KILLED in CARS: February 2009

Beta Erko - I'm OK You're OK (Quecksilber, 2005)

Since KIC recently had its hip-hop debut, and there has been a heavy reliance on avant-garde posts on this blog, I thought I'd bring forth a mixture of those elements. Beta Erko consists of the constantly interesting avant-garde and prepared piano maestro Anthony Pateras, his sometime partner in crime Robin Fox, turntablist Martin Ng and rapper Vulk Makedonski, more well-known as part of the Curse Ov Dialect crew. Pateras and Fox appears here on electronics and audio manipulation.

To suggest that this is a hip-hop album is kind of misguiding, though, as there is little except Makedonski's rapping (which is also quite unorthodox) that resembles any traditional aspects of the genre.

Feb

Valentin Clastrier - Grands maîtres de la vielle à roue (Great Masters of the Hurdy-Gurdy) (Ethnic, 1995 (reissued from 1987)

Considering I posted something by Haino, who, among many, many other interests, has become associated with the hurdy-gurdy, an instrument I only know a little about, I figured I would continue the thread, and continue my semi-plagiarism of the 'Freak' list by posting this record. Apparently the technique is different than conventional playing, though I wouldn't know, but the results are much less drone focused, at least at first, and more focused on traditional melody.

Feb

Charles Tyler - Voyage From Jericho (Bleu Regard, 1975)

I listened to this again today on the subway on the way back home, and I have to tell you, for how much people love to talk doom and gloom today, there must have been something dark as fuck going on in Sir Tyler's life for him to put out this album.

Feb

Miwon - Pale Glitter (City Centre Offices, 2006)

Bonus post. Here is a nice electronic album I stumbled on a few years back. There are a couple light-in-the-pants tracks here, but a vast majority are good, a couple even very good. Also, this album is happy, which is more than I can say for some of the other fare I post. I don't know if this is sorta minimal, or ambient house, or a mix of genres (most likely), and I don't care too much. If you like the label, and need a pleasant, steady pulse, check this out in your spare time.

Feb

Nijiumu - Era of Sad Wings (PSF, 1993)

I saw that Danny (go to his blog if you haven't; besides the KiC affiliation (he writes here, too, of course), it is one of the best, if not the best, I've seen in a while) rated this recently, and I've had this listened to and packed away for a while. However, seeing how few actually have checked this out made me feel like I should post it.

Feb

Bruce Palmer - The Cycle Is Complete (Verve Forecast, 1971)

This is a rare solo album by Bruce Springfield's bassist player, Bruce Palmer who was forced to leave the group after pot bust and made his own way by releasing the most ambitious and uncompromising record, consisting of four largely instrumental, improvised-sounding psychedelic-jazz and more loosely eccentric sounds.

It's hard to imagine how Verve Forecast tried to market this record as it really didn't have a prayer of getting radio play.

Feb

Lee Rockey - Lee Rockey Music (De Stijl, 2007)

Here is a better description than I have time to write. What you need to know is the violin is the sound-source, but the end product is at times jazz, at times avantgarde electronics, and at times noise. That this was created and forgotten over 30 years ago should impress, but the fact that it holds up today is what is most important.

Feb

Count Bass D - Dwight Spitz (High Times, 2002)

Here is my attempt to lighten the mood a bit here on KiC. I first heard Count Bass D on the Doom track "Potholderz" and instantly fell in love with his voice. This album really showcases his production style as well, which surely predicts the feel of Madvillainy. It's sample heavy, jazzy, and a whole lot of fun. It's not harsh noise or indie-pop, but I think it should do the trick.

Feb

Jocy de Oliveira - Estórias para Voz, Instrumentos Acústicos e Eletrônicos (Fermata, 1981)

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The title sets the hierarchy right away, and correctly so. The voice here is the key, but these are not simply pieces centered around babbling, or pre-Meredith Monk vocal studies. There is that element, but as Danny points out below, while you're immediately subjected to hand percussion, electronic noise, layered clips of laughing and trilling, this still is exceptionally Brazilian.

Feb

Irena Havlová and Vojtĕch Havel - Little Blue Nothing (ARTA, 1991)

This here, along with the Vladimir Martynov album I posted earlier, is one of the coolest psuedo-classical albums I've come across recently. You should really check out everything on the list this is posted to on RYM (the Freak is adored, etc.). Here we have somewhat minimal voices, perhaps what Glass would sound like if he was actually as good as everyone makes him out to be, plus there are harsh, stuttered strings and other fragments brought into the fold.