GirlSonic

Nursery of Naughtiness - The Eyes

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:09:10 -0700

Back in the day, I had a reputation as a headbangin’ rocker. Had an all-girl band, played lead guitar, drove ridiculous distances to attend mega-concerts at auto racing speedways, yada yada yada. Those were good times ….

Jump to the present, and I still have the urge to air-guitar and fling my hair around when I hear some heavy metal electronica. I get a kick out of Pendulum, even though they’ve betrayed the DnB purists. Prodigy is the bomb. Far Too Loud is, well, loud.

Along those lines, UK band Nursery of Naughtiness has been hard at work cranking out tunes that sound like boulders on roller skates. Don’t you just love a beat that leaves stress fractures in your sternum?

More on GirlSonic.com.

@mospherixz - Collect Ur Thoughts

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 14:47:54 -0700

Oftentimes when I get home from the office, all of the problems of the day come along with me. I can tell, because my neck hurts and my shoulders are scrunched up to my ears and inside my cranium it is very noisy with echoing fragments of the day’s conversations.

At those times I don’t really want to have to think about anything. It was one of those times last week when I decided to see what new friends I had on MySpace. Sure enough, recent adds came along with some interesting new music, and one song was just the right fit for my worn out and grumpy neurons.

“Collect Ur Thoughts” from DnB duo @mospherixz (DJ Rivmic and Kevin Salisbury) offers the opportunity to collect one’s thoughts and compress them down to a smooth shiny pebble. Listen a little longer, and you can skip that pebble across the glassy surface of your deep dark subconscious. Then observe calmly as the pebble’s density pulls it under, detach yourself as it sinks slowly into the shadows, and turn away when it disappears from view.

More on GirlSonic.com.

Geodesic Peers - Jason Donnelly

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 18:26:13 -0700

A lot (a real lot!) of electronic musicians use PLP loops in their compositions, and they can thank Jason Donnelly (DJ Puzzle) for contributing to their sound. I've incorporated several into my tunes, and there's been a couple of times when I've listened to someone else's song and thought, "Hey, wait .... that's MY loop".

Earlier this month I received an e-mail from Jason, inviting those of us on his distribution list (extensive, I'm sure), to have a listen to his new two CD set, "Geodesic Peers". The set includes several years of work and covers a lot of ground, genre-wise. One of my favorite tracks from Disc 1 is "Time Change".

More on GirlSonic.com.

Prod

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 19:13:10 -0700

My auditory neurons are still working the kinks out after listening to a new album by an artist that we should keep a wary eye and ear on. Prod is either a vastly superior alien being or a secret collaborative project involving Goldie, Prince and Aphex Twin.

I just purchased Prod's debut album, "The Artworks Formerly Known as Prints" on Pollinate Records. Seriously, that is an extraordinarily stupid title for an album that is a thousand percent brilliant.

At least half of the tracks on this album are challenging enough to set my hair on fire. Apparently, real person Duncan Passey is a virtuoso musician who studied keys and saxophone for a few months before erupting into a full-grown twenty-something electronica wizard. Oh, and did I mention that he can sing?

More on GirlSonic.com.

Whimsical Cacophony

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:30:40 -0700

Jeffrey Konrad lives and writes music in Illinois, along with several of his personalities. His Alts have spunky names like Nigel Jeffrey, eggspout and Robot USA.

And they all produce indie-pop-electronica that sounds familiar and unsettling, in the same way that Grimm's fairy tales are familiar and unsettling to children everywhere.

Let's run through a case study: "Osh Kosh" plays like Beck riding the ferris wheel at Coney Island, after a handful of 'ludes

More on GirlSonic.com.

Music for the Porcelain Gods

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 18:40:17 -0700

The boys of ElectroLatrine don’t take themselves too seriously: “we think that it’s better to give our songs away than to keep them home, waiting for a remote chance to sell out them before throwing everything through the WC!”

This kind of sentiment, even when expressed in their native tongue (”tanto vale regalare a tutti le nostre produzioni, felici o infelici che siano… prima di buttarle definitivamente nel cesso!” ), kind of lowers one’s expectations for the audio product.

But there simply is no basis for this self-deprecation (I didn’t say it, but you thought it didn’t you …). Stefano Casini and Michele Feltrin are serious musicians. More on GirlSonic.com.

Soulmatic on GirlSonic.com

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:57:31 -0700

I finally tore myself away from the Beijing Olympic coverage for awhile today and flipped through KMag's 100th Issue Special. I've already lost count of the number of DnB artists featured on the glossy pages that I'd like to hear.

I had to start somewhere, so I started on page 14 with Soulmatic, who is described as "Denmark's finest D&B producer", not just by Kmag but also by pretty much every other source I identified in an afternoon with Google. A visit to his MySpace page was rewarded with several must-have tracks and a couple of videos to boot . . . . (more on GirlSonic.com)

Almost Dark

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:20:32 -0700

I don't write romance/adventure novels. But if I did, the dramatic conclusion would find the heroine racing to the rescue of her chiseled-in-all-the-right-places paramour.

The road to redemption, an endless forest on either side, disappears into blackness as twilight descends. Somewhere in this wilderness her lover is a knife's edge away from death. It goes without saying that only her fierce passion and her desperately galloping steed stand between him and permanent night.

When this bestseller inevitably leads to the academy-award winning film, Mystic System's remix of "Almost Dark" (John Fitzpatrick) will be the soundtrack. Imagine a collaboration between Evanescence and Enigma, and you have an idea of the score.

This dangerously moody soundscape is lovely to hear, richly produced, decadent and elegant at the same time. The original mix is good ... Mystic System's version adds another dramatic dimension and a satin finish.

You can buy John Fitzpatrick's original CD here. The Mystic System remix is available as a free download at GirlSonic.com for the rest of August only. If you like it, send MikeID (Mystic System) a paltry sum of gold and he'll send you the supercharged version.

Space Encounters

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 17:59:47 -0700

Last week I received my first fan letter. Really. No, it's true .... GirlSonic has a fan!

At least that's what the letter said, before going on to introduce a New York act called Astronauts of Antiquity. My ego re-entered the atmosphere once I realized the function of the communication. But I listened to the music anyway.

I'm trying to maintain a focus on GirlSonic.com by writing mostly about electronica and its subgenres. And I'm pretty sure that AoA is producing something outside that orbit.

They call their sound "urban electro-organica", and in live performance the emphasis is on the organic part. Intertwining tendrils of guitar, vocals and synth grow like hydroponic kudzu in zero gravity.

Then out of the blue, it seems, there's a guy at a pair of decks, scratching and rapping out some commentary. Like, that's crazy!

So it's not electronica in pure form. But there is no question that chief space cadets B. Rhyan (guitars) and India (vocals) would be intergalactic talents if travel outside our solar system were actually possible. And the finished product is stellar.

I'm gonna write these Astronauts a fan letter.

Hey Hey Mrs. Robinson

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 18:53:13 -0700

"Do you want me to seduce you?" says Mrs. Robinson to a pheromone-bewildered Ben Braddock in Mike Nichol's 1967 film, "The Graduate". And who could possibly say no to Anne Bancroft?

That's the theme of the song I wrote this weekend. It needs some spit and polish, but I don't think it's half bad. By the end, you may find yourself saying, "yes, yes .... that's what I'm trying to tell you already!"

Love at the Disco

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 20:13:42 -0700

Found a little dance floor gem. It's got that veiled come-hither belly dance slither going for it. And that's on top of a phat ass-kickin' groove that even Travolta would be psyched to gyrate around.

"Love at the Disco" doesn't take itself too seriously. I like that, especially on a Friday. Artists Chris Brooks (Vivace) and Amy Oughton (Suffice) of DittoMakesMiracles combine funky porn-o-lyrics with sideshow comic riffs to create a giggly sexpot of a dance tune.

I understand that an album is in the works. We should keep an ear out for these college all-stars, unless they decide to major in pre-med. Anatomy seems to be a familiar subject ....

Political Non Gangster Truth Music!

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 19:28:47 -0700

For an old white lady, I sure like hip-hop. And I love hip-hop that is off the commercial radar, hip-hop that's not just rhyme-without-reason. If it's angry and aggressive, that's ok, so long as it is also good and true.

And it should sound cool. It should rock the senses.

Hip-hop creatives Unaffiliated produce that kind of groove. Their 'About Us' (the title of this post) is dead on.

The musical context of Unaffiliated's politically provocative lyrics spans a number of genres, from cool jazz to chill ambient, trippy psy-style and world beat. If you like saxophone, "Sounds From The Heart" is an easy to digest track even for the rap averse.

But if you want to fully appreciate the Unaffiliated identity, take a listen to their tracks and send these guys some gold.

The Evil Mr. Tunes

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 18:10:19 -0700

"The Evil Mr. Tunes Takes Over Your Speakers"

That's the tagline on Elliott Fienberg's MySpace page. But don't believe it; there's nothing malevolent about the smooth techno-jazz-funk that Mr. Tunes sets loose on your sound system.

The Canadian electronica composer has established a name for himself in film and video game music, but the sounds he creates for the love of it are what I like to hear.

"I’d say in this part of my life the kind of music I love the most ranges from sounds of the middle east to choppy electronic tracks and all sorts of experimental sounding works. If there’s something different to it, and I can’t identify what it is, I usually like it." - Mr. Tunes

I could pretty much say that about all of his tracks, but I had to pick one out for you and "My Astroid" is that one. The song starts out with a killer kick and some glitchy sparkly things, but for awhile you're not sure where it is all going.

And that just enhances the suspense when a dark bass line arrives to suggest that something sinister is next. But that trickster Mr. Tunes, he hijacks the bass to back up an ultra-chill vibe, all silky and spearminty.

There's something different in Elliott's songs, something unexpected. When he realizes he should get paid for this gift, send Elliott some gold.

Meaningless Mixes

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 18:59:46 -0700

Listening to much loved but not recently played tracks today, I came across a 2007 SoundClick find, "Park Slope Nights" by New York's own Brian Scibinico. I was surprised to find out that Mr. Scibinico had not updated his SoundClick profile in some time, so I looked up his MySpace page.

Seems Brian's been busy with a new album, "Meaningless Remixes". Like "Park Slope Nights", the original "Meaningless" Mix is immediately listenable and engaging. Your toes dip right into the groove, and then the space between your ears finds itself in a deep blue pool of melodic riffs and delayed vocals.

According to Brian, words are meaningless. So don't take my word for it. Listen on Girlsonic.com.

Talk to Me

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:17:38 -0700

I've got a thing for James Talk. It's not an attraction, exactly. The popover-fresh young DJ/producer wears a piece of tape over his mouth, for heaven sake.

Well, or that tape could be the thing, really. Let's not converse. Instead, talk to me in dulcet funky tech electro house tones, and I will succumb to your modulating charms.

James' style is all about silk and velvet and static cling. Super smooth, super electric, super danceable.

The man knows his transitions. You don't need to be in a club or even a club mood to appreciate the impending blast-off. Give James Talk a tediously repeating theme, and he'll give you escalating suspense in return.

James doesn't come cheap, heh. I found a free download on his MySpace page, but I don't think it is his best work. Even so, it's ready to hear on GirlSonic.com.

Take a listen to some James Talk samples on Beatport, and send him some gold. That should keep him in duct tape for a while.

GirlSonic Gets Lucky!

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 05:46:35 -0700

No, not like that.

As in, hits the motherlode, makes the big time, ship comes in, and so on and thus forth.

I'm always looking for artists to applaud on GirlSonic.com. Soundclick, SectionZ, and MySpace have provided most of the great music I gush over. No, not like that. In print.

Now I can add Fuzz to the list, and what a goldmine it is.

Heaven

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 18:16:26 -0700

I think I've died and gone to heaven. And it's so much different than I had imagined.

No rapid fire snares, no hooveralicious bass, no sirens or cowbells. Sans MCs even.

Instead, angelic vocals and a new age kinda vibe, but a lot cooler.

And best of all? Downloads are free in heaven ....

But if you're working on your karma, send Mackintosh Braun some gold. Maybe they'll put a good word in for you.

How Do You Say "Do Me" in Portuguese?

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 03:59:57 -0700

My favorite site for inspiration, SectionZ, has been a major hassle lately. I don't know if it's the SectionZ server or my connection or some node in between, but most of the time I get an error just trying to load the home page.

So I was thrilled last night when I was actually able to listen to some of the songs that had been posted recently. Lots and lots of good stuff, far beyond my feeble skills and limited talent.

One song in particular I listened to several times, in part because the piece is fantastically good but ends prematurely.

Listen Here

Ladies, you know what I'm talking about.

'Colar de Margaridas' (a portuguese phrase that roughly translates to "daisy chain") is erotic electronic artistry from a composer who goes by the name 'Thisp' and who may also be known as Thiago Souto Pereira.

God, I hope there's more ...