ARTICLES
2006 Top 10s and 20s
2006 Artist Picks

ALBUMS
17 Pictures
Angina P
Ateleia
Benni Hemm Hemm
The Boats
Cappablack
Celer
Dead Letters Dead Words
Deceptikon
Deerhunter
Denzel + Huhn
Displayaz
Dollboy
Drone
Eluvium
Emanuele Errante
The Eternals
Fear Falls Burning
Marcus Fjellström
Fonoda
Funkstörung
Goldfrapp
Gyroscope
Robert Henke
James Holden
The Idealist
Anders Ilar
Landing
LCD Soundsystem
Library Tapes
L Pierre
Lullatone
Tor Lundvall
Mad EP
Mahogany
Melodium
Mem1
Daisuke Miyatani
Mole Harness
Momus
Monoceros
Mormo
Mothboy
Original Hamster
Pierson & Horton
Prince Valium
Radical Face
Retail Sectors / Yaporigami
Rylander & Elggren
Scott Solter Plays PIM
Sideshow
Silicone Soul
Skream
Splinters
Mark Templeton
Thread Pulls
T. Raumschmiere
Tycho
Ultre
Virculum
Xela

COMPILATIONS/MIXES
AudioArt 03
Cumulous
Dubstep Allstars Vol. 4
Eriksen / Toft / Utarm
Katapult VA Vol. 3
Let's Lazertag Sometime
Mr Geoffrey & JD Franzke
Skagen / Halvorsen / Toft
Tectonic Plates

3"/7"/10"/12"/EPs
Gabriel Ananda
Robert Bardini
DAT Politics
Dead Letters / R. Sundin
Dogmixer
Benjamin Fehr
Fenin
HL
I Make This Sound
Zoë Irvine
Kyriakides and Moor
Lamont & 2tall
Ljud. & Piloten / Kama Aina
Jacob London
Sam Mcqueen
Miskate
Ryo Miyashita & Hiiragi_
[nara]
New Faces
Of / Greg Davis
Charlemagne Palestine
Phon.o vs Litwinenko
Portable
PostPrior
Samarah
Nicholas Sauser & Ditch
Someone Else
Hannes Teichmann
Tractile
Andy Vaz

IMAGES
F.S. Blumm

Melodium: Flacana Flacana
Audio Dregs

Melodium: Music For Invisible People
Autres Directions in Music

Music For Invisible People and Flacana Flacana are two dramatically different Melodium releases by Laurent Girard. The former is the more pop song-oriented of the two and includes a generous amount of singing; the latter is minimal by comparison with the focus on brief settings of piano and guitar.

Girard digitally assembled Music For Invisible People's guitars, vocals, flutes, melodicas, xylophone, and keyboards after composing the songs during a summer stay on the isle of Oleron, and the breezy, folk-styled material often feels like it's been warmed by the sun. Melodicas and xylophones convey a wistful tale of lost romance in “My Xylophone Loves Me,” making it Melodium music at its best. Unfortunately, Girard's singing, while serviceable and natural, isn't on par with the material itself which consistently impresses. The melancholy guitars and shuddering strings that float through “I'm Not Already Dead” communicate far more affectingly than does the monotone vocal, for instance. Interestingly, Girard's material is more appealing the less it's encumbered by excess and when its melodies are provided room to breathe. The otherwise lovely piano and vibes melodies in “We Are All Right Here,” for example, are only weakened by the stumbling drum pattern.

January 2007