On this five track EP Toronto born, New York based singer-songwriter Jennie Vee is set to melt the hearts and heads of those whose musical tastes hark back to the early-mid nineties. Maybe not those who reminisce about plaid shirts and muddy fields and blonde unshaven men with a glassy stare, but those who hold fond memories of seeing the faces of Tanya Donelly and Miki Berenyi gazing blankly and unobtainably from the pages of NME. Vee’s recordings hark back to a time when Frank Black and Kim Deal liked each other (okay, so maybe there was never such a time); a time when you got excited about that next 12” single from Chapterhouse; when Ride were kings of their own UK kingdom and The Jesus and Mary Chain wanted you to venture under ‘April Skies’.
Tag Archives: electronica
EDGAR FROESE (1944-2015)
Edgar Willmar Froese passed away on 20th January 2015 at the age of 70 as a result of a pulmonary embolism. Between the late 60s and his death, he put his mark upon over a hundred recordings with Tangerine Dream, as well as releasing several dozen solo albums (albums which have rarely been given their due; some of which were not available in their original mixes on CD for many years).
JET BLACK SEA – The Path Of Least Existence
Jet Black Sea is an experimental, extra-curricular musical outlet for a couple of cult figures associated with the prog rock scene. Nine Stones Close guitarist Adrian Jones and his band producer Michel Simons created the project in order to create music that stretches beyond the parent band’s more direct progressive rock and metal sounds. Stripped of all vocals and the most of the crunchy guitars heard on many a Nine Stones Close recording, there are still some meaty sounds present and a few rock influenced passages, but Jet Black Sea’s core sound is almost ambient in comparison. Not necessarily ambient in the true “Eno/Music For Airports” sense, but definitely more chilled out. Naturally, there’s still a great deal of prog at the heart of their music – given the pairing’s usual musical outlet, that is unsurprising – but it is prog rock in a much more minimal sense, although ‘The Path of Least Existence’s broad soundscapes rarely sound minimalist in their overall vision. An hour’s worth of instrumental sounds float by without ever resorting to self-indulgence and a stronger focus on keyboards brings a very cinematic feel to proceedings throughout.
FAKE SHARK REAL ZOMBIE – Liar EP
With a name that quickly conjures up feelings of novelty, of lightweight emo trash and of genuine disposability, Vancouver’s Fake Shark – Real Zombie! have, rather unwittingly, saddled themselves with a moniker that’s a quick turn-off. The epitome of just trying that bit too hard, it combines fantasy with punctuation and comes up with utter dross as a result. The young band may think they’re being “well random” (to use a horrible teen vernacular, popular at time of this release), but in truth, all they’ve done is give their project a name that’s going to be of potential hideous embarrassment to them in future years. Hell, maybe they won’t give a fuck – apparently Henry Rollins is a fan, so they’ll be thrilled, whatever. [In some ways, this revelation comes as surprising, given the punk icon’s musical past; in other ways, not so much: Rollins loves music from many genres- loves Beastie Boys, funk and even takes his professional name from a legendary jazz artiste.] Anyway…yes, Canada’s Fake Shark – Real Zombie! What of their music itself?
MTNS – Salvage EP
Like so many electronic based artists, MTNS’ favoured approach of loading up the keyboards in place of “real instruments” and reliance on programmed elements makes this Australian outfit’s work appear rather cold at first. Once you’ve broken through that mechanized wall – much like many of electronica’s strongest artists – there’s an intermittent dreamlike world awaiting. Once the pieces settle into place, the music’s surprisingly huge presence pulls for an emotive response.