ラベル English の投稿を表示しています。 すべての投稿を表示
ラベル English の投稿を表示しています。 すべての投稿を表示

2012年8月23日木曜日

New Trackmaker Talent from Osaka Releases Free Compilation “Yellow Print (Side A)”

New trackmaker talent from Osaka releases free compilation “Yellow Print (Side A)”
One of the contributors to the compilation, Soleil Soleil, did a little explaining about the name “Puredogma”:

“The name of the compilation is Yellow Print, and we’re releasing it from puredogma. This isn’t a label, it’s an idea of Paul’s to help us tackle some more creative endeavors.”

The comp. can be downloaded for free from the widget below.
(Though, after translating this article, I kind of think Name Your Price would be a little more reasonable.)


2012年8月18日土曜日

Guest Lists: Yosuke Inoue (Turntable Films)

Guest Lists is a corner where selected artists share some of their recent obsessions.



Our guest this time is Yousuke Inoue, frontman for the breezy Kyoto rock band Turntable Films, who just released their masterpiece first album earlier this year. We’ve mentioned them on the site here and there for awhile now. There’s an interview worth checking out at Private Dub as well.

As with last time, the artist has allowed Simon Says 100 exclusive free downloads to an unreleased track, “Casual Day” (as of current, the download limit has been reached, but the track can still be listened to from the soundcloud player at the bottom of the page).

With the only backing instrument being a single acoustic guitar, and lyrics in Japanese (vs. the typical all English), this is a very special Turntable Films track.
-----------------------------------

Best recent concert I’ve seen:
M.Ward at Fuji Rock Festival

I felt panick-y the moment he came out. I know his shows have their rough moments, but I like him so much I didn’t care in the slightest. I’m a fan.

First song I learned to play
“Diamond Head”, The Ventures.

As it was the only song I could play for awhile, I would pretty much play it all day for weeks at a time. Though back then and even now it’s not really a song I particularly love or anything. It’s a bit gloomy, I think. But I still know how to and can play it.



Favorite comedian
Hitoshi Matsumoto.

Somebody about 20 asked me the same question recently and they told me I have old tastes

Dream Collaboration
"Paul"

The director’s Greg Mottola, the writers are Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and it even has Seth Rogen! This is, the dream team, I thought. Though, when I watched it, maybe my expectations were too high, but it wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be. Still, I want them to work on something again. I’d watch it for sure.

Favorite purchase of this year
A Sonny D ukulele.

I didn’t it buy it so much as someone gave it to me, but I love it.

Last record I bought
The Red Bird Story compilation.

Recently I’m into the golden era of US pop music and pre-wartime Japanese jazz vocalists, so this was something I’d been looking for.

Bad habit
Mumbling.

Watching myself talk on our live DVD came as a pretty big shock. Really need to stop.



Someone I admire
M.Ward

Who, I just said but, I was very happy to finally be able to see. I have a poster of him in my room too. Although, he’s not exactly the coolest looking guy, just a regular middle aged dude. But I’m still a huge fan.

Favorite movie
High Fidelity

I like the feeling of wondering if I’m going to finally grow out of it or not each time I watch it, and I like the scenes that really pander to music fans.

Favorite music video
John Lenon’s “Oh Yoko!”

The greatest love can be a lot like a comedy.
And it’s great how it’s just such a great song.




Favorite venue
Jittoku

Great at-home feeling. Great food too.

Last book I've read
Piano no mori (Piano Forest)

You really feel like you could play the piano just by reading it.

Most played record of this year
“Message From Work”, Chris Weismen.

Strange music, with the ability to really hook you to it. Pretty insane genius, I think.


Favorite spot
Veranda at my place.

Like playing guitar there.

Favorite finger food
Pickles. And slightly spicy pickles.





Yosuke Inoue Links:
Turntable Films
Twitter

Live info:

Ana presents: “Patrol VOL. 8- Natsuyasumi Hiko Ojisan Issei Torishimari 2012-“
Where: Shibuya O-CREST
Open: 18:30 Start 19:00
Performing: Ana/Turntable Films/Holidays of Seventeen
Advance tickets: 2300 Yen
Day of: 2800 Yen
(Both not including one drink charge)
Playguide: Pia (P:176-543), Lawson (L:75203), e-plus
Advance tickets can also be reserved by emailing ticket@secondroyal.com
Include your name, number of tickets needed, and the date of the show in the email
Questions: O-CREST: 03-3770-1095

Translation by Andrew Brasher

2012年8月17日金曜日

Interview:Doldrums (Revisited)



Airick Woodhead of Doldrums is some sort of a strange man, and he knows that it is a compliment. When I first heard of his music on Daytrotter Sessions, he reminded me of Atlas Sound a bit. But the colour of winter and the crispy aroma of burnt wood that arose from his electronic beats, had something completely different from any modern solo artists. I became very, very interested in this man.

In the interview, he talked about what he would have become if he weren't a musician, his early live shows in front of the Coldplay gigs, his appearance on Portishead single, and what the concept of band means to him.

This interview was originally contributed to a Japanese music website called Private Dub in December last year. I had to censor a part of his answers since it seemed a bit too provocative at the time. So it is a full version of the interview. Enjoy!
--------------

So who are you? You say you reside in internet?

my name is airick woodhead. i am a 22 year old boy who makes music. i call my music doldrums and people on the internet like it.

How did your music carreer start? Was there a defining moment?

I've been playing since i was 9 or 10. my first gig was playing cello at a canadian folk festival with my friend liam titcomb. afterwards he tried to compensate me with $5, which i politely declined. he told me not to be so humble and forced the crinkly blue $5 into my hand. it was a real game changer for me. i think the doldrums started by having a impromptu drum jam outside of coldplay show in toronto, and then again outside of a 500,000 capacity great big sea show in ottawa. it was raining and there was a huge crowd around us, just singing and banging on shit.

You seem to be intercommunicating between the world of analog and digital, releasing VHS mixtaps and creating band websites in different guise. What's the fascination about it?

what is a band? its a name you assign to make a bunch of people playing music together a product, but usually has this connotation of a bunch of people just BEING THEMSELVES. fuck that! i want to create a fantasy reality if i was into making products i would work at ikea.



in electronic music there has always been this faceless producer aesthetic - the majority of people don't know or care who made what they're dancing to and why should they? the point is that its a real culture, one of the only ways in which we can get together in any viscerally or spiritual context in this agnostic consumer culture. companies and egotistical artists will do everything they can to make it about selling something, and the internet has allowed me to actually get my music out there without having to deal with that bullshit. i make up bands and crap because its a fun way to present my music, it kind of points to some of the problems with the old model of music culture. that was two years ago. now i'm focused on doldrums because it's taking on more of real existense - i didn't think i'd be touring so much or doing proper releases, but now that i am it feels great, and i'm stoked that people are still getting the vibe that this isn't a real band. hehe.

Amongst the other pseudonyms, you have decided to take "Doldrums" moniker, which idea was taken from the children's book "The Phantom Tollbooth".Why is that, and how does it relate to your music?

ah because my music has, you know, drums.



What do you mainly write about? It seems "Empire Sound EP" is dealing with a lot of paranoiac nature of the youth, or the sense of social stagnation, such was heard on "Endless Winter" or "I'm Homesick Sitting Up Here In My Satellite".

endless winter is about finding something personal, something in your life, that made all the spectacle of modern living seems impertinent and unreal, and so you're just staying in your bubble with someone you love. when i wrote it thats what i wanted more than anything in the world, and didn't have it, was still looking. it could be love or it could be a calling or anything. i write about things that i think are too vague for real discussion, which is why the music is equally as important in evoking the feelings. 'social stagnation', yes . . . 'paranoiac nature' of youth, yes . . . hey you read my bio didn't you! my music is about the living in an increasingly alienating modern society.

How old are the songs on the EP? The first time I heard your music was on Daytrotter and you have done many songs from the record.

i don't know . . .1 - 2 years old i think.

Are you planning to release a full-length soon?

yes, it'll be done by the new year i think. probably out in the world in the spring (the people upstairs have convinced me not to just post everything as soon as i make it!)

The cover version of Portishead's "Chase the Tear" was released as their B-side single.How did it come about? How do you feel about it?

man, they heard my cover when i guess they were just googling themselves or something, and they called me up out of nowhere and said, 'hey! we want to put this on the record". i couldn't believe it, obviously i'm a huge fan and to get that kind of a thumbs up from them means a lot to me.



Now the year is ending, could you tell us the 5 records you enjoyed listening to this year?

the chemical brothers - hana soundtrack
atari teenage riot - delete yourself
nine inch nails - ghosts
my bloody valentine - loveless
blue hawaii - blooming summer

If you weren't creating music, what would you be doing?

running a blackmarket operation out of Chernobyl selling irradiated car parts to tourists

Finally, summer or winter?

endless winter :)



日本語で読む

2012年8月12日日曜日

Interview: James Vincent McMorrow(Revisited)

The following interview was originally published on a Japanese music blog called Private Dub in March this year.

When I first listened to James Vincent McMorrow, it was when he appeared on  Daytrotter Sessions last summer. Around the same time, I started to send many artists a request for an interview for Private Dub. I was totally over the moon when he agreed to do an interview. I thought, "Finally a chance to introduce a brilliant SSW from Ireland to JAPAN!"

Some months and some prodding later (8 months, to be precise), he finally replied saying "I was inspired to write tonight."

And now that 5 months has passed since it was first published, it's time to revisit the interview back in English.



Can you describe yourself to our readers, who may not know much about you?

my name is James Vincent McMorrow, i am a writer of words and a singer of songs, i play music that is loud and quiet in equal measure.

What's your inspiration in writing songs?

everything, anything, i have no clue really, i've never seen something on the television and felt compelled to write a song about it, nothing i do is that reactive or literal, i write in a really abstract fashion and everything is wrapped up in layers of imagery and metaphor, so whatever happens to be inspiring me at that moment is amongst those layers somewhere.

Which lyric are you proudest of writing?

I'm proud of everything i write, but i think i'm most proud of "down the burning ropes', it was the first and only time i've ever sat down with a pen and paper and written a full song from start to finish, lyrics, melody and chords, in about 30 minutes. After i wrote it i tried to repeat the process but it's never worked, the song is a total anomaly.

Originally raised in a punk scene, what made a shift to your current musical aesthetic?

I don't think i have shifted, i mean i never wrote punk or post hardcore music, i just listened to it, and i still do. I never wanted to make that kind of music, i listen to countless other styles of music, i grew up listening to hip hop, i was fascinated by the production, how the songs were put together, that's what led me to learning how to record my own music. When it came to writing my own songs i always knew what i wanted them to sound and feel like, that's never changed.



When did you discover your singing voice? Are you comfortable with it now?

I don't think i ever 'discovered' it necessarily, i was always singing, mostly by myself in my bedroom, i didn't sound like i do now, but i had an idea that if i kept at it, if i kept sitting in front of the piano trying to hit notes, listening to other singers and trying to hear what they were doing, then i'd be able to find my own voice through all that. So it kind of revealed itself to me little by little over time. I think i am pretty comfortable with it now, touring so relentlessly the last 2 years has really changed it, i think i have a better understanding of it now than ever before, and every day it feels as though it's changing and getting stronger, which is really exciting as a musician, thats how it should be, things should never be static.

I heard that the songs on "Early In the Morning" were recorded in an isolated house by the sea. What was the incentive to go hiatus there and make a record on your own?

There was no plan, i wanted to make an album, i don't like studios because they can be so cold and clinical, and i write and arrange while i record, which can take a lot of time, so having no money at the time, a proper studio was never going to work for me. At that point i'd have taken anywhere that was offered to me, all i wanted was somewhere quiet where i could make noise. If it had been in downtown brooklyn i'd have made the record there, i had no real desire to be in such isolation, or make a record in such close proximity to nature, that's just how it worked out. What i didn't realize going into it was how much the location would affect the tone and feel of the songs and the album, that's why i talked about it in interviews, the environment and the album itself ended up being totally linked. All the myth that gets added to the story over time kind of makes me laugh when i read it, people talking about cabins in the woods and things like that, it never was a cabin, it was just a simple and lovely house, one i will remember fondly for the rest of my days.



Can you give a little insight to a song "We Don't Eat"?

not really! Not trying to sound overly awkward or anything, I simply don't like to speak about the meaning behind songs, i think that defeats the purpose a little. A write songs for myself, but they're for others to listen to, obviously they come from a personal place, but whats more important to me is what the people listening are getting from them. If i was to define everything i've ever written, why i wrote it, what it's about, then it would to my mind lessen peoples experience with the song, what it might mean to them, or what they might hear in it..... I know i'm totally overthinking this, it's just always something i've felt strongly about it!

What do you normally do "early in the morning"?

Nothing out of the ordinary, i used to not be a morning person, the majority of my life was lived long after the sun went down, but since i've been touring and traveling that's all changed, i'm up most days just as the sun is rising, or not long afterwards. I love the mornings now, if i'm home in Dublin (which is rare), i like to go for walks along the canal near my house.

Can you recommend us a good movie to watch in Spring?

Hmmmmm, i'm trying to think of a movie that is in someway related to the spring, i guess something to do with flowers blooming or rebirth? Nah, just go watch the Big Lebowski, that movie is good for all seasons.

Which album are you most looking forward to in 2012?

the new Beach House record, i think it's going to be something incredible, every album has been a huge step forward for them, their sound is just becoming so singular and lush, and the songs are incredible.
Also the new Fiona Apple album, assuming it comes out this year, she is a big hero of mine, her albums were such a huge inspiration to me when i was just starting out.

Finally, what can we expect from James Vincent McMorrow this year?

I'm writing at the moment, i hope to record a new record this year, i'm incredibly excited by the new songs and the direction they're moving in. But i also have a lot of shows still to play, the first album is only just coming out in Australia, so i'll go over there, and then we're into festival season, which won't be as relentless as last year, but will still be fairly frantic! Being back in the studio is how i see most of the year unfolding now though, since i've been home i've been in there constantly, i forgot how much i loved just sitting in a room creating sounds out of thin air.



日本語はこちら

2012年8月4日土曜日

The Luyas "Fifty Fifty"



Montreal-based Canadian rock group The Luyas have just announced a new album, "ANIMATOR", to be released on October 16th from Dead Oceans. Along with, they've put out a new song for free download, called Fifty Fifty.



Compared to the uniquely floaty, perverted, wake-you-up-while-you-sleep-with-a-flashlight sound of their previous album, Fifty Fifty feels a lot more fleshed out, and like they've found "their sound", in a (good) way. They recently did a split 7" with Twin Sister, but I wonder what changes we can expect from the new album.

Looking forward to it.

Also check out the interview I did with them last year on Private Dub (JAPANESE).



Translation by Andrew Brasher

Read this article in Japanese
日本語で読む

2012年7月25日水曜日

Guest Lists: Taquwami

On the Guest List, artists introduce some of their favorite recent obsessions and some random things. Some readers might find the style very similar to the same named corner in Pitchfork, but we'll just keep things like that until we can think of a better name.




Our first artist to make the Guest List is a bedroom producer of growing international/national fame who just released his Blurrywonder EP from Void Youth a few days back: Taquwami. Here you'll read about his strange bad habits, bittersweet record store memories and some foods he recommends to eat with alcohol.

Thanks to Taquwami, his new song "2 Luv Again" from the Innit Compilation is available exclusively on Simon Says for download: just see the soundcloud player below.
--------------------------------------------------

The First Song I Learned by Heart

"Yume janai" (It's not a dream) by Spitz. It was in a mixtape my friend game me when we were in elementary school and I remember copying down every lyric from the song into my notebook. I'll go take a look at it again the next time I go to my parent's place.

Favorite Illustrator

Nothing really comes to mind hearing "illustrator", but if I can list some manga artists, I like Katsuhiro Otomo, Junji Ito and Kazuo Umezu.

The Last Great Book I Read

"Iyashii Tori" (A Crude Bird) by Kaori Fujino.
Though, it was probably over half a year ago...

Favorite Music Videos
Geneva Jacuzzi - Clothes on the Bed
Geneva Jacuzzi - Bad Moods
Geneva Jacuzzi - Love Caboose



The Person I Admire

Can't really say anybody... I guess if I had to, I'd go with Doc Emmett Brown. Or the Nohara family from Crayon Shin-chan.

Bad Habit
Wasting a lot of time reading horror stories on my iPhone late at night (8 times a month).
Recently read a really scary one called "The Middle-aged Woman"...

The Best Thing I Bought This Year

MPD32. Really really fun.

The Last Great Concert I Saw

Hmmm I'd say Rustie at SonarSound Tokyo 2012. Seems like a lot of people didn't like the performance but I loved how the bass owned the entire space. And my idea of a good show isn't so much how the artists performed but how much I was able to be completely absorbed in my own world. By those terms I'd say, I really danced my ass off when Rustie came on.

Common Recurring dream

I just realized that I didn't see a lot of dreams recently.

Things I Do In the Morning
Remember and regret what I did yesterday.
Recently I'm listening to Julian Lynch/Candy Claws/Ventla a lot in the morning.


Favorite Movie

Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael (1990).
I still have the VHS even though I don't have anything to play it with or even a TV in my house so I haven't seen it for years. I might not even remember what it was about. But I remember it being really good so it's my favorite movie.


Dream Collaboration

Makoto Kawamoto x Occult You


Favorite Spot

The grocery store near my house. Because they sell vegetable juice so cheaply.

Favorite Instrument

Synthesizer. There's so much you can do with it. I only use hard synth to make a sound and play. I don't use any sounds from soft synth. Though, it's not exactly like I am too particular about this style of making music.

Favorite Record Store

About a year ago there was a Disk Union (record store chain) 10 minutes from my house. It was out in the countryside so there weren't many customers which meant it was my place to shine (at least I felt). But it was shut down. -fin-

Favorite Albums of This Year

Party Trash - Mariah Carey Tribute
Giraffage - Comfort
Nobody & Mystic Chords Of Memory - Tree Colored See
Rimar - Higher Ground
Brandy - Never Say Never
Smoke Room - Collection
Balam Acab - Wander / Wonder
Hymie's Basement - Hymie's Basement
Twin Sister - In Heaven
Sleep ∞ Over - Forever
Tinashe - In Case We Die

Favorite Drinking Time Snack
Mixed nuts I guess but, what a random question!



Taquwami Links
Facebook
Twitter
Blogger
Void Youth

Taquwami to perform in CLARK/LAPALUX JAPAN TOUR!
date: 2012.10.12 FRI
venue: Shibuya Sound Museum VISION
open/start: 23:00
Advance: ¥4,000
Day of: ¥4,500
INFO: BEATINK 03-5768-1277
You must be 20 and over and bring a photo ID.

[Line Up]
CLARK
LAPALUX
DJ NOBU
DJ KENSEI
SUBMERSE
AO INOUE
BUN/Fumitake Tamura
TAQUWAMI
and more.
http://www.beatink.com/Events/Clark-Lapalux12/

Translation by Andrew Brasher

日本語で読む
Read this article in Japanese

2012年7月7日土曜日

What is the future of music?


What is the future of music? The new system of gathering funds straight from the fans.

Amanda Palmer of the indie goth punk unit The Dresden Dolls asked fans to contribute to her Kickstarter, a relatively new fundraising web service.

Backers received perks of various value, depending on the amount donated, some got special edition CDs while others got to have dinner with Palmer herself.

And in the end, Palmer raised over 1,000,000 dollars.

There have, of course, been Kickstarters of this same success until now, but Palmer is said to be the first musician to pass the mark. The platform is used however, but thousands: Patrick Wolf, as I remember, used it to raise funds while he was producing the Bachelor.

The LA Times had the following to say about Palmer’s achievement:

“In the bad old days, artists had to make a pact with a major label to get that kind of money. Now they can go straight to the people.”
-----

The Breezes, an indie band from Montreal that I’ve been supporting since last year, have started a fundraiser of their own.

The Breezes by Chris Kralik
First, let’s introduce them though.

The Breezes are an indie rock band formed in 2009 by a group of childhood friends. They are characterized by their psychedelic, atmospheric nature, though at times they toss the rock band setup, bring in synthesizers and create a whole instrumental album: it could be said that they don’t really like to be fit into one genre. They were previously interviewed in Private Dub here, so check it out if you like.

And while they’ve been distributing free downloads of 80’s music found at garage sales, the continued promises of an LP release this year seemed less likely to be fulfilled as time went on. After a half of a year wondering where they went, suddenly, I got an email.

"The album is fully completed and masterd...It is called The Breezes ...haha. We are releasing it with a local Montreal label Mercy Records this year."

And, the band told us they’d be using IndieGoGo to support their production costs.

Like Kickstarter, IndieGoGo is a website musicians can use to receive donations from fans in exchange for perks. And the more you give, the more you get.
The Breezes came up with the following for their page:

$5 Digital Download
$10 CD+Digital Download
$15 Vinyl+CD+Digital Download
etc., etc., until you reach the $1000 point, which is…

“Visit +1 to Breakglass Studios in Montreal during a Breezes recording session (precise time TBD), including dinner, and champagne at the studio with The Breezes, glass of champagne with The Breezes backstage at September album release show/tour. t-shirt. Vinyl, CD, and advance digital download of The Breezes’ debut album”.

In other words, a pretty hefty package.

Fans are now finding themselves with the ability to directly support the artistic endeavors of their favorite musicians without the middleman. It’s different than just buying a CD. Fans feel closer, that what they’re doing can keep a band they care about alive. The potential that can be felt in this new link between artists and fans is tremendous.

The two videos below are 1) a music video for The Breezes’ new “Promethean Eyes” and 2) a teaser from their new album that doubles as a promotional video for their fundraiser.





To support The Breezes, go here.
The Breezes Official Web Site 
The Breezes Bandcamp

Read this article in Japanese.
日本語で読む。

Translation by Andrew Brasher

2012年6月25日月曜日

Avec Avec "Oshiete EP"



Osaka’s beatmaker Takuma Hosokawa’s solo project, Avec Avec released a free new EP “Oshiete” from the net label Maltine Records.

I first encountered Hosokawa performing at 2.5D with a friend on the way home from Hostess Club Weekender Vol. 1. I remember being really struck by what he was wearing. There’s a rumor that most of his clothes shopping is done in old mom malls in Osaka.

But about this 4 song EP. The title track, featuring female vocalist MOMO, has a beat that drifts around while scattering the scent of good, classic city pop all around. The way the sound seems to expand throughout the universe with radio ready pop, I wouldn’t say it’s dissimilar to AlunaGeorge. And the track “kanashikute yarikirenai” also has a little feeling of James Blake" “Love What Happened Here”.

MakeBelieveMelodies will agree with me when I say this, but for Avec Avec and for Maltine Records, this is probably one of the most put together records we’ve seen in a while from them.

NAOHIROCK and pikey graphics got together to make a music video for “Oshiete”- the result is below. The video has the theme of a city at night, pretty much like I thought it should.



Download the album here:
http://maltinerecords.cs8.biz/107.html

Tracklist:
  1. Oshiete (Tell Me)
  2. Marmalade Boogie
  3. Love Amania
  4. Kanashikute Yarikirenai (So Sad I Can't Overcome)




Translation by Andrew Brasher

Read this article in Japanese here.
日本語で読む

2012年6月19日火曜日

LLLL reveal 2 new songs



If you read our Focus corner you may remember the Tokyo electronic unit we introduced a while back, LLLL. The group is so wrapped in mystery it’s still unclear even how to say their name (though I think four-L should be probably right).

After dropping their “LLLL EP”, they have started to find international attention, receiving mentions on The Fadar and other blogs across the world. More recently, they have even been featured in the Guardian’s “June's best music from across the MAP”.

And LLLL have just posted two new songs to their Bandcamp: “Spider Web” and “Drafting Still”.

The unit has once again decided to go with “Name Your Price” for the songs, so give them a listen and figure out their value to you.


Translation by Andrew Brasher

Read this article in Japanese here.
日本語で読む

Digging through electronic music with Outdoorminer Bob


Photo by Ryoma Furutani


Just to get it out there, I honestly don’t have a very clear understanding of the differences between “Electro”, “House”, and “Techno”. I decided to do a little Wikipedia study before introducing Osaka’s Bob Willey to you. Given where it’s from, of course, I don’t know how reliable any of this is, but...


First, electro. Wikipedia says the genre comes from a fusion of American funk and European electronic music popular from 1982-1985. Electro is an abbreviation of “Electro Funk” or “Electro-Boogie”. Ok, so trying to make funky music with electronic sounds is electro.

Back to Bob Willey. Bob puts up a lot of music online through several different projects that casually switch back and forth from the genres mentioned above. One of these projects is Outdoorminer.

"Outdoorminer is me making more beat kinda shit. not pop, something in the same spirit as detroit techno is my aim."

So then, what is techno? Let’s ask Wikipedia.

“Techno is a form of electronic dance music originating in Detroit, Michigan… contrasting with the breezy, optimistic feel of house music at the time, techno aspired to reflect harsh reality with songs of a more political or ideological nature.”

Ok, I think I get it. Now that you mention it, original techno wasn’t about alcohol and fun dance parties, it had a more serious image.

Here is Outdoorminer’s new techno-infused song, “Just You”:



It's a simple, repeated beat with a ghostly vocal sample drifting above. Yet, somewhere, human presence is felt in this nurtured piece. And perhaps the dry quality isn't too far off from Hot Chip, you could say. Wiley himself explains the music as “Maybe not techno by anyone's definition but it's a reinterpretation of the classic definition "George Clinton and Kraftwerk stuck in an elevator".

Another project of Willey goes in the opposite direction with bright, club-ready tracks: this too is just a temporary adventure for Wiley, who says he prefers not to get stuck in one genre.
House? Let's go borrow the definition from Wikipedia.

“House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the American city of Chicago in the early 1980s. Often simply called “house”, it first surfaced in the gay Chicago discotheque 'Warehouse'.”

Hmmmmmmmm ok. House is mainly 4/4, upbeat songs. Short notes and melodies repeated over and over are what keep the songs at such high energy. Techno is said to have been born from house, and as the two look similar in places, it’s common for them to be confused with one another. More than just techno, there are tons of other genres that have their roots in house. Enough to make you dizzy.


Here is “who says the love you”, a song Willey recently released under the name Cloudy Busey. You’ll catch some Latin breakbeats around the midsection.




Cloudy Busey has announced a debut album to be released in the near future to look forward to.

While this article’s original intention was to explain the different genres of electronic music while talking about Bob Willey, I’ve learned that, like Wiley’s music itself, none can be so easily contained. Yet, how music can infinitely expand from one form is something very amazing. Now, I think I can understand better how people are intrigued by it.

Follow Bob on Twitter: @outdoorminerbob
http://soundcloud.com/cloudybusey
http://soundcloud.com/outdoorminer-1


Hear two other songs by Willey, under the monikers of Paul & Bob and Ice Cream Shout.





Translation by Andrew Brasher Read this article in Japanese here.
日本語で読む

2012年6月15日金曜日

A Living Soundtrack



This time we'll be introducing Osaka resident Matt Aguiluz's Electro-Psychedelic unit "A Living Soundtrack". The band originally started in New Orleans (apparently).

Their newest release, "How To Grow A City", mixes acoustics and electronics to make what develops into a soundscape fused with rivers of nostalgic psychedelia. All songs are instrumental, accentuating Aguiluz's flexible arrangements (Aguiluz writes all the music for the band) as well as the dynamics and tension the band brings together. Track 5, "Video Game, the Movie", with its alluring chiptune sound is a noted highlight.

The name of both the band and the album give an overall grandiose feel to the work, not betrayed by the cross between the icy electronic sounds and the warmth from the acoustics: there is a strange familiar feeling, and the listener can almost see music sculpting a city. Please give the album a try. Each track may be listened to in the player below.



Upcoming show:
Frontman Matt Aguiluz will be doing a solo show/exhibition in Shinmachi Osaka, July 29th at Ands Cafe.

Aguiluz will bring 8 cassette players to use in a 30 minute performance. Each cassette will contain different sounds and melodies; all cassettes will be played simultaneously.

"It should be an interesting night. It's something unique that people may not get to experience very often."

Details:
Place: Ands Cafe Date: 7/29
Time: 7:00 PM Charge: 1000 yen (pays for 2 drinks)

A Living Soundtrack Official Websites:
http://alivingsoundtrack.bandcamp.com/
http://alivingsoundtrack.wordpress.com/

Translation by Andrew Brasher

Read this article in Japanese here
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...