CD Releases: July 2004 updated:10/08/2004

 

T-SON
combat sol

"Combat Sol is a dense, multi layered work, which takes a few listens before you fully submerge yourself in the intricacies of the T-Son sound."
Real Groove

Combat Sol is the debut album from T-Son, the latest project from Benny Staples, released through his label, WE R Recordings. An integral part of the New Zealand music scene for over 20 years now. With a long list of credentials including being a founding member of '80s punk funk legends the Newmatics, English indy/dance crossovers the Woodentops, Aotearoa's first truly live local dance band Lava Lava and Fat Freddy's Drop trailblazers the Crackhead Experience (whose other members included Fat Fred's Mu and Dallas).

Tracklisting:

T-Son stands for The Sound of Newton, the inner city Auckland suburb where Benny lived when the album was recorded. Combat Sol is an eclectic, MPC driven smorgasbord of sound and rhythm which deftly cuts and pastes the hip-hop, punk, soul and funk that Benny has loved ever since he discovered The Clash in the early ‘80s. Combat Sol is also Benny’s most personal work to date as it embarks upon an emotional trip which touches on the dark side through the death of Benny’s mother and the break-up of his first marriage before returning to the light with such life affirming themes as the birth of his second child.

Benny produced Combat Sol in collaboration with engineer Luke Tomes (Bic Runga, Stellar*). Luke also engineered Soane’s recently released debut album, TonganChic, which Benny played percussion on under his ‘Benny Lee’ guise. Combat Sol also includes Protest One which was recorded as LAPD with Thunder & Joy’s DJ Tobi and The Scrape, which is co-produced by Mu and Dallas from Fat Freddy’s Drop, with whom Benny occasionally plays.

Benny produced most of Combat Sol, provides most of the drums and sings for the first time on tracks like the nursery rhyme style, Disco Dad, which also features the wails of his young son, Sol. However, T-Son is not a solo venture but a fully fledged band which combines the best of young and old, such as sparkling vocal talent Crissy Diamond, formerly a member of Tardus Music act Cheshire, who duet with Benny on Combat Sol’s first single, Baby Come On and takes centre stage on future single, Face The Day. Aaron Murphy, who plays in Anika Moa’s band, contributes not only bass but also provides some mean human beatbox action. While Johnny ‘Bongo’ Quigley of Nairobi Trio and The Bongos fame plays guitar, Frances Chan supplies percussion and The Newmatics’s Chris ‘Wah Wah’ Watts contributes saxophone.

Following the release of Combat Sol, Benny and friends will be taking the fully funked up experience which is T-Son live on the road.

 

JOANNA NEWSOM The Milk Eyed Mender CD
(Spunk / Drag City)
File Under: folk
URA129
In pop, romance poetry and childlike sopranos go together like milk and cookies, and are often just as cloyingly sweet. From Joni Mitchell to Bjork, the ethereal method always sounds like a teenage girl with a crush on Byron. Joanna Newsom, who grew up in rural California, springs from this mold fully formed on her debut album. Her vocals are goofier and more artless, more thoroughly nubile than other thrushes of her ilk; her poetry more striking for its sonic textures than for its meaning or metaphors. But there is meaning if the listener is willing to accept Newsom's telescoped view of the world. In the fairly rollicking Inflammatory Writ, she surveys the literature of literature, creating what very well may be the first love song to English composition. A trained harpist, who has studied a variety of ethnic styles as well as the classics, Newsom backs her loud, confident singing with simple elegant phrases. Her forms are derived from Appalachian music and bluegrass, but the overall effect is closer to that of European art songs. She's less a songwriter than a craftsman of musical trinkets, each one a miniature marvel of detail and originality. The last few years have seen no shortage of out-folk newbies, but The Milk-Eyed Mender is a rare accomplishment, as captivating and distinct a work as records by friends and touring partners Will Oldham and Devendra Banhart. In fact Will Oldham has said Joanna Newsom is one of his favourite storytellers, find out why……

 

KOOLISM Pt 3, Random Thoughts CD
(Invada Records)
File Under: Hip hop / beatz
INVCD013
When you're getting props from the New York Times as 'the standard-bearer of Australian hip hop', all the while touring the country and signing the breasts of nubile young teens, you know life has got to be pretty sweet for the Canberra duo of Langomi-e-Hau and Daniel Ellison. Now, with interest in all things hip hop rapidly reaching a crescendo across the ditch, just like here really, Koolism look set to capitalise in a big way with Random Thoughts. Typical of their earlier releases, MC Hau is given plenty of space to rhyme, barely pausing to take a breath over the 56 minute running time. Ironically, then, it's the more atypical tracks like Nite Time that really shine, giving DJ Danielsan a chance to demonstrate his keen talents for developing minimalist, spacey grooves. Elsewhere, UK rapper Rodney P, NFAMAS (1200 Techniques), newcomer Axe Aklins and BVA (Mnemonic Ascent) lend their vocal talents to break up Hau's unrelenting delivery, and help to serve up a very accomplished album from these talented Aussies. All in all a refreshingly different approach to Aussie Hip Hop that people who appreciate good music regardless of their genre will really get into.

 

NIK FISH Wax On 2CD
(Venom)
File Under: trance / hard dance
VENCD03
The undisputed king of Australia’s hard dance scene, Nik Fish’s popularity has continued to grow in 2004. With frequent gigs around Australia, a number of mix CDs to his name, and his new record label (Venom Music) continuing to grow, Fish’s fans helped him to climb one spot to be Australia’s number 3 DJ, no small feat in itself. Wax On‚ is a new DJ Mix CD series from Australian independent music label, Venom and highlights the featured DJ, focusing on the music they play and the way they present themselves. The first release showcases DJ Nik Fish demonstrating two different styles that he's well known for playing. Disc 1 - WAX ON is Hardstyle, with tracks and mixes from DJ Scot Project, Uberdruck, Dave Joy, Sam Punk and more. Disc 2 - WAX OFF is Nu-Style, a mix of harder Progressive Trance featuring new breed artists like Oliver Klitzing, DJ Choose, Igor S and others. This neat package comes to you as a special glossy fold out digipak.

 

OUR HOUSE Is Your House CD
(Global Recordings)
File Under: Dance
GRCD20041
While Britain can boast the likes of Sasha, John Digweed and Nick Warren, Australia has crowned its own progressive house maestros. Sean Quinn and Kasey Taylor have been an essential component of the Melbourne progressive scene for many years, and together they form the production team Our House. Receiving critical acclaim from the likes of industry veteran Paul Oakenfold with their single Floorspace in the mid 90’s, the boys have finally taken it upon themselves to release their debut long player …Is Your House. It was eight years ago that Kasey Taylor and Sean Quinn's debut singles as Our House were released on Ugly Bug and Perfecto Records, and since then both have gone to become huge DJs in their native Australia, with Kasey also making an impact on the International circuit with not only his djing but with his label Vapour Recordings. Pounding peal-time progressive house and dark, nasty break beats make up the majority of the albums content and Our House Is Your House is an album that was clearly made with progressive fans in mind; and for that very reason, it’s something that all progressive listeners should definitely check out. While to call it deep and slow would really be a gross understatement, those who like their music with a little bit of subtlety and substance are clearly gonna dig it. This music was never really suitable for the clubs anyway – too deep, too slow, and too esoteric. But on your home stereo, it makes for a much better match. Its an album that prog-heads would be stupid to miss, and shows further evidence of the increasing trend of artist albums over mix CDs within this genre.

 

THE RECITIFIERS Levy CD
(Sensory Products)
File Under: alt country meets electronica
SRP024
The Rectifiers released their complex but subtle masterpiece, Wear The Weight Of The Resting Sky,(SRP04), in 2003 to critical acclaim. But that wasn't enough for their label, Sensory Projects, which promptly farmed out tracks to electronic wizards, the Symbiotic Collective, for reworkings of the cinematic Rectifiers tracks. The result was always going to be a high-standard release but this set of 9 tracks not only transforms the originals, but also shows respect for the alt-country origins, retaining enough of the source to keep the songs recognisable. From A 3rd Dek's film noir reworking, Between These Pieces (originally This Peace Between Us) to the lounging An Egg Rolling Down A Hill by Guitarkus (featuring Ptero_Stylus), the only real themes that bind the album are slow hip-hop beats and breaks; a love of bent sounds; and, of course, the musical source (The Rectifier). Paso Bionic's Rusty Dawn Reprise (remix of A Quiet Life) is like a walk through the subconscious mind of a child, complete with elements of both dreams and nightmares, constantly shifting from the beautiful to the surreal. If you like to lean left when it comes to electronic tracks, you'll enjoy other artists like Pitch Bureau, Dengar, Terminal Sound System and Beatrix; all valuable contributors to Ants Farm Aphids, the Symbiotic mob's outstanding album from 2003. Sure, they may be insane, but these pioneering beat merchants do The Rectifiers justice on the Levy EP.

 

M WARD Duet For Guitars CD
(Spunk / Ow Om)
File Under:
OWOM6CD
"Not since Grandaddy have I been so charmed by an unknown collection of tunes and their display". Howe Gelb
M. Ward is a 27-year-old guitarist/singer who has been recording with his band Rodriguez for the past 6 years. Their first album Swing Like A Metronome was recorded by Jason Lytle of Grandaddy. Duet for guitars #2 is his first solo full-length release. He placed a rough mix tape in the hands of Mr Howe Gelb (Giant Sand, OP8) at a Seattle show during a '99 tour. He decided to release it on his own little label, Ow Om Recordings.

 

 

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