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Dusted Features
Every Friday, Dusted Magazine publishes a series of music-related lists compiled by our favorite artists. This week: Black Dice and Turzi.
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Listed: Black Dice + Turzi
Black Dice
Once an in-your-face noise act out of Providence, then a soundscaping quartet on DFA, now a tonal trio on Paw Tracks, Black Dice have been one of the biggest names in experimental music over the past five years, and one of the only such acts to have achieved mainstream success. Their breakout record, Beaches & Canyons was an epochal record for their loosely defined genre, spurring one of the most impassioned and academic breakdowns in Dusted's history, earning itself a place on many year-end lists, and paving the way for imitators and inspirees for years to come. Current lineup Eric Copeland, Bjorn Copeland and Aaron Warren (who penned this week's list) worked together to create the new 12” Roll Up/Drool, and have a new full-length coming next month, Load Blown, their first since 2004's Miles of Smiles. Roll Up/Drool is out now on Paw Tracks. Look for the Dice on tour in October and November.
1. Various Artists - Glam Crazee
I found this 1990 comp on cassette on the ground in a pile of trash when I first moved to Brooklyn, and grew to love it despite its gross inequality of tracks. It has some killer cheesy novelty stuff like "I Can Do It" by The Rubettes & "Son Of My Father" by Chicory Tip. And some solid shit like "New York Groove" by Hello, and Sweet's "Ballroom Blitz" that you might not have a copy of elsewhere. But then there's some crap like Elton John's "Saturday Night's Alright" and you understand why it was in the trash. There was a VHS series that accompanied this release that was pretty cool too as I recall, but Velvet Tinmine it ain't.
2. Ananda Shankar - "Raghupati"
I copied these Ananda Shankar records off my friend Barry and the first time this tune came up on shuffle I was pumped! Sounds like some freaky 60's love-cult chanting that mournful and joyous refrain as the sitar jams out the door. I read on Wikipedia that this song was in Grand Theft Auto, which makes me wonder if I should seek out more new music thru the gaming world.
3. Space - Just Blue
I got all the Space records as soon as I heard 'em, cuz this sorta dramatic swoopy synth disco really does it for me. Sorta reminds me of The Ventures and Goblin all at once, while pumping arpeggiated synths and straight snare/kick hold it together. The cover on this record has an airbrush painting of some kinda aqua surfing space ship and that's what this music sounds like to me: some kind of virtual-reality jet ski ride thru a canyon.
4. Illes - "Nem Erdekel Amit Mondsz"
Dunno anything about these guys- 'cept they're Hungarian. Eric has the whole record on cassette and we listen to it at practice sometimes. But I got it on the all-around excellent Prog Is Not A Four Letter Word comp. Those tremelo'd vocals remind me of Mutantes sorta but the main vocal hook is even more extreme, sounds like it’s goin' thru a Small Stone.
5. Irma Thomas - In Between Tears
This excellent LP was released on Swamp Dogg’s short-lived Fungus Records and features much of the Swamp Dogg Band as well as having lotsa Jerry Williams-penned tunes. The record’s full of tales of living with infidelity as well as being the other woman, and generally being tough in the face of hard times, and has some bitchin' singing by Irma Thomas. The arrangements are dramatic and funky and the record is always at the front of my current listening stack. Just slightly ahead of Total Destruction To Your Mind by Mr. Dogg himself.
6. Andrew Douglas Rothbard “Bull In The Dell
This guy’s a bro of mine from Colorado, and he laid his self-titled solo record on me this summer and I am listening to it quite a bit. He was in the cult post-HC group The VSS, then Slaves AKA Pleasure Forever, and now he is turning out this wicked solo psych shit. This track manages to remind me of Suspiria, SRC, and some baroque 60’s pop shit like I dunno Billy Nichols or something. And has some wicked guitar shreddery. But does anyone know his first band, Linus, from Longmont, Colorado? I was there.
7. Dido - “White Flag”
Now here’s an artist probably not much discussed on this site. But the first time I heard this song on the radio a few years back, I was floored. The minimal funky beat cuts against the sappy sentimental acoustic guitars and synth strings. The narrative of love lost and love unrequited set in the nautical metaphor has a blend of drama & toughness that reminds me of the Shangri-La’s or something. Not a popular choice in the van, don’t think its made it all the way thru even once.
8. Exuma - “22nd Century”
My friend from high school’s dad was this white-rasta recluse who lived in his mom’s attic in Pennsylvania. He had a shitload of records and when my friend would go visit him, he’d always discover some new music. This one time he came back with two records that he said were his dad’s favorite. One was this sorta tame proggy band Aorta and the other was Exuma. Exuma’s this late 60’s early 70’s folky guy from the Caribbean who has a jangly raspy sound sorta like Richie Havens. But his songs are often apocalyptic and about voodoo. The records all have crude self- painted covers. The first three are really solid, and each LP has at least one really downer track. This record, Do Wah Nanny, is sorta late, and seems like he was trying for a broader appeal. But this 9-minute spartan arrangement chronicling man’s demise in the coming centuries seems unlikely to have achieved that goal. But I love it.
9. Black Uhuru - Dub Factor
I remember hearing this record a lot when I was growing up. My dad loved this shit and new age music. And I hated reggae and dub for a really long time. But when I finally started checking out reggae & dub for myself, Nic Offer from !!! recommended this record to me. Its cool cuz its right at the tip of digital production, so it has rootsy tracks, but totally extreme processing like digital chorus and vocoding and shit. “Big Spliff” was totally familiar to me, yet new and appreciated for the first time.
10. Lothar & The Hand People - "Machines”
Bjorn & Eric’s dad was briefly in this band! Played triangle as the family lore goes. This song is so crude and low-tech, but somehow really celebrates the impending union of man & robot that is the age we currently reside in. Think I might have put this jam on a different list once before, but its just that good….. !
Turzi
Romain Turzi wants to bring back the term " psychegaelic." The 28-year-old Parisian is trying to introduce France's psych scene to an international audience (probably because everyone in his hometown is too busy 'ed banging to pay attention). Formerly on Air's Record Makers label, Turzi switched to Kemado Records for its U.S. release of the unGooglable A, hoping that the label famous for bringing Sweden's Dungen to the states can work some similar magic for this French five-some. Like Dungen's Gustav Ejstes , Turzi is basically a one-man band with an entourage, and he'll have them in tow when he plays four dates in New York Oct. 17-20. A hit stores across America on Sept. 4.
1. Igor Wakhevitch - Hathor ou Liturgie du Souffle Pour la Ré surrection des Morts (Atlantic 1973)
Terry Riley’s assistant in his Paris years, a masse for the resurrection of the dead…It’s pre-techno, very abusive and provocative.
2. Jeanne Marie Sens - "Tape, Tape, Tape" from Jeux de Mots (Atlantic 1974)
A forgotten French singer, she did records for the children. Most of this album is rubbish but that track is a chef d’œuvre. A nice cross between Brigitte Fontanel and Jean Claude Vanier.
3. Gong - Continental Circus (Philips 1970)
A motorcycle race perfumed by David Allen’s sliding delayed guitar. A strong bluesy rhythm section without bridges… as straight as a motorway and as a French motorway.
4. Catherine Ribeiro & Alpes - Paix (Philips 1973)
Cosmophone, Percuphone, … waves of organs not so far than soft machine’s so special sound, bangs of baritone guitar… that’s the Secret of Patrick Moulet’s Alpes. About Catherine Ribeiro’s voice and writings… it’s another story that you, lucky non-French guy, will never understand.
5. Michael Rother - Tiefenschärfe (Polydor 1985)
Incontournable hero of kraut rock, he began with Kraftwerk, formed NEU !, joined Harmonia and did lots of interesting albums after. That track is the « good surprise » of his 80’s production.
6. Tim Blake - "LightHouse" from Back to Jerusalem (EGG 1979)
Keyboards and Oscillations in Gong and Hawkwind, what else ? Incredible solos album, sequences everywhere, modified synthesizer ; laser light and crystal machine… so far away from all that« one man synthesizer band » of this time. He’ll join our band for a special concert next week for the Biennale D’art Contemporain in Lyon.
7. Brainticket - "Brainticket Part II" from Brainticket (Bellaphon 1971)
A huge John Lord destroyed Hammond riff that start on the half of the first side and stop and the top end of the B side. The part one is the décollage, the second the voyage and the part three is the atterissage. A complete experience, be careful ! Joel Vandroogenbroeck is a Belgian born guy that lived in Switzerland and recorded in Italy. Now he’s living somewhere in South America.
8. Alessandro Alessandroni - "Coloursound Industry" from Coloursound (CS6)
A Morricone’s collaborator doing some German metropolis inspired stuff, an Italian's vision of the industry with all it’s alienating movement.
9. Manuel Gottshring - "Niemand Lacht Rückwarts" from Private Tapes Vol 4.)
His best track ever. E2 E4 meets new age of earth, an accomplishment in electronic minimal A new start on his late 70’s research ?.
10/ Rhys Chatham - An Angel Moves Too Fast (Table of Elements 2007)
A project on which we participated two year ago : 400 « fils de pute » doing tremolos on A tuned guitars in the Sacré Cœur during a whole night under the ceiling of montmarte. Rhys Chatham belongs (with Steve Reich, Terry Riley, …) to those guy that we're calling our Maitre.
By Dusted Magazine
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