Search results: Pearl (3)

Review: It would be pushing it to say many of us were expecting Pablo Larrain's movie about Princess Diana to be the way it was. Or is. In fact, it would be pushing it to say anyone was expecting any film to ever be made about the late-British royal in such a surrealist way. Nevertheless, Spencer is a bonafide work of art and a creative triumph. As such it was always going to come with a great score.

At the risk of repeating ourselves, though, it would also be pushing it to say people predicted just how incredible Jonny Greenwood's soundtrack was, and is as a standalone record. It's the sound of free jazz meeting the baroque tones of a palatial dance. It's the noise of uncertainty, exclusion, difference, and struggle, married to an atmosphere of sophistication and refinement. It's a trip. It's a classic.

Review: If you're in the market for a beginner's guide to krautrock and "kosmiche", then the first two volumes of Soul Jazz's Deutsche Elektronische Musik series should be essential listening. This third volume - the first for four years - should be on that list, too. It arguably goes deeper than its predecessors, combining cuts from pioneering electronic and art-rock bands like Neu!, Cluster and Popol Vuh with tracks from lesser-known artists such as Michael Bundt, Dronsz and Achim Reichel. Musically, it's also far more diverse than its predecessors, containing as much space-rock and proto-punk as early electronic experimentation and droning alternative rock. As ever, the accompanying sleeve notes from author David Nobbs expand on the story in brilliant detail.

Review: The more discerning and concentrated electro head will be tuned into the work of Bot1500. It is an alias of Shinichi Kobayashi, a producer who since 2018 has landed on the likes of Analogical Force and Furthur Electronix with a unique mix of futurist sounds. This one is another brilliant EP featuring cuts like 'Chartreuse 8.' It's a propulsive rhythm built from silky breaks and overlaid with the sort of heart-aching and thought-provoking chords that will send you inward on the dance floor. The five other cuts are just as much a perfect mix of the physical and the cerebral.