ARTICLES
Listening Post: E. Honig
Label Profile: Ad Noiseam

ALBUMS
Leo Abrahams
Ammoncontact
Anka
Lloyd Barrett
Beach House
Bibio
Christina Carter
Davis & Jerman
Ecstatic Sunshine
Ensemble
Fluorescent Grey
Freiband
[guÿôm]
Chris Herbert
Home Video
Larvae
Lullabye Arkestra
Mathieu / Schaefer
MONO & w. end girlfriend
My Robot Friend
Nicolay
Pieter Nooten
Nuccini
Obfusc
Objekt4
Over the Atlantic
Para One
Proem
Red Sparowes
The Remote
Root 70
Florencia Ruiz
Ryuichi Sakamoto
Alan Sparhawk
Andy Stott
Thumbtack Smoothie
Tortoise
Triosk
Vlor

COMPILATIONS/MIXES
Ad Noiseam 2001-2006
Another Generic Sampler
Bip-Hop Generation 8
Diary of a Sweet Day
Idea Hoard Uncut
Innature
Morrow Choral Orchestra
Noise Factory Vol. 3
Squadron 2
Warp Works

3"/7"/10"/12"/EPs
Alias & Tarsier
Audion
Caroline
Home Video
Iz & Diz
Sami Koivikko
Mai
Mathhead
Monomachine
Narcotic Syntax
Quinoline Yellow
Sigur Rós
Samartzis & English
Samartzis & Inada
Andy Vaz
Andy Vaz Remixes
Waterprotection

Ryuichi Sakamoto: Bricolages
KAB

Having handed over Chasm's files to 13 artists for remixes, Bricolages makes for a fascinating complement to Sakamoto's 2005 release. The contributors—an upper echelon crew that includes Fennesz, Alva Noto, Taylor Deupree, and Thomas Knak (aka Opiate)—often strike a middle ground, imposing their indelible stamp without wholly obliterating the originals in the process. MC.Sniper's Korean rap remains intact on “Undercooled,” for example, though now joined by Alva Noto's trademark micro-funk styling, and David Sylvian's magnificent vocal on “World Citizen” remains too, now augmented by Deupree's subtle colourations.

While different speakers ruminate on whether war-making and love are natural or learned practices, AOKI Takamasa transports “War & Peace” down a rapidly flowing current of jittery glitch, Cornelius's version more bleepy and static by comparison. Fennesz's lush garden of enveloping textures, “20 msec.,” is as hypnotic a rendering as one expects from the creator of Endless Summer and Venice while Craig Armstrong's “20 msec.” is equally elegant if more orchestral. Elsewhere, Skuli Sverrisson imbues “Undercooled” with elegant folk character and Hefty head Slicker merges glitchy soundscaping with Bill Evans-styled piano playing on “NGO/bitmix.” An occasional piece—snd.'s seven-minute “Only Love Can Conquer Hate,” for one—makes the 74-minute album feel overlong, whereas others, like Richard Devine's fully-realized soundscape handling of “Seven Samurai,” remain engrossing despite their length.

October 2006