Modern German music much better when listened to than just read about.

This is how Barack Obama is riding these days since racking up more death threats than any president-elect in modern history.

A U.S. Secret Service Counter Assault Team member holds his assault rifle as he rides in a sports utility vehicle in President-elect Barack Obama’s motorcade as it drives to The Kluczynski Federal Building, the location of Obama’s Chicago transition office, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2008.

Source: AP

TITLE: One Divided Soul / ARTIST: Broadway Project / LABEL: ODS / RELEASE DATE: 12th January 2009 / CAT NO: ODSD003

Following on from the critically acclaimed In Finite comes the luscious musical tapestry of One Divided Soul, Dan Berridge’s latest release under his Broadway Project moniker. His first album in 3 years – while typically cinematic in scope – represents a new direction for Berridge: here, he uses his background in writing film and television scores to conjure up a sonic vista that is eccentric and diverse, yet also possessed of a fragile overarching, cerebral beauty.

Inspired by Dan’s love for obscure library music and twisted hip-hop, ODS was loosely envisioned as “baroque-beats with a classical twist”. However, it soon became a joyful noise where anything quirky and off-the-wall goes: big cello riffs do battle with r’n’b beats and Harpsichord riffs are matched with off kilter rhythms. The mood moves from light-hearted stompers, to big cinematic string laden epics. The very title alludes to the schizophrenic nature of Dan’s output: “I’ve got two musical brains, one is dead-set-serious on creating what is needed for the image I’m working with and the other one is strictly me. That’s what this album is; me having fun and making music that moves me and my friends”

Music for the marketing men as well, it would seem, as Broadway Project tracks have recently featured on ads for Orange, Guinness, Sky, Max Factor and Seat. Orange use “The Wobble” as part of their RockCorp campaign, and “Bar-Room Brawl” was used by Guinness for their recent Taste campaign.

Other projects Dan has worked on recently include “Better Things” the Cannes nominated feature film by Duane Hopkins; and “Identity of the Soul”, a feature film starring Vanessa Redgrave and directed by Thomas Hoegh. Then there’s the ODS Remixed album on the horizon, with contributions from friends and comrade’s including Mint Royale, Shawn Lee, Michael Fakesch, Bonobo, Jon Kennedy, Plaid and many more to come.

Broadway Project live take the form of a stripped back unit, aimed at the dancefloor, with Matt Bourne on Cello and synths, Sir Beans OBE on decks, and Dan on his laptop crunching out beats and effects. The ODS Soundsystem (live DJ set) is also ready to set sail, with the release of the album being accompanied by several exclusive mixes, taking in some rare-as-hen’s-bollocks library music alongside mucho twisted hip-hop beats and exclusive new remixes and tracks.

One Divided Soul resembles something of a musical library, where distinctively modern booty-beats and classical instrumentation are carefully catalogued and arranged, only for Dan Berridge to enter and artfully re-arrange the whole set-up into a bizarre, chaotic, teetering, and yet intrinsically stable sculpture of sound. Being in two minds has never made so much sense.

—

If you would like some more information or you want to preview or review this release and would like to receive a promo copy, please contact tom@rocketsciencemedia.com or simon@rocketsciencemedia.com

But don't take my word for it — you can read Chuck Klosterman's lengthy review of the album at The Onion A.V. Club. Of course, since Klosterman, who made his name by telling us that everything we think is bad is actually good, is now so incredibly famous that he can publish novels and stuff, the article is actually called "Chuck Klosterman Reviews Chinese Democracy." And what do you know: Klosterman loves the shit out of it! The only reason he doesn't give it an "A" is that it's taken so goddamn long and doesn't quite live up to 15 years of hype!

Klosterman does open with one pretty funny, totally true insight, though, which I'll leave you with: "Reviewing Chinese Democracy is not like reviewing music. It's more like reviewing a unicorn. Should I primarily be blown away that it exists at all? Am I supposed to compare it to conventional horses? To a rhinoceros? Does its pre-existing mythology impact its actual value, or must it be examined inside a cultural vacuum, as if this creature is no more (or less) special than the remainder of the animal kingdom?"

Prog metal they may be but there is much more to Osada Vida’s sound than the average prog metal band. Sure there’s typical metal style riffing but it is used sparingly and much use is made of keyboards, the band to my ears occupying a similar space to fellow Poles Riverside with a moody and atmospheric sound. The song structures are interesting and quite complex at times, with many changes and the band play well enough. The production is not bad either though marred by a poor snare drum sound which grates a little at times.

Body – The Body Parts Party kicks of proceedings with a powerful riffy intro including a hammond organ (a bit louder please), though overall the keyboards have a more modern sound. The vocals of Lukasz Lisiak are adequate though he doesn’t have a great range. Overall a strong opener, with many changes and some interesting chord structures going on.

Liver – Mr Liver’s Letter to You (a strange title!) kicks off in similar fashion to Body with powerful metallic riffing before settling into the more restrained verse. It’s one of the longest tracks at almost 9 minutes but remains interesting due to some enjoyable instrumental interplay. For me this is where Osada Vida’s main strengths lie.

Brain – Mind on Cloud Nine is more restrained with some atmospheric keyboard playing; a nice guitar solo too but ultimately one of less satisfying tracks on the album.

Tongue – A White Lie gets things back on track with another heavy riffing intro which runs into a keyboard dominated verse. Once again time and tempo changes abound with some more inventive chord structures on this almost 8 minute track.

Spine – In Full Swing is an instrumental. Ironically having previously stated that the instrumental interplay is Osada Vida’s main strength this track is not one of the best here. Having said that, it’s far from bad and has a good guitar solo from Bartek Bereska.

The electric piano intro to Heart – Back and Forth leads us into another of the more restrained tracks, keyboards taking a front seat on this atmospheric piece.

Muscle – Strong But Powerless combines metallic riffing with in places a funky vibe. Some interesting instrumental work though is marred by some lack lustre vocals lacking any semblance of melody.

Bone – My Name is Bone The Single Bone at 11 minutes is the longest track. A piano and acoustic guitar introduction give way to further still restrained and melodic instrumental work very tastefully played. The initial vocal section lacks any real interest but it does lead into more enjoyable instrumental work with a jazzy vibe for a short while. From here the track builds courtesy of some good guitar work from Bereska. A lull for some melodic piano and acoustic guitar leads the band fully back in for a climatic close.

If you want to buy this album it’s worth seeking out the digi-pak version for the bonus tracks, especially the 11 minute Remember Your Name which maintains the quality set by the rest of the albums, not coming across as a throwaway track as bonuses often do.

A very good album then from Osada Vida with some strong instrumental work in particular and a band to keep an eye on for the future. 3 ½ stars.

by Nightfly


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• From the Library is produced by Radio Riel in conjunction with the Caledon Library in Second Life. Today's programme was produced by Elrik Merlin.

For more information on the Caledon Library, current exhibits and the work of Second Life reference libraries in general, please visit the Caledon Library Web site, or one of their locations in-world.

You can listen now at http://music.radioriel.org - the ideal URL for you to use in your home parcel media address in-world - or simply visit any Caledon Library branch in-world and press Play on your embedded music player. (If you want to listen off-world, eg in Winamp or iTunes, and the above address doesn't work for you, click here.)

At some point last weekend when I was idling at Red Onion Records & Books the store’s proprietor, Josh Harkavy, showed me a copy of a record called Live at The Black Alley by an early-’70s DC bar band called The Time Machine.

The record itself is ok–it’s mainly composed of tight but decisively smooth covers of then contemporary radio fare like Albert Hammond (The Strokes guitarist’s dad) and Mike Hazlewood’s “It Never Rains (In Southern California).” The B-side skews a little more country and isn’t very good.

What’s really fascinating though, for me at least, is the cover. At first glance the photo collage presented here appears pretty run of the mill–there’s an implied narrative of long nights, crazy gigs, rock tunes, and female admirers. But a closer look reveals something a little more ponderous.

First of all, notice that the members of The Time Machine unanimously favor velour jackets, ruffled shirts, and bow ties–a style completely appropriate for say, The Four Seasons. But by the early ’70s, when this record was released, the band must have seemed hopelessly dated to anybody who a) had a pulse or b) wasn’t a member of Spiro Agnew’s entourage. Did the counter culture explosion of the sixties miss The Back Alley entirely? Or was the club merely a safe haven from the anxiety of modern culture–a Medieval Times for people unwilling to let go of 1962? Was the name “The Time Machine” meant in earnest?

Secondly (and perhaps this answers the questions posed above) almost all of the club patrons/fans/groupies are deep into middle age. The dancing woman in the choker aside, this was an audience composed entirely of bluehairs and men who bore a striking resemblance to Rodney Dangerfield. Yet the members of The Time Machine appear young and fresh faced, often with shaggy hair and the glazed over, slap-happy, facial expressions of dudes who had, at the very least, tried marijuana. What in the world were they doing in this place? Better question, why were they so enamored with The Back Alley and its denizens that they wanted the world to know that they had performed there?

It all looks surreal and a little bit frightening in a way that I can’t exactly put my finger on. It’s one oxygen mask and a “In Dreams” cover short of scene from Blue Velvet. Maybe David Lynch was even there–half of a blurry face in one of these photographs soaking up the vibe for future use.

Does anybody know what happened to this place? Is it still around? If I go there will I be able to sit down at a table, order a PBR, and shoot the bull with this guy?

Robert Blake, once AKA Dj Ghero, starts  having interest in music around 1986-87, after a while he start djing in some of the first house parties in Milan. In the same period, he used to pass all summer in Ibiza, experienced completely involved into the island’s night life, he played @ Amnesia (Tribe 1991) and Space terrace residency (1994).His activity continued throughout the axes Milan, Ibiza, Amsterdam, and London playing house, garage, and techno in some of the most interesting clubs, illegal radios and parties of that time while producing a couple of vinyl’s (deep distraction rec.) At the same time he gets a degree in communication and visual design at the Polytechnic School of Design (Milan).

In 1996 he decided to make new experiences and start working in video postproduction and Video FX, maybe also saturated after some years of hardcore nightlife…

(2006).. Influenced and captured again by the underground music scene, and the “modern” digital application technology in music production ,Robert decide to get back into it ; He produce 2 digital ep ,the last one out on Time as Changed records called Miniminor.

01. Belvedere - Kiki, Sasse, Two Armadillos - (Mood Music Records)
02. Wir Gefuhl 2008 - Pierce, Harada, Wesen, Pierce & Wesen - (BluFin)
03. Western Journey feat. Opium - David K - (Freak N Chic)
04. Sharing Transparently - Jon Silva, 1st Class - (Worldwide Exclusive Records)
05. Crappy Musik – Grau - (Miniatura Records)
06. Rockets - Alejandro Vivanco, Thinkfreak, Missing Transmission - (MIS Records)
07. Mandarinas - Tobias Pronto rmx - (Sinergy-Networks)
08. Piano Terra – Ondbraio - (Empro Music)
09. Jardins - San Schwartz & DJ Gu - ( Harthouse)
10. BlueBerry - Alex Young - (Attary Records)
11. Bytheby – Fergie - (Excentric Muzik)
12. Don’t Stand So Close - Julien Loreto - (Rawthentic Music)
13. Bipolar - Eklipse - (Alphahouse)
14. Take Kare - Mri - (Resopal Schallware)
15. Etheria - Basicnoise - (Minimal and Melodies Music)

Download (right click, save as) (53MB, 128kBit/s)

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