death gate

"the gaslamp killer, AKA william bensussen, is a peculiar entity. on the one hand, he's an artist that refuses to be bound by convention or accepted practice. on the other, he's an obsessive perfectionist. while the L.A. beat scene within which he operates has been around for several years now, its musical parameters have not been completely set. there's no time signature to work within, no rules regarding melody and harmony, and definitely no constraints when it comes to rhythm.

'fun over 100' kicks the EP off and is testament to that. it's downtempo and, unlike the rest of the package, doesn't purport to have been built around dusty analogue sampling. "when i'm in awe" follows, calling up san diego-based vocalist gonjasufi to sing out-of-tune lyrics over a kick-less excursion into psychedelic rock, with bensussen blending digital bass with vintage strings, which results in an eerie three-minute loop.

it's with the arrival of 'carpool dummy' that bensussen's skills behind the boards really shine. the drums are programmed to perfection, but daring at the same time. unlike other members of the brainfeeder clique—lorn, daedelus and even flying lotus, for example — bensussen frequently departs from the conventions of melody. sometimes, it seems, he just wants you to bang your head. the rhythms crafted from sampled breaks on 'carpool dummy' are superb. they're looped, looped and looped again, and while some would call that lazy, in the hands of bensussen they're superb, as every few bars brings a slight shift in the snare arrangement.

'shatering inner journeys' and 'monsterfromtheundergound' close out the release. on the former, fellow L.A. resident computer jay provides guest synths over a shifting snare and hi-hat loop. the latter is the EP's shortest and most relentless, making use of a distorted midrange and up-tempo pace, closing out a solid and adventurous release."



carpool dummy (feat. mophono)

who says boys

five-piece oxford pysch-pop band fixers are guys to look out for, bringing the beach boys into the 21st century.

dagger paths

this 2010 ep from forest swords (one-man project from wirral) is an atmospheric journey where drone guitar meets dubstep-esque rhythms. soulful yet ghostly vocals rise above minimal psych-guitar loops; this record is certainly haunting.

listen...


forest swords - miarches

download...

forest swords - dagger paths (ep) [mediafire] or [megaupload]

love cry

the new single from four tet is a nine-minute percussive-dance track with ghostly female vocals. the artork is inspired by the cyclical pattern of a 'rainbow' of downtempo electronic sounds. it looks like hebden is scheduling a release for the new four tet album, 'there is love in you', to be january 25th 2010.




four tet - love cry [mediafire]


the limited edition 12" single can be purchased here which features the b-side 'our bells', an interestingly beatless, ambient track.

four tet/burial split release

with very few details to go on, word has it that a split 12" vinyl is being released by four tet and burial, named 'moth/wolf club'. according to bleep the LP, which is largely shrouded in mystery at the moment, is due for release on may 4th. there is no artwork, no sales notes, and no audio previews or promos; hopefully the music in this collaboration will do the talking. in the mean time, here's a track from burial's 2007 album 'untrue'.

burial - 'archangel' [mediafire]

burial - 'archangel' [sharebee]

the long lost (daedelus)

the long lost consists of alfred darlington (aka daedelus) and his wife laura collaborating for a self-titled album. daedelus is an experimental music producer from california who pioneered the use of the minimalist monome controller. his music is often built upon vintage or analog sounding samples giving it a very distinct and almost nostalgic nature; it is clear how much the rhythms of the 30's, 40's and 70's influence his music. this particular project of daedelus is said to have arisen as a result of a renewed courtship of the couple following a four year separation. the album has been described by the label (ninja tune) as the work of two hopeless romantics making "psychedelic lullabies for lovers and the lovelorn", which seems to be an accurate description upon listening.

'the art of kissing' features a gentle acoustic guitar matching the softness of laura's vocals, and has daedelus's signature-sounding lo-fi drums as a backdrop. 'subliance' has a very groovy drumline which increases in depth as the song unfolds, with short bursts of violin helping the romantic tone. the songs are very delicate, sad at times and joyful at others, with experimental electro-acoustic melodies. as far as i can see, most (if not all) of the tracks from the album can be heard on their website which is linked below the live dates.

the long lost - s/t [streamed]

as serious as your life

'as serious as your life' was a single released from the 2003 album 'rounds' by four tet, otherwise known as kieran hebden. hebden is primarily an electronic musician under the name four tet, but some of his sounds, melodies, and samples are lifted from or incorporate elements of hip-hop, psychedelic rock, abstract electronica, jazz, and folk music. much of hebden's work has a dreamy atmosphere about it, but 'as serious as your life' is slightly more punchy, and undoubtedly quite accessible. a looped funky riff accounts for the calmest parts of the track, with a mayhem of drums and cymbals interspersed for the hectic elements. the twinkling sitar actually gives the track a less 'serious' feel i think, and relates back to the music-box melody in previous tracks on the album. the real drum samples and stuttered handclaps throughout the song give it a more organic feel, balancing well with the electronically generated sounds, the cut-up rhythms, and the experimental atmospherics.

four tet - 'as serious as your life' [sharebee]

four tet - 'as serious as your life' [mediafire]

the philadelphia experiment

the philadelphia experiment - not to be confused with the alleged US military experiment where a naval ship was rendered briefly invisible - is a collaboration between ahmir thompson (otherwise known as questlove/?uestlove, drummer for acclaimed hip-hop act the roots and producer for artists including common and al green), uri caine (jazz pianist and composer), and christian mcbride (jazz bassist). this one-off album was dedicated to recognising philadelphia's profound legacy of jazz and soul.

even though each member hails from philadelphia, they all bring their unique musical style to this collaboration. caine's avant-garde piano, mcbride's jazzy bass, and thompson's hip-hop drumming style all result in a very funky album unrivalled in originality. they have achieved a completely fresh approach to a style of music which consistently features in 'greatest albums of all time' lists; bringing that style of improvisational jazz into the 21st century. this album is a flawlessly executed homage to the greats of music. in particular, 'trouble man theme' is a rendition of marvin gaye's 'trouble man' which has been transformed into what some people have described as a 'revival-like groove'. not to be overlooked is the hidden gem of a track at the end of the album where mcbride plays a stripped back cover of 'just the two of us' by grover washington jr with a slapped bass rhythm line and handclaps. with repeat listens you can really appreciate the influences behind this highly successful experimental venture.

the philadelphia experiment - 'trouble man theme' [mediafire]

the philadelphia experiment - 'trouble man theme' [yousendit]