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Arc of the Testimony is one of the last recordings to feature legendary drummer Tony Williams, and its bold, experimental textures are a fitting epitaph to his career. Arcana was formed by bassist/producer Bill Laswell with the intention of exploring the outer reaches of fusion, ambient and free jazz. Like the group's debut, Last Wave (released only in Japan), Arc of the Testimony is a freewheeling, unpredictable blend of electronic and acoustic sounds. However, this record is even more adventurous, since it finds a common ground between improvisation and post-production studio trickery. All of the musicians -- Williams, Laswell, saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, saxophonist Byard Lancaster, cornetist Graham Haynes, guitarist Nicky Skopelitis and guitarist Buckethead -- are open-minded and help push the music forward, resulting in a thoroughly involving, challenging listen.
* This was buried in my Buckethead discography but it should really be filed under Bill Laswell. Enjoy!
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mp3 - 160kbps
rar - 60mb
The long awaited first release of Zorn's most recent and most powerful Masada unit. A true downtown supergroup, blending the raw power of Naked City with the improvisational madness of Cobra and the lyrical soul of the Masada songbook, Electric Masada is considered by many to be the most exciting band Zorn has ever had. This set, the taut climax of a three night run at Tonic, features the full octet at its wildest and most creative. Incredible solos, jaw dropping ensemble conductions and much more.
Personnel:
Cyro Baptista: Percussion
Joey Baron: Drums
Trevor Dunn: Bass
Ikue Mori: Laptop Electronics
Marc Ribot: Guitar
Jamie Saft: Keyboards
Kenny Wollesen: Drums
John Zorn: Alto Saxophone
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mp3 - 320kbps
rar - 112mb
Anyone out there happen to have either of The Black Taj albums? (former Polvo)
Also interested in The Idyll Swords (also former Polvo members)
Please email me or leave a comment. Thanks.
hfigurine@hotmail.com
Belgian producer Dirk Serries, aka Vidna Obmana, is a prolific composer of deep ambient and electro-acoustic music, utilizing slow, shifting electronic figures and sparse environmental recordings to construct long, minimalist, often extremely personal textural works. Taking his nom de plume from the Yugoslavian for "optical illusion" (a concept which carries much weight in his composing, as well), Serries has released material through a wide range of different labels, including Projekt, Amplexus, Extreme, Hic Sunt Leones, Syrenia, ND, and Multimood.
Dirk Serries, aka Vidna Obmana, has crafted a well-polished, smooth stone that glistens in the river of Sound. His minimalist, trancewalk, dreamtime whispers on Crossing the Trail rate right up there with Steve Roach, Robert Rich, and Nik Tyndall, to mention just a few. In fact, Roach guests on this release having collaborated with Vidna Obmana in past creations. Seamless, drifting, boundless, lilting, waves and rivulets of sound wash over you in the 69-plus minutes, that pass by in a timeless void. Vidna Obmana guides the soul in Crossing the Trail. Vidna Obmana has learned his lessons well and offers a gift of thanks.
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mp3 - 256kbps
rar - 117mb
Katie Jane Garside first made noise in the early '90s in the U.K. post-punk outfit Daisy Chainsaw. Her rag doll look of torn dresses besmirched in mud made her vulnerability a quick target for the media. Unfortunately, Daisy Chainsaw only released one album with Garside's vocal theatrics; she left the band in 1992 under pressures of being in the limelight. Eight years later, she and former Chainsaw guitarist Crispin Grey joined forces for Queen Adreena with bassist Orson Wajih and drummer Billy Freedom.
Though you could never accuse Daisy Chainsaw of not having a unique and interesting creativity, Queen Adreena shows a sense of maturity that shows in the songs that only time could bring. Haunting, brooding, with a strange out of control sound that sounds like it's matured from their previous incarnate. At times, the music is eerie & disquieting, but there are times when the singer's voice draws out hidden beauty from the songs.
www.room-eleven.org (Excellent Fan site, check the pics!)
www.queenadreena.net (New? Official site)
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mp3 - 320kbps
rar - 107mb
While his days are spent working on sound design for Hollywood scores by Graeme Revell, sound designer Brian Williams records experimental ambience and dark space music as Lustmord. His recordings have been embraced by a variety of ambient fans, ranging from the '70s traditionalists at the Hearts of Space label to the ambient-techno experimentalists at Plug Research. Born and raised in Wales, Williams first performed as Lustmord in 1980 as a series of unannounced "support slots" at larger gigs, with Williams simply leaping onstage and performing until security became aware of the situation. Though understandably brief, the rock terrorism gained Williams contact with like minds in the proto-industrial scene including SPK and Throbbing Gristle.
The Place Where the Black Stars Hang is a huge, atmospheric effort with dark overtones and satanic dirges. This music is about as dark as it gets. The entire soundscape is electronic. Williams builds on the drone with atmospheric effects and wild synth washes. The soundscape is dense and foggy and the sound design is flawless. There are no holes or gaps in this layout. The disc is set up as one long (75 minutes and 48 seconds) track with five distinct sections. Williams builds the atmospheres upon each other as they ebb and flow. This dark minimalism will appeal to fans of Jeff Greinke, Alio Die, Richard Bone, Max Corbacho, Pete Namlook, and Oöphoi. In dark ambient circles it is essential. For e-music fans it is important.
* BIG file but worth your time if you like dark/ ambient/ soundscapes.
You will not be disappointed! :)
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mp3 - 320kbps
rar - 174mb
Clutch combined elements of funk, Led Zeppelin, and metal with vocals inspired by Faith No More. Formed in 1991 in Germantown, MD, the group included Neil Fallon (vocals), Tim Sult (guitar), Dan Maines (bass), and Jean-Paul Gaster (drums). They built a local following through constant gigging, and after just one 7" single (the classic Earache release "Passive Restraints") Clutch was signed by EastWest Records.
Moving to a major label hardly dilutes Clutch's music. The Elephant Riders finds the band continuing the stylistic breakthroughs of Clutch, sharpening their guitar attack while adding subliminal elements of funk to their rhythms. Furthermore, their songwriting has strengthened; no longer are they simply riff-oriented rockers who get off on the sheer force of sound, turning in a set of consistently strong songs that suggest a song cycle. It's an impressive effort that hopefully should bring them an audience the size of Deftones, if not Korn.
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mp3 - 128kbps
rar - 45mb
Formed in Seattle in 1985, Sanctuary gained notoriety by having Dave Mustaine produce their debut album (apparently the band met Dave backstage and simply handed them a demo, and Dave decided to produce their album). The band's intricate, classy power metal, highlighted by Warrel Dane's outstanding vocals, was a breath of fresh air in the metal field. Personal differences between some members led to the breakup of the band after two fine albums, prompting Dane and bassist Jim Sheppard to form the even better Nevermore, and they have prospered ever since.
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mp3 - 192kbps
rar - 54mb
* This you will either love or hate. Personally I think they were one of the most unique, outrageous and fascinating bands of the 90's. If there's ANY interest I could post more, as well as Queen Adreena. QA is a bit mellower but just as disturbing, if not more, than DC were. Lemme know in the comments if you'd like to hear more...in fact if you like this album at all would you PLEASE leave a comment and tell me. I don't know of alot of ppl that liked them and am very curious if there's anyone out there that still does. Thank-you. :)
Bio
Katie Jane Garside was the quirky starlet of the U.K. band Daisy Chainsaw. Her naive stage persona of torn dresses smeared with dirt was a disturbing yet enchanting look into the punk-pop four-piece who had a short-lived spot in alternative music. Joining Garside was bassist Richard Adams, drummer Vince Johnson, and guitarist Crispin Grey, and together the band made their debut with 1991's LoveSickPleasure EP. One Little Indian took notice, signing the band and issuing Daisy Chainsaw's full-length studio effort Eleventeen the following year. Garside left the band soon afterwards, citing difficulty with the pressures of fame. Without the passion of Garside, Daisy Chainsaw was no longer impressive. Grey attempted to keep things going with the 1995 lackluster follow-up You're Gruesome, but the demise of the band was long overdue and Daisy Chainsaw disappeared. Garside resurfaced in the new millennium, again joining forces with Grey for Queen Adreena.
Review:
It is hard to believe that during the women's punk revolution of the early '90s, the talented Daisy Chainsaw barely made a blip on the music radar. Taking their cue from proto-punks like the Stooges and modern noise-bringers like Pussy Galore, Daisy Chainsaw had a brutal guitar assault that was grounded by awesome, twisted vocals. From the pounding "I Feel Insane" to the otherworld eeriness of "Use Me Use You," they prove that they are adept to many different styles while still retaining their unique sound. Some tracks, like "Dog With Sharper Teeth," are almost pop with their catchy melodies and up-tempo feel. But it is the mountains of ear-shattering guitar that brings this music its intense power. "Hope Your Dreams Come True" is the perfect example; barely holding molten riffs back from overtaking the fragile vocals, this is like the ugly younger sister to the Stooges' classic "Dirt," building to a brutal ending that bubbles over with raw anger. Never following trends and keeping a scary public image worked against them, keeping them behind their contemporaries in Hole and Babes in Toyland. But time has been very kind to their music, making Daisy Chainsaw a rare treat for any fan of solid, female-fronted alternative rock.
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mp3 - 160kbps
rar - 47mb
Early 90s experimental/noise trio which included Masami Akita (Merzbow), Maso Yamazaki (Masonna) and Zev Asher (Roughage).
Style: Noise, Experimental, Industrial
Credits: Electronics, Performer [Samples, Beats], Drums, Guitar, Bass - Masami Akita
Voice [Screams], Guitar, Violin, Synthesizer [Casio], Percussion - Maso Yamazaki
Voice, Vocals, Bass, Tape, Performer [Toy] - Zev Asher
Notes: Limited Edition CD with full-color miniposter
Tracklisting:
1. Johnny Guitar
2. Arturos Island
3. Romance
4. The Red Lanterns
5. Dark Eyes
6. Hit Kit Party
7. Night Falls
8. Open Squeeze
9. Horizontal Bop
10. Beautiful Dreamer
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mp3 - 160kbps
rar - 83mb
In the '90s, Dolomite was the showcase for experimental Chicago musicians Neil Rosario and Rian Murphy. They started releasing EPs at the beginning of their career, mostly noisy train wrecks produced by Steve Albini. Still, Thrill Jockey eventually signed the band and released the Acetate/The Gift Horse album in 1994. Although the band was still quite noisy, they had managed to shape that noise into something more accessible and memorable. After that release, they spent time with their other projects and eventually came back together for a year of studio hopping that resulted in Easter Someday, a cohesive cross between post-rock and '70s rock that was popular with critics. The band has apparently disbanded since then, as both musicians have gone on to work on different projects with no sign of going back.
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mp3 - 160kbps
rar - 28mb
OOIOO - Tagia - (2006)
With OOIOO, there's plenty of distinguishing characteristics to separate them from the herd. First, you could mention the fluorescent body paint they wear on-stage. Or perhaps the demographics of their lineup, four Japanese women. Or their music, a furious amalgam of rhythmic guitars, patternless vocals, and energetic effects. The frontwoman of the group is the irrepressible Yoshimi P-We, the talented and multifaceted percussionist from the Boredoms. In this incarnation, she sings and plays guitar, but not in the way John Lennon, Kurt Cobain, or even Kim Gordon would. Her role in the group is as the main energizer, the street light around which the other moth-like noises revolve, flutter, bump, and find themselves redirected in a million different ways. It's next to impossible to describe "their sound," because -- by design -- it rarely follows consistent patterns. Suffice to say they're one of the most dynamic bands on the underground circuit. Not in the way a mid-level purchasing director would be described as dynamic, but in the way a ballistic missile would. They're bursting forth with excitement and vivacity in the way few humans, in few art forms, can. Plus, they're fun with a capital PH.
In Japanese, Taiga means "big river"; in Russian, it's "forest." Both are apt descriptions for the dense, winding, jungle-like music OOIOO craft on this, their fifth album. Not to push the connection too much, but Taiga's multilingual meanings could also allude to the band's magpie-like ability to pick the most vital, interesting sounds from other cultures and fashion them into what feels like world music from an alternate universe. Despite the Japanese and Russian meanings of "taiga," the most prominent influence on Taiga comes from Africa: dense African jazz and lilting African folk-inspired guitar melodies play large roles on most of the album's tracks. In particular, the vibrant "KMS," which makes nine minutes feel like the blink of an eye (well, maybe two blinks) incorporates these elements brilliantly. Building from hand drums, guitars, and a rubbery bassline, the track shifts to jazzy rhythms and picks up steam as it goes along, adding forceful singing and brass on the way. By the time it closes with an insistent guitar riff that weirdly echoes "Pictures of Matchstick Men," OOIOO make three very different-sounding stretches of music sound perfectly natural together. "SAI" is another standout, a 15-minute epic with a loping beat; hypnotic, slowly turning organ; and flute melodies and vocals that sound like wild birds. Elsewhere, the band fuses gamelan and psych-rock ("ATS") and calypso with drum rolls straight out of the big top ("GRS"). As always, Yoshimi P We's drumming is so vivid it's almost visible, especially on Taiga's opening salvo, "UMA." She plays cat-and-mouse with the rhythm (perhaps it's not coincidental that the album's name also sounds like "tiger"), rolling and batting it around before pouncing down with a satisfying crash that makes the track's chanted vocals sound even more feral. Most importantly, the album is a beautiful demonstration of how OOIOO keep changing and innovating without losing touch with what made them distinctive in the first place. Their inspired, eclectic mix of sounds and textures is always playful, but Taiga's powerful playing and sophisticated arrangements make it OOIOO's most mature album yet.
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mp3 - 192kbps
rar - 78mb
* I'm sure this has been posted 100's of times elsewhere but seeing as it's The #1 Greatest Metal Album Of All Time, I had to post it here. If you don't already own this one, at least the original, there's definitely something missing from your collection! Enjoy!
One of the crucial links in the musical chain linking hardcore punk with speed metal, the Stormtroopers of Death -- known more commonly as S.O.D. -- were actually intended to be a one-off novelty side project, done as a lark during a gap in Anthrax's recording and touring schedule in 1985. Guitarist Scott Ian and drummer Charlie Benante were joined by former Anthrax bassist Dan Lilker (then in Nuclear Assault) plus Anthrax roadie Billy Milano on vocals; Ian and Milano had recorded a hyperspeed demo for the project under the name Crab Society North. The resulting album, Speak English or Die, was recorded in three days and released later that year, and it gained as much notoriety for its silly, sometimes racist and sexist humor as it did for its raw musical power. The group played a small number of concerts, after which the musicians returned to their full-time projects and Milano went on to form M.O.D.
S.O.D. had ostensibly been put on permanent hiatus, but a dedicated cult following grew around the record, as well as critical acclaim for the band's freewheeling melding of heavy-guitar styles. Milano eventually spearheaded a full S.O.D. reunion in 1992, which produced the live album Live at Budokan (actually recorded in New York City), consisting mostly of Speak English or Die material mixed in with a few new covers. S.O.D. then broke up again, reconvening in 1997 for a few concerts; in 1999, they reunited once more and finally released an album of all-new studio material, titled Bigger Than the Devil. After a successful tour and a hilarious followup video/DVD (Kill Yourself: the Movie), the various members went their own ways. But when Anthrax's Behind the Music special appeared on VH1 in 2002, Milano took offense to not being included and began speaking poorly of Ian and Benante in the press. He claimed to have thought of the gimmick of wearing shorts in concert, as well as having riffs stolen for various Anthrax tracks. He even began saying that Ian had sabotaged his career by forcing him to do the second S.O.D. album when Ian was being investigated by the IRS. The Anthrax camp had no response, but Milano's press outbursts may have sealed the S.O.D. coffin for good.
Review
S.O.D.'s Speak English or Die was an important record in the fusion of hardcore punk with thrash and speed metal, making even more explicit the connections that Anthrax's music implied. The tone of the music is crushingly loud, fast, and aggressive, but not at all serious -- the record is filled with goofy, macho humor, some of which holds up well (i.e., the three-second "Anti-Procrastination Song," an ode to "Milk") and some of which is quite racist and sexist. However, the music blasts by at such a frenetic pace (22 tracks in under half an hour) that the more offensive lyrics are often incomprehensible, so some may find them easier to ignore. Still, it's the loud-fast-rules music that made an impact, and mosh fans will quickly understand why. [In 2000, to commemorate the album's worldwide sales of one million copies, Megaforce put together Speak English or Die: The Platinum Edition, digitally remastering the original recording and appending two new studio tracks and eight live cuts recorded at a 1999 concert in Tokyo.]
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mp3 - 320kbps
rar - 118mb
Trevor Dunn's Trio-Convulsant is back for their second album, although with a completely different lineup (besides Dunn, of course). Adam Levy and Kenny Wollesen are gone, replaced by Mary Halvorson on guitar and Ches Smith on drums. The music they play is not so much a fusion of styles as it is a collision of styles. Almost straight-ahead jazz noodling gives way to hardcore blasts and crunching power chords, then completely devolves into Derek Bailey territory, but the band is always together. You can tell that some of it is quite composed, and that other sections are most likely entirely improvised. Dunn plays acoustic bass throughout ("Me Susurra un Secreto" is actually a bass solo), while Halvorson is all over the map sonically, switching between clean and distorted tones, chords, single-string runs, and extended techniques. She also judiciously uses some kind of delay or pitch-bending device to wonderful effect. The tunes are challenging but aren't difficult to listen to, and their cover of Duke Ellington's "The Single Petal of a Rose" (with guest harpist Shelley Burgon) is actually quite pretty. If you've been following Trevor Dunn's widely varied career as a player, you know he's got a sense of adventure, and Sister Phantom Owl Fish will not disappoint.
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mp3 - 192kbps
rar - 76mb
Born out of a vague and uncomfortable childhood memory of a mule faced lady at the Lousiana State Fair, The Freak Show album, originally released in 1990, is the story of a collection of freaks, each with their own all-too human failings and each with a haunting theme song worming its way into the listener's brain. Meet Harry The Head, Herman The Human Mole, Wanda The Worm Woman, Mickey The Mumbling Midget and Jello Jack The Boneless Boy. "Come in", say The Residents, "and make your mundane lives look like the kiss of bliss".
The first disc is the original Freak Show release but includes the "BlowOff" ep ,
plus a few introductions by Tex (scattered into the program), and the second disc is a bunch of previously unreleased tracks, with most of them from the Freak Show Live show in Prague. But there are a couple live tracks and remixes. Only 1000 made, hand numbered.
Disc One
mp3 - 256kbps
rar - 73mb
Disc Two
mp3 - 256kbps
rar - 83mb
Flavoring their respective instruments with liberal amounts of electronic effects, loops, and delays, the New York City trio Drums & Tuba creates an instrumental palette of sounds that includes funk, fusion, rock, ambient, and other modern dance strains. As on previous works, the group in no way limits itself to traditional styles of arrangement.
Drummer Tony Nozero sets up the moody, whirling "Topolino" with looped rim shots that sound vaguely North African. Brian Wolff lays gentle tuba and trumpet over top, yielding the set's finest and most serene composition. Guitarist Neal McKeeby shines on "The Sauce Maker," playing a simple, yet effective slide melody over his own chords that comes off as a sort of post-rock version of Santo & Johnny's "Sleepwalk."
The group can riff on James Brown and Morcheeba with equal ease. A light-handed production by vocal supporter Ani DiFranco and Andrew "Goat Boy" Gilchrist ensures that Vinyl Killer's charms and oddities shine through clearly.
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http://www.mediafire.com/?fnimudnudlq
mp3 - 128kbps
rar - 43mb
When Ryoji Ikeda's groundbreaking album +/- was released in 1996, there were very few precedents for its sparse, clean, rhythmic electronics. Composed of two suites, "Headphonics" and the title work, +/- defined the microwave or glitch genre that became relatively popular in the late 1990s. "Headphonics" starts with sine tones alternating in each channel at the same pitch, then layers different elements in each of the three sections of the piece. Each layer is clearly distinguishable, whether it is the high pitched trills, low bass tones, or the rhythmic click track. The work builds to a climax in 1/0 with arpeggiated bass rumbles and increasing volume in the background drone. The title work is really in two parts marked by the initial character in the track title. The pieces starting with "+" are based on a helicopter-like rhythm track where the overtones subtly change pitch. With the exception of a little bit of reverberation at the end of "+..," the dry rhythm track is the only element in these three pieces. By contrast, the tracks beginning with "-" are drone pieces, where the drones are layered and accompanied by sonar-like pings. In the closing moments of this second set of three pieces, the drone suddenly stops, leaving a quickening series of high-pitched tones which become quite loud. The last track is short and composed only of supersonic pitches and will be all but inaudible for most listeners. The album has none of the noisy work typical of Ikeda's later releases, but has a sparse and simplistic beauty that remains unsurpassed.
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http://www.mediafire.com/?84lgyzentmy
mp3 - 160kbps
rar - 69mb
Milk Cult was a Steel Pole Bath Tub side project spearheaded by bassist Dale Flattum (aka C.C. Nova, aka Agent Nova) and guitarist Mike Morasky (aka Bumblebee). More electronics-oriented than their main vehicle, Milk Cult gave the duo an arena to explore their interest in sampling, tape manipulation, and found instruments. The results sounded more like industrial music than the guitar-driven SPBT, but were often just as noisy and chaotically surreal.
Nova and Bumblebee kicked off Milk Cult's existence in 1990, and issued their debut album, Love God film of the same title. , in 1992 on Boner Records; a portion of the record was devoted to their score for the Frank GrowFlattum subsequently issued a solo C.C. Nova album, confusingly titled Milk Cult Dispatch, in 1994 on Communion.
Milk Cult's next effort was 1995's Burn or Bury, released while SPBT was in the middle of its short stay on a major label. Burn or Bury featured guest appearances from Faith No More's Mike Patton and Billy Gould, Jawbreaker's Blake Schwarzenbach, and the anonymous Conko, among others.
With Steel Pole Bath Tub stuck in label-imposed limbo in 1997, Nova and Bumblebee managed to score a grant from the French government to join an artists' collective in Marseilles. They spent a year recording the material that would eventually become 2000's acclaimed Project M-13, which featured deconstructions of traditional Corsican singing, Buddhist chanting, and a large African orchestra, among a vast array of other sources and guests.
Morasky then moved on to work as a special-effects technician on the Lord of the Rings films, and Flattum took his Agent Nova alias to a new project, Novex, which reunited him with SPBT drummer Darren Mor-X.
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http://www.mediafire.com/?fgg2wddajyz
mp3 - 160kbps
rar - 46mb
Longtime Faith No More guitarist Jim Martin split from the band under less-than-amicable circumstances in 1994. Consequently, the group hired Trey Spruance (the guitarist from Mike Patton's other band, Mr. Bungle) to handle six-string duties for 1995's King for a Day, Fool for a Lifetime. While it wasn't exactly the mind-bending masterpiece that 1992's Angel Dust was, it was easily their most musically straightforward album and was another challenging, exceptional release. As on Angel Dust, Patton truly shines on vocals, as he tackles any genre put in front of him -- romantic love songs (the soulful smooth funk of "Evidence"), bile-spitting rants of hate ("The Gentle Art of Making Enemies"), cacophonous freak-outs ("Ugly in the Morning"), gospel (the lighthearted album closer, "Just a Man"), and breezy pop ("Caralho Voador"). But there was also plenty of FNM's signature heavy sound to go around -- the furious opener "Get Out," "Ricochet," "Cuckoo for Caca," "Digging the Grave," "The Last to Know," and the almost progressive title track. While Spruance did a masterful job of filling in the shoes of an integral founding member, he abruptly split from the band himself on the eve of the album's ensuing worldwide tour (replaced by roadie Dean Mentia). King for a Day, Fool for a Lifetime remains one of Faith No More's underrated releases.
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mp3 - 192kbps
rar - 77mb
