Here’s what did it for me this week:
Single: Digidesign by Joker
Not a lot to say about this. Even my wife likes it. Some “wonky” efforts leave me cold but I reckon this is the best track of 2009 so far and it has renewed my faith in Hyperdub, a label I occasionally find it hard to engage with. Also, the cover is awesome, it matches the record so well and looks like a huge bank of dormant multicoloured LEDs waiting to come alive when someone puts a coin in the slot. I ended my last mix with this record. If I may lapse into Boomkat-speak for a moment: essential twelve!!
Album: One by Ben Klock
Only had this a couple of days but it’s on repeat-play. The wife does not like this one. One thing I’ve learned over the last couple of years is just how broad a church techno really is. I gather the Berghain style (whatever that is) has negative connotations for some but this album is extraordinarily satisfying. It’s got spadefuls of bass: an incessant, unbelievably deep rolling presence underpinning the other elements, which are thoughtful and emotive. I agree with the commenter on RA who said it needs playing loud and doesn’t really work on headphones, so I can’t wait to blow the window panes out with it when my new subwoofer arrives…
Download: Percussion Lab presents Isomer Transition
Never heard of this guy until now, which no doubt means he’s completely ubiquitous, and the set was recorded way back in October 2007, but what of it. Broadly speaking this selection would probably be called minimal techno, but sonically it seems to me far removed from the lame mnml template of clicks, tinny farts and stupid pitched-down vocal samples. It throbs, pulses, rolls and fizzes along very nicely - and I only counted one stupid pitched-down vocal sample in the whole hour. Great stuff. (Found via Adriaan Van Keerbergen).
YouTube: Clown by Korn (Media Studies video by Phil Higgins)
An old sixth-form mate brought this to my attention on Friday. He made it for a media studies project in 1996. Twenty-three seconds in, you can very briefly see a grotty, lank-haired seventeen year-old incarnation of yours truly doing something uncertain with a teddy bear. NB I was never into this music but the jungle crowd and the metal crowd used to mix a lot at my college.
Techno-fetishistic geek fixation: BK Subwoofers
Since having my head blown off by the sound system at FWD, I’ve been looking for a subwoofer to pile on the bass weight at home and have been doing a fair amount of research, finally putting in an order for BK’s XLS200. Basically, BK’s main business is making subs for other “manufacturers” to put their badges on and sell for prices edging towards a grand: but if you buy direct from BK, and you’re prepared to tolerate the idiosyncratic customer service and wait three to four weeks for it to be hand-built (even though they’ll quote you ten days) the word is that you’ll end up with a rock-solid sub that doesn’t have much in the way of bells and/or whistles (remote controls etc) but will sound as good as, or better than, units costing over twice as much from other manufacturers, all for £200 - £400. I’m super excited about this although my neighbours will of course be gutted when it lands. They should thank their lucky stars I didn’t plump for the Monolith.
March 6th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
I’m glad you said that about One, I’d only tried it in headphones at work and it hadn’t really worked for me… played it on my lovely hifi at home and now completely in love!
March 6th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
yes it’s strange….some albums are like that. it just reminds me that i don’t get out and hear music on big soundsystems nearly enough.