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DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid :: Dubtometry (CD by Thirsty Ear)
Dub is not the final frontier – but seems that everyone is dabbling in
it these days. Lucky for lads like Mr. Spooky (aka Paul Miller) that he
has some friends in high places and here it is sleeveless with Mad
Professor, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Negativland and a cast of others.
Thirsty Ear’s wets our whistle with the Blue Series, which has gone
wayward as of late, producing many atypical, leftfield jazz projects,
and herein we are treated accordingly. This takes apart’s Spooky’s
Optomoetry and hands it into the hands of DJs and denizens to sculpt wax
into something resembling other music. I immediately identify with
J-Live’s “Optometrix” which takes Miller’s original composition apart,
adds disjointed percussion and an infectious slant we have grown to
expect from this DJ.
Blending only hints of hip-hop, dreamy and
butchered vocal pieces jutting right in front of you, questioning “is it
jazz?, is it hip-hop?” One thing, it is original and breathes out of
the conformist drudgings of MTV-style g’s. Karsh Kale’s “Variation
Cybernetique Rmx” takes Eastern Asian percussion and droning bowed beats
for granted. Between tracks are minute long interludes that help to
dramatize and focus the longer works. The secret dub laboratory of
Canadian cum Amsterdam-based Twilight Circus offers his own”Variation
Cybernetique Rmx” which is a lazy, hazy piece infused with silly putty
horns. “Sequentia Absentia Rmx” is Colorform’s ethereal contribution
that just breathes a sorta Lower East Side quietude. Then comes
I-Sound’s “Kollage Rmx” and you know you have taken a turn into the
world of vector and electromagnetism. At once funky, with a wise
smattering of percussive samples and an overall layering of
fore/background making this by far the stand-out on Dubometry! But
wait, the fun doesn’t end there, especially when it comes to the antics
of Negativland. Their “Asphalt Rmx” takes Spooky’s ouevre farther
off-center than ever before using their signature vocal cut-ups, and
applying these techniques to the piano and drum, even. What results is
an edgy, raw shortcut towards the end of the disc where Animal Crackers’
“Optometry Rmx” strings together hip-hop, instructional double-speak and
warped techno for a finale paved in merriment.
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Various Artists :: Night Owls 02 (CD by Deluxe)
Seattle’s Deluxe Records rallies with European counterpart BiP-HoP to
release dance floor edge recordings dabbling in the world of smaller
sounds and statics. Opening with Matmos branch-off band Soft Pink Truth
“Adeusz” brings a collision of Coil and Pole overtones. This
microcontorted funky groove thing swirls with helium squeaks,
reverberated echoes and a smattering of electrofunk. Offering a
Greenhouse FX Mix of “Nightriders” Electric Birds (Mike Martinez) keeps
the lid on this hot rod. Smoothly traveling with a constant slurred
beat and minor percussion this is a loosely based contemporary take on
the works of Steve Reich with a fortified ambience and infinite soul.
Warmdesk offers “Guero – Bedside” a mix not recently included on his
Deluxe debut Guero Variations. This track writhes in the use of object
manipulation and decelerated symmetry. Montreal-based Jetone (Tim
Hecker) includes “Somatonin”, a track, if you so choose, that just might
take you to a trance-like epiphany. The deep wash of muted bass blends
with the abstract sorcery of truncated beats and indecipherable tones to
create a blazingly warm palette. Sagan is the Bay Area’s Blevin
Blectum, J. Lesser and Ryan Junell. Their “Who Speaks For Earth?”
starts out as something leftfield of field recordings from Mars and only
then twist to a spongey likeness of perturbed beats and stunted
renderings of squealing pop-hop. Buenos Aires’ Emisor offers the
striated loungings of “Sala de la Lectura” complete with piano samples,
tropical birdcalls and enhanced radio/tv frequencies. Bizz Circuits
(Sebastian Meissner) is the new moniker of this Frankfurt-based electro
contortionist formerly known as house fave Autoposies (Mille Plateaux,
Ritornell). “Drought” is a slurping, repetitious and visceral four
minutes – check out “The Very Best Of” on Deluxe for more – a
tongue-in-cheek prequel of great things to come. Kranky’s Pan American
close the disc with “Fake Philly Strings”. In their usual beatless
abstinence, their sound is continually cool tonally and contextually
dramatic. This is nine minutes of sheer harmony and helps to bring this
owl into dusky skies.
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Reef Project :: Deep End (CD by Biohazard)
EM:T was (is) a record label that once stood at the forefront of
branching out to microcosms of sound netting artists from Taylor
Deupree to Gas to Scanner. These days many labels like 12K, ~scape,
Mille Plateaux, Deluxe, Bip-HoP, Raster-Noton and Bette have sprouted up
to heed to the call of the early 90s in bringing to life sounds that are
smaller than ever. Biohazard is a production service that works
primarily with DJs, and in this case Reef Project (Thee-O). Billed as
the chillout project of Thee-O (Jacob Ofilas) this long play disc is
that and a whole lot more. What starts out as something seemingly
lifted from Seti’s “Pharos” mainstreams towards background noise.
Though this man can’t keep too quiet – he has a penchant for restorative
beats. Built on freeky twee sounds and some pared down secrets, the set
changes mode unexpectedly on tracks like “Cuttle” where the synths
remind me a bit of having stepped into a Wurlitzer shop in the mall
circa 1983. There is an obvious growing, learning, channeling aspect to
this recording with great promise. This is classically strewn out of
the context of dancefloor fare, though sticks too close to conventional
hooks to be as musing and tranquil as its underlying intent seems to
intend. “Blind Cave” is one such track that airs on a bittersweet edge
of darker, more romantic ambience. The whisk and warble of “True Clown”
is clouded in bass and toy noise. A few nips and tucks and voila – Reef
Project could remaster himself for the sonically aware. This would
appeal to fans of Delirium or artists on the Moonshine label and maybe
even fans of early Depeche Mode.
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