//APEX: May 2013

Monday 27 May 2013

Joe Gilbey's 'Best of 2013 So Far'

First of all, I apologise again for the scarcity of posts over the last couple of months. However, Joe Sherwood and I are treating you all dearly this half term with our 'Best of 2013 So Far' lists, so I do hope that you forgive us. I feel that two albums need a special mention though considering that they would be on this list if I'd released it a month later, so keep your eyes and ears peeled for Yeezus by Kanye West and Untitled EP 2 by Hodgy Beats, I'm pretty excited about those.

2013 has been dominated by rap and experimental hip-hop so far which is something that I always like to see, and I think that shows through in this list a fair bit so sorry if you feel that there is a lack of variety. Every man to his own, right?

Tweet me or Joe Sherwood if you have any suggestions for albums that we may have missed out on!
@JoeGilbey
@SoeJherwood

20) Dean Blunt The Redeemer (Hippos in Tanks)

19) Iceage You're Nothing (Matador Records)

18) Frank Turner Tape Deck Heart (Interscope)

17) David Bowie The Next Day (ISO Records)

16) Mikill Pane The Lucky Strike EP (Self-released)

15) Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds Push The Sky Away (Bad Seeds Ltd.)

14) Slim Guerilla & DJ Smokey Guerilla Warfare (Self-released)

13) Le1f Fly Zone (Greedhead Entertainment)

12) Vampire Weekend Modern Vampires of the City (XL Recordings)

11) Ghostface Killah & Adrian Younge Twelve Reasons To Die (Soul Temple Records)

10) Koreless Yugen (Young Turks)

9) A$AP Rocky Long.Live.A$AP (Polo Grounds/RCA)

8) Ghostpoet Some Say I So I Say Light (Play It Again Sam)

7) Tree Sunday School II: When Church Lets Out (Creative Control)

6) Daft Punk Random Access Memories (Daft Life/Columbia)

5) Chance The Rapper Acid Rap (Self-released)

Don't expect too much depth from Acid Rap, that's all.

"Na na na na na, na na na na na!"

4) James Blake Overgrown (Republic)

Overgrown contains some of this unsung British hero's greatest work to date. He has stepped up since James Blake and his various extended plays when it comes to both producing and songwriting, which resulted in him creating one of the most soulful and artistic albums of the year so far. There is almost definitely a lot more to come from this man, and considering that he's been noticed by artists such as RZA, I think that we can expect more hip-hop/R&B artists to collaborate with him in the future.

3) The Child of Lov The Child of Lov (Double Six)

Whatever Damon Albarn touches turns to gold, so after learning that Blur's musically cultured front man would be both producing and appearing on The Child of Lov's self-titled debut album, it was pretty evident that this Dutch artist was off to an impressively good start. The album itself portrays the artist's personal social viewpoint (his identity is currently unknown as he hasn't released much information about himself) in a bouncy and convivial way that gives a very similar 'multi-genre' vibe to that of Demon Days by Gorillaz or a late OutKast album, which shows that The Child of Lov definitely has much potential for the future.

2) The Knife Shaking The Habitual (Brille/Rabid)

Most bands wouldn't dare attempting to take such a risk in creating an experimental album like Shaking The Habitual, but dear lord has this paid off.

I was fairly anxious about listening to an album of such a monstrous nature at first, but after it had been recommended to me for the third time I just had to but my mind at ease and give it a spin, which turned out one of the best decisions I have made for a long time. It is a relatively slow-moving and spacious album but is undoubtedly rewarding if given its due listen, so if you're easily dissuaded by long tracks then sit on your hands and face your fears; you'll thank me later.

1) Tyler, The Creator Wolf (Odd Future Records)

Wolf is most definitely a large landmark in Tyler's musical life. Not only has he learned to channel his hatred for our monotonous society, he's also combined his trademark versatile beats and lyrical dexterity in a way that only offends a small minority of social groups, as opposed to half of the globe. Of course, he continues to rant about his father, uncultivated fans and women in general, but what more could you expect from a member of Odd Future?

The album features many impressive guests such as the infamous OFWGKTA crew (Domo Genesis, Hodgy Beats, Frank Ocean etc.) and also a few of the most successful hip-hop artists of the past decade, including Erykah Badu, Nas and Pharell. This unquestionably reflects well on Tyler's huge jump in maturity, as it shows that he's conscious of his influence on his ever-growing fan base, and therefore has an inherent duty to inspire future generations with legendary music.

Although Tyler's lost some of the zaniness that made Goblin such a compelling listen, he's technically improved in just about every way, which makes Wolf a near impossible album to top this year.

Friday 24 May 2013

Retrospectives: Forgotten Classics, Volume 1

When this whole Retrospective Reviews thing began, I knew I would focus on stuff that I liked. However, I reviewed the obvious albums, the usual suspects; Radiohead, Gorillaz and Death Grips all fell under my sights, and there was nothing overly new to say about them that hadn’t already been said. I’ve decided to start a sub-series, if you will, dedicated to the less heard-of albums and artists out there, or maybe even albums by larger artists that tend to get overlooked. This is Forgotten Classics, and I hope you find something that interests you.

Fat Worm of Error Pregnant Babies Pregnant With Pregnant Babies (Load, 2006)

The preposterous album name probably gives the game away, but Pregnant Babies Pregnant With Pregnant Babies is a strange album. “Off-kilter” doesn’t even begin to describe the deconstructive sounds that are made here – it’s as if decades worth of rock music were ground up and eaten, partially digested by salivary enzymes, before being puked up in a mass of bile and stomach juices, and slapped onto CD. Yeah.

One review I’ve read before now describes Fat Worm of Error’s sound as “skronk”, and thanks to a quick Urban Dictionary search, that seems to be fairly reasonable summation. According to the site, the word is “used to define music that is grating, dissonant, and frequently avant-garde.” Yup, this album sounds pretty much like that, featuring vocals that are somewhere between shrieking and singing, sludgy guitars, and a variety of percussive noises that amount to something of a controlled chaos. I’m probably not making this album an easy sell, but it’s certainly not the most difficult album I’ve ever heard, and there are passages throughout that actually resemble structured music. Just try it. You never know, you may enjoy it.

The Music Tapes Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes (Merge, 2008)

The Music Tapes is the pet project of Julian Koster, a member of the Elephant Six collective and some totally indie band called Neutral Milk Hotel. Koster utilises some unusual DIY instruments, such as the singing saw and a bowed banjo, and vintage recording equipment to create a fuzzy, lo-fi sound that’s decidedly experimental, but homely and autumnal.

2008’s Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes is certainly the finest album to emerge from the project, for it sounds quite unlike anything else of its kind. The lyrics are ominous in places, optimistic in others, but Koster always delivers them with the same heartfelt passion, amidst the raw, crackly backdrop of minimal instrumentation and elements of musique concrete. It’s an album that I think fans of folk-ier music may appreciate, due in no small part to the intimate environment it creates for the listener. All you have to do is step inside, and relax for 40-or-so minutes.

Major Organ and the Adding Machine Major Organ and the Adding Machine (Orange Twin, 2001)

Another product of the Elephant Six collective, this (those guys are really good, aren’t they?). This time, it’s a supergroup of sorts, and some of the names involved certainly arouse suspicion about the project; Jeff Mangum, the really not-famous front-man of some obscure group called Neutral Milk Hotel, the aforementioned Julian Koster, Kevin Barnes of of Monteal (get your head around that one!), and many other Elephant Six members are believed to have contributed too.

Nobody knows who (or what) Major Organ is, but he is the leader of the Adding Machine, and his band made one self-titled album back in 2001. I believe there’s supposed to be some sort of narrative or over-arching theme behind this album, but I cannot hear it – instead, I hear noisy slabs of 60s psychedelic pop, interspersed with trippy sound collages. It’s fairly bonkers, to say the least, but don’t let the vibrato’d opener scare you off, for the 30 minutes that follow are a joyous ode to an era of catchy melodies, cryptic lyrics and copious use of psychedelics. It’s amazing to think that an album that features so much talent from the world of indie music is oft-overlooked, so I say go check out Major Organ and the Adding Machine for a blast of experimental, yet sort-of accessible pop.

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