Utility Fog

Sunday, 12th of July, 2009

About as varied as a show can get tonight!
Started with the wonderful Clubroot, who perhaps takes his cue from Burial's haunted dubstep, but more accurately is dealing in the same sort of rave/d'n'b/garage nostalgia, and when it comes down to it is just making great tunes.
A great song from last week from A Hawk and a Hacksaw, who like Clubroot may come with some connotations, here of Beirut, but in the end they're doing their own thing, and doing it really well.
Angel Deradoorian of Dirty Projectors has a wonderful debut CD, from which we took a lovely dirge-like piece. Definitely worth seeking out!
Only one track from the inaugral free download compilation New Weird Australia this week, but it's another awesome understated number from Telafonica. It was followed by Sunken Foal’s beautiful "Dutch Elm" from last year, by way of introducing a newly discovered early EP from his duo ambulance.
We then had a conversation with the lovely Lawrence English, whose Room40 and Someone Good labels have brought out so much great music over the last 5+ years. Lawrence is in town on Thursday night playing a gig with Seaworthy at Serial Space, which should be a wondrous occasion.
On the Someone Good label, we heard a track from the Lawrence-produced album by The Rational Academy, of which more certainly next week. 10 tracks in 20 minutes!
Jasper TX’s new album is a double-3" of reworked live recordings, and as usual he takes drone in surprising directions.
After Clubroot's standout track, we had one of many bizarre offerings from the new Clark album, combining the techno of Turning Dragon with some of the electroacoustic experimentation of Body Riddle.
We then turn to Canberra, and the scintillating post-jazz of Pollen Trio, who were previously known as the Austin Benjamin Trio. With electronic help from the slightly mysterious C.S.K.A., they achieve something special on their new album, as well as on a very limited 3" CD with Seaworthy.
We then took three amazing tracks from UK cellist/multi-instrumentalist Danny Norbury. I picked up a 3" CD of his on ONO Records at the Rough Trade store in London last year on the strength of a beautiful handmade cover (an edition of 33!), and the new album also has lovely packaging, befitting the music it contains. Norbury is a very fine cellist, and the first track is pure multi-tracked cello. The third is from a limited bonus 3", on which The Boats combine Norbury's cello with their usual subtle electronics.
Sydney composer William Gardiner follows with a track from his forthcoming Onliving EP, a very assured debut combining classical composition with some improvisatory elements and thoughtful studio effects. Expect more from this next week.
Max Bondi’s M is the fourth release on London's boutique Tartaruga Records, and they haven't had a dud yet. Beautiful artwork as usual, accompanying a release that encompasses drone, layered cello (from Bleeding Heart Narrative), piano and effects.
With a... different approach to string playing, C. Spencer Yeh mutilates his violin as usual, in collaboration with Norwegian noise artist Lasse Marhaug. UK guitarist Cam Deas follows with some Untitled Blues - highly expressive playing, beautifully recorded for 7". And a third 7" record followed, with SJ Esau’s delightfully ramshackle indiepop.
Esau's usual label Anticon welcome Buck 65 back to the fold with his Bike For Three! collaboration with electronic artist Greetings From Tuskan. It's consistently high quality stuff. A bit more alt/nerd-hop followed, with Sage Francis’ fabulous collaboration with Jolie Holland, and Busdriver’s sardonic (to say the least!) collaboration with Nocando ("When it comes nerd rap, seems this black thing's a problem").
And finally we had the smooth clubby stylings of L.D.’s take on the Animal Collective single Summertime Clothes. Tasty.

Clubroot - Talisman [Lo Dubs]
A Hawk and a Hacksaw - I am not a gambling man [Leaf]
Deradoorian - High road [Lovepump United]
Telafonica - Time And Distance [New Weird Australia] {free download comp!}
Sunken Foal - Dutch Elm [Planet µ]
ambulance - ambulance! [frontend synthetics]
...interview with Lawrence English, with backdrop from tracks from Kiri No Oto [Touch]
The Rational Academy - Swans [Someone Good]
Jasper TX - The Golden Afternoon [under the spire recordings]
Clubroot - Embryo [Lo Dubs]
Clark - Suns of Temper [Warp]
Pollen Trio - Syndrome [hellosQuarerecordings]
Seaworthy & Pollen Trio - Untitled #2 [hellosQuarerecordings]
Danny Norbury - All The Stars Are Out Tonight [Lacie's Records]
Danny Norbury - Les Cheveux Gris [ONO]
Danny Norbury - This Night Is For You And Me (The Boats Remix) [Lacie's Records]
William Gardiner - Return [digital prerelease available here]
Max Bondi - Elenco [Tartaruga Records]
C. Spencer Yeh & Lasse Marhaug - In Contemporary Western Society, Death Is Like White Noise To A Man In Good Health - It Fills His Mind When His Dreams And Plans Fade [Arbor]
Cam Deas - Untitled Blues part I [Great Pop Supplement]
SJ Esau - Part of a Diagram [OIB Records]
Bike For Three! - Lazarus Phenomenon [Anticon]
Sage Francis - Got Up This Morning (feat. Jolie Holland) [Epitaph]
Busdriver - Least Favorite Rapper (feat. Nocando) [Anti-]
Animal Collective - Summertime Clothes (Leon Day AKA L.D. Remix) [Domino]

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

2 Responses to “Playlist 12.07.09”

1. TM Says:
   July 14th, 2009 at 6:02 pm

   Reckon Lee Tran is onto something - Lazarus Phenomenon v. good!

2. Peter Says:
   July 14th, 2009 at 6:07 pm

   *heh* Thanks for listening! As you can see, Leigh played it a week ago too.
   Ah, raddio crossovers.