Cosmo LeeFeatures
His Vinyl Weighs a Ton: An Interview with Cut ChemistOwner of over 30,000 records, staunch defender of Star Wars, and composer of a new solo album, Cut Chemist brings the fun(k). [20 October 2006] Words from the Exit Wound: An Interview with Albert MudrianWhat happens when one music journalist interviews another? On the other end of the microphone, Albert Mudrian talks about death metal, John Peel, and those pesky interview transcriptions. [1 January 1995] Minimize to Maximize: An Interview with Misstress BarbaraAs artforms change, artists within them must decide whether to change also. On one hand, there's staying up-to-date. On the other hand, there's maintaining individual identity. How do artists stay relevant as their cultural contexts shift? Signal Fills the Void: An Interview with Mike Gallagher of IsisWith two and sometimes three detuned guitars roaring through massive distortion, Isis shows are floor-shakingly, teeth-rattlingly loud. Many bands play loudly, but few bathe the listener in waves of sound like Isis. Process and Substance: An Interview with Richie HawtinFrom mixing with three turntables, to granulating and recombining tracks into new shapes, to making techno mashups in 5.1 surround sound, to scoring the opening ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics, Richie Hawtin has consistently pioneered how music is made. Reviews
Agoraphobic Nosebleed: PCP Torpedo/ANbRXThe world's fastest band gets the remix treatment. [18 July 2006]
Josh Wink: Profound Sounds Volume 3A DJ mix that's heavy on technology and studio time, but which eventually makes it to the dancefloor. [7 June 2006]
Julius Papp: Montreal DepartureA good introduction to the organic, laidback sounds of San Francisco house music. [5 June 2006]
Dieselboy: The Human ResourceAmerica's top d&b DJ presents a compilation of pumped-up, scalpel-sharp tunes. [30 May 2006]
Heil, Johannes: Freaks R UsGerman producer drops signature lushness for club-friendly minimal techno. [24 May 2006]
Recyver Dogs: Live at Tresor Berlin [DVD]Laypeople may not get much out of this DVD, but techno enthusiasts who have been to Tresor may get misty-eyed. [25 April 2006]
Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto: insenA deceptively relaxing collaboration between a composer and a sound designer... [10 April 2006] They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? + Dada SwingHeads bob, hands clap, and limbs take on a life of their own... [29 March 2006]
Collabs 3000: MetalismTechno has found hipsters, and it's lost its hips; Speedy J and Chris Liebing push back. [3 March 2006] Doomriders: Black ThunderIt's loud, it's fast, and it swings like a mother. In an age of increasingly toothless rock, this is rock 'n' roll that will still piss off parents. [1 March 2006]
Pelican: The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the ThawFor the most hip metal album of 2005, look no further… [30 January 2006]
Cave In: Perfect Pitch BlackA band loses its underground fans, gets rejected by the mainstream, and makes the best album of its career. [15 December 2005]
Jan Jelinek: Kosmischer PitchTired of cold, repressed minimalism? Step into a lush album where sounds might not be what they seem. [30 November 2005]
Goldie: MDZ.05Metalheadz' latest compilation is emblematic of what's wrong with d&b today -- flawless production, little creativity, and virtually no soul. [7 November 2005]
Unsane: Blood RunA welcome throwback to a time when rock 'n' roll was truly ugly and dangerous. [3 November 2005]
Silverstein: Discovering the WaterfrontPeel back the screamo for some perfectly played and produced pop songs. [27 October 2005]
Induce: CycleIt's a rare album that can evoke both 'My Funny Valentine' and My Bloody Valentine. [19 October 2005]
Midaircondo: Shopping for ImagesThree Swedish women in matching outfits make a soundtrack in search of a film. [26 September 2005]
Bring Back the Buffalo: Bring Back the BuffaloA tale of two techno geniuses: One finds his voice; they both go Postal Service. [22 September 2005]
Dave Seaman: Audio Therapy Presents Across Borders: GreeceThis is a collection of fine, very British progressive house that happens to come from Greece. [13 September 2005]
Ezekiel Honig & Morgan Packard: Early Morning MigrationQuintessential iPod music -- a soothing album that's not afraid to be quiet. [16 August 2005]
Armando: Trax ClassixLong-unrecognized Chicago acid house pioneer finally gets his due. [15 August 2005]
Mutamassik: Masri Mokkassar: Definitive WorksCairo, Tuscany, Brooklyn, and London have more in common than you think. [3 August 2005]
Kaskade: House of OmSan Francisco deep house meets New York big club mentality; much flange and reverb ensues. [12 July 2005]
Afu-Ra: State of the ArtsFormer Jeru the Damaja protégé sheathes lyrical swords, gets jiggy. [8 July 2005]
The Mae Shi: HeartbeepsShort attention spans are often liabilities. But the Mae Shi have fueled their creativity with ADD -- in one-minute bursts, of course. [24 June 2005]
Trivium: AscendancyA band of 20-year-olds plays really, really fast, and aims for the highest metal star -- Metallica. [6 June 2005] |
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