Beasts and Rhinos of Steel
Namegivers' Avenue is the second, relentless, claustrophobic CD by Fauve! gegen A Rhino, a trio from Pistoia (Italy). They are trying their best to decipher these modern times and have decided to dedicate body, soul and musical talents to sounds such as choking echoes and marching rhythms which help to create a series of disrupting melodies. Needless to say, it is a great CD.
Listening to the heart of this uncompromising but romantic music and one can imagine virtually travelling through big city streets where solitude takes its toll. Individuals are imprisoned by traffic and grey apartment blocks that seem to be teetering on the verge of collapse. In the song A factory you seem to hear the deafening noise of construction sites, the relentless clatter of bulldozers, while visions of robotic men dance in your head while they push and pull the levers of life.
In A Bridge for the sky (to Yona), the sound helps to create a setting where fog and smog mix being swallowed by the night. There is a sensation of observing the world from a bus window heading back home from work as long lost dreams keep us company and our hope alive. The electronic drums in Have u ever asked yourself... is hypnotizing like a playful video game with its speed and repetition. Namegivers' Avenue conjures up an infinitive number and kinds of images. The images, however, are not reassuring. There exists neither comfort nor solace.
Now, I that I have finished my words, I leave you to listen.
Have an incredibly good voyage.
Carlo Trevisan
English translation by Karin Andrea Halliwell
Artists permanently (and randomly) "on air" at present date:
Fauve! Genen a Rhino (Italy), Maika Makovski (Spain), DID (Italy), Massimo Volume (Italy), Senpai (Italy), Dude Plays Saxophone (USA), Toundra (Spain), Maxena Tace (Italy),Sawako (Japan), The Cleopatras (Italy), Hollowblue (Italy), OPA (USA), Nora Keyes (USA), Simona Gretchen(Italy), Facciascura (Italy), hiiragi fukuda (Japan), Stardog(Italy), I Got A Violet(Italy), The Agrarians (USA); Feldmaus (Russia); Red Velvet (Italy - France); Eigenheimer (Holland); Drugs Made Me Smarter (Mexico); Kelvin & Speedy Peones (Italy); Tidy Kid (USA); NIMM (Italy); MorningPaper (Italy), Edgar Graves (Czech Republic), Marshmallow (Croatia), David Morley (England/Belgium); Bancale (Italy); Antony Raijekov (Bulgary); Amélie (Italy); Celestial Aeon Project (Finland); Channel in Channel out (USA); Madrigali Magri (Italy), Gimme 'hat Moonshine (Belgium), Krakenti (Latvia), Wheelchair Discotheque (Latvia), TheOneOnTheIsland (Slovakia), Maok (Slovakia), LaBon (Slovakia), Jordan Jordan (Slovakia), Social Society (Slovakia), Batte (Norway), Orange Crush (Norway), Oriental Music System (Hong Kong), Iamsum (Hong Kong), Rex Cody (Hong Kong), Donkey Valium (Hong Kong), Smiling Buddhas (Hong Kong), O-M (Hong Kong), Hvoya (Ukraine), Automatic Pilot Required (Brazil), Yogi (Brazil), Light Merchants (South Africa), The Slowmovies (Italy); I am this (USA); Kråkvind (Sweden); Planet Brain (Italy); Lebatol (UK); Sarah Schuster (Italy); Krt 963 (Italy-Japan); Flap (Italy); Nicker Hill Orchestra (Italy); Menrovescio (Italy); Annabel (USA); Karmatest (Italy); The Dada Weatherman (France); Diablo Swing Orchestra (Sweden); Japanese gum (Italy); Above the tree (Italy); Volcano Playground (Canada); Linz (Italy); Anomie Belle (USA), Christophe Marc (France), Death Valley Sleepers (Denmark), Jeremy Sparrow (Denmark), Zoon van snooK (England), Systemton (Germany), Matti Bye (Sweden), Manuzik (Japan), Chances (Italy), Hometaping (Great Britain...?), Ping (Norway), Frey (New Zealand), Manhan (Japan), One Chef (Sweden), Mijagi (Poland), Pandacetamol (Scotland), Lu-Sin (Argentina), Thomas Solgaard (Denmark), Wonderboy (France), Los Hermanos Butaca (Argentina), La Biyuya (Argentina), Negro Fluo (Argentina), Sempai (Italy), Riccardo Vianello (Italy), Wolther goes stranger (Italy), Eildentroeilfuorieilbox84 (Italy), Buzz Aldrin (Italy), Stefano Roveda (Italy), Rosso! (Italy); manzOni (Italy).
Maika Makovski: from everywhere
So, there's this girl who writes songs, sings, plays the guitar and the piano. Her new CD was recorded between Bristol and Bath, and it was produced by none other than John Parish. Raise your hand if you said PJ Harvey, and then go hide behind the blackboard! Why?Because although all this is her background, the artist we are discussing today is not the British muse of alternative rock, and, while her passport is Spanish, the path of her life is one of the most intricate you could ever imagine. Her name is Maika Makovski and she grew up in Mallorca but her blood is half Andalusian and half Macedonian. She has lived in New York and Barcelona and she has been able to bring a bit of all these influences toher last record, which bears her name.
From the point of view of style, she shares with Polly Jean a lovely contralto voice, but her music is quite different: Maika plays a dirty kind of blues, with electric character and echoes from some remote island. Predominate bass tones are in opposition to her clear voice and stabbing guitars. Acoustic moments appear here and there to expand the range of sound which are reinforced by a contrabass or a banjo. Rather than PJ Harvey, I find other references coming from the other side of the ocean: imagine the best Suzanne Vega singing covers of Tom Waits’ tunes! However, like for all talented artists, it makes little sense to speak about influences: Maika Makovski has an original sound that can be heard with a sense of pleasure even if she speaks (in English) of small daily tragedies! And, no small feat, her live show is very exciting, skillfully mixing intimacy and moments full of energy. A great discovery!
Franco Rigato
http://www.myspace.com/maikamakovski
Artists permanently (and randomly) "on air" at present date:
Maika Makovski(Spain), DID(Italy), Massimo Volume(Italy), Senpai(Italy), Dude Plays Saxophone(USA), Toundra(Spain), Maxena Tace(Italy),Sawako (Japan), The Cleopatras (Italy), Hollowblue(Italy), OPA(USA), Nora Keyes (USA), Simona Gretchen(Italy), Facciascura (Italy), hiiragi fukuda (Japan), Stardog(Italy), I Got A Violet(Italy), The Agrarians (USA); Feldmaus (Russia); Red Velvet (Italy - France); Eigenheimer (Holland); Drugs Made Me Smarter (Mexico); Kelvin & Speedy Peones (Italy); Tidy Kid (USA); NIMM (Italy); MorningPaper (Italy), Edgar Graves (Czech Republic), Marshmallow (Croatia), David Morley (England/Belgium); Bancale (Italy); Antony Raijekov (Bulgary); Amélie (Italy); Celestial Aeon Project (Finland); Channel in Channel out (USA); Madrigali Magri (Italy), Gimme 'hat Moonshine (Belgium), Krakenti (Latvia), Wheelchair Discotheque (Latvia), TheOneOnTheIsland (Slovakia), Maok (Slovakia), LaBon (Slovakia), Jordan Jordan (Slovakia), Social Society (Slovakia), Batte (Norway), Orange Crush (Norway), Oriental Music System (Hong Kong), Iamsum (Hong Kong), Rex Cody (Hong Kong), Donkey Valium (Hong Kong), Smiling Buddhas (Hong Kong), O-M (Hong Kong), Hvoya (Ukraine), Automatic Pilot Required (Brazil), Yogi (Brazil), Light Merchants (South Africa), The Slowmovies (Italy); I am this (USA); Kråkvind (Sweden); Planet Brain (Italy); Lebatol (UK); Sarah Schuster (Italy); Krt 963 (Italy-Japan); Flap (Italy); Nicker Hill Orchestra (Italy); Menrovescio (Italy); Annabel (USA); Karmatest (Italy); The Dada Weatherman (France); Diablo Swing Orchestra (Sweden); Japanese gum (Italy); Above the tree (Italy); Volcano Playground (Canada); Linz (Italy); Anomie Belle (USA), Christophe Marc (France), Death Valley Sleepers (Denmark), Jeremy Sparrow (Denmark), Zoon van snooK (England), Systemton (Germany), Matti Bye (Sweden), Manuzik (Japan), Chances (Italy), Hometaping (Great Britain...?), Ping (Norway), Frey (New Zealand), Manhan (Japan), One Chef (Sweden), Mijagi (Poland), Pandacetamol (Scotland), Lu-Sin (Argentina), Thomas Solgaard (Denmark), Wonderboy (France), Los Hermanos Butaca (Argentina), La Biyuya (Argentina), Negro Fluo (Argentina), Sempai (Italy), Riccardo Vianello (Italy), Wolther goes stranger (Italy), Eildentroeilfuorieilbox84 (Italy), Buzz Aldrin (Italy), Stefano Roveda (Italy), Rosso! (Italy); manzOni (Italy).
A Day in the Life
The question of the day is: What do you do if you hear a song on the radio that blows you away and seems to change the harmonious flow of your life? Usually, there's a DJ who tells you the name of the group and the title of the song. Your dilemma is resolved in a matter of seconds. But what do you do if a human being has been replaced by a computer with the sole task of transmitting a non-stop music loop which means no group nor song title info. Yes, you could use an application like Shazam or Soundhound but if you happen not to have a swanky iPhone? This was the scenario of my mid-life crisis when I heard the group DID for the first time on Radio Sherwood. I was driving my car enjoying the tunes when I heard a song that completely captured me with its beat and sublime energy. I had to actually pull over to the side of the road to bask in the sound. It is difficult to describe. It was like I was literally and physically cast under a spell. As the song had magically appeared on my car radio it magically disappeared with a gradual fade out. I called Sherwood hoping they would know the name of the song that had been played precisely at 17.52. A gruff voice, totally indifferent to my apparent desperation, said: "No, it's a music loop. You'll hear the song again, eventually". I hate the word eventually. It indicates uncertainty. Mine was now called a quest. However, I was indeed fortunate and I heard "the song" again over a series of MONTHS but never from beginning to end. I chalked it up to negative Karma and considered giving up my search when it came on the radio. I pulled to the side of the road, pulled out pen and paper, pumped up the volume, rested my head on the steering wheel, closed my eyes and through the thumping base I heard these three unforgettable words: "sheeeee", "another" and "pusher". In three seconds of being home, Google led me to my prized song “Another Pusher Blues”. My search was over but my love affair with Kumar Solarium had just begun.
Kumar Solarium is DID's first full-length CD (11 tracks). I would have liked to discover it immediately when it came out in April 2009 but that happened almost one year after its release. Kumar should be played as loud as possible and in the proximity of any kind of dance floor. Have your dancing shoes in one hand and a cocktail in the other. It will have you on your toes in no time. It has the ultimate party sound and boy, what a sound it is. There is a good dose electronic vibes mixed and matched with traces of techno pop, funk tribal beat. Words to describe the overall listening sensation are hard to find. There is so much going on at one time. “Another Pusher Blues” has a frenetic stop-and-start beat while the vocals rage away in your ear. “Hello Hello” literally smacks you around with its brutal vitality. “Ask U2” really spotlights lead singer Guido Savani's voice. Not only is his English diction superb, so is the entire pop harmony of the song.
DID has everything going for them. I would never have thought they could have been from Italy's motor city, Turin, that first time I heard them when I was driving in my car. But it shouldn't have surprised me. Turin has produced some top-notch groups in the last 10 years. DID's sound is powerful and larger than life and. I look forward to seeing where their international sound will take them.
Listen to believe.
Karin Andrea Halliwell
DID - www.myspace.com/didmusik
Foolica Records - info@follicarecords.com
Artists permanently (and randomly) "on air" at present date: DID(Italy), Massimo Volume(Italy), Senpai(Italy), Dude Plays Saxophone(USA), Toundra(Spain), Maxena Tace(Italy), Sawako (Japan), The Cleopatras (Italy), Hollowblue(Italy), OPA(USA), Nora Keyes (USA), Simona Gretchen(Italy), Facciascura (Italy), hiiragi fukuda (Japan), Stardog(Italy), I Got A Violet(Italy), The Agrarians (USA); Feldmaus (Russia); Red Velvet (Italy - France); Eigenheimer (Holland); Drugs Made Me Smarter (Mexico); Kelvin & Speedy Peones (Italy); Tidy Kid (USA); NIMM (Italy); MorningPaper (Italy), Edgar Graves (Czech Republic), Marshmallow (Croatia), David Morley (England/Belgium); Bancale (Italy); Antony Raijekov (Bulgary); Amélie (Italy); Celestial Aeon Project (Finland); Channel in Channel out (USA); Madrigali Magri (Italy), Gimme 'hat Moonshine (Belgium), Krakenti (Latvia), Wheelchair Discotheque (Latvia), TheOneOnTheIsland (Slovakia), Maok (Slovakia), LaBon (Slovakia), Jordan Jordan (Slovakia), Social Society (Slovakia), Batte (Norway), Orange Crush (Norway), Oriental Music System (Hong Kong), Iamsum (Hong Kong), Rex Cody (Hong Kong), Donkey Valium (Hong Kong), Smiling Buddhas (Hong Kong), O-M (Hong Kong), Hvoya (Ukraine), Automatic Pilot Required (Brazil), Yogi (Brazil), Light Merchants (South Africa), The Slowmovies (Italy); I am this (USA); Kråkvind (Sweden); Planet Brain (Italy); Lebatol (UK); Sarah Schuster (Italy); Krt 963 (Italy-Japan); Flap (Italy); Nicker Hill Orchestra (Italy); Menrovescio (Italy); Annabel (USA); Karmatest (Italy); The Dada Weatherman (France); Diablo Swing Orchestra (Sweden); Japanese gum (Italy); Above the tree (Italy); Volcano Playground (Canada); Linz (Italy); Anomie Belle (USA), Christophe Marc (France), Death Valley Sleepers (Denmark), Jeremy Sparrow (Denmark), Zoon van snooK (England), Systemton (Germany), Matti Bye (Sweden), Manuzik (Japan), Chances (Italy), Hometaping (Great Britain...?), Ping (Norway), Frey (New Zealand), Manhan (Japan), One Chef (Sweden), Mijagi (Poland), Pandacetamol (Scotland), Lu-Sin (Argentina), Thomas Solgaard (Denmark), Wonderboy (France), Los Hermanos Butaca (Argentina), La Biyuya (Argentina), Negro Fluo (Argentina), Sempai (Italy), Riccardo Vianello (Italy), Wolther goes stranger (Italy), Eildentroeilfuorieilbox84 (Italy), Buzz Aldrin (Italy), Stefano Roveda (Italy), Rosso! (Italy); manzOni (Italy).
Better than a Mirror
When you write about a group that you have always been haunted by and you have mentioned so often that even your closest friends have become annoyed with you, it's hard not to be accused of flattery or partiality.
Of course, if someone knows how to convey emotions and evoke images with such ease as Massimo Volume, it's easy to look like a disciple…but when a group is mentioned by many others today as one of the bands that influenced them the most, it's hard to think that yours truly may fail to have a critical perspective. When Emidio Clementi, lead singer/speaker, spits in your face sentences from his soul so fluidly it's not simple to remain indifferent.
The latest work by Massimo Volume, ‘Cattive Abitudini’ (after years of silence and side projects), demonstrates their great interest in sound research. Mimi’, Egle and Vittoria, enhanced now by Stefano’s guitar, don't leave room for uncertainty and guide us on a journey that lasts eleven tracks which touch all the shades of darkness and light.
‘Le Nostre Ore Contate’ and 'Fausto' do not give rise to half-measures or decisions of convenience. Massimo Volume: you either love them or hate them, but if you love them, they're definitely no flash in the pan.
Stay tuned!
Jacopo Ravagnan
English translation by Karin Andrea Halliwell
Artists permanently (and randomly) "on air" at present date: Massimo Volume(Italy), Senpai(Italy), Dude Plays Saxophone(USA), Toundra(Spain), Maxena Tace(Italy), Sawako (Japan), The Cleopatras (Italy), Hollowblue(Italy), OPA(USA), Nora Keyes (USA), Simona Gretchen(Italy), Facciascura (Italy), hiiragi fukuda (Japan), Stardog(Italy), I Got A Violet(Italy), The Agrarians (USA); Feldmaus (Russia); Red Velvet (Italy - France); Eigenheimer (Holland); Drugs Made Me Smarter (Mexico); Kelvin & Speedy Peones (Italy); Tidy Kid (USA); NIMM (Italy); MorningPaper (Italy), Edgar Graves (Czech Republic), Marshmallow (Croatia), David Morley (England/Belgium); Bancale (Italy); Antony Raijekov (Bulgary); Amélie (Italy); Celestial Aeon Project (Finland); Channel in Channel out (USA); Madrigali Magri (Italy), Gimme 'hat Moonshine (Belgium), Krakenti (Latvia), Wheelchair Discotheque (Latvia), TheOneOnTheIsland (Slovakia), Maok (Slovakia), LaBon (Slovakia), Jordan Jordan (Slovakia), Social Society (Slovakia), Batte (Norway), Orange Crush (Norway), Oriental Music System (Hong Kong), Iamsum (Hong Kong), Rex Cody (Hong Kong), Donkey Valium (Hong Kong), Smiling Buddhas (Hong Kong), O-M (Hong Kong), Hvoya (Ukraine), Automatic Pilot Required (Brazil), Yogi (Brazil), Light Merchants (South Africa), The Slowmovies (Italy); I am this (USA); Kråkvind (Sweden); Planet Brain (Italy); Lebatol (UK); Sarah Schuster (Italy); Krt 963 (Italy-Japan); Flap (Italy); Nicker Hill Orchestra (Italy); Menrovescio (Italy); Annabel (USA); Karmatest (Italy); The Dada Weatherman (France); Diablo Swing Orchestra (Sweden); Japanese gum (Italy); Above the tree (Italy); Volcano Playground (Canada); Linz (Italy); Anomie Belle (USA), Christophe Marc (France), Death Valley Sleepers (Denmark), Jeremy Sparrow (Denmark), Zoon van snooK (England), Systemton (Germany), Matti Bye (Sweden), Manuzik (Japan), Chances (Italy), Hometaping (Great Britain...?), Ping (Norway), Frey (New Zealand), Manhan (Japan), One Chef (Sweden), Mijagi (Poland), Pandacetamol (Scotland), Lu-Sin (Argentina), Thomas Solgaard (Denmark), Wonderboy (France), Los Hermanos Butaca (Argentina), La Biyuya (Argentina), Negro Fluo (Argentina), Sempai (Italy), Riccardo Vianello (Italy), Wolther goes stranger (Italy), Eildentroeilfuorieilbox84 (Italy), Buzz Aldrin (Italy), Stefano Roveda (Italy), Rosso! (Italy); manzOni (Italy).
Garret Afternoons
Dear Friends:
Yes, it has been quite a while since I have written an article for UM and I am happy to make my return after one solid year thanks once again to the group from Genova that I adore called Senpai.
Garret Afternoon, the name of their great new CD, has refined arrangements, an incredible number of original musical surprises and and the amazing voice of Poalo Sala to top it all off.
Garret Afternoon is without a doubt a much better organized musical project than the one before.
Have a listen to the three melodic pieces.
Close your eyes: and you'll be able to feel and hear the sea at wintertime while remembering the heat of the blinding sun of the summer that has just past by.
Until we meet again.
Laura Chieregato
P.S. For those of you that would like to listen and download the entire album for free please click on:http://www.marsigliarecords.it/m044.php
English translation by Karin Andrea Halliwell
Artists permanently (and randomly) "on air" at present date: Senpai(Italy), Dude Plays Saxophone(USA), Toundra(Spain), Maxena Tace(Italy), Sawako (Japan), The Cleopatras (Italy), Hollowblue(Italy), OPA(USA), Nora Keyes (USA), Simona Gretchen(Italy), Facciascura (Italy), hiiragi fukuda (Japan), Stardog(Italy), I Got A Violet(Italy), The Agrarians (USA); Feldmaus (Russia); Red Velvet (Italy - France); Eigenheimer (Holland); Drugs Made Me Smarter (Mexico); Kelvin & Speedy Peones (Italy); Tidy Kid (USA); NIMM (Italy); MorningPaper (Italy), Edgar Graves (Czech Republic), Marshmallow (Croatia), David Morley (England/Belgium); Bancale (Italy); Antony Raijekov (Bulgary); Amélie (Italy); Celestial Aeon Project (Finland); Channel in Channel out (USA); Madrigali Magri (Italy), Gimme 'hat Moonshine (Belgium), Krakenti (Latvia), Wheelchair Discotheque (Latvia), TheOneOnTheIsland (Slovakia), Maok (Slovakia), LaBon (Slovakia), Jordan Jordan (Slovakia), Social Society (Slovakia), Batte (Norway), Orange Crush (Norway), Oriental Music System (Hong Kong), Iamsum (Hong Kong), Rex Cody (Hong Kong), Donkey Valium (Hong Kong), Smiling Buddhas (Hong Kong), O-M (Hong Kong), Hvoya (Ukraine), Automatic Pilot Required (Brazil), Yogi (Brazil), Light Merchants (South Africa), The Slowmovies (Italy); I am this (USA); Kråkvind (Sweden); Planet Brain (Italy); Lebatol (UK); Sarah Schuster (Italy); Krt 963 (Italy-Japan); Flap (Italy); Nicker Hill Orchestra (Italy); Menrovescio (Italy); Annabel (USA); Karmatest (Italy); The Dada Weatherman (France); Diablo Swing Orchestra (Sweden); Japanese gum (Italy); Above the tree (Italy); Volcano Playground (Canada); Linz (Italy); Anomie Belle (USA), Christophe Marc (France), Death Valley Sleepers (Denmark), Jeremy Sparrow (Denmark), Zoon van snooK (England), Systemton (Germany), Matti Bye (Sweden), Manuzik (Japan), Chances (Italy), Hometaping (Great Britain...?), Ping (Norway), Frey (New Zealand), Manhan (Japan), One Chef (Sweden), Mijagi (Poland), Pandacetamol (Scotland), Lu-Sin (Argentina), Thomas Solgaard (Denmark), Wonderboy (France), Los Hermanos Butaca (Argentina), La Biyuya (Argentina), Negro Fluo (Argentina), Sempai (Italy), Riccardo Vianello (Italy), Wolther goes stranger (Italy), Eildentroeilfuorieilbox84 (Italy), Buzz Aldrin (Italy), Stefano Roveda (Italy), Rosso! (Italy); manzOni (Italy).