Panther 14 Kt God
Maybe Charlie Salas-Humara didn’t know people were already taking him plenty seriously as a huffed-gas busted-soul spazzoid when he retooled his joke-cum-primary project Panther this past year. Gone are the broken falsetto yawls, drunk beats, and general devil-may-care dance music for the clinically insane or people who have no idea what dance music is supposed to be. Gone is that gleeful sense of wreckage but, in its place, is something far more fully formed. Notably, this release, Panther’s third, includes live drumming, courtesy of 31 Knots’ Joe Kelly, impressive cello workouts, and perhaps even more so, Salas-Humara’s singing voice, a surprisingly smooth thing–reverbed heavily here–when it’s not being punished.
Scuba A Mutual Antipathy
It’ll be more difficult to define dubstep if Paul Rose keeps releasing records like this, creating a very healthy situation for a genre that’s already victim to numerous copycat crimes. As Scuba, Rose is one of the genre’s lead beat-smiths, but he breaks free even further from dubstep’s stereotypes on Antipathy. Like the best dub rhythms, there is a sublime patience amid his clangor; throughout the album, Rose places a loose breathing space between each smacked-down beat, and his gray-skied synth chords recall the digital tundra of Amber-era Autechre. Unfortunately, some tracks are too short on ideas and resemble sketches that await unauthorized remixes from bedroom studio producers. Still, Antipathy points dubstep in a fertile direction.
Rings Black Habit
Previously known as First Nation, this trio changed its name to Rings when Abby Portner (sister of Animal Collective’s David Portner) replaced a member. Black Habit, their debut for AC’s Paw Tracks imprint, is rife with tribal drums and circular jams. Co-produced with Múm’s Kria Brekken, the record feels slightly uneven. On one hand, the tone of the guitar and piano on tracks like “All Right Peace” and “Double Thanks” is warm and beneficent. But on the other, the vocals are too loud, and can get pretty grating at times, as on “Scape Aside.” Regardless, Black Habit has more good ideas than bad ones, resulting in a decent first effort.
Will Sweeney on Food and Art
Will Sweeney creates worlds where crime-fighting sandwiches battle villainous hotdogs–but don’t think they’re simply random. Each whimsical character in Sweeney’s flawlessly executed compositions serves a greater purpose: to create funny social commentary that’s never heavy-handed.
In Sweeney’s 2007 print “Saturday Night,” for example, you may spy a red pepper in glasses and jeans playing an arcade game called High Speed Kumquat; he’s part of a larger tableau where anthropomorphic vegetables hang out and plot wars against junk food.
After graduating from London’s prestigious Royal College of Art in 1998, Sweeney embarked on a prolific illustration career; he’s doodled for the likes of Silas & Maria, Levi’s, and Stüssy, and appeared in the Gas Book series, The Face, and Sleazenation. Musically, he has made his mark as a guitarist for XL Recordings’ Zongamin (the brainchild of frequent design collaborator Susumu Mukai) and by designing album art for Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, Beck, and Architecture in Helsinki, whose Places Like These cover he spun into a full art show in Melbourne, Australia. Of course, there’s the aforementioned veggie-filled Tales From Greenfuzz series of comics and its attendant toys, plus his recently launched label, Alakazam, an optical acid bath of dancing pharaohs and voodoo jukeboxes from the future past.
XLR8R: How did you first get into art?
Will Sweeney: I think one of the pivotal inspirations for me was the 2000AD comic. It seemed to have everything for me, visually and narratively. There was a section in one issue that was a step-by-step guide to drawing Judge Dredd, using the same techniques as the comic’s artists. I remember doing this in my school art class when I was about seven. The moment when the ink had dried and I rubbed away the pencil line was kind of a revelation for me, giving me the confidence to think I could pursue this.
How did your father being an art professor affect the way you thought about art growing up?
I think it gave me confidence for quite a while; by the time I was around 15 I kind of took it for granted that I could draw. Then I really had the wind knocked out of my sails when I started art school, which was good as it made me really try harder. I think my dad’s position has made me distrust the fine-art world to some extent. He is also quite cynical about much over-hyped contemporary art, but he is successful in an area that is kind of alien to me. I have carved quite a different path than him in my career, but his work ethic has always inspired and driven me. Our work definitely bears many similarities. We both have a great love of detail and for creating characters. Thematically though, it is different. His work involves themes such as the life of William Blake, cities of holy dreams, and swineherd philosophers…. I tend to make comic strips about a fictional world populated by vegetables.
Are you able to make a decent living from what you do now?
If I didn’t live in the most stupidly overpriced city in the world I would probably consider myself quite well off. Most of the work I really enjoy doesn’t pay too well, but I have a good agent who can negotiate well on my behalf when the occasional soul-destroying advertising job comes my way.
Describe the process of a piece from conception to completion. How much is planned and how much is improvised?
In terms of illustration work, I will sit and look through books and magazines for ages, waiting for inspiration to come before spending a long time drawing in my sketchbook. Then I will refine the sketchbook drawings [or] get client approval. Most of the commercial work I do involves digital coloring, so the process is penciling, inking, rubbing out pencil, then scanning and coloring digitally. So not too much has changed since the early days of copying Judge Dredd, apart from the computer aspect. In terms of personal work, the process is often quite different. I have a lot of images and ideas that I want to explore through drawing and writing comics, and there never seems to be enough time to do this.
What does a day in your life look like?
I often like to work at night when there is no one around. I hate distractions and need to concentrate a lot. I work from home in Hackney, in a small studio on a mezzanine level of my flat. My wife works downstairs. Other than that, I drink Guinness, watch bands, watch Dr. Who DVDs, watch The Mighty Boosh, pursue bizarre trains of thought on the internet, buy obscure German vinyl on eBay, and have gyoza evenings at our place.
How much planning goes into your comic books?
A lot. Everything is storyboarded and planned before artwork begins. Saying that, I always allow for spontaneity and I never know exactly how a spread will look until inked and colored. Otherwise it could get too laborious and predictable.
Why so many food references?
Food is an underrated subject matter. Outside the realm of children’s books, most comics concern rather clichéd subject matter that panders to the inadequacies of the readers: revenge, power, six-packs, urban alienation. Food is familiar, yet I think it’s quite alien. Who knows if aubergines have feelings?
Do you listen to music while you work?
I listen to the radio a lot, but mainly plays, stories, and radio comedy. I like Clive Merrison as Sherlock Holmes on BBC7, and I love “I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue” on Radio 4. Music-wise, at the moment I’m listening to the new Ween LP, Moebius & Beerbohm’s Strange Music, Alice Coltrane’s Journey in Satchidananda, Guru Guru’s UFO & Kangaru, and Cluster’s Grosses Wasser. Some of my favorites are The Cramps, The Bonzo Dog Band, The Monks, and The Coasters. These have all inspired my work through lyrics, humor, and dress sense (or lack thereof).
What are you sick of, in art or otherwise?
Sometimes I really resent the “fashion” or “cutting-edge” aspects of contemporary illustration–people appropriating a style or palette merely to appear edgy. It’s often just vacuous, hiding the lack of commitment within. I’m also rather cynical about some of the old farts who haven’t had an original idea in 20 years, but still knock out facsimiles of the same thing relentlessly to a blissfully ignorant audience.
Top 10: Xiu Xiu, Cut Copy, Robyn
Xiu Xiu
Women as Lovers
Kill Rock Stars
Release Date: Out Now
Xiu Xiu frontman Jamie Stewart has one of those voices you fall in love with because it sounds so tortured. He doesn’t so much sing as often as he whispers and murmurs through the tracks on the album, accompanied by 808s and electric guitars. The effect, when paired alongside the lyrics, is often chilling and uncomfortable, and in the end, good, lasting art should leave you with something akin to those feelings.
Various Artists
BoogyBytes Vol. 4 Mixed by Ellen Allien
BPitch Control
Release Date: March 31
We throw the term “Renaissance man” around a lot on XLR8R.com, but this might possibly be the first time I’ve ever used the phrase Renaissance woman, though no one is more suited to that title than Ellen Allien. As expected, the producer, DJ, clothing designer, and label owner delivers a mix of unlikely surprises on this latest installment of BPitch’s Boogybytes series. From minimal beeps and dreamy, 4 a.m.-style synths, to hypnotic beats and the mournful ballad by Little Dragon that closes the mix, Allien keeps us guessing.
Robyn
Robyn
Cherry Tree/Interscope
Release Date: April 2008
You’ve got to be pretty damn clever to sneak a line about Rick James into your track without it sounding forced, but that’s just one of the many tricks Swedish pop princess Robyn proves she’s capable of on her self-titled full-length. Over the course of 14 tracks, she serves up tongue-in-cheek raps, addictive, hook-laden programming, and heaps of attitude. The word on the street is that she can belt out a melody in the live setting as well as she does on this record.
Various Artists
Fabric 39: Robert Hood
Fabric
Release Date: April 14
If you want techno presented in crystal-pure form, look no further than the latest Fabric compilation, on which Robert Hood tears through 32 high-speed dancefloor numbers tailored to imitate a night at the club. Hood’s an undisputed innovator and master of the genre, and here he proves his chops once again, opting for stripped-down, minimal tracks by artists who, while they might not be playing the next Ibiza super-club, nonetheless represent Hood’s idea of techno as an art form.
The Teenagers
Reality Check
XL
Release Date: March 18
This London/Paris-based trio has a lot more to offer on this album than just punchy, energetic dance-rock tunes (although that aspect in and of itself is a compelling reason to buy the release). Tracks here tell stories and wryly comment on sex, hipsters, Facebook, spring break, playing in a band, and numerous other elements of the youth of today. When archeologists finally decide to study the current throwaway pop culture in which we live, all they’ll have to do is give this disc a listen.
The Flashbulb
Soundtrack to a Vacant Life
Alphabasic
Release Date: Out Now
Given his somber disposition, and the fact that he makes breakcore on the side, one would expect Benn Lee Jordan to arrive at a bleak title like Soundtrack to a Vacant Life for his latest album under The Flashbulb guise. It’s a misleading name though, as the release is anything but vacant. A quiet, static-filled drone turns into chugging rock guitars, followed by intricate electronic programming, an accordion or two, and a little heavy metal to finish things off. At 31 tracks, an album like this needs such variety, and Jordan delivers.
Various Artists
Wait ‘Til the Ice Melts
Exponential
Release Date: Out Now
There’s a little something for everyone on this compilation of underground artists from the Lone Star state, and we’re thrilled to know there’s more than country coming from it. The Exponential label has done a great job of capturing the variety of Texas music available, and showcases quiet electronic compositions next to instrumental post-rock, two-step rhythms, and the standout track, a slinky, catchy hip-hop number entitled “Outlines,” from Makestapes.
Various
The XLR8R Podcast Presents Mush Records
Download here.
Producer, workaholic, Mush Records employee… is there anything Antimc can’t do? He furnished XLR8R with a DJ mix recently, and the XLR8R.com staff has sent the sounds of Daedelus, Eliot Lipp, Doseone, Omid, Busdriver, and tons of others blasting through the office several times a day for the last week. Our co-workers hate us right now.
Cut Copy
In Ghost Colours
Modular
Release Date: April 8
I really, really wanted to hate this album. Unfortunately for me, the latest offering from the Melbourne, Australia trio currently tearing up the blogosphere is a solid dance album that proves the members are adept at their craft and were nicely matched up when they enlisted Tim Goldsworthy to assist with production. In Ghost Colours is the perfect combination of fun party music and intricately tweaked machines, and damned if it isn’t playing in heavy rotation on my stereo right now.
JDSY
Adage of Known
Ghostly International
Release Date: April 22, digital only
Joey Sims’ debut full-length is a reminder that you don’t need thousands of dollars’ worth of education to make meticulous, compelling musical compositions (like any of us actually need to be reminded of that). The Michigan-based avant-pop maker–who first turned heads with this remix of Solvent’s “For You” in 2005–delivers a riveting album of relentless beats, eerie electronics, and perfectly understated vocals I can’t understand but find enjoyable all the same.
Image of Xiu Xiu by Mathew Scott.
Crystal Castles Postpone Tour Dates
Toronto duo Crystal Castles will postpone several upcoming tour dates, due to an injury suffered by singer Alice Glass.
From a recent press release:
“Due to an unfortunate injury suffered by Crystal Castles lead singer Alice Glass in a car accident late last week, the band will have to postpone the following tour dates while Alice recovers from two cracked ribs. The tour will resume as planned beginning 3/14 in Austin, TX at SXSW. Tourmates HEALTH will continue to play at all scheduled tour dates in their absence.”
Best wishes to Alice for a speedy, healthy recovery. And here are those dates:
Postponed Dates
03/05 Vancouver: BC: Richards on Richards
03/06 Seattle, WA: Chop Suey
03/07 Portland, OR: Backspace
03/08 San Francisco, CA: The Independent
03/09 Los Angeles, CA: The Roxy Theatre
03/10 San Diego, CA: Casbah
03/11 Phoenix, AZ: The Brickhouse Theatre
03/12 Albuquerque, NM: Launch Pad
Remaining Dates
03/14 Austin, TX: SXSW
03/15 Austin, TX: SXSW
03/16 Denton, TX: Hailey’s
03/17 Springfield, MO: Randy Bacon Studio & Gallery
03/19 DeKalb, IL: House Café
03/21 Cleveland, OH: Grog Shop
03/22 Philadelphia, PA: Transit
03/23 Baltimore, MD: Ottobar
03/25, Brooklyn, NY: Studio B
03/26 New York, NY: Mercury Lounge
03/27 Montreal, QC: Musee Juste Pour Rire
03/28 Toronto, ON: Circa
Photo By May Truong.
Shawn Mortenson Releases Monograph, Readies Wild Party
He has captured urban street life, celebrities, the changing political climate, and contemporary artists with a camera for the last fifteen years, and now, artist and photographer Shawn Mortensen gathers these pieces together into a single monograph entitled Out of Mind.
An exhibition of the same name will run in conjunction with the book’s release, at the Max Fish Gallery in New York. Photographs from the book–everything from portraits of Gwen Stefani to photo essays on Jamaican ghettos–will be on display, along with paintings, drawings, and collages that span Mortensen’s two-decade career.
The Out of Mind show’s opening party will, according to its invite, be a wild one, with limited edition prints from the book available in addition to some rare silkscreen portraits of Tupac from the 2004 collaboration with Shepard Fairey. Finally, Mortensen’s self-published, handmade zine, Errorism & War, will be available at the event. Of course, you can pick up a copy of the actual monograph too. Just head down to the Max Fish gallery on Thursday, March 6. The mayhem begins at 7 p.m.
Sunny Levine Love Rhino
The “love” part of this album’s title is obvious, but the “rhino” might need some explanation. Singer-songwriter Sunny Levine wrote these songs after a failed relationship, hence the rhino metaphor: He’s a tough-skinned creature who keeps on keepin’ on. Though Levine has produced for a range of artists (Pete Yorn, Hugh Masekela) and comes from a musical family (Quincy Jones is his grandfather), this disc, his debut full-length, lacks depth, with stunningly dull lyrics straight from your seventh-grade journal. His idiosyncratic rock, mixing organic and electronic elements, isn’t strong enough to make up for his lack of perspective or his pedestrian writing. As a producer, he’s an old hand, but as a musician, he just sounds immature.
Jamie Lidell Preps North American Tour
Jamie Lidell is back. The U.K.-based musician and crooner extraordinaire will embark on a North American tour at the end of May to support his forthcoming album, Jim. Lidell will be joined onstage by a full band that includes saxophone and keyboards, in addition to guitars, bass, and drums. As the story goes, while wearing a trench coat, he set a speaker on fire at the 2006 Bumbershoot festival in Seattle (on accident, but whatever). Let’s hope for similar antics this time around.
Jim is out April 29 on Warp.
Dates
05/25 Vancouver, BC: Richards on Richards
05/26 Seattle, WA: Sasquatch! Festival
05/27 Portland, OR: Berbatis Pan
05/28 San Francisco, CA: Bimbos
05/29 Los Angeles, CA: El Rey Theater
05/30 Los Angeles, CA: El Rey Theater
05/31 Tucson, AZ: Rialto Theater
06/02 Denver, CO: Bluebird Theater
06/04 Chicaco, IL: Abbey Pub
06/05 Toronto, ON: Opera House
06/06 Ottawa, ON: Babylon Club
06/07 Boston, MA: Paradise
06/08 New York, NY: Bowery Ballroom
06/09 New York, NY: Bowery Ballroom
06/11 Philadelphia, PA: World Café
06/12 Washington, DC: 9:30 Club
