Buchla Concerts 1975 (2016)

-o- / finderskeepers / boomkat / spotify

Disingenuity b/w Disingenuousness (2010)

Both tape-collage pieces which derived from an hour-long improvisation based around a setup involving a tape of chance field-recordings (a helicopter, walking on snow, children) bounced to a mono nagra tape machine, which is covered in contact mic's that translate not just the sound coming from the speakers, but the actual mechanical "interface" of the unit into control voltage & triggers that drive a modular synth that's processing said audio using the classic electronic music toolkit (i.e. ring modulation, panning VCA's, filters, etc).

Risk, chaos, chance, improvisation and all, the second piece (in particular) is gripping, aesthetic, and touching in a way that only risk, chaos, chance, and improvisation can be. At the same time it transcends the brainy notions attached to, and actually restricting, chaos and chance, and so the effect, like the cause, is intuitive, dazzling, and mind-freeing.

A-

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M|O|O|N - MOON EP (2011)

The debut release from the confusing-named M|O|O|N. Gained popularity after being included in the game Hotline Miami, which is 50% off on Steam for the next 40 hours. Buy it, it's IDCAS-approved.

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M|O|O|N - The Remixes (2012)

Bonus: remix EP!

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Various Artists - SOUNDSHOCK 2: FM FUNK TERRROR!! (2012)

Happy Halloween! I'm posting stuff because nobody is posting stuff despite people wanting stuff. Is this compilation album spooky in any way aside from the cover art and title? Not really. Personal favourites include track 12, Chomp by Moot Booxle, a comparatively simple track with a great synth solo that sounds like it's running through a talk box, and track 13 (woooo!), Back Alley Clash by Bomb Boy. This is only the second song Bomb Boy has ever released; the first can be found on the previous album.

320 @ MediaFire
FLAC & ALAC @ Ubiktune

Joe Meek & the Blue Men - I Hear a New World (1991)

Freak-out concept album about life in outer-space from freaked-out genius/psychopath Joe Meek. Uses instruments 'of this world' to create otherworldly soundscapes/vibes and so it's Chipmunks in space or Hawaiian jams in space or music from your lounge in space. It freaks me the fuck out. Whether that's because Meek was a freak (rhyme!) and this shit is a straight vision of his insanity, or because it's actually pretty awesome in places (Love Dance of the Saroos) as it blends instantly recognizable retro sounds with the anxiety/alienation of the unknown, I have no idea. All I know is I will never play it at night.

C+

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Aphex Twin - Richard D. James Album (1996)

Having gone techno but good then consciously messing his chances at mainstream success with techno for losers and then avant-garde techno for migraines after his Eno for depressives phase, James went avant-garde migraine pop with his Richard D. James Album. I got it when I liked an Animal Collective/Black Dice split and found that the most common complaint was that it sounded like Aphex Twin gone shit. Then Richard D. James Album started playing when I took a trip through Desolace and entered the wonderfully tranquil Feralas for no reason and I got this vibe from 4 that I couldn't believe. THAT VIBE. I like it when Aphex is difficult- he really drills your brain with his drums and noises- but Richard D. James Album has a few pop songs which make it stand out. It's really very sweet. Fingerbib alone would sell me on the whole thing. Whether he went pop for the sake of introspection as the title suggests, or to push electronica into a more generally human area as fans believe, it's certainly human- this sounds corny but every time I hear 4, Fingerbib,To Cure A Weakling Child, Goon Gumpas, and Girl/Boy Song I get all warm inside knowing that a) they exist, and b) I've heard them. Even the more difficult tracks often have appealingly odd structures, sweet ambience behind the drums, or unsettling mini-atmospheres like there's a beautiful/sad world behind all the layers and avant-garde showiness. It might just be that he knows when to pair two obvious elements- the sample toward the end of Girl/Boy Song slowing to a close as he continues to aggressively scatter his drums- but that's still worthy of praise. Really though, it's the vibes, however he went about breathing life into various sources, mechanical drums and senseless noises. Fact is there's the life there and I'm gonna stop writing now 'cause that cover is staring right at me

A

buy 1/2
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Boredoms - Rebore vol. 0: Vision Recreation by Eye (2001)

1. 7 8:40

2. 77 6:31

3. 777 7:27

4. 7777 8:42

5. 77777 4:46

6. 777777 7:26

7. 7777777 6:54

*COUGH* OKAY, LET'S ENJOY LIFE AGAIN

Eye's polarizing re-working of the band's classic Vision Creation Newsun. I'm not gonna argue that it's better, but sometimes I like it more. The celebrated drum workout of the original becomes electronic in these remixes, and I prefer them as a 2000s Neu! any way. This way it's like they could show other artists relying on repetition (electronically or otherwise) a thing or two about their craft. Critics point out that the live energy of Vision Creation Newsun vanishes when remixed, and I guess I can't argue with the fact that it no longer sounds live or energetic in any organic sense, but how could it? If you don't mind your music electronic, you'll probably enjoy this. Knowing it's a guy cutting up originals and reworking them really doesn't spoil the magic for me. In fact, listening to the quasi-world cut+paste of 7 in the sun is one of my favourite pastimes. And the baby noises in 77777 make me go awwwwwww!

Then again, I was hooked on this ages ago when I sat around the house for 4 months playing WoW and only eating carrots so I wouldn't put on weight. So if my opinion isn't skewed because of THOSE SWEET TIMES, it'd be a damn miracle

B+

buy (1 new $150 HAHA OKAY THEN)

BBC Radiophonic Workshop (Paddy Kingsland) - Fourth Dimension (1973)

Early electronic music (with some acoustic accompaniment; guitar, drums, etc.) that sounds melodic rather than consisting primarily of unstructured or atonal noise. This compilation covers some of Paddy Kingsland's contributions to the music of various BBC radio and TV shows. Because every post I make is doomed to be related to video games, I first discovered a couple of these tunes due to their inclusion in surreal indie RPG Space Funeral, which I also recommend.

Download (256)
Recording courtesy of Dinosaur Gardens.

Oval - Ovalcommers (2001)

I won't pretend to know much about Oval. I've only heard this and the much more widely acclaimed 94 Diskont (noted for "deconstructing music and digital audio by using exacto knives, paint, and tape to damage the surfaces of the compact discs, only to stitch it back together in loops of melody punctuated by the disc's physical skips"). As far as I can tell, 94 Diskont is a masterpiece of glitchy microsound electronica (that's right, I get my tags from wikipedia), which, despite apparently deconstructing the music, seems to have much more of a direction than Ovalcommers. It sounds like a fucked up glitchy, repetitive idm inspired album, perhaps similar to something by Autechre.

Ovalcommers, on the other hand, is a directionless sea of distortion, glitches and sonic textures, which has lead some to claim that it is too harsh, or even gimmicky. I find the complete onslaught of synthesized noises almost invigorating, and that the attention paid to layers and textures makes the album a unique experience every time I listen to it. It's exciting that Oval moved into complete free-form territory for this release, I'll definitely have to look into more of his (Markus Popp's) releases, in particular the album's twin Ovalprocess.



A


256

Mazedude - The American Album (2006)

Happy belated New Year! For the final day of Weaboo Week I'm uploading something that barely fits the theme at all... in fact, this tribute to American video game composers came about partially as a reaction to the abundance of tributes to Japanese composers being released at the time. This pretty much ended up being video game music week, huh? Oh well!

In the American Album, Mazedude (a.k.a. Chris Getman) remixes music from several American video games in a very wide array of styles. Due to his unusual choice of audio software, Mazedude's style has a distinct sample based sound to it which you'll probably either love or hate. A follow-up called American Pixels is due for release later this year. Pre-order it if you're so inclined and in the meantime you'll also get a bonus EP of progressive chiptune remixes.

Because this is one of my favourite albums ever, I also put together a 'companion' download filled with bonus items. Download that too if you'd like to hear the original compositions behind every remix on the album, pieces of music that served as stylistic inspiration for the remixes, unfinished 'sketches' for tracks that never made it onto the album, source files in .IT format for three of the songs... and more.

Download (320)
Download The American Album Companion

Various Artists - Morricone RMX (2001)

Here is something that will hopefully sate uani73's request for "more Morricone": a compilation of remixes devoted to his work.

Tracklist:

The Man With The Harmonica (Apollo 440 Remix)	5:57
For A Few Dollars More (Terranova Remix)	4:44
Here's To You (Copasetic Con Vivi E Selda Remix)	4:17
Belinda May (Fantastic Plastic Machine Edit)	6:48
Clan Of The Sicilians (Amok Sicilian Remix)	6:48
Chi Mai (Nightmares on Wax Remix)	5:21
Il Grande Silencio (Thievery Corporation Remix)	4:14
Un Bacio (Un Bacio è Un Bacio è Un Bacio Remix)	6:16
Doricamente (Tommy Hools Remix)	4:22
Giocoso, Gioioso (Groove Corporation Remix)	5:04
La Bambola/Come Maddalena (Sofa Surfers Remix)	3:52
La Lucertola (De-Phazz Dub Mix)	3:51
Clan Of The Sicilians (Clone Of The Sicilians Mix)	8:21

I love the first track. Others sound like they've just chucked a drumbeat on top of the original song. Nevertheless, if you are a Morricone fan I'd say this is worth listening to.

Download MP3 @MediaFire

Klaus Schulze - Dune (1979) [320]

This is one of several albums I downloaded while searching for some ambient music I heard prior to a movie screening. That music involved organ and alien critter like synthetic noises, followed by (in I assume a subsequent track) almost bossa-nova style percussion.

This album isn't really very similar, though some of Schulze's other music is. Dune was the album I found most enjoyable of those I discovered, though. I prefer the solely instrumental first track to the second, which features a reading of a poem to cheesy percussion. Your opinion may vary.

Of course, if anyone has any ideas about that music I heard, I'd appreciate comments.

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Samuel Ascher-Weiss - Ender's Game (2006) [320]

A symphonic suite by Samuel Ascher-Weiss (a.k.a. Shnabubula) based on the novel Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. Owners of the book may be interested to know the the name of each movement corresponds to the names of the chapter it begins with and the chapter it ends in... I doubt it would be feasible to read the book in time with this 41 minute long composition, but to anyone who wants to try I wish you luck.

There's an incredibly interesting soundscape here consisting of somewhat standard orchestral fare, but augmented with 'ethnic' instruments and strange electronic noise. Recommended for anyone interested in listening to something unique.

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P.S. There's no official cover art that I know of, the image above is just something I whipped up.

Iannis Xenakis - Electronic Music (2000) [320]

1. Diamorphoses (1957)

2. Concret PH (1958)

3. Orient-Occident (1960)

4. Bohor (1962)

5. Hibiki-Hana-Ma (1970)

6. S.709 (1992)

This is a collection of some of the most important electronic music composed in the 20th century. Few composers have risen to Xenakis' level of sophistication and vision, to which this album is testament. This is music which shaped the development of electronic music and is therefore not just an extremely enjoyable and challenging listen, but a hugely important historical document.

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