Massive Attack’s new full-length release is coming in a few months, and this EP is the ultimate teaser. Each of the four tracks on Splitting the Atom features unique vocal contributions from the likes of Tunde Adebimpe (TV on the Radio), longtime contributor Horace Andy, Martina Topley Bird (Tricky), and Guy Garvey (Elbow). Two of [...]
Posts Tagged as ‘ambient’
August 25, 2009
Five Spot: Five Album Reviews
Once in a while, I’ll be writing short reviews of things on my hard drive that are probably already old but I haven’t gotten around to. They’ll be very informal and less analytical. The music will be chosen at random, too, so complete disorganization is assured.
Archive – Controlling Crowds – This is the first release [...]
August 22, 2009
Live Review: Phish – Merriweather Post Pavilion, August 15, 2009
Having recently pressed their collective “reset” button after a half-decade of nonexistence, the guys in Phish have so far used 2009 as – to cop a phrase from the sports world - a “rebuilding year.” The indulgent comeback shows in March served as an enticing prelude to an early summer tour that satisfied but merely [...]
March 31, 2009
Album Review: Ozric Tentacles – The Yum Yum Tree
Through 25 years of changes in the world and the music that shapes it, Ozric Tentacles have been an unflappable, dependable force in psychedelic music. Despite an ever-changing lineup, the band – which formed in 1984 – has retained a singular focus. It’s hard to imagine any artist having a more consistent sound over such [...]
February 19, 2009
Album Review: Mountains – Choral
Milking words out of an album such as Mountains’ Choral (CD – MP3) is never easy. Ambient-leaning sounds such as these are applicable to nearly any situation the listener can dream up, and that means that it takes the dedication and imagination of the listener to complete the artistic picture. While I wouldn’t rush to [...]
February 18, 2009
Emeralds – What Happened
If you’re a musical explorer – someone who’ll give the time of day to just about any offering, no matter how daunting it may seem – you owe it to yourself to experience the cinematic experimentation of Emeralds’ What Happened (CD). Just make sure you aren’t driving or operating heavy machinery (the album is, however, [...]
January 26, 2009
Circlesquare – Songs About Dancing and Drugs
Circlesquare’s sublime, drowsy songs march languidly out of your speakers like disaffected schoolchildren, and you can feel them pulling your body downward like some sort of rhythmic gravity. Elements of psychedelic rock, ambient, trance, and downtempo can all be discovered among creator Jeremy Shaw’s melodically sparse, densely packed aural creations, and there’s a bizarrely pleasing [...]
