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Sharing passing similarities with two of modern indie hip-hop's top producers, Madlib and the late J Dilla, Flying Lotus has constructed an album of static, texture, and rhythm that, at its most stirring moments, can be soothingly meditative, an accomplished blend of debris and warmth, b-boy head-nod and laptopper experimentalism. If Prefuse hadn't fallen off after One Word Extinguisher and continued to push the envelope with each record since, he might sound close to this in 2008.
The latest from Norwegian electronic producer Hans-Peter Lindstrøm finds the missing link between the modern classical works of Steve Reich and Tangerine Dream's cheesy grandeur, resulting in a fist-pumping, hyper-cosmic space-disco epic that conjures both the retro-futurism of Logan's Run and Manuel Göttsching's influential 1981 electro-prog mammoth E2-E4. Stretching three tracks over 55 minutes and wandering well away from the dancefloor at times, Where You Go I Go Too has the hallmarks of a masterpiece from a reclusive auteur.
Reviews
Kings of Leon have laterally shifted from one easily understood linear narrative (festival band) to another (arena rock band), turning themselves from the Southern Strokes into the Southern U2.
[Ian Cohen]Mostly sticking to tracks from the past year or two, Simian Mobile Disco prove their wheels of steel cred with a versatile, well-assembled entry into one of Fabric's two mix series.
[Nate Patrin]Rhyming over beats by producer Black Milk, this MC-- known for his work with the Detroit-based Slum Village-- covers ground as an acrobatic-flowing word-twister, a high-concept storyteller, and a tell-it-like-it-is everyman.
[Nate Patrin]Icelandic singer Emilíana Torrini makes room in the middle for just enough sonic ingenuity to help her stick out in the crowded field of jazzy/folky singer-songwriters.
[Joshua Klein]The first entry in Kitsuné's personal mix series comes from Hamburg's Digitalism and documents the rise of the electro-house scene, with tracks by Muscles, Midnight Juggernauts, Hot Chip, and Hercules & Love Affair.
[Mike Orme]Mon: 09-15-08
Fri: 09-12-08
Thu: 09-11-08
Wed: 09-10-08
Forkcast
- Pitchfork.tv: Girl Talk: "Daytripping"
- Pitchfork.tv: Boduf Songs: "Pitiful Shadows Engulfed in Darkness" [Video]
- Pitchfork.tv/New Music: Björk [ft. Antony Hegarty]: "The Dull Flame of Desire" [Video] / "The Dull Flame of Desire (Modeselektor's Rmx for Boys)" [Stream]
- Video: Cool Kids: "Delivery Man"
- New Music: The Mighty Underdogs: “Want You Back” [MP3/Stream]
- Video: Black Kids and Cut Copy: "Union City Blue" (Blondie cover; live)
- Premiere: Love Is All: "Big Bangs, Black Holes, Meteorites" [MP3/Stream]
Features
Interview: Shudder to Think
We recently sat down with Shudder to Think front man Craig Wedren to discuss the timing of such a reunion, the history behind the group and its seminal album, and the legacy of a band that was ahead of its time.
[Mike Carriere]Interview: Akron/Family
We sit down on a Pennsylvania horse farm to speak to Akron/Family about self-definition, the need to keep changing, and the long, strange road between being a hipster and a hippie.
[Grayson Currin]Column: Poptimist #18
Inspired by the comics blog meme 50 Things I Love About Comics, we present Forty-Five Things Tom Ewing loves about pop.
[Tom Ewing]The Month In: Grime / Dubstep
We assess the current state of dubstep by reviewing three recent live events, two showcases from Dubstep Warz-curator Mary Anne Hobbs, and a BBC Radio 1 set featuring Kode9 and Spaceape [above].
[Martin Clark]Guest List: Okkervil River
Having just released Okkervil River's newest album, The Stand Ins, Will Sheff clues us in to an apocryphal Velvet Underground record, tells us about his favorite microphone that no one else would use, and admits his fantasy about locking himself away to play "Grand Theft Auto" for a whole weekend. [Interview: Tyler Grisham]
[Will Sheff]Interview: Paul Weller
Paul Weller, the legendary frontman of the Jam and the Style Council, hits age 50 running with an epic and diverse double-album, 22 Dreams. And he's as surprised as the rest of us.
[Joshua Klein]