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Night on Fire by VHS or Beta (CD - 09/21/2004)
 

Night on Fire by VHS or Beta (CD - 09/21...

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Night on Fire by VHS or Beta (CD - 09/21/2004)
"Night on Fire" (09/21/2004) Electronic VHS or Beta, Astralwerks (Record Label)VHS or Beta: Craig Pfunder, Zeke Buck (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Mark Palgy (vocals, keyboards, bass instrument); Chea Buckley (keyboards); Mark Guidry. Personnel: Mark Guidry (vocals, keyboards, drums); Chea Beckley (keyboards). Additional personnel: Martin Brumbach, P.J. O'Connor, Tommy Williams , Anthony Roman, Errol Kolosine. Audio Mixers: Adam Dorn; Martin Brumbach. Recording information: The Magic Shop, New York, NY (02/23/2004-03/04/2004). On their full-length debut, Night on Fire, VHS or Beta trade in the Daft Punk-esque filter disco of their EP for dance-punk with a new wave twist. At their best, as on the album's title track and "No Cabaret!," the band sounds like Robert Smith singing over Duran Duran remixes; like the similarly retro-minded Killers, they have a knack for distilling everyone's favorite new wave/post-punk moments into pop confections. This shiny pop veneer gives VHS or Beta an edge over the increasing, and increasingly tired-sounding, ranks of artists recreating the '70s and '80s' disco-punk hybrids -- instead of trying to attach any kind of deep significance to their rolling basslines, staccato riffs, and polyrhythms, they buff the style's rough edges into smooth stylishness. The only problem with the band's transformation from a dance-inspired band to a poppier one is that their songwriting isn't always as strong as their grooves are; "You Got Me" and "The Ocean" meander, proving that it's possible to sound driving but not compelling. The dance-punk instrumentals are particularly tepid: "Nightwaves"' chrome-plated guitar squeals and four-on-the-floor beat are squandered by stretching a three-minute idea out to five-and-a-half, while the nine-minute album closer, "Irreversible," goes nowhere and seemingly refuses to end. But Night on Fire's second half makes it a little more difficult to dismiss VHS or Beta as also-rans; perhaps not surprisingly, the band gets more interesting once it stops tracing the dance-punk template so closely. "Forever" is a gloriously cheesy disco ballad rife with vocoders, wah-wah guitars, and rippling keyboard arpeggios that recalls VHS or Beta's early work as well as Discovery-era Daft Punk. Though they don't quite achieve the transcendent takeoff that the French duo achieves so effortlessly, the track does sound fresher and more genuine than some of the posturing found elsewhere on Night on Fire. Likewise, "Dynamize" is another fun instrumental, a great big love letter to the big guitars 'n' drums sound of the '80s. VHS or Beta also do well when they indulge their poppier instincts: "The Melting Room" and "Alive" are two of the most danceable songs the Cure never wrote. Even though it's possible nobody will care about dance-punk by the time VHS or Beta get their next album out, Night on Fire is an uneven but promising debut album that suggests that the group may still create something distinctive. ~ Heather Phares

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Med£lla by Bj?rk (CD - 08/31/2004)
 

Med£lla by Bj?rk (CD - 08/31/2004)

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Med£lla by Bj?rk (CD - 08/31/2004)
"Med£lla" (08/31/2004) Electronic Bj?rk, Elektra EntertainmentPersonnel: Bj?rk (vocals, piano, bass instrument, programming); Robert Wyatt (vocals, sampler); Mike Patton, Tagaq, Icelandic Choir (vocals); Nico Muhly (piano); Peter Van Hooke (gong); Mark Bell , Matmos, Rahzel, Valgeir Sigurdsson, Shlomo, Jake Davies (programming). With 2004's MEDULLA, Bjork's already distinctive musical vision is catapulted into another stratosphere. Using the mouth as the primary instrument--vocal, percussive, and otherwise--MEDULLA evokes the ethereal sound of an angelic spirit and a group of Benedictine monks desperately hurtling through outer space. "Pleasure Is All Mine" immediately establishes MEDULLA's haunting, yet strangely comforting, tone. On top of a distorted background of carnal breathing, the vocals of Bjork, Inuit throat singer Tagaq, Mike Patton (Fantomas/Mr. Bungle), and the Icelandic Choir combine with the rhythms of human beat-box Rahzel, building to an eerily ferocious intensity. The album, which also features art-rock pioneer Robert Wyatt, shifts back and forth between ambitious, operatically layered tracks ("Where Is the Line," "Desired Constellation") and more direct a cappella songs ("Show Me Forgiveness," "Oll Birtan"). Bjork reaches her peak when she combines both of these seemingly disparate forces, as in the electrifying "Who Is It (Carry My Joy on the Left, Carry My Pain on the Right)" and the album-closer, "Triumph of a Heart." MEDULLA proves that, once again, when it comes to sheer musical audacity, Bjork knows no boundaries.

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Anything [Digipak] * by Martina Topley-Bird (CD - 09/01/2004)
 

Anything [Digipak] * by Martina Topley-B...

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Anything [Digipak] * by Martina Topley-Bird (CD - 09/01/2004)
"Anything [Digipak] *" (09/01/2004) Electronic Topley-Bird, Martina, PalmBest known for her guest appearances on Tricky's first three solo albums, Martina Topley-Bird owes much to the trip-hop movement, yet is not defined by it. Originally released in the UK to much critical acclaim under the title QUIXOTIC, ANYTHING is a pared-down, re-sequenced version of that original album, and serves as the US introduction to Topley-Bird's postmodern, electronica-infused soul music. Sophisticated, unpredictable, and intense, Topley-Bird veers between rock ("Need One"), ragga-rap ("Ragga"), atmospheric ballads ("Sandpaper Kisses"), and piercing pleas of emotional intensity (the spectacular title track), all unified by a keen sense of stylistic focus. Topley-Bird's sultry voice, at once understated and sharp as a tack, is equally at home with classic soul styling ("Soul Food"), and on edgier material ("Too Tough to Die"). Like the best of Britain's digital-era soul, ANYTHING is rhythmically driven, but ethereal, combining the otherworldliness of electronic soundscapes with a vocabulary informed by hip-hop, experimental music, and pop. Topley-Bird takes this recipe one step further here, and promises--if her debut is any indication--to take it even further in the future.

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Med£lla [Limited] by Bj?rk (CD - 08/31/2004)
 

Med£lla [Limited] by Bj?rk (CD - 0...

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Med£lla [Limited] by Bj?rk (CD - 08/31/2004)
"Med£lla [Limited]" (08/31/2004) Electronic Bj?rk, Elektra EntertainmentPersonnel: Bj?rk (vocals, piano, bass instrument, programming); Robert Wyatt (vocals, sampler); Mike Patton, Tagaq, Icelandic Choir (vocals); Rahzel, Nico Muhly (piano); Peter Van Hooke (gong); Mark Bell , Matmos, Valgeir Sigurdsson, Shlomo, Jake Davies (programming). With 2004's MEDULLA, Bjork's already distinctive musical vision is catapulted into another stratosphere. Using the mouth as the primary instrument--vocal, percussive, and otherwise--MEDULLA evokes the ethereal sound of an angelic spirit and a group of Benedictine monks desperately hurtling through outer space. "Pleasure Is All Mine" immediately establishes MEDULLA's haunting, yet strangely comforting, tone. On top of a distorted background of carnal breathing, the vocals of Bjork, Inuit throat singer Tagaq, Mike Patton (Fantomas/Mr. Bungle), and the Icelandic Choir combine with the rhythms of human beat-box Rahzel, building to an eerily ferocious intensity. The album, which also features art-rock pioneer Robert Wyatt, shifts back and forth between ambitious, operatically layered tracks ("Where Is the Line," "Desired Constellation") and more direct a cappella songs ("Show Me Forgiveness," "Oll Birtan"). Bjork reaches her peak when she combines both of these seemingly disparate forces, as in the electrifying "Who Is It (Carry My Joy on the Left, Carry My Pain on the Right)" and the album-closer, "Triumph of a Heart." MEDULLA proves that, once again, when it comes to sheer musical audacity, Bjork knows no boundaries.

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Forbidden Planet Explored [Digipak] by Jack Dangers (CD - 08/03/2004)
 

Forbidden Planet Explored [Digipak] by J...

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Forbidden Planet Explored [Digipak] by Jack Dangers (CD - 08/03/2004)
"Forbidden Planet Explored [Digipak]" (08/03/2004) Electronic Dangers, Jack, Important RecordsJack Dangers of the impossibly influential electronic act Meat Beat Manifesto strips away the drum machines and samplers, leaving only his impressive vintage synthesizer to produce this live ambient work, played to accompany a screening of the classic sci-fi film Forbidden Planet. It's not the most novel idea. Electronic artists have long reached towards the cinema to give their music a more complete existence. Techno icon Jeff Mills went so far as to produce a soundtrack for the Fritz Lange silent masterpiece Metropolis, and proceeded to screen it around the world. What's interesting about Dangers' attempt is that he performed all of the music live, as well as generated sound effects which are included on the second disc. Also interesting is the fact that Forbidden Planet is not a silent film and therefore had a soundtrack of its own long before Dangers took the controls. But no matter. As a study in oscillator-produced texture and sound, few have the capabilities of Dangers to make his robust electronic machines feel utterly weightless. Like a 100 ton supercomputer, floating away in the zero gravity of space. ~ Joshua Glazer

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Discovery by Daft Punk (CD - 03/13/2001)
 

Discovery by Daft Punk (CD - 03/13/2001)

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Discovery by Daft Punk (CD - 03/13/2001)
"Discovery" (03/13/2001) Electronic Daft Punk, Virgin Records (USA)Daft Punk: Thomas Bangalter, Guy-Manuel De Homem Christo. Additional personnel includes: Todd Edwards, Romananthony. "Short Circuit" was nominated for the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. "One More Time" was nominated for the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording. This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files. Personnel: Daft Punk (vocals); Romanthony, Todd Edwards (vocals). Illustrator: Daft Punk. Photographers: Mitchell Feinberg; Luis Sanchis. In 1997, this French electro-dance duo made a huge intercontinental splash with its debut album, HOMEWORK, mixing disco, house, funk, techno, and more. While Daft Punk's second recording still focuses on the maximum accessibility that earned its debut such high marks, there's less of an obvious focus on pop hooks. Irony and house beats are the order of the day, and an eclectic thread runs throughout DISCOVERY. "Digital Love" sounds like the theme to a '70s sitcom as realized by the Buggles. "Nightvision" is a mellow, wordless, Quiet Storm-meets-Eno soundscape, while in an interpolation sure to gain plenty of attention, "Superheroes" marries a Barry Manilow sample to an unrelenting house beat. Ultimately, DISCOVERY is less of a mission statement than its predecessor, but no less danceable or listenable.

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The Mirror Conspiracy by Thievery Corporation (CD - 11/01/2003)
 

The Mirror Conspiracy by Thievery Corpor...

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The Mirror Conspiracy by Thievery Corporation (CD - 11/01/2003)
"The Mirror Conspiracy" (11/01/2003) Electronic Thievery Corporation, ESLThievery Corporation: Eric Hilton, Rob Garza. Additional personnel: Bebel Gilberto, See-I, Pam Bricker, Lou Lou, Brother Jack (vocals); Desmond Williams (guiatr, keyboards, bass); Chris Vrenios (guitar); Rob Myers (sitar); Rick Harris, Zack Grady, Mike Thomas (horns); Roberto Berimbau (percussion). Engineers: Desmond Williams, Rob Garza, Eric Hilton. Recorded at ESL Studios, Washington, D.C. This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files. Personnel: Bebel Gilberto (vocals); Desmond Williams (guitar, keyboards); Rob Myers (sitar); Mike Thomas, Rick Harris (horns); Eric Hilton, Rob Garza (programming). Recording information: ESL Studios, Washington D.C. Photographer: Bill Crandall. Thievery Corporation's second album strengthens the duo's reputation as masters of downtempo, internationally influenced beats. Borrowing from bossa nova, dub reggae, French torch songs, Italian movie soundtracks, and jazz, THE MIRROR CONSPIRACY is a sophisticated, pleasurable listen. The album is sequenced beautifully, with sexy, world-weary tracks such as "Samba Tranquille" floating into the downtempo torch stylings of "Shadows of Ourselves." The album's international flavor comes from places as diverse as Jamaica, ("Focus on Sight" featuring I-See on vocals), Paris' Arab quarter ("Le Monde"), and opium dens and teahouses ("Indra," "Lebanese Blonde"). Rob Hilton and Eric Garza, the men behind Thievery Corporation, also have active remix and DJ careers. They're co-owners of Washington D.C.'s 18th St. Lounge, a club where the Thievery Corporation sound gets tested and exercised at each evening's DJ sets. Their remix album ABDUCTIONS AND RECONSTRUCTIONS is another excellent example of their masterful production work.

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Reiki: Hands of Light by Deuter (CD - 03/05/2002)
 

Reiki: Hands of Light by Deuter (CD - 03...

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Reiki: Hands of Light by Deuter (CD - 03/05/2002)
"Reiki: Hands of Light" (03/05/2002) Electronic Deuter, New Earth RecordsLiner Note Authors: Deuter; HP Beate Blaszok. Of all the CDs designed to accompany the healing energy of Reiki, Reiki: Hands of Light, by Deuter, is one of the best, if not the best. That is no surprise, because Deuter always ascends to the top in whatever style he chooses. His releases are always diverse, with many different applications. This CD is perfect for use in the healing arts. It is also outstanding ambient and deep space music. The atmospheres and soundscapes evoke images of exploration and discovery. It is like a perpetual sunrise -- always new. This disc is in on an elite level and rates with the best work of Constance Demby, Jonathan Goldman, Anugama, and Jorge Alfano. ~ Jim Brenholts

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Portishead by Portishead (CD - 09/30/1997)
 

Portishead by Portishead (CD - 09/30/199...

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Portishead by Portishead (CD - 09/30/1997)
"Portishead" (09/30/1997) Electronic Portishead, London (USA)Portishead: Beth Gibbons (vocals); Adrian Utley (guitar, piano, Fender Rhodes piano, Moog synthesizer, bass); Geoff Barrow (drums). Additional personnel includes: John Baggot (samples); Sean Atkins (background vocals). Personnel: S. Atkins (vocals); Adrian Utley (guitar, piano, Fender Rhodes piano, Moog synthesizer); Steve Cooper (violin); John Cornick (trombone, horns); A. Hague, B. Waghorn (horns); John Baggot (piano, organ); Geoff Barrow, Clive Deamer (drums); Hookers & Gin, Ken Thorne (sampler). Audio Mixer: Trevor Curwen. Recording information: AIR Studios; Moles; Ridge Farm. Like Soul II Soul a few years before them, Portishead spearheaded a revolution in both pop and dance music by introducing a distinctive new groove. Portishead was at the vanguard of the '90s trip-hop onslaught, and after a three-year respite, they return with a self-titled second album to reclaim the trip-hop crown. Beth Gibbons is on her way to becoming the Billie Holiday of electronica, retaining a stoic, laconic tone while recounting tales of despair and emotional upheaval. The lazy, spacious beats that are the band's trademark provide just the right combination of urgency and tranquility to underscore the emotional contradictions at the core of Portishead's music. Adrian Utley's delightfully creepy guitar and keyboard work adorns the proceedings tastefully and effectively. On tunes like "Cowboys" and "All Mine" Portishead makes it plain that when it comes to arresting, unsettling electronic dance-pop, nobody does it better.

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Night Ripper [5/9] *
 

Night Ripper [5/9] *

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Night Ripper [5/9] *
"Night Ripper" (05/09/2006) R&B Girl Talk (Electronica), Illegal ArtThe high-minded conceptual tropes of the original plunderphonic artists, John Oswald and Negativland, were not exactly anyone's idea of party music--pointed and often humorous cultural critique, but generally not something one could dance to. The post-Napster Internet-era of accelerated consumption has ushered in a new generation of pop-culture recyclers. These young laptop jockeys are as hell-bent on filling dance floors as they are on smashing commonplace genre banalities. Gregg Gillis (Girl Talk) is the sampledelic wunderkind behind NIGHT RIPPER, a rollicking 40-minute ride through hundreds of musical fragments, from (seemingly) as many different music styles. NIGHT RIPPER could easily have come across as a novelty record, but Gillis is no ordinary bedroom DJ-cum-producer. Abolishing the classic mash-up formula of vocal a capella over instrumental tracks, Gillis freely mixes snippets from a dizzying array of '80s pop, classic rock, grunge, Dirty South rap, and even Bollywood banghra beats. On the track "Bounce That," Gillis lays down a Ludacris rap over Elastica's "Connection" (itself an appropriation of Wire's "Three Girl Rhumba") in one of the album's stranger moments. Seamlessly mixed--as if by a highly skilled, attention-deficit-addled DJ--NIGHT RIPPER is a joyous, schizophrenic, and highly entertaining mess.

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Sound Medicine: Music for Healing by Steven Halpern (CD - 01/21/2003)
 

Sound Medicine: Music for Healing by Ste...

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Sound Medicine: Music for Healing by Steven Halpern (CD - 01/21/2003)
"Sound Medicine: Music for Healing" (01/21/2003) Electronic Halpern, Steven, The Relaxation CompanyRecording information: Open Channel Sound Studio; The Music Annex.

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La Revancha del Tango by Gotan Project (CD - 04/08/2003)
 

La Revancha del Tango by Gotan Project (...

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La Revancha del Tango by Gotan Project (CD - 04/08/2003)
"La Revancha del Tango" (04/08/2003) Electronic Gotan Project, XL Recordings/Beggars GroupThis is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files. Gotan Project: Cristina Vilallonga (vocals); Eduardo Makaroff (acoustic guitar); Nini Flores (bandoneon); Iine Kruse (violin); Gustavo Beytelmann (piano); Christph H. Muller (keyboards, bass, programming); Philippe Cohen Solal (keyboards, bass); Fabrizio Fenoglietto (bass); Edi Tomassi (percussion); Willy Crook. Producers include: Philippe Cohen Solal, Christoph H. Muller, Eduardo Makaroff, Peter Kruder, Tom Middleton. This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files. An unrivaled collection of themes representing a unique fusion amid traditional forms of music and the nouvelle fields of electronica, Gotan Project's La Revancha del Tango discloses unknown frontiers for the modern beat explorers. Inspired by Argentinean tango, Philippe Cohen Solal and Christophe H. M?ller, responsible for projects such as Boys From Brazil or Stereo Action Unlimited, united their efforts with Eduardo Makaroff to record what ultimately became a daring musical piece. Mixing styles like dub and downbeat and enrolling the talents of Argentinean musicians like Gustavo Beytelmann and Nini Flores, the founding trio of Gotan Project managed to deliver a unique debut album. "Tr¡ptico," "Santa Maria (Del Buen Aire)," and "El Capitalismo Foraneo" are just of the three themes revealing the trio's composing intuition, manipulating the romanticism and dark inspiration of Argentinean illustrative street music with novel electronica. Operating with instruments like the bandoneon, along with modern percussion, Gotan implements an exclusive creative challenge. "Vuelvo Ar Sur," an Astor Piazzolla original composition vocalized by Cristina Villalonga, closes this unequaled set of melodies, confirming Gotan's sole extent of melody exploration. ~ Mario Mesquita Borges

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Vertigo II * by Dictaphone (CD - 03/21/2006)
 

Vertigo II * by Dictaphone (CD - 03/21/2...

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Vertigo II * by Dictaphone (CD - 03/21/2006)
"Vertigo II *" (03/21/2006) Electronic Dictaphone, City Centre Offices (USA)Dictaphone: Oliver Doerell, Roger Doring. After an onslaught of releases during the first half of the 2000s, keeping the notion of glitch music fresh and engaging is quite the challenge, as the sound palette has been all but exhausted and spent beyond its capacity to remain a central piece of a composition. And while Dictaphone don't exactly make glitches the forefront of Vertigo II, they use the textures to complement the field recordings and instrumentation in the forefront throughout. A blend of horns, woodwinds, and thundering basslines is the focal point throughout the record's 12 tracks, and the balance between the stark use of the organic and digital is uncomfortable yet pleasant. Vertigo II is the soundtrack to a haunting black-and-white movie that has yet to be made. ~ Rob Theakston

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Compare prices on CD Universe in Electronic Music when you shop online at bizrate. Read reviews and buy CD Universe from reputable merchants. Find great deals on Music gifts with our search engine. You can sort CD Universe in Electronic Music by the lowest price or by stores -- even calculate tax and shipping costs. Comparison shop for Kraut Slut by Antiguo Automata Mexicano (CD - 04/24/2007) or Discovery by Daft Punk (CD - 03/13/2001).