The latest freebie from the Kracfive gang is “Blind Alley Cat,” credited to Kettel. It weaves a slowly developing snake-charm melody over the sort of meticulously percussive momentum that makes Volkswagen TV-commercial directors salivate, until, after nearly three minutes, it …
With the possible of exception of John Adams, composer Michael Nyman may be the most melodic of the major minimalists. Yeah, say that five times fast to a tune by Gilbert and Sullivan, and then head over to the Other …
Bay Sounds: In response to the recent trio of Disquiet concert reviews (”Beyond Laptops”), I got a request for info on how to find updates on San Francisco concerts of experimental/electronic music. These are some good resources: (1) the somewhat …
The Kikapu netlabel’s 75th release comes from its founder, Brad Mitchell, who records under the name Pocka. Titled Devoured by a Shark, it collects what he describes as “random” tracks that have been on his “hard drive for the better …
The new album from Sal., Ohne Titel Mit Titel, now downloadable from the Test Tube netlabel, will appeal mostly to veteran noise fans, but there are nods to a more general audience. While three tracks are about as pleasurable as …
Some call it a podcast, while others call it a radio broadcast segment ported to the web. In either case, the estimable Echoes radio show has posted an interview, including musical interludes, with fourth-world trumpeter Jon Hassell. He talks about …
The second release from the minusn (or -n) netlabel is a short, four-track Andrey Kiritchenko EP, Scatter Stars. Early on it emphasizes minimal-techno’s interest in muffled beats that echo in barren spaces, though in Kiritchenko’s hands that means the …
Bleep.com is the digital-music download service operated by the folks at Warp Records, and it’s running a special free-download promotion in conjunction with Rip ‘N’ Burn magazine, which is ceasing to publish (the magazine, not the download retailer). Bleep …
With its offbeat tempos and prevalent mallet-wielding, Jaga Jazzist may be the second coming of Tortoise, or of Shadowfax, depending on your temperament. Neither of those acts, though, ever rocked as hard as Jaga does on “Oslo Skyline,” a soaring …
Manhattan Bender: Circuit benders descended on the Tank in Manhattan this past week for four days of Bent 2005 (wired.com has the story). The Tank site features a brief video documentary of Bent 2004, including footage of …