shamisen. n. 1. A Japanese 3-stringed musical instrument with a very long neck, plucked with a bachi (a binding of sticks). turntable. n. 1. The circular horizontal rotating platform of a phonograph on which the record is placed. Ready to see these two very different instruments bust out some crazy fusion of old and new?
Imagine a banjo player dueling with a DJ, in Japan…
DJ Kentaro mixing against a shamisen (skip to 0:40)
My roommate “hates” this song. She had to leave my room because it was worsening her headache. Oddly, I would think the calm nature of this song would have the opposite effect. In fact, I’m rather taken with Miss Veirs’ songwriting ability. She’s on the impressive Nonesuch Records roster and is touring with Sufjan Stevens now. “Fire Snakes” comes off her upcoming release “Year of Meteors” and delivers a deliberate and weighted musical message with minimal, but effective, instrumentation. The first two seconds will capture you. The deep bass at 0:40 will make you want to stay a prisoner of this song. Some subtle bird-like electronic elements mingle into this song, but allow the middle cello line to force this beautiful song onto you. ‘Careful, word-conscious, narrative, neither foggy nor overwritten‘
Right before his worldwide debut with the Buena Vista Social Club, Ibrahim was living in a croweded, tiny apartment in Havana and earned a living shining shoes. From the 50s through the 70s, Ferrer was deep into the Cuban music scene, but eventually was forced to give up on it and find more dependable pay. Ibrahim describes Ry Cooder’s arrival as such: “An angel came and picked me up and said, ‘Chico, come and do this record.'” The result was the Afro-Cuban All Stars record A Toda Cuba Le Gusta. Later, his strong sonero voice graced a number of records, from Sierra Maestra’s Rumbero Soy to Gorillaz’s epynomous debut. The bolero “Pensando en Ti” showcases his natural and evocative phrasing later supported by a cuatro solo by Barbarito and El Guajiro‘s trumpet solo. Like a grandfather living his boyhood dream, making everyone smile and dance.
I first heard Lhasa’s name spoken among the crumbling foundations of an old building in Lithuania. That was a year ago. But now, having finally heard her sing, heard those torpid words crawl from her throat, I’m right back there in that blown-out courtyard. And like last year, it’s filled with sunken faces disguised by smiles and with quiet, deferent chatter, as a woman sings atmosphere from a plastic chair on a rickety stage. The album’s called The Living Road, and it evokes just that; a series of beautifully alive places, linked by a single, winding thread. Beth Gibbons with an accent; intense and breathy.
It’s interesting – trying to come up with a time of day this song fits. It could fit early evening, the sky burns orange as you sip from a light pino grigio. It could fit a loving Saturday morning, your hand gently trailing up and down her back while the warm sunlight beams through the window. It could even fit the commute home after a tough day. But the genius of this beautiful song isn’t necessarily its versatility; rather, the song holds the power to elevate you into a new setting. A soothing guitar supported by subtle percussion and enhanced by a most gorgeous vocal melody by Brazilian wunderkind Lucas Santtana creates a new place of mind for you to enjoy. Warm sun, deep breaths, and beautiful soft sounds.
Three talented German jazz musicians were on tour in Cuba with the Dresden Philharmonic, when they fell in love with the Cuban music. A casual meeting with Compay Segundo led them to two talented Cuban percussions. The group then spontaneously ignited up a fiery session of cross-cultural musical intercourse. It was in this sudden compatiblity when the Klazz Brothers realized how perfect Cuban music complemented the classical pieces they knew so well. The result was their debut CD, Classic Meets Cuba, reinterpreting the masterpieces of composers like Mozart, Brahams, and Bizet into boiling Cuban rhythms. Beethoven by way of Buena Vista.
Now if you’re from Australia, you’re fully aware of this power squad of rockers. But if you’re not, don’t start thinking The Cat Empire is in the same aussie vein as Silverchair and Savage Garden. No no, TCE packs a hell of a punch – killer guitar riffs coupled with a nasty brass section. All the while, they feel like some neighborhood kids having a hell of a time, but you can’t not love the entirely fun grooves they produce. ‘Sly’ jumps loudly off their newest album, Two Shoes, while ‘Hello’ is one of the killer singles from their earlier eponymous release. Dig the organ and swing interlude where it duels against a mean turntable scratch. Extraordinarily fun and enjoyable stuff. Perfect for the hot summer.
To get an idea, imagine Basement Jaxx in a damp island jungle instead of a nightclub. With Boozoo, the beats are wet, the grooves are deep and the hooks are funky-ass funky – Mike Reinboth of Compost Records aptly called them, “NuDubReggae-meets-Mambo-Bossa”. These German blokes have been pumping out LPs and remixes for some time, but have now found their groove with their new record Dust My Broom on K7. “Killer” is the body-moving, hip-shaking stunner on the disc – dancehall vocals on top of a wide tropical bass. “Take It Slow” unfolds a smooth summer reggae ballad of a more intimate feel. One to move your hips. And one to move your lips.
Andrea Mangia falls somewhere between a blissful float down a sunset river and snow falling on industrial estates, whatever that means. And yes, he sounds like a breed of Scott Herren (Prefuse 73) and Four Tet, but I mean, so what? I like Four Tet, and frankly the last album wasn’t that great – so if there are competent imitators I’m happy to oblige. Especially with tracks like ‘Hip Hop Cocotte’ that swirls slowly into a great, sticky mass of guitar strings and electronic hisses; or ‘The Dixie Saga’ which has an eerie darkness to its clicks and twangs. A nifty handful of beats, heady yet sweetly chilled out.
Aurgasm seeks to bring you an eclectic menagerie of aural pleasures. We scout out music you've never heard and deliver only the finest. Expect music curiously different, yet simply enjoyable...
Paul Irish is a music-loving web geek in San Francisco.
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