Machinefabriek and 9 other artists

[edison]

Also, Hildur Guðnadóttir is on this very interesting looking new BJ Nilsen album out on Touch - have you heard that yet?

[Nick Ink]

5     Richard Skelton    10
A sneak at the new one - Landings - sounded like a bit of a departure actually, but I need to hear it more of course.

This is my current soundtrack for work (it's streaming over at Luisterpaal), and I have to say, it's so good it's distracting me. I've enjoyed the odd A Broken Consort track on alex's mixes before, so I think it's definitely time I investigate this man's work properly.

I still haven't quite got to grips with Landings. I prefer the more obviously 'strings' tracks. That dense scarping effect. I think Marking Time under his own R.S name might be where I'd point first, but it's all good. That little Clouwbeck album is another one, and a bit underappreciated.

Also, Hildur Guðnadóttir is on this very interesting looking new BJ Nilsen album out on Touch - have you heard that yet?

If it's on Touch, i expect I'll get to hear it eventually! Definitely a label to keep tabs on. But although I know the name, I don't think I'm familiar. Thanks for pointing it out - I'll make a note.

[Nick Ink]

1 Chihei Hatakeyama    84
Chihei Hatekayama, having released 4 last year, has already put out 2 new albums already in 2010. His albums are almost exclusively subtle experiments in tone and field recordings. This year's Secret Distance Of TOCHKA is relatively heavy on the latter, but the latest A Long Journey focusses more on gently moulded drone pieces, flecked with detail and augmented by a natural theme and samples of various babling brooks and the like. It varies from quite placid to much more challenging. At the moment, one of the best ambient music producers around.

2 Akira Kosemura        44
More Japanese instrumental. This album, Polaroid Piano, as the title gives away, is all about the piano. It's an exceptionally fragile and delicate album, and fit nicely with my piano-based weekend (see also Goldmund/Library Tapes)

3 Machinefabriek         29
The very fellow! New releases Nerf, Slovensko and The Breathing Bridge all in rotation. The first one in particular should be heard by anybody remotely sympathetic to Mr Z's sounds.

4 Goldmund               28
5 Black to Comm         23
Black To Comm came to my attention last year with the darkly beautiful Alphabet 1968 album, which I like to think refers to the year of my birth, egocentric bastard that I am. I've recently been listening to last year's 40 minute drone piece Charlemagne & Pippin, but even more so the brilliant Wave UFO EP. Here he varies his sound much more and there are some exciting dynamic shifts and textures.

6 Library Tapes           17
7 Richard Skelton        12
8 Yellow Swans            8
Though they split up over 2 years ago, I'm thrilled to hear that Yellow Swans have another album posthumously released next month. This was listening to a couple of old ones - Deterioration and At All Ends. Not sure how they did it, but they just managed to be so much better than any other 'noise' band I've heard.

9 Can                          8
Trying to acquaint myself with more Krautrock. It's a gradual process, but I thought I'd start with Tago Mago. I loved the first half, but possibly fell asleep in the middle.

10 Trixie Smith             8
I previously knew Trixie Smith, who recorded pre-war blues sides in the 20s, for the astonishing You've Got To Beat Me To Keep Me, one of the most affecting songs I've ever heard. Imagine my glee when I uncovered a couple of new tracks - Mining Camp Blues and a couple of versions of My Daddy Rocks Me - on the insanely wonderful blog Honey Where You Been So Long, which I must have linked to about six times here now.

[Andrew_TSKS]

Yo, Nick, I would think that "Halleluhwah" and "Aumgn" (sides 2 and 3) off "Tago Mago" would be your favorite tracks, since you love the drone. You should fire that record back up when you're feeling alert.

[ellaguru]

I find the second half of Tago Mago pretty good if I start at the very beginning of the record and listen all the way through, but just pretty irritating if I try to listen to the second half by itself.

[Nick Ink]

Yo, Nick, I would think that "Halleluhwah" and "Aumgn" (sides 2 and 3) off "Tago Mago" would be your favorite tracks, since you love the drone. You should fire that record back up when you're feeling alert.

You're right, I was too tired. I'll give it another go once the kids have left home.

[edison]

1 Chihei Hatakeyama    84
Chihei Hatekayama, having released 4 last year, has already put out 2 new albums already in 2010. His albums are almost exclusively subtle experiments in tone and field recordings. This year's Secret Distance Of TOCHKA is relatively heavy on the latter, but the latest A Long Journey focusses more on gently moulded drone pieces, flecked with detail and augmented by a natural theme and samples of various babling brooks and the like. It varies from quite placid to much more challenging. At the moment, one of the best ambient music producers around.

Correction: he has three albums out - one named Ghostly Garden is out this week, it seems. I liked what I heard from him quite a bit, but it certainly feels that I shouldn't even think about catching up with his discography.

I should also be acquainting myself with Can and Krautrock, both of which I know virtually nothing about.

[Nick Ink]

Correction: he has three albums out - one named Ghostly Garden is out this week, it seems. I liked what I heard from him quite a bit, but it certainly feels that I shouldn't even think about catching up with his discography.

I think you should! His debut came out on Kranky in 2005 (Minima Moralia) and is wonderful. then he went pretty quiet for a few years. Last year, Saunter ws only really a 'single', so if you like Minima Moralia, maybe go for The River and Dedication next. Then you'll be almost up to 2010! Go on, you know you want to!

Oh, and I heard about Ghostly Garden this week -looking forward to it :-)

[Andrew_TSKS]

I should also be acquainting myself with Can and Krautrock, both of which I know virtually nothing about.

That Julian Cope book that is out of print but floats around the internets in pdf form is an outstanding introduction. I read it last year and listened to nothing but krautrock for weeks. Found so many good albums.

[davy]

That sounds like a pretty good idea for my next music read.

[edison]

Except reading a 200-page long PDF file doesn't sound that appealing, but thanks for pointing that out, Andrew, it definitely sounds like a good gateway.

[Nick Ink]

I should also be acquainting myself with Can and Krautrock, both of which I know virtually nothing about.

That Julian Cope book that is out of print but floats around the internets in pdf form is an outstanding introduction. I read it last year and listened to nothing but krautrock for weeks. Found so many good albums.

He has a new band now, 4 guys all dressed up like German bikers playing something like 'acoustic metal' or something, all in the middle of idyllic, rural England. Strange business. I can't remember the name of the project now - I read about it in The Wire though - he seemd really into it.

[Andrew_TSKS]

That Julian Cope, when he does something, he gets into it.

[ellaguru]

I don't know a ton of Julian Cope, but "World Shut Your Mouth" is such a great song.

[davy]

I don't know a ton of Julian Cope, but "World Shut Your Mouth" is such a great song.

And I love love love "Sunspots." But that's the only Julian Cope song I've ever heard.

[narlus]

I don't know a ton of Julian Cope, but "World Shut Your Mouth" is such a great song.

And I love love love "Sunspots." But that's the only Julian Cope song I've ever heard.

sunspots is great.

[davy]

I keep wanting to check out his albums on the strength of that song, but everybody's always like NO YOU DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.

[Andrew_TSKS]

I have "Peggy Suicide," it's awesome and totally bizarre.

I expected to really like Teardrop Explodes but I've never really gotten into them.

[Nick Ink]

I have "Peggy Suicide," it's awesome and totally bizarre.

Agree! Have you also got Jehohvakill? It came right after Peggy Suicide. Because I'm willing to bet money you'd like it a lot Andrew.

[davy]

I have "Peggy Suicide," it's awesome and totally bizarre.

Finally got around to listening to this, and I think it's pretty good! There are a few songs that clearly stand out, but it's an engaging listen front to back.

EDIT: And it gets stronger towards the end. Yes, I quite like this!

[davy]

Yeah, definitely gonna have to buy this.

[Nick Ink]

My favourite tracks on Peggy Suicide are Safe Surfer and If You Loved Me At All. I think I like Jehovahkill a bit better actually - it's another massive, 16-song epic. Favourite tracks on that one - Upwards At 45 Degrees and No Hard Shoulder To Cry On. You should give it a try davy, after you've let Peggy Suicide settle down.

[Nick Ink]

Also, this is what I love about this sometimes ignored thread. I can listen to a handful of Can tracks one week, and one TSKS endorsement later davy is staring down the barrel of a lifelong Julian Cope fascination.

[davy]

Seconded.

The tracks I checked in iTunes were "East Easy Rider," "If You Loved Me at All," "Soldier Blue," and "Head," but I pretty much enjoyed the entire thing.

And if Rate Your Music is to be believed, Peggy Suicide isn't even in the running for best Julian Cope album. They've got World Shut Your Mouth, Fried, and Jehovahkill all rated higher. Fried gets the highest score--a 4.02 out of 5 (a hell of a good score for RYM, especially considering there are hundreds of votes)--and it contains my favorite Julian Cope track ("Sunspots"), so I think I'll try it next.

I'm gonna head downtown this afternoon and see if I can score some cheap vinyl or used CDs.

[Nick Ink]

But remember he changed out of all recognition as his career moved out of the post-Teardrops pop star phase and he gradually turned into an acid-fried outsider activist. Some of the earlier albums (the two you mention are his first two in fact) are pretty clean.

Now, as I mentioned earlier, he looks like this: