In some ways, 2005 is a year many of us would like to erase from memory. It was an especially ugly year for world issues, and here in the US, even the most blissfully ignorant to the state of affairs had the rug pulled out from under them. In light of the craziness, I, like a lot of folks, turned inward. Music collections drove back up following a steady plateau. More hours were logged in front of the home and movie theaters in 2005 than ever, and the running count for books read since last January stands at about 22. Lots of music, though. Lots. Some brief praise follows.
Of the music I was turned on to last year, the group I’ve been most rabid about has been around for some time. Their music has been termed everything from avant metal to Japanese cult, from sludge to doom. Whatever they are, Boris is as engaging as anything you're to find in today’s music. Their latest release, Pink (diwphalanx), has infiltrated US indie playlists, a sign that the band is tightening certain screws and perhaps even calibrating their amplifiers. Elitists, run for cover!! Pink features something you’re not likely to find on many earlier releases and certainly the majority of bootlegs: discernible vocals. It’s a tightly engineered album that dips its toes into math rock, with Atsuo’s drums at the forefront, and abounding guitar solos.
The real gem, and one that could take months to fully digest, is the 3cd set Scott Slimm released on his love-labored Archive imprint. The 600-print release sold out almost as soon as it was available, a testament to the fanbase and to the quality of these soundboard transfers. It’s early Boris from live shows dating 1996 to 2001, and this is music that showcases a mastery of guitar feedback. Current Double Leopards and Sunn O)))) music owe much the type of sounds and that emanate from the “drummerless” disc, ultimately an ambience not suitable for listening during rush hour traffic. I think I love this band.
Antifrost. If you’re an enthusiast of the new electronic/silence-laced/contact psych improv and you don’t own or haven’t heard any music from this Greek/Spanish label, you are wrong. Quite the consistent catalog, and two releases have been soundtracks to good chunks of my life this year, much to the wife’s dismay. (note: do not think that Joe Colley's Psychic Stress Soundtracks over filet mignon will woo your loved one, even if you sautéed some asparagus.) Colley’s disc reaches both ends of the amplitude spectrum over 5 cuts featuring heavily abused gear. To boot, he shows that a contact mic and a temper are fine ingredients for music, while some beautifully executed drones fill in the gaps.
If you’re familiar with Ilios’ Old Testament, then it’s likely you were eagerly awaiting Vento Elektra (also on Antifrost), although with some apprehension. It’s hardly a sequel. The former system-shocker was unique for the panning effects employed, but it’s an asskicker on the senses. V.E. retains a wispy atmosphere throughout, complete with a gorgeous, slow pitch-shifting resolution. It’s a minimalist offering, with enough spurious glitch inserts to enhance an unhurried pace, until those final eight-or-so minutes that you just need to hear for yourself.
Alberto Pinton has been mentioned here before. His Dog Out group and self-titled release were the subject of a feature published a couple of years ago. Joe Milazzo suggests Pinton’s quintet is a product of Vandermark influence. I hear more similarities to Dave Holland’s music of the last ten years. Fuck it, anyway. Pinton’s writing (and his musicians’ execution) trounces the competition if there is any, and that claim is nowhere more evident than 2005’s Motionemotion, a live recording taped at Stockholm’s Glenn Miller Café in April of last year. It’s been my opinion for a while now that the Swedish scene is where it’s at for jazz-based improv, and Pinton and his cohorts consistently beat it up. The leader is a talented multi-instrumentalist who shines brightest on baritone sax, and his mostly in-the-pocket compositions for quintet are balanced by the presence of vibraphone (Mattias Stahl). I like that Pinton leaves more than adequate room for his soloists in his recordings, and this live disc is terrific in that regard. One Leg Step, huzzah.
Did I mention Sweden? Exploding Customer's über-anticipated sophomore release came out just recently, and while it doesn’t smoke quite on the level as Live at the Glenn Miller Café, it delivers with its range of styles and influences, from Albert Ayler to klezmer. Live at Tampere Jazz Happening is a stand-out in Martin Küchen’s many and diverse projects and the EC quartet is all about balance. Tomas Hallonsten’s imaginative solo in “Broken Glass” is physiologically affecting, while E.C. delivers with its patent hooks. Let’s hear it for the working band.
So the U.N. is preparing for emergency talks on Iran's nuclear program, and other mini- and major crises resume their course around the world. There is still solace to be found in music, right? Let's not sleep this year.
Posted by al on January 11, 2006 5:12 PMNice photo!
And Al’s lead provides me an ideal opportunity to follow. Anyone in the bullpen who wants to follow suit with their own Year End list or wrap-up please do so, either as free-standing blog entry or as a comment below. If you opt for the former (& I’ll make no secret that I hope you do), please be sure to space them out by at least a couple days. And if you need any help locating an lead image to go with your prose, I’d be pleased as punch to lend a hand in that regard too.
I’d originally envisioned a collective “Year End” feature, but the above choices make much better use of the Blog format inherent to the site. Plus it’s a nice change of pace from the tidy symmetrical lists favored by so many other sites/zines.
Posted by: derek at January 11, 2006 8:16 PMMats Gustafsson's pretty spot on when he describes the Glenn Miller Café as one of the three best places to play in the world (the Empty Bottle was another, and can't remember what he said was the third). If you're ever in Stockholm, check it out.
Nice list Al - I really must check out Boris; haven't got a note of their music here at all.
Meanwhile, some late additions to my Top Ten posted on another thread in a galaxy far far away:
"Small Town Boy" Mats Gustafsson and The Thing play the music of Bronski Beat
"Hello I must be going" DJ Cor Blimey plays music from the Marx Brothers films
"Enter the Dragon" Julien Ottavi plays Lalo Schifrin's soundtrack to Bruce Lee's martial arts spectacular
"Vowel Movement" Muscle Mary Mat Maneri & the Holy Trinity plays the music of Joe Morris
"Please Listen to my Demo" Dan Warburton plays the music of EPMD
"You Gots to Chill" Joe Morris plays the music of EPMD
prolly the one jazz club in the world I want to visit is the Glenn Miller. There've been so many good recordings to come out of that place in the last 7-8 years (starting with the AALY joint, in my world), how could it not be a first rate room?
And Boris... just jump.
Posted by: al at January 11, 2006 10:45 PMAl, get to GMC early (they start serving food at 5pm!!) and make sure you reserve in advance - the place is tiny, and invariably packed!
So any Boris album is as good a place to start as any other? Yikes.
Absolutego is the one most people recommend to start, that's the one Jason Lescalleet told me to buy a while back.
Posted by: jon abbey at January 12, 2006 12:29 AM'Absolutego' is a good start, Dan, as are 'Flood' or 'Feedbacker - Boris at last'. the last one with Merzbow is nice too ('Sun baked snow cave'). personally I can't stand the more rock stuff like 'Heavy rocks' and most of this new 'Pink' one.
Posted by: David Bauwens at January 12, 2006 3:00 AMI liked most the "new" Coltrane, the "new" Parker and Gillespie, and the "new" Sun Ra disks. Also two Hopscotches ('Fragments' & 'Jam'), two pfMentums ('Choir Boys' and 'Delta'), the Bivins' gang's 'Embers,' and Mahanthappa's 'Mother Tongue.' Based on clips, I'll likely add 4g's 'Cloud,' and based on the (listen series) piece available here, I'll likely add Korber's 'Effacement,' but (unfortunately) those haven't arrived at my door yet.
I have to admit I was also taken with Missy Elliot's 'Cookbook' (especially 'You don't really know my life'--I love that tune). Also, I think if there had been a recording of the Met's performance of Picker's Dreiser opera, that would have made my list too. A little too much Janacek, maybe, but a dynamite piece nonetheless.
Posted by: walto at January 12, 2006 3:53 AMI also want to add an "honorable mention" to Fell's 'Comp. #62.' While I don't think it's entirely successful (uh-oh: here comes the objection about my lack of total knowledge of the composer's intent--let me say now that I'm relying on ESP) I give lots of points for its ambition/ballsiness. I don't know of too many other musicians who could even have attempted some of those large-scale sections. The scoring is, at times, amazing.
Posted by: walto at January 12, 2006 5:30 AMOf the miniscule percentage of things I actually heard last year, miniscule not even in terms of all releases but of all releases I actually would've *liked* to have heard, these were my favorites:
Rowe/Sachiko/Yoshihide/Nakamura - ErstLive 005
I've mentioned elsewhere how heartened I am to see this recording place at or near the top of so many year-end lists. To my ears, there was nothing that came close to providing the same degree of pleasure (save, arguably, the second track of 4G/Cloud). Four hours of ruthlessly paring off every unessential sound, getting to a deep, deep core. My favorite music since the "Doris" session.
In rough order of preference, my nine next-favorite releases:
Coltrane - One Down, One Up
Olivia Block - Change Ringing
John Tilbury - Barcelona
4G - Cloud
Brendan Murray - Resting Places
Tomas Korber - Effacement
Greg Kelly - I Don't Want to Live Forever
Sean Meehan - Sectors (for Constant)
Burkhard Stangl/Christof Kurzmann - Schnee_Live
Honorable mention:
Will Guthrie - Spear
Julien Ottavi/Dion Workman - misenlien
Charlie Charlie - La Respiration des Saintes
Joe Colley/Jason Lescalleet - Two
Domenico Sciajno/Kim Cascone - A Book of Standard Equinoxes
Dion Workman/Mattin - S3
Barberan/Garcia/Costa Monteiro/Fages - Octante
John Cage - One7 (from One13)/One8
Axel Dorner/Robin Hayward - s/t
Taku Sugimoto - Live in Australia
Zbigniew Karkowski/Antimatter - KHZ
Other stuff I liked very much:
Mark Wastell - Vibra #1
Anthony Guerra - Empty Kingdoms
Arek Gulbenkoglu - Points Alone
Tetuzi Akiyama/Jason Kahn - Till We Meet Again
AMM - Norwich
Graham Halliwell - Recorded Delivery
Fennesz/Sachiko/Yoshihide/Pita - ErstLive 004
Samarzis/Muller/Voice Crack - wireless_within
Tetuzi Akiyama - Pre-Existence
Schmickler/Tilbury - Variety
Giuseppe Ielasi/Renato Rinaldi - Oreledigneur
Loren Chasse - The Air in the Sand
Roel Meelkop - 5 (Ambiences)
Trio Sowari - Three dances
David Grubbs/Nikos Veliotis - The Harmless Dust
Tetuzi Akiyama - Route 13 to the Gates of Hell
Gum - Vinyl Anthology
Giuseppe Ielasi - Gesane
Mark Wastell - Vibra #2
Mike Cooper - Metal Box
(Various) - Stilling Time (Viet Nam)
Ernie Althoff - Dark by 6
'05:
Kapotte Muziek -- "Praag/Rotterdam" (PacRec)
Ståhls Blå -- "Schlachtplatte" (Moserobie)
Jason Kahn -- "Timelines" (Cut)
Gérard Grisey -- "Les Espaces Acoustiques" (Kairos)
Kevin Drumm -- "Horror of Birth" (Chondritic)
Julien Ottavi/Dion Workman -- "misenlian" (Erstwhile)
Sicbay -- "Suspicious Icons" (54 '40 or Fight!)
Taku Sugimoto -- "Music for Cymbal" (Cut)
Peter Cusack -- "Baikal Ice (Spring 2003)" (Recommended)
Joe Colley/Jason Lecalleet -- "2" (cdr)
Tham Kar Mun/Yandsen/Yeoh Yin Pin -- "Shang" (Xing Wu)
4g -- "Cloud" (Erstwhile)
Philip Samartzis/Günter Müller/Voice Crack -- "wireless_within" (for4ears)
Los Glissandinos –- "Stand Clear" (Creative Sources)
Coil –- "And the Ambulance Died in His Arms" (Threshold House)
v/a -- "Untitled Songs: 49 Years from Gesang der Jünglinge (2005-1956)" (Sirr)
The Sealed Knot –- "Unwanted Object" (Confront)
Kevin Drumm/2673 - s/t (Kitty Play)
Ryan Gregory/Christine Jeanine -- "1123 Morley Ave." (Autumn)
Toshiya Tsunoda – "Ridge of Undulation" (Häpna)
Reissues:
Douglas Lilburn -- "Complete Electro-Acoustic Works" (Atoll)
Bobby Hutcherson -- "Oblique" (Blue Note)
Iannis Xenakis –- "La Legende D’Eer" (Mode)
Paul Rutherford -- "Neuph" (Emanem)
Peter Brötzmann/Han Bennink -- "Schwarzwaldfahrt" (FMP)
Buddy DeFranco and His Orchestra -- "1949-'52 Studio Performances" (Hep)
Live:
Gerry Hemingway/Thomas Lehn -- Christmann Studious (STL)
Pengo -- Spooky Action Place (STL)
Denman Maroney/Leroy Jenkins -- Graham Chapel (STL)
Stephan Mathieu -- Lampo (CHI)
Roxanne Jean Polise -- Spooky Action Place (STL)
Jesse Kudler -- Lemp Arts (STL)
John Butcher/Gino Robair -- The Focal Point (STL)
ErstQuake 2 -- Unconscious (NYC)
Jon Mueller/Carol Genetti/Jack Wright -- Lemp Arts (STL)
Sinbad -- Ameristar Casino (STL)
Hamiet Bluiett/Billy Bang/Kahil El'Zabar -- Mad Art (STL)
Davenport -- Spooky Action Place (STL)
Mike Shiflet -- Lemp Arts (STL)
Posted by: Michael Schaumann at January 12, 2006 8:44 AM
"Toshiya Tsunoda – "Ridge of Undulation" (Häpna)"
Tsunoda just told me this was pressed wrong initially, and is back at the plant now being fixed...
Posted by: jon abbey at January 12, 2006 8:54 AMany idea what was wrong with it John? will the correct version be noticeably different (on the outside)?
Posted by: David Bauwens at January 12, 2006 9:06 AMOops! Then you can just send me the corrected disc, the superior recording of "Fine" and the solo Oren set from Amplify '04.
Thanks in advance, Jon!
Posted by: Michael Schaumann at January 12, 2006 9:07 AMsorry for misspelling your name there :$
Posted by: David Bauwens at January 12, 2006 9:07 AMno idea, David. not even sure if I was supposed to tell anyone, but there you go.
Michael, they're en route, I'm sending them with a bunch of female porn stars, I tried to pick a nice range of types for you, hope you enjoy...
Posted by: jon abbey at January 12, 2006 9:10 AMJon, is it really true that the copy of the disc Mike recommends is actually a data disk containing several spreadsheets of paleolithic earthquake models for Queensland?
Posted by: walto at January 12, 2006 9:48 AMWalt, you really need to start posting on JC again.
Posted by: jon abbey at January 12, 2006 9:49 AMI've been very disappointed with Boris' more droney/ambient stuff like Absolutego and Flood. Sun Baked Snow Cave was okay, I guess...but even their hard 'n' heavy stuff like Amplifier Worship just seems like a bunch of over-rehearsed gestures rather than rock music made out of genuine love. Live, I got the same feeling even more strongly, and wound up bailing early.
Posted by: pdf at January 12, 2006 9:50 AMI forgot I caught Jerry Butler at The Ambassador in Nofe St. Louis last April -- fucking awesome show.
Posted by: Michael Schaumann at January 12, 2006 9:52 AM"Walt, you really need to start posting on JC again."
I'll take that as a No to my Queensland question. You know, that rumor certainly seemed fishy to me. (a) I give Mike more credit: he likes the divine Grisey, e.g. (b) I can't get any of my data discs to make any noise at all!
Re: JC, it's lovely to be missed. Give my regards to all and sundry for auld lang syne.
Posted by: walto at January 12, 2006 10:00 AMJon: "no idea, David. not even sure if I was supposed to tell anyone, but there you go"
Don't worry, Jon. It's no secret, Klas from Hapna announced it almost a month ago - those who bought the disc with an error (it's on track 2) should send theirs copies back to Hapna and wait for the correct ones to be pressed. (I'm still waiting)
I forgot Nate Wooley's disc off CS which I really like. And thanks for the update, tadk!
Posted by: Michael Schaumann at January 12, 2006 12:56 PMHere's my list of favorite cds and live shows from 2005. I have short descriptions of each CD and such on the list posted on my website here: http://spiralcage.com/no-mind/.
Keith Rowe/Sachiko M/Toshimaru Nakamura/Otomo Yoshihide EL005 (Erstwhile Records)
4g cloud (Erstwhile Records)
John Tilbury/Marcus Schmickler Variety (A-Musik)
Sean Meehan Sectors (for Constant) (SoSEDITIONS)
Graham Halliwell Recorded Delivery (Confront Collectors Series)
Bill Livingstone A Piobaireachd Diary vols 1-4 (Self Released)
Christian Fennesz/Sachiko M/Otomo Yoshihide/Peter Rehberg EL004 (Erstwhile Records)
Jonathan Coleclough/Lethe Long Heet (special edition) (ICR Distribution)
Allison Kinnaird The Silver String (Temple Records)
John Tilbury Barcelona Piano Solo (Rossbin)
The Tallis Scholars Requiem (Gimmell Records)
Siobhán Armstrong Cláirseach na hÉireann (Maya Recordings)
GOD Anti-Sex/Anti-Wiretappong (Made in Taiwan) (Little Enjoyer/JYRK/GMBY)
Favorite Live Shows for 2005
(listed by date)
Thursday, June 16th 2005
Jeph Jerman & Paul Hoskin
Nonsequitur presents, Gallery 1412, Seattle WA
Friday, July 8th 2005
Ann Heymann
ISFHC HarpCon 2005, Big Sky MT
Saturday, July 9th 2005
William Taylor
ISFHC HarpCon 2005, Big Sky MT
Saturday, September, 23rd 2005
Toshimaru Nakamura/Taku Unami/Sean Meehan
ErstQuake 2 , Collective Unconscious, NYC NY
Sunday, September, 24th 2005
Greg Kelley/David Daniell/Sean Meehan
ErstQuake 2, Collective Unconscious, NYC NY
Sunday, September, 24th 2005
Keith Rowe/Mark Wastell
ErstQuake 2, Collective Unconscious, NYC NY
Sunday, September, 24th 2005
Toshimaru Nakamura/Mark Wastell/Tim Barnes
ErstQuake 2, Collective Unconscious, NYC NY
Sunday, October 2nd 2005
Keith Rowe
Gallery 1412, Seattle WA
Monday, October 3rd 2005
Keith Rowe/Gust Burns/Jeffrey Allport
Gallery 1412, Seattle WA
Saturday December 10th 2005
GOD
Collective Jyrk, Gallery 1412, Seattle WA
so Schaumann's into Sicbay?? 54-40 is a dependable label from my experience. Recommend you look into Mandarin (Denton, TX) and Pseudosix, if you haven't already.
Posted by: al at January 12, 2006 10:46 PMAnother thing I like that I think came out last year is Fursaxa's (Tara Burke) 'Lepidoptera.' I like 'Amulet' a bit more, but that's from 2004, I think. For those who don't know her stuff (which I just recently stumbled on), it's Bryarsish. Vocal-based (though sometimes with keyboards, percussion, and/or guitars) kind of faux folk or faux classical, delay-using minimalism. I take it she does this stuff live as well.
Maybe others can give a better description.
Posted by: walto at January 13, 2006 6:26 AMI think she's better live than she is on disc (though I only have a couple of things, inc Amulet) - did two shows with the Textile Orchestra opening up for her at the end of 2004 (talk about mismatch.. like Borbetomagus opening for Helen Merrill). Very nice!
Posted by: Dan Warburton at January 13, 2006 6:30 AMOk, so first my top 20, as posted elsewhere, and yes its already been pointed out that a couple of these date from 2004, but they will all always be 2005 discs for me.
1. Otomo/Sachiko M/Nakamura/Rowe – ErstLive005 (Erstwhile)
2. Graham Halliwell – Recorded Delivery (Confront)
3. Sean Meehan – Sectors (For Constant) (SoS Editions)
4. Will Guthrie – Spear (Antboy)
5. 4g – Cloud (Erstwhile)
6. The Sealed Knot – Unwanted Object (Confront)
7. John Wall – Cphon (Utterpsalm)
8. Los Glissandinos – Stand Clear (Creative Sources)
9. Trio Sowari – Three Dances (Potlatch)
10. +minus – L’Ecoute libere (Esquilo)
11. Tomas Korber – Effacement (Cut)
12. Anthony Guerra / Matt Earle – In (l’Innomable)
13. Broken Consort – Done (Quakebasket)
14. Arek Gulbenkoglu – Points Alone (Impermanent)
15. Marcus Schmickler / John Tilbury – Variety (A Musik)
16. Otomo/Sachiko M/Fennesz/Rehberg – ErstLive004 (Erstwhile)
17. Eliane Radigue – Elemental II (ROSA)
18. Iannis Xenakis – La Legende D’Eer (Mode)
19. Joe Colley – Psychic Stress Soundtracks (Antifrost)
20. +minus – A Rainy Koran Verse (trente oiseaux)
A great year for music personally.... my only bugbear this last year being that my day job has become so stressful and time consuming that I just haven't had the time/energy to take it all in fully.
So, bearing in mind that every last moment spent with my girlfriend Julie was the real highlight (just in case she is reading this :) Here are a few 'other' highlights from 2005...
Meeting a few heroes... getting the opportunity to shake the hand of some great musicians. Keith Rowe in Brighton is one that sticks in the mind, and then later in more depth in NYC. Saying hello to Karlheinz Stockhausen was an interesting experience also, not only because of the opportunity to meet someone of his stature, but also because it was hard to understand why thousands of people could sit in awe of someone that dresses in bright peach coloured jumpers.... good concert though.
The Month with Jeph Jerman experience over at I Hate Music.... something that begun as a bit of a laugh in response to a few people that extracted the urine at my expense for buying 31 Jeph Jerman albums ended up as a very worthwhile reevaulation of how I listen to music and listen in general. Its notable that I haven't felt able to write another 'proper' review since. I may get around to writing on the whole experience here soon though.
New York for Erstquake in general... a fantastic experience, my first trip to the USA in all of its glorious tasteless excess amplified by some great music and the chance to meet some great people... some of the highlights included;
Managing to stay alive crossing the roads... (I still have no idea why money is spent maintaining the Walk/Don't Walk signs in New York, when clearly nobody pays any attention to them, pedestrian or driver)
Alastair describing some of the food at the Vegetarian Dim Sum Palace as 'a headcold with rice' That man really should be a food critic....
Learning to walk at 20mph behind Chris Letchausen without the aid of a tow-rope.
Barely avoiding a fight in a pub after one of the shows with a drunken guy after his girlfriend fell in love with Alastair because he looked like a rugby player..... a very surreal moment for on many levels....
Learning that Robert is called Hatta purely because he cannot stay alive without a hat on his head....
Buying over 80 CDs and then getting my bag checked at customs on the way home... the look on the customs officer's face as he leafed through the piles of odd CDs was priceless....
Listening to 4g for the first time at 7AM on the Saturday morning, with the perfect accompaniment of Alastair's snoring (in the next single bed I should hastily add) blending beautifully with Fennesz' static and Amarchi's guitar chimes. That record as great as it is hasn't sounded as good since....!
Apart from New York, some great live music this year, too many shows to mention, but some highlights being the return to form of the LMC Festival, countless great sets involving Mark Wastell, Graham Halliwell, Rhodri Davies, Angharad Davies and one or two others involving a variety of formations and instrumentation... Filament live under a railway arch in South London, great great music made even better by the fact I reckon I was sat closer to Otomo's decks than he was...
So 2006 looks to continue in a similar vein. Last year left me with a sense of needing to contribute in some way other than listening to lots of music and occasionally writing crap about it, so a couple of projects are planned for this year.
The good music keeps coming, plenty of CDs on the 'To Buy' list again, and one or two trips abroad are planned to take in live shows this year.... Now if only everyone else was as positive about things as me....:)
Wall's 'cphon' didn't hit me particularly hard--not nearly as much as I hoped; felt somewhat similarly about the last one, too. I could easily be missing something. Though, given its length, it received many listens...
"Hello I must be going" DJ Cor Blimey plays music from the Marx Brothers films"
Hi Dan
be carefull, you might get what you wish for.....
:-)
Cor
might as well...
1. Earth-Hex (Southern Lord)
2. Khanate-Capture and Release (Hydrahead)
3. Keith Fullerton Whitman-Multiples (Kranky)
4. Pelt-untitled (VHF)
5. Gang Gang Dance-God's Money (TSR)
6. Dion Workman/Juilen Ottavi-miselian (Erstwhile)
7. 3/4HadBeenEliminated - A year of the aural gauge operation (Hapna)
8. Richard Garet-"Circle" on Territorium Compilation (nonvisualobjects)
9. Excepter-Self Destruction (Fusetron)
10. Sunn 0)))-Black One (Southern Lord)
11. Orthrelm- OV (Ipecac)
live: sunn o))), graveyards, X, khanate, kayo dot,
geoff mullen, radian
hey Brendan, I had your "Resting Places" just a couple of spots below the Whitman on my personal sprawling list (which I won't post here because it's dominated by those relics jazz and rock.
Any actual collaboration between you two possible?
I'd sure as hell be interested.
If I was limited to listing only five cracking listens from 2005 (in no particular order):
Keith Rowe, Sachiko M, Toshimaru Nakamura & Otomo Yoshihide – Erstlive005 (Erstwhile)
John Wall – cphon (Utterpsalm)
Graham Halliwell – Recorded Delivery (Confront Collectors Series)
Eliane Radigue – Elemental II (R.O.S.A.)
Steve Roden – Transmissions: voices of objects and skies (Fresno Metropolitan Museum of Art)
"If I was limited to listing only five cracking listens from 2005"
I wonder how you (Bagonauts, is it the right word?) are able to choose only five or only ten discs. How do you do it ? I haven't listened to many 2005's released, but I can't choose even the best 20.
Talking about Radigue's 2005's: "L'ile re-sonante" is perfect (and - imho- better than "Elemental II")
"Talking about Radigue's 2005's: "L'ile re-sonante" is perfect (and - imho- better than "Elemental II")"
I like them both, but like you have a preference for L'ile. Let's hope 2006 sees the release of her new piece written for Charles Curtis.
Hey Adam,
Thanks for the spot in your list. I forgot to list a great many cds after I posted. It was a killer year for records.
Keith and I have only played together once, in a quartet with Joseph Suchy and Greg Kelley. It was a crazy mess, I was super-nervous and I spent most of the set throwing a folding chair around.
Keith is way busy with his own stuff and I've got at least four or five things I'm trying to get done, including some collaboration stuff that is long overdue. One never knows.
Brendan: "I spent most of the set throwing a folding chair around."
A whole new genre!
I should point out that I was turned onto your cd by Brian O's review here--he's also got it on his list, which is a rare instance between us when our taste is similiar, so obviously it's a very nice record.
Posted by: Adam Hill at January 14, 2006 7:34 AM[going back, reconsidering the inclusion of the Murray disc....]
Posted by: Brian Olewnick at January 14, 2006 3:12 PM"Listening to 4g for the first time at 7AM on the Saturday morning, with the perfect accompaniment of Alastair's snoring (in the next single bed I should hastily add) blending beautifully with Fennesz' static and Amarchi's guitar chimes."
Loud is the new quiet.
Apparently Creative Sources is interested in putting out a CD of my solo snoring later this year.
Posted by: Alastair at January 15, 2006 6:33 AMAlastair: "Apparently Creative Sources is interested in putting out a CD of my solo snoring later this year."
There was a supplementary piece on Berhard Gunter's 'Crossing the River' that featured his dog breathing and snoring, and that was interesting enough, but as you're a more highly evolved animal, Alastair, I assume your snoring will be somehow more 'musical', more quixotically Feldmanesque.
Posted by: Brian Marley at January 15, 2006 9:45 AMOn the off chance that anyone gives a fuck, and in no particular order:
Art Ensemble of Chicago – Phase One (reissue)
Tetuzi Akiyama – Route 13 to the Gates of Hell
Oren Ambarchi – Triste (reissue)
Ruth Barberán, et. al. – Octante
Olivia Block – Change Ringing
Boris – Akuma No Uta
John Coltrane – One Down, One Up
Rhodri Davies, et. al. – Amber
Miles Davis – Cellar Door
Trio Sowari – Three Dances
Marty Ehrlich – News on the Rail
Exploding Customer – Live at Tampere Jazz Happening
Los Glissandinos – Stand Clear
Simon H. Fell – Composition 62: Compilation IV
James Finn – Plaza del Toros
Dizzy Gillespie/Charlie Parker – Town Hall 1945
Dennis Gonzalez – Idle Wild
Will Guthrie – Spear
Graham Halliwell – Recorded Delivery
Hive Mind – Sand Beasts
Jesu – s/t
Jason Kahn – Timelines
Khanate – Capture and Release
Tomas Korber – Effacement
Steve Lacy/Joelle Leandre – One More Time
Adam Lane – Zero Degree Music
David Liebman/Ellery Eskelin – Different but the Same
Thelonious Monk/John Coltrane – Live at Carnegie Hall
Brendan Murray – Resting Places
Opeth – Ghost Reveries
Julien Ottavi/Dion Workman – misenlian
Pelican – The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw
The Red Chord – Clients
4g – Cloud
Rowe/M/Nakamura/Otomo – EL005
Sunn0))) – Black One
Torche – s/t
Mark Wastell/Tim Barnes – The Scotch of St. James
Oh, I give a fuck Bliv. especially about these from your list:
John Coltrane – One Down, One Up
Miles Davis – Cellar Door
Trio Sowari – Three Dances
Marty Ehrlich – News on the RailLos Glissandinos – Stand Clear
Simon H. Fell – Composition 62: Compilation IV
Hive Mind – Sand Beasts
Jason Kahn – Timelines
Tomas Korber – Effacement
Thelonious Monk/John Coltrane – Live at Carnegie Hall
4g – Cloud
Rowe/M/Nakamura/Otomo – EL005
Sunn0))) – Black One
Mark Wastell/Tim Barnes – The Scotch of St. James
No POINTS AND SLASHES? I'm surprised by that.
Oh fuck, I forgot that one. I dig P & S a lot.
Got your message by the way, bitch. I'll try to ring yez back this week.
Posted by: Jason at January 15, 2006 9:17 PMJames Raynard – Strange Histories (One Little Indian)
[A charmingly deadpan English folk album. Probably the CD I listened to and enjoyed the most last year]
THF Drenching – Tape Team J19 (Fenland HiBrow)
Gidon Kremer –J.S. Bach sonatas and partitas for solo violin (ECM)
Deflag Haemorrhage/Haien Kontra [aka Mattin & Tim Goldie] – Luxury (w/mor)
Run The Road Vol II – Various Artists (679 Recordings) [A Grime compilation – mentioned largely because, other than downloading online, it’s the only place you can buy the irrepressibly bouncy “They Gave Him An Inch” by Taliban Trim]
Honorary mention for the first I Treni Inerti CD (the one featuring Matt Davis) – not a 2005 release, but one of the best albums I bought last year.
Wasn’t blown away by much of the improv I heard last year, but then again I haven’t heard the Rowe/Beins Erstlive, Charlie Charlie (Antboy) or Horn Bill (Matchless), all of which I’ve been meaning to check out.
Were you guys doing top 2005 lists here? The issue is I really hate them....I mean, I LOATHE them with a passion. I can't remember what I heard last night, let alone last week or last month; let alone 12 months ago.
Having said that, there was a cluster of releases last year that I actually liked [some I even loved a lot and decided to listen to more than once].
WILLIAM BASINSKI - Variations: A Movement in Chrome Primitive [Die Stadt]
VARIOUS ARTISTS - The Invisible Pyramid: Elegy Box Set [Last Visible Dog]
ÖLVIS - The Blue Sound [Resonant]
THE NECKS - Mosquito / See Through [ReR]
MICK HARRIS - Hednod Sessions [Hidden Art]
PRO CELEBRITY GOLF / JAY GLAZE - Three Sinister Syllables [Chopped Herring]
WE ACEDIASTS - Pre Acediasts [Mesh-Key]
LAWRENCE ENGLISH - Ghost Towns [Room40]
BROKEN HEARTED DRAGONFLIES - Insect Electronica From Southeast Asia [Sublime Frequencies]
KAMMERFLIMMER KOLLEKTIEF - Absencen [Staubgold]
BRONTT INDUSTRIES KAPITAL - Virtute et Industria [Static Caravan]
MY CAT IS AN ALIEN - On Air at Sound Projecting [Opax]
BASIL KIRCHIN - Abstractions of the Industrial North [Trunk Records]
DENNIS BROWN PRESENTS PRINCE JAMMY- Umoja / 20th Century DEBwise [Blood and Fire]
TAYLOR DEUPRESS & KENNETH KIRSCHNER - Post_Piano 2 [12K]
ALEXANDER VON SCHLIPPENBACH - Monk's Casino - The Complete Works of Thelonious Monk [Intakt]
ALVIN CURRAN - Toto Angelica [IDA / ReR]
THE MAGIC CARPATHIANS PROJECT - Sonic Suicide - Ethnoise # 1 [Vivo]
THE MOTHERS - Township Sessions [Mr. Bongo]
A TASTE OF RA - A Taste of Ra [Hapna]
SATANICPORNOCULTSHOP - Zap Meemees [Sonore]
SUNNO))) - Black One [Southern Lord]
UTON - Whispers from the Woods [Last Visible Dog]
There are obvious omissions from this list...Alvin Lucier's new issue is mandatory listen, but I got it late in the year, and I didn't actually get around to playing it until 2006.
Other than that, 2005 was filled with music that fried my brain to the brim with new and exciting sounds from every corner of the world.
PRO CELEBRITY GOLF / JAY GLAZE - Three Sinister Syllables [Chopped Herring]
Now there's something I'm surprised to see here! Is that an album? I bought a Jay Glaze 12" a year or two ago. Kind of reminded me of some of Edan's earlier production if memory serves.
What's the MICK HARRIS - Hednod Sessions?
Has Harris gone hip-hop?
Matt - "Three Sinister Syllables" is indeed a full length. Check out http://www.choppedherringrecords.com for more details. A few months back, they had a web-only tribute posted to the memory of 9/11.
As for Mick Harris, on "Hednod Sessions" he's gone minimal-hop...or head-hop-nod. This 2 CD set is merely a collection of 4 hard-to-find, limited EPs from a few years back. Gloomy, repetitive but highly enjoyable.
Hey. Recently came across another tres cool (as in extremely weird) 2005 release.
Various artists, "The Enlightened Family: A Collection of Lost Songs" (Voodoo-Eros)
Definitely would have made my list (for 'Sex with a Shark' alone). Check out the clips at AMG.
Also been enjoying the 2005 I.T. re-mix release and some older Hafler Trio stuff.
Gotta love Pandora.
Posted by: walto at February 9, 2006 9:15 AM.................................................. © 2003 - 2006 bagatellen ..................................................