RAPOON :Just Say The Faith: (Soleilmoon) cd 14.98
Even though it's been a decade since Robin Storey left the seminal post-industrial ensemble :Zoviet*France:, he hasn't really extended himself beyond his last few outings with :Z*F: (including "Just An Illusion" and possibly "Shouting At The Ground"). In :Zoviet*France:, he mastered the technique of multitracking tape loops, often of murky recordings from non-specific ethnic percussion, and then splattering them with a profuse amount of dub delay to create very effective hypnotic drones. ":Just Say The Faith:" find his current project Rapoon softening the edges of all of the looping rhythms to give a less foreboding and dreamily celestial ambience to his sounds. Unfortunately, in lightening the mood, Rapoon verges on a soundtrack for commercials about soothing bath salts and exfoliating sugar scrubs, or for the next Peter Gabriel multi-media experience. Originally, this album was released as a vinyl only limited release, but now gets a CD-reissue with a few extra tracks.
RealAudio clip: "Fuck The Wire"

RAPOON Alien Glyph Mythology (Soleilmoon) 2x10" 53.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

RAPOON Fires of The Borderlands (Release) cd 14.98
Robin Storey, founding member of :Zoviet*France: and sole proprietor of Rapoon, finds the source material for his mesmeric drone music in the tones emaneted from tablas, Egyptian reeds, digeridoos, and a plethora of ethnic instruments. From the dots of sound he pulls from the instruments, Storey (like his predecent work in :Z*F:) builds lulling compositions with hypnotic rhythmic patterns and rich textures of drifting sound. "Fires of the Borderlands" is one of his most somnambulant pieces and is quite good.

RAPOON From Shadows Sleep (Essence Music) cd 16.98
While the Essence Music press release doesn't make this proclamation, any self-respecting :zoviet*france: fan will be able to recognize the source material for Rapoon's From Shadow Sleep. Essentially this album is a remix of the source material taken from two of the finest :zoviet*france: recordings of all times -- the diptych centerpiece of "Ascend The Fall" and "Caught In The Square" found on the album Just An Illusion. That 1990 :zoviet*france: album was essentially a solo record by Robin Storey, who later split from :zoviet*france: rather acrimoniously and formed Rapoon, a project whose work has been fairly hit or miss.
True to the old adage: when Rapoon has been good, he's been very very good; but when he's been bad, he's horrid. From Shadows Sleep find Storey in top form, partially because the source material is so exquisite -- back from when he was dealing with convoluted tape loop machines, time-lag accumulators, and the best non-Dub use of delay pedals of all time. These aerated sounds tinged with metallic resonance cobble together swelling masses of hypnotic drift, underscored by a brooding atmosphere. Sonorous pings and aggregates of swirling tape hiss spackle Rapoon's mighty drone which ends up being both unsettling and transcendent at the same time. Given how many are dabbling in the fine art of grizzled dronescaping, the back catalogue of :zoviet*france: should be required listening. But given that nearly all of those recordings of alchemical ritualism are out of print (thanks to that unfortunate acrimony mentioned above), this Rapoon album is the next best thing. Very highly recommended.
MPEG Stream: "The Darkness Of Ages"
MPEG Stream: "The Pit Under The Castle"
MPEG Stream: "The Pigmen At The Window"

RAPOON From Shadows Sleep (Essence Music) cd / 3" cd / box 58.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This is the super limited, ultra deluxe box set version, that includes tons of extra art and inserts as well as a bonus 3" cd-r)!! Most likely already out of print by the time you read this...
While the Essence Music press release doesn't make this proclamation, any self-respecting :zoviet*france: fan will be able to recognize the source material for Rapoon's From Shadow Sleep. Essentially this album is a remix of the source material taken from two of the finest :zoviet*france: recordings of all times -- the diptych centerpiece of "Ascend The Fall" and "Caught In The Square" found on the album Just An Illusion. That 1990 :zoviet*france: album was essentially a solo record by Robin Storey, who later split from :zoviet*france: rather acrimoniously and formed Rapoon, a project whose work has been fairly hit or miss.
True to the old adage: when Rapoon has been good, he's been very very good; but when he's been bad, he's horrid. From Shadows Sleep find Storey in top form, partially because the source material is so exquisite -- back from when he was dealing with convoluted tape loop machines, time-lag accumulators, and the best non-Dub use of delay pedals of all time. These aerated sounds tinged with metallic resonance cobble together swelling masses of hypnotic drift, underscored by a brooding atmosphere. Sonorous pings and aggregates of swirling tape hiss spackle Rapoon's mighty drone which ends up being both unsettling and transcendent at the same time. Given how many are dabbling in the fine art of grizzled dronescaping, the back catalogue of :zoviet*france: should be required listening. But given that nearly all of those recordings of alchemical ritualism are out of print (thanks to that unfortunate acrimony mentioned above), this Rapoon album is the next best thing. Very highly recommended.
MPEG Stream: "The Darkness Of Ages"
MPEG Stream: "The Pit Under The Castle"
MPEG Stream: "The Pigmen At The Window"

RAPOON Navigating By Colour (Soleilmoon) cd 19.98
The oversized beautiful first edition of Rapoon's "Navigating By Colour" features a dozen oversized postcards of Robin Storey's paintings (imagine Diebenkorn infused with a fictional tribal symbolism), but it's the sound which makes this album perhaps his best work since working with Zoviet France. Not nearly as tinted with pseudo-ethnic percussive elements as his other records, fragments of electronica (a particularly nice deconstruction of LTJ Bukem's archetypal "Amen" junglist break into something nothing not at all drum'n'bass-esque) and medieval chants join Storey's masterful useage of ever shifting dark passages of looping drones.

RAPOON What Do You Suppose? (Staalplaat) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
"What Do You Suppose?" is a conceptual departure from the curatorial duties of Rapoon's Robin Storey (ex-Zoviet France) whose previous releases have been anthropological collections of looping drones culled from fictional non-Western cultures. Sampling heavily from a symposium on the nature of alien lifeforms, Rapoon's previous ambiguity has been anchored heavily in conspiracy theory, but retains his musical expertise in delay happy percussive drones.

RAPTURE Futile (Spikefarm) cd 14.98
Yet another depressing and doomy export from our beloved Finland. Man, these people must be so miserable. How else could a single nation produce so much depressing music? This time around it's the Rapture, who musically, bear an uncanny resemblance to AQ favorites Katatonia. And for those of you unfamiliar with that sound, it's a bit like a metal Cure; dark and droning, melodic and hypnotic, but heavy! The Rapture take their obvious Katatonia influence, and rough it up, adding screaming, shrieking, growling black metal vocals, instead of the more melodic Katatonia croon. Really fucking great.

RAPTURE Songs For The Withering (Spikefarm) cd 14.98
Gloomy, gothy melodic metal from Finland's Rapture (not to be confused with NYC's The Rapture!), who are kind of a Katatonia clone band. Nothing wrong with that, though, you can't have too much doomy yet catchy Nordic misery wethinks. This is quite good. Compared to recent Katatonia, Rapture perhaps remain MORE "metal" (though both bands are quite heavy): Rapture's vocalist still does the RAWRRRAAHH death-metal growling thing along with some more melodic, clean singing, and you can hear some Metallica and In Flames in there along with that hypnotic Katatonia downer-groove and Cure vibe. (If, after reading this, you're wondering who the heck Katatonia are, please find their reviews on our website and check 'em out...once you've become a fan, come back for the Rapture cds!)
RealAudio clip: "Nameless"
RealAudio clip: "The Vast"

RAPTURE, THE Echoes (DFA / Mercury) cd 11.98
You probably don't need us telling you about The Rapture. But if you've been in hiding for the past few months, The Rapture's "Echoes" has been one of the most widely anticipated albums of the season. There has been an inordinant amount of hype surrounding this band and the DFA production team; and often that type of silliness doesn't really play that well here at Aquarius. So for us, the anticipation was out of a simple question which many other people have been asking as well: Is anything else on Echoes as good as that "House of Jealous Lovers" track? Honestly, no; but The Rapture trying to out-groove "House of Jealous Lovers" is like My Bloody Valentine trying to out-shoegaze "Soon." It's just not going to happen. And if that question is what you needed answered, we're happy to oblige.
However if you look beyond that obvious question, and beyond the ridiculous hype of 'New York's best new band' and actually listen to the record, you might be surprised at how good it is. That said, The Rapture will never escape its influences, in particular Entertainment by Gang of Four, Metal Box by Public Image Limited, early A Certain Ratio, and The Cure. Why anybody would want to ape Robert Smith's nasal whine is beyond me, but The Rapture's singer Luke Jenner has done just that. There's even a direct citation of The Cure's "One Hundred Years" found on The Rapture's "Olio," where Jenner yelps the phrase "Over and over and over again," just as Smith does. It's a little painful, but the DFA production of this remade Rapture track which appeared on their Gravity debut many moons back is a powderkeg post-punk groove laced with plenty of uptempo rhythms. It's certainly strong enough to transcend the vocals and comes close to the cocaine frenzy of "House of Jealous Lovers." As a whole Echoes succeeds through its dynamics, at times suffocating the band's sound in the pressure cooker of jagged guitar scratches, Jenner's voice, and heart-racing rhythms (i.e. "Killing"), at others releasing Jenner's voice as a ghastly diva amidst tubular bells and beatific Chicago house grooves (i.e. "I Need Your Love"), and at others donning the vastly different art rock poses of The Birthday Party and Radiohead (i.e. "Heaven" and "Open Up Your Heart" respectively).
The Rapture is a true amalgam of all things cool at the moment, and the cynic in me wants to call this bullshit for that exact reason; but it's just too good to receive that damnation from me!
MPEG Stream: "Olio"
MPEG Stream: "Killing"
MPEG Stream: "I Need Your Love"

RAPTURE, THE Echoes (DFA) lp 14.98
You probably don't need us telling you about The Rapture. But if you've been in hiding for the past few months, The Rapture's "Echoes" has been one of the most widely anticipated albums of the season. There has been an inordinant amount of hype surrounding this band and the DFA production team; and often that type of silliness doesn't really play that well here at Aquarius. So for us, the anticipation was out of a simple question which many other people have been asking as well: Is anything else on Echoes as good as that "House of Jealous Lovers" track? Honestly, no; but The Rapture trying to out-groove "House of Jealous Lovers" is like My Bloody Valentine trying to out-shoegaze "Soon." It's just not going to happen. And if that question is what you needed answered, we're happy to oblige.
However if you look beyond that obvious question, and beyond the ridiculous hype of 'New York's best new band' and actually listen to the record, you might be surprised at how good it is. That said, The Rapture will never escape its influences, in particular Entertainment by Gang of Four, Metal Box by Public Image Limited, early A Certain Ratio, and The Cure. Why anybody would want to ape Robert Smith's nasal whine is beyond me, but The Rapture's singer Luke Jenner has done just that. There's even a direct citation of The Cure's "One Hundred Years" found on The Rapture's "Olio," where Jenner yelps the phrase "Over and over and over again," just as Smith does. It's a little painful, but the DFA production of this remade Rapture track which appeared on their Gravity debut many moons back is a powderkeg post-punk groove laced with plenty of uptempo rhythms. It's certainly strong enough to transcend the vocals and comes close to the cocaine frenzy of "House of Jealous Lovers." As a whole Echoes succeeds through its dynamics, at times suffocating the band's sound in the pressure cooker of jagged guitar scratches, Jenner's voice, and heart-racing rhythms (i.e. "Killing"), at others releasing Jenner's voice as a ghastly diva amidst tubular bells and beatific Chicago house grooves (i.e. "I Need Your Love"), and at others donning the vastly different art rock poses of The Birthday Party and Radiohead (i.e. "Heaven" and "Open Up Your Heart" respectively).
The Rapture is a true amalgam of all things cool at the moment, and the cynic in me wants to call this bullshit for that exact reason; but it's just too good to receive that damnation from me!

RAPTURE, THE House of Jealous Lovers (DFA) 12" 7.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This single has been making DJs of all stripes cream their pants since it was released earlier this year. "House of Jealous Lovers" (as well as its Morgan Geist remix version, also on this DFA 12") has been showing up at house nights, electro clubs, and post-punk DJ sets by hipster British video artists. It's the kind of song that is equally irrisitable to art punkers, San Francisco disco divas, discriminating indie kids and Brooklyn fashion victims. No, that's absolutely not a criticism-- it's an illustration of how, like their best funk-punk predecessors, the Rapture bridge the gap between rock and dance music undergrounds. Basically, this single kicks all kinds of asses all over the dance floor, whether it be located in a sweaty club or in your bedroom.

RAPTURE, THE Out Of The Races And Onto The Tracks (Sub Pop) cd ep 9.98
Six song ep from these NYC scene up-n-comers. Disco punk!

RAPTURE, THE Pieces Of The People We Love (Universal Motown) cd 11.98
It's okay to booty shake again, indie rockers -- The Rapture have jumped back onto the dance floor. And it's about time -- their spectacular Echoes came out a full three years ago when trucker hats were still cool. The Rapture took their time with Pieces of the People We Love for good reason -- it's a suprisingly well-thought out sound shift.
It's still very them -- that is to say, '80s -- but much less Gang of Four (which is sooo 2003) and much more Hacienda. The whole album brings to mind sweaty dancing in a tropical climate, asses bumping each other in tight white pants, heavy rouge and panama hats -- all kept in check with some post-punk guitar assaults.
The Rapture have a unique talent for making our least favorite instruments sound good -- on their past albums, it was the infamous cowbell and on this one, it's the saxophone, which infuses the single "Get Myself Into It" with the kind of groove that inspires group handclaps and choreographed ensemble dance steps. Songs like "The Devil," showcase Luke Jenner's sexy falsetto, which takes some new chances with Brian Ferry trills, "Hungry Like the Wolf" pants and Haircut 100 "ai yi yi"s.
Unlike some of their NY contemporaries, the Rapture have always seemed like they're just having fun. Their live shows are infectious -- sincere and enthusiastic -- and that definitely comes across on this album. Very recommended for your next dance party.
MPEG Stream: "Get Myself Into It"
MPEG Stream: "The Devil"

RAPTURE, THE / THE JUAN MACLEAN Killing / Give Me Every Little Thing (DFA) 12" 6.98
The Rapture has been one of the most hyped bands to emerge in the past couple of years, embodying everything that Vice magazine wants in a band: cocaine, disco grooves, more cocaine, punk snarl, and a little more cocaine for good measure. Yet with all of this hype, there's only been the "House Of Jealous Lovers" single (admittedly a triumphant blast of A Certain Ratio post-punk fused with the distilled perfection of 20 years of disco) and this split with the Juan Maclean. The Rapture's "Killing" is nowhere nearly as epic as "House Of Jealous Lovers," but is a nervously ethereal punked-out groove driven by a pretty catchy one-note bass line and the Luke Jenner's claustrophobic whine which uncannily mimics Robert Smith of The Cure.
As is the case for "Killing," The Juan Maclean's track benefits greatly from the production skills of The DFA in crafting an angular funk track that updates the Liquid Liquid / ESG model of stripped down grooves with a much punchier sound.

RAS G Down 2 Earth (RAMP Recordings) cd 16.98
Ras G is a member of the LA based Flying Lotus crew, having contributed jams to FL's records, as well as releasing a ton of limited releases on his own label. So we were interested to hear this...
Trafficking in a J Dilla instrumental hip hop style, Ras G has crafted what is essentially his own Donuts, an instrumental beats and breaks record, most of the tracks hovering at about the one or two minute mark, and while the obvious hip hop headz probably already dig this stuff, or soon will, it seems to us like everyone who's been going nuts for stuff like Clams Casino, How To Dress Well, Balam Acab, Shlohmo and that sort of post-witch house slo-mo-soul might dig this too. Although it's definitely a bit more ADD than the usual WH blissed out atmospheric sprawl. But within these brief blasts, there's so much shit going on, video game sounds, clipped and looped vocal samples, dubbed out rhythms, so many cool unlikely samples, funky horns, lots of record crackle and warped and warbly melodies, he also seems to be strangely obsessed with that horn, the one that you always hear at sporting events (and was recently featured in a Drake / Eminem radio hit), all arranged meticulously into micro soul classics, bumpin' hip hop could have been hits, and throughout, there are some seriously sick beats, the vibe sorta groovy and laid back, like some old dusty record, discovered while crate digging in some alternate universe, and played back on some strange contraption that spins lps in your chopped and lowered ride. So rad!
MPEG Stream: "D2E Intro"
MPEG Stream: "Hey Baby!!!!"
MPEG Stream: "Diiirrrtttty"
MPEG Stream: "(((Shrooms)))"

RAS G Down 2 Earth (RAMP Recordings) 2lp+cd 19.98
Ras G is a member of the LA based Flying Lotus crew, having contributed jams to FL's records, as well as releasing a ton of limited releases on his own label. So we were interested to hear this...
Trafficking in a J Dilla instrumental hip hop style, Ras G has crafted what is essentially his own Donuts, an instrumental beats and breaks record, most of the tracks hovering at about the one or two minute mark, and while the obvious hip hop headz probably already dig this stuff, or soon will, it seems to us like everyone who's been going nuts for stuff like Clams Casino, How To Dress Well, Balam Acab, Shlohmo and that sort of post-witch house slo-mo-soul might dig this too. Although it's definitely a bit more ADD than the usual WH blissed out atmospheric sprawl. But within these brief blasts, there's so much shit going on, video game sounds, clipped and looped vocal samples, dubbed out rhythms, so many cool unlikely samples, funky horns, lots of record crackle and warped and warbly melodies, he also seems to be strangely obsessed with that horn, the one that you always hear at sporting events (and was recently featured in a Drake / Eminem radio hit), all arranged meticulously into micro soul classics, bumpin' hip hop could have been hits, and throughout, there are some seriously sick beats, the vibe sorta groovy and laid back, like some old dusty record, discovered while crate digging in some alternate universe, and played back on some strange contraption that spins lps in your chopped and lowered ride. So rad!
MPEG Stream: "D2E Intro"
MPEG Stream: "Hey Baby!!!!"
MPEG Stream: "Diiirrrtttty"
MPEG Stream: "(((Shrooms)))"

RAS KASS institutionalized (re-up) cd 13.98

RASCO Time Waits for No Man (Stones Throw) cd 14.98
Local underground rapper's long-awaited full length with guest appearances by Dilated Peoples, DJ Babu of the Beat Junkies turntablists, etc. Produced and released by the Peanut Butter Wolf.

RASCO Time Waits for No Man (Stones Throw) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Local underground rapper's long-awaited full length with guest appearances by Dilated Peoples, DJ Babu of the Beat Junkies turntablists, etc. Produced and released by the Peanut Butter Wolf.

RASEN KAIDAN Fushigi Na Tokoro (Alchemy) cd 21.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Back in stock!! Always something interesting being dug up by those Alchemy archeologists! This archival release from a Kyoto-based band called Rasen Kaidan ("Spiral Staircase" I believe) is a very moody and lo-fi, contemporaneous Japanese take on the UK post-punk sound of the early early '80s, a la Joy Division, Comsat Angels, and The Fall, maybe. Also of note, this trio included guitarist Jojo Hiroshige, who was soon to form seminal Japanese noise act Hijokaidan (and also went on to found the Alchemy label).
What you'll hear from Rasen Kaidan here are recordings from two live performances, dating from 1979 and 1980. The 1979 tracks are more witchy and gloomy, with plodding bass and female vocals. The first cut from '79 actually makes us think of a sedated Bardo Pond slogging through a droned-out "Iron Man"! We're reminded of some old NZ stuff like Dadamah as well. The 1980 material makes a switch to male vocals, getting more into that post-punk thing, but still with a weird, almost mystical atmosphere. Murky, raw, psychedelic new wave art punk, yeah!!
MPEG Stream: "track 1"
MPEG Stream: "track 9"

RASHOMON The Ruined Map (Film Music Volume 1) (Mirrors) cd 14.98
Another disc we've been meaning to list for ages. The first release from Rashomon, the new project of Matt Thompson, former and founding member of UK prog combo Guapo. Rashomon incorporates much of what drove the music of Guapo, avant prog, psychedelic rock, soundtrack music, even metal into their sound.
But Thompson is approaching this new music from more of a filmic angle, the sounds much more cinematic, which should have been obvious from the name of the project, the record's title, and even the songs, each bearing the name of a classic film. Might be a bit pretentious in other hands, but this is the guy who founded Guapo, his prog cred is solid as a rock, as is his instrumental prowess, and it's obvious listening to these songs.
How the music here relates to the various films, is a bit tough for us to comment on since, we're embarrassed to say, we've seen only 2 of the 8 films referenced, but we're certainly excited to check the rest of them out now.
The opening track is a dark brooding convoluted space prog workout, channeling Goblin, as well as John Carpenter, into an intense creepscape, all minor key and darkly ominous, with long stretches of haunted house synth and wheezing harmoniums, the drums complex, skittering amidst a winding droneprog jam, heavy on the low-end and the tension building shimmer.
The second track is all smokey and jazzy, a minimal shuffle beneath some atonal scrabbly Derek Bailey like guitars, the track soon morphing into creepy sepia tone music box melodies.
Over the course of the rest of the record, as the tracks slip from film to film director to director, Bresson to Suzuki, Starewicz to Shindo, Branded To Kill, Lancelot Du Lac, Onibaba, The Mascot, the songs follow suit, shifting from mood to mood, sound to sound, soaring strings, ballroom jazz, bursts of acid fried synth blow outs, tribal almost African sounding drumming, gypsy folk violins, super intense spastic freaked out avant metal damage, deep shimmering drones, long stretches of creaking industrial ambience, haunting bagpipe like melodies, moody abstract drifts, gently strummed guitars clouds of cymbal shimmer, a constantly shifting world of sound, deep and layered, expansive and indeed, so cinematic.
Fans of Guapo will want this for sure, but anyone into far out soundtracks, experimental soundscapes or avant prog should definitely check this out as well.
LIMITED TO 500 COPIES!!
MPEG Stream: "Onibaba"
MPEG Stream: "Blast Of Silence"
MPEG Stream: "A Quiet Week In The House"

RASPBERRIES Greatest (Capitol) cd 17.98
Ooooh, in a perfect world if you were to look in the dictionary for "70s classic pop", you'd find a big photo of this band alongside their fellow '70s AM radio masters Bread and Electric Light Orchestra. Their heart-string pulling treasures such as "Go All The Way" and "Let's Pretend" recall the blissful pop orchestrations of the Beatles, Beach Boys and the Zombies. Actually we noted that Eric Carmen's voice sorta resembles two Pauls' (very McCartney and less so Stanley), and come to think of it, their respective bands' personalities (i.e, Wings and Kiss) are definitely reflected in Raspberries music -- the glorious power pop sweetness and the ballsy power rock crunch. Raspberries' bright, often bubblegum-y hooks, swirling string arrangements and earnest multi-part vocal harmonies will totally appeal to your sappy soft side, leaving you weeping in a sunbeam. The liner notes include song-by-song commentary by the band members.
MPEG Stream: "Go All The Way"
MPEG Stream: "Let's Pretend"

RASTAN (Taito) video arcade game 0.25
Allan's always wanted his own Rastan machine, and finally, thanks to the magic of eBay, he got one, and for relatively cheap too, considering that he probably spent as much in quarters playing it in the arcade back in the day! As you've probably noticed, it's here in the store and up and running, along with Andee's prize Tron machine (reviewed last list). We thought we'd write a little bit about each machine in the usual AQ New Arrivals list style, just for kicks. No, you can't add this to your cart, but you can stop in and drop a quarter or two into it in person...
So, for those of you without the experience of wasting your adolescence and lunch money loitering in video arcades, and don't know the (vintage 1987) Rastan game, here's the rundown: the title character, Rastan, is your basic Conan the Barbarian style swords & sorcery adventurer running around, jumping and stabbing things and collecting treasure. If you're good enough, you'll advance from level to level (there's six levels of three screens each), beating each boss, exploring new and ever-more dangerous fantasy realms, and perhaps eventually finishing the game. Haven't made it to the end yet ourselves -- it would take a several hours of play and many many credits, even if we were skilled enough at the game.
What's so awesome about Rastan? Well the graphics are pretty cool, especially the backgrounds which are totally D&Dish and mystically evocative. There's wilderness scenes (from jungles to rocky barrens) and also castle and cavern interiors, complete with flaming pit traps and rolling bolders and Tarzan style rope swings. It's a two dimensional, moving left-to-right game, using what's called "parallax scrolling" to give an illusion of depth to the backgrounds. The monsters are pretty cool too -- four armed boomerang flingers and fire spitting hydra and (at higher levels) scary Medusa ladies whose green snakey hair extends to entrap you... But the most dangerous monsters have got to be the bats. Individually they don't seem that scary, but they're tough to hit, there are a lot of them and they'll come for you if you're taking too long getting from point A to point B. We've lost more lives to those pesky bats than anything else in the game... Another cool thing about the graphics is that they've left out a lot of the usual video game clutter -- there's no point values popping up on the screen when you slay something, it's more "realistic" than that... well sort of. The "life meter" is pretty cool too, your heart shown pumping at one end, louder and more desperately as you sustain hit after hit...
But the BEST thing about this game, by far, has got to be the theme music. It's brilliant. If we could get a cd soundtrack we'd be sooooooo stoked. Awesomely ominous '80s arcade electronica. We don't even know the name of the composer, but it's a bit like like John Carpenter making medieval metal music... sinister and suspenseful, especially when the music cresendos to warn of an impending bat swarm attack!
If you play the game be sure to ask Allan for some pointers: like, you gotta learn how to jump down with your sword or (other weapon) also pointing down to deal with certain obstacles/enemies... sword swipes combined with a jump seem much more powerful... you can go up ropes faster if you jump while you climb (as long as there's a wall next to the rope for you to "bounce" up)... and watch out for the vials of poison some monsters leave behind... but if you see the gold sheep's head, you want that, it'll restore your life meter to full... So come on by and try being a "brave adventurer who dared to challenge"!
MPEG Stream: "Rastan theme music"

RATAS DEL VATICANO Mocosos Pateticos (Siltbreeze) lp 14.98

RATATAT Classics (XL Recordings) cd 14.98
Album number two from this New York duo picks up right where their refreshing debut left off. Bringing all sorts of seemingly unrelated sounds and ideas perfectly together. The danceability of electronica, the organic emotion of guitars and the limitless possibilities of what can happen when you re-imagine different ways to create melody. With Classics they continue to create a world that makes you feel like you are some powerful character in a video game that you just want to play forever. There is something so endearing and instantly likable about this group. The way they make fun sounding music without being cheesy or gimmicky. The way they force you to use your imagination, it's almost impossible to hear these songs and not create elaborate shapes, colors and stories in your mind. Classics is the kind of record that can break through to even the most jaded hipster as well as hitting the spot for those who are always ready to have a good time. So fresh and fun!
MPEG Stream: "Wildcat"
MPEG Stream: "Montanita"

RATATAT Classics (XL Recordings) lp 13.98
Album number two from this New York duo picks up right where their refreshing debut left off. Bringing all sorts of seemingly unrelated sounds and ideas perfectly together. The danceability of electronica, the organic emotion of guitars and the limitless possibilities of what can happen when you re-imagine different ways to create melody. With Classics they continue to create a world that makes you feel like you are some powerful character in a video game that you just want to play forever. There is something so endearing and instantly likable about this group. The way they make fun sounding music without being cheesy or gimmicky. The way they force you to use your imagination, it's almost impossible to hear these songs and not create elaborate shapes, colors and stories in your mind. Classics is the kind of record that can break through to even the most jaded hipster as well as hitting the spot for those who are always ready to have a good time. So fresh and fun!
MPEG Stream: "Wildcat"
MPEG Stream: "Montanita"

RATATAT Lex / Truman (Matador) 12" 3.98

RATATAT LP3 (XL) cd 13.98
New York's guitar/synth duo Ratatat hits us hard with another hefty dose of instrumental electronica, the follow up to 2006's summer jam Classics. Very similar to that album indeed. Not veering far from their usual sound, catchy synth and guitar melodies woven within a bright world of danceable sounds and beats, LP3 is a sure pleaser for any fans of radiant electronica. As familiar as LP3 sounds, there are glimpes of a more refined Ratatat here. Accoustic, steel-stringed intruments and eastern rythyms bring some spice to the album. Charming and vivid, you can't help but wonder if this is the music an arcade would make if it came to life after closing. These guys really conjure a nice balance between pop sensibility and musicianship. In a genre so heavily reliant on machines and buttons, they create a sound so organic and sincere.
MPEG Stream: "Mirando"
MPEG Stream: "Imperials"
MPEG Stream: "Mumtaz Khan"

RATATAT LP3 (XL) lp 14.98
New York's guitar/synth duo Ratatat hits us hard with another hefty dose of instrumental electronica, the follow up to 2006's summer jam Classics. Very similar to that album indeed. Not veering far from their usual sound, catchy synth and guitar melodies woven within a bright world of danceable sounds and beats, LP3 is a sure pleaser for any fans of radiant electronica. As familiar as LP3 sounds, there are glimpes of a more refined Ratatat here. Accoustic, steel-stringed intruments and eastern rythyms bring some spice to the album. Charming and vivid, you can't help but wonder if this is the music an arcade would make if it came to life after closing. These guys really conjure a nice balance between pop sensibility and musicianship. In a genre so heavily reliant on machines and buttons, they create a sound so organic and sincere.

RATATAT LP4 (XL) cd 13.98
Ever since they first hit the scene almost six years ago, Ratatat have consistently brought such a fun and refreshing sound to the table. Using guitars and electronics to make crunchy and catchy instrumental jams with nods to their love of hip-hop production and electronic dance music, yet all delivered in a very stripped down DIY fashion. Their forth album finds these Brooklyn boys sounding as great as ever, which makes sense, as much of this material was culled from the same sessions that produced their last record. It's cool how these guys have somehow created such a unique and instantly recognizable sound, as the moment you hear one of these songs you know without a doubt that it's Ratatat. The way they bring a left-of-center vibe to totally catchy almost top 40/hip-hop sounding beats, transforming them into the perfect jams to just blast crazy loud in the summertime. LP4 again shows off Ratatat's special ability to conjure totally catchy beats and melodies that flow with so much color and warmth. We love it.
MPEG Stream: "Bilar"
MPEG Stream: "Drugs"
MPEG Stream: "Grape Juice City"

RATATAT LP4 (XL) lp 14.98
Ever since they first hit the scene almost six years ago, Ratatat have consistently brought such a fun and refreshing sound to the table. Using guitars and electronics to make crunchy and catchy instrumental jams with nods to their love of hip-hop production and electronic dance music, yet all delivered in a very stripped down DIY fashion. Their forth album finds these Brooklyn boys sounding as great as ever, which makes sense, as much of this material was culled from the same sessions that produced their last record. It's cool how these guys have somehow created such a unique and instantly recognizable sound, as the moment you hear one of these songs you know without a doubt that it's Ratatat. The way they bring a left-of-center vibe to totally catchy almost top 40/hip-hop sounding beats, transforming them into the perfect jams to just blast crazy loud in the summertime. LP4 again shows off Ratatat's special ability to conjure totally catchy beats and melodies that flow with so much color and warmth. We love it.
MPEG Stream: "Bilar"
MPEG Stream: "Drugs"
MPEG Stream: "Grape Juice City"

RATATAT s/t (Matador) cd 13.98
The cover makes this look like it's gonna be some kinda indie-boys making rawk, sorta Strokes-y or maybe Champsy or something like that. But actually it's fairly mellow electronic music. Yawn.

RATJKE, MAJA Stalker (picture disc) (Important) lp 14.98

RATS, THE Intermittent Signals (Mississippi) lp 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
**MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT** **MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT** **MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT**
That's right, it's that time again, another killer blast from the past courtesy of everybody's new favorite all vinyl reissue label, Mississippi! This time it's record number two from Portland's new wave garage punk trio the Rats, maybe better known as the band of Fred and Toody Cole who would of course go on to form the much loved Dead Moon.
Intermittent Signals offers up more of the same synth laced punk rock garage rock stomp found on their s/t debut, maybe a wee bit tighter and more polished, but still heavy and snotty and snarly and swaggery, a definite old AC/DC vibe happening too, killer riffing, tons of hooks, wild drumming, Fred's drawled punk rock vox, Toody's more frenetic yelp, all crammed into short sharp blasts of hooky catchy punk rock power pop genius.
Original drummer Rod Rat guests on a couple tracks, he ended up committing suicide not long afterwards, drummer Sam Henry would go on to drum for the Wipers as well as Napalm Beach. Another essential slice of PDX punk rock history.
And as with all Mississippi releases, lovingly packaged, super thick jackets, nice heavy vinyl, and this one even includes a flyer advertising a pretty kick ass show, the Rats and The Fastbacks! Admission price: only TWO BUCKS!!!

RATS, THE s/t (Mississippi) lp 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
**MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT**
Just wanted to get the attention of the growing legion of Mississippi Records obsessives, as this week we have not one, not two, but THREE new releases from this PDX based all vinyl, mostly reissue label.
All three of the new Mississippi releases are of a more punk rock, post punk bent, abandoning temporarily the blues, gospel, and African reissues that defined the label in the early days. With every release, they get harder and harder to pigeonhole, which is always the mark of a great label.
The Rats might not be an immediately recognizable name to most folks, but what about Rats frontman Fred Cole? Ring any bells? Well, in case you hadn't figured it out already, Cole would later go on to front the legendary Dead Moon, and more recently, the Pierced Arrows, alongside his wife Toody, credited in the Rats as T.Rat. A serious slice of Portland punk rock history for sure.
The Rats existed for only a few years in the early eighties and spit out some awesome organ drenched punky garage rock stomp, liberally laced with some new wave and power pop. The vocals high and wavery, Cole sharing vocal duties with his female bandmate, the choruses shouted singalongs, the drums a simple pound, the guitars swinging from almost twang to indie jangle to punk rock crunch, the songs wreathed in Fuzztone style organs, the vibe wild and wooly, not hard to imagine these guys RULING every sweaty basement and dive club in Portland.
Thick black and white sleeve, with just the most minimal liner notes...

RATTO JA LEHTISALO Ed Benttonin Briljantti Stabilismi (Ektro) cd 14.98
Total '80s gloss thing going on (Andee thought it sounded like The Fixx!) here from these two members of Circle, sorta Talking Heads / Sparks / Oingo Bongo -ish... maybe even Barnes and Barnes? As as Christine put it: "fucked up aerobics music" with "Finnish goth" vocals! Or imagine Circle in tuxes and feathers, with Mika Ratto singing in a Popeye voice. Weird!
MPEG Stream: "Isannan Romanttinen Illallinen Olympiakullan Kainalossa"
MPEG Stream: "Kuningatar Tornittaa Kuninkaan Ratsun Vaimoa"

RATTO JA LEHTISALO Kopernikus Hortoilee Nakinkengassa (Ektro) cd 14.98
As you might have guessed from the review of Ektroverde's "Ukkossalama" above/elsewhere, and will shortly learn from this review, we have to say: the two new Ektro label releases aren't -exactly- our absolute favorites from our fine Finnish friend Jussi and his accomplices. Then again, that didn't stop Andee and Allan from buying copies! But Circle fans should know what they're getting into here: with the Ratto Ja Lehtisalo album it's a stab at vocal and instrumental synth pop (with lyrics like "heyheyshalalalalala") that features lots of Circle-lite spacerock synth-work. Cheesy '80s synths that is. Maybe they can't find cooler ones at the Finnish flea markets? Or maybe this is some sort of obscure and/or drunken joke. Not that it's *bad* or anything, we just don't understand, and would like it better if it wasn't so...smooth. It's very poppy and mild, with gentle psychedelic guitar leads spun out by Aki Peltonen (otherwise, as you might guess from the name, this is the duo of Circle bassist Jussi Lehtisalo and Circle keyboardist/vocalist Mika Ratto, here also playing drums). But fans of Circle's Neu!-inspired rhythms looking for a pleasant, sunshiney listen may well enjoy. It's nothing if not nice. So, check out the sound samples, see what you think...
MPEG Stream: "Valonnopeus"
MPEG Stream: "Avaruusshampanja"

RATTO JA LEHTISALO Pari Lepakkoa Transylvaniassa (Ektro) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Remember Kopernikus Hortoilee Nakinkengassa? (Ahhh, like it was only yesterday...) The first Ratto Ja Lehtisalo cd? Well here's Ratto Ja Lethisalo cd numba two, Pari Lepakkoa Transylvaniassa! The duo of Mika Ratto and Jussi Lehtisalo, both integral members of AQ faves Circle, along with guitarist Aki Peltonen, return with another rather pretty pop album that's also rather weird -- of course, what else would you expect from these Finnish freaks? Like its predecessor, this one is kinda light-n-mild, and mysteriously goofy. It reminds us a bit of some modern Czech folk stuff, actually, a la Vladimir Vaclavek (as if that's any help to you!). Guitars and harmonica and drums and whistling and whispering and even a typewriter are worked into these songs' arrangements, and there's at least one track that's got that trademark Circle sorta groove, with Neu!-ish rhythms and krautrocky synth. But it's "the lighter side of" Circle for sure. And the vocals are a major thing here. There's lots of voice-as-instrument playfulness, with lyrics, sometimes in English, often along the lines of "dum de dum" or even "c'mon bay-bee", the repetition of such phrases calling their actual meaning (or meaninglessness) into question.
Is it a nonsense album? Actually we suspect that there's may be a story being told, as certain musical themes seem to carry through the whole disc, giving it the sense of a song-cycle. Or perhaps it's the album's foresty fairytale cartoon artwork that's making us imagine that Uncle Jussi and Uncle Mika are telling us some children's fable. It's a little corny, definitely cute or even cutesy (as per that artwork), and again we're left wondering just what it's all about... Yeah, it's weird, almost in a "why are they doing this?" sorta way, but a lot of it is also quite beautiful.
MPEG Stream: "Kaappikellon Kummitus"
MPEG Stream: "Peltojen Poikki Paakaupunkiin"
MPEG Stream: "Huuliharppukarakka"

RAUHAN ORKESTERI / LAUHKEAT LAMPAAT Sylissain Oot (Ache) cd 14.98
Underground Finnish freak jazz craziness.

RAUHOUSE, JON Steel Guitar Heart Attack (Bloodshot) cd 13.98
Few can match Mr. Jon Rauhouse's musicianship, range and artistry. On this his third solo album, he's truly outdone himself! A pure genius at capturing moods that evoke a time long passed, he moves effortlessly from romantic old time balladry to Hawaiian tiki-lit happy hour, twilight swing jazz to chilling spookiness, lonesome range mournings to kicky covers of the Mannix and The Andy Griffiths Show theme songs. There's a little something for everyone here! He's joined by his dear friends Tommy Connell (guitars), Calexico's John Convertino (drums), Joey Burns (bass) and Jacob Valenzuela (trumpet), Paul Rigby (guitar and mandolin player extraordinaire aka Rauhouse's six-string cohort in Neko Case's touring band) and many others who know what's good for 'em. While Rauhouse's main focus is on the magic of the instrumental, he ices the cake with some sweet lady vocals by his pals Neko Case, Sally Timms, Kelly Hogan and Rachel Flotard. Excellent!
MPEG Stream: "Grief"
MPEG Stream: "Mannix"
MPEG Stream: "East Of The Sun (Feat. Neko Case)"

RAUHOUSE, JON Steel Guitar Rodeo (Bloodshot) cd 12.98
Fantastic! The list of Rauhouse's friends/guest players on his second solo album is enough to make you wanna nab it immediately -- a bevy of lovely ladies like Neko Case, Carolyn Mark, Kelly Hogan and Sally Timms (perhaps you've heard/seen him performing with one or all of them?), not to mention a gathering of dapper gents like Tommy Connell, Howe Gelb, and Calexico's Joey Burns and John Convertino! However, you'll soon discover (in case you haven't already!) that all by his lonesome Mr. Jon Rauhouse is something of a multi-instrumental magic man. With a natural ease and mastery of the full spectrum of mood, expression, and vintage style, he captures the sounds of a bygone era. Able to unfurl the amazing melodious sounds of Hawaiian guitar, smoky lounge, country, spaghetti western... you name it, but he just as readily can conjure the most dissonant thunder from the strings of his pedal steel guitar. Really folks, the only place where he stumbles is in the lyrics department, particularly on the songs he sings himself. Kooky rhyming couplets and matching guitar accents just aren't our cup of tea. But fret not! The strengths of this album far outshine those fleeting weak moments.
MPEG Stream: "River Of No Return"
MPEG Stream: "Indian Love Call"

RAUMSCHMIERE, T. Anti (Hefty) cd 13.98
Hefty Records has been one of the most consistently underwhelming record labels that has emerged in the last five years or so; yet, money won't ever be an issue for proprietor John Hughes III as he is the son of the director John Hughes. So, there will always be a steady supply of Savath + Savalas, Slicker, and other generic post-rock / hip-hop hybrid albums residing in the bargain bins until all of the royalties dry up from "The Breakfast Club" and "Pretty In Pink" (not a likely proposition). Thus it seemed odd that the US debut from Shitkatapult / Kompakt pseudo-superstar T. Raumschmiere would land on Hefty. Mostly known for generating an ironic electro-punk swagger culled from the '70s glam rock of Gary Glitter, T. Raumschmiere (aka Marco Haas) has garnered some incredible press including the media bite on salesticker of "Anti" stating, "If the new rock has no guitars, then this is its Elvis Presley." Well, such claims may be justified for albums such as their brazenly crunchy "The Great Rock 'N' Roll Swindle," but they are far from the truth in describing "Anti." This album finds Haas producing the spartan, swing techno-grooves that Wolfgang Voigt had been composing a couple of years back before going into hibernation after the Gas album "Pop." Sure, the beats have a lusty hip-sway reminiscent of the best libidinal rock 'n' roll, but the rest of the production isn't exactly over the top. Rather, Haas creates quiet, somewhat gritty atmospheres around those rhythms with minor-key drones and sputtering mechanizations. If you're looking for a follow-up to the Gas album "Konigsforst," this will do very well for you, but if you're looking for that electro-punk thing, you're better off with Electronicat or Gold Chains "Straight From Your Radio."
RealAudio clip: "Erloesung Durch Strom"
RealAudio clip: "Random Noize Musick"
RealAudio clip: "Substrom"
RealAudio clip: "Zero"

RAUMSCHMIERE, T. Anti (Hefty) 2lp 14.98
Hefty Records has been one of the most consistently underwhelming record labels that has emerged in the last five years or so; yet, money won't ever be an issue for proprietor John Hughes III as he is the son of the director John Hughes. So, there will always be a steady supply of Savath + Savalas, Slicker, and other generic post-rock / hip-hop hybrid albums residing in the bargain bins until all of the royalties dry up from "The Breakfast Club" and "Pretty In Pink" (not a likely proposition). Thus it seemed odd that the US debut from Shitkatapult / Kompakt pseudo-superstar T. Raumschmiere would land on Hefty. Mostly known for generating an ironic electro-punk swagger culled from the '70s glam rock of Gary Glitter, T. Raumschmiere (aka Marco Haas) has garnered some incredible press including the media bite on salesticker of "Anti" stating, "If the new rock has no guitars, then this is its Elvis Presley." Well, such claims may be justified for albums such as their brazenly crunchy "The Great Rock 'N' Roll Swindle," but they are far from the truth in describing "Anti." This album finds Haas producing the spartan, swing techno-grooves that Wolfgang Voigt had been composing a couple of years back before going into hibernation after the Gas album "Pop." Sure, the beats have a lusty hip-sway reminiscent of the best libidinal rock 'n' roll, but the rest of the production isn't exactly over the top. Rather, Haas creates quiet, somewhat gritty atmospheres around those rhythms with minor-key drones and sputtering mechanizations. If you're looking for a follow-up to the Gas album "Konigsforst," this will do very well for you, but if you're looking for that electro-punk thing, you're better off with Electronicat or Gold Chains "Straight From Your Radio."

RAUMSCHMIERE, T. Monster Truck Driver (Novamute) cd 8.98
Play this cd loud! Yeah I know, you hear that all the time, but I really mean it! Monster Truck Driver is a mighty good time. It's the electronic equivalent of Big Foot and Quadzilla thundering into your living room or car or headphones... well, maybe not quite! But really isn't T. Raumschmiere's name even rally announcer-ready?! Just a scant four tracks: a "Monster Truck Driver" edit and a Dabrye's Big Truck Remix of the same, as well as a vocal version edit (with spitty, snarky effected vocals courtesy of Miss Kittin) and an uncut instrumental version of "The Game Is Not Over". The latter really reminded me of "Doctorin' The Tardis" by The Timelords. Fun! Each one is a wonderfully heaving, churning and belching thick-necked thumper. But you also get a video of the title track to boot! And - as far as we know - not a single vehicle was harmed.
MPEG Stream: "The Game Is Not Over"

RAUMSCHMIERE, T. Rabaukensiko (Novamute) cd ep 9.98
T. Raumschmiere's Radio Blackout album was one of the best big stompin' glam-techno assaults of the year, and here we have that album's single numba two (after Monstertruckdriver from before the album's release). The draw here is the two remixes by The Bug (Kevin Martin), in his crunchy "dancehell" stylee, one featuring toasting by Ras Bogle. Plus there's a video clip fer yer computer.
MPEG Stream: "Rabaukendisko (The Bug's DANCEHELL RMX feat. Ras Bogle)"

RAUMSCHMIERE, T. Radio Blackout (Novamute) cd 16.98
After the subtle excursion into heroin house on his "Anti" album for Hefty, T. Raumschmiere returns to his bread and butter with "Radio Blackout" an album of shuffletime techno. Alongside Electronicat and the "Schaffelfieber" compilations on Kompakt, Raumschmiere encapsulates the single minded stupidity of testosterone with a comical b-movie approach to techno that revists the flamboyance of Gary Glitter, The Sweet, and T. Rex. Throughout "Radio Blackout," there are a handful of megawatt stompers that crank out the corroded synth lines emulating fist-pumpin' anthemic guitar licks and shuffling post-glam-rock rhythms. As triumphant and huge as the cuts 'The Game Is Not Over' (which features Miss Kitten barking out the vocals to the 200 mile per hour rhythms) and 'Monstertruckdriver' are, it's easy to overlook how good the rest of the album is. Not content to issue a collection of singles or single worthy material, T. Raumschmiere really did attempt to locate his crunching numbers against low-slung grooves and crackled breakbeats to craft an album. These slower numbers don't appear as the ambient filler, but as the necessary breathing room required before rocketing through more of those tremendous carcrash rhythms. A great album!
MPEG Stream: "Monstertruckdriver"
MPEG Stream: "The Game Is Not Over"

RAUMSCHMIERE, T. Random Noize Sessions Vol. 1 (Shitkatapult Strike) cd 16.98
While the recent output of T. Raumschmiere exploded with megawatt dancefloor stomps bridging the glitzy grooves of '70s glam rock and the insistency of Berlin techno, Random Noize Sessions Vol. 1 is a far moodier affair. This collection of unreleased and live tracks dating back to 1999 oozes with minor-key atmospheres wrapped around subdued rhythms from the Berlin techno template. Marco Haas (the man behind the T. Raumschmiere persona) locates numerous interludes of darkened Pop Ambience throughout the rhythmic tracks; but the rhythms are his bread and butter. This is especially true on the more oblique "GrobMotorOmsk" which is not terribly discreet in its references to the NZ electron loop misanthrope Omit. Just as Haas was pretty obvious in his electro-punk numbers citing Gary Glitter and the Sweet, why not draw from one of the under-recognized masters of modern day electronica?
MPEG Stream: "Die Alte Leier"
MPEG Stream: "GrobMotorOmsk (Holz Uber Kopf)"

RAUMSCHMIERE, T. The Great Rock 'N' Roll Swindle (Kompakt) cd 17.98
With that bouncing montonous march and those big dum-dum glam-rock riffs, T. Raumschmiere cranks through six tracks of shuffletime techno as heard in Electronicat and the last Gold Chain's EP. A couple of these tracks venture more into Love Parade rave territory, but still have enough of enough of an electro-strut in them that you have to wonder when some mash-up smart-ass is going make a shuffle mix with this stuff backing Gary Glitter, Sweet, and T-Rex. Four of the tracks had previously appeared on earlier 12" with the other 4 being new to this album.
RealAudio clip: "The Great Rock 'N' Roll Swindle"
RealAudio clip: "Musick"

RAVAGE End Of Tomorrow (Metal Blade) cd 14.98
Metal Blade brings us the blazing attack of Boston's Ravage, and boy do they sound like they belong on Metal Blade - circa 1987 maybe. Total '80s style metal a la Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, extra-energetic and self-consciously classic.
They've apparently been around for a while (formed in 1995) but this is only their second studio album. Otherwise their discography, according to the Metal Archives site on the internet, consists entirely of limited edition live albums (5 of them!! Including, apparently, a mostly instrumental one called Yes, We Have No Lead Singer, 'cause he got lost on the way to the show!) plus a few eps and demo tapes and whatnot. So it's cool that Metal Blade picked 'em up, odd too because Metal Blade has already released plenty of albums by bands that sound a lot like this in the '90s (Wardog anyone?) and they never did that well outside of Germany anyway. Maybe they thought it was time to try again.
We can recommend this, at any rate, it's a good one if you're in the mood for some surefire headbanging action. And, it's got a Repka painting of a giant radioactive spider laying waste to a city on the cover. More importantly, perhaps, this also boasts the vocals of one Al Ravage, who possesses a great shrieky voice, sorta Dickinsonian. Perfect for this heavy and speedy metal, loaded with catchy riffage, some of it recalling Euro power metallers like Gamma Ray and Iron Fire for sure, but also the NWOBHM and American acts like Metal Church and Metallica back in the day. And we're definitely reminded of Judas Priest's maybe-most-metal offering, Painkiller. Possibly 'cause Ravage cover "The Nightcrawler" from that album here. And their own song "The Shredder" could easily have been on Painkiller too. No bad thing, that..