futurism

Shackleton – Three EPs

/ David James / 10 Comments

Yeah.  Adventurer Shackleton

Shackleton first came to my attention late in 2008 via the sublime mix album Uproot (which I posted here in April), produced by one of my absolute favorite beatmakers, DJ /rupture.  Almost exactly one year later, this collection – entitled Three EPs – drops the definitive word thus far on his (already stellar) burgeoning career.

Earthquake-level bass lines slither beneath evasive percussion maneuvers throughout every moment of this disc, providing a cavernous bottom end to support the origami skyscrapers of of sampledelic dexterity, all wrapped in loops of pulsing synth candy.  The palpably soupy atmosphere creaks and groans like an old ghost ship refusing to sink, far removed from the climate of foggy London alleys of dubstep to altogether more obscured and claustrophobic (not to mention exotic) environs.  Sitar drones ride lines of tablas and salt shaker cymbals, disembodied vocals drift through the mix spectre-like, and a time machine’s load of futuristic effects beam us from deep underwater through the Oort cloud and back.  More than anything else, this is music to disappear into, be swallowed up for an hour and dropped out with faint knowledge of where, exactly, the journey took us.

With a darkly romantic night drift more akin to Burial‘s pitch black monster Untrue than anything strictly dubstep and a calculated iciness echoing nothing less than Muslimgauze himself, Shackleton stands neatly alone in his world.  This melange, spiced with minimal techno, middle eastern percussion tapestries and a truckload of straight dub effects, is truly a unique proposition – something felt more than heard, a necessary experience for anyone still reading.  Don’t be left out.  And, if you’re still unconvinced, merely try out There’s A Slow Train Coming, directly below.

Exactly.  Right?

 

OK, here he is for real, artist Shackleton.

 

[get familiar with this incredible set at boomkat or norman records on vinyl, or at amazon on cd (boomkat also carries the cd edition)]

Bows – Cassidy

/ David James / 4 Comments

Bows were born after the demise of brilliant post-rock pioneers Long Fin Killie, by lead guitarist and singer Luke Sutherland.  A more atmosphere- and beat-driven, nominally trip-hop associated group than its predecessor, Bows bloomed into something equally adventurous and fulfilling as the acclaimed first band.  On this album, they flew even higher.

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With a foundation in the bleeding edge of  UK PostRock, Sutherland and company’s oceanic swells bleed into entirely new territories, amplifying the latent dub tendencies of the former scene while skipping right over the forefront of then-popular Bristol trip-hop sounds into a starbursting heaven of cascading orchestral waterfalls and breathy dreampop vocals courtesy of chanteuse Signe Hoirup Wille-Jorgensen and Sutherland himself.  The enigmatic low end throb provides a bedrock for the torrent of acid-bent melodic workouts embedded with a stream of sub-consciousness lyrics and oracular percussion.

Imagine your favorite deep 90’s Bristol album draped in the gauzy atmosphere of A.R. Kane or Cocteau Twins and shot through with terrifying elation and existential anomie.  This is light years beyond that image.  Leaning away from the club floor and into the fevered minds of blissed out dreamers, it’s the pinnacle of its kind.  Perhaps the only one.

[get ahold of Cassidy at norman records, lala, or reliably, amazon]

Tim Exile – Listening Tree

/ David James / 2 Comments

Tim Exile creates slamming dance-inclined tracks by pulling at the threads of several electronic movements and stitching them together into an inclusive parachute – escalating, enveloping, exhilerating high altitude drops over an expansive oscillating environment.  Listening Tree is a galaxy-surfing warp drive pop electronica extravaganza.

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Pouring the excitement of peak-era big beat into a swirling dervish of glitchy textured electronica and experimental hiphop madness, it’s difficult to pin down; which is perfectly acceptable, as head nodding, dancing, or driving too rapidly take precedence over silly genre name games.  The stunning percussion and breathtaking tone shifts keep a heightened mood throughout, unrelenting in its seductive energy.  Undeniably futuristic laser-guided synth lines and cavernous bass manipulations consistently serve up hook after wacked-out hook, while vocals on several of the tracks create an immediacy many of Exile’s peers lack, though they’re never so prominent as to overshadow the jawdropping sonic adventurism.  It’s basically the whole package.  This album hits on several important fronts and then takes the listener back to bed at the end of the night.

[check up on Tim at his myspace while snagging Listening Tree at bleep or amazon, which sells cd, digital and vinyl issues]

Ras G – Brotha From Anotha Planet

/ David James / 4 Comments

Ras G & The Afrikan Space Program dropped this slice of wonky ‘ghetto sci-fi’ on an unsuspecting hiphop public this year and true to their nomenclature, it remains one of the spaciest jams I’ve heard from this region of the beat scene.

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“This is the music that people will be playing in the ghetto on Mars in the year 3014.”

The above quote, direct from the artist’s page, works as a warped mission statement for this project.  It speaks towards the aspiration and moody atmosphere laid down in this heady trip.  Ras G works magic twisting the listener through his aural wormhole and out into a galaxy where his old school equipment reigns supreme, wielding the power to shape all unnatural forces defining his sound itself.  A casual listen on moderate volume might give the impression of a rumbling, chaotic sound soiree – though like most good music of this sort, is an enveloping, otherworldly experience upon close inspection.  Free up 35 minutes and sit back with some headphones (and indulge in your substance of choice, if applicable) and feel the strange gravity.  Let go and be pulled through the rhythm into another realm.  And be sure to wave at Hal on the way back.

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[grab this for a reasonable ($6.99!) price at boomkat, Alpha Pup Records, or amazon.  it’s digital-only and the first release on Flying Lotus‘ very own Brainfeeder label.]