Today, thanks to the folks at Canadian net-label Decibel Palace, we rediscover a rare electronic quartet with a taste for techno, funk, and 80s synth-sounds. The resulting output resembles Mr. Scruff circa year 2099, a playful, futuristic-nostalgia. Toronto’s answer to Kraftwerk? Unfortunately the band disbanded eight years ago after releasing an initial 12″ (with “Liquor Mart” as the a-side) and a 10-track debut featuring a remix by Freaky Chakra. Dave Allen (Gang of Four, Shriekback) planned on releasing their sophomore effort on his World Domination label. When his domination attempt failed the album was shelved and the band went on their separate ways. Live, Transformantra employed live instrumentation and improvisational re-mixing and set King Svenie (a veteran rave dancer/illustrator) loose on the stage, dancing around, costumed like the cosmos. Here’s hoping for a Transformantra reunion show in the Gobi tent at Coachella!
65 Days of Static
Just read my original post…so much has changed and so much hasn’t. Same goes for 65 Days of Static. They’re still making instrumental rock that I actually like. But they’ve since matured their sound a bit. It’s less of an aural blitz and more of subtle, studied sound. Don’t get me wrong, they still have an edge to them: they had to kick a Scottish after-school dance troupe out of their own auditorium to record the grand piano for this album. Now that’s rock ‘n’ roll.
Original post (12/20/2004):
I just got back from two weeks of working in London. Sounds great, I know, and for the most part it was. But, as a wise man once crooned, “being apart ain’t easy on this love affair.” So, as I fought jet lag and IMed my wife at 2am, I’d leave the TV on in the background for a little company. I usually kept it on mute, but when the video for 65 Days of Static’s “Retreat!Retreat!” flickered on, I turned up the volume and got sucked right in. Why can’t we just swap these guys for Linkin Park and make the charts a better place for everyone? Here are a couple secular tracks, plus a seasonal treat to play in your iPod as you fight through the crowds at Toys ‘R’ Us. Ho ho ho, indeed.
Alias
How about a hefty dose from Alias! Today we feature a broad sampling from Alias’s discography, beginning with remixes from his brand-spanking new remix collection, coincidentally titled Collected Remixes. Alias is anything but generic when it comes to producing his music. He adds so much more to his remix projects than a throwaway beat. He makes each song his own with his signature atmospherics and keyboard work—from reworking indie stalwart John Vanderslice to dropping the low end on Lali Puna’s björk-core to goblet-shattering levels.
Alias stands head and shoulders above most hip-hop producers because rather than relying on sampling Alias implements live and electronic instrumentation. He still taps the past for inspiration as evidenced by the Black Celebration era riff of “Cobblestone Waltz,” a track recorded with his brother Ehren for their collaborative instrumental album, Lillian. And don’t miss his work with Rona “Tarsier” Rapadas. It’s anything but a sidenote. His colorful production gently lifts her already lush and soaring vocals. There’s plenty here to digest, but just a few songs in you’ll hear how Alias, like several of his fellow Bay Area beat-heads, has single-handedly broadened the boundaries of hip-hop, revealing its rich possibilities.
Ghislain Poirier
Trying to keep it Francophone here…Montreal DJ Ghislain Poirier has range. His distinctive rebel beats draw from a range of styles — from Ragga to Detroit techno. (Ghis prefers to call his sound “le gros,” as in the fatness, which I won’t dispute.) He teams up with a wide range of MCs, from dancehall toaster DJ Collage to fellow Quebequois Seba. And he’s been called upon to remix a range of artists from Les Georges Lenningrad to Lady Sovereign to some up-and-comer named Jay Z. While these MP3s are nice tastes his best work can be found on his two albums for Chocolate Industries, a label that unfortunately doesn’t provide freeloads. Don’t let that stop you from having a listen (they’re available on eMusic). He also has an album slated for the fall on Ninja Tune.
Kinetic Stereokids
Kinetic Stereokids hail from Flint, Michigan (third most dangerous city in the U.S. and one of the most depressing), where I reckon they hear a lot of car alarms. But you know what they say…when life gives you car alarms, make samples. And why stop with car alarms? KSK’s debut Basement Kids is an enticing grab bag of found sounds and samples, as well as free-range rap, folk and rock guitar, drowsy ballads, garage beats, cuttin’ and scratchin’, experimental knob noodling, and other random bits. Beck employed similar means to reach a different end on records like Mellow Gold and Odelay. Here there is a melancholy, desperate, and spiteful undercurrent which makes even the rough edges compelling to listen to. It won’t necessarily get the party started but makes an excellent public transportation soundtrack.
The Battle Royale
Now this is refreshing. A band that cops to copping. “We copy everyone.” Now that that’s cleared up and out of the way get ready for some dance action. The Battle Royale are a toothsome young foursome from Minnesota that began as a folk ensemble but then discovered the little “techno” settings on a garage sale keyboard. They never looked back. They won their one album deal with Afternoon records by dominating a local venue’s “Battle of the Underage Underground” competition (three of the members were still in high school a year ago). They’ve got the groove-itude of CSS and the playfulness of Atari Teenage Riot if Atari Teenage Riot were playful like their name suggests. Here’s hoping The Battle Royale never take themselves seriously.
Thieves Like Us
A great tip from Lismore’s email blast. The two bands just played Friday at the Delancy in NYC. I can’t stop listening to the 12″ from Thieves Like Us. This A-side plays like a lost track from the Trainspotting soundtrack. A little New Order, a little Daft Punk, a lot of dance floor fun. A tribute to tripping. 3hive does not condone illegal drug use (at least not before breakfast), but we fully support dropping beats that induce body moving euphoria. Tune into these two Swedes and a Yankee and let yourself go.
For those of you keeping score at home, this post marks 3hive’s 1,000th entry. Make some noise!
L.A.O.S.
I’ve been holding out on posting this one…holding out for the day when L.A.O.S.’s brilliant (not to mention educational!) “Panda Style” single becomes available to the masses—or to me, at least. Alas, it’s not widely available in any format and I can’t, according to the 3hive Oath, keep awesome free MP3 downloads to myself. L.A.O.S. (Large Amount of Soul) are a drum ‘n’ bass trio from Helsinki with a great ear for deep hooks, cheeky samples, and beats that won’t quit. “Drowning Deep Inside Your Soul” is a good taste of their sound. However, if you want to hear “Panda Style” you can stream it from their MySpace page, or download the DJ Abraham (1/3 of L.A.O.S.) mix from their old school site where it sits alongside some other killer dubplates. Also, if you don’t mind voiceover—and in this particular case I really don’t—I’d recommend the thrilling Hospital Records podcast where I first heard “Panda Style” (thanks Moodmat!). Rumor has it, L.A.O.S. will release at least one title on Hospital in the near future. Fingers crossed it’s you-know-what…
Tom Rothrock
An album named after the instrument it fetishizes, Resonator (a wood-bodied guitar with a single metal coned center often called by the brand name DOBRO) is producer Tom Rothrock’s first album as a recording artist. You’ll immediately recognize the Resonator’s bluesy soul sound as the backbone of many of Beck’s early songs. You old-timers and blues enthusiasts may scoff at pop music’s grope at authenticity, re-discovering the guitar some fifty years after its heyday. You cannot, however, chide Rothrock’s passion for the instrument. This instrumental work resonates with respect and reverence. He adds hip-hop beats, live drums and strings to the equation for a cinematic mood and scope. Fitting, considering it was Michael Mann’s urging Rothrock to compose the score for Mann’s film Collateral, that set the prolific producer to work on his own compositions. Getting your hands on the entire album may prove problematic as it’s been limited to a one-time pressing of 1,203 hand-numbered copies. Not to fear, it’s just the first in a series of instrumental albums planned by Mr. Rothrock, released via his newly re-launched Bong Load Records.
Caural
Caural is short for Chicago’s Artful Underdog Resists Abstract Labeling. Okay, I made that up. Caural is the stagename for multi-talented musician Zachary Mastoon whose off-kilter beats, found samples, and moody synths often find him compared to Four Tet, Prefuse 73, and Daedelus. Flattering company as far as I’m concerned, but not necessarily satisfying as a description. He’s got a sound all his own and each track packs its own little surprises if you listen carefully.