4/21: History Always Favours the Winners

There’s a couple of things to which I’d like to direct your attention:

MEGAPOLIS FESTIVAL, APRIL 24-26

The Megapolis Festival is a “celebration of DIY audio creation,” which will feature demonstrations, workshops, performances, lectures, videos, and inventions of various kinds, including a bicycle-powered 8-track player. There’s so much going on that I can’t even begin to name everything. I can, however, direct you to a couple of websites where all the information you could possibly want can be found. Students get into the festival at a reduced rate.  THIS WEBSITE RIGHT HERE is home base for Megapolis, has pricing information, schedules, a blog, and many other things. The Myspace page for Megapolis features a couple of videos, as well as a slightly more organized list of events, speakers, and so on.  Tickets are $45 for the entire event, with students getting in for the reduced cost of $30. Rumor has it that Alvin Lucier is connected to this festival in some way, but you can read about that on the Megapolis website. GO! Now!

V/VM Test Records Has Died and Been Reborn

Things over at V/VM Test Records have changed a lot since we last checked in with them. V/VM Test Records is effectively a dead entity, though all its online material is still available for you to gobble up, much of it free. In its place is the new HISTORY ALWAYS FAVOURS THE WINNERS label, which is re-releasing a ton of music from The Caretaker and V/VM. The Stranger, featured on today’s show, is part of the V/VM entity. Reissues of everything ever recorded by The Caretaker, plus a V/VM retrospective, and new music are all on the way from this label. Please visit the new site and the old site and familiarize yourself with the creative, honest, stubborn, hilarious, and lovely musical entity that is Leyland James Kirby’s brain.

I was happy with this show and am glad to know that a lot of you enjoyed it, too. Thank you for your kind comments and for your support.

Please pass the word along and let more people know about Laughter.

More soon.

Love,
Me.

DOWNLOADS – Hour 1 is Part 1 of 2

DOWNLOADS – Hour 2 is the Second Hour of 2 Total Hours

01. Burial “Archangel” from Untrue (2007) on Hyperdub

02. Rechenzentrum “Planet Janet” from Rechenzentrum (2000) on Kitty-yo

03. Amon Tobin “Four Ton Mantis” from Supermodified (2000) on Ninja Tune

04. Philip Jeck “Above” from Stoke (2002) on Touch

05. The Residents “Birth” from Eskimo (1979) on Euro Ralph

06. Timber Timbre “Trouble Comes Knocking” from Timber Timbre (2009) on Out of This Spark

07. James Blackshaw “Cross” from The Glass Bead Game (2009) on Young God

08. Barn Owl “The White Mountain Filled with Light” from From Our Mouths A Perpetual Light (2009) on Digitalis Recordings — originally released in 2008 on Not Not Fun Records

09. Crystal Antlers “Glacier” from Tentacles (2009) on Touch & Go

10. Blood Money “Peri” from Blood Brotherhood (2009) on Killer Pimp

11. Xingu Hill + Squaremeter “Dim of Light” from This Anxious Space (2002) on Hymen

12. Ulterior “15” from Kempers Heads (2009) on Killer Pimp

13. The Stranger “Exposure” from Bleaklow (2008) on V/Vm Test Records

14. Einstürzende Neubauten “Fiat Lux” from Haus der Luege (1989) on Mute

15. Scannerfunk “Light Turned Down” from Wave of Light by Wave of Light (2000) on Sulpher

16. The Human League “The Black Hit of Space” from Travelogue (1980) on Virgin Records

17. Kraftwerk “Trans Europe Express / Metal on Metal” from Minimum-Maximum (2005) on EMI

18. Nebulo “Automnal” from Kolia (2006) on Hymen

Jack Rose, “I Do Play Rock and Roll”

In 1969, Mississippi Fred McDowell plugged in an electric guitar, and like Bob Dylan just a few years earlier, alienated many purists who could not fathom such radical change. So as not to encourage any ambiguity or doubt, McDowell’s first electric record was titled I Do Not Play No Rock ‘n’ Roll. Whether or not Jack Rose is trying to cure ambiguities of his own with this record is unclear, but it is obvious that he’s ready to move into new territory.

Classifying Rose as a pure revivalist has never made much sense, especially considering the scope of his career. Pelt, for instance, was too extravagant and free-spirited to be pigeonholed and his solo output is highly varied despite the fact that John Fahey is the only name I hear associated with him. He is indebted to Leo Kottke and Robbie Basho as much as he is to John Fahey. Perhaps to the untrained ear all these influences will sound similar, but ask any guitarist or pull up any Google search on the topic and you’ll get a taste of Rose’s diversity. His music exists somewhere between the epic scope of Indian-influenced instrumental music and the roots music of American blues and folk. He is equally cosmic and terrestrial in all that he does and tends to shy away from extremes. It is for this reason that his Three Lobed release sticks out as an oddity. Compiled from live performances in Chicago, Amsterdam, and Pennsylvania, I Do Play Rock and Roll witnesses Rose moving away from his ragtime and blues-inspired mode in order to re-encounter the the hallucinatory and hypnotic power of his early solo output. Truth be told, such experimentation and diversity was present on Dr. Ragtime and His Pals and Kensington Blues, but on I Do Play… the rolling and ethereal qualities of which Rose is capable dominate the comparatively relaxed and familiar sounds of American folk music with which he is so often associated.

To this extent it is difficult to understand why Rose thinks this album has anything to do with rock and roll. His phrasing, tone, and predeliction for intricacy all betray any ties to rock music, not to mention obvious things like the lack of lyrics and regular rhythms. Rose’s playing sort of rambles along: it sometimes mumbles and sometimes explodes with clarity and memorable melodies, but it never dissolves into pure improvisation. On “Calais to Dover,” which originally appeared on Kensington Blues in an abbreviated form, Rose often falls into introspective movements where quickly fingered rhythms acquire a wave-like quality, rolling as they do in splashes of force and emphasis. His focus is mostly rhythmic throughout the piece and though clear melodies exist, rhythm nevertheless asserts itself as the primary element, forcing the ear to listen for metered patterns instead of melodic or harmonic ones. This song is far and away the best piece on the record and it is arguably its center. “Cathedral et Chartres,” also from Kensington Blues, isn’t half as long as “Calais to Dover” and runs only a fraction of the time that “Sundogs” does. It is more pastoral and gentle than either tune and, in some ways, occupies its place on the record only to provide relief between the two extremes found on the other songs.

If this album’s title is to have any meaning whatsoever, it is to be found somewhere on “Sundogs,” the album’s final song. It’s a 20-plus minute, high-pitched drone apparently extracted from one or more of Rose’s guitars. It is cold, steely, and a little frightening with little variation. It provides practically no insight into what Rose might be doing and is generally mystifying from start to finish. There are audible coughs on the recording and it isn’t difficult to imagine a few confused and perturbed audience members shuffling about, wondering what it is that Rose is trying to accomplish. In fact, I feel this way listening to the recording. It serves up dark introspection and creeping dread in massive doses, but is the complete antithesis of everything else on the record. Sounding like the complete obliteration of everything Rose has done in the last few years, “Sundogs” is both enjoyable and a little frustrating. Whether or not Rose is signalling a new beginning or simply throwing his listeners something different is up for debate. One thing is clear: if Jack Rose thinks he’s playing rock and roll, it’s because he’s thinking about McDowell and Dylan and what happened when they decided to plug in and change their approach a little.

—

I Do Play Rock and Roll might be hard to find. It was released on Three Lobed.
Samples available at Brainwashed.com

4/13: Monday the 13th

Black Moth Super Rainbow… uh… making music.

Monday the 13th turned out to be a fine day for me, with Tuesday the 14th bringing malfunctioning equipment and an overall poor show. You can find the show for the 14th if you’d like to do so, but I’m not going to post it because I disliked it so much. That’ll teach me to play things with which I am not familiar. Seems like rock ‘n’ roll sucks more than ever, especially among these super-ironic, happy-go-lucky rich kids who play music in order to affirm that, yes, they’re hip. I shouldn’t say rock ‘n’ roll sucks, it’s just that popular “indie” crap. Does that label even mean anything any more?

In any case, the 13th was fun and the show is posted below.

Expect a review of a Jack Rose album to be posted, tonight. Lots of new music popping up recently, but I’ve only been able to get around to some of it thanks to the end of the school year. Black Moth Super Rainbow’s new record sounds as though it’s going to be a winner, but Black Dice have released another record with which I am mostly unsatisfied. I featured a song from both bands, so give the show a listen if you’re interested in either and haven’t downloaded/bought their records, yet. I hope to feature more new music in the coming weeks, but if there’s anything you’ve heard lately and that you’d like to hear on the show, shoot me an email. I always like suggestions, even if I ended up disliking them.

Hope you enjoy the mix. I’ll talk to you on Tuesday.

DOWNLOAD, HOUR 1 is for the first segment of the show

DOWNLOAD, HOUR 2 represents what was played after the first hour

01. Squarepusher “Coopers World” from Hard Normal Daddy (1997) on Warp

02. Black Moth Super Rainbow “Twin of Myself” from Eating Us (2009) on Graveface Records

03. Nurse With Wound “Untitled 12” from Rat Tapes 1 (2006) on United Dairies

04. Black Dice “Night Creme” from Repo (2009) on Paw Tracks

05. Aphex Twin “Metal Grating (CD 2, Song 3)” from Selected Ambient Works Volume II (1994) on Sire

06. Brian Eno “King’s Lead Hat” from Before and After Science (1984) on BMI

07. Autechre “19 Headaches” from Peel Sessions 2 (2000) on Warp

08. Venetian Snares “XIII’s Dub” from Cavalcade of Glee and Dadaist Happy Hardcore Pom Poms (2006) on Planet Mu

09. Senking “Maybe” from Tap (2003) on Raster-noton

10. Trans Am “Home Security” from The Surveillance (1998) on Thrill Jockey

11. Bohren & Der Club of Gore “Destroying Angels” from Black Earth (2004) on Ipecac

12. Coil Vs. ELpH “Protection” from Born Again Pagans (1994) on Eskaton

13. Scorn “Dreamspace” from Evanescence (1995) on Earache

14. The Legendary Pink Dots “The Shock of Contact” from Island of Jewels (1989) on Play It Again Sam

15. Terminal Sound System “Ghost Summer” from Compressor (2007) on Extreme

16. To Rocco Rot & I-sound “From Dream to Daylight” from Music Is a Hungry Ghost (2001) on Mute

17. Troum “Sigquan Part 1 (Excerpt)” from Sigquan (2002) on Desolation House

18. Thuja “9” from Ghost Plants (2002) on Emperor Jones

19. Rapoon “Hear Not Here (Excerpt)” from Errant Angels (1996) on Soleilmoon

4/7: Windy & Carl Tour with Benoit Pioulard

I am very excited to tell you that Windy & Carl are touring this year and even more excited that Thomas Meluch of Benoit Pioulard is joining them. Brainwashed has the info on the tour, which begins on the 22nd of April in London, Ontario and proceeds down the east coast for the majority of the tour. However, if you don’t like to click links, I’ve provided the tour dates and info below. Instead of trying to write a whole lot about one of my favorite bands, I suggest you download the show and listen to the second half with extra care. Windy & Carl are amazingly diverse and can do everything from pure ambient drone to fuzzed out, dreamy pop that puts most popular shoegaze bands to shame.

Stop reading, download the show. Go see Windy & Carl with Benoit Pioulard.

More updates coming, soon!

(From Brainwashed.com) —

April 22 – London, ON – the convention center theatre
300 york street
doors will be at 8:00 with the show starting at 9:00.
the cost is $10 advanced (tickets available at grooves records) and $12 at the door.
first night of the tour! lambs, benoit, w&c – expect 90 plus minutes of w&c

April 23 -  Toronto, ON – WhipperSnapper Art Gallery
587 A College St
Cost:$12.00
windy & carl, benoit pioulard, lambs laughter – all ages show

April 24 – Ithaca, NY – The Shop
312 E. Seneca St.
Cost:$7.00
windy & carl, benoit pioulard, lambs laughter – all ages show

April 25 – Haverford College, PA – Lunt Basement
College Lane and Carter Road
Cost:$5.00
windy & carl, benoit pioulard, lambs laughter – all ages show

April 26 – New Haven, CT – Sundazed @ Bar
254 Crown St
Cost:free
windy & carl, benoit pioulard, lambs laughter – this show is 21 and up

April 27 – Tufts University, Boston (Medford), MA – Oxfam Cafe
Basement of Miller Hall, 210 Packard Avenue
Cost:free
windy & carl, benoit pioulard, lambs laughter – this show is 18 and over

April 28 – New York, NY – Le Poisson Rouge
158 Bleecker Street
Cost:$12.00
windy & carl, benoit pioulard, lambs laughter – all ages show

April 30 – Richmond, VA – The Triple
3306 W. Broad St
18 and over
tickets $6

May 1 – Ashville, NC – Bebe Theatre
20 commerce st
Cost:$10.00
lambs, benoit, w&c all ages

May 2 – Atlanta, GA – 529
529 Flat Shoals Ave SE
Cost:$8.00
windy & carl, benoit pioulard, lambs laughter, lyonnais – this show is 21 and up

May 3 – Lexington, KY – Bullhorn
800 N Limestone
Cost:$3
1-Caboladies 2-Lambs Laughter 3-Benoit Pioulard 4-Windy & Carl – all ages show

May 8 – Detroit, MI – UFO Factory
eastern market
Cost:not sure
more than likely just windy & carl – expect a really long set……..bring a pillow and expect to stay a long time

DOWNLOAD: Hour 1
DOWNLOAD: Hour 2

01. Electrelane “I’m on Fire” from On Parade (2001) on Too Pure

02. Trans Am “Koln” from You Can Always Get What You Want (2000) on Thrill Jockey

03. VVV “Desperate Fa Tha Miracle” from Endless (1998) on Blast First

04. The Sound “Physical World” from Propaganda (1999) on Renascent Records — recorded 1979

05. Lotus Plaza “What Grows” from The Floodlight Collective (2009) on Kranky

06. Starlight Mints “Cracker Jack” from The Dream That Stuff Was Made Of (2000) on Seethru Broadcasting

07. Lee Hazelwood “Pray Them Bars Away” from Cowboy in Sweden (1999) on Smells Like Records — originally composed in 1970

08. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy “Afraid Ain’t Me” from Beware (2009) on Drag City

09. Ida “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere” from Ten Small Places (1997) on Simple Machines

10. Dirty Old Man River “City of New Orleans” from Ageless (2000) on Radial Records

11. Scout Niblett “Nevada” from This Fool Can Die Now (2007) on Too Pure

12. Alastair Galbraith “Green Dream” from CRY (2000) on Emperor Jones

13. Dead Meadow “Ain’t Got Nothing (To Go Wrong)” from Old Growth (2008) on Matador

14. Benoit Pioulard “Ragged Tint” from Temper (2008) on Kranky

15. Lambs Laughter “Tuesday Edit” from Brainwaves 2008 (2008) on Brainwashed Recordings

16. Windy & Carl “Lighthouse” from Drawing of Sound (1996) on Icon Records

17. Windy & Carl “Ode to Spaceman” from Portal (1995) on Ba Da Bing!

18. Benoit Pioulard “Triggering Back” from Precis (2006) on Kranky

19. Windy & Carl “I Have Been Waiting to Hear Your Voice” from The Dream House (2005) on Kranky

20. Windy & Carl “Green” from Introspection (2002) on Blue Flea — originally released in 1996

21. Benoit Pioulard “Hesperus” from Temper (2008) on Kranky

22. Windy & Carl “Antarctica (Excerpt)” from Antarctica (1997) on Darla

3/31: Year of the Pimp

Photograph by Christy Romanick

As promised, I played a song from each of the five new Killer Pimp records this week, which are now available through various sources, including the KP website. If you don’t know a thing about KP, you’re missing out on a lot of great music. Back in 2001, KP released a record from Kate Mosh (aka Panacea/Mathis Moots/M2). It was heavy, dark, beat-filled electronic music that got some love from Aquarius, but was generally missed by people because Pitchfork didn’t cover it. Your loss. Years later A Noise/Girl record and Blood Money release came out on KP and, once more, two very good records hit an audience not ready for them. That Noise/Girl record is particularly vicious, features artwork by the infamous Trevor Brown, and is complimented by a disco remix from hell that kicks as much ass as Bruce Lee did.

Then KP came upon A Place to Bury Strangers and fell in love. I know you know who they are, so I won’t say too much about them except that their album helped KP earn the recognition it deserved. From there the label went into full activity and released a superb record from All the Saints and Lithops, all within a couple of short and quick years.

That’s all history, though. Two-thousand and nine is the year of the Pimp. Five records have been released this year and some are already close to selling out:

• Aidan Baker & Thisquietarmy, A Picture of a Picture
• Blood Money, Blood Brotherhood
• Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words, Lost in Reflections
• Envenomist, The Helix
• Ulterior, Kempers Heads

Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words already got a record of the week nod over at Aquarius, the Baker & Thisquietarmy release is nearly gone from KP, and the others are apparently following suit. I’ll have something to write up about each of them, soon, but for now trust me when I tell you each one is worth your dime. That Ulterior record is utterly brutal and features some great, greasy, grimy, dirty rock music complimented by Skinny Puppy and Pan Sonic-type beats and more than a little attitude. Envenomist’s record continues David Reed’s streak of dark, powerful noise records, and the Blood Money record features one of the most impressive and unique vocal performances I’ve heard from a noise band. Mark my words, Killer Pimp will have more than one record featured on everyone’s year-end list once December rolls around.

Also featured this week was some found-sound material recorded and edited by Boston-native Rick Breault. He’s since supplied me with a more refined and arranged record built upon his recordings throughout the Northeast. You can expect to hear more of his music in the coming weeks and hopefully I can get an interview out of him.

Thank you for your comments, emails, requests, and questions. It makes me very happy to know so many of you are listening regularly and enjoying the program.

I will talk you again on Tuesday. Make sure to check out the reviews posted below and keep an eye out for further reviews. I promise you I’m working on them every chance I get.

This is a Download: THEE FIRST HOUR, FOR YOU!
Another one: SECOND HOUR COMES SECOND!

01. Ulterior “The Death of Everything” from Kempers Heads (2009) on Killer Pimp

02. Pan Sonic “Pakoisvoima / Fugalforce” from Kesto (234.48:4) (2004) on Mute

03. Throbbing Gristle “Hot on the Heels of Love” from Greatest Hits (1990) on Mute

04. Delarosa & Asora “Airbrush (Clogged)” from Crush the Sight Seers (2002) on Peerineel

05. Pole “Bushes [There Is a Secret Behind]” from Pole (2003) on Mute

06. Blood Money “Secret Rapture” from Blood Brotherhood (2009) on Killer Pimp

07. Dead Letters Spell out Dead Words “In Crowded Rooms, On Empty Streets” from Lost in Reflections (2009) on Killer Pimp

08. Land of Kush “The Light Over the Ranges” from Against the Day (2009) on Constellation

09. Pomassl “Terawatt Hours” from Spare Parts (2007) on Raster-noton

10. Coil “Slur” from Horse Rotorvator (1986) on Thershold House

11. Envenomist “The 11th Hour” from The Helix (2009) on Killer Pimp

12. Rick Breault “Yah” from Spy Punks (2009) on Self Released

13. Deathprod “Dead People’s Things” from Morals and Dogma (2004) on Rune Grammofon

14. Rick Breault “Cicadda Riddim” from Spy Punks (2009) on Self Released

15. Faust Vs. Dälek “Remnants” from Derbe Respect, Alder (2003) on Staubgold

16. Aidan Baker & Thisquietarmy “Loss of Perspective” from A Picture of a Picture (2009) on Killer Pimp

17. Fennesz “Instrument 1” from Field Recordings 1995-2002 (2002) on Touch

18. Polmo Polpo “Requiem For a Fox (Excerpt)” from Like Hearts Swelling (2003) on Constellation

Arbouretum, “Song of the Pearl”

Led by Dave Heumann, Arbouretum doesn’t beat around the bush. Out of the gate they make it very clear exactly what rock ‘n’ roll means to them: huge melodies, rolling rhythms, noisy solos, and few introspective moments for good measure. Over eight concise songs, the band wrings the guitar for everything its worth and then some.

There’s nothing very complicated about Song of the Pearl and that’s a great part of its appeal. The opening song, “False Spring,” launches the album into epic rock ‘n’ roll territory without a hiccup or second thought. With its galloping rhythm and soaring vocal melodies, Arbouretum start with a clear musical declaration and they never deviate from it. They’re not as psychedelic on this record as one might expect, but what they lack in hallucinatory power they more than make up for with pure muscle and great songwriting. In fact, every song on here benefits from the band’s tight and direct approach. The bass lines are thick and impenetrable, the solos are more chaotic than structured, and the verses are potent slabs of syncopated rhythm. Heumann contributes line after line of confident singing, too; his lyrics are vividly and potently delivered on each song, sounding a bit more bold than he did on Rites of Uncovering. This group has the same kind of untamed and messy power you’d expect from a band like Crazy Horse, but there’s some very un-garage influences on the record.

Song of the Pearl isn’t just a brute force experience. The first half of the album is smoky and atmospheric; blues and folk music both figure heavily into the songs that follow “False Spring.” The title song is reminiscent of Fairport Convention in some ways, with elegant string arrangements supporting Heumann’s sentimental lyrics and the band’s clean, simple accompaniment. In contrast, “Another Hiding Place” is a simmering electric piece that rests on the strength of a strong rhythm section and simple vocals; it never quite erupts, but it isn’t a powerhouse of a song in the way that some of the other tunes are. The point is that the album starts big, but is kept tight and diverse thanks to the numerous approaches Arbouretum bring to their guitar-centric songwriting.

The second half of the album is where all the driving energy of the first song continues. On “Infinite Corridors,” drummer Daniel Franz is let loose; his cascading fills and nuanced dynamics add a great deal to this song. Not content to simply keep time, his contributions mean just as much to Song of the Pearl as the guitars do. His drumming from start to finish is considerate and economical; with repeated listening it becomes obvious just how much he adds to the music. The record concludes with a stunning take on Bob Dylan’s “Tomorrow is a Long Time.” Keeping the original’s brooding and lonely quality, Arbouretum amplify it and lend a deep, doom-like rumble to its quietude. Reverberating guitars carry the song’s lead melody into slow, lonesome territory and those ringing strings help close the album on a desolate and retrospective note. It’s a very affecting song and one of the best on the record. If any complaints can be made, it’s that some of the production is a little flat. The upbeat songs on the disc all share a similar aesthetic, which is to be expected, but had the production been opened up a little bit the album might have benefitted.

Song of the Pearl is available on Thrill Jockey
Sound samples available at Brainwashed.com

Tim Hecker, “An Imaginary Country”

Tim Hecker’s music is physical and concussive, but its effects radiate on several levels and manipulate something more primal than flesh alone. For close to an hour the music on this disc invades and purges the human core with vibrating melodies and crashing distortion: An Imaginary Country features Hecker doing what he does best.

Hecker understands the value of balance in abstract music. Throughout his career he has explored the often indescribable places that exist between completely abstract noise, blissful drone, and carefully sequenced melody and rhythm. An Imaginary Country is a continuation of the sound developed over the course of Harmony in Ultraviolet, but with an eye towards vignettes. Whereas his last record flowed in one continuous and throbbing motion, Hecker’s newest fades in and out of consciousness and concentrates on developing a broader array of sounds and ideas. Taking the title of the album seriously, it isn’t hard to imagine each of these songs as an impressionistic detail of a landscape in Hecker’s mind. Instead of focusing on long, slowly developing ideas and shapeless clouds of song, Hecker has decided to temper his music with abrupt shifts, slow fades, and unexpected transformations: a more concentrated and diverse album is the result. The song titles bear the landscape idea out as many of them carry names you might find in an atlas or on a trail map. However, instead of physical locations, Hecker maps out emotional and spiritual terrain by offering subtle and extravagant sounds in measured portions.

The music’s basic elements are hot noise and buried melody. Fat bass pulses, unending string drones, guitar-esque noise solos, hiss, and blankets of  other electronic sounds make up the bulk of this record, with silence existing only between the tracks. Hecker’s arrangements are dense without sounding busy and they rely on deceptive movements to work their magic. Distinct melodies and rhythms populate many of the songs, but they’re so repetitive and completely woven into the fabric of the record that they disappear whenever your attention wavers for a second. Radio distortion and bent frequencies eradicate structure and sensibility throughout the record, but at no point does the music fall apart and turn into a mass of unintelligible and undisciplined noise. In fact, the album thrives on the tension between intelligibility and senselessness without ever reaching for either extreme. Each song is very relaxing, but some are particularly hypnotic and play out like electric sirens. Others reward a concentrated listening; all of the minor details that are packed onto this record reinforce its beauty and complexity. An Eno-like playfulness is evident on more than a few of these songs. Another Green World this is not, but Hecker is definitely flirting with that kind of creativity and conceptual framework. “Pond Life” is especially reminiscent of the pictographic nature of that album. Its varied and unpredictable sounds wiggle and gyrate like the kind of life forms you’d expect to find at the bottom of a small body of water. The entire album is life-like in a similar fashion, though Hecker’s musical world is far more dominated by landmarks than by biology.

Appreciated superficially or carefully, An Imaginary Country is a deeply satisfying record. Fully formed songs like “Borderlands” and “Paragon Point” convey and sustain an emotional heft that has become increasingly rare in abstract electronic music. Other songs, like “The Inner Shore” and “Pond Life,” convey their power in more subtle and playful ways. I’ve listened to this record for the last two months and have found something new and exciting about it with nearly each listen. I’ve gone to sleep with it playing, listened to it at work, studied with it, written to it, attempted a review twice, and I’ve still not managed to make myself sick of it. I’ve been excited by a couple records already this year, but this is one of the few that sounds absolutely essential to me.

An Imaginary Country is available on Kranky
Sound samples can be found at Brainwashed.com

Nadja, “Skin Turns to Glass”

Released way back in the earlier part of 2008, I stupidly skipped over this improved reissue of a scarce and rarely discussed entry in the ever-expanding Nadja discography. Aidan Baker and Leah Buckareff rearranged and re-recorded each song for this release, which is easily one of their most listenable and memorable releases to date.

“Sandskin” begins the record with the kind of indistinguishable and formless buzz typical of most drone-rock outfits. It is pretty, involving, and utterly elastic. Imagining the various and distinct sounds as a unified mass is only a matter of letting the mind slip so that it can confuse the song’s various features. When the rhythmic pounding that typifies the rest of the track first erupts, it spawns a dizzying effect. All the various parts (guitar, bass, drums, unidentifiable noise) seem wholly unrelated: the drums don’t match the buzzing ambiance and the buzzing ambiance is at odds with the guitar wails that generate most the song’s forward motion. Over time these differences gel and Nadja proudly display their rock ‘n’ roll muscle. Chugging riffs, massive distortion, memorable melodies, and slow, deliberate arrangements are all Baker and Buckareff need to be compelling; the balls-to-the-wall character of this album is founded on that simplicity. Nadja rock on this record and forgo many of the qualities that often cause writers and fans to describe them as experimental.

Still, there are plenty of devices employed on Skin Turns to Glass by which the duo obscures their heavy metal formula. Baker’s guitars have a tendency to imitate analog synthesizers and the textured distortion that coats each of the four songs on Skin Turns to Glass resembles the sort of noise one might expect from Richard Pinhas or an artist on Touch. Crunchy, over-driven gusts of sound are as much a part of the record as piano-like melodies, heavy riffs, and pounding rhythms. Baker’s solos disappear into nets of granular echo and spacious guitar reverb only to re-emerge and die a glorious, electronic death; an entire song dissolves into hushed waves of trembling strings and distorted, ambivalent moans take center stage as often as distinct instruments do. The tension created by emphasizing chaotic noise and sensible arrangements in equal doses is part of what gives this record its substantial depth. It is also what characterizes Nadja’s best music.

If anything interrupts this record’s consistent and potent delivery, it’s the untitled closing song. It runs for nearly a half hour without doing much but humming indistinctly at a low volume. It isn’t until the song is nearly over that the driving rock elements present everywhere else on the record return and conclude the album properly. While this song may have fit on another, more abstract Nadja record, it serves only to distract and debilitate on this one. Without it, Skin Turns to Glass is a wholly coherent and consistent record rooted into the power and clarity of rock music. The duo didn’t need to include “Untitled” for the album to be complete. For that reason it sounds more like a curiosity than a proper part of the album.

Skin Turns to Glass is available on The End
Sound samples are available at Brainwashed.com