I shall be on holiday for the next 2 weeks so there will be no updates until after the 5th of May! I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the month 
Archive for April, 2008
Site News: Holiday for 2 Weeks!
Live Vault – Unto Ashes
This week’s Live Vault comes from ancient band “Unto Ashes” whom have a trio at their core and then countless other people popping up every few other songs. Here they perform the quiet “Emptiness”, which is taken from their 4th album “Grave Blessings” released in 2005. The actual song itself is available to download on their website.
Sarah Slean – Chords For Players
For all those piano players out there that wish to learn some Sarah Slean songs, I have found a nice website with lots of chords for her songs on it. There’s also some Charlotte Martin, Regina Spektor and St Vincent chords around too if that helps!
Pop along to here to have a nose about!
Utada Hikaru – CDJapan sends out mass e-mail!
It’s a first for me and of such a large proportion I had to post it! CD Japan, a fantastic website for buying Japanese CD’s from has e-mailed every single person that has purchased Utada Hikaru’s latest album “Heart Station” to clear up the hot topic – “Take 5″ and its sudden cut off ending.
Even in my review I thought the CD may have been faulty but as stated on Utada’s website and now in CD Japan’s e-mail, the track is supposed to end abruptly. Obviously many people must have complained of faulty discs for such a large company to have done this. The e-mail is below
“There have been numerous inquiries about the ending of “Take 5″ the 10th
track.
The track is 3 minutes and 42 seconds long, and the track may appear to end
in the middle of the song, which was the reason for inquiries.
Since there has been some confusion about it, we decided to send this email
to provide our customers with official information.
As stated in the release dated March 19 on her official website, the song
has intentionally been arranged this way to end abruptly.”
Naughty Hikki!
Mia Doi Todd – Gea Review
Mia Doi Todd, queen of laid back, bare acoustic silky smooth spookiness returns with a new album entitled “Gea” (with lovely cover artwork if I may say so). This time round there is a certain Latin twang to the melodies in some of the songs and there’s more instruments than just an acoustic guitar!
Mia doesn’t break you in easily either as the album opens with the ten minute “River of Life/The Yes Song” which comes across like a pilgrimage with it’s repetitive lyrics and melodies. To say its a test is perhaps overdoing it but it does seem to be over-long.
“Night of a Thousand Kisses” is a more beautiful and eerie sounding song with complimenting string sections. A truly haunting piece. “Big Bad Wolf & Black Widow Spider” again has some eerie chords and a nice drum beat and continues the whole pilgrimage feel of the album. A kind of endless plodding to the gallows (that’s not meant to sound like a bad thing).
“Sleepless Nights” is a more traditional song with a catchy chorus before the particularly Spanish “Esperar Es Caro” ups the ante with an excellent song – and Mia’s Spanish is excellent. “Kororo” sounds like a chugging demo however, which a noticeable decline in audio quality. The song is nice enough but you can hear background noises at the opening which is a shame.
“Can I Borrow You?” is the only real pacey song on the album with infectious melodies and Latin tweaks to make the song extra special. Definitely the stand out along with “Night of a Thousand Kisses”.
From there its a gradual slow down. “Wolf Reprise” is an instrumental that sounds exactly like everything else on the album so quite why it warrants its space here without lyrics I don’t know. “In the End” is a slow heartfelt piece with Mia’s usual discordant melodies to bring the pain closer to home and “Old World New World” is much like an ending drone of what has came before it.
Mia Doi Todd’s lack of progression in terms of sound is what will determine your opinion of this album. I struggled to listen to this album in one fell swoop and found it easier and better to dive in and out. The reason for it is that it’s all too samey. Nothing has changed. With Mia you know what you are getting. Fantastic vocals and repetitive drones of acoustic guitar chords. If you get into it, this is great. However for me I was left a little disappointed and wanting for more.
Vienna Teng – Live Vault
This week’s Live Vault comes from Vienna Teng who’s delicate but powerful voice and luscious melodies could keep me entertained for hours on end. Here’s she performs “My Medea” from her second album “Warm Strangers”. Look at how close the audience is! Excellent stuff!
Son Lux – At War With Walls and Mazes
I was so surprised when I saw the album title, I’d never heard of Son Lux but hunted for more. I heard “break” and loved it and purchased the album. Son Lux combines minimal music and vocals with a tapestry of ambience that settles so nicely between dramatic and mellow you can’t help but fall into its world. “Prologue” is a spoken layered vocal before “Break” gives us crashing drums for a minute before minimal piano and light whispering vocals soothe you from the harsh begin. It’s here you know your in good hands. “Weapons” is a freaky electronic pulsing piece that’s about as heavy as the album gets with its intense middle and distorted noises.
The hip-hop feel comes out for “Betray” for the most direct song on the album which then stops and goes slow-mo for the final minute. “Stay” is dramatic like a channel 4 advert for its logo with its deep rich string arrangements. “Raise” reminds me of a mix of various stages of Bjork’s career.
“Tell” is an empty track with much solace and downbeat electric and acoustic music but despite not being happy it still manages to soothe and calm you down. It’s such a bizarre feeling but you can’t help it. This is opposed with the real down and dirty track “Wither” which is dark and bass infested. Somewhere inbetween the intricate piano led track “Stand” can easily bring you to tears. It’s been sometime since I can say that three tracks give you such a emotional ride, especially the climax which is like seeing the light and the end of a dark, dark tunnel. “War” then fades you out with what feels like you reaching out to death and letting go to the other side. “Epilogue” is then a beautiful end-credits like song where you open your eyes in a new plain – like you’ve broken the maze and bashed through the walls.
It’s been a while since a debut has sent me on such an emotional roller-coaster. I’m so glad I found this on the off chance. I recommend it whole hearted and this will definitely be in with a big chance of album of the year 2008.
Michiru Oshima – Ico ~Melodies In The Mist~ OST Review
Ico’s soundtrack, just like the game itself, shrouds you in mystery, throws you through melancholy and back again. The soundtrack holds 16 tracks, which only comes to just under half an hour of music, but for what it lacks in quantity it makes up for in quality.
Full of ambience, Ico’s composer, Michiru Oshima, has used three chords as a main base and constructed them in numerous ways to provide a sense of loneliness, loss, confusion and emptiness. This is done through ancient sounding guitars, ambient noises and little twinkle flurries in the background. Sometimes these chords are only barely noticeable, but the more you listen, the more appreciate the sheer intricacy of sound.
“Prologue” begins the album with an ambient breeze tune, which sets up an epic, tense atmosphere for the journey ahead. “Coffin” deepens this and adds grating sounds of confusion and isolation with music you’d more likely associate with Silent Hill! The combination of the two and the grandeur of the percussion and choir synths make it a track that will blossom with you the more you listen. “Impression” is where the soundtrack begins to take form though, introducing the three chords used for the female lead in the game, Yorda. This song comes across as a mirage, just like the flowing sounds have floated out from the mist.
“Castle In The Mist” is the first full-length song of the album, and makes up one of the two “real” songs of the album. It once again uses the three chords to fantastic effect with a couple of acoustic guitars and a bass one. The result is a fascinating blend of hypnotic chords, enhanced with layers with emotive guitar playing that captivated the listener with awe. The album is worth buying for just this song alone.
“Beginning” is an empty piano track that reflects the start of a friendship. The piano lingers after every line to give emphasis on the slow-but-steady Yorda’s need for help, almost as if it’s taking the song one step at a time. It’s a lovely song, if a little too short.
“Who Are You” reverts back to the three chords again, but with blunted synths to bring out surprise and unease, while “Darkness” is the first song to so far in the soundtrack to actually have a drum beat! The song comprises of ambient noises, which reflect darkness, pain and fear. This song is best listened to in the dark at night. In complete contrast, “Heal” is a happy little ditty, that is both melodic and angelic in the way it is played and the way it swings around the speakers. Sadly this too is a short piece and it always has you on the repeat button, it’s that soothing.
“The Gate” is back to normal again, with ambient sweeps of bottle whispers and hearts beating in the background, while “Queen” is a lengthier, dramatic song involving the same instruments.
“Continue” is the final melodic song in the game apart from the ending song, and it doesn’t disappoint. If you’ve ever heard raindrops falling down and thought you could make a song out of it, this is it. The drops spin round and round with lonely echoes, which continues the themes of loneliness and emptiness that’s held throughout the game. This song is truly hypnotic.
“Déjà vu” returns to the ambient slices and noises of before, before “Shadow” gives you a truly haunting song with muted flutes and xylophones with a female voice in the background, nearly screaming a tune out. That placed on dark humming noises makes for a terrifically dark piece. “Entity” continues the theme but with much more urgency with what sounds like a very convincing orchestra pounding out the strings to an operatic background vocal. The collection but together builds you up for the climax, which is the very empty “Collapse” which brings back the three chord pattern again to echo sounds through the mist and then out again into the open world.
Of course, the Vocal song “Ico – You Were There” rounds off the album nicely. The songs sung in a very high key, with a lovely melodic keyboard overriding ambient noises in the background. The song uses minimal instruments to emphasis just how strong melodies can be (i.e. the bond between Ico and Yorda) and gives us a climactic heartbreaking song, which leaves us shrouded in mystery once more in the ambient waves.
To get the maximum feeling of this journey through the mist, you need to listen to it uninterrupted and maybe even in the dark, but rarely does ambient music capture such raw emotions and leave you in a hypnotic state all at once. Mesmerising.
Tim Larkin – “Uru Music” Review
Tim Larkin’s music is filled with such ambient wonder, sometimes you get completely lost. This makes ideal music for series such as Myst. With “Uru Music”, Tim Larkin gives us a complete landscape of beauty to our ears.
“Atrus Open” is a spoken passage which ends with a climatic little flicker of string arrangement before the real music starts. “Beyond Gira” then takes us to the ambient outdoors with a surreal mixture of vocal layering, didgeridoo’s, desert percussion and distorted animal callings. The whole sound is organic with little digital nuances throughout and is very cleverly thoughtout. The song doesn’t grab you in terms of hooks and riffs, it just calmly sweeps you away on a journey.
“Out of The Hive” is up-tempo and exotic in its flavours and instruments. It seeps into your ears and I often find myself jigging in my seat to this one – quite a typical jungle song if you like. “Badlands” then brings the more digital electronic side to the fore with some fun eastern bass/percussion merging while the main tune is once again a pretty woodwind lead before string elements come in for the climax. “Gallery Theme” has what sounds like the previous songs bass/percussion only slowed down and muted to a soaring female vocal before she is accompanied by soft but saddened keyboards. It sounds very much like an Enya/Clannad piece actually, which is no bad thing.
“Air Stream” then brings acoustic guitar to the front with a country western inspired piece which is nice to relax to before “Yeesha’s Theme” takes you on a calm but not entirely settled ambient piece. The balance of the beautiful and the unnerving is particularly well done here and the song never stays still, a tribute to Tim Larkin there.
“Convergence” again finds itself in a similar aboriginal vein thanks to the tuned percussion (marimba’s, barafones etc) with another meditative jungle theme, which is showcased again in “The Well” before “Spore Me” gives us an ambience made entirely from keyboard pads, ala ambience of Final Fantasy X.
“Baron’s Theme” is one of echoes and tension. It doesn’t really grab you as a hooked song, as none of this soundtrack really has any major hooks, however it is haunting and well performed and falls seamlessly into “The Library” which is another nice if uneventful ambience piece.
“The Vault” is a 6 minute epic though, bringing out the percussive bongos, electronic snippets and all kinds of woodwind fun for a seamless journey off to somewhere baron yet full of wonder.
“Trailer Music” actually gives us the biggest music probably of the soundtrack in terms of pacing and drama as it works just like a trailer should. Its a very cinematic piece that borrows a bit from everything before it and rounds off with a nice climax. “Fall of D’Ni” is very much discorded ambience before “The Bahro” gives us deep ritual male vocal basslines and creepy moans of drums. There is a “Bonus Track” too which is possibly the most percussive track for a while which fades in and out quite happily.
“Uru Music” works best as a whole piece I think. It’s very much like the “Ico” soundtrack in that its beauty may well completely miss you if its not your kind of CD. While perhaps not as hypnotic as the “ICO OST”, it’s ambience is from a different perspective, not to confuse and ghostly warp, but to provide dead wasteland ambience of the unknown and it achieves that with great success. I would recommend this soundtrack to fans of ambience and also fans of the more laid back jungle themes they’ve heard before. It’s quite understated but a unique and pleasant experience nonetheless.
Vanessa Carlton – Heroes and Thieves Review
Well I bought it (see previous Vanessa post) and I’ve listened to it a few times now so I feel ready to review it.
Again its piano led pop-rock and this album slides inbetween the same gap that was formed between the previous two albums but it has the impression of “more of the same” and no real progression. That is good if you loved the first two albums, bad if you were expecting something different or more.
“Nolita Fairytale” is a fantastic single, as is “Hands on Me”. They are very commercial American pop that’s a little left of the middle and that’s why she should have done well out of them. Sadly that market has long since being sucked dry and diluted. “Nolita Fairytale”‘s hook easily rivals “A Thousand Miles” and so it starts off well and the end of “Hands on Me” with lots of voices going off in a type Carlton climax really works well. “Spring Street” swaps piano more for guitar and more vocal ad-libs which is pleasant if not as compelling as the previous duo.
“My Best” doesn’t work so well as it’s too happy and minimalistic at the same time and the ending sounds messy (apart from the after-fade out) and with the song coming across regal it backfires. “Come Undone” brings in the much in fashion these days organ but its a bit uninspired. The song itself is jolly and light enough before it gets to the middle of the song and suddenly you think…I’ve heard this chord progression before. Yes, its in almost every single middle bridge in the whole album… that’s not keeping in a thought pattern, its just lazy.
“The One” is another one that suffers from laziness with a poor ending and sticking to the same formulae. The title track is a bit more waltzy and brings a bit more much needed variety which is quickly dampened by “This Time” which is like a slower “Come Undone”. “Fools Like Me” then sounds exactly like “Hands on Me” to the point where its unfortunate.
“Home” is much needed piano/orchestra/vocal piece and the fact that this song is so good then infuriates as to why Vanessa seems to be stuck appealing to the masses when if she did her own thing a bit more she’d probably gain more of an identity. “More Than This” is another nice song showcasing Vanessa’s excellent voice.
I’m at a loss with this album. I enjoyed this album to listen to but was left wanting a little more. It appears that some of Vanessa’s songs have been regurgitated and it doesn’t work as well as “Harmonium”. For Vanessa to keep herself going she’ll need to change something for her next album at risk of making some of her better work becoming stale and samey. A shame.
Patrick Wolf – The Magic Position Review
Patrick Wolf’s third full length album “The Magic Position” is an excellent hybrid of alternative pop, electronic anthems and heart squeezing moments of beauty.
“The Magic Position” like previous albums has a certain hook that crops up throughout. First heard in the joyous “Overture” the violins shriek in joy with the drum rolls and complimented by Patrick’s soaring vocals. This disastrous pop to the minority is a new sound for Wolf and it works so well. The title track follows and that’s where it is most prominent. It’s like taking a cheesy euro-dance track and arranging it for the alternative fans. It’s quite unique until recently where others have jumped on-board but the song itself is genius demented fairytale. “Accident and Emergency” finishes the first trio off in electro pop heaven in similar vein to “Tristan” but less in your face.
“The Bluebell” is a bluesy introduction to “Bluebells” which uses firework sounds to cause an interesting drum circle in what is my joint favourite track on the album. It’s very much like a coming together of Patrick’s acoustic and electronic sides in a perfect mix, singing a dark happy song with downbeat lyrics. It’s such a mish-mash its fantastic. My other favourite track “Magpie” follows, like something Kate Bush should have written, Patrick takes on the voice of a Magpie in a bizarre duet that works so creepily and beautifully at the same time with piano and violin adding effect. Again, genius.
Ambient “X” leads into “Augustine” a lovely relatively straightforward band effort and as its the one one it comes across fresh and it’s catchy melody strays with you for long after. “Secret Garden” may only be a minute and a half with only two lines but it encompasses artistic elements and story telling in a great way and is my favourite and most original short piece on the album.
“Get Lost” returns to the delightful alt-pop deliriously happy side of the album to great effect singing all about the best parts of love. “Enchanted” is a jazz/blues fused smokey bar song and a rare quiet moment on the album but I quickly overlook it for that. Mainly because “Stars” is such a fantastic closer of electric bleeps and a slow build up that pays off with an emotional climax. “Finale” finishes off with a one note extension that’s similar to holding the last chord on a concert while you get a standing ovation…
…And that’s what “The Magic Position” gets. A standing ovation from start to end. It’s deliriously off kilter, mainstream and alternative all at the same time. Patrick deserves every piece of credit as with three albums in he shows no signs of weakness and if his originality holds out I can already see his 4th album to be a roaring success.
Utada Hikaru – Prisoner of Love Single
Hikki is busy! Now there’s another single from the album “Heart Station”. The popular “Prisoner of Love” will come as a CD/DVD single only with a quiet version of the song as the b-side along with karaoke editions of both versions. Do we really need another single? That leaves just 4 songs full length songs from Heart Station that have not already been singles so if you’ve got all the singles you’ve got two thirds of the album already. Madness.
Lisa Gerrard – New Albums & Scores
Lisa Gerrard is busy in 2008. After releasing a greatest hits last year she returns with a new album and has worked on a few film scores too. The film scores are to Japanese horror film “ichi”, a documentary on the cold war called “Defector” and an Australian film called “Playing For Charlie”.
The new album see’s Lisa collaborate again, this time with Michael Edwards and seem’s to be following another ballad sound. I hope for a return to form for Lisa with this after “The Silver Tree” was very hit and miss with me.
Dead Can Dance – Unreleased Song
While trawling through the vast lands of YouTube I came across a bizarre but fantastic live performance of an unreleased Dead Can Dance song entitled “The Children’s Toy” recorded back in 1986! Lots of DCD’s live content wasn’t always released so it’s great to still have new stuff surfacing after all these years!
Live Vault – Emiliana Torrini
This weeks Live Vault is a TV performance from the delicate Emiliana Torrini. Best known (criminally) for singing the closing track on Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Many don’t know that she’s an accomplished solo artists with two fantastic albums widely available and other not so easy to find albums previously. This TV performance takes 3 songs from her most recent album “Fisherman’s Woman” – a fantastic acoustic album.
Ayumi Hamasaki – Asia Tour 2007 DVD Live & Documentary Review
Not a few months goes by without something Ayu-orientated being released! This is her latest DVD taken from the 2007 Asia tour, Ayumi’s first. Also a first is the fact that an on-the-road documentary comes with it. However instead of coming separate to the concert, its mish-mashed together in one heap so for those of you who like an uninterrupted concert (like me) will have the next chapter button on standby!
The concert filmed itself is typical Hamasaki. High quality visuals, costumes, sets, background videos, dances and catchy songs. Although nothing new is really performed here (it appears to be a compilation of older sets brought out to Asia) its all done to the highest standard. It is noticeable however that there’s a lack of songs from “Secret” (the current album at the time) and no songs from “(miss)understood”. Many tour staples are here instead.
The documentary actually looks very interesting showing production meetings, stage design and various stages of development. The highlights were seeing what goes on behind the scenes and under the stage during a show. I’ve always wondered about her costume changes and now I know! No wonder she’s crying sometimes… It’s just a shame there’s no subtitles for English viewers but I was still entertained.
This DVD isn’t an absolute must have for Ayu fans as the concert is nothing new but the documentary is good viewing. I enjoyed it emmensely but beware: its more like a best of concert than showing new set pieces.
Why Pay the Earth for the Unsuccessful?
Today I’m annoyed. I have just paid £30 pounds for a Soft Cell CD that I’ve sat and waited on for ages. Their forgotten commercial disaster that was “This Last Night in Sodom” barely received a CD release and therefore is deemed a collectors item it seems. Why?
A group that has sold millions will have a few more collectable singles sure, but a whole album? Just because it didn’t sell at the time, why should be penalised in not having a proper release later on in a new format. Even the “rarities” CD “Bedsit Demos” fetches only 7 or 8 pounds from dealers. Still, this price tag means I’ll enjoy it even more hopefully…
Utada Hikaru – Heart Station Review
Utada Hikaru’s 5th album “Heart Station” is possibly her lightest and definitely her grooviest album to date. Packed with computerised basslines and barely an organic sound in earshot this is a one lady dance-fest to the late hours.
“Fight the Blues” opens the album with a good prediction of what’s to come. Light percussion, heavy thick bass and catchy choruses. Utada’s vocal style hasn’t changed but then her vocals always have power and emotion throughout. “Heart Station” follows with this albums repeating theme of vocal ad-lib bridges. I thought the song was very basic upon first listen but its beauty is in its simplicity and is now a firm favourite. Rounding off the trio dance tracks to open the album you have the excellent “Beautiful World” which to me reminds me of a sped up “Keep Tryin’” which is no bad thing. In fact I’d say this is first album which really overlaps with a previous one. “Heart Station” is very much twin to “Ultra Blue” in style, but is more the upbeat twin whereas “Ultra Blue” was more of a pessimistic twin.
“Flavor of Life ~Ballad Version~” is up next with its excellent string arrangements making it the only song to not feature completely digital music and despite going at a fair pace this is one of only two ballad style songs. The second “Stay Gold” is my favourite of the album. There is something so very delicate about it with its high pitched layered vocals, its slow but ever present drum beat and echoing piano that really brings out the very best of Utada. Outstanding.
“Kiss & Cry” brings back up the tempo with a pre-chorus stolen from her English person’s “Hotel Lobby”. This song also took two or three listens to get used to but again I find myself singing along happily now. “Gentle Beast Interlude” mixes lots of the albums ad-libs together to a beat which quickly becomes “Celebrate”. This track has something very early 1990′s about it and is unabashedly joyous – like most of the work on this album.
“Prisoner of Love” is possibly the darkest the album becomes and even that’s got a foot stomping drum track to it! There’s a lot of English here for a Japanese track which is nice, perhaps foretelling where Utada’s next English album will go? This track harks back to her “Distance” album in terms of style but is more mature.
Then we have “Take 5″ which consists of slow drum beats and speedier synthesisers and comes across like a space anthem but the way how it just stops suddenly mid line without warning/fade out/anything was so jarring I thought I had a faulty disc! The tracks great but the endings confusing!
However “Boku Wa Kuma” comes up next, despite a few people moaning that it doesn’t belong. It actually fits rather nicely considering the happy tones to the album as a whole so it doesn’t feel out of place… and who didn’t find Kuma-Chan’s blog random and fun to read. “Niijiro Basu” ends the album with a joyous, simple song that might appear throw away to begin with but its bouncy enough to stay in your mind for long after its finished. “Flavor of life” is also included in its original “Heart Station”-ed version at the end for the first press.
“Heart Station” is much a continuation of “Ultra Blue” but with happiness turned up a few notches. Is that a bad thing? Not for me! Each song is single worthy and would easily top charts and the fact that the only problem I have is that I’ve already bought half the album in singles should speak volumes. Anyone wanting to join J-Pop, infact anyone looking for some catchy music that seems very absent these days in Western music would do well to pick up this magical album.
