david thorpe

Come on the phone

[ review of: Come on the phone by Magnétophone (CD Album) ]

It sounds like these boys from Birmingham aren't letting us into the whole story with this 4 track EP. Not only are the titles of the songs - Oh Darlin', Come On The Phone, etc - at odds to their abstract and grungy sound, but it's also obvious from their influences they should be based in a large German city and their records released by a small independent label from Berlin. Almost vocal-less throughout, Magnétophone seem to rely heavily on sampling to get their sound, and unusually for such a style of music leave it all thoroughly unpolished, which gives it warmth and depth that I rarely hear in electronica. This beautifully packaged EP is followed next month by an album I Guess Sometimes I Need To Be Reminded Of How Much You Love Me. Just got to wonder about those titles ...

Posted by david thorpe at 00:00, 29 Sep 2000

Sweet Tip

[ review of: Sweet Tip by Insides (CD Album) ]

Rarely was there an album so anticipated by so many. The release of a new Insides' record should be an occasion as momentous as lasting world peace, simply because their first - and only other - album left such a lasting impression. Released in 1993, Euphoria literally oozed tense and potent sexuality through Kirsty Yates' breathy singing and layer upon layer of Julian Tardo's mesmerising guitar loops. And while one thousand tongues were hanging out of their respective mouths, Insides simply tiptoed away. God knows what happened in the meantime, but Yates' breathy vocals and Tardo's guitars are here again. Sweet Tip is stylistically at odds with Euphoria's claustrophobia: gone are the built up textures in favour of the much more conventional pop song structure. On Grand Prix this just sounds plain dull. But that's an exception: the rest of Sweet Tip is laid back, relaxed and rhythmical. We're close to Insides circa Euphoria on All life long, full of close-mic'ed vocals, heavy sighs and layered guitar. But there's more - much more. Playing the album through to the end, it's surely no coincidence that the songs get increasingly jazzier in execution. From the bossanova rhythms of Wash n Wear Hair (a la Burnt Friedman et al, perhaps), Insides begin to shed their old skin. By the last song, What can I tell you?, there's zilch stylistic similarily to their first album, this being an out-and-out jazz arrangement. Whilst there was always a possibility of second album syndrome, I'm left with the impression that Insides' qualities - an ear for the rhythm and fantastic vocals - have been carried forward whilst they've move eight years forward in style. This is a fine record, and a worthy progression for Insides.

Posted by david thorpe at 00:00, 11 Aug 2000

La música de Las malas amistades

[ review of: La música de Las malas amistades by Las malas amistades (CD Album) ]

In the present whirlwind that is the imperfect marriage of technology and commerce in the name of human progress, it's all too easy to lose perspective on the beauty of the music making process in its' multifarious forms, which is why this slightly mysterious record from "Las malas amistades" is timed perfectly. Formed in Bogota, Colombia in 1994 by a group of friends (none of whom are musicians), they simply decided to record their own musical journey onto a number of tapes, which here have been compiled onto one super CD. In their own words they have "kept on making music that can be traced to such diverse influences as The Shaggs, The Young Marble Giants...and popular Latinoamerican romantic ballads, the kind you hear on the buses of Bogota when you get a funky driver." Indeed, the results are a mixture of charming simplicity, dodgy timing and hissy recording, exactly the kind of music that is not only great fun to listen to but also strangely addictive. Toy pianos, cheap casio drum machines and guitars have been mixed together into twenty eight sketches, ideas which are perfect in this small (two or three minute) form but aren't necessarily fleshed out into songs. I'm reminded of Pram's first demo tapes (released as "Gash"), who then went through a process of fleshing out their ideas in a most fantastic fashion over the next few albums. It's unlikely I think that Las malas amistades will be able to do this as their project is based on a different set of people for each song (and they're committed to certain freedom of association within the group), but this CD stands as a monument to the diversity of the music making process, and is a great listen as well.

La música de Las malas amistades is a self published, self distributed CD. For availabiliy or comments email the group as malasamistades@yahoo.com or mankal@hotmail.com.
Posted by david thorpe at 00:00, 30 Mar 2000