On DJ Baby Anne's side of this disc is titled "Assault". Jen Lasher's side is titled "Battery". This double disc is very exciting. It sounds almost like drum n' bass but it's actually bass. Yes, there is a sub-genre of electronic music called "bass" and it's been around for a long time now yet this still sounds very fresh. No wonder why these duo are known as the "Queens of Bass". These duo have superior production skills and not to mention good looks.

Man, talking about freakiness, extravaganza or "music out of ordinary" the Kodi and Pausa project is a good example, nothing more and nothing less. I think the fact this cd can be good or bad is a detail, but I dare the average critic to label this cd as "the same ol' shit". Probably what I'm going to say has to do with the fact I've listened to Boredom's "Pop tatari" a couple of days ago, but I guess if ever pop music would have followed the path of these japanese kamikaze, this could have been the euro-pop answer to the demented genius of Yamatsuka Eye and friends. An improvisational cut and lot's of instruments to play may imply influences and ideas can move in this or in that direction, but it can also bring to a delirium where everything flows randomly leaving reminiscences of what lied buried in the subconscious coming out in the open with the consequent result you'll see fragments of subconscious scattered all over the place. Is Kodi and Pausa pure essence of chaos? Absolutely not, but here you've electronic music, free jazzy guitar incursions, shapeless cut ups/pastiches (Boswachter) as well as old electronic mixed with modern hi-frequencies computer sounds, this recording features also minimal keyboard experiments (that reminded me of the early and greatest Pram). What should I say about a defiant cartoon tune like "Flashy toilet"!?...this couple of musician probably has had problems during their childhood. Sometimes it's hard to judge the quality of a cd and when it's "In one week and new toys to play", the idea is that the "subject" is really beyond the boundaries of musical judgment...life is a nonsense.

If you were around and miss the live drum'n'bass NYC scene of the mid nineties, when pioneers like Jojo Mayer were doing their thing, changing the rules of the game forever, show after show, at places like Shine on West Broadway and Canal, you'll be pleased to know that you can get back to experiencing the same excitement with Jamalski's last record "Ruffneck Revenge", out on French label Vision Alternative/Ozore Records. He's been around since the early nineties, agitating crowds with his mixture of ragga, hip hop, drum'n'bass, jungle, funk, rave etc. This great NYC born MC is all about the fusion of all of the above. He rhymes at sonic speed and rocks the mic with his own vision of drum'n'bass and his own version of political lyrics (it's always nice to hear people sing against the war and against W, like he does in the "Peace and Love" interlude, but I love Jamalski's anti-fake-rappers "Stop" tune where he talks shit at fake hip hoppers all over and around the media). "Ruffneck Revenge" is a peacefully violent urban anthem against consumerism in society and bullshit on the media, it's fast-paced adrenaline at its best, it's sonic aggression packed in a drum'n'bass/jungle container of fast beats and deep bass lines, it's the ultimate union of original hip-hop rhymes, jamaican ragga singing/wording attitude and modern MC'ing.

This autumn I've seen "Lords of Dogtown", an ok movie, nothing special in comparison to the documentary "Dogtown and the Z-boys", but definitely worth of the ticket (above all if you're into skateboard, or underground culture). Even if the average skater nowadays listens to crappy third rate punk bands or even worse to cheap gangsta rap, this work has nothing to do with the afore mentioned categories. Cocosolidciti is interested in high-quality electronic music and judging by they back catalogue and listening to this their costumers won't be disappointed. The menu is: electronic music with a 4/4 relaxed beat, sometimes it recalls some stylish Warp artist like Prefuse 72 or Savath and Savalas minus the post rock/instrumental feel, but that's just one percent of the whole mixture. With a such a cool rhythmical skeleton I was awaiting some rapping and it finally came with the third track ("Not a speculation" where Dose One is the mc!) and the song is a pure kick ass hit. Another interesting characteristic of this release is represented by its heterogeneity, one good example could be the electro-jazzy sketch of "Fingertip control". Andrew Coleman put together a smart tracklist and while listening you won't have the time to get bored by a single kind of song, just give a listen to such another great stylish exercise like the piano of "Rain and dogs" or to the acoustic guitar of "Constraints, huddles and hoops". Melody, melody and again melody, a great dose of class and if you're into hip-hoppish rhythm, electronic music, melody and post jazzy influences I think you outta add "Tony Alva's hair" to your want list.

photophob is one Herwig Holzman. This release, "your majesty machine" is immediately appealing. Intense rhythms, playful soundscapes and well executed melodic leads pretty sum up this release. It's an instrumental release and unlike many instrumental releases, this is dripping with character. Each song has a unique flavor but not too much to keep the CD from working as a whole either. Very well balanced. I'd love to hear some vocals with some of this music but on it's own it works perfectly. I'm just a fan of vocal narrative. The cover art on the release is absolutely fantastic and really goes a long way to sum up the entire vibe the CD has to offer. The only criticism I have is that a few of the tracks over stay their welcome. Too much of a good thing can sometimes take away from the initial impact a song can have. Stand out tracks include "The Starlight Eater" and "While Venting".