FOLLOW US ON:
GET THE NEWSLETTER
CONTACT US
Massive Attack vs Burial ‘Four Walls’
10.10.2011
01:42 pm
Topics:
Tags:


 
Neither of these acts need an introduction, so let’s just let the music speak for itself (a Burial remix of a track from Massive Attack’s forthcoming album):

Massive Attack vs Burial ‘Four Walls’
 

Posted by Niall O'Conghaile
|
10.10.2011
01:42 pm
|
Chris & Cosey: seminal electronic albums re-issued

image
 
It’s time to even out the love for Throbbing Gristle members Genesis P. Orridge and Peter Christopherson here on DM, with some overdue appreciation of the original “Other Two,” Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti. If you need an introduction, I will refer you back to yesterday’s post on the excellent interview with the pair at their home studio, courtesy of Electric Independence. 

Electronic music pioneers, and also of dance music strains that went on to be called “Italo” and “Industrial,” C&C have been re-issuing their back catalog over the past few months. The first two albums of four, Heartbeat and Trance came out in 2010 the duo’s own CTI label, and the final two in a series of four, Exotika and Songs Of Love And Lust were re-issued earlier this year. The releases have been remastered and repackaged for limited edition vinyl, and are also available to download digitally.

The closest comparison between the works of Throbbing Gristle and Chris & Cosey (now known as Carter Tutti) would probably be that of Joy Division and New Order. Without sounding particularly similar, both TG and Joy Division were dark, intense, noisy and at times morbid bands who gave birth to projects that took electronic music in a much more upbeat, danceable, poppy direction. It’s complete supposition on my part, but I can’t help but think that tracks like “October Love Song” had a big influence on Sumner & chums:

Chris & Cosey - “October Love Song”
 

 
Chris & Cosey - “Walking Through Heaven”
 

 
Chris & Cosey - “Exotika”
 

 
Chris & Cosey - “Re-Education Through Labour”
 

 
The albums I mentioned above are linked to their respective purchase/listen pages on Boomkat—however there is LOTS more C&C material that can be purchased on the site (two pages worth)—just type in “Chris & Cosey” and have a look.

Posted by Niall O'Conghaile
|
04.12.2011
01:50 pm
|
Psychedelic Horseshit: Shitty Sundays
04.05.2011
09:13 am
Topics:
Tags:

image
 
What a great band name! I was curious as to whether these guys could live up to their moniker, but thankfully their uber-lo-fi psyche-folk sound is every bit as good as their name would suggest. In fact they have a name for their sound too, they have lovingly christened it “shitgaze.” I think that name is a bit misleading though—to me their sound conjures up images of Neil Young smoking crack instead of weed, and burning out from too much Nintendo.

Psychedelic Horseshit is comprised of Matt Whitehurst and Rich Johnston. Coming from the jam band scene of Columbus, Ohio, they have released numerous CD-rs in the past, as well as official releases on the Siltbreeze and Woodsist labels. They’ve just been picked up by the UK’s FatCat (home of Animal Collective) and their next full length, entitled Laced, will be with us on the 16th of May. You can listen to (and pre-order) the album on the Fat Cat website.
 

image

 
In the run up to the album release the band are running a campaign called “Shitty Sundays” where every Sunday, from now til mid-May. they will be giving away a group of tracks as a free download. The first zip file (available here) contains a bizarre “DJ mix” of the album’s title track “Laced” and a couple of shorter psyche-friendly skits. Yes, this is quite odd music, but if you like your country and folk with a twist, or if you just like odd music (period) then this band is definitely worth checking out. Purely in the interest of research, here is some more Psychedelic Horseshit:
 
Psychedelic Horseshit - “Out Of Control No.36”
 

 
Psychedelic Horseshit - “Endless Fascination”
 

 
Psychedelic Horseshit - “Portals”
 

Posted by Niall O'Conghaile
|
04.05.2011
09:13 am
|
Momus: ‘Strawberry Hill’ and the ‘Hypnoprism’ album
02.13.2011
11:12 am
Topics:
Tags:

image
 
This little jazz-psyche jam is perfect for a cold, dark and rainy Sunday afternoon. At least, that’s what it’s like here in Manchester, but I bet it goes well with the sunshine too. Or any weather state actually.
 

 
If you don’t know Momus, he’s a pretty legendary Scottish indie music figure who has been around since the mid-Eighties. He’s been associated with record labels like Postcard, Cherry Red and Creation. He keeps a great blog, with some very interesting articles and all his latest news, at imomus.

This track is from his last album Hypnoprism (2010, Anagram Records) and features keys from Ben Butler (him again!). Interestingly, Momus made a video for each of the tunes from the LP, and uploaded them one by one, as they were finished, to his YouTube account.

The rest of the album, in video form, is after the jump:

READ ON
Posted by Niall O'Conghaile
|
02.13.2011
11:12 am
|
Trish Keenan: ‘Mind Bending Motorway Mix’
01.15.2011
12:04 pm
Topics:
Tags:


Image via Bobo Epileptic.

Just before the recent trip to Australia on which she contracted swine flu, Broadcast singer Trish Keenan compiled some experimental music and psyche-pop for a friend, and called it the “Mind Bending Motorway Mix.” The mix (which has no track list), has been uploaded as a tribute to the late musician, with a view to being shared with as many people as possible. Joe Muggs at The Arts Desk writes:

“A friend in Birmingham who had become good friends with Keenan in recent years has passed me THIS LINK for a “mixtape” she gave him very recently. It’s the most wonderful collection of psychedelic rarities, film music and synthesiser experiments, and perfectly illustrates Keenan’s constant mission to turn people on to exquisite and unusual sounds - but also, as the tracks are not titled, shows the sense of mystery and incentive to investigate with which she imbued all her work.”

Posted by Niall O'Conghaile
|
01.15.2011
12:04 pm
|
Cosmic Disco: The original Chop’n'Screw
01.14.2011
07:52 am
Topics:
Tags:


 
Just to muddy the water even further, “Kosmiche” the genre should not be confused with “Cosmic” the genre, also known as “Afro-Cosmic” and “Cosmic Disco.”

Cosmic” is named after the Italian Cosmic Club, where in the late 70’s and early 80’s DJ Daniele Baldelli (with a little help from Beppe Loda and TBC) pioneered a strange, slow-motion mix of disco, Afrobeat, prog and electronica. Tracks were often played at the wrong speed with added sounds and percussion, to a hypnotic and druggy effect perfect for a crowd moving from cocaine and marijuana onto harder drugs. These mixes are quite unlike anything else. Early electro is mixed with tribal chanting and percussion before blending into a new wave or disco hit of the day (played at 33 1/3 rather than 45rpm of course). It can take a bit of listening to get used to, but it is expertly mixed and effortlessly musical.
 
Cosmic C80 Mix side A part 1

 
Cosmic C42 Mix side A part 1

 
Cosmic C84 Mix side B part 1

 
Cosmic Club and the Afro Cosmic sound was a big deal at the time, with mixtapes and stickers selling aplenty, and a dedicated fan base known to loiter in the parking lot if they couldn’t get inside. It remained largely unknown outside Italy and certain pockets of Northern Europe until a recent renaissance among disco music fans and fringe music cognoscenti. Baldelli’s numerous mixtapes from the era, along with those of Loda and TBC, have become cult musical artifacts eagerly collected and traded on the Internet, and a new generation of house and post-dubstep producers undeniably bear its slo-mo trace. Baldelli is still a successful dj, and has released a few official mixes including a two cd and book set dedicated to the Afro Cosmic Disco sound, and the excellent Cosmic Disco? Cosmic Rock! mix/compilation.

Posted by Niall O'Conghaile
|
01.14.2011
07:52 am
|