Music Reviews of Techno, Trance, Industrial, Electronica
Band Spotlight
Chiodos
Perhaps no one can explain the sheer ferocity and timid quietness it is better than when vocalist Craig Owens says “we don’t want to let the kids down” when discussing the group’s intense vocals live at shows. Well they never let a single kid down with their vicious assault on the ears and grip on the jugular...
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03.09.2007 by J-Sin
Music Reviews of Techno, Trance, Jungle, Trip-Hop, Industrial, Electronica, IDM, House, Drum&Bass
Ghost In the House — Ghost In the House Buy it at Amazon
Sounding like, well, a Ghost in the House, the band utilizes traditional as well as obscure instruments to craft a soundscape that is eerie and sublime. What sort of instruments you mutter? How about a lap steel guitar, gongs, oboe, English horn, buffalo drum, and various percussion. Well those sound relatively straight-forward, what are these obscure ones you mention? How about invented instruments like the water phone, t-rodimba, and crustacean? Yeah that’s pretty out there. It’s odd avant-garde experimental soundtrack music that will blow your damn mind.
- J-Sin
Sharaab — Evolution Buy it at Amazon
Considered by many as a pioneer of the Asian techno (or Asian Massive if you want) scene, Sharaab might surprise you that he’s based out of Atlanta. Utilizing sounds from India, Sharaab adds addictive floor-filling rhythms to seamless mixing and old school electro synth stabs. Tons of vintage and retro keyboards are utilized in his projects and “Evolution” is no exception from that rule of thumb. Layered techno and electro with Indian and Asian influences that is perfectly fit for Talvin Singh fans.
- J-Sin
Conure — The Generation of Our Grandfathers Buy it at Amazon
Cast your mind back to the summer of 2003. Conure was watching a documentary broadcast on HBO as he was packing for a soon-to-be-canceled (unbeknownst to him) move to Berlin called “Paragraph 175” which discussed the Nazi persecution of homosexuals under Paragraph 175 of the German Penal Code of 1871. Much like most of us, Conure did not know much of the details of the persecution other than it did indeed happen. This documentary was so riveting that Conure quickly pieced together this audio soundtrack of lo-fi experimental ambience in an effort to persuade others to learn more and unleash the emotions that Conure felt while watching this film. Rarely now-a-days do we hear of movies inspiring music, but Mark Wilson aka Conure’s work on “The Generation of Our Grandfathers” will hopefully not only bring notice to such an important piece of history but also remind us that the act of paying tribute via sound is an impeccable way to bring attention to any issue or idea.
- J-Sin
DJ Spooky — Creation Rebel: Trojan Records Remixed Buy it at Amazon
Nipping at the heels of DJ Spooky’s other Trojan Records masterpiece comes “Creation Rebel”, a fantastic bit of turntablism to help celebrate 40 years at one of reggae’s finest labels, Trojan Records. Here DJ Spooky dusts off their deep catalog, remixing and indeed reinventing several Trojan classics such as Bob Marley’s “Mr. Brown”. “Dis Poem Burns Babylon” is something I first heard off of HBO’s Def Poetry Jam and there’s a couple different takes re-rubbing samples with breaks and dub blasts. Heavy bass with samples of classic roots reggae blended effortlessly with techno rhythms, synth stabs, and atmospheric ambience. The title track kicks things off and uses a funky classic ‘70’s synth (most recently heard on Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill” series) scratched with phat vinyl efficiency. This is a stellar dub remix album that only DJ Spooky could properly pull off.
- J-Sin
DJ? Acucrack — Humanoids From the Deep Buy it at Amazon
Stuffing horror samples into sick breaks and eerie industrial sludge, DJ? Acucrack finishes off the listener practically within the first couple of songs. Devastating crunchy synths that percolate with acid lines and souped-up subwoofer blasts. Based out of Chicago, this electronic duo toss in jungle, breakbeat, ambient, IDM, and hard industrial throughout “Humanoids From the Deep” deftly crafting one helluva electronic ride. Forming way back in ’97, DJ? Acucrack is no stranger to the scene and has already cranked out several critically acclaimed singles and albums. If you’ve ever wondered why they have a question mark following the DJ part of their name, it’s to signify that they play their own music rather than spinning others. Always a dark force of simultaneously haunting and speedy music, DJ? Acucrack turn in one of their career’s best in “Humanoids From the Deep”.
- J-Sin
Acumen Nation — Psycho the Rapist Buy it at Amazon
Chicago’s Acumen Nation once again fuses industrial, metal, and breakbeats into a miasmic smattering of electronic fuzz that is hoarse with intensity and bravado. “Psycho the Rapist” (ahem, “psycho therapist” much?) is balls-out thundering with rage-swelling rhythms and finds the group experimenting with more of an industrial sound, something that they somewhat abandoned for their past couple of albums. Lyrically it’s as devastatingly evil as ever, with less than subtle swipes at the world. The group’s past let them out of a lawsuit and into adding “Nation” to the end of their moniker as well as out from under the coldwave frontier that they helped pave in the mid ‘90s. Now with their own label, Crack Nation, Acumen Nation is proving that they’re still a force to be reckoned with. I’m impressed with their aggressive sound on “Psycho the Rapist”, which I think will definitely appeal to some of the new kids in the scene who may have their way via unconventional groups like Mindless Self Indulgence.
- J-Sin
Soulsavers — It's Not How Far You Fall, It's the Way You Land Buy it at Amazon
Blues, country, and gospel samples mixed with downtempo electronica? Yessir. But I wouldn’t have thought that it would come also packaged with the likes of Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees, Queens of the Stone Age, Isobel Campbell) on vocals. Lanegan’s deep patented voice thunders across like a new twist on Johnny Cash (see “Kingdom of Rain”). While their debut was a bit more like DJ Shadow, this one does a Texas two-step away from it, though when they do glimpse back towards that sound it’s more menacing, darker, and heavier such as on the track “Paper Money” and the gorgeous instrumental “Ask the Dusk”. You won’t find many like-minded albums this year, and I dare say you won’t find many better either.
- J-Sin
Starkillers — Dirty Sound Vol. 1 (The Injection) Buy it at Amazon
West Coast area DJ, remixer, and producer Nick Terranova gets his groove on under the moniker of Starkillers. Electro house grooves and hard club trance synths vein their way through the icky textured dancefloor bounces and rhythmic dance music. “Discoteka” is perhaps where most people would turn if they hear the name Starkillers. But he also made his mark with Jimmy James smash hit “Fashionista” and his remix of iio’s “Is It Love”. Dance floor fillers and four-to-the-floor mashups run amok on this electric remix album that features many of the club smashes that put Starkillers on the map including the “Dirty Girl” remix of iio’s huge “Rapture”, DJ Dan’s “Rok the Rhythm”, the Austin Leeds and Terranova mix of Dario Nunez & David Bio’s “My World”. Grab this one immediately.
- J-Sin
Dagger Brothers — Peach Denim Buy it at Amazon
Weird British electro pop that boasts retro synths and not-very-good vocals. It’s quirky and that makes it worth listening and given that it’s twelve minutes long with ten tracks, it’s not going to take that much time out of your day.
- J-Sin
Ashtech — Walkin' Target Buy it at Amazon
The debut album of producer and bassist Ashtech, “Walkin’ Target” is exactly the right way to explain what great dub is. Ashtech joins up with Cheshire Cat of Leftfield fame on four tracks, which are beyond essential. Smashing bass lines combine with crunchy percussion and nice techno rhythms all swirled into a massive dub expansion. While perhaps not exactly for roots reggae fans, there is definitely a couple of tracks that the old schools will love as well as all the dancehall fanatics. Toss in a track with vocoders and you’ve got yourself a deal!
- J-Sin
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