Born out of a frustration with rock configurations and rock music in general, Units were a fast-rotating group of like-minded individuals who decided that the best way to save punk rock was to smash it to bits (or, at least the guitar part of that equation). With a battery of synths, sound effects, and a drummer, the group created a heck of an invigorating racket at times, and managed to slide into a weird sort of southern-California vibe at other times, showing off a truly wide range during their 7 year run. Contemporaries of Devo and Suicide, they have a few things in common with each of those groups, but at the same time went shooting off in their own directions, dabbling with instrumental soundtrack-style work and synthpunk anthems.

History of The Units collects a bunch of early singles from the group, as well as selections from their first LP Digital Stimulation, and presents them in a newly-remastered edition that contains a whopping 21 tracks and 70+ minutes of music, plus some fancy liner notes that really capture the thought processes of the group. As mentioned above, there’s a pretty wide net cast here, and that’s part of the fun.

There’s no chronological order to History of The Units, and it probably wouldn’t make much of a difference if there was due to the different things that the group was trying out throughout their run. Cuts like “Cannibal,” “Bug Boy,” “Digital Stimulation,” and “The Mission Is Bitchin” are all build on a lean pop skeleton with sinewy synth melodies and male/female vocals, while “Red” and their cover of “Contemporary Emotions” take things down a notch into an odd, colder zones. Of their more straightforward songs, “High Pressure Days” is probably the best, locking into a pounding rhythm and some power chords that make the sing-along vocals even more sing-along.

“High Pressure Days” – Units

My personal favorite is probably the queasy-sounding “Run.” Although it’s a little more on the rough side in terms of overall sound, the production of the haunting song is absolutely amazing, with a slow-churning phase over most of the instrumentation, dramatic sound cuts, and an instrumental freakout in the middle that’s worth the price of admission alone.

“Run” – Units

Of course, along the way there are two-minute prog freakouts, longer instrumental excursions that dip into moody ambient, and compositions that are both raw and sleazy and at other times impressively complex. This is a re-release that’s well worth tracking down.

(buy History of The Units from Community Library Records)

When I first heard Millions Now Living Will Never Die many years ago, little did I know that it would be the impetus to launch me down the rabbit hole of post rock. For some time, I found myself completely obsessed with the genre, exploring every side project and new group to come down the pipeline, but after awhile my interest faded a bit and now it takes something a little extra special to really pique my interest.

I guess the same could be said for just about everything that I listen to at this point, but I still hold a special place in my heart for certain groups and artists, and Tortoise is definitely one of them. Over their long career, they’ve put out albums that I don’t go back to quite as much (TNT), albums that have grown on me a great deal (It’s All Around You) and enough great singles, remixes and compilation tracks to compile a killer box set. Have they been inconsistent at times? Sure, but their strengths have also been plenty solid enough to outweigh any weak spots.

That latter assessment could probably be applied to Beacons of Ancestorship, as it has a few ups and downs. At the same time, though, this thing sounds like the most flat-out fun the group has had making an album in some time (if not ever). There are hints of progressive rock, glitchy electronics, psychedelic music, and some of their usual tinges. Most of all, though, it has a real vitality and energy coursing through it that simply explodes in places, making you wonder if what you just heard was indeed the group named Tortoise.

The 8-minute album opener of “High Class Slim Came Floatin’ In” is a perfect head-scratching example. Buzzing layers of analogue synth crash up against each other as the song progresses through oddly-segmented sections (that touch on a bunch of different genres and time signatures), and it somehow all makes sense together on multiple listens. “Prepare Your Coffin” is straight-up synth/guitar rock, crashing through just over three minutes of verse/chorus style fun that culminates in rapid-fire handclaps.

There’s a lot to hear and digest on the release, but the gurgling, massive “Northern Something” is easily one of my favorites. Running just under 2 and a half minutes, it again drops some insanely juicy analogue synths and piles them on in thick layers over crisp drums, moving forward with a sort of lunkheaded scowl that’s incredibly fun.

“Northern Something” – Tortoise

There’s a slew of other interesting stuff, from the over-driven bass and synth slog of “Yinxianghechengqi” (replete with a Wilhelm Scream) to the spaghetti-western antics of “The Fall Of Seven Diamonds Plus One,” but the gorgeous “Gigantes” finds the group striking up a perfect balance, mingling harpsichord, synths, polyrhythms, and glitchy electronics into a quivering, slowly-morphing gem that has plenty of stunning moments in under 7 minutes.

“Gigantes” – Tortoise

With 10 tracks running just under 45 minutes, Beacons of Ancestorship, is also a fairly concise album from the group, with only a couple forays into territory that could be considered noodly. Almost fifteen years on now (sheesh, that makes me feel old) and Tortoise is still creating great music.

(buy Beacons of Ancestorship from amazon.com)

Back in 2001, Strut Records put out an epic 3CD compilation that covered the wide variety of music being released in Nigeria during the 70s. It was called The Definitive Story of Funky 70s Lagos and it featured 2 full (almost 150 minutes worth) CDs of music and another with what was essentially an audio documentary along with a thick booklet of great liner notes. Some time after that, it unfortunately went out-of-print, and has been much sought-after since.

Over the course of the past couple years, Soundway filled a bit of a niche with their series of Nigerian music (featuring funk, blues, disco, psych rock, and more), while Strut hinted at a revisiting with their Nigeria 70: Lagos Jump release last year. After much demand, the original (minus the extra DVD) The Definitive Story of Funky 70s Lagos is now back (for what is apparently a limited time), and it’s definitely worth snapping up.

Of course, it has the big names like Fela Kuti, Afro Cult Foundation, and Sunny Ade, but the real strength of the release is the variety of the spread. As mentioned above, the double-disc set is absolutely packed full of music, and it sprawls across genres while retaining a slightly gritty, but absolutely essential sound. There’s a bit of super-dirty rock music that sounds deeply rooted in psych, playful pop and disco-tinged music, dub and funk infected tracks, and big-band orchestral-style groovers.

Despite the different styles, the compilation flows quite nicely, but because of the variety it’s pretty hard to pick out cuts as favorites. Of course, it’s hard to argue with the horn-popping “Jeun Ko Ku (Chop ‘n’ Quench)” from Fela Kuti & The Africa 70, but if I had to go with something that I truly found ear-popping, my first choice would definitely be “Allah Wakbarr” by Ofo The Black Company. Clocking in at just over 3 minutes, the song somehow mixes scuzzy rock with blistering guitars and just enough funk to make you wonder why nobody else has tried something quite as crazy during the past 30 years.

“Allah Wakbarr” – Ofo The Black Company

I mentioned Sunny Ade above, but since he’s one of my absolute favorites I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about the epic instrumental of “Ja Fun Mi” from he & His African Beats. Closing out the collection, the 7 minute track blends some dub-reggae style effects with some incredibly melodic guitar playing and twirls it all into a long piece that would have modern-day Balearic disco fans drooling in delight.

“Ja Fun Mi (Instrumental)” – King Sunny Ade & His African Beats

If you’re a fan of great, varied music and missed this one the first time out, don’t sleep on it this time around. Obviously it makes a great companion to the aforementioned compilations on Soundway, but it’s solid enough on its own that it’s well worth having.

(buy Nigeria 70 at amazon.com)

Over the course of rather prolific musical output, a key idea of one David Longstreth seems to be that of both breaking songs down and building them back up. Although he certainly has an ear for writing catchy songs, he’s never been one to lay something down that’s straightforward, preferring instead on the twisted path, or the musical knot that requires a bit of unraveling to understand. On The Getty Address he recorded musical pieces from 25 different people before he went into the studio and patched everything together around a lyrical framework that was bizarre and semi esoteric. Then, on Rise Above, he led Dirty Projectors on a completely deconstructed re-imagining of Black Flag’s classic Damaged.

A lot of those quirks are still apparent on Bitte Orca, but at the same time this is easily the most digestible thing that Longstreth has been involved with to date. Perhaps it’s because for the first time ever, he’s actually had the same band lineup together for more than a single release, and perhaps it’s just a natural progression. Regardless, it contains the sort of amazing songs that should finally push the group through to a bit more notice.

As in the past, the first thing to expect is to basically expect everything. Opener “Cannibal Resource” ripples with some gorgeous electric guitar off the bat, then melts into a hitch-and-start number with acoustic guitar flourishes, live and electronic drums, hand-claps, and Longstreth’s usual warble (with female backup vocals). “Temecula Sunrise” is even more odd, moving with the sort of time signature that almost sounds like the group is making everything up on the fly, and once again guitars, vocals, and various instrumentation fly in from every angle, somehow managing to coalesce into something that’s hummable.

A major change on the album is that Longstreth actually hands over lead vocal duties several times to Angel Deradoorian (who’s a talented songwriter in her own right), and it provides some variety that actually strengthens the album as a whole. The first single “Stillness Is the Move” is a perfect example, as a live and electronic drums again combine while guitars mimic vocal melodies and vice versa. By the time a graceful string accompaniment arrives about two-thirds of the way through, it’s morphed into an absolute stunner (meanwhile, Longstreth doesn’t even make an appearance on vocals).

“Stillness Is The Move” – The Dirty Projectors

As mentioned above, one of the ways that Longstreth messes with the listener is through both subtle blending of vocals and instrumentation and almost dizzying blitzes of the same thing. “Useful Chamber” is a perfect example of both, as vocal phrases fade into the mix at times, modulating and pitching as if they’re being played by a keyboard, broken-down sections find only a lone drum machine and a quiet choir breathing in and out together, and sparse sections lead into furious guitar and drum explosions. Stylistically, it’s all over the place, morphing from minimal electronic pop into fuzzed-out indie rock. At the same time, it’s incredibly catchy and begs for replay.

“Useful Chamber” – The Dirty Projectors

And really, those latter few statements can largely be applied to Bitte Orca as a whole. It’s one of those rare releases that makes you sit up at attention on first listen, but also has enough layers that it unfurls new little nuggets for many subsequent spins. I have no hesitations calling it one of the best albums of the year so far.

(buy Bitte Orca from amazon.com)

The latest offering on the insanely-consistent Echocord Records, Light In The Dark is the debut full-length release from Detroit native Luke Hess. It’s everything you’ve come to expect from the label, with incredibly rich, minimal production that’s deep and cavernous. It’s not austere, though, and swaggers with just enough soul to make the epic cuts seem much shorter than they really are.

In just about every reference to the release and in the song titles themselves, there are ties to Hess’s faith, but those sorts of things can only go so far as influences on instrumental music such as this. Erase any identifiers (for better or worse), and you’re still left with some seriously solid deep listening. I don’t say any of the above to belittle his beliefs by any means, but political and religious statements without words in any shape or form are hard to pull off.

As mentioned above, though, the music speaks plenty well for itself, and the 9 tracks here slide by with a great ear for development and progression. “Meaning Matters” opens the release with some watery dub effects and some filtered vocals that are almost completely indecipherable, while “Son Beams” buckles down a bit more and rides a hard 4/4 beat while throwing out some spatial melodic bursts.

The album hits a major stride about a third of the way in and doesn’t look back from there. “Evidence Everywhere” harnesses a bit of the relentless Basic Channel feel, while “Self-Control” lurches forth with a slightly updated feel on early 90s techno before sliding into an incredibly wicked groove that just builds up to some dancefloor-slaying moments.

“Self-Control” – Luke Hess

After the two-part suite of “Reflections” and “The Truth Is” (where it seems like the entire basis of the former is to act as a setup to the harder latter), “Reel Life” drops off into some seriously murky dub-infused minimal chambers before “The Way” closes out the album with another solid 5 minutes of gut-rumbling goodness.

“The Way” – Luke Hess

Basically, if you’ve enjoyed previous releases on the Echocord label, or enjoy a solid slab of minimal techno with a tinge of Detroit and dub, you shouldn’t go wrong here.

(buy Light In The Dark from amazon.com)

Although I missed it when it was originally released late last year, perhaps I’m actually discovering Robert Moran’s Mantra at a good time considering the season. In the midwest where I live, we’re currently moving through that time of the year when the weather is the most unstable, when a hot afternoon can churn into a massive thunderstorm or worse and week-long dry spells can turn into biblical deluges at the drop of a hat. So far this year, things have been pretty calm in my neck of the woods, but things can always change…

The reason all of the above relates to this release is because three of the pieces on this album were actually being recorded in Iowa City, Iowa last year as the flood waters were rising. Iowa Percussion, led by Dan Moore lended their mallets and sticks (and are even joined by a field recording of said rains), and the album itself is dedicated to flood reconstruction efforts.

That trio of tracks is just a part of this incredibly-varied release, though, and over the course of 8 sections and just under 70 minutes, Moran touches on everything from romanticism to minimalism, with enough sheer moments of beauty and spectral power that I can’t believe it isn’t receiving more love. In fact, the opener of “Da Enstunde Ein Engel” should hook in just about any listener from the start as it deep organ and woodwinds slowly coalesce before a choral section arrives and the whole piece lifts off into some well-placed (but certainly not overwrought) builds and releases.

“Da Enstunde Ein Engel” – Robert Moran

Moving forward, there’s a piece written entirely for a large brass ensemble (”Cortege”), two incredibly-powerful pieces for solo organ (the Messian-esque “Elegy For A Young King” and “Processional”) and the album-titled piece “Mantra,” which calls to mind some of the more devotional work of Arvo Part.

Then, there’s the trio of percussive works mentioned above, and arriving about two-thirds of the way through the album they really help to break it up and add a lighter touch. “Stirling: It’s Raining Cats And Dogs” is much more ambient, with the aforementioned field recordings of rain and thunder lording over some quieter touches, while “Kboco” is a jaunty 10 minutes of glockenspeil and drums. “Obrigado” is probably the highlight, a brisk 4 minutes of piano, vibe, and percussion interplay that reminds one of Reich and Glass.

“Obrigado” – Robert Moran

Moran has quietly been creating great music for over a decade now, and Mantra is no exception. If you enjoy work by any of the aforementioned, I don’t think you’ll go wrong here.

(buy Mantra at amazon.com)

Although some dismiss him as a sort of one-trick pony, Axel Wilner no doubt broke through with his debut full-length From Here We Go Sublime and pretty much didn’t slow up after it was released, putting out an iTunes-exclusive epic 4 track album under commission and touring all over the world. His sample-clipping style hovered somewhere between ambient and dance music and I personally found it to be invigorating, even though it was essentially trance lite.

Following almost exactly 2 years on the heels of that debut album is Yesterday And Today, and while it plays out almost like you’d expect for a second album, it has more than enough stunning moments to give it the feel of another solid body of work. Oddly enough, the album is even receiving a co-release in the United States on the rapidly-expanding Anti label (home of Tom Waits, Nico Case, Bob Mould and others), so Kompakt no-doubt thinks that this one can chip into the consciousness of the world even more.

The main thing that second albums usually do is find artists shaking up the formula just enough so that people won’t completely nail them into a corner, but not enough that they’re going to alienate fans of their past work. To that end, this 6 song effort succeeds, throwing in a couple nice tricks while offering up more jaw-droppingly gorgeous dance music in other places. As one might guess from the lack of total tracks, the overall length of cuts is much longer this time out, with only a single one clocking in at under 8 minutes and a hefty average of over 10. The unfortunately-titled “I Have The Moon, You Have The Internet” kicks things off with a slow build of the familiar looped samples, taking forever to get going before it splashes into a dew-covered morning about halfway through and doesn’t slow down.

The follower of “Everybody´s Got To Learn Sometime” is one of the curve balls, a cover that finds Wilner slowing down what was once a British pop song into an ultra-white, almost R&B style number that’s gorgeous at times but feels just a bit on the long side.

After that, though, the switch flips and “Leave It” drops as what is easily one of the better tracks on the album. Running 11 minutes in length, it’s relentless out of the gate as choir samples, bells, and a super juicy bassline push things forward.

“Leave It” – The Field

On paper, “Yesterday And Today” sounds like another probable barnburner (with John Stanier of Battles on drums), but it actually plays out much more gently, with the usual short wisps and impeccable programming wafting to a gentle crescendo before Stanier adds some crisp crackling and a few good rushes. Instead, it’s the album-closer of “Sequenced” where Wilner completely strays from his usual sound, veering off to inhabit a dense, winding analogue cut that sounds something like Studio crossed with Lindstrom. I’m not sure if it’s the hint of a new direction or just a stab at something different, but it certainly closes the release on a high note.

“Sequenced” – The Field

So, while Yesterday And Today definitely ventures into some new territory and stumbles just a bit in a few places, none of the issues are cause enough to detract from the strength of the album as a whole. If you enjoyed his first, this is another well-crafted album of electronic music that stretches out with a bit more range.

(buy Yesterday And Today from amazon.com)

The story of Wisp is sort of convoluted, but only because of the prankster history of the label that his latest album arrives on. A couple years back, there was a lot of confusion on the internet about a track by Wisp, as many thought it was something by The Tuss (who many people still think is a pseudonym of Aphex Twin). As it turns out, though, Wisp is very much his own man (who goes by the name of Reid Dunn and lives in Niagara Falls, NY), and although he has released music on his own and even the currently-defunct Sublight label (run by Aaron Funk), The Shimmering Hour will largely act as his big introduction to the world.

And what an introduction it is. Of course, there is a noticeable (and easy, and lazy) comparison to both The Tuss and even Aphex Twin, but this fourteen song album stands plenty strong on its own in a field that’s become rather crowded over the years. Drawing inspiration from all kinds of obscure mythology, video games, and a variety of modern musicians, Dunn has managed to create an instrumental electronic music album that definitely acts as a signal of a major new talent.

I have to say that over the course of the past couple years, my brain has churned through scads of music that falls into a similar genre, but there are only a rare few artists that have managed to actually crack the upper crust (including Clark and Aaron Funk at times under different guises) for various reasons.

So, what makes The Shimmering Hour stand out? There are several reasons, but largely it comes down to the overarching themes of songwriting and craft. Running about seventy minutes, there are only a few small spots that aren’t egging the listener forward, and it’s a release that’s both incredibly melodic, but also amazingly crisp, with rhythmic flourishes and tonal bursts that will make year ears prick up on play after play.

“Keeper Of The Hills” is a perfect example, starting out slow with some hollow and sparse percussion and soft wafts of synths before more and more elements drift in and pull it all together more tightly. About a third of the way in, it cracks off into a more aggressive piece, with filtered vocal noises, acid bass lines, and cracking beats before string flourishes and an incredibly playful finale put a smile on your face. It’s a dense six minutes, but it never feels that way, as it moves from each section to the next with a deft hand.

“Keeper Of The Hills” – Wisp

“Cultus Klatawa” is even more giddy, with another slow-build beginning that leaps off into delirious breakbeat programming, string swirls, bouncy synths, and gurgling vocal snippets. By the time the latter third starts firing on all cylinders (with some slurpy backwards percussion hits), it reaches a dizzying high that ranks among the best cuts I’ve heard this year so far.

“Cultus Klatawa” – Wisp

I’m sure that some people will just lump it in with the whole Rephlex/IDM/Aphex clone gang, but if you’ve ever felt yourself tickled in the past by analogue-tinted electronic music with creative and seriously moving programming, you need to check this out.

(buy The Shimmering Hour at amazon.com)

Akron/Family is yet another in a long line of artists that I’ve heard a decent amount of music by, but have never reviewed before for some reason or another. As with other groups that fall into that same category, it probably comes down to enjoying certain songs in their oeuvre but never found myself replaying their full albums. Perhaps a bit of that can simply be chalked up to feeling slightly overwhelmed most of the past five years when it comes to listening to music in general, though. Really, that’s no way to listen to music, is it?

I’ve been sitting with Set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free for some time now and it sounds like a revelation for the group. Certainly, they’ve had gems on just about every release that they’ve put out, but more than anything this 11 song album sounds like a group that’s just having a freaking blast playing their music. In that process they’ve managed to come up with something pretty invigorating. Sure, it’s sloppy at times, and while some songs run a bit long or veer off into the deep-weeded ditch at times, ultimately this 50 minute album pulls it all back together to a similar thread to do its thing.

Of course, saying that the album has a similar vibe doesn’t mean that every song sounds the same. It’s actually far from that, as there are rattle-can percussion sing-alongs, delicate acoustic-based numbers, tracks that gurgle with electronic programming, and yet others that flare out into white-hot psych rock bursts.

In terms of catchiness, they don’t waste any time in getting going with “Everyone Is Guilty.” Opening with some almost funky guitars, it weaves into a sort of deranged shout-along with squealing organs and fuzzed-out guitars. As if that weren’t enough, it cracks off into some extended freakouts and finally a closing section that almost sounds chamber-esque (with horns and strings).

“Everyone Is Guilty” – Akron/Family

From there, the album jumps through many different styles, but the same sort of ramshackle sing-along vibe holds fairly steady. “The Alps & Their Orange Evergreen” and “Set ‘Em Free” both calm things down to a more acoustic vibe after the more playful, electronics-laced songs before them, and “Gravelly Mountains Of The Moon” continues the peaceful vibe at the beginning with some layers of flutes and horns.

Of course, after some sun-baked vocals that sound right in line, it all turns on its head and spirals into a sandblasted blowout of rocking guitars, layered vocals, and wailing horns. It’s a nice release after the well-constructed pleasantries of the previous songs and a reminder that the group can rock out when they want to.

“Gravelly Mountains Of The Moon” – Akron/Family

The rest of the album is a mixture of all the previous styles, with loads of incredibly catchy parts in just about every track (although the 3-minute noise blast of “MBF” is thisclose to wearing out its welcome). As I mentioned above, I’ve heard a lot of music from Akron/Family to date, but Set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free is the first one of their releases that really fully clicks with me all the way through. Incredibly fun, I now officially can’t wait to hear what they come up with next.

(buy Set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free from amazon.com)

I’ve always been a huge sucker for the sound of a bowed cello. I think it has something to do with a personality that while appreciative of joy and absurdity, always leans a bit towards the melancholy side of things.

Sure, it’s possible to make a cello sound playful, but it’s at it’s best when it’s drawing out deep moans of mournful, textural sound that can’t quite be matched by any other instrument out there. It wavers, it quivers, it’s the aural equivalent of the small hairs on the back of your neck being stood on end and then gently touched by a breeze.

Without Sinking is the second full-length release (and her first for the Touch label) from Hildur Gudnadottir (who is also a member of the Icelandic folk outfit Storsveit Nix Noltes) and it finds her exploring all the subtle variations that a cello can create, while teaming up with Jóhann Jóhannsson, Skuli Sverrisson and others. It’s probably best-suited for fall or winter, or flying in a plane somewhere suspended above clouds that obscure the rest of the world below. Like clouds, it’s wispy at times with a hint of light peeking through, and at other times it swirls with a dark foreboding.

Of course, with song titles like “Overcast,” “Elevation,” and “Ascent,” it’s hard not to draw the same sort of visual pictures, but they really are quite fitting. Although it’s the shortest piece on the entire release, “Erupting Light” is a perfect example of the more intense side of Gudnadottir as shrill cello chords pierce the darkness while more aggressive bowing gives a more melodic foundation and a real sense of movement.

“Erupting Light” – Hildur Gudnadottir

“Aether,” on the other hand, peels back the layers and mingles some beautiful stark autoharp with clarinet and finally the plaintive strains of cello. It rests somewhere between folk and classical, and like the rest of her release finds her working between worlds a bit, touching on everything from ambient to minimalism to modern chamber music with minor glints of electronic processing.

“Aether” – Hildur Gudnadottir

Released on Touch Records (Gudnadottir has also collaborated with BJ Nilsen), Without Sinking inhabits the same sort of world as the work by Nils Økland (on the Rune Grammofon label) and the one-off greats of Kopernik (on the Eastern Developments label). It’s a beautiful little album, and I imagine it will keep coming back to me throughout the year.

(buy Without Sinking at amazon.com)