HELIXIRA: Convultions
B: Let Me Drive Now
7EVEN 12"
(7EVEN 011)
'Second release on the bounce by HELIXIR on 7even Recordings after his last digital dubby experience ‘XP Dub / Peace Dub’ in June! Recognized as one of the most versatile of the new breed of French electronic music producers, the man from Strasbourg is back this time with two bass-heavy productions in his own percussive style. ‘CONVULTIONS’ is a real dancefloor weapon, the robotic riddim subtly brings a deep sub-bass becoming more and more insistent, the beats never stop evolving along the journey, the breaks hit your senses, pure badness from this ultra precise producer! ‘LET ME DRIVE NOW’ brings you to a beautifully produced track through magical percussion, galactic synths and smoky atmospheres, somewhat akin to 2562's latest directions . A beautiful piece of music, tightly produced by HELIXIR, who shows again his mastery of the studio and modern bass music.'
CRAYON FIELDSAll The Pleasures Of The World
Chapter Music CD
(CH 066)
'This is the long-awaited second album by Melbourne's minor-key pop magicians, The Crayon Fields. In 2006, their airy, chiming debut Animal Bells (CH 056CD) was one of the year's most acclaimed releases, earning a 7.8 review on Pitchfork and voted #2 in Australia's Mess+Noise end-of-year critics poll (#4 in the general readers poll). They released a sneak preview of the new album in the form of a limited edition vinyl single, featuring the majestic pop ballad "Mirror Ball," which sold out immediately. "All The Pleasures Of The World" was also released as a single, earning another Pitchfork rave and "Single Of The Week" in magazines around Australia. The album is delirious, UK rainy-day melancholy psychedelic indie, with some Blue Oyster Cult, Stone Roses, Belle and Sebastian and Zombies thrown in for good measure, with its loping bass lines, swooning strings and eerie, hypnotic harmonies. Basic tracks were recorded at Head Gap studios in Melbourne with Neil Thomason (The Slits, My Disco, Ned Collette), and the album was then finished at home. Mixing and mastering was done with Lachlan Carrick (The Necks, Gotye, Architecture In Helsinki) at Moose Mastering. The album is a beyond-stunning development on Animal Bells, both poised and precocious. There's a newfound confidence and lyrical openness from vocalist Geoff O'Connor, and some of the most luscious backing ever heard on an Australian pop record from bassist Brett Hudson, guitarist Chris Hung and drummer Neil Erenstrom. Strings come courtesy of rising pop star Jessica Venables, aka Jessica Says, on cello, and her brother Nick on viola and violin. Crayon Fields have toured basically everywhere and have become a favored support band of choice in Australia, playing with the likes of Cornelius, Stereolab, Built To Spill, New Pornographers, Deerhoof, Mount Eerie, Electrelane, Unicorns and many more.'
THE RAAH PROJECTScore
Summer Dawn CD
(SD 001CD)
"There was a project out of Melbourne called the RAah Project. They gave me a CD, I checked it out on the way home, I couldn't believe how good it was - it was definitely up there and beyond. It was a bit of Matthew Herbert, a little bit of Sa-Ra Creative Partners, but with its own melodic Australian vibe going on" (Gilles Peterson, The Independent)
"It's the best sounding recording I have heard this year. Everything about it screams quality" (Rob, Faze Action)
"A brilliant LP that will definitely be in my top five at the end of the year" (Kevin Beadle, Solar Radio)
'Spawned from an idea by Ryan Ritchie and Tamil Rogeon of True Live, The RAah Project stands out immediately as the most credible alternative to the European sound of Cinematic Orchestra , Matthew Herbert's Big Band or the eccentric dub of Fat Freddy's Drop. RAah take a whole new shot at the established ideas of electronic hip hop, pop, contemporary, dance and soul music. It is an original contemporary music project embracing both traditional and new principles of jazz improvisation and arrangement, 20th century composition, song, verse and flow.
'Ritchie and Rogeon share a love of diverse musical formats and gain equal enjoyment. From pounding modern electronic beats and traditional orchestral music, the two work and tour as part of the critically acclaimed ensemble, True Live, as well as on various individual projects as producers, arrangers and performers. 'Score' was created with a 17 piece string section, a full big band - the Australian Show Band - and a selection of jazz/funk players from Melbourne's multi-faceted vibrant music scenes. The thirteen tracks combine big band vocals and orchestration, soaring cinematic string arrangements, hip hop beats, soul motifs and simple yet entirely catching pop melodies with surprising and absorbing results.'
MOSS PROJECTVision
Apsara CD
(APSARA 001)
"Vision is a fascinating and hypnotically satisfying album which demands repeated plays" (All About Jazz)
"There's a freshness, a spaciousness to this band and Freed's essentially lyrical writing, that is very attractive" (Jazzwise)
"Offering something easily understandable to the untrained ear, while never diluting the genuine love of jazz at the music's heart" (Chris Long, BBC)
"A record of endless fascination and immediate accessibility" (Al Brownlee, M.E.N.)
"Freed's phrasing and melodies are at times just achingly beautiful. This is a truly accomplished musician but his skills as a composer are really exceptional" (The Sound of Now)
'Fresh as you like, Manchester jazz sextet The Moss Project explore the more contemporary end of progressive jazz rock, with fiery electric guitar and saxophone led improvisation and compositions. The Moss Project play contemporary jazz but not quite like any jazz you might have heard before. The sextet's debut album 'Vision', is an intense and emotional musical experience. 'Vision' will appeal to listeners from all backgrounds, from diehard jazz fans through to those who have perhaps never even seen or experienced live jazz before.
The music on 'Vision' is testament to bandleader Moss Freed's inspirational and eclectic range of influences. Within the space of a single tune, it's as likely to combine heavy grooves and folk melodies, with group improvisation, classical arrangements and complex counterpoint. The end result is as much The Bad Plus as Stravinsky, in equal measures Pat Metheny, Massive Attack, Bach or Radiohead, all moulded into the Sextet's personal and highly singular version of progressive jazz. Alongside the compositions, the beauty of the group lies in the ability of its musicians to blend their individual styles into a single cohesive entity throughout large sections of free playing, whilst still retaining a precious core of approachability.
After studying composition and performance at the renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston, under Jon Damian - the teacher of Bill Frisell, Moss formed the group to provide a platform for new, progressive and exciting music. Based in Manchester, the sextet features some of the city's top players, each bringing their own distinctive flavour and backgrounds into the mix. With a line-up of guitar, violin, saxophones, drums, bass and keyboards, the Moss Project proves to be essential listening for anyone into innovative new jazz. The Moss Project have already completed a series of very successful dates in Germany and the UK.'
