Klaus Dinger, R.I.P. 1
“There were three great beats in the 70s. Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat, James Brown’s funk, and Klaus Dinger’s Neu! beat.” – Brian Eno
Archive for the 'audio' Category
Z.M. Dagar – Raga Yaman 4
For the last few years whenever I’ve taken a flight, this recording has been a must. It always soothes the brain. Zia Mohiuddin Dagar was a master of the Rudra Vina, and a student of the Dhrupad style of Indian music, notable for is long a patient alap (intro) sections. This one is just over 40 min. long and is a real melter.
Sit back, buckle up, soak it in.
Birds Of Amsterdam 2
Back in SF after a stellar few days in Holland thanks to VPRO. Pics coming soon. Caught this recording around 6am yesterday morning in our hotel room before we packed up and headed out. Birds were pretty charming the whole time. Sounds like we’re in the Amazon.
Chieko Mori – New School Koto 3
A few of you may already know the name Chieko Mori if you follow either John Zorn’s Tzadik releases or, more likely, the recent James Blackshaw curated “The Garden of Forking Paths” compilation on Important Records.
What’s especially interesting to me, as a koto player, is the extremely small community of non-traditional players in existence considering how versatile the instrument is. Including Mori-san, I can count maybe 3 or 4. Brett Larner is another, having released some recordings through the stellar Improvised Music from Japan label.
Sprial Wave off The Garden of Forking Paths comp.
Chieko’s MySpace page.
The Boss covers Suicide 0
Bruce Springsteen gives American rockers Suicide a nod and makes Dream Baby Dream sound hymn-like. Jewelled dagger through heart.
Tarentel, Hush Arbors, David Thomas Broughton, Voice Of The Seven Woods, Jack Rose, This Leo Sunrise – Sat.3.29 – Studio Desmet – Amsterdam 0
David Tagg – No One Came Out Last Night 0
Sounding like some kind of fever-dream casting a shadow over the autumn of your life, David Tagg’s full-length No One Came Out Last Night was released on his own Second Sun Recordings label sometime in 2007. Lots of tone drone, heavy and warm, this reminds me pleasantly of Andrew Chalk’s work, just channeled differently, through some other, even more reclusive muse. Seriously epic slow burner. Check it out!
“Open Song” off No One…
Hans Otte, will be missed… 0
I was surprised to hear about Hans Otte’s passing over on the Different Waters blog. Sad times.
Definitely one of my favorite minimalist pianists of all time. His work was right up there with the likes of Harold Budd, Lubomyr Melnyk, LaMonte Young. Simultaneously evocative of wind-blown sun-filled fields of wheat as underwater worlds yet unexplored, the man could paint a sonic picture.
Set aside a few moments of silence and turn this track from Das Buch der Klänge (The Book of Sounds) up when you have the chance.
Sometimes for fun I’ll play 3 or 4 instances of this song (with different starting times) simultaneously. The biggest little world you ever peeked into…
Barn Owl – Smoke Loom Ceremony – One Sided Cassette 1
The UK’s Blackest Rainbow just dropped a really nice new one-sided tape of a live set down in L.A. by SF’s very own hermit magicians Barn Owl. The first track instantly reminded me of Bruce Langhorns amazing soundtrack to The Hired Hand, which is a really good thing. The dudes don’t poke around for too long though, with both of these tracks eventually blasting off into their seductive take on long-form 60’s loft minimalism gone pitch black. Good good stuff. You may think you’ve had your fill of the whole raga /acoustic guitar drone thing, I know at times I have, but something about this duo just hits me right. If you act fast you may be able to grab one somewhere..????