Thursday, January 31, 2008

[Takagi Masakatsu|Eating]吃是快樂


Artist:Takagi Masakatsu
Album:Eating
Release Date:2002
Label:Karaoke Kalk
Country:Japan
Genre: Electronic
Style: Abstract, Ambient

Tracklisting:

1
Frousfre (2:27)
2
Fore (2:48)
3
Spring (3:26)
4
Fausel (2:51)
5
Flows (2:30)
6
Mihyn (3:29)
7
Angje (5:49)
8
Hanri (2:18)
9
Woei (1:41)
10
Trot (1:38)
11
On The Way To (3:37)
12
Kim Perno (1:21)
13
Come March (3:16)

簡介。。。。。。
Takagi is known to us from visual collaborations with one of our current idols, Aoki Taskamasa on his dvd for the marvellous Progressive Form label from Japan. There’s something of the short film at work here, on this fine album for the unmissable Karaoke Kalk. Perfect, yet somehow open ended short pieces work in the same way as vignettes, suggesting time before and after with great aplomb. Never do you feel that these beautiful, sonorous pieces are unfinished, instead each sidles into your consciousness, like small flowers seen on a country walk. There’s acoustic elements aplenty, with pizzicato strings, wooden marimba tones, hopeful modal keys, muted horns, starkly beautiful accordion sounds, atop twinkling keys, all forming a cohesive and beautiful whole. This undemonstrative album is supremely persuasive, from its own wayside point of view. Impossibly fresh and hugely impressive, this will no doubt be one of the finest albums this year for your reviewer, and hopefully some of you out there as well. Essential music to warm the heart.(from boomkat)

我的碎碎唸。。。。。。推薦指數:8.2/10

高木在德國厰牌Karaoke Kalk發行的一張專輯,我喜歡這個專輯名字eating,因爲這是我最愛做的事情。哈哈。之後還發行了一張eating 2,改天再分享。節奏舒緩卻愉悅,鮮明跳動的電音,帶給人們很好的心情,一張溫暖人心的好專輯。各種豐富的配器一併滑落,像泉水般清涼舒爽。再配上一些孩子追逐打鬧、嬉戲玩耍的童聲,就更加富有生活氣息。非常可愛,感覺生活真美好。如果生活真的能夠如此不停地吃好吃的東西,聼好聽的音樂就好了。hoho。
去豆瓣上看看。。。。。。
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[Múm|The Peel Session]果皮樂園


Artist:Múm
Album:The Peel Session
Release Date:2006-12-04
Label:FatCat Records
Country:Iceland
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: Lo-Fi, Post Rock

Tracklisting:

1
Scratched Bicycle / Smell Memory (5:34)
2
Awake On A Train (7:58)
3
Now There Is That Fear Again (3:57)
4
The Ballad Of The Broken String (3:56)

簡介。。。。。。
*Back In Stock* Mum only ever recorded one session for John Peel's BBC Radio One show, and here it is in its completeness. Dating back to October 2002, the four tracks here span the gap between the albums Yesterday Was Dramatic - Today Is OK and their breakthrough release, Finally We Are No One. 'Scratched Bicycle/Smell Memory' opens the session, and takes the form of a remixed medley of the two songs referenced in the title. It's a welcome reminder of the band's roots as purveyors of first rate warm, crunchy electronics and hints at their later work, integrating melodic acoustic instrumentation with laptop sound processing. 'Now There Is That Fear Again' (the only track here to be lifted from Finally We Are No One) provides the clearest indication of the more expansive, Mum sound that we know them for today. Complete with Kristín Anna Valtsdóttir's breathy, childlike vocals and dramatic staccato strings, it's an essential alternate version of one of the band's key songs. A great stop-gap that comes with a hearty, icelandic recommendation.(from boomkat)

我的碎碎唸。。。。。。推薦指數:8.0/10
Múm06年發行的一張EP,4個track。Múm我想不用多介紹了,這張EP個人比較喜歡,它的封面純真可愛,音樂則更複雜一些,不單單只有純真可愛、歡快愉悅的成分,還有沉重、幽暗、冰冷、恐懼。。。值得反復聆聽。
去豆瓣上看看。。。。。。
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Tuesday, January 29, 2008

[VA|the Music from Beautiful Spain]來自伊比利亞的美麗聲音


Artist:Various Artists
Album:the Music from Beautiful Spain
Release Date:2005
Label:Avant Garden Records
Country:Spain
Genre: Folk
Style:Folk,Indie,Pop

Tracklisting:

  01. But for love-Anna Felix
  02. Metti una sera a cena-Malabella
  03. Who needs you-Delia Caprice
  04. Kinky love-Rita Calypso
  05. It’s hard to say goodbye-Rita Calypso
  06. Mejor-Nosotrash
  07. Parentesis-Portonovo
  08. Boule de flipper-Souvenir
  09. Si fuimos-Entre Rios
  10. Hidden in the park-Pipas
  11. "A red, red rose"-Camera Obscura
  12. Universo(acoustic)-Niza
  13. B.W.-Zola
  14. "Buenos dias ,corazon"-Le Mans
  15. Va el amor-Ana D

簡介。。。。。。
繼之前發行的兩張轟動全台現在都已絕版的合輯(美麗西班牙2004 & 夢幻歌謠仙境之聲2005) 創下了六萬張的銷售量之後
再次推出美麗西班牙2005合輯
  
收錄藝人簡介 : 

V.A/Don Quijote 西班牙傳奇首部曲 / 唐吉柯德
  西班牙的Siesta廠牌,以「唐吉柯德」為名發表了"西班牙傳奇三部曲"的首部曲,除歌頌唐吉柯德他的勇敢情操外,並鼓勵大家,當理想和現實發生衝突,不要輕易放棄,夢想往往比想像中更有力量   

Rita Calypso/Sicalyptico 芮塔小姐/幸福快樂的生活
  描繪都會女子脆弱卻又敏感的寂寞思緒!地中海的Bossa Nova新天后Rita Calypso用輕柔耳語、夢幻般的呢喃,融合了小野麗莎的清新爽朗、諾拉瓊絲的爵士風情與木匠兄妹式的感人民謠
  
Nosotrash/Popemas Nosotrash樂團
  Nosotrash歌聲帶點香頌氣氛,但加了檸檬調味。那種可愛聰慧迷人的樣子,不禁讓人聯想到如果「艾蜜莉的異想世界」中那個可愛女主角開口唱歌的話大抵就是這個樣子
  
Portonovo / En aquellos tiempos siempre era fiesta
  一個陽光閃動、微風拂面、光影交錯的世界;在此,心靈隨著音樂的流動逐漸澄澈了起來,到達一種令人身心舒暢到彷彿可以展翼飛翔的境界
  
Souvenir /Des equilibres
  西班牙風情+法語的浪漫 Souvenir是無國界的陽光、微風。淺酸淺甜,都是一派冰涼沁口
  
Entre Rios/Sal 石頭三姊妹樂團/感傷
  布宜諾斯艾利斯,攝氏零度的聲音‧一個激盪王家衛想像的地方,世界彼端最最新鮮的聲響。
  Entre Rios飄渺的氛圍、縈繞耳腔的悠揚旋律在電子音效的襯托下,顯出既疏離又親密的感受
  
Pipas--《Golden Square》
  一種生命中難得的幸福體驗 翩然起舞的愉悅氛圍 Pipas的音樂彷彿一場甜美夢境般令人流連
  
Camera Obscura/Keep it Clean 暗房樂團/清淨 (05年六月底即將發行敬請期待)
  由Belle & Sebastian團長Stuart所挖掘出來的樂團Camera Obscura是現今最具復古典雅色彩的美麗女聲,女主唱的歌聲在輕盈中帶有深刻感性,色彩鮮明的嗓音映照出繽紛幻變的世間景象
  
Niza/Topolino 妮莎樂團(05年六月底即將發行敬請期待)
  西班牙的陽光Bossa Nova、清爽俐落的夏日質感。niza女主唱甜美輕柔的嗓音有著不言可喻的輕快魅力。這專輯收錄了Niza的所有絕版單曲,以及最具收藏價值的VU翻唱曲Femme Fatale
  
Zola/Siete Maletas Zola樂團/帶著七隻皮箱去旅行
  浪跡天涯的最佳良伴!!Zola的音樂,簡樸中帶有纖細、活潑中帶有敏感、略酸的甜味,百嘗不厭。甜美無比的嗓音 + 層次分明、卻又清爽簡單的襯樂;帶點爵士情調,洋溢著雞尾酒香和海洋的味道
  
Ana D/Recordando 安娜D
  西班牙導演阿莫多瓦的最愛! Ana D的歌曲啟發了阿莫多瓦創作"悄悄告訴她"的劇本。Ana D深沉而感性的嗓音唱出讓音樂老饕無可挑剔的經典,將你的五臟六脯燙的平平貼貼

我的碎碎唸。。。。。。推薦指數:7.5/10
來自西班牙的清新美麗的聲音,不可多得好專輯,發行于臺灣前衛花園。從這張專輯知道了這些以前沒有聽説過的好聲音,有幾個track真是好聽。像陽光照在身上溫暖感覺,整個人都被鑲上閃閃的金邊,很美好。
去豆瓣上看看。。。。。。
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[The Franciscan Hobbies|Walls Are Stuck]迷墻


Artist:The Franciscan Hobbies
Album:Walls Are Stuck
Release Date:2005
Label:Music Fellowship
Country:US
Genre: Rock
Style: Folk Rock, Acoustic, Experimental

Tracklisting:

1
The Modern Revival (0:49)
2
Elijah The Stone (2:30)
3
Satan Crystals (4:58)
4
Empty Hands (1:00)
5
Goat With The Dolphin Face (3:09)
6
The Happy Burial (2:51)
7
Placing Of The Flowers (2:28)
8
Asmodeus (9:14)
9
Lake Of Holy Fishes (4:22)
10
Death Music (4:47)
11
The Etheric Double (5:11)

簡介。。。。。。
This album from Jewelled Antler offshoot The Franciscan Hobbies (who include Thuja folks Loren Chasse and Glen Donaldson among their ranks, along with Ov and Softwar stalwart Christine Boepple and countless others) is one of my favourites to come both from the Music Fellowship label and from the JA world itself. A movement such as this can seem somewhat impenetrable with so many side projects and offshoots, but 'Walls Are Stuck' would be a fantastic place to start, showing the kind of submerged other-worldly avant-folk the collective would become branded with. It doesn't really fit into any 'proper' genre either; using tape recordings, field recordings, electronic and acoustic instruments and all sorts of peculiar percussion the Franciscan Hobbies create music that sounds out of time entirely. Take 'Satan Crystals' for example; this beautiful zither-led piece could be the soundtrack to a documentary about forest life, but then there's something slightly too dark, something slightly too lo-fi for public consumption, and that's what makes it so special to me. This is music made for the few, and we can take it close to our hearts and enjoy it in the comfort of our own rooms, it is music to be listened to in total seclusion and total loneliness, in a place where you can allow yourself the room to conjure up images of moonlit lakes and blustering leaves, shadowy cliffs and long-forgotten treasures. 'Walls Are Stuck' is the sort of music that magic is made of, both fantastical and deeply grounded at the same time, giving us fact and fiction within the strings of so many unusual instruments. If Narnia existed then The Franciscan Hobbies would no doubt be found there - that's how beautifully mysterious this music is. One for fans of Fonal desperate to find further wooded explorations into haunting freeform folk music... essential purchase!(from boomkat)

"The Hobbies have been known to put this into practice by taking their junk folk-instruments, boomboxes & mini-discs outside, gathering in canyons, creek beds, backyards, and on porches & beaches. The Franciscan Hobbies are part of the expansive Jewelled Antler forest of bands & projects."

"The second album from this satellite of San Franciscos Jewelled Antler Collective is packed full of earth mystery, permeated by the smell bone fires and vegetative rites. The sound of rust-caked acoustic guitar and banjo dominates, while the ripple of earthworked gongs, tremulous sitar and percussion makes this the perfect soundtrack to a version of The Wicker Man performed by a group of California heads." - The Wire."

我的碎碎唸。。。。。。推薦指數:8.5/10
作爲Fonal的粉絲應該也聼一聼這張專輯,其中有Thuja的Loren Chasse、Glen Donaldson等人。他們Lo-fi的手法以及豐富奇異的配器使用使專輯充滿著神秘的古代氣息和北歐民謠的清冷氣質,好像身処刻滿滄桑的古老城堡又像走在杳無人煙的幽深森林,從第一曲The Modern Revival古老神秘的原始氣息就撲面而來,真的好酷、韻味好迷人。很難得的一張專輯,強烈推薦,但建議一定要在一個人的時候聼。呵呵。這是一張孤獨的專輯,我想一定要是耐得住寂寞的人才懂得欣賞。
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Saturday, January 26, 2008

[Takagi Masakatsu|Pia]影像中的記憶


Artist:Takagi Masakatsu
Album:Pia
Release Date:2001-10-16
Label:Carpark Records
Country:Japan
Genre: Electronic
Style: Abstract, Experimental

Tracklisting:

CD1-01
Toska
CD1-02
Bienna
CD1-03
Eau
CD1-04
Fround
CD1-05
Agni
CD1-06
Guiter
CD1-07
Sossette
CD1-08
Water Fall
CD1-09
Cino Park
CD1-10
Caroc
CD1-11
Light Park
CD1-12
Sprang
CD1-13
Videocamara
CD1-14
Eau
CD1-15
Study for Camera
CD1-16
Fround
CD1-17
Pia
CD1-18
Water Fall
CD2-01
Eau
CD2-02
Study For Camera
CD2-03
Fround
CD2-04
Pia
CD2-05
Water Fall

簡介。。。。。。
Takagi Masakatsu is a video maker who creates music. Takagi Masakatsu is a musician who creates video, or maybe Takagi Masakatsu is a documentary filmmaker, which ever one you prefer, Takagi is an artist who is wholly dedicated to exposing and preserving the human experience at the start of our burgeoning new century. Bringing new meaning to the phrase 'think globally, act locally,' Takagi has travelled the world collecting pieces of sound and video in which he constructs a fluid and timeless snapshot of our current human condition. Takagi employs samples of speaking children with other 'real' sounds such as the weather, his own piano playing, and various recorded sounds throughout his and other people's homes, after collecting this raw material, Takagi blends it into his laptop arrangements and manipulations to create a very new type of ambient music. One CD comprises the melodic ambient nature of Takagi's audio creations, while the 2nd CD is a CD-Rom featuring 5 audio/video pieces.

我的碎碎唸。。。。。。推薦指數:7.2/10
這張應該是Takagi Masakatsu的第一張發行,他不單只做音樂,還在視覺設計方面也取得了顯著的成就。Takagi Masakatsu也是遊歷了許多國家,錄製各種聲音,來表達人類生活與情感,這張專輯就是這樣的,各種採樣,水聲、童聲...從音樂中傳達出影像的質感,在影像中回應音樂的靈動。所以Takagi Masakatsu幾乎每一張專輯都是音樂和Video一起發行,CD1是音樂部分,下面的分享中也只用音樂的部分,似乎有些遺憾,或者可以到他的網站http://www.takagimasakatsu.com/,去看movie sample。
去豆瓣上看看。。。。。。
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Tuesday, January 22, 2008

[Pandatone|Happy Together]靜靜注視著那些快樂的人群


Artist:Pandatone
Album:Happy Together
Release Date:2007-04-24
Label:Music Related
Country:US
Genre: Electronic, Pop
Style: Ambient, Electronica, Techno, Electro

Tracklisting:

1
The Last To Remain (3:42)
2
I Forgot If We Dreamed (5:31)
3
The Fog Of Memory (3:50)
4
We Fucking Love You (3:47)
5
Accountable (1:24)
6
Did It Happen (1:52)
7
Together & Lonely (5:30)
8
Because I Can (5:41)

簡介。。。。。。
Since Pandatone himself runs Music Related - the label this CD "Happy Together" appears on - he thought it was weird to write his own press blurb. So I was asked to write it. We're old friends by NYC standards, so I headed out to Queens to listen to the tracks and talk to him about making it.

Upon arrival, I proceed to harass him about his apartment. (I always do this.) "You're 30 now. Don't you think it's time to stop living like you're in college?" "But I just got this cool paper shredder and humidifier," came his retort.

We moved into the "studio," which is more like a storage space for boxes of CDs and cables than a studio - or even a bedroom. He started playing me Happy Together, but I had to almost immediately ask, "What's the deal? I thought you said you'd never release any Pandatone material on your own label?" He replied, "Yeah, shit is fucked like that. But listen to it anyway." I agreed… shit is fucked, and so I shut my yap.

On the album, there are some very nice songs featuring female vocalist "Julliana Barwick" - uplifting numbers with deep production. Although slow in tempo, they are upbeat in spirit. Then there are tracks with male vocals that are much more melancholy. Pandatone tells me he doesn't write lyrics. The words are just the "shit in his head" when he hits record. Lucky for him, I think they work well together - almost playing out like shattered romance.

It's been almost three years since his debut LP on Neo Ouija records. Besides the use of acoustic guitar, I'm not sure there are many similarities between this record and his debut. The influence of running Music Related is almost instantly apparent. His room is full of instruments now - from child-sized toys to a huge reel-to-reel tape deck. The Pandatone studio is the wrong environment for a clinical claustrophobic, but full of creative possibilities if you're the right type. It feels like this environment has been transfered into the songs for Happy Together. Pandatone's fascination with the actual sound of recording is plastered all over the album. Using lots of tape and background noise, he tries to bring out specific tones that are just too far gone to really be there.

The influence of Shugo Tokumaru and the Boats is fairly noticeable - though not copied. The sound of NYC is in there too - with some tracks featuring an almost junktronic-type percussion. While the album plays and even after it ends, he is much more interested in talking about the artists who are working on stuff for Music Related than his own music, and I leave with a handful of CDs.

Whether he likes comparisons or not, I would recommend Happy Together if you like Psapp, Müm, and Tujiko Noriko."(from dotshop.se)

我的碎碎唸。。。。。。推薦指數:7.6/10
一起來Happy仿佛是一種奢望,因爲我並沒有在專輯中聽到很high的感覺,雖然也有很不錯的節奏,但我感覺更多的是一種冷靜,還帶著一絲淡淡的哀愁,Together & Lonely。pandatone在自己的厰牌發行了這張專輯,還加入Julliana Barwick的女聲演唱,在寬敞的氛圍下聲音很輕柔很脫俗。
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[Lisa Germano|Happiness]極樂世界


Artist:Lisa Germano
Album:Happiness
Release Date:1994
Label:4AD
Country:UK
Genre: Rock
Style: Alternative Rock, Art Rock

Tracklisting:

1
Bad Attitude

Keyboards - Malcolm Burn
2
Destroy The Flower

Drums - Michael Radovsky
Mixed By [Additional] - Mike Griffith
Producer, Bass, Mixed By [Additional] - Jay Joyce
3
Puppet

Acoustic Guitar - John Keane
Drums - Kenny Aronoff
Guitar - Jay Joyce
Mixed By [Additional] - Trina Shoemaker
Piano, Tambourine, Mixed By [Additional] - Malcolm Burn
4
Everyone's Victim

Bass - Bill Dillon
Drums - Daryl Johnson
Guitar - Jay Joyce
Percussion - Ronald Jones
5
Energy
6
Cowboy

Guitar [Pedal Steel] - John Keane
7
Happiness

Guitar - Malcolm Burn
8
The Earth
9
Around The World

Djembe - Daryl Johnson
Keyboards - Jay Joyce
10
Sycophant

Keyboards, Tambourine - Malcolm Burn
Producer, Bass - Jay Joyce
11
Miamo-Tutti
12
The Dresses Song

Guitar - Malcolm Burn
13
The Darkest Night Of All

簡介。。。。。。
On 1993's Happiness, Lisa Germano delivered on the promise that her debut On the Way Down From the Moon Palace suggested she had. Both more ambitious and more accessible than her first album, Happiness swaths her ethereal-yet-earthy melodies in a rich, shimmering production courtesy of Malcom Burn. Originally released by Capitol, 4AD re-released the album once Germano switched labels; the label's head, Ivo Watts-Russell, remixed certain tracks like the folky dream pop of "Destroy the Flower" and the scathing "Sycophant," bringing out the songs' melancholy, wistful tendencies. However, even the Capitol version of Happiness has plenty of both of those qualities. Just as Germano mixes the delicate with the down-to-earth in her music, she uses her fragile voice to express uncomfortable, sad, and occasionally funny sentiments, as on the bitchy, jaded "Bad Attitude," where she sings "You wish you were pretty/But you're not/Ha ha ha" with equal amounts of cynicism and idealism. With "The Dresses Song," she turns what would be a flirty pop song in anyone else's hands into an ambivalent compliment: "You look at me so fragile/You make me think about nothing/It feels so good like that." Happiness also expands Germano's musical palette, ranging from jangly pop like "Puppet" and "Energy," to the brooding, droning rock of the title track and "Everyone's Victim," to the haunting, proto-trip-hop instrumental "Miamo-Tutti" (named for one of Germano's cats). The spooky, vulnerable final song "The Darkest Night of All" is a forerunner of the dark, riveting territory she'd cover on Geek the Girl; as a whole, Happiness finds Germano moving toward a remarkable emotional honesty, which makes the album all the more captivating.

我的碎碎唸。。。。。。推薦指數:8.2/10
很老的一張專輯了,Lisa簽約4AD發行的第一張專輯。實際上是在Capitol Records發行過的一張專輯,來到4AD之後重新發行的。區別是Capital版的有翻場Nancy Sinatra的These Boots Are Made For Walkin',在這個下載裏,也加入這首歌。
去豆瓣上看看。。。。。。
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Monday, January 21, 2008

[AOKI Takamasa, Ogurusu Norihide, Takagi Masakatsu|Come And Play In Our Backyard]後院裏的青蔥歲月


Artist:AOKI Takamasa, Ogurusu Norihide, Takagi Masakatsu
Album:Come And Play In Our Backyard
Release Date:2003-08-10
Label: Beams Records
Country:Japan
Genre: Electronic
Style: Downtempo, Experimental

Tracklisting:

1 AOKI Takamasa & Ogurusu Norihide Humming Song (4:42)
2 Takagi Masakatsu Golden Town With Sunglasses (4:08)
3 AOKI Takamasa Erin (4:21)
4 Ogurusu Norihide Change (4:08)
5 AOKI Takamasa Get The Fnk (3:15)
6 Takagi Masakatsu Star Every Morning (3:15)
7 Ogurusu Norihide Sure! (1:18)

Beat - AOKI Takamasa
8 AOKI Takamasa Walking With Polco (4:08)
9 Takagi Masakatsu House Of Time (3:34)
10 AOKI Takamasa & Ogurusu Norihide Humming Song 2 (1:09)

簡介。。。。。。
Last week a friend of mine complained about a performance of "laptop music" he saw recently. "If I wanted to elbow through a crowd just to watch someone sit behind their Powerbook," he snarled, "then I could just go to my office -- and it's not as smoky." He's got a point, but computer-generated music obviously can't be summed up that easily, especially when it is evolving in so many directions. Three Japanese artists have recently garnered attention for pushing the data-DJ medium forward, in both their live sets and a collaborative studio project -- their first as a trio.

It's been called folktronica, acoustica and laptop-folk, but Aoki Takamasa, Ogurusu Norihide and Takagi Masakatsu seem wary of classifying "Come and Play in Our Backyard," released on Beams Records. One reason may be that this album differs from each of the Kansai denizens' other projects. Aoki punches out organic club-beats in Japan and Europe, while Ogurusu records ambient minimalism for both New York's Carpark Records and Tokyo's P-Vine. Takagi is also a visual artist whose music often accompanies his video installations.

Silicom, a project he and Aoki undertook for Tokyo's Progressive Form label, used similar ideas, blending computer-based music with digital images.

Their styles converge on "Backyard" to create a collection of mixed media varying from delicate to decadent. Most of Aoki's compositions delete the beats to clear room for crystalline chords from an acoustic guitar. The track "Get on the FNK," done in a "glitch style" that incorporates the circuitry's sputter and click, is the only contribution in which he allows software to take precedence over strings. The opener, "Humming Song," finds Aoki and Ogurusu plucking a simple, infectious melody for over three minutes before the hum of their G4 computers becomes audible. On "Change," Ogurusu's clear picking on the six-string bears no sign of electronic manipulation at all. Most of Takagi's contributions, however, are unfiltered, digital euphoria. His "Star Every Morning" runs through a million megabytes of bliss before ringing feedback shimmers and fades into the distance.

The music here is mostly a sit-down affair, with spare vocals buried deep in the mix to keep the focus on the instruments -- whether played in the key of G or F4.(By JASON JENKINS)

我的碎碎唸。。。。。。推薦指數:8.2/10
青木孝充、小来栖憲英、高木正勝三個大孩子聚到一起,用他們的音樂相互交談,回憶著後院裏的童年往事。不再大量使用他們慣用的電音,而是令人眼前一亮抱起民謠吉他,用最恰當最美好的語言回憶了過去,讓人心情平和,懷念,嘴角不經意露出一絲微笑,我想每個人的心中一定都有這樣的一個滿載純真夢想、真摯友情的僻靜的後院,閃爍著幾個孩子蹦蹦跳跳的身影。
去豆瓣上看看。。。。。。
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[Takagi Masakatsu|Rehome]真伊小姐的美麗生活


Artist:Takagi Masakatsu
Album:Rehome
Release Date:2003-06-25
Label:W+K Tokyo Lab.
Country:Japan
Genre: Electronic
Style: Downtempo, Synth-pop

Tracklisting:

1
Rehome
2
Glory Days, Glory Nights
3
Brighter Shade
4
Flying House
5
Rehome (Organ Remix)
6
Smell Up The Moon
7
Sound Of House
8
Airy Air
9
Curtain Tale
10
Red Seeds On Roof
11
Via Ever Sight
12
Flat Echo
13
Ween Piano

簡介。。。。。。
New release by famed multimedia talent Takagi Masakatsu, his second on the equally edgy W+K Tokyo Lab imprint (home of Hifana, Afra and DJ Uppercut). The carefully produced “Rehome” offers naïve and melancholy electronic pop, in the same cozy vein as what Morr Music has been putting out for the last few years (Isan, Lali Puna, F.S. Blumm…). As usual with W+K, the album comes in a high-quality CD+DVD package, although this time the DVD part is rather short (one excellent video for the titletrack). Not the least bit earth-shattering, but could pad quite a few lazy mornings.
http://www.takagimasakatsu.com/

我的碎碎唸。。。。。。推薦指數:7.8/10
高木在W+K發行的第一張專輯,CD+DVD,W+K不但追求音樂的品質,也在影像上有很高的要求,很有品質。唱片的包裝也採用的是布料,而非紙質材料。此外還請來Kentaro Kobuke(古武家賢太郎)為這張唱片創作封面和插畫。如同它的視覺,專輯音樂純真爛漫,溫暖親切,演唱的部分比較多,Toma Itoko的甜美得令人放鬆聲音使整張專輯像一部單身麗人的生活劇,很有回家的感覺。我沒有那張DVD,所以分享得僅僅是音樂部分,對高木的影像也是非常喜愛的,夢幻、絢爛、富有質感,非常期待。
去豆瓣上看看。。。。。。
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Monday, January 14, 2008

[World's End Girlfriend|The Lie Lay Land]謊言之城


Artist:World's End Girlfriend
Album:The Lie Lay Land
Release Date:2005-02-25
Label:Midi Creative / Noble
Country:Japan
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: Glitch, Modern Classical, Post Rock

Tracklisting:

1
Phantasmagoria Moth Gate (6:00)
2
We Are The Massacre (5:45)
3
Satan Veludo Children (8:39)
4
Garden In The Ceiling (6:39)
5
The Owl Of Windward (5:20)
6
Scorpius Circus (10:17)
7
Song Cemetery (3:27)
8
Give Me Shadow,Put On My Crown. (12:02)
9
Black Hole Bird (14:06)
10
Unspoiled Monster (6:30)

簡介。。。。。。
We have released two albums of a now internationally acclaimed next-generation musician, world's end girlfriend, as the noble's launching artist. With the unprecedented success of his two albums,farewell kingdom and dream's end come true, he bridged genre gaps and was widely praised by the fans of techno, abstract, post-rock, avant pop and electronica. His musical career includes the performance in Sonar 2002, the biggest European festival of progressive music and multimedia arts held in Barcelona, Spain, and the successful tour in Taipei, Hong Kong and Macao in 2004.

He now returns with a band of freaky raw drums, horns, piano and a bass guitar, and tens of layers of guitar noise while retaining his well known style: excessive editing, collage and elegant strings arrangement. In self-produced The Lie Lay Land, his first album in two years, he created another grandeur fiction, 10 tracks, 80 minutes long.Listening to The Lie Lay Land resembles watching the films, say, by Emir Kusturica or Jan Svankmajer who portray a fleeting fantasy ludicrously and poignantly at the same time, or the films of Lars von Trier and Gaspar Noe who always sway our emotions with a relentless and extremely demanding story progression. His music, like those films, shows us a fictional world as a finished work.

The artwork on the cover of The Lie Lay Land, the illustration of a well-known author of picture books, komako sakai, visually portrays world's end girlfriend's vision of the world.(from Nobel)

我的碎碎唸。。。。。。推薦指數:8.2/10
THE LIE LAY LAND中WEG再次透過聲音編織出一個龐大複雜的音樂景觀,當中不乏強烈作者風格的戲劇性修飾與拼貼,從流麗的管弦編曲、環境錄音到數十支吉他疊製的強大噪音牆──他還親自往返大阪東京兩地指揮室內樂團作現場錄音──在在建構出高度個人的視覺化音樂語言。從艾米爾.庫斯杜力卡(Emir Kusturica)和楊斯凡克梅耶(Jan Svankmajer)式黑色幽默與荒謬;到拉斯馮提爾(Lars Von Trier)和加士伯奈爾(Gaspar Noe)式執拗與即興,WEG那夢境般的音樂場景穿插著激進的自由爵士、弦樂時而優美彷彿天籟,時而淒厲令人毛骨悚然,典型的後搖秋風掃落葉吉他飆奏導入節拍方正的行進,或抑鬱如送葬進行曲或狂亂如夢魘遊樂場的圓舞曲,生鏽的旋轉木馬失控停不下來而闖入遍地清寥的幽寂...... 這次專輯封面特別邀請日本著名繪本作家酒井駒子繪製,可以說將WEG的世界觀以圖像方式傳神表達。(引自節點)
去豆瓣上看看。。。。。。
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Sunday, January 13, 2008

[Yoshio Machida|Naada]青澀回憶


Artist:Yoshio Machida
Album:Naada
Release Date:
Label:Amorfon
Country:Japan
Genre: Electronic
Style: Abstract, Experimental

Tracklisting:

1
Lotus Part 1 (7:42)
2
Lotus Part 2 (6:36)
3
Lotus Part 3 (6:02)
4
Texas Vino (5:13)
5
Bloom (6:50)
6
Dew (5:36)
7
Lotus Solo (6:27)

簡介。。。。。。
Yoshio Machida is a Tokyo based transboundary sound & visual artist. For his 4th CD, he presents his first-ever set of "acoustic" improvisations using Steel Pans with no electronic processing. Steel Pan's mystic tone which was born in Trinidad and Tobago, a country in the southern Caribbean Sea can be often listened in the latin covered pieces. But this was made from a different perspective. As you could know the process that he changed to use the instrument, gong which was used in his sound collage work based on field-recording to Steel Pan, the impression of this album is like ambient, minimal music or traditional indian music which he inspired.

The music on this album is unlike fugue, gamelan or Tintinnabulation proposed by Arvo Part. It features over-dubbed minimal improvised phrases that create unique random delay like effects, somewhat reminiscent of wind bell sounds. And there is a piece inspired by the milestone of Minimalism, Erik Satie's Vexations, and also a strangely wonderful drone piece created solely from Steel Pan rolls. Like his previous album, the theme of the album is flowers, and the clear sounds of the Steel Pan are sure to treat you with an ambient, meditative and relaxing listening experience.

我的碎碎唸。。。。。。推薦指數:8.1/10
町田良夫在自己廠牌Amorfon發行的第二張個人專輯,同樣打破我們對於鋼鼓這源自加勒比海熱情嘉年華的樂器的印象,而呈現全然極簡、具有環境音樂美感,適合冥想與放鬆的音樂。不同的是,這次他更首度純以「原音」樂器即興演奏為基本元素而不另添加電子聲響,只利用over-dubbed來創造隨機而獨特、類似延遲的效果。在印度傳統音樂的色彩影響下,鋼鼓的聲音彷彿成了風鈴,隨著午後微風擺盪,催人入眠。(引自節點)
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[Yoshio Machida|Infinite Flowers]花的姿態


Artist:Yoshio Machida
Album:Infinite Flowers
Release Date:2004
Label:Amorfon
Country:Japan
Genre: Electronic
Style: Abstract, Experimental

Tracklisting:

1
Pollen (2:07)
2
!Hana Mombo! (3:04)
3
Namaqua I (3:41)
4
Namaqua II (2:59)
5
Namaqua III (5:57)
6
Namaqua IV (4:32)
7
A Small Flower (1:23)
8
Fragrance I (4:54)
9
Fragrance II (7:48)
10
Poppy (5:40)

簡介。。。。。。
"Here is the evolved music with steelpan x electronics from Tokyo!!"
"Infinite Flowers" is the 3rd album of YOSHIO MACHIDA, a sound & visual artist, based in Tokyo. Developing a gong piece from his 2nd album,"Hypernatural #2 (2001, softl music)", this album was made using a sound system of steel pan + live electronics(Max/MSP). In a unique piece, "¡hana mambo!", humorous robot choir is singing with rhythm and it's creating an exotic atmosphere. The wonderful ecology, beauty and brightness of "flower" which is the theme of this album are expressed in electronics textures enough. Creating with Keiichi Sugimoto(guitar, ex. MINAMO, FONICA) and Tetsuro Yasunaga(electronics, ex. MINAMO, VOIMA) from cubic music which is leading Tokyo's new music scene, it became electro-acoustic ensemble with clear sounds.

我的碎碎唸。。。。。。推薦指數:7.6/10
就像這張CD的title“Infinite Flower”(無限的花朵),還有它非常漂亮的cd cover,Yoshio Machida(町田良夫)努力地用各種聲音描繪著花之印象:她的美麗,她的色彩,她的迷人香氣,她的自然氣質。町田良夫曾經遊歷過許多國家,並在世界各處田園風光中進行他的錄音實驗,而且親手創造了一種改良式的鋼鼓(steel pan)。這張專輯裏他就運用著這種“町田鋼鼓”,配上些live電音,創造著他追求的花香四溢、花瓣飛舞的田園意境。第二個track“!Hana Mombo!”在整張專輯中非常特別,唯一有演唱的一曲,卻將人聲處理得像機器人發出一般,讓人聯想起Kazumasa Hashimoto和他的“futuristic pop”,可愛、富有童趣。
去豆瓣上看看。。。。。。
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Friday, January 11, 2008

[Mice Parade|Collaborations]同心圓


Artist:Mice Parade
Album:Collaborations
Release Date:2000
Label:After Hours
Country:US
Genre: Electronic
Style: Downtempo, Experimental

Tracklisting:

1
The Fall From Andalucia (10:47)

Featuring - HiM
2
Rela Circle (5:57)

Featuring - Curtis Harvey
3
Mystery Brethren Vironment (7:41)

Featuring - Aki Tsuyuko , Nobukazu Takemura
4
Mystery Brethren Vironment (Jim O'Rourke Remix) (10:40)

Remix - Jim O'Rourke
5
Mystery Brethren Vironment (Child's View Remix) (6:11)

Remix - Nobukazu Takemura

簡介。。。。。。
Mice Parade is an anagram of Adam Pierce. Pierce used to play with the low-fi pop band Swirlies and was co-founder of Dylan Group, The. Mice Parade is his solo project. Mice Parade is electronic music without electronics. It sounds like electronic music, but in fact hardly any samples are used on his albums. All the instruments on the albums Mokoondi and Ramda for example, are played live and were recorded in one take. Most of the instruments were played by Adam Pierce himself.

我的碎碎唸。。。。。。推薦指數:8.3/10
很不錯的一張專輯,其中還有HIM、竹村延和、Jim O'Rourke等人的參與,個人認爲比之前聼過的那張Obrigado Saudade要好很多。十多分鐘的The Fall From Andalucia頗具熱情魅惑的西班牙風情,Rela Circle輕巧靈動,Mystery Brethren Vironment張弛有度,節奏迷人,讓人突然間熱血澎湃。兩個Mystery Brethren Vironment的remix也還可以,但是更喜歡Adam Pierce的原版。
去豆瓣上看看。。。。。。
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[Toshiya Tsunoda|Ridge Of Undulation]波峰波谷,聲波曲綫


Artist:Toshiya Tsunoda
Album:Ridge Of Undulation
Release Date:2005-12-13
Label:Häpna
Country:Japan
Genre: Electronic, Non-Music
Style: Field Recording, Experimental

Tracklisting:

1
Sine Waves Mixed With The Sound Of A Vibrating Surface_1 (5:06)
2
Seashore, Venice Beach_31 Jul 01 (3:21)
3
An Aluminum Plate With Low Frequencies_1 (4:25)
4
Metal Pieces With High Frequencies (8:24)
5
At Stern, Tokyo Bay_11 Dec 97 (4:01)
6
Arrival, Kisarazu Bay_11 Dec 97 (5:16)
7
An Aluminum Plate With Low Frequencies_2 (4:02)
8
Sine Waves Mixed With The Sound Of A Vibrating Surface_2 (4:16)

簡介。。。。。。
“The vibration of a thin metal plate and the huge waves of a vast seashore... similar phases can be observed between them... like wrinkles on clothes remind us of mountain ridges.”

New release from Japanese Toshiya Tsunoda who was the first artist to be released on Häpna in 1999. This household name in the art of fieldrecordings has produced a discography of highly sublime recordings capturing the finest details of sound, and Ridge of Undulation is no exception. This new work is exploring sonic phenomena of very different magnitudes, from roaring waves at sea to experiments with high frequency sine waves and vibrating objects. Piezoceramic sensors were placed on the objects and the vibrations were transmitted in voltage, which can be recorded.

Toshiya Tsunoda is a Yokohama based artist who has studied at the Tokyo National University of Fine Art and Music. Tsunoda is concerned with the relation between sound space and cognition space and the hidden beauty in the tiniest sonic details. Since 1994, he has been operating the WrK label, which he co-founded with Minoru Sato. He has previously released works on the WrK, Selektion, Lucky Kitchen, Staalplaat and Häpna labels. His work has been shown at the ICC, Tokyo, and the Kawasaki city museum, among others.

我的碎碎唸。。。。。。推薦指數:7.0/10
時隔六年后,Toshiya Tsunoda(角田俊也)再次在Hapna發片。和之前的The Air Vibration Inside A Hollow差不多,Toshiya Tsunoda像個物理學研究者一樣,依然樂此不疲地進行著他的聲波實驗。物體的振動,波浪的聲響,還有鋁板、金屬片。。。像實驗室中的操作者一樣,探索著各種各樣不同規模的聲波現象。
去豆瓣上看看。。。。。。
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Thursday, January 10, 2008

[Takagi Masakatsu|Coieda]金色逆光勾勒下的美女輪廓


Artist:Takagi Masakatsu
Album:Coieda
Release Date:2004
Label:W+K Tokyo Lab.
Country:Japan
Genre: Electronic
Style: Abstract, Downtempo, Experimental

Tracklisting:

1
Pia Flies (4:06)
2
New Flat (4:49)
3
Midnight (1:37)
4
Cruz (2:19)
5
Exit/Delete (4:36)
6
Coieda (3:59)
7
O.P.R. (2:37)
8
Dogma (3:05)
9
Girls (4:36)
10
Private Drawing (5:33)
11
Cuba (3:33)
12
Birdland#3 (5:12)
13
Change Of Seasons (2:09)
14
Opfern (1:48)
15
Primo (7:11)

簡介。。。。。。
Takagi Masakatsu, born in 1979, is a video artist and musician living and working in Kyoto, Japan.

Coeida is a great addition to Masakatsu's collection of works. It perfectly encapsulates all of the positivity associated with the spring and summer seasons. In this regard, it's more reminiscent of the the more rhythmic Eating and Eating 2 releases than it is of his more experimental and atonal Pia and Opus Pia albums. The album has songs that are sometimes mostly piano-based and even one featuring David Sylvian (on "Exit/Delete"). Even though Masakatsu's aural works are mostly concentrated within the realm of electronic music, it's an album that's more contingent on the listener's mood than their genre preference.(from discogs)

我的碎碎唸。。。。。。推薦指數:8.4/10
日本藝術家Takagi Masakatsu(高木正勝)04年的一張專輯,不知道爲什麽我找了很多地方也沒找到點權威的英文資料,日文又不太好,所以只能隨便談談自己的感受了。很浪漫很唯美的一張音樂,以鋼琴為基礎的電子,我非常喜歡它的鋼琴部分,像birdland、還有最後的primo featuring Toma Itoko,很美的音樂。柔美輕快、溫暖人心,仿佛突然閒遇見愛情一般,令人怦然心動、面頰緋紅。
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[Panda Bear|Person Pitch]夏日陽光,人形矩陣


Artist:Panda Bear
Album:Person Pitch
Release Date:2007
Label:Paw Tracks
Country:US
Genre: Electronic
Style: Abstract, Experimental

Tracklisting:

1
Comfy In Nautica (4:04)
2
Take Pills (5:23)
3
Bro's (12:30)
4
I'm Not (3:59)
5
Good Girl / Carrots (12:42)
6
Search For Delicious (4:53)
7
Ponytail (2:05)


簡介。。。。。。
Starting an album with a clattering of industrial rhythms sliding into a huge clap-and-stompalong with angelic vocals and what sounds like the Brotherhood of Man on a vocal loop tip not far removed from Suicide or Laurie Anderson is one way to make a mark. The fact that Panda Bear, aka Noah Lennox himself, sings like Brian Wilson and produces his voice to sound like it is another, though it has to be said that it just makes his Animal Collective membership all the more clear at this point. Person Pitch is very much an end product of a variety of musical trends in whatever can be called indie rock in the early 21st century -- big-sounding, absolutely dedicated to texture and sonic playfulness, and somehow aiming to make a lot of interesting ideas seem kinda flat. There's no question there's both an audience for Panda Bear's work and the sounds he's playing around with, and to his considerable credit he creates a series of moody and memorable loops throughout. Songs like "Take Pills" and "Good Girl" are miles away from the rhythm-by-numbers of many of Panda Bear's contemporaries; importantly, after so many bands that just want to sound like late-'60s Beach Boys lock, stock, and barrel, the fact that there's a recognition that production and beat technology didn't stay frozen in time stands out. At its best, with the song "Bros," there's a beautiful transcendence that lives up to all the promise that has surrounded Panda Bear's work, the song slowly but surely evolving into a fantastic epic that could easily stand on its own as an EP. Still, the sweetness is almost too gooey, and what should be providing a healthy contrast ends up dragging the best instrumental moments down more than once, almost literally getting in the way of the striking sonic collages. It may be heresy to some, but conceivably Person Pitch would be at its best if it were strictly instrumental.(from AMG)

我的碎碎唸。。。。。。推薦指數:7.6/10
這張碟被Pitchfork評爲年度最佳,但是音樂實際上很私人化的東西,仁者見仁、智者見智。Panda Bear(Noah Lennox)是曾經Animal Collective的兩個核心成員之一,在這幾年結婚生子,並移居到里斯本。Person Pitch還是不錯的,熱情洋溢,捕捉匯聚了很多种有意思的聲音,音樂中的空間很廣闊,好像對里斯本溫暖陽光的印象主義描繪,令人身上有暖暖的很親近的感覺,還感覺周圍很有人氣,冬天聼這樣的音樂我想肯定不會感到寂寞。
去豆瓣上看看。。。。。。
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[Four Tet|Remixes]Remixes VS Remixed


Artist:Four Tet
Album:Remixes
Release Date:2006-10
Label:Domino
Country:UK
Genre: Electronic, Hip Hop
Style: Abstract, Future Jazz, Downtempo, Experimental

Tracklisting:


Remixes
1-1 Lars Horntveth Tics (Four Tet Remix) (6:42)
1-2 Radiohead Skttrbrain (Four Tet Remix) (4:25)
1-3 Madvillain Money Folder (Four Tet Remix) (2:47)
1-4 His Name Is Alive One Year (Four Tet Remix) (6:02)
1-5 Sia Breathe Me (Four Tet Remix) (5:01)
1-6 Aphex Twin Untitled (SAW2 CD1 Track1) (Four Tet Remix) (7:01)
1-7 Madvillain Great Day (Four Tet Remix) (3:02)
1-8 Bonobo Pick Up (Four Tet Remix) (7:12)
1-9 Rothko Roads Become Rivers (Rivers Become Oceans - Four Tet Remix) (7:48)
1-10 Beth Orton Carmella (Four Tet Remix) (11:38)
1-11 Bloc Party So Here We Are (Four Tet Remix) (6:27)
1-12 Pole Heim (Four Tet Remix) (7:12)

Remixed
2-1 Four Tet A Joy (Featuring Percee P) (2:54)

Vocals [Featuring] - Percee P
2-2 Four Tet As Serious As Your Life (Jay Dee Remix) (4:43)

Featuring - Guilty Simpson
Remix - Jay Dee
2-3 Four Tet Hilarious Movie Of The 90s (Manitoba Remix) (5:37)

Remix - Manitoba
2-4 Four Tet Hilarious Movie Of The 90s (Koushik's Funny Flic) (2:40)

Remix - Koushik
2-5 Four Tet A Joy (Remix) (3:10)
2-6 Four Tet My Angel Rocks Back And Forth (Icarus Remix) (7:20)

Remix - Icarus (2)
2-7 Four Tet A Joy (Battles Remix) (4:06)

Remix - Battles
2-8 Four Tet As Serious As Your Life (Remix)
2-9 Four Tet A Joy (Featuring Percee P - Koushik's Quick Mix) (1:32)

Remix - Koushik
Vocals [Featuring] - Percee P
2-10 Four Tet Sun Drums And Soil (Sa-Ra Creative Partners Remix) (5:55)

Effects - Four Tet
Recorded By, Mixed By - Sa-Ra Creative Partners
Remix - Sa-Ra Creative Partners
Synthesizer [Akai Mpc 3000, Arp String Ensemble], Percussion, Vocals, Whistling - Taz Arnold
Synthesizer [Emu Sp 1200, Roland Juno 106, Jupiter 8], Percussion, Vocals - Shafiq Husayn
Vocals, Congas, Piano [Fender Rhodes], Horns, Flute, Engineer, Synthesizer [Roland Sh-101, Prophet 5] - Om'Mas Keith
2-11 Four Tet First Thing/Chia (Isambard Khroustaliov Remix) (5:20)

Remix - Isambard Khroustaliov
2-12 Four Tet No More Mosquitoes (Boom Bip Remix) (5:02)

Remix - Boom Bip

簡介。。。。。。
Spawned from the urge to do something apart from his post-rock band Fridge, Kieran Hebden's Four Tet project balances organic and programmed sounds. Hebden formed Fridge with Sam Jeffers and Adam Ilhan while still in high school. When Fridge went on temporary hiatus for Jeffers and Ilhan to attend college, Hebden spent time playing with ideas gained from hip-hop and electronica that he hadn't had time for while concentrating on the band. Eager to experiment, Hebden bought a computer and began collecting drum and sound samples. Though his tracks sounded contrary, Hebden produced them all in his flat using only his computer to loop, slice, and paste downloaded samples and rhythms. His first full-length was 1999's Dialogue, which was noticed by experimental dub pioneer Pole (Stefan Betke). The two eventually collaborated for a 12", Four Tet vs. Pole, which included an original song by each and a remix of the track done by the other artist. Around the same time, Fridge was signed to the label Go! Beat, owned by Polydor. Hebden retained Four Tet as a side project, however, and released subsequent records Pause (2001) and Rounds (2003) through Domino. The No More Mosquitoes EP and the "My Angel Rocks Back and Forth" single preceded the 2005 release of Everything Ecstatic. In 2006, Hebden put together two compilations of some of his favorite tracks, LateNightTales and DJ-Kicks, as well as Everything Ecstatic Films & Part 2. The two-disc Remixes was also compiled and released that year as were two volumes of his Exchange Session project with jazz drummer Steve Reid. These two volumes found Hebden working under his proper name for a change. This trend continued when their third collaboration, Tongues, arrived in 2007.(from AMG)
我的碎碎唸。。。。。。推薦指數:6.0/10
他2006年的發行,也是最近的發行。由於Four Tet的Pause使他名聲大噪,並且奠定了Folktronica這種音樂風格。於是之後很多樂隊、歌手都找到他與之合作,包括Radiohead、coldplay等。這張專輯分爲2CD,第一部分是由Four Tet為他們重新打造,另一張是由其他的音樂人來重新演繹Four Tet的作品。但是個人不是很喜歡,不做推薦,有興趣的話可以聼聼。
去豆瓣上看看。。。。。。
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Tuesday, January 08, 2008

[Agnes Kain|Keep walking or I'll kill you]純真誓言


Artist:Agnes Kain
Album:Keep walking or I'll kill you
Release Date:2007-09-25
Label:Half A Cow Records
Country:Australia
Genre:Pop
Style:Indie Folk,Indie Pop

Tracklisting:
1. You will be loved, & hated
2. Puddles & mud
3. All time high
4. Keep walking or I'll kill you
5. To me
6. Off with the faeries
7. Favourite
8. Pretty pickings
9. Josephine
10. Our new, happy life
11. My brother told me
12. Time

簡介。。。。。。
Indie folk pop duo Agnes Kain (Chanelle Afford and Stefan Simunic) have been creating and playing music together for the past couple of years. Having grown up on the same street in a small town on the outskirts of Sydney, there is an intimacy and comfort to their music that comes from the closeness of being long time friends. A feeling that is projected to the listener, both on their recordings and at their live shows.

They are excited to announce the release of their debut album Keep walking or I’ll kill you, which despite the wicked title was born of love. Amidst the piano, mandolin and guitar lies unassuming, heartfelt and honest tales of loves lost and found, places almost forgotten, and the peculiarities of life. Throughout there is a deepness and substance that may be missed on first listen, and although the album contains many a cheerful moment, concealed within the upbeat and playful melodies of songs such as 'All time High' and 'Puddles & mud' are tales of a more serious and somber nature. Whilst others like, 'My brother told me' and the title track, 'Keep walking or I’ll kill you' are penned from a still and thoughtful place of innocence and bruises.

The album was recorded by the duo in the spare room of their humble abode during early 2007. It was a challenge. There was heavy rain, extreme heat, they live on a flight path and their housemate vacuums incessantly. But it turned out exactly how it was intended, with simple compositions and arrangements weaving perfectly imperfect little embroideries. Both self-taught musicians, Stefan and Chanelle played most of the instruments on the album, including guitar, piano, mandolin, bass, melodica, glockenspiel, and percussion. Their friends, Ben Ellingworth (drums) and Anne Samuels (viola) also lent their talents on several songs.

There is a darkness which underlies the infectious and cleverly constructed songs of Keep walking or I’ll kill you, but also a feeling of sharing tea with old friends. Listening to the album it is easy to fall in love with its whimsical charm and warmth.

我的碎碎唸。。。。。。推薦指數:7.3/10
可愛的音樂,可愛的cover,可愛的album title,這句Keep walking or I'll kill you更像是這對兩小無猜、青梅竹馬的男女主人公可愛的誓言。Chanelle Afford和Stefan Simunic生活在悉尼的同一個小鎮、同一條街道,從小一起長大。所以從他們的音樂中你會感受到那種好朋友之間的親密無間,還有那種孩童之間的純真無邪。
去豆瓣上看看。。。。。。
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Monday, January 07, 2008

[Colleen|The Golden Morning Breaks]與天馬飛翔在最清澈的海面


Artist:Colleen
Album:The Golden Morning Breaks
Release Date:2005-04
Label:Leaf
Country:France
Genre: Electronic
Style: Leftfield, Abstract, Experimental, Ambient

Tracklisting:

1
Summer Water (3:39)
2
Floating In The Clearest Night (2:36)
3
The Heart Harmonicon (3:53)
4
Sweet Rolling (4:04)
5
The Happy Sea (3:00)
6
I'll Read You A Story (6:51)
7
Bubbles Which On The Water Swim (3:11)
8
Mining In The Rain (3:11)
9
The Golden Morning Breaks (5:22)
10
Everything Lay Still (10:46)

簡介。。。。。。
Cécile Schott was born in France and began making music under the name 'Colleen' in 2001, after a friend gave her a CD-R with the ACID Pro music production software contained within. Samples were a common part of her early work and in summer 2003 the debut album Everyone Alive Wants Answers was released. It was notable for its heavy use of looped samples, which were taken from records in her collection and heavily modified. The album was critically well-received and drew enough attention to warrant touring. During live shows, Schott would replicate the sounds from the album using acoustic instruments played through pedals as she thought the idea of using a laptop live was uninspiring.

This approach using live physical instruments led to the 2005 follow-up , The Golden Morning Breaks. This album was something of a departure from the sampled setting of her debut and consisted almost entirely of natural, non-synthetic sounds, an approach Schott has stated in interviews that she prefers.

Her most recent release was part of the Staalplaat label's series of live performances, called Mort Aux Vaches (meaning 'Death to Cows'). It was released on January 25, 2006.

"Colleen Et Les Boites A Musique" hits the shops on October 2nd 2006, and is comprised of 14 short pieces created using only music boxes, originally commissioned by France Culture's Atelier De Création Radiophonique.

In May 2007 dancer and choreographer Perrine Valli performed Série, a production with an original score composed by Schott - her first foray into dance.

Les Ondes Silencieuses ('The Still Waters'), Colleen's third full-length album, was released on May 21, 2007. A slight evolution in sound was again heard on the album, as Schott adopted a more free-form approach in place of the use of loops that were so apparent in much of her prior output.

我的碎碎唸。。。。。。推薦指數:8.6/10
來自法國的Cécile Schott,她的音樂美得好純粹,我想不論喜歡什麽類型音樂的人,聽到她的音樂都會承認它很美。純淨得清澈見底,這是世界上最美的水域。Colleen用各種古典音樂的元素,以她寂靜迷人的大提琴,編織著這純淨水面上一波漣漪,縹緲、幽遠、夢幻,仿佛來自天籟的聲音。
去豆瓣上看看。。。。。。
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Sunday, January 06, 2008

[Sawako|Madoromi]風動,幡動,心動使然


Artist:Sawako
Album:Madoromi
Release Date:2007-10-15
Label:Anticipate Recordings
Country:Japan
Genre: Electronic
Style: Experimental, Ambient

Tracklisting:

1
August Neige (7:00)
2
It's Not On Purpose (3:46)
3
Uta Tane (5:59)
4
Passepass (3:15)
5
Appled Soapbox (3:46)
6
Kira Kira (3:22)
7
Purple Sky Coming (6:38)
8
Far Away (6:41)
9
Tiny Tiny (1:36)

簡介。。。。。。
Sawako's previous forays into lowercase audio sculpting have been published by such estimable imprints as 12k, and/oar and Community Library. This latest collection of pieces finds the Tokyo-based sound artist on top form too, shaping small, domestic-sounding pieces culled from a variety of location recordings, incidental noises and instrumental ramblings. Sawako has much in common with similarly-minded Japanese artists like Mondii, Ken Ikeda, or even Moskitoo and Piana, albeit devoid of any dominant vocal presence (despite the freeform utterances on 'August Neige' these pieces are focussed on abstract ambience), yet there's something very distinctive about the grasp on melody, which always seems to be at the forefront of these compositions, even if it is somewhat more subtle than on your standard pop fare. The likes of 'It's Not On Purpose', 'Kira Kira' and 'Applied Soapbox' could easily be mistaken for the work of Colleen, such is Sawako's skilful collision of organic sound sources and shapeshifting electroacoustic treatments. Excellent.(from boomkat)

Sawako is a Tokyo/NYC-based sound sculptor who understands the value of dynamics and the power of silence. After beginning in video art, Sawako shifted her focus from the video camera to sound. Once through the processor named Sawako, sounds in everyday life - field recordings, instruments, voice and electronic sounds - float in space vividly with a digital yet organic texture. Her unique sonic world has been called "post romantic sound" by Boston's Weekly Dig. Sawako did live performances in Japan (offsite, metro, uplink, trees are so special etc.), USA (TONIC etc), Paris (batofar) and London (resonance FM), and has collaborated with a wide range of musicians such as Andrew Deutsch, Asuna, Yuichiro Fujimoto, Hayato Aoki, Hypo, RF, Heller, marcel türkowsky, Taku Sugimoto, Toshimaru Nakamura and Taylor Deupree.

我的碎碎唸。。。。。。推薦指數:7.6/10
Anticipate Recordings是我最近剛知道的一個厰牌,由Ezekiel Honig經營的,它的官方網站做的很不錯,地址是http://www.anticipaterecordings.com/。目前爲止只有四張發行,很少。所以準備把它的releases都聼一下。Sawako之前也在12k等其他一些厰牌發過碟,沒聼過之前的作品,無從比較,也不知道是個什麽樣子。Madoromi中Sawako慢條斯理地營造著她的音樂空間,前半部分不斷地使用叮叮鈴鈴的聲音,讓我想起Yuko Ikoma。還有長長的電音,氛圍朦朧空靈,還時不時飄來天籟般的人聲,又有些Piana的感覺。結尾很奇怪,像未完成似的戛然而止,讓我有些費解。但無論如何Sawako Kato還是獨特的,有著自己獨特風格和個性的飄渺電聲。
去豆瓣上看看。。。。。。
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