Silver Jews frontman David Berman has published a book of strange, crudely drawn comics entitled The Portable February. Looking as if they were scrawled on napkins and on the back of ticket stubs and on bathroom walls, these 90 or so sketches at first had me slightly befuddled, but soon had me dribbling urine down my leg in near hysterics. Is it weird? Yes. Do I understand it all? God no. But I believe their is brilliance in this slim hardcover. Like his lyrics in The Silver Jews and his book of poetry “Actual Air”, Berman seems to have a limitless supply of clever observations and off-kilter aphorisms, and “The Portable February” is no different. I have always enjoyed Berman’s music and find this collection of visual non-sequitirs an excellent addition to his body of artistic work. I’ve already decided I am going to buy a copy for all of my friends for Christmas this year. Available through Drag City Records, it’s a steal at under 10 bucks. Buy it for posterity and for your friends…
Enjoyable, irreverent, and so po-mo it ain’t po-mo no-mo, or better yet, never was in the first place.
Transcriptions is a collaborative work from ambient artists Stephan Mathieu and Taylor Deupree. The album contains music that is warm, decayed, and emotive. Sounding a bit like William Basinski’s “Disintegration Loops” series, “Transcriptions” is an album for reading, sleeping, writing, and meditating. Being a big fan of the genre, this comes as a welcome addition to my growing collection of ambient electronica, and sounds like one of the most pleasant and pensive releases of the year.
My initial fascination with the album had to do with how it was recorded. Stephan Mathieu began collecting mechanical gramophones, wax-cylinders, and early 78’s from the turn of the century. Once he’d gathered enough stock material he recorded the cylinders and 78’s via two portable gramophones directly into his computer, and while doing so he rendered and digitally kissed the sweeping orchestral ambience. Next Taylor Deupree added acoustic plucks and strums and vintage synthesizer to act as a perfect counterpart to Mathieu’s wash of sound.
The overall result is an enveloping 48 minute melodic surge that can only be described as gorgeous.
I had never heard of veteran artist and producer DJ Sprinkles (real name Terre Thaemlitz) until earlier this year, when I was turned on to his/her album courtesy of Resident Advisor. And ever since, “Midtown 120 Blues” has been in fairly constant rotation on my stereo. This is house music that conjures up the classic sounds of Chicago and Detroit and is very rewarding after repeated listens. Like “Endtroducing” is so much more than just a hip-hop album, so is “Midtown 120 Blues” more than just deep house. There’s soul here, techno, nostalgia, and rich ambience. The monologues and voice snippets are interesting and introspective and deal with the politics of music and identity. Tracks “Ball’r (Madonna Free Zone)” and “House Music is Controllable Desire You Can Own” are highlights that play just as well in a party setting as they do in a horizontal one. Sexy, sad, deep, smart, and emotional music. Smoooove.
Edit: Read a fantastic interview with Terre Thaemlitz here courtesy of Little White Earbuds.
Warp Records budding superstar Flying Lotus (nee Steven Ellison) dropped his cyber-slick sounds on a crunked and over-capacity crowd last night in Toronto. And hot damn was it ever good. We walked in to opener mymanhenri playing Dilla and Doom and setting the mood just right. FlyLo hit the stage next and within seconds sized-up the crowd he had in front of him. “These peeps ain’t just drunk, they’re all super fucking baked,” was no doubt his assessment, because he immediately pressed the “drug” button on his groove box and the bass just cooked the crowd and made us scream and jump and grin and shake our booties. It was infectious and trippy, full of reverb and snare pops and bad ass bass rumbles and soul.
I gotta admit the sound system at Tattoo is pretty awesome and FlyLo’s set was so crisp it sparkled. There was even a crowd surfer at one point. I think Flying Lotus was genuinely amazed at how gonzo the crowd was going all around him. He was smiling and laughing the whole set and brought the energy and rhythm to an absolutely feverish pitch. He crescendoed with some subtle Michael Jackson nods from “Off the Wall” that sounded as fresh as ever under his care. A fitting farewell to the King of Pop and a musical highlight of the year for mmmlele.
Anyone who likes Jay Reatard already knows all about his ‘legendary’ Silver Dollar show in Toronto last spring. If you’ve never seen it, peep it below from 1:30 onwards. Rock and roll!
Then he came back to town in the fall for a Fred Perry sponsored show at Wrongbar and stormed off the stage after a pedal malfunktion. Watch it too, it’s funny.
So when me and my friend Stew got tickets for his show at the Mod Club we were expecting some rock n roll smackdown dramatics with spit and violence and pretension and blood. Unfortunately for us, there was nothing but a little ego – nevertheless, flying vee’d Jay Reatard, afro’d bass Steve Pope and drummer Billy Hayes still tore it up with attitude and style. They played it safe and I loved it anyway. ‘Cause in the end It was still balls out sludge rock with tight musicianship the entire set from the trio. At one point, as I slammed back a Corona, they looked like the animated criminals from the cartoon “Superjail”. Freaky and Southern. Kinda sweaty and fat. But I’m sure Reatard still gets retarded with the ladies, especially after they see him jump up on a green gear box at the end of his sets and wail out! I definitely thought their was some sex to him, but in a Jon Spencer kinda way. Not sure if I’d buy the whole package . . . but you can bet yer bony ass I dug the head-banging, short but sweet, fuck you you piece of shit set the band delivered this time around in the T-drizzle. Even if the crowd stayed away…
Stephen Wilkinson (aka Bibio) will release his first album for the historic Warp imprint on this year’s summer solstice. This is exciting not just for Wilkinson as a musician (making the jump from the respectable Mush label to one of electronica’s most revered and genre-defining), but also for us the listeners. Why you ask? Because Bibio’s sound has taken quite a jump as well.
His 2005 debut “Fi” and 2006’s “Hand-Cranked” received constant rotation in my waking hours of those years, but his recent release “Vignetting the Compost” was a bit of a disappointment. For all intents and purposes “Vignetting” is a fine album, but it sounds kind of uninspired to me. That’s why “Ambivalence Avenue” is so thrilling. It’s Bibio 2.0 – the production is amped, the song writing more structured and deliberate, and his style has gone from hushed morningtronica to an excellent balance of fractured beats à la Flying Lotus to tender folk à la Crosby, Stills and Nash. And it really works.
The album’s release on the first day of summer is fitting, and so far is in the running for tops of the season. Wilkinson may have very well carved a niche for himself here, stepping out of the Boards of Canada shadow that helped launch his career, but at the same time pigeon-holed his sound. “Ambivalence Avenue” is a sunny yet thoughtful album, perfect for drives on winding highways, impromptu kitchen parties, campfires, picnics, and stoned afternoon bike rides.
Dig it. Welcome summer 2009.
Edit: “The Apple and The Tooth” remix album comes out in mid-November courtesy of Warp Records. It’s a great re-interpretation of choice tracks from “Ambivalence”, as well as, four new songs from the man himself. Nice! It’s got remixes from Wax Stag, Gentleman Losers, Leatherette, Lone, Eskmo, and more! A really tight postscript for Bibio’s sound in 2009. Check it and wreck it!
Luke Hess has just released his proper debut “Light in the Dark” on the fantastic Echochord imprint. Having cut his teeth in Detroit and refined his sound over the last few years working with the likes of Omar-S and other emerging dub techno producers, Hess’ debut pays homage to the Detroit minimalism of Theorem and Plastikman and Basic Channel’s deep techno of the late 90’s. And although at times some tracks sound eerily close to the artists he’s paying respect to, overall I think the album totally works.
This is 4/4 techno that is dance-floor oriented, but it’s also heady and reflective. It almost feels as if Hess is trying to recreate the glory days of Detroit techno, before DEMF, when sketchy warehouse parties and the City Club were the places to go to drop pills and sweat and dance and just lose it to the craziest, darkest, bass-heavy, four on the floor techno you ever heard. And unfortunately, I think this is where the album falters. It doesn’t go far enough. Yes, the production is crisp and technically some of the finest dub techno I’ve heard since “The Coldest Season”, but by looking so deeply into the past, Hess never really moves his sound forward. If anything “Light in the Dark” reveals his potential, an artist with skill and style, but one who still needs to carve out his own niche, and continue to refine his own sound.
Luke Hess is one to watch out for in the coming years, and his debut album is definitely worth checking out. Peace.
Edit: Also check out the Ignite the Dark Remixes (Mikkel Metal, cv313, and Marko Furstenberg). Dynomite!
“Dear Science” was one of my favourite albums of 2008. The lyrics were inspiring, the rhythms infectious. Needless to say then, I was quite excited to finally see TVOTR live. But unfortunately, I had to see them at the Sound Academy in Toronto. One of the city’s worst venues. A claustrophobic cave with some of the least flattering acoustics outside of a rubber room. TVOTR were good but the venue was so disappointing I drank myself very close to Hades . . . in the end, blacking and blurring out most of the evening. Hangover scale the next morn: 8.8/10. Beastly. Avoid the Sound Academy unless The Beatles and Michael Jackson are playing there.
Line-up: Lusine, Tycho, Michna w/Raw Paw, Milosh and SV4
Ann Arbor, Michigan’s GHOSTLY label turns ten this year and to celebrate they are playing a string of shows across the globe. I caught the show in Toronto at the Drake Underground on May 27th, 2009 and thought it was fantastic.
Lusine (Jeff McIlwain) opened the night with an amazing set that meshed his various styles together beautifully. Although he seemed a bit upset to be playing so early, he delivered a bass heavy, Audion-esque set that had that Detroit snap and pop to it. I was very impressed and so was the crowd. Surprising that this was his first show in Toronto.
Michna w/ Raw Paw played next and delivered a quirky and emotional set of jazzy and dark indietronic pop. The trio played a multitude of instruments: keys, tenor sax, trombone, drums, synths, and DEEP ass bass, and brought fun and energy to the show. I had never heard of them but just picked up the new album “Magic Monday” and am totally digging it.
Tycho played next and the room filled for his set. Hate to harp, but his set didn’t differ much from the one he played last year when he visited the Drake. And obviously he wears his Boards of Canada heart on his sleeve. To be honest, I think Tycho should have opened the night and Lusine should have played third, but alas … no one danced either, they just stood there, swaying drunk and scratching their chin prickles.
Toronto native Mike Milosh closed the night and although the guy has an absolutely amazing voice, the music was not the right vibe for the party. It was too slow and quiet for a night that was supposed to be full of dancing and delusions. Unfortunately, the Toronto crowd was just too hip and shoe-gazey that night.
SV4 spun in between sets and played hit after hit after hit. Props to him. I had a great night and am now feeling a bit pissy that I decided to choose money over mutek this weekend. Shizer. Anyway, Ghostly is a quality label putting out some of the best shit you wanna stuff in your ears. Check it and love it. I’m out.
Thrill Jockey stalwarts Tortoise will release their sixth full-length album on 22 June 2009. It’s been 5 years since “It’s All Around You” was released, so expectations are high and the band does not disappoint. Sounding like the proper follow up to 2001’s “Standards”, “Beacons” is truly a prog album. It is dirty and crisp, simultaneously sounding like it was recorded underwater and in an air-tight studio. And as always, their sound is undefinable – dub, post-rock, lo-fi, electronica, dance, spaghetti western, jazz, classic rock, punk, it’s all there – kinda sounds like the album Trans Am wanted to make after “Future World”.
Tortoise and I have a long, torrid history together. I have been with them since the beginning. Have seen them play live 6 or 7 times. I saw them at The Magic Stick in Detroit for their “Millions Now Living” tour way back when, where they showed up on stage silent with little headlamps and played “Djed” in its entirety. Jeff Parker wasn’t even with them yet. Last I saw them was just a few months back at The Mod Club in Toronto, where they had the drums set up in front of the stage and they reminded me why I loved them in the first place. They are professional musicians that love what they do, and it’s completely evident on stage, when they’re all grooving and smiling, and rocking out a fabulously tight set.
Johnny Mac still proves to be one on the best sound engineers working in the business today, and I feel this album has much more resonance than “It’s All Around You”, it sounds more urgent and dynamic. Whereas with “It’s All Around You” the band seemed to be rehashing and falling back on familiar patterns and styles, “Beacons” sounds fresh, it sounds new, but still very much like the Tortoise you know and love.
The title of the album is fitting too. Tortoise helped create and develop the indie rock/indietronic scene we all shoegaze, get baked, and rock out to. Their musical influence really knows no bounds. Buy this album as soon as it hits the stores and if you’ve never seen them play live go see their show. Like Boomkat would say: Very highly recommended.
INAUDIBLE 