Music Reviews

Soft Shoulder “Not The New One” [Gilgongo Records]

SlartiBartfast   2/3/2021   12-inch, A Library

Some great noisy, fuzzy, distorted punk-improve from Tempe, AZ’s own Soft Shoulder. With James Fella at the helm, this 2020 release “Not the New One” out on Gilgonggo Records is a collection of unreleased material recorded between 2015-2019 with various line ups. Sure to appease any and all noisy itches in your ear canal. Ranging from hard driving, rocking punk noise (think The Fall) to noisy improve, “Not the New One” will leave your ear drums ringing as you bathe in the beautiful insanity. 

Dr. Goldfoot and The Girl Bombs [coll] – [Tower Recordings]

aarbor   2/3/2021   12-inch, Soundtrack

This is the soundtrack to a 1966 Eurospy comedy film. It was shot in Italy and released in an English version and an Italian version which are notably different plot-wise. Vincent Price is the mad scientist (Dr. Goldfoot) who is working with the Chinese government to use exploding female robots to disrupt a scheduled NATO war-game by blowing up the various generals involved in the exercise (one of whom looks exactly like Goldfoot, and whom Goldfoot later impersonates). Fabian is the hero who works to thwart the plot, that is, when he is not busy chasing women. The film ends with an extended frantic chase through the streets of Rome, and Goldfoot attempting to start World War III between Russia and the United States by dropping a nuclear bomb on Moscow. The music is 1960s pop music by a variety of artists you’ve probably never heard of, but it’s fun. AArbor

Moore, Ted – “Bruit” – [Carrier]

mickeyslim   2/2/2021   A Library, CD

awash in confusion

anxiety-ridden space flight

tunnel vision gasping for air

godzilla licking a sandpaper-dipper brillo pad

lascivious tinnitus

skronk ‘n’ roll

improvised harsh noise electronix and jazz improv from Ted Moore & friends…

Anderson, Brad – “Darwinian Playground” – [Self Release]

mickeyslim   2/2/2021   A Library, CD

rugged, murky,

chirpy thunder

squelches.

chaotic oases

amid vast,

ambient,

timescapes,

lost among glacial spaces,

stuck inside the ice,

in between the screaming atoms

trying to escape.

does it begin at the beginning,

or follow all life’s sweet

evolution?

who knows?

who cares?

it’s just a single buzzing

in the swarm,

one grumble in the fog,

a typewriter rotting

away in a storm

Spiral Galaxy – “Spiral Galaxy” – [Lion Productions]

cinder   1/31/2021   12-inch, A Library

Spiral Galaxy is the project of flautist/painter Sara Gossett and guitar/machines manipulator Plastic Crimewave (of Plastic Crimewave Syndicate/Galactic Zoo Dossier magazine/KFJC artist hoodie designer!). Cosmic voyages through the galactic sun drenched desert temples. Special guests include Kawabata Makoto of Acid Mothers Temple giving some chants and spoken word in Japanese, Alisha Sufit of UK 70s eastern-folk band Magic Carpet also with some words… Ryley Walker plays a guitar backwards, Taralie of Spires that in the Sunset Rise on Terry Riley-ish circular sax, sitar-player Hands of Hydra, Moog-maestro Will MacLean of Protovulcan, and Christian Luke Brady of meditative cosmonauts, Fargon. A rhythmic pulsing ritualistic beat on track 2 with some effected French words, puts you into a hazy trance. Side B starts with a super krauty mellow prog excursion with a folky flute and Neu/Cluster/early Kraftwerk looping rhythms. The final track ends with a darker, mysterious feel. Trek across Death Valley and trip on this!

Speech After The Removal of The Larynx – “Speech After The Removal of The Larynx” – [Fantome Phonographiqiue]

SlartiBartfast   1/31/2021   12-inch, A Library

Speech After the Removal of the Larynx is exactly that, recordings of people learning to speak again after having their larynx removed. Originally recorded in 1964 by speech pathologist Harm A. Drost of the University Hospital, Leiden Netherlands, this re-release of a ’64 Smithsonian Folkways LP is full of linguistic and auditory gems. The original inspiration for these recordings was to document and convey the progress of speech pathology techniques for helping patients of laryngectomy learn to speak again. Speech chronicles the advancements made in the early days of speech pathology to address the physical obstacles for laryngectomy patients to talk again. The recordings cover everything from early, physically crude methods of speech to the development of electronic devices to help people find their voice once again. For those of you lucky enough to have the liner notes, take a minute or two and read about each track and how speech pathologists and patients worked together to develop new speech techniques to give voice to the voiceless. A true auditory gem. Mind that side a only has 7 cut tracks on the vinyl and the jacket lists 8. 

O’Sullivan, Daniel – “Electric Maya: Dream Flotsam and Astral Hinterlands”; – [VHF]

cinder   1/29/2021   12-inch, A Library

First in a series of 3 LPs of Library Music from composer and multi-instrumentalist Daniel O’Sullivan (Æthenor, Ulver, This is Not This Heat, etc). It’s not the cheesy, lounge-y type of music you’d think when you hear the term Library Music (although that stuff is super fun!), these are newer sounds… lush, pretty, dreamy and sort of cinematic in feel. Synths, piano, softness. 18 tracks, specifically made in shorter lengths (longest is about 3:30 long). Drifty, optimistic, thoughtful and sublime.  

Ka-Spel / Stapleton / Potter / Rollet – “Man Who Floated Away / The Closer You Are to The Center, The” – [Bisou]

cinder   1/28/2021   A Library, CD

From 2018. Surprisingly, this is the first ever collaboration between Edward Ka-Spel (The Legendary Pink Dots and Tear Garden) and Steven Stapleton (Nurse With Wound). They’ve been wanting to collab for years, and Bisou, the record label this is out on, gave them that chance. The second track features Colin Potter and French sax player Quentin Rollet (The Red Krayola, Mendelson, Nurse With Wound, Prohibition, David Grubbs, Thierry Müller, Ilitch). As you can imagine with these heavy names, it’s full of experimental sounds and mind trips that take you on lofty dreamy voyages. Creepy tendrils of sounds interweave your brain by Stapleton, while Ka-Spel whispers a haunting tale on track 1. The second track has cray cray sax, skittering percussion, a distracted piano, distorted words, sizzling wires and other intriguing sounds and echoes. Both excellent! 

Lee, Tim “Love” – “Confessions of a Selector”; – [Three Sixty Records]

cinder   1/27/2021   A Library, CD

Funky and sexy downtempo grooves from English producer, Tim “Love” Lee. I believe this is his first release, back from 1997. The perfect era for this type of electronic sound in my opinion. Full of samples, cut-ups and lots of sick, velvet, polyester & shag influenced dance vibes. A few cocktails and a smoking jacket are required for full listening pleasure. Last few tracks include poor Billy and his disciplining pervert parents.

Opensource.code [coll] – [Source Records]

aarbor   1/27/2021   A Library, CD

An excellent collection from Heidelberg’s Source Records c. 2002. Source was created and run by David Moufang (Move D) and Jonas Grossman. There are tracks by Jan Jelinek, Robert Lippok, Sutekh, Thomas Brinkmann, Move D and Monolake who’ve been in the KFJC library for years, as well as less well known artists. Definitely worth playing. AArbor My picks are: tracks 1,5,7,9,10 and 11