Here's some this-listy things I've been listening to in recent times.
>> Hausmusik (CD on Karaoke Kalk)
The only release I've heard I think can validly be compared to Mouse on
Mars. I guess fx randomiz is kinda there, too... anyway, this is a
collection of short tracks. Essentially instrumental pop tunes, just
assembled in the scrunchy, distortion round the edges manner of MoM. It
certainly has its own character, though. There's one tune that's purely
guitars and Herr Hausmeister singing wordlessly alongside the melody, which
shows the kind of influences that come through in the more electronic
stuff. He's obviously got an affection for the easy side of old pop songs.
I always want to say the Beach Boys, but that's probably just cos I'm ignorant.
>> 'Upekah' - son.sine (12" on Nurture)
I'm really loving this! It's Chain Reaction-y techno, and nothing new,
nothing clever, just 3 really really enjoyable tracks. Perhaps it's more
like Sutekh's take on CR stuff than any actual CR release. Beautiful
sounds, nice chords, deep clicky grooves, swimming pools (eh?). Makes me
proud to be a New Zealander, mate. ;-)
>> 'The Köln Konzert' - Vert (CD on Sonig)
This one took me a couple of concerted (ho ho) listens to get into, and has
certainly proven really worthwhile. Very enjoyable on lots of levels... I'm
not sure if the piano parts are directly lifted from Keith Jarrett's
concert from which this surely takes its name, but either way they sound
like they could have been. All variety of digital manipulation takes place
around the piano lines... a few stumbling beats, lots of varied noises and
sweeping sounds. All in all it creates a really cohesive release, full of
atmosphere and interest. Seems to get me just as well when I listen closing
or throw it on as background ambience, which is something I always like in
something I've bothered to purchase.
>> 'Tendency' - Jan Jelinek (12" on ~scape)
Hmm... this pretty much bored me, or at least I've had no great desire to
listen to it since getting it and playing it through. I'll give it further
listens, surely, because I was certainly surprised by my (lack of)
reaction. I was expecting something more than just Jelinek consolidating
his style as laid out on the Gramm and Farben releases, since he had a new
concept in mind. OTOH, I guess he's one of those producers (like Vladislav
Delay) who I got very excited about, grabbed everything I could by, and
then burnt out on... good old preconceptions getting the better of me?
>> 'Descargas' - Los Samplers (CD on Rather Interesting)
Did a review of this for Igloo, but the gist is its traditional Cuban song
forms, assembled on the hard drive of Uwe Schmidt (AtomTM, formerly Atom
Heart, etc). I've found myself listening to this a lot more than eg. his
Senor Coconut stuff where he's covered Kraftwerk. I thought that was a kind
of one-joke release, whereas this is fantastic fun throughout and full of
surprises. Since the trope behind this is that Los Samplers are supposed to
be a band of 8-bit sampler players from Cuba, there's heaps more crust and
mayhem than he risked on the Senor Coconut too, so it just _sounds_ much
more exciting! Technically it's up there with eg. Schnittstelle, although
I've yet to hear BDP (I'm not going to try to spell it from memory).
>> Second deFocus sampler (12" on deFocus)
Tracks by Tim Koch, +One, CiM, Jon Tejada, and Esem. I've never really
liked anything I've heard on deFocus, so I thought I'd pick up a sampler
and see if I got into it over time. This seemed like the one to go for,
because I enjoy Tim's stuff, +One was billed as sounding like older Plaid,
and Jon Tejada's pretty good value.
Unfortunately I didn't particularly rate this track of Tim's (sorry if
you're out there, buddy :-) - I didn't get into the melody, and that being
the focus of the track, there isn't too much more to say. I did really like
the +One track in a warm and nostalgic way. What I most enjoyed was how
light it sounds... just clear and focused (oh dear, two label puns). I
didn't like the CiM one, but didn't expect to, having not enjoyed his
album. It did remind me of Derrick May, in the chords, so if Simon's
reading this, I hope he can deal with being dissed by being compared to
some "classic" artist I never really liked... Jon Tejada had (I presume)
his mum and Divine Styler on board doing opera singing and rap
respectively. I don't like opera, and unusually didn't like what Divine
Styler was doing on this track, but the music was great, so I'm listening
to it repeatedly anyway. I can imagine if the vocals hit someone out there
they'd thing this was the best track in the universe. Almost. Anyway, the
Esem track is also pretty nice, with a chugging synth pedal and little
ticky beat that reminded me a lot of that electro-y number of Autechre's
'Tri Repetae'. 'eutow'? Still definitely not something I can imagine
getting an urge to listen to except when I stumble across the record. The
Ae call is a cheap one, I know, but my flatmate walked into the room when I
had this on, thought I was playing something off 'Amber', and had to look
at the record player before he would be convinced otherwise
>> 'Nonplace ep2' - Nonplace Urban Field (12" on Nonplace)
Not so blatantly jazz fusion as the 'Con Ritmo' album, and I'm glad. :-) It
does have some of that feel of a live rhythm section, certainly plenty of
what were at least once live instruments in the mix. There are four tracks,
my favourite being a reggae influenced number with a seemingly randomised
riff on a melodica sample, rambling and burbling about, intermittently
filtered into mud and back. Throughout the 12 there's a nice feeling of
chance and randomness, which I really enjoy. I always want to describe his
tracks as "full of adventure and intrigue". :-) It gets across the camp /
kitsch aspect as well as being my opinion on a literal level.
>> 'optimal.lp' - shuttle358 (CD on 12k)
I think this one has been reasonably thrashed on this list (maybe more on
ambient?) but I've joined the party late, and think it's worth saying that,
yes, yet another person is in love with this CD.
Michael
np. 'Descargas' - Los Samplers
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Involve Records
http://involverecords.com
Jet Jaguar MP3s (latest upload Nov2000)
http://mp3.com/jetjag/
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