LORDS OF ACID

LORDS OF ACID
OUR LITTLE SECRET (1997)
320 KBPS

Lords of Acid's 1997 release, Our Little Secret is an open book. Never daring to depart from lyrics that read like the stage directions of a porno flick, fans need only focus their attention on Lords of Acid's musical agenda. The songs still maintain the basic acid house recipe of fat, buzzy bass lines and disorienting rhythms. This album adds a little of all current dance music trends, from trip hop to drum & bass to keep the formula current. "LSD=Truth" rattles with amped organic drum sounds reminiscent of Meat Beat Manifesto. The first couple of tracks are drilled with speed metal guitars. Stylistically, this album is merely a tangent to Lords of Acid's debut album Lust. If this is your first Lords of Acid purchase, go with Lust--it's a better album. If you are collecting, the lyrical shock value will have worn thin on you by now, but the music is twisted enough to keep you engaged.

1. Rubber Doll (Opus)
2. Lover (Cantata)
3. Fingerlickin' Good
4. LSD = Truth (Solo)
5. Man's Best Friend
6. Cybersex (Sherzo)
7. Pussy (Round)
8. Deep Sexy Space (Chorale)
9. Doggie Tom (Overture)
10. (Concerto For) Me and Myself
11. Spank My Booty (Reprise)
12. Power Is Mine (Coda)
13. You Belong to Me (Theme)

KRAFTWERK

KRAFTWERK
THE MAN-MACHINE (1978)
REMASTER
320 KBPS

The Man-Machine is closer to the sound and style that would define early new wave electro-pop — less minimalistic in its arrangements and more complex and danceable in its underlying rhythms. Like its predecessor, Trans-Europe Express, there is the feel of a divided concept album, with some songs devoted to science fiction-esque links between humans and technology, often with electronically processed vocals ("The Robots," "Spacelab," and the title track); others take the glamour of urbanization as their subject ("Neon Lights" and "Metropolis"). Plus, there's "The Model," a character sketch that falls under the latter category but takes a more cynical view of the title character's glamorous lifestyle. More pop-oriented than any of their previous work, the sound of The Man-Machine — in particular among Kraftwerk's oeuvre — had a tremendous impact on the cold, robotic synth pop of artists like Gary Numan, as well as Britain's later new romantic movement.

1. The Robots
2. Spacelab
3. Metropolis
4. The Model
5. Neon Lights
6. The Man Machine

KRAFTWERK

KRAFTWERK
TRANS EUROPE EXPRESS (1977)
REMASTER
320 KBPS

Although Autobahn was a left-field masterpiece, Trans-Europe Express is often cited as perhaps the archetypal (and most accessible) Kraftwerk album. Melodic themes are repeated often and occasionally interwoven over deliberate, chugging beats, sometimes with manipulated vocals; the effect is mechanical yet hypnotic. Thematically, the record feels like parts of two different concept albums: one a meditation on the disparities between reality and image ("Hall of Mirrors" and "Showroom Dummies" share recurring images of glass, reflection, illusion, and confused identities, as well as whimsical melodies), and the other the glorification of Europe. There is an impressive composition paying homage to "Franz Schubert," but the real meat of this approach is contained in the opening love letter, "Europe Endless," and the epic title track, which shares themes and lyrics with the following track, "Metal on Metal." The song "Trans-Europe Express" is similar in concept to "Autobahn," as it mimics the swaying motion and insistent drive of a cross-continent train trip. What ultimately holds the album together, though, is the music, which is more consistently memorable even than that on Autobahn. Overall, Trans-Europe Express offers the best blend of minimalism, mechanized rhythms, and crafted, catchy melodies in the group's catalog; henceforth, their music would take on more danceable qualities only hinted at here (although the title cut provided the basis for Afrika Bambaataa's enormously important dancefloor smash "Planet Rock").

1. Europe Endless
2. The Hall Of Mirrors
3. Showroom Dummies
4. Trans Europe Express
5. Metal On Metal
6. Abzug
7. Franz Schubert
8. Endless Endless

TRANS-GLOBLAL UNDERGROUND

TRANS-GLOBAL UNDERGROUND
DREAM OF 100 NATIONS (1993)
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Dream of 100 Nations was released in the year when everything seemed to be coming together for UK electronic dance music. Born out of the post-rave dance festival and live techno club scene, Transglobal Underground managed to draw all the threads together in an album that was at once genre-defining and genre busting. It sounds as fresh today as it did 10 years ago: breakbeat, rap and house are still going strong, but you might easily have missed the "world beat" sound that Transglobal Underground built on the foundation of these more mainstream sub-genres.
African, middle-eastern and asian sounds are fused in a truly global groove, with hints of the KLF, Primal Scream (Screamadelica), Meatbeat Manifesto, System 7, The Orb, Banco de Gaia, Faithless and The Shamen. Add to this the unique vocal talents of Natacha Atlas (her vocals on the intensly moving "I Voyager" make this album worth the price for this tune alone) and you have nothing less then an absolute treasure from the golden age of British dance music.

1. Temple Head
2. Shimmer
3. Slowfinger
4. I, Voyager
5. La Voix Du Sang
6. El Hedudd
7. This Is The Army Of Forgotten Souls
8. Sirius B
9. Earth Tribe
10. Zombie'ites
11. Tutto Grande Discordia
12. Hymn To Us

BARRY ADAMSON

BARRY ADAMSON
OEDIPUS SCHMOEDIPUS (1996)
320 KBPS

After some releases with more of a beat-heavy pop feel, Adamson moves back — sort of — into the land of noirish soundtrack. Unlike Moss Side Story, it's not really a soundtrack with repeated themes and motifs. A lot of pieces establish soundtrack-like moods, but the flow never builds up momentum of its own. As individual soundscapes, though, the tracks (largely instrumental) are reasonably impressive, whether it's burlesque-type fare, a takeoff on Miles Davis, or lounge jazz. If noir is what you want, "It's Business as Usual" is especially creepy, with its neurotic answering machine messages nearly buried under waves of disquieting sounds; achieving a similar effect; in an entirely different manner, is "Vermillion Kisses," a fairytale narrative with a morbid ending. Nick Cave adds a guest vocal to (and co-writes) "The Sweetest Embrace"; Pulp's Jarvis Cocker can be heard (and co-writes) another cut. Adamson's skill in layering and devising unusual sound textures still qualifies him as one of experimental rock's more imaginative composers and producers. But on the more rock-oriented pieces, he's using too many of those damn beat boxes for his own good.

1. Set the Controls for the Heart of the Pelvis
2. Something Wicked This Way Comes
3. The Vibes Ain't Nothin' But the Vibes
4. It's Business as Usual
5. Miles
6. Dirty Barry
7. In a Moment of Clarity
8. Achieved in the Valley of Dolls
9. Vermillion Kisses
10. The Big Bamboozle
11. State of Contraction
12. The Sweetest Embrace
13. Set the Controls Again

CSS

CSS
DONKEY (2008)
320 KBPS

Brazilian electro-punk outfit Cansei de Ser Sexy, better known as CSS, gained recent success courtesy of its track “Music Is My Hot, Hot Sex” being featured in an iPod Touch ad last year. CSS has since become the highest charting Brazilian band on the Billboard Hot 100, an achievement that seems all the more unlikely coming from a band whose debut album thrived on self-deprecation (“CSS Suxxx”), referenced noise-rockers Death from Above 1979, and took riotous swipes at America’s most loathsome heiress on “Meeting Paris Hilton.” Their name hilariously translates to “tired of being sexy,” a direct quote from none other than uber-ego Beyonce.
Donkey, the Brazilian art-house brat pack's sophomore album, is a startlingly fresh and well-paced collection of songs that feel like the perfect progression from their debut. To say the band has matured would be to do them a disservice; their roughneck aesthetic to making music (only one of six members is an experienced musician) and gleefully absurd, pop-culture referential lyrics are key elements to what make CSS so thrilling. In album opener “Jager Yoga,” they manage to name-check Brazilian soap star Claudia Ohana, Brit comedy Absolutely Fabulous, and even the Pope of Trash himself, John Waters (“Desperate Living, Hairspray/Baltimore with Tanqueray/Live your life John Waters’ way”), all with equal doses of panache and sass. And when not immersing their audience in seemingly random shreds of pop-culture ephemera, they’re aces at making the arbitrary seem meaningful (“If you are my friend, we can raise the Jamaican flag so we can reggae all night, yeah”).
Musically, these eleven tracks rely more on a post-punk aesthetic than their electro-inclined predecessor. Produced by CSS’s drummer/songwriter Adriano Cintra and mixed by Mark “Spike” Stent (whose own resume includes Madonna, MIA, and Arcade Fire), Donkey feels more guitar-happy and rock oriented than Cansei de Ser Sexy while still maintaining the boisterous frenzy of synths and programmed drums the sextet has become known for.
Single “Rat Is Dead” owes its sound as much to the Pixies as it does Cintra’s songwriting with its razor-sharp guitars veering dangerously throughout this merry tale of murder and empowerment. And on tracks like “How I Became Paranoid” and “Left Behind,” the band find the perfect fusion of raucous guitars and electric engineering, constructing a more cohesive sounding record overall.
With its shameless pop-punk anthems and wonderfully irreverent lyrics, Donkey finds the members of CSS at the top of their game.

1. Jager Yoga
2. Rat Is Dead [Rage]
3. Let's Reggae All Night
4. Give Up
5. Left Behind
6. Beautiful Song
7. How I Became Paranoid
8. Move
9. I Fly
10. Believe Achieve
11. Air Painter

NITIN SAWHNEY

NITIN SAWHNEY
INTRODUCING (1999)
320 KBPS

One of the most talented and recognized producers and songwriters within the British electronic and fusion music scene, Nitin Sawhney is also a respected actor, writer, and scriptwriter. Conceiving daring theme combinations of electronica-style beats with gleaming pieces of Asian inspirations driven within the trip-hop and jazzy styles, Sawhney delivers exclusive and overwhelming sound pieces, enlightened by his indubitable creative insight.
Introducing is a compilation of Nitin's best tunes up to 1999 and a perfect introduction to the artist.

1. Migration
2. Bahaar
3. Hope
4. River Pulse [Rain Mix]
5. Market Daze
6. Pieces of Ten [Chandru Mix]
7. Herecica Latino
8. Displacing the Priest
9. Bengali Song
10. Streets
11. Voices
12. Oceans and Rain

SALARYMAN

SALARYMAN
SALARYMAN (1996)
320 KBPS

A visible link between indie-rock and the emergent post-rock later in the '90s, Salaryman formed around a quartet of ex-Poster Children: Rick and Jim Valentin, Rose Marschack and drummer Howie Kantoff. Based in the Midwestern college-town stronghold of Champaign, Illinois, the group began recording for an album in 1996. After its release on their own 12Inch Records, City Slang picked it up for a European release. Now unavailable, this is a good example of how a band can be more talented than many others in the same field and still fall through the cracks. More focused than its peers, Salaryman gives us an entertainingly quirky view of what post-rock should sound like but seldom does.

1. Rather
2. Inca Picnic
3. Voids+Superclusters
4. New Centurions
5. Burning At The Stake
6. I Need A Monkey
7. Hummous

THE CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA

THE CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA
MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA (2003)
320 KBPS

The soundtrack to a Russian silent film originally released in 1929, Man With a Movie Camera whips up a maelstrom of moody, electronica-tinged jazz-funk. In 1999, the Portugese film festival selection committee asked Cinematic Orchestra’s Jason Swinscoe to compose a new score for a screening of Dziga Vertov's avant-garde classic with live orchestral accompaniment. The result is a limber collection that flirts with brilliance while never quite coming together as an entity separate from the movie itself. For the full effect, listeners are advised to check out the film’s DVD release, which features this music in its intended setting. Having said that, there is much to recommend here for fans of Cinematic Orchestra’s post-modern, acid jazz fixations; "The Awakening of a Woman (Burnout)," for instance, slinks along on a decadent groove, as does the skittish "Reel Life (Evolution II)." By improving an already classic film with these sly compositions, Swinscoe’s band lives up to its name with elegant style and sophistication.

1. The Projectionist
2. Melody
3. Dawn
4. The Awakening Of A Woman (Burnout)
5. Reel Life (Evolution II)
6. Postlude
7. Evolution (Versao Portuense)
8. Work It! (Man With The Movie Camera)
9. Voyage
10. Odessa
11. Theme De Yoyo
12. The Magician
13. Theme Reprise
14. Yoyo Waltz
15. Drunken Tune
16. The Animated Tripod
17. All Things

ORBITAL

ORBITAL
ORBITAL², "THE BROWN ALBUM" (1993)
320 KBPS

Opening with a looped Star Trek sample, Orbital's second album progresses through eight tracks of warm, unrepetitive techno in what sounds more like a DJ mix album than an LP, with no bows to mainstream sensibilities. Here, the duo's acknowledged inspiration from Kraftwerk, present before but always in the background, came to the fore. The brilliant manner in which the Hartnolls weave several synth lines, samples, sung vocals, and percussion — mathematically precise but still beautifully orchestrated — updated Kraftwerk's mastery of minimalist electronic music. One of the highlights of the '90s techno movement, the "brown" album is still Orbital's most exciting work.

1. Time Becomes
2. Planet of the Shapes
3. Lush 3-1
4. Lush 3-2
5. Impact (The Earth Is Burning)
6. Remind
7. Walk Now...
8. Monday
9. Halcyon + On + On
10. Input Out

CLAIRE DITERZI

CLAIRE DITERZI
TABLEAU DE CHASSE (2007)
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Tableau de Chasse is Claire Diterzi's second album and, despite being as far as can be from progressive rock it's a concept album. Actually, the idea behind the 12 songs is quite appealing: each track is Claire's musical vision of a painting, sculpture or art installation. Musically, Claire Diterzi has crafted a clever and entertaining mix of chanson, pop and electronica lead by her voice and two backing singers with a background consisting of percussion, drum machines, strings, horns, samples...and more as Miss Diterzi has no limitation as to what is useful for the sake of the songs. Add to all this that no bad song is featured on Tableau de Chasse which makes a very pleasant and addictive 38 minutes listen which, though she clearly has a voice of her own, will appeal to fans of Björk, Camille or Emilie Simon.

1. L'Odalisque
2. Tableau de Chasse
3. Retiens-Moi
4. Zubrowka
5. A Quatre Pattes
6. L'Epave
7. Iku
8. Les Repas de Famille
9. La Vieille Chanteuse
10. Mes Bonnes Soeurs
11. Je Garde le Chien

HOT CHIP

HOT CHIP
THE WARNING (2006)
320 KBPS

Keeping their hot streak of spotting quality artists when they hear them, the good folks at DFA welcomed to their already diverse and talented roster Hot Chip. The "Over and Over" teaser single featured the band in rocking fashion, complete with DFA signature production and a chorus courtesy of Alexis Taylor that sounds hauntingly similar to something Paul McCartney would write had he been paying attention to the music of the youth in his own backyard. A definite departure and a step in the right direction over 2005's inconsistent full-length Coming on Strong, Hot Chip's creative maturity is immediately evident in the energetic opening. "Careful," which is laced with punchy, crisp hi hats and snare drums, then gives way to the dramatic "And I Was a Boy from School." They've gone beyond the quirky electro-pop into something much more focused and pop friendly (especially with the band's tight vocal harmonies). The title track has production that wouldn't be out of place on I Am Robot and Proud's last few records, or Postal Service outtakes. But like these artists, Hot Chip focuses more on song arrangements and structure rather than technology and programming showmanship. It sums up the core of what made The Warning so accessible and enjoyable right from the onset: it's like listening to early New Order records for the first time, waiting for the next one with a little bit of excited anticipation to see what's going to happen next with every new song.

1. Careful
2. And I Was A Boy From School
3. Colours
4. Over And Over
5. (Just Like We) Breakdown
6. Tchaparian
7. Look After Me
8. The Warning
9. Arrest Yourself
10. So Glad To See You
11. No Fit State

THE PRODIGY

THE PRODIGY
THE FAT OF THE LAND (1997)
320 KBPS

Few albums were as eagerly anticipated as The Fat of the Land, the Prodigy's long-awaited follow-up to Music for the Jilted Generation. By the time of its release, the group had two number one British singles with "Firestarter" and "Breathe" and had begun to make inroads in America. The Fat of the Land was touted as the album that would bring electronica/techno to a wide American audience; in Britain, the group already had a staggeringly large following that was breathlessly awaiting the album. The Fat of the Land falls short of masterpiece status, but that isn't because it doesn't deliver. Instead, it delivers exactly what anyone would expect: intense hip-hop-derived rhythms, imaginatively reconstructed samples, and meaningless shouted lyrics from Keith Flint and Maxim. Half of the album does sound quite similar to "Firestarter," especially when Flint is singing. Still, Liam Howlett is an inventive producer, and he can make empty songs like "Smack My Bitch Up" and "Serial Thrilla" kick with a visceral power, but he is at his best on the funky hip-hop of "Diesel Power" (which is driven by an excellent Kool Keith rap) and "Funky Shit," as well as the mind-bending neo-psychedelia of "Narayan" (featuring guest vocals by Crispian Mills of Kula Shaker) and the blood-curdling cover of L7's "Fuel My Fire," which features vocals by Republica's Saffron. All those guest vocalists mean something — Howlett is at his best when he's writing for himself or others, not his group's own vocalists. "Firestarter" and all of its rewrites capture the fire of the Prodigy at their peak, and the remaining songs have imagination that give the album weight. The Fat of the Land doesn't have quite enough depth or variety to qualify as a flat-out masterpiece, but what it does have to offer is damn good.

1. Smack My Bitch Up
2. Breathe
3. Diesel Power
4. Funky Shit
5. Serial Thrilla
6. Mindfields
7. Narayan
8. Firestarter
9. Climbatize
10. Fuel My Fire
Bonus Tracks
Smack My Bitch Up EP
1. Smack My Bitch Up (Edit)
2. No Man Army (feat. Tom Morello)
3. Mindfields (Headrock Dub)
4. Smack My Bitch Up (DJ Hype Remix)

BJÖRK

BJÖRK
JOGA (1997)
320 KBPS

This little CD is a mini gem that comprises all of the Joga singles into one EP, if you will. There are 2 great mixes of Joga one is done by Howie B., the other is the Buzz Water mix. They are minimalistic mixes and are a nice counterpoint to the menace at the end of the album. The B-sides are of mixed quality. Sod Off is excellent in parts, but is incredibly grating in others, the song is a puzzler. So Broken is a guitar driven song that has Bjork go way off the handle with the vocals, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Lastly, here comes Alec Empire. The hardcore master comes and offers his services; basically the songs are Alec going into a self-indulgent rage of hardcore beauty. If you started the song a minute in, there is no way you'd know it was a remix, but it doesn't matter. They're still pretty damn solid, and I like the way the vocals are worked into the remix. Overall, this limited edition compilation of the gems from the Joga singles is a must have for all Björk fans and a worthy addition for the others.

1. Joga (Howie B. Main Mix)
2. Joga (String & Vocal Mix)
3. Joga (Buzz Water Mix)
4. All Is Full Of Love (Choice Mix)
5. Joga (Album Version)
6. Sod Off
7. Immature
8. So Broken
9. Joga (Alec Empire Mix)
10. Joga (Alec Empire Hardcore Mix 1)
11. Joga (Alec Empire Hardcore Mix 2)

GRAND CENTRAL

GRAND CENTRAL PRESENTS
CENTRAL HEATING (1996)
320 KBPS

Back in 1996, this double CD compilation introduced the original Grand Central roster of Aim, Rae & Christian, Only Child, Tony D, Mr Scruff, Andy Votel and Funky Fresh Few to the world. This album was the proof that British producers could compete with the best of them. ...A true classic!
Now reissued for the label’s tenth birthday, this 21 track double-CD is a great re-introduction to a magnificent label on the verge of greatness. Listen and be inspired by top names like Tony D, Only Child, Andy Votel, Gripper, Rae & Christian, Aim, and others...

Disc one
1. "Central Introduction" - Tony D
2. "How Sweet It Is" - Mr. Scruff & Mark Rae
3. "Spellbound (featuring Veba)" - Rae & Christian
4. "Second Street Gogo" - Tony D
5. "Hand Of Doom (featuring Clita Johnrose)" - Andy Votel
6. "Through These Veins (featuring Afu Ra)" - Funky Fresh Few
7. "Pourquoi (featuring Buffy Brox)" - Only Child
8. "Good Advice" - Rae & Christian
9. "Rain (featuring Buffy Brox)" - Only Child
10. "It's Time Two (featuring Chubby Grooves)" - Tony D

Disc two
1. "Original Stuntmaster" - Aim
2. "Hemlock'd" - Andy Votel
3. "You Mean Fantastic" - Funky Fresh Few
4. "Loopdreams" - Aim
5. "When We Get Together" - Tony D
6. "Gotta Have Her" - Mr. Scruff & Mark Rae
7. "Lunagroove" - Only Child
8. "Baseball Fury" - Rae & Christian
9. "Spooky Driver" - Andy Votel
10. "Souldive (All City mix)" - Aim
11. "Northern Sulphuric Soul" - Rae & Christian

ORBITAL

ORBITAL
THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE (1999)
320 KBPS

Electronica routinely covers more ground, more quickly, than any style of music on the planet; the hottest new sound in January is old hat by March and downright foolish to even mention in June. Orbital, however, is the great constant in the world of techno. Every few years, the brothers Hartnoll manage to turn in excellent albums that occasionally reference the latest sound but rarely vary from the chord-heavy melodics of their debut single, "Chime." Though it took a bit longer to release, Middle of Nowhere is another typically excellent Orbital album. Experiments with breakbeats and other styles of music made interesting mixers of their previous two albums, Snivilisation and In Sides, and this fifth album includes nods to big beat-techno ("I Don't Know You People") and soundtrack composers. The latter is hardly a surprise, considering the Hartnolls' sideline gig as score composers (Event Horizon, The Saint). The opener, "Way Out," adds trumpet solos and a symphonic grandeur — reminiscent of John Barry's scores for the James Bond films — to the quintessential Orbital sound. Even considering the lack of real progression in sound, Middle of Nowhere reflects the pair once again making all the right moves and not slowing down a bit.

1. Way Out -->
2. Spare Parts Express
3. Know Where To Run
4. I Don't Know You People
5. Otoño
6. Nothing Left 1
7. Nothing Left 2
8. Style

VIVE LA FETE

VIVE LA FETE
JOUR DE CHANCE (2007)
320 KBPS

Vive la Fête was founded in 1997 when Mommens (then still playing in his former band dEUS) recorded a few demos with Pynoo on his 8-track recorder. These demos were released on the EP Je ne veux pas (sometimes also referred to as Paris) which gathered some attention because of it is reminiscent of eighties music. Their first success came with their debut Attaque Surprise (2000). Later records such as Republique Populaire (2001) and Nuit Blanche (2003) made them popular, especially in the fashion world, where Karl Lagerfeld is one of their fans. In 2005 they released Grand Prix and toured all over Europe and played some shows in Brazil and Mexico.
With their 2007 release, Jour de Chance (day of luck), the duet explores more of the same mix of indie electronica and 80s revival. It's not a bad album though some might find the formula a little repetitive, I personally like it for what it is, a fun, upbeat little album that'll fit both your dance parties and lounge restings and will never try to be more than what it is. So, if you know the other Vive La Fête albums and enjoyed it, this is for you and, if you haven't heard of them yet, this is as good a place to start as any.

1. Aventures Fictives
2. Mais
3. La Route
4. Tout Va Continuer
5. Betises
6. Tout Fou
7. Une Par Une
8. Je Suis Fachee Avec Toi
9. Quatsch
10. Stupid Femme
11. Il Pleut
12. Tele
13. Love Me, Please Love Me

NILS PETTER MOLVAER

NILS PETTER MOLVAER
RE-VISION (2008)
320 KBPS

The music of Norwegian trumpeter/Nu Jazz progenitor, Nils Petter Molvaer, has always been cinematic. Call it music for a non-existent movie or a film of the mind, Molvaer's albums, beginning with the groundbreaking Khmer (ECM, 1997), have always been about aural landscapes evocative of highly personal imagery and plenty of club-ready grooves. Even in performance, the lighting provided by Tord "Prince of Darkness" Knudsen is intended to provoke the imagination rather than focus attention on the musicians.
It's no surprise, then, that Molvaer has been recruited to provide music for film. His score for the 2005 French film Edy already saw limited release on Molvaer's Sula imprint the same year. Re-Vision culls four pieces from Edy and, by combining them with music from two other films—the 2007 German film Hoppet and 1999 Norwegian documentary Frozen Heart—and one non-soundtrack piece, fashions a continuous 46-minute suite that stands independently as yet another highly visual piece, incorporating Molvaer's ever-expanding frames of reference.
Re-Vision is also Molvaer's first release in years to not primarily feature members of his touring band, but guitarist Eivind Aarset remains a fundamental part of its overall soundscape. Aarset's Sonic Codex (Jazzland, 2007) possesses some of his most overtly recognizable guitar tones in years, but here he's in full-out textural mode; an essential if rarely recognizable sonic contributor to half of Re-Vision's sometimes dense, other times spacious twelve tracks. Punkt Festival artistic co-director/Molvaer touring group member Jan Bang also shows up on the non-score "Perimeters," providing ambient textures and beats which are ethnic rather than dance floor in nature.
Anders Engen and Italian expat Paolo Vinaccia provide live percussion on a handful of tracks, but it's Molvaer—perfecter of the "recording studio as laboratory" concept—who contributes most of Re-Vision's instrumentation. Still, amidst a broad personal palette Molvaer's trumpet remains distinctive, ranging from unaffected and spare on the solo "Trumpet Player in the Backyard" to heavily processed and utilizing a variety of extended techniques on the propulsive "The Beginning" and darker-hued "Alone in the Bathtub."
Molvaer's lyricism continues to be a defining characteristic and, despite the preconception that programming might imply, he clearly remains an improvising musician. There's little in the way of delineated soloing here; instead, his trumpet moves in and out of the mix, a distinctive focal point that helps the music flow seamlessly from one terrain to the next.
Molvaer's sonic bag of tricks isn't restricted solely to his horn and an array of electronic manipulation. On "Visitation," he plays the double-reeded duduk which, in its plaintive, haunting melancholy, recalls Armenian duduk master Djivan Gasparyan's cult classic, I Will Not Be Sad In This World (Opal, 1989).
While many of Molvaer's markers can be found on Re-Vision—techno beats, processed soundscapes, world music references and improvisation—with a purer cinematic purpose it both fits in and stands out amongst Molvaer's growing discography, an album of exceptional beauty, emotional depth and visual resonance.

1. Torn [From Hoppet]
2. Beginning [From Edy]
3. Alone in the Bathtub [From Edy]
4. Visitation [From Hoppet]
5. Arctic Dub [From Frozen Heart]
6. Perimeters
7. Trumpet Player in the Backyard [From Edy]
8. End [From Edy]
9. Visitor [From Hoppet]
10. Azad's Theme [From Hoppet]
11. Decisions [From Hoppet]
12. Leaps and Bounds [From Hoppet]
13. Violent Trip [From Edy]

NIYAZ

NIYAZ
NINE HEAVENS (2008)
320 KBPS

On their second outing, Niyaz are even more specific about what they're doing in both acoustic and electronic music. Their sound draws on traditional Turkish music, as exemplified by "Beni Beni," and music inspired by Iranian folk songs. By using two discs, one consisting of acoustic and the other of electronic versions of the same material, they really illustrate their approach. But what's most interesting is how subtle their electronic process is. It's still powered by percussion, like the acoustic versions, and voice and instruments still take center stage, but the careful programming and mixing provide for a changed atmosphere. In many cases the electronic tracks are not any more contemporary than their acoustic counterparts, but just different, offering a new perspective on the sound. There's a lot of rootedness in the music, and they use drones effectively, as well as lots of percussion around the simple melodies, with the basic trio filled out by guest musicians who are used judiciously. Singer Azam Ali is stunning throughout, a gentle powerhouse who acts as the glue to hold it all together. In fact, this is more than just an interesting release; it's an important way forward for Middle Eastern music.

Disc 1
1. Beni Beni
2. Tamana
3. Feraghi - Song of Exile
4. Ishq - Love and the Veil
5. Allah Mazare
6. Iman
7. Molk-E-Divan
8. Hejran
9. Sadrang

Disc 2
Acoustic Versions
1. Allah Mazare
2. Beni Beni
3. Sadrang
4. Tamana
5. Feraghi - Song of Exile
6. Hejran
7. Ishq - Love and the Veil
8. Molk-E-Divan

GORILLAZ

GORILLAZ
PLASTIC BEACH (2010)
320 KBPS

The Plastic Beach back story – colourful fluff about cyborg bassists, kidnapped singers and islands made of trash – might make you think the whole cartoon band conceit is wearing a bit thin. Listen, though, and it makes more sense than ever.
Only behind such a distracting smokescreen could Damon Albarn get away with conducting a project as sprawling, daring, innovative, surprising, muddled and magnificent as Plastic Beach: not just one of the best records of 2010, but a release to stand alongside the greatest Albarn’s ever been involved with and a new benchmark for collaborative music as a whole.
Not that you’d think that from the first couple of tracks. After a meandering, seagull-strewn string intro, Snoop Dogg phones in his contribution to lounge rap number Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach. You’d be forgiven for assuming Gorillaz had found their place as Damon’s token hip hop side project. Then, the first handbrake turn in what will be a head-spinning ride. White Flag opens as the world’s only Shinto Bollywood track before Kano and Bashy trade anti-war, anti-crime and anti-religion rhymes over trashy Casio beats. It’s the first of a plethora of jaw-dropping surprises on what might possibly be the least predictable album ever made.
From here Plastic Beach simply flies. Rhinestone Eyes (brilliant) is all 80s synths and M.I.A. skipping chants, first single Stylo (also brilliant) manages to merge Bobby Womack’s soulful croon and Mos Def’s raps into something resembling a Gary Numan or Grace Jones track from 1983, and Superfast Jellyfish (particularly brilliant) finds Super Furry Animals’ Gruff Rhys delivering an OutKast-meets-The Rentals elastic pop bouncer in keeping with his colourful cartoon surroundings, right down to the trumpets that sound like a sad clown at the end.
The celebrity guests all step up to the raised bar. Lou Reed’s fragile turn on Some Kind of Nature is the kind of New York piano charmer he does best, and Mark E. Smith is a spectral, menacing presence on Glitter Freeze. But it’s when Albarn takes centre stage that Plastic Beach really thrills: Empire Ants is a trickling ballad to rank alongside Blur’s best, and On Melancholy Hill is a hazy pop gem with the sugary 80s sparkle of Strawberry Switchblade or early Lightning Seeds.
The scope and depth of Plastic Beach is staggering. For anyone frustrated that Blur never quite managed their White Album, look no further.

1. Orchestral Intro
2. Welcome To The World Of Plastic Beach
3. White Flag
4. Rhinestone Eyes
5. Stylo
6. Superfast Jellyfish
7. Empire Ants
8. Glitter Freeze
9. Some Kind Of Nature
10. On Melancholy Hill
11. Broken
12. Sweepstakes
13. Plastic Beach
14. To Binge
15. Cloud Of Unknowing
16. Pirate Jet