November 2011 Playlist

A short one this month, y’all. Be back shortly with some 2011 wrap-up.

Actress – Harrier ATTK/Gershwin (Nonplus, Digi., 2011)

There’s something very satisfying about Darren Cunningham’s Actress work (Werk?, LOL JK!) in its constant reference to electronic music past, without being completely obvious like some of his contemporaries. Actress easily put out one of my favorite 2010 releases in Splazsh, an ornery, masterful record that pulled equal parts from early 90s IDM, German Kosmische music, dubstep (the more moody variety, not that hair-metal, USA-brand stuff), and others that I’m less qualified to talk about. The Harrier ATTK/Gershwin single seems a logical continuation from Splazsh, which itself was all over the stylistic map, though not unfocused. On side A, Cunningham seems to be using similar dub textures of Flying Lotus, keeping things at a reasonable, somewhat stoned pace with the requisite graniness. On “Gershwin” the pace is sped up a bit and a little more melody is introduced making it the more anthemic of the two even though recording quality and brain rattling drum patterns create a distinct claustrophobia not on “Harrier ATTK”. Another great document of an artist pumping out some fascinating stuff.

araabMUZIK – Electronic Dream (Duke, Digital, 2011)

I’m having trouble finding another record released this year that I’ve listened to more. Abraham Orellana originally made his name via production work for the Dipset crew, but Electronic Dream proves there’s a totally different, non-rap and probably more relevant side (really, who cares about Cam’ron now?). This kind of seems like the type of music you’d expect to hear at a club at 4:00 in the morning where things are already kind of blurry and totally over-saturated. It’s pulling from both the rap and house music worlds, but it’s blended so well — choppy on some levels, goopy and fuzzy in such a way that it just explodes despite how flat it probably looks on paper. Vocals, when they are there, are way down in the mix making me think of Loveless and shoegaze in general — a strange, but relevant touchstone for this. Really, it’s just a great batch of tracks, loosely mixed when he felt like it, but, more importantly, excellent.

Blues Control & Laraaji – FRKWYS Vol. 8 (RVNG, LP, 2011)

If you remotely follow these pages, you’ll note that I’m an rather large advocate of Blues Control’s particular brand of new age drone/American komische music. It’s incredibly interesting, always unusual, and often transcendent, using what appears to be not much more than keys, guitar and a rickety old drum machine to create wildly colorful sound worlds without clear reference points — quite a feat at this steal-whatever day in age. Blues Control’s considerable 2011 output (albeit mainly reissue-focused) continues here with new age mystic Laraaji (and his companion Arji Cakouros) aboard for a FRKWYS installment. Many know Laraaji from his excellent contributions to Brian Eno’s Ambient 3 (Day of Radiance) LP, a stunning trip of zither and synth drone that has become a very obvious reference point for the New Age Class of 2011. The pairing couldn’t be more excellent, yeilding similar results to Vol. 7, although even a little more whole due to the true collaborative sense at its core. There’s moments here that sound a bit like “Rest on Water”, but there’s the sense that, more than anything, Blues Control are specifically pulling from their new age roots in Watersports and giving ample space to Laraaji’s floating zither, allowing for a slowly billowing and unfolding drift to the tracks. The LP comes with nearly 50 extra minutes of music making it relatively clear that this combination yielded some rather fruitful results — hope to see quite a bit more of it in the future.

Borden, Ferraro, Godin, Halo, & Lopatin – FRKWYS Vol. 7 (RVNG, LP, 2011)

Some of the brightest, analog synth-inclined minds get together for this “supergroup” amalgamation, which plans to take over the world with icy synth drones, apparently. It’s a solid look, if the most obvious direction of many. Truly, what the hell else were they going to do? Pop songs? Get too many cooks in the kitchen and, well, you know. Really, what you’ve got here are some new age-ish synth washes that build from (sometimes) sinister, dark structure into something that ties up nicely into some sort of “happy ending”. The influence of each is not obvious, but the structure of these tracks allows for the group to easily play off one another. I hear a bit more Lopatin and Halo than anyone while Ferraro submits some of those dolphin-esque clips he’s built his more and more ridiculous reputation on. While Borden and Godin — who knows? Either way, it’s a pretty interesting listen that rewards close or distant attention.

Leyland Kirby – Eager to Tear Apart the Stars (History Always Favours the Winners, LP, 2011)

Kirby’s had quite the output both through his Christian name and via the Caretaker alias. I’m not his biggest fan (though my record shelf may tell you otherwise), so the difference between the two appears rather negligible; however, those records bearing his given name appear to feature a little more original composition rather than the Caretaker’s fucked-with-ballroom-78s approach. Eager to Tear Apart the Stars has a couple of approaches: the first in the vein of soundtracks similar to one of those dark early-’80s dark-underworld flicks (Thief, Cruising, etc.), although only after the VHS had soaked up enough attic heat and humidity to warp and recontextualize what may have been some straightforward dingy synth pads into a surreal ethereal dreamscape. The second approach is a somewhat more Caretaker-like sound, with synth strings and piano gently, gorgeously floating under a halo of reverb and hiss. Either way he chooses, the beauty of Kirby’s lost memory music is at once fascinating, enthralling and revelatory.

Swiftumz – Don’t Trip (Holy Mountain, LP, 2011)

It’s tricky coming right off the bat with a tuff gnarl like “Don’t Cha Want Me Back?”, a swirling pop meltdown that leaves you kind of scratching your head wondering were it goes from there. This guy behind Swiftumz, Chris McVicker, knows that you just need to follow it up with 9 straight-up hits. Don’t Trip is an excellent run of baggy, Balearic references, fuzzy guitars, dreamy, and immediate pop songwriting. “Angelita”, the best song in this remarkable package, sounds like what I always wished the Jesus and Mary Chain sounded like all along, ethereal and glowing. In its short run time, Don’t Trip covers more stylistic ground than most of its reference points (Ween reference here), and often better. Definitely worth giving Chris a call over (his number is on the cover) — thank him for his tweets and one of the best pop records of 2011.