Moodier and darker than 2003‘s Berlinette, Thrills maintains Allien‘s position as a point person for techno‘s ever-evolving sound. Again she contributes vocals-on “Your Body Is My Body,” where a spidery texture and ghostly gurgles travel the empty spaces, and “Down,” where an electro break is hijacked by a decidedly feminist chant. Sans beat, dreamy rocker “Naked Rain” could enter the Pop Ambient realm, as it-like most of Thrills-is propelled by the sentimental melody at its heart. While not all the tracks are as strong, each benefits from Allien‘s humanistic touch. Recalling Richard Brautigan‘s 1968 poem, her work seems informed by machines of loving grace.
Odiorne Heavy Wish
Former Mercury Rev drummer Jimy Chambers has been working on his Odiorne side project for over seven years now, and though it is just now debuting in the extended format, one can easily hear the years of hard work and studio experience that have gone into it. Equal parts Britpop, post punk, folk and shoegaze, Heavy Wish layers haunting synthetic strings, searing sound effects and shimmering production over punchy, heavy percussion. Highlights include piano-and-keys piece “Kino,” which falls somewhere between Radiohead and My Bloody Valentine, and “Creature of Habit,” which sounds like an ambient Beatles tune (I swear). With multiple listens the album‘s subtle, experienced songwriting and sophisticated production sink in.
The Juan Maclean Less Than Human
Following a string of singles well received by both the clubs and the press, former Six Finger Satellite guitarist John Maclean makes his long-awaited LP debut on scene stalwart DFA, and fans will not be disappointed. Less Than Human features everything we‘ve come to love about Maclean‘s productions-gritty dance beats, pulsating Italo-influenced basslines, ‘80s-style syn-toms, disco vocals, and rock & roll attitude. A perfect soundtrack for 2005-halfway through the first decade of the new millennium, Maclean has deconstructed, re-wired, and retrofitted an assortment of semi-ignored genres into post-post modernistic mayhem. Ironic? No, it‘s pure, unadulterated fun-the kind of no-holds-barred, balls-to-the-wall party jams that are so loose and juicy, so “fuck it and fuck you,” they‘re positively punk rock. Now get out of my way-there‘s a party going on.
Felix Laband Dark Days Exit
Felix Laband may be the first star to emerge from South Africa‘s nascent electronic scene-having released two smallish albums on African Dope, he drew the notice of the Compost camp and this album demonstrates why. Dark Days Exit is an interesting blend of Latin, ambient, folk, and lounge flavors. The production and composition is top notch throughout, but check the choppy clicks of “Crooked Breath” or the eerie, melodic “Radio Right Now” for signs of true inspiration. A talent to watch.
G.U.N. (Greed‘s Ultimate Nemesis) The Greedy EP
With so much hip-hop fast food around, it‘s nice to find something that‘s been carefully simmered all day. G.U.N.‘s five-song EP will still be bursting with flavor long after your typical single has passed its expiration date. Beats by the legendary Soulman and rhymes that are unflashy but devastatingly effective and poignant make this release more than worthwhile.
Seba & Paradox Frost
Two heavy bassbin rattlers from the combined minds of Sebadox. “Frost” freaks out over a foundation of punchy amens and metallic clatter, while weaving in ample amounts of deep and deadly sub bass. “Sound on Sound” plays on stop-start drum chops, switching breaks every few bars while fluttering samples and extended bass dives help maintain a relentless groove.
Mathematics & Tactile Remember
It‘s another great pairing-Mathematics with the Hungarian collective Tactile. “Remember” flows through wistful atmospherics before dropping in with sharp and distorted bass and a touch of techy overtones. The flip, “Dead End,” tiptoes through spooky samples until the momentum of the plush rolling bass pushes you along.
Various Artists Elektronische Musik-Interkontinental 4
While Kompakt explores the pop-and-dancefloor side of minimal techno, Traum‘s Elektronische Musik posse takes micro into the quiet nighttime and finds a cheerfully mellow side to the music. Adam Kroll hits us early with “Aeugler,” a space-dub-inflected chugger that breaks into a sprightly melody before fracturing into schaffel-icious bits. A few tracks vanish into tastefulness fit for a Pier One store soundtrack, but all 11 minutes of Nathan Fake‘s “Dinamo” are compelling, from the Herbert-ish cut-up blips and mechanical stops and starts to the climactic acid storm. Well-crafted and occasionally brilliant listening for the post-dancefloor wee hours.
Sensational Speaks For Itself
Like MF Doom, Sensational rhymes in a mumble that follows its own internal metronome, often running boldly counter to our earthly sense of cadence. Even though he declares “Ain‘t no buzzin‘ in this/This is Protools, dog,” Sensational‘s beats are skeletal arrangements of droning bass and muffled thumps, sometimes swerving into near-musique concrète territory. Neat tricks like the ominously doubled vocal track on “Obvious I‘m Marvelous” go some way toward covering up Sensational‘s dearth of topics beyond braggadocio and his “chunk of bliss,” and his oddly compelling voice works track-by-track, but Speaks for Itself still drags over 40 minutes.
Skopic Skopic
It doesn‘t sound promising: young bedroom producer combines a few instruments and a laptop, adopts a one-word pseudonym, and drops a debut disc of 15 mostly instrumental tunes. Surprise! Max Braverman, the lone soul behind Skopic, takes those 15 tracks and journeys deep into the dingy basements and forgotten corners of electronic music, twisting sounds both original and familiar into addictive new shapes. The self-titled album opens with “Allow Me,” which starts with a Rhodes-streaked jazz shuffle that sounds like Amon Tobin in low gear, before turning on the old-school hip-hop afterburners then wrapping a violin around DSP. Skopic gets a huge, enveloping sound out of even his darker, more threatening tunes, dropping lo-fi spoken voice samples into the mix to contrast with his Jack Dangers-level skill. Braverman‘s bedroom odyssey takes us from the corpse of big beat to neo-blaxsploitation turntablism to widescreen weirdo dancefloors and more-the scope alone of Skopic is pleasantly surprising.
