Best Releases of 2003...
A bit late I know, but I've been a slack bugger. The following are my top five releases for last year and some mini-reviews for them too.
1. UNKLE - "Never Never Land" LP
From the twisted geniuses of DJ Shadow and James Lavelle comes UNKLE's second album melding live instruments and electronica into a seamless journey scaling the highs and lows of the human experience. Featuring the talents of such luminaries as Josh Homme (QotSA), 3D (Massive Attack), Jarvis Cocker (Pulp), Brian Eno, Ian Brown & Mani (Stone Roses) the songs vary from rock through 80s britpop through trip-hop to alt-country and everything inbetween. An intense listen from start to finish - but don't forget your headphones.
Best tracks: Panic Attack, Safe in Mind, Eye for an Eye, What are you to me?, In a State, Reign, Invasion
2. Laibach - "WAT" LP
Those twisted Slovakian choral rivetheads deliver once more - it's amazing that a band going on 20 years was able to produce such a MODERN-sounding record, with electronic sounds and beats aplenty. But fear not Machine-bashers, this release is still 100% Laibach - there's industrial sounds aplenty, dark and insightful vocals (in English and German) and THAT choir. And they're still quite cheesy. But!!! This record is also undeniably COOL and SEXY, something which the band have never really before achieved. So lie back and let Laibach be your fuhrer tonight!
Best Tracks: B-Mashina, Tanz mit Laibach, Hell Symmetry, Du Bist Unser, Satanic Versus, Achtung
3. Front 242 - "Pulse" LP & "Still & Raw" EP
The Godfathers of EBM made a subdued comeback to the fold - everyone was expecting some stomping dancefloor tracks but instead got two of the most experimental releases to grace the darkwave music genre. The production is without par and each listen will yield new sounds and hooks to pleasure your aural tastebuds. Interestingly, it's generally the quieter numbers that really leave a lasting impact. Another one for the headphones, don't buy unless you're looking for something completely different in EBM.
Best Tracks: Together (this track loud with headphones is fucking UNBELIEVABLE), Matrix Megahertz, 7Rain, Loud, Triple X Girlfriend, Beyond the Scale of Comprehension
4. I, Parasite - "Cold Floor" LP
Forsaking the last of their Velvet Acid Christ sounds, I, Parasite also choose to meld live instruments with electronics, but the result is much nastier than UNKLE's album. Indeed, this album is once of the most intensely dark listens I've had in some time - simple tunes with hooks and build-ups in all the most unexpected parts - and influences ranging from NIN to :wumpscut: to Ministry. The big difference is in the production emphasis - I, Parasite come up with a truly unique sound, guaranteed to keep fans of powerful dark music happy - or whatever emotion fits their choice :) Yet another album for headphones though.
Best Tracks: Spoke, Cold Floor, Ten Years, Thirst, A Faceless Man, Leave the Child Behind, Child of our Amusement
5. Basement Jaxx - "Kish Kash" LP
Perhaps an obvious choice, but this album really is mind-blowing in terms of the genres mixed-up and pasted together into a bizarre hodge-podge of beats and squeaks - this album is to house music what the pyramid of Giza is to a spinning top. Various guest vocalists are called in to add their own touches to the bizarre little anthems that populate this release - it's somewhat patchy at times, but still gets a nod just for the genre-bending and convention-twisting that went into it. And I defy you to not bop to it!
Best Tracks: Plug it In, Kish Kash, Good Luck, Tonight, Lucky Star
So that's that I guess. Just my two cents worth on the albums that made my year last year... Anyone got any of their own they want to talk about?
Love Dan
1. UNKLE - "Never Never Land" LP
From the twisted geniuses of DJ Shadow and James Lavelle comes UNKLE's second album melding live instruments and electronica into a seamless journey scaling the highs and lows of the human experience. Featuring the talents of such luminaries as Josh Homme (QotSA), 3D (Massive Attack), Jarvis Cocker (Pulp), Brian Eno, Ian Brown & Mani (Stone Roses) the songs vary from rock through 80s britpop through trip-hop to alt-country and everything inbetween. An intense listen from start to finish - but don't forget your headphones.
Best tracks: Panic Attack, Safe in Mind, Eye for an Eye, What are you to me?, In a State, Reign, Invasion
2. Laibach - "WAT" LP
Those twisted Slovakian choral rivetheads deliver once more - it's amazing that a band going on 20 years was able to produce such a MODERN-sounding record, with electronic sounds and beats aplenty. But fear not Machine-bashers, this release is still 100% Laibach - there's industrial sounds aplenty, dark and insightful vocals (in English and German) and THAT choir. And they're still quite cheesy. But!!! This record is also undeniably COOL and SEXY, something which the band have never really before achieved. So lie back and let Laibach be your fuhrer tonight!
Best Tracks: B-Mashina, Tanz mit Laibach, Hell Symmetry, Du Bist Unser, Satanic Versus, Achtung
3. Front 242 - "Pulse" LP & "Still & Raw" EP
The Godfathers of EBM made a subdued comeback to the fold - everyone was expecting some stomping dancefloor tracks but instead got two of the most experimental releases to grace the darkwave music genre. The production is without par and each listen will yield new sounds and hooks to pleasure your aural tastebuds. Interestingly, it's generally the quieter numbers that really leave a lasting impact. Another one for the headphones, don't buy unless you're looking for something completely different in EBM.
Best Tracks: Together (this track loud with headphones is fucking UNBELIEVABLE), Matrix Megahertz, 7Rain, Loud, Triple X Girlfriend, Beyond the Scale of Comprehension
4. I, Parasite - "Cold Floor" LP
Forsaking the last of their Velvet Acid Christ sounds, I, Parasite also choose to meld live instruments with electronics, but the result is much nastier than UNKLE's album. Indeed, this album is once of the most intensely dark listens I've had in some time - simple tunes with hooks and build-ups in all the most unexpected parts - and influences ranging from NIN to :wumpscut: to Ministry. The big difference is in the production emphasis - I, Parasite come up with a truly unique sound, guaranteed to keep fans of powerful dark music happy - or whatever emotion fits their choice :) Yet another album for headphones though.
Best Tracks: Spoke, Cold Floor, Ten Years, Thirst, A Faceless Man, Leave the Child Behind, Child of our Amusement
5. Basement Jaxx - "Kish Kash" LP
Perhaps an obvious choice, but this album really is mind-blowing in terms of the genres mixed-up and pasted together into a bizarre hodge-podge of beats and squeaks - this album is to house music what the pyramid of Giza is to a spinning top. Various guest vocalists are called in to add their own touches to the bizarre little anthems that populate this release - it's somewhat patchy at times, but still gets a nod just for the genre-bending and convention-twisting that went into it. And I defy you to not bop to it!
Best Tracks: Plug it In, Kish Kash, Good Luck, Tonight, Lucky Star
So that's that I guess. Just my two cents worth on the albums that made my year last year... Anyone got any of their own they want to talk about?
Love Dan