Monday, September 28, 2009

David Sylvian & Holger Czukay - Flux + Mutability



Label: Venture Records
Released: 1989
Style: Abstract, Experimental, Ambient

"David Sylvian and Holger Czukay are fairly eclectic and diverse musicians. In the European ambient scene, they are fixtures. Flux + Mutability is an album with two long-form compositions. "Flux" is "a big, bright, colorful world" and "Mutability" is "a new beginning...in the offing." These pieces are deep, expansive atmospheres with eerie samples and vacuous walls of sound. The second piece features only guitars, keyboards, and an African flute. The first piece has a much wider sound. It is a safe bet that it has the only ambient flugelhorn ever (by Markus Stockhausen). The real essence of this disc comes from the sound design, mixing, and processing. Sylvian and Czukay present this collection of atmospheres as a tight and cohesive soundscape. The gentle sway of the ambience is deep and comfortable. There are no dark overtones. Fans of Brian Eno, Robert Fripp, Markus Reuter, and Liquid Mind will like this CD. It is an important selection for fans of electronic minimalism. " - Allmusic

Tracklisting:

1 Flux (A Big, Bright, Colourful World) (16:52)
2 Mutability ("A New Beginning Is In The Offing") (21:02)

Link

Friday, September 25, 2009

Peverelist - Infinity Is Now / Junktion



Label: Tectonic
Released: 2008
Style: Dubstep

"The man like Peverelist drops an absolute killer joint for Tectonic. This producer has been a delight to watch in development recently, from the early shockwaves emitted from the 'Erstwhile rhythm' just over a year ago, the Bristol scene stalwart has kept us on the edge of our collective seat waiting for more of his patented hybrid dubstep techno machinations, thankfully we were satiated with the awesome 'Die brucke/roll with the punches' 12" and the equally fantastic Appleblim hookup a few weeks back, but this solo outing for tectonic really cements his position as a purveyor of the finest strain of dubstep/techno. 'Infinity is now' takes the finest route possible between the motorik qualities of Berlin dub techno and swung UK garage rhythms and arrives at an intersection combining the two into a fantastically immersive dancefloor experience. Taking a typically teutonic longview approach to his compositions, rather than simple soundsystem friendly bass drops and arpeggiated hype, Peverelist opts for churning techno styled undercarriages and in this case a lead synthline that could come from a Japanese telecom production, to forge a headstrong and esoteric style quite like no other. 'Junktion' arrives at another crossing point between dubstep experimentalism and techno's eternal drive, with skipping kick drums sounding closer to a British Murder Boys pattern than anything remotely dubstep, it's only when the rolling pressure of the subs wamp their way in that you realise where he's coming from. This is some proper heavyweight, forward thinking tackle which we URGE you to get on staright away! Your life will be far better for it." - Boomkat

Tracklisting:

1 Infinity Is Now (8:23)
2 Junktion (8:26)

Link

Thursday, September 24, 2009

2562 - Love In Outer Space / Third Wave



Label: Tectonic
Released: 2009
Style: Techno, Dubstep

"Dubstep release of the week comes from 2562 with the shocking 'Love In Outer Space' and 'Third Wave' cuts dropping smart and heavy on Tectonic. It's hard not to fall for 'Love In Outer Space', easily one of the most abstract and stylish cuts we've heard from Dave Huismans casuallystepping forward from the minimalism of previous efforts with large splashes of melodic colour strewn across the tipsy-pitched rhythm. On the flip 'Third Wave' is a slightly more standard 2562 cut, but that's no bad thing as this reminds us of his 'Techno Dread' or 'Hijack' tracks with uptempo 4/4s offset by crafty drums and minimised vibes on the keys. Just try and hold yourself back from this!" - Boomkat

Tracklisting:

1 Love In Outer Space (4:55)
2 Third Wave (6:06)

Link

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Kawabata Makoto - Hosanna Mantra



Label: Important Records
Released: 2007
Style: Abstract, Psychedelic Rock

"Guitarist, violinist, performer on numerous traditional instruments, composer, leader of the Acid Mothers Temple, Kawabata Makoto expresses in this solo performance all his mantric cosmical vocations and spins them into space sonorities! He took inspiration from the Popol Vuh album of the seventies Hosianna Mantra, during his visit to A Silent Place headquarters in late Winter 2006. In a sunny Sunday noon spent in the country-side, eating and drinking Apulian specialities and listening to some great experimental records, Makoto and his Italian friends Pierpaolo and Pasquale, took the decision to start this cooperation. A few days later, back in Japan, Makoto recorded the Hosanna Mantra album at the Acid Mothers Temple between March 12th and 13th, using electric guitar, bouzouki and sitar. The result is this new fantastic sound coming from the cosmos. A simple gem of crystalline beauty." - Label

Tracklisting:

1 Scarlet Phenomenon (20:11)
2 Hosanna Mantra (19:32)
3 Door Of Your Enigma (7:06)
4 You Are All Of My Love (7:10)

Link

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Harold Budd - Avalon Sutra



Label: Samadhisound
Released: 2004
Style: Modern Classical, Ambient

"On Avalon Sutra, Budd’s valedictory release, he has created brief, snapshot like compositions, made all the more fragile and impermanent by his glistening piano work, Avalon Sutra has a bittersweet, autumnal quality – the composer’s trademark “loveliness” deepened and perturbed by the brevity of these pieces. If “ambient” music characteristically works to sustain a mood of intimacy, warmth, meditative ecstasy, such moods, which are certainly present in Budd’s work, are never allowed to last too long on Avalon Sutra. There’s a cumulative sadness and beauty to the way that these mood pieces linger briefly, stop and transform into something new. Budd’s gorgeous, angular string arrangements amplify this feeling." - Label

Tracklsting:

1 Arabesque 3 (2:40)
2 It's Steeper Near The Roses (For David Sylvian) (1:02)
3 L'Enfant Perdu (2:14)
4 Chrysalis Nu (To Barney's Memory) (1:59)
5 Three Faces West (Billy Al Bengston's) (2:49)
6 Arabesque 2 (3:02)
7 Little Heart (7:40)
8 How Vacantly You Stare At Me (4:01)
9 A Walk In The Park With Nancy (In Memory) (5:55)
10 Rue Casimir Delavigne (For Daniel Lentz) (5:28)
11 Arabesque 1 (1:56)
12 Porcelain Ginger (2:01)
13 Faraon (1:23)
14 As Long As I Can Hold My Breath (3:47)

The second disc isn't necessary. As Boomkat would say, "Essential Purchase."

Link

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Manuel Göttsching - E2-E4



Label: Inteam GmbH
Released: 1984
Style: Minimal, Ambient, House

"E2-E4, one of the few records Göttsching released under his own name, has earned its place as one of the most important, influential electronic records ever released. It's also the earliest album to set the tone for electronic dance music; simply put, it just sounds like the mainstream house produced during the next two decades. Similar to previous Ashra albums like New Age Of Earth and Blackouts, it does so with a short list of instruments -- just the nominal drum machine and a pulsing guitar line in the background plus some light synthesizer work. What sets it apart from music that came before is a steadfast refusal to follow the popular notions of development in melody and harmony. Instead, E2-E4 continues working through similar territory for close to an hour with an application to trance-state electronics missing from most of the music that preceded it. Though the various components repeat themselves incessantly, it's how they interact and build that determines the sound -- and that's the essence of most electronic dance music, that complex interplay between several repetitive elements." - Allmusic

Tracklisting:

1 Ruhige Nervosität (13:00)
2 Gemäßigter Aufbruch (10:00)
3 ...Und Mittelspiel (7:00)
4 Ansatz (1:00)
5 Damen-Eleganza (5:00)
6 Ehrenvoller Kampf (3:00)
7 Hoheit Weicht (Nicht Ohne Schwung...) (9:00)
8 ...Und Souveränität (3:00)
9 Remis (3:00)

Link

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Ashra - Blackouts



Label: Polydor
Released: 1977
Style: Leftfield, Krautrock, Minimal, Experimental

"Blackouts is a classic CD from Ashra. (As an aside, it is included in the Ambient Three Pack box set along with Aqua by Edgar Froese and Blackdance by Klaus Schulze. While those are all excellent CDs, they are not, by any stretch of any imagination, ambient.) This disc features Manuel Göttsching at his best. His guitar work just glides around dynamic Berlin school sequences. The electric guitar riffs give this album rock & roll overtones. So, classic is the word for this set. It is a classic Berlin school/rock & roll hybrid. The gentle moments are smooth, and the dense moments are heavy. It is a great mix of the two styles." - Allmusic

Tracklisting:

1 77 Slightly Delayed (6:42)
2 Midnight On Mars (6:50)
3 Don't Trust The Kids (3:30)
4 Blackouts (4:18)
5 Shuttle Cock (8:25)
6 Lotus Parts I-IV (16:58)

Link

Popular Posts