Okey-Dokie, pig in a pokey!
Hello and welcome to another astounding episode of everyone favourite twice weekly musical blog, Audio Flare. With viewing figures literally and metaphysically 'through the roof' and people from all over the planet tuning in, my thoughts and opinions are now world-wide. A terrifying thought for those who know me and for those who don't, ignorance is indeed bliss.
A subtle incest joke there to break the ice.
Today's entry is full to the brim with all manner of musical madness. I am Willy Wonka and this is my factory. Welcome to my factory. The first three stops on the tour will be Crystal Castles, Rollo Tomasi and Seiji, so get your tickets ready!
First of all, I'm going to start with all you L.A Confidential fans. If you are a fan then you already know which band I'm going to start with, for those that don't, it's Rollo Tomasi. In the musical world, Rollo Tomasi is a rock band formed in 1999 from Chicago. A quartet that can best be described as Invasion by way of Rage Against the Machine's groove led melodies.
Their MySpace is here.
The name Rollo Tomasi is taken from L.A Confidential, as Detective Ed Exley says:
'Rollo was a purse snatcher. My father ran into him off duty, and he shot my father six times and got away clean. No one even knew who he was. I just made the name up to give him some personality..Rollo Tomasi is the reason I became a cop. I wanted to catch the guys who thought that they could get away with it.'
The band's aim is to fill the void of month by month 'scene bands' with timeless, aggression driven rock. Hooray! I like these guys. The tuned down guitars, the prominent basslines, the anger issues, it's all to provide a rock band in the vein of the great rock bands and by extension, great rock.
Throw your eyes towards a performance like 'So Cruel' at Schubas, Chicago last year. The guitar and bass are so loud and crunchy they nearly drown out the singer, completely drown out the crowd and if a one hundred megaton warhead was detonated just outside the club, no one inside would notice.
Songs on their MySpace page such as 'Advanced Automation' and 'Route Two' show a style obviously honed whilst listening to RATM, Soundgarden and Pixies. They tour extensively around the Chicago area, playing underground clubs and the like. I admire their sound and their mentality, however it seems unlikely they'll be touring certainly as for out as the UK. Which I feel is a shame.
Next on my list is experimental electronic band called Crystal Castles. A duo of Ethan Kath and Alice Glass, these crazy cats are from the province of Ontario. Active since the year 2004, their music has been described as 'as being adrift in a vortex of deafening pain without a safety net'. Sounds a little ominous but their music is very experimental, very exciting and really rather good.
Songs like 'Crimewave' sound like soft Ting Tings/MGMT mixed with Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The song was taken from their debut, eponymous album, released in 2008. Other songs from the album included 'Untrust Us' and 'Vanished'. Both songs highlight a style that is very electronic, sounds a lot like MGMT and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. It's not as experimental as I was lead to believe but it's very catchy and well made. However, tracks like 'Courtship Dating' have an almost Timbaland production vibe about it. The singer, Alice Glass was the lead singer for a punk band and the vocal habits appear to have continued to Crystal Castles when she raises her voice, it's more of a yelp than a shriek. The song that appears to break the mould is 'Alice Practice', a short, sharp shock of fuzzy electro and harsh, punk vocals. However, this song seems much more aggressive and punk-like than anything else I've heard from them, like MGMT by way of Refused with some computer game style retro electro involved too. Short and loud and harsh.
Their debut album was very well received by fans and critics alike and spurred them onto to make a second album, news of which began late last year. Supposed to be released in April 2010, the album has so far no working title but several songs titles have been released, including 'Baptism', 'Violent Dreams' and 'Young Love'.
The band are also known for their energetic live performances. Considering the sound of 'Alice Practice', it's easy to see why, the raucous, chaotic nature of the song could easily be the start of some manic rave at a gig. And it's true. Very true.
Even so, this band seem to have themselves a cult following of brutally loyal followers. I can see why, their music is certainly not for everyone but for who like it, they really like it. I'm not sure I really like it yet, I mean I really like the more punky 'Alice Practice' but their other songs don't have that bite and I don't feel them quite as much.
I am moving on once again to Paul Dolby, aka Seiji. Not to be confused with Seiji Ozawa, Japanese composer. No this is Seiji the London based DJ and Producer who is responsible for a fair few awesome tracks, mainly breakbeat and electronica. He says he would rather be responsible for simply making 'heavy music'.
And he does, whilst his more laid back, soulful tunes that I will start with would make you disagree, I promise that you'll agree by the end. Oh yes!
Tracks like 'Taste' exhibit a slightly big-beat Fatboy Slim and Crystal Method vibe to it. It's quite a quiet tune though, funky bass line undercutting and breakbeat with big beat synths over the top.
Then we move onto 'Infectious' a newer, darker tune. Still retaining that break beat but adding harsher sounds and a faster speed help this track away from the soulful beach music of 'Taste' into a darker, almost DnB sound.
The flip to 'Infectious' is 'Xplosive', a more Drum and Bass inspired piece. Holding onto the darker sound of 'Infectious', this B-side shows a faster pace and a much more DnB sound that anything he's done beforehand.
The same styles in his own work can be charted alongside his collaborations with other artists. From a softer sound to his own style of 'broken beat' as it's called.
Consider his two tracks with G Force, 'Northern Exposure' and 'The Return of 769', between the two tracks there is such a mix of styles at work, DnB, Breakbeat, big beat, electro, techno, hip-hop, jazz, it's amazing.However, in my humble and widely read opinion, all those tracks literally pale in comparison with his track alongside Riton 'Computer Juice'. Possibly the finest dance track I've heard for several years it's a lot harsher, catchier and fun than anything else I've heard for ages. Plus the video, in which an anthropomorphic Orange goes postal is pure brilliance.
Hopefully, ol' Seiji will hang around long enough to make much more music because the stuff he makes so far is damn good indeed.
Anyways. That is it for another Audio Flare.
Next week I shall, just for fun, be bringing you the English Rolo Tomasi (1 'L', not 2) as well as others.
I shall leave you with a new track from an Audio Flare favourite: 'Lucia, At The Precipice' by Esben and the Witch.
Enjoy!
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