CABARET VOLTAIRE. The Original
Sound Of Sheffield 78/82. Best Of. Mute. CABS16CD
The trio of Kirk, Mallinder and Watson undertook a dream of expanding the musical
horizons in the late 70's with the introduction of experimental electronics
into their overall sound. So here is a chance to look back at their work and
see if indeed it was pioneering or whether it has completely failed the test
of time. They were not really a serious singles band, preferring to release
albums, which pushed the boundaries beyond what some considered acceptable.
So this is a best of rather than a greatest hits CD. Many now will find their
style quirky and it may also seem a little dated yet there is something preventing
me from proclaiming this too loudly. Admittedly the synth sounds are from the
period but the way they are used is still refreshing. Take for instance the
opener Do The Mussolini (Headkick) where the synths provide the mellow interludes
on a rasping beat and the sparse vocal interjections. The Set Up uses a high-pitched
guitar sound as though it was a fast ticking clock to provide a rhythm for the
other instruments. The finale, Loosen The Clamp displays the typical inventiveness
of the trio in their quest to do something different that actually works. It
may take time for your ears to adjust but don't dismiss this as you're bound
to regret it later. Despite the passage of 20 years, this is a golden chance
to relive those halcyon bygone days. (Philly)
MR. GOLDFISH. Chill For Life.
Out Records.
Although this is only a long EP, my attention was sparked into action by comparing
it to a plethora of chilled out albums that seem to be appearing on the market.
Instantly the music is to my liking as it's not only very relaxing but entertaining
as well. The opening track Carousel Begins would equally be at home as the background
music to a big department store or played loud in my living room. This occurrence
must be classed as being very unusual and hence only music of the highest quality
could achieve this feat. With a mean funky beat and bold sax breaks, this chill
out is different and also exciting. Deeper bass is evident on the following
track Enjoy Life, where the uplifting tones spread delight. It's not all chilled
ambient as Trust will prove, where the sampled voice of Jianda Johnson is used
to great effect in balancing the bass and rhythm section. The dub inspired Waiting
To Breath is followed by the finale, in which the Latin flavoured Aquira is
almost at odds with the rest of the album. In just short of half an hour, I
was hooked and felt perfectly at home with these chilled out vibes. My only
criticism is that it did not last long enough, but this will be addressed when
the full length CD is released. I hope I don't have to wait too long? (brooky)
RICHIE HAWTIN & SVEN VATH.
The Sound Of The Third Season. Novamute. NOMU109CD
The idea was to capture the experience of the Whole Cocoon Club in Ibiza and
create a 74 min. CD to remind those Monday night clubbers of times past and
show those who are not, what they have missed. If you are thinking along the
lines of Euro trance for pre pubescent teenagers, then reconsider very quickly,
as displayed here on the 21 tracks, is techno, some of it quite minimal and
what's more, it's pretty hard. Yes it's one of those continual mix affairs,
but it has tracks by Slam, Swayzak and Vath to underline that harsh attitude
applied to it all. I would expect most to reply that it all sounds the same
with a very boring beat and all the happiness removed. It's about par for the
course from those who have no time to appreciate music that is different. Turn
up the volume and let these grooves come to you, it needs to be really loud
to get the best out of it. Dirty by Dirty is one of the typical tracks with
mean killer basslines and a perfect beat and it has quite an infectious growling
hook section. It does become a little more melodic towards the end but that
doesn't imply that they're going soft. Hawtin seems to prefer the more sparse
production and Vath in comparison is a little less so. If you like your techno
as hard as nuts, then here is the prefect album. (Philly)
ADD N TO (X). Loud Like Nature. Mute. CDSTUMM204
Purveyors of experimental rock electronica, this band show no signs of doubting
their abilities. Take as a good example the opening track Total Out Of Water,
where the drum sound is similar to Gary Glitter but the resemblance stops there
as the rest is a mixture of kitsch synth riffs and screaming kids. Instrumental
indie rock and electronic effects fill out the aural picture with more adult
material of the next piece Electric Village. A heavier rock sound fills the
next track with distorted vocals and a mean bass that is more than a nod towards
to the punk style, but then they always add that bit extra to make you think.
Pink Light has a sort of musical box sound with haunting vibes all wrapped up
to make a melodic collage. On Up The Punks, the sound is not what you would
expect from the title, as it has pseudo orchestration and a laid back fifties
beat with electronics all designed to caresses your mind and it does that with
great style. The music progresses with the tracks and the grooves become deeper.
U Baby reminds me of Stereolab with the mixture of primitive synth sounds and
rock. The finale All Right Lazy does have vocals although these are distorted
to great effect. This band has a style that is most unusual and once you have
heard, it will be remembered as will this CD. Great fun. (Brooky)
DSP. In The Red. Ninja Tune. ZENCD69
Strip away the lyrics from either hip hop or rap records and what is left? Usually
very little and even less to sustain any interest, but here is the difference.
DSP actually compose good basic melodies that stand up for themselves and with
the addition of lyrics to the majority of these 14 songs, this must surely spice
up their street cred. After the Intro, Systematic featuring Mass Influence has
plenty of catchy riffs and lyrics that anyone can understand. The following
track Where Is It allows Ev.On to show her individual style of hip hop, all
laid on top of an inspired laid back melody with scratching to aid the mood.
The vocals come from a variety of people, with only Chill Rob G and Mass Influence
gracing more that a single track. On records such as these, you have to expect
swearing, but here it is not used to excess or shock. The Trite-A-Saurus Rex
starts all lo-fi funky before the meaty lyrics kick in and contrasts greatly
with the next song featuring Phi-Life Cypher on My First Verse, which has a
minimal jazz ridden backing and subtle orchestration. You know even before you
listen to Bullshit with Chill Rob G that the lyrics will naturally upset a few,
but this is part of the attraction. The laid back delivery of Juice Aleem is
perfectly blended on The Living I where the brass section falls neatly into
the gaps left by the rhythm. I found the finale No Regrets with Dell Donahue
very infectious, which is a remarkable feat for hip hop and it rounds off a
different but very enjoyable CD. At last, an album that bothmy teenage daughter
I and agree is brilliant. (Philly)
MULTIPLEX. Mixt. Senton Recordings.
BHSENCD002
With 16 original tracks by Multiplex, lasting in excess of 75 min, you may be
thinking why should I bother? A quick glance at the cover will reveal that all
have been remixed by a variety of artists, with Animals On Wheels, Fuxa, Isan
and Monolake probably being the best known. Does that really matter? I personally
don't care who has done the remixing providing that the results are considered
to be of interest. This CD certainly grabbed my attention from the first note,
as it's vaguely the ambient side of electronica on Herrmann & Kleine's variation
of Unknown Control. Much harder electronics is present on Always Within You
by Funckarma, yet even here the melodic side shines through. On Neuteg, the
mix has been Neuteged by EU and the resulting sound has a complex beat with
distinctive melodic chords onto which an almost strident tone is introduced.
I have only got to the fourth track Secrete by Isan and I am already completely
mesmerised by the majesty of it all, incidentally this is a mellow track that
has a Biosphere feel to it. The Animal On Wheels remix of Bevel has Japanese
textures and is very haunting especially during the piano section. The Spark
remix of Mainline combines spacey themes with a distorted beat perhaps a little
akin to Aphex Twin and that's why I probably like it so much. Fuxa have a chance
to excel on Environments and they do it with slower melodic passages providing
a backdrop to conversations and treated voices. I suspect that I could enthuse
for the rest of the mag about this little gem, but the editor may object and
even worse delete the last word of this review. Magnificent. (philly)
MUTAGENE. Sleeping Possession.
Databloem. DBCD003
Out of my latest batch of 10 CD's to review, the first to be placed in the player
was this one and of course it was from choice. It is all the work of Alexis
Glass, who is a native Canadian, but now resides in Japan. During the last four
years whilst he has been studying there, he has developed a remarkable insight
into what makes good quality music. This batch of eleven tracks is his first
venture into the business and he has chosen the sphere of ambient, dub and techno
to showcase his musical ideas. It's a strong CD without all those repetitive
phrases borrowed from other recordings and gives an idea of his potential. Incidentally
he was spotted via the Internet and thankfully can now share his music with
a greater audience. The opening track Knockoff Spice contains a slow ambient
beginning with the main haunting theme developing and before you realise that
5 min have elapsed we're into the next track A Lonely Hill, where gong type
percussion is used almost as a melody rather than a rhythm. On Camera Dub, the
long introductory notes provide great expectation of things to come and this
ambient dub track is one of the best I have listened to for ages. It deserves
to be played at high volume and just tell the neighbours its Mutagene! Another
wondrous intro is Coldest Sleep with its slow pace and exceptionally haunting
lines. These are particularly scary. An hour in the musical company of this
guy will not be wasted, in fact there can be few better ways of allowing time
to elapse. Now there are three albums released on this label and all are superb.
(Brooky)
EXIT TERRA. The Next Phase EP.
Riverside Records.
Three guys make up the band, Robert Noble on guitar, Spatial K on bass and MC
Ear on, er, everything else. The ep consists of one track, but believe me, it
is, in the formal sense, an extended play cd! The track itself, The Next Phase,
is improvised with no overdubs, and begins similar to a Robert Fripp solo album
from around his soundscape period. Gradually the speakers fill ever so slowly
with more echoing sounds and brick by brick, a psychedelic wall is built. MC
Ear keeps things in check with a steady beat as Spatial K lays over a variety
of slow but effective bass lines. Over this Robert Noble builds, via a variety
of sfx, a massively impressive curtain of sound. Not quite the thing you'd hear
on Radio One, but then again, decent stuff never is. Quite a journey - and again,
thanks to Tim Jones from SP. Further info www.eploresound.com. (Dw)
NEW ORDER. Retro. London Records.
So, here it is. Perhaps the definitive 4 CD collection of New Order? I personally
think so, although I'm sure there'll be some who'll bemoan their own favourites
being left out. The other unique aspect of this collection is that each CD has
been hand-picked by friends of the group, not by some backroom boy or girl in
the record company. Disc 1 is "POP" and has been chosen by the journalist
and author Miranda Sawyer. "POP" basically contains all the main hits
and includes 'True Faith', 'Regret' and 'The Perfect Kiss', all the way up to
the present day with 'Crystal'. It's so good to hear all these tracks together
and Miranda has done a great job. It does, of course, include 'Blue Monday',
but a track that gets over exposed at times. Friend and journalist John McCready
compiled disc 2, "FAN". This takes us to the early years, from the
formation of the band after Joy Division to the mid eighties. There are many
gems here including "In a Lonely Place", "Procession" and
"Your Silent Face". Guitars and drum play a more prominent role at
first, with electronica slowly coming to the front as the years progressed.
There are a lot of tracks here that I'd forgotten about and which gave me an
overwhelming rush of nostalgia for my university days in Manchester. The sound,
to begin with, is much darker, sombre, moody, but the beginnings of the combination
of rock, dance and electronica are plain to hear. Towards the end, the mood
begins to lighten - try and listen to "Every Little Counts" without
a grin on your face. The hardcore indie fans will not be disappointed. Both
these CDs are a reminder of how ahead of the game New Order have always been
and they have consistently produced fresh, exciting music. Disc 3 has Mick Pickering
of M People collecting together all the remixes under the banner "CLUB".
Again, a fine collection and he's done well to include tracks that don't seem
to have dated - these could easily be played in clubs today. It's here too that
"Blue Monday" makes a quite brilliant re-mix appearance - it sounds
so refreshingly different. The final disc, "Live", was compiled by
Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie and New Order. It's spine tingling to hear the
stuff from 1981 (yep, over 20 years ago - you're getting old!) and altogether
shows how good both the band and the sound was on tour. The tracks cover all
years up to the beginning of 2002. This CD will be appreciated by all. Now,
if you're very lucky, you may get yourself a limited edition fifth CD. This
CD contains a collection of mixes, live offerings and a 17 minute version of
Elegia (the track that sounds very similar to the chiming watch and climatic
showdown in "For a Few Dollars More" - honestly, it does). A must-have
for the very avid fans. So there you have it. New Order. A great bunch of lads
and lass and an extraordinary boxed collection. Remind yourself how brilliant
they were, are and no doubt will be. Buy two and keep one safe - it'll be worth
a fortune in years to come. (Liam)
HEXSTATIC. Listen & Learn: Solid Steel Mix. Ninja Tune.ZENCD75
Robin Hexstatic can often be heard contributing to the Sold Steel radio show
and now a skilful mix of tunes has been amassed for this, the second in the
Ninja collection. The first featured DJ Food & DK and on the latest release
the mix is probably even more surprising. On my promo copy a warning has been
given that the final track listing may be different, but this is pretty impressive
even so. There are lots of predictable contributors, but then you see names
like Grandmaster Flash, Ike & Tina Turner and Shirley Bassey! I ought to
point out that the latter is a remix by Nightmares On Wax and it's very good
too if you missed it. Add a section of reggae by Toots & The Maytals, electronics
from the Boards Of Canada and Electro from Young MC and the package of nineteen
songs is complete. Incidentally the opening track by the duo themselves is absolutely
awe inspiring as I am always partial to a bit of dub, but their Telemetron is
one of the best opening sections that I have heard for ages. The last track,
Home Shopping by Bobby Trafalgar has a vocal score from one of those German
adult films. Listen & learn they say. I hope you pay as much attention as
I did, otherwise you'll miss a great opportunity to increase your musical knowledge
and be amazed by the techniques needed to mix such a diverse set from the CD
decks. (Brooky)
SPACE RAIDERS. Hot Cakes. Skint.
BRASSIC19CDX
A double CD or is it a single CD with a bonus CD. This is our first stab at
a review on the Skint label of Brighton fame and the sound has a slightly dated
feel on some of the tracks. Lovers of high fidelity recordings will hate the
Space Raiders as their sound does not fit into this category, but if it did,
then I believe the mood of their music would be lost. It's a strange thing to
say, but then some would class me as a little strange. I find their music infectious
and the first CD contains two hit singles and lots of tracks that you may have
heard on adverts and TV trailers. The opening track Laying It Down takes in
lots of vocal effects and distorted drums but retains a great charm. It could
be an Air or Zero 7 track but with attitude. Hot Cakes is one of those singalong
tunes that you should despise with mediocre instrumentation and yet I want to
listen to it again. Big beat meets the Specials is the best way of describing
U Are What U Eat with the track progressing into a much deeper groove and the
changes it undergoes are very impressive. A simple acoustic guitar starts Mr
Sunshine before the other instruments are played in a down-tempo style. The
second 6 track CD contains new tracks and remixes by Groove Amarda and Midfield
General. This trio has discovered a style that works very well and it's all
very exciting. If I were a little younger, I would join their fan club! (Peebee)
VARIOUS. Source Lab 17 Classiques De 1995 A 2002. Source.
This small French label in the mid 90's released it's first compilation, Sourcelabs
1, which apparently didn't interest the home front, but caused waves of excitement
abroad. Consisting of producers making music at home, this electronic musical
explosion was like a damp squid to the French, but undeterred, another release
contained the music of Daft Punk and by time the third was available, Air were
starting to get recognition. So a very brief potted history, what about the
music, well it ranges from good to superb. The two offerings by Air are marvellous,
the Modulator Mix will have been heard before, but not perhaps the Brendan Lynch
remix of Casanova 70. Without doubt the best is the Version Longue of Musique
by Daft Punk. Lasting almost nine minutes with its frequent tweaking of the
tone controls, this has all the hallmarks of a great dance tune. A small gripe
- eight tracks on either promo CD does not quite make 17. Still UK buyers will
get a bonus CD of new material from the artists who are currently signed to
this label. If you missed out first time, then don't let it happen again. A
1st class lesson in French electronic music. (Pb)
KEEN-O. Nobody Knows How And Why.
Materiali Sonori. Sample.
Oh how cruel, how cruel! Here we have a three tracks sampler from Keen-O's new
album. Keen-O consists of loads and loads of musicians, but Roger Eno should
ring a few bells amongst you? These three tracks just entice and it's so cruel
not to have the album, hopefully this little tirade may bring it my way. With
sumptuous instrumentation, programming and beautiful soundscapes, this is the
bee's knees. The release is typical of Materiali at their best, and all I can
say is roll on the album...please?
Well, Materiali didn't even get to read the above as the album arrived a couple
of weeks later, so seeing as though I was rather miffed at not getting it, a
review is in order? Artists such as Janson and Barbieri, Bill Laswell and Jah
Wobble come to mind with many of the sumptuous tracks here. There is a 'feel'
to this kind of music that exudes a certain class, and many of the bass lines,
courtesy of Arlo Bigazzi, are very much in the Laswell vein: dub without the
echo, if you know what I mean? Blaine L. Rieninger's vocals are more often than
not spoken, but when he does sing, his deep voice resonates and fits in incredibly
well. With the exception of Roger Eno, most of the musicians, main and 'guests'
are Italian, but the results are universal, the inclusion of things like trumpet,
cello, and clarinet on the occasional song is inspired. In many respects, and
I've said this before, Materiali have developed a 'sound' that belongs not just
to the label, but the combined efforts of musicians like this. Okay, so I haven't
heard all of Materiali's albums, but the ones I have, I've always been struck
by the sheer majesty of the results. Genre hopping there might be, and in great
abundance, but when it's done with such ease and quality, it's more than welcome.
There's 11 tracks in all, and not one is below excellent. (Dw)
DAN BARRIO. This Physical World.
AMB01
The front cover depicts a varied assortment of teeth, which will unsettle certain
people and yet the music won't. This is an absolutely gorgeous package of ambient
and quieter instrumental music that will fit most moods. The opening track As
Things Are features a recessed menacing rhythm that is marked by sumptuous notes.
The even slower second piece entitled Virgin Light is only there to provide
a haunting effect until the next track Melodic Interlude No 1. This is basically
a piano piece with electronic treatment that could have been by Roger Eno (certainly
a compliment of the highest order) which is my favourite section of this outstanding
album. More moody elements are introduced on Warmth And Pause which has the
listener torn between relaxation and being on edge. Some of the tracks are quite
minimalist, but this is only to keep you on your toes and prevent stodgy sounds
wandering aimlessly through the air. I really like his style and if you could
see my face at this moment in time, there is a wide smile as I enjoy these fine
aural sounds of distinction. On Weakness And Desire, a plucked string instrument
gives a slight Japanese aspect to the proceedings, but this is totally at odds
with the brooding sounds that build from the background to become dominant.
Barrio's music contributed to the soundtrack of the film the Blair Witch Project
and now the 26-year-old has released his first album of quality items that should
satisfy the most demanding of critics. These sounds from analogue synths, electric
violin and bathtub must be heard by a wider audience so why not try out his
music via the website www.danbarrio.com (Brooky)
VIVAHEAD. We Love Infinity. Seroxat Music.
Lewis Gill and Neil Packer make up this electronic duo otherwise known as Vivahead.
It's a seven track album and Seduction kicks off the proceedings. It's a track
that I heard on a compilation fairly recently and I must admit that since then,
I've found that I do actually like it better than I did then! In the background
there's a cacophony of all kinds of electronics, orchestral and static swirling
away, broken now and then by a vocal sample, which, initially, is rather repetitive,
but like I say, it ain't that bad now. Very experimental. Pig Giddy is worlds
apart - more structured with an electronic pattern that is light and quite beautiful,
and then the synthesised strings kick in and we're off. Almost classical, it's
quite a lovely piece. Cycle begins with those squeaky party thingies, and then
a similar electronic pattern (like on the previous track) comes in with a treated
vocal sample, at around one and a half minutes the beat starts and combines
the sounds into a superb melange - one of the best tracks, for sure. In The
Making reminds me of something from Zappa's Jazz From Hell, an incredible and
oddly timed piece yet strangely compelling. Peter is almost Henry Cow! Jeez,
these guys have some influences. It's a cracking melodic piece played initially
with keyboard to about half way, then treated strings come in and combine to
make a really smart piece - another cracker. If nothing else it proves that
they can actually play music and not just make interesting noises! The Question
is quite a spooky piece, with a treated vocal sample, something that sounds
like a gremlin's road drill, and a melancholic cello - the thing is, though,
it bloody works! Again, the strings come in and manage to mesh the thing together
- weird! Damn good though. Concert For A Celebrity concludes the album with
the shortest track. This has to be the King Singers on methadone, singing Ken
Dodd's Appendix with a simple melody. I can honestly say I've never had an album
anywhere near as eclectic as this - brilliant. vivahead@lycos.co.uk. Dw