It is Tuesday the 9th of March 2010.
Because of this, it must be time for another Audio Flare entry. The importance of March 9th? The birth day of Lil Bow Wow and the death day of the Notorious B.I.G.
The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away.
Anyway, today, I will 'giveth', less of the 'taketh', I not really a 'taketh' type person, but I'm certainly a 'giveth'. Even though that does make me sound like a sexual predator.
Pictured: Prison Love
What I will giveth to you today is not only shiny new Modeselektor and Moderat but also a review of the latest album to cross my desk, Plastic Beach by The Gorillaz. Perhaps, if I feel so inclined, a little news from little known Scottish Electro-Folk pioneers Iron Maiden.
I am going to start with a giddy, childish squeal. I apologise in advance.
Iron Maiden are doing another album! Woo!
If you don't know who Iron Maiden are, if you literally have never heard of them before, just get out! Leave this blog and never return, you are hereby exiled. Seriously.
Commonly heralded as one of the most influential bands in rock music history, formed in 1975 and still going strong, this new album is their 15th Studio album and at least number thirty of their total albums released. Entitled The Final Frontier, this album will be released later on in the Summer.
To get a fair cross section of Iron Maiden music and just to absorb the sheer brilliance of their music, every video that follows will be of them live, just so you can build an appreciation of their following too.
'Hallowed by Thy Name' taken from their 1982 album The Number of the Beast. Performed live at Rock in Rio in 2001 to 300,000 fans. 300,000! The song is a fan favourite. For all 300,000 fans.
Here's them performing the same song but from 1982.
It should be noted before I continue that the youngest member of Iron Maiden is 53 years old. Just thought I'd throw that in there.
'The Trooper' Every air guitarist on the world can perform the entirely of this song. See?
'The Wicker Man' from one of their most recent album's 'Brave New World' in 2000.
'Fear of the Dark' and I'm going to include this Greek X factor audition because it is hilarious.
I could go on for much, much longer but I shall not.
So, it is obvious to see that Iron Maiden are responsible for some of the most well known rock/metal songs around. They are just that good.
Their last album, A Matter of Life and Death showed a new direction of the band, obviously as they get older they start to lose to energy of youth but retain the skill. The last album took on more of a slower, Prog-Rock feel, brilliantly skillful, well written tracks but not as brutally energetic as some of their older material.
To give a comparison, here's a track from A Matter of Life and Death, 'The Legacy' compared to, say 'Where Eagles Dare' from the 1983 album Piece of Mind. Where Eagles Dare, obviously named after the seminal film of the same name.
Seminal film with awesome poster.
I guess the overarching point of all this is that I am very much excited for their new album. Given their recently trend of 'aging gracefully' (as Rolling Stone put it), this album may well show off the insane level of musical skill achieved from nearly thirty five years playing and more than two thousand live shows.
Awesome!
I am moving on now to the shiny, electronic world of Modeselektor. Electronic duo from Germany consisting of Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary. The group started, as many groups did in Germany, in the euphoria and chaos that arose after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The two met in 1992 where Szard was DJing an illegal underground party, they first became Fundamental Knowledge but in 1996 changed their name to Modeselektor after a function on a keyboard.
With a contract signed in 2000 to the BPitch Control label, Modeselektor (I never get tired of writing that) have released three albums, two on their own and one collaboration with Apparat under the name Moderat.
Their first album, Hi Mom! was released in 2005 and amply shows of the variety of styles that Modeselektor take as influences. Songs like 'Die Club Nummer' show off an energetic, club style song, whilst 'Kill Bill Vol. 4' gives out a much dirtier vibe, less commercial clubland music but instead underground floor fillers. The album was well received and AllMusic's review dubbed the genre of album as 'Eurocrunk'.
A second album, Happy Birthday! followed two years later in 2007. This album showed a much more beat orientated sound than the previous album with a style much closer to 'Kill Bill Vol. 4' rather than 'Die Club Nummer'. Darker, dirtier beats. 'Sucker Pin' highlights this beautifully. Another track from the album, 'Black Block' contains a very textured sound over a harsh, unrelenting beat. It also has a video that is a cross between Alice in Wonderland, The Wicker Man, It's a Knockout and Blade all rolled into one terrifying acid trip.
Sense; this picture makes none.
However, their most recent album, 2009's Moderat was released as a collaboration with fellow Berlin electro-wizard Apparat, aka Sascha Ring. The title of the collaborative effort was also known as Moderat and they made a few songs such as 'A New Error', seen by some as being one of the best songs of 2009, 'Rusty Nails' and 'Seamonkey'. All three songs there show a much more varied, world, electronic edge to the music that Modeselektor by themselves didn't have. The album itself was released last year to good effect but I'm interested in the advance rumours of a new album Moderat are working on, not Modeselektor but Moderat.
Indeed it seems that the terrible trio are touring once again, on the road again. From May this year onwards, Moderat will be floating all over the place and the word is they'll be playing some new material to test it out on the road. Again, this is only hearsay but as hearsay goes, it's a big one. If I hear any substance to the rumours I will let you know.
Watch this space!
And now, as my final piece to you, my loyal readership. Here is a review of Gorillaz's new album Plastic Beach. Released in the UK on the 8th March 2010 on EMI Records. Yesterday, if my calendar does not lie. The album was released yesterday in the UK.
Obviously I mentioned an upcoming album and gave it some column inches a month ago. I said how Damon Albarn was saying this was going to be the most 'pop-like' Gorillaz record yet and I mentioned the long, long list of collaborative artists involved in the project. So here it is.
What I liked:
- This is proper Gorillaz right here. Same sound, same style, same ability to make you smile/nod/tap your feet, this is good music right here.
- One of the strongest points about this album is how the supporting artists are taken out of their usual styles and still get good sounds out of them. I'm thinking as an example the very first opening orchestral piece leading straight into Snoop Dogg, it sounds like Snoop Dogg but in a very unusual style and method. It's quite refreshing to see Snoop outside his usual, harder rapping style.
- Much like other Gorillaz albums, the influences are varied. You have your more Jazzy pieces, electronic, dirty, clean, fast, slow. Each song stands on it's own as a separate piece of music and keeps you on your toes as a listener and it never gets dull.
- Best songs on the album are 'Stylo', 'Plastic Beach' and 'Cloud of Unknowing'.
- The lack of singular style means that the album could be too scattered for some people to enjoy.
- There's nothing really that breaks new territory for them. 'Superfast Jellyfish' could have been taken from the Gorillaz or Demon Days albums.
I hereby give Gorillaz's 'Plastic Beach' a 3/3.
Fortunately, I am a great fan of the Gorillaz style of music and the scattered style of song just, personally, showcases just how talented they are at taking a wide mix of genres and making them sound inherently 'Gorrilaz-like'. Buy this album!
Phew! After all that, my fingers and aching, my ears are aching and the doctor's are engaged. I must suffer in silence though. I will be back with a full bill o' health by Saturday.
Until then, au revoir!
Oh, but I'll leave you with a filthy tune to taketh away. Pure filth. D.I.M & TAI's 'Lyposuct'.
Dirty!
Saw Moderat at Glade Festival last Summer - not a massive fan of their music, but the visual show was literally mind blowing.
Also, me and Sam did a drink along to Where Eagles Dare = Win :)
Posted by: Seed | 09/03/2010 at 03:02 PM