I’m not an “expert”, actually, not even a frequent and frenetic listener of contemporary symphonic music. But Zorn it’s Zorn, my curiosity was bigger then my fear of abstract, eventually unfriendly listening. And Zorn managed to grab my attention. Still, this is quite dark, dramatic, twisted out Wagnerian feels-like music, unfriendly and probably for most nerve-racking, or at least disturbing. The violin (the cello and ultimately the soprano… 😆 ) sometimes literally split your brain in two and makes your ears bleeding, while the tension it’s tenebrous and the dissonances makes you feel like you’re trapped in a horror movie – think of the Kubrick’s “The Shining” soundtrack. The four parts of “Ceremonial Magic” definitively fits that profile and vibe. Still, the work have a huge groove and Kenny Wollesen bang his drums like crazy. Zorn’s cinematic experiences are leaving their sonic finger-prints on his symphonic adventures as well. Don’t think that the closing one-act opera, “La Machine de l’Être”, because of the vocals it’s an easier piece. It’s not.
John Zorn is not only prolific, but also fascinating, he manage to express himself in so many different ways by different musical vehicles – just like any true Magician. And there is no doubt, Zorn it’s a Magician. Read more John Zorn – Music and Its Double (2012)
Yearly Archives: 2013
Welcome To The Music Business…. You’re FUCKED!
“Well, there are 101 ways to get fucked in this business – the more you are aware of – the better off you’ll be. Right? This is a very dangerous world and when you come un-stuck it isn’t always just “aw shucks that was wild” it could be bankruptcy, loss of friendships, divorce, death, you might end up in a cover band.” – says Martin Atkins and he continue: “It’s a little bit Disney, a little bit Tarantino….two conflicting ideas, the yin, the yang, two halves making a black hole battling it out in the tumble dryer with someones severed foot.”
Martin Clive Atkins (born 3 August 1959, Coventry, England) is an English drummer and session musician, probably best known for his work in post-punk and industrial groups including Public Image Ltd (PiL), Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Pigface, Killing Joke, and his murderous projects such as the industrial supergroup Pigface, The Damage Manual, and Murder Inc.
Martin Atkins is the definition of entrepreneurial activity in cultural arts endeavors, his 30+ years in the music business spans across genres and borders and industries.
He is the owner of Invisible Records and Mattress Factory Recording Studios (est. 1988). He is the author of Tour:Smart, a Suicide Girls columnist, taught at Columbia College Chicago for six years and currently teaches Madison Media Institute. Martin is a producer, drummer, documentary film maker, DJ, and father of four.
Now you can download for free his fabulous write-up about music industry, “Welcome To The Music Business….You’re FUCKED!” from HERE by giving-up your precious contact details. Read more Welcome To The Music Business…. You’re FUCKED!
Ben Royal feat. Kate Walsh – Home, EP (2013)
Both, Ben Royal and Kate Walsh, are terribly common names. Not really helpful to google them because you will end up reading about a million different people from all over the world from Australia to Alaska.
If Ben it’s not a doctor having fun twisting beats off after-hours, he night be a DJ from Melbourne, Australia, while Kate, hm, there are too many Kate’s I guess, actresses, singers, waitresses, whatever.
The key of selling a product it’s not the product itself, but the identity of it. Hard to impossible sell something without solid, build-up identity while the market it’s anyway over-saturated and lately everybody “doing” music, “making” music, but nobody listening music, and very few are interested in buying music. You say Lady Gaga and everyone automatically knows exactly what you’re talking about. Ben who?
Although “Home” it’s an uplifting, melodious and minimalist, but really nice and sweet, danceable house track featuring in two different mixes (original and radio edit) and benefitting of 6 tasty alternative remixes delivered by Chris Valencia, U4Ya (with two mixes), Franco De Mulero, Desusino Boys and Max Fabian. Read more Ben Royal feat. Kate Walsh – Home, EP (2013)
Steven Wilson – The Raven That Refused To Sing (and other stories) (2013)
Third and deadly? The restless guitarist of Porcupine Tree, and beside involved in a million and one projects and collaborations, plus full time mixer, remixer and producer, it’s back with his third solo album which will be released on 25th February 2013. Alan Parsons (best known for his work on Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side of the Moon”) engineering the album and we’ve got a quite colorful and dynamic mixture of King Crimson, Rush and Jethro Tull. Probably not accidentally, currently Wilson is remixing the back catalogue of King Crimson from 1969–84 into MLP (Meridian Lossless Packaging) 5.1 and new stereo mixes, as well as remixing the back catalogue of Jethro Tull.
So, the presence of Theo Travis (flute and saxophone) it’s not really surprising. Travis has made ten albums as leader, composing and arranging most of the material; and he has also worked with Robert Fripp, Gong, The Tangent, Bill Nelson, Bass Communion, No-Man, David Sylvian, Harold Budd, John Foxx, Burnt Friedman and Dave, Richard Sinclair, and Porcupine Tree. But this is a full all star release featuring exclusively well respected and acclaimed musicians. Read more Steven Wilson – The Raven That Refused To Sing (and other stories) (2013)
Tribute to Laghetto – Il coraggio di essere suonati (2013)
This is a double album, tribute to the Italian hardcore punk band called Laghetto compiled by the Italian music web magazine Impatto Sonoro. And what for these guys was a year of hard work, you can have it for free by giving up your precious e-mail address HERE. But, as they say, more then a tribute, this is a declaration of love. Although Laghetto prefers to called themselves a”ninja-core band”. So, this is Ninja love. Kind of murderous, isn’t it? And well, you got the chance to get know a lot of really ass-kicking Italian bands of different genres given quite different flavors to the original tracks. Read more Tribute to Laghetto – Il coraggio di essere suonati (2013)
Figure Announces “Adventures In Time & Space” 2013 Tour
The ‘Adventures In Space & Time” tour launches in Paris on January 11th then heads across Western Europe before landing in the United States for a North American Tour spanning February & March 2013.
“I want this tour to be a showcase of my catalogue; a bit of the old, tracks that the fans come to hear, as well as surprise them with new, fresh material that i’ve been saving for a good part of 2012 to premiere on this run. This tour is about the music taking the spotlight” – said Figure (aka Josh Gard) .
He’s latest album, “Monsters Vol. 3” will definitively slaughter down not only your wall to wall neighbors, but the whole neighborhood. We’ve got 15 tracks, a hell of a collection of originals including collaborations with Tommy Lee and Bare as well as sick remixes from the likes of J.Rabbit, Oscillator Z, Alex Sin, Dr. Ozi, and Phrenik.
Now Figure has announced his International 2013 Tour, “Adventures In Time & Space” along with the release of a new DJ Mix available for free download. Go and grab it!! Read more Figure Announces “Adventures In Time & Space” 2013 Tour
Kursed – Miaow (2012)
Two years after its acclaimed debut effort “Like a coffee” released through M&O Music & Mosaic Music Distribution, Kursed returns with a new album entitled “Miaow” and filled-up with the same Brit indie rock and post-punk revival flavored music in the vein of Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, The Fratellis, Kaiser Chiefs, and blended with dirty American, blues rooted indie rock in the footsteps of The Black Keys, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Modest Mouse, The Killers, and Interpol.
This mixture of sounds and aromas might be odd or at least unusual for a French band, but Kursed proved that in music there is no boundaries, on the other hand they proved a vivid ability to turn those “foreign” genres into their own and finally giving to the music their own identity. Read more Kursed – Miaow (2012)
Cortez – Phoebus (2013)
The Swiss trio are back and it’s time for the new set of dark and furious butchery! Although guitarist Antoine Tinguely (ex-Berserk For Tea Time) replaced former guitarist Samuel Vaney, Vaney is now supporting the band as composer/mixer.
While the drums were recorded in the REC Studio of Serge Morattel in Geneva, they recorded the guitars and vocals in their own rehearsal room, the new album is the result of hard work, giving the band big freedom in creation and the possibility to fully assume the production process. The sound it’s pretty raw, unpolished and have a pithy live vibe, if you pump up the volume high enough, almost feels like you are there in the rehearsal room. So, “Phoebus” it’s not about surgically clean sound and high-end production, but about the unleashed strength of metal, about the flesh ripper riffs and pounding like hell drums, about not making compromises, but expressing feelings through music. Read more Cortez – Phoebus (2013)
FiXT Partners with Groupees.com for Newtown, CT Shooting Benefit
In response to the recent, tragic events that took place at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, EDM/Rock (Electronic Dance Music) Retailer/Label FiXT has partnered with Groupees.com and over 50 other various artists to help raise support for the victim’s families and community, giving 100% of donations to the official Sandy Hook School Support Fund.
Support comes in the form of the #ToNewtownWithLove Bundle that features an extensive collection of music donated by artists and record labels like Celldweller, Blue Stahli, Savant, Sluggo, Cyanotic, Hard Dance Nation, Bit Riot Records & more, representing over 7 different countries and genres ranging from Rock/Metal to EDM/Dubstep. Read more FiXT Partners with Groupees.com for Newtown, CT Shooting Benefit
Consciousness Removal Project – Tacit (2013)
Consciousness Removal Project it’s a one-man post-metal band from Tampere, Finland. Its only official member Antti Loponen is solely responsible not only for compositions, lyrics and arrangements but also for most instruments and the record production. Although, with the help of a live collective including Arttu Kimmel – guitar, Vesa Ahonen – bass and Artturi Mäkinen – drums, Consciousness Removal Project has also been able to perform live since 2008.
The music of Consciousness Removal Project has been published on the internet for free since 2004. The new album, released on 03 January 2013 and entitled “Tacit” it’s also available for free download (“name your price”) from their Bandcamp page (Click “Buy now” and enter $0 for free download), as well as a limited edition Digipack CD pressing hand numbered with binary digits. Support artists, we need them!!
And the music it’s gloomy, subtle and beautiful. Described perfectly by José at Terrorizer magazine: “It’s not the soundtrack for the eventual apocalypse itself, it’s the soundtrack for sitting on the porch on a quiet evening with a drink, thinking about it.” Read more Consciousness Removal Project – Tacit (2013)
