Monday 31 December 2012

Ugly Thing-The Creatures

I always thought it was cool that I knew a guy from Macclesfield who lived in the same street as Ian Curtis and inherited his turntable (the turntable bit may need a pinch of salt). All along I was living in a region of garage-rock royalty. The Creatures were from Mildura and they had brilliant Aussie garage-rock compilations named after them and as well as a popular American garage-rock magazine. My dad saw the Easybeats at The Murray Moon before they were famous but can't recall the support band. It was probably this lot right here.

Friday 21 December 2012

Thursday 20 December 2012

Nostalgia and INXS



Putting up that INXS track the other day I had no qualms about. For me they are in a position where I have no perspective on them. Having liked them from a preteen to my late teens. If I was introduced to them today what would I think? I have no idea. On paper it looks like I'd probably not like them but who knows? When I listen back to them now which is not very often, a little look on the youtubes now and again, I'm not even sure if I like them. I think I do though. I know the songs off by heart, there's memories, period charm, history, nostalgia, perverse pleasure and just plain pleasure all tied up in those songs. It's a bit hard separating it all.

I guess the biggest thing though with these songs is the you. The younger you. The less cynical you(er..I was always pretty cynical). The less tired you. The future you. The you you were going to be. The you that you never were. The possibilities of you. So these songs are pregnant with all of your hopes, dreams and excitement for the future and when you hear them that all rushes back usually in a good way. So whether you are getting off on that vibe or just a top tune it's hard to say. In the end does it really matter? It is interesting though


Tuesday 18 December 2012

More Not Drowning, Waving

Well that last track was such a hit here's some more from the same LP.

 


2012 - A Look Back Part III


Best Internet Mixtapes/DJ Mixes 2012

Panabrite - Lunar Atrium Mix
Synthesiser vistas from his extensive Library music collection.
Mark Van Hoen - Pontone Mix #87
Electronic pop 101.
Ix Tab - Pontone Mix #95
The roots and traces of The Bregnut Tree.
K-Punk - Pontone Mix #91
4th world musical travels.
Evol - Fact Mix #330
Mentastic!
Dara - Blog To The Old Scool Mix
The ultimate 'ardcore 91 mix.

*A lot of time in 2012 I was putting together my own ultimate mixtapes of 'ardcore, Breakbeat, Darkside, Jungle and Ambient Jungle. So maybe I wasn't into other peoples mixes as much. I must admit my Acieeed! mix and Miami Bass mix haven't really got off the ground yet.


Re/Discovered, Not Reissued In 2012
  • Lou Reed - Coney Island Baby
  • Dave Graney - Knock Yourself Out/Hashish/We Wuz Curious
  • Stereolab - 91-97 Catalogue
  • Pulp - Intro/His n Hers/Different Class/We Love Life
  • Cybotron - Clear
  • The Black Dog - Book Of Dogma
  • Primitive Calculators - Primitive Calculators/Primitive Calculators & Friends 1979-82
  • Laughing Clowns - Cruel But Fair (3CD)
  • Omni Trio - Vols 1-5
  • Jacob's Optical Stairway - S/T
  • A Guy Called Gerald - Black Secret Technology
  • 4 Hero - Parallel Universe/The Early Plates
  • Various - Reinforced Presents: Callin For Reinforcements & The Definition of Hardcore
  • 2 Bad Mice/Kaotic Chemistry - Everything
  • Various - Hardcore Leaders Of The New School
  • Various - Torque - No U Turn Comp
  • Wagon Christ - Throbbing Pouch
  • The Wu-Tang Clan  - Group & Solo LPs 93-96
  • Snoop Dog - Doggystyle
  • Michael Hoenig & Manuel Gottching  - Early Water
  • Ilitch - 10 Suicides
  • Patrick Vian - Bruits Et Temps Analogues
  • And every second track released on The Hardcore Continuum from like 90- 95. There I finally said it!
*I did end up listening to that Kendrick Lamar LP. Bit of a downer I thought, not bad and sonically pretty cool though.

Saturday 15 December 2012

Jon Farriss - Black & White


This was some of my favourite drummage as a preteen. Particularly this 12" version. 8os Rota Toms I think they were. Dancing in the lounge room so our feet stay dry.

              

This shows Jon could cut it live too. Jon is a great drummer and shows us his stuff especially after the 2 min 30 sec mark! Hutch was a bit pitchy live wasn't he? Anyway it's all about the drums and they're pretty pretty good.

Thursday 13 December 2012

2012 - A Look Back Part II


Reissued/Archival/Compiled etc..
  • Time To Go-The Southern Psychedelic Moment: 1981-1986 - Various.  One of the coolest rock scenes ever.  Post-Punk psychedelic mayhem from the Antipodes. It doesn't get much better than underground music from NZ in the 80s.
  • Down Under Nuggets: Original Artyfacts 1965-1967 - Various.  It doesn't get much better than this for a rock era. Troglodyte and wild. Get out your winkle pickers folks!
  •  EPs 88-91 - My Bloody Valentine
  • Complete Singles Collection - AR Kane
  • 5 EPs - Disco Inferno
  • Separations - Pulp
  • Smell My Finger - The Hard Ons
  • Livixiation - Suzanne Ciani
  • Dancing Time - The Funkees
  • Cold Nose - Franco Falsini
  • Orion 2000 - Peter Thomas
  • The World Won't Listen - The Smiths
  • Short Stories For Pauline - Durutti Column
  • Voix - Egisto Macchi
  • The Aberrant Years - feedtime
  • The Oram Tapes Vol. 1 - Daphne Oram
  • Electronics Without Tears - FC Judd

The Short Ones ie. EPs


Skrillex - Bangarang EP
It's party time folks!
Knife Party - Rage Valley EP
The party continues!
LA Vampires - Freedom 2K EP
Amanda Brown gets all sexy. If only all house was this cool.
Kemper Norton - Collision/Detection v6 EP
Spooky farmer's sonic documents of wintry West England!


Bin Worthy/Indifferent/Perplexed
Laurel Halo - Quarantine
Didn't see the fuss.
Holy Balm - It's You
?
Maria Minerva - Will Happiness Find Me ?
Not with this self help drivel!
Black Dice - Mr Impossible
??
Bodyguard  - Silica Gel
er... a bit Shite, no?
Nite Jewel - One Second of Love
???

*With the reissues I just put in the ones I didn't already have. I never had a copy a copy of The World Won't listen, I had Louder Than Bombs which was a mess of a comp really. So there's no Cleaners From Venus, Pyrolator, John Carpenter, Eraserhead OST or Porter Ricks or whichever records/tapes/cds I already have. No Laurie Spiegel as I think that may be coming my way at Xmas time.

Mick Fleetwood

Well I was trying not to be obv with my drums pick. Before I remembered that great Not Drowning Waving track It was The Chain all the way!


Well really it was gonna be Tusk but we thought that way too obv as well.

More Drums


It must be admitted here and now the Mrs a lovely Welsh lady was seen once air drumming to this track with a little help from her friends Death Proof stylee but it was only at home, not in a car so she didn't die.

2012-A Look Back Part 1

2012
Possibly my worst year as a human being. I did become an Uncle again twice! Yin & Yang. Anyway on with the lists. Well you probably know how much lists get on my nerves by now, so c'mon here's your chance to whinge about mine. Leave a comment. Be nice. Be offensive. Be whatever you want to be. These are not ranked you know, it's not sport. This is just 20 of my favourite Albums of the year.

The Top 20+

The Fog Signals - The Ghosts of Bush House
Resonant reverberations. Who would have thought you could make a compelling record from a building? You can really picture this boffin with mini tape recorder and mike in hand saying "Quick lets get the sound of that floorboard on tape.' Creaks, horns, voices, rusty lifts, wind, squeaks all chime for Mr Fog's tape recorder. Excellent gear.

Ix Tab - Spindle & Bregnut Tree
erie, dank, majickly psychedelic and enchanting. It's getting dark in the forrest, you've become disorientated. Are you gonna make it out?

Swans - The Seer
Does it get any better than Swans in full epic flight?
No.
At their peak again.
Who would have tipped they'd be making the best record of 2012?
No one.

Scott Walker - Bish Bosch
Incomprehensible drunk, incomprehensible madness or incomprehensible genius?
Or all of the above. He has developed his own musical language and is honing it to almost accessible listenability.

Pye Corner Audio - Sleep Games
Just when people were ready to write off GhostBox (the record label) along comes a record to say that isn't going to happen. This one creeps up on you like a stalker (the one it's soundtracking). Then it's in your albums of the year. Perhaps more horrological than Hauntological.

Fabulous Diamonds - Commercial Music
Awesome drones, the coolest drumming and words I don't think I really wanna know. This has a cult like vibe. There is something deliciously wrong (so right) about Commercial Music.

Dave Graney & The MistLY - You've Been On My Mind
Just when you thought rock was dead and gone, unexpectedly Dave makes a rock album. Not only that, it's fuckin great. The soundtrack to wandering empty country town streets alone at 1.30 am and driving in the Australian summer at dusk with the windows down.

Outer Space - Akashic Record (Events: 1986-1990)
For those of you not diggin the new Emeralds record. No need to fear John Elliot's other group went out onto Saturn's rings and bought this back for your pleasure.

BEBETUNE$ - inhale C-4 $$$$$
I don't know if this is a mixtape, plunderphonics or all new material made by James Ferraro. 5th world soundz from a futuristic metropolis. This maze of plastic, neon, digital and HD is all put through the Ferraro warp machine for one bad trip that keeps you coming back for more.

Panabrite - Soft Terminal/Blue Grotto/The Baroque Atrium
This trio of albums was in my life to soothe, calm and rejuvenate me with its Utopian vistas and wombedelia. Then put these records at a loud volume and they can be quite the opposite ie. dark, strange and slightly dread inducing. Then through headphones they reveal that this ain't no ambient/new age dross. The compositions are put together with great thought and care. This isn't synth music on autopilot. Subtly sublime.

Bataille Solaire - Baal Shamash Et Son Char Celeste
They remained a mystery to me. I didn't come across one article on them or seek one out. I liked the mystique. Church organs and synths drifting through labyrinths and wormholes. Soundz from the cosmos that drift into black holes, through the asteroid belt and back again. This was a voyage to strap yourself in for. Hynagogia lives.

Lazerhawk - Visitors
This album had similar sort of influences as Daft Punk's Discovery. You know like AOR, funk, disco, metal, 80s soundtracks etc. Add a little horror and you are almost there. But unlike Daft Punk they didn't put it through the now/house/trance ringer, they just left it as is. Fun, good times and neat tunes. Retrolicious.

Gary War - Jared's Lot
This was like the world had blown up in 1982. Then in 2012 aliens landed. In an old bunker they found a bunch of records including Kraftwerk, Chrome, Ilitch, ELO & Durutti Column. They also salvaged a malfunctioning turntable and ELO's robot. When these aliens got back to their planet they started a groop. Their repertoire was retro electro human rock. The little aliens loved it. The robot sang on a couple of tracks but his batteries were running low. They thought it was great anyway.

Human Teenager - Animal Husbandry
See above.

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Mature Themes
More deliriously addictive pop from the pint size pop master. He's made the pop album of the year again.

Lee Gamble - Diversions 1994-1996
Deep spacious electronics leaving an emptiness that is evocative of the aforementioned era without actually sounding like the jungle pirate tapes that are apparently the source material. Memoredelia.

Dolphins Into The Future - A Star Maker, Strange Dreams & Clairvoyance
Dolphins come back strong in 2012 with some of their most out there music to date. I can see/hear scuttling sea creatures, palm tree jungles, underwater song, neon squids and mysterious deep sea disco fish. Put on The Blue Planet: episode 2, The Deep, turn the sound down and crank up the Dolphins. With a little help from your friends, the good times will roll.

Ekoplekz - Intrusive Incidentalz Vol 2/Mildew Riddims/Skalectrikz
Mutant machine music. How can all of this be so good? Three and a half hours of deliciously deranged dubby electronic noise for the end of dayz. Clank, clatter and squelchy splatter. 

Motion Sickness of Time Travel - Motion Sickness of Time Travel
MOTT make immersive echoing electronic drift from the heavens. Sometimes this aquatic pulsating music has a womb like vibe and at other times it's a little ominous. Ethereal vocals send this into almost holy territory. In 2012 it didn't get more beautiful than this.

Sand Circles - Motor City
It's 2am....you fill in the rest. Choose from these words - driving, cruising, cityscape, lonely, bewildered, lost, lights, tunnels, urban, roads etc. There is something allusive about Sand Circles soundtrack for night city cruising that sets them ahead of the pack. Totally irresistible.


The other bewdies
  • Umberto - Night Has a Thousand Screams
  • Miami Nights 1984 - Turbulance
  • LX Sweat - Sweat, Sweat, Sweat
  • Mark Van Hoen - The Revenant Diary
  • Actress - RIP
  • Dolphins Into The Future - Canto Arquepeligo
  • Belbury Poly - The Belbury Tales
  • Geoff Barrow & Ben Salisbury - Drokk
  • Inner Tube - S/T
  • Bassnectar - Vava Voom
  • Moon Wiring Club - Today Bread, Tomorrow Secrets
  • Future - Pluto

Wednesday 12 December 2012

Ultimate Drums


Sing Sing - Not Drowning, Waving

To me this is the ultimate drum tune. Not Drowning Waving were kind of an experimental ambient art rock pop band from the 80s in Melbourne. In 1988 they went to Rabaul in Papua New Guinea and recorded an LP with a bunch of locals. They had recorded this song before but nothing like this version. Beautiful, uplifting, scary and intense all at the same time! It still amazes me to this day!

Saturday 8 December 2012

Skrillex-Bangarang


Just realised I never put this on me blog. Gee I wonder what I feel like doing tonight? Anyway just putting some thoughts together on 2012. I know I only exist as a ghost in this world but looking at some end of year lists I've become quite perplexed. Firstly who the fuck is Frank Ocean and secondly who the fuck is Kendrick Lamar? Am I missing out?

Anyway Simon Reynolds asks here Is anyone who listens to EDM, Brostep, Electrohouse writing about it and assessing it critically or is it a scene without an in depth discourse? Then I thought how many times can you say this sounds great, it's a totally banging tune, this'll go off on the dancefloor etc. I mean you could say how functional it is, point out influences, outline where the good bits are and talk about equipment. This is party music after all and one of its main functions is to not think. It is one part of a pleasuredome  to block out the dreariness along with the drugs, the dancing and the naff clothing. Is it necessary to get serious about fun? That doesn't sound like much fun. Getting in depth about this scene seems be the antithesis of this particular pop culture.

Bieber Fever: I've finally got it.


How can you not like this? I love that bassline like a sample from some second rate Joy Division clones from the UK in the early 80s. I know there is no need for me to promote The Bieb as this has had over a 100 million hits. Add one more! I also love that little brostep break at about 1 minute 50 seconds that rocks.

Thursday 6 December 2012

Down Under Nuggets


Speaking of Ugly Things compilations put out by Raven Records in recent posts, I just realised this has been released by Festival Records. I e-mailed Raven several years ago to ask if they'll ever be re-releasing any of the Ugly Things volumes, as I had one missing,  and they said probably not ever. I thought oh well. Then later I thought its been so long since they were put out a whole generation or two have missed out. I also thought with the Internet this stuff would only be gaining in popularity. Then there was a resurgence of garage rock (mainstream crossover) in the early 21st century, so the market would be quite large for a reissue. So in the end I thought they were being stupid. In 2010 Ian D Marks and Iain McIntyre then published the fabulous book Wild About You: The 60s Beat Explosion in Australia & New Zealand. So not just the people in the know but a whole younger crowd were presented with all this (a lot of it quite enlightening) info on a bunch of the 60s bands. Some of which were quite obscure and some who were massive pop stars.

An incredible resource for lovers of Antipodean Raw Garage
Rock, Fuzz, R&B and Beat Soundz from the 60s. Contains
interviews with over 35 groops and features The Beat &
Garage top 100. One of the great books on rock.

 If you've read my blog before you will know of my admiration for such groops as Peter & The Silhouettes, The Sunsets, Black Diamonds, The Elois, The Tol-Puddle Martyrs, The Masters Apprentices, The Loved Ones, The D-Coys, Sunday, The Atlantics, The Wild Colonials, The Missing Links, The Throb, The Templars and so on. So those of you new to the game this will be a great intro to the cool, snarly, fuzzy, hormone fuelled and sometimes frightening sounds of the Australian R&B and Beat Soundz. Me well I really don't think I need to buy it. I'm pretty sure I could make this comp as a mixtape tonight. I guess Volume 1 of Ugly Things for me is the comp! Don't get me wrong this Downunder Nuggets is a bloody great compilation. I highly recommend to the kids and the uninitiated. By that I mean everyone on the planet not into this golden era of Australian pop culture yet.

Ugly Things the original compilation of this type of gear.
Released in 1980!

But there are other bewdies too. It's A Kave In: Kingsize Kollection-Wild Oz 60s Punk From The Caverns Of Time and Devil's Children: Hellacious Sixties Punk Rarities are two other classics. Let us not forget The Hot Generation and Of Hopes & Dreams & Tombstones released by Big Beat, which I think is a British label, and maybe still in print. It's all great music! Get into it. Get your shindig started. Push your coffee table back. Put on your dancing shoes on. Time to kut the rug.


Many Mary
Sunday
From It's A Kave In.


Come On Baby
The Templars
Melbourne band of youngsters from 1965.
Half sung in Greek & half in English.
I can picture them in 1960s Richmond,
 Melbourne has a massive Greek population.
This is great wild stuff!


 Krome Plated Yabby
The Wild Cherries
Lobby Loyde on guitar. This one's a bit more psych
than the others. It's like there's a pop song trying to
escape the weirdness but doesn't quite get out.
What a mental psych classic!

The Pretty Things


Don't Bring Me Down
The Pretty Things
A bit different to ELOs version.


We'll Be Together
The Pretty Things
I think this was the B-Side to the above track or
was that a double A-Side. Both the biz!


Get The Picture
The Pretty Things


Then of course there's this version which has great
drumming and over the top fuzz by Melbourne band
The Wild Colonials
Get The Picture
Which is even better than the original I reckon.
It was on the 1st volume of Ugly Things The
Raven Records compilation series which was
my introduction to the song. The Wild Colonials
only lasted 3 7"s and that was that.  Apparently all
their A-sides were crap but the B-Sides were
where it was at. I think a lot of Antipodean 60s
groups were just as influenced by The Pretty Things
as much as The Stones, Yardbirds etc..


Speaking of which here's a NZ version of Get The Picture by
The Selected Few from Wellington.

Tuesday 4 December 2012

Who Listens To The Radio?



That's what I'd like know. Well today it was me. Dave Graney & Elizabeth McCarthy's show Banana Lounge Broadcasting. It was great to listen to a radio show again. Many years ago in a job I could listen all day and I loved it. I knew when all different shows were on different stations every day. I miss it. First of all I learnt a lot from the adds er..sorry sponsorship announcements. Mick Taylor, Elvis Costello, The Sunnyboys, Nick Cave, Jo Jo Zep all doing the heritage touring circuit. That might be a little unfair to Nick but the rest you know what I mean. The most exciting touring news though was that Leon from Curb Your Enthusiasm is doing a stand up gig. I'm gonna have to get ticket. Then there was a terrific interview with The Pretty Things. They talked about the early days of art school with members of the Stones. New to me was their porn alias group Electric Banana recording for a library records company. I'd love to hear those. When talking about the old days of not having drums miked up reminded me of a time with my short lived  group. After the mixer spent half an hour on setting them up, she was then told by the proprietor to unmike them. Needless to say there was animosity in the room which eventually turned it into an enraged gig possibly our best. Side note: Why do the mixers get all the money?  Anyway back to the radio show. The guys from Pretty Things were a great couple of geezers and well they finally made it to Australia. This interview may end up on a podcast check the 3RRR FM website as it's well worth a listen for any 60s music fan. It was good to hear a new track from Paul Kelly, a tune by The Meters I'd not heard and even some MJ! I should listen to more radio and be less dependant on the Internet. Now I'm gonna get out some old blues.

 
 
 
 

What's On The Hi-Fi Lately.

Having had a lot of time off I've had a chance to listen to heaps of music and even do some reading too. Some of which I've already mentioned Swans, Scott Walker, Pye Corner Audio and that great mix by Ix Tab. Ix Tabs mix had me going back to old Coil records. Coil always seem to turn up on these mixes which is indicitive of their continuing influence on the underground of the 21st century.   I've also gotten around to some less new things like a Dolphins Into the Future tape from 2008 Plays Themes From Voyage which is from the golden era of that kinda gear so I'm loving it along with their 2 fine releases from this year.


Just had a couple of listens to Lee Gamble's Diversions 94-96. which is hitting all the right notes apparently he has another one just out too. Minimal, spacious electronics that are kind of empty but evocative of the mentioned era without being retro. I also caught up with Kemper Norton's Collision/Detection v6 from earlier this year and that's a rip snorter of an ep that put me in mind vocally of the recently discussed Disco Inferno. Hard to describe Norton, kinda folky, pastoral post industrial. A rustic farmer kind of vibe but quite creepy and wintry. Sounds like a bloody press release. Right enough cliches.















I finally got a copy of Moon Wiring Club's Somewhere A Fox Is Getting Married only on digital though (thanks bookmat). I think it was like a royal wedding commemorative album. I don't think it got in any best of 2011 lists, an overlooked classic perhaps. I reckon it might be the best one since their debut An Audience Of Art Deco Eyes. I like it more than the other record they did last year Clutch It Like A Gonk. That Bleep43 mix is also killer! Possibly my favourite of their mixtapes but as I've said before they're all gold. I totally recommend both of those way over 12 months since everybody else probably raved about them. Whatever. Still looking forward to the new CD & LP.

Was it really only last year that Will & Kate got married?
That can't be right can it?
I feel like Pippa's arse has been with us longer than that!



Bagpuss

Just discovered this tune. This one goes out to Emma, Holly & Belle. An old VHS found it's way into my life many years before the H-word. Is this Proto-Hauntological. What a weird kids show. Did Taid (is that how you spell it? I'm not up with my Welsh.) think Australian grandkids in the 90s would dig this? It's a classic and all but at the time of Teletubbies there was no contest. Bagpuss the show is what the Mrs would call brown. One day I'll get her to contribute to my blog to explain this theory. Actually when I first heard about the H word it made me think of her theory. Not necessarily a theory more of a feeling.


DJ Burnz
Bagpuss
199?

Saturday 1 December 2012

Friday On My Mind


Todd Terry Remix in 89 for Michael Hutchence and his motley cru.
Zero 2.0 
Max Q


Concrete
Max Q
My fave along with the Todd Terry remix of Ghost of the year but thats not
up on the youtube.


From the same era: Humanoid - Humanoid stakker
But this time from the UK
There are so many versions of this track and some are
completely different but I think this might be the
original 7". Who knows?

Friday 30 November 2012

2am Driving Music For The City's Lost Souls

Another Emeralds review with and I quote 'a little more cruising the lonely cityscape at 3am' over at Tiny Mix Tapes. This time I suspect that this is perhaps a little deliberate baiting from Mr Parker. Pre-review I told him to add Dire Straits to their list of influences. He didn't know if I was joking or not, I wasn't. Otherwise it's a very fucking weird coincidence or he nicked it from that Wire writer. I'm going for the original idea. Anyway James didn't add the Straits alongside Ash Ra Tempel and Tangerine Dream in the similar to category.

Mark McGuire's favourite band?

*Just a side note on a completely different topic but still with Tiny Mix Tapes. Hey Ed Comentale was I supposed to read that whole Scott Walker review? I mean it was actually longer than the record!

Scott Walker: Prevaricator.


Enigmatic? You think?

In a recent interview by Mike Barnes with Scott Walker I read today Scott admitted being prone to prevarication. I thought I've never heard that word ever in my entire life and I've read some lofty shit and communicated with many users of unnecessary words just because they can. What was once called a showoff, you know before building ones self-esteem was invented. Now it'd be oh aren't you a clever little thing using such big words.  Anyway I looked it up and it means 'One who walks crookedly.' & 'One who departs from duty.' Now this could be taken as an oblique way of saying he's still quite hedonistic (although somewhere else in the article he said he doesn't drink as much as he used to) or just lazy when it comes to work. Or Both. I know that he is quite a keen traveller. He doesn't give much away and nor should he. Who cares what he does in his private life. Or is it part of some sort of mystique building?  I doubt it as he comes across as an affable and private gentleman. He's quite funny too as you would imagine because some of his songs are hilarious.


The above video was mentioned in that article. Wow it's dated badly or has it? Listen to it a couple of times. This could have been a subversive hit. In another dimension this is being played on Classic Trax FM. I love it. How about that quintessential 80s lead break! Now that's funny. In career overviews they always leave out a track he sang on the soundtrack of the Film To Have & To Hold directed by John Hillcoat.  Ironically it was written by Bob Dylan.


The Arrangement was done by Barry Adamson and produced by Bargeld, Jones, Harvey & Cave. I remember it being better. It must have been a thrill for those guys to work with Scott as I'm sure they are huge fans. Strange that this was recorded around the same time as Tilt. He is a massive film buff so I'm sure that's why why he did it. Not that it's bad but his head was in a totally different space for Tilt. Maybe this was the aforementioned producers projecting their version of Scott onto Scott & somehow they convinced him/got away with it.

Couldn't resist this great picture of the original
existential hipster heartthrob.

Wednesday 28 November 2012

Ghost Box

I noted somewhere Ghostbox was getting a bagging possibly because it's old news or is it because that guy from LCD System is now rocking an old skool Librarian/Geography teacher look. I only just let Jarvis get away with it or did I? It was a bit weird after many years of beard wearing and being sometimes bespectacled that people started saying 'oh you look a bit like Jarvis.'  Maybe that LCD guy is gonna do a Hauntological album, then you'll know it's time to move on. If those GhostBox Study Series of singles, Belbury Poly's The Belbury Tales and that new Pye Corner Audio record are anything to go by GhostBox are in fine shape! I can't wait for a new Focus Group record.







*Also in other things related there is this new mix over at Pontone by IX Tab who I only found out about today. Choice cuts in this mix. Pontone have done it again by getting these guys to do a mix. Best Pontone Mix in ages.


**Also while in the ball park I found an old  Moon Wiring Club mix I'd somehow missed along the way. I've talked about all the other 4 or 5, so this was a nice surprise. It's called Bleep 43 or something? Click on the link. There's loads of film, radio and telly dialogue amongst the op shop records, library music and like minded artist's trax.


This is another fantastic Moon Wiring Club track. I've not seen that record anywhere in Melbourne and It's not on i-tunes. Was it only a limited thing? Maybe I'm gonna have to start ordering things via the Internet. Have I reached that phase in human evolution? Perhaps. On a similar note I haven't seen a GhostBox record in Melbourne since Synathsesia shut up shop years ago.


Omni Trio

Shadowplay from The Deepest Cut (1995)

Just because. I cant beleive I neglected Omni Trio's beauty for 17 years.
         This was my favorite track back then and it remains so today. Something about 
the production is just so unique. It has something to do with the silences
I think, you know a bit like in dub which I guess jungle was heavily
influenced by. Anyway this track really is like no other in jungle or in
anything. 

Swans - The Seer


This convalescing thing does have its upsides. I may end up in The Guinness Book Of World Records for being the first and only person in the world to have listened to the Swans Triple LP from start to finish in one sitting. Twice! Of course post op pharmaceuticals don't hinder this kind of behaviour. The Seer goes for 1 hour and 55 minutes. So it was great to finally get to grips with the record as a whole. Instead of listening to snippets while out walking, on the tram etc. I wasn't even going to attempt a review or whatever this is because I thought I wouldn't be able to do it justice. Anyway fuck me what an epic it is in all senses of the word. It should be listened to as a whole. It makes more sense and really is how it is supposed to be listened to. People sit in a cinema for 2 hours to watch a film. Why can't we do the same with triple LPs. Now I wouldn't be saying any of this if it wasn't any good. Believe me it's up there with their other epics like Children Of God,  Soundtracks for the Blind etc. The previous LP was ok but that was just a warm up for the true power and brilliance of this magnificent ensemble's new masterpiece. There is less singing, perhaps his voice isn't what it used to be but it's still pretty darn strong, intimidating and powerful. Gira is also doing new things with his vocals. Swans could be the best reactivated band ever. 30 or so years on they are at some kind of unexpected peak. The instrumental passages which really make up most of the album are incredible, sometimes dark at others beautiful. There is psychedelia, repetition, electronics, noise, menace, prog, No Wave remnants and light but what we most want is that Swans intensity we all know and love. There's plenty of that too. It wouldn't be a Swans record without absurdity, perversity, experiments, hilarity and some going OTT. This is impeccable orchestrated noise of the highest order. My only qualm, and that's impressive for a triple LP, is Karen O(h no), why not Jarboe? I can always skip that track. Jarboe does however feature on many tracks. This is a real band effort and they are in rude form. This is unmistakably the Swans the same yet different.

Like the previous post about Mr Scott Walker I love how Mr Gira is still fearless and uncompromising. He's not getting soft or complacent in his old age. That's what your bores and Bobs are for. Still experimenting and lookin' for intense kicks. Gira's Laurels are in an envelope outside the boundaries reaching new edges.

Mick was always fond of a hat even when they weren't cool.
Looks like a fun party.





The Church - Heyday

It was the Heyday for those shirts.

So this is the fourth Church LP, which also means it was their fourth classic in a row. What a winning streak they had going in the 80s. Heyday was then followed up with Starfish another classic. The winning streak was then interrupted by the follow up to Starfish. Anyway I'm talking about Heyday because of those recent Scott Walker posts. It is an impeccably produced record with great songs and arrangements. It was Scott walker's main man Peter Walsh at the desk. This is the sound of 80s Australia in the best possible sense. I could bang on about the coolest sounding lyrics ever, the dual guitar interplay of Koppes and Wilson-Piper and the wonderfully intuitive drumming of Ploog. Also saying Ploog is great. Richard Ploog the coolest rock drummer ever! Anyway you've probably heard all that before what I want to highlight is the production and arrangements and how well Walsh and the Church got it so so right.


Night of Light
The strings and horns are arranged here by both Steve Kilbey and Peter Walsh. Can you believe this wasn't even a single. Incredible arrangements, so mesmerising up there with the strings and horns on Forever Changes.


Youth Worshipper
Horns and strings by SK alone this time. Some really weird and unexpected changes in this track. It starts off all nice and jangley then goes down some strange paths. Those horns are so fucking cool the whole thing still amazes me to this day. A high water mark in a career already filled with peaks. These are two of my favourite tunes from this classic album. I wonder why The Church never worked with Peter Walsh again? It's not like the results weren't outstanding or anything.


Monday 26 November 2012

Buying LPs In The Old Days

First of all you had news of a record coming out sometimes many months before. You'd usually pre-order it. You would probably go into the record shop to see if had arrived yet. Then once I had the vinyl I would take it home and play it full bore on dad's Marrantz Hi-Fi. The vinyl would then be put onto a tape so I could listen to it in my bedroom as I didn't have my own turntable, just a crappy mono tape recorder. Which is featured in this video at the 2.55 minute mark.


Anyway I had it for many years till I saved up for an upgrade. Which I believe was some kind of Panasonic ghetto blaster. None of this double tape deck shit so I couldn't even dub other tapes. But hey it had detachable speakers. Wow - the spaciality of stereo.

Then there was the records. You'd put so much time and thought into your purchase so the odds of it being the goods was in your favour. Through those teenage years LPs went, I think from around $10.99 to $17.99 so that was a lot of money and you didn't want to waste it. So if an album sounded rubbish on first listen, you would give it another go. Then you would give it another go, then another and another up till at least 20 times. Usually the biggest disappointments were bands with a previously great track records so you didn't give a second thought about laying out the dollars for their new record. An example of this was The Models follow up to Out of Mind, Out of Sight which was Models Media. I really really wanted it to be good and probably played it over 25 times before I had to concede it was rubbishola! $16.99 down the drain.



Hoodoo Gurus 3rd LP Blow your Cool did have some great tracks (that Models one had about none) on it but over half was shite. So the endurance of putting up with that other half got annoying in the end. Should have known as the previous record Mars Needs Guitars was only 50% classic. I guess now you would just uncheck the shite songs on i-tunes. This is what I did with that Salem album King Night a couple of years ago. I love about 50-60% of the tracks that I kept checked and couldn't give a fuck about the unchecked ones.

With some groups you knew when to get off the fan wagon instinctively or if the first single off the forthcoming LP was lame. Thus no more INXS post Kick or Midnight Oil post Blue Sky Mining. Hey I was young & impressionable. Probably could have got off earlier with those two groups.

Then there were times when the investment music policy paid off. Take The Triffids final LP The Black Swan which I thought was the worst piece of crap I'd ever laid my ears on. Especially after the over the top, over produced and over budget classic Calenture. These days I'd just delete the file after maybe one or two listens in but due to my investment I played it many times. It is now one of my favourite LPs of all time.



I don't hate Strangeways Here We come by The Smiths but that would have been in the recycle bin straight away. Giving it the investment time made me like it more. Still I find it inferior to the rest of the catalogue, the runt of the litter. Still a good record mind you.

Royal Trux Twin Infinitives is a later example (not really in the timeframe of ths article anyhow) which was on CD but I paid good money at import prices for it. At first maybe for a year and I'm no stranger to noise I found it perplexing and annoying. I would come back to it intermittently after months at a time. Then one day years later it made perfect sense. The perfect noise.

My investment listening music policy couldn't help records which were no good. Jesus & The Mary Chain's Automatic had 2 great singles Head On & the real beauty Blues From A Gun. The rest of the LP however...Gold Afternoon Fix The Church's follow up to the classic Starfish couldn't be helped by repeated listenings. That Petrol Emotion's Chemicrazy very bad indeed.

Maybe recent albums by Black Dice, Maria Minerva and Laurel Halo would perhaps have benefited from the investment policy. James Ferraro's Bodyguard project got a fair airing around here but me no likey so goodbye!

I have touched on this before in a previous post. These are different times and we may now miss out on some things but you know what it's inconsequential as there is so much other stuff out there. Why would I care? No use wasting your time! You don't have that much.

More Moon Wiring Club

I just noticed on the Youtube that there is another new Moon Wiring Club clip. I don't have the new album yet so this will have to do till it turns up at the record shop. I'm resisting the digital download as their records are worth getting for the artwork. How long do I have to wait though? I'm still housebound convalescing after my op last week.



Body Switcher from the new Moon Wiring Club album.
Another top clip.
 
 
 
 
The Young People
Wow just found this ace track by Moon Wiring Club
in collaboration with Belbury Poly. Another great
clip as well.

 


 
 
Another bewdy!
Portals and Parallels.