Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Cyclic Defrost Magazine

Cyclic Defrost Magazine

Link to Cyclic Defrost

Michael Daugherty – Metropolis Symphony (Naxos)

Posted: 14 Oct 2009 04:17 AM PDT

For an unabashed populist, Michael Daugherty packs in a dizzying array of genuinely thrilling sonic effects into his compositions. ‘Metropolis’, the title work on this new disc for Naxos, is devoted to Superman, but unless you're a die hard fan of the superhero listeners are advised to ignore Daugherty’s narrative inspirations (”Lex derives its title from one of Superman’s most vexing foes”, with the “fiendishly difficult” violin solo standing for the villain, for example) and succumb to his riotous music.

After the virtuosic opening movement, ‘Krypton’ packs dense microtones and explosive glissandi into an otherworldy patchwork, ‘MXYYZPTLK’ explores luminous high registers, while the final ‘Red Cape Tango’ offers a schizophrenic dance which erupts in percussive fire. ‘Deus Ex Machina’ (’God in the Machine’), dedicated to the world of the railway, throws the smooth linearity of Kraftwerk and Reich’s musical train journeys off their rails, powered by clamorous-yet-rickety piano hammerings. The varied moods of the piece’s three movements demonstrate Daugherty’s versatility. The mournful strings and trumpet lament of ‘Train of Tears’ was inspired by the “lonesome train on a lonesome track” of Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train, and the manner in which this picks up steam while remaining resolutely bleak is particularly impressive. This is rich and exciting music, and Daugherty is one to watch.

Joshua Meggitt

Michael Daugherty – Metropolis Symphony (Naxos) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

Various Artists – When I Was Ten (Ai Records)

Posted: 14 Oct 2009 04:14 AM PDT

The Ai label out of the UK has been rolling out quality electronica for a decade now and have marked the occasion with a collection of unreleased tracks. The label has flown under the radar (for me at least) but it seems they like it that way, with limited releases and keeping a tight rein on the music they send out into the world. It is an approach that values quality over quantity.

When I Was Ten starts with a fairly cheesy spoken intro that worryingly plants the seeds of apprehension. Thankfully all is well as Michael Manning’s ‘Fantasy’ is a lovely drifting piece of ambient dream-pop that meanders along with backward ripples and soothing synths. Most tracks are on the downbeat side, intent on creating mood and space rather than being dancefloor focused. Datasette have a foot in both fields with ‘Crawling Greens’. It builds a slowly weaving pattern of blips and soft static drones before improbably funky bass and percussion appear and propel the track for the last few minutes. Like being thrust into the daylight, blinking after having awoke from a deep sleep.

Variations on these styles pop up through the album. EOC take us on an electronic dub trip deep underground, Najem Sworb veer closest to a club sound with a tech house contribution and Pathic go old-school electro. FZV bring together a drum ‘n bass rhythm, dub house stabs and melodies which you think wouldn’t work but he mixes it up enough that something new is created.

When I Was Ten is a good cross section at the IDM end of the electronic music spectrum. Most of it is fresh, even when dabbling in past styles, though there is little that inspires enough to seek out other music from the contributing artists.

Chris Familton

Various Artists – When I Was Ten (Ai Records) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

Blind Cave Salamander – Troglobite (Shayo Editions Musicales)

Posted: 14 Oct 2009 12:16 AM PDT

As foreboding as the habitat of the creature that Blind Cave Salamander are named after, Troglobite is an enveloping listening experience. It’s difficult to avoid the subaquatic and subterranean metaphors which the group deliberately evoke in their nomenclature but, thankfully, they live up to these with sounds and structures that don’t fall into clichés or trite descriptiveness.

The trio of Fabrizio Modonese Palumbo, Paul Beauchamp and Julia Kent are joined by producer Marco Milanesio and other guests to deploy synth and electric guitar atmospheres, field recordings, piano and, most potently, deep cello, viola and musical saw groanings. ‘Moonfish’ opens the album with a dark, almost subliminal bass drone, assumedly produced by Kent’s cello. This really lays the foundation for all that follows, as slow moving piano phrases colour the yawning spaces opened up over the rest of the disc. Seemingly incongruous field recordings, for example a bandsaw in action during ‘Transition’, act as evocations of the outside world, stopping the music from receding into ambience. A cover of Pink Floyd’s ‘(Set The Controls For) The Heart Of The Sun’ takes the psychedelic impulses of the original and amplifies them into a darkly euphoric shamanistic trance over an ever repeating 10 note riff. It could have come across as a blandly populist move in the midst of an otherwise unique body of moody work, but the group harnesses the song, makes it truly their own and successfully replant it as the 13 minute crux of the album.

Troglobite is an excellent example of dark ambience. Beautifully produced and deeply evocative, I highly recommend it with a good set of headphones and a lonely corner of the room.

Adrian Elmer

Blind Cave Salamander – Troglobite (Shayo Editions Musicales) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

“2SER 30th Birthday” Radiothon Special – Extended Playlist 121009 – www.2ser.com 107.3FM

Posted: 14 Oct 2009 12:15 AM PDT

Help us celebrate 2SER's 30 years on air and allow us to keep providing you with super eclectic sounds for 30 more years.

Pledge your support right now:

BY PHONE: Call +61 (0)2 9514 9500

ONLINE: www.2ser.com/support/subscribers (scroll to the bottom of the page)

MAKE SURE you mention it's for Extended Play
(we have quotas to achieve…)

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Coming up Nextended -

Monday 19 October 09
“Keep the Fire Burnin” – Radiothon Special Part 2
This party is not over until we say it's over! Join us for more Extended Super Eclectica. Send in your song requests for the second radiothon “ask not what 2SER can do for me, but what can I do for 2SER on its 30th birthday” special: extendedplay@2ser.com
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# – denotes Australian artist or release
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Yacht – Summer Song
("See Mystery Light" – 2009, DFA)

Qua – Goodmorning Sun
("Q&A" – 2008, Love & Mercy) #

Broadcast and The Focus Group – Ritual / Looking In
("Broadcast And The Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults Of The Radio Age" – 2009, Warp)

The White Noise – Here Come The Fleas
("An Electric Storm" – 1969, Island)

Siouxsie and the Banshees – Coal Mind (Kid Jensen Session)
("At The BBC" 3xCD+DVD box – 2008, Polydor) (recorded 1982)

Frank & The Can I Speaklys – You Shout Minus Blood
("Frank & the Can I Speaklys/Soul of Condemned Ape" split 7inch – 2009, Farmer Frontier/Rivulet of Spores) #

Rand & Holland – It’s Alright
("Caravans" – 2007, Spunk) #

Fuck Buttons – Surf Solar (Radio Edit)
("Surf Solar" single – 2009, ATP)

Yazoo – Goodbye 70’s
("Upstairs At Eric’s" – 1982, Mute)

Luke Vibert – Hot Sick
("We Hear You" – 2009, Planet Mu)

Filewile – One Space Town
("Blueskywell" – 2009, Mouthwatering)

Free Choice – Green Groove
("Free Choice/Mental Powers" split 7inch – 2009, Fifth Column) #

Atlas Sound – Quick Canal (feat. Laetitia Sadier)
("Logos" – 2009, 4AD/Kranky)

Silver Bone Tone – The Machines
("B Sting" – 2009, self-released) #

Erasers – You Can Take Better Care Of Yourself
("Erasers" CD-R – 2009, Owls) #

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# – denotes Australian artist or release
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Do you like our playlists?
>Produce your own music?
>>Send us your demos:
ollo/Extended Play
PO Box 292
Enmore NSW 2042
Australia

“2SER 30th Birthday” Radiothon Special – Extended Playlist 121009 – www.2ser.com 107.3FM is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

at 5:21 PM