Review // Ariel Pink- 'Pom Pom'

When he isn't being super-creepy, Ariel Pink also makes music! Catch me giving his non-Haunted Graffitti release 'Pom Pom' the lowest-score across the board in October's Crack, over here!

Review // Ariel Pink- 'Pom Pom'

Concerted oddball to the last, Ariel Pink’s first solo-titled venture, the double-stacked Pom Pom, sees his well-worn formula finally run out of steam. 17 tracks, 69 minutes, but scant substance it feels like the work of a man out of time. Multiple voices emanate from Pink’s role as the album’s central protagonist, slipping between characters, actively seeking to retain his creative enigma. Kim Fowley is invited along to add a playful touch on 'Plastic Raincoats In The Pig Parade', its zany "oh yeah!"s painting a Moldy Peaches shade to their storytelling, rather than the psychprankster reference points they musically reach to. 'Jell-o' jingles as if an advertorial for the sugary US staple: “Everyone eats white bread/ That’s why they’re all dead” Ariel regurgitates, uber-speed babbles jumping in between verses. 'White Freckles' fires out with riffs so fast and shrewd they sound straight off the credit sequence of Miami Vice. “She got them at the tanning salon” he spectates into a slow-tuned, strut-worthy groove, while on 'Lipstick' he flatly breathes out to ask “Where are the girls?”.
'Not Enough Violence' also trickles into the outlandish and squirmingly uncomfortable, his vocal almost inaudible, apart from the avowal of “Penetration time tonight.” -you hope it’s all in jest, but then you awkwardly realise it’s not. The unbearably wacky 'Dinosaur Carebear' revels in its dippy carnivalesque skittery, while lead track 'Put Your Number In My Phone' opts for the flipside, soft-rock division of Pom Pom, standing out as a minor joy amongst the befuddled, juvenile, borderline-patronising rest. Flashback-worthy 'One Summer Night' and 'Exile On Frog Street' musically resound as if worthy of cult indie-pop classics, but come bathed amongst the creepy – allthemore pointed in the context of Mr. Pink’s own creep-like tendencies – and lukewarm. But Pom Pom’s fun and romance is drained by a conceited stretch of triviality and a growing realisation that, even if you are in on the joke, it’s just not that funny anymore.

 6/20

Words by Yours Truly X

Review // Busdriver- 'Perfect Hair'

The mind-bogglingly articulate Busdriver just dropped his latest full-length 'Perfect Hair' on Big Dada yesterday! He's also been writing some lines track-by-track over on his Twitter AND you can stream the whole thing here, whilst you read my review for the 405!

Review // Busdriver- 'Perfect Hair'

Eccentric Los Angeles native Busdriver, has been dispensing his hyper literate, oddball hip-hop for over a decade, reconstructing experimental practices by striking boldly when the iron glows hot. A crossover of label affiliations led to projects with Brainfeeder boss Flying Lotus, and his British protégé Lapalux more recently, then there was his ridiculous take on Drake's 'Worst Behaviour' at the tail end of last year, abundant with tongue-in-cheek, stinging delivery. Returning to one of his earlier homes in the form of Big Dada, Perfect Hair comes out of an escape for the flaws found within self-acceptance.
 'Retirement ODE', an infectious instrumental with stirring hooks that leer "You never would admit how sick I've become," fluctuates between the crazy and the adamant. Lines such as "I'm a frequent flyer/ and a decent liar/ and that's a lie in itself come on", are laughed off in their overcharged ludicrosity, an element distinctively inherent to his music. Melodic takes from the backing singers he quotes costing $3500 per take, prove their worth before the beat breaks down to a frenetic fury, spitting "I used to wake up at noon to punch the moon" to twist the track into a disembodied truth. If fellow Californian Madlib's mental Quasimoto persona, is defined by smoked-out, high-pitched animation, then Regan Farquhar's Busdriver alter-ego is sharp, not to mention full-throttle.
 'Bliss Pilot' is certainly atmospheric and full-bodied, though not vulnerable enough to be emotional, the horns, rippling electronics and arrhythmic delivery, suggesting he wasn't chasing such a label, anyway. Even on the formidable (and brilliant) Jeremiah Jae-produced 'Ego Death', with his raps stabbing over a monster of a beat, the idea of altering your state of consciousness as stated in the title, is met precisely head-on. Double dutching through a hook of "We can make this better/ or not/ yes we will/ we're just looking for something inside us to kill," Farquhar nods back to the song-orientated direction that was present on 2012's Beaus$Eros - boiling hot guest spots from the inimitable Danny Brown and Aesop Rock, planting pop-culture nods to The Prodigy and Marilyn Manson, as if all in this crazy house together.
 'Tooth Lined Horizon Blinks' doesn't come up for air in a slanted, almost chant-led iniation, Open Mike Eagle sweeping in to announce his presence with straight-up, old-school flow; a talent concentrated and able to hold its own, even under 'Drivers unassailable stance. Where Perfect Hair has those ballsy moments, lyrically with pushing past an ostracization and arriving at a truth, there are the flashes such as 'Upsweep'- produced by Mono/Poly- to balance out the often unruly collection. Bringing us back round to the poignant at first, the latter track's instrumentals infuse through Farquhar's centre-stage vocal, similarly to 'Bliss Pilot'. Yet as the release plays on, we've always known the persona of Busdriver was an unconventional one, but to the clear divisions throughout Perfect Hair, he has a release that bifurcates between sparkling, let-it-rip takes, over to a self-antagonistic, ball of constructed chaos.

Words by Yours Truly X

Review // Paul Oakenfold- 'Trance Mission'

I reviewed Paul Oakenfold's 'Trance Mission' release for 365 Mag, ahead of it's release tomorrow! Arguably Paul’s first artist album since 2006, this new release is an album of 10 covers- not remixes- of Paul’s favourite tracks of all time and one which sees him returning to his roots. Click here to read it, or scroll down below!

Review // Paul Oakenfold- 'Trance Mission'

Electronic enigma Paul Oakenfold, has held onto his legendary reputation as the godfather of trance for decades, perfecting and showcasing his craft across institutions including Radio 1 and Cream - but with archetypal anthems such as ‘Ready, Steady, Go’ under his belt, not to mention putting pen-to-paper composing grandiose film scores for Hollywood blockbusters and back, no introduction should really be needed. 

Building up a fresh interpretation of timeless trance classics for the double disc release of ‘Trance Mission’- aptly titled because “it's filled with a selection of my favourite trance records from the last 25 years and it’s been a bloody mission to finish”, as the man himself states - Oakenfold has taken a calculated, concentrated approach to reinvent this twelve-track journey. Utilising “nothing except the original riff” to compose his covers, rather than simply remixing, he delves layers deep into reinventing these iconic listens of yesteryear… but will it leave a bitter taste in the mouths of lovers of the genre, or will he be capable of reigniting the ecstasy felt first time around? 

 From the get-go, it is clear to dissect that Oakenfold’s track selection has been plucked from a notion to appeal to appreciators, of whose stomachs will flutter at the mere sight of titles such as ‘Theme For Great Cities’ and ‘Touch Me’… but this is your official warning that these are certainly not the old favourites, we’re used to. Take the infamous ‘Café Del Mar’, by no means a genteel listen, that spirals progressively harder in 2014 than it ever did back in the early nineties when showcased by Energy 52.

Contorting into a dense, wonky working thanks to chopped vocal whispers of the infamous Ibiza venue that manages to stealthily creep into the listener’s subconscious despite brazen production that cannot be ignored- an applaudable effort of skill and insight is highlighted in its rawest, familiar form here, but of course it’s not as if we expected anything less. 

 As a man passionate about his art that has never censored the euphoria present at the heart of trance - who says Oakenfold should start now? Re-producing Fragma’s ‘Toca Me’ with a crisper undertone that accelerates energy and unforgivingly nudges up the high-octane BPM, further more so than its predecessor, every asset of his personality flows through the very veins of this release. Big-room drops and elongated build-ups that deviate away from traditional trance standpoints, don’t deduct from the ethos felt at the centre come his pummelling edit of Grace’s ‘Not Over Yet’, allowing the instantly-recognisable vocals to be positively isolated, projected into taking centre stage. 

 Marrying a hybrid of cinematic workings and no-nonsense, unadulterated anthems, it’s clear of his aim to infuse the album with individual flair, making his statement accessible as an introductory tool, without tarnishing the genre’s heritage; an epic task he does successfully manage to execute, from beginning to end. 

Undeniably set to instigate interest across younger generations of whom may not have been able to experience the definitive period of trance at it’s peak, but are familiar with the history of these tracks in numerous forms, ‘Trance Mission’ is set to not only reinstate the historical importance of Oakenfold’s character as a heralded DJ, but also the positive, seminal role that this release will impact upon the future resurgence of the genre.

Words by Yours Truly X

Review // King Krule- '6 Feet Beneath The Moon'

I've had the best August, Beacons was fabulous, hitting the big 2-1 in London was fun and reuniting with the Crisp Collab for bank holiday was also commendable. I'm surrounded by amazing people and have never felt so lucky in my life. Cringe, let's not get deep on a Saturday, now. Regardless, King Krule also turned nineteen last week when his debut '6 Feet Beneath The Moon' was released- shoutout to the Virgos'! It is beautiful and the first time I heard 'Neptune Estate' I burst out crying, just imagine someone writing that about you. IMAGINE. Regardless, make some brunch and put the needle on it as you read my review below.
King Krule- '6 Feet Beneath The Moon'
How does an apparent talent aged just sixteen, three years on from the tirade of acclaimed whispers, internet dissection, speculation and a handful of material that got the underbelly of the music industry tingling so rapidly, manage to not only regulate relevance but outspread its interested audience? Archy Mashall may now be older and wiser as ‘6 Feet Beneath The Moon’ is released on his nineteenth birthday and we know that façade was never going to be a factor within his work, what you see is what you get and his long-awaited debut release may be accurately what we estimated- ragged London drawl and all- yet what captures the listener that may not have been noted previously, is to what commendable level of conviction Marshall has held on to, sure to not compromise his ideas over to a reality. Stimulating art should make you feel something, whether you want to or not and Marshall’s fourteen-track journey doesn't just take you along for his expedition of turmoil and tension but instills his pain and sentiment into the listener, likewise.
‘Can’t you bear just one more night?’ Krule questions upon ‘Neptune Estate’, no-frills attached, as spits of ‘I wanna be with you/ I wanna be used’, present themselves as the desperate scraps of holding onto a relationship turned distinctively sour, yet he manages to execute this with a clerical element of elegance, as guitar lines boing underneath tender drum beats that would certainly sound something of an intergalactic nature, if it were not for the muffled distortions of his poignant requests. Oh, and the horns. The horns that you forget are even there until they creep into a brazen, sonic wave, making your guts twist with empathy and restlessness. ‘Neptune Estate’ puts you right in the shoes of its writer, exactly where most artists avoid; that bit in love once the rose-tinted glasses have come off with all cards on the table and no more bets, please, that despite its uncomfortability gives a sense of a soothing, almost soul-cleansing practice... and his best work to date hands-down.
From empathy and relation, the off-beat syncopation of ‘Has This Hit?’ takes his theme of loss to more abrasive levels, as corrugated cymbals and off-kilter vocal delivery snarl throughout to tell a tale of hurt at an explosive level. ‘Well my guts are on the floor/ For you to adore me’ reaffirm the sense of romanticism that underpins, as his beats get more melodic rather than sharpening throughout, however his problems, similarly, continue on. Take for example ‘Border Line’, with it’s faux-sunshine-feel of tip-toe’ing twangs and the harmonious croons of ‘Baby Blue’ (referenced numerous times across the record) that bring in the sentimentality factors, allowing you to get lost within an abyss of minimal keys and soothing vocals with a much larger sense of direction and certainty that we saw from this demo take, back in his Zoo Kid stage. A notion only echoed into the fact that ‘Out Getting Ribs’ doesn't sound dated and stale among this body of work- as one may expect, however, when a swathe of material is conducted with the same recipe, rarely adding something experimental in the mix, certain troughs are going to deflate noticeably and do so throughout, no matter how much the audience doesn't want to admit it.
Take for instance, the formulaic workings of ‘Ceiling’, a track which commends itself as unstructured, half-hearted and forgettable within its three minutes- yet ‘A Lizard State.aff’ brings you straight back to the here and now, seeming a million miles away from his younger efforts thanks to the muscle, depth and jazz statemented brass that is so assured of itself you could imagine Archy clicking away, stool-perched, cigarette in mouth over at the nearest shadowing speakeasy.
 ‘6 Feet Beneath The Moon’ is exactly what you would expect from Marshall, yet sets him apart from his Jamie T comparisons that many journalists have been prompt to tar him with- this is a release full of heartbreak disguised as something much more positive, being the record that would soundtrack a grey, rainy train journey back to reality the morning after the night before, rather than telling tales of underage scoundrels hanging around where they shouldn't on a Saturday evening.
Refreshing, beautiful and emotive- on tracks where he does strike gold- it may be, as well as a piece that presents itself well beyond its writers years, it is however distinctively unfortunate how his few breathtaking, timeless pieces are saturated in a cloud of repetitive bad habits and banal, unnecessary quantity-not-quality-tracks. Happy Birthday Archy, you've just broken my heart and it may not be in the most memorable sense...
Words by Yours Truly X

Review // Bleeding Knees Club- 'Nothing To Do'

Afternoon! This morning I finally attended my #digijourno (don't ask...) class after three weeks of constantly granting myself lie-ins, smashed it, left forty minutes early and wrote the review below. I've been a fan of Bleeding Knees Club for a while now so checked out their debut 'Nothing To Do' and, although I never usually publish pieces on here that don't go live on other sites, I'm currently tired, creative and just want to let some thoughts out, so, divirta-se! (Oh yeah, just casually practicing my Portugese COS I'M GOING TO THIS GUYS. Fuckoff Mumford & Sons.) x

Bleeding Knees Club- 'Nothing To Do' (iamsound/ Columbia Records)

The term ‘surf-pop’ can either make you wince in pain or writher with pleasure. Sure, the genre has been done to the death by bands like Wavves, Japandroids and No Age, but don’t let that tarnish the whole influx of this ‘stoner’ breed alone. Bleeding Knees Club, made up of Alex Wall and Jordan Malane via the sweet sunshine of the Australian Gold Cost, present the world with their debut full-length ‘Nothing To Do’, after working on Summer album sessions with Dev Hynes- y'know, him- is it enough to set them apart from the pack?

     Having released their ‘Virginity’ EP back in 2010, the compilation included attention-grabbing tracks, ‘Have Fun’ and ‘Bad Guys’, bursting with exuberance, vigor and most importantly, fun. Album opener, ‘Teenage Girls’, is a joyful, care-free mash of aerial yet  vigorous vocals, steam-rolling over jangling guitars’ and amalgamating into a track so punchy, one can’t help but babble along. Next up, ‘Hate Me’ is more ruckus than twee, with lyrics such as ‘This is the time of the night/ When nothing can go quite right’, deliver a safe bet for a trip down easy street, yet are proceeded as all-relatable, nonetheless . ‘Beach Slut’ commences spacey and numbed, with almost soulfully executed whims of ‘I really wish she would stay’, before jolting into what could easily be mistaken for being repeatedly played in Al’s diner from ‘Happy Days’- then hurtling back down to being totally dreamy and full of funk recurrently. ‘Girls Can Do Anything’ has another zoned-out vibe, as multiple, ghostly female vocals weave themselves through the track, creating an almost hypnotic delivery, whilst ‘Problem Child’ reeks of attitude, scuzz and feedback intoxication- all in the best possible way of course. However, it’s not all golden sands and plain sailing throughout for this pair…

 More distracting than anything on the album, when it all boils down to the sheer musicianship, is the essence of that samey, splashing drum/ cymbal fusion, that fails to be delivered in a successfully melodic, or even something fiercer as we initially thought, way. ‘Lipstick’ slows things down with a Liam Lynch-esque (Omg, remember him?!) ‘Well, uh, me and Betty we’re hangin’ out by the beaches’ adamant announcement, paired with conventional streams of ‘oo’s which, frankly, appeals more as ‘one for the girls’, rather than one to draw the fairer sex in come the chorus. Oh and ‘Let It Go’ sounds just like it’s walked its way right into our ears off Harlem’s ‘Hippies’ effort. Sure, Bleeding Knees Club have found their audience and a synthesis that works- fair enough, they want to stick to it- but it somehow just doesn’t justify the excitement of their past releases and, well, sounding better on paper than in practice, it just doesn’t quite live up to its notion.

5/10

Words by yours truly