tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86264967657725283752024-03-19T13:47:50.567+11:00musings of eddieassorted goodnesseddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312401736907745464noreply@blogger.comBlogger258125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626496765772528375.post-50796559999652241242012-06-05T00:26:00.000+10:002012-06-05T00:28:24.326+10:00The Problem With TristanI am attempting to write an essay on Wagner's <i>Tristan und Isolde</i>, for a history assessment, in the time it takes to listen to the complete opera. It has been the most turbulent and tumultuous essay-writing experience I have ever had, no doubt due the accompaniment, but also due to the thousands of words worth of other assignments written in previous days, and to be written in days still to come.<br />
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The end of this semester cannot come quickly enough, though while we all tear out hair out and nurse our performative limbs through this final bout of assessments, we can still bask in the brilliance of Böhm's rendition of this operatic masterpiece.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Zq9U8oL7D04" width="480"></iframe>eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312401736907745464noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626496765772528375.post-30253218272489339762012-05-15T23:50:00.001+10:002012-05-15T23:50:14.977+10:00Berg's Lieder<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4mtXaHRDXL0" width="480"></iframe>
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These earlier works from Berg provide a backdrop to his stunning <a href="http://musingsofeddie.blogspot.com.au/2011/08/alban-berg-piano-sonata-op-1.html" target="_blank">piano sonata</a>, and further explore that same dark and sombre straining of tonality. If you are as smitten by the sonata as I am, then you will lap up this lieder, and the marvellous harmonic language this maestro built from.
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These lieder also illustrate how obvious his programmatic interests were from the beginning; his wide-ranging interest in the arts no doubt having a strong influence.eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312401736907745464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626496765772528375.post-1802100594225750292012-05-10T16:42:00.000+10:002012-05-10T16:42:54.274+10:00Vitabit x JigabiteWhat we have here is a collab between two young beat-smiths from Melbourne, running the gamut of post-Dilla production. Whether it is 90's cheese, soul, jazz, or hints of Brainfeeder-esque wonkyness, it all coalesces into a kind of party vibe that keeps the heads nodding.<br />
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What is impressive is how these two have begun carving out their own styles so early; the close-working pair obviously feeding off each others creativity to great effect. The challenge they each face now is further refining their sounds, and distinguishing themselves in this now densely populated arena.<br />
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Full stream/download:<br />
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="410" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=1036793907/size=grande3/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/transparent=true/" style="display: block; height: 410px; position: relative; width: 300px;" width="300">&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://vitabitxjigabite.bandcamp.com/album/beat-tape"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Beat Tape by Vitabit x Jigabite&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;</iframe>eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312401736907745464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626496765772528375.post-21032140196758822632012-05-09T17:26:00.000+10:002012-05-09T17:26:30.572+10:00Misc.So I guess this thing is still going.<br />
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Music blogs have taken a bit of a hit in the recent months with the blocking of Megaupload, and various other sites either deleting files or changing their "services" in search of legality. One thing is for certain, which is that it is getting a little more difficult to find and download every obscure release you could think of. While there is still a substantial amount of music online, enough to occupy a life of listening and then some, it seems as though the combination of new streaming services and this attack on filesharing has made a significant dent in online music culture. The Golden Age, as it were, is over for filesharing. Of course it will never dry up, so long as the music industry has it's commercial interests, but the next phenomenon seems to be on the rise; streaming services are in the process of climbing to the top of online music experience.<br />
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<a href="http://thetrichordist.wordpress.com/2012/04/15/meet-the-new-boss-worse-than-the-old-boss-full-post/" target="_blank">Here</a> is a very interesting post I read recently, which has a whole lot to say about the current situation concerning music and the internet, presenting a few points which never really get much focus.<br />
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I doubt I'll keep posting much music on here, or at least it won't be the only focus, as there are plenty of things you can find elsewhere, and I have never uploading things anyway. I'll keep sharing things here and there, but it will be more of a quality over quantity situation. This blog was always kind of open ended as far as content was concerned, but music has certainly occupied most of the space in my life up until now.<br />
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What to post then?<br />
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Well I have been watching/listening to a lot of this man playing the piano. His renditions of Debussy, which seem to be very popular, are fantastic. All of his videos on youtube are of superb quality (in performance, not necessarily sound).<br />
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I have been lucky enough to be exposed to some very interesting artists in one of my classes this semester, which is basically just seminars with various guests. It has challenged many of my classmates' tastes and perception of music, which is fun to see (and welcomed), and given us a chance to hear about alternate paths through music, without an emphasis on formal training. Some of the highlights were <a href="http://web.mac.com/cooparia/iWeb/Site/welcome.html" target="_blank">Mike Cooper</a>, <a href="http://www.rosbandt.com/" target="_blank">Ros Bandt</a>, and <a href="http://philanthropywiki.org.au/index.php/Dur-e_Dara" target="_blank">Dure Dara</a>.<br />
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Twentieth century Hungarian art is something that has piqued my interest of late, with the works of, well, of course Béla Bartok and György Ligeti, but mainly the author László Krasznahorkai and director Béla Tarr. Krasznahorkai has this dark and foreboding style that paints an unflattering portrait of humanity in general, but without any overblown apocalyptic melodrama; a Backettesque kind of darkness, without some of the absurdity. His two novels, <i>The Melancholy of Resistance</i> and <i> Sátántangó</i> were thoroughly engrossing and really left me in awe of the man's style. Both of these novels, incidentally, have been adapted by Tarr; <i>Melancholy... </i> becoming <i>Werckmesiter Harmóniák</i> and <i>Sátántangó </i> becomes a seven hour film of the same name. <i>Werckmeister</i> really impressed me, simply because after reading the book, I did not know how well the dense narration and atmosphere, without much dialogue, would transfer to the screen. Tarr gets points not only for making it work, but for creating a work which stands wholly on it's own as a thing of immense beauty. The three disc set of <i>Sátántangó</i> will have to wait until the holidays, however.<br />
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I have become increasingly infatuated with <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6677738" target="_blank">GoodReads</a> too, as I find some more lesser known modern literature, and classics also. Between it and <a href="http://rateyourmusic.com/~liledman" target="_blank">Rate Your Music</a>, I have more than enough inspiration at hand for a long time to come.eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312401736907745464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626496765772528375.post-64388021862855777122012-01-11T15:15:00.001+11:002012-01-11T15:15:42.443+11:00Holidays, Feldmania, and other pursuits<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBqJ_jLk14DgZAbUDS9H65DBVGM9n3Ono0EXzfA6dWWhbi-1Vw77Qcw37sto3XSlsta08nyOE1G0R3wuOQ5gErjO_67osKvRBXb4iUUxlR94qT5bRt7zCLQvOIYsGSgsJGPWgOBdYJhZUj/s1600/DSC00775.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBqJ_jLk14DgZAbUDS9H65DBVGM9n3Ono0EXzfA6dWWhbi-1Vw77Qcw37sto3XSlsta08nyOE1G0R3wuOQ5gErjO_67osKvRBXb4iUUxlR94qT5bRt7zCLQvOIYsGSgsJGPWgOBdYJhZUj/s640/DSC00775.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I guess this is what I have been up to, instead of posting on this precious little blog.<br />
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It's been an odd 8 months or so, since I broke my arm. I have developed a relationship with guitar that ranges from love/hate, to completely indifferent. I guess I am having a crisis of faith, so to speak, with that humble six-stringed instrument which has swallowed up countless hours of my time for the past 12 years.<br />
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As much as I love my course, I think the guitar side of things there is the main cause of my frustration. As much as I love all of the subjects, and can see the value of them all, slight differences in outlook and taste seemed to have destroyed my motivation in some respects. Perhaps my shifting interest into twentieth century classical music has taken a little of my passion for the '50s bop we seemingly can't move past at our institute; Morton Feldman has definitely served to sway my interests considerably.<br />
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In this same time that I have been losing interest in guitar, I have only been gaining more interest in contemporary classical, which has then pushed guitar further out of my mind. Feldman, among others, has inspired me to take a particular interest in composition, which may lead to me pursuing that instead of performance, as far as any further study goes. There is something in his music that has slowly <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_Q-1u6sNgQ">charmed</a> me, and now holds me in captivity.<br />
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Spending all of my time thinking about and listening to music may have had an effect in this case, as it is quite easy to be overwhelmed. Over the past couple of months I have taken a keen interested in philosophy, and have been delving a little more deeply into literature. I think taking a step back from music will ultimately be a good thing, as more art in more shapes and forms could only be good. More films, more books, and more time spent thinking about other things. Who knows, all of this may help breathe new life into this lowly online document of my life.<br />
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OK, that's a tad too dramatic for my tastes, but you get the point.eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312401736907745464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626496765772528375.post-59679459431277493922012-01-08T21:49:00.000+11:002012-01-09T02:32:17.726+11:00Morton Feldman - Palais de MariThis man has become increasingly important to me over the past 6 months or so. More on this and my current musical outlook later.<br />
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<object width="480" height="360"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/eKBYWeOJUHw?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/eKBYWeOJUHw?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="360" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312401736907745464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626496765772528375.post-22103163262905110732011-12-23T18:15:00.003+11:002011-12-23T18:15:38.049+11:00Stendeck - Scintilla<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://img.sceper.eu/images/scintillac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="http://img.sceper.eu/images/scintillac.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Some quality IDM from this year, which, if a little fat were to be trimmed, could quite easily be in the top few releases of the year. But let us not dwell upon these things and indulge in these 72 minutes of gorgeous beats instead.<br />
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Taking obvious cues from the early Warp crew, especially Autechre, and also a lot of recent trends in the more emotive and atmospheric electronic music, <i>Scintilla</i> is a night-time journey through the various side-streets of IDM. What makes the length a little easier to digest is the variation on offer. As with most good electronic music of this nature, it sucks you in and takes you somewhere else (the cover is pretty suggestive).<br />
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<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?872tds6j590tvya">Scintilla</a>eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312401736907745464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626496765772528375.post-53136198803718930412011-12-23T17:57:00.001+11:002011-12-23T17:57:24.931+11:00Charles Bradley - No Time For Dreaming<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.parisdjs.com/images/daptone/Charles_Bradley-No_Time_For_Dreaming_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.parisdjs.com/images/daptone/Charles_Bradley-No_Time_For_Dreaming_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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With this being released on Daptone Records, you can pretty much tell straight away how this will sound: like it was recorded about 40 years ago. Sounding like a cross between James Brown and Otis Redding, and backed by the Menahan Street Band, Bradley screams his way through an assortment of revivalist soul as if his life depends upon it. Fans of the aforementioned artists, Sharon Jones, Lee Fields, or any other Daptone artist, enquire within.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?542imc31us5u1ia">No Time For Dreaming</a>eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312401736907745464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626496765772528375.post-76656094575788585112011-12-09T16:46:00.001+11:002011-12-09T17:03:24.087+11:00Kevin Drumm - Imperial Distortion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe4lfHTUxLr_ZAECgISs7PxIyagPrjUbma6dlWl6zULSf-KCIG-3xrrFO-j2coNPKUwqGXkkivMw-N5MzC8P6-AJbbuy9UPXM5o-nL2wGo_Dl6fH-1W7c44Qyj-yHYoUXKQ25aRYNi4yeg/s1600/1573471.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe4lfHTUxLr_ZAECgISs7PxIyagPrjUbma6dlWl6zULSf-KCIG-3xrrFO-j2coNPKUwqGXkkivMw-N5MzC8P6-AJbbuy9UPXM5o-nL2wGo_Dl6fH-1W7c44Qyj-yHYoUXKQ25aRYNi4yeg/s1600/1573471.jpg" /></a></div>
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Very minimal, yet dense tones from Chicago-based noise/drone musician Kevin Drumm.<br />
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This album is a great example of using the most minimal materials to startling effect, as the majority of it is made up of ambient drones. While this may seem excessively simple of the surface, the slightest ripple caused by a change in timbre or tone leads to the texture being altered (un)dramatically. These drones are like slowly moving monoliths, exposed to the elements and changing at an almost unnoticeable pace. The deep and complex textures only reveal themselves more as you give yourself over.<br />
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<a href="http://www.megaupload.com/?d=F6LOA5ZI">Imperial Distortion</a>eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312401736907745464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626496765772528375.post-24654789537946138272011-12-09T16:32:00.001+11:002011-12-09T16:40:18.154+11:00Wraiths - Plaguebearer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.paradigms-recordings.com/images/storeimages/wraiths_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.paradigms-recordings.com/images/storeimages/wraiths_cover.jpg" /></a></div>
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Industrial horrors manifested in otherworldly drones. A condensation of pain and paranoia, in noise form.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?z5nzozmyozl">Plaguebearer</a>eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312401736907745464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626496765772528375.post-41756350239953321392011-12-09T16:24:00.001+11:002011-12-09T16:26:08.517+11:00XX. Strings<object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,28,0" height="250" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://8tracks.com/mixes/457911/player_v3">
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I know, hardly any posts over the last couple of months. And it's not even like I have gone and gotten a life or anything.eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312401736907745464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626496765772528375.post-5014824451538971182011-11-21T21:31:00.001+11:002011-11-21T21:33:33.344+11:00jazztracksI know I'm late on the bandwagon, but here goes nothing. I'm going to be making some mixes just to have a bit more content on this here blog, and because... it kills time, who knows.<br />
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Holidays are here, and I have to do something.<br />
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<object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,28,0" width="300" height="250"><param name="movie" value="http://8tracks.com/mixes/443577/player_v3"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://8tracks.com/mixes/443577/player_v3" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="250" allowscriptaccess="always" ></embed></object>eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312401736907745464noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626496765772528375.post-43251593721064900202011-11-12T17:46:00.001+11:002011-11-12T17:51:47.166+11:00This Heat - Deceit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZa2lexVV7bstPJPy-CI9k9CmEalZ9M5GfnueyiBQePbxlXrfDWXaBniEGf4fiI5KmyIaZuPdnGdtFtlasF3gHqJdsbI9Z7o9e7SLm7XvZONRtujKdiw7V-C9eVaQ8UdPd5kftznA8xjo/s1600/o23792.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZa2lexVV7bstPJPy-CI9k9CmEalZ9M5GfnueyiBQePbxlXrfDWXaBniEGf4fiI5KmyIaZuPdnGdtFtlasF3gHqJdsbI9Z7o9e7SLm7XvZONRtujKdiw7V-C9eVaQ8UdPd5kftznA8xjo/s320/o23792.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Oddball post-punk, which owes a lot to Can and other Krautrockers. It is one strange journey through this album, at times very abstract, at others conventionally melodic. I don't have very much to say about it for some reason, but I strongly recommend it. You should have a strong reaction either way.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?rmas4lu40ca">Deceit</a>eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312401736907745464noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626496765772528375.post-6633902139400177192011-11-11T19:23:00.001+11:002011-11-11T19:31:18.785+11:00Flourishing - The Sum of All Fossils<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://getmetal.org/uploads/posts/2011-08/1313226251_acov_tid151519.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://getmetal.org/uploads/posts/2011-08/1313226251_acov_tid151519.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Everybody keeps mentioning Ulcerate in an attempt to describe these guys, but that's a little misleading. They do strive to create a large wall of sound, concentrate on texture, and generally sound like the world ending, but they approach those things from another angle. Flourishing embrace the bass-heavy characteristics of sludge whole-heartedly, which gives them an interesting vibe compared to most other death metal, and consequently, a lot of other metal in general.<br />
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Anyway, people should not be trying to compare these guys to others, as there is no point. Here is a band doing their own thing (and doing it fucking well, mind you), in a genre notorious for it's lack of originality. Death metal fans, rejoice! All hope is not lost.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?q1gtjdicn55o8yb">The Sum of All Fossils</a>eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312401736907745464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626496765772528375.post-48270291445851828052011-11-01T15:43:00.002+11:002011-11-01T15:43:59.201+11:00ReviewContributed a review <a href="http://killedincars.tumblr.com/post/12186388559/ljco">over here</a> to <a href="http://killedincars.com/">killedincars</a>, which is basically one of the best blogs/collection of social networking tools going around.<br />
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I will be doing some more in the future, so I will post links here whenever they are up.eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312401736907745464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626496765772528375.post-48309764138305182262011-10-26T14:36:00.000+11:002011-10-26T14:49:41.906+11:00Two Tuesdays, Two Gigs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPxc4xDhKph-3MqhHHIJ3VfiUIKaPXYeGWD1icZXxwMLSA2Xy3kQ8qez1ReuE2r1qmQAOKvN5CjdlwQeFYhYkWOytUaJmizq3l7OYmj9AYYeD9OBs05xc5H4MrPVSuKc810hu33mC2ZAtR/s1600/3855-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPxc4xDhKph-3MqhHHIJ3VfiUIKaPXYeGWD1icZXxwMLSA2Xy3kQ8qez1ReuE2r1qmQAOKvN5CjdlwQeFYhYkWOytUaJmizq3l7OYmj9AYYeD9OBs05xc5H4MrPVSuKc810hu33mC2ZAtR/s400/3855-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Last Tuesday, as a part of the Melbourne Festival, I went to see the Kronos Quartet. Any fan of 'modern classical', 'contemporary classical', 'contemporary art music', 'new music', '20th century classical', or whatever else the intelligentsia are arguing it should be called, should be familiar with the name; they have been recording and performing for decades, and had many works commissioned for them.<br />
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My experience with them had so far been limited to Steve Reich's <i>Different Trains</i> recording, and the brilliant <i>Piano and String Quartet</i> by Morton Feldman (more worship of him to come, I promise). I had read many times people comparing the most successful string quartets, usually saying Arditti is the best, then Kontra, Kroger, Kronos (for some reason 'K' plays a large role) and others follow in whatever order. Even still, at that level, some kind of awesome talent is invariably needed, so I was quite keen to see them, if not for them just to experience some of this music live for the first time.<br />
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Well, 'this music' that I expected to hear only came in a small portion. All but one of the pieces (maybe two?) had electronics worked in, either in the form of electronic instruments that each member had, or backing tracks and sampled vocals. Now this does not necessarily guarantee awful music, but when you play high caliber string music, and match it with poorly integrated 80's electronic sounds, awful is just the starting point.<br />
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There were a couple of decent pieces in there, though one of them was slightly tainted by the ending; it featured them stop playing while a backing track slowly turned to noise (which in itself was pretty great) and resort to choreographed gesticulations instead. Perhaps they were trying to appeal to those who are not simply pleased by what they are hearing.<br />
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The main reason for the performance was the Australian debut of Steve Reich's latest piece, 'WTC 9/11'. If the name of the piece isn't obvious enough, the sampled vocals in the form of radio calls all throughout the piece certainly drove the subject home. It's quite ironic that a composer famed for his minimalist efforts can be so heavy handed with his subject matter. The piece itself was passable, though the vocals did get quite annoying towards the end.<br />
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They also came out for two encores, which just always seems wrong to me, one of the pieces being a Bob Dylan cover which was just bad. It got a laugh and a cheer, but I just wanted to leave after two hours of these antics.<br />
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I may seem a little harsh or stuck up, by going to see music such as this and ripping on it, but in the wise words of one of my teachers who also went 'I went expecting serious contemporary art music; what I got was a circus'.<br />
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Last night I saw a musician of quite a different persuasion; The Tallest Man on Earth. It's safe to say that he blew away Kronos in every aspect of performance, whether it was stage banter, intensity, sincerity and even the in his playing itself. The pieces were definitely better. </div>
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Whether it was his crazy-eyed staring into the crowd, the grittier tone of his electric guitars (which he used for most of the songs), or his vocal intensity, there is something about the way that man commands attention. He certainly doesn't dress like any kind of rock star, or act like one either, because he gets more than enough love for his music alone that the captivating performance only served to further court the already drooling fans.</div>
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Yes, he is one of those artists who gets shouted at frequently throughout the show; including <a href="http://waitrighthere.blogspot.com/">one love-struck fan</a> showing off her Swedish. To their dismay however, his fiancée made a brief appearance for one song, singing a duet with her man that somehow avoided cliché altogether.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvhXdSRjGHDTtwVt8_ISb0UuxSmpN5yBV0anmeGgDm3-Asi60QdAvU0zeC2UM7hQgzo2-nqunz4zZqWjadCkJGJeSeTz7ZTEAxd0BLVm8S7caZsYMlt08ypTaEkHQs8VtWhuabgAcY-AfS/s1600/The%252BTallest%252BMan%252Bon%252BEarth%252Bkristiangreen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvhXdSRjGHDTtwVt8_ISb0UuxSmpN5yBV0anmeGgDm3-Asi60QdAvU0zeC2UM7hQgzo2-nqunz4zZqWjadCkJGJeSeTz7ZTEAxd0BLVm8S7caZsYMlt08ypTaEkHQs8VtWhuabgAcY-AfS/s320/The%252BTallest%252BMan%252Bon%252BEarth%252Bkristiangreen.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It is the honesty in his performance, this soul-bearing sincerity, which was sorely lacked in the Kronos Quartet show. 'Show' is more apt than concert, as it seemed like they were maybe trying to dumb down or make more accessible the music which is usually called out for being too confronting or pretentious by some. In the end, the popular singer/songwriter tradition succeeded in being taken very seriously, whereas the experimental, avant-garde and erudite 'art' musicians absolutely failed. Funny that.</div>eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312401736907745464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626496765772528375.post-47143441266425847632011-10-13T18:50:00.000+11:002011-10-13T18:50:07.740+11:00Globe Unity OrchestraPut half of the European free jazz/improv scene on a stage, and presto:<br />
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The whole <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/freeavantgardevideos">channel</a> is an absolute gold mine too.eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312401736907745464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626496765772528375.post-49395617492661333912011-10-07T01:02:00.003+11:002011-10-07T01:02:44.161+11:00Kidcrash - Naps<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwdWaipjbpMNkdTZxENeqDSrLRfllyJx8YTofX83TQPz1_y0LLqOyF-s5IUN5Ec5wiZmkBkKdbODBiXW1McxWMDQZ3qJKedzD5_ImmcOw4o5XryAw1-O5N15mrUhDAxy71piC5-Lhzl1l/s1600/1673287393-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwdWaipjbpMNkdTZxENeqDSrLRfllyJx8YTofX83TQPz1_y0LLqOyF-s5IUN5Ec5wiZmkBkKdbODBiXW1McxWMDQZ3qJKedzD5_ImmcOw4o5XryAw1-O5N15mrUhDAxy71piC5-Lhzl1l/s320/1673287393-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's finally here, and it rules.<br />
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<a href="http://initrecords.bandcamp.com/album/naps">Stream/purchase</a>eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312401736907745464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626496765772528375.post-34227186988068822882011-09-29T14:58:00.002+10:002011-09-29T14:58:35.070+10:00Yellow Swans - Going Places<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdgDEGLabPRwhhNcqaNN0NJ9plf8p0fAdxP42H9HckPfEubtAT1zA2pw_5VPTmP1ZEp9_5p14Hmtho2Sl28JB29a1ua1paK5w_IANFxf3GgV-9URPVboHufgQo59xFujYmMsPuV_LpvkDZ/s1600/yellow_swans_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdgDEGLabPRwhhNcqaNN0NJ9plf8p0fAdxP42H9HckPfEubtAT1zA2pw_5VPTmP1ZEp9_5p14Hmtho2Sl28JB29a1ua1paK5w_IANFxf3GgV-9URPVboHufgQo59xFujYmMsPuV_LpvkDZ/s320/yellow_swans_cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Seriously slept on this one when it was released last year, and can already say that it would easily rank in the top end of '10 releases.<br />
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This, their final release, is a constant struggle of noise against melody. With droning ambient soundscapes of varying textures, the noise serves to break things up further, creating quite a dynamic drone style. <i>Going Places</i> fits somewhere between an accessible and harsh listen; not too left of centre, never too out there, but always intriguing. All too often, artists in this style seem too lazy to do much beyond the genre's supposed 'limitations', as if repetition was the absolute crux of the art form, enabling the lesser creative individual to produce many works with ease. This, on the other hand, shows what can be done when you put a little love into it.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?mqjgjz5mzzr">Going Places</a>eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312401736907745464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626496765772528375.post-41697722422793545832011-09-29T14:27:00.002+10:002011-09-29T14:27:40.654+10:00Isaac Hayes - Hot Buttered Soul<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL-ykNdD2XCMjq3hPmWWmdvZJI7txDcvsplp1uvocYkCqhIhEEGYrHu-8GGCVIMkhOWz0cWOi5Otgq0vUro_69mdBdo7t48JE92i8ZZsose32x-r2qNcd_IAIVK9NZpkm5L4WQdqAw6HPP/s1600/hot-buttered-soul.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL-ykNdD2XCMjq3hPmWWmdvZJI7txDcvsplp1uvocYkCqhIhEEGYrHu-8GGCVIMkhOWz0cWOi5Otgq0vUro_69mdBdo7t48JE92i8ZZsose32x-r2qNcd_IAIVK9NZpkm5L4WQdqAw6HPP/s320/hot-buttered-soul.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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With a cover and title like that, does this seriously need a description?<br />
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You will feel it in your loins.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?erkywzzztmn">Hot Buttered Soul</a>eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312401736907745464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626496765772528375.post-16381910388232256012011-09-28T17:17:00.002+10:002011-09-28T17:17:47.872+10:00George E. Lewis Lecture<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Recent lecture from AACM member, trombonist George E. Lewis. Has some interesting things to say.eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312401736907745464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626496765772528375.post-75648375181007819822011-09-25T15:40:00.000+10:002011-09-25T15:40:10.951+10:00Sonny Sharrock - Ask The Ages<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's Sunday, the Sun is out, and I'm somewhat hungover after an epic night. Avant garde jazz wouldn't usually be my first choice in this situation, but right now, this album is perfect.<br />
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Sonny Sharrock was a guitarist who had been involved with the avant garde scene from the 60's, and really was one of the few guitarists into the style from the beginning. He plays with distortion, ranging from soft and buttery, all the way to screeching noise freak-outs. His use of distortion, and more importantly his tone, is the perfect tool for him to achieve the two extremes of the avant garde sound; the soft, sentimental moments of calm, and the fiery outbursts of energy, a la free jazz. Helping him on this, the last album released during his lifetime (1991), is the great Pharoahe Sanders (Sharrock played on his '67 album <i>Tauhid</i>) and Elvin Jones, as well as Charnett Moffet on bass, who I'm not too familiar with, but fairly impressed by.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?jn0mzj0jmim">Ask The Ages</a>eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312401736907745464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626496765772528375.post-32554179507976924262011-09-23T23:37:00.002+10:002011-09-23T23:37:43.838+10:00Jandek - Six and Six<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr8xV9Fv0b_g47FUHNJq9qnfofv1VEtmTtww_m91kiF-ylY6G2yTRC3Vh8NKHEIa-9QaTeV12qPHUDcKGee2z1NYb9k7qRyJiRjFOLEunfA49y87rZRV4vilP2iznAXU9PkVkMkeNkUWSD/s1600/jandek-six-and-six.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr8xV9Fv0b_g47FUHNJq9qnfofv1VEtmTtww_m91kiF-ylY6G2yTRC3Vh8NKHEIa-9QaTeV12qPHUDcKGee2z1NYb9k7qRyJiRjFOLEunfA49y87rZRV4vilP2iznAXU9PkVkMkeNkUWSD/s320/jandek-six-and-six.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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'Fucked up' is the first thing that comes to mind when trying to describe Jandek, and really, it's probably the most apt description. Dissonant chords (riffs?), strummed on a somewhat ambiguously tuned guitar, accompany the voice of a man who knows solitude all too well. The strange part is, it doesn't sound like he is crying out for any kind of help. It is not out of frustration, depression or loneliness that he crafts these songs; just pure twisted atmosphere, which is all the more disconcerting when it the intent is unclear.<br />
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The fact that it is so hard to connect or relate to this man and his music, makes it all the more powerful.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?7h8r8i94i05xm84">Six and Six</a>eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312401736907745464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626496765772528375.post-19674959281879734752011-09-20T16:29:00.000+10:002011-09-20T16:29:31.478+10:00Coltrane Live Videos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The whole thing is incredible, but skip to around 57 mins in to see them tear shit up.eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312401736907745464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626496765772528375.post-30977338112621711742011-09-18T16:46:00.003+10:002011-09-18T16:46:50.540+10:00Company Flow - Funcrusher Plus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48GSsnjDyMkiT8j6tLHV3OWxN7MhyphenhyphenYGnhAEBeUI6W7uTMVNt-ld1f3AEGrdj4JGN1O1y8cpy0OVUqFnDdHvl6vF6ECiB0jMeRzoj4GlMd94dq0HoJyYbO_wOIbJD0W-zBSog84NKnPctI/s1600/companyflow_funcrusherplus_LRG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48GSsnjDyMkiT8j6tLHV3OWxN7MhyphenhyphenYGnhAEBeUI6W7uTMVNt-ld1f3AEGrdj4JGN1O1y8cpy0OVUqFnDdHvl6vF6ECiB0jMeRzoj4GlMd94dq0HoJyYbO_wOIbJD0W-zBSog84NKnPctI/s320/companyflow_funcrusherplus_LRG.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Thought I had posted this already. Should have anyway.<br />
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This is turning into one of my favourite hip hop albums. El-P, the man who basically symbolised the underground movement at the turn of the century, is in his absolute element here. I can't stress how fucking good that guy is. He does most of the production, and most of the verses too. It's dark, alien, boom bap, like taking the RZA lo-fi ideas from early Wu but kind of fucking with weird bass sounds. It has a strange vibe, but it works.<br />
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Must hear.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?ny4mztjasc6">Funcrusher Plus</a>eddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312401736907745464noreply@blogger.com1