Category Archives: Music Reviews

Hobo Cubes – Modern synth with a touch of inner peace.

posted by

I know we all love Hobo Cubes. I know they are popular. At least in the avant-garde scene theyr’e popular. Well, there’s a reason for that. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Hobo Cubes, or are, but love them like I do, here is a bit of a smapler from Soundcloud and around […]

»»

Samla Mammas Manna’s Maltid: Prog Rock the way it was meant to be.

posted by

Samla Mammas Manna was a Swedish progressive rock band, often characterized by its virtuoso musicianship, circus references and sillyhumour, similar in many ways to the song-writing styles of Frank Zappa. They were one of the founding members of the Rock in Opposition (RIO) movement in the late 1970s. In 1979 they were Fred Frith‘s backing band on his solo album, Gravity (1980). Musically they bore resemblance to some bands of […]

»»

The Weeknd: Thursday

posted by

For my money – of which this wonderful artist requires none – this is the best of the 2011 trilogy of albums launched upon us from The Weeknd. While the first album was breakthrough, and I really did get the whole fear factor etc, I found it so ‘bad’ it got a little preachy for […]

»»

Taj Mahal Travelers: soul-ploughed lust to thrill to.

posted by

Takehisa Kosugi was Born in Tokyo in 1938, and graduated in 1962 at the Tokyo University of Arts.  Kosugi founded the Japanese equivalent of the Fluxus movement, called “Group Ongaku”, a group devoted to improvisation and multi-media performances. In 1969 he formed the Taj Mahal Travelers,  a psychedelic-rock group that played lengthy improvised jams that can be summarized […]

»»

A Rainbow in Curved Air: An overdubbed virtuoso.

posted by

A Rainbow in Curved Air is the third album by experimental music and classical minimalism pioneer Terry Riley. Through the use of overdubbing, the composer, a keyboard virtuoso, plays all the instruments on the title track: electric organ, electric harpsichord (Rock-Si-Chord), dumbec (or goblet drum), and tambourine. The work begins with a simple minimalist drone but quickly erupts in exciting rapid-fire figurations far removed from typical […]

»»

Wire’s 100 Records that set the world on fire while no one was listening. 21 – 25

posted by

One of the dire pleasures of trawling my way through the Wire 100 records that set the world on fire is discovering music that slices in at the heart of something I have always liked anyway. That is what we have in this list of five. From the cruisy blues of Ram John Holder to […]

»»

The Weeknd: Echoes of Silence

posted by

This album is being touted as completing ‘The trilogy’ of one man outfit The Weeknd’s R & B contribution for 2011. It landed at the base of our chimney’s December 21 – and it turns out its settling in somewhere between ‘Baloons’ and ‘Thursday’. Despite it being a break with popular opinion, I preferrred Thursday […]

»»

Wire’s 100 Records that set the world on fire while no one was listening. 11-20

posted by

Feel the fire and groan the moan, this is the passion based 10 series from the greatest list ever. I’m listening to Dr John as I write this and letting the music fill me up – is there anything like a groove that ‘works’?  That magical moment when you have exactly the right music for […]

»»

Creel Pone #2: Experimental music at its most embracing.

posted by

This article is continued on from the previous one which can be found here. True to its ad-hock style the Creel Pone package continues on randomly, taking the happy listener on a dance through time and transformative listening. There have been a few ‘lists’ for me that have changed my ability to listen – and […]

»»

Salvatore Martirano: Ballad (1966)

posted by

  I’m placing this here just because I can. I am obsessed with this album at the moment – It’s number 6 in the Creel Pone list, the second post of which I am currently preparing. But I couldn’t wait to deliver this to you lucky folk now. It sends me direct to heaven this […]

»»