Glitter Gutter Trash
Issue 211 / July 2006 More from this Issue
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A psychotic candyland full of glam glitz, trashy pop, new wave, post-everything, retrofuturisms and distorted beauty
impressionistic garble and oppressive opinion by ryan michael painter
The Cure celebrated their 25th anniversary by playing two or three tracks from each of their albums for KROQ's Inland Invasion. Were the Legendary Pink Dots to try and do the same the concert would be a week-long event (not including side projects which might push the performance to a month). Sadly they'll only be making one appearance in Salt Lake on their 25th Anniversary tour, July 14 at Egos. It so happens to be the last day of the tour and promises to be a delightful night of chemical playschool trickery. So come all ye experimental poets with a taste for electronic bubbles and psychedelic textures as the Dots play old classics and tracks from their excellent new release Your Children Placate You from Premature Graves. Anka
Cocoon Time
I-Rain
Street: 05.30
Anka = Exotic-atmospheric-pop with an edge.
Pieter Nooten
Ourspace
I-Rain
Street: 05.30
Pieter Nooten = Lush electronic instrumentals augmented by warmth
Following the commercial and critical disaster known as Phoenix (which in all fairness wasn't nearly as disappointing as it initially seemed, particularly when you include the b-side "Twisted" into the equation) Xymox ceased to be a band and essentially became a vanity project for Ronny Moorings. Bandmates Pieter Nooten and Anka Wolbert disappeared into rumors of solo projects and the "Where are they now?" file. As Xymox, Ronny released two dance records (one horrible the other surprisingly solid) before reclaiming the Clan of Xymox moniker along with the darker sound that recalled the electro-goth styling of their early releases, reclaiming the band's position as one of the leading darkwave acts in the world. But it wasn't the same. Ronny's half-dozen Clan of Xymox albums have been brilliant at times but never quite reaching the dizzying heights of the original trilogy of albums released by the Moorings, Nooten and Wolbert line-up. It was with great nervous anticipation that I approached these two releases.
In Cocoon Time I'll admit to hoping for a continuation of Xymox's Twist of Shadows, with all due respect to Depeche Mode's Violator and Black Celebration, the greatest dark synthpop album of all time. In that regard I was to be disappointed. Yet to call the album disappointing seems criminal. Cocoon Time is a fantastic collection of songs that recalls everything that made Anka's Xymox tracks the perfect balance to Ronny's and while there is nothing here nearly as epic as "Imagination," there is a rush of pop, subdued by lingering layer upon layer of atmospheres as if Anka set out to record the album Phoenix without relying on the weight of resurrected nostalgia. Had the exotic pop opener "Inside the Bubble" been released before "Phoenix of My Heart," history might look entirely different from here. "Angel" alone is worth the price of admission (particularly when blaring from a car's speakers while driving with a certain amount of excessive abandon) with its stirring use of distorted and soaring guitars. I could do with a few more upbeat tracks, but nonetheless Cocoon Time is unquestionably a triumphant return.
In Nooten's Ourspace I hoped for anything that approached the beauty of the sweeping synths that I accredited to him in the early Clan of Xymox sound that was also apparent in his collaboration with guitarist Michael Brook (most familiar from their track "Several Times" which was reworked for the first This Mortal Coil album) on their Sleeps with the Fishes release. Again I am not to be disappointed. Primarily an instrumental album, Ourspace recalls the beauty of Twist of Shadows' "Clementia." However, the unexpected highlight of the album is "Stop Time" where Pieter lends wistful vocals with lyrics that remind of Robert Smith's ability to use subtle phrases to capture mammoth events.
Asobi Seksu
Citrus
Friendly Fire
Street: 05.30
Asobi Seksu = Lush and My Bloody Valentine's beautiful lovechild.
On their debut album, Asobi Seksu waltzed into the dream pop ball like debutantes destined for stardom. Primped and pretty Citrus could be called a sophomore slump, only it really isn't much of a slump. Granted there isn't anything as blissfully sweeping as "Walk on the Moon," but the album does feature the signature combination of pop, shoegaze distortion and enough time changes to keep the weary dancing. Yuki bounces between English and Japanese in a bitter sweet falsetto as if they were the same language and James Hanna ties knots with his guitar weaving strum upon picked note while the newly assembled rhythm section pulses along. "Goodbye" bounces along in a perfectly mix as do pop numbers "Strawberries" and "New Years." "Exotic Animal Paradise" slips away like mistakenly released balloons; you watch as the wind takes them away. The album's highlight is"Thursday" as it captures the best sides of the band, flawlessly combining up -tempo pop with a haunting dreamscape that even Phaser would die for. They're probably the best band you've never heard; they might also be the best band in New York. To top it off, Sean McCabe's (Interpol, Spoon, Mates of State) artwork continues to be stunning and iconic like 4ad and Factory sleeves used to be.
Ane Brun
A Temporary Dive
V2
Street: 05.09
Ane Brun = Beth Orton with a choir of ghosts.
Being critically acclaimed in Scandinavia might sound like an odd introduction but in a way it is the best place to begin. Scandinavia is undiscovered, stretches of white canvas pulled tight to the horizon. Caught somewhere between folk and pop without ever falling into the contrived aspects of Jewel or any other pop primed princess; she's closer to being the female variation of Damien Rice with simple structures and intelligent lyrics that hang like icicles from the delicate vocal. A Temporary Dive is full of touches of electric guitars and echoing drums, but primarily the focus remains on Ane Brun's strumming acoustic guitar and bare vocal; it's simply beautiful.
Various Artists
Gothic Divas Present
Cleopatra
Street: 06.06.06
Gothic Divas = Synths, females & excessive eyeliner.
This is primarily a primer and introduction for new female-fronted darkwave acts New Skin and Tina Root's Tre Lux with three tracks from Tina Root's previous project Switchblade Symphony thrown in for comparison. The UK's New Skin offer up guitar-laden electronics that recall a more synth carried Banshees and in general are promising, the highlight of their four tracks being the Misery.Lab (Rosetta Stone's Porl King's new project) remix of "Sweettalk" which bubbles along in a classic update of the Berlin fashion. Their forthcoming album, produced by legendary producer Dave Allen, should be something to look for. Tre Lux are sadly unimpressive. Two completely unnecessary and dreadful cover songs in Depeche Mode's "Never Let Me Down Again" and the Rolling Stones' (although it sounds more like a cover of The Sunday's version)"Wild Horses" finishing off with a decent acoustic reworking of Switchblade Symphony's best track "Bad Trash." Throw in three Switchblade songs for collectability and then the surprise: Effcee, who seem to have been included as an afterthought, have a rather attractive electroclash sound that merits tracking down their full-length Perfect.
impressionistic garble and oppressive opinion by ryan michael painter
The Cure celebrated their 25th anniversary by playing two or three tracks from each of their albums for KROQ's Inland Invasion. Were the Legendary Pink Dots to try and do the same the concert would be a week-long event (not including side projects which might push the performance to a month). Sadly they'll only be making one appearance in Salt Lake on their 25th Anniversary tour, July 14 at Egos. It so happens to be the last day of the tour and promises to be a delightful night of chemical playschool trickery. So come all ye experimental poets with a taste for electronic bubbles and psychedelic textures as the Dots play old classics and tracks from their excellent new release Your Children Placate You from Premature Graves. Anka
Cocoon Time
I-Rain
Street: 05.30
Anka = Exotic-atmospheric-pop with an edge.
Pieter Nooten
Ourspace
I-Rain
Street: 05.30
Pieter Nooten = Lush electronic instrumentals augmented by warmth
Following the commercial and critical disaster known as Phoenix (which in all fairness wasn't nearly as disappointing as it initially seemed, particularly when you include the b-side "Twisted" into the equation) Xymox ceased to be a band and essentially became a vanity project for Ronny Moorings. Bandmates Pieter Nooten and Anka Wolbert disappeared into rumors of solo projects and the "Where are they now?" file. As Xymox, Ronny released two dance records (one horrible the other surprisingly solid) before reclaiming the Clan of Xymox moniker along with the darker sound that recalled the electro-goth styling of their early releases, reclaiming the band's position as one of the leading darkwave acts in the world. But it wasn't the same. Ronny's half-dozen Clan of Xymox albums have been brilliant at times but never quite reaching the dizzying heights of the original trilogy of albums released by the Moorings, Nooten and Wolbert line-up. It was with great nervous anticipation that I approached these two releases.
In Cocoon Time I'll admit to hoping for a continuation of Xymox's Twist of Shadows, with all due respect to Depeche Mode's Violator and Black Celebration, the greatest dark synthpop album of all time. In that regard I was to be disappointed. Yet to call the album disappointing seems criminal. Cocoon Time is a fantastic collection of songs that recalls everything that made Anka's Xymox tracks the perfect balance to Ronny's and while there is nothing here nearly as epic as "Imagination," there is a rush of pop, subdued by lingering layer upon layer of atmospheres as if Anka set out to record the album Phoenix without relying on the weight of resurrected nostalgia. Had the exotic pop opener "Inside the Bubble" been released before "Phoenix of My Heart," history might look entirely different from here. "Angel" alone is worth the price of admission (particularly when blaring from a car's speakers while driving with a certain amount of excessive abandon) with its stirring use of distorted and soaring guitars. I could do with a few more upbeat tracks, but nonetheless Cocoon Time is unquestionably a triumphant return.
In Nooten's Ourspace I hoped for anything that approached the beauty of the sweeping synths that I accredited to him in the early Clan of Xymox sound that was also apparent in his collaboration with guitarist Michael Brook (most familiar from their track "Several Times" which was reworked for the first This Mortal Coil album) on their Sleeps with the Fishes release. Again I am not to be disappointed. Primarily an instrumental album, Ourspace recalls the beauty of Twist of Shadows' "Clementia." However, the unexpected highlight of the album is "Stop Time" where Pieter lends wistful vocals with lyrics that remind of Robert Smith's ability to use subtle phrases to capture mammoth events.
Asobi Seksu
Citrus
Friendly Fire
Street: 05.30
Asobi Seksu = Lush and My Bloody Valentine's beautiful lovechild.
On their debut album, Asobi Seksu waltzed into the dream pop ball like debutantes destined for stardom. Primped and pretty Citrus could be called a sophomore slump, only it really isn't much of a slump. Granted there isn't anything as blissfully sweeping as "Walk on the Moon," but the album does feature the signature combination of pop, shoegaze distortion and enough time changes to keep the weary dancing. Yuki bounces between English and Japanese in a bitter sweet falsetto as if they were the same language and James Hanna ties knots with his guitar weaving strum upon picked note while the newly assembled rhythm section pulses along. "Goodbye" bounces along in a perfectly mix as do pop numbers "Strawberries" and "New Years." "Exotic Animal Paradise" slips away like mistakenly released balloons; you watch as the wind takes them away. The album's highlight is"Thursday" as it captures the best sides of the band, flawlessly combining up -tempo pop with a haunting dreamscape that even Phaser would die for. They're probably the best band you've never heard; they might also be the best band in New York. To top it off, Sean McCabe's (Interpol, Spoon, Mates of State) artwork continues to be stunning and iconic like 4ad and Factory sleeves used to be.
Ane Brun
A Temporary Dive
V2
Street: 05.09
Ane Brun = Beth Orton with a choir of ghosts.
Being critically acclaimed in Scandinavia might sound like an odd introduction but in a way it is the best place to begin. Scandinavia is undiscovered, stretches of white canvas pulled tight to the horizon. Caught somewhere between folk and pop without ever falling into the contrived aspects of Jewel or any other pop primed princess; she's closer to being the female variation of Damien Rice with simple structures and intelligent lyrics that hang like icicles from the delicate vocal. A Temporary Dive is full of touches of electric guitars and echoing drums, but primarily the focus remains on Ane Brun's strumming acoustic guitar and bare vocal; it's simply beautiful.
Various Artists
Gothic Divas Present
Cleopatra
Street: 06.06.06
Gothic Divas = Synths, females & excessive eyeliner.
This is primarily a primer and introduction for new female-fronted darkwave acts New Skin and Tina Root's Tre Lux with three tracks from Tina Root's previous project Switchblade Symphony thrown in for comparison. The UK's New Skin offer up guitar-laden electronics that recall a more synth carried Banshees and in general are promising, the highlight of their four tracks being the Misery.Lab (Rosetta Stone's Porl King's new project) remix of "Sweettalk" which bubbles along in a classic update of the Berlin fashion. Their forthcoming album, produced by legendary producer Dave Allen, should be something to look for. Tre Lux are sadly unimpressive. Two completely unnecessary and dreadful cover songs in Depeche Mode's "Never Let Me Down Again" and the Rolling Stones' (although it sounds more like a cover of The Sunday's version)"Wild Horses" finishing off with a decent acoustic reworking of Switchblade Symphony's best track "Bad Trash." Throw in three Switchblade songs for collectability and then the surprise: Effcee, who seem to have been included as an afterthought, have a rather attractive electroclash sound that merits tracking down their full-length Perfect.
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