frippertronics

So emotional towards the end.

Spiritualized — 01.16.09

Here is a full live set from J. Spaceman & Co. (I can't keep up w/ who he hasn't kicked out of the band yet) from last month. It isn't bad, what I've seen of it. You atleast have to go watch "Ladies & Gentlemen..." and remember why this is one of the best bands making music right now.

Electric Wizard - s/t [1995]

No new posts in a bit, so here's something extra special to me that doesn't get the props it deserves. The debut Electric Wizard.

So many people like to stick up for Dopethrone, but for me, this is their best release. Hard-hitting, very typical 4/4 rhythms and catchy, swords-and-sorcery lyrics are all a good doom album make. In fact, this is one of my FAVORITE doom release of all time, and none of it really does anything Black Sabbath hadn't done decades before, but that's one of the reasons I love it. Take the first three tracks for example. "Mourning Prayer" especially, with its delayed jump into the verse; you can feel your pulse skip on that one. And the nice instrumental "Mountains on Mars" psyching things up for a bit. And the nearly instant classic "Devil's Bride". So much fucking crunch in these riffs. Basically, if you've never heard this, you're missing out. Sometimes it's nice to just sit back and enjoy a fun song with conventional structure and forget all about 20 minute epics.

Genre: Doom
Label: Rise Above
Country: England
Bitrate: ~192k
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Eternal Elysium - Spiritualized D [2000]

This is a masterpiece. Being both a Japanophile and huge doom nut, I'm fucking surprised I didn't know about this band's greatness until just recently. They are my new favorite band because of this record. I have their whole recorded output but nothing really comes close to what this album does. It blends psychedelic melodies with fuzzed out, doom-laden riffs and emotive, strong vox. "Floating Downer", "Splended Selfish Woman" and "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes" are instant classics if any contemporary doom is. The album's absolute best moment is on the short "Trick or Steal" where, at the one minute mark, the smoke lifts for a moment and takes a backseat to a lovely psyched-out melody with a huge, beefy bassline, reminiscent of the more well known Japanese psych masters. This is great! You must have this.

Genre: Doom/Psych
Label: Meteor City
Country: Japan
Bitrate: 320k
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Les Rallizes Denudes - Mizutani [1991]

Here's one of the first official CD releases from LRD, recorded live in '70 and unearthed decades later, this is the lo-fi experience of delay and fuzz from a garage somewhere in Japan. "Otherwise Fallin' In Love With", the last track, is probably the most well known of this, and was recorded at a later date (discogs says '73) and goes by another name, "Romance of the Black Grief". This is one of R'N'Rs most overlooked groups of the 70s and if you don't know them, I suggest you read up. Mizutani Takashi is probably my favorite guitarist. By the time this album came out officially Kevin Shields was already borrowing from this guy and hipsters everywhere were proclaiming genius.

Genre: Psych/Noise
Label: Rivista
Country: Japan
Bitrate: 128k
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Nagisa ni te - The Same as a Flower [2004]

More sweeping acid folk from the land of the rising-san, this boyfriend-girlfriend couple do things up right with clear acoustics, fuzzy wah freakouts and typical hippie vocals. The band leader runs the label, which has also put out shit from Maher Shalal Hash Baz (which I don't like, but whatever). This will make you think of summer days and hallucinogenic drugs. You can't ask for more.

Genre: Acid Folk
Label: Org
Country: Japan
Bitrate: 192k
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Hallucinogen - In Dub [2002]

I'm one to scoff at remix albums but holy FUCK - this is just amazing.

I had forgotten this was laying around on the hard drive. Within around 15 minutes (which barely covers the first track), I was hooked. This is everything awesome about Hallucinogen (who if you don't know, you fucking should) with everything "dubbed up" on MDMA and Red Bull by producer Ott. He's chosen six Hallucinogen favorites, amped up the bass and phasing and seemingly had them injected into Scratch Perry's amygdala. There is just so much going on here. And with six tracks going an hour you'd figure he'd wear out his welcome, but I'll be damned if I ain't gonna search out this dudes solo work (as well as the other Posford remixes he's done (one with Shpongle!)) and see if I can't get more info on him (the wiki is barebones, yo). This will have you craving for more.

And you'd think "LSD", being a staple for the entire goa scene, could NEVER be outdone or remade in any respectable way. Well fucking download this and tell me I'm wrong.

Genre: Dub/Goa/Psytrance
Label: Twisted
Country: England
Bitrate: 320k
Length: 59:49
Part 1 - Part 2