Cult of Youth - Final Days

Cult of Youth

Final Days

11 November 2014

Sacred Bones

 

4 stars out of 5

 

 

It’s pretty much impossible to read anything about neo-folkies Cult of Youth without coming across the words “Joy Division” and “Death in June.” It’s not entirely lazy journalism—Sean Ragon’s baritone does at times resemble that of Ian Curtis, and the band’s gloomy acoustic compositions do beg comparison to those of Death in June—but Cult of Youth are not simply just another tradition-worshipping gaggle of Brooklyn hipster geese. They have a few original tricks up their sleeves, and even if they didn’t, their songs are so vital and their performances so intense that even if they were a carbon copy of Death Division it would be a completely forgivable crime.

 

Final Days leads off rather misleadingly with the freeform industrial drones of “Todestrieb,” an experiment that is perhaps meant to set the mood, but doesn’t enhance much the beautiful gloom that follows. “God’s Garden” is an early highlight, an upbeat ‘80s-style acoustic post-punk rocker that should be filling the dance floor at a goth club near you in the not-too-distant future. “No Regression” is an instant classic, a relentless fire-and-brimstone-hurling sermon of a song that takes us all to hell. “Sanctuary” is the Cranes covering Nick Cave’s “The Mercy Seat.” And what better way to end a album that rips off all of your scabs at once than the sound of a purring kitten? Final Days is not simply an album, it is both the beautiful sickness and its own wonderful cure.

 

reviewed by Richard Krueger

Clark - Clark

Clark

Clark

3 November 2014

Warp

 

4 stars out of 5

 

 

Clark is the eponymous seventh LP by English IDM producer Chris Clark. It’s atypical of his earlier body of work, in that much of it is actually danceable. If you’re used to the glitchy textures and ambient meanderings of his older material, you might be surprised to find that Clark is (*gasp*) downright accessible in its beats and keyboard lines. This isn’t to say that it’s watered down or otherwise compromised—as it’s still a strong collection of well thought-out tracks and it holds together quite nicely—just that it’s not as likely to scare your cat.

 

Beginning with a nod to his sometimes ambient past (“Ship Is Flooding”), Clark then takes us on a tour of his new rhythm-centered music (“Winter Linn,” “Unfurla”). It’s still somewhat cold and distant stuff, like a snow-covered landscape seen through the train windows on your way to visit your cousins in northern Sweden. “Sodium Trimmers” is an almost industrial chunk of hard techno, and the frantic “Banjo” seamlessly picks up where “Sodium Trimmers” leaves off. By the time you hit the decapitated vocals of “Snowbird,” the seventh track, it has become clear that Clark is conceived as a whole, not merely a collection of random pieces. Clark shows his masterly skills here in his flow as well as in his composition; the grand scheme of Clark is just as important as its minute details. Closing with the majestic couplet of the high BPMs of “There’s a Distance in You” and the ambient washes of “Everlane,” Clark shows with Clark that he can remain exciting and innovative no matter how obscure or accessible he chooses to be.

 

reviewed by Richard Krueger

Simple Minds - Big Music

Simple Minds

Big Music

31 October 2014

Sony

 

2.5 stars out of 5

 

 

Believe it or not, there was a time when Simple Minds were experimental, relevant, and vital. They created influential post-punk records that expanded the musical palate of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Then, in 1985, they veered headlong into the Top 40 with Once Upon a Time, and while that album was itself reasonably enjoyable, it marked the end of when our Scottish heroes could be taken seriously. And everything they produced after that, in two words, really sucked. Now, three decades after the last time they still had some credibility, they give us Big Music, which, while definitely overproduced and firmly entrenched in the pop rock genre, is actually not all that horrible.

 

Don’t get me wrong—there are definitely some missteps here of U2-esque proportions, such as the awful, brainless bombast of the title track. But there are a few pretty decent… Okay guys, I can’t do it. I was trying to remain positive and focus on only the good things about Big Music, but there aren’t enough to last more than a couple of sentences. And saying it’s “actually not all that horrible” is rather faint praise, I admit. On the whole, this album is dull and pointless, although the band retains the strong melodic sense they had thirty years ago. Best to stick with Real to Real Cacophony, Empires and Dance, and New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84).

 

reviewed by Richard Krueger

Cristian Vogel - Polyphonic Beings

Cristian Vogel

Polyphonic Beings

24 November 2014

Shitkatapult

 

4 stars out of 5

 

 

Cristian Vogel has been doing his thing for more than two decades now, and while its cover art might be completely awful, his new LP Polyphonic Beings sees him still operating at a consistent level. For the Chilean-born British producer, that level is pretty high. Sounds here range from relaxing dub reggae to harsher experimental techno.

 

The eight-plus-minute “How Many Grapes Went Into That Wine?” is the key to Polyphonic Beings. It begins sparsely if not quietly: a deliberate, industrial-inspired military march that, after a societal collapse of a breakdown, returns at double tempo in the guise of a full-speed-ahead hard raver. “Lost in the Chase” continues the experimental sonic mayhem, granted at a more walkable pace. The track and its follower, “LA Banshee 109,” showcase Vogel’s talent for subtly layering many different and mostly unidentifiable sounds into rich and complex textures and rhythms. While Polyphonic Beings doesn’t move too far into classic territory, it remains a very solid release from one of electronic music’s most important innovators.

 

reviewed by Richard Krueger

Einstürzende Neubauten - Lament

Einstürzende Neubauten

Lament

7 November 2014

Mute

 

4.5 stars out of 5

 

 

Blixa Bargeld & crew return after a seven-year absence with Lament, a concept double LP about the First World War. If you’re only vaguely aware of Einstürzende Neubauten as the group of crusty-looking West Berliners who made “music” by throwing around chunks of metal in a junkyard back in the ‘80s, choosing Lament as your entry point into the career of one of the most influential bands in history might be a bit overwhelming. This isn’t background music. This is an academic essay that demands your full attention. Lament is about as close to pure classical music (in the spirit of Cage or Reich) as one can get while essentially using only percussion and programming. The band researched extensively for the album, diving into the archives at the Humboldt University of Berlin and the German Broadcasting Archives, and incorporated real letters, interviews, telegrams, and fighting songs from the war into the finished work.

 

After the preparatory matters of the movements of the militaries of the European empires (“Kriegsmaschinerie”) and the singing of the national(istic) anthem (“Hymnen”), we hear the duplicitous exchange of telegrams between Kaiser Wilhelm II and Czar Nicholas II (“The Willy – Nicky Telegrams”), before launching into the terror that destroyed a generation of European families. “Der 1. Weltkrieg” is a catalogue of battles and massacres that is made all the more horrifying by the matter-of-fact manner in which it is narrated. “How Did I Die?” is possibly as close to a rock ballad as Neubauten could get, though this by no means makes it radio-friendly hit material. On the whole, Lament is an uncompromising work of art that doesn’t have patience for those who need training wheels on their avant-gardecycles. One of the most important recordings of a long and distinguished career.

 

reviewed by Richard Krueger

Ariel Pink - pom pom

Ariel Pink

pom pom

18 November 2014

4AD

 

3.5 stars out of 5

 

 

Ariel Pink, if you’re a fan, is a mad genius. If you’re not a fan, he’s almost unbearable. A bit like blue cheese. No one knows the exact number of albums Pink has released, but it numbers somewhere in the hundreds (I may be exaggerating). Pom pom is his first since 2012’s Mature Themes, and it’s brilliant (if you’re a fan) and bloody awful (if you’re not). Pink isn’t going to win over anyone from the other side with his sprawling new double LP, but he is going to immensely please his pre-existing ones.

 

There’s the ‘80s Iron Maiden vibe of “Four Shadows,” which throws every metal cliché at you without containing any actual guitars. “Not Enough Violence” is the best song that The Sisters of Mercy ever wrote, seeing Pink romp through the goth rock genre with as much wide-eyed glee as a puppy rushing out into the back yard to lick up every last snowflake of its first winter snowfall. “Nude Beach a Go-Go” is The Beach Boys scoring Hot to Stuff a Wild Bikini, minus the bikini. All of it is quite ridiculous, and deadly seriously so. A lyrical example: “What kinda sex are you talkin’ about? It’s time that we scream and shout!” Got the idea? Good. And then there’s the ode to Jell-O, seeing Pink take a page from the playbook of B.A. Johnston. (Well, Johnston would deep fry the Jell-O, but that’s a philosophical discussion we don’t have time for here.)

 

So, to recap… If you’ve heard Pink before and weren’t much impressed, stay away. If you’re a devoted fan, pom pom will likely become the one album that you can’t live without. Every last corner of its two discs is filled with mad invention and an intense love for cheese (and strippers). If you’ve never heard Pink before, you must ask yourself the following question before you proceed: “Which do I value more: a good laugh, or the respect of my girlfriend/boyfriend?”

 

reviewed by Richard Krueger

loscil - Sea Island

loscil

Sea Island

18 November 2014

Kranky

 

4 stars out of 5

 

 

Vancouver’s Scott Morgan has been recording ambient music under the name of loscil since the late ‘90s, and Sea Island represents his seventh studio LP with legendary experimental label Kranky, and his tenth overall. Two of the tracks, “Sea Island Murders” and “Iona,” directly reference two islands within the city of Richmond, British Columbia, a suburb of Vancouver. (If you’ve ever flown in or out of Vancouver International Airport, you’ve been to Sea Island.) Other titles are less obvious: does “Catalina 1943” refer to the Consolidated PBY Catalina flying boat of the WWII American armed forces? “Angle of Loll” and “Angle of List” are references to unstable ships. The cover features logs washed up on a beach. Perhaps Morgan had a maritime theme in mind? Insert snarky sticking-out-tongue smiley here.

 

In a word, this is some beautiful music. While there are plenty of drones, there are also repeating patterns and almost-beats. The songs are structured and composed, rather than improvised like much of Morgan’s early work. Through careful restraint and minimalist gestures Morgan creates expansive and breathtaking universes within each track; however, the album feels free and organic rather than constrained and mechanical. One can smell the sea, watch the shapes of the logs and birds appear from and disappear into the fog, and hear the gentle breaking of the waves and reverberations of the engines of the distant fishing boats.

 

reviewed by Richard Krueger

Andy Stott - Faith in Strangers

Andy Stott

Faith in Strangers

17 November 2014

Modern Love

 

5 stars out of 5

 

 

Manchester’s Andy Stott has kept away from the darkness for his last couple of albums, including 2012’s breakthrough Luxury Problems. On Faith in Strangers, all of the darkness he’d been avoiding has finally caught up with him, and then some. And the result is his best work by far. Already having a great year (see Drop the Vowels, a thoroughly enjoyable romp through dark ‘90s electronica released in March by Millie & Andrea, the alter-egos of Stott and Miles Whittaker), Stott has now released his magnum opus: be it known that Faith in Strangers, his third proper LP, is insanely good.

 

“Violence,” featuring vocals by Stott’s former piano teacher Alison Skidmore, gets my vote for Song of the Year (Hundred Waters’ “Cavity” drops down to #2). Beginning as a thoroughly disorienting neo-classical piece with a tinge of goth, this monster of a track transforms into a nightmare of industrial angst that makes Nine Inch Nails seem like indie pop. “Violence” is worth the price of admission alone, but the rest of the record isn’t exactly filler. “On Oath” is a fantastic apocalyptic walk through a burned-out city, an ambient song that pokes and prods you while remaining ambient. “Science & Industry” skitters and skips through an inventory of sounds that resides somewhere between Kraftwerk and Cabaret Voltaire. Throughout these tracks, the listener is subjected to an unsettling assault by Skidmore’s vocals. She ain’t no diva; she’s more like an alien telepath who can get right inside your head with her other-worldly, tortured ghost of a voice. In short, Faith in Strangers is fucking winning. Stott’s compositional confidence is at an all-time high, and the world of electronic music is greatly enhanced by it.

 

reviewed by Richard Krueger

TV on the Radio - Seeds

TV on the Radio

Seeds

18 November 2014

Harvest

 

3.5 stars out of 5

 

 

The fifth full-length by TV on the Radio¸ Seeds, is among their most direct work, featuring very little of the structural experimentation that made them critical darlings a decade ago. Just over a week after their last LP, 2011’s Nine Types of Light, the band lost bassist Gerard Smith to lung cancer. Drummer Jaleel Bunton has switched to bass for live performances, although he plays both bass and drums on the new record. TVotR have always displayed a naked emotionalism in their music, but Seeds finds them at their most vulnerable, perhaps in part due to collective mourning for Smith. This vulnerability, combined with the directness of the new compositions, could lead to a wider audience for the band among the mainstream, although the same directness may result in many of their older fans losing interest.

 

One of the album’s highlights is “Happy Idiot,” a sharp, three-minute ditty that recalls the New Romantic scene of the early ‘80s. It’s got all the qualities of a hit single—in England, thirty years ago. “Test Pilot” is a marriage of a melancholy Cocteau Twins-ish chorus with an odd Lisa Loeb-ian verse. (Face it, any reference to Lisa Loeb, intentional or un-, is pretty freakin’ odd.) Much of the album is uneven—for every strong track, like “Quartz” or “Ride,” there’s a weak one, like “Careful You” or “Right Now.” Unfortunately, there are more weak or middling tracks on Seeds than there are strong ones, and though “middling” for TVotR is the equivalent of “pretty good” for most other bands, this album is probably going to be a little disappointing for long-time fans.

 

reviewed by Richard Krueger

His Name Is Alive - Tecuciztecatl

His Name Is Alive

Tecuciztecatl

28 October 2014

London London

 

4 stars out of 5

 

 

Despite having mastered a dozen or so different genres over their two-and-a-half-decade career, including ethereal goth, neo-soul, noise-rock, jazz, gamelan, and arrangements for amplified pine cones, His Name Is Alive have always been instantly recognizable as His Name Is Alive. Tecuciztecatl is no different, meaning it’s completely different: a full-blown rock opera named after the moon god of the Aztecs, with a story along the lines of a Hammer horror film and music loosely based on the collected guitar solos of Thin Lizzy (I’m not even joking). Now a quartet consisting of Warren Defever, Andrea Morici, Dusty Jones, and J. Rowe, HNIA spent a couple of years writing and recording this record, during which time Defever and Jones practiced their duelling guitar solo techniques by creating a seventy-minute edit “of every Thin Lizzy guitar solo from 1971 to 1983” and playing along.

 

The opening track is the most epic thing that HNIA has ever dedicated to ones and zeros: “The Examination” shifts through many different musical themes through its thirteen-plus minutes, from Thin Lizzy and Shades of a Blue Orphanage to Renegade and Thunder and Lightning. Andy FM’s vocal performance is the best of her time with the band so far. And the solos… I have a friend who I constantly anger because I keep telling her “rock is dead” (she’s probably the most technically gifted guitar soloist I know), but now I may have to play her “Reflect Yourself” and apologize for the errors of my ways. But this ain’t no wank fest—every lick and riff serves a purpose and propels the story, and the story is appropriately dark and creepy. Has HNIA resurrected rock ‘n’ roll? In reality this is doubtful, but for the duration of Tecuciztecatl it’s easy to believe that they have.

 

reviewed by Richard Krueger

…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - IX

…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead

IX

17 October 2014

Superball Music

 

3.5 stars out of 5

 

 

Released in Europe a month ago but only available on their home continent now, IX is, as the title would suggest, the ninth LP by Austin’s …And You Will Die Before You Can Ever Finish Saying This Band’s Name. If you haven’t been paying attention since the band’s 2002 noisy post-punk classic Source Tags & Codes, don’t fret, as nothing much has changed. Their frantic and wild performances through a haze of smoke and distortion are still potent, although perhaps less urgent now, and their almost classical melodic sense (“How to Avoid Huge Ships” seems like a Phillip Glass composition for rock instruments) remain intact, if somehow less exciting now as it was twelve years ago.

 

IX features some very strong additions to ToD’s repertoire, such as the blistering opener “The Doomsday Book,” and the meandering but powerful “Lost in the Grand Scheme.” While no longer at the vanguard of indie rock (is there even such a thing still in 2014?), the band is still capable of writing some ear-splitting tuneage for those who like high-brow literary references and extended philosophical conceits in their mosh pit fodder. While not their best album, IX is still a well crafted document of the work of a band that is highly skilled in balancing intellectual high art and accessible rock and roll.

 

reviewed by Richard Krueger

Parkay Quarts - Content Nausea

Parkay Quarts

Content Nausea

11 November 2014

What’s Your Rupture?

 

4 stars out of 5

 

 

“Ignore this part, it’s an advertisement. These people are famous, I trust ‘em.” Not content with over-stimulating your intellectual rock receptors with Sunbathing Animal, the fantastically brainy and spectacularly shambling LP that Parquet Courts released just half a year ago, the band decided to quickly record a follow-up—in two weeks, on four-track cassette—and release it under the guise of their secret identity, Parkay Quarts. There’s no stylistic difference between the two incarnations of the band—it’s still that glorious intersection between The Velvet Underground & Nico and EVOL that is simultaneously so warmly endearing and coldly postmodern. And the recording quality is surprisingly good considering the decades-old technology used to produce it.

 

The title track is a manifesto of poetry against the machine, featuring the lines at the beginning of this review. “The Map” could be a lost Lee Ranaldo song-poem from mid-‘80s Sonic Youth. And then there’s the cover of Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots,” which is a reasonably faithful reconstruction of the original, complete with horn section, before falling apart into feedback and pure noise at the end. Throw around whatever slurs you like—cynical, contrived, inauthentic, hipster—but you can’t deny that Content Nausea is a great collection of vibrant songs and inspired performances that demands continuous relistening.

 

reviewed by Richard Krueger

Hookworms - The Hum

Hookworms

The Hum

11 November 2014

Weird World

 

3.5 stars out of 5

 

 

The Hum is the second widely available album by Leeds-based neo-psychedelic quintet Hookworms, after last year’s critically acclaimed noise-rock mindfuck that was Pearl Mystic. Sequenced to blend together as three long movements (much like Pearl Mystic), the nine songs and thirty-eight minutes that make up The Hum take various chaotic detours, through the drugged-out garage rock of the ‘60s California coast to the drugged-out velvety expositions of ‘80s Spacemen 3, to arrive at what is, in essence, a party record.

 

I assume that at this party there are safe rooms to explore whatever substances you choose to injest, inhale, or inject, and some serious hi-fi speakers to allow you to get the most out of The Hum. There are plenty of places to launch yourself into complete audio exploration. “Beginners” is an unstoppable juggernaut of a trip, taking the fuzzstorted VU tone of Yo La Tengo and mixing it with the manic groove adherence of SMZ. “Off Screen” is the gentle chill-out you’re going to need afterwards, a near-ballad that starts off slowly before administering heaps of noise in its later moments. The closer, “Regret,” is about as accessible as it gets for Hookworms, and once you gain access to it (through whatever legal or illegal means you choose), you’re in for an epic VU-meets-Neu! treat that you won’t soon forget. Unless you’re really too wasted to even know what city you’re in. Which is a possibility if you’re a Hooksworms junkie.

 

reviewed by Richard Krueger

Pink Floyd - The Endless River

Pink Floyd

The Endless River

7 November 2014

Parlophone/Columbia

 

2 stars out of 5

 

 

There are two main warning bells that should go off for Pink Floyd fans when approaching The Endless River, their first studio album in twenty years and their third since the departure of Roger Waters. First, that this is comprised mainly of leftovers from their previous studio LP, The Division Bell. That alone should cause a lot of people to steer well clear. Second, that this is an almost entirely instrumental record. Along with the apocalyptic tone long associated with Pink Floyd, a big part of the band’s appeal through much of their career was their lyrics, so the lack of lyrics on seventeen of the album’s eighteen tracks isn’t a strong selling point. Described as the “swan song” of late keyboardist Richard Wright, The Endless River was recorded by the final two surviving Pink Floyd members, David Gilmour and Nick Mason, along with parts that Wright had recorded with the band between 1968 and 1993.

 

If you’ve always dreamed of a Pink Floyd album that doesn’t satisfy any of your needs as a fan, look no further. Tired of being stimulated by the band’s experimental spirit and innovative songwriting? Well, rest your weary head, brave one, for there are no exhausting experimental or innovative qualities here. Sick to death of clever lyrics and biting social commentary? Both are refreshingly absent from The Endless River. Have you been desperately hoping the whole time that the band would give up any aspirations to making decent rock music and instead attempt to sell you a dull and mostly pointless new age abomination? You’ve just hit the jackpot, son!

 

reviewed by Richard Krueger

Röyksopp - The Inevitable End

Röyksopp

The Inevitable End

10 November 2014

Dog Triumph

 

3 stars out of 5

 

 

Though they are no longer the coolest musical act from north of the Arctic Circle (and are most unlikely to shout, “Fuck PETA!” on television), Trømso’s electronica act Röyksopp still hold a special place in our post-Bel Canto world. After all, these are the guys who gave us one of the last decade’s greatest songs in “What Else Is There?” and that still counts for something. The Norwegian duo has announced that The Inevitable End will be their last studio album, and, to be perfectly honest, it’s a somewhat disappointing way to end things.

 

If you checked out Röyksopp’s EP-length collaboration with Robyn, Do It Again, then you’ve already heard a version of “Monument,” the second track on the new album. And “Running to the Sea,” featuring Susanne Sundfør on vocals, has been around for a couple of years now. These are the strongest tracks here, and it’s not a gentle slope downhill afterwards, like a sun-filled meadow full of poppies and puppies that ends at a beautiful alpine lake. No, this is like losing your footing at the top of the Preikestolen and dropping 600 metres to your death. The only exception is the other Sundfør-sung track, “Save Me,” which musically sounds like a Canadian industrial song from the late ‘80s, with female pop vocals in place of Nivek Ogre’s unearthly screeching, of course. Perhaps it’s for the best that Röyksopp will no longer be making full-length albums after The Inevitable End if they can only keep the creativity going for two or three tracks at a time these days.

 

reviewed by Richard Krueger

Deptford Goth - Songs

Deptford Goth

Songs

3 November 2014

37 Adventures

 

3.5 stars out of 5

 

 

Daniel Woodhouse hails from South London and records under the name Deptford Goth. As has long been discussed elsewhere, his music is not goth at all, but rather in the same vein as fellow dubsteppers-turned-neo-soul-troubadours James Blake and SOHN. Perhaps a fitting comparison would be Bon Iver with keyboards in place of guitars. Woodhouse’s first full-length, 2013’s Life After Defo, gained some attention, and Songs seems ready to carve out a slightly larger chunk out of the over-saturated music industry of the Internet Age.

 

Most of the songs on Songs are quiet songs, intimate songs, perhaps even sorrowful songs. Songs full of regret and songs full of broken dreams. Think of it as a form of gospel, only the object of worship is the ideal of marriage. Or, at the very least, the ruins of the relationship that must have ended in order to create the sorrow which permeates these quiet hymns. Songs doesn’t have any significant peaks or valleys, and as a result much of the record seems to just drift by. But what drifts by is pleasant enough, and if you’re looking for a good post-break-up record to mope around to, look no further.

 

reviewed by Richard Krueger

Deerhoof - La Isla Bonita

Deerhoof

La Isla Bonita

4 November 2014

Polyvinyl

 

4 stars out of 5

 

 

“Thank you for coming. Get out now,” sings Satomi Matsuzaki on “Exit Only,” the sixth track on Deerhoof’s twelfth studio LP, La Isla Bonita. One thing about Deerhoof that makes them special: although the band has been together for two decades now, and they never really change, they always seem fresh. They are always playfully experimental and delightfully dark at the same time. The Bay Area art-punkers are continuously pushing the envelope while staying true to themselves. La Isla Bonita is no exception.

 

From the opening almost-pop of “Paradise Girls” to the feedback-riddled collapsing factory that is the finale, “Oh Bummer,” La Isla Bonita shows us a band that is still both exploring new quadrants of the rock ‘n’ roll universe and enjoying themselves immensely. If you’re a fan of odd time signatures and good ole inside-out punk and haven’t heard of Deerhoof, well 1) what planet are you from?!; and 2) what are you waiting for? Listen to this thing immediately!

 

reviewed by Richard Krueger

Dirty Beaches - Stateless

Dirty Beaches

Stateless

4 November 2014

Zoo Music

 

4 stars out of 5

 

 

On October 27^th, Alex Hungtai tweeted, “RIP DIRTY BEACHES 2005-2014.” A week later we have the final Dirty Beaches album, an instrumental LP titled Stateless. The record is composed of four long ambient drone pieces, along the lines of Stars of the Lid. Dirty Beaches convened as a duo for the recording, with Hungtai on synth and saxophone, and Italian composer Vittorio Demarin on viola. All four tracks consist of slowly shifting chords, circling around a motif like dark comets, melting and freezing as they approach and retreat from the melodic center.

 

In the opener, “Displaced,” Hungtai plays the saxophone as if it were a duck honking through a tremolo pedal. The instrument sounds completely futuristic and treated with layers of digital editing, even though the recording is probably true to how the music sounded coming directly out of the instrument itself. “Time Washes Away Everything” is a close approximation of the shifting drones of Stars of the Lid, and like the other three tracks, it sticks to a core group of notes. Each of these pieces gives the illusion of being freely improvised when in reality they are very tightly focused on a few central themes. That’s no small feat in a genre that has always had difficulty in finding a balance between formlessness and the diatonic scale.

 

reviewed by Richard Krueger

Dean Blunt - Black Metal

Dean Blunt

Black Metal

31 October 2014

Rough Trade

 

4 stars out of 5

 

 

Formerly one half of Hype Williams—probably the most enigmatic musical act since The Residents—Dean Blunt (real name Roy Nnawuchi) has put out a couple of completely unclassifiable records since his split with Inga Copeland a couple of years ago: last year’s The Redeemer and now Black Metal. The self-confessed peddler of “chillhop” (which he claims “makes most people feel a bit queasy because there's an overabundance of vertical lines in the middle that forces their eyes to blink involuntarily”) has created a monster in his new LP, which straddles the line between fractured ‘80s new wave jazz and your kindergarten-aged nephew hitting random keys on a musical calculator.

 

Some of the tracks on Black Metal are so dark and serious that you can feel yourself at those Hype Williams shows where the band performed with themselves—and the audience—in pitch blackness. And then, on the other end of the spectrum, there’s a moment where you can hear Blunt turning down the volume on his Macbook. “Country” is the kind of noise-shredding that will have Autechre fans drooling, while elsewhere Blunt gives us clean-tone electric guitar and dubby bass—his version of jazz is both incredibly disconcerting and strangely comforting. His turns at hip-hop (“Hush”) seem both completely natural and disturbingly out of place, his passes at dub (“Punk,” “Mersh”) both engage and create anxiety. Blunt is at the top of his game here, which for a man who has put out some forty releases is no small compliment. You definitely must approach Black Metal with an open mind, for whatever you think it’s going to be like, it isn’t.

 

reviewed by Richard Krueger

Kiasmos - Kiasmos

Kiasmos

Kiasmos

27 October 2014

Erased Tapes

 

3.5 stars out of 5

 

 

Icelandic duo Kiasmos create minimal techno in the grand sense of the term. There’s no guest vocalists or sampled film dialogue. Rather, Ólafur Arnalds and Janus Rasmussen keeps things stripped down and simple, but by no means boring. Using the album’s full fifty-minute running length as their canvas, they paint in broad emotional strokes, sometimes warm and comforting, sometimes cold and distancing. Formerly a metal and hardcore drummer, Ólafur has made a career out of scoring for film and television and has won a BAFTA for his efforts. Rasmussen hails from the Faroe Islands and is part of electronic act Bloodgroup. For Kiasmos they decided to start from scratch, introducing no pre-existing compositions into the project, recording only what they wrote from that point on.

 

Kiasmos is a unified album in all aspects. Even the song titles tell a story. Rasmussen’s drum programming and Ólafur’s piano and string parts fit together seamlessly. Just gritty enough to grab your attention but not abrasive enough to be intrusive, Rasmussen’s beats repeat without seeming repetitive. Ólafur’s melodic restraint is masterful, letting the tracks build from simple combinations of notes that mesh into layered, complex, emotional tapestries. Kiasmos will keep you paying attention even as you slip into a trance.

 

reviewed by Richard Krueger