arDATE = new Array( "August 2004" ) arARTIST = new Array( "Various Artists", "Piano Magic", "Various Artists", "Various Artists", "Breakbeat Era", "Various Artists", "Various Artists", "Various Artists", "The Raincoats", "Kandis", "Various Artists", "Various Artists", "The THP Orchestra", "The Orchids", "Les Baxter" ) arTITLE = new Array( "Hear You Soon: Part One", "Artists' Rifles", "Narrominded Concertpromo", "Female of the Species", "Ultra-Obscene", "The Hull/Mascot Story", "Cityslickers Volume 2", "Underground Symphony", "Moving", "Airflow", "SHE | A Female Trip Hop Experience", "The End Story", "Two Hot For Love", "You're Everything To Me", "Theme From The Manchurian Candidate" ) arTRACK = new Array( "1. Figurine - Way Too Good (2 good mix)", "5. You And John Are Birds", "16. Field Operations - Constant State of Vertigo", "1:12. Red Stone - Eternal Breath", "3. Ultra Obscene", "1.29 The Heartbeats - A Thousand Miles Away", "8. Glance - Everyday", "1. Front Desk - Flight 800", "9. Rainstorm", "3. Waltz", "13: The Starseeds - Parallel Life", "1.18 The Five Stars - Baby Baby", "A Side", "A Side", "Sides A & B" ) arDESC = new Array( "High caliber debut release from Blue Bell is an indie electronic compilation from former Darla Records worker who got pretty much all exclusive and often classy & groovy tracks from Figurine, Junobot, Marumari, Tycho, Aarktica vs Aaron Spectre, I Am Robot and Proud, hollAnd, 808 State, F+N=Robot, Blue Ribbon, Lifeliner+, Hausmeister, Greg Davis, Sybarite, Technicolor, Freescha, & Lullatone. This compilation is really wonderful. Aside from tis track, the current theme music for my home page comes from this compilation.

FROM STYLUS MAG: 'Hear You Soon' is the premiere outing from Sacramento, California-based Blue Bell Records and, in keeping with the locale, its style of melodic electronic pop is suitably bright and sunny. The compilation’s musical style aligns it with established precursors like Audio Dregs, Suction Records, and Morr Music, all of whom receive nods of thanks in the liner notes. Its seventeen tracks are exclusives or exclsive mixes and include a satisfying mix of established artists (Marumari, Freescha, 808 State, Greg Davis) and newcomers, some of whom show much promise. There’s not a rotten one in the bunch, although most of the pieces, while good enough, are neither spectacular nor groundbreaking. Marumari’s inclusion is especially welcome, given its relative silence the past few years, but while the spectral 'Casium' showcases the group’s signature style of meandering synths and skittering beats, it is ultimately familiar ground, sounding like an extra from the Supermogadon sessions. Similarly, Freescha’s 'Making Oranges: Version' and Lullatone’s 'Ballet Recital' offer variations on their existing styles—a beatless reverie of incandescent washes and an innocent oasis of child-like melodies, respectively—which are again satisfying but not stunning. Two other high-profile artists impress more, to some degree because their contributions deviate from the compilation’s overall sound. Much like Curling Pond Woods , Davis’s bucolic 'Good Morning, Amanda' evokes day’s beginning with tinkling bells and chimes, signifying a gradual awakening with a gently plucked acoustic guitar, and grows denser with the addition of harmonium and shakers. In obvious contrast to Davis’s folk leanings, Manchester’s 808 State dons its Cologne techno garb with the slamming beats and touch-tone melodies of 'Metaluna', and even offers subtle allusions to “Autobahn” with its ascending synth motif and two-note surges that suggest cars racing past. Other artists offer variations on melodic synthpop, whether it be Junobot’s rubbery, vocodered 'Baby', I Am Robot And Proud’s willowy 'Circuit Breaker, Line Noise Faker' or F+N=Robot’s (Junobot and label head Faith Wolfram) 'Learning a Bicycle', distinguished by a looping harp motif. Ringing cymbals and hushed vocals give Aarktica vs. Aaron Spectre’s brooding 'Alceria' a shoegazing ambiance, while hollAnd pairs a Blondie beat and querulous synth melodies in the classic New Wave of 'I Steal And Do Drugs (Mixed)'. The comp’s three strongest tracks, though, come from Figurine, Tycho, and Blue Ribbon, the latter two newcomers. Figurine’s sumptuous electropop 'Way Too Good (2 Good Mix)' opens the set with a stuttering vocal hook ('Insecurity') and then adds a delectable vocal harmony to rinky-dink organ and snapping drum beats. Tycho’s 'Dream As Memory' pairs vocal murmurs and snaking bass lines into a dreamy concoction, and the soaring 'Eagles Fly' by Blue Ribbon distills breezy vocals and massed synth banks into five minutes of New Wave electropop bliss. All told, Hear You Soon registers as an auspicious label debut and a satisfying set that bodes well for its sequel. Admittedly, it hews fairly closely to templates already established within the melodic electronica genre (by the likes of Morr Music) but its new recruits show they’re certainly capable of breathing some new life into it. ", "This is one of the saddest songs in the world; it holds a deeply personal meaning for me. I happened across this CD when cleaning out a desk drawer in my office; it must have lain there in darkness for several years while I was away. I remembered this song immediately, and I began to think about the lyrics as I sung them to myself. Just how are we to interpret this identification of 'you and John'? 'You and John' are obviously fleeting and arcane, as epehemeral as a dream disturbed by sudden wakefulness. Have they died? Are they now watching over us? We may never know, and that is what hurts the most. Is there anything that saddens us more than recognizing an object we hold so dear that all we can think of is touching it, protecting it and holding it close, only to learn that it is not within reach? Despite that, we grasp for the comfort that comes from believing that somewhere, that lost lover, that missing part of our life, is there, watching out for us, thinking of us, and perhaps wondering the same about us. A private note to the past object of my affections: Of course you remember this song; it took our breaths away, as if saying goodbye weren't enough. We stood in each other's arms, leaning against the lightpost, surrounded by a million people in the middle of the city, fighting back tears as the guitar and oboe floated out of the windows of your car. I asked if you were sure you wanted to do this. You said yes. ", "Not long ago, I stumbled upon Holland's Narrominded label compilation called 'We Are Running Out Of West' in the used bin at Twisted Village. It included a CDR that was cracked, so I looked up the website and contacted the label. What I found was a fantastic label producing grass roots DIY electornic music and other stuff, for very reasonable prices. I've included this particular CD this month, because it is a rare promtional items featuring exclusive tracks. They bring to mind the releases of labels such as Sweden's currently operating Borft records, Germany's historic Micrart tape label all tempered by a sensiility given to the high lyricism of the Legendary Pink Dots. Very nice stuff indeed. Look here. ", "From the famous label that gave us the Avant-Gardism series of obscure drum n bass compilations and the East-Westercism ethnic techno fusion masterpiece comes this fantastic double CD of music made by women.And that cover art is brilliant!", "I think the reason I missed this when it was fresh was because of it's major label status. Being a snooty, edgy alternative DJ, I've tended to overlook even the best stuff that comes out on the majors. While certainly, in 97-99, the best dnb was coming out on obscure tiny labels, this Roni Size project certainly stands shoulder to shoulder with the best of that stuff. Breakbeat Era sounds like a vibrant hybrid of the headiest vocals of Portis Head an the best of DJ Olive's drum and bass work from around the same time. The real heavyweight, thoiugh, is the accompanying video which appeared first in the US on a copy of the Curcuit DVD magazine; some stills from the video are scattered below. The use of white plus RGB body paints separates each of the band members into their purest elements of light, while the closing thirty seconds of the video soars into some of the most sexually suggestive images I've ever seen that involve absolutely no body parts; they successfully manage to completely redefine the term 'exchanging body fluids'.

The Bristol, England-based drum'n'bass project Breakbeat Era was spearheaded by acclaimed producer Roni Size in tandem with DJ Die (also Size's collaborator in Reprazent) and singer Leonie Laws. Their debut LP Ultra-Obscene was released in 1999. Combining the hyperkinetic breakbeats and chilly electronic textures of drum'n'bass with actual song structures and interesting lyrics isn't a new idea anymore — bands like Lamb and Baxter, previous bunnies, have done the same thing, and Everything But the Girl, god love them, used drum'n'bass as an escape route from their downward spiral into wispy jazz-pop hell. But Breakbeat Era differs from all of these in that this group comes to rock from drum'n'bass, not the other way around. Leonie Laws is not a tuneless singer, by any means, but her approach is more punk than pop, and the instrumental accompaniment is straight out of the 'darkcore' subgenre of drum'n'bass, a style typified by minor chords and creepy, robotic basslines. Song titles like 'Rancid,' 'Our Disease' and 'Anti-Everything' — all of which sound like they were nicked from first-wave punk albums — give you an idea of what to expect. I chose the title track for this bunny because i found it to be the most mesmerizing and instantly infectious of the bunch. ", "The Hull label was one of New York's best Doowop / R&B outlets in the fifties, founded by Billy Dawn Smith among others. The heartbeats were among the most famous and successful acts on it, and the song featured here is known by everyone who's ever listened to an oldies show in their lifetime. This particualr version, however, is a rare audition tape acapella version of this classic tune. We get to hear a failed attempt and a potty-mouthed Shepard followd by a brilliantly executed version of A Thousand Miles Away. I've only recently become a fan of acapella; if a group is not the best at their harmony craft, the music will often cover up the mistakes. But when a band shines, the absence of musical acompaniment really highlights the harmony. This will send chills down your spine.", "A gorgeous compilation from the Stir15 label, a deep house imprint out of Germany, and every track is so good, it was difficult to select one track for this little bunny. They have a website, but it offers no information whatsoever. However if you visit them, you can sign up for their mailing list and get more info that way. Click here for a complete discogrpahy of the label with some photos.", "I have not been able to find any information about this intriguing release. It's a gorgeous box set of symphonically influence ambient techno, with a booklet full of black and white photograph of sculpture and public places in Brussels. It's a compilation of artists all unknown to me at the present time. ", "Scenesters and revelers alike now all quote the Raincoats whenever they can, in an attempt to feel first-generation connected, ever since Kurt Cobain made them a household word. The classic Rock fable of how Cobain sought out the band after falling in love with their then-impossible-to-find first album is old news. But now, even 25 years after we've heard the first immortal words of the Raincoats, after scouring store after store looking for those poorly distributed Rough Trade singles when they first came out, and finding them, of all places, at the Harvard Coop, after a chance-meeting of the members of the Raincoats in Providence and literally wanting to genuflect before them, we are holding this reissue in our hands and still feeling the chill of Rainstorm. 'Moving' was The Raincoats' last record (until their reunion EP of 1996) and is a triumph of excitement and intensity equaling that of their previous studio work. Some of these songs are from the live tape and are in sharper (and I'd say better) form here. Yet another important record by one of the most important bands of the post-punk era. Reissued here by Geffen with extra tracks in 1995, originally on Rough Trade, released in 1984 onto immortal vinyl. ", "Kandis was the project name under which the first two releases on the Cologne-based Karaoke Kalk label appeared. A pseudonym of KK co-owner Jens Massel, Kandis' drowsy ambient electronica is similar to that of the more abstract of Mouse on Mars or the more minimal of Simon 'Freeform' Pyke or the Austrian Mego label. Although Kandis is not the only artist associated with Karaoke Kalk, Massel's Senter and Vol Wok EPs are the most distinctive of the lot, and, though pressed in extremely limited quantities, are more than worth the effort in tracking down.

But that's just part of the story. While certainly the first two EP's on Karaoke Kalk are fabulous and legendary, KK has established itself overall as a warlord in its genre. Airflow is a masterpiec of downtempo click-hop and should not be overlooked. Check out the karaoke kalk label.

Airflow is a cinemascopic display of atmpospheric development and attention to detail, drawing us into an intimate, isolated world. Kandis is only one name used by label boss Massel; he also records as Fumble and Senking - something we suspected from the outset, now confirmed by all the usual websites. Some have drawn compared this work to Dome, in a more updated stylized fashion. I would agree with that. ", "Something about ambient trip-hop music lends itself to a female lead vocal. Perhaps it's how an airy feminine melody contrasts so well with the tickle of the deep bass line. Or maybe bands like Massive Attack and Portishead have set up a template that other artists lack the imagination to significantly alter. Regardless, the combination has spurred a subgenre of sorts, and, as the music on this compilation record makes clear, there are gems to be found among the knock-offs and half-baked tunes. This is after-dark music, and none of these bands makes dreamier use of tempo and repetition than Laika, who have been a favorite since the humoping 'Drumming On Glass'rocked our world on theire debut full-length, 'Silver Apples of the Moon'. Laika kick off the disc with 'Uneasy,' off 2000's Good Looking Blues release. Another band doing this better than most is Lamb, and the track used here, 'Lusty' (off their amazing self-titled debut), is a study in bold creativity and assertive rhythms. The disc sags towards the middle, getting mired in pseudo-mystical lyrics and by-the-numbers execution, but recovers nicely with the blissful epic 'Parallel Life' from the Starseeds, as featured here. With compelling work from import-only bands like Crustation, Kiwiwest, and Mandalay included as well, the record is an ideal primer in female trip-hop music. My only gripe is that non-exclusive tracks make the disc feel disposable. These compilations should only feature exclusive tracks, or at the very least, mixes rendered specifically for and available only on the compilations they were contracted for.", "I was lucky enough to score a clean copy of this mega-rare 45 in a collection I bought at a moving sale a couple of years ago. The track you are hearing is from an import DOUBLE CD called the End Records Story. This was released in 1957, and has some of the tightest staccato harmony I've ever heard. It's a great record, but it was released shortly after Little Anthony's Tears On My Pillow exploded and overwhelmed the label and I doubt the record got the push it deserved. ", "Another lost Disco 45, this time from 1978, the THP Orchestra with a track that sounds like it came straight out of a period porn soundtrack. Led by producers Ian Guenther and Willi Morrison, the THP Orchestra was a Euro-disco outfit that recorded in Toronto, Canada in the late '70s. THP wasn't actually based in Europe, although its three albums reflected the Guenther/Morrison team's appreciation of the type of sleek and glossy (but sometimes funky) dance music was coming out of Germany, France, and other European countries at the time. THP made its vinyl debut in 1977, when it recorded Two Hot for Love! for Butterfly. The LP was ignored by pop/Top 40 radio in the U.S., but that didn't prevent it from becoming a club hit. THP, whose lineups varied from one album to the next, provided its second album, Tender Is the Night, for Butterfly in 1978 before switching to Atlantic in 1979 and recording its third album, Good to Me. By that time, Guenther and Morrison had dropped 'Orchestra' from the band's name and were simply going by THP. Good to Me turned out to be THP's final album; by 1980, THP had called it quits. ", "This is one of my favorite records of all time, on the incredibly rare Parrot label out of Chicago, 1955. Parrot and Blue Lake were seminal blues and R&B labels at the time, owned by Al Benson. Many fine artists got their start or spent the early parts of their careers on this label. Most of the masters were sold to the Chess brothers, and many of the acts went over to chess as well when Parrot folded. For an exhaustive history and discography of Parrot, go here.

The Orchids, in their few titles they cut for Parrot, have to rate as one of the most splendid doowop groups to come out of Chicago. All of them were from the South Side. Gilbert Warren was the principal lead and composer; bass Buford Wright wrote and sang lead with the group; second tenor Robert C. Nesbary also played piano for the group. Apparently there was just one more, recalled by some as 'Charles,' because in September, 1955, the group appeared as the Four Orchids on a Benson-sponsored packaged show at the Regal Theater with LaVern Baker, the Spaniels, the Four Fellows, J. B. Lenoir, Lou Mac, and Buddy and Ella Johnson. The previous spring, the Orchids put down two splendid tracks in 'You're Everything to Me' and 'Newly Wed,' which represent several steps away from the deep R&B doowop to a more rock 'n' roll-oriented music.", "Timely enough, with the current release of the remake of the film, this may not exactly fit into the 'Incredibly Strange' groove, but it's just edged-out enough to be here, I think. Make sure you check the B-Side too, a total garage version of the song, strictly for hotrods and surfboards. Everyone is making a weekend now of seeing the remake and netflixing the original, and if you ask me, it's a fun time. Start your party here, with a 45 from the godfather of exotica and this cool cool soundtrack theme.

Les Baxter is a pianist who composed and arranged for the top swing bands of the '40s and '50s, but he is better known as the founder of exotica, a variation of easy listening that glorified the sounds and styles of Polynesia, Africa, and South America, even as it retained the traditional string-and-horn arrangements of instrumental pop. Exotica became a massively popular trend in the '50s, with thousands of record buyers listening to Baxter, Martin Denny, and their imitators. Baxter also pioneered the popular use of the electronic instrument the theremin, which has a haunting, howling sound and gives mid-50's horror-films their especially skin-crawly sound. " ) arLABEL = new Array( "Blue Bell", "Rocket Girl", "Narrominded", "Law and Auder", "A&M", "West Side", "Stir15", "Gravity", "Rough Trade", "Karaoke Kalk", "Sonic Images", "West Side", "Butterfly", "Parrot", "Reprise" ) arFORMAT = new Array( "CD, Full Length", "CD, Full Length", "CD-R, Full Length", "CD, Full Length", "CD, Full Length", "CD, Double", "CD, Full Length", "CD, Full Length", "CD, Full Length", "CD, Full Length", "CD, Full Length", "CD, Double", "7-inch 45RPM", "10-inch 78 RPM", "7-inch 45 RPM" )