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Free song download of "Handed," from Lithops' forthcoming album, Ye Viols!, out next Tuesday, January 27. A collection of installation soundtracks which Mouse on Mars-man Jan St. Werner created under his solo guise, the tracks here are more atmospheric than his main project, but the dense textures and occasional funky pulses are undeniably his own, making for a very rewarding and highly visceral listening experience. This Week's Featured Downloads
Following last year's jazzy-psych influenced Just a Souvenir, Squarepusher returns with a six-song EP that harkens back to Tom Jenkinson's heavier breakbeat, hardcore and drill 'n' bass years. Definitely a set that'll have you raving on the dance floor like it's 1999, but still infused with lots of jazz scales and Jenkinson's singular and twisted brand of electronica.
This record nearly knocked me out of my seat at every turn. I sat down to listen to this expecting more of the spacey dubstep with cello and violin drones that made 2007's Cosmos one of the most underrated releases of an oversaturated and over-hyped year in the genre. I was getting sick and tired of the Burial paradigm being blundered, grime albums without the technical supervision, and minimal techno artists forsaking the dub for the step. Within that foray, Murcof emerged as one of few artists to produce a dubstep album that sounded fresh and worth your time. Admittedly, this is because the music was barely within the confines of the genre. Even with Murcof's progressive resume' dating back to 2002's tremendous Martes, The Versailles Sessions floored me. The album somehow wraps up Iannis Xenakis, COH, Kode 9, and Machinefabriek under a Matmos-esque thematic concentration on 17th century baroque classical impressions. Apologies for lamely throwing a handful of names at you, but they seem to validate connections to grandiose electro-acoustics, strings with microbeats, successfully edgy dub, swirling drone, and dissertation worthy concept albums. Add to that a mezzo-soprano and we are in the ballpark. And yes, this album warrants each reference. Fernando Corona's sampling of harpsichords and fifes somehow fit with distressing ease into his ornate modern classical electronica. I listened to this album with both attentive and gleeful, childish enthusiasm, giggling at samples of baroque fife and viola de gamba, bobbing to the beat of throbbing bass and microbeats, and shaking my head at the boggling mastery of an electronic maestro making the most out of a staggering installation of sound and light featured at last year's Les Grandes Eaux Nocturnes at the Chateau de Versailles. Corona's songs matched the visuals of giant disco balls splashing into water. This is the musical linchpin of an anachronistic modern display within the context of the audacious monument to Louis XIV's absolute monarchy. Most assuredly recommended for all halfway interested in any name this blurb mentions, and even for those not. -Brian Cassidy
Goldwax is one of the most revered and collectible labels for southern rhythm and blues connoisseurs. Operating out of Memphis from 1964 to '69, the imprint was responsible for discovering legendary talents like O. V. Wright, James Carr and Timmy Thomas, but only a handful of their releases reached the top of the R&B charts. Specializing in a particular blues-based form of R&B, the Goldwax sound wasn't as funky as Stax nor was it as clean as the music coming out of Muscle Shoals; and it was definitely a bit more lo-fi than their colleagues in Memphis. This was probably due to the fact that the label didn't have an in-house studio or a production team. Regardless, this two-volume collection proves that while Goldwax didn't have the crossover impact of their rivals, the quality of their output was just as solid. There are plenty of phenomenal highlights here to recommend. "Dark End of the Street," by troubled R&B legend James Carr, is probably one of the most haunting soul ballads one could ever hear. Unsung soul legend Spencer Wiggins tears into a cover of Aretha's "I Never Loved a (Wo)man," which features a young Duane Allman on slide guitar. O. V. Wright's version of "That's How Strong My Love Is" barely made a dent on the charts at the time, but two years later Otis Redding covered it and shot it straight to the top. Early tracks from Timmy Thomas, black country singer O.B. McClinton, Barbara Perry and Percy Milem are all noteworthy, undiscovered gems as well. Despite the strong material and talented roster, Goldwax got lost in the shuffle in the competitive atmosphere of Memphis, suffering from poor distribution and money mismanagement. Time has been kind, however, and it is now considered to be one of the finest soul labels of the era by many collectors, especially in the U.K. and Japan. If Ann Peebles, Aretha, Otis, Bobby Womack, and the like are your bag, you MUST familiarize yourself with Goldwax. -Duane Harriott
This is a killer collection of tunes from a southern soul singer who shoulda been huge. Spencer Wiggins was a Memphis native who initially made a splash, performing with his siblings Percy and Maxine in an outfit called the New Rival Gospel Singers. As teenagers they were local stars and they even hosted a gospel show on the radio. By the time Spencer graduated from high school, he (and his brother Percy) gravitated towards the bustling Memphis soul scene of the early '60s. While on the Goldwax roster, he recorded 10 to 15 singles that are some of the most underrated tunes of the era, which are featured in this collection. Among the many standouts are the horn-infused, soul boogie of "He's Too Old," the Memphis tribute "Soul City U.S.A." and his sick cover of the B. B. King standard, "Sweet Sixteen." Heck, the whole album is a highlight from start to finish. His tenor was all blues and gospel; if you can imagine the phrasing of Otis, the rawness of Wilson and the clarity and tone of Marvin Gaye, you're almost there. Despite such strong material and talent, Spencer toiled within this scene with no manager to speak of and a supportive label that had poor distribution outside of Memphis. With such obstacles in the way, he had pretty much retired from the business by the early '70s to become a minister. Although Spencer Wiggins never recorded an official album, this handful of singles is more than enough evidence of his immense talents. Highest recommendation! -Duane Harriott
We've just received a slew of new Wackies titles on Other Music Digital and here are some of our favorites of the bunch. Let's start with Gimme Back, five tracks of unbelievably soulful lover's rock from Brixton, England's singing cousins, Sonia Abel and Claudette Brown. The two Love Joys albums on Wackie's are easily amongst the catalog's finest efforts, and honestly there's not tons of stuff in the entire reggae canon with which to compare them, and as these tunes don't figure on either LP they're rather essential. The lead track in particular is a classic, full of a lover's midnight dread and longing, with one of the cousin's actually sounding somewhat pissed as she demands her partner "give me back my loving."
Definitely one of the more obscure dudes in the Wackie's universe, but this is a totally sick single. "Queen of the Universe" opens with a rather sloppy approximation of a Santana guitar line, and proceeds to get even lazier from there. And I mean that with the highest possible compliments, as Clifton and crew really manage to lovingly linger over his paean to black women... kind of like they've got all afternoon y'know? "Look Over Yonder" is really where it's at though -- trademark sub-aquatic Wackie's production with liberal use of bird-song samples. Every second that ticks off this track finds you sinking deeper.... and deeper... into your chair. Should probably come with the warning label: DO NOT OPERATE HEAVY MACHINERY WHILE LISTENING!
I don't know much about female vocalist Joy Card, in fact this may well be the only single she ever cut, but these are certainly two excellent tracks of moody/dubby lover's rock. "Boy I Love You" is a sultry lover's plea that gets taken to a rather ethereal level at points by Bullwackies' typically bizarro production standards. The b-side, "Black Girl," is even better, as Card relates the uncertainties and insecurities of a being a young black girl, for whom it's a "hard, hard world." She strikes a nice balance between being sympathetic and tough; it's a pretty moving tune actually. -Michael Klausman
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