Friday, 29 July 2016
Friday, 22 July 2016
Francis Dhomont – Frankenstein symphony (CD)
Francis Dhomont
(born in 1926, in Paris, France) is an electroacoustic music composer. This
is his fourth album (4 tracks = 63.46 minutes). Here`s what it sounds
like.
1 – Allegro
= oscillating between ambient noise, lo-fi bursts, weird experimentations cutups
and machine like sounds = the last breath of a dying apparatus
perhaps.
2 – Andante
= random rhythmic elements + found sounds + a dash of ambience / minimalism with
subtle experimentations going on.
3 – Scherzo
(Giocoso) = urban field recordings + trumpet samples + lo-fi goodness +
various found sounds = a symphony / cacophony of musique
concrete.
4 – Finale
= ambient minimalism + strange rhythmic banging + weird found sounds /
noises, experiments with peaceful ambient elements thrown in. Good
stuff.
art is everywhere part 63
Our daily dose of haddock...
The Haddock
2760 Willamette street, apt # 205
Eugene
Oregon
97405
USA
Friday, 15 July 2016
Sunday, 10 July 2016
Air – 10,000 hz legend (CD)
The third album
from this French electronic music duo of Jean-Benoît
Dunckel and Nicolas Godin. This album doesn`t sound at all like
`Moon Safari`, their first effort. It is still electronically
oriented but less commercial / accessible. If you love their first CD you need
to hear this baby a lot to understand and fully appreciate it. This album (11
tracks = 60.42 minutes) is moody, dark at times, melancholic, introspective,
less accessible i.e. more personal indeed. It is electronic, downtempo, with
traces / elements of trip hop, future jazz, synth-pop, funk, blues,
experimental, minimalism and bedroom pop. Imagine a jam session with the
following unlikely participants: Boards Of Canada, Double,
Joy Division, early The Cure, Vangelis (his electronic
period), Portishead (circa dummy), Pink Floyd (when
Syd was still around), Eric`s Trip and Alan Parsons
Project (circa Eye in the sky and Amonia avenue). Standout
tracks:
4 – The
vagabond (5.37 minutes) = bluesy, moody, intimate bedroom
pop.
5 – Radian
(7.37 minutes) = instrumental dark trip hop.
10 – Don`t be
light (6.19 minutes) = beautifully dark / melancholic downtempo / trip hop =
if there`s a hit in there, that`s the one. If I had more Air I`d
be happy right now.
Enigma – MCMXCa.d. (CD)
Enigma is a
German electronic music group formed in 1990 by Michael
Cretu, David Fairstein and Frank Peterson. This is
their first album (7 songs = 40.31 minutes). I bought their first three albums
for 2.00 $ each at Renaissance Montréal. `The cross of
changes` ¸ their second CD was good. I gave it away because it just
doesn`t work for me at all. To be honest this one is way better. This is
ambient, abstract at times song oriented downtempo & electronic music. It
offers a potent mix of lush synth lines, electric guitars, chill-out beats and
Gregorian chants. `Principles of lust` (11.43 minutes) is a
classic, epic, soul moving, incredible piece of downtempo music. They probably
sold millions of copies when this album came out in 1990. Good recording. Highly
recommended if you like this type of music. Contact: http://www.enigmaspace.com/
art is everywhere part 61
Mark Sonnenfeld
Mark Sonnenfeld
45-08 Old Millstone Drive
East Windsor
New Jersey
08520
USA
Mark Sonnenfeld
45-08 Old Millstone Drive
East Windsor
New Jersey
08520
USA
Thievery Corporation – the richest man in Babylon (CD)
The third album
from this Washington, DC, USA band consisting of Rob Garza &
Eric Hilton. There`s a lot of eclectic and famous bands / artists
originating from Washington, DC, for instance; Bad Brains,
Minor Threat, Fugazi, Duke Ellington, Rites Of
Spring, Jawbox, Deep Dish, Unrest, Pussy
Galore, Girls Against Boys and The Nation Of Ulysses. What
an impressive list! This is the first time I hear a Thievery Corporation
full album. When you look at worldwide corporate globalization / domination
their name sounds like a bad joke, sarcasm or a prediction of things to come
(you decide). The music is electronically oriented. It blends / mixes / mashes
various styles / influences: future jazz, Latin, Middle East, dub, downtempo,
lounge, funk, jazz and trip hop. Every track`s amazingly sequenced /
orchestrated i.e. perfection. The whole shebang feels like a Superman
comic book so perfect, so bland and boring. I respect Superman and
Thievery Corporation it just doesn`t work for me. I still
recommend this album, but I`m not gonna keep it. Don`t get me wrong, it`s good
music. Not my cup of tea, that`s all.
Les carnets de Rastapopoulos # 11 (zine)
I got LCDR
as a trade. This is a black & white, cut & paste, half-size, perzine.
There`s no reviews, only personal sketches, journal entries, accounts / stories
that picked up his curiosity. The theme of the issue centers around airports /
airplanes, descriptions, stories, personal thoughts, you name it. Did you know
there are three types of airports inhabitants?
1 – Political
refugees (they live past security check points).
2 – Stranded
(live in drop off portion of terminals).
3 –
Homeless (they also live in drop off portion of terminals).
Robert
Gaurinov (LCDR`s head cheese) writes stories about those inhabitants.
The most famous one being Mehran Karimi Nasseri who spent 17 years living
in the Paris departure terminal, unable to legally enter any European country or
go back home in Iran. An interesting zine I want to read some more. Contact:
Les carnets de
Rastapopoulos
2-l Larch Street
Ottawa
Ontario
Canada
K1R
6W4
Amon Vs Mortar (CD)
This is the first
and only Amon & Mortar collaboration. Amon is
Andrea Marutti, from Milan, Italy. Moreno Daldosso (also
from Italy) does Mortar and Murder Corporation. This album (8
songs = 64.55 minutes) came out in 2008, on Afe Records. The most recent
release dates from 2012, I think they`re not active anymore. They`re websites
still running http://www.aferecords.com/ .
All tracks by
Amon & Mortar except track # 3 (Mortar) and # 4
(Amon). This album is amazing, the music subtly moves into various sonic
territories: electronic, ambient noise / darkwave and experimental. Here`s a
brief summary:
-Part 1
(4.53 minutes) = lo-fi drones / rumbles + ambient noise
minimalism.
-Part 2
(6.16 minutes) = lo-fi minimalism / isolationism + ambient darkwave /
noise.
-Part 3
(3.26 minutes) = some drones, a little grinding here and there + minimal ambient
noise.
-Part 4
(3.17 minutes) = ambient minimalism.
-Part 5
(10.46 minutes) = subtle moving / shifting / mutating / evolving / drifting
experimental ambient darkness.
-Part 6
(8.05 minutes) = experimental ambience.
-Part 7
(24.58 minutes) = a long epic track with rhythmic electronic music and strange
lo-fi ambience.
-Part 8
(3.14 minutes) = minimal rhythms + minimal ambient music = a perfect ending. I
love the whole damn thing. I highly recommend it if you can ever find it (sadly,
it`s sold out).Thursday, 7 July 2016
Enigma – le roi est mort, vive le roi! (CD)
Enigma is a
German electronic music group formed in 1990 by Michael Cretu, David
Fairstein and Frank Peterson. ` le roi est mort, vive le
roi! `, which came out in 1996 is their third album (12 songs = 40.39
minutes). The music is a potent mixture of downtempo, experimental and
electronic music. To be honest, it`s my sixth listen and the more I hear this
the more it annoys me. In reality, nothing is a 100% good or bad. Let`s see
why it`s so good? Amazing music, top production work, the songs flow great
together because they have a similar style. Why is it so bad? Most of the
songs sound the same. It looks like a pre-established formula, your trio of the
week at your local fast food joint. You have your French fries (mellow / dreamy
/ syrupy downtempo), your double decker burger (fluffy / chill/out beats), a big
ass pop (Gregorian chants) and a small desert (vocals). So far, I heard their
first three albums. I don`t feel the need for more. Don`t get me wrong it`s good
music. It just doesn`t work for me. You want some come get some: http://www.enigmaspace.com/
Various – café Méliès volume 1 (CD)
Between 2002 and
2004, Jajou Productions released three Café Méliès
compilations. I got lucky one sunny Sunday afternoon when I found volume one at
a flea market for 3.00$. Upon the first look, all the artists / bands featured
are local i.e. come from Québec. I only know a couple of them though.
It`s a Friday night, I`m alone, sitting down, enjoying an ice cold beer, it’s
warm outside and this CDs playing. The music is downtempo electronic going into
various sonic territories: funk, jazz, ethereal, dub, chill-out, bossa nova, and
minimal pop. You will hear music from the likes of; Adam Shaki,
Sule, Miguel Garcia & Stéphane Cocke, Bet. E And
Stef, Ramasutra, A Zoombone Sound, Mossman Vs
Mr.Tsunami, Fred Everything, Miles Moore, Rest Area,
Blissom & Ashen and Jean Leloup (12 tracks = 57.51
minutes). A good compilation, but too much chill-out, mellow, syrupy and
downtempo for me. The perfect summer music though. The last track,
`papillon ` (Jean Leloup) is worth the price of admission so
minimal, yet so beautiful at the same time. Need I say more?
Enigma – the cross of changes (CD)
Enigma is a
German electronic music group formed in 1990 by Michael Cretu, David Fairstein
and Frank Peterson. `The cross of changes `, which came out in 1993 is
their second album (9 songs = 44.21 minutes). I know the name but I never heard
their music before. I bought a bunch of their albums for 2.00 $ each at
Renaissance Montréal. One of the issues I have with electronic music in
general is when an album comes out it sounds so damned good, but it doesn`t pass
the test of time. They probably sold millions of copies in 1993, I`m sure.
Unfortunately this album didn`t age well at all. The music here is good, it`s
well produced. They created an impressive mix of electronic, downtempo, ambient
and new age. The music is dreamy at times it includes elements of world music,
neo-romantism, esoterica, and some deep mythical / religious atmospheres thrown
in. I`m not into new age what can I say. This is good it just doesn`t work for
me folks. Contact: http://www.enigmaspace.com/
Ondrej Smeykal – didgeridoo solo CD)
Ondrej
Smeykal is a Czech didgeridoo respected player and visual artist. A
self-released first effort (9 tracks = 56.04 minutes), which came out in 2004.
His gear is minimal, yet highly effective; didgeridoo (a wind instrument
developed by indigenous Australians), fujara (a large folk
shepherd`s overtone fipple flute which comes from central Slovakia), and
some clapsticks ( a type of drumstick intended for striking each other).
The end results an epic blending of music styles, folk, world (I mean that in a
good way), aboriginal, country, tribal, and avant folk. The only reason I bought
this albums because of the didgeridoo. I love it`s soothing, peaceful,
meditative droning sounds. A mix of subtle groves and psychedelic tribal music
(Muslimgauze comes to mind here). I could hear this all day long and
never get bored. My standout tracks of the moment are:
5 – Adpoved
(5.26 minutes) = a strongly percussive track.
6 – Jeden
den (5.05 minutes) = an out there, alien ambient piece (my saucer has landed
and it feels good to be home). The Gentleman has his own website. Get all your
goodies and info here: http://www.smeykal.com/1/en/ondrej-smeykal/
Lab Findings # 7 (zine)
Last night, I come
back home, tired and exhausted. I open my mailbox. It`s full of small parcels /
letters from mail artists / zine makers and various oddballs I won`t mention
here. The good doctor Bill sent me his latest Lab Findings,
number 7 (time sure flies when you`re having fun and you`re getting older).
LB is a 8.5 by 11, black & white, printed, irregularly published zine
(6 pages). The zine`s divided in two sections. The first part, `the magic
mailbag `consists of a huge list (68 contacts to be precise) of stuff the
doctor received via the good old, highly expensive postal system. He mentions
one Clark Alan Dismeyer on his list. I wonder if it`s the same
gentleman who used to be into mini-comics, between the eighties and the
nineties. There`s only one way to find out, contact him. The second section`s
named `random viewings `. It`s a list of various movies (62) he`s
watched. I saw 1990 Bronx Warriors (1982) and Bronx Warriors
2 (1983) a long time ago. I liked them both. Contact:
Kobb
Labs
P.O.BOX
30231
Pensacola
Florida
32503
USA.
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