sleeplog24(4)
March was mostly electronic and grind (separately), I saw Botch live (and met Mort), I saw Napalm Death Pig Destroyer Wormrot and Primitive Man in one night and almost died, got really into Aphex Twin because it's Aphex Twin, lots of EPs tbh because it was a very busy month re work and I had no time and therefore the sadness. April also busy so far not listened to much cri but onwards and upwards. |
| 1 |  | Ghost (SWE)
Phantomime
1st April 2024
Dad Rock [2023]
It's another covers EP! It's fine! Good on a roadtrip. [3] |
| 2 |  | Ravi Shankar
Three Ragas
4th April 2024
Hindustani Classical Music [1956]
Ragaragaraga. I am reading Monolithic Undertow by Harry Sword (all about the musical history of the DRONE) and he strongly recommends Ravi (who is apparently iconic and not someone I was aware of i am dumb) the godfather of psych in rock/pop in the 60s (inadvertently and begrudgingly). Excellent, sauce filled mind benders, very beautiful, kind of m/, all around stunning boi from the 50s. I think he also influenced Robbie Basho and the whole American Primitivism thing which I dig. [4] |
| 3 |  | Trap Them
Crown Feral
5th April 2024
Grindcore / Metalcore / Crust [2016]
I was jamming Jane Doe tbh and this came up next on recommended songs on Apple Music or whatever and goddamn it slaps. A bit clean with squeaky cheese but I mean come on now it is just very fun riffs smashed into face. [3.5] |
| 4 |  | Trap Them
Seizures In Barren Praise
5th April 2024
Grindcore / Metalcore / Crust [2008]
One thing led to another and here we are. Feels very proto-Nails, on reflection, particularly the closer. Comparisons to Converge making lots of sense. [3.5] |
| 5 |  | Shabazz Palaces
Black Up
6th April 2024
Abstract / Experimental Hip Hop [2011]
Digable Planets with a bit of extra wonk. Been meaning to check since (checks notes) like 2016??? Been saved to my Spotify forever. It’s cool! I swear this had a rep for being Death Grips -y and idk where I got that from but it is not. Closer is everything. Everything else feels weird and I like it. Proto-Clipping. [3.5] |
| 6 |  | Adrianne Lenker
Bright Future
7th April 2024
Folk [2024]
Probably my most anticipated record of the year and whoop whoop it is the good things. Doesn’t try replicate the floaty, indescribable, magic of ‘songs’, does it’s own thing, vivid personal pages from diary approach, rich, textured, green. Occasionally very Mount Eerie, occasionally very SKM, but always very Lenker. She talked with Fantano about how she doesn’t like to create albums, just write songs in the moment, reflective of the moment, and to then present that moment in whatever form the moment chooses to take. This feels like that. Last one took years to properly fall for we shall see. [4] |
| 7 |  | John Fahey
Fare Forward Voyagers (Soldier's Choice)
7th April 2024
American Primitivism [1973]
That transcendental steel thing. [4] |
| 8 |  | Frail Body
Artificial Bouquet
7th April 2024
Blackened Skramz [2024]
Okay we are mostly back on schedule with another 24’ hype bomb and it (mostly) doesn’t miss the mark. Big epic sadness tornado. Riffs are kinda eh, but the energy and songwriting and general f e e i n g make up for it. Agree with whoever said this was Sunbather-ish; this is true. [3.5] |
| 9 |  | John Coltrane
Lush Life
8th April 2024
Cool Jazz / Bop [recorded 1957-58, released 1961]
Weird prestige release tucked between Giant Steps and My Favourite Things, really doesn’t fit, makes sense given recording date and the fact that the first 3 tracks were recorded with a pianist no-show. Still Coltrane, still honey lubricant to ears and soul, but more regular in its contours. [3.5] |
| 10 |  | Terry Riley
A Rainbow In Curved Air
8th April 2024
Minimalism [1969]
Side A is pure happiness. Side B is weird. Intended as palliative calm zone between psychedelic drone marithons. Apparently Terry would improvise longer versions for hours and hours in the late 60s. Ghost in the machine. Bloops with charisma. Cool!!! [4] |
| 11 |  | Tipper
Broken Soul Jamboree
8th April 2024
Downtempo / Glitch Hop / Psybient [2010]
Chill the fuck out. With me. Head floating in the clouds with the weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. [4] |
| 12 |  | The National
High Violet
9th April 2024
Midlife crisis [2010]
It’s a record by the band the National and it is one of the good ones. I want to kill myself. [4] |
| 13 |  | Elliott Smith
Roman Candle
10th April 2024
Folk [1994]
Currently justifying its [4] based solely on the title track - rest is lovely but kinda guarded and sad in that ES way and is gonna take some time to warm to. God he was brilliant, though. |
| 14 |  | Duke Ellington and John Coltrane
Duke Ellington and John Coltrane
10th April 2024
Cool Jazz [recorded 1962, released 1963]
This is just nice. No funny business. Mildly janky in vibe tone etc which brings the experience down a notch. First track is perfect. [3.5] |
| 15 |  | Thelonious Monk
Straight, No Chaser
12th April 2024
Cool Jazz / Post Bop [1967]
I just skipped this man’s entire discog and went from 1940 something to the late 60s and it’s a big ol head snap yet nothing has changed. Monk really does have an unmistakable pop in his playing, the weird reharmonisations, janky rhythms, the thump and the stab to his chords, the way you can hear him (and the bassist?) mumbling and humming along throughout these recordings. It’s jazz in a danceable, happy, playful place. Winding long boi Japanese Folk Song is where this really kicks into something else. Rich and gloopy, and light and sparking. [4] |
| 16 |  | Iron Lung
Sexless // No Sex
12th April 2024
Powerviolence [2007]
Checked because cylinder. Good pv slap me up real good. [3.5] actually wait it’s more than that it’s doom it’s scuzz it’s fucked [4] actually it’s Aight [3.5] |
| 17 |  | Unruh
Setting Fire to Sinking Ships
12th April 2024
Metalcore / Grindcore / pv / sludge / death [1999]
This is lots of things. [3.5] |
| 18 |  | Swans
Children of God
14th April 2024
Gothic Rock / Post-Punk [1987]
Real gothic cowboy punk hours bois who up? Clanging hypnotic tings. Great atmos. Standing in cathedral with an beer. Pissing on the pews. Damn you to hell. [3.5] maybe a grower when that atmos latches on |
| 19 |  | Tim Hecker
Haunt Me, Haunt Me Do It Again
14th April 2024
Ambient / Drone [2001]
Sine waves guide me to sleep. [4] |
| 20 |  | Oneohtrix Point Never
R Plus Seven
14th April 2024
Ambient / Glitch [2013]
I feel like I’m floating inside a hunk of PlayStation 2. Blue, Pink, Green, Purple, Matt, Plastic, Joy. Textural and a pleasant place to be. [4] |
| 21 |  | Tony Conrad With Faust
Outside The Dream Syndicate
15th April 2024
Minimalism / Krautrock / Drone [1973]
See review it good boy. [4] |
| 22 |  | Whores.
War
16th April 2024
Noise Rock [2024]
See review. Is fun. But okay. [3.5] |
| 23 |  | Faust
Faust IV
17th April 2024
Krautrock [1973]
Krautjesters do be jesting. Quirky goof psych dingles from that late 60s early 70s hive of German post-war creativity. Lurches in too many directions for me - I prefer the long form noisy wiggles to the more psych rock oriented sound, but good! Need to check their debut. [3.5] |
| 24 |  | Brian Eno
Before and After Science
18th April 2024
Art Rock / Ambient Pop [1977]
Gosh this really sneaks up on you, don’t it? Starts out in early Eno flair with a bit of glam, post-punk, kraut and other dated (albeit charming) antics BUT THEN it blooms into this gorgeous ambient pop hybrid thing that is gorgeous!!! Epic prod, super elegant tunes, effortless and light and airy but substantial, too. Enoman you are the man. [4] |
| 25 |  | Amon Duul II
Phallus Dei
19th April 2024
Krautrock / Psych Rock / Prog [1969]
God’s dick takes the biscuit. Insane album. Nothing like what I thought the og krautrock scene entailed. No wonder they all hated the label. Sprawling, haunting, difficult, happy. [4] |
| 26 |  | Einsturzende Neubauten
Halber Mensch
21th April 2024
Industrial Rock [1985]
Oops we let the devil in. Best vocalist? Yu-gung is insane. Primal thumps. Tribal. Great prod, filthy but rich. Probs underrating [3.5] it’s just a scary place to be and am scared. |
| 27 |  | Iron Maiden
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
21st April 2024
Heavy Metal / Prog [1988]
The cheese between my toes has begun to riff. Flamboyant escapism that’s hard to get lost in? Idk I like the chugga but prefer powerslave and number of the beast; the prog edge is not my preferred edge, without a dm overlay. [3.5] |
| 28 |  | Taylor Swift
1989
21st April 2024
Pop [2014]
Finally jamming a TS album better late than never [2]. |
| 29 |  | Cryptopsy
Blasphemy Made Flesh
21st April 2024
Brutal / Blackened DM [1994]
Big old ripper this jfc slap face into concrete for ever and ever and ever. [4] filthy folding furniture |
| 30 |  | Einsturzende Neubauten
Zeichnungen des Patienten O.T.
21st April 2024
Industrial / Noise [1983]
Genuinely fucked. OG industrial scene still doesn’t entirely make sense to me. Feels on the one hand like it’s aged poorly and on the other is still truly hideous and ugly and difficult. Will keep plugging away. This is metal creeping up behind you and it hates you. [3] |
| 31 |  | Rafael Toral
Spectral Evolution
22nd April 2024
Ambient / Electroacoustic [2024]
Beautiful twisted little thing. The flight of a thousand tiny birbs. Somewhere between happy and sad. Eerie with rainbows. Overtones over tones. You get a chirp of jazz and a flutter of classical and then it just vanishes back into the drone. Fleeting. Some albums get better (oddly) when you spend a bit of time not listening to them, post listen, just thinking. [4] |
| 32 |  | Ramones
Ramones
23rd April 2024
Punk Rock / Pop [1976]
Fun. [3.5] |
| 33 |  | Glenn Branca
The Ascension
23rd April 2024
No-Wave / Drone / Post-Rock / Noise [1981]
Possibly the best album. [4.5] |
| 34 |  | Flipper
Album – Generic Flipper
24th April 2024
Noise Rock / Punk Rock [1982]
1982 man was this pre-Filth? Jeez. Sex Bomb!!! Like ramones with more grooves and fuzz and sweat and feedback. Love the proto-doom grooves this almost careens into. [3.5] highlights are insane lowlights are eh |
| 35 |  | Suicide
Suicide
24th April 2024
Synth Punk / No Wave [1977]
Utterly unique in my musical know how for this era. Minimalist, hooky groovy weirdness, angular but eraser edge rounded. Idfk man - proto Spiritualized proto Xiu Xiu, proto a lot of things. [4] |
| 36 |  | Patricia Taxxon
TECHDOG 1
24th April 2024
IDM / Glitch [2023]
Here we go? Deconstructed popcorn popping and rainbow bacon with the sour bits. Glee. All songs 2 mins I wonder how that process works - do you set out to write em all at 2, and use that brevity cap as creative prison guard; or create a fuckton of that good shit, find a smol snippet, and call it a song? Idk, whatever the method, it’s cool. Like flash cards passing over eyes, click, click, click, breathcatching BANNED, you just gotta soak in what you can. Caps songs potential but also v cute, like looking through a thousand key holes, whistlestop, the unknown as exciting as the known. [4] |
| 37 |  | Patricia Taxxon
TECHDOG 2
25th April 2024
IDM / Glitch [2023]
Snippets become collage. There’s ///more/// here, more a sense of Patricia pulling Techdog’s strings, dancing and dancing and dancing, characterful and charismatic and charming in the way all the best e l e c t r o n i c can be. The shimmer of nostalgia, juvenile face smeared in strawberry ice cream, thumping sub bass, tectonic synth shine. Ends in a darker place than we began, but still smiling, curious. [4] |
| 38 |  | Patricia Taxxon
TECHDOG 3
25th April 2024
IDM / Glitch [2023]
This is a dumping ground for review notes I hope you realise this (the void says nothing). Feeling like the most realised techdog so far, the dog of tech coming into focus, songwriting > texture and whimsy alone. Wondering (now) whether this project was meant to be explored once and then left behind, incomprehensible track names, imprint of person on ears, just leave it there. Weird mind games involved knowing the project gets like 20% longer (compounded) each LP, each day, like staring into a chasm of jelly babies that keeps crumbing at the edges. Less breathless immediacy, long form shapes to move to, pastel techno. Taxxon gets narrative without lyrics. Like a story, unfurled, via synth lines you can sing. [4] v diff to 1/2 but real nice pretty ambient-y |
| 39 |  | Patricia Taxxon
TECHDOG 4
26th April 2024
IDM / Glitch [2023]
Joyous how well produced all of these are, yet they don’t shy away from stirring some muck in with the glitter. Feels earthy, found, real, like dusty internet relic despite release date 6 months ago. ASMR adjacent, but not in a way that feels diluted - the songwriting here, with boosted 8 minute track lengths, is the slowest patientest most evidently thoughtful of the bunch to date, slipping into more ambient slippers, plus glitch pop snap sizzle fortified. Fruity, light, hope. Sonic stage songs for imaginary places. Got me thinking about how accessible and weird music dissemination is in 2024 - you just couldn’t put out a twelve hour professionally produced 7 LP comp over 7 days FOR FREE in any other previous decade. It’s genuinely affecting. To offer a slice of yourself to the servers and soundwaves. To love sound again. [4] |
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