pilole 2014 aprile/maggio

APRILE 2014	MAGGIO 2014
BOOZOO BAJOU "4" Boozoo Bajou get better and better. It's now more than 17 years since the duo of Peter Heider and Florian Seyberth first put out a record, and 16 since their project began and they have just made what is without question the record of their career, and more than worthy addition to Apollo's illustrious catalogue to boot. ''4'' is, very simply, an astounding piece of work. A shining example of what 21st century music can and should sound like. [ file under: ex-downtempo ]		DAMON ALBARN "Everyday robots" Everyday Robots is the debut solo studio album by British musician Damon Albarn, best known as the frontman of Blur and Gorillaz. Described by Albarn as his most personal record, the album was co-produced by Richard Russell. It features guest contributions from musician and producer Brian Eno and singer Natasha Khan. The album produced five singles: Everyday Robots, Lonely Press Play, Hollow Ponds, Mr Tembo and Heavy Seas of Love. [ file under: blurrish side ]
EFDEMIN "Decay" Excellently balanced Techno/House album w/ Mills-Techno & Detroit House reminiscences. [ file under: minimal techno ]		AMEN DUNES "Love" Amen Dunes' newest record is the first with a full band, but it somehow plays like the most personal statement in a short yet already prolific career. An album full of recurring themes, lyrical motifs and melodies, Love not only feels like Damon McMahon's definitive work, but it is also one of the most devastatingly beautiful records that you're likely to hear this year. A sonically dense suite of songs with lots of acoustic instrumentation, smooth jazzy bass, piano on many tracks and soft percussion rattling in the distance. [ file under: laurel canyon ]
KOEN HOLTKAMP "Motion: connected works" 2CD edition with bonus disc compiling Koen's vinyl-only releases to date. The man from Mountains channels his energies into four majestic pieces of post-Kosmische wonder on Motion, his 2nd solo side for Thrill Jockey . LP is all new material. CD is the new album plus a compilation of previous vinyl-only releases. [ file under: transgressions ]		FATIMA "Yellow memories" Eglo's first lady of soul, Fatima Bramme Sey properly arrives with her fully-fledged debut album, Yellow Memories, featuring production by Floating Points, Computer Jay, Flako, and KNX. Active since the late '00s with guest appearances on Geeneus, DVA and Shafiq Husayn productions, the London-based vocalist has become a firm fixture in the Eglo family. [ file under: new soul ]
HORSE THIEF "Fear in bliss" Ooriginally founded in Denton, TX, moved to Oklahoma City to attend the Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma, from which they recently graduated, the band subsequently signed with the Flaming Lips’ management and soon came to the attention of Bella Union. Though Fear In Bliss was conceived at Horse Thief’s Oklahoma headquarters the band decided to record the album in LA and producer Thom Monahan (Devendra Banhart, Vetiver) has helped the band fuse their renowned stage performance with studio quality. [ file under: folk in the usa ]		FATIMA AL QADIRI "Asiatisch" Fatima Al Qadiri's highly anticipated and awesome debut Asiatisch finds a natural home in the Hyperdub catalogue. Since 2011, the Senegal-born visual artist and composer has consistently wowed with her unique art and practice weaving memories of a childhood spent in Kuwait. There's a strong, literal vocal presence across the record, from the knowing, computerised Mandarin of Helen Fung on opener Shanzai, thru the wistful phrasing of Szechuan, to a shockingly affective cover of Prince and The Family's Nothing Compares 2 U. [ file under: asian dub ]
ILLUHA "Akari" Akari is the third album from Tokyo duo Illuha. Following 2011’s debut Shizuku and 2013’s Interstices, Akari takes the next artistic step for the band. WhileShizuku was recorded in the US and completed separately by the artists, Interstices captured the duo creating their exceptionally detailed music together live during a Japaneses tour.Akari, in turn, is the first studio album where Illuha recorded and mixed together, throughout the entire process. [ file under: 12k soundz ]		FENNESZ "Bécs" The last time Fennesz released an album on Austrian label Mego it was 2001 and the name of that release was Endless Summer. Eschewing the more drone orientated works of Black Sea, Bécs returns to the more florid pop mechanisms as deployed on Endless Summer. Bécs is not just an album or a series of songs, it's a world to inhabit, a landscape ripe with sounds, songs and that esteemed Fennesz signature. A singular work by a singular artist. [ file under: glitches ]
LUFTH "Distanz& nahe" Lufth´s Distanz und Nähe on Marsen Jules' Oktaf Records accompanies the return of German experimental-dubtech and electronica producer Joerg Schuster. With his unique trademark sound and former releases on Source Records, Thinner and Archipel as Digitalverein and Sensual Physics – Schuster already established a loyal and enthusiastic fan crowd all around the world. His debut album as Lufth now introduces us to his most personal and experimental release so far. [ file under: electronica ]		FLUXION "Boardwalk tales" Echocord presents the third album by Fluxion. In the beginning of 2013, he met Jamaican vocalist Teddy Selassie in NY. After a brief discussion, they started exchanging music and lyrics and by the end of 2013, the Broadwalk Tales album came to life. An album of musical pieces that visit the roots of reggae and dub music with the distinct Fluxion production aesthetic. In the words of the artist: "I wanted to make something more than the usual dub techno tracks with a hint of manipulated voices every now and then. Teddy Selassie came in and gave a breath to the whole material, made it more alive, broadening the journey." [ file under: rhythm & sound ]
ORCAS "Yearling" For Yearling Pioulard and Irisarri teamed up with Martyn Heyne (of Efterklang) and Michael Lerner (Telekinesis) to built upon the subdued ambience of their self-titled debut, adding a huge dose of analog warmth to their hazy pop leanings. Whereas many songs on Orcas' first album were built from guitar improvisations and impromptu vocal sessions, most of Yearling was constructed from short pieces Pioulard wrote and developed. [ file under: twilight pop ]		HTRK "Psychic 9-5 club" Psychic 9-5 Club marks the beginning of a new chapter for HTRK. It's an album that looks back on a time of sadness and struggle, and within that struggle they find hope and humour and love. It's Jonnine Standish and Nigel Yang's first album recorded entirely as a duo—former band member Sean Stewart died halfway through the recording of their last LP, 2011's Work (Work, work). [ file under: electronica ]
S. CAREY "Range of light" S. Carey's chosen musical expression is a hugely beatific, restorative panorama of extraordinary beauty - perfect given how landscape inspires much of Carey's imagery. His new album Range of Light, the follow-up to his debut All We Grow takes its title from the name that 19th century naturalist John Muir gave to California's Sierra Nevada, and follows suit with a dazzling array of musical light and shade, drawn from Carey's love of jazz, modern classical and Americana. [ file under: folktronika ]		KELIS "Food" Kelis sixth album involves two unlikely partners. On the one hand, there is Kelis, who first came to prominence singing the hook of Ol' Dirty Bastard’s 1999 hit Got Your Money. This was the visually and sonically compelling 20 year-old whose debut album Kaleidoscope helped usher in the wave of sharp, thrillingly futuristic R&B, as exemplified by her global hit, Milkshake. On the other there is Dave Sitek, guitarist in TV On The Radio. [ file under: ninja hip hop ]
SOHN "Tremors" Debut 2014 album on 4AD! Ghostly R&B 'n' slow-mo electro-soul from the UK producer, based in Vienna. For fans of Gotye and James Blake. Includes Artifice and Lessons. [ file under: dubstep soul ]		OSUNLADE "Atonement" “Atonement” is the third instalment of the Offering mix CD series by Osunlade for R2 Records. As with Offering and Re-Offering, Atonement sees Osunlade select some more hidden gems that slipped through most other DJs’ radar. As always the tracks are soulful, musical, emotive, yet electronic, modern and sometimes sparse, but always connected to the same spirit. An old story told in a new way. These are not random selections of big tracks but carefully curated deep sounds. Atonement will move your spirit, your body and your soul like no other. [ file under: deep house ]
TODD TERJE "It's album time" The long-awaited debut album from Norwegian producer, DJ and songwriter Todd Terje. On his debut album, Terje presents 12 of his works known and unknown, including the 2012 hit Inspector Norse and a chilled, haunting cover of Robert Palmer's Johnny And Mary featuring vocals from Bryan Ferry. [ file under: scando-nova ]		RAMONA LISA "Arcadia" Ramona Lisa is the current alias of Chairlift’s Caroline Polachek. Her new album Arcadia is Polachek’s first self-produced solo record and will be the first release by Pannonica, part of the Bella Union family. Over the past year Polachek has been performing as Ramona Lisa in New York unannounced, incognito, with fully choreographed and costumed sets and will continue to do so worldwide in 2014. [ file under: extravaganza ]
		RILEY WALKER "All kinds of you" Ryley Walker is a 24 year-old singer/songwriter and guitarist from Chicago. Having kicked around Chicago’s experimental free/noise music scene for several years, Ryley recently turned to a folk-rock sound inspired by some of his heroes, among them Tim Hardin, Tim Buckley, and Bert Jansch. The result is a poised and accomplished debut album, recorded in Chicago by Cooper Crain (guitarist/keyboardist in Cave). [ file under: folksinger ]
		BEN WATT "Hendra" Stark, beautiful return for the solo Everything But The Girl man. A lot has happened in the 31 years since Ben Watt’s first (last) solo album, North Marine Drive. Empires have fallen, musical revolutions have come and gone. Watt hasn’t been idle, of course. He played with Tracey Thorn in Everything But The Girl for 20 years, and did another decade as a club DJ and boss of the dance label Buzzin’ Fly. [ file under: everything but the ben ]