EP Review: Burn and Rise - Panic Girl

The press release postulates that Burn And Rise, Panic Girl's debut EP, offers a distinctive hybrid of trip-hop meets electronica.

On the whole it is right. BlackPlastic is not entirely sure how distinctive such a combination is but we would be lying if we didn't agree that the result is catchy.  The attention given to detail and something of the overall melancholic vibe to the record actually remind BlackPlastic of some of the more memorable offerings that came out of the progressive house rebirth back in the early noughties - the vocal tracks here being specifically reminiscent of Satoshi Tomiie's collaborations with Kelli Ali on 2000's Full Lick.

The difference is that Panic Girl's EP is much slower and sounds much more organic than any tech house and, to be honest, the variety and production flourishes stand Burn And Rise far apart from any of the staid, dull efforts that often get categorised as a mixture of trip-hop and electronica. At its best, as on the peaceful, zen-like 'Hide And Seek' Panic Girl is clearly excellent - the track boasts a wonderfully global feeling sound, and despite Panic Girl hailing from Germany the track feels equal parts east and west.

Check out the video to 'Burn And Rise', directed by award winning director Reza Dolatabadi, above. Burn And Rise the EP is out next Thursday 25 February on shadybrain.

BP x

Single Review: Shark's Tooth - Archie Bronson Outfit

The Archie Bronson Outfit's new track, taken from the forthcoming Coconut album (out 1 March), is exactly the kind of scratchy alienating music BlackPlastic hopes is playing when we finally lose the plot and the fine thread that keeps the world the right way up snaps.

It's angst then, but the best kind of angst - artsy and well dressed. With a wall of distorted guitar-work 'Shark's Tooth' manages to create a sound that actually feels like the serrated edge of its namesake.

The forthcoming album is produced by ex-DFA (yes, ex) darling Tim Goldsworthy. Judging by this effort it is likely to be a big departure from his work with Hercules & Love Affair and Cut Copy into the realm of jerky guitar post-punk. Which makes BlackPlastic excited. If it is all as good as this then it will be a significant achievement for both band a knob-twiddler.

Check it out the Ferry Gouw directed video above and, even better, head over to the Archie Bronson Outfit website to download the MP3 for free.  The 7" is out on Monday.

BP x

Video: Go Do - Jónsi

Jónsi's new album Go is due out soon and this video for 'Go Do' has recently been released.

In it Jónsi looks a little bit like a young Jareth from Labyrinth (that's David Bowie's character in case you are uneducated) running around Iceland and playing with birds. By which we don't mean ladies.

This song feels like a slight departure from Jónsi's work with Sigur Rós - very upbeat, as was much of Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust - but also with a bit of a pop feel. The video is interesting - lots of fast cuts and a nice sunrise and whilst none of it makes any sense it feels uplifting and that is probably the point.`

Unimportant beach trivia: BlackPlastic has almost certainly visited the beach with the basalt columns featured in this video.

BP x

Props: Kitsune Noir for blogging this.

Video: The Great Escape - Skeleton Jones

This, friends, is sublime:

Skeleton Jones dropped this into the BlackPlastic email inbox and we were a little bit hooked, to say the least. Previously a member of Dulbin band 8Ball, when the band split up Skeleton Jones was Kenny McAlester's response, in his words: him, an SP404 and a bass.

Judged on 'The Great Escape' we'd say things have turned out peachy. The song samples The Dovers' 'I Could Be Happy' but the deadpan vocals and muddied distortion are what make this work for BlackPlastic.

Raised on heavy metal (weren't we all - angst is a beautiful thing), Kenny was blown away by the discovery of Hendrix's Electric Ladyland, The Beatles and ultimately My Bloody Valentine's 'Soon'. Of these three the sound of Skeleton Jones is most reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine - particularly 'Soon' and it's looping, electronic structure - something that MCAlester hints at being no coincidence. The Jesus & Mary Chain and the Magnetic Fields are also all over this, which can only be a good thing.

Head over to Skeleton Jones' MySpace for more. McAlester is currently collaborating with some of the former members of 8Ball on a new project entitled Bearbones that he promises will be 'radically different' from the work from 8Ball.  An EP is likely within the next few months and it may well feature 'The Great Escape'.

Looks like Kenny may be one to watch...

BP x

Album Review: Boca Negra - Chicago Underground Duo

Boca Negra - it evokes foreign places, exoticism and, meaning "black mouth" evokes feelings of infinity (it apparently represents an endless consumption of information). And Chicago Underground Duo sound like they should have made house music back when house was a place not a genre.

They don't, however. But Boca Negra is no less exciting for that fact. Instead it is just too damn cool, Chicago Underground Duo's sounds creating an effortless yet sophisticated and ultimately considered melange.

Chicago Underground Duo's album is ultimately a free-jazz-folk-music affair. Yet if, as they say, writing about music is as stupid as dancing about architecture then you could argue that assigning a genre to music like this feels as ridiculous as skydiving about partical physics.

What there is no argument over is the fact that Boca Negra is a beautiful record. Whether soothing, as on the refined and soulful 'Vergence', or obtuse, funky and playful as on 'Spy On The Floor' it is a shattered picture frame of enticing images. In some respects it is a collection of mood pieces but played with such aplomb, such attention to detail that it sounds like the soundtrack to the best movie you have never seen.

Boca Negra is a cinematic album and it is at its best when full of the space and exposed, broken rhythms as on 'Lauging With The Sun'. Like much great instramental music different people will feel different things from listening to Chicago Underground Duo: BlackPlastic feels a sense of wonderment.

BP x

Preview Chicago Underground Duo's Boca Negra by downloading the MP3 of 'Spy On The Floor' [right click, save as].

Boca Negra is out now on Thrill Jockey, available from Amazon.co.uk on CD and LP [affiliate links].