I‘m Not a Gun proves that Chicago post-rock done by Angelenos makes sense. There is the guitar-strung mellowness that rubs its eyes from the sunlight and smog, along with the snares uneasily breaking bread with electronic klacks that keep everything fragile and disconnected across a sprawl. LA post-techno maverick John Tejada and Takeshi Nishimoto show what they spent their Wednesdays doing: jamming to their favorite Tortoise records. No, seriously, they take the Chicago sound into funkier terrain like the triple-shot espresso‘d microhouse of “Words Speak and Choose,” and the guitar harmonics that can see a thousand miles to the ocean on “Scenes of Someone Else.” A potent sedative.
Seven Ark Noise Of The New
“Noise of the new?” Not quite. This racket is the favorite IDM formula of placing the listener in a hallway between hip-hop beats blared through a dying ghetto blaster in a bathroom and lullabies poking in from junior‘s room. Cape Town, South Africa‘s Justin de Nobrega is quite deft in his swordplay-his mulched beats are so humid that they can stain clothes for weeks, as “Separation Device” attests. He fills in the potholes with cavity-cutting melodies-a fine public service that too many drivers will sadly ignore as they travel such a worn street.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan The Ultimate Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Vol I & II
Despite a slew of obscure recordings continually arising from the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Pakistan‘s greatest ever qawwali singer, this four-disc retrospective is truly special. Khan rose to fame after decades perfecting Sufi devotional music and eventually worked alongside Canadian producer Michael Brook, Eddie Vedder, and Peter Gabriel before passing in ‘97. These two-disc sets cover 1978-84 and show the Sufi devotional singer in prime shape, his stealth Urdu poetics backed gorgeously by tablas, harmonium, and handclaps. Included in this bunch is “Yeh Jo Halka Halka,” later covered by Jeff Buckley on his expanded Live at Siné set. Averaging 14-28 minutes apiece, each song is a journey unto itself.
Various Artists Ananda Project: Relight
This two-disc retrospective, compiled by Ananda founder Chris Brann, serves as an exceptional overview of what the Atlanta-based collective has accomplished. Disc one is a tweaking of 2003‘s Morning Light in a continual 70-minute session. Brann works in his own tinkerings alongside efforts by Aquanote, Eric Kupper, and a standout translation of “I Hear You Dreaming” by Sade guitarist/producer Cottonbelly. Disc two spans the past seven years with other friends and features Kyoto Jazz Massive‘s heady d&b work on “Bahia,” Wally Lopez‘s touch on Ananda hit “Cascades of Colour,” and a mellow, lounge-ready mixdown of “Big Boat” by Brann. Sometimes new ways of seeing something old are as fresh as the original; Relight is a case in point.
Alex Smoke Brian‘s Lung
“Brian‘s Lung” sees Alex Smoke in terror mode, delivering powerful “Mentasm”-style synth lines over a glitch-tech foundation. Side B provides a wonderful counterpoint-a sublime blend of haunting vocals, smartly understated percussion, and 8-bit piano lines that guide us through Henrik Schwarz‘s reworking of the already beautiful “Don‘t See the Point.”
The Juan Maclean Der Half-Machine
“I Robot” and “Less Than Human” show DFA stalwart John Maclean‘s mechanical side, with tips of the hat to Kraftwerk, Telex, and later techno explorers such as LFO and Autechre. While the beat pulses on, a few well-placed machine errors remind you that even robots got soul.
Premature Wig Give It Up
Four mixes here ride the line between dub, tech-house, and IDM. “Give it Up” hinges on hypnotic male vocals riding a tripped-out minimalist groove. “Up in This F” and “Table Groove” drop precision robot voices and belching basslines over tiny smatterings of glitch, while “Endless Dub” rounds out the single nicely with beautiful atmospherics and carefully placed digital FX.
Lyrics Born Same !@#$ Different Day
Consider it a companion piece to LB‘s stellar Later That Day. It isn‘t quite a remix album, and it isn‘t quite a collection of unreleased material, though it does contain both of those things. Take the Automator-produced “I‘m Just Raw,” which finds LB in full shit-talking mode. Or the “Pack Up” remix featuring Evidence and one of KRS-One‘s better recent verses. LB even reaches back in the archives, bringing the “I Changed My Mind” remixes back to the forefront. With Young Einstein, Jumbo, Poets of Rhythm, and many more all getting work here, the album is fresh and varied. The one unifying thread? These songs are funky as all get-out.
The Dix The Art Of Picking Up Women
Prince Paul is a genius in two games: production and comedy. His ability to ape the sonic sensibilities of specific eras and genres is nearly unparalleled, and his twisted sense of humor imbues his projects with a sense of carefully controlled zaniness. His latest project is presented musically as a remixing and re-releasing of material from a legendary doo-wop group. Comedically, it‘s an excuse to make dick jokes-lots and lots of dick jokes. Both sides of the equation work: The music is a spot-on interpretation of doo-wop recast through hip-hop, and you wouldn‘t even know it was a joke if not for the countless phallus references.
Psidream & Resound Time Goes By
Warm Communications presents two Psidream & Resound tunes that dive straight into the deep end. Vocoded vocals glide through lush atmospheric pads and soft pillows of bass on “Time Goes By,” making this a must-have for the mind-bending massive. On the contrary, “The Fog” appeals more to the movers and shakers with its driving congas and bass rumbles.
