April 15, 2003

• 
  click to read more

  Data 80

  title:: Data 80
  label::Force Tracks

  There are both male and female vocals. The male voice is frequently set to a vocoder or whatever effect it is that electro folk use. 100% of the music is electronic, and there is a 4/4 beat appearing just about everywhere.

  Check out Data 80 if you like DMX Krew or any of the current electronic disco artists gaining attention.

• 
  click to read more

  Errorsmith

  title:: Errorsmith 2
  label:: Errorsmith

  Errorsmith is Smith: half of the duo Smith & Hack. There is no real structure on any of the tracks, except Pick A Bone, which is my favorite cut on the disc. Pick A Bone approaches the sharp glitchy sound that Uwe Schmidt uses on his Geeez 'n' Gosh project. There is also a bit of kinship with T. Raumschmiere in the sound.

  If you enjoy bands like Smash TV and want to see how far robot sounds can go, Errorsmith 2 might just do the trick.

• 
  click to read more

  The Future

  title:: Dance Like A Star
  label:: Black Melody

  This record is a limited edition 12inch released as a companion to The Golden Hour of The Future CD. Only 2000 copies were pressed.

  Though it is costly to buy a 12inch for just one song, C'est Grave is the song to pick this up for. If that sounds reasonable, then buy this record. If not, then stick to 'The Golden Hour of The Future' CD and know you are only missing one good track.

• 
  click to read more

  Nordic Lounge

  various artists
  label:: DNM

  To my ear, the album does just what a lounge compilation should, serve as a composition of tracks by individual artists carefully crafted together to form a piece of art in itself.

  The album never disregards the influence of jazz on lounge music, but it is not afraid to include tracks relying on electronica and disco that have samba, bossa or another tradition sound to accompany the electronic beats and hooks.

• 
  click to read more

  Live at the Masque Vol. 1

  various artists
  label:: Year One Records

  Second to actually being there, the Live From the Masque Volume 1 is the best and one of the only live audio documents for a chaotic time in the punk rock scene of late 1970s California.

  Volume One compiles the blistering, sneering, sets of 4 of the great punk rock bands, The Weirdos, The Bags, The Germs and The Skulls recrded on Februrary 24 & 25, 1978.

• 
  click to read more

  The Passage

  title:: For All and None
  label:: LTM

  'For All and None' was the 1981 follow up to The Passage's debut LP 'Pindrop.' The Passage were a Manchester band centered around percussionist/keyboard player/vocalist/writer Richard Witts. The band started off influenced by The Fall, but moved into their own territory with electronics, piano and odd rhythms.

  On this reissue, LTM has included both sides of two 7inch singles from the same period, including my all time favorite Passage song Troops Out (a new recording of a song from 'Pindrop').

• 
  click to read more

  Tosca

  title:: Dehli 9
  label:: G-stone Recordings

  Tosca are Richard Dorfmeister (one half of remix class act number one Kruder & Dorfmeister) and Rupert Huber, and the two men have continued to hone a fascinating mix of pop and dub, with their latest 2 cd set Dehli 9 which combines a sublime notion of dub with a mesmerizing brand of pop music with a funk / dub edge which never gets too intrusive.

  I think it is the combination of this pop song bent coupled with some choice collaborations which help make this cd one of their best.