EARTH - Earth 2 Special Low Frequency Version / Earth 2.23: Special Lower Frequency Mix

Schon ewig auf dem Schirm war der Klassiker der ersten Phase von Earth tatsächlich immer noch eine Lücke in meiner Sammlung. Das macht mich wahrscheinlich zu einem Loser, weshalb die nun von Sub Pop herausgebrachte Jubiläumsauflage sich konsequenterweise auch "Loser Edition" nennt.

Parallel ist auch ein Remix erschienen, den ich mir - vielleicht etwas zu impulsiv - gleich mitbestellt habe.

EARTH - Earth 2 Special Low Frequency Version (Loser Edition transparent vlue vinyl 2LP) (1993/2023)

Viel sagen kann und muss man über dieses Album wohl nicht. In den drei endlos langen Drone Metal-Tracks passiert außer durchlaufendem Gitarren- und Bassgeräusch und minimalen Riffansätzen ja eigentlich auch kaum etwas - und gleichzeitig alles. "Earth 2" ist ein wegbereitendes, genrebegründendes Meisterwerk absoluter Kompromisslosigkeit, welches die Idee von Rockmusik zu einer puren körperlichen Erfahrung der Klangtextur umkrempelt.

Der minimalistische Ansatz spiegelt sich perfekt im Coverartwork wieder, dessen Hauptmotiv am untersten Rand für mich noch vom winzigen, links beinahe von der Kante der Plattenhülle abhebenden Vögelchen übertroffen wird.

Bis auf das blautransparente Vinyl entsprechen Aufmachung und Layout der Erstauflage. Es enthält also nach wie vor das provokante Knarrenposing des noch milchbubigen Dylan Carlson und seines damaligen Mitstreiters Dave Harwell, welches durch den Umstand, dass der Morbid Angel-Shirtträger (Carlson) seinem Kumpel Kurt Cobain das berüchtigste Gewehr der Rockmusikgeschichte besorgen würde, einen etwas pelzigen Beigeschmack erhalten hat.

An der Brillianz dieses Albums, ohne das es nicht nur Sunn O))) nicht gäbe, ändert dies natürlich nichts. Ein absolut zeitloser Klassiker, der nichts an Relevanz eingebüßt hat.

EARTH - Earth 2.23: Special Lower Frequency Mix (Loser Edition transparent blue vinyl LP) (2023)

Oben schrieb ich bereits, dass Beikauf in Form dieses Remix-Albums etwas impulsiv geschehen ist. Der Grund dafür erschließt sich schnell beim Blick auf die Tracklist, wenn man sieht dass zwei der vier Tracks nur Edits sind. In der digitalen (leider nicht als Download beiliegenden)  Version sind nicht nur diese Stücke erheblich länger, sondern man bekommt insgesamt sogar fünf Tracks, die es zusammen auf stolze 78 Minuten bringen - was natürlich auch zart andeutet, dass evtl. auch noch eine CD-Version erscheinen könnte.

Dieser Umstand macht die LP an sich nicht wesentlich schlechter, aber sie ist halt doch nur ein Ausschnitt und Sammlerstück, auf welches ich bei voller Sachkenntnis vermutlich verzichtet hätte.

Doch was ist das hier überhaupt? Remixe, die alle sozusagen aus der Familie mit Earth verbundener Künstler kommen und unterschiedliche Ansätze verfolgen:

So bleiben Robert Hampson (Loop) und Brett Netson (Built To Spill) mit ihren beide auf der LP radikal verkürzten Tracks im Grunde beim originalen schlagzeuglos ausufernden, reinen Drone und schaufeln einfach noch weitere Schichten obendrauf.
Ganz anders geht es Kevin Richard Martin aka The Bug an, der gemeinsam mit Rapper Flowdan "Seven Angels" in einen mit mächtigen boomenden Megabass groovenden Hip Hop-Track verwandelt.
Unter seinem echten Namen - und leider nicht auf auf der Platte dabei - bearbeitet er außerdem noch "Like Gold and Faceted" zu einem elektronisch scheppernd unterlegten Monsterdrone, der wenig überraschend auch ganz wunderbar auf "Concrete Desert", das großartige gemeinsame Album von ihm und Dylan Carlson, gepasst hätte.
Bleibt noch Justin K. Broadrick (Godflesh, Jesu, JK Flesh, Final, Techno Animal etc.), der sich "Teeth of Lions Rule the Divine" vornimmt und mit wahrhaft eeeeeextra tief grummelndem Bass und kantigem Industrial Metal-Rhythmus den bösartigsten Track des Albums abliefert. Eine meisterhaft ranzigige Version.

Musikalisch ist "Earth 2.23" sowieso durchweg über jeden Zweifel erhaben. Ein eindeutig in den richtigen Händen liegender Tribut an ein Album, dessen Bedeutung man wohl kaum überbewerten kann. Aber auch für sich einfach großartig dröhnendes Zeug.

Es ist halt nur die Unvollständigkeit dieses Tonträgers, die mich wurmt. Oder sollte ich angesichts des Covers uroborost sagen?

MUSIC 2019: TOP 22 albums

Ok, here we go again! It's time for my favorite studio albums of the year.

This list only contains releases which came out in 2019 and are in my property in some form.

Why 22? Because it just seems like a reasonable number in relationship to the total of new stuff in my collection, even though with a couple of extra slots I could have included more very much worthwhile albums (Black Bombaim, Bees Made Honey In The Vein Tree, Videodrones...). But at some point you have to cut, right?

As experience has told me, it doesn't necessarily mean much whether I rank an album as 5 or 19 in the long run anyway. This is just how I feel right now. The point of a list like this is not a winner's podium, but to recommend great shit.
So yes, I snuck in a couple of extra paragraphs with "similar artists", and even before that the number twenty-two isn't totally correct, since two bands get diligence points for putting out two albums. 

Of course there are also some hot candidates for the list, which are simply too fresh for me to put them in the ranking. (see some of the following reviews!)

I have out-sourced my favorite concerts this time, which means that there will be another post coming soon. And after that one I'll also write about my favorite EPs, live recordings and whatever else might come to mind.

ALBUM TOP 22:

1. WASTE OF SPACE ORCHESTRA - Syntheosis
   

   
   
   

   

   What happens when you put the two Finnish psychedelic black/death metal superpowers Dark Buddha Rising and Oranssi Pazuzu in a room and let them compose more than an hour of commissioned music, to be performed by ten people (including two drummers) on the Roadburn Festival main stage? - I daresay a mind-blowing once in a lifetime show. "Syntheosis" was such a success that it couldn't in good conscience be limited to this exclusive live performance, so consequently The Waste Of Space Orchestra went into the studio to tweak and polish the suite into a colossal dark monolith of an album, which in its epochal abyssal majesty is much grander than the sum of its parts.
   
    

2. LINGUA IGNOTA - Caligula
   

   
   
   

   

   Hypothetically, if you wanted to take only one single lesson from this record, it would surely be:  Don't fuck with Kristin Hayter! But even though the woman-NOT-behind-the-curtain-BUT-right-center-stage of Lingua Ignota unleashes a frightening amount of rage here, you shouldn't reduce "Caligula" to its aggression towards her abuser, which is only one facet of the merciless exorcism, through which she frees herself from the helplessness of trauma. She pushes every lyrical and musical idea to its bleakest and most painful point and beyond. Between baroque neo-classical piano and downright obscene, cacophonous noise "Caligula" never allows you to rest. Beauty appears only as a cynical counterpoint or as an unattainable goal: "All I want is boundless love. All I know is violence."  While the revolt against a personal nightmare and the reversal of power therein could count as a positive backbone of "Caligula", this album remains horrifying on a profound and real level most artists don't ever dare nor even know how to touch.

   
   
      
3. MAGMA - Zëss (Le Jour Du Néant)
   

   
   
   

   

   I know I'm repeating myself here, but ranking stuff you love is hard. You don't want to know how often I have switched the order of the first three entries in this list around! The main reason - and maybe even the only one - Zeuhl legends Magma didn't make it to the very top is a sense of sportsmanship, since "Zëss", the tale of the end of all ends, has already been performed in several unfinished versions for decades. And while I can understand why some fans prefer those earlier, sweatier and more rock-oriented incarnations of this at the same time minimalistic and excessive piece; this final version with The City Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra fully integrated and mastermind Christian Vander on full French, Kobaïan and ad lib lead vocal duty is Magma at its peak cinematic. If this is indeed the last studio album of the fifty years old group, then they are going out with a Big Bang!

   
   

   
   

   

   [Since Vander is known to be one of the most obsessive worshippers of once-in-a-century artist and jazz giant John Coltrane alive, this is surely the proper place to appreciate the new "lost" 1964 album of the saxophone player. Partially used as the soundtrack for a Franco-Canadian Arthouse movie "Blue World" offers a wonderful insight into the only time the iconic Quartet went back to the studio to re-interpret already established material.]

   
     

4. LOUISE LEMÓN - A Broken Heart Is An Open Heart
   

   
   
   

   

   Ten tracks of mostly synthie- or piano-dominated, melancholic soul with a vintage noir undertone. Easily overseeable song lengths, simple verse-chorus-schemata and almost always the voice being clearly in the foreground. That voice belonging to a blond Swedish pop / blues singer with a Francophile burlesque stage name. On paper the premise of Louise Lemón's "A Broken Heart Is An Open Heart" sounds like something that could maybe be nice... interesting... but most likely - let's be honest - just a weak European version of Lana Del Rey that's a little too late to the game.  In reality however Lemón's "death gospel" is an outstanding revelation. What makes this album so addictive above everything else is personality. And it's not only the charismatic touch of the singer / songwriter herself, but equally as important the personalities of both her producer and low frequency expert Randall Dunn and her band. While seldom anything remarkably flashy is played, the instrumentals are always on point right in the feels.

   
   

   
   

   

   [And speaking of Lana: With "Norman Fucking Rockwell!" Miss Lizzy Grant has released a more than respectable new album as well. Forgoing the "feat." guest singer/rapper excess of the previous record and relying on a mostly balladic sound with 60s and 70s vibes meeting dream pop, piano, acoustic guitar, but also serious psychedelic rock influences, she has delivered her most coherent work since "Ultraviolence". This new double album showcases how fucking great pop music can be - if it only wants.]

   
     

5. SUNN O))) - Life Metal
   SUNN O))) - Pyroclasts
   

   
   
   

   

   One could argue that the drone metal giants played it very safe by going back to the roots on "Life Metal" and I wouldn't even disagree. Most of the four tracks on four record sides are mainly the core trio of Stephen O'Malley, Greg Anderson and Tos Nieuwenhuizen on droning guitars and Moog. But then there's also a short, but very important list of guest contributors, of which Hildur Guðnadóttir on Halldorophone, cello and vocals is the most vital. What makes this album stand out immediately however is the live recording approach and the fabulous production by Steve Albini. What a fucking sick, yet warm and sexy guitar sound! Damn, this is a Sunn O))) album which already sounds amazing if you listen to it in moderate volume.

   
   
   

   
   

   

   Created by the same people during the same recording session the band followed "Life Metal" up with a smaller twin called "Pyroclasts". These four eleven-minute-tracks are meditative improvisations over one note each, which Sunn O))) used to get into the right mood at the beginning of each recording day. They showcase the band at their most loose and ambient - and on the same creative level as their more composed work.
   
   Both albums wouldn't exist in the way they are without the other, and since they not only match in personnel, sound and layout, but are also both graced by spectacular paintings from Samantha Keely Smith, they form an impressive Gesamtkunstwerk of Sunn O))) in 2019.
   
     

6. YAZZ AHMED - Polyhymnia
   

   
   
   

   

   Anyone who is familiar with Yazz Ahmed's previous album "La Saboteuse" or has seen her perform live, should already have noticed that the British-Bahraini trumpet and flugelhorn player is a unique driving force in the contemporary jazz fusion scene. On "Polyhymnia" the sound of her band gets even wilder, more complex and maximalist, with bass clarinet and vibraphone taking a back seat in favor of saxophone, piano and guitars. And even though her own instrumental skills are indisputable fantastic, her greatest strength might actually lie in her brilliant musical storytelling as a composer. Each track is a carefully thought-out tribute and takes you through the struggles and victories of one inspiring female figure from past or present, from civil rights icons Rosa Parks and Ruby Bridges, over Saudi-Arabian film director Lahan Al-Mansur, the Suffragettes and Paraphernalia / Colosseum saxophonist Barbara Thompson to Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, who's illustration by Sophie Bass (who did vivid work for all of the album's muses) also graces the cover of "Polyhymnia".

   
   
     
7. THE CLAYPOOL LENNON DELIRIUM - South Of Reality
   

   
   
   

   

   Great minds think alike? I'm not sure about that, with individuality being a crucial part of greatness and all. But in case of The Claypool Lennon Delirium I'm at least sure that the individual quirks and geniuses of Primus bass monstrosity Les Claypool and more-than-just-the-offspring-of-famous-parents Sean Ono Lennon add to something wonderfully odd and enjoyable, which despite its stratospheric class never takes itself too serious. The chemistry between them is unmistakably stronger than on their 2016 debut and it more than ever feels like the Primus bass was a time machine, which leads our heroes on an excellent adventure, which includes jams with King Crimson, Pink Floyd and of course the post Indian enlightenment Beatles.
   
      

8. CHELSEA WOLFE - Birth Of Violence
   

   
   
   

   

   After floating more and more within thick electronic drones and walls of sludge and guitar riffs and noise on "Abyss" and "Hiss Spun", Chelsea Wolfe returns to a more minimalistic approach on "Birth Of Violence". Yet even though it focuses mostly on her voice and acoustic guitar and presents itself more accessible than her early doom folk releases, this selection of dark Americana is still soaked in mesmerizing eeriness.

   
   

   

   [A related American gothic atmosphere and vocal performance - yet at a slower pace and with more of an ambient soundtrack vibe - can be found on "Droneflower", the collaborative debut of Marissa Nadler and Stephen Brodsky.]

   
     

9. SWANS - Leaving Meaning
   

   
   
   

   

   Gira disciples rejoice! It may have been hard to say goodbye to the longest-lived Swans incarnation in history, but that doesn't mean you have to fear a weak album now. "Leaving Meaning" is carried on the shoulders of a larger line-up, which varies from track to track, meaning that alongside new faces like lead vocalist on "The Nub" Baby Dee, the whole avantgarde jazz trio The Necks or the unmistakable ghostly-excentric background choir vocals of the Von Hausswolff sisters Anna and Maria, there are still lots of contributions by the likes of Thor Harris, Norman Westberg, Phil Puelo or Kristof Hahn. This double album is more vocal-centric than its humongous predecessors and doesn't reach their larger than life song lengths and convulsing noise peaks. But honestly - what does that really mean? This is still Swans, so it's large and viscerally thrilling beyond any ordinary scale.

   
   
     
10. MONO - Nowhere Now Here
    

    
    
    

    

    Mono celebrated their twentieth anniversary this year. And the Japanese post rockers' recent double album is monumental evidence that they are showing absolutely no sign of weariness or will to do things in smaller, mortal proportions. From the haunting singing of Tamaki Kunishi in "Breathe" (the first vocal performance of a band member ever), over calm piano moments to orchestral interludes, from heart-wrenching lead guitar cascades to slow-building progressions exploding into harshest noise climaxes - there is not one dull second on any of the ten tracks of "Nowhere Now Here". Post perfection.

    
    

    

    [In case you want your dose of escapist instrumental transcendency in a rawer, more metal and riff-based form without all the orchestral sparkle on top, I strongly suggest to take a listen to the new record of Russian Circles, who made 2019 their "Blood Year".]

    
    
     
11. BIG|BRAVE - A Gaze Among Them
    

    
    
    

    

    Great music doesn't necessarily need much of anything. Just one or two guitars. Just one or two chords. Just some gain and volume knobs turned to maximum. Just some drum hits at the right time. And fuck it, I don't even need to understand that weird accent or whatever of the singer, if she's as expressive as Robin Wattie. The Canadian trio Big|Brave once again makes the best of its decidedly limited toolbox and crafts a post no wave drone rock masterpiece which hammers you to the floor exactly like you know you always wanted it. And by the way: Everything is ok, your speakers are not dying in a crunchplosion. That's just the subtle guitar distortion.

    
    
      
12. MOTORPSYCHO - The Crucible
    

    
    
    

    

    The style and gigantic size of the cover artwork already suggest that this new album of the hardest working band in Norwegian rock business is closely related to last year's masterpiece "The Tower". And it's indeed very true that you could view these three epic tracks as side E and F of said album. Even more on point you can understand them as a concentrated version of the most epic and crimsony "Tower" material, with even more ingredients from the whole Motorkitchen in each track. My favorite "Lux Aeterna" might be one of their most beautiful songs of all time - at least until it goes batshit crazy. "The Crucible" is Motorpsycho at peak mammoth prog. Masterful yet still cool as f...jord.
    
      

13. EARTH - Full Upon Her Burning Lips

    
    
    

    

    Dylan Carlson (guitar/bass) and Adrienne Davies (drums) gracing the cover artwork of the long awaited new Earth album must be read as a statement. Just like back on "Hex; Or Printing In The Infernal Method" the band solely consisted of the core duo for this recording, yet this time even without any guest musicians. So above all "Full Upon Her Burning Lips" is a showcase of the chemistry and musical synergy of the two. The patience and coolness they are exuding here is unmatched. Music for cowboys to comb their beards to.

    
    
       
14. DEAD NEANDERTHALS -Ghosts
    

    
    
    

    

    Oh those delightfully brutish Dutch cavemen! My favorite drum and sax abuse duo has released yet another full album again, but this time with the transatlantic help from Scott Hedrick (Skeletonwitch), who gives it a very distinct touch with his contributions on guitar and piano. The result is one of the best works in their busy discography, maybe even THE best. For fifteen minutes "Bone Hill" is a minimalistic, only very subtly changing nerve-shredder  in the vein of "Womb Of God", until the guitar elevates it into the realm of glorious post black metal. Meanwhile "Death Bell" opens up totally new sonic paths with a tense groove and feel that makes it nothing short of the best post-reunion Swans song not written by Swans. And in case you're missing those impregnable walls of noise on "Leaving Meaning"; Dead Neanderthals give you an absolutely swans-worthy omniferous noise explosion with a trilling soprano saxophone on top. Fuck yeah!

    
    
     
15. AMANDA PALMER - There Will Be No Intermission
    

    
    
    

    

    "I'm sorry that this story's gotten long / and that everybody's crying in this song" Amanda Palmer pleads for forgiveness in ironic self-awareness in "A Mother's Confession". But truly she has absolutely nothing to be sorry for. We are all adults here and can decide when we are in the right mood to listen to her magnus opus. Based mostly on piano or ukulele and her voice, but always ready to blow up in orchestral bombast the ten songs (plus ten classical interludes) on "There Will Be No Intermission" are an almost impossible task to listen to without at least coming close to tears at some point. It's not only Amanda's emotional honesty and the strength of vulnaribilty in her performance causing this, but also the choice of painful but necessary topics and the profound humanity with which she tackles them. Seldom have I heard an artist being such an empathic listener, ally and storyteller.

    
    
      
16. RADARE - Der Endless Dream
    

    
    
    

    

    Despite the admittedly weird denglish title of "The Endless Dream", which probably somehow ties neatly into the unwritten narrative of this instrumental album, Radare have matured to songwriters, who can easily look eye to eye with the very best in post rock. While some of the similarities to Earth and Bohren und der Club of Gore, which had already been established on previous works, are still alive, the band has not only sped up the average tempo, but has also spiced it up with Badalamenti, library music, Carpenter and above all lots of Ennio Morricone. Arranged with standard rock instrumentation plus organ, keys and brass Radare have created a wide and suspenseful kaleidoscope of emotions which cannot leave you unmoved.
    
      

17. MISþYRMING - Algleymi
    

    
    
    

    

    Fuuuuuck! When it comes to black metal that always keeps its originality and avoids all the worst clishés, but still is a hundred percent pure and true in its spirit, I can't help but immediately think of the raw Islandic inferno called Misþyrming. The relentless harsh brutality of "Algleymi" makes you want to reach into a volcano with your bare hands, mold balls of lava and through them around to destroy the world of those feeble mortal humans. And beyond that these guys are really good songwriters with a sense for effective melodies to counterpoint the in-your-face destructiveness. Misþyrming present everything that can make black metal fucking awesome with a crispness that feels like they had just right now invented the genre.

    
    
     
18. LUCY IN BLUE - In Flight
    

    
    
    

    

    Speaking of amazing young bands from Iceland sounding so fresh and enthusiastic, you could believe they invented their particular genre: I give you Lucy In Blue and their accurate but very much their own creative take on early prog / jazz rock and above all psychedelic pre-"Dark Side Of The Moon" Pink Floyd. Just listen to these harmony vocals almost out-gilmour/wrighting Gilmour and Wright! And those are only one small portion of an album mostly filled with great instrumental ideas and arrangements. A perfect homage to an era long before the band members themselves were born, yet at the same time much more than that. And way more than you can seriously demand from a debut album.
    
      

19. SABA ALIZADEH - Scattered Memories
    

    
    
    

    

    You may or may not have heard of it until now, but by recent regulations of the internet police AOTY lists which don't include at least one entry featuring the Iranian spike fiddle can be legally charged. Luckily for me kamancheh master Saba Alizadeh has released this album, on which he interweaves the ghostly spike fiddle sound with electronics and further Persian instruments, as well as vocal samples and field recordings, to create a compelling, mystically droning soundtrack for his home city Tehran.

    
    

    
    

    

    [And while you're already at it, you also need to check out another Karl Records release with oriental connotations: On "Kosmik Bazaar" the Turkish avantgarde free jazzers Konstrukt and Chicago scene saxophonist Ken Vandermark embark on a wild ride which takes them all over the place through everything that's way too artfully insane for the regular radio consumer.]

    
      

20. THEON CROSS - Fyah
    

    
    
    

    

    Anyone wanna get into the hot tuba tub? No, the Sons Of Kemet haven't dropped a new album this soon yet, but their tuba wizard Theon Cross has done so, and his solo material doesn't stray too far from the sound of the band. Most of it is infectiously grooving trio work with his phat brass bass lines accompanied by drums and saxophones, with a few sparks of extra percussion, trombone or electric guitar here and there. The bridge between very traditional New Orleans jazz influences and modern beats and licks is so smooth that you could probably timetravel to any right party in the last hundred years and do the Marty McFly - but without embarrassing yourself. This shit is totally on fire!

    
    

    
    

    

    [Truth be told, this spot on the list had initially been reserved for another Son Of Kemet, who only very scarcely lost it. King Shabaka Hutchings' even more out there psychedelic electro fusion future jazz trio The Comet Is Coming has released a murderously good new album including a noteworthy guest appearance by rap poet Kate Tempest: "Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery".]

    
      

21. KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD - Fishing For Fishies
    KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD - Infest The Rats' Nest
    
    
    

    
    

    

    Stu Mackenzie's Australian insane train has thrown two albums into the world in 2019, which both share environmental themes and many typical mannergizzms like the love for odd time signatures, but are also two very different sides of a coin.
    "Fishing For Fishing" is not as unbearably sweet as the firstly released title track might have suggested, but an album wish features very different genres and various levels of heaviness, held together by the concept of most of it being based on... boogie of all things. Who would have thought with song titles like "Boogieman Sam", "Plastic Boogie" and "Cyboogie"? Even though you really have to be in the mood for harmonica, this is a great addition to the fast-growing Gizzard discography.

    
    

    
    
    

    

    "Infest The Rats' Nest" however is a completely different beast with a stylistic choice that is surprising even for these notorious genre-hoppers. Apart from two tracks which are more 70s hard rock and Sabbath worshipping stoner doom, everything on this record is pure fucking thrash metal! King Gizzard embrace all the necessary go-tos of early Bay Area and German thrash and make them their own by performing sophisticated riff work with a garage punk attitude. And it fucking slays! A short, but extremely sweet headbanger.

    
    

    
      

22. TWIN TEMPLE - Twin Temple
    

    
    
    

    

    Remember back in the 1950s, long before there was Heavy Metal, when we were swinging, jiving, singing and praising Lucifer to the organ- and saxophone-laden sound of Doo-Wop? What? You don't even remember that particular music style somewhere between rhythm and blues and big band jazz with those signature harmony vocals that gave it its name?
    Well, Alexandra and Zachary James, high priests of the cult and band called Twin Temple do remember. And they turned this idea into an entity, which is highly funny and entertaining, but also carries serious massages. But above all the quality of the pure musical performance is already good enough to make it work beyond the satanic shtick.

EARTH - Full Upon Her Burning Lips

Das letzte Earth-Studioalbum "Primitive And Deadly" ist nun auch schon wieder fünf Jahre her.

Seitdem gab es neben der "Live At Third Man Records" zwar das mächtige, mit "The Bug Vs Earthg" gelabelte "Concrete Desert"-Doppelalbum, doch der Earth-Anteil bestand dabei nur aus Dylan Carlson, dessen Spiel wenig überraschend auch sein beinahe nur aus Gitarren gemachtes, letztjähriges Solowerk "Conquistador" dominierte.

Klar, dass seine wichtigste Mitmusikerin Adrienne Davies währenddessen etwas aus dem Fokus der Wahrnehmung geraten ist. Doch schon das Cover des neuen Albums rückt diesen Eindruck wieder gerade.

EARTH - Full Upon Her Burning Lips (CD) (2019)

Allein ein Bandfoto als Cover zu benutzen, ist unter Instrumentalbands aller Genres, in die man Earth einsortieren könnte, ja schon exotisch. Da liegt der Gedanke nahe, dass es sich um ein Statement handelt.

Wir sehen nur Carlson und Davies, und tatsächlich sind sie wie auf "Hex; Or Printing In The Infernal Method" von 2005 die einzigen regulären Bandmitglieder. Anders als damals oder auf allen folgenden Alben gibt es dieses Mal allerdings keine Gastmusiker. Also kein kein Cello, kein Klavier und erst recht kein Gesang wie auf dem stilistischen Ausreißer "Primitive And Deadly". Wirklich nur Carlson an Gitarre (und Bass) und Davies an den Drums.

"Full Upon Her Burning Lips" präsentiert somit den nach "Hex" immer weiter ausgeschmückten Stil des im Drone verwurzelten und in Americana getränkten Slow-Motion Western-Doom in seiner instrumental reduziertesten Form.

Was allerdings nicht bedeutet, dass auf diesem Album wenig passiert. Tatsächlich verlassen sich Earth sehr wenig darauf, dass der Klang an sich - und der Gitarrensound ist zum Niederknien! - die Stimmung schon alleine trägt.
Nein, in den zehn sehr unterschiedlich langen Tracks des Albums geht immer etwas interessantes vor sich. Tempo und Heaviness variieren, wobei gerade die flotteren Stücke wohl auch dazu dienen, der Gitarre mal ein "beschäftigteres" Drumming als gewohnt an die Seite zu stellen.

Überhaupt gelingt es der Produktion hervorragend, die Prämisse des Duos aus gleichwertigen Hälften umzusetzen. Ob man nun entspannt die abendliche Dämmerung über der Wüste genießt oder bedrohlichen Hauch im Nacken spürt; dieses Album ist in allen Stimmungen ein sehr direktes, intimes Hörerlebnis, als stünde man direkt eine Armweite von beiden Musikern entfernt.

Stilistisch gehen Earth insgesamt klar auf Nummer sicher. Doch das kann man ihnen nicht vorhalten. Wer einen so unverkennbaren Signatursound abrufen und perfektionieren kann, der sollte das - gerade nachdem "Angels Of Darknes, Demons Of Light II" schon satte sieben Jahre alt ist, auch gefälligst tun dürfen.

Ich finde "Full Upon Her Burning Lips" bisehr noch bei jedem Hören besser als vorher. Ein exzellentes Album.

MUSIC 2018: top EP, live recordings, reissue

It's end-of-the-year list season. The "big one" with my favorite albums and concerts of 2018 is already done, so here comes the appendix with the best of other musical stuff.

While compiling it I realized that it really was an album-centric year for me. I obtained so few 7" or 10" records, split releases or download-only stuff, that it would be silly to make lists of any of those categories. So the whole thing is a rather short one this time.

To compensate I've thought about reviving the cheerful disappointments section, but despite being the longest text here that actually didn't generate too much solid content either.

The final part of this post is just a look back on what little my own experimental duo was doing this year.

TOP EP:

 

 

DARK BUDDHA RISING - II

   
Droning. Mystical. Colossal. Judging from the playing time this work may count as an EP, but the sonic reality is that Dark Buddha Rising rolls over your senses like a cosmic giant.

TOP 3 live recordings:

 

1. BELL WITCH - Live At Roadburn 2015
   
   

   
   Watching Bell Witch open Roadburn 2015 with their genius duet take on funeral doom still counts as one my most imprinting concert experiences in recent years. So to finally get this show as a crushing record is the best addition to the two special 2018 Roadburn shows I could ever imagine - and another worthy tribute to the late Adrian Guerra. Worship the shit out of this!
     
   
   
2. KONSTRUKT & KEIJI HAINO - A Philosophy Warping, Little By Little That Way Lies A Quagmire (Live)
   
   

   
   Yes, the music is as insane as the title. This Turkish / Japanese free jazz / noise rock cooperation is definitely among this year's most borderline crazy advantgarde shit releases. Also - to make things even weirder -, don't confuse this with previous year's studio album of the same name, which is comprised of totally different compositions!
     
   
   
3. CULT OF LUNA and JULIE CHRISTMAS - Mariner: Live At De Kreun - Belgium
       
   
   
   Even though I already own the studio album and have witnessed the very last of those rare shows for it at Roadburn, I still got my fingers on this live album, which once again features the stellar collaboration of Swedish post metal force Cult Of Luna and Julie Christmas. Some vocal arrangements may remain unperformable, but the live setting adds so much energy and so many layers at other places, that it has become my most listened-to version of "Mariner".
    

TOP reissue:

EARTH - The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull

While the first-time vinyl release of Swans' "Die Tür Ist Zu" may be of more exclusive content, I have to go with this 10 year anniversary reissue of Earth's already timeless and legendary masterpiece here. I had this on CD, but not only for the bonus track the vinyl is an upgrade. So much fuller and richer... It's almost like discovering a whole new record for me.

When has western psychedelic desert doom ever sounded cooler?

  

 

 

Disappointments 2018?

 

I don't know about any huge disappointments... Has any band or artist fucked it up big time? Nothing severe comes to mind.

Of course bands are disbanding. Norway's advantgarde metal specialists Virus are a huge loss that comes to mind immediately.

And then there's the never-ending "Laibach Revisited" story. The release has grown into a big, extremely promising box set, which I already have pre-ordered and payed for, but it has been postponed from September to spring 2019. While it is a bit annoying, the reason is that they are still adding additional stuff like a whole extra album. So that's fine with me.
I'm significantly more pissed that my vinyl copy of "The Sound Of Music" still hasn't found its way to me. Fucking Christmas.

Bruce Dickinsson outing himself as a Brexiteer, that was a shame. Well, he's rich. But yeah, that's not really music-related. And if we're going in that direction, the world has become way too absurd to do it justice here.

I guess my major general complaint is that the year goes by so fast, with so many albums which I still haven't bought or listened to yet. I mean, you still need some time to process all of it, right?

Of course I cannot blame Dead Can Dance, Florence + The Machine, Obscura, Sons Of Kemet etc. for me not having purchased their albums yet.

On the other hand just a little pinch of scepticism about the musical direction can hold me back for a long time - as seen with Khemmis, who after two great works are now maybe too traditional metal / hard rock for me? Don't know, I should really take a listen.

Same goes for Janelle Monae, who has finally delivered a successor to 2015's "The Electric Lady", but ditched her Cindi Mayweather persona. "Dirty Computer" has at least some good tracks on it, I know, but I'm having a hard time adjusting to the aesthetics of those modern pop royalty productions... The same thing made me avoid previous year's Kendrick Lamar album.

Damn.

 

 

  

 

DRUTURUM activities:

And finally a brief look back on my personal activities with Druturum.

Due to the concept of exclusive shows itself and occasional difficulties to find rehearsal time, our tour schedule will always be easy to oversee, that's for sure. At the moment we're patiently working on "Druturum V: Wayfarer", but it will still take a while until we can confirm a date and location.

This year in May we've played two very different shows. For more background information follow the links to the respective bandcamp pages (english) or posts in this blog (german)!

(stream/download/liner notes on bandcamp /blog post HERE!)

(stream/download/liner notes on bandcamp / blog post HERE!)

DYLAN CARLSON live im Hafenklang (07.09.2018)

Moshpits und Walls Of Death erwartete gestern im Goldenen Salon, dem Obergeschoss des hamburger Hafenklang, niemand. Stattdessen waren Stühle und Bänke aufgebaut. Auch wenn es vor Abfahrt Stellingen noch geklemmt hatte, waren mein Bruder und ich so auf den Punkt vor Ort eingetroffen, dass wir uns noch Plätze in der ersten Reihe sichern konnten.

Auf der Bühne gab es zwar keinen Stuhl, dennoch war auch dort nicht mit Dillinger Escape-Action zu rechnen. Nein, es war ein simpler Abend: ein Mann, seine Gitarre, zwei Amps und ein paar Effekte.

Dylan Carlson, in seinen breit genuschelten Ansagen leicht sympathisch verpeilt wirkender, optisch saucooler Wino-Doppelgänger, ist als Gitarrist von Earth natürlich eine stilprägende Legende. Allerdings hatte man hier nie den Eindruck, dass hier jemand unter dem Druck eines vorauseilenden Rufes auftrat.

Nein, genau wie bei seinem gemeinsamen Auftritt mit The Bug (Earth selbst stehen nach wie vor auf meiner To-see-Liste), spielte der Mann hier einfach ganz lässig seinen Dronecowboystiefel runter. Ein Gitarrenheld ohne jegliches Gitarrenheldentum.

Das komplett als Soundtrack zum Verdursten in der texanischen Wüste geeignete Set bestand zu gleichen Teilen aus Stücken seines aktuellen Soloalbums "Conquistador" und Klassikern seiner Band, darunter auch der Titeltrack des vor kurzem auf Vinyl wiederveröffentlichten "The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull".

Was genau an einem in Zeitlupe desert-rockenden Gitarristen so großartig ist, lässt sich eigentlich nicht beschreiben, sondern nur erfahren. Der Ton, der Twang, das Dröhnen, die Atmosphäre, sind es, um die es bei dieseer Musik geht.

Nach einem gefühlt das lineare Zeitempfinden transzendierenden, tatsächlich etwa einstündigem Set hätten wir jedenfalls durchaus noch gut ein, zwei Nummern mehr hören können.

Fazit: großartiger Typ. Genialer Gitarrist. Tolles Konzert.

[EDIT Montag, 11.09.2018: Dylan Carlson schien Freitag Abend ein wenig angeschlagen zu sein und musste sich zwischen den Songs immer die Nase putzen. Tatsächlich war es wohl schon schlimmer als es aussah, da er alle folgenden Termine der Tour absagen musste und derzeit immer noch mit Leberproblemen in einem Krankenhaus in Berlin liegt. Gute Besserung!]