‘UHF’ is a brilliantly eerie follow-up to Hacker Farm’s previous ‘Poundland’ release. I imagine the makers of this album as spittle-flecked crazy noise technicians operating from some kind of rural survivalist bunker, packed with home-brewed electronics. It’s that sort of album; one to make your imagination run away with itself; illuminating dusty corners of the… Continue reading Hacker Farm – UHF (Exotic Pylon)
Keith Fullerton Whitman / Mohammad / Some Truths at Cafe Oto, 1st February 2013
PAN records, purveyors of weirdness and fine enlightening noise, arranged this awesome night of drone and synth chaos. Kicking off with Some Truths the night began perfectly. Ralph Cumbers (aka Some Truths and Bass Clef) sat at a jumble of wires and immediately conjured a thick rumble of bass. A diversity of sounds was apparent from… Continue reading Keith Fullerton Whitman / Mohammad / Some Truths at Cafe Oto, 1st February 2013
Decoy with Joe McPhee – Spontaneous Combustion (OTOroku)
Decoy is the trio of John Edwards (double bass), Alexander Hawkins (Hammond B3) and Steve Noble (drums); on this recording of a live date at the Cafe Oto they were joined by the great Joe McPhee on pocket trumpet and alto sax. Recordings of live performances are double edged in terms of appeal to the… Continue reading Decoy with Joe McPhee – Spontaneous Combustion (OTOroku)
Birthdays, Dalston: Pete Swanson, Mark Fell, Evian Christ (DJ set), Raime (DJ set) – 14th January 2013
After DJ sets by Raime and Evian Christ, Mark Fell made his way through the audience, took to the stage and proceeded to bend time for the elastic duration of his slot. He unleashed taut airburst beats that hung in space for mere moments before being dragged through his mangling software, emerging on the other… Continue reading Birthdays, Dalston: Pete Swanson, Mark Fell, Evian Christ (DJ set), Raime (DJ set) – 14th January 2013
Daphne Oram – The Oram Tapes: Volume 1 (Young Americans)
The first volume of ‘The Oram Tapes’ is a treasure trove. Daphne Oram is an important artist in the history of electronic music, if a neglected one; her work casts a long shadow over those currently working in the field, and on into the future. Deeply weird, this is a revealing listen for those who associate… Continue reading Daphne Oram – The Oram Tapes: Volume 1 (Young Americans)
Café Oto, 9th January 2013: Alan Wilkinson + Steve Noble + John Edwards
Fresh from a brilliant performance with Alex Ward at Boat-Ting, the city’s best rhythm section join Alan Wilkinson for a great night at the Café Oto.In terms of group dynamics, the players often furiously locked antlers; John Edwards’ (bass) eyes were screwed shut in concentration, finding gaps in the interplay in which to pour bowed arcs of… Continue reading Café Oto, 9th January 2013: Alan Wilkinson + Steve Noble + John Edwards
Boat-Ting, 7th January 2013: N.E.W, Barrel, Matt Chilton + Sharon Gal + Anthony Donovan
This week, Boat-Ting hosted the mighty N.E.W who opened the evening with a predictably dramatic set. Despite being rapturously noisy, they also reward deep listening; the interplay is fascinating and reveals the group to be no mere macho blustering thunder band. Their sturm und drang is complicated by light and shade and surprising U-turns; one… Continue reading Boat-Ting, 7th January 2013: N.E.W, Barrel, Matt Chilton + Sharon Gal + Anthony Donovan
KTL – V (Editions Mego)
This duo of Stephen O’Malley and Peter Rehberg is a fertile pairing, possessed of unholy drone skills. ‘V’ is about as unsettling an album as you could hope to be freaked out by; it is deeply eerie while also infused with a stark and uncanny beauty.The album demands close and repeated listening despite being bleak,… Continue reading KTL – V (Editions Mego)
Laurel Halo – Sunlight on the Faded (Hyperdub)
On her new single, Laurel Halo proves herself to be a genius of the cracked and warped pop song as much as an experimental electronic artist. ‘Sunlight on the Faded’ continues from her work on the album ‘Quarantine’ with its deeply weird but emotionally evocative tale of dislocation. This is a beautiful but uneasy take… Continue reading Laurel Halo – Sunlight on the Faded (Hyperdub)
Ears For Eyes 