I was going to revisit the *galactic groove* NME event in NYC (part two,
remember! ;) but for good reason I have chosen to just build a verbal
drip castle around another batch of tasty music. I will though, quickly
address the said *Exist Dance Room* (flyerspeak) so as not to keep you
hangin! (Andy!)
As I had left it, I said good-bye to Tom Middleton and good times with
Lil' Louie Vega simply because I had Magic on my mind. Magic Mike Kandel
was on the flyer to head up the *Exist Dance Room.* Big and beautiful
things have been said about this big and beautiful (and rather burly!)
man and his music. Nice big things, like how his multichannel,
multiplesource mixdown can pull the stars from the sky and shoot them
through the pa. Nice!
So I'm here from Boston, in New York to see the Magic Man.
I searched high, I searched low, and I think Mr. Kandel was a no show.
(Why? I don't know.)
I am on the case, looking for the truth. Could he have played while
I was checking out Terre and Morris in the Cooler? Or did he wheel
up while I was with Global Communication? When I find the answer,
I'll let you know. What I'd rather talk about is the N.ew M.usic
S.tuffed in my bin. I'll call this review. . .
SECOND TIME AROUND, because of 2 (can you say continuity?!;) reasons.
*************
THE BLACK DOG : temple of transparent balls GPR (L) 1LP 1993
*************
I balked (no, not barked!) the first time I had the chance to buy
this 2x12". I balked because, during my instore listen, I could only
find TWO tracks worthy of my attention. Frugality won the tug of
war for my wallet. And I balked. (woof!)
Recently, the thought of a comet smashing into Jupiter compelled me
to seek it out SECOND hand. I cast my baited hook into the internet
sea and reeled in a ten dollar copy. (Ahoy good ship Sashakip!)
Side one and two I had to throw back into the ocean because they
came up short. But the plate with sides three and four serve up
a tasty combo of tracks, as tasty as a plate of fish and chips!
_Sharp Shooting on Saturn_ (side 3 track 2)
Jump on board this electro roller. Deep 303 and sprinkle sounds
pass as you pay your fare. Plink! Plonk! We shift into gear and
accelerate through swelling bass. Boom, bap a BDP trap drum attack
jumps all up in your face. It sounds as if they have snipped a
clip of the q-chastic beat. (Check me on this. Anyone?) This track
is busy, but firmly grounded. Too many BDP tracks suffer from lack
of grounding. Too many TP reviews suffer from lack of grounding.
The final twinkle, twinkle little star jam sets up a super
psychedelic breakdown. SHOOM! BDP chords in the house! Strings to
make your heart sing. The kind of life affirming beauty that keeps
me thinking positive in a perilously negative world. I'm depressed,
let's boogie my dear! :)
_Cycle_ (side 4 track 1)
*Start the machine!* (eon-infernal machine)
Start the cycle! Choom! Dusty thumping syncopation accompany
accordion? trance. Smak, crak, pop, boom, chuk! BDP traps in the
HOUSE! Shit ass funky this track is! 2,3 break! Jazz vibes in the
mix! Wheelin' and dealin'! Uh oh! What is this? Deep house stabs?
Phew, no 4/4 bore. This drumbeat is the funky stuff.
THIS is progressive house. This is progress. Start the machine!
Layer the accordion trance with a little reversed vocal. Come!
Drums! Busy, busy percussion here. (BDP right!) Oh, full on
freejazz techno jam! Aye yie yie! Housing it up once again!
Cycle blends the best of both worlds. The funk of break and the
deep of house. Not an ounce of *mix fodder*. Now that's IDM.
(Btw, let this track ride out till the end ;)
***
GAK (WAP 48) 1994, retrieved from Warp archives 1990.
***
This is a *new* track I bought after giving it a SECOND listen.
My first time through it was a mere skimmy pop, drop the needle
in and out. The only track that grabbed me was GAK 1, my sound!
But the deeppocket shop was busy, crowded, and hot as hell.
No way was I going to spend a tenner for one track out of four.
Not even one fat rollin electro track. Another win for team frugal.
But then I happened bak on the gak trak. I fished it out of the
UK house bin on a breezy midday rekkid foray just the other day.
I gave it a long and luxurious listen. I discovered the beauty
of GAK 4. And then I took it home.
_GAK 1_
Put this track down and I start to jump around.
This track is minimal popping electro with a ton of low end clout
on the one. The piano riffs sound loose and gentle, a feat not
always accomplished by a loop. Perhaps this is real-time? Sweet
female vocals (Liz?) tug me out one more rung on the trance loop.
Break! Spastik cymbal spray blasts. Yaaow! Jam the box and keep
it funky and brutally bass heavy. My god! Another break and woo
the bullfroggy LFO in this is so damn funky! (I'm running DNA
testing to find out if this track is Craig, Hawtin, Kirk or
perhaps it is Mr Univers(al).
_GAK 4_
Wow this track pushes you off the rooftops and instantly you're
flying. Swung house fours and deep 303 bass. Deep LFO! So much
soul and all boxed beats! A groovy Rhodes jams real-time.
Jam and solo. This kid can play. The chords come and a u-ziqesque
chirp (think phragmal part 2) adds to the percussion. OW!
Got to love the bass breaks! Back to the swing fours and the
Rhodes jam. Soul, soul, soul! YES!
Many perfect nights will end with tracks like this.
Hey you! Thanks for making it this far. :)
Praise the bass,
..... .....
... . . ...
......TP......
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... ...
.... .... Teep (aran@mitvmc.mit.edu)
noPGPkey justcrypticashell