BROADCAST HaHa Sound (Warp) lp 21.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
At last, the highly anticipated follow-up to The Noise Made By People has arrived!
Cup totally adored their pre-album Pendulum cdep, and after giving the HaHa Sound a first listen she feared that this sophomore effort's brightest highlights might've been packed onto that lil' ep. For instance, the ep's title track bursts forth as the second song on the album and is clearly one of its standouts. It's undeniably irresistible! Thoroughly taken with that song as well as the gloriously obtuse, bloopy electronic instrumentals, she initially found herself somewhat disoriented with the rest that followed (as you might be able to tell 'cause she's speaking about it in the third person), but then she gave it a second spin... and the album blossomed before her very eyes/ears!
Vocalist Trish Keenan murmurs and sings in her wistful, lullaby-perfect voice that nears the clarity and sweetness of Karen Carpenter or Julee Cruise. It's the perfect foil for the fizzing and churning backdrop of analog synths, guitars, bass and percussion created by Roj Stevens, Tim Felton, James Cargill and Steve Perkins - tipping their collective hat to '60s Brill Building girl groups, the grand sentimental lovey-dovey-ness of Bacharach, and Esquivelian space age bachelor pads everywhere. Broadcast skillfully craft glistening, starry-eyed music that swirls and creaks like an old carousel, but just as ably veer off into more eccentric, trippy territory a la Bruce Haack, Raymond Scott and Joe Meek (psst, this contrast is perfectly exemplified at the meeting between songs 7 and 8 - "Lunch Hour Pops" and "Black Umbrellas" - check 'em out!). Perhaps the time has come that the occlusive "Stereolab Jr." tag they've been saddled with (granted, quite aptly so) may be tossed in the trash. Very recommended!
MPEG Stream: " Lunch Hour Pops"
MPEG Stream: "Black Umbrellas"

BROADCAST HaHa Sound (book version) (Warp) special cd 22.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
At last, the highly anticipated follow-up to The Noise Made By People has arrived and in two different packaging selections! If you're a big Broadcast fan you might wanna scoop up this special (very Radiohead-ish) book edition. Making its appearance slightly in advance of the regular ol' jewelcase version, it's not really a book at all, but more of a cd-sized hardback book cover with lyrics and liner notes printed on 2 fold-out cardstock pages.
Okay, now that we've got the packaging commentary out of the way, onwards to the music...
Cup totally adored their pre-album Pendulum cdep, and after giving the HaHa Sound a first listen she feared that this sophomore effort's brightest highlights might've been packed onto that lil' ep. For instance, the ep's title track bursts forth as the second song on the album and is clearly one of its standouts. It's undeniably irresistible! Thoroughly taken with that song as well as the gloriously obtuse, bloopy electronic instrumentals, she initially found herself somewhat disoriented with the rest that followed (as you might be able to tell 'cause she's speaking about it in the third person), but then she gave it a second spin... and the album blossomed before her very eyes/ears!
Vocalist Trish Keenan murmurs and sings in her wistful, lullaby-perfect voice that nears the clarity and sweetness of Karen Carpenter or Julee Cruise. It's the perfect foil for the fizzing and churning backdrop of analog synths, guitars, bass and percussion created by Roj Stevens, Tim Felton, James Cargill and Steve Perkins - tipping their collective hat to '60s Brill Building girl groups, the grand sentimental lovey-dovey-ness of Bacharach, and Esquivelian space age bachelor pads everywhere. Broadcast skillfully craft glistening, starry-eyed music that swirls and creaks like an old carousel, but just as ably veer off into more eccentric, trippy territory a la Bruce Haack, Raymond Scott and Joe Meek (psst, this contrast is perfectly exemplified at the meeting between songs 7 and 8 - "Lunch Hour Pops" and "Black Umbrellas" - check 'em out!). Perhaps the time has come that the occlusive "Stereolab Jr." tag they've been saddled with (granted, quite aptly so) may be tossed in the trash. Very recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Lunch Hour Pops"
MPEG Stream: "Black Umbrellas"

BROADCAST HaHa Sound (jewelcase version) (Warp) cd 16.98
At last, the highly anticipated follow-up to The Noise Made By People has arrived!
Cup totally adored their pre-album Pendulum cdep, and after giving the HaHa Sound a first listen she feared that this sophomore effort's brightest highlights might've been packed onto that lil' ep. For instance, the ep's title track bursts forth as the second song on the album and is clearly one of its standouts. It's undeniably irresistible! Thoroughly taken with that song as well as the gloriously obtuse, bloopy electronic instrumentals, she initially found herself somewhat disoriented with the rest that followed (as you might be able to tell 'cause she's speaking about it in the third person), but then she gave it a second spin... and the album blossomed before her very eyes/ears!
Vocalist Trish Keenan murmurs and sings in her wistful, lullaby-perfect voice that nears the clarity and sweetness of Karen Carpenter or Julee Cruise. It's the perfect foil for the fizzing and churning backdrop of analog synths, guitars, bass and percussion created by Roj Stevens, Tim Felton, James Cargill and Steve Perkins - tipping their collective hat to '60s Brill Building girl groups, the grand sentimental lovey-dovey-ness of Bacharach, and Esquivelian space age bachelor pads everywhere. Broadcast skillfully craft glistening, starry-eyed music that swirls and creaks like an old carousel, but just as ably veer off into more eccentric, trippy territory a la Bruce Haack, Raymond Scott and Joe Meek (psst, this contrast is perfectly exemplified at the meeting between songs 7 and 8 - "Lunch Hour Pops" and "Black Umbrellas" - check 'em out!). Perhaps the time has come that the occlusive "Stereolab Jr." tag they've been saddled with (granted, quite aptly so) may be tossed in the trash. Very recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Lunch Hour Pops"
MPEG Stream: "Black Umbrellas"

BROADCAST Pendulum (Warp) cd ep 8.98
Presenting a much more feisty, energetic Broadcast than on their last album The Noise Made By People. There's only six songs here, but they're mighty fine ones. Mighty, indeed! Four of them ring with that familiar dreamy Broadcast sound - shades of their Cardigans/Stereolab leanings still linger but only faintly. They're definitely more fired up these days. Just check out that tight, harder-hit drumming and heavier overall sound. Actually this brings their recorded work more in line with their rockin' live performances. And what about those other two songs? Well, they deserve their own mention that's for sure: the wonderfully incongruous third track "One Hour Empire" and the sixth "Minus Two". It truly sounds like they hopped a time machine back to the '70s and hijacked the BBC Radiophonic Workshop! The former's an eccentric jazzy bleep-bloop exotica number that's plenty entertaining all by itself. The latter begins as a spaced-out robotic spazz-fit that's eventually muscled over by more frantic drumming and melodic female sighs. Actually if the last few Add N To (X) albums have left you rather disgruntled and disappointed (as they have us) and if this new EP is any indication, you might want to switch over to the Broadcast team! Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "One Hour Empire"
MPEG Stream: "Pendulum"

BROADCAST Tender Buttons (Warp) cd 14.98
Ooooh soooo gooood! As seems to be the case with each new Broadcast album, a couple of listens is all it takes to get Tender Buttons hooks into ya! The effects of Broadcast's pop intoxicants aren't as immediate nor as obvious here as those of 2003's The HaHa Sound, but they're no less potent. Broadcast continue to melt their sound into the ultra-pretty sounds of '60s girl groups. In doing so, they perfectly showcase lead vocalist Trish Keenan's unbelievably lovely vocals which occasionally take on a more somber tone here than they did on the airier HaHa Sound. Despite the undeniable sweetness of Keenan's voice, the band always gracefully sidestep excessive syrupiness with the counterbalance of heavier guitars, a propulsive groovy rhythm section and a broad spectrum of hefty analog synth melodies and textures. A luminous dreamboat with a tiger in its tank. Swoon!
MPEG Stream: "America's Boy"
MPEG Stream: "You And Me In Time"

BROADCAST The Future Crayon (Warp) cd 15.98
An absolute delight from start to finish! Like a big ol' box of Crayolas, The Future Crayon is a collection of Broadcast rarities. The eighteen tracks are compiled from singles, eps, and compilations dating back to 1998. They effectively remind us that while this UK band is perhaps best known for their plush synth-driven pop, their musical spectrum stretches far beyond that into jazz, space age, exotica, krautrock, prog, and the science fair even! Needless to say, your ears will surely find that they're so much more delicious than those waxy coloring implements. They're more like the aural equivalent of a fifty scoop sundae -- towering in dream pop yumminess comprised of soft creamy sherbet (Trish Keenan vocals! sigh!), occasional bloops of marshmallow cream and hot fudge (their analog synthesizers!), a sprinkling of nuts and sugary bits (the snappy often jazzy percussion as well as those synths again!). It's all perfectly summed up in the cd's sixteenth and seventeenth numbers "Minus Two" and "Violent Playground", both taken from their 2003 EP Pendulum. Fantastic! Yes, recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Illumination"
MPEG Stream: "Test Area"
MPEG Stream: "Minus Two"

BROKEN SPINDLES Fulfilled: Complete (Saddle Creek) cd 13.98
This is the second solo album from Joel Peterson (bassist for Omaha, NE's The Faint), and its much more eclectic and active than it's glitchy electronic predecessor. From track to track he follows his whim, jumping from style to style, trying out different instrumentation -- throwing in tracks that utilize much more obviously acoustic (i.e, unprocessed or effected) instruments like cello and piano. Overall, Fulfilled: Complete shifts randomly (and often jarringly) between three quite different styles: glitchy lite industrial ("Italian Wardrobe"), moody chamber arrangements ("Induction" and "Practice Practice Practice") and thumpin' DAF-style tracks with vocals ("Fall In And Down" and "Move"). The latter should particularly please the Faint fans who were hoping his solo stuff would more closely resemble his band's.
MPEG Stream: "Fall In And Down"
MPEG Stream: "The Dream"

BROKEN SPINDLES s/t (Tigerstyle) cd 15.98
... is the solo project from The Faint's bassist Joel Peterson, and on many of the tracks here B.S. does indeed closely resemble those Nebraskan new wavers, but minus the vocals (although actually the first track immediately brought to mind the chiming intro to OMD's Dazzle Ships too). Overall though, it's a much more diverse affair: ultra thumpin' rump-shakage, prettily chiming glassy bell / harpsichord-y tones, glitchy digital abrasions, and thick blurts of analog synths. Band lineage aside, this is an adeptly executed collection of cool tracks which veers closely to industrial dance at times, and at others becomes quite moodily atmospheric.
RealAudio clip: "Videosection"
RealAudio clip: "A Dinner Party Ambience"
RealAudio clip: "Connection In Progress"

BROKENCYDE Will Never Die (Breaksilence Recordings) cd 14.98
If you hated the first Brokencyde full length, you'll hate this one even more. And if you loved the first one, you'll still probably hate this...

BROKER / DEALER Dig Deep (Traum) 12" 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Local electronic duo Broker/Dealer hustle out new tracks for German minimal tech house label Traum. Not unlike the snap, crackle and pop of labels like Kompakt, Shitkatapult and WMF.

BROKER / DEALER Initial Public Offering (Asphodel) cd 13.98
The local Broker Dealer outfit mines similar sonic territory to such minimalist techno purveyors as the Chain Reaction and Kompakt labels -- think Gas, Thomas Brinkmann, Markus Guentner, Vladislav Delay. Insistently throbbing yet melodic bass overlayed with vintage synth tinklings and an overall freeze-dried disco sheen. No vocals, just ultra cool and unemotional. The last track "To Hear the Fires", though, tugs at the heartstrings -- a surprising remix of local country twangers The Court & Spark. Achingly pretty.
Comes with a video our Macs were unable to play.
MPEG Stream: "Take Your Time"

BROKER/DEALER s/t (Prophecy Connection 2000) cd-r 2.99
Broker/Dealer play an especially lulling and lovely brand of mellow electronica suffused with melodies and warmth. It's a lot like Boards of Canada, so it's worth the risk. And at 2.99, it's the nice price. 4 song EP recorded on a cd-r.

BROKER/DEALER / ROLLMOTTLE split (Sentrall) 12" 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
For those of you who've been itchin' for some more from SF's mellow, pretty electronicians Broker/Dealer or simply those of you in need of some electronic levity, here's a new and unusual B/D snippet. It's a Hall & Oates-tinged track called "Haulin' Oats". Actually this 12" is a bit silly all the way around as the flipside contains an equally Joe Jackson-flavored cut by Rollmottle that goes by the name "Steppin' Right On Out".

BROKESCH, SUSANNE So Easy (Disko B) cd 14.98
Over the past decade, Susanne Brokesch has produced a handful of throroughly abstract techno for some of the more respected labels in electronica, including Sahko, Cheap, Tension, and Disko B. Yet it has been 6 years since her underrated debut album "Sharing The Sunhat" came out. While that album was built from cold slivers of Pan Sonic techno-minimalism, her second full album "So Easy, Hard To Practice" seeks the recombination of sultry jazz and electronic production techniques. The results find loose rhythmic structures punctuated by electronic drum fills, occasionally pulled together into swells of German disco grooves or washes of ambient synth patches. Disko B's press release quoted one critic in praising her debut as "a cross between Oval and a good ECM record." I would offer that "So Easy" is a cross between Microstoria and an average ECM record.
MPEG Stream: "More"
MPEG Stream: "Dancing"

BROTHOMSTATES Claro (Warp) cd 16.98
Much like the recent Chris Clark album on Warp, Brothomstates' "Claro" typifies the direction where Warp has been pushing electronica and the IDM subgenre in particular. The label is not really concerned with the MicroHouse of Mille Plateaux or the elegant glitch of Raster-Noton, after all, they promoted the bleep techno sounds of Sweet Exorcist back in the early '90s, so why retrogress? Instead, Warp is taking control of the classic IDM sound mastered by Autechre on "Chiastic Slide" and Aphex Twin on "The Richard D. James" album, where fragments of electro / hip-hop / jungle breakbeats merged with sublime melodies and jarring textures. Brothomstates, like Chris Clark, doesn't really alter the IDM archetypes all that much, but succeeds in presenting new tricks and wonderful melodic twists, such as "BrothomstatesIpxen" with its nifty real-time fracturing of a swing techno groove into splintered breakbeats, all the while maintaining a steady rhythmic undercurrent. "Claro" as a whole, while not exactly groundbreaking, makes for an impressive debut with outstanding production.
RealAudio clip: "TeNochRP"
RealAudio clip: "BrothomstatesIpxen"

BROTHOMSTATES Claro (Warp) 2lp 17.98
Much like the recent Chris Clark album on Warp, Brothomstates' "Claro" typifies the direction where Warp has been pushing electronica and the IDM subgenre in particular. The label is not really concerned with the MicroHouse of Mille Plateaux or the elegant glitch of Raster-Noton, after all, they promoted the bleep techno sounds of Sweet Exorcist back in the early '90s, so why retrogress? Instead, Warp is taking control of the classic IDM sound mastered by Autechre on "Chiastic Slide" and Aphex Twin on "The Richard D. James" album, where fragments of electro / hip-hop / jungle breakbeats merged with sublime melodies and jarring textures. Brothomstates, like Chris Clark, doesn't really alter the IDM archetypes all that much, but succeeds in presenting new tricks and wonderful melodic twists, such as "BrothomstatesIpxen" with its nifty real-time fracturing of a swing techno groove into splintered breakbeats, all the while maintaining a steady rhythmic undercurrent. "Claro" as a whole, while not exactly groundbreaking, makes for an impressive debut with outstanding production.

BROTHOMSTATES Qtio (Warp) cd ep 8.98
A lengthy 6 track EP from new Warp signings Brothomstates, full of Funkstorific hip-hop mutilations and Autechrish rhythmic stumbles and Aphex-y disjointed ambience. Things could be promising for this IDM outfit.

BROTHOMSTATES Qtio (Warp) 12" 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A lengthy 6 track EP from new Warp signings Brothomstates, full of Funkstorific hip-hop mutilations and Autechrish rhythmic stumbles and Aphex-y disjointed ambience. Things could be promising for this IDM outfit.

BRUCE, MICHAEL Lo Snap b/w Fiskemelk (Poisonous Gases) 7" 5.98
Two new, 7"s of delicious skweee here folks! From the same Portland label, Poisonous Gases, that previously brought us Lazercrotch. Now they've gone and signed up a genuine Scandinavian skweeer, Daniel Savio from Sweden, as well as Portland's Michael Bruce (NOT the guy from the Alice Cooper Band we're pretty sure).
Bruce's 7" is squarely in the skweee tradition, dropping the bass and the blip-bloop of 8-bitty sci-fi video game SFX across two groovy instrumentals. Very cool, glad to see US skweee making a showing. Too bad Bruce didn't come up with a catchy monicker like Lazercrotch though, we've probably be guaranteed to sell more of 'em...

BRUNO, BOBB The Shy Tuff Bunny Runs Away (Transparency) cd 14.98
Bobb Bruno plays in the quirky, instrumental LA post rockers the Polar Goldie Cats as well as in The For Carnation, but that might not prepare you for this, his *very different* solo disc, an instrumental electronica thing kinda in the Aphex Twin mould (also we'd compare this to: Lesser, Concentrick, Matmos). Weird, crunchy, noisy mad scientist soundtrack stuff with beats and sometimes melodies amid abrasive spastic metallic outbursts. Very frenetic and constantly in flux. Unlike a lot of current computer jockeys, it doesn't seem like Bruno's trying to hard to be cool or trendy, and he's into guitar as well as electronics -- indeed the ubiquitous (but always great) Nels Cline shows up playing slide on one song. We like.
RealAudio clip: "Jmic"
RealAudio clip: "Last, Lone"
RealAudio clip: "GWIII"

BRUSSELER PLATZ 10A-MUSIK/HAJSCH 1000 Fehler (Suppose) cd 16.98
"1000 Fehler" (translated as 1000 Errors) is a fusion of the spoken theory-fragments by Adilkno
(Foundation of the Advancement of Illegal Knowledge/Amsterdam) and gossamer electronica-concrete pulses by Br�sseler Platz 10a-Musik - a Cologne collective with Georg Odijk, Jan St. Werner (Mouse On Mars), and Marcus Schmickler (Pluramon). Bored of academic culture pessimism, the authors of Adilkno are "dedicated to illegal knowledge and research degenerated tendencies of the roaring every day life in media." Along with the spoken text (which you should know is in German), the ghost of Thomas Brinkmann's phase patterned techno haunts the musical contribution.

BUCKETHEAD The Day Of The Robot (SubMeta) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Masked madman of the fretboard meshes his mechano-metal with the beats of the UK's DJ Ninj for an excursion into the exciting world of Jungle! Buck's pal Bill Laswell provides the bass. This could be the album with which to introduce your Zorn-o-centric friends to jungle ...

BUFFALO DAUGHTER Socks, Drugs, And Rock And Roll (Grand Royal) 12" 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Remixers include Alec Empire (very recognizable!), Stock, Hausen & Walkman, Money Mark, and U.N.K.L.E.

BUFFALO DAUGHTER Socks, Drugs, And Rock And Roll (Grand Royal) cdep 7.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Remixers include Alec Empire (very recognizable!), Stock, Hausen & Walkman, Money Mark, and U.N.K.L.E.

BUG Skeng (Hyperdub) 12" 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

BUG, THE Ganja (Ninja Tune) 12" 12.98

BUG, THE Gun Disease (Rephlex) 12" 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
If you're already jonesing for some more Bug tracks, here's one more song for you. Well, a vocal and a dub, so almost two songs. This one features Cutty Ranks on the a-side. Yeah, it sucks that it's almost ten bucks for so little playtime, but then again it's a heavy fucking single; as good as any of the DJ Scud Ambush! 7"s.

BUG, THE Gun Disease (Rephlex) cd single 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
If you're already jonesing for some more Bug tracks, here's one more song for you. Well, a vocal and a dub, so almost two songs. This one features Cutty Ranks on the a-side. Yeah, it sucks that it's almost ten bucks for so little playtime, but then again it's a heavy fucking single; as good as any of the DJ Scud Ambush! 7"s.
MPEG Stream: "Gun Disease"

BUG, THE Infected (Ninja Tune) 2lp 17.98

MPEG Stream: "Catch A Fire"
MPEG Stream: "Poison Dart"

BUG, THE Infected (Ninja Tune) 2lp 17.98

MPEG Stream: "Catch A Fire"
MPEG Stream: "Poison Dart"

BUG, THE London Zoo (Ninja Tune) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Hard to believe it's been 5 years since the last Bug full length. We were so obsessed with Pressure, it was exactly what we had been dreaming of, a disc of dancehall, but supercharged, the beats bigger, the toasting more tongue twisting and agile, the flows sick sick sick, the loops and music darker and more fucked up. Makes sense when you have a look at Kevin "The Bug" Martin's resume, having recorded as God, Ice, Techno Animal and Curse Of The Golden Vampire, so imagine classic dancehall filtered through all that cracked and noisy business. Fucking mind blowing. And it's not like Martin has been doing nothing since Pressure. There's been a steady flow of ep's and 12"s, singles and one-offs, but we were long overdue for another batch of damaged fractured fucked up and funky dancehall, and finally, here it is!
And it's so so good. Not quite as hard as Pressure, much more musical, but somehow all the better for it. The beats are still bangin', and the vocalists Martin has gathered are pretty top shelf: Tippa Irie, Ricky Ranking, Flowdan, Killa P, Warrior Queen, Spaceape and Roger Robinson. All of 'em on fire, and the tracks, total dancefloor destroyers, groovy, funky, a wild dancehall mashup, that stuttery beat in all its various permutations, simple looped Double Dutch repetition, skittery almost jungle, murky stripped down dubstep, pounding buzzing gabbery crunch, rubbery woozy shuffle, groovy late night minimal throb and several other variations.�
It's hard to pick favorites, all the tracks are pretty amazing, although we're pretty partial to the songs featuring Ricky Ranking, the super hooky "Murder We", with it's growled buzzing verses, but then an insanely catchy chorus, with gorgeous vocals and lazer gun style FX, then there's the closer "Judgement" a sort of slow jam, but so washed out and fuzzy, menacing and sinister, complete with soulful breakdowns, which shift effortlessly into the growly buzz drenched verses (stick around too, after a few minutes of silence, there's a really beautiful outro). The Warrior Queen tracks are awesome too, especially "Poison Dart" with its school yard flow and rib cage rattling synth buzz, unfurling a weirdly catchy melody beneath pounding simple rhythms and WQ's wicked flow. "Fuckaz" with Spaceape is a pulsing throbbing groove, the vocals a sing songy flow, not nearly as murky and mean sounding as his collabs with Kode 9, and the opener "Angry" with Tippa Irie, is a super bouncy ragga jam, the beat so simple but so infectious, and the vocals again raspy and raw, perfectly balancing the wild bounce beneath. Hard to know what else to say. We're such suckers for dancehall, especially when it gets revved up a bit. Here's hoping we don't have to wait another 5 years.
MPEG Stream: "Angry ft. Tippa Irie"
MPEG Stream: "Murder We ft. Ricky Ranking"
MPEG Stream: "Fuckaz ft. Spaceape"

BUG, THE London Zoo (Ninja Tune) 3lp 45.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
NOW ON THICK TRIPLE VINYL!!!
Hard to believe it's been 5 years since the last Bug full length. We were so obsessed with Pressure, it was exactly what we had been dreaming of, a disc of dancehall, but supercharged, the beats bigger, the toasting more tongue twisting and agile, the flows sick sick sick, the loops and music darker and more fucked up. Makes sense when you have a look at Kevin "The Bug" Martin's resume, having recorded as God, Ice, Techno Animal and Curse Of The Golden Vampire, so imagine classic dancehall filtered through all that cracked and noisy business. Fucking mind blowing. And it's not like Martin has been doing nothing since Pressure. There's been a steady flow of ep's and 12"s, singles and one-offs, but we were long overdue for another batch of damaged fractured fucked up and funky dancehall, and finally, here it is!
And it's so so good. Not quite as hard as Pressure, much more musical, but somehow all the better for it. The beats are still bangin', and the vocalists Martin has gathered are pretty top shelf: Tippa Irie, Ricky Ranking, Flowdan, Killa P, Warrior Queen, Spaceape and Roger Robinson. All of 'em on fire, and the tracks, total dancefloor destroyers, groovy, funky, a wild dancehall mashup, that stuttery beat in all its various permutations, simple looped Double Dutch repetition, skittery almost jungle, murky stripped down dubstep, pounding buzzing gabbery crunch, rubbery woozy shuffle, groovy late night minimal throb and several other variations.�
It's hard to pick favorites, all the tracks are pretty amazing, although we're pretty partial to the songs featuring Ricky Ranking, the super hooky "Murder We", with it's growled buzzing verses, but then an insanely catchy chorus, with gorgeous vocals and lazer gun style FX, then there's the closer "Judgement" a sort of slow jam, but so washed out and fuzzy, menacing and sinister, complete with soulful breakdowns, which shift effortlessly into the growly buzz drenched verses (stick around too, after a few minutes of silence, there's a really beautiful outro). The Warrior Queen tracks are awesome too, especially "Poison Dart" with its school yard flow and rib cage rattling synth buzz, unfurling a weirdly catchy melody beneath pounding simple rhythms and WQ's wicked flow. "Fuckaz" with Spaceape is a pulsing throbbing groove, the vocals a sing songy flow, not nearly as murky and mean sounding as his collabs with Kode 9, and the opener "Angry" with Tippa Irie, is a super bouncy ragga jam, the beat so simple but so infectious, and the vocals again raspy and raw, perfectly balancing the wild bounce beneath. Hard to know what else to say. We're such suckers for dancehall, especially when it gets revved up a bit. Here's hoping we don't have to wait another 5 years.
MPEG Stream: "Angry ft. Tippa Irie"
MPEG Stream: "Murder We ft. Ricky Ranking"
MPEG Stream: "Fuckaz ft. Spaceape"

BUG, THE Poison Dart v. 1 (Ninja Tune) 12" 14.98

BUG, THE Poison Dart v. 2 (Ninja Tune) 12" 14.98

BUG, THE Pressure (Tigerbeat6) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We gotta hand it to Tigerbeat6 head honcho Miguel for giving this disc a domestic release and price. Released in the U.K. by Rephlex, "Pressure" is the second outing by Kevin Martin under the moniker of The Bug. While this guise may be a recent one for Mr. Martin, he's not a newcomer to the scene. You may already be familiar with his previous projects Techno Animal, Curse of the Golden Vampire, God and Ice (certainly not a curriculum vitae to be sneezed at). With The Bug though, Kevin attacks our lower intestinal tracts with some of the best hardcore dancehall we've heard in a long time. Residing somewhere between DJ Scud's pummelling gabber style Ambush! material and Timeblind's Three-Foot-Long Bong-Hit of a track "Rastabomba". It's exactly the dancehall cuts that what we here at Aquarius have been thirsting for. Whereas Scud's tracks, being instrumental, were totally insane over-the-top panacea style gabber, "Pressure" is primarily a true dancehall record, with toasting on every track. As such, Martin's rhythms tend to be stripped down more than Scud's. Which isn't to say they ain't hard. Under Wayne Lonesome's damaged toasting for "Fuck Y~Self" for instance is some busy as hell, noisy-assed rhythm that battles 10 rounds with Lonesome's growling. Along with Lonesome, toasters on this record include Daddy Freddy, Roger Robinson, Paul St. Hilaire, The Rootsman and more. A definite must for fans of Ward 21 and sundry other demented dancehall. Absolutely sick, absolutely essential!
MPEG Stream: "Beats, Bombs, Bass, Weapons"
MPEG Stream: "Fuck Y~Self"

BUG, THE Pressure (Rephlex) 2lp 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Released on cd in the US on Kid606's Tigerbeat6 label (and reviewed on the last AQ list), we now finally have the import double lp version. "Pressure" is the second outing by Kevin Martin under the moniker of The Bug. While this guise may be a recent one for Mr. Martin, he's not a newcomer to the scene. You may already be familiar with his previous projects Techno Animal, Curse of the Golden Vampire, God and Ice (certainly not a curriculum vitae to be sneezed at). With The Bug though, Kevin attacks our lower intestinal tracts with some of the best hardcore dancehall we've heard in a long time. Residing somewhere between DJ Scud's pummelling gabber style Ambush! material and Timeblind's Three-Foot-Long Bong-Hit of a track "Rastabomba". It's exactly the dancehall cuts that what we here at Aquarius have been thirsting for. Whereas Scud's tracks, being instrumental, were totally insane over-the-top panacea style gabber, "Pressure" is primarily a true dancehall record, with toasting on every track. As such, Martin's rhythms tend to be stripped down more than Scud's. Which isn't to say they ain't hard. Under Wayne Lonesome's damaged toasting for "Fuck Y~Self" for instance is some busy as hell, noisy-assed rhythm that battles 10 rounds with Lonesome's growling. Along with Lonesome, toasters on this record include Daddy Freddy, Roger Robinson, Paul St. Hilaire, The Rootsman and more. A definite must for fans of Ward 21 and sundry other demented dancehall. Absolutely sick, absolutely essential!
MPEG Stream: "Beats, Bombs, Bass, Weapons"
MPEG Stream: "Fuck Y~Self"

BUG, THE Tapping The Conversation (WordSound) cd 11.98
Based on, but not utilizing samples from, the '70s Gene Hackman thriller "The Conversation", this is a paranoiac dub/electronica film for the ears. The Bug is Kevin Martin (God, Techno-Animal), DJ Vadim, and Swiss reedsman Alex Buess (16-17). Really great, another winner from WordSound.

BUG, THE FEATURING WARRIOR QUEEN Aktion Pak (Rephlex) cd ep 9.98
A new Bug single and it's a doozy. Featuring the amazing (and new to us) Warrior Queen, who kicks so much ass that the tracks without her vocals seem wimpy and pale in comparison. So I guess it's good that most of the tracks on this ep do indeed feature her fierce toasting. Tack on a couple instrumentals / versions and a wicked final number featuring Ras B, and you've got a decent little chunk of bassbin rattling ragga brutality to hold us over 'til the next Bug full length. Awesome.
MPEG Stream: "Aktion Pak"
MPEG Stream: "Pain Yu A Ga Feel"

BUG, THE FEATURING WARRIOR QUEEN Aktion Pak (Rephlex) 12" 8.98
A new Bug single and it's a doozy. Featuring the amazing (and new to us) Warrior Queen, who kicks so much ass that the tracks without her vocals seem wimpy and pale in comparison. So I guess it's good that most of the tracks on this ep do indeed feature here fierce toasting. Tack on a couple instrumentals / versions and a wicked final number featuring Ras B, and you've got a decent little chunk of bassbin rattling ragga brutality to hold us over 'til the next Bug full length. Awesome.
MPEG Stream: "Aktion Pak"
MPEG Stream: "Pain Yu A Ga Feel"

BUG, THE VS. ROOTSMAN / DJ/RUPTURE split (Tigerbeat6) cd 7.98

BUG, THE VS. THE ROOTSMAN Killer (Razor (mi)X) 7" 7.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We only got ten of these so if you want one act fast. Two mixes of one of our favorite tracks from 'Pressure', both souped up with some wild and chaotic old school drum and bass, huge fuzzed out synth lines and maniacal drum programming, with Rootsman's toasting chopped up and sprinkled throughout. Cool stuff.

BUGAJ, ADAM Telegraphed (Deep Water) cd-r 6.98
Tape hiss, simple melodies, mechanical rhythms, dubby reverb... Nice! We're diggin' on the 16 tracks, 33 minutes�of blissful, bedroom-recorded Casio-dub instrumental music here, this cd-r being the second solo joint from Oakland's Adam Bugaj, a Pennsylvania transplant who played "lysergic barn rock" with underground psych acts Peacefeather and Clear Spots back in PA. Rather than rockin' out, though, this is lazy Sunday stoned music from the man, lo-fi DIY mesmerism, like a Jewelled Antler production of home-brewed Kompakt techno, shimmering with hiss and distortion. 'Tis spacey and mellow, sometimes subverted by sudden manual tape edits... Throw in a bit of Fahey folky guitar ramble here or there, and broken electronics that get accidentally cosmic and Cluster-like, with echoey keys, heartbeat drum machine pulses, minimal drones, fractured rhythms... Imagine, maybe, a more outsider version of Pantha Du Prince, recorded on, like, $15 worth of yard sale equipment and cheap cassette tapes. Yes it's pretty nice!
MPEG Stream: "The New Nod"
MPEG Stream: "Hawthorne Blues"
MPEG Stream: "No Lavender"
MPEG Stream: "Play It Pretty"

BUKEM, LTJ Journey Inwards (Kinetic ) 2cd 17.98
Another really, er, uneventful double cd of slowjams for the electronica set from the popular LTJ Bukem. Rhodes organ tinkling, flute & sax jazz solos, and sensitive-boy synth pads over downtempo drum & bass/two step breaks.

BUMP AND GRIND Init Sequence (Sub Rosa) cd 15.98
Described as "cinemascopic big beat" but that's not to say that they sound like the tepid funk of the likes of Chemical Brothers--rather, Bump & Grind drop explosive 'Amen' drum & bass breaks as well as swing 4/4 drum kicks. Includes remix work by Third Eye Foundation and Scanner. Nice graphics too.

BUND DEUTSCHER PROGRAMMIERER Stoffwechsel (Rather Interesting) cd 16.98
"The Federation of German Programmers" has only one member, but one that has so many alter-egos as to comprise a small parliamentary body. That individual is Uwe Schmidt -- better known as Atom Heart and Senor Coconut, and also known as Lisa Carbon, Datacide, LB, and many others. "Stoffwechsel" is more seriously minded than much of his recent output. Complex bubbling electronic percolations -- like Schematic without the big post-hip hop breaks or Mille Plateaux's clickery with more of a groove. Intersperced between all of the electronic clicks/cuts, Schmidt drops in fragments of German spoken word, which give the whole album a sort of academic vibe.

BURAKA SOM SISTEMA Black Diamond (Fabric) cd 16.98
Oh shit! These are some intensely sweaty and dancey jammers that are sure to be the soundtrack of any truly down and dirty party this summer, and probably for a long time to come. Hailing from Portugal, Buraka Som Sistema have become international ambassadors for the Kuduro scene, bringing this unique sound to people throughout the world. It makes perfect sense that M.I.A. lends her voice to the record's standout track, as the sounds on Black Diamond make a great companion to her latest record Kala. Incorporating elements of hip-hop, Baile funk and electronica, Black Diamond is all about being uptempo and making bodies sweat, move and shake and groove. This is one of those records that should appeal to all sots of music lovers, from fans of Konono No.1 seeking that same sort of intense all out energy to fans of Missy Elliott who want something pulsating and creative to move them on the dance floor. So damn good!
MPEG Stream: "Sound of Kuduro (feat. DJ Znobia, MIA, Saborosa, & Puto Prata)"
MPEG Stream: "Aqui Para Voc�s (feat. Deize Tigrona)"
MPEG Stream: "IC19"

BURAKA SOM SISTEMA Black Diamond (Fabric) lp 24.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Oh shit! These are some intensely sweaty and dancey jammers that are sure to be the soundtrack of any truly down and dirty party this summer, and probably for a long time to come. Hailing from Portugal, Buraka Som Sistema have become international ambassadors for the Kuduro scene, bringing this unique sound to people throughout the world. It makes perfect sense that M.I.A. lends her voice to the record's standout track, as the sounds on Black Diamond make a great companion to her latest record Kala. Incorporating elements of hip-hop, Baile funk and electronica, Black Diamond is all about being uptempo and making bodies sweat, move and shake and groove. This is one of those records that should appeal to all sots of music lovers, from fans of Konono No.1 seeking that same sort of intense all out energy to fans of Missy Elliott who want something pulsating and creative to move them on the dance floor. So damn good!
MPEG Stream: "Sound of Kuduro (feat. DJ Znobia, MIA, Saborosa, & Puto Prata)"
MPEG Stream: "Aqui Para Voc�s (feat. Deize Tigrona)"
MPEG Stream: "IC19"

BURBANK, TOM Famous First Words (Planet Mu) cd 14.98

MPEG Stream: "Fragile "
MPEG Stream: "Knuckles"
MPEG Stream: "Stay One"

BURBANK, TOM Famous First Words (Planet Mu) 2lp 17.98

MPEG Stream: "Fragile "
MPEG Stream: "Knuckles"
MPEG Stream: "Stay One"

BURGALAT, BERTRAND Portrait-Robot (Hit Thing / Tricatel) cd 15.98
The euro-pop sounds of composer / solo crooner Monsieur Bertand Burgalat pleases many ears around the globe. Swirling strings, funky guitar and basslines, playful keyboards, horns, woodwinds, swooning male and female choruses -- it's charming in oh so many ways, elaborate and suave but not without levity and wit. If we have any complaints about Portrait-Robot, it would be that when on occasion Burgalat opts for programmed drum beats (versus live acoustic ones) such as on the song "Ripples" they're a bit... well, clunkily robotic and too upfront in the mix. When you take into consideration the album's title, you wonder if maybe be that was his intention, but it's oddly jarring when you take in the rest of the carefully crafted and composed smooth operatin' affair. The album features 19 lounge-ready songs, plus 2 bonus tracks and a video for "Spring Isn't Fair".
MPEG Stream: "Ripples"
MPEG Stream: "Spring Isn't Fair"