Rare Frequencies: Shiny new drones, analog overload, and pitch-black dubstep
It’s a record-release party of epic proportions this Sunday at Great Scott. Local sound artist BRENDAN MURRAY follows up last year’s acclaimed long-form drone fest, Commonwealth, with an untitled album of shorter, more delicate pieces. Brooklynite Daniel Lopatin (a/k/a ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER) has a beautiful new vinyl record of drifting, kraut-synth inspired works called Betrayed in the Octagon. And the elusive (and explosive) RED HORSE have finally put out their debut LP, re1007 — which alone is reason to celebrate.
Listen to two selections from Murray’s new record on his label’s Web site, and check out an exclusive excerpt from the new Red Horse album here.
Billed as a Boston-versus-Jersey soundclash, this Tuesday’s show at the Piano Factory features choice offerings of shrieking noise, weird folk, grainy phonographic drones, and analog-synthesizer overload. Representing the Mid Atlantic are speaker shredder 2673 and singer songwriter KING DARVES. Playing for the home team are harmonium player, turntablist, and field-recordings texturalist JAY SULLIVAN (in a rare solo set) and analog wunderkind BENJAMIN NELSON. Here’s an exclusive, unreleased track from Jay Sullivan.
Hyperdub labelmate Burial gets the lion’s share of the critical kudos, but for my money KODE 9 is dubstep’s most innovative producer. Although he’s still best known for his crackling, pitch-black atmospherics and yawning sub-bass, he’s recently gone through a stylistic shift, folding in elements from the more dance-floor-friendly house-music microgenre “funky.” His music is still as dark and apocalyptic as ever, but now it’s got a somnambulant swing. This Wednesday he makes his long-overdue Boston debut at Good Life. To get a sense of Kode 9’s new musical turn of mind, take a listen to “2 Far Gone” (below).
BRENDAN MURRAY + RED HORSE + ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER + GHOST EXITS | Great Scott, 1222 Comm Ave, Allston | April 12 at 9 pm | 18+ | $7 | 617.566.9014 | www.greatscottboston.com | 2673 + KING DARVES + BENJAMIN NELSON + JAY SULLIVAN | Piano Craft Guild, 791 Tremont Street, Boston | April 13 at 8 pm | www.semataproductions.com | KODE 9 + ALEX INCYDE + SCOTCH 1 | Good Life | 28 Kingston St, Boston | April 15 at 9 pm | 21+ | $10 | www.goodlifebar.com
2 Far Gone - Kode9