark and Dark Meat, Joel Hatstat of Cinemechanica and Jeff Rosenstock of Bomb The Music Industry! Its almost a super-group from Athens, GA/Brooklyn, New York, and they've only had three self-released EP's to date, The Midnight Aquarium, XL and Third EP, which are all compiled here.

Its punk-rock, but its electronic, its dance music made with fierce breaks and overloaded analogue instrumentation, distorted vocals, with just about everything else distorted as well. Shows influence from 90's hip hop, the pop of Kraftwerk and Gary Newman, the guitar posturing of Black Sabbath or Black Flag bathed in a sea of noise, and the absurdness of early Devo. The lo-fi approach, utilising distortion in a similar way to Muslimgauze or The Bug, smacks of a freshness, and a raw energy missing from the hyped super-groups and stadium rockers the music press seem to love so much, but who are often just a big let down.

There is an honesty here, Pegasuses-XL don't want to fit in anywhere, it just sounds like they are having so much fun on all fronts. Pretty crazy stuff, there's enough energy here to really annoy your neighbors or regain your youth.

Wayne Stronell

Thorts – Bleeding Heart Musik (Obese Records)

Posted: 21 Jun 2009 02:44 AM PDT

Thorts - Bleeding Heart Musik

Originally from Geelong's Hungry Human's Crew, Thorts took three years to complete this, his debut solo album, drawing from personal experience, a coming of age, life in Geelong and Bunbury Western Australia, fatherhood, and a love for hip hop spanning 14 years or more.

Collecting the best beats from some of Australia's best beat makers, Saint Surly, Simple Simon, Crixus, Geko, Must and Crytearia, and adding his thoughts and feelings to what is a moody landscape, often dark yet uplifting and brutally honest. There is a classic feel about the production, dark and moody, yet mellow, capturing after midnight at a late night jazz bar, full of sweat piano melodies and mellow horn refrains. Featuring guest verses from Crixus, Urban Monk, J.Waters, Esvee, JP, Mata & Must, 1/6 and Class-A, adding contrast to Thorts often bleak and brutal narration on life's darker side. Even through the often heavy content of Thorts lyrics, there is an obvious passion and optimism that seeps through, a promise of positivity and better times ahead, learning how to appreciate the important things you have in your life.

Obese Records have emerged as one of Australia's most important hip hop labels, gaining respect overseas for exposing some serious Australian talent to the world stage, Thorts has now been added to that list.

Wayne Stronell

Skare – Solstice City (Glacial Movements)

Posted: 21 Jun 2009 02:42 AM PDT

Skare solstice city
Skare are a sound collaboration by Mathias Josefson and Per Åhlund with visuals performed by Fredrik Olofsson. In that the visuals are a 'band member' is no real surprise given the content of stark ambient scapes incorporating field recordings, abstracted instruments, found sound and electronic manipulations. Visuals would both aid Sakre both as a descriptive device as well as captivate the eye of the viewer while the long treatments are in play. The album itself is a narrative of an imagined journey into unknown territory, a movement beyond the city into nature described by a sense of ‘frozen ambience’.

Segmented in three parts Solstice City begins with the short To the other shore which gently builds an imminent brooding atmosphere before introducing field recordings of city and departure to build the context for the journey beyond. The second track, Through Wind and Broken Ice, continues the journey with the insistent frozen footfall and dark undertones, broken by bird into a more intricate description of the landscape and passage through tundra using the melancholic and unfamiliar nature of the altered tonal expectations to conjure up ice winds in frozen tundra. With the arrival of piano sketches towards the end of this long track arrives the movement into a constructed environment setting the scene for track three, The Snow Angel Factory. Here glistening tones, bristle with static and mechanistic industrial pristine sounds. Intercom moments and the hum and pulse of imagined machinery build a sonic impression which moves through phases of differing intensity.

Overall Solstice City is an accomplished take on the aspects of a bleak ambient landscape often referred to as 'dark' or industrial or here as frozen or glacial ambient as per the focus of the label. While the sound is constructed as 'uninviting' it is purposefully so. Best listened to through headphones and without the demand for music as a form of diversion.

Innerversitysound

Various Artists – Real Authentic Reggae Volume Two Compiled by David Rodigan (BBE)

Posted: 21 Jun 2009 02:36 AM PDT

Real Authentic Reggae Volume Two

Its always a joy to review a new reggae compilation, just when you think you've heard it all, the bottomless pit of reggae is mined yet again, and more gems are unearthed, and while there is always a few tracks that are familiar, there's plenty more to lift the spirits.

BBE have proved they are up the top of the reissue ladder, sharing the glory with other market leaders like Soul Jazz and Soundway, continuously releasing quality compilations in varying genres, utilising expertise from respected selectors, with this release enlisting David Rodigan.

Real Authentic Reggae lays down 20 great tracks, Jackie Edwards, Gregory Isaacs, Leo Hall, Chakademus & Pliers, Augustus Pablo, Fred Locks, Brent Dowe, Luciano, Chezidek, Johnny Clark, Cornel Campbell, The Melodians, Jimmy London, Simplicity People, Delroy Wilson, Wayne Wade, Junior Kelly, Macka B, Sugar Minott, and The Viceroys, not looking too far back this time, but retaining the authentic thread of straight up reggae, that sound like they could have been released anytime in the last four decades. Compilations such as this provide the perfect jumping off point for the uninitiated, subsequently giving the eager listener 20 new opportunities to investigate the genre more deeply. This is so essential, especially for genres such as reggae, where the task of immersing yourself in discovering new music is often a daunting one, with such a prolific musical history. Class all the way.

Wayne Stronell

John Matthias – Stories From The Watercooler (Counter)

Posted: 21 Jun 2009 02:30 AM PDT

John Matthias - Stories From The Watercooler

John Matthias has built a reputation of being a singer/songwriter with great depth and substance. First emerging in 2001 on Matthew Herbert’s Lifelike imprint, which seemed at the time an odd marriage, but it was Matthias’ intricate yet subtle use of electronics that seemed to fit, releasing two EP’s and an album for the label. It’s as much his collaborations that have bought him to this point, working with Herbert, Lunatic Calm, and Coldcut, where this album now stems, from Ninja Tune offshoot Counter Records.

His new album Stories From The Watercooler collect new compositions of fragile pop, folk and Americana, the biggest successes on the album lay bare its fragility with wistful melodies, accomplished guitar, and an almost trancelike sea of subtle instrumentation, taking on a drone undercurrent, creating a melancholy well suited to his vocal style. This is most apparent in the tracks 'Open', 'Viper's Nest', 'I Will Disappear', 'Stockwell Road', and 'Evermore', with melodies that seem to wash over you, and instrumentation that inspires. You realise the power of a great singer/songwriter with the simplest of songs, songs such as 'It's Not', just voice and guitar, yet it speaks volumes, a rhythmic vocal follows an infectious guitar loop, repetition strengthening the feeling of drama.

On the whole an enjoyable album, especially the majority of its mellow songs, the more rock oriented tracks lacking something for me, the genius is in John Matthias’ simplicity, thats where the power is.

Wayne Stronell

Wooshie – Natural’s Is In It (Farmer Frontier/Meupe)

Posted: 21 Jun 2009 12:47 AM PDT

Perth’s Farmer Frontier label has only come to my attention in the last month or so, but everything I’ve heard so far has been well worth it. This 7″ released in conjunction with Muepe is no exception. It’s a brief selection, with it’s 3 tracks just making it to the 6 minute mark. The title track could be a lo-fi backing track from an early Tricky song, it’s looping instrumental strain steering its own idea of rhythm which is never allowed to settle. ‘Both Sides’ is possibly just that, reworking samples from either side of the vinyl into a brief, 1 minute interlude that sounds like late 60s hippiedom reaching for Jupiter. B-side ‘Chewbacca’s Lament’ is a mellow cut-up of beat-jazz licks and a retro-futurist synth trails. A moody, mellow mix of strangeness that is warmly inviting.

Adrian Elmer

The Present – The Way We Are (Loaf/Inertia)

Posted: 20 Jun 2009 09:15 PM PDT

This music is incredibly difficult to describe. It’s experimental in nature, electronic without the polished edges, dense soundscape music, with multiple sources mixed together until they become a strange uniformed whole. It may be improvised, it’s definitely highly processed in post production, though also electro acoustic, with a sweet majestic ramshackle feel. There’s a sticker on the cover from the record company that says this is ambient, yet at times it’s quite unsettling, these amorphous sound pieces brimming with peculiar half understood sounds and fragments of something you’re not sure whether you’re hearing or not. It appears to be coming from a mixture of field recordings and manipulated live instrumentation, and whilst it can feel quite warm and accessible, it’s definitely not what you’d commonly refer to as musical. Though as an approach to working with sound art you’d probably call it very musical, maybe even pop, thanks to the elements of groove and pattern building. The percussive and even melodic elements feel like they’re coming from another room, perhaps down the hall, and they’re always clouded by this amorphous haze which is mixed right up front. Beneath it there’s cascading piano notes, unclear vocals and when the percussion does come almost defiantly in the final thirty two and a half minute title track it takes on a lo fi Boredoms feel, a psychedelic jam of swirling sonic residue being pummeled forward by the relentless beats. It’s an album of hidden surprises. The music is surprisingly rich and detailed. The mixing decisions baffling, bold and fascinating.

It’s the work of New York musician and engineer/ producer Rusty Santos, who is not only blessed with a name perhaps better suited to life as a Mexican porn star, but boasts regular production work with Animal Collective (Sung Tongs), Panda Bear and also Ariel Pink. But it turns out that he also has four folksy singer songwriter orientated experimental solo albums out, and even has a hand running the United Acoustic Recordings label . Here he has teamed up with Jesse Lee of Gang Gang Dance fame and also Mina (who apparently comes from a classical background) for their second album. The trio play piano, guitar and drums, though listening to The Way We Are, you’d often be hard pressed to identify them in the mix. As a result you’d have to also list the mixing process itself as an instrument. It really sounds like little else around, normally a sonic soup is a bad thing, yet this manages to simultaneously feel mischievous and refined, it’s sound art but it’s with a lo fi indie, almost melodic feel. It’s also one of the most intriguing albums you’ll come across in quite a while.

Bob Baker Fish

at 5:10 PM