Feeding the hungry ears
Quite a musical weekend. Bianca spun at the Apocalypse Lounge and did a mad juicy set. I was pretty wiped out, but still managed to shake the moneymaker more than I expected. She was laying down an eclectic mix of stuff and the number of AW YEAHS that were heard from our crowd was impressive. Bits o' techno, bits o' goth, bits o' industrial. She even played House Of God by DHS. Noice. I wonder who gave her that... ;)
Since I didn't get home until 5am on Saturday, I took a pass on Contempt. Too bad. My friend Mike was spinning in the "lounge" (although it's hardly that any more) and I haven't seen him since January. He lives out in the wilds of Jersey City and is married, so has little time for the old crowd. I suppose friendships grow and change, ebb and flow. He's my bud and always will be, but it ain't like it used to be.
Sunday, however, I was in for a double treat. Former Dogs Blood Rising head honcho Angelique spun a set at Demerara opening for Derek's band Dream Into Dust.
Angelique played a track off of our upcoming release and it sounded great. Also played a lot of dark folk and droney stuff. Really enjoyed it. Interesting without being intrusive. The depths of her musical taste continue to impress me. It's rare that folks can find stuff that's obscure enough that I haven't heard of it, yet good enough that I like it. In my opinion, some stuff stays obscure for a reason; most often because it sucks. Luckily, Angel's ear is excellent and always manages to find to good stuff.
Dream Into Dust took the stage shortly before 10 and played a fantastic set, including several tracks off The Lathe Of Heaven, one of the two CDs I have by them.
DID's sound is quite unique. Acoustic with electronic, quiet one moment, noisy the next, but never overwhelming. Derek's vocals remind me a lot of Depeche Mode's Martin Gore. Delicate and lofty, but with an underlying power and conviction that is undeniable. Additionally, his falsetto occasionally brings to mind Neil Tennant of Pet Shop Boys, but don't let these allusion to synthpop bands confuse you. There's more Bauhaus and Tones On Tail going on here, for while Derek's voice emotes, Bryin Dall creates some of the most dynamic and disturbing guitar sounds I've heard. He uses various objects (for example, a machete) to manipulate his instrument in all kinds of odd ways. I've no idea what kind of guitar it is (Derek told me once, but I've since forgotten), but it's very Frankensteinian. Lots of buttons and switches. Add to this all the effects pedals, etc. and you've got yourself a one man band. Add to THAT Derek's lyrics and vocal chops, plus his acoustic guitar, and you're talking wall of sound. Easy to get lost in and you'll like what you find in there.
Don't know the keyboardist or bass player they performed with, but these guys knew their stuff as well. The bass was fat and round and timed perfectly so as not to distract from what was going on around it. Synths were nicely placed in the mix and again, didn't overwhelm or draw attention away from Derek and Bryin's stylings. In all, a great show. They were the openers, so the set was short. I look forward to seeing them again.
Was home by 11:30 (?!?!?!), so I am actually functional today. Joy.
Serenading the cerebrum:
Dream Into Dust - The Lathe Of Heaven
(as mentioned above; BTW, Derek does all the art work and it's wicked)
Muggs - Dust
(just picked this up; Cypress Hill's resident DJ tries his hand at triphop; so far, not too bad; "Far Away", however, is incredible)
Scorn - List Of Takers
(recorded live for a Birmingham radio show; beats and growling bass from MJ Harris)
Tom Waits - Blue Valentine
("Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis"; need I say more?)
Various - Tip Records - TIP CD1
(techno trance from England circa 1995; acid drenched thump beats like a rave in a can)
Since I didn't get home until 5am on Saturday, I took a pass on Contempt. Too bad. My friend Mike was spinning in the "lounge" (although it's hardly that any more) and I haven't seen him since January. He lives out in the wilds of Jersey City and is married, so has little time for the old crowd. I suppose friendships grow and change, ebb and flow. He's my bud and always will be, but it ain't like it used to be.
Sunday, however, I was in for a double treat. Former Dogs Blood Rising head honcho Angelique spun a set at Demerara opening for Derek's band Dream Into Dust.
Angelique played a track off of our upcoming release and it sounded great. Also played a lot of dark folk and droney stuff. Really enjoyed it. Interesting without being intrusive. The depths of her musical taste continue to impress me. It's rare that folks can find stuff that's obscure enough that I haven't heard of it, yet good enough that I like it. In my opinion, some stuff stays obscure for a reason; most often because it sucks. Luckily, Angel's ear is excellent and always manages to find to good stuff.
Dream Into Dust took the stage shortly before 10 and played a fantastic set, including several tracks off The Lathe Of Heaven, one of the two CDs I have by them.
DID's sound is quite unique. Acoustic with electronic, quiet one moment, noisy the next, but never overwhelming. Derek's vocals remind me a lot of Depeche Mode's Martin Gore. Delicate and lofty, but with an underlying power and conviction that is undeniable. Additionally, his falsetto occasionally brings to mind Neil Tennant of Pet Shop Boys, but don't let these allusion to synthpop bands confuse you. There's more Bauhaus and Tones On Tail going on here, for while Derek's voice emotes, Bryin Dall creates some of the most dynamic and disturbing guitar sounds I've heard. He uses various objects (for example, a machete) to manipulate his instrument in all kinds of odd ways. I've no idea what kind of guitar it is (Derek told me once, but I've since forgotten), but it's very Frankensteinian. Lots of buttons and switches. Add to this all the effects pedals, etc. and you've got yourself a one man band. Add to THAT Derek's lyrics and vocal chops, plus his acoustic guitar, and you're talking wall of sound. Easy to get lost in and you'll like what you find in there.
Don't know the keyboardist or bass player they performed with, but these guys knew their stuff as well. The bass was fat and round and timed perfectly so as not to distract from what was going on around it. Synths were nicely placed in the mix and again, didn't overwhelm or draw attention away from Derek and Bryin's stylings. In all, a great show. They were the openers, so the set was short. I look forward to seeing them again.
Was home by 11:30 (?!?!?!), so I am actually functional today. Joy.
Serenading the cerebrum:
Dream Into Dust - The Lathe Of Heaven
(as mentioned above; BTW, Derek does all the art work and it's wicked)
Muggs - Dust
(just picked this up; Cypress Hill's resident DJ tries his hand at triphop; so far, not too bad; "Far Away", however, is incredible)
Scorn - List Of Takers
(recorded live for a Birmingham radio show; beats and growling bass from MJ Harris)
Tom Waits - Blue Valentine
("Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis"; need I say more?)
Various - Tip Records - TIP CD1
(techno trance from England circa 1995; acid drenched thump beats like a rave in a can)
posted by Ben at 10:16 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home