Gig #83: Of late 24: Burning Pyre, Laura Cannell, Heitor Alvelos, Alessandro Cortini, Rat Columns, EEK, Blood Quartet, HEALTH, Florian Kupfer, Mike Cooper, Spencer Radcliffe, F ingers, Tarcar

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Burning Pyre Erotics of Aesthetics
‘Taking his lead from Susan Sontag, Burning Pyre – real name Chris Owen – plays with the notion of what the ‘erotics’ of a work of art are, and how this translates to the act of music making, and consequently its interpretation and appreciation. Concerning the act of criticism, Sontag argued that “in place of a hermeneutics we need an erotics of art”, that criticism should involve the writer in a task of bringing to life the ‘sensual surface’ of the artwork. What then, constitutes these ‘erotics’ on Burning Pyre’s beautiful and minimal EP? The tracks ‘Long Light’, ‘Erotics Of Aesthetics’, and ‘Hope Dutifully Resides In The Darkest Of Times’ all engage with ominous, dark tones. Yet Owen does not let his work slip simply into the realms of the ponderous and the nihilistic. Instead, he frequently employs a touch of major chord here, a warm synth there, to offer a sense of hope which stems the tide of the dark electronic waves. The overall sound of these tracks is haunting and immersive, echoing the work of Mica Levi, whose score for Jonathan Glazer’s Under The Skin demonstrates comparable juxtapositions.’ — Christopher Sanders

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Laura Cannell Richard the Lionheart
‘The worlds of folk and Early Music are sometimes subject to accusations of head-in-the-sand escapism, figuring as havens for those unable to cope with the complexities of modern life and musical innovations. You’d be mistaken in levelling such accusations at Laura Cannell, however. Using self-developed techniques of the “deconstructed bow” and “double-barreled recorders”, Cannell combines a background in folk and medieval traditions with an improvisatory approach to create exploratory music that expands the no-man’s land between the archaic and the innovative, transcending temporality in instantaneous compositions.’ — The Quietus

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Heitor Alvelos The Other
‘Faith is the first full-length sound release by media researcher and curator Heitor Alvelos under his own name. Heitor Alvelos has provided photography and stage visuals for Biosphere, Fennesz, BJNilsen, Rafael Toral and Philip Jeck, as well as releasing sound pieces under the aliases Autodigest, Antifluffy and Before Surgery. All sources have been gathered, recorded and produced throughout five decades, all the way back to a recording by Francisco Alvelos in 1972 that closes the release. Elsewhere, sounds have been processed to various degrees, the bookends retaining their original contexts, others mutating into deep abstraction. Overall, they flow as one single composition, evocative and foreboding in equal measures.’ — Kudos Records

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Alessandro Cortini La Sveglia
‘Alessandro Cortini is best recognized for his work with Nine Inch Nails. He’s been touring all around the world with the band for many years now. Additionally, he is the frontman for the electronic-alternative band SONONIO. “La Sveglia” is a track best described as complex, but also makes complete sense. It begins with intense keyboard smears, but shifts gears and becomes a generally lighter sound. Cortini’s musical style can be difficult to describe at times considering he is frequently experimenting with different genres. However, his style as a whole is just extremely rare to find. Meaning, most artists are unable to travel down to the deepest depths of darkness and then transition into the light with such ease. Fortunately for Cortini, Risveglio serves as an example of how great he is at accomplishing this feat.’ — mxdwn.com

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Rat Columns Fooling Around
‘Blackest Ever Black presents Fooling Around, a new E.P. from David West’s Rat Columns. The title track is nothing short of a modern rock ’n roll classic: co-written by West and Mikey Young (Total Control, Eddy Current Suppression Ring et al) it appeared in truncated form on Rat Columns’ album Leaf (R.I.P. Society, 2014), but this is the first time that the original, longer, and definitive version has been given the vinyl pressing it so richly deserves. Its combination of void-chasing motorik, moody jangle, West’s plaintive vocal delivery and Young’s spaced-out synth embellishments makes for a song at once elegiac and relentless: think Splendour of Fear-era Felt or David Kilgour at his dreamiest, strapped to the engine of Neu!’s ‘Für Immer’, and you’re in the zone.’ — collaged

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EEK feat. Islam Chipsy Live at TUSK Festival
‘Not only does Islam Chipsy’s debut album offer a breathtaking ride through Egypt and its flourishing Shaabi scene, but its manic, unrelenting, and downright senseless energy stands as an exotic mirror of our own wanton societies. Opener “Trinity” is awash with this energy, conveyed in the form of apoplectic 8-bit keyboards and ever-rolling drums. Once the track hits its stride — after a mere 30 seconds — it never lets up. Chipsy’s casual virtuosity goads it on and on in a delirious frenzy of trills and double stops, while the stamina of EEK’s two drummers (Islam Ta’ta’ and Khaled Mando) prevents it from collapsing in exhaustion. Their four years spent playing live in and around Cairo is evident throughout the song’s epic 10 minutes, which see them move effortlessly from one frenetic riff to the next in an unblinking and seemingly unending series of transitions. Listening to their high-pitched athleticism, it becomes all-too easy to imagine the riotous exuberance of the weddings, gigs, and gatherings at which they’ve made their name in Egypt, as well as the vibrant if not volatile atmosphere they must bring to the cities in which they perform.’ — Tiny Mix Tapes

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Blood Quartet Dragon Tree (live)
‘It begins with an echoing trumpet tone, a handful of harmonics from a Fender Jazzmaster, a shimmer of cymbal, and a scrape of a bass string … Blood Quartet are here. It was their first gig proper and the launch of the debut album, Dark Energy, and Heliogàbal in Gràcia was packed out. On other days, Rueda, Bela and Coll are well-known Bcn noisesters, Murnau B, and New York ‘No Waver’ Cunningham has long been a resident experimentalist in Barcelona. This is, as far as I know, their first collaboration. What can I tell you? It works. Awesomely well. Slow tempos, heavy riffs, splashes of distorted noise, delicate without sacrificing intensity, it was swirlingly hypnotic and … loud.’ — A Jazz Noise

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HEALTH STONEFISH
‘Though they might bristle at the obvious comparison, it’s hard not to notice the Reznorian qualities of Death Magic. With Nine Inch Nails Trent Reznor married the formlessness of industrial music to radio-friendly pop melodies. The 12 tracks on Death Magic do much the same, neatly splitting the difference between exquisitely detailed bombast (more than anything they’ve done before, it’s a record that demands a huge stereo system and/or an excellent set of headphones) and something more human. While they still don’t have to worry about somehow getting accidentally swept up in the mainstream—a fate unlikely for a band still making scary songs about drugs and releasing vomit-soaked visuals—with Death Magic HEALTH wisely manage to sidestep the errors of so many other ostensibly “heavy” bands, who often chase after extremity to the point of becoming humorless cartoons. After a while, even unremitting noise and relentless nihilism becomes rote and, frankly, kind of boring. Without the occasional beam of light, it’s hard to actually appreciate how dark—or how good—a band like HEALTH can actually be.’ — T. Cole Rachel

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Florian Kupfer Headpiece
‘Explora is one of Florian Kupfer’s most accomplished EP’s to date. Tantalisingly ominous, it’s a stark contrast to the excellent ‘This Society’ EP which was showered in hope and promise, while here he’s gone down to opposite route. This does not mean however that is a depressing record, if anything it’s a pulsating and mystifying piece of work that shows an artist on his creative peak. “Headpiece” is one of his most brutal songs, covered in filthy distortion and utter dread it pushes his sound to whole new dimensions. Thunderous and earth-shattering, it builds and builds into gargantuan size while constantly growing in strength and resolve. It’s a destructive track that rinses itself of many of the usual conventions in favour of a more experimental and brash sound.’ — Alkaline

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Mike Cooper Fratello Mare
‘Fratello Mare, a reference to Folco Quilici’s classic film of the same name, is the latest tropical opus from UK born, Italian based musician Mike Cooper. It’s Cooper’s continuing ode to the Pacific, its people and the traditions that have flowed from that part of the world into seemingly endless iterations within contemporary culture. Recorded across 2014, the album dovetails neatly with his other Room40 editions White Shadows In The South Seas and the post-everything classic Rayon Hula. It expands his combining of highly personal lap steel playing, with exotic music and percussion alongside field recordings made on islands across South East Asia and the Caribbean whilst on residencies and other travels.’ — Room40

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Spencer Radcliffe Green Things
‘Spencer Radcliffe has been putting out music for a while — first as Blithe Field, then under his own name — and you can chart his progression since 2008 in a satisfying arc. His early work takes the form of spacey electroacoustic experimentation, which snaps into sharper focus after changing his name and releasing Sinking Down, his first EP that feels like a complete thought. Over the past two years, the Chicago-via-Ohio songwriter has only been getting better as he finds the common ground between his freeform flights of fancy and more traditional song structure. Those two sensibilities congealed on last year’s Brown Horse — a split with the like-minded R.L. Kelly released through Orchid Tapes — and all of his development comes to a head on Looking In, his upcoming debut full-length, out via Run For Cover in the fall.’ — Stereogum

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F ingers Tantrum Time
‘Extraordinary new LP from a group comprising Carla dal Forno (Tarcar), Samuel Karmel and Tarquin Manek (Tarcar, LST). Deeply drugged, synth-daubed death-folk and DIY electronics of the highest order: acutely psychedelic, inscrutable but emotional, sunken but prone to soaring, with flashes of horror too. Beautifully conjures the mirth and murk of childhood summers…a relatable surburban gothic…grazed knees, hide-and-seek, nettle-stings. Trampled flowerbeds and failing light. Ghouls in your neighbour’s garden. Think Nico meets Dome or Alison Statton wandering The Pickle Factory after dark. If you dream you die, you
die.’ — Blackest Ever Black

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Tarcar Fireball
‘Tarcar is the Melbourne-based duo of Carla dal Forno (Mole House, Fingers Pty Ltd) and Tarquin Manek (LST, Bum Creek, Fingers Pty Ltd). A modern-day revenge tragedy in six parts. Symmetrical, finespun, almost courtly; but quick-tempered with it, and far from blood-shy. A picture emerges: domestic disturbances, pissing on the compost heap, noise complaints from hateful neighbours. Sulking, pouting, goading – a hierarchy of needs. Cold leaves and Christmas. Body-clocks betrayed. Staying up late to collect bottles to smash in the carpark across the road. Marijuana and make-believe. Cracking this thin ice with deft stomping aplomb.’ — collaged

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p.s. Hey. ** H, Hi! Oh, no, thank you! I’m very honored by what you wrote and by the many thoughtful responses to it. I’m very happy to have been able to host it, and, yeah, I’m just very grateful! A post on Jarman’s ‘The Garden’ would be great. I think there are plenty of people who read this blog who will not be very familiar with it So, if that ends up seeming like an interesting project, I would be very pleased to host it. Oh, no, your responses over the weekend were great! I mean, that’s the most interactive and community-like that the commenting section has been in a very long time, and I was very happy to see and get to read that. A big success! Love, me. ** David Ehrenstein, I don’t know if Christophe knows Techine. I’ll definitely ask him. I think Barthes would easily win a battle with me for Antoine Monnier’s heart or whatever else, for better or worse, ha ha. ** Tosh Berman, A very bon voyage today if I catch you before you head off to the airport. I saw the photo you posted on FB of that island, and, whoa, so beautiful and intriguing. It’s going to be amazing trip. Enjoy every living second. ** Steevee, Hi. Thank you. Yeah, I mean, if the film gets it wrong, and there doesn’t seem much doubt that it will (get it wrong to some degree or other), corrections will appear widely. And it’s obviously not an act of slander or a hate crime. It seems like the anti-boycott voices have risen and are knowledgeable in many cases, and that they are swamping the boycotting calls anyway. Interesting. Oops, hope you got some sleep in the end. ** Styrofoam, Hey! Hopefully we’ll finally get to talk tonight my time. ** Thomas Moronic, Hi, T. Thank you so much for your careful reading and amazing thoughts/response. It was really great to be able to read that. Wow, thank you. A monkey forest? In the UK? Wowzer. Sounds fun. ** Hunter, Hi. I don’t know. I think social media’s influence has caused anger and venting to be some kind of addictive drug, and actually doing level-headed work to cause change seems to be far, far less appealing. It’s a very interesting phenom, but I find it depressing. Definitely at least visit NYC and spend a few days or a week or something there minimum. You’ll find out pretty quickly if it’s useful to you. I’m doing quite well, thank you. Sciences, interesting. Yeah, I mean, other than taking a few poetry writing classes in a couple of years at a city college and during one truncated year at university, I never studied writing seriously much less majored in writing, and it didn’t stop me from writing primarily or cause any negative effect on my writing as far as I can tell. As long as you really like to write, you will, and it’ll be fine, I’m sure. My busyness is due to getting ready for the premiere of a film I collaborated on, and writing a new film, and working on my writing and on my gif-writing, and stuff like that. Good busy. Thank you, man, and have an awesome day. ** Douglas Payne, Hi, Douglas. I’m very honored by the company I’ll get to keep in your Master’s thesis. That’s really amazing, thank you so much! No, I don’t know ‘The Imposter’, but it sounds like something imperative to see. Huh. I will start tracking it down today. Thank you very much for the tip. Yeah, that’s extremely intriguing. ** James, Hi. I’ll look for your email. I had a good weekend, and you? ** Chilly Jay Chill, Hi, Jeff. Glad you liked the Menken Day. Oh, hm, no stand out favorites of Menken’s, I don’t think. I’m just sort of generally taken with what she does pretty much every time. No, for reason utterly mysterious, the festival still hasn’t made their official announcement, now five days late, and my tongue is forcibly tied until that happens. It has to happen any minute, I think. Thickening the text: that’s very interesting, and I think I understand what you mean. Actually thickening as opposed to adorning? ** Sypha, Hi. Political correctness comes from the right and noble place, but I think it’s a generalization that people find attractive because it allows for intellectual laziness. People don’t even want to think about nuances and ambiguities. They don’t want to take the time and mental energy to study the source of each instance of political incorrectness and value or judge it individually. Now that the Republicans have turned into extremists, I wonder what actual conservatism, in the classic sense of that word, is. And I think political correctness is a new form of conservatism that people think is acceptable because it’s generally practiced by self-identifying liberals. I find the faddish, knee-jerk employment of pc as a defense and offense very depressing. ** Postitbreakup, Hi, Josh. Wow, what happened in Amsterdam was so not an ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ kind of thing, ha ha. I could have handled that. Anyway, what happened is to complex and personal for me to talk about. Well, I think I only realized those three guys were huge influences after I had written a lot and started to think about where my work came from. So your not being able to identify big influences at this point is normal, and, actually, probably very healthy. Writing like Stephen King is cool. I’m personally not into his writing, but I know quite a few serious writers who admire his writing. I admire people who can write quickly. I wish I could. I’m just not a natural writer in that sense. My voice is very raw and a mess, and I have to work it extremely and intricately to get it right, but that’s just me. I think most writers whom I admire are able to write their amazing things much more easily and swiftly than I write my things. I think, yeah, you really, really need to understand that you are really, really, completely alone and safe when you write and that no one can see you write or cares what you write and how. I think that’s very important to being able to write only what gives you pleasure. That’s all it’s about, I think. Anyway, that was fascinating, what you wrote, and I’m very pleased that you shared it with me/us. ** Misanthrope, Are you now upgraded? Wait, happy birthday! Everyone, it’s the one and only Misanthrope’s 44th birthday today! Give a private or public shout of joy and well wishing on his behalf, won’t you? ** Kyler, Hi. I haven’t seen the new Woody Allen, but I always end up watching his films in some context or other, so I definitely will. I don’t like Joaquin Phoenix’s acting, no, but I don’t not see films because he’s in them, and I think I’ll get his thing/appeal one of these days. ** Okay. There’s another gig of music that I’m liking and listening to right now. I hope you’ll find something or things in there for yourselves. See you tomorrow.