two quick reviews
elektric music - esperanto
this has been out for a while but it just recently got a US domestic release
which meant that i just recently got it for real cheap... :)
if you wonder what kraftwerk would sound like if they were still making
music, this is probably the nearest you'll get to an answer. karl bartos
who was 1/4 of kraftwerk made this album, and it sounds like
computerwelt/electric cafe/the mix style kraftwerk, basically. the first
three tracks are very synthpoppy - "tv" is really good synthpop though, in
the classic kraftwerk electro vein. the other two are kind of lame,
ESPECIALLY "kissing the machine" which features andy mccluskey of OMD on
vocals. ouch.
the rest of the album is rather better - lots of analog blips, insane sample
manipulations, computer voices singing... the usual kraftwerk fare, with a
slight '90s update. on "esperanto" he approaches nine inch nails territory
almost... with heavier drums and the occasional distorted vocal!
anyway, i enjoyed it, although if you have a total allergy to synthpop you
should avoid it. it's very melodic and song-oriented.
bill laswell/pete namlook - psychonavigation
since laswell was involved in this, he obviously made sure to get permission
to release it in the US on his own Subharmonic label. good deal, cos it can
be found for cheap. anyway, this is an OK piece of "ambient dub" but it
does sound very wanky and obviously ad-libbed in places. best parts are
laswell's brutal dub basslines and the sparse electro rhythms. pleasant
enough background music but i can't help feeling that pete namlook is really
just coasting on his own reputation. (and actually, laswell's been seeming
kinda lazy as well. if only they would both spend some time writing tunes
and not just rush to the CD plant every time they have another 75 minute jam
session on DAT...)
/jon