From: David Bassin (bassyd_at_pacbell.net)
Date: 2003-08-05 09:58:07
Greetings,
I'm getting a late start on this letter (as usual), so let's jump right in to the new stuff:
Kraftwerk: Tour De France Soundtracks - When I heard that Kraftwerk was about to release their first new album in seventeen years, I was very excited. When I heard it was going to be based on 1983's "Tour De France," I was filled with dread. After hearing the new EP with four 'versions' of "Tour De France 03" I wasn't feeling much better - that was until today. As I worked my way through the full-length, I felt a sigh of relief - Ralf & Florian have their feet planted firmly on both sides of the old and new school and have made a terrific disc. As with previous albums, tracks run together to create a larger work and it's best to listen to them in that context, rather than trying to deconstruct individual songs. There are 12 tracks on the disc, but break out into five distinct themes. "Aero Dynamik" resembles nothing less than an electro version of "White Lines," while "Vitamin" is a slow, funky jam extolling the benefits of dietary supplements. "Elektro Kardiogram" and "La !
Forme" are uptempo without being heavy handed and as expected, the album closes out with a remix of the original song that inspired it all. This is a very welcome return from one of the pioneers of electronic pop music and I'm betting that Tour De France Soundtracks will take its place next to Man Machine, Radioactivity and Computer World as one of their classics.
Mutant Disco / NY No Wave - Back in 1978 Ze Records broke the mold with a series of albums and 12" singles that were in a sense schizophrenic, as half their catalog consisted of left-field disco artists, while the other half gave a voice to the New York no wave movement. After lying dormant for nearly 20 years, Michel Esteban and partner Michael Zilkha have decided to revive the label, beginning with these two compilations. Mutant Disco is chock-full of funky goodness from the likes of Was (not was), Kid Creole & The Coconuts, Lizzy Mercier Descloux, The Waitresses and Gichy Dan. NY No Wave draws from the sleazy punk jazz of The Contortions, James White & The Blacks, Lydia Lunch, Suicide and Teenage Jesus & The Jerks. It's a joy to hear many of these songs again, especially in their newly remastered state and both are issued in deluxe digipacks. Ze plans to reissue their entire back catalog by releasing two albums and two 12" singles each month. There is also a 'tribute' al!
bum called Zevolution in the works and new recordings to follow the reissue madness. For more info, go to http://www.zerecords.com. Welcome back!
In brief:
Tied & Tickled Trio are back with a stunning new work entitled Observing Systems, that continue their musical juxtapositions of dark electronica with progressive jazz......Sonic Fiction from Spaceboys is an intriguing, dubby, trip-hoppity affair from members of Portugal's Cool Hipnoise, featuring guest appearances from Valerie Etienne and Swag....Praful is a German musician well-versed in a variety of wind instruments that he puts to good use on his latest effort, One Day Deep. Accompanied by inspired sidemen, some dope beats and drawing from an international musical palate, he's created one of the best downtempo discs I've heard this year....also on the international tip, Six Degrees drops Arabian Travels 2 - another stellar selection of contemporary dub and dance from the Middle East.
On the singles front, there are new jams from Georg Levin, Clara Hill, Everyday People, Carl Craig with Laurent Garnier and brand new Portishead!
Local folks will want to tune in to win tickets for the upcoming Tindersticks show at Bimbo's this Saturday.....see you there!
Ciao for now,
David
If you'd like to submit music for consideration on FreeFall, the mailing address is:
David Bassin / FreeFall
111 Laidley St.
San Francisco, CA 94131
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Last week's playlist and rebroadcast available online now:
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FreeFall 157: 7.29.03
Pepe Deluxe - Just Let Go - Beatitude (Emperor Norton)
Pat Williams - The Streets Of San Francisco - The Streets Of San Francisco (Soulful)
Cabaret Voltaire - Yashar (Alter Ego Rmx) - 12" (Mute)
Alexkid feat Lissette - Come With Me - 12" (FComm)
Rob Mello - Afro Soul (No Ears Mix) - Soul Of The Makossa Man (white)
Reel People - Second Guess - Second Guess (Papa)
James Brown - Cold Sweat - (Captain Funk Dry Mix) - The Ultimate Remixes (Universal Japan)
Panjabi MC - Beware (Jay-Z Rmx) - Beware (Sequence)
Articolo 31 - Come Una Pietra Scalciata (Like A Rolling Stone) - Masked & Anonymous OST (Columbia)
Dudley Perkins - Money - A Lil' Light (Stones Throw)
Black Rain - Another Silent World - All Tomorrow's Food (Scale)
Project Pimento - Star Trek - Magical Moods Of The Theremin (Tru Blu Lu)
Thunderball - Welcome Back Cooper - 10" (ESL)
Blaktroniks - That's My Word - This Is Your Drugs On Brains (Reflective)
DJ Rels - Diggin' In Brownswood - 12" (Stones Throw white)
The Latin Project - Lei Lo Lai - Nueva Musica (Electric Monkey)
S-Tone Inc. - Revelation - Break N' Bossa: Chapter 6 (Schema)
Celia Cruz - Lo tuyo Es Mio - Cuban Legend (Charly)
Randy Weston - African Village / Bedford Stuyvesant - Blues To Africa (Freedom)
2 Banks Of 4 - Blues For Brother - Three Street Worlds (Talkin' Loud)
Tindersticks - My Oblivion - Waiting For The Moon (Beggars Banquet)
Colder - This River - Again (Output)
Dwayne Morgan - Everything (Yam Who Rework) - Jazz Bizniz 3 Reworks (Counterpoint)
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