Other Music New Release Update
November 20, 2002



In This Week's Update:


Hrvatski
Yo La Tengo
Acid Mother's Temple
Super Disco and Super Rap (P & P Records Compilations)
The Future/Human League
Interpol (CD Single)
Cherrystones Rocks (Various Artists)
The Strokes (DVD)
Talib Kweli



FEATURED NEW RELEASES:

HRVATSKI "Swarm and Dither" (Planet-Mu) CD/LP $14.99/$14.99
RealAudio: http://64.27.65.90:8080/ramgen/othermusic/ewc3.rm
RealAudio: http://64.27.65.90:8080/ramgen/othermusic/ewc4.rm
Swarm (as a noun): a large number of animate or inanimate things
massed together and usually in motion.
Dither (as a noun): a highly nervous, excited, or agitated state.
Hrvatski's "Swarm and Dither": controlled chaos.
Keith Fullerton Whitman's latest for Planet-Mu has small glimpses
of the laptop guitar work on his most recent release "Playthroughs,"
however, "Swarm and Dither" will remind many of Hrvatski's
"Oiseaux 96-98." A collage of ambience and percussive manipulation,
"Swarm and Dither" is an eclectic album that will not only force you
to listen, but also to think about what's happening. From the pianos
on "Echoes" emerge a haunting heartbeat kick that builds tension as
it launches you into the next abrasive track ("ewc4") that diminishes
into a soothing melodic peace (no pun, well maybe). "Carrot" is
probably the most representative track of the entire album, moving
from guitar ambience through dub and drill 'n' bass, and back. (The
movement is too long in length to use as an update sound sample.)
Add a cover of the Rolling Stones "Paint it Black", a Gameboy jam
("Marbles"), and the reflective "Anesthetise Thineself" which
introduces a mesh of 288 field recordings from '98 to present and
what do you have? Quite possibly the most schizophrenic,
interesting album of the year! [JD]
CD  //perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=60011680262&refer_url=email
LP  //perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=60011680261&refer_url=email

YO LA TENGO "Nuclear War" (Matador) CD $3.99    
RealAudio: http://64.27.65.90:8080/ramgen/othermusic/nuclearw.rm
Just last summer, I heard Yo La Tengo cover this Sun Ra classic at
their concert in Brooklyn's Prospect Park; spontaneous in feel, this
was definitely one of the show's highlights. A few months later,
the band decided to commit four different versions of "Nuclear War"
to tape and invited some friends to participate. Track one features
the trio performing the song with only percussion instruments, James
McNew handling the lead vocal. The second take is just a percussive
but includes a foul-mouthed children's chorus chanting along, further
emphasizing the song's very timely statement. Version three is an
outstanding 15-and-a-half minute free jazz freak-out, featuring Susie
Ibarra, Sabir Mateen, Other Dimensions In Music's Roy Campbell Jr.
and Daniel Carter, as well as OM's very own Josh Madell. Mike Ladd's
re-mix acts as a summary of the session as he manipulates the basic
tracks and children's choir into something that is at times eerie.  [GH]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=74486105682&refer_url=email

ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE "Univers Zen Ou De Zero A Zero" (Fractal) CD $15.99
RealAudio: http://64.27.65.90:8080/ramgen/othermusic/bluespou.rm
On their sixth official full-length release, the crazy bearded guys (and
gals) of Acid Mothers Temple And The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. have
finally perfected the recipe. This record is closest in structure to
their "New Geocentric World" in that it has a fairly wide dynamic
range and is made up of more than three tracks (a whopping six,
although the liner notes list just five), only two of which clock in
over the 20-minute mark. "Univers Zen Ou De Zero A Zero" is a
veritable orgy of sweaty psychedelic madness, replete with feedback,
chanting, and guest guitar noodling courtesy of Hiroshi Nar (whose
vinyl-only release with Les Rallizes Denudes flew off our shelves this
summer and had certain members of the OM staff practically drooling
with excitement), not to mention the contributions of Father Moo, who
(according to the insert) provides a whole lot of moooooooooooooo.
It's got all the heavy stompers, trance-inducing drones, and pretty
sipping-tea-in-a-Japanese-garden ballads that a p!sych-rock fan could
ever wish for. Another cacophonous/polyphonic/atonal/beautiful/ear-
shattering treat from the AMT, and a perfect addition to their ever-
expanding discography. [RH]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=09999187372&refer_url=email

[V.A.]  "Super Disco" (P & P) CD $17.99
RealAudio: http://64.27.65.90:8080/ramgen/othermusic/discojui.rm
RealAudio: http://64.27.65.90:8080/ramgen/othermusic/theguard.rm
[V.A] "Super Rap" (P & P) CD 15.99
RealAudio: http://64.27.65.90:8080/ramgen/othermusic/deathrap.rm
RealAudio: http://64.27.65.90:8080/ramgen/othermusic/cloudone.rm
I can't tell you how excited I am that this stuff is finally available on
CD, these collections should have come out years ago. P & P
records was a New York indie label owned by in-house producers
Peter Brown and Patrick Adams. Together they produced some of
the rawest, eccentric and original sounding dance music ever.
Patrick Adams went on to mainstream success, producing Herbie
Mann, Musique ("In the Bush") and Inner Life ("Caught up"). But the
stuff that he did with Peter Brown was insane. The instrument of
choice was the synthesizer. The songs were usually spaced out
near-instrumentals, with choruses sung usually about "flying high"
or having sex. The synth would sway and swoop, while loose hand-
claps and sizzly sounding hi-hats kept the beat. Production-wise, I
can only really compare it to Lee "Scratch" Perry. It doesn't sound
like his music, but they shared his enthusiasm for experimenting.
Some of these songs sound like they are making them up as they go
along, the songs teetering on collapse, then unexpectedly locking
into a groove and soaring. The vocalists weren't really extraordinary,
but they somehow sounded amazing on these tracks. Like Perry, the
beauty in these productions is in the risks they take, and how they
keep making the damn songs work when they shouldn't. You can hear
Patrick and Peters' influence on artists such as Air, Daft Punk and
Metro Area, so if you like those records check the "Super Disco"
collection out. The "Super Rap" collection compiles all of the early hip
hop singles the label put out -- and when I say early, I mean early. Not
too many people know that P & P was the only independent label that
rivaled Sugar Hill in those days, but these songs are pretty rare and
hard to find. The songs contained in this collection would break you for
at least $400 or more if you tried to collect the originals. This is worth it
for the unbelievable great "Death Rap" by Margo's Kool Out Crew which,
in my opinion, is better than Funky 4+1's "It's the Joint". This is an
amazing document of hip hop in its infancy and I urge you to check it
out. Congratulations Peter, it's been a long time coming. [DH]
"SUPER DISO"
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=61925788152&refer_url=email  
"SUPER RAP"
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=61925788112&refer_url=email  

THE FUTURE/HUMAN LEAGUE "Golden Hour of the Future" (Black Melody) CD $15.99
RealAudio: http://64.27.65.90:8080/ramgen/othermusic/daz.rm
RealAudio: http://64.27.65.90:8080/ramgen/othermusic/4jg.rm
"Conclusion/Manifesto: Interested in combining the best of all
worlds. The Human League would like to affect the future by
close attention to the present, allying technology with humanity
and humour..." Human League, 1977
Criminally under-heard vintage, foundation laying, dark synth-
wave with a lot less in common with "Don't You Want Me" (baby)
than it does with Throbbing Gristle (though much more melodic)
and Suicide. (Just as dark, no rockabilly, and more "new
romantic"). Believe it. Though, instead of going to art school,
these guys dropped out of high school and had more fun. This
gem-loaded collection (featuring material from their pre-Virgin
days including tracks from when the band was earlier known as
the Future) immediately places the listener in the right frame of
mind with a faux-radio announcement from a "network television"
host who claims to have had Human League as a guest on his
show and is impressed by the band's "new and melodic music
when the majority of bands were just trying to shock people."
The album is rich with totally sincere, forward thinking, yet totally
unschooled and homemade synth jams. Yeah, a few precursors
to what was to come in later days (still raw and great) but jaws
will drop upon hearing the dark chasmic reverb of "Daz," the
minimal industrial beat of "Disco Disaster", the digital barrage of
"4JG" or the piston-pumping beat version of the Four Top's
"Reach out (I'll be there) (instrumental)" Prescient, vital music that
doesn't feel like homework. The closest thing to O.M.D. meets
Throbbing Gristle. (Check "Pulse Lovers.") I'm in Heaven. [SM]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=66601704682&refer_url=email

INTERPOL "Obstacle 1/CD Single" (Matador) CD $7.99
RealAudio: http://64.27.65.90:8080/ramgen/othermusic/handsawa.rm
Interpol is definitely one of NYC's hottest music commodities right
now and rightfully so. Their debut full-length "Turn on the Bright
Lights" (which still sits in Other Music's top 20) certainly conjures
many Joy Division and Chameleons comparisons, but I'm far past
making those. It's a great album full of great songs that I've listened
to a zillion-times since I first picked up my copy. Their new CD
single features the album version of "Obstacle 1" plus new versions
of other LP tracks. Here, "PDA" (the first single from "Turn on the
Bright Lights") is lifted from a live radio broadcast earlier this year
on Los Angeles' 89.9 KCRW. "Hands Away" comes from a Peel
session last April has a heavier swell of keyboards in the mix.
[GH]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=74486105702&refer_url=email

[V.A] "Cherrystone's Rocks" (Lo) CD $14.99
RealAudio: http://64.27.65.90:8080/ramgen/othermusic/lovelove.rm  
RealAudio: http://64.27.65.90:8080/ramgen/othermusic/ladyblue.rm
Does anybody remember true school hip hop? Of course you do.
Around '92 or so I remember the drums getting harder... like really
hard. Like snare hits so sharp you felt them in the back of your skull
like a sledgehammer. DJ Premier, Diamond D and the Beatnuts in
particular were producers who had that signature sound. Perhaps
you remember how heavy "Endtroducing" by DJ Shadow sounded the
first time you heard it. Well, most of those drums came from
European progressive rock records, and loads of producers have been
collecting these records for years. This compilation compiles some of
the freakiest break-heavy jams you'll hear. This is some of my favorite
kind of rock music, because it sounded like these bands were trying to
create modern blues records. It's all pretty accessible. If you like David
Axelrod, Black Sabbath, Can and the like, there is a lot of stuff on this
collection you'll probably connect with, and if you are a beat collecter,
you'll flip over this stuff. I think this might be my favorite compilation of
the year so far... Yes it definitely is. [DH]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=66601704112&refer_url=email

THE STROKES "The Videos and More" (BMG) DVD $5.99
The first time I saw the Strokes video for "Last Nite," I was totally caught
off guard. A band that everyone is buzzing about, being proclaimed by
almost every music critic as "rock music saviors," and here they are on
MTV-2 not even lip-syncing, but actually performing their song in a clip
shot live-to-tape on the stage of some public access styled studio set.
Not quite as genius as the Replacements' "Bastard of Young" video
(edit free, this black and white video featured a single shot of a blasting
stereo speaker), I'm still sure the promotions departments for both
bands' record labels must have been freaking out. The next Strokes
video isn't much more than a home movie filmed with Guided by Voices
as guest stars clowning around on the set of Family Feud. Honestly,
I'll take these two Roman Coppola directed clips, which are featured on
this DVD, over whatever big and even medium-sized budget productions
are being shown on 120 minutes. Also included are unaired live
performances of "New York City Cops" and "The Modern Age" shot
during a concert for M2. [GH]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=07863650239&refer_url=email

TALIB KWELI "Quality" (Rawkus) CD $17.99
RealAudio: http://64.27.65.90:8080/ramgen/othermusic/gunmusic.rm  
RealAudio: http://64.27.65.90:8080/ramgen/othermusic/getby.rm
After making his mark on the hip-hop industry with the acclaimed
"Black Star" and also as "Reflection Eternal," the gifted and talented
Talib Kweli releases his solo debut for Rawkus. Full of inspirational,
nurturing and thought provoking lyrics, Kweli shines over his latest
production, courtesy of Jay Dee (Slum V.), Kayne West, Megahertz,
and Ayatollah (Where's Hi-Tek?). Lyrical comrades Bilal, Black
Thought, DJ Quick, Pharoahe Monch, Res and Vinia Mojica can
also be found contributing to this extremely soulful record. Could "Joy,"
featuring Mos Def, be a glimpse of the upcoming "Black Star"
album? Let's hope so. Highlights include "The Proud", the superman
feel of "Shock Body" (produced by DJ Scratch) and the controversial
dancehall inspired "Gun Music" featuring Cocoa Brovaz. [JD/DG]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=00881130482&refer_url=email




This week's contributors: J Dennis [JD], Daniel Givens [DG], Gerald
Hammill [GH], Rob Hatch-Miller [RH], Duane Harriott [DH] and
Scott Mou [SM].




THE BIG PICTURE:

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week ending November 19, 2002, use this link as a shortcut:
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//updates.html

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