30 January, 2010

Public Image Ltd - Compact Disc (Album) (1986) (eac ape covers)


Public Image Ltd 1986 - Compact Disc (Album)
alternative | 1cd | eac-ape-cue-log-cover | 275MB
Virgin | rar +5% recovery

Album (also known as Compact Disc or Cassette depending on the format) is the fifth studio album by English rock band Public Image Ltd., released on February 3, 1986 (1986-02-03). It features John Lydon backed by a group of musicians assembled by producer Bill Laswell, including Steve Vai, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Tony Williams and Ginger Baker.

Track listing
1. "F.F.F." (John Lydon, Bill Laswell) – 5:32
2. "Rise" (Lydon, Laswell) – 6:04
3. "Fishing" (Lydon, Jebin Bruni, Mark Schulz) – 5:20
4. "Round" (Lydon, Schulz) – 4:24
5. "Bags" (Lydon, Bruni, Schulz) – 5:4
6. "Home" (Lydon, Laswell) – 5:49
7. "Ease" (Lydon, Bruni) – 8:09

Personnel
* John Lydon – vocals
* Tony Williams – drums on 1 2 6
* Ginger Baker – drums on 3 4 5 7
* Bernard Fowler – backing vocals
* Ryuichi Sakamoto – Fairlight CMI on 2 3 5 7
* Nicky Skopelitis – guitar on 1 2 3 4 6
* Steve Vai – guitar
* Jonas Hellborg - bass

Additional personnel
* Shankar – electric violin on 2 4
* Bernie Worrell – organ on 1 4 6, Yamaha DX7 on 3
* Malachi Favors – acoustic bass on 3 5
* Steve Turre – didjeridu on 7
* Aïyb Dieng – chatan pot drums on 4
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27 January, 2010

Michael Giles - Progress (1978) (eac flac cover)




Michael Giles - Progress (1978)
rock | 1CD | EAC Rip | FLAC+CUE+LOG | cover | 313MB
VP264CD | released 2002 | RAR +5% recovery
Progress is a solo album recorded by original King Crimson drummer Michael Giles. It was recorded in 1978, but unreleased until 2002.

Track listing
1. Sunrise 0:56
2. Departure 3:12
3. Rolling 3:48
4. Daydream 1:00
5. Moving 4:14
6. Midsummer Day 6:00
7. Progress 6:03
8. Sunset 3:46
9. Shunter 2:43
10. Rocking 2:10
11. Nightdream 2:08
12. Arrival 6:09
* All words and music composed, recorded and produced by Michael Giles.

Personnel
* Geoffrey Richardson - Guitar, Flute, Viola, Voice
* Michael Giles - drums, percussion, Piano, Lead Voice
* Peter Giles - Bass Guitar
* Dave McRae - Piano, Electric Piano
* John Mealing - Electric Piano
* Ray Warleigh - Alto Saxophone
* Martin Drover - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
* Pete Thomas - Trombone

Gerry Mulligan - Live At the Olympia (1960) (eac flac cover)

Gerry Mulligan - Live At the Olympia (1960)
jazz | 2cd | eac-flac-log-cover | cover
Gambit | 840MB
Gerry Mulligan’s first trip to Paris took place in 1954, when he presented his legendary pianoless quartet. His success there led him to return many times, with a sextet in 1955 and 1957, with his Concert Jazz Band (composed of fourteen musicians) in 1960, and again with his quartet in 1962, when he alternated sets with a Horace Silver group featuring Blue Mitchell. The two latter performances are included on this release, which presents the Olympia concerts from November 19, 1960 and October 6, 1962.

Tracks:
CD 1
01. You Took Advantage Of Me
02. Black Nightgown
03. Body and Soul
04. Barbara’S Theme
05. Apple Core
06. Come Rain Or Come Shine
07. Out Of This World
08. Spring Is Sprung
09. My Funny Valentine
10. Bweebida Bobbida
11. Go Home

CD 2
01. I’m Gonna Go Fishing
02. Broadway
03. Blueport
04. Walkin’ Shoes (End Of Concert)
05. Spring Is Sprung (*)Bonus Track
06. Five Brothers (*)Bonus Track
07. Subterranean Blues (*)Bonus Track
08. Darn That Dream (*)Bonus Track
09. Blueport (*)Bonus Track
10. Utter Chaos (*)Bonus Track
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26 January, 2010

Buddha-Bar VII - By Ravin & David Visan 2cd (2005) (eac-log-cover)

Buddha-Bar VII - By Ravin & David Visan (2005)
electronic | 2cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 1060MB
George V Records | rar +5% recovery

Ravin and David Visan have again served up a luscious, alchemical brew in which the purity of traditional sounds blends with pulsing electro in the holiest of unions. "Sarod", the first disc, serves up a harmonious yet assorted platter of Brazilian, Vietnamese, Hungarian, Indian, and Malian sounds. "Sarangi", the second disc, is a homage to Ustad Sultan Khan, elegantly riding a joyful electro-ethnic wave, alighting here and there to be serenaded by such artists as Mabagaya Project, Tito Rodriguez, or King Britt.

Tracks:
* CD1 Sarod
01. Bliss - "Breathe"
02. My Phuong Nguyen & Thierry David - "Huong Viêtnam"
03. Riccardo Eberspacher - "Light Signs"
04. Al-Pha-X - "An Indian Summer"
05. Afterlife - "Take Me Inside (feat. Dannii Minogue) (Christophe Goze Mix)"
06. Ustad Sultan Khan - "Aja Maji (Sacred Rhythm Version by Joe Claussell)"
07. Bigtétény's Finest - "Lovasok A Szakadék Felé"
08. Federico Aubele - "Postales"
09. Vargo - "The Moment"
10. Salif Keita - "Moussoulou (Remixed by Charles Webster)"
11. José Padilla - "Light My Heart"
12. Bebel Gilberto - "Aganjú (John Beltran Remix)"
13. Ramasutra - "Magma Mama"
14. Peppe Barra - "Core Nire (Azoia Remix)"
15. Da Lata - "Distracted Minds"
16. Laidback - "Happy Dreamer"
* CD2 Sarangi
01. Kirpi - "The Song"
02. Sainkho Namtchylak - "Ohm Suaa (Remixed by Martin Morales)"
03. Lonesome Echo - "Spirit of Drums (feat. Mutabaraku) (S.U.M.O. Afrobounce Remix)"
04. DJ Nasha - "Flute Fantasy"
05. Ryukyu Underground - "Mo Ashibi (Jason Bentley Remix)"
06. Luciano Supervielle - "Perfume (Remixed by Campo)"
07. Mambayaga Project - "Joy On A Stick"
08. King Britt Presents Oba Funke - "Uzoamaka"
09. Phatjak vs. DJ Hamoodi - "Ritmo Caliente"
10. Harem - "Medusa"
11. Mo' Horizons - "Drum'n Boogaloo (Full Vocal Mix)"
12. Mambayaga Project - "Clockwork (Shantel vs. Mahala Rai Banda Remix)"
13. Tito Rodriguez - "Mama Guela (Stuhr Remix)"
14. Les Négresses Vertes - "Sous Le Soleil De Bodega (Bodega Di Moko)"


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Buddha-Bar VI - By Ravin (2004) 2cd (eac-log-cover)

Buddha-Bar VI - By Ravin (2004)
electronic | 2cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 910MB
George V Records | rar +5% recovery
AMG:
The sixth installment in the famed Buddha-Bar series is the creation of producer Ravin, a Paris-based DJ of Indian extraction who has been combining traditional sounds of South Asia with European electronica for the past 15 years, and is currently the resident DJ at the London bar from which this series gets its name. Buddha-Bar, Vol. VI consists of two discs, about half the contents of which are previously unreleased. Assuming that the 13 tracks included on the condensed promotional version are representative of the whole album, it's a beautiful and surprisingly restful affair -- funky enough, to be sure, but not something that will compel you to dance if you're not up for that. Michael Stipe is almost unrecognizable on a gentle and introspective romantic ballad called "The Way You Dream," and there are clubby remixes of a piano miniature by the 20th-century French composer Erik Satie, and of Sarah Vaughan's rendition of "Whatever Lola Wants," as well as more obscure fare from the Danish group Bliss (whose "Manvantara" is both rhythmically intricate and absolutely gorgeous) and a band called Loopless (whose "Pink Blue Hotel" is a sort of dub-house fusion with nice, breathy vocals). The album offers a surprising variety of textures and sounds despite its relative consistency of mood. Highly recommended.

Tracks:
* CD1 Rebirth
01. B-Tribe - "Angelic Voices (Rebirth Mix)"
02. 1 Giant Leap - "The Way You Dream"
03. Dolphin Boy - "Shake It Loose"
04. Daniel Masson - "Sonargaon"
05. Deew - "She Will Never Learn"
06. Erik Satie - "Gnossienne No. 1 (Buddha Bar Remix)"
07. Cellar 55 - "Por-do-sol"
08. Ryukyu Underground - "Kanasando (Rebirth Remix)"
09. Ganga - "Chair"
10. Dos Hombres - "The Alkemyst"
11. Slow Train - "Naturally"
12. Quicksound - "Cold Winter"
13. Touch & Go - "Straight To...Number One (Dreamcatcher's Remix)"
14. Cantoma - "Essarai"
* CD2 Rejoice
01. Baul Dimension - "Bangla Soul"
02. Table vs. Ludovico Einaudi - "Memory"
03. Slow Train - "Trail Of Dawn"
04. Loopless - "Pink Blue Hotel"
05. Télépopmusik - "Breathe (Banzai Republic's X-Hale remix)"
06. Sarah Vaughan - "Whatever Lola Wants (Gotan Project Remix)"
07. Bliss - "Manvantara"
08. Baul Dimension - "Baul Dimension"
09. Afterlife - "Sunrise"
10. PQM - "Nameless (feat. Pilgrim Soul)"
11. Casa Flava - "De Mome De (Paris & Sharp Remix)"
12. Perfect Sense - "Bumba (Stereo Sax Mix)"
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Buddha-Bar X - By Ravin (2008) (eac-log-cover)

Buddha-Bar X - By Ravin (2008)
electronic | 2cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 1250MB
George V Records
Amazon customer review:
At last Ravin has returned to what really works with these Buddha Bar CDs--WORLD Lounge Music. There are plenty of regular lounge, chillout, dance CDs around, but I count on Buddha Bar to bring in that Parisian sound from around the world. The remixes are excellent, especially the one by Sia. As usual, however, I really like CD 1 MUCH better than CD 2 (which gets thumpy and dancey). I would rather dance to global beats than a "house" beat...
All in all, WAAAAY better than the last one which was only dance music.

Tracks:
* CD1 Xiangqi
01. Nitin Sawnhey feat. The London Symphony Orchestra - Songbird
02. Thierry David - Song Of Freedom
03. Jaime Torres - El Humahuaqueño
04. Temple of Sound feat. Natacha Atlas - City Of God
05. Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra feat. Sophie Solomon - Love Theme From Ben Hur (Bombay Dub Orchestra Remix)
06. Samo Zaen - Tonight
07. Gaudi & Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - Bethe Bethe Kese Kese
08. Cantoma - Maja
09. Van Daler & Low Pressure feat. Natasja Saad - Real Love
10. Özgür Sakar a.k.a Misda Oz vs Mercan Dede - Ab-I Beka
11. Waldeck - Get Up... Carmen
12. Nikko Patrelakis - Arco Iris
13. Ralph Myerz feat. Pee Wee - My Darling
14. Bebo Best & The Super Lounge Orchestra - Life Is On The Sea
15. The Real Tuesday Weld - Kix
16. Pochill - Violet Theme
17. Nicolaj Grandjean - Heroes & Saints

* CD2 Weiqi
01. DJ A feat. Sonia - Anazitisi (Quest)
02. Lulu Rouge - Bless You
03. Azam Ali - Endless Reverie (Bentey and Smitty Mix)
04. Markus Enochson with Masaya - For You To See (Tiger Stripes Vocal Remix)
05. Kaya Project - Salaam (Remix For Irina Mikhailova)
06. Damian Draghici & Emanuele Arnone - Let Love Go
07. Buscemi - Sahib Balkan
08. Lanoiraude - Khen Hook
09. Pier Bucci - Hay Consuelo (Samim Remix)
10. Shantel - Immigrant Child
11. Giorgio Giordano - Amazzonia
12. Jan Driver - Kardamoon
13. Shaman’s Dream - Rakandao (Remix)
14. DJ Disse feat. Will Buhrkall - Break On Through
15. Jerry Dimmer - Flavia
rc

Buddha Bar IX - By Ravin (2007) (eac-log-cover)

Buddha Bar IX - By Ravin (2007)
electronic | 2cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 1150MB
George V Records
Amazon:
This volume is the latest in series that began as ambient music for upscale, celebrity-studded, Buddha-themed restaurants (the flagship venue is in Paris.) But largely due to frenzied word of mouth, the tunes quickly outgrew their initial parameters, becoming massively popular in nightclubs and with private listeners. Compiled by DJ Ravin, who has been involved with the project since the first pair of groundbreaking albums, the present two-disc set celebrates the opening of a new Buddha-Bar in London. But aside from reflecting the multi-cultural population of this, or, for that matter, virtually any other large modern city, the set list has relatively little to do with any precise physical location. Titled Royal Victoria and Baron's Court, the twin programs are typically chilled-out and multi-layered, sometimes anchored by frigidly precise snare beats. Some tunes have a louche, urban feel, giving an almost cartoon-like nod to forties film noir or a bal-musette of the imagination. Others offer forlorn-sounding Albinoni-like strings, disembodied synths and chorales that seem to descend from, yet linger, on high. Still other tracks journey to Africa, Asia, the Middle and Far East, with handmade flutes, fiddles, and percussion, plus intersecting, overdubbed solo voices imported from various locales. After so many years and innumerable imitators, Buddha-Bar obviously is no longer quite the latest thing, but still wields the indisputable clout of an original. Longtime fans will certainly find a lot to like here.
---
Ravin continues to amaze me as a DJ starting with his early days on the George V record label. His style continues to evolve from one album to the next and he has delivered yet again. Though Buddha Bar III is still my all time favorite out of the previous 8 albums, I can see myself making this one a close second. Sophisticated mixes with delicate layers laid with artistic flair that only a true artisan can enamor. This series has gathered a lot of fame over the years, and I am really glad that Buddha Bar IX is here to keep that flame alive. Buy this album without an apprehension...pure sonic bliss.

Tracks:
* CD1 Royal Victoria
-01. Bardo State – "Sospiro"
-02. Mystic Diversions – "Flight BA0247"
-03. Amanaska – "Sleep"
-04. Hess Is More – "Yes Boss"
-05. Koop – "Koop Island Blues"
-06. Eccodek – "Mongolia On The Line"
-07. Serafim Tsotsonis – "Wood Street"
-08. Existence – "Heart Beat Of Life"
-09. The Lushlife Project – "Essence Of Our Origins"
-10. Michalis Koumbios – "Astradeni"
-11. York featuring Asheni – "Iceflowers"
-12. David Lowe’s Dreamcatcher – "I Know Jayne"
-13. Nikonn – "Sunday"
-14. Kenneth Bager featuring Julee Cruise – "Fragment Two....The First Picture"
-15. Burhan Öçal – "Bugu Jazz"
* CD2 Barons court
-01. Sunset Blvd. – "Mrs Daisy May"
-02. Cosmic Orient – "La Pila"
-03. Djuma Soundsystem – "Les Djinns" (Trentemøller Remix) The original melody "Turkish Show Biz" which was copied-sampled entirely from Atilla Engin's Marmaris Love album by Djuma Sound System and it was further used in LES Djinns. The composer of "Turkish Show Biz" is Atilla Engin
-04. Carmen Rizzo featuring Grant Lee Phillips – "As The Day Breaks" (Montreal Remix)
-05. Massivan – "Daydream"
-06. Cirque Du Soleil – "Africa" (Quicksound / Alain Vinet Remix)
-07. Rocco – "Roots 4 Acid"
-08. Passion Of Percussion – "Last Chance"
-09. Novalima – "Machete"
-10. Parov Stelar – "Chambermaid Swing"
-11. OMFO – "Choban In Space"
-12. Otros Aires – "Amor que se Baila"
-13. Naked Rhythm – "Gypsy Majik" (Gypsy Lounge Vocal Remix)
-14. Blank & Jones – "Loneliness" (Chill House Mix)
-15. Bahramji featuring Mashti – "Indusufi"
-16. DJ Ravin featuring Karma Sound Collective – "Karma Busta Rhythm"

rc

Buddha-Bar V - By David Visan (2003) (eac-log-cover)

Buddha-Bar V - By David Visan (2003)
electronic | 2cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 970MB
George V Records | rar +5% recovery
Amazon:
I have to admit I had high hopes for this cd, not saying its bad by any means, just not what I expected from listening to the past releases. There are some wonderful tracks on this cd. Many dreamy tracks of world music, and even a few good beats. If you were expecting Euro lounge or Euro chill-out beats you will barely find any, but if you keep an open mind you will be joyfully surpised at the wide range of tunes and earthy beauty of many of these sounds from around the world. The first cd is much more layed back and mellow, but a pleasue to listen to. The second cd is a bit more up beat, and has a few steller tracks by the likes of dZihan & Kamien. A few other stand out tracks are by Refractory featureing J.C. Sindress and Youn Sun Nah, Trupet Thing, and David Visan and Mickael Winter featuring stunning vocals by Ani Choying Drolma, I won't list them all but there are plenty of wonderful songs on here. Yes this cd is rather "light" and "sweet" but it is a pleasure to listen too, and who knows maybe you will find a whole new type of ethnic music to indulge in. If you really want to splurge and get some great world chill-out music, buy the Karma Collection and the Karma Collection 2003, they are true gems!!!!!!!

Tracks:
CD 1 (Dinner)
01. Jade Or feat. Bielka Nemirovski – Nie Kantshaietsa
02. Mikis Theodorakis – I've Kept A Hold Of My Life
03. Refractory Feat J-c- Sindress & Youn Sun Nah - Road
04. Trumpet Thing – Far Away
05. Mystic Rhythms Band – Gesso's Guitar Song
06. Angelique Kidjo – Lemanja
07. Elie Karam – Baadima
08. David Visan & Mickael Winter feat. Ani Choying Drolma – Tamtra Tibet
09. Mariza – Loucura
10. Maria Papadopoulou – Maskaremeni
11. David Visan & Carlos Campos – Indra Story
12. Laurent Dury – Silk Road
13. Alihan Samedov – Sen Gelmez Oldun
14. Frederick Rousseau – Princess W. Cheng
15. Operatica – Mon Amour
CD 2 (Drink)
01. Emma Shapplin – La Notte Etterna
02. Dzihan & Kamien – Just You & I
03. Sarma – Muel
04. DJ Disse – Egyptian Disco(Buddha Bar edit)
05. Gipsyland - Safaam
06. Mondo Candido – Meglio Stasera
07. Latour – Blue
08. Despina Vandi – Gia
09. Giampiero Ponte feat. Moran – Sphynx (club mix)
10. Julie – Blinded
011. David Visan - Czardas
12. Rubin Steiner – Wunderlande
13. Ritchie Lawrence – Lawrence d'Arabie (Ambient mix)
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Buddha-Bar VIII - By Sam Popat (2006) 2cd (eac-log-cover)

Buddha-Bar VIII - By Sam Popat (2006)
electronic | 2cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 1020MB
George V Records
Amazon:
This eighth installment of the now highly acclaimed Buddha Bar series is presented to you by Sam Popat. The series grows stronger with each release and VIII is no exception. Popat injects new life into this double CD set and unlike the many that have tried to emulate the style of the Buddha Bar he carries you away with as much power, if not more, than those who have previously created the perfect sound in a perfect Bar.
---
I have been a long time admirer of the Buddha Bar series for the last few years. Unfortunately I was mildly disappointed in the last two volumes. The last two volumes had taken a more Indian influence courtesy of DJ Ravin. I had preferred the work of Dave Visan (the son of Raymond Visan, founder of the club/bar Buddha Bar) and Claude Challe who mixed the first three Buddha Bar cds. I was a bit hesitant to buy volume eight because of my mild disappointment but when I found a used but in excellent condition copy, I decided to give the series another shot. I'm glad I did. Sam Popat, the dj at NYC's Buddha Bar, did not fail me. The music re-captures the magic that made me fall in love with the series. Sam Popat breathes in new life into the series with his mix of Asian and modern dance music. I absolutely loved both discs and usually I prefer the more laid back disc over the more dance orientated disc.

Tracks:
* CD1 Paris
-01. Sanja Illić & Balkanika - "Korana"
-02. Naomi - "White"
-03. Ailhan Samedov - "Son Nefes (Deep Mix)"
-04. Panjabi Hit Squad - "Hasdi Hasdi"
-05. Antaeus - "Palm Of The Prophet"
-06. Out Of Phase - "Desire (Tiger Mix)"
-07. Yasmin Levy - "Madre, Si Hesto Hazina"
-08. Pompon Finkelstein - "Lost In Reflection"
-09. Shubha Mudgal - "The Awakening"
-10. Shpongle - "Once Upon A Time The Sea Of Blissful Awareness"
-11. Sam Popat & Alexandre Scheffer - "Golden Ring"
-12. Nomadix - "Chura Liya"
-13. Elkin Marin - "Wallanwala"
-14. Stefano Saletti & Piccola Banda Ikona - "Tagama"
-15. Alhoeverah - "Tan Cañí"
* CD2 New York
-01. Angel Tears - "Mystic Desire"
-02. Vasilisa - "Oblak / Cloud"
-03. Ensemble Ethnique - "Asilah"
-04. DJ Bool presents Jerk House Connection - "Mother Blues"
-05. Belladonna - "Ebatule"
-06. Sanja Ilić & Balkanika - "Balkan Vocals"
-07. Alberto "Beto" Uña - "Angels In The Desert (Original Profundo Mix)"
-08. Bongoloverz feat. Ursula Cuesta - "La Esperanza (Hope & Faith)"
-09. Dan Marciano - "Good Morning Paris (Dr. Kucho! Remix)"
-10. Kirpi - "My Name Is Kirpi"
-11. Orient Expressions - "Istanbul 1:26 a.m."
-12. Biber - "Turta"
-13. Sam Popat & Alexandre Scheffer - "Dil Mera"
-14. Yves Larock - "Nomadic Knights"
-15. Schiller - "I Feel You"

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Buddha-Bar IV - By David Visan (2002) (eac-log-cover)

Buddha-Bar IV - By David Visan (2002)
electronic | 2cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 870MB
George V Records | rar +5% recovery
AMG:
The Buddha Bar series has become a band name by now, and Buddha Bar, Vol. 4 does nothing to break the new tradition. Compiled by David Visan, the two-CD set is divided into "Dinner" and "Drink." The former is definitely music for the consumption of comestibles, pleasant and polite with exotic touches of world music, like Nitin Sawhney's "Moonrise" or Gotan Project's revolution of the tango with "Una Musical Brutal," but they're the mildest examples of the artists' output, never pushing themselves forward, but providing a backdrop for food and civilized conversation. "Drink" fares a little better, but has traces of anonymity -- Time Passing with "Party People," for example, or Chris Spheeris and "Dancing With The Muse" could both come from a modern TV ad -- although its less afraid of imposing itself, with the delightful Panjabi Mc, whose track is gleefully annoying, and Loving Paris, who offer "Loco," which is exactly that. Egyptian heartthrob Amr Diab comes across as glossier than usual in this setting, while salsa diva Celia Cruz contributing a version of "I Will Survive" is one of the musical standouts -- the song translates surprisingly well to her genre. Still, it's a disc without rhyme or reason, and bizarrely sequenced, with little sense of movement, just a random bunch of tracks slung together without a great deal of thought. Overall, a moderate success only.

Tracks:
cd1: Dinner
1. La Fille De Pekin - (with Frederick Rousseau)
2. Tibet (A Passage To...) - (with Tibet Project)
3. Opium - (with Jade Or)
4. Moonrise - (with Nitin Sawhney)
5. Window Of My Dreams, A - (with Nash Didan)
6. Amatevi - (with Agricantus)
7. Tiempo - (with Manuel Franjo)
8. Historia De Un Amor - (with Guadalupe Pineda Con Los Tres Ases)
9. Distant Lands - (with Armen Chakmakian)
10. Desert Dancer - (Zeb's Slow Camel Ride remix, with Nickodemus)
11. Monsoon - (with FLAM)
12. Rahda Ramana - (with Tulku)
13. Tora To Thimithikes - (with Natassa Theodoridou)
14. Una Musica Brutal - (with GoTan Project)
cd2: Drink
1. Karma - (Extended mix, with Outsized)
2. Party People - (with Time Passing)
3. Mundian To Bach Ke - (with Panjabi MC)
4. Comme Toi - (with Ishtar)
5. Dancing With The Muse - (with Chris Spheeris)
6. Irish Coffee - (with David Visan & Carlos Campos)
7. Novel Sound, The - (with Llorca)
8. Loco - (with Loving Paris)
9. Percussion's Rhythm - (Dimitri From Paris Re-Edit, with Roland Louis)
10. Louxor In Vegas - (with Dan Lacksman's Alliance)
11. Agoraki Mou - (with Angie Samiou)
12. Aktar Wahed - (with Amr Diab)
13. Yo Vivire - (with Celia Cruz) :: I Will Survive - (with Celia Cruz)
14. Nocturne In Paris - (with Usual Masters)
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Buddha-Bar III - By Ravin (2001) (eac-log-cover)

Buddha-Bar III - By Ravin (2001)
electronic | 2cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 1010MB
George V Records | rar +5% recovery

AMG:
The third issue in a series from the infamous Buddha Bar in Paris, this two-CD set diverges from the "Dinner"/"Party" split that Buddha Bar owner Claude Challe had used on the series' first two installments. DJ Ravin, who is at the helm for this issue, splits it instead into two discs entitled "Dream" and "Joy." The first disc has a more new age, ethnic fusion feel with songs that span from the nouveau flamenco of Jesse Cook to Adrian Enescu's ethereal "Invisible Movies, Pt. I," which features hypnotic vocal samples of Sheila Chandra. The second disc veers off into ecstatic territory with percussion-heavy cuts from artists like Talvin Singh and Kodo. Ekova's "Starlight in Daden" also appears, and Dierdre Dubois' heavenly, exotic-sounding voice fits right in with the downtempo feel of the album as a whole. While this release may not fully capture the unique energy that has made Buddha Bar known as the Studio 54 of Paris, it does present some pleasant chill-out music from a wide variety of electronic artists.

Tracks:
cd1: Dream
01. Secret Love - Nicos
02. Golden Lotus - John Kaizan Neptune
03. Sorocos - Yorgos Kazantzis
04. Solitude - Karunesh
05. Via Pajuta iii - Platon Andritsakis
06. Spiral Dances - Tulku
07. Solo por tu amor - Manuel Franjo
08. Tango Serenato de Schubert - Gustavo Montesano & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
09. Invisible Movies Part I - Adrian Enescu
10. A Night in Lenasia - Deepak Ram
11. Tamally Maak - Amr Diab
12. Danya - Frederick Rousseau
13. Mavis - Eden
14. Sacral Nirvana - Oliver Shanti & Friends
15. On Walks The Night - Jesse Cook
cd2: Joy
01. Triptico - Gotan Project
02. Sufism - Zeb
03. Kale - Osman Ismen
04. My Dear Masters - Freeman
05. Starlight In Daden (Aurora Remix) - Ekova
06. Veena - Talvin Singh
07. Indian Gypsy - Ravi Prasad
08. Flirting Shadows (Sehnaz Longa) - Hasan Cihat Orter
09. Den Me Agapas - Anna Vissi
10. Don't Do Anything - Nacho Statomayor
11. Sitar Ritual - Badmarsh & Shri
12. Strobe's Nanafushi (Satori Mix) - Kodo
13. Arabian Song (Da Ghetto Fuckiro Club) - Livin' in Da Ghetto feat. MOKTAR
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25 January, 2010

John Coltrane - The Bethlehem Years (1957)


John Coltrane - The Bethlehem Years (1957)
jazz | 2CD | EAC Rip | FLAC+CUE+LOG | cover | 930MB
Bethlehem | RAR +5% recovery

jazztimes:
This recording has prime Coltrane from his sideman days of the late 1950s. The Bethlehem set is the Art Blakey Big Band album recorded in December 1957, plus 14 outtakes and one previously unissued piece from those sessions. It also includes four tracks from an all-star date called Winner's Circle. It may make marketing sense to put the reissue under Coltrane's name, but to do so implies that he dominates the music. He does not. His playing, particularly in the longer solos allowed by seven quintet tracks, compares with his best of the period, but it is just one of the reasons to have this collection. There are important contributions from Blakey and a cross-section of 16 other musicians from the top of the New York jazz scene.
The several quintet takes of his "Pristine" and Donald Byrd's minor blues "Tippin'" give ' Trane free reign to explore. He packs in scale-wise runs and audacious intervals in the sheets-of-sound fashion that seemed so startling then-and still does. Byrd was doing his finest trumpet playing during this period. He solos cogently, with relatively few of the grace notes that marred his work when he let finger-flicking interfere with the construction of melodic lines. Blakey, bassist Wendell Marshal and pianist Walter Bishop Jr. are the rhythm section. It is a pleasure to hear the beauty and humor of Bishop's extended solos.
In the Blakey big-band tracks, Coltrane proves that he was capable of effective expression in fewer than several choruses. He is far from being the only interesting soloist. Byrd, Blakey, alto saxophonist Sahib Shihab, trumpeter Idrees Sulieman and trombonists Jimmy Cleveland and Frank Rehak are important contributors in arrangements by Melba Liston and Al Cohn.
Cohn arranged the four tracks from the Winner's Circle date, his harmonic wizardry making nine pieces seem like several more. This date is a reminder of how powerful a baritone saxophonist Cohn could be, not only in the section, but also as a soloist who transferred his tenor sax approach to the bigger horn. Coltrane is, again, one of several powerful soloists, including Byrd, alto saxophonist Gene Quill, Rehak and pianist Eddie Costa. In the rhythm section with Costa are bassist Oscar Pettiford, guitarist Freddie Green and drummer Philly Joe Jones. In listening to Coltrane's and Cohn's beautiful solos on "If I'm Lucky," it is instructive to contemplate that these two giants, indeed all of these major artists in what amounted to a pickup recording session, were part of the pool of journeymen New York musicians. That is good ammunition for the argument that the '50s really were a golden age.

cd1
01 - Midriff
02 - Ain't Life Grand
03 - Tippin'
04 - Pristine
05 - El Toro Valiente
06 - The Kiss Of No Return
07 - Late Date
08 - The Outer World
09 - Not So Sleepy
10 - Love And The Weather
11 - If I'm Lucky
12 - Turtle Walk

cd2
01 - Oasis
02 - Midriff (take 1)
03 - Midriff (take 2)
04 - The Kiss of No Return (take 1)
05 - The Kiss of No Return (take 5)
06 - The Outer World (take 2)
07 - The Outer World (take 5)
08 - El Torro (take 1)
09 - Ain't Life Grand (take 2)
10 - Ain't Life Grand (take 5)
11 - Pristine (take 2)
12 - Pristine (take 6)
13 - Pristine (take 8)
14 - Tippin' (take 1)
15 - Tippin' (take 3)

John Coltrane - Winner's Circle (japanese miniLP) (1957)


John Coltrane - Winner's Circle (japanese miniLP) (1957)
jazz | 1CD | EAC Rip | FLAC+CUE+LOG | cover | 250MB
BR-5030/BCP-6066 | RAR +5% recovery

AKA: BCP 6024 VA - Winner's Circle

recorded:
NYC, September, 1957
NYC, October, 1957

Tracks
NYC, September, 1957
01 Lazy Afternoon
02 Sea Breeze
03 She Didn't Say Yes
04 At Home With The Blues

NYC, October, 1957
05 Not So Sleepy
06 Love And The Weather
07 Turtle Walk
08 If I'm Lucky

personnel:
Art Farmer (tp) Rolf Kuhn (cl) Eddie Costa (vib, p) Kenny Burrell (g) Oscar Pettiford (b) Ed Thigpen (d)
Donald Byrd (tp) Frank Rehak (tb) Gene Quill (as) John Coltrane (ts) Al Cohn (bars)
Freddie Green (g) Philly Joe Jones (d)

24 January, 2010

Keith Jarrett - Tokyo Solo (2002) (music video)


Keith Jarrett - Tokyo Solo (2002)
DVD9 NTSC | DD5.1; DTS5.1 | 16:9 | 110 min | Covers | 8,1 GB
ECM | Genre: jazz | rel. 2006 | RAR +5% recovery
Amazon.com
It's no bulletin that improvisation is perhaps the central component of jazz, or that Keith Jarrett, a master jazz pianist, is also a gifted improviser. Yet what Jarrett plays in the course of Tokyo Solo, a 2002 performance that was his 150th concert in Japan, could hardly be called jazz, at least not according to most accepted criteria; the music heard here is, as Duke Ellington once said, "beyond category." What's more, "improvisation" seems inadequate for the process Jarrett has been perfecting since he began making solo recordings in the early 1970s. "Spontaneous composition" is more like it, for while most jazz players extemporize over a known melody or set of changes, Jarrett begins with a tabula rasa, creating music from nothing other than what's in his head and hands at a given moment. It's a fascinating process to witness, and if Tokyo Solo is not his finest work, it's nonetheless filled with extraordinary moments. It's easy to see why Jarrett, a notorious perfectionist, has performed so often in Japan: the venues are acoustically superb, the audiences are quiet and reverent, and the resulting recordings, including this one, feature impeccable aural and visual production values. Some of the material here appeared previously on the ECM CD Radiance (2005). In the course of two lengthy pieces ("Part 1" has three sections; "Part 2" has five), Jarrett's music is sometimes dissonant and challenging, filled with furious chording and dense clusters of sound ("Part 1(a)"), sometimes classical ("Part 1(b)" brings to mind a Beethoven sonata), sometimes gorgeous and almost impressionistic ("Part 2(a)" suggests a Ravel etude, while "Part 2(d)," perhaps the most sublime portion of the concert, leans a bit more toward Debussy). The setting (a darkened stage with nothing but the pianist and his Steinway) is simple, as is Kaname Kawachi's direction; there are plenty of close-ups of Jarrett's face, hands, and feet, as well as a few shots inside the piano, but nothing in the way of effects or trickery. Three more standard encores, including "Danny Boy" and "Old Man River," complete a concert sure to be treasured by Jarrett devotees.

  Tracks:
Part 1a; Part 1b; Part 1c; Part 2a; Part 2b; Part 2c; Part 2d; Part 2e; Danny Boy; Old Man River; Don't Worry 'Bout Me.

Approximate Running Time: 110 minutes.
Recorded October 30, 2002 at Metropolitan Festival Hall, Tokyo, Japan.


Charles Mingus - Tonight at Noon (24bit remastered) (1965)

Charles Mingus - Tonight at Noon (24bit remastered) (1965)
jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 250MB
Warner japan | 24bit miniLP 2007 | rec 1956 & 61 | rar +5% recovery
AMG
Tonight at Noon is, essentially, a compilation album -- although not in the usual sense. There are two distinct sessions that make up its contents: a 1957 date with Jimmy Knepper on trombone, drummer Dannie Richmond, saxophonist Shafi Hadi, and pianist Wade Legge, and a 1960 session with Booker Ervin, Roland Kirk on saxes, Knepper, bassist Doug Watkins, Mingus on piano, and Richmond. The feel of the two sets is different to be sure, but this is far from throwaway material; the tunes here are actually studio outtakes from the recordings for The Clown and Oh Yeah. While the former session features Mingus going for the blues via European harmonics and melodic approaches with hard bop tempos (particularly on the title track), the latter session with its nocturnal elegance and spatial irregularities comes off more as some kind of exercise in vanguard Ellington with sophisticated harmonies that give way to languid marches and gospel-tinged blues. Kirk and Ervin are particularly suited to one another, because they both swing hard as well as reach for the fences. Mingus' pianism is deeply rooted in blues, and that sense of pace and easiness informs these three tracks, particularly "'Old' Blue for Walt's Torin." Hints of the material Mingus would record for Columbia on Ah Um are in these compositions. The most beautiful piece is from the 1957 session and closes the album: "Passions of a Woman Loved" is a nearly ten-minute workout that feels like an Ellington suite. Despite the fact that this is an assembled album, it holds plenty of magic nonetheless.

Track List:
01 - Tonight at Noon
02 - Invisible Lady
03 - ''Old'' Blues for Walt's Torin
04 - Peggy's Blue Skylight
05 - Passions of a Woman Loved

Personnel:
Charles Mingus, Bass, Piano, Vocals;
Shafi Hadi, Alto Saxophone;
Doug Watkins, Bass;
Dannie Richmond, Drums;
Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Saxophones;
Wade Legge, Piano;
Booker Ervin, Tenor Saxophone;
Jimmy Knepper, Trombone.
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Neil Young - Rust Never Sleeps (1979)


Neil Young - Rust Never Sleeps (1979)
rock | 1CD | EAC Rip | APE+CUE+LOG | cover | 250MB
Reprise | RAR +5% recovery
wikipedia
Rust Never Sleeps is an album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse released in 1979. The bulk of the album was recorded live at San Francisco's Cow Palace, with overdubs added. Audience noise is removed as much as possible, although it is clearly audible at certain points, most noticeably on the opening and closing songs. The album is half acoustic and half electric, opening and closing with different versions of the same song.
Two songs from the album were not recorded live: "Sail Away" was recorded without Crazy Horse during or after the Comes a Time recording sessions, and "Pocahontas" had been recorded solo around 1975.
Young also released a film version of the album under the same title. Later on in 1979, Young and Crazy Horse released the album Live Rust, a compilation of older classics interweaving within the Rust Never Sleeps track list. The title is borrowed from the slogan for Rust-Oleum paint, and was suggested by Mark Mothersbaugh of the New Wave band Devo. The album won the 1979 Rolling Stone Critics Poll for Album of the Year [2]. In 2003, the album was ranked number 350 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

tracks
01. My My, Hey Hey (Out Of The Blue)
02. Thrasher
03. Ride My Llama
04. Pocahontas
05. Sail Away
06. Powderfinger
07. Welfare Mothers
08. Sedan Delivery
09. Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black)

Artists
* Neil Young – guitar, harmonica, vocals
* Frank "Pancho" Sampedro – guitar, vocals except on "Sail Away"
* Billy Talbot – bass, vocals except on "Sail Away"
* Ralph Molina – drums, vocals except on "Sail Away"
* Nicolette Larson – vocals on "Sail Away"
* Karl T. Himmel – drums on "Sail Away"
* Joe Osborn – bass on "Sail Away"

Links:
http://www.filefactory.com/f/605902d4a212967f/

Neil Young - Prairie Wind (HDCD) (2005)

Neil Young - Prairie Wind (HDCD) (2005)
rock | 1CD | EAC Rip | FLAC+CUE+LOG | cover | 340MB
Reprise | RAR +5% recovery
AMG
Since Prairie Wind is a return to the soft, lush country-rock sound of Harvest; since Neil Young suffered a brain aneurysm during its recording; since it finds the singer/songwriter reflecting on life and family in the wake of his father's death; and since it's his most cohesive album in a decade, it would seem that all these factors add up to a latter-day masterpiece for Young, but that's not quite the case. Prairie Wind manages to be less than the sum of its parts and the problem isn't a lack of good songs (although it does have a few more clunkers than it should) or a botched concept.Young's decision to revive the country-rock that brought him his greatest popularity never feels like a cynical move -- the music is too warm, comfortable, and friendly to feel like anything but Neil playing to his strengths. However, since he cut this in Nashville with a bunch of studio pros including legendary keyboardist Spooner Oldham, it feels just a tad slicker than perhaps it should, since the smooth sound inadvertently highlights the sentimentality of the project. It's hard to begrudge Young if he wants to indulge in rose-colored memories -- a brush with death coupled with a loss of a parent tends to bring out sentimentality -- but such backward-gazing songs as "Far from Home" feel just a hair too close to trite, and the easy-rolling nature of the record doesn't lend them much gravity. There a few other songs that tend toward too close to the simplistic, whether it's the specific invocations of 9/11 and Chris Rock on "No Wonder" or the supremely silly Elvis salute "He Was the King," which are just enough to undermine the flow of the album, even if they fit into the general autumnal, reflective mood of the record. But since they do fit the overall feel of the album, and since they're better, even with their flaws, than the best songs on, say, Silver & Gold or Broken Arrow or Are You Passionate?, they help elevate the whole of Prairie Wind, particularly because there are some genuinely strong Young songs here: the moody opener "The Painter," the gently sighing "Fallin' off the Face of the Earth," the ethereal "It's a Dream," the sweet, laid-back "Here for Your," the understated "This Old Guitar" (there's also the sweeping "When God Made Me," recorded complete with a gospel chorus, one that will either strike a listener as moving or maudlin -- a latter-day "A Man Needs a Maid," only not as strong). This set of songs does indeed make Prairie Wind a better album than anything Young has released in the past decade, which means that it's easy to overrate it. For despite all of its strengths, neither the recording nor the songs are as memorable or as fully realized as his late-'80s/early-'90s comeback records -- Freedom, Ragged Glory, and Harvest Moon -- let alone his classic '70s work. Nevertheless, it's the closest Young has come to making a record that could hold its own with those albums in well over a decade, which means it's worthwhile even if it's never quite as great as it seems like it could have been.



Tracklisting:
01 - The Painter
02 - No Wonder
03 - Falling Off The Face Of The Earth
04 - Far From Home
05 - It's A Dream
06 - Prairie Wind
07 - Here For You
09 - He Was The King
10 - When God Made Me

Links:
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pass: xax

McCoy Tyner - Song Of The New World (OJC) (1973)


McCoy Tyner - Song Of The New World (OJC) (1973)
jazz | 1cd | EAC Rip | flac-cue-log-cover | 270MB
OJC | RAR +5% recovery

AMG:
This set gave pianist McCoy Tyner his first opportunity to write music for a larger group that included brass, flutes, and -- on two of the five songs -- a string section. The powerful pianist is in fine form and the main soloist throughout (although there are spots for trumpeter Virgil Jones and the flute of Sonny Fortune). Most memorable is the title cut and a reworking of "Afro Blue."

Track listing
1. "Afro Blue" (Santamaria) - 10:01
2. "Little Brother" - 10:12
3. "The Divine Love" - 7:31
4. "Some Day" - 6:50
5. "Song of the New World" - 6:50

Personnel
* McCoy Tyner: piano, percussion
* Hubert Laws: piccolo, flute
* Sonny Fortune: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute
* Joony Booth: bass
* Alphonse Mouzon: drums
* Cecil Bridgewater: trumpet (tracks 1, 2 & 4)
* Jon Faddis: trumpet (tracks 1, 2 & 4)
* Virgil Jones: trumpet (tracks 1, 2 & 4)
* Garnett Brown: trombone (tracks 1, 2 & 4)
* Dick Griffin: trombone, baritone trombone (tracks 1, 2 & 4)
* Willie Ruff: french horn (tracks 1, 2 & 4)
* William Warnick III: french horn (tracks 1, 2 & 4)
* Julius Watkins: french horn (tracks 1, 2 & 4)
* Kiane Zawadi: euphonium (tracks 1, 2 & 4)
* Bob Stewart: tuba (tracks 1, 2 & 4)
* Sonny Morgan: conga (tracks 1 & 2)
* Harry Smyle: oboe (tracks 3 & 5)
* Sanford Allen: violin (tracks 3 & 5)
* John Blair: violin (tracks 3 & 5)
* Selwart Clarke: violin (tracks 3 & 5)
* Winston Collymore: violin (tracks 3 & 5)
* Noel DaCosta: violin (tracks 3 & 5)
* Marie Hence: violin (tracks 3 & 5)
* Julian Barber: viola (tracks 3 & 5)
* Alfred Brown: viola (tracks 3 & 5)
* Ronald Lipscomb: cello (tracks 3 & 5)
* Kermit Moore: cello (tracks 3 & 5)
* William Fischer: conductor (tracks 3 & 5)

23 January, 2010

Buddha-Bar II - By Claude Challe (2000) (eac-log-cover)

Buddha-Bar II - By Claude Challe (2000)
electronic | 2cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 1060MB
Chall'O Music | rar +5% recovery
AMG:
Claude Challe's Buddha-Bar, Vol. II compilation has elements of Far Eastern spirituality, African song, European electronica, and Spanish spice. The first album, Buddha-Bar, is very mellow for the most part. Deepak Chopra and Demi Moore, far and away the most recognizable names on the album, do a spoken word ditty on love and self-worth. People who are not fans of new age doctrine will appreciate artists such as Oliver Shanti and Consuelo Luz, both of whom contribute songs that manage to sound musical, spiritual and ethnic at once. The second album varies from hallucinatory to groovy to fairly high-energy. "Tears Inshalla" will appeal to fans of Eastern-influenced trance. Lyrics are of almost no importance on the album. They do exist on most tracks, but they bounce around from English to Portuguese to Arabic. Bits and pieces and snatches of phrases come through here and there -- just enough to make a listener feel in sync with it all. This music is intended to be an ambient journey, and while a few of the tracks seem to stray off into Never Never Land, the majority of them should appeal to fans of worldbeat.

Tracks:

* CD1 (Dinner)
-01. Trumpet Thing – Need You Right Now (Ambient Mix)
-02. Omar Faruk Tekbilek – I Love You
-03. Consuelo Luz – Los Biblicos The Nightingales
-04. Karunesh – Alibaba
-05. Deepak Chopra (feat. Demi Moore) – Desire
-06. Govinda – In Through Time
-07. Oliver Shanti & Friends – Onion Mweng Rainbird
-08. Atman – Spirit
-09. Deadbeats – Funky For You
-10. De-Phazze – Mambo Craze (feat. Pat Appleton)
-11. Nino – Amor Amor
-12. Sa Trincha – Smell Of Paradise
-13. Intro – Farruca
-14. Funky Lowlives – Notabossa
CD2 (Party)
-01. Sun Trust – How Insensitive
-02. Rollercone – Daydreaming
-03. Wally Brill – A Loop In Time (Banco De Gaia Remix)
-04. La Roca – Drama Of Japan
-05. Great Barrier – Cairo (Duke Monster Mix)
-06. Angel Tears - Inshalla (Ya Salam)
-07. Dzihan & Kamien – After
-08. Sidestepper – Logozo
-09. Suba – Felicidade
-10. Kerrie Chandler & Joe Clausell – Escravos De Jo
-11. Soul Ascendants – The String Thing
-12. Attaboy – New World

r c

Low - Drums And Guns (2007)



Low - Drums And Guns (2007)
indie | 1CD | EAC Rip | FLAC+CUE+LOG | cover | 405MB
Sub Pop | RAR +5% recovery

A stark retreat from the relatively sunny sound of The Great Destroyer, Drums and Guns is, as its title suggests, inspired by the war in Iraq. True to the spirit of Low's other work, the outrage and regret expressed by these songs is just as timeless as it is timely, lamenting that war still exists as much as it addresses this particular war. And, while Drums and Guns' emotions and lyrics are complex (and on songs like "Murderer," with its "seems like you could use another fool," they don't pull any punches), its sound is often devastatingly spare and simple. It's almost hard to believe that the band worked with David Fridmann on this album as well as The Great Destroyer -- where that album was lush and overflowing with sonic tangents, Drums and Guns' sound is raw and restricted to just a few key sounds that underscore its themes. Fittingly, most of the album emphasizes percussion; whether it's the martial-yet-jazzy beat that drives "Sandinista" or the somber, almost industrial thud of "Dragonfly," this approach keeps the songs intimate, powerful, and uniquely modern-sounding. Organ also plays a key role on Drums and Guns, particularly on "Breaker," where it magnifies the anguish of lyrics like "my hand just kills and kills," and "Violent Past," where its massive sound closes the album by swallowing the listener in a cathedral of distortion. Aside from this song and the similarly epic "In Silence," most of Drums and Guns is gently but insistently tense, like a nagging conscience: "Take Your Time"'s looped church bells and "Belarus"' ghostly harmonies are bleakly, uncompromisingly beautiful. Low lightens up a little on the album's middle stretch, with "Hatchet," a plea for peace that's surprisingly playful ("let's bury the hatchet like the Beatles and the Stones"), and "Dust on the Window," where Mimi Parker's sweet voice sounds inherently comforting even as she wonders, "where can a girl get a meal?" Despite these bright spots, this is easily -- and understandably -- Low's darkest album since Trust. Unlike that album, however, Drums and Guns never feels dragged down by its weighty subject matter. It's a lean, potent work, and even if it's not one of Low's most superficially pleasant collections of songs, it's certainly among their most necessary ones.

Tracklist
01 Pretty People
02 Belarus
03 Breaker
04 Dragonfly
05 Sandinista
06 Always Fade
07 Dust on the Window
08 Hatchet
09 Your Poison
10 Take Your Time
11 In Silence
12 Murderer
13 Violent Past

Low - Christmas (EP) (1999)


Low - Christmas (EP) (1999)
indie | 1CD | EAC Rip | FLAC+CUE+LOG | cover | 180MB
Chair Kickers' Union | RAR +5% recovery

review:
I admit it. I am a holiday music fanatic. Each year, I roam the stores in search of the perfect Christmas record. But this year I was beginning to despair. Because, although I am obsessive about the music, I am not indiscriminate in my affections. I've been wading through the countless CDs by such superstars as Kenny G, Amy Grant, and even the Irish tenors, all of which left me wondering if the spirit of Christmas (whatever it may be) has finally succumbed to commercialism.
Then I had the good fortune to stumble upon Low's Christmas. This quiet little album has single-handedly rescued holiday music for me. Combining covers of traditional Christmas songs with several originals, Low's approach to a holiday album is unlike any other. Eschewing the jolly -- and overplayed -- ditties that increasingly fill the other albums, Low presents a vision of Christmas that is a bit somber, but ultimately more filled with Christmas spirit than the whole wall of holiday hits at Sam Goody.
The album begins with a rocking and merry original, a significant departure for the usually uncannily reserved band. "Just Like Christmas" conveys an infectious happiness that carries through the dolor of the remaining seven songs, soothing their troubled take on the holiday.
"Long Way Around the Sea," another original, returns Low to its signature style, with Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker's beautiful harmonies slowly winding their way through the music. The song's poetry and serenity capture the holiness of the holiday, offering a gentle glimpse of the Biblical origins of Christmas. The album's third original song, "If You Were Born Today," is a rather grim assessment of what Christmas has become whose subdued condemnation resonates in the song's wistful melody. "Taking Down the Tree" is a tender and affectionate commentary on the aftermath of Christmas fun that feels sweetly like looking through a family photo album.
The band's choice of traditional songs is wise and almost humorous in its appropriateness. This album is thankfully free of "Rudolph" or "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," instead including three less raucous classics. Low's version of the "Little Drummer Boy" is backed by a keyboard drone and distant drums, lending a slightly disquieting quality to the already haunting vocal harmonies. For "Blue Christmas," Parker channels the ghost of Elvis, or perhaps Patsy Cline. Rich harmonies and bare guitar chords give "Silent Night" a touching simplicity.
My favorite song of the album may be the last. "One Special Gift" is tiny but lovely. Accompanied by an achingly, slowly strummed guitar, Parker sings, "After we've spent all the money on nieces and nephews and a couple of friends, there'll be just enough left. For one special gift. For one special guest." With that, the album ends, leaving the listener with a richer perspective on negotiating the conflicting demands of the season and a reminder of what is often brushed aside during the holidays.

Track list
01 - Just Like Christmas
02 - Long Way Around The Sea
03 - Little Drummer Boy
04 - If You Were Born Today
05 - Blue Christmas
06 - Silent Night
07 - Taking Down The Tree
08 - One Special Gift

Low - Songs For A Dead Pilot (EP) (1997)


Low - Songs For A Dead Pilot (EP) (1997)
indie | 1CD | EAC Rip | FLAC+CUE+LOG | cover | 165MB
Kranky | RAR +5% recovery

AMG:
After Low left London's Vernon Yard label due to mutual financial pressures, the band members returned to their residence in Duluth, MN. There, they set up a studio in the basement of Allan Sparhawk (vocals and guitar) and Mimi Parker's (percussion and vocals) home and, along with bassist Zak Sally, set about recording Songs for a Dead Pilot. The album cover image of a stark, winter landscape is an appropriate visual match for the group's music. The mood on Songs is almost overwhelmingly somber and, like much of the band's music, often develops at a glacial pace. Bringing time to a crawl, the band exposes the silence and space in the music to great, occasionally thrilling effect. Low's drama is created in the gaps between guitar chords and snare hits. Engineering their own record allowed the members of Low the freedom to experiment. A washing machine was apparently employed for the low drum thud of "Be There." Deciphering the methods behind "Will the Night" is even more complicated; it would make a strong candidate for the most obscure opening album track. Heard as if from the other end of a tunnel, its melody is almost inaudible through a dense fog of echo. The song would reappear two years later on the Secret Name album, draped in a lush string arrangement that brought the band into new territory. "Born By the Wires," a song stripped to its bare bones, clocks in at over 13 minutes, although the body of the song takes place during the first five. Sparhawk sings in a fragile falsetto like a withdrawn child entertaining himself. The effect is chilling. Following this, the guitarist lapses into eight minutes of a repeated chord. While it seems to entrance the musician, it's the kind of aimless diversion few listeners will have the patience for. "Landlord" has a similar structure yet succeeds through slow, careful development. At its worst, Songs for a Dead Pilot is the sound of unsuccessful experiments on record. Repeated listening will only make its inconsistencies more apparent. However, the best songs ("Condescend," "Be There," and "Hey Chicago") provide the link between two of Low's best full-length recordings: the similarly constructed The Curtain Hits the Cast and the bolder Secret Name.

Tracks:
01 - Will The Night
02 - Condescend
03 - Born By The Wires
04 - Be There
05 - Landlord
06 - Hey Chicago

22 January, 2010

John Coltrane - Giant Steps (MFSL) (1959)


John Coltrane - Giant Steps (MFSL) (1959)
jazz | 1cd | eac-wv-cue-log-cover | 490MB
MFSL UDCD 605 | | RAR +5% recovery
AMG
History will undoubtedly enshrine this disc as a watershed the likes of which may never truly be appreciated. Giant Steps bore the double-edged sword of furthering the cause of the music as well as delivering it to an increasingly mainstream audience. Although this was John Coltrane's debut for Atlantic, he was concurrently performing and recording with Miles Davis. Within the space of less than three weeks, Coltrane would complete his work with Davis and company on another genre-defining disc, Kind of Blue, before commencing his efforts on this one. Coltrane (tenor sax) is flanked by essentially two different trios. Recording commenced in early May of 1959 with a pair of sessions that featured Tommy Flanagan (piano) and Art Taylor (drums), as well as Paul Chambers -- who was the only band member other than Coltrane to have performed on every date. When recording resumed in December of that year, Wynton Kelly (piano) and Jimmy Cobb (drums) were instated -- replicating the lineup featured on Kind of Blue, sans Miles Davis of course. At the heart of these recordings, however, is the laser-beam focus of Coltrane's tenor solos. All seven pieces issued on the original Giant Steps are likewise Coltrane compositions. He was, in essence, beginning to rewrite the jazz canon with material that would be centered on solos -- the 180-degree antithesis of the art form up to that point. These arrangements would create a place for the solo to become infinitely more compelling. This would culminate in a frenetic performance style that noted jazz journalist Ira Gitler accurately dubbed "sheets of sound." Coltrane's polytonal torrents extricate the amicable and otherwise cordial solos that had begun decaying the very exigency of the genre -- turning it into the equivalent of easy listening. He wastes no time as the disc's title track immediately indicates a progression from which there would be no looking back. Line upon line of highly cerebral improvisation snake between the melody and solos, practically fusing the two. The resolute intensity of "Countdown" does more to modernize jazz in 141 seconds than many artists do in their entire careers. Tellingly, the contrasting and ultimately pastoral "Naima" was the last tune to be recorded, and is the only track on the original long-player to feature the Kind of Blue quartet. What is lost in tempo is more than recouped in intrinsic melodic beauty. Both Giant Steps [Deluxe Edition] and the seven-disc Heavyweight Champion: The Complete Atlantic Recordings offer more comprehensive presentations of these sessions.

Track listing
1. Giant Steps (4:47)
2. Cousin Mary (5:49)
3. Countdown (2:25)
4. Spiral (6:00)
5. Syeeda's Song Flute (7:03)
6. Naima (4:25)
7. Mr. P.C. (7:02)
8. Giant Steps (Alternate Take) (3:45)
9. Naima (Alternate Take) (4:31)
10. Cousin Mary (Alternate Take) (5:48)
11. Countdown (Alternate Take) (4:35)
12. Syeeda's Song Flute (Alternate Take) (7:05)

John Coltrane - Giant Steps (24bit rem japanese mini LP) (1959)



John Coltrane - Giant Steps (24bit rem japan mini LP) (1959)
jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 530MB
Warner | 24bit miniLP | RAR +5% recovery
AMG
History will undoubtedly enshrine this disc as a watershed the likes of which may never truly be appreciated. Giant Steps bore the double-edged sword of furthering the cause of the music as well as delivering it to an increasingly mainstream audience. Although this was John Coltrane's debut for Atlantic, he was concurrently performing and recording with Miles Davis. Within the space of less than three weeks, Coltrane would complete his work with Davis and company on another genre-defining disc, Kind of Blue, before commencing his efforts on this one. Coltrane (tenor sax) is flanked by essentially two different trios. Recording commenced in early May of 1959 with a pair of sessions that featured Tommy Flanagan (piano) and Art Taylor (drums), as well as Paul Chambers -- who was the only band member other than Coltrane to have performed on every date. When recording resumed in December of that year, Wynton Kelly (piano) and Jimmy Cobb (drums) were instated -- replicating the lineup featured on Kind of Blue, sans Miles Davis of course. At the heart of these recordings, however, is the laser-beam focus of Coltrane's tenor solos. All seven pieces issued on the original Giant Steps are likewise Coltrane compositions. He was, in essence, beginning to rewrite the jazz canon with material that would be centered on solos -- the 180-degree antithesis of the art form up to that point. These arrangements would create a place for the solo to become infinitely more compelling. This would culminate in a frenetic performance style that noted jazz journalist Ira Gitler accurately dubbed "sheets of sound." Coltrane's polytonal torrents extricate the amicable and otherwise cordial solos that had begun decaying the very exigency of the genre -- turning it into the equivalent of easy listening. He wastes no time as the disc's title track immediately indicates a progression from which there would be no looking back. Line upon line of highly cerebral improvisation snake between the melody and solos, practically fusing the two. The resolute intensity of "Countdown" does more to modernize jazz in 141 seconds than many artists do in their entire careers. Tellingly, the contrasting and ultimately pastoral "Naima" was the last tune to be recorded, and is the only track on the original long-player to feature the Kind of Blue quartet. What is lost in tempo is more than recouped in intrinsic melodic beauty. Both Giant Steps [Deluxe Edition] and the seven-disc Heavyweight Champion: The Complete Atlantic Recordings offer more comprehensive presentations of these sessions.

Track List:
01 - Giant Steps
02 - Cousin Mary
03 - Countdown
04 - Spiral
05 - Syeeda's Song Flute
06 - Naima
07 - Mr. P.C.
08 - Giant Steps (Alternate Version 1)
09 - Naima (Alternate Version 1)
10 - Cousin Mary (Alternate Take)
11 - Countdown (Alternate Take)
12 - Syeeda's Song Flute (Alternate Take)
13 - Giant Steps (Alternate Version 2)
14 - Naima (Alternate Version 2)
15 - Giant Steps (Alternate Take)

Buddha-Bar - By Claude Challe (1999)


Buddha-Bar - By Claude Challe (1999)
electronic | 2CD | EAC Rip | FLAC+CUE+LOG | cover | 1070MB
Chall'O Music | RAR +5% recovery

Amazon.com
Paris's glitzy nightspot Buddha Bar is best known for its signature ambient environments, which are available in elaborately packaged, pricey, and popular CD compilations. This offering consists of two sections: "Buddha's Dinner," which is designed to accompany a deluxe dining experience, and "Buddha's Party," which is more groove-oriented. Although the selections are inspired by and built upon traditional music, mostly from Asia and South America, fans of club-oriented world music are advised to check out edgier electronica by Cheb I Sabbah, TransGlobal Underground, and Aisha Kandisha. But those who adore the likes of Deep Forest and Enigma will contentedly chill to these tracks.
AMG:
Compiled to celebrate the magnetic Paris nightspot, two distinct themes permeate the set -- Buddha's dinner and Buddha's party -- each providing an appropriately tailored ambiance. Craig Armstrong, Deepak Ram, Faithless, and Willy De Ville (!) help set the mood.

Buddha's Dinner
1. Weather Storm-Craig Armstrong
2. Straight To The Heart-Sina Vodjani
3. Kitu-Deepak Ram
4. Anni Rose-Tulku
5. What Will Be?-Zeava Ben
6. The Merciful One-Zohar
7. La Soledad-Pink Martini
8. Un Bel Di-Aria
9. Une Table A Trois-Zen Men
10. El Fuego (Trote King Mix)-Zen Men
11. Shalom-Anima Sound System
12. Guru Bramha-Jai Uttal
13. Meena Devi (Goddess)-Tulku
14. Gypsy Rain-Armen Chakmakian

Buddha's Party
1. 68 (Original Mix)-Anima Sound System
2. Touareg-Le Duc
3. Skin (Original Abstract Mix)-MKL Versus Soy Sos
4. Drifting Away (Paradiso Mix)-Faithless
5. Psique-Intro
6. Two Wrongs Making It Right-Kevin Yost
7. Feeling Good (Epic Mix)-Huff & Herb
8. All By Myself-So Emotional
9. Flying High (Masters At Work Brazilian Vocal
10. Piya Re Piya Re (Remix)-Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
11. Exhebo-Etti Ankry
12. Shaft-Malik Adouane
13. Elveda-Metin Arolat
14. Demasiado Corazon (Live Version)-Willy De Ville

Nils Petter Molvaer - Streamer (2004)



Nils Petter Molvaer - Streamer (2004)
jazz | 1CD | EAC Rip | WV+CUE+LOG | cover | 380MB
Sula | RAR +5% recovery
AMG
Norwegian trumpeter Nils Petter Molvar's live recording Streamer was issued in Europe on the Sura label in 2004. Finally issued here in the United States in Thirsty Ear's celebrated Blue Series, it is Molvar's third U.S. CD, and it almost catches us up with his catalog (NP3 is still not in print in the U.S.). Streamer features material from Molvar's second album on ECM, Solid Ether, as well as NP3. Present here is the trumpeter's standard accompanying band which includes atmospheric guitar powerhouse Eivind Aarset, drum master Rune Arnesen, as well as sidemen DJ Strangefruit, and French electronic programmer Raymond C. Pellicer creating loops and interspersing samples and effects. The four cuts performed from NP3, "Frozen," "Marrow" "Little Indian," and "Simply So" differ substantially from their studio counterparts in that the rhythmic intensity on the former two are more dynamic, and on the latter two, the sounds and placements are more relaxed and organic. The dreaminess inherent in this mix proves beyond the shadow of any doubt that Molvar is a master of his music in a live setting, creating dreamy, shimmering soundscapes in one moment and tribal, ecstatic ones the next, never losing his melodic invention or sense of control. The material from Solid Ether includes the title cut and "Kakonita." In this latter tune, perhaps the most stirringly beautiful cut on the set, the music seems to drift toward the listener without hurry or particular purpose but stays very focused, its delivery being spun out only a little at a time with Molvar's trumpet becoming a slow, languid singer in the heat as it rises from the pavement. It drones its way into "Sauna," a track that is as full of strange, intersecting melodic lines and musical traditions as it is guitar delays; it ominously threatens to explode at various moments, but its tension is held guardedly and tightly by Molvar. The set winds its way to a close with "Hurry Slowly," a rhythmically intense vamp intercut with vocal samples and that ever slowly unwinding trumpet line that never gives the listener much to hold on to as it creates a skeletal frame for the rhythmic invention. It ends with "Solid Ether," another snaky cut that becomes rhythmically more intense moment by moment, its trancelike beat distortedly running home while swirls and textures of electronic noise and samples wind in and out of the foreground and Aarset gets to stretch a bit. It's Streamer that may be the Molvar recording to start with, as it reveals his considerable range not only as an instrumentalist and composer, but as a performer as well.

Track List
1 Frozen
2 Marrow
3 Little Indian
4 Kakonita
5 Sauna
6 Simply So
7 Hurry Slowly
8 Solid Ether

 linx:
http://www.filefactory.com/f/30be691274120888/ 

Nils Petter Molvaer - NP3 (2002)


Nils Petter Molvaer - NP3 (2002)
jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 380MB
Emarcy | RAR +5% recovery
AMG
After the jazz/electronic grit of Khmer and Solid Ether, Norwegian trumpeter Nils Petter Molvaer upped the restless qualities of his music for his third release. NP3 wasn't too much out of synch with his older material -- other than a magnificent ambient opener, Molvaer returned to a base of house, hip-hop, machine-noise, and gap-filled jazz trumpet, and many of his past collaborators also reappeared, including vocalist Sidsel Endresen, guitarist Eivind Aarset, and co-producer Reidar Skaar. The album's major difference was its magnified sense of structure. Much of the music felt cold and overwrought. There was a growing dance element and even moments of politics, as in the slap on U.S. foreign policy "Axis of Ignorance," which proved to be a mixed blessing. Molvaer was in need of fresh blood here while his musicianship had never been better.

Tracks
01 - Tabula rasa
02 - Axis of ignorance
03 - Hurry slowly
04 - Marrow
05 - Frozen
06 - Presence
07 - Simply so
08 - Little Indian
09 - Nebulizer

linx:

18 January, 2010

Low - Trust (2002)



Low - Trust (2002)
indie | 1CD | EAC Rip | FLAC+CUE+LOG | cover | 375MB
Kranky | RAR +5% recovery


AMG:
As the follow-up to Low's universally acclaimed Things We Lost in The Fire, Trust comes with a set of expectations that might be impossible to meet. To the band's credit, Low doesn't just rehash the territory they covered on their previous album; instead, Trust goes in several different directions, mixing dark, sweeping epics with smaller, unpretentious songs and eclectic productions (courtesy of Tchad Blake) and arrangements. It's Low's most diverse work yet, but as it turns out, also their most uneven, which is somewhat surprising considering how their previous album was both consistently inventive and familiar. The chilly, almost ominous tone that pervades Trust is also something of a surprise, compared to the relatively optimistic Things We Lost in the Fire -- the album-opener, "(That's How You Sing) Amazing Grace," subverts one of the most reassuring hymns, offering only the cold comfort of twangy guitars and Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker's close, tentative harmonies. The band follows that song with "Canada," which, with its dense, fuzzed-out guitars and propulsive drums, is the most rock song they've ever done, and especially unique considering the electronic leanings Low displayed awhile ago. Most of Trust follows this pattern, alternating a slow, sinuous song with a brighter or lighter one. When this chiaroscuro approach works, it's impressive, but more often than not, it doesn't quite come off. Though some of the album's darker songs are compelling, such as the soulful, brooding "Time Is the Diamond," "Little Argument With Myself," and the droning finale "Shots and Ladders," a few are just too long and dirgey. "I Am the Lamb," an unusually anguished song even for Low, is too subdued to sustain attention at just over seven minutes, despite its slow-burning, funereal menace; likewise, "John Prine" has a doomed grandeur to it, but its eight-minute length doesn't pay off. On the other hand, Trust's lighter moments feel like breaths of fresh air compared to the more oppressive songs -- the fragile, trippy prettiness of Parker's "Tonight" and the sweet, campfire-ready "La La La Song" are equally beautiful and unpretentious, and all the more appealing because of that. It's not until the second half of Trust that it really gets off the ground, but once it does, it makes the lengthy preamble worthwhile. The subtle harmonica and banjo flourishes on "In the Drugs" and the Phil Spector-esque production on "Last Snowstorm of the Year" mix Low's steadfast melodic sensibilities with Blake's colorful approach, while "Point of Disgust"'s beautiful vocals and simple, piano-driven arrangement showcase the band's spareness at its best. While Trust is uneven, its high points still outweigh the occasional slip into boring, dirgey territory. Fans will certainly agree that a slightly disappointing Low album still has more going for it than most other releases.

Track list
01 - (That's How You Sing) Amazing Grace
02 - Canada
03 - Candy Girl
04 - Time Is The Diamond
05 - Tonight
06 - The Lamb
07 - In The Drugs
08 - Last Snowstorm Of The Year
09 - John Prine
10 - Little Argument With Myself
11 - La La La Song
12 - Point Of Disgust
13 - Shots & Ladders

Links:
download (Hotfile & Filefactory)
pass: zazzzazz

Low - The Great Destroyer (2005)


Low - The Great Destroyer (2005)
indie | 1CD | EAC Rip | FLAC+CUE+LOG | cover | 365MB
Rough Trade | RAR +5% recovery

AMG
Over the years, Low have been on labels as diverse as Kranky and Virgin offshoot Vernon Yard, worked with distinctive producers like Kramer and Steve Albini, and have managed to adapt their sound without losing any of their identity. All of this applies to Great Destroyer, the band's first album for Sub Pop and their first collaboration with producer Dave Fridmann. Fridmann's detailed sound is a far cry from either Kramer or Albini's minimalist tendencies, but his work here shows that Low can sound as good in elaborate settings as they do in simple ones: "Monkey"'s intricate layers of distorted drums, organ, and guitar have an unusual depth, and the synth strings and heartbeat-like electronic drums on "Cue the Strings" just add to the intimacy and subtlety of Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker's harmonies. Ironically enough, Great Destroyer is by far Low's most polished and accessible-sounding album, even more so than their quasi major-label output. That may turn off purists yearning for I Could Live in Hope's simplicity, but aside from the bigger sound, there's something for almost every kind of Low fan on the album: chilly, brooding songs ("Pissing," "Everybody's Song"), gentle but powerful songs ("On the Edge Of," "Silver Rider") and gorgeous epics ("Broadway (So Many People)"). The group's touted rock direction offers some of Great Destroyer's strongest, and weakest, moments. "California"'s soaring warmth has odd but appealing early- to mid-'90s alt pop sheen to it, sounding a bit like Girlfriend-era Matthew Sweet played at half speed. However, "Just Stand Back" and "Step" are somewhat clunky and contrived, with the production overwhelming the songs. The tracks about aging and acceptance -- a major theme on Great Destroyer -- feel much more genuine, particularly "When I Go Deaf," another of the band's bittersweet and slightly disturbing songs like "In Metal." "Death of a Salesman," a short, stripped-down tale of what's left behind with age, is also affecting; though an album full of songs like these might be too much, they're wonderfully intimate glimpses. "Walk Into the Sea" provides a relatively uplifting -- if not happy -- ending to this thoughtful, graceful album, but at this point, it's difficult to expect anything less from Low.

Track listing
1. "Monkey" – 4:19
2. "California" – 3:23
3. "Everybody's Song" – 3:55
4. "Silver Rider" – 5:03
5. "Just Stand Back" – 3:04
6. "On the Edge Of" – 3:49
7. "Cue the Strings" – 3:30
8. "Step" – 3:18
9. "When I Go Deaf" – 4:41
10. "Broadway (So Many People)" – 7:14
11. "Pissing" – 5:08
12. "Death of a Salesman" – 2:28
13. "Walk into the Sea" – 2:56

Links:
download (Hotfile & Filefactory)
pass: zazzzazz

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