Utility Fog

Sunday, 14th of July, 2013

Very electronic Utility Fog for you tonight.

Do the listening again for the aural enjoyment, go on. Stream it on demand at FBi in glorious stereo, or listen at will via the download link below or the podcast.

A couple of years ago Nils Frahm, best known for his piano and post-classical composition, released a 7" with two tracks on the legendary Juno synthesiser. It wasn't his first foray into electronica, but here he was focusing on the emotive aspects of the instrument, coming along very Boards of Canada, in a beatless kind of way. Two years later, Erased Tapes have re-released the tracks along with two remixes, and we heard the inimitable Clark in very fine form.

It wouldn't be too far-fetched to draw a line between Clark and James Holden, although technically they come from fairly different backgrounds. Still, tbere's something very organic about the melodies and textures of both artists. I went back and discovered the previous James Holden album The Idiots Are Winning, from 2006, and while 4/4 it is, it's pretty impeccable stuff so, just get over yourself Peter (see previous playlist re my allergy to 4/4 beats). OK. We heard two excellent tracks from that one, and two from the amazing new one, which is deservedly FBi's Album of the Week this week.

Frank Bretschneider founded the Raster Music label that merged in the late '90s with Carsen Nicolai's noton label to become the tremendous raster-noton. As expected, this is glitchy, minimal, and very electronic music, but the rhythmic pulse is always there and very important, in particular the building blocks of drum'n'bass, dub and hip-hop. It's very exciting, meticulously-produced listening, so it's very cool to have a new album out. It's less minimalist in some ways than some of its clicky predecessors, but the principle's the same - chopped up, tiny samples and electronic sounds in catchy syncopated rhythms. Awesome stuff.
We also heard a couple of his remixes, of Hauschka's prepared piano back in 2007, and a little more recently of like-minded electronic experimentalists Icarus, who continue to retain the drum'n'bass pulse through their sonic explorations.

From Sydney's Aquatic Lab we have another piece of trad dubstep from two early purveyors, Cluekid & LD. I keep coming back to this tune, and love the amen breaks.

The second album from Bristol duo Author arrived recently, and it's one of the best dubstep albums this year, melding pretty much trad dubstep with hip-hop and jazz, with lovely piano and smooth jazzy pads along with some nice bass wallop. Various collaborators abound, and coincidentally both tracks from tonight featured d'n'b and dubstep producer Quark.

The dubstep connection to the next track comes solely from vocal collaborator Warrior Queen, perhaps best known for her work with The Bug. Here she's working with experimental turntablist and composer Marina Rosenfeld, collaborating also with noise-cellist Okkyung Lee for her second album on Room40. The whole release hasn't sunk in yet, but this is really the only track that nods musically to Warrior Queen's background, with its dancehall-derived kick drum rhythm. Pretty much a total spin-out.

Room40's a Brisbane (and London) based label, and we stick in that city for a soujourn now with Subsea, who makes electronic music under that moniker but is also involved with indie/indietronic band The Rational Academy and postrock/drone/noise/electronic ensemble Ektoise. We heard an excellent solo track from his SoundCloud plus remixes of each of those bands.

And finally, one more guitar-based track from New Weird Australia's latest compilation, this one from the somewhat mysterious stephenfox, a nice piece of postrock with drum machine.

Nils Frahm - For [Erased Tapes]
Nils Frahm - Peter (Clark remix) [Erased Tapes]
Holden - lump [Border Community]
Holden - Inter-City 125 [Border Community]
Holden - 10101 [Border Community]
Holden - The Caterpillar's Intervention [Border Community]
frank bretschneider - over.load [raster-noton]
Hauschka - Stumm (Kein Wort remix by Frank Bretschneider) [Karaoke Kalk]
frank bretschneider - all summer in a day [raster-noton]
Icarus - Keet (Psittacidae mix by Frank Bretschneider) [Rump]
Frank Bretschneider - Monoplex / Multiplex / Panback / Blue: Prussian / Light Weight [raster-noton]
Frank Bretschneider - 会話 (For Kyoka) [raster-noton]
frank bretschneider - machine.gun [raster-noton]
Cluekid & LD - Dusty [Aquatic Lab]
Author - After Time (feat. Quark) [Black Box]
Author - Roman (feat. Quark) [Black Box]
Marina Rosenfeld feat. Okkyung Lee & Warrior Queen - HARD LOVE [Room40]
Subsea - Reminder [Subsea SoundCloud]
The Rational Academy - Yellow Pony (Subsea "Menorquín" Remix) [The Rational Academy Bandcamp]
Ektoise - Dissolved (Le Angustina Epoca by Subsea) [Ektoise Bandcamp]
stephenfox - Chops [New Weird Australia]

Listen again — ~ 110MB

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