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Zarko & Bulldog's Trans-Hemispheric Review of the 2000's
Zarko & Bulldog's Trans-Hemispheric Review of the 2000's
The idea of this thread popped into my head when I realise I was sick of reading about stuff that came out of the 70’s and 80’s. Nothing wrong with the old days, but some days it gets a bit old. I decided to change my next point of focus to the decade that is currently on its last legs – the 00’s. Being the admirable fellow that he is, I invited one of the bastards from Britannia to the mix, our generous co-host in Bulldog. Either way, it will probably be an ongoing project that should evolve with time. If anyone has any points of discussion, don’t feel worried about starting a conversation in the thread. Forum friedly is the aim. Either way, I hope you enjoy a few of our favourites from a much maligned decade. |
I could definetly use some input on music from this decade. My tastes are for the most part horribly old fashioned, so I'll keep an eye on this thread. Looking forward to it! :)
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What I'll also be including my end on occasion will be 00s albums from what a lot of people would consider 'classic' artists that, despite being among their best (in my opinion, of course), often get overlooked in favour of their better-known, earlier material. The onus of this thread is artists who released a debut much more recently though, so I'll be keeping such picks to a bare minimum.
Anyway, enjoy the thread and feel free to comment :) It's a day off tomorrow, so I'll at least draft my first review then. |
A little boring back information...
Born in 1989, it took me a while to develop a keen interest in music. Through the 90's of course being in my early years I was unlikely to actually understand half the **** that was happening around me, let along attempt to focus on something with such a wide scope like music does. Through those early years it was snatch and run really, find a genre that sounds cool, say you're a fan and Bob's your uncle. Rock and roll was an early favourite if I recall correctly. Either way, I never had music obsessed parents like many people do. It wasn't like I was born and raised listening to the Beatles or other such nonsense. I caught the occasional listen of a favourite group of my mum's or dad's music but nothing really carried on from that. I knew mum was a fan of Queen because whenever his name would pop up mum would never fail to come up with 'No one can ever match Freddie'. I found out that dad was a BeeGee's fan the hard way, given a good tongue-lashing when I questioned the 'lifestyle choices' the group had made (Being the impressionable young kid I was ;)) which was followed by an oddly aggressive barrage of questions, 'Why?', 'What gave you that impression?' etc etc. Either way they were both classic rock-ists beyond these basic two groups. We did the generic 'music' class through school (recorders etc) but I was never the adept performer and never took it up long term. I respected the skills that fellow classmates had developed but was never once to question why I couldn't do something like that. Through this time you are generally weaned on the radio in the car to and from school, which of course you cannot change because it would be changed back the second later. Either way this was the routine until about mid 2006 when I just started to strike up some conversations with the musically minded minds of my year level. The people I normally hung around with were music fans, but more on the sports side of things. They knew what they liked no doubt but they never delved into the world. So I started talking more with muso's about general stuff, until I realise that I had nothing to talk about with them in regards to their passion. By now I was a classic rock bore, being sucked in the previous year by a Kiss concert, and proceeded to try and understand why the Beatles were popular after buying a best of... or listening to Led Zeppelin but in actuality finding it rather boring if not okay. Either way, I was in a lull. Finding that classic rock was possibly not my thing, I looked back even further, and found the genre that would actually give my future musical passion credence - Jazz. It started out rather uninspringly after downloading the Cowboy Bebop soundtrack, which was pretty bland but overall nice jazz mixed with other genres that wasn't really bebop at all. I was to find that out after buying some Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gilespie records. Either way, it was an opening, and I took it. Either way for a while I was sucked into the 'classics' mentality yet again, this time with jazz though. It wasn't until I was willing to experiment a bit with genre mixing that I really found out about so many of this decades best albums. First it was jazz-rock, then electronic jazz, then this then that, then realised I was missing out just looking for jazz, so I jumped into electronic, the contemporary classical, then ambient, all easily accessible at this time. I looked further back in past decades for just that match that satisfied what I had become accustomed to liking. I really found it difficult to find anything that did as such. So I came back to the 2000's, where everything was more widepsread/easier to find/more interestingly mixed and match, and in the end I really couldn't be happier. The thing that makes music worth so much is finding new and exciting music. Either way, longer than anticipated, but it gives some sort background info. |
To celebrate the opening review/discussion by yours truly, the album I decided to first review was the first album that came up via Foobar of albums from the year 2000, and then sorted by artist name. So without further ado…
Whilst not being overly surprising due to his name that he would pop up first, it is fitting perhaps that the first album review belongs to one of my favourite artists whose majority of work comes from this decade. Unfortunate that he happens to produce the type of music that is hardest to review personally, but we will work though it either way. Despite being one of the more recognised artists from the 2000’s that will probably find its way in here, it’s still a name worth knowing. Tobin’s first foray into the music scene was under the guise of ‘Cujo’ up until 1997 when he decided to work under his name. Signing with the now-prominent London independent record label Ninja Tune in 1996, he released Bricolage and Permutation in 1997 and 1998 respectively. These records carried a distinct down-tempo trip hop style with jazzy samples and just an all around friendly sound, with a spice of jungle electronics. Supermodified marked a change though. He carried a bit of the trip-hop style and jungle resonance, but injected some bigger beats that make Supermodified more accessible to the wider community. The album kicks off with a collage of sounds in Get Your Snack On, filled with samples ranging from old school jazz and brass, which cut into synthed out beats with guitar riffs make the occasional entrance. The song simply spits out groovy beats, all the while the catchy drum’n’bass rhythm wallops you in the mouth. Four Ton Mantis doesn’t miss a beat, which always reminded me of following the footsteps of a plodding monster, Godzilla-style before he is about to wreck havoc in an album favourite. The drumming is intense, letting up slightly intermittently, but at the same time it’s just a funky tune. Four Ton Mantis The laid back vibes of the first two albums aren’t totally forgotten, as shown in Slowly. Introduced by a foreboding assortment of noises, the track is carried by a slow trotting beat, the best work done by a very nice brass section and some remarkable drumming. Melancholic and vague, Marine Machines has as many faces as one can recall, each more obscured than the last. A horn section blasts out before being muddled by a haunting quietness which subtlety turns into a soundscape of flutes, drumming and synths before disappearing in a puff of air. Golfer Vrs Boxer is another darker track, bastardising the rev of motorcycles into the harshest breakbeats on the album. The pace is frenetic, yet manages to maintain interest throughout. Golfer Vrs Boxer The slow-picking dark folk stylings of Deo opens up into a quiet, minimalist track that sits at a lower level, whilst threatening to detonate occasionally, still content it simply be what it is to begin with. In Precursor, Tobin teams up with aggressive beatbox artist, Quadraceptor in an electric performance. Featuring an assortment of quirky sounds and oddities, Precursor is one of the more fun tracks on the album. Possibly the grooviest track on the album comes with Saboteur however. Dirty bass lines and latin-esque percussion manage proceedings as elements such as disguised vocals and guitar picking, with the vexing DnB rhythm threatening to break down the wall and come crashing through. Saboteur Chocolate Lovely is a cinematic track of wonder, lush and wonderful in its warm fuzziness, yet ever straddling the line of falling off the edge. Some harsh beats break out at times, but they don’t break the stride – Rather they offer an interesting balance to the song to save it from becoming stagnant. On the other hand is its follow up, Rhino Jockey. The sound of callous electrical sounds slowly comes into fruition as an antagonistic streak presents itself, the track becoming a domineering wall of sound that manages to stave off the brink of all out violence. All the while, however, remains a sense of mystique, quiet periods that stick out as abnormal and the occasional sound used that raise the eyebrow in comparison to the surrounding noise. Keepin’ It Steel summons an assortment of samples that would be common place in various metal works and fuses it with a heavy handed dose of some Brazilian-styled jazz beats, as well as some occasional slow and seductive jazz lines. Tobin reaches back to some old ballroom styled jazz sounds too, all the while the track remains at its deliberate rate. The album comes to completion with Natureland, the title referring amply to the style adopted for the finale. Calm and whimsical, the track leaves a bit wanting, though perhaps this is how Tobin intended, to continue the tracks through to his next album. Supermodified manages to simply become another stepping stone in Tobin’s amazing repertoire. Symbolic of the experimentation that a lot of electronic genres need (In my opinion) to hold up against time, Tobin manages to spit out an album that is aggressive with its approach, yet remains all the more infections because of it. Though it isn’t perfect (The album tends to tail off at times, struggling through nearly 70 minutes of music) it is still an essential listen. The album stands up, and with a swagger embraces its differences, rather than attempts to shy away back into its predecessors style. Essential Listening Although anywhere is good to start with Tobin, you can’t go wrong with Supermodified. |
Artists that started before the 00's are going to be the easy, but I suppose they deserve recognition too. Can't wait for you two to show MB what the 00's are all about!
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Al mentioned this last week. Looking forward to this thread a lot.
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eagerly awaiting more!
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A little bit of laborious background info from me as well before I get down to the nitty gritty.
Born in 1988, I can honestly say I didn't develop a real interest in music 'til I was 9 years old, and even that wasn't really a very passionate one. Like Zarko, my parents weren't exactly hooked on music either. My Mum's a fan of all sorts of corny corn like Rod Stewart and Neil Diamond (bless her), while my Dad listens almost exclusively to classical. I did catch a glimpse of an ELO 12" of his in the attic once (don't ask me which one it was), and he's partial to a bit of good old rock 'n' roll so, if I even thought about music enough to have a favourite area of it, that'd be it. For all the bashing of mainstream radio that goes down around here, it was actually listening to stations like Capital FM, Heart FM and Virgin Radio that first started getting me to pay attention to the music around me a bit more. Needless to say, my tastes have gone leaps and bounds since all of 12 years ago, but early favourites were songs like Raincloud by the Lighthouse Family, I Believe In Miracles and various other late 90s pop-lite-shite I wouldn't touch with a bargepole today. A few years later I started making my own way, although that way would be a very misguided walk down Nu Metal avenue, featuring such tripe as Linkin Park, Papa Roach and so on. It wasn't 'til I was on the way back from school in the taxi with Virgin Radio on the go that I heard a couple of songs back-to-back that basically changed my way of thinking about music forever - David Bowie's Rebel Rebel and the Jam's That's Entertainment. From there (the year 2000 if I remember correctly), without making this too long, my tastes just completely changed. Although I lulled a bit for about a year and didn't listen to an awful lot of music, it's more or less been the same story since then - music being an incredibly important part of my life, basically. I used to have a tendency to look back into the 70s and 80s a lot more with the music I got myself, but there are plenty of albums I can think of now that represent the last 10 years of musical quality. I'd say a quick word or two about my taste in general, but I'm sure you'll get an idea of it as this thread continues. The crux of the whole thing is that I don't know many people at all, if anyone (except my brother of course, who's also been an influence on me musically to an extent), in the offline world who has what I'd call a genuinely good taste in music, which is pretty much the reason you find me logging in here so often! So, yeah, on with the show! |
Continuing along the electronic tangent for a bit...
Overseer - Wreckage (2003) http://www.plong.com/MusicCatalog/O/...20Wreckage.jpg genre: breakbeat, progressive house, hip-hop, trip-hop 1. Slayed 2. Stompbox 3. Supermoves 4. Velocity Shift 5. Horndog 6. Meteorology 7. Aquaplane 8. Doomsday 9. Basstrap 10. Sparks 11. Never Rob Overseer, aka Overseer, is a Yorkshire-dwelling DJ/producer and is one of the more obscure names among his contemporaries in big beat music. Although he's contributed to the soundtracks of Animatrix, Snatch and Gran Turismo 3, this album (so far his only full-length effort) was a critical and commercial disaster upon release, being delayed as it was by six months due to a few problems with the management. As a result, the album was pretty much not promoted at all and just cast off by the powers that be as dated big beat. Needless to say, what with its being flagged up here and all, it's just one more example of the press being full of crap when it comes to musical criticism, the big flaw in their argument being that, while it certainly in here to be seen, Wreckage simply isn't just one, rusty, dated big beat package. In actual fact, it's among the most eclectic electronic albums of the last ten years and, consequently, one that massively rewards repeated listenings. If there's a common ground beneath it all, it's the interesting use of hard-rocking riffs and solid, synthetic beats as on the fantastic opener, Slayed, one of many tracks to feature Zak Speakerfreak rapping about declaring 'war on stupidity' and 'the fakers, the piss-takers and the sucker money-makers'. Top follow it up, Stompbox makes use of the same vocalist but this time takes on a much more furious pace and featuring some terrific breaks from Rob Overseer himself, serving up another album highlight. Supermoves, which a few of may remember from the Snatch soundtrack, keeps the buzzing, hyperactive breakbeat tempo going, featuring the same kinds of breaks as Stompbox before and Velocity Shift after it, as the album serves up yet another tune that refuses to let you sit down. To put the lid on the faster section of the album, Horndog is another great tune which utilises the combination of big beats and guitar riffs wonderfully. It was also the spectacular flop of the single release from the album as well. From there, we move on to the more obviously IDM, even a little trip-hoppy part of the tracklisting, starting with the down-tempo Meteorology, which not only features the soothing vocals of one Sandra Pehrsson but also a silky string arrangement to compliment the laid-back vibe about the whole thing. Another absolutely superb tune then, and one that doesn't sound a whole lot unlike something the Thievery Corporation would write. The same can be said of the following Aquaplane which is another definite highlight, being a maze of dubby bass, sound affects and reverbs, simple piano lines and labyrinthine vocal treatments. An absolute favourite this one. After that mid-section down-tempo/dub foray, we get right back into familiar territory again with the metallic riff used in Doomsday preceding another catchy-as-hell synthetic rhythm and some superb rapping from MC Nick Life. Basstrap lacks the guitars but serves more or less the same purpose as the track before, being of the same kind of tempo though slightly more synth and bass-heavy (as the title may or may not suggest). Some more top-drawer rapping as well. So far the slower, trip-hop-reminiscent moments on the album have all provided highlights, and that's exactly what can be said of Sparks, featuring the vocal talents of singer-songwriter Rachel Gray. Never sees the album end on a more sinister note, making use of live as well as synthesized strings and the gritty vocal of Jakk Frost and the honey-like sweetnes of Sandra Pehrsson's. It's a great track to just roll most of the elements of a fairly diverse album into one, seven minute-long track. And therein lies the strength of Wreckage that a lot of the press failed to pick up at the time of release, or at least one of them, and that's the eclectic mixture of big beats, metallic riffs, hip-hop vocals, down-tempo and even ambient and dub in places over the length of eleven great tracks. There's also the sheer talent of one Rob Overseer in his ability to bring all those styles together in one, seamless package - one that can go from thought-provoking to sinister, to fun, to chilled-out, to stoned and so on. One of the finest albums of the decade without a doubt. All in all; http://btr.michaelkwan.com/wp-conten...5/thumbsup.jpg |
It was you who got me into the Overseer album and it is still on my MP3 player months after I got the link as it is perfect for that. I don't think the album wins a huge amount of points on originality and it reminds me of The Prodigy a hell of a lot but for big bouncy tunes with a smattering of guitars then it's stellar.
Zarko Supermodified was my entry into the world of Amon Tobin and I still probably find it his most satisfying release. I think it's a great entry album to a slightly more harsher and abstract Electronic sound and it lead to me onto the likes of Otto Van Schirad and Venetian Snares. |
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And Zarko, great Amon Tobin review. He's another one who, oddly enough, has passed me by all these years. I've got Supermodified now though, and I'll give it a good listen when I get back from uni a bit later. |
An increase in work hours and an increase in annoyingly hot weather (I was expecting 40 degree weather in February, not November) has sort of killed the thread. Either way, no time like the present to get it going again.
Terakaft was founded by two members of Tinariwen a few years back, carrying over the world-desert blues style that was present through Tinariwen’s near 30 year career. The bands basis is one of rebellion and politics, which has gained them a following through West Africa. The album cover does a fairly good job of expressing this; I doubt it was only me who saw the typical ‘desert rebel’, substituting a guitar for a gun. Terakaft consists of four members, Kedou ag Ossad, Liya Ag Ablil, Sanou Ag Ahmed all contributing on guitar and vocals, and Rhissa Ag Ogham on bass. So what exactly is desert blues? Well, if we are looking at it from a Terakaft foundation, it pretty much sounds like standard blues; however the band often adds a psychedelic tinge. The minimalist aspect of the music is where the ‘desert’ description comes into play. Sparse and empty land is reflected in the often solo guitar moments (Often reverberating into nothingness), with subtle percussion occasionally. The vocals are in the West African Tamashek language, so there is a fair chance you have no idea what they are singing about, but it adds a distinct variation to a general blues band, and they aren’t too bad overall. The songs are covered in a shroud of respect, not harsh or aggressive, though this doesn’t prevent them from being explorative. Tenere Wer Tat Zinchegh How does the album work altogether? Considering it is the first Terakaft/Tinariwen album I have listened to, it is surprisingly accessible. It flows well, and some of the guitars are a treat against what becomes a harsh background of emptiness. It’s interesting that a ‘clean’ and minimal background can often have differing effects on the music at hand. Here, the guitar sound is affected adversely to what would be expected, becoming almost dirty at times. As I mentioned, there is often a psychedelic element that enters the songs at times. There aren’t too many guitar effects, only the occasional wah-wah. There is a minimal amount of percussion, but when it’s used, it is normally to good stead. During Intidgagen, a fuzz-rattle presents itself occasionally, and the deep far off drumming in Soubhanallah is great, a rolling thunder through a quiet desert if you will. Intidgagen The album also adopts quite a variety of styles, whilst the groundwork doesn’t change (Being desert blues); it occasionally espouses a more American blues take, or even an Irish ballad. All the while, the band never loses their hypnotic approach. Even during some of the louder songs, the welcoming and warm feeling extended by the songs can lull the listener into a lazy haze. Though, that could just be the incredibly hot weather round these ways. The description of the bands music was enough to suck me into their world, but when I stumbled into it, I had no idea what I was getting into. What I found was songs that exuded passion and warmth, and tracks that weren’t weighed down by any overly political basis or anger. The instrumental performances match up to the musician’s ardour, which always helps make a good album. Most importantly though, is that when you expect to hear something similar later in the album, the performers come up with something new to excite an astute listener. The guitar work never becomes predictable and the group is willing to try out different styles to see what works best. Arghane Manine I wasn’t expecting too much when I downloaded this album. However, it is fair to say that I was blown away by how entertaining I found it. Sometimes you just want an entertaining and simple album to listen to. Other times, something more experimental will only quench your thirst. With Akh Issudar, both facets are present in a great final product. Entertaining, Worth a Download |
Never had you down as desert blues fan ;) I love me some of the stuff, so I've definitely gotta track that album down, especially as I've been a Tinariwen fan for a good few years now. If it's that kinda stuff you're into, you should check out a band called Etran Finatawa if you haven't already, not to mention a Tinariwen album or two - both bands have a very similar kinda barrage of guitars sound about them. There's subtler stuff like Ali Farka Toure's work which is worth a go as well.
I should be pretty busy today, so I might get my next review up tomorrow, if not over the weekend. |
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Good luck finding that sort of stuff in your local pre: 2000s though :p: |
The Amorphous Androgynous - Alice In Ultraland (2005) http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Eoq19XgIYv...s320/alice.jpg genre: neo-psychedelic, ambient, post-rock 1. The Emptiness Of Nothingness 2. The Witchfinder 3. The Witch Hunt 4. All Is Harvest 5. Prophet 6. Indian Swing 7. Seasons Turn 8. High and Dry 9. Yes My Brother (You've Gotta Turn Yourself Around) 10. In the Summertime Of Consciousness 11. Billy the Onion 12. Another Fairy Tale Ending 13. The World is Full Of Plankton 14. The Wicker Doll So, in finally preparing my second full-on review for this thread, I knew it wouldn't be long before I got to not only another favourite album of the decade, but one of my favourite albums of all time from one of my favourite groups of all time (an album that would easily have made the higher reaches of my top 100 thread had I heard it about a year earlier). Before breaking it all down into songs though, as ever, a good slice of back story's necessary. Basically, the Amorphous Androgynous here, as well as a few other names in the field of electronic music you may or may not have heard of before like the Future Sound Of London, Yage, Humanoid, Stakker and so on, are all the brainchilds of the Mancunian DJ duo; Garry Cobain and Brian Dougans. They'd first made a name for themselves at the centre of the acid house scene in the late 80s and early 90s, with two massive hits of club anthems to their name, before recording a handful of very well-received (and selling) such albums. Very good albums too, but it starts to get truly profound and interesting in the mid-90s with the release of their monolithic, Mezzanine-soundalike album (released four years before Mezzanine, incidentally) by the name of Lifeforms, which found the duo approaching a much more ambient, down-tempo and dark territory. Cobain and Dougans did what every artist with the money of a few hit singles and albums and a faithful label and fanbase behind them should do - use that backing to take daring new steps into a new, unexplored world of music. Even the brilliant Lifeforms couldn't have prepared their audience for what was coming next though. In the earlier part of this very decade, the duo revived their Amorphous Androgynous moniker and released an even more ambitious double album, this one called the Isness and Otherness. To cut what's already a longer review than I had in mind a bit shorter, they went from this and this to this and this. While it was a hell of a stylistic curveball to throw, this one into a neo-psychedelia/progressive house sort of area, the resulting music was still very song-based, with each tune having its own individual identity, much like a lot of rock albums. And then along came 2005's Alice In Ultraland; a show of the more ambient side of the Cobain/Dougans partnership, delivering an album that blends together seamlessly to form one of the masterpieces of the decade. It finds the pair using the Amorphous Androgynous moniker to deliver an ambient psychedelic kind of album that wouldn't really be expected of the Future Sound Of London, although there's not a lot of that side of the equation on show during the opener, the Emptiness Of Nothingness - a tune that still sets the tone for some of the album ahead with its danceable rhythm, richly-layered atmospherics and unconventional (and sparse) use of vocals. The track just kind of melts into the Witchfinder and Witch Hunt; two tunes which meld together so perfectly they might as well be the same song. More importantly, this is where the Eastern influence on Alice In Ultraland's sound first becomes obvious, which is basically a whole lotta sitar and some terrific atmospherics which really do just take you away so to speak. It's also home to one of the heaviest use of vocals on the album. It's followed by the chilled All Is Harvest; a gorgeous little chillout beat beneath a repetitive guitar figure and fittingly non-intrusive use of strings and heavy studio treatments. It's a calm, contemplative moment's peace before the barrage of synth, guitar motifs and a loose electronic beat that is Prophet, which itself builds up towards another sitar-laden show of Cobain and Dougans' love for psychedelic music. Indian Swing then is another laid-back instrumental piece, and another show of the album's strength in that it creates a kind of sound that's at once relaxing and eye-opening at the same time. Seasons Turn is just a nice, 61 second package of labyrinthine, psychedelic eccentricity before the fantastic High and Dry. Featuring Cobain's lead vocal, it's easily the most accessible track on the album. A guitar-led song with a conventional verse-chorus-verse structure should be a standout, but all the credit goes to Dougans and Cobain as not only the composers but also producers for how it isn't, all for the fact that blends seamlessly the next track, Yes My Brother (You've Gotta Turn Yourself Around) - a delicious, acoustic guitar-led instrumental (well, the vocal is sparse enough to deem itself as another instrument anyway) with a few Eastern flavours added to it. In the Summertime Of Consciousness, again lead by Cobain's nasal vocal, is pretty much Seasons Turn taken to about 6 minutes' length. It's another gorgeous lump of psychedelic weirdness, complete with an almost chaotic, skewiff rhythm, saxophone, flute, sitar and piano overdubs, among so many other mixing desk atmospherics which make another truly great tune. The following Billy the Onion does the very, very strange thing for an album such as this by adding a dash of country slide guitar and harmonica to the mix with a fuzzy, synthesized bass figure ascending and descending throughout the whole thing. Yet another real headfuck of a tune. Another Fairy Tale Ending calms proceedings down significantly, giving off the air of a stunning work of chillout in the typically complex style that the album as a whole uses. The World Is Full Of Plankton carries that toprch onward, this time introducing a heavily-treated guitar to the mix before some typically eerie, not-so-accomplished-yet-strangely-beauitiful vocals kick in. Wicker Doll puts the lid on this clamer section of the tracklisting and the album as a whole as another tune with no beat, relying wholly on the synthesized atmospherics and the potency of the mixing desk to carry it out of your speakers with real panache. Alright, so this review has been far longer than I first hoped it would be, so I'll keep the old conclusion short. To say 'get this album as if your life depends on it' would be a bit pompous of me, so let's try and make sense eh. Basically, even if you're no huge fan of psychedelic, post-rock or ambient music (like I'm not), this album is definitely worth a gamble. It's endlessly rewarding for all the twists and turns that not only the album as a unit but each track themselves takes (you'll sit there thinking you're listening to a folk-influenced chillout tune with a steady beat before it does an ambient breakdown, layered vocals kick in or something), but also for the fact that it's a masterpiece of studio production. It's a credit to the talent of the Dougans/Cobain partnership as producers that they can make such a complex and stylistically diverse album blend together as one glorious whole (as if being easily two of the most talented composers to emerge from the house scene). If you're the type to read the last paragraphs of these things, I'll just say here that, despite the fact it's an oxymoron to say so, this album truly is a modern classic and an absolute masterpiece. If instead you've actually read all that, I applaud your patience! Anyway, this album = http://www.ukinvestmentadvice.co.uk/...ld-bullion.jpg YouTube - Garry Cobain talks about Alice In Ultraland |
Genres That Defined My Decade I thought this could be a cool little addition. Small reviews/suggestions revolved around a genre that in our opinions came to define all that was good about the decade so far. By no means are these to suggest that the genre in question is specific to the 2000’s or wasn’t done well in other decades.. For the most part they will be ‘specific genres’ (ie bull**** just made up to appease a bunch of taggers). Dark Jazz Dark jazz, a genre that’s foundations is difficult to tie down. Though it wasn’t technically jazz, film noir types occasionally did follow a jazz routine. Although in those day’s music for movies was rarely a focal point, it often extrapolated the atmosphere of the movie. Miles’ also had a key hand in making the genre what it is today. Laden and heavy, slow and crazed as ****, albums like Agharta, Bitches Brew et al, also carried this sense of atmosphere. The music was dark and mysterious, and for the most part, none-too-inviting. Then you have Peter Brotzmann types, who whilst didn’t make the genre, added the touch of aggressiveness and violence that much dark jazz is known for nowadays. It’s not all about atmosphere. It’s about forcing something down your throat with hostility or creeping behind you on a dark and foggy evening. However, for the most part, entire albums weren’t devoted to this sense of urgency or haunting nature. Miles had his lighter moments, Brotzmann sometimes drove his antagonism beyond just being dark, and as mentioned, film noir was always a backdrop to on-screen atmosphere. Nowadays, dark jazz has evolved into its own niche, and a pretty popular one at that. It’s hardly cut and dry though, as there is still a fair about of variety rather than simply copying what has shown to be successful. Perhaps most importantly, however, is the fact that it no longer remains ‘pure’ in an egotistical jazz fan manner. In my opinion the combination of electronics has breathed new life into what many believe is stagnant genre groundwork. The best thing is, however, that at times it just isn’t ‘jazz’. It’s a somewhat fun kick in the teeth to jazz purists, but most importantly, it introduces a whole new world of music fans into a new world, and they can go from there. I don’t think I was the only person who found it difficult to ‘get’ jazz in my earlier years. It’s probably the least accessible music from the base genres in my opinion. So, without further ado, I present a few of my favourite dark jazz albums from this decade. 1) Bohren & Der Club Of Gore – Sunset Mission (2000) http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6ii6Zht3E1...g/s320/url.jpg When people mention Bohren, I often get one of two replies to the question, ‘What is your favourite album?’. It’s normally one of ‘Geisterfaust’ or ‘Black Earth’. There is little doubt that both are great albums, and I have seen them being promoted elsewhere on the site (Particularly Pete’s From Me To You thread), but neither, on a personal level, come close to Sunset Mission in my books. I mean, from a modern jazz albums perspective, there are few things better than hearing the first cymbal bang and throbbing bass that kicks in from the first second in Black City Skyline, the eigth track on the album. Along with the ever so slight vocals in the distance and the sublimely controlled saxophone work, it can send chills up your spine even when you know its coming. And I mean, for a dark jazz album, how ****ing perfect is the album title? Black Earth follows a similar vein, but Sunset Mission simply evokes darkness within, as the sun is setting, and being cast off into the unforgiving but living world, carrying a sense of expectation, but knowing hopelessness resides within. Not to mention the album cover, which revolves around the unknown and mysteries of the world we think we understand. Of course, there is the music. The album simply spew’s atmosphere, and perhaps the most fitting modern day reference point to classic film noir. People can read this as they will – For some this will suggest that the slow and maniacal pace is simply too ‘boring’ and it doesn’t challenge the senses enough with an explosion of noise or energy. I, obviously, think that the pace is perfect in context. This album is about atmosphere. For some reason this can be presumed to be opposite of mentally stimulating for some. I will admit that a fair few people will probably find themselves nodding off to the album if listened to in the evening. From a personal perspective though, the depth used to create such a veiled sound is tremendous. The album doesn’t force you to search out its nooks and crannies. But to the observant listener, it can often be joyous to find a nick here or there or something new of interest. It’s about what lies beneath the surface that makes this album great rather than simply good. Midnight Walker 2) The Kilimajaro Darkjazz Ensemble – The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble (2006) http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6ii6Zht3E1...2006-front.jpg This album has gained quite the following since on MusicBanter in more recent times, let alone the wider music community. The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble (aka The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation) is a group from the Netherlands who formed as a project to make music for existing silent films. In comparison to Bohren’s ‘grabbing air’ type music, which often feels as if you would fail if you tried to grab it with your bare hands, Kilimajaro is sludgy as all hell. This is shown from the albums opening track The Nothing Changes, in which the deep bass lines meld with the sounds of bubbles escaping deep mud slush. There is an obvious electronic tinge that wasn’t really present in Sunset Mission. Although the brass is a strength in its minimalism, it’s really the heavy use of beats as well as occasionally aggressive drumming and leading guitar lines that really kicks this album into a second gear. The overall electronic sound of the album makes it a much more vigorous affair than Sunset, and it is used to a great advantage. Sometimes ambient, sometimes aggro, sometimes begging, the album gets a little eclectic at times, and this variety is seen as early as the first two tracks. So what makes it a special album? On a personal level, apart from being the album that introduced me to the world of ‘dark’ jazz, it is purely the fact that it is more than just jazz. The album WANTS you to question the boundaries in music, which as a music fan it is easy to see that the lines mean much less than they used to. Sometimes the album wants to be a jazz album – Other times it wants to be an electronic album – other times it wants to be an ambient album. Whichever way you want to look at it, the result is one of greatness from my perspective. Unlike Bohren, it is easy to get swept up in once the album gets its rhythm. For those interested, they have another recent release in ‘Here Be Dragon’s but it simply did not have the same effect on me as their self titled did. Same goes for The mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation for that matter. Lobby (Live) |
Dark Jazz Cont.
3) Macelleria Mobile Di Mezzanotte – Black Rubber Exotica (2005) http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/1323/155351.jpg Hey, I’ve talked about this fella before haven’t I? Yep, here it is. Wait, didn’t I ‘only’ give it 7.7 in that thread? Well, yes I did give it that score. However, it when comes to albums like these, it’s not about the numbers. I used to see this as a power electronics album first and foremost. Eventually it got to the point where I simply asked myself, ‘Who the hell cares?’, and that is how it came to belong in this thread. I doubt it will be the most popular album of the group – It is certainly a most harsh combination of electronics and jazz, and more often than not, the jazz comes second fiddle. This doesn’t mean it doesn’t hold a significant value in the scheme of things. So what is the album all about? It’s about being as abrasive as possible to create as dark a tone as possible. This is probably why it fits into the ‘dark jazz’ genre so well. Although it isn’t completed in a similar way whatsoever, the base aesthetic values remain the same. With a more forceful approach than either of the other two albums so far with Sexxxy, it would be fair to say you don’t think you are listening to a dark jazz album. The album swings all over the place really, but where it truly shines out is the comparative nature of the albums three sides. The ridiculously abrasive power electronics, the seedy and throbbing dark jazz moments, and the moments of near quiet. I couldn’t quite suggest you ‘endure’ the album for the great dark jazz moments if you can’t sit through the other parts. Although they are nice, this album is a puzzle, one that is difficult to find meaning without all the pieces. Heck, even with all the pieces you don’t know what the **** you are doing. All I can suggest is that you give it a try, and that My Sweet Betty is ****ing amazing. My Sweet Betty 4) Zdzisław Piernik And Piotr Zabrodzki – Namanga (2008) http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__xKUNzYXVn...20/namanga.jpg Now this is the apex of inaccessible music for those who don’t like this sort of music. There is a minimal chance that you will like this album unless you have a taste for free jazz or avant garde music at least. That said, it is still probably a-top a list of great 2008 albums (Which looking back on was an amazing year in all actuality). Using a menagerie instruments and sounds to create an entangling web whose threads sometimes lead to nowhere, this album is yet another than falls into my perspective of dark jazz, and my perspective alone. The Polish duo creates an album that is full of whimsy and wonder, yet throughout a fair amount of the album, it carries a sense of loneliness and isolation. It has its violent moments, but everything seems to be working in its singularity rather than as one. As for the actual music, it is about creating as much depth with as little help as possible. Filled with short and sharp songs, most of the time failing to reach two minutes in length, the time constraints lend themselves well to this idea. Some of the sounds from Piernik’s tuba are simply awesome, and fits into the genre perfectly. Other times he summons up Brotzmann’s spirit with a tuba, which is an amazing feat. There’s not too much more to say. This is an album that has to be listened to even be attempted to be comprehended. To be honest, sometimes I can make neither high nor low of the album. Once again, it falls outside the restrictions of what many would consider to be dark jazz, but it has its more ‘classic’ dark jazz moments. Still, it is one of the best albums from 2008, especially when it comes to jazz. Milkrototal 5) Kreng - L'Autopsie Phenomenale De Dieu (2009) http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yf3OtIv3ti...p010_front.jpg Well, for the final suggestion is an album that is probably more fitting for the dark jazz name. Yet once again, it can be chucked into a whole bunch of different genres depending on interpretation. As I said at the start of this post, that is probably the best thing about the genre. Much of the time it is up to interpretation rather than any set guidelines. Rather than a specific sound, the genre is based upon a mood. This album is an absolute beauty from the 2009 line up. One of the more sample-based dark jazz albums I have come across, it uses vocal samples and such assortments of noises to great effect to create a disposition, sometimes based on antagonism, other times based on ambiguity. As it is with many dark jazz projects, the music is about expressing a cinematic experience into the world of sound rather than through visuals. It does this amazingly well, with sounds such as Kollosus using a build up of layers and samples to create a sense of fear and foreboding doom. The screams and crying are legitimately distressing to the listener. The album, whilst containing a lot of tracks, has a fair balance between lengthy songs and short songs, which in this context, is quite fitting. Sometimes it can get into a little modern classical mode, but this isn’t a problem at all. In fact, it enhances the atmosphere of the album, perhaps better than if the album was purely a dark jazz album. This is essential listening in my books any day of the week. Apologies for the youtube video that features a song not from the album – Windows Movie Maker is being a bitch so I can’t upload my own as of yet. Kolossus So that’s my side of the story. Although it follows a different path than many would expect, I still think that the collective thoughts on the genre speak for themselves. Its increase in popularity over time is only a good thing for the music scene in my opinion, and although I think I have introduced a fair few new names to people, this is only scratching the surface. Other bands of interest: Mushroom’s Patience/Roma, Wien. – Definitely has its jazzier moments, if not all the time. Triosk/1+3+1 – Not bad stuff at all, perhaps not really dark in a sense Tomasz Stańko Quartet/Suspended Nights – Again, not really dark, but has its moments Dale Cooper Quartet and the Dictaphones |
Good job so far guys, this thread is looking great! Really enjoying all the different artists and the blurb on Dark Jazz was pretty interesting. This is pretty much the decade I grew-up in and am excited to hear what else you two have to say about it- so keep it up.=)
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Thanks buddy, glad you're digging it :) You got any of this stuff yourself at all, or is it pretty new stuff to you?
By the way I'll be preparing a non-review or genre-related post in the near future. Depends how long it is 'til I get bored of sitting around pretending to work. |
Thank you for the dark jazz bit there. I found Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation earlier this year, checked out Succubus and it was good, but I felt it was just a little bit off and didn't quite click with me. I was disappointed because it seemed like a type of music I could really dig, if there were more bands like them. For some reason I never bothered to actually look into the sound any more, and just forgot about them over summer. Now I will most certainly be looking into all of these bands :) Keep it up, I'm really liking most everything on here so far - the Amorphous Androgynous album was fantastic too. I had completely written of Future Sound of London after hearing Dead Cities, it got boring way too fast and I didn't like it much. This was much much better, I love the psychedelic dance feel and will be checking out other stuff under this moniker for sure.
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I finally got Movie Maker to work, and uploaded one of the songs from that actual Kreng album, a bit more fitting as well.
Kolossus |
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10 Albums That Defined My Decade Something else to keep the thread on the run here. True, the way I'll be doing these at least, this section will consist of reviews just as usual, but whereas there are plenty of good albums I can say this decade's spawned without the mainstream audience of music listeners' noticing, only a handful of them I could say have been truly influential on my taste in music. So, what we should have by the end of the day are 10 albums which opened up whole worlds of music to me and basically helped to shape my taste as it now is, however brilliant or not-so-brilliant they may be in hindsight. Basically, this part of the thread will not only give me an opportunity to show you folks a few landmark albums with me, but it'll also give me the chance to go over some of the less obscure parts of my music library with a fine tooth comb. All 10 of these will be from this decade too. So then, the first one will be up later this evening. Stay tuned! |
Oh, and just so you know, these aren't in any order...
Albums That Defined My Decade #1: David Bowie - Heathen (2002) http://geordierussell.instone.net/Ju...%20heathen.jpg genre: rock 1. Sunday 2. Cactus 3. Slip Away 4. Slow Burn 5. Afraid 6. I've Been Waiting For You 7. I Would Be Your Slave 8. I Took a Trip On a Gemini Spaceship 9. 5:15 The Angels Have Gone 10. Everyone Says "Hi" 11. A Better Future 12. Heathen (the Rays) And here it is; definitive album of my decade of music. David Bowie's 2002 effort, and penultimate album before his hiatus/retirement/whatever it is, is easily among the most influential musical products of the 00s on my good self primarily because, as I'm sure I mentioned before, I've been a ranting David Bowie fanboy for quite a number of years now. Although I wouldn't say I'm anywhere near as blindly obsessive about the guy's music as I once was, the largest volume of CDs in my hard-copy music collection consists of Bowie's official albums, bootlegs, compilations and so on. Plus, if truth be told, I do still listen to an awful of his stuff these days, so I guess it's right that he gets a mention here. I'll get further into exactly how Heathen defines my musical decade a bit later after the old song-by-song bit, as this also gives me the opportunity to review one of my very favourite albums of the decade. As you may or may not be able to tell from the album's title, the main theme running through this album stylistically is a very wintry, bleak and cold one, as the slowly-building, synth-led and powerful opener Sunday will testify. While this album is a bit heavy on the cover material to be seen (there's a total of three on this album), each of them, starting with an efficient, chilly rendition of the Pixies' Cactus, are all well fitted into Heathen's stylistic theme through some great performances like this one. A good enough album so far, but nothing truly extraordinary, at least not until Slip Away comes around. It's a totally stunning, soaring ballad led by a sparse use of piano and a pounding, repetitive drumbeat, with the marvellous vocal performance from Bowie really taking this one up a few notches. The following Slow Burn, though much more up-tempo (featuring a few Pete Townshend solos underpinning the whole thing as it does), boasts the same kind of ambitious vocal performance and makes for another highlight, as the frenetic, string-laden and riff-led Afraid. A little stretch of brilliance on the album is ended by a not-so-interesting, hard-rocking cover of Neil Young's I've Been Waiting For You, another one to feature a guest musician, this one being Dave Grohl on guitar. It's all more than made up by the fact that it's followed up by I Would Be Your Slave - quite possibly my favourite David Bowie song ever ever ever. Have a go with the video below, listen to that beautiful little bassline and see for yourself I guess. It's probably my personal favourite point on the album and is bookended by covers, the other being the ok-ish synth and drum machine-led rendition of the Legendary Stardust Cowboy's I Took a Trip On a Gemini Spaceship, which itself is bookended by slow-burning, emotional ballads, the one to follow it being the gorgeous 5:15 The Angels Have Gone - another cold, wintry number to feature a truly sublime vocal performance from Bowie. The closing trio of songs are definitely among Bowie's very finest, the first of these being the sole single release, Everyone Says "Hi" - a masterclass of composition and performance, and a deceptively chirpy and upbeat little number given the grim and sorrowful lyric it supports. A Better Future is another tune which doesn't sound a whole lot unlike a song you'd find on Low, being a maze of heavily-treated guitars, synths and robotic rhythms over an infectious melody as it is. Pretty sure it was the one of, if not the first Bowie tune I ever heard as well (it was on some compilation CD that came free with a magazine - I think it was Q). The title track, Heathen (the Rays) serves as the fittingly haunting, synth and effect-laden album closer, encapsulating the overall mood of the album perfectly. All in all then it's a complex, chilly, brooding and moody work of music which, for all the weird little synth effects and overdubs there are to be heard, all held together nicely by some typically Bowie-esque catchy hooks, melodies and memorable choruses. As I say, it's a massively influential album on my good self too when, while it wasn't quite the first Bowie album I ever bought, and getting it didn't exactly introduce me to a world of music I knew little to nothing of at the time, it did help to get me started on one of the more exhaustive musical ventures I'd ever take on. Also, looking back at the time I got it myself (around the time of release), it was also quite possibly the first 21st century album I ever got and truly loved. Generally speaking, this one's definitely up there with the best of the decade too, personal influences aside and that. So then, this album... http://www.singletrackworld.com/file.../thumbs-up.jpg |
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Truart - Volkssturm Mushroom's Patience - Roma,Wien. Techno Animal - The Brotherhood of the Bomb Contemporary Noise Quintet - Pig Inside The Gentleman Onra - Chinoiseries Stendeck - Faces Kashiwa Daisuke - Program Music I SO, rather than, I will be attempting to answer a rag-tag list of questions based on this decades albums. Not necessarily the best, but the best combination of the question and my own tastes. I sort of have a list atm, but would like some input by others if anyone has a suggestion. So far... Most plain fun/Guilty pleasure? Most explorative Best soundtrack Best debut? Most chilled Most aggressive? Most oddball Best genre? Most influential? Best album from a genre whose music I don't listen to from previous decades? ? = I am iffy on them as questions So yeah, any suggestions welcome. |
Top review Bulldog. :thumb: I thought for sure Costello (if he did any 2000's work, which I'm assuming he has) would be before Bowie, but alas here it is. Interesting question: Bowie>Costello? Actually I've never much been in to Bowie except for the songs I hear the first time and they stand out, though I have spun several albums of his. For a bit I was going to sit down and give Let's Dance a good listen with lyrics and all, but sometimes I get distracted with other stuff/school/music. Heathan sounds pretty rad though so maybe when I get the chance I'll start there.
Zarko, the list is fine and all should be included, looking forward to it and keep up the awesome thread. When I have the time I think I'll go check out some more of your member journal via those links, I'm expecting to find some cool stuff. ;) |
Fortunately, my list isn't in order :D Although I could order it all chronologically, in which case the Bowie album would come before the Costello one I have in mind...possibly. To be honest I've only got a very rough list of the other 9 which I managed to lose somewhere in the labyrinthine mess that is my flat. As for Let's Dance, it's the definitive album of two halves for me - first 4 songs are immense, the rest of them I don't really care for myself. Now that I think of it, Heathen there's probably the best place to start with Bowie - it's full of all sorts of allusions to the man's for famous, 70s work which I (in my admittedly slightly half-arsed post) didn't really elaborate on with the review. Never really thought about who's the better out of the two of them though - it's a bit of a toughie that one.
But, yeah, my next post here's gonna be a regular heads-up like the rest of the reviews I've done here - the list's probably gonna be something I add to between reviews. |
This is the first of the albums that take an award in a particular category from this decade. Juba Dance’s Orange takes the cake when it comes to simply being a fun album that sometimes falls into the guilty pleasure category. I will admit that sometimes a lot of my music can come across and dark or overly ‘intellectual’ for the sake of it. Sometimes as a music listener you just need something that cheers you up or puts you in a good mood. We all know jackhammer loves his Fat Freddy’s Drop, and I think this is an apt comparison on a personal level. Juba Dance is a project headed by Chicagoan Ben Lamar, and I guess you can loosely fit ‘Dance’ into the category of hip hop, however in the same vein it manages to be so much more. The project draws in aspect of electro, funky goodness, as well as afro-beat sounds from South America. All the while Lamar offers his vocals to help push the thing along, but more often than not it’s about the overall picture rather than any single factor that makes the music good. Tomorrow So how does the music actually measure up? Well, the opening track, Tomorrow, is a fair indication of the overall charm of the album. It is downright funky, and in the best possible way. Lamar soothing vocals add a nice flair, and the overall laid back tempo gives an allusion to a sunny, vibrant world and lifestyle. The groove is down right infectious after just one listen. This is followed up superbly by Union Hall, a jump-back of sorts to the heavily synth beats of 80’s dancehall. To this, modern elements are added, such as a more prevalent electronic tone, but nonetheless it still feels old school. Everything still feels placid, but in a very cool way. Union Hall – What did you put in my punch? Double Dutch Hymns presents the group at their most hip hop in the most recognised sense of the word. The first song to really involve rapping, it’s done fairly well, even if it doesn’t aspire to be anything technically amazing. The bass tones are nice, and the flow works in the context provided. Fisherman’s Jig is probably the biggest change style wise as of yet, the track a quiet and minimalistic latin jazz piece, led by serene trumpeting with some later vocal overlay. It’s a nice reflective piece, and offers a bit of respite to the normal going-on’s through the album so far. The calmness doesn’t last long though, as Favourite Words breaks back into the jazzy hip hop tones with some docile rapping (First time I have ever had those words together I am sure) in an short track that I have come to quite enjoy. Cachaca follows suit, a deep bass line and spaced out electro beats effectively melding in with Lamar’s vocals. Willow Blues is exactly what the name suggests; a minimalistic blues track, led by a slow picking acoustic guitar with some solemn, field recording singing. Hecky Naw, on the other hand, is a tongue-in-cheek effort that just can’t be taken too seriously with its content matter in a track that is simply smooth in every sense of the word. Cachaca You know what… Despite the fact that there is another 5 tracks on the album after Hecky Naw, I am just too relaxed to continue this review. I need a margarita of some sorts. Luckily its summer over here, walk down to the sunny beach with a towel and just let the music seep in. Screw having to think about it – Pump it up and simply enjoy. Just Enjoy It |
Why would this ever be a guilty pleasure? It sounds great, definitely going to get this album. Also Fat Freddy's Drop is one of my favorite albums, I like to listen to it the same reason I like AIR or Boards Of Canada... doesn't really strike me as a fun album though. It depends on your definition, I think Nick Cave is fun because I can get up and dance and sing to some really great atmosphere and crazy-ass lyrics... but my girlfriend will only sing to like Lady Ga Ga- which I admit is fun too. Anyway this seems more, like, relaxed to me then fun. To each is own though, and good review too. :thumb:
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Not to mention the fact that I'm the only one in my 'group' that listens to anything like this, or hip hop even. So when I put it on I get a few stares :p: And the FFD comparison was not actually comparing sounds/styles just how it fits in my music collection overall. |
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Another bunch I've never heard of - you're on form sir ;) Loved those video tracks too, especially the Tomorrow one. I like how, to me at least, it makes something quite out of the ordinary from a lyric and vocal performance that'd make it over the top of any more commercial track, what with how it uses those skewiff, African kinda polyrhythms and all. That's what I got out of it anyway. Either way, definitely something I'm gonna have to hunt down myself soon.
Should be getting my next review up over the weekend. I'll just have a quick think what it's gonna be of in the mean time... |
Had a feeling you would enjoy. Need a link, just holler.
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I gave the Juba Dance vids a listen but they didn't do anything nothing for me I'm afraid.
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