Month: April 2016

Qluster – Echtzeit

/ David James / 1 Comment

Qluster Echtzeit Cover

Qluster is the current incarnation of one of the longest-running acts on the planet, continually vibrant and productive from 1971 onward. In this possibly final form, the band once known as Cluster has mellowed some of the rough edges and grown subtly complex, losing none of that original alien magic they’ve conjured for 45 years running.

Swapping a C for a Q seems relatively minor, but the twist it signifies has been significant. Since 2011, the band has been incredibly prolific, dropping more than one album per year. The latest, Echtzeit, is the most vibrant yet.

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Brother Keep Us [mixtape]

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Brother Keep Us1

I began this mix in 2011, when I last returned to Michigan. In the midst of feeling directionless and alone, I was trying to start again, build something, connect myself with bigger ideas. Instead, I nearly ruined my life.

I was on a collision course with something terrible, and I had no idea it was coming.

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What I’m Into This Week (4/3 – 4/9)

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Nausicaa - Toxic Jungle

Remember how I mentioned springtime last week? Just kidding! It’s winter again here in Michigan, and I’m pretty broke, so I ended up staying home and listening to warm tunes most of the time. I discovered some real surprises by going out and simply looking for anything that felt new, an activity that I should do more often.

There’s nothing much more rewarding than setting out to surprise yourself and then doing exactly that.

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David Bowie – I Can’t Give Everything Away

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David-Bowie-‘Blackstar’-01

The video for the final song on David Bowie‘s final album has arrived. It was made without the man himself, of course; Bowie doesn’t appear on screen once. In fact, no one appears on screen. Using only text and minimalist graphics, the video pulses with life, propelled by the fallen star’s immortal energy.

You need to see I Can’t Give Everything Away:

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Hybrid Palms – Pacific Image

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Hybrid Palms - Pacific Image

I stumbled upon Hybrid Palms while tripping through Bandcamp, my favorite place for adventurous music. I scrolled until I came to this album, listed brightly and warmly: Pacific Image. To be brutally honest and superficial, the cover art beckoned first. I read the title and heard a few minutes of the opening track and that was it. I needed this. I needed to hear more and I needed to know what it was.

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The Field – The Follower

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KOM350_Sleeve_6mmSpine_gatefold.indd

It’s well into 2016 and suddenly The Field is back with another album in the exact same format as his earlier work, right down to the album art – what began as eggshell almost a decade ago is now a darker shade of black. Same bag of tricks, shuffled around. What surprise could there be? What’s the point?

The point, it turns out, is that he’s actually getting better at this, and has been for a while.

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What I’m Into This Week (3/27 – 4/2)

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The Revenant

This week, the sun finally cracked through and warmed Michigan a little. I finally rode my bike to work again after months of winter blues. I also helped send off winter by finally watching The Revenant.

I also listened to a lot of great new music. Let’s see what happened:

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