Jesu / Battle Of Mice - Split
By decker | August 19, 2008
I don’t tend to follow music press all that much, surprisingly. I just check new releases and pop through artist websites with a good amount of frequency, catch little bits of information regarding new and upcoming releases peripherally along the way and then seek it out. Rinse, repeat.
I have heard nothing about this release until this evening as I surfed music and artist sites. Released just a week ago and apparently in the works for some time, Jesu and Battle Of Mice come correct with their split release on Robotic Empire. With each of the bands offering two audio novels - rumored tobethe final two from Battle Of Mice (please say it ain’t so!) - they both expand on the sonics and mood from previous efforts in both composition and emotion, both delivering quite deeper and more intense expressions of similar themes from earlier work with the addition and incorporation of electronics, effects, synthesizers, and such. Justin Broadrick gets a little more melancholic andemo and despressive than before under his Jesu alias, while Julie Christmas and company represent far more sinister than anything preceding this split. It all adds up to a pretty heavy listen.
With neither band mentioning anything anywhere online as of this entry, the limited edition (2,000 if I read correctly) status of both the vinyl and CD version releases, the shift in mood and sound for each group… I’m curious how this one will be received among old fans and new. Nevertheless, it comes highlyu recommended from Grindthieves.com.
Jesu / Battle Of Mice - Split
Jesu - “Clear Stream”
Jesu - “Falling From Grace”
Battle Of Mice - “The Bishop”
Battle Of Mice - “Yellow & Black”
- Jesu / Battle Of Mice - Split at Boomkat
- Jesu website
- Jesu on Myspace
- Battle Of Mice website
- Battle Of Mic on Myspace
- Robotic Empire website
On an aside - It’s not secret that I’m fairly infatuated with Julie Christmas, the incredibly talented and haunting beauty who fronts both Battle Of Mice and Made Out Of Babies (among other projects). I started a photo gallery with all the images I manage to run across during my online adventures. Feel free to send me any you don’t see included.
- Jule Christmas photo gallery
Topics: Battle Of Mice, Jesu, Julie Christmas, Music, Noise, Noise Rock, Post Rock, Post-Metal, Releases, Shoegaze | No Comments »
King Britt presents Sylk 130 - When The Funk Hits The Fan
By decker | August 19, 2008
Switching up quite a bit from where Grindthieves.com usually resides - which is sort of saying something, as I rather pride myself on enjoying and presenting an already diverse batch of music on the regular - we are delving into sonic solar systems inhabited by funk, soul, jazz, rare groove, hip hop, spoken word… All of which is tied together and executed with a decidedly house music mentality via King Britt.
This release holds a special place in my heart for a variety of reasons. When I first checked this release, I was very decidedly done with “rave” music of the house and techno variety, having made a very definite move into jungle/drum.n.bass and hardcore/breakcore realms. The midwest USA supplied me with both, it was just a matter of choice at the time. I’d seen, enjoyed, appreciated, and understood plenty of legends known and unknown in house, techno, and more “rave” and “friendly” varieties of dance music. As a result, I’d taken detours in music listening and appreciation by following record label connections, production teams, booking agencies, management companies, and the like. Somehow along the way after seeing Josh Wink several times, I caught wind of King Britt. I didn’t dislike any of the mixtapes I checked out, or anything I knew he was involved with that I found myseld listening to (Digable Planets, what?!) - and he operated then, as he does now, in a sort of soul and jazz infused deep house mindset. I dare say I even straight up enjoyed much of it to a fairly good degree. This may all seem sort of surprising to the casual listener and the head out there reading who knows me well all at the same time, but then again it may not.
Nevertheless, I never really considered myself a fan of King Britt’s and I never went out of my way to see him play or to purchase anything he was affiliated with (aside from Digable Planets, of course). It was all very peripherally enjoyed.
Then, one day while visiting Minneapolis on a trip from St. Cloud to a show sometime in 1999 we stopped at a record store and, as was my habit, I picked up a copy of every sticker, flyer, and promotional item available. One of the items this time around was a pre-release promo copy of “When The Funky Hits The Fan” by Sylk 130 presented by King Britt. I was a few years into my rave career at the time, after simultaneously spending equal amounts of time in the metal/punk and hiphop/etc worlds of the time, and had a vague idea of what I just acquired… But, I really wasn’t prepared.
We raved and travelled, it was awesome as it always was. I got home to St. Cloud, some 45 minutes north of where we’d been dancing until the sun rose, and found myself still quite at the mercy of what I’d ingested that evening and couldn’t bring myself to fall asleep no matter how hard I tried or how much weed I smoked. So, I popped in the CD I’d picked up at the record store the night before and proceeded to start sketching in my blackbook while listening and continuing to smoke copious amounts of marijuana. I expected some far more house variety of sounds, but was met with a superb offering of soul and jazz, spiced with funk and hip hop, laced with some rare groove and spoken word - all delivered, as mentioned, from a decidedly house music perspective. I was amazed. Additionally, the album plays out like a short film for the blind with the theme being something vaguely reminiscent of a Quentin Tarantino film relayed from the viewpoint of a late teen or early twenty-something b-boy finding him self and his maturity in the 70s and 80s - complete with love story gone awry, graffiti runs from the cops, glimpses at genius, and gorgeous music.
I can’t imagine growing up as a little shorty during the 70s and 80s in some place like the Bronx - but this album represents about the most romantic imagining of it I could ever come up with. It’s truly something unique and special. And very different than what you normally find here. Take a chance, enjoy it.
King Britt presents Sylk 130 - “When The Funk Hits The Fan”
1 Narration (2:21)
2 Jimmy Leans Back (2:42)
3 City (5-6 Theme) (5:09)
4 The Reason (4:53)
5 E.R.A. (3:32)
6 Gettin’ Into It (4:29)
7 When The Funk Swings (7:14)
8 Seasons Change (6:01)
9 “13″ (1:31)
10 Red Handed (1:09)
11 Taggin’ And Braggin’ (3:17)
12 Incident On The Couch (1:03)
13 Gorgeous (5:03)
14 A Day In The Life (3:42)
15 New Love (6:17)
16 Uptown (4:32)
17 Last Night A DJ Saved My Life (5:07)
18 When The Funk Hits The Fan (5:35)
19 Next (0:09)
Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »
AIA - Aineh Popa In Me
By decker | August 18, 2008
From what I can gather with my very limited grasp of the Russian language, Fluctus Records appears to be a Russian netlabel focusing on the tried and true IDM/Acid hybrid and offers free releases of unknown or lesser known Russian producers operating in such realms.
I’m going to go ahead and check out all the material available, as the subject of this entry delivers the goods with the album “Aineh Popa In Me”, a set of tunes released on 08.08.08 and reminiscent of all the foundation builders and purveyors of the delicate art of leftfield acid music and IDM. Glitched out offtime breaks, jungle work outs, downtempo doodlings, straight IDM delights, almost breakcore tendencies. All laced with a wide variety of healthy acidic manipulations and interpretations, both familiar and fresh while interpreted and convayed in an entirely unique fashion. My only real complaints about this material is the lack of loewends, as a whole, for the mastering/etc., but it’s not enough to detract from the sounds too terribly at all. Great stuff.
AIA - “Aineh Popa In Me”
1. Ageres
2. Dica 23
3. DOG vs 2XG
4. ND
5. No lava
6. Pmaws
7. Sosi di 46
On an aside, there is a link on the Fluctus Records website to a Livejournal page belonging to a producer who has releases with them - there is some truly phenomenal photography, photo manipulation, and digital art there. Definitely check it out, it’s incredible work.
- http://fluctus.org/
- http://sillamae2003.livejournal.com/
Topics: AIA, Acid, Art, Breakcore, Downloads, Downtempo, Experimental, Fluctus Records, IDM, Jungle, Music, Photography, Photomanipulation | No Comments »
JungleFever - More001 Promo Mix
By decker | August 17, 2008
With the release of “The Revolution”, the debut compilation from the new More Recordings netlabel, just around the corner, JungleFever hooks up this proper promo mix of all the tunes that will be appearing on the release.
And stay tuned, the compilation drops in about a week.
JungleFever - “More001 Promo Mx”
Unsoundbwoy - Mighty Bootlegs Come Around
Aczid ft. The Digital Junglist - Blaze Da Fiyah
Baby Demo - Killing Teng
JungleFever - Wardance
DJ SKYE - Machine
The Artbreaker - 10731
Palmatron - Resist Dem Oppression
Ebola Soulja - Tables Will Turn
Bro - Fuckin Up Di World
BadWeed - Thatz Gangsta
GLM - I Told You My Boy Was Gangsta
L(3) - Step Forward
Topics: Breakcore, Downloads, Jungle, JungleFever, Mixes, More Recordings, More001, Music, Netlabel, Ragga Jungle | No Comments »
Stormfield - Anger Finds A Way
By decker | August 11, 2008
If you haven’t already gotten a grasp of what we here at Grindthieves.com go absolutely gaga over when it comes to dubstep, the subject of this entry will put you directly in touch - and give you a little dose of some choice seasonings from other soundsets, as well.
Coming to us by the ever awesome and increasingly mighty Combat Recordings, Stormfield converses with the alien gods via sonic vibrations and telepathy with this session entitled “Anger Finds A Way”. Blasting off directly into kill mode with a ruthless Threnody remix of some Scorn material, and rolling through more similar realms as it slowly gets deeper and headier, it takes a brief detour into some proper electro and IDM realms. A short jaunt through glitchy experimental realms, and back the fuck out of Dodge into some seriously outerspace rhythms that have yet to be decoded. Absolutely mental.
Stormfield - “Anger Finds A Way”
1. Scorn / Super mantis (Threnody remix) / Combat forthcoming
2. Anstam / Aeto (untitled side B) / Anstam Musik
3. Excision / Warning / Rottun Recordings
4. Stakker / Human Droid (Cane remix) / Jumpin’ & Pumpin
5. Autechre / 90101/51/1 / Warp
6. Modeselektor / B_M_E / BPitch Control
7. Autechre / 90101/51/1 / Warp
8. Stakker / Humanoid (Mystery Artist remix) / Jumpin’ & Pumpin
9. Elemental / Sirens Refix / Runtime Recordings
10. Anstam / Brom (untitled side A) / Anstam Musik
11. Broken Note / War in the Making / Ruff Records
12. Milanese / Mr Good News / Planet Mu
13. Scorn / Gravel Bed (Bracket mix) / Combat
14. Sileni / Twitchy Droid Leg (Vex’d remix) / Offshore
15. King Cannibal / Badman Near Dark (Komonazmuk mix) / Combat
16. ScanOne / Orca / Combat
17. ScanOne / Red / Combat
18. Ad Vanz vs. Gescom / Viral
19. Scorn / Gravel Bed (Zan Lyons mix) / Combat forthcoming
20. Plaid / White’s Dream / Sony
Topics: Acid, Combat Recordings, Downloads, Dubstep, Electro, Experimental, IDM, Industrial, Mixes, Music, Stormfield | No Comments »
Rza - Rza 95 Originals, live on Hot97, 1995
By decker | August 11, 2008
Here.
Short and hella sweet.
If the direct link doesnt work, check here. Hella other dopeness on this blog, been linked to him and checking on the regular for a minute.
Topics: Downloads, Funk, Hip Hop, Mixes, Music, Rare Groove, Rza | No Comments »
Nas - Nigger
By decker | August 10, 2008
God’s Son is back with “Nigger”, the new album most people will probably grow to know and refer to as “Untitled” due to a bunch of dumb shit. As is usually the case, in these sorts of instances. Nevertheless, Nas comes correct for studio album number nine.
Amid the whole tired “who’s the greatest rapper of all time?” debate, I’ve always considered Nas to be one of the couplefew MCs standing on top of the scrap heap of lackluster lyricists. In more recent times, with the passing of some greats above and below ground, as well as the “growth” of some artists toward mediocrity, Nas has risen a few notches and is one of only two or three MCs in the game currently releasing radio play material that I think is entirely dope while keeping it real, to use the cliche, as a true wordsmith and hip hop delivery driver.
From the heartfelt laid back bounce of“Testify” to the equally club/dancefloor friendly and concious headspace happenings of “Hero”, the first single for the release, Nas lights up the mic with gritty and raw street science sermons all way back down to some audio intellectual intercourse with his always superior rhyme styles and flows.
Slick roots blues funk production from Salaam Remi, concious thug stylings from stic.man of Dead Prez fame, Neoclassical hip hop beats from DJ Toomp, some choice selections from DJ Green Lantern, and a wealth more wicked production featuring - thankfully! - far less guest artist appearances than we’ve come to expect and begrudgingly tolerate from more mainstream and even more subpar hip hop/rap offerings… This shit is on point. Straight up.
I’m not bothering with website links or tracklists or anything like that. It’s fucking Nas!
Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »
R.I.P. Bernie Mac & Isaac Hayes
By decker | August 10, 2008
Two hilarious members of our entertainment world passed this week, both of which I’ve been a pretty big fan of for some time for obvious and not-so-obvious reasons.
Short and sweet - rest in in peace you otherworldly and other level pimps.
Topics: Bernie Mac, Isaac Hayes, R.I.P. | No Comments »
Dev/Null - Necrobestial Sadobreaks
By decker | August 9, 2008
Last year’s “Lazer Thrash” was a personal favorite and something I though we wouldn’t again see for some time. Aside from Blaerg, Dev/Null is the only other artist making quality sounds in this uber-niche set of sonic constructs and I’m sure this sort of stuff is incredibly painstaking and time consuming to craft and assemble. But, via Cock Rock Disco Dev/Null throws “Necrobestial Sadobreaks” at us in the form of, essentially, an E.P.’s worth of full tunes and a few more thirty to forty second metal splatter break hybrids of only the most supreme calibre.
Cop this shit and get a little evil and metalic and broken.
Dev/Null - “Necrobestial Sadobreaks” (webpage with link)
01 - Gorechestra
02 - Grind 2
03 - Grind 3
04 - Zombie Sunset
05 - Grind 1
06 - Grind 4
07 - Society Of Defilement
Topics: Breakcore, Cock Rock Disco, Dev/Null, Downloads, Experimental, Grindcore, IDM, Metal, Music, Netlabel, Releases, Splatterbreaks | No Comments »
Back Online!
By decker | August 8, 2008
After a couple weeks of being offline at home due to hard drive failure, I am reconnected and ready to rock once again. A return to very regular updates coming soon…
Topics: This Site | No Comments »
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