These new puritans in the anal staircase ?

Je ne m'étendrai pas plus longtemps sur These New Puritans qui semblent avoir les faveurs des médias et qui avec "Hidden" ont réussi un album honorable en transposant les débuts de Coil en format pop, je mettrai juste en relation leur morceau "We want war" avec "The anal staircase" extrait de Horse Rotorvator de Coil (1986). Et parce que c'est un de mes morceaux préféré je vous offre aussi "Slur".

Coil - The Anal Staircase (1986) 
Coil - Slur (1986)

PS : le jeu de mot du titre et un plaisir coupable à l'écoute de "Hidden" ne sont pas étranger à l'écriture de cet article...

Le mystère de la K7 verte & du fortune cookie dans le papier bulle rose.

Samedi matin, le facteur me dépose une petite boite carrée avec des inscriptions japonisantes en provenance des USA. A l'intérieur je trouve du papier bulle rose abritant un "fortune cookie" ; je brise le gâteau et un petit papier avec les inscriptions suivantes tombe sur le sol de ma cuisine : "Clive Tanaka y Su Orquesta presents Jet Set Siempre No. 1 - LUCKY NUMBERS: 1.11.11".

J'allumai une cigarette et je rassemblai les quelques indices dont je disposais. Fallait il y voir un lien avec le paquet contenant la K7 verte que j'avais reçu il y a quelques temps ?

French touch #15 : Chêne Noir - Chant pour le Delta et pour la Lune (1976)

« Chants pur le delta, la lune et le soleil » a été créé par le Chêne Noir à l’occasion du XXIXe Festival d’Avignon. Ce spectacle, aussi bien dans sa forme que dans sa dynamique, amorce une nouvelle étape non seulement dans le travail du Chêne Noir mais dans la conception même du théâtre : En effet, « Chants pour le delta, la lune et le soleil » n’est pas une pièce de théâtre au sens traditionnel du terme, ni un concert, mais plutôt une série de textes mis en musique et joués par le Chêne Noir lui-même, une promenade à travers des poèmes, au sein d’un musique qui, dans leur progression dramatique, vous emporte d’Avignon jusqu’en Egypte, du Rhône jusqu’au Nil : un regard sur le monde et ses contradictions, le monde et ses cruautés… et ses beautés. Un chemin que tous les membres du Chêne Noir veulent suivre d’Avignon (d’où ils sont issus) jusqu’au ciel.

Chêne Noir - Le nil (1976)
"Le Nil" est issu de l'album "Chant pour le Delta et pour la Lune". Plus d'infos sur Mutant Sounds, sur Head Heritage et sur le site de Chêne Noir.

C'est un peu leur faute à eux

Seefeel est de retour chez warp. Pas vraiment besoin d'en dire plus.

Seefeel - Faults by Warp Records

Reverberation (The crooner was fucked), a mixtape by The Offline People

Walks out of the Green Man. Stops and takes off her glasses to rub her eyes. Crosses Bell Street and proceeds to walk down Edgware Road. Hangover skies, temperature in the lower 50s. Porcelain skin, short wavy bob in autumnal tones. Swishes through the crowd, quickening her pace. Looks at her watch. Comes to a halt. Studies a shop window. Enters the shop – Henry’s, suppliers of electronic equipment. Twelve minutes later comes out of the shop with a considerably large package under her right arm. Down Edgware Road. Looks at the sun. Crosses the road at the level of Cuthbert Street and carries on under the shade of the green alders. Turns left. Down Maida Avenue. Crosses again. Walks approximately four hundred yards and stops to look at the canal, her hands gripped on the railing. A light wind picks up, brushing her dress. Barges at a standstill. Walks further down the avenue. Turns right, over the bridge, onto Warwick Avenue. Carries on towards Saint Saviour’s. Starts to struggle with the weight of her package. Takes left past the church. Walks further down Warwick Avenue. Makes a stop. Puts down her package. Takes off her glasses to rub off the sweat running down her forehead into her eyes. Lets a car pass. Crosses Formosa Street. White columns and painted entrance doors. Uphill to the end of Warwick Avenue. Building works. Crosses the two-way avenue, onto Delaware Road. On the left side of the road, walks along the white building with repetitive windows. Makes a stop and turns left. Holds her package with both hands, pushes the door with her back entering the building under a heavily decorated archway. Sculptured bearded face and fruits.

This text was written using Google street view. This is an attempt to retrace Dapne Oram’s imaginary journey from the Green Man near Edgware Road to the Maida Vale Studios where the BBC Radiophonic Workshop was based.

I have to mention that I heard of the RjDj application after it was completed (I know the application is a few years old, I’m still trying to catch up with the kids). I am now aware of the similarities between the idea of a ‘soundtrack to your life’ and what I have achieved although the process was the exact opposite.

Achylles Brown


Reverberation (The Crooner Was Fucked), a mixtape by theofflinepeople.blogspot.com by the-offline-people-5

01 Daedelus - Fin de siecle
02 The Infesticons - World sin anthem
03 BBC Radiophonic Workshop - Sea wash on shore
04 Paris Sisters - What Am I To Do
05 Forbidden Five - Enchanted farm
06 Dr Alimantado - I Am The Greatest Says Muhammed Ali
07 Dean Martin - memories are made of this
08 BBC Radiophonic Workshop - Man climbing stone stairs
09 Brian Eno - The Big Ship
10 Martin Rev - Reading my mind
11 Harold Budd & Robin Guthrie - Neil's theme
12 Abbey Lincoln - Softly, as in a morning sunrise
13 Julianna Barwick - Cloudbank
14 BBC Radiophonic Workshop - Garden in spring time
15 Gene Vincent - Ain't she sweet
16 James Luther 'Jim' Dickinson - Bound to lose
17 BBC Radiophonic Workshop - Jungle at night
18 Sonny Sharrock - End of the rainbow
19 Patti Page - Tennessee Waltz

spoken words gems #10 : Lydia Lunch & Philippe Petit

Philippe Petit (fondateur du label bip hop, participant à de nombreuses formations actuelles incluant Strings of Consciousness ; voir son récent albums de collaborations Reciprocess avec Cosey Fanni Tutti, dDamage, Simon Fisher Turner...) nous plonge dans une ambiance de film noir avec Lydia Lunch en guest star sur un très inquiétant spoken words.

Philippe Petit & Lydia Lunch - Requiescat In The Dark (2010)

John Butcher & Rhodri Davies 19.10.10 London Review of Books' Bookshop

This was the 2nd concert taking place at the bookshop and more are to follow. I must confess, I had never heard of either of the instrumentalists before but I was convinced by the blurb in the LRB: John Butcher, former-physicist-now-saxophonist rigorously investigating ‘unusual acoustics and amplification’ (bad paraphrasing from me) and Rhodri Davies, sound artist improvising on his harp. Two tickets please. I was accompanied by C.R and she didn’t know she was in for a treat. Turned out it wasn’t for her but luckily enough we had free wine to start with. I just love this bookshop. The concert took place downstairs between the philosophy and the literary criticism sections. Too highbrow? Is that a problem?

Anyway, the music: it reminded me of Streifenjunko. If you want an idea, go on Spotify and listen to the album No Longer Burning. But it was more A Calm Radiance Of Light Or Heat than Plutonium Blues (mind you, you could also listen to John Butcher’s album 13 Friendly Numbers or Rhodri Davies 3 Harp Treatments both on Spotify, just mix the two together in your head). But I have to say, the first part was a bit hard to swallow – won’t even mention what C.R thought of it, she wanted to leave. I think what made it the hardest was the fact that everything was dissonant and unfortunately, at least to my taste, this is quite a common pattern in Contemporary/Avant-Garde music. I am not crying for a melody but keep pissing off your audience and you will end up like Hades in Clash of the Titans and that’s no good feat.

Anyway, after a short break and a few refreshments, the 2nd part was fantastic. Perhaps the wine helped a bit but I did get lost in the sound, at some point I could daydream sailing my little ship in a storm. Even C.R warmed up to it. I felt emptied and fresh as you do after a session of meditation (or as I guess I would feel if I’d ever been to one).

So ok, this is not all about new experiences and all the gunk about how it makes you feel and that was not the first time I had listened to this kind of music but I did forget how good it can be and for that, thank you Mr Davies, and thank you Mr Butcher.

Listen to their albums on Spotify and look up their websites: John Butcher, Rhodri Davies and read the LRB (but don’t bother watching Clash of the Titans)

Downtown

Gray - Drum Mode

Gray était le groupe (entre autres) de Jean-Michel Basquiat et d'un certain Vincent Gallo, que l'on peut entendre dans la BO de Downtown 81 :

Aide toi, Baste et le Doc t'aideront (et les Offline People aussi un peu...)

Mes biens chers frères, mes bien chères soeurs. Si nous sommes réunis en ce dimanche matin, 17 octobre, c'est pour évoquer la sortie de la nouvelle street tape de nos deux Buddha bars préférés : Gérard Baste et Dr Vince.

Recueillez vous mes frères car vous avez péché. Par divers excès bien entendu, mais aussi par omission. Car vous n'avez pour la plupart pas encore entendu Save Yourself V.8. Vos oreilles sont restés sourdes à cette truculente street tape pourtant étayée par les plus beaux mashups actuels et soutenus par les saintes paroles de Monseigneur Baste. Mais dès que vous prêterez un début d'attention au long cortège d'invités, vous irez de surprises en surprises : qui une MIA, qui un Major Lazer boosté au Queen, qui un Beastie Boys matiné de Led Zeppelin... tous sont de la partie (y compris Busy P, A2H et même Rhum G, avec entre autres un hommage aux regrettés Qhuit). Ils ont même ressuscité les Dead Boys, et appelé Vladimir Cosma à la rescousse ! Du lourd comme on dit... de leur part on en attendait pas moins.

Je l'affirme haut et fort, mes frères, et devant vous je n'ai pas honte de le dire : "Par la sainte barbe, cette street tape c'est du pain béni pour l'apéro !".


Et pour aboutir cette belle communion électronique, les Offline People offrent une street tape "Save yourself #8, Dr Vince feat. Gérard Baste" (en mp3) aux 5 premiers qui nous envoient un email. La messe est dite.

Das Racist

L'avantage avec un nom de groupe comme celui là, c'est que je n'ai même pas besoin de me fatiguer à trouver une accroche pour essayer de vous convaincre de consacrer plus de 30s à l'écoute de "Shut up, dude".
Au cas où ça vous intéresserait, c'est une excellente mixtape et elle est téléchargeable ici.

Mishka Presents Das Racist - Shut Up, Dude Mixtape by dasracist

French touch #14

Brigitte Fontaine - Comme à la radio (1969)

The Lost Patrol

I also recommend Cannonball Adderley's version on the album Why Am I Treated So Bad! from 1967 (it's on Spotify).

The Staple Singers - Why? (Am I Treated So Bad) (1965)

SurfTastic Rap !

Ecouter Tone tank sur myspace et sur spotify

Trou de taupe

ANBB (Alva Noto & Blixa Bargeld) - I Wish I Was A Mole In The Ground (2010)

Ecouter l'album Mimikry sur spotify.

Se rappeler de Resurrection river (2005), la 2e collaboration Pan Sonic / Alan Vega sous le nom Vainio / Väisänen / Vega. (Ecouter Desperate Nation par exemple ou Red Lights Down issue de leur 1e collaboration Endless en 1998).

pix : Patricia Piccinini

Suckin' blood from the earth

Wooden Shjips - Vampire Blues

and here's the original by Neil Young

(myspace)

Interview : Black Diamond Heavies (Van Campbell)

As an introduction you could read my article "Satanica Pandemonium était un homme : Les Black Diamond Heavies à la Boule Noire" (in french). Van Campbell is the BDH's drummer. He answered our questions.

1. Your first musical memories?
My first musical memories were the records coming out of my older Brother's bedroom, and all of the LP covers an posters he used to decorate his walls. I was terrified by the imagery and the loudness of the music! Just the color scheme of "Never Mind The Bollocks" was really scary to me. My mom had a folk band and they started to practice at our house. Bob Dylan, Peter Paul and Mary, CSNY, Kingston Trio, stuff like that. So through that I really saw how people could have a good time and play music together for fun.

2. The best record you received as a present? / The worse one?
Best record I got as a present was pretty recent. My brother gave it to me. "Hard Rain" by Bob Dylan. Just stuff from the Rolling Thunder Revue days and Mick Ronson plays guitar on a couple tracks. I'm not the biggest Dylan fan but it just showed how raw and angry he could be with a less seasoned but more "rock n roll" kind of band. I remember when my mom brought home the LP for Sting's "Dream of the blue turtles" in 1985 and we listened to it as a family. I think that probably had a negative impact on my life.....

3. The first record you lost?
The first record I lost was probably Michael Jackson's Thriller. I have bought that on tape and LP several times! Never gets old.

4. The name of your imaginary band?
Bushmeat.

5. In which environment do you like to record music?
The best environment is when you can be totally comfortable and surrounded by friends and happiness and not be rushed at all. Kind of like birthing a baby. Unfortunately that never happens. I find recording very stressful. Sometimes you can harness that nervous energy and it'll pour back out of you in the form of total rock n roll.

6. What will music sound like in 50 years / 5000 years?
in 50 years I think music will sound like it did 30 years from now. Everything seems to happen in cycles. 5000 years from now? UNDERWATER MUSIC!

7. Which underrated album will start a new musical genre?
I dunno.

8. Which album should never have been made?
Nirvana Nevermind because I hated to see what it did to Axl Rose.

9. Your favourite album to have a drink?
A quiet drink: Bill Evans "Half Moon Bay". A not-quiet drink? Frank Black "Teenager of the Year".

10. Your dream collaboration?
I'd like to go to the zoo, unlock all the cages, and go from there.......

11. The record that freaks you out?
Ray Lynch "Deep Breakfast" especially while driving through the desert on the middle of the night on amphetamines.

12. The record you would like to listen to right now?
Funkadelic "Maggot Brain"

13. The film that tickles your creativity?
"In the Mouth of Madness" makes me feel pretty crazy

14. The little-known track that everyone should have heard of?
"B.o.b." by Outkast

15. An album or an artist you wouldn’t want to be?
I dunno. Maybe Billy Corgan. I would never want to be that guy.

16. The cover version you would love to do?
John and I have been talking about doing "Highway Star" by Deep Purple for years now. I don't think it'll ever happen but man that'd be fuckin awesome.

17. The mashup you would love to do?
Maybe Ted Nugent's "stranglehold" and Funkadelic's "you and your folks me and my folks"

18. The text you would like to produce a soundtrack for?
Maybe "Rocky". I'd like to re-score some of those gritty 70's movies with some of the really sensitive jams that were going on during that time. Like maybe rocky with an all-Bread soundtrack.

19. Have you ever had auditory hallucinations?
Hell no, thanks.

20. How would you like to die?
I don't like surprises, so I would prefer a slow death...



Go to the Black Diamond Heavies website, hear them on spotify and myspace.

My frenchy rap

Ecouter l'album Chorea sur spotify

Taking off

Tame Impala, Lucidity, directed by Robert Hales