Haiku Review: Cheb Samdoun & The Iridescent Ensemble - Cheb Samdoun & The Iridescent Ensemble (Sunrise Acoustics, 2010)

Cheb Samdoun & The Iridescent Ensemble - Nobody Understands Music


Cheb Samdoun & The Iridescent Ensemble (download)
/air vibrates color/
/pluck & thrum drone expansion/
/suspended buzz, cheers/

Bugs & Wind

The dude over at Holy Warbles posted this insect drone video and I was totally digging it, reminding me of that Sounds Of Insects LP I posted a while back and HW's own Cicadas & Crickets LP posting. Then I spent 3 seconds looking for a video to complement these bugs, found some mountain wind sounding like the ocean and BAM. YouTube Doubler.

Not sure if this embedded mashup is gonna work, so if not, click here to watch it in action.

YouTube Doubler

Tortoise, Keith Fullerton Whitman & Greg Davis & Ben Vida at The Paradise

The Paradise: newly renovated, wayyy more open & spacious, no more giant pillar in front of the stage, might actually think about going to more shows there

Keith Fullerton Whitman, Greg Davis, & Ben Vida: Arcade Ambiance style fire swamp, Jupiter basement discotheque, trans-warp glitter noise, FTL drive mechanics, dubbed out white hole, stutter static glory, massive junk rumbling sun drone, chaos bliss supreme

Tortoise: aging like Benjamin Button, getting smoother & tighter as time goes on, a band with a variety of different sounding albums that coalesce into a stupefying live experience, house lights be damned we cheered them out for a second encore, see them already, then see them again

Bigger photos on Flickr.

Keith Fullerton Whitman, Greg Davis, & Ben Vida

MP3: DJ Topcat - Folsom Prison Gangstaz (Eazy E vs Johnny Cash)

DJ Topcat - Folsom Prison Gangstaz (Eazy E vs Johnny Cash)


Apparently this was "buzzing all over the net" but I didn't see it amongst any of the circles I frequent. Thankfully my friend Steve passed this along to me.

Three fucking cheers to DJ Topcat because this mashup is INSANE. It's meshes so perfectly and honestly, I'm pretty sure we've all been waiting for an Eazy / Cash track. You wanna know how many times I hit play again as soon as it was over? TOO BAD. I lost count.

And yes, feel free to praise me for my hardcore 'shoppin skillz up there.

BOIL Mix / QRO Mag Giveaway

Album art sourced from CC image Drinking Flamingo

My pals over at QRO Mag are turning 1000 soon (in Twitter followers) and they love you all so much that they're having a contest. There are a couple ways to enter but the easiest is to just go follow them on Twitter because all new followers between 950-1000 are automatically entered (they're at about 960 right now).

The best part is the prizes are fucking sweet. There's a couple of label packages, one being from the interminably awesome Breakfast Of Champs including shit from Quilt, COP MAGNET, Total Slacker, and WITCH MTN. Hell yes! There's also a Burning Mill prize pack with releases from DOM, Golden Girls, Ape Debris, Golden Holy, and one surprise.

But then there's the mixtape part of the giveaway and that's where I come in. QRO Mag asked me and a few fellow bloggers (Cream Team, Knox Road, & No Modest Bear) to each create a mixtape for the giveaway. At first the idea was that the mix would be exclusive to the contest (at least until it was over), but they loosened up and are allowing us to post our own mixes on our blogs. So a hearty thank you & congrats to QRO Mag and all the other cool people involved with this. Way to fucking go. Now I present to you, BOIL.

You should recognize at least half of the stuff in this mix because it's culled from past reviews. The others are probably high profile enough that you'll know 'em anyway. And in case you couldn't tell, this is one hardcore noise/drone mix. It's sorta brutal. And it's sorta awesome. And it's my first attempt at a mix put together in Garage Band so I could smooth out the wrinkles & normalize it and shit, making it a single mp3. Let me know what you think.

BOIL
1. Lonesummer - "We've Lost a Day"
2. Halflings - "Burning Ambition"
3. The Vomit Arsonist - "Choke"
4. Kanin Krusete - "Veteran Plates"
5. Russell Haswell - "High Force From Above"
6. Millipede - "Surf"
7. The Conet Project - "5 Note Version ‘Czech Lady'"
8. Ultra Bonbon - "Resplendent City"
9. Wilt - "SVF"
10. Gerritt Wittmer - "Untitled 2"
11. Marinos Koutsomichalis - "Untitled 6"
12. Kouhei Matsunaga - "291107"

Video: Oval - Ah!

Matthew Barney + Carnivàle + Black Swan + new Oval = legit awesomeness aka:

WYLD WYZRDZ / Stag Hare - Antelope Island (Inner Islands, 2010)

WYLD WYZRDZ - Antelope


Utah DIY chieftain Braden J. McKenna brought a lot to the SLC scene. Lots of sweet music under various guises (WYLD WYZRDZ, his own name, etc), dozens of free releases through The Magic Goat, and general awesomeness. He's since gone to Portland, killed The Goat, and started a physical label called Inner Islands.

One of the first releases is a split seven inch mini wax with him and psych drone extraordinaire Stag Hare. Pretty much a match made in heaven. WYLD WYZRDZ puts on his fancy suit and goes to town with "Antelope." A delicately lush tropdrone, everything looped to infinity, equally perfect for a party scorcher or nap time chiller. Stag Hare's track, "Island," is a lazy shaker with faded lazers & a muted beat. The hazy guitar meanders along with echoing obscured vocals, making a supreme droney jam.

Regardless of where and when you play this, it's a sunny primer that always seems to require one more spin. Braden's got his shit together and I highly recommend grabbing this when it's officially available and then keeping your hawk eyes on Inner Islands waiting to see what's next.

The Maine Coons - The Maine Coons (self released, 2010)

The Maine Coons - Ghetto Queen


The Maine Coons are two dudes from Boston that have been playing local shows like crazy for a year or so and now that they've finally put out an actual record, they're ditching us and heading to Austin. Ain't that some bullshit? I guess it's hard to blame them when they've got a song that goes "I am a motherfucker living out my dreams."

Well, regardless of where they are in this glorious country of ours, they'll be rocking the fuck outta anyone who gives a shit. The Maine Coons play some rock n roll scuzz pop straight from a '70s garage. Seriously awesome stuff. The best of the best, crunchy buzz guitars, humming catchy organs, jangly hooks, and frequently hilarious lyrics (see "Ghetto Queen," "Hey Dickhead," "Hologram (Urinals)," or "Pull The Plug On Grandma"). It's just begging to be blasted from a boombox on your shoulder, walking to the pizza shop sportin your jean jacket & Ray Bans.

If you've been digging Girlfriends or The Needy Visions or any other of Boston's new wave old fashioned rock bad-assery, then The Maine Coons are essential. I've pretty much been playing this nonstop since I got it. And you'd be doing everyone a great disservice if you didn't crank this motherfucker until your ears ring & every last one of your pals hears it and comes over to party.

And just look at that fucking cover. Fucking brilliant, man.

Angharad Davies & Axel Dörner - A.D. (Another Timbre, 2010)

Angharad Davies & Axel Dörner - Stück Un


I was sent 3 out of 4 new discs in the Brass Series on Another Timbre and I was super pumped to hear 'em all. But holy fuck have I had them for wayyyy too long without reviewing them. There's a perfect explanation, of course, and that has to do with the nature of these records. These albums are restrained, delicate, subtle, and most of all, quiet. They absolutely need 100% of your attention, not just to understand what's going on, but simply to even remember that you put on a record in the first place. I finally just said fuck it, tossed everything else aside, and sat down with 'em. This one being the first because the album art is so slick.

Angharad Davies & Axel Dörner take on a violin & trumpet, respectively, in ways that seriously test the limits of your imagination. Mentally compile an aural list of all the sounds you think could come from a violin & trumpet. Cube that number and you're in the realm of A.D.

So here you have two people weaving brass & string in the most organic of ways. Most of the time, if you're paying attention, you'll be able to differentiate between which instrument is which. But occasionally the two are so twisted & abnormal they become one haunted hissing sound.

I'm sure many people will feel many different things upon listening to these two go at it, but my approach is strangely scientific. In A.D., I hear this subdued havoc and my first reaction is to analyze the sounds, to figure out how the fuck they're being made, and it's usually by process of elimination. Demonic growling? Well, I'm also hearing some shrieking strings so it must be the trumpet. Stuttering dog whistle electronics? Can't be the brass because that's off doing it's own scratchy circular droning.

Davies & Dörner have a supreme dynamic; they clearly work really well with one another. Something tells me they also had a fucking blast making this record. The motorboat mouth bubbles, unnerving immanent disaster, the shoe shining brush, the percussive blats, swirling needles, it just sounds like they threw an old fashioned dinner party, retired to the drawing room when they were finished, and made minimal crazy avant noise. If that's not a recipe for awesome I don't know what is.

Haiku Review: Iroha & Fragment. - Bittersweet EP (Denovali, 2010)

Iroha & Fragment. - Turning Around (Fragment.)


Iroha & Fragment.
Bittersweet EP (download)
/half jesu, half... drone?/
/nevermind, it's all jesu/
/sad stars shine bright gray/

OOPs: Cannibal Frequencies - Untitled (Gods Of Tundra, 2008)

Ok, so this one is technically not out of print, but it's so damn close it shouldn't matter. Mike Shiflet (aka Cannibal Frequencies) said 3 months ago that he was down to his last copy or two of this tape. It's $6 postage paid (fuckin deal and a half) and you can grab the LAST ONE, assuming there is one, here (preferably along with some other cool shit he's selling). There were only 50 of these made and I'm not seeing them for sale anywhere else.

Now that that's out of the way... this tape is a wall of static noise. A half hour of unwavering, relentless, beautiful, sweet sweet brutal static. That's all you really need to know. Head over to my original review back in January '09 if you're feeling extra curious / want to listen to a sound sample, or just download this beast already. Totally worth your time. Guaranteed.

DOWNLOAD

P.S. Mike, if this offends you and you want me to take it down because you still have a copy(ies) for sale or for any other reason, just let me know. And you have my apologies.

Chris Abrahams - Play Scar (Room40, 2010)

Chris Abrahams - Jelly Crown


Chris Abrahams is the pianist from The Necks. If you know The Necks, then you know how exciting a solo record from any of them is. And if you don't know The Necks then 1: get on that shit and 2: get into this shit. Play Scar is where it's at.

Abrahams' new solo outing is almost an hour's worth of gorgeous work that soars over the entire world of ambient textures. No two songs touch down in the same spot but it's all clearly rooted on one planet. The opener "There He Reclined" sets the mood with it's hazy organ & glitchy electronics, like a slow motion ocean of warmth. From there he explores the depths of minimal drone, reverbed guitar, long resonant tones, avant piano twinkling/smashing, delicate glitch, jangly bells, non-jazz, jet engine walls, static noise, echoing dub techno, fucking everything.

"Twig Blown" is the shortest track yet it's easily the most stunning. Up until that song, things have been semi-straightforward but then he drops this insane field recording glitch noise blowout with shuffling feet, squeaking balloons, and lonely piano, landing on a remote island of chaos. Of course the following track, "The Same Time," is an expansive pop-hymn-like organ piece with the curved FX pipes set to infinity. So so awesome.

The trick to listening to Play Scar is to chill the fuck out and be ready for anything. Nothing on here requires dancing or earplugs, just a healthy desire to be wowed by sounds. There is a master audio crafter at work, doing things I never would have imagined appropriate, and he makes it seem so goddamn cool. More Abrahams, please.

Tristan Perich - 1-Bit Symphony (Cantaloupe, 2010)

Tristan Perich - Movement 4


If you've been reading AGB for more than a couple of years, or even if you've just been paying attention to cool shit lately, then you've probably heard of Tristan Perich and his sound/music/art brilliance. He just released 1-Bit Symphony, the sequel/follow up to 1-Bit Music. He's making waves not just because he's making 1-bit music, but because it comes contained on a little chip attached inside a CD jewel case. You plug your headphones or speakers directly into the jewel case and flip the switch to "On."

The structure of Symphony is just about the same as it was with Music, with 6 elements: "music maker," on/off switch, battery, skip button, volume knob, and headphone jack. The two main differences are that the music is actually "performed live" now (not gonna pretend I know what that means) and that now you can fast forward through a song by holding the skip button. Not sure why, but still a nice option I suppose.

The music aspect of Symphony is worlds different, though. If you thought Music was lush for 1-bit tunes, just you wait. It's called 1-Bit Symphony for a reason. 5 movements of astoundingly diverse and complicated lo-fi electronics. There's much less emphasis on the dance/glitch like Music, instead focusing more on serious, though still a tad poppy, compositions. There's really no way to accurately describe 1-bit music but that's probably because I don't truly understand it. Your best bet is to listen to "Movement 4" up there if you're not already.

But wait guys, it still gets better. How? The final movement is infinite. It stops playing new music and freezes in a static drone. It is not a loop like a locked groove, it is actually programed to play forever. Granted, there is a battery involved so it kind of relies on that, BUT STILL. This is the Neverending Album. You have to consciously decide when you want it to end. I can't tell you how goddamn hard it is to flip the switch and move on with your life.

It's limited, obviously, but it's easily the coolest $30 you will ever spend. Also, there is a stupidly fascinating interview with Perich over at BOMB Magazine where he explains everything: 1-bit being a combination of sound & music, experimental improvisation, never finishing Gödel, Escher, Bach, why it's called 1-Bit Symphony, and why he felt the need to let his album play forever.

MP3: Huntronik - Twin Doctor

Huntronik - Twin Doctor


Really digging this "Twin Doctor" track from Huntronik. Nice 'n' chill electronic alt-folk rock stuff with a solid groove, sounding like it belongs on a Baumbach or Anderson soundtrack. Great for these rainy days we've been having.

Weird Stalk, Too at Temple

Weird Stalk, Too. It was weird. Thanks Whitehaus. Here's hoping for Wired Stalk Tree.

More (and bigger) photos on Flickr. Especially Cave Bears because their set was utter insanity.


Forbes Graham


Double Awake


Kid Romance


Cave Bears



Many Mansions


Grey Skull


Ashcan Orchestra


Blevin Blectum


Preggy Peggy & The Lazy Babymakers