Abstract Index Playlist - November 26/08

A very dark and stormy indeed this past week. It doesn't get much stormier than the new album by Women In Tragedy.

I'm no expert on the ins and outs of the CDR dominated world of noise (that said, keep your eyes glassy and peeled for Huelepega Sound System's debut on Inyrdisk in January!!) Fortunately, I've always had some bro's in T.O. who have been able to steer me in the right direction.

I may have met Mr. Tragedy himself, Bob McCully, before. I honestly can't remember, all of Toronto's noise scene is hazy at best for me... But my interest in the noisy side of improv and electronics has been rekindled this year thanks to certain discs that have trampled the boundaries in inspiring ways.

Women In Tragedy's disc is a somewhat composed effort. You might even call it proggy, but those extraordinarily harsh and not necessarily linear rhythms definitely keep any notions of grand, soaring epics in check. There are distinct sections to each piece, but fortunately none of these four songs builds up and breaks down in quite the same way. The guitar 'riffage' is strangely rocking but it's not the lead instrument of torture in "Far/Far" - it's the overall buzzing produced by the guitars, keys and the shuddering, droopy drums. The droning minimalism at the heart of the song is actually quite beautiful and listenable, even as the rest of the audio energy of the track is an ear candling you won't forget.

BTW, if you're in Toronto, go see WIT along with DOOM TICKLER, GRAVITONS and ALMOST BLUE SUNSHINE @ Smiling Buddha, on December 7 , 9 pm, $5

Shout out to Tad Michalak, promoter extraordinaire, who has tipped me to so much great music this year.

glisten - ARC (a silent place)
instead - von magnet (jarring effects)
far/far - women in tragedy (gf noise)
earthship - geordie haley (no label)
figase - gultskra artikler (other electricities)
morning has broken - burnt friedmann/jaki liebezeit (nonplace)
calomel - plan 29 (unschooled)
gbehee (a new path) - kakatsitsi, master drummers from ghana & greg hunter (interchill)
cade tereza - originais do samba (mr. bongo)
krai dunasko - boom pam (essay)
the 7th seven - amsterdam klezmer band (essay)
fa fa 2 - joe haider (wewerka/sonorama)
rebel reggae - organs (musical ambassador)
creation - ljx (no label)
vain imagining - winston mcanuff (makafresh)
rise up - sly and robbie (burning sounds)
love and hate/version - dennis brown & i roy (heartbeat)
prisoner of dub - sub oslo (select cuts)