NEWS: c. reider – Formerly Sine Drones – download

c. reider
Formerly Sine Drones
Beginning with the humble sine drone, in frequencies chosen at random (by asking Twitter friends to choose a number between zero and twenty-thousand!) I have created probably my most austere & minimalist compositions yet. The sine drones were treated using only equalization & dynamic effects to synthesize the seven complex drones featured on this twenty minute long experimental pure-electronics recording.
Free to download from the Modisti netlabel here:
http://modisti.com/11/?p=8711
Check out the rest of the Vuzh Ranch….
http://www.vuzhmusic.com

CD REVIEW: Russ Stedman – Cherry Creek, 2011

RUSS STEDMAN
Cherry Creek CD, 2011
http://www.russstedman.com
The winter of 2010/2011 was a bitch for some of us. After spending a night in a mental care institution, Russ came out and made a concept album about his experience. The tone of the songs is dark but not bleak. Sad, but not hopeless. “I’ve Given Up Again” opens with Gilmour-esque acoustic strumming. “I’m Only Happy When I Cry” picks up the pace, somewhat, and deploys a stabbing line of synth octaves. I like the frantic vibe of “Short-Term Disability”. The production job is impressive, as usual. Note-perfect, clean as a bell. What? “I’m a spoiled little bitch and I don’t want to work anymore,” goes this one, titled “I Don’t Wanna Work Anymore.” “And I Think” is funky and fun, like Bjorn, John and John. “When Will The Drugs Take Effect?” is a moody, eight minute epic that’s something like Jane’s Addiction meets New Order or something, and the drumming is rad. “Cherry Creek” is the book-end, a companion piece to th opening song, except it builds up into a whole big coda thing. Another damn fine release from Sted.
Ian C Stewart

NEWS: Dave Fuglewicz and Hal McGee - Synergistic Reconstruction

The second cassette release on the new Hal McGee Tapes label
Synergistic Reconstruction
by
Dave Fuglewicz and Hal McGee

4-track cassette works of noisy, spacy synthesizer experimental electronic music.

For complete information, including pictures of the cassette cover, go to:
http://halmcgee.com/HM002synergisticreconstruction.html

VINYL REVIEW: PALE SKETCHER – SEVENTH HEAVEN - EP - 2011

I ordered the new Broadrick EP on Wednesday, sumbitch showed up YESTERDAY. Less than 24 hours later. Mofo and son of a bitch, that is fast. So fast that I haven’t even opened it yet.
I bought the download, but sort of wanted the limited edition vinyl too. It was only like $15 or something for the vinyl and the mp3s…..
Justin Broadrick and Jack Dangers are two artists whose work I will always purchase legitimately and as often as possible. I’ve always bought their stuff, so there’s no reason to stop now. The Pale Sketcher EP is pretty damn amazing, of course. I say it every time he releases something, but he really does get better all the time.
Fake-ass Red House Painters gone techno, hell yeah. :)
I never ordered from Ghostly before but it seems cool so far.
BUY, GUY
PALE SKETCHER – SEVENTH HEAVEN EP

CD REVIEW - JESU – INFINITY – 2009

jesu infinity

JESU
‘Infinity’
CD/vinyl/download
49:31
http://www.avalancheinc.co.uk/jesu.html
THIs is one long track of the continued evolution of Justin Broadrick, the long, slow, gradual, career-length, fascinating shift. “Infinity” is one continuous piece, with all instruments handled by Broadrick, which is very cool considering how it sounds like an entire band. “Infinity” is something I’ve waited a long time for, a doom pop epic. It starts off quite heavy actually with a double-bass drum program that is just slammin’, as always. His beats are always immacuate! The sonic landscape changes throughout, instruments fading in & out but it’s not like a big ambient piece or even like a jam. Just a very long pop song! It dates from 2009 but this is already my top track for 2010 & I’ve only just heard it the one time this morning!!!!!!!
YOW!

CD REVIEW: TOD HOWARTH – OPPOSITE GODS – CD – 2010

TOD HOWARTH
“Opposite Gods” 2010
CD or download
www.todhowarth.com
So….Tod got the memo that all of the many KISS-related releases of the past year will be heavy, dark, tuned down and surprisingly well-done. (That list of albums includes Ace Frehley’s “Anomaly,” KISS’s “Sonic Boom” and Bruce Kulick’s “BK3″.) The advantage of Tod Howarth’s creative autonomy is that if he wants to put a relatively happy sounding-song in the middle of the playlist, or if he wants to put some keyboards way out in front of the mix, then he’s gonna do it! (That’s one thing about the current wave of of KISS-related stuff, it’s a bit one-dimensional, whereas Tod can layer all the vocal harmonies he wants since he doesn’t have to keep it simple enough for onstage reproduction, if ya know what I mean.) This is a full-on, Todd Rundgren-style do-it-yourself-er of an album, all the instruments, all the songs. And you’d never know this fact just by listening. The album is cohesive, the production is great & modern, the songs are complex & deep. I hope “Opposite Gods” finds a wider audience than KISS obsessives. I LIKE IT and it gets better with every listen. Plus occasional swearing. NICE.
Ian C Stewart

CD REVIEW: RUSS STEDMAN – ALERT BUT WITHOUT ACUTE DISTRESS

RUSS STEDMAN
Alert But Without Acute Distress CD
www.russstedman.com
Opens with a funny & fun note-perfect cover of Iron Maiden’s “Prowler” (the opening joint from their 1981 album ‘Killers’), only missing maybe a touch of wah-wah on that main riff. Nitpicking. Track two, “Why Am I Alive” continues the hot-rockin’ air guitar & cowbell inspiring frenzy this time with KISS lyrics from the song “Tomorrow and Tonight” (from their 1977 album ‘Love Gun’), among other lyrical appropriations. “Find them and Kill them” is a moody jazzbo instrumental with kind of heavy metal guitaristic soloing a la maybe Al DiMeola. “My Haunted Heart” continues in a ballady, minor key manor. “Random Word Generator” could be from Frank Zappa’s Synclavier period. ie, a grooveless frenzy of MIDI tones, suitably pointillistic and information-dense. Closer “Penis Dimension” IS a Zappa cover, so there ya go. Maiden to Zappa in one album by way of KISS. & can I just say, the production is so damn nice. Everything sounds clean as a freshly shaved beaver.
BUY

REVIEW: ALICJACOPO - 1998 - 10" SINGLE

AUTOreverse: Alicjacopo 10" 1998

Clear vinyl EP recorded in late 1997. Alicia Wade recorded her guitar and vocal parts at home in Virginia, USA while Jacopo Andreini did his vocals, drums & sax at home in Pistoia, Italy.

The record was pressed in New Zealand, if memory serves, and finally distributed by Dekay Age, also out of Virginia. Also distributed by Frigorifero Productions in Italy.

Handmade on every level, this is an object lesson in How We Did Things In Those Days. Good times.

"Time" is like a fractured Portishead. "Cutting Paintings" features Jacopo out front, getting his Zorn on. Or, for the kiddies, imagine the White Stripes fronted by a Tasmanian Devil.

This record is a nice jab to the frontal lobe, just the right amounts of experimentation and rocking out. Dig it!

ALICJACOPO 10" EP
1. Free Angels
2. Time
3. Night Scene
4. Cutting Paintings
5. Je M'en Vais
6. It Is Very Simple