Re: music

[The Man Himself <altruist@shoko.calarts.edu>]

On Thu, 18 Sep 1997, Kim Flint wrote:

> So, once again the list has gone off the gear deep-end, which is ok,
> everyone has those questions sometimes and we're all a bunch of closet
> gear-nerds anyway.

Up until the last bit ("we're all...") I thought you might be talkig 
about something *completely* different.  But that's a whole 'nother 
subject ENTIRELY.

> So how about this, what music are you all listening to these days? Which
> artists are inspiring you for looping or otherwise? If I go to the record
> store on Saturday, what should I get?

Two CDs I've really enjoyed lately are the new Photek, _Modus Operandi_,
and an album by a guy who goes by the moniker of Squarepusher called _Hard
Normal Daddy_.  The Photek album I didn't like at first; I thought it was
a serious letdown after the _Hidden Camera_ E.P., but it's starting to
grow on me.  It definitely has to be dealt with on its own terms.  The
Squarepusher album is similar to the _Richard D. James_ album by Aphex
Twin, except the whimsical classical elements of that disc are replaced on
_HND_ by '70s-style fusion moves a la Jaco Pastorious and Weather Report
(the guy behind Squarepusher is one mean bassist on top of his
programming).  Like the Aphex Twin disc, it's one of the few sample-based
records I've heard that seems to warrant the term "virtuosic." 

These are both very recent jungle/drum 'n bass albums; Photek tends
towards sparse, detached, almost chilly minimalism and precision, while
the Squarepusher disc is a much more splatter-oriented affair, constantly
changing points of view and shifting gears.  Photek is regarded as one of
the elite junglists, often regarded as being beyond reproach (in those
circles anyway) and Squarepusher is sort of the "bad boy"/love him or hate
him member of that crowd, so they're both good listening for those (like
me) who are trying to get into drum 'n bass but who have been a bit
disenchanted by the lighter, more ambient side of the music (a la LTJ
Bukem, etc).  The Photek album just came out last week; the Squarepusher
material is only available on import, so far as I know. 

(See, Kim?  I *told* you I like this stuff!  8-P )

--Andre