2008年07月11日
DIARY OF AN AFRO WARRIOR / benga
http://www.myspace.com/bengabeats
Diary Of An Afro Warrior is the second full-length release from Benga, a UK-based artist who is along with Burial probably one of the fastest-rising names in dubstep. His Night 12" was apparently the first of its genre to be played on BBC Radio 1, and his style is both varied and at times quite accessible. He's had work on a variety of compilations, including the recent Mary Anne Hobbs' Warrior Dubz last year, but his craft has obviously grown even since that time.
Benga Interview
2008年06月27日
CHAPTER ONE: A LONG WAY FROM HOME / the british expeditionary force
’Cinematic, multifaceted songs peak and trough in increasingly complex designs. Utterly enthralling!’ (8/10) – Rock Sound
’Chapter One: A Long Way From Home is both accessible and absorbing; there’s little need to repeatedly return to the record to discover its truest treasures.’ (8/10) – Drowned In Sound
’It’s something of a relief when The British Expeditionary Force arrive. After just a couple of practices, yourcodenameis:milo’s guitarist Justin Lockey and his band already sound superb, splicing together electronic and organic music to create gripping, shape-shifting indie.’ (8/10)
– Rock Sound Live
’Gorgeous Brian Wilson harmonies in the ambient way, subtly complex layering, electro tinted acoustica. Music that is supposed to complement your day.’ – Red Sea Station NY (US)
’A complete, light and semi-transparent story - misty and minimalistic but also full of nooses and compound!’ – Machina Magazine (PL)
The British Expeditionary Force bring to mind the sweet Scandinavian sounds of Efterklang or Mum. This is pop music, reframed and re-imagined as electronica, and taking influence from the muddy mire of indie music on the way, so it's not hard to work out that the two members of the band are old hands at production. In the red corner we have Justin Lockey, founder member of Mycodenameis:Milo and producer of such beastly projects as Enter Shikari among other things, and in the blue corner vocalist Aid Burrows, better known as the frontman of Fierce Panda band My Architects.
The music featured on 'Chapter One : A Long Way From Home' is the most unusual to ever come from this camp. It's indie music for people who want a little more for their money, pop music for people getting bored with pop or electronica for those of you who don't mind some vocals slapped about over the glitches and pads, and somehow it works. While the record isn't totally successful it leaves you with a warm glow, perfect for this time of year I'd say...(Boomkat.com)
2008年06月25日
NECTAR / natalia clavier
http://www.myspace.com/nataliaclavier
http://www.eslmusic.com/artist/natalia_clavier
"A name to make note of" - Mojo Magazine
"An exquisitely talented vocalist" - Obscure Sound
"She's developed into a woman with a voice that sounds like Nectar itself" - Fly Global Music
"One for the more sophisticated music lover.. 9/10" - Itchy Bugle "..reminiscent of Astrud Gilberto in The Girl From Ipanema" - WERS 88.9
"Natalia Clavier's voice, when combined with Aubele's guitar, will make you feel like you're lovestruck and floating stoned through a Buenos Aires disco" - CityLife
The highly anticipated debut album from ESL Music's first female solo artist Natalia Clavier. Featured on Federico Aubele's sophomore release Panamericana, Natalia Clavier croons angelically over sensual rhythms and Latin flourishes on her own breakout album Nectar. Produced by Eric Hilton of Thievery Corporation.
2008年06月23日
IN SILICO / pendulum
搖滾指標雜誌Kerrang!讚譽：「擁有足以席捲全球的音樂天賦、Pendulum絕對是明日巨星！」
締造Drum ’n’ Bass史上最暢銷專輯的團體，入主華納首張舞曲勁碟
由身兼數職的Rob Swire(製作人/合成器/主唱)、Gareth McGrillen(DJ/貝斯/製作人)、知名DJ Paul "El Hornet" Harding集結鼓手Paul Kodish、吉他手Peredur AP Gwynedd以及Ben Verse(MC)，這六位澳洲柏斯的鼓打貝斯玩家們所建立起的Pendulum，以Drum ’n’ Bass襲進這波令人矚目的熱浪。
2003年，樂團在小廠牌31 Records所發行的合輯中，以首支歌曲「Vault」造成頗大迴響，先後也和Drum ’n’ Bass界名將Baron, Optical, Ed Rush合作發行合輯歌曲；2004年，在Bad Company前團員Fresh與DJ Adam F設立的獨立廠牌Breakbeat Kaos旗下推出「Another Planet」單曲後，在英國造成無比轟動、拿下流行單曲榜#43，打響Pendulum的名號，隔年首張專輯"Hold Your Colour"問世，有英國碎拍先鋒The Freestylers與同為柏斯出生的樂團Halogen主唱Jasmine Yee等力挺，歌曲「Tarantula」、「Slam」分別佔下英國單曲榜#60、34席次，期間翻玩天團The Prodigy的「Voodoo People」一曲，亦打進#20的位置，Pendulum的連續猛攻威力掀翻英國、澳洲，專輯狂銷超過22萬張，讓這組蟄伏於獨立廠牌下的新秀團體，締造眾人五體投地的Drum ’n’ Bass史上最暢銷專輯。
此張最新專輯"In Silico"，為樂團入主主流廠牌華納旗下的第一張專輯，並由Rob與Gareth兩位團員擔當製作，同時兩人也在專輯內獻聲配唱，頗有些許沾染Trance的氛圍，深受Led Zeppelin, Underoath, Atreyu, Tool等重金屬樂團影響的他們，更將舞曲重拍與搖滾調合成一體，灑進豐富前衛的搖滾元素，就連搖滾雜誌Kerrang!也給予：「擁有足以席捲全球的音樂天賦、Pendulum絕對是明日巨星！」的激賞讚譽。聆聽Pendulum的音樂，在一剎那間彷彿感到周圍音波瞬間視覺化，以重拍零碎鼓點、低沉厚重的貝斯波浪作為基層，挾帶著來回於空氣之間的激昂電子音效、來回衝撞的硬蕊搖滾分子，在你周圍不停彈跳飛梭，整個程序先將音速動能慢慢累積，直到衝破極限，再將一切能量一併爆發，產生如地震般的音爆後稍微暫緩，之後再如此不停反覆輪迴，無一不使舞客腎上腺素流竄全身，且一次次帶起舞池的最高潮！
Pendulum In Silico
2008年06月19日
EXITING ARM / subtle
試聽﹕http://www.myspace.com/subtlesix
While it highlights what's always been catchiest about Subtle's music, being full of short, fast bangers that you can enjoy out of the corner of your ear, the latest from Doseone's avant-pop/ hip-hop project is also lyrically dense and thematically complex, expanding upon the symbols and storylines they've been developing since their inception. (Pitchfork.com)
From Oakland, No. California comes the underground Hip Hop of Subtle. The 2008 Subtle album, the final part of a trilogy that started out with A New White (2004), continued with For Hero : For Fool (2006) and has been surrounded by Wishingbone and Yell&Ice. This album is called Exiting Arm. Dose One has been breaking down the 2-Deez, creating a multi-layered website dedicated to the world and words behind Exiting Arm.
2008年06月18日
SILENT MOVIE / quiet village
試聽﹕myspace
The thin line between schmaltz and beauty is something musicians have had to grapple with for a while. Working together as Quiet Village, Matt Edwards of Radio Slave and his collaborator Joel Martin strike just the right balance, transforming easy listening sounds of the past into the soundtrack to the finest 3 a.m. trip home you'll have all year (pitchfork.com)
QUIET VILLAGE step out of the shadows to present their much anticipated debut album, 'Silent Movie'. Comprised of master crate-digger JOEL MARTIN and rising dance-music star MATT EDWARDS (a man of many monikers including RADIO SLAVE & REKID), and borrowing their name from MARTIN DENNY's exotica masterpiece, Quiet Village make the old sound new (and vice versa). Influenced by Italian film soundtracks, library music, disco edits, acid rock and vintage soul, they mix the unlikeliest elements - bluesy guitar, chamber strings, air-raid sirens, shuffling breakbeats, even flutes and seagull cries - into an hour-long, beautiful reverie. Often cinematic in feel - their sound is unique and will wash over you in a refreshing embrace
Quiet Village 專訪﹕
SAME AS IT NEVER WAS / the herbaliser
試聽﹕http://www.myspace.com/theherbz
With their debut for !K7 Records out at the end of May, it's clear that The Herbaliser's evolution is still in progress. As the title suggests, Same As It Never Was sees The Herbaliser employing more of a live band sound (indicative of their transition from a duo to a five piece), showing that they can produce scratchy funk to rival groups like the Dap Kings and El Michaels Affair. With guest vocalists including Jean Grae of the Okayplayer camp and their signature knack for reflective songs that still bump, it's clear that more than ten years into their history, The Herbaliser's sonic trajectory is still picking up steam.
Blending hip-hop, sampled breaks, and jazz, The Herbaliser have, with their five Ninja Tune full lengths, remained stalwarts of the creative downtempo scene for more than a decade. Their inimitable formula has been slowly refined, culminating with 2002's Something Wicked This Way Comes which many fans agree is the group's finest effort yet. Same As It Never Was is a brand new effort, and the first with the group's new five piece line-up, including lead vocalist Jessica Darling. (amazon.com)
2008年05月26日
CURVELAND / aus
Listen:
01: Lied
02: Mayonuka Nosukima
03: With Main
If Mum were a little less pastoral,then Curveland could be compared to Finally We Are No One-but where that record drew its charm from homespun sources,Aus seems to cocoon you in a more electronically gestated web that is breathtaking.
Indeed there is something delicately cinematic about 'Curveland', and not in the way you might think - there's none of the menace of Angelo Badalamenti or the forced grandeur of John Williams here, rather we are treated to the soundtrack to a simple film about love, say Brief Encounter or fittingly Lost in Translation. The best comparison might be made with the fabulous Piana (released on Taylor Deupree's 'Happy' label) who similarly made waves on the electronic scene with her delicate synthetic pop sounds, yet Fukuzono also has something deeply unique. Unlike his contemporaries in the Japanese scene, he seems to fit in perfectly with Moteer's pastoral and unashamedly British vision - long green grass, knitted sweaters and hot cups of tea. This bright-eyed homespun sentiment is exactly what makes 'Curveland' so hard to forget - so don't resist, let Fukuzono wrap you up with the most gorgeous audio this side of Tokyo.
2008年05月22日
GRACE / haruka nakamura (SCH-004)
試聽：http://www.myspace.com/harukanakamura
H.Nakamura則是日本後搖樂隊nica的靈魂人物兼吉他手，個人創作善用田野錄音（field recording）手法融入其吉他與鋼琴曲子當中，音樂靈感則源自日落、季節的氣味與尋常生活之間。這在他首張個人專輯中得到充分的發揮！
"schole records' fourth release is the first yet awaited album of haruka nakamura, who has been getting quite attention at his works in albums such as "schole compilation vol.1" or "afterglow" with akira kosemura from schole. this album is mainly created with acoustic guitar and pianica. also, a vocalist, a classic guitarist, a pianist, and an upright bassist has come together for supporting haruka to create a finest musical collection so far. the album is organized carefully in three parts of daily cycle, which mostly with many kinds of wavering yet ever-changing moments. this acoustic album is truly worth calling a musical gem."
2008年05月4日
THIRD / portishead
十年等待終於喚回Trip-Hop代表大團，獨特致命的迷人魅惑再度釋放。贏得The Guardian五星滿分+ AMG (4.5/5) + The Observer (4/5) + Pitchfork (8.8/10) +滾石雜誌(3.5/5)…各媒體高度肯定之回歸大作。首波進榜單曲“Machine Gun”強烈電流不斷加壓穿刺，漾開一股令人喘不過氣的陰鬱氛圍。
終於結束十年的終極等待與揣測，這麼長久的停滯期，對於正處於高峰的樂團而言，很容易導致解散或失去動力，好在Portishead都熬過來了。曾經引領90年代初期Trip-Hop電子風潮之代表大團站上久違的舞台，繼續釋放那股獨特致命的迷人魅惑！
組建於1991年英國西南部海港城市Bristol的Portishead，與同地點發跡的Massive Attack和Tricky，可說是Trip-Hop樂種的領導先鋒鐵三角，故也有Bristol Sound或Bristol Acid Rap稱謂的出現。包括創意無限的靈魂主腦Geoff Barrow、帶著一副生動鬼魅嗓音的首席女主唱Beth Gibbons、擁有精湛爵士吉他彈奏好功力的Adrian Utley等三人在內之組員，齊力於1994年發行曠世鉅作『Dummy』，入主滾石雜誌「史上五百張經典專輯」、Spin「90年代90張最佳專輯」、Q「百大英國最佳專輯」、NME「1994年50張頂尖專輯」、Mojo「百大現代經典傑作」…等媒體優選名單。1997年第二張同名專輯依然好評不斷，分別獲選Melody Maker和Q雜誌「1997年度專輯」。就在1998年的現場收音特輯『Roseland NYC Live』問市後，Portishead便突然從樂壇蒸發。2002年Beth曾單飛不解散的推出美聲獻音且改走民謠風之「Out Of Season」，稍稍滿足樂迷渴望的心。
終於盼到醞釀許久的【Third】出版，當沉溺在冷冽潮濕觸感的“Hunter”時，興奮且展開雙臂歡迎Portishead回歸；從靜謐民謠式的“The Rip”暗沉空間盤旋的同時，卻被越趨明亮攀升之Synth節奏照得刺眼，令人捉摸不定的編曲方式，讓樂迷裝著滿滿期待也露出久違的微笑；漫不經心且低聲囈語的情緒鋪出“Plastic”，努力拼湊已呈支離破碎的扭曲音符；搭配Doo Wop合聲以及班鳩琴彈奏的“Deep Water”，則驚喜釀製最為溫暖的簡單小品；強烈電流不斷加壓穿刺的“Machine Gun”，透著一股令人喘不過氣的陰鬱氛圍，入選首波進榜單曲。各媒體全不吝情高度讚賞：The Guardian五星滿分背書，AMG(4.5/5) + The Observer (4/5) + Oitchfork (8.8/10) +滾石雜誌(3.5/5)，Portishead繼續勾勒迷離深邃的冷調美感，營造一場彷彿親臨懸疑詭譎的情境劇中，小心深陷其中，久久無法自拔。(文‧環球唱片)
延伸閱讀：
Portishead：一種絕望守護著音樂／Nico-H
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