Reviews

Vladislav Delay "Kuopio" Preview

Posted by Tony on 10/22/2012

Fuck sakes.

01. Vastaa 6:33 min
02. Hetkonen 9:36 min
03. Avanne 8:05 min
04. Kellute 6:32 min
05. Osottava 7:54 min
06. Kulkee 7:14 min
07. Marsila 7:40 min
08. Hitto 6:06 min
09. Kuuluuko 5:34 min (Download only)

The preview of the album sounds utterly amazing, so beautiful in fact that I’ve listened to the preview more than ten times now.  But immediately I have a problem.  Track nine, see if you can spot it.

DOWN-FUCKING-LOAD ONLY.  WHAT THE FUCK?!

So tell me V / Raster-Noton, why am I getting less if I pay the full price for the album?  Why am I not getting the full product with a physical purchase?  Is “Kuuluuko” actually the ending of the album, or merely bonus material tagged on at the end?  This is fucking ridiculous.  I need to buy the fucking thing twice just to hear the “bonus” material…  Thanks guys.

What if “Kuuluuko” turns out to be my favourite piece of music ever recorded?  In twenty years can I sit down with my kids and explain to them that this album is my favourite but “some of it was download only”.  I’m too furious to be coherent.  I cannot explain what a distraction from the music this is.

Vladislav / Someone at Raster-Noton, contact me.  antony.bernardo@gmail.com
I’ll try to tell you how every one of your customers should be treated equally.  I’ll try to show you that an album should always be offered in its integral version.  I’ll explain that I am, probably, Vladislav’s biggest fan but I’m considering pirating this album because I’m tired of being treated as a cash cow.

You see, offering bonus material doesn’t add to the value of the download version, it detracts only from the physical.  The fact that you leave tracks off the physical pressing renders it almost pointless.



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Pusha T "Pain"

Posted by Tony on 10/13/2012

The very first preview of Pusha’s solo album is released to iTunes this week, and cot dayum it’s heavy.  Every single line of the four-minute track is coke laced, drug dealer brilliance.  Heavy as fuck simplistic rhythms, a sparse but sinister bass line juxtaposing uplifting piano chords all while Pusha drops gems.

Pyrex on the platter like hot sex
But my tribe dont quest like love
Pain in this bitch, with the mask and the glove
And a team of lawyers to run the train on the judge

“And a team of lawyers to run the train on the judge” is evil as fuck.  Without a doubt the hardest line this year.  Jesus…

“Produced by Kanye West, written by Pusha” is a phrase now synonymous with “good music”.  How on Earth they’ll manage to follow a single of this strength with a full album later this year, I’ll never know.  I remain cautiously optimistic though.

Go and download it now.  Seriously.


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Clark Woodard & Joe Farrell

Posted by Tony on 10/13/2012

It’s always difficult to write about jazz records, and it’s especially difficult to do so in 2012.  For a genre that’s not been relevant for at least four decades, no music is analysed and critiqued as much as jazz.  Hip-hop, techno, electro, all have they’re critics but at least they’re compared to their contemporaries.  Thanks to Davis, Coltrane, Dizzy and Thelonious, jazz has been left abandoned by unprecedented brilliance and perfection.  No other genre has been honed, crafted, or raised to the level jazz was during the late fifties, early sixties.

So where does that leave the “Clark Woodard & Joe Farrell” album?  Possibly notable only due to the appearance of John “Scatman” Larkin?  Well it’s a loose, free sounding affair, lacking in rigid cohesion but at the same time it does contain a lot of feel.  Why it’s called “Clark Woodard & Joe Farrell” I’ll never know, because the sessions are led by Larkin, yet his name doesn’t even appear in the titles.  In fact, three of the tracks on this album are lifted straight from John’s seminal self-titled LP.
 Strange…

If you want to know about the music, you can read my review of the John Larkin LP, for it all follows the same sessions.  The only interesting addition in my opinion is the appearance of a cover of Coltrane’s “Naima”.  It’s executed very well and is, actually, a fantastically interesting version of “Naima”.  Complete with an unintelligible but gorgeous female vocal, “Naima” showcases the groups ability to shape and twist music into something a little unique.  Larkin’s playing is by far the stand out feature for me.  “Angel’s Flight” has been cut unforgivably shot, reduced from nine minutes to around five.  The major crescendo is gone, neutering the whole effect of the piece.  This, however, only give me more justification to blow the dust of the Larkin LP.

Clark Woodard & Joe Farrell

Clark Woodard & Joe Farrell

“Clark Woodard & Joe Farrell” is to say the least, an odd CD.  It would appear to be an attempt at gathering some old studio recordings and piecing them together with no real aim.  The music is very technical at points, but never intrusively so.  The album lacks direction and polish, but then again, should it just be viewed as a compilation of works? An archive of sorts?  I don’t know, I’m confused. I do like it though.

So who should buy this CD?  Well, anyone remotely interested in Larkin, Woodard or Farrell probably already have it, and anyone unaware of its existence should probably remain so.



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Blawan "His He She & She"

Posted by Tony on 10/12/2012

Blawan is a little known dance floor techno artist hailing from somewhere down towards the south of England. And, for an Englishman, produces some of the best emulations of Glasgow techno I’ve ever heard. Blawan’s latest EP, confusingly entitled “His He She & She” is causing a bit of a split in the audience. You see, the a-side is quickly becoming the definition of a “love it or hate it” record – there is no middle ground here.

The track in question is brilliantly (you can already tell what side of the fence I sit) titled “Why They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage”. It’s a pulsing, heavy, 4/4 stomping, with the weirdest hook I’ve heard in a wee while. Everything is detuned, everything is an octave too low, and everything for want of a better phrase, is fucked up. The drums gulp awkwardly, I can’t work out a single not of the music, and the vocal progressively becomes more demonic as the track continues (ok, it’s just a ring modulator but it’s used to stunning effect here).

The critics seem to think this is a tongue-in-cheek production, but I genuinely can’t hear that. I mean, it is a bit like if The Munsters made techno, or if The Monster Mash was given a good four to the floor techno rework, but does that really sound bad to anyone? I’ll admit, the artwork is a little too OFWGKTA for my liking, but other than that I have a real difficulty finding a flaw here.

Occasionally it’s nice to step back from the chin scratching, post modernist, up-it’s-own-arse techno. Blawan isn’t so much a step back, but more of a giant leap back, but he does so with an enthusiasm and energy that not many can approach. If you ask me, this is an absolute must for anyone looking to sample some UK style techno.

There doesn’t seem to be a digital release at the moment, nor is there any signs of one on the cards. So unless you’re willing to part with £9.99 + P&P for a huge plastic disc to be mailed to your house, like a bloody caveman, regrettably you’ll miss this. It is genuinely worth the hassle of trying to find though – mark my words, the price of this record will rocket in the next few months assuming it’s never released digitally.

Why They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage? Under My Garage / Under My Garage / Under My Garage?

edit: You’ve already missed this, it’s sold out. Excellent.



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Muse 6N11Headphone Amp

Posted by Tony on 07/14/2012

My headphone amp broke – that’s why.  It will be a month or so before I have the means to buy a new one, so hang in there, I’ll be back soon enough.!

Actually, while I’m here I may as well tell you about my little dead amp.  I got it a few weeks ago from eBay – one of those cheap Chinese Muse 6N11 pretend tube amps.  Not great, but it did have a lovely warm, fuzzy sound.  Very coloured, but pleasantly rounded.  Really sounded vintage, reminded me of early 70’s low end tube amps.  Wobbly, you know?

Sadly, it died after only a few hours of service 🙁  I have no idea what’s wrong with it (although I suspect there’s a broken capacitor in there somewhere) so I’m not going to go snooping around looking for solutions.

Crazy as I am, I’m looking to buy the MKII version of it.  So much promise in a cheap little unit, and I really don’t feel these other expensive headphone amps are worth their money.  If I manage to get one that works, I’ll look into doing some mods, replace some components etc.

But until then no headphones means no music :-/

Muse 6N11Headphone Amp

Muse 6N11Headphone Amp



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