Mastock

Thursday, 31 December 2015

I discovered Moby circa 1995-1996. During that period he was doing techno music. I remember when this album came out. It was worldwide success. Everybody recalls his numerous hits, `honey`, `find my baby`, `porcelain`, `why does my heart feel so bad?`, `south side (with Gwen Stefani)`, `bodyrock`, `natural blues` and `run on`. I bought this at Renaissance Montréal for like two dollars. I never heard this CD in it`s entirety. I wanted to know two things. Aside from the obvious hits, are there any songs worth my while? Like brown rhum, did it age well? Does it sound dated like similar electronic music. `Play` came out in 1999 after all. To be honest even today it sounds great. Here are non-hit songs forgotten audio gems if you will that are definitely worth a listen or two:

6 – Rushing (3.00 minutes) = instrumental, deeply melancholic (in a non-gothic way) downtempo.

10 - ? (1.01 minutes) = short & sweet pop instrumental electronic / downtempo.

12 – Down slow (1.34) = synth + piano meets looped a breakbeat sample. Simple yet highly efficient.

15 – Inside (4.48 minutes) = minimal downtempo electronic music, now I`m chilling out here.

16 – Guitar Flute & string (2.09) = ambient / minimal, lo-fi at times electronic music. The track which doesn`t belong here. Definitely a classic album, highly recommended. Available everywhere, this is commercial music. Get your news here: http://www.moby.com/

Julien Rochedreaux (various zines)

I recently got a small parcel (full of cool zines) courtesy of my French compatriot Julien Rochedreaux. A small notice for my readers, if you contact Julien you have to write him in French. He speaks minimal English therefore all his zines are written en français (French language). That being said, here`s a brief description of his zines:

Uchrobonux # 2: 8.5 by 11 cut & paste four pages long zine. Julien answers letters from his readers and talks about his music tastes.

Uchrobonux # 3: a black and white, cut & paste, 8.5 by 11 two pager. This time around it`s zine reviews galore.

Mine De Rien # 8: a 8.5 by 11 inch one pager, folded in four, handwritten poetry zine. There`s some nice art and collages (wicked shemale picture included).

Uchronique de zine # 2: this is a half-size, cut & paste, black & white eight pages zine. A collection of zine reviews, mostly in French with a couple ones in English. There`s a small review of the now defunct Baitline zine. I always wanted to see what it looked like. Anyways, Baitline folded along the late and great Node Pajomo. Contact address just about here:

Julien Rochedreaux

Baixada Del Moli 39

AD500

Andorra

Breakdown – compilation (CD)

This compilation came out in 1999 on 4AD. I was fortunate enough to get a copy at Renaissance Montréal for a toonie (2.00 $ Canadian). I always enjoy hearing compilations. It`s a nice way to discover new bands / artists. A nice and long compilation (14 tracks = 64.19 minutes). There`s various music styles at work: beautifully crafted ethereal indie (Michael Brook), country / indie ballad (Brendan Perry, Kristin Hersh), dream pop (Cocteau Twins, The Hope Blister, Lakuna), indie rock (Cuba, Pixies, His Name Is Alive, The Breeders), downtempo loungy electronic music (Thievery Corporation), synthpop (Gus Gus), country / folk rock (Mojave 3), and minimal indie rock (Red House Painters). Recommended if you can find it. Another well invested toonie.

Hiroshima Yeah! # 130 – December 2015 (Zine)

This is a cut & paste, black & white, 8.5 by 11 inches, photocopied monthly zine. I`m biased here, Hiroshima Yeah! Is one of my favorite zines, along the late and great Node Pajomo. Gary Simons does an amazing cover (old school sci-fi kinda 2001 A space Odyssey, it looks like old sci-fi pulp magazines, nice job). On the second page we have poetry `passion, caution, timing `department. Standout poems of the moment are:

Nostalgia wank

Looking through old VHS tapes

Before tossing them in the bin,

Seeing if anything inspires

A nostalgia wank

But nothing does.

And

Alistair Ramone

You are young,

Loud,

Drunk,

But one day you will

Be one of the people

On the periphery.

One of us,

There`s some music, concerts (Fidler, The Garage, Glasgow, 12-11-2015 and Legendary Shack Shakers, Broadcast, Glasgow, 12-11-2015), and DVD reviews. Last but not least there`s some short stories included: `13.82 billion years of hell` (Gary Simmons, do I need to say more), `robots to Pluto ` (more from da man, Gary Simons), `some days`(Mark Ritchie), and `doctor Thornaby `(nice and weird, just the way I like it). Contact here:

Mark Ritchie

94 main street

Forth

Lanark

M L 11 8AB

UK.

Hiroshima Yeah! # 129 – November 2015 (Zine)

In case you didn`t know HY! Is a 8.5 by 11 inches, black & white, cut & paste monthly zine. The cover is a cool foot drawing by Dr. Adolf Steg. We open things up with poetry for `when desire becomes despair`. Standout poems are;

Pulse

For 30 years or more,

I have been staring

Out of windows

Watching scenery rush past,
hooked up to

Lifesaving songs

Via headphones, earphones,

Walkmans, mp3 players.

For some of us,

Music doesn`t merely add

A dash of colour

To an otherwise grey world;

For some of us

It is a saviour,

A sanctuary

And the very pulse

Of life itself.

And

Normal for a moment

I was normal for a moment

I remember it:

Chatting with workmates

Over lunch

About the weather,

About pension plans,

Able to cope

With the shit

That life throws at us all.

But is it really normality

I crave

Or a wild, wonderful

Reckless abandon

Or is it something

In between?

And

Today`s dark thought # 12

She`s pregnant,

And pushing a pram,

Fag hanging out of her mouth,

And I think,

Where`s Charles Manson

When you need him?

Then there`s our usual monthly instalments of:

A - `13.82 billion years of hell ` = Gary Simmons weird / rude / schizophrenic / psychotic ratings.

B - `Dylan Summer `= texting madness with Mark Ritchie + Gary Simmons and Pamela.

C - `Doctor Thornaby ` = you have to read it to believe it. There`s a plethora of music, concert (Doug Stanhope) and book reviews. Mark Ritchie writes a nice, slightly warped short story named ` Locked room`. Contact here:

Mark Ritchie

94 main street

Forth

Lanark

M L 11 8AB

UK.