Time for the daily change up I do, unfortunately my feed hasn't been so kind this time so I had to do some digging. Regardless, here we go: I'm always down for some more experimental electronic stuff and I've been meaning to check out The Flashbulb for some time now, last I heard he was on hard times cos somebody stole some gear from him. Turns out he has a new LP and it is chock full of lush sounds and the like that made me like the man in the first place. I might have to jump on this one very soon:
On a similar line a tune from Funkstörung's new LP was meant to be here. Alas, Monkeytown only has like 40 second previews up. So instead have one of my favourites from them from an older LP, their upload is pretty neat because it's the full album intercut with little bits of interviews about it. Not sure it'd be good for regular listening, but a nice touch here.
And finally it's no secret I adore vocoders but at current they are back in a big bad way. This post is also a reminder that I need to get my arse in gear and get the album this is from. Röyksopp's goodbye to the traditional album format is beautifully bittersweet, especially when they've been in my listening queue since like 2002. If anything I should be thanking them.
-Claude Van Foxbat
Wednesday, 30 September 2015
Monday, 28 September 2015
Synthesized Soul
As often as I repeat it, I've always had a certain affinity for electronic music since I was little, I remember being amazed at the sounds, so unlike anything conventional instruments could produce. More than likely you've seen the same argument played out countless times: Electronic music doesn't have 'feeling' which is something I've always rejected, maybe it's my sci-fi side talking but when you break it down isn't a Piano just a machine? (Obviously not in the same way as a Modular Synth, but still). But enough philosophy for now, here's some songs that have been tickling my brain bits recently.
Ladytron's debut output was littered with references to old tech, be it the Speak & Spell featured in the Playgirl video or hell even the track simply called Commodore Rock. It's most prominent on the few instrumental tracks on their debut, as the opening tones of this one sound vaguely 8-bit.
Keeping it in electroclash-y territory with some Fischerspooner. I've been meaning to do an in-depth overview of this LP like I did with Felix and other albums of the time but it hasn't happened yet. Around the midpoint of the LP we're treated to this lovely interlude, I've always loved the post-dancefloor introspection present on Electrclash LPs and this one may be my favourite example of them.
Coming back to a frequent one of mine, OPN's closer to R Plus 7 is still as gorgeous as when I first heard it. I can see how some could be a little alienated with the direction OPN takes it towards then end but I adore it throughout. Especially that lush introduction.
-Claude Van Foxbat
Vladimir Bonačić - PLN 5 (1969)
Ladytron's debut output was littered with references to old tech, be it the Speak & Spell featured in the Playgirl video or hell even the track simply called Commodore Rock. It's most prominent on the few instrumental tracks on their debut, as the opening tones of this one sound vaguely 8-bit.
Keeping it in electroclash-y territory with some Fischerspooner. I've been meaning to do an in-depth overview of this LP like I did with Felix and other albums of the time but it hasn't happened yet. Around the midpoint of the LP we're treated to this lovely interlude, I've always loved the post-dancefloor introspection present on Electrclash LPs and this one may be my favourite example of them.
Coming back to a frequent one of mine, OPN's closer to R Plus 7 is still as gorgeous as when I first heard it. I can see how some could be a little alienated with the direction OPN takes it towards then end but I adore it throughout. Especially that lush introduction.
-Claude Van Foxbat
Friday, 25 September 2015
Friends In Beats 2: Speedy Edition (Links broken as of 2020)
I gave long time friend of the blog and music pal of mine Evan a well deserved shoutout not too long ago, and one of the things I mentioned is that he normally has excellent genre flexibility. Well he musta read it and wanted to show it off a little, so he hooked me up with some 'sclusives of the Drum & Bass variety. But before we get into those, here's another new slice of delicious chilled instrumental from him:
Now that that's out of the way we can get to the meat of the Drum & Bass. I love sharing examples of the genre with him from the early days of '92 to the more jazzy feel the E-Z Rollers were putting out around 2000, and the influence shows on tracks like these, it'd be easy for him to adapt his house formula into the mix and make some modern style Liquid Drum & Bass but instead it's a nice spectrum across the entire history, al wrapped up nicely but that bassline.
EVK - 615 [click to download] |HTML5|
That's not to say he doesn't bring his other work in at all, despite the radical difference in BPMs, some of the samples seen in his Hip-Hop stuff come into play quite often, and the end result often comes out sounding more than a little Omni Trio-esque. For that I can't complain, Omni Trio is responsible for some of my favourite Drum & Bass songs ever ad I'd love to see Ev tackle something that sounds like Even Angels Cast Shadows. Here's hoping!
EVK - Take U There [click to download] |HTML5|
-Claude Van Foxbat
Now that that's out of the way we can get to the meat of the Drum & Bass. I love sharing examples of the genre with him from the early days of '92 to the more jazzy feel the E-Z Rollers were putting out around 2000, and the influence shows on tracks like these, it'd be easy for him to adapt his house formula into the mix and make some modern style Liquid Drum & Bass but instead it's a nice spectrum across the entire history, al wrapped up nicely but that bassline.
EVK - 615 [click to download] |HTML5|
That's not to say he doesn't bring his other work in at all, despite the radical difference in BPMs, some of the samples seen in his Hip-Hop stuff come into play quite often, and the end result often comes out sounding more than a little Omni Trio-esque. For that I can't complain, Omni Trio is responsible for some of my favourite Drum & Bass songs ever ad I'd love to see Ev tackle something that sounds like Even Angels Cast Shadows. Here's hoping!
EVK - Take U There [click to download] |HTML5|
-Claude Van Foxbat
Wednesday, 23 September 2015
Belated Soundcloud Roundup
Oops I have forgotten to post. Well lets fix that once again with a quick visit to my soundcloud feed shall we? My man Celadon has been far too kind with the releases as of late, here is is with yet another free edit for download that will warm the cockles of your heart as fall approaches.
I've been subsisting on a steady diet of Tangerine Dream and the Analord series, so synths are kinda my bag ATM. I've mentioned Abbrev.'s previous forays into almost acid territory but this one is by far and away my favourite, something about the combination of those airy synths and the bouncy bass that comes in just takes me back to all the weird electronic I found in my dad's cassettes that made me fall in love with electronic music in the first place.
And finally something I found thanks to the friend-of-a-friend reblogging that I like to dive into now and then, a group(?) from France called mechanical television. There's more than a smidgen of influence from both IDM and Post Rock in their work and thinking about it I'm surprised the two don't go together more often. Regardless, this track might not be for everyone once it gets going, but once gain I absolutely adore that intro.
-Claude Van Foxbat
I've been subsisting on a steady diet of Tangerine Dream and the Analord series, so synths are kinda my bag ATM. I've mentioned Abbrev.'s previous forays into almost acid territory but this one is by far and away my favourite, something about the combination of those airy synths and the bouncy bass that comes in just takes me back to all the weird electronic I found in my dad's cassettes that made me fall in love with electronic music in the first place.
And finally something I found thanks to the friend-of-a-friend reblogging that I like to dive into now and then, a group(?) from France called mechanical television. There's more than a smidgen of influence from both IDM and Post Rock in their work and thinking about it I'm surprised the two don't go together more often. Regardless, this track might not be for everyone once it gets going, but once gain I absolutely adore that intro.
-Claude Van Foxbat
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