Utility Fog

Sunday, 28th of June, 2009

A small flood (yes. A small flood) of 3" CDs tonight, among the excellent new releases.
The Machinefabriek is from a late 2008 release that I only just got hold of. Beautiful detailed minimalism, occasional distorted outbursts and acoustic guitar licks among the hum and static. I'll play another excerpt next week hopefully.
John Oswald brings us tonight's tribute (if you like) to the recently departed King of Pop (as the newspapers inform me he was... I'd be more inclined to nominate Daniel Rossen or Andrew Bird but there you go).
James Blackshaw has a new album out for 2008, and he's found his home at the wondrous Young God Records, a very suitable venue for his cyclical guitar/piano works, beautifully augmented here with wordless vocals, violin and cello. Fire on Fire remind us that Young God released another of my favourite albums of the year so far.
I've been eagerly awaiting Years’ album since I heard a preview track at Arts&Crafts’ site, and it doesn't disappoint. Ohad Benchetrit of Toronto's Do Make Say Think and Broken Social Scene brings us glitchy acoustic guitars and drum edits, joyful horn sections and more. Awesome.
Two classical-sampling Busdriver tracks (see below) follow, showcasing his astounding vocal prowess.
And then we get to Nosaj Thing, with more of that west-coast USA wonky sound. Nosaj Thing's music harks back to the blissful melodies and basslines of idm as much as it references dubstep's bassline growl and relaxed tempos, but whatever you call it, it's irresistible.
Nice to hear new Lusine on Ghostly International, with an update idm's vocal snippet love. And more quasi-grime (? I dunno) from Milanese and Two Fingers, collaborating with some excellent vocalists.
Speaking of vocals, Venetian Snares sings on his latest EP, Horsey Noises, and... I won't comment on the lyrics, but it's vintage VSnares, especially on the remix I played.
Melbourne's Buttress O'Kneel played an awesome on Saturday night at the Liquid Architecture 10th birthday gig. For some reason the track I played tonight wasn't breakcore at all, despite following Snares. You should download heaps of BO'K from Alias Frequencies for free right now!
We had more from Bibio, and followed it with two tracks from an amazing CD/book boxset on the Kning Disk label. Sydney's own The Dead Sea contributed the gorgeous final track, which also appears on their debut album. And there's also something new from the brilliant Hans Appelqvist.
And then a couple more of those 3"s. Melbourne's Part Timer has released an EP called Taped Recordings, which I assume is just that, although as usual quite a few are wonderful clicky folktronica, as well as featuring acoustic guitar and tape noises. Lovely packaging, available direct from the artist for a mere $10.
And we had another of Peter Broderick’s lovely Film Score Outtakes.
Canberran duo Spartak are touring in a week and a bit to launch their new EP, from which we took an evocative track tonight. Dirty Shirlows, Thursday June 9th. Marcus Whale is putting the gig on, and we took another excellent track from his duo Collarbones afterwards.
Then something weird and wonderful that I found via a City Slang sampler: Panda Bear remixing (well actually covering) The Notwist! And then, just because I can, one of my favourite songs - Thee More Shallows’ 2 A.M. Could listen to this on repeat just about forever...
More amazing indiefolk from Townsville's The Middle East, and rounding it out with some new and not-so-new Dirty Projectors. Sing it: BITTE ORCA, ORCA BITTE!

Machinefabriek - Stukjes 3-8 [Machinefabriek (White)]
John Oswald - dab (by "Alien Chasm Jock", a scrambled Michael Jackson) [pfony]
James Blackshaw - Cross [Young God]
Fire on Fire - Haystack [Young God]
Years - The Assassination of Dow Jones [Arts&Crafts]
Years - The Major Lift [Arts&Crafts]
Busdriver - Me - Time (With The Pulmonary Palminpsest) [Anti-] {sampling from Mozart's Ronda a la Turka}
Busdriver - Imaginary Places [Temporary Whatever] {sampling from the Badinerie from Bach's Orchestral suite BWV 1067}
Nosaj Thing - Fog [Alpha Pup]
Lusine - Two Dots [Ghostly International]
Nosaj Thing - Lords [Alpha Pup]
Milanese - Disclosure (ft. Ben Sharpa) [Planet µ]
Two Fingers feat. Sway & Sweet P - Not Perfect [Ninja Tune]
Venetian Snares - Horsey Noisers [Planet µ]
Buttress O'Kneel - Imagination [via Alias Frequencies]
Bibio - haikuesque (when she laughs) [Warp]
The Dead Sea - Nulla Desiderata [Kning Disk]
Hans Appelqvist - Hälsingar Från Skogen [Kning Disk]
Part Timer - Taped Recording 1 [self-released]
Peter Broderick - Film Score Outtake 5 [Secret Furry Hole]
Part Timer - Taped Recording 6 [self-released]
Spartak - In a Field of Light [hellosQuare]
Collarbones - Weatherman [Internet Archive - free download!]
The Notwist - Boneless (Panda Bear remix) [City Slang]
Thee More Shallows - 2 A.M. [Monotreme]
The Middle East - Blood [Spunk]
Dirty Projectors - Useful Chamber [Domino]
Dirty Projectors - Thirsty and Miserable [Dead Oceans]
Dirty Projectors - Bitte Bitte Orca [Domino]

New! Listen again: part 1; part 2; part 3.

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