• Contributed Releases (1)

• Pending Submissions (1)

• Browse Collection (1054)

• Browse Wantlist (99)

• Contact

Various - Musiques Pour Les Plantes Vertes - 22-Jul-09 01:34 AM
Very diverse yet cohesively laid back collection, still sounding good more than a decade since release. Confounds your expectations by beginning with DJ Cams trip hop before an extended run of dreamy ambient, some spiky electronica, treated piano and a creepy coda: "I want to remember this moment always"... The middle stretch of the album is possibly the most sustained medley of delicate ambient FCom has ever released. Housed in a regular cd jewel case with an outer cardboard slipcase, very 90s cool, clean white and green design featuring delectably nude models.

Various - Rä Dä Bäng - Pfyffer Und Tamboure An Der Basler Fasnacht - 22-Jul-09 12:16 AM
I took a gamble buying this on spec and was well rewarded. This has to be one of the most beautiful, spacious field recordings in existence. It appears to be a fixed point recording of a passing parade of massed drums and piccolos. The groups pass across a wide stereo spectrum, each group performing a different tune. Other groups playing different songs can be heard approaching (and departing) in the distance, mingling the tunes and creating a gloriously "live" feeling. Most of the tunes are lovely traditional songs, and the massed piccolos create an incredible wall of sound. Its perhaps not an album youd want to listen to often unless youre mad for this particular combination of instruments, but the opening - a crowd is heard chatting for several minutes before erupting into a roar as the music starts - and the ending - a very, very slow fade as the last band disappears - are really something to behold. Winter & Winter attempt to capture something of the visual experience with a beautifully textured matte digipack full of colourful photos of the parade. THIS is what makes a cd an objet dart.

Various - From The Past, Present And Future Vol.2 - 13-Jul-09 10:05 PM
There is justifiable confusion surrounding this release. Milestone Records initiated 2 separate yet not clearly differentiated series: Original Masters Disco and Original Masters Past, Present and Future. Both series feature obscure disco, electronica and rock tracks. THIS release - PP & F Vol 2 - is correctly tracklisted (however the track timings are mostly completely incorrect), but confuses the issue by ALSO stating that it is Disco Vol 2 on the spine. I think the previous reviewer actually purchased the Original Masters Disco series Vol 2, which of course has a completely different tracklisting. Despite making some great, obscure tracks available, Milestone has done a very shoddy job with these reissues. There are no liner notes to speak of yet the tracks are listed 3 times, and the sound is very compressed, LOUD and sometimes from dubious sources. All up: a hatchet job.

Alcazar - Crying At The Discoteque - 23-Jan-09 12:23 AM
A classic high energy dance track, written and produced by the mastermind behind Army Of Lovers, Alexander Bard. The Australian release leaves a lot to be desired, however, with possibly the worst sound Ive ever heard on a commercial release - muddy, bass-heavy, almost muffled! Not only that, but the mixes listed on the insert differ completely from those on the cd itself. Releases such as this only encouraged casual buyers to abandon cd singles.

Doris Day - Golden Girl (The Columbia Recordings 1944-1966) - 29-Oct-08 07:50 AM
This release was designed to commemorate Days 75th birthday (as of this writing shes still kicking) and is the first 2-cd overview of her entire recording career. You may have a preference for her earlier, big band pop or her later film music; this compilation showcases both very well. Even though I love Doris Days perfect pop soprano and like much of this music it is mostly located in a faded pop culture era, and sometimes unconvincing. A lot of the film songs and show tunes fare the worst, while the earlier pop - and even something approaching jazz - still sounds good. Day was an exceptionally talented communicator and a technically very good singer, so she was able to make the best of what was offered.
None of this music can seriously be considered "classic" - its lightweight commercial, never intended for a long shelf life. But a lot of this is also pleasant (although not all at once), and the remastered sound quality on this release is excellent, so if you like it both wholesome and perky this is the motherlode.

View all 12 reviews...