Audiversity

Fever Ray - "Fever Ray"

2009-01-28T18:50:00.005-06:00

Fever Ray - Dry & Dusty (Mute 2009)

Fever Ray - Fever Ray / Mute

Winter Leak Season '09 was just gearing up in late December when this record seeped through the cracks to find its way to an audience that had largely been caught sleeping. Rightfully so, too: Here was an album due in late March that shouldn't have had any fanfare for at least a month or two, yet there it was seeping slowly onto the Internet purporting to showcase the feminine side of The Knife as a solo artist. You remember Olaf and Karin Dreijer Andersson, right? The patron saints of rural forest techno following Mark Pytlik and Philip Sherburne's cooperative end-of-year anointing in '06? Silent Shout sure seems like a long time ago, though maybe not quite as long as Honey is Cool which, let's be honest, you had never heard of even after you purchased Silent Shout on a whim. Man, remember when people bought albums? Ah, the good old days of a better economy. At least I can still afford wireless.

There remains little debate that Silent Shout was a great album with great timing, pitch-shifting its way through a gap in the indie-electro space-time continuum and coyly filling the space between playfully insular techno and house (Ellen Allien & Apparat and Booka Shade's Movements that spring) and the coming nü-rave juggernaut (Justice's Waters of Nazareth EP that summer). Fever Ray is in a different position: Free of the potential paradigm-renovating gravitas that buoyed its spiritual predecessor, Karin has room to move about the forests of her own dark creation.

You can look at this album one of two ways: Either it's a really nice way to sate your appetite for another Knife album, or it's another Knife album incognito. The truth is probably somewhere in between, but its uncanny resemblance to the sonic template Silent Shout set three years ago makes one wonder what kind of contributions Olaf was making. There is a distinctly muted (no pun intended) tone to this album, to be sure: Standouts like "Dry & Dusty" or the first single, "If I Had a Heart," do not colorfully come out of the woodwork in the same way something like "We Share Our Mother's Health" does. There is less of a techno flash to these songs; rather, Fever Ray as an album trudges quietly through the snow with muffled kicks that don't strictly play to 4/4 convention.

More so than any of her other projects, Fever Ray places Karin's distinctive voice at the center of attention. Not a song goes by that you don't notice her charming pronunciations alienated by her favorite technological trick in the pitch-shifter. Even this can't disguise the natural hooks that seem to sneak out from behind the wooded pines. Everywhere one listens, there is always a memorable melody eerily working its way into your eardrums. It can't help itself. It's a Caribbean pop album ("Triangle Walks") covered by insular Scandinavian electronica.

But I'll be damned if this isn't at the sharp end of the first wave of 2009's leaks. Even though it doesn't alter the way we think about what The Knife has accomplished, and even though it says almost nothing about what Olaf is doing on his behalf for that group (Just sayin', O), it's a great listen because it's so free of attached strings. Listen on your headphones, listen in the car, listen anywhere you want: The end result is that you're still listening. It's been a month and I'm still playing it daily. I see no reason for this trend to continue unabated. Maybe I'll even buy it. That was a joke, sort of.

Dälek - "Gutter Tactics"

2009-01-27T20:36:00.002-06:00

Dälek - Street Diction (Ipecac 2009)

Dälek - Gutter Tactics / Ipecac

Things were pretty different when we last reviewed New Jersey duo Dälek in early 2007. We were in different cities, we were under a different president, we were still open to the idea of a certain neon-imbued monstrosity that's now completely out of control (Hey there, Elektrobär). Landscapes and soundscapes alike have shifted paradigms; it's a new world out here, and it's probably for the better. Probably.

Of course, some things should stay the same. For the longest time, I thought this about MC Dälek and his trusty cohort Oktopus. Here are two guys who have spent a decade reinventing rap and subverting the typical hip-hop categorization that continues to widen the gulf between champagne poppin' megastars and truth-serum backpackers hellbent on a capital-M Message. Though they did it largely on the atonal template of forerunners such as Cannibal Ox and The Infamous (1995), their lyrical content was still the same: They spoke on a template of ambiguous fear, which was perhaps the best reflection of the political climate they had come of age to. In the era of a born-again Bush, nobody seemed scarier than a group equally nebulous in character and sinister in tone.

While Dälek was always most fascinating because he preferred to submerge his vocals rather than extract them from the mix (in the vein of the Rhymesayers and, later, the gaggle of NoW Coasters), Oktopus weaved dynamic sonic structures in and out of a distinctive triptych of albums: From Filthy Tongue of Gods and Griot was demanding without being directly doomy; Absence was utter industrial hopelessness; and Abandoned Language was savvy urban grit that perhaps best encapsulated what the group had always been working on. If their last album wasn't the embodiment of a decade of output, it sounded awfully close.

Given this set-up, it would be expected of me to say that Gutter Tactics was always going to have it tough. Recorded in the waning days of the Bush administration and released the day Obama came to power, Gutter Tactics felt woefully out-of-step the moment it leaked, a relic from a passing era, unfortunately dated. I was unconvinced the moment Jeremiah Wright opened his mouth on "Blessed Are They Who Bash Your Children's Head Against a Rock." Not only is the chosen speech laughably extreme (We bombed Qaddafi's kid without "batting an eye?" I guess he doesn't remember that Qaddafi's daughter was adopted, and oh yeah, the whole Berlin discotheque bombing thing), it sets the stage for an album that feels redundant - this is, in fact, an inferior version of Abandoned Language. Oktopus has a handful of memorable songs on here (the title track of which rips off My Bloody Valentine's "Glider"), but any kind of message this time around has been suffocated by the extraordinary density of the mix. It is the most brutally unrelenting release they have yet committed to tape. In a time when a breath of fresh air is en vogue, Gutter Tactics takes aim at nothing in particular and hurls its bitterness to see what sticks. All of this is a poorer way of describing what Daniel Levin Becker has already emphasized at Dusted.

That said, it's worth noting the rebuttal (even as an afterthought). Dälek may not need to fulfill their former function - that of hip-hop's bleakly prophetic superego - but they are still necessary as a socially conscious warning sign. The issue is that they are no longer a complete group on their own; instead, they are the angry and ambiguous yin to the specific street violence of another hip-hop duo: the Clipse. Where the Thornton brothers insist upon rising above the streets through the pointed fear pervading their dope, blood, money and guns, Dälek assume the role of stormcloud to set the mood. Are they upset over the "death of hip-hop" (whatever that even means anymore)? Are they angry about corrupted youth? Are they raging to rise above it all? Do they even know? I think the answers lie in the Clipse. These two groups are speaking the same street diction in different dialects; they are angry about the same things, but one emphasizes ambiance through maximalist quagmire while the other stares out vacantly from behind minimalist desolation.

Personal, political, professional: Above all else, they are polemical. We'll have to wait a little longer and see when it comes to Till the Casket Drops, but as for Dälek losing their relevance, they still remain as elusive as ever. This album is the first time it feels like that's working against them. I don't know what the answer is when it comes to what they can do next to stay focused, to stay necessary, but the deep blues and greens of Gutter Tactics suggest that the group is cooling off one way or another. Hopefully this spells a withdrawal and reevaluation rather than a retirement.

Telefon Tel Aviv - "Immolate Yourself"

2009-01-26T21:23:00.001-06:00

Telefon Tel Aviv - The Birds (Bpitch Control 2009)

Telefon Tel Aviv - Immolate Yourself / Bpitch Control

It's true that I had this review mentally written several days ago, that the words had already formed into complete sentences into whole paragraphs into a general linear train of thought. There was a swoon there for a minute, a genuine burst of unabashed positivity about the whole affair, the hopeful undercurrent that ran through the melodies of "Helen of Troy" or "You Are the Worst Thing in the World" and swung for the fences in grand gestures, bold strokes of synthesizer swathed across your stereo or your headphones or my headphones or whatever. New Orleans to Chicago to Berlin, nothing to Nine Inch Nails to Ellen Allien, a future full of more than support tours for Matthew Dear. They were the big hands, and this was the proof long in coming - the best album of their careers. The best of a very young year.

But that review got trashed, because it sucked. Every review of this album has sucked, I don't know if you noticed. They're all vaguely positive and say no more than, "who knows what might've been." What might have been doesn't matter after listening to "The Birds" - maybe nothing does. Did you ever get a chance to read that Todd Burns review of M83's Dead Cities, Red Seas and Lost Ghosts? This song is like that. RIP, Charlie Cooper. I'm sorry this world and the sounds you gave it weren't enough.

Animal Collective - "Merriweather Post Pavilion"

2009-01-20T20:14:00.014-06:00

Animal Collective - Summertime Clothes (Domino 2009)

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion / Domino

It seems both obvious and appropriate that Animal Collective's ninth album is being released on the day of Barack Obama's inauguration, especially considering the fever pitch of excitement currently surrounding both the Collective and our newly minted 44th president... But something about this release has been bothering me since I was awaken to its immense hype by both Pitchfork and The Chicago Sun-Times after a deep autumnal slumber. It was a vague resentment, an uneasy awareness that for all of the positive press being lobbed like happy hand grenades in its direction, something was off.

I listened anyway. I played it at work, I played it at home, I played it in the background of countless GChats, I played it on the CTA, I suggested it to people, I talked about it with those who had already heard. All of the pieces seemed in place for a praiseworthy post-millennial indie archetype. And after a ton of listens, I reckoned it was a good thing that it had already garnered a 9.6 and kids were hailing it as the album of the year after less than a full week. Part of me wanted - wants - to believe that this is the hope Obama's been relentlessly invoking in a very marginal context: Indie kid stereotypes who used to confine themselves to Built to Spill or The Boy Least Likely To are opening their eyes to an album that draws a direct line to West African tribal music and avant-garde noise records (and not just, y'know, Daft Punk). If a college radio freshman thinks Merriweather Post Pavilion is great, how much greater the chance that they will follow the Paw Tracks to Repo in April and believe in that, too? This is supposed to be what makes the Internet essential: It shrinks this - our, everybody's - world enough to make it relatable for even the most hopeless xenophobic (The best commentary to this end vis-à-vis the Collective has, shockingly, been on Hipster Runoff).

Yet despite those astute observations, the real discomfort I experienced with Merriweather stems from Hua Hsu's feature article for the January/February edition of The Atlantic Monthly. The gist: Hsu explores the elimination of "whiteness" in American culture through a rough timeline that starts with minorities mimicking whites to "fit in" at the top of the 20th century and ends where we are now as a society paying post-racial lip service that, he posits, has reversed itself. Of particular interest is "the identity crisis plaguing well-meaning, well-off white kids in a post-white world:" Hsu says a vacuum has formed where white self-denial is a path both to acceptance and authenticity.

Merriweather Post Pavilion is the soundtrack of that self-denial. All of these songs drown themselves with needlessly dense sonic tricks in a dramatic effort to move away from the pleasant psych-folk of earlier, less ambitious works like Hollinndagain or Sung Tongs. That in itself would not be a problem, except that their bid for post-everythingness is so transparent. There is a deep current of desperation running through songs like "My Girls" and "Brother Sport" that begs for a listener to hear the hip-hop rhythms, the unending samplers, the universal synth sounds, the musical melting pot this thing is supposed to represent. Drop any continent on earth and it wouldn't matter: Stripped of the bells and whistles, this is still an indie-pop album. A very average, white-guy indie-pop album that will reject listeners who came expecting a transcendent experience and got mere assimilation instead. It assimilates with the current indie landscape, an exercise in deception: This sounds like something you would want to like in the interest of furthering minority forms of music, but you don't because it's the same old thing. It's no closer to post-racial harmony than Death Cab for Cutie or, worse, Pavement.

It's only fair at this point to acknowledge the obvious ad hominem argument: The reason I point it out in the first place is because I myself am a white male. It's logical to assume that, because I have a blog and gave a fuck enough about Animal Collective to write about them, I would feel vulnerable. Further, by rejecting the idea that I am a part of this indie kid stereotype, I am instead personifying it. And how many essays have you read indicting the very act of rock criticism as culturally white?

But my discomfort doesn't merely come from identifying with three white guys (it used to be four) or its fans; my discomfort comes from the fact that people are pledging their blind allegiance to this album for what it is not rather than for what it is. The band projects an image of artful dodgers bent on bringing transcontinental hipsterdom right to your hard drive; several have taken the bait, proclaiming Merriweather as a product and paladin of the self-congratulating online community and, by proxy, the new cultural mainstream. It isn't. It is still a sonic defense mechanism meant to shield itself from a lack of culture.

As with most things culture terrorism-related, a word should be spared for Diplo. Great question from a fellow Audiversitarian: "If Animal Collective are racist, what does that make Diplo? Hitler?" Given that he singlehandedly imported baile funk and helped bring new meaning to the worthlessly nebulous "world music" tag in the early aughts, it follows that Diplo should carry the weight of this white rejection as he delves further into DJ Benzi mixtapes or another MIA collaboration in an effort to disguise how much of a pasty white Brit he is. The difference is that Diplo lived these subcultures: He went to Brazil, he went to West Africa, he met the sources, he inhabited the environment to the best of his ability - which isn't to say that going somewhere is a one-up for authenticity (See also: sheltered study abroad students), but AnCo never say in their liner notes that this was culled straight from a coupé decallé cut or open themselves up to Angolan mini-tours. They are armchair globalists, content to rip the sounds of the world from the safety of Williamsburg. They are a reflection of their wired-in, zoned-out audience. Diplo spins real vinyl and plays to the crowds he stole from and has used urumee drums. He engages these cultures on a personal level and never worries about where the references are because they speak for themselves. Animal Collective make no such effort; devoid even of TV on the Radio's soul chants or LCD Soundsystem's winking funk grooves, AnCo dress songs about girls and seasons and hanging out - boring topics that don't even strive for unidentifiable weirdness like, say, food (Strawberry Jam) - in sounds that imply worldliness but demonstrate none and, furthermore, have zero staying power. That's not a testament to influence, that's an insult.

In other words, it's not that this album is bad. It's good, I guess... And that's the whole point: Instead of creating some kind of new beat thriving on kwaito and The Neptunes, Animal Collective disguise nothing as something in their quest for greatness. Like Panda Bear's Person Pitch, this is not especially remarkable on a more annoyingly grand scale. On past efforts, the group ventured well into the freak-folk forests; at least there, they sounded secure in their embrace of 60s British psych and folk. All they seem like they're trying to do now is embrace anything else, but they can't escape (even when their fans can).

So really, are Animal Collective racist? Perhaps not explicitly (or even consciously), but there is a definite anxiety about being a minority that resonates in their music and in their fans. Despite their urge for reinvention, they come off as second-rate pan-ethnic appropriators. If I haven't already, I'll probably contradict myself in a future review. There are more coherent critiques for how boring this is, sharper wit to pierce through the dense reverb that permeates every single song... But I wonder how much enthusiasm people will have for this album in four months, nevermind four years. Is it post-racial? Is it that permanent? Is it four stars, 9.6, 5/5? I guess we'll have to wait and see. It's only been official for a day.

He Speaks in Your Voice, American President

2009-01-20T19:56:00.005-06:00

Thought this corner was dead, right? We almost did too. But if Two Thousand Great was the year we stopped making this an enterprise and started making it a hobby (which really means we just stopped), O'Fine is the year we bring Blogger back. For all four of you following: Thanks. It's been a while.

Capillary Action - "So Embarrassing"

2008-07-30T22:54:00.005-05:00

Capillary Action - Paperweights (Natural Selection 2008)

Capillary Action - So Embarrassing / Natural Selection

After posting a review on Capsule's Blue a few weeks back, I was contacted by Jonathan Pfeffer regarding the new Capillary Action album you see here. I was sure I had remembered the name, but So Embarrassing was not an album I had heard. "I thought our album would be right up your alley," he said. "We've been touring up a storm behind this record so any press we can garner would be greatly appreciated."

I'm suspicious of groups that ask for any press, but I was willing to give Capillary Action a try because I had remembered missing them when they played Columbia in January of 2006. A quick look around will also show you that Capillary Action has a lot of friends out on the road, and I was fans of a number of these bands. That reputation is at last starting to catch up with them in the press, and with good reason: So Embarrassing is a jarring listen, rarely letting you settle into any kind of comfortable mindframe. There is always something else happening.

"Gambit" sets the tone straight away, and though comparisons have been garnered to Kayo Dot, The Dirty Projectors, Battles, and Xiu Xiu (all of whom are on some level warranted), a Capillary Action listening experience is essentially listening to three groups rolled into one. The first is your Type A technically adept hardcore band. The furious bit that opens "Bloody Nose" is a good example of this, where double bass drumming and a heavy riff rock the middle and very end of the track. These kinds of moments are not quite as dominant on the record as you'd expect considering the whole reason this review exists is Capsule, but Pfeffer is smart enough not to overplay his hand. That metal growl doesn't really suit him anyway.

The second is an orchestra-backed bossa nova group. When I said that double bass drumming and heavy riffage rock the middle of "Bloody Nose," I didn't tell you how jazzy and calm the in-betweens were. The bossa nova really comes out on "Placebo or Panacea," which sounds as tropically relaxed as any song on the album. Horns and strings sound unhinged right at the start, but Pfeffer switches the sound just 22 seconds in and right away you're taken into a Rio nightclub from the 70s. The guitar noodling plays over boisterous brass toward the end, and it kind of sounds like The Mars Volta, but in a good way. Sergio Mendes this definitely ain't. "Badlands" is sort of like that too, very jazzy feeling with those poignant plucks lending sadness to an otherwise emotionally buoyant record.

"Paperweights" is the sound of that third group. That group is, er, Oceansize. Pfeffer's competent vocal abilities secretly hold this album together, but his croon is eerily comparable to the Mancunian band's frontman, Mike Vennart. Maybe it's that element Capillary Action has listed on the MySpace page as "melodramatic popular song," but thinking of some of Oceansize's more operatic moments comes immediately to mind on "The Chaperone." Weird connections aside, Pfeffer does for vocals what many of his friends can not: He tries to sing and succeeds.

So Embarrassing is more than just an Oceansized bossa nova-core record, though. I mean, read any review (positive or negative) and you'll see that everybody has a different angle, everybody hears something different, and it's likely you won't hear the same record the same way in subsequent listens. This is the Achilles Heel of the album, that you can never pin it down... But it's also Capillary Action's greatest asset: By deftly switching between recognizable sounds, the band forms its own. And by marking his own sonic territory, Pfeffer has won half the battle for the attention he deserves. Those 300 shows a year should take care of the other half.

Singleversity #65

2008-07-27T19:16:00.001-05:00

Audiversity’s weekly column on music we stumble across during our sonic adventures. No random numbers, just straight audio goodness.

PM:

We've heralded the brilliance of Over the Atlantic's "Fly to the States" (from their 2006 debut Junica) before, but recently I was cruising YouTube on a slow night and stumbled upon a mercifully full version of the way they played it live on their last U.S. tour. This is a very different approach from the recorded take: The bass sounds more New Order than hypnotically dubbed-out anchor. Given that Nik Brinkman and Bevan Smith are New Zealanders, it's also perhaps no surprise that the guitars are more jangly than they are awash in reverb and fuzz. I still like the recorded version best, but this is an enthusiastic live rendition worth checking out. Stay tuned to see what their next step is: Sophomore release Dimensions is out on Carpark sometime before the end of the year.

PM2:

So I interviewed Hans-Peter Lindstrøm (Yeah, that Lindstrøm) on the phone today. After spending around an hour just chatting about his new album Where You Go I Go Too, I feel like I know the guy well enough to at least say that his confidence in talking about his work isn't arrogance at all; it's like he knows how good he is and he just says it flat out. The sounds he makes come as second nature to him, and he is mercifully straightforward about not overthinking the actual music itself. When this thing drops, I expect it will be huge... So enjoy the simple delights of "Take Me to the Metro" (from 2006's Another Side of Lindstrøm) for a few more weeks before your life is changed forever. Hey, if he won't overthink the music, somebody else has to. That's what we're here for.

Singleversity #64

2008-07-20T22:46:00.007-05:00

Audiversity’s weekly column on music we stumble across during our sonic adventures. No random numbers, just straight audio goodness.

PM:

I haven't been doing much reading around the Internet lately, so I have no idea what the cool kids are listening to. I just know that Spaniard Ilya Santana has produced a hell of a space-disco slab on his EP Arcanus which came out in May on Ukrainian(?!) label Manuscript. Perhaps best known for a Human League remix of "The Things That Dreams Are Made Of" (from 1981's Dare!), Santana continues his ever-improving work in the Canary Islands. Maybe we'll see a full-length someday, but in the meantime, here is b-side ~~"From Uranus to Mercurius."~~

PM2:

Space-disco tends to put you to sleep when it's not captivating you, so to balance this out, I'm still using old school emocore from the mid-90s to help me. Indian Summer is an excellent example of the genre. The Oakland-based band only existed for three years or so, and they made things especially difficult by not actually naming any of their songs. Tracking their stuff down was difficult for a long time because they stuck primarily to split 7s with contemporaries such as Current and Ordination of Aaron. Future Recordings made things easier by reissuing their two LPs and one of the highlights is ~~"I Think Your Train is Leaving,"~~ which first appeared on a split with Embassy (Good luck finding anything else on them). The most well known addendum to this story: Marc Bianchi went on to front Her Space Holiday.

Singleversity #63

2008-07-13T22:45:00.005-05:00

Audiversity’s weekly column on music we stumble across during our sonic adventures. No random numbers, just straight audio goodness.

PM:

Japan's Nisennenmondai are fairly well known in the Japanese underground noise scene and have been jamming together since they first formed at a Tokyo university in 1999. The trio have a new album coming out later this month on Oslo's Smalltown Supersound, but Neji/Tori is really just two older EPs put together with new artwork by Smalltown roster member Kim Hiorthøy. Thankfully, there are a handful of videos on YouTube that showcase the group in a live setting. My personal favorite: "Ikkkyokume" is a seven-minute jam that actually appears on both EPs in slightly different variations. This video is a full-on version from 2004 that quite aptly demonstrates the capabilities of the three ladies behind that wall o' sound.

PM2:

One of the bands Nisennenmondai has opened for during one of their Japanese tours is Audiversity favorite Battles. Probably the most recognizable character from that band is big-haired journeyman Tyondai Braxton, who went from being a promising avant-garde solo artist to being a critical element in one of the most unique bands of the decade. Battles hadn't even formed when Braxton released his third solo record in 2002, History That Has No Effect. ~~"Hold Onto Distance"~~ is probably one of the least abstract songs on the record, but it's clear that the challenging creativity that makes Battles so vital now was already ingrained in Braxton at that point. The chipmunk vocal tricks, on the other hand, still appear to be a little further off...

2562 - "Aerial"

2008-07-07T18:59:00.004-05:00

2562 - ~~Morvern~~ (Tectonic 2008)

2562 - Aerial / Tectonic

So, so many albums to hear this summer. They just keep coming, endlessly fascinating and frustrating and so many that are so long, so overly long, that it's tough to care about all but a select few. This is one of the latter. 2562, the Hague area code where the man behind it lives. At the moment, it is tough to argue the brilliance of Dave Huismans and his rogue record, a culmination of 12s tracked differently between CD and LP (You get two additional songs in "Walkover" and "Theorem" that do not appear on the CD, but you sacrifice "Channel Two," "Techno Dread," "Enforcers," and "Kameleon") that seem so out of step with the season that it could only be a dubstep record marketed exclusively for dubsteppers.

Too many things are wrong about this album for it to make the same impression on the masses that Burial did last year with Untrue. Even the lineage that led to Aerial seems wrong: Huismans has chosen Tectonic as his debut label, helmed by DJ Pinch of last year's last-second stunner Underwater Dancehall. For an insular scene that has largely kept its crop within South London, here are two guys operating beyond the geographical borders dubstep is so often unfairly planted with. Pinch is even further south and right off the River Severn to the west; Huismans is on the other side of the Channel in the Netherlands. But if there is much that this outsider reputation tells us about the anomaly that Aerial presents (and not just in the music, though we'll get to that in a second), there is also a lot that it isn't telling us, at least not directly: From the Internet's ability to decimate geographical exclusivity to the appeal it has across much of the Lowlands (There's a regular 24/7 dubstep stream from Belgium, for one example; plenty of others are out there to boot), Aerial is a milestone for a genre that seems to continue to evolve almost in spite of itself at times.

It's relatively easy to bang out a quick plate and be done with things, but making a dubstep full-length is tricky and 2562's first step was to keep it instrumental (removing the necessity for a second disc of instrumental's à la Pinch last year). The second major thing you'll notice in cuts like the thumping "Morvern" and the rubbery highlight "Techno Dread" is that Huismans was aiming for the scattershot minimal techno crowd. The feel that this is really just a Bpitch Control release at half-speed is evident, and if Ellen Allien were a dubstep producer, it's very likely she would be generating sounds not unlike those found on Aerial. It doesn't sound like this initially: "Moog Dub" brings an island breeze to the proceedings for a different approach to the sound. It's like you could almost, almost imagine this working at a party. It's also the most dub Huismans ever gets, at least until the digitally afflicted "Basin Dub" just past halfway. The heart of this record beats with the pulse of modern Berlin every bit as much as modern London.

When I first heard about this release a couple of months ago on Dubstepforum, the palpable sense of excitement was for a record that had taken the genre in a new direction and turned last year's cold synth stabs into warmer (if not friendlier) confines for a new year and a new crowd. Ironically, if this had come out last October, we might very well have been talking about 2562 as the record of the year. Closer to the truth is that, at this point, with so many tastemakers working on their tans and enjoying the density of the festival season rather than sitting behind a computer screen waiting for the Next Big Leak to satisfy their chilly isolation and exacerbate their loneliness, Aerial is doomed to the deadlands of underapprecation, destined to be unearthed either long after the excitement has died down or years from now when Huismans has retired from the game a defeated shell of a man who gave it his all and for one astounding record actually had it all right. That's extreme, and I hope it never comes to this... But I'm writing this review a month after the guy from Dusted, and I'm not seeing anyone else aside from Prefix care. It's all wrong. All of it, that is, but the music. In the end, this is what you cannot argue. Better that than some half-bit hack writing on his blog during listmaking season.

Singleversity #62

2008-07-06T14:04:00.005-05:00

Audiversity’s weekly column on music we stumble across during our sonic adventures. No random numbers, just straight audio goodness.

MA (PM):

By crook or by diff, we never seem to talk about them here, but it's obvious that the spectre of The Nation of Ulysses looms large over this blog. The thought crossed my mind listening again to 13-Point Program to Destroy America, their 1991 debut, earlier this week. Thanks to a long history of punk-rock love for documenting its own respective "revolutionary" movement, videos on YouTube are thankfully plentiful for the 'Nation; it's tricky pulling out the best one, so I went with a few songs clipped from DC's Sacred Heart Church in what appears to be late 1991, right around the time that Washington's musical climate hit maximum Dischord thanks to a Mount Pleasant police shooting and George Bush Sr.'s gag order on federal funding for abortion clinic counseling. Further reading: Dance of Days by Marks Andersen and Jacobs, respectively. You'll see what I mean about that meticulous documentation bit.

PM2:

As far as summer jamz go, Watussi's ~~"If All We Had Was Love"~~ is right up there this year. I feel like I've been spinning this thing on repeat for ages now, and you probably already know and love it too, but it wasn't so long ago (maybe a month?) that the group was freshly revealed as an offshoot for Hercules and Love Affair's Eric and Morgan Wiley, with Stickydisc helming the release of the 12" (A-side "Purple Moon" is pretty killer too, though less overtly Herculean). Shaw nuff, here we are on STD003 with promises beyond mere Babytalk. Wonder how long it'll take the Australian-based Watussi to go all DFA'79 on them, then.

Singleversity #61

2008-06-28T17:16:00.001-05:00

Audiversity’s weekly column on music we stumble across during our sonic adventures. No random numbers, just straight audio goodness.

MA:

Been cruising Muxtape this week to see what some of my friends have posted on their respective pages. One in particular recently posted a mix that features The Zombies and their take on George Gershwin's 1935 hit, "Summertime." Literally, this song (from the Charleston, SC-set opera Porgy and Bess) has been covered dozens of times by artists as far reaching as George Benson and, yeah, Sublime. This live version performed in The Zombies' British homeland was recorded somewhere in the immediate aftermath of both their self-titled 1964 debut and a "recent Beatles competition," of which the St. Albans quintet were presumably the winners.

PM:

In lieu of that cumbia article he recently generated for The Fader, I've been dusting off some old snippets that Jace Clayton aka DJ /rupture has produced for us in the past. It's easy to remember he writes Mudd Up! but so easy to forget that he also produced one of the decade's great full-lengths in 2004's Special Gunpowder. With assistance from Ghislain Poirier and oud/violin player Abdel Hak, ~~"Taqasim"~~ is a late-album highlight showcasing Clayton's far-reaching tastes in an album packed with grooves from all of his globetrotting adventures. Still a thing to behold four years on.

Radio Show Playlist: 6/25/08

2008-06-25T07:07:00.002-05:00

LAST SHOW!

Well that's it. Audiversity's reign on 88.7 WLUW-FM Chicago has come to a close. On July 1st, WLUW will no longer be listener-supported community radio; instead it is reverting back to Loyola's student-run station, and most likely with it, all of the downfalls and short-sightedness of college radio. As solely a community member, I will no longer be welcome to contribute. There is no animosity, it's just the reality of the situation, and I am ready to move on to bigger and better things. What exactly is this bigger and better thing? It is the Chicago Independent Radio Project! A brand new station is in the works that will be potentially launching this summer on the web. This will be Audiversity's new home, and I hope all of you will follow us there. The show will be new and improved and hopefully taken to brand new levels. Thanks for listening for the last 2-and-a-half years if you are a WLUW listener, and I'm looking forward to developing this idea even further. Cheers.

I really enjoyed discussing music with you all. Thanks for the warm reception, and hopefully we'll reconnect soon.

6a:
1. Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison Blues - Live at Folsom Prison (Columbia 1968)
2. Lee Hazlewood - I'll Live Yesterdays - Requiem for an Almost Lady (Smells Like 1971)
3. Paul Duncan - The Fire - Above the Trees (Hometapes 2007)
4. Van Morrison - T.B. Sheets - Blowin' Your Mind (Bang 1967)
5. Chris Connelly - Mirror Lips - The Episodes (Durto Jnana 2007)
6. Sonic Youth - Dripping Dream - Sonic Nurse (Geffen 2004)
7. Black Taj - Cold Comfort - Beyonder (Amish 2008)
8. Fugazi - 23 Beats Off - In on the Kill Taker (Dischord 1993)

7a:
1. Sir Richard Bishop - Zurvan - While My Guitar Violently Bleeds (Locust 2006)
2. Daniel A.I.U. Higgs - Subatomic Yggdrasil Tarot - Atomic Yggdrasil Tarot (Thrill Jockey 2007)
3. Fennesz - Caecilia - Endless Summer (Mego 2001)
4. Blues Control - Puff - Puff (Woodsist 2008)
5. Tape - Beams - Luminarium (Hapna 2008)
6. Biosphere - Arafura - Dropsonde (Touch 2006)
7. Unknown - Track 1 - 70s Thai Orchestra (Mississippi 2008)
8. Exploding Star Orchestra - Cosmic Tomes for Sleep Walking Lovers: Part 2 - We are all from somewhere else. (Thrill Jockey 2007)
9. Isotope 217 - Looking After Life on Mars - Utonian Automatic (Thrill Jockey 1999)

8a:
1. Getatchew Mekurya - Yegenet Muziqa - Ethiopiques 14: Negus of Ethiopian Sax (Buda Musique 2003, originally 1972)
2. Yusef Lateef - The Plum Blossom - Eastern Sounds (Prestige 1961)
3. His Name is Alive - Sweet Earth Flying - Sweet Earth Flower: A Tribute to Marion Brown (High Two 2007)
4. Alice Coltrane - Spiritual Eternal - Eternity (Warner Bros 1976)
5. Odean Pope - Cis - What Went Before: Vol. 1 (Porter 2008)
6. Hank Mobley - The Morning After - A Caddy for Daddy (Blue Note 1965)
7. Penny & the Quarters - You and Me - Eccentric Soul: The Prix Label (Numero Group 2007)
8. Eddie Fisher & the Next One Hundred Years - Jeremiah Pucket - Eddie Fisher & the Next One Hundred Years (Cadet 1970)
9. Archie Whitewater - Cross Country - Archie Whitewater (Cadet 1970)
10. Alton Ellis - It's a Shame - Darker Than Blue: Soul from Jamdown 1973-1980 (Blood & Fire 2001)

Singleversity #60

2008-06-22T16:08:00.007-05:00

Audiversity’s weekly column on music we stumble across during our sonic adventures. No random numbers, just straight audio goodness.

MA:

One final radio show coming up this week, and though Michael will be sure to go out with an impressive triptych of sets culminating in one extraordinary outro of a song (as usual), I've already used STNNNG's "Grand Island, Neb." which was the final song of my own radio career way back in Singleversity #14. Instead, I thought I'd feature an artist of a different caliber that Michael is equally fond of and which he may play on his show: Art Blakey and his Jazz Messengers have also previously been featured here, but this Paris performance from 1959 captures Dizzy Gillespie's "A Night in Tunisia" (from Blakey's album of the same name) is another masterful example of the Pittsburgh native's talent at the peak of his career in the early 60s. The quintet incarnation of the Jazz Messengers - featuring Wayne Shorter, Jymie Merritt, Lee Morgan, and Bobby Timmons - also appears in top form.

PM:

When I'm not living la vida '60, I'm dreaming of a world where people more than faintly recall the brilliance of Ekkehard Ehlers. I gave 2002's Plays a go again this past week and it still sounds as fresh and interesting as it did six(!) years ago. The five singles released on vinyl that Plays brought together include tributes to the Frankfurt artist's heroes: Cornelius Cardew, Hubert Fichte, John Cassavetes, Albert Ayler, and Robert Johnson. Ehlers ends the album with ~~"Robert Johnson (2),"~~ a great example of Ehlers' ability to reference rather than merely sample. One of the great hidden club tracks of this decade, but I only say that because I've never actually heard anyone spin this in a club. Happens all the time?

Radio Show Playlist: 6/18/08

2008-06-18T08:08:00.004-05:00

LAST SHOW NEXT WEEK!

Audiversity's reign on 88.7 WLUW-FM Chicago is coming to a close -- with June 25th being the last show date. On July 1st, WLUW will no longer be listener-supported community radio; instead it is reverting back to Loyola's student-run station, and most likely with it, all of the downfalls and short-sightedness of college radio. As solely a community member, I will no longer be welcome to contribute. There is no animosity, it's just the reality of the situation, and I am ready to move on to bigger and better things. What exactly is this bigger and better thing? It is the Chicago Independent Radio Project! A brand new station is in the works that will be potentially launching this summer on the web. This will be Audiversity's new home, and I hope all of you will follow us there. The show will be new and improved and hopefully taken to brand new levels. Thanks for listening for the last 2-and-a-half years if you are a WLUW listener, and I'm looking forward to developing this idea even further. Cheers.

Also, I will be taking a break from reviewing CDs here on the site for a little while as I put my full concentration on developing the new music library for the CHIRP station. However, Patrick and I are still writing for Dusted Magazine and Stop Smiling, so you can find our words and opinions there if interested. Don't read this as the end of Audiversity.com though: my last few radio show playlists will be posted here, Patrick and Ronnie may still be posting, and we will be back phoenix-like by the end of the summer.

6a:
1. The Stone Roses - I Wanna Be Adored - The Stone Roses (Silvertone 1989)
2. Spacemen 3 - Feel So Good - The Perfect Prescription (Genius 1987)
3. Ride - Polar Bear - Nowhere (Sire 1990)
4. Joan of Arc - If There Was a Time #1 - Boo Human (Polyvinyl 2008)
5. Shrimp Boat - Blue Green Misery - Cavale (Bar/None 1993)
6. Stereolab - Double Rocker - Sound-Dust (Elektra 2001)
7. The Notwist - Gloomy Planets - The Devil, You & Me (Domino 2008)
8. HiM - What's Up Tonight - Peoples (Bubblecore 2006)
9. Pattern is Movement - Peach Trees - All Together (Hometapes 2008)

7a:
1. Sleater-Kinney - Burn, Don't Freeze - The Hot Rock (Kill Rock Stars 1999)
2. Blonde Redhead - Melody of a Certain Three - Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons (Touch & Go 2000)
3. Bikini Kill - Rebel Girl - The Singles (Kill Rock Stars 1998)
4. Husker Du - Chartered Trips - Zen Arcade (SST 1984)
5. Poster Children - This Town Needs a Fire - DDD (spinART 2000)
6. Pixies - Debaser (live from 1990) - Death to the Pixies (4AD 1997)
7. Dinosaur Jr - Whatever's Cool With Me - Whatever's Cool With Me EP (Blanco y Negro 1991)
8. Mudhoney - What's This Thing - The Lucky Ones (Sub Pop 2008)
9. Pontiak - Green Pool - Kale EP (Thrill Jockey 2008)
10. Eleventh Dream Day - Testify - Beet (Collectors' Choice 1989)
11. Meat Puppets - Touchdown King (live from 1988) - Live in Montana (Rykodisc 1999)
12. The Byrds - The Airport Song - The Preflyte Sessions (Sundazed 2001, originally 1969)
13. John Cale - Paris 1919 - Paris 1919 (Reprise 1973)
14. Harry Nilsson - I Guess the Lord Must Be in New York City - Harry (RCA 1969)
15. Dennis Wilson - River Song - Pacific Ocean Blue (Caribou 1977)

8a:
1. Hank Mobley - No Room for Squares - No Room for Squares (Blue Note 1963)
2. Spaceways Inc - Back of a Cab - Version Soul (Atavistic 2002)
3. Booker Little - Strength & Sanity - Out Front (Candid 1961)
4. Can - She Brings the Rain - Soundtrack (Spoon 1970)
5. Sonic Youth + I.C.P. + The Ex - X - In the Fishtank (Konkurrent 2002)
6. T.Hecker - Introdcuing Carl Cocks - My Love is Rotten to the Core (Substractif 2002)
7. Savath + Savalas - F Ride + Blues - Folk Songs About Trains, Trees and Honey (Hefty 2000)
8. Flying Lotus - Robertaflack feat. Dolly - Los Angeles (WARP 2008)
9. Al Green - Just for Me - Lay It Down (Blue Note 2008)

Singleversity #59

2008-06-15T13:17:00.004-05:00

Audiversity’s weekly column on music we stumble across during our sonic adventures. No random numbers, just straight audio goodness.

MA:

Once again Michael is MIA and Patrick will be writing in his place. Rest assured that the former's enthusiasm for music has hardly diminished, and perhaps foremost among these is his devotion to jazz. I've been listening to jazz too lately; specifically Japanese jazz because, fuck it, why not? Masahiko Satoh was one of a handful of Far East musicians pushing boundaries in the early 70s, best revealed in Julian Cope's ethnomusicological exploration Japrocksampler. But his career has continually evolved out and away from the avant-garde, and ~~"Grama Grass"~~ from 1979's All in All Out is another example of rough edges hewn smoothly into easy listening. Keep this one for the workday.

PM:

Speaking of workdays, this version of a video I stumbled across a few months ago has put things into perspective concerning the craziness of my own workplace. What I find so interesting about this video in particular is how the madness of being a bike messenger in the Big Apple is juxtaposed not with heavy metal or sassy pop but rather the sedate sadness of Broken Social Scene's "Bandwitch." Here is a song that turns a frantic race around the streets of New York City into a fluid, daydream-like experience - similar to riding around in the back of a cab, as Jerry Seinfeld once said, where "it's all not quite real." Compare that to the video with the original sound and you can see what the Toronto collective adds to the images.

Jackson Conti - "Sunjinho"

2008-06-12T14:58:00.003-05:00

Jackson Conti - ~~Nao Tem Nada Nao~~ (Mochilla/Kindred Spirits 2008)

Jackson Conti - Sunjinho / Mochilla/Kindred Spirits

Though I've been listening to this record on and off for a few days now, I don't have too much to add beyond what Michael has already said over at Dusted, so if you want a detailed description of the history behind the bossa nova grooves and Conti-driven polyrhythms that dominate this album, head there - but let me add my own unsolicited opinion on this one: When I listen to the tropical sounds and the lighthearted buoyancy of tracks like "Berumba" or the 70s gameshow key interlude that is "Waiting on the Corner," I just think to myself: "Damn, so this is Madlib's muzak."

But in a way, it's also another interesting footnote in Jackson's deep discography. Instead of just outright making a bad album, he made a good bad album. Like, instead of lowballing with a halfhearted Yesterdays New Quintet release that might've disappointed more petulant followers of his work, Otis basically went and made Beat Konducta in the Hotel Lobby. Doesn't sound so bland that way. And you know what? If this is what they wind up playing in the elevators of The Spire in four years, I won't complain... Probably because I won't be paying attention.

Radio Show Playlist: 6/11/08

2008-06-11T06:33:00.002-05:00

Audiversity's reign on 88.7 WLUW-FM Chicago is coming to a close -- with June 25th being the last possible show date, though it could very well come sooner with the way the situation is developing. On July 1st, WLUW will no longer be listener-supported community radio; instead it is reverting back to Loyola's student-run station, and most likely with it, all of the downfalls and short-sightedness of college radio. As solely a community member, I will no longer be welcome to contribute. There is no animosity, it's just the reality of the situation, and I am ready to move on to bigger and better things. What exactly is this bigger and better thing? It is the Chicago Independent Radio Project! A brand new station is in the works that will be potentially launching this summer on the web. This will be Audiversity's new home, and I hope all of you will follow us there. The show will be new and improved and hopefully taken to brand new levels. Thanks for listening for the last 2-and-a-half years if you are a WLUW listener, and I'm looking forward to developing this idea even further. Cheers.

Also, I will be taking a break from reviewing CDs here on the site for a little while as I put my full concentration on developing the new music library for the CHIRP station. However, Patrick and I are still writing for Dusted Magazine and Stop Smiling, so you can find our words and opinions there if interested. Don't read this as the end of Audiversity.com though: my last few radio show playlists will be posted here, Patrick and Ronnie may still be posting, and we will be back phoenix-like by the end of the summer.

6a:
1. Joan of Arc - The Surrender #2 - Boo Human (Polyvinyl 2008)
2. Adem - To Cure a Weakling Child/Boy Girl Song - Takes (Domino 2008)
3. Robert Forster - Let Your Light In, Babe - The Evangelist (Yep Roc 2008)
4. Odawas - Circus Song - Raven and the White Night (Jagjaguwar 2007)
5. Sunset - Diamond Studded Casket - Bright Blue Dream (Autobus 2008)
6. Giant Skyflower Band - Bitter Wild Rabbits/Builds the Bone - Blood of the Sunworm (Soft Abuse 2007)
7. June of 44 - Lifted Bells - Four Great Points (Quarterstick 1998)
8. Gastr del Sol - Even the Odd Orbit - The Serpentine Similar (Teenbeat 1993)
9. The For Carnation - Winter Lair - Promised Works (Runt 1997)

7a:
1. Lusine icl - Jetstream - Language Barrier (Hymen 2007)
2. Biosphere - Birds Fly by Flapping Their Wings - Dropsonde (Touch 2006)
3. The Exposures - Theme of 'Ifs, Ands & Buts' - Lost Recordings 2000-2004 (Eastern Developments 2005)
4. Cal Tjader - Samba do Sueno - Along Came Cal (Verve 1967)
5. Billy Wooten - Chicango (Chicago Land) - In This World (Blues Interactions 2007, originally 1979)
6. Jason Ajemian's Smokeless Heat - With or Without the Universalator (Birdie's Dream) - The Art of Dying (Delmark 2008)
7. Charlie Haden - War Orphans - Liberation Music Orchestra (Impulse! 1969)
8. Heikki Sarmanto & the Serious Music Ensemble - A Different Kind of Smile - A Boston Date (Porter 2008, recorded 1970)
9. Sun Ra - Dance of the Living Image - The Night of the Purple Moon (Atavistic 2007, originally Saturn 1970)

8a:
1. Odean Pope - Cis - What Went Before: Vol. 1 (Porter 2008, recorded 2000)
2. The David Boykin Outet - Conundrum - Evidence of Life on Other Planets: Vol. 1 (Thrill Jockey 1998)
3. Fela Ransome-Kuti & his Koola Lobitos - Fere - Lagos Baby 1963-69 (Vampi Soul 2008)
4. Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 - Think Africa - Think Africa 12" (Still Music 2007)
5. Orlando Julius - Psychedelic Afro-Shop - Super Afro Soul (Vampi Soul 2007, originally 1966)
6. Ray & his Court - Soul Freedom - Invasion Funk Masters (Soul Patrol 1998, originally 197?)
7. Orchestra Baobab - Ndeleng Ndeleng - Made in Dakar (World Circuit 2008)
8. Leroy Smart - Love & Happiness - Slipping Into Darkness 10" (Honest Jons/Blood & Fire)
9. Susan Cadogan - Hurt So Good - Hurt So Good (Trojan 1975)
10. Alton Ellis - (If Loving You is Wrong) I Don't Want to be Right - Arise Black Man: 1968-78 (Moll-Selekta 1999, originally 197?)

Capsule - "Blue"

2008-06-10T18:22:00.008-05:00

Capsule - ~~Flowerpower~~ (Robotic Empire 2008)

Capsule - Blue / Robotic Empire

Capsule's Blue officially marks the last time I sleep on a release from Richmond's Robotic Empire. So busy was I worrying over how soon that Nirvana tribute compilation was coming out that I completely passed over arguably the best -core release of the year this side of Board Up the House. Actually, scratch that: Blue doesn't need a qualifier. It's simply one of the best records of the year, straight up. But if you missed it, you're not alone: I only stumbled across it via one of my counterparts over at Indierocket!, and later discovered this album was released on St. Patrick's Day as Robo 073. Keep in mind we're up to Robo 084 already (though a few have not been released).

Nevermind timeliness. I mean, I know I've seen somebody wearing one of those Capsule shirts before, so I guess I haven't been totally out of the loop. The second (but technically first?) full-length for this Miami-based trio is a stunning display of shredding through verses and choruses with lightning-fast playing and all the voltage besides. There's no time wasted on an introduction, the efficient "True Blue" blasting your speakers straight away and leaving a stream of noise two and a quarter minutes long in its wake. The ragged sound of the guitars complements the lo-fi vocals calling to mind any forward-thinking hardcore between about 1996 and 2002 (or the untimely demise of Orchid). Time spent cutting their teeth with the excellent Tunes for Bears to Dance To and likewise esteemable Tyranny of Shaw have helped hone the Capsule aesthetic, which until now had culminated in a cassette for the 'Empire back in 2006.

Indeed, we're nearly three years from their signing, but the wait is worth it: This is one of the tightest, most ruthless records of the year (not to mention the artwork, that thankfully has nothing to do with the band's original name: I Love U). Crazy time signature changes and gritty guitar sounds are fantastic and everything, but part of the reason Blue feels the way it does is - and this has been pointed out elsewhere, but I'll reiterate - is because of the intensity of the low-end. Those downstroke strums resonate well beyond your speakers, through your ribcage, right to the neurons in the gray matter of your brain. This is best exemplified in the outro strumming of "Going Home," an eight-minute closer that comes complete with a hidden bonus track reprising the conclusion of "Cobalt Connection" to stretch things out nearly 17 minutes. Okay, so sure, they know their references well: Pg. 99, Orchid, City of Caterpillar, early Drive Like Jehu, Indian Summer, Hot Cross, the bands they used to be in. But maybe they're also listening to all that Miami bass coming from the high-end cabanas that line the shore. I have no evidence to suggest this, but the thought of Capsule considering Rick Ross on any level is an intriguing game to play.

As I write this, the band is playing one show for the impressive Dudefest '08 down in Bloomington, Indiana. But while their tour schedule may be limited at the moment, the praise for this record and everything this band is doing is not. With good reason: Capsule's Blue says everything a hardcore record should say these days without sounding too glossy or too aimlessly chaotic. The band has a purpose, a direction, a drive. As long as they stay together, it's hard to imagine them making a bad record. For now, Blue stands as the highlight of a strong roster release schedule from Robotic Empire. It's a relief being able to say that three months after the fact rather than three weeks before.

Flying Lotus - "Los Angeles"

2008-06-09T20:23:00.010-05:00

Flying Lotus - ~~Golden Diva~~ (Warp 2008)

Flying Lotus - Los Angeles / Warp

It's no secret that as a collective group of people here on Audiversity, we can really only agree on one guy: Otis Jackson Jr. But if Madlib and all his many wondrous incarnations is our intersection, Flying Lotus tags in as his alternate. This relationship has been in chrysalis for a long time: Steven Ellison emerged from beneath anonymous 30-second "Adult Swim" spots when his Plug Research debut 1983 dropped in late '06. Initially, there was more excitement over the music nerdery connect-the-dots in his great-nephew status to Alice Coltrane than there was to the actual Brazilian-influenced beats. Which were, incidentally, formidable.

But if FlyLo was the best representation of a great label in Plug Research, his move to Warp last fall was a calculated stab at building bigger bridges. The Reset EP showed a producer focusing in on a sound he had already established to startling effect. Indeed, there was something intuitively great about the music he was making in the sense that, while ostensibly based on the off-kilter creations of Dilla and Madlib culled from bargain funk bins, Lotus was also incorporating some of that world flavor via Brazil in addition to his natural jazz impulses and a touch of the avant-garde everything.

When Los Angeles leaked in late April, the results of his labors were not necessarily what had been expected. Reset was a modest six tracks that wrapped up tidily in under 20 minutes; Los Angeles is a comparatively bloated work at 17 tracks, but that's not looking at the time, which is just over 43 minutes. All of this silly numbers crunching means that Lotus has sharpened his game in a different way for his sophomore LP. This time around, he has honed in on song length rather than a specific sonic template.

And I'll admit, when I first heard it, I was lost. This was a record I had been so hopeful for showing the future of left-field hip-hop (and all requisite "or whatevers") that at first I did not understand what was going on here. Songs flew by, cursory hearings blurring the lines between "Comet Course" and "Sleepy Dinosaur," the vocal tracks tacked on the end seeming to be too little too late. Where was the development? Where was the progress? Where was that "Massage Situation" moment for every track, the mini epiphanies spread out over a manageable size of songs? Instead of feeling like a fully formed work, Los Angeles felt like the city that it represents: a patchwork quilt of sounds held together by a dense blanket of smog.

But the more I played it, the more I came around. Here's the best part about this album: You likely won't like it on your first listen. Or your second. Probably not even your third. You'll only find a handful of songs you can actually remember on the first go-around, maybe "RobertaFlack (feat. Dolly)" or maybe "Golden Diva." But each successive replay merits a new song you're rediscovering for the first time, until eventually you realize you love all 17 just as you swore you didn't have the capacity to because your iPod is too clogged up with the new Wolf Parade or Fleet Foxes or some damn thing.

While it may be a revelatory work in listening, it's not really a revelation. Instead of perfecting one idea, Ellison has blown open a galaxy of sounds to pursue on future records. In that sense at least, Los Angeles is incomplete: It is not the endpoint of Flying Lotus. This is not his "arrival" per se, because there is still too much development going on. Maybe he'll never arrive or never have a marquee record that everyone can point to and say, "At least he got it all completely right for that."

And you know what? As long as he continues generating beats as disparate, as dirty, as straight-up fucking heavy as the ones he's presented here, he won't need one. I understand that Ellison was upset when this record leaked; I don't blame him for it and the argument of sharing vs. keeping to yourself isn't one I want to get into here. But I will say this: You just witnessed my excitement for this record peak on the eve of its release. All of the enthusiasm for those who waited patiently will be rewarded with his most dramatic album art yet and a killer record from a ceaselessly creative mind. Last fall, Michael said that his Warp debut would require us to start using terms like, "the next phase of instrumental hip-hop has arrived." Well, not quite. Los Angeles is the future, but it's also the past, the present, the solid, the liquid, gas, plasma, atoms and quarks, particles and participles, broken and bent and sent through wormholes to our ears. It's a culmination of everything we know, everything we've ever learned about hip-hop, about funk, about soul. Real soul. It's a reason to keep loving music. Not bad for a mere mortal, anyway.

Singleversity #58

2008-06-07T23:58:00.007-05:00

Audiversity’s weekly column on music we stumble across during our sonic adventures. No random numbers, just straight audio goodness.

MA:

While Michael cooks a little something up in the kitchen, I'll go ahead and fill in the gaps of our ongoing saga. It's unofficially summer here in the Windy City, announced at the beginning of last weekend with temperatures in the high 80s, girls in high heels and higher skirts, sunburns at the beach, and strong stints for the local Boys of Summer. I also found myself begging for AC and more cold drinks than I should be allowed. One classic jam pegging this mood perfectly is The Kinks' ~~"Sunny Afternoon."~~ Ray Davies' broken aristocrat alter-ego had it hard for this little tune from the 1966 album Face to Face: Taxman's taken his yacht, his girlfriend's run off with his car after a fight, and here he is telling us commoners his woes over that great class equalizer, the pint of beer. "All I've got's this sunny afternoon," he muses. Too bad nobody thought to drag the schmuck out to a street festival.

PM:

But if heat is the most troubling issue as we round the year's warmest months, it's certainly not the only one: On the floor above mine, it appears as if the people living in their apartment train elephants for the circus at all hours of the day. Kingston, Jamaica's The Paragons capture my mood on their 1973 version of ~~"Man Next Door"~~ that was originally inspired by Garnet Mimms & The Enchanters' 1964 version "A Quiet Place." There are a ton of versions out there under varying song titles by everyone from Dennis Brown to Portishead, but this rendition has grown to become my favorite.

The Twilight Sad - "Here, It Never Snowed. Afterwards it Did" EP

2008-06-06T23:34:00.009-05:00

The Twilight Sad - ~~Mapped By What Surrounded Them (Alternate)~~ (Fat Cat 2008)

The Twilight Sad - "Here, It Never Snowed. Afterwards it Did" EP / Fat Cat

Counting our year-end lists last year, this will mark the fourth time in a year and a half that Glasgow's Twilight Sad have made an appearance on this website. We've covered almost everything they've released, but don't be fooled; the illusion is twofold, because they bring a lot of the same songs back and we're lazy. It's not intentional, it's just that they seem to be making all the right noises without being too intrusive in that Kasabian kind of way. Haha, remember them?

So here's another EP, this one six songs but - surprise! - most of them are reworkings of jigs your 15-year-old white noise-loving self already knows and loves well: "Cold Days From the Birdhouse," "And She Would Darken the Memory," "Another Red Sparowes-esque Song Title But Somehow the Song is Still Listenable," you know, all the hits. Which I guess is understandable, a kind of belated victory lap for a record that had last year's grandstands applauding politely if not painting their bellies to spell out "TWILIGHT SAD" all in a row.

And I'm all for alternate versions of songs as long as there's a legitimate difference (as opposed to recorded versus "live!" which has the added effect of... the crowd). Some of the best work The Smashing Pumpkins ever did was never recorded to take an easy example from my memory, and that would've been the case for this band too had they not actually gone through and utilized ex-Aereogramme bassist and Campbell McNeil or My Latest Novel violinist Laura McFarlane. All of these versions exercise restraint that isn't often found on last year's full-length Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters, which is both refreshing in perspective (ostensibly the band's intention) and pleasing to see that they can be cautious when they want to.

It's not that these versions are better; in fact, most are inferior to the originals given that we came to know The Twilight Sad as a noise band that evolved into a hybrid of Scottish post-folk pioneered by Arab Strap and harrowing jet engine roars courtesy My Bloody Valentine. It's this balance between sheer noise, the adrenaline of sound, and that sad-bastard melody-come-easy touch that made the band so enrapturing. Here, it's James Graham's Scottish burr that grabs most of the attention and it's a lucky thing that he's talented at exploiting his limited range; otherwise we would be praying at this point for the instrumental versions. Not the case here. Graham's rolling Rs and distinctive accent are just one more appealing aspect of the band's sound as a whole. Without him, the songs are still good... But it's just not the same.

I mean, that's the whole point of this EP, innit? Things just aren't the same. Can't say it's a bridge to the sound of the next record or that it's some kind of dramatic change in direction because, frankly, it isn't (and/or "who knows?"). It has the same effect as Glider if that particular EP had come after Loveless rather than a year before. But even Glider has one of the Valentines' greatest moments in the title-track, and I'll be damned if the inebriated guitars that enter 15 seconds into "Mapped By What Surrounded Them" aren't my favorite sound of 2008. If this review were more punctual, I would've just said this: "The guitars on 'Mapped By What Surrounded Them'." Eight words for a six-song EP. One day I'll learn to edit. Go get this in the meantime and see what I'm talking about.

Ueno - "Sui-Gin"

2008-06-05T22:41:00.007-05:00

Ueno - ~~04 - Untitled~~ (Room40 2008)

Ueno - Sui-Gin / Room40

The sound of a precocious kid working out simple melodies has been part of the charm of Japan's increasingly popular duo Tenniscoats (and, to a lesser extent, the Maher Shalal Hash Baz music collective they are a part of). Last year, Saya and Takashi Ueno best used their musical marriage to great effect on two discs: Totemo Aimasho was put out on New Zealand's Room40 and the live disc Tan Tan Therapy for Sweden's Häpna. But while his fidelity may not be in question on the actual marriage side of things, he's definitely been diddling on the music side with a string of solo records devoted to his exploration of the 12-string guitar. Breathing through a Moog Ring Modulator this time, Sui-Gin (or "Mercury") continues in the same lineage.

It's easy to question the validity of a record like this, which is willfully difficult to listen to straight up. But like the hidden brilliance of Snöleoparden from earlier this year, the methods behind the madness reward patient listeners. Admittedly, this is a whole hell of a lot harder to get into: Ueno leaves his four-track recording sessions from Tokyo mostly unaltered in the transition to a full album of nine songs; there are tons of overdubs, but you would never know it listening to how smooth and foreign it sounds. "04 - Untitled" is the best demonstration of what little echo emits from the ring modulator, providing a depth in the scrabble of notes that Ueno is filtering out, but each untitled track runs a similar pattern: Take the bare minimal simplicity of the pop plucks that make Tenniscoats so heralded and reduce them in an almost Imagist way. What Tenniscoats say in 97 words, Ueno says in 56. Or less, as it were.

But then, that's why it's only half of Tenniscoats, right? It wouldn't be a Ueno record if it were accessible even to more experimental listeners. It's true, Sui-Gin is a test of patience to the untrained ear. But it's also a reward to appreciators of the avant-garde looking for a taste of what's on the radios of UFOs buzzing Planet Earth these days. Who's to say Ueno might not very well be a modern Will Smith?

Radio Show Playlist: 6/4/08

2008-06-04T06:29:00.003-05:00

Audiversity's reign on 88.7 WLUW-FM Chicago is coming to a close -- with June 25th being the last possible show date, though it could very well come sooner with the way the situation is developing. On July 1st, WLUW will no longer be listener-supported community radio; instead it is reverting back to Loyola's student-run station, and most likely with it, all of the downfalls and short-sightedness of college radio. As solely a community member, I will no longer be welcome to contribute. There is no animosity, it's just the reality of the situation, and I am ready to move on to bigger and better things. What exactly is this bigger and better thing? It is the Chicago Independent Radio Project! A brand new station is in the works that will be potentially launching this summer on the web. This will be Audiversity's new home, and I hope all of you will follow us there. The show will be new and improved and hopefully taken to brand new levels. Thanks for listening for the last 2-and-a-half years if you are a WLUW listener, and I'm looking forward to developing this idea even further. Cheers.

Also, I will be taking a break from reviewing CDs here on the site for a little while as I put my full concentration on developing the new music library for the CHIRP station. However, Patrick and I are still writing for Dusted Magazine and Stop Smiling, so you can find our words and opinions there if interested. Don't read this as the end of Audiversity.com though: my last few radio show playlists will be posted here, Patrick and Ronnie may still be posting, and we will be back phoenix-like by the end of the summer.

Love, Michael.

6a:
1. Russian Circles - Youngblood - Station (Suicide Squeeze 2008)
2. Arbouretum - Flood of Floods - Kale (Thrill Jockey 2008)
3. Free Kitten - Erected Girl - Inherit (Ecstatic Peace 2008)
4. The Black Angels - Deer-ree-shee - Directions to See a Ghost (Light in the Attic 2008)
5. Michael Yonkers - Lonely Fog - Grimwood (DeStijl 2007, originally 1974)
6. Voice of the Seven Woods - Silver Morning Branches - Voice of the Seven Woods (B-Music 2007)
7. Steven R. Smith - O, Blessed Night Your Sunrise has Burnt Down - Owl (Digitalis 2007)
8. The Invaders - It's Your Thing, Part 2 - Spacing Out (Baadassss 1997, originally 1970)

7a:
1. Blues Control - Always on Time - Puff (Woodsist 2007)
2. Keith Fullerton Whitman - Schnee - Antithesis (Kranky 2004)
3. Ryan Teague - Prelude III - Six Preludes (Type 2005)
4. Ethan Rose - Song One - Ceiling Songs (Locust 2006)
5. Daedelus - Make It So (Samiyam Remix) - Make It So [single] (Ninja Tune 2008)
6. Subtle - F.K.O. (Console Remix) - F.K.O. 12" (Lex 2004)
7. Delarosa & Asora - Ossabaw - Crush the Sight-Seers EP (Pearineel 1999)
8. Colleen - Summer Water - The Golden Morning Breaks (Leaf 2005)
9. Hauschka - La Dilettante - Room to Expand (FatCat 2007)

8a:
1. High Places - Banana Slug/Cosmonaut - 03/07-09/07 (Thrill Jockey 2008)
2. Terminal 4 - When I'm Falling - When I'm Falling (Truckstop 2003)
3. Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers - Miguel's Party - Les Liaisons Dangereuses 1960 (Polygram 1960)
4. Byard Lancaster - Hoodoo - Personal Testimony (Porter 2008, originally 1979)
5. Alemayno Eshintay - Love is Love - Love is Love (Mississippi 2008)
6. Orchestra Baobab - Ama Kita Bay - Made in Dakar (World Circuit 2008)
7. Puerto Rican All-Stars featuring Kako - Descarga en Puerto Rico - Puerto Rican All-Stars featuring Kako (Alegre 1963)
8. Jackson Conti - Casa Forte - Sunjinho (Kindrid Spirits 2008)
9. The Dramatics - Hot Pants in the Summer Time - Whatcha See is Whatcha Get (Volt 1972)
10. Al Green - Lay It Down - Lay It Down (Blue Note 2008)
11. Syl Johnson - Come Together - Is It Because I'm Black (Twinight 1970)

Anja Schneider - "Beyond the Valley"

2008-06-03T23:26:00.002-05:00

Anja Schneider - ~~Belize~~ (Mobilee 2008)

Anja Schneider - Beyond the Valley / Mobilee

Originally there was going to be a post before this justifying the exhaustive new Booka Shade record, The Sun and the Neon Light. But I honestly could not listen to that record more than once the whole way through. Have you heard the praises? If not, it's because nobody told Walter Merziger and Arno Kammermeier to just... stop. I can't even believe I remember that "Psychameleon" was the only song worth taking away from that album. For once, their initials seem appropriate.

But if the boys from Hamburg did not bring their best, Berlin's brightest brunettes have more than made up for it this spring. While Bpitch Control boss Ellen Allien was busy tooling with liquid nitrogen for a reductive approach on Sool, Mobilee missus Schneider chose to sweat out her latest with Beyond the Valley, a full-length that capitalizes on the strength of last year's "Belize" single and continually redraws the lines between order and chaos. Each track starts as a disaster and finishes making complete sense. It's like seeing the light over and over.

Or maybe it's just that minimal electro has been pretty weak this year? I hear Beyond the Valley and I think that this is an album that could've had every track as a highlight; clearly Schneider is capable of such brilliance as the Conrad-esque "Mole" and the stunning opener "Safari," but when we look back on this album at the end of the year (or rather, after you've finished hearing it for the second time), we're going to struggle to remember the "lost" tracks that feel like filler on repeated listens. Where is the momentum in "Gimlet"? And despite the trip-hop vocals of "Get Away," nothing about it feels distinctive. It's like Type A minimal techno and it feels lazy for someone of Schneider's obvious talent... even when the percussion takes curious turns with bongos and pitched-out tribal drums.

That said, the concluding tracks regain most of the waywardness of the middle portion and "Little Red Riding Hood" comes alive with spiking synths to complement the subtle, after-hours party favor that "We Fish at Night" provides on your way out. These songs may be highlights, but they fit in with the mood and feel of the album perfectly: Schneider has not made clear what valley we're going beyond, but it is clear that for this album we lie in its heart, and it is dark. No matter how fast that paranoid 4/4 pace may feel, there is no escaping the darkness.

So returning to the point about the "lost" moments that share common ground redundancy with the vast majority of Booka Shade's latest, the fact that these songs stretch out longer than it often feels they should turns out to be a clever psychological ploy on Schneider's part, taking cues from Conrad and dragging it out to make you feel as submerged in these sounds as the front cover depiction: You're immersed in roses, thorns, shrubbery and other industrial foliage on the cover, the music makes you feel like you've lost your way in the sweaty overgrowth as well. Maybe that overgrowth is a new species of plant; maybe it's a crowded club in Berlin. Either way, Schneider has already boldly blazed that path ahead and she's showing you the way through. Follow her long enough on Beyond the Valley and your faith will be rewarded.