Result of an over-sea collision, 13 & God returning with their second studio album and their pumping, flowing, floating cocktail of sounds and genres which reminds me partly of Massive Attack, but these guys blending and mixing into it from pop to indie and from ambiental textures to folk everything they can get their hands – and imagination.
The official story is pretty hazy: “somewhere outside of Toronto in early 2004, on a stretch of uninspired highway leading to the U.S./Canadian border, a computer onboard a large tour bus spontaneously combusted. Some point the finger at the driver (an aspiring reality show auteur), others blame a faulty battery, and most hold a small stuffed fox accountable. But however it happened, themselves and The Notwist were stranded. Dates were cancelled. Meals were skipped. Shady motels were booked in below-freezing weather. The fox was dead. It was the fifth breakdown of their joint tour series of minor disasters distant somewheres, a love was born of nervous laughter, shared admiration, axle grease and roasting circuitry.
From the balloon-and-burst child psychology of Adam “doseone” Drucker, Jeffery “jel” Logan, and Dax Pierson (collectively themselves), and the pinhole-in-paper astronomy of the Acher brothers Markus and Micha, and Martin “Console” Gretschmann (the core of The Notwist), emerge 13 & God.” (MySpace Bio) Read more 13 & God – Own Your Ghost (2011)
2011
The Mustard Seeds
The Parable of the Mustard Seed is one of the shorter parables of Jesus and there are minor differences between Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. The parable suggests the growth of the kingdom of God from tiny beginnings to worldwide size.
“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field; which indeed is smaller than all seeds. But when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches.” (Matthew 13:31–32)
“How will we liken the Kingdom of God? Or with what parable will we illustrate it? It’s like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, though it is less than all the seeds that are on the earth, yet when it is sown, grows up, and becomes greater than all the herbs, and puts out great branches, so that the birds of the sky can lodge under its shadow.†(Mark 4:30–32)
“What is the Kingdom of God like? To what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and put in his own garden. It grew, and became a large tree, and the birds of the sky lodged in its branches.†(Luke 13:18-19) Read more The Mustard Seeds
Alfa Matrix Re:Covered 2 A Tribute To Depeche Mode – 2CD (2011)
Founded in 2001, based in Brussels, the Belgian record label, Alfa Matrix, becomes a quality trademark and home of some bands as Front 242, Leæther Strip, Unter Null, Armageddon Dildos, Zombie Girl, Mind:state, Psy’Aviah, Adam X, Dunkelwerk, Trisomie 21 – to mention only a few.
As the official release note says: “Although the first volume of this Depeche Mode cover album received a more than successful echo from both indie and mainstream worlds, this project would have definitely remained a one-off project if some of our label bands had not insistently pressed us to launch a second volume.” Leaether Strip, Ayria, Kant Kino, Komor Kommando, I:Scintilla, Technoir, Helalyn Flowers, Plastic Noise Experience, Implant, Krystal System, Acylum, and other bands delivered some twisted and exciting covers of Depeche Mode and definitively this double CD (plus free EP) are an excellent trip and perfect follow up of the previous, two years earlier release. Read more Alfa Matrix Re:Covered 2 A Tribute To Depeche Mode – 2CD (2011)
My Dying Bride – Evinta (2011)
To commemorate the 20th anniversary of My Dying Bride’s existence, “the band embarked upon a special project to re-work familiar melodies and themes from their extensive catalogue into long, flowing symphonic compositions, incorporating new vocals and passages from Aaron Stainthorpe. Sharing vocals is professional opera singer Lucie Roche, a talented soprano from France. These arrangements have been brought to life in co-operation with keyboard maestro Johnny Maudling (of Bal Sagoth fame) as well as a clutch of talented classical musicians and will be released on May 30th as ‘Evinta’, as a 2 disc set & also a deluxe 3-disc edition with 64 page book, inspired by My Dying Bride’s illustrious recordings of the past two decades.” Read more My Dying Bride – Evinta (2011)
Dope Stars Inc. – Ultrawired (2011)
Merge Sigue Sigue Sputnik with Marilyn Manson and you will heave a pretty clear notion of what Dope Stars Inc. sounds like. Following the tradition of 80s Glam Rock, with one ear directioned to Motley Crue and Guns N’ Roses and the other to Hanoi Rocks and HIM, introducing electronica and industrial resonances, Victor Love formed Dope Stars Inc. in late 2002, early 2003 in Rome, Italy. Following “//Neuromance” (2005), “Gigahearts” (2006) and “21st Century Slave” (2009), “Ultrawired”, the fourth studio album by Dope Stars Inc. released on May 30, 2011 it’s available as a free download on the band’s website and rely on fan contribution to cover recording costs, as well as they placed a doodle on the Pirate Bay homepage. Kind of showing up the middle finger to the music business, isn’t it? Read more Dope Stars Inc. – Ultrawired (2011)
Blondie – Panic Of Girls (2011)
Ladies and gentlemen, light up, Blondie’s back. While “The Curse of Blondie”, their previous release from 2003 was a return to their roots and a more rocking approach – and it only peaked at no.36 in the U.K. charts – , the ninth studio album by the American Blondie bring us back to the care-free, relaxed 80s. Quite surprisingly they included for instance “Girlie Girlie”, a cover of Jamaican singer Sophia George, a Top-10 hit in the UK in 1985 and one song of Gilles Riberolles called “Le Bleu à l’âme” (“Blue In The Soul”), a homage to Jacques Brel and Serge Gainsbourg.
“Panic Of Girls” kicking off pretty cool with “D-Day”, an almost classic new wave track with all the good Blondie traditions incorporated, but that spirit it’s left aside, maybe only “Mother”, the lead single, have some charming left-overs of the glorious days. Still, I don’t believe Blondie managed to deliver another “Heart of Glass”, “Hanging on the Telephone”, “The Tide Is High” or “Maria”. Read more Blondie – Panic Of Girls (2011)
Asian Dub Foundation – A History Of Now (2011)
I knew this will be one of my favorite albums of 2011 even before I’ve been listening into it. I saw them live back in 1999 and since I’m a follower. Playing an explosive mixture of rapcore, dub, dancehall and raggae, using rock instruments and including punk and hardcore influences, ADF are one of the killer acts of Great Britain beside The Prodigy and much recently Subsource. Intense and speeding serious social and political messages, live they will smash off any scene and move the audience, their studio albums maybe do not capture all that energy and explosion, but still they are much heavier than most of the other bands and even heavier than some of the so-called “modern”, alternative or post-metal bands. They unique style of blending hardcore energy, punk rawness, electronics and dub inspired many other artists, but not so many managed to get even closer, not to mention the issue of credibility. Read more Asian Dub Foundation – A History Of Now (2011)
The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation – Anthropomorphic (2011)
The improvising alter ego of The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble , The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation delivering one hour of diving into the shady, gloomy, suggestive world of neo-jazz and cinematic meltdown.
Gideon Kiers, Jason Köhnen, Charlotte Cegarra, Hilary Jeffery, Eelco Bosman, Nina Hitz, and Sarah Anderson and various interchanging guest musicians including Ron Goris, following “Doomjazz Future Corpse!” and “Succubus”, “Anthropomorphic” is the third released session of TMFDC.
If for some, TKDE may sounds pretty strange, TMFDC it’s one step further. This may be the fourth dimension Doomjazz, a doorway to a dark, but sparking universe made of noises, gloomy textures and vibrating improvisations in the best avant-garde tradition of free jazz. As they describe it: “take a piece of THE CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA’s cinematic jazz, a dash of THE BROADWAY PROJECT’s dark/noir, a hint of AMON TOBIN’s twisted mutant jazz and a little FREEFORM ARKESTRA orchestral ambience. Throw in a minipinch of DJ SHADOW and MAJOR FORCE WEST, and a good dose of Planet Mu-ism and you’re pretty much there.” Read more The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation – Anthropomorphic (2011)
The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble – From The Stairwell (2011)
I discovered them back in 2009 through the “Mutations” EP which promised to be the preamble for the new album. It’s been over a year and finally we’ve got “From the Stairwell” and eight fresh tracks. This is a Jazz experiment with gloomy electronic textures and atmospheric noise spices, it has a deep Miles Davis after-taste and abstract post-industrial flow, well, this is avant-garde in it’s deepest meaning.
TKDE started in 2000 as a project to compose new music for existing silent movies. Jason Kohnen (better known as Bong-Ra) – double bass and fretless, respectively Gideon Kiers – beats and effects, both graduates of the Utrecht School of Arts, combined their audio and visual skills to reinterpret classic movies by F.W. Murnau (Nosferatu) and F. Langs (Metropolis).
While Bong-Ra is quite known having several releases through labels such as Planet Mu, Cock Rock Disco and Sublight, Gideon Kiers worked with Jochem Paap (Speedy J), on the development of the 5.1 surround sound ‘Umfeld’ project. Runs the bi-annual Sonic Acts Festival in Paradiso Amsterdam. Read more The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble – From The Stairwell (2011)
Sounds Under Radio – Where My Communist Heart Meets My Capitalist Mind (2011)
You might believe this is the new Muse album, its sounds like, even the voice and singing style by use of falsetto and vibrato of Lang Freeman reminds me of Matthew Bellamy, but well, Sounds Under Radio are a band from Austin, Texas, formed in mid 2005 by Lang Freeman, Bradley Oliver (bass, keyboard), Sonny Sanchez (drums) and Doug Wilson (guitar).
Their song “Portrait of a Summer Thief” was featured on the “Spider-Man 3” soundtrack ant their were the only unsigned band (at that time) to be included in the soundtrack amongst names like Snow Patrol, Jet, Wolfmother, The Killers, The Flaming Lips, etc.
They signed with Sony/Epic Records in late 2008, but after facing inter-label turmoil, they gave up their contract and in mid 2008 released their first full length LP “Cinematica” independently. Read more Sounds Under Radio – Where My Communist Heart Meets My Capitalist Mind (2011)
