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Once more unto the free (and neutral) leech, dear friends... 5 hours and 54 mins ago
stanimal's Contest Pick:

Booka Shade - DJ KiCKS

Genre: Electronic, Techno, Tech House

Torrents: torrents.php?id=109522

Review -

Rather than documenting the latest club tunes, Booka Shade mix up older gems with unreleased newies on a CD which promises to be eclectic. Amid dance music from Carl Craig, Matthew Dear and Lopazz, Booka Shade find room for French disco (Cerrone), rap (The Streets), '70s soundtracks (John Carpenter), '80s electro-pop (Heaven 17, Yazoo) and even the downright odd (Brigitte Bardot, The Tubes). "We really got into the material that we were using," explains Walter Merziger, "Putting it together was like creating a remix."

Many of the cuts are mixed together using Booka Shade rhythm tracks, while the mix also contains two Booka exclusives, 'Numbers' (The mix inspired us to write a song with vocals. It's the first time we've had real vocals on a Booka Shade track) and 'Estoril'. "We came at it from a producer's background," Walter explains. "It wasn't just about choosing tracks that blended rhythmically, but we were interested in the harmony as well. The transition of the mixes had to be harmonically correct too. That's why there's lots of layers in there."



sayswho's Elite TM Pick:

Christ. - Blue Shift Emissions

Genre: Electronic, IDM, Downtempo

Torrents: torrents.php?id=50979

Review

Put simply, Blue Shift Emissions, Christ.'s (Chris Horne) full-length follow-up to his Pylonesque debut, is such a marvelous, fully-rounded piece of work it could serve as an electronic standard for other would-be composers to regard as an ideal model. The Scottish artist effortlessly strikes a balance that's seemingly elusive to others, specifically that delicately wrought meeting-point where melodic elegance and refined sound design coincide. Arrangements never drown in excess, but neither are they overly skeletal; beats likewise are never overly complex or too basic. Christ. embroiders multiple layers of glistening synthesizer melodies and chiming chords into lush, enveloping oases of sound in eleven songs (occurring midway, the dreamy "Cordate" is apparently a live, single-take keyboard piece). Singling out individual cuts risks drawing attention to parts whereas it's the whole which counts most; even so, "Blue Shifty Missions" and especially "Vernor Vinge" stand out as particularly ravishing displays of panoramic ambiance. Previously established aspects of Christ.'s sound remain firmly in place, the strong kinship with Boards of Canada being the most obvious ("Making a Snow Angel" merges subtle hip-hop-influenced pulses with gauzy electronic elements in textbook BofC style and a song title like "Holobenthic Grex Venalium" would fit seamlessly into the track listing of any of the group's three albums)—a not surprising detail given that Horne was a part of the group until the mid-'90s. There's no desperate showboating or grandstanding on display here, just superbly-crafted electronic music of the highest caliber.
— textura, December 2006



maxlazio's Elite TM Pick:

Kiko - Midnight Magic

Genre: Electronic, House, Techno, Electro, Italo-Disco

Torrents: torrents.php?id=656007

Review -

"Kiko's debut album Midnight Magic was originally released in France through Goodlife Recordings but became more available thanks to a re-release through PIAS. Kiko originally started out dj-ing parties and raves, then opened up the Ozone store (and label) in his hometown of Grenoble until he finally decided to release a full-length. Working alongside fellow artists like The Hacker and David Carreta, Kiko has kept the magic alive for the italodisco electronic scene.
Favorite tracks include Monique, Italomatic, Running in the City, and Just Blue. These 4 tracks are well worth the momentum found on this disc. Monique gets things going with a computerized voice and pounding rhythm which brings to mind DJ Tiga. It's kind of like if New Order tried their hand at robotic disco punk. Italomatic has just what the title alludes to - primo slab of italodisco funneled through a techno head. Running in the City and Just Blue both have the production value that Benny Benassi does so well with a distorted echo to the rhythm - crank these two songs up to see what I mean. Running in the City is one of the few songs with outright vocals and they do the song well (sort of like a hyper Tones on Tail meets Tosca). Just Blue is the kind of song that wins me over - straight forward and hard hitting, reminding me of SCSI-9."



aa's Elite TM Pick:

The Matches - Decomposer

Genre: Rock, Pop Punk, Punk

Torrents: torrents.php?id=24415

Review - absolutepunk.net wrote:

Combining a variety of styles, musical influences, lyrical themes, and utilizing a smorgas-board of producers, The Matches have crafted an album full of balls-to-the-wall anthems that are sure to raise the temperature on your adrenal gland. Taking the band's already established catchy-pop sound (see: E. Von Dahl Killed the Locals) and applying a few new layers on to the top of it, The Matches' new album starts strong and continually raises the bar with each passing track. The circus-like "Salty Eyes" opens the album and bleeds seamlessly into anthem, after anthem, of angst, grit, determination, and pure unadulterated fun.

Every song stands alone as a unique creation, yet when played together as a whole, the album flows and keeps the listener guessing. Stand out tracks: "Drive" raises your pulse, "Clumsy Heart" infects your brain, "What Katie Said" bites at the tongue, "Lazier Than the Furniture" pushes the sweat glands into overdrive, "You (Don't) Know Me" begs for dancing shoes, "Didi (My Doe Part 2)" forces pogo-like head-bobs, and "The Barber's Unhappiness" tugs at the heart-strings. The band refuses to play it safe, and while they most certainly could have written the next huge pop-punk album and been the next Fall Out Boy - they push themselves musically and creatively. In the end the listener is rewarded with a better album, and the band should be rewarded with a lasting career that extends far beyond being just a theatrical-flash-in-the-pan (catchy) band.



sonnycrocket's Elite TM Pick:

Grateful Dead - Fillmore West 1969: The Complete Recordings

Genre: 60s, blues, rock, live, psychedelic

Torrents: torrents.php?id=118536

Review

Few concert runs (read: several shows in the same venue) are as highly lauded by Grateful Dead enthusiasts as February 27 through March 2, 1969, at the Fillmore West in San Francisco. Although the title Fillmore West 1969: The Complete Recordings is misleading -- as they played there upward of two dozen times during the year -- practically every second of their eight-set, four-night stand is captured on this ten-CD box. The concurrent lineup included founders Ron "Pigpen" McKernan (vocals/organ/harmonica), Jerry Garcia (guitar/vocals), Bob Weir (guitar/vocals), Phil Lesh (bass/vocals), and Bill Kreutzmann (percussion). In September of 1967 that quintet was augmented by Mickey Hart (percussion) and the following March Tom Constanten (keyboards) joined to complete the incarnation heard here. As group historian Dennis McNally notes in his liner essay, the music was being documented on "Prototype #2" -- the second 16-track machine made by the Ampex company. The recordings ultimately produced the lion's share of Live/Dead (1969), which McNally points out was "the first live 16-track album ever made." Indeed the two-LP collection redefined the Dead's role as sonic rangers who roamed the great wide psychedelic open. For the growing global audience of Deadheads, it offered a sampling of the Grateful Dead's practically indescribable and ever-evolving brand of aural alchemy. While no specific set list is adhered to, the songs can be loosely categorized with representations from the Grateful Dead's ever-expanding songbook with McKernan's R&B standards "Turn on Your Lovelight" and "King Bee." There are also a handful of selections from their previous three LPs, such as "Morning Dew" and "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl," off of their 1967 self-titled debut. Anthem of the Sun (1968) yields the extended "That's It for the Other One" suite -- which glides gently into a sublime reading of "New Potato Caboose" on March 1 -- or the fiery McKernan-led medley of "Alligator" linked to the acidic blues-fuelled "Caution (Do Not Stop on Tracks)." The final batch comes from the then-yet-to-be-issued Aoxomoxoa (1969) and is highlighted by the more compact numbers "Doin' That Rag," "Cosmic Charlie," the folk-based "Dupree's Diamond Blues," "Saint Stephen," and the haunting, baroque "Mountains of the Moon." The latter is featured in an acoustic setting, and on February 27 and March 1 it also serves up the ideal disposition for the centerpiece original "Dark Star." At the very heart of what made the Grateful Dead an anomaly in rock & roll was their ability to improvise and interact in order to make each and every experience different from the last, or the next. Over the course of the Fillmore West 1969: The Complete Recordings are nine and a half hours of proof. As a sidebar, those interested in obtaining one of the 10,000 strictly limited editions should be prepared to scour online auction sites and other similar outlets, as the anthology sold out within weeks. Curious parties might find the Fillmore West 1969 three-disc distillation an adequate substitute. However, earnest Deadheads should take whatever measures necessary to obtain this package.



trza's Torrent Celebrity Pick:

fun. - Aim & Ignite

Genre: Indie, Pop, Power.pop

Torrents: torrents.php?id=547007

Review:

When The Format went on hiatus a year and a half ago, many fans of their music cried tears (maybe even pastel colored tears?). But dry your eyes, because a musician as talented as Nate Ruess wasn’t going to be out of the music-making business for long. His newest project, fun., is a collaborative effort between Ruess, Andrew Dost (ex-Anathallo), and Jack Antonoff (of Steel Train). Their self-released debut, Aim & Ignite, is a ten track pop adventure with help from producer Steven McDonald, arranger Joseph Manning Jr., and contributions from other musicians. -AP.net



lldoryll's VIP Pick:

Igor Stravinsky - Stravinsky: Petrouchka, The Rite Of Spring, Fireworks
(Conductor: Seiji Ozawa, Orchestra: Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Bostom Symphony Orchestra with Michael Tilson Thomas)

Genre: Classical, modern, ballet, theatrical, 20th century

Torrents: torrents.php?id=485517

Review -

The Boston Symphony was at the peak of its powers when it engaged the 34-year-old Seiji Ozawa for this 1969 recording of Petrushka, in which the orchestra's then 24-year-old assistant conductor, Michael Tilson Thomas, played the extensive solo piano part. Ozawa, in those years, was capable of striking sparks with any orchestra he faced, and there is a palpable sense of excitement to the Petrushka he uncorks here. The accounts of The Rite of Spring and Fireworks, recorded in 1968 with the Chicago Symphony, are equally dynamic and colorful. BMG's long-awaited 24/96 remastering unleashes the breathtakingly open sound of the original tapes for the first time on CD, and may require a volume cut to preserve peace with the neighbors. --Ted Libbey



This is an absolute breath-taking, lively record of Stravinsky's most famous & astounding works. Le sacre du printemps (Rite of Spring) and Fireworks are both ballet music and were originally composed to be accompaniments to the theatrical show on stage - yet they have gained fame as standalone music rather than accompaniments, as the music itself is very challenging for the dancers to dance to (Rite of Spring, much more so than Fireworks) and the music themselves do not need any visual aid to deliver to the listeners the original story of the music.

Petrouchka is equally amazing and absolutely stunning. Michael Tilson Thomas, who is now better known as the music director of San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and recently, the conductor for the Youtube Symphony, is at piano with Boston Symphony Orchestra with Seiji Ozawa conducting.

There is a reason why the definition and view on 'Classical music' has changed forever after Stravinsky published these works and caused a revolution in the field.

Like the Beethoven Symphonies, Stravinsky's orchestral works are few that every conductor must do his/her own version of and leave his/her imprint in the history of Classical music and Seiji Ozawa, with CSO and BSO, proves his point in this matter. - lldoryll



highsociety75's VIP Pick:

Gui Boratto - Chromophobia

Genre: Techno, Minimal, Tech House

Torrents: torrents.php?id=17794

Review

If you are already familiar with Boratto’s production style you kinda know what to expect, but ‘Chromophobia’ sure isn’t monochromatic. It is, in fact, quite kaleidoscopic in terms of moods, tempos, and themes: ‘Terminal’ is an upbeat and joyful affair while the aforementioned ‘Gate 7’ verges on the hypnotic side of minimal; ‘Shebang’ flirts with schaffel sleaziness, while ‘Hera’ could easily be a new Aril Brikha-penned track and ‘Acrostico’ a Boards of Canada-esque IDM mini hymn. That said, the best moment on here by far sure is the appropriately-titled, life-affirming ‘Beautiful Life’, written with and sung by Boratto’s wife Luciana Villanova, a track so immediately engaging, with a sheer sense of quiet exhilaration running through its full eight minutes and thirty seconds, it could easily be mistaken for an accomplished Jacques Lu Cont-produced anthem, or even one of his recent Madonna remixes.

(Edited from http://www.residentadvisor.net/review-v ... =4310)



SonicReducer's VIP Pick:

Spiritualized - Royal Albert Hall October 10, 1997

Genre: rock, psychedelic, space.rock

Torrents: torrents.php?id=26446

Review
All Music Guide (by Jason Ankeny):

Live albums, by and large, are a dime a dozen -- inconsequential souvenirs designed to placate fans awaiting new studio material, they rarely if ever shed new light on the artist in question; rarer still is their ability to approximate the energy and excitement of the concert setting itself. Spiritualized's transcendent Royal Albert Hall October 10 1997 is the proverbial exception that proves the rule, a revelatory two-disc collection which captures the group at the peak of their powers, somehow translating the hypnotic power and epic majesty of their live set onto vinyl. Rejecting the inane between-song stage patter common to most live performers, Jason Pierce instead weaves his music together into an unbroken tapestry of sound, casting a spell which ebbs and flows with narcotic beauty and intensity; even the most familiar selections (like "Shine a Light," "Take Your Time," and "Medication," all frequent inclusions on other Spiritualized live EPs and bootlegs) pulsate with new life, their melodies as likely to set off on a meditative drift as they are to erupt in blasts of white noise. Granted, Royal Albert Hall isn't a substitute for the experience of actually catching the group in the flesh -- what is? -- but like so few other concert LPs, it actually rises above its conceptual limitations, forever capturing a singular moment in time and space when Spiritualized was unquestionably the greatest rock & roll band in the world.



Bezvezenator's Delta Team Pick:

Kultur Shock - Kultura-Diktatura

Genre: Gypsy punk

Torrents: torrents.php?id=14467

Review -
http://is.gd/2Zu37 wrote:

You thought a reviewer had an easy life? Well, you’re right. Getting CDs for free, a long time even before they are downloadable from Internet, having cosy chit chats with your favourite bands and shows which are already sold out are no problem to get in… for free! But every now and then it’s a little bit more problematic. For instance, when you have to write a review about a band that will take a little more effort than rewriting the official bio and copy/pasting stuff of their homepage within ten minutes.

This problem occurs when dealing with a quite extraordinary odd band like Kultur Shock. All right, let’s pretend they play some kind of metal, but it’s so full of other elements and styles that it’s almost impossible to compare this band with only one band, or even one genre. Their basic style is some kind of modern punk and metal with a lot of twisted folk elements. But before you might think their just another Skyclad, In Extremo of Elvenking-wannabe, Kultur Shock incorporates their ancestral genes in their sound and that is a combination of Bosnia, Bulgarian, Japanese and American blood. They blend rhythms and styles like metal, punk, gypsy, rumba, dance… well, in fact, what do they not use? Their Balkan brass metal is quite impossible to label.

If I have to compare this band with a band, I think they are like the System Of A Down from the Balkan. Even though they’re from Seattle actually. Their songs are very energetic, a bit ‘crowded’ in arrangements and atmosphere and the songs are mostly sung in Slavic, however I might have heard some Spanish, Arabic and English as well. People who are familiar with the first two albums of the band – a live album and ‘Fucc The I.N.S.’, which is produced by ex-Faith No More bass player Billy Gould – or with the Finnish brass band Slobo Horo and/or those who really are into a potpourri of different styles and cultures which are way beyond the multiculti-metal of Sepultura and Laberinto, will adore this album.

I just can’t wait to see this band live (which will happen this month actually, because they tour Europe in May). Their combination of the fucked up adrenaline of Rage Against The Machine, the partypunk horns of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, the kaleidoscopic energy of Manu Chao, the gypsy festival of The Gypsy Kings together with an occasional female choir like Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares who are singing like they’re on drugs in a harem from some wealthy oil sheikh (‘Hashihi’) or feeling like they’re in a Scandinavian mood as Värttina (‘Nightmare’), is lyrical connected with the left-wing irony of Frank Zappa and injected with a modern punkmetal twist, all this without the fact that Kultur Shock doesn’t sound like any of these bands in particular. You can hardly believe they put all these ingredients together, cause the result is so damn catchy and logical, that you’re immediately dancing some Bulgarian dances along the music. Although you never danced or even knew about this dances before in your entire life… Kultur Shocks doesn’t shock cultures, they bind them. They’re the perfect integration.



zen0's Delta Team Pick:

Pan Sonic - Kesto (234.48:4)

Genre: Electronic, Noise, Musique Concrčte, IDM, Ambient, Electro, Glitch, Experimental, Drone

Torrents: torrents.php?id=308079

Review:

Inspired by their love of industrial music, electro, musique concrete and Mika Vainios love of Francis Bacon paintings and their usual concert antics, Pan(a)sonic has managed to create an ambitious music work that best encapsulated what they are about: noise in all its creative, beautiful and realized forms.

The Francis Bacon influence comes into this release through its daring structure [Kesto by the way roughly translates to "strength" or "duration"]. Originally it was conceived as a triptych with three discs representing three different sonic textures. Later a fourth disc was conceived and thus it was a tetraptych.

The first disc consists of very heavy, dense and abrasive sounds, evoking early industrial and particularly Suicide and Einstürzende Neubauten. Its the kind of sound that will not only "collapse new buildings" but also drain a variety of bodily sounds. Everytime I hear this disc, it sounds like a sonic carpet bombing is occuring throughout my entire body (listening to it through headphones makes it worse).

The second has that electro feel but it is more chilled: more New Order than Ministry. Its still abrasive but not in the way that the first disc was. Its quite chill and calm... relatively speaking that is.

The third disc evokes more musique concrete and other academic music experimentations from the 1950s to 1970s. The last track on that disc for an example is made in honor of Alvin Lucier, experimental electronic music composer famous for "I am sitting in a room." A lot of found sounds are employed as well as more sine tones and pure ambience. But its closer to Aphex Twins Selected Ambient Works Vol. 2 than it is to say, Brian Enos ambient series.

The fourth one is a pure drone that is manipulated through various oscillators that lasts for an hour. While it may seem excessive to have a single "note" play for an hour, the sound does change in subtle and oblique ways, if you exercise your ears in the right way.

All in all, its a daring work in the scheme of electronic music and maybe even in commercial music in general. While multiple-disc releases have been done and some of the components have been done before, it remains a bold and strong work that will undoubtedly brand your ears for a good while. To me, this is true art music, the kind that visual artists in the early 20th century must have heard in their minds ear.
discogs, metacritic, amazon



digbycaeser's Delta Team Pick:

Squarepusher - Hard Normal Daddy

Genre: Drum and Bass, IDM

Torrents: torrents.php?id=24370

Review -

Living in the shadows of well acclaimed electronica artists such as Venetian Snares and Aphex Twin it’s easy to forget Tom Jenkinson, also known as Squarepusher. It’s safe to say that Jenkinson isn’t as crazy as the two psychotics listed above but he’s able makes up for it with his own unique take on IDM. Instead of constantly cramming clicks and bleeps into his songs he adds funk laiden guitar riffs, cheery keyboard sounds, and a heavy dose of danceable breakbeats. It’s easy to compare Squarepusher to Aphex Twin or Venetian Snares because all of these artists have an extremely “beat” oriented sound however Jenkinsons music possesses a much more subdued and chilled out atmosphere.

Hard Normal Daddy encompasses a spacey, video-game type of sound. The opening track “Coopers World” is entirely composed of swift beats, jumpy keyboard grooves and Funkadelic-esque guitar lines. This type of sound is prominent throughout the whole album, the following track ”Beep Street” makes the listener feel as if he’s riding on a hot air balloon in outer space. The mixture of smooth beats and goofy sound effects fuse together to make an upbeat and cheery sound. This is the theme throughout the majority of the album,. Jenkinson lays out warped, psychedelic keyboard/guitar sounds and then adds smooth yet quick paced beats over it. In result Squarepusher is able to reach an uncommon sound where his music is sublime yet compelling at the same time.

In the end Hard Normal Daddy is wicked mixture of spacey keyboards and laid-back beats. When he’s on his game Jenkinson can create the most bizarre, trippy atmospheres with fleeting synthesizer tones and bluesy guitar riffs. Countless electronic acts fail as they try to cram in several clicks and beats into one song, Jenkinson falls victim to this on a couple of tracks but makes up for it with his innovative “UFO’s flying through outer-space” type of sound.



weisguy's Delta Team Pick:

Ivy - Apartment Life

Genre: Indie, Rock

Torrents: torrents.php?id=107406

Review -

This winsome, pleasant, accomplished, convivial pop LP attracted some fine word of mouth, after these New Yorkers-by-way-of-Connecticut with a Fountains of Wayne connection (guitarist Adam Schlesinger is in both bands) finished a solid tour, one where they outdrew U.K. headliners/alternative one-hit wonders Space Monkeys. And yet it's a wonder that Ivy isn't massive. Not only are they led by a talented female singer, Dominique Durand, in an era where such a demeanor is finally favored, but she's sweet and pretty as well, with a decided French accent. Such friendliness and refined music helps explain the all-star cast willing to help Ivy out on this exquisite work, such as Lloyd Cole, James Iha, Luna's Dean Wareham, Stanley Demeski, and most of all, superb trumpet player Chris Botti. And boy does Apartment Life improve over their promising but not quite there debut, Realistic! Some songs cut deeper than others (some are merely jaunty and boppy in an slurpy ice cream cone way), but three or four are the sort of pleasantly produced, precisely structured pop dreams that make fans sing along. The opening "The Best Thing" is a true single with a chorus that is to swoon and croon for; the '60s-ish, horn-laden skip of "This Is the Day" is lightweight, la-la-la pop personified; and better, when they let the guitars get mean for a second, on the post-MBV attack of "You Don't Know Anything," Ivy are a knockout. The rest is more lighthearted yet still crafted, cleanly produced, stylized old-pop with warmth, such as the cooing "I've Got a Feeling" (no, not the Beatles song), "Quick, Painless and Easy," and the gently haunting "Back in Our Town." As seen in their Apartment Life, Ivy are a summer breeze and a cool lemonade, here for all to taste.