Hemidemisemiquaver

Steve Cobby’s new album, Hemidemisemiquaver, came out last Friday. I’ve been living with it for a few days (while also waiting for pay day so I can order the double vinyl) and can report that it is excellent. From the liquid funkiness of opener Jenkem to the inventive electro of The Canyons Of Lower Manhattan, the dub stylings of Babylon On The Hudson to the downtempo Balearic drift of Fixing The Shadows, it never disappoints and frequently delights, showcasing Steve’s love of sound and attention to detail, the little twists and turns he puts in, the joy and the adventure. Double vinyl, cd or digital, you can/should buy it here.

Morning Velvet Sky Drive

Two new Richard Norris remixes for your enjoyment at the start of the week. There’s a lot of new stuff out at the moment, from all over the place and a multitude of sources. It’s difficult to keep up.

This one is a new version of Morning Velvet Sky by Gulp, one that has gone down a storm recently with punters at A Love From Outer Space. Pulsing synth bass, echo on the drums, and then joined by a spaced out, slightly folky vocal. Blissful. Gulp contain one Super Furry Animal (Guto Pryce).

And this one is Richard’s remix of Drive by Halina Rice, a London based producer. It picks up where the previous one started/left off- whooshing synths, electronic arpeggios, Halina’s choral vocals and some space age flamboyance. Magical stuff.

October’s Not For Everyone

Once a month Sunday becomes our Music’s Not For Everyone day, our guide Mr. Weatherall presenting us with two hours of tunes old and new. This month’s edition is full of the usual sonic delights and discoveries, taking in Faten Kanaan, Syrinx, Sibusile Xaba, Hologram Teen, Yamasuki, T Rex (I’ve heard of them, tick), Carlton Melton, The Gimicks, Dennis And The Menaces, Belbury Poly, Hove, Groupe Dago, The Vendetta Suite, 4416, Paradise Box, Abdou Al Omari, Mugwisa International Xylophone Group, Barry Adamson (yup, that’s two) and Spider And The Flies (Horrors offshoot, three). As you were, as Our Kid keeps saying.

Temple

I’ve written before about Swedish producer Paresse and his slow motion, glacial tracks, landing somewhere between Balearic house and Italian disco via Stockholm. He has a new ep, Sloth Machine, out soon on Belgium’s Eskimo records- truly criss-crossing Europe here aren’t we? The four track ep has been led off by this one, Temples, a throbbing bass, some cosmic synths, plenty of atmosphere and a general sense of forward momentum.

The artwork, from 1896, is titled La Paresse. In French, a propensity to do nothing, a reluctance to work or make an effort. Lounging around on the bed with no clothes on tickling a cat would qualify. I guess it also explains the title Sloth Machine.

Money Dealers

Let’s end the week with some dub, a previously unreleased track from On-U Sound about to be part of a Dub Syndicate vinyl re-issue set (first four albums) and a cd anthology box (Ambience Dub 1982-1985). This is a heavy duty, wandering slice of Sherwood dub with Bim Sherman’s vocals floating above the rhythms. Echo, reverb, hisses, wobbles, sounds dropping in and out. FRiday has come and it’s not a second too soon.

Fearless

In June Richard Fearless put out a 12″ single with an A-side that I’ve been returning to ever since, a high quality piece of modern techno called Sweet Venus. The other side of the single was this, a thumping piece of acid techno, hypnotic and repetitive. The sort of track where attention to detail is utmost- lovely oscillating synths, crisp drums and the cymbals are a total joy in themselves. It just glides by.

Out recently on Fearless’ own imprint Drone is this from Von Haze (produced by Fearless). Solar Plexus is a ten minute exploration of drone and frequencies. It’s too insistent to be ambient. You’ll either love it or it’ll do your head in.

You Look Certain (I’m Not So Sure)

Back at the start of the year Kelly Lee Owens released an album of woozy, slightly off kilter dance music songs. It was stuck to my turntable for a while and will be dug out again before the end of the year. Kelly has reworked a new song by Mount Kimbie, a dance music duo who started in dubstep and moved elsewhere- ambient electronica, future garage. The result is right up my street, a repetitive echoey sound to open and a single kick drum, and then several minutes of build, layers of sound on top of each. When the bass hits at two minutes everything gets spaced out a bit. The echoey, keening sound comes back with some pow-pows. By the time the vocal comes in at four minutes you’re well away, transported elsewhere. Blissful stuff.

Show Me How You Do That Trick

There’s a dreamlike quality to The Cure’s Just Like Heaven, a 1987 single recorded in the south of France. The instruments come in one by one, the quicktime drums and melodic bass then rhythm guitar, followed by keys and lead guitar, and finally Robert Smith’s lyrics and thin vocals, inspired by a trip to Beachy Head with Mary. Smith says it is about ‘kissing and fainting to the floor’ and that sense of giddy weightlessness crosses over into the music.

Just Like Heaven

Dinosaur Jr’s 1989 cover is faster, louder and messier. It still carries the sense of weightlessness but is rooted in small venues, spilt beer and feedback.

Just Like Heaven

No State

Godspeed You! Black Emperor have a new album out, Luciferian Towers, another state of the world address and an attempt to topple global capitalism with noisy instrumental music. Song titles like Bosses Hang Pt I to III and Anthem For No State give you an idea of where their heads are at. If you are familiar with their back catalogue there’s nothing here that will especially surprise you but the power, drama and intensity in the playing are as impressive as they’ve always been.

Anthem For No State Pt III

Do Not Attempt To Speak! It Will Serve No Purpose…

‘…since I know why you have come! But your quest is in vain! You cannot save your world from being ravished by Galactus!’ The colour, vibrancy, movement and energy in these Jack Kirby frames is something else.

The opening track from 808 State’s 1989 album 90 is the first track on the memory stick in the family car at the moment. I can’t get past it, hitting replay time after time while running around- the melodic intro, then the breakbeat and busy bass, synths in technicolour and Vanessa’s spoken/sung vocal…. ‘come with me and have no fear, just close your eyes and disappear’. Dead stop.

Magical Dream