musings

A fairly varied set of tracks for the month:

• A Place To Bury Strangers by A Place To Bury Strangers
  This album is a revelation! Seriously, it blew my mind – it’s so many 80s-and-90s-alternative music styles. Some songs are The Jesus and Mary Chain, some songs are The Cure, some are Fields of the Nephilim and Red Lorry, Yellow Lorry goth-flavoured. There’s not a single weak moment on the album. Certainly the best download of the month, maybe the best download so far this year.

• 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 discovered 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).

• Cantoma by Cantoma
  Really mellow, latin-jazz-influenced down tempo. At times riding the edge of too jazzy for me, but really excellent over all. Perfect “chillout” music, as the raver kids say.

• Way Their Crept by Grouper
  Ambient, creepy, haunting and beautiful. Grouper’s debut is wonderful, but only hints at the magnificence that is yet to come. (Yes, I’m talking about Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill.)

• 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.

• Every Red Heart Shines Towards The Red Sun by The Red Sparowes
• The Fear Is Excruciating But Therein Lies The Answer by The Red Sparowes
  Red Sparowes’ second and third albums respectively, I listened to these two back-to-back so they kind of blur together for me. Somewhere along the ride, that hard Isis-style edge rounded off a bit, much to the music’s benefit. Still heavy, but not quite as bombastic.

• [Everywhere] [And Right Here] by The Six Parts Seven
  Yet another so-called post-rock band (have I mentioned how much I hate the term post-rock?), but different. Where Yume Bitsu did psychedelic, where Mogwai does epic, where Mono does introspective, The Six Parts Seven does pretty. And it really is very pretty music.

• You Never Did Anything Wrong To Me by Team Ghost
  M83 co-founder Nicholas Fromageau left after their second album, Before the Dawn Heals Us, and has stayed under the radar for the past seven-or-so years. Team Ghost is his return to making music, and his M83 roots are clearly apparent. But where M83 progressed, Team Ghost is mostly the same. This EP sounds a lot like it picks up right where Before the Dawn Heals Us left off. Musically the EP is terrific, but the vocals are rather weak. It’s a shame, because they hurt an otherwise enjoyable EP.

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.  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.  Imagine a low-fi Ladytron and you’re most of the way towards understanding the sound of this album. 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.  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.  Since then, Malory have worked hard to define themselves as their own band, and not merely an exceptionally good knock-off band.  Pearl Diver, their fourth effort, still wears the Slowdive influence proudly, but by now it’s just that – an influence.  The songcraft is more varied with this album, with songs that wander into the atmospheric and spooky.  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.

• Sister Kinderhook by Rasputina

• 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.  My only complaint is that at 3 tracks across 18 minutes, it’s just way too short.

• Small Black EP by Small Black

• The Five Ghosts by Stars
  Perhaps not Stars’ best album, but a worthy followup to the brilliant Sad Robots EP. To be fair, I think anything would be hard-pressed to top “A Thread Cut WIth A Carving Knife”.

• YG No Art EP by Young Galaxy

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.

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.

• Hi Scores by Boards of Canada

• Swim by Caribou

• 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.

• Krieg by KMFDM

• 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.

• Santogold by Santogold

• 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.

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.

• Our Inventions by Lali Puna

• Daimonion by Project Pitchfork
  Another excellent release by one of my favourite electronic industrial bands.

• S-M 2: Abyss In B Minor by Serena Maneesh

• 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.

Another month, another 90 downloads from eMusic:

• London Zoo by The Bug

• Yes Maybe No by Laura

• Natural Composite by Locust

• Batcat by Mogwai

• The Hawk Is Howling by Mogwai

• A Peripheral Blur by James Plotkin / Mark Spybey

• Awakes by Syntaks

• Ylajali by Syntaks

• Alex Patterson’s ‘Voyage Into Paradise’ by Various Artists

• The Art of Breaking Apart by Velvet Acid Christ

Starting the year off on the right musical foot:

• The American Dollar by The American Dollar

• The Technicolour Sleep by The American Dollar

• Another Bedroom EP by Atlas Sound

• Make You Mine by Best Coast

• Pale Sketches by Jesu

• Duende – The Spanish Sessions by Killing Joke
  
• Fantasies by Metric

• Industrial Complex (Tour Edition) by Nitzer Ebb

• No Sleep Demon V2.0 by Seabound

The last 90 eMusic downloads for 2009:

• Aerial by 2562

• Pop Tatari by Boredoms

• Enjoy the Fall by Edge of Dawn

• Tarot Sport by Fuck Buttons

• 1% of Monster by Mogwai

• Gold and Green by OOIOO

• Welcome to Goodbye by Rotersand

• When Black Beats Blue [Rarities] by Seabound

• Deep Space by Jah Wobble

• Invisible Republic by Young Galaxy

November’s 90:

Time’s been short, so this is just a list of what I’ve grabbed – I haven’t given any of them a proper listen yet.

• Lilies by Arovane

• Tides by Arovane

• The Last Dubber by Ministry

• What We All Come To Need by Pelican

• Geneva by Russian Circles

• Do You Trust Your Friends? by Stars

• Beacons of Ancestorship by Tortoise

• Object 47 by Wire

• Send by Wire

Mostly electronica / EBM this month, with a couple of exceptions.

• Young Fight by Amusement Parks on Fire
  Amusement Parks on Fire’s first album was influenced by the shoegazer sound that I love so well. This album is still shoegazery, but less obviously so. A good listen though – seems like they’re trying to find their own sound.

• Harmonizer by Apoptygma Berzerk
  I don’t know why it took so long for me to grab this. Harmonizer is the last real EBM sounding album from Apoptygma Berzerk – all the subsequent stuff has sounded like electronic emo-pop, which isn’t my thing at all. Even Harmonizer flirts with a warmer sound than the earlier stuff, but it’s the last great Apop album.

• Eulogy For The Sick Child by Imperative Reaction
  I saw Imperative Reaction open for VNV Nation when VNV toured for Matter + Form and was quite impressed, but I’d arrived to the show a bit late and didn’t know who they were. They remind me a lot of mid-period Frontline Assembly, and there’s nothing wrong about that.

• Jagged by Gary Numan
  It’s Gary Numan. I shouldn’t have to say anything more.

• In And Out Of Control by The Raveonettes
  With In And Out Of Control it seems like The Raveonettes have finally found the it in their sound. Previous albums have been teetering on the edge of greatness, but this one jumps in with both feet.

• Smile And The World Smiles With You by Sonna
  Shimmering guitars, jangling melodies, and gentle swells that build to crescendoes. Fans of Mogwai, Low, and Múm will find much to like here.

• Altar by Sunn O))) & Boris
  Masters of drone Sunn O))) collaborate with the ultra-amazing Boris. This isn’t two bands writing half an album each and playing together, nor is it a split single, it’s two very different bands collaborating right from the songwriting, and it’s fascinating to see how the result isn’t much like either bands’ material. This one’s worth owning just for “The Sinking Belle (Blue Sheep). The fact that the rest of it is damned good is just icing.

• I Cry by Rotersand

• War On Error by Rotersand
  Germany’s Rotersand is a new discovery for me. They make EBM, but it’s strongly influenced by rock as well as other electronica and techno.

• Of Faith, Power and Glory by VNV Nation
  VNV Nation doesn’t seem to change much from album to album, but this is a case of not messing with a formula that works. One thing that sets VNV apart from so many similar acts that stands out more and more with each album – the idea that we should face each day with hope. That message has never been so strong. Strong beats with pretty melodies and Ronan Harris’ almost-romantic vocals, it’s really good listening.