Utility Fog

Sunday, 18th of March, 2012

I was lucky enough to catch 1 1/2 sets of The Necks at the Opera House tonight, and thus got in a bit late. Still, we fitted lots in, from a small number of artists!
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After the first few tracks, I had a chat with Maddy Boud from the Australian Chamber Orchestra about their ACO Underground gig that's coming up in 2 weeks. Did I say "gig"? Yes, it's at The Standard in Surry Hills, and features a collaboration with Jim Moginie of Midnight Oil and music from Radiohead and Nick Drake in amongst the classical pieces. Ace.

Much of tonight's show was taken up with some specials on a few artists. First up, the wonderful Peter Broderick, whose new album is called http://www.itstartshear.com. Yes it is. That aside, it's a wonderful overview of all his strengths, as a multi-instrumentalist and arranger, as a songwriter and singer, and indeed as a collaborator. He plays the vast majority of the instruments on the album, but has his friend Nils Frahm producing and playing various instruments, his sister Heather Woods Broderick on a few tracks, and various others.
We start with a lovely chamber piece with piano (duh) and lilting strings, but the album has indie rock (or at least indie folk) pop songs, tracks that recall his soundtrack work, and even one track where, briefly, he raps. Sort of.
It's really a very special album.

From the archive of Peter Broderick collaborations, we heard from last year's gorgeous, underrated and under-heard debut album from Dutch singer Laura Arkana "met Peter Broderick". Peter arranges strings, piano and various other instruments under her delicate, personal songs, in perfect sympathy.
Later, we had a track from one of his amazing collaborations with Machinefabriek — his chamber arrangements meeting Rutger Zuydervelt's sound design and drone — and his self-effacing and touching remix of Balmorhea.

Regular William Ryan Fritch aka Vieo Abiungo also gets a look-in tonight, because the bonus EP that was promised with his Kickstarter campaign arrived this weekend. Released under his own name and only available to funders of the campaign, it's nevertheless his usual world folk beat mix, albeit a bit breezier than his usual (hinted at perhaps in a title like "joy in the filth"). We also heard a bonus track from last year's album plus a sneak preview of the album that was part-funded by this Kickstarter.

Our next special of the evening is the songwriting and arranging genius of Daniel Rossen. Although his music might perhaps seem a bit straight indie pop for the likes of the 'Fog, he's come out of the exploratory indietronic world that birthed both his main band nowadays, Grizzly Bear, and his original college duo Department of Eagles, who amply demonstrate why I became obsessed with him in around 2004 or 2005 with a track that showcases his beautiful songwriting in amongst chaotic found samples and drill'n'bass beats.
These days, though, it's his exquisite chord progressions, quiet-loud song structures and bittersweet vocals that set him apart, and it's great to have new material, and solo material no less. To celebrate, we heard a couple of sublime cover versions: a touching and reverent Paul Simon cover, and an unrecognizable reworking of bubble-gum popster JoJo.

Back in Oz, we have another take from the forthcoming collaboration between Adelaide's Jason Sweeney aka Panoptique Electrical and Richard Adams of Hood. I've asked Jason for some more info on this, as the preview songs so far are pretty amazing, as you'd expect from two veterans of indie experimentalism.

Last week we heard a couple of takes from a live recording of Alister Spence Trio from late last year. Tonight, a slightly longer take with his Fender Rhodes providing random jazz licks and then spooky sci-fi soundscapes over warm double bass and kitchen sink percussion.

The new album from Robert Henke aka Monolake takes a surprising turn into futuristic drum'n'bass. Some tracks are more minimalist in nature, and the whole thing has his usual impeccably-produced sound, but it's rather interesting to hear these beats, whether at d'n'b tempo or somewhat slowed down. There's some pretty heavy bass in there too. I'll be listening over his back catalogue over the next week or two in preparation for a bit of a retrospective.

Meanwhile, Scuba also harkens back to d'n'b on one track from his new album, with some big breaks over half-pace sweeps and bass pulse. Very little of his new album is dubstep, instead going for a bright and shiny club sound. It's a big shift from his earlier introspective dubstep, although 2010's Triangulation moved towards more of a techno feel, and many of his 12"s have been far housier. I couldn't resist playing some tracks from both other albums, landing with the last two tracks on his debut album, very atmospheric almost static dubstep.

Finally we have one track from the soon-to-be-released new Yppah album on Ninja Tune, featuring the dulcet tones of Anomie Belle, as with the recent single. The album as a whole has its fair share of Ninja-style instrumental hip-hop, Bibio-style folktronica, and large quantities of Ulrich Schnauss-style second-wave shoegaze. It's grown on me a lot.

Peter Broderick - I Am Piano [Bella Union]
Laura Arkana met Peter Broderick - Huilen [Hush Records]
Peter Broderick - Asleep [Bella Union]
...Interview with Maddy Boud from Australian Chamber Orchestra...
William Ryan Fritch - tooth and claw [Lost Tribe Sound]
Vieo Abiungo - a praire song [Lost Tribe Sound]
Vieo Abiungo - rejoice in the blind coincidence [Lost Tribe Sound]
William Ryan Fritch - joy in the filth [Lost Tribe Sound]
Peter Broderick - With The Notes On Fire [Bella Union]
Peter Broderick & Machinefabriek - Planes [Fang Bomb]
Balmorhea - November 1, 1832 (Peter Broderick remix) [Western Vinyl/Longtime Listener]
Peter Broderick - Colin [Bella Union]
Daniel Rossen - Golden Mile [Warp]
Department of Eagles - The Horse You Ride [Isota Records/Melodic]
Daniel Rossen - Graceland [unreleased Paul Simon cover, from the internet...]
Daniel Rossen - Too Little Too Late [unreleased JoJo cover, from the internet...]
Daniel Rossen - Saint Nothing [Warp]
Panoptique Electrical - Cold Moments Melt (feat. Richard Adams of Hood) [Panoptique Electrical SoundCloud]
Alister Spence Trio - Set 1c, live at People's Republic of Australasia [unreleased]
Monolake - The Existence Of Time [Imbalance Computer Music]
Monolake - Discontinuity [Imbalance Computer Music]
Scuba - Cognitive Dissonance [Hotflush]
Scuba - Dsy Chn [Hotflush]
Scuba - Tracers [Hotflush]
Scuba - From Within [Hotflush]
Scuba - Suck [Hotflush]
Yppah - Soon Enough feat. Anomie Belle [Ninja Tune]

Listen again — ~ 144MB

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