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(in this issue)
AFX : Hangable Auto Bulb 2 (Warp)
Clatterbox (Clear)
Excursions in Ambience IV (Astralwerks)
::: AFX : Hangable Auto Bulb 2 (Warp WAP69)
As threatened, Hangable Auto Bulb 2 is out and limited to 500 copies. I
dare not say anything about how easy it was to find it, otherwise the
next one will be 50 copies. Anyway, just two tracks this time - Every Day,
and Arched Maid Via RDJ. I can't say I like it as much as I the first
Hangable Auto Bulb, but theres still something that I find strangely
intriguing about both tracks. Every Day still has much of that junglesque
chugging percussion, and a strange and somewhat disturbing vocal sample
of what sounds like a very young girl talking about how overwhelmed she
is by her husbands demands. Arched Maid Via RDJ is definately the better
of the two, with a wonderful squealing synth that at times sounds like
an electric guitar. It's got some nice breaks too, especially the first
one which sounds very Quoth-y, good stuff. Overall, not quite as good as
its excellent predecessor and only two tracks, but there's still something
there worth listening to.
::: Clatterbox (Clear CLR412)
Another 2x10" pack from Clear, this time from Clatterbox who I'm
guessing is Dave Kempston, the Jak half of Jak & Stepper. The description
of it as cross between Dr Rockit and the Gregory Fleckner Quintet is a fair
one - its packed with mellow and often quirky jazz electro tracks. Stand
out tracks for me are Montis, Tiz, Multipak, and Bad Means Good, though
theres really nothing there I don't like. It's also a much better
pressing than my Dr Rockit which was pretty bad noisewise. Another score
for Clear Records.
::: Various : Excursions in Ambience IV (Astralwerks)
The latest in a strong series of ambient excursions from Astralwerks.
This one takes a slightly different path in some respects, featuring
tracks by such noisemakers as Flying Saucer Attack and Labradford.
It has some excellent tracks including Cow by FSOL under their Far-Out
Son of Lung moniker which is very much in the ISDN mode, and also Fay
Deau Deau by 777 (track 7, 7 mins 7 secs long), and Drifting in Wire by
Single Cell Orchestra. Other contibutors are Me-Sheen, Luna Sol, Ben
Neill, Freezer, and Node. It was definately more instantly likeable than
the third installment, which after a few months of neglect has been
getting played quite a lot recently. A nice compilation, though it might
be time to do something else with those graphics.
:: Alan M. Parry
:: fluid@hyperreal.com
:: <finger me for PGP key>
::
http://hyperreal.com/~fluid