Coil - Colour Sound Oblivion Disc 15 &16 (Threshold House, 2010)

So there's this box set... 16 DVD's of amazing. Coil is my favorite modern music act. The closest to my heart. After Jhon Balance passed in 2004 and the band was obsolete, Sleazy released this incredible document. Its 14 DVD's of live shows anywhere from 1983 to 2004, culminating with 2 DVD's that contain the visual projections from these shows accompanied by the studio versions of many songs (a greatest hits, as it were). Most importantly, there is over 5 hours of music.

You can download these 2 DVD's for free and legally HERE or just stream them on youtube below. Enjoy. Sheer bliss...







Last note: Its fun to check out the ones for sale on DISCOGS. They sell for a mere $2069.68

Justin Walter - Lullabies and Nightmares (Kranky, 2013)

Justin Walter's debut LP from Kranky is the freshest sound they've released in a while. The choice of instrumentation by this Brooklyn-based composer is quite individualized. With the electronic valve instrument (a breath controlled analog synth) as well as a trumpet, he improvises the bulk of this recording. The only overdubs being drum tracks.

The swirling sounds of loops, serial style repetition, and scattered groovy drum beats call to mind early Boards of Canada with nods to Steve Reich and Vangelis. The evi creates a familiarity that is immensely comfortable, while the nearly clean trumpet parts are reminiscent of particular David Sylvian tracks I've always enjoyed. There is also a very interesting glitchy element that instead of feeling like digital idm, comes across more in an organic jazz vein.

This is very warm and accessible ambient music that though nice as background music is equally thought provoking. These are ambient songs with hooks, songs that I find mesmerizing. Really beautiful material.




Here's a a great video of Walter playing the evi.

Bad News - No End (Chondritic Sound, 2012)

No matter how old I become, its doubtful I'll ever recover from the impact Skinny Puppy made on my fourteen year old mind. Hearing "VIVIsectVI" was a lifechanging experience. Therefore, whenever I hear any current industrial tributes to that era, I freak out over it. Lots of acts are doing it these days but Bad News is the first to really grip me with it.

Pounding drum machines, brutal guitars and harsh synthesizers meet aggressive and teen-like female snarls that cast the apocalypse down upon the doomed listener. This is intense music that is well performed and so authentic you'd think it was a record from Nettwerk circa '89.

There are also elements of punk and a psychedelic tinge a la Chris & Cosey, which gives it a creative edge. Keep your ears on this San Francisco duo, as well as many other acts on Chondritic Sound.

Beautifully painted cassette limited to 100, and they're almost gone.

R.I.P. Jeff Hanneman (1964-2013)

Well, it really saddens me that Jeff Hanneman is dead at 49 years old. The Slayer founding member and guitarist was one of the most important musical figures in my life. He shaped much of my teenage years and wrote one of the greatest metal songs (Angel of Death) off arguably the greatest metal record (Reign in Blood).

Hanneman passed away of liver failure after recovering from a spider bite which left him with  necrotising fasciitis, a flesh eating disease that attacks subcutaneous tissue. And, I must say, that's a pretty fucking metal way to go. Cheers, Jeff.