Together as 7-Hurtz, Brand New Heavies founder Lascelles Gordon and Ben Cowan, a touring member of Sparks, are making some of the UK’s most addictively catchy electronic music. The pair may describe their John Carpenter-inspired melodic loops as dark but Electroleum actually breathes with life. Sneaking live bass and guitar into the mix on tracks like “3 Sisters,” their second LP at times travels similar terrain as New York’s Out Hud. Cowan, a former member of several contemporary dance outfits, and Gordon, a session percussionist who most recently contributed to Beth Orton’s last album, both bring enough influences to keep Electroleum a far cry from typically derivative contemporary electro.
MF Doom Mm..Food
After years of relative obscurity, Daniel Dumile is finally getting his due credit as one of hip-hop’s greatest lyricists, thanks to his 2004 hook-up with producer Madlib, Madvillainy. But the fact is Madvillain is the least interesting of the various personas Dumile’s morphed into since re-inventing himself as MF Doom, and his own beats are more interesting than those of the over-hyped Madlib. Beginning with a sample from Wild Style, Mm..Food plays like a 2004 re-envisioning of Doom’s debut, Operation: Doomsday, with a food fetish. Divided into appetizers” (“Hoe Cakes”), instrumental-only “special recipes” (“Poo-Putt Platter,” “Fig Leaf Bi-Carbonate”) and “entrees” (“Rapp Snitch Knishes”), the first nine tracks play like a warm-up for the last six. Fueled by meandering, surrealist lyricism, cut-and-paste beats, a hearty helping of dialogue samples and, apparently, food, Mm.. is Doom at the top of his game.
Stephan Mathieu On Tape
Mathieu is a unique sound artist in that he’s not easily pigeonholed into the requisite categories-lowercase, microtonal, pop ambient, strict gallery. For the listeners, this is indeed good, and here he moves to yet more interesting, organic territory. On Tape-a single 32-minute exploration-uses existing material, reworking and reprocessing it and adding his instrumentation, although you’d be hard pressed to find audio traces of this. It’s a meditative piece that folds you in with a somewhat harsh initial tonal range and affectionate site recordings, only to lead you on a gorgeous walk down warm, rich, gathered paths.
Cobra Killer 76/77
No Jane-come-latelies, Gina V. D’Orio and Annika Line Trost were fusing performance with rock-inspired electro when Peaches was something you looked for in the produce section. On this, their third album, the duo’s go-go grrlgroup antics continue as they glue the dirty ‘60s riffology of The Monks and The Shangri Las with DAF and their Digital Hardcore roots, courtesy of production help from T. Raumschmiere, Thomas Fehlmann and Eric D. Clark. The result, besides being a fantastically voluptuous romp that updates Beyond The Valley of the Dolls, reveals just where Kathleen Hanna’s Julie Ruin and Le Tigre may have learned more than a few tricks.
808 State Prebuild
Itís understandable, yet somewhat ironic, to hear Graham Massey’s dismissal of early 808 State. Understandable because their early work is clearly a response to mid/late-ë80s Trax acid, and for him, doesn’t represent the group coming into their own. Ironic because this early incarnation of the groupñincluding (A Guy Called) Gerald Simpsonñis far superior and more innovative than the group’s later club-topping era. Dug up from the vaults, this pre-Newbuild material reveals a group limited by equipment and all the better for it.
Lori Scacco Circles
On Circles, Lori Scacco integrates her diverse background-as an architectural student, classically trained pianist, member of the Savath & Savalas live band and Seely alumn-into her take on environmental ambient jazz. A cursory listen may suggest these delicate compositions to be benign, even slight. But coursing through Circles‘ open spaces lies a strong, uplifting emotional tug. If Circles lapses into Chicago post-rock autopilot in its weaker moments, it also reveals a voice on the verge of realizing itself.
Various Artists Fork Ends
A sequel to last year’s wonderful For Friends compilation (get the play on words?),Fork Ends offers a perfect entry point for those new to Audio Dregs and an excellent new collection for the seasoned fan. Greg Davis goes space pop on the wonderfully titled “Regional Potato Chips.” “Your Castle’s Vaporware” proves Nudge is certainly one of the most overlooked exponents of shoegazer atomospherics. And Kazumasa Hashimoto’s looped bucolia is simply sublime. The most perfect statement of intent the label has produced to date.
Dosh Pure Trash
Pure Trash is an enhanced glance into the home life of Martin Dosh. His basement recordings capture the excitement of building a bright brood. Young parenting can be as experimental a process as the most adventurous music making and it sounds like Martin is having fun with both. Playful, piano melodies skip rope with smiling xylophone and shaky snares while conversation snippets and glitchy bits keep it flipped. Dosh is crossbreeding with a creative collective: Andrew Broder, Jel, Odd Nosdam and DJ Celine Dijon makes for fine offpsring. Pure Trash is a splendid ode to staying home.
Daniel Givens Dayclear & First Dark
Question marks fill the sky. Dayclear & First Dark is intense, apocalyptic angst and twisting tension unfolded for all to see. Mr. Givens lays open his heart to work it out in real-time. His words may not have the explosive weight of stronger scribes Saul Williams or Mike Ladd, but he makes up for it with a magnetic, murky, musical landscape. In fact, the instrumental aspects stand tallest. These are shadow songs, yet through the dimness pokes a positive strain. Daniel Givens is an optimist sure of survival. Dayclear & First Dark shines with his brave spirit.
My Robot Friend Hot Action!
You want to get into the nuts and bolts of robotics? How about chewing on these nuts? My Robot Friend is a metallic master baiter. He tosses out a tempting line and pulls you into his magic world. It’s a world where machines no longer need oil since they get slicked up on the sounds of the Pet Shop Boys. It’s a place where emotional boy bots got rusty streaks running down their cheeks from nights of crying over unrequited crushes. Click clack keyboards, Euro-flash synths, and bright light freak beats form the electrified program. Do your primitive human ears hear the cyber-croons? They’re moaning a message: My Robot Friend has calculated the future and it’s filled with hot droid disco love.
