Songs of Gods and Demons by Lustmord

           You are awake.  Your room is small and unfamiliar; walls of stone.  The ground is cold and wet.  Where is the door?  Crawling on your hands and knees, feeling for anything you understand.  Brushing along the wall which reeks of mold when finally, something wooden.  A door?  A doorknob, yes!  This is the way out.  As your fingers grasp the knob, you recoil in pain.  It burns like ice, and is frozen in place.  Covering your hand with your shirt, you are able to break the knob loose and open the door which can’t have weighed less than five hundred pounds.  This burdensome task, and on the other side, darkness.  A glimpse of light can be seen at the end of a corridor.  Making your way along the hall, the smells grow worse.  From mold to spoiled meat.

           You’ve reached the light, and to your right is a second hallway, but it appears as if you are no longer alone.  A figure skulks along the way coming in your direction.  Torches line this hallway, and shine light all around the figure, but this light does not dare touch him.  He is a silhouette.  Convincing yourself that the conditions can be no worse, you brave this haunting shadow with a mighty stride.  As you approach him, still his character becomes no more clear to you.  Closer, closer, until you are not but ten feet away.  You break and stumble, yet you are not acknowledged.  Stunned.  You are paralyzed, for at this distance with all of this light, he has taken on more characteristics of a shadow, not less.  Amorphous and blurry, the figure draws closer.  Through you, he passes.  Your eyes burn.  You try to call for help, but nothing comes out.  Asleep.

           Awake once more, upon an altar to which you are bound.  Struggling to break free, its hold grows tighter.  These are neither chains nor rope holding you down.  As your eyes grow accustomed to the light, you grow confused.  This is a material, with which you are unfamiliar.  It is similar in color to bruised flesh, but cold as steel and rough like driftwood.  In the corner of the room stands a man.  You know this time that he is a man, for his features are such.  This man has fur like an animal.  He begins to approach and his footsteps sound like something you know, but it is not the sound that a man makes as he walks.  He has hooves.  And as he comes to the light of the torches surrounding all four corners of the altar, you can see two mangled horns atop his head.  Standing over you, without a word, he rears his head and comes down with his horns toward your chest.  Asleep.

          

           Lustmord is a dark ambient recording artist who captures the sounds of crypts, caves, and slaughterhouses; literally.  Using his field recordings, he produces the greatest Halloween soundtrack you can find.  I have described what I imagine when I listen to Lustmord, and with music of his genre, that’s the best I can do.  If you are patient and are a fan of dark ambient music, you will not be disappointed.

The 2nd Law by Muse

            The new Muse album is familiar yet fresh.  The guitars are deep, epic, and symphonic.  Everything is still as grand as it was on The Resistence.  However, what was that?  That deep rumbling; might you call it…a…wub?  Yes, several of the songs on this album incorporate our newfound fascination with Americanized dubstep.  It is subtle at times, such as on “Madness”, and pretty much non-existent on most of the album.  While bands like Korn went all out in their incorporation of “brostep” (a term I fully endorse for artists like Datsik, Skrillex, and Excision), Muse takes an approach very fitting of their style.  “Madness” in particular utilizes synthesizers in a manner that is reminiscent of “Starlight” if it were updated for 2012.  “Follow Me” has a distinct breakdown in the chorus of the song that feels immensely appropriate.  It is not overwhelming, yet it shows their audience a glimpse of what we might see taking a more focal presence on their next album.  I don’t know what to make of it, but Bellamy lets out some very “Bono-esque” wails at the end of this track.  The second to last track, “The 2^nd Law: Unsustainable” features the brostep influence most prominently.  It begins with the symphonic buildup that heavily characterized their last album, and then goes all out with the bass drop.

            Aside from these three songs, the whole album is guaranteed to please all of their fans.  I enjoyed the entire album and felt that these songs might even be essential to its character.  As we all know, Bellamy’s goal in life is to become Freddie Mercury, and on “Panic Station” the bass line even sounds like Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust”.   In addition we’ve got some very funky horns.  This is one of my favorite tracks.  Honestly I can hear some U2 influences on this album as well, especially looking at tracks like “Big Freeze” and “Follow Me”.  Especially in the backing vocals, I feel like Bono wandered into the studio.  Let me bring this review full circle and leave you with this; what if U2 did dubstep?

            

Madness- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ek0SgwWmF9w

Big Freeze- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e37F8gBC8g0

Panic Station- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OihrZeI06tA

Since I Left You by The Avalanches

            

             Plunderphonics is the creation of a new musical piece without the use of any new material.  It is a completely sample-based genre, and has been employed by DJ Shadow, The Beastie Boys, and Girl Talk.  Girl Talk, probably being the most well known for the practice, combines pop, hip-hop, and classic rock in his compositions which are tailored for dancing.  The Avalanches take a different approach.  As the story goes, its members traveled around Melbourne going to flee markets and thrift stores, buying up all the obscure jazz, easy listening, funk, instructional, story-telling, and pop records they could find.  They estimate that there are some 3,500 samples on the album.  The songs come together with such precision; it is hard to believe that all of it is samples. 

            Someone like Greg Gillis, a.k.a. Girl Talk, is arguably one of the best mash-up artists around, but it is easy to recognize his work as sample-based.  Now, most of this is a result of the fact that his audience is more than familiar with the songs he is sampling, but in addition his style is intended for the listener to recognize it as a mash-up.  His songs are sporadic, shifting moods dramatically in a matter of seconds, and frequently only lapping two or three songs at a time.  The Avalanches make music that I never thought possible.  I know for a fact that the first time I listened; I thought they were your typical DJs, employing samples here and there throughout the album, but no, they have accomplished something that very few can begin to imagine possible.

            The most remarkable thing about this album is the modern feel that they are able to communicate to the listener when using such dated source material.  For example, a song like “Frontier Psychiatrist” sounds like at any minute they’re going to bring in the clashing katana followed by Method Man and Ghostface Killa.  “Summer Crane” contains the calming drift of Ninja Tune artists like Bonobo and Kid Koala.  And still “Close to You” sounds like a cut from Daft Punk’s 2001 album, Discovery.  Skillfully crafted and easily approachable, this is a must listen for everyone.

Since I Left You- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpqm-05R2Jk

Frontier Psychiatrist- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLrnkK2YEcE&feature=relmfu

The Money Store by Death Grips

            

           I've got a short review today, as there’s a lot of work I need to get done, but here it is.  Let me just start by saying Death Grips is intense.  Things I imagine while listening to this album include, dancing on burning corpses, beating children at a house party, and a drum set made of butchered meat.  However these images don’t come from the lyrics, it’s all in the production, because quite honestly I barely know what MC Ride is spewing most of the time.  Their production has the complexity of Das Racist, the dancability of Africa HiTech, and the brooding darkness of Left Brain.  MC Ride sounds like a homeless man throughout most of the album, and I mean this in the most fantastic way.  He’s the kind of charming homeless man, who makes you want to stick around and listen to his stories.  Fans of their first album, might be wary at first, as it is a bit dancier than their last one.  As for first timers, this is probably a love it or hate it situation. As for me, I love it!

The Vision by Joker

          

            This album calls for both fans and critics to forget all of their previously held notions of dubstep.  Those of you who believe Skrillex is the epitome of the “abrasive” genre; you are in for quite a shock.  And for those of you who value to true dub influences, you are in for a treat like nothing you’ve heard before.  His 2011 album, The Vision, was released on 4AD, but he has contributed and released under Kode9’s Hyperdub label as well.  He started in Bristol, England around 2007-2008 and by 2009 he was said to be “king of bass music”.  The album features 12 tracks drawing from the dub, grime, and UK garage sounds.

            The introduction to the album is an atmospheric transportation to another dimension.  It sounds as if he uses nothing but synths on this track, saving the bass for later.  Joker is a master songwriter, and while he uses lyrics infrequently, when he does they will blow you away.  The second track on the album is his single, “Slaughterhouse” which anxiously describes the tribulations of some cattle animal marching to its death.  It opens with a barren symbol and bass beat, which is then complemented by feudal Japanese strings.  The bass does not enter until he starts singing, and serve as a ratification of his anger.  He describes the “machines” and “knives” as some kind of post-modern evil creations of man.  I’m more sympathetic for cows while listening to this song, than any animal-rights activist has ever made me feel. 

            The self-titled track features Jessie Ware who has also appeared on tracks with SBTRKT.  Her somber tone inflicts emotional damage upon the listener; it’s beautiful.  Joker artfully instructs the bass wobble on this track to complement her message of a confused lover, “Can’t be without you, see without you, breathe without you, feel without you, just let me breathe.”  “Level 6” is a funky interlude reminiscent of some groovy late 1970’s non-hit you’d likely have heard in an off-the-beaten-path gay club.  The follow-up, “My Trance Girl” is about the hardest he gets on this album, throwing everything he’s got into this six minute explosion of sound.

            It’s worth a listen for anyone.  Those inexperienced or critical of the genre MUST listen to this is order to truly understand what this type of music is all about.  This what I would call second wave dubstep, surfacing people like Sonny Moore and Blackburner were still in their metalcore phase, not having tainted the public’s opinion of dubstep.

Slaughterhouse- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=May5VaSKLvs

The Vision- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5ENYnxwIDI

My Trance Girl- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78jZj7aY1mY

Vision Creation Newsun by Boredoms

 

                       

                                     Vision Creation Newsun                          Boredoms

            The sixth album from Japanese noise rock group, Boredoms, hailing all the way from Osaka, diverges from their older style.  They started making music in the late 1980s that was raw, abusive, continuous noise.  However, in their later years they tended to hone their skills in a more psychedelic style.  The album is characterized by long but basic drum solos, taking advantage of a basic drum kit as well as bongos.  It is no extravagant affair, but mainly serves to put the listener into a trance.  These are frequently splashed with synths and effects in order to accentuate its otherworldliness.  The violinist plays a very minimalist part in the songs, frequently playing four to eight rising notes that continue throughout the song.  The guitar and bass take a back seat and can be hard to distinguish within many of the songs.

            Each song is entitled a symbol, such as “o” (circle) and “*” (star).  I don’t exactly know why, but I find myself asking quite a few questions when listening to their music.  For example, what is a “new sun”?  They say it about a million times on the thirteen minute opening track, and that’s about all they say.  It’s a great album for chilling out to, but it’s even better if you sit down and pay attention.  The songs are so delicately layered that the only way to truly understand it is to sit down with a pair headphones.  And no, you don’t have to listen to it on vinyl, because I’m not sure that it’s even on vinyl.  Oh no, what are you going to do?  Pitchfork names it #39 of the top 200 albums of the 2000s and you can’t own it on vinyl.  You may have to go jump off of a bridge now… 

What did you have for breakfast?

Dengue Fever, Yo la Tengo, Wild Nothing, Sunshine Company.

The B-52's by The B-52's

          The 1979 self-titled debut of these nostalgic surf poppers is confusing to say the least.  They were frequently lumped into the "new wave" descriptor that was a rampant malpractice on the part of critics from roughly 1978-1981.  Their style derived from a combination of the recently popularized synth pop that came with the advent of the new keyboards and synthesizers being manufactured and the surf pop one might recognize from the "beach party" films of the late fifties and early sixties.  As well, their lyrics normally consisted of pop culture and sci fi references.  Together this mash up created a unique sound that today might conjure images of all things antique.  The album has two of their most recognizable songs;

Rock Lobster http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szhJzX0UgDM
Planet Claire http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EPP3gkh_00

          Both the lyrics and music video for "Rock Lobster" were instrumental in earning them the unflattering descriptor of "kitsch".  Kitsch is frequently used to describe a regurgitation of pop culture in a mimicking manner that loses most of its artistic value, however fans such as myself embrace this tacky quality of their music.  "There goes a jellyfish, their goes a catfish, their goes a catfish..."  One can only wonder if these lyrics actually mean anything.  Planet Claire sounds like the opening credits to a sleek spy film.  It is the opening track on the album and does an excellent job of setting the tone.  The bassline repeats a rising eight notes for a solid two minutes, allowing the keyboard to take center stage.  Using the classic high pitched spacey effects, they are forcing the listener to imagine a drive-in B movie, probably about aliens trying to steal Earth's women.
        So if you're a fan of the sci fi/surf pop sound "The B-52's" is an essential record.  The longing for the past is accurate for many of the "misfits" they called fans.  Now go listen to the album, so that you're asked about the B-52's you can name more than just "Love Shack".  Thanks for reading, and tell me what you would like to see reviewed!!!