Tigon World

Video: Supersilent - 7.4

 

In Rotation: Carbon Based Lifeforms, Jan Bang, Underworld

    

Carbon Based Lifeforms - Interloper (Ultimae)

Hydrophonic Gardens, CBL's 2003 release, was a special album, if for no other reason than the opening track, "Central Plains". So deep and engrossing... and spectacularly produced. It ranks high on my top ten list of tracks of the past decade. Interloper is only the second full length release from the Swedish ambient acid maestros since then (the excellent World of Sleepers from 2007 came in between) so it's safe to say that my expectations were high when it arrived. I hate to say it, but I was a bit disappointed. The opening two tracks - "Interloper" and "Right Where It Ends" - are right up there with the best of CBL. But the rest of the album feels a bit by the numbers. Or at least not very compelling. I don't know whether I'm being unreasonable, but it doesn't feel like there's been much development in seven years. If anything, while the music has become more ambient and less beat driven, it is also more direct and less... mysterious, shall we say. This is not to say that Interloper doesn't have its charms. It retains many of the characteristics that make CBL so good. So I guess I'll probably be waiting just as eagerly next time to hear whether they take that extra step. http://www.carbonbasedlifeforms.net/

Jan Bang - ... And Poppies From Kandahar (Samadhisound)

One of the most memorable concerts I've every been to was a performance by the wonderful Norwegian trumpeter Arve Henriksen and his countryman and live sampler, Jan Bang, at the Reykjavik Jazz Festival in 2009. Bang provided the rhythm and sonic bed for Henriksen to stretch out in. And he worked wonders on the sampler and mixing board, grabbing snatches of Henriksen's lines, manipulating them and throwing them back into the mix to fill out the incredibly rich tapestry of sound that the two created. Henriksen was predictably stunning but the innovative Bang's contribution was maybe even more of an eye opener for me. So the appearance of Bang's first solo album, ... And Poppies From Kandahar, a few short month's later was an event not to missed.

An intriguing patchwork of live recordings and studio constructions, ... And Poppies From Kandahar is a subtle and graceful album. Henriksen and other guests, including fellow trumpeters Jon Hassell and Nils Petter Molvaer, appear both as live performers and as source material for samples for Bang to manipulate. It makes for a very interesting credit list. Referred as a descendent of Hassell's "fourth world concept" on the Samadhisaound website, the album has a rich, exotic quality and plenty of mystery and atmosphere to match the suggestive titles concocted by label boss David Sylvian. In short, a memorable release from a unique talent. Another "douze points" for the fertile music scene in Norway. http://www.samadhisound.com/janbang/

Underworld - Barking (Cooking Vinyl)

In 1993, Underworld's Dubnobasswithmyheadman was my introduction proper to the electronic music scene. I've been a devotee ever since. Even if their more recent albums have not matched the supreme excellence of that classic and its follow-up, Second Toughest in the Infants from 1996, they've always been good for at least a couple of cracking tracks per album. (Plus, by the way, a rather wonderful soundtrack to the film Breaking and Entering with Gabriel Yared in 2006). Their last offering, Oblivion with Bells (2007) had the irresistible one-two punch of "Crocodile" and "Beautiful Burnout". And Barking does not let the side down, offering up no less than three infectiously sunny numbers - "Bird 1", "Always Loved a Film" and "Scribble" - that'll stick in your brain and get you moving. Conveniently, they're the opening three tracks on the album so no need to skip around in search of them. The rest is far from essential but well worth a listen. Apparently, Karl Hyde and Rick Smith collaborated with a different producer on each track on the album. Not that it makes much of a difference, really. It all sounds a heck of a lot like Underworld. Which is a good thing. http://www.underworldlive.com/