FofR MP3 Audio Blog

Judee Sill, Live Performances

2007-06-21T14:38:00.000Z

Jesus was a Cross maker

The Kiss

Catherine Howe

2007-04-18T19:10:00.000Z

Wow, this Numero Group keeps getting better and better. I truly recommend their collections. This is a track from disc 12 in their repertoire NUM012, the album is called "What a Beautiful Place" and was originally released in 1971 but fell into obscurity until now.

Title: 13. In The Hot Summer
Artist: Catherine Howe
Album: What A Beautiful Place

"The first ever compact disc issue of Catherine Howe's brilliant debut album. Produced by legendary jazz pianist Bobby Scott, the album is a pastoral blend of English countryside folk and London orchestral pop, not unlike Bryter Layter or North Star Grassman And The Ravens. Originally released on Reflection Records in 1971, the much sought after album disappeared before ever hitting the racks. Booklet includes half a dozen unpublished photos and an anotated history of the album's brief existence. The fully remastered album includes an unearthed bonus track originally intended to be included on the album."

Numero Group: The Majestic Arrows

2007-04-14T13:26:00.000Z

...Enter the Numero Group. Founded by Tom Lunt, Rob Sevier, and Ken Shipley in 2003, the three self-proclaimed "record obsessives" decided to approach the record business backwards. No corporate hierarchy; no company stationary. Just a big pile of music that no one had ever heard of.

The mission was simple: to dig deep into the recesses of our record collections with the goal of finding the dustiest gems begging to be released from their exile on geek street. No longer would $500 singles sit in a temperature-controlled room dying for a chance to be played. No more would the artists, writers, and entrepreneurs who made these records happen go unknown and unappreciated.

Numero releases are sound with substance, living at the nexus of song and story. Scrupulously researched, painstakingly re-mastered, and with an attention to detail that is unmatched in the reissue field, the end result is a top-of-the-line compact disc.

There is no "Numero" sound; instead, Numero offers an aesthetic. A shelf of Numero discs feels less like a "record collection" and more like a library. The library to date is a mix of thrift shop soul, skinny tie pop, Belizean funk, and hillbilly gospel. Numero makes records for people who may have everything from indigenous Central American drumming to Canadian chanteuses stacked next to their CD players.

This track is from their third release "Eccentric Soul: The Bandit Label" and this particular track is towards the end - merely a rehearsal. I instantly fell in love with this song, I implore you to listen to it.

Title: 18. If I Had A Little House (Rehearsal)
Artist: The Majestic Arrows
Album: Eccentric Soul: The Bandit Label

Clint Mansell, The Fountain

2007-04-13T18:19:00.000Z

I'm just using this little post to upload one of the sexiest songs I have heard in a long time whilst trying out some new code generation techniques to make posting mp3 previews a little quicker and more fluid:

Title: 09. Deat is the Road to Awe
Artist: Clint Mansell
Album: The Fountain

Midnight Euphonies 2

2007-02-27T20:01:00.000Z

My second mix tape for you all. I've gone for the dark haunting lullaby-noise theme that celebrates both the fear and wonder of the night. I let loose some of the scarier tracks in this, so be warned.

My Midnight Euphonies (Vol. 1)

2007-01-05T12:41:00.000Z

Wixel

2006-12-05T20:01:00.000Z

A Last.FM free download once again. This time from my friend and respected music maker Wixel otherwise known as Wim.

This track is called "A December Goodbye" and is from the "Heart" release. It is 7 minutes of bliss and is one of my favourites from the album:

8 tracks of melancholic acoustic guitars and warm electronics - a very personal and introspective record that might remind you of bands like the notwist, the remote viewer, xela, album leaf, de portables; the cd comes in a carton box with a beautiful poster!

For latest release details and tour information I suggest heading over to the official Wixel site.

Listen with Xela

2006-11-18T00:30:00.000Z

We have all succumbed to the exquisite resonance of divine melody and rhythm and we have each revelled in its poignant effects. There is an undeniable calmness when smooth sinuous vocals meld with graceful ensemble, a benign comfort if you will. An equally powerful and supposed opposite coexists. Discordant beats that follow no recognisable outline force a mental agitation. Hesitant underlying noise provides an aural battering that the brain endeavours yet ultimately fails to interpret. Now envisage a faultless amalgamation of these two dissimilar themes, an oxymoronic proposition?

I was introduced to a mix tape entitled “Listen with Xela” in August 2004. Xela, also known as John Twells, may be likened to the electronic masterminds Four Tet and Fennesz. Boomkat, an English independent music specialist issued this album as part of their ongoing mix collection, garnished as follows:

“An out of focus world of modified symphonies, alien soundtracks and smokey jazz basements […] - for late night loveliness, the selection just doesn’t get any better……or more inspired.”

This was my first experience of “dissonant euphony”. I had discovered music that could utterly horrify me before effortlessly bringing me to serenity. “Listen with Xela” merges the fear of the night with the wonder of the stars and remains an unsurpassed midnight soundtrack.

Time to say so long, it won’t be too long. Good Night

1.edward artemiev - solaris part i (bach) (toei music)
2.carbon framework - krane (unreleased)
3.night of the living dead OST - driveway to the cemetary (varese saraband)
4.goblin - jane mirror theme (dagored)
5.goodiepal - flap nipper main (skipp)
6.midaircondo - serenade (type)
7.kenji kawai - the ring (pony canyon)
8.julee cruise - up in flames (warner bros.)
9.max richter - iconography (fatcat)
10.angelo badelamenti - generique : marcello (philips)
11.susanna and the magical orchestra - sweet devil (rune grammofon)
12.doris day - time to say goodnight
13.philip jeck - wholesome (touch)
14.akira rabelais - buciumeana (ritornell)
15.angelo badalamenti - mulholland drive (milan)
16.signer - night is blurred (involve/carpark)
17.julien neto - one (type)
18.svarte greiner - radar sound (unreleased)
19.fennesz - transit (with david sylvian) (touch)
20.carter burwell - fargo, north dakota (tvt)
21.susumu yokota - lapus lazuli (leaf)
22.john carpenter - dark star (varese)
23.porn sword tobacco - pinkys (city centre offices)
24.cocteau twins - otterley (4ad)
25.david lynch and peter ivers - in heaven (lady in the radiator song) (IRS)
26.goldmund - solaris part i. (bach) (unreleased)

I dearly wish for this to come back into print.

Halim El-Dabh

2006-11-14T20:39:00.000Z

Much like in the discovery of the decaying Victorian-life films of Mitchell and Kenyon, came the unearthing of a series of experimental sounds by Halim El-Dabh recorded through 1944 to 1959. The particular electronic concoction responsible for my wide eyed grin is the “Wire Recorder Piece” (1944), a two minute paranormal head-fuck (to be frank) that predates the first known ‘techno’ track by two years, this is the track available above. A surmise of the ghostly atmosphere seems futile; it is the soundtrack of an asylum; echoes of lost voices rebound from cold sterile surfaces as if evoked by the dead. Indiana Jones has unveiled the holy grail of noise; it is ghastly and awe-inspiring.

A collection of these old tapes were released under the misguiding upbeat moniker of “Crossing into the Magnetic Electronic”. The first nine tracks continue in the same vein as the recorder piece – an exploration of the institute if you will. “Michael and the dragon” passes an operating theatre testing a new electro-shock-therapy procedure – a deathly wail is detained by the reverberations of alternating current that charges and condemns; “Meditation in White Sound” sees a padded cell and straight jacket, a drugged out invalid reeling from whatever it is he is reeling from. “Pirouette” sees a rusted wheeled bed pass us complete with restraining cuffs and stained sheets. The tall murky windows, high ceilings and smell of disinfectant are all too apparent in “Element, Being and Primeval”. To say that I am painting a picture too bleak is to say that medical holes in the trenches of The Great War lacked hygiene. “Electronics and the word” is our final therapy session with the doctor before “Venice” sees our brief epiphany.

Oliven Messiaen

2006-11-14T20:23:00.000Z

Volume 4 is the latest in the Anthology of Noise compilations, a series that reveals and narrates the hidden tale of an ambiguous Noise genre. This time it boasts a history of noise that can be traced back as far as 1937, a certain track by Olivier Messiaen, a haunting seven minute Oraison performed by the Ensemble d’Ondes Martenot de Montréal. This collection is significant for this track alone; to listen to the sounds of a magical long lost experiment is humbling; for it would be decades before Messiaen’s piece found itself a home alongside the Basinski-like electronic soundscape compositions of what is now the 21st century. The usual comment “ahead of its time” would not do it justice, this is motor cars in the time of chariots, this is the Wizard of Oz in full motion picture colour before the advent of film.

You can find this track on the "Early Gurus of Electronic Music" compilation that I also recommend.

Joanna Newsom

2006-11-14T19:44:00.000Z

Joanna Newsom's latest album "Ys" is currently doing the rounds on my foobar whilst being widely praised throughout the indie and alternative music scene. At the moment "Emily" is my favourite but that will likely change with time. To celebrate here's a live performance of my favourite track from her debut, "Milk Eyed Mender" and it's called "Clam Crab Cockle Cowrie". This was performed in Japan in October of last year.

Flight of the Navigator

2006-11-12T21:04:00.000Z

Time for a trip down nostalgia lane, here comes Alan Silvestri's main title to the classic 80s film "Flight of the Navigator". I get some strange kick seeing that dog catch the frisbee as the music starts up and the movie begins.

Max: I crashed into electrical towers and my star charts were erased. I need the ones in your head to complete my mission. David: So you need ME and my inferior brain to fly that thing? Max: Correction, I need the superior information in your inferior brain to fly this... thing.

See ya later, Navigator!

Welcome to the Dollhouse

2006-11-09T20:15:00.000Z

Continuing the Todd Solondz theme, here is the catchy tune from Welcome to the Dollhouse, a film I happen to have an original theatrical poster for. The track is by Rey and Wisoff.

Nathan Larson - Aviva Pastoral

2006-11-08T19:38:00.000Z

From the unreleased and unplanned soundtrack to Todd Solondz's Palindromes comes the childlike innocent 'la la la' theme from Nathan Larson. For more of Nathan's work I recommend his website where he claims to make "music to order" and this track is available for download for free. In Nathan's own words:

I got to rip off the ROSEMARY’S BABY soundtrack, collaborated again with my wife Nina, always a pleasure; plus it was the first feature I did almost entirely on the laptop with which I write you now, at the now defunct Globe Studios, overlooking the Meat Packing District in New York City in it’s final days. Once a strange, nasty, and wonderful area, it’s now one big high-end designer outlet mall like everything else. Anyhoo, PALINDROMES has been very well recieved at the usual round of festivals, and apparently it’s been sold, thank God, as Todd paid for it himself , thus risking total financial annihialtion. Balls.

El Perro Del Mar

2006-11-03T19:30:00.000Z

El Perro del Mar is the band of singer/songwriter Sarah Assbring from Gothenburg, Sweden. She describes her project as "the name of the music that I had been dreaming of and planning on making for a long time." Her style is very reminiscent of 60's French pop; relaxed, care-free music and sombre yet child-like vocals.

This track is entitled "It's all good" and is available free from Last.fm (where this is streamed from).

Dil Se - Chaiyya Chaiyya Shahrukh Khan

2006-11-02T22:35:00.000Z

What the heck; this is a track from the 1998 Hindi film "Dil Se" or in English "From the Heart". Chaiyya Chaiyya, Shahrukh Khan, Malaika Arora and a dancing troupe are choreographed dancing on top of a moving train. The group did not wear safety harnesses during this scene. I discovered this song after watching Spike Lee's "Inside Man" (a recommendation) in which it is played during the intro and once more at the credits. It's quite a catchy little number and seems to be growing in popularity in the western world.

Skip James

2006-11-02T00:19:00.000Z

Devil Got My Woman, performed by Skip James in 1966 at Newport. This is not concert footage from Newport. Alan Lomax recreated a juke joint at Newport, stocked the bar, and let nature take its course.

Another of the gems I discovered via the Ghost World soundtrack. Truly a mind bending track and this footage is stunning.

Cab Calloway

2006-10-30T23:27:00.000Z

Woman why won't you just shut up? Ain't you never gonna stop talking? I will bless the day that I can get away from your voice, your voice, your voice. From Calloway's Cotton Club 1933-1934 comes "Your Voice":

Where Is Minnie?

Continuing the classic Bollywood Theme

2006-10-30T20:06:00.000Z

I am personally not the biggest of Bollywood fans but I find myself strangely drawn towards these classic pieces with their obscure and engrossing dance numbers, their strangely prominent lead singers (with enormous nostrils) and the rhythmical grainy soundtrack:

Dil Deke Dekho

Eena Meena Deeka

Mohammed Rafi

2006-10-27T14:59:00.000Z

One of my all time favourites, "Jaan Pechechaan Ho" by Mohd. Rafi. Discovered through Zwigoff and Daniel Clowes' "Ghost World", I present to you now the full Gumnaam rendition from 1966 - this great 60s Bollywood rock and roll number:

My search for more songs of the same sensibility has returned few results so I am open to any recommendations of this sort.

Lulu Jackson

2006-10-27T14:32:00.000Z

This track is the first of two parts, entitled "You're going to leave the old home Jim". I discovered this track on the album "Before the Blues, vol. 2" under the Yazoo label.

I have since seen it on "Female Country Blues Vol.1" with 7 other magical tracks. However this still remains my favourite, it has a sublime quaintness and that powerful feeling of nostalgic melancholy. This song was created between 1924 and 1928 and is classified in the pre-war blues genre.

Gogol Bordello - Start Wearing Purple

2006-10-26T22:55:00.000Z

From the soundtrack to Everything is Illuminated and described on the last.fm wiki:

"[As an artist that combines] elements of punk, gypsy music, and Brecht-ian cabaret, Gogol Bordello tells the story of New York's immigrant diaspora through debauchery, humor, and surreal costumes. Leader and singer Eugene Hütz's taste in music was spun out of black-market tapes of the The Birthday Party and Einstürzende Neubauten in his native Ukraine."

A mix tape

2006-02-02T14:44:00.001Z

Independent Culture - My new music and movie recommendations website.
Taken from my latest article:

A few weeks ago, in the cold recesses of December, I attempted to mimic that midnight Xela premise. Sporadic and fragrant vocals needed to intermingle with astute jazz, disquieting percussion loops and loose piano themes. I needed to purvey frustration, heart ache and confusion amongst nostalgia and flirting hope.

“It’s night time and I’m in the moment, but it’s ending”

01. Arve Henriksen - Procession Passing
Album: Sakuteiki, Label: Rune Grammofon
The album is a working tribute to Japanese culture and the sound of the shakuhachi. Stark other-worldly romanticism gives the perfect introduction.

02. Supersilent - 4.1
Album: 4, Label: Rune Grammofon
A perfect compliment to Henriksen’s unique modus operandi. Dying jazz opposes flitting cinematic mystery and abrasive percussion to form a jarring yet intimate storm.

03. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy - I See a Darkness
Album: I see a darkness, Label: Palace
The storm is passing, but its devastation has only just been realized. A dark hymn with thinly layered guitar provides a cogitative commentary. A brief resurgence and an echoing cry for help.

04. Alejandra and Aeron - Juanita, King Chime and Florida Flash Flood
Album: Bousha Blue Blazes, Label: Orthlorng Musork
This hauntingly expectant fusion of atmospheric piano and delicate electronics observes a destitute realism with the naivety of a child.

05. The Gentle Waves - Partner in Crime
Album: Swangsong for you, Label: Jeepster
“Partner in Crime” is the consoling bedtime story that acts to reinsure yet spirals dangerously away into a cold despondency.

06. Múm - We have a Map of the Piano
Album: Finally we are no one, Label: Fat Cat
True hope comes with the warming morning sun and there is momentary rest bite. Warm synthesizer chords and glitch-beats offer tranquility.

07. Alejandra and Aeron - Humming Radio Caro Cariño
Album: Bousha Blue Blazes, Label: Orthlorng Musork
At the boundaries of folk there is a clandestine privacy that is effortlessly caught by this song. This family recording bids optimism and nostalgia with a fragile air of uncertainty. Soft Spanish words with recurring acoustics and guitar bequeath frail remnants of life.

08. Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto – Duoon
Album: Vrioon, Label: Raster Noton
Crescendos of high frequency throbs pierce the ears whilst rhythm evolves from lifeless static, a lone piano acts as a guide through this harsh soundscape.

09. Nick Larson - Aviva Pastoral
Album: Palindromes soundtrack,
The piano continues on in this rare track that contorts young vocal innocence into a tool of luring passion and trespassing guilt, virtues of youth are achingly spoiled by melancholy.

10. Nils Økland - Blond Blå
Album: Bris, Label: Rune Grammofon
Standing and powerful strings reverberate a lasting regret that leads naturally onto a self-reflection that forbids forgiveness.

11. Ms. John Soda – Technicolor
Album: No P. or D., Label: Morr Music
Through a union of surfacing electronic techniques and classical themes this is harmonic pop with a difference. An unbridled freshness brings cheerfulness amongst the surrounding repression, a fitting pause in the proceedings.

12. Fennesz – Transit
Album: Venice, Label: Touch
The eyes of ancestry watch as an apocalyptic technological future looms; flickering noise and pulses beautifully drown a wistful voice that betrays its past. “Say your goodbyes to Europe […] follow me”

13. Philip Jeck – Pax
Album: Stoke, Label: Touch
Eerie loops compliment warped vocals to croon the rising moon. An air of uneasiness builds with each passing repetition climbing towards a night time awkwardness.

14. Paavoharju - Valo Tihkuu Kaiken Läpi
Album: Yhä hämärää, Label: Fonal
A serenading electronic lullaby regurgitates faith and ends the mix with comforting reassurance that everything will be alright in the end.

Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane over the Sea

2005-11-26T23:57:00.000Z

Title: In the aeroplane over the sea
Artist: Neutral Milk Hotel
Style: "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is a personal album but not in the way you expect. It's not biography. It's a record of images, associations, and threads; no single word describes it so well as the beautiful and overused "kaleidoscope." It has the cracked logic of a dream"
Review: Pitchfork
My Rating: 9/10

Paavoharju - Yha hamaraa

2005-09-21T14:19:00.000Z

Title: Yha hamaraa
Artist: Paavoharju
Style: "Ragnar Rock, Olli Ainala, and Lauri Ainala hail from the island town of Savonlinna. The ascetic born-again Christians recorded Yha hamaraa between 2001 and 2005, setting their Emersonian lyrics (all sung in Finnish) to a fluctuating electro-acoustic background that threads short-wave, field recordings, reggae beats, pinball sounds, sunken sea shanties, Sublime Frequencies radio scrambles, the somber choir of a backwoods congregation, operas made of cheap electronics, spectral female voices (with the occasional male bird song), chamber muses, midnight ambiance, and omnipresent crackles."
Review: Pitchfork
My Rating: 8/10