With a brief look at some notables along the road, Chang Terhune’s Music Mondays aims to shed light on both new and old(er) music over a wide spectrum of sound (and vision). This week: Herbie Hancock, Pentagrams Of Discordia, Robert Palmer, The System, and Time Rival.
It’s all in the wrists
“Rockit” by Herbie Hancock is just over 40 years old this year. All these years after, it’s hard to imagine how much this song upset things back in the day. It was a stark departure for the already legendary Hancock, one which apparently even he wasn’t sure about. It wasn’t until he saw DJs spinning dub plates of it in New York City clubs that he realized he was on to something. Many today might not realize it but the song was the first time anyone had heard scratching or anything close to turntablism in pop music. Nowadays you can hear the influences of this track in numerous musical styles but back then it was wholly new and considered wholly unnatural (and that’s if you haven’t seen the video which still terrifies me to this day). Electronic music was still very much feared back then but all it took was a master to kick in the door with some turntables, drum machines, synthesizers and of course a robot leg or two.
I never used to be able to fall asleep to music but more recently I have for whatever reason. I tend to listen to ambient or drone music as I read or surf the tubes most of the time. Sometimes, though, I like something with a little beat to it. Deprogrammed by Pentagrams Of Discordia (Pulse State) is wholly pleasant for sleep but really deserves conscious listening to take it in (see full Igloo review here.) It’d be a crime to simply say it sounds like Boards of Canada because they use synths over looped beats (which they do). The music has a stranger, darker and frankly creepier tone than BoC even at their darkest. The vibe is hypnagogic, lurking at the edges of wakefulness where the mind loosens it chokehold on conscious perception of reality and our pattern seeking lizard brains draw conclusions it wouldn’t during the daylight hours. Deprogrammed is three tracks each over fifteen minutes long, all of which occupy a unique sonic space out of time.
The great Robert Palmer died twenty years ago in September of 2003. He’s misunderstood and maligned for his 1980’s hits like “Addicted To Love” but his other and earlier work is stunning. “Woke Up Laughing” is heartbreakingly gorgeous despite having a weird time signature like 16/7 or something. His hit System (Island) is a cover of the same song by The System. Covers are a tricky sonic landscape as most of them are poor imitations of the original. However Palmer’s cover take the original while being faithful, turning it into a new wave synth pop R&B masterpiece. I often listen to this ten times in a row when it comes up simply for the fact that it rocks so damn hard.
First the original then the cover:
Palmer’s System cover (he actually hired The System for this and also his live band!):
Robert Palmer also covered “I Dream of Wires” by Gary Human and while it’s not superior to the original, it rocks hard wholly on its own. I love this clip because it shows how damn good it is live but also that he was an incredible performer. This clip is great for the other two songs as well (including a lil’ Marvin Gaye cover!):
Time Rival is musical output of Triplicate Recordings honcho Michael Southard. In his own words: Works (Triplicate) marks the end of a year long monthly EP project I started in January of 2022. Each month I created a four track EP in various styles using new techniques and different creative workflows. What makes this work special is the delicate balance struck between light and dark, hard and soft. The tracks run from ambient to downtempo and points in between and beyond. They’re all amazing but my standouts are “Daymare,” “Crossing Streams” and “Chemical Coma.” (Full disclosure: I have a release on Triplicate and have had several tracks on their compilations).
