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Don’t forget : THIS SUNDAY!!!!!
Goodbye Off Peak
Sunday February 24th 2002 4pm-10.30pm
Entrance : Free
With a special one-off exclusive live performance from ULRICH SCHNAUSS.
And some very special guests and Off Peak regulars including Gescom DJ’s and the Error crew + Geiom, The Remote Viewer and all yr loveable Peakies!
Deluxe Bar, Contact Theatre
Oxford Road, Manchester.
Be There!!
SINGLE / ALBUM OF THE WEEK
VARIOUS : Music Volume Two – Benbecula – 12” £4.99
This is the second label sampler from Scotland’s excellent Benbecula imprint. Following ‘Music Volume 1’ and the critically acclaimed mini LP from Mikael Romanenko, Benbecula are back to give us an idea of what they have in store for us over the coming months. Eight tracks are featured here, the artists forming a blend of known and unknown talent : Christ kicks off proceedings - being an artist who has experimented with and constructed electronic music for quite a few years, Christ was an important player in the emerging Scottish electronic scene of the late 90’s and has a writing credit on Boards of Canada’s sought after ‘Twoism’ EP!! The track featured here - ‘Moxley Moy’ provides us with a first clue as to what he has been doing with himself since that time – the answer being a glorious infusion of haunting piano keys and the most subtle form of electronic integration. Truly classic stuff; expect a debut solo release very soon. Joni is up next, an artist reported to have a museum-capacity collection of vintage analogue synths, ‘Too Stupid’ breaks down any generic categorisation and instead organically forms a future Bossa classic. Little introduction needed – listen and be hooked for a lifetime. Seriously sublime. Mr Projectile, known from his work for the Toytronic label, gives up another click masterpiece with ‘Absorption’, a track that shuffles into being with some deliciously crunchy beats and buttered pops, together with a melody you’ll recognise from sometime in your unconscious formative years. Clubbed To Death nod towards the 80’s synth revival with the edible ‘Junk’ - this harks back to the nu romantic era but does so with a darker edge, the breakdown so epic you’ll wish the track had words so you could do more then just hum along to it – and rest assured...you will! Frog Pocket kicks off the B-side and is the work of a dedicated traditional fiddle and thrash metal devotee...though, rest assured, even our beloved frog has opened up his heart and allows us to find another mesmerising electronic lullaby of the most spine-tingling proportions. East Of Insanity achieve the impossible and manage to fuse cinemascopic electronic arrangements with some acoustic work, a solitary guitar duets with the scenery and the result paints in hues of blue and dusk before your eyes as you listen. Luscious.Marcia Blaine School For Girls will be huge and will do so for reasons other than just having the most fantastic name ever to have graced the electronic microcosm. This is developed electronic music in its most crushing form – tweaked, full, moving and devastating. Listen up. All that’s left is the final track...the artist wishes to remain anonymous, but you’ll have heard of him before. After all, what’s life without a little mystery?? Strictly limited edition and alltogether rather deliciously wonderful. Buy!
MURCOF : Monotonu EP - Context 12" £5.99
Let’s start off by saying that this is one of the most original and eye-opening 12”s we’ve heard in a while, Fernando Corona (aka Murcof) putting Mexico on the map and re-alligning our preconceptions in the process. Much in the same way that the magnificent Safety Scissors manages to subvert genres and presets with mind-boggling imagination and a little tweaking, Murcof has created a hybrid of many things – a shuffling downtempo beat, a violin, some pops and an intuitive ability to compose the sound of things you have never heard before. The opening ‘Memoria’ sets the scene perfectly, a hint of the Hassidic string adornes a perfectly shuffled groove in glorious widescreen before ‘Mir’ developes the theme further down the cinematic route – haunting sounds interchanged with a percussive line that builds in tempo and complexity as the track progresses. The flip takes things further - ‘Mfrelay’ adapting the micro-house constructions of the likes of Akufen, slows it down a little and creates another breathtaking symphony of melody and unusual instrumentation – seriously breathtaking stuff. Finally, ‘Marmol’ closes the night with an end-credit epilogue, the slowest track on board judged to perfection in creating the ultimate blend in melancholy and excitement. One small step for music as we know it , one giant leap for the Context label. Remarkable.
CORNELIUS : Point - Matador - LP £12.99
CORNELIUS : Point - Matador - CD £11.99
This is the eagery anticipated new full-length from Tokyo’s multi-talented Keigo Oyamada, aka Cornelius. Much has been made in the press over the last few weeks over the ingenuity and excellence of this LP, and it really never fails to dissappoint. The sound is an amalgamation of Folk, Bacharachian whimsy, punk, electronica and, above all, Pop. The intrigue is supplied with the diversification and experimentation with technique employed by Keigo in his studio :unusual field recordings, the sounds of trickling water, delicate filtration adjustments and so on. The opening ‘Bug’ sets the scene perfectly, accoustic foundations and a chug-a-long rhythm, the vocal sounding vaguely Stereolab/High Llamas -ish, but the behind-the-scenes constructions steal the show, birds chirping and an intricate assemblage of barely recognisable found sounds that somehow manage to avoid creating clutter and expand on the pop aesthetic. ‘Brazil’ employs a Vocoded computerised speech emulator for the vocal, but stays clear of electropop and instead offers a lovely and somewhat tongue-in-cheek cover of the classic samba of the same name, all refreshingly soothing and entertaining. 12” track ‘Drop’ expands with enough loveliness to fill you with sunshine, before the slowly punctuated drum machine flow of ‘Tone Twilight Zone’ strums away into the sunset blissfully. A perfect pop album, and what could be better?
ELECTRONICA / IDM / AMBIENT / ELECTRO / ELECTROPOP/ MENTALIST
APPARAT : Tttrial and eror - Shitkatapult - LP £6.99
APPARAT : Tttrial and eror - Shitkatapult - CD £9.99
Shitkatapult’s crunchy electronic side rears its fibre-optic head once again with this devestating second LP from the excellent Apparat. Surfing in IDM waves throughout, Apparat seem to have aquired much of their sound by listening and analysing ‘Chiastic Slide’ , but this really is no bad thing. The mechanised percussive rumbles of ‘First Eror’ clink along with a semi-industrial flavour, the melody disguising itself under digits and calculations, but keep enough of a presence to develop further with every listen. ‘Bugs and Fixes’, meanwhile, takes a leaf out of Funkstorung’s guide to squashed Hip-Hop, some nice DSP work on board and a wash of melancholy grapples with the underlying beat, a crunchy metallic affair. This is strong electronic territory from start to finish, another indispensable full-length from the shit-throwing crew. Check!.
BENGE : I Computor Expanding CD £8.99
As a stalwart of the Expanding crew, and with 3 albums already under his belt before I Computer came out, Benge has raided his archives for this CD first released in 1997. Heading into digital beat territory ‘I Computer’ holds some of the mans best work. The opening track ‘blue computer’ starts with an apprehensive string line held up by scattered beats, the strings build up with the percussion and are balanced by a sonar-like noise which only becomes apparent when the beat breaks off. The next track ‘I sequencer’ kickstarts with some wicked electronic funk. Staggered breakbeats underline the bass line and some perfectly placed g-funk synths enhance the groove. Add a touch Of tweaking and the track is a winner, in a glitched-up-funk Atom Heart kinda way. The rest of the tracks are all extremely strong and the selection is quite surprising, as it covers a lot of ground, from analogue emotive tracks to the digital beatscapes described earlier. The production across the CD is superb, fitting into 2002 perfectly, at times sounding like the more emotive end of Gescom, Benge shows his skill in forging awesome tunes in his own way, and reinforcing the standing that the Expanding 7”s have built up. Computer funk for the soul.
CAPITOL K : Pillow - XL - 12" £4.99
CAPITOL K : Pillow - XL - CD £4.99
CAPITOL K : Pillow - XL - 7" 99p
The man behind the Capitol K moniker, Kristian Craig Robinson, after two warmly-received and limited edition vinyl releases on XL last year and work for Planet-Mu, is finally ready for his full assault on the mainstream with his new single, ’Pillow’. It’s a work of cut-up and off-kilter pop genius, and is suitably accompanied by remixes from fellow leftfield artistes Wagon Christ and Leafcutter John. As an added bonus, the full vocal mix of album track, ’Capitol Beat Sticky’, is included on the vinyl release, having only previously been available on ’The Cosmic Forces Of Mu’ compilation on Planet Mu. Niiiiice. The ultra limited 7” to accompany the 12” and CD releases featuresan exclusive Leafcutter John Remix that takes the semi-accoustic electronic jangle of the original and adds some delicately cut-up interjections. Be quick!
CHIAPET : Tick Tock Remixed - Phonography CD £5.99
Chiapet's Tick Tock was originally released on Deep Dish's Yoshitoshi imprint, and championed by Matthew "12 Owls In A Bottle" Herbert, amongst many other big names. This led in turn to what you have before you, on Matthew's own Phonography label. A superior remix package, seven mixes wide over 50 minutes in length, featuring - John Ciafone's helicopter worrying original, massive bass drum and some rampant deep house skirmishing. Then Two Lone Swordsmen do the right thing, mining the sizeable bass seams of the original, emerging mucky, bearing a gleaming, skanking piece of techouse, with some pleasant natural blemishes. Herbert himself drops two remixes, funky house with a twist, then as Radioboy some inspired beats' mastery - worth admission price on its own. Also representing are Luke Solomon's Freaks in pure Classic, Derrick Carterish mode. Primitive Productions and a more warehouseish take on the original from Chiapet themselves top off an hour of messy fun. Party on!
CORNELIUS : Point - Matador - LP £12.99
CORNELIUS : Point - Matador - CD £11.99
This is the eagery anticipated new full-length from Tokyo’s multi-talented Keigo Oyamada, aka Cornelius. Much has been made in the press over the last few weeks over the ingenuity and excellence of this LP, and it really never fails to dissappoint. The sound is an amalgamation of Folk, Bacharachian whimsy, punk, electronica and, above all, Pop. The intrigue is supplied with the diversification and experimentation with technique employed by Keigo in his studio :unusual field recordings, the sounds of trickling water, delicate filtration adjustments and so on. The opening ‘Bug’ sets the scene perfectly, accoustic foundations and a chug-a-long rhythm, the vocal sounding vaguely Stereolab/High Llamas -ish, but the behind-the-scenes constructions steal the show, birds chirping and an intricate assemblage of barely recognisable found sounds that somehow manage to avoid creating clutter and expand on the pop aesthetic. ‘Brazil’ employs a Vocoded computerised speech emulator for the vocal, but stays clear of electropop and instead offers a lovely and somewhat tongue-in-cheek cover of the classic samba of the same name, all refreshingly soothing and entertaining. 12” track ‘Drop’ expands with enough loveliness to fill you with sunshine, before the slowly punctuated drum machine flow of ‘Tone Twilight Zone’ strums away into the sunset blissfully. A perfect pop album, and what could be better?
DAVID CARON : Incident report - Music for speakers - 12" £5.99
Sandor's brother steps back into the light to bring back that magic that was last fully realised on the classic Fantasy On A Fantasy release that Mo' Wax Excursions thrust forward back in 1995. While strictly electronic these four tracks effortlessly seduce you with their simplicity and fully realised explorations in crisp hip hop beat downtempo material and driving rhythmic beat tracks like Jazzanova minus the jazz trappings but instead stripped back to a Detroit fuelled techno space. Tracks are Rar, Public Address, Incident #2 and Incident #1. A real quality 12" from this ever improving label that brings David back into the spotlight, welcome back.
INTRICATE : Aube - Spezial Material - 12" £6.99
First release in stock this week on the superb Spezialmaterial label from Switzerland, kicking things off with this 6-tracker from Intricate. Producing the kind of quasi-glitch electroid electronix that we love so dearly, this will seriously mess with the headz of all you dsp boffins out there, appealing to fans of Toytronic, Team Doyobi and the like, and taking things that little bit further. ‘Octavian’ drops with all the required fx trickery and proceeds to expand into a spacious electroid beat and some tweaked darkisms. ’Kay_One’ is reminiscent of Ae (circa ‘96), with a winding groove and a beat that’s evidently been deconstructed several times, only to be re-pieced with extra crunch. ‘Treze’, however, is the standout track here, totally dedvestating half-paced beats and high-end tweaks, sounding like a borg version of Autechre’s staggering ‘Garbage’, subtle melodies that make a half-appearance, enough to have you hooked on first listen. Seriously seriously good stuff kids. Essential purchase.
LAUB : Filesharing - Kitty Yo - CD £12.99
Vladislav Delay’s Girlfriend and all-round electronic deconstructionist AGF makes a long-awaited reappearance with her band Laub on the Kitty Yo label. Having left the traditional band concept behind this new laptop collaboration incorporates a modern futuristic sound with innovative digital production concepts, a mixture of pop, experimental electronics, processing, and a delicate injection of AGF’s mesmerising and memorable vocal. Recommended.
MAPSTATION FEAT RAS DONOVAN : New direction - Staubgold - 12" £5.99
After an outing together for Domino, Stefan Schneider of To Rococo Rot reunites with Ras Donovan for his second excellent EP for Staubgold. Schneider removes the analogue hiss of Rhythm and Sound from the equation, instead sleek and clear lines indeed deliver on the promise of a New Direction. Wonderful, useful instrumental and acapella cuts strip the elements to the bone. Bonus cut Stop, like the other music here, fits snugly into the To Rococo mould - modulating bell-like tones shift against swelling digital flurries, with some guitar as textural interest. But it is the essential warmth of Donovan's voice against the soulful, metronomic precision of Schneider's music which indeed provides a clear development from 2000's Sleep Engine Sleep. Rootical reggae music with electronics is sounding more like the future than ever...
MURCOF : Monotonu EP - Context 12" £5.99
Let’s start off by saying that this is one of the most original and eye-opening 12”s we’ve heard in a while, Fernando Corona (aka Murcof) putting Mexico on the map and re-alligning our preconceptions in the process. Much in the same way that the magnificent Safety Scissors manages to subvert genres and presets with mind-boggling imagination and a little tweaking, Murcof has created a hybrid of many things – a shuffling downtempo beat, a violin, some pops and an intuitive ability to compose the sound of things you have never heard before. The opening ‘Memoria’ sets the scene perfectly, a hint of the Hassidic string adornes a perfectly shuffled groove in glorious widescreen before ‘Mir’ developes the theme further down the cinematic route – haunting sounds interchanged with a percussive line that builds in tempo and complexity as the track progresses. The flip takes things further - ‘Mfrelay’ adapting the micro-house constructions of the likes of Akufen, slows it down a little and creates another breathtaking symphony of melody and unusual instrumentation – seriously breathtaking stuff. Finally, ‘Marmol’ closes the night with an end-credit epilogue, the slowest track on board judged to perfection in creating the ultimate blend in melancholy and excitement. One small step for music as we know it , one giant leap for the Context label. Remarkable.
NETZWERK FLORIDA : Netzwerk florida - Psi49net - 12" £5.99
Prepare for the next chapter in Anthony Rother’s highly acclaimed Netzwerk series. This time Rother teams up with Larry Mccormick, who already created a buzz with his outrageous remix for Anthony’s ‘Biomechanik’. The track comes up in two mixes : Full Audio and instrumental. The beats are as Funky as you like and perfectly formed for some sophisticated dancefloor action. A blissed out, deeper than deep effort with an overall dark and almost evil feel to it. Comes complete with the obligatory Netzwerk battle tool cuts.
NEW WORLD ROMANTIC : Spirit E.P. - Delsin 12" £5.99
Delsin appear to be flavour of the moment, each release reinforcing the reputation that has been gained through releases by artists such as Cim, Norken, Lucky and Easy, Peel Seamus, Aardvark and Dimension 5. Under his New World Romantic moniker, New World Aquarium’s latest
release is slightly different, achieving the impossible and out-doing its predecessors. Basic Channel for 2002 comes to mind, though that is a bold statement. Just put the first track ‘Iniquities Den’ on the deck, and you will see why the comparisonhoklds up. Deep, extremely muddy strings mix and weave into each other, a hint of background noise and some murky percussion and kick drums rise from the depths to add form to the mass of noise that precedes them. Deep as you like. ‘Spirit’ is slightly more percussive, with added little stabs that define the groove a little more, still with the heady mix of noise and strings holding the background. After listening to his new 12” I am not surprised that labels such as Planet E and Peacefrog are both chasing him. Each track clocks in at over 6 minutes, and a wonderful time spent it is, forget flavour of the moment, just listen to Delsin do their thing.
NOIZE CREATOR : Broken Bar - Ambush 12" £4.99
DJ Scud’s Ambush label returns to wreak more havoc on us once again, this time courtesy of Dresden’s Malladjusted Stefan Senf, otherwise known as Noize Creator. All you Venetian Snares fans out there take note – what we have here is some seriously spannered and intricately cut-up noise and break destructions, sheets of visceral, tooth-jarring noise and, above all, the heaviest kind of dancefloor demolition you’ll hear this year. Seriously good shit, 6-tracks wide and exactly what the (noise) doctor ordered. Ace.
PERSON : From person to you - Spezial Material - LP + CD £9.99
Bit of a special one this, attention to detail has always been a well known Swiss trait, but this sublime release on Switzerland’s Spezialmaterial label has really got us by the balls - including one of the loveliest concepts in vinyl packaging we have seen and 6 tracks of total electronic perfection. This is very much in the crunchy Ae/Toytronic/Team Doyobi vein, but the quality is seriously high, with the opening ‘In Karton’ managing to bounce in all the right places and is just dark enough to qualify for cinematic approval. ‘Orte Artuis’ kicks in with a filtered and blanched-out skittering breakbeat and slowly simplifies itself into a tweaked electroid monster, the programing and sound control here is superb, and when the heartfelt melody refrains drop, the evolution is natural and works beautifully. The EP comes with a CD that includes some audio, some sound generators, animations and some gorgeous SM images. The whole thing is housed in a lush card sleeve that’s inserted into a semi-opaque fabric surround, this really looks amazing. For aesthetic freaks and collectors, as well as those of you into the crunchy stuff... please, don’t miss out on this one!
POLE AND MANUELA KRAUSE : Mein Freund Der Baum - Monika 7" £3.99
Long awaited return of the man known as Pole, this time with a heartwarming collaboration with hunysuckle vocalist Mauela Krause. If this excellent 7” gives us an idea of what to expect from Pole’s forthcoming material, we’re gonna be in for a treat. The A-Side is a cover version of a German cult hit ‘Mein Freund Der Baum’ - Manuela’s vocal deep and drawn, Stephan’s production work reminiscent of his magnificent production for Barbara Morgenstern on her ‘Fjorden’ album....subtle, deep and incredibly detailed. The faint sounds of melodica and dub echo are there, making for a pop hit that works on many levels. The flipside goes deeper with the instrumental ‘Balalaika Dub’ - giving our man Pole a chance to elucidate and clarify where his head is at – a slowed down dub groove and a moving piano line that edges closer and closer to the mix as the track progresses. Lovely stuff once again on Monika. Ace.
RICHARD SEN PRESENTS : Power Cuts - Obsessive - 2LP £9.99
RICHARD SEN PRESENTS : Power Cuts - Obsessive - CD £10.99
Compilations are rife in todays market, there are compilations of every sort of genre coming out the woodwork. ‘Powercuts’ is a collection of quite obscure and extremely well known Electro cuts. From the large tunage of Arthur Bakers mix of New Order’s ‘Confusion’, to the dark soundscapes of Cybotron’s (Juan Atkins) ‘R9’, there is a varied if not a bit strange collection of early electro. The gems on this compilation include the rare and funked up Pieces of a dream track ‘Mount airy groove’, the awesome dub version of Newcleus ‘Automan’, and the Information Society ‘Runnin’ track’. These cuts alone make the compilation worthwhile, add on the early Ice T track ‘The coldest rap’ and Paul Hardcastle’s vocoded ‘Sound Chaser’ and the breadth of early electro is complete, a fine collection of B-Boy grooves.
SANDOZ : King dread - Soul Jazz - 12" £4.99
Inspired by twenty years of listening to Jamaican music, Richard H. Kirk has now mixed contemporary Electronic Dance music with Jamaican Reggae and Dub styles on this very limited 12” (300 -one pressing only) as a taster for his forthcoming ‘Sandoz In Dub-Chant To Jah’ LP.
SHALABI EFFECT : The trial of St Orange - Alien 8 - CD £12.99
Shalabi Effect is made up of Sam Shalabi [Molasses, trio w/ David Kristian and St-Onge, Detention] on electronics, guitar, prepared guitar and oud, Anthony Seck on electronics, guitar and moog, Alexandre St-Onge [Et Sans, Undo] on electronics and upright bass and Will Eizlini on percussion. The sound on the Trial of Saint-Orange is incredibly rich in texture and boasts a very organic feel. This is psychedelic music done in a way that is incredibly rare these days; the band is more about creating lush texture than rocking out. A good comparison would be the more ethereal side of the Acid Mothers Temple, the La Novia recording in particular. There also seems to be influence drawn from the style of horror/drama soundtracks conducted by Ennio Morricone and much of the accompanying music to Argento's more memorable films. This is most notable in the recording's closing epic piece, which has a duration of over 20 minutes.
ULTRA RED VS ANNA PLANETA : split - Fat Cat - 12" £4.99
The first ‘Split 12" on Fat Cat for 2002 (and the 14th in the series thus far), showcases two very different takes on the use of field recording, with one side providing storming floor-friendly tracks and the other a more home-listening affair. California-based activists Ultra-red provide two great house tracks, ‘A16’ and ‘A17’, which were composed exclusively from site recordings made during street protests against the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, Washington DC, April 16th and 17th, 2000. Anna Planeta’s two tracks are composed of live digital recordings of sounds made and heard at a huge, long-abandoned Catholic school house near Alton Towers theme park. Moving and fascinating in turn...Check.
VARIOUS : Music Volume Two – Benbecula – 12” £4.99
This is the second label sampler from Scotland’s excellent Benbecula imprint. Following ‘Music Volume 1’ and the critically acclaimed mini LP from Mikael Romanenko, Benbecula are back to give us an idea of what they have in store for us over the coming months. Eight tracks are featured here, the artists forming a blend of known and unknown talent : Christ kicks off proceedings - being an artist who has experimented with and constructed electronic music for quite a few years, Christ was an important player in the emerging Scottish electronic scene of the late 90’s and has a writing credit on Boards of Canada’s sought after ‘Twoism’ EP!! The track featured here - ‘Moxley Moy’ provides us with a first clue as to what he has been doing with himself since that time – the answer being a glorious infusion of haunting piano keys and the most subtle form of electronic integration. Truly classic stuff; expect a debut solo release very soon. Joni is up next, an artist reported to have a museum-capacity collection of vintage analogue synths, ‘Too Stupid’ breaks down any generic categorisation and instead organically forms a future Bossa classic. Little introduction needed – listen and be hooked for a lifetime. Seriously sublime. Mr Projectile, known from his work for the Toytronic label, gives up another click masterpiece with ‘Absorption’, a track that shuffles into being with some deliciously crunchy beats and buttered pops, together with a melody you’ll recognise from sometime in your unconscious formative years. Clubbed To Death nod towards the 80’s synth revival with the edible ‘Junk’ - this harks back to the nu romantic era but does so with a darker edge, the breakdown so epic you’ll wish the track had words so you could do more then just hum along to it – and rest assured...you will! Frog Pocket kicks off the B-side and is the work of a dedicated traditional fiddle and thrash metal devotee...though, rest assured, even our beloved frog has opened up his heart and allows us to find another mesmerising electronic lullaby of the most spine-tingling proportions. East Of Insanity achieve the impossible and manage to fuse cinemascopic electronic arrangements with some acoustic work, a solitary guitar duets with the scenery and the result paints in hues of blue and dusk before your eyes as you listen. Luscious.Marcia Blaine School For Girls will be huge and will do so for reasons other than just having the most fantastic name ever to have graced the electronic microcosm. This is developed electronic music in its most crushing form – tweaked, full, moving and devastating. Listen up. All that’s left is the final track...the artist wishes to remain anonymous, but you’ll have heard of him before. After all, what’s life without a little mystery?? Strictly limited edition and alltogether rather deliciously wonderful. Buy!
MICRO-HOUSE / TECHNO / CHAIN REACTION / CLICKS & CUTS
BILLY DALESSANDRO : Sonic revolution - Force tracks - 12" £5.99
We think you're going to be hearing much more from this guy over the next few months. Billy drops three kicking house cuts for Force Tracks here, with a more up for it take on the Luomo style on Loop Control, a dubbed up techno cruncher on The Darkest Hour and a side long journey into deep house nights on Focus Within. While perhaps falling a little short of the proclaimed Sonic Revolution, this is still grooving stuff for the box and dancing on your sitting room table - more funk essentials from Force Tracks.
ISOLEE : Raum - Playhouse - 12" £5.99
A great opportunity to check an early stage in the development of Rajko Müller. More faultless groove from the Playhouse archives, its clear that even at this point Rajko had a very clear idea of a new urban (and electronic) take on soulful house music. The A side here could be a take on the early developments of the Burrell twins for NuGroove, with some of the cut up science seen on early Phonography twelves, while the flip could almost be described as ambient boogie - awe inspiring.
ISOLEE : I owe you - Playhouse - 12" £5.99
Rajko Müller created one of the biggest underground tunes of the late nineties in Beau Mot Plage, mercifully just back in press. This four track ep draws the title cut from his Rest LP, then revisits it for a quite amazing remix. I can only really compare this to some of the early Arthur Russell stuff - like a breathtaking electronic reworking of some of those early Loft tunes, for those who know their stuff. Text marries some of the crunch of Arovane's marvellous Atol Scrap to house strategies - amazing sounds, while Music is one of those great, lost potential anthems, tucked away on the b-sides. "Music keeps me alive" - indeed! An education of a record.
JACKMATE : Ghetto of my mind - Authentic Mind - CD £10.99
JACKMATE : Ghetto of my mind - Authentic Mind - LP £12.99
Arriving through the reliable Kompakt crew, Jackmate delivers his first full length album. 8 tracks cover the spectrum of techno, all in the best possible taste. The opening track ‘50Hz’ funks into it straight away, using an off-beat chord stab that seems to add the ‘swing’ effect that’s used in modern day R&B, a booty-shaker for sure. The title track itself is a classic techno track, just check the bassline stabbing under the beat, a real groove is created, it’s a straight up floor winner with an added voice sample saying “bass ghetto style’. The rest of the tracks hold up very well, the bpm’s are slightly varied which is ace for dj’s and breaks the album up well. Kompakt choose The cream of the crop so often it’s uncanny, keep it going.
MURCOF : Monotonu EP - Context 12" £5.99
Let’s start off by saying that this is one of the most original and eye-opening 12”s we’ve heard in a while, Fernando Corona (aka Murcof) putting Mexico on the map and re-alligning our preconceptions in the process. Much in the same way that the magnificent Safety Scissors manages to subvert genres and presets with mind-boggling imagination and a little tweaking, Murcof has created a hybrid of many things – a shuffling downtempo beat, a violin, some pops and an intuitive ability to compose the sound of things you have never heard before. The opening ‘Memoria’ sets the scene perfectly, a hint of the Hassidic string adornes a perfectly shuffled groove in glorious widescreen before ‘Mir’ developes the theme further down the cinematic route – haunting sounds interchanged with a percussive line that builds in tempo and complexity as the track progresses. The flip takes things further - ‘Mfrelay’ adapting the micro-house constructions of the likes of Akufen, slows it down a little and creates another breathtaking symphony of melody and unusual instrumentation – seriously breathtaking stuff. Finally, ‘Marmol’ closes the night with an end-credit epilogue, the slowest track on board judged to perfection in creating the ultimate blend in melancholy and excitement. One small step for music as we know it , one giant leap for the Context label. Remarkable.
NEW WORLD ROMANTIC : Spirit E.P. - Delsin 12" £5.99
Delsin appear to be flavour of the moment, each release reinforcing the reputation that has been gained through releases by artists such as Cim, Norken, Lucky and Easy, Peel Seamus, Aardvark and Dimension 5. Under his New World Romantic moniker, New World Aquarium’s latest release is slightly different, achieving the impossible and out-doing its predecessors. Basic Channel for 2002 comes to mind, though that is a bold statement. Just put the first track ‘Iniquities Den’ on the deck, and you will see why the comparisonhoklds up. Deep, extremely muddy strings mix and weave into each other, a hint of background noise and some murky percussion and kick drums rise from the depths to add form to the mass of noise that precedes them. Deep as you like. ‘Spirit’ is slightly more percussive, with added little stabs that define the groove a little more, still with the heady mix of noise and strings holding the background. After listening to his new 12” I am not surprised that labels such as Planet E and Peacefrog are both chasing him. Each track clocks in at over 6 minutes, and a wonderful time spent it is, forget flavour of the moment, just listen to Delsin do their thing.
RICHIE HAWTIN : DE9 Edits - Novamute - 10" £4.99
RICHIE HAWTIN : DE9 Edits - Novamute - CD £4.99
Ritchie Hawtin, a name that goes way back into techno history, and is associated since the early 90’s with groundbreaking releases on such labels as +8(his own), Warp, Novamute, has attempted the impossible. He has attempted a re-edit of the Rhythm & Sound track ‘range’d’ (RS04). This is hard in itself seeing as R&S are close to perfection in their production. Ritchie’s edit, (r)edit #2, is a little more loop based than the original, it’s more.....techno I think is the best word, though he retains the grainy sound of the original and the only added elements appear to be slight percussion sounds. The differences are very subtle, the edit is very good, and appearing on 10” it almost feels like a Burial Mix release. As for ‘(r)edit #1’, which is an edit of Ritchie’s own track ‘Freek’d’, this too is an extremely loop-based version. Starting off with the 4/4 straight away, a subtle Maurizio-esque bass line padding under the beat, and added dubbed out percussion just enhances the feel of Berlin based techno. It sounds like Ritchie Hawtin is heavily under the influence of Basic Channel, the only difference on this track is the odd ‘freek’ sample thrown in almost randomly throughout. The original versions of these tracks appear on the DE9 – close to the edit album, but this 10” is well worth picking up, especially for Ritchie Hawtin and Basic Channel fans! Vinyl limited to 400 copies only!
STEWART WALKER AND GREGORY SHIFF : South Suburban EP – Persona 12” £5.99
For his 3rd release on Persona, Stewart reigns in Gregory Shiff to assist him. Adopting a less abrasive approach than previous work, Stewart and Gregory offer us 4 tracks of extremely good techno. Using dubbed out elements as the background and adding little synth stabs and funky percussion on top makes the collaboration work to a tee. The tracks are firmly aimed at the floor, yet they aren’t tuneless or fierce as a lot of four to the floor tends to be. This 12" seems to remind me of the days Detroit techno reached its peak, and when 'techno' and 'soul' were used in the same sentence. Wicked.
STEWART WALKER : Reclamation 1997 – 1999 Persona CD £10.99
Stewarts first long player on his Persona imprint is a collection of rare and unreleased material. Stretching from the minimal techno territory that he does so well, to soundscape ambience, this is an opportunity to see both sides of this highly respected producer. After releases on Tresor, Force inc, and Ritchie Hawtins Minus label, Stewart decided to start Persona as a platform for his own music. So far the 12"s have received widespread coverage and very favourable reviews, the CD is a perfect chance to accumulate Stewarts earlier work, and aquaint yourself with a deep producer.
VARIOUS : Techno Toolz 2 - Shot toolz - 12" £5.99
Fresh from Techno Toolz 1 and the wicked Electro Toolz releases, Shot Toolz follow up with Techno Toolz II. Featuring 2 tracks, 42 locked grooves and some FX for scratching, this is quite a comprehensive Battle Weapon for electronic DJ's. The 2 tracks are more like atmospheric ambient sections to be played under some of the grooves, these are O.K. but the genius of this release lies with the (ahem!) grooves : various strains of techno, funky, fierce, electro-esque, 80's influenced, all across the board, and very good they are too. For a swift example check Loop 3 on the b-side, a broken beat looped as tight as you like. As for the FX : vocal loops or messed up vocals, with a few percussive, almost clicky loops for added rhythm. As with the last few releases on the label, wickedness assured!
EXPERIMENTAL / AVANT GARDE
ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE : 41st splendid man - Tumult - LP £16.99
Latest offering from Japan's notorious Acid Mothers Temple. There is probably little left to be said about this lot apart from that they seem to be on a world domination course with yet another LP release. This album for San Francisco's Tumult label comes pressed as a picture disc with a seemingly innocent field of flowers on the A side giving way to a naked japanese lady on the flip. Madness.
FRANCISCO LOPEZ : Untitled 123 - Alien 8 - CD £13.99
This latest outing by Spain's most prolific experimental artist was prepared with sounds recorded in Grain Silo #5, in Montreal, Quebec. Last year the experimental duo known as [the user] began the Silophone project, transforming an abandoned grain silo into a gigantic instrument. Untitled #123 starts off with a minute of silence, forcing the listener to pay close attention, like on many of Lopez' recordings. Incredibly subtle changes and fluctuations in volume and body begin to take place. The piece begins to display the Silophone sounds more clearly at the 10-minute mark, dark metallic resonation that feels strangely gothic. This continues until sharp piercing slices of mechanical sounds cut in an out of the piece every few seconds (imagine being subjected to giant blasts of machinery). This continues until the 19-minute mark where all audible sounds dissolve and all that is left is some of the most demanding low-end ambiance one is likely to experience.
LUC FERRARI : Cycle des souvenirs - Blue Chopsticks - CD £16.99
New work from one of the finest exponents of electro-acoustic musique concrete, ever. This is the first ever release of Luc's large scale electroacoustic piece which has been five years in the making. It revisits numerous periods from Ferrari's five decades of work. >From the composer's liner notes: "I have been composing a new series of works under the general title Exploitation des Concepts. The point is to take concepts I have been experimenting with throughout my entire life as a composer, and to put them to use in every possible direction: in instrumental as well as electroacoustic music, in video, in multimedia installation, in new technologies as well as old ones.... These Exploitations go in all directions: the Tautology, superimposed cycles, the minimalism of the Presque Rien series, architectures of chance, anecdote, narrative, everyday sounds, arte povera . . . souvenirs . . . etc. - all these concepts that have always preoccupied me but which until now I hadn't really exploited. So we find images of my childhood, my street, my subway; places I passed through and which struck me enough to record them, certain villages in Italy or the sea in Portugal; of my present, too: workplaces, my souvenirs, my house. The Cycle des Souvenirs also means that all the elements are structured in cycles which, when superimposed, produce chance encounters." Superb material, brought to you via David Grubb's Drag City sponsored Blue Chopsticks label.
PHILIP JECK : Vinyl Coda 1 to 3 - Intermedium - 2CD £11.99
Re-press in jewel case of probably Phillip's finest work to date. Building from his incredible Touch albums Surf and Loophole's the extended performance Vinyl Coda series recorded for german radio see the turntabalistics stretch out to paint an even more vivid mind photograph than before. Composed from vinyl records picked up at fleamarkets, crackling, rustling and hissing play an inherent part in the performance but of equal importance is the humour and melodic structure that can be found. Glue and a scalpel can also be found lacing the ancient Dansette record players. As said before, as valid a source for modern composition as it is the vital ingredient in hip hop. Phillip Jeck is a world class turntablist and being Liverpool born and bred he's one of our very own so treasure him. Limited copies of Vinyl Coda IV also on Intermedium are also available.
STEPHAN MATHIEU / EKKEHARD EHLERS : Heroin - Brombron - CD £10.99
Both artists collaborated on original material over a week together in holland, then individually post-produced to achieve the final results. Stephan mathieu used to be the drummer in free-improv duo stol, and now works as a laptop artist, releasing various recordings as full swing on orthlong musork, as well as the excellent 'wurmloch variationen' on ritornell, and a near-future Recording on fällt. Ekkehard ehlers was also in a duo, autopoieses, a laptop micro-glitch project, but also plays techno inspired click n cuts as auch (mille plateaux), and sublime pop as ‘Marz’ on Karaoke Kalk. ‘Heroin’ uses guitar, drums, organ, melodica but also laptops and plug-ins to create a rich, warm music, sometimes with simpleMelodies, sometimes with the trademarks of microwaves, always with ‘pop’ references.
VARIOUS : One word, one sound - Intermedium - CD £8.99
Another very interesting music meets art meets radio medium from the sponsorship of Bayerischer Rundfunk. The audio stars were each given one word from an assortment of media artists, then the sheet of paper from which the word was read from was either screwed up, torn, shred , rolled up etc..etc and each source used as the basis for each track. Now the artists involved, Sparks, Merzbow, FX Randomiz, Loopspool, Kid 606, Peter Rehberg (Pita / Mego) and Lesser amongst others. Musically on an experimental tip fusing noise, concrete sound, drones, sine wave exploration and in the case of Sparks reflective beauty and the Kid 606, a crunched up beat attack. Very well realised project brought to you by the incredible Intermedium organisation.
VARIOUS : Sadomachinism - Misanthropic Agenda - CD £10.99
In unique metal sleeve to cut your arms open on. A compilation of outsider extreme electronics and more noisy bastards featuring Kid 606, Aube, Carthage, Merzbow, K.K. Null, and many more including, hey !! Psywarfare, Lockweld, Three Bloody Monkeys and Tit Wrench, my personal favourite... ahem!!!
HIP-HOP / ABSTRACT HIP-HOP
7L AND ESOTERIC : Jealous over nothing - Direct - 12" £6.99
Def cut from the ‘Soul Purpose’ long player with a classic example of what made these boys so hype in the first place on the brand new b-side ‘Brain In Gear’ which 7L scratches over in a well wicked style. V.nice 12".
AUDIO TWO : Top Billin - Priority - 12" £5.99
Now there's classic and there's classic. Both these joints ooze demented genius with spannered production from Daddy-O of Stetsasonic. Note to the old school heads, remember the video with Milk and Gizmo driving round NYC on a milk crate throwing bottles into the street. Pure joy!!!
BREAKESTRA : Deuces up, double down - Stones Throw - 7" £4.99
Limited 7” version of a Kid Called Miles and his merry troupe. New on Stones Throw.
CAMU TAO : Hold the floor - Definitive Jux - 12" £5.99
More dopeness from the ex Fondle Em' artist placed under the safe care of El-P's Def Jux emporium. Two tracks fat with Hold The Floor kicking things off. Rougher rhymes that break through the cranium witrh aggression and skills. Mad half sung vocal chorus, wicked street styled but the production madness keeps in true Def Jux. Wireless on the flip, lightens the mood with quirky production that brings RJD2 to mind. Rolling biscuit tin drums and funhouse melodies. Rhymes that still burn but an overall cut that shouts dope.
DJ SHAME : Travelling through sampleland - Direct - 2CD £16.99
A first-time-on-CD reissue of the classic, groundbreaking mix tape originally released in 1993 by Vinyl Reanimators original member DJ Shame. Many known classics with more than enough obscure numbers and rare shit to get your teeth into. Equal to Brainfreeze/Product Placement if not better, tune choice is better than say Cut Chemist but less show off in execution. At least a handful of tracks appear here it the mix seven/nine years before Brainfreeze/Product Placement as well. This reminds me more of RJD2's recent throwdown. This is pure blasts from the past, known to all heads for their use in hip hop tracks and funk/breakheads around the world. Chopped up as much as Madlib's recent 100 tracks in sixty minutes mix on Worldwide. This be the shit and it's likely to not be around for long as is the way with these things so treat yourself.
DUDLEY PERKINS : Flowers - Stones Throw - 7" £4.99
Madlib drops the dopest soul filled music. Dudley Perkins is who, again the Madlib is at it again, he appeared as ther radio anoouncer on the Quasimoto LP ‘The Unseen’ and featured on the last Lootpack album. This is a modern love song, traces of classic jazz ballads with a hip hop undercurrent. Simple and simply wonderful. Future rare groove 7" action right here.
ESTCOURT : Estcourt - Estcourt - 12" £6.99
Find of the week is this incredibly well produced excursion into instrumental hip hop fuelled music. Taking a branch out of the Rza's Ghost Dog, via early DJ Krush and the beatisms of Vadim and Part 2. Many tracks feature familiar samples and beats but come across as very fresh and timeless. At other times tracks are cloaked in paranoia and tension. As fine as music of this ilk gets and it's as good as last weeks 12" by Kareem on Ramadan. This is grade 1 tuneage. Deep and needed.
FREESTYLE FELLOWSHIP : Sex in the city - Project Blowed - 12" £5.99
New x-rated joint from the team with Aceyalone taking centre stage. Vocal, instrumentalism and the special bonus cut Fragrance, utilising a sweet beat and layers of thumb piano. Vocals that are a cut above bring you some of the classic era vibes back.
MR LIF : Live freestyles - Ozone - 12" £5.99
From the CD only album "Live At The Middle East", the 12-minute freestyle session with Akrobatik, Akbar and Mr. Lif appears for the first time on vinyl, with previously unreleased instrumentals on the flip for "Datablend", "Enters The Colossus" and "Because They Made It That Way". Latest from the man named 'Boston's best Hip-Hop artist' by no less than four major organizations in 2001 and we agree.
QUASIMOTO : Astonaut EP - Antidote - 12" £4.99
The Quas fly's cross the atlantic for an outing on this very promising looking new UK label Antidote. Exclusively licensed with love from Stones Throw. Strangly pressed on single sided 12", hey we're british. Astronaut starts with a familiar jazz lick, then it's return to The Unseen for Quas imaganing a life travelling the cosmos with Sun Ra as your guide, "Space Is The Place". Killercuddycut. Am I Confused? get's Madlib on the mic, asking himself the obvious question. Boombip Madlib rhythm track as per usual, too much quality. Then our extra fave dope cut Lonely Piano instrumental bliss with sampled bass, piano, guitar, wrapped round the baddest beat of the week and nuff of the spiritual jazz dust stuck in the grooves. Can't nobody touch the 'Lib flavors, this be needed now!!!!
SELF SCIENTIFIC : You can't fall - Sol music works - 12" £5.99
Latest single from L.A.'s Self-Scientific, "The Self Science" full-length, featuring all new DJ Khalil remix of "Three Kings" with Krondon and Planet Asia. Clean, dirty, instrumental for both tracks. Nuff.
SUBTLE : Summer - Dose One - CD £11.99
New from Dose One and Jel on Dose's Anticon sponsored label. Says here that this CD of 'improv collage music for quitting day jobs to" is a million miles away from the standard hip hop format, but then again what was cLouddead but fresh and original music using hip hop in it's loosest form. This is a six track mini album that will run to four editions based on the seasons of the year,all are very limited and will become serious collectors items. Flying Horse Plans let's you into the scenario's concerned, orchestral dissonance and creaking instrumentation while Dose One rambles away, then it falls into full on free jazzelectroacoustic jamming like they we're born to improvise behind live hip hop drumming. Outstanding. Hip hop arrives on the awesome Eneby Kurs almost indescribable cept' in my head sounds that would of been at home on the last Sea and Cake album and drifting vibrations like the sweetest of Mego music. Then of course there's Dose One's rapping, the most unique and identifiable voice out there at the moment. Shares a similar hallucinatory feeling as cLouddead but the emotions have been sharpened and normality abandoned. So again Dose One leads the way. Don't be afraid!!! Investigate genius at work.
THE HERBALISER : Good girl gone bad - Ninja Tune - 12" £4.99
THE HERBALISER : Good girl gone bad - Ninja Tune - CD £4.99
First taster from the forthcoming Herbaliser album…Jake Wherry and Ollie Teeba have emerged from the studio once again and something wicked this way comes…A vocal outing featuring twin talents from either side of the pond. First up comes the Wildflower (Skitz ‘Domestic Science’). On ‘Good Girl Gone Bad’ the homegrown talent talks of the good and the horrid lyrically flowing with all the true Wildflower topics and beliefs spoken in her own confident style. Rakaa Iriscience is next to take the mic. Two mixes of Verbal Animé present the Dilated Peoples mouthpiece in contrasting scenes. On one hand a quirky, wah-wah chop, whilst on the other, a more sinister symphony unfolds. Check.
VARIOUS : Definitive Jux Presents 2 - Definitive Jux - 2LP £13.99
VARIOUS : Definitive Jux Presents 2 - Definitive Jux - CD £13.99
Crazy how quickly a year goes by. Start of year two and we have a round up of all that's good on El-P's groundbreaking Def Jux label. Artists involved are Weathermen (El-P, Copywrite, Camu Tao & Vast Aire), Aesop Rock, Mr Lif & Murs, Camu Tao, Rob Smith (Sonic Sum), RJD2, Masai Bey, El-P & Vast Aire, Atoms Family, Yak Ballz and El-P's recent solo hit. Joints to drop first include RJD2's heavyweight instrumental I Really Like Your Def Jux Baby Tee like all his killer work so far compressed into one bomb track. Aesop Rock's Dead Pan could be his best yet and the Mr.Lif & Murs joint Sneak Preview is truly incredible. What you notice is the Def Jux thread running through this entire compilation, this realised by being truly true to the cause rather than the usual fake posturing associated with the current scene. Twelve tracks = essential.
VARIOUS : Scratch OST - Transparent Music - CD £14.99
Scratch is a feature-length documentary film that explores the world of the hip-hop DJ. From the birth of hip-hop, when pioneering DJ's began extending breaks on their party records (which helped inspire break dancing and rap), to the invention of scratching and "beat-juggling" vinyl, to its recent explosion as a musical movement called "turntablism," it's a story of unknown underdogs and serious virtuosos who are radically changing the way we hear, play and create music." This is the soundtrack. All tracks rare as f**k and a few def exclusives, check Rockit 2002, Transparent boss Herbie Hancock getting down with Mixmaster Mike, Grandmixer DST, Rob Swift, Q-Bert, Faust & Shortee and Babu. Lineup or what!!! Absolutely devestating stuff. Two new Rob Swift joints with Bill Laswell on the boards. Rare treats come from X-ecutioners with DJ Premier, Rob Swift, Invisble Scratch Piklz, DJ Disk, Eddie Def and the old school Boogie Boy and Kid Delight with Afrika Bambaataa. Rock solid and great entertainment, can't wait to see the film.
YESH : Shout - Ill Boogie - 12" £6.99
Yesh at long last Yeshua Da Poed of old school Fondle Em' records fame finally steps out. Having already blitzed the world of hip hop via his essential own label Head Bop one of the finest NYC emcee's (ever) edits the name down for his debut for Ill Boogie's new Earplug's offshoot. A very ingenious production (as expected) and very catchy (in a clever way) let's Yesh drop his verses without a care in the world. Business done. M-Boogie don's the remix shorts for the b-side and fair........... Four versions per side = a very dope 12".
FUNK / FUTURE FUNK / JAZZY BEATS / HOUSE / DISCO
DRILLA / BOX CLEVER : Mama says - Nice Nice - 7" £3.99
Very good little seven for what looks like being a very collectible little series. Not much info to share i'm afraid, but we have some very fresh and contemporary artwork that when all seven 7"s are got will tell an audio story. This seven manages to drop swoonsome two step, gentile ragga with hip hop and deep soulfullness. Sounds like it might be whack (and i'd agree), but there is something in the way it's all put together that equals class. Two versions (one wicked snap drum / one human beatbox), very limited and peep out the forthcoming editions.
DUDLEY PERKINS : Flowers - Stones Throw - 7" £4.99
Madlib drops the dopest soul filled music. Dudley Perkins is who, again the Madlib is at it again, he appeared as ther radio anoouncer on the Quasimoto LP ‘The Unseen’ and featured on the last Lootpack album. This is a modern love song, traces of classic jazz ballads with a hip hop undercurrent. Simple and simply wonderful. Future rare groove 7" action right here.
EASY ACCESS ORCHESTRA : The Affair - Irma - LP £10.99
As the horn section for Ninja Tune funksters The Herbaliser the Easy Access Orchestra have provided the blasting backdrop for The Herbaliser's
blistering live shows. This debut LP sees them striking out on their own with a funky collection of unashamedly retro / exotica lounge grooves. The format is similar to that of the fantastic Tipsy with live instrumentation padding out the bare bones loops. A kitsch collection perfect for summertime (whenever that arrives!).
FOSTER SYLVERS / RAPLH MCDONALD : Misdemeanour / Jam on the groove - Alpha Omega - 12" £5.99
More classic funk joints from the best re-issuers on the planet. Loud pressings, faithful mastering often from the source. What more do you want??
LES MCCANN / THE COASTERS : Harlem buck dance strut / Down home girl - Alpha Omega - 12" £5.99
More classic funk joints from the best re-issuers on the planet. Loud pressings, faithful mastering often from the source. What more do you want??
MOODYMANN : I can't kick this feeling when it hits - Kenny Dixon Jr - 12" £7.99
A further re-press of Kenny Dixon Jr's back catalogue unveils one of the best tracks that Mr Goldfinger has touched. Albeit a one sided pressing, like most of the re-presses they differ from the first release, at least they have left the best track on. An extremely clever piece of sampling by KDJ, using the bassline and a couple of vocal loops from the Chic track 'I want your love' he creates an ingenious groove. The beat breakdown features the vocal sample from the beginning of Stevie Wonders 'Living for the city'. The track construction is pure Moodyman, deep as hell and er... Moody. There isnt one person on the planet who produces 'house' music like KDJ, and no-one can get asses shaking like this man. If you want a floor full of sexy chicks, or you just wanna jack yourself, this is the record.
VARIOUS : Because your funky - Lo - 2LP £12.99
Lo Recordings follow up on Luke Vibert’s ace library music collection with this lovely package containing rare and raw funk treaures. Funk 45s, Deep Funk, its everywhere. But not like this. Because You’re Funky brings you 24 seriously fried instrumentals from the collection of the legendary Rustler - a veteran of 20 years on the 45 scene. Some of these tracks are so rare that even DJ Shadow doesn’t have them and some are so far out that no one but The Rustler would play them! - and one in particular is so rare and so good that Penny?Dope Agonizes offered £1000 for it. It took Lo 2 years to persuade The Rustler to let this collection see the light of day, so get on board and funk out!!
INDIE/LO-FI/POST-ROCK/ACCOUSTIC
CORNELIUS : Point - Matador - LP £12.99
CORNELIUS : Point - Matador - CD £11.99
This is the eagery anticipated new full-length from Tokyo’s multi-talented Keigo Oyamada, aka Cornelius. Much has been made in the press over the last few weeks over the ingenuity and excellence of this LP, and it really never fails to dissappoint. The sound is an amalgamation of Folk, Bacharachian whimsy, punk, electronica and, above all, Pop. The intrigue is supplied with the diversification and experimentation with technique employed by Keigo in his studio :unusual field recordings, the sounds of trickling water, delicate filtration adjustments and so on. The opening ‘Bug’ sets the scene perfectly, accoustic foundations and a chug-a-long rhythm, the vocal sounding vaguely Stereolab/High Llamas -ish, but the behind-the-scenes constructions steal the show, birds chirping and an intricate assemblage of barely recognisable found sounds that somehow manage to avoid creating clutter and expand on the pop aesthetic. ‘Brazil’ employs a Vocoded computerised speech emulator for the vocal, but stays clear of electropop and instead offers a lovely and somewhat tongue-in-cheek cover of the classic samba of the same name, all refreshingly soothing and entertaining. 12” track ‘Drop’ expands with enough loveliness to fill you with sunshine, before the slowly punctuated drum machine flow of ‘Tone Twilight Zone’ strums away into the sunset blissfully. A perfect pop album, and what could be better?
DESAPARECIDOS : What's new for fall - Wichita - 7" £2.99
First single from the new indie band formed around Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst. ‘What's New For Fall’ will appeal to Bright Eyes fans, but also to anyone who's ever dug At The Drive In, The Pixies, Weezer, and Dinosaur Jr.
EILEEN ROSE : Long shot novena - Rough Trade - CD £10.99
Long Shot Novena,’ the second album from the Italian/American chanteuse more than delivers on the early promise of last year’s ‘Shine Like It Does’ . Always capable of penning a fine tune and closely observed lyric, as both a writer and performer she seems to have grown exponentially, with the result that ‘Long Shot Novena’ sounds like someone at the peak of their powers. As if to underline the progression, the record starts with a title track that sounds more like the Velvet Underground’s ‘Black Angel Death Song’ than anything remotely "alt-country". This is the breadth Eileen has always been reaching for, and ’Long Shot Novena’ (the song) stands like a defiant statement of intent right at the start of this ambitious record. An album of many genres, ‘Long Shot Novena’ was produced by Eileen with guitarist Kris Dollimore and pedal steel player Iain Harvey.
HEFNER : The hefner brain - Too pure - 10" £4.99
HEFNER : The hefner brain - Too pure - CD £4.99
Both formats of the single include a new and much improved version of ‘When The Angels Play Their Drum Machine’ from ‘Dead Media’ and four brand new songs to wet the appetites of Hefner fans. From the cheekily familiar new wave throb of ‘Dark Hearted Discos’ to the touchingly mellow piano led ‘All I’ll Ever Need’, ‘The Hefner Brain’ finds Hefner at their playfully heartfelt finest.
MOUNTAIN GOATS : All hail west texas - Emporor Jones - CD £12.99
The return of John Darnielle's one man hatstand band. Acoustic guitar bashing like a snare drum and singing his heart out with first person tales of woe, heartache, infidelity and Scandinavia!! Next album will drop later this year on 4AD. We recommend.
RICHARD BUCKNER : s/t - Ochre - CD £13.49
This album is a snapshot of richard from 1996 with just him and his guitar tucked away in a small studio in san francisco. In essence an "unplugged" type performance. Whilst many of the songs here were later re-recorded for the release "devotion and doubt", the 11 recordings which make up this release are exclusive and include a couple of tracks unreleased in any form anywhere else. Originally sold last year as a tour only release, this album kept appearing on ebay, thus overcoat and buckner decided to make it more readily available.
THE BEES : You got to leave - We love you - 2 x 7" £4.99
Isle of Wight musical mavericks The Bees return with this new EP. The opening track finds the band in surprisingly aggressive mode; Aaron delivering some fierce lyrics over a choppy jazz punk backing . 'Elaine' is The Bees take on the sea shanty; a raspy and otherworldy lament. 'Whistle Stop' sees the band flex their reggae funk muscles in an uptempo club friendly groove. 'Jackel Head' is a curious musical patchwork that starts with an uplifting r&b funk groove then goes all spiritually modal before crashing into the dub echo chamber .
THE BOY LUCAS : There are great monsters going past - Output - 7" £4.99
Limited edition 7” from Boy Lucas, in an edition of 400 copies for the world. Includes a handmade insert and some exclusive tracks.
TOWN AND COUNTRY : C Mon - Thrill Jockey - CD £13.99
C'mon is Town and Country's 2nd full length for Thrill Jockey, and 3rd album overall. This album picks up where 2000's It All Has To Do With It left off finding the group fine-tuning and expanding the timbre of their all-acoustic/no electronic line up. For C'mon their string-bass/acoustic guitar core is augmented by Jim Dorling's move from harmonium to bass clarinet which he often plays in tandem with Ben Vida's cornet. In addition Liz Payne's adept handling of the hand chimes gives the record an other-worldly feel in conjunction with Josh Abrams' work on the celeste. Compositionally, Town and Country have shifted as well. Their songs were often noted for their length as much as their beauty, but for C'mon the quartet has constructed 7 songs in 40 minutes time. C'mon is the result of an entire year's labor of love. The album also begins to reveal some heretofore unmentioned influences as well: the work of Arthur Russell, Jimmy Giuffre, and Eno's recordings in the 1970's for the Obscure label mesh with Town and Country's already original and minimally lush sound."
DUB / REGGAE
SLY AND ROBBIE MEET BUNNY LEE : At dub station - Jamaican Recordings - LP £9.99
Jamaican Recordings kick the new year off in fine style by unleashing their sixth album. ‘Sly & Robbie Meet Bunny Lee At Dub Station‘ contains unreleased dubs dating from the mid to late 70‘s from the vaults of Sir Bunny Lee. Contains ‘lost‘ dubs of Dennis Brown‘s ‘Tribulation‘, Slim Smith‘s ‘Everybody Needs Love‘ Johnny Clarke‘s ‘Roots Natty‘, ‘African Roots‘, ‘None Shall Escape The Judgement‘, ‘Move Out Of Babylon‘ and a dub of Clarke‘s version of the Abyssinians ‘Satta Massa Gana‘. Dubyanot!
JAZZ / FREE JAZZ
LUTHER THOMAS : Banana - Unheard Music - CD £12.99
Two master tapes from an unreleased session were discovered during the remastering of previous Unheard music release "funky donkey". Now reissued in their own right as the follow up, the personnel included on these recordings is the same and features james marshall, Charles bobo shaw, and carol marshall. The entire session is presented here including an out-take of One track. Consequently if you dug "Funky Donkey", get this.
MAGAZINES
CARELESS TALK COSTS LIVES : Volume 11 - Careless talk costs lives - Mag £4.99
Latest issue of this London based magazine. Running at 83 pages it is certainly value for money with various features on Mogwai, Def Jux, Le
Tigre, Spiritualized and the Leaf label. Reviews include Aphex, Cex, Dilated and Fugazi and others. A fine publication.
BACK IN STOCK
CLINIC : Walking with thee - Domino - LP £12.99
DESERT HEARTS : Let's get worse - Tugboat - CD £11.99
HRSTA : L clat du ciel tait insoutenable - Fancy - CD £13.99
MONOLAKE : Cinemascope - Imbalance - CD £12.99
PILOTE VS BONOBO : Turtle - Certificate 18 - 12" £4.99
PRINCESS SUPERSTAR : Bad Babysitter - Rapster - 12" £4.99 /CD £4.99
RHYTHM AND SOUND : Compilation - Rhythm and Sound - CD £12.99
RHYTHM AND SOUND : Imprint - Rhythm and Sound - 12" £5.99
RHYTHM AND SOUND : Smile - Rhythm and Sound - 12" £5.99
RHYTHM AND SOUND : Carrier - Rhythm and Sound - 12" £5.99
RHYTHM AND SOUND : Roll off - Rhythm and Sound - 12" £5.99
RHYTHM AND SOUND : Music a fe rule - Rhythm and Sound - 12" £5.99
RHYTHM AND SOUND : Mango Drive - Rhythm and Sound - 12" £5.99
RHYTHM AND SOUND AND TIKIMAN : Showcase - Burial Mix - CD £12.99
RHYTHM AND SOUND AND TIKIMAN : Jah Rule – Burial Mix- 10" £5.99
RHYTHM AND SOUND AND TIKIMAN : Ruff Way - Burial Mix - 10" £5.99
RHYTHM AND SOUND AND TIKIMAN : Spend some time - Burial Mix - 10" £5.99
RHYTHM AND SOUND AND TIKIMAN : Why - Burial Mix - 10" £5.99
RHYTHM AND SOUND AND TIKIMAN : Never tell you - Burial Mix - 10" £5.99
RHYTHM AND SOUND AND TIKIMAN : What a mistry - Burial Mix - 10" £5.99
RHYTHM AND SOUND FEAT CORNELL CAMPBELL : King in my empire - Burial Mix - 10" £5.99
ROUND ONE : I'm your brother - Main Street - 12" £5.99
ROUND TWO : New day - Main Street - 12" £5.99
ROUND THREE FEAT TIKIMAN : Actin crazy - Main Street - 12" £5.99
ROUND FOUR FEAT TIKIMAN : Find a way - Main Street - 12" £5.99
ROUND FIVE : Na Fe throw It - Main Street - 12" £5.99
ROUND ONE TO ROUND FIVE : 1993 to 1999 - Main Street - CD £12.99
SAGE FRANCIS : Climb trees - Anticon - 12" £5.99
SAGE FRANCIS : Still sick - Strange famous - CDR £14.99
SAGE FRANCIS : Sick of waiting tables - Strange famous - CDR £14.99
SIX BY SEVEN : I.O.U - Mantra - 7" 99p
TANYA DONELLEY : Beauty Sleep - 4AD - CD £11.99
TEENAGE FANCLUB AND JAD FAIR : Near to you - Geographic - 7" £4.99 / CD £4.99
THE WHITE STRIPES : Fell in love with a girl - XL - 7" 99p
VAINQUEUR : Elevations - Chain reaction - CD £12.99
VARIOUS : Slurped 2 - Slurped - 2LP £18.99
VARIOUS : The Giga single - Anticon - CD £8.99
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