Artist:
PHOENECIA Info:
"Odd Job made it’s way back to Japan, the land that brought
it’s circuits to life. It was with great honor that the Schematic
scientists agreed to share it’s formula with the people of the
rising sun. It’s legend was great, and their ancestors loved
and feared it equally. From it’s conception, Odd Job Discrimination
was intended to be exclusively released in Japan with additional reports
of research. Phoenecia™, the secret inventors of Odd Job were
nowhere to be found. Artist:
OTTO VON SCHIRACH
Title: ODD JOB DISCRIMINATION
Label: Schematic
Format: CD/12" EP
Catalog Number: SCH018CD/SCH018
Price: $10
Artwork: Arnold Stiener
In their place stands their army, a team of specialists. Matmos, the
medics, specialize in microchip implantation and cybernetic limb attachment.
Their report "The climactic battle scene between Rom and Josh"
catalogs the last time Phoenecia were seen before their disappearance.
Adult, the husband and wife assasin team offers a stern warning about
their rhythm black box. With their go-go rapid-fire electrocution
techniques, they manage to be both Adult-like And childish at the
same time. Dino Felipe’s examination proves that he’s been
isolated for too long. His theory is that Phoenecia are in an elevator
somewhere in Atlanta (Atlantis?). We pray that he’s wrong. Prefuse
73 is the cook. He reanalyzes the formula for Odd Job, noodles it
up, and serves us his simple, but effective recipe. Budget gourmet,
exquisite flavor at a nice price. Otto Von Schirach is the recon agent.
His job is to steal the original formula and replace it with the reworked
prototype. "Tre duece ave. smash and grab" is the gripping
tale of how he did it. From the sound of it, he had to break a few
windows and a few necks. Finally, with a soft, deep voice, team leader
Jeswa (rumored to be Phoenecian) submits his sweet, short, and final
report. Odd Job Discrimination has been delivered, and once again
Phoenecia eludes us. These additions make it 13 reworkings of the
yet to be seen "original" version of Odd Job. Other accounts
were issued by Soul Oddity (last seen with Phoenecia), Autechre, Richard
Devine, Push Button Objects, Ectomorph and Godfather, and Takeshi
Muto(also rumored to be Phoenecian). If Phoenecia is a disappearing
act, then Odd Job Discrimination is their greatest feat yet. Will
they ever come to the surface? Will Japan will make peaceful use of
their new technology? Will the cloned cows revolt? Stay tuned to find
out…
Artist: PHOENECIA
Title: BROWNOUT
Label: Schematic
Format: CD/2xLP(Double vinyl version in full color gatefold sleeve)
Catalog Number: SCH018CD/SCH018LP
Price: $13
Artwork: Shawn Wolfe
Info: "It's a long-held belief that all music emanating from
Miami can, sooner or later, be reduced to a simple connection with
early 2 Live Crew, MC Ade, Pretty Tony, Dynamix II, and other pioneering
Bass artists. There is nothing wrong with the comparison. Those prescient
records made possible a generation of electronic music. However, the
anxiety of influence often leads to such hasty and over-simplified
conclusions. Which means that a great many people who hear Phoenecia's
Brownout album are going to be puzzled. Obviously the title refers
to a period when power stations reach a period of critical demand
and electrical devices run at a slower rate and street lights covering
the Southern Florida freeways are lit by what look like 40-watt bulbs.
The record's name is telling, because it is Phoenecia's decisive break
with their past. And that can be heard in the slow, contemplative
way in which the record moves, almost as if it were being powered
by a 40-watt generator itself. And, most surprisingly, the textures
and shapes of Brownout have a far greater affinity for classic 70s
roots dub than with the Roland Corporation's range of standard techno
equipment, the 303, 606, 808, and 909. But that dub influence is immensely
subtle. It's not of the Chain Reaction / Maurizio / Pole variety.
Jazz drummer Max Roach once asked whether the beat lies in the drum
strikes or between them. This album is an electronic dub record where
the dub implements are put to use in between the beat. They slip into
the cracks, peer around, then disappear again. References to and the
sounds of the sea in Western art go at least as far back as Heraclitus,
but here the listener gets a keen sense of slowly moving towards the
ocean floor on the Mariana trench, the deepest part of the Atlantic
Ocean. The metallic baffles sound like a submarine emitting a faint
sonar pulse at 200 fathoms and the yawning gaps suggest a depthlessness
that is almost inhuman. But this is not cold, lifeless, machine music.
It draws the listener into a vast sound chamber where certain features
remain constant, but others are restlessly shifting and squirming,
like sea creatures. Brownout is, without doubt, Phoenecia's magnum
opus, the place where the ideas found in the preceding records are
allowed to come to
full fruition." - Tim Haslett
Title: 8000 B.C.
Label: Schematic
Format: CD/2xLP+7"(Double vinyl version in full color gatefold
sleeve, with bonus 7" of exclusive tracks.)
Catalog Number: SCH017CD/SCHO17
Price: $13/$14
Artwork: Arnold Stiener
Gender: Male
Age: 22
Nationality: Cuban/German
Residence: Miami, Florida (roommate of Phoenecia)
Weight: Heavy Artillery
Shoe size: Clown
Hair: Dreadlocks (with Sand)
Diet: Fish, anything green.
Distinguishing Marks: Fetus brain-child tattoo on left forearm, large
dog bite on right forearm, Stonehenge teeth, plaid pants w/suspenders,
general freaky appearance.
Influences: Bass music, Danny Elfman, Freestyle Fellowship, Maggotron,
Mr. Bungle, Soul Oddity, Secret Chiefs, White Noise, Beethoven , Polka,
Waltz, Beethoven, Gremlins, Transformers, etc…
Instruments: Akai MPC2000 (modified Stradivarius model), microphone,
accordion, Jew's harp, various toys
Turn-offs: Minty breath (prefers pickle-breath), rice-in-the ear,
toe-ticklers, tree cutters. Partners: Mr. Soundwave™, Mr. Microchip©,
Ms. 808, Phoenecian Warriors, Insectiside Juice References/Affiliations:
Matmos, Richard Devine, Biohazard, Gliese, Black Havana, & you.
Artist: VARIOUS
Title: HOUSE OF DISTRACTION
Label: Schematic
Format: CD/2xLP(Double vinyl version in full color sleeve)
Catalog Number: SCH016CD/SCH016
Price: $13
Artwork: Arnold Stiener
Info: Featuring Delarosa & Asora, Jake Mandell, Freeform, Push
Button Objects, Takeshi Muto, Matmos, Otto von Shirach, Richard Devine,
Mannequin Lung, Phoenecia, Radio Boy & Dino Felipe. "Schematic
has invited some other folks to come join them on another field trip.
Schematic's first compilation, Ischemic Strokes, was based around
the concept of Schematic artists remixing one another. Ischemic Folks,
the second compilation, was based around the artists showing their
diversity and individuality -- what it was that defined them as separate
folks. House of Distraction is subtitled "Different Strokes,
Distant Folks". It is a continuation of the Ischemic concept.
Dino Felipe is the 4-track maestro from Miami. Little earthy songs
sprout from him like Hedges. Here is the drumroll that introduces
the album. Delarosa & Asora (Prefuse73 on Warp/ Savath and Savalas
on Hefty) takes us on a speedy bicycle ride through his Paper Rout.
He pauses for a pit stop and a heavy thought catches up with him.
Jake Mandell revisits Japan in the pentatonic climbs of Nihon Sanzen.
Freeform's reworking of Takeshi's 'Mud Dauber' is more of an adaptation
than a remix. He takes the beaty original and expands on it as Herbie
Hancock might. Groove guides the instruments along until they take
on the form of a giant many-headed monster. Push Button Objects adds
a catchy, sentimental melody and an Adonis style bassline to Takeshi's
'Gutta Percha'. It is reminiscent of his groundbreaking Cash EP on
Schematic. Freeblox finds Takeshi Muto parading through Disney World
naked. Matmos infects Devine's surgical steel. It retains Devine's
sonic integrity while adding a cough and some creeping soul. Otto
Von Schirach's first opera is track 8. Mr.Magnesium falls in
love with an android he noisily builds from technical relics in a
junkyard. Complete with a love scene in the middle. Bring oil. Jake
Mandell plays with Devine's balls until he gets them in the right
order. With his mathematical precision, he lines the balls up to bump
and bounce until they explode. o9 can't contain himself. Listening
to 'Happy Bot' is like jumping through walls from an echoing back
alley to the porch of a jug band to a the cockpit of a spacecraft.
Touching, clever, and deep, as always. More healing aural ointment
from Jesse Legg. Key Angler provides a much needed rest in the pace
of Distraction and in Devine's work in general. Although machine-like
and robotic as ever, it is chilled, bubbly, and smooth as a glass
of champagne. Mannequin Lung has Tea with Jeswa. Over a warm cup,
they relax and soak up the glowing rays. The inventor of Plug Research
puts a West Coast perspective into the mixture. Phoenecia reclaims
'Phase Inv.2' and plants a flag firmly in it's center. Pure cinematic
science fiction with an ever-changing, mathematical groove. Radio
Boy (a.k.a.Matthew Herbert, Dr.Rockit, Wishmountain) takes Richard
Devine to the gym for a workout that is anything but rude. Of all
the attempts on this album to remix Devine, it takes the least amount
of influence from him. Guitars and whistles decorate the gentle groove
beneath. One of 5 mixes (the others will appear on a limited 10"
), this is the most whimsical and different of all the songs. Richard
Devine's Fovec Frame is a shadowy theatrical dream where electric
turtles fitted with music boxes and rhythm makers, circle you whispering
softly 'sleep now, the CD is over.'"
Artist:
DEVINE, RICHARD
Title: LIPSWITCH
Label: Schematic
Format: CD/2xLP(Double 12" version in die-cut sleeve w/10 bonus
locked-grooves not found on the UK version)
Catalog Number: SCH015CD/SCH015
Price: $13
Artwork: Matt Pyke/The Designers Republic
Info: "This is Lipswitch , directed by Richard Devine. Once a
daring skater kid from Atlanta, now a computer science student/pioneer-to-be,
Devine found electronic music and has reinvented it in his own way.
In the latter part of his 25 years, he learned to build, manipulate,
and master the machines of modern music. In the process, he has refined
himself with the affiliation of some of today's more respected musical
establishments. This year he worked with director Kyle Cooper on a
Disney film project, remixed Aphex Twin, Matthew Herbert, Slicker,
and Phoenecia to only name a few. He masterfully orchestrates a titanic
array of rapidly moving information, cleverly channeling it into an
organized stream of sound. There are seemingly endless layers of rhythms,
spanning every notch of frequency, spiraling around one another like
complex DNA strands hinged together in a grid-like lattice. Never
competing, never repeating the same phrase. The result is amazement,
awe. The human mind can only process so much information at one time.
Devine knows this well, it is one of his sonic weapons. It is a lot
like optic art, when the eyes are fed too much data and the overload
produces a prismatic, entrancing effect. 'Entrancing' is not the word
you would think to apply towards music whose elements rarely repeat
themselves, but the groove is there, like a strange, mechanical funk
music, and everything else revolves around it. Like a million minuscule
sounds, obediently marching to the cadence of a heavy step. The music
is in the beat itself. It is "funk for robots", a broken
and restructured music. Mathematically reconstructed with futuristic
tools, conceived by a highly evolved mind. For this, Richard Devine
has become something of a hero to the overqualified working underclass,
because he shows us a glimpse of a world where those with technological
skills rule."
Artist:
DELAROSA AND ASORA
Title: AGONY
Label: Schematic
Format: CD/2xLP(Double vinyl version in full color gatefold sleeve)
Catalog Number: SCH014CD/SCH014
Price: $13
Artwork: Matt Pyke/The Designers Republic
Info:"Agony
is not what comes to mind when I think of Scott Herren's music. The
25 year old multi-instrumentalist from Atlanta has many aliases: Delarosa
& Asora on Schematic, Savath & Savalas on Hefty, and Prefuse
73 on Warp. All of his styles fill a listener's ear (and heart) with
ecstacy, rather than agony. So why the name? To know the answer, you
must read and listen further. Agony, Delarosa & Asora's first
full-length album on Schematic, is alive, bubbling with melodies and
frequencies that span a range of emotions from serenely mellow to
brilliantly intense. Beauty threads every piece together, leading
you on a meditative walk in you thoughts. Like cellular automata,
minuscule clicks and pops assemble themselves in to rhythms that convolve
into a dusty drum set, riveted cymbals vibrating, as a an assortment
of sweet notes simmer inside a frothy soup of melodies. The sounds
reach you ears, triggering feelings, like colorful brush strokes on
a bare white canvas. Each song inspires new hues and patterns, and
the end result is a painting you will examine long after the music
has stopped. How is it that some art provokes us to paint by numbers
with our own feelings? Although a work has a unique meaning to it's
creator, we interpret it in our own way, making it ours. Art that
does not dictate its meaning has this effect on us. This is a goal
of good art, and Agony succeeds. There is one exception though, when
we sense a precept from the artists -- at the opening of the song,
Agony. A crying woman's voice is torn and stretched, kept from forming
words, sentences, and maybe stories of pain. The symphony of lights
distracts her and she is gone, they shimmer and grow into a landscape
of lush sounds and colors. The tone is one of relief, serenity, and
new insight. This is a perfect metaphor for understanding this album
and its odd title. From the distressed woman's voice -- the anguish
we face in the name of love, we earn peace. Pain, especially where
love is concerned, can yield tranquility and wisdom. Just like salt
is a key ingredient in the recipe for most desserts, though we never
taste it, it would not be as sweet without it. Sweet music is the
by-product of this Agony. Scott's influences may not be clearly evident
in his music, but they carry weight silently through everything he
does. Just as the jazz fusionists of the early 1970's combined the
pounding, earthen rhythms of Africa with the acid-soaked psychedelic
sounds of modern America, Herren adopts an indirect influence with
a modern parallel. He takes what Schematic is known so well for -
solid, intricate rhythms, woven together like a tough and resilient,
dark fabric, and the fuses them to a cashmere, soft-colored melodic
structure. His synthesis is something all together new for Schematic
and electronic music in general. Organic and earthy in place of synthetic
and alien. More precious and natural, sentimental and real, conscious
of its' flaws. This is the gentle touch, or rather push that Schematic
needed to produce a Lily of the Valley. This is the gentle touch that
you need in your music collection. Take a moment, get comfortable,
and have a listen. I think you'll agree." - Josh Kay
Artist: DELAROSA AND ASORA
Title: BACKSOME
Label: Schematic
Format: CDEP
Catalog Number: SCH013CD
Price: $10
Artwork: Matt Pyke/The Designers Republic
Info: "There are a handful of artists in nearly every genre who
create art that is dismissed when it first reaches the public because
it is either out of vogue, too strange, or cannot be comprehended
within the framework of that which surrounds it. In other words, its
importance and significance can only be understood retroactively,
meaning that it set the stage for a 'new wave' that had yet to break
but this 'new wave' could only be understood once others joined its
ranks. That is where Delarosa & Asora's Backsome EP must be located.
Quite simply, it arrived too early to be absorbed and understood.
Thus, it is astonishing to consider that this prescient EP, thankfully
released by Delarosa & Asora (AKA Scott Herren, otherwise known
as Prefuse 73 and Savath & Savalas) sounds as if it could have
been recorded last week. Herren's ability to create towering sound
sculptures with impossibly limited equipment is inspirational. Long
before the present trend in 'electronic music' in which hip-hop and
jazz were incorporated into the fabric of the music, Herren was creating
these pieces in isolation in Atlanta. There are so few electronic
musicians on the same historical wavelength: Carl Craig and Kirk DeGiorgio
are the only two ones I can think of. And Scott Herren certainly should
be mentioned in the same breath. Without a hint of contrivance, the
Delarosa & Asora material brings together the spirit of Herbie
Hancock and The Headhunters' finest moments, a leap into an ocean
of roiling basslines, and tricky live percussion. Many thought that
Herren's Savath & Savalas' Folk Songs for Trains, Trees, and Honey
EP on the Hefty (licensed to Warp for Europe) was an electronic record,
yet every track was made with live instruments. The Backsome EP again
demonstrates that, like Richard Devine, Scott Herren is a composer
of extraordinary skill, whose dexterity around both live and electronic
instruments is a rare combination of skill and innovation." -
Tim Haslett
Artist:
VARIOUS
Title: LILY OF THE VALLEY
Label: Schematic
Format: 2xLP
Catalog Number: SCH012LP
Price: $13
Artwork: Matt Pyke/The Designers Republic
Info: Double vinyl version, full color sleeve. Same 12 tracks as the
CD.
Artist: VARIOUS
Title: ISCHEMIC FOLKS
Label: Schematic
Format: CD/2xLP(Double vinyl version, full color sleeve. Includes
Designers Republic poster)
Catalog Number: SCH011CD/SCH011
Price: $13/$14
Artwork: Matt Pyke/The Designers Republic
Info: Repress now available. "The Schematic music company proudly
presents a variety pack entitled Ischemic Folks in the compact disc
format. Features multiple compositions by Phoenecia a.k.a. Soul Oddity
(Warp/Astralwerks), Richard Devine a.k.a. Trapezoid (Dropbass Network,
Communique), Jeswa (1/2 Phoenecian warrior), Push Button Objects (Skam/Chocolate
Industries), new tricks by Gliese and special honored guest, Montreal
composer David Kristian. This compilation defines the Schematic sound
that has caught the hearts and minds of beautiful people everywhere."
A mesmerizing, defining compilation that could have the same impact
in the US as Artificial Intelligence did in the... UK. It's that heavy
duty in statement of intent. Totally appropriate Designers Republic
graphic representation tops it off." - Tim Haslett
Artist: TAKESHI MUTO
Title: Expect More From A Past Life
Label: SCHEMATIC
Format: CD
Catalog Number: SCH 001 CD
Price: $13
Art: Matt Pyke/Designers Republic
Info: "A compilation of mutoid waste from Miami's sunshine shoreline.
Takeshi Muto's atomic beats may have more crackle than Geiger
count at Sellafield's ground zero, yet they're propelled by an automotion
that retains vestigial visions of electro, disco, and hip hop. Takeshi
aka Schematic supremo and Phoenecia member Romulo Del Castillo subjects
these street signals to immense studio pressure, grinding and grating
them into brittle staccato sequences that crack up under stylus scrutiny,
leaving your ears to pick up the pieces." - Sleaze Nation
Magazine. Ten songs previously unreleased on compact disc.
Artist: PUSH BUTTON OBJECTS
Title: Dirty Dozen
Label: SCHEMATIC/CHOCOLATE INDUSTRIES
Format: CD
Catalog Number: SCH009CD/CHLT 014 CD
Price: $13
Info: "As the title suggests, this is a twelve song compact disc.
It contains the critically acclaimed Cash EP, the more recent Half-Dozen
EP, and two previously unreleased songs. Push Button Objects is producer
Edgar Farinas, known to the world for his new breed of Queens-style
beats, catchy melodies, and challenging sound manipulation. The Dirty
Dozen CD is what you'd get if you combined A Tribe Called Quest's
fat beats, Autechre's mechanics, DJ Premiere's dark hooks, and Herbie
Hancock's funkadelics. This CD captures the essence of Farinas' emotional
diversity and fungus productivity."
Artist: PHOENECIA
Title: ODD JOBS
Label: Schematic
Format: CD
Catalog Number: SCH8X8CD
Price: $13
Artwork: Arnold Steiner
Info: Back in black! Features Autechre, Ectomorph and Godfather, Push
Button Objects, Richard Devine, Takeshi Muto, and both Soul Oddity
(Get Fresh and Rhythm Box) remixes.
Artist:
PHOENECIA
Title: ODD JOB
Label: Schematic
Format: CD
Catalog Number: SCH808
Price: $7
Artwork: Arnold Steiner
Info: 2 Soul Oddity (Get Fresh and Rhythm Box) remixes of the ever-classic
"Odd Job" on one 45 rpm piece of vinyl.
Artist: DEVINE, RICHARD COLEMAN
Title:
Label: SCHEMATIC
Format: 12"
Price: $7
Catalog Number: SCH 005
Art: Takeshi Muto
Info:
"Originally released in March of 98, containing six vociferous
songs displaying Devine's earlier musical concepts. Lush, ethereal
melodies combined his own machine noises, and violently groovy beats,
a paradox greatly explored by Devine. Known for the song with the
modified Speak 'n Spell. Only for the headstrong. Packaged in the
new blueprint (version 3) Designers Republic generic sleeve.
Artist: PUSH BUTTON OBJECTS
Title: Cash
Label: SCHEMATIC
Format: 12"
Price: $7.00
Catalog Number: SCH 003
Info:
"Originally released in March of 97, the infamous "Cash"
EP is back because 'it still rocks', timeless by all means. This EP
has not aged a bit. Hard hitting ghetto hip-hop mixed with warm textures
and catchy melodies is still ruled by lo-fi King Edgar Farinas. Dorky
IDMers should go steal a Kangol cap before listening to this."
Packaged in the new blueprint (version 3) Designers Republic generic
sleeve.
Artist: JESWA
Title: Skone
Label: SCHEMATIC
Format: 12"
Price: $7
Catalog Number: SCH 004
Art: Jeswa
Info:
Reissue of this long unavailable 12" EP, originally released
in March of 97. Packaged in the new blueprint (version 3) Designers
Republic generic sleeve. "Although Schematic's first two releases
were found by many to compare a little to favorably to U.K. IDM-founts
like Autechre and the Black Dog, Jeswa's debut for the label remains
on the respectable end of influence, integrating the odd rhythms and
quirky percussion of those groups with a greasy, head-bucking funk
decidedly American in origin. A four-tracker laboring for the most
part in mid- to downtempo electro territory, Jeswa also draws liberally
from early bleep techno and the cinematic cartoon electronica of Mouse
on Mars and Atom Heart." - Sean Cooper/All Music Guide
Artist:
PHOENECIA
Title: Randa Roomet
Label: WARP RECORDS
Format: CDEP
Price: $9
Catalog Number: WAP 098 CD
Artwork: Matt Pyke/The Designer's Republic
Info:
Phoenecia's debut 30 minute release on Warp.
Artist:
SOUL ODDITY
Title: Tone Capsule
Label: ASTRALWERKS
Format: CD
Price: $14.00
Catalog Number: ASW 6173 CD
Art: Soul Oddity
"Debut album from the ancient daze of 1996 by the pre-Phoenecia
duo of Romulo Del Castillo & Josh Kay. Laid the Miami electro groundwork
for the whole Schematic label phenomenon... " - Forced Exposure
Artist: PUSH BUTTON OBJECTS W/ DEL, MR LIF
& DJ CRAZE Artist:
SLICKER Info: "Bob09",
the first Phoenecia song ever to be recorded appears on Connecting
Electronix Network. This is the CD version of the previous double
LP. "From Rome comes one of the most eagerly awaited electronic
showcases around. The Romans connect the people at the forefront of
electronic research with 10 artists from around the globe. As the
Nature-people say 'This compilation is not about a specific type of
sound, it simply shows that there are different 'crews' on this planet
that are trying to develop their own electronic sounds from the underground
scene of their own countries; on our behalf, we aim at getting those
people in touch with one another with the hope to give more power
and flavour the underground sound of electronic music." Features:
A Credible Eye Witness (Rome), Phoenecia (Miami), MAT-101 (Rome),
Passarani 2099 (Rome), D'Arcangelo (Rome, Rephlex artist), 2Be Break
(Brussels), Somatic Responses (UK), Vendor Refill (UK), Amp-Tek (Rome),
V/VM (Manchester).
Title: 360 Degrees
Label: CHOCOLATE INDUSTRIES
Format: 12"
Price: $5.50
Catalog Number: CHLT 012 EP
Info:
"PBO is back with a new 12" single featuring Del tha Funkee
Homosapien, Mr Lif of the Def Jux/Company Flow crew, and DJ Craze.
The b-side is an instrumental track from Push-Button Objects entitled
'Breakers Delight'.
Title: Remixes
Label: HEFTY
Format: CD
Price: $10
Catalog Number: HEFT 018 CD
"John Hughes III, former Bill Ding member and founder of the
Chicago avant-electronic/post rock label Hefty records is Slicker
-- a conceptual project based on experiment and ambience. With Remixes
(based on the Confidence in Duber CD), Hughes sent out his alter-ego
to an eclectic array of dance and electronic artists to put a new
spin on an already sculptured record. The result is a surprisingly
cohesive mix of sound and structure from these acclaimed remixers:
Scott Herren's Savath + Savalis, where ambience meets R&B, hip
hop, and soul; the collaboration between electro-wizard Richard Devine
and Scott Herren, better known as Delarosa + Devine; upstate
NY's one man mix machine and member of the Dylan Group, Mice Parade
(a.k.a. Adam Pierce); digital darlings Matmos, a San Francisco duo
making musique concrete witha beat; and from the colliding worlds
of post rock, producer Casey Rice (Designer) with the Trenchmouth
and Eternals singer Damon Locks, as Super ESP."
Artist: VA
Title: With.Naive Assurance
Label: INTR_VERSION
Format: CD
Price: $13
Catalog Number: INTR 002CD
"Roster-spanning-plus comp from this new Montreal-based label,
run by visual artist/composer Mitch Akiyama. An impressive lot of
sound, some reverb/thump oriented examples, some rhythmic trickery
, a bit of the digital signal processing abound, and Richie's case,
a smooth one with Detroitian strings clearly not of THIS era. Features
Richard Devine, Sutekh, David Kristian, Hermann & Kleine,
Thomas Jirku, Tim Koch (aka Thug), Mitchell Akiyama, (sic), Deadbeat,
Mateo, Pheek, Dacka, and Jet One. Some to watch, others to listen."
-- Hrvatski.
Artist: HERBERT
Title: Leave Me Now
Label: STUD!O K7 (GERMANY)
Format: CD
Price: $7.50
Catalog Number: K7 097 CDEP
"'Leave Me Now', featuring the vocals of Dani Siciliano, is the
first single to be released from the forthcoming album Bodily Functions,
the long-awaited follow-up to 1998's Around The House. The track sees
Herbert 's trademark exploration of house music superbly complemented
by brand new mixes from Recloose (Planet E) and Richard Devine
(Schematic/Warp) on a single that is sure to increase Herbert 's worldwide
audience dramatically." CD version has an extra Richard Devine
edit of his mix, found on the 12" version.
Artist: VA
Title: Connecting Electronix Network
Label: NATURE (ITALY)
Format: CD
Price: $19.00
Catalog Number: NAT 2112CD
Artist: V/A
Title: Warp 10+3: The Remixes
Label: MATADOR
Format: 2CD
Price: $15
Catalog Number: OLE 407CD
"The last installment of the trilogy of releases celebrating
ten years of Warp Records. A spectrum of artists were offered an opportunity
to select any track from the Warp catalog to remix and these are the
results. The quality and range of original artists and remixes are
sure to make this an especially attractive package: Aphex Twin, Autechre,
Stereolab, Spiritualized, Squarepusher, Nightmares on Wax, John McEntire
(Tortoise), Mogwai, Oval, LFO, Mink Ink, Red Snapper, Boards of Canada,
Jim O'Rourke and far too many more to list here. If this got any more
artistically relevant, we'd be eligible for a big NEA grant. All new
material, previously unavailable." Tracklisting Disc One: Pram
remix of LFO/Aphex Twin: "Simon from sydney/yellow calx"
Luke Vibert remix of DJ Minks: "Hey Hey! Can U Relate?"
Stereolab remix of Boards Of Canada: "Kid For Today" Isan
remix of Seefeel: "When Face was Face" Plaid remix of Autechre:
"Vletrmx" Four Tet remix of Aphex Twin: "Untitled SAW2
track1" Surgeon remix of LFO: "Nurture" Winston and
Ross remix of Sweet Exorcist: "Testone" Autechre remix of
Nightmares on Wax: Sal Batardes John McEntire remix of Nightmares
on Wax: "Playtime" Underdog remix of Broadcast: "Hammer
Without A Master" Bogdan Raczynski remix of Autechre: "EP7
/ Envane" Disc Two: Push Button Objects remix of Boards
of Canada: "An Eagle In Your Mind" Red Snapper remix of
Sabres Of Paradise: Wilmot" Ellis Island Sound remix of Two Lone
Swordsmen: "Spine Bubbles" Wunder remix of Mike Ink: "Polka
Trax 3" Labradford remix of LFO: "Freeze" Oval remix
of Squarepusher: "Big Loada" Andy Votel remix of Broadcast:
"Booklovers" Richard Devine remix of Aphex Twin:
"Come To Daddy" Mira Calix remix of Seefeel: "Air Eyes"
Jimi Tenor remix of Sweet Exorcist: Mad Jack" Plone remix of
Tricky Disco "Tricky Disco" Jim O'Rourke remix of Autechre:
"Characi" Spiritualized remix of LFO: "Tied Up"
Mogwai remix of Link: "Arcadian"
Artist: OR SOME COMPUTER MUSIC
Title: Issue 2
Label: OR
Format: CD
Price: $15
Catalog Number: OR ISSUE2
"The second issue of Or's computer music audio magazine; as w/
issue 1 = CD + 24pp booklet. Alberto de Campo (Austria), farmersmanual
(Austria), Jim O'Rourke (USA), Phoenecia (USA), Curtis Roads
(USA), Atau Tanaka/Eric Wenger (Japan), Tom Wallace (UK). Or's computer
music audio magazine aims to expose to the listener the current developments
in the age-old field of computer music, from both the academic world
thru to some of the more underground desktop activists."
Artist: VARIOUS (features
a PHOENECIA song)
Title: VOICES IN MY LUNCHBOX
Label: Plug Research
Format: CD
Price: $14.50
Catalog Number: PR 19
Art: Sutekh
Info:
"Presenting more adventures in vocalization from Plug Research,
following on the heels of our non-award winning 12" series, also
titled Voices In My Lunchbox. Here we have gathered our favorite artists
from all corners of the world, in the interest of exploring new possibilities
in vocal music. The stunning results range from full-on operatic vocalizations
to subtle vocal shadings on predominantly instrumental selections.
For this CD release, we've included every track from the 12"
series, along with previously unreleased material, all of which adds
up to a veritable smorgasboard of today's tuneful electronics landscape.
All for less than the price of a fine meal. For years to come, you
and your family can enjoy this music in the comfort of your own home.
This record is dedicated to people who want to enjoy their lives.
It is non-irradiated, 100% local content, brought to you by Plug Research,
presenting experimental fun since 1995. Artists include: Herbert &
Dani Siciliano, DNTL, Jesse Peterson & Tenants Band, Phoenecia,
Chicks On Speed Vs. Potuznik & Bauer, Smyglyssna/Corneila, Mario
Neugebauer, Carmen Tejada, Quarks, Kit Clayton, Black Faction, Patrick
Puslinger, and Ectomorph."
Artist: V/A
Title: Deadpan Escapement: Reconstructed
Label: CONTEXT FREE MEDIA
Format: CD
Price: $15
Catalog Number: TEXT 04 CD
Artwork: Sutekh
Info:
Heavy-duty line up of reconstructions of original music by Sutekh
and Twerk by: Safety Scissors, Phoenecia, Timeblind, Mannequin
Lung, Jake Mandell, Matmos, Kit Clayton, Stewart Walker & Mick
Harris. "Originally released in 1998, Deadpan Escapement was
the first collaboration between California techno artists Sutekh and
Twerk. Establishing them as innovative, up-and-coming producers, the
ten track double 12" combined pure sonic experimentation with
dancefloor structures to create a new breed of deep, dark techno.
Two years and many releases later, Sutekh (operator of Context) has
revisited the project. After a rigorous selection process, ten internationally
renowned artists representing all sides of the electronic music spectrum
were granted the opportunity to bastardize and manipulate Deadpan
Escapement. The results range from glitchy noise to broken hip-hop
to electro, techno, and everything in between. Taken as a whole, Deadpan
Escapement: Reconstructed reflects the chaotic beauty that arises
when disparate elements collide. With this, the fourth release in
the Context canon, Sutekh seeks to prove that techno music is about
exploring new sounds and rhythms, experimenting with form and function
beyond predictable, thumping beats. These ideas inform the Context
aesthetic and foreshadow the diverse output of the label.
Artist: PREFUSE 73
Title: Vocal Studies & Uprock Narratives
Label: WARP RECORDS
Format: CD
Price: $14.50
Catalog Number: WARP 83 CD
Info:
"Prefuse 73, unlike Brazil 66, is the work of a lone gun; a super-sharpshooter
by the name of Scott Herren, though he's often mistaken for post-rock
jazzbo Savath & Savalas (LP of Hefty last year) and digital subverter
Delarosa & Asora (recent EP and LP on Schematic). On Vocal
Studies... melancholy pre-fusion jazz passages (hence the name) are
infused with punctuating vinyl drops while being brought to a boil
over simmering beats and electronic glitchwork. Guest MC spots (from
the likes of Aesop Rock, MF Doom, Mikah 9 and Sam Prekop) are deconstructed
and re-animated into percussive instrumentation. Make no mistake about
it, Prefuse 73 is where Scott Herren's passions truly flower. Vocal
Studies... draws together elements from his alter-egos to craft a
devastating blend of downtempo instrumental hip hop that opens a new
vista for the genre to explore."
Artist: SAVATH +SAVALAS
Title: FOLK SONGS FOR TRAINS, TREES, AND HONEY
Label: Hefty
Format: CD
Price: $12
Catalog Number: HEFT 016 CD
"Savath
+ Savalas will be the first release in 2000 for Chicago based avant-electronic
label, Hefty records, run by John Hughes III. This debut was recorded
in various bedrooms in both the Atlanta area and Brooklyn, NY -- but
is a far cry from low fidelity. Savath + Savalas takes a soulful and
organic approach to electronic music, with most tracks being played
live with minor adjustments on the desktop PC. The album is as progressive
as it is retrospective, showing odes to R&B, soul, and hip hop
in a simple and smooth atmosphere. Savath and Savalas is the multi-functional
Scott Herren. This project is the alter ego of Delarosa + Asora, Herron's
evil twin, which will be released by the Miami based Schematic label.
Scott is also Warp recording artist Prefuse 73 and collaborates and
mixes with Richard Devine."
Artist: GLIESE
Title: 2076-2096
Label: Agrolights
Format: CD
Price: $13
Catalog Number: AGL 001
New Miami-based label that "will focus on the live aspect of
electronics." Gliese has also appeared on the first two Schematic
compilations. "Obscure stuff that goes from noise rhythms ala
Mego to more ambient things, very finely detailed compositions. It
is a limited and numbered production (300) in hand-made packages,
with super cool black CDs (ala Playstation)." Limited remaining
stock.
Artist: CANIBAL A:FRAUX
Title:
Label: Agrolights
Format: CD
Price: $13.50
Catalog Number: AGL 002
Half of Canibal A:fraux is the evil brother of Takeshi Muto. Not a
side project, but a true relative. "With a swinging pendulum
of the sphincter comes a gray aesthetic of sound. Associates involved
have commented on the relations of Mioc and H.A.L.O. Vessel. A bit
like noise verging on a spatial divide of tone. There is also a visit
from a local named Richard Devine that may offend but also cease.
The second release from the Agrolights label in Miami. There might
be something in the pretrial that awaits."
Artist:
VON SCHIRACH, OTTO
Title: Escalo Frio
Label: SCHEMATIC
Format: 2LP
Price: $13.00
Catalog #: SCH 020 LPDouble
LP version.
Artist: PHOENECIA
Title: Odd Job Discrimination
Label: SCHEMATIC
Format: CD
Price: $11.00
Catalog #: SCH 021 CDNew 'Odd Job" remix project, featuring remixes
by Matmos, Adult, Dino Felipe, Prefuse 73, Otto Von Schirach and Jeswa.
"'Odd Job' made it's way back to Japan, the land that brought
it's circuits to life. It was with great honor that the Schematic
scientists agreed to share it's formula with the people of the rising
sun. It's legend was great, and their ancestors loved and feared it
equally. From it's conception, Odd Job Discrimination was intended
to be exclusively released in Japan with additional reports of research.
PhoeneciaTM the secret inventors of 'Odd Job' were nowhere to be found.
Report: Where is Phoenecia? Do they exist, or are they as arcane as
their ancient namesakes? If they do exist, they maintain a peripheral,
even hypothetical existence. Pictures of them exist and their names
appear on many recordings, but each song, each reworking sounds so
vastly different from one to the other. Not only does their formula
change from one to the next, but so does the sound of the recording,
as if it were made by separate entities under the guise of group.
One could manage to release anonymous recordings with their name on
them, but why? Is it a hoax? In their place stands their army, a team
of specialists. Matmos, the medics, specialize in microchip implantation
and cybernetic limb attachment. Their report 'The climactic battle
scene between Rom and Josh' catalogs the last time Phoenecia were
seen before their disappearance. Adult, the husband and wife assasin
team offers a stern warning about their rhythm black box. With their
go-go rapid-fire electrocution techniques, they manage to be both
Adult-like And childish at the same time. Dino Felipe's examination
proves that he's been isolated for too long. His theory is that Phoenecia
are in an elevator somewhere in Atlanta (Atlantis?). We pray that
he's wrong. Prefuse 73 is the cook. He reanalyzes the formula for
'Odd Job', noodles it up, and serves us his simple, but effective
recipe. Budget gourmet, exquisite flavor at a nice price. Otto Von
Schirach is the recon agent. His job is to steal the original formula
and replace it with the reworked prototype. "Tre duece ave. smash
and grab" is the gripping tale of how he did it. From the sound
of it, he had to break a few windows and a few necks. Finally, with
a soft, deep voice, team leader Jeswa (rumored to be Phoenecian) submits
his sweet, short, and final report. Odd Job Discrimination has been
delivered, and once again Phoenecia eludes us. These additions make
it 13 reworkings of the yet to be seen 'original' version of 'Odd
Job'. Other accounts were issued by Soul Oddity (last seen with Phoenecia),
Autechre, Richard Devine, Push Button Objects, Ectomorph and Godfather,
and Takeshi Muto (also rumored to be Phoenecian). If Phoenecia is
a disappearing act, then Odd Job Discrimination is their greatest
feat yet. Will they ever come to the surface? Will Japan make peaceful
use of their new technology? Will the cloned cows revolt? Stay tuned
to find out..."
Artist: VON SCHIRACH, OTTO
Title: Boombonic Plague: Chopped Zombie Fungus Vol. 1
Label: SCHEMATIC
Format: 12"
Price: $7.00
Catalog #: SCH 022 EP
"On the way home from a mini-tour of the west coast Otto Von
Schirach crashed his land craft and broke both of his legs badly.
Special doctors were called in. They dissasembled and rebuilt him;
installed titanium, screws, cables, and microchips. He woke up not
knowing his name. He sat in a white room in wheelchair for 6 months
feeding on nothing but painkillers and new music. A new Otto emerged.
More aware, more polished, more robotic. Boombonic Plague is chock
full of pop-music. Mutated, vaguely familiar voices litter the beats
asking 'do you really want it?', commanding 'shake that ass bitch
and let me see what you got', and boasting 'boom i got your girlfriend'
like a Brittney Spears collage on a serial killer's wall. Okay, so
it's not pop music... It is hip-hop, or more appropriately, sitar-funk-hop.
It is electro booty from the Miami side. It is drill (or some other
power tool) and bass. It is shifted hardcore. It is junkyard broken
(leg) beats. Otto says it's IDM. We don't know what to call it, but
we like it and we think you'll dig it too. As the title implies, Boombonic
Plague is the first installment in the Chopped Zombie Fungus Trilogy.
It will be genetically spliced with the two following volumes -- Pelican
Moon Dance and Ear Juice Synthesis to form one Chopped Zombie Fungus
compact disc for your listening pleasure. Until then, enjoy this introduction
to the new(ly reconstructed) Otto."
Artist: FELIPE, DINO
Title: Dino Felipe As Flim Toby
Label: SCHEMATIC
Format: CD
Price: $13.00
Catalog #: SCH 024 CD
"Questions? Who is Dino Felipe? That question is easily answered.
He's a 23 year old artist straddling the latitudinal stretch between
Miami and Atlanta (home of other Schematic artists Richard Devine
and Delarosa and Asora). No mystery in that? The real question is
-- Who is Flim Toby? Flim Toby first appeared on a cassette released
by the American Tapes label in 2001. The cassette was a recording
of tape music, 4-track collages, and toy compositions created by one
Dino Felipe Delavega. Flim Toby is a film. A 'scrambled up film in
the shape of a person', to be exact. His whole life is displayed in
the pictures on the surface of his skin, so he has nothing to hide.
Nor does he have anything to say, it's all evident -- sort of an overstated
interpretation of the life of an artist. During the recording of Flim
Toby, Dino Felipe was 'obsessed with nature, life, and organisms',
so he crafted collages out of untouched 'pictures' of sound. Samples
of everything that touched him went into the mixture, from his neighborhood
feathered friends, to archived childhood recordings, constructed by
an expert machine operator and rythmatist, with the natural, unsycopated
touch of a free jazz musician. Does all this sound familiar? Flim
Toby doesn't unless you're Dino. It is his life in pictures and sound,
though you may feel as if some of his memories are yours. You may
see yourself in the pictures that Flim Toby is comprised of. If
you do, then you just might have a new friend and a new soundtrack
for a while. Beats? Yes. Music? Yes, a lot of that. Noise? Yes, that
too. Intense? Sometimes. Mellow? Sometimes. Soulful? Definitely. Schematic?
Definitely."
Artist:
FELIPE, DINO
Title: Dino Felipe As Flim Toby
Label: SCHEMATIC
Format: 2LP
Price: $14.00
Catalog #: SCH 024 LP
Double vinyl version.
Artist:
Various
Title: Well-Suited For General-Purpose Audio Work
Label: SCHEMATIC
Format: CD
Price: $13.00
Catalog #: SCH 025
Thirteen tracks, featuring the following artists: Tipper (Phoenecia
remix), Otto Von Schirach, Dino Felipe, Kiyo, Phoenecia, Richard Devine,
Canibal A:fraux. The Schematic crew returns once more with its fourth
compilation of brain-straddling aural tanglements that realign your
eardrums for this third modern millennium. Following ace products
like Ischemic Folks, Lily of the Valley and House of Distraction,
the Miami funkonaughts reveal 13 more salvos of digital composition
sure to set your stereo on its side.
Along with the spiney, crypt-ic soundz of hardened Schematic vets
like Otto Von Schirach and Richard Devine, we're introduced to new
ischemic émigré Kiyo, whose Jay Dee vs. Cornelius Cardew
cage-match crumbles expectations. Newest Schematic progeny Dino Felipe
contributes 3 tracks of jewelry-box ambience and whipsnap beats. Label
founders Phoenecia return from space exploration and divulge what
they found: a breed of arachnids that trap tribal acoustics in their
webbings. Unreal. Well-Suited furthers the phaser-enabled laptop kaleidoscope
that is Schematic. Beats shatter like junkyard windshields, soundscapes
are manicured with schizzors, tonal patterns toppled. The art-enhanced
beats of Miami's maniacs belongs on the gallery of your mind before
relinquished to electronica history. Start your instillation today.
Artist:
DOS TRACKS
Title: :)
Label: SCHEMATIC
Format: 2LP
Price: $14.00
Catalog #: SCH 026 LP
Double-vinyl-only reissue of the now o/p Rather Interesting CD release.
"As the name suggests, Dos Tracks :) seems to be dealing with
the concept of 'tracks'. Simplicity is the key, as a DOS computer
would only be capable of in today's home supercomputer driven world.
Each song sounds as if it is constructed of two (dos) tracks, that
is, two distinct lines of rhythm and only Schmidt can achieve 'music'
through such minimalism and make a statement at the same time. Dos
Tracks :) is sort of coming back to this musical theme for a last
time before leaving the 90´ies. This album is a masterful interpretation
of the soon to be obsolete machines this era represented by Schmidt
in the form of digital pureness with a heavy glitch factor. Influenced
by the internet, ASCII art, machine interfaces and various other 'end
of 90´s technology' artifacts and philosophies, this product
stands out in it´s unique structure and sound. From the monochrome
'Asciied' to clustered titles such as '1E.wav' and 'www.pringles.com',
Dos Tracks :) shows us the cool face of Atom Heart. You won´t
hear a single melody, no vocals, no emotions, no cheesiness and no
humour on this album. Just pure binary neo-minimalism. Previously
released only on compact disc through Atom Heart's Rather Interesting
label, Schematic proudly presents Dos Tracks :) on double vinyl because
of it's inherent grooviness. Enjoy and destroy :)"
Artist:
VON SCHIRACH, OTTO
Title: Pelican Moondance
Label: SCHEMATIC
Format: 12"
Price: $7.00
Catalog #: SCH 027
"Aside from Richard Devine and Phoenecia, no one embodies the
Schematic sound like Miami-based Otto Von Schirach. On Pelican Moondance,
the second installment in the Chopped Zombie Fungus trilogy, Schirach
flashes his blades and edits techno to pieces, only to sew them back
together into a beastly music. Comparable to the freakish soundtracks
of Bernard Hermann or Tom Waits circa Swordfishtrombones, but refreshed
an modernized to the hilt, the title track kicks it off. Schirach
has cold-cocked his Powerbook, and it has mutated to produce a tempestuous,
vipertine music. Like in 'Four Months, Four Walls' composed during
his hospitalization, wherein you're suddenly deep in a spacious canyon.
You notice the bass spreading all around your living room like space-fuzz,
a low-end, warmly disruptive sonic buzz. Classic Shirach. Less spaztic
than some copy-cat abstract beat projects, Chopped Zombie Fungus is
compositional, like the tunneling soundtracks of the RZA or the sample
arrangement from DJ Shadow. But Otto is not here to party -- his villanous,
deadly beats have more in common with El-P than Cut Chemist. Like
others on Schematic, Shirach has the whole sonic spectrum at his command.
Deep bass and sinewave shards can be had in seconds, then hammered
into foundational beats, sped up so fast they start to frey, or slowed
down so they start to shrink. This is past Squarepusher, past IDM
and into the sedimental, the fantasmic. You might say he's ready to
blow up, but Shirach prefers to conquer. Surrender while you still
can."
Artist:
FELIPE, DINO
Title: Xanaconversex
Label: SCHEMATIC
Format: CD
Price: $12.00
Catalog #: SCH 028 CD
New mid-sized followup to the debut Dino Felipe album Dino Felipe
As Flim Toby. "We feel that Xanaconversex and is best (and inadvertently)
described by a dream Dino had prior to the record's release. 'This
morning I was dreaming a three dimensional collage composed of very
sexy body parts and pieces of sound that were all melded together
in the air and on the floor. The 'song' was based on the breathing
sounds and sighs emitted from the body parts. All the sounds and shapes
were different colors, all of them translucent, overlapping, converging,
and receding. They were all live, organic performers and every once
in a while i would shift to audio "mode" and the sexy image
would switch to song. I would edit, mold, and fade the shapes
by moving them around with my hands. I would arrange an elbow, move
a shoulder, or shine a hip trying to perfect the collage, then i would
stand back and say 'Wow, that's hot!' When I really liked it I would
'save' it, as if I were composing it on my PC, then go back to refine
it. I knew i was dreaming, because part of my motivation for saving
the collage was to show it to my friends in the 'real' world.' Befriend
Dino Felipe and enjoy Xanaconversex today."
Artist:
FELIPE, DINO
Title: Xanaconversex
Label: SCHEMATIC
Format: LP
Price: $10.00
Catalog #: SCH 028 LP
LP version.
Artist:
FELIPE, DINO
Title: Spreadder/Sprigg
Label: SCHEMATIC
Format: 7"
Price: $4.00
Catalog #: SCH 029
"As much a collectible as a piece of sound-art, Dino Felipe's
wonderful-looking new 7" is a roughshod eletronic beat micropiece.
Like a pool cue stubbing on felt, or flat rocks on a pond top, DeLaVega
bounces beats, handclaps and looped cell rings off your inner ear
and between your speakers. Always stonking, the beat encounters some
pitch-up sinewaves and fluttering static as the track progesses, as
if they were pink puffy horseflies. Lambent and luscious. Then it's
onto a short-circuit firecracker, scaly with noise. Sonic splatter
drains from your tweeters, running into puddles onto the floor. Don't
slipp on this. The flipside puts you in the middle of the silicon
circus, an organ-grinding bonk. A banging three-song slab designed
to get your attention and lock it under a heart-shaped clasp, where
it will glow warmly until you open it again. A lovely confection.
Suck it and see." -- David Day
Artist: VON SCHIRACH, OTTO
Title: Earjuice Synthesis
Label: SCHEMATIC
Format: 12"
Price: $7.00
Catalog #: SCH 030 LP
"Part three of the groundbreaking, ear-splitting Chopped Zombie
Fungus trilogy is the most menacing of them all. From its detailed
and bawdy cover to its spine-smelting beats, 'Earjuice Synthesis'
is closer to avant-garde art than street-beat funk. But that won't
keep it from loosening the wheels of your Jeep. 'Laptops & Martinis'
leads this 12" off with a new interpretation of GZA, an urban
combat soundscape, continually swelling and crushing. The modern sounds
of beeps and buzzers are madly scattered throughout. The bottom of
your feet begin to itch. The title cut ['Earjuice Synthesis (Urinate
On MCs)'] is a sizzling, deadly, funk thwap complete with mortar voices
growling through the buzz. Miami bass meets DJ Screw. 'Whip Me Down'
is a ghetto-funk Swamp Thing risking its own life at every turn. In
the shadow of Lee Perry and the Mad Professor, echo chamber is a key
element for Schirach. Although this echo chamber is more like an endless
digital labyrinth. When it comes together the effect can be devastating,
practically taking you off your feet. While 'Facelift' is like a digital
jack-in-the-box. Even moreso than Winnipeg's Venetian Snares or DJ
Scud, Schirach's truculent games are an interactive art, encouraging
you to turn it up and hold onto something. 'Earjuice Synthesis' leaps
from your speakers as no Otto Von Schirach has before. Combative and
punk, Otto is making music unlike any that has come before. Supercharged
powerbook hip-hop madness. One part 2 Live Crew to one part Morton
Subotnick. Let's not fug around. Otto Von Schirach is flithy, dirty
and downright nasty; an artist flirting with chaos, pushing the boundaries
of electronic music with such noise, such random acts, such deliberate
force that it redefines suspense. In wrenching the works, Otto has
company in Mike Patton or the Residents. The alien within Schirach
lunches with Captain Beefheart and Goblin. And Easy-E [R.I.P.] would
bust a gut. Dark, deceptive and dastardly, 'Earjuice Synthesis' both
repels and attracts, a deadly diablerie that will appeal to rebellious
kids and beat-heads alike. Better tighten those lugnuts."
Artist: VON SCHIRACH, OTTO
Title: Chopped Zombie Fungus
Label: SCHEMATIC
Format: CD
Price: $13.00
Catalog #: SCH 031 CD
"It has finally arived. The new CD from the Dr. Moreau of beats,
Otto Von Schirach. Chopped Zombie Fungus collects the three massive
vinyl 12" EPs that have been storming headphones worldwide. 'Boombonic
Plague', 'Pelican Moondance' and 'Earjuice Synthesis'. Twisted, sinister
and as vicious as a wolverine, the Cuban-American Schirach decimates
everything you know about Booty Bass, the Dirty South, IDM and Ghetto
Tech, flattening their edifice and rebuilding with corrupt, artful
even straight-up beastly replicants. Otto's laboratory is his laptop,
where aural animals are spliced, recombined and mutated beyond recognition.
You could imagine RZA taking Oxycontin, DJ Shadow in a K-Hole or Morton
Subotnick conducting a gearhead orchestra. Like King Tubby, Schirach
is a master of suspense. You're never quite sure when the train will
switch tracks. Stonking, manic beat patterns might instantly disappear
into an ambient fuzz, only to return moments later backwards and stupefied.
And Schirach's creative obsession is only topped by his technical
detail. Bass tones crack foundations, arpeggios splinter ceiling tiles
and busted-speaker beats will have you dashing to the hi-fi shop.
Guest appearances from asthmatic MCs, ghoulish interludes and empty
space turns Chopped Zombie Fungus into an experience through an electronic
psychedelic underworld. Spindly snakes squirm from speakers. Collapsing
corpuscular chords crunch cones. Twitching, twisted twirls tweak tweeters.
Reinforce speaker stands before playing. Not to worry. Although under
constant multilateral surveillance, Dr. Von Schirach has only the
best interests of the human race at heart: to push all sonic boundaries
to the edge, implode the funk and stand back while art splatters skulls.
Hold onto something."
Artist:
RICHARD DEVINE
Title: ALEAMAPPER
Label: Schematic
Format: CD/2xLP
Price: $13.00
Catalog Number: SCH019CD/SCH019
Artwork: Matt Pyke/the Designers Republic
A short time ago, film director Kyle Cooper called Richard Devine.
Somehow or other, Richard’s small appearance on a small record
(on a small record label) made it’s way from a small section
in a small store to a big desk somewhere in Hollywood. Since then,
his enormity has been very obvious to a very big number of us. Recently,
his Lipswitch mini-LP was released by Schematic and Warp. Those of
us who heard it had a penetrating auditory experience witnessing a
true landmark in modern music. Although it is a rather small album,
the sound is huge. Lipswitch was intended to be a full-length album,
but was trimmed down to the essential rhythmic core. What was left
over is the heart of Alea Mapper.
From there Devine assembled the rest of the frame, and the result
is rather like that of a movie score. Those who complain that electronic
musicians from Devine’s school lack musicality will find rest
here. Devine’s new compounds of sound are open to explore with
the ear, and his subliminal music freely accompanies and frequently
saturates the remaining spaces. Of the 64 minutes and 16 songs, only
a short part follows any sort of cadence. Overall, there is a rhythm,
but it is an overall rhythm; a varying pace throughout the album.
Some parts idle where some accelerate to screaming crescendos. Some
songs suggest locomotion while others wind down into nothingness.
Tension and release string these songs together very much like a soundtrack.
You can almost see the widescreen images attune with the mood and
movement of each composition. The tracks feel more like scenes than
songs. The whole listening experience is emotionally captivating in
a way that is very unlike music, but rather like a movie. The earliest
movies were silent visual films. Maybe, as Aleamapper suggests, the
most modern films might be audible blind ones?