Review / Richard King / How Soon Is Now / Faber
I’ve just finished reading Richard King’s ‘How Soon Is Now’ which as you can see is sub-titled ‘The Madmen And Mavericks Who Made Independent Music 1975-2005′ which pretty much sums it up in a nutshell. If you look at the back cover below you can see all the labels King has covered in the book...
Reviews / PROMO`D / 08 / 05 / 12
VARIOUS / PERSONAL SPACE / CHOCOLATE INDUSTRIES Larry Heard`s Alien seaside synths, the strange garage-studio Blues of Doug Hream Blunt. Vocals shredded by cheap mics and concrete reflections. A Bill Wither`s Georgia back-yard groove. Sun Ra`s spaceways. A `luded out Prince Charles and The City Beat Band. The YMO done moved to Harlem. The lo-fi...
Reviews / PROMO`D / 19/04/12
FRANCIS BEBEY / NEW TRACK / BORN BAD A great compilation, on French label Born Bad, of the work of African musician Francis Bebey. It took me a while to track down a copy as everywhere seems to have sold out, so a big thank you Lighthouse Records in Tokyo. A kora, kalimba, a kick-drum...
Reviews / PROMO`D / 14/04/12
ORGANS OF LOVE / BONE / OPTIMO Dark Electro Cabaret from Jim McKinven, previously with One Dove. Laurie Anderson`s “X=X” and “White Lily” meet Add N To X. Goldfrapp`s choo-choo ch-boogie with torn stockings and a flick-knife instead of silk Agent Provocateur camiknickers and platforms. “Facefuck” is something German. Joe Meek getting blown by The...
Reviews / PROMO`D / 15/03/12
SHAWN LEE’S PING PONG ORCHESTRA / SAN DIEGO / AFICIONADO RECORDINGS Shawn flicks on his Casio and channels Laurel Canyon. Dreaming of sunnier climes. Memories of everyone dancing at The Castle Hotel, Manchester. Moon played it to me and I thought it was a Crosby, Stills and Nash cover. Phil (Mison) does a respectful (both...
Nice Things In The Post / Kindness
So this one has been getting noticed. You may have seen people posting about this on Facebook or whatever as it seems to be a bit of a hype one right now. Whatever. For me its great to see major record labels doing good things and supporting left of centre music in the correct way....
Nice Things In The Post / Tusk 4
Its always good when the postman turns up with a new record you weren’t expecting. I liked these guys from the off. They got in touch and said can we send the record and I said send digital if its easier and they said ‘vinyl only with us’. Good ethos. Tusk 4 is the new...
Reviews / Promo’d / 19 / 02 / 2012
BLAKULA / BACK FROM MYSTERY CITY / BEAR FUNK Italian Horror with a post-punk funk edge. Metallic echoes of Levene. Wobble-like bass. Richard Sen’s Padded Cell with harpsichord flourishes, thigh-bone trumpets and the Jajouka’s rhiatas. Sharing Barry Adamson’s “Moss-Side Story”s obsession with the night and musicians in sharp suits, Cold War spy theme guitar riffs...
Reviews / Promo’d / 09/02/12
COSMIC HOFFMAN / SPACE DISCO / EMOTIONAL RESCUE One side is Kriedler & Cluster, Von Spar & Froese, on a Tangerine Dream Kosmische Space Rock trip to the void. The other a Balearic Cosmic chugger that builds and builds without every really going anywhere. It doesn`t need to. A touch of the ‘Stop Bajon’s’ about...
Reviews / PROMO’d / 25/01/2012
SUN ARAW & M. GEDDES GENGRAS MEET THE CONGOS / ICON GIVE THANK / RVNG ITNL. / FRKWYS VOL. 9 Innergaze’s Not Not Fun groove, Hype Williams’ post-Aphex melodies, shards of King Sunny Ade Ju Ju guitar. Shattered into Morse. ON-U’s gotta be the obvious reference. ‘Some Bizarre’ or The Missing Brazilians. Bim’s work with...
Reviews / PROMO’d / 12/01/2012
Dr Rob in the reviews corner with new releases from Scenario, Golf Channel, Andy Blake’s new In Plain Sight imprint, Jansen Jardin, Beard Science, Rogue Cat Sounds, Emotional Rescue (more on them to follow) and Claremont 56.
The Hardway Brothers / A Diabolical Liberty / I`m A Cliché / 2011
A Balearic Version Excursion, at their Satanic Majesties’ request. J.B.C – We Love You (Creation) 1990 Steven Proctor being boiled. An Andy Blake favourite. Ryuichi Sakamoto – We Love You (Virgin) 1990 Robert Wyatt on vocals and highlife guitars. West India Company – O Je Suis Seul (Editions EG) 1989 Dr Patterson & Mr Weatherall...
Test Pressing 2012 Round-Up
So here we go. We got in touch with some of our friends and asked for their round-up of the year.
Dawdle & Hustle 004 / Dream / Sunny Spot
Dawdle & Hustle is the new label from Jun Kitamura, an ever-present smiling face on the Tokyo club scene. The man behind Capricious records Capricious Records and the currently dormant Outergaze, sometime drinking partner of Paul Murphy and Chris Duckenfield, and one of the hosts, alongside Max Essa, of the Higher Ground events at Club...
Rob’s Review Corner
We get sent quite a few amazing records and are pretty crap about reviewing them (see previous post) if truth be told so Rob took it on the chin and got down to listening and writing some words.