Sonar 2011: the DiS review
Sonar’s willingness to take a risk remains the same.»
Articles
TheotherClarkey has written the following articles:
Tricky, Martina Topley-Bird at IndigO2, Greenwich, London, Fri 27 Apr
Although it’s Tricky’s name in lights outside, for much of tonight Martina Topley-Bird’s the star of the show, her presence as regal and beguiling as her voice on ‘Overcome’»
DJ Food at Royal Observatory Greenwich, Greenwich, Thu 19 Jan
DJ Food might not have made any giant musical leaps on record lately, but live - with a literal rocket up his arse - he can take you into a headspace no-one else has before.»
Owiny Sigoma Band at Cafe Oto, London, Mon 06 Jun
There’s no doubt that it’s the Kenyans that are the stars of this show, and that they had East London’s natives in the palms of their hands.»
Wye Oak - Civilian
Civilian has just enough personality to stop it being completely pedestrian.»
Leftfield at Brixton Academy, Lambeth, Fri 03 Dec
The one-time ‘loudest band in the world’ no longer have it turned up to 11, but this revival has been no Spinal Tap self-parody either, and although they may be getting long in the tooth, Leftfield can still be as ferocious as the iconic shark’s teeth image on Leftism’s cover.»
Tricky - Mixed Race
Awakens something you might not associate with Tricky: a burning interest to hear what he’ll do next.»
The Big Chill 2010: the DiS review
Those pining for the old festival will probably have to accept that those days are gone now, and that this new incarnation actually appeals to a lot more people even if – although there’s now more of almost everything – there’s also now less that’s truly unique. Still – that’s progress for you.»
Fennesz, Tony Buck, David Daniell - Knoxville
Knoxville goes some way towards capturing the evident chemistry they found together, whilst also making it clear that we really need to catch them live to experience the full effect.»
Ali Love - Love Harder
There’s enough here to suggest that four years ago Love merely got off to a false start rather than exhausting all his ideas years ago.»
Wu Tang Clan at Brixton Academy, Lambeth, Wed 04 Aug
The Wu aren’t entirely expendable themselves just yet, but they’re still not utterly dependable either.»
El-P - Weareallgoingtoburninhellmegamixxx3
For those of us who hadn’t got our hands on the earlier mixtapes or his remixes for the likes of Blackalicious and Rob Sonic, Weareallgoingtoburninhellmegamixxx3 is an opportunity to assess El-P as a beatmaker on his own merits.»
The Books - The Way Out
Should satisfy if not surprise fans of The Books’ earlier works.»
The Roots - How I Got Over
An album with a universal soul, heart and conscience, but a groove all of its own.»
Wax Fang - La La Land
A vision which is as ambitious as it is acid-fried...a little bit confused about whether they want to be Led Zeppelin, Arcade Fire, Lambchop or all three at once.... It’s also impossible not to be occasionally blown away by La La Land.»
Rudi Zygadlo - Great Western Laymen
If Great Western Laymen isn’t quite as clever as it thinks it is, it certainly offers a damn good argument for turning off the TV.»
Juan Maclean - DJ Kicks
If you need someone to show you exactly where house music is at right now then this Juan really is the don.»
Lonely Drifter Karen - Fall of Spring
Lonely Drifter Karen have toured all over the continent in the last two years, yet seem to have picked up nothing new apart from a supposed newfound penchant for ‘rocking out’. That means there’s now a bit of electric guitar, though it still makes Norah Jones sound like Lydia Lunch.»
Manual - Drowned in Light
The fact that you’re likely to spend so long pondering whether Manual has ‘it’ or not that most of Drowned in Light completely passes you by on first listen hardly bodes well for Jonas Munk’s first full artist album in five years.»
Daniel Bjarnason - Processions
This so-called ‘classical’ music makes even the most aggressive members of the jazz, electronic or metal avant-garde sound about as scary as Cliff Richard»
Eluvium - Similes
That expansive and slightly melancholy tone which has always been at the core of his music does feel slightly constrained when he tries to squeeze it into a verse chorus verse structure»
Autechre - Oversteps
If you wanted to name an Autechre album as the perfect introduction to someone who doesn’t otherwise ‘get’ them then, after nine albums in 17 years, Oversteps would be the one.»
Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip - The Logic of Chance
Second album The Logic Of Chance isn’t just the same routine; it’s the same routine performed with all the incisiveness of Michael McIntyre. »
Alcoholic Faith Mission - Let This be the Last Night I Care
In truth, Let This Be The Last Night We Care sometimes seem as muddled as the aftermath of an epic drinking session, due to Alcoholic Faith Mission occasionally mixing too much together and not knowing when to curb their excesses. But there are also enough moments of clarity to ensure that they never completely fall between the two stools of folk and post-rock upon which they’re sat propping up the musical bar.»
Fun Lovin' Criminals - Classic Fantastic
Like wiseguys at a card game Fun Lovin’ Criminals are desperately reshuffling the same deck here, but without anything new up their sleeves what they’re laying on the table looks less and less like a winning hand.»
Nedry - Condors
Ultimately, brilliant though it often is, Condors is more like staring through the glass walls in a laboratory rather than peering deep into the windows of someone’s soul.»
Bass Clef - May the Bridges I Burn Light the Way
Impressive stuff, though you do begin to wish that Bass Clef would just – y’know – calm down for a minute.»
Massive Attack - Heligoland
Although much of Heligoland suggests that Massive Attack might finally have burned out, the glowing embers of what they once had can still be glimpsed providing a light in the dark.»
Jaga Jazzist - One Armed Bandit
It’s unlikely to be coincidence that Jaga Jazzist’s third album ends with the noise of helicopters. This is, after all, a record t»
The Whitefield Brothers - Earthology
From one angle Earthology could be regarded as indigestibly worthy and academic, and there are moments such as the bamboo-beating ‘Ntu’ which will definitely test the patience of the casual listener. Yet there’s still a funk of an admittedly spaced-out ilk at the album’s core.»