Saturday, November 7, 2015

Hans-Joachim-Roedelius & Leon Muraglia - Ubi Bene (Passus Records)


"Ubi panis ibi patria." - "Where there is bread (plenty of food), there is my country."

"Ubi bene ibi patria" - "Homeland is place where is good for me.."


I'm sorry, you just can't escape harsh reality and breaking news, headlines: we are all witnessing  the human tragedies, one of the greatest in the history. Millions of people are forced to go and leaving their homes, their patrias, and going to uncertain future. Actually if there is future where they go, they go to the Western World unfortunately like living stock. One thing; I have survived and passed through Bosnian Civil War as a kid, feel fortunate enough. I don't share their destiny and their walk of shame, and sleepless nights, fears. I don't share their uncertainty for tomorrow morning - for now. For now we all should be thankful and thinking about it. And I hope we will find solution. If you are in situation to help: help if you can. Or maybe you don't share my point of view.

Young Roedelius came to Berlin as a student and become part of something what will become movement of global cultural influence.In grim time of human human history, that political conflict Cold War was a mother of all other smaller, real wars of that time. And Cold War was one thing, that we are all glad it didn't become physical real, actual war. It could bring us to points of extinction.




Roedelius, as you know, first become part of few young people gathered around Human Being project and part of Zodiak Free Arts Lab collective who experimented with music, technology - they were looking for a new way of expressions. Actually it was space, some kind of gathering  place for all young Berliners. Also their specific situation: they were kids of that era, of fear, conspiracy, and possible nuclear war. And specially for the Germans: the shame and shadow of 2nd World War. 



And secondly, he and his long-life musical partner Dieter Moebius become part of crucial German electronic group Kluster, and later Cluster (after departure of Conrad Schnitzler - you can expect review of his new album soon on this blog). Both incarnation of the band's albums was produced by legendary Conny Plank, producer of many pivotal krautrock records, and also bands like Ultra Vox, Eurythmics, DAF, Killing Joke, Brian Eno, Devo and others.




As a Kluster they recorded two records full of industrial and hypnotic beats. Songs had biblical references and it's funny cause those records which contains only two tracks and 50 minutes of industrial noise - each record, was financed by christian catholic organization. After departure of Schnitzler, Cluster signed to Phillips, and released two pretty electronic and experimental albums: Cluster and Cluster 2.
Around that time they had meet  Michael Rother guitarist from NEU!, and the formed something like krautrock supergroup: Harmonia, released two albums, the masterpieces: Music from Harmonia and Deluxe.



Again, as Cluster they release Sowieso, and two albums with Brian Eno, After The Heat and Cluster and Eno. Then they release Grosses Wasser - last great record record from the duo before they went separated ways. But never stopped releasing extraordinary music. And also this text is about something else.



Year is 2015 and Hans-Joachim Roedelius has joined forces with Leon Muraglia. They have released Ubi Bene, and that's why are we here. And as I have seen the name of the album, it made me go political on this one. Album is full of (let's call it) classical krautrock sounds and tracks like Red in Circular Loop, My Heart and Mind Were Disposed..., A Reflection in Deep Sea. Especially last one had that piano child-ish like song which sounds like later, more melodic Cluster phase. Or we have dark and bleak, industrial, experiment-ish (reminds me on my fav Cluster 2) tracks like A Machine Dreams (only 21 seconds long!!!), There is a Huge Duck Standing Right behind You/The haunted Space, Surface That Appear To Change. There is beautiful, ambient, and melodic tracks perfect for home or if you are in-full-clothes-enjoying-those-winter-small-amounts-of-Sun-in-your-garden soundtrack like: She Had Always Loved Vienna, Gently Falling Snow, A Nostalgia For Lollipops. And even droney track Cloud Iridiscence  (I played that one at the after party, yes). Of course there is even track that sounds like it is borrowed from Autechre or Boards of Canada - (which could be only a pretty good comparison), it mean they're in good company and could easily fit in standard DJ techno set.

Ubi Bene is mellow and it is quite contemporary, full sounds that reminiscence on a good side of life. It is optimistic and made me get up and go to buy a bottle of fine red wine. To share it with my girl.Yes there are bad things in life, and awful things happening in the world right now as I type. People's greed will always make other people suffer, as you can read in the beginning of the text. But for now I will spend two hours with wine, person I love and Ubi Bene on repeat. Actually me getting up and flipping the discs every little while.




Something more, I guess Leon Muraglia is here, in this album 50%, just like Roedelius. I hope we can expect more from him in the days/years to come, and I see this is first release of Passus Records so I'll keep my eye on him and them also. Next time, if there could be another Roedelius/Muraglia project I would buy it cause I saw Muraglia, just like I bought this one with just reading Roedelius. This joke is on Roedelius.  





For all of you who love to flow around, check this mixcloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/Kosmische/

If you want to know more about his life, by his own words, say Thank You to peeps at Resident Advisor:




damir.plicanic@gmail.com

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Moritz Von Oswald Trio - Sounding Lines (Honest Jon's)




"It continues a career-long fascination with dub reggae – Jamaica’s contribution to minimalism – where vocals were removed, drums beefed up, and then cloaked in delay and echo. Von Oswald’s greatest innovation was to take the method and apply it to techno, resulting in pan-Atlantic tracks tinged with dread." - Moritz Von Oswald; interview from The Guardian

"I was always a sound guy." - Moritz Von Oswald



It is hardest way to start writing a piece of review, for example review of  Moritz Von Oswald Trio's LP. Why? Let's do this fast! We all have heard about dub techno, right? We all enjoy in deepness, repetitive bass lines and wanted those tracks to last for whole eternity. Yes Moritz Von Oswald is the key figure in German techno, band/label/genre itself, he is also the godfather of Dub Techno, lover and passionate collector of Jamaican music, one half of Basic Channel/Rhythm and Sound (with Mark Ernestus - we can talk for hours about this guy, owner of Hardwax, and creator of Dubplates and Mastering studio), Maurizio (Von Oswald's solo dub techno project), and of course Moritz Von Oswald Trio.


               Mark Ernestus, Moritz Von Oswald, Sasu Rippati  cca 2010

A collective of electronic music's true vanguards, whose solo project were always exploring new territory. Super groups at least in modern Pop music are always threatened to keep status quo: " just do what you are best at, do your part, and then together play one old song" - so everyone can play their part, audience's favorite .
In techno things are different, people are really, when they work together, trying to push each other more, and over the possibilities to go even further the border. So, first incarnation of bend was Von Oswald, Mark Ernestus (NSI, Sun Electric) and Sasu Rippati aka Vladisalv Delay. Von Oswald was on mixing board and rhythm machine, Rippati was behind drums, and  Ernestus analog synths, synthysayzers: constatly jamming and combining Afro rhythms, dub, Jazz, electronica, ambient and space sounding passages and techno. Also we know that everyone of them pushed their own sound further and further. They still do.
One thing you got to know, the idea behind Moritz Von Oswald Trio is to jam, just like in Jazz, musicians simply play with each other, in the mold which is based around main rhythm, till the time itself simply disperce, to be forgotten. This old idea of musicians playing for no reason, only here musicians are electronic musicians with their wired, pluged-in equipment. Surely they weren't first, but absolutely they did it best, as far as you ask me... and trust me, lots of them screwed with my brain musically for most over 25 years. Idea is to take something like jazz jammin' and recording it. The same Modus Operandi is used on ALL albums.

The picture, above, made circa 2010 is pictured when first album Vertical Ascent came out. Strong industrial railway-like rhythm, but spaced out sounds and tones. In one moment you could hear something like rocket ship ascending, and then the rest of the album went into more space-y, more free float-y atmosphere. So for me it was storytelling from the industrial revolution to the space traveling.




Second album was a little bit lighter with the rhythm sections then previous. But more dubby and  influenced by Caribbean rhythms. Even some of other musicians joined the crew: Paul St Hilaire - long time Rhythm and Sound collaborator, on guitar that gave you that mellow, relaxed feeling (and of course it's delay-ed and reverb-ed), and also on the second guitar there was Tobias Freund (whose name is associated with, mostly Ostgut Ton, and other labels and releases, also master of production and mastering - aka Tobias., or his collaboration with Atom TM, NSI with (Max Ernestus) was also playing a guitar.
Horizontal Structures in one moment takes us, from Caribbean techno suddenly goes to our Megapolises, and it's perfect soundtrack for observating the Sun - reflecting from skyscrapers and glass. So it's no wonder lots of sounds that reminds on steel and breaking the glass.


 

Well Fetch was the album that didn't grab my attention as first two. Formulaic isn't a bed word in here. They add some more live instruments like Flute, Saxophone and Clarinet. It's more melodic, and maybe more dubby. Sure, I recommend it, but as I said I didn't spend more time with it to catch more from it, maybe you will.



But if you want to hear it how all that sounds live, how their compositions sound before live audience, which is recorded and released too. An interesting live album and I considerate it more funnier than others LP's. Main technician behind main mixer is legendary Francoise Kevorkian who sometimes mixes some samples live. Also worth of mentioning, you can hear cheers from the crowd, in the moment when Carl Craig join the rest of the band to play some keyboards. Those 40 minutes (39:40 to be exact) are thrilling and show how they perfectly operate in live environments. Pure joy.



But Sounding Lines brings some changes. First of all Sasu Rippati is not involved in project, but there is drummer, a drummer that, I'm sure you will place him in top 10 drummers of the world ever: Tony Allen.
I think he don't need any introduction (but who needs there is link on his name). And yes, with Tony Allen's involvement sound evolved, especially on rhythms. Rhythms are changed, they become slightly aggressive and funky. Some reviwers said that Von Oswald restrain Allen, something like:" He have one of largest living drummer on the world and he didn't gave him chance to show his full potential." Tony Allen really incorporate himself into what Moritz Von Oswald Trio does. Album is more danceable than others. Tracks are faster, except in Sounding Line 4 which is space, slow dub track, and Sounding Line 5 (Spectre), dubby and jazzy ambient excursion into afterlife. Maybe the best track on whole album - there is something voodoo and outer this dimension of life inside it.
And when I describe all albums of Moritz Von Oswald Trio's career, you know what you can expect; sorry you can only guess. It's masters at play. Very serious play. These all texts could stand in one sentence: Techno, Dub and Jazz played by the people who loves it, and do that all their lives, do that with such easyness and perfection.
 







I find this on the internet, and if anyone is interested in original Moritz Von Oswald mixing deck, here is your chance to get it here.




damir.plicanic@gmail.com


Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Always searchin' for new material





Playlist:
1. Emptyset - Signal 1
2. Vampillia & Lustmord - Deep Curent
3. Moon Zero - Nauru
4. Varg & Vanity Production - Eugenie de Montijo
5. Troum & Raison d'etre - Oculum Mundi
6. N(42) & Dirk Serries - NAHS 1 23 2 14
7. Cremation Lily & False Moniker - Blue Star, Summer Orbit
8. Xiu Xiu - Twin Peaks Ambien 1
9. Mon0 - Forgotten Gods



Dear friends, girls and boys, this is Damir Plicanic typening. I'm listening some music, then write about it. Also I have Podcast, where I put mixes from my friends and some nice people who share same passion for music.

I want to make this blog some kind of hub where people would come around read something, hear some good mix, and maybe wanted to talk about it. That's all.

But I want something else. I want to (yes this is big word) inspire people to listen (obscure? music) quality and good music, to go and make music, to mix music music
- to have fun!!!


I would like if there is some more peeps who want to make and mix music, and want to share with others. If you think you want to do that, to make a mix, or to make music and represent it in form of mix, please don't hesitate. Contact me on, usual, damir.plicanic@gmail.com, and we will start from there.

First of all I want to hear great, beautiful and strange music and exclusivly unique and obscure.
We put it on my podcast series named "Don't Care About Podcast". Which is uploaded on my personal mixcloud profile. You can do whatever you want, mix this with that, beat-matching? No-problem. No beat-matching? No problem. Just send on damir.plicanic@gmail.com and we will hear it first, and see what shall we do.


There is ONLY ONE rule: mix must be exclusive to datzee.blogspot.ba!!! It must NOT be released  anywhere, and it must not be uploaded anywhere else. Yes you can share it, and listen to it, even if you want it we can put download link for personal use (some people just wanna listen on their ipod, for example), you can record your live set, you can change your name and shroud yourself in mystery by putting some other name (I think there is only one real name in this blog, and that is mine).


So thank you for your time, to read this, and if you wanna join in, make a mix, make some music (but try to send it in form of mix) - You are welcome. You know email, it is there.... don't worry it is always on the end of text.


You see that mix. It took me two hours to do all, choose the tracks, mixed, and upload on my mixcloud profile. You can do that too.


Enjoy my the mix, there will be more mixes, in dronemedronemedroneme series. I will do part two... whenever I desire.


Damir



damir.plicanic@gmail.com

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Don't Care About Podcast 007: redizork - Njeno Poimanje Vremena





Our dear guest for our 007 mix is redizork. redizork is audio/visual artist from everywhere. He is passionate about Drone and weird electronics, so you should check some more of his mixes on his redizork mixcloud .
Translation from Serbo-Croat is: Her Own Meaning of Time.
This mix puts ordinary listener in some kind of time:space bubble, where he/she drifts till the end of mix. Also there is romantic side to it, those tracks have certain romantic feel.
Romantic Drone! Remember people, where have you first heard/read it. Romantic Drone is coined by Datzee from datzee.blogspot.ba. And spread the news. Also spread a mix if you like it

Dear redizork thank you, and all others who contributed for series Don't Care About Podcast, and I hope you people will enjoy in his Romantic Drone. Also the cover picture is also redizork's art.

playlist:
Waterflower - Calm
Gimu - Hidden In Darkness
Rafael Anton Irisarri - Empire Systems
Moon Zero - The Solipsist
Dino Spiluttini - Ice/Age
Fingers - Escape Into The Bushes
Abul Mogard - State-Coloured Storm
N(42) & Dirk Serries - N H D S I 23 2 14
Lee Noble - Holy Ghost People
Ancient Ocean - Absolution
Simon Scott - An Angel From The Sea Kissed Me


For more info and blog and reviews, also and other mixes go to: datzee.blogspot.ba
If you want to download it, or to download any mix from series and others, contact me via email.
Also if zou wanna contribute and spread your message, your music, sound and vision also contact as via
damir.plicanic@gmail.com

Thank You!

damir.plicanic@gmail.com

Monday, November 2, 2015

Donato Dozzy - The Loud Silence (Further)


Let's imagine we hold the camera. There's drifting wind, white rocks, the shore of Mediterranean Sea, an old white house, with blue windows. Focus on the boy, the family taking their stuff from a family car - red Fiat - if You want. Scenes of happiness, laughter between grown men sitting by the table, woman yells on children to not go to far away, cause lunch will be served soon. Close zoom on another bottle of wine opened on the table, in front of house. Camera follows the boy who is separated himself from the other kids, looking something in house. Camera focuses on the wall where are some small household items. There she is... Marranzano. Cut!


In other parts of the world known as Jew's harp, Maultrommel, Ozark's harp or simply: Mouth Harp. One of the ancients instruments, known in almost every civilization, the lonely man's companion through out the centuries and continents.



Now let's back to the boy, little movie magic and boy is man, in his finest years. His name is Donato Scaramuzzi. His is well-known for his Donato Dozzy moniker. Producer and DJ of hypnotic, deep, trance-state techno of the highest quality and with sonic perfection. He is one-half of avant-garde techno project Voices From The Lake, which album of the same name Voices From The Lake (Prologue), with production maestro Neel, is still for me the best techno album of the 21st century.
The story is true, if press release writings don't lie. Little Donato used to go, during  ferragosto (that's Italian collective summer vacation in Italy), to same Sicilian village, where he had found (or it it has found him) simple like a toy, but unique musical instrument. It has one vibrating metal, or piece of bamboo, attached to other horse shoe-like metal. You put it on your mouth to hold it, and triggering (with your fingers) vibrating metal. And then use your mouth, the meat part, by moving it  you create the high of tone. And that tone creates incredible droning sound - a primordial call. And when frequency hits your DNA You know: You are the Time Traveler who travels to the dawn of men.


I guess that we are witnessing new period in Donato Dozzy's career. The Loud Silence is his second album where he uses only one instrument in every track, through the whole album. First one was with the voice, an album Anna Caragnano & Donato Dozzy - Sintetizzatrize (Spectrum Spools) where he explored the possibilities of combining the human voice and musical production tools. The Loud Silence uses same principals, only with the Mouth Harp.




Results are incredible. Every track is pure sonic pleasure, and drives you everywhere. Every track can be played even in main techno arenas cause it has sub buss sonic qualities, and throbbing in the guts feeling perfect to dance to it. Then in small studios or art galleries to create atmosphere, example: if there is only light on artworks and the rest is in full dark or light is positioned in to create more dark. Or simply put your time traveler suit (light weight clothes) and helmet (headphones) and into past we go - all the way down.


damir.plicanic@gmail.com

     

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Dj Richard - Grind (Dial)



We could easily said DJ Richard is the man of the moment. A new artist with hit album on Dial. it seems that the people at German label Dial have a nose for extraordinary new artist, who make strange, beautiful, and bleak music, something same happens with John Roberts and his ultra melancholic Glass Eights album. I could easily label it: music to contemplate about your childhood. And those fresh faces like Dj Richard and John Roberts (sorry for this comparison, but their situation was the same to me, and hey they are both Americans based in Europe 8-) ), can stand proudly with Dial "stars" like Efdemin, Roman Flugel, Lawrence and Pantha Du Prince.





My first encounter with Dj Richard was that RA mix, and I didn't expect cast-away half-harmonies, and daydream-like production. Album ranges from minimalistic house grooves for more mellowed atmosphere   (Nighthawk, Savage Coast, Vampire Dub) to bleak, dry, and black darkwave-ish ambient pieces (Ejected) or arpeggio driven madness (Bane), or perfect soundtrack for exploring empty buildings at night with one that you love (I-Mir).



When we look at, nice and simple, album cover we see one of the bridges that connects his Rhode Island and New port, (towns north of New York) and symbolize, in DJ Richard's own words: "The border between civilization and the ocean." So luckily there is no home-sick blues album here, only more and more connections between people and cultures. Bowie once used to sing that there's new career in new town.

Yeah, we got a new star here, maybe and candidate for Album Of The Year, but not for me, cause I don't want to do year lists. Only bluesy, bleak, analog house music here. It' simple and it's nice. here you go, I said it again. Like everything that Dial touch, it turns black and white pictures into memories and diamonds.


damir.plicanic@gmail.com

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Les Planete Sauvage and After party with Datzee @DKC Incel


Ok it's time to promote myself, and others, little bit. Nice people behind DKC Incel, UNSA Geto, and BLBoom offered me to curate movie night and after party at DKC Incel.
So book your diary for 29.10.2015, in Banja Luka in DKC Incel, start: 21:00

Facebook event here



We will enjoy in cult-following, animated SF movie La Planete Souvage from 1973, and after that I will perfom as a DJ, playing all kind of stuff from soundtracks, to ambient, drone, noise, experiment, and electronica, and even some house, techno and electro. My records are ready.

So if you are around come in, and let's have some fun. Here is the mix I made purposely to promote the party so it is present for you my friends, and something you could expect to listen there. Hope you will like it.




Playlist:
Atom TM - Texture 1
Donato Dozzy - Personal Rock
William Basinski - The Deluge: Denovement
Jonas Reinhardt - Shattered
Desove - St.Omer Dub
Anna Caragano and Donato Dozzy - Starcloud
Oneothrix Point Never - Sleep Dealer
Oneothrix Point Never - Replica
Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto - Unon 1
Sunn 0))) - Sin Nana
Sunn 0))) - Orthodox Caveman
Venetian Snare - My Love Is Buldozer
Shackleton - Headcleaner
Pole - Moose (live)
Vampillia & Lustmord - Deep Current
St Germanin - Voila
Swans - Frenkie M

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Pole - Wald (Pole)


If there is something that will get immediately attentionm and response from producer Stefan Betke is the BASS! Actually Pole is a Dub and low frequencies fanatic. A guy who spent most of his artistic career as producer, post-producer, studio technician, and (for me most important) engineer who make special production mixing for vinyl cutting in his Scape Mastering Studio. Also he is Dub Techno producer with 8 (with letters: eight) studio albums, and with each he explored possibilities of studio techniques, and time:space limits of Dub music itself.




Wald
album isn't your ordinary Basic Channel/Rhythm&Sound Dub Techno. It is melodic, almost impossible to put in genre box, except in electronica. But under layers and layers of sounds, focused listener will find Dub (and lots of bass) as a basic construction. Using Karl Marx terms: Dub is base, and melodies, sounds, samples are superstructure.



Wald
is full of tracks that perfect gives us vision of forests (Wald on German language means Forest) and peacefulness of nature in the all of the seasons. It is perfect for meditation when you walk through it, or just simply watch and admire nature's marvels. Even in your home, or your car, or just plain walking in the city, everything sounds like it is in perfect balance.






Here is the man itself from Electronic Beats to tell you more about his art of producing, and life philosophy:





Perfect album for get up early in the morning and catch those leaves and enjoying Autumn Sun in the woods, and later for home listening when snow covers all. Just you and Wald. It did took me much time to get into it, it was easy to listen whole album in one take, at the first listening.
I'm sure it will be on my player, and would be listened in time that comes. It's not musical product made for one season, for me it was made for long terms, and I always find something new, some elements I didn't paid attention before.
Perfect electronic album!!! And for me the perfect track from the album Moose (live):





damir.plicanic@gmail.com

Monday, October 26, 2015

Don't Care About The Podcast 006: Tehno Muda




"And now something completely different" - Monty Python

"
We're Barbars of the culture." - Tehno Muda




Datzee blog tries to give s you quality, strange and different music, with the message, and this podcast by artists named Tehno Muda (english translation: Techno Testicals), have very strong message, on very beginning you can hear their manifesto, and their music and live performance can't be apparted from their art.



    Example of pop culture imperialism (on right side it's Ziggy Stardust/left side Tehno Muda

Tehno Muda is mysterious art project from Vrsac, Serbia. Duo wants to remain mysterious too. One guy behind the laptop and beats, and other one behind microphone.
Their art/music is combination of Euro Dance, Electro, Techno, etc... It does not matter the music classification as long message is spreading.
Their ideology is called Cultural Barbarism, and want to start united barbarian coalition against western cultural imperialism.
In their audio/visual art you can find bits of Soc-Real posters, Barbarian Manifestos, and most important: be brave, brain is the weapon, and art is your sword. Go and do something with it.












 













All comics and pictures, and visual art is made by third member of Tehno Muda Wostock, except bowie/techno muda made by datzee.blogspot.ba

Sunday, October 25, 2015

St Germain - St. Germain (Primary Society)


It was one of those hard reviews for me. Hard review, because I have to write about an album from the artist that made a masterpiece few years ago. But there is always the problem. People often just lay down and live on their former glory and making awful albums. I was afraid, very afraid. 15 years has pass since masterpiece Tourist. I remember, and that is still the fact: everyone I know own albums like: Air - Moon Safari and St. German - Tourist. This albums have a certain role: if you don't know what your guests like, you just play that: everyone satisfied. Those albums are not elevator music, they are truly masterpiece, and that's why people bought them, and played out. It was sure shot. But let's get back to the 2015.

There was some kind of fear to hear new Ludovic Navarre's album. Fear that he will go and make another Tourist just to satisfied audience, or he will make some crazy jazzy electronica experimental that's not sound like St. Germain - it would be something else, ok?



But St. Germain did something  beyond my fears. He produced far more better album than Tourist. He  went to Mali, and incorporated their music and instruments like Djamba, Njarka, and  Ngoni, and included true masters of those instruments. And especially singer Fanta Bagayogo: I still have goose-bumps because of his voice. He created a truly world experience.


                              Guimba Quate and Mamdou Cherif Somoun, picture of Mr. Bagayago missing

So "Tourist" has really become tourist, and you could easily play this album next his 15 years old brother Tourist. What's more important this is really world music. African brought their own music to America, which lead to Jazz, and later funk - even hip-hop. Jazz went to Europe and mixed with electronic music, and then both went to Mali. Full Circle. Again I would say this is THE World Music.


Just one more thing, sometimes his album sounds like Tinariwen - the Tuareg Rock/Blues group- electric guitar with Tuareg's ethnic instruments, but that is good thing. Have no fear, this album is truly masterpiece and maybe one day it would become part of world culture heritage.
   

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Alavux - Octagon (Bass Agenda /cat.number BA033)





 At that time I was living hand to mouth, my partner at the time was out of work and I was trying to balance the artistic vs. the providing for the home. I was living off 5 pounds a day which had to pay for everything and sometimes it was a balance between toilet paper and tea bags. I could only afford clothes from the army surplus store as they were the cheapest and longest lasting (although you could never get rid of the damp smell no matter how many times it was washed).
So in a way this was the beginning of my journey, a journey where I have always stayed true to my musical integrity. I was young enough not to eat often and strong enough to keep on even though financially it was tough, bruising and humbling, but here I am and I appreciate that every day, along with your support getting me where I am now. -
Dave Clarke on passion and his humble musical beginnings.  





First of all, we at datzee.blogspot.ba, can celebrate. We got our hands on  first "promo" vinyl - for a very first vinyl review. We would like to say thanks to Alavux, and Bass Agenda record label for material, and first thing we notice is writings on record itself: "Natasa, Anja, Elektra sequence initiated".
I used to write much earlier about Goran Alavux Alavuk's digital releases, and even we got him for our podcast series. We just want to show gratitude for gift and we share Alavux's happiness and joy, because, we say it again, it was released on vinyl. Sounds like a dream come true. Keep on dreaming and keep making your music!!!



     Alavux in the action!


For those who doesn't know, Alavux is Belgrade-born, Skoplje-living, who make, as I once said: electro for riots. His music is highly energetic, if you want comparison it would be The Advent's hard techno/electro phase, and classic motortown electro like Model 500 or Aux88, and electro boogie sound of Red Planet, or type of electro that Dave Clarke loves to spin. 



 Octagon is full of militaristic techno, perfect for 4am dance floor lunacy. Bondage is acid scorcher, that suddenly erupts in the middle. Radiowaves is "mellower" electro/techno track with taht half breakbeat that leads all the way. Octagon is perfect, almost industrial track for techno dungeons with stroboscopes, smoke machines and low ceiling, with sweat and unidentified liquids falling down on the the crowd. Digitalized Bass is, again half-beat track that constantly builds and builds. Our three destroyers are on side A. Hiatus is space-y with industrial feel,  fast tempo electro track. While Noon sounds like harder tech house track with funky rhythms.
Octagon EP (plus digital pack with vinyl) is pure dance floor, DJ's tool. For DJ's who like hard and fast, with great mixing technique, almost for those who mix with three or four decks. Sound on vinyl is pretty good, someone in the record factory did the great job, so there will be great sound, and no needle skipping.

And of course it is big step for Alavux to get one step up on the Techno demanded market. he spent so much years and got a great body of work behind him, so this vinyl release will only help him to get more crowd and more gigs. True lover and great talent. We wish him best!!

Playlist:
A1 Bondage
A2 Radiowaves
A3 Digitized Bass
B1 Octagon
B2 Hiatus
B3 Tube
 plus digital bonus tracks:
Noon
1984
1984 - Warsaw Holc Retouch



And here is some little surprise for you. A part with his podcast for usAlavux made special mix for you just to celebrate this release:
  



damir.plicanic@gmail.com

Friday, October 23, 2015

Various Artists - Musik For Autobahns vol.2: Compiled by Gerd Janson (Rush Hour)




 When someone mention the German word for Highway: Die Autobahn, in pop culture's collective unconsciousness immediately pops-up Kraftwerk's singl - one that inspired David Bowie who was eager to emerge himself in the "future of Rock'n'Roll", a phrase he used to call the music from bands like Kraftwerk and Neu!


Look at the "surface" from which he consume something. BTW picture is taken from: http://thesideeffectsofthecocaine.tumblr.com/


Musik For Autobahns 2 is a second edition of highly praised, but first edition of Musik For Autobahns somehow and tragic passed under the radar, compilation of lush, melodic, ambiental and krautrock inspired downtempo house music. Also it is curated by one of DJ's DJ, house music lover, Running Back label owner and house music connoisseur Gerd Janson. And it's unmixed.





But for me compilation have personal moments. You see, I trying to live between two cities Banja Luka in Bosnia and Herzegowina, and Frankfurt am Main in Germany. So I have listened compilation, literally on Autobahn, on my way to Frankfurt.

Opening Leon Vynehall - Midnight on Rainbow Road perfectly fade in when we get to the highway loop to get of from Autobahn in morning, Sunshine was perfectly high and with almost empty road we could see how Sun reflects on Flughaffen and glass corridors of Terminal. Then through the traffic and feeling of getting home with Joy Orbison - A213. Then getting out of vehicle on Hauptbahnhoff and stretching-out with Fort Romeu - Seleno and then catching u-bahn to take us to our place. Ride on u-bahn made me cry cause in my headphones beautiful Shan- Awakeing was played - perfect for watching the pillars in tunnel. Then AKSK - Breaking, with beautiful women voice, just before we met our friends, and Conga Radio - 168 North for lunch, and black and strong Landbier (domestic beer) at our favorite place Toffies in Berger Strasse. Orson Wells - Orbiting Jupiters is perfect for crate-digging at vinyl specialists Tactile Records shop,  and Orlando Voorn - Turn Left Here for catching little nap in our little place in Bornheim. Then Disco Nihilist - Melancholy for shower and getting ready for the night. Bicep - Carmine for another u-bahn session to Offenbach, and then Lauer - Autofahrn for grande finale - just before the entrance to greatest-smallest club in the world Robert Johnson. Where we danced till we wait to see sunshine on club's balcony.


Picture is from reviewer's private collection.

I don't wanna be cocky, but do you need better review, more objective maybe. No, in this case You need subjective review and personal experience of the compilation. Or maybe you should try, on your own: to drive and listen it on Autobahn, like David Bowie used to do with Kraftwerk's Autobahn. For me this was enough, to let compilation become part of my personal memory. I will always remember. And I will always back to place of my memories.




Playlist:. 
Leon Vynehall - Midnight On Rainbow Road
Joy Orbison - A213
Fort Romeau - Seleno
AKSK - Breaking
Conga Radio - 168 North
Shan - Awakening
Orson Wells - Orbiting Jupiters
Disco Nihilist - Melancholy
Bicep - Carmine
Lauer - Autofahrn

damir.plicanic@gmail.com

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Don't Care About Podcast 005: Alavux




Alavux has just release new EP, his first on vinyl. We at datzee.blogspot.ba, are very proud because we get our own copy (for review), and we are very excited because it's our very first vinyl promo.
This is his contribution for our Don't Care About Podcast series, numbered 005.
Mix is collection of tracks perfect for Indian Summer, or for all types of rainy days, with your coffee or tea in your hands.
You can dance to it, if you feel like it's thing to do, but try to dance "like nobody watching".

Playlist:
Nick Dunton - Between Worlds
Subotika - Fractal
Son.Sine - Upekah
Sasse & Marco Carola - Sun Flower
Microslav - Koln
Answer Code Request - Main Mode
Model 500 - I Wanna Be There
Pariah - Prism
Trolley Route - Turtle Bay

Coil - Backwards (Cold Spring)



"Wise words from departing. Eat your greens, especially Broccoli. Remember to say "thank you", for things yo never had. By working the soil, we cultivate the sky... The death of your father, the death of your mother is something you prepare for... All of your life."  Coil - Broccoli
Coil is not your average band, it is not something you love and try to collect all the records and everything connected to the project. Coil is not popular band, instead it has all those people who are fascinated with their art. Coil is not the cult, Coil is something that you are living with it - inside your soul.

Coil is the art project, emerged from the ashes of Throbbing Gristle, it is the part of clique gathered around ideas and art that started with TG, but with advanced technological possibilities to dive even further into new-new age philosophy, new art directions, spiritualism, explorations in sexual freedoms, and of course out-there limits of art in capitalistic material world. People gathered in that clique, have been often called a pioneers in industrial and electronic music, with theirs projects like: Psychic TV, Nurse With Wound, NON aka Douglas McCarthy, Current 93, Death In June, Chris&Cosey (latest project Carter Tutti Void), Thighpaulsandra and others, for poor me, obscure projects. And all of those people exchange their ideas and often collaborate with each others - creating certain visual image, that sometimes is misunderstood. For instance Coil described their music as: "Ritual music for the accumulation of male sexual energy."



So far with the Coil, I consider myself a huge fan of their work, and aware of every stage of their development and experimentation. But for those of you who are not introduce with them, you will find that is very hard to find, buy, and collect all of their material - official and bootleg material. It's because they operated without major distributors and labels. I encourage you to go out and discover more for yourself, prepare your money savings and dive into the strangely beautiful world of Coil and other mentioned projects. Trivia: do you know that Coil made entirely soundtrack for Clive Barker's Hellraiser. Yes that one with cenobites, but soundtrack was canceled.



Sad thing is that: Coil doesn't exist anymore: both original and core members are dead now: John Balance, real name Geoffrey Laurence Burton (16.2.1962 - 13.11.2004), and Peter Sleazy Christopherson (27.2.1955 - 25.11.2010), but their legacy still lives on, and their is no way of stopping it. The are certain people who have legal rights and other living members are eager to release all of their unreleased material. Their is too many hungry ears that can't wait to hear those lost tapes, so only we can do is wait for something new to be released.



Well Backwards is one of the "lost albums". Recorded in New Orleans, with producer genius Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails, How to Destroy Angels - trivia: How To Destroy Angels, Reznor's projects is named after Coil's first ever released EP, so that makes him Coil fanatic like us). They entered the studio just after they finished their masterpiece Love's Secret Domain, they didn't polish and post produced album (for me reason are unknown), but after that, starts a new phase in their career, they have released one of most famous albums till this date Musick to Listen in the Dark Vol I ( and later Vol II.). So music-wise Backwards is some kind of connection between those two musical phases. As I said true fans know the difference between harsh beauty and rhythmical Love's Secret Domain album, and mystical and slowly, dark-in-the-woods Musick I and II albums.
Backwards contains almost same tracks as last official Coil album The New Backwards, but only as early versions, demo-like, but they contain certain power and rawness. Also there are some tracks from other compilations, but in different versions.


It would be easy to say  "hey there is nothing new", but it is essential to see how Coil's art changes, and why are there such a radical shifts in the albums and shows diversity in their work, cause 20 years has pass. Also, if you go deep with the Coil discography to really understand psychological change into authors vision of certain piece of art.
And one more thing. This is not part of official studio albums discography. As we saw, both of core members are not with us, but there is a body of work, and with pleasure we will go and dig it, and trying to connect the dots and mystery behind phenomenon that is Coil. Yes there are better LPs and releases, but this one is another chapter, and there are conformations that there will be more music from the vault. Can't wait.
Coil is like the gnostic book of alchemy with hyper-text, that can be read from backwards, from beginning, even up-side down, then there is codes in the text, codes in the pages, codes in pictures. That's sounds like serious fun, but real Coil fan is not having fun. He is learning and seeks for... something.



   



So the question is: is it worth the money? Well if you consider yourself a Coil-ist,  there is no doubt - get it! But if you are beginner, you can easily go to Love Secret Domain, Horse Rotorvator, or even Scatology, and don't forget . But if have heard of Coil, then there is perfect compilation: A Guide For Beginners: Silver Voice, and A Guide For Finishers: Golden Hair compilation, for me it's some kind of "greatest hits." (somewhere you can find it as one release under the name: The Golden Hair With Golden Voice).

"See The Black Sun Rise, From The Solar Lodge" Coil - Solar Lodge






damir.plicanic@gmail.com