Utility Fog

Sunday, 15th of December, 2013

So many new releases at this time of year, what do people think they're doing.
Admittedly some of this is hanging over from my November trip overseas.

LISTEN AGAIN and all that jazz, go on. Link at bottom, stream in stereo from FBi.

Anyway, we do have a totally new release from Machinefabriek, one of his best for the year, soundtracking a dance work. And forthcoming John Chantler courtesy of The Wire's latest subscriber download comp. Then two tracks from the awesome forthcoming 15 Shades of White comp, out on Moscow label Dronarivm on the 24th of December and also featuring myself with Sophie Hutchings!

We heard two tracks from Lisa Dowling, originally from Australia but now based in New York, as kills to kisses. These are demos, as she is currently in the midst of an Indiegogo campaign for her debut album, but this is a very accomplished artist, marrying double bass with looping and quite experimental electronics, but formed into wonderful pop(-ish) songs.

Keeping it stringy, we follow with my album of the week, and one of the albums of the year, from three amazing artists: violinist/noise artist C. Spencer Yeh (aka Burning Star Core), cellist Okkyung Lee and noise artist Lasse Marhaug. We had a bit of a focus on Okkyung Lee, from her formative years in the Downtown New York scene and albums on Tzadik to her latest solo album of extreme extended techniques produced by Marhaug, demonstrating that you can make noise music with just one acoustic instrument.
Can't praise the new collaboration enough, with beautiful cello phrases and glitchy ambience, lots of mad jump-cuts and extreme noise, cello & violin screeches, vocal mangling etc.

And hey, let's stick with cellists. Next up English cellist Oliver Coates, who sticks closer to cellistic tradition but only slightly. He came to my attention with a gorgeous Boards of Canada cover on one of Warp's 20th anniversary compilations, and more recently has worked with Leo Abrahams on some more experimental cello & electronics, while his new album features contemporary compositions beautifully played, along with a couple of judiciously chosen covers.

Finally, young Sydney musician Scatterbrain, a cellist but working in electronic music as both DJ and producer, with an amen-infused not-quite jungle tune.

Machinefabriek - Slapping Dance [Machinefabriek Bandcamp]
Machinefabriek - Sasha's Solo [Machinefabriek Bandcamp]
John Chantler - November Pt1 [Wire Magazine, forthcoming Room40]
Talvihorros - Etude V [Dronarivm]
Kaboom Karavan - GeMoet Klaar Zien [Dronarivm]
kills to kisses - Who's your lover; a connection in half-truths [unreleased demo - Indiegogo campaign here!]
kills to kisses - Grey (lullaby Apocalypse) [unreleased demo - Indiegogo campaign here!]
C. Spencer Yeh / Okkyung Lee / Lasse Marhaug - Tonight We Sleep Like Empty Hard Drives [Software]
Okkyung Lee - Anything You Say, Anything You (Don't) Say [Tzadik]
Okkyung Lee - One Hundred Years Old Rain (The Same River Twice) [Tzadik]
Okkyung Lee - Cheol-Kkot [Ideologic Organ]
Okkyung Lee - Hollow Water [Ideologic Organ]
Burning Star Core - Blood Lightning Pt. 13 [Dronedisco]
Burning Star Core - Oversleep, Gloria, and You Will Miss The Wave [Dronedisco]
C. Spencer Yeh / Okkyung Lee / Lasse Marhaug - Magic Seagull Lamp / Mission: Lazy / Mission: Nothing / Throw Down The Fishcake [Software]
C. Spencer Yeh / Okkyung Lee / Lasse Marhaug - Ophelia Gimme Shelter [Software]
Oliver Coates - The Clouds Flew Round With The Clouds (composed by Larry Goves) [Prah]
Oliver Coates - Raimondas Rumsas (composed by Laurence Crane) [Prah]
Oliver Coates & Leo Abrahams - Crystals Are Always Forming: V [Slip Discs]
Mira Calix with Oliver Coates - In A Beautiful Place Out In The Country [Warp]
Scatterbrain - Taxidermy (Jungle refix) [Scatterbrain SoundCloud]

Listen again — ~108MB

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