UberDork Cafe Redux
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The UberDork Cafe kickstarter project reached its funding goal this past weekend! Congratulations, Natali!
July’s Music
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A fairly varied set of tracks for the month:
- Evolution by Android Lust
I’ve always loved industrial music, but let’s face it, it’s pretty much music made (mostly) by European white men, and that gives it a kind of sameness. So I was really thrilled when I discoverd Android Lust a couple of years ago. Bangladeshi-born, NYC based Shikhee is Android Lust. Women in Industrial are a minority. Asians in Industrial even more so, particularly South Asians. As you might imagine, a South Asian woman in industrial is almost impossibly rare. But I’m not gushing about Android Lust because she’s a South Asian woman – that’s just icing. Android Lust is excellent. This is the remix album of her debut, and it’s just fantastic. In places quietly menacing, in other places super aggressive, but almost always unsettling and creepy (the way early Velvet Acid Christ albums were unsettling and creepy).
- Scheissmessiah by Hanzel und Gretyl
Not quite as good as Uber Alles but still tons of ridiculous over-the-top fun. Choice song titles include Kaiser von Shizer, Disko Fire Scheiss Messiah, and Scheissway to Hell.
- At The Soundless Dawn by The Red Sparowes
Red Sparowes’ debut album. Epic instrumental rock with a metal edge – imagine Mogwai, Isis and Pelican had some kind of mutant gene-spliced child and you get some inkling of Red Sparowes.
UberDork Cafe
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I’ve recently been made aware of a really great kickstarter project – The UberDork Cafe. A safe and friendly community centre for the geeks and dorks amongst us – a group of which I’m a proud member – is terrific. I’m getting close to forty now, and I’m pretty comfortable with who I am, but for the younger set I think this is really important. As a teen, I knew I didn’t really fit in with anyone. My high school had a strong athletic focus, and the outsider groups were mostly metal-heads and goths. Though I identified with the goths, I didn’t adopt the look. Worse, I was one of the “smart kids”. Now, I was always a loner, so it didn’t really bother me too much that I didn’t fit in, but it would’ve been nice to have a place to go. (All that cliquish BS evaporated in university – between the amazing community at the school and access to the goth and industrial clubs of the city, I was in heaven.)
Anyway, what I’m getting at is that I understand the need for a place like UberDork Cafe. I wish there were one near where I lived when I was in high school. If there were one here I’d go now.
The project founder, Natali, isn’t looking for a ton of money (how she’s going to swing this with such little investment is a mystery to me) and she’s well on her way to her goal, but she’s not there yet. (If, by the time you read this, the project goal has been met please donate anyway – every bit helps.)
June’s EMusic Downloads
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I actually managed to get my downloads within the calendar month this time!
- Akumu by Akumu
Ambient, teetering on the precipice of minimal. Akumu is the post-Thrive project of Deane Hughes. Â While it hasn’t captured my attention the way Thrive had, it’s very very good.
- I Will Be by Dum Dum Girls
I downloaded this after listening to the 30s samples. Â Imagine a low-fi Ladytron and you’re most of the way towards understanding the sound of this album. Â Excellent.
- Improvised Electron Device by *Front Line Assembly
Once again, Rhys Fulber has left the fold and the FLA sound changes. It doesn’t change all that much, though. Â Like KMFDM, I keep buying FLA’s stuff because of its consistency – it might all sound similar, enough so that I can’t always tell which album any given song is from, but it’s all good.
- Pearl Diver by Malory
The first Malory album, the magnificent “Not Here Not Now”, was an unabashed Slowdive worship session. Â Since then, Malory have worked hard to define themselves as their own band, and not merely an exceptionally good knock-off band. Â Pearl Diver, their fourth effort, still wears the Slowdive influence proudly, but by now it’s just that – an influence. Â The songcraft is more varied with this album, with songs that wander into the atmospheric and spooky. Â This album’s the highlight of the month.
- Chase the Tear by Portishead
A one-off track that Portishead released in support of Amnesty International. This could be the song that defines Portishead for me.
- Parallelism by The Science Teacher
Gentle, yet haunting, ambient music from Stripmall Architecture (ex-Halou)’s Ryan Coseboom. Not what I was expecting from him at all, but well pleased. It’s lovely. Â My only complaint is that at 3 tracks across 18 minutes, it’s just way too short.
- The Five Ghosts by Stars
Perhaps not Stars’ best album, but a worthy followup to the brilliant Sad Robots EP. Â To be fair, I think anything would be hard-pressed to top “A Thread Cut WIth A Carving Knife”.
May’s Music Haul
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Seems like this blog has turned into a chronicle of what I download from eMusic. One day soon I’ll get back to writing.
- Rewolf by Asobi Seksu
Neo-shoegazers Asobi Seksu throw their normal formula right out the window, stripping the band down to just singer Yuki Chikudate and guitarist James Hanna and recording an all-acoustic album. Several older songs have been re-recorded in this style and they all hold up well. I imagine some fans will be put off by the totally stripped down direction – Citrus remains my favourite Asobi Seksu album, but this is rather good.
- Take Over by Computron
I downloaded this 2 track EP almost entirely because the first track is called “Get Ya Ass 2 Marz”, which I found vaguely amusing at the time. It’s not great – in fact, it’s pretty monotonous techno, but there are worse ways to spend the last two of your monthly downloads.
- Crystal Castles II by Crystal Castles
I liked Crystal Castles’ music more in concept than in execution – the idea of melding 8bit sounds with pop/punk melodies was an interesting one, but the juxtaposition didn’t always work for me. With their second album, Crystal Castles have totally turned things around. The blippy 8 bit sounds are still there, but no longer in the forefront, and they’re muted, making them sound less C-64 than before. Coupled with stronger songwriting, this is everything I’d hoped Crystal Castles could be. Definitely the best download of the month.
- Awkward 26 by The Flowers of Hell and Will Carruthers
The Flowers of Hell are a huge (18 piece) band of musicians spanning both sides of the Atlantic (Toronto, Ontario and London, England), and Will Carruthers is best known as the bass player from Spacemen 3 and Spiritualized. This is the most natural pairing in the world, given how much The Flowers of Hell sound like the members grew up worshipping at the altar of Spiritualized. Three short but oh-so-sweet tracks in this EP.
- Mirrorball by John Foxx and Robin Guthrie
I’ve always been a fan of both Ultravox and the Cocteau Twins, so when I saw this I knew I had to download it. I was rewarded for my confidence with exactly what I wanted – beautiful shimmering guitar backdrops with John Foxx’s softly chorused vocals. It’s actually a bit more restrained than I’d expected. An absolute must-have for fans of either collaborator.
- Uber Alles by Hanzel und Gretyl
I was introduced to Hanzel und Gretyl by my friend Dave. They’re easily the single most tasteless act I’ve ever seen – a pair of New Yorkers that pretend to be German and dress up in World War II Nazi regalia? Oh yeah, tasteless. But with song titles like “Third Reich from the Sun” and “SS Deathstar Supergalactik” they’re so obviously tongue-in-cheek that it’s really hard to maintain the umbrage I’d felt when I first saw them. Beyond that, they’re fun – KMFDM fun.
- Unwant by Hatesex
I downloaded this based on the 30s samples – Hatesex reminded me so much of the early creepy goth stuff, like Christian Death and Fields of the Nephilim. Shades of Diamanda Galas in the vocals. This is a dark, gloomy, almost horror-movie soundtrack of an album, and it’s damned good.
- Latin by Holy Fuck
Gloriously lo-fi, Holy Fuck have (according to the AllMusic Guide) been described “blip-hoppers” and a “shabbily-dressed Kraftwerk”. Neither description is entirely fair. What Holy Fuck do, is take the unlistenable barrage of noise that is Merzbow and mold it into something that’s actually musical. That said, though I have both previous albums I always thought there was something lacking. Like the band was reaching for something that was perpetually just beyond their grasp. Not any more – Latin is fantastic. I think AllMusic’s Jason Lymangrover has the right of it when he says: By trimming back the choppy art-house disjointedness and quirky Casio tones, the band has successfully evolved their sound into something much more provocative, heavy duty, and rewarding. Holy Fuck have finally found their footing.
- I Didn’t Mean To Interrupt Your Beautiful Moment by Kinski
The only other Kinski album I have is Be Gentle to the Warm Turtle, which swims in the same sea as Explosions in the Sky, Laura, Mono, Mogwai and so many other “post-rock” bands, so I was expecting something truly epic out of this 40 minute single-track album. Instead I got something so mellow, minimal, and atmospheric, that I could almost forget I had it on. It draws more influence from minimalist acts like Lull or Final than from Kinski’s usual contemporaries, but that’s okay, because it’s really good.
- Trialog by Project Pitchfork
Trialog doesn’t stray from the Project Pitchfork formula: pounding beats, cold synths and droning vocals, but why break something that works so well?
- No Ghostless Place by Raised by Swans
Like the first Raised by Swans album, this is a collection of pretty, fragile ballads. Really nice, especially to use as a bookend to either end of the day.
April’s EMusic
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I’m perpetually grabbing my 90 tracks at the very end of the download window. I should really get my act together, or else I’m sure I’ll miss a month. Anyway, this is what I’ve grabbed this month:
- Daylight Storms by Air Formation
My love for all things shoegazer is well-documented, so I’m predisposed to liking this, Air Formation’s third album of ringing mellow sheen. Not quite as awash in reverb as their predecessors, Air Formation nonetheless capture the feel of 90s dreampop effortlessly. The album ebbs and flows from huge pounding songs to quiet introspective ones seamlessly, never wearing out it’s welcome. Certainly Air Formation’s most highly polished effort yet and well worth the download.
- Nurse Grenade by Angelspit
I grabbed this one on the strength of a track I heard on the RegenRadio podcast, but that may not have been the best decision. Generic industrial beats with B&D themed spoken vocals make this a rather forgettable album. It’s like a cross between SOW and a less techically skilled Genitorturers. That said, the standout track, “Head Fuck (Remix)” is really good. Grab the one song, skip the rest.
- Saved The Compliments For Later by Fjord Rowboat
It’s been a long time since I saw Fjord Rowboat at the Drake Hotel in Toronto. Since that time, they’ve released their first album (in 2007) and are on the verge of releasing their second. The first single, Even You Out from the forthcoming album can be found at the band’s website. This album totally evokes early Ride – you know, when Ride was insanely great. Turn it up loud, and huge shimmering waves of chrome pour out of your speakers. This is music to be experienced.
- Orion by Limp
Limp is the collaborative project between Jonas Munk of Manual and Jakob Skott of Syntaks. Predictably, it sounds a lot like the Manual & Syntaks album, Golden Sun. This is, in every way, a good thing – lovely sweeping melodies with bits of glitch and pop.
- Songs To Help My Children Sleep by Robin Guthrie
One of my greatest disappointments in the world of music has been the relative silence from the members of Cocteau Twins. Liz Frasier has yet to release her solo album, Simon Raymonde has released only one solo album and Robin Guthrie, well, Robin Guthrie has at least kept busy. Two albums with Violet Indiana and a string of solo albums and EPs through the years. This 2009 EP is 18 minutes of mellow electronica that seems to be exactly what is described. Pretty, relaxing instrumentals that just melt the stress away.
- Inner Zone Journey by X Marks the Pedwalk
Industrial/EBM pioneers X-Marks the Pedwalk return from a long absence with their first album since 1996’s “Drawback”. This album marks a stylistic shift away from the cold electronic sound of old with a more modern-era friendly style of electronica. Many tracks are still eminently danceable, but this is a softer and more emotionally accessible album than the X-Marks of old. I’d missed X-Marks, and I’m glad to have them back – this album is a terrific return from an equally terrific band.
March eMusic Downloads
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Yeah, yeah, it’s April. I nearly forgot to download my 90 tracks for March.
- Debris by Ayria
The first album from Toronto’s Ayria. Danceable synthpop with a a brighter, more feminine delivery than many other female-fronted EBM acts. I’ll be getting the other two albums over the next couple of months.
- Silent World EP by Destroid
Destroid is one of Daniel (Haujobb) Meyer’s myriad side projects. Destroid is the polar opposite of one of Meyer’s other projects, Architect. Where Architect explores the musical possibilities of noise, Destroid showcases the musically accessible side of Daniel Meyer. Three new original songs, remixes of each, a remix of Bird of Prey (off Loudspeaker) and a remarkably excellent cover (and remix) of Sisters of Mercy’s “Lucretia My Reflection” make this a solid EP for fans and new listeners alike.
- I Choose Noise by Hybrid
EMusic’s has had the first 3 tracks of this album up as the I Choose Noise EP for a couple of years, so I was thrilled to see the full album (Hybrid’s third) had finally arrived. Featuring guest vocals by Perry Farrell and Kirsty Hawkshaw, this album is cinematic on an epic scale.
- Disappear Here by Hybrid
Right. Four albums in we have a pretty good idea of what to expect from Swansea’s Hybrid. Dancey electronic music that’s huge and cinematic. So this is more in that same vein – maybe toned down a bit, with the vocals a bit more in the forefront. Another ripper.
- Optics Limited Bonus CD by I:Scintilla
A collection of remixes of songs from I:Scintilla’s excellent Optics album, from artists like Angelspit, Clan of Xymox, Combichrist and ex-KMFDMer, En Esch. The mixes aren’t terribly different from the original songs, so this isn’t an essential grab, but I’m enjoying it.
- Daimonion by Project Pitchfork
Another excellent release by one of my favourite electronic industrial bands.
- Awakes by Syntaks
One of my absolute favourite albums from the past decade is Golden Sun by Manual & Syntaks but I’d never heard any of Syntaks’ solo stuff. Turns out there’s an absolutely simple explanation for why Golden Sun is so good – Syntaks and Manual are kindred spirits. Apparently they’ve been collaborating their entire careers. Syntaks is a bit more hip-hop influenced than Manual (think 80% Manual, 20% Boom Bip and you’ll be on the right track). Awakes starts off with the amazing Rise and hardly lets up. Beautiful space-filling soundtracky music. Perfect to work to, perfect to read to, perfect to sleep to … just perfect.
- Ylajali by Syntaks
Ylajali is a bit of a gentler album than Awakes – likely due to the addition of Anna Cecilia, who sang on a single track on Awakes, as a full-time partner. This album is lush and gorgeous – the music wraps around you and whispers gently in your ear.
February Tracks
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Another month, another 90 downloads from eMusic:
The First 90 of 2010
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Starting the year off on the right musical foot:
Cricket
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