I've been spending A LOT of time at the local record shop (Mermaid Music) and I've been getting very interested in local, or at least close, bands. So the other day I picked up my daily Friday haul of records, for Friday is payday, and I went home to listen to some of the pile! On top, still unopened, was this record right here:
Looks good enough, I like the font and the picture shows a MPC, a guy on a keyboard, an acoustic guitar just chillin and a guy taking the picture with flash over his face. Interesting. So I put it on, and this is what I hear:
Wow! A really, really nice mellow acoustic electronic pop song! Right up my alley. I love when album art coincides with the music contained within! Apparently the band is from Santa Monica CA. I'm in Portland, so that's close enough. And hey, it's a local band somewhere right? I just love the idea that some of the artists I will inevitably buy haven't been heard by near anyone. As a musician, that's a damn shame!
With the really poppy drums, interesting high pitched vocals and catchy bass line it really is a near perfect pop song. Makes me wanna do a little dance. It's even got a nice little bit of progression too it also; dropping layers and adding them back in very strategically.
but what a surprise when you flip it over to the B side! It's kind of a crazy name, Breakdown (Version DSMR IV) and I have no idea what DSMR stands for, though maybe IV is for the 4th version or mix? Who knows. Doesn't really matter I suppose! What matters is that it's a toned down acoustic mix of the same song. I can't say it's better or worse, they both shine in totally different amazing ways. I guess you could pick a side based on your mood. That's what I've been doing so far. Here it is!
So I made the absolutley correct descicion of breaking my "no concert" regime. Not only was the show good, it was damn near perfect. And it was all thanks to my pal Ali. Scope his music sometime! www.myspace.com/secretsocietyofgiraffes
But anyways, Ali told me about the show maybe... 2 weeks before. If that. So I was already psyched. How could you not be? Akron/Family!!!! Probably one of the most different amazing 'rock' bands out today. I hadn't been that into them before, just a couple amazing songs i heard here and there, but boy was I missing out. If you haven't heard of em, here's a good example of what they're like:
Since this video, one of the members has left the group, but the epic-ness doesn't go down that much! The show they put on is unbelievable. The show was at Holocene, some small hole in the wall venue in downtown Portland. But I've always preferred small venues. So personal. The band comes on and just rock the fuck out for a little under an hour and a half. The show is a sort of movement back and forth from borderline mosh rock music, to stand in one spot and swaying mellowness. It's incredibly engaging and fun to be immersed in.
My favorite moment would have to be during the beginning of one song, forgive me I don't know what one, they requested the entire audience make animal / weird noises. It was bizarre and unorganized until a small beat comes in. We all find the beat and they build a beautiful song off it. I love a show that engages the audience like that.
They also played 2 new songs, which we were the first to hear! They said they made em on Monday, and the concert was on Saturday. Craziness. I wonder how much they jam?
But before Akron, there was a more amazing band. Atleast in my mind. They are called AU. http://www.myspace.com/peaofthesea This band is exactly the kind of music I'm into right now. Lots of progression, lots of unconventional musical scales and all that good stuff, and lots of NOISE! There's something about a band that can make pure shit sound so good. I got a video of the first song on the set... although the audio is totally blown out. I'll show you anyways, it's still a totally interesting visual:
I'd only heard of these guys when Ali told me about the show. They are one of my top played bands as of right now, and I just ordered 2 of their records on vinyl, so watch out for a review of that soon!
The opening band was Wow & Flutter, a Portland local band. Unfortunately I didn't get to hear anything but the end of their last song because I was outside waiting in line. It was good, nothing to epic in my book though. Scope em if you want! http://www.myspace.com/wowandfluttertheband
All in all, not only was it an amazing show, amazing music, and amazing people... but it was FREE! and we got to talk to AU for a little outside after the show, and they are so mellow. Funny when you look at their music and then them....
Highlight of the night:
So all in all; - Check out Akron/Family - Check out AU
(Email me and I can send you any of their albums. Well almost any...)
Coastal Break - All I have to say is this is the EPITOME OF ELECTRONIC MUSIC AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME. Nothing beats Tycho. His layering techniques, sounds and productions skills are unmatched. I can’t even get into how good this track is, just watch this. Loudly.
See? Just perfection. The tone of bass he chooses? Blows my fucking mind.
The Remix’s - I’ve been really impressed by people’s ability to work with what Tycho, Scott Hansen (Check out his blog ISO50) Dusty Brown and Nautils did amazing work with Tycho;s previous works. So good in-fact they were included on the albums themselves! All of the remixes on this record have something to offer. Each one a little different then the next, but each the same at it’s core. I don’t prefer any of them to another, though I do believe the original is almost untouchable. You’d really have to do some amazing progressive shit and stretch the song out to really improve upon it. At-least in my opinion! If you like Tycho, and you SHOULD!!!!, then buy this. Its showing a more mature, almost more graceful direction in Scott’s music path. Check out his artwork too, the man’s blog is a great read where he shows not only his own but others art, music, whatever!
Oh and Ghostly International is up there with Ninja Tune. I prefer Nina Tune more, but there are some real class acts here on Ghostly International. And they’ve been around for quiet some time, just scope their site and look at some of their acts. You will not be disappointed.
The Keeper (And instrumental) - Ok, I’ve been a fan of Bonobo for years now. This kid is insane. He hops into the chilled out electronica scene with his album “Dial “M” for monkey” when this cat was fucking 18 years old. And, in my opinion, created his own little niche in the spectrum of electronic music. Listen to ANY song of this guys, and you’ll be blown away. His production, his choice of sounds, the ways he makes them play together, and most of all HIS BEATS. Dear god can this buy program a drum sequence! I dream of the day i can even conceptualize and fully understand what goes through people like this heads. But to the song, not only is it Bonobo, who’s sound only gets better with time, but it’s again, Ninja Tune. I really can’t hype this label enough. Everyone go buy everything they make! Anyways, The song starts out with a super jazzy and moody vibraphone, with a head bumping classic bonobo beat. the bass kicks in and perfectly compliments it all. This is a whole song right here, and Andreya hasn’t even blessed the mic yet! And then there she is. A sweet, more medium pitched voice. Just as soulful as the likes of Nina Simone if you ask me. The song carries on in Bonobo’s usual head bumping, brain orgasming demeanor, with classic early 90’s hip hop style beat and layer dropping. The lyrics are perfect. The amount of syllables, the person singing, the meaning; this is songwriting at it’s absolute perfection. The only think i dislike in the entire song, is right when everything is at it’s mellowest and the song it as this small plateau, he breaks it with a high pitched descending ping noise. which you can faintly hear throughout the latter part of the song. The noise is great, when used with more going on. It really broke the mellow moment for me. But he makes up for it with the rest of the song continuing on as before. It’s a very pleasant mix of mild progression, layer dropping and retrieving, that dwindles into silence very easily. The fact he provides just the instrumental is a blessing indeed. I’m tempted to have a friend sing over it and re-work the song. I love artists that leave instrumentals to encourage creativity, and to listen to it if your not in the mood for the vocals. It’s safe to say, if you’ve listened to bonobo before and enjoyed him, you’ll like this. His skills really are developing and maturing, I'm VERY EXCITED to hear his new material whenever it is bestowed upon us.
Redeyes Remix - You can tell it’s the same song, same scales and everything as it starts. But there is a fast little percussion noise in the background. within two measures it turns into a full fledged, quickly paced drum n’ bass drum sequence! What a surprise, and a huge difference from the original mix. Redeyes plays with introducing and bringing back layers and sort of teasing you, then a break down comes, and the vocals really start to come out. It picks back up and a HUGE bass line kicks in. This is straight cocaine music! So upbeat and crazy, but still within Bonobo’s insanely different world somehow. I’m usually not a fan of drum n’ bass, It’s just to much for me, I enjoy more progressive slower music where I can really absorb every note and sound. But I actually really like this. Its light on the vocal work present in the original, but it works out surprisingly well. The rest of the song is playing with, what sounds like about 5 major layers, just moving about one another, with one more big break ahead, and that classic drum n’ bass drop. The bass line is seriously so good though, not only do the notes carry the song well but the first note is light, lets say 50 percent volume, but the next is 100 percent, then a 80ish and then finally a 70ish. It loops very well.
One of my favorite things is not only that it’s 45 rpm, so we get that amazing vinyl quality that just isn’t quiet there in 33rpm, but its 180 gram vinyl also. This stuff is so thick! I can see the record out living me! if you like Bonobo, you’ll like this. I can’t really say you’ll for sure enjoy the remix, but it’s always nice to break your musical bias’ and just let something flow over you. If you like the previews, buy the music! People like Bonobo truly deserve the money they earn for blessing us with this gorgeous music!
To Build A Home - Wow. I bought this album blind, only knowing that Ninja Tune is probably one of my favorite record labels. They are forward thinking with acts like Mr Scruff and Bonobo, and a million others. The music they like is almost exactly what I like. Lots of experimentation, with a VERY moody underlaying layer. This song is a perfect example. It starts out with very slow beautiful piano played by Patrick Watson. Shortly after, he starts singing. And what a voice. Its a very controlled high pitch, soul wrenching tone. His lyrics are amazing. “And I built, a home... For you! For me. Until we disappear from me, from you”. The piano builds more, and the vocals really start getting some soul put into them. It builds until it feels it’s about to boil over, and stops. Back to the beginning piano part. More light singing and beautiful lyrics. Then one last small build up, and we’re done. Wow. This song touches on so many genres, the light strings in the background and the mesmerizingly beautiful and simple bass, it’s pure genius. The piano is, at-least to me, very reminiscent of Phillip Glass. Simple, repetitive, and goes right through you to your deepest emotional core. I would highly suggest this song to almost anyone, there’s really something to like for all!
Breathe - This is a very different song then i was expecting when I turned the record over to side B. One might expect, at-least from never hearing the band minus the previous song, more piano and vocal work. But what a surprise are they in for! the song starts out with a simple acoustic scale descending, then another guitar comes in with a higher pitched melody. Some trippy electronic sounds come in. The song feels scattered, but still together. Then out of no where an amazing deep soulful voice cries out, “Oh this song is singing. Singing in to me. Over everything, I used to be.“ and it all really comes together. The woman's name is Fontella Bass, and this song is an acoustic sort of ode to trip-hop, until the beat breaks in a half disorganized lovely mess for a couple measures and as soon as it’s here is gone, becoming a fully fledged acoustic trip-hop organism. A powerful beat with lots of scattered emotions. Fontella cries out, “Oh that wait. Is liftin’, liftin’ on me. It carries me, out to the sea, and swallows me.” Some acoustic work which feels like it’s winding down, and BOOM! Back to the head bumping beat and even more soulful singing! Again i’ll have to say, the bass is perfectly placed and really helps carry the song throughout. “Breathe out to me. Breathe out to me. Breathe out to me. Breathe out through me. Breathe, in, to meeee, ohhh breathe out” The lyrics on this entire EP are so good I cannot believe it. The song dwindles into nothing with Fontella leading us there.
Colours - Saxophone and a mellow, deep, electronic guitar noise follow each other in a beautiful intertwining ‘chase’ of sorts. the saxophone takes off in a really half funky, half soul small solo with wonderful backing by the guitar before they switch places. Another sax and another guitar come and join the party with a very tiny sounding glockenspiel backing it all. Just as it’s about to get intense, it falls back into a beautiful sort of game between the two instruments. I’m thinking this would be an amazing song for a movie, It’s so emotional! the song continues to dwindle down and et increasingly mellow over the next minute or so until it’s just the acoustic fading away playing a simple loop. I am truly taken aback by this record. With the surprising “Breathe” and the two immensely beautiful other tracks, this really is a bang for your buck. The production on the whole EP is perfect, to my ears at-least, and since it’s a 12” that plays at 45 rpm, you get an even better sound then if it were to be 33 rpm! On my half decent sound system, nothing special, it sounds like the acoustic guitars are in the room, the bass emanating from every corner of my room. And Fontella’s vocals? I swore she was right in front of me, the clarity and mastering is done so well.
All in all, listen to the previews, if you like em, go buy this. Even if you have to settle for an MP3 version of the album, do it! This album has definitely only solidified how amazing of a label Nina Tune is.
Side A 1 - Sally got a one track mind (Edited LP version) 2 - Sally got a one track mind (Showbiz remix)
Side B 1 - Check one, two (LP version) 2 - Sally got a one track mind (Two track beatdown)
The song at it's core, the lyrics, is what a consider to be a perfect hip hop song. It's a story that draws you in with interesting wordplay, amazing delivery and content anyone can relate to. To varying degrees of course. It's the tale of a young woman who lives life the fast, easy and frankly dumb way. She chooses to date men who abuse her because they have money. She's fallen victim to herself. We hear her go from a young woman with promise to just another neighborhood ho. The production was what first lead me to discover Diamond D. His crew, the D.I.T.C. (Diggin in the crates) is literally the cream of the crop of 90's hip hop. Members include Big L, DJ Premier, KRS-ONE, Big Pun, Brand Nubian and many more. Diamond seems to have super crate diggin powers, his ears trained to hear the best samples. Literally play any beat he's produced and you'll see his amazingness. One beat that comes to mine is "feel it", which I will review shortly.
LP1 A1 - Melodica and trombone 6:01 A2 - Drum machines and glockenspeils 13:18
B1 - Cut up piano and xylophone 2:38 B2 - Tone guitar and drum noise 4:43 B3 - Five four child voice 9:21
LP2 A1 - Sample and clicks 2:56 A2 - Drums bass sonics and edit 7:27
B1 - Harmonics 4:07 B2 - Long singing 8:57
The two best songs, by far, are 'Cut up piano and xylophone' and 'Tone guitar and drum noise' Some people consider the album more of an excursion into sound experimentation then an actual 'normal' musical album. While I can totally understand them saying that, this album still comes off on me as an amazing new little niche in the entirety of electonica music. It's use of glitch sounds and breathtaking soundscapes combined with crazy time signatures and abstract percussion is unsurpassed in my experience. Here's a perfect example, the song 'Tone guitar and drum noise':
Granted, it sound much more dynamic and amazing on a proper system, but the Photofact 412 gets the job done. Looks good doin it too!
