Abstract Index Playlist - September 3/08

Back to school! Merzdub will clear out any remaining summer doldrums.

I don't know why this release just came my way now, it's about 2 years old. But it's hardly an exercise in nostalgia.

It's exactly as you would expect - Merzbow's inimitable noise grandeur absolutely swamping the few hints of dub.

I was as excited to see Jamie Saft's name on the disc as Merzbow's. Saft is one of the best Hammond organ players I can think of these days (and he's playing with John Zorn this Sunday at the Guelph Jazz Festival). His ability to create big menacing drones from the instrument serves him well in the many jazz contexts in which I've heard him.

On "Visions Of Irie" from this week, Saft, who's in the driver's seat as the mix engineer & producer, comes armed with maybe 2 rhythmic samples and a whole lotta attitude on the effects. Grooves are never established for very long (and not taken very seriously), but neither does pure noise take over for lengthy periods. Merzbow's sound is shaped as if it were a digital delay feeding back at 100% - it's sculpted in and around the beats, but it's omnipresent drone that dominates even from the background. Great stuff.

Downloadable Podcasts are back - check here!

rivers and tides - blink (thirsty ear)
uncle limps (turkish version) - imps (mule)
transit - rumpistol (rump)
out my window - koushik (stones throw)
dreaming of betrayal, awakening refreshed - fond of tigers (drip audio)
alviverde - jun miyake (do right)
musik - val inc (innova)
hebvark - fond of tigers (drip audio)
double suicide - sandro perri (constellation)
unknown rebel - matt steckler (innova)
save music - daniel meteo (meteosound)
visions of irie - jamie saft/merzbow (caminante)
backwater dub - sub swara (low motion)
thieving dub - the red eyes (echo foxtrot)
i man a levi - i jah man levi (mango)
far east - isax injah (jah mix)
bring de couchie come - reggae crusaders (trojan)