reviews: Monster Apparat, Kord, Rodent Plague

Recently some nice 7 inches are spinning round here on the turntable. From Sweden came a big suprise as a band I had never heard from before called Monster Apparat landed here on the doormat. It seems this band came into existence somewhat like an accident, but it is a new act I keep an eye on for sure.
After some little examination of the sleeve and insert I discovered that Monster Apparat consists of the musician behind Kord (see below) and one of the guys from Adolf Filter. Well... since I like both acts nothing could really go wrong... but the music even surpassed my expectations.
You get the best from both world: the excellent more uptempo rhythms and synth sounds from Kord with the atmospheric elements of Adolf Filter. Really... this is pumping and energetic stuff but with a nice mood to it. Easily some of the best synth pop / elektro pop recently released! It comes in a very nice fitting sleeve as always with Kernkrach releases.

While the person behind Kord is doing nice things with Monster Apparat he also released a new 7 inch on Börft Records. As Kord he also released records in 1998 and 2006 so it is not a very active project as it seems. But who cares if the quality of his output is that good as with Monster Apparat and this new 7 inch!?
The A side is a killer track. It is a slow rather funny and druggy tune. I can imagine stoned people going crazy on this and seeing pink elephants or something. But... still even as a non user I am enjoying this tune so much. Like you are walking on clouds and the sun is shining so nice...
On the B side is a more uptempo track I can imagine being played on parties. The vocals are done well with a little twist and the melody takes the track onwards while the beat is running strong. Simply excellent!

More weird and fitting perfectly in line with the A side of the Kord release is Rodent Plague. This is a side project by one of the musicians from the guitar band A-Frames. With this Rodent Plague 7 inch on the Kill Shaman label (Factums, Pink Noise) the sound goes into wierd synth and strange surf music. The A side is like the Beach Boys being totally drenched in LSD. Nice... but far more excellent is the B side which goes much furthur... a procession tune done as an eerie circus theme... truly a small masterpiece...
Only I discovered recently after numerous playing turns the record should be played at 33 rpm and I play it on 45 rpm... well I checked but decided I prefer it on 45 rpm... it gives it that nice little extra wierd twist...

I have some copies left of all three 7 inches in my webshop...

Tobias Bernstrup - 1984 EP expected around Christmas

Tobias Bernstrup – 1984 EP on Enfant Terrible

Around Christmas there will be first appearance of Swedish visual and performance artist Tobias Bernstrup on Enfant Terrible. His visual work is present at exhibitions world wide. Next to that he is a gifted musician. He is able to create extremely catchy elektro / synth pop tunes while never crossing the line of delivering overproduced tracks. The sound of his tracks is like a hybrid of the arty side of Klaus Nomi with the pop side of Pet Shop Boys.

This 4 track EP is built around the theme (and title track) ‘1984’. But this theme is extended and made up to date. Despite the rather serious theme of the record this EP features simply excellent decadent music for the dancefloor. It combines elements of classic elektro, synth pop and italo disco.

See here for soundclips...

Release date: December 2009
Cat. nr: ET002
Format: 12” EP
File under: elektro / synth pop / italo disco

review: Accident Du Travail

Here is another record from the crazy and adventurous punk scene around Metz in France. But... this is not a punk music record as you might expect. This one is different... really.

Accident Du Travail are a duo consisting of a Julie Normal who also plays with Crash Normal and Cradle Of Smurf... both interesting bands to check out if you are not familiar with them... and Olivier 2mo from Chevue... This last band played at the Hex night and also contributed to the Hex compilation LP I put out on Enfant Terrible.

Here they come up with some great organ /electronic music. This 12 inch EP is a true trip. If you like 'A Rainbow In Curved Air' by Terry Riley this one is for you. One specific track is echoing that piece.

At some other moments the music can be reminiscent of the Kosmische Scene with music referring to Klaus Schulze and the likes.

Really a suprising record to come from musicians from this punk scene but all the more interesting and making me even more curious what will pop up next...

I have some of these records in my webshop...

review: Warpaint - Exquisite Corpse

A few weeks ago I came across the video for the track Stars by Warpaint. Instantly I was captured by this amazing song. Its dreamy sequences and melancholy mood really touched me in a way like not many songs are capable of.

After a few seconds of searching the internet I came to know about a self released 5 track EP on cd and a very recently 6 track 12 inch vinyl EP. Which I ordered straight away.

This vinyl is playing almost non stop here now. These 6 tracks are making up a record which will be high on my year list of favorite records, even surpassing some of the releases I released myself this year.

What makes Warpaint so good is that they have references popping in and out but still they have their own style and sound. The songs are very strong and have surprising hooks, original structures, excellent song writing and beautiful melodies.

Think about Cranes that stripped away all gothic clichés and adding some psychedelic 60's pop to the mix of new wave melancholy, shoegazer energy and heavenly voices beauty.

I am tripping away here with this, and on this record. Songs like the truely mind blowing Elephants and the Cure echoing Krimson are more then you could ask for when it comes to quality indie pop.

This 12 inch vinyl is released in US based Manimal Vinyl label but I just read the band signed to Rough Trade very recently. So maybe there will be an re-issue or a full album coming up... I don't know...