We’re seeing a lot of great collaborations this year. The latest may be from the innovative producers Burial and Four Tet. I’m saying “may be” because the release has been such a well-kept secret that no one really knows if it’s a collaboration or if it’s just a split release. Either way, I’m really diggin’ it. The a-side, “Moth,” is a beautiful 9 minute minimal tune. Although it’s extremely repetitive, I could listen to it for hours. The b-side, “Wolf Club,” sounds as if Four Tet had a heavier hand in it. It’s a choppy tech-house track with Asian influences. It’s a bit on the long side, but still a very cool tune. I actually like these tracks better than Burial’s and Four Tet’s solo tracks. Maybe Will Bevan and Kieran Hebden should become a permanent duo. Thoughts?

MP3: Moth – Burial & Four Tet

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A few weeks ago, I was checking to see if Tipper was working on any new material. I found out that he recently mastered an album called Zoomorphic by Spoonbill (aka Jim Moynihan), so I decided to check it out. I figured if Dave Tipper was involved in something it’d be good, but I didn’t expect it to be this good. It’s wild!

It’s a sound designers dream come true. Wobbly bass, foley sound effects, cartoon samples, warped synths, organs, flutes, kalimbas, trombones, slide guitars, broken egg shells, ping-pong balls, crunching food… you name it, it’s in there. Somehow, Moynihan is able to cram hundreds of sounds into each track while retaining structure, catchy melodies and sick beats. Zoomorphic can’t be pigeonholed into a single genre. It’s a mix of glitch-hop, IDM, dubstep, abstract electronica, folk and a touch of bluegrass.

A bit off topic… but about 10 years ago, my friend Liz and I were smoking in the dorm bathroom, looking out at the Philadelphia skyline. We were talking about the worst possible ways to die. For some reason, I thought that dropping acid at Zoobilee Zoo would be the worst way to go. Zoomorphic would totally be the soundtrack to that experience… only without the dying.

Zoomorphic is Spoonbill’s third full-length release. His previous albums are abstract as well, but are better categorized as broken beat, downtempo and experimental. Definitely worth checking out. All Spoonbill releases are available from Amazon and Addictech.

MP3: Spoonbill – Feather Leather

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This summer, Nine Inch Nails fans can expect something totally different. The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble and NIN are currently collaborating on a full length release called Here Be Piggies. It’s a companion album to TKDE’s upcoming album, Here Be Dragons. The 6 track, 66 minute long album will be released by Ad Noiseam by the end of summer 2009. Both bands are working side-by-side so we can expect something much more exciting than a typical remix album. The new NIN line-up for the release (which seems absolutely ridiculous) includes Armando Acosta, Terminator X, Jasmin Wagner and HP Baxter. Since I got this from Ad Noiseam, I’m assuming it’s correct. But it could just be a stunt to boost TDKE’s popularity. Either way, I’m sure it’ll work.

This is what Trent Reznor had to say about the upcoming release: “I wanted to try something different, something genuinely more underground and boundaries-pushing. Getting away from mainstream rock has been my wish for years now, and I found in TKDE the perfect people to jam with. Partying with TKDE / Bong-Ra’s Jason Kohnen also helped me get over my straight-edgeness, and releasing on Ad Noiseam brings me back to the times I was a struggling musician scraping for money. I am having fun again, finally.”

If you’re unfamiliar with TKDE, they’re an experimental 7-member band that got their start composing music to silent films. Their current sound is a mix between creepy jazz, downtempo, industrial and IDM. It’s dark and beautiful. Definitely check them out. TKDE are currently on tour throughout the UK. Below is a track from their second release, Mutations EP.

MP3: The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble – Shadows

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Arecibo Message is the new LP from the recently acclaimed dubstep artist, Boxcutter (aka Barry Lynn). The album’s title is aptly named after the message sent in 1974 from the Arecibo Radio Telescope to possible extraterrestrials 25,000 light years away. It’s as if Boxcutter collected progressive sounds from the past 5 years and let them loose into outer space, echoing on forever. The album goes through numerous stages, morphing through dubstep, downtempo, acid, IDM and electro funk. It’s intense, glitchy, abstract and at times, even funky. I can’t pinpoint it yet, but there’s something melancholy about Arecibo Message. It’s organic, raw and emotional.

The first two tracks stand out as they could be mistaken for tracks from Burial’s 2007 album, Untrue. But what sets Boxcutter apart, is that he’s constantly tweaking the sounds, adding new elements and mangling the beat. From there, the tracks progress into more chaotic IDM tunes reminiscent of AFX, Clark and Meat Beat Manifesto.

The production is phenomenal as Boxcutter experiments with nuance and dynamics, unheard in earlier releases. The thick wall of analog sounds and effects is balanced with subtle noises and moments of silence.  “Arcadia 202″ is a hauntingly beautiful track that takes acid grooves to a new level. Unfortunately, the buildup is rushed and the song ends abruptly, as do many of the other tracks, with a quick fade.

The last track, “A Cosmic Parent,” should have been left for another release. While it’s funky rhythms, samples and guitar riffs are heard elsewhere, it’s inconsistent and fails to finalize the album. It fades out in a matter of seconds, concluding the LP at just over 49 minutes.

Arecibo Message will be released on April 20th via Planet Mu Records. To hear samples from the entire album, visit Planet Mu. The LP can be purchased from Amazon.

MP3: Boxcutter – Free House Acid

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