ELECTRIC WIZARD Supercoven (Southern Lord/MIA) cd 14.98
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Reissued, remastered version of this psychedelic stoner doom metal classic, originally released in '98 on vinyl and cd in their native England by the Bad Acid label. Two bonus tracks have been added to the two from the original ep (one live, one demo). If you have any interest in the sludgy, the doomed, and, um, the super slow and heavy, check this out...

ELECTRIC WIZARD Witchcult Today (Candlelight) cd 13.98
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Ok, someone needs to give these guys a medal. First off, there's a song here called "Satanic Rites Of Drugula". Drugula?? That's brilliant. Dave Wyndorf is kicking himself for not having thought of that first!
England's Electric Wizard, the reigning kings (and queen, with Liz Buckingham of 13 and Sourvein on guitar) of utter spaced-out heaviosity (think Black Sabbath + Hawkwind + Eyehategod) also deserve a medal 'cause they are still caning harder and making great albums worthy of their legacy (2000's Dopethrone is an all-time AQ fave of psychedelic sludge stoner genius). It's like they themselves have morphed into the ancient ones from whence all these drugged-out, doooooom metal vibes come.
On their sixth album Witchcult Today, which opens with the sluggish title track, they keep doin' what they do best. Guitarist/vocalist Jus Oborn's wasted wail drifts up from beneath the band's monolithic, mesmeric riffage, as they enact such "Black Magic Rituals & Perversions" as, well, that one, and the other seven tracks here. As blown out and sludgey as it gets (which is VERY) they have an uncanny knack for keeping it catchy and poppy too when they desire. Songs like "Torquemada 71" and the one about Drugula will get stuck in your head, only to slowly drip out like the viscous black tar they are... while "Dunwich" has got to be the grooviest -and- heaviest H.P. Lovecraft-inspired song of the year. As usual, the whole album is getting heavy airplay here in Aquarius, where we're ALL fans even those of us who don't smoke pot, do drugs, or usually listen to stoner metal... we've just been bitten by Drugula is all.
MPEG Stream: "Witchcult Today"
MPEG Stream: "Satanic Rites Of Drugula"
MPEG Stream: "Saturnine"

ELECTRIC WIZARD Witchcult Today (Rise Above) 2lp 36.00
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HOLY CRAP! This is one of the nicest looking lps we've ever seen. And it's priced like it, but c'mon! Wait 'til you see it. It looks like the cd art but all the grey parts are reflective silver, just silver and black, shiny and eye popping, all wrapped around a super deluxe gatefold, wow. Even if it wasn't an amazing record, it would be almost worth it just for the packaging, but the thing is, it IS an amazing record, a few lists back, we raved about it quite a bit:
Ok, someone needs to give these guys a medal. First off, there's a song here called "Satanic Rites Of Drugula". Drugula?? That's brilliant. Dave Wyndorf is kicking himself for not having thought of that first!
England's Electric Wizard, the reigning kings (and queen, with Liz Buckingham of 13 and Sourvein on guitar) of utter spaced-out heaviosity (think Black Sabbath + Hawkwind + Eyehategod) also deserve a medal 'cause they are still caning harder and making great albums worthy of their legacy (2000's Dopethrone is an all-time AQ fave of psychedelic sludge stoner genius). It's like they themselves have morphed into the ancient ones from whence all these drugged-out, doooooom metal vibes come.
On their sixth album Witchcult Today, which opens with the sluggish title track, they keep doin' what they do best. Guitarist/vocalist Jus Oborn's wasted wail drifts up from beneath the band's monolithic, mesmeric riffage, as they enact such "Black Magic Rituals & Perversions" as, well, that one, and the other seven tracks here. As blown out and sludgey as it gets (which is VERY) they have an uncanny knack for keeping it catchy and poppy too when they desire. Songs like "Torquemada 71" and the one about Drugula will get stuck in your head, only to slowly drip out like the viscous black tar they are... while "Dunwich" has got to be the grooviest -and- heaviest H.P. Lovecraft-inspired song of the year. As usual, the whole album is getting heavy airplay here in Aquarius, where we're ALL fans even those of us who don't smoke pot, do drugs, or usually listen to stoner metal... we've just been bitten by Drugula is all.
MPEG Stream: "Witchcult Today"
MPEG Stream: "Satanic Rites Of Drugula"
MPEG Stream: "Saturnine"

ELECTRIC WIZARD / REVEREND BIZARRE split (Rise Above) 12" 17.98
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Odds are most folks who would be into this record, won't even make it this far in the review, they'll just grab one. For doomlords and ladies, this really needs no description other than the names of the two bands, Finland's dead and deceased Reverend Bizarre, whose post mortum release schedule rivals Tupac's, and UK masters of downtuned sub-Sabbathian stoner sludge, Electric Wizard. Each band offers up a sidelong track of crushing doom drenched heaviness, each coming from their own distinct direction.
The sound of Electric Wizard is something special, in some ways so derivative, so sonically similar to about a million other bands, but the second it comes on, it could be no one else. A testament to their doom mastery for sure, and this is primo doom, a slowly unravelling main riff, lurching and lumbering, melodic vocals settled way down in the mix, languorous stoned leads over the top, thick swirls of psychedelic organ, and endless spaced out drug drenched jams, Hawkwind meets Monster Magnet meets Sabbath, but slowed way down and dirtied up, culminating in a nearly drumless melting riff outro, the guitars slowing down, the riff crumbling, squalls of psychrock leads, thick whirring organs, the song eventually grinding to a halt after droning on and on and on. Awesome.
Reverend Bizarre counter with their own extended slab of plodding doom genius, spaced out riff, pounding drums, vocals slipping from guttural howl to ominous whisper, but this is RB, so it's bound to get bizarre, and it does, with a chanted midsong ritual, soaring clean almost operatic vocals invoking demons over a woozy melodic lope, before slipping into an almost krautrock like groove, before lo and behold, the song flips and the second half of the track is BACKWARDS!!! Hypnotic and creepy, the sounds whooping and shimmering, the vocals a demonic gurgle over the top, very tripped out and dizzying, a weirdly blackly psychedelic outro from these twisted doomic Finns. Who we would say we miss like crazy since they broke up, but they haven't really stopped releasing records quite yet...
Pressed on what appears to be black vinyl with bits of glitter in it, with a garish seventies horror exploitation cover, a saucy lady cutting up another saucy lady on some black altar, candelabras and skulls, long velvet gloves and capes, knee high leather boots and way too much makeup, but fear not sensitive ones, the exposed crotch (right beneath the grinning skull) is covered by a little pentagram, and the sliced nipple by a little black circle. Phew!!

ELECTRIC WIZARD, THE We Live (Rise Above) cd 16.98
If you've seen Electric Wizard perform live ever, you probably had the same experience we did: they were WASTED. Living up to their "we came harder" motto, the Wiz had some substance abuse problems on tour for sure. The last time they played here in San Francisco, their drummer both ruined the show (by not being able to play the songs) and also stole the show (by not being able to stop playing, in between songs or even when the rest of the band left the stage at the end of their shambolic set -- he just continued on drumming -- with members of the opening bands backing *him* up! he even dragged the mic stand behind his kit and started "singing"! How rock and roll is that!?). Apparently guitarist/vocalist/band leader Jus Oborn got fed up and fired his drummer and bassist (or maybe they quit?). At any rate, those two have a new band, Ramesses, whose split with Negative Reaction suggests that Oborn was indeed the one in Electric Wizard with the talent... Now Oborn is back with a new Electric Wizard line-up (and maybe a subtle new name, as the cd cover says The Electric Wizard, and I'm not sure if they used the definitive article before...and elsewhere in the cd booklet they are credited as Electric Wizard II). Now backed by drummer Justin Greaves (ex-Iron Monkey), second guitarist Liz Buckingham (of Sourvein, ex-13), Oborn's new Electric Wizard is sort of a doom/sludge supergroup! So you know that they're just as heavy as they ever were, if not even heavier. There's grimmer grind on here than ever before, and also some amazingly melodic material as well such as the almost-pop by Wizard standards "Another Perfect Day". For the most part, We Live harks back to past Wizard classics like Come My Fanatics and Dopethrone and stands proud beside them. It's utter psychedelic doom, that brand of droning feedback dirge metal that begs to be played LOUD. For long stretches, this is kinda like a hybrid of Hawkwind and the Melvins (Jus sings a bit like the Melvins' Buzz Osbourne on the title track, which we must note also opens with a sample from AQ-fave British zombie biker flick Psychomania!), so fans of the likes of UFOmammut and Boris will be mighty pleased, ultimately so with the mantric devastation of the 15 minute album-closer "Saturn's Children", driving you the listener right into the earth... Slightly more sober they themselves may now be, but this new Wizard remains a very potent sonic drug.
MPEG Stream: "We Live"
MPEG Stream: "The Sun Has Turned To Black"

ELECTRO GROUP A New Pacifica (Omnibus) cd 12.98
It should be stated that Sacramento's Electro Group has nothing in common with electro the genre - so look elsewhere for Miami jeep bass-bin rattlin' beats. Instead, this Electro Group hails from Sacramento and picks up where such contemporary US noise-pop / shoegazing bands as The Lilys and The Aisler's Set left off with their lovable reclamation of the early '90s Creation sound. While each track off of "A New Pacifica" -- their debut album -- is drenched in a thick early My Bloody Valentine distortion, it is primarily the rolling basslines which provide nearly all of the melodies for the Electro Group, thus keeping them sounding much heavier than your average shoegazing trio. Released on the Omnibus label, who was repsonsible for that fantastic Mates of State album, and, like that record, this isn't something you should pass up.
RealAudio clip: "Biped"
RealAudio clip: "La Ballena"

ELECTRO GROUP A New Pacifica (Omnibus) lp 9.98
It should be stated that Sacramento's Electro Group has nothing in common with electro the genre - so look elsewhere for Miami jeep bass-bin rattlin' beats. Instead, this Electro Group hails from Sacramento and picks up where such contemporary US noise-pop / shoegazing bands as The Lilys and The Aisler's Set left off with their lovable reclamation of the early '90s Creation sound. While each track off of "A New Pacifica" -- their debut album -- is drenched in a thick early My Bloody Valentine distortion, it is primarily the rolling basslines which provide nearly all of the melodies for the Electro Group, thus keeping them sounding much heavier than your average shoegazing trio. Released on the Omnibus label, who was repsonsible for that fantastic Mates of State album, and like that record this isn't something you should pass up.

ELECTRO QUARTERSTAFF Aykroyd (Willowtip) cd 14.98
All right! We've been waiting for this, at long last a new album of mathy mania from our favorite Manitoban instru-metal nerds, who rip it up like an unholy hybrid of The Fucking Champs and Gorguts.
So, we threw this on as soon as we got it in earlier this week, and as we were listening to it in the store, a dizzying display of complicated instrumental triple-guitar metal pyrotechnics, completely ridiculous stuff, Andee remarked to Matt that THIS must be what it sounds like inside Allan's head all the time. To which Allan says, "I wish!"... And Allan's wish is Electro Quarterstaff's command. All he (or anyone) has to do is strap on some headphones and hit "play", and your brain can start doing somersaults and backflips to the tricky tunes of these tech-metal masters!
Yes, it's a fun ride. Somehow the Electro Quarterstaff boys make their music crazy technical and also utterly rock out at the same time. In fact, on some of the tracks here, we declare EQ may have invented the hitherto unknown subgenre of "technical boogie"!!
The Willowtip label is of course known for uber-technical death grind, bands like Arsis, Capharnaum, Gorod, Necrophagist... serious, brutal stuff, though they do have their "humorous" side (remember, uh, Crotchduster?). Electro Quarterstaff certainly have a quizzical sense of humor, witness song titles like "Waltz Of The Swedish Meatballs" and "Unholy Gravy" (though others are less overtly absurd, to be sure). But that's not why we like 'em so much. Any band can come up with silly song titles, but NOT just any band can play like this, nosiree. Grin-inducing MUSICALLY 'cause it's so damn complex, yet catchy too. Reminds us a bit of An Albatross, but not so spastic and noisy, way more METAL, their hectic shred conversant with classical-sounding melody. In fact, first track "The Wolf Shall Inherit The Moon" is a disarmingly beautiful semi-acoustic piece, setting any unsuspecting listeners up for a shock when frantic next track "McNutty" erupts into their ear-space.
Once again, they've named this after a famous Canadian (Gretzky was their debut). And once again, this cd is graced with really awesome artwork. This 2nd album was worth the five year wait, but we hope EQ don't go back into lengthy hibernation right away... what would be really rad would be to see 'em play live, how 'bout a West Coast tour, guys? We'd be in the front row for that, along with any fans of Scale The Summit, Suzikiton, Pegataur, The Champs, Gorguts, etc.
MPEG Stream: "Waltz Of The Swedish Meatballs"
MPEG Stream: "Descent By Annihilation Operator"
MPEG Stream: "Stroganoff"

ELECTRO QUARTERSTAFF Gretzky (Willowtip) cd 14.98
Winnipeg, Manitoba has certainly spawned some notable music artists -- Bachman Turner Overdrive, the Weakerthans, Neil Young, and uh, Burton Cummings. Now firing up their own prairie block heater are Canadian metallers Electro Quarterstaff. Yes, let's repeat that... all hail, sheer instrumental heavy metal wizardry from Winnipeg, Canada: Electro Quarterstaff! That band name alone would pique our interest here at AQ. But actually we've been waiting for this release for AGES, as one of the EQ boys is an AQ fan and was cool enough to send us down some of their cd-r demos a while back, thinking we just might like his band's brand of mega-mathy, tech-metal madness. And he was right!! So, now suitably signed to the Willowtip label, here's the thus (to us) long-awaited Electro Quarterstaff debut! And it's a doozy. These blasting, bombastic songs practically turn themselves inside out with all the insane drumming, dual guitar shredding, and chunky chops crammed into 'em. Hectic heaviness overload!! We're happily dizzy after just a couple tracks. And the Zakk Wylde fans here appreciate all the pinch harmonics one of the guitarists flings like picks...
No surprise their thanks list includes members of Gorguts, Voivod, and Breadwinner! Basically, if you'd like The Fucking Champs to sound even more like Carcass, on crack, this is for you. Or, it's like a haywire super computer programmed to defeat Zebulon Pike at their own game. Damn. Some cuts, like, "Charmony" slow down a bit for some classic, majestic rifferama, giving more reason to make Champs comparisons... Oh yeah and like the Champs they've got that half-ironic, smart-ass post rock song titling thing down, getting the biggest groan from us with "Something's Awry In The Hetfield Of Dreams" (an eleven-minute epic by the way). Thank God they're an instrumental band! They're a bit more straight-forward with other titles like "Neckwrecker" (so true!) and "Twisted Squid" (sounds like it, if anything does). They've also got some really sweet artwork adorning this disc, not your usual metal stuff (though there's skulls) but way cool. Not sure what more to say to recommend this to the right folks, we just don't want any fans of the Champs, ZP, Girth, Loincloth, Hematovore, Suzukiton, etc. to miss this!
MPEG Stream: "The Right To Arm Bears"
MPEG Stream: "Charmony"
MPEG Stream: "Titanium Overlords"

ELECTROLETTES Octane Lies (Kill Rock Stars) 7" 3.99
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Local musician Sharon Cheslow (also of Red Eye). Electrolettes is her guitar/tapes/drums project: infectiously charming punk meets beatbox goodness.

ELECTROLETTES Plug Me In (Decomposition) tp 5.98
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Cassette from the talented Sharon Cheslow. The Electrolettes are a duo on guitar, drums and tape loops. Angular, fiery shards of tumbling guitar and impassioned voice together with a compelling sense of melody make up the Electrolettes' energizing sound. Soon to have a single out on Kill Rock Stars, but you can hear them first.

ELECTRONICAT 21st Century Toy (Disko B) cd 15.98
This 21st Century Toy is comin' at ya fully loaded with electro-punk Electronicat's barrel full of guitar samples, distorto-effects and analog synths. The lead-off track gets the party rolling with some super fuzzed-out guitar riffin' and glammy vocals not unlike that of Doctor & The Medics' "Spirit In The Sky" or Gary Glitter. But never fear, a more familiar thick synthesizer buzz soon enters the fray and threatens to obliterate all in its path. Lots of raw trashy dancefloor fun and glammy frivolity ensue as hinted at by song titles such as "Hoo Woo Woo" and "Birds Just Want To Have Fun" (actually one of the slower numbers on this album does indeed feature a bunch of birdies chirpin'). Play loud. Note: the cd version includes three more tracks than the vinyl.
MPEG Stream: "Tonight"
MPEG Stream: "Hoo Woo Woo"

ELECTRONICAT 21st Century Toy (Disko B) lp 14.98
This 21st Century Toy is comin' at ya fully loaded with electro-punk Electronicat's barrel full of guitar samples, distorto-effects and analog synths. The lead-off track gets the party rolling with some super fuzzed-out guitar riffin' and glammy vocals not unlike that of Doctor & The Medics' "Spirit In The Sky" or Gary Glitter. But never fear, a more familiar thick synthesizer buzz soon enters the fray and threatens to obliterate all in its path. Lots of raw trashy dancefloor fun and glammy frivolity ensue as hinted at by song titles such as "Hoo Woo Woo" and "Birds Just Want To Have Fun" (actually one of the slower numbers on this album does indeed feature a bunch of birdies chirpin'). Play loud. Note: the cd version includes three more tracks than the vinyl.

ELECTRONICAT Amour SalŽ (Disko B) 12" 8.98
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Four new scorching tracks by the Wolfgang Voigt of France, Fred Bigot aka Electronicat. More of the addictive filthy analogue nastiness -- the soundtrack to your after hours drunken stupor -- from the latest remix darling of Depeche Mode. Nasty and pungent -- like good cheese, er, like French music should be.

ELECTRONICAT Birds Want To Have Fun (angelika koehlermann) cd 16.98
On his fourth long player, Frenchman Fred Bigot has refined his unique style of psychedelic electropunk to excess. Gnarly analog synths rigged with loads of distortion are coupled with hard-as-fuck 808 shuffle rhythms and ripples of wah wah guitar. Imagine the songs of T-Rex as performed by Wolfgang Voigt or Marco Haas with traces of The Normal and Suicide, and sonic sensibilities akin to Panasonic and COH. So raw and simple, yet engaging and incredibly infectious. Also features guest vocals by G.D. Luxxe (aka Gerhard Potuznik, of Cheap/Mego fame, producer for many Chicks On Speed tracks). This shit is so glitter, Rodney's English Disco just might have to open up again.

ELECTRONICAT Chez Toi (Disko B) cd 16.98
More bubblegum electrofuzz poptronics from France's Electronicat, aka Fred Bigot (pronounced bee-joe we imagine), following up last year's Voodoo Man quite nicely. This new one's got all the shufflin' techno beats and glammy garagey guitar hooks you'd expect from this feller, and doesn't stint on his trademark fuzz at all. There's some female guest vocals (and rapping), plus plenty of synth squiggle and skinny tie new wavey catchiness. Go go Bigot!
MPEG Stream: "Chez Toi"
MPEG Stream: "Nu Day"

ELECTRONICAT Re:bird - The Electronicat Remixes (Angelika Kohlermann) cd 16.98
The French shuffletime electro maven known as Electronicat has his admirers here at AQ, and apparently 'round the world as well, as this obligatory remixes disc goes to show. It's got a completely hip and fairly diverse lineup of remixers: Adult., Dat Politics, the ubiqitous Kid606, dDamage, Felix Kubin, The Hacker, Mike Ladd, Original Hamster, and even Zbigniew Karkowski, amongst others. If you like your beats crunchy and catchy, glammed up with gobs of electro-punk guitar distortion, you should be an Electronicat fan -- and if you're an Electronicat fan, you already know if you would be interested in remixes I suppose. We enjoyed 'em.
MPEG Stream: ADULT. "I Wanna Know Now"
MPEG Stream: ZBIGNIEW KARKOWSKI "Hello - Yes - Hello"
MPEG Stream: MIKE LADD "Mause"

ELECTRONICAT s/t (Noise Museum) cd 17.98
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First record from sexy electro Frenchman Fred Bigot aka Electronicat. Like someone raided Panasonic's studios and crafted a big batch of fucked up booty tracks.

ELECTRONICAT Shuffle Tiiiime (Alice In Wonder / Noise Museum) 12" 7.98
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Excellent, ass-moving, dancefloor filth in the oh-so-infectious "Schaffel" style from Fred Bigot, aka Electronicat - French counterpart to T. Raumschmiere/Marco Haas or a tight rockin' Wolfgang Voigt (re: his 12" series as Frieland). The title cut was featured on the fabulous "Schaffelfieber" compilation on Kompakt...

ELECTRONICAT So I Love You (Noise Museum) cd 17.98
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Second disc from France's analogue dancefloor thump maniac Fred Bigot. T-Rex is resurrected in a haze of rumbling analogue synths and smooth shuffle rhythms. Featuring the Kompakt approved "Shuffle Time".

ELECTRONICAT Voodoo Man (Hausmusik / Indigo) cd 15.98
Bo Diddley goes Electro? Uh-huh, some of this sounds a bit like that. Yes, France's Electronicat (aka Fred Bigot) is back with another neigh-irresistable album of glammed-up, poppy, punky, distortion n' groove engorged electronica. If you liked Electronicat's previous disc 21st Century Toy you'll like this. His clash of electric guitar fuzz and "shuffletime" techno beat-throb works its usual magic here, this album perhaps getting even more into, um, a Powerbook psychobilly thang. Lead off track/single "Dans Les Bois" sets the tone with Bigot's voodoo man lyrics (in English, with a French accent) about being "lost in the jungle". Oui, there's something kinda campy about it all, but we can't help but like it nonetheless. And that thumpin' fuzz is so satisfying. Includes a big ol' lyric sheet with cryptic personal notes on each track's genesis as well.
MPEG Stream: "Dans Les Bois"
MPEG Stream: "Non"

ELEGI Sistereis (Miasmah) cd 17.98
Hard for us to describe, but easy for us to enjoy... Elegi's Sistereis is an extremely moody, haunting soundscape, dismal and a-frighted, constructed around sparse, sad piano musings set amidst eerie ambient hiss and hum. What sound like close-mic'd "field recordings" of random background creakings, crackle and clatter, which are perhaps the nervous rustlings of the pianist himself, are layered with melancholic drones. Meanwhile, the aforementioned piano carries on, so slowly, and so lovely. The whole effect is like listening in to the near-silent, wordless "internal monologue" of the piano player, suffering quietly some mental/emotional distress. This Norwegian project reminds us in a way of the British band Reigns, in that you get a sense of hearing an audio document of events that are otherwise hidden from view, and perhaps should remain hidden. Elegi also brings to mind the similar "acoustic doom" sounds on the Type label, like Svarte Greiner and Xela, of which of course we're fans. This is actually released on the Svarte Greiner guy's own label, Miasmah.
The cd booklet is mysteriously evocative, with grey-toned Victorian photo collages depicting something of a dreary nautical theme, and text telling of a burial at sea... which all begins to make sense when you lean that the man behind Elegi, Tommy Jansen, supposedly has as a hobby (vocation?) diving down to explore wrecked ships in the watery depths! Depths which he evokes effectively on this disc...
MPEG Stream: "Despotiets Vesen"
MPEG Stream: "Time Lapse"
MPEG Stream: "Fyrtarnet part 3"

ELEGI Varde (Miasmah) cd 15.98
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There must be something about the wondrous landscapes of Norway that seems to breed some of the most epic, gorgeously somber music around. Frigid cold and towering crags rising from the Arctic water, it's no wonder Tommy Jansen, the composer behind Elegi, is a living example of this Norwegian vision that never fails to blow us away.
Varde, the title of Elegi's second album in a trilogy from the excellent Miasmah label, translates to cairn, a pile of stones usually left to mark a pathway. Which is totally appropriate considering Varde was written as an instrumental narrative retelling the adventures and hardships of the first polar explorations. With electronics, piano, quiet percussion, various field recordings and lush violin, Jansen lures the listener into a world not unlike the experience of those brave explorers: icy bleakness, uncertainty and impending doom. Shimmering drones grow and subside, slow trudging footsteps in the distance, cascading swirls of snow are lifted and thrown about by the wind. Jensen is a master at crafting an incredibly vivid atmosphere, evoking frozen memories of the desolate north, gorgeous and inspirational. Combining modern composition, ambient drones, and his love for Victorian storytelling, Jensen offers up his most accomplished and touching masterpiece, a seriously beautiful and haunting experience. Kinda like if Andrew Chalk, Goldmund and Stars of the Lid met up in the Arctic to write an epic score for the apocalypse. Super dark dreamy goodness here, we couldn't be more impressed. Already we've played this a bunch in the store, and really can't get enough of it. Varde is just one of those records where you hear something new every time you listen to it, subtle textures and details that surface from the constantly shifting background. Highly recommended for fans of washed out midnight ambience, similar to the dreamier stuff the Type label has been releasing lately, beautiful melodies laced with a sinister darkness that lurks just below the surface. Oh and, uh, just in case you couldn't tell already, we REALLY dig this album!!! Highly recommended, especially for fans of any of the other recent killer releases on the Misamah label!!
MPEG Stream: "Skrugard"
MPEG Stream: "Rak"

ELEGY Radio Broadcasts (Chairkickers) cd 14.98
Elegy was a one off project comprised of Alan Sparhawk of Low, Jessica Bailiff, Brian John Mitchell, Mark gartman, Jesse Beacom, Ryley Fogg, and Michael Anderson who had all come together for a 25 hour continuous drone composition that was a tribute of a mutual friend who had been murdered. Given that this performance occured in late September 2001, the proximity to 9/11 only heightened the sense of mourning and loss already loaded into the performance. "Radio Broadcasts" however does not feature any of that 25 hour piece, rather this is a condensation of that music recorded for a local radio station in Duluth, Minnesota. Unfortunately quick at 28 minutes, this indie-rock chamber ensemble for electric and acoustic guitars, cello, electronics, percussion, keyboards, hurdy gurdy, and dulcimer unfurls a gorgeous piece of eternal music on par with the organic dronescaping of Stars Of The Lid. A touchingly beautiful tribute.
MPEG Stream: "Track 1"
MPEG Stream: "Track 2"

ELEH Floating Frequencies / Intuitive Synthesis 1 (Important) lp 14.98
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ELEH Location Momentum (Touch) cd 15.98
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After about ten years of existence, and a bunch of limited vinyl-only documents, including a fairly recent LP with Nana April Jun, also on Touch, the mysterious dronological entity Eleh releases their first ever compact disc. Eleh's aesthetic of low frequency, (often) low volume drones fits in well on the Touch label. On Location Momentum, there's an hour of Eleh's vibrations, five tracks, all but one quite lengthy, some barely audible. At low volumes, Eleh's "minimalist noise" will slowly, almost imperceptibly insinuate itself into your consciousness, it becomes part of the surrounding sonic environment, instead of something you're specifically listening to. Track one, "Heleneleh", is a subtle, slowly evolving, stretched-out presence, less heard than felt. A hum, a throb, a wavering drone. It's meditative, like a subliminally sensed Buddha machine loop, under a microscope... But turn up the volume, and it becomes physical, starts squeezing your head just a little bit. Near the end of this 20+ minute track, before it fades, Eleh decides to start modulating the pitch up and down, getting jiggy with it Eleh style, or maybe just saying, something's happening, almost done, waving goodbye. But really it's only the beginning.
The next track, the shortest one here, does a backwards-sounding whip-whip-whip for about two and half minutes. It becomes lulling quite quickly, and you might wish it was still doing its slowly stuttering thing when track 3, "Circle One: Summer Transcience" starts up, utilizing a temporarily annoying high pitched test-tone sound, but that's soon joined by deeper pulsations, and begins to get interesting. This one's for the Ryoji Ikeda fans out there! A subtle bassy thump-thump-thump picks up the pace, your heartbeat perhaps quickening along with it, the test tone become more of a buzz, some white noise wind sound also enters the mix in the background, and with such simple elements Eleh creates a compelling 13 minute, 33 second composition, for those willing to take the time to absorb it. Actually, a lot of this disc reminds us of Ikeda, also Alva Noto most definitely, and Mika Vainio and the like.
The disc continues on with two more tracks of similar length, but their own identities, some elements louder and more overt than what's come before, some more "clicky" in Geiger counter fashion, yet again, there's a spooky, "is that sound coming from my stereo or outside or somewhere upstairs or inside my brain???" aspect to these.
As with so many Touch releases, recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Heleneleh"
MPEG Stream: "Circle One: Summer Transcience"
MPEG Stream: "Rotational Change For Windmill"

ELEH / NANA APRIL JUN Observations & Momentrum (Touch) lp 19.98

ELEKTRIKTUS Electronic Mind Waves (Wah-Wah Records) lp 30.00
Sweet! We recently got hip to this album via an official (but cd-r for some odd reason) reissue, and now here's a nice import vinyl reish as well!
Seems like no matter what, there's always some obscure gem left out there to be dug up and reissued, you've never heard it all. Here's the latest example, a reissue of a 1976 album with a promising title and equally alluring cover art. Electronic Mind Waves by Italy's mysterious Elektriktus (aka one Andrea Centazzo) is indeed pretty awesome, as a lone offering naturally touching on both the traditions of Italian prog and Germanic "kosmische" electronics, especially heavily influenced it would seem by the latter.
While over the years Centazzo has apparently made other albums, of improvised avant-garde jazz, collaborating with the likes of Steve Lacy, Evan Parker, Derek Bailey, and ROVA, under his one-off Elektriktus guise (as might be expected) he concentrated on synthesizer-based keyboard music, creating hypnotic (and sometimes haunting) electro-acoustic soundscapes of abstract droning synths and sequencer patterns, also employing tinkling bells, tape effects, and on one track, upright bass.
There's eight tracks here, 38 minutes of his shimmering, ringing, burbling sounds that wouldn't sound out of place on the score to some strange sci-fi flick. Fans of Tangerine Dream, Conrad Schnitzler and Klaus Schulze should definitely check this out... For an Italian comparison, maybe some Franco Battiato? It also reminds us of a variety of more current underground acts, at moments like Vibracathedra Orchestra, or Kemialliset Ystavat, or something on Spectrum Spools, perhaps!
MPEG Stream: "Frequencer Departure - Flying At Daybreak"
MPEG Stream: "First Wave"
MPEG Stream: "Power Hallucination"

ELEKTRIKTUS Electronic Mind Waves (Ictus) cd-r 14.98
Seems like no matter what, there's always some obscure gem left out there to be dug up and reissued, you've never heard it all. Here's the latest example, a reissue of a 1976 album with a promising title and equally alluring cover art. Electronic Mind Waves by Italy's mysterious Elektriktus (aka one Andrea Centazzo) is indeed pretty awesome, as a lone offering naturally touching on both the traditions of Italian prog and Germanic "kosmische" electronics, especially heavily influenced it would seem by the latter.
While over the years Centazzo has apparently made other albums, of improvised avant-garde jazz, collaborating with the likes of Steve Lacy, Evan Parker, Derek Bailey, and ROVA, under his one-off Elektriktus guise (as might be expected) he concentrated on synthesizer-based keyboard music, creating hypnotic (and sometimes haunting) electro-acoustic soundscapes of abstract droning synths and sequencer patterns, also employing tinkling bells, tape effects, and on one track, upright bass.
There's eight tracks here, 38 minutes of his shimmering, ringing, burbling sounds that wouldn't sound out of place on the score to some strange sci-fi flick. Fans of Tangerine Dream, Conrad Schnitzler and Klaus Schulze should definitely check this out... For an Italian comparison, maybe some Franco Battiato? It also reminds us of a variety of more current underground acts, at moments like Vibracathedra Orchestra, or Kemialliset Ystavat, or something on Spectrum Spools, perhaps!
Kinda disappointed that this turned out to be a cd-r, though. We thought it was a real cd at first, it's in a jewel case and totally pro-printed with color artwork and all. Not sure why they didn't make it a real cd (and it's NOT a bootleg, Ictus is Centazzo's own label, started in the '70s and reactivated recently). Oh well, still neat to have!
MPEG Stream: "Frequencer Departure - Flying At Daybreak"
MPEG Stream: "First Wave"
MPEG Stream: "Power Hallucination"

ELEMENTAL CHRYSALIS, THE The Calocybe Collection (Glass Throat) cd 13.98
Chet Scott might not be a household name, but for all you dark ambient / drone / found sound freaks out there it probably will be soon. Not only does he run the Glass Throat label, which is responsible for releasing lots of gorgeously dark and drone-y records, including both records by the post-Noisegate outfit Beneath The Lake (whose new record is reviewed elsewhere on this list), but he also performs as Ruhr Hunter, whose last record of desolate post industrial drones and ambient soundscapes we absolutely loved. With the Elemental Chrysalis, Scott, is joined by James Woodhead, and together, the two explore a curious world of dense drones, forest mythology, elemental symbolism and folky flutter. Like the best of Ruhr Hunter Lustmordian rumble mixed with sun dappled and summery forest folk, lilting melodies, gently strummed guitars, simple pointilist piano, throat-singing style vocals, pastoral soundscapes of fingerpicked guitar, spare tribal rhythms and swoonsome bowed strings, all above a shimmery backdrop of warm reverberating chordal whir, all constructed from acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano, cello, organ, thunder sheet, theremin, bowed sitar, Egyptian hand drums, environmental samples, Brazilian surdo drum, bodhran. electric bass, energy chimes (!), wooden flutes, black cat ocarina (!!), harmonica, mountain dulcimer, voice and hermit thrush sample (!!!). Completely and beautifully tranquil and mesemerizing.
MPEG Stream: "Mourning Dew Of The Fallen Leaf"
MPEG Stream: "Oceans Wreathed In Flame"

ELEMENTAL CHRYSALIS, THE The Dark Path To Spiritual Expansion (Glass Throat Recordings) 2cd 23.00
Finally, the return of the Elemental Chrysalis, the duo of Chett Scott (aka Ruhr Hunter, he also runs Glass Throat Recordings) and James Woodhead, who were responsible for The Calocybe Collection, one of our favorite discs of 2005. A sprawling woodlandscape of dark ominous dronemusick and fluttery forest folk. It's been 3 years but once you hear The Dark Path To Spiritual Expansion, you'll understand what took so long.
A gorgeously packaged double disc set, looooooong tracks, four songs on each disc, the shortest clocking in at 7:32, the longest at 26:55. Gone is much of the drone, leaving their sound much more folky, the focus on the strings, plucked and strummed, buzzing and humming, the sound a mysterious mystical crawl, foresty, funereal, dark and dolorous and dreamlike.
The first nearly 15 minutes of the opening track consist of the same acoustic melody, repeated over and over, like some magical mantra, and it works somehow, the repetition trancelike, the subtle variations, propelling the track forward. Eventually, the track spreads out, the vocals ghostly moans, the strums become more abstract, the sound underpinned by haunting shimmers and whirs.
While these guys do get lumped in with the free folk or freak folk of forest folk movements, on The Dark Path, they are definitely something more akin to classic seventies folk. It could be some lost disc from a mysterious UK hippy commune in 1971. Opening for Comus and The Incredible String Band. This is some serious Wickerman shit. But without all the silliness or overt weirdness. The Elemental Chrysalis have created timeless folkmusic. A sort of foresty country music. Bits of twang definitely inform the band's dark wistful threnodies. The pace is lugubrious, the sound is sprawling and soporific, the voices drawled to the extent that they often sound like just another instrument. And the instrument list again is extensive and massive, a handful we'd never even heard of, but the band don't do the usual, everything and the kitchen sink, instead, they are employed subtly and judiciously, so much that you could be forgive for believing it to be just voice and guitar and a bit extra ambience. There are a few moments, especially on the second disc, where the band stretch out and craft some serious sonic soundscapes, but even then, they tend to drift above that same gorgeous forest floor folk flutter.
A gorgeously languorous countrified folk flecked slowcore, that will no doubt appeal to all the various folks mentioned above, but should also appeal to fans of later Earth, and anyone into dark beauty and haunting musical mystery.
Fantastic packaging, an oversized thick cardstock 6 panel fold over sleeve, green and black, stunning cover art, linernotes and credits, the cds mounted on nubs on two of the panels...
MPEG Stream: "In Through A Desert Door Of A Wooded Heart"
MPEG Stream: "Procession Of Burning Flowers"
MPEG Stream: "Hehaka"

ELEPHANT KNEES s/t (Non-Prophet) 12" 9.98

ELEPHANT MAN Battle Field (RMC) 7" 2.98
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Hip hop remix.

ELEPHANT MAN Beetle Juice (Special Remix) 7" 2.98
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Hip hop remix. Rhythm = "Oochie Wally" (Braveheart's).

ELEPHANT MAN Bruk Out (Special Remix) 7" 2.98
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Hip hop remix. Rhythm = "Get Ur Freak On" (Missy Elliott).

ELEPHANT MAN Bun It Down (Club Remix) 7" 2.98
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Hip hop remix. Rhythm = "Ugly" (Bubba Sparxxx).

ELEPHANT MAN Good 2 Go (Atlantic) cd 12.98

ELEPHANT MAN Higher Level (Greensleeves) cd 14.98

ELEPHANT MAN Humble Calf (RMC) 7" 2.98
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Hip hop remix. Rhythm = "Oh Yeah" (Foxy Brown) mixed with Maytals "54-46". B-side says "version" but has Elephant Man's theme song instead.

ELEPHANT MAN Log On (Greensleeves) cd 14.98
With an album title like "Log On" you know that Elephant Man wants to let his audience know that he's still on the cutting edge... er, maybe. But this 2001 release does seem to follow in the trend of many rising stars in dancehall by working in a hip hop flavor into their productions. This newest album from Elephant Man hesitates from committing completely to the hip hop sound and the production here seems to be divided about 60 / 40 between dancehall and hip hop production aesthetics. The success of the album itself rests at around 50 / 50 good and bad. The biggest problem with the album is that it's just too damn long. I know it has probably been said before, but another great thing about the LP was that it limited just how much material an artist could put on their album without having to dish out for a double LP. Once technology allowed for the 80 minute CD it seems that everyone feels obliged to fill up that space. This disc, clocking in at just under 77 minutes, could probably been cut down to pretty tight 40 minute album. They could probably cut about 15 minutes off the album merely by trimming off every single "You Know!" uttered by Mr. Elephant Man. Though maybe just taking out the tracks with the circus calliope style melodies would be good enough. But along with cameos by Spragga Benz, Ricky Rudy, Buju Banton, Ward 21 and more, there's still a lot of good edgy, gruff and wheezy toasting on both dancehall and breakbeats.
RealAudio clip: "Warrior Cause"
RealAudio clip: "Yuh A War"
RealAudio clip: "Anything-A-Anything"

ELEPHANT MAN Log On (Greensleeves) lp 12.98
With an album title like "Log On" you know that Elephant Man wants to let his audience know that he's still on the cutting edge... er, maybe. But this 2001 release does seem to follow in the trend of many rising stars in dancehall by working in a hip hop flavor into their productions. This newest album from Elephant Man hesitates from committing completely to the hip hop sound and the production here seems to be divided about 60 / 40 between dancehall and hip hop production aesthetics. The success of the album itself rests at around 50 / 50 good and bad. The biggest problem with the album is that it's just too damn long. I know it has probably been said before, but another great thing about the LP was that it limited just how much material an artist could put on their album without having to dish out for a double LP. Once technology allowed for the 80 minute CD it seems that everyone feels obliged to fill up that space. This disc, clocking in at just under 77 minutes, could probably been cut down to pretty tight 40 minute album. They could probably cut about 15 minutes off the album merely by trimming off every single "You Know!" uttered by Mr. Elephant Man. Though maybe just taking out the tracks with the circus calliope style melodies would be good enough. But along with cameos by Spragga Benz, Ricky Rudy, Buju Banton, Ward 21 and more, there's still a lot of good edgy, gruff and wheezy toasting on both dancehall and breakbeats.

ELEPHANT MAN One (RMC) 7" 2.98
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Hip hop remix. Rhythm = "Shake Ya Ass" (Mystikal).

ELEPHANT MAN Pop It Out (Special Remix) 7" 2.98
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Hip hop remix. Rhythm = "One Minute Man" (Missy Elliott).

ELEPHANT MAN This Feeling (RMC) 7" 2.98
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Hip hop remix. Rhythm = "One Minute Man" (Missy Elliott). B-side says "version" but it actually has Capleton's "Forward Inna Clothes" (different mix?) on it.

ELEPHANT MAN & RICKY RUDY Living In Hell (RMC) 7" 2.98
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Another Jamaican dancehall 7". This time the rhythm is again"One Minute Man" (Missy Elliott). And the B-side has a completely unrelated version. Yes indeed, as the title implies this is Elephant Man and Ricky Rudy paying homage to Bob Marley here, singing a slightly altered version of "Time Will Tell".

ELEPHANT MAN (THE ENERGY GOD) Monsters Of Dancehall (Greensleeves) cd 12.98

MPEG Stream: "Log On"
MPEG Stream: "Watchie Pum"
MPEG Stream: "Shizzle Ma Nizzle"

ELEPHANT MAN / CAPLETON Mek She Cry / Rough N Tough (New Jeans) 12" 6.98

ELEPHONE Bunny Ears EP (Three Ring Records) 7" + cd-r 4.98
Elephone follow up their Shivering cdep with... bunny ears? Wha'?! Not sure if the cover art's intended for Easter time or maybe the band's been hangin' out with Hefner. Hey, that's a pretty good song title, innit? Anyways, these SF fellas have generously offered up a limited edition combo set of 7" record and cd-r (both with the same music). Sort of a return to their earlier more punchy and poppy selves, but also a bit more edgy and angular than their more dramatic, moody recent offerings. Includes a cover of U2's "Seconds". Limited to 200.
MPEG Stream: "Hemlock 3"
MPEG Stream: "Seconds"

ELEPHONE Canister (Talking House) cd 9.98
The latest album from this veteran Bay Area indie rock combo finds the band on a slightly different path. Most notable is the addition of female vocals courtesy of new band member Sierra Frost who also fleshes out things further on keyboards. Elephone has always been pretty darn punchy yet also well-crafted and dramatic, but these days they're even more so -- easily bringing to mind bands such as The Pixies and Arcade Fire. Heck, who doesn't love intelligent indie pop rock with boy-girl vocals and infectious hooks? This band always delivers the goods!

ELEPHONE Far Distant Parade (Brown Owl Bakery) cd 9.98
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