singles
september '04
beans - down by law
new solo sounds by the previous anti-pop man. is this what used to be referred to as tech-hop ? futuristic electronica production strapped onto the meanest and largest hip hop beats, this is sonically minimal but somehow sounds massive. throughout 'down by law' a large boom bass line rumbles, weird splintered alarm sounds, beans dextrous vocal interplay, and a funky beat hits the central nervous system. second track 'blind driver' sounds like some freaky combination of john carpenter synths and schooly d's drum machine. intense. whereas 'bubonic' has a rugged dancehall electro-infused vibe on it and becomes a little too much with repeated listening. the album 'shock city maverick' is out on warp records in october. get a free track download here.
miss kittin - requiem for a hit
well if ever a title ever screamed out 'i want to be a pop star! now' ?
unfortunately i don't think this is the track that is going to get miss kittin the crossover appeal that she is so obviously wanting. this track aint a good choice. something about the clash of styles doesn't fit and the vocal line that is looped throughout to the point of seriously becoming tiresome ('i'll beat that bitch with a hit'), is not far from what the prodigy did with 'smack my bitch up' and is a little too uncomfortable and guarantees complete lack of radio play, but ignoring that aspect, as i'm sure its meant to be ironic, it's the break in flow that is a little too messed up, starting all up tempo and beat driven, which then swerves left into a strange beatless ambient synth melody driven part before going back to the beat. disorientating stuff. there are a multitude of remixes which do the usual stuff other than the fantastic 'abe dupque' remix which converts the track into a fine pumping electro-acid house stomper with a minimal appearance of the unnecessary vocals, which is exactly what the doctor ordered.
beyer and lenk featuring tiga
new 12" on novamute a label i normally find just a little too banging. this however is a little more up my street. 'heartbreak' has a certain pounding early door nitzer ebb kinda industrial electro pump to it, with its stark white noise synth bursts and 4-to-the-floor techno funk, it's a driving 6 mins with tiga whispering away all sorts of nonsense amongst the machine noise. the b-side 'ananda' has more of the same, the human outburst of emotion in the opening seconds, the stripped down electro noise, distorted synths, more pounding beats, and tiga sounding like he is starring in a dark-n-nasty goreflick. just like front 242 had never been away. superb stuff. the return of new beat anyone ?
soberskin - prototype
having won various competitions this northern trio bring their electro-infused indie rock to the masses. synths clash and guitars sweep in and out of the energetic opening track 'prototype'. with stylistic dips into classic devo, 80's synth pop all blended with a dash of modern sharpness. very now. very impressive. second track, however, ' good time', doesn't have the same driving power, and feels somewhat under produced. whereas final track 'siren', proves that the band have a way with the old school mono-note synth line and clipped guitars and a far better vocal performance, and when the extra layers of processed guitar noise come it at the chorus you can just feel this could be a perfect soundtrack to some high gloss mtv sanctioned teen movie. just a a shame about the bands name
loganstone - sooner not later ep
debut ep from this bunch of friends of earth the californian dream. dramatic ambience opens the lead track with its phased hammond organ and acoustic guitars which builds up nicely prior to the full on instrumentation and vocals. unfortunately, the tracks despite being very well crafted with strong vocals and a keen sense of melody, have a strange element of over familiarity which settles in very quickly. so, the first few listens is a very pleasant experience, but a few more spins and something doesn't sit so well. perhaps the fact that the final track 'so loud', with its laid back classic 70's rock vibe, which has an air of the stereophonics about it, is rather off putting. but despite this slight stylistic hiccup the band have potential.
the boxer rebellion - code red
having released 2 limited profile releases via poptones, the full weight of alan mcgees promotional force comes into play. poptones have joined forces with vertigo/mercury records for the bands new release. subsequently, this sees the boxers going for the big time, and hopefully this could easily be a classic case of perfect timing, as the bands overly intense guitars and emotional epicness fills sonic holes which are currently left open, now that muse have fulfilled their recent live commitments, radiohead are in hiding, and the open missed their chance with their poor attempt at overblown indie classic music. strong stuff - even if it is generic in its style, this will please many people as they start their new term at college.
mansun - slipping away
and as one band (the boxer rebellion) start off on their journey of guitars and big emotions, another decides to call it a day. as has been well publicised this is mansuns final single. having ridden the storm of press love in their early days and then subsequently derision when the marillion influence became to large to ignore (see sleeve of six album). ironically, the bands style of progrock indie is probably more fashionable today than it ever has been in paul drapers lifetime. this track has been lifted from final 3cd package which includes lots of rare tracks, forth album, and all sorts of other extras which is a fitting end to band who gave their fans a lot of pleasure. the song has all the usual trademark elements that others have ripped off (guitar histrionics, rhythm changes, sweeping melodies) , but mansun always had a way with a song that put them on a level that i have always found missing with the current heirs to the throne.