Isolation

Highly Recommended: Pantha du Prince - Black Noise

Lloyd — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:13:00 GMT

So i got this album yesterday and its been spinning round and round in my head even when I am not actually listening to it. The artist is Pantha du Prince AKA Hendrick Weber, a German electronic musician. According to wikipedia his debut single was unleashed in 2002 and his debut album in 2004. The album that I have been listening to is called Black Noise and it is his third full length album. released earlier this year. It comes on the back of some other stunning electronica albums in 2010, namely Four Tet's There is Love in You, Gonjasufi's A Sufi & A Killer and Massive Attack's Heligoland, but more on those albums later. So getting back to Black Noise, which is a shimmering delight of an album that sounds somewhere between the minamilist techno grooves of Four Tet and the experimental glitchy electro of the Warp label with hints of shoegaze thrown in for good measure. The use of instruments such as marima, bells and steel drums reminds me of Bjork's Vespertine ever so slightly, while the grooves are as good as those on early Aphex Twin albums. Another bonus is that Animal Collective's Panda Bear pops up on Stick to My Side with some great acid-drenched vocals. Fucking Gorgeous!

Czech the Funk

Lloyd — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:48:00 GMT

Politics and music have more often than not been uneasy bedfellows, so when the Soviet tanks rolled into Prague in 1968, some of the country’s musicians were on the receiving end. A new series of reissues by boutique label Vampisoul is shining a spotlight on the personal stories of these musicians and the music that got them banned by the Czechoslovakian communist state. A case in point is the career of Marta Kubisová, the most popular of Czechoslovakia's female singers in the late Sixties. Vampisoul's new reissue compilation, Ne! The Soul of Marta Kubisová, focuses on the period from 1966 to 1970, during which she recorded for the Supraphon label, backed by various orchestras and the famous Czech band The Golden Kids. This period provided some of the funkiest grooves to be recorded in Czechoslovakia at the time. But Kubisová soon became a thorn in the side of the communist regime because she chose to sing about the oppressive political situation in her country. By the end of 1969 Kubisová's music had completely disappeared from radio and television and in February 1970 she was banned from performing live, a ban that lasted until 1989 with the collapse of the Eastern Bloc. But thanks to Vampisoul her music lives on with this fantastic 25-track compilation. Thumping bass lines, punchy horns, addictive organ funk riffs and great 1960s-styled fuzz guitar combine to offer a raucous take on the rock and soul music of the United States's in the late Sixties. Imagine a soulful psychedelic sound somewhere between the outputs of US labels Stax and Motown, with a singer who has the presence of Jefferson Airplane's Grace Slick.

The second Vampisoul reissue in the series compiles the recordings of one of Czechoslovakia's most renowned jazz composers and arrangers and is dubbed The Funky Way of Emil Viklicky. In 1971 Viklicky gave up his mathematics studies to focus on a career as a jazz musician and by 1974 he had teamed up with guitarist Lubos Andrst, whose hard rock band, Energit, had just been banned by the communist state. Together the two musicians transformed Energit into an exciting jazz-rock combo, as evidenced by the 13-minute Ráno (Part 1, Kash Edit). Viklicky also collaborated with jazz singer Eva Svobodová, recording her with a jazz trio as she moved away from Dixieland jazz towards modern jazz. Also included are five of Viklicky's recordings with Bill Frisell, Kermit Deriscoll and Vinnie Johnson, fellow students from when he studied at Boston's Berklee College of Music. These recordings are funky as hell and fans of the work of American jazz pianist Herbie Hancock should be instantly hooked. Vampisoul is planning further releases from Viklicky's catalogue, including some unreleased Big Band recordings of his jazz-funk tunes.

Angelique Kidjo - Õÿö

Lloyd — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:16:00 GMT

Benin's Angelique Kidjo is no stranger to world music fans, with her 2007 album Djin Djin winning a deserved Grammy Award. Her follow-up, Õÿö, pays tribute to the music that influenced her in her youth. From James Brown and Carlos Santana, Aretha Franklin and Miriam Makeba to Curtis Mayfield and Otis Redding, Õÿö is a rich, soulful album that brings together American funk and soul and traditional African songs from Benin and South Africa. Featuring guest performances from John Legend, Dianne Reeves, Roy Hargrove and New York's Afrobeat outfit Antibalas, it is an all-star affair. Highlights include Kidjo's stirring rendition of Solomon Linda's infamous Mbube, her Afrobeat-tinged take on James Brown's Cold Sweat and Kelele, Kidjo's tribute to the highlife genre that sprung up across West Africa in the 1920s. Although the album can feel a little disjointed at times because of its diverse range of material, it is still a rewarding offering from one of Africa's finest singers.

Mulatu Astatke - New York -- Addis -- London: The Story of Ethio Jazz 1965 -- 1975

Lloyd — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:01:00 GMT

With an Inspiration Information title already released on Strut Records in 2009, this compilation of the Ethiopian jazz legend's work in the late Sixties and early Seventies is a welcome addition to the reissues of Mulatu Astatke's magnificent catalogue. The acclaimed Ethiopiques reissue series and the soundtrack to Jim Jarmusch's Broken Flowers initially brought Astatke into the international spotlight and it has just been announced that Strut will be releasing his first new studio solo album in more than 20 years. This collection traces Astatke's travels from Trinity College London to Harvard and then to New York, where he cut his teeth playing live and recording, fusing Western jazz and funk with Ethiopian melodies. His return to Addis Ababa in the late Sixties saw him become a central figure in the local Ethiopian music scene, mostly as an arranger for other vocalists. If you have a taste for jazz and funk, this album is absolutely essential listening.

Nick Cave and Warren Ellis - White Lunar

Lloyd — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:59:00 GMT

Nick Cave and his fellow Bad Seed Warren Ellis have been working on film scores together since 2005 when they collaborated on the music for Australian western The Proposition. Since then they have scored 2007's The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and recent Cormac McCarthy adaptation The Road. White Lunar attempts to compile some highlights from all three of these scores on disc one, but although it serves as a great introduction to these works, the full scores are so magnificent they should be heard in their entirety. But the real treats on this collection are on disc two, where Cave and Ellis's work on a number of lesser-known documentaries is compiled. These recordings have not seen commercial release until now, so fans of the duo’s work will be in their element. As the liner notes state: "The first CD has the big themes, the orchestra and the songs, and the second CD is fractured, haunting and sometimes badly behaved." Pure, unadulterated delight!

Massive Attack - Heligoland

Lloyd — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:56:00 GMT

Massive Attack are back! With their first proper album in seven years, this Bristol outfit have made a major return to form. 2003's 100th Window had few interesting moments and left many fans disappointed, but the quality of Heligoland should rectify that. Featuring a host of great guest artists, including Damon Albarn, Martina Topley-Bird, TV on the Radio's Tunde Adebimpe, Mazzy Star's Hope Sandoval and Portishead's Adrian Utley, Heligoland is an all-star affair. Opener Pray for Rain is a slow-burner, but Adebimpes soulful vocals ensure that it still has presence. Perennial Massive Attack collaborator Horace Andy returns on two tracks: the stomping Splitting the Atom and the dubby Girl I Love You. But the album highlight has to be Saturday Come Slow, which features Albarn on vocals and Utley on guitar. Dedicated to the deceased producer Johnny Dollar, who took the helm of their 1991 breakthrough debut album Blue Lines (credited with inventing the trip-hop genre), Heligoland feels like an appropriate statement of intent from a band 20 years into their career.

Taken by Trees - East of Eden

Lloyd — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:53:00 GMT

This is the second album by former Concretes singer Victoria Bergman since she quit the band back in 2006 and it is by far her best. Her first solo album, Open Field, which featured Electrelane front-woman Verity Susman on piano and backing vocals, was dominated by reverb-heavy minimalist nu-folk, but for East of Eden, Bergman travelled to Pakistan to record with a host of the country's musicians. The result is a mesmerising East-meets-West folk record. Opener To Lose Someone is a beautiful, soothing piece that features the voice of local Sufi musician Sain Muhammad, while Anna features Noah Lennox, Animal Collective's Panda Bear, on backing vocals. But that's not the only Animal Collective link, with Bergman reworking the band's My Girls as My Boys, a fantastic folk take on the song with great Pakistani percussion. Bergman has gone out on a limb with this album and been justly rewarded -- absolutely gorgeous.

7 Worlds Collide - The Sun Came Out

Lloyd — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 09:45:00 GMT

New Zealand brothers Neil and Tim Finn are among the world’s finest pop and rock music songwriters. Whether with Split Enz, Crowded House, The Finn Brothers or as solo artists, they have continually produced albums of rich songwriting. In 2001, Neil Finn went out on a limb by inviting some of his favourite musicians such as Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, The Smith’s Johnny Marr, Soul Coughing’s Sebastian Steinberg and Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien and Phil Selway to join him and his brother for a series of shows in April of that year. The resultant live album and DVD were a real treat. Then, in 2008, Finn invited the same musicians -- minus Vedder -- as well as a few new ones such as Bic Runga, KT Tunstall and the members of Wilco, to spend Christmas with him and his family as they worked on a double studio album to be released under the 7 Worlds Collide moniker. Again, Finn has struck gold. Highlights include two beautiful Selway compositions and a rip-roaring track from O’Brien called Bodhisattva Blues, which sounds like a John Lennon rocker. Wilco front man Jeff Tweedy is also ever-present on the double album including the mournful What Could Have Been and an early version of You Never Know, which appeared on Wilco’s self-titled 2009 album. Bic Runga and KT Tunstall also deserve some credit for their haunting Black Silk Ribbon and Neil Finn’s duet with his wife Sharon, titled Little by Little, is the kind of great pop song that made his name in the first place. With Finn’s son Liam, Marr's son Nile and Tweedy’s son Spencer all getting in on the action, this was one family Christmas that produced some superb results.

Iron and Wine - Around the Well

Lloyd — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 09:39:00 GMT

Iron and Wine, AKA Sam Beam, has returned, not with the long awaited follow up to his monumental album The Shepherd’s Dog -- released in 2007 -- but with a double-disc compilation of rarities. Around the Well contains a whopping 24 non-album tracks, roughly divided into the intimate acoustic recordings of his first two albums on disc one and the fuller, more adventurous sound that dominated The Shepherd’s Dog on disc two. However, both discs are a testament to Beam’s craft, with hardly a dud song to be found, and these are meant to be the outtakes. So don’t be fooled, what you are actually buying here is an Iron and Wine double album that can stand among his previous three studio releases with its head held high. From the gorgeous Peng! 33, to Beam’s covers of The Flaming Lips’ Waitin’ For A Superman and The Postal Service’s Such Great Heights, disc one will remind you why Beam has quickly risen through the ranks of America’s greatest contemporary singer/songwriters. Disc two on the other hand can be seen as a companion piece to his 2007 smash hit, with the nine-minute plus epic The Trapeze Swinger standing out as the highlight. Beam is a truly special artist, a unique voice that will be remembered as one of America’s finest when he finally wraps up his career many decades from now.

Richard Hawley - Truelove’s Gutter

Lloyd — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 09:29:00 GMT

With six albums released in the last 10-years, this Brit-pop veteran has been somewhat prolific. As a member of both the Longpigs and Pulp, he established himself as one of Sheffield’s talents, but it wasn’t until his move to Mute for his 2005 album Coles Corner that Hawley's star really began to rise. Since then he has delivered a further two albums of magnificent songwriting, the latest of which is Truelove's Gutter. Incredibly minimalist in nature, Truelove's Gutter features some very restrained backing instrumentation from some very uncommon instruments such as the waterphone, megabass and crystal baschet. However, it is this minimalist instrumentation that creates the space for Hawley's gorgeous croon to work its magic with the dark lyrical material. Gentle country number Ashes on the Fire and the sparse acoustic Remorse Code are highlights, however Don’t Get Hung Up In Your Soul is one of the most beautiful songs ever written. Allow Richard Hawley to welcome you into his world, you won't regret it.

Tricky Meets South Rakkas Crew - Tricky Meets South Rakkas Crew

Lloyd — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 09:25:00 GMT

In 2008, following a five-year hiatus, Tricky returned with a new album Knowles West Boy. Heralded as a return to form, the album still did not match his seminal work in the late 1990’s. Now we have the remix album, dubbed Tricky Meets South Rakkas Crew. Essentially this is an electro/dancehall take on Knowles West Boy and it works surprisingly well. Joseph sounds more urgent than the original, while C’Mon Baby is turned into a stomping dancehall tune, with marching band rhythm and a litany of whistles. Coalition, which references Gil Scott Heron, sounds more aggressive than the original, with its electro-funk styling and Tricky’s take on the Kylie Minogue song Slow -- one of the original album’s highlights -- is now a full on techno banger. It’s not all great, there are a couple of tracks your iPod could do without, but it does prompt the question, what could Tricky produce if his beats were a little more cutting edge?

Jimi Tenor and Tony Allen - Inspiration Information 4

Lloyd — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:01:00 GMT

Strut Records's Inspiration Information series has produced some gems of late, most notably last year's collaboration between Ethiopian jazz star Mulatu Astatke and the London psych-jazz outfit the Heliocentrics. The concept is simple: team a musician up with one of their musical heroes in studio and wait and see what happens. This time Finnish maverick Jimi Tenor meets up with legendary Afrobeat drummer Tony Allen and the results are magnificent. From the hypnotic reggae-tinged Afropop of Selfish Gene to the funky Afrobeat-fuelled booty-call that is Against the Wall, these two legends are clearly enjoying the freedom created by this collaboration. Strut has stumbled on to a winning formula here, so track this album down and lock into its fusion grooves.

The Flaming Lips - Embryonic

Lloyd — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:58:00 GMT

Fearless and fantastic, the Lips must be one of the few remaining bands from the American indie-hardcore scene that spawned them that consistently strive for originality and truly challenging music. No surprise then that their 12th studio album, Embryonic, sees the band ditching their more recent existentialist synth-pop songs and replacing them with a sprawling psychedelic masterpiece. Some have called Embryonic a return to their noisier roots, but for my money the Lips have never sounded quite like this before. Groundbreaking it is indeed, which, for a 27-year-old band, is quite a feat. From the opening squawk of Convinced of the Hex, Embryonic settles into a swirling space odyssey, what front-man Wayne Coyne calls a "freak-out vibe". Referencing influences such as Silver Apples, Joy Division and Neu!, the double album comes together like the soundtrack to an acid trip in an apocalyptic future. It is both beautiful and disturbing and you can't really ask for much more than that.

Atlas Sound - Logos

Lloyd — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:56:00 GMT

Deerhunter frontman Bradford Cox is one prolific guy -- last year he released one of the year's finest albums with Microcastle and also managed to put out his first album under the Atlas Sound moniker. Now 2009 sees the release of the second Atlas Sound album and it must be in the running for containing one of 2009's greatest songs. I'm talking, of course, about Walkabout, the bubbly pop masterpiece that features Animal Collective's Noah Lennox. But Logos is no one-hit wonder -- the psychedelic down-tempo Criminals is another album highlight and the title track sounds as though it could have been recorded by The Strokes while they were day-tripping on acid. Cox is clearly one of the finest musicians living in the US today and when he puts out records we should all pay attention.

Dinosaur Jr - Farm

Lloyd — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:55:00 GMT

You would be forgiven for being suspicious of rock veterans reforming many years after their careers faltered, but Dinosaur Jr are an exception. They are still able to crank out scintillating slabs of fuzzy rock, every part equal to those late-Eighties and early-Nineties albums that earned them their reputation in their first place. Farm is their second album since their 2005 reformation and it easily matches 2007's Beyond for kick-arse riffage. It is becoming quite clear that if any band has inherited the mantle laid down by Neil Young's Crazy Horse, then Dinosaur Jr is that band. Just take a listen to Ocean's in the Way and Said the People for confirmation. Bassist Lou Barlow contributes two songs to Farm, the first a stomping indie-rock tune called Your Weather and the second, Imagination Blind, closes the album. But it is guitarist J Mascis's songwriting prowess that really shines throughout and his guitar work is just magnificent. I didn't realise how much I missed them until they returned. Welcome back Dinosaur Jr!