(RICHLAND WEEK 04)
Expo '70: Animism. (STUDY)
Phish: Joy. (BIKE)
Phish: Party Time. (BIKE)
Here I list the "record of the week" (often a few records), which I listen to repeatedly all week long while I work, letting the music seep deep into my mind, and painting my activities with a color that I will forever remember whenever I later recall each piece. I also post other thoughts on music here too.
2009-12-28
2009-12-07
2009-07-20
James Ferraro: "Edward Flex Presents: "Do You Believe in Hawaii"
James Ferraro of the Skaters, once again, proves that he has a transcendent mind. It's music like this (is it music? Is it just psychedelic white-noise, your internal hum, the harmony of a school of fish -- which is, at the same time, their complete and utter disc(h)ord?); music like this makes me proud to live in our important schizophrenic era, postmodern need-no-rigor never sounded so nice.
(bike: Panda Bear: "s/t"
Animal Collective" "Water Curses" ep)
I thought, based on the immense bliss I experienced a few weeks ago of Panda Bear's newest album, that I would revisit his oldest work, and the newest Animal Collective, but neither is anything worth talking about. A failed week of bike music, no memories have been burned in, but at least I know now.
James Ferraro of the Skaters, once again, proves that he has a transcendent mind. It's music like this (is it music? Is it just psychedelic white-noise, your internal hum, the harmony of a school of fish -- which is, at the same time, their complete and utter disc(h)ord?); music like this makes me proud to live in our important schizophrenic era, postmodern need-no-rigor never sounded so nice.
(bike: Panda Bear: "s/t"
Animal Collective" "Water Curses" ep)
I thought, based on the immense bliss I experienced a few weeks ago of Panda Bear's newest album, that I would revisit his oldest work, and the newest Animal Collective, but neither is anything worth talking about. A failed week of bike music, no memories have been burned in, but at least I know now.
2009-07-13
Whitetree: "Cloudland"
This is really quite nice, definitely earns the genre I made up "post-post-rock", though it verges on being just plain chamber-space-post-rock a la Rachel's. Contemplative, pretty, with enough electricals to fool you that it's space music. A keeper, lovely and relaxing, great for studying or sleeping, or nearly anything.
(bike: Esquivel: "See it in Sound")
Is there anything that needs to be said about Esquivel? If you haven't listened to him, GET HIM. GET ANYTHING. But most important, BLAST IT. I've never heard anything even compare to him, yet the style is so straight (re-worked lounge and showtunes? hello, could the "topic" get any worse?). So this suggests it's not just his technical studio wizardry, it's something holy about his spirit. Everyone's got spirit, but this man is magic, historic.
This is really quite nice, definitely earns the genre I made up "post-post-rock", though it verges on being just plain chamber-space-post-rock a la Rachel's. Contemplative, pretty, with enough electricals to fool you that it's space music. A keeper, lovely and relaxing, great for studying or sleeping, or nearly anything.
(bike: Esquivel: "See it in Sound")
Is there anything that needs to be said about Esquivel? If you haven't listened to him, GET HIM. GET ANYTHING. But most important, BLAST IT. I've never heard anything even compare to him, yet the style is so straight (re-worked lounge and showtunes? hello, could the "topic" get any worse?). So this suggests it's not just his technical studio wizardry, it's something holy about his spirit. Everyone's got spirit, but this man is magic, historic.
2009-07-06
Xenis Emputae Traveling Band: "The Crooked Pool"
Awesome. I used to call this "space folk", indeed it still ought to be. But my recent love for false drone and beautiful space-noise has elevated this to a sort of holy status.
(bike: Phasen: "The Crisis is Over")
Who is this musician? I know nothing about them, and very little about the genre it's a part of (spacy non-dance downtempo electro schizophrenia?) It is quite aligned with your typical Boards of Canada sort of stuff, a little more morose, thus I like it. Another instant memorabilia, this burns deep.
Awesome. I used to call this "space folk", indeed it still ought to be. But my recent love for false drone and beautiful space-noise has elevated this to a sort of holy status.
(bike: Phasen: "The Crisis is Over")
Who is this musician? I know nothing about them, and very little about the genre it's a part of (spacy non-dance downtempo electro schizophrenia?) It is quite aligned with your typical Boards of Canada sort of stuff, a little more morose, thus I like it. Another instant memorabilia, this burns deep.
2009-06-29
Pete Fosco: "Dust, American Dust"
This is excellent, shimmery reverb drone, beautiful. Move over, Peter Wright!! File instantly under favorite.
Super Minerals: "Pelagics"
space noise drone, more aligned with Skaters and Ashtray Navigations. Murky. Ringing, beautiful echo-clatter. Love it / Live it.
(bike record: Black Moth Super Rainbow: "Dandelion Gum", Epic45)
This is excellent, shimmery reverb drone, beautiful. Move over, Peter Wright!! File instantly under favorite.
Super Minerals: "Pelagics"
space noise drone, more aligned with Skaters and Ashtray Navigations. Murky. Ringing, beautiful echo-clatter. Love it / Live it.
(bike record: Black Moth Super Rainbow: "Dandelion Gum", Epic45)
2009-06-22
2009-06-15
Expo '70: Black Ohms
Expo '70: White Ohms
I did an interesting thing recently to discover new musicians. I did this by downloading the first track off of many records by bands I'm not acquainted with, found from a user on Soulseek whose tastes I could tell I am sharing. I went through them and separated those which I liked from those whose worth was not immediately striking, and then studied the striking ones to decide which albums to investigate. One of the most illuminating sounds came from the band Expo '70. I know nothing about them, but their sort of post-krautrock post-postrock space drone (read: space drone played with apparent buzzing near-easternness and clean reverb-y stringed declarations) is much in line with other things I enjoy, which might deserve such a ridiculous genre-name as "post-postrock" (I'd put Yellow6 and Rothko in that category, maybe Emeralds and Colleen and Fabio Orsi, certainly Chessie).
Expo '70: White Ohms
I did an interesting thing recently to discover new musicians. I did this by downloading the first track off of many records by bands I'm not acquainted with, found from a user on Soulseek whose tastes I could tell I am sharing. I went through them and separated those which I liked from those whose worth was not immediately striking, and then studied the striking ones to decide which albums to investigate. One of the most illuminating sounds came from the band Expo '70. I know nothing about them, but their sort of post-krautrock post-postrock space drone (read: space drone played with apparent buzzing near-easternness and clean reverb-y stringed declarations) is much in line with other things I enjoy, which might deserve such a ridiculous genre-name as "post-postrock" (I'd put Yellow6 and Rothko in that category, maybe Emeralds and Colleen and Fabio Orsi, certainly Chessie).
2009-06-08
Ashtray Navigations: How Do Siamese Twins Arrange...
The first side is moderately noisy for this group, and the second side is some great False India shit. Not as sparkling as some of their rare shorter tracks, but it's a keeper.
Aphex Twin: Xylem Tube
I wanted to remind myself what his work sounds like. It's too fast for my liking, but he's definitely talented. Okay, I admit: the former botanist in me was attracted to the ep title.
GHQ: Requiem For Bhopal
This is more like a straight drone from this group, less differentiation of the actual instrumentation. It matched the Ashtray Navigations quite well.
The first side is moderately noisy for this group, and the second side is some great False India shit. Not as sparkling as some of their rare shorter tracks, but it's a keeper.
Aphex Twin: Xylem Tube
I wanted to remind myself what his work sounds like. It's too fast for my liking, but he's definitely talented. Okay, I admit: the former botanist in me was attracted to the ep title.
GHQ: Requiem For Bhopal
This is more like a straight drone from this group, less differentiation of the actual instrumentation. It matched the Ashtray Navigations quite well.
2009-06-01
Emeralds: What Happened
Suddenly, Emeralds are playing some stellar stuff. I always enjoyed their ambient space drone, which is very enveloping and languorous, but it buzzed a bit too much. I don't mind noise, but the older stuff seems a bit nondescript (if using noise, it should be used gloriously for texture, for instance, like Starving Weirdos tend to do, or Zaimph). But the latest recordings from this year, as evidenced by this record are a twinkling magical gem (perhaps a green one?!) It suits well for sleep, for kitchenry, study, bicycling, and meditation. Multiple listens do not dull it, and it is much less drowsy than their older stuff. In a way, it reminds me of Ash Ra Tempel's less-folksy stuff.
(notable bike record):
Panda Bear: Person Pitch
Wow. I put off listening to this because I have not been enjoying the direction that the Animal Collective albums have been going in (too cluttered and inelegant, despite their growing repertoire for sound). But, this solo album is bliss. Some of it is obviously looped samples that come in and out and are sung over. The segues between the melodic parts are sublime. There is a lot of EXTRA reverb on the vocals, and personally I love it. It makes it sound more like a Beach Boys relic than modern stoner hipster pop.
Suddenly, Emeralds are playing some stellar stuff. I always enjoyed their ambient space drone, which is very enveloping and languorous, but it buzzed a bit too much. I don't mind noise, but the older stuff seems a bit nondescript (if using noise, it should be used gloriously for texture, for instance, like Starving Weirdos tend to do, or Zaimph). But the latest recordings from this year, as evidenced by this record are a twinkling magical gem (perhaps a green one?!) It suits well for sleep, for kitchenry, study, bicycling, and meditation. Multiple listens do not dull it, and it is much less drowsy than their older stuff. In a way, it reminds me of Ash Ra Tempel's less-folksy stuff.
(notable bike record):
Panda Bear: Person Pitch
Wow. I put off listening to this because I have not been enjoying the direction that the Animal Collective albums have been going in (too cluttered and inelegant, despite their growing repertoire for sound). But, this solo album is bliss. Some of it is obviously looped samples that come in and out and are sung over. The segues between the melodic parts are sublime. There is a lot of EXTRA reverb on the vocals, and personally I love it. It makes it sound more like a Beach Boys relic than modern stoner hipster pop.
2009-05-25
2009-05-18
2009-05-11
2009-04-27
2009-04-06
2009-03-23
2009-03-09
2009-03-02
2009-02-16
2009-02-09
2009-01-26
2009-01-05
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