Dec. '06 : Music/Movies
~ My top favourite albums, songs & films for December 2006 ~
Current Albums:
*Faithless - 'To All New Arrivals'
*'ESL Remixed' - (compilation/various artists : ESL Music)
*'Destroy Minimal' - (compilation/various artists : Resist Music)
*Ame - 'Mixing' (compiled & mixed by Ame - K. Beyer & F. Wiedemann)
*'Electracoustic' - (various artists : compiled by Chris Coco)
*'Electrolush' - (compiled & mixed by DJ Fluid for Om Records)
*'Pacha' - (compiled & mixed by Kaz James/Dirty Laundry/Sarah Main : Central Station)
*'Marie Antoinette' - (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
*Take That - 'Beautiful World'
*Gwen Stefani - 'The Sweet Escape'
*El Perro Del Mar - 'El Perro Del Mar'
*Henrik Schwarz - 'DJ-Kicks' (compilation/various artists)
*Darkel - 'Darkel'
*TV Rock - 'Sunshine City'
*Mary J. Blige - 'Reflections (A Retrospective)'
*Damien Leith - 'The Winner's Journey'
*'Home - Songs Of Hope & Journey' - (compilation/various artists)
*'Fast Forward : Indie Trax' (compilation/various artists)
*Anthony Callea - 'A New Chapter'
*Jay-Z - 'Kingdom Come'
*Sugababes - 'Overloaded : The Singles Collection'
*Lupe Fiasco - 'Food & Liquor'
~~~
Global Music:
*Banco de Gaia - 'Farewell Ferengistan' (2006)/'10 Years' (2002)
*Loreena McKennitt - 'An Ancient Muse' (2006)
*Palermo Nuevo - 'Tango Jointz' (2006)
*A.R. Rahman - 'Bombay Dreams' (2002)
*Karsh Kale - 'Broken English' (2006)
*Vargo - '[beauty]' (2004)
*'Bombay Bhangra Club' - (compiled & mixed by DJ Red Buddha : 2003)
*Loner - 'Loner' (2004)
*dj Cheb i Sabbah - 'Maha Maya : Shri Durga ReMixed' (2000)/'As Far As : a dj mix' (2003)
*Honeyroot - 'Sound Echo Location' (2003)
*Laroca - 'Friends In Far Away Places' (2006)
*'Cafe del Mar : Dreams 4' - (compilation/various artists : 2006)
*'Beginner's Guide To Arabian Lounge' - (compilation/various artists : 2006)
*'Oriental Garden' - (compiled & mixed by Gulbahar Kultur : 2006)
*The Anything Goze Group - 'Horizontal Grooves' (compilation/various artists - One World Music : 2006)
*Christophe Goze - 'Turning Inside' (2006)
*'Bellylicious 2' - (compilation/various artists - EMI Music Arabia : 2006)
*The Itch - 'Present' (2002)
*Small Defence/Riley Lee - 'Bamboo Soup' (2003)
~~~
New Finds/Old Stuff:
*Faithless - 'Everything Will Be Alright Tomorrow' (2004) [Instrumental accompaniment to the album 'No Roots']
*'le voyage abstrait' - (compiled & mixed by Raphael Marionneau : 2004)
*Ame - 'Ame' (2004)
*'Rize' - (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack : 2005)
*The Orb - 'U.F.Off - The Best Of' (1998)
*Aaliyah - 'Ultimate' (2005)
*Atomic Kitten - 'Feels So Good' (2002)/'Ladies Night' (2003)
*50 Cent - 'Get Rich Or Die Tryin' (2003)/'The Massacre' (2005)
~~~
Singles:
*'Rej' - Ame
*'Ice Cream' EP - New Young Pony Club (Van She Remix)
*'Bombs' - Faithless featuring Harry Collier
*'Night Of My Life' - Damien Leith
*'Fa Fa Fa' - Datarock
*'Patience' - Take That
*'What If I'm Right' - Sandi Thom
*'Something Kinda Ooooh' - Girls Aloud
*'Get Right Back' - Raen (Killer Kitty Remix)
*'Wind It Up' - Gwen Stefani (Original Neptunes Mix)
*'LDN' - Lily Allen
*'Discopolis' - Lifelike & Kris Menace
*'Stomp!' - Marcia & Deni Hines (Smash'n'Grab Club Mix)
*'Hello! (Good To Be Back)' - Scooter
*'Fergalicious' - Fergie featuring will.i.am
~~~
Films:
'Babel' : ****
'Marie Antoinette' : ***3/4
'A Scanner Darkly' : ***1/2
'Casino Royale' : ***1/3
~~~
The Next Big Thing:
*'The Confessions Tour' DVD/CD - Madonna (released : January 22, 2007)
~~~
*Note : This post will be updated regularly as the month progresses.
posted by Another Point of You... @ 12:53 AM
1 Comments:
Reviews:
'To All New Arrivals' - The stunning new album by Faithless. Features new single 'Bombs'. This is quality dance music with heart. From sparse, ethereal electronica to pulsing power-trance and ecstatic elektro-funk, this is a more down-tempo affair than its predecessors. Guests include Harry Collier (Kubb), Robert Smith (The Cure), Cass Fox, Cat Power and Dido. Oddly though, the most outstanding track is the final one - the epic, dynamic, eight-minute instrumental 'Emergency'...a true dancefloor stormer. Shimmering & hypnotic stuff. Rollo, Sister Bliss & Maxi Jazz have once again combined their talents to produce another simmering, solid masterpiece. An magnificently subdued explosion.
ESL Remixed : The 100th Release of ESL Music. Thievery Corporation and their label compatriots invite some of the world's finest musicians, DJs and producers to rewind & remix gems old and new from the ESL Music catalogue. Featuring new mixes & reinterpretations by: Louie Vega, Beatfanatic, Thievery Corporation, Nickodemus, Bombay Dub Orchestra, and many more.
Destroy Minimal - The secret sound of tomorrow morning. Features tracks by Trentemoller, Alter Ego, Henrik Schwarz, Booka Shade, Alex Under, and others. I'm really getting into minimal in a big way at the moment. I call it 'mind music'...the perfect score for inner-space travel. Brain-blowing.
Ame - Compiled & mixed by Ame (Kristian Beyer & Frank Wiedemann). This mix is what a perfect night could be if you have the right people and the right club. Old-school style. Everything from cosmic disco to house to techno, old tunes mixed with new tunes. Features Carl Craig, Henrik Schwarz, Coldcut, and Ame, amongst others.
Electracoustic - Where Acoustic and Electronica collide. Compiled by Chris Coco. Using old skool instruments like acoustic guitars and drums but mixing it up with electronics, synths, drum machines and DJ effects, 'Electracoustic' sounds now enough for a city dwelling hipster to enjoy but deep enough for older folksters to get deep into, and just weird enough for post-clubbers (like myself) to get horizontal to too. Enchanting.
Electrolush - The very best of minimal and electro nouveau. Compiled & mixed by DJ Fluid for Om Records - featuring Booka Shade, Wonderland Avenue, Ame, Tiefschwarz, Yoshimoto, Layo & Bushwacka!, Chicken Lips, Andy Caldwell, Colette, Green Velvet, Mylo and of course Trentemoller. Deeply compelling.
Pacha - 3 CDs of sexy summer house mixed by Kaz James (Bodyrockers), Dirty Laundry and Sarah Main. Features tracks by The Audio Thieves, Ame, Daft Punk, Princess Superstar and Royksopp; with mixes by Trentemoller, Cabin Crew, Ajax and Van She. Massive!
'Marie Antoinette' - Written & Directed by Sofia Coppola. The soundtrack features Siouxsie & The Banshees, Bow Wow Wow, New Order, Adam & The Ants, The Cure, Aphex Twin, Air, The Radio Dept., The Strokes, and others.
Take That - Contains elements of (common era) Backstreet Boys, The Beatles and funnily enough - Robbie Williams. Gary Barlow sings most of the songs but we also have Howard Donald on the pop explosion that is the title track, as well as on 'Mancunian Way'; Mark Owen on the dark 'What You Believe In'; and Jason Orange on the campfire folk tune 'Wooden Boat'. On the whole - inspired, mature, impassioned & surprising.
Gwen Stefani - Production credits are shared amongst: The Neptunes, Nellee Hooper, Akon (on 'The Sweet Escape'), Tony Kanal (from No Doubt), Dave Stewart (Eurythmics) and Swizz Beats. First single 'Wind It Up' even comes with a 'Sound Of Music' sample. 'Early Winter' features Tim Oxley Rice from Keane, whilst 'Wonderful Life' features Martin Gore from Depeche Mode. Imagine a mash-up of Nelly Furtado, Fergie and Cyndi Lauper and that's pretty much the genre conjured up on 'The Sweet Escape'. Urban-pop-eccentric!
El Perro Del Mar - Unique, magical, bewitching, achingly genuine and uplifting...a master class in melancholic pop and unlike anything else around. A curious mix of Julee Cruise, The Beach Boys, Jenny Wilson, Kate Bush, and Belle & Sebastian.
Henrik Schwarz - Berlin-based artist, producer & remixer Henrik Schwarz delivers a delicate mix of soul, house and Detroit techno.
Darkel - A solo album by JB Dunckel of internationally acclaimed electronic pop duo AIR. Features the single 'At The End Of The Sky'.
Mary J. Blige - Features 'One' (with U2), 'As' (with George Michael), 'Family Affair', 'No More Drama', 'King & Queen' (with John Legend), and my personal fave 'I'm Going Down'.
Damien Leith - Features current Australian #1 single 'Night Of My Life' plus 'Crying', 'Wicked Game', 'Nessum Dorma', and 'Hallelujah' (some of my favourite-ever songs).
Home : Songs of Hope & Journey - Some of Australia's top artists have recorded songs that detail the journey & hope that results from travelling & living in such an expansive country, for the sole purpose of raising funds for 'beyondblue'...a national, independent, not-for-profit organisation working to address issues associated with depression, anxiety and related substance misuse disorders in Australia. Features the current Top 10 hit 'Don't Give Up' by Shannon Noll and Natalie Bassingthwaighte.
Fast Forward : Indie Trax - A double CD featuring Wolfmother, Snow Patrol, Augie March, Keane, Hot Chip, Gotye, Guillemots, Jose Gonzalez, The Flaming Lips, Thom Yorke, and many many more.
~~~
Banco de Gaia - Global 'trance' with influences from as far afield as dub, rock, funk, prog, ambient, techno, jazz, hip-hop and film noir. Exotic, dynamic and truly amazing. Toby Marks, the creative force behind Banco de Gaia is quite simply a musical genius. '10 Years' is a collection of his finest work over the past decade. 'Farewell Ferengistan' is his latest album of wondrous beauty and mind-boggling creativity ~ impossible to classify, but think Royksopp, Zero 7, The Orb, Pink Floyd and 'Papua New Guinea'-era Future Sound of London as markers. Even then you're only scratching the surface. One of dance music's deepest thinkers...a true global beat pioneer - unique & electrifying.
Loreena McKennitt - A musically lush journey from Istanbul to Mongolia; from Turkey to Greece; and from Jordan back to the old Celtic lands of Scotland/England. Haunting and evocative...A stunning epic.
Palermo Nuevo (The Brave) have created a sexy, suave, sophisticated little gem in 'Tango Jointz', reminiscent of The Gotan Project. Transport yourself to Buenos Aires with this album of romantic tango-infused electronica.
Bombay Dreams - Ever since I saw the Spike Lee film 'Inside Man' earlier this year, I've always wondered about the gorgeously powerful Indian song used in the opening credits. I bought 'Bombay Dreams' on the strength of co-producer Marius de Vries (Madonna, Bjork, Craig Armstrong), and because of Andrew Lloyd Webber's involvement - not once realizing (until I got home) that it featured that song from 'Inside Man' - 'Chaiyya Chaiyya'. What a gorgeous coincidence!
Karsh Kale - On 'Broken English', Karsh Kale balances his Indian heritage with rock & roll, hip-hop and atmospheric pop for his most diverse release to date. The supremely talented Dierdre (from Ekova) co-wrote and appears on the track 'Innocence And Power'.
Kale is the new sound of an emerging and unified global culture - Indian at the top, Western at the bottom and thoroughly tangled in between. Not only melds East and West but future and past, digital and organic...
Bombay Bhangra Club - A thrilling album of essential Indian club tunes mixed by DJ Red Buddha. Bombastically bhang-in'!
dj Cheb i Sabbah - The leading lights of the Asian Underground remix tracks from dj Cheb i Sabbah's groundbreakingly historic 'Shri Durga' project. Features new interpretations from: State Of Bengal, Transglobal Underground, Fun Da Mental and Bedouin Ascent.
'As Far As' is Sabbah's first DJ-mixed CD - an audio journey to Asia, Arabia and Africa. Features rare tracks & remixes from Natacha Atlas, Asian Dub Foundation, Paul Horn, Don Cherry and dj Cheb i Sabbah.
Beginner's Guide to Arabian Lounge - Shows the whole gamut of new Arabian music, from the most blissful chilled sounds, right through to driving 4-4 and trance-inducing Oriental beats. Features Transglobal Underground, Kaya Project, Christophe Goze, Bob Holroyd, and Balkan Beat Box, amongst others.
Oriental Garden - The World of Oriental Grooves...featuring Natacha Atlas, Cheb i Sabbah, Fairuz, Mesopotamix, Bombay Dub Orchestra, and many more. Mysterious, mystical and magical.
Bellylicious 2 - Cutting-edge grooves of the world's most sensual dance...the Bellydance.
~ Lately I've made a lot of great musical discoveries from the ever-dependable One World Music:
Vargo - Popular Cafe del Mar favourites, Vargo was there at the start of the 'serenity movement' which originated on the sunset-soaked beaches of Ibiza. A tender album of pure soundscapes...musical manna for the soul.
Loner - An ethereal cross between Coldplay, Radiohead, New Order and Depeche Mode. Heartbreakingly beautiful.
Honeyroot - A smooth mix of Thievery Corporation, Air and (gentle) Moby. Dub-tastic.
Laroca - Latin flourishes & balaeric beats...Perfect for trans-continental lounging. A gorgeously eclectic album.
'Horizontal Grooves' - Compiled & produced by Christophe Goze for the Anything Goze Group. Features tracks by Bob Holroyd, Afterlife with Dannii Minogue, Al-Pha-X, Amanaska, Vargo, Terry Callier, and many more. Chill at its most blissful.
Christophe Goze - Floaty, fluid and sensual...Like warm honey for the ears.
The Itch - Warm, rich guitar, masterfully played with grace and finesse combines exuberant flourishes of fiery flair with smooth sensual guitar grooves; strong melodies and a fusion of flavours.
~~~
'le voyage abstrait' (millions of lightyears from home) - selected by Raphael Marionneau. An abstract voyage into inner space accompanied by sounds ranging from classical to ambient electro. The tracks featured on this album are part of the 'le voyage abstrait' multimedia live show at the Hamburg planetarium - one of the oldest planetariums in the world. Paradoxically, it's also one of the most modern. Artists featured include: Zen Men, Leftfield, Lisa Gerrard (Dead Can Dance), Jon Hopkins and Mikrokosmos. Sublimely galactic.
'Rize' - A film by David LaChapelle. Ever since I saw this film, I've wanted the soundtrack. Primal, exciting, raw & explosive. I defy you not to get up & shake yo ass once 'Break it On Down (Battlezone)' by Flii Stylz & Tenashus comes on. Krump 2 da Crunk my Clown! [Some useless bit of trivia - After Madonna saw this film, she wanted some of the dancers from it for her 'Hung Up' video clip. Of course, she got them.]
Award for best album title must go to The Orb for 'U.F.Off'. A Best Of containing the hits 'Little Fluffy Clouds', 'Towers Of Dub' and 'A Huge Evergrowing Pulsating Brain That Rules From The Centre Of The Ultraworld'. The sound of an electriCosmos...
~~~
Ame : 'Reg' - Dark, minimal, brooding, dramatic, pulsating, addictive and deliciously mind-blowing. Quite possibly, track of the year!
New Young Pony Club - Think Blondie fused with Ladytron; The Rapture mixed with Duran Duran; Cut Copy merged with LCD Soundsystem... Sly, cute, minimal, synth-ridden electro-pop-punk...at its most infectious.
Damien Leith's single 'Night Of My Life' is firmly stuck in my head. The gorgeous B-side 'Come To Me' (his own composition) echoes his influences - Damien Rice, Jeff Buckley, David Gray, Chris Isaak, Roy Orbison, Radiohead and Coldplay. Points too for the fact that he also loves Muse...
~~~
'Babel' - From the director of '21 Grams', 'Babel' is a stunning, extraordinary piece of cinema - fascinating, heart-racing, heartbreaking, tense, beautiful, sublime, intoxicating & infuriating... In the Bible, a famous tower was built by a united humanity to reach toward heaven, causing God in his anger to make each person involved speak a different language, halting the project and scattering a confused and disconnected people across the planet. "Everyone is closer than you think..."
'Marie Antoinette' - Written and directed by Sofia Coppola (The Virgin Suicides; Lost In Translation). Dreamily gorgeous, wildly inventive, stylishly bewitching, and a true treat for the eyes and ears. I've been looking forward to this movie for months. Curiously though, I came out of the film feeling as though I'd eaten some rather fine candy...at once delicious & sumptuous but still somehow strangely unfulfilling. Style over substance? Almost.
'A Scanner Darkly' - Written by Phillip K. Dick (Blade Runner; Minority Report; Total Recall), directed by Richard Linklater (Waking Life; Before Sunrise; Fast Food Nation), and starring Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey Jr., Woody Harrelson and Winona Ryder. Adopting a trippy visual technique known as interpolated rotoscoping, I felt as if I was hallucinating the entire movie! Compelling, clever, humorous, involved and detailed. A wide-awake nightmare for the deeply dreaming...
~~~
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