IDM Mailing Archive

2002-08-24 00:38Aaron D Meyerssomeone posted about this a couple days ago, but the info provided on it was pretty scant.

From:: Aaron D Meyers <adm226@nyu.edu>
To:: <idm@hyperreal.org>
Date:: Fri, 23 Aug 2002 17:38:25 -0700
Subject:: [idm] phantomsmasher

someone posted about this a couple days ago, but the info provided on it was pretty scant. what's this new record like and how does it sound compared to the one from hydrahead that came before it? I suspect the change in name might reflect some kind of direction. Any truth to this? -Aaron n.p. Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights ... wow... it sure is refreshing when a band manages to live up to the hype even if they basically sound almost exactly like Joy Division. --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

2002-08-24 18:07nuf si> what's this new record like and how does it sound compared to the one from > hydrahead t

From:: nuf si <gnippiks@yahoo.com>
To:: <idm@hyperreal.org>
Date:: Sat, 24 Aug 2002 11:07:55 -0700 (PDT)
Subject:: [idm] Re: phantomsmasher

quoted 3 lines what's this new record like and how does it sound compared to the one from

> what's this new record like and how does it sound compared to the one from > hydrahead that came before it? I suspect the change in name might reflect > some kind of direction. Any truth to this?

The latest aquariusrecords.org mailout has this to say + realaudio clips: PHANTOMSMASHER s/t (Ipecac) cd 16.98 Perhaps you remember (and/or have in your cd collection) the Atomsmasher cd released by Hydra Head last year? Lead by avant/ambient guitarist James Plotkin (formerly of weird Earache metal band OLD), and featuring drum god Dave Witte (Human Remains/Discordance Axis/Melt Banana/etc.), with processed "AudioMulch" vocals from DJ Speedranch, Atomsmasher got a pretty enthusiastic recommendation from us at the time, as a unique blend of live (but inhumanly played) drums, avant-noise-sampling guitar, and computer-created chaos. Grindcore electronica? Well, after a ridiculous legal wrangle with some uptight, clueless pop band that apparently had the rights to the name Atomsmasher (and absurdly accused this Atomsmasher of intentionally 'stealing' it), the Plotkin/Witte/Speedranch project changed their moniker to Phantomsmasher. (I think they should have just called themselves Atomsmashersmasher.) Now they've come out with a new cd, on Mike Patton's Ipecac label. At first listen we weren't sure, and thought maybe the original Atomsmasher cd was superior. This one seemed a bit too...post rock. Not quite like Tortoise or Gastr del Sol though, more metallic (but by no means actually metal) and aggro, kinda like Don Cab. Witte's drumming sounds more real, less computerized than before. There's still insane blasting parts, but also some more straight-ahead boom bap. And Plotkin's thick bass slabs get almost funky. From the get go (track one, "Bishop Hopping"), with Speedranch's weirdly child-like Mulched vocals, it reminded us of a Ruins or Hella record, but thrown in a blender on "high". Cool, but not nearly as out-and-out insanely intense as the noisefest of their first album, though still pretty nuts. But things get more interesting as the Phantomsmasher disc goes along. The chaos coalesces into something more like actual songs, not totally random rhythms and noise-eruptions. In its own, densely complex, distorted, and noisy way, it's kinda catchy! Definitely different from the debut, but they've chosen a worthwhile direction to explore. RealAudio clip: "Bishop Hopping" http://www.aquariusrecords.org/audio/phantomsmasherbishop.rm RealAudio clip: "Halibut Jones" http://www.aquariusrecords.org/audio/phantomsmasherhalibut.rm RealAudio clip: "Digit Dirt" http://www.aquariusrecords.org/audio/phantomsmasherdigit.rm __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Finance - Get real-time stock quotes http://finance.yahoo.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

2002-08-24 20:29Patrick Carey* Aaron D Meyers <adm226@nyu.edu> >what's this new record like and how does it sound compa

From:: Patrick Carey <pm.carey@utoronto.ca>
To:: <idm@hyperreal.org>
Date:: Sat, 24 Aug 2002 21:29:11 +0100
Subject:: [idm] Re: phantomsmasher

* Aaron D Meyers <adm226@nyu.edu>

quoted 3 lines what's this new record like and how does it sound compared to the one

>what's this new record like and how does it sound compared to the one >from hydrahead that came before it? I suspect the change in name might >reflect some kind of direction. Any truth to this?

From Aquarius: --- PHANTOMSMASHER "s/t" (Ipecac) cd 16.98 Perhaps you remember (and/or have in your cd collection) the Atomsmasher cd released by Hydra Head last year? Lead by avant/ambient guitarist James Plotkin (formerly of weird Earache metal band OLD), and featuring drum god Dave Witte (Human Remains/Discordance Axis/Melt Banana/etc.), with processed "AudioMulch" vocals from DJ Speedranch, Atomsmasher got a pretty enthusiastic recommendation from us at the time, as a unique blend of live (but inhumanly played) drums, avant-noise-sampling guitar, and computer-created chaos. Grindcore electronica? Well, after a ridiculous legal wrangle with some uptight, clueless pop band that apparently had the rights to the name Atomsmasher (and absurdly accused this Atomsmasher of intentionally 'stealing' it), the Plotkin/Witte/Speedranch project changed their moniker to Phantomsmasher. (I think they should have just called themselves Atomsmashersmasher.) Now they've come out with a new cd, on Mike Patton's Ipecac label. At first listen we weren't sure, and thought maybe the original Atomsmasher cd was superior. This one seemed a bit too...post rock. Not quite like Tortoise or Gastr del Sol though, more metallic (but by no means actually metal) and aggro, kinda like Don Cab. Witte's drumming sounds more real, less computerized than before. There's still insane blasting parts, but also some more straight-ahead boom bap. And Plotkin's thick bass slabs get almost funky. From the get go (track one, "Bishop Hopping"), with Speedranch's weirdly child-like Mulched vocals, it reminded us of a Ruins or Hella record, but thrown in a blender on "high". Cool, but not nearly as out-and-out insanely intense as the noisefest of their first album, though still pretty nuts. But things get more interesting as the Phantomsmasher disc goes along. The chaos coalesces into something more like actual songs, not totally random rhythms and noise-eruptions. In its own, densely complex, distorted, and noisy way, it's kinda catchy! Definitely different from the debut, but they've chosen a worthwhile direction to explore. --- -Patrick NP: Intik - "La Victoire" --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

[idm] Re: phantomsmasher