Eclectic Vibes - April 2012

by Andrew Frey

bassnectar

bassnectar

BASSNECTAR TO BLAST MADISON
Have you been sucked into the sweet sounds of Bassnectar yet? Ok, maybe ‘sweet’ sounds isn’t the right word. How about ‘mind stomping, socially-aware electronic dance music’? 

I have seen the California DJ-producer known as Bassnectar twice and they were epic events. From his waist-length hair to his outrageous bass concussions and groans to his cutting edge ethics, his shows make lasting impressions. By sticking to anthemic, big-sounding high-exposure riffs and structures, the breakdowns are big and the intensity is enormous. Over the years, he has done co-op projects with a variety of artists including, Ellie Goulding, Gogol Bordello, Sound Tribe Sector 9, and Perry Farrel to name a few.

Part of Bassnectar’s success can easily be attributed to his attitude towards his music. He says, “I tend to refer to Bassnectar as ‘omnitempo maximalism,’ which means any or all speeds, time signatures, rhythms and every sound source possible. I seem to gravitate toward really heavy tempos, lots of play with double-time and half-time and using electronic methods to embellish and reinforce other styles of music — maybe ragtime or punk rock or the blues or batucada or polka or salsa or film scores or gangsta rap or beatboxing or Balkan gypsy music or ska.”

Bassnectar’s music is in high demand and anticipation of his next full length is at a fever pitch. Last year he had sold over 200,000 tickets to his own solo shows, and this year he has already sold out about half of his spring and summer tour dates in support of his newest, Vava Voom, to be released on April 10th. The LP’s single “Vava Voom,” was a cooperative effort with Lupe Fiaso and the hip hop-meets-dubstep combination really kicks ass.

Catch him if you can in Madison on 4/13 at Exhibition Hall @ Alliant Energy Center. www.bassnectar.net


MICRO REVIEWS:
This Month's Rating Scale is from 1 is Arbitrary thru 10 is Definite

Filastine - L00T

Filastine - L00T

Filastine

Album title: L00T
Record Label: Muti Music
Rating: 10

Splitting his time between activism and artistry, Filastine has melded together a blanket of polyrhythmic input assembled at street level from Bangladesh to Bornio. Using gritty acoustic inputs and modded-out metal shopping carts as “the perfect modern instrument”, he rides the intersection of unabashed globalism and bass music as an audio-visual nomad and percussionist. Whether bringing a spectrum of instruments into a low-frequency dubstep grind or sampling multilingual tales of environmental implosion, this artist has a lot to say and says it his own way. Brilliant! 

(2219) Page Views

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Kmang Kmang - Drifting

Kmang Kmang - Drifting

Kmang Kmang

Album title: Drifting
Record Label: self-released
Rating: 8

Defying traditional classical guitar structures to incorporate indie rock angst and prog rock finesse with jazzy improvisational plateaus brings this Chicago based collective to a unique perfection. Founded by Barmey Ung, a Cambodian transplant, the compositions effortlessly delve into Flamenco, Samba, as well as traditional Cambodian Music.

(1970) Page Views

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David Kuckhermann - The Path of the Metal Turtle

David Kuckhermann - The Path of the Metal Turtle

David Kuckhermann

Album title: The Path of the Metal Turtle
Record Label: self
Rating: 9

Mesmerizing, serene and thought-provoking acoustic music generated on metal hang drums. These drums have a unique sound and enchant the listener almost immediately. David is a master percussionist and makes playing these drums look simple and easy. As a teacher he offers instructional videos for a wide variety of world instruments.

(2293) Page Views

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Lance Lopez - Handmade Music

Lance Lopez - Handmade Music

Lance Lopez

Album title: Handmade Music
Record Label: MIG Music
Rating: 1

Starting in New Orleans and mentored by Buddy Miles (Band of Gypsys) this ballsy blues guitarist has been a professional musician since the age of 14. At the age of 18 he became Lucky Peterson’s band leader. Now on this, his second solo release, he starts off jumpin but gets gritty, soulful and introspective in the middle.

(1911) Page Views

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Lords of Acid - Lords of Acid

Lords of Acid - Lords of Acid

Lords of Acid

Album title: Lords of Acid
Record Label: Metropolis Records
Rating: 10

After 12 long years the mighty Praga Khan, along with longtime collaborator Erhan Kurkun, bring us a new full length orgy of punky electro industrial deliciousness. This is a fantastic, feisty, fun, booty shakin’ party album with great grooves, wide stylistic variances and witty lyrics plus an ever apparent sex appeal. Yummy!

(5051) Page Views

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Mekong Delta - Intersections

Mekong Delta - Intersections

Mekong Delta

Album title: Intersections
Record Label: Steamhammer/SPV
Rating: 8

How do you create a technical thrash metal band for 2012? Start in the mid 1980s! Founded in the 80s by producer and bass player Ralf Hubert and surviving decades of band changes and turmoil, this release gives new life to a variety of their acclaimed classics utilizing the technology and band lineup of today, while enabling the band to get out and tour the world again.

(1956) Page Views

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