Bunch of Reviews

Christian Weber
Walcheturm Solo
Cut
Street: 5.13
Christian Weber = Joëlle Léandre + Ray Brown + George Crumb

Despite a list of collaborators longer than your genealogy, upright bassist Christian Weber demonstrates his ability to go it alone for 38 minutes with no edits, no electronics and no loop stations on this live recording. Exploring the entire spectrum of the instrument’s ability – and then some – Weber begins his monolog by pinching and pulling strings deeply and intently enough to resemble the team of lumberjacks who first bore his bass. Continuing in this fashion, he slowly introduces his gamut of techniques, furiously juggling slaps, sul pont, scraped rhythms, pizzicato, felt-not-heard drones, sprinkles of melody, microtonal pulses and wood creaks into a lovingly tangled texture; despite this History of Extended Techniques, Weber is a master who manages these into a cliché-free, hypnotic performance. After an intoxicating, growling climax, Weber descends into muted plucks and carefully paused punches of harmonic waves that echo the Zürich concert hall as the curtain falls.

Pink Skull
Zeppelin 3
Free News Projects
Street: 4.01
Pink Skull = New Order + Can + Basement Jaxx

On Zeppelin 3, Pink Skull main-man Julian Grefe set out to revisit an era of electronica when “a house record didn’t have to be between 126 and 130 (bpm)”. This is no continuous mix but rather a mixtape for a party where everyone convenes and somehow gets along. Like the Led Zep classic of the same name (Grefe even plays on their “Bonzo’s Montreux” with the timbale-laden “Gonzo’s Cointreau”), there are twists around every corner; one minute Grefe has you on your feet then demands you close your eyes, fold your arms and enjoy serene washes of feedback and samples (“Ssilt”). From the odd and laughable Chemical Brothers-like “Itchy Woman” to the utterly badass Plastic Little remix of “Crambodia” (featuring Spank Rock’s chanteuse Amanda Blank, Spank Rock and Ghostface Killa) to the utterly off-key porch thumping kaleidoscope “Take Me Out Riding” (with Mirah), Grefe would do well at a disparate event such as All Tomorrow’s Parties – playing it all by himself!

N*E*R*D
Seeing Sounds
Star Trak
Street: 6.10
N*E*R*D = Stevie Wonder + Quincy Jones + The Jungle Brothers

Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams aka The Neptunes aka N*E*R*D. (it’s rumored that third member Shae really does all the work): geniuses or a couple of dorks who accidentally made a musical footprint as large as Timbaland? Whatever, as their hit-and-miss history over the past couple of years is mostly forgiven on this third album. After a brief skit, the album does exactly as the first title suggests: it’s “Time for Some Action”, the band ripping into slinky bass guitar, snare and panned whispers; apparently the duo recently discovered drum ‘n’ bass, or simply decided now is the hour to bring it back, as evidenced on the scratched-out “Everyone Nose”, the swaggering “Spaz” and Check Your Head meets E40 mix of “Anti Matter”. Except for the ersatz pop rock number, “Happy”, and the bored ballad “Love Bomb”, fans who embrace the group for their eclectic nature will celebrate and give thanks that Hugo and Williams still save the most interesting beats for their solo work.

No Wave: Post-Punk. Underground. New York. 1976-1980
Thurston Moore and Byron Coley
Abrams Image
Street: 6.01

1970’s New York, a time of polemic filth and fury with displaced art kids crashing head first into the detritus to form bands without which we would have no Rapture, LCD Soundsystem or (insert a hundred names here). Framed around this incredible gathering of black & whites are interviews (conducted by the Thurston Moore and writer/editor/et cetera Byron Coley) with artists deep in the thick of said scene (i.e. James Chance, Glen Branca, Ikue Mori, Robert Quine and the ever-verbose Lydia Lunch), club owners, iconic groupies and passers-by, including Brian Eno who gives his perspective on the immortal Eno “produced” No New York compilation. Having been active participants during this era, the authors do a spectacular job of detailing the tenuous camaraderie, insular tension and the seeds of No Wave’s demise. Not simply for those who know the difference between “No Wave” and “New Wave”, the eye candy and history lessons make for an illuminating, universally appealing document.