Words About Music
Read some samples of my music writing from way back when.
I started writing about music professionally back in 1993, when I took a job as the music editor for a small Portland arts & politics biweekly called PDXS. I wound up doing that for over five years, learning a lot about music and writing along the way.
After PDXS folded, I kept doing freelance music writing for The Seattle Weekly and Portland’s Willamette Week for a few years, but I haven’t done any music writing since 2004 or so.
The bulk of my music writing was short blurbs about upcoming shows, since, not surprisingly, that work is easier to come by. I have, however, done plenty of record reviews, articles, and interviews. Also, while I was music editor for PDXS, I wrote and edited whatever was needed to fill out the music section, as well as laying it all out!
Anyway, here are some samples from 2002 (Note that these pieces are my final drafts, not the edited versions that appeared in print.)
Meat Beat Manifesto - RUOK? - :\run recordings
(First appeared in the Willamette Week, December, 2002)
Finally, a full four years after the excellent Actual Sounds & Voices, there is a new Meat Beat Manifesto record. It would be all too easy to conclude that the man behind the Meat Beat, Jack Dangers, was reluctant to attempt a follow-up to that masterpiece. However, Dangers has actually released a couple records under his own name in the last couple years. And taking this “solo” work into account, the more subdued, stripped-down vibe of RUOK? seems like more of a logical progression.
On this hour-long disk, Dangers skips the vocals all together—which is fine since singing was never his strongpoint anyway—and generally avoids burying the proceedings in a wall of samples. Instead he focuses on his trademark mélange of syncopated breakbeats and stuttering analog arpeggios, frosted with the requisite soundbites and ethereal effects. The result is a twelve-pack of fun, funky electro-ditties that never fails to engage.
Fans may lament the lack of standout tracks like “Prime Audio Soup” and “Acid Again” on this record, but none of the work here is really that far a field from AS&V—many of the jammier tracks from that disc would fit right in here. And ultimately that’s more of a disappointment than any dissimilarity between the records: I, for one, wouldn’t mind if Dangers dropped the breakbeats and the dub bass and even the quirky samples and threw his impressive rhythmic abilities into some really out there IDMish sonic exploration. Whaddya say Jack, just for a little while?
Tigerbeat 6 Paws Across America Tour: Cex, Numbers, Stars As Eyes
First appeared in the Willamette Week, December, 2002
Back in the waning days of the 20th century, Oakland’s deranged electro-punk wizard, Kid 606—aka Miguel Depedro—decided he wasn’t content to simply scar the ears of unsuspecting listeners with his own unholy marriage of experimental electronica and punk noise. So, he founded Tigerbeat 6 Records to bring the musical antics of other likeminded miscreants to the masses.
In just under three years, the label has churned out dozens of releases by acts such as Blectum From Blechdom, Pimmon, DAT Politics, and others. In the process, the Tigerbeat 6 stable has explored the far reaches of contemporary pop—and not so pop—music: from funky to beatless, from reflective to barrage, from serious to silly. To further spread the Tigerbeat musical mayhem, three of the label’s finest have mounted the 45-day “Paws Across America” Tour of the U.S. and Canada.
Cex is the stage name of prolific and precocious Baltimore native, Rjyan Kidwell, who—though barely old enough to drink—has put out more than a half dozen releases in the last four years and is Depedro’s main cohort in running Tigerbeat 6. Though his output wanders through austere electronica and nearly ambient atmospherics, Kidwell’s true love is undoubtedly hip-hop. His goofy stage antics and complete lack of inhibition have made his live appearances legendary.
San Francisco trio Numbers add a bit of punk pungency to the night’s proceedings. Their short blasts of funky guitar, raspy synths, simplistic drumming and barked vocals declare a direct lineage to funk-punk godfathers Gang of Four. More recent reference points might include Add N to X or some of the K/Kill Rock Stars stuff. But whatever acts you compare them to, they are clearly catchy and fun.
Stars As Eyes kick off the evening on a more meditative note. Their two records for Tigerbeat find the duo from Providence, RI crafting elaborate compositions from treated guitar, strangled samples and other electronic detritus.
Rumor has it that the tour has been full of high jinks. But, even if you catch them on a subdued night, just the variety of styles on parade tonight would make this bill worth checking out. That and you’d be doing your part to assure total Tigerbeat 6 world domination.
Electric Birds, Module, CNSE (Chop Suey)
First appeared in the Seattle Weekly, December, 2002
Earlier this year, San Francisco’s Electric Birds—which is actually one guy, named Mike Martinez—released Gradations, his first album for Frankfurt, Germany’s Mille Plateaux Records. He is one of a handful of Americans to receive the ultra-hip techno label’s stamp of approval. The move makes sense, however, as the atmospheric drones, rhythmic echoes and sputtering glitches that Martinez deftly assembles are right at home with his new European label mates. Tending most often towards the minimalist dub style of the Basic Channel or Chain Reaction stables, his material manages to nicely balance cerebral reward with butt bumping rhythms.
First appeared in the Seattle Weekly, November, 2002
There have been other acts that have mined the rich depths of cocktail lounge and spy themes for sample material, but Ursula 1000—with a keen sense of rhythm and giddy fun—pokes his nose out of the pack. Known as Alex Gimeno to his mother, he grew up in Miami but relocated to New York to take the DJ world by storm. He’s put out three volumes of his exhaustive record vault expeditions for The Thievery Corporation’s Eighteenth Street Lounge records and will provide all who attend just what they need most at this time of the year: a few hours of carefree, funky fun.
Chessie, Signer, Neinvolt, Nudge (Blackbird)
First appeared in the Willamette Week, October, 2002
New York electronic/post-rock duo Chessie mixes meditative electronic noise with lush guitar pop for a winning combination. New Zealand’s Bevan Smith, aka Signer, has similar success with atmospheric dub beats at times reminiscent of the European Chain Reaction/Basic Channel sound. The combination of these two acts with Neinvolt—which reportedly is one of the Chessie guys playing solo—and local electronically-enhanced post-rockers Nudge, makes this a excellent evening of thought-provoking, hyper-hyphenated music.
Amon Tobin - Out From Out Where - Ninja Tune Records
First appeared in the Willamette Week, October, 2002
Ninja Tune posterchild Amon Tobin delivers yet another collection of complex, confounding and endlessly creative cuts on Out From Out Where, his fifth full length (counting from his debut, released under the name Cujo). This time around he seems to inch a little closer to the jungle barrage he lays down in his live sets; the overall vibe is a bit more intense and busier than Supermodified. Not that there aren’t any calm, reflective moments, as is evidenced by tracks like “Searchers” and “Proper Hoodige.” As usual, they come cloaked in eerie, atmospheric samples likely lifted from some long forgotten b-movie soundtrack. However, when Mr. Tobin gets going, as with squishy, swirly stompers like “Verbal” (with chipmunk rapping by MC Decimal R.), “Triple Science” and “Rosies” the sheer wall of sonic activity is dizzying. All in all, yet further evidence of this guy’s spectacular sound shaping and beat wrangling skills.
Amon Tobin: More Musical Mayhem From the Jazzy Jungle King
Written for Seattle Weekly but spiked, October, 2002
Amon Tobin—born in Brazil, raised in England, currently based in Montreal—has become one of the most respected names in electronic pop music. His intricate arranging and processing of samples yields a sound that is simultaneously mysterious, ethereal, funky, jazzy, organic and eclectic. In fact, it’s fairly safe to say that there isn’t much else like his style out there.
His accomplished arrangements and subtle sense of rhythm have brought him a rabid fan base and nearly unanimous high regard from critics. His post-modern jazz stylings have even been tapped for a high-profile BMW ad campaign.
Out From Out Where, released last week on Ninja Tune Records, is his fifth full length (including his first disc, released under the name Cujo) and it hits the streets more than two years after his last effort, Supermodified.
- Reaction to Out From Out Where seems to be a bit schizo: some say it's more intense and darker than your past albums while others say the opposite. What do you make of that?
- Well, this record is not as accessible, in my opinion, as Supermodified. It's definitely got some dark and dense stuff but it's also got some lighter, melodic moments. I tried to create contrast between the melodic elements and the aggressive stuff; I’m really into that contrast. I've put out five albums now, and each time there's been someone who's said it's this or that thing compared to the last album, and a few months later they've completely changed their minds anyway. I don't really pay much attention to that.
- It does seem that your material, more so than many other musicians, reveals itself gradually, that details come out only after repeated listens or only when listening in the right state of mind. Do you have any idea why this is so?
- Well there's a lot going on in these tracks. There's an element of instant gratification, which I think is important, but I certainly hope there's some longevity in the arrangements. There's stuff going on in the periphery of the tracks and hopefully it will open up with repeated listens.
- Do you think this has anything to do with using samples?
- Oh yeah, the thing about sampling is that it's not a very clean sound, there's always something lurking in the background, especially if you sample from vinyl. I tend to take three or four layers of samples and then strip it down again and there'll be remnants of things I've taken away. There will be kind of like shrapnel in there and I think that adds a lot of character to a sound.
- How do you go about finding your source material?
- I go into a record shop with my portable deck and my headphones and I go through a lot of different sections and pick out things that I find interesting. I just sit in the corner of the shop and go through them for sounds I need or could something with. Often the records won't be anything I'd normally buy but they'll have some sound that could be useful.
- So, you probably have a huge record collection then?
- Oh no, my flat is very small, so I can't keep a lot of records. I try to make a lot out of a little. I didn't have much of a record collection when I started so I learned to make the most out of what I had. I'm not really into collecting.
- How do you pick from the nearly infinite available source material out there? The choices must be a bit overwhelming.
- I think it's kind of the same as buying a computer and you start thinking about all the things you can do -- make movies, make music, make multimedia -- you end up just kind of stunned looking at the screen. I think it's much better to work the other way around, where you have a specific use for something, where you have an idea that you need to realize so you buy the tool to do it.
- So, you have a concrete idea for a song when you start it?
- I'd like to say that I always have a concrete idea for which I just magically find all the sounds. Sometimes I have a framework that is pretty solid and I try to find the sounds to make it happen but other times I'm just inspired by something I hear and I'll just roll with it. More often than not, especially on this album, I'm pretty disciplined. I think it would be a shame to limit yourself.
- Is this discipline responsible for the rather long wait for Out From Out Where?
- Yeah, I’m afraid so. I really wanted to make album that I could be proud of. It's important to me that people realize that this is "hand-made" music. It's not a vehicle to becoming a rock star or having lots of money. I happy to have money from what I do, it's really a labor of love and I work at it until I think it's right.
Chris Cutler & Thomas Dimuzio, Super Unity Trio (Blackbird)
First appeared in the Willamette Week, October, 2002
Experimental music fans won’t want to miss this chance to see a legend like Chris Cutler and the lesser-known but equally talented Thomas Dimuzio do their thing. Cutler’s been at it since the sixties, playing in acts like Henry Cow, The Art Bears, and Pere Ubu and working with folks like Fred Frith, Zeena Parkins, and Peter Blegvad. Dimuzio’s been recording since the late eighties and has worked with a lot of the same people. For this tour, Cutler’s playing percussion and electronics while Dimuzio contributes live sampling and processing. Expect eclectic, odd and often challenging listening.
Squarepusher - Do You Know Squarepusher - Warp Records
First appeared in the Willamette Week, October, 2002
You gotta feel sorry for all the teachers, headmasters and other people in a position of authority over Tom Jenkinson in the past. He must have been the most spastic, hyperactive kid ever, if the unholy squalls of schizoid sound and manic beats that he has unleashed as Squarepusher are any indication.
Do You Know Squarepusher finds Jenkinson continuing his return to drill ‘n bass—and away from jazz fusion—that he started on last year’s Go Plastic. From the killer pop hook of the title track to the percolating glitch funk of “Kill Robok,” to the ten-minute electronic noise jam of “Mutilation Colony,” this is classic Squarepusher all the way. The surprise of the record is a strangely straightforward cover of Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” complete with shy (!?), quavering vocals from Jenkinson.
The other surprise of the record is how short it is: 32:10... more of an EP than a new album, really. However, a second disc, recorded live in Japan, offsets this brevity. Portlanders might consider this something of a consolation prize after Jenkinson cancelled his show here last summer. On the other hand, we can see what we missed: a totally insane Jenkinson screaming at his audience to “make some noise” and then pulverizing them with his own.
Beck - Sea Change - Geffen/Interscope Records
First appeared on Buzz24.com, October, 2002
Beck’s new album—hitting the streets almost three years after his last CD, Midnite Vultures— is a classic example of a long-standing pop music conundrum: should the artist make what his fans want or make what he feels. The legions of Beck-o-philes who grooved to his wacky, absurdist party tunes will likely stand in horrified shock, lip quivering, desperately clicking the remote through one morose, melancholy number after another. Listening to it back to back with Midnite Vultures, this record sounds like the somber morning after a massive blowout (and apparently Mr. Hansen has somewhat crashed and burned after the collapse of his longtime romance). Considered apart from his oeuvre, however, this is a decent batch of traditional balladry and not without some quirky touches. And hey, even the party people get blue now and then.
First appeared in the Seattle Weekly, October, 2002
Based in Berlin and Tokyo, KMH is a trio of laptop audio artists who’ve been in town for a couple weeks participating in a Cornish College of the Arts symposium called “Sound Structures.” Their performance at the Nation last week found the trio working in a semi-rhythmic, rumbling, glitchy vein that alternated between pleasure and pain, between compelling and confounding. Tonight’s Polestar Gallery appearance is your last chance to catch them on this visit and is well worth it for the sonically venturous. Earplugs and Advil recommended.
NWEAMO 2002: The 4th Annual International Portland/San Diego Electro-Acoustic Festival
First appeared in the Willamette Week, October, 2002
“There are all these people now who are coming to music in non-traditional ways,” explains Joe Waters, “they didn’t start playing violin at the age of five. They may have started out playing in rock bands or, these days, making music in their bedroom on their computer.”
It was with these people in mind that Waters founded NWEAMO: the Northwest Electro-Acoustic Music Organization. “The whole mission of NWEAMO is to create connections between the electronic classical avant-garde and the experimental fringe of pop electronica.”
NWEAMO’s annual showcase of experimental performances started back in 1998 while Waters was teaching at Lewis & Clarke. He has since moved to San Diego and started an Electro-Acoustic Music program at San Diego State University. But, rather than simply move the festival to San Diego, Waters decided to put it on in both cities. “I set up this whole organization in Portland and I’ve been around long enough to realize that you just don’t let things go… it’s your life’s legacy.”
As with previous years, the fourth festival has a theme: “works with a performance art aspect.” Not that the committee sifting through the hundreds of entries would ignore anything less performance oriented, but they were “hoping to find a few particularly performance oriented acts to feature.”
The results include acts such as CMAU (who use contact microphones to amplify homemade instruments and found objects), Milena Iossifova (who plays the VoiceMutator, a computer-aided instrument based on the human voice and of her own design), Michael Theodore and Terry Longshore (who combine tabla with computer processing) and Maxime De La Rochefoucauld (who turns the performance aspects over to machines: an ensemble of automatons who play their “oddly organic polyrhythms”).
So, if you’re looking for throbbing techno beats, this isn’t the show for you. But with fourteen eclectic, electro-acoustic acts from seven countries playing over two days... there’s plenty for the more adventurous listener to get excited about.
First appeared in the Willamette Week, September, 2002
“There are a lot of bedroom electronic producers here in Portland and they're making music that's fantastic but not commercially viable,” says Galen Beals, a local electronic musician who goes by the stage name N-Grava. “I love the idea of pulling a blanket off something unusual and saying to a crowd, 'ta-da!'” He and some of his laptop-lugging cronies are starting a new Portland-based label called IsDiff Records to bring their eclectic, electric exercises to the world.
“Kyle Jones (Glomm) and I started talking about releasing our music on our own. We looked into the costs of producing a CD and realized that it wasn't as expensive as we had initially thought. Eventually, Jonas Rake (Dampkrane) and Ro Subramanya (Bitmarch) joined in to help out.”
All of these guys make variations on what is commonly referred to—for lack of more descriptive terms—intelligent dance music, or IDM. This basically means exploring the boundaries of musical sound; pushing the limits of what their software and hardware will do. The results run the gamut from bouncing bubbly beats to expansive rhythmless meandering.
Of course, no electronic music label can be without a website, and Beals has put together a very spiffy one for IsDiff (www.isdiff.com). What’s particularly noteworthy, however, is that the site allows the visitor to download or stream a full album’s worth of complete, high-quality mp3’s of N-Grava tunes, with songs by others to come.
“I want people to know what we are about when they go to our web site,” explains Beals. “To me the best way seems to just give them some of our music to decide for themselves if they like it.”
This puts IsDiff in the company of a growing number of electronic music labels who offer at least some of their releases for free download. Referred to as Online Labels, these sites run the gamut from unabashedly non-profit groups offering all their artists’ material, complete with cover art, to somewhat more conservative operations, who alternate mp3 releases with recordings offered on CD-R. IsDiff leans more towards the latter.
“IsDiff is not strictly an online label,” says Beals, referring to sites that give everything away. “We all share the same ideals about making music, but we don’t always have the same feelings about releasing it. One of the things I'm interested in doing is offering releases in many different formats, on-line, CD, vinyl, and even minidisk or DVD.”
This unconventional approach is also something of an inevitable response to the inexorable tide of online file sharing. “At one time I thought there were enough music collectors out there who would buy records just to own them, so that they have something tangible in their hands. But now that seems to be shifting.”
On the other hand, Beals and his buddies are pragmatic about their financial prospects. “The object at this point is just to promote our music. Get it in the hands of people who like this kind of music. All the money that's made from the label, even the shows, goes right back into doing more releases.”
So, the only question that remains is whether a mid-line city like Portland can support so much esoteric electronica; IsDiff joins OMCO, Audio Dregs, and Archigramophone in the local IDM market. “I think Portland has the potential to become an electronic music hotspot, says Beals. “The real eye-opener for me was when Autechre played here last year; the place was packed! Where did all those people come from? I think having several local IDM labels helps us, makes us stronger, more unified. It just means more twisted electro for Portlanders.”
Grandmaster Flash, DJ Jam, Livio (Showbox)
First appeared in the Seattle Weekly, August, 2002
His name may, to many a young music lover, conjure up kitschy images of eighties electro beats and early hip hop braggadocio. But before dismissing this evening as yet another nostalgia-fest for forty-somethings, consider the fact that Grandmaster Flash invented many of the tricks that thousands of young table jockeys take for granted today (cutting, back spinning, punch phrasing, etc.). Now, even innovators can become embarrassing, but at least with a DJ it’s his record choice that matters rather than a largely deflated songwriting ability. Basically, this show should be to table jockeys what a Jimmy Page or Jeff Beck show would be to guitarists.
Cornelius: Breaking New Ground in Hybrid Japanopop
First appeared in the Willamette Week, August, 2002
Japanese pop whiz kid and renaissance man Keigo Oyamada—better known to the world as Cornelius—first came to American attention back in 1998 when he released his U.S. debut, Fantasma. Fusing a Beatles-level pop saavy with a Boredoms-esque sense of humor and a production ethic that Phil Spector would have been proud of, it was a modern pop masterpiece. It took four long years, but Cornelius—who took his stage name from the Planet of the Apes—has finally returned with Point, his long overdue follow-up.
“I was touring, remixing, producing and took about one year to make Point and got married and had a kid,” offers Keigo in explanation. It’s not too surprising really, when you consider that he also runs the Trattoria label, has done dozens of remixes and has many other irons in the fire.
Time, and perhaps fatherhood seem to have mellowed him a bit, as Point doesn’t quite have the same rapid-fire, channel switching vibe as Fantasma.
“I’ve experienced many things and I think I matured a bit,” he offers. “I think that Fantasma had a lot of information. But this time I wanted to create more space between the sounds and only use the information that I felt was necessary.”
That’s not to say that Point is even remotely predictable. It still benefits from Oyamada’s meticulous cut & paste production method and stylistic leaps: the flamenco-tinged “Bird Watching at Inner Forest” leads into the heavy-metal romp, “I Hate Hate” which in turn leads into an exquisite electro-pop cover of the samba classic, “Brazil.” But, these change-ups are done smoothly and without the head spinning effect that Fantasma could sometimes have.
His choice of radio and TV samples, his thorough grasp of American pop music and even his choice of moniker all suggest an intimate understanding of American culture. This would seem quite a feat for a Japanese lad whose grasp of English isn’t so hot. But, according to Keigo, it makes more sense than many Americans realize.
“After Japan lost the war to America, it's become a mixed culture full of American, European and not just Japanese,” he explains. “There isn't really a pure Japanese culture.
“I don't really understand English much, so I don't know what people are singing about,” he continues. “But, there's a message that comes through music—which is a good part of music—and I catch the atmosphere/feeling through it.”
Múm: Icelandic IDM Outfit Conjures the Ghosts of Youth
First appeared in the Seattle Weekly, August, 2002
No matter how old and crotchety we get there is always a little bit of the child we once were, buried deep inside us. Random sensory information—a smell or a sound—can sometimes trigger a flood of memories, tapping into that inner-child that we’ve buried so well. And occasionally, a band comes along that has a knack for channeling that childhood vibe, for capturing the essence of youth in their sound.
“I had a place to run around when I was little, a big hill with trees and run-down bunkers and tunnels from the war,” says Múm’s Örvar Þóreyjarson Smárason, attempting to explain how this Icelandic quartet so perfectly captures the essence of childhood. “It's the intense senses and feelings and thoughts that all blend together into being a child.”
He and his bandmates—Gunnar Örn Tynes, and twin sisters Gyða and Kristín Anna Valtýsdóttir—recently released Finally We Are No One, their second album of lilting melodies laid delicately and carefully over bubbling, glitchy beats and shimmering electronic washes. They avoid the usual electronic outfit’s tendency to become addicted to computer sounds and samples, incorporating glockenspiel, accordion, guitar, cello and other traditional instruments into their music.
“Playing around is important for us,” explains Örvar, “enjoying and trying out different things.” His “playing around” with computers dates back to when his parents bought their first computer and young Örvar started experimenting with programming BASIC. After hitching up with Gunnar, they discovered the classically trained Valtýsdóttir sisters playing Pixies covers at a community center. They found that the girls’ whispery vocals and multi-instrumental skills were an ideal match for their dual laptop trickery.
After an early cassette-only release, the foursome released their debut album, Yesterday Was Dramatic Today Is OK, on Iceland’s Thule Records in 2000 and were quickly gobbled up by both the international music press and the European IDM community. Comparisons were drawn to Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada and even Scottish baroque popsters Belle & Sebastian (with whom the band has since become friends). All of which these mellow middle-class kids took in stride.
“Yes, we have had a warm reception, but we don’t feel any pressure because of it,” quips Örvar.
Their adoption by the European experimental electronic scene led to a number of remixes by laptop heavyweights like μ-ziq, Christian Kleine, ISAN, Phonem and B. Fleischman. In 2001, Morr Music—a hip German digital pop label—put together a number of mixes and some new tracks for Please Smile My Noise Bleed. Múm got in on the other end of the remix game as well, reworking tracks by acts such as Italian/Icelandic chanteuse Emiliana Torrini and the last big thing to come out of Iceland, Sigur Ros.
Apparently their connection with musicians from around Europe hasn’t made Múm tired of Iceland, either. When asked whom they would like to remix, Örvar replies, “It would be good to remix Gunnar Thordarson (a popular and prolific Icelandic songwriter). But he is old and Icelandic, so maybe that does not count. But he has written many songs that would be good to play around with.”
After Thule Records sold a Múm song to Sony without asking the band, thus breaking their contract, the foursome moved to Fat Cat for Finally We Are No One. The record finds the band leaning a little more towards the melodic, less towards the twittering electronic meanderings.
“There is more focus on Finally We Are No One,” admits Örvar. [Recording] “Yesterday was more of just letting it come out the way it wanted. It’s not any direction that we have thought about heading in. Maybe the next album will just roll itself out.”
They don’t have a set method of coming up with their ideas. “We compose in many ways. Sometimes the beats come first and melodies later or first there are recorded sounds and then there is a guitar. Or there is a tune and then there is everything else. I can’t really explain. I can tell you that there is a lot of time spent with an instrument or in front of the computer or both.”
Regardless how it came about, these four unassuming kids from Iceland have made one of the best records of the year; a hypnotizing and inviting blend of quirky acoustic instrumentation and cutting-edge electronica.
Steroid Maximus - Ectopia - Ipecac Records
First appeared in the Seattle Weekly, August, 2002
J.G. Thirlwell, the multi-monikered musical maniac responsible for all things Foetus (Scraping Foetus of The Wheel, Foetus Inc., Foetus All Nude Review, etc.) resurrects his Steroid Maximus project a full ten years after his initial pair of offerings under that name. He pretty much picks up where he left off, though the tracks on Ectopia are more homogeneous and polished. His early nineties Steroid material wore you down with it’s sheer mass of sampled material and frenetic pace. This improvement is probably partially due to dramatic technological advances, but Thirlwell’s growth as an artist undoubtedly plays a roll as well
Like an imaginary soundtrack to a very strange film, the all-instrumental material leads the listener through vivid cerebral vistas, some scary, some larkish. Thirlwell throws out random styles, samples and sensibilities, and makes it all seem effortless. It’s heavy on the neo-swing and lounge motifs but there are plenty of eclectic curveballs thrown in to spice up the proceedings. Foetus fans will certainly not be disappointed with this new collection (if they can live without his singing). But, even if you’ve shied away from Thirlwell’s “doom und drang” in the past, this is a fun, breezy—albeit kooky—listen for a sunny summer day.
Signaldrift, Wang Inc., Nudge, Wobblyhead DJ’s (Blackbird)
First appeared in the Willamette Week, July, 2002
It’s been a few months since we heard anything from Portland’s bastion of all things twittery and glitchy—the Outward Music Company, aka OMCO—but this show finds them in fine form. Milwaukee’s Signaldrift put out his first full-length of atmospheric and melodic IDM on OMCO back in 2000, but his new one (a collaboration with The Turing Test) is on Wobblyhead. Italy’s Wang Inc. has a little more bounce in his burble and has released stuff on Sonig (Mouse on Mars’ label) and Bip Hop. Local jazzy electronic combo, Nudge, will be trying out new material from their upcoming fall release.
Puffy Ami Yumi: Japanese Pop Sensations Invade US
First appeared in the Willamette Week, July, 2002
They play to stadiums full of screaming fans. They’ve sold millions of records. They have their own TV show and action figures. They can’t even go to the corner store without being recognized. They are Puffy AmiYumi, one of Japan’s biggest pop sensations and they’ve come to take America by storm.
Well, the members of this super-cute, sugar-pop duo—Ami Onuki and Yumi Yoshimura—are more pragmatic than that. “We don’t expect to be playing Madison Square Garden overnight,” says Ami, “to be honest, we don’t worry about the speculations [of the American press].”
“I am happy for the opportunity of playing in front of an American audience,” echoes Yumi, “I hope they like our show.”
The duo came together back in the mid-nineties, when the two gals—unknown to each other at the time—entered a talent search contest for Sony. The talent scout who thought to pair the two together has certainly earned his pay, as the duo has gone on to sell over 14 million copies of their half dozen releases. In building their repertoire, they’ve explored just about every pop style imaginable. A short list of stylistic landmarks might include: ELO, Abba, The Who, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Jam, Motown, and more.
“We just try to do something interesting and really fun,” explains Ami, “not only for our audiences but also for ourselves.” Yumi adds, “We just [go where] the music leads us.”
It remains to be seen whether millions of American kids will go for the Puffy AmiYumi pop rummage sale. One stumbling block will certainly be that most of their lyrics are in Japanese. “It may be difficult,” agrees Ami. “Nonetheless, you will get the vibe of what we are singing about.” And besides, let us not forget the cross-cultural megaforce known as Hello Kitty; Puffy AmiYumi—with their cute looks and cartoon identities (the creation of celebrated New York pop artist, Rodney Alan Greenblat)—could certainly tap into that vibe.
All-in-all the girls will take it as it comes. “I would love it if people just enjoy the music,” says Ami. “I can’t do something that I personally am not interested in. We always try to do some experimental stuff to see what happens. That is the Puffy AmiYumi way.”
Richie Hawtin, Wesley Holmes, Dave Zam (Showbox)
First appeared in the Seattle Weekly, June, 2002
While the DJ/dance thing has always been less of a spectator sport than rock—the crowd’s generally more interested in dancing than watching—a pioneer like Richie Hawtin might very well draw a crowd around the tables. This bespectacled uber-geek stumbled into the Detroit club scene at just the right time (the late eighties), and soon became one of the prime movers in that city’s techno revolution. However, rather than rest on his laurels, Hawtin has branched out in a variety of experimental directions—from brain-bashing-beat-barrage to barely-there-ambient-minimalism—and has worked with a veritable who’s-who of electronic music. He’s even traipsed along the bleeding edge of equipment design, using and championing a computer-aided turntable and mixer system called Final Scratch. That alone might make pushing your way to the DJ booth worthwhile.
