August | 2013 | The Answer Is In The Beat

Show #205 – 8/31/13

August 31, 2013 at 3:19 pm | Posted in The Answer Is In The Beat | Leave a comment

mic break music = Richard Chartier: Interior Field
3:05 AM Kayo Dot ~ Passing The River ~ Hubardo ~ Ice Level Music
3:15 AM Swans ~ Thug ~ Body To Body, Job To Job ~ Young God
3:28 AM Negativland ~ Theme From A Big 10-8 Place ~ A Big 10-8 Place ~ Seeland
3:31 AM Negativland ~ A Big 10-8 Place Part One ~ A Big 10-8 Place ~ Seeland
3:44 AM Westerbur & Rowe ~ side B ~ 10″ ~ Northern Ashram
3:56 AM Polonaise ~ Trocadero ~ Trocadero (played at 33 instead of 45 because it sounds way better this way) ~ 100% Silk
4:05 AM Clay Rendering ~ Vengeance Candle ~ 12″ ~ Hospital Productions
4:11 AM Olekranon ~ Coerced ~ Danaus ~ Inam Records
4:14 AM Stave ~ Gun Control ~ Reform ~ Flingco Sound System
4:19 AM Henry & Hazel Slaughter ~ A4 ~ Endless Power Cycle ~ Fedora Corpse
4:22 AM Dark Day ~ The Exterminations (1 Thru 3) ~ Hands In The Dark ~ Dark Entries
4:25 AM Nagamatzu ~ Nikto ~ Shatter Days ~ Dark Entries
4:35 AM Eleven Pond ~ Turn To Silence ~ Assemblage ~ Dark Entries
4:40 AM Zola Jesus/JG Thirlwell ~ Sea Talk ~ Versions ~ Sacred Bones
4:45 AM Jon Hopkins featuring Purity Ring ~ Breathe This Air ~ single ~ Domino
4:49 AM Moderat ~ Ilona ~ II ~ Mute
4:54 AM Jumpel ~ Monica’s Room ~ Bloc4 ~ Hidden Shoal
4:57 AM µ-Ziq ~ Christ Dust ~ Chewed Corners ~ Planet Mu
5:02 AM Washed Out ~ Weightless ~ Paracosm ~ Sub Pop
5:07 AM Femminielli ~ Le Pacte ~ Fixture Records Sampler 2013 ~ Fixture Records
5:12 AM German Army ~ Discrete Elements ~ Endless Phonics ~ Monofonus Press
5:16 AM Algebra Suicide ~ Waiting For Delmore ~ Feminine Squared ~ Dark Entries
5:19 AM Jackson & His Computerband ~ Memory ~ Glow ~ Warp
5:23 AM Julia Holter ~ Horns Surrounding Me ~ Loud City Song ~ Domino
5:28 AM Julianna Barwick ~ Pyrrhic ~ Nepenthe ~ Dead Oceans
5:38 AM Sarah Neufeld ~ Wrong Thought ~ Hero Brother ~ Constellation
5:41 AM Infinity Shred ~ Mapper ~ Sanctuary ~ Paracadute
5:49 AM Kid Smpl ~ Breathing In Space ~ Armour EP ~ Hush Hush
5:52 AM Legendary Pink Dots ~ Esher Everywhere ~ The Gethsemane Option ~ Metropolis

Crush Collision 8/29/13 (Italo/Space-Disco Special)

August 30, 2013 at 12:35 am | Posted in Crush Collision | Leave a comment

Crush Collision @ Elk’s Lodge 8/31/13

Come see me (and Tyler, Zac, Nelson and special guest Silent Ech0) DJ at the Elk’s Lodge in Ann Arbor, this Saturday night from 9PM-2AM! FREE!!!!

This was my long-promised all-Italo/space-disco show, because I’ve always wanted to do one. The show started a few minutes early so the first 2 tracks I played (Kano’s “Ikeya-Seki” and N.O.I.A.’s “Stranger In A Strange Land”) aren’t on this archive.

Hour 1
10:00 PM M & G ~ When I Let You Down
10:04 PM Answering Service ~ Call Me Mr. Telephone
10:09 PM RAH Band ~ Messages From The Stars
10:13 PM Cyber People ~ Doctor Faustus
10:18 PM Crazy Gang ~ Every Sunday
10:21 PM Doctor’s Cat ~ Feel The Drive
10:27 PM Hipnosis ~ Bormaz
10:31 PM Koto ~ Visitors
10:36 PM Mr. Flagio ~ Take Chance
10:43 PM Pluton & Humanoids ~ World Invaders
10:48 PM Scotch ~ Penguin’s Invasion (Hot Version)
10:51 PM Fun Fun ~ Happy Station
10:56 PM Sun-La-Shan ~ Catch
Hour 2
11:02 PM Hugh Bullen ~ Alisand
11:06 PM Pineapples featuring Douglas Roop ~ Come On Closer
11:09 PM Alexander Robotnick ~ Problems D’Amour
11:15 PM Charlie ~ Spacer Woman
11:22 PM ‘Lectric Workers ~ Robot Is Systematic
11:28 PM Giorgio Moroder ~ Chase
11:35 PM Space ~ Magic Fly
11:39 PM Ayisha ~ Spaceman
11:44 PM Dee D. Jackson ~ Automatic Lover [i still can’t believe this song even exists. my god.]
11:47 PM Breakout Crew ~ Breakout Theme
11:52 PM Gay Cat Park ~ I’m A Vocoder [best song ever? yes. yes it is.]

Infinity Shred: Sanctuary (Paracadute, 2013)

August 28, 2013 at 10:49 pm | Posted in Reviews | Leave a comment

Infinity Shred: Sanctuary

New alias of chiptune duo Starscream, who had to change their name for legal reasons. This has some element of 8-bit-ness to it, but it’s mostly epic synth-heavy post-rock with downtempo electronic beats, definitely closer to earlier M83, but with post-dubstep/trap drum programming, and some trance arpeggios. Also vaguely reminds me of 65daysofstatic, but I’m not sure why, because it’s not as fast, furious, loud, or guitar-heavy, but it is definitely some form of epic electronic post-rock. Definitely feels like late-night stargazing music. The few of us who actually liked the last Emeralds album will be into this too. “Shadow Jeweler” and “Straylight” seem pretty similar melody-wise, and “Mapper” and “Sanctuary” have synth arpeggios that are maybe a little closer to Umberto and other horror-disco revivalists.

Clay Rendering: Vengeance Candle 12″ (Hospital Productions, 2013)

August 28, 2013 at 9:58 pm | Posted in Reviews | Leave a comment

Clay Rendering: Vengeance Candle 12″

New project of Mike Connelly (Hair Police, Failing Lights, ex-Wolf Eyes) and his wife Tara Connelly. Unlike most Wolf Eyes related projects, this release hasn’t been preceded by dozens/hundreds of ultra-limited tape or CD-r releases; it’s the first and so far only release by the project. Easily Connelly’s most song-based project. Slow and brooding, and with gliding guitars and loudly whispered vocals. Swans-y and apocalyptic, but not quite as abrasive as you might expect. A slight bit of electronic pulse, and some drums that sort of drag behind the rest of the sounds. The guitar feedback seems to take center stage. “Vengeance Candle” ends with a bit of accordion, which is nice.

Kid Smpl: Armour EP (Hush Hush, 2013)

August 28, 2013 at 6:12 pm | Posted in Reviews | Leave a comment

Kid Smpl: Armour EP

Spacious downtempo electronic music. Kind of sounds like what would happen if dubstep got its heart completely broken and devastated, but still whimpered along anyway. Disembodied/pitched vocals, airy/watery sounds, lots of echo. Snatches of bass and chopped-up breaks. “Necklace” is the closest this gets to a solid beat, but still not quite worked up to really be considered dance music. “Breathing In Space” is completely ambient, with only flickers of vocals and sub-bass poking out of the wave of synths washing over. Free download at Bandcamp.

Negativland @ Empty Bottle, Chicago, 8/25/13

August 28, 2013 at 12:32 am | Posted in Photos | 1 Comment

I drove to Chicago to see Negativland. I took a lot of pictures of the show, but I took a lot of random pictures walking around town.

Permanent Records (easily my favorite record store in Chicago so far)

Pizza slipmat

Chick Pea

Movie poster wall @ Chick Pea

Falafel and hummus @ Chick Pea

I found a show poster on the ground that fell off something, so I took it

Kstarke Records (closed at 5PM so I couldn’t go in)

I parked on the street that was closed off for the fair

OK now I finally entered the Empty Bottle after wandering around the Ukrainian Village in Chicago for a while

unmanned merch table

The show started at 7:30, Good Willsmith was up first. Pretty decent guitar/synth noise-drone set.

Good Willsmith

Illusion Of Safety was up second, his set was pretty fantastic. Lots of glitchy computer-based stuff, and some very minimal guitar drone (unfortunately it wasn’t easy to hear over the crowd talking)

Illusion Of Safety

Negativland consisted of Mark Hosler, Peter Conheim, Wobbly, and Steev Hise on video projections. Their set consisted of analog synth improv plus lots of chopped-up samples, most of which were familiar to Negativland fans (“Truth In Advertising”, “Car Bomb”, “The Gun And The Bible”, “Yellow Black And Rectangular”) plus some new material which they’ve been playing on Over The Edge recently. I took a few pictures of the group playing, then focused on the video projections.

Negativland

Mark Hosler

Steev Hise

Wobbly and Peter Conheim

The Booper

A psychedelic Booper

CAR BOMB!!!!!!!!

Do you know how many time zones there are in the Soviet Union? Eleven. It’s not even funny.

Copyright Infringement Is Your Best Entertainment Value

tape gremlin at merch table

Bug Stop

This Is It

Olekranon: Danaus CDr (Inam Records, 2013)

August 24, 2013 at 11:00 pm | Posted in Reviews | Leave a comment

Olekranon: Danaus

Olekranon continues to be one of the most prolific under-the-radar experimental artists in music. This is his first release in a few years to have proper full-color packaging instead of a handmade cardboard sleeve, but it’s still a CD-r limited to 100 copies. It also seems more diverse than usual Olekranon releases, moving from hazy industrial drone to minimal techno-influenced beatscapes to bashy MBM-ish breakbeats and samples to bludgeoning feedback and sludgy beats (4) to crisp, crunchy midtempo noise-beat-drone. After a clangy, fuzzy interlude, “Severed” is a horizon-like drone with some crackling feedback at the end. “Marionette” is droning post-rock with crushing beats. “Fayad” is shivery, disheveled drone with a thumpy beat and a trace of sadness underneath all the bitter frustration. “Delicate Times” is a short feedback loop drone, and “Libertine” ends the album with nearly 8 minutes of softly pulsating cloud-drone. Available for purchase at Bandcamp, which also has several older Olekranon releases for download, most of which are free.

Eleven Pond: Assemblage LP (Dark Entries, 2013)

August 24, 2013 at 10:06 pm | Posted in Reviews | Leave a comment

Eleven Pond: Assemblage LP

Eleven Pond’s solo LP Bas Relief was released in 1986, and was reissued by Dark Entries in 2009, the first release on that label. This band only lasted for about a year after the release of that LP, but there were plenty of additional tracks recorded, so here’s a long-awaited release of this previously unheard material. It’s actually kind of mindblowing to hear some of these songs and hear that they were unreleased rehearsals and demos. And it’s also pretty crazy that this band was from a town like Rochester, NY, because they sound like they could’ve been a British band on Factory. “Watching Trees” from the previous LP appears here as a “bedroom demo”, but it just sounds so complete and familiar. It totally sounds like a song that could’ve been a huge ’80s goth club hit, but for some reason it wasn’t. And it’s not the only song on here that sounds like it could’ve been popular. “Blood Ruins Film” has arpeggiating synths, big metallic guitars, and ’80s synth-drums, and it’s kind of overwhelming for such a lo-fi new wave song. “Turn To Silence” is a seriously sweet, heartfelt melodic new wave song that could’ve been in some cheesy ’80s teen romance movie. “Green & Gold” is another starstruck, dramatic anthem with more awesome arpeggios, and a really cool crazy-edit breakdown. “Land Of Yellow” is slightly less polished and more scratchy and demo-ish, and is another sweetly catchy lonely-teen anthem about dreaming in candle light.

Nagamatzu: Shatter Days LP (Dark Entries, 2013)

August 24, 2013 at 9:17 pm | Posted in Reviews | Leave a comment

Nagamatzu: Shatter Days

Dark Entries released a 1986 cassette by Nagamatzu on LP back in 2010, and now they’re releasing this LP containing 4 of the 5 songs on their debut tape from 1983. Side B is all compilation tracks and an unreleased track. Minimal drum machine, atmospheric synth and bass guitar, mostly instrumental. Not super dark, but not happy either. “Possession” has echoing spoken word vocals. “Deliberation” actually does have a pretty bright melody, and interesting layered elements. “She Speaks Close” also has some minimal spoken vocals, maybe sort of resembles a very minimal version of Skinny Puppy. “Bird, Spider, Fly” is more upbeat and also has some disembodied voices floating around and being played backwards, and also kind of a proto Twin Peaks chord progression. “Radio Song” is a later unreleased track and seems a little bit more spiffed up than the earlier tracks.

Dark Day: Hands In The Dark 12″ (Dark Entries, 2013)

August 24, 2013 at 9:07 pm | Posted in Reviews | Leave a comment

Dark Day: Hands In The Dark 12″

Dark Entries finishes reissuing the early Dark Day catalog on vinyl, following the reissues of the Exterminating Angel and Window LPs, with both tracks from the “Hands In The Dark” 7″ (recorded 1978/released 1979), plus the second side of the “Trapped” 12″ (recorded 1979/released 1981). “Hands In The Dark” is a stone-cold classic of the minimal-synth genre, and was compiled on Soul Jazz’s New York Noise 3 comp a while back, plus it was covered by Chromatics on the first After Dark comp on Italians Do It Better. Pure nervous darkwave synth, with twitchy drums and chilling synths, and queasy vocals. It’s over before you know it (2:26) and you’re not sure what just happened. “Invisible Man” is slightly longer (2:52) and slower, and doesn’t feel quite as tense, but it’s still quite terrifying. Especially the slashing guitar towards the end, and the lyrics about “my other twin who left to join me, sometimes it doesn’t know whether to cry or laugh.” Side B is sort of a remix of tracks from “Exterminating Angel”; the label that released that album wanted to release a 12″ single from the album, but they chose the slowest, longest song on the album, and released it months after the album came out, so R.L. Crutchfield decided to play portions of the album backwards with effects added, and released it as the B-side. The 6 “Exterminations” are each about a minute long and just consist of backwards beats and synth rhythms. Part 5 has some warped guitar trails and is probably the most haunting movement of the 6.

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The Answer Is In The Beat