Mount Kimbie – “Cold Spring Fault Less Youth”

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Evander Hologram

The first time I heard Mount Kimbie‘s LP Crooks and Lovers back in 2010 (when it was released), I was trying to get to Baltimore, but instead I got lost somewhere in DC. I listened to the album probably four or five times in a row while wandering around trying to get back out of the city that night. You know something is good when you can do that without thinking twice about it. That album holds a special place in my catalog, that place where you might share a track or two with certain friends but not with too many people. Mostly because even if they like it, they wont have the same feelings about it as you do, and you feel like it’s yours and you don’t want to share.

That’s why this post is kinda hard, but given that the album is streaming now on NPR’s first listen program I might as well put it out there. This album is good, really good. I wasn’t sure after the first single “Made to Stray” was released but listening to it now in the context of the album its one of my favorite tracks. The track is actually a good example of Mount Kimbie‘s previous sound: complex drum rhythms, accompanied by cold tones and melodies often building into more catchy, danceable vibes by the end.

Cold Spring Fault Less Youth has some of the same dark and hollow sounding qualities as their earlier material and it also expands into other realms. At times it sounds more like a live band building acid jazz-esque tracks and using full vocals from King Krule, where in the past they would mostly just use vocal samples and deep, heavy, drum machine beats. Supposedly this change arose from them wanting to have a more real instrument sounding album that would translate to live shows better than their previous work did. Ultimately this variation makes for a very fresh and enjoyable listen, that while different, retains the feel of previous work. Even if they do change it up a bit, this UK duo of Dominic Maker and Kai Campos still prove they can make another album that is worth listening to again and again.

Cold Spring Fault Less Youth is out on Warp Records May 27th. But you can stream it now over at NPR here. And you can buy the Vinyl at Insound here.

Check out a couple of videos and tour dates and get some tracks below.

Mount Kimbie – Made To Stray

Mount Kimbie – Carbonated (Live Daytrotter Version) Click on for download

Mount Kimbie – You Took Your Time feat. King Krule

Mount Kimbie RA.216 Mix

2 May – Certain People @ Berghain, Berlin, DE Tickets

4 May – Sound City Festival, Liverpool, UK Tickets

5 May – Night + Day Festival, Lisbon, Portugal (with the xx) Tickets

10 May – Poolbar mit Pratersauna, Vienna, AT Tickets

11 May – Imagine Festival @ Kaserne, Basel, CH Tickets

17 May – Node Festival preview @ Tube, Modena, IT Tickets

18 May – Night + Day Festival (with the xx), Berlin, DE Tickets

22 May – Bussey Building, London, UK Ticket

24 May – London Calling @ Paradiso, Amsterdam, NL Tickets

25 May – Field Day, London, UK Tickets

30 May – Bowery Ballroom, New York, USA Tickets

31 May – Union Transfer, Philadelphia, USA Tickets

1 June – Black Cat, Washington, USA Tickets

2 June – The Sinclair, Cambridge, USA Tickets

4 June – SAT, Montreal, Canada Tickets

5 June – The Hoxton, Toronto, Canada Tickets

7 June – Magic Stick, Detroit, USA Tickets

8 June – Lincoln, Chicago, USA Tickets

9 June – Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee, USA Tickets

10 June – Fine Line Music Cafe, Minneapolis, USA Tickets

13 June – Fortune Sound Club, Vancouver, Canada Tickets

14 June – Neumos, Seattle, USA Tickets

15 June – Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, USA Tickets

17 June – The Independent, San Francisco, USA Tickets

18 June – Echoplex, Los Angeles, USA Tickets

22 June – Night + Day Festival, Hatfield House, UK (with the xx)

Young Fathers – “Tape One”

Posted on April 13, 2013 by Jay Autom@tticus

If you are like me the prospect of Scottish rap might sound about as palatable as white-boy fusion reggae. Sweeping generalizations aside, these Scots have in fact come up with something worthwhile, and something that is uniquely theirs.

Their fusion of innovative rhythm and texture—with roots that can be traced to at least three continents—has led some to proclaim them something of a De La Soul for post-globalization. I think that comparison is a little forced, but I will grant that there are indeed three of them (like De La) and that the left-field hip-hop they make is quite satisfying.

Tape One was actually self-released back in 2012, before being given a proper release in January via Anticon. It doesn’t really sound like anything else on the Anticon roster, but that kind of makes it a perfect match for the weirdo hip-hop stalwart known for pushing the boundaries of what can rightly be associated with the genre.

The Young Fathers

Thematically, Tape One could be described as something like pan-Africanism, infused with a healthy dose of dystopic British paranoia.

Weird droney noises and snippets of synthetic ambiance snake in and out of spiraling poly-rhythms. The verses, which are half rapped and half sung, are broken up by call-and-response refrains and tribal-ish sounding chants. There’s even a straight reggae track in there (possibly just to throw the listener off).

The experience as a whole is a little like what I’d imagine the ‘80s might have sounded like if dub, hip-hop and British post-punk had been smashed together instead of separated by oceans.

Good stuff.

Young Fathers – “Sister”

Young Fathers – “Rumbling”

Phosphorescent – “Muchacho”

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Evander Hologram

If you’re like me, you have those certain albums that you continually go back to and visit often. At least three Phosphorescent albums are like this for me personally, probably because of Matthew Houck‘s incredible ability to transport me to a soft, intimate, warm place. Whether it is the light, dreamy, acoustic songs from his earlier work like Pride, or the more twangy, alt-country, fully orchestrated songs from his last album Here’s To Taking It Easy; there is a realm that Phosphorescent‘s music will take you to.

This couldn’t be truer for Muchacho, which soars sonically above any particular place but more lives in the clouds above the earth. Matthew’s silky comforting vocals are still present throughout, but now along with the usual Alabama spirit his songs breathe, there is more wide open vastness that echos into the air. The album floats in and out like waves, starting way out with an ephemeral intro track “Sun, Arise! (An Invocation, An Introduction)” then in to one of my favorite songs of the year so far “Song for Zula“. From there, just like previous Phosphorescent albums, you tend to just relax and enjoy the warm, comfortable ride. Even if this ride flies pretty high up in the atmosphere.

Muchacho is out March 18 on Dead Oceans. Pre-order the record here and take a listen to the whole thing streaming right now over at NPR’s First Listen here.

Phosphorescent – “Song For Zula”

Phosphorescent was touring with Father John Misty and they did this beautiful song together.

Father John Misty & Phosphorescent – “I Would Love You”

Here’s a couple of my favorite tracks off of Pride and a few videos including an unofficial video for “Song For Zula” and a great NPR tiny desk performance.

Phosphorescent – “Wolves”

Phosphorescent – “A Picture Of Our Torn Up Praise”

:: 2013 Tourdates ::

March 13, 2013: Austin, Texas Hype Hotel Get tickets

March 14, 2013: Austin , Texas Red 7 – SXSW Get tickets

March 14, 2013: Spicewood, Texas Heartbreakers Banquet @ Willie Nelson’s Ranch Get tickets

March 16, 2013: Austin, Texas Jo’s Coffee – South By San Jose Get tickets

March 25, 2013: Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brendas Get tickets

March 26, 2013: Washington , DC Rock & Roll Hotel Get tickets

March 27, 2013: Pittsburgh, PA Club Cafe Get tickets

March 28, 2013: Bloomington, IN The Bishop Get tickets

March 30, 2013: Denver, CO Hi Dive Get tickets

April 01, 2013: Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge Get tickets

April 03, 2013: San Diego, CA Casbah Get tickets

April 05, 2013: Los Angeles , CA Troubadour Get tickets

April 06, 2013: San Francisco, CA The Independent Get tickets

April 08, 2013: Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge Get tickets

April 09, 2013: Seattle, WA Neumos Get tickets

April 12, 2013: Saint Paul, MN Turf Club Get tickets

April 13, 2013: Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall Get tickets

April 15, 2013: Toronto, Canada Legendary Horsehoe Tavern Get tickets

April 16, 2013: Montreal, Canada Petit Campus Get tickets

April 17, 2013: Boston, MA Brighton Music Hall Get tickets

April 18, 2013: New York, NY Bowery Ballroom Get tickets

May 05, 2013: Kilkenny, Ireland Kilkenny Roots Festival Get tickets

May 07, 2013: Manchester, UK Ruby Lounge Get tickets

May 09, 2013: Brussels, Belgium Les Nuits Du Botanique – Rotonde Get tickets

May 10, 2013: Amsterdam, The Netherlands Bitterzoet Get tickets

May 11, 2013: Berlin, Germany Kantine am Berghain Get tickets

May 12, 2013: Koln, Germany Blue Shell Get tickets

May 14, 2013: Paris , France L’espace B Get tickets

May 15, 2013: London, UK Village Underground Get tickets

May 16, 2013: Brighton , UK Pavilion Theatre- The Great Escape Get tickets

Darkstar – “News From Nowhere”

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Jay Autom@tticus

James Young and Aiden Whalley’s Darsktar project has deep roots in the post-dubstep, low-frequency maelstrom of ‘00s London. Their earliest releases came in the form of a series of 12” stand-out singles for labels like Hyperdub–peaking with the excellent “Aidy’s Girls A Computer.”

But the duo’s forays into bass music were just the beginning. Like contemporaries James Blake and Mount Kimbie they expanded their creative boundaries beyond the club, and into the realm of song craft.

This evolution was evidenced when they recruited vocalist James Buttery for their debut LP North (Hyperdub)–an album’s electronic ballads ranging in mood from merely glum, to despondent (Hyperdub boss Kode9 dubbed it “the sound of weeping circuitry.”)

News From Nowhere, released a few weeks ago on Warp Records, continues their trajectory into full on songs. This time though, the dominant melancholic motif that has been a hallmark Darkstar’s catalog up to this point, has been stripped away for the most part, revealing something much more lively and open ended—even the sparser cuts on North feel claustrophobic by comparison.

There’s a flowery indie-ish ambiance that pervades much of the album, characterized by celestial melodies and soft clock-work percussion.

The overall feeling to these tracks is much more “live,” and yet the vestiges of their club beginnings remain in the form of slight electronic warps and glitches, 808 subs and subtle manipulation of Buttery’s vocals.

I wouldn’t call it happy music by a long shot, but for an act like Darkstar, the sing-songy, Animal Collective-esque chorus of “Amplified Ease” is probably as close to happy as is possible.

Purchase News From Nowhere here

Darkstar – “Amplified-Ease”

Darkstar – “Dear-Heartbeats”

Darkstar – “Aidys Girls a Computer“

Unknown Mortal Orchestra – “II”

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Evander Hologram

Unknown Mortal Orchestra was one of the first bands I ever wrote about on this blog way back when… It seems like forever ago when I happened upon UMO‘s first couple of singles “How Can U Love Me” and “Ffunny Ffriends” on their bandcamp page. Just like everyone else who heard these gritty, lo-fi, but remarkably catchy songs I automatically wanted to know more about the band.

Not long afterwards I had the chance to see them play in a tiny local coffee shop when they were touring for their first self titled album and I found out a few things. First that they weren’t an orchestra at all, they are only three guys from New Zealand. Secondly they were really an incredible band that have such a nostalgic, tripped out, oddly familiar sound that after that tour they will likely never play a venue that small again.

This brings us to now, two years after all these discoveries about this rising band to their recently released second LP “II” (pictured above). This album definitely still has the lo-fi, psyched out sound complete with amazing guitar melodies and drowny vocals from frontman Ruban Nielson.

What it does somewhat better than the first album though is dive deeper into this sound, expanding the realm the band operates in and taking the listener to the outer reaches of this trippy world. There is more space, more substance, and more thought provoking music here, but not so much that it loses you.

In fact after a couple of listens it feels pretty comforting, kinda like an old over listened tape that you forgot about that brings back so many memories even if you kinda forgot about what the songs sounded like. Either way this album will take you on a nice hazy, strange but really enjoyable ride. So even if Unknown Mortal Orchestra is somewhat more known than they used to be it’s a good thing because more people need to know about this band.

Download a song off the new album and my favorites off the first album below, and check out some trippy videos.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Swim and Sleep

Unknown Mortal Orchestra – How Can U Luv Me

Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Ffunny Ffriends

Child Actor – “Victory”

Posted on December 12, 2012 by Jay Autom@tticus

For the most part, I let my esteemed colleagues Mr. Hologram and Mr. RIE handle the poppier side of things as I feel both are generally much more capable than I of finding the goods. But I’ve been seriously digging on this album since I discovered it last month and I thought it needed to be shared.

It appears that cousins Max Heath and Sedgie Ogilvy have actually been putting out electro indie-pop gems all year long (their Window and Partner EPs are available over at their bandcamp page), but Victory—released last month on Fake Four Inc.—is their debut full-length.

The sound is a slick, seemingly effortless combination of mainstream r&b/pop production and indie songwriting, in a similar vein as Purity Ring but with a much stronger emphasis on the rock side of things and a subsequently broader palette of instrumentation.

These songs are stuffed full of soaring melodies, arena-rock sized hooks and woozy club-ready synths—there’s even a guitar solo or two in the mix.

It’s catchy stuff, that combines most of the best elements of popular music post 2010. Very nice indeed!

Sedgie Ogilvy and Max Heath are Child Actor

Stream the whole album from their soundcloud page:

And here are a few videos from the album:

Mala In Cuba

Posted on October 21, 2012 by Jay Autom@tticus

Mark Lawrence, aka Mala, is that rare musical entity whose influence stretches way beyond his name recognition. In fact, one would be hard-pressed to find a more central figure in the development and proliferation of dubstep.

As one half of the seminal Bristol (England) outfit Digital Mystiks, it could rightly be said that he put the dub in the genre’s namesake (this is of course long before America got hold of things and dubstep became a misnomer).

Lawrence’s early forays into bass music with production partner Coki – self-released on their DMZ imprint – were cavernous low-frequency monsters that evoked in equal measures the smoke-filled dance halls of Jamaica and the moodiness of urban London.

His famed club night DMZ, along with the equally legendary Forward>>, was the showcase for the sound of underground London in the early aughts.

Although it took more than a decade for the dubstep don to venture out solo into the full-length realm, the result is worth the wait.

Under the guidance of celebrated auteur Gilles Peterson, Lawrence traveled to Cuba and hooked up with some of the illest musicians on the island. There, he presided over what were essentially jam sessions played at approximately 140 bpm – his preferred tempo for writing music. With a hard drive full of sound he returned to home to cut and splice the recordings into some serious club bangers.

Among the worst things to befall dubstep in the opinion of this humble writer, was the systematic stripping away of anything remotely Black/African sounding. What had once been characterized by little more than syncopated rhythms, reggae chatter and sub-bass was replaced by lumbering monotonous dirges of atonal mid-rangey synths.

With this collection of beats, Mala reminds us why that original formula was so effective. The addition of Cuban percussive elements creates a very live and dynamic feel, providing a perfect counterpoint to what are essentially massive bass lines and dub delay.

Excellent listening for anyone interested in real dubstep.

(do not listen to these clips on computer speakers, as you will not be able to appreciate the core element: bass)

Alt-j ∆ – “An Awesome Wave”

Posted on September 14, 2012 by TY-rannosaurus-RIE

The UK based four-piece Alt-j (∆) will bring their debut album An Awesome Wave to the states next week sept.18th on Canvasback. It’s been out in Europe via Infectious Records since the end of May and has been met with high acclaim. It’s possible to dismiss them for another quick passing buzz band, epic folk electronica (sounds tired already) that grabs the masses one day and forgotten the next (insert your favorite forgotten artist here). Although I feel these guys just might bring something more permanent. For a debut its surely epic, exploring the corners of cross genres including folk, hip hop, electronic and alternative pop with a confidence in the construction of melodies and an effortless approach to arrangement and technical ability. If we don’t hear more from these guys then…oh well, but I have a feeling we’ll be writing about many albums to come and if nothing els An Awesome Wave has been on heavy rotation on my deck for the past week. Oh, and i guess being nominated for the Mercury Prize means something too.

It’s impressive that for their first album they have so many high quality videos already in circulation. Someone with cash is definitely behind these guys marketing. Below the videos you’ll find a couple downloads along with a link to their Soundcloud page which, for now, has the entire album on stream.

Alt-J – Something Good

Alt-J – Tessellate

Alt-J – Hand-made (demo)

EDIT

Here’s a remix of Fitzpleasure by Jim James

Alt-J – Fitzpleasure (jim james apple C remix)

And don’t forget to check the full album stream over at their Soundcloud page while it lasts Full Album Stream

And here’s a few links for the pre-order (US)

i-tunes

insound

Funkommunity – “Chequered Thoughts”

Posted on August 13, 2012 by Evander Hologram

More often then we would probably like here at Decibelity we post our Decibelcasts with all kinds of fresh tracks from artists we never actually ever get around to writing posts about, and we are truly sorry for it. But that’s why we do the mixes, to shout out what we are listening to even if we dont have the time to write about each individual artist. Well one artist from our recent hip hop Summer Soulstice Mixtape deserves a second look.

Funkommunity is a duo that has so much soul you would never guess they hail from New Zealand. No offense to the land of the Lord Of The Rings but this stuff has some funky, tripped out sound that you would expect to come from Brooklyn, Motown or even the deep south somewhere. Lately however this far off place has had its own electronic/soul/funk movement and Funkommunity is heading this up. Led by Isaac Aesili (who does most of the production),and singer Rachel Fraser this project is a sort of kiwi collective effort with some great back up musicians and guest producers as well. Either way regardless of where they are from, whats important is that they have created a dope, fresh, and soulful sound that transcends the boundaries of time and space.

Chequered Thoughts came out last month on Melting Pot Records and Dandelion was the track we featured in the Summer Soulstice Mixtape (Track 14). The video for it is below along with a few others. But check out their bandcamp page here to get the album, and the player(s) below to take a listen to the whole thing.

<a href="http://funkommunity.bandcamp.com/album/chequered-thoughts">Chequered Thoughts by Funkommunity</a>

Hot Chip – “In Our Heads”

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Evander Hologram

Lately this summer it seems to be extra warm, this is in part probably due to global warming, but it may also be from Hot Chip being so fucking hot right now. I recently witnessed them at the Pitchfork Music Festival, (see video below) and yes there were many good acts at the fest—among my favorites were Purity Ring, Youth Lagoon and Nicolas Jaar—but none stood out to me and made the whole place dance with excitement like these electronic vets did. It was the only time it felt like other much larger, crazier festivals I’ve been to; festivals where the entire crowd were bouncing up and down, people tribal dancing in mud circles, energy levels soaring to the heavens.

That is kind of what In Our Heads is about I think: creating music that not only makes people get up and dance uncontrollably, but also fills our heads with grander ideas while lifting our spirits to some other world. It takes the infectious grooves of songs like “Ready for the Floor” and “Shake a Fist” from 2008′s Made In The Dark, and combines them with the more serious tone and subject matter of love and the meaning of life from the last album, One Life Stand. But what In Our Heads does best is combine the joy and happiness of dance music with the love and devotion that the ’90s electronic music culture had.

It seemed like at times in the past, the so-called “rave” culture was more of a sanctuary for celebration of life, love and friends, while the new wave of “dubstep” seems to be more about getting fucked up to distorted bass-heavy sounds. While this may just be the result of looking back ten years through rose-tinted glasses, it seems pretty clear that there is little dance music today that has any kind of real perspective—probably because this wave is still in it’s infancy. But Hot Chip have been defining this genre for almost a decade and their age and wisdom have helped them make this amazing album, which at times almost feels religious, not in the sitting in church falling asleep while praying kind of way, but in the way that makes you want to get up and sing and dance and be thankful to be alive. And really which would you rather be doing to stay happy in the heat? Me personally, I’ll be over here dancing to this album, looking up at the sky.

Along with this release and all the touring they are doing, they have been exploding all over the place with amazing videos and announcements like possibly making the opening music for Table Tennis in the upcoming Olympics, and headlining the SS Coachella cruise ship. So check some songs and the incredible videos below and try to see this tour I promise you’ll have a spiritual experience.

Hot Chip – “Flutes” (My personal favorite from the album)

This is a nice Major Lazer remix of “Look At Where We Are”

Here you can download the BBC Radio 1 Mix that they did a month ago.

And nothing says summer like skateboarding, surfing, and an epic bagpipe solo.

This ones a bit trippy but well worth a visit.

Also, ere’s the entire 2012 Pitchfork Music Festival roundup video (which I think is probably better than reading my opinions); check for Hot Chip around the 5:55 mark.

DECIBELity

a crippling obsession with sound

Category Archives: Album Review