pt4 - Lumpen

Mute Issue 25
Media
After months of questioning all our favorite Quimby's employees about the status of the much desired new issue of Mute, our pestering has been answered.
The alterations wrought in the months of absence can only be described as amazing. Mute has changed format yet again and slowed their quarterly publication
schedule to only two issues a year. This may seem a sad change, but once you
have experienced Mute's newest incarnation your mood will change. Now comparable to a journal, or some may say a book, the print/flesh version of Mute has
been upgraded to be a resource and general new media-handy item. Chronicling
the newest events in Europe and around the globe, Mute has rebuilt and developed their magazine into a resource, a volume to be re-referenced and re-read.
Mute is also extending its grasp by furthering the development of its on-line community with the use of open source code and a user defined direction. What else
can one say about one of the most consistently amazing new media outlets available? Oh yeah—the new issue features an interview with Josh On, articles and
commentary about the crisis in Argentina, and coverage of all the major new
European media festivals, for starters. Mute continues to raise the bar, combining form and content into a package that is just as pleasant on the eyes as it is
thought-provoking for the mind.–Logan Bay
Future 500 Presented by The Active Element Foundation
An open invitation to action and activism, the Future 500 steps up to the plate
as the first major published index to youth activism and organizations in the United States. Rising from the research done by the Active Elements Foundation,
the Future 500 is the next logical step from within the growing American activism
community. This directory provides individuals and groups with a valuable
resource to network and engage each other, and by encouraging this interaction
the Future 500 also serves as a place for activists to contemplate their place within the larger map of global action.
From Florida to Arkansas to Illinois, groups are listed with interests ranging from
prison reform to stopping the W.T.O. Most impressively, this book/project/philosophy provides activists with a place to connect and develop past the drama
and political back-biting often found within reform movements; a place to become
aware of the causes of others and make connections to overthrow the common,
larger, profit-driven, conservative enemy—not each other. Along with the book
there is also a Future 500 web-site to keep the list up-to-date and provide room
for growth. Youth activism will not be marginalized and the Future 500 is just
the resource to keep the momentum going.–Logan Bay
Select 5
Sure it may be nepotistic to review our sister publication Select, but the last issue
was just so good we thought it deserved a little review here. Compiled to compliment the Select Media festival, Select 5 includes a DVD featuring new music
videos from Roots Manuva, DJ Vadim, Schneider TM, Mr. Scruff, and Amon
Tobin. It also features film works from Guerrilla News Network, Paper Rad, Douggpound, Bryan Boyce, Spectralina, and many more. All of the works on the DVD
were screened at the four-day Select Media Festival in December. The magazine has great interviews with Stephen Marshall from Guerrilla News Network
and Richard Metzger from Disinfo—both sharing different perspectives on the
issues of being political and still trying to make mainstream media and garner
sponsorship. Oh yeah, and if you have yet to experience the “GI Joe Films” by
Eric Fensler, these alone are worth the price of admission. Knowing is half the
battle.–Logan Bay
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Horsemen courtesy of StreetRec Collective,
available at www.appliedsemiotics.com
Each year we decide to ask a about a dozen neighborhood cholos that are
inspiring, hard-working and freaky to answer a few questions and take a few
photos. These are the Chosen people that keep lumpenistas moving, happy,
and inspired to march towards the future of our cultures.
Eric Fensler Filmmaker
Did the 90s ever happen? Do you mean the year 1990 ? Or the 90s as a whole?
Well, I’m going to assume you mean just the year 1990, and tell you “Yes” the year
1990 did happen. Clearly, the most important event of that year, with the possible
exception of the reunification of the two Germanys, was the Middle East War.
3 things you enjoy about Bush Jr.
What does Chicago need to make your life better? 24-hour pot delivery service.
Relate your art to your favorite restaurant. gotta say the eclectic mix over at
slicks lounge. chef kareem roberts mixes and appropriates flavors and ingredients anywhere from southern style soul food to oriental noodles & stir-fry to italian raviolis & pasta to french crepes. much like kareems broad flavor palette, my
approach to art & design is influenced anywhere from turn-of-the-centry european poster art to egon sciele, charles & ray eames to chuck close, reid miles at
bluenote to the designers republic and the anigram crew. I eat all that. ummm
good!
Who do you think is a winner? spike lee. cos he’s managed to develop his craft
on his own terms. simultaneously influencing, inspiring & offending millions
without losing a biting edge.
...
What does Chicago provide that other cities don’t? Andy Guler
John Herndon aka A Grape Dope Musician
What does Chicago need to make your life better? Andy Guler
Did the 90’s ever happen? Yes.
Relate your art to your favorite restaurant. I don’t think I can do that. Only
because, my work doesn’t even come close to a veggie burrito, side of plantaines,
and an Oatmeal Shake w/ milk from Irazu on Milwakee Ave.
3 things you enjoy about Bush Jr. Nothing is coming to mind, Ed.
What does Chicago provide that other cities don’t? Perfect weather all year round!
Who do you think is a winner? The people who ride w/ 26 inch DUBS are winners.
Ray Noland Artist
Did the 90s ever happen? I don’t know, most of it was a clouded, smokey, acid,
mushroom haze. “I don’t know where the after-party is...do you know where the
after-party is?”
3 things you enjoy about Bush Jr. sorry, there’s nothing that I enjoy about Bush
jr.
What does Chicago provide that other cities don’t? winter backalley house parties...yes they’re happening again! exceptional thriftstores mega-mall on milwaukee the brownie lady & tamale guy at danny’s
What does Chicago need to make your life better? Legal house partys, free
punk rock shows, more music in schools, more pirate radio, nerds in the disco,
better interview questions in the Lumpen Times.
Relate your art to your favorite restuaurant. My beets are fresh like the soup de
jour? I dunno.
Who do you think is a winner? SN Goenka
Weasel Walter Musician
Did the 90s ever happen? Yes. first half GOOD, second half BAAAAAADDDDD.
3 things you enjoy about Bush Jr. The fact that the world is so totally insane
that this douchebag holds the office he does. The fact that he holds office actually means that the title of president is pretty much ineffectual in the big picture
(unless if he causes bad stuff to happen, which he does). The fact that he’s part
of this nauseating imperial dynasty of American plutocrats and that he utilized
this power to usurp his way crookedly into presidency. Ha fucking ha ha. I don’t
really enjoy these things though.
What does Chicago provide that other cities don’t? Er, I’m leaving because
this city has very little of what I want. I encourage everybody to like it as much
as they want. I hate it personally. If you like it, goody for you.
What does Chicago need to make your life better? Pfffffffffft. Let’s not dwell
on this for too long… I’ll start sounding like my buddy Jim O’Rourke! Let’s say
that I have a lot of really great friends here and that I’ll miss them, but not much
else about this city. Somebody really needs to step up to bat in the underground
instrument-playing music scene and take over–unfortunately it seems like anybody who asserts themselves in such a manner gets quickly shot down by a barrage of sour grapes or apathy, so, as Lemmy would say, “Best of luck to ya!!!” I’m
not bitter at all because I feel like the greatest and most advanced part of my creative career is ahead of me and that I had to travel from Point A to get to Point
B. We all do. No biggie. Ya gotta cut your losses at some point…
Relate your art to your favorite restaurant. Er… I can’t! They have nothing in
common. I really like fucking Red Lobster, you know. It’s just an expensive fast
food joint. My music is fast, but clearly not very expensive. It’s got a bit more substance than it’s culinary seafood counterpart, I hope! Maybe it’s that I have attempted to mate the highest and lowest brows, but it still comes out like cheap, trashy
shit? I dunno… hey, fuck that! I like good food too, but I’m not the kind of person that believes in absolutes, i.e. no “favorite” anything.
Who do you think is a winner? I can only give you a list of people who live here
that are exceedingly important to me. To call them winners is perhaps too simplistic. We’re all trying, but I don’t know if we’re succeeding all that well. It sure
doesn’t seem like it a lot of the time… if you’re not on this list, it’s not that you
suck or anything: Jonathan Joe, Marc Ruecker, Liz Armstrong, Maria Fischinger,
Fred Lonberg-Holm, Brian Peterson, Kevin Drumm, Andy Ortmann, Ed
Marszewski, Scott Gibbons, Jeremy Fisher, No Doctors, Toney Vast-Binder…
I’ll leave it at that before I start to seem undiplomatic. There are plenty more
important people to me in Chicago and I can’t name them all! //Weasel Walter
P.O. Box 82 Chicago, IL 60690-0082 http://nowave.pair.com
Jackie Kilmer Designer
3 things you enjoy about Bush Jr. 1) that his little uni-eyes remind me of a basset hound 2) the sentimental fantasy I bet he says “warsh rag” 3) he makes a cute
zombie.
What does Chicago provide that other cities don’t? free head checks, clocks,
and decks.
What does Chicago need to make your life better? boy george and another
World’s Fair.
Relate your art to your favorite restaurant. i think I could relate my “art” to
Margie’s Candies: bad lighting, things that ought to be cute and darling, but
aren’t, and things that are ugly but taste cute.
Who do you think is a winner? we’re all born to lose.
Lord of the Yum-Yum aka Paul Velat Performer
Did the 90s ever happen? as I was coasting through the 90s I thought, “this is
kinda weird, there are no real trends here, I mean...we are just floating along and
shit.”...i still think there are not the culture identifying kind of things that there
were in previous decades, but as far as a time for me, shit yeah they happened...some of my historically greatest events happened in the 90s!
3 things you enjoy about Bush Jr. enjoy, huh? well 1) his pronounciation of
‘nuclear’ kind of cracks me up...often saying nukUlar...mmm, oh you Bush, just
hiliarious! 2) I kind of like that he has a ranch in Texas...when I think of it, I think
of Bush in chaps, maybe a huge ten gallon hat yelling in a screechy falsetto,”yippieKIEyieYAYEE!” 3) This may sound bad, but having a republican asshole in
office makes underground arts noticeably better...this is sad, but I find true...
What does Chicago provide that other cities don’t? When the seasons change
here, they REALLY change...this constant battle against weather adversity has
been an interesting thing in my life...plus they have excellent bars and counterculture here...and the people, by God, the people are wonderful here! the best
city in the nation, as far as I’m concerned...let’s break out in song, “Chicago
is,...my kinda town....”
What does Chicago need to make your life better? cheaper living spaces that
are more spacious, and have more reliable sinks, tubs and shit...
Relate your art to your favorite restaurant. Gosh, I barely eat out...but I would
have to say my food at Star of Siam has been pretty good and I would compare
that to maybe a piece by Jackson Pollack or Dr. Dre...both are layered with flavah
and neither take too long to make...
Who do you think is a winner? One guy stands out for me right now and that’s
Dave Pecaro...man, that kid is a machine...he is always running, playing in, or
contributing some kind of musical material to the world and he’s in it 3000%!
Dammit, he’s the winner hands down!
Cody Hudson Artist
Did the 90s ever happen? There are some dates on my police record that seem
to prove it did.
3 things you enjoy about Bush Jr. Not to sound like a hater but I actually don’t
think I can find anything I like about him.
What does Chicago provide that other cities don’t? Its a big city without feeling too much like a big city & its pretty easy to get around. you also seem to have
more of a sense of community here and with it being in the midwest you have
nicer people living here (sometimes).
What does Chicago need to make your life better? a good indoor miniramp,
more breakfast options in pilsen, one more month of summer
Relate your art to your favorite restaurant. I’m currently still trying to locate a
new favorite restaurant in my neighborhood so I’ll get back to you on this one.
Who do you think is a winner? juan angel chavez and his found object creations, rob doran and his silkscreens, john duda and his transportation inspired
art, kelly breslin and her sewn creations, justin fines and his new style of design,
melvin howard and his ability to switch paint styles on the daily, and of course
my girl lori.
Elisa Harkins New Media Artist
Did the 90s ever happen? Sure. I remember how shitty it was to go to high school
in the late 90s. Curt Cobain died, and then everyone liked Marilyn Manson...I
started listening to Björk. In the 90s every company’s slogan had e-this and IT
that, and I started saying “Is your company moving at the speed of e-lisa?” when
I would meet people at parties. Nerdy, I know.
3 things you enjoy about Bush Jr. 1. I guess I sort of enjoy those pictures on the
internet of Bush Jr. doing Stupid-Ass things. Like the photos of him reading a
children’s book upside down, or looking through binoculars with the lens caps
on. 2. Well, I can’t think of a second thing...my brother essentially left for the
war yesterday...I guess I shouldn’t say it like that, but he left for Germany and is
stationed there “just in case” he needs to go to Jordan or Saudi Arabia. Which
to me means that it’s definitely going to happen. I partly blame Bush for the war,
but I also blame the people who support Bush. My parents think that Bush Jr. is
one of the best presidents we’ve ever had...seriously I think that’s so messed up,
especially since my brother’s emotional and physical state is involved in the equation. 3. I went off on a tangent, sorry. There’s no third thing.
What does Chicago provide that other cities don’t? Chicago’s what you make
it. I like that Chicago has a lot of opportunity for DIYers. In Chicago, if you have
an idea, implement it, and follow through with it, there is a guarantee that your
voice will be heard. In other cities (like NY) there is no guarantee. For me personally, Chicago has provided a family. Ringo was saying on New Year’s Eve that
we had to get to where our friends were because being with them is home...that’s
where we are loved. It’s this feeling of “home” that’s defined by being with other
people (as opposed to being in a particular place) that hasn’t existed for me in
any other city.
What does Chicago need to make your life better? I never thought of Chicago needing to change to make my life better...I always thought that I had to change
things to make my life better. Right now things are just fine. Chicago don’t need
no better.
Relate your art to your favorite restaurant. Oh no, who thought of this question? I don’t have a favorite restaurant. Eating in public makes me a little nervous! Plus I smack when I eat, so it makes me even more self-conscious. Can’t I
relate my art to an animal or something instead? A jellyfish...how’s that? Will that
work for an answer?
Who do you think is a winner? Eric Fensler. I have these weird re-occurring
dreams with him in it...except it’s just his moustache floating and it moves up
and down when he talks...It’s not like he’s invisible...well, I suppose it looks like
he’s invisible, but really, it’s just a floating moustache.
Metalux Musical group
Did the 90s ever happen? The 90s never happened. They will happen only
when this 80s nostalgia trend is exhausted, a trend replete with all its nauseating
re-possibilities, and when the “children of vomit” seek out a new flavor of bugjuice to vampirically absorb in order to fill that ever-gaping internal void. The
90s will happen when it is distant enough to be safely appropriated as all distant
cultures are.
3 things you enjoy about Bush Jr. the division between “us” and “them” is made
clear. The transparent nature of the position of presidency is made plain as day.
Bush has a visionary kind of ability to unite people and nations that were previously mortal enemies so as to defend themselves against his imperial actions.
What does Chicago provide that other cities don’t? There is not a single industry that dominates in Chicago. This gives it a more open direction in which things
(ideas, people, etc can flow) Bizarro specialty stores that carry items that are hard
to identify by looking at them.
What does Chicago need to make your life better? More oxygen bars, more
trees, tent cities, 4 more train lines right NOW! (this would ultimately lead to a
less stratified and segregated city), a free store, a place to hang that appeals to an
intergenerational crowd of people (besides sports arenas) more live stock, free
and open schooling, bike paths, the “second city” mental complex destroyed.
TOP OF THE TOP: Bobby Conn Entertainer
This is a man whose star has risen and fallen many, many times. Right now,
his amazing superstar potential is like a forgotten super-ball collecting dust
underneath the sofa, just waiting for someone to find him and bounce him
off the ceiling, amusing your cat. He has released four albums that are either
annoying or brilliantly entertaining, depending on your personality. He has
performed hundreds of shows; each time re-inventing his rock ’n roll wheel,
and often getting crushed in the process. He is at war with his ego, and loses
every time. He is a dreamer, an ordinary guy in cheap make-up teetering on
platform shoes. He is full of pithy commentary. And horseshit. He’s always
wanted to be your friend, and maybe this year, he’ll bum a cigarette off of you.
Did the 90s ever happen? We missed an opportunity to change the world. I guess
that’s true of every decade, but it does seem ironic that at our economic peak,
we generally chose to ride the gravy train and get really good at Tetris in our spare
time. We had such a wealth of new lifestyle magazines and refinements in ordering sushi. If we stacked all the cigars we smoked end to end we’d reach the moon
and discover it was made of organic soy-cheese all along. We got terrible mileage
and got to know so many fascinating people. We had a wonderful blow-job, and
now all we’ve got is a thin, papery crust to show for it.
3 things you enjoy about Bush Jr. He’s confident, he’s focused, and he proves
that malcontents like myself are easily ignored. Actually, I don’t enjoy any of
those qualities, but he does provide an incentive for action. Which I’m currently debating, naturally.
What does Chicago provide that other cities don’t? It provides a chance to fail
gloriously, over and over again. It is a culture of low expectations, and therefore
constantly rewards us with little bursts of happiness. It has an intense distrust of
physical beauty and pleasure that lets us get our goddamned work done without
any distractions. But it also means we desperately need to get fucked-up and dirty.
Relate your art to your favorite restaurant. dark and nauseating
Who do you think is a winner? the winner is the person who gets people to play
her or his game.
What does Chicago need to make your life better? A new location in South ern California.
Relate your art to your favorite restaurant. Oh, what a truly yucky question.
Who do you think is a winner? Look in the mirror and smile, darling!
Music
The Paper Chase Hide the Kitchen Knives (Beatville)
As 2002 winds down, nu metal still occasionally bears its fake fangs and barks at
a cardboard moon, and goth, bless its black little heart, hasn’t exactly left a handsome corpse. In-between bouts of sulking, indie rock has been happy enough to
jump around the basement all year. And as for punk–hell, outside of reissues,
has there been anything remotely angry to jump off the shelves in the last ten
months?
Yeah, the across-the-boards categorization of the shit lining the bins at your favorite
record store smacks of an oversimplification, but hopefully you get the point.
That said, a handful of bands have released some suitably dark, challenging work
at an increasingly bleak point in recent history. With Hide the Kitchen Knives,
The Paper Chase has crafted an album that mirrors the violence and paranoia
of the evening news even as it refuses to give up the secrets that makes it unique.
Led by John Congleton, the singer/guitarist/jack-of-all-trades who has produced
the equally iconoclastic 90 Day Men, the Texas-based band specializes in sinister post-punk that recalls the lights-out aesthetic of Halloween outfits like Black
Heart Procession and Third Eye Foundation. There are also musical nods to 80sera Sonic Youth and Flaming Lips–you know, that special time when the punks
started taking acid.
Hide the Kitchen Knives begins with “I Did a Terrible Thing,” in which Lynchian piano underscores Congleton’s unhinged vocal and creeper lyrics. “Where
Have Those Hands Been?” is a stunningly zonked-out cut that recalls the desperation of Brainiac. Like the opener, the lyrics contain fragments of knife/blade
imagery, which will become a motif for the album as a whole.
With an unyielding violence that recalls Big Black, “I’m Gonna Spend the Rest
of My Life Lying” stands out as a severe bit of apocalyptic Shakespeare, while
“A Nice Family Dinner for Once” is 32 seconds of abstract weirdness.
The knife/blade motif is in further evidence on “So, How Goes the Good Fight”
(sample lyrics: “Bloody strips and Barbie doll eyes” and “Scissors on the bed”)
and “God Forgive Us All,” which samples the sound of knives being sharpened
and drops it over eerie piano, operatic vocals, and industrial noise. The album
closes (at an appropriate 13 tracks) with “Out Come the Knives” even though
they’ve been unsheathed all along.
With Hide the Kitchen Knives The Paper Chase has crafted a rare thing for 2002:
a truly evil record that defies genre. –August Forte
Ladytron Light&Magic (Emperor Norton)
With the current popularity of electroclash, an essentially rockist, DIY/ADD take
on electronic music that encompasses everyone from A.R.E. Weapons and Fischerspooner to Peaches and I Am The World Trade Center, it has been tempting for journalists to add Liverpool’s Ladytron to the mix. To wit, the split-gender 4-piece records for an independent label, rocks analog, and references the
cold detachment of pioneers like Gary Numan and Human League while openly displaying an appreciation for art and fashion.
My only criticism is that the album begins to wear out its welcome after the first
ten tracks (the band’s 2000 Commodore Rock EP is a much better primer for
new fans). Ladytron goes for very “rock” double album next time? But then again,
this isn’t electroclash–is it? –August Forte
Anatomic S/T (plexirecords)
The new Chicago-based Anatomic crafts a thoroughly modern brand of psychedelic, next-century soul.
Fueled by Michael Pinckney’s self-assured vocals (somtimes reminiscent of Love’s
Arthur Lee/often reminiscent of Lenny Kravitz), the duo (Cory Crews assumes
enough of the credit here to make this a partnership) revels in fuzzed-out bass/guitar, a little dub, a little metal (think late period Fishbone or Living Color), and
a lot of love for British rock. Five songs in they are pulling off a smart take on
Tears for Fears’ “Head Over Heels,” magnifying the song’s positivism into rays of
white light. It is followed by a short, piano-driven interlude (credited as, boringly enough, “Interlude”) that would be entirely at-home on TfF’s The Hurting.
Elsewhere Anatomic filters multiple eras of UK sounds through American
soul/rock: The Beatles by way of Sly Stone? The Cure meets Prince? Radiohead
raised on Bad Brains? Whatever the comparison, the songs show real promise.
Some are much better executed than others (five engineers are listed here and
Pinckney and Crews decided to produce themselves–maybe not the best idea).
The album closes with “Untitled” (c’mon guys, you had to have had a title in
mind), the perfect summation of Anatomic’s greatest strength: making three
decades worth of various influences (black and white, night club and rock club,
straight-ahead and spacy-as-hell) sound original. –August Forte
The Donnas Spend the Night (Atlantic/Lookout)
America’s favorite high school rockers have grown up and, with that, emerge with
their fifth, and most mature, album to date. The Donnas burst onto the music
scene in the late 90s when they could Get Skintight. Then in 2001, the comely
foursome went on to Turn 21. Now, in their first major label release, the girls
invite you to Spend the Night. Wha-? I mean-Hell Yeah! And what a night it’s
going to be.
Now that the novelty of an all-girl rock band has worn off, the Donnas more than
adequately show that they are here to stay. The San Francisco quartet has evolved
into a kick-ass rock band reminiscent of the glam rockers of the late 70s and early
80s. The themes center around boys-the ones they dig, and the ones they don’tand sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll. The track titles almost read like a story: opener
“It’s on the Rocks” sets the tone with high-energy and encourages us to “Take It
Off.” Close to the halfway point we “Pass It Around,” and not too long thereafter,
they insist you “Take Me To The Backseat.” And of course no matter how much
you want this magical night to last forever, suddenly it’s “5 O’Clock In The Morning.”
Musically, the album offers straightforward 4:4 drumbeats and saturated guitars
accompanied by sassy lyrics chock-full of racy come-ons and clever put-downs.
The energy does not falter from start to finish. The vocals are definitely more
polished than their previous efforts, and there is no question that the Donnas are
throwin’ shout-outs to their influences like Kiss, the Sex Pistols, and the Ramones,
among others.
If there is a flaw to this album, it may be that the Donnas don’t get to show any
range. At times, the album can become predictable with its simple song structures and tried-and-true rock themes (and thank the gods that there isn’t a power
ballad). But overall the album is a well-crafted rock assault that will ensure a
good time for all. –Mikey Shin
Röyksopp Melody A.M. (Astralwerks)
What separates Ladytron from the electroclash pack, however, lies in the young
group’s ambition to make records for audiences outside of the genre’s “cheap
beer at the art gallery” clique. Lonely suburban teens, flash club kids, and, hell,
moms and dads everywhere would do well to pick up a copy of Light&Magic,
Ladytron’s fine sophomore effort.
Recorded in Liverpool and LA, the album delivers synthetic cool without sacrificing the human element. This balance is best identified on two of Light&Magic’s
strongest cuts: the icy, cynical “Seventeen” vs. the soft and sure-fitting “Blue
Jeans.”
With its eerie melodies and tight beats, Melody A.M. is perhaps one of the most
intriguing albums of 2002. Röyksopp’s Melody A.M. is the first full-length album
from the Norwegian duo Svein Berge and Torbjorn Brundtland. Their 2001 Eple
EP caused a minor hubbub in the certain electronic scenes with its beautifully
hypnotic rhythms, and their debut album don’t mess around.
Melody A.M. combines classical harmonies, funk, and electronic groove that
force your ass to shake uncontrollably. The resulting ambience and warmth contrasted with bubbly syncopated loops almost thrusts you into the cold Norwegian
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tundra staring up at the Northern Lights in a phatty parka surrounded by Ikea
furniture. A mix of 70s synthesizers, drum machines, and classical harmonies,
Melody A.M. is strangely pornographic. Not coming as a shocker, the duo lists
influences by the likes of classical composer Eric Satie and porno stroke-film
maker Francis Lai.
Some may note the album’s likeness to French electronic music, which will
inevitably draw comparison to Air. For instance, the stringed orchestrations and
Moog interlacings on “She’s So” and the laid back melodic voyage of “Remind
Me” may conjure images of old skool Paris, circa mid-1970. Despite these comparisons, Röyksopp’s debut effort shows great depth, giving props to the past and
exploring the unknown territory of the future.
Clocking in at just under 45 minutes, Berge and Brundtland should be endlessly credited for creating tight tracks that avoid feeling contrived or labored. For
this reason, you can listen to this album on repeat for a long, LONG time without becoming bored. This album is the perfect post-clubbing, wee hours of the
morning vibe, whether you’re looking to chill, cruise through the dark urban
streets downtown under the skyline lights, or make your own porno film. –Mikey
Shin
V/A Wanna Buy A Craprak? (Carpark Records)
45 Seconds of… (Simball Records)
Though not exactly all-encompassing (some would argue such a thing is impossible) Carpark Records’ Wanna Buy A Craprak compilation is a fine walkthrough
of contemporary American IDM. Compiled by label-owner (and former WNUR
music director) Todd Hyman, Craprak lends its focus mostly to dreamy Fenneszstyle soundscapes, though it’s not afraid to divert its attention at times for variety’s sake. Chicagoan Greg Davis kicks things off with an offering of fractured
guitar sounds, processed and looped into a peaceful melange. So Takahashi’s
“Blue, Blue, Electronic Blue” sounds a lot like its title suggests; a rich droning
river swimming with stray bits of audio that leap in and out of focus as it flows.
On the spot with contrast to spare, Dinky offers up “No Love” a well-constructed if not particularly innovative upbeat electro number complete with so-ambivalent-she’s-sexy-vocals, 2-step moog bassline, casio-backing vocals and a cheesy
drum machine.
Somewhere in between is Freescha, whose track “Live and Learn Me” buries
just such a beat under a wall of rich synth tones. A collaboration between Kit
Claton and Safety Scissors’ spastic “17-11” sounds like a pop-song someone
scraped off a fried hard drive. Hrvatski’s “Equinox” nicely bridges the gap between
his recent experimental noodlings under his given name (Keith Fullerton Whitman) and the fast-paced sounds he’s best known for. It starts with simple acoustic
guitar noodling, which gets looped, and joined by drums, drones and eventually an ecstatic gameboy arpeggio.
Not every track is outstanding–Ogurusu Norihide’s “5:00” sounds like one of
those R.E.M. instrumental b-sides from way back when Michael Stipe couldn’t
decide if it was cooler to be alt-country or to be Ennio Morricone’s biggest fan.
And it sounds like Kid 606 spent more time naming “If My Heart Ever Ran Away,
It Would Be Looking for the Day When Right Beside You it Could Forever Stay”,
then he did creating the repetitive exercise in Ravel’s-Bolero-style composition.
Still, Craprak will serve as a fine primer for anyone who’s still convinced that
IDM must be synonymous with the fractured beats, ambient casio sounds and
long-haired British potheads. Slap on a cheap price tag and four quicktime videos
(which, for some reason, wouldn’t play on my system) and this one’s hard to turn
down.
Best suited for those who’ve had their attention spans usurped by the 21st century media circus, there’s Simball Records’ 45 Seconds Of… Easily one of the
most varied IDM comps ever released, it isn’t so much a label sampler as a concept album. 45 Seconds Of… consists of 99 tracks, each (you guessed it) 45 seconds long, from 99 different bands. Whoever assembled this has got contrast
down; Some tracks are straight noise, some are folksy but with beats, some are
traditional IDM standards, others are unlike anything you’ve ever heard, some
sound like complete pieces in and of themselves, others fall apart tantalizingly
just as one would expect them to kick into a real happening groove. Just as the
music runs the stylistic gamut, the roster runs from the well-known (folks like DJ
Spooky, Kevin Blectum, Electric Company, Dntel, Jan Jelinek, Kim Cascone,
Gamers in Exile, and Phthalocyanine all contribute tracks) to the obscure.
Though the tracks don’t always flow quite as ideally as one would hope, the results
are still surprisingly cohesive. 45 Seconds of… is not the sort of record one grows
bored with quickly. Put it on at your next social mixer; the sheer diversity of styles
guarantees everyone will find something to like, while the concise track lengths
should serve to quell the tensions of that one guy poised next to the sound system ready to flip out the moment he hears something he doesn’t approve of.
That’s what’s so nice about 45 seconds of… If you’re not wild about a given style
or track, you haven’t got long to wait until it’s replaced with something entirely
different.–Rotten Milk
Alek Stark Highway to Disko (Disko B)
Alek Stark is the man behind Star Whores Records and despite having recorded under several aliases in the past, Alek Stark is his most current incarnation.
Highway to Disko is an off-the-cuff assortment of tracks that look simultaneously to the past and the future... after all, highways go both ways. The album stands
above the surface of most so-called electroclash outfits and instead is a non-ironic, sexy blend of electro, hi-NRG dance music, and italo robot funk. While Alek
Stark borrows from the likes of Bobby O and Giorgio Moroder, the album is
rarely derivative. Standouts are “Sexo sintetico” and “Mi computadora,” which
beg the question: is there anything sexier than a robot seducing you in Spanish?
–Matthew Mercer
Boom Bip Seed to Sun (Lex)
Lex is a new low-profile hip hop slanted subsidiary of Warp Records. Despite its
lower profile, however, Lex has managed to release one of the best electronic
records of 2002 with Boom Bip’s recent full-length, Seed to Sun. Based in Cincinnati, Boom Bip has established a reputation as a top notch DJ (incorporating various styles and techniques into the mix) as well as a producer in his own right.
Seed to Sun is a highly inventive and cohesive album of tracks that run the gamut
from chunky downtempo grooves to serene ambience, and everything in between.
Only two of the tracks on the disc have vocals (the answering machine chatter
of “Popsicle” notwithstanding), but both are standouts. MC Doseone appears on
“Mannequin Hand Trapdoor I Reminder” with his usual cryptic, slinky vocals,
although these shortly shift gears into a sweet, radiant chorus. “The Unthinkable” features lyrics and vocals by Buck65 who sounds not unlike Tom Waits
over one of the weirdest basslines to hit a downtempo track in recent history. “U
R Here” would be at home on a Morr Music compilation with its sunshiney
melodies and fat percussion, but it really takes off midway when it kicks into a
completely different mood with a strange melody, just one of several instances
in which the album circumvents expectations completely. “The Use of Acceptable Colors in Nature” is totally dreamy with its scattered acoustic drumming
and pads. Boom Bip’s strength lies not only in his ability to write very smart music
but also in his irreverent arrangements, integrating samples, synthesizers, digital
technology and gear with toy instruments, acoustic drums, effect, guitars and
more. Seed to Sun is just that, where each track begins an idea that blossoms
into a full and beautiful track. –Matthew Mercer
M. Mayer Speaker 12” (Kompakt)
Reinhard Voigt How We Rock 12” (Kompakt)
I’m not sure what’s in the water in Cologne these days but 2 of the mainstays of
the Kompakt label have made a sharp shift toward old school rave techno. It’s
okay, though, because these are 2 of the hottest records to hit shelves in recent
history. Following up his sexy track on the Speicher 2 12” on Kompakt from last
summer, Michael Mayer’s “Speaker” is totally ace, with a stuttering bassline and
banging backup track alongside a clever vocal. The B-side is an instrumental
track that is just as good, although it lacks the same punch of the A-side. Reinhard Voigt, brother to label head Wolfgang, has been releasing a consistently top
notch repertoire of records on Kompakt for years, and his newest is no exception.
It definitely smacks of the same old school nostalgia of “Speaker,” but like Mayer’s
record, this is no nonsense stuff. Discordant sounds loop and collide with one
another over a slamming 4/floor pattern on both tracks. Both of these records
exemplify why Kompakt remains so revered in the techno community and continues to earn (and demand) respect. –Matthew Mercer
Ryoji Ikeda op. (Touch)
Japanese experimentalist Ryoji Ikeda has made a reputation for himself not only
as a musical component of the performance troupe Dumb Type but also as a
solo artist whose releases have focused primarily on minimal tones, static and
silence. Though some of his earlier work may be considered a kindred spirit to
Pan Sonic and Noto, this new release is a significant departure. Ikeda presents
listeners with 3 pieces written entirely for strings, beginning with Op. 1 for 9
strings. Despite the contemporary neoclassical tone of the composition, the music
is not especially dynamic and is actually quite restful, yet it never grows tedious
or boring. Op. 2 and 3 which follow were written for string quartets and sound
rather similar to the first piece, incorporating passages of drawn out, slow, unresolved chords. The only drawback of the release is the inclusion of a sketch of
Op. 1, although having the piece serve as bookends to the other two is by no
means a bad thing. While Ikeda is hardly breaking any ground with this release
(it’s nothing the minimalists hadn’t been dabbling in for the latter half of the
20th century), it certainly is a fine welcome to his already impressive repertoire.
–Matthew Mercer
T.Raumschmiere The Great Rock N’ Roll Swindle CD/12” (Shitkatapult)
Marco Haas is my hero. He’s made possibly my favorite techno record of all time
with Swindle, whose A-side is a caustic shuffle-beat monster. His “knarz” sound
is here in full effect with a grinding, persistent bassline and erratic static percussion sounds. Sami Koivikko provides a reconstruction of the title track, renamed
“Juhannus” but using primarily sourced sounds from the original. While it hardly has the same panache as Haas’ original, it works well as a dancefloor remix.
Flip this sucker over, though, and you’ve got what’s possibly his best track to date,
the sinister “Bow Down Big Man to Get Your Credit, I Watch Your System and
Spit Right At It,” which plows away with a furor heretofore only captured in his
aggressive live performances. A collaboration with Rechenzentrum fleshes out
the 12”, an exclusive remix of a track from Haas’s companion full-length on Hefty,
Anti. The CD version includes the 2 originals from the 12” alongside selected
compilation appearances and other vinyl tracks never before released on CD.
Despite being a retrospective of sorts, the CD works surprisingly well in its own
right. The 2 new tracks start off the disc in fine form and then progress into selections from “Stromschleifen,” “Bolzplatz” and “Musick.” The end of the disc grows
more reflective with considerably more melancholy selections from “Zartbitter”
and “Stromschleifen” which ebb and flow with looping string samples over sharp,
biting hi-hats and Haas’s signature shuffle-beat rhythm tracks. As a set, it’s hard
to beat these releases, and when combined with its “Anti” companion release on
Hefty, they work in tandem to confirm Haas’s seat at the top of current electronic
music. –Matthew Mercer
Low Skies the bed (self-released)
I’m not even sure that “the bed” is the correct title of Low Skies’ debut full-length
(10 songs coming in at around 52 min.). Both times the title appears on the CD
and CD cover it’s written so stylishy that my simpleton’s vision could honestly
make it out. I’m fairly confident that it is, indeed, “the bed,” but the whole strippeddown affair appears shrouded in mystery to begin with.
Oh, not really. It’s just that the Low Skies sound–Jim Morrison and The Cult
meet Cracker and the Violent Femmes, with a twist of Jeff Buckley and a thoroughly melancholy craft ethic–alternates between putting me into a trance and
making me extremely paranoid. And somehow that always makes me think of
Mysterio (remember the Marvel villain who wore a cape and basically mad a
giant, smoky fishbowl for a head?). Listening to this album is like looking out the
window and expecting to see gray, drizzling rain–but you don’t mind, because
you’re inside, safe and dry. –Cowboy Joe Collier
Neil Hamburger “Laugh Out Lord” (Drag City Records)
Ok–Neil Hamburger. Drag City. Those of you who are either familiar or fans (or
MAYBE even both, but don’t hold me to that) can stop reading nowº ‘nuff said.
For everyone else, I’ll trot out my own version of the analysis of this “cult” figure.
Seems like these days, all you have to do for notoriety or notice is to appropriate
a little obvious irony and keep pounding it into those around you incessantly
until through sheer force of annoying will, your goal steps up and practically begs
you to achieve it just so it can crawl away and die of embarrassment in peace.
Did that sentence make any sense? If it did–good, that’s what I meant. If not–then
good, it wasn’t supposed to, that’s what I meant. This style of cryptical dichotomy is at the essence of the pitiful/admirable/long-suffering/unfunny/hilarious/oblivious/shrewd “comedian” (to use the word without quotes would be very un-Hamburgerº yet to use it is VERY-Hamburger).
Surely the frontrunner to inherit the anti-comedy tradition of Andy Kaufmann,
Hamburger (not his real name, but does it really matter? Of course not) in “Laugh
Out Lord” serves up more of the deadpan, awkward style of comedy (sample joke:
“Why did E.T. the Extra Terrestrial love Reese’s Pieces? Because they have the
same flavor that cum does on his home planet.” sample obligatory stupid comedic
catchphrase: “Thaaaaat’s my liiiiiife!”) he’s developed a reputation (some say cult
following) on. No big surprises here; the fact that despite the prolific press material devoted to the album’s religious themes including a religious title, 99 percent of the “humor” on “Laugh Out Lord” in no way expresses any religious connotation is right on time for Neil.
Neil Hamburger: parody. Who is NOT really a parody, either. He IS terrible.
But the extreme terribleness in turn is very funny (think The Weatherman from
Negativland). Ok, he’s really only actually funny about one-eighth of the time;
you like Neil Hamburger the other seven-eighths of the time you’re listening
because you just can’t help but admire a) the guy who has the balls to pull this
off, and on top of it–REPEATEDLY, and b) let’s face it, the sheer genius and
careful articulation of such a developed character. There are some truly special
moments of unadulterated foulness that ALONE make “Laugh Out Lord” worth
a listen (and if you like to construct mixes, there’s plenty of material to mine). I
cannot tell a lie–I’m hooked on Hamburger. –Cowboy Joe Collier
Erasure Other People’s Songs (Mute)
My favorite quote from the press pack for this album pretty much sums it up: “I
think we [Andy Bell and Vince Clarke] found that we were heading towards autopilot after Cowboy [1997] and Loveboat [2000].” I kind of always felt that their
very success defined “auto-pilot,” but then I never really went for the soft stuff.
And yet, this one called out to me. I am a self-confessed “cover-a-holic” (an ongoing personal project compiling a cover anthology has grown to 30 discs so far),
and not even the idea of having to endure an entire Erasure CD could sway me
from the path. Sure, the opening to “When Will I See You Again” sounds exactly like bad video game music. But their “Solsbury Hill” decently revives one of
my favorite tunes, and there’s something fittingly poetic to hearing Andy Bell
sing the poignant lyrics of Phil Spector’s “Walking in the Rain”: I want him, and
I need him/Someday, some way >whoaaaoaaa< I’ll meet him/He’ll be kind of
shy/And real good-lookin’ too/And I’ll be certain he’s my guy/By the things he’d
like to do. I know how much Bell loved Phil Spector growing up thanks to the
VERY chatty song-by-song breakdown interview with the band that’s also included in the press material. It graciously confirms the thoughts I might have had
about this CD’s being one huge public wank (not that there’s anything wrong
with producing your own karaoke and gleefully passing it off).
I let friends who were real fans from way back in the Erasure heyday check out
this album. Not impressed. I have already intimated that I am not a particular
fan myself. Not impressed either. That being said, however, I CAN add that the
final track, “Video Killed the Radio Star” puts to excellent use a computer-generated vocal track (a la Lumpenwave).
These guys wanted to put out a pop album, and they have succeeded admirably.
Take that in whatever context you keep the word “pop,” and you’ll do fine by
Other People’s Songs. –Cowboy Joe Collier
V/A John’s ABC (Fence)
Tucked away in Scotland, micro indie Fence continues to present an amazing
selection of overlooked and underappreciated musical masterpieces. Ok, maybe
“masterpieces” is a bit over the top, but I’m certain that the descriptor HAS been
used in conjunction with this quirky little label before (if perhaps only on their
beef board, www.fencerecords.com). The label prefers to style itself as a collective, and acts accordingly. In fact, the DIY practicality combined with the serious talent and stubborn independent ethic have seemingly ripped a page from
the punks’ handbook, except that the music of Fence–while adhering honestly
to the eclectic– firmly rides on solid songcraft and roots musicianship.
Group efforts abound whether it’s touring together or bouncing songs off each
other on a slew of compilations. In addition to last year’s Concubine Rice, the
musical confessions of the giftedly twisted mind also know as Lone Pigeon (or
further also known as one of the founders of the Beta Band, who left the band,
blah, blah, blah), Fence has had its fingers in James Yorkston’s pie, sat down for
a piece of cheese with the notorious Pip Dylan and gotten lost with King Creosote (also Fence’s founding post). But along the way the collective has collaborated on several good label comps, of which John’s ABC is the most recent.
Naturally there are 26 tracks, mostly instrumental with the occasional vocal and
broken up by a few spoken samples from a less-than-articulate stoner (this guy
sounds like a real genius). Ranging from fierce banjo picking to Eastern mystical to beautiful sweet melodies, John’s ABC is a moody and fun. But you can
only order it from their website, so check ‘em out. –Cowboy Joe Collier
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