Artist: Black Dog Productions
Album: Bytes
Released in: 1993
Reaction: a little snore
This album is allegedly seminal in the idm scene... as seminal as early Aphex Twin and Autechre. Well, not for me. I found it pretty boring, with the exception of Track 9 which had some pretty moments. I actually only listened to half the CD before continuing on, but then read some stellar reviews of it and decided to give it a second chance. Second chance = still boring. Ah well. Can't love 'em all.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
Thursday, July 17, 2008
This is Teen-C Dishes!
Artist: Bis
Album: This is Teen-C Power!
Released in: 1996
I submit to you a pre-iTunes phenomenon: the one-CD wonder. Before you could buy a single song that you liked for 99 pennies, you had to buy a whole album, even if you only liked and/or knew one song by the artist. Thus, there are lots of musicians for whom I own just one CD -- the one-CD wonders of my personal collection.
Bis (Scottish, high energy pop punk) is one of them. A friend played me Kill Yr Boyfriend, and I bought the EP which it appears on, but no more. I liked this EP more than I expected to now, though -- Kill Yr Boyfriend is kinda funny, and Kandy Pop is still stuck in my head.
Album: This is Teen-C Power!
Released in: 1996
I submit to you a pre-iTunes phenomenon: the one-CD wonder. Before you could buy a single song that you liked for 99 pennies, you had to buy a whole album, even if you only liked and/or knew one song by the artist. Thus, there are lots of musicians for whom I own just one CD -- the one-CD wonders of my personal collection.
Bis (Scottish, high energy pop punk) is one of them. A friend played me Kill Yr Boyfriend, and I bought the EP which it appears on, but no more. I liked this EP more than I expected to now, though -- Kill Yr Boyfriend is kinda funny, and Kandy Pop is still stuck in my head.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Indishia
Artist: Biosphere
Album: Insomnia (soundtrack)
Released in: 1997
Seen the Film?: Yup
Even though Insomnia was released around the same time as Substrata, it's not as enjoyable. The sound palette is much the same, but there are a few reasons why it doesn't measure up.
Album: Insomnia (soundtrack)
Released in: 1997
Seen the Film?: Yup
Even though Insomnia was released around the same time as Substrata, it's not as enjoyable. The sound palette is much the same, but there are a few reasons why it doesn't measure up.
- The songs are shorter. Almost all are less than five minutes long and many are less than two. This timing works for pop and rock, but is not enough space for the thoughtful, reflective, ambient themes that Biosphere explores. In Substrata, the songs are good and long and provide ample room for the establishment of a motif, repetition, deviation, return. The short songs on Insomnia are like one-off, throwaway ideas.
- It is creepy, and we all know how I feel about creepy ambient/idm. Granted, this music has a better motivation for creepiness than, say, Aphex Twin just being his creepy self. The movie Insomnia is meant to be deeply unsettling, and the music meets this challenge well. It's just not as nice to listen to on its own.
- It's a soundtrack. This is not the same as Reason #2. Some soundtracks sound half-finished without their movie accompaniments (yes, counterexamples abound, see one of the first posts on this blog). Insomnia is like this.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Subdishes
Artist: Biosphere
Title: Substrata
Released in: 1997
Classic?: Yes
Word association time. Start word: Biosphere.
Bleak, gray, rust-colored, post-industrial, Arctic, tundra, snow, beautiful, piercingly melancholy, wistful guitar, like David Lynch, Twin Peaks samples, one of the saddest and best tracks ever Kobresia, ambient, idm, reminiscent of Slowdive's masterpiece Pygmalion, deeply moving.
One of the best electronica albums ever recorded. Those who claim electronic music can never capture human emotion should listen... and weep.
(NB: none of the Youtube links have good audio quality - listen through headphones and take with a grain of salt.)
Title: Substrata
Released in: 1997
Classic?: Yes
Word association time. Start word: Biosphere.
Bleak, gray, rust-colored, post-industrial, Arctic, tundra, snow, beautiful, piercingly melancholy, wistful guitar, like David Lynch, Twin Peaks samples, one of the saddest and best tracks ever Kobresia, ambient, idm, reminiscent of Slowdive's masterpiece Pygmalion, deeply moving.
One of the best electronica albums ever recorded. Those who claim electronic music can never capture human emotion should listen... and weep.
(NB: none of the Youtube links have good audio quality - listen through headphones and take with a grain of salt.)
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Bikini Dishes
Artist: Bikini Kill
Title: The Singles
Released in: 1998
Who's a Riot Grrl: Me
Selections from the Collected Works of Bikini Kill
That girl thinks shes the queen of the neighborhood
She's got the hottest trike in town
That girl she holds her head up so high
I think I wanna be her best friend
Rebel girl, rebel girl
Rebel girl you are the queen of my world
----------------------------
Do you believe there's anything beyond troll guy reality?
I do, I do, I do
It gets so hard just to be OK
Sometimes being happy, baby, is what I'm most afraid of....
Just cause my world, sweet sister, is so f***ing goddamn full of rape
Doesn't mean my body
Has to be
A source of pain.
-----------------------------------
Regimented
Designated
Mass acceptance
Overrated
Lip synch: apology
Lip synch: salutations
Lip synch: teen anthem
Lip synch: obligation
-----
FIN
Monday, July 7, 2008
The Sound of Dishes
Artist: Joey Beltram
Album: The Sound of 2AM
Released in: 1999
Dance Floor Ready: oh yes
Joey Beltram is a highly influential techno and house producer. The Sound of 2AM is a DJ mix, mostly containing hard-thumping house and techno. Beltram has a deft hand on the decks (as one might expect) and he keeps everything moving along at a brisk pace. There was most definitely a dance party in the kitchen during this one.
A Small Rant: I particularly appreciated the non-dramatic beginning and end of this mix. Yes, I said non-dramatic. Some DJs feel the need to preface their mixes with mysterious synths, deep thudding drums and somebody saying the DJ's name over and over again, before the first track slams the beat down. Sometimes, this is amusingly silly. However, I respect Joey Beltram because he didn't indulge. The CD starts to play and instantly, the beat is going and you're dancing. No need for frills, dramatic builds, or self-glorification.
Album: The Sound of 2AM
Released in: 1999
Dance Floor Ready: oh yes
Joey Beltram is a highly influential techno and house producer. The Sound of 2AM is a DJ mix, mostly containing hard-thumping house and techno. Beltram has a deft hand on the decks (as one might expect) and he keeps everything moving along at a brisk pace. There was most definitely a dance party in the kitchen during this one.
A Small Rant: I particularly appreciated the non-dramatic beginning and end of this mix. Yes, I said non-dramatic. Some DJs feel the need to preface their mixes with mysterious synths, deep thudding drums and somebody saying the DJ's name over and over again, before the first track slams the beat down. Sometimes, this is amusingly silly. However, I respect Joey Beltram because he didn't indulge. The CD starts to play and instantly, the beat is going and you're dancing. No need for frills, dramatic builds, or self-glorification.
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