Some random things I've been listening to
Dataplex by Ryoji Ikeda is for people who really love beeps. I mean, REALLY love beeps. It's a severely minimal album that's as much a computer soundscape as anything and probably has a deep symbolism of some nature given it appears to be tied in to this art installation, but while it's reasonably interesting and does mad things to my ears when I listen to it on headphones, it takes a long while to get really good - track 19 of 20, in fact.
Next there's Different Trains, Electric Counterpoint, which as far as I can tell is essentially two albums released as one. The first half, based around a comparison of train journeys in the US and Europe during wartime, is, well, a train soundscape overlaid with voice samples from the period, and apparently won a Grammy, while the second is a minimalist guitar piece in 3 parts. I really, really love the third track, Fast (the first track's also called Fast, mind), and in fact it's quite reminiscent in a way of the main hook in Banco de Gaia's Last Train to Lhasa in, I dunno, 6/8 time or something.
Arcadian Kicks are a Brum band who I hadn't heard of until their latest (only?) single got a play on Radio 2. It's relatively uncomplicated indie pop/rock, but there's something catchy about it that persuaded me to actually fork out for the single, which is available for a listen on their Facebook page. Unfortunately Play.com won't let me actually download the bastard thing having paid for it, so not sure what's going on with that...
I've only listened to part of Mordant Music's Dear Air, but I think I like it. Discogs describes it as "Grime, Leftfield, Abstract, Electro, Industrial", and I can't really come up with anything better. Also, it's only £5.99.
Next there's Different Trains, Electric Counterpoint, which as far as I can tell is essentially two albums released as one. The first half, based around a comparison of train journeys in the US and Europe during wartime, is, well, a train soundscape overlaid with voice samples from the period, and apparently won a Grammy, while the second is a minimalist guitar piece in 3 parts. I really, really love the third track, Fast (the first track's also called Fast, mind), and in fact it's quite reminiscent in a way of the main hook in Banco de Gaia's Last Train to Lhasa in, I dunno, 6/8 time or something.
Arcadian Kicks are a Brum band who I hadn't heard of until their latest (only?) single got a play on Radio 2. It's relatively uncomplicated indie pop/rock, but there's something catchy about it that persuaded me to actually fork out for the single, which is available for a listen on their Facebook page. Unfortunately Play.com won't let me actually download the bastard thing having paid for it, so not sure what's going on with that...
I've only listened to part of Mordant Music's Dear Air, but I think I like it. Discogs describes it as "Grime, Leftfield, Abstract, Electro, Industrial", and I can't really come up with anything better. Also, it's only £5.99.