It would be very easy to fall into the trap of evoking the
paradisiacal, parrot-filled beaches of Brazil. But this is no Bounty
ad. Arabesque's music goes far beyond this, as it is an amalgam of
the most refined sounds imaginable. Cherry Red, El, Astrud Gilberto,
Jobim.are all blended here in with a style and beauty that endures.
Let's not forget that this group is an offshoot of Blueboy, who have
shown time and time again that they are capable of producing some of
the best records ever released by an independent label. And Arabesque
keeps firmly on course, in their song tracks and instrumental numbers
that will make the needle on your record player melt.
the grooming gambit
s.
''This is another of those labour of love projects which in an alternative universe receive music industry awards for services rendered to cultural, musical, and historical integrity rather than for “units sold”. As Gokhan Aya notes in his liners, it has taken a Turk and a Dutchman to push this stuff into the light of reissue day.
Aya spills a lot of ink on presenting a more balanced historical view of Iran, which is fair enough but this listener was left wanting more information on the artists, labels and recording facilities (or lack thereof). Presumably such information is still lost in time. Nonetheless, there are some cool picture sleeves.
The LP comes on multi-coloured vinyl and a striking sleeve in national colours. Musically, think in terms of those mid-60s Turkish high school bands (there’s even a Baris Manco look-a-like) and other Turkish delights. This is a great package and brings the hidden ’60s offerings of an unlikely country to our spoiled ears.
I for one am grateful. Shah-Shah A Go-Go indeed!''
raks!s.
''In the 60's Wolfgang was in Spirits of Sound with Wolfgang Flur later of Kraftwerk. In the 70's Wolfgang played a major role in Streetmark's classic album 'Eileen'. However, 'Eileen' was not a huge commercial success and so Wolfgang was full of doubts about his own abilities when he set about recording Wunderbar.
The opening track of the album is the title track 'Wunderbar' which is ultra-catchy. They must put something in the water in Dusseldorf which results in superb melodies.
Another standout track is 'Siberland' which is effectively a slowed down version of Kraftwerk's 'Metropolis' from Man Machine. The parallel here is interesting as Man Machine and Wunderbar were both recorded in 1978, although I don't know which one hit the shops first. Who is copying who ?
'Himmelblau' would not sound out of place on a La Dusseldorf album. Clearly Dinger and Rother have based their whole career around songs which feature the words 'La' and 'Dusseldorf'. In the case of 'Himmelblau' Riechmann goes one step further by only using the word 'La' in the lyrics. Simplicity is best.
The album finishes with a short omninous sounding instrumental. Sadly, shortly after Wunderbar was recorded Wolfgang was murdered (having been stabbed in a Dusseldorf barroom brawl). This is a great shame as judging by the evidence of Wunderbar, Wolfgang could have gone on to great things. ''
wunderbars.
By the bug
Οι MOHAMMAD είναι το νέο πρότζεκτ των Νίκο Βελιώτη, ILIOS, και Coti K.
Και οι τρεις με παράλληλες πορείες στις μη συμβατικές μουσικές, αποφάσισαν να ενωθούν για να μελετήσουν το φιλοσοφικό ρεύμα kullu wahad και εργάστηκαν για ενα χρόνο πάνω στις αρχές της ενδοδιαμόρφωσης με μέσα το βιολοντσέλο (Νικος Βελιωτης), τις γεννήτριες (ILIOS) και το κοντραμπάσο (Coti K.).
MOHAMMAD is the project of Coti K, ILIOS and Nikos Veliotis.
Having worked separately in the experimental field they decided to join forces in order to study the “kullu wahad” philosophy and to work on the principles of inter-modulation using contra-bass (Coti K.), oscillators (ILIOS) and cello (Nikos Veliotis).
KNOT Gallery
Mιχαλακοπούλου 206 & Πύρρου (εις. από Πύρρου)
πλησιέστερος σταθμός Μετρό: Αμπελόκηποι
Λεωφορεία: 408, 419, Α5, Β5, Γ5 (στάση ΖΑΓΟΡΑ)
http://knotarts.blogspot.com/
"Blue Gene Tyranny is the Mozart of his generation, an improvisor -- neither jazz nor classical but both - congenitally incapable of hitting an infelicitous note."...''
freedeliverys.
Leroy Jenkins, free jazz's greatest violinist, has always worked best in intimate situations with equally talented partners. He certainly had the optimum conditions on this duet date pairing him with outstanding pianist, composer, arranger, and conductor
Muhal Richard Abrahams. The duo played six Jenkins compositions for the session, which was recorded live. Abrams and Jenkins frequently alternate roles, letting each other set the pace, never colliding, and forging a highly effective musical partnership. Jenkins' whiplash lines, percussive effects and seamless blend of free and blues influences was capably contrasted by Abrams' driving, soulful piano phrases and solos. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide
lifelongambitionss.
''....This record, to frame it in appropriate terms, just rules. If I had started a band up yesterday, this is exactly the kind of thing I’d have been shooting for. Lyrics that are clever without being too cute or faux-arty obtuse; mid-to-up-tempo numbers with dueling clean, sharp guitars ...''POPMATTERS
BLACK COWs.
.....οι Ηλιος σε μια απο τις πρωτες τους δουλειες που ακροβατει αναμεσα στην μοντερνα
ορχηστρικη αβαντ συνθεση και τον ηλεκτρονικο ηχο με ενδιαμεση σταση την σεβεντικη
κοσμικη αναλογικη αποδοση του γνωστου ''je t'aime''.....
pharmacodynamicss.
....αυτος ο δισκος πραγματικα δικαιωνει τον τιτλο του,μονο με congas και φωνητικα
ο Pitti Hecht σκαρωνει εναν feel-good pop δισκο ιδιαιτερο και απολαυστικο...
congaloves.
''Listening to this music, I would say that creativity of Erhorn as an electronic musician has not cardinally changed since 2003, when his remarkable album Task was released on label Mille Plateaux. I think that this album is one of the best reflections of such influence as clicks'n'cuts - music of clicks, rustles, various glitch, cut into tiny pieces by quasiscissors and presented in the form of contrast mosaics of sound pieces. Though under his new alter ego Erhorn manipulates these scissors in another way - the structure of sound cuts' constructions gains more grace, gives way to the free experiment and to the flight of an artist's fancy. Here we can remember that the author of music works actively as a jazz musician. Techno is still somewhere near, we can feel its unique spirit, though connection with it became very thin and transparent.
That's impossible not to point out the first-class sound design in this interesting release. The whole spectrum of sounds in Sum was produced with the help of synthesizer Nord Modular - from tiniest clicks and crackle to bass-sections, noises and slow pads. Mosaics of synthesized sounds form by themselves the matt layers, some of them are very cold, the other are considerably warmer and brighter. They are changed by the next ones for many times and there are enough events for a full-value long-play.''
Sound Proector / 17 Dec 2009
S U Ms.
''...."I imagine there are many ways to describe the bleating cacophony on display here, but I'm gonna go with 'Garage punk getting stabbed to death by gorillas in clown suits.'..''
live it downs.
"Super sladge recordings in a basement with karaoke machine and cheap equipment in 1995. Radiate extra electric from body, will get straight thought. If you have confusing brain and muddy mind, we suggest it."
o ld WaRRi or' s w O r ShIps.
''....Influences dive in and out of their music – noise, avant-garde, psychedelic, Japanese freakout, krautrock, no wave – the list could
go on and on. They capture the compelling spirit of creating while still being willing to take chances…but what else would you
expect from a band that has played with Black Dice, William Parker, Pan Sonic, Arto Lindsay, No Neck Blues Band, Caroliner
Rainbow and James ChanceALLEGRO MUSIC COM''
3s.
''...On these jazzed-up renditions of traditional children's songs, Sumi moves between English and Japanese with the kind of ease kids exhibit when playing with children from other countries. Every song moves between her own translated (to English) lyrics and the Japanese originals. The musicians, all from Japan, throw in quotes from Thelonious Monk, blues licks, harmonica wails and funky bass to create fascinating textures. Sumi's husky voice ranges over this musical grain with playful improvisations, extended choruses and wordless scats.
Though most Japanese will have learned these songs by heart as children, they will have a hard time singing along, since the simple melodies are given complex chordings and smoothly shifting harmonies. The heavy thump of African percussion and the taut pat-a-pat of tabla reconfigures the bland rhythms and corny sing-songy beat no-doubt dictated for elementary music classes by the Education Ministry. In short, she does everything usually forbidden in standardized choral groups. Sumi's restoration work returns these songs to their initial, pristine beauty...''
singsnurseryrhymes
s.
''For several decades,
Thea Musgrave has composed a substantial number of choral works that may be judged as important contributions to the genre, though not as central in her oeuvre as her more impressive operas and orchestral works. This 2004 disc from
Bridge presents two major pieces, For the Time Being: Advent for narrator, eight vocal soloists and choir, and Black Tambourine for choir, percussion, and piano (both 1986), and lighter groups of what reasonably can be called madrigals, On the Underground, Sets 1-3 (1994). On first impression, Musgrave's choral music seems inordinately difficult to sing because of the abundance of chromatic lines, tight dissonances, and tricky prosodic rhythms, yet the New York Virtuoso Singers' unerring pitch, pristine vocal blend, and practiced diction and timing make such advanced choral writing well within their grasp. Yet the seriousness of the texts and dark tone of much of this music may make listening hard in one sitting, and these pieces' mournful, minor-key quality is only slightly relieved by the the bumptious but brief John Cook (1963), the jaunty Lady "Rogue" Singleton, the cautionary The Subway Piranhas, and the rustic A Medieval Summer.
Bridge's sound quality is fine. ~ Blair Sanderson, All Music Guide''
choralworkss.
Sonny Touch is a youngster from Thessaloniki( Greece) and this is his brilliant debut.
There's a lot of stuff going on here,from the almost Beirut-like(minus the balkan influences) pop diamond of ''Bob'' to the desert blues-rhumba of ''All Around The Red Square'' (with echoes of Tom Waits there..)and then to the acoustic psychedelics of ''Drjanova'' to the more straight guitar
pop of ''Guy's a Speedfreak'' to the Tipsy influenced exotica ''Nunda The Eater Of People'' shows
a mind open to many directions and ready to surprise us in his next step.....
http://www.myspace.com/sonnytouchbrainsoups.
''The duo of American Nicholas Markos and Marcos Sueiro experienced their first flirtation with fame in the backing band for singer/writer Cath Carroll. Then, in 2000, after three years work, they produced 'Epiphany' using a 4-track recorder. Clearly a labour of love, the music within makes a mockery of its humble origins, each of the twenty tracks merging into the next with some strong melodic themes cropping up time and again. At times it's a strangely unfashionable listen; hearing 'Heaven' and 'Hatehead' is like Mike And The Mechanics performing Christian rock. If that seems slightly frightening but yet still strangely curious then perseverance is rewarded. Three of the strongest tracks ('Neo Super Through', 'Running The Red Lights', 'Spirit') are highly recommended for Blue Nile fans starved of romantic, euphoric soundtracks. And in a manner in which those tardy Scots would be proud, Jordan are all about stirring, uplifting music.''
epiphanys.
''Before writing a single note of his opera Avis de Tempête (Storm Warning), Georges Aperghis had given the watchword to his collaborators, the librettist, the video artists, the singers, the computer technician, the conductor, the scenographer and the musicians of ictus: ''An opera that is a storm.... the mental storm that rips through text and subverts the spectacle from within. Immobile storms, too. A kind of novelty of our century. Vertical storms - almost calm - much more terrifying than countryside thunder.'' ''Among the fragments read, interpreted and translated by this voice, two narratives by Herman Melville act as golden threads that crisscross as they interact and entwine each other: the short story entitled The Lightning-Rod Man and the great novel Moby Dick.'' -- Peter Szendy''
s.
.....τι να λεμε τωρα?..αυτος και ο Κρις Σφετας μου αλλαξαν τη ζωη..ακομα θυμουνται ολοι
το απ τσακι με το οποιο ειχα κατακεραυνωσει τον γιγαντα του σχολειου Μητσο Τ......
αυτος ηταν το θαρρος,το σθενος,η κινητηρια δυναμη πισω απο καθε τολμηρη μου πραξη(οχι
δε λεω για τοτε που κατεβασα τα βρακια μου μπροστα στη καθηγητρια των θρησκευτικων)
jackie you are my everything.......
Υ.Γ..εξισου θανατηφορα με την ''κοφτη'' γροθια του Jackie ειναι η φωνη του..ισως και πιο θανατηφορα...
J.Cs.
''...As uplifting and utopian as Mattias Gustavsson’s outlook on his solo project outside
Dungen, Life on Earth!, might be, you can’t help but think he is lost in a late 60s flower-power state of mind. Not necessarily a bad thing by any means and human interaction indeed would be more pleasant if we were all stumbling around on the same unabashedly optimistic mind plateau, but most of us are lost in the valley of reality and cynical paranoia as a way of life. No worries though, Gustavsson has rounded up a few friends for a globetrotting trip in the 21st century’s version of the Yellow Submarine. So if you are amongst the valley dwellers seeking a deep breath of fresh air, hop aboard, strap yourself in, crank the headphones and get ready for a trip of swirling summertime folk-pop psychedelia that guarantees such spiritual uplifting....''
Look!! There is Life on Earth! s.
....ειχα ακουσει τον Luciano πρωτη φορα σε ενα σαμπλερ σιντι του περιοδικου Riddim
και μετα απο λιγο καιρο αγορασα το σιντι του...μεινστριμ ρεγγε ηχος,πολυ ωραια φωνη
μελωδικα τραγουδια και μια ατμοσφαιρα που παραπεμπει σε ατελειωτες διακοπες...
hailthecomforters.
''His first album in around five years, Steve Jefferis returns to Expanding with a brand new long-player. Having taken a hiatus from Cathode, Jefferis has in the meantime participated in the Matinee Orchestra project and the Warm Digits, but it's certainly good to have him fully operational once again, spouting his timelessly warm, tuneful electronica across an hour's worth of music. The title, Sparkle Plenty, is derived from Jefferis' day-job as a clinical psychologist and is a phrase used to describe the behaviour of children whose apparent exuberance masks more melancholic emotions underneath. You can immediately see how this applies to Cathode's music, pieces like 'Another Wish' amply demonstrate an implicitly maudlin quality at the heart of this music, however upbeat and perky kiddie-krautrock outings like 'Structure Hunger' might convey themselves. 'Without Memory Or Desire' is another fine example of the subtle emotional landscape of this record, crackling with a dignified gloominess, and the closing track 'Nightly Builds' goes further still, drawing acoustic instrumentation up to the surface and keeping time with the metronomic ticking of a clock's pendulum. A very fine album from the ever-consistent Expanding and a great return to solo recording for Cathode.''
sparkleplentys.
''Baby Comes Home is the extraordinary debut album by 22 year old Patrick Cleandenim. Combining a love of classic songcraft with a mountain of charisma, Cleandenim is just at the start of a highly promising career. From the opening drum beat crack of "Baby Comes Home" to the dying seconds of "Hollywood", there's a sense of identity to the album that's rarely achieved these days, like a great novel or film rather than just a collection of songs. While prime time Scott Walker may be an initial point of comparison, Baby Comes Home also features a strong jazz influence on many of its tracks alongside the footprints of Phil Spector, Elvis Presley, David Axelrod and a Tin Pan Alley approach to classic pop song structures. ''
babycomeshomes.
...cleaning out my room a few days ago proved less boring than it was always.I found some seven
inches i didn't even remembered i had and kinda made me feel nostalgia for the old days when i used to go to record shops and buy something without even hearing it(which turned to be very stupid most of the times) just by seeing the cover..these seven inches are such cases although i have to admit that after this post they're going to return in my shelf's oblivion and dust..
..first of these forgotten little wonders is Snakefingers
''There's No Justice In Life'' one of his best
songs i think ,like a backwards played Peter Gunn on the verge of nervous brakdown,B-Side the
twelve bar ''Ralph sounding'' jam of ''Move.......
...little i know about this next one ,
X-Dreams is a trio led by singer Deborah Galiga who's been a
kind of underground hero in Boston..their almost power pop/post punk sound is not a revelation
but it's ok to listen to....
\
....i have to admit that hadn't heard a single note from Split Enz before buying this,i had only seen their name in some magazine and liked the photo in the cover..anyway after buying this
i bought also their Time and Tide album which i really think as one of the best pop albums i own
and
Six Months In A Leaky Boat is a wonderful single...
..no special story about this, another one i bought without hearing and was not exactly my cup of tea but the good thing is that through them i discovered the brilliant madness of the Pop Group.
storming the reality asylums.
''Helvacioglu's hypnotic electronic post-folk music is a new genre at the border between ambient, jazz, folk and concrete music. ''
altered realitiess.
''This handsome new gatefold 2x7-inch package courtesy of the Sacred Bones crew is only made duly enjoyable by the far-out sounds residing in its grooves. "Squeeze the Giant" is the solo debut of Timmy “Vulgar” Lampinen, the weirdo behind two of Detroit’s most truly effed up bands of the 21st century: Clone Defects and Human Eye. With the Big Three all on the verge of bankruptcy, and the Rust Belt becoming no more than a distant memory of America’s once strong manufacturing base, the time sees right for Lampinen to branch out in this manner. Plumbing the depths of his own soul, Timmy draws from a primordial well of post Beefheart avant-garde brutism buoyed to a tradition of post-industrial punk damage that could only come from residing in the ever-declining metropolis that is the Motor City. The titular track has an air of nascent Royal Trux while “Body of Love” and “No Hassle” look to mid-70s Cleveland and the proto-punk barn-burners particular to the whole Pere Ubu/Rocket from the Tombs gang for inspirado. Opening track “Tree Thirsty Earthquake” is a swooning sea chantey whose sweep echo produces an oceanic throb for Timmy to croon an off kilter ballad to, which like the music of outsider folkies from Simon Finn to Tiny Tim is as sincere as it is weird. Although this record sounds like a galaxy of musicians contributed to it, Timmy does it mostly alone, save for some sparse help from members of Kansas’ Terrible Twos. Definitely some of the most outer worldly punk damage you’re likely to hear this year.''
squeezethegiants.
Luiz Bonfá (1922-2001) was a Brazilian guitarist and composer most widely known for the compositions he penned for the film Black Orpheus.
As a composer and performer, Bonfá was at heart an exponent of the bold, lyrical, lushly orchestrated, and emotionally charged samba-canção style that predated the arrival of João Gilberto’s more refined and subdued bossa nova style.
brazilianguitars.
