http://www.spannered.org/ Music, art, film and literature from outside the mainstream bubble, a platform for writers. Spread a little mp3 love. en-gb Copyright 2007 Spannered. All Rights Reserved. Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT 240 http://www.spannered.org/images/skins/spannered/RSS.jpg http://www.spannered.org/ http://www.spannered.org/music/1662/ http://www.spannered.org/music/1662/ Erik XVI was a new name to me but on the strength of this remix package from Highpoint Lowlife he's about to be brought to the attention of a much wider audience. Dropping on 12" vinyl and an extended digital selection, the source material is warped and melded into various new shapes and textures by some of the hottest producers currently plying their trade. The selection opens with a fine version of Unionens Sista Dagar from Ruaridh Law, currently turning many heads under his TVO moniker with his esoteric brand of techno. As usual he submits a sprawling epic, constantly evolving with impressive subtlety as jittery percussion underpins the delicate pads. Among the other versions of th … Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.spannered.org/music/1655/ http://www.spannered.org/music/1655/ Apparently Richard Wigglesworth, the 303-meister behind this oddball collection of acid ditties, was driven to create it having grown up near Henry VIII's country house. I can't really connect the rave with the Tudors as a concept and I'd imagine any king of olde England would have been rather perplexed by the idea as well, but I'm not going to argue. Anyway... being a traditional sort of chap, I generally grumble at 20+ tracks on a single disc. Whilst there may be a lot of ideas on show, not enough of them are explored substantially. This is certainly about the only criticism I can find to level at Merri Portland though, as the ideas are generally well executed. Opener Base Introder is a rhythmically confusing affair with bass of considerable dep … Sun, 03 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.spannered.org/music/1650/ http://www.spannered.org/music/1650/ Robots, Castro, Perez Prado, electrofunk and good ol' grandma's cooking. Spannered meets Miami resident Armando Martinez midway through his European tour. … Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.spannered.org/music/1631/ http://www.spannered.org/music/1631/ Marking the launch of !Kaboogie label release #2, Dublin's bastion of bass music gathers together an exclusive showcase for Spannered. … Sun, 06 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.spannered.org/music/1618/ http://www.spannered.org/music/1618/ It feels like an age since I reviewed the first two volumes of this hugely anticipated (by me, at least) reissue series from one of the great British techno labels, and whilst it has at times felt almost like being a little too swamped, with the conclusion of the series upon us it's time to look back at the remaining volumes in some detail. Is there such a thing as too much emotive techno? If there were, this series would have pushed me to it. It didn't. Volume 3 contains the original B1205 and B1206 catalogue numbered twelve inchers from 1992 (all tracks originally appearing under the Redcell alias) along with the ubiquitous smattering of previously unreleased tracks — although I'd take issue with Ecliptic being described as … Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.spannered.org/music/1612/ http://www.spannered.org/music/1612/ Oddball opera, modernist classical kartoon klassics and the tone-transgressions of an avuncular middle-seventies gent? Martin Longley checks back in from New York. … Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.spannered.org/music/1601/ http://www.spannered.org/music/1601/ If 2008 belonged to Flying Lotus then 2009 may well be Nosaj Thing’s year when it comes to the meeting point between hip hop and electronic music pioneered by the likes of Dabrye, Prefuse 73 and Machinedrum. As a debut album, Drift is a great showcase of Nosaj’s ability to blend the coldness of electronic music with the warm swing and ambience of instrumental hip hop. It’s as if the spirit of producers such as Dilla or Madlib was animating Nosaj’s toys in the lab. The album is kept short, with none of 12 tracks exceeding four mins and each blending into the next seamlessly, making the album a cohesive whole that is best enjoyed from beginning to end. That doesn’t mean there aren’t standout moments: most notably the previously released … Sat, 06 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.spannered.org/music/1602/ http://www.spannered.org/music/1602/ The first single since Starkey’s debut album for the Planet Mu label, Miracles is possibly one of the biggest releases so far this year courtesy of a Jamie Vex’d remix which has all the impact of a mammoth trampling through a porcelain shop. Jamie flexes more of the production styles already hinted at on his Hotflush remix and Planet Mu EP, taking the original into hip hop-meets-dubstep territory complete with a bassline sure to shatter some eardrums and rattle a few ribcages. It’s not all brash sonic violence though, with subtle touches sprinkled throughout in the melodies and drums. And while the remix makes this an essential purchase alone, the b-side also has plenty to interest fans of the more hectic dubstep styles, with Starkey throwing a wobbler in th … Sat, 06 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.spannered.org/music/1603/ http://www.spannered.org/music/1603/ With his own productions rightfully garnering considerable attention and praise, young Bristol-based producer Joker teams up with fellow Bristolian Ginz for this new release on his own Kapsize, continuing his recent stint of 21st-century gfunk-inspired dubstep/grime hybrids. Purple City is simple and to the point, with a catchy synth melody carried by hard-hitting drums and a hefty dose of sub bass, while Reup on the flip opts for a more in-your-face approach with a wobbly but nonetheless catchy bassline and some memorable switches. The success of Joker’s most recent releases will no doubt detract from this latest 12”, which ends up suffering from a certain déjà vu despite its strong overall finish and quality. … Sat, 06 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.spannered.org/music/1604/ http://www.spannered.org/music/1604/ Montreal’s finest purveyor of party music returns with the first in a series of EPs focusing on the various musical genres and styles he has been incorporating in his DJ sets and work over the last few years. This first release, as the name gives away, is Ghislain’s take on the Soca sound. Filtering the music’s infectious sun-tinged rhythms and vocals through his own musical lens, Ghislain delivers four tracks of pure party music, the kind that will make you reach for the whistle and horn before dancing down the street. Previous collaborators MC Zulu and Face T both lay down vocals as does Soca legend Mr Slaughter, whose invocations to ‘get crazy, get mad’ are the perfect way to sum up what this EP will do to you. Not for the faint hearted or those who&rs … Sat, 06 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.spannered.org/music/1605/ http://www.spannered.org/music/1605/ As LA continues to lead hip hop’s production revival with Flying Lotus at the helm, the Warp signee and ever-smiling producer has set up his own Brainfeeder label to help showcase new talent as well as people he’s been working with or around over recent years. Ras G is one of the latter, having been steadily releasing sought after 10”s on the Poobah label and making his name known with dubbed out productions that owe as much to Madlib’s blunted boom bap as it does the intergalactic jazz of Sun Ra. Brotha From Anotha Planet is Ras’s second album in about six months and it doesn’t stray far from his previous work, with short tracks, sketches and straight up beats. One downside to this focus on the producer and instrumental work is that it can … Sat, 06 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.spannered.org/music/1606/ http://www.spannered.org/music/1606/ One of the most anticipated musical returns of the year goes to DOOM, ex-MF but still a mask-wearing, full-time-rhyming supervillain. Patience has most definitely been a virtue for fans who have had to wait nearly five years for an album that didn’t involve DOOM collaborating with someone else (see Dangerdoom and Madvillain for more on those if you haven’t already). Was the wait worth it? Or, as he croons himself on That’s That towards the end of the album, ‘Could it be I stayed away too long’? The answer is a yes on both counts. Born Like This is a polished album, one that rarely leaves you wanting to skip ahead. The late Dilla, Madlib, Mr Chop, Jake One and DOOM himself all provide some solid production and the perfect backdrop for DOO … Sat, 06 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.spannered.org/music/1593/ http://www.spannered.org/music/1593/ You can't please all the people all the time, but you can bash them into a pulpy mass. Aphex Twin & Hecker show us how it's done, as witnessed by Fillip K Donk. … Tue, 31 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.spannered.org/music/1592/ http://www.spannered.org/music/1592/ Techno, hip hop and sci-fi elements converge on Mark Pritchard's latest project. Laurent Fintoni talks to the many-monikered man behind some of electronic music's most enduring moments. … Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.spannered.org/music/1585/ http://www.spannered.org/music/1585/ While Flying Lotus grabbed the headlines and attention in 2008, other LA producers have been busy, including Ras G whose dubwise and smoky productions have been championed by Fly Lo and others. On Ghetto Sci-Fi Ras delivers a short but intense musical ride, with 12 instrumental beats that owe as much to Madlib’s blunted excursions as they do Sun Ra or Jamaican dub pioneers. Comparisons don’t quite do this justice though, as Ras manages to make his own sound and style come through despite the fairly apparent sonic references: Beyond The Sky is an irresistible headnodder with its simple drum pattern and hypnotic samples, while Yesterday slings a heavy bass over a disjointed riddim. It’s not necessarily for everyone but if you’re looking … Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.spannered.org/music/1586/ http://www.spannered.org/music/1586/ Taking its cue from the sounds of Detroit (313 being Detroit’s dialing code), Mark Pritchard uses the Harmonic 313 moniker to release his own blend of futuristic hip hop, weaving the Motor City’s techno heritage with its hip hop present while splicing in dub elements and science fiction samples. This mix worked a treat for the debut EP in 2008, yet on the album it seems to take a few listens before it all gels and ticks the right boxes in your mind. It could be because the EP, and the single that followed it, already did well what most of the album does (some of the stand-out tracks are collected here on the CD version). At first the album comes across as a bit cold and overkill, though on further listens some very worthy additions to what Pritchard hinted at in the EPs sh … Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.spannered.org/music/1589/ http://www.spannered.org/music/1589/ Further proving that the rebirth of hip hop’s boom bap isn’t limited to a singular axis, New Worlds brings together some of the most interesting producers from around the world for a 14-tracks compilation of fresh and soulful productions. Jay Scarlett is based in Munich while Circulations is a Tokyo-based label, and artists on the album include Paul White (London), SA-RA (New York), Ras G and Take (LA), Super Smoky Soul (Tokyo), Big Payback (Paris), Hud Mo (Glasgow) and more. The result is a really fascinating and captivating snapshot of the current state of hip hop, proving that the dismissal of boundaries and set templates can be a good thing, as long as it doesn’t become a template of its own. SA-RA throw down some sultry soul on Talk Sex, Take b … Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.spannered.org/music/1584/ http://www.spannered.org/music/1584/ Ever since the name Syntheme started to appear on internet message boards, debate has raged about the identity of the person behind the now sizable number of acid-infused bangers appearing under the name. Initial rumours that it was a new Aphex Twin pseudonym were apparently quashed when Syntheme began doing live performances — the operator on stage was a short blonde girl called Lou. And yet the rumours persisted — she was not, it was alleged, really the writer of the tracks. While the debut album on Planet Mu that follows three storming EPs for the label doesn’t offer up any further clues, I know who my money is on (reference Global Goon’s Saint Aime EP to see … Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.spannered.org/music/1580/ http://www.spannered.org/music/1580/ Filastine delivers his second album, a fresh and uncompromising musical bombardment. … Tue, 10 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.spannered.org/music/1314/ http://www.spannered.org/music/1314/ The latest mix from Fabric is with us and star of the show is the elusive Motor City resident, Omar S. Probably now part of the fourth or fifth wave in the lineage of Detroit techno artists, he is still proudly flying the flag originally raised by Mad Mike and Underground Resistance. Releasing only Detroit artists, and predominantly his own productions, his FXHE label has exploded emphatically worldwide with no conscious publicity, apart from a lack of it. The music does the talking. To take you back, around 2004, in the true Detroit ethos originated by UR, strange, anonymous handwritten white labels emerged out of the city — no artwork, no credits, steadfastly underground. No clues apart from a catalogue number. Bridging the netherworld between house and techno … Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.spannered.org/music/1576/ http://www.spannered.org/music/1576/ Extreme Inuit throat singing and Balkan wedding-band apeshitters? Martin Longley rounds up recent activity on New York's global music circuit. … Sun, 08 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.spannered.org/music/1565/ http://www.spannered.org/music/1565/ Martin Longley tunes into new wave, funk-punk and art rock in NYC, taking in gigs by Tuxedomoon, ESG, ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead and Camper Van Beethoven. … Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.spannered.org/music/1552/ http://www.spannered.org/music/1552/ Heady Brazilian party tunes, bacchanalian beats and a reggae-induced stage invasion greet Martin Longley in New York. … Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.spannered.org/music/1549/ http://www.spannered.org/music/1549/ The gibbon-limbed protagonist of the self-mocking rock'n'roller canon continues to defecate on the carcass of stadium rock from the lofty heights of his stepladder. … Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.spannered.org/music/1543/ http://www.spannered.org/music/1543/ The rumours of a B12 Records CD release of all those rare-as-hens-teeth 12”s from back in ‘the golden era of British techno’ has long been mooted — finally the time has arrived. Seven double-CD packages compiling no less than 98 tracks (!!), including every track originally committed to wax and a rather healthy 27 which have never previously seen the light of day in any format. Last Days of Silence, the recent ‘comeback’ album released after more than a decade away, was something of a patchy effort that never quite recaptured those halcyon days of the early 90s, but the moment you put on disc one, volume one of this archive series, opening tracks Metropolis and Obsessed (both plucked from the label's first EP for the duo's … Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.spannered.org/music/1542/ http://www.spannered.org/music/1542/ Having been an admirer of the work of Edinburgh’s Neil Landstrumm since his early recordings for Peacefrog in 1995, I had high hopes when it transpired that, after a number of excellent albums for Tresor, he was signing to Planet Mu. The resulting long-player, Restaurant of Assassins, took him in a rather different direction though — gone were the wonky techno wobbles of such classic albums as Brown By August and Understanding Disinformation, Landstrumm was now immersing himself heavily with the various UK bass scenes: dubstep, grime and breaks. Whilst his production sounded more accomplished than ever (he has always maintained a healthy range of shiny boxes to play about with, even on stage), that album didn’t quite strike the chord with m … Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.spannered.org/music/1541/ http://www.spannered.org/music/1541/ Glasgow’s Stuffrecords has been quietly releasing some outstanding records over the past couple of years, but with this new 12” from Ruaridh Law, one third of The Marcia Blaine School for Girls, appearing here under his confusing solo moniker The Village Orchestra, they have seriously raised the bar. Opener Dwyer effortlessly fuses melodic electronica, mashed up breakbeats and a relentless 4/4 kick with a classic sample from early 90s hardcore (the bassline from DJs Unite Vol. 1). On paper it shouldn't really work, but the result is perfectly balanced — sufficiently banging for the most demanding floor whilst emotive enough to raise the hairs of the nape. This will be a solid fixture in my record bag, a strong contender for my tune of the year. … Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.spannered.org/music/1536/ http://www.spannered.org/music/1536/ Martin Longley takes in legendary LA drummer Chico Hamilton, Israeli bassist Avishai Cohen and punk jazz icon James Chance on his autumn tour of NYC's jazz haunts. … Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.spannered.org/music/1534/ http://www.spannered.org/music/1534/ Is Shemekia Copeland the lovechild of James Brown and Tina Turner? And just what's in Bobby Bland's bottle of fruity beverage? Martin Longley gets blasted by blues in the Big Apple. … Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.spannered.org/music/1526/ http://www.spannered.org/music/1526/ Glasgow's LuckyMe family are making the most of this 'beautifully open time in music'. Laurent Fintoni meets the idiosyncratic collective poised for world domination. … Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT