Other Music New Release Update
May 30, 2002



In This Week's Update:

The Cinematic Orchestra
Capitol K
Sharon Jones
Mary Timony
Marumari
John Zorn
Junior Delahaye (Reissue)
Staedtizism 3 (Compilation)
Daniel Givens (12")

Just Arrived:

Henry Flynt


Featured New Releases:

THE CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA "Every Day" (Ninja Tune) CD/LP $14.99/$17.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/allthaty.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/manwitht.rm
The Cinematic Orchestra's long awaited follow-up to the smashing
success of their debut "Motion" is complete, in every sense of the
word. Bound to be categorized and viewed by many as "down-
tempo," "Everyday" reaches beyond the normal comparisons. J.
Swinscoe has collected a tight group of instrumentalists and
composed an album that is about jazz, proven in the sultry and
seductive single "All That You Give" which features soul and R&B
legend, Fontella Bass (Art Ensemble of Chicago). Bass' vocals on
the aforementioned and "Evolution" act more as an accompanying
instrument than traditional voice. "Flite" begins, as most of
these songs do, with a relaxing melancholy attitude, but quickly
explodes into a light drum'n'bass influenced rhythm that
swings. "Man with the Movie Camera" will remind most of the
previous CO works, with its spaced-out, electronic, soul-jazz
vibes. British rapper Roots Manuva adds his self-inspired, spoken-
word commentary to "All Things to All Men," a controlled departure
from the otherwise classical, mysterious and haunting album. A
staple for any after-hours hang, including your room. [JD]
CD //perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=62597810592&refer_url=email
LP //perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=502139224518&refer_url=email

CAPITOL K "Island Row" (XL) CD $15.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/pillow.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/heat.rm
When Kristian Craig Robinson, a.k.a. Capitol K, was unhappy with
his previous album (also titled "Island Row"), the songwriter/sound-
collagist decided to pay a return visit. Eliminating two songs,
adding two more, and re-mixing the remaining tracks, Robinson's
updated version perfectly teeters between pop music and clever
electronic wizardry. Having come of age to the soundtrack of
American guitar bands like Sonic Youth, the 26-year old spent his
formative years in Borneo until moving to the UK where he setup
shop. Robinson is hyperactive in his approach, playfully switching
and shifting sounds that should seemingly shatter any sense of
structure. Instead, guitar passages and the occasional vocal melody
not only counteract the schizophrenia, but lend a psychedelic
undertone. The combination is pleasingly organic and actually quite
beautiful. Throughout, "Island Row" draws from a variety of
influences, electronic and otherwise, and rather than settling on one
style, often merges many together. The backward motion of the
phased guitars envelope the quiet dub of "Anon" with Robinson's
fragile voice hovering just above the mix, while the sunny cut-up pop
of "Pillow" brings to mind Cornelius' kaleidoscopic approach. At
times ambient, and others driven by beats, the genre bending that
takes place is very engaging and almost always catchy. Capitol K
nails it though with "Heat." Its glitch aesthetic pushed into high orbit
by Robinson's shimmering falsetto is breathtaking. Imagine Jeff
Buckley broadcast through the laptop of Christian Fennesz and
you're halfway there. [GH]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=63490401472&refer_url=email

SHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGS "Dap Dippin' With" (Daptone) CD $14.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/whathave.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/makeitgo.rm
"Ladies and gentlemen, may we present to you a woman who is no
doubt the godchild of the godfather of soul himself. One-hundred-
and-ten pounds of soul excitement. The baddest, the funkiest, Soul-
Sister Number One of 2002... Ms. Sharon Jones!!!" New York's own
DapTone Records' first full-length release also happens to be the
most exciting record of 2002. The album seems to come straight
outta Ike and Tina's own Soul & Funk Review with the filthiest
bass lines and meanest vocals this side of the century. "Dap
Dippin'..." sounds authentic enough to be a re-pressing of a long-
lost, unsung album from the early '70s. These infectious songs are
sure to get you dancing, from groovy yeah-yeah numbers such as
"Got a Thing On My Mind" to the soul slow-jam "Make it Good To
Me." Also included is the almost unrecognizable soulful revamping
of Janet Jackson's "What Have You Done for Me Lately" (!). With
just one spin of this album, you'll find yourself declaring, "I have
accepted Ms. Sharon Jones as soul's personal savior." Sharon
Jones is unstoppable! Sharon Jones! Sharon Jones! Sharon Jones!
[JO]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=82313400012&refer_url=email

MARY TIMONY "The Golden Dove" (Matador) CD/LP $13.99/$10.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/bloodtre.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/themirro.rm
On her second solo record Mary Timony continues her medieval
journey by way of eastern-influenced guitar bending and mystical
tales of singing spiders. Like her 2000 release, "Mountains," she
also continues to magnify the prog rock styling of her later work
in Helium but without the heavy foot on her once often-used fuzz
pedal. With production assistance credited to Sparklehorse's Mark
Linkous, Timony (who I might add is way underrated as a guitarist)
handles a majority of the instrumental duties crafting songs that
swing between an exotic brand of guitar-driven indie pop and full-
on renaissance rock -- both extremes emphasized by her softly-sung
imagery of specters, cracked mirrors and magic. But at heart, are
ultra-personal songs touching on mortality, wounded love and
various forms of escapism. Additional players augment the spacious
arrangements with strings, synths and pedal steel enhancing the
mystical vibe throughout. The interplay between an angular guitar
lead and the anthem choruses in "Blood Tree" wouldn't sound out of
place on Helium's "Magic City." But when juxtaposed against the
melodic minimalism of "Dryad and the Mule" or the stoner rock
inspired piano vibrato in "Ash and Alice," there is no doubt that
real life stories and emotions lay just below the surface of her
fantastic fantasies. In fact, "The Golden Dove" may be Timony's
secret exorcism. [GH]
CD //perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=74486105212&refer_url=email
LP //perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=74486105211&refer_url=email

MARUMARI "The Remixes" (Carpark) CD $13.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/casinovs.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/cex.rm
Ten tracks remixed by a bevy of largely U.S. based IDM
trendsetters including Casino vs. Japan (look for the new, much
anticipated album forthcoming on Carpark), Cex, Lackluster, Robert
Lippok (To Rococo Rot), L'usine, Octopus Inc., and more. All the
artists involved do a nice job of reducing the tracks to three or
four key elements without losing the trademark dreamy, childlike
fantasy of Marumari's original versions. Casino vs. Japan's
offering brings to mind an image of a woolly mammoth galloping in
ultra-slow motion through a snow blinding, icy tundra -- opium
tinged and beautiful. A handpicked assortment of mp3s and a few
Marumari videos are thrown in as a bonus! [SM]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=67751700142&refer_url=email

JOHN ZORN "IAO" (Tzadik) CD $14.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/leviatha.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/sacredri.rm
John Zorn's latest work, "IAO," is a seven-movement suite of dark,
haunted compositions inspired in part by the work of Aleister
Crowley as well as the dark one himself. Sounding both ancient and
futuristic, Zorn's compositions range from tension-filled piano
and percussion layers to minimal soundscapes with floating chimes,
gongs and drums that touch down at well-placed irregular
intervals. There's even a deconstructivist thrash metal piece.
Very soundtracky in tone, these pieces seem to have a life of
their own, resonating long after you have stopped listening. [GA]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=70239773382&refer_url=email

JUNIOR DELAHAYE "Showcase" (Wackies) CD $13.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/love.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/allineed.rm
Originally released in 1982, "Showcase" is the fourth in a series
of top-rate reggae reissues brought to us by Wackies and in
conjunction with Basic Channel. Junior Delahaye's deep falsetto
beautifully compliments Wackies' echo drenched production and the
backing band's dubby rhythms and summery melodies. Reminiscent of
Junior Murvin, this is heavy roots music. Recommended. [GA]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=71875566022&refer_url=email

[V.A.] "Staedtizism 3 - Instrumentals" (~Scape) CD $15.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/silverci.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/etymonno.rm
The third installment in the Stefan Betke (Pole) run ~Scape label
series, "Staedtizism," is a natural and obvious progression. The
first volume dealing with dub, the second with jazz, both
successfully attempted to interpret the sample while providing a
sample of and to the current generation, "Staedtizism 3 -
Instrumentals" explores that which has been influenced and now
influences -- hip hop. Several familiar names don the project: Jan
Jelinek, Kit Clayton, Antonelli Electr., John Tejada, Andrew Pekler,
all offering their different takes on the subject. Newcomer Bus'
(check out the 'Western' 12") offering, "Ticket," is a rumbling,
bass-heavy dub track for submarine pleasures. Cappablack's
"Components and Variables" is a quirky, blipping mess of sampled
vocals and trashcan beats that break into a Willy Wonka like
confusion that is in one word, funky. Antonelli Electr.'s "Mrs. Maze"
falls somewhere between an '80s R&B jam (New Edition style) and
a modern Neptune track. System's "Bruce" only needs Beenie Man
to complete this Commodor-64 like dancehall track. Gazoo sums
the entire feel of the album with "Esplanade," a jazzy, spacey,
organic piece that I expect will be blasting out of the Jeeps this
summer once the heads find out about it, and it will undoubtedly be
re-sampled and laced with lyrics. The two highlights are the Kit
Clayton and Jan Jelinek pieces. Clayton delivers his version of
dirty-south laptop jargon fit for Ludacris -- very mysterious and
boarder-line stalking. Jelinek (I love this guy) continues where he
left off with his Loop-Finding-Jazz-Records release, minimizing this
beat into a choppy bass with piano melodies that glide like an
Olympic curling stone.  There are no disappointments here. [JD]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=71875271122&refer_url=email

DANIEL GIVENS "Ideas of Space" (Aesthetics) 12" EP $8.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/propel.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/transcen.rm
"Ideas of Space" is the first of two vinyl EPs recorded in Chicago
and New York during the summer of 2001 and features the talents of
many seminal musicians cast as the Age Ensemble. (This stellar
lineup includes Town and Country's Josh Abrams, Nicole Mitchell
from Black Earth Ensemble, Tortoise's Jeff Parker, vocalist Seth
Hitsky, and of course, Daniel Givens who handles beats,
programming and vocal duties.) "Ideas in Space" both defines and
defies the traditions of improv and hip hop. The songs are based
on this love of tradition as well a breakdown of convention, drawing
on works from the Art Ensemble of Chicago and Alice Coltrane, to
Me'Shell NdegeOcello and Divine Styler. Opening with "Propel," a
challenge of realization weaves through heavy bass pulses and
strings that slowly mount in tension over a clipped beat. During the
dubby, digital and at times chaotic "On Pulpits and Alleyways,"
Givens tells of open knowledge and history found inward and out.
"Transcend," sung by Hitsky, is a majestic passage of isolated
introspection and divine guidance. Look for the second EP
sometime this fall. In the meantime, I give this the very highest
possible recommendation. [GA]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=09999176611&refer_url=email


JUST ARRIVED:

HENRY FLYNT "Raga Electric" (Locust) CD $14.99
Full review next week.
CD //perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=64631590062&refer_url=email


This week's contributors: Geoff Albores [GA], J Dennis [JD],
Gerald Hammill [GH], Scott Mou [SM] and Jennifer Orozco [JO].


The Big Picture:

To see a complete list of Other Music new releases for the
week ending May 28, 2002, use this link as a shortcut:
//releases/20022805.html

To see a list of new releases from previous weeks:
//newreleases.html

To see new release updates from previous weeks:
//updates.html

To order any of the items you see on these pages simply click the
links following each review or visit our Web site at:
/

Phone orders are accepted at (212) 477-8150 (ext. #2, mailorder).

For general inquiries or other information, please email:
"sales@othermusic.com". Do not reply to this message.

Thanks for reading.
-all of us at Other Music

Other Music NYC
15 E. 4th Street
New York, NY 10003
212.477.8150
sales@othermusic.com