Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Klinik - Live (1993)

Klinik is a Belgian band (on the Brussels Subway-Antler label) that was originally formed in 1982 by Marc Verhaeghen, its only constant member throughout the years. The band has released an impressive number of albums, but this is the only one I can present to you. The music is dark, cold and harsh electronica that swerves between industrial and EBM, and has a unique touch to it in that Verhaeghen often plays the trombone combined with synths and samples. At times some tracks may seem a bit too similar to each other, but they're nevertheless all great examples of early (dark) electronic music. And even though this is a live recording, the production quality is definitely good. Enjoy!

IFNKOVHGROGHPRM (Pt 1)

IFNKOVHGROGHPRM (Pt 2, RapidShare)

IFNKOVHGROGHPRM (Pt 2, MedaUpload)

Friday, August 25, 2006

Oskar Fried conducts Saint-Saëns' Danse Macabre (1927) and Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique (1937)

Well, it's frustratingly difficult to find even the slightest amount of information regarding the classical music conductor Oskar Fried (1871-1941)... I'll have to move down to the library, which has reached near-obsoletion since the advent of the internet! Anyway, I found this disc at the local library and considered posting it after another b-logger posted Saint-Saëns' Carnival des Animaux. What you get on this release are actually two productions from two different eras.

The first is a rare recording from 1928: the Danse Macabre by Saint-Saëns. If you've never heard it, you must - and if you like it, try to get hold of a modern (clean) recording. After all, a 20's recording is more of historical (i.e. relative) value than of actual aesthetic worth. I also remember a book from my music classes at school which depicted bar by bar the movements of a number of skeletons. I can't remember its name, but it was definitely fascinating.

The second part (tracks two onward) are a 1937 recording of Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique. To be honest, I'm afraid I've only listened to it once, so I will forbear giving my remarks. Nevertheless, Berlioz is one of the great masters of classical music and this is a recording from Germany in the 1930s so let's shout Heil Hitler and wave our arms about and all that and build up our military resources... Or not, of course. :-)

Anyway, do check out part 1 of this split archive, as that is where the Danse Macabre is in its entirity; part 2 contains the rest of the Berlioz' symphony (I presume that's for the fans). All that being said, I'm going for a beer now. Or two.

IFNKOVHGROGHPRM (Pt 1)

IFNKOVHGROGHPRM (Pt 2)

Trimetrick - Infestigations (2004)

Exactly two years ago I was in a bar here in Antwerp, and this guy walks in carrying a bag full of promotion cds of his own music. A friend of mine who knew the chap told him I was into industrial and that's how I got my hands on one of 'em. Very heavy and dark electronic music - not for feeble hearts! It's industrial, all right, but not the kind I've posted earlier (cfr. Front 242, Skinny Puppy, etc) - nope, this gets closer to extreme repetitive music such as the stuff from the Cold Meat label (Brighter Death Now, Bocksholm). And to boot, the cd contains hi-res wav files which you can use if you like to make your own music; these are contained in the second file I'm posting here. So don't download the second file if you don't want wav sounds and I hope you like it!

    Tracks
  1. Externaliser (10:07)
  2. Utopia Deletion (5:41)
  3. The Rage (5:41)

    Extra tracks
  1. Infestigations (4:31)
  2. mstr01nv (5:47)

IFNKOVHGROGHPRM (music)

IFNKOVHGROGHPRM (wav files & artwork)

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Anthony Rother Presents Electro Commando 1 - Welcome to Psicity [2 cd] (2002)

Even though I'm not a huge fan of this genre called electro, I have to admit that this double cd is one of my favourites when it comes to dark electronic music with a futuristic edge to it. Taking the bleepy, melodic stuff we all know from Kraftwerk and combining it with dark 90s techno music, as well funky beat structures from hip hop, Mr Rother from Frankfurt ("Frankfurt? Ja ja ja ja jaaaa...") paradrops a number of his own tracks, a bunch of remixes, and lots of other German electro music. Unfortunately, I don't have proper speakers, but right now I'm listening to it with my headphones (which are of high quality) and I have to tell you: the bass makes me wish I had a pair of boobs. Who just said that? Man? Machine? Hell, the older I'm getting and the more mind-operations I'm going through, the less I'm seeing a difference! Komputersimulieren und Robotte assistieren - Simulationszeitalter!

Stanks for informinging me abouturd the rapidshitty kaiserwording: keep meagre informaggot pliss!

IFNKOVHGROGHPRM (CD 1 Pt 1)

IFNKOVHGROGHPRM (CD 1 Pt 2)

IFNKOVHGROGHPRM (CD 2 Pt 1)

IFNKOVHGROGHPRM (CD 2 Pt 2)

Clatterbox - Eazy Does It (1996)

David Kempston aka Clatterbox brings us with Eazy Does It his second release on the London-based Clear label. With influences ranging from hip hop, funk, electro and techno music, one might expect a 'collectio-cacaphonos', but in fact all fourteen tracks on this album are gorgeously minimalist. To quote from All Music Guide, "Clatterbox's sound is reliant on a sort of refined, left-field minimalism, with tracks often composed of only three or four loops judiciously arranged." A really great album, filled with bouncy basses, humorous arrangements - and no lyrics!

IFNKOVHGROGHPRM

Friday, August 11, 2006

Primus - Tales From the Punchbowl (1995)

Definitely heavier and more towards the psychedelic/progressive spectrum of rock than Pork Soda and its predecessors, but also less of the "cool" funk, Tales From the Punchbowl was not at all what I expected when I bought it back in '95. Yet I can't say this is a bad album, not at all! It's just not quite easy on the brain, which -to me- Pork Soda can be. Very heavy 4/4 structures, atonal guitars (add a dash of redneck country), drawn out psych-melodious vocals and overall weirdness, that is my personal definition of this rather strange release. And a number of tracks on this disc are without a doubt brilliant freak rock tunes! Give it a go, it's interesting to say the least.

IFNKOVHGROGHPRM

Otyg - Älvefärd (1997)

Otyg brings you quality folk metal from Sweden. They started out in 1995 as a celebration to old Scandinavian folk music. Vintersorg, the main songwriter, combined his talents with a highly accomplished bassist and violin player and created this album. As a sidenote, there's also a mouth harp featuring on this release. I must say that at my first hearing I wasn't too impressed with the music: it came over as a chaotic, mish-mashy wall of sound. But, as my friend had warned me before he lent me his disc, it needed a few listenings before I could reach full appreciation. Maybe it's due to the sound production, maybe it's due to the fullness of the music, or maybe it's just complex folk music, although I don't feel it's overly complex. I don't know really, but it sure needed more than two listenings before I could say it's actually quite a good album - they do capture the right atmosphere, which is very important in folk metal. So, if you like folk metal in the way Storm brings it (see earlier post), I bet you'll like this one, too. Superb front cover, by the way...

IFNKOVHGROGHPRM

Rotting Christ - Non Serviam (1994)

Rotting Christ is a Greek death/black metal band that was formed in Athens in 1987. This release shows nicely why I use the slash in the previous sentence, as the guitars and drumwork are typical for death metal, using a highly distorted melodic thrash sound with ample bass, whereas the vocals use the more black related high-pitched, more expressionist sound. And then there's the discerning touch to Rotting Christ, something you can clearly hear in an album I posted earlier (Diabolos Rising): their very economic yet effective use of an ethereal synthesizer. Their music as a whole is fairly simple, I guess, but it stays interesting nevertheless, probably because they're good at keeping a steady rock rhythm combined with a great atmosphere. I really like this release, it's heavy without being too dark.

IFNKOVHGROGHPRM

Question for Mac Users


I've had some posts relating to the fact of Mac users not being able to unpack my compressed files. They claim it's due to the password not working, but after a double check I had to concluded that cannot be the case. Could it have something to do with encryption? Any clues or solutions to this issue?

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

William Ørbit - Pieces in a Modern Style (2000)

William Orbit (aka Ørbit) is a British musician and producer who has throughout his lifetime received much critical acclaim, notably for his production work with Madonna. When Pieces, Orbit's sixth solo release, came out in 2000, I was intrigued by the idea, but also a little wary: more often than not, digitalized classical music verges dangerously close to kitsch (if you've seen A Clockwork Orange, I'm sure you know what I mean!). Nevertheless, Pieces is a meticulously crafted album, very warm and beatifully touching. You'll mostly hear deep synths, little blips and an acoustic guitar here and there, all merging very nicely. I think it would be fair to say that this is a masterpiece in the genre (most other similar attempts reaching back to the 1970s). If you're into soft, lush ambient music or possibly if you're a lover of classical music, I think you'll like this. And I'm quite interested in your opinion here!

    Tracks
  1. Samuel Barber - Adagio for Strings (9:34)
  2. John Cage - In a Landscape (2:57)
  3. Erik Satie - Ogive Number 1 (6:44)
  4. Pietro Mascagni - Cavalleria Rusticana (3:19)
  5. Maurice Ravel - Pavane pour une Infant Defunté (6:11)
  6. Antonio Vivaldi - L'Inverno (3:57)
  7. Ludwig van Beethoven - Triple Concerto (5:32)
  8. George Frideric Handel - Xerxes (4:42)
  9. Henryk Górecki - Piece in the Old Style 1 (5:06)
  10. Henryk Górecki - Piece in the Old Style 3 (5:49)
  11. Ludwig van Beethoven - Opus 132 (6:14)
Total time: 1:00:02

IFNKOVHGROGHPRM



And for the citizens of South America (where in my opinion live most beautiful girls and women in the world!), here's a RS uppie of this album:

IFNKOVHGROGHPRM (RS Pt 1)

IFNKOVHGROGHPRM (RS Pt 2)

Saturday, August 05, 2006

Primus - Pork Soda (1993)

Now here's an album that has profoundly influenced me! Ever since this pandora's box of freak insanity came out, life became a rollercoaster of madness. Oh why did Les Claypool have to bring out an album like this? Apparently it's politically correct to claim that Sailing the Seas of Cheese is a better release, but to be honest I like Pork Soda way more, I guess it simply suits my mind. I will presume that I don't need to introduce you to Primus, but if you've never heard Pork Soda: it's extremely nutty alternative rock that skates the thin line between funk and metal. The musicians (bass, guitar and drums) are all highly gifted and when combined provide an explosive recipe for great, albeit pretty weird, 90s classic alt rock. My favourite is probably "The Hamburger Train", it just gets me laughing madly all the way through. Prepare for an audio rollercoaster!

IFNKOVHGROGHPRM

Ned's Atomic Dustbin - God Fodder (1991)

Quite a number of you will probably know Ned's Atomic Dustbin, but just in case you don't... The Ned's bring you pure power-pop as only the ninetees could deliver. God Fodder is their debut album, and the band members were only 17 or 18 years old when it came out. Apparently they got slagged off a lot at the time, I read often because of their ridiculous image (ah yes, that's it: "You look like a bum... You look like a goddamn girl.") - but luckily they didn't care the least and just made really good music with a super positive vibe to it. They're quite unique in that they use two bass player: one for the typical undercurrent, and another for extra melody. This is done really well, as the bass lines are kept very neatly apart. Great music, a 90s classic alternative rock album! Their later work is supposed to be even better, but unfortunately I can't tell you whether that's true or not.

"Ned" is a derogatory Scottish term for a townie. There is some overlap with terms used in England, such as those listed as synonyms in , all with similar meaning, although some of these have a racist connection (esp. "", since it referred to Romanys) which may not be intended in use. The terms "schemy" and "casual" were used in Scotland in the early 1990s, although the first could apply to any age, and the second normally to football thugs.

By the way, this album reminds me of another album I've been looking for lately: Eat and their debut album Sell Me A God. So, if any of you should have this album, please let me know, as it's another great 90s alt rock album.

IFNKOVHGROGHPRM

Friday, August 04, 2006

Underworld - Second Toughest in the Infants (1996)

After their '94 smashing Dubnobasswithmyheadman, Underworld released a heavier, more dance-oriented 2-cd album in 1996. Many of the tracks have a higher bpm rate and tend to move closer to the trance music of the time. However, they still use their typical mellow bass drums and the songs are intelligently written, quite unlike much of the abovementioned trance music. Some may find the lenght of many tracks a tad tedious -boring even- but fans of Underworld or dance music in general won't be disappointed with this. It's not all fast paced, though: the album is nicely balanced, all in all. I used to own this double cd, until some dude with the surname "Himmel" stole it from me. Not a very heavenly act, indeed. I'd like to thank Mr. Struktur for upping this for us. And don't forget to delete the files when you're halfway through listening to it, or else stick to North Korean ancient sayings... It didn't lay them wind-eggs, as we say in the lower countries!

IFNKOVHGROGHPRM

Uncanny Similarities, Pt 3

I had never ever heard of the guy until I almost accidentally surfed onto a really weird site called http://www.awfulplasticsurgery.com/ Please don't ask my how I got there; only the smelly Dutchman has a faint idea. The point is that I came across another uncanny similarity, this time between the fictional bird Tweety and the not-so-fictional David Gest:















So who is this guy? Well, I google-defined him and came across the following definition: "David Gest (born 1953) is an American event and concert producer who married Liza Minnelli on March 16, 2002. Sixteen months later they separated and in October 2003, he sued her for $10 million, accusing her of being abusive to him in their marriage."

Well, well, well, joke of the three wells, wasn't that interesting? Moreover, this ugly duckling was born the same year as my mom! Geez, the tricks existence can play upon a well-meaning person these days...

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Dorks - The Brave New World of Work (2006)

Hello, gays and gulls, sorry for the pause lately, but I'm afraid the music stuff will be getting somewhat dampened from now on, as I am officially no longer unemployed. What this means b-log-wise is that I won't be too keen on sitting in front of my pc screen after being exposed to near-X-ray flatscreens for 8 hours. Hope you all understand...

Mind! I'm not stopping this! This b-logging company has given me so much pleasure that not even a Stalinist government (cfr. Bush admin.) can stop me. I just wanted to say it's going to be somewhat less from now on. Don't forget to check the house/techno music links on the right, though: they'll continue bringing fresh high quality releases.

But on a positive note: now that I'm working, the inevitable consequence is that I will have more money at hand - and more money means more new music! (Hell, and who knows, maybe one day my boss will realise what kind of a destructive personality I am possessed by, and the danger I present to the general workforce, so that he'll have to "dismiss" me - effectively pushing me back into b-log marginality!).

And thanks for all the great remarks so far, it's been really kind and helpful throughout the tough period I've had to go through the last few months. After one loses one's job and girlfriend and candy-buddies and all that, it's not easy trying to convince oneself that one is either sane or insane or none of the above, you see. ;-)

For all you other b-loggers, take heart from an ancient North Korean saying:

It may be wlong to falsely copy what is light,
but it is celtainly light to tluly wlong what is copylight.

"swo wloneley swo wloneley..." (Kim Jung Il)