Wednesday links

* The seminal improv jazz label ICTUS Records led by Andrea Centazzo and Carla Lugli has a page on Last.FM. Here’s an awesome компютри втора употребаfull track playlist featuring artists like Steve Lacy, Evan Parker, Derek Bailey, John Zorn, Anthony Coleman, Henry Kaiser and Toshinori Kondo.

* Earth Monkey is 50 Mix by Clutter for INQ Mag : Earth Monkey’s 50th release is a mix spanning their back catalogue, artists like Cousin Silas, The Cardboard Lung, Radio Scotvoid, Hometaping, St. Bernards School and Halal Kebab Hut are all here, 30 tracks overall.

* An awesome Vialka track fully available for stream on Last.fm

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(Noone)

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I discovered Glitch City via the last.fm noise mafia. They’re a glitch/experimental/noise/breakcore/antimusic/8-bit netlabel who have made 56 releases in their first year. I didn’t have the time to listen to all of their output but I’ve made a 10 track compilation out of the releases I’ve checked out. I particularly liked NOWINGUS‘ aesthetic.

However I’ve got to warn you that some of the releases I checked out were downright unlistenable, which might mean that they succeeded in what they’ve strived for? Tricky business..

Check the ones below if you dare to risk your mind getting burnt or experience the feeling when you see zombies crawling out of the tar pits and marching toward the retirement home

off The Pokégods (5-way split)
NOWINGUS - Red & Black
NOWINGUS - No More IDM
Chinese Church - Alcatraz
Koindozer - I got my hash pipe (Weezer Cover)
off Revisiting Retro Metal II
Fuck, The Retarded Girl - Fisting Jet
off L’Homme Fatal - GC56
L’Homme Fatal - Scene kids are fucking cunts
off Jim Kelly Dolemite - Violent Shit
Jim Kelly Dolemite - Track 05
off NOWINGUS vs Kamikaze Deadboy Split
NOWINGUS - Identity
NOWINGUS - Endless Summer
Kamikaze Deadboy - Foie Gras (Delicacy of Disease)

(1 votes)

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The band to get Battles’ most talked band award from last year is Oxford’s Foals. One of the most hyped and busy bands this year, they’ve managed to get over 2 million listens on last.fm with their debut “Antidotes” which recently secured a Sub Pop distribution deal for US and got featured on NME as band of the year contestant (which might explain the 2 million listens?). Although failing to get the critical acclaim Battles did, because of the lack of originality, IMO they’re still successful in forging an idiosyncratic sound & lyrics combo.

Since I’m highly skeptical of this electro-indie dancefloor stuff, and the mainstream UK teenage scene in general, I’ve got to say that I thought twice before posting them. In the end decided in favour because these two songs have been lingering in my mind for far too long, and with Madness-esque brasswork & harmonic vocals, they’re actually very energetic, fun and catchy, at times forcing me to singalong with these fashionable young lads. However the rest of the album, although not bad, sounds like it’s the same song over and over. Variety is your friend, Foals! Let’s not forget this for the second one.

Reminded me of Friendly Fires especially On Board which I’ve also reupped today.

Foals - Balloons

Foals - The French Open
Foals - Cassius

(2 votes)

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An exquisite ambient/micromusic/drone/electronica mix by our friend from down under Cenk Akyol, who’s already given us this and this. Perfect for, well calm dawns? Enjoy, uploaded to Divshare and working properly now.

Julien Neto - VI
Moby - The Rain Falls & The Sky Shudders
Jam & Spoon - Salinas Afternoon
Silence II - Sweet Angels
Steinbrüchel - Snooze
El Fog - Olive
Pan American - Lights Of Little Town
Alec Empire - Pussy Heroin
Hazan & Shea - Rhizome No Beginning No End
Ennio Morricone - La Dame Aux Camelia
Porn Sword Tobacco - U.S. Saloon Props 41-59
Ennio Morricone - La Bambola #
Global Communication - 14′31”
Spyra - Orphan Waves
Susanne And The Magical Orchestra - Enjoy The Silence
Oval - Do While (command +x)
Atom Heart - Abstract Miniatures In Memoriam Gilles Deleuze
Biosphere - Green Reflections

Some other mixes after the jump

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(2 votes)

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Ahoy! Today we see a new kid on the undomondo block, one of Istanbul’s world renowned DJs and the musical director of our home radio Dinamo, Fuchs has written a review for K7’s Quiet Village, whose album has literally amused us last night and made us sing praises. Hopefully he’ll have more endurance to keep on writing for more than one occasion, unlike our previous guests, who has abandoned ship.

Matt Edwards, aka Radio Slave, who is the current techno don, the in demand producer/DJ of the roughest, sleaziest, deepest club beats and king of re-edits, the owner of the “Rekid” label and a fellow member of Sea Devils (whew!) has met a connaisseur mate namely Joel Martin with whom he has formed Quiet Village.

After remixing the likes of Gorillaz, Allez Allez, Cosmo Vitelli, Grandadbob, Toby Tobias, James Yorkston, they have recorded their debut “Silent Movie” which recently came out on !K7.

Simply put, this is music for orgies.

Rest assured it ain’t no crime to state that this album will become a classic which will enchant exotic listeners for a long period of time. After hearing “Silent Movie”, Kruder & Dorfmeister will ask themselves where they really lost the plot.

It is easy to answer how effortlessly Quiet Village have slipped themselves into the ivy league of sophisticated electronica acts. “Silent Movie” is a romantic, psychedelic, balearic vision defined by a mutual love for dub, disco, surf and western. Stand out tracks are of course out there, but it would be unfair to judge this masterpiece not in its entirety.

This release also proves that once you become self sufficient or lucky enough to earn your living while making music, you tend to get the freedom of venturing into new musical territories. Hell, I guess this freedom may very well be the reason why they chose to call themselves “Quiet Village”, (named after a song of the father of exotica Martin Denny - which I’ve added down below : mersenne). These gentlemen have reached a quiet village where inspiration has poured on them.

Ultimately, is this not what many good artists want? A simple study in life, we welcome with open arms. (10/10)

Make sure (after lighting up the candles of course) you also catch their latest podcast via Resident Advisor.

Quiet Village - Gold Rush
Quiet Village - Pacific Rhythm
Martin Denny - Quiet Village

(5 votes)

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Another strange piece of work in tune with the Ghost Box aesthetics of being half-remembered/half-there is by the “The Guild of Funerary Violinists“. The guild founded in 1586 has protected these obscure classical solo violin pieces dating back from the late 17th to the early 20th century. Pieces from violinists such as the respected Wilhelm Kleinbach, Stanley Eaton, Orlando Addleston, Herbert Stanley Littlejohn and Charles Sudbury are saved as well as the “tradition once placed at the very heart of our notions of mortality, but now sadly neglected, if not forgotten altogether.”

Wax cylinders of records crackling with solemn violin work are saved by the president of the guild and author Rohan Kriwaczek who has already written and published a book through Duckworth, about this strange tradition of “composing music to accompany the laying to rest of a tragically departed soul.” When it quickly became refuted by violin dealers and stringed instrument publications, saying that there was no tradition like this, ever. Looking up the names of the artists won’t get you anywhere as well, even the postgraduate courses given by the Funerary Violinists at the University of Bexhill-on-Sea, or the MA at the University of East Sussex won’t help you, since apparently everything is fiction, folks.

This is a tale of extreme creativity of the 38 year old musician, who was interested in playing fiddle at funerals, yet no one booked him, so he created a parallel universe story that, in Kriwaczek’s own words, “expands the notion of musical composition to encompass the creation of an entire artistic genre, with its necessary accompanying history, mythology, philosophy, social function, etc.”

The Art of Funerary Violin ladies and gentleman, prepare to be amazed!

Herbert Stanley Littlejohn - Michel Meunier From Pompes Funebres No. 2
Wilhelm Kleinbach - The Fleeting Panic of Death
Wilhelm Kleinbach - Funerary suite No.4 by Charles Sudbury

(Noone)

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