//_Record reviews

__Melancholic sound-collage breaks with listening habits

 

1972 – Death Awaits You With Open Arms (2005, Album, Aentitainment)

After two albums, Leander Körfer aka 1972 comes along with his third longplayer, called Death Awaits You With Open Arms (or, to keep it short: „DAYWOA“ ). Also his latest production is a self release in all aspects – including music, distribution and the dark cover-artwork. 1972 designs complex sound-collages. The main elements are formed by tons of samples, glitchy noise and distorted sounds, which overlap, mix up und therby develop a undreamt depth. From time to time, vocals, screams or quotes from movies appaer in the background. Rhythmic beats can be found only in a few parts. Leander Körfers’s expansive tracks – some of them play up to nine minutes – are full of atmoshpere und a dark, melancholic basic tension. DAYWOA feels like a sountrack for a cold, cruel world – combined with explicit critic concerning the destruction abilities of the human society or animal experiments. If you expect the usal songstructures, beats or patterns, which are made for comfortable consumption, Death Awaits You With Open Arms will not satisfy you. You have to take time to step into the arduous sound-worlds of 1972 – and also to request your own listening habits.


__Wonderfull dreamy melancholia

 

Why? – Sanddollars (2005, EP, Anticon)

No, this isn’t Hip Hop. But who would have expexted this? However: What’s this then? Like other Anticon-Artists, Why? Alias Yoni Wolf deprives from common definitions. “Sanddollars” moves in a wide open field between dreamy psychodelic emo-folk-rock, songwiriting, keyboard-sounds and background noize. Only a few samples, broken beats abd scratches on “Vice Principal” remind at the hip hop roots of Why?. The compact pieces we’re almost invariably recorded with Why?’s band and replenished by further instrumentalists. Yonis characterstic and clear voice transports much emotion und supports the lightly melancholic root of this record. “Miss Ohio’s Nameless” is a wonderfull, slowly emo-rock-ballad – just as dreamy as “Sick 2 Think”. On “Pantone Cyan”, trombone and cylophon fit into the overall sound. “Sand Dollars” is a excursion into warm and sometimes melancholic song-structures without curlicue – but 20 minutes are a pretty short journey.


__ Nonstop soul-based hip hop

 

Ge-Ology – Ge-Ology Plays Ge-ology (2005, Album, Female Fun)

Ge-ology is not a nobody around the us-american hip hop underground – well known as designer of many artworks on rawkus 12” and beat producer for just as many acts (Mos Def and Talib Kweli or Bahamadia for example). His first longplayer is a musical retrospect: Like digging in the crates of his own discography, Ge-Ology delivers a non-stop mix with tons of already released works as just unknown beats. The center of the 30 tracks is formed by instrumentals – only on a few pieces you can enjoy guest apperances of Vinia Mojica, Pete Rock, Grand Agent or Consequence. The main ingredients of his sound: Fat and barren Beats, bumping basses and a world of dreamy-futuristic soul-samples – replenished with a little touch of jazz and funk. Highlights of this soulfull composition are tracks like “Guilt Junkie”, “That’s Right” or “Elevator Music”. Of course Ge-Ologys sound feels like continuation of the groovy sound known from A Tribe Called Quest (check out Holistic or All Alone). Some Beats seem to be too montous and not very conclusive. This circumstance is balanced by the softly fading mixtape-structure. “Ge-Ology Plays Ge-Ology” – 69 minutes groovy and soul-based hip hop – hopefully a invitation for relaxed listening, not only at summer.


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