What with all this talk about Fierce Ruling Diva, I thought I would share
my review of it, plus a few others I did for the next URB:
(please forgive the cut n paste fuckups)
Deluxe
Let the Magic Flow
(Ultra Violet Recordings) Deluxe is the first full-length solo project from San
Francisco's Jeff Taylor, a man otherwise known for his work in the trippy trio
The Ultraviolet Catastrophe and for the standout track on Silent's From Here
to Tranquility compilation, "Diaphanous" by The Dark Beautiful. A long
time in creation, Taylor's opus is a tribute to the many musical influences
that has shaped his life, from dub to electro, and from advanced electronic
head music to the perfectly structured pop songs of Stock-Aitken-Waterman.
All of these genres and more are explored on Let the Magic Flow, making for
a very elastic, free-form work as a whole. A piece never lingers in one spot
for long and always flows into the next track. For the club-oriented minds,
there are two tracks in particular that stand out. "Freestyle" is for the harder
techno crowd and "Eluxtria" is much more playful and housey. Though
these are geared towards the dancefloor, most other tracks are intended for a
more private listen. Even in the more personal setting, the moods are
forever conflicting. "Futura", for example, is aggressive and robotic with its
vocoded sounds, while "Sapphire" is gentle and melodic with a passionate
male vocal. The most finely crafted track is called "Snowcrash" which is at
times chilling yet always driving in a Kraftwerkian sort of fashion.
Deluxe's strength is found in the determination to probe varying types of
sounds within a structured, contained unit. There is a sense of progression in
each track, which is not always a common trait in electronic music. Enlisting
the talented help of artists such as Young American Primitive and Exist
Dance's Mike Kandel for remix treatment on the album's singles, Deluxe
surrounds himself in good company. He is earning his place there. (Tamara
Palmer)
Fierce Ruling Diva
Revolt of the Perverse
(Astralwerks) RThink of this as a challenge to your writing ability,S said Todd,
asking me to review this disc. I muttered some sort of closeminded response
and slept on it for a day. Perhaps it wouldnUt be all that bad. After all, I had
seen Fierce Ruling Diva perform in Los Angeles a few years ago in a sweaty
warehouse and I did have fun.
Well, itUs not that bad. In fact, Revolt of the Perverse has got some funny
moments on it. ThereUs a cover of the old Visage hit, RFade to GreyS, which
preserves and doesnUt expand upon the cheesiness of the original, which is
much appreciated. It is the best track on the album both musically and
conceptually. RI Need DrugsS is a heart-pounding bit of hilarity, with the
duo
crying, RwhoUs going to go on a drug run?S This has been the novelty hit of
late, especially since it contains a line which seems almost impossible to
fathom: Rbut the worst part about it/and I know you all agree/is when some
asshole sells me acid/when I think IUm buying E/I need drugs!S Last time I
checked, the two looked quite different, but I guess thatUs another story...
However, my sense of humor sobers up by the end of the disc. There is
nothing wrong with humor or even novelty songs, but in the absence of any
kind of substance, things can only be so funny. RPissing in the WindS and
RCome Here I Want to Fuck YouS appeal to the lowest common denominator
of toilet humor, and IUm over it. Musically speaking, RFreebientS most
resembles a serious attempt at music, though that also fizzles when the liner
notes reveal that the way theyUve created Rambient musicS is to slow down a
breakbeat track that they previously recorded for a movie soundtrack.
Advanced stuff, indeed. (Tamara Palmer)
Various Artists
Types: A Kudos Sampler
(Kudos Records) This compilation samples various electronic musicians
from the record labels that fall under the distribution of Kudos Records,
including Rephlex, B12, A.R.T., and Rotation Records. Familiar names such
as Dave Angel and Sandoz, two artists who rarely disappoint, intermingle
with names less known in the U.S.: Pentatonik, Synectics, Stasis, Fugue, As
One, Eco Tourist, Germ, Scanner, Conemelt, and White Dopes on Funk.
The emphasis here is on music that makes you think, what some might label
Rarmchair technoS or Rhead musicS. Unlike dancefloor-oriented songs, the
emphasis here belongs to the melodies rather than the beats. Only the most
adventurous of DJs would know how to handle these delicately structured,
understated creations, but songs like Dave AngelUs RRotationS have been
known to cause waves on the dancefloor. The use of snare drums and hi-hats
to form the rhythm tracks, sweeping synthesizer tones as the second layer,
and light, angelic melodies on top is the proven formula here. Just listen to
RIsataiS by As One or SynecticsU RZycoonS for an idea of a consistently
pleasing sound.
Types is a wonderful introduction into this realm of electronic music.
Relaxing and uplifting music to nourish your head. (Tamara Palmer)
Spacetime Continuum
Sea Biscuit
(Astralwerks) There's something so magical and wonderful about music that can unobtrusively penetrate your whole being. You turn it on and go about your business, and it is only at certain instances that you wake up and realize that you have been so absorbed in the sounds that you haven't been able to do anything else. You think you're functioning on a normal level and then it becomes apparent that you have done nothing other than become part of the music.
Jonah Sharp has the gift of being able to create such art, first witnessed on the Flurescence EP put out on his own label, Reflective Records, and in his ambient DJing throughout San Francisco, a unique experience that had him even drilling holes in strange places on a record to create an experimental sound. Spacetime Continuum's first full length release, Alien Dreamtime, was obscured by the presence of the voice of Terence McKenna. His philosophizing made it more difficult to dig to the root of the music and become lost in the beauty of it, a goal so desperately wanted. But here we are with Sea Biscuit, liberated and McKenna-free, ready for the music to jump out from behind the curtains.
Much more the proper debut than a sophomore slump, Sea Biscuit has a transporting quality. Titles are functional, the tracks sounding as they should, as they were meant to. In "Subway", you are thrust way down into the underground, subjected to warped announcements and whooshes of passing trains. "Ping Pong" places you at the center of a psychedelic tournament, with swift and fluid connections with an echoing ball. You feel the tension and release of "Pressure" as the assaulting crunch of low keys blends with a bursting melody. Sounds of the undisturbed jungle, laden with the ritualistic drumming of the natives and the gentle hum of the cicadas reach out from "Voice of the Earth", conveying well the respect for purity and nature shown throughout the album. Check this out - but don't expect to do anything other than be consumed.
(Tamara Palmer)
Hug Your Waistline to the Bassline............................................
Tamara Palmer * trance@netcom.com * izzyzi5@mvs.oac.ucla.edu *
.........................................................Women Respond to Bass