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 Fans of My Bloody Valentine, Swervedriver, and Mercury Rev should take special note of this shower of noise and melody. What M83 has that the rest of those guys didn't have is a heavy layering of synth over swirling pools of celestial bliss. Too much hyperbole? It's warranted.
The single of the year is "Don't Save Us From the Flames," a glorious, soaring, noise pop behemoth that is as immediately catchy as it is long-lasting. The rest of the album goes from elegiac "Farewell/Goodbye," to searing white noise "Fields, Shorelines and Hunters."
I'd be remiss if I didn't state that some of the tracks border on heavy-handed fromage and ponderous rock bombast, but the lion's share of material hits way much more than it misses. It's a glorious exercise in heaven-rock and I highly, highly recommend picking it up.
Review by Randall S. Murphy
Well, the
rumour mill has tipped this one for some time and it looks
as though the rumours are true. It truly blasts open with
the mighty "Rockin the Place". A big bomb of an opener which
gives an instant satisfaction. This contrasts with most of
the album, which is more of a steady grower, rather than
quick thrills. Of course, recent singles " the Clichés
Are True" and "Rehab" (featuring Kelly Jones of Stereophonics
and Andy Cairns of therapy?) don"t mess about in reaching
for your attention. The album has one hell of a boom to it,
yet it has a depth to it you wouldn"t credit to such hard
music. This is the perfect album to blast out when all your
friends pile round to your place after a really good night
out. Bruce Lee would be proud of the kicks you get out of
listening to their cover version of Lalo Schiffrin"s theme "Return
To the Dragon". There are guest appearances from rappers
Saddat X on "Somethin In My System" and Motion Man on " the
Backdoor Payoff". It ends with the mellow string-laden drum "n" bass
of "New London", leaving a positive, lasting feeling long
after the CD has ground to a halt.
"FEEL THE SPIRIT" compiled by Mark Pritchard
 Mark Pritchard is best known for his contributions to techno and house via his membership of Jedi Knights and Troubleman. However, this collection is billed as psychedelic folk, rather than as any kind of electronic beat or DJ mix. However, if you're expecting nothing but acoustic guitars and acid-fried whimsy, you'd be sorely mistaken. What Pritchard has put together is a collection of breakout tracks by artists who found themselves labelled as psychedelic folk. Most of the songs on here delve musically into jazz and feature danceable beats just itching for a good sampling. Even Donovan chips in with a "Get Thy Bearings" where the rhythm is nothing short of smoking.
Of course, there is still a strong folk element to the music, especially in the vocals and there is a psychedelic vibe to most of it too. This album excavates rare treasures from such names as Daddy Longlegs, Hard Meat, Sunforest and Bonnie Dobson. It's a compelling and irresistible collection filled with wonderfully obscure songs that just ooze laid-back vibes. The rarity factor makes this a good collection for aficionados and the sheer joy factor also makes it a perfect introduction for psych-folk virgins. Do yourself a favour and pick up this sunny treat.
Label boss Mark Rae proudly shows off a few classic
moments from his label"s back catalogue. As one of the world"s
finest beat labels, the quality level is consistently very
high. All the label"s artists are present and correct (Aim,
Only Child, Fingathing, Rae & Christian, Tony D, J-Walk
and new boy Riton). There"s a mixture of album tracks, B-sides
and remixes, so even an anorak like myself does not already
have everything here (although there are only two tracks I
don"t own!). There"s no doubt that anyone whose record collection
is lacking in the GC department should snap this up, but what
about us folk who own most of this, is it worth buying? Well,
it"s a live mix ( they seem to be coming into fashion at the
moment) and has a real charm about it. It reminds you what
a vital label GC are and it"s got a good sunny vibe about it.
It"s fresh, it"s funky, it"s fun and it"s cool. Definitely
one to take to parties this summer.
It is an easy
thing for a rock act to antagonise members of the American
religious and political right. Alice Cooper did it particularly
well, as did Ozzy Osbourne. It generates the right kind
of publicity to be denounced publicly by gun-crazed, narrow-minded,
impotent, little bigots. However, Manson baits them not
for entertainment, but out of genuine indignation and contempt. Always
ready for a war of words with anyone, it comes as no surprise to hear
that Manson recently named Oscar Wilde as one his greatest
heroes, alongside the Beatles, the Stones and Alaistair
Crowley. It is obvious from listening to his records that,
as with a lot of the most intelligent people, Manson is
screwed up. Manson carries on his obsession with JFK, religious
lies and the violence in American culture. On " the Love
Song" he demands "Do
you love your guns? God? the Government?" over and over again with real
rage and horror in his voice. The music is as unusual as ever, the influences
of Bowie, Gary Glitter, Sisters of Mercy and dance music are pulverised
into a fresh sound. Not afraid to descend to a whisper from a scream,
he launches into haunting ballads like "In the Shadow Of the Valley Of
Death" and
a really effective acoustic version of " the Nobodies". To dismiss Manson
as a shock rocker is to totally miss the point. This album rocks as hard
as you like, yet never descends into the unintentionally hilarious (like
Cradle Of Filth) and provides an insight into a unique mind in American
music. Intelligent, haunting and hard.
 MASTERS AT WORK presents "the KINGS OF HOUSE" (BBE/Rapster)
 Well, if anyone else had released an album under that title, there'd be uproar and muttering but as it's Masters At Work, it's actually a fair enough title. Although, the title could equally refer to the classic tracks they've chosen for this mix. How about Joe Smooth "Promised Land", Frankie Knuckles "Your Love", Robert Owens, Rhythim Is Rhythim, Mr.Fingers, Kym Mazelle, Sterling Void, Romanthony, Kerri Chandler, Todd Terry and the Masters At Work themselves. Of course, if you're a house expert with a collection of 1,000s of 12"s then this probably doesn't hold much for you but for the rest of us, this is the definitive house collection.
This album may have a January release date but there's a mood to this
album that suggests the inspiration lies in the last days of Summer.
Looking at the press release, it says about the Brazilian title that
apparently 'Obrigado' means 'thank you' whilst 'Saudade' is not a word
that can be directly translated but is to do with "something between
nostalgia, homesickness and lovesickness. As you can imagine, there's
some beautiful music with a sunny kind of sadness pervading it. Multi-intstrumentalist
Adam Pierce plays a wide variety of instruments on here with great
flourish. You can hear a great many kindred spirits in the music. There's
elements of Four Tet, Bark Psychosis, a pinch of My Bloody Valentine.
'Obrigado Saudade' is a gorgeous album rich in magic and music.
I wasn"t really sure if I wanted this. When I was a kid, I loved Michael Jackson.
It was the "Thriller" video that really grabbed my attention. After I had seen
the video for "Bad", I was convinced that Michael was a mean, street-tough,
musical outlaw who you really wouldn"t want to mess with. Hell, "Billie Jean" was
one of the first songs I ever loved. I went to see "Moonwalker" at the cinema
with my school mates. We all lapped it up and I moonwalked at the bus station
in front of their horrified faces.
It all died with the arrival of hormones. Naiveté was swapped for cynicism
and my tape deck only played Joy Division, the Pixies and the Cure. Michael
Jackson was a phoney and, even worse, a pop act. Well, adolescence is now a
few years behind me and the CD did have "Billie Jean" on it, so I threw caution
to the wind and picked it up.
As I listened to that classic track, I was wishing that he
could have carried on being so funky and catchy. Then a shock
hit me, he had. Later day tracks like " the Way You Make Me
Feel" and "Black Or White" still deliver the goods. It does
have the odd weak moment. It"s hard to enjoy hoary old weepy "She"s
Out Of My Life", especially as Michael is doing a Diana Ross
impression. His "Stars In their Eyes" tribute takes a surreal
turn as his voice at the end of the song quivers like Kermit
the Frog"s nephew"s did when he sang.
It"s all forgotten and forgiven in an instant as the next
track is "Bad". Contrary to my Mother and Auntie"s opinion
in the tracks heyday, it has not aged a bit. The surprises
continue, as I find myself genuinely moved by "I Just Can"t
Stop Loving You". Have I been working too hard or is it actually
a really powerful ballad? My attention waned a bit during "Man
In the Mirror", as I was getting excited about the next song. The idea of getting the late, great Vincent Price to do some
vocals on a disco track was inspired. If Georgio Moroder had
produced the Fields Of the Nephilm, it would have been crap
but "Thriller" isn"t.
"Beat It" makes the sounds of rock and disco fuse perfectly,
despite the perceived animosity between the genres. " the Girl
Is Mine" is a bit dull but worth it for hearing Sir Macca of
the Mersey being made a chump of by Jacko. "Don"t Stop Till
You Get Enough" and "Wanna Be Startin" Somethin" are both classic
disco songs. There"s so many songs on this album that it"s
impossible to sit still to. However, just as you"re thinking
to yourself that there wasn"t any tosh on this CD, he ends
it with the nightmarish, Carpentersesque "Heal the World".
Still, I think I might see if I can get "Moonwalker" on DVD.
I bet that scene with "Smooth Criminal" is still ace. Yes,
I have to admit he is a bit of a star.
After a bit of break, it"s great to have Skint records back,
refreshed and ready for action. As eclectic and genre-free
as ever ( there was no such thing as "big beat"), here is
there boss Damian Harris with a hedonistic, unpretentious
and upbeat album to get you going. The opener "Keeping It Real" begins with
a misleading ambient tidal drift before the breakbeat kicks in big style
with oriental vocal samples before the ambience comes back to join the mash-up.
After that it"s a welcome return for the classic, mad-christian sampling "Devil
In Sports Casual". Two years since it detonated Skint"s third Brassic Beats
compilation, it still does the business. The next arrival is forthcoming
single "Reach
Out" which is one of the singles of the year. Featuring a Linda Lewis sample,
this is beautiful, soulful, yet with a bassline big enough to worry the Richter
Scale. Any DJ who won"t play it is a stuck-up snob. Then comes a stuttering
electro attack called "You Take" which is chased by "Ricky 39" a collaboration
with Si Begg (Cabbageboy, Buckfunk 3000) featuring a really strong vocal
from Mark of the Space Raiders. The music on this one manages to sound like
a fusion between classic Michael Jackson, Super Collider and an early arcade
machine. "Stigs
Inn Love" reappears in a re-recorded form sounding like a breakbeat ambush
of mellow 70s keyboard action. "Midfielding" is a really tough track, confused
by a really mad monologue about animals that saves it from being too aggressive. The dancefloor highlight is "General Of the Midfield", a slap-bass fuelled
shot of adrenaline hedonism. There is "Drunk Country" which lives up to it" s
name and then the 4am acid house madness of "Coatnoise" which uses an Elvis
Costello vocal sample without being disrespectful. The album closes with "Birthday" which
kicks off as pissed-up ambient before being joined by some fresh beats and
deep mellow bass. This is a cracker of an album and should only be played
at A VERY LOUD VOLUME.
Mogwai"s second
album will not convert their detractors. Depending on your
tastes, this is either a bold record that pushes the possibilities
of guitar music further out, or a miserable dirge. Mogwai
take the walls of white noise that marked My Bloody Valentine
and blend them with the lo-fi methods of cult heroes Slint. The album includes a rare vocal outing ("Cody") but nothing
that will surprise you if you know Mogwai. If, like me,
you are a fan, it"s essential. If you haven"t heard them
before, give it a listen first.
I feel justified in reviewing this in our albums section,
as this having four tracks makes it inelligible for the
singles chart. Also, these four tracks are all new. There
is none of the white-noise blizzards you would find on
Mogwai classics like "Ex-Cowboy" or "Christmas Steps". This
finds Mogwai in a laid back mode. Whilst joined by a brass
band on one track, they have lost none of their dark, innovative
edge. A must for any fan and the perfect record to get you
through the torment of a family
Christmas.
 You know, this album makes you feel good about paying the license fee. Mind you, living in a big flat with 4 other dossers makes my license contribution rather small but, still, you get the point. This album collects the cream of the Mogwai BBC sessions together for 10 tracks of sound and fury.
The 18 and a half minute version of "Like Herod" aside (why?), these are the definitive recorded versions of many Mogwai classics. All stages of their recording career are here. From early tracks like "New Paths To Helicon Pt 1 & 2" (reworked versions of "Helicon 1 & 2") to 2 excellent live tracks from "Happy Songs For Happy People" recorded in front of a live audience for the late, great John Peel.
It's an essential album for the Mogwai fan and a great way of turning a Mogwai virgin onto their sound.
MURCOF "REMEMBRANZA" (Leaf)
 Fernando Corona for several years has incorporated different musical styles in new ways, adding funk & brass to techno under the name 'Terrestre' and as 'Murcof' robotic minimalism & emotional depth. With his 2nd new album "Remembranza" as 'Murcof', he's created a minimal but multi layered fusion of neo-classical & electronica with a deeply beautiful vibe. Some of the album has tinges of sadness with the use of traditional instruments such as piano, strings & harp, very cleverly incorporating it with sparse digital/electronic beats. There's not many artists that can achieve this calibre of music but Murcof once again delivers.
Review by S.Khan |
