Charts: The Month In Reggae

Bay Area hero and former XLR8R editor Tomas shares his wisdom on the best of the best this month in reggae.

(Artist-Track-Label-Riddim)
1. Chuck Fender “Freedom of Speech” (Juke Boxx)
2. Collie Budz “Come Around” (Epic)
3. Anthony B “Its Not Easy (Birchill) Ghetto Blues
4. Mike Brooks “Beware (Teams) rockers
5. Morgan Heritage “Brooklyn and Jamaica (Juke Boxx) Statement
6. Daville “Wish I Could Go Back” (Maximum Sound) Jah Powers
7. Anthony Q “Take Me Away (Backyard Movements) Drum Song
8. Lutan Fyah “Stand In My Way” (In THe Streets) Mo Bay
9. Live Wyah “Ballroom Floor” (Footstep) Ballroom Floor/Halfway Tree
10. Honorebel “Camoflage” (Big Ship) Run Run

Lutan Fyah 

Tim Hecker: Static and Hum

Give Tim Hecker 50 minutes.

Anything less is a waste, ’cause the Canadian sound artist–who was born in Vancouver, but resides in Montreal–ain’t a three-chord rocker, and he’s not a disco-edit DJ. Rather, Hecker is a careful craftsman with an interest in building albums instead of songs. From the cathedral preeminence of Haunt Me, Haunt Me to the lost-at-sea aimlessness of Radio Amor, Hecker takes care to service the whole, treating individual songs like organs in a body. As a result, the most memorable elements of any TH outing are the biggest: He trades in mammoth, album-spanning mood shifts, with changes masked by a pace as languid as that of glaciers melting.

But we’ve learned to wait on Hecker. He changes character gradually with each record rather than hopping between genres. His latest release–a familiar-sounding, 15-track record entitled Harmony in Ultraviolet (Kranky)–works the same subtle dynamics. “There’s quite a trajectory over the 50 minutes: between different movements, between really mellow, traditional ambient pieces and kind of neo-Boredoms electronic metal insanity,” says Hecker.

These shifts are as gradual as growing grass, but don’t call his technique staid. “[Artists] always [have] this desire to do different things, but there’s often little respect for craft or developing a voice,” he says. “That can take a long time; that can be slow over different records. I kind of reject the need to be different.”

Indeed, Hecker just gets better at his own brand of beauty, one that champions opposing poles–or, more accurately, bends them until they touch. His music comes across in waves, slowly ebbing between restless motion and static force, between painful noise and calming melody. It’s these crosshatched moments where his pieces become most rewarding: when a mangled piano line wanders into the heart of an unwieldy swell, when a warm wash boils up into scalding steam and all that’s left is the physicality of the sound.

“Sometimes when I listen to something with a really interesting chord structure from a rock band, it totally underwhelms me,” he confesses. “Sometimes [it ‘s] pretty pansy or pretty weak in terms of its power. But then I listen to someone like Merzbow and find it just as dissatisfying because there’s a total absence of tonal qualities. Melody gives a kind of redemption, a sort of power. It’s so effective with noise.”

New At INCITE Online, Nov 7

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Junk Science – Baje One on the mic and DJ Snafu with his MPC combined create a plethora of dust and static strewn over rumbling, admirably imperfect hip-hop beats on this Brooklyn duo’s forthcoming maxi-single.

The Winks – Primarily cello, mandolin, vocals, and percussion, the duo’s setup might be void of any instruments traditionally used within rock music, but their hook-laden song structure keeps the spirit of the genre firmly in place.

Iris – She may be the least established artist on Monika Enterprise’s 4 Women No Cry Vol. 2, but her sweeping synth chords and indie-tinged vocals hint at a not-so-obsucre future for this lady.

Ilkae – The duo’s sound can best be described as a pairing of video game blips and bleeps with hip-hop and electronic, and it never stays in one place very long on their third and final release for Merck Records.

Yasushi Miura – Video games meets rave in the work of prolific Japanese artist who is best known for his work as the graphic and sound artist with a taste for speedy beats and crunchy soundscapes.

The Prodigy Prep West Coast Holiday Weekend

Work off your Thanksgiving feast with two consecutive nights of rave legends The Prodigy, who are currently on a break from recording their new album. The band will be dropping tunes that mostly come from Their Law – The Singles 1990 – 2005, which should educate the young generation and cause nostalgic sniffles amongst members of the old guard.

The Prodigy will invade the West Coast for shows on Friday, November 24 and Saturday, November 25, 2006.

11/24, The Fillmore, 1805 Geary Boulevard, SF
11/25, Rokout Festival

Plug Awards Go To Brooklyn

The independent music awards show is currently on a US tour to hype up the 2007 awards show, and in less than two weeks it takes a stop off in Brooklyn for a night of up-and-coming unsigned indie bands from the borough.

PLUG and Imeem.com have teamed up for PLUG Brooklyn, and in addition to the musical lineup the two companies are giving one band the opportunity to open for these bands on the night of the show. To enter this contest, submit an original song by your band to the PLUG Brooklyn meem. The song will be judged by the bands headlining the show.

Friday, November 17, 2006
PLUG Independent Music Awards, Jelly NYC, and Imeem.com Present
PLUG Brooklyn
Music By Illinois, Dragons of Zynth, Takka Takka, The Harlem Shakes, Imeem.com Contest Willer, and DJs.
The Syrup Room, 100 Ingraham St., NY
Doors Open 8pm, $5

The PLUG Independent Music Awards 2007 will take place February 10 at Irving Plaza in New York. Nominees will be announced on Monday, November 13, 2007.

plugawards.com

Geared Up: Independent Gear Shops

XLR8R‘s Brandon Ivers gets wired at teh country’s best independent gear shops.

Nova Musik
608 N Broadway, Milwaukee, WI 53202
(414) 270-1948

Tony ‘Tone’ Gral has operated downtown Milwaukee’s Nova Musik since 1999. Boasting a staff knowledgeable in fine beer and synthesizer customization, you can find everything from Nova’s modded Moog and Studio Electronic synths to all the usual suspects from Nord, Roland, and Yamaha.

What are people getting most excited about in the store?
The custom synths we’re doing. The Moog Solar, or stuff like the Studio Electronics ‘Code,’ which is an Omega 8 with a redesigned front panel and a new external-input filter control section.

What do you think of the major chains?
Guitar Center, Sam Ash, all those guys–they do a lot of advertising. It just gets more people interested in gear, which, in turn, leads them to other places.

Robotspeak
589 1/2 Haight St., San Francisco, CA 94117
(415) 554-1977

After recognizing the initial seeds of a burgeoning laptop musician culture, owners Steve Taormina and Alan Stewart formed Robotspeak with maxed-out credit cards in 2002. On top of being both incredibly knowledgeable and kind, they also match Guitar Center’s prices.

How do you feel about customers sitting for hours on your gear?
We allow 59 minutes of complimentary playtime, at which point we break out the baseball bats–a full-sized aluminum Louisville Slugger and a smaller aluminum tee-ball bat we lovingly refer to as “Little Louie.”

What’s the staff’s favorite piece of gear?
The Dave Smith Instruments’ Mono Evolver Keyboard, a half-analog and half-digital synth that will kill you with kindness, then kick you in the trachea.

Big City Music
11106 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, CA
(818) 985-0855

Roger Cordell opened Big City Music in 1996 after interest in his analog synth stockpile cooled in Japan, but reheated in the United States. Big City offers tons of new and used hard-to-find synths and effects, and no one else has a better selection of unusual filters and processors.

Any staff favorites?
Analogue Systems has a Bode Frequency Shifter that is spectacular.

Most obscure item for sale:
PPG Realizer… or the PPG Waveterm

Is analog really better sounding?
Is a gourmet meal better than a frozen dinner? If anyone has any doubts about how good new analog gear is, it’s only because they haven’t tried it yet.

Needle Doctor
419 14th Ave., SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414
(612) 378-0543

Founded in 1979 after owner Jerry Raskins found runaway success selling blank cassettes out of his backpack, Needle Doctor has grown to become a worldwide DJ/audiophile institution. If you can’t find the right needle or cartridge here, it probably doesn’t exist.

Any staff favorites?
The JA Michell GyroDec. It’s a turntable.

Famous clients?
Carl Craig, John Vanderslice, Kirsty Hume.

Anything for the wealthy battle DJs out there?
We have a DJ cartridge that retails for $995 by Decca.

Analogue Haven
252 S Main St., #A, Pomona, CA 91766
(909) 622-2995

Analogue Haven’s storefront opened in May of 2005, and stands alone as the only shop specifically dedicated to analog synthesis. The best place to go if you’re looking to build a custom modular synth.

Describe the store in two words.
Analog playground! Seriously, we don’t just sell this gear; everything we have is out for demo purposes as well.

What’s the appeal behind modular synthesizers?
Modular gear embodies the best parts of analog: amazing sound, infinitely flexible, and total hands-on control. Everything is small, handmade, and crafted to interconnect. We think it changes the way you approach music.

Rogue Music
251 W 30th St., #10FE, New York, NY 10001
(212) 629-5073

In the early ’80s, Dick Michaels tried to get rid of a Prophet 5 keyboard. Unable to score cash, he instead landed a bass, a guitar, and a tape deck, beginning a cycle of trading that led to opening Rogue. Twenty-three years later, more used music gear is sold and repaired here than anywhere else in the world.

Most popular product?
It’s a toss up between MPC drum machines and a varying selection of keyboards.

Rarest keyboard in stock?
Currently, the Yamaha CS-10.

We hear a lot of famous musicians have been through the store… Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Grandmaster Flash, and Ol’ Dirty Bastard, among others.

The XLR8R Office Top Ten Album Picks, Nov 6

Hot Snakes–Thunder Down Under–(Swami)
You may have heard that Hot Snakes were one of the few bands that perfected the minimal rock formula in ways that have remain untouched for days. Well, after their untimely break-up, the San Diego troupe gives us one last treat manifested as a live performance in Australia. This record is raw, gritty, and filled with the angst that sets this band apart from the punk norm.

Michael Mayer–Immer 2–(Kompakt)
Following his last compilation Immer, the “archangel of house,” also known as Kompakt co-founder Michael Mayer, is back with a lo-fi, spacey offering for the dance-ready masses. Featuring killer tracks from Lindstrom, Crowdpleaser & St. Plomb, and a 13+ minute odyssey from Geiger, this year in the making mix will get you all tender and shook to hell.

The Knife–Deep Cuts–(Mute)
Quite possibly one of the best electro-pop albums known to man, our homies at Mute have done the right thing by reissuing the Swedish duo’s anthemic masterpiece Deep Cuts, complete with a bonus DVD disc and remixes from Rex the Dog, Dahlback, and Milo. This is the sound of Salivation.

Various–Dubstep Allstars Vol. 4: Mixed B DJ Hatcha–(Tempa)
It’s the fourth installment of Tempa’s Dubstep Allstars compilation series and it’s amazing. This time around, DJ Hatcha showcases some of the deepest, darkest beats from the likes of Digital Mystickz, Skream, and Loefah to name a few. This two-disc gem will keep the office busy for a damn long time.

Swan Lake–Beast Moans–(Jagjaguwar)
Swan Lake is a beastly trio featuring an all-star line-up comprised of members from Wolf Parade, The New Pornographers, and Frog Eyes. Beast Moans is a pastoral, post-pop record that falls somewhere in between The Arcade Fire and dangerous amounts of Moonshine and Xanax. Band incest never sounded so right.

Dax Pierson/Robert Horton–Pablo Feldman Sun Riley–(Nosordo)
The Bay Area is infamous for taking experimentation in music to the next level. On their debut collaboration, Dax Pierson (Subtle) and Robert Horton (Appliances) pay homage to the experimenters that paved the way for the duo’s blend of space and melody.

Menomena–Friend and Foe–(Barsuk)
Rarely do spooky songs rooted in piano and subtle electronics end up as impacting as those on Friend and Foe. At times epic and others charmingly melodic, Menomena is the beginning of something quite special down at camp Barsuk.

L. Pierre–Dip–(Melodic)
It’s a total bummer that Arab Strap no longer exists, but there is a Brightside–namely, L. Pierre. Aidan Moffat’s colorful side project reflects the quiet side of nature through his use of intrinsic vocal harmonies and lots of pretty field recordings that sound like the beach, forest, and desert all at once. It’s not Arab Strap, but it’s impressive and sonically satisfying as all hell.

T. Raumschmiere–Random Noize Sessions–(Shitkatapult)
T. Raumschmiere has gotten a bit mellow on us with his newest long-player on his very own Shitkatapult imprint. Complete with Pan Sonician analog bass threads and fuzzy percussion of all types, Random Noize Sessions is an awesome addition to the madman’s cannon.

Black Strobe–A Remix Selection–(Playloudrecordings)
You may not know Black Strobe if you’re not a connoisseur of Parisian, dark dancefloor hits. But if you’ve been to a club that is honored by dudes with v-necks and pointy shoes and legions of tattooed girls with boots, then the odds are you’re familiar with Black Strobes remixes. This mix of various singles from Bloc Party to The Rapture to Tiefschwarz is the definition of raging.

Bad Boy Records Strikes Deal With VP

“It’s gonna be madness!” claims O’Neil Bryan, a.k.a. dancehall star Elephant Man, in speaking of the recent deal Bad Boy Records and VP struck to distribute the artist’s music. Big news, but not all that surprising, since Bryan is one of the few dancehall artists whose been successful with infiltrating the mainstream. Offers to collaborate with stars like Diddy seem the inevitable next step, and the first release is already slated for spring 2007. This new album will, in the spirit of major labels, feature an extensive list of guest performers of the celebrity variety. Diddy, Cassie, Rhianna, Busta Rhymes, Shaggy, and Lil’ Jon are expected to appear on this list. Meanwhile, Bryan will hit the road with Diddy in February to play supporting act on the superstar’s world tour. “We are gonna take dancehall to another level,” Bryan says. At this point, few would dispute that.

vprecords.com

badboyonline.com

The Week In Events

Every week XLR8R scours through the hundreds of events happening across the globe and handpicks a few you might want to pencil into your calendars. If you’ve heard of an upcoming event you’d like to see up here, drop a line to [email protected] and let us know the details.

Monday, November 6, 2006
Mpshows.com Presents
Beach House
Additional Music By Over The Atlantic and Good Morning Evil
Gunther Murphy’s, 1638 Belmont, Ave., Chicago
9pm – 2am, $8, 21+

Friday, November 10, 2006
The Spam Allstars
Additional Music By Brian J & Pimps Of The Joy Time
Milky Way Lounge & Lanes, 403-405 Centre Street, Boston
Doors Open 9pm, $10, 21+

Friday, November 10, 2006
Mezzanine Presents
120 Days
Additional Music By Richard Fearless and Grand Buffet
Mezzanine, 444 Jessie Street, SF
9pm – 2am, $10, 21+

Check back daily for updates to this list, and be sure to check out our XLR8R Sponsored Events while you’re at it. 

Issue 102 Extra: Trentemoller’s attraction for Richard Davis

For XLR8R‘s annual music technology report, David Hemingway chats with the minimal house master about his collaboration with producer/remixer Anders Trentemøller.

XLR8R: How did you come to work with Anders Trentemøller?
Richard Davis: We met last year in Barcelona, where we were playing on the same bill at Loft. I’d never heard any of his music and he hadn’t heard mine but we got on really well. After that he listened to a couple of my tracks on the Kitty-Yo website and asked me to do some vocals for him. I was happy to do it.

What attracted you to collaborating with Trentemøller?
As I said, at the time I met him I didn’t know his music at all. In fact I only knew his name because I’d seen it in a magazine a few days before I met him. I listened to a couple of tracks from Poker Flat 12inches after meeting him that were pretty impressive. When he contacted me, asking if I would do some vocals for him, he sent three trackspar with the mail. It was really these tracks and the fact that he’s such a nice guy that attracted me to working with him. And so many ideas in every track. I was pretty sure that we’d end up with something great.

Did the collaboration change the way you work at all? What did Anders bring out of yourself (as opposed to your own recordings or work with Swayzak)?
Yes, I’d never communicated entirely by e-mail with anyone I’d worked with before. To this day, I’ve still only met him the one time, in Barcelona. He sent me the tracks and I sent him the vocals all by mail. I actually found not working with someone in the same room, as I’d done with Swayzak, pretty difficult. I had a bit of a creative block and for weeks I couldn’t get anything together that I felt did his tracks justice. The tracks were really complex and getting my head around the melodies and structures was quite tricky. When I had the idea for the vocals for the track on the album, I wrote the lyrics in twenty minutes and finished recording in a few days. As for bring something out of myself, I suppose Anders brought me to the conclusion that I was going to have to write something pretty interesting to make what was
a great instrumental track into a great song. The music was already carrying a lot of emotion. It was really dramatic stuff and I felt it was necessary to try and get a sense of drama in the singing and the lyrics. Certainly lyrically I don’t see a great deal of difference between this and, say, my own stuff. It’s still rather “melancholy” as some people call it and fairly angry. Musically I thought it was quite different to anything I’d done before – definitely slower.

Photo by David Biene 

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