RareNoise Records - CD Sampler (2009)
RareNoise Records is a new London-based record label. This is their first CD sampler showcasing the artists and music about to be released.
This CD is as what the name implies - the tracks vary from relaxingly ambient to dark and broody. This CD has songs by Meditronica, The Mantra above the Spotless Melt Moon, Method of Defiance, Somma, Death Cube K and Parched.
The compilation as a whole is eclectic and the songs vary from being clearly in the dub/electronica genre to what may best be classified as world music while touching on songs that appear to be more influenced by trip-hop and rock.
The tracks by Meditronica are a showcase of the music on their eponymous debut album. The songs blend classic dub basslines with ambient grooves to give a subtle Mediterranean feel to their music.
Helder Pedro Moreira and Rooms by The Mantra above the Spotless Melt Moon are guitar-driven with a progressive rock sound. Adriana Salomone's vocals add a particularly eerie feel to the music which gives the songs character beyond the trip-hop influences I heard in this selection.
Both the tracks by Method of Defiance are live recordings in Tokyo. Bill Laswell's signature sound is captured well on this recording. The inclusion of the MC on Dark Heat makes the music more interesting. The calibre of the musicians and collaborators on these songs are undeniable.
Somma feature with two songs which are stand out on this compilation with slightly less accessible yet highly unique compositions. The first song is a complex and tight display of vocal chemistry, where the harmony, melody and rhythm is fully based on the voices of the artists. The band is brought into the next track Chonyd Bardo. Together they showcase the music of the world rather than 'world music'.
Death Cube K (anagram of the guitarist Buckethead) uses nice ambient textures and we don't really hear the signature Buckethead sound through these tracks. His classic virtuosic guitar sound that has garnered him a massive following is touched up here with a denser ambient style to make these tracks dark and broody.
The final tracks on this compilation by Parched are my favourites on this CD. The description in their press release as 'Ry Cooder meets Robert Fripp' serves up a good comparison. Minimal electronics and a lack of 'beats' defined by a genre lets the sound of ambient blues guitar sing through with an other-worldly quality.
Overall RareNoise Records have given us a clear indication of the talents their label is showcasing at present through this compilation.
More info:
RareNoise Records
Review of Meditronica
Sthri
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