Tuesday 7 February 2012

Press Pause Play

I found this great documentary looking at the relationships between art and technology. Some interesting points are raised. Is the increasing speed at which technology moves having a negative effect on creativity or does it drive it? Technology is allowing everyone to be an artist allowing young people to make art forms that were traditionally only for people with money. Increased communication is introducing an creative influence cycle rather than it being one directional...

PressPausePlay from House of Radon on Vimeo.

Saturday 4 February 2012

Portico Quartet

Portico Quartet "Portico Quartet" Real World Records 29/01/2012

Fusing electronic and traditional instrumentation is a concept that has always fascinated me. When done well, it can remove the clinical precision often attributed to very computer centric music, colouring and complementing organic sounds to produce interesting and unique timbres.
Portico quartet's eponymous third album displays this perfectly, incorporating Drums, Sax, Steel Drums, Double Bass, an array of production equipment and an obvious affinity for Jazz and the more progressive side of electronica, it paints a unique soundscape that wouldn't be out of place as a film soundtrack. The fact that these are live musicians dabbling in production and not the other way round means that each part expresses the personality and skill of the individual members rather than a reproduction of sequenced tracks.
Cyclic plucked double bass riffs and syncopated drum beats echo the influence of Photek and the short naked piano melody of "Export to hot climates" nods to Drukqs era Aphex Twin. The haunting sound of "Ruins" with its speed picked harmonic minor bassline and eastern saxophone melody make it one of the stand out tracks.
This album is much closer to 2009's Isla than to last year's far more straight up jazz set "Knee-Deep in the North Sea". If you are lucky enough to get hold of the special edition, you will get an extra bonus 5 track EP to go with it. Portico quartet have begun 2012 in style and their new live show is highly recommended.

Tracklist:

Window Seat
Ruins
Spinner
Rubidium
Export to Hot Climes
Laker Boo
Steepless
4096 Colours
City of Glass
Trace

Monday 2 January 2012

10 Albums of 2011


Keeping with last year's tradition I thought I'd post 10 albums that I enjoyed that came out in 2011 and as with last year encourage you to tell me yours. I may add 10 tracks later this week too.




SBTRKT
SBTRKT

Metronomy
Metronomy - The English Riviera


James Blake
James Blake


Little Dragon
Little Dragon - Ritual Union


Friendly Fires
Friendly Fires - Pala


Rustie
Rustie - Glass Swords


Back and 4th
Various - Back and 4th (Hotflush)


Radiohead
Radiohead - The King of Limbs


DJ Shadow
DJ Shadow - The Less You Know, The Better


Four Tet
Four Tet - Fabriclive 59