Category: culture

Module Releases Free Album, Encourages Deconstruction [Article By Matt Maguire]

Posted on by Dr Hitchcock

 

 

Wellington-based musician Jeremiah Ross (aka Module) has just released a 13-track live album of electro music, Pattern Dot Life, with not one, but two twists.

Firstly, the album (recorded live at Sandwiches in Wellington) costs absolutely nothing to own, as it is available as a free download from Ross’ various websites. Secondly, listeners are encouraged to also download the raw song data from his website for the purpose of creating their own remixes of the songs, which can then be sent back to Ross for consideration for inclusion on a subsequent Module release.

It is not a case of getting others to put in the hard yards for him, however. While the general populace cut up, mangle and tweak his original live recordings, Ross will be busy creating studio versions of the live tracks (“Radio-type versions, as some of the live tracks are eight or nine minutes long” he says), to be released as Pattern Dot Life 2.0. The best remixes of the live tracks from Pattern Dot Life will also be included on this release.

And as Pattern Dot Life 2.0 will be available on iTunes as a paid download, those whose remixes are included also stand to profit from the venture, claiming 50% of the royalties their remix generates.

“The future is awesome” said Ross.

Pattern Dot Life lends itself well to remixing, as it is rooted in the digital realm. “It’s cross-genre,” says Ross “music I like making. It’s influenced a lot by music from the eighties, things like Vangelis… I grew up listening to ‘Synthesizer Greatest’ – it’s a homage to that”.

Ross stated he decided to do this open source project as Pattern Dot Life is “fun music that I’ve written for live stuff that I might not necessarily want to release on a proper album. I really wanted to see what people would do when they got hold of them [the tracks].”

“It’s fun and outside the normal way you have to do things [when you release a regular album]” said Ross.

“I really love writing that style of music… people can make of it what they want to” he added. “I’m just gonna have some fun and who gives a sh*t.”

Ross’ future plans include a third Pattern Dot Life release, which he envisions will be a recording of another live show a couple of years down the road. “I’d love to do that in France or Germany… the NZ electronic scene isn’t overly large” he said.

Ross is also currently busy setting up his own production studio, putting out an unrelated five-part EP through iTunes, working on Playstation game, and is planning on touring Australia and Japan throughout 2009.

The Pattern Dot Life project is a nice distraction from all that: “Working on the Playstation game is hardcore, and is pretty much taking over my entire life. To alleviate that I’m working on some fun Module stuff” said Ross.

“It’s really cool to get an idea out there, and people seem to be embracing and enjoying it, so that’s good”.

For more details, see www.patterndotlife.co.nz or surf to www.module.co.nz

Kitsune Tabloid – Various Artists, Mixed by Digitalism [Review by Sixtyten]

Posted on by Dr Hitchcock

 

This is really not what I was expecting from a Digitalism DJ set. Instead of cutting edge electro, this compilation is mixed bag of white boy space disco, indie crossover and raw rock. In fact, this sounds like it could have been mixed by any number of random local warm-up DJs… To top things off, a lot of the mixing is as ruff as guts. While this sound has been saturating the Australian club scene for a few years now, perhaps it’s a sign that it’s just starting to infiltrate Germany? I probably would have shelved the disc if I wasn’t reviewing it, but after overcoming my initial disappointment – and with some repeated listening – I managed to find a soft spot for some of these ‘ugly duckling’ tunes.

The disc kicks off with a Sweaty remix, which improves significantly on the Muscles original by replacing his strained vocals with a chorus of cheerleaders. The first few tracks dwell in spacey disco and spastic funk territory, with Hercules & Love Affair, Holy Ghost and a surprisingly fresh sounding Human League dub, which could have been given a bit more airtime. The Midnight Juggernauts show why they own the scene with the glammed up End of an Era, then some hella 80s b-boy shit is represented with Space Cowboy by the Jonzun Crew. Calvin Harris’ simple and catchy Colours is thrown in and The Presets rent out the one of their weakest tracks, Yippiyo Ya, before CSS donate a trashcore remix of the B-52s.

The final section kicks it off with the Daft Punk-esque If I Was Wonderwoman by Hey Today. The main vocal sounds suspiciously like someone saying “I’m stoned already” in repeated falsetto. Hmm, I’m starting to wish I was too… The highlight of the album, however, is an absolute storming electro track called Dance in Dark by The Proxy. They ingeniously hijacked some evil basslines of doom from the drum n bass community and foil with it with a beautiful vocal from some Edith Piaf-style songbird. This tune is gonna be massive all over the shop. Relentless!

After overcoming my initial knee-jerk reaction to this compilation, I’ve realised there are some tracks on this album that I actually really enjoy for their camp and trashy wrongness. The Bears Are Coming (Metronomy Mix) is a great Prince-on-LSD impersonation, complete with spooky keyboards, cowbells and a vocal line about “acid rain”. This mix also exposed me to WhoMadeWho (where have I been hiding?!), with their catchy contribution The Plot. Elsewhere, The Kills’ Cheap and Cheerful is an instantly familiar piece of trash rock, like something you’d hear on a sexy Levis ad.

Overall this is more of a party warm up than the main event. There are some sleeper hits between the disco filler, but many of the songs could have been cut altogether. If you’re into the Cut Copy Fabric mix you might like this, but if you want some hard and dirty electro, try the Boys Noize’s Bugged Out instead.

What are your top 5 albums at the mo?

Posted on by Dr Hitchcock

 

The Black Angels – directions to see a ghost
* Isaac Salek: Black Beauty – Miles Davis live, The Skatalites 1st album, Mummford and Sons (both EPs), Kings of Leon latest release, Gloria Cycles.
* Richard MacFarlane: Bobb Bruno – clown’s castle, Wavves – wavves, Ducktails – ducktails ii, Magik Markers – gucci rapidshare download, Robedoor – shapeshifter slave,  
* Brett Johansen: The Walkmen – You and Me, Okkervil River – The Stage Names, The Fall – Imperial Wax Solvent, Robert Zimmerman – Nashville Skyline, Sunn O))) – Oracle. mmm.
* Benjii Jackson: Luke Buda – Vesuvius, The Tutts – Get In The Club, The White Stripes – De Stijl, Decortica – A New Aesthetic, Help She Can’t Swim – Fashionista Dance Super Troupe.
* Evan James: Hmmm…right this moment in my schizophrenic world of music these 5 come to mind… Devendra Banhart – Cripple Crow, Electrelane – The Power Out, The Desert Sessions Vol V, The Drones…just all their stuff, Imperial Teen – Live At Maxwell’s. The Black Angels’ Directions To See A Ghost is also infinitely brilliant!!!
* Raz Boofy: Straight off the top of my dome… Juana Molina – Un Dia, Raphael Saadiq – The Way I See It, Ras_G And The Afrikan Space Program – Ghetto Sci Fi, Flying Lotus – Shhhh! EP, Johann Johannson – Englabörn… And two very different tunes – Ultimate Spinach – Mind Flowers and Rustie – Zig-Zag.
* And me… Well I’m lovin’ The Black Angels – directions to see a ghost, James Pants – Welcome, The Bang Gang DJs – d is for disco, e is for dancing, Sharkweek – Egyptian Lions, and Viva Voce – Viva Voce Loves You. 
What are you diggin’ at the mo’? 
Peace, Dr H xoxox

What qualities do you look for in music or a gig? What f**ks you off?

Posted on by Dr Hitchcock


Coco Solid

So I’m always out at gigs and listening to all types of music and I was trying to figure out what it is about different parties and music that hooked me. This is what a few of my friend have said. What do you think?

Alice Andersen – Girl Friday (Oh Yeah!)
i like: danceability, listenability, heckleability and outfits. tight horn sections.
i dont like: the half circle of death at the dux (Christchurch).

Tom Darlow – Lead man for The Deceivers (shake baby shake)
Originality and effort. And nudity.

Cameron Tod – Melbourne Party Man Extraordinaire
fun and creativity. I love it when you can tell the act is putting heaps of effort and care into their show, but they do it with a smile on their face.

Benji Jackson – a Freelance Journalist and Gentlemen Publicist in Auckland
Well I think it’s got to be a spiritual encounter at times. Like the band and the audience in harmony. As hippy as that sounds!
(What fucks me off?) People who go to gigs to be seen to be seen. Like paying your cash, smoking through three bands and catching the last band.

Mark Roberts – The Enright House
Musical sincerity, not entertainment 🙂

That’s their word, what’s yours?

Dr H
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