Soul, gospel, rhythm and blues: all genres steeped in the spiritual struggle of ’60s America and all cannibalistically feasted upon for profit by artists like Joss Stone, Amy Winehouse, James Hunter and, of course, Eli “Paperboy” Reed.
Archive for the ‘Music Reviews’ Category
May 5, 2010
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Flying Lotus – Cosmogramma
By Ash in Music Reviews
Cosmogramma, as most of us now already know, is Steven Ellison’s third full length album and second for Warp Records. Following on from Los Angeles (2008), Cosmogramma is, for Ellison at least, a literal departure from earth. Presented as a ‘Space Opera’, Ellison squeezes 17 tracks into the 45 minutes that comprise this futuristic release; the title itself alluding to an understanding of the known universe. Somewhat ironically, there is little audible space to be found on the album.
April 27, 2010
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Rene Hell – Porcelain Opera
By Ash in Music Reviews
The artwork of Rene Hell’s ‘Porcelain Opera’ is a photograph of a partially clad woman embracing a statue that appears to be Jesus. Captured by Sasha Wiseman and presented as a faded photograph, the revealed pink stockings suggest an implausible sense of the prurient, while the repression suggested by the crossed legs mirror the suppression of Christ’s hands on the cross. A conscious desire to shock – and love – is incidentally revealed by the choice of the artwork, though nothing explicit is ever inferred. What does it mean? What does ‘Porcelain Opera’ mean and how does that relate to the recorded output of Rene Hell?
April 5, 2010
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Album Round-Up
By Ash in Music Reviews
Autechre – Oversteps
The warped duo return with 71 minutes of accessible digital bliss and buzz. For an excellent review, check out Scott McMillan’s at TLOBF.com. An essential purchase for fans of electronica, and completely baffling to anyone unfamiliar with their sound.
February 2, 2010
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Jaga Jazzist – One-Armed Bandit
By Ash in Music Reviews
Six albums in and Jaga Jazzist’s latest album, ‘One-Armed Bandit’, arrives to take listeners on a one hour trip to the cosmos and back. Leaning their acid-funk fusion heavily into the winds of progressive rock has pushed the nine-piece into new sonic territory. A gamble? Perhaps. It doesn’t simply seem to be a matter of happenstance that the group have teamed up with Tortoise’s John McEntire (who did a great job of mixing the myriad elements that comprise the album): in fact it’s probably an indication that the compass is pointing in the right direction.
January 31, 2010
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The Good The Bad – From 005 to 008
By Ash in Music Reviews
Interesting promo sent to me by this trio who create instrumental surf-rock. I didn’t hate it, nor did I particularly love it. Perhaps if the guitar work had been tighter and more imaginative, I would have gone a bit nuts for it; but ultimately they’re a band making safe, good-time rock n’ roll with surftastic tremolo licks. The Good The Bad are kind of like the boys in the Bikini Beach Band (who play twang covers of modern tunes), but without their sense of humour and all the presumed attitude of Jack White on a particularly introspective day.
January 27, 2010
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Motorpsycho – Heavy Metal Fruit
By Ash in Music Reviews
More likely to be named after the Russ Meyer film than the Bob Dylan song of the same name, Motorpsycho’s latest album finds the Norwegian trio on drastically effective form. Clocking in at just over an hour, five of the six tracks presented here are expansive prog freakouts sitting around comparatively brief piano ballad, ‘Close Your Eyes’.
January 25, 2010
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Ceephax Acid Crew – United Acid Emirates
By Ash in Music Reviews
Ceephax Acid Crew’s latest album is a whirlwind concoction of thumping technicolour sound layered with synthetic arpeggios that thunder through it like a Bull at Pamplona. If Street Fighter II had come with great music, instead of that ridiculously annoying, noisome theme that plagued the ears of everyone waiting for their playing partner to pick a character (Ryu! Ken! It’s easy enough! Oh, Zangief, well done!), it would have sounded something like the wonderfully named Ceephax Acid Crew. Heavily influenced by 8-bit technology, Andy Jenkinson (yes, brother of that Jenkinson) plasters his flighty ‘United Acid Emirates’ with uplifting techno squall, pastes with experimental digital quirk and papers with complete danceability.
January 17, 2010
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Imaginary Softwoods
By Ash in Music Reviews
Irrespective of the number of scientific theories that exist to explain how music works, how it affects us and its very reason for being; there is music outside the religious realm: a music that searches for deep spiritual and emotional connectivity. Within all that is the deconstruction of music by philosophers and critics alike – though, clearly, neither profession is linked by interest.
January 8, 2010
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Spray Paint The Walls – Stevie Chick
By Ash in Music Reviews
“I don’t want to see the plan succeed, there won’t be room for people like me!” wrote Greg Ginn, guitarist and founder of punk-rock / hardcore pioneers Black Flag in the brief 35-second song that comprises the title of Stevie Chick’s book.
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